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Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated Caraval in Books
Oct 1, 2017
Great magical world with dark undertones
What I loved the most about the book was the setting of Caraval. It’s so beautifully descriptive it feels like a magical place. You’re taken back to the feeling when you were a wee little one and you’re in Disneyland for the first time in your life. It’s that magical feel good feeling that comes back to you when you’re reading the book. At the same time you know things aren’t what they seem and there’s some dark undertones to Caraval. It’s hard not to get swept away (as they have warned you) because everything seems so real and fun.
I loved the plot throughout the book. Like Scarlett, you had doubts as to whether things were real or not. By the time you finished the novel you were still doubting what was real and what wasn’t. Scarlett was at times frustrating and irritating. She hesitated at the wrong times and didn’t listen to anyone when she really needed to. Argh. You wanted to jump in and drag her to point her to the right direction. I didn’t really see her well with Julian because I really saw Julian as more of a means to an end because he guided her throughout the game. However I have to admit, I liked it when he called her ‘Crimson’ it suited his personality at the time (I hope he doesn’t stop calling her that, it adds more to their characters.)
The last few pages of the novel though. Wow. You’re blown away and you’ll have your heart wrenched and torn out of your chest and then it’s put back in. Yet it doesn’t feel the same anymore and you’re left with more questions and wanting more. OH MY GOD I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE SECOND BOOK! I NEED ANSWERS!
Greatly recommended. Immerse yourself into the world and enjoy. You’ll probably get carried away like I did. Get ready for some good twists that are gut wrenching. You’re not left the same after reading it.
I loved the plot throughout the book. Like Scarlett, you had doubts as to whether things were real or not. By the time you finished the novel you were still doubting what was real and what wasn’t. Scarlett was at times frustrating and irritating. She hesitated at the wrong times and didn’t listen to anyone when she really needed to. Argh. You wanted to jump in and drag her to point her to the right direction. I didn’t really see her well with Julian because I really saw Julian as more of a means to an end because he guided her throughout the game. However I have to admit, I liked it when he called her ‘Crimson’ it suited his personality at the time (I hope he doesn’t stop calling her that, it adds more to their characters.)
The last few pages of the novel though. Wow. You’re blown away and you’ll have your heart wrenched and torn out of your chest and then it’s put back in. Yet it doesn’t feel the same anymore and you’re left with more questions and wanting more. OH MY GOD I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE SECOND BOOK! I NEED ANSWERS!
Greatly recommended. Immerse yourself into the world and enjoy. You’ll probably get carried away like I did. Get ready for some good twists that are gut wrenching. You’re not left the same after reading it.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Johnny Depp returns as Capt. Jack Sparrow in the fifth outing for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film franchise. Based on the phenomenally popular attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World; the latest film “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” finds Jack and his crew once again at odds with British authorities in St. Maarten. Adding Jack’s troubles is a malevolent spirit from his past named Capt. Salazar (Javier Bardem), who seeks to return to the living by exacting his revenge upon Jack. Along for the adventure are a young man named Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites), and a science minded woman named Carina (Kaya Scodelario), who all have their reasons for joining one another on the adventure despite ample levels of mistrust amongst them.
In keeping with the series all sorts of comedic hijinks mixed with action and the supernatural to give audiences a very noisy and destruction filled storyline.
While there is a decent amount of action in the film there were also large gaps where things just plod along which caused me to glance at my watch from time to time during the two-hour runtime of the film. Adding to the issues is the tendency of depth to slur and mumble his lines playing the frequently inebriated Capt. Jack which does hamper some of the better lines in the film.
Well I certainly enjoyed this one much better than the second and third films in the series I kept thinking that I have seen this all before and that this film was essentially a collection of some of the best moments from previous films combined into one. The end result is that I found myself saying that while I would not mind another outing in the series I would also be more than okay they decided to end the cinematic adventures with this film. Diehard fans will likely enjoy this new effort but more casual fans may not have as much patience this time around.
http://sknr.net/2017/05/25/pirates-caribbean-dead-men-tell-no-tales/
In keeping with the series all sorts of comedic hijinks mixed with action and the supernatural to give audiences a very noisy and destruction filled storyline.
While there is a decent amount of action in the film there were also large gaps where things just plod along which caused me to glance at my watch from time to time during the two-hour runtime of the film. Adding to the issues is the tendency of depth to slur and mumble his lines playing the frequently inebriated Capt. Jack which does hamper some of the better lines in the film.
