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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Forgotten Child (A Riley Thomas Mystery #1) in Books
Oct 3, 2018
Well Written Characters (1 more)
Spooky Scenes
Pointless Sex Scenes (1 more)
Cheesy Dialogue at Times
A Spooky Read
The synopsis for The Forgotten Child by Melissa Erin Jackson really drew me in. It was one of those books that I knew I had to read. I even pre-ordered the book. Luckily, I won it on a Goodreads giveaway, so I had the chance to read it before it was released.
I found the pacing to be fairly consistent for The Forgotten Child. For the most part, it was a fast paced read which I thoroughly enjoyed! There were a few times that the pacing slowed down a bit, and I was wishing for it to speed up again. However, those moments weren't very often.
The plot for The Forgotten Child has been done before, but Ms. Jackson made the story line interesting enough for me to enjoy the story. Riley, the main character, gets roped in to going to a house that has been featured on a popular ghost hunting show and known to be very haunted. It was also the site of some very brutal murders. Riley is reluctant to go due to her ability to see and interact with ghosts and because of something that happened when she was 10 years old involving a spirit. While there, she interacts with the ghost of a little boy as well as the infamous serial killer who used to live there. After getting completely freaked out by a ghostly encounter with the serial killer's ghost, she leaves early to go back home. However, the ghost boy has followed her home. She feels sorry for the little boy and vows to find out what happened to him. Finding out what happened to him won't be easy, and it will put her in grave danger. While trying to uncover the mystery of the little boy, she also is juggling her love life with her new boyfriend. I felt like there were no plot twists, but there were plenty of spooky moments! There was one point in the story where I was really regretting my decision to read The Forgotten Child late at night due to a very spooky scene! Even though this book is part of a series, there were no cliffhangers. All of my questions were answered by the end of the book which I was thankful for. I wish this focused more on Riley's abilities and on the ghostly aspect instead of Riley's relationship with Michael, but that's just a personal preference. I also could have done without the sex scenes between Riley and Michael as I felt like they didn't really fit the tone of the book. Perhaps that's just a me thing though.
The world building for The Forgotten Child was written fairly well. There were some times where I was wondering about the dialogue in the book. Some of the choices of phrases used were a bit cheesy. I hadn't heard anyone use some of the phrases used in the book ever! However, the dialogue was still very believable for the most part. I loved the way some of The Forgotten Child was set a creepy ranch in a spooky house. I do wish more of the action took place here, but I still enjoyed the book.
I enjoyed the characters in The Forgotten Child. Melissa Erin Jackson did a fantastic job in making each character feel like a real person. Not one of the characters was lacking. I found each one to be interesting. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Riley and Michael. I enjoyed their banter a lot even if I wish the book would have focused less on their physical and romantic relationship. I also enjoyed reading about Jade and Riley's friendship. You could feel how strong their friendship was. I loved how Miss Jackson wrote about Orin and Hank. I could feel the evilness of both Orin and Hank oozing from the pages! Both of them made fantastic evil characters.
Trigger warnings include a lot of swearing, violence, a few graphic (but not too graphic) sex scenes including a non-graphic rape, murder including child murder, drinking, an evil spirit, and other scenes dealing with the occult.
All in all, The Forgotten Child was a good read. I loved how spooky it was as well as how great the characters were written. I would definitely recommend The Forgotten Child by Melissa Erin Jackson to those 18+ who love a good paranormal mystery. I will definitely be reading the next book in the Riley Thomas Mystery series.
I found the pacing to be fairly consistent for The Forgotten Child. For the most part, it was a fast paced read which I thoroughly enjoyed! There were a few times that the pacing slowed down a bit, and I was wishing for it to speed up again. However, those moments weren't very often.
The plot for The Forgotten Child has been done before, but Ms. Jackson made the story line interesting enough for me to enjoy the story. Riley, the main character, gets roped in to going to a house that has been featured on a popular ghost hunting show and known to be very haunted. It was also the site of some very brutal murders. Riley is reluctant to go due to her ability to see and interact with ghosts and because of something that happened when she was 10 years old involving a spirit. While there, she interacts with the ghost of a little boy as well as the infamous serial killer who used to live there. After getting completely freaked out by a ghostly encounter with the serial killer's ghost, she leaves early to go back home. However, the ghost boy has followed her home. She feels sorry for the little boy and vows to find out what happened to him. Finding out what happened to him won't be easy, and it will put her in grave danger. While trying to uncover the mystery of the little boy, she also is juggling her love life with her new boyfriend. I felt like there were no plot twists, but there were plenty of spooky moments! There was one point in the story where I was really regretting my decision to read The Forgotten Child late at night due to a very spooky scene! Even though this book is part of a series, there were no cliffhangers. All of my questions were answered by the end of the book which I was thankful for. I wish this focused more on Riley's abilities and on the ghostly aspect instead of Riley's relationship with Michael, but that's just a personal preference. I also could have done without the sex scenes between Riley and Michael as I felt like they didn't really fit the tone of the book. Perhaps that's just a me thing though.
The world building for The Forgotten Child was written fairly well. There were some times where I was wondering about the dialogue in the book. Some of the choices of phrases used were a bit cheesy. I hadn't heard anyone use some of the phrases used in the book ever! However, the dialogue was still very believable for the most part. I loved the way some of The Forgotten Child was set a creepy ranch in a spooky house. I do wish more of the action took place here, but I still enjoyed the book.
