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Christina Haynes (148 KP) rated Things a Bright Girl Can Do in Books
Feb 10, 2018
THINGS A BRIGHT GIRL CAN DO by SALLY NICHOLLS
In 1903 Emmeline Pankhurst founded a new organisation called 'The Woman's Social and Political Union’ because she like many other women believed that they should be equal to men and be allowed a vote!
Although women over thirty did get the vote in 1918 - after the bill was passed. It wasn't until 1928 that all women got the vote. But unfortunately, Emmeline Pankhurst died before she got to see this happen.
When WWI broke out men had to go and fight, leaving their jobs to the woman. This was the start of women getting more opportunities. Even though they weren't being paid the same, they were still happy to be doing something to help. (Though that's a different story)
But this whole having a job, and helping with the war was only for the meantime, because after the war men wanted their jobs back!
Things a Bright Girl Can Do is about three girls who live in this time. Three girls who want to do more with their lives. Three girls who want freedom and the chance to be different.
Evelyn, May, and Nell.
Evelyn is seventeen and has dreamt of going to a university like her brother, but is unable to do so because, for the simple fact, she's a girl!
But mind you, she is probably smarter than her brother. Or any boy for that matter. So what does she do? She joins the suffragettes! And by doing this she see’s exactly what it's like to be a suffragette and what they do first hand. Though it's not as nice as it seems. She takes part in a hunger strike while she's in prison; like many suffragettes before her. She gets ill afterward and though she did what she believed was right, she soon realized that it wasn't such a great idea.
But in some ways, it made her a better person in the future because she knew exactly what it was like and why they were fighting for their rights.
May is fifteen and has been a part of the suffragettes along with her mother for a while now. She campaigns and she fights for the rights of women in a peaceful way. By handing out flyers, by going to meetings and talks. Again like Evelyn, she knows what it's like to have money and to be in a better situation than some women who don't even have that.
Nell, who’s grown up not knowing money, she's always tried to work and help her mother with whatever she can. She later meets May and the two of them fall in love and dream of a better world. She joins the cause of ‘Women's Rights’ and fights for them. Because why should men get everything?
All three girls are very different and all want something out of their vote. They all become a part of the suffragettes in their own different ways.
Sally Nicholls gives you a great insight into the past, bringing it to life again. Questioning what life was like back then, for woman and the government. She does all this by turning three stories into a reality that we all now take for granted. Even now women don't use their votes.
My opinion is that no matter whether you like politics or even believe in them, you should always use your vote. That's what I think anyway. For the simple fact, women died for your right to vote. It's your life as well you should use your vote to make the world better. To have a say.
From the suffragettes to WWI and it's 'we can do it’ attitude, this book is amazing inside and out. From the facts and the stories within its pages to the history lesson of fighting for your rights - to what women did to help in the war, you need to try this book.
So would you be one of the suffragettes, or did you have one in your family? It would be interesting to know.
Just remember, we can all do it.
Love, Christina ?
Although women over thirty did get the vote in 1918 - after the bill was passed. It wasn't until 1928 that all women got the vote. But unfortunately, Emmeline Pankhurst died before she got to see this happen.
When WWI broke out men had to go and fight, leaving their jobs to the woman. This was the start of women getting more opportunities. Even though they weren't being paid the same, they were still happy to be doing something to help. (Though that's a different story)
But this whole having a job, and helping with the war was only for the meantime, because after the war men wanted their jobs back!
Things a Bright Girl Can Do is about three girls who live in this time. Three girls who want to do more with their lives. Three girls who want freedom and the chance to be different.
Evelyn, May, and Nell.
Evelyn is seventeen and has dreamt of going to a university like her brother, but is unable to do so because, for the simple fact, she's a girl!
But mind you, she is probably smarter than her brother. Or any boy for that matter. So what does she do? She joins the suffragettes! And by doing this she see’s exactly what it's like to be a suffragette and what they do first hand. Though it's not as nice as it seems. She takes part in a hunger strike while she's in prison; like many suffragettes before her. She gets ill afterward and though she did what she believed was right, she soon realized that it wasn't such a great idea.
But in some ways, it made her a better person in the future because she knew exactly what it was like and why they were fighting for their rights.
May is fifteen and has been a part of the suffragettes along with her mother for a while now. She campaigns and she fights for the rights of women in a peaceful way. By handing out flyers, by going to meetings and talks. Again like Evelyn, she knows what it's like to have money and to be in a better situation than some women who don't even have that.
Nell, who’s grown up not knowing money, she's always tried to work and help her mother with whatever she can. She later meets May and the two of them fall in love and dream of a better world. She joins the cause of ‘Women's Rights’ and fights for them. Because why should men get everything?
All three girls are very different and all want something out of their vote. They all become a part of the suffragettes in their own different ways.
Sally Nicholls gives you a great insight into the past, bringing it to life again. Questioning what life was like back then, for woman and the government. She does all this by turning three stories into a reality that we all now take for granted. Even now women don't use their votes.
