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Disclaimer: I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dr. Gray is basically a genius, having obtained a professorship by the age of 23. However, his intelligence is about to be put to the ultimate test as an old friend of the family drags him into one of the strangest occurrences he could ever imagine. All but one member of a family who were the sole inhabitants of a small town in West Virginia have vanished without a trace, and the military has been tasked with the who/what/why and how of the situation. Soon, Gray will find himself travelling the globe in search for answers, trying to protect himself and the mission along the way. Just what caused the disappearance, and why is it happening again?

This book was definitely interesting, and I never wanted to put it down. It was fresh and unlike anything I'd read before, and I was hooked from the start. Gray is a fun character to read about, as he's one of those immensely-intelligent individuals who doesn't really work well in the social arena, but his leaps and bounds regarding the issues of the case at hand were astounding. I've always been interested in the Tunguska event, and this just helped fuel the fire to find out what really happened. Awesome story!

5 stars
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Mar 24, 2020 (Updated Mar 24, 2020)  
Check out this fascinating interview with Lisa Johnson, author of the emotional and heartfelt biography POSTCARDS FROM LONNIE on my blog, and enter the #GIVEAWAY to #win a signed copy of the book - two winners!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2020/03/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-postcards.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
It all started on Christmas Day 1993. Lisa and Lonnie were sitting on their mom's rickety yard swing, when Lisa's curiosity took over. She asked Lonnie questions about his life on the street, about being homeless. To her surprise, he answered honestly, humorously, and thoughtfully.

That conversation continued throughout the next four years as Lisa wrote questions on postcards addressed to herself, then mailed them in packets to Lonnie at the flower shop on his corner. He wrote his answers and mailed them back. Lonnie answered a lot of questions and even asked a few, too. His detailed, matter-of-fact responses gave Lisa an unfettered view of a population living on the fringes of society and the issues they face every day.

Postcards from Lonnie is a dialogue between Lonnie, who speaks through the postcards, and his sister, who not only learns a lot about her brother but also about herself. Intimate and revealing, this is a unique family memoir and a universal story of love, respect, family, and ultimately hope.
--
#LSBBT #LoneStarLit
     
I've not read that much about Superman, but my boyfriend has kept me updated on the plot. That background knowledge really helped when reading this volume, as it was pretty confusing.

The start took me by surprise; Lex Luthor as Superman, following the death of Clark. What's he doing as Superman, though? What are his true motives?

One thing to remember with this is that DC have several universes, meaning there are different Clarks/Supermans on different worlds. And this issue involves a Superman who is not on his home planet, and an extra Clark that nobody was expecting...

I love Clark's little family, and the way it's affected by his being Superman and everything. There wasn't much in this volume of the family together, though, as it is mainly based on the fight between Superman, Lex, Wonder Woman and Doomsday.

I would've liked more explanation in here on the whole situation with all the different Supermans, but I haven't read any previous issues so I suppose they might explain it. (Maybe I'll ask my boyfriend about it.)

One thing I haven't yet mentioned is the mysterious figure commentating on the battle, even intervening and stealing Doomsday away. I'm really interested to see where that's going.

As usual, the art is awesome. It's not my favourite comic, but I still enjoyed it. 3.5 stars.
  
TB
The Beach Trees
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was a book I received that was personally recommended by the foxedbox and they are amazing at what they do. They are one of the best at getting your information and recommending you some of the best books that are out there.

I loved this book more than I thought I would. It was about a young woman who finds herself suddenly as a guardian to a 5-year-old boy because her friend, his mother, dies from a weak heart/heart problems/defects and how she goes back to her friend's home to honor her friend's wishes.

Along the way, she meets and connects with her friend's family, finds peace with her own family/personal issues and finds some sweet romance too. It takes place in/around New Orleans and mentions some about Hurricane Katrina and rebuilding and what it takes to put roots down and to commit and rebuild after storms in life and such. There's an intriguing story and mystery woven throughout the story between the past and the present and I couldn't get enough of it - I felt as if I was transported there lost in the story sometimes and had a hard time putting it down until it was over.

Now that I'm done reading it, I want to read more - it was SO good!!!
  
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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Stranger Things - Season 2 in TV

Oct 28, 2017 (Updated Oct 28, 2017)  
Stranger Things  - Season 2
Stranger Things - Season 2
2017 | Sci-Fi
Still love the characters (4 more)
El's goth look
Lucas' mouthy little sister Erica!
Sean Astin is adorable as Bob
Dustin's cat call
Max's older brother (1 more)
Sad that it's already over
Waiting for season 3 already!
I binge-watched this over 24 hours and was still completely hooked. And of course, knowing what the Upside Down is, is a bit of a spoiler but there's so much more to add in this one.

