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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2496 KP) rated A Fatal Groove in Books
Jul 27, 2023
Murder is Anything but Groovy
It’s the weekend of the Bluebonnet Festival in Cedar River, Texas, and Juni Jessup and her sisters are looking forward to fun while also selling coffee and introducing the bands on the main stage. Their first customer of the first day is Mayor Bob. When Juni goes to drop something off at his office a little later, she finds him dead. With their reputations once again on the line, the sisters try to figure out what is happening. Mayor Bob was popular because he didn’t make any waves, so who would want to kill him?
After an initial strong start, the book stalled a bit introducing some sub-plots before it really got started again. I did guess the killer a little early, but I needed Juni to fill in most of the rest. Once again, there are some odd uses of they/them pronouns, and Juni’s first-person narration comes across as judgmental a few times. Overall, I do like her and I love her relationship with her sisters. The love triangle is still in play, although it takes a back seat to the rest of the happenings. There are lots of smiles and some laughs along the way as well. If you enjoy music and are looking for a fun mystery, this is the series for you.
After an initial strong start, the book stalled a bit introducing some sub-plots before it really got started again. I did guess the killer a little early, but I needed Juni to fill in most of the rest. Once again, there are some odd uses of they/them pronouns, and Juni’s first-person narration comes across as judgmental a few times. Overall, I do like her and I love her relationship with her sisters. The love triangle is still in play, although it takes a back seat to the rest of the happenings. There are lots of smiles and some laughs along the way as well. If you enjoy music and are looking for a fun mystery, this is the series for you.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Acid in Books
Jan 6, 2021
***I received this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
3.5 stars.
This was a long book and therefore I had to break it up with others but it didn’t take away my intrigue with the book. A lot happened in it and it kept me coming back, if only to read a few pages at a time.
I’ll admit for the first 15% or so I was really interested but then it got a little slow (which was when I started breaking it up with other books) and it was only when I got to around the 50% mark that I got really into it again and quite literally devoured it in a few hours.
The plot was different to anything I’ve ever read and I think it was for that reason that I was so intrigued. How England is being run by an agency that doesn’t allow you to go abroad at all or to leave the city without a valid c-card (I.D). If this is what’s going to happen in the future then God help us…though in another hundred years I think I’ll be long past dead and wont particularly care.
That’s something else I like about this book, the fact it’s set in England (which doesn’t seem to happen so often in the books I read) and we travel from London to Manchester and a few other places :)
Jenna is a strong, kick-ass, character and I found myself willing her on whether in prison or out in London and the other areas they visit. I also liked her relationship with Max.
If you like something young adult, dystopian and intriguing then you will love this. It’s certainly different.
3.5 stars.
This was a long book and therefore I had to break it up with others but it didn’t take away my intrigue with the book. A lot happened in it and it kept me coming back, if only to read a few pages at a time.
I’ll admit for the first 15% or so I was really interested but then it got a little slow (which was when I started breaking it up with other books) and it was only when I got to around the 50% mark that I got really into it again and quite literally devoured it in a few hours.
The plot was different to anything I’ve ever read and I think it was for that reason that I was so intrigued. How England is being run by an agency that doesn’t allow you to go abroad at all or to leave the city without a valid c-card (I.D). If this is what’s going to happen in the future then God help us…though in another hundred years I think I’ll be long past dead and wont particularly care.
That’s something else I like about this book, the fact it’s set in England (which doesn’t seem to happen so often in the books I read) and we travel from London to Manchester and a few other places :)
Jenna is a strong, kick-ass, character and I found myself willing her on whether in prison or out in London and the other areas they visit. I also liked her relationship with Max.
If you like something young adult, dystopian and intriguing then you will love this. It’s certainly different.
Stickman Racer Road Draw
Games
App Watch
Stickman Racer Road Draw is a sequel to the legendary game of survival, where to make incredible...
games
The Shock of the Fall
8.0
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Book
WINNER OF THE COSTA BOOK OF THE YEAR 2013 WINNER OF THE SPECSAVERS POPULAR FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR...
the shock of the fall nathan filer fiction contemporary mental health
Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies
Games and Entertainment
App
The Call of Duty®: Zombies phenomenon has risen back to life. Adapted from the best-selling...
