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Reiko LJ (126 KP) rated Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) in Movies
Jul 23, 2018 (Updated Jul 23, 2018)
Great cast and chemistry (1 more)
A genuine message at the end of it all
Don't judge a game by its box
Contains spoilers, click to show
I can hold my hands up and genuinely say I was wrong about this film and all my pre-judgements of it.
When the initial trailers dropped I was appalled - not only had they besmirched the good Jumanji name with a cheap remake but it had tropes ahoy and fanservice nonsense with Karen Gillan running round in a skimpy outftit. Also the Jack Black playing a female character just felt like a dodgy observation on a man being funny pretending to speak like a woman.
Well. I was totally wrong.
It sold itself as good fun and it delivered with some actual depth bringing up the rear.
The tropes I was worried about were flipped on their head. The geeky guy didn't chase the popular girl and get her in the end - he always liked the geeky girl. The game gave them a platform to express their mutual feelings to each other and to gain confidence in general.
The jock learned about strengths outside of his physicality. The popular girl learned about being selfless and seeing the world outside of her phone.
The video game format was a great way to bring the film to the modern age and had some really smart nods to aspects within them.
Definitely not what I expected, pleasantly surprised. Hell, the ending even brought a tear to my eye! 100% glad I gave it a shot
When the initial trailers dropped I was appalled - not only had they besmirched the good Jumanji name with a cheap remake but it had tropes ahoy and fanservice nonsense with Karen Gillan running round in a skimpy outftit. Also the Jack Black playing a female character just felt like a dodgy observation on a man being funny pretending to speak like a woman.
Well. I was totally wrong.
It sold itself as good fun and it delivered with some actual depth bringing up the rear.
The tropes I was worried about were flipped on their head. The geeky guy didn't chase the popular girl and get her in the end - he always liked the geeky girl. The game gave them a platform to express their mutual feelings to each other and to gain confidence in general.
The jock learned about strengths outside of his physicality. The popular girl learned about being selfless and seeing the world outside of her phone.
The video game format was a great way to bring the film to the modern age and had some really smart nods to aspects within them.
Definitely not what I expected, pleasantly surprised. Hell, the ending even brought a tear to my eye! 100% glad I gave it a shot
Debbiereadsbook (1080 KP) rated Hiding From Two (Soul Match #3) in Books
Jun 30, 2018
really enjoying this series!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 3 in the Soul Match series, and you really DO need to read books one, Slave For Two and book two, Cherished By Two before you read this one. You need to know about Chris, Lasar and Nary and not all is recapped here.
Morgan is Chris' cousin and under Lasar's protective custody. After Advisor Hallosh helped save Morgan from the attack at the Nall's sex party, the Soul Match flares between them. But then it flares again when Morgan meets Rama, Lasar's warrior friend. But Morgan is scared, and it takes another vision that Chris has to make Morgan see, that there are worse things than being a third in a Soul Match bond. Time is running out, though, for both the human and Alasharian rebellion.
For me, the weakest of the three books so far, and I think it's mainly because of Morgan himself! He was so adamant that he would NOT match with Hallosh and Rama, and then BOOM, his opinion flipped on a penny and I felt it a bit much.
We do get some Chris and that vision the Shar Shar Ar graces Chris with. We get what's happening with the Nall and the Void.
And we are introduced to Graham in the most horrific way. His book is next.
So, not as good as book 2, but on a par with book one.
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere*
This is book 3 in the Soul Match series, and you really DO need to read books one, Slave For Two and book two, Cherished By Two before you read this one. You need to know about Chris, Lasar and Nary and not all is recapped here.
Morgan is Chris' cousin and under Lasar's protective custody. After Advisor Hallosh helped save Morgan from the attack at the Nall's sex party, the Soul Match flares between them. But then it flares again when Morgan meets Rama, Lasar's warrior friend. But Morgan is scared, and it takes another vision that Chris has to make Morgan see, that there are worse things than being a third in a Soul Match bond. Time is running out, though, for both the human and Alasharian rebellion.
