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Carma (21 KP) rated Avengers: Endgame (2019) in Movies
Jun 17, 2019 (Updated Jun 23, 2019)
Thanos show down part two
Contains spoilers, click to show
I absolutely couldn't wait for the conclusion to Infinity War to see how our heroes reverse the snap. Honestly I have to say I read some spoilers before and had an idea of what might happen (not that most of that did) but I can say I was a little disappointed. Full disclosure, I saw the movie 4 times, I didn't plan to but I did. Anyway, while I appreciated the movie working on the core 6 and finishing up their story arcs, I still can't get on board with the total movie "knocking my socks off". There were too little fight scenes for me, too much filler in spots and conversations that didn't move the story line forward for me. Now the end big assemble was exactly what I was looking for but wishing it was a couple more time throughout the movie. The humor was high in this one (I think making up for Infinity Wars darkness) and some points were worth it, others the humor was a little much. I definitely enjoyed Infinity War better than Endgame but I am still a MCU fan forever. I did the culmination of Tony becoming the hero in the end, something he struggled with but had in him from the first Avengers movie in 2012. We see Cap call him out as not falling on the sword for others and in each movie after Tony definitely has his sword moments.
Rodney Barnes (472 KP) rated Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D (1998) in Movies
Oct 3, 2019 (Updated Oct 3, 2019)
Don't waste your time
There is not too much I can say about this except it's just plain awful. I tried to watch this twice but fell asleep both times. Same old tired plot. Von Struckers children steals a virus that can destroy the country and they have to be stopped. Bottom line....this movie was terrible. It would be a waste of your life to watch this one
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018) in Movies
Oct 3, 2018
Could've been so much more
I knew relatively nothing about this film but having been impressed by the recent Goosebumps films (not the new sequel), I had fairly high expectations. Sadly it didn't live up to them.
For me this film seemed to be nothing new. I was bored for the most of this and there were only a few parts that I really enjoyed. A lot of the humour and banter between the characters seemed a little too ott and forced and made me cringe more than it made me smile. The effects were alright and there were some truly creepy scenes, just not enough. Cate Blanchett probably saved this, as even Jack Black couldn't bring back the magic he had with RL Stine. And the evil warlock wasn't particularly scary or threatening, and the whole ending was lacking any sort of menacing terror or suspense.
I also spent the entire film thinking the kid was the one from Room (Jacob Tremblay), and wondering why on earth his acting was so bad. The kid was one of the problems in this, I won't lie and his crying was particularly horrendous. And then when the credits rolled I realised it wasn't him after all...
For me this film seemed to be nothing new. I was bored for the most of this and there were only a few parts that I really enjoyed. A lot of the humour and banter between the characters seemed a little too ott and forced and made me cringe more than it made me smile. The effects were alright and there were some truly creepy scenes, just not enough. Cate Blanchett probably saved this, as even Jack Black couldn't bring back the magic he had with RL Stine. And the evil warlock wasn't particularly scary or threatening, and the whole ending was lacking any sort of menacing terror or suspense.
I also spent the entire film thinking the kid was the one from Room (Jacob Tremblay), and wondering why on earth his acting was so bad. The kid was one of the problems in this, I won't lie and his crying was particularly horrendous. And then when the credits rolled I realised it wasn't him after all...
Stuart Braithwaite recommended Pornography by The Cure in Music (curated)
Deborah (162 KP) rated The Jane Austen Guide to Happily Ever After in Books
Dec 21, 2018
Oh dear.
I decided to take this book for review as Austen is by far my favourite novelist and I thought this sounded like an interesting concept - what makes the protagonists' matches so good. And there is always the sticky Charlotte Lucas question to ponder over. This isn't really what I got; I felt that this book couldn't decide if it wanted to be a work of literary criticism/analysis or a self help manual. I'm also not entirely sure who the target audience for this book are supposed to be. I got a very strong impression that it wasn't supposed to be me! References to 'we Americans' can be somewhat alienating to the rest of the world. Although the whole book seems to push Austen as a main selling point, it also seems to be aimed at people who don't really know the novels that well - too much of obvious plot details have to be explained and there is an over use of quotation, beyond what was needed to make the point.