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Reflected in You (Crossfire, #2) in Books
May 10, 2018
The story of Eva and Gideon continues. Now, this book didn't make me think of 50 Shades at all, thank goodness. Eva and Gideon are now going to therapy together and trying to work on their issues and the crazy relationship that they have.
Gideon is trying to understand why it is so hard for Eva to trust him and Eva just wants Gideon to let her in.
In this book, their relationship is such a roller coaster ride, I got motion sickness. So many things happen in this book, that just astounded me.
<spoiler>Eva meets up with an old flame, who still has a little sizzle left, he actually wrote a song about her. Cary, the roommate is attacked, but why, no one knows. Nathan, the evil step-brother that molested and raped her as a child is found dead, and Eva didn't even know he was keeping tabs on her. Gideon stops communicating with her after an amazing weekend away. Her parents come face to face with each other for the first time in years. Gideon finally tells Eva, what she wants to hear, in more ways than one.</spoiler>
I'm interested to know what is going to happen next for these too.
One great thing about this book compared to Bared To You, she doesn't use the C-word nearly as much!!!
Gideon is trying to understand why it is so hard for Eva to trust him and Eva just wants Gideon to let her in.
In this book, their relationship is such a roller coaster ride, I got motion sickness. So many things happen in this book, that just astounded me.
<spoiler>Eva meets up with an old flame, who still has a little sizzle left, he actually wrote a song about her. Cary, the roommate is attacked, but why, no one knows. Nathan, the evil step-brother that molested and raped her as a child is found dead, and Eva didn't even know he was keeping tabs on her. Gideon stops communicating with her after an amazing weekend away. Her parents come face to face with each other for the first time in years. Gideon finally tells Eva, what she wants to hear, in more ways than one.</spoiler>
I'm interested to know what is going to happen next for these too.
One great thing about this book compared to Bared To You, she doesn't use the C-word nearly as much!!!
The Darkest Corners
8.0
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Book
The Darkest Corners is a psychological thriller about the lies little girls tell, and the deadly...
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Journeyman (Raven Series #2) [Audiobook] in Books
Jul 24, 2022
![Journeyman (Raven Series #2) [Audiobook]](/uploads/profile_image/05a/4d769610-6428-4f90-ab4d-66481731905a.jpg?m=1658697823)
Having listened to and thoroughly enjoyed the first in the series, Raven, I was intrigued to see what further escapades the assassin/bounty hunter was going to get mixed up in.
Now Raven was good but Journeyman is better!
Damien, Raven's brother, receives a coded message from their father One-Eye (aka Nik) that means he is in trouble. Unable to contact him and with only a vague idea of where he was going, they set out to try and track him down somewhere in Scotland.
One-Eye is being tracked by a killer from his past who he thought was dead. He is injured and has to 'hide out' in a small Scottish village on the Isle of Skye. Whilst recovering, One-Eye is getting to know the eclectic residents of the village when one of them is found murdered but who did it and why?
With good, strong characters, loads of action, a great and unexpected twist and quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, this was a really enjoyable listen and I look forward to the next in the series.
The narrator does a great job with all the different characters; she really had her work cut out with this one and did it well.
Thank you to W.F. Howes Ltd and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to Journeyman and share my thoughts.
Now Raven was good but Journeyman is better!
Damien, Raven's brother, receives a coded message from their father One-Eye (aka Nik) that means he is in trouble. Unable to contact him and with only a vague idea of where he was going, they set out to try and track him down somewhere in Scotland.
One-Eye is being tracked by a killer from his past who he thought was dead. He is injured and has to 'hide out' in a small Scottish village on the Isle of Skye. Whilst recovering, One-Eye is getting to know the eclectic residents of the village when one of them is found murdered but who did it and why?
With good, strong characters, loads of action, a great and unexpected twist and quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, this was a really enjoyable listen and I look forward to the next in the series.
The narrator does a great job with all the different characters; she really had her work cut out with this one and did it well.
Thank you to W.F. Howes Ltd and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to Journeyman and share my thoughts.
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020
Over a year on from this novelty being the first fully interactive film released by Netflix there is still no evidence of a similarly user controlled show out there. The streaming service had promised, after scooping a primetime Emmy for outstanding TV movie, that it was commissioning many more like it. But as of January 2020 they are nowhere to be seen.
