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Night of Mysterious Blessings
Night of Mysterious Blessings
Sally Metzger | 2021 | Children
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Do you have a child or children who are struggling to sleep or relax? Well, maybe “Night of Mysterious Blessings” by Sally Metzger can help calm down through stressful thoughts or worries.

This book brings a bit of God into the story. Though through a twist, many children learn that helps them sleep at night. This mysterious man they all call sandman. This book is relaxing and calm for adults as well as children. I do enjoy that.

This book is about a little boy and his dog. Will the little boy fall asleep, or will he toss and turn all night? Will the mysterious man be able to help him? The pictures are well-designed; I have enjoyed looking at them. They do tell the story. My body was relaxing while reading this book. It seemed to destress me, and the pictures helped as well.

This book may be a good idea for parents to pick up for themselves and their children. Children can learn about a mysterious man called the sandman and about God.

The mysterious man came to help the little boy. He looks like someone that we enjoy in the winter and around the Christmas holiday. I am curious to know if the look is intended that way but for me. He looks all joyous and happy and relaxed. However, he is supposed to be a sandman.

This book is a good bedtime story for children. Parents can read it to them, or young readers that are early readers can read this or learn to read from this book. Maybe your child or children can see what comes from the morning light after a restful night. You could learn about worrying and stressing less from this lovely story. I would like to know if there will be more books or a series.
  
Home Alone (1990)
Home Alone (1990)
1990 | Comedy, Family
It's not Christmas until Kevin says "I've made my family disappear." In fact, it's probably one of the few that I actively watch every year, and it's one of two that I'll happily watch at any time of the year. (The other being Die Hard... don't get on my case, you know it's a Christmas film.)

On December 7th Home Alone turned 28 in the UK. 1990... just wow. I'm feeling old enough without films I grew up with being called classics.

If you haven't considered your own Home Alone plan... well, what have you been doing with your life?! As a tip, if you already have a zombie apocalypse plan in place then it's very easily adapted, you just need a little less lethal force. And it's probably best for me to remind you not to actually try this at home, because I'm not convinced that Harry and Marv would have survived. (And if we take the results from Better Watch Out then you're probably looking at some kind of murder charge.)

In December they were showing Home Alone a few times at Cineworld so it would have been rude not to go at least once to see it. I'm really getting into the classic releases on the big screen, it's so much fun. The show I picked was basically populated by adults, just two children brought along by their parents. We were all roaring with laughter, the comedy never gets old.

The music of Home Alone is instantly recognisable and yet I always forget that it's one of John Williams' epic creations. You can't hear it without thinking of the specific scene in the film it relates to, and it's certainly influences a lot of films since. Something that again I hadn't really noticed until I watched the Christmas horror film, Secret Santa (review coming soon).

It always fills me with questions though... Do all Americans have telephones with cords that are about 20 feet long? How did Buzz manage to shove that entire pizza slice in his mouth? Why did Leslie ever marry Frank? Why is Jimmy in the shop so over enthusiastic? How does Kevin manage to create all his traps in such a short amount of time? And who on Earth leaves their house that tidy when they're leaving for holiday? Especially when you consider they left in such a hurry!

The idea is such a fun one, I can see why it's so popular all this time later. Watching it more and more though you do realise that Culkin's acting was pretty bad, but that just adds to its charm.

Watching it with a group of people who already love the film really made it a better viewing. We all laughed at the amazing prat falls from Joe Pesci on the ice and the walls of the cinema caved in slightly as we all took a sharp intake of breath as Marv stood on that nail. It's genuinely more fun to roar with laughter with other fans.

It's sad to think that Home Alone could never happen these days. (Although Google did bring us an advert that gave us a peak at what might happen. I've put the video at the end of the post.) Kevin probably has several smart devices that they could contact or track, the house would also likely be equipped with state of the art surveillance and alarm systems that would have alerted someone to movement and doors opening. On the flip side though it's quite fun to think about what sort of traps Kevin could be creating with the wonders of modern technology. I'd say lets get a petition going to see that happen but while Home Alone 4 was passable I don't think we really need any more of them.

What you should do

This should be in everyone's Christmas film rotation. If you don't watch it at least once a year... well... *shakes head*.

Movie thing you wish you could take home

Everyone needs those quick inventing skills, but I'm actually going to go with Kevin's other superpower... his amazing ability to make epic ice cream sundaes.
  
TC
The Christmas Killer
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Christmas Killer (aka The Dream Killer) was a Point Horror book I missed out reading when I was younger, so decided to pick it up to enjoy this holiday season (yes, I am sick). Rosecleer Potter is a normal, everyday fifteen-year-old girl who has a twin brother, Jerram, and loves to dance. She also just happens to have developed the ability to talk, through dreams, to the recently departed, which starts when an acquaintance disappears and whose body turns up murdered in the woods. Now, as the body count rises, Rose has to figure out how to use her power before the killer gets to her.

The first paragraph almost caused me to rethink my expectations of enjoyment I'd get from the book. The sentences were short and choppy, and if the whole book had been written this way, I don't think I'd have managed to get through it. Fortunately for me, it didn't turn out that way at all. Although there were more short, fragmented sentences, they were few and far between and seemed more of a style choice than anything else.

Rose was a good choice as a lead and had both positive and negative attributes to her personality. She was generally nice but could have moments of cattiness or where her temper got the best of her, which made her more believable. I can't say any of the characters are over-developed, but they are described enough to get a rough sketch of who they are as a person, and there are moments of truth in many of their actions, e.g. the mother's freaking out, the father's clamming up, and the brother's withdrawal and secretiveness. The atmosphere is done extremely well. Even though I don't remember many actual descriptions, I got the feeling of a small town, its claustrophobia, and sense of impending doom all the same.