The text of the book is only about 250 pages, but there must be at least another 100 pages of endnotes. This is an area of complete overkill, in my opinion. When a single endnote can go on for a couple of pages, by the time you get back to the main text, you've pretty much lost whatever plot there was. Endnotes; just too many and too long and in many cases just too unnecessary.
I was only reading from a proof copy, but there were textual errors - Maria Crawford, anyone?! Hopefully someone familiar with Austen can pick this up.
At the time of writing I see that only one other amazon.co.uk reviewer has come forth to note that they didn't like it much either, while the amazon.com reviews seem to be positive. Maybe this has something to do with targeting, as the writing style was very informal and slangy and with a number of American cultural references that meant very little to me. Such a narrow focus seems a bad error of judgement as far as the rest of the world is concerned. If you want my recommendation, I wouldn't bother with this one.
I decided to take this book for review as Austen is by far my favourite novelist and I thought this sounded like an interesting concept - what makes the protagonists' matches so good. And there is always the sticky Charlotte Lucas question to ponder over. This isn't really what I got; I felt that this book couldn't decide if it wanted to be a work of literary criticism/analysis or a self help manual. I'm also not entirely sure who the target audience for this book are supposed to be. I got a very strong impression that it wasn't supposed to be me! References to 'we Americans' can be somewhat alienating to the rest of the world. Although the whole book seems to push Austen as a main selling point, it also seems to be aimed at people who don't really know the novels that well - too much of obvious plot details have to be explained and there is an over use of quotation, beyond what was needed to make the point.
The text of the book is only about 250 pages, but there must be at least another 100 pages of endnotes. This is an area of complete overkill, in my opinion. When a single endnote can go on for a couple of pages, by the time you get back to the main text, you've pretty much lost whatever plot there was. Endnotes; just too many and too long and in many cases just too unnecessary.
I was only reading from a proof copy, but there were textual errors - Maria Crawford, anyone?! Hopefully someone familiar with Austen can pick this up.
At the time of writing I see that only one other amazon.co.uk reviewer has come forth to note that they didn't like it much either, while the amazon.com reviews seem to be positive. Maybe this has something to do with targeting, as the writing style was very informal and slangy and with a number of American cultural references that meant very little to me. Such a narrow focus seems a bad error of judgement as far as the rest of the world is concerned. If you want my recommendation, I wouldn't bother with this one.
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated The Anomaly in Books
Nov 3, 2019
For fans of Coast to Coast AM
This was really enjoyable. There are a group of people out there who think science has become a religion and anyone who believes anything science hasn't yet discovered gets bashed. They read Fortean Times and listen to Coast to Coast and Astonishing Legends and think there could be something in all this 'woo woo' stuff of conspiracy, UFOs , skinwalker's etc. I am one of those people and so I felt this book was made for me and my people.
A group of filmmakers who look for answers into the paranormal and conspiracy go to the grand canyon to hunt for the legendary Kincaid's Cave first printed about in 1909 (Google it). There have been numerous expeditions in just over a century to try and discover said cave to see if it's real and what it holds, all unsuccessful, but in the novel there has just been a minor earthquake and the team find the cave. What happens next is a proper out there thrilling adventure of life and death, incredible conspiracies, and potentially the apocalypse. This was so much fun and gripping enough to keep you turning the page to see what happens next. It will be too out there for some but for me it was on the side of crazy I enjoy. Can't wait for The Possession, the next in the series
A group of filmmakers who look for answers into the paranormal and conspiracy go to the grand canyon to hunt for the legendary Kincaid's Cave first printed about in 1909 (Google it). There have been numerous expeditions in just over a century to try and discover said cave to see if it's real and what it holds, all unsuccessful, but in the novel there has just been a minor earthquake and the team find the cave. What happens next is a proper out there thrilling adventure of life and death, incredible conspiracies, and potentially the apocalypse. This was so much fun and gripping enough to keep you turning the page to see what happens next. It will be too out there for some but for me it was on the side of crazy I enjoy. Can't wait for The Possession, the next in the series
ArecRain (8 KP) rated The Trouble with Mistletoe (Heartbreaker Bay, #2) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
Despite being the second in a series, The Trouble with Mistletoe is a standalone that can be enjoyed without reading the first.
