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MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Less of More: Pursuing Spiritual Abundance in a World of Never Enough in Books
Nov 4, 2019
Synopsis: For most Americans, the pursuit of happiness really means the pursuit of more--more money, more prestige, more stuff. We've made idols out of innovation, growth, power, and wealth. Far from offering us happiness and satisfaction, this has only left us exhausted, isolated, miserable, and wondering if there is a better way.
There is. Less of More exposes our pursuit of more for what it truly is: an attempt to satisfy our souls with the temporary instead of the eternal. Pastor and writer Chris Nye invites us to consider what a full and abundant life looks like apart from money, status, and power. He exposes the lies inherent in our obsession with growth, fame, and wealth and calls us to a countercultural life marked by connection, obscurity, vulnerability, and generosity.
If you have gained the world but lost your soul, Less of More offers a compelling path toward a life of true, deep, lasting satisfaction with Jesus--not us--at the center of it.
My Thoughts: We live in a world that seems to push bigger is better, more makes us happier, but is that really true? Is that what God really wants for us? In this book author, Chris Nye takes a long hard look at how the world and the culture are forming what we think we need to live our lives. The author asks us to think about what a full life looks like without all the extras in our life; the money, status, and power that individuals seek every day. The author shows us the lies that are in these things, the obsession with having it all, the fame, the bigger churches, instead of seeking what God wants for us in our lives.
This book is an eye opener and a must read for everyone.
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I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 : Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
There is. Less of More exposes our pursuit of more for what it truly is: an attempt to satisfy our souls with the temporary instead of the eternal. Pastor and writer Chris Nye invites us to consider what a full and abundant life looks like apart from money, status, and power. He exposes the lies inherent in our obsession with growth, fame, and wealth and calls us to a countercultural life marked by connection, obscurity, vulnerability, and generosity.
If you have gained the world but lost your soul, Less of More offers a compelling path toward a life of true, deep, lasting satisfaction with Jesus--not us--at the center of it.
My Thoughts: We live in a world that seems to push bigger is better, more makes us happier, but is that really true? Is that what God really wants for us? In this book author, Chris Nye takes a long hard look at how the world and the culture are forming what we think we need to live our lives. The author asks us to think about what a full life looks like without all the extras in our life; the money, status, and power that individuals seek every day. The author shows us the lies that are in these things, the obsession with having it all, the fame, the bigger churches, instead of seeking what God wants for us in our lives.
This book is an eye opener and a must read for everyone.
????
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 : Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Judy (2019) in Movies
Feb 6, 2020
Brilliant performance by Zellwegger - and not much else
Renee Zellwegger is absolutely brilliant in her channeling of Judy Garland in the film JUDY. She deserves to - and WILL WIN - the Oscar for Best Actress. Her performance is amazing and I forgot that I was watching an actress playing Judy Garland and fell into a trance thinking I was actually watching the real Judy Garland.
Too bad the rest of the film is not this good.
Based on actual events, JUDY tells the story of a late in her career Judy Garland's trek to London for a series of Concerts. She is down on her luck, addicted to pills, filled with self doubt and ghosts from her past. In general...she is a wreck...and needs the $$ from these concerts to keep custody of her 2 young children.
And...Zellwegger plays all of these emotions as Judy very, very well as well as shining in the performance scenes where Judy was able - albeit for a short time - to "come up for air" and perform as the world class performer she is. Zellwegger trained for over a year with a vocal coach to get the singing/performance part of this film down - and it shows. She is brilliant in these moments.
The trouble with this film as written by Tom Edge (based on the stage play "End of the Rainbow" by Peter Quilter) and Director Rupert Goold is that this film doesn't really go anywhere. There is no arc to Judy's story. She starts the film as a trainwreck...and ends the film as a trainwreck. There isn't evem a realization by Judy that she is a trainwreck. She just IS a trainwreck.
And that does not a compelling movie make.
Rufus Sewell, Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock and Michael Gambon are all along for a ride on this train and all choose to get off before the end and the inevitable trainwreck that is going to happen.
Is this film worth seeing? Sure...for Zellwegger's Oscar winning performance. Unfortunately, it doesn't have anything else to recommend it.
Letter Grade B (solely on the performance)
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (OfMarquis)
Too bad the rest of the film is not this good.
Based on actual events, JUDY tells the story of a late in her career Judy Garland's trek to London for a series of Concerts. She is down on her luck, addicted to pills, filled with self doubt and ghosts from her past. In general...she is a wreck...and needs the $$ from these concerts to keep custody of her 2 young children.
And...Zellwegger plays all of these emotions as Judy very, very well as well as shining in the performance scenes where Judy was able - albeit for a short time - to "come up for air" and perform as the world class performer she is. Zellwegger trained for over a year with a vocal coach to get the singing/performance part of this film down - and it shows. She is brilliant in these moments.
The trouble with this film as written by Tom Edge (based on the stage play "End of the Rainbow" by Peter Quilter) and Director Rupert Goold is that this film doesn't really go anywhere. There is no arc to Judy's story. She starts the film as a trainwreck...and ends the film as a trainwreck. There isn't evem a realization by Judy that she is a trainwreck. She just IS a trainwreck.
And that does not a compelling movie make.
Rufus Sewell, Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock and Michael Gambon are all along for a ride on this train and all choose to get off before the end and the inevitable trainwreck that is going to happen.
