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    Facetune 2

    Facetune 2

    Photo & Video and Lifestyle

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    What if we told you that from now on, every single selfie you take will look amazing? With Facetune...

The Shimmering
The Shimmering
Susan Kearney | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sci-Fi Romance
The shimmering By Susan Kearney was a sci-fi romance that was very reminiscent of the stories I have read in my younger days and I was such a sucker for these, So this book had me feeling rather nostalgic, wanting to experience this all over again.
This was my main reason for wanting to read this novel and I have to admit I was also looking for something light, fluffy and just easy to read, a bit of romantic instalove to warm the old heart, sigh.
And The Shimmering does all that, you get exactly what it says on the tin.
This was an ok read, not amazing, but it passed a few hours and was enjoyable in an easy non-brain taxing way.
Basically, you have our intrepid heroine journalist Sandra Lowell testing out an astral projecting machine for a story.
This device manages to, with a little help from an ancient Totem the Zorash, to send Sandra across the universe and into the body of a woman about to be married to Daveck. Daveck is intent on marrying his enemies daughter to force her to reveal the location of the same object that has helped propel Sandra here to his planet from across the stars.
So what worked for me and what didn't.
well, I felt that the storyline here is so imaginative that much more could have been done to expand on this, I would have liked to see this more of this new world, to explore and meet its alien people properly.
Sandra also seemed a lot more fleshed out than Daveck, who I really struggled to get a fully dimensional picture of and to connect with, also I'm all for instalove but I felt that Sandra after lamenting all through earlier chapters why she didn't have a man and how important her career was gave up that job unbelievably fast.
Now that is out of the way, why should you read The Shimmering?
Well, This is a charming uncomplicated tale of instalove across the stars, it's very imaginative and though it's a simple angst-free story it does kind of give you a warm nostalgic glow, This wasn't quite a three for me but a two seemed too low so I've rated this 2 1/2 on the Goodreads rating I would have rated it slightly higher if I was able to connect more with the book's characters, for me this was an ok read that pleasantly passed the time.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free readers copy of the Shimmering. This is my own unbiased opinion.

Arc Reviewed By BeckieBookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
  
Brightburn (2019)
Brightburn (2019)
2019 | Horror
Horror Twist On A Classic Comic Book Icon
Brightburn is a 2019 superhero/horror movie produced by James Gunn and Kenneth Huang. It was directed by David Yarovesky with screenplay written by Mark and Brian Gunn. The film was produced by Screen Gems, Stage 6 Films, Troll Court Entertainment, and the H Collective. The movie stars Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn, Matt Jones and Meredith Hagnar.


Living in Brightburn, Kansas, Tori (Elizabeth Banks) and Kyle Breyer (David Denman), a young farm couple, struggle with conceiving a child due to fertility issues. One night, a spaceship falls from the sky near their farm. A baby boy is found inside and the couple decide to adopt him and name him Brandon. Years later, it seems Brandon (Jackson A. Dunn) is a typical young boy as he has been raised without the knowledge of his true origin. However this begins to change in very dramatic ways as the spaceship that he arrived in, hidden in a trapdoor in the barn, begins to glow and affect him disturbingly.


This movie was very much horror and with the R-rating it did not disappoint in that category. However for a superhero movie, I definitely felt it could have been better, especially when it came to the storytelling. I felt like the plot wasn't structured enough and it didn't always feel like it was going somewhere except for what it had shown through the trailers. You know, like it showed in the trailers the outcome and the journey to that outcome wasn't as fun or surprising as I thought it was going to be. The kill scenes though were very brutal, which for some reason I wasn't expecting as much, I guess because the one doing them is this super-powered 12 year old. But this was an awesome concept on a very familiar story that everyone has grown up with or heard, which is basically Superman. There are comics from DC and of Superman like Red Son Superman; where it's a "what if" Superman had landed in Russia instead of United States, and there is a Justice League animated film where instead of Superman, Kal-El, the baby that escapes Krypton is Generel Zod's child and instead of landing in Kansas he lands in New Mexico and is raised by Mexican migrant farmers. But I don't think there has been a story to explore this type of different way Superman could have grown up and it was shockingly entertaining to say the least. The mid-credits scene was really cool to see as well and know that the cinematic universe for Brightburn could expand if it does well financially. I'm thinking that it won't with stiff competition such as Aladdin and John Wick 3 but who knows. I give this film a 6/10.
  
