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Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated G-Force (2009) in Movies
Aug 9, 2019
A 3-D film about Guinea Pigs who help the government using advanced super small technology, at least I knew I wasn’t going to be bored. Was “G-Force” going to be so over the top that even children would find it ridiculous? Maybe it was going to hit big with that famous Disney magic. Suffice to say I entered the film with no expectations.
“G-Force” is the story of a team of unlikely heroes; guinea pigs, a mole, and a fly, who through the aid of special government technology, are completing spy missions with the dream of FBI acceptance. On their first mission out the team lead by the appropriately named guinea pig, Darwin (voiced by Sam Rockwell) discover that the world’s largest electrical device manufacturer has an evil plot for world domination. Attempting to expose the plan, our non-traditional protagonists encounter a numerous obstacles ranging from a lack of government acceptance to rodent chasing dogs.
The plotline in classic Disney fashion is filled with a strong moral under tone specifically concentrated on importance of family and belief in oneself. The film does manage to get these points a crossed while entertaining children who will love the popular culture references and the speed at which the action occurs.
All of the creature’s characterizations are amusing and engaging from the layer cake obsessed long-haired guinea pig, Hurley, (voice by Jon Favreau) to mice who get excited about absolutely everything. Also worth noting was the interesting casting of Zach Galifianakis (most recently of “The Hangover” success) who plays the not so mad scientist, Ben, creator of the multi-faceted “G-Force” technology and animal special task force idea.
The special effects are superb. The 3-D futuristic spy technology at the beginning was so excellent it had me wondering when I will see the medium in action flicks.
The downsides were simple; sometimes-obvious one-liners, which the kid-filled audience seemed to enjoy, and an unnecessary maybe love triangle between three of the heroes.
Not as over the top as expected with plenty of funny moments and fun heartfelt adventure “G-Force” is a worthwhile film for kids and adults alike.
“G-Force” is the story of a team of unlikely heroes; guinea pigs, a mole, and a fly, who through the aid of special government technology, are completing spy missions with the dream of FBI acceptance. On their first mission out the team lead by the appropriately named guinea pig, Darwin (voiced by Sam Rockwell) discover that the world’s largest electrical device manufacturer has an evil plot for world domination. Attempting to expose the plan, our non-traditional protagonists encounter a numerous obstacles ranging from a lack of government acceptance to rodent chasing dogs.
The plotline in classic Disney fashion is filled with a strong moral under tone specifically concentrated on importance of family and belief in oneself. The film does manage to get these points a crossed while entertaining children who will love the popular culture references and the speed at which the action occurs.
All of the creature’s characterizations are amusing and engaging from the layer cake obsessed long-haired guinea pig, Hurley, (voice by Jon Favreau) to mice who get excited about absolutely everything. Also worth noting was the interesting casting of Zach Galifianakis (most recently of “The Hangover” success) who plays the not so mad scientist, Ben, creator of the multi-faceted “G-Force” technology and animal special task force idea.
The special effects are superb. The 3-D futuristic spy technology at the beginning was so excellent it had me wondering when I will see the medium in action flicks.
The downsides were simple; sometimes-obvious one-liners, which the kid-filled audience seemed to enjoy, and an unnecessary maybe love triangle between three of the heroes.
Not as over the top as expected with plenty of funny moments and fun heartfelt adventure “G-Force” is a worthwhile film for kids and adults alike.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
Prepare For War
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is a 2019 neo-noir action film directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Derek Kolstad, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins, and Marc Abrams. The movie is based on a story by Derek Kolstad and produced by Thunder Road Pictures, 87Eleven Productions and distributed by Summit Entertainment. It stars Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane and Marc Dacascos.
After an unsanctioned killing at the New York City Continental, John Wick is now a marked man on the run. He is declared "excommunicado" and a $14 million dollar bounty placed on his head. Meanwhile, an adjudicator with the "High Table" meets with both Winston (Ian McShane), manager of the Continental, and the King of the Bowery (Laurence Fishburne), leader of a group of vagrant assassins. The adjudicator gives an ultimatum to both, give up their offices in seven days or face the consequences for aiding John Wick.
