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ClareR (5686 KP) rated Star of the North in Books
May 3, 2018 (Updated May 3, 2018)
One of my favourite books of the year!
I feel like I’ve just stepped off a roller coaster - what a ride that was!!
Twelve years after her sister was kidnapped on a South Korean beach, Jenna, a Korean-American and a well-respected lecturer in North Korean studies, joins the CIA. She thinks that she may be able to track down her sister, who she believes is alive. Mrs Moon is a North Korean peasant, who builds a business after finding contraband food that was sent over by balloon from South Korea. Cho is a high ranking North Korean official who is found to have undesirable ancestors and is punished. These three storylines end up coming together so cleverly, in a story that is exciting and told at a breakneck speed. I loved it. This is one of those ‘un-put-downable’ books. The ending is so unexpected and explosive - just wow!! Honestly, this has ‘movie adaptation’ written all over it. And when you realise that this is all based on fact and true stories...
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for my copy!!
Twelve years after her sister was kidnapped on a South Korean beach, Jenna, a Korean-American and a well-respected lecturer in North Korean studies, joins the CIA. She thinks that she may be able to track down her sister, who she believes is alive. Mrs Moon is a North Korean peasant, who builds a business after finding contraband food that was sent over by balloon from South Korea. Cho is a high ranking North Korean official who is found to have undesirable ancestors and is punished. These three storylines end up coming together so cleverly, in a story that is exciting and told at a breakneck speed. I loved it. This is one of those ‘un-put-downable’ books. The ending is so unexpected and explosive - just wow!! Honestly, this has ‘movie adaptation’ written all over it. And when you realise that this is all based on fact and true stories...
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for my copy!!
Rickey A. Mossow Jr. (689 KP) rated Dumplin' (2018) in Movies
May 21, 2019
your basic feel-good movie with good music and a good message. No harm at all, but really leaves no lasting impression on the viewer.
Another case of the trailer of a movie basically giving away the film here. The film plays out from the beginning with the basic love large people premise and basically paints by numbers from there on. On the positive side, you get all the hits of the Dolly catalog and all the actors play their parts well. While it's Willa's story, at certain times I found her hard to believe her motivations behind her actions, and I favored the supporting characters to her. The conflicts in the plot are solved too easily. Jennifer Aniston does what she can with what she is given, but her performance seems pretty safe and standard fare that she can do with her eyes closed. It's just your basic feel-good movie with good music and a good message. No harm at all, but really leaves no lasting impression on the viewer.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated The Woman in the Window in Books
Jun 13, 2019 (Updated Jun 13, 2019)
Gripping unreliable narrator thriller
Housebound Anna Fox loves watching old movies and drinking a lot of wine, that is when she isn’t spying on her neighbours from out of the window. Not long after a new family move in Anna sees someone murdered but no one is willing to believe the drunk and that includes even Anna doubting what she saw.
There are a lot of unreliable narrator books around at the moment in the thriller genre and I think this is a solid addition, it’s a well written fast paced read. The plot doesn't seem to be anything groundbreaking and lacks in any real surprises in the plot but it’s very engagingly narrated. Maybe my love for staying in at home and drinking wine made this book speak to me but I found it engrossing and enjoyable. If your into old films you'll probably get a kick out of all the references to those as well.
Oh and net curtains when you are in a home that is overlooked why isn't that a thing....
There are a lot of unreliable narrator books around at the moment in the thriller genre and I think this is a solid addition, it’s a well written fast paced read. The plot doesn't seem to be anything groundbreaking and lacks in any real surprises in the plot but it’s very engagingly narrated. Maybe my love for staying in at home and drinking wine made this book speak to me but I found it engrossing and enjoyable. If your into old films you'll probably get a kick out of all the references to those as well.
Oh and net curtains when you are in a home that is overlooked why isn't that a thing....
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Florida in Books
Jan 17, 2018
Wonderful short stories, despite disjointed flow
For those who are unfamiliar of the landscape and society of Florida, Lauren Groff's collection of stories is enticing and varied. Ranging from the usual depictions of alligators, to the atypical descriptions of those who just want to get away, Groff attempts to show the various characters found in the sweltering heat and stormy climes of southern USA.
I particularly enjoyed the story of the mother who takes her two young sons to France to escape the tropical summers and her restless life. It is detailed and you get a sense of her edginess throughout, worried that something may happen to her children or to have an unpleasant encounter with their overbearing landlord.
My only gripe would be that because each story is not clearly signposted, the flow of the stories become confusing and it takes a minute to realise you've begun a whole new chapter. It is a bit jarring, so shorter stories became completely unmemorable as a result. However, it is a pleasant read overall, I enjoyed her writing style.
I particularly enjoyed the story of the mother who takes her two young sons to France to escape the tropical summers and her restless life. It is detailed and you get a sense of her edginess throughout, worried that something may happen to her children or to have an unpleasant encounter with their overbearing landlord.
My only gripe would be that because each story is not clearly signposted, the flow of the stories become confusing and it takes a minute to realise you've begun a whole new chapter. It is a bit jarring, so shorter stories became completely unmemorable as a result. However, it is a pleasant read overall, I enjoyed her writing style.
The House of Hidden Mothers
Book
"Dazzling. Intense and gritty at times, sparkling and hilarious at others. I found it absorbing,...
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated The Rhythm Section (2019) in Movies
Sep 21, 2020
A weird, gross, seedy, nonsensical piece of tough-as-nails fluff that I found to be immensely enjoyable. In terms of both its looks and its writing, it plays a whole lot less like Reed Morano's heartbreaking portrait of grief in 𝘔𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 and a *lot* more like Ang Lee taking a stab at 𝘗𝘦𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘵. The main critique (besides the fact that this movie is illiterate pace-wise and makes not a drop of sense - both perfectly valid) seems to be that this didn't take the route of generic actioner, to which I reply with a resounding... lmfao k. Visually fetching, and that score *slaps* - not to mention the action is swift and brutal, that car chase is an all-fucking-timer. Amounts to a globetrotting asskicker where Blake Lively sleeps and stumbles around gorgeous locations while beating the shit out of and verbally chastising every man she comes across, we love to see it. Like a delectably oafish hybrid of 𝘏𝘢𝘺𝘸𝘪𝘳𝘦 and 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯, which you can sign me right the hell up for.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Tetro (2009) in Movies
Sep 21, 2020
Representative of late-period Coppola in just about every way: ostentatious visual display (this >> 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢 >> 𝘕𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘢 >> 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵), uneven and often nonsensically crammed narrative (even if it does [beneficially, this time] lack the ambitious delirium of 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩), underwhelming coda, and an emphasis on weird + sprawling conversations over all else. The final act crumbles mostly, but otherwise found this to be quite enchanting. There's something about watching Vincent Gallo act that's just so magnetizing, I couldn't look away - the dude is crazy good in this (even if you still can't convince me him and Edward Norton are different people). Took me a bit to really get a feel for the fierce lancing of overly-pretentious, dickheaded artists rather than the worship of them as I initially gauged - as well as this just being a rock-solid story of art and family dynamics (helluva twist too [if underplayed], and the segments where trauma is expressed through stage productions are 👌👌). Wish it rebounded in the end but nonetheless it's compelling in spite of its flaws.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Star-Crossed (Cursed Hearts #1) in Books
May 9, 2020
72 of 200
Kindle
Star-Crossed ( Cursed book 1)
By Meg Anne & Jessica Wayne
Skye Giovanni was seven years old the first time death came to her.
She has been haunted by visions of death since she was a child. It is her legacy and her curse. What good is power when you have no control over it?
Detective Lucas MacConnell is being hunted.
Crime scenes with ritualistic murders are starting to pop up everywhere, and the only thing Lucas knows for sure is that the mysterious Skye is at the center of it all.
An ancient power rises determined to end them both.
Thrown together by fate, and a destiny slowly spiraling out of their control, they will have to learn to trust each other or the next deaths might be their own.
Really enjoyed this book! Loved the combination of Druids and Gypsies not something I have come across much! Characters are brilliant all really easy to get along with!
I have already found myself halfway through book 2 without noticing 😁
Kindle
Star-Crossed ( Cursed book 1)
By Meg Anne & Jessica Wayne
Skye Giovanni was seven years old the first time death came to her.
She has been haunted by visions of death since she was a child. It is her legacy and her curse. What good is power when you have no control over it?
Detective Lucas MacConnell is being hunted.
Crime scenes with ritualistic murders are starting to pop up everywhere, and the only thing Lucas knows for sure is that the mysterious Skye is at the center of it all.
An ancient power rises determined to end them both.
Thrown together by fate, and a destiny slowly spiraling out of their control, they will have to learn to trust each other or the next deaths might be their own.
Really enjoyed this book! Loved the combination of Druids and Gypsies not something I have come across much! Characters are brilliant all really easy to get along with!
I have already found myself halfway through book 2 without noticing 😁
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Girlfriend in Books
Oct 30, 2022
Jennifer appears to have it all, a wonderful husband, beautiful children and a gorgeous home ... the perfect life until, that is, it all comes crashing down when her husband dies suddenly and it all turns into a nightmare when his mistress, Sara, turns up on the doorstep with a baby son and declares he is her husband's child but that's not the worst of it, she also says the house is hers along with all the assets.
What would you do? Move out or give in to her demands and allow her and her son to move in?!? Like I said, a nightmare. Jennifer does what she thinks is best for her and her children and allows Sara to move in thus buying her time to figure out what the heck has happened and what she is going to do about it .
A twisty, fast paced, psychological thriller that I found intriguing and devoured it in quick time and thanks must go to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Girlfriend.
What would you do? Move out or give in to her demands and allow her and her son to move in?!? Like I said, a nightmare. Jennifer does what she thinks is best for her and her children and allows Sara to move in thus buying her time to figure out what the heck has happened and what she is going to do about it .
A twisty, fast paced, psychological thriller that I found intriguing and devoured it in quick time and thanks must go to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Girlfriend.
ClareR (5686 KP) rated A Traveller at the Gates of Wisdom in Books
Sep 3, 2022
Once I’d recognised the trick to this book, I found it fascinating - it took a couple of chapters though, so I would encourage anyone contemplating reading this to keep going for at least three chapters. Or, you know, read this, have some idea of what’s going on, and then get the book, sit back and enjoy!
I’ve often thought that life must have some universal stories: things that happen in our lives that have happened untold times before throughout history, and will probably happen countless times in the future.
That is the premise that ‘A Traveller’ works from. And it’s done so cleverly.
We begin in the Roman world in 1AD, and swap between different continents and cultures. The story remains the same, of love, loss, betrayal, revenge and death. There’s a lot of births and deaths. It really puts in to perspective humanity’s inability to learn from its mistakes - and we just keep on making them in to the future.
This is such a thought provoking, imaginative read. John Boyne just never seems to let me down.
I’ve often thought that life must have some universal stories: things that happen in our lives that have happened untold times before throughout history, and will probably happen countless times in the future.
That is the premise that ‘A Traveller’ works from. And it’s done so cleverly.
We begin in the Roman world in 1AD, and swap between different continents and cultures. The story remains the same, of love, loss, betrayal, revenge and death. There’s a lot of births and deaths. It really puts in to perspective humanity’s inability to learn from its mistakes - and we just keep on making them in to the future.
This is such a thought provoking, imaginative read. John Boyne just never seems to let me down.