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The Husbands
7.0
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The wives here are different. They are living proof that women can have it all: successful careers,...
David McK (3623 KP) rated Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) in Movies
Jan 6, 2025
Antonio Banderas' Zorro-alike Puss in Boots was arguable the break-out star from Shrek 2.
So much so, that he got his own spin-off in 2011 'Puss in Boots' which, from memory, I felt lacked the spark of his earlier entries.
So much so, that it was just over a decade later that he got his second solo movie, in this.
Which, artistically (and, I felt, to it's detriment) takes its cue from the 'Into the Spider-verse' movies and so, like those, comes across as an over-caffeinated sugar-rush of a headache, which (IMO) overshadows the whole message about found family and living your life to its fullest.
YMMV, of course.
So much so, that he got his own spin-off in 2011 'Puss in Boots' which, from memory, I felt lacked the spark of his earlier entries.
So much so, that it was just over a decade later that he got his second solo movie, in this.
Which, artistically (and, I felt, to it's detriment) takes its cue from the 'Into the Spider-verse' movies and so, like those, comes across as an over-caffeinated sugar-rush of a headache, which (IMO) overshadows the whole message about found family and living your life to its fullest.
YMMV, of course.
David McK (3623 KP) rated Killer of killers (2025) in Movies
Aug 10, 2025 (Updated Aug 10, 2025)
Animated anthology-in-all-but name, set in the Predator universe, clearly delineated into 4 segments as follows:
1) A Viking Warrior
2) A Japanese Samurai
3) A WW2 American pilot
All have one thing in common: they all have faced down, and defeated, a member of the Predator species.
And all, in the 4th 'chapter' of the film, are brought to fight each other in an arena on the Predator homeland.
I found this to be an OK watch: it never really caught my attention all that much, which might be why I watched it over roughly the course of a month, 1 roughlt 25 minute or so, 'chapter' per week.
1) A Viking Warrior
2) A Japanese Samurai
3) A WW2 American pilot
All have one thing in common: they all have faced down, and defeated, a member of the Predator species.
And all, in the 4th 'chapter' of the film, are brought to fight each other in an arena on the Predator homeland.
I found this to be an OK watch: it never really caught my attention all that much, which might be why I watched it over roughly the course of a month, 1 roughlt 25 minute or so, 'chapter' per week.
How To Save a Life
8.0
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Sometimes saving a life is only the start of the story . . . It’s nearly midnight on the eve of...
A Feast Most Foul
10.0
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Murder is the main event in the Duchess's next gripping adventure. For her first official trip as...
Whilst this may be the second of Andy Weir's novels (after The Martian but before Project Hail Mary), it's actually the third I read.
Thankfully, all three are stand-alone.
This one is set in the relatively near future and on the moon, where Artemis is the first - and, currently, only - city there, and where life can be rough.
Which is why the protagonist Jasmine "Jazz" Bashara turns to smuggling alongside her 'proper' job as a porter. And, inevitably, finds herself involved in a conspiracy for control of the city when things go sideways.
Personally, I found this to be a bit weaker than either The Martian or Project Hail Mary but, well, tastes may differ!
Thankfully, all three are stand-alone.
This one is set in the relatively near future and on the moon, where Artemis is the first - and, currently, only - city there, and where life can be rough.
Which is why the protagonist Jasmine "Jazz" Bashara turns to smuggling alongside her 'proper' job as a porter. And, inevitably, finds herself involved in a conspiracy for control of the city when things go sideways.
Personally, I found this to be a bit weaker than either The Martian or Project Hail Mary but, well, tastes may differ!
postapocalypticplayground (27 KP) rated The Last Namsara in Books
Jan 9, 2018
Where the Namsara brings life the Iskari brings death. Asha is the Iskari, death bringer and dragon hunter. Cursed with a lifetime of knowing it was her fault that dragons had come to ransack her town when she was a child, she is feared and reviled. It was her mother telling her the Old Stories of dragons that brought them, a balm to her nightmares with horrendous consequences. Asha has dedicated her young life to slaying the dragons, although now with them dwindling in numbers she must take drastic action to ensure a successful hunt. Asha must tell the outlawed Old Stories again.
The last Namsara is very much a book of revelations for Asha. The dragon attack when she was a child left her without a mother and also horrible scarred from the burns she suffered. Having to not only live with the fact that she is hated she also has to deal with the stares associated with her disfigurement, the armour she wears is both necessary for her hunt and for her emotional wellbeing. When her secret is out following an accident during a hunt, she is tended to by Torwin, her betrothed’s slave, who seemingly is willing to keep her secret, but at what cost to both of them?
Through a series of cruel acts she finds herself visited by the first Namsara who starts her on a path that will not only unravel the truth about what happened the day of the dragon attack, but also a much deeper and long running deception. Asha must therefore right the wrongs.