This movie does not disappoint. I cannot stress that enough. It's an adrenaline ride from beginning to end. The action scenes are just masterfully choreographed and the special effects make each kill more brutal than the last. It feels like they raised the bar with the violence and gore in this one. The introduction of Halle Berry's character and her dogs were a welcome addition and made this film unique when compared to the previous two. Also the adjudicator was a really good character and i liked the way she played into the plot throughout the whole movie. Marc Dacascos was probably my favorite character in this movie. I liked his character's personality a lot and how his faction had a big part in the film. He was actually pretty funny in certain scenes and i liked it, but I can see how some people would be critical of the lightheartedness in such a grim movie. If it wasn't for some villains giving John a chance when they shouldn't, and the fact that the 3rd act couldn't hold up with the first two, I couldn't find a lot to complain about in this film. It was freaking awesome. I give it a 8/10 and I give it my "must see seal of approval".
After an unsanctioned killing at the New York City Continental, John Wick is now a marked man on the run. He is declared "excommunicado" and a $14 million dollar bounty placed on his head. Meanwhile, an adjudicator with the "High Table" meets with both Winston (Ian McShane), manager of the Continental, and the King of the Bowery (Laurence Fishburne), leader of a group of vagrant assassins. The adjudicator gives an ultimatum to both, give up their offices in seven days or face the consequences for aiding John Wick.
This movie does not disappoint. I cannot stress that enough. It's an adrenaline ride from beginning to end. The action scenes are just masterfully choreographed and the special effects make each kill more brutal than the last. It feels like they raised the bar with the violence and gore in this one. The introduction of Halle Berry's character and her dogs were a welcome addition and made this film unique when compared to the previous two. Also the adjudicator was a really good character and i liked the way she played into the plot throughout the whole movie. Marc Dacascos was probably my favorite character in this movie. I liked his character's personality a lot and how his faction had a big part in the film. He was actually pretty funny in certain scenes and i liked it, but I can see how some people would be critical of the lightheartedness in such a grim movie. If it wasn't for some villains giving John a chance when they shouldn't, and the fact that the 3rd act couldn't hold up with the first two, I couldn't find a lot to complain about in this film. It was freaking awesome. I give it a 8/10 and I give it my "must see seal of approval".
Debbiereadsbook (1110 KP) rated The Second Resurrection of Jack Selkirk (The Dragon's Bidding #2.5) in Books
Aug 9, 2021
wonderful descriptions of inside cyberspace!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2.5 in the Dragon’s Bidding series, and it could probably be read as a stand-alone, but I would recommend you read books one and two before this one.
Jack has been banished into cyberspace for his crimes against Wolf in book 2. He is filtering bits and pieces of information, passing on the bits that are helping his mum build a nest egg that he wasn’t able to. While doing that, he comes across some information that threatens his existence, even in cyberspace. He just needs Wolf and Fitz to believe him.
I enjoyed this so much MORE than book 2, I really did!
Yes, it’s very technical again, but while Cypher is about the augmentations and things, THIS book is about Jack, and his place in cyberspace. And that place is so beautifully described, it really is. The data streams are different colours. There are guard dogs in those streams, and you gotta be careful of them. Jack dips in and out of places so fast, they don’t get a chance to catch him, though.
Finding the assassination plot means Jack has to think fast, and he HAS to get Wolf to believe him. While Jack can fix things, he needs Wolf’s codes. And that means Wolf has to play nice with Jack. Fitz ain’t best pleased about that, though! Because that means Wolf has to enter cyberspace, and the risks are much greater to Wolf than they are to Jack, since Wolf doesn’t know how to get by.
The bugs from books one and two rear their ugly heads, again, much to Wolf’s dread.
The line of the book is this though: Jack visits me and plays his rotten roll! Oh that made me chuckle. I’ll let you read to get the full story though!
Jack gets a second chance here, and I wonder what will become of him in future books. Great reading, much MUCH better than book 2.
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 2.5 in the Dragon’s Bidding series, and it could probably be read as a stand-alone, but I would recommend you read books one and two before this one.
Jack has been banished into cyberspace for his crimes against Wolf in book 2. He is filtering bits and pieces of information, passing on the bits that are helping his mum build a nest egg that he wasn’t able to. While doing that, he comes across some information that threatens his existence, even in cyberspace. He just needs Wolf and Fitz to believe him.
I enjoyed this so much MORE than book 2, I really did!
Yes, it’s very technical again, but while Cypher is about the augmentations and things, THIS book is about Jack, and his place in cyberspace. And that place is so beautifully described, it really is. The data streams are different colours. There are guard dogs in those streams, and you gotta be careful of them. Jack dips in and out of places so fast, they don’t get a chance to catch him, though.
