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Merissa (14100 KP) rated Outlaw Witch (Enchanted Bargains #1) in Books
Nov 14, 2023
OUTLAW WITCH is the first book in the Enchanted Bargains series and it's a slow-burn, action-packed urban fantasy why choose story.
The FMC, Silver, is living on the outskirts of town, where no one really wants to be, with her found family. She has a terrible sense of direction which is how she meets Zeph, the first of the MMCs. Roscoe, the second MMC, "rescues" her from a fire. They both want her to help their friend, Fabian, who is under a blood curse and the third MMC. Throw in someone who knows who she was and it's non-stop.
I loved the set-up of this book, showing the different groups, as well as the different personalities. I would have preferred to know more about Zeph and Roscoe, as well as Rook, Ember, etc. but I guess you can't have everything in one book. I also want to see more of Silver's magic. It didn't feel as though she actually used much of it here. Hopefully, there will be more in the next book.
The ending is a doozy. Cliffhanger Alert!!! It will definitely leave you wanting more. A great start to a new series, and one I look forward to continuing. Definitely recommended by me.
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 14, 2023
The FMC, Silver, is living on the outskirts of town, where no one really wants to be, with her found family. She has a terrible sense of direction which is how she meets Zeph, the first of the MMCs. Roscoe, the second MMC, "rescues" her from a fire. They both want her to help their friend, Fabian, who is under a blood curse and the third MMC. Throw in someone who knows who she was and it's non-stop.
I loved the set-up of this book, showing the different groups, as well as the different personalities. I would have preferred to know more about Zeph and Roscoe, as well as Rook, Ember, etc. but I guess you can't have everything in one book. I also want to see more of Silver's magic. It didn't feel as though she actually used much of it here. Hopefully, there will be more in the next book.
The ending is a doozy. Cliffhanger Alert!!! It will definitely leave you wanting more. A great start to a new series, and one I look forward to continuing. Definitely recommended by me.
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 14, 2023
Merissa (14100 KP) rated The Diplomatic Heir (Etherya's Earth #7) in Books
Jan 3, 2023
Every page was a delight!
THE DIPLOMATIC HEIR is the seventh book in the Etherya's Earth series and continues with the next generation. This time, it's Tor's turn and he has found his mate in Esme, the disinherited Elven hybrid princess who has spent the majority of her life running from her dastardly father!
Tor is wonderful - handsome, caring, protective - everything you would expect from a son of Miranda and Sathan. He is also a virgin but that isn't the main characteristic. Esme is strong but oh so broken. She constantly makes decisions that hurt her but help those she is trying to protect, whether they want it or not!
Not only do we get their amazing action-packed story, but we also get updates on Miranda and Sathan. Latimus, Evie, and Darkrip have cameos, plus other family members. And not only that, but you meet new characters that I now want their stories too. I'm looking at you, Jaxon! There is so much to this book, every page was a delight.
This was a wonderful addition to the series and, honestly, makes me want to re-read all of them again. I can't wait for book 8 but I guess I must. đ HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me but, please, start from the beginning so you don't miss anything.
** 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!
Tor is wonderful - handsome, caring, protective - everything you would expect from a son of Miranda and Sathan. He is also a virgin but that isn't the main characteristic. Esme is strong but oh so broken. She constantly makes decisions that hurt her but help those she is trying to protect, whether they want it or not!
Not only do we get their amazing action-packed story, but we also get updates on Miranda and Sathan. Latimus, Evie, and Darkrip have cameos, plus other family members. And not only that, but you meet new characters that I now want their stories too. I'm looking at you, Jaxon! There is so much to this book, every page was a delight.
This was a wonderful addition to the series and, honestly, makes me want to re-read all of them again. I can't wait for book 8 but I guess I must. đ HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me but, please, start from the beginning so you don't miss anything.
** 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!
A Sucker For Christmas
8.0
Rate It
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An annual Christmas vacation to Australia gives two long-term friends more than they bargained...
Paranormal MM Romance Seasonal
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Gateway to Dreamworld in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Gateway to Dreamworld
by Brenda Estacio
Rating: 3.5/5
My Summary: Jean and Brad have a wonderful life with wonderful kids. But through several awful things that happen to them, like the car accident that put Pete in a wheelchair for his life and the depression that Brad experienced from it, the family has slipped apart. Jason, the oldest son, goes up into his hideout in the Lighthouse to try to escape the stress of his family falling apart. While up there, a stroke of lightning hits the lighthouse and creates a magical Gateway from the real world to Dreamworld, a place that only the pure of heart can access in their dreams. Jason has to decide whether or not he wants to stay in Dreamworld for the rest of his life, where everything is perfect and nobody gets sick or dies, or whether he wants to stay in the real world with his family. When Jason finds out that his mom is pregnant and ill, he is sure she is going to die. Then Jason finds out that he can save his mom and heal his brother by taking his family to Dreamworldâbut he has to do it before the Gateway closes up foreverâŚ
My thoughts: Gateway to Dreamworld is an interesting yet odd read. Itâs fast paced, covering a whole beginning of a relationship, two births, a death and a few other major events in the first few chapters and moving through important story lines very quicklyâalmost too quickly. I wished the author had slowed down and taken more time developing the story line in the first 100 pages, rather than just telling it all so fastâthe first ten chapters or so felt rushed, as if she was in a hurry to get it over with and explain it so she could move on to what she wanted to write about. The pdf that I read from was 358 pages, and it got really interesting on chapter 13, page 118. That being said, it wasnât that I didnât enjoy the first 100 pages, they were very interesting and showed the life of a realistic family.
