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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Tattooist of Auschwitz in Books
Mar 2, 2018 (Updated Mar 2, 2018)
Wish it hadn't been written like a screenplay
The Tattooist of Auschwitz reads like a fictional story set during the Holocaust, but what makes it remarkable is the fact that it is anything but formulated.
Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, was given the task of tattooing identification numbers on others at the notorious concentration camp. There he meets Gita, another Slovakian, and he sets himself on a mission to escape with her to freedom by trading food and jewels, revealing his incredible street smarts. If he had been caught, he would have been killed - many owed him their survival.
There are elements where you do think it has been written for the screen, as the scenes fail to connect to one another fluidly. As a result, I did believe it to be a fictional story because the writing failed to completely flourish and the author struggles with the prose. In this respect, it is rather disappointing, however, the memoir is wonderful and it leaves you with huge respect for the Sokolovs.
Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, was given the task of tattooing identification numbers on others at the notorious concentration camp. There he meets Gita, another Slovakian, and he sets himself on a mission to escape with her to freedom by trading food and jewels, revealing his incredible street smarts. If he had been caught, he would have been killed - many owed him their survival.
There are elements where you do think it has been written for the screen, as the scenes fail to connect to one another fluidly. As a result, I did believe it to be a fictional story because the writing failed to completely flourish and the author struggles with the prose. In this respect, it is rather disappointing, however, the memoir is wonderful and it leaves you with huge respect for the Sokolovs.
Aspiring novelist Lena London has been given the change of a lifetime, helping her idol, best-selling author Camilla Graham, polish up her newest novel. But Lena has hardly arrived in town when she finds the dead body of a young man near Camilla’s house. What is going on?
There is a strong element of wish fulfillment in this novel, and I must admit I enjoyed that real life fantasy. Camilla writes gothic novels, and there are elements of those here as an homage to the genre. Even though I’m not familiar with that genre, I still spotted a few; I probably missed others, but it wasn’t that big a deal to me. The characters are fun and the plot was strong. I did have some issues with the pacing at the end, but overall, I enjoyed this. It certainly left me anxious for the next one.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/02/book-review-dark-and-stormy-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
There is a strong element of wish fulfillment in this novel, and I must admit I enjoyed that real life fantasy. Camilla writes gothic novels, and there are elements of those here as an homage to the genre. Even though I’m not familiar with that genre, I still spotted a few; I probably missed others, but it wasn’t that big a deal to me. The characters are fun and the plot was strong. I did have some issues with the pacing at the end, but overall, I enjoyed this. It certainly left me anxious for the next one.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/02/book-review-dark-and-stormy-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Despite her intension to leave Paris for America, Ophelia Flax finds herself going to the country estate of her soon to be ex-fiancée to join a hunting party. But a broken down coach brings strangers into the mix, and the next morning one of them is dead. The locals are blaming it on the legend of an ancient beast, but Ophelia thinks poison was involved. Can she figure out whose heart is beastly enough to be a killer?
This is such a great book! The author weaves in elements of “Beauty and the Beast” and plays with it as a real legend while presenting a puzzling mystery filled with real characters and viable suspects. Everything kept me guessing until the great climax, and the way this book leaves things, I hope we get more soon.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/02/book-review-beauty-beast-and-belladonna.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This is such a great book! The author weaves in elements of “Beauty and the Beast” and plays with it as a real legend while presenting a puzzling mystery filled with real characters and viable suspects. Everything kept me guessing until the great climax, and the way this book leaves things, I hope we get more soon.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/02/book-review-beauty-beast-and-belladonna.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2484 KP) rated The Skeleton Takes a Bow (Family Skeleton Mystery #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Georgia has reluctantly agreed to let Sid, her best friend the skeleton, star in the play at her daughter’s high school. Okay, star might be the wrong word since Sid’s skull is playing the part of Yorick in Hamlet. Either way, he’s excited to get out of the house. However, when he is accidently left at the school overnight, he hears a murder. With no body, the police won’t take Georgia seriously. Can Sid and Georgia track down the killer when they don’t know who the victim is?