Well I certainly enjoyed this one much better than the second and third films in the series I kept thinking that I have seen this all before and that this film was essentially a collection of some of the best moments from previous films combined into one. The end result is that I found myself saying that while I would not mind another outing in the series I would also be more than okay they decided to end the cinematic adventures with this film. Diehard fans will likely enjoy this new effort but more casual fans may not have as much patience this time around.
http://sknr.net/2017/05/25/pirates-caribbean-dead-men-tell-no-tales/
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated All About the Hype (Jessie Jefferson, #3) in Books
Jan 5, 2021
So I'll be honest and say that I've forgotten a lot of what went on in the two previous books in this series but this starts with Jessie waking up on her sixteenth birthday, crying since it's also the anniversary of her mothers death, too. Her dad, Johnny Jefferson - famous rockstar, has a surprise gift for her of a trip to Disneyland with the rest of the family and one there, all her old school friends and the ones she's made while being in America turn up and they spend the day there. That same night, they throw a party for her and Johnny sings one of her bands songs sending their fame skyrocketing.
I feel i should mention my love of Johnny and Meg. I read their book, Johnny Be Good, years ago now and fell in love with them as a couple and then their second book, Baby Be Mine, tore my heart out a little with all the emotion it made me feel but they did get their HEA - although their story is also continuing through this series, too, and I think it came to a bit of a head in this one with the return of Dana.
As for Jessie, I didn't remember everything that happened in the previous books but my review of the last book on Goodreads threw some light on my feelings. I was a little torn in my feelings again, though, with Tom and Jack. It was like one minute Jack was being an arse and i wanted her to get back with Tom, and then the next Tom was shoving something in her face and I was happy for her to be with Jack. So confusing.
And also her band All Hype and their journey. It was cute to watch them slowly find success with the aid of Johnny when he thought they needed it. It was nice to read.
I will admit that I wasn't full invested in this story. Maybe it was the length of time I've left between books - about 3 years - but I was just waiting for the book to finish. That sounds harsh but I felt like I'd missed something.
I feel i should mention my love of Johnny and Meg. I read their book, Johnny Be Good, years ago now and fell in love with them as a couple and then their second book, Baby Be Mine, tore my heart out a little with all the emotion it made me feel but they did get their HEA - although their story is also continuing through this series, too, and I think it came to a bit of a head in this one with the return of Dana.
As for Jessie, I didn't remember everything that happened in the previous books but my review of the last book on Goodreads threw some light on my feelings. I was a little torn in my feelings again, though, with Tom and Jack. It was like one minute Jack was being an arse and i wanted her to get back with Tom, and then the next Tom was shoving something in her face and I was happy for her to be with Jack. So confusing.
And also her band All Hype and their journey. It was cute to watch them slowly find success with the aid of Johnny when he thought they needed it. It was nice to read.
I will admit that I wasn't full invested in this story. Maybe it was the length of time I've left between books - about 3 years - but I was just waiting for the book to finish. That sounds harsh but I felt like I'd missed something.
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Perfect on Paper in Books
Mar 11, 2021
A cute teen love story
Darcy Phillips is excellent at doling out relationship advice. So good, in fact, that she secretly runs locker 89 at her high school where her fellow classmates drop off letters asking for help and Darcy answers them (for a $10 fee). But her secret identity is challenged when Alexander Brougham catches her at the locker after school. So Darcy reluctantly agrees to help him get back together with his ex-girlfriend, Winona. At a hourly cost, because Alexander is loaded and Darcy's a rare scholarship student. And after all, if everyone finds out she runs locker 89, not only will her secret be out, her best friend/crush, Brooke, will realize she's done some questionable meddling in Brooke's life via the locker. All she needs to do is help a rich, entitled guy win his former girlfriend back? How hard can it be?
"Why was it so much harder to answer my own relationship questions than everyone else's?"
This is a really cute and fun read. It totally stressed me out in places. I'm not good with lying, and here we have Darcy not only fibbing about "being" locker 89, but then she's using the locker to meddle with her friends' relationships? Ahh! Cue my blood pressure going up.
But I couldn't help but feel fondly for this girl who so meticulously researched her letters, who so desperately wanted to help others, but was afraid to take risks in her own world. She's starry-eyed in love with Brooke, but too scared to say anything. Who hasn't been there?
Gonzales gives us a huge handful of diverse representation--such an excellent set of queer characters. Darcy is part of the Queer and Questioning Club at her school. There's an episode at the club covering bi-phobia that made me cheer out loud and honestly is worth the read alone. I love the trend of all these YA books with such strong, positive queer messages. I could have used this as a teen, for sure. Now if we could normalize bisexuality in literary and contemporary fiction!
There's some melodrama in this one and Darcy's self-centeredness and angst got to me, at times--perhaps this book could have been just a bit shorter. But, it was probably a fair representation of the turmoil teens experience.
Overall, this is an easy read covering both serious and fun (romance! Disneyland!) topics. It offers an excellent cast, lots of cute moments, and some strong insight into bisexuality and other LGBTQIA issues facing teens today.
