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LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated The Greatest Showman (2017) in Movies
Nov 5, 2018
Enjoyable and catchy
I came late to this, after the hype had reached me and whilst I found it to be an exciting, enjoyable and engaging movie, I felt it didn't quite live up to the way it had been reviewed by my friends and family. That's not to say I didn't find myself tapping my feet and gunning along, just that although I will watch again at some point, I'm not going to be in the club who watched this hundreds of times a week!
Sarah Betts (103 KP) rated The Lady in the Coppergate Tower in Books
Dec 31, 2019
I received this copy of The Lady Lady in the Copper gate Tower from Shadow Mountain Publishing through Netgalley.
This steampunk romance was so much fun! Hazel and Sam are such great characters and I loved Hazel's deperation to have a family.
I found it very relatable.
Well, maybe not the mentally unstable twin sister
Or the uncle who might be a vampire
Or the assistant who might be a Murder.
Ok, you got me
But this one was an absolute ball to read.
This steampunk romance was so much fun! Hazel and Sam are such great characters and I loved Hazel's deperation to have a family.
I found it very relatable.
Well, maybe not the mentally unstable twin sister
Or the uncle who might be a vampire
Or the assistant who might be a Murder.
Ok, you got me
But this one was an absolute ball to read.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Perfect Family in Books
Aug 26, 2021
A tense look at a family pushed to the brink
The Adler family looks perfect to outsiders. Good jobs for husband Thomas and wife Viv, two lovely children in Eli and Tarryn, and a gorgeous home. But things begin to crack when they wake up one morning and find that gorgeous home covered in eggs. They are sure it was just a prank by some neighborhood kids. But it's followed by a smoke bomb, punctured tires, and more. Thomas sets up cameras, but they only catch shadows. The police offer little help. As things escalate with each supposed prank, the family grows more and more fearful. Especially because every family member is keeping a secret--and as the violence against them grows, the secrets only get worse.
"But the people who lived there only looked perfect. They had done horrible things."
This is definitely a page-turner with some twists. There's a lot going on in THE PERFECT FAMILY--each family member has secrets and lies. It's an interesting premise, that dark secrets can pull everyone apart, even entire families. I was always expecting just a little bit more: a slightly bigger secret or surprise than what happened here. Still, the book offers an excellent commentary on keeping secrets and putting pressure on your children. It was difficult to find a character to root for, though the two Adler children were certainly sympathetic. I also found the ending to lack a bit of resolution.
"I realized that everyone in my family had secrets. And mine might be the worst of all."
Overall, though, this mystery offers thrills and twists. While it wasn't perfect (ha) for me, I enjoyed it. It's not my favorite Robyn Harding book, but it's worth a read. The twisted dynamics of the Adler family are intriguing and often terrifying, especially as the suspense ramps up. 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Gallery Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
"But the people who lived there only looked perfect. They had done horrible things."
This is definitely a page-turner with some twists. There's a lot going on in THE PERFECT FAMILY--each family member has secrets and lies. It's an interesting premise, that dark secrets can pull everyone apart, even entire families. I was always expecting just a little bit more: a slightly bigger secret or surprise than what happened here. Still, the book offers an excellent commentary on keeping secrets and putting pressure on your children. It was difficult to find a character to root for, though the two Adler children were certainly sympathetic. I also found the ending to lack a bit of resolution.
"I realized that everyone in my family had secrets. And mine might be the worst of all."
Overall, though, this mystery offers thrills and twists. While it wasn't perfect (ha) for me, I enjoyed it. It's not my favorite Robyn Harding book, but it's worth a read. The twisted dynamics of the Adler family are intriguing and often terrifying, especially as the suspense ramps up. 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Gallery Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
Plot 29: A Memoir
Book
'When I am disturbed, even angry, gardening has been a therapy. When I don't want to talk I turn to...
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Untold: The Daniel Morgan Murder in Podcasts
Jan 5, 2018 (Updated Jan 5, 2018)
A hideous look into the British justice system
Very rarely do we such corruption on a grand scale in the UK, and yet the murder case of Daniel Morgan seems to be symbolic of this. Even after more than 30 years, the case remains 'unsolved', mainly due to underhand deals and lack of fervour to prosecute those responsible.