    Cymera

    Cymera

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    With 200 million users worldwide, Cymera is a powerful editor and an all-in-one beauty camera. ■...

    Camera Makeup 360

    Camera Makeup 360

    Beauty, Entertainment and Photo & Video

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    Beauty and fashion magazines shouldn’t have all the fun! Creating beautiful and natural looking...

Rating: 4.5

Ruder's grandmother—Babushka, in Russian—seemed to have an answer for every ailment, and it was always organic and made from things in your kitchen. After years of using her Babushka's beauty secrets on herself and her grandmother's clients, Ruder moved to America and started using the treatments on the women in her salon. Now, studies have proven that the treatments that her grandmother used for decades are just as good or better than the ones in the stores, because they're more concentrated and have less chemicals and more organic material.

The idea behind Babushka's Beauty Secrets is this: Instead of an expensive treatment that is not as concentrated or involves being eaten, getting soaked into the bloodstream, and deposited in the right place, why not just apply the vitamin or the mineral in high concentration directly to where you need it?

Babushka's Beauty Secrets has everything from foot scrubs to facial masks to hair treatments to acne treatments. There are treatments for eyes, lips, hair, hands, feet, and whole body. There are even waxing processes and shaving creams. There are recipes in here aimed for younger pre-teens all the way up.

All the ingredients in Babushka's Beauty Secrets are the ones you'll have in your refrigerator: Milk, eggs, mustard, mayonnaise, avocado, olive oil, etc. In one section of the book, Ruder compares prices of treatments and natural foods: the prices are hundreds of dollars difference, and they work better.

The only thing that bothered me slightly was the vagueness of some of the ingredients. When she says "milk," does it have to be whole milk? fat free? does it make a difference? Milk is an example, but there are other ingredients she mentions that are not specific. With so many chemicals in our food today, is there a specific brand that is best? is there a brand that we need to avoid? there is nothing in the book along these lines. In the long run, I think if it did make a big enough difference she would mention it, but it still raised questions for me.

Some of the specific things that Babushka's Beauty Secrets hits on:

Skin treatments that make your skin glow and look young
eye treatments for dark circles, crows feet, and eyelashes
lip moisturizers and colors
hair treatments for dandruff, dry hair, thin hair, oily hair, every kind of hair etc
feet treatments
treatments for cellulite and sunburns
one ingredient wonders
I was very impressed and surprised by Babushka's Beauty Secrets. Not only did I learn cool recipes, but I know now why each one works the way it does, because the reason you're using it is explained in the recipe. Basically, this book will save you a lot of money and educate you on keeping your body healthy. It's 110% worth the sixteen dollars—because you'll be set for beauty treatments for everything for the rest of your life.
  
99 Percent Mine
99 Percent Mine
Sally Thorne | 2019 | Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Different to The Hating Game but equally as good
99 PERCENT MINE grabbed me in with Darcy love from the off, she's an absolute feisty female with a weakness that makes her strong. I admired her attitude, her unfiltered mouth, her inner 'oh s$$t' and her outer 'don't mess with me'. That said, it really did take 20% in for me to really get fully enmeshed into the story. The 5 star rating comes from everything that overwhelmed me and took over my life from there.

Darcy Barratt is a twin, the weaker runt and her twin Jamie, well let me say, I hated that guy and his influence on the characters in this story (even though I suspect there's a story that could come from him). Darcy and Jamie had another half to them, Tom Valeska, unofficial adoptee into the Barratt clan. Darcy has loved him forever but their life has been missed opportunities and it has always been easier for her to up and leave.

