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Tori Harned (1 KP) rated Divide by Ed Sheeran in Music

May 25, 2018  
Divide  by Ed Sheeran
Divide by Ed Sheeran
2017 | Singer-Songwriter
Embracing his culture (5 more)
No more bad language
His signature style
Thoughtful lyrics
Ability to write about various topics
The sound
A Brand New Ed
This album has really impressed me and sort of brought me back to Ed Sheeran's fan base. Admittedly, I'm kind of snobby when it comes to bad language and I kind of hate when artists use bad language unnecessarily (I have three little sisters that don't need to hear that). When Ed Sheeran first broke out, I was in love at first listen, but as time wore on and his foul mouth became a part of every song, I kind of stopped listening or caring. This album I knew was different the moment I heard "Castle on the Hill" and then when I heard an interview with Ed talking about a cab driver who said if there was less cursing in his music he would let his daughter listen to it and how Ed took that to heart, I knew I had to check it out. I've been pleased ever since. This album takes every little good thing about Ed (minus the potty mouth) and turns it into these beautiful, meaningful songs that share new sides to him, and expand on pieces of him we knew were already there. I think Ed is fabulously innovative with music and someone I will always watch out for when new albums drop in the future.
  
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Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Mista in Books

Jan 15, 2018  
M
Mista
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I won a copy of this book on Goodreads. I entered the giveaway because, as a teacher, any book about teaching by a fellow teacher is worth checking out. When I read the description I had only 1 thought go through my head, "This sounds like where some of the kids I have now are going to end up." I myself teach in an "innercity" elementary school. Some of the things John experienced are things I've seen too...thankfully not the pervasive sex & drugs culture, I mean my students are 8 after all. But the blatant disrespect, cursing, lack of motivation, & uncaring attitude toward education are all definitely things I contend with on a daily basis as well. To me, reading this was both encouraging and heartbreaking. Encouraging because it is nice to know that there are teachers out there that truly care about what happens to these "tough kids" & are wiling to put up with a great deal of abuse to see that they get what they need. Heartbreaking because this story is all too common. There are not enough people that care & not enough dedicated teachers that sacrifice so much for the kids.
The book was well written & as far as I'm concerned, spot on. I've never taught high school, let along in the city, but based on my experiences this is where some of my students are headed. I can only hope that they have the benefit of a caring, persistent teacher like John that won't give up on them or let the students give up on themselves.
  
S(
Strings (Hard Rock Harlots, #1)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
12/6/2017 Review:

So I finally decided to reread this series and I still really enjoyed it. I obviously didn't enjoy it as much the second time around but I still love how outrageous this book is. What I find funny is how I read this book around the same time 4 years ago. The characters are still funny, and I'm looking forward to rereading the next in the series even though it doesn't compare to Strings. For those of you who are on the fence about this book please know that it is absolutely outrageous, you cannot take it seriously, it's not for the faint of heart, and it is steamy in a weird sort of way.

12/5/2013 Review:

Okay, so... this is not my typical book and I usually would only give this kind of book a 3 1/2 Stars but I have to say this definitely made me laugh!

I would actually give this book 4 1/2 stars so I rounded up. The description of this book is very accurate. The plot is kind of there but not amazing, Characters lacked depth, but the characters were hilarious, and I do mean HILARIOUS!

If you get offended by sex or curse words than you should definitely not read this book. Every sentence is filled with creative (and I do mean creative) descriptive words and a lot of cursing.

This book had me laughing, weirded out, & smiling the whole time. I found Kendall Grey's writing to be unique and that was exactly what I was looking for.
  
Ready Player One (2018)
Ready Player One (2018)
2018 | Sci-Fi
When the creator of a virtual reality world called the OASIS dies, he releases a video in which he challenges all OASIS users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune.



I might have to take back my negative ramblings about 3D briefly for this one. I was cursing under my breath when I saw the showing go up in the listings. You know my general feelings about the pointless format.

While I'm in no way converted, and out of choice I will always pick a 2D showing, this one was good. But I'm inclined to put that down to the video game nature of much of the film. I would note though that the film was clearer and more crisp to watch. Possibly this is down to the equipment used in the screens, as this was a different one to Tomb Raider which was decidedly fuzzy.

I didn't know anything about this film before going into it. Many people had told me that the book was difficult to read, and potentially that much of it might translate badly to the screen. I'm inclined to think that this film knocked its book out of the park judging by the crowd's reaction.

Most of the time, and compared to many of my friends, I consider myself to be a bit of a nerd. Even so, there were still a lot of references that completely passed me by on this one. It's a perfect film for the nostalgic nerd. At so many points I found myself smiling from memories of something as I saw it on the screen.
  
I felt that this story was exactly like the cover: a beautiful mess. You look at it, and, at first, it is interesting. But when you get down to it, itÂ’s actually just messy and chaotic.