My opinion is that no matter whether you like politics or even believe in them, you should always use your vote. That's what I think anyway. For the simple fact, women died for your right to vote. It's your life as well you should use your vote to make the world better. To have a say.
From the suffragettes to WWI and it's 'we can do it’ attitude, this book is amazing inside and out. From the facts and the stories within its pages to the history lesson of fighting for your rights - to what women did to help in the war, you need to try this book.
So would you be one of the suffragettes, or did you have one in your family? It would be interesting to know.
Just remember, we can all do it.
Love, Christina ?
Louise (64 KP) rated And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga #1) in Books
Jul 2, 2018
First I would like to say a massive thank you to Goodreads as I won myself a copy on one of their giveaways( Aren’t they great!)
And I Darken is a new Historical fiction/Re-telling of Vlad the Impaler but gender swapped. Goodreads have it listed as being a fantasy, but there is no magic or any paranormal goings on whatsoever…glad we got that cleared up.
Our story follows Ladislav (Lada) and Radu Dragwyla the descendants of Vlad Dracul, Prince of Wallachia. Vlad is a vile human being and uses his own children for bargaining with the Ottoman Empire, there lives are at risk if he does not keep to the treaties terms. Living in the Ottoman Empire is risky for Lada and Radu, Lada could easily be married off to some suitor for allegiance or killed whichever is easier for the Sultan. Running the grounds they bump into a young boy the same age as them, only to find that he is the Sultan’s son Mehmed. Mehmed is a lonely boy with only his tutors for company so he befriends them both and shares all his education and time with them, which in turn takes them out of the spotlight.
Lada is a very strong character, she is a force to be reckoned with. She is brutal,fierce and just a total badass throughout the book. Being born a woman is one almighty struggle to be taken seriously in the 1400’s. She knows that she is the rightful heir of Wallachia at the young age of 11. She wants to impress her father with her fighting skills and there is a point when she thinks she has, but the only thoughts her father has is marrying her off to a suitor and being a dutiful wife. Lada is very family orientated and has a very unique relationship with her brother Radu but she will never show any emotion as this is a sign of weakness and she is perceived as a cold-hearted bitch.
Radu was always a disappointment to his father, weak,cowardly and clinging to his nursemaids side infuriated Vlad. Radu was the more emotional of siblings, even though he was not great at fighting he had a devious and cunning mind that made him equally as dangerous as Lada.
My feelings towards the characters changed a lot throughout the book at first I thought Lada was just a psychotic child but realised she is trying to prove herself as being fierce. Radu he was very sweet throughout the book and always wanted his sister to just open up and tell him she loved him and for him to tell her his secrets and feelings. The main point is that they are flawed and this is what makes characters great.
Mehmed just annoyed me and he got in the way of Lada’s plans.
The book does contain romance, a love triangle where no one expresses their love for anyone as they are too scared of the consequences or that it will stop them from their goals in life. So the romance is frustrating to say the least.
This book has a lot of political intrigue,so be prepared for wars,treaties,soldiers and their ranks. This is Historical fiction but as in the author’s notes at the end it is not accurate and a lot is made up. Religion is also touched upon, mostly Islam with Christianity but it’s not too in your face or info dumping. The book is nearly 500 pages long! I felt it could have been shorter. I enjoyed the relationship between Radu and Lada,it was a very different set-up from what we are used to. This did take me a little longer to read as in places it was very slow and I found myself getting bored.
This book covers themes such as sibling rivalry, relationships, families, romance, feminism, sexism and politics
<img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476160834l/22817331.jpg"; width="120" height="180"/>
Now I Rise is the second installment of the And I Darken saga which is due to be released in June 2017 which I will be reading as I am interested in what is going to happen next with Lada.
Overall I rated this 3.5 out of 5 stars
And I Darken is a new Historical fiction/Re-telling of Vlad the Impaler but gender swapped. Goodreads have it listed as being a fantasy, but there is no magic or any paranormal goings on whatsoever…glad we got that cleared up.
Our story follows Ladislav (Lada) and Radu Dragwyla the descendants of Vlad Dracul, Prince of Wallachia. Vlad is a vile human being and uses his own children for bargaining with the Ottoman Empire, there lives are at risk if he does not keep to the treaties terms. Living in the Ottoman Empire is risky for Lada and Radu, Lada could easily be married off to some suitor for allegiance or killed whichever is easier for the Sultan. Running the grounds they bump into a young boy the same age as them, only to find that he is the Sultan’s son Mehmed. Mehmed is a lonely boy with only his tutors for company so he befriends them both and shares all his education and time with them, which in turn takes them out of the spotlight.
Lada is a very strong character, she is a force to be reckoned with. She is brutal,fierce and just a total badass throughout the book. Being born a woman is one almighty struggle to be taken seriously in the 1400’s. She knows that she is the rightful heir of Wallachia at the young age of 11. She wants to impress her father with her fighting skills and there is a point when she thinks she has, but the only thoughts her father has is marrying her off to a suitor and being a dutiful wife. Lada is very family orientated and has a very unique relationship with her brother Radu but she will never show any emotion as this is a sign of weakness and she is perceived as a cold-hearted bitch.