For one we get more of a back story on Eleven, and get to know the wider circle of each family. And there are more characters to explore in this series. The kids have both matured and are dealing with their own issues and traumas, giving a little more depth to their roles. And Will is not as well as he seems.

And just two words: not Bob!

The worst part is that it's over and not knowing when the next one's out. A great comeback to this show.
  
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Stephen Chbosky | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.2 (101 Ratings)
Book Rating
Plot (3 more)
Characters
The ending
Descriptive language
Character introduction (0 more)
Immersive and powerful
This book has been sat on my shelves since September, just waiting for the right moment to be read.
An increasingly powerful book that focuses on the life of outcast high school students that are relatable but not overshadowed by popular teenagers.
Grappling with love; loss and life, a teenager writes letters to a stranger (possibly considered to be the reader) explaining his life and his struggles with starting high school and all the aspects that can come along with it - falling in love, making friends, experimenting with drugs/alcohol/sexuality- as well as a multitude of family issues.
The end of the book is revealing and intense and leaves the reader considering the moral behind the book.

My personal opinion is that I would have loves the story to be longer, as I finished it within an evening and for character introductions to be more stable or descriptive.
  
Léon: The Professional (1994)
Léon: The Professional (1994)
1994 | Action, Drama, Mystery
Cult thriller that gave the world Natalie Portman and briefly turned Luc Besson into someone with Hollywood clout; it's still almost certainly his best film. A troubled young girl (Portman) is orphaned by drug dealers and is taken under the wing of a supernaturally gifted hitman (Reno); he has issues of his own. Slowly the relationship between the two of them deepens, but the question of vengeance against the man who killed her family (Oldman) refuses to go away.

Stylish and witty, with great performances from the three leads; genuinely affecting in a way that most Besson movies simply are not. Surprisingly little action for what's supposedly a thriller but still very involving; the theatrical cut delicately skips around what's really going on in Leon and Mathilda's relationship. Knock a point off if you're watching the director's cut, which trades some of the subtlety for extra scenes which add a mixture of hokeyness and pure ick.
  
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
2017 | Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
The Cast, The Music, The Comedy (0 more)
The Villians, Retreaded plot points from the first film (0 more)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a hilarious romp of a superhero movie. Chris Pratt and friends return as the titular Guardians a few months or so removed from the first film. This time Star-Lord and friends must figure out the mystery of Ego The living planet and Star-Lord's origins. Writer/Director James Gunn strikes gold once again in this highly anticipated sequel. The way he has portrayed this ragtag team has set them apart from other heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. My only issues would be the retread of the whole "we are family" story. Vol. 1 already established that they became tight-knit through their trials on Xandar. The other would of course the weak villian of the film with the whole take over the universe plot point. Other than that it is a solid film.
  
Crawl (2019)
Crawl (2019)
2019 | Horror, Thriller
The dog is cute (0 more)
Pointless death scenes (0 more)
Florida, hurricane season! When dad wasn’t answering his phone, Hayley’s sister pleaded for her to go and check on him.

Hayley drove to her old family home to find dad unconscious in the crawl space underneath the building. But he was not alone! Alligators from the local alligator farm (as an English person, I don’t understand this concept) has managed to access this sub level and were causing some trouble!

Water levels were beginning to rise, and their time was running out! What follows is a loop of escape and then more gator run ins.

I expected a little more from this film, but as a fan of shoddy animal related, creature feature horrors, whilst it didn’t wow me, it was not boring! I had issues with how unrealistic they were acting dispute their injuries. The gators were mostly realistic. And the acting wasn’t awful. It was just a very middle of the range film.
  
Dead over Heels
Dead over Heels
Theresa Braun | 2020 | Horror, Paranormal
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I found this story quite refreshing after reading a deep and complex novel, and it was what I needed at this time. This is “don’t judge a book by its cover” kind of situation because the cover does not look very appealing, but it does carry an interesting story. I really liked Veronica and Sebastian in this story, they were very realistic and just generally sweet people. I really enjoyed the narrative as well. I liked that the author discussed family issues and grasped a very nice angle to utilise it for this story. I really enjoyed the little surprises which the author had to offer as well. The writing style was pleasant and easy to read, and the ending was very unexpected but completed this story very nicely.

So, to conclude, if you like ghost stories with a hint of romance, do give this story a go, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did