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Hazel (1853 KP) rated A Robot in the Garden in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>This ebook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
What would you do if you found a robot in your garden? That is exactly what, as the title suggests, 34-year-old Ben has to answer on making this discovery early one September morning. Set in the near future where many people have androids in their houses to do the chores they do not wish to do, finding a robot is not a completely unsettling event. What is unusual, however, is that this particular robot is the opposite of the modern, shiny models: he appears to be a mishmash of Japanese fine art and something you would find on a scrap heap.
As Ben discovers, the robot, named Tang is broken and is in need of urgent care and repair. Ben becomes obsessed with trying to pry information out of the robot as to where he came from and to whom he belongs to. Bringing Tang into the house is the last straw for his wife, Amy, who after letting him know all his faults – unemployment, never achieved anything – walks out on him. Now alone, with no one else to worry about, Ben is determined to locate Tang’s creator and save the robot’s life.
What continues is a wild goose chase across America and over to Asia as the strange pairing – human and robot – follows hints and clues that could help them reach their destination. Along the way Ben gets to know Tang and learns to love him in the same way a father loves a child. No matter what mischief Tang gets himself into, Ben is always there to fix the situation. The only thing he cannot fix is Tang’s internal parts, and time is running out.
Initially the story was about a man who wanted to prove he could achieve something to show his sister and his, now, ex-wife that they were wrong about him. However later on in the novel Ben realizes he is changing for himself, not for anyone else, and the person – or robot – that has helped him to achieve this is Tang. On the other hand it is also a humorous tale that explores a character that is unable to connect to the world around him. Tang is like a human toddler who needs constant care and attention, and is fascinated by everything around him. With Ben’s love and attention he proves to the world that he is much more than a rusty metal box.
<i>A Robot in the Garden</i> is a gem of a novel that is guaranteed to make the reader laugh. It is also touching and emotionally engaging, with both heartwarming and heart wrenching moments. Deborah Install has created an accurate representation of a character that has no understanding of the happenings in the world around it, basing many hilarious instances on those of her young son.
Whilst reading this book I could not help but compare it to the film <i>Short Circuit</i> (1986) in which a robot is electrocuted and gains human intelligence. I kept picturing the storyline of <i>A Robot in the Garden</i> in my head and thinking up ways it could be portrayed on screen. Whether there are plans to make it into a film I have no idea, but I am sure it would make prize-winning picture.
Do not be put off by its science fiction classification; <i>A Robot in the Garden</i> is no <i>War of the Worlds</i> or <i>Doctor Who</i> type of story. Instead it is a brilliant piece if fiction suitable for all adults. Those with children will laugh at the similarities between Tang and their offspring, whereas those without will sympathise with Ben’s struggles to keep the robot under control. All in all a great novel.
What would you do if you found a robot in your garden? That is exactly what, as the title suggests, 34-year-old Ben has to answer on making this discovery early one September morning. Set in the near future where many people have androids in their houses to do the chores they do not wish to do, finding a robot is not a completely unsettling event. What is unusual, however, is that this particular robot is the opposite of the modern, shiny models: he appears to be a mishmash of Japanese fine art and something you would find on a scrap heap.
As Ben discovers, the robot, named Tang is broken and is in need of urgent care and repair. Ben becomes obsessed with trying to pry information out of the robot as to where he came from and to whom he belongs to. Bringing Tang into the house is the last straw for his wife, Amy, who after letting him know all his faults – unemployment, never achieved anything – walks out on him. Now alone, with no one else to worry about, Ben is determined to locate Tang’s creator and save the robot’s life.
What continues is a wild goose chase across America and over to Asia as the strange pairing – human and robot – follows hints and clues that could help them reach their destination. Along the way Ben gets to know Tang and learns to love him in the same way a father loves a child. No matter what mischief Tang gets himself into, Ben is always there to fix the situation. The only thing he cannot fix is Tang’s internal parts, and time is running out.
