Search

Search only in certain items:

An Unlikely Proposal
An Unlikely Proposal
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Let me say this book definitely surpassed all my expectations!!

I know we've all been there... that isle of books at the store with the Harlequin titles trying to decide if we want another feel good, know how its gonna end type of story. LET me advise you. This book IS NOT your typical Love Inspired book (of which I will admit to reading ... almost everyone published). I had to do a double check of the page count with this one honestly. Toni Shiloh managed to fit SO much depth of character, layered background, and faith based elements that I was enamored of the book from the beginning and scratching my head wondering how something so marvelous could come out of such a tiny package!

I loved the plot, a true friends-to-lovers/ girl-next-door/ marriage of convenience story that I have.. uhem already reread. I loved Omar's little ones that Toni Shiloh filled with life and love. Plus, I really enjoyed the circumstance that Toni Shiloh put Trinity and Omar into! Great chemistry and awkwardness between the two of them.

Overall, one of my favorite reads ever in terms of modern character development and storyline. A definite 5 star read you DO NOT want to miss!

*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
  
40x40

Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated Kill Joy in Books

Mar 25, 2021 (Updated Mar 25, 2021)  
Kill Joy
Kill Joy
Holly Jackson | 2021 | Crime, Law, Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult (YA)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Lovely little short book that left me wanting more! I haven’t read A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, but I got the feeling from this prequel that it was the murder mystery dinner that ignited the passion in Pip to try and solve the murder that happened in her little town 5 years previously.
The murder mystery dinner was written so well that I felt like I was there and solving the “murder” with the characters. There was also the suspense of the environment around the dinner party with the weird noises and lights going out, which really made me wonder whether there was something sinister going on around them or if everything had a genuine explanation. I think it added to the suspense of the murder mystery part and made you more aware of little things, which I guess is why people like murder mystery parties!
I loved the writing style and how the notes were included as though you were reading them off the slip of paper that had been found, which doesn’t very often happen in books. I thought it was a nice addition and really gave you the feel of being a part of the dinner party. <br/>This has definitely made me want to read on and read the next instalment from Holly Jackson.
  
40x40

Kristy H (1252 KP) Mar 29, 2021

I didn't know this existed--must check it out! Definitely recommend A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. Pip is a wonderful character.

40x40

Laura Doe (1350 KP) Mar 29, 2021

Ah thank you Kristy! I’m glad that it follows the same character 😊

40x40

Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Guest Book in Books

May 30, 2021  
The Guest Book
The Guest Book
C.L. Pattison | 2021 | Mystery, Thriller
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the first time reading this author and likely won't be the last as this was an enjoyable and easy read.

Grace and Charles are on their way to St Ives to start their honeymoon when disaster strikes and they are stranded in the small seaside town of Saltwater; with there being few available rooms left, they have to book in to the run-down bed and breakfast, The Anchorage, and which is where the creepiness starts.

This is a story that is full of atmosphere which is excellently captured from start to finish. You can feel the weird vibe jumping out of the pages from not only the strange owners of The Anchorage but from the town itself and its inhabitants. You know something's not quite right but you struggle to put your finger on it and this builds the tension however, and it's a big however, it didn't really end as good as it started; it just seemed to fizzle out unfortunately and I didn't get that sense of satisfaction or pleasure when the "twist" was revealed.

Despite the disappointing conclusion, I did enjoy reading it and will seek out more of C.L. Pattison's work in the future.

Many thanks to Random House UK, Vintage and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
Oxygen (2021)
Oxygen (2021)
2021 | Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller
9
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
There are few films that focus on a single character trapped by outside circumstances, not of their making. The few I can think of are all good in their own right, but I'm not sure they were as captivating as Oxygen, I hope this film is forever added to the top of those lists discussing such films.

I figured out a couple of things early on (that's just the way my brain works unfortunately 🤷🏼‍♀️) but it in no way lessened my enjoyment of the film. I was genuinely intrigued as to how the whole thing would play out, and there were some big surprises still.

Mélanie Laurent is fantastic, some of the scenes could have been really overplayed and dramatic, but I think she was perfect; to carry a whole film being the only actor on screen is nothing short of phenomenonal, her performance had me gripped to the final shots.

The film almost runs in real time, so if you are looking for something fast paced with lots of action or drama, then maybe move along, but if you are looking for something with the feel of a thriller that has its twists and turns, where you figure things out equally as the character does then this is more for you.

Would highly recommend as a must watch whatever you are into!
  
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
2009 | Action, Sci-Fi
One of the most proudly and spectacularly nerdy things I've ever seen - filled to the brim with seemingly endless gadgetry, weapons, flashbacks, melodrama, underground/hidden lairs, explosions, costumes, and "oh my God I can't believe they're actually doing this" action scenes. And just like that two hours flies right by. I'm usually pointedly averse to this sort of routine guy-saves-the-day-then-gets-the-girl blockbuster crap from this era - but there's such an overload of visual tech-fetish creativity thrown at the screen that you'd really have to watch it twice to even absorb it all, and beyond that something just clicks here. The clear disdain from Tatum - who has never been worse - because he really doesn't want to be here is hysterical, and the rest of this absolutely loaded cast turn in similarly appetizing corniness from Quaid's trademark commandeering to Wayans' canned comedic relief. The tropes feel lovingly recreated rather than haphazardly slapped together, there's a refreshing feeling of sincerity that makes its fun factor way more authentic than other films of the breed. Still a bit on the clean side (more specifically of-its-time) to properly rise to the heights it deserves, but oh baby this is a blast and a half. Really good Michael Bay ripoff junk food that does a helluva lot with that PG-13 rating.
  
