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The Devotionals (1 more)
The Research
I don’t often review non-fiction books. It’s just not something I like to do. I’m a fiction gal. I love reading a book where I can lost and escape reality for a few hours a day. But, when I have a favorite author, such as Jill Eileen Smith, I will give even a non-fiction book a try. And, I was actually rather excited to read this one, because let me tell you. My life, definitely does not match my dreams. Sure, I have a wonderful husband and two amazing children and a loving father and two gorgeous sisters. But, my health is not great, and my dreams? I dream so much more than this. I fell like I’ll be like this forever and never accomplish anything.

Smith has done a wonderful job with this book. It brings us the stories of 12 women of the Bible and how they dreamed for so much more, but it didn’t match up to what God had in store for them. You see, He is the creator of us all and He is the one that can see our future, know our plans, know what our lives will be like. And, through the tender words that Smith uses, along with the 12 women and phenomenal research she incorporated into the book, we see how life can be when we are disappointed that our dreams are following into line with our life.

Through this devotional, I was able to better understand my own life. I know what I want, I know what I wish I had, I know that I’m going to be disappointed because I’m not fully relying on God to help me with that. If I trust in Him, if I seek out his love and guidance, I won’t be so disappointed when a hope or dream falls short. Smith has once again used her incredible talent to hook me on a book. Her research is exquisite and her writing is filled with emotion and raw feelings.

This is a 5 star devotional book I would recommend to all the women out there. Get lost among the pages, see how these 12 women made mistakes, made choices that effect them and their families and see what God had in store for them. You may find the same hope and encouragement I did. Definitely a book for the keeper shelf and one I’ll share with my family and friends!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
  
3 Days To Kill (2014)
3 Days To Kill (2014)
2014 | Mystery
Contains spoilers, click to show
Story: 3 Days to Kill starts as we meet CIA agent Ethan Renner (Costner) who along with his team is about to take down one of the biggest threats in the world The Wolf (Sammel) by eliminating his closest associate The Albino (Lemarquis) only the mission gets compromised when Ethan’s health catches up with him as he learns he only has 3 months to live.

Released by the CIA Ethan sets out on cleaning up his own personal affairs wanting to build a relationship with daughter Zooey (Steinfeld) through his ex-wife Christine (Nielsen) after years of times apart working. With everything going badly Ethan knows that it will become difficult but when fellow agent Vivi Delay (Heard) offers him a chance to live longer Ethan comes out of retirement for one last assignment.

 

Thoughts on 3 Days to Kill

 

Story – The story for this film tries to balance a dying man’s final months with his family and his CIA life that he has meant to have walked away from. The CIA story does feel very generic of this modern day slick hitman style which is all fine. The dying man’s wish story ends up feeling like an awkward comedy in places. The story also feels very long and doesn’t seem to end up deciding if it wants to be serious or not.

Action/Thriller – The action is all very good and entertaining with the opening sequence looking like it set the tone but in the end if just turns into another slick hitman film.

Characters/Performance – I can’t find anything wrong with Costner’s performance as well as Steinfeld or Neilsen, it is the Heard performance that doesn’t make sense because she doesn’t suit the character and the character doesn’t suit the movie. The movie tries to make all the characters fit into everyday experiences but for some reason Vivi character is wildly over the top for no apparent reason.

Settings – The settings are mostly all in Paris which all works for the film which is trying to make us have a location we want to visit but showing that crime can happen there I guess.

Special Effects – The Special effects are mostly used for the action sequences and they all come off to the level you need them too.

Final Thoughts –This is an overlong action thriller that ends up getting caught up in the middle of comedy too often for its own good.

 

 

Overall: Solid action film that starts too strong for its own benefits.
  
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Ali A (82 KP) rated Such a Fun Age in Books

Mar 6, 2020  
Such a Fun Age
Such a Fun Age
Kiley Reid | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
While most of her friends have started making big steps in their career paths, Emira works as a part time babysitter for a wealthy (and white) family. She knows she needs a better job, especially since she'll be 26 soon and kicked off her parents' health insurance, but she really enjoys taking care of the Chamberlain's daughter, Briar.

After leaving a night out with her friends to take Briar away from an incident that happened at the Chamberlain's house, Emira is stopped and questioned by security at the high-end grocery store she went to for possibly kidnapping Briar. While someone films, the incident escalates until Emira is able to get Mr. Chamberlain to come to the grocery store to validate who she is. The man who filmed the incident, Kelley, wants to share the video, but Emira doesn't want any part of it.

Preceding the incident, Alix Chamberlain becomes almost obsessed with making sure Emira feels comfortable and welcomed at her job. She wants to have a friendly relationship with her like the rest of the women in her friends group do with their nannies. Then, when a strange connection between Alix and Emira's new boyfriend is discovered, it starts a ball rolling in a chain of events that will change everyone's lives.


