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Debbiereadsbook (1087 KP) rated Sin and Tonic (Sinners #6) in Books
May 15, 2018
a very fitting end!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
And breathe! Deep breath, it's just a review, Debbie, you can do it!
So! This is book 6 in the Sinners series and I would recommend that you at least read Sinners Gin (book 1) and Absinthe of Malice (book 5) before you read this one. You need to know about Miki and Kane from the beginning since this is the conclusion to their story. Actually, I take that back. Read them ALL, please! Not least because they are 4 and 5 stars reads from me, but because you need these boys in your life, you really do!
Miki is falling apart, and someone is trying to kill him. He finds out his mother's and then his father's name, and all hell breaks loose!
It's been a while (Dec 2016) since I read book 5 and I don't reread, but once I got going, it all comes back to you. Ford spins her tales like no other, and I LOVE her work. It just grabs you, and pulls you kicking and screaming, along for the very bumpy ride that Miki and Kane take you on!
I loved that Miki was finally able to ask for help, because that was a hard fought battle with himself. I loved that he was calling Donal (Kane's father) Dad. oh! I just LOVED IT!!! Loved that I did not see who might be responsible for everything, until it was revealed in the book. Ford has a way of keeping you on your toes!
Very VERY emotional in places, a little bit messy what with dead bodies and things, but so, so bloody awesome!
I can't say much, cos of spoilers and things but read it! Read them ALL!!
It's always sad, coming to the end of a MUCH loved series, but I *think* this actually might be my favourite of the whole series. And of course I want to LISTEN to this, because I really don't hear the voices right, and I NEEEEEEED Tristan James and the Morgan/Finnegan boys and girls in my ear one more time.
So, a very VERY fitting end, and I LOVED the epilogue! And I love love LOVED that Miki was finally able to share Kane a little world the world, more specifically, how much Kane means to him.
A Song For Kane
So throw back the gates of hell,
Pull me down the path I'd walked.
Find me in the darkness,
No matter if I balk.
Sing me a son of redemption,
Sing me a ballad of love and bliss.
Remind of the Heaven,
I found in our first kiss.
Bravo, Ms Ford.
5 full and shiny stars but really, it deserves far more!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
And breathe! Deep breath, it's just a review, Debbie, you can do it!
So! This is book 6 in the Sinners series and I would recommend that you at least read Sinners Gin (book 1) and Absinthe of Malice (book 5) before you read this one. You need to know about Miki and Kane from the beginning since this is the conclusion to their story. Actually, I take that back. Read them ALL, please! Not least because they are 4 and 5 stars reads from me, but because you need these boys in your life, you really do!
Miki is falling apart, and someone is trying to kill him. He finds out his mother's and then his father's name, and all hell breaks loose!
It's been a while (Dec 2016) since I read book 5 and I don't reread, but once I got going, it all comes back to you. Ford spins her tales like no other, and I LOVE her work. It just grabs you, and pulls you kicking and screaming, along for the very bumpy ride that Miki and Kane take you on!
I loved that Miki was finally able to ask for help, because that was a hard fought battle with himself. I loved that he was calling Donal (Kane's father) Dad. oh! I just LOVED IT!!! Loved that I did not see who might be responsible for everything, until it was revealed in the book. Ford has a way of keeping you on your toes!
Very VERY emotional in places, a little bit messy what with dead bodies and things, but so, so bloody awesome!
I can't say much, cos of spoilers and things but read it! Read them ALL!!
It's always sad, coming to the end of a MUCH loved series, but I *think* this actually might be my favourite of the whole series. And of course I want to LISTEN to this, because I really don't hear the voices right, and I NEEEEEEED Tristan James and the Morgan/Finnegan boys and girls in my ear one more time.
So, a very VERY fitting end, and I LOVED the epilogue! And I love love LOVED that Miki was finally able to share Kane a little world the world, more specifically, how much Kane means to him.
A Song For Kane
So throw back the gates of hell,
Pull me down the path I'd walked.
Find me in the darkness,
No matter if I balk.
Sing me a son of redemption,
Sing me a ballad of love and bliss.
Remind of the Heaven,
I found in our first kiss.
Bravo, Ms Ford.
5 full and shiny stars but really, it deserves far more!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Ocean’s 8 (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
For the last five plus years all Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) has had to think about was how to steal a $150 million dollar necklace of the neck of a mark during the Met Gala. Why she had all that time to think about was because she was incarcerated. The plan is flawless on paper but it would have to be to pull off this caper at one of the most high profile events of the year. Meticulously thought out and every eventuality covered. Now all she needs is a crew to make it happen. She gets her right hand girl Lou (Cate Blanchett) and they set out to plan the heist. The start with getting down on her luck designer Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter), who must persuade the mark, socialite actress Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway), to wear her dress and the diamonds to the even. Then let add a fence, Tammy (Sarah Paulson), a pick-pocket, Constance (Awkwafina), diamond expert, Amita (Mindy Kaling), and a hacker, Nine Ball (Rihanna), everyone they need to make this plan happen. The plan is made, the crew is assembled and the Met Ball is days away and all they have to do is rob a highly protected necklace in a museum filled with people and more cameras than you can count.
David Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit) wrote and directed the most recent film in the Ocean’s storyline. It definitely is in the same mold of the male dominated Ocean’s trilogy of films. There are even cameos from the old crew and the direct link of the main character being the sister of the protagonist of those films really ties them together. There are several nods to the original films and even the music and cinematography match up pretty well. At times I would say that it tries too hard to be like those films.
The cast does a great job. The character development is really good and if successful could definitely lead to follow up films. Awkwafina, who I had not heard of before going into this film, was a real bright spot and stood out in the scenes she was in. James Corden, as insurance investigator John Frazier, was also fun. The flow and pace of the film really went along well. There were definitely fun moments, also some moments that were a little cheesy, which are to be expected. Also to be expected in heist movie are some twist and turns, which this film delivers on. It keeps you guessing until the end.
Overall this was a fun movie going experience but maybe on I would be more likely to rent than see on the big screen.
David Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit) wrote and directed the most recent film in the Ocean’s storyline. It definitely is in the same mold of the male dominated Ocean’s trilogy of films. There are even cameos from the old crew and the direct link of the main character being the sister of the protagonist of those films really ties them together. There are several nods to the original films and even the music and cinematography match up pretty well. At times I would say that it tries too hard to be like those films.
The cast does a great job. The character development is really good and if successful could definitely lead to follow up films. Awkwafina, who I had not heard of before going into this film, was a real bright spot and stood out in the scenes she was in. James Corden, as insurance investigator John Frazier, was also fun. The flow and pace of the film really went along well. There were definitely fun moments, also some moments that were a little cheesy, which are to be expected. Also to be expected in heist movie are some twist and turns, which this film delivers on. It keeps you guessing until the end.
Overall this was a fun movie going experience but maybe on I would be more likely to rent than see on the big screen.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Ocean’s 8 (2018) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Light and breezy but utterly forgettable
It’s a peculiar state of affairs, the film industry that is. While reboots, remakes, prequels and sequels seem to be garnering much disdain from the movie-going audience of late, studios still push ahead with them regardless.
I mean, look at poor Disney and the performance of Solo: A Star Wars Story if you need any indication of a tiring audience. Female-led reboots are all the rage now too with Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters being met with a dreadful run at the box office despite decent critical responses. Next up, we’ve got Ocean’s 8, a sequel no-one was really asking for but got anyway. Is it worth a watch?
Five years, eight months, 12 days and counting – that’s how long Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) has been devising the biggest heist of her life. She knows what it’s going to take – a team of the best people in the field, starting with her partner-in-crime Lou Miller (Cate Blanchett). Together, they recruit a crew of specialists, including jeweller Amita, street con Constance, suburban mom Tammy (Sarah Paulson), hacker Nine Ball (Rihanna), and fashion designer Rose (Helena Bonham Carter). Their target: a necklace that’s worth more than $150 million.
Gary Ross, director of the first Hunger Games movie, takes over from Steven Soderbergh to helm a film that is perfectly passable popcorn fodder, but sadly nothing more. But, for the sake of this review, let’s start with the positives.
The cast is by far, the biggest selling point for this film. Filled to the brim with talent like Bullock, Blanchett and Paulson, it was always going to be a win-win situation pulling an ensemble like this together. Bullock is absolutely fabulous from the minute the film begins and Anne Hathaway is clearly having a ball playing an over-the-top version of herself. Helena Bonham Carter is surprisingly good as a failing Irish fashion designer and it’s always a joy seeing Sarah Paulson’s understated performances grace the big screen.
What’s not so good is the way the film treats its stars from different ethnicities however. Rihanna, Mindy Kaling (Amita) and Awkwafina (Constance) are sorely underused throughout. In fact, outside of Paulson, Awkwafina and Kaling provide the film with its most intriguing characters – but we learn very little about them apart from a few scenes studying their personal/professional lives.
It’s also best not to talk about James Corden and his hideously over-acted performance as fraud investigator John. Filled with cringeworthy dialogue, it’s a miracle his part is relatively short. Like a bad smell however, he lingers for much too long.
The biggest sin that Ocean’s 8 commits is its complete lack of plausibility
Then there’s the plot, or rather the script. In making these women the absolute best-of-the-best, there are no high stakes, no tension to be had or anything remotely resembling a narrow-escape.