This is a fun dip into the light end of the paranormal spectrum since Sid is the only paranormal element in the book. The plot is different from a normal cozy, and as a result appears to wander a bit at the beginning, but the author uses all those elements in the end before bringing us to a logical climax. Meanwhile, the characters are fun, charming, and fully fleshed out. Yes, even Sid.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/05/book-review-skeleton-takes-bow-by-leigh.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This is a fun dip into the light end of the paranormal spectrum since Sid is the only paranormal element in the book. The plot is different from a normal cozy, and as a result appears to wander a bit at the beginning, but the author uses all those elements in the end before bringing us to a logical climax. Meanwhile, the characters are fun, charming, and fully fleshed out. Yes, even Sid.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/05/book-review-skeleton-takes-bow-by-leigh.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Annihilation (2018) in Movies
Mar 17, 2018 (Updated Mar 17, 2018)
Visually striking, cerebral SF-horror movie, notable for being released via Netflix rather than cinemas in most of the world. Ex-soldier-turned-biologist Natalie Portman joins a mission into a mysterious zone where the laws of reality seem to be breaking down.
You can kind of see why Paramount got cold feet and requested changes to the ending in particular, for it is weird and wilfully enigmatic (rather beautiful too, of course), but then the whole movie spurns the obvious elements of outlandish splatter the premise suggests in favour of a weird and unsettling atmosphere (the director has suggested it was inspired by H.P. Lovecraft as much as the stated source novel). Kind of derivative, but not necessarily in a bad way; probably a bit too chilly and intellectual for its own good. Obviously the work of the same director as Ex Machina; one day Garland will figure out how to make an SF movie that doesn't just play with ideas in a rather sterile way, and then he may produce something really exceptional.
You can kind of see why Paramount got cold feet and requested changes to the ending in particular, for it is weird and wilfully enigmatic (rather beautiful too, of course), but then the whole movie spurns the obvious elements of outlandish splatter the premise suggests in favour of a weird and unsettling atmosphere (the director has suggested it was inspired by H.P. Lovecraft as much as the stated source novel). Kind of derivative, but not necessarily in a bad way; probably a bit too chilly and intellectual for its own good. Obviously the work of the same director as Ex Machina; one day Garland will figure out how to make an SF movie that doesn't just play with ideas in a rather sterile way, and then he may produce something really exceptional.
Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated A Clash of Kings (Reissue) in Books
Mar 15, 2018
An excellent continuation to the saga. So far it is proving to be quite an experience to follow the lives of all these characters as they journey through Westeros, both shaping the country's history and having their histories shaped by the events raging around them. Despite containing an increasingly large amount of fantasy elements it's hard not to find the story anything but believable and one can't help but be pulled into the tales of even the most contemptible characters, and believe me there are quite a few that are very worthy of contempt. Perhaps most important of all though, is the very real feeling that at no point does one ever really know exactly where any one of these paths is leading the person or people involved. Thanks to Martin's deft plotting and smart twists, no one's fate ever feels secure, which only adds to the story's momentum. This is completely worthy of all the praise that has been heaped upon the series and serves to leave one very hungry for the next installment.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of LEGO Jurassic World in Video Games
Jun 11, 2018
Loads of fun
Having played Lego HP and been slightly frustrated about it, I hadn’t been expecting much from this. Especially as I didn’t realise that it contained all 4 films - I just thought it was the one for Jurassic World.
All I can say is I’m glad it has all 4 films. Although each film/level set is fairly short and doesn’t quite feature everything from the films, they’re still an awful lot of fun. I love the fact that it uses real dialogue from the films (sometimes randomly during a level which makes it even funnier) and the Lego versions of well known scenes are hilarious. The gameplay is a lot more action based and more interesting than the HP games, which makes it even more entertaining. My only criticism and this is being picky, is that the film plays down some of the darker elements especially of the first film. Whilst the lighter Lego alternative is pretty funny, part of me would have loved to see severed arms etc instead.
All I can say is I’m glad it has all 4 films. Although each film/level set is fairly short and doesn’t quite feature everything from the films, they’re still an awful lot of fun. I love the fact that it uses real dialogue from the films (sometimes randomly during a level which makes it even funnier) and the Lego versions of well known scenes are hilarious. The gameplay is a lot more action based and more interesting than the HP games, which makes it even more entertaining. My only criticism and this is being picky, is that the film plays down some of the darker elements especially of the first film. Whilst the lighter Lego alternative is pretty funny, part of me would have loved to see severed arms etc instead.
Contains spoilers, click to show
The Shakespeare Stories: Henry V, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Hamlet by Andrew Matthews presents four of William Shakespeare’s famous plays in an easy-to-digest format for kids. Accompanied by Tony Ross’ illustrations, Matthews re-imagines these Shakespearean plays as short stories more akin to classic fairy tales.