I enjoyed the characters in The Forgotten Child. Melissa Erin Jackson did a fantastic job in making each character feel like a real person. Not one of the characters was lacking. I found each one to be interesting. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Riley and Michael. I enjoyed their banter a lot even if I wish the book would have focused less on their physical and romantic relationship. I also enjoyed reading about Jade and Riley's friendship. You could feel how strong their friendship was. I loved how Miss Jackson wrote about Orin and Hank. I could feel the evilness of both Orin and Hank oozing from the pages! Both of them made fantastic evil characters.
Trigger warnings include a lot of swearing, violence, a few graphic (but not too graphic) sex scenes including a non-graphic rape, murder including child murder, drinking, an evil spirit, and other scenes dealing with the occult.
All in all, The Forgotten Child was a good read. I loved how spooky it was as well as how great the characters were written. I would definitely recommend The Forgotten Child by Melissa Erin Jackson to those 18+ who love a good paranormal mystery. I will definitely be reading the next book in the Riley Thomas Mystery series.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Little Joe (2019) in Movies
Feb 6, 2020
I managed to get a ticket to see this at the London Film Festival, it had made my long shortlist, the premise looked interesting and the graphics were extremely appealing. I was very excited to see what Little Joe had in store.
Alice is developing a new breed of flower, a beautiful crimson flower that has an incredible therapeutic value to its owner. Look after it properly, speak to it nicely, and it will make you happy.
After Alice sneaks one home to her son she soon notices that rather than a happy demeanour he starts acting strangely, and he's not the only one showing odd behaviour after being around Little Joe.
Little Joe has some very strong style choices. The colour palette is beautiful, and I wish I could find the notes I made about it from the Q&A after the film. The vibrant pastels are homely and comforting while at the same time unsettling around the normal tones of life.
That's what a lot of the film is made to do though, the music is something I noted frequently. The oriental music works directly against what's happening in the story, an intentional choice by the composer. I also wrote down the word "whistling" a lot with regards to sound. While I can understand (sort of) why the composer went that way with the music I didn't feel like it worked. I didn't dislike the music itself, but my comments were mainly exclaiming that it stuck out and felt too different from everything around it that it became distracting.
Another piece of the film that didn't sit well with me was camera work. There are some very well shot scenes, when we first encounter Little Joe in Alice's home and a scene later on inside the greenhouse (that I won't go into because of spoilers), that draw the viewer in with intrigue. But then... you know when you're doing something and you get bored and realise you've drifted off looking at a point in the distance? The camera appears to get bored too and it'll zoom to the gaps between characters. Maybe I'm just programmed to expect this sort of shot to reveal something secret to the audience that the characters haven't noticed... I found it more distracting and annoying than having any artistic benefit.
Alice (Emily Beecham) has a dual mother role, firstly with her son Joe and secondly with her plants. Little Joe appears to be more like a son to her than her own flesh and blood, her scientific mind perhaps finding it easier to interact with an inanimate object that begins to defy what she knows to be possible. The film gets across her struggle quite well with her therapy sessions and the interactions with those around her as we get deeper into the story. Beecham's performance is... relaxed? Even when there's urgency nothing ever seems to be very urgent.
That's something that is common throughout, the pace plods. You would expect a somewhat subdued pace in this sort of invasion storyline, but there are no real points of climax and that makes it more of a meander... perhaps those exciting moments happened when the camera zoned out.
There are touches here and there that do make you hopeful for the film, but overall it feels like Little Joe went for subtle and took it slightly too far. Everything felt too calm, the only one that seemed to react as you'd expect was Bella, but the nature of her part of the story meant that this was over the top because it was so far from everything else.
I like the idea behind this and we know from many different films that this sort of thing can work, but the lack of a real punch anywhere made this a struggle to watch. Oddly, I think this would have worked as a limited series without a lot of changes. The slow pace wouldn't have been so evident if it was broken down into episodes, there are small peaks in there that would give just enough intrigue to hold over to the next episode, I even feel like the ending as it is would have worked more in this style. Sadly, as it was I don't feel like there was enough reward for the time invested in watching it as a film, there's a different expectation between and film and a TV series but it's very difficult to explain it here without revealing spoilers.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/02/little-joe-movie-review.html
Alice is developing a new breed of flower, a beautiful crimson flower that has an incredible therapeutic value to its owner. Look after it properly, speak to it nicely, and it will make you happy.
After Alice sneaks one home to her son she soon notices that rather than a happy demeanour he starts acting strangely, and he's not the only one showing odd behaviour after being around Little Joe.
Little Joe has some very strong style choices. The colour palette is beautiful, and I wish I could find the notes I made about it from the Q&A after the film. The vibrant pastels are homely and comforting while at the same time unsettling around the normal tones of life.
That's what a lot of the film is made to do though, the music is something I noted frequently. The oriental music works directly against what's happening in the story, an intentional choice by the composer. I also wrote down the word "whistling" a lot with regards to sound. While I can understand (sort of) why the composer went that way with the music I didn't feel like it worked. I didn't dislike the music itself, but my comments were mainly exclaiming that it stuck out and felt too different from everything around it that it became distracting.