40x40

Ed O'Brien recommended Screamadelica by Primal Scream in Music (curated)

 
Screamadelica by Primal Scream
Screamadelica by Primal Scream
1991 | Alternative, Indie
8.4 (8 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Listening to this in Brazil a few years ago was a proper Eureka moment for me. We'd moved to the middle of nowhere for seven months, and I decided to properly have some time properly listening to music, so got a lot of stuff off Thom on a hard drive. I was really into Burial and that side of dubstep back then. Stuff that works perfectly underneath railway arches at 3am strangely enough didn't resonate on the edge of the rainforest, though. What did was Screamadelica. 

I'd first heard Loaded when I was studying at Manchester University in 1990. I remember it coming out after 'Fools Gold' and 'Hallelujah', and seeing Primal Scream on a double-header with Looper. I remember thinking, ah, this is good, a bit different for them, but they're jumping on the bandwagon, aren't they? Later, 'Don't Fight It Feel It' became the ultimate tune of that time for me. But away from that time, this album still stands alone. It's so colourful. It's like gospel dance music. It's got all the euphoria of house music, plus the community and love. It reminded me that that moment in culture wasn't just about the drugs – those drugs were just there to pierce the veil. Music held the ultimate power to bring people up. I want my music to have that joy, that light, that sense of possibility."

Source
  
40x40

Joseph Mount recommended 4-Track Demos by PJ Harvey in Music (curated)

 
4-Track Demos by PJ Harvey
4-Track Demos by PJ Harvey
1993 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I remember hearing a PJ Harvey song, it might have been ‘Down by The Water’, and thinking ‘this is wicked, I’m gonna buy some of her music!’ At that age I had pocket money, about five pounds, so I went to this music shop in Exeter, found the PJ Harvey section, and all they had was this cheap cassette of 4-Track Demos. I was learning the drums around that time, and listening to the drums in a way I’d never done before, getting obsessive about it. I bought this PJ Harvey record, I put it on and thought ‘OK, the drums are gonna come in soon!’, but of course they never come in, it’s all demos. It was insanely disappointing! But I’d payed the money for this record, so I listened to it, and it became this educational thing for me of understanding that this was part of writing a song. Comparing the demos to the finished tracks, it was an interesting thing to hear and I think the most important thing I’d take from it is investing in something that deprives you of the one thing you were really excited about. It’s a good lesson, but completely unplanned, an interesting exercise to realise that the thing I feel is the most important thing, is not."

Source
  
40x40

William Sadler recommended Unforgiven (1992) in Movies (curated)

 
Unforgiven (1992)
Unforgiven (1992)
1992 | Western

"With my friend Morgan [Freeman]. It’s so funny, these movies, the ones that I’m pulling out, they all have the same element. They feel perfect. I can’t find a false note, I can’t find a scene or a moment that you could lose and the movie would still be as good. There’s not a wasted breath. I think that Unforgiven is some of Clint Eastwood’s best work. I love westerns — I grew up on them — watching them and playing them around the barn in Buffalo. This is a different western, again, this is a broken guy who’s hanging on by his fingernails. He’s been a dirt farmer, he’s lost his wife, this is his last shot. That’s funny, it’s a little like The Verdict in that respect. None of it is pretty. It’s not slick, it’s not the balletic gunfighting that you see in some movies. It’s ugly and awkward and it’s not easy to kill a man. That was one of the themes that just stuck out like a sore thumb. This is not an easy thing to do, kill a man. For all the glamour and all the romance of the old west and the gunfights and so on, this is awful work, guns. They brought that to life. Gene Hackman can do no wrong. He’s sort of an acting god."

Source
  
Dog Days (2018)
Dog Days (2018)
2018 | Drama
Not writing this review after seeing the film was a mistake. It's only been 8 days and yet I can't remember much about it, which probably sounds like it isn't a recommendation. I know I enjoyed it, there were touching moments and funny bits. It might not change your life but it'll make you feel good.

There are lots of faces you'll recognise. Some to love and some to hate. Jon Bass is the human star of this one for me. Adorable, funny and the great double act with Gertrude is delightful. She also rocks a super cool doggy wardrobe. Mabel is probably my favourite canine character. A coach to 5k success story line that got me in the feels.

It's another one of those films that's pretty predictable though. Characters end up where you expect them to be, and the dogs (for the most part) make you smile. Nice film, but probably not worth a full price ticket.

As an after thought, there is one moment I can specifically remember, and it left me puzzled. The dog walker sets up in a client's home while he's not there and then at the end of the film she's dating the materialistic vet... was it his house? I don't remember seeing anything about it other than those two scenes and it left me confused.