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Good Time Cowboy (Gold Valley, #3)
Good Time Cowboy (Gold Valley, #3)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Another 5 star read from Maisey Yates, I wanna move to Gold Valley.

Lindy Parker is a strong woman. She wants what she wants when she wants it. She does NOT want Wyatt Dodge. Yet the same man occupies her every waking thought, her dreams and everything in between. She can’t believe she is attracted to a bull rider.

Wyatt Dodge has been attracted to Lindy Parker for 5 years. Since the first day he saw her walking toward him only to kiss his friend Damien and get introduced as his wife. He can’t do anything about said attraction with his ranch on the line. He has to find a way to work with her on the upcoming grand opening of his dude ranch or it will all be for nothing.

Lindy likes to be in charge, she likes order and structure. Everything Wyatt is not. Working with him is going to test her patience in more ways than one. Now if she can only stop thinking about ripping his clothes off that’d be great.

Wyatt treats Lindy like a kid with a crush, teasing her and proverbially pulling her pigtails. He makes and effort to call her Melinda, because no one else does. He finds the verbal sparring keeps his mind off of wanting to kiss her senseless. He has to stay focused on saving the ranch.

Lindy and Wyatt dance around their attraction like a Friday night hoedown but will they find out they work better as a team, in all areas of their relationship?

As with most of the books I’ve read by Maisey Yates, Good Time Cowboy makes me want to move to Gold Valley and find these families. Ms. Yates writes such realistic characters that you can’t help but feel every part of the story as if you were side by side in the thick of things. I received a copy of this story without expectation for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own.
  
TS
The Silent Governess
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Olivia Keene has been forced into silence to protect the secrets of the past and the security of the future.

  Being in the wrong place at the wrong time causes events to spin out of control for Olivia. Her life takes a completely different direction than she anticipated. So many secrets, so many mysteries of the past. Edward Bradley is fearful of what the truth will mean for his future. His father, Lord Brightwell, must answer for his past actions. We get to see this story through the eyes of Edward and Olivia. They both struggle with their identity when everything they thought they knew about themselves starts to crumble. Through their journey we discover what it means to find your identity in Christ and how being a child of The King, our future is always certain.

  One of the things that I enjoy the most about Mrs. Klassen’s work is that she is so talented at bringing scripture and truth into her books. Our leading lady, Olivia Keene, does not have much, if any faith, in the beginning of our story. She suffers loss and heartache, but in the end discovers the truth about the Father, his love and tenderness, and that “All things work together for good”. I love witnessing the journey of faith and redemption in a very believable way. At first I was slightly taken aback by the fact that the lines between classes become blurred in her books. But the more I read the more I enjoy it. It allows for more imagination. The depth of character in Julie Klassen’s books is astounding. I feel like I know Olivia and Edward on a personal level. That it would not be odd if I were to receive a phone call from Olivia and chat for hours. Julie Klassen has won 3 Christy Awards to date and I sincerely hope that more awards are in the very near future for her.

bookwormmama14.blogspot.com
  
GH
Gilt Hollow
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I am so SO new to reading mystery/suspense books. I like to feel warm and fuzzy rather than creeped out and paranoid. But I AM trying to branch out more...and while Gilt Hollow IS an excellent story and talks a lot about forgiveness...there was not a lot of faith woven into the story in my opinion.

The writing was smooth and flowed nicely. And even though most of the book itself has little action, it was never dull or slow. Always something new to uncover, always one more piece falling into place right where it needed to be.

Although I can not relate directly to the circumstances surrounding Willow and Ashton, I can relate to the panic attacks (thankfully mine have gotten MUCH better in recent months) and to miscommunication. How many arguments, how much confusion, could we save by communicating efficiently?

As the story begins to take shape we start wondering "who done it?" and as I kept reading I really didn't know how it was going to end. I read this one super fast because it just sucks you in and page after page, chapter after chapter...you just NEED to know more!