I have never read from this author before, but I enjoyed her easy light hearted style. From page one, I knew I was going to enjoy the authors humor as well as characters. From the beginning, it was hard not to like Willa. She is sweet, kind-hearted, and funny at no ones expense. Keane was just as likable. Despite their troubles and pasts, there was a delightful lack of angst and self-loathing. A definite win in my opinion.
Just in time for the beginning of the holiday season, The Trouble with Mistletoe is lovely read for those wanting a sweet, not too complicated romance.
I have never read from this author before, but I enjoyed her easy light hearted style. From page one, I knew I was going to enjoy the authors humor as well as characters. From the beginning, it was hard not to like Willa. She is sweet, kind-hearted, and funny at no ones expense. Keane was just as likable. Despite their troubles and pasts, there was a delightful lack of angst and self-loathing. A definite win in my opinion.
Just in time for the beginning of the holiday season, The Trouble with Mistletoe is lovely read for those wanting a sweet, not too complicated romance.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Storm Front: The Dresden Files, Book 1 in Books
Jan 7, 2021
First half: 2 stars
Second half: 4 stars
Overall rating: 3 (and a quarter) stars, simply because of how exciting that second half was.<br/><br/>So it's taken me almost a month to read this. Which is ridiculous really, but this isn't my usual genre of book. I like my books to have romance/sex in them and there is a little but not enough to keep me interested in the book for just that.
The first half was a bit boring for me. It was going too slow, plodding along at it's own merry pace but then as soon as we get into the toad-demon and the shadowman and the storms, I was well dragged into the story.
I think I may just be interested enough to carry on with this series.
Second half: 4 stars
Overall rating: 3 (and a quarter) stars, simply because of how exciting that second half was.<br/><br/>So it's taken me almost a month to read this. Which is ridiculous really, but this isn't my usual genre of book. I like my books to have romance/sex in them and there is a little but not enough to keep me interested in the book for just that.
The first half was a bit boring for me. It was going too slow, plodding along at it's own merry pace but then as soon as we get into the toad-demon and the shadowman and the storms, I was well dragged into the story.
I think I may just be interested enough to carry on with this series.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Pure (Covenant, #2) in Books
Jan 7, 2021
Team Undecided after this one.
Well it's been a good while since I read the first book in this series but I remembered quite a few bits, mainly the guys; Aiden and Seth. I was Team Aiden back then, too. Now I'm not so sure anymore. Seth grew on me a lot in this one. He's gone from womanizing egotist to someone I actually quite like. He was there for Alex when she needed him most, unlike Aiden who at the time couldn't but still...he's really grown on me.
I'm off to start book three after that ending. What's going to happen now?!
Well it's been a good while since I read the first book in this series but I remembered quite a few bits, mainly the guys; Aiden and Seth. I was Team Aiden back then, too. Now I'm not so sure anymore. Seth grew on me a lot in this one. He's gone from womanizing egotist to someone I actually quite like. He was there for Alex when she needed him most, unlike Aiden who at the time couldn't but still...he's really grown on me.
I'm off to start book three after that ending. What's going to happen now?!
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Last Summer in Books
Jul 24, 2019
I first heard about Last Summer by Kerry Lonsdale when I was browsing the giveaway section of Goodreads. I'm a stickler for books that deal with memory loss and trying to regain memories, so Last Summer definitely caught my eye. I was thrilled when I received an email from Goodreads saying I had won the eBook for Last Summer. After reading this novel, I'm glad I didn't pay for it. While it wasn't a great read, it was just lackluster.
Ella , a journalist, is in the hospital after a car accident that killed her unborn child. However, after being there for a few days, she suddenly loses her memory about being being pregnant and what happened right before she became pregnant and during her pregnancy. Desperate to remember her child, she does whatever she can to remember. When she is assigned to get an exclusive story about Nathan, a former celebrity whose son has just died, he lets her know that he knows some of things she forgot. However, some memories are best left forgotten.
