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ArecRain (8 KP) rated How to Ruin Your Reputation in Ten Days (Ladies of Passion #2) in Books

Jan 18, 2018

A friends to lovers historical romance that is as cute as it is frustrating.

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite subgenres and it was clear from the beginning that Francine and Julian were meant for each other. Sometimes you can just tell that two souls are two halves of a whole.

While the romance is both heartwarming and almost painfully cute, it was the characters that enraptured me. Francine is an absolute doll and Julian is everything the hero should be. In truth, it is the collective of characters that make this story, not just the leads. Francines friends are a force to behold, her mother surprisingly insightful, and the ton as transparent as they ought to be.

The author has a talent for pulling emotions from the reader. With every mishap, misunderstanding, and discovery, I found myself holding my breathing and worrying right along with the heroine. AT some points I had to place the book down because I was either so frustrated I couldnt deal or so shocked I needed to process.

I feel in the end, we got the end we wanted. But I was left wanting, mainly for Marys story. As one of Francines closest friends, I felt that Mary stole the show for me and I am very much looking forward to her own story.

Kudos

Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated Ararat in Books

Mar 15, 2018

Ararat

Christopher Golden | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Thriller

7.3

(3 Ratings)

Book Rating

"Popcorn" books can be a lot of fun no matter what time of year it is, but they seem especially appropriate in the Summer time, and this latest horror offering from Christopher Golden is a pretty perfect Summer book. Engaged, moutain-climbing authors / documentary filmmakers Adam and Meryam are in a race to be first up Mt. Ararat into a cavern that has opened up as the result of an earthquake, possibly revealing Noah's Ark. Unsurprisingly they make it and discover that the cavern appears to actually be the ark itself, and it contains a rather disturbing discovery inside. Nevertheless, they assemble a team of international archaeologists, religious experts, mountain guides, and government representatives and get to work studying their findings. As a blizzard approaches, effectively trapping them inside the Ark, things begin to take a turn for the worse at the site as the body count begins piling up, and the tone of the book switches from adventure mixed with some mystery to a straight-up frightfest. This is one of the scarier books I've read in a while, using some pretty shocking violence to really up the fear factor. As a result, while not likely to win any literary rewards, Mr. Golden has created one of the year's most entertaining books, and written a story that would make a great Summer blockbuster.

Kudos

Andy K (10823 KP) rated Charly (1968) in Movies

Aug 3, 2019

Charly (1968)

1968 | Classics, Drama, Sci-Fi

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Touching, sad and moving

Cliff Robertson won a Best Actor actor in 1968 fr his portrayal of a simple minded man who undergoes an experimental surgery first performed on mice to supposedly increase his intelligence.

Charly is a man who wants better for himself and for his simple life. He tries to do better by constantly challenging himself, but it is no use. He is the butt of jokes at his job at a bakery and he doesn't even know it. He can't even beat a mouse at a maze game given out by his physician friends. When a wild chance arises that could resolve all of Charly's woes, he jumps at the chance.

The operation does seem to be a slow success. His intelligence grows as well as his zest for life, his noticing the little things in live and also an interest in the opposite sex. Will his happiness be temporary or permanent?

The acting and screenplay in this film are superb as well as some interesting split screen camera work. Charly's growth and development are in stark contrast from the beginning of the film through his discovery of knowledge.

I had seen this film in middle school I think after we had read the source material "Flowers for Algernon" so I was anxious to revisit.

So glad I did.