Initially the story was about a man who wanted to prove he could achieve something to show his sister and his, now, ex-wife that they were wrong about him. However later on in the novel Ben realizes he is changing for himself, not for anyone else, and the person – or robot – that has helped him to achieve this is Tang. On the other hand it is also a humorous tale that explores a character that is unable to connect to the world around him. Tang is like a human toddler who needs constant care and attention, and is fascinated by everything around him. With Ben’s love and attention he proves to the world that he is much more than a rusty metal box.
<i>A Robot in the Garden</i> is a gem of a novel that is guaranteed to make the reader laugh. It is also touching and emotionally engaging, with both heartwarming and heart wrenching moments. Deborah Install has created an accurate representation of a character that has no understanding of the happenings in the world around it, basing many hilarious instances on those of her young son.
Whilst reading this book I could not help but compare it to the film <i>Short Circuit</i> (1986) in which a robot is electrocuted and gains human intelligence. I kept picturing the storyline of <i>A Robot in the Garden</i> in my head and thinking up ways it could be portrayed on screen. Whether there are plans to make it into a film I have no idea, but I am sure it would make prize-winning picture.
Do not be put off by its science fiction classification; <i>A Robot in the Garden</i> is no <i>War of the Worlds</i> or <i>Doctor Who</i> type of story. Instead it is a brilliant piece if fiction suitable for all adults. Those with children will laugh at the similarities between Tang and their offspring, whereas those without will sympathise with Ben’s struggles to keep the robot under control. All in all a great novel.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride, #1) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
Right from the beginning, this book was like one high-intensity climax after another. After less than 100 pages in, all I wanted the characters to do is sit around and stare at each other for awhile, let me breathe. The basic premise of the plot was hide from the bad guys, run when they found you, escape and retaliate when they caught you... and repeat. Things did not seem to get really interesting until after page 200, when the group of winged kids started discovering new abilities.
There are lots of things that don't get explained - which I understand some lack of explanation is necessary to draw out a series - but these kids don't know anything about themselves or even why they exist. The oldest one, Max, is 14, and she can't even deduce that the chip in her arm is how to Erasers keep finding them. I probably would have enjoyed this book much more if the reader could have been privy to the mind of Jeb Batchelder, who was once-acting father of this group of kids and keeps claiming throughout the book that he is one of the good guys. By the end of the book, the kids have cross the U.S. in flying distance, but have yet to really solve any of their problems or get any significant question answered, unless you count parentage.
Another thing that really annoyed me was the length of the chapters, which were no more than 4 pages in length. I get that this is a YA novel, but a 400 page book with 134 chapters is kind of absurd. Mostly, the chapter breaks were used to switch viewpoints between the various characters, and lengthening the chapters in favor of cutting the quantity of chapters would not have harmed this.
There were some touching moments in the book that I wish could have been drawn out, such as Max being with the Rodriguez family, Fang and Nudge interacting with the birds, or the kids being in the New York City toy store, but these moments seemed to be grossly overshadowed by the action and suspense.
Normally, I am a big fan of YA literature, but I think this one is a bit too young even for me.
There are lots of things that don't get explained - which I understand some lack of explanation is necessary to draw out a series - but these kids don't know anything about themselves or even why they exist. The oldest one, Max, is 14, and she can't even deduce that the chip in her arm is how to Erasers keep finding them. I probably would have enjoyed this book much more if the reader could have been privy to the mind of Jeb Batchelder, who was once-acting father of this group of kids and keeps claiming throughout the book that he is one of the good guys. By the end of the book, the kids have cross the U.S. in flying distance, but have yet to really solve any of their problems or get any significant question answered, unless you count parentage.
Another thing that really annoyed me was the length of the chapters, which were no more than 4 pages in length. I get that this is a YA novel, but a 400 page book with 134 chapters is kind of absurd. Mostly, the chapter breaks were used to switch viewpoints between the various characters, and lengthening the chapters in favor of cutting the quantity of chapters would not have harmed this.