I actually had a problem with this novel for a couple reasons. The first was that there were multiple instances where something would happen, i.e. a character would say or do something, and it didnÂ’t make sense. I did not understand why the character did/said it and the author never disclosed why either. I felt that the author may have assumed the reader would understand what was going on, but I sure didnÂ’t. It was very confusing. At points, I felt like I was reading about people with multiple personalities because of how random and off some of their actions/words were.

The second reason is because I didnÂ’t like any of the characters. I felt the heroine was a doormat with no personality and the hero was just a hot mess. His children were obnoxious too. I understand that children do not articulate as well as adults, but not every word they say sounds like a curse word. And that is how the children in this story were. They couldnÂ’t say a single sentence without it sounding like they were cursing. Once may have been humorous, but repetitively just became old and annoying.

I wish I could have liked this novel. The synopsis should have tipped me off, however. It is confusing and doesnÂ’t really say anything so I didnÂ’t know I was getting into. Overall, I felt that nothing happened plot-wise beyond the hero being an ignorant jerk and hurting the heroineÂ’s feelings and the heroine just let everyone walk all over her. It was a frustrating read to say the least.

The only part I did enjoy was reading the riddles strewn throughout, especially since they had the answers attached.

_ Arec
<a href="https://rainythursdays.wordpress.com">Rainy Thursdays</a>
  
WA
Wingless and Damned
Dawn White | 2012
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

At the start, we meet Ciarra, the tribal healer, doing her best in a bad situation by performing a spell on tribesmen that will turn them into werewolves. Unfortunately, there's no way to turn them back, as her spirit guides tell her. But at that moment, a mysterious man, Aison, comes out of the forest and grabs Ciarra, taking her to a cave deep in the woods, where his brethren, the Strigoi, those beings the werewolves were created to kill, are waiting. Aison and the others force Ciarra to alter the spell, forever cursing all future members of her tribe to become weres at 26 years old, as they have kidnapped the pregnant leader's wife, Kimi, as leverage. Ciarra is attacked by the other Strigoi, and Aison turns her, but not before Kimi gives birth and dies. Ciarra saves the baby and gives her to two Fae, enslaved by the Strigoi, to protect in their world until the time is right for her to meet her tribal mate and help bring down the original Strigoi. Years later, we meet Lea, the "wingless Fae" from the prophecy, and her story continues from there.

I really enjoyed this book, as there were lots of supernatural elements that I found really interesting. There are Strigoi, werewolves, Fae, tribal curses, spirit guides, etc., and it was really fun to read. However, I feel it would've been better had it been longer, as there were several instances I thought were rushed, such as the battle in the woods between the werewolves and Strigoi. I think it would've made a great novel, including a little more depth to the battle, the tribe's way of life and coping with the curse, etc. However, I still liked it a lot, and I look forward to more.

4 stars
  
Deadpool (2016)
Deadpool (2016)
2016 | Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
An X-Men spin off, of a poorly received character from an earlier X-Men spin off... FOX must have had some major trust in Ryan Reynolds to give Deadpool the green light after the mess of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

I've been a huge fan of Deadpool comics since as long as I can remember. When I was younger, the 4th wall breaking, the hyper violence, comedy, and self awareness that he is a comic book character, was always something that appealed to me.
So I, like many other Marvel fans, really hated what they did with the character in Origins, and it seems Ryan Reynolds did as well, pitching a rough sequence to FOX which convinced them to give this beloved characters another shot. God bless Ryan Reynolds.

And it paid off in spades. And it's easy to see why - Deadpool is a great movie.
The character himself is near perfect. He looks the part, he sounds the part, and it's great that the studio didn't shy away from an R rating.

The violence in Deadpool is frequent and messy, as is the cursing and crudeness, and the result is hilarious.

The story is told mostly in flashbacks before the big last showdown, and is nicely mapped out, and we're given a hugely likable cast.
Ryan Reynolds is of course , as is T.J. Miller and Morena Baccarin.
I even liked Ed Skrein's villain, Ajax.
Deadpool even manages to sneak in a couple of X-Men with a completely CGI Colossus joining the party, as well as Negasonic Teenage Warhead - the best superhero name ever, and coincidentally the films shining star after Ryan Reynolds - Brianna Hildebrand is a welcome addition to the film, and I genuinely hope that she makes in over to the MCU in the recent Disney Fox merge.

Deadpool is important for a number of reasons - it finally does the character justice. It's also shows that spin off films away from the main X-Men cast can be really decent, and it also shows that R rated superhero films can do the business at the box office.

It's certainly in the top tier of the FOX X-Men series.
  
