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Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Curses of Scale in Books
Jan 25, 2019
Curses of Scale
”Dreams starve and die if not fed by imagination.”
A uniquely designed plot, intriguing and different. I was so excited to read this book. The cover was mesmerising and the synopsis was promising. It made me eager to start the book and I couldn’t wait to dive into this fantasy world.
The first couple of chapters were very slow for me. I had to re-read chapters twice, and I didn’t quite understand what is happening. After a while, things became clearer, and I started to enjoy the story a bit more.
I loved Niena’s character. She was a typical being, where one part gasps with bravery, and the rest gasps with fear. I loved how realistic she was at moments, knowing to be scared when supposed to, and fierce when needed of her.
The story gasps with a lot of intense scenes, full of adventures, that I am sure you will all love and appreciate. From trying to fight a dragon, to running away, to the amazing plot twist right at the very end, this book made me restless, after I started enjoying it.
The only reason I am taking two stars away is because I had to read the first 60-ish pages two-three times, until I finally dived in and started enjoying the story.
”A fairy bargain can live no deeper than your lips, it always dies before reaching the heart.”
A beautiful tale, full of magic, adventure and time travel. And a cover that suits it so well.
A uniquely designed plot, intriguing and different. I was so excited to read this book. The cover was mesmerising and the synopsis was promising. It made me eager to start the book and I couldn’t wait to dive into this fantasy world.
The first couple of chapters were very slow for me. I had to re-read chapters twice, and I didn’t quite understand what is happening. After a while, things became clearer, and I started to enjoy the story a bit more.
I loved Niena’s character. She was a typical being, where one part gasps with bravery, and the rest gasps with fear. I loved how realistic she was at moments, knowing to be scared when supposed to, and fierce when needed of her.
The story gasps with a lot of intense scenes, full of adventures, that I am sure you will all love and appreciate. From trying to fight a dragon, to running away, to the amazing plot twist right at the very end, this book made me restless, after I started enjoying it.
The only reason I am taking two stars away is because I had to read the first 60-ish pages two-three times, until I finally dived in and started enjoying the story.
”A fairy bargain can live no deeper than your lips, it always dies before reaching the heart.”
A beautiful tale, full of magic, adventure and time travel. And a cover that suits it so well.
Kate (493 KP) rated Lucid World in Books
Nov 14, 2019
Loved the message
I really enjoyed this book. More than I thought I would. It is definitely not a genre I would normally read but I thought I would give it a go and I was pleasantly surprised. I liked the different stories/events that played out throughout the book and they all linked into the overall story.
I was hooked from the first couple for chapters and it really got my attention. I wanted to see what was going to happen in each story/event that happened.
I feel the author really brought the story and characters to life. I got a feel for each character and could hear their voice and see them (in my mind) clearly and I like when that comes through in a book.
Although the book goes from daytime to nighttime it was always clear when that happened so I wasn't left confused which can sometime happen when a book goes from one place to another.
I loved, what I feel was, the really important underlying message. It made me think...although I do feel we need certain emotions and feelings, I understand why they are pointless and are not necessary and what causes them. It's weird to say but lessons could actually be learnt from this book, even though it is a fictional book.
I would definitely read a follow on book if there was one and would read other books by this author.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
I was hooked from the first couple for chapters and it really got my attention. I wanted to see what was going to happen in each story/event that happened.
I feel the author really brought the story and characters to life. I got a feel for each character and could hear their voice and see them (in my mind) clearly and I like when that comes through in a book.
Although the book goes from daytime to nighttime it was always clear when that happened so I wasn't left confused which can sometime happen when a book goes from one place to another.
I loved, what I feel was, the really important underlying message. It made me think...although I do feel we need certain emotions and feelings, I understand why they are pointless and are not necessary and what causes them. It's weird to say but lessons could actually be learnt from this book, even though it is a fictional book.
I would definitely read a follow on book if there was one and would read other books by this author.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Men in Black International (2019) in Movies
Dec 4, 2019 (Updated Jan 9, 2020)
A safe and predictable MIB sequel
MIB International is one of those films that isn't balls out awful, but definitely isn't good. It's a passable and relatively entertaining way to spend a couple of hours.
Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth star as Agents M and H, and are a fun enough leading duo. The chemistry between them is ok, but does lack something that was more abundant in Thor: Ragnarok.
Liam Neeson is fine as well, but he's not really doing anything outside of just being Liam Neeson.
I guess the issue here is that although the cast are all good, it feels like the character could have been played by anyone else, and nothing would have been lost - certainly not the case with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in the original.
Either way, in the case of MIB International, I just got the general feeling that no one involved seem to really care all that much, both in front of and behind camera.
The plot is exactly what you would expect from a MIB sequel. Aliens, a powerful weapon, saving the world...it's all been done before.
Although the over arching plot is absolutely riddled with plot holes if you think about it too much.
Some of the alien designs are pretty good and the rampant CGI is ok...ish...
I'm not convinced that the original MIB ever needed follow up movies, and I'm still not, but as far they go, International isn't the worst sequel like I'd heard...has everyone just straight up forgotten how bad the second one is!?
Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth star as Agents M and H, and are a fun enough leading duo. The chemistry between them is ok, but does lack something that was more abundant in Thor: Ragnarok.
Liam Neeson is fine as well, but he's not really doing anything outside of just being Liam Neeson.
I guess the issue here is that although the cast are all good, it feels like the character could have been played by anyone else, and nothing would have been lost - certainly not the case with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in the original.
Either way, in the case of MIB International, I just got the general feeling that no one involved seem to really care all that much, both in front of and behind camera.
The plot is exactly what you would expect from a MIB sequel. Aliens, a powerful weapon, saving the world...it's all been done before.
Although the over arching plot is absolutely riddled with plot holes if you think about it too much.
Some of the alien designs are pretty good and the rampant CGI is ok...ish...
I'm not convinced that the original MIB ever needed follow up movies, and I'm still not, but as far they go, International isn't the worst sequel like I'd heard...has everyone just straight up forgotten how bad the second one is!?
Kate (493 KP) rated The Dark Web Murders in Books
Feb 6, 2020
I like the twists and turns in this book and the motive. You can guess the motive from the beginning of the book but you can't guess the true ins and outs. There were a couple of different stories going on which helped the story unravel.
I usually read this kind of genre - crime. It was one of the good ones which you couldn't guess.
I was hooked from the first chapter and sometimes crime books take me a few chapters to get into. I couldn't put the book down.
The story flowed really well. The only thing I didn't like was the descriptions of people at the beginning of the book - some of the information was not relevant and never came up in the story. Also I get a feeling for the characters and learn about them as I read. With so many characters described I quickly forgot the information about each character. I understand the author had done this as people had commented that they would prefer this but me personally I didn't like it.
Some of the information that came to light in the book shocked me and the book is definitely not for the faint hearted. Although it is fiction it does remind you that this stuff really does go on.
The audience is definitely adults due to the content which was shocking.
I would 100% read the other books in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
I usually read this kind of genre - crime. It was one of the good ones which you couldn't guess.
I was hooked from the first chapter and sometimes crime books take me a few chapters to get into. I couldn't put the book down.
The story flowed really well. The only thing I didn't like was the descriptions of people at the beginning of the book - some of the information was not relevant and never came up in the story. Also I get a feeling for the characters and learn about them as I read. With so many characters described I quickly forgot the information about each character. I understand the author had done this as people had commented that they would prefer this but me personally I didn't like it.
Some of the information that came to light in the book shocked me and the book is definitely not for the faint hearted. Although it is fiction it does remind you that this stuff really does go on.
The audience is definitely adults due to the content which was shocking.
I would 100% read the other books in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated 1917 (2020) in Movies
Jan 27, 2020
Beautifully made
I've been dying to see this film since it was released, and finally had a free afternoon off today to go and see it, and I am so glad to say it was definitely worth the wait.
The single shot cinematography is possible the most beautiful and impressive bit of filmmaking I've ever seen. Aside from one noticeable cut, it's astounding to see how they've made this in one single shot and in such a smooth and sleek manner. Pairing this with a haunting score and some rather tense and heart wrenching scenes makes for a stunningly made film. Mendes has done a brilliant job.