All right, I honestly don't know how I feel about this book. Did I like it? - yes... mostly... There is so much that goes on in the book and I read it in less than 24 hours that I'm sure I missed a few things, but the way Kiley Reid writes makes it an easily digestible read. With the simplicity of the writing though, it did take awhile to appreciate the depths Reid took you to. It has issues ranging from race, class, privilege, parenting (a lot of motherhood), and relationships.

The novel is written in third person but jumps between Emira's and Alix's inner voices, and each inner voice is worth really looking into. There were times in the novel that I wanted to reach into the pages and scorn Alix for what she was doing or shake Emira's shoulders and tell her to get it together. It goes back to the depths that Reid is able to write in that this book kind of opens your eyes to finger-pointing and the harm it ends up doing, even years down the line. The novel asks us to look at the actions of the characters, compare ourselves, and try to better our future.
  
Playing Nice
Playing Nice
J.P. Delaney | 2020 | Crime, Thriller
9
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
The protagonists in this story were Pete and Maddie, and the story is told from their perspectives. Pete is unemployed/freelance journalist, who loves being the main carer of his son – Theo. Pete is very sweet and a true people pleaser. Maddie is working in advertising and has difficulty finding her motherly instinct when it comes to Theo. We also have Miles and Lucy, the real Theo’s parents, that are truly strange. The only character I really liked was Pete, he is just so sweet and innocent man. I did not like Maddie, I think she is an absolute hypocrite. However, I have to admit, her input in this book was intriguing. The author is an absolute expert when it comes to creating psychopaths in his novels. Every single book has one, and they are really well developed and delivered. In this book it was Miles. I really have nothing good to say about him at all, except that he is a master of deceit and nastiness.

The plot of this novel started pretty slow. It was a pity to see Pete struggling so much, but when the cruel twists came through, my blood just boiled for all the injustice happening in this book. It was like an avalanche of bad news hitting Pete and Maddie, and all that made me sad, angry and kind of annoyed. The topics discussed in this book were premature babies, mental health issues, infidelity, controlling and psychopathic partners and their behaviour, the legal system in the UK, family courts, challenging of “stay at home dad” stigma, and many more. I really liked how the author released the important information in this novel, some of it was thrown in like a bomb, but other important details were shared slowly throughout the book.

I really like the writing style, it is very well researched, truly personal and a challenging read. The book is set in London, and I really enjoy learning about different boroughs. The chapters are pretty short, and the book is so riveting and emotionally absorbing, that the pages just flew by to me. I really liked the ending of this book, it is very surprising but extremely satisfying, to say the least. 🙂

So, to conclude, I strongly recommend this novel to everyone who loves a good psychological thriller. I would love to see this book made into a film. The characters are all so different, unique and intriguing, and the plot is exceptionally well crafted, filled with so many emotions, that it is really hard to read this book without feeling something (in my case it was anger and pity).
  
The Rest of Us Just Live Here
The Rest of Us Just Live Here
Patrick Ness | 2016 | Children
8
7.8 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the second book I've read by Patrick Ness, the first being More Than This which I adored. So I was really looking forward to The Rest of Us Just Live Here, and I was not disappointed!

The theme of this novel was basically what if you're not the Chosen One? As in, what if you aren't the one who slays the vampires, or exorcises all the demons? What if you don't fall in love with a Goddess or an angel? What if you're just a regular kid, like Mike?

At the start of each chapter, there's a short summary of what's happening in the "main story" - the indie kids fighting the Immortals, saving the world and that kinda thing. But that's all we get of their story; the rest is dedicated to Mike and his friends and family, struggling to lead happy, normal lives.

Each character is so unique and realistic. This is the important bit. There are characters with OCD, alcoholic parents, eating disorders. All of them are so well developed and relatable (expect perhaps Jared, who happens to be 1/4 God of Cats). I just love how their lives are normal lives, and how that doesn't mean they don't get a book written about them. Okay, Henna and Mikey nearly die, Jared can heal people and they encounter blue-eyed creatures a few times, but for the most part they aren't the heroes. They are just people.

I loved how you could compare the normal lives of the gang to what's happening with the indie kids. You can see how certain things affect each group of people differently, and how everything changes what they do. Such as the ending with Finn #2, which decides Jared's fate and alters the indie kids' story completely.

The writing is sometimes a little simplistic, like the kind of thing you read when you're a pre-teen or something. But it's easy to read, and really does draw you in. I have a few other Ness books I'd like to read, and I really am loving his work so far.

As you may or may not know, I'm a sucker for books featuring mental health problems. Anxiety, OCD, anorexia... They need to be addressed! It's great seeing how Mike and his sister get on with their lives despite the problems they're facing, and how they get involved without being judged based on their issues. Like I said, this is a really honest book, which we really need! I'd say 4 stars for this; I love it, but it's not quite in my favourites.
  
