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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated Christmas Cocoa and a Corpse in Books
Nov 8, 2022
Murder Leaves Behind Spilled Cocoa
It’s the week before Christmas, and business is booming at Robbie’s restaurant, Pans ‘N Pancakes. However, not everyone is in a festive mood. Local businessman Jed Greenburg is found dead on the sidewalk while he was out walking a Chocolate lab puppy, the spilled contents of a mug of Robbie’s special hot chocolate blend next to him. What happened?
It’s no surprise to me that I enjoyed this novella. Several of the series regulars are away for the holiday, which actually works out very well since this is a novella. We are able to focus on the characters important to mystery. Robbie’s boyfriend’s family are actually key to the events as they unfold, and it was great to get to know them a little better. The mystery was strong, and I enjoyed watching it unfold. As always, the scenes in the restaurant made my mouth water, and I am now craving breakfast foods. Fortunately, the novella includes a couple of recipes, including a special hot chocolate recipe.
NOTE: This story is a novella, roughly 100 pages, and was originally part of the novella collection Christmas Cocoa Murder. If you have that book, there is no need to buy this ebook. If you haven’t read the story, now is the time to sit back and enjoy this Christmas mystery.
It’s no surprise to me that I enjoyed this novella. Several of the series regulars are away for the holiday, which actually works out very well since this is a novella. We are able to focus on the characters important to mystery. Robbie’s boyfriend’s family are actually key to the events as they unfold, and it was great to get to know them a little better. The mystery was strong, and I enjoyed watching it unfold. As always, the scenes in the restaurant made my mouth water, and I am now craving breakfast foods. Fortunately, the novella includes a couple of recipes, including a special hot chocolate recipe.
NOTE: This story is a novella, roughly 100 pages, and was originally part of the novella collection Christmas Cocoa Murder. If you have that book, there is no need to buy this ebook. If you haven’t read the story, now is the time to sit back and enjoy this Christmas mystery.
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Coco (2017) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020 (Updated Mar 3, 2020)
As part of my project to compile a coffee table book called 21st Century cinema: 200 Unmissable Films, I have found it interesting, but not surprising, that almost 10% of the list since the year 2000 are animated features. It is an art form that Pixar and Disney especially, but many smaller studios, are excelling in, because of technological advances, and the free range of realising an imaginative vision. The trouble often is that they aren’t my first port of call anymore now I don’t have a kid around to watch them with. So it takes me some time to catch up on the good ones these days.
Also, for every good one there are several really lame ones, designed to get families into cinemas and take their money without much concession to a good script. It only takes the bad experience of a couple of those to put you off the genre as an adult. It can be hard to remember that some are made only with 6 year olds in mind. Frozen, for example. They have their place, and the phenomenon of which ones kids are drawn to is a different study altogether. For the purposes of my list, I am looking for the ones that can entertain young and older audiences at the same time. And, to date, no one has done that better than Pixar.
The benchmark, for me, remains Monsters Inc, The Incredibles and the Toy Story series. The latter especially, have a great knack of pleasing all generations. The key is always the writing. Animation styles and techniques can impress the eye, but it is always the theme, the relationships and the words that make an animated film enduring. Music also plays a big part; as does the level of humour. Both incredibly intangible arts that you can’t just buy.
I watched Coco on a Sunday morning – the perfect time to watch an animated film, by law! Chances are you will be a little hungover (I was) and susceptible to the inevitable sentimentality you are about to experience. The first thing that struck me was the colours! Embracing a Latin American cultural canvas, I don’t think I have ever seen such a vivid rainbow attacking my senses. From the naked flames of the candles, to the warm tones of the sunlight and the almost neon glow on display around the dead and the world of the afterlife, it was a visual treat I can honestly say I have never experienced before.
Oh, yes, Coco is about dying, if you didn’t know! And to say more about the genius of their approach to it, would be classed as a spoiler! The action takes place on Diá de Muertos (the day of the dead), when family members can revisit their loved ones, as long as they have been remembered. Our hero, young Miguel, loves music. But his family have banned him from listening to, or playing, it because of the shame surrounding a long dead ancestor. The magic of the day leads him to the underworld of the dead, to find out the truth and save the day.
Of course, once there, he meets all sorts of strange characters, and is lead on a fateful journey with lots of unexpected twists. Again, we won’t go into who, or why for the sake of spoilers. Suffice to say, the ideas, emotion and sense of righteousness flow, stirred up in the mix of constant moments of humour, some that land, some that don’t quite, at a pace fitting, and demanded, by young audiences. The ultimate aim being to reveal the truth behind the family story and to allow the dead to be remembered for their real worth.