Could it be that without the context of being a Black Mirror mind game, wrapped in Charlie Brooker’s clever if flimsy script, that it would just feel too intrusive and unnecessary for a mainstream drama audience? Not to mention the extra cost and hassle of filming multiple scenarios on a production. It’s fine as a distracting experiment, but would we want to have choices as a normal part of watching something?
Especially when looking back on Bandersnatch and realising that without this gimmick it is probably one of the weaker entries under the banner of Black Mirror quality. I can see how it would work well in children’s programming, as a way of keeping young audiences engaged. But beyond that, why not just play an actual video game, if an immersive interactive story that you control is what you want?
Fionn Whitehead of Dunkirk fame, does a fine job as 80s teen computer geek Stefan, as does the versatile yet under-used Will Poulter, in roles that in a straight drama would feel massively under-written. The impressive thing is how smooth the whole experience is. And you do feel increasingly uncomfortable the more you begin to influence Stefan, choosing more and more sinister actions simply out of a dark curiosity of where that will take him, and you!
The idea of reaching a dead end and having to go back to relive a moment, whilst cleverly woven in here to reflect a “choose your own adventure” book, does become a fault and a bit annoying. Something of a cheat! What would be truly impressive would be to branch the story in ways that never allow you to go back, but still results in the story making sense. Although the logistics of that script boggles the mind.
I do like the idea of no two people ever watching the same film, sort of. I also hate it. Because a good film has enough ambiguity to encourage debate anyway, and knowing everyone has watched the same story as you feels like a shared experience. No matter how interesting it might be in theory, you can’t escape the fact that Xbox and Playstation have this covered, especially as VR gaming becomes more common.
And that is the ultimate failing of Bandersnatch, in that you can’t really talk about the story in any other way than to wonder which ending you got? Apparently, it has five possible outcomes. By the time I had gone over it and found three, I was pretty much done with it. My curiosity certainly didn’t extend to going back and discovering the consequences of every possible choice.
Would I still recommend it? Well, yes. Anyone that hasn’t tried it probably should, at least have a go, to be able to say been there, done that. Would I like to see interaction as a part of my favourite shows? Definitely not.
Could it be that without the context of being a Black Mirror mind game, wrapped in Charlie Brooker’s clever if flimsy script, that it would just feel too intrusive and unnecessary for a mainstream drama audience? Not to mention the extra cost and hassle of filming multiple scenarios on a production. It’s fine as a distracting experiment, but would we want to have choices as a normal part of watching something?
Especially when looking back on Bandersnatch and realising that without this gimmick it is probably one of the weaker entries under the banner of Black Mirror quality. I can see how it would work well in children’s programming, as a way of keeping young audiences engaged. But beyond that, why not just play an actual video game, if an immersive interactive story that you control is what you want?
Fionn Whitehead of Dunkirk fame, does a fine job as 80s teen computer geek Stefan, as does the versatile yet under-used Will Poulter, in roles that in a straight drama would feel massively under-written. The impressive thing is how smooth the whole experience is. And you do feel increasingly uncomfortable the more you begin to influence Stefan, choosing more and more sinister actions simply out of a dark curiosity of where that will take him, and you!
The idea of reaching a dead end and having to go back to relive a moment, whilst cleverly woven in here to reflect a “choose your own adventure” book, does become a fault and a bit annoying. Something of a cheat! What would be truly impressive would be to branch the story in ways that never allow you to go back, but still results in the story making sense. Although the logistics of that script boggles the mind.
I do like the idea of no two people ever watching the same film, sort of. I also hate it. Because a good film has enough ambiguity to encourage debate anyway, and knowing everyone has watched the same story as you feels like a shared experience. No matter how interesting it might be in theory, you can’t escape the fact that Xbox and Playstation have this covered, especially as VR gaming becomes more common.
And that is the ultimate failing of Bandersnatch, in that you can’t really talk about the story in any other way than to wonder which ending you got? Apparently, it has five possible outcomes. By the time I had gone over it and found three, I was pretty much done with it. My curiosity certainly didn’t extend to going back and discovering the consequences of every possible choice.
Would I still recommend it? Well, yes. Anyone that hasn’t tried it probably should, at least have a go, to be able to say been there, done that. Would I like to see interaction as a part of my favourite shows? Definitely not.
365Flicks (235 KP) rated Leopard (2016) in Movies
Nov 20, 2019
A Beautiful, Twisted, Dark, Intense and Mesmerizing tale of Betrayal, Violence and Heart Breaking Brotherly Love..
