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Michael Korda recommended Brief Encounter (1974) in Movies (curated)
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Christine A. (965 KP) rated Broken in Books
Sep 16, 2020
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.
Magnolia (Maggie) is not surprised when her estranged twin sister is murdered by her abusive husband. She travels to Beaumont Cove, the town where her sister and Mike lived. Mike protests his innocence, and, at first, she does not believe him. Wandering around town and looking into her sister's time there, she begins to have doubts. Hiring a local PI, Maggie looks into her sister's murder and wonders if Mike is telling the truth.
Broken by John Rector is a short, quick read. It is 284 pages. The story flows well, but I did not connect with the characters. The town is supposed to feel creepy, but it came across as similar to a New Jersey tourist town during the off-season, devoid of tourists. The "big reveal" from one of the characters' past was not surprising, although it did explain his actions.
The cover and description of the book made it seem as if the story was going to be scary or suspenseful. It was neither. While it was worth reading, the book felt too short and not fully fleshed out.
According to Goodreads, Rector's short fiction won several awards, including the International Thriller Award for his novella, Lost Things.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 9/15/20.
Magnolia (Maggie) is not surprised when her estranged twin sister is murdered by her abusive husband. She travels to Beaumont Cove, the town where her sister and Mike lived. Mike protests his innocence, and, at first, she does not believe him. Wandering around town and looking into her sister's time there, she begins to have doubts. Hiring a local PI, Maggie looks into her sister's murder and wonders if Mike is telling the truth.
Broken by John Rector is a short, quick read. It is 284 pages. The story flows well, but I did not connect with the characters. The town is supposed to feel creepy, but it came across as similar to a New Jersey tourist town during the off-season, devoid of tourists. The "big reveal" from one of the characters' past was not surprising, although it did explain his actions.
The cover and description of the book made it seem as if the story was going to be scary or suspenseful. It was neither. While it was worth reading, the book felt too short and not fully fleshed out.
According to Goodreads, Rector's short fiction won several awards, including the International Thriller Award for his novella, Lost Things.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 9/15/20.
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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Travelers in Books
Sep 8, 2021
147 of 250
Book
The Travelers
By Chris Pavone
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
It’s 3:00am. Do you know where your husband is?
Meet Will Rhodes: travel writer, recently married, barely solvent, his idealism rapidly giving way to disillusionment and the worry that he’s living the wrong life. Then one night, on assignment for the award-winning Travelers magazine in the wine region of Argentina, a beautiful woman makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Soon Will’s bad choices—and dark secrets—take him across Europe, from a chateau in Bordeaux to a midnight raid on a Paris mansion, from a dive bar in Dublin to a mega-yacht in the Mediterranean and an isolated cabin perched on the rugged cliffs of Iceland. As he’s drawn further into a tangled web of international intrigue, it becomes clear that nothing about Will Rhodes was ever ordinary, that the network of deception ensnaring him is part of an immense and deadly conspiracy with terrifying global implications—and that the people closest to him may pose the greatest threat of all.
It’s 3:00am. Your husband has just become a spy.
I can appreciate where and what the author was trying to do but this just didn’t grab me at all! It was a hard slog through. Two stars may seem a bit mean and I would encourage people to at least give it a go especially if you enjoy spy novels.
Book
The Travelers
By Chris Pavone
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
It’s 3:00am. Do you know where your husband is?
Meet Will Rhodes: travel writer, recently married, barely solvent, his idealism rapidly giving way to disillusionment and the worry that he’s living the wrong life. Then one night, on assignment for the award-winning Travelers magazine in the wine region of Argentina, a beautiful woman makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Soon Will’s bad choices—and dark secrets—take him across Europe, from a chateau in Bordeaux to a midnight raid on a Paris mansion, from a dive bar in Dublin to a mega-yacht in the Mediterranean and an isolated cabin perched on the rugged cliffs of Iceland. As he’s drawn further into a tangled web of international intrigue, it becomes clear that nothing about Will Rhodes was ever ordinary, that the network of deception ensnaring him is part of an immense and deadly conspiracy with terrifying global implications—and that the people closest to him may pose the greatest threat of all.
It’s 3:00am. Your husband has just become a spy.
I can appreciate where and what the author was trying to do but this just didn’t grab me at all! It was a hard slog through. Two stars may seem a bit mean and I would encourage people to at least give it a go especially if you enjoy spy novels.
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2103 KP) rated Forbidden City in Books
Mar 2, 2022 (Updated Mar 2, 2022)
Spying and Chess
While on a recent mission, Paris discovered some bonus intel, and that turns out to be a valuable find. It leads MI6 to believe that the evil organization Umbra is going to kidnap one of North Korea’s nuclear scientists. If MI6 wants to get him to defect first, they need to find a way to approach him. Given North Korea’s secrecy and security, that won’t be easy. However, the scientist’s son is a top chess player, and he is planning to enter a couple of international tournaments. So Paris tries to upgrade his own chess skills so he can join the tournaments. Will Paris and the rest of the team be able to make contact with the scientist? Is he even interested in defecting?
