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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Joji Presents: The Extravaganza (2020) in Movies

Nov 27, 2020 (Updated Nov 27, 2020)  
Joji Presents: The Extravaganza (2020)
Joji Presents: The Extravaganza (2020)
2020 | Comedy, Music
Not as good as Hair Cake. In seriousness, as someone who firmly believes that FIlthy Frank was perhaps the single greatest online entertainer who ever lived - something this casual was always going to seem like a downgrade for me as opposed to his former persona's caustic, over-the-top antics. But I also really enjoy Joji and feel he's similarly unique in a different way - one of which I dig quite a lot. Ballads 1 and Nectar have some *banger* songs on them that I regularly put on repeat so I was fully ready to have fun with this. But what was marketed as a dark spin on a circus stage performance meets a lite version of The Eric Andre Show ended up being a rather low-energy, repetitive slog that stretches at barely over an hour. I'm still not even sure what the point of this was, the only half-inspired bit was Run (and maybe Sanctuary yet it seemed so telegraphed) but other than that it's a collection of confusingly samey (though never bad) live renditions of songs that you get no benefit of seeing performed here as opposed to hearing/seeing them on the albums or music videos. Joji's downtrodden, walking broken heart persona (which - by the way - I love) tries to mix with this high-energy would-be attention grabber and truthfully it doesn't work or come even close to justifying the ticket price. The costumes and songs are still rock-solid even though two or three of them just feel like the same track. It makes me happy to see George's newfound success in something he's so passionate about, but this was a misfire imo. Alas, not even Joji performing Tick Tock as a 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘔𝘦 minion can save it. God-tier ending, though - why wasn't the whole thing more like that?
  
The Lady Who Cried Murder (Mac Faraday Mystery #6)
The Lady Who Cried Murder (Mac Faraday Mystery #6)
Lauren Carr | 2013 | Mystery, Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
If you are looking for murder or mystery to enjoy, Lauren Carr will not disappoint. I read almost all of her books. Her books will have you lured in for more than you are expecting. Each book or audiobook can be read as a standalone though you can read them in series. This one is about a girl who wants to be a celebrity but will see get it all and easy money. Will she get it all, or will she pay the price?

There seem to be more secrets and murders than one person can handle. We meet a mother who thinks her daughter has stood abducted. The daughter shows up at a press conference and has set up her mother. Her mother is angry and does some things and changes her will. Whatever happens to her daughter Khole?

David does not want to stand up once more, so he does the interviewer something by checking it out. But do they listen to him when he wants to make sure it is not a setup to make it a circus of the Spenser police department?

Does David find Khole killed and cut up? Who had done it and why? What is Khole's big announcement about what she would tell the interview? We seem to be working with David and Mac and Cameron and Joshua. The team appears to be paired up and works out who the killer is? Guess who gets pulled into these are their girlfriends. You will not guess who is behind all the murders. This one ended up having me guessing until the end. I still did not know who it was up to until the end.
  
Living on Air
Living on Air
Susan Mac Nicol | 2018 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Masterpiece by Ms Mac Nicol!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

There comes along, once in a rare while, a book that PUSHES you. It pushes you out of your comfort zone. It pushes your skill at writing a coherent review, but most of all, it PUSHES you to get into the mind of someone close you, that you hadn't been able to before.

And OMG this book PUSHED me! So if my review goes awry, it's because I can't get the right words out, okay??

Cary has his own coping methods to deal with a major childhood trauma. Except, he isn't dealing with it, not really, he just deals with the pain his coping method causes. And he is good at hiding what he is doing. Rhys comes to the circus to take pictures, that's all. Pictures to go in a book. But Cary has a powerful reaction to Rhys, and vice versa, and the circus folk are amusing watching Rhys PUSH Cary. But they both carry scars, physical and emotional, and when Cary decides to confront his, he PUSHES Rhys away.

Finding to so difficult to write this, I really am, without bawling my eyes out.

I'm not giving anything away by saying Cary self harms, and from the very first PAGE we get it. And getting into Cary's mindset when he does what he does, THAT is the hardest thing I found to read in this book. Someone VERY close to me used to do this, not to the extent that Cary does, but close. I could never get my head round the why she did this, it made no sense to me at all. And their trauma was totally different to Cary's but getting into Cary's mind as he descends into oblivion, made me understand a little bit better WHY she did this.

And trust me when I say this, the amount of attention to detail, and research gone into this book, is OUTSTANDING! Cary's trauma and coping methods, what happened after. Rhys' own trauma, while not as in depth as Cary's, is bad too. Cary on his silks, I could SEE him, you know?? It was just like being there! And now?? Now I want to see the guy who Ms Mac Nicol used as inspiration for Cary and his silks.

The scene where the title came to make complete and total sense?? I had to go sit out the back for a few minutes, because I really did cry at that!

I started to read this at work (don't tell anyone!) and I had to keep putting it down. I had to keep putting it down when a particular chapter was difficult, or too emotional and I was getting upset. Had I been at home, I have no doubt I would have bawled my way through and read the whole book in one go.

Or at least I would have tried to. Because this is not a fluffy romance, it is not an easy read and it's not even a Happily Ever After.

But what it is, is an outstanding piece of work that Susan Mac Nicol should call her Masterpiece of writing.

There is a little author's note on the blurb, I strongly suggest you heed it.

While Cary and Rhys don't get a full Happily Ever After, they do get a Happy For Now. Both guys have a lot of healing to do, individually and as a couple. I just hope Ms Mac Nicol will write them a Happily Ever After, and SOON!!!

I can't word how much, even though it is an emotionally gut wrenching read, how much I LOVED this book. You know what?? Brand new shelf on Goodreads, just for books like this. It's title?? Masterpieces.

5 stars, but only because I can't give it anymore!

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**