Is this film worth seeing? Sure...for Zellwegger's Oscar winning performance. Unfortunately, it doesn't have anything else to recommend it.
Letter Grade B (solely on the performance)
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (OfMarquis)
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2478 KP) rated Murder on Bank Street in Books
Jan 12, 2020
Solving the Murder of Dr. Tom Brandt
In the spring of 1897, New York City Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy has been given permission by NYPD Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt to focus solely on solving Dr. Tom Brandt’s murder. However, since people are expecting Teddy Roosevelt to be called to Washington to serve in the new administration at any moment, Malloy knows he must act quickly to solve the case. He has three good suspects and a description of the murder weapon, but he is facing the fact that Tom died over four years ago. He can’t establish alibis, and the killer might have gotten rid of the weapon over the years. He’ll only have one shot at confronting the suspects as well since his best weapon is the element of surprise. Can he gather enough evidence to get the killer to confess? Will Sarah Brandt, Tom’s widow and Frank’s friend, be happy with what Frank learns along the way?
Dr. Brandt’s murder has been an ongoing storyline since the first book, so I was happy to finally see it solved. Ironically, Sarah doesn’t play an active part in solving it, but she is still an active part of the book as she reacts to what Frank is learning and her scenes are just as compelling. We get to see a different side of several characters, including Frank’s new sleuthing partner, but Sarah gets the most development, which only makes sense. We have three viewpoint characters over the course of the book, but the changes are always easy to follow. The plot is strong and kept me confused until we reached the satisfying ending. It did seem a bit repetitive early on, but that was a minor issue overall. If you are new to the series, you could jump in here without missing too much since everything you need to know is explained. As always, I felt like I was in 1897 with the little details and character’s attitudes acting like a time machine. I’m curious to see how the series will progress without this storyline an active part of things, but I am satisfied with how this storyline was wrapped up.
Dr. Brandt’s murder has been an ongoing storyline since the first book, so I was happy to finally see it solved. Ironically, Sarah doesn’t play an active part in solving it, but she is still an active part of the book as she reacts to what Frank is learning and her scenes are just as compelling. We get to see a different side of several characters, including Frank’s new sleuthing partner, but Sarah gets the most development, which only makes sense. We have three viewpoint characters over the course of the book, but the changes are always easy to follow. The plot is strong and kept me confused until we reached the satisfying ending. It did seem a bit repetitive early on, but that was a minor issue overall. If you are new to the series, you could jump in here without missing too much since everything you need to know is explained. As always, I felt like I was in 1897 with the little details and character’s attitudes acting like a time machine. I’m curious to see how the series will progress without this storyline an active part of things, but I am satisfied with how this storyline was wrapped up.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Big Lies in a Small Town in Books
Mar 19, 2020
Morgan Christopher is shocked when she's plucked from prison and told she will be released early, as long as she perform a certain task: restore an old mural from the 1940s. Morgan, an art school dropout, has no restoration skills, but she is desperate to leave prison, where she is imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit. Once released, she finds herself captivated by the mural and what she finds underneath the layers of grime. Meanwhile, in 1940, young Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey wins a contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. She travels there to learn more about the town that she needs to capture. But once there, Anna is confronted both by kindness and deep-set prejudice.
I've never read a book by Diane Chamberlain before, and I really enjoyed this one. It's oddly captivating for centering on a painting from the 1940s. The point-of-view switches between Morgan and Anna and each are compelling narrators in their own right. This was one of those books where I found myself desperately wishing I could read faster, as I wanted to find out what happened to Anna (we're told early on she "went crazy").
I applaud Chamberlain for her original plot. It's odd, but not in a bad way, as it had me interested the entire time. She does a wonderful job of creating two completely different worlds: Anna's in the 40s and Morgan's in near present-day. She deftly weaves in art aspects; Morgan's drunk driving conviction and her past in prison; Anna's possible mental illness; and Morgan's benefactor, so to speak, Lisa, who springs her out of prison to fulfill the wishes of her late father, Jesse, a famous artist.
While this novel is mainly fiction, there are some great twists and turns, especially as we learn what happened to Anna. Chamberlain delves into race relations, as Anna confronts the prejudices of the south in the 1940s. Her writing style is easy, making you want to keep reading, and overall, I quite enjoyed this one. 4 stars.
I've never read a book by Diane Chamberlain before, and I really enjoyed this one. It's oddly captivating for centering on a painting from the 1940s. The point-of-view switches between Morgan and Anna and each are compelling narrators in their own right. This was one of those books where I found myself desperately wishing I could read faster, as I wanted to find out what happened to Anna (we're told early on she "went crazy").
I applaud Chamberlain for her original plot. It's odd, but not in a bad way, as it had me interested the entire time. She does a wonderful job of creating two completely different worlds: Anna's in the 40s and Morgan's in near present-day. She deftly weaves in art aspects; Morgan's drunk driving conviction and her past in prison; Anna's possible mental illness; and Morgan's benefactor, so to speak, Lisa, who springs her out of prison to fulfill the wishes of her late father, Jesse, a famous artist.
While this novel is mainly fiction, there are some great twists and turns, especially as we learn what happened to Anna. Chamberlain delves into race relations, as Anna confronts the prejudices of the south in the 1940s. Her writing style is easy, making you want to keep reading, and overall, I quite enjoyed this one. 4 stars.
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