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BookInspector (124 KP) rated Follow the Snowflakes in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Previously I read some of the short romance books, and unfortunately, they kind of disappointed me, but I actually enjoyed this novella, maybe because I read it at the suitable time, or maybe because I could relate with some of the things which were mentioned in the book.
The blurb of this novella is pretty accurate, Cat accidentally meets a stranger in a car accident, and because she has a good heart, she helps him out. One thing leads to another and they spend more and more time together, but life throws in some pleasant surprises and twists for Cat. This is a sweet story, with pleasant characters and interesting twists. I enjoyed reading this novel because it was not too sweet, it had its edge in it, but at the same time, it was pleasant and romantic.
The author was born in Novosibirsk, Russian Siberia, and I did like the little details she proudly shared about her Russian heritage. Do not be fooled by the cover, even though this book is filled with pictures giving it a playful feel, it is a story for adults. I really liked the art at the end of the novel, and I think it is great if you have children, you can give it to them to colour in. Everybody wins!!!
The writing style of this novella is quite simple, with easy and understandable vocabulary. I liked the short chapters, it made this book really great one sitting read. The ending of this story rounded everything as I was suspecting, and for me, it didn’t leave any loose ends. So to conclude, it is a great read if you like Hallmark and looking for a quick, playful and Christmasy story which is pleasant, romantic and not over sweetened. Enjoy
The blurb of this novella is pretty accurate, Cat accidentally meets a stranger in a car accident, and because she has a good heart, she helps him out. One thing leads to another and they spend more and more time together, but life throws in some pleasant surprises and twists for Cat. This is a sweet story, with pleasant characters and interesting twists. I enjoyed reading this novel because it was not too sweet, it had its edge in it, but at the same time, it was pleasant and romantic.
The author was born in Novosibirsk, Russian Siberia, and I did like the little details she proudly shared about her Russian heritage. Do not be fooled by the cover, even though this book is filled with pictures giving it a playful feel, it is a story for adults. I really liked the art at the end of the novel, and I think it is great if you have children, you can give it to them to colour in. Everybody wins!!!
The writing style of this novella is quite simple, with easy and understandable vocabulary. I liked the short chapters, it made this book really great one sitting read. The ending of this story rounded everything as I was suspecting, and for me, it didn’t leave any loose ends. So to conclude, it is a great read if you like Hallmark and looking for a quick, playful and Christmasy story which is pleasant, romantic and not over sweetened. Enjoy
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Beast (Six Stories, #4) in Books
Sep 24, 2020
I find it hard to determine, who was the protagonist of this story. Scott King is interviewing people, who knew Youtube Vlogger Elizabeth or her killers, and trying to find out why and who locked Elizabeth in the Vampire Tower, where she was found dead. The characters in this novel are absolutely brilliant. They are diverse, complex, incredibly absorbing and mysterious. I really liked the way Scott King was choosing the people he interviewed, it showed different opinions and views, that kept me immensely intrigued.
The narrative was told from multiple sources, I should say. We are able to read what Elizabeth was saying to her followers, while she is doing an online challenge, as well as to read what Scott King uncovers during his interviews. I loved everything about this narrative, the way vampires were incorporated, giving this book a dark and ghostly feeling, the kind of Q&A writing style, and all the twists and discoveries that unravel as we read along. The topics discussed in this book were very dark, troublesome but at the same time very modern and realistic. Such as need of validation, the power of manipulation, abuse and bullying, social exclusion, social degradation and many, many more.
I really loved the setting of this book as well. It is set in Ergarth, a miserable town, that feels forgotten by the world, where unemployment and homelessness thrive, where the trouble is always next to you, and it is haunted by the Vampire Tower. LOVED IT! The whole book is divided into six chapters, and they are quite long, but the story absorbed me so much, that the pages just flew by. (And that comes from a person who despises long chapters
The narrative was told from multiple sources, I should say. We are able to read what Elizabeth was saying to her followers, while she is doing an online challenge, as well as to read what Scott King uncovers during his interviews. I loved everything about this narrative, the way vampires were incorporated, giving this book a dark and ghostly feeling, the kind of Q&A writing style, and all the twists and discoveries that unravel as we read along. The topics discussed in this book were very dark, troublesome but at the same time very modern and realistic. Such as need of validation, the power of manipulation, abuse and bullying, social exclusion, social degradation and many, many more.