Another piece of the film that didn't sit well with me was camera work. There are some very well shot scenes, when we first encounter Little Joe in Alice's home and a scene later on inside the greenhouse (that I won't go into because of spoilers), that draw the viewer in with intrigue. But then... you know when you're doing something and you get bored and realise you've drifted off looking at a point in the distance? The camera appears to get bored too and it'll zoom to the gaps between characters. Maybe I'm just programmed to expect this sort of shot to reveal something secret to the audience that the characters haven't noticed... I found it more distracting and annoying than having any artistic benefit.
Alice (Emily Beecham) has a dual mother role, firstly with her son Joe and secondly with her plants. Little Joe appears to be more like a son to her than her own flesh and blood, her scientific mind perhaps finding it easier to interact with an inanimate object that begins to defy what she knows to be possible. The film gets across her struggle quite well with her therapy sessions and the interactions with those around her as we get deeper into the story. Beecham's performance is... relaxed? Even when there's urgency nothing ever seems to be very urgent.
That's something that is common throughout, the pace plods. You would expect a somewhat subdued pace in this sort of invasion storyline, but there are no real points of climax and that makes it more of a meander... perhaps those exciting moments happened when the camera zoned out.
There are touches here and there that do make you hopeful for the film, but overall it feels like Little Joe went for subtle and took it slightly too far. Everything felt too calm, the only one that seemed to react as you'd expect was Bella, but the nature of her part of the story meant that this was over the top because it was so far from everything else.
I like the idea behind this and we know from many different films that this sort of thing can work, but the lack of a real punch anywhere made this a struggle to watch. Oddly, I think this would have worked as a limited series without a lot of changes. The slow pace wouldn't have been so evident if it was broken down into episodes, there are small peaks in there that would give just enough intrigue to hold over to the next episode, I even feel like the ending as it is would have worked more in this style. Sadly, as it was I don't feel like there was enough reward for the time invested in watching it as a film, there's a different expectation between and film and a TV series but it's very difficult to explain it here without revealing spoilers.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/02/little-joe-movie-review.html
Louise (64 KP) rated The School For Good and Evil in Books
Jul 2, 2018
After bingeing the Harry Potter series I wasn't ready to let go of the fantasy world, I needed more wizards,witches and fantastical beasts. I saw Regan@peruseproject haul and talk about this book and the premise had me hooked.
It's starts off with two girls from the little village of Gavaldon, Every four years for the past 200 years 2 children are kidnapped by the 'Master'. One good and one bad child, it can be two girls,two boys or one of each are taken from their homes forever and believed to be sent to a school for fairy tales.
There is one child, Sophie who has lived for this moment, she is determined to become a princess and meet her Prince Charming and leave the dreary village for good. Sophie is beautiful,the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon and strives for perfection for she knows her time has come and to make sure she is picked she makes sure she carries out good deeds on a daily basis like befriending Agatha.
Agatha is the complete opposite from Sophie, she is not beautiful, she wears black frumpy clothes and keeps to herself. The night the 'Master' comes, children are locked up whereas Sophie encourages it by opening her window and leaving cookies. Agatha tries to rescue Sophie from the Master but just ends up being caught as well, hoping that they will be able to find their way home again.
All is not as planned, when Sophie is dropped into a river of Sludge she finds she has been put in the wrong school and there must have been a mix up of some sort as Agatha has been put in the good school. Sophie is to train to become a witch, henchman or some horrendous creature. With lessons on uglification and surviving Fairy-tales, she instantly seeks out the Headmaster to explain the mishap. Agatha is also out of her comfort zone with glamorous girls in pink dresses with only boys and manicure's on their minds, she wants to return home to Gavaldon as soon as possible but first she has to persuade Sophie. The master has other plans, will Sophie eventually get to the good side? will Agatha get to home?
The two castles are amazing, in the front of the book you get a map to view the two sides of the school. The good side, you have glass rooms,rooms made out of candy, groom rooms, everything possible to make you a princess. On the evil side, you have dungeons and torture chambers which smell of damp. The teachers in the school are composed of a two-headed dog that can remove their heads and attach to other bodies, there are werewolves, fairies, gargoyles,witches and princesses.
Sophie believes that she has been put into the wrong school however as you she develops throughout the book there are sides to her that are not always good. She was angry that she was put in the wrong school,I mean she has dreamed about this her whole life and will do anything to get there.
Agatha is an outcast in the school of good because she doesn't conform to wearing pink dresses and swooning whenever a boy is in the vicinity. However she is a really caring character and doesn't believe that she could ever be beautiful and nor do the others in the good school.
Then there is the love interest - of course there was going to be one! His name is Tedros and he is the most handsome boy in the school of good and not to forget King Arthur's son. He instantly gets all the girls attention, even Sophie's from the other side of the school.
I only had some minor problems with the book, I felt that the author was trying to describe too much at once and it became quite confusing to keep up with. The vanity in this book was overwhelming it set a clear line between ugly and beautiful. This is a middle grade book - impressionable teenagers are going to be reading this. You don't need to be beautiful on the outside the be a princess... it's what on the inside that counts.
This book was fast paced, easy to read (at points) and definitely worth a read if you love fairy tales.