On the negatives first: it is all pitched at quite a young audience, in the same way one of Pixar’s less successful films, Cars, is. Which means a lot of the humour lacks the sophistication needed to make it a classic. Also, for a film about the love and joy of music, the songs are only OK, and not especially memorable, although the Oscar winning main theme “Remember Me” serves its purpose very well in the climax. There are also one or two dips in the pacing of scenes that break the spell; surely the cornerstone rule of animated films: don’t drop the ball! Something both Wall-E and Up do at points, spoiling the overall impression of something so glorious in their best moments.
The power of Grandmas
To be more positive, we have to acknowledge the very, very high bar that Pixar set themselves. From an animation point of view, if this film had been released in 2001, we’d be in raptures about it! It is beautiful to look at! And the attention to detail is extraordinary, allowing for many re-watches, just to see the things they have put in there to largely amuse themselves. As a vision of an idea brought to life it is a consummate success! It is, essentially, so likeable. And at its heart, once again, right on the money.
It isn’t called Miguel. It isn’t called The Day of the Dead. It is called Coco. And by the end, you realise why that is important. Death is sad. Dementia is also an awful, awful thing. The strength of Coco is taking these difficult subjects and shining a meaningful light on them, that not only comments intelligently on them, but breaks the heart with the truth of it all. It takes a while to get there with this one, but the pay-off is sublime, yet again! Remember me, a simple sentiment that goes a long, long way!
As a side note, there is a controversial, but massively effective medical technique being utilised in the real world, with alzheimers sufferers, that uses music to trigger memory. It’s application and results are astonishing, for their ability to bring people “back to life”. Which, naturally, moved me immensely. To think the best moment of Coco isn’t just wish fulfilment in a sentimental world, but a real thing that can be done!
Sentimentality aside, Coco is a good film, in every sense of the word. As a parent, I would revel in the opportunity to show this to a child, for the positive conversations it might invoke. The aspects of cinema magic needed to make it an experience worth having are all there. To fault it is only to be unnecessarily picky. Better to go on the journey and enjoy it for what it is. Which, increasingly, is my mantra for watching anything. Who would not hope that someone chooses to celebrate life, with the thought “Remember Me”?
Also, for every good one there are several really lame ones, designed to get families into cinemas and take their money without much concession to a good script. It only takes the bad experience of a couple of those to put you off the genre as an adult. It can be hard to remember that some are made only with 6 year olds in mind. Frozen, for example. They have their place, and the phenomenon of which ones kids are drawn to is a different study altogether. For the purposes of my list, I am looking for the ones that can entertain young and older audiences at the same time. And, to date, no one has done that better than Pixar.
The benchmark, for me, remains Monsters Inc, The Incredibles and the Toy Story series. The latter especially, have a great knack of pleasing all generations. The key is always the writing. Animation styles and techniques can impress the eye, but it is always the theme, the relationships and the words that make an animated film enduring. Music also plays a big part; as does the level of humour. Both incredibly intangible arts that you can’t just buy.
I watched Coco on a Sunday morning – the perfect time to watch an animated film, by law! Chances are you will be a little hungover (I was) and susceptible to the inevitable sentimentality you are about to experience. The first thing that struck me was the colours! Embracing a Latin American cultural canvas, I don’t think I have ever seen such a vivid rainbow attacking my senses. From the naked flames of the candles, to the warm tones of the sunlight and the almost neon glow on display around the dead and the world of the afterlife, it was a visual treat I can honestly say I have never experienced before.
Oh, yes, Coco is about dying, if you didn’t know! And to say more about the genius of their approach to it, would be classed as a spoiler! The action takes place on Diá de Muertos (the day of the dead), when family members can revisit their loved ones, as long as they have been remembered. Our hero, young Miguel, loves music. But his family have banned him from listening to, or playing, it because of the shame surrounding a long dead ancestor. The magic of the day leads him to the underworld of the dead, to find out the truth and save the day.
Of course, once there, he meets all sorts of strange characters, and is lead on a fateful journey with lots of unexpected twists. Again, we won’t go into who, or why for the sake of spoilers. Suffice to say, the ideas, emotion and sense of righteousness flow, stirred up in the mix of constant moments of humour, some that land, some that don’t quite, at a pace fitting, and demanded, by young audiences. The ultimate aim being to reveal the truth behind the family story and to allow the dead to be remembered for their real worth.
