Spooky New Jersey: Tales of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, and Other Local Lore
Paul Hoffman and S.E. Schlosser
Book
A collection of 40 folktales highlighting famous and not-so-famous New Jersey ghosts, mysterious...
World on the Horizon: Swahili Arts Across the Indian Ocean
Prita S Meier and Allyson Purpura
Book
The multiauthored book accompanying the World on the Horizon exhibition organized by Krannert Art...
When God Was a Rabbit
6.0
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1968. The year Paris takes to the streets. The year Martin Luther King loses his life for a dream....
Filey: A History of the Town and Its People
10.0
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Filey is known as ';The Unspoilt Hidden Gem of The Yorkshire Coast' with its glorious wide golden...
The Devil's Workshop
10.0
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The Devil's Workshop is a metaphysical extravaganza for adults. It explains the origins of love and...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated All The Beautiful Lies in Books
Sep 26, 2021
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All the Beautiful Lies
By Peter Swanson
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
On the eve of his college graduation, Harry is called home by his step-mother Alice, to their house on the Maine coast, following the unexpected death of his father.
But who really is Alice, his father's much younger second wife? In a brilliant split narrative, Peter Swanson teases out the stories and damage that lie in her past. And as her story entwines with Harry's in the present, things grow increasingly dark and threatening - will Harry be able to see any of it clearly through his own confused feelings?
It was ok. A decent story but a little predictable. A few parts that can possibly be trigger points but that’s what I see writing as taking on those issues that most people shy away from. In my opinion they were both toxic and she got what she deserved in the end! Some would argue she a product of how she was raised! I think I will try a few more books from Peter Swanson.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2318 KP) rated A Dream of Death in Books
Apr 11, 2019
I was hesitant to pick up this book because of all the books already on my to be read mountain range, but I’m glad I did. This book has a lot going on with a possible ghost, an old house, and the mystery from the past that might be leading to the murder in the present all coming into play. Coupled with the dreary weather, and I got a Gothic feel as I read this book. That atmosphere is enhanced by characters who are all strong, giving us plenty of suspects with motives and secrets all their own. With everything going on, the pace never lags, and I was frustrated every time I had to put the book down. Even though Kate isn’t at home for this book, we still got a glimpse of her family, and I hope we get to see more of them in future books. Kate owns an antique shop, and her knowledge of antiques came into play here in an interesting way. This is a strong debut that needs to be on your to be read list.
The Dressmaker's Dowry: A Novel
Book
For readers of Lucinda Riley, Sarah Jio, or Susan Meissner, this gripping historical debut novel...
From Guernica to Greatness: Eighty Years of Los Rojos
Book
Nowadays, the Premier League is increasingly dominated by Spanish stars, from David Silva to David...
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Deepwater Horizon (2016) in Movies
Jul 15, 2019
As a new team arrives for a 21-day shift they can already tell something is not exactly right, when the contracted testing crew is leaving without conducting critical tests. The man in charge of the vessel, Jimmy Harrell (Kurt Russell), sets out to find out why the contractors have been dismissed and who let them go. Chief electronics technician Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) also goes to question the crew as to what has happened while he was off ship and how long the list is of things he needs to fix. Through a quick investigation by Mike and Jimmy find that BP officials, headed by Vidrine (John Malkovich), are the ones who made the decision. The BP officials chose to assume that everything was fine, and since the Deepwater Horizon was 43 days past their deadline and the rising costs were mounting. Their decision was that it was time to cap the well and move to the next site. That didn’t sit well with Mr. Jimmy, as most of the crew call him, so he demands that one more test is to be run before anything else happens.
The BP officials remind him of the cost and loss of money but eventually agree to the test. The initial test fails but before additional test can be run Jimmy is called away to another part of the vessel. With the addition test being inconclusive, and Mike and Jimmy not around, Vidrine pressures the crew to push forward and move on. Reluctantly the crew and Jimmy agree to move forward. A frustrated Jimmy retires to his crew quarters to get ready for a long night. Mike heads to his shop to video chat with his wife and start the monumental task of fixing all that is wrong aboard the Deepwater Horizon. At about 10 PM the entire vessel was rocked by an explosion. With that the crew rushes frantically to try and stop an even greater disaster and make their way safely off the Deepwater Horizon.
Director Peter Berg (Lone Survivor, Hancock, The Kingdom) does a great job of holding a steady pace throughout this film. The story moves well and once the action begins the intensity and suspense left me on the edge of my seat. The casting is great with Dylan O’Brien, Kate Hudson, Gina Rodriguez and others joining the previously mentioned Wahlberg, Russell and Malkovich. In focusing on the men and women who were on the Deepwater Horizon and their families it makes it a very creative an emotional tribute to the 11 men who perished that night. It does paint the large oil company (BP) as a villain, driven by profit to a point of recklessness, in a way that may be a little too political for some. I found it an informative story, showing a different side to a very well-known disaster.