There were some touching moments in the book that I wish could have been drawn out, such as Max being with the Rodriguez family, Fang and Nudge interacting with the birds, or the kids being in the New York City toy store, but these moments seemed to be grossly overshadowed by the action and suspense.
Normally, I am a big fan of YA literature, but I think this one is a bit too young even for me.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Skyscraper (2018) in Movies
May 14, 2019
Tower inferno
#skyscraper tries so hard to be the new #diehard but instead comes crashing down in a fiery mess. I wasn't particularly hoping skyscraper would be any good but I was at least expecting a #fun time with some #cool #action set pieces, instead what I got was a totally generic below average action #movie. Before you go & see this ask yourself this question "Do I like cgi fire?" because I can tell you now a good 80% of this film is either cgi fire or explosions (& not the good kind). The problem with all the action being cgi is its not very believable, #dwaynejohnson could be in #danger multiple times but if it doesn't look like he is in danger the #fear & tension is lost instantly in every scene. Most of the action falls flat because of this & leads to all the big set pieces blurring into one big boring repetitive mess of orange #fire & bad motion blur effects. As a building #thepearl looks great & its well designed too its just to bad we dont get to see much of what it really has to offer internaly (e.g we are shown inside the sphere at the top early on knowing full well it will come back into play later, problem is when it does its poorly filmed, not very interesting & a huge missed opportunity to #dazzle or do something visually clever with this scene). Writing & dialog wise its terrible too & characters lack depth & #emotion with some (the police officers mainly) feeling like wooden planks just put in to move the plot forward faster. Characters also constantly spill exposition & frustrate by falling in & out of trust with each other in seconds or guessing the solution to problems instantly without any thought process or reason except assumption. The #villain is also non threatening & disposable with poor motives too. Its just a very flat, #boring & repetitive #film with no real reason to keep you invested & because of this I either found my mind wondering or myself starting to nodd off. I cant recommend Skyscraper at all especially when Die Hard has just been released on #4k so it seems #silly to go see a film like this when one that does it so perfectly already exists. #odeon #odeonlimitless #therock #sundayfunday #silly #funny #ripoff #filmbuff #filmcritic
Merissa (13956 KP) rated Improper Mage in Books
Mar 8, 2022
IMPROPER MAGE is the first book in a new series by a new author, Taylor Westwood.
In a world similar to our own, Liana lives in Triaedian - a land where shifters, vampires, and mages all live in harmony?! As a female, she doesn't have many options, and the only magic she is supposed to know is how to help with her household. Luckily for us, Liana is not content with that and learns as much as she can by herself, being a strong and proficient mage, even if she can never show it.
One night she meets Damien, the King of Triaedian, who is fascinated by her. He has ruled alone for some time but, maybe, it is time for him to find his Queen. Liana is flattered until she finds out he has expressed interest in two others as well. Then she feels betrayed and played.
The interaction between these two is brilliant. Liana is seen as an 'odd' one in that she doesn't abide by society's rules for what a woman should do. Damien sees this and doesn't seem to want to change her, delighting in who she is. The attraction is hot and immediate but, once again due to society's rules, they are forbidden to act upon it until they are married. They do push the boundaries and have one particularly steamy moment, but will he marry her or one of the others?
I found the world-building to be brilliant, giving me enough information to see how the world worked without overloading me all at once. I also adored the hidden depths of others characters that sneaked through every so often. There is an overall story arc here so don't expect a HEA ending. What you do get is a fantastic ending that will definitely leave you wanting more.
I immediately went onto the author's website to see if there was any indication of when the next book was due out. For a debut book, this was amazing and I loved every word. Highly recommended by me!!
ps - and if you find out when Improper Queen is due out before me, please let me know! I need it!!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
In a world similar to our own, Liana lives in Triaedian - a land where shifters, vampires, and mages all live in harmony?! As a female, she doesn't have many options, and the only magic she is supposed to know is how to help with her household. Luckily for us, Liana is not content with that and learns as much as she can by herself, being a strong and proficient mage, even if she can never show it.