Overall I rated this 3.5 out of 5 stars
It's starts off with two girls from the little village of Gavaldon, Every four years for the past 200 years 2 children are kidnapped by the 'Master'. One good and one bad child, it can be two girls,two boys or one of each are taken from their homes forever and believed to be sent to a school for fairy tales.
There is one child, Sophie who has lived for this moment, she is determined to become a princess and meet her Prince Charming and leave the dreary village for good. Sophie is beautiful,the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon and strives for perfection for she knows her time has come and to make sure she is picked she makes sure she carries out good deeds on a daily basis like befriending Agatha.
Agatha is the complete opposite from Sophie, she is not beautiful, she wears black frumpy clothes and keeps to herself. The night the 'Master' comes, children are locked up whereas Sophie encourages it by opening her window and leaving cookies. Agatha tries to rescue Sophie from the Master but just ends up being caught as well, hoping that they will be able to find their way home again.
All is not as planned, when Sophie is dropped into a river of Sludge she finds she has been put in the wrong school and there must have been a mix up of some sort as Agatha has been put in the good school. Sophie is to train to become a witch, henchman or some horrendous creature. With lessons on uglification and surviving Fairy-tales, she instantly seeks out the Headmaster to explain the mishap. Agatha is also out of her comfort zone with glamorous girls in pink dresses with only boys and manicure's on their minds, she wants to return home to Gavaldon as soon as possible but first she has to persuade Sophie. The master has other plans, will Sophie eventually get to the good side? will Agatha get to home?
The two castles are amazing, in the front of the book you get a map to view the two sides of the school. The good side, you have glass rooms,rooms made out of candy, groom rooms, everything possible to make you a princess. On the evil side, you have dungeons and torture chambers which smell of damp. The teachers in the school are composed of a two-headed dog that can remove their heads and attach to other bodies, there are werewolves, fairies, gargoyles,witches and princesses.
Sophie believes that she has been put into the wrong school however as you she develops throughout the book there are sides to her that are not always good. She was angry that she was put in the wrong school,I mean she has dreamed about this her whole life and will do anything to get there.
Agatha is an outcast in the school of good because she doesn't conform to wearing pink dresses and swooning whenever a boy is in the vicinity. However she is a really caring character and doesn't believe that she could ever be beautiful and nor do the others in the good school.
Then there is the love interest - of course there was going to be one! His name is Tedros and he is the most handsome boy in the school of good and not to forget King Arthur's son. He instantly gets all the girls attention, even Sophie's from the other side of the school.
I only had some minor problems with the book, I felt that the author was trying to describe too much at once and it became quite confusing to keep up with. The vanity in this book was overwhelming it set a clear line between ugly and beautiful. This is a middle grade book - impressionable teenagers are going to be reading this. You don't need to be beautiful on the outside the be a princess... it's what on the inside that counts.
This book was fast paced, easy to read (at points) and definitely worth a read if you love fairy tales.
Overall I rated this 3.5 out of 5 stars
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Purge: Anarchy (2014) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Last year audiences got a glimpse into a future America where crime, unemployment, and other social factors were at an all-time low. The cost for such radical social transformation was an annual Purge where for 12 hours; all crimes including murder are legal.
The film was made for less than $4 million and went on to become a surprise hit which naturally gave rise to sequel plans.
“The Purge: Anarchy” picks up a year later shortly before the annual Purge commences. The story follows three main groups of people who are preparing for the pending evening in Los Angeles.
Eva, (Carmen Ejogo), is a single mom who works as a waitress when she is not caring for her daughter and father, Shane and Liz a coupling facing a possible separation, ( Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez), and a mysterious man known as Sargent (Frank Grillo).
Although strangers at the start of the evening, fate brings them all together on an evening where not everyone can be trusted as people can turn on one another over long standing grudges or simply to ‘free the beast” as they call it citing their right to do so as granted by the new founding fathers.
The streets have become a battlefield as the carnage builds up and people locked in their buildings soon find themselves under attack from black armor clad shock troops supported by chain gun equipped semi-trailers.
The main characters of the film must work with one another to stay alive as Sergeant as desperate need of a car to replace the one he lost saving his companions, but to the others he is a dangerous wildcard that they are not sure can be trusted.
As the group moves through the streets looking for safety, danger is all around them and as they evening progresses they learn more and more about the Purge and who in society benefits the most from this annual event.
With death a constant companion, the group must survive against all odds in a world gone mad for 12 hours and with limited options, they must take on the deadliest threats ever assembled for The Purge.
The film is a rare sequel that is actually better than the original. The increased budget shows as the ability to set the story in a city rather than a single home has allowed a more diverse cast of characters, motivations, and scenarios to be presented.
Aside from the solid mix of action and suspense, I enjoyed the fact that the characters came across as real people rather than stereotypical fodder for films of this type. While there is not tons of depth given to them, we are given enough information to understand their motivations and find a reason to care for them.
The film also takes on some very touchy subjects such as social injustices, the needs of the poor vs the seemingly uncaring attitudes of the wealthy and how laws seem to be made often to appease only the rich and powerful at the expense of everyone else.
Taking on such difficult subject matter without becoming overly preachy was a strong point of the film as it not only entertained but raised some very good questions and social commentary while allowing the audience to make up their own minds.
This reminded me in many ways of the original Star Trek series as they were pioneers in taking on topics that the network censors would not allow by hiding it in the cloak of fantasy. The powers that be had little knowledge of what was being presented but those who did watch the show clearly got the message.
