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Bubblesreview (110 KP) rated A Note Of Madness in Books
Feb 9, 2019
Mental health awareness (1 more)
Likeable chapters
This novel was the authors debut, for a debut novel it's well written and flows fairly well. The portrayal of bipolar disorder / manic depression is realistically unsettling. It really shows how damaging a misdiagnosis could be and the serious effect of being dismissed. To avoid spoilers I'm not going to say if this story ends with a happy or an unfortunate end. I will advise you NOT to read this if you suffer from a mental illness and are triggered easily, this could be a serious trigger.
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Following on, although I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and really appreciate the mental health awareness in it which is a rare find in a book, I found this a hard one to score higher than 7/10. This is solely due to the fact that the chapters are long, ranging on average at about 25+ pages. This made it difficult to stay focused and I found myself having to read back a couple of pages to recap. This is completely my own problem as I enjoy shorter chapters and I really dislike stopping half way through a chapter.
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Overall I 100% recommend this book. It's very underrated and deserves more awareness
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Following on, although I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and really appreciate the mental health awareness in it which is a rare find in a book, I found this a hard one to score higher than 7/10. This is solely due to the fact that the chapters are long, ranging on average at about 25+ pages. This made it difficult to stay focused and I found myself having to read back a couple of pages to recap. This is completely my own problem as I enjoy shorter chapters and I really dislike stopping half way through a chapter.
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Overall I 100% recommend this book. It's very underrated and deserves more awareness
Sam (74 KP) rated The Carnivorous Carnival (ASOUE #9) in Books
Mar 27, 2019
When I picked this book up again the other day, I got straight back into it and read it all within a couple of hours.
The Baudelaire’s now find themselves in the boot of Olaf’s car, arriving at a carnival in the Hinterlands. They disguise themselves using his costumes so he won’t find them, and become an attraction at the carnival, alongside numerous other carnival ‘freaks’.
This is one of the few books where the Netflix adaptation was actually better. I felt that in the series Neil Patrick Harris really helped Olaf’s character become more sinister in this one than the book did.
I loved the character of Kevin, the ambidextrous ‘freak’. He was absolutely hilarious and was really entertaining. The way he thought he was more of a freak than everyone else because both of his hands were equally as strong had me giggling.
I also feel like the Netflix adaptation improved Madame Lulu as well by making her Olivia, which made some of the plot points later on a lot more shocking. Madame Lulu in the book felt a bit undeveloped and unexplained.
I sort of wish I’d have read the book before watching these particular episodes because then maybe my opinion would have been different on the characterisations.
The Baudelaire’s now find themselves in the boot of Olaf’s car, arriving at a carnival in the Hinterlands. They disguise themselves using his costumes so he won’t find them, and become an attraction at the carnival, alongside numerous other carnival ‘freaks’.
This is one of the few books where the Netflix adaptation was actually better. I felt that in the series Neil Patrick Harris really helped Olaf’s character become more sinister in this one than the book did.
I loved the character of Kevin, the ambidextrous ‘freak’. He was absolutely hilarious and was really entertaining. The way he thought he was more of a freak than everyone else because both of his hands were equally as strong had me giggling.
I also feel like the Netflix adaptation improved Madame Lulu as well by making her Olivia, which made some of the plot points later on a lot more shocking. Madame Lulu in the book felt a bit undeveloped and unexplained.
I sort of wish I’d have read the book before watching these particular episodes because then maybe my opinion would have been different on the characterisations.
Jeremy King (346 KP) rated Tolkien (2019) in Movies
May 16, 2019
Ok lets just come out and say i have enjoyed JRR Tolkien's work since i was 13, I remember going to a used book store looking for comics and D&D. The old man said here check this out and showed me a boxset of books LOTR. He said if I buy them he would throw in the Hobbit. Ok here is $3.00. I am 44, still have them and my kids each have a set as well. Ok enough of that back to the film.
I went in think this is going to be about how he came up with the stories and that kind of stuff. WOW how I was wrong it was about his life as boy to man and ends with him starting to write the Hobbit.
It can be slow at times but i enjoyed it. I would even watch it a couple of more times. Sound was great, acting was great, the shots were great.
Saying that i think it will not be in theater long but i am sure it will win awards. People wont see it as a movie about friends, love, war but just a the creator of hibbits and that is a shame.
GO SEE IT
I went in think this is going to be about how he came up with the stories and that kind of stuff. WOW how I was wrong it was about his life as boy to man and ends with him starting to write the Hobbit.
It can be slow at times but i enjoyed it. I would even watch it a couple of more times. Sound was great, acting was great, the shots were great.
Saying that i think it will not be in theater long but i am sure it will win awards. People wont see it as a movie about friends, love, war but just a the creator of hibbits and that is a shame.
GO SEE IT
Lewis John Hatchett (23 KP) rated Aladdin (2019) in Movies
May 23, 2019 (Updated May 23, 2019)
Unexpectedly Fun
As a fan of the original 1992 animated film, I came into this film with not much hype but enough that I'd come out enjoying the film. I came our of the film loving it.