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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The Gentlemen (2020) in Movies

Jan 6, 2020 (Updated Jan 6, 2020)  
The Gentlemen (2020)
The Gentlemen (2020)
2020 | Action, Crime
A funny angle
Gentleman is Guy Richie's attempt to bring the british gangster movies from the past back into the modern time and while it may just be an updated version of Snatch its a bloody enjoyable update. It seems like years ago now since I grew out of the 'British Gangster' film phase of my life and while I actaully find Snatch to be over rated myself instead much preferring Guy Richie's other work I can still understand why it has such a big following. Gentleman follows the same formula either deliberately or coincidentally and while this does feel repetative/outdated I couldnt help but be pulled in and deliciously entertained by it. Playing out a bit like reading a comic book Gentleman is satisfyingly violent, full of cusing/crudness and full of mostly satisfying twists and turns. At first I hated it but after the first 20 minutes I just let go and finally started getting back in to this sort of style. Full to the brim with exposition dialog but its handled in a refreshing new way which made hearing it less eye rolling and instead kept it constantly entertaining. Essentially one big power struggle between an assortment of characters non of which are actually very nice people but the ones Hugh Grant and Charlie hunnam play are extremely likeable. Watching these two interact on screen is the absolute bread and butter and they both play interesting characters both with very unique individual traits and characteristics. Colin Farrell is also superb and memorable too and the film has a wicked sense of humor that kept me laughing the whole way through. If you are easily offended its safe to say this is not the film for you as its not only full of extreame cursing but constant racism and violence too. By no means a perfect film or a gangster masterpiece Gentleman is still and absolute blast to watch and has enough twists/turns, quirky characters, witty dialog, fresh ideas, tension, violence/mucking about to entertain and offend pretty much anyone. Highly enjoyable.
  
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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Ready or Not (2019) in Movies

Sep 2, 2019 (Updated Sep 2, 2019)  
Ready or Not (2019)
Ready or Not (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
F*cking rich people
Ready Or Not is a delightful mash up of blood soaked horror and devilish comedy that intertwines well making this film an absolute blast. When Ready or not's certificate came up everyone was shocked it was 18 rated (I found kind of sad as to me it symbolised how there is 100% still a big market for the more violent and mature horror film yet these days they sadly seem few and far between. I proud to say this does not disappoint and delivers on gore, grossness and tons of unnecessary yet hilariously fitting cursing. Made by people with clear love for the genre this movie echoes what made 80s horror movies so fun. Its goofy, silly, humorous, cool, violent, over the top, cheesy and stylish with it all working well together as well as being extremely serious and tense when it needs to be too. A great mix of movies like your next, the purge, cabin in the woods and even evil dead this movie doesnt hesitate getting straight to the good stuff moving at a constant brisk pace. Although predictable at times it ride with the horror cliches mixing them up just enough for them to feel modern and refreshingly satisfying. Anti rich themes take front and centre and the film isnt shy of mocking wealthy people constantly questioning their morals, beliefs, way of life, ignorance, naivety, lack of empathy and ability to think they can do as they please. In fact you might say the most horrific parts of the film are just how stupid, desensitized, gullible, careless and void of empathy these people have become which adds a nice real world connection. Theres also some visually impressive/creative scenes that really stand out as they are flawlessly combine with music too. Great tension is also present here and a it has a good eending that keeps you on your toes guessing. Not perfect by any means but go into it with a mind set that you can just sit back and enjoy a well made film that's only interested in you having a good time and you will leave entertained.
  
Hellbound Warrior (Dark Warrior Alliance #8)
Hellbound Warrior (Dark Warrior Alliance #8)
Brenda Trim, Tami Yulka | 2016 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
188 of 250
Kindle
Hellbound Warrior ( Dark Warrior Alliance book 8 )
By Brenda Trim and Tami Julka

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

Rhys O'Morda finds himself at the mouth of Hell after swearing he would never go back. When the archdemon, Kadir, steals the Goddess' powerful Triskele Amulet, Rhys is left with the fate of the world resting on his shoulders. Cursing his birthright, he sets out to tackle the nine circles of the Underworld. Facing rivers of fire, freezing rains, soul-sucking creatures and his inner weaknesses is nothing compared to coming face to face with his Fated Mate. His biggest challenge isn't passing the tests of each circle in Hell, but trying to win his mate's heart. In a cruel twist of fate, his other half isn't bound by the same force and has to consciously choose him. Problem is she loathes demons. Will he be able to win his angel over or be forced to let her go and live for eternity without her? Illianna has every reason to despise everything related to demons and the Underworld. Once an angel of happiness, she has been a prisoner in Hell for a hundred years, forced to perform vile acts that leave a dark stain on her soul. Her prayers fall on deaf ears day after day and she is on the cusp of giving up when the sexy, impossible and arrogant cambion, Rhys, rescues her from his father's clutches. She will do anything to get back to heaven and her wings, even partner with Rhys and his fellow warriors. Yet, her attraction to the exquisite Dark Warrior challenges every barrier she has set. Having the passion she craves comes with a high price tag, including complete and unconditional surrender.

I really enjoyed the boys trip to Hell and I think Illianna is my favourite mate yet! I love her and can just picture those beautiful wings!
This series is great if you like Dark Hunters crossed with the Black Dagger brothers.
We are on book 8 and can’t wait to see what book 9 brings.