This was evident in the film when the tables turned on a sadistic and elite socialite which resulted in loud cheers and applause from the audience.
There has been talk that the next film in the series may be a prequel and deal with the original Purge and how it came to be. I for one would love to see more as the nature of the premise gives rise to so many stories and scenarios in one night alone, and the fact that the Purge is an annual event, and then perhaps we will see films in this series on a regular basis. If they keep up the quality of this one, then I say bring them on.
http://sknr.net/2014/07/18/the-purge-anarchy/
The film was made for less than $4 million and went on to become a surprise hit which naturally gave rise to sequel plans.
“The Purge: Anarchy” picks up a year later shortly before the annual Purge commences. The story follows three main groups of people who are preparing for the pending evening in Los Angeles.
Eva, (Carmen Ejogo), is a single mom who works as a waitress when she is not caring for her daughter and father, Shane and Liz a coupling facing a possible separation, ( Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez), and a mysterious man known as Sargent (Frank Grillo).
Although strangers at the start of the evening, fate brings them all together on an evening where not everyone can be trusted as people can turn on one another over long standing grudges or simply to ‘free the beast” as they call it citing their right to do so as granted by the new founding fathers.
The streets have become a battlefield as the carnage builds up and people locked in their buildings soon find themselves under attack from black armor clad shock troops supported by chain gun equipped semi-trailers.
The main characters of the film must work with one another to stay alive as Sergeant as desperate need of a car to replace the one he lost saving his companions, but to the others he is a dangerous wildcard that they are not sure can be trusted.
As the group moves through the streets looking for safety, danger is all around them and as they evening progresses they learn more and more about the Purge and who in society benefits the most from this annual event.
With death a constant companion, the group must survive against all odds in a world gone mad for 12 hours and with limited options, they must take on the deadliest threats ever assembled for The Purge.
The film is a rare sequel that is actually better than the original. The increased budget shows as the ability to set the story in a city rather than a single home has allowed a more diverse cast of characters, motivations, and scenarios to be presented.
Aside from the solid mix of action and suspense, I enjoyed the fact that the characters came across as real people rather than stereotypical fodder for films of this type. While there is not tons of depth given to them, we are given enough information to understand their motivations and find a reason to care for them.
The film also takes on some very touchy subjects such as social injustices, the needs of the poor vs the seemingly uncaring attitudes of the wealthy and how laws seem to be made often to appease only the rich and powerful at the expense of everyone else.
Taking on such difficult subject matter without becoming overly preachy was a strong point of the film as it not only entertained but raised some very good questions and social commentary while allowing the audience to make up their own minds.
This reminded me in many ways of the original Star Trek series as they were pioneers in taking on topics that the network censors would not allow by hiding it in the cloak of fantasy. The powers that be had little knowledge of what was being presented but those who did watch the show clearly got the message.
This was evident in the film when the tables turned on a sadistic and elite socialite which resulted in loud cheers and applause from the audience.
There has been talk that the next film in the series may be a prequel and deal with the original Purge and how it came to be. I for one would love to see more as the nature of the premise gives rise to so many stories and scenarios in one night alone, and the fact that the Purge is an annual event, and then perhaps we will see films in this series on a regular basis. If they keep up the quality of this one, then I say bring them on.
http://sknr.net/2014/07/18/the-purge-anarchy/
groundedGeek (4 KP) rated This American Life in Podcasts
Jan 10, 2018
Almost always great
The topics on this show are sometimes hit-or-miss, but often you will come across an absolute gem of a theme and the stories shared are fascinating. I rated it higher because more often than not I find the topics really interesting. On occasion there will be a dud where the host isn't as engaging or the stories just aren't my taste, but the great thing about the show is that even those episodes hit home for someone most likely. There really is something for everyone in this series... if the current episode doesn't float your boat, it's likely a previous one will be fascinating or maybe the next topic will be right up your alley.
The episodes are "investigative" in nature where the host has interviewed people and tells the true story as they go, but like many "documentary" style features in this day and age... they can sometimes be driven to tell the story they want you to hear, guiding you to the conclusion that fits their narrative rather than simply providing the facts and letting the listener draw their own conclusions. To be fair, this makes it more entertaining... because simple fact-finding would likely be boring in podcast form. It's not necessarily a criticism... Michael Moore is an example of the worst purveyor of this kind of "documentary" style... generate a conclusion, craft the clips, audio and narrative to support that conclusion... voila... Michael Moore movie. While I don't prefer that style of "documentary" because it is obviously biased, there is no doubt that Michael Moore knows how to sell his story and makes entertaining films. TAL is not quite the same, it's probably unfair to put them in that category, but there is with some of the hosts, a definite feel that they have the conclusion they want you to draw firm in their mind when they provide the accompanying stories...
Other times there isn't any agenda, they simply want to provide you with fascinating stories about fascinating people in this fascinating country... and when they do that, they do it spectacularly. I feel like my criticism above could possibly be misconstrued as a knock on the show, but discerning listeners likely recognize when this is sometimes happening and it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the journey the show takes you on. It's not a knock, it's a fun show.