Anyone who listens to ourleopard5-1 Podcast knows that while Chris and myself love the fanfare of the Huge Blockbuster Marvel/DC/Star Wars releases. Well nothing can quite compare to the
smaller Independent Films that you just know every second of screen time came straight from one persons passion to make a piece of Cinema that is all there’s. A movie that can display such mastery of there craft and hit you square in the heart (or balls) and make you feel something that… In my opinion Capes and Spandex just cant do.
Leopard is available On Demand this month from Osiris Entertainment.
Leopard is exactly that type of movie. A true passion piece that is driven by the wonderfully carefully calculated mind of its Writer/Director/Actor, BUT smashed out of the park by his outstanding team of Actors. Most revleopard6iews and articles I have read liken this movie to the wonderful Paris,Texas but I personally thought it had a feeling of Shane Meadows Dead Man Shoes.
Leopard tells the story of Jack (Eoin Macken. Merlin, NBCs Night Shift Also the Writer/Director) and his brother Tom (Tom Hopper. Merlin, Black Sails). Jack is returning to his home town in Ireland after a prolonged absence and it is clear from the outset he is not all that welcome. We find that his father has passed away and he is back for the reading of the Will along with his brother Tom who is not all there (Think Lenny from Mice and Men). There relationship is fairly strained and we spend the course of the movie figuring out what happened 5 years ago and where that has left the two brothers now. Throw in some Hostile locals, A left for Dead girl to become the point of Toms fixation and a creepy Strip Club, you have leopard.
Chris and I cannot speak highly enough of this movie it ticks all of our boxes when looking for something a little bit different. The Irish setting not only makes for a great backdrop but also becomes a character within itself. The score to this movie is often hopeful and optimistic but full of eerie dread at the same time, truly wonderful. Eoin and Tom bring a level of chemistry you would hope for after there time together on Merlin. However I am going to say it here and now Tom Hopper is a Brit star to watch out for he smashed this out of the park. There is also a damn fine supporting cast in Jack Reynor (Transformers: Age of Extinction) Rebecca Night (Sky 1s The Starlings) and Helen Pearson (Mrs O from Hollyoaks).
Anyone who listens to ourleopard5-1 Podcast knows that while Chris and myself love the fanfare of the Huge Blockbuster Marvel/DC/Star Wars releases. Well nothing can quite compare to the
smaller Independent Films that you just know every second of screen time came straight from one persons passion to make a piece of Cinema that is all there’s. A movie that can display such mastery of there craft and hit you square in the heart (or balls) and make you feel something that… In my opinion Capes and Spandex just cant do.
Leopard is available On Demand this month from Osiris Entertainment.
Leopard is exactly that type of movie. A true passion piece that is driven by the wonderfully carefully calculated mind of its Writer/Director/Actor, BUT smashed out of the park by his outstanding team of Actors. Most revleopard6iews and articles I have read liken this movie to the wonderful Paris,Texas but I personally thought it had a feeling of Shane Meadows Dead Man Shoes.
Leopard tells the story of Jack (Eoin Macken. Merlin, NBCs Night Shift Also the Writer/Director) and his brother Tom (Tom Hopper. Merlin, Black Sails). Jack is returning to his home town in Ireland after a prolonged absence and it is clear from the outset he is not all that welcome. We find that his father has passed away and he is back for the reading of the Will along with his brother Tom who is not all there (Think Lenny from Mice and Men). There relationship is fairly strained and we spend the course of the movie figuring out what happened 5 years ago and where that has left the two brothers now. Throw in some Hostile locals, A left for Dead girl to become the point of Toms fixation and a creepy Strip Club, you have leopard.
Chris and I cannot speak highly enough of this movie it ticks all of our boxes when looking for something a little bit different. The Irish setting not only makes for a great backdrop but also becomes a character within itself. The score to this movie is often hopeful and optimistic but full of eerie dread at the same time, truly wonderful. Eoin and Tom bring a level of chemistry you would hope for after there time together on Merlin. However I am going to say it here and now Tom Hopper is a Brit star to watch out for he smashed this out of the park. There is also a damn fine supporting cast in Jack Reynor (Transformers: Age of Extinction) Rebecca Night (Sky 1s The Starlings) and Helen Pearson (Mrs O from Hollyoaks).