For me, the weakest of the three books so far, and I think it's mainly because of Morgan himself! He was so adamant that he would NOT match with Hallosh and Rama, and then BOOM, his opinion flipped on a penny and I felt it a bit much.
We do get some Chris and that vision the Shar Shar Ar graces Chris with. We get what's happening with the Nall and the Void.
And we are introduced to Graham in the most horrific way. His book is next.
So, not as good as book 2, but on a par with book one.
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere*
tapestry100 (306 KP) rated Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too: A Book in Books
Aug 2, 2017
Originally reviewed on http://www.frommybookshelf.com
I have never heard of Jomny Sun, nor his twitter feed, @jonnysun, and after having read everyone's a aliebn when ur a aliebn too, I feel like I've been missing out on something fairly amazing. everyone's a aliebn opens with the alien Jomny being dropped off on Earth, to study the planet and what it means to be an earthling. Never feeling like a part of his people, Jomny at first feels lost on Earth, but as he learns what it means to be an earthling thru his encounters with a varied cast of characters, he actually discovers what it means to be human instead, and begins to finally feel like he has found his place in the universe.
This is one of those rare treats of a book for me that reminds me how you can be fooled by a book, and in a beautiful way. Remarkably told thru the sparsest of illustrations and text, everyone's a aliebn when ur a aliebn too has an emotional impact I was not expecting. The illustrations and text are so basic, I initially thought I was just reading a cute little story about an alien on Earth and his misadventures, but what Jonathan Sun provides is actually a guide to the ups and downs of all human emotion, and it is surprisingly powerful. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately flipped back to the beginning as soon as I finished and read the whole thing again. I think this would be a perfect book for anyone who is having a hard time finding their place in the world; if Jomny can do it, any of us can.
I have never heard of Jomny Sun, nor his twitter feed, @jonnysun, and after having read everyone's a aliebn when ur a aliebn too, I feel like I've been missing out on something fairly amazing. everyone's a aliebn opens with the alien Jomny being dropped off on Earth, to study the planet and what it means to be an earthling. Never feeling like a part of his people, Jomny at first feels lost on Earth, but as he learns what it means to be an earthling thru his encounters with a varied cast of characters, he actually discovers what it means to be human instead, and begins to finally feel like he has found his place in the universe.
This is one of those rare treats of a book for me that reminds me how you can be fooled by a book, and in a beautiful way. Remarkably told thru the sparsest of illustrations and text, everyone's a aliebn when ur a aliebn too has an emotional impact I was not expecting. The illustrations and text are so basic, I initially thought I was just reading a cute little story about an alien on Earth and his misadventures, but what Jonathan Sun provides is actually a guide to the ups and downs of all human emotion, and it is surprisingly powerful. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately flipped back to the beginning as soon as I finished and read the whole thing again. I think this would be a perfect book for anyone who is having a hard time finding their place in the world; if Jomny can do it, any of us can.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated 60 Quick Knits: 20 Hats*20 Scarves*20 Mittens in Cascade 220™ in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Cascade 220 is an inexpensive good quality wool in hundreds of colors. However, any yarn of the same weight (or even a different weight if you want to get creative and do something funky) can be substituted if needed.
60 Quick Knits is a fantastic book! The patterns are beautiful and inspiring, each one is unique and holds potential for a million variations of decor, color, stitch patterning etc. There are patterns for kids, like bunny mittens, a lion scarf, a cupcake hat, and more sophisticated patterns like textured tam, hugs and kisses mittens, and even some patterns for the guys like a pocket scarf and tweed mittens.
Here is a preview of some of the patterns photographs I mentioned.
(http://lh6.ggpht.com/_-sER6e5xCaQ/S7fChi20hXI/AAAAAAAACkg/RsTyBqnFFac/s1600-h/60%20knits%20preview%5B4%5D.jpg)
Each pattern tells the level of experience needed to complete it, has one or two high quality good photographs, very good clear instructions, and graphs with keys. In the front of the book is a list of abbreviations, and a conversion table from US needle sizes to Metric needle sizes.