I very much liked Asha as a character, I found that she was written with both strength and vulnerability, she has always been the Iskari and that has given her an opportunity to hide behind a persona. She is however still a teenager and she has the same hopes and fears as everyone, but her hardened act is thankfully easy to scratch beyond the surface of. The book was an easy flowing read and I particularly liked how the Old Stories were interwoven into the pages, completing parts of the story and acting almost like a running prologue. It was a great way of explaining a complicated back story without being an info dump on the reader. I also found that there was a great deal of realism about the aftermaths of events, the fact that laws can’t be changed to suit the sovereign and that one persons change for the better will always be anothers change for the worse. It didn’t shy away from the ugly side of things and that always gets good marks from me.
That being said, I found the Last Namsara lacked a certain spark. I enjoyed reading it very much don’t get me wrong, but it didn’t have my pulse racing and I found it easy to put down of an evening. I would still recommend this to anyone who is a fan of dragons and kick ass female protagonists as it really does have a lot to like.
The last Namsara is very much a book of revelations for Asha. The dragon attack when she was a child left her without a mother and also horrible scarred from the burns she suffered. Having to not only live with the fact that she is hated she also has to deal with the stares associated with her disfigurement, the armour she wears is both necessary for her hunt and for her emotional wellbeing. When her secret is out following an accident during a hunt, she is tended to by Torwin, her betrothed’s slave, who seemingly is willing to keep her secret, but at what cost to both of them?
Through a series of cruel acts she finds herself visited by the first Namsara who starts her on a path that will not only unravel the truth about what happened the day of the dragon attack, but also a much deeper and long running deception. Asha must therefore right the wrongs.
I very much liked Asha as a character, I found that she was written with both strength and vulnerability, she has always been the Iskari and that has given her an opportunity to hide behind a persona. She is however still a teenager and she has the same hopes and fears as everyone, but her hardened act is thankfully easy to scratch beyond the surface of. The book was an easy flowing read and I particularly liked how the Old Stories were interwoven into the pages, completing parts of the story and acting almost like a running prologue. It was a great way of explaining a complicated back story without being an info dump on the reader. I also found that there was a great deal of realism about the aftermaths of events, the fact that laws can’t be changed to suit the sovereign and that one persons change for the better will always be anothers change for the worse. It didn’t shy away from the ugly side of things and that always gets good marks from me.
That being said, I found the Last Namsara lacked a certain spark. I enjoyed reading it very much don’t get me wrong, but it didn’t have my pulse racing and I found it easy to put down of an evening. I would still recommend this to anyone who is a fan of dragons and kick ass female protagonists as it really does have a lot to like.
postapocalypticplayground (27 KP) rated The Hazel Wood in Books
Feb 28, 2018
Review of The Hazel Wood
"Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice's life on the road, always a step ahead of the strange bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice's grandmother, the reclusive author of a book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate - the Hazel Wood - Alice learns how bad her luck can really get. Her mother is stolen away - by a figure who claims to come from the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: STAY AWAY FROM THE HAZEL WOOD.
To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began . . ."
I'm not to sure how to start with this review. I found The Hazel Wood a real book of 2 halves, one half was very contemporary and not what I would have traditionally expected from a fantasy whereas the other was dark, twisted and incredibly chilling to read at times. I found that not only did I feel this way with the story but also with the characters too. I struggled immensely with the main protagonist Alice, I really couldn't warm to her at all and given her character arc perhaps there is good reason for her being written that way. Whilst she has clearly had to build up walls from the nomadic existence she has had with her mother, I just found her very frustrating in her manner. Juxtaposed with Ellery Finch, her partner in crime of sorts, it really brings out her brattish qualities. Ellery is fabulous though and despite his privilege and flaws I just really enjoyed his character. His fanboy status in relation to the book written by Alice's grandmother also gives us an insight into a few of the dark stories themselves, as he re-tells them to Alice in his own words.
For me the contemporary element was a bit too overwhelming, the breadcrumbs had to be laid and followed in true Hansel and Gretel style but I felt that it took a bit too long to get to where it needed to go. However, when it reached that point I really started to enjoy it more, the pace picked up and I got a sense of both excitement and dread as I was reading. The story telling becomes darker and you know you are very much in the Grimm fairy tale camp rather than Disney. Tricks and twists are plenty as Alice tries to fulfil an almost prophetic course to an ending which isn't quite what you may be expecting.
Whilst I enjoyed it immensely in places, at times I found it a bit of a slog - I need more fantasy in my fantasy. I think it would have been lovely as well to actually have more of the "Tales from the Hinterland" stories within the book as I feel that could have really added an extra dimension to the latter part of the story. From me, The Hazel Wood gets 3*
To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began . . ."
