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Sara Cox (1845 KP) rated Slumber in Books

Feb 23, 2020  
Slumber
Slumber
Becky Bird | 2019
9
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I love a good twist on a classic fairy story. This fairy story was Sleeping Beauty. But what if the true love’s kiss that woke her wasn’t her’s?
In this story a vein Prince is in need of a Princess to marry to rule his kingdom. He hears of the sleeping princess and her beauty, and so decides that she shall be the one he marries. Of course there has to be some source of evil and in this case it’s the royal family’s advisor and holy man – his character remind me a little of Disney’s Jafar (not a bad thing I might add). And so because of the magic and this evil sorcerer’s desire to have the kingdom to himself, our Prince gets into a bit
of bother. He meets a orphan girl and her friend along the way and they set off on the Prince’s quest fighting all evils along the way. I love her character, a “I don’t need a man” heroine. Someone a bit rough around the edges Someone who is quite vocal about his vein and unrealistic views. No need to say their personalities clash a bit. But they teach each other a lot along the way. Their relationship is written well, if you’ve read enough and seen enough love stories you can see where
this relationship will end up.
When Aurora awakes, I must admit I find her character tedious and shallow. I found her quite unrealistic and unbelievable. Prince Phillip was an interesting character to read; honest, sly and manipulative – but not in any malicious way. I actually really enjoyed his character. He I found was written far better than Aurora, and therefore I thought that their characters wouldn’t blend that well. But this story isn’t really about them, is it?
  
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Craig David recommended track Show Me Love by Robin Schulz in Sugar by Robin Schulz in Music (curated)

 
Sugar by Robin Schulz
Sugar by Robin Schulz
2015 | Rhythm And Blues
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

Show Me Love by Robin Schulz

(0 Ratings)

Track

"This is a go-to tune for me whenever I'm doing any of my TS5 shows. I remember when I was playing out the original in the early ‘90s, but I prefer the remix of it, where the beat is a little tougher. “Show Me Love” is always guaranteed to go down. Anywhere I go, as soon as people hear the opening chords, they're like ‘That's a tune I can make memories to.' “And her voice! I got to meet her at Ibiza Rocks, where I do a pool party residency. I played the song in my set and I looked up on the balcony where she was standing, and it was this moment - I'm playing the song, Robyn S is up there mouthing the words to me. I'm thinking, “Should I jump off the stage and get a mic to her? Should someone get a memo to her to come down?” And she's sending me love heart signs from where she's standing. It's Robyn S! And I'm playing one of the most iconic dance tracks of all time. “Why does it resonate with people? Well, for one, the vocal range she's hitting grabs you from the start, like that long “Ohh” she hits at the top. It's also a very simple synth line, which it has in common with “Nightcrawler” too, and it has a simple chord progression. Everyone was trying to copy that kind of pattern, but her line just nailed it. “And lastly it's what she's trying to say, ‘Show me love’. Instantly you feel this euphoria, you feel uplifted. And it's kind of angsty the 'show me love' she's singing, like ‘you gotta show me love and pass all the nonsense’. But if you don't know the context of the story and you've just got your hands in the air, it’s like “ahhh”, you feel it"

Source
  
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Merissa (13765 KP) rated Meet Me at the Top in Books

Jul 27, 2022 (Updated Jul 27, 2023)  
Meet Me at the Top
Meet Me at the Top
S.H. Pratt | 2022 | Contemporary, Romance
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A short but oh-so-sweet story.
MEET ME AT THE TOP is a short but oh-so-sweet story about two people who meet by accident and yet make an impact on each others' lives.

Alice is having a dream trip to the city where her favourite film was made. She meets Sam when she goes to a bar to see if she can sit in the same seat. I would say the attraction is immediate, but neither of them acts upon it. After all, that would be a little weird! Instead, they chat and then bump into each other again later on. This leads to a dinner invitation that Alice has the choice to accept or not, completely on her terms.

I really enjoyed this story but I. NEED. MORE!!!! This is the reason novellas aren't my favourite. This only gave me a snippet and left me with so many questions I need answers to. I loved how Sam and Alice were together, how they admitted to their attraction whilst acknowledging the difficulties they faced. It was a bittersweet ending for me, only because I. NEED. MORE!!!! I need my HEA for both of them; they deserve it and so much more. Please, Ms Pratt, tell me they're happy and together! I'm begging you.

