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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated When Lightning Strikes (1-800-Where-R-You, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
I hate Meg Cabot. she is a terrible writer. she doesn't write sentinces, she writes fragments and then puts more fragments at the end to clear up what was perfectly clear in the first place. she leaves out things that are important. she doesn't describe stuff. her prose stinks. how on EARTH she became a best selling and popular author, i have no idea.
<b>but. </b>
i read the first book of her series here, "When Lightning Strikes," and seriously had to read the others. i still haven't read the last book, my library doesn't have it in right now, but this book got me hooked to a story that was written by (excuse me) a sucky writer. it was wild, weird, crazy, funny, and had some very creative twists in it. great story.
now if only she could learn to write. sentinces, i mean. (<-- example of what she does. i swear i don't write like that normally.)
<b>but. </b>
i read the first book of her series here, "When Lightning Strikes," and seriously had to read the others. i still haven't read the last book, my library doesn't have it in right now, but this book got me hooked to a story that was written by (excuse me) a sucky writer. it was wild, weird, crazy, funny, and had some very creative twists in it. great story.
now if only she could learn to write. sentinces, i mean. (<-- example of what she does. i swear i don't write like that normally.)
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated Waste of Space in Books
May 7, 2018
Can Dash Find the Right Suspect?
When someone tries to poison Lars Sjoberg, no one is really surprised. This trillionaire has rubbed everyone the wrong way since he arrived on Moon Base Alpha. In fact, the real question becomes who didn’t want the man dead. Dashiell Gibson is roped into helping with the investigation. How did the poison get on base? And who tried to kill Lars?
This is another fantastic mystery for kids of all ages. The setting is creative, fun, and realistically handled. The mystery is great with good twists and turns. I did feel the pacing slowed down a little in the middle for a series long sub-plot, but that is a minor complaint. The characters are still strong, and there are moments that are guaranteed to make kids laugh and cheer. This is our final trip to the moon with these characters, and the series is wrapped up in a very satisfying way.
This is another fantastic mystery for kids of all ages. The setting is creative, fun, and realistically handled. The mystery is great with good twists and turns. I did feel the pacing slowed down a little in the middle for a series long sub-plot, but that is a minor complaint. The characters are still strong, and there are moments that are guaranteed to make kids laugh and cheer. This is our final trip to the moon with these characters, and the series is wrapped up in a very satisfying way.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Eagle Has Landed (1976) in Movies
May 22, 2018 (Updated May 22, 2018)
Pretty reasonable, slightly silly all-star war movie; the Germans attempt to bring the Allies to the negotiating table by kidnapping Churchill. Sent on this improbable mission is Michael Caine's decent paratrooper officer and his men, and ridiculously Irish IRA man Donald Sutherland. Spoiler alert: Germany still loses the war.
Good performances, mostly, and some well-staged action in the closing sections of the film; what's curious about it is the way that the Germans are mostly presented sympathetically, at least as much as the British and American characters. It's a war movie without bad guys, but without much sense of moral or emotional investment either - as a result it's enjoyable as a piece of action cinema, but rather shallow. (It doesn't feel like the moral ambiguity is a deliberate creative choice: Caine thought the director was more interested in going fishing than in overseeing the final edit.) Fun in a disposable sort of way; you could be forgiven for expecting more, given the talent involved.
Good performances, mostly, and some well-staged action in the closing sections of the film; what's curious about it is the way that the Germans are mostly presented sympathetically, at least as much as the British and American characters. It's a war movie without bad guys, but without much sense of moral or emotional investment either - as a result it's enjoyable as a piece of action cinema, but rather shallow. (It doesn't feel like the moral ambiguity is a deliberate creative choice: Caine thought the director was more interested in going fishing than in overseeing the final edit.) Fun in a disposable sort of way; you could be forgiven for expecting more, given the talent involved.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Greta (2019) in Movies
Apr 24, 2019 (Updated Apr 24, 2019)
Fans of watching talented creative people slum it in productions unworthy of their abilities will find much to enjoy in this roaringly bonkers psycho-thriller. Kind young waitress (Moretz) finds a handbag on the train, returns it to the owner (Huppert), a lonely old widow. The pair soon strike up a close friendship. And then ---
Some talented people here, not least director Neil Jordan, but this film is not nearly as subtle or restrained as you might expect it to be: it can't wait to get going with the ominous strings and half-baked jump scares. Full marks to the cast for taking it as seriously as they do; Huppert is in majestic form and Moretz is not bad either. The film is never actually scary at all, but the story is so uproariously overwrought that it's an entertaining watch throughout. That doesn't change the fact that if it featured a less-distinguished cast, this would almost certainly be going direct to DVD.