Finding the assassination plot means Jack has to think fast, and he HAS to get Wolf to believe him. While Jack can fix things, he needs Wolf’s codes. And that means Wolf has to play nice with Jack. Fitz ain’t best pleased about that, though! Because that means Wolf has to enter cyberspace, and the risks are much greater to Wolf than they are to Jack, since Wolf doesn’t know how to get by.
The bugs from books one and two rear their ugly heads, again, much to Wolf’s dread.
The line of the book is this though: Jack visits me and plays his rotten roll! Oh that made me chuckle. I’ll let you read to get the full story though!
Jack gets a second chance here, and I wonder what will become of him in future books. Great reading, much MUCH better than book 2.
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated The Girl of Ink & Stars in Books
Jun 24, 2019
This is quite a short YA novel, a standalone book that I just picked up on impulse. I immediately got the impression that this was aimed at slightly younger teens - the protagonist was only thirteen, so I didn't really connect that much. It's that awkward age where you think you're old, but you're not. I could imagine thirteen-year-old me would enjoy this quite a bit.
Isabella lives alone with her father, a skilled cartographer. Her mother and twin brother had passed away, leaving the two alone. The Governor had taken control of the land, and his daughter, Lupe, attended the same school as Isabella. The two were very close, and Isabella's angered outburst causes Lupe to run off into the Hidden Territories to prove she wasn't "rotten". A classmate of theirs had recently been found dead, and Lupe was going to find the killer.
Isabella, disguised as her deceased brother, shows Lupe's note to her father and a small group begin going after her, Isabella included. They follow a map passed down to Isabella's mother, through blackened forests scattered with bones. They do find Lupe, along with the Banished and, worst of all, the hell dogs from Isabella's favourite myth.
This myth turns out to play an important role in their journey, and Lupe discovers something about her father when he sacrifices himself to fend off the wolves. They face Yote himself - the mythical fire demon - and Isabella finds herself returning home without Lupe.
It is quite a young teen book, as I said, and the plot develops all because of Isabella calling Lupe's family "rotten". This drama and exaggeration is pretty typical of a children's/teen book, I find, and seemed a little immature to me. The writing was great, I just couldn't get over the simplicity and immaturity of the plot at times.
For a teen book, it was quite dark at times - a lot of death was included. The ending was both happy and sad, which is nice. I get quite fed up of too many happy endings. 3 stars.
Isabella lives alone with her father, a skilled cartographer. Her mother and twin brother had passed away, leaving the two alone. The Governor had taken control of the land, and his daughter, Lupe, attended the same school as Isabella. The two were very close, and Isabella's angered outburst causes Lupe to run off into the Hidden Territories to prove she wasn't "rotten". A classmate of theirs had recently been found dead, and Lupe was going to find the killer.
Isabella, disguised as her deceased brother, shows Lupe's note to her father and a small group begin going after her, Isabella included. They follow a map passed down to Isabella's mother, through blackened forests scattered with bones. They do find Lupe, along with the Banished and, worst of all, the hell dogs from Isabella's favourite myth.
This myth turns out to play an important role in their journey, and Lupe discovers something about her father when he sacrifices himself to fend off the wolves. They face Yote himself - the mythical fire demon - and Isabella finds herself returning home without Lupe.
It is quite a young teen book, as I said, and the plot develops all because of Isabella calling Lupe's family "rotten". This drama and exaggeration is pretty typical of a children's/teen book, I find, and seemed a little immature to me. The writing was great, I just couldn't get over the simplicity and immaturity of the plot at times.
For a teen book, it was quite dark at times - a lot of death was included. The ending was both happy and sad, which is nice. I get quite fed up of too many happy endings. 3 stars.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Thank You for Your Service (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
The words “Thank you for your service” have gone from a meaningful statement of gratitude to an empty platitude. As a veteran, I cringe when someone says it to me when buying groceries, at the gym, or at an event where there is a casual reference to veterans. The film Thank You For Your Service examines the lives of those affected by the war directly and indirectly. In the movie, Miles Teller (Whiplash, War Dogs, Fantastic Four) plays Staff Sergeant Schumann, an Iraq War vet who is returning to his family and hoping to return to some sense of normalcy. Unfortunately, he and his friends discover that the war and the horrors that they witnessed cannot be escaped.