Radu was always a disappointment to his father, weak,cowardly and clinging to his nursemaids side infuriated Vlad. Radu was the more emotional of siblings, even though he was not great at fighting he had a devious and cunning mind that made him equally as dangerous as Lada.
My feelings towards the characters changed a lot throughout the book at first I thought Lada was just a psychotic child but realised she is trying to prove herself as being fierce. Radu he was very sweet throughout the book and always wanted his sister to just open up and tell him she loved him and for him to tell her his secrets and feelings. The main point is that they are flawed and this is what makes characters great.
Mehmed just annoyed me and he got in the way of Lada’s plans.
The book does contain romance, a love triangle where no one expresses their love for anyone as they are too scared of the consequences or that it will stop them from their goals in life. So the romance is frustrating to say the least.
This book has a lot of political intrigue,so be prepared for wars,treaties,soldiers and their ranks. This is Historical fiction but as in the author’s notes at the end it is not accurate and a lot is made up. Religion is also touched upon, mostly Islam with Christianity but it’s not too in your face or info dumping. The book is nearly 500 pages long! I felt it could have been shorter. I enjoyed the relationship between Radu and Lada,it was a very different set-up from what we are used to. This did take me a little longer to read as in places it was very slow and I found myself getting bored.
This book covers themes such as sibling rivalry, relationships, families, romance, feminism, sexism and politics
<img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476160834l/22817331.jpg"; width="120" height="180"/>
Now I Rise is the second installment of the And I Darken saga which is due to be released in June 2017 which I will be reading as I am interested in what is going to happen next with Lada.
Overall I rated this 3.5 out of 5 stars
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Knack in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
Launch titles are often subject to some very harsh scrutiny by gamers and the new Playstation 4 game Knack is just one such example. The game was created by Sony’s Japan Studio to be a launch title for the new system and in an ironic twist, is not schedule to release in Japan until late Feb 2014.
Players play as Knack, a shape changing creation that was created by a professor using powerful and ancient relics. The relics are used as power in the societies of the world and when the Goblin race breaks a longstanding truce with new and powerful weapons of war, humanity finds itself needed to answer the threat.
A wealthy industrialist named Victor wants to use his army of robots to answer the Goblin threat but the Doctor who created Knack convinces the leaders that his creation is a more capable solution to the problem and as such is assigned to investigate and resolve the Goblin threat.
The game is divided into chapters and sub chapters and playing as Knack players must travel through caves, temples, fortresses, and other locales in missions which combine platform jumping, fighting, and puzzle solving. Players can locate hidden objects that when combined offer power ups such a relic finder and many other options that will help with the completion of the game.
Knack grows and regains health when relics are found and in time will learn how to add rocks, ice, and other substances to his matrix which in turn will allow him to be gigantic in nature for some of the games bigger battles. I will admit to taking some fiendish delight in swatting aside smaller enemies like gnats when I was able to bulk Knack up to a massive size. The game limits when Knack can reach gargantuan size as it keeps his scale in check with what the level requirements are.
There are also sun crystals that Knack can obtain which will allow him to unleash some super moves. Players can store up to three such power ups and once used, several crystals are needed to replenish what was used.
While the gameplay is fairly basic in that jumping, fighting, climbing, and avoiding enemy attacks there is some frustration with the at times repetitive nature of the levels and in game combat. While fun, it at times became boring as the game went along and it was also hampered by some of the camera angles in games that often made me resort to trial and error. This is frustrating as the game uses a checkpoint save and respawn system as once I was able to get through a tricky part of the game, I went over a cliff and had to replay a large portion of the game. This was frustrating as the camera only gave me an over the shoulder view and I could not see how much space was ahead of me. Other chapters cut to a cut scene in a similar situation but this one required me to inch forwards carefully to trigger the cutscene.
While the game does allow you to continue if you quit, I find myself having to re-watch tons of animation and replay several early stages of a level to get back to where I left off.
While the voice acting and story are nothing special the game is fun to play for what it is and I did enjoy several parts of the game despite the frustrations I mentioned earlier. The graphics are solid and while not showcases for the power of the system provide an interesting and engaging setting for the game and the numerous enemies and traps players will face.
The game has received some negative press to date which I think is highly unfair. Many people in my opinion are judging the game for what it was not rather than what it was. While it could have been a better game, it is a fun and enjoyable game for those who have more moderate expectations and would be ideal for younger players who are looking for something to play on the Playstation 4 that is age appropriate.
http://sknr.net/2014/01/26/knack/
Players play as Knack, a shape changing creation that was created by a professor using powerful and ancient relics. The relics are used as power in the societies of the world and when the Goblin race breaks a longstanding truce with new and powerful weapons of war, humanity finds itself needed to answer the threat.
A wealthy industrialist named Victor wants to use his army of robots to answer the Goblin threat but the Doctor who created Knack convinces the leaders that his creation is a more capable solution to the problem and as such is assigned to investigate and resolve the Goblin threat.