The book doesn’t attempting to teach someone to knit, so you’ll need a good knitting teaching book, or a teacher, or some foreknowledge before you can use it. I find this a good thing, since the book is focusing on patterns rather than instruction.
When I got this one in the mail, I swear I drooled. My mom and I flipped through the pages oooh-ing and aahhh-ing. I’m going to have trouble picking which one to make first!
Recommendation: Knitters at any level
60 Quick Knits is released by Sixth&Springs books on April 6th.
**review copy provided by publisher**
60 Quick Knits is a fantastic book! The patterns are beautiful and inspiring, each one is unique and holds potential for a million variations of decor, color, stitch patterning etc. There are patterns for kids, like bunny mittens, a lion scarf, a cupcake hat, and more sophisticated patterns like textured tam, hugs and kisses mittens, and even some patterns for the guys like a pocket scarf and tweed mittens.
Here is a preview of some of the patterns photographs I mentioned.
(http://lh6.ggpht.com/_-sER6e5xCaQ/S7fChi20hXI/AAAAAAAACkg/RsTyBqnFFac/s1600-h/60%20knits%20preview%5B4%5D.jpg)
Each pattern tells the level of experience needed to complete it, has one or two high quality good photographs, very good clear instructions, and graphs with keys. In the front of the book is a list of abbreviations, and a conversion table from US needle sizes to Metric needle sizes.
The book doesn’t attempting to teach someone to knit, so you’ll need a good knitting teaching book, or a teacher, or some foreknowledge before you can use it. I find this a good thing, since the book is focusing on patterns rather than instruction.
When I got this one in the mail, I swear I drooled. My mom and I flipped through the pages oooh-ing and aahhh-ing. I’m going to have trouble picking which one to make first!
Recommendation: Knitters at any level
60 Quick Knits is released by Sixth&Springs books on April 6th.
**review copy provided by publisher**
Kristin (149 KP) rated Looking for La La in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Cathy is a stay-at-home mom, but that's starting to be an issue for her husband. He thinks all she does is sit at home all day, now that both kids are in school most of the day. He harps on her about joining the workforce again, but she has her own issues and reasons for not wanting to go along with it. Then, random postcards start arriving in the post from a person called "La La," talking about Cathy's husband. Is he having an affair? Is THAT why he wants her otherwise occupied with a job, so she's not home as often? Or is it just someone messing with him, with her? As Cathy and her trusted friends try to figure out the identity of the poison penner, their "perfect" suburban lives start to go through downward spirals. With all this other chaos going on, how will Cathy even find the time to figure out who La La is, much less be able to nab a job?
This is such a fun little mystery, and it has all those juicy tidbits that also pull you along for the ride; you know, the ones we all watch reality shows and soap operas for. Cathy and her friends are such interesting characters, and I honestly can't tell you how many times I flipped back and forth on La La's identity, as well as how I felt about certain people in her life. All of this, while still trying to be a wife and mother; it's craziness, I tell you! I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next one in the series, and will actually be starting it upon publishing this review. Loved it!
4 1/2 stars
Cathy is a stay-at-home mom, but that's starting to be an issue for her husband. He thinks all she does is sit at home all day, now that both kids are in school most of the day. He harps on her about joining the workforce again, but she has her own issues and reasons for not wanting to go along with it. Then, random postcards start arriving in the post from a person called "La La," talking about Cathy's husband. Is he having an affair? Is THAT why he wants her otherwise occupied with a job, so she's not home as often? Or is it just someone messing with him, with her? As Cathy and her trusted friends try to figure out the identity of the poison penner, their "perfect" suburban lives start to go through downward spirals. With all this other chaos going on, how will Cathy even find the time to figure out who La La is, much less be able to nab a job?
