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Operation 235
Book
Set in the summer of 1939, Operation 235 pits the United States against Nazi Germany, as the two...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! in Books
Dec 23, 2023 (Updated Dec 23, 2023)
Reality Show and Murder at Christmas
It’s the week before Christmas, but Meg has gotten roped into the reality show Blades of Glory! that is being filmed in the area. She just wanted to be working behind the scenes, but when someone attacks her mentor, who was supposed to be a competitor, she has to step in at the last minute as a contestant even though bladesmithing isn’t her specialty. But when another contestant is murdered, Meg begins to wonder if she is safe or if someone is out to do away with all their competition.
Yes, this is a Christmas entry in the series. While it may not quite seem like it from the teaser, we still get plenty of Christmas spirit on these pages, and I enjoyed some of the twists the set up brought us. It helps that we see many of the regular characters, and they are charming as always. I did find one of the other contestants to be very one dimensional. I get we weren’t supposed to like the guy, but did he have to be that much of a cliché? There is plenty going on to keep us reading, including set up, before the body drops, and I was never bored. However, the climax was weaker than it could have been, even though all our questions are answered. No matter when you read this entry, you’ll enjoy another Christmas with Meg.
Yes, this is a Christmas entry in the series. While it may not quite seem like it from the teaser, we still get plenty of Christmas spirit on these pages, and I enjoyed some of the twists the set up brought us. It helps that we see many of the regular characters, and they are charming as always. I did find one of the other contestants to be very one dimensional. I get we weren’t supposed to like the guy, but did he have to be that much of a cliché? There is plenty going on to keep us reading, including set up, before the body drops, and I was never bored. However, the climax was weaker than it could have been, even though all our questions are answered. No matter when you read this entry, you’ll enjoy another Christmas with Meg.
Murder at Glenloch Hill
8.0
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Set in Edwardian Britain, American transplant Stella, and British aristocrat, Viscount “Lyndy”...
Kill or Bee Killed
8.0
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Perfect for fans of Laura Childs and Amanda Flower, this second Bee Keeping mystery takes Bailey...
Darren (1599 KP) rated 22 Chaser (2018) in Movies
Aug 5, 2019
Story: 22 Chaser starts as we meet Ben (Smith) a tow truck driver who has been struggling to keep everything together with his family and with friendly rivalries in the field with the like of Wayne (Trujillo) and Sean (Ashmore) who offer him the advice he needs.
When his company gets a big break he must make the decision to continue to work for the company even if it means he must pay upfront it should bring more money back at the end, while his wife Avery (Horn) trying to get into cookery school. We are left to see just how far he will go.
Thoughts on 22 Chaser
Characters – Ben is an honest hard-working tow truck driver, he does the right thing for the injured people on accident sites which often loses him the tows. He is struggling with money back home which is putting a strain on his marriage and on this one night he will go for broke to make his son’s birthday special. Avery is Ben’s wife who is being strong around their son, trying to push Ben into a better life for them both. The rest of the characters we meet a different people in the tow truck business, we see how they operate both sides of the law.
Performances – Brian J Smith in the leading role shows how desperate side to his character, we feel how much he needs his break from this world and life. When we dive into the rest of the cast each performer is good without taking the spotlight off Brian.
Story – The story here focuses on a tow truck driver that needs to learn the reality of the game he is in, while trying to support his family, it is strange that we can compare this to ‘Nightcrawler’ when talking about the story because it shows us one man that gets deeper into a field that has darker sides about it becoming everything he doesn’t want to be to make sure his wife and child are supported. It does show how hard working people are often over looked until they show a meaner side. This isn’t the deepest and stories and does have a slow pace about it for the most part which can bring it down at times.
Crime – The crime side of the film shows us how Ben can fall into the wrong side of the law when it comes to making the right decisions about what is happening with accidents, he doesn’t cause them and the competition can become fierce.
Settings – The film keeps us in a big city, this gives us enough reason for traffic accidents to happen and shows us who the people cleaning them up are.
Scene of the Movie – The race to the accident.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The pacing is very slow early on.
Final Thoughts – This is a solid enough movie that does get to put us in the world of tow trucks, showing the competition between drivers for jobs and how good guys might not always be first on call.
Overall: Slow but interesting crime drama.
When his company gets a big break he must make the decision to continue to work for the company even if it means he must pay upfront it should bring more money back at the end, while his wife Avery (Horn) trying to get into cookery school. We are left to see just how far he will go.
Thoughts on 22 Chaser
Characters – Ben is an honest hard-working tow truck driver, he does the right thing for the injured people on accident sites which often loses him the tows. He is struggling with money back home which is putting a strain on his marriage and on this one night he will go for broke to make his son’s birthday special. Avery is Ben’s wife who is being strong around their son, trying to push Ben into a better life for them both. The rest of the characters we meet a different people in the tow truck business, we see how they operate both sides of the law.