On the negatives first: it is all pitched at quite a young audience, in the same way one of Pixar’s less successful films, Cars, is. Which means a lot of the humour lacks the sophistication needed to make it a classic. Also, for a film about the love and joy of music, the songs are only OK, and not especially memorable, although the Oscar winning main theme “Remember Me” serves its purpose very well in the climax. There are also one or two dips in the pacing of scenes that break the spell; surely the cornerstone rule of animated films: don’t drop the ball! Something both Wall-E and Up do at points, spoiling the overall impression of something so glorious in their best moments.
The power of Grandmas
To be more positive, we have to acknowledge the very, very high bar that Pixar set themselves. From an animation point of view, if this film had been released in 2001, we’d be in raptures about it! It is beautiful to look at! And the attention to detail is extraordinary, allowing for many re-watches, just to see the things they have put in there to largely amuse themselves. As a vision of an idea brought to life it is a consummate success! It is, essentially, so likeable. And at its heart, once again, right on the money.
It isn’t called Miguel. It isn’t called The Day of the Dead. It is called Coco. And by the end, you realise why that is important. Death is sad. Dementia is also an awful, awful thing. The strength of Coco is taking these difficult subjects and shining a meaningful light on them, that not only comments intelligently on them, but breaks the heart with the truth of it all. It takes a while to get there with this one, but the pay-off is sublime, yet again! Remember me, a simple sentiment that goes a long, long way!
As a side note, there is a controversial, but massively effective medical technique being utilised in the real world, with alzheimers sufferers, that uses music to trigger memory. It’s application and results are astonishing, for their ability to bring people “back to life”. Which, naturally, moved me immensely. To think the best moment of Coco isn’t just wish fulfilment in a sentimental world, but a real thing that can be done!
Sentimentality aside, Coco is a good film, in every sense of the word. As a parent, I would revel in the opportunity to show this to a child, for the positive conversations it might invoke. The aspects of cinema magic needed to make it an experience worth having are all there. To fault it is only to be unnecessarily picky. Better to go on the journey and enjoy it for what it is. Which, increasingly, is my mantra for watching anything. Who would not hope that someone chooses to celebrate life, with the thought “Remember Me”?
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Ian McCulloch recommended Reprise Collection by Frank Sinatra in Music (curated)
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated Eli (2019) in Movies
Nov 2, 2019
360. Eli. I dug it! I went in blind with this one. Saw new release horror on Netflix, I said yes please. So it starts out with a Bubble Boy senario, 500 dolla!! You want 500 dolla?? Sorry. Little Eli has some issues, he has to live in a bubble, due to an auto-immune disorder. If he breathes air, he dead. Luckily his parents care and find him a doctor thats doing some off the grid experimental stuff, oh and the hospital they take him to seems to be haunted, no biggie. While there, the treatments well just seem to be making him worse, but to help him through feeling like crap he meets, this random redhead that seems to only come out at night befriends him, and supports him when he starts to feel things aren't right. Stranger Things have happened... ;) And the longer Eli stays, the worse he feels, but he also knows that something ain't right, and maybe he's not sick at all? Maybe the doctor wants to kill him, his parents?? But...why???? Pretty creepy flick. Didn't know what to expect so I liked the outcome. I say, do. Filmbufftim on FB
ClareR (5874 KP) rated The Whistling in Books
Aug 3, 2023
Elspeth Swansome is escaping her past in Edinburgh and taking up a post as a nanny on the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea (it’s fictional, but I would really want to visit it if it was real!).
Elspeth is going to nanny Mary, a child who is clearly suffering from trauma. Her twin, William, is dead and her former nanny has disappeared. Elspeth is told that if she can’t get Mary to talk, she will be institutionalised.
I loved this - it’s the right kind of spooky, and you can’t beat a haunted house: lullabies are sung by someone who isn’t there, poppets keep appearing in random rooms, and whistling can be heard at night. It all added up to a book that sent shivers down my spine!
The characters were sometimes likeable, menacing, disconcerting and some most definitely had something to hide!
I listened to this on Audible, and the narrator, Lois Chimimba, kept me glued to my headphones. Her different accents were all spot on, and helped me to tell the different characters apart. I was never confused as to ‘who’ was speaking.
The tension built and built to the climactic ending - a truly delicious ghost story!
