The First Family: Terror, Extortion and the Birth of the American Mafia
Book
Before Al Capone and Lucky Luciano, there was the one-fingered, cunning Giuseppe Morello and his...
Not My Father's Son: A Family Memoir
Book
'One of the most memorable, heart-stopping autobiographies I have ever read' STEPHEN FRY WINNER OF...
Rebel Mechanics: All Is Fair in Love and Revolution
Book
It's 1888, and seventeen-year-old Verity Newton lands a job in New York as a governess to a wealthy...
Young Adult Technology Rebel Revolution
If You Can't Trust the Living
Book
In an effort to escape unwarranted and adverse media attention, Robin Tyler rents a house in Cushlow...
Once Around (1990)
7.0
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Movie Watch
Richard Dreyfuss and Holly Hunter lead an all-star cast in this critically acclaimed tale of life,...
My goodness, I forgot to review the rest of these!
Anyway, I liked the book. I loved reading about Clawdeen.
Like the other books before it, this takes place after Frights Camera Action (Brownie points)
The Wolf Family having a reunion which puts a lot of pressure on Clawdeen who's trying to balance family with her friends and hobbies. She admits in an entry early on that her family doesn't quite understand her commitment to her hobby & her friends and boy, oh boy did I feel that.
I literally have zero complaints about this book.
I do, however, wish these were longer. The story itself is 110 pages long. The rest of the pages are blank journal pages you can write in and a preview of Draculaura's diary but I understand why these are so short so it's okay.
Overall, I loved reading about Clawdeen and her life!
Ghosts
7.5
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Book
Nina Dean has arrived at her early thirties as a successful food writer with loving friends and...
Literary Fiction
ClareR (5885 KP) rated Small Worlds in Books
Sep 20, 2023
As a young black man, Stephen feels safety in his small worlds: music, family and friends. And then there is outside those worlds where Stephen feels less safe: places in London where there is brutality or unrest, and University, which is where he really doesn’t want to be, as it’s so far from his friends and family - and his world.
Stephen needs these constants in his life, and when it’s taken away, he’s lost.
Stephen goes to Ghana to see the people and places of his parents youth, and it’s here that he finds some connection with those he loves. When he goes home, he’s able to come to terms with those people he has lost and rebuild relationships.
This was a really moving novel that made me really think about the challenges of culture, family, race and policing in London (in particular).
Recommended.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Instant Family (2019) in Movies
Nov 18, 2019
Acting: 10
Beginning: 4
The movie doesn’t exactly come out of the gates swinging. You’re meeting the couple for the first time and you see what their life is like pre-kids. I understand it’s necessary, but definitely not the most fun way to get started.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 9
I love how director Sean Anders decided to shoot the film. It’s not your average feel-good family movie. There is a real sense of struggle here, real pain, and Anders captures this in great pockets along with the more comedic moments of being a parent. Sometimes the fun and the pain are intermixed and it makes for some beautiful scenes.
Conflict: 10
All three kids within the family pose different challenges that the parents find themselves having to adjust to, besides the challenges of just being new parents. The parental-work-life balance is real and you’re exposed to all of that throughout the duration of the movie.
Entertainment Value: 8
Memorability: 8
Pace: 5
Plot: 6
The story itself is pretty straightforward and basic. Twenty minutes in and you pretty much know how it’s going to play out. Still, that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable of a movie.
Resolution: 10
The ending…man, that ending. I’ve only watched this movie once because that damn touching conclusion. Such a great payoff.
Overall: 80
I typically don’t gravitate towards movies with Lifetime plots, but Instant Family is a winner. It heartwarming, endearing, and real from start to finish. Surprise treat of 2018.
Welcome Home to Murder
8.0
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Book
From author Rosalie Spielman comes a heartfelt cozy mystery that proves sometimes coming home again...