Performances – Brian J Smith in the leading role shows how desperate side to his character, we feel how much he needs his break from this world and life. When we dive into the rest of the cast each performer is good without taking the spotlight off Brian.
Story – The story here focuses on a tow truck driver that needs to learn the reality of the game he is in, while trying to support his family, it is strange that we can compare this to ‘Nightcrawler’ when talking about the story because it shows us one man that gets deeper into a field that has darker sides about it becoming everything he doesn’t want to be to make sure his wife and child are supported. It does show how hard working people are often over looked until they show a meaner side. This isn’t the deepest and stories and does have a slow pace about it for the most part which can bring it down at times.
Crime – The crime side of the film shows us how Ben can fall into the wrong side of the law when it comes to making the right decisions about what is happening with accidents, he doesn’t cause them and the competition can become fierce.
Settings – The film keeps us in a big city, this gives us enough reason for traffic accidents to happen and shows us who the people cleaning them up are.
Scene of the Movie – The race to the accident.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The pacing is very slow early on.
Final Thoughts – This is a solid enough movie that does get to put us in the world of tow trucks, showing the competition between drivers for jobs and how good guys might not always be first on call.
Overall: Slow but interesting crime drama.
FC Porto Fantasy Manager 2017 - Your football club
Games and Sports
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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Hummingbird Project (2018) in Movies
Jun 24, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
The trailer for this offered a glimpse at something that looked intriguing but the final result wasn't quite as impactful as you might have imagined.
Vincent has the drive and cunning to launch a project that could make them millions, Anton is the brains to make it a success. In investment you have to be a step ahead of the competition, so the competition is where you'll get the best deal on the next big thing. When they both quit with immediate effect their boss is suspicious does everything to find out what they're up to. She eventually gets a break and is soon hot on their heels to come up with something bigger and better. The stakes are high and the game is dirty, but someone has to win.
The Hummingbird Project certainly didn't lack acting talent. While I've not seen much from Jesse Eisenberg apart from Lex Luthor in the DCEU I was impressed with what he gives in this, there are a lot of powerful moments as we get towards the end of the film and he treats them well. Alexander Skarsgård plays Anton, the awkward genius cousin who spends most of his time with his eyes glued to a computer screen. His role is heavy on physical acting rather than dialogue and it's very effective against the pushy characters around him.
The duo are pitted against their ex-boss, Eva Torres, beautifully brought to life as a ruthless villain by Salma Hayek. Hayek has the bitchy boss thing down and had she been talking at me with heavily threatening undertones I think I'd have just started crying.
I found the story easy to get along with, the script wasn't overly complicated which was nice considering it could have been with all the technical things going on. As the story overall is about them fulfilling their project it means that at several points we get reminders about what's going on, and that probably helps it because every so often they get out some plans and go "this is what we're doing and this is the problem" so you don't have to really remember much as we progress.
At points it seems like it's a little rushed, which is intriguing because it feels like it's longer than billed. I assumed that some scenes are included because they're a nod to the real-life story... but it isn't a real-life story... and that in itself should be the most confusing thing about this film. I genuinely went in thinking it was "history", but it's not history, so why did they bother making it? It's just not thrilling enough to hold up as a new story. If I'm honest, finding out it's fictional after thinking it was real has knocked off some star rating.
What you should do
There are much more thrilling tales out there for this sort of story, despite the good acting I would suggest seeing something else. Seeing something else would also preserve the beautiful image of Alexander Skarsgård from being tarnished.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
A multi-million dollar idea would be quite nice.
Vincent has the drive and cunning to launch a project that could make them millions, Anton is the brains to make it a success. In investment you have to be a step ahead of the competition, so the competition is where you'll get the best deal on the next big thing. When they both quit with immediate effect their boss is suspicious does everything to find out what they're up to. She eventually gets a break and is soon hot on their heels to come up with something bigger and better. The stakes are high and the game is dirty, but someone has to win.
The Hummingbird Project certainly didn't lack acting talent. While I've not seen much from Jesse Eisenberg apart from Lex Luthor in the DCEU I was impressed with what he gives in this, there are a lot of powerful moments as we get towards the end of the film and he treats them well. Alexander Skarsgård plays Anton, the awkward genius cousin who spends most of his time with his eyes glued to a computer screen. His role is heavy on physical acting rather than dialogue and it's very effective against the pushy characters around him.
The duo are pitted against their ex-boss, Eva Torres, beautifully brought to life as a ruthless villain by Salma Hayek. Hayek has the bitchy boss thing down and had she been talking at me with heavily threatening undertones I think I'd have just started crying.