I really loved the setting of this book as well. It is set in Ergarth, a miserable town, that feels forgotten by the world, where unemployment and homelessness thrive, where the trouble is always next to you, and it is haunted by the Vampire Tower. LOVED IT! The whole book is divided into six chapters, and they are quite long, but the story absorbed me so much, that the pages just flew by. (And that comes from a person who despises long chapters
ClareR (5885 KP) rated Shield of the Rising Sun (Path of Nemesis #3) in Books
Sep 8, 2020
This is the third book in a series of historical fiction novels set in the Roman era. Even though I haven’t read the first two books, I had no problem at all in understanding what was going on in the Shield of the Rising Sun. Although that now doesn’t stop me from wanting to read the first two books!
The story is told by three characters: Albinus, his son Faustus, and Faustus’ uncle, Calvus. The battle scenes, mainly from Albinus’ point of view, were gory (I like this - I know, probably a bit odd!) and the politics with all the infighting and back-stabbing was fascinating. How did anyone ever feel safe at this time? I’ll answer that: if they were clever, they NEVER felt safe!
This story shows the true reach of the Roman Empire - there are scenes in Britain, Germany and Egypt, as well as in Rome. It frankly amazed me how quickly Roman soldiers seemed to be able to travel - and mostly (if not solely) on foot!
The main characters were all three very likeable men, who had me rooting for them throughout - even though it was pretty obvious what would happen to one of them from the start )I’m giving nothing away here!).
I enjoy reading a lot of historical fiction, and it’s not often that I read books set in the Roman period. I don’t know why, there’s no reason I can think of, and this makes me realise that I really should read more! If, like me, you’re a fan of historical fiction, then you’ll enjoy the rich descriptions and history packed story within the pages of this book.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book, and to Adam Lofthouse for joining in and commenting in the margins!
The story is told by three characters: Albinus, his son Faustus, and Faustus’ uncle, Calvus. The battle scenes, mainly from Albinus’ point of view, were gory (I like this - I know, probably a bit odd!) and the politics with all the infighting and back-stabbing was fascinating. How did anyone ever feel safe at this time? I’ll answer that: if they were clever, they NEVER felt safe!
This story shows the true reach of the Roman Empire - there are scenes in Britain, Germany and Egypt, as well as in Rome. It frankly amazed me how quickly Roman soldiers seemed to be able to travel - and mostly (if not solely) on foot!
The main characters were all three very likeable men, who had me rooting for them throughout - even though it was pretty obvious what would happen to one of them from the start )I’m giving nothing away here!).
I enjoy reading a lot of historical fiction, and it’s not often that I read books set in the Roman period. I don’t know why, there’s no reason I can think of, and this makes me realise that I really should read more! If, like me, you’re a fan of historical fiction, then you’ll enjoy the rich descriptions and history packed story within the pages of this book.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book, and to Adam Lofthouse for joining in and commenting in the margins!
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Dead Ringers (1988) in Movies
Sep 15, 2020 (Updated Sep 15, 2020)
Whats The Difference Between Us
Dead Ringers- is a decent movie, its the last movie david cronenberg did in the 80's. So his 80's streak ending on a low ball/a dispointment. I really liked Jeremy Irons he was really good. And the psychological espect was good as well. Other than that it was a okay movie.
The Plot: Elliot (Jeremy Irons), a successful gynecologist, works at the same practice as his identical twin, Beverly (also Irons). Elliot is attracted to many of his patients and has affairs with them. When he inevitably loses interest, he will give the woman over to Beverly, the meeker of the two, without the woman knowing the difference. Beverly falls hard for one of the patients, Claire (Geneviève Bujold), but when she inadvertently deceives him, he slips into a state of madness.
