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Eye of the Eagle
Eye of the Eagle
Sharon BurchBinder | 2018 | Contemporary, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well when you first open this book, you think oh another romance like every other one that happens in the office. The author put us in for a what would be typical but it nothing like a typical romance book. I really do like that this not all romance. There is action involved and even some power in followed.

You seem to get not only spiritual powers and some Native American culture but you get a story or plot full of government talents and bring in someone new and really cute looking. Then there a budding romance before they leave the office.

This got all kinds of powers involved. The hero and Heroine become a team. What you do if someone could eagle shifter? He looks human and act all human? What does a little ugly man doing? We seem to have it all.

It starts out with a child missing and no other then Bert's family member. He does not want his boss to come. She intents on want to go with him. She determine to help. Things start to happen as soon as they get here at the hotel. She has secrets as well has Bret Blackfeather? What are Phoebes and her mother secrets? Seems not all now about his secret other then family possibly.

The characters are created and developed quite well. I love that we learn more each character though out the story. We do not get all them until the end of the book. We got not only the bad guys but also the good guys in full development.

 
Is Bert family in danger and why? Seem the US Senator daughter get caught up with someone from Bert past and with an enemy of the US. The Monster as Phoebe calls him see to be into human tracking and other crimes.
  
The Grinch (2018)
The Grinch (2018)
2018 | Animation, Family, Sci-Fi
This iteration of the Dr. Seuss holiday classic is from Universal Studios and Illumination (the creators that brought you “Despicable Me” and “Minions”). You may recognize the voices of Benedict Cumberbatch (The Grinch), Rashida Jones (Donna Who, Cindy-Lou Who’s mother), Kenan Thompson (Mr. Bricklebaum The Grinch’s closest, by distance, neighbor), Pharrell Williams (The Narrator) and Angela Landsbury (The Mayor).

The storyline follows the original story loosely, focusing on The Grinch and Cindy-Lou Who. We are given a look at how The Grinch came to hate Christmas. The back story credibly explains why he despises the holiday and all that goes with it. We do get to see his relationship with his loyal dog Max. The Grinch is portrayed as a grump, but he is endearing to his dog.

Cindy-Lou Who has a plan to execute in order to accomplish her Christmas wish. We learn that her wish is for her mom and she feels it important to get her message to Santa in time for Christmas day. With her best friend Axl and the rest of her gang, they hatch a plan for Cindy to catch Santa and give him the message. Meanwhile, The Grinch has his own Christmas plans to put together.

The movie has the basic framework of the Seuss holiday tale, the animated feature gives the characters more of a personality than the original. We are endeared to Cindy-Lou Who and her friends that support her dreams as well as seeing The Grinch showing that he loves his dog, the loyal companion and helper. He is not all bad and is redeemable.

“The Grinch” is a cute, charming family film that brings the audience into the Holiday Season. It is a movie that the little ones can appreciate and the adults can enjoy as well. This is a good, kid friendly, animated feature.
  
Sin Undone (Demonica #5)
Sin Undone (Demonica #5)
8
8.8 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
This one is Sin's - Sinead! - story, Lore(n)'s sister and the only female Seminus demon in existence.

We get to know her a lot more in this one and I feel sorry for a lot of the crap she went through. She tries to be this strong woman who can deal with everything but she doesn't want to be. So thank God for Con - who we met in Lore's book, Ecstasy Unveiled - and who Sin had sex with.

As a dhampire, a vampire/werewolf hybrid, Con is immune to the werewolf shifter virus which Sin unwittingly started in the last book and a great candidate to help start a vaccine against it by using his blood. The only downside to it is that as a dhampire, Con is susceptible to blood addiction if he drinks from the same donor too often yet he needs to keep drinking Sin's blood to fuel his resistance.

Feelings start to emerge beyond their physical attraction as the two are forced to spend so much time together and get to know each other. How he demands that she feel things instead of letting her body do it's physical pain release by bleeding. They'd both been through so much in their long lives and they deserved happiness.

They had a few ups and downs in this. Con had responsibilities within the shifter and dhampire communities and Sin was donating blood and trying to help those infected by the virus before they died and also to her assassin den.

And then let's not forget that last chapter! How cute was that with Lore? I've really fallen for this extended family. They all deserve happiness and I'm really glad they've all found it.

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
  
Overlord (2018)
Overlord (2018)
2018 | Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Saving Private Ryan meets Resident Evil!
Had heard mixed reviews on this, but saw it for 4 bucks for Black Friday so I figured I couldn't lose!

Basically, to prevent the Allied forces being massacred on D-Day, US troops are ordered to detonate a Nazi communication tower. A small band of brothers actually makes it to the ground and finds a small French town equipped with a cute French girl and her brother. When a Nazi commander comes calling for more than an interrogation, the surviving troops must decide whether t reveal themselves to save her.