I have to admit this book surprised me. I went in expecting more of the slasher-type YA horrors I read as a youngster, and was handed a more mature, psychological suspense horror read instead. The plot flows well and has enough clues and red herrings to keep most readers interested. As someone who has read a lot of mysteries, I did figure it out, but it could have gone many ways and still have been satisfying. The ending is the only weak point as it was a bit abrupt and maybe too open-ended, but that's a minor niggle and didn't affect my enjoyment much. As far as I've been able to tell, there is no sequel, which might be for the best. The Christmas Killer was a quick and easy chiller that kept me entertained throughout and I'd recommend it for those who like creepy teen reads.

Originally Reviewed: December 29, 2012
Received: Library
  
The Unexpected Santa (The Sin Bin #5)
The Unexpected Santa (The Sin Bin #5)
Dahlia Donovan | 2017 | Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Unexpected Santa is the fifth book in The Sin Bin series, and this story focuses on a particular holiday, which you can guess by the title. Scottie is one of the Sin Bin members that I have always had trouble warming up. He is brash, obnoxious, and is more than happy to throw his own pity party - drink included. With stalker tendencies, and an amazing ability to sulk when things don't go his way, I wasn't 100% sure about reading this book. However, after seeing how Gray dealt with him in Akash's book, I was willing to give him a go.

I'm glad I did!

Now, don't get me wrong - Scottie is still a big pain in the posterior! He has a lot of learning to do, and I think that Gray is just the one to help him. In the meantime, Gray has promised that he will look out for the twins, and will protect them from everyone and everything - even Scottie. In turn, the twins help tone down some of Scottie's rough edges, as even he can't be awful all the time. With the twins and Gray on his case, Scottie doesn't stand a chance. He just doesn't realise it yet. He is just what Gray has been looking for, and in return, Gray will give Scottie everything he needs. In turn, I'm hoping that Scottie will become a character I can read about without giving myself eye-strain as they involuntarily roll so much.

With seasonal cheer from two Christmas grumps, this book is an unexpected delight, and a wonderful addition to The Sin Bin series. No editing or grammatical errors disrupted my reading flow, and the pacing was smooth throughout. With enough to satisfy and yet still keep you wanting more, I have no hesitation in recommending this book or the series.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Fatman (2020)
Fatman (2020)
2020 | Action, Comedy, Thriller
7
7.7 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Billy Wenan (Chance Hurstfield) is a very spoiled, entitled, and sadistic young boy. He has the advantages of privilege and lives with his wealthy Grandmother but is rude and condescending to the staff. Billy is also very arrogant and petty to the point that a Runner Up finish at his private school Science Fair after a string of wins motivates him to hire a Hitman (Walton Goggins) to intimidate the victor to falsely admit to cheating so he can claim victory.

This is not the first time Billy has hired the Hitman and when he gets a lump of coal for Christmas from Santa (Mel Gibson) he is enraged and hires the Hitman to take out Santa.

Santa has his own issues as a decline in revenue has forced him and his wife Ruth (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) to take on a project with the government to not only restore his fully stipend but to pay additional funds that will ensure financial stability.

The fact that the Hitman has his own reasons for having issues with Santa further motivates him to take the job and rushed north to face Santa on his own turf.

“Fatman” is a dark and entertaining new holiday entry that gives a contemporary take on Santa and his Elves as they must contend with the issues, politics, and changing world that face many companies.

The at times dark nature of the film is an interesting contrast to the usual overly sweet films that are commonplace this time of year and Gibson and Goggins backed by a strong supporting cast turn in memorable performances.

While not one for the kids; “Fatman” is a solid piece of entertainment and Eshom and Ian Nelms keep things moving at a steady pace and provide an interesting and contemporary look at Santa in the modern world and combine it with a story about finding a way through adversity.
  
The Unexpected Santa (The Sin Bin #5)
The Unexpected Santa (The Sin Bin #5)
Dahlia Donovan | 2017 | Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Unexpected Santa (The Sin Bin #5) by Dahlia Donovan
The Unexpected Santa is the fifth book in The Sin Bin series, and this story focuses on a particular holiday, which you can guess by the title. Scottie is one of the Sin Bin members that I have always had trouble warming up. He is brash, obnoxious, and is more than happy to throw his own pity party - drink included. With stalker tendencies, and an amazing ability to sulk when things don't go his way, I wasn't 100% sure about reading this book. However, after seeing how Gray dealt with him in Akash's book, I was willing to give him a go.

I'm glad I did!

Now, don't get me wrong - Scottie is still a big pain in the posterior! He has a lot of learning to do, and I think that Gray is just the one to help him. In the meantime, Gray has promised that he will look out for the twins, and will protect them from everyone and everything - even Scottie. In turn, the twins help tone down some of Scottie's rough edges, as even he can't be awful all the time. With the twins and Gray on his case, Scottie doesn't stand a chance. He just doesn't realise it yet. He is just what Gray has been looking for, and in return, Gray will give Scottie everything he needs. In turn, I'm hoping that Scottie will become a character I can read about without giving myself eye-strain as they involuntarily roll so much.

With seasonal cheer from two Christmas grumps, this book is an unexpected delight, and a wonderful addition to The Sin Bin series. No editing or grammatical errors disrupted my reading flow, and the pacing was smooth throughout. With enough to satisfy and yet still keep you wanting more, I have no hesitation in recommending this book or the series.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!