The story is pretty much the same as the original but director Guy Ritchie has fleshed out the story extending it with a couple of songs (I'm hoping written by Tim Rice) that are slotted in perfectly.
Guy Ritchie does what he does best and mixes a perfect blend of action, comedic humor and family fun, as he's done in his previous films.
Now the pressing question of Will Smith's portrayal of the Genie. I was sceptical about it at first but the more I watched the trailer for the film the more I adjusted to him. I'm a full fledged fan of the late and great Robin Williams' version of the Genie and Will Smith's version is a perfect interpretation of that character (with some nods to William's animated classic) so I say well done to Mr Smith.
Overall I certainly recommend the film for all fans, old and new, and definitely say go see it and (pardon the pun) experience a whole new world. 9/10
The story is pretty much the same as the original but director Guy Ritchie has fleshed out the story extending it with a couple of songs (I'm hoping written by Tim Rice) that are slotted in perfectly.
Guy Ritchie does what he does best and mixes a perfect blend of action, comedic humor and family fun, as he's done in his previous films.
Now the pressing question of Will Smith's portrayal of the Genie. I was sceptical about it at first but the more I watched the trailer for the film the more I adjusted to him. I'm a full fledged fan of the late and great Robin Williams' version of the Genie and Will Smith's version is a perfect interpretation of that character (with some nods to William's animated classic) so I say well done to Mr Smith.
Overall I certainly recommend the film for all fans, old and new, and definitely say go see it and (pardon the pun) experience a whole new world. 9/10
Peter Shephard (2822 KP) rated Catan in Tabletop Games
May 26, 2019
Classic family friendly game
I do enjoy Catan, my wife and family enjoys Catan. It is a nice and easy enough game to play. It is challenging enough without being difficult, and I would go as far as to suggest the age bracket is slightly lower than the suggested. It's one of the games we turn to when there isn't enough time left for Agricola or Terrforming Mars or a similar, long length game.
The game itself is varied each time you play, and although there is a lot of commonality between games, it only takes a couple if minor changes (even as random as a particularly lucky or unlucky roll) and the game can take a drastically different direction. Playing a Road card, instead of saving for a settlement, can come back to haunt you when the resource you *nearly* got would have been vital.
Having played the base game for a good few years, we are looking for the expansions, but they are either/both difficult to get hold of, or quite expensive. The base game is a staple which should be in most collections, especially for casual gamers.
The game itself is varied each time you play, and although there is a lot of commonality between games, it only takes a couple if minor changes (even as random as a particularly lucky or unlucky roll) and the game can take a drastically different direction. Playing a Road card, instead of saving for a settlement, can come back to haunt you when the resource you *nearly* got would have been vital.
Having played the base game for a good few years, we are looking for the expansions, but they are either/both difficult to get hold of, or quite expensive. The base game is a staple which should be in most collections, especially for casual gamers.
Joe Julians (221 KP) rated Suburbicon (2017) in Movies
Jan 30, 2018
Good performances (1 more)
Well shot
Muddled story (1 more)
Messy narrative
Despite a promising and fun fist couple of minutes, it quickly becomes clear that Suburbicon is both a missed opportunity and a jumbled attempt at constructing a story.
On the one hand, we have a black family moving into the area and being subjected to abuse and extreme prejudice, and on the other, a family hiding a dirty secret about a home invasion that led to the death of the mother. The problem is, neither of these plots is given the right amount of attention. The racial story is by far the most interesting here, yet it's relegated to a side plot and, with the exception of the young boy, none of the family get a chance to develop into actual characters. Then you have the murder story which takes up the bulk of the running time, but it's neither fresh nor original- it's actually rather dull.
Despite being beautifully shot and occasionally amusing (Matt Damon on a kid's bike), Suburbicon ends up being a bit of a slog. It's a mish mash of ideas and tones that don't come close to forming a coherent story. There's decent performances to be found, but beyond that- don't expect much.
On the one hand, we have a black family moving into the area and being subjected to abuse and extreme prejudice, and on the other, a family hiding a dirty secret about a home invasion that led to the death of the mother. The problem is, neither of these plots is given the right amount of attention. The racial story is by far the most interesting here, yet it's relegated to a side plot and, with the exception of the young boy, none of the family get a chance to develop into actual characters. Then you have the murder story which takes up the bulk of the running time, but it's neither fresh nor original- it's actually rather dull.
Despite being beautifully shot and occasionally amusing (Matt Damon on a kid's bike), Suburbicon ends up being a bit of a slog. It's a mish mash of ideas and tones that don't come close to forming a coherent story. There's decent performances to be found, but beyond that- don't expect much.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated A Bride in the Bargain in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I couldnt help but fall in love with this one. With Gist, its hit or miss with me, and this one definitely hit. I love nothing than a good historical romance, and this is definitely a favorite.
I first fell in love with the characters. Determined and hardworking, Joe and Anna both have their own plans and try to use each other to accomplish them. However, Annas plans contradict Joes and they are thrown into quite.