The characters possessed age appropriate personalities due to the circumstances they landed in. And while the kisses (and yes...closets are involved...those are ranked among my favorite!) emit a good dose of passion, I believe the author kept it clean and appropriate for Young Adults.

If you haven't read mystery/suspense books yet but are wanting to get your feet wet in the genre, I do recommend Gilt Hollow. There are moments of pure creepiness and some gory descriptions...just as a heads up, but all in all a VERY well written book.

I received a complimentary copy of Gilt Hollow from the publishers. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Becky Albertalli | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry, Gender Studies
10
9.0 (29 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have to admit that I will come off a bit biased in my review of this book, since it's one of my genuine favorites. Albertalli seems to just have this way of writing that can keep just about anyone engaged, and this paired up with such a touching, personal, and still-somehow-humorous story works perfectly.
The cast of characters is a realistic one. Simon's struggle to come to terms with being gay and to come out is coming from a place of understanding, and reflects perfectly the emotions most of us have or would feel in his position. Abby and Nick, though not particularly playing a large part in the overall story, act as normal people would in their situation, which is rare enough that I have to applaud it. Finally Leah, the last of the main group of friends, is a character we can probably relate to at least one person in our real life - and she's written perfectly for it, as a character we understand can be frustrating but still a good friend from Simon's perspective.
One of my favorite things about this book, however, would have to be the e-mails between Blue and Simon (or maybe calling him Jacques would be better when I talk about the e-mails?) All of these emails are scattered within the book, and give us an insight into the developing feelings between Simon and Blue such as when Simon (spoiler alert, possibly) finally signs off his e-mail with "love". Its the subtle details in these emails, and then also how their writing transfers to their real dialogue that makes it harder to not appreciate the care that went into this book - especially since its Albertalli's debut!
There's not much else I can really say about Simon without turning this review into a spoiler-filled minefield, but I would 100% recommend this book to anyone. Especially if the subject matter is something you can relate to, and if a romance with an original concept is what you're looking for!
  
Raising Steam: (Discworld Novel 40)
Raising Steam: (Discworld Novel 40)
Terry Pratchett | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
The 40th(!) Discworld novel, that probably best fits into the Industrial Revolution sub-series of such novels (i.e. [b:Moving Pictures|34510|Moving Pictures (Discworld, #10)|Terry Pratchett|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320456553s/34510.jpg|1229354], [b:The Truth|51737|The Truth About Forever|Sarah Dessen|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362767907s/51737.jpg|1032900], [b:Monstrous Regiment|34511|Monstrous Regiment The Play|Stephen Briggs|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1375908503s/34511.jpg|2073281], [b:Going Postal|64222|Going Postal (Discworld, #33)|Terry Pratchett|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388236899s/64222.jpg|1636617] and [b:Making Money|116296|Making Money (Discworld, #36)|Terry Pratchett|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1386925136s/116296.jpg|144656] (possibly also including [b:Unseen Academicals|6250169|Unseen Academicals (Discworld, #37)|Terry Pratchett|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388348045s/6250169.jpg|6432996] and [b:Snuff|1840511|Snuff|Chuck Palahniuk|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320410088s/1840511.jpg|2034926])), and is also the third book to feature Moist Von Lipwig as the main protaganist (after [b:Going Postal|64222|Going Postal (Discworld, #33)|Terry Pratchett|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388236899s/64222.jpg|1636617] and [b:Making Money|116296|Making Money (Discworld, #36)|Terry Pratchett|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1386925136s/116296.jpg|144656]).

This one is to do with the introduction of the railway to the Discworld, and also offers many a reference to previous characters and situations in the series as a whole: indeed, at times, it almost feels as if Pratchett is trying to squeeze as many in as possible.