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Wisdom Check (Dungeons and Dating #2)
Wisdom Check (Dungeons and Dating #2)
Katherine McIntyre | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
loved that we are past the getting to know you stage!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 2 in the Dungeons and Dating series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. I would say read book one, Strength Check, as a personal recommendation though! I loved that book!

As I did this one!

We hear about Caleb's divorce in book one, and here, it's all signed on the dotted line, and Sarah has moved out. He has Kaylee, his 2 year old daughter for a week at a time. Julian has crushed on Cal since the very beginning, calling him handsome. But Cal is hurting, and Jules is carrying the weight of his family on his shoulders.

I loved this, I really did.

Jules and Cal have been friends for a year, so there was none of the getting to know you stuff and I really liked that! The story jumps straight in.

Jules has lusted over Cal for all that time, but its really only NOW that Cal is noticing Jules, and I loved that he does wait. Granted. it isn't long after his divorce that he and Jules start something, but he does wait.

Jules carries a lot of weight on his shoulders. You can feel the weight of it pressing him down. It takes a health scare for his youngest brother for Jules to finally break down and get it all out: what he feels for his deceased mother, and his feelings for having to wait to fulfil his own dreams.

I loved that both Jules and Cal thought that this​ could be something big between them, but both of them had been hurt before.

I did NOT like Cal's ex-wife and how nasty she gets! But she really does get it back, once Cal and Jules get their act together!

Loved that Rox and Mel play a part here, and I loved all the supporting cast too.

Mason and Hunter are next and I look forward to reading their story, especially after the clues that are thrown about here!

But does Jasper get a story, Ms McIntyre?? Does he?? Puleeeeeeeeze say he does! Given as he professes to be a serial one-night-stand-er, it would be fun watching him fall, cos that boy will fall hard, I can just see it!

5 full and shiny stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)
Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)
2008 | Horror, Musical, Sci-Fi
8
7.1 (7 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
Repo! The Genetic Opera is perhaps one of the most underrated films I’ve ever watched. The first time I watched it was at the behest of the elder of my younger brothers during my senior year of high school. At that time, I thought it was alright. The characters were hauntingly beautiful and the costumes delightfully dark, but beyond its appeal to my horror loving heart, I had little interest in re-watching it. The other day, I was browsing Shudder and came across it and decided to watch it for the sake of nostalgia. It was then that I picked up on the parody that my seventeen-year-old self missed entirely: for-profit healthcare.

Repo! takes place in 2056, where a planet-wide organ failure epidemic has led to drastic measures. In a time of need, a company by the name of GeneCo has come to the rescue. Offering payment plans to those that cannot afford their new organs, GeneCo saves the lives of those unfortunate souls. But what happens when they can’t meet their payments? Well, that’s what repo men are for, isn’t it?

So where does the parody come in? A similar system already exists in the way the American health care system is presently structured with its for-profit health insurance. Most insurance companies, like GeneCo, are not there for the benefit of their consumers, but for the filling of their pockets. As long as you can pay the premium (or the payment), your coverage remains intact and you’re able to get treatment and medication (or keep your organs in the world of Repo!). The moment you’re not able to do that, your coverage is often revoked (or your organs are repossessed). Of course, in the real world, this isn’t as brutal as it is in Repo! At least, not in most cases, but it can be just as scary. For myself, it’s often quite terrifying as I struggle to stay in remission from ulcerative pancolitis.

Moving on from the parody, there are other aspects of the movie that I feel are also accurate representations of today’s society – things that I feel Repo! was a bit ahead of its time on. The Largo family seems to represent the manner by which the wealthy feed upon the powerlessness of the poor. Also, am I the only one that, upon re-watching this film, can’t help but think of Trump when I’m looking at Rotti Largo? As a villain, Rotti is largely incompetent. He uses others to do what he can’t and often resorts to bullying to get what he wants, as can be seen in the blood contract with Blind Mag. Another example is how he manipulated Nathan and later Shiloh to break and control them, in hopes of controlling them. While it worked for the former of the two, Shiloh was not susceptible to his manipulation – yet another reference to something we’re seeing in today’s society in regards to Shiloh’s generation (that is present-day millennials) and the older generation, which is more mixed politically.

I think it’s also important that we take a moment to focus on Shiloh as a character. She is, perhaps, my least favorite character in this film. Then again, she was also in her rebellious teenage years and was, naturally, horrendously stereotyped. She loathed her father for keeping her bound to her room, even though she understood why and, even when she found out his sins and the lies he told her, she failed to turn against him – paying homage to the saying that “blood is thicker than water.” The end comics only state that she went into hiding, hinting that she was never to be heard from again – which is a shame. I’d like to think she’d become an activist, but… I guess that wasn’t her future.

One of my favorite things about this musical is the haunting and unearthly qualities that linger around Blind Mag and the Graverobber. This is a film I will watch again and again, even if others loathe it for being campy and over the top. In fact, I plan to show it to my Dad’s girlfriend’s kid.