This is such a fun little mystery, and it has all those juicy tidbits that also pull you along for the ride; you know, the ones we all watch reality shows and soap operas for. Cathy and her friends are such interesting characters, and I honestly can't tell you how many times I flipped back and forth on La La's identity, as well as how I felt about certain people in her life. All of this, while still trying to be a wife and mother; it's craziness, I tell you! I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next one in the series, and will actually be starting it upon publishing this review. Loved it!
4 1/2 stars
Amanda Palmer recommended Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles in Music (curated)
Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) in Movies
Apr 22, 2021
What the hell was that?
I've never watched a full Tarantino movie. They're long. They drag on. I get bored. I've heard that they're ultraviolent, which usually isn't my thing but since I'm interested in true crime and this movie is based in LA at the time of the Manson murders, when I had nothing better to do on a Saturday afternoon and it was on the station the tv was tuned to when I turned it on, I decided to give it a go. I missed most of the Leo parts. I think he was throwing a fit in the trailer when I flipped it on. Either that or Brad Pitt was driving down the strip and picked up a cute girl and drove her to her friend's place (you know where it was.) So, okay. Very long scenes with not much dialogue happening. Lots of establishment of mood and atmosphere. I'm pretty sure I lost three hours while Pitt walked around her friend's place. Eventually, and I dunno when, I got confused, we come to the night of the event, and I was expecting a fact-based, but a gruesome retelling of the Manson murders. Is that what I got? Hell no! What did I get? I don't have any idea. It certainly wasn't that. Seriously, it was so stupid. It was laughable if it wasn't so embarrassingly stupid. Unrealistic and stupid. Obnoxiously stupid. Why did I waste my time watching the part of this movie I watched? Those are hours I will never get back.
This kind of cinema is lost of me, guys. I'm glad you enjoy it. But I'll never watch anything like it again. It's okay, though. I'm sure Tarantino will be just fine without my money. He seems to be doing all right for himself.
This kind of cinema is lost of me, guys. I'm glad you enjoy it. But I'll never watch anything like it again. It's okay, though. I'm sure Tarantino will be just fine without my money. He seems to be doing all right for himself.
Ducklady (1174 KP) rated The Core: The Demon Cycle in Books
Aug 25, 2019
The ending to a spectacular series
Contains spoilers, click to show
Despite negative things I had heard about this book, I was eager to read the final book of the demon cycle series.
I loved the new additions to the POV characters, my favourites being Ashia and Briar. I did feel like it skated away from the main protagonists many times, which frustrated me while I was anxious to get back to Arlen and co. Saying that, the chapters for Ragen and Elissa were brilliant and gave some insight into characters that were already held dear. It revisited some of Arlen's friends from his childhood and the way they had changed from children to adults was an interesting read.
The gap in coming back to the main characters made the book even more tense and made me want to read more and more.
I was confused about the author's opinions on religion, particularly with the scenes between Arlen and Jardir. I have gotten a very negative vibe surrounding religion all throughout the series, but when they were travelling to the core, that seemed flipped on its head.
One part that really struck me was the reaction that Leesha had when she saw her rapist. she relived the moment and still spared the man's life. He was a simple monster that had been implied to have raped other women too. Leesha had a daughter to think about and I think that would have realistically caused her to execute the man, it even said that she wouldn't have been judged for it. Half the time Leesha is holier than thou, although other times she has used her flameworks and poison to kill people... like come on, kill the goddamn rapist. Other than that, this book was almost impossible to put down.
I am excited for the next series and will likely reread the entire series again.
I loved the new additions to the POV characters, my favourites being Ashia and Briar. I did feel like it skated away from the main protagonists many times, which frustrated me while I was anxious to get back to Arlen and co. Saying that, the chapters for Ragen and Elissa were brilliant and gave some insight into characters that were already held dear. It revisited some of Arlen's friends from his childhood and the way they had changed from children to adults was an interesting read.
The gap in coming back to the main characters made the book even more tense and made me want to read more and more.
I was confused about the author's opinions on religion, particularly with the scenes between Arlen and Jardir. I have gotten a very negative vibe surrounding religion all throughout the series, but when they were travelling to the core, that seemed flipped on its head.
