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Apache Spark in 24 Hours, Sams Teach Yourself
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Apache Spark is a fast, scalable, and flexible open source distributed processing engine for big...
Go Reactive Programming
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Build concurrent, easy-to-maintain responsive applications in Go About This Book * Explore the...
Bondarchuk's 'War and Peace': Literary Classic to Soviet Cinematic Epic
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Sergei Bondarchuk's War and Peace , one of the world's greatest film epics, originated as a...
Merissa (13358 KP) rated Plague Arcanist (Frith Chronicles #4) in Books
Jun 15, 2020
Plague Arcanist is the fourth book in the Frith Chronicles and you really do need to read them in order. The question should be "Why wouldn't you?" This is an amazing fantasy series with amazing characters and abilities, set in a world that will take your breath away!
I'm not giving out any spoilers when I say Volke is infected with the plague. Not only does this happen at the end of book three but the very title sort of gives it away! 😉 Volke feels he has no choice but to go it alone as he is terrified of infecting one of his friends. Only trouble is, Adelgis isn't prepared to let him, even with the risks to himself, and Fain is immune and won't let him either. So Volke is stuck with both of them and I honestly believe he wouldn't have made it to the end of the book without them.
I was a bit sad that we didn't find out what the others have been up to whilst Volke has his adventures but I am sure we will find out in due course. What I loved was finding out about Everett and Lynus. I loved these parts and thought they were brilliantly done. There are new characters to enjoy too who really help to set the scenes.
I can't say I was surprised at the ending as I felt there were hints throughout the book. It wasn't a disappointment though as the writing, as always, was superb and really made you feel part of what was going on. Can I just add - that cloak! The description of the new versus the old brought tears to my eyes!!!
All in all, this is an amazing addition to the series that I have thoroughly enjoyed. I really can't wait for the next one - World Serpent Arcanist. Bring it 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!
I'm not giving out any spoilers when I say Volke is infected with the plague. Not only does this happen at the end of book three but the very title sort of gives it away! 😉 Volke feels he has no choice but to go it alone as he is terrified of infecting one of his friends. Only trouble is, Adelgis isn't prepared to let him, even with the risks to himself, and Fain is immune and won't let him either. So Volke is stuck with both of them and I honestly believe he wouldn't have made it to the end of the book without them.
I was a bit sad that we didn't find out what the others have been up to whilst Volke has his adventures but I am sure we will find out in due course. What I loved was finding out about Everett and Lynus. I loved these parts and thought they were brilliantly done. There are new characters to enjoy too who really help to set the scenes.
I can't say I was surprised at the ending as I felt there were hints throughout the book. It wasn't a disappointment though as the writing, as always, was superb and really made you feel part of what was going on. Can I just add - that cloak! The description of the new versus the old brought tears to my eyes!!!
All in all, this is an amazing addition to the series that I have thoroughly enjoyed. I really can't wait for the next one - World Serpent Arcanist. Bring it 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!
Kim Pook (101 KP) rated Truth or Dare (2018) in Movies
Jun 17, 2020 (Updated Jun 18, 2020)
Contains spoilers, click to show
The movie starts with a young woman buying cigarettes. She appears distressed and ends up setting light to a woman in the store and the question we're all wondering is why? Keep watching though and soon enough you find out.
Moving on to the main part of the movie we see a group of friends enjoying their spring break at Mexico where Olivia meets a guy called Carter who invites her and her friends to a hideout to play a game of truth or dare. It starts off as just fun and games such as guys giving lapdances, streaking and girls kissing, until its carter's turn to do a truth. That's when he tells the group that he was dared to bring them to the hideout and that they have to play or they did, he then leaves leaving Olivia wondering what has just happened. I expected them to be trapped there but next thing we know they're back at school and everything is seemingly back to normal. However it isn't long until the cursed game starts as Olivia starts seing the words truth or dare everywhere and eventually her and her friends start seing it too along with these very creepy distorted faces (reminds me of momo if anyone can remember that) asking truth or dare over and over like something out of nightmares. They soon discover that if you refuse to tell the truth or don't do the dare you will die. Along with having to play the game the friends have to try and figure out why the game is cursed and how to stop it.
After reading other reviews for this movie I half expected to hate it, but for me it was completely different. It started off slow but once it started properly I really enjoyed it, it isn't like any movie I'd seen before. I found myself eagerly awaiting someone's turn to arrive as I loved hearing what everyone would have to do. I've seen people compare it to the ring or final destination but I don't see it myself. The ending was a big shock and didn't expect it at all, it definitely had you guessing all the way through to the end.