Unfortunately, it's also not his best: I have to admit, in general, I've found most of his Industrial Revolution novels to not be as good as, say, those based around either The City Watch or those based around The Witches. Like the locomotive on which it is based, I found this one to take a fair bit of time to gather steam, and to feel a wee bit ponderous and unwieldy - this, I have to say, is not a novel I would use to introduce somebody new to the delights of the Discworld. :-(
  
Women in medieval England
This is a book packed with history, told from the points of view of a priest, a female castellan, a female Keeper of the Kings Forest and a Knight (he gets about a chapter). It must have been very unusual for there to be female Castellans and Keepers of the Forest in a time where a womans primary function was to get married and give birth to sons who could inherit a title. The women in this story seem to have to prove themselves constantly to outsiders - the people who live under their rule don't need to see the proof, they have experience of how good these two women are at their jobs.
The years after the Magna Carta was signed were very unsettled. King John had problems with Phillip of France, losing lands in France and allowing the French in to England to take over castles and land by force. With the death of John, his 9 year old son succeeds him and William Marshall becomes his Regent. I have read other books about William Marshall, and what I read here seemed to be in keeping (most writers seem to be in agreement at the kind of man he must have been).
Nicolaa of Lincoln and Matilda of Laxton were not weak females. I really liked how they were portrayed, and I enjoyed reading the chapters from their points of view as it showed how strong and independent they were. I really liked Father Barnards chapters too. It gave an objective look at how these two women reacted in their situations.
I am a real sucker for historical fiction, and I feel that this was a really well researched novel. There was nothing overly sensationalised, which made it more believable for me. I will probably read the next book in this series. I'm interested to see if there is more from these two impressive women.
Many thanks to Sapere Books for a copy of this book to read and review.
  
Daybreakers (2009)
Daybreakers (2009)
2009 | Action, Drama, Horror
A great take on a vampire film
I can't believe I've never seen this film before. Not only do I love vampire films, I also have a soft spot for Sam Neill and Ethan Hawke, so I should've watched this a long time ago!

This is a very refreshing and original take on a vampire film. It's not an idea I've seen before, and it works really well. The background to the story and vampires is flashed over so quickly during the opening scenes and credits, and at a 1hr40 runtime this film really doesn't mess around. The vampire world looks great and I loved the grayscale and darker camera shots whenever the vampires were on screen, it made a stark contrast to the scenes set in daylight. This is such a different version of vampires to what we're used to and there are parts of this where you almost feel sorry for them.

Ethan Hawke is wonderful as Ed, and Sam Neill is deliciously wicked as he has been in other films, despite the fact I cant stop seeing him as Alan Grant! I think Willem Dafoe was a tad underused thought. The best thing I loved about this film was the gore and physical effects. It's an 18 for a reason and I loved all of the blood and guts. Admittedly some of the gore seemed a little over the top and ridiculous towards the end, but this just made it all the more hilariously enjoyable.

This film isn't perfect. I think some of the CGI is dodgy in parts which is a shame as the rest of the effects are rather good. And the sub plot about Sam Neill's daughter seemed a little flimsy. But aside from this, I think Daybreakers is a great underrated vampire film with a unique story, that seems to have gone without the recognition it deserves.
  
Eat Pray Love: One Woman's Search for Everything
Eat Pray Love: One Woman's Search for Everything
Elizabeth Gilbert | 2016 | Biography
4
7.2 (34 Ratings)
Book Rating
Pretentious and selfish
I really wanted to like this book. It sounded like it'd have a lot of motivational thinking and empowerment for single women, but in fact it just turned out terribly pretentious and was basically just one woman's selfish and rather self centred journey.

This book is split into 3 parts: Italy (Eat), India (Pray) and Indonesia (Love). I fairly enjoyed the first part in Italy, as all Liz does is eat the entire time she's there and who doesn't love Italian food? And it also featured a lot of decent and moving thinking and a lot of this related to how I've been feeling over the past year, so I really clicked with this

However it's India and Indonesia that I have major issues with. Firstly I'm not a religious or spiritual person at all, it's just not for me although I have no issues with people that do believe, that's your choice. My problem is that the second and third parts of this book virtually shove religion and spirituality down your throat. And not in a hesitant good way, more in a preaching condescending way that irritates like hell very quickly. I quickly started to skim read these chapters as I couldn't deal with Liz's pretentious ramblings. This entire book is full of her selfish ideas and notions, and at the end I didnt find this in the slightest bit motivational and I didn't feel like Liz learned much either despite her proclamations otherwise. I really didn't find Liz an endearing or lovable person, despite the fact that everyone she encounters in her story appears to (which is debatable).