Thank You For Your Service is able to address an aspect of war that many films overlook; how the men and women who are deployed changed by their experiences. Additionally, it tackles the questions of how their families cope with the changes to them, how they go about living a normal existence, and how people understand how they are harmed by war without any visible injuries?
The film is a testament to the men and women suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It doesn’t sugar-coat or trivialize their experiences. The emotions are raw. The visual representation of their daily terror is present. With depth, the film shows audiences who may be unfamiliar with veterans or those suffering from PTSD what the world really looks like to them and how they struggle with just existing.
The film takes the statement of “Thank you for your service” and gives it greater meaning in able to connect the problems inherent in the military, healthcare system, and how we as a society view mental health. The film allows for an authentic examination of what servicemembers deal with in their return home from war. It becomes apparent that they themselves may be able to leave the battle, but the battle stays with them, tormenting and haunting them as each day passes. The war they face never ceases. Thank You For Your Service will hopefully help foster substantive discussions about what many men and women deal with in their return from the horrors of war.
Thank You For Your Service is able to address an aspect of war that many films overlook; how the men and women who are deployed changed by their experiences. Additionally, it tackles the questions of how their families cope with the changes to them, how they go about living a normal existence, and how people understand how they are harmed by war without any visible injuries?
The film is a testament to the men and women suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It doesn’t sugar-coat or trivialize their experiences. The emotions are raw. The visual representation of their daily terror is present. With depth, the film shows audiences who may be unfamiliar with veterans or those suffering from PTSD what the world really looks like to them and how they struggle with just existing.
The film takes the statement of “Thank you for your service” and gives it greater meaning in able to connect the problems inherent in the military, healthcare system, and how we as a society view mental health. The film allows for an authentic examination of what servicemembers deal with in their return home from war. It becomes apparent that they themselves may be able to leave the battle, but the battle stays with them, tormenting and haunting them as each day passes. The war they face never ceases. Thank You For Your Service will hopefully help foster substantive discussions about what many men and women deal with in their return from the horrors of war.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Night Play (Dark-Hunter #5, Were-Hunter #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
<i>Night Play</i> is one of my favorites in this series so far - it's right up there with <i>Fantasy Lover</i> and <i>Dance with the Devil</i>, although I think DwtD might come out ahead. I love, love, loved it! It was one of those books that just got better. The plot was slightly different than the previous books in the series and focused more on the love story. Bride was a wonderful, size eighteen human heroine, who knows (or knew anyway) nothing about what goes bump in the night, while Vane is a to-die-for hunky hero. Need I say more? Everyone would love a guy like him - I know I would! This was one of those books that a few times at the end I had that big, goofy, dumb smile on my face, and don't pretend I'm the only one! ;P
Valerius makes another appearance as a slightly more likable character and he looks to be a very interesting and intriguing hero in his installment. Actually, a lot of the characters who make appearances sound like they'd be great heroes/heroines. Too bad Sherrilyn can't turn them out faster and most likely won't have time for all of them! :P
This was a nice review:
From Booklist
Bride McTierney has just been dumped via FedEx. There's not much that could ease such a broken heart until Vane Kattalakis wanders into her shop and her life. Their whirlwind affair feels too good to be true. After all, her ex-beau proved men are dogs, which turns out to be a more appropriate figure of speech than Bride could ever imagine. More character driven than her previous Dark-Hunter novels, Kenyon's latest is a nice change of pace yet still chock-full of the quirky humor, complex fantasy, and searing passion that her readers love. This book's success, however, appropriately lies with Bride and Vane. It's been said of Kenyon that she knows men, but she really knows women and all our secret fears and hidden desires. She has distilled those into Bride, who is both our sister and ourselves. Then she made a man who understands and loves her, insecurities and all. Every woman should have a Vane Kattalakis in her life. Thanks to Kenyon, every woman can.