A wonderfully warm tip-of-the-hat to Nora Ephron, written in S.H. Pratt's heart-warming and succinct style. A great novella that I have no hesitation in recommending.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 22, 2022
  
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ClareR (6067 KP) rated Things In Jars in Books

Sep 22, 2019  
Things In Jars
Things In Jars
Jess Kidd | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
9.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Victorian England, a female detective and a touch of the supernatural - what’s not to like?
Things in Jars is set in Victorian London. Bridie Devine is a female detective who is called on by Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick, a baronet, to find his secret daughter, Christabel, who has been kidnapped. However, he doesn’t want to involve the police (this is where alarm bells start to go off!). Very few people in his household know about the existence of Christabel, and she is shut away, ostensibly to protect them from her. Because Christabel is not an ordinary child: she has supernatural powers that can harm people. Bridie doesn’t believe this, of course. So with the help of Cora, her 7 foot tall housemaid and Ruby, the ghost of a prizefighter, she sets out to rescue the child.

I absolutely loved this book. I was never sure if the mythical, fairytale elements were real, or whether Bridie believed them to be real. The seedy, macabre side to London, the sights and smells of the winding streets and the general atmosphere were so well described, that I could have been standing next to Bridie, watching the moving tattoos across Ruby’s torso! Bridie is an excellent character. She feels compelled to find Christabel, mainly because she is coming to the job with a failure weighing heavy on her shoulders, but also she can remember being alone in the world as a child.

Mrs Bibby is a superb villain - she has her conspirators dancing to her tune. She has a gun (and a limp!) and she’s not afraid to use it! Her macabre ‘fairytales’ really ramped up the atmosphere, and showed how truly awful she was. There was a real menace about her.

Other than what I’ve said here, all I can really say is - go and read this book! I loved it (I’ve said that already, I know!), go and read it - you won’t be sorry!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
  
Super Powereds: Year 1
Super Powereds: Year 1
Drew Hayes | 2014 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A twist on the classic super hero story
This is an interesting in-depth look at a Hero Certification Program and how young Supers become full-fledged Heroes. Gifted with incredible powers, the Supers have to complete 4 years of rigorous training to be allowed an internship under an existing Hero.

The Powereds, on the other hand, have to be contained and avoided--they have no control over their abilities. And that's fine if your ability is, say, shooting water out of your fingers... But what if you control the flow of gravity, or absorb electricity?

When a mysterious treatment turns 5 Powereds into Supers, you can bet there is chaos, mischief, and at least a little destruction to boot!

I loved this book because it was well-written, with interesting and deep characters. There are no Mary Sues here, and even the professors become real as opposed to just static authority figures.

Additionally. I bought this book for Kindle for $4, and it's like 700 pages long. Can't beat that price!

I reccommend this book to everyone!
  
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
1972 | Comedy
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"This is the best film title in the world, and I wish so much that I had come up with it myself. It’s a completely absurd film. Buñuel dares to make a movie about this group of people who want to but never manage to eat dinner. There’s a moment when a hand comes up and tries to grab a piece of food off the table. He has no respect for the audience at all, and that of course makes him very interesting. I also like the way he dealt with his public persona. He was very free, and he was playing around in a way that gave him distance from the whole circus. When he was nominated for an Oscar for The Discreet Charm, a journalist asked him how he thought it was going to go, and Buñuel said he would win because his producer had bought the Oscar. And then he actually won and in his award speech he said that you can say whatever you want about Americans, but at least they stand by their word."

Source
  
Nomadland (2020)
Nomadland (2020)
2020 | Drama
Nomadland is a perfect example of cinema about people. The very real people that surround Frances McDormand's Fern are the very heart of this story, as it explores grief, and what it means to leave everything behind, and live out in the wilds, as a nomad. Its narrative feels very human, authentic, and is suitably heartwarming whilst being drenched in melancholy.
McDormand is fantastic as she tends to be. Her performance here is one that comes from someone who has perfected their craft.
The cinematography on display is quite simply stunning. Nomadland is overflowing with beautiful shots and vistas. Chloé Zhao has given us a visual feast to go along with everything else, and it's complimented by a gorgeous music score.

I honestly can't think of a single bad thing to say about Nomadland. I can understand why it might not be for everyone, but I found it to be a wonderful experience. A story that deserves to be told and one that made me question what I'm doing with my own life. Fully deserves all the praise it's getting.
  
House Beneath the Bridge
House Beneath the Bridge
Iain Rob Wright | 2017 | Horror
9
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
The burning of the wrong person leads to a village being cursed. Years later a car crash leaves three groups of people stranded in a dried up river bed that should be easy to get out of, but isn't. Some take haven in a strange church whilst others find a strange house. Terrorised by a strange monk and a giant toad god they need to find a way out, but who can they trust.

This is the first book by Iain Rob Wright that I have read and I have to say I enjoyed it. There are a number of characters who could be the villain or who could be helping the main cast and the reader is misled through out a lot of the book. The landscape the cast are trapped in is just strange enough to add a bit of unease but not so strange that it takes away form the characters interaction.
It was also nice to find a stand alone novel as there are a lot of series' around.