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The Upside of Unrequited
The Upside of Unrequited
Becky Albertalli | 2017 | Young Adult (YA)
9
8.2 (25 Ratings)
Book Rating
My Review: "What a great read! Honestly, I needed this after reading so many fantasy/young adult books. I don’t read many contemporary books, but when I do, this is what I look for.

First of all, it was relatable on multiple accounts. Second, the characters were so diverse and realistic. Those two things are important for me when I read a contemporary. For me, I know what it’s like for twins, especially twin sisters, as I have younger twin sisters. They two are fraternal and VERY different. They are basically the embodiment of Cassie and Molly; I was shocked how similar they were to my own sisters." Read the entire review here: https://thenerdybookwormsite.wordpress.com/2017/09/20/the-upside-of-unrequited-by-becky-albertalli/
  
The Crownless King
The Crownless King
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book was interesting and like nothing like what I thought it would be from the description. I have not read the first book in the series and it did not affect my enjoyment of this book. However, I will be going back to read it as I want to know how the story started.
The Crownless King captured my imagination, and I had a hard time putting the book down. I thought the characters were strong and courageous and they had some twists that I did not see coming. So that made it even better for me. I also enjoyed the diverse character backgrounds and the relationships that developed between certain characters (I have no idea how to say more without giving spoilers!
  
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
1976 | Action, Crime, Thriller
Assault on Precinct 13 is great for many reasons, but chiefly it's all down to the characters. Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston, and Laurie Zimmer head up a diverse cast, and off the top of my head, I struggle to think of a trio of leads that are so well realised and put together. Their struggle through an evening of violence is one you want them to live through.

The narrative is straightforward and engaging, the villains are pretty faceless but intimidating, the action is decent, the cinematography is visually pleasing, and director John Carpenter provides yet another banging soundtrack to one of his own films.
It's a gritty and hard hitting thriller that serves as further evidence for why Carpenter is one of the greatest.
  
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Kyera (8 KP) rated Inferno in Books

Feb 1, 2018  
Inferno
Inferno
Dan Brown | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.3 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
Dan Brown's novels always give you wanderlust. I cannot read one of his books without dreaming of traveling to Italy, viewing the famous statues, buildings and art, traveling in a gondola in Venice or wandering the ancient streets of Rome. Inferno is not exception. It also inspired me to read Danté, research the works of art mentioned in the novel and otherwise immerse myself in the experience. I oscillate between liking the main character, Robert Langdon and being turned off by his portrayal. I just don't find everyone's instant attraction to him to be believable and find it to be off putting. I did enjoy the diverse cast of supporting characters that Brown introduces in this novel. Overall, greatly recommended and to enhance the experience perhaps familiarize yourself with Danté.
  
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Awix (3310 KP) rated Theatre of Blood (1973) in Movies

Feb 14, 2018 (Updated Feb 14, 2018)  
Theatre of Blood (1973)
Theatre of Blood (1973)
1973 | Comedy, Horror
The Play's the Thing
Indisputably the best of the Vincent Price 'madman on a vengeful killing spree' movies from the early 70s, allowing Price to give full reign to his remarkable talents. Ham actor Edward Lionheart gets his own back on pretentious critics by performing various gory Shakespearean scenes for real; this gives him the opportunity to disguise himself as such diverse characters as a chef, a policeman, Butch the gay hairdresser, and many more; Price is having a whale of a time throughout, as you'd expect.

Notable also for an astonishingly good cast of British character actors, most of whom are only in a couple of scenes before they get murdered. Consistently witty and inventive, even a little moving in parts as well. Point knocked off for not letting Price get away with it!
  
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Jcadden76 (64 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Far Cry 5 in Video Games

Jun 10, 2018  
Far Cry 5
Far Cry 5
2018 | Shooter
Storyline (5 more)
Atmosphere
NPCs
Villains
Perk System
Guns for Hire System
Repetitive encounters (1 more)
Lack of diverse weapons
Compelling story beautiful, open-world
Much like Far Cry 4 (which I loved) this is an open-world, vaguely linear action adventure game. Lots of terrain to explore, lots of odd encounters with strange NPCs.

The difference, and the real hook for me, is the storyline. Trying to avoid spoilers, go watch the trailer and get sucked in. Based in the US you are a US Marshal fighting a religious cult. Trying to reclaim Hope County from this bizarre and extreme set of believers.

The multiplayer is good and well thought out and different but I will admit that I have spent very little time in the Multiplayer world of Far Cry 5.
  