I then fell in love with the world Gist conveyed through her talented writing. She has a way of taking you back into that time and making you part of that world.
Normally, I would find the plot interesting all, but Gist had me interested. I think it was because I was so caught up in Joe, Anna, and their problems that I forgot to be bored with a plot that normally wouldnt do anything for me. Instead, I found myself rooting for Anna and Joe not only as a couple but as people.
Gist always has to through a wrench into things to make them interesting. I could have kicked her for it this novel, but the fact that she gave me an ending I was happy with made it for it. Maybe.
I first fell in love with the characters. Determined and hardworking, Joe and Anna both have their own plans and try to use each other to accomplish them. However, Annas plans contradict Joes and they are thrown into quite.
I then fell in love with the world Gist conveyed through her talented writing. She has a way of taking you back into that time and making you part of that world.
Normally, I would find the plot interesting all, but Gist had me interested. I think it was because I was so caught up in Joe, Anna, and their problems that I forgot to be bored with a plot that normally wouldnt do anything for me. Instead, I found myself rooting for Anna and Joe not only as a couple but as people.
Gist always has to through a wrench into things to make them interesting. I could have kicked her for it this novel, but the fact that she gave me an ending I was happy with made it for it. Maybe.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated That Perfect Someone (Malory-Anderson Family, #10) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I immediately fell in love with this novel from the very beginning. I couldn't explain why, it just had my attention from the start. It helped that is a Malory novel, which is among my favorite series so far. Maybe I loved this novel so much because it involved the Malorys without them being the main couple.
First, I found the characters fascinating. They had me laughing, blushing, and rooting for them at every turn. I had no idea who Richard was, a little silly of me since Lindsey didn't exactly hide, so that made the plot that much more interesting when it was revealed who he was. I have a huge soft spot for romances about childhood friends ending up in love, so it's no surprise as to why I fell in love with t his book quickly.
I also enjoyed watching the protagonists' relationship grow. It was so frustrating to watch all the bitterness from the past get in the way especially since they were attracted to each other before they knew who the other was. The ending left me so pleased that I immediately wanted to reread it. I would have to if I didn't have so many other novels to read.
First, I found the characters fascinating. They had me laughing, blushing, and rooting for them at every turn. I had no idea who Richard was, a little silly of me since Lindsey didn't exactly hide, so that made the plot that much more interesting when it was revealed who he was. I have a huge soft spot for romances about childhood friends ending up in love, so it's no surprise as to why I fell in love with t his book quickly.
I also enjoyed watching the protagonists' relationship grow. It was so frustrating to watch all the bitterness from the past get in the way especially since they were attracted to each other before they knew who the other was. The ending left me so pleased that I immediately wanted to reread it. I would have to if I didn't have so many other novels to read.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Pleasure Dome in Books
Jan 18, 2018
This novel had such potential. After reading the synopsis, this novel sounded right up my alley and I couldnt wait to read it. Sadly, the leads ruined it for me. My main beef concerns a wishy washy female lead who is so indecisive I want to slap her. I felt that she wanted her cake and eat it too. After a couple chapters of this and her jerking the mail lead around, I couldnt take much more. The story is filled with interesting characters, creatures, and planets and I would love to read more about them. However, I just cant deal with the female lead. I couldnt relate to her at all or understanding why she went from hot to cold in a matter of sentences. It was aggravating to read about her teasing the male lead then when he comes to see her, she hides. Dont play with fire if you cant handle the heat! Overall, her personality was just abrasive to me.
It wasnt just her either. I felt that the author introduced the male lead with a very specific demeanor and personality as well, but did not stick with it. As soon as they had sex, he became a completely different character than originally described.
It wasnt just her either. I felt that the author introduced the male lead with a very specific demeanor and personality as well, but did not stick with it. As soon as they had sex, he became a completely different character than originally described.
I loved this book because of the subject it deals with. Very rarely are we given a good girl willing to do bad things to make their situation. Usually, the heroine is a hard-working woman with strict morals. While Emily is a hard-working young woman, she is tired of working so hard and not getting anywhere. She is tired of being poor. Enter Eric, an equally hard-working American man who wants to be able to live his dream of being a photographer while still debtors prisoner.
In each other, they see a way to achieve their dreams and embark on a journey that doesnt exactly turn out how they imagine. They didnt dream of falling for each other.
The novel doesnt show their lives in a glamorous way. In fact, it shows them how they really are as they struggle with their situations. What I loved the most was the development of their relationship. Romance novels where the couple is suddenly in love is annoying on so many levels. In </i>Mistress</i>, the reader watches them want each other and eventually fall for each other. Of course, there are many bumps along the way.
In each other, they see a way to achieve their dreams and embark on a journey that doesnt exactly turn out how they imagine. They didnt dream of falling for each other.
The novel doesnt show their lives in a glamorous way. In fact, it shows them how they really are as they struggle with their situations. What I loved the most was the development of their relationship. Romance novels where the couple is suddenly in love is annoying on so many levels. In </i>Mistress</i>, the reader watches them want each other and eventually fall for each other. Of course, there are many bumps along the way.