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ClareR (5879 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 (2346 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+.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Lucifer - Season 1 in TV
Jul 30, 2019
Wickedly good
My manager loves this show and lent me this first series to watch. After it being sat on my shelf for the past couple of months while I moved house, I finally had the time to sit and watch it this weekend... and I’m annoyed at myself for not watching it sooner!
Lucifer for me is very similar to other male protagonist led tv shows, like House, The Mentalist, Elementary etc but in some ways it’s better as the humour and the entire itself is a little darker and naughtier than these others, and it’s all the better for it. It’s basically a supernatural crime show, with some wonderful laugh out loud humour thrown in. You can really tell Neil Gaiman has had a hand in creating this! The stars of this show are the very clever writing and Tom Ellis as Lucifer. He plays Lucifer so well, so charming, wicked and yet lovable at the same time and the things he says are often downright hilarious. This show wouldn’t be half as good if he wasn’t in it. I liked the rest of the cast and characters too though, except for Chloe. I found her quite irritating, way too pouty and you can tell even from this first series that her and Lucifer will end up falling for each other and I hate series that do this. Just because they’re working together doesn’t mean they have to sleep together too! So annoying. But Chloe aside, this is worth watching for Tom Ellis alone. Wonderfully fun.
Lucifer for me is very similar to other male protagonist led tv shows, like House, The Mentalist, Elementary etc but in some ways it’s better as the humour and the entire itself is a little darker and naughtier than these others, and it’s all the better for it. It’s basically a supernatural crime show, with some wonderful laugh out loud humour thrown in. You can really tell Neil Gaiman has had a hand in creating this! The stars of this show are the very clever writing and Tom Ellis as Lucifer. He plays Lucifer so well, so charming, wicked and yet lovable at the same time and the things he says are often downright hilarious. This show wouldn’t be half as good if he wasn’t in it. I liked the rest of the cast and characters too though, except for Chloe. I found her quite irritating, way too pouty and you can tell even from this first series that her and Lucifer will end up falling for each other and I hate series that do this. Just because they’re working together doesn’t mean they have to sleep together too! So annoying. But Chloe aside, this is worth watching for Tom Ellis alone. Wonderfully fun.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Perfect Date in Books
Aug 5, 2019
Angel Gomez is a single mother, doing the best she can to raise and support her son. Finishing up her nursing degree and working as a bartender has Angel always busy. When she meets Duke, a Yankees pitcher, she doesn't even know who he is, but he needs her help. His team can't know he's not ready to take the mound, so Duke needs Angel to pretend they are dating so he has an excuse for why he's visiting the clinic where she works. But Angel has enough drama in her life with her boss's trying to hit on her all the time, to be worried about Duke's drama as well. Will she go along with the fake dating or will she pass?
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I have been watching Basketball Wives from the very first season. Then Evelyn Lozada had a shoe store in Miami. Now she's living in L.A. as a single mom to 2 children and is still on Basketball Wives. I can hear her in this book. Her voice rings through Angel's character.
Now this book was no literary piece of art, but it held my attention throughout. I didn't like the repetitiveness of the book and there were a couple of things in there that seemed so unreal. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I got it because of watching the show and I wanted to see what it was all about.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I have been watching Basketball Wives from the very first season. Then Evelyn Lozada had a shoe store in Miami. Now she's living in L.A. as a single mom to 2 children and is still on Basketball Wives. I can hear her in this book. Her voice rings through Angel's character.
Now this book was no literary piece of art, but it held my attention throughout. I didn't like the repetitiveness of the book and there were a couple of things in there that seemed so unreal. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I got it because of watching the show and I wanted to see what it was all about.
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