Maybe I went into this book expecting the wrong things, but aside from the first third and the odd thought or sentence throughout the book that made me think "that's so true!", I really didnt enjoy this at all.
  
Chloe (2010)
Chloe (2010)
2010 | Drama, Mystery
7
4.7 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Decent Beginning Then All Downhill
A woman struggling in her marriage hires a call girl to come on to her husband to see if he will cheat. If Chloe sounds like a recipe for disaster in real life, just wait until I dive into the movie! It’s not a complete failure, but it fails enough for me to highly recommend avoiding it.

Acting: 9

Beginning: 7
All the players are introduced in the first ten minutes doing their respective jobs. You can tell the movie will be shrouded in a bit of mystery. I didn’t hate the way it started, but I was looking for a bit more originality.

Characters: 10
Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) is an intriguing character in and of herself. I was drawn to her and I couldn’t figure out why. Is she crazy? Misunderstood? Is she making everything up? What the hell is with this woman? The other characters are merely a moth to her flame. It’s not to say I didn’t like them, but they would fall flat without Chloe at the helm.

Cinematography/Visuals: 9
As you’re watching this movie, you definitely get the erotic thriller feel which I think is exactly what director Atom Egoyan is going for. There are certain scenes that seem to jump off the screen with sensuality and intrigue. It keeps your eyes rooted to the screen while little details are shot to keep you guessing.

Conflict: 7

Entertainment Value: 7

Memorability: 6

Pace: 6

Plot: 3
Remember my description in the opening paragraph? Yeah, it somehow manages to get even dumber than that. It’s a shame because I think the movie definitely could have been redeemed with a slightly better storyline.

Resolution: 5

Overall: 69
Going back over my notes for Chloe, I notice I have a lot of whats, whys, and hows. That’s usually not a good sign. Few loops were closed here which is a burden for a viewer already sitting through a wandering story. Close, but no cigar.
  
40x40

Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Us (2019) in Movies

Feb 3, 2020 (Updated Feb 3, 2020)  
Us (2019)
Us (2019)
2019 | Horror, Thriller
The Upside Down
Us- is Jordan Peele's second film as a director. This film like Get Out, is excellent, phenomenal, horrorfying, suspenseful, terrorfying and overall great.

The Plot: Accompanied by her husband, son and daughter, Adelaide Wilson returns to the beachfront home where she grew up as a child. Haunted by a traumatic experience from the past, Adelaide grows increasingly concerned that something bad is going to happen. Her worst fears soon become a reality when four masked strangers descend upon the house, forcing the Wilsons into a fight for survival. When the masks come off, the family is horrified to learn that each attacker takes the appearance of one of them.

So like Get Out, this movie does have a theme. Lets talk about it...

"One of the central themes in Us is that we can do a good job collectively of ignoring the ramifications of privilege. I think it's the idea that what we feel like we deserve comes, you know, at the expense of someone else's freedom or joy. You know, the biggest disservice we can do as a faction with a collective privilege like the United States is to presume that we deserve it, and that it isn't luck that has us born where we're born. For us to have our privilege, someone suffers. That's where the Tethered connection, I think, resonates the most, is that those who suffer and those who prosper are two sides of the same coin. You can never forget that. We need to fight for the less fortunate." Jordan Peele.

So Once Jordan Peele does a excellent job on his theme. Like Get Out, Jordan Peele does a excellent of this theme, of the world that we live in today and his views on it.

Like Get Out, Us is a must watch film, and if you havent seen it, than you must. Its psychological twisted, horrorfying, twisted, suspenseful, great, phenomenal and excellent until the very end.