The only thing about this book that I didnât like was that it had what I call âhappy-landâ syndromeâeverything is working out perfectly, or is resolved too quickly. The father slipped into depression, and it was totally expected and realistic, however he was jerked out of it too fast (Maybe only people who have experienced depression can testify, but it doesnât go away that quicklyâit takes months of talking, treatment, and sometimes medication, not one talk with a pastor and a few tears.). When the grandma died, the characterâs reactions were realisticâbut family members âgot over itâ so fast that it left me frowning. This was all in the earliest part of the book, again I felt that the author just wanted to be done with the explaining part so she could move onto the interesting part.
Plot: this was a science fiction book, and itâs been a long time since Iâve read a sci fi. I loved getting lost in the idea of Dreamworld and The Gateway and the fear of the Unknown was horrific. During one of the crucial moments at the end of the book I could feel my blood speed up as I read it. The end of this book was a bit of a shock, not at all what I expected. Iâm not sure if I was disappointed or satisfied, but it was certainly intriguing.
Characters: I personally didnât connect with the characters very well because they were two adults and two young children, however my favorite character would have to be Pete, the little brother who gets paralyzed. Heâs such a brave kid, trusting of his brother, and loving to his parents.
The Writing: The writing seemed very formalâI donât think there was a single contraction in the whole book, and the characterâs lines were detailed, specific, honest, and humbleâ they almost felt like robots the way they were never greedy, never mean. The word that came to mind as I read it was âquaint,â because it was told from third person omniscient perspective, and there wasnât a lot of dialogue.
Recommendation: I think ages 9-14 would enjoy this book a lot more than I did (not to say I didnât) because of the young characters and the science fiction aspect. However, there were a few scenes of husband and wife relationship that were not detailed, but were not suitable for an eleven or twelve-year-old either. Itâs hard to place a specific age on this book, but I will say that anyone who read and enjoyed Madeleine L'Engleâs Many Waters (A Wrinkle In Time series) will enjoy this book as well.
All in all, I immensely enjoyed this book and found myself needing to finish it, I couldnât stop in the middle. It was highly addicting and exciting, and I look forward to more from this author.
Thank You to Brenda Estacio for the e-book to review!
~Haleyknitz
by Brenda Estacio
Rating: 3.5/5
My Summary: Jean and Brad have a wonderful life with wonderful kids. But through several awful things that happen to them, like the car accident that put Pete in a wheelchair for his life and the depression that Brad experienced from it, the family has slipped apart. Jason, the oldest son, goes up into his hideout in the Lighthouse to try to escape the stress of his family falling apart. While up there, a stroke of lightning hits the lighthouse and creates a magical Gateway from the real world to Dreamworld, a place that only the pure of heart can access in their dreams. Jason has to decide whether or not he wants to stay in Dreamworld for the rest of his life, where everything is perfect and nobody gets sick or dies, or whether he wants to stay in the real world with his family. When Jason finds out that his mom is pregnant and ill, he is sure she is going to die. Then Jason finds out that he can save his mom and heal his brother by taking his family to Dreamworldâbut he has to do it before the Gateway closes up foreverâŚ
My thoughts: Gateway to Dreamworld is an interesting yet odd read. Itâs fast paced, covering a whole beginning of a relationship, two births, a death and a few other major events in the first few chapters and moving through important story lines very quicklyâalmost too quickly. I wished the author had slowed down and taken more time developing the story line in the first 100 pages, rather than just telling it all so fastâthe first ten chapters or so felt rushed, as if she was in a hurry to get it over with and explain it so she could move on to what she wanted to write about. The pdf that I read from was 358 pages, and it got really interesting on chapter 13, page 118. That being said, it wasnât that I didnât enjoy the first 100 pages, they were very interesting and showed the life of a realistic family.
The only thing about this book that I didnât like was that it had what I call âhappy-landâ syndromeâeverything is working out perfectly, or is resolved too quickly. The father slipped into depression, and it was totally expected and realistic, however he was jerked out of it too fast (Maybe only people who have experienced depression can testify, but it doesnât go away that quicklyâit takes months of talking, treatment, and sometimes medication, not one talk with a pastor and a few tears.). When the grandma died, the characterâs reactions were realisticâbut family members âgot over itâ so fast that it left me frowning. This was all in the earliest part of the book, again I felt that the author just wanted to be done with the explaining part so she could move onto the interesting part.