The plot sounded for Last Summer like it would be promising. I felt like this book would be more about the mystery of Ella's memories. However, it seemed more like a romance novel than anything else which was a disappointment for me. It was more about Ella loving Nathan (not a spoiler, don't worry) but also loving her husband and her feeling guilty about it. At times, the plot seemed a bit muddled as well as predictable. There are a couple of plot twists I didn't see coming. The dialogue and writing seemed realistic as did the plot, so there's that. One thing that did bother me was how much sex was mentioned in the book. There were times I felt as if sex was mentioned just for the sake of mentioning it. I felt like sometimes it would have been implied or not mentioned at all.
The characters were just so so as well. I wanted to like them more, but I just had trouble. I don't think they were written poorly for the most part. I just couldn't feel a connection. There was something I didn't really like about Damien, Ella's husband, starting from the beginning of the book. He started off as being a bit mean and a bit smarmy at times. I kept wanting Ella to just run away from him because I did not like the guy! Ella sometimes felt a little too one dimensional for my liking. I felt like she was missing some depth to her, and there were many times she felt shallow. I did like Nathan, and I felt really bad for him. The hand he was given was a bad one. He was the only one character that felt the most sincere. I just wanted to hug him so many times.
The pacing for Last Summer was slow in some places, but it wasn't too bad. It did hold my attention throughout, and I found myself wanting to read more each time I had a spare minute. The story does flow well.
Trigger warnings for Last Summer include child loss, profanity, drinking, marital cheating, sex (although only slightly graphic), and lying.
All in all, Last Summer is a just an okay read. There's nothing that special about it where I would actually remember reading it a few months down the line. Saying that, I would recommend Last Summer by Kerry Lonsdale simply because I feel like it would make a good book to read while on vacation.
Ella , a journalist, is in the hospital after a car accident that killed her unborn child. However, after being there for a few days, she suddenly loses her memory about being being pregnant and what happened right before she became pregnant and during her pregnancy. Desperate to remember her child, she does whatever she can to remember. When she is assigned to get an exclusive story about Nathan, a former celebrity whose son has just died, he lets her know that he knows some of things she forgot. However, some memories are best left forgotten.
The plot sounded for Last Summer like it would be promising. I felt like this book would be more about the mystery of Ella's memories. However, it seemed more like a romance novel than anything else which was a disappointment for me. It was more about Ella loving Nathan (not a spoiler, don't worry) but also loving her husband and her feeling guilty about it. At times, the plot seemed a bit muddled as well as predictable. There are a couple of plot twists I didn't see coming. The dialogue and writing seemed realistic as did the plot, so there's that. One thing that did bother me was how much sex was mentioned in the book. There were times I felt as if sex was mentioned just for the sake of mentioning it. I felt like sometimes it would have been implied or not mentioned at all.
The characters were just so so as well. I wanted to like them more, but I just had trouble. I don't think they were written poorly for the most part. I just couldn't feel a connection. There was something I didn't really like about Damien, Ella's husband, starting from the beginning of the book. He started off as being a bit mean and a bit smarmy at times. I kept wanting Ella to just run away from him because I did not like the guy! Ella sometimes felt a little too one dimensional for my liking. I felt like she was missing some depth to her, and there were many times she felt shallow. I did like Nathan, and I felt really bad for him. The hand he was given was a bad one. He was the only one character that felt the most sincere. I just wanted to hug him so many times.
The pacing for Last Summer was slow in some places, but it wasn't too bad. It did hold my attention throughout, and I found myself wanting to read more each time I had a spare minute. The story does flow well.
Trigger warnings for Last Summer include child loss, profanity, drinking, marital cheating, sex (although only slightly graphic), and lying.
All in all, Last Summer is a just an okay read. There's nothing that special about it where I would actually remember reading it a few months down the line. Saying that, I would recommend Last Summer by Kerry Lonsdale simply because I feel like it would make a good book to read while on vacation.