Valerius makes another appearance as a slightly more likable character and he looks to be a very interesting and intriguing hero in his installment. Actually, a lot of the characters who make appearances sound like they'd be great heroes/heroines. Too bad Sherrilyn can't turn them out faster and most likely won't have time for all of them! :P
This was a nice review:
From Booklist
Bride McTierney has just been dumped via FedEx. There's not much that could ease such a broken heart until Vane Kattalakis wanders into her shop and her life. Their whirlwind affair feels too good to be true. After all, her ex-beau proved men are dogs, which turns out to be a more appropriate figure of speech than Bride could ever imagine. More character driven than her previous Dark-Hunter novels, Kenyon's latest is a nice change of pace yet still chock-full of the quirky humor, complex fantasy, and searing passion that her readers love. This book's success, however, appropriately lies with Bride and Vane. It's been said of Kenyon that she knows men, but she really knows women and all our secret fears and hidden desires. She has distilled those into Bride, who is both our sister and ourselves. Then she made a man who understands and loves her, insecurities and all. Every woman should have a Vane Kattalakis in her life. Thanks to Kenyon, every woman can.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Look For Me in Books
Apr 9, 2019
DD Warren is trying to find out who has killed the Baez family. Mother, Justine; her boyfriend, Charlie; her youngest daughter, Lola; and her only son, Manny. But there is another child, Roxanna, as well as two dogs, Rosie and Blaze. Where are they? Did Roxanna do this to her family? If so, why? But Roxy was the protector of the family. Her mom is a recovering alcoholic and when she was drinking Roxy made sure her siblings ate and made it to school. When the state took the kids away from Justine for a year, this role for Roxy became more prominent. After that year, the girls were never the same. Did something happen during their year in foster care that could have warranted this kind of violence? Will DD be able to find the person or people responsible for this before more people are killed? Will her new CI, Flora Dane prove to be helpful or detrimental to this case?
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
When I made the request from NetGalley for this book, I was intrigued by the description and didn't know that this was the 9th book in the series. I don't think that I needed to read the entire series to get into this book, but I'm sure the background on some of the characters would have been helpful. So, I'm definitely going to go back now and read the rest of the series.
Can you imagine coming home and finding your whole family dead? Your younger sister clutching your brother in order to protect him from a crazy killer? How do you come back from that? Over the course of a few days Detective DD Warren is trying to find out who could do such a thing to this family. With the help of confidential informant, Flora Dane, will they be able to find the killer as well as find Roxana before it's too late. Who would want to hurt these people? What did they do? So many questions and the answers can't come fast enough, until they all do come crashing into one another in one fell swoop.
I can't wait to read more books in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
When I made the request from NetGalley for this book, I was intrigued by the description and didn't know that this was the 9th book in the series. I don't think that I needed to read the entire series to get into this book, but I'm sure the background on some of the characters would have been helpful. So, I'm definitely going to go back now and read the rest of the series.
Can you imagine coming home and finding your whole family dead? Your younger sister clutching your brother in order to protect him from a crazy killer? How do you come back from that? Over the course of a few days Detective DD Warren is trying to find out who could do such a thing to this family. With the help of confidential informant, Flora Dane, will they be able to find the killer as well as find Roxana before it's too late. Who would want to hurt these people? What did they do? So many questions and the answers can't come fast enough, until they all do come crashing into one another in one fell swoop.
I can't wait to read more books in this series.
tommylank (31 KP) rated John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019) in Movies
May 23, 2019
Choreography (1 more)
Action
Relentless Action
Contains spoilers, click to show
So John Wick 3 is a straight follow on from John Wick 2 and boy do we know it. The action starts exactly where it left off and is relentless for the first 30 minutes of the movie. The first fight scene in the Library is epic and sets the tone for the rest of the movie.
The story is what is lacking in this movie. John has been left excommunicado (all services removed) and is trying to find a way back and the reason for this is so he can remember his late wife. As you would expect with someone in his line of work he has things in place for this type of scenario but they are things we have already seen in the last 2 movies and it leaves you wanting more from it, the lack of depth is quite frustrating. It almost felt like they set all the action scenes and then tried to decide what story they could put in to link them all together nicely.
The fight scene with Halle Berry and her dogs should have been amazing and was to a degree but I felt like she was almost made the star of the movie for that period, just to show that women can do this too. Feels like everyone is having to show that this isn't just a man thing anymore for fear of being sexist.
Mark Dacascos was a piece of light entertainment to all the action and violence when he meets John and some of their scenes were entertaining if a little out of place.
The movie felt like they are struggling to think of what story they can use to move this forward now and are relying on the action to do that. Due to the choreography and action being so amazing you can get away with it, to a degree.
John Wick 4 feels like it will head in the same vain as this one as we still didn't get to see much about the High Table and I think John will decide that the table needs to be thrown out!!!