I found the story easy to get along with, the script wasn't overly complicated which was nice considering it could have been with all the technical things going on. As the story overall is about them fulfilling their project it means that at several points we get reminders about what's going on, and that probably helps it because every so often they get out some plans and go "this is what we're doing and this is the problem" so you don't have to really remember much as we progress.
At points it seems like it's a little rushed, which is intriguing because it feels like it's longer than billed. I assumed that some scenes are included because they're a nod to the real-life story... but it isn't a real-life story... and that in itself should be the most confusing thing about this film. I genuinely went in thinking it was "history", but it's not history, so why did they bother making it? It's just not thrilling enough to hold up as a new story. If I'm honest, finding out it's fictional after thinking it was real has knocked off some star rating.
What you should do
There are much more thrilling tales out there for this sort of story, despite the good acting I would suggest seeing something else. Seeing something else would also preserve the beautiful image of Alexander Skarsgård from being tarnished.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
A multi-million dollar idea would be quite nice.
Juventus Fantasy Manager 2018
Games and Sports
6.0
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JUVENTUS FANTASY MANAGER 2017-BE THE BOSS: the new edition of the MOST ADDICTING FOOTBALL mobile...
Merissa (12894 KP) rated The Panther’s Lost Princess (Redclaw Security #1) in Books
Nov 15, 2017
The Panther’s Lost Princess (Redclaw Security #1) by McKenna Dean
The Panther's Lost Princess is the first book in the Redclaw Security series, and I can't wait to read more! We start off with Ellie, a waitress who wants to enter a singing competition. She is all alone, but has her job and her friends. Things start looking up when Mr Hot Stuff turns up at the diner where she works, and seems interested in her. Mr Hot Stuff, otherwise known as Jack, is having a dilemma though. Ellie is his fated mate, but he has a job to do, which involves handing her over to her family. What's a shifter supposed to do?
Now, through no fault of the author, I thought that Ellie would be a panther, so imagine my surprise and delight when she turns out to be... well, something else! All of the characters in this story, whether they are mentioned a lot or a little, all contribute in helping the story to move forwards. The pacing is smooth, with one scene transitioning easily to the next. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. This story was thoroughly enjoyable, with plenty to offer the paranormal fan. Looking forward to the next one, and definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Now, through no fault of the author, I thought that Ellie would be a panther, so imagine my surprise and delight when she turns out to be... well, something else! All of the characters in this story, whether they are mentioned a lot or a little, all contribute in helping the story to move forwards. The pacing is smooth, with one scene transitioning easily to the next. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. This story was thoroughly enjoyable, with plenty to offer the paranormal fan. Looking forward to the next one, and definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated Throne of Glass in Books
Feb 2, 2019
Great Start to the series
It can be somewhat on parallel with Hunger Games except on a fantasy setting and sans the dystopia. Celaena is quite the character to like. She’s witty, smart, she’s got the talk and has the walk to prove it, she’s everything you like in a strong female character and more. I love her sass and overall personality.
The plot itself was good and engaging to read. There’s a mix of everything. Mystery, intrigue, action, and romance. I’d have to say it’s a little bit too much of a mix. I was really more into reading about the competition and Celaena’s skills. The mystery aspect did not really capture my attention and didn’t think it was very exciting. Sure, it did keep you guessing but it wasn’t filled with any twists and turns one might expect in a mystery. The romance was all right although I also didn’t think a love triangle was necessary in this one. (It was pretty hard to choose which one of the two were better. They both had their qualities that made them likable so I’m going to sit on the fence and be neutral on this)
I also enjoyed reading into Celaena’s and Nehemia’s friendship. I rather liked the bond they shared and Nehemia can hold her own as well so I liked how the two of them shared some common ground.
The ending was excellent and I’m going to be reading the rest of this. I hear it gets better! So I’m looking forward to getting the second.
The plot itself was good and engaging to read. There’s a mix of everything. Mystery, intrigue, action, and romance. I’d have to say it’s a little bit too much of a mix. I was really more into reading about the competition and Celaena’s skills. The mystery aspect did not really capture my attention and didn’t think it was very exciting. Sure, it did keep you guessing but it wasn’t filled with any twists and turns one might expect in a mystery. The romance was all right although I also didn’t think a love triangle was necessary in this one. (It was pretty hard to choose which one of the two were better. They both had their qualities that made them likable so I’m going to sit on the fence and be neutral on this)
I also enjoyed reading into Celaena’s and Nehemia’s friendship. I rather liked the bond they shared and Nehemia can hold her own as well so I liked how the two of them shared some common ground.
The ending was excellent and I’m going to be reading the rest of this. I hear it gets better! So I’m looking forward to getting the second.