And then there's the performances. The pairing of Schofield and Blake almost begins very much like a buddy movie, with a few laughs and a lot of heart warming moments, and there are great performances from Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay. MacKay especially is outstanding and is surely one to watch. I also enjoyed the rather brief encounters with the rest of the stellar cast of Colin Firth, Andrew Scott etc and they fit in well with the tone of the film.
My only negative is that there are a couple of what I thought of as silly decisions that seem to pop up in a lot of war films, which is mostly why I've decided to dock this down to a 9 as I groaned a little. But despite this, 1917 is definitely an outstanding film that would be very deserving of any awards it wins.
The single shot cinematography is possible the most beautiful and impressive bit of filmmaking I've ever seen. Aside from one noticeable cut, it's astounding to see how they've made this in one single shot and in such a smooth and sleek manner. Pairing this with a haunting score and some rather tense and heart wrenching scenes makes for a stunningly made film. Mendes has done a brilliant job.
And then there's the performances. The pairing of Schofield and Blake almost begins very much like a buddy movie, with a few laughs and a lot of heart warming moments, and there are great performances from Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay. MacKay especially is outstanding and is surely one to watch. I also enjoyed the rather brief encounters with the rest of the stellar cast of Colin Firth, Andrew Scott etc and they fit in well with the tone of the film.
My only negative is that there are a couple of what I thought of as silly decisions that seem to pop up in a lot of war films, which is mostly why I've decided to dock this down to a 9 as I groaned a little. But despite this, 1917 is definitely an outstanding film that would be very deserving of any awards it wins.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015) in Movies
Jan 27, 2020 (Updated Jan 27, 2020)
The Sisters Are Watching You
Paranormal Activity 1- hated it
Paranormal Activity 2- Better Than One.
Paranormal Activity 3- Its getting good.
Paranormal Activity 4- Paranormal Kinect.
Paranormal Activity TMO- Shotgun Powers.
This One- Sisters From Anethor Dimensons.
So It goes 3,4, This One, 2, 1 and TMO. Thats the order of how i liked them. This one, 3 and 4 are all good and 1, 2 and TMO are all awful/poor.
The Plot: Ryan Fleege (Chris J. Murray), his wife Emily (Brit Shaw) and their 7-year-old daughter Leila (Ivy George) are preparing for Christmas in their new home. After finding an old and mysterious camcorder, Ryan quickly learns that it can record strange apparitions that are invisible to the naked eye. When young Leila starts talking to an imaginary friend and displaying strange behavior, the couple soon find themselves in
a terrifying battle with a supernatural force.
So this franchise as a whole, is batting 3/6 which is 50%. So only 3 out of the 6 to me are good. I think this franchise as a whole got way overhyped to the point, were the had to keep making movie after movie, year after year. This franchise isnt that scary at all, its just people doing nothing for 70 mintues and the last 15-20 minutes gets intresting. This franchise is just cameras, more cameras and cameras and watching nothing happen around the house.
Thank god im finish with this franchise and never have to watch it again.
Wait their making a 7th one in 2021....
No!!!!!!!!!!!
Paranormal Activity 2- Better Than One.
Paranormal Activity 3- Its getting good.
Paranormal Activity 4- Paranormal Kinect.
Paranormal Activity TMO- Shotgun Powers.
This One- Sisters From Anethor Dimensons.
So It goes 3,4, This One, 2, 1 and TMO. Thats the order of how i liked them. This one, 3 and 4 are all good and 1, 2 and TMO are all awful/poor.
The Plot: Ryan Fleege (Chris J. Murray), his wife Emily (Brit Shaw) and their 7-year-old daughter Leila (Ivy George) are preparing for Christmas in their new home. After finding an old and mysterious camcorder, Ryan quickly learns that it can record strange apparitions that are invisible to the naked eye. When young Leila starts talking to an imaginary friend and displaying strange behavior, the couple soon find themselves in
a terrifying battle with a supernatural force.
So this franchise as a whole, is batting 3/6 which is 50%. So only 3 out of the 6 to me are good. I think this franchise as a whole got way overhyped to the point, were the had to keep making movie after movie, year after year. This franchise isnt that scary at all, its just people doing nothing for 70 mintues and the last 15-20 minutes gets intresting. This franchise is just cameras, more cameras and cameras and watching nothing happen around the house.
Thank god im finish with this franchise and never have to watch it again.