Non stop action and amazing fight scenes makes this movie amazing and what you want to see. Just make sure you remember thats what you came to see when watching.
The story is what is lacking in this movie. John has been left excommunicado (all services removed) and is trying to find a way back and the reason for this is so he can remember his late wife. As you would expect with someone in his line of work he has things in place for this type of scenario but they are things we have already seen in the last 2 movies and it leaves you wanting more from it, the lack of depth is quite frustrating. It almost felt like they set all the action scenes and then tried to decide what story they could put in to link them all together nicely.
The fight scene with Halle Berry and her dogs should have been amazing and was to a degree but I felt like she was almost made the star of the movie for that period, just to show that women can do this too. Feels like everyone is having to show that this isn't just a man thing anymore for fear of being sexist.
Mark Dacascos was a piece of light entertainment to all the action and violence when he meets John and some of their scenes were entertaining if a little out of place.
The movie felt like they are struggling to think of what story they can use to move this forward now and are relying on the action to do that. Due to the choreography and action being so amazing you can get away with it, to a degree.
John Wick 4 feels like it will head in the same vain as this one as we still didn't get to see much about the High Table and I think John will decide that the table needs to be thrown out!!!
Non stop action and amazing fight scenes makes this movie amazing and what you want to see. Just make sure you remember thats what you came to see when watching.
Lesley (60 KP) rated A Steep Price in Books
Aug 10, 2018
Tracy Crosswhite never disappoints!
I LOVE Tracy Crosswhite and this newest entry into the series was no exception. I laughed, I cried, I gasped. This is the review that I posted on my blog.
Moving right along. My beloved Tracy Crosswhite is back for book #6, A Steep Price. Every time Robert Dugoni releases a new book in this series, I feel like I get to see old friends again. Kins, Vic, Faz, Dan, Dan's DOGS!, and of course Tracy herself. I love this series because it feels authentic, manages to remain heartwarming in the face of grim subject matters, and really makes you care about the characters.
This time around, Tracy and Kins are investigating the death of a young Indian woman whose best friend has reported her missing after delivering some life-changing news. Unfortunately, when she is found murdered in a shallow grave in the park, it creates more questions than answers. As they delve deeper into her life, they find a lot of ambition that was hampered by her familys societal expectations, her grim determination to raise money for medical school at any cost despite her parents wishes to return home and accept an arranged marriage, and the seedy underworld of "Sugar Dating", which has enough loopholes to escape being classified as prostitution, despite being dangerous and borderline sex work. Tracy is feeling threatened and on edge due to their newest team member, another female who seems to be snooping in private files and isn't honest about the circumstances of an officer-involved shooting in the case that Vic and Faz are tackling currently. A young activist woman who spoke out against gangs and the drug trade in her underprivileged area gets shot and killed. The guys think it's connected to a local gang leader whose father they put in prison years earlier. The hotter the trail gets, the more in danger they are. Little Jimmy blames them for putting his dad away, and for his subsequent death in prison when a rival gang member stabbed him. Just as things are reaching a boiling point, Tracy and Kins figure out exactly who their killer is and they're hot on the trail. The book, like the others in the series, was a fun, fast-paced read with heart and a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend starting this series!
Moving right along. My beloved Tracy Crosswhite is back for book #6, A Steep Price. Every time Robert Dugoni releases a new book in this series, I feel like I get to see old friends again. Kins, Vic, Faz, Dan, Dan's DOGS!, and of course Tracy herself. I love this series because it feels authentic, manages to remain heartwarming in the face of grim subject matters, and really makes you care about the characters.
This time around, Tracy and Kins are investigating the death of a young Indian woman whose best friend has reported her missing after delivering some life-changing news. Unfortunately, when she is found murdered in a shallow grave in the park, it creates more questions than answers. As they delve deeper into her life, they find a lot of ambition that was hampered by her familys societal expectations, her grim determination to raise money for medical school at any cost despite her parents wishes to return home and accept an arranged marriage, and the seedy underworld of "Sugar Dating", which has enough loopholes to escape being classified as prostitution, despite being dangerous and borderline sex work. Tracy is feeling threatened and on edge due to their newest team member, another female who seems to be snooping in private files and isn't honest about the circumstances of an officer-involved shooting in the case that Vic and Faz are tackling currently. A young activist woman who spoke out against gangs and the drug trade in her underprivileged area gets shot and killed. The guys think it's connected to a local gang leader whose father they put in prison years earlier. The hotter the trail gets, the more in danger they are. Little Jimmy blames them for putting his dad away, and for his subsequent death in prison when a rival gang member stabbed him. Just as things are reaching a boiling point, Tracy and Kins figure out exactly who their killer is and they're hot on the trail. The book, like the others in the series, was a fun, fast-paced read with heart and a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend starting this series!