Plot: this was a science fiction book, and itâs been a long time since Iâve read a sci fi. I loved getting lost in the idea of Dreamworld and The Gateway and the fear of the Unknown was horrific. During one of the crucial moments at the end of the book I could feel my blood speed up as I read it. The end of this book was a bit of a shock, not at all what I expected. Iâm not sure if I was disappointed or satisfied, but it was certainly intriguing.
Characters: I personally didnât connect with the characters very well because they were two adults and two young children, however my favorite character would have to be Pete, the little brother who gets paralyzed. Heâs such a brave kid, trusting of his brother, and loving to his parents.
The Writing: The writing seemed very formalâI donât think there was a single contraction in the whole book, and the characterâs lines were detailed, specific, honest, and humbleâ they almost felt like robots the way they were never greedy, never mean. The word that came to mind as I read it was âquaint,â because it was told from third person omniscient perspective, and there wasnât a lot of dialogue.
Recommendation: I think ages 9-14 would enjoy this book a lot more than I did (not to say I didnât) because of the young characters and the science fiction aspect. However, there were a few scenes of husband and wife relationship that were not detailed, but were not suitable for an eleven or twelve-year-old either. Itâs hard to place a specific age on this book, but I will say that anyone who read and enjoyed Madeleine L'Engleâs Many Waters (A Wrinkle In Time series) will enjoy this book as well.
All in all, I immensely enjoyed this book and found myself needing to finish it, I couldnât stop in the middle. It was highly addicting and exciting, and I look forward to more from this author.
Thank You to Brenda Estacio for the e-book to review!
~Haleyknitz
The Bandersnatch (199 KP) rated A Little Princess in Books
Nov 7, 2019
A little Princess was published in full by Charles Scribner's sons in September of 1905 after being a serialisation in St. Nicholas Magazine in 1887 and being a novella in 1888. The book was named one of the Teachers top books for children in 2007 and in 2012 was ranked 56th in the School Library Journal survey. The story follows Sara Crewe a wealthy heiress being sent off to boarding school in England. Despite being wealthy Sara isn't snobbish and rude but polite, clever and generous befriending several other students and the scullery maid Becky. Sara goes from privilege to a pauper after her fathers scheme with is friend over a diamond mine supposedly fails. After spending a few years working hard at the school she once attended Sara is found by her fathers friend and returned to privilege after finding out the diamond mines actually worked.
There are six film adaptions having been released in 1917, 1939, two in 1995 (One version being Filipino) with the most recent being a Russian film released in 1997. the most well known being the 1995 version being directed by Alfonso Cuaron. There have been seven TV shows based on A Little Princess with the 1973 and 1986 (Maureen Lipton was Miss Minchin) versions being particularly faithful to the books, the 1985, 2006 and 2009 versions were various Japanese anime and another Filipino remake happened in 2007. an episode of Veggietales in 2012 was another version of A little Princess. From 2002 to 2014 there have been several musical adaptions of a little princess as well.
Francis Eliza Hodgson Burnett was born in England on the 24th November 1849 in Cheetham, Manchester, England. When her father died in 1852 her family fell on hard times and Francis was looked after by her grandmother who fuelled her love of reading whilst her mother dealt with the family finances. The family eventually emigrated to the states in 1865 but remained somewhat poor thanks to the end of the American Civil war. Francis started writing in fever trying to help her family get out of the financial hole they were in and did so with her first story being published in the Godey's Lady's book in 1868 eventually being published regularly in its pages alongside Scribner's Monthly, Peterson's Magazine and Harper's Bazaar.
In 1872 Francis agreed to and married family friend Swan Burnett. She continued to write which supported them as they moved to Paris to allow Swan to train as an eye and ear doctor. Francis economised by making clothes for both their sons and for herself. The family returned to the US a few years later where swan managed to set up a doctoring business despite being in debt. For several years afterwards Francis wrote several short stories which were continuously published, Francis eventually turned to children's novels after a meeting with Mary Mapes Dodge the editor of children's magazine St Nicholas. In 1884 Francis set to work on Little Lord Fauntleroy which was serialised in 1885 and published in book form in 1886.
In 1887 Francis returned to England for Queen Victoria's golden jubilee which triggered yearly transatlantic trips between the US and England with her sons. She had fallen ill during this time and had spent time confined to bed, she did however managed to write both The Fortunes of Phillipa Fairfax (only published in the UK) and Sara Crewe or what happened at Miss Minchin's which was rewritten as A Little Princess. In December 1890 Francis and Swans eldest son Lionel died of consumption which spurred his mother into a depression and turn away form the Protestant faith and embrace spiritualism.