We Are Makers: Real Women and Girls Shaping Our World
(0 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"Amy Richards has created the book I searched for growing up, diverse role models all together. It’s called We Are MAKERS: Real Women and Girls Shaping Our World. Based on the PBS series and the online platform MAKERS, this book would have inspired me with ideas of who I might grow up to share the world with, yet it also would have included me as the girl I was. It includes biographies and quotes from a wide variety of women, from Misty Copeland, who broke the color line as a ballerina, to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who broke the sex barrier on the Supreme Court. There are also athletes and tech experts, writers and builders of skyscrapers, plus some encouraging dads. This is a book to help any girl realize her dreams."

Source
  
I Have Lost My Way
I Have Lost My Way
Gayle Forman | 2018 | Young Adult (YA)
8
6.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Lovely novel about three very different individuals
Freya, Harun, and Nathaniel. Three very different individuals whose paths are about to collide in New York City. Freya is an aspiring singer who has just lost her voice. Harun is running away-literally-from his loving, yet overbearing family. And Nathaniel is coming to New York following a misguided plan. Soon Freya will fall off a bridge and fatefully bring the three together. Each feels lost and alone in this giant city. Will accidentally finding each other change that?

I very much love Gayle Forman and am always excited when she has a new novel. This one almost felt like a novella, with my hardcopy clocking in at a little over 250 pages. It was a fast, easy read, as I quickly became immersed in the lives of these three different and diverse characters.. The book is told over the course of one day--the day these three individuals meet, but we get flashbacks into their pasts, as well. Each character gets a chance to tell things from their point of view.

Forman is a lovely storyteller, and it's easy to get lost in this book. If anything, the day--and the book--is over too quickly. I found myself drawn to each character for different reasons. They are each vulnerable in their own way, and it's easy to get lost in their stories. I loved how the characters had diverse backgrounds and ethnic origins, as well. It's a beautiful novel, really, with gorgeous writing. The storylines are often touching and heartbreaking, yet the book felt light and airy--buoyed by the unlikely trio's friendship.

The book seems brief and is over very quickly; it left me wanting to know more about all three individuals. It flies by, especially since you skip from one narrator to the next, limiting what you learn about each, and getting snippets doled out over the course of the story. It all comes together by the end, but at that point, I found myself still wanting to learn more about each of our three characters, or have more time in their lives. It's easy to get invested when the characters are so well-formed.

Overall, this is a very easy-to-read book as it flawlessly draws you in with its diverse characters and excellent writing. It often reminded me of another beautiful tale, The Sun Is Also a Star. It's over all too quickly, but is quite enjoyable while it lasts. Definitely a worthy read.
  
The Missing Diamonds (Agent Zaiba Investigates, #1)
The Missing Diamonds (Agent Zaiba Investigates, #1)
Annabelle Sami | 2020 | Children, Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The protagonist in this novel is Zaiba, and the story I told from her perspective. Her “sidekicks” are her brother Ali and best friend Poppy. They all are very different, Zaiba is a born leader, who decides where the whole crew goes, Ali is a little nerd, he is very good when it comes to facts and information, and Poppy knows everything about celebrities, nice clothing and makeup. I think they make a really good team. I really liked that these series have a South Asian protagonist. There is still a lack of diverse characters in children’s literature, and I am thrilled to see, that South Asian children can relate to such a great character like Zaiba.

The narrative of this book was quite intriguing. I really enjoyed the investigation in this book. I really could not figure out who was the culprit, and the discovery was very surprising to me. 🙂 I really enjoyed how South Asian traditions and family was described, also, I really liked the fact that Zaiba’s parents have an interracial marriage. This thing is very common nowadays.

The writing style is very creative, and the language used is pretty easy to read. I really liked the illustrations, they make the whole reading experience more entertaining. The chapters have medium length, and to be fair, I would like them a little shorter. There is some extra material for the children at the back of the book, and I think it is very thoughtful and great for all the little agents to use for their future adventures.

So, to conclude, I really liked this mystery story, filled with diverse and entertaining characters, as well as very well written investigation during mehndi celebration in an old hotel. If your young one is into the mystery, I strongly recommend this series, especially if you are Indian, Pakistani, Bengali etc.
  
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Heilig’s debut novel is inspired by Hawaiian myth and folklore and has an entirely diverse cast with a biracial main character, a Persian love interest, etc. (I’ve completely forgotten about everyone else).

Have I mentioned time traveling is through maps?! If the Hawaiian myth and folklore don't grab you, then the maps definitely should.
<blockquote class="tr_bq">Paradise is a promise no god bothers to keep. There’s only now, and tomorrow nothing will be the same, whether we like it or not.

<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/some-of-those-arcs-from-last-year/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>