Matthews manages to take some of the most plot-heavy and confusing Shakespeare plays and break them down to their most basic elements. The language is easy to follow without lacking intellect or wit, and he stays true to Shakespeare’s concepts and characters. Illustrated short stories for kids are a no-brainer for getting children interested in William Shakespeare, and Matthews was smart to dive into the genre. He isn’t reinventing the wheel, but he is making the wheel accessible to a wide range of audiences.
I like how it has pictures, gives the cast and a quote from the original play. Then it tells the story and finishes up with an explanation of what just happened and some history of Shakespeare and the play.
Matthews manages to take some of the most plot-heavy and confusing Shakespeare plays and break them down to their most basic elements. The language is easy to follow without lacking intellect or wit, and he stays true to Shakespeare’s concepts and characters. Illustrated short stories for kids are a no-brainer for getting children interested in William Shakespeare, and Matthews was smart to dive into the genre. He isn’t reinventing the wheel, but he is making the wheel accessible to a wide range of audiences.
I like how it has pictures, gives the cast and a quote from the original play. Then it tells the story and finishes up with an explanation of what just happened and some history of Shakespeare and the play.
Roxanne (13 KP) rated Chimera Book One in Books
Nov 14, 2018
<i>I received an ARC ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
____ <b>4 Star Rating</b> ____
This story is about a young boy called Kyp who ends up being drawn into a whole new world where all lost things go to. It is suitable for both adults and children, however, there are some strong horror elements so I would perhaps recommend going through this book to see if it's suitable for your own child, it's personal preference afterall.
I have to say I really enjoyed this story and at only 100 pages long you can jump right into the next one straight after. I found this to be really original and I liked all of the characters. It is absolutely packed full of action, each chapter ending with a BOOM to keep you hooked (which definitely worked for me).
I would say it needs a bit more editing but the mistakes only mildly effected my enjoyment and so it deserves a full 4 stars.
____ <b>4 Star Rating</b> ____
This story is about a young boy called Kyp who ends up being drawn into a whole new world where all lost things go to. It is suitable for both adults and children, however, there are some strong horror elements so I would perhaps recommend going through this book to see if it's suitable for your own child, it's personal preference afterall.
I have to say I really enjoyed this story and at only 100 pages long you can jump right into the next one straight after. I found this to be really original and I liked all of the characters. It is absolutely packed full of action, each chapter ending with a BOOM to keep you hooked (which definitely worked for me).
I would say it needs a bit more editing but the mistakes only mildly effected my enjoyment and so it deserves a full 4 stars.
FilmIntuition (33 KP) rated Virgil Wander in Books
Nov 21, 2018
Like a warm quilt on a cold day, in "Virgil Wander," Leif Enger wraps up his reader in evocative language that makes them want to pull the book closer and hold tight for this imaginative tale.
Narrated by the well-liked eponymous film projectionist who finds himself still getting his bearings and memory back after his car soars into Lake Superior during a snowfall, as Virgil navigates his small town with new perspective, we get acquainted with the equally affable, unique characters who inhabit the “cursed” town of Greenstone, Minnesota.
A seemingly straightforward journey made all the more enchanting by the author's magnetic prose, “Virgil Wander” is stunning not only in its simplicity but by how masterfully Enger builds a strong foundation of characters you can relate to before seasoning his story with elements of Norwegian myth and fisherman's tall tales, which in his hands become Minnesota magic.
A highly recommended chronicle of small town life with much more on its mind, this gorgeously penned sleeper is one of my favorite novels of 2018.
Narrated by the well-liked eponymous film projectionist who finds himself still getting his bearings and memory back after his car soars into Lake Superior during a snowfall, as Virgil navigates his small town with new perspective, we get acquainted with the equally affable, unique characters who inhabit the “cursed” town of Greenstone, Minnesota.
A seemingly straightforward journey made all the more enchanting by the author's magnetic prose, “Virgil Wander” is stunning not only in its simplicity but by how masterfully Enger builds a strong foundation of characters you can relate to before seasoning his story with elements of Norwegian myth and fisherman's tall tales, which in his hands become Minnesota magic.
A highly recommended chronicle of small town life with much more on its mind, this gorgeously penned sleeper is one of my favorite novels of 2018.