Wait their making a 7th one in 2021....
No!!!!!!!!!!!
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Deep Blue Sea (1999) in Movies
Jan 2, 2020
Fun in parts, but showing its age
The premise for Deep Blue Sea is painfully simple - it's Jurassic Park in the ocean.
A deep sea research facility, housing genetically modified great white sharks, is compromised during a tropical storm - everyone panics, people get eaten.
Like I said - Jurassic Park in the ocean. Unfortunately, the execution and quality is nowhere near the same level as it's dinosaur counterpart.
Deep Blue Sea is fun for sure. It's a sure fire way to mindlessly enjoy a couple of hours. At the time of it's release, it was firmly in the so-bad-its-great category, but as the years have gone by, the film has ages terribly in terms of special effects. The sharks look horrible these days. Like, original PlayStation cut scene kind of horrible. When films like JP, and Terminator 2 still look more than passable, it's hard to defend!
The dialogue is cheesy as all hell, and the whole thing is shot in a pretty sub-standard action film style - in summary, it's pretty awful.
That being said, it's a difficult film to hate too much. The cast are pretty fun for the most part - Thomas Jane, Samuel L. Jackson, Stellan Skarsgård and even LL Cool J are all pretty entertaining (apart from that god awful Head is Like a Sharks Fin song) and there are some genuinely gory and tense moments (as tense as people being chased by shiny pixels can be).
Is definitely an ok-crap film but the chances are that I'll watch it when it's on TV...
A deep sea research facility, housing genetically modified great white sharks, is compromised during a tropical storm - everyone panics, people get eaten.
Like I said - Jurassic Park in the ocean. Unfortunately, the execution and quality is nowhere near the same level as it's dinosaur counterpart.
Deep Blue Sea is fun for sure. It's a sure fire way to mindlessly enjoy a couple of hours. At the time of it's release, it was firmly in the so-bad-its-great category, but as the years have gone by, the film has ages terribly in terms of special effects. The sharks look horrible these days. Like, original PlayStation cut scene kind of horrible. When films like JP, and Terminator 2 still look more than passable, it's hard to defend!
The dialogue is cheesy as all hell, and the whole thing is shot in a pretty sub-standard action film style - in summary, it's pretty awful.
That being said, it's a difficult film to hate too much. The cast are pretty fun for the most part - Thomas Jane, Samuel L. Jackson, Stellan Skarsgård and even LL Cool J are all pretty entertaining (apart from that god awful Head is Like a Sharks Fin song) and there are some genuinely gory and tense moments (as tense as people being chased by shiny pixels can be).
Is definitely an ok-crap film but the chances are that I'll watch it when it's on TV...
ClareR (5674 KP) rated Always Greener in Books
Feb 27, 2020 (Updated Feb 27, 2020)
Always Greener is about a reality TV show in the near future, where everyone is permanently glued to their screens through visual implants or AR glasses (if they haven't got the money). How bad is your life? Because if it's REALLY bad, you're more likely to become a contestant on The Grass is Greener, where you'll be watched 24/7 through your visual implants. There's no off switch, there's no privacy - the public want to see everything.
The first couple of chapters were a little hard-going, but I'm glad I persevered. It's a satire of the reality TV that we have today, and J. R. H. Lawless has taken it to it's furthest point, it's most outrageous end. To be fair, I'm sure it could probably be even more heartless, invasive and damaging, but the contestants are saved, to a certain extent, by a host with a conscience.
I did really enjoy this - but I can't say as it made me feel particularly positive about the future: people used as guinea pigs for drugs and procedures untested on anyone else, with fatal consequences; suicide so commonplace, that it has become a steady job for a group of people who clean up after them - what a way to make a living; the total lack of empathy for people who are less fortunate, reduced merely to a prime-time, all-the-time, streaming slot.
Not a future I would want, but a great book, nonetheless. Its a good read!
Many thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book to read and review.
The first couple of chapters were a little hard-going, but I'm glad I persevered. It's a satire of the reality TV that we have today, and J. R. H. Lawless has taken it to it's furthest point, it's most outrageous end. To be fair, I'm sure it could probably be even more heartless, invasive and damaging, but the contestants are saved, to a certain extent, by a host with a conscience.