From corrupt police officers, phone hacking, and eventually murder, Morgan was a private investigator looking into bribery of police officers, some by journalists in the 1980's. For those aware of the phone hacking scandal, it seemed to only get traction and recognition in the last ten years, yet was apparent two decades prior to this. Morgan was found bludgeoned to death in his car, and since then his family have found ample evidence to show widespread cover-ups, and a botched investigation in order to keep the crime underwraps.
Journalist Peter Jukes alongside family members created this podcast to expose the truly horrifying scale of this issue. It is another well-made, engrossing, albeit cautionary tale about how much we can trust our institutions and how much they prop each other up for support. Worth the listen.
From corrupt police officers, phone hacking, and eventually murder, Morgan was a private investigator looking into bribery of police officers, some by journalists in the 1980's. For those aware of the phone hacking scandal, it seemed to only get traction and recognition in the last ten years, yet was apparent two decades prior to this. Morgan was found bludgeoned to death in his car, and since then his family have found ample evidence to show widespread cover-ups, and a botched investigation in order to keep the crime underwraps.
Journalist Peter Jukes alongside family members created this podcast to expose the truly horrifying scale of this issue. It is another well-made, engrossing, albeit cautionary tale about how much we can trust our institutions and how much they prop each other up for support. Worth the listen.
Fleeing a tragic accident, Ruby Proulx crosses from Canada to Old Orchard, Maine. She’s run there to meet her mother’s side of the family for the first time. They are about to reopen the family home as a resort for spiritualists, and the summer of 1898 will be make or break for them. But when her past catches up to her and a murder threatens her new home, will Ruby be able to solve any problems?
While I am not a fan of paranormal cozies (because I don’t believe in the things they are based on), I still found this a very fun debut. The characters are charming, and I fell in love with them. Even though the murder comes a little late, I still found Ruby’s introduction to Old Orchard fun, and there is plenty of conflict early on. When the murder does happen, the pace picks up and leads us to a logical conclusion.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/09/book-review-whispers-beyond-veil-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
While I am not a fan of paranormal cozies (because I don’t believe in the things they are based on), I still found this a very fun debut. The characters are charming, and I fell in love with them. Even though the murder comes a little late, I still found Ruby’s introduction to Old Orchard fun, and there is plenty of conflict early on. When the murder does happen, the pace picks up and leads us to a logical conclusion.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/09/book-review-whispers-beyond-veil-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2200 KP) rated Death al Dente (Food Lovers' Village Mystery, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Erin Murphy is back home in Jewel Bay, Montana, to help run the family general store. She's helping run a new event to help bring tourists to town, but it gets off to a rough start with a family friend is found murdered behind the shop on opening night. Who could have done it?
This debut just wasn't quite ready. While Erin and a few core characters are well developed, the rest of the cast is fairly flat. Likewise, the plot moved forward in fits and starts, although there were some interesting twists. Overall average, and I'll think hard before I continue on to the next one.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/10/book-review-death-al-dente-by-leslie.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This debut just wasn't quite ready. While Erin and a few core characters are well developed, the rest of the cast is fairly flat. Likewise, the plot moved forward in fits and starts, although there were some interesting twists. Overall average, and I'll think hard before I continue on to the next one.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/10/book-review-death-al-dente-by-leslie.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
M
Major/Minor
Book
A vivid and haunting coming of age memoir set in Paris in the 1980s. Originally published to...
Only Fools and Horses: The Peckham Archives
Book
The Trotter family have been pillars of the Peckham community for decades, so when a bin man found...
Lenard (726 KP) rated Ready or Not (2019) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
The Le Domas family fortune was made in the card game, board game, and gaming industry. Anyone wishing to join the family, particularly through marriage, must play a game on the night after the wedding. It can be any game, but chosen by an unseen entity, presumable Mr. Le Bail, the man who miraculously found fortune for the family. Some get checkers or canasta, others got Global Thermonuclear War or Hide-and-Seek. As anyone who's seen the trailer knows the newest bride chooses Hide-and-Seek, a grown-up version of The Most Dangerous Game where the ultra-rich hunt their prey. If Grace can survive the night, it is believed that the family will lose everything. Who can Grace trust to help her? The mother who seems to truly believe love will conquer the glares Grace gets? Grace's husband who tries to protect Grace, but will lose everything if Grace survives? Or will it be Daniel who is secretly in love with Grace and trapped in a loveless marriage to a heartless gold digging carp? Ready or Not is a great premise, but a hard movie to turn into gold. Someone would have to sell their soul and future heir's soul to the Devil to succeed.