Some talented people here, not least director Neil Jordan, but this film is not nearly as subtle or restrained as you might expect it to be: it can't wait to get going with the ominous strings and half-baked jump scares. Full marks to the cast for taking it as seriously as they do; Huppert is in majestic form and Moretz is not bad either. The film is never actually scary at all, but the story is so uproariously overwrought that it's an entertaining watch throughout. That doesn't change the fact that if it featured a less-distinguished cast, this would almost certainly be going direct to DVD.
Soulful Baker: From highly creative fruit tarts and pies to chocolate, desserts and weekend brunch with Julie Jones, and Lisa Linder is one of those gorgeous cookery books that is great for any time of year, but especially for people who like to cook more around Christmas.
This is more than a cookery book, it’s actually a lovely reminder of how the author and her mum began cooking together again, after her mum was diagnosed with dementia. As a form of mutual therapy they shared their joint love of cooking over on Instagram and gained many followers.
These are simple recipes but done in such an elaborate way, I too was managed to fool people I was good at cooking! There are detailed ingredients and easy to understand methods to follow. Plus there are many equally tasty looking colourful photos to inspire you.
Beautiful and moving. Not the usual thing you’d say about a cookbook, right?
“Soulful Baker” is a bakery book with heart.
This is more than a cookery book, it’s actually a lovely reminder of how the author and her mum began cooking together again, after her mum was diagnosed with dementia. As a form of mutual therapy they shared their joint love of cooking over on Instagram and gained many followers.
These are simple recipes but done in such an elaborate way, I too was managed to fool people I was good at cooking! There are detailed ingredients and easy to understand methods to follow. Plus there are many equally tasty looking colourful photos to inspire you.
Beautiful and moving. Not the usual thing you’d say about a cookbook, right?
“Soulful Baker” is a bakery book with heart.
CHILLFILTR (46 KP) rated Bottle It In by Kurt Vile in Music
Jun 5, 2019 (Updated Jun 5, 2019)
https://chillfiltr.com/blog/2018/9/3/kurt-vile-loading-zones
If you haven't heard of Kurt Vile yet, you are missing out. His sound more or less defines modern lo-fi folk rock, and his live shows are a staple of music festivals around the world: you might hear him (with support from The Violators) at the Take Root Festival this October in Groningen, Netherlands, or Dublin, or Brooklyn, this November. It's a roots band backing this bardic guru of young seekers everywhere.
Some interesting guitar lines through a vocoder, lyrics which feel half sung and half spoken, and a sense that this is the sound of something different, something creative; it's water in this desert of sameness that our pop landscape has become. And there is this feeling that the music here is just a bit raw, very human, and unadorned; it's not exactly alt-folk, it's not exactly anything, it's Kurt Vile.
If you haven't heard of Kurt Vile yet, you are missing out. His sound more or less defines modern lo-fi folk rock, and his live shows are a staple of music festivals around the world: you might hear him (with support from The Violators) at the Take Root Festival this October in Groningen, Netherlands, or Dublin, or Brooklyn, this November. It's a roots band backing this bardic guru of young seekers everywhere.
Some interesting guitar lines through a vocoder, lyrics which feel half sung and half spoken, and a sense that this is the sound of something different, something creative; it's water in this desert of sameness that our pop landscape has become. And there is this feeling that the music here is just a bit raw, very human, and unadorned; it's not exactly alt-folk, it's not exactly anything, it's Kurt Vile.
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
A smoking hot read, be prepared going in. This is erotica, so expect it to be erotic. While there is a storyline attached, the steamy scenes are the star of this novel. I say be prepared because each chapter delves into a different…kink so to say. Some may not be to your tastes while others might have you needing a cold shower. If you are uncomfortable with having your sexual boundaries pushed, you may want to pass this one up.
That being said, if you are an erotica fan, this is definitely a novel for you. I won’t ruin the ending, but can say that, while unexpected, fit the story perfectly. This is the first novel I have read from Reisz, but it won’t be the last. A talented writer as well as storyteller with original creative ideas when it comes to sex, I look forward to reading more from her.