Having enjoyed the first two in this series, I was looking forward to this book, and I wasn’t disappointed. This book is Paris’s time to shine, but all the other characters get their own smaller moments, and I continue to love their relationships. We get some surprising advancement on one series plot thread, although others are only mentioned in passing. I do feel like the other books in the series had a bit more action, but with all the angles the teams uses to approach their mission, I was never bored. We get a few laughs along the way, and even when we aren’t laughing, it’s just fun to be around the characters. Fans will enjoy this latest book. I’m already looking forward to their next mission.
Having enjoyed the first two in this series, I was looking forward to this book, and I wasn’t disappointed. This book is Paris’s time to shine, but all the other characters get their own smaller moments, and I continue to love their relationships. We get some surprising advancement on one series plot thread, although others are only mentioned in passing. I do feel like the other books in the series had a bit more action, but with all the angles the teams uses to approach their mission, I was never bored. We get a few laughs along the way, and even when we aren’t laughing, it’s just fun to be around the characters. Fans will enjoy this latest book. I’m already looking forward to their next mission.
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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated War Dogs (2016) in Movies
Jul 20, 2017
Good direction (3 more)
Scorsese influence
Soundtrack
Bradley Cooper
Fresher Than A Hangover
The craziest thing about this story is that it is based on two real life young men that made a fortune online becoming international arms dealers. Going in I expected a film similar to The Hangover, since it too was directed by Todd Phillips and both movies feature Bradley Cooper, however what I got was more of a Scorsese homage and in the best possible way. The story is narrated by Miles Teller’s character David Packouz, who acts as the audience surrogate, (the Henry Hill of this movie,) we are taken on this ride from his perspective and he narrates the whole thing. This alone is a trait borrowed from the great Martin Scorsese, but when the film also features freeze framing and quotes being used to begin chapters it is clear what this film is trying to be, but I admire its blatancy and if there is someone that you should take from when crafting a film, it is Martin Scorsese. Efraim Diveroli is played by Jonah Hill and he is the character that takes us on this rollercoaster journey. His performance here is fantastically intolerable, he is harsh, rude and borderline insane, but much like Joe Pesci’s performance as Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas, he is endearing and impossible to take your eyes off of whenever he is onscreen. Bradley Cooper also steals the few scenes that he appears in and overall this movie is proof that Phillips can handle telling a more serious, realistic story and doesn’t have to rely on Zach Galifinakis pretending to have learning difficulties to gain a few laughs.
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Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Night Shift by Juze in Music
Jun 17, 2019
Juze is a German producer, DJ, influencer, and songwriter. Jantine is a platinum-selling singer-songwriter based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Not too long ago, they released a groovy electro-house tune, entitled, “Night Shift”.
“Dancing in the dark when we move it’s something natural. We play and then we pause and it gently drives me up the wall. And I wonder should I trust this old heart of mine when I judge this vibe. Is it me or is it us? Am I way too high on Martini Dry?” – lyrics
‘Night Shift’ tells an interesting tale of a young woman who dances in the dark with her significant other.
Apparently, they’ve been drinking and having a great time being in each other’s company.
‘Night Shift’ contains a playful storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and dance-floor friendly instrumentation flavored with electro-pop and groovy house elements.
Juze’s songs have received support from huge international DJs such as Tiesto, DJ Chuckie, and Nicky Romero.
Since then, the bubbly producer has appeared regularly at Bootshaus (Cologne, GER), which placed at #8 in DJ Mag’s Top 100 clubs poll and Amsterdam’s elite Supperclub. Also, he’s worked on remixes for artists such as Ed Sheeran and AURORA.
Jantine is one of the most requested songwriters in the Netherlands. So far, she has collaborated with Skrillex, Valentino Kahn, Hardwell, Rock Mafia, EXO, F(x), Andrew Goldstein, Julian Jordan, Dante Klein, and many more.
Her heart lies with ‘80s pop and indie music, and she has released music via SM Entertainment, Universal Music, and Spinnin’ Records to name a few.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/juze-jantine-night-shift/
“Dancing in the dark when we move it’s something natural. We play and then we pause and it gently drives me up the wall. And I wonder should I trust this old heart of mine when I judge this vibe. Is it me or is it us? Am I way too high on Martini Dry?” – lyrics
‘Night Shift’ tells an interesting tale of a young woman who dances in the dark with her significant other.
Apparently, they’ve been drinking and having a great time being in each other’s company.
‘Night Shift’ contains a playful storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and dance-floor friendly instrumentation flavored with electro-pop and groovy house elements.
Juze’s songs have received support from huge international DJs such as Tiesto, DJ Chuckie, and Nicky Romero.