Moving on to the main part of the movie we see a group of friends enjoying their spring break at Mexico where Olivia meets a guy called Carter who invites her and her friends to a hideout to play a game of truth or dare. It starts off as just fun and games such as guys giving lapdances, streaking and girls kissing, until its carter's turn to do a truth. That's when he tells the group that he was dared to bring them to the hideout and that they have to play or they did, he then leaves leaving Olivia wondering what has just happened. I expected them to be trapped there but next thing we know they're back at school and everything is seemingly back to normal. However it isn't long until the cursed game starts as Olivia starts seing the words truth or dare everywhere and eventually her and her friends start seing it too along with these very creepy distorted faces (reminds me of momo if anyone can remember that) asking truth or dare over and over like something out of nightmares. They soon discover that if you refuse to tell the truth or don't do the dare you will die. Along with having to play the game the friends have to try and figure out why the game is cursed and how to stop it.
After reading other reviews for this movie I half expected to hate it, but for me it was completely different. It started off slow but once it started properly I really enjoyed it, it isn't like any movie I'd seen before. I found myself eagerly awaiting someone's turn to arrive as I loved hearing what everyone would have to do. I've seen people compare it to the ring or final destination but I don't see it myself. The ending was a big shock and didn't expect it at all, it definitely had you guessing all the way through to the end.
Matt Geiger (15 KP) rated Cars 2 (2011) in Movies
Jun 27, 2020 (Updated Jun 27, 2020)
Perhaps the first indication that Pixar could still lose sight of its capabilities, it should be common knowledge that CARS 2 is the worst Pixar film. While the first Cars movie was not Pixar's finest outing itself, the eccentricities of its premise and the likeable residents of Radiator Springs were enough to draw attention away from any holes the story had, numerous as they were. What we get here is an utterly incoherent and inconceivable sequel that makes just about every mistake a sequel can make. While the central espionage-based plot initially appears as a thoughtful homage to 007, and ultimately proves that Larry the Cable Guy has plenty of star power as Tow Mater, it devolves into an overstuffed, mediocre snoozefest that just keeps driving in a circle, content with giving the viewer vertigo. In fact, it is so flawed, audiences finally have to consider the implications imposed by the concept of living cars operating freely in their own world. It's not just that it's bad, but creating an entirely different story of this nature requires shoving all of the original characters to the side, including Lightning McQueen. You would think that a character who grew on audiences and learned some valuable lessons in such a short amount of time would've played a more notable role in the outcome of the film, but here he is reduced to a yammering motor of a damsel in distress, and hilarious stock characters like Luigi, Guido, and Fillmore are given literally nothing to work with. Not even the new characters make an impression, wasting the talent of Michael Caine and John Turturro among others. Honestly, there really isn't much about this movie to justify its existence. Whereas better Pixar sequels ring in on the success of their predecessor for the sake of inviting us to invest in the world they are trying to build, CARS 2 is a blown gasket that ultimately crashes the once profitable cash grab vehicle that the nostalgic first film helped to create. With this film, Pixar achieved the impossible: they made a bad movie.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Aladdin (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
A Whole New World For A New Generation
Aladdin is a 2019 live-action film adaptation of the 1992 Disney animated movie. It was directed by Guy Ritchie, who wrote the screenplay with John August. The movie is produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Rideback, and Marc Platt Productions and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The movie stars Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, and Marwan Kenzari.
Living in the desert kingdom of Agrabah, Aladdin (Mena Moussad), along with Abu, his pet monkey, befriend and rescue Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott), when she is caught giving bread to poor children. Meanwhile, growing tired of being "second" in power to the Sultan, Jafar (Marwen Kenzari), the Royal Vizier, along with his parrot Iago seek a magic lamp hidden within the Cave of Wonders.
This movie was really good and a really awesome adaptation of the original Disney animated film. It stayed very faithful to the original and changed very little, also it added somethings, like an original song that Jasmine sang. At first I was "if-ey" about Will Smith being cast as the Genie, but I have to say he did a real good job. Mena Massoud who played Aladdin also gave an excellent performance. I was a little disappointed in the way they went with Jafar's character but not as upset as I was with this film's version of Iago. The original had Gilbert Godfrey, who was extremely funny albeit a little annoying, but this Iago was just terrible. The costumes were great and even the musical numbers of dancing and singing were really good. My favorite was the Prince Ali song/dance. I have to say I wasn't too happy with some of the changes and what they left out. At certain times the direction veered from the plot of the original and the pacing felt off but a lot of it lead to some very comedic scenes. I liked the inclusion of the character of Jasmine's hand maiden played by Nasim Pedrad, she looked very pretty and was very funny. And I thought the CGI looked good, however some critics complained that it brought nothing new to the film. I give this movie a 7/10.