The game is divided into chapters and sub chapters and playing as Knack players must travel through caves, temples, fortresses, and other locales in missions which combine platform jumping, fighting, and puzzle solving. Players can locate hidden objects that when combined offer power ups such a relic finder and many other options that will help with the completion of the game.
Knack grows and regains health when relics are found and in time will learn how to add rocks, ice, and other substances to his matrix which in turn will allow him to be gigantic in nature for some of the games bigger battles. I will admit to taking some fiendish delight in swatting aside smaller enemies like gnats when I was able to bulk Knack up to a massive size. The game limits when Knack can reach gargantuan size as it keeps his scale in check with what the level requirements are.
There are also sun crystals that Knack can obtain which will allow him to unleash some super moves. Players can store up to three such power ups and once used, several crystals are needed to replenish what was used.
While the gameplay is fairly basic in that jumping, fighting, climbing, and avoiding enemy attacks there is some frustration with the at times repetitive nature of the levels and in game combat. While fun, it at times became boring as the game went along and it was also hampered by some of the camera angles in games that often made me resort to trial and error. This is frustrating as the game uses a checkpoint save and respawn system as once I was able to get through a tricky part of the game, I went over a cliff and had to replay a large portion of the game. This was frustrating as the camera only gave me an over the shoulder view and I could not see how much space was ahead of me. Other chapters cut to a cut scene in a similar situation but this one required me to inch forwards carefully to trigger the cutscene.
While the game does allow you to continue if you quit, I find myself having to re-watch tons of animation and replay several early stages of a level to get back to where I left off.
While the voice acting and story are nothing special the game is fun to play for what it is and I did enjoy several parts of the game despite the frustrations I mentioned earlier. The graphics are solid and while not showcases for the power of the system provide an interesting and engaging setting for the game and the numerous enemies and traps players will face.
The game has received some negative press to date which I think is highly unfair. Many people in my opinion are judging the game for what it was not rather than what it was. While it could have been a better game, it is a fun and enjoyable game for those who have more moderate expectations and would be ideal for younger players who are looking for something to play on the Playstation 4 that is age appropriate.
http://sknr.net/2014/01/26/knack/
Darren (1599 KP) rated Wings (1927) in Movies
Dec 8, 2019
Verdict: Beautiful Portray of Love & War
Story: Wings starts as two young men Jack Powell (Rogers) and David Armstrong (Arlen) both sign up to become fighter pilots in the First World War, they are from different backgrounds, with Jack working with his hands, which has seen him get the attention of Mary Preston (Bow) and David being rich, with the pair both seeking the attention of Sylvia Lewis (Ralston).
What starts out in rivalry soon becomes friendship between the two men as through their training, they learn they need to be on the same side and want the same thing from their time in the service. They are followed by Mary who has taken up a job where she delivers medical supplies to troops, all while her love for Jack continues to grow.
Thoughts on Wings
Characters – Mary Preston has worked with Jack Powell for years, they work on cars and her love for Jack is clear, she doesn’t get the attention she desires of him though, with the men at war, she uses her driving skills to deliver medical supplies, hoping to find Jack too, which sees her needing to find a way to act more lady like for the era. Jack Powell is from the working class bracket of people, he has always been great with cars and mechanics, which sees him sign up for the air force during world war 1, he will do what he can get impress the rich Sylvia to whom he loves and after years of rivalry with David, they will become friends. David Armstrong has come from a rich family, he is set to be marrying Sylvia one day if the families have their say, he sees Jack as a rival, until they fight side by side in the skies. Sylvia is the woman that both men are fighting for the attention of, they both see her as the perfect woman and will go to lengths to impress her.
Performances – This being a silent movie, all the work from the actors in the film comes from face expressions and movements, which they are all fantastic with, Clara Bow shows the pain of being in love with somebody who doesn’t want you, while Charles Rogers and Richard Arlen show the rivalry men can have when it comes to women.
Story – The story here follows two men from different backgrounds, one rich one working class, that are both fighting for the same woman, who join the air force to impress, where they become friends and learn the horrors of war. This is a story that is one that shows that love can be something people will always do crazy things for, it shows how the war bought enemies together and for a movie made in 1927, showed us a strong female character willing to go into war, unlike many films for years to come. Being a silent movie, we do get the expression and action doing a lot of the storytelling around the dialogue which is interesting because it keeps away a lot of unnecessary dialogue certain war films turn too.
Romance/War – The romance in this film shows how people will do strange things for love, you might not always see it right under your nose either, with the war being the main location that our characters all go to impress, the dog fight scenes are brilliant to watch, with the use of music making a big impact on the quality too.
Settings – The film uses the settings you would expect to see the war fought at, while we see the ground shots, it is when we are in the sky watching the dog fights that we get to feel the peril the characters are going through.
Scene of the Movie – Any of the dog fights.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does play into stereotypes of other nationalities.