I did really enjoy this - but I can't say as it made me feel particularly positive about the future: people used as guinea pigs for drugs and procedures untested on anyone else, with fatal consequences; suicide so commonplace, that it has become a steady job for a group of people who clean up after them - what a way to make a living; the total lack of empathy for people who are less fortunate, reduced merely to a prime-time, all-the-time, streaming slot.
Not a future I would want, but a great book, nonetheless. Its a good read!
Many thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book to read and review.
JT (287 KP) rated The Oxford Murders (2010) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
From the first couple of scenes you’d half expect to see Inspector Morse and Lewis step out from behind one of the great pillars that surround Oxford University – sadly that is not going to be the case here. The story itself could have been taken right out of an Agatha Christie novel but the subsequent plot gets mixed up like the mathematical equation it is trying to lay out.
John Hurt plays Arthur Seldom a university professor whose life revolves around mathematical equations and whether or not we can prove truth and probability. Martin (Elijah Wood) is a graduate over from America looking at using Seldom to help him with his thesis.
The pair get mixed up in an altogether different set of circumstances when they must work together to solve a series of murders based around mathematical symbols. The Oxford Murders falls some way short of delivering on any tension or drama, which is a real shame. The script is over complicated and there is no real time to develop the characters before we are thrown head first into the first murder.
All in all it seemed rushed together. More strangely was the choice of director; Spanish born Álex de la Iglesia who also wrote the screenplay. A background largely based around foreign film I find it odd that he should have any idea about the true reflections of historic Oxford. Maybe that is where amongst other things The Oxford Murders falls down. In the hands of a more traditional English director we may have had a better outcome.
John Hurt plays Arthur Seldom a university professor whose life revolves around mathematical equations and whether or not we can prove truth and probability. Martin (Elijah Wood) is a graduate over from America looking at using Seldom to help him with his thesis.
The pair get mixed up in an altogether different set of circumstances when they must work together to solve a series of murders based around mathematical symbols. The Oxford Murders falls some way short of delivering on any tension or drama, which is a real shame. The script is over complicated and there is no real time to develop the characters before we are thrown head first into the first murder.
All in all it seemed rushed together. More strangely was the choice of director; Spanish born Álex de la Iglesia who also wrote the screenplay. A background largely based around foreign film I find it odd that he should have any idea about the true reflections of historic Oxford. Maybe that is where amongst other things The Oxford Murders falls down. In the hands of a more traditional English director we may have had a better outcome.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated The Subject of Malice in Books
Jul 29, 2019
A Study in Malice
English professor Lila Maclean is attending an academic conference she has helped organize near her university in Colorado, and she is looking forward to presenting a paper, attending panels, and rubbing elbows with the publisher that has accepted her book. The downside is that her rival, Simone, and Simone’s twin sister, Selene, are also attending the conference and trying to make life miserable for her. The conference organizers have some surprises up their sleeves, but the dead body after the opening night dinner wasn’t one of them. Did someone’s academic rivalry boil over to murder?
In this book, Lila is approached by her boyfriend, police detective Lex Archer, about helping investigate because she knows the players and the motives. That stretched credibility a bit for me, but I was having so much fun I didn’t let it bother me too much. There is plenty of malice at the conference, not all of it connected to the murder, and that was enough to keep me turning the pages as quickly as possible until I reached the satisfying climax. Lila is once again a great main character who faces a couple of twists in her personal life in this book. We don’t see all of the supporting cast, but the ones we do see are great as usual, and the suspects are strong as well. The setting of the conference, an old movie studio turned into a resort, added a layer of fun to things as well. All told, I give this book a grade of A+.
In this book, Lila is approached by her boyfriend, police detective Lex Archer, about helping investigate because she knows the players and the motives. That stretched credibility a bit for me, but I was having so much fun I didn’t let it bother me too much. There is plenty of malice at the conference, not all of it connected to the murder, and that was enough to keep me turning the pages as quickly as possible until I reached the satisfying climax. Lila is once again a great main character who faces a couple of twists in her personal life in this book. We don’t see all of the supporting cast, but the ones we do see are great as usual, and the suspects are strong as well. The setting of the conference, an old movie studio turned into a resort, added a layer of fun to things as well. All told, I give this book a grade of A+.