I actually really got into this movie and thought the action mixed with horror was pretty cool. Some of the fight/shootout sequences were cleverly done along with some of the secrets and experiments the Nazis are hiding deep within their stronghold. There are tough decisions and ultimate sacrifices to be made and the film threads the needle between genres successfully. I could see how if you were thinking this was going to be a full out horror film you would be disappointed; however, I had kind of heard a little about it ahead of time so my expectations were redirected.

The SFX held well throughout and didn't stick out as being bad or taking you out of the action. When some of the more extreme elements are revealed, I went along with it like I was watching my son play one of his weird FPS games. A lot of the film did feel like I was watching Call of Duty or something like that. Boy do I wish I could have those yeas of my life watching my son play that crap back!

Colossally entertaining!

  
The Tigger Movie (2000)
The Tigger Movie (2000)
2000 | Animation, Family
8
8.1 (10 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Decent Movie Carried By Characters We All Know and Love
In The Tigger Movie, the bouncing tiger Tigger is on a quest to find his family. While pretty predictable overall, it’s still endearing enough to be enjoyable.

Acting: 10
The Winnie the Pooh voiceover cast is always a treat to listen to. I’ve always loved that they really embody the personalities of their characters. You can feel how timid Piglet is while Tigger’s voice gives you the feeling that he is going to bounce straight through a wall. They are all extremely original.

Beginning: 5
A bit of a slow start. It’s almost like Disney is trying to justify why Tigger needs his own movie in the first place. The movie isn’t a long one, however, and things quickly pick up not too long after the first ten minutes.

Characters: 10

Cinematography/Visuals: 10

Conflict: 2

Entertainment Value: 4

Memorability: 5
It’s a cute movie with a touching message, but nothing to write home about. It’s something I would want my kids to see, but not something I would watch on my own multiple times like Up. There are some strong moments here and there like Tigger’s montage song of his family. I also like the concept of what family really means.

Pace: 10

Plot: 9
Interesting story with enough meat to carry a movie. It is pretty linear and you can see the ending coming a mile away, but it was creative enough to hold my attention. I rather enjoyed the small adventure.

Resolution: 10

Overall: 75
The Tigger Movie is decent overall with fun familiar characters and an endearing story. It’s not the best of the Disney bunch, but I would say it’s worth a watch. It’s little gems like these that make Disney+ all the more worth it.
  
The Adventures of Pugalugs: A Christmas Furry Tail by Jessica Parish is the heartwarming story of all the fun Pugalugs and his siblings have on Christmas day with their family.



The fun all starts on Christmas Eve with decorating the tree and singing Christmas Carols. Then it is off to bed where Pugalugs thinks he hears Santa in the house. On Christmas morning the Pugs get presents and enjoy a wonderful Christmas dinner of turkey and gravy. After a busy day, everyone relaxes in the living room while Pugalugs is already thinking about all the fun to be had next Christmas.



What I liked best about this book is that I enjoyed seeing Pugalugs and his siblings taking part in all of the fun Christmas activities. The pugs are included in everything just like the rest of the family. The rhymes also make this such a fun book to read. What I liked the least about this book was trying to pry it away from my daughter so that I could flip through it while wringing my review. I’m kidding, but in all seriousness, I have nothing negative to say about this book. I love this series.



Young children and toddlers will enjoy having this book read to them, especially during the Christmas season. Slightly older children will enjoy reading this book both on their own and to family members. I rate this book 4 out of 4. It is an extremely cute Christmas book that I can see being read by families during the holidays all over the world. It is also very bright and full of Christmas fun.



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Evvie Drake Starts Over
Evvie Drake Starts Over
Linda Holmes | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Oh goodness, what can I say about Evvie that hasn't been said before? Nothing, I'm sure. This is such raw, real, funny, and lovely read. Evvie Drake lives alone in her small Maine town. She's recently widowed and the entire town--including her best friend, Andy--thinks her solitude is due to her grief. Meanwhile, in New York, pitcher Dean Tenney is a national joke. He's struggling with the "yips" --Dean can no longer pitch properly, and he has no idea why. Dean is also Andy's childhood friend, and so he accepts an invitation to stay in Evvie's back apartment. She needs the money, and he needs a place to get away. They make a deal: he won't ask about her husband, and she won't ask about baseball. But, even so, the two form an unlikely friendship.

Oh yeah, you say, I can see where this is going. They'll form a "friendship" and it will bloom into something more and yeah, yeah. Well, maybe. But this book is so much more than a typical romance. Evvie is not a romance caricature at all. There is true grief that screams across the pages in this novel--Evvie's and, yes, Dean's too. Dean is not just a celebrity love interest tossed in for fun. You root for him--and for them.