<i>"I inhale his birthday-candle pheromones. I want to know what his goddamn bones smell like. Let me start down in his DNA structure and work my way back up." </i>

Tom Valeska (I can't help saying his names together, forgive me) is solid in the friendship stakes, a support, a protector, a wannabe saviour. He comes to renovate Darcy's grandmother's house and therein starts the literal magnetism between these two. Holy chemistry, I cannot explain the draw between them and I felt right in the middle of it, like iron filings. This was a burn of slow proportions but the absolute furnace it created, blew me away.

<i>"My body is taking over. Everything is boiling up out of me-years of stolen looks and tight T-shirts and that bone-deep certainty that the animal in him wants me too."</i>

I literally shelved my Saturday, locked in my fellow arc-buddy and we read together, across the ocean, exchanging highlights, swooning alongside one another, fearing together and having a mind-blown explosion over the chemistry and banter. I could not put this book down, nor would I want to. It is very unlike me to feel drawn back to a book immediately but I just know I will have to read again on release (when I have my pretty, yellow paperback in my hand) and immerse myself once again.

Sally Thorne has followed up The Hating Game with something totally different and entirely as good. No one writes dialogue like Ms Thorne and she has amply shown her diversity and also her consistency. Sorry for the glow-y-ness but I am still riding high on feelings here and I hope you will be too.

<i>"My stomach falls down an elevator shaft. Those words, spoken aloud in his voice, crackle through my synapses, and right now, I've never been more alive. I am heartbeat and full lungs."</i>

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
  
Infinities Gate
Infinities Gate
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
“At the Equinox, a bright blue glow engulfed the entire hill. Above the monument, a vortex opened and sucked them into its eye. When the light faded, they were gone.”

Infinities Gate is the second book in the Tamara Jenkins, Sorcerer series by author John R. Moore. It tells the story of archaeology professor Tamara Jenkins and the magical world of wizards she does not just fall into but becomes one of the greatest wizards and leader against the fight against darkness. In this book, Tamara and her husband mysteriously disappear on their honeymoon, and it is up to their friends to find them. Along the way, they discover the Infinities Gate and realize that they must keep the gate from opening or risk releasing chaos itself. When talking about his book series Moore says it is “In the order of Indiana Jones crossed with Merlin.” This statement perfectly sums up the atmosphere of the book. This was the crossover I never knew I needed. This mashup was an imaginative and clever premise that immediately had me hooked into the first book which continued into the second.

The story begins quickly, showering you with information, questions, and mysteries. This kind of beginning hooked my attention immediately and made it hard to put the book down. This story is filled with mysteries, interesting twists, and exciting adventures. From wizards to Norse gods, Moore delves into the fantastical intricacies of myths and legends while still making the stories his own. You can’t help but root for Tamara as she makes her way through these magical adventures. I really liked seeing her growth in both books and found her to be an interesting and fun heroine to follow on this journey.

The Celtic and Scottish history is something I love learning about so getting to read about it, and the magical side of it was very exciting for me. My love for both Indiana Jones and Arthurian legend fueled this fascination with this story. From the very beginning of the book, it connected itself to these histories and had events taking place in some of the most magical feeling places in the world like Stonehenge and the Isle of the Sky. This setting brought the magic and history into the book beautifully.

I was very impressed with Moore’s writing style. His descriptions of the world are beautiful as is his attention to the details of history. His characters have a depth which is integral for me in any book I read. I enjoyed reading this series so much I am excited to look into some of his other work. His interest in science fiction and fantasy stories align very much with my favorite genres to read. I cannot wait for the third book in this series so I can continue my journey with the wonderful Tamara. This was a very enjoyable book that offered a quick read into a magical world. I would highly recommend this book to fantasy readers!