Ghosts
7.5
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Nina Dean has arrived at her early thirties as a successful food writer with loving friends and...
Literary Fiction
ClareR (6101 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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From author Rosalie Spielman comes a heartfelt cozy mystery that proves sometimes coming home again...
Dinner Party: A Tragedy
Book
A MAJOR 2021 DEBUT FICTION LAUNCH, THIS REMARKABLE IRISH NOVEL ABOUT THE MESSINESS OF MODERN FAMILY...
Jerry Hall: My Life in Pictures
Book
Jerry Hall escaped from small-town Texas and was discovered on a St Tropez beach at the age of 16....
Remy Tankel Carroll (36 KP) rated Gangsterland in Books
Dec 19, 2018
Living with No Excuses: The Remarkable Rebirth of an American Soldier
6.0
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nspirational, humorous, and thought provoking, Noah Galloway's LIVING WITH NO EXCUSES sheds light on...
Bible Videos
Reference and Education
App
The Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos will strengthen your faith in the Savior while you experience...
Summer Day's Dream
Book
"""I spent more than half my life, when I ought to have been enjoying myself, arguing and planning...