In 1898 After their youngest son Vivian finished school, Francis and Swan had divorced (though they had begun to drift apart and were living separate lives several years earlier) and two years later Francis had moved back to England and lived at Great Maytham Hall and married Stephan Townsend, which proved to be a terrible marriage and it ended in 1902. In 1907 Francis returned to the states and spent the next seventeen years in Plandome manor writing several more stories and editing for the Children's Magazine upon the insistence of her Son Vivian. Francis died on October 29th 1924 at the age of 72, she's buried in Roslyn Cemetery and her son Vivian is burred nearby having died in 1937.
I knew of the book as a child but didn't read it until I was a teenager, by then I did know of and had seen the 1995 movie directed by Alfonso Cuaron. The books theme of rising above and succeeding in the face of terrible times is a good thing to reed about. I definitely recommend the book to children and teenagers alike and I give it 9/10.
There are six film adaptions having been released in 1917, 1939, two in 1995 (One version being Filipino) with the most recent being a Russian film released in 1997. the most well known being the 1995 version being directed by Alfonso Cuaron. There have been seven TV shows based on A Little Princess with the 1973 and 1986 (Maureen Lipton was Miss Minchin) versions being particularly faithful to the books, the 1985, 2006 and 2009 versions were various Japanese anime and another Filipino remake happened in 2007. an episode of Veggietales in 2012 was another version of A little Princess. From 2002 to 2014 there have been several musical adaptions of a little princess as well.
Francis Eliza Hodgson Burnett was born in England on the 24th November 1849 in Cheetham, Manchester, England. When her father died in 1852 her family fell on hard times and Francis was looked after by her grandmother who fuelled her love of reading whilst her mother dealt with the family finances. The family eventually emigrated to the states in 1865 but remained somewhat poor thanks to the end of the American Civil war. Francis started writing in fever trying to help her family get out of the financial hole they were in and did so with her first story being published in the Godey's Lady's book in 1868 eventually being published regularly in its pages alongside Scribner's Monthly, Peterson's Magazine and Harper's Bazaar.
In 1872 Francis agreed to and married family friend Swan Burnett. She continued to write which supported them as they moved to Paris to allow Swan to train as an eye and ear doctor. Francis economised by making clothes for both their sons and for herself. The family returned to the US a few years later where swan managed to set up a doctoring business despite being in debt. For several years afterwards Francis wrote several short stories which were continuously published, Francis eventually turned to children's novels after a meeting with Mary Mapes Dodge the editor of children's magazine St Nicholas. In 1884 Francis set to work on Little Lord Fauntleroy which was serialised in 1885 and published in book form in 1886.
In 1887 Francis returned to England for Queen Victoria's golden jubilee which triggered yearly transatlantic trips between the US and England with her sons. She had fallen ill during this time and had spent time confined to bed, she did however managed to write both The Fortunes of Phillipa Fairfax (only published in the UK) and Sara Crewe or what happened at Miss Minchin's which was rewritten as A Little Princess. In December 1890 Francis and Swans eldest son Lionel died of consumption which spurred his mother into a depression and turn away form the Protestant faith and embrace spiritualism.
In 1898 After their youngest son Vivian finished school, Francis and Swan had divorced (though they had begun to drift apart and were living separate lives several years earlier) and two years later Francis had moved back to England and lived at Great Maytham Hall and married Stephan Townsend, which proved to be a terrible marriage and it ended in 1902. In 1907 Francis returned to the states and spent the next seventeen years in Plandome manor writing several more stories and editing for the Children's Magazine upon the insistence of her Son Vivian. Francis died on October 29th 1924 at the age of 72, she's buried in Roslyn Cemetery and her son Vivian is burred nearby having died in 1937.
I knew of the book as a child but didn't read it until I was a teenager, by then I did know of and had seen the 1995 movie directed by Alfonso Cuaron. The books theme of rising above and succeeding in the face of terrible times is a good thing to reed about. I definitely recommend the book to children and teenagers alike and I give it 9/10.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Farewell (2019) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
Simply brilliant. Go see it!
The Long Goodbye.
With âDownton Abbeyâ and now âThe Farewellâ, the excesses of the summer blockbusters are fading away. (Though Iâm sure Rambo might have something to say about that!)
The Plot.
Billi (Awkwafina) is a young Chinese New Yorker struggling to make her way in the world. She has a place of her own to distance herself from her parents â Haiyan (âArrivalââs Tzi Ma) and Lu Jian (Diana Lin) â but is struggling to fund it. But despite a typically spiky teenage relationship with her parents, family is important to her.
Thereâs a big shock then when her beloved âNai Naiâ (Shuzhen Zhao) is diagnosed back in China with terminal cancer. The slight complication is that no-one has told her. Her younger sister (Hong Lu) has taken the decision to keep the news from her. This is in line with the Chinese saying âWhen people get Cancer they dieâ. (Based on the rationale that it is not necessarily the disease that kills you, but the fear that destroys your useful life).
The whole extended family sign up â reluctantly â to the decision. They stage a final get together back in China around the pretence of a trumped-up wedding. This is between the comically reluctant grandson Hao Hao (Han Chen) and his new Japanese girlfriend Aiko (Aoi Mizuhara).
Faced with seeing Nai Nai face-to-face, and being forced to âcelebrateâ together, can the family â and the emotionally attached Billi in particular â hold it together and keep the secret?
A laff a minute then?
You might naturally assume that given the subject matter that this was going to be SERIOUSLY heavy going. And in many ways you would be right. Most of us over 50 will have lost an elderly relative. And, unless it was a sudden event, you have probably been through the mental pain of having to drive away from a nursing home certain that that will be the final time you will see your loved one alive. If you are therefore not affected by this film, you are not human.
So I was frankly bracing myself.
However, the film is so beautifully put together, and the comedy â albeit some of it very dark â so brilliantly inserted that the film is an UTTER DELIGHT from start to end. There are truly insightful scenes that get under the skin of the well-developed social approach in China to family. (Like the illustrious Mrs Movie-Man, they love big family dinners around a round-table!) Although there is always the teen â Bau (Jinhang Liu) in this case â with his face permanently in his phone!
There are also scenes familiar to anyone whoâs visited China. The gaggle of âhelpfulâ taxi drivers outside the airport made me laugh out loud.
Also (unintentionally) funny are the multiple company logos at the start of the film. This is reminiscent of the classic âFamily Guyâ scene (I think âThe Simpsonsâ also did a similar spoof).
Cinematic.
For such a âsmallâ film, the scale is sometimes truly cinematic. Director and writer, Lulu Wang, achieves some gloriously memorable movie moments. A stony-faced, determined march of the key players towards the camera â which could be subtitled âThe Magnificent Eightâ â is slo-moâd for about 30 seconds and is utterly mesmeric.
And a scene at a cemetery is a comic masterpiece of Chinese tradition. Bau of course still has his face in his phone throughout!
This is only Lulu Wangâs second feature, but it makes me now want to check out her first film (âPosthumousâ).
Not afraid to offend either country.
What I found particularly interesting is that the film is truly multi-cultural. Itâs not an American film with some local content crudely inserted to cater for the Far East markets. The film is an almost equal blend of American language and Mandarin language with subtitles.
Lulu Wang is also not afraid to upset officials in either country. Which is better: US or China? The question keeps getting posed to Billi and discussed among the family. And â as you might expect â there are positives and negatives on each side. The film doesnât really take sides. Itâs a really balanced position to take.
A quirky soundtrack.
The music is by Alex Weston, and its one of the stars of the film. Itâs truly quirky with everything as diverse as a vocalised version of Beethovenâs Sonata No. 8 âPathetiqueâ; a karaoke version of âKilling Me Softlyâ; and a hugely entertaining Chinese version of Niilsonâs âWithout Youâ over the end titles.
A brilliant ensemble cast.
Itâs a great ensemble cast (SAG awards, are you listening?), and everyone pulls their weight. Even the minor members of the cast are superb: Aoi Mizuhara in particular displays acute awkwardness brilliantly!
But leading the charge is Awkwafina. She was in the disappointing âOceanâs 8â but much more memorable in âCrazy Rich Asiansâ as Rachelâs wacky Singapore friend. Here itâs a bravado performance that is genuinely moving. She IS the slightly sulky but emotionally crushed teen.
Sub-titles? I donât do sub-titles.
Get a grip! Yes, this is a film that has sub-titles. But it uses them when required (unless you happen to be fluent in Mandarin that is!). There is also a large percentage of the film that is in English. Itâs all eminently watchable, even for âsub-title-phobesâ.
This is a feelgood film about a tough subject. The ending of the film pulls off the trick of being both devastating and uplifting at the same time.
So get yourself to the cinema and see this film! Without question, it gets my âhighly recommendedâ tag. Itâs also firmly placed itself very high up in my âFilms of the Yearâ list.
And itâs all âbased on a true lieâ!
With âDownton Abbeyâ and now âThe Farewellâ, the excesses of the summer blockbusters are fading away. (Though Iâm sure Rambo might have something to say about that!)
The Plot.
Billi (Awkwafina) is a young Chinese New Yorker struggling to make her way in the world. She has a place of her own to distance herself from her parents â Haiyan (âArrivalââs Tzi Ma) and Lu Jian (Diana Lin) â but is struggling to fund it. But despite a typically spiky teenage relationship with her parents, family is important to her.
Thereâs a big shock then when her beloved âNai Naiâ (Shuzhen Zhao) is diagnosed back in China with terminal cancer. The slight complication is that no-one has told her. Her younger sister (Hong Lu) has taken the decision to keep the news from her. This is in line with the Chinese saying âWhen people get Cancer they dieâ. (Based on the rationale that it is not necessarily the disease that kills you, but the fear that destroys your useful life).
The whole extended family sign up â reluctantly â to the decision. They stage a final get together back in China around the pretence of a trumped-up wedding. This is between the comically reluctant grandson Hao Hao (Han Chen) and his new Japanese girlfriend Aiko (Aoi Mizuhara).
Faced with seeing Nai Nai face-to-face, and being forced to âcelebrateâ together, can the family â and the emotionally attached Billi in particular â hold it together and keep the secret?
A laff a minute then?
You might naturally assume that given the subject matter that this was going to be SERIOUSLY heavy going. And in many ways you would be right. Most of us over 50 will have lost an elderly relative. And, unless it was a sudden event, you have probably been through the mental pain of having to drive away from a nursing home certain that that will be the final time you will see your loved one alive. If you are therefore not affected by this film, you are not human.
So I was frankly bracing myself.
However, the film is so beautifully put together, and the comedy â albeit some of it very dark â so brilliantly inserted that the film is an UTTER DELIGHT from start to end. There are truly insightful scenes that get under the skin of the well-developed social approach in China to family. (Like the illustrious Mrs Movie-Man, they love big family dinners around a round-table!) Although there is always the teen â Bau (Jinhang Liu) in this case â with his face permanently in his phone!
There are also scenes familiar to anyone whoâs visited China. The gaggle of âhelpfulâ taxi drivers outside the airport made me laugh out loud.
Also (unintentionally) funny are the multiple company logos at the start of the film. This is reminiscent of the classic âFamily Guyâ scene (I think âThe Simpsonsâ also did a similar spoof).
Cinematic.
For such a âsmallâ film, the scale is sometimes truly cinematic. Director and writer, Lulu Wang, achieves some gloriously memorable movie moments. A stony-faced, determined march of the key players towards the camera â which could be subtitled âThe Magnificent Eightâ â is slo-moâd for about 30 seconds and is utterly mesmeric.
And a scene at a cemetery is a comic masterpiece of Chinese tradition. Bau of course still has his face in his phone throughout!
This is only Lulu Wangâs second feature, but it makes me now want to check out her first film (âPosthumousâ).
Not afraid to offend either country.
What I found particularly interesting is that the film is truly multi-cultural. Itâs not an American film with some local content crudely inserted to cater for the Far East markets. The film is an almost equal blend of American language and Mandarin language with subtitles.
Lulu Wang is also not afraid to upset officials in either country. Which is better: US or China? The question keeps getting posed to Billi and discussed among the family. And â as you might expect â there are positives and negatives on each side. The film doesnât really take sides. Itâs a really balanced position to take.
A quirky soundtrack.
The music is by Alex Weston, and its one of the stars of the film. Itâs truly quirky with everything as diverse as a vocalised version of Beethovenâs Sonata No. 8 âPathetiqueâ; a karaoke version of âKilling Me Softlyâ; and a hugely entertaining Chinese version of Niilsonâs âWithout Youâ over the end titles.
A brilliant ensemble cast.
Itâs a great ensemble cast (SAG awards, are you listening?), and everyone pulls their weight. Even the minor members of the cast are superb: Aoi Mizuhara in particular displays acute awkwardness brilliantly!
But leading the charge is Awkwafina. She was in the disappointing âOceanâs 8â but much more memorable in âCrazy Rich Asiansâ as Rachelâs wacky Singapore friend. Here itâs a bravado performance that is genuinely moving. She IS the slightly sulky but emotionally crushed teen.
Sub-titles? I donât do sub-titles.
Get a grip! Yes, this is a film that has sub-titles. But it uses them when required (unless you happen to be fluent in Mandarin that is!). There is also a large percentage of the film that is in English. Itâs all eminently watchable, even for âsub-title-phobesâ.
This is a feelgood film about a tough subject. The ending of the film pulls off the trick of being both devastating and uplifting at the same time.
So get yourself to the cinema and see this film! Without question, it gets my âhighly recommendedâ tag. Itâs also firmly placed itself very high up in my âFilms of the Yearâ list.
And itâs all âbased on a true lieâ!
Lucy Buglass (45 KP) rated Shazam! (2019) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Not as bad as I was expecting
I have to admit, when I first saw the trailer for Shazam!, I felt pretty underwhelmed. It didnât seem like the kind of film Iâd enjoy. I often get tired of cringey, over the top humour, which is basically what the trailer was packed full of. Having said all of this, I ended up being pleasantly surprised by the film after agreeing to go to a Limitless screening. I actually donât think the trailer did it justice, if Iâm perfectly honest.
The plot of Shazam! is completely bonkers, but letâs face it, what did you expect from a superhero film? Most origin stories are implausible, but thatâs the beauty of the genre for me. The film follows 14-year-old Billy Batson, after he is gifted superpowers by a wizard and is able to transform into the adult âShazamâ simply by shouting his name. At first, it is a little weird seeing him transform from a kid into an adult and back again, but you do get used to it. I loved the performances by Zachary Levi and Asher Angel throughout, and they did a great job of mirroring each other.
The filmâs antagonist Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) gets his powers from the seven deadly sins; a group of terrifying, demonic spirits who lead him down a dark path. Heâs full of anger, and wants to lash out at the world and the family who berated him his entire life. As far as antagonists go, heâs fairly standard, but fun to watch. Heâs nothing revolutionary, but I enjoyed watching him fight Shazam at least. When Sivana is on screen, the film does take a much darker turn, so I would add a viewer discretion for any young children out there. I was even caught out by a pretty effective jump scare at one point.
Annoyingly the pacing is a little off in the third act, and the final fight scene between Sivana and Shazam couldâve easily been trimmed down by 15 minutes or so. I found myself getting a little restless here, which was disappointing given how much fun I had with the rest of the film. Having this sluggish scene follow so many hilarious, genuinely engaging moments was a shame. Donât let that put you off though, the rest of the film works well. The relationship between Billy and his foster brother Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) is hilarious, and got the most laughs from me. Even when heâs in his adult form, Billy still acts like Billy, so thereâs lots of teenage boy bickering throughout as you may expect.
I was also surprised at the emotional themes that run through the film. On the surface, itâs a goofy, laugh out loud superhero film, but it also deals with difficult scenarios. As a foster child, Billy has desperately been searching for his birth mother, and Dr. Sivana has loathed his own family ever since he was a child. Both are struggling with the concept of family, and there are frequent references to this throughout. Billyâs most recent foster family are delightful to watch, and I was impressed by the child actors in the film. Theyâre definitely the most engaging characters, who would go out of their way to help Billy and their other foster siblings.
Shazam! is not a brilliant film, but itâs also way better than I was expecting. The tone is all over the place, some of the jokes are stupid, and itâs super goofy. But itâs a perfect film to watch for a bit of escapism, if you donât want to think too hard about what youâre watching. I was surprised at just how much fun I had.
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2019/03/29/not-as-bad-as-i-was-expecting-my-thoughts-on-shazam/
The plot of Shazam! is completely bonkers, but letâs face it, what did you expect from a superhero film? Most origin stories are implausible, but thatâs the beauty of the genre for me. The film follows 14-year-old Billy Batson, after he is gifted superpowers by a wizard and is able to transform into the adult âShazamâ simply by shouting his name. At first, it is a little weird seeing him transform from a kid into an adult and back again, but you do get used to it. I loved the performances by Zachary Levi and Asher Angel throughout, and they did a great job of mirroring each other.
The filmâs antagonist Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) gets his powers from the seven deadly sins; a group of terrifying, demonic spirits who lead him down a dark path. Heâs full of anger, and wants to lash out at the world and the family who berated him his entire life. As far as antagonists go, heâs fairly standard, but fun to watch. Heâs nothing revolutionary, but I enjoyed watching him fight Shazam at least. When Sivana is on screen, the film does take a much darker turn, so I would add a viewer discretion for any young children out there. I was even caught out by a pretty effective jump scare at one point.
Annoyingly the pacing is a little off in the third act, and the final fight scene between Sivana and Shazam couldâve easily been trimmed down by 15 minutes or so. I found myself getting a little restless here, which was disappointing given how much fun I had with the rest of the film. Having this sluggish scene follow so many hilarious, genuinely engaging moments was a shame. Donât let that put you off though, the rest of the film works well. The relationship between Billy and his foster brother Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) is hilarious, and got the most laughs from me. Even when heâs in his adult form, Billy still acts like Billy, so thereâs lots of teenage boy bickering throughout as you may expect.
I was also surprised at the emotional themes that run through the film. On the surface, itâs a goofy, laugh out loud superhero film, but it also deals with difficult scenarios. As a foster child, Billy has desperately been searching for his birth mother, and Dr. Sivana has loathed his own family ever since he was a child. Both are struggling with the concept of family, and there are frequent references to this throughout. Billyâs most recent foster family are delightful to watch, and I was impressed by the child actors in the film. Theyâre definitely the most engaging characters, who would go out of their way to help Billy and their other foster siblings.
Shazam! is not a brilliant film, but itâs also way better than I was expecting. The tone is all over the place, some of the jokes are stupid, and itâs super goofy. But itâs a perfect film to watch for a bit of escapism, if you donât want to think too hard about what youâre watching. I was surprised at just how much fun I had.
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2019/03/29/not-as-bad-as-i-was-expecting-my-thoughts-on-shazam/
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Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Heartlands (Detective Jessie Blake #1) in Books
May 22, 2019
Call it motherÂs intuition, but I knew she was dead the moment she was late home. As I listened to her phone ring and ring, thatÂs when I knew for sure. My little girl was gone.
Fifteen-year-old Shannon Ross is missing and her parents are distraught. With her long blonde hair, easy laugh and perfect grades, sheÂs the girl everyone at school wants to be.
Detective Jessie Blake is called to Inverlochty, the missing girlÂs home town in the Scottish Highlands, and finds Shannon was keeping a diary full of friends and neighbors secrets. She knows the kind, outgoing boy whoÂs sleeping with his teacher and the quiet woman whoÂs been having an affair with her best friendÂs husband.