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Game Of Thrones - Season 6 in TV
Jul 19, 2019
Hold the Goddam Door
Contains spoilers, click to show
Season 6 of Game of thrones is another incredible display of television spinning so many plates.
The season kick starts with the immediate fallout of Jon Snows death at the end of season 5. As many predicted, it doesn't take long for his death to be reversed, thanks to Melisandre, freeing Jon of his duty to the Nights Watch, as he marches off to free Winterfell from the clutches of Ramsay Bolton.
Talking of Ramsay, he continues to show how much of a wretch he truly is (his worst point would be feeding his own infant brother to rabid dogs.)
In King's Landing, the High Sparrow continues to manipulate the crown, and makes them seem powerless whilst doing so, as fanatic religion takes hold of the capital.
Danaerys is still just being Danaerys. The writers continue to subtly hint at her being similar to her mad father before her, and I usually love the slow burn of Game of Thrones, but her story still continues to sort of plod along.
Another storyline that became a bit tiresome this season was Arya training in Bravos. When I look back on GoT, that storyline seems to stick out as the one I found most trying, even if it did result in the much awaited death of Merryn Trant.
Beyond the wall, Bran is still firmly stuck in a tree, but we see some great glimpses into the past history of Westeros in the process - the Tower of Joy scene being a highlight. This infamously leads to the 'Hold the Door' which pretty much tore everyone's hearts in two :(
It's all just very good, and the season ends on a double whammy of two of the best episodes this show ever produced.
Firstly, the Battle of the Bastards is incredible, and surpasses many Hollywood movies in terms of on screen battles. It's a fantastic hour of television (Justice for Rikkon)
And then the last episode - just wow. The opening 15 minutes holds little dialogue, and an incredible piece of score (Ramin Djawadi take a bow), as Cersei ruthlessly and quickly takes her revenge on many who have wrong her, in one fell swoop, killing off a good handful of characters in seconds - GoT was never a show to do things by halves.
The season ends with Cersei as queen, and Danaerys (finally!) crossing the sea to Westeros.
It's all really thrilling and top tier TV.
The season kick starts with the immediate fallout of Jon Snows death at the end of season 5. As many predicted, it doesn't take long for his death to be reversed, thanks to Melisandre, freeing Jon of his duty to the Nights Watch, as he marches off to free Winterfell from the clutches of Ramsay Bolton.
Talking of Ramsay, he continues to show how much of a wretch he truly is (his worst point would be feeding his own infant brother to rabid dogs.)
In King's Landing, the High Sparrow continues to manipulate the crown, and makes them seem powerless whilst doing so, as fanatic religion takes hold of the capital.
Danaerys is still just being Danaerys. The writers continue to subtly hint at her being similar to her mad father before her, and I usually love the slow burn of Game of Thrones, but her story still continues to sort of plod along.
Another storyline that became a bit tiresome this season was Arya training in Bravos. When I look back on GoT, that storyline seems to stick out as the one I found most trying, even if it did result in the much awaited death of Merryn Trant.
Beyond the wall, Bran is still firmly stuck in a tree, but we see some great glimpses into the past history of Westeros in the process - the Tower of Joy scene being a highlight. This infamously leads to the 'Hold the Door' which pretty much tore everyone's hearts in two :(
It's all just very good, and the season ends on a double whammy of two of the best episodes this show ever produced.
Firstly, the Battle of the Bastards is incredible, and surpasses many Hollywood movies in terms of on screen battles. It's a fantastic hour of television (Justice for Rikkon)
And then the last episode - just wow. The opening 15 minutes holds little dialogue, and an incredible piece of score (Ramin Djawadi take a bow), as Cersei ruthlessly and quickly takes her revenge on many who have wrong her, in one fell swoop, killing off a good handful of characters in seconds - GoT was never a show to do things by halves.
The season ends with Cersei as queen, and Danaerys (finally!) crossing the sea to Westeros.
It's all really thrilling and top tier TV.