Living in the desert kingdom of Agrabah, Aladdin (Mena Moussad), along with Abu, his pet monkey, befriend and rescue Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott), when she is caught giving bread to poor children. Meanwhile, growing tired of being "second" in power to the Sultan, Jafar (Marwen Kenzari), the Royal Vizier, along with his parrot Iago seek a magic lamp hidden within the Cave of Wonders.
This movie was really good and a really awesome adaptation of the original Disney animated film. It stayed very faithful to the original and changed very little, also it added somethings, like an original song that Jasmine sang. At first I was "if-ey" about Will Smith being cast as the Genie, but I have to say he did a real good job. Mena Massoud who played Aladdin also gave an excellent performance. I was a little disappointed in the way they went with Jafar's character but not as upset as I was with this film's version of Iago. The original had Gilbert Godfrey, who was extremely funny albeit a little annoying, but this Iago was just terrible. The costumes were great and even the musical numbers of dancing and singing were really good. My favorite was the Prince Ali song/dance. I have to say I wasn't too happy with some of the changes and what they left out. At certain times the direction veered from the plot of the original and the pacing felt off but a lot of it lead to some very comedic scenes. I liked the inclusion of the character of Jasmine's hand maiden played by Nasim Pedrad, she looked very pretty and was very funny. And I thought the CGI looked good, however some critics complained that it brought nothing new to the film. I give this movie a 7/10.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
Prepare For War
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is a 2019 neo-noir action film directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Derek Kolstad, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins, and Marc Abrams. The movie is based on a story by Derek Kolstad and produced by Thunder Road Pictures, 87Eleven Productions and distributed by Summit Entertainment. It stars Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane and Marc Dacascos.
After an unsanctioned killing at the New York City Continental, John Wick is now a marked man on the run. He is declared "excommunicado" and a $14 million dollar bounty placed on his head. Meanwhile, an adjudicator with the "High Table" meets with both Winston (Ian McShane), manager of the Continental, and the King of the Bowery (Laurence Fishburne), leader of a group of vagrant assassins. The adjudicator gives an ultimatum to both, give up their offices in seven days or face the consequences for aiding John Wick.
This movie does not disappoint. I cannot stress that enough. It's an adrenaline ride from beginning to end. The action scenes are just masterfully choreographed and the special effects make each kill more brutal than the last. It feels like they raised the bar with the violence and gore in this one. The introduction of Halle Berry's character and her dogs were a welcome addition and made this film unique when compared to the previous two. Also the adjudicator was a really good character and i liked the way she played into the plot throughout the whole movie. Marc Dacascos was probably my favorite character in this movie. I liked his character's personality a lot and how his faction had a big part in the film. He was actually pretty funny in certain scenes and i liked it, but I can see how some people would be critical of the lightheartedness in such a grim movie. If it wasn't for some villains giving John a chance when they shouldn't, and the fact that the 3rd act couldn't hold up with the first two, I couldn't find a lot to complain about in this film. It was freaking awesome. I give it a 8/10 and I give it my "must see seal of approval".
After an unsanctioned killing at the New York City Continental, John Wick is now a marked man on the run. He is declared "excommunicado" and a $14 million dollar bounty placed on his head. Meanwhile, an adjudicator with the "High Table" meets with both Winston (Ian McShane), manager of the Continental, and the King of the Bowery (Laurence Fishburne), leader of a group of vagrant assassins. The adjudicator gives an ultimatum to both, give up their offices in seven days or face the consequences for aiding John Wick.
This movie does not disappoint. I cannot stress that enough. It's an adrenaline ride from beginning to end. The action scenes are just masterfully choreographed and the special effects make each kill more brutal than the last. It feels like they raised the bar with the violence and gore in this one. The introduction of Halle Berry's character and her dogs were a welcome addition and made this film unique when compared to the previous two. Also the adjudicator was a really good character and i liked the way she played into the plot throughout the whole movie. Marc Dacascos was probably my favorite character in this movie. I liked his character's personality a lot and how his faction had a big part in the film. He was actually pretty funny in certain scenes and i liked it, but I can see how some people would be critical of the lightheartedness in such a grim movie. If it wasn't for some villains giving John a chance when they shouldn't, and the fact that the 3rd act couldn't hold up with the first two, I couldn't find a lot to complain about in this film. It was freaking awesome. I give it a 8/10 and I give it my "must see seal of approval".
Grand Designs Handbook: The Blueprint for Building Your Dream Home
Book
TV's architecture and design guru Kevin McCloud shares his passion and expertise in this brilliant...
The Lose Your Belly Diet: Change Your Gut, Change Your Life
Christopher Solimene and Travis Stork
Book
We want to be healthy. We want to be lean. And we want to lose that annoying fat around our bellies!...