One part that really struck me was the reaction that Leesha had when she saw her rapist. she relived the moment and still spared the man's life. He was a simple monster that had been implied to have raped other women too. Leesha had a daughter to think about and I think that would have realistically caused her to execute the man, it even said that she wouldn't have been judged for it. Half the time Leesha is holier than thou, although other times she has used her flameworks and poison to kill people... like come on, kill the goddamn rapist. Other than that, this book was almost impossible to put down.
I am excited for the next series and will likely reread the entire series again.
Merissa (11666 KP) rated Betrayed (The Emrys Chronicles #2) in Books
Jul 5, 2021 (Updated Jul 17, 2023)
BETRAYED is the second book in The Emrys Chronicles and Einion is now all grown-up. Catrin has changed from his aunt to someone who sees him as a man, and it leaves him very confused. A time apart sounds like a good thing, but then along comes Rhianu to confuse him even further.
I didn't enjoy this one as much as book one. There are reasons for this, so let me explain. First of all, the thing with Catrin and Einion. I don't know, but this just didn't work from the start for me. I found myself losing patience with both of them. Maybe because I knew they wouldn't be together? I don't know. The other was the angels. I understand what the author was going for, but that word just seemed out of place amongst all the dragons. And finally, Aerona. She flipped too quickly for me. For so long saying one thing, and then changing her mind on the flip of a coin.
Now I've said that, let me say this. I DID enjoy this book. It is full of action and adventure, light and darkness, and choices to be made. I thought Einion was a great character, all too real with his worries and concerns about doing a job to the best of his abilities. I liked Catrin in Ahnalyn’s book, so I'm hoping once I read hers, I'll be back on the same wavelength again. Meinwen is another fantastic character.
This was a good addition to the series that moved the overall story arc forwards. I enjoyed it and recommend it.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 5, 2021
I didn't enjoy this one as much as book one. There are reasons for this, so let me explain. First of all, the thing with Catrin and Einion. I don't know, but this just didn't work from the start for me. I found myself losing patience with both of them. Maybe because I knew they wouldn't be together? I don't know. The other was the angels. I understand what the author was going for, but that word just seemed out of place amongst all the dragons. And finally, Aerona. She flipped too quickly for me. For so long saying one thing, and then changing her mind on the flip of a coin.
Now I've said that, let me say this. I DID enjoy this book. It is full of action and adventure, light and darkness, and choices to be made. I thought Einion was a great character, all too real with his worries and concerns about doing a job to the best of his abilities. I liked Catrin in Ahnalyn’s book, so I'm hoping once I read hers, I'll be back on the same wavelength again. Meinwen is another fantastic character.
This was a good addition to the series that moved the overall story arc forwards. I enjoyed it and recommend it.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 5, 2021
Josh Burns (166 KP) rated Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery in Tabletop Games
Jun 20, 2019
Easy to learn but a ton of fun (1 more)
Great strategy and combat
I had my eye on this game for a while before finally pulling the trigger and ordering it a few years ago. I had little faith in a game based on a tv show, but I love gladiator games and there aren't many to choose from.
The base game is 3-4 players, there are expansions that increase that, but I'm sticking with the base game for this review. Each player controls a different House, which have their own stats, abilities, and alternate objectives, with the main objective being to reach 10 influence.
The game plays basically as follows:
Upkeep phase: collect money, try to heal wounded gladiators, and reactivate slaves that were used.
Market: A number of cards are drawn and placed face down, then one card is flipped. It could be a gladiator, a slave (can earn you money and may have abilities that are useful outside the arena) or gear for your gladiators. All players choose how many coins to bid and keep them in a closed fist until everyone is ready, then everyone reveals their bid. Whoever was highest wins. You then repeat till each card is flipped. You can also put your own cards up for auction or offer trades.
the arena: after this, 2 players chosen by another player have to either fight each other, pitting a slave or gladiator against the oppents, or forfeit at the cost of Influence. Players may place bets on who will win and if the loser will be killed, or badly injured.