Since then, the bubbly producer has appeared regularly at Bootshaus (Cologne, GER), which placed at #8 in DJ Mag’s Top 100 clubs poll and Amsterdam’s elite Supperclub. Also, he’s worked on remixes for artists such as Ed Sheeran and AURORA.
Jantine is one of the most requested songwriters in the Netherlands. So far, she has collaborated with Skrillex, Valentino Kahn, Hardwell, Rock Mafia, EXO, F(x), Andrew Goldstein, Julian Jordan, Dante Klein, and many more.
Her heart lies with ‘80s pop and indie music, and she has released music via SM Entertainment, Universal Music, and Spinnin’ Records to name a few.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/juze-jantine-night-shift/
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Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Frankenstein in Baghdad in Books
Jul 23, 2019
This book won at least two awards; the International Prize for Arabic Fiction and France's Grand Prize for Fantasy, and the author had previously been named one of the 39 best Arab authors under the age of 39. I picked it up to read for the Year of the Asian Reading Challenge, since the Middle East is all-too-often neglected in regional groupings like that. People don't think of it as Europe or Asia. I also try to read translated books on occasion, in an effort to diversify my reading. So this hit a number of my interests - I wish I had actually liked the book more!
It's an interesting retelling of Frankenstein - which I haven't actually read, and now feel like I really should. But it bounces around between several viewpoints. It's not too many to keep straight, but it's definitely too many to truly care about. And it suffers from an unreliable narrator - it's written as several stories told to an author from multiple people that he's woven together into a single narrative, and while he does that well, it suffers from contradictions between how different characters recall things, scenes that don't play a part in furthering the plot but the characters thought they were important, and no authoritative "this is what REALLY happened" to draw it all together.
And I very much dislike unreliable narrators, so that alone is enough to make me dislike the book. If you like ambiguous narratives and vigilante stories, however, you might enjoy this, and the writing style itself was quite engrossing.
You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
It's an interesting retelling of Frankenstein - which I haven't actually read, and now feel like I really should. But it bounces around between several viewpoints. It's not too many to keep straight, but it's definitely too many to truly care about. And it suffers from an unreliable narrator - it's written as several stories told to an author from multiple people that he's woven together into a single narrative, and while he does that well, it suffers from contradictions between how different characters recall things, scenes that don't play a part in furthering the plot but the characters thought they were important, and no authoritative "this is what REALLY happened" to draw it all together.
And I very much dislike unreliable narrators, so that alone is enough to make me dislike the book. If you like ambiguous narratives and vigilante stories, however, you might enjoy this, and the writing style itself was quite engrossing.
You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated 30 Days of Night (2007) in Movies
Oct 28, 2020
Bloodthirsty Alaskan Vampires
30 Days of Night- has been a film ive wanted to see for couple years now and it was not disappointed. It was viloence, gory, suspenseful, thrilling and bloody.
The plot: In the far Northern Hemisphere, the small town of Barrow, Alaska, experiences a solid month of darkness every year. Though most of the residents head south for the winter, some townspeople remain behind. However, those that stay regret their decision when, one year, hungry vampires descend on Barrow to feed. Sheriff Eben (Josh Hartnett), his wife (Melissa George) and a dwindling band of survivors must try to last until dawn breaks over Barrow's monthlong twilight.
30 Days of Night was originally pitched as a comic, then as a film, but it was rejected. Years later, Steve Niles showed IDW Publishing the idea and it took off.
30 Days of Night author Steve Niles conceived of the story in the form of a comic, but—after meeting a lack of interest in initial pitches—tried to pitch it as a film. When this did not work out, Niles shelved the idea until he showed it to IDW Publishing. IDW published the comic and Ben Templesmith provided the artwork.
When Niles and his agent, Jon Levin, shopped the comic around again as a potential film adaptation, Niles found that the idea "went shockingly well," with Sam Raimi and Senator International picking up the property rights based on the original concept and Templesmith's unique mood and concepts for the vampires. According to Raimi, the potential project was "unlike the horror films of recent years".
Its a excellent vampire movie.
The plot: In the far Northern Hemisphere, the small town of Barrow, Alaska, experiences a solid month of darkness every year. Though most of the residents head south for the winter, some townspeople remain behind. However, those that stay regret their decision when, one year, hungry vampires descend on Barrow to feed. Sheriff Eben (Josh Hartnett), his wife (Melissa George) and a dwindling band of survivors must try to last until dawn breaks over Barrow's monthlong twilight.
30 Days of Night was originally pitched as a comic, then as a film, but it was rejected. Years later, Steve Niles showed IDW Publishing the idea and it took off.
30 Days of Night author Steve Niles conceived of the story in the form of a comic, but—after meeting a lack of interest in initial pitches—tried to pitch it as a film. When this did not work out, Niles shelved the idea until he showed it to IDW Publishing. IDW published the comic and Ben Templesmith provided the artwork.
When Niles and his agent, Jon Levