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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2196 KP) rated Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1) in Books
Jul 13, 2018
Knowing What Is Coming Hurts, but Book Holds Up Well
There’s a mysterious project on an island off the coast of Coast Rica. When John Hammond, the owner, invites Drs. Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, and Ian Malcolm to visit the island, they discover that Hammond has cloned dinosaurs and intends to open his park for tourists to enjoy. However, despite the high security measures that are in place, the visitors begin to see potential problems. When the problems become more than potential, will anyone survive?
It is hard to go into this book not knowing what is really happening thanks to the movies, and that puts the reader of today at a disadvantage since the book takes forever with the set up and big reveal. However, once the dinosaurs get free, this is a page turning book that is impossible to put down. While the character names are the same, they are different from how they are portrayed in the movie, and fans of the films will recognize scenes from the sequels that originated here. Naturally, there are more great scenes and tense moments than could be included in the movie, and the climax here is so much better. I could have done without some of the descriptions of the violence in the book, but they didn’t surprise me. Some lectures, while giving us something to think about, do slow things down again late in the book. Overall, this is still a very enjoyable read.
It is hard to go into this book not knowing what is really happening thanks to the movies, and that puts the reader of today at a disadvantage since the book takes forever with the set up and big reveal. However, once the dinosaurs get free, this is a page turning book that is impossible to put down. While the character names are the same, they are different from how they are portrayed in the movie, and fans of the films will recognize scenes from the sequels that originated here. Naturally, there are more great scenes and tense moments than could be included in the movie, and the climax here is so much better. I could have done without some of the descriptions of the violence in the book, but they didn’t surprise me. Some lectures, while giving us something to think about, do slow things down again late in the book. Overall, this is still a very enjoyable read.
FilmIntuition (33 KP) rated The Byline Bible in Books
Aug 20, 2018
In this wholly entertaining guide for freelance writers looking to climb the publication ladder, professor and scribe Susan Shapiro transfers her highly successful, results oriented course to print in a lively new release.
Serving up various writing assignments that might result in you finding out where your strengths lie, from mining your life for irresistible personal essay fodder to locating someone to pitch it to (as well as how to respond to a critique and the most common reactions to expect), Shapiro guides old and new freelancers throughout the entire process from submit to print.
Reminding writers that the fastest way to burn a bridge is to respond to an email in anger, she offers another practical reason to bite one's tongue as charming someone on the staff of a publication with your sincerity, reliability, and professionalism might make an editor far more willing to work with you to get your piece publication ready than a total stranger would be.
With decades of proven experience to back her up both personally as a writer and professionally as a teacher, Shapiro includes countless columns and articles penned by her students over the years as examples throughout.
Giving it to you straight while maintaining a healthy sense of relatable optimism and dry wit that keeps you flipping pages, Susan Shapiro's compellingly readable Byline Bible makes a worthwhile addition to your nonfiction shelf.
Note: I received this title from Bookish First in exchange for an honest review.
Serving up various writing assignments that might result in you finding out where your strengths lie, from mining your life for irresistible personal essay fodder to locating someone to pitch it to (as well as how to respond to a critique and the most common reactions to expect), Shapiro guides old and new freelancers throughout the entire process from submit to print.
Reminding writers that the fastest way to burn a bridge is to respond to an email in anger, she offers another practical reason to bite one's tongue as charming someone on the staff of a publication with your sincerity, reliability, and professionalism might make an editor far more willing to work with you to get your piece publication ready than a total stranger would be.
With decades of proven experience to back her up both personally as a writer and professionally as a teacher, Shapiro includes countless columns and articles penned by her students over the years as examples throughout.
Giving it to you straight while maintaining a healthy sense of relatable optimism and dry wit that keeps you flipping pages, Susan Shapiro's compellingly readable Byline Bible makes a worthwhile addition to your nonfiction shelf.
Note: I received this title from Bookish First in exchange for an honest review.
Steve Fearon (84 KP) rated Is This Thing Cursed? by Alkaline Trio in Music
Sep 11, 2018
Good to be back, but not great.
Alkaline Trio are one of my favourite bands, combining my love of catchy pop-punk with dark (often horror) themes.
They have been releasing good albums for 20-odd years now, and their wry wit and ear for a catchy tune have made them a special place in my heart.
This new release is the first since Matt Skiba joined up with Blink 182, and is a reassuring return to their sound of recent years, with a focus on dark but polished pop-punk.
I have struggled to pick out many tunes that leap from the album and into a best of playlist, with most tunes being enjoyable without really standing on their own.
This may not be a bad thing necessarily, and it may just necessitate additional listens, but after 2 album long listens, I still maintain this position.
I think this is an album for the fans, one that consolidates their fanbase by giving them a solid, safe and unadventurous collection of songs that reassures them that the Trio are still around, but not wanting to risk being accused of changing their sound because of Skiba's involvements elsewhere.
A good album, a 7/10 at this point, but I may revisit later, as sometimes they can grow on you over time.
They have been releasing good albums for 20-odd years now, and their wry wit and ear for a catchy tune have made them a special place in my heart.
This new release is the first since Matt Skiba joined up with Blink 182, and is a reassuring return to their sound of recent years, with a focus on dark but polished pop-punk.
I have struggled to pick out many tunes that leap from the album and into a best of playlist, with most tunes being enjoyable without really standing on their own.
This may not be a bad thing necessarily, and it may just necessitate additional listens, but after 2 album long listens, I still maintain this position.
I think this is an album for the fans, one that consolidates their fanbase by giving them a solid, safe and unadventurous collection of songs that reassures them that the Trio are still around, but not wanting to risk being accused of changing their sound because of Skiba's involvements elsewhere.
A good album, a 7/10 at this point, but I may revisit later, as sometimes they can grow on you over time.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated The Princess Bride in Books
Sep 19, 2018
Nostalgia (2 more)
Characters
Plot
Great Nostalgia!
For the past week or so I have been struggling to read. Nothing has seemed to grab my attention and due to stress & drama in my life I had to put down books that I would have otherwise loved. Needless to say, I needed something that would help put a smile to my face. I've been putting off reading The Princess Bride simply because I love the movie so much. It's one of those books where I have always worried that it would ruin the movie so I've always put it off even though I owned the book for years. With the mood I've been in, I figured that this was the perfect time to revisit old characters in a new way and boy am I happy I did.
The Princess Bride is a cute quick read. The audiobook has a fantastic narrator & I loved Rob Reiner reading the book to me. It just made it that much better. Don't expect this book to be a beautifully written masterpiece because it isn't. The writing is basic and it's definitely a midgrade book. It's something that you can read to your children and know that they too will enjoy the actionpacked book.
All in all, I'm giving this 5 caffeinated stars. Partially due to nostalgia but mainly due to it being a dang good midgrade book that is sure to pull you into the story.
The Princess Bride is a cute quick read. The audiobook has a fantastic narrator & I loved Rob Reiner reading the book to me. It just made it that much better. Don't expect this book to be a beautifully written masterpiece because it isn't. The writing is basic and it's definitely a midgrade book. It's something that you can read to your children and know that they too will enjoy the actionpacked book.
All in all, I'm giving this 5 caffeinated stars. Partially due to nostalgia but mainly due to it being a dang good midgrade book that is sure to pull you into the story.
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Even If It Hurts - Single by Clover the Girl in Music
Jun 17, 2019
Clover the Girl (Brianna Conrado) is a singer-songwriter from a small town in Dallas, Texas. Not too long ago, she released a music video for her “Even If It Hurts” single.
“‘Even If It Hurts’ is a song about self-inflicted pain and suffering. Being addicted to it, dressing it up, and rationalizing it. I’m no stranger to toxic relationships with others and with myself. Sticking around for them is something I’d like to do less of, and this song is that first step of calling myself out.” – Clover the Girl
The Jenni Johnson-directed audiovisual reflects the song’s theme: Giving your all to something even when it’s never going to be enough.
The music video takes place in a Barbie Box and accentuates the insecurities our culture feeds off of.
Also, it showcases different beauty treatments and women physically and mentally pushing themselves to the limit, even if it hurts.
‘Even If It Hurts’ contains a relatable storyline, pleasing vocals, and lush instrumentation flavored with an alternative-pop aroma.
Also, the likable tune is the title track from Clover the Girl’s upcoming EP, available on July 5, 2019.
Clover the Girl dropped out of Texas A&M University at the age of 17 to pursue a music career.
Since then, she has toured the country, accumulated over 1.5M streams online via Spotify, and petted many dogs.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/clover-the-girl-even-if-it-hurts/
“‘Even If It Hurts’ is a song about self-inflicted pain and suffering. Being addicted to it, dressing it up, and rationalizing it. I’m no stranger to toxic relationships with others and with myself. Sticking around for them is something I’d like to do less of, and this song is that first step of calling myself out.” – Clover the Girl
The Jenni Johnson-directed audiovisual reflects the song’s theme: Giving your all to something even when it’s never going to be enough.
The music video takes place in a Barbie Box and accentuates the insecurities our culture feeds off of.
Also, it showcases different beauty treatments and women physically and mentally pushing themselves to the limit, even if it hurts.
‘Even If It Hurts’ contains a relatable storyline, pleasing vocals, and lush instrumentation flavored with an alternative-pop aroma.
Also, the likable tune is the title track from Clover the Girl’s upcoming EP, available on July 5, 2019.
Clover the Girl dropped out of Texas A&M University at the age of 17 to pursue a music career.
Since then, she has toured the country, accumulated over 1.5M streams online via Spotify, and petted many dogs.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/clover-the-girl-even-if-it-hurts/
Ryan Lakey (48 KP) rated Iron Man 3 (2013) in Movies
Oct 27, 2019
The true main villain is a let down with his absolutely poor motivation being somewhat repetitive of the previous series especially as we will never see a confrontation between Tony and his archenemy (1 more)
Also having stark quit at the end seems pointless as we knew he was in the next avengers film
Iron man 3 a mixed final film
Contains spoilers, click to show
So here it is the final film of marvel's iron man series with Tony stark unlikely to return due to his death in endgame which means we will never see him fight the real mandarin look for him in shang chi however Downey is his usual great self and stark character arc is nice nod to avengers about him being just as heroic without his suit and his ptsd and the supporting cast are just as great.
The film is a fun action piece and has many hilarious moments.
It's shame the film has such a lame villain the twist while being funny you soon stop laughing that your left with another crap mcu villain something marvel is improving on fortunely his motivation are poor and he is a let down also the film with stark giving up being iron man felt redundant given we knew he was in age of ultron
Overall this still an enjoyable watch and will thrill the family
The film is a fun action piece and has many hilarious moments.
It's shame the film has such a lame villain the twist while being funny you soon stop laughing that your left with another crap mcu villain something marvel is improving on fortunely his motivation are poor and he is a let down also the film with stark giving up being iron man felt redundant given we knew he was in age of ultron
Overall this still an enjoyable watch and will thrill the family
ClareR (5716 KP) rated Never Have I Ever in Books
Aug 8, 2019
Prepare for a pretty wild ride!
Never Have I Ever is a psychological thriller which had me completely hooked from the first chapter. Amy is a housewife who teaches diving and is currently on maternity leave. She helps her friend Char to run a book club, which the other mums in her neighbourhood also come to (I think more drinking than reading goes on, to be honest!). At one of these meetings, a new person arrives. Roux is renting a local house for a short period of time, and gatecrashes the club, taking over entirely. She starts a game of ‘Never Have I Ever’, uncovers some of the other mums secrets, and lets Amy know in no uncertain terms that she knows her deepest, darkest secret. And Roux wants to be paid to keep that secret. But Amy isn’t going to just hand over the money.
I loved this - Roux is a great villain, and Amy is an intriguing character. I loved how the lines between good and bad were blurred where Amy was concerned, but she always remains a good mum and Stepmother throughout.
My heart was in my mouth pretty much the whole time - I warn you, there is no let up at all in this book at all!
I will most definitely be looking for more books by Joshilyn Jackson!
Many thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this fabulous book, and to The Pigeonhole for giving me the incentive to read it!
I loved this - Roux is a great villain, and Amy is an intriguing character. I loved how the lines between good and bad were blurred where Amy was concerned, but she always remains a good mum and Stepmother throughout.
My heart was in my mouth pretty much the whole time - I warn you, there is no let up at all in this book at all!
I will most definitely be looking for more books by Joshilyn Jackson!
Many thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this fabulous book, and to The Pigeonhole for giving me the incentive to read it!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2196 KP) rated Murder at the Mansion in Books
Nov 15, 2019
Redwood Cove Faces a Second Killer
Kelly Jackson has returned to Redwood Cove, California, ready to take on her new job as manager of one of the B&B’s in town. While it finishes up some renovations, she is helping out at a sister property, Redwood Heights. Redwood Heights has been having issue with jewelry being stolen from guest’s rooms, but things escalate when Kelly finds one of the guests murdered in that guest’s room. With the aid of the local senior citizen community watch, the Silver Sentinels, Kelly starts digging around. Can she figure out what happened?
Having grown up visiting the redwoods, I love this setting. I would love to visit in real life, between murders, of course. This book starts off strongly and never lets up, always giving us some complication or clue until Kelly pieces everything together. I didn’t have any problem remembering the characters, which is good since there are quite a few of them, but I do feel the cast could be a little better developed. I’m hoping that will come as the series continues. I also stumbled over a few editing errors. They were minor overall, fortunately. While there aren’t any recipes, there is more than enough talk about food to make your mouth water as you read the book. Overall, this is a good second in the series, and I hope to visit Kelly again soon.
Having grown up visiting the redwoods, I love this setting. I would love to visit in real life, between murders, of course. This book starts off strongly and never lets up, always giving us some complication or clue until Kelly pieces everything together. I didn’t have any problem remembering the characters, which is good since there are quite a few of them, but I do feel the cast could be a little better developed. I’m hoping that will come as the series continues. I also stumbled over a few editing errors. They were minor overall, fortunately. While there aren’t any recipes, there is more than enough talk about food to make your mouth water as you read the book. Overall, this is a good second in the series, and I hope to visit Kelly again soon.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Girl in the Shadows (Cirque American) in Books
Nov 16, 2019
Eighteen-year-old Moira Mitchell grew up in the shadows of Vegas's stage lights while her father's career as a magician soared. More than anything, Moira wants to be a magician too, but her father is dead set against her pursuing magic.
When an invitation to join the Cirque American mistakenly falls into Moira's possession, she takes action. Instead of giving the highly coveted invitation to its intended recipient, Raleigh, her father's handsome and worldly former apprentice, Moira takes off to join the Cirque. If she can perform alongside its world-famous acts, she knows she'll be able to convince her dad that magic is her future.
But when Moira arrives, things take on an intensity she can't control as her stage magic suddenly feels like...real magic. To further distract her, Raleigh shows up none too pleased at Moira's presence, all while the Cirque's cocky and intriguing knife thrower, Dez, seems to have it out for her. As tensions mount and Moira's abilities come into question, she must decide what's real and what's an illusion. If she doesn't sort it out in time, she may forever remain a girl in the shadows.
I forgot how much I had enjoyed the first book. So this book was like slipping back into that world. Was lovely to see old characters and meet the new. Also seeing the history and journey of this magical coin. Gwenda Bond brings us magic you could believe existed.
Recommended
⭐⭐
When an invitation to join the Cirque American mistakenly falls into Moira's possession, she takes action. Instead of giving the highly coveted invitation to its intended recipient, Raleigh, her father's handsome and worldly former apprentice, Moira takes off to join the Cirque. If she can perform alongside its world-famous acts, she knows she'll be able to convince her dad that magic is her future.
But when Moira arrives, things take on an intensity she can't control as her stage magic suddenly feels like...real magic. To further distract her, Raleigh shows up none too pleased at Moira's presence, all while the Cirque's cocky and intriguing knife thrower, Dez, seems to have it out for her. As tensions mount and Moira's abilities come into question, she must decide what's real and what's an illusion. If she doesn't sort it out in time, she may forever remain a girl in the shadows.
I forgot how much I had enjoyed the first book. So this book was like slipping back into that world. Was lovely to see old characters and meet the new. Also seeing the history and journey of this magical coin. Gwenda Bond brings us magic you could believe existed.
Recommended
⭐⭐
Merissa (12045 KP) rated Better the Devil You Know (Broken Halos #6) in Books
Jan 22, 2020
Better the Devil You Know is the final book in the Broken Halos series. We start off with Raphael not doing too well and Eric fighting through humans, giving up on everything they held dear because Helena's gone. Hel, in the meantime, isn't sure where she is or even who she is, trapped in a world of grey.
This was a great final book to the series, with plenty of action and snark from Helena as she tries to find herself again, plus she has some new freaky-ass powers to contend with. Raphael keeps secrets throughout most of the book. And Eric is still Eric. He's growly and grumpy for all the right reasons.
Although the pacing is perfect, this book doesn't feel like the end to me. I guess it's because Hel and Eric still have so much more to do. So, really, it feels more like the end of a season. Now I just need to wait and see if there will be a second season or if it will get cancelled! 😁
I definitely recommend this book on the proviso that you are sensible and start at the beginning, otherwise you won't know what the "Hel" is going on.
* 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!
This was a great final book to the series, with plenty of action and snark from Helena as she tries to find herself again, plus she has some new freaky-ass powers to contend with. Raphael keeps secrets throughout most of the book. And Eric is still Eric. He's growly and grumpy for all the right reasons.
Although the pacing is perfect, this book doesn't feel like the end to me. I guess it's because Hel and Eric still have so much more to do. So, really, it feels more like the end of a season. Now I just need to wait and see if there will be a second season or if it will get cancelled! 😁
I definitely recommend this book on the proviso that you are sensible and start at the beginning, otherwise you won't know what the "Hel" is going on.
* 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!