Just as Jessie and her team are beginning to understand ShannonÂs complicated world, her lifeless body is found on an ice-cold river bank on the outskirts of town. And when Jessie tells ShannonÂs family the heart-breaking news, she senses something isnÂt right. The loving family is beginning to show cracks. Did Shannon know about her fatherÂs alcohol problems and violent past? Why does ShannonÂs mother keep finding excuses to leave the room, when Jessie wants to ask her questions?
As Jessie begins to piece together the final days of ShannonÂs life, her own history comes back to haunt her. Putting aside her personal demons, Jessie vows to do whatever it takes to catch ShannonÂs killer. But what if the killer is ready to strike first?
Totally captivating and addictive read. I loved this book! There are two storylines. One routed in the past about a brutally raped and murdered school girl and her young killers as they face trial and juvenile detention. One in the present, a missing school girl, Shannon, baring all the similarities of the case from the past - or so it seems.
There are a lot of characters introduced and it ca be a bit overwhelming but persevere as the novel is one worth reading.
The plot is very well written in my opinion and it does flow well. The main characters are well written and enjoy them.
Very compelling and suspenseful read.
I look forward to more in the series as it develops and hope to get more backstory on the detective.
Highly recommend!
My thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC.
Fifteen-year-old Shannon Ross is missing and her parents are distraught. With her long blonde hair, easy laugh and perfect grades, sheÂs the girl everyone at school wants to be.
Detective Jessie Blake is called to Inverlochty, the missing girlÂs home town in the Scottish Highlands, and finds Shannon was keeping a diary full of friends and neighbors secrets. She knows the kind, outgoing boy whoÂs sleeping with his teacher and the quiet woman whoÂs been having an affair with her best friendÂs husband.
Just as Jessie and her team are beginning to understand ShannonÂs complicated world, her lifeless body is found on an ice-cold river bank on the outskirts of town. And when Jessie tells ShannonÂs family the heart-breaking news, she senses something isnÂt right. The loving family is beginning to show cracks. Did Shannon know about her fatherÂs alcohol problems and violent past? Why does ShannonÂs mother keep finding excuses to leave the room, when Jessie wants to ask her questions?
As Jessie begins to piece together the final days of ShannonÂs life, her own history comes back to haunt her. Putting aside her personal demons, Jessie vows to do whatever it takes to catch ShannonÂs killer. But what if the killer is ready to strike first?
Totally captivating and addictive read. I loved this book! There are two storylines. One routed in the past about a brutally raped and murdered school girl and her young killers as they face trial and juvenile detention. One in the present, a missing school girl, Shannon, baring all the similarities of the case from the past - or so it seems.
There are a lot of characters introduced and it ca be a bit overwhelming but persevere as the novel is one worth reading.
The plot is very well written in my opinion and it does flow well. The main characters are well written and enjoy them.
Very compelling and suspenseful read.
I look forward to more in the series as it develops and hope to get more backstory on the detective.
Highly recommend!
My thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC.
Hannah May (3 KP) rated Eleanor & Park in Books
Mar 8, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
It was a strange kind of wonderful, reading this book. It is a romance in its purest form and has been written with so much care and tenderness. Eleanor & Park is unlike any book I have ever read - so far at least. The romantic build is slow, dramatic and captiviting, and it defies the stereotypes of everyday life. Eleanor is not your average teenage girl. She's not popular. She's not blonde. She's not stick thin. Her family is not rich. She is different and Rainbow Rowell reaffirms that idea again and again. She has a big mess of red hair. She's a social outcast. She's bullied. She comes from a broken family. She's anxious and self-conscious. She is so different and so far off the spectrum, that it was a never ending thrill hearing her side of the story, hearing of her struggles and passions. Reading from Eleanor's point of view really brought the whole world into perspective, and made me think in ways I have never done so before. Now. What can I say about Park without repeating myself? What I like most about him is his characterisation. Why? Because it sets him apart from the typical male protagonist you find in most Teen Fiction novels. He's quirky. He's sarcastic. He's a closet romantic. He's Asian. He wears make up. He too is an outcast. This alone makes him different, but no less intriguing or entertaining to read. I truly admire his devotion to Eleanor. Even when she tries to push him away, he's always there for her and he always loves her, despite her taciturn moods and snappy comments. He loves her so deeply and without shame. Needless to say, I wish there were more boys like him. Now, the ending was ambiguous and rather bittersweet. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed, but somehow I found it quite fitting; considering what happened and how far both Eleanor and Park had come, since their first meeting on the school bus. It's not the perfect happily-ever-after, but it was full of potential and hope that it was, in its own little way. It left a smile on my face, at least. Needless to say, I would recommend Eleanor and Park to anyone. From the setting to the characters to the little hidden messages, it is a real story. It is a real romance and it will move you; body and soul.