Final Thoughts – This is a genius war movie that rightly deserved to win the first Oscar, it brings us a story that shows how much people would have risked for war and just how far they would go for love.
Overall: Brilliant.
Story: Wings starts as two young men Jack Powell (Rogers) and David Armstrong (Arlen) both sign up to become fighter pilots in the First World War, they are from different backgrounds, with Jack working with his hands, which has seen him get the attention of Mary Preston (Bow) and David being rich, with the pair both seeking the attention of Sylvia Lewis (Ralston).
What starts out in rivalry soon becomes friendship between the two men as through their training, they learn they need to be on the same side and want the same thing from their time in the service. They are followed by Mary who has taken up a job where she delivers medical supplies to troops, all while her love for Jack continues to grow.
Thoughts on Wings
Characters – Mary Preston has worked with Jack Powell for years, they work on cars and her love for Jack is clear, she doesn’t get the attention she desires of him though, with the men at war, she uses her driving skills to deliver medical supplies, hoping to find Jack too, which sees her needing to find a way to act more lady like for the era. Jack Powell is from the working class bracket of people, he has always been great with cars and mechanics, which sees him sign up for the air force during world war 1, he will do what he can get impress the rich Sylvia to whom he loves and after years of rivalry with David, they will become friends. David Armstrong has come from a rich family, he is set to be marrying Sylvia one day if the families have their say, he sees Jack as a rival, until they fight side by side in the skies. Sylvia is the woman that both men are fighting for the attention of, they both see her as the perfect woman and will go to lengths to impress her.
Performances – This being a silent movie, all the work from the actors in the film comes from face expressions and movements, which they are all fantastic with, Clara Bow shows the pain of being in love with somebody who doesn’t want you, while Charles Rogers and Richard Arlen show the rivalry men can have when it comes to women.
Story – The story here follows two men from different backgrounds, one rich one working class, that are both fighting for the same woman, who join the air force to impress, where they become friends and learn the horrors of war. This is a story that is one that shows that love can be something people will always do crazy things for, it shows how the war bought enemies together and for a movie made in 1927, showed us a strong female character willing to go into war, unlike many films for years to come. Being a silent movie, we do get the expression and action doing a lot of the storytelling around the dialogue which is interesting because it keeps away a lot of unnecessary dialogue certain war films turn too.
Romance/War – The romance in this film shows how people will do strange things for love, you might not always see it right under your nose either, with the war being the main location that our characters all go to impress, the dog fight scenes are brilliant to watch, with the use of music making a big impact on the quality too.
Settings – The film uses the settings you would expect to see the war fought at, while we see the ground shots, it is when we are in the sky watching the dog fights that we get to feel the peril the characters are going through.
Scene of the Movie – Any of the dog fights.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does play into stereotypes of other nationalities.
Final Thoughts – This is a genius war movie that rightly deserved to win the first Oscar, it brings us a story that shows how much people would have risked for war and just how far they would go for love.
Overall: Brilliant.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Zookeeper's Wife (2017) in Movies
Nov 24, 2017 (Updated Nov 24, 2017)
Story is harrowing and essential but film could have been made better
As a massive fan of biopics, The Zookeeper's Wife is an incredibly important tale of a the real life Polish couple who sheltered Jews in their zoo during the Second World War, helping 300 people to escape from Warsaw.
Dr. Jan Zabinski was the director of the Warsaw Zoo in the 1930's, and along with his wife Antonina and young son, they ensured the safety and care of animals in the area. Their life came to an abrupt halt with the German invasion of Poland in 1939, when most of their animals and structures were destroyed in the bombings and siege of the city. The zoo was closed under German occupation, but the Zabinskis continued to occupy the villa, and the zoo itself was used first as a pig farm and subsequently as a fur farm. All the while, Dr Zabinski smuggled Jewish people out of the Warsaw Ghetto and aided their way out of city, not before allowing them to stay in their own house. He was injured while fighting in the Polish resistance, but the couple were given an honorary title by Yad Vashem (Israel's official memorial for Jewish victims of the Holocaust) for their brave efforts.
Similar in the vein of films such as @Schindler's List (1993), there is an element of a saviour complex in these films, but unlike Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winner, it is less extravagant and less well-made, as there was very little engagement with the Jewish characters - focusing more on Antonina, played by Jessica Chastain. It is definitely heart-wrenching watching films based on the holocaust, and there were scenes I had to turn away from, such as when an elderly woman and her mother were shot dead in the streets by soldiers. The script and cinematography weren't at a high standard, however, and as a result the film definitely fell short. I would suggest reading the book @The Zookeeper's Wife - it has far more detail than the film, in which there were glaringly obvious plot holes.
Dr. Jan Zabinski was the director of the Warsaw Zoo in the 1930's, and along with his wife Antonina and young son, they ensured the safety and care of animals in the area. Their life came to an abrupt halt with the German invasion of Poland in 1939, when most of their animals and structures were destroyed in the bombings and siege of the city. The zoo was closed under German occupation, but the Zabinskis continued to occupy the villa, and the zoo itself was used first as a pig farm and subsequently as a fur farm. All the while, Dr Zabinski smuggled Jewish people out of the Warsaw Ghetto and aided their way out of city, not before allowing them to stay in their own house. He was injured while fighting in the Polish resistance, but the couple were given an honorary title by Yad Vashem (Israel's official memorial for Jewish victims of the Holocaust) for their brave efforts.