The episodes are "investigative" in nature where the host has interviewed people and tells the true story as they go, but like many "documentary" style features in this day and age... they can sometimes be driven to tell the story they want you to hear, guiding you to the conclusion that fits their narrative rather than simply providing the facts and letting the listener draw their own conclusions. To be fair, this makes it more entertaining... because simple fact-finding would likely be boring in podcast form. It's not necessarily a criticism... Michael Moore is an example of the worst purveyor of this kind of "documentary" style... generate a conclusion, craft the clips, audio and narrative to support that conclusion... voila... Michael Moore movie. While I don't prefer that style of "documentary" because it is obviously biased, there is no doubt that Michael Moore knows how to sell his story and makes entertaining films. TAL is not quite the same, it's probably unfair to put them in that category, but there is with some of the hosts, a definite feel that they have the conclusion they want you to draw firm in their mind when they provide the accompanying stories...
Other times there isn't any agenda, they simply want to provide you with fascinating stories about fascinating people in this fascinating country... and when they do that, they do it spectacularly. I feel like my criticism above could possibly be misconstrued as a knock on the show, but discerning listeners likely recognize when this is sometimes happening and it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the journey the show takes you on. It's not a knock, it's a fun show.
Merissa (12051 KP) rated The Caretaker (The Sin Bin #2) in Books
Aug 3, 2017
The Caretaker (The Sin Bin #2) by Dahlia Donovan
The Caretaker takes us back to Cornwall, this time via Cardiff. Freddie has finally managed to leave home where his loving but interfering dads constantly try to suffocate him. Unfortunately, there are a couple of homophobic idiots living in the same house as him, and they delight in making his life a misery. This is something he doesn't need, not on top of his very stressful job. Freddie is the 'happy bunny' that was able to support Graham and BC through his cancer in The Wanderer. Of course, being a happy bunny for others doesn't mean that Freddie doesn't have deep emotions, it's just that he tries to keep everyone else's spirits high, to the detriment of his own at times. Taine is one of BC's rugby buddies, and sees Freddie for the first time at the hospital as he drops in to try and cheer up the young children on the oncology ward. Taine is convinced that Freddie is too young for him, but feels an attraction to him anyway. The attraction only deepens the more time they spend with each other. However, the interfering dads strike again and it could all be over before it really got started.
With appearances from old favourites, there is an abundance of characters in this book that will delight and frustrate you. It is very well written, showing Freddie's depths of emotions plus everything else that he is dealing with too. Taine is a bit of fool in parts of this, but to be fair, I could understand how he felt, given the insult that was thrown at him. The Caretaker is very well written, and draws you back into the world of The Sin Bin. Now we know what they are going to do with the name, so I'm sure it will be interesting reading in the future, to say the least!
Filled with humour and emotions, this book is a wonderful addition to both The Sin Bin series, and Dahlia Donovan's collective works. Absolutely recommended by me.
* 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!
http://glbt.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=24681
With appearances from old favourites, there is an abundance of characters in this book that will delight and frustrate you. It is very well written, showing Freddie's depths of emotions plus everything else that he is dealing with too. Taine is a bit of fool in parts of this, but to be fair, I could understand how he felt, given the insult that was thrown at him. The Caretaker is very well written, and draws you back into the world of The Sin Bin. Now we know what they are going to do with the name, so I'm sure it will be interesting reading in the future, to say the least!
Filled with humour and emotions, this book is a wonderful addition to both The Sin Bin series, and Dahlia Donovan's collective works. Absolutely recommended by me.
* 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!
http://glbt.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=24681
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Love in a Nutshell (Culhane Family #1) in Books
May 10, 2018
Kate Appleton is at a point in her life where things couldn't possibly be worse. She is currently living in Keene's Harbor in Michigan in an attempt to fix up her parent's summer home into a Bed and Breakfast before the new mortgage holder takes over.
Matt Culhane is at a point in his life where things couldn't be better. His Depot Brewery and restaurant is doing great and he has plans for more businesses in the very near future. He does have one small problem, though. Someone seems to be after him.
After being fired from her job Kate starts working for Matt as a "floater" and spy. It's her job to find the saboteur in the establishment as well as help out where she is needed. What will happen between them during this time?
I didn't dive into this book the way I thought I would when I got this book from the library. Trying to continue my [a:Janet Evanovich|2384|Janet Evanovich|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1385051483p2/2384.jpg] challenge this was the next book I picked up. I started with the Stephanie Plum series, but I am waiting for [b:Three to Get Deadly|6854|Three to Get Deadly (Stephanie Plum, #3)|Janet Evanovich|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311727539s/6854.jpg|1341652] to become available.
Mostly this was a cute story that held my interest at certain parts. About half way through, the excitement picked up and helped to carry me to the end. I like Kate's character and she seemed like someone I would be friends with. The same with Matt. He is not your typical guy, he is a true gentleman that genuinely care for those around him. He's the kind of guy every woman wants. This was not one of my favorites, but I am not giving up on my challenge.
The next book I'm going to read for the Challenge is [b:The Husband List|15793075|The Husband List (Culhane Family #2)|Janet Evanovich|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345686386s/15793075.jpg|21416771] which is also co-authored by [a:Dorien Kelly|176341|Dorien Kelly|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1296407006p2/176341.jpg]. I got this from the library at the same time as this book. I'm going to take a small break from JE for a while though and switch to something different.