I'm not to sure how to start with this review. I found The Hazel Wood a real book of 2 halves, one half was very contemporary and not what I would have traditionally expected from a fantasy whereas the other was dark, twisted and incredibly chilling to read at times. I found that not only did I feel this way with the story but also with the characters too. I struggled immensely with the main protagonist Alice, I really couldn't warm to her at all and given her character arc perhaps there is good reason for her being written that way. Whilst she has clearly had to build up walls from the nomadic existence she has had with her mother, I just found her very frustrating in her manner. Juxtaposed with Ellery Finch, her partner in crime of sorts, it really brings out her brattish qualities. Ellery is fabulous though and despite his privilege and flaws I just really enjoyed his character. His fanboy status in relation to the book written by Alice's grandmother also gives us an insight into a few of the dark stories themselves, as he re-tells them to Alice in his own words.
For me the contemporary element was a bit too overwhelming, the breadcrumbs had to be laid and followed in true Hansel and Gretel style but I felt that it took a bit too long to get to where it needed to go. However, when it reached that point I really started to enjoy it more, the pace picked up and I got a sense of both excitement and dread as I was reading. The story telling becomes darker and you know you are very much in the Grimm fairy tale camp rather than Disney. Tricks and twists are plenty as Alice tries to fulfil an almost prophetic course to an ending which isn't quite what you may be expecting.
Whilst I enjoyed it immensely in places, at times I found it a bit of a slog - I need more fantasy in my fantasy. I think it would have been lovely as well to actually have more of the "Tales from the Hinterland" stories within the book as I feel that could have really added an extra dimension to the latter part of the story. From me, The Hazel Wood gets 3*
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Oppression (Children of the Gods, #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
(I hate writing reviews that are under 3 stars, but I told the author I'd write a review, so here goes).
Okay, so I wanted to really like this book, I really did. It was about Greek gods and goddesses which is a subject I like. However hard I tried to get into it, I just couldn't. It actually felt like a chore, and I hated having to read it. I took a little break from it, but when I came back to it, I still couldn't get into it.
Please keep in mind this review is only going to be about the first 9 chapters as I stopped reading when I got to chapter 10.
The title is a fantastic choice for this book. When I stopped reading, it had gotten obvious why the author chose this title.
I'm not really sold on the cover. It's just too boring for my liking. Again, this book has taken the easy way out by just putting a photo on the cover. Whatever happened to imagination!?!
The world building didn't really seem that thought out. I found myself being nagged by so many questions about Elyse's aging process that I couldn't answer. The whole aging thing just did not make much sense. Based on the bit I read of this book, I just didn't see the world building getting any better.
The pacing in this book was so slow!! I found myself becoming easily bored and not caring about anything that happened. As I said previously, I even took a book thinking maybe it was just me, but when I came back to it, I found the pacing to be even slower if that's possible.
The dialogue between the characters was well thought out. It never seemed forced and seemed to flow with the story. Based on what I read of this book, there was no swearing.
The character of Elyse didn't seem very well-developed. She does not act 89 at all but acts like a teenager. Surely she'd act her age regardless of what age she looked like physically!?! That is what mainly put me off the whole book. I liked William based on the little bit I read about him. He seems like a fun character. I would've liked to find out a bit more about Kara but I just really couldn't force myself to read this book anymore.
Like I said, I really wanted to enjoy this book. Even the synopsis sounded promising. I think the idea of the book is a good one, but it wasn't executed very well. I think if the author had maybe worked on the book a bit longer, it could've been really good.
Overall, I wouldn't really recommend this book unless you aren't very fussy with details or unless you're really bored. If you want to take a chance with it (and you may like it), I'd say it's a book for those aged 13+ from what I've read.
(I hate writing reviews that are under 3 stars, but I told the author I'd write a review, so here goes).
Okay, so I wanted to really like this book, I really did. It was about Greek gods and goddesses which is a subject I like. However hard I tried to get into it, I just couldn't. It actually felt like a chore, and I hated having to read it. I took a little break from it, but when I came back to it, I still couldn't get into it.
Please keep in mind this review is only going to be about the first 9 chapters as I stopped reading when I got to chapter 10.
The title is a fantastic choice for this book. When I stopped reading, it had gotten obvious why the author chose this title.
I'm not really sold on the cover. It's just too boring for my liking. Again, this book has taken the easy way out by just putting a photo on the cover. Whatever happened to imagination!?!
The world building didn't really seem that thought out. I found myself being nagged by so many questions about Elyse's aging process that I couldn't answer. The whole aging thing just did not make much sense. Based on the bit I read of this book, I just didn't see the world building getting any better.
The pacing in this book was so slow!! I found myself becoming easily bored and not caring about anything that happened. As I said previously, I even took a book thinking maybe it was just me, but when I came back to it, I found the pacing to be even slower if that's possible.
The dialogue between the characters was well thought out. It never seemed forced and seemed to flow with the story. Based on what I read of this book, there was no swearing.