Similar in the vein of films such as @Schindler's List (1993), there is an element of a saviour complex in these films, but unlike Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winner, it is less extravagant and less well-made, as there was very little engagement with the Jewish characters - focusing more on Antonina, played by Jessica Chastain. It is definitely heart-wrenching watching films based on the holocaust, and there were scenes I had to turn away from, such as when an elderly woman and her mother were shot dead in the streets by soldiers. The script and cinematography weren't at a high standard, however, and as a result the film definitely fell short. I would suggest reading the book @The Zookeeper's Wife - it has far more detail than the film, in which there were glaringly obvious plot holes.
Debbiereadsbook (1444 KP) rated Cherish Me (Banger Triolgy #3) in Books
Jan 10, 2018
get the tissues ready, you'll need them!
I AGAIN stress my point: You NEED all three before you start!! Seriously, DO NOT attempt these books til you have all three (book one is currently free Jan 6th 2018)
Book three picks up right where book two leaves off, with that devastating revelation that leaves both Kathrine and Greyson heartbroken. And me, to tell you the truth!
That bawling your eyes I mentioned before?? Here, in flipping buckets! Make sure you have tissues!
It is emotionally draining, reading about what really happened to Greyson dad, and to Katherine's mum. What happened to push his dad to do what he did. What pushed HER dad to do what he did. It's vague, I know, but I work hard NOT to include spoilers! It's just one big mess!
And there, front and centre are two broken hearts. Two people who cannot deal with all this at the moment, but they HAVE to. Two halves of one whole that NEED to be back together, but still there are walls. Walls around her heart, his heart too, that need to be broken down for them to be really happy!
And while it IS heartbreaking reading, it is also amazing watching them both, deal with what's happened. Having their breakdown, and pulling themselves out of that funk and fighting for what they want. Greyson, especially pulls no punches in going after the one thing, the one PERSON who totally makes him whole.
And of course, there are a couple of dramas along the way, that were sprung outta nowhere, and throw everything about, but its great watching Katherine overcome those.
And they do, finally, in a most awesome way, get their happy ever after.
I read this one in one sitting, 90 minutes again!
I'm annoyed with myself, you know?? Because I WAS going to buy these books when they were originally published in 7 parts, and I never got round to it, and I could have had all this awesomeness on my kindle way before now.
So, I can only give this third book the same as the rest,
5 full and shiny stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Book three picks up right where book two leaves off, with that devastating revelation that leaves both Kathrine and Greyson heartbroken. And me, to tell you the truth!
That bawling your eyes I mentioned before?? Here, in flipping buckets! Make sure you have tissues!
It is emotionally draining, reading about what really happened to Greyson dad, and to Katherine's mum. What happened to push his dad to do what he did. What pushed HER dad to do what he did. It's vague, I know, but I work hard NOT to include spoilers! It's just one big mess!
And there, front and centre are two broken hearts. Two people who cannot deal with all this at the moment, but they HAVE to. Two halves of one whole that NEED to be back together, but still there are walls. Walls around her heart, his heart too, that need to be broken down for them to be really happy!
And while it IS heartbreaking reading, it is also amazing watching them both, deal with what's happened. Having their breakdown, and pulling themselves out of that funk and fighting for what they want. Greyson, especially pulls no punches in going after the one thing, the one PERSON who totally makes him whole.
And of course, there are a couple of dramas along the way, that were sprung outta nowhere, and throw everything about, but its great watching Katherine overcome those.
And they do, finally, in a most awesome way, get their happy ever after.
I read this one in one sitting, 90 minutes again!
I'm annoyed with myself, you know?? Because I WAS going to buy these books when they were originally published in 7 parts, and I never got round to it, and I could have had all this awesomeness on my kindle way before now.
So, I can only give this third book the same as the rest,
5 full and shiny stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
VAG_Abbo (4 KP) rated Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) in Movies
Jul 13, 2017
Great CGI work as always (3 more)
Little bits of Autobot and Cybertronian history sprinkled in
Lots of humour
Anthony Hopkins (watch it and you will understand)
Story was good yet a bit convoluted (2 more)
Lack of Dinobot screen time
Optimus not a big feature in this one
Better than expected
Contains spoilers, click to show
After seeing this film get slated by "professional" reviewers my hopes weren't very high for this instalment of a franchise that I personally enjoy. I was a pleasant surprise by how enjoyable this film was and maybe the number of laughs this film produces helps with that. It's nice to see that this film has visited the history of Cybertron and its race, but at the same time, it isn't over-explaining things and visiting the past too much. Anthony Hopkins has yet again given a great performance in this role and Mark Wahlberg gives a good show as well. For me personally, I think the trailers are a little deceiving as Optimus doesn't feature a great deal in this film. To be honest I think that there isn't enough screen time for any of the transformers as this one seems to be more about the humans, and considering the movie is called Transformers I feel that this is a bit of a letdown. Also, there was no explanation as to how Bumblebee gets his voice back and why it disappears as quick as it shows up. Yes, it's good that Optimus snaps out of the mind control (or is it bad coding in the ECU? LOL) at the sound of his old friend's real voice, but seriously how easy did that happen? If that's all it took then why didn't Bee just talk to him at the start instead of trading blows with each other and risking dying. Yes, maybe it is to get the point across that Bee will do anything for Optimus, but they are in a war they are losing so why let your strongest ally be fighting for the other side for so long? And what about Grimlock and Slag?? Very small bit parts for the Dinobots AND they changed Slags name to Slug!