In his DVD commentary, Irons claims that Robert De Niro declined playing the Mantles due to his unease with the subject matter and portraying gynecologists, while William Hurt decided to reject the parts because "it is hard enough to play one role".
Irons was given two different dressing rooms with two sets of costumes for playing his two characters. However, given the fact that he said "the whole point of the story is you should sometimes be confused as to which is which", he chose to use only one of the rooms and combine different costume items intended for different characters. Irons also developed an "internal way" to portray each character, employing the Alexander technique for "different energy points", giving each character his own appearance.
Like i said before the psychological espect is good in this. Jeremy Irons was excellent. I wouldnt really recordmend this film, rather davids other 80's films instead.
The Plot: Elliot (Jeremy Irons), a successful gynecologist, works at the same practice as his identical twin, Beverly (also Irons). Elliot is attracted to many of his patients and has affairs with them. When he inevitably loses interest, he will give the woman over to Beverly, the meeker of the two, without the woman knowing the difference. Beverly falls hard for one of the patients, Claire (Geneviève Bujold), but when she inadvertently deceives him, he slips into a state of madness.
In his DVD commentary, Irons claims that Robert De Niro declined playing the Mantles due to his unease with the subject matter and portraying gynecologists, while William Hurt decided to reject the parts because "it is hard enough to play one role".
Irons was given two different dressing rooms with two sets of costumes for playing his two characters. However, given the fact that he said "the whole point of the story is you should sometimes be confused as to which is which", he chose to use only one of the rooms and combine different costume items intended for different characters. Irons also developed an "internal way" to portray each character, employing the Alexander technique for "different energy points", giving each character his own appearance.
Like i said before the psychological espect is good in this. Jeremy Irons was excellent. I wouldnt really recordmend this film, rather davids other 80's films instead.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated It Follows (2015) in Movies
Oct 9, 2020
There are plenty of positive aspects to It Follows. The concept for one is decent and an original idea for a horror film. A sexually transmitted disease that causes an entity to relentlessly hunt you down at the pace of a Romero era zombie, never giving up until you're dead, unless you pass it on to someone new.
It's a very modern take on horror, acting as an age old cautionary tale about casual sex, masquerading as a creepy stalker flick.
The image of a person slowly walking towards you, staring at you the whole time is unsettling enough, but the entity's appearance will frequently change. This allows even people in the background shots to carry a weight of danger in the times where the audience is unaware of its whereabouts. It's a simple yet clever trick that gives It Follows a steady undercurrent of dread.
There's some really nice cinematography on display as well. Lingering shots of empty spaces are intimidating (I found myself constantly scanning for the entity, and got caught out more than once) It also has a phenomenal synth soundtrack courtesy of Disasterpiece. It will switch from ethereal to jarring in a flash and contributes greatly to the dark tone this film carries.
I wasn't a huge fan of the constant frame dissolves and screen wipes. It's kept taking me out of the narrative a bit, and the film suffers greatly with it's characters constantly making silly decisions. Although Maika Monroe is a solid lead.
Overall, It Follows is a genuinely unsettling horror-thriller with some truly chilling moments. It's just a little frustrating that the great concept isn't explored as much as it could have been.
It's a very modern take on horror, acting as an age old cautionary tale about casual sex, masquerading as a creepy stalker flick.
The image of a person slowly walking towards you, staring at you the whole time is unsettling enough, but the entity's appearance will frequently change. This allows even people in the background shots to carry a weight of danger in the times where the audience is unaware of its whereabouts. It's a simple yet clever trick that gives It Follows a steady undercurrent of dread.
There's some really nice cinematography on display as well. Lingering shots of empty spaces are intimidating (I found myself constantly scanning for the entity, and got caught out more than once) It also has a phenomenal synth soundtrack courtesy of Disasterpiece. It will switch from ethereal to jarring in a flash and contributes greatly to the dark tone this film carries.