Matt Culhane is at a point in his life where things couldn't be better. His Depot Brewery and restaurant is doing great and he has plans for more businesses in the very near future. He does have one small problem, though. Someone seems to be after him.
After being fired from her job Kate starts working for Matt as a "floater" and spy. It's her job to find the saboteur in the establishment as well as help out where she is needed. What will happen between them during this time?
I didn't dive into this book the way I thought I would when I got this book from the library. Trying to continue my [a:Janet Evanovich|2384|Janet Evanovich|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1385051483p2/2384.jpg] challenge this was the next book I picked up. I started with the Stephanie Plum series, but I am waiting for [b:Three to Get Deadly|6854|Three to Get Deadly (Stephanie Plum, #3)|Janet Evanovich|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311727539s/6854.jpg|1341652] to become available.
Mostly this was a cute story that held my interest at certain parts. About half way through, the excitement picked up and helped to carry me to the end. I like Kate's character and she seemed like someone I would be friends with. The same with Matt. He is not your typical guy, he is a true gentleman that genuinely care for those around him. He's the kind of guy every woman wants. This was not one of my favorites, but I am not giving up on my challenge.
The next book I'm going to read for the Challenge is [b:The Husband List|15793075|The Husband List (Culhane Family #2)|Janet Evanovich|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345686386s/15793075.jpg|21416771] which is also co-authored by [a:Dorien Kelly|176341|Dorien Kelly|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1296407006p2/176341.jpg]. I got this from the library at the same time as this book. I'm going to take a small break from JE for a while though and switch to something different.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
I had been listening to this audiobook for about a week during my commute to and from work, and when it ended on my way home, I couldn't believe it. It couldn't end there. It just couldn't. I wasn't ready. I wanted to know, no, needed to know what happened next! While not a cliff-hanger, there are so many things left unresolved at the end of this story, so many things left to be done, that I really hope Ms. Tahir has at least another 2 or 3 books up her sleeve. (NOTE: Since writing this review I have scoured her Goodreads page and found that yes, book #2 is in the works. I can breathe a little easier now...)
An Ember in the Ashes is the story of Laia, a Scholar girl, and Elias, a soldier in training for the Empire's army. The Scholars are the lowest class citizens in the Empire, and many of Laia's people have been killed or enslaved. Her own parents and older sister were killed for being rebels. Elias is just finishing his training as a Mask, one of the Empire's elite soldiers. When Laia's remaining family is raided one night, she goes undercover as a slave at the military academy to try to gain information she can trade to the Scholar resistance, so that they will help her find and free her brother who was captured during the raid.
There was a bit of a love triangle, which I usually hate, but each individual seemed so real, each with his own flaws and redeeming qualities, that it was easy to understand Laia's feelings. And I loved Laia herself. She was no super-woman, just a frightened girl determined to do whatever she had to in order to save the only family she had left. She was scared, she second guessed herself, but she never gave up. I admired her determination, and it's been a long time since I read a book that made me care so much about what happened to its characters.
I have to mention the narrators as well. I thought both of them did a great job, and having both a male and female narrator helped distinguish the point of view for each chapter. I hope they will be available to read again when the next book in this series is ready!
An Ember in the Ashes is the story of Laia, a Scholar girl, and Elias, a soldier in training for the Empire's army. The Scholars are the lowest class citizens in the Empire, and many of Laia's people have been killed or enslaved. Her own parents and older sister were killed for being rebels. Elias is just finishing his training as a Mask, one of the Empire's elite soldiers. When Laia's remaining family is raided one night, she goes undercover as a slave at the military academy to try to gain information she can trade to the Scholar resistance, so that they will help her find and free her brother who was captured during the raid.
There was a bit of a love triangle, which I usually hate, but each individual seemed so real, each with his own flaws and redeeming qualities, that it was easy to understand Laia's feelings. And I loved Laia herself. She was no super-woman, just a frightened girl determined to do whatever she had to in order to save the only family she had left. She was scared, she second guessed herself, but she never gave up. I admired her determination, and it's been a long time since I read a book that made me care so much about what happened to its characters.
I have to mention the narrators as well. I thought both of them did a great job, and having both a male and female narrator helped distinguish the point of view for each chapter. I hope they will be available to read again when the next book in this series is ready!
Debbiereadsbook (1197 KP) rated Forged In Flood in Books
Jul 21, 2018
new favourite from this author!
I had the honour of beta reading this book, so I was gifted my copy of this book.
Ten years ago, a stupid mistake nearly cost 3 young men their lives. It left them all scarred in a multitude of ways. Ivan has shut himself off from everyone, working in his beloved forge, while Rolland and Wes have taken it upon themselves to educate the youth of today on the errors of drink driving. But Wes and Rolly have had enough of waiting for Ivan, their Viking to get over his self inflicted guilt. And they choose the night of the worst flooding in living memory to make Ivan see sense.
This is NOT part of the Sin Bin series, but there are some cross-over characters, mainly Sarah and her husband Remi. You don't NEED to read them, but you SHOULD!
I loved this! I've loved almost all of Ms Donovan's work, and each and every time, the new book becomes my new favourite, and this is no exception!
Ivan makes this book, he really does. His struggle dealing with his guilt. His struggle dealing with becoming like his namesake of a father, and him not really wanting to. Dealing with the destruction of his forge and his home. Dealing with the after effects of the original accident, and a second one too.