Elspeth is going to nanny Mary, a child who is clearly suffering from trauma. Her twin, William, is dead and her former nanny has disappeared. Elspeth is told that if she can’t get Mary to talk, she will be institutionalised.
I loved this - it’s the right kind of spooky, and you can’t beat a haunted house: lullabies are sung by someone who isn’t there, poppets keep appearing in random rooms, and whistling can be heard at night. It all added up to a book that sent shivers down my spine!
The characters were sometimes likeable, menacing, disconcerting and some most definitely had something to hide!
I listened to this on Audible, and the narrator, Lois Chimimba, kept me glued to my headphones. Her different accents were all spot on, and helped me to tell the different characters apart. I was never confused as to ‘who’ was speaking.
The tension built and built to the climactic ending - a truly delicious ghost story!
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Obscura Burning in Books
Jan 12, 2021
3.5 stars.
I love the cover of this. It's very sci-fi-y and drew my attention straight away before I even read the synopsis.
So I found this to be a bit confusing with the continuous switching between realities and it took me a while to get used to it, especially keeping up with how all the other characters interacted with Kyle between the two realities he was living. In one people are alive who should have been dead, in the other he was friends with a girl who treated him like crap in the former. Another strange fact is that while he's in one alternate universe, he continues to function in the other, so he zips back and forth and can be in the middle of doing something that he then doesn't remember starting.
The girl I just mentioned above, Mya, tries to help Kyle figure out what's happening by taking him to a scientist/professor who did a paper on multiverses. In the "Danny's dead" world, I really like her, she's friendly and fun, while in "Shira's dead" world, well, she's not. (I think I got that right...)
As for Danny and Shira, I don't think I was a fan of them from the start. I'm not sure why, maybe it was because we never really saw enough of them, or the them before the fire that injured/killed them. But by the end, I definitely didn't like them.
The writing style was easy to get into and I kinda devoured the book when I finally just sat back and let myself read it without any distractions.
Don't be put off with it having a gay relationship in it, there's nothing overtly graphic between Danny and Kyle, just references, it doesn't go into great detail. It doesn't go into detail with Kyle's female relationships either.
This was probably a little too sci-fi for me; alternate universes? Erm...not really my thing but I did enjoy it. If you like sci-fi and mystery then you'll probably like this.
I love the cover of this. It's very sci-fi-y and drew my attention straight away before I even read the synopsis.
So I found this to be a bit confusing with the continuous switching between realities and it took me a while to get used to it, especially keeping up with how all the other characters interacted with Kyle between the two realities he was living. In one people are alive who should have been dead, in the other he was friends with a girl who treated him like crap in the former. Another strange fact is that while he's in one alternate universe, he continues to function in the other, so he zips back and forth and can be in the middle of doing something that he then doesn't remember starting.
The girl I just mentioned above, Mya, tries to help Kyle figure out what's happening by taking him to a scientist/professor who did a paper on multiverses. In the "Danny's dead" world, I really like her, she's friendly and fun, while in "Shira's dead" world, well, she's not. (I think I got that right...)
As for Danny and Shira, I don't think I was a fan of them from the start. I'm not sure why, maybe it was because we never really saw enough of them, or the them before the fire that injured/killed them. But by the end, I definitely didn't like them.
The writing style was easy to get into and I kinda devoured the book when I finally just sat back and let myself read it without any distractions.
Don't be put off with it having a gay relationship in it, there's nothing overtly graphic between Danny and Kyle, just references, it doesn't go into great detail. It doesn't go into detail with Kyle's female relationships either.
This was probably a little too sci-fi for me; alternate universes? Erm...not really my thing but I did enjoy it. If you like sci-fi and mystery then you'll probably like this.
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Shadows from the Past in Books
Mar 5, 2019
Synopsis: ..."It is the price you pay for choosing to be a cop. Your brother's life..." Those words haunt her dreams and her waking moments. LAPD officer, Aurora Kavvan cannot rest until she finds her brothers killer. Digging into the past always brings back unpleasant things: memories, guilt...the hitman. Now she is in a race against time to find the murderer before he finds her. ͞Kill her. I don͛t care how, and I don͛t care where, but I want her dead now! Someone was trying to kill his dead partner͛s sister. FBI agent, Jordan Reiley will stop at nothing to protect the woman he loves. Even if it means going against her wishes; putting himself between her and the man who murdered her brother. Will God keep them alive long enough for them to find the truth?