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Crimson Bound in Books
Apr 30, 2018
Well, Rosamund Hodge has done it again. I think this one was actually better than Cruel Beauty, and about on par with Bright Smoke, Cold Fire. Crimson Bound is billed as Cruel Beauty #2, but it doesn't actually seem to take place in the same world. They're only connected in that they're both dark fantasy retellings of fairy tales. Crimson Bound is loosely (VERY loosely!) based on Little Red Riding Hood. It's amazing.
In Rachelle's world, The Forest is the dominating theme - it encroaches on villages and towns, sending "woodspawn" to attack people, and Forestborn to turn more humans into bloodbound and ultimately Forestborn. Humans are sheep to The Forest; prey to the Forestborn. Once a Forestborn has marked a human, they have three days to kill someone or they will die. If they kill someone, they become bloodbound - an intermediary step before they become completely Forestborn. Bloodbound have increased strength, resilience, and fighting skills, so the King has extended an offer to Bloodbound - even though they are known murderers, since they had to have killed someone to gain their powers - he will grant them clemency in exchange for their service to the realm. Guard the people from the woodspawn, the mindless monsters the Forest sends to attack people, and he'll let you live.
So Rachelle is a Bloodbound, bound to the King. Unlike most, though, she still believes in some of the old pagan stories about The Forest and the Devourer - the ancient evil driving the Forest's predatory ways. The book is about her quest to stop it from coming through into their world and destroying everything. There are twists and reveals that I cannot mention here, but it is an AMAZING piece of world-building and myth and I LOVED IT.
I also discovered she has several short stories post on her website so I'll be binge-reading those for a while!
This book - and anything by Rosamund Hodge - is pure magic. If you like dark fairy tales, you can't do better than this.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
In Rachelle's world, The Forest is the dominating theme - it encroaches on villages and towns, sending "woodspawn" to attack people, and Forestborn to turn more humans into bloodbound and ultimately Forestborn. Humans are sheep to The Forest; prey to the Forestborn. Once a Forestborn has marked a human, they have three days to kill someone or they will die. If they kill someone, they become bloodbound - an intermediary step before they become completely Forestborn. Bloodbound have increased strength, resilience, and fighting skills, so the King has extended an offer to Bloodbound - even though they are known murderers, since they had to have killed someone to gain their powers - he will grant them clemency in exchange for their service to the realm. Guard the people from the woodspawn, the mindless monsters the Forest sends to attack people, and he'll let you live.
So Rachelle is a Bloodbound, bound to the King. Unlike most, though, she still believes in some of the old pagan stories about The Forest and the Devourer - the ancient evil driving the Forest's predatory ways. The book is about her quest to stop it from coming through into their world and destroying everything. There are twists and reveals that I cannot mention here, but it is an AMAZING piece of world-building and myth and I LOVED IT.
I also discovered she has several short stories post on her website so I'll be binge-reading those for a while!
This book - and anything by Rosamund Hodge - is pure magic. If you like dark fairy tales, you can't do better than this.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Sam (74 KP) rated Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes? in Books
Mar 27, 2019
Within the first page, I was in love with this book. I love how Holly Bourne’s books don’t rely on romance to move the plot, and that is why she is one of my favourite authors.
Are We All Lemmings And Snowflakes is perfect if you enjoyed Juno Dawson’s Clean or Ned Vizzini’s It’s Kind of a Funny Story. It’s a bit of a mashup of the two but also manages to still remain original and unpredictable.
The story follows Olive as she stays in a ‘camp’ for people with mental illnesses. It’s set in a big stately home that has alpacas. ALPACAS! I promise I didn’t love the setting just because of the alpacas, but they did definitely improve the story.
The plot started off really quickly, which I wasn’t sure on to begin with, but then I could understand why. I’m used to novels with a build up before the main event, but this jumped straight to sending Olive to the therapy place, and I quite liked that. It meant that there wasn’t too much focus on why she was going there, and her story was more about her journey to getting better.
I enjoyed this even more than I enjoyed It Only Happens in The Movies, which I didn’t expect. I was completely gripped and felt a personal connection to every single character.