I wasn't a huge fan of the constant frame dissolves and screen wipes. It's kept taking me out of the narrative a bit, and the film suffers greatly with it's characters constantly making silly decisions. Although Maika Monroe is a solid lead.
Overall, It Follows is a genuinely unsettling horror-thriller with some truly chilling moments. It's just a little frustrating that the great concept isn't explored as much as it could have been.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Enter the Dragon (1973) in Movies
Dec 16, 2020
"𝘔𝘢𝘯, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬."
Exquisite, worth every ounce of its reputation. Sensational use of music, dazzling acting, timeless fight sequences, savory aesthetic, very funny, and just an inherently juicy premise at the helm - I've always loved the idea of this gaudy remote island reserved exclusively for corrupt martial arts tournaments (plus drug/human trafficking and casual murder of course) that people can just casually go to lol. Not only a masterclass in personality but highly acute in its intelligence - crafts smart dialogue and extra fun characters to make this more than just the surface-level experience that it still could have been successful at. Bruce Lee really was the definition of raw star power, giving a performance which I can only describe as a live endorphin meets calculated hitman meets wrecking ball - leading both the ripper action bits as well as the cool, collected talking bits with seismic gravitas. The part where he stomps that guy to death as we watch his facial expression go from pure adrenaline takeover to euphoric satisfaction to regret then finally to painful acceptance all in a matter of like ten seconds is nothing short of astonishing. Plus it's all just so damn cool, I love this whole experience - the primal anticipation, the hearty sense of grooviness, the way the camera takes on the POV of the fighters as we can see how their conditions differ then zooms back in on the wildly emotive faces... pure cinema. The scene where Lee mows through an entire compound full of guards as he keeps switching progressively better weapons with the last one he retrieves from the previous wave of baddies? Oh hell yeah, say no more.
Exquisite, worth every ounce of its reputation. Sensational use of music, dazzling acting, timeless fight sequences, savory aesthetic, very funny, and just an inherently juicy premise at the helm - I've always loved the idea of this gaudy remote island reserved exclusively for corrupt martial arts tournaments (plus drug/human trafficking and casual murder of course) that people can just casually go to lol. Not only a masterclass in personality but highly acute in its intelligence - crafts smart dialogue and extra fun characters to make this more than just the surface-level experience that it still could have been successful at. Bruce Lee really was the definition of raw star power, giving a performance which I can only describe as a live endorphin meets calculated hitman meets wrecking ball - leading both the ripper action bits as well as the cool, collected talking bits with seismic gravitas. The part where he stomps that guy to death as we watch his facial expression go from pure adrenaline takeover to euphoric satisfaction to regret then finally to painful acceptance all in a matter of like ten seconds is nothing short of astonishing. Plus it's all just so damn cool, I love this whole experience - the primal anticipation, the hearty sense of grooviness, the way the camera takes on the POV of the fighters as we can see how their conditions differ then zooms back in on the wildly emotive faces... pure cinema. The scene where Lee mows through an entire compound full of guards as he keeps switching progressively better weapons with the last one he retrieves from the previous wave of baddies? Oh hell yeah, say no more.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Mary Queen of Scots (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
January is proving to be a challenging month, so many historical and biographical movies and a lot of me saying "this was great but..."
Scrolling back through Saoirse Ronan's acting career I've only actually seen her in two things, Lady Bird and City Of Embers (which for the life of me I cannot remember her in), and I can't say that I was going in as a fan, but I came out pleasantly surprised by her powerful portrayal of Mary.
The cast in this is brilliant, so many recognisable faces. Ian Hart, Gemma Chan, David Tennant (not initially so recognisable until he starts to speak), Brendan Coyle and Joe Alwyn who is clearly hedging his bets by appearing in The Favourite as well.
Margot Robbie is wonderful, just generally, and I love so many of her roles. I do feel like she was rather underused as Elizabeth, but thankfully her brief appearances were quite striking.
I was so happy to see Adrian Lester's name connected to this. I'm slightly obsessed with Hustle, and his stage and screen work is usually something tremendously entertaining to watch. However, I didn't feel that the script allowed him to get anything good out of Lord Randolph sadly. Guy Pearce fared much better and gave an impressive performance.