One night she meets Damien, the King of Triaedian, who is fascinated by her. He has ruled alone for some time but, maybe, it is time for him to find his Queen. Liana is flattered until she finds out he has expressed interest in two others as well. Then she feels betrayed and played.
The interaction between these two is brilliant. Liana is seen as an 'odd' one in that she doesn't abide by society's rules for what a woman should do. Damien sees this and doesn't seem to want to change her, delighting in who she is. The attraction is hot and immediate but, once again due to society's rules, they are forbidden to act upon it until they are married. They do push the boundaries and have one particularly steamy moment, but will he marry her or one of the others?
I found the world-building to be brilliant, giving me enough information to see how the world worked without overloading me all at once. I also adored the hidden depths of others characters that sneaked through every so often. There is an overall story arc here so don't expect a HEA ending. What you do get is a fantastic ending that will definitely leave you wanting more.
I immediately went onto the author's website to see if there was any indication of when the next book was due out. For a debut book, this was amazing and I loved every word. Highly recommended by me!!
ps - and if you find out when Improper Queen is due out before me, please let me know! I need it!!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Cloverfield (2008) in Movies
Aug 13, 2019 (Updated Aug 19, 2019)
Cloverfield is a rare beast - it's a genuinely quality movie experience, but another aspect that truly sets it apart is it's infamous marketing, which I'll talk about first.
I remember the trailer for Cloverfield debuting. A first person 'found footage' style camera angle, watching a group of people at a party, when suddenly, a distant explosion rocks the building. As they all head to the roof to see whats going on, flaming debris is hurled towards them. They run to the street just in time the see the Statue of Liberty's fricking torn off head slam to the street as screaming echoes all around and then the trailer ends with a release date. Not title or any further info. It was fantastic.
The internet lit up with rumours, from Godzilla to Pokemon (!?) as fake websites we're set up left and right, providing small clues to what was coming.
I went to see Cloverfield on release day, completely unsure of what I was about to see, and it was pretty awesome.
The film itself lived up to the hype for me, as New York is attacked by an unknown monster. It's tense and all of the then-unknown leads sell the panic and terror very well, in a post 9/11 world.
We are drip fed glimpses of the monster (there's one particular shot where they see it from a collapsing skyscraper that is really quite chilling) in a smart move that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.
The concept of 'found footage' isn't anything new in this day and age, but Cloverfield does something with it that feels fresh and thrilling.
The film ends rather abruptly, leaving you feeling like you've just been caught in stampede or something,
And ultimately leaves the audience with more questions than answers to the excellent marketing campaign.
It's different and deserves your attention.
I remember the trailer for Cloverfield debuting. A first person 'found footage' style camera angle, watching a group of people at a party, when suddenly, a distant explosion rocks the building. As they all head to the roof to see whats going on, flaming debris is hurled towards them. They run to the street just in time the see the Statue of Liberty's fricking torn off head slam to the street as screaming echoes all around and then the trailer ends with a release date. Not title or any further info. It was fantastic.
The internet lit up with rumours, from Godzilla to Pokemon (!?) as fake websites we're set up left and right, providing small clues to what was coming.
I went to see Cloverfield on release day, completely unsure of what I was about to see, and it was pretty awesome.
The film itself lived up to the hype for me, as New York is attacked by an unknown monster. It's tense and all of the then-unknown leads sell the panic and terror very well, in a post 9/11 world.
We are drip fed glimpses of the monster (there's one particular shot where they see it from a collapsing skyscraper that is really quite chilling) in a smart move that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.
The concept of 'found footage' isn't anything new in this day and age, but Cloverfield does something with it that feels fresh and thrilling.
The film ends rather abruptly, leaving you feeling like you've just been caught in stampede or something,
And ultimately leaves the audience with more questions than answers to the excellent marketing campaign.
It's different and deserves your attention.