The mix of different people in the novel really shows how mental illness can affect anyone, no matter where people are from. It showed a broad spectrum of illnesses, while also fighting the stigmas they all have.
Let’s move on to the ending. When I was reading reviews for Are We All Lemmings And Snowflakes, I saw a lot of negativity about the ending. I’m not going to discuss what happens, but I feel that it really worked. A lot of people say it feels abrupt, but I feel that it fits the plot much better than a long, drawn out ending. If you loved the ending to Clean by Juno Dawson, you will love how this has been finished off.
Overall, I found this book amazing, and I can’t wait to pick up another novel by Holly Bourne.
Are We All Lemmings And Snowflakes is perfect if you enjoyed Juno Dawson’s Clean or Ned Vizzini’s It’s Kind of a Funny Story. It’s a bit of a mashup of the two but also manages to still remain original and unpredictable.
The story follows Olive as she stays in a ‘camp’ for people with mental illnesses. It’s set in a big stately home that has alpacas. ALPACAS! I promise I didn’t love the setting just because of the alpacas, but they did definitely improve the story.
The plot started off really quickly, which I wasn’t sure on to begin with, but then I could understand why. I’m used to novels with a build up before the main event, but this jumped straight to sending Olive to the therapy place, and I quite liked that. It meant that there wasn’t too much focus on why she was going there, and her story was more about her journey to getting better.
I enjoyed this even more than I enjoyed It Only Happens in The Movies, which I didn’t expect. I was completely gripped and felt a personal connection to every single character.
The mix of different people in the novel really shows how mental illness can affect anyone, no matter where people are from. It showed a broad spectrum of illnesses, while also fighting the stigmas they all have.
Let’s move on to the ending. When I was reading reviews for Are We All Lemmings And Snowflakes, I saw a lot of negativity about the ending. I’m not going to discuss what happens, but I feel that it really worked. A lot of people say it feels abrupt, but I feel that it fits the plot much better than a long, drawn out ending. If you loved the ending to Clean by Juno Dawson, you will love how this has been finished off.
Overall, I found this book amazing, and I can’t wait to pick up another novel by Holly Bourne.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Assassination Nation (2018) in Movies
May 3, 2019
Bad, but Could Have Been Worse
In a suburban town, four teenage girls find themselves fighting for their lives when some very private information about the townspeople gets posted online. I wanted to love this movie. I mean, it did enough to earn my respect. Unfortunately, it falls well short of being a movie I can recommend.
Acting; 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
Director Sam Levinson begins the film by capturing the essence of the daily lives of the four girls the story revolves around. You see them joking around, getting ready for a night out on the town, texting and doing all the social media stuff. It’s not long before the movie takes an extremely jarring turn. It’s a sharp curve and I appreciate the contrast. The movie maintains its bright vitality even as people are dying all over the place. Like it or not, it’s hard to look away.
Conflict: 7
Assassination Nation is slow in a number of spots. It’s like a sputtering car: hard to get going and once it does, it’s only a matter of time before it begins to stop again. There are a number of intense moments, but they are either few and far between or too little too late. From the title, I expected more.
Genre: 2
Memorability: 1
I am racking my brain trying to remember moments from this movie. It comes to me in pieces, but not spectacular pieces. The movie overall is missing a serious punch. It’s trying to succeed at being something it’s not and it shows. I mean, REALLY shows.
Pace: 8
Plot: 4
Resolution: 7
As messy as the movie can be at times, you are always hoping that the girls get a decent payoff. I won’t ruin what happens but I will say that, although it’s not perfect, it definitely beats the movie’s saggy middle.
Overall: 67
Assassination Nation is the kind of movie you watch once to say you did then move on forever. At best, it’s meh. Just when you get a glimpse of things improving, they fall below expectations. Again and again.
Acting; 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
Director Sam Levinson begins the film by capturing the essence of the daily lives of the four girls the story revolves around. You see them joking around, getting ready for a night out on the town, texting and doing all the social media stuff. It’s not long before the movie takes an extremely jarring turn. It’s a sharp curve and I appreciate the contrast. The movie maintains its bright vitality even as people are dying all over the place. Like it or not, it’s hard to look away.
Conflict: 7
Assassination Nation is slow in a number of spots. It’s like a sputtering car: hard to get going and once it does, it’s only a matter of time before it begins to stop again. There are a number of intense moments, but they are either few and far between or too little too late. From the title, I expected more.
Genre: 2
Memorability: 1
I am racking my brain trying to remember moments from this movie. It comes to me in pieces, but not spectacular pieces. The movie overall is missing a serious punch. It’s trying to succeed at being something it’s not and it shows. I mean, REALLY shows.
Pace: 8
Plot: 4
Resolution: 7
As messy as the movie can be at times, you are always hoping that the girls get a decent payoff. I won’t ruin what happens but I will say that, although it’s not perfect, it definitely beats the movie’s saggy middle.
Overall: 67
Assassination Nation is the kind of movie you watch once to say you did then move on forever. At best, it’s meh. Just when you get a glimpse of things improving, they fall below expectations. Again and again.