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A thousand and One (2023)
A thousand and One (2023)
2023 | Drama
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
An excellent, emotional ride lead by a terrific Teyana Taylor
Inez (Teyana Taylor), fresh out of prison, takes her son from the foster home. The film follows their lives for over a decade as they strive to live a happy family life in the Harlem neighborhood of New York.

The acting is what carries the film the most. Everyone is fantastic. Grade-A performances.

The simple sets are well designed, and watching as their home evolves provides a brilliant layer to this film.

The brief moments of background narration showcasing the changing city as we progress through time was brilliant.

I only minus one star because I felt that the ending wasn't very satisfying, like the Director couldn't decide on whether the finale should be optimistic or not, so they opted for an anti-ending.

But I definitely recommend everyone give A Thousand and One a watch.
  
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Blazing Minds (92 KP) rated Tremors: Shrieker Island (2020) in Movies

Oct 29, 2021 (Updated Nov 2, 2021)  
Tremors: Shrieker Island (2020)
Tremors: Shrieker Island (2020)
2020 | Action, Horror
6
6.5 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
It’s been 30 years since we were introduced to the “Graboids” and Burt Gummer (Gross) and over the years the film has become the life story of Gummer more than a story of the fast-moving monstrous creatures, we even had a family tree movie with The Legend Begins in 2004 as we went back to the late 1800s to Perfection and met Gummer’s relative.

With Tremors: Shrieker Island Burt is now on a lovely looking island and has removed himself from society and technology, but nothing lasts forever and a group of wealthy trophy hunters genetically modify Graboid eggs to create the ultimate hunting experience, but it’s not going to go to plan for them and it’s not long until the Graboids escape their captivity and run amok on the island and the shriekers have developed further than the ones we have seen before in the previous films.
  
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Merissa (13398 KP) rated Six Wishes in Books

Jan 13, 2021 (Updated Aug 7, 2023)  
Six Wishes
Six Wishes
Michelle Post | 2020 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
SIX WISHES is a sweet story that revolves around our main character, Karyn, and the man she meets, together with his family.

Told from the first perspective in present time, you see through Karyn's eyes as each of the characters tell their story, and see how they interconnect and overlap with others. Each of them has history, some of which is in the past, some of which is carried with them.

This was a gentle read that I read in one sitting. Whether the things that happen could ever happen in 'real' life remains to be seen. Still, this was worth the read and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 12, 2021
  
Glorious Exploits
Glorious Exploits
Ferdia Lennon | 2024 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Glorious Exploits is hilarious, sad, horrific, brutal and, of course, glorious.

This is a story that shows the need for art even in a time of war and horror, and the importance of friendship, love, family and community.

Lampo, one of the two main characters leaps from the page in the way that he describes life in the city of Syracuse. He’s poor and uneducated, but he certainly has a lot to say! His venture with his best friend, Gelon, sees beyond the horrors that the Athenians must have committed - or perhaps he’s come to terms with what they’ve done - and he can see that their punishment doesn’t really fit their crime.

The Syracusans speak in the Irish vernacular, and what’s really strange, is that it doesn’t sound out of place (in my head, anyway!).

I laughed and cried whilst reading this. It really is a glorious read.
  
The Rest of The Story
The Rest of The Story
Sarah Dessen | 2019 | Young Adult (YA)
8
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Emma Saylor's mom, Waverly, died when Emma was 10 after a troubled history with drugs and alcohol. Now it's just Emma and her dad. Life is safe and comfortable, and Emma likes it that way. But now Emma's dad is getting remarried, and Emma needs a place to stay this summer. So she suddenly finds herself shipped off to stay with her mother's family--whom she hasn't seen since she was a kid. They live at North Lake, where her mom grew up, and now Emma gets to meet (well re-meet) her grandmother, aunt, and a whole host of cousins she doesn't even remember. She also sees the divisions between working class North Lake and adjacent Lake North, where her dad spent his summers. As Emma spends more time in North Lake, she feels divided as well. In North Lake, she becomes Saylor--what her mom always called her. She has her cousins and she meets Roo, who was her friend when she was little. He and his late dad have a deep history with her mom. But in wealthier Lake North--and with her dad--she's rigid, predictable Emma. Who is she really? And which side will win out at the end of the summer?

This was just a good, refreshing read, you know? I found it to be touching and poignant. Emma is a likeable character and the oft told tale of a kid finding her way doesn't seem stale in Dessen's hands. The supporting cast is great--I loved Emma's cousins, and Emma and Roo are so great. There's wit and humor infused throughout this book. Scenes with an ice cream truck, for instance, will stick with you! It's so nice to read a book about meaningful family dynamics and relationships (especially one where the families aren't murdering each other, which is often my genre of choice, ha).


"The past was always present, in its way, and you can't help but remember. Even if you can't remember at all."


What I enjoyed about this one is that you just find yourself smiling as you read. Dessen is a wonderful writer--I don't think that comes as a surprise to anyone--and Emma and the other characters come alive from the pages. Emma has a lot to deal with: her late mom, meeting what is basically a new family, and the usual teen "stuff," but there's still plenty of fun here too. Her grandmother runs a motel by the lake, and there's never a dull moment. But, Dessen also deals with the serious moments with a touching grace. There are some good messages about family, as well as class and status. It's wonderful watching Emma learn more about her past--and herself--as she gets to know her mom's family and forge new friendships.


"But all my life I'd felt more like an observer than an active participant. Beside the wheel, not behind. It was safer there, but could be lonely too, or so I was now realizing."


Overall, this is just a lovely read. It's funny, sweet, and will make you smile. Emma is a great character, and it's impossible not to get caught up in her journey. Plus, with the lake setting, it's a perfect summer read! 4+ stars.