I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
"Why was it so much harder to answer my own relationship questions than everyone else's?"
This is a really cute and fun read. It totally stressed me out in places. I'm not good with lying, and here we have Darcy not only fibbing about "being" locker 89, but then she's using the locker to meddle with her friends' relationships? Ahh! Cue my blood pressure going up.
But I couldn't help but feel fondly for this girl who so meticulously researched her letters, who so desperately wanted to help others, but was afraid to take risks in her own world. She's starry-eyed in love with Brooke, but too scared to say anything. Who hasn't been there?
Gonzales gives us a huge handful of diverse representation--such an excellent set of queer characters. Darcy is part of the Queer and Questioning Club at her school. There's an episode at the club covering bi-phobia that made me cheer out loud and honestly is worth the read alone. I love the trend of all these YA books with such strong, positive queer messages. I could have used this as a teen, for sure. Now if we could normalize bisexuality in literary and contemporary fiction!
There's some melodrama in this one and Darcy's self-centeredness and angst got to me, at times--perhaps this book could have been just a bit shorter. But, it was probably a fair representation of the turmoil teens experience.
Overall, this is an easy read covering both serious and fun (romance! Disneyland!) topics. It offers an excellent cast, lots of cute moments, and some strong insight into bisexuality and other LGBTQIA issues facing teens today.
I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
Caitlin Ann Cherniak (85 KP) rated Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire in Books
Oct 22, 2018
Why do I have a feeling that the guy who wrote this just went on a rant and decided to put that whole rant into one giant ass book?
Don't get me wrong. This book has a couple of points, especially when he discusses religion and the Salem witch trails. However, when he starts getting into the more modern points of fantasy, either I didn't see it at all, or he was basically really poking fun at what the whole point of fantasy really is.
The title of the book is Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire. If he's going to use the word "Haywire" in a title, he better show pretty clear examples of why America is being flushed down the toilet. Poking fun at people cosplaying, playing video games, and being able to have fun at Disneyland or Disney World is not a point to say why America seems to be failing as a society. In fact, I can make a counterargument by saying that flights of fantasy in those contexts are actually forming the culture, not destroying it. Because of the evolution of entertainment (such as film, video games, etc.), it's easier to envision fantasy stories come to life. Before that, we had books, and no one was poking fun at books throughout this entire giant essay. Not only is that missing the forest for the trees, but it makes the argument of people being shown too much fantasy through visual mass media is a very shallow take on the topic of fantasy.
Also, the premise of the book talks about how people are arguing that Trump is ruining America because of his bullshit (and they're not wrong). I expected the book to discuss politics more in depth as a way to add onto the fantasyland argument. The book doesn't even do that, not even at the end when it "comes full circle" back to the Trump argument. If anything, the book kinda let it slide that it was for Trump and his radical ideas rather than finding flaws in them as people would expect. Look, if the book ended up explaining why Trump was trying to escape the Fantasyland argument, I'm all for reading that to make my own points. However, by just simply saying that Trump is being more realistic without any real reason, that also makes this essay a shallow writing. People want to read on why Trump has realistic views or not. If the point of this essay is talking about how fantastic ideas are plaguing a great nation, why not add that into the mix?
This essay was a real hit and miss for me. For something that's as thick as War and Peace, I expected this essay to have as juicy material as War and Peace, but it doesn't. It's just a 500 year rant on how "stupid" society can be, and that lost me as I finished the book.
Don't get me wrong. This book has a couple of points, especially when he discusses religion and the Salem witch trails. However, when he starts getting into the more modern points of fantasy, either I didn't see it at all, or he was basically really poking fun at what the whole point of fantasy really is.
The title of the book is Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire. If he's going to use the word "Haywire" in a title, he better show pretty clear examples of why America is being flushed down the toilet. Poking fun at people cosplaying, playing video games, and being able to have fun at Disneyland or Disney World is not a point to say why America seems to be failing as a society. In fact, I can make a counterargument by saying that flights of fantasy in those contexts are actually forming the culture, not destroying it. Because of the evolution of entertainment (such as film, video games, etc.), it's easier to envision fantasy stories come to life. Before that, we had books, and no one was poking fun at books throughout this entire giant essay. Not only is that missing the forest for the trees, but it makes the argument of people being shown too much fantasy through visual mass media is a very shallow take on the topic of fantasy.
Also, the premise of the book talks about how people are arguing that Trump is ruining America because of his bullshit (and they're not wrong). I expected the book to discuss politics more in depth as a way to add onto the fantasyland argument. The book doesn't even do that, not even at the end when it "comes full circle" back to the Trump argument. If anything, the book kinda let it slide that it was for Trump and his radical ideas rather than finding flaws in them as people would expect. Look, if the book ended up explaining why Trump was trying to escape the Fantasyland argument, I'm all for reading that to make my own points. However, by just simply saying that Trump is being more realistic without any real reason, that also makes this essay a shallow writing. People want to read on why Trump has realistic views or not. If the point of this essay is talking about how fantastic ideas are plaguing a great nation, why not add that into the mix?
This essay was a real hit and miss for me. For something that's as thick as War and Peace, I expected this essay to have as juicy material as War and Peace, but it doesn't. It's just a 500 year rant on how "stupid" society can be, and that lost me as I finished the book.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Saving Mr. Banks (2013) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
One of the greatest Disney classics, “Mary Poppins” has a unique history on its long journey from the page to the silver screen. In “Saving Mr. Banks”, the twenty year battle between Walt Disney and the notoriously difficult author is told in a touching and gripping tale.
Tom Hanks stars as Walt Disney who after making a promise to his daughters to bring their beloved Mary Poppins books to life embarks on a frustrating battle with author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson), that lasts twenty years.
Faced with financial need following a lack of published materials, Travers reluctantly agrees to travel from her home in London to meet with Disney to discuss signing over the rights to her beloved character. Travers is a very abrupt individual who has no problem speaking her mind and is not one to spare feelings with her cutting and direct barbs.
Travers has little love for animation, Disneyland, or the whimsy that accompanies all things Disney and is terrified that her beloved Mary Poppins will be turned into some silly and childish film, hence her reluctance to sign over the theatrical rights.
Over the two weeks of her visit to California, Walt, and the talented Sherman Brothers (B.J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman) endure her icy behavior, harsh criticisms and intolerance for their work and efforts. Travers is horrified with everything from their casting choices to the inclusion of music and many aspects of the script and look of the characters.
Undaunted, Walt and company press on in the face of overwhelming adversity and unending opposition from Travers and slowly but surely make progress in appeasing Travers as they bring the film closer and closer to fruition.
What follows is a very moving, funny and enjoyable tale that is powered by outstanding performances by the two leads and the very strong supporting cast, especially that of Paul Giamatti who plays a driver named Ralph who has to endure the venom of Travers has he drives her around during her stay.
The film does a good job of showing what Travers endured as a child thanks to her alcoholic father (Colin Farrell), and how her experiences with his struggles helped form the woman she was to become.
While aspects of the true story have been softened somewhat in the final act from what happened in reality, the film is very honest and effective.
Many of the memorable classic songs from the movie appear in the film but are done in a very natural way as they are introduced to viewers as they are being introduced to the characters in the film.
While some aspects of the film may be a little darker than people would come to expect from a Disney movie, the film is a very enjoyable experience that is not to be missed.
http://sknr.net/2013/12/13/saving-mr-banks/
Tom Hanks stars as Walt Disney who after making a promise to his daughters to bring their beloved Mary Poppins books to life embarks on a frustrating battle with author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson), that lasts twenty years.
Faced with financial need following a lack of published materials, Travers reluctantly agrees to travel from her home in London to meet with Disney to discuss signing over the rights to her beloved character. Travers is a very abrupt individual who has no problem speaking her mind and is not one to spare feelings with her cutting and direct barbs.
Travers has little love for animation, Disneyland, or the whimsy that accompanies all things Disney and is terrified that her beloved Mary Poppins will be turned into some silly and childish film, hence her reluctance to sign over the theatrical rights.
Over the two weeks of her visit to California, Walt, and the talented Sherman Brothers (B.J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman) endure her icy behavior, harsh criticisms and intolerance for their work and efforts. Travers is horrified with everything from their casting choices to the inclusion of music and many aspects of the script and look of the characters.
Undaunted, Walt and company press on in the face of overwhelming adversity and unending opposition from Travers and slowly but surely make progress in appeasing Travers as they bring the film closer and closer to fruition.
What follows is a very moving, funny and enjoyable tale that is powered by outstanding performances by the two leads and the very strong supporting cast, especially that of Paul Giamatti who plays a driver named Ralph who has to endure the venom of Travers has he drives her around during her stay.
The film does a good job of showing what Travers endured as a child thanks to her alcoholic father (Colin Farrell), and how her experiences with his struggles helped form the woman she was to become.
While aspects of the true story have been softened somewhat in the final act from what happened in reality, the film is very honest and effective.
Many of the memorable classic songs from the movie appear in the film but are done in a very natural way as they are introduced to viewers as they are being introduced to the characters in the film.
While some aspects of the film may be a little darker than people would come to expect from a Disney movie, the film is a very enjoyable experience that is not to be missed.
http://sknr.net/2013/12/13/saving-mr-banks/