This story, this book. It has these funny moments and cute sections. It's sweet and tender, but there is no schmaltz. And Holmes weaves in pop culture quite seamlessly, too. Evvie and Dean will seem like people to you, your friends, and they will break your hearts, and yet, in the end, maybe mend them too. This is a wonderful read, and I highly recommend it. 4.5 stars.
  
Alpha (2018)
Alpha (2018)
2018 | Action, Drama, Thriller
My Unpopular Opinion
Set in prehistoric times, a young man has to survive on his own after getting injured during a hunt. In the process of trying to stay alive, he ends up befriending a lone wolf. I was hoping to like this movie a lot more, but it seemed to drag in too many spots for me.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 10

Characters: 3
Keda (Kodi Smit-McPhee) wasn’t really cutting it for me as far as characters go. When you’re talking about one person to carry a movie, I was hoping for someone with a bit more charisma. The wolf was a cute addition, but the combo wasn’t quite enough to make me care more about the story.

Cinematography/Visuals: 8

Conflict: 4
There wasn’t a whole lot of action going on, at least not enough to keep me entertained. Yes, it’s a story around survival and that concept itself should be riveting enough, but, sadly, it wasn’t. There was too much of nothing happening for too long of stretches. I kept waiting for things to develop and, by the time I started to feel fireworks, it ended being a small fizzle.

Entertainment Value: 8

Memorability: 3

Pace: 3
Pretty slow as far as survival movies go. I kept waiting for it to pick up and, while it had a few shining moments here and there, it was pretty tame for the most part. Y’all, I tried, I really did. Just wasn’t working for me.

Plot: 6

Resolution: 8

Overall: 63
Don’t take my opinion as God when it comes to Alpha. There are plenty out there that adore this movie. Unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them. It’s way too slow and uninteresting for me to recommend.
  
Fun Size (2012)
Fun Size (2012)
2012 | Comedy
7
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
While this may be your typical Nickelodeon movie, it will bring you back to those days when the Beasties reigned supreme and Elizabeth Shue was having her Adventures in Babysitting. Wren (Victoria Justice) is your typical, slightly geeky, fairly hot high school student who thinks that going out for Halloween dressed as a Supreme Court justice is cool. Her friend April (Jane Leavy) is more in tune with high school social status and wants them to go to the popular boy’s party. They are actually discussing how this will never happen; when he rolls up and invites them to come. He may even sing a song for Wren.

Wren is getting ready to leave for the party when her mother (Chelsey Handler) tells her she needs to take Albert trick-or-treating. Albert is almost your typical little brother; there is an opening montage of all the sweaters he has destroyed of Wren’s. The small catch: Albert doesn’t talk. Wren takes Albert out and he gets into your usual mischief, but it’s not until they get separated in a haunted house that things really start to go wrong.

Wren realizes she has lost Albert and must find him and various hijinks ensue as Albert is exposed to the adult world of Halloween. Wren and her friends are caught up in all sorts of trouble looking for Albert, including their Volvo having an intimate encounter with a giant mechanized chicken.

Appearances by Kerri Kenney and Ana Gasteyer as the “moms” as well as Johnny Knoxville as the guy everybody can’t stand round out the cast and add some more adult humor to the story. All in all a cute movie, Fun Size will be enjoyed most by the Nickelodeon set, but parents will laugh as well. I laughed throughout the whole thing.
  
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
J.K. Rowling | 2016 | Children
9
9.1 (229 Ratings)
Book Rating
Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts is full of new dangers. A convicted murderer, Sirius Black, has broken out of Azkaban prison, and it seems he's after Harry. Now Hogwarts is being patrolled by the dementors, the Azkaban guards who are hunting Sirius. But Harry can't imagine that Sirius or, for that matter, the evil Lord Voldemort could be more frightening than the dementors themselves, who have the terrible power to fill anyone they come across with aching loneliness and despair. Meanwhile, life continues as usual at Hogwarts. A top-of-the-line broom takes Harry's success at Quidditch, the sport of the Wizarding world, to new heights. A cute fourth-year student catches his eye. And he becomes close with the new Defense of the Dark Arts teacher, who was a childhood friend of his father. Yet despite the relative safety of life at Hogwarts and the best efforts of the dementors, the threat of Sirius Black grows ever closer. But if Harry has learned anything from his education in wizardry, it is that things are often not what they seem. Tragic revelations, heartwarming surprises, and high-stakes magical adventures await the boy wizard in this funny and poignant third installment of the beloved series.
--scholastic.com

You're never to old for Harry Potter! This is one of my favourite books in the series I think I've read it at least 10 times. I have one of the original copies that came out and never allow anyone but me to read them 🤣. This is the book that turns it all for me and it all becomes a little bit darker. Sirius is a character I always wished had more time with Harry! These books are just Amazing no matter what age you are!