But mainly, because watching him deal with his ever growing attraction to Wes and Rolly, and his NEED to be with them, is a joy to behold! He doesn't want it, not at first but they are persistent buggers now they have decided to pursue Ivan, rather than waiting for him to come to them.
There are some lighter moments, written only in a way Ms Donovan can. Her boys do like to play with their food and these three are no exception to that rule. I don't think I can ever look at a pot of honey in the same way, every again!
Because I read it in one sitting, because it made me cry in places, because it made me laugh out loud in others (and not many books can do that with me when I'm reading!) and just bloody well because . . . . .
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Ten years ago, a stupid mistake nearly cost 3 young men their lives. It left them all scarred in a multitude of ways. Ivan has shut himself off from everyone, working in his beloved forge, while Rolland and Wes have taken it upon themselves to educate the youth of today on the errors of drink driving. But Wes and Rolly have had enough of waiting for Ivan, their Viking to get over his self inflicted guilt. And they choose the night of the worst flooding in living memory to make Ivan see sense.
This is NOT part of the Sin Bin series, but there are some cross-over characters, mainly Sarah and her husband Remi. You don't NEED to read them, but you SHOULD!
I loved this! I've loved almost all of Ms Donovan's work, and each and every time, the new book becomes my new favourite, and this is no exception!
Ivan makes this book, he really does. His struggle dealing with his guilt. His struggle dealing with becoming like his namesake of a father, and him not really wanting to. Dealing with the destruction of his forge and his home. Dealing with the after effects of the original accident, and a second one too.
But mainly, because watching him deal with his ever growing attraction to Wes and Rolly, and his NEED to be with them, is a joy to behold! He doesn't want it, not at first but they are persistent buggers now they have decided to pursue Ivan, rather than waiting for him to come to them.
There are some lighter moments, written only in a way Ms Donovan can. Her boys do like to play with their food and these three are no exception to that rule. I don't think I can ever look at a pot of honey in the same way, every again!
Because I read it in one sitting, because it made me cry in places, because it made me laugh out loud in others (and not many books can do that with me when I'm reading!) and just bloody well because . . . . .
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Awix (3310 KP) rated Robin Hood (2018) in Movies
Nov 26, 2018 (Updated Nov 28, 2018)
Bog-standard looks-like-a-computer-game action movie populated by a mixture of blandly good-looking non-actors and people who should probably know better; would have been forgettable tosh but for the fact that the Robin Hood name has inexplicably been plastered onto something bearing virtually zero resemblance to the legend.
Corrupt establishment has embarked upon a series of foreign wars for its own shady purposes, ordinary people are being screwed to pay for it all, plus their young men are being sent off to die. Good-hearted young chap gets his draft letter in the post and is sent off to Afghanistan, or so it seems, he gets sent home on the grounds of excess heroism only to find that someone has moved Nottingham sixty miles and it is now on the coast and has its own harbour. Needless to say he resolves to become a superhero with a secret identity and sort everything out.
The thing that will kill this movie for anyone who actually cares about the Robin Hood legend is that it seems to have no appreciation of the fact that Things Were Different In The Past, and is fairly up front about it: 'we're not going to bore you with history,' the script announces in so many words right at the start. Well, if you really think history is boring, possibly you shouldn't have tried to make a film with a historical setting, then, but thank-you for making your low opinion of your audience's intelligence obvious from the start.
All the things the legend is actually about, and most of the things you would automatically associate with it (sword-fights, the band of Merry Men, Sherwood Forest, King Richard's ransom) are chucked out in favour of a glib and opportunistic one-size-fits-all form of anti-capitalist and anti-establishment agitprop. You may argue that we've seen the classic version of the story so many times before, and this is about doing something new, but if you get rid of the Robin Hood element of the Robin Hood story, you're left with something pointless and stupid, which is really what we have here. The Disney version with the talking fox is much more entertaining, not to mention historically accurate.
Corrupt establishment has embarked upon a series of foreign wars for its own shady purposes, ordinary people are being screwed to pay for it all, plus their young men are being sent off to die. Good-hearted young chap gets his draft letter in the post and is sent off to Afghanistan, or so it seems, he gets sent home on the grounds of excess heroism only to find that someone has moved Nottingham sixty miles and it is now on the coast and has its own harbour. Needless to say he resolves to become a superhero with a secret identity and sort everything out.
The thing that will kill this movie for anyone who actually cares about the Robin Hood legend is that it seems to have no appreciation of the fact that Things Were Different In The Past, and is fairly up front about it: 'we're not going to bore you with history,' the script announces in so many words right at the start. Well, if you really think history is boring, possibly you shouldn't have tried to make a film with a historical setting, then, but thank-you for making your low opinion of your audience's intelligence obvious from the start.
All the things the legend is actually about, and most of the things you would automatically associate with it (sword-fights, the band of Merry Men, Sherwood Forest, King Richard's ransom) are chucked out in favour of a glib and opportunistic one-size-fits-all form of anti-capitalist and anti-establishment agitprop. You may argue that we've seen the classic version of the story so many times before, and this is about doing something new, but if you get rid of the Robin Hood element of the Robin Hood story, you're left with something pointless and stupid, which is really what we have here. The Disney version with the talking fox is much more entertaining, not to mention historically accurate.