The character of Elyse didn't seem very well-developed. She does not act 89 at all but acts like a teenager. Surely she'd act her age regardless of what age she looked like physically!?! That is what mainly put me off the whole book. I liked William based on the little bit I read about him. He seems like a fun character. I would've liked to find out a bit more about Kara but I just really couldn't force myself to read this book anymore.
Like I said, I really wanted to enjoy this book. Even the synopsis sounded promising. I think the idea of the book is a good one, but it wasn't executed very well. I think if the author had maybe worked on the book a bit longer, it could've been really good.
Overall, I wouldn't really recommend this book unless you aren't very fussy with details or unless you're really bored. If you want to take a chance with it (and you may like it), I'd say it's a book for those aged 13+ from what I've read.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Is it Just Me? in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
If you live in the UK, then you most definitely have heard of the comedienne Miranda Hart. If you live elsewhere, there's a slim chance you may have heard of her. If you've not heard of Miranda Hart, you should look her up on YouTube as she is hilarious! Her book is also super funny, and I definitely enjoyed it!
In her book, Is It Just Me?, Miranda Hart asks her readers if they've done the embarrassing things that she's done or is it just her. She speaks to her 18 year old self, and also gives us insight into some embarrassing stories. Along the way, she gives us tips in order to have fun in life and to get through life.
I think the title of this book sums it up perfectly!! Miranda is constantly asking her reader chum if it is just her that a specific thing has happened to.
The photo of Miranda Hart on the front cover made me laugh out loud! I lover her perplexed look!! I also love the photo of Miranda on the back of the book as well as she's seen to have just fallen down, and those of us who know Miranda, know she is famous for falling down! I must say I also love the colour scheme on the front cover...Perhaps, I'm just a bit biased as I love pink.
Miranda does an excellent job in giving us insight into her embarrassing moments, most of which are indeed cringe-worthy. I don't think she could have given us any more detail into her embarrassing moments!! (Don't worry, when I say that, I don't mean that it's too much detail to make it boring, but it's enough to make it work).
The pacing of this book was, for the most, part spot on. However, it does become a bit slow in some places, and I found myself zoning out and having to re-read the sentences I had missed. But, as I said earlier, the pacing is actually really good.
There is some swearing in this book although not very much. The dialogue is fantastic and sucks you in. I love the way Miranda Hart engages her readers by referring to them as MDRC (my dear reader chum) as well as asking her readers questions. The dialogue definitely feels like a conversation between the reader and author.
I found Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart to be well funny. There were plenty of laugh out loud moments in the book, and I was constantly having to read something out of the book to my husband because I found it too funny not to share. This book will definitely keep you in a cheerful mood.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 25+ although I do believe those aged 35+ will get more out of it. Nonetheless, it is still a very funny book!
Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart gets a 4 out of 5 from me.
If you live in the UK, then you most definitely have heard of the comedienne Miranda Hart. If you live elsewhere, there's a slim chance you may have heard of her. If you've not heard of Miranda Hart, you should look her up on YouTube as she is hilarious! Her book is also super funny, and I definitely enjoyed it!
In her book, Is It Just Me?, Miranda Hart asks her readers if they've done the embarrassing things that she's done or is it just her. She speaks to her 18 year old self, and also gives us insight into some embarrassing stories. Along the way, she gives us tips in order to have fun in life and to get through life.
I think the title of this book sums it up perfectly!! Miranda is constantly asking her reader chum if it is just her that a specific thing has happened to.
The photo of Miranda Hart on the front cover made me laugh out loud! I lover her perplexed look!! I also love the photo of Miranda on the back of the book as well as she's seen to have just fallen down, and those of us who know Miranda, know she is famous for falling down! I must say I also love the colour scheme on the front cover...Perhaps, I'm just a bit biased as I love pink.
Miranda does an excellent job in giving us insight into her embarrassing moments, most of which are indeed cringe-worthy. I don't think she could have given us any more detail into her embarrassing moments!! (Don't worry, when I say that, I don't mean that it's too much detail to make it boring, but it's enough to make it work).
The pacing of this book was, for the most, part spot on. However, it does become a bit slow in some places, and I found myself zoning out and having to re-read the sentences I had missed. But, as I said earlier, the pacing is actually really good.
There is some swearing in this book although not very much. The dialogue is fantastic and sucks you in. I love the way Miranda Hart engages her readers by referring to them as MDRC (my dear reader chum) as well as asking her readers questions. The dialogue definitely feels like a conversation between the reader and author.
I found Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart to be well funny. There were plenty of laugh out loud moments in the book, and I was constantly having to read something out of the book to my husband because I found it too funny not to share. This book will definitely keep you in a cheerful mood.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 25+ although I do believe those aged 35+ will get more out of it. Nonetheless, it is still a very funny book!
Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart gets a 4 out of 5 from me.