LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Black Panther (2018) in Movies
May 19, 2019 (Updated Jun 8, 2019)
This film is filled to the brim with vibrant colours, and an extremely likable cast.
Chadwick Boseman, Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira (literally throwing wigs at one point), Daniel Kaluuya, and Lulita Nyong'o are all great, and really paint a picture of the tribal togetherness that is Wakanda.
The two villains are where the cast really shines however, and of course, mainly Michael B. Jordan.
Here we have a layered Marvel villain, someone who you can truly sympathise with, whose backstory is fleshed out enough to almost side with him. Almost.
Jordan does a great job of bringing Killmonger to life.
Similar props to Andy Serkis. After a tiny roll in Age of Ultron, he gets a chance here to play Klaue like and absolute psychopath, and it's clear just how much fun he has in to roll.
A few negatives.... The way that Klaue's story arc is concluded is hugely unsatisfying.
The CGI is dodgy in parts, especially during then climatic battle.
The last battle itself is fun for the most part, but the fight between Black Panther and Killmonger falls into the age old MCU trope of 'the-hero-fighting-an-evil-version-of-themselves-in-a-similar-oufit' (see Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Ant-Man for reference)
Martin Freeman's character seems and largely unnecessary addition here, but it's always fun to see characters from other MCU movies.
All in all, Black Panther can be bland in places, but it's done the important part of finally establishing Wakanda in the MCU, and I for one am looking forward to what other stories will occur there (fingers crossed for a Sub-Mariner story line in a sequel!)
Merissa (13154 KP) rated Lacewood: A Novel of Time and Place in Books
Jun 19, 2019
There was information about Katie, but nothing too much about what she did prior to being at Lacewood, just that she was very wealthy. You learn more about the characters from the past as Katie delves into the stories behind Lacewood. Will is the main character in the present, and to be fair, what you see is what you get with him. You don't actually get too much backstory, or even that much involvement, with him.
Although I enjoyed having this book split into three parts (present, past, present), at the same time it was a bit jarring when it changed. There was no build-up to the change, it just happened. And when we returned to the present, it felt like quite some time had passed, and yet I have no idea how long it was.
For me, the main characters were Annie and Jon. They are the ones that made this story for me, involving me in their lives, and wanting to know exactly what had happened to them. I also wanted to know more about Molly and her baby, and how they coped after Luke was killed.
A gentle read, with oodles of Southern charm, I have no hesitation in recommending this. This was the first book by this author I have read, and I wouldn't mind reading more of her work.
* 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!
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Hearts Made Whole (Beacons of Hope, #2) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Caroline Taylor's family has had their fair share of suffering. With their father having recently passed, their beloved home is now being threatened. But in 1865, because Caroline is a woman, the inspector sees fit to replace her with a man, Civil War veteran Ryan Chambers. Ryan is haunted by the pain of the past. All he wants to do is drown his sorrows any way that he can. Will they try to find their own solutions to their problems? Or will they turn to the only One who can heal their hearts and make them whole again?
"God is good all the time, no matter what bad things come into their lives." - Hearts Made Whole
There is something about Jody Hedlund's books that grip my heart. My laundry has sat forsaken the last few days and I have burned the midnight oil finishing Hearts Made Whole. Every emotion feels so real, the anger, love, fear, and hope. The exact circumstances portrayed in the book might never become a reality for me, but the emotions are very real. It was almost challenging to see the internal struggles that I deal with on a daily basis, brought to life before my very eyes. The distressing scenes only caused me to read faster and longer, wanting to know what would happen next. The hope that is instilled into the characters was contagious. The romance is passionate but clean and honorable. In all honesty, we need more authors like Jody Hedlund! Add Hearts Made Whole to your reading list today! This book can stand alone, but you really don't want to miss out on the first book in the series: Love Unexpected.
I received a free digital copy of Hearts Made Whole from Bethany House Publishers through
NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
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