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ClareR (6230 KP) rated The Surf House in Books

Feb 22, 2026  
The Surf House
The Surf House
Lucy Clarke | 2025 | Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Surf House is an entertaining, fast moving, atmospheric thriller, and really doesn’t do many favours for the Moroccan tourist board. Bea is attacked in an alleyway after she decides to leave her modelling set in Marrakesh, and when a woman comes to her rescue, the unthinkable happens.

Bea is invited to The Surf House to hide out and gather her thoughts, and it seems idyllic. The descriptions of the sea, surfers and the beach almost made me want to learn how to surf somewhere hot (almost). But at the same time, it’s clear that there’s something else going on. Something rotten. When Bea finds out that a young woman went missing a year ago, she starts to notice more things that don’t seem right.

There are so many twists, turns and dead ends that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I did find myself wanting to shout at her to just leave - I was so frustrated! She is pretty naive. But this is so well written and evocative of the setting and Bea’s feelings when she feels trapped and scared (and she feels those things a lot!), that I can forgive her naivety!

Ideal for those who enjoy a good thriller!
  
The Adam Project (2022)
The Adam Project (2022)
2022 | Action, Adventure, Comedy
4
6.6 (13 Ratings)
Movie Rating
I really didn't get a lot of enjoyment out of The Adam Project, but in the interest of fairness, it's not without its merits. Most importantly, I can only imagine how much of a blast kids will have watching it. It's family friendly presentation, copious amounts of Ryan Reynolds, and it's main young protagonist make it a done deal in that respect. It's helped along by some snappy action moments, some good humoured dialogue, and some genuinely touching character beats.
Personally though, the jarring editing and conflicting tones are hard to look past. The comedy and seriousness aren't well balanced at all, and the often and sudden switching of on screen proceedings feel scrappy. It's comes across messy. Zoe Saldana crops up about halfway through and feels like she's walked in from a completely different movie. The CGI is hit and miss. Sometimes it's ok, sometimes it's ropey, and then there's poor Catherine Keener, who is subjected to possibly the worst bout of digital de-aging I can recall.

The Adam Project isn't a completely awful experience, it's just a very cookie cutter sci-fi action that feels instantly forgettable. As mentioned though, kids will undoubtedly love it, which can only be a positive.
  
Star Trek (2009)
Star Trek (2009)
2009 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
It is fun (2 more)
The cast gets their characters so very right, especially Karl Urban as bones
Michael Giacchino delivers a good score
I just don't like the aesthetic of the reboots. It doesn't look like Star Trek to me and the new Enterprise is honestly kind of ugly (3 more)
The plot is very contrived
Shaky cam
Not much going on thematically, mostly feels like a dumb actioner
Torn on this as a lifelong Trekkie
I can certainly understand why people enjoy this, but it just doesn't feel like Trek to me. Still it is enjoyable in its own way.
  
Rush: A Disney/Pixar Adventure
Rush: A Disney/Pixar Adventure
2017 | Casual
Play levels based on six different Pixar film franchises. (2 more)
Two-player split-screen support makes this a great game to play with kids.
You can play with either physical or motion controls.
The hub world serves no purpose beyond level selection. (2 more)
Voice samples often become repetitive during gameplay.
Platforming feels a bit simplistic when using a controller.
Awkward movement controls always held the original game back, but now Rush plays great with a controller – and you can still use the Kinect if that's your thing.
Critic- Paul Acevedo
Original Score: 4 out of 5

Read Review: https://www.windowscentral.com/rush-disneypixar-adventure-review
  
Dunkirk (2017)
Dunkirk (2017)
2017 | Action, History, War
Cast (4 more)
Scale
Sound Design
Narrative structure
Direction
A return to form
I personally didn't love Nolan's last two efforts, (Interstellar and The Dark Rises,) but this is a return to form. This isn't Nolan telling an overly ambitious story about interdimensional space travel or a billionaire crime fighter, this is a story that actually happened. Although it feels epic in scope, this movie takes place in one location and it benefits from it. We get to see personal dramas and intimate conflicts and we feel like we are right there alongside the men on that beach. Also the sound design is utterly incredible.
  
Good Me, Bad Me
Good Me, Bad Me
Ali Land | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
9
8.0 (21 Ratings)
Book Rating
Reading this literally made my skin crawl and stomach churn
I think my heart pounded the entire time I read this book. It's extremely dark, and the level of underlying violence and abuse at times is gratuitous. No doubt it's gripping but you have to keep a strong stomach because it feels like watching a train crash. While it's noticeable by the mid-point that there is something fishy about the protagonist's story, you do want to continue just to find out what happens. I can't say much more without ruining the plot, but hold on to your seat.
  
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Ross (3284 KP) created a post in Comedy Podcast Fans

Apr 6, 2018  
Feel free to post recommendations of comedy podcasts. Currently filling my ears are:


Elis James & John Robins - awaiting each new episode on a Saturday evening
Danny Wallace on xfm - awaiting each new episode on a Sunday evening
Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast (RHLSTP) - quite a way behind, I think I'm into early 2017 now (Lucy Porter), getting through about 3 a week
Me1 vs Me2 snooker - on hold, fearing for my sanity if I listen to too much
Adam Buxton - quite some way behind, on hold following a couple of low quality ones zapped my feels.
  
The Adventure Zone Here There Be Gerblins
7
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Oh Goodness are up
Are you a fan of D&D? This book is probably for you. Though the "characters" don't really follow the rules, it's still a pretty good book. The characters are wacky and all over the place and the plot is simple. However, that's all part of the fun. It feels like you just feel into the first campaign of three dorks who have never played before and gave completely different ideas about how they want the quest to go. Just don't take the book too seriously and you'll probably enjoy it too.
  
A Map of the Dark
A Map of the Dark
Karen Ellis | 2018 | Crime, Thriller
8
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This novel had many layers which is often the case with stories featuring “damaged” investigators wanting to “make a difference”. It is not an original concept as it is seen more often than not; however, this book introduced us to an array of characters whose lives and backgrounds make the reader want to know more. To say that the lead investigator’s backstory was more distressing and disturbing than the crimes she is investigating would be an understatement. The detective work feels solid and the characters are believable. This was certainly a page turner with a surprise at the end which brings some satisfaction.
  
The Aftermath (2019)
The Aftermath (2019)
2019 | Drama, Romance, War
Yet another Keira Knightley costume drama about well-brought-up people grappling with their repressed emotions. This one is set in post-war Germany where KK is an army wife reunited with her officer husband (Jason Clarke doing an English accent), but she ends up knocking off the German widower (Alexander Skarsgard) whose house they have commandeered.

Decent production values but the performances aren't good enough to lift a story which feels trite, hackneyed and inconsequential. No sense of passion or danger, hard to care about anyone or anything in the movie; it's just incredibly dull and predictable.