Visually the locations and costumes make for a magnificent film, but while I wasn't bored at any point it does feel like it could have lost a few minutes here and there.
What you should do
It's worth giving a watch at some point but I don't think there's any rush to get to the cinema for it.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Some quality Mary ginger hair... maybe without the halo of volume.
Scrolling back through Saoirse Ronan's acting career I've only actually seen her in two things, Lady Bird and City Of Embers (which for the life of me I cannot remember her in), and I can't say that I was going in as a fan, but I came out pleasantly surprised by her powerful portrayal of Mary.
The cast in this is brilliant, so many recognisable faces. Ian Hart, Gemma Chan, David Tennant (not initially so recognisable until he starts to speak), Brendan Coyle and Joe Alwyn who is clearly hedging his bets by appearing in The Favourite as well.
Margot Robbie is wonderful, just generally, and I love so many of her roles. I do feel like she was rather underused as Elizabeth, but thankfully her brief appearances were quite striking.
I was so happy to see Adrian Lester's name connected to this. I'm slightly obsessed with Hustle, and his stage and screen work is usually something tremendously entertaining to watch. However, I didn't feel that the script allowed him to get anything good out of Lord Randolph sadly. Guy Pearce fared much better and gave an impressive performance.
Visually the locations and costumes make for a magnificent film, but while I wasn't bored at any point it does feel like it could have lost a few minutes here and there.
What you should do
It's worth giving a watch at some point but I don't think there's any rush to get to the cinema for it.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Some quality Mary ginger hair... maybe without the halo of volume.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Undertow (The UnderCity Chronicles #1) in Books
Sep 6, 2019
3½ out of 5 stars.
*I received this copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
The cover grabbed my attention straight away; it looks dark and kinda scary. I like to read a bit of everything as long as it has some romance to it, so.
The prologue definitely grabbed my attention and left me wondering what was down there in the tunnels under New York City.
Fast forward eighteen years, Lindsay and Jack now are thirty-three, and she needs his help. When she finally manages to get him to agree, they head underground and I was amazed at the detailed description of the communities they come across, and the variety. Some seemed rather crazy while others were pretty laid back. It was interesting.
We see from both Lindsay and Jacks POV, which turns out to be very interesting. He tries to act like he doesnt care about her (in Lindsays POV), I think in an attempt to keep himself removed from the rest of the world after what he went through at the hands of the Moles. Then seeing from his own POV that he does care and that he does want to help her. I like him: a LOT.
Seeing the occasional flashback of Jacks time being held underground by the Moles was kinda creepy. What they did to him *shudders*
Its hard to go into too much detail about this book without giving some stuff away but I was drawn into the book easily. Maybe it was the romance aspect that was present from early on or maybe it was the mystery about what was down in the Undercity. Whatever it was, I liked it.
*I received this copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
The cover grabbed my attention straight away; it looks dark and kinda scary. I like to read a bit of everything as long as it has some romance to it, so.
The prologue definitely grabbed my attention and left me wondering what was down there in the tunnels under New York City.
Fast forward eighteen years, Lindsay and Jack now are thirty-three, and she needs his help. When she finally manages to get him to agree, they head underground and I was amazed at the detailed description of the communities they come across, and the variety. Some seemed rather crazy while others were pretty laid back. It was interesting.
We see from both Lindsay and Jacks POV, which turns out to be very interesting. He tries to act like he doesnt care about her (in Lindsays POV), I think in an attempt to keep himself removed from the rest of the world after what he went through at the hands of the Moles. Then seeing from his own POV that he does care and that he does want to help her. I like him: a LOT.
Seeing the occasional flashback of Jacks time being held underground by the Moles was kinda creepy. What they did to him *shudders*
Its hard to go into too much detail about this book without giving some stuff away but I was drawn into the book easily. Maybe it was the romance aspect that was present from early on or maybe it was the mystery about what was down in the Undercity. Whatever it was, I liked it.