The game is basically 2 games in 1: outside the arena and in it.
Outside: It is primarily about making deals, lying, setting each other up, making temporary allies and backstabbing. Literally the only rule in the actual rulebook about how to go about this is: "Don't be a dick. " It actually says that, and says they mean keep it fun, don't actually try to be a spiteful douche. There is nothing directing you when to lie or be honest, if you have to keep promises, etc.
In the arena: Combat is fun and simple. Not all fighters are equal but I have seen weak ones overcome the odds. If you're a fan of the show you will recognize many names. As a quick sidenote, an expansion can turn these fights from 1 vs 1 to 2 vs 2. I've won hard fought games, and I've lost on purpose to win a bet or fulfill a deal. Your fighter may or may not die or be injured. The player who chose the participants also decides the fate of the losing fighter (if they didn't die fighting) with a thumbs up or down. The player with the losing fighter can plead for the fighters survival or bribe, or maybe the player chosing wants the losing player to owe them a favor. There is never a clear cut choice.
In conclusion: This is a favorite of mine. It is unbelievably fun making deals (whether you keep them or not) bribing, setting players against each other etc. The combat is fun and easy to learn and the other players are typically screaming at whoever they want to win if they aren't doing well (in good fun, not actual anger). I can't think of anything to not like about it. If you like the show you'll love references such as the "Jupiter's Cock" card and seeing all the characters (slaves, gladiators, and dominas). If you don't like the show, it's still a hell of a game and you don't need to watch the show to know what's going on.
The base game is 3-4 players, there are expansions that increase that, but I'm sticking with the base game for this review. Each player controls a different House, which have their own stats, abilities, and alternate objectives, with the main objective being to reach 10 influence.
The game plays basically as follows:
Upkeep phase: collect money, try to heal wounded gladiators, and reactivate slaves that were used.
Market: A number of cards are drawn and placed face down, then one card is flipped. It could be a gladiator, a slave (can earn you money and may have abilities that are useful outside the arena) or gear for your gladiators. All players choose how many coins to bid and keep them in a closed fist until everyone is ready, then everyone reveals their bid. Whoever was highest wins. You then repeat till each card is flipped. You can also put your own cards up for auction or offer trades.
the arena: after this, 2 players chosen by another player have to either fight each other, pitting a slave or gladiator against the oppents, or forfeit at the cost of Influence. Players may place bets on who will win and if the loser will be killed, or badly injured.
The game is basically 2 games in 1: outside the arena and in it.
Outside: It is primarily about making deals, lying, setting each other up, making temporary allies and backstabbing. Literally the only rule in the actual rulebook about how to go about this is: "Don't be a dick. " It actually says that, and says they mean keep it fun, don't actually try to be a spiteful douche. There is nothing directing you when to lie or be honest, if you have to keep promises, etc.
In the arena: Combat is fun and simple. Not all fighters are equal but I have seen weak ones overcome the odds. If you're a fan of the show you will recognize many names. As a quick sidenote, an expansion can turn these fights from 1 vs 1 to 2 vs 2. I've won hard fought games, and I've lost on purpose to win a bet or fulfill a deal. Your fighter may or may not die or be injured. The player who chose the participants also decides the fate of the losing fighter (if they didn't die fighting) with a thumbs up or down. The player with the losing fighter can plead for the fighters survival or bribe, or maybe the player chosing wants the losing player to owe them a favor. There is never a clear cut choice.
In conclusion: This is a favorite of mine. It is unbelievably fun making deals (whether you keep them or not) bribing, setting players against each other etc. The combat is fun and easy to learn and the other players are typically screaming at whoever they want to win if they aren't doing well (in good fun, not actual anger). I can't think of anything to not like about it. If you like the show you'll love references such as the "Jupiter's Cock" card and seeing all the characters (slaves, gladiators, and dominas). If you don't like the show, it's still a hell of a game and you don't need to watch the show to know what's going on.