My Thoughts: This is an action-packed thriller! This is the story of Aurora, has some issues from her past that keep coming back in her dreams, but she won't stop looking for the man who killed her brother.
This book has a clear message that God is there for you, especially in the hard times. That we can't do everything on our own, that we do need to give our troubles to God. It's a book about forgiveness, and not rushing into judgments of other people.
I enjoyed this novel, it was full of adventure, romance, and mystery. It was easy to follow along and the characters were wonderful. Some people may not notice quickly, but the main character Aurora suffers from PTSD; the nightmares, pushing people away all are part of it, and I believe that the author did a wonderful job bringing this forward. I did enjoy that she began to trust again, both in her friends and in God.
This was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the next books in the series... so look for the upcoming reviews of the shadow series.
My Thoughts: This is an action-packed thriller! This is the story of Aurora, has some issues from her past that keep coming back in her dreams, but she won't stop looking for the man who killed her brother.
This book has a clear message that God is there for you, especially in the hard times. That we can't do everything on our own, that we do need to give our troubles to God. It's a book about forgiveness, and not rushing into judgments of other people.
I enjoyed this novel, it was full of adventure, romance, and mystery. It was easy to follow along and the characters were wonderful. Some people may not notice quickly, but the main character Aurora suffers from PTSD; the nightmares, pushing people away all are part of it, and I believe that the author did a wonderful job bringing this forward. I did enjoy that she began to trust again, both in her friends and in God.
This was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the next books in the series... so look for the upcoming reviews of the shadow series.
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated Mirrorland in Books
Jul 1, 2021
This book was not at all what I expected, but in the best way.
We start off with Cat flying back from America to Edinburgh after her twin sister El has gone missing. Cat goes back to Edinburgh to find that her twin and her husband, Ross, have moved back into El and Cat’s childhood home. Whilst there, memories of their shared past start to come back to Cat but she spends most of the time trying to work out if they’re real memories or memories of the fantasies that the girls made up and played out. The main part of the girls’ childhood was a place that they called Mirrorland, a hidden tunnel that led to a locked wash house that they used to play in most of their childhood. As more and more memories come back, Cat has to deal with the trauma that occurred during their childhood. At the same time, she also has to deal with her sister missing and presumed dead. Cat is adamant the whole time that El isn’t dead and that she would know if she was as she would “feel” it, being identical twins she could always feel her sister’s pain. Cat also has to deal with her feelings for Ross resurfacing as he was also a large part of their childhood and she has never got over her feelings for him.
There were so many twists and turns in this book, that I had a hard time telling what was real from what was fantasy and it really put me in the mindset of Cat and her struggle to separate the two. I thought for the last part of the book that I had it all figured out, but in the last couple of chapters Carole Johnstone really threw a spanner in the works and changed everything again. Whilst a little confusing at times, it was good because it did make you empathise with Cat and how she was remembering things that had happened in her past.
Thank you to Carole Johnstone and Pigeonhole for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review, I loved it!
We start off with Cat flying back from America to Edinburgh after her twin sister El has gone missing. Cat goes back to Edinburgh to find that her twin and her husband, Ross, have moved back into El and Cat’s childhood home. Whilst there, memories of their shared past start to come back to Cat but she spends most of the time trying to work out if they’re real memories or memories of the fantasies that the girls made up and played out. The main part of the girls’ childhood was a place that they called Mirrorland, a hidden tunnel that led to a locked wash house that they used to play in most of their childhood. As more and more memories come back, Cat has to deal with the trauma that occurred during their childhood. At the same time, she also has to deal with her sister missing and presumed dead. Cat is adamant the whole time that El isn’t dead and that she would know if she was as she would “feel” it, being identical twins she could always feel her sister’s pain. Cat also has to deal with her feelings for Ross resurfacing as he was also a large part of their childhood and she has never got over her feelings for him.
There were so many twists and turns in this book, that I had a hard time telling what was real from what was fantasy and it really put me in the mindset of Cat and her struggle to separate the two. I thought for the last part of the book that I had it all figured out, but in the last couple of chapters Carole Johnstone really threw a spanner in the works and changed everything again. Whilst a little confusing at times, it was good because it did make you empathise with Cat and how she was remembering things that had happened in her past.
Thank you to Carole Johnstone and Pigeonhole for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review, I loved it!
Diary of a Reluctant Psychic
Book
The two women were sitting outside, away from the noise of the party. Marisa held a plastic glass...