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Becky (2020)
Becky (2020)
2020 | Action, Drama, Horror
8
7.1 (9 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Um...
Well this twisted tale came out of left field and was surprisingly good. I found it under "horror" and I get why, but it's not exactly scary. It's almost like "Home Alone" on steroids. The acting was just ok(Kevin James as the bad guy was interesting). The character "Becky" would definitely fall under the definition of psychopath(the girl played the part well). This movie had plenty of gore for those of you who enjoy that sort of thing. It's not exactly "believable" but it was definitely entertaining. The effects were pretty good and the story kept the interest throughout. Not one for little kids, in my opinion. Otherwise, this one is worth a watch.
  
True Blood  - Season 2
True Blood - Season 2
2009 | Sci-Fi
Season Two of True Blood is probably one of my favorite seasons. I feel like the storytelling was complex and interesting enough to hold my attention better.
The best part of this season was learning more about Eric, and his relationship with Godric. The next best story line is Jason's, with him joining the crazy, fundamentalist church. It was hilarious because it was so true to life.
I'm not a huge fan of Tara or Arlene in general, so those were the sections of the eps that I found tedious.
Of course, this season ends with a huge and intriguing cliff-hanger, and you have to prepare to meet the newest supernatural species in the next season.
  
A Pleasure and a Calling
A Pleasure and a Calling
Phil Hogan | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Also read my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/a-pleasure-and-a-calling-by-phil-hogan

<b><I>You won’t remember Mr Heming. He showed you round your comfortable home, suggested a sustainable financial package, negotiated a price with the owner and called you with the good news. The less good news is that, all these years later, he still has the key.

That’s absurd, you laugh. Of all the many hundreds of houses he has sold, why would he still have the key to mine?

The answer to that is, he has the keys to them all.</b></i>

This is a truly chilling novel. With such a unique plot line, excellent narration and beautiful descriptions, I’m amazed this hasn’t found itself being more popular. After scanning this books lower reviews, I can understand some people's frustrations with this because they were expecting a thriller, and while this technically does class as a thriller, it’s not what most people associate with thrillers. When you think of a thriller, you think Jason Bourne, fast-paced, exciting, and, of course, thrilling, so when you open this to find it’s slow-paced narration of Heming’s day-to-day life you’re going to be a bit miffed. So don’t go into this thinking your socks are going to be blown off in super fast-paced action.

Heming is a seriously unreliable narrator. Thanks to his wonderful storytelling, we’re drawn into his life, eager to know what happens next with almost no regard to the horrible things he’s actually doing! The narration is amazing at masking the creepiness of the situations Heming puts himself into, making you want to like his character, when really we know we shouldn’t.

Each character in this novel was presented in an excellent way, giving you enough to know about them without things becoming confusing and too heavy. As for the plot, well, what can I say? It was magnificent! It was so well thought out and solidly presented. I had wanted to read this novel for such a long time, I’m remarkably pleased it didn’t let me down, not even in the slightest!

I don’t have a lot more to say about this other than I loved it completely, I don’t think it let itself down at all and I was prepared for it to be a slow moving, almost dream like novel (which is a writing style I personally adore). In many ways, this is a very Lolita-esque novel, the unreliable narrator, the slow moving pace, in-depth and beautiful descriptions, deep infatuation etc etc, so if Lolita was a novel you enjoyed, for all of those reasons, then definitely give this a try.
  
What a wonderful book for young children who have siblings. I loved this book, and while my children are older now, I so wish I had had this book when they were younger. This book is well written by the talented hands of Tracey Madder and is full of eye catching color and characters to really grab the attention of your young ones.

Tora Fright's story of forgiveness is a wonderful message for kiddos and adults alike. It has more than one message wrapped up in sweet Tora's story and it is so worth the read. I found myself turning to God more than once while reading this book, and thanking Him for the gentle reminders.

If you have young ones in your life, children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, then I highly recommed this book with 5 stars, especially if they have siblings, as patience, kindness and forgiveness are all woven into this story. I am looking forward to checking out the other Tora Fright books and seeing what other lessons she learns!
 
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale Blog Network and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
  
A Gate at the Stairs
A Gate at the Stairs
Lorrie Moore | 2010 | Fiction & Poetry
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Not bad but ultimately forgettable
I read this as part of a local reading group I’ve joined recently, and I was sceptical as some of the Goodreads reviews are scathing to say the least. However fortunately this isn’t as bad as others seem to think.

The problem is that this book is mostly forgettable. The writing is rather good, although does have a tendency to ramble off at rather bizarre tangents. I’m not sure if this is meant to be a nod to the disjointed and random thoughts of the narrator, but for me this didn’t quite work. When it got a little rambling I found my mind began to wander and I ended up skim reading more than I should. I also struggled with the anti-racism group, while they didn’t feature too often when they did their inane ramblings and chat I just couldn’t stand. Despite this the rest of the book isn’t too bad. Tassie is a rather shambolic protagonist and for the most part not very sympathetic or endearing. But the development of her and her friends and family is engaging enough to keep you reading, even if sadly this book is ultimately forgettable.
  
Dogs + Faith = An Inspiring book!

I have read all the books in the Independence Island series so far and have been enchanted by their realistic approaches to life and the way they each uniquely emphasize our need for a Savior. Tabitha Bouldin is a new to me author that I so glad to have found through this series. I LOVED the way she showed faith through her characters, the struggles of any small business, and her commitment to showing the realities of life. Melody and Zeke played so well off each other and were a great combination. Mishaps off the Mainland is one of my favorite stories so far in the Independence Island series and I am so looking forward to reading more books by Tabitha Bouldin (can you say going on a binge read?)

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the strong faith aspects, the relatable characters, and for leaving me thinking even after I am done with the book.

*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
  
Terminated (Revivalist, #3)
Terminated (Revivalist, #3)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This took me a while to read because it had been about 18 months between book 1 and 2 and this. I'd forgotten half of what happened (and that Manny and Pansy were in this from the author's Red Letter Days series) and I found it a little difficult to remember.

However, once I got so far in the book (about 80 pgs in) the storyline was moving so fast that I had little choice but to go with it and it didn't particularly matter if I remembered or not, I just wanted Bryn, Patrick and the gang to kick Jane, Pharmadene and the Fountain Groups arse.

It was almost non-stop from the start, being thrown straight into the story from where it left off from the last book. We had fire-fights, fist fights, various other fights, explosions, deaths, you name it, it was probably in here.

The ending seemed a bit too easily done for my liking. I was expecting more...I dunno, just MORE of something; more explosions, deaths, trouble.

BUT, since they all got out of it alive (more or less) I'm happy with it.
  
Look Both Ways [Audiobook]
Look Both Ways [Audiobook]
Linwood Barclay | 2023 | Thriller
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I would say that this book is a cross between Christine and The Terminator and is one crazy ride!

Garrett Island's inhabitants have had all their cars removed and self-driving and fully automated 'Arrivals' given to them as an experiment. Arrivals are aware of each other and of everything around them ... gone are accidents, speeding, dints and scrapes; well, that's the theory anyway and it works until someone throws a spanner in the works and all hell breaks loose.

There's some great characters; I especially liked Bruce, Kate and Archie. The story is solid and the action comes thick and fast and whilst I found it a very entertaining story which I enjoyed, I think I would have enjoyed it even more had I read the actual book as the narration just didn't do it for me unfortunately and it just didn't seem to be right for the story somehow.

Overall, a great book that makes you think twice about what the future is likely to hold and my thanks go to HarperCollins UK Audio, HQ and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of Look Both Ways.
  
Tenet (2020)
Tenet (2020)
2020 | Action
Massive letdown from Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan has a bit of a name for himself, and a bit of a following.

While I haven't seen all of his films, I have (mostly) quite enjoyed the ones I have seen - The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, The Prestige, Insomnia, Dunkirk and Interstellar - so it's always an event when he releases a new movie.

This particular one had the mis(?)fortune to be released in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when large gatherings put health at risk and when cinemas were struggling after being closed for months on end.


I never saw it on the big screen as a result.

Having now seen it (on Amazon Prime), I'm quite glad that I didn't pay (and put my health at risk) to see it in the cinema - honestly, I found it mostly dull, incomprehensible (in that I couldn't make out half the dialogue) and interminable in length, despite the occasional 'money-on-the-screen' sequence

If you want to see a good 'backwards' story, watch the Backwards episode of Red Dwarf (season 3, episode 1) instead.
  
Faith and Moonlight (Faith and Moonlight #1)
Faith and Moonlight (Faith and Moonlight #1)
Joe King, Mark Gelineau | 2015 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is a young adult fantasy novella that starts with Roan and Kay on their way from an orphanage fire. They have little left in the world apart from each other but are determined to make their path at the College. Kay and Roan are both interesting characters, with strengths and weaknesses of their own. They balance each other out nicely, but it may be that their lives will take different paths.

This was a quick read that was thoroughly enjoyable, a fantasy-filled ride full of characters and hardships. Well written and with no editing or grammatical errors that I found, the story flowed well and was evenly paced throughout.

This is the first novella by these authors that I have read, and although this can be read as a standalone, I understand that it is best if you have some prior knowledge of the "Echo of the Ascended" series. I don't have such knowledge, but I don't feel that this negatively impacted my enjoyment of this novella either. Definitely recommended.

* I received this book from the authors in return for a fair and honest review. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 21, 2016