There’s the obligatory ‘oh no’ moment as something looks like it’s going to go wrong, but it’s rectified so suddenly that any joy in watching the heist unfold is completely lost. Where the previous Ocean’s movies were riddled with tension, Ocean’s 8 is devoid of it.
Thankfully, the plan is fun if a little uninspiring to behold, filled with bland cinematography very similar to what was seen in the first Hunger Games film way back in 2012. It’s all just very staid, like the studio was simply ticking boxes on a checklist to make sure they got a film that would make them money, but was lacking anything in the way of originality.
But perhaps the biggest sin that Ocean’s 8 commits is its complete lack of plausibility. Article upon article has already been created in which writers dissect the film’s heist plan and come up with the same conclusion: it can’t be done. You don’t need those articles though, because the plot holes are big enough for anyone to see and that’s a real shame. This becomes increasingly evident in the film’s final 10 minutes which makes a mockery of everything that came before.
Overall, Ocean’s 8 is your typical summer blockbuster. It’s light, breezy and like a big tub of cottage cheese, devoid of any personality whatsoever. It’s saving grace is the cast. Managing to pull together an ensemble this good takes a lot of effort, and for that, it deserves some praise – faint praise, but praise nonetheless.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2018/06/21/oceans-8-review-light-and-breezy-but-utterly-forgettable/
I mean, look at poor Disney and the performance of Solo: A Star Wars Story if you need any indication of a tiring audience. Female-led reboots are all the rage now too with Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters being met with a dreadful run at the box office despite decent critical responses. Next up, we’ve got Ocean’s 8, a sequel no-one was really asking for but got anyway. Is it worth a watch?
Five years, eight months, 12 days and counting – that’s how long Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) has been devising the biggest heist of her life. She knows what it’s going to take – a team of the best people in the field, starting with her partner-in-crime Lou Miller (Cate Blanchett). Together, they recruit a crew of specialists, including jeweller Amita, street con Constance, suburban mom Tammy (Sarah Paulson), hacker Nine Ball (Rihanna), and fashion designer Rose (Helena Bonham Carter). Their target: a necklace that’s worth more than $150 million.
Gary Ross, director of the first Hunger Games movie, takes over from Steven Soderbergh to helm a film that is perfectly passable popcorn fodder, but sadly nothing more. But, for the sake of this review, let’s start with the positives.
The cast is by far, the biggest selling point for this film. Filled to the brim with talent like Bullock, Blanchett and Paulson, it was always going to be a win-win situation pulling an ensemble like this together. Bullock is absolutely fabulous from the minute the film begins and Anne Hathaway is clearly having a ball playing an over-the-top version of herself. Helena Bonham Carter is surprisingly good as a failing Irish fashion designer and it’s always a joy seeing Sarah Paulson’s understated performances grace the big screen.
What’s not so good is the way the film treats its stars from different ethnicities however. Rihanna, Mindy Kaling (Amita) and Awkwafina (Constance) are sorely underused throughout. In fact, outside of Paulson, Awkwafina and Kaling provide the film with its most intriguing characters – but we learn very little about them apart from a few scenes studying their personal/professional lives.
It’s also best not to talk about James Corden and his hideously over-acted performance as fraud investigator John. Filled with cringeworthy dialogue, it’s a miracle his part is relatively short. Like a bad smell however, he lingers for much too long.
The biggest sin that Ocean’s 8 commits is its complete lack of plausibility
Then there’s the plot, or rather the script. In making these women the absolute best-of-the-best, there are no high stakes, no tension to be had or anything remotely resembling a narrow-escape.
There’s the obligatory ‘oh no’ moment as something looks like it’s going to go wrong, but it’s rectified so suddenly that any joy in watching the heist unfold is completely lost. Where the previous Ocean’s movies were riddled with tension, Ocean’s 8 is devoid of it.
Thankfully, the plan is fun if a little uninspiring to behold, filled with bland cinematography very similar to what was seen in the first Hunger Games film way back in 2012. It’s all just very staid, like the studio was simply ticking boxes on a checklist to make sure they got a film that would make them money, but was lacking anything in the way of originality.
But perhaps the biggest sin that Ocean’s 8 commits is its complete lack of plausibility. Article upon article has already been created in which writers dissect the film’s heist plan and come up with the same conclusion: it can’t be done. You don’t need those articles though, because the plot holes are big enough for anyone to see and that’s a real shame. This becomes increasingly evident in the film’s final 10 minutes which makes a mockery of everything that came before.
Overall, Ocean’s 8 is your typical summer blockbuster. It’s light, breezy and like a big tub of cottage cheese, devoid of any personality whatsoever. It’s saving grace is the cast. Managing to pull together an ensemble this good takes a lot of effort, and for that, it deserves some praise – faint praise, but praise nonetheless.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2018/06/21/oceans-8-review-light-and-breezy-but-utterly-forgettable/