Amazon
Barn
A smoking hot read, be prepared going in. This is erotica, so expect it to be erotic. While there is a storyline attached, the steamy scenes are the star of this novel. I say be prepared because each chapter delves into a different…kink so to say. Some may not be to your tastes while others might have you needing a cold shower. If you are uncomfortable with having your sexual boundaries pushed, you may want to pass this one up.
That being said, if you are an erotica fan, this is definitely a novel for you. I won’t ruin the ending, but can say that, while unexpected, fit the story perfectly. This is the first novel I have read from Reisz, but it won’t be the last. A talented writer as well as storyteller with original creative ideas when it comes to sex, I look forward to reading more from her.
Amazon
Barn
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated The Blind Assassin in Books
Mar 4, 2018
Novel within a novel with great twists
Once again, literary maestro Margaret Atwood has produced another creative mega-feat. Her novel in a novel reminds me of her other work Hagseed, also exploring the theme of revenge.
However, there is very little to laugh about in this story in which narrator Iris, at the end of her life, describes the mysterious circumstances that her sister, husband and lover all died in. Younger sibling Laura is said to have been killed after her car edged off a cliff, all the while leaving the world with a controversial novel that describes a racy affair.
Iris reveals the truth about the incidents from her perspective, which means we always see Laura as child-like and naive, while her husband Richard and his sister Winifred are portrayed as cardboard villains. With that in mind, Atwood's characters are realistic because they are all just points of view from one person. Great twists in this book.
However, there is very little to laugh about in this story in which narrator Iris, at the end of her life, describes the mysterious circumstances that her sister, husband and lover all died in. Younger sibling Laura is said to have been killed after her car edged off a cliff, all the while leaving the world with a controversial novel that describes a racy affair.
Iris reveals the truth about the incidents from her perspective, which means we always see Laura as child-like and naive, while her husband Richard and his sister Winifred are portrayed as cardboard villains. With that in mind, Atwood's characters are realistic because they are all just points of view from one person. Great twists in this book.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated Scene of the Brine (Pickled & Preserved Mystery, #3) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Coverdale is all talking about the Porter family who has just moved into town. Unfortunately, they arrive with the family accountant in tow, and Dirk Unger is not a nice man at all. When he is poisoned and the son of a friend becomes the prime suspect, Piper must jump in and figure out what really happened.
The book took a bit to get going, but once it did I was fully on board. I do like these characters, and it was great to see them again. The plot took some unexpected twists on the way to a creative climax, and I read the second half in one day so I could find out what was happening.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/02/book-review-scene-of-brine-by-mary.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
The book took a bit to get going, but once it did I was fully on board. I do like these characters, and it was great to see them again. The plot took some unexpected twists on the way to a creative climax, and I read the second half in one day so I could find out what was happening.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/02/book-review-scene-of-brine-by-mary.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Kid Artists: True Tales of Childhood from Creative Legends in Books
Jun 18, 2018
<a href="https://awindowintobooks.wordpress.com">Full Review</a>
Kid Artist: True Tales of Childhood from Creative Legends by David Stabler is a fun nonfiction book! It's perfect for middle school age, but can be enjoyable to older readers. The book shares childhood stories of famous artists.
The book is divided into three sections and within each section the artists have similarities. I loved the illustrations by Doogie Horner, it really brought the stories to life. I knew about most of the featured artists, but I was not aware of all. I enjoyed learning about the artists childhood. The facts are all very intriguing This is a great book to learn about these amazing artists. It shows how other people went about learning to paint, draw, sculpt, and more and it could really inspire kids to try their hand at what they are interested in!
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Kid Artist: True Tales of Childhood from Creative Legends by David Stabler is a fun nonfiction book! It's perfect for middle school age, but can be enjoyable to older readers. The book shares childhood stories of famous artists.
The book is divided into three sections and within each section the artists have similarities. I loved the illustrations by Doogie Horner, it really brought the stories to life. I knew about most of the featured artists, but I was not aware of all. I enjoyed learning about the artists childhood. The facts are all very intriguing This is a great book to learn about these amazing artists. It shows how other people went about learning to paint, draw, sculpt, and more and it could really inspire kids to try their hand at what they are interested in!
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.