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Start With This in Podcasts
Oct 4, 2019
Start with this is a podcast by the creators of ‘Welcome to Nightvale, Jeffery Cranor & Joseph Fink. Each episode is on a chosen topic to help with either writing stories or recording podcasts. Each episode is split into two parts; in part one the hosts talk about the subject, giving the listener information how the subject would work and then, in the second half they set out two tasks, the first takes the form of reading material or audio which uses the episodes subject and then the second task is use the subject in a short piece of written/audio work. The listeners can then post their work on the Start With This site (www.nightvalepresents.com/startwiththis) although this is a patron page with a $5 moth charge to use. As well as the web site there is a Facebook page.
As the hosts write record and produce ‘Welcome to Nightvale’ as well as other shows they have experience in the subject matter and use that experience in the show. You can also tell that they are used to working together as the show flows well as they talk.
I have only recently found this podcast and only listen to a few episodes but I have found it entertaining and useful. Each episode is only about half an hour long so the listener is not bogged down with too much information and all the assignments seem easy enough (if you choose to do them) but the show doesn’t get tied up with the listener taking part meaning it is ok and useful if you only want to listen to the show. I use Stitcher to listen to podcasts and all the back episodes are still currently available
As the hosts write record and produce ‘Welcome to Nightvale’ as well as other shows they have experience in the subject matter and use that experience in the show. You can also tell that they are used to working together as the show flows well as they talk.
I have only recently found this podcast and only listen to a few episodes but I have found it entertaining and useful. Each episode is only about half an hour long so the listener is not bogged down with too much information and all the assignments seem easy enough (if you choose to do them) but the show doesn’t get tied up with the listener taking part meaning it is ok and useful if you only want to listen to the show. I use Stitcher to listen to podcasts and all the back episodes are still currently available
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Audition (1999) in Movies
Oct 10, 2019
Be careful what you wish for!
A middle-aged man with a teenage son and a dead wife is longing for love. He is encouraged to start dating and devises a plan to find hiss new love. With his friend, they concoct an elaborate ruse placing an ad for an "audition" for a fictitious movie where actresses will come seeking the part. From there, the man may be able to find the new love of his life. After long hours he finally meets the seemingly young, timid and demure Asami whom he is immediately infatuated with.
His friend soon discovers she is not what she seems when her resume references do not check out. Mr. Infatuation doesn't care and continues to pursue his new mysterious love anyways. After a few dates, they meet at a hotel for sex. However, before the relationship is consummated, he must profess his undying love for her. (Boy was that a mistake!).
Without wanting to ruin the ending for you, it is one of the most unique, riveting and disgusting I have ever seen. It sort of seems like it comes from nowhere as you are watching, but makes sense the more you think about it. The are flashback scenes scattered throughout the film giving more backstory to Asami and helps the audience understand her motivations. Her solution to her problems is extreme and has been going on for some time, and the current widower boyfriend is just the latest victim.
The cold, heartless treachery is almost unbelievable and will definitely turn off anyone who is not in the mood for this type of film. The slow buildup and entertaining romance and detective story doesn't prepare you for what is to come.
Be warned!
His friend soon discovers she is not what she seems when her resume references do not check out. Mr. Infatuation doesn't care and continues to pursue his new mysterious love anyways. After a few dates, they meet at a hotel for sex. However, before the relationship is consummated, he must profess his undying love for her. (Boy was that a mistake!).
Without wanting to ruin the ending for you, it is one of the most unique, riveting and disgusting I have ever seen. It sort of seems like it comes from nowhere as you are watching, but makes sense the more you think about it. The are flashback scenes scattered throughout the film giving more backstory to Asami and helps the audience understand her motivations. Her solution to her problems is extreme and has been going on for some time, and the current widower boyfriend is just the latest victim.
The cold, heartless treachery is almost unbelievable and will definitely turn off anyone who is not in the mood for this type of film. The slow buildup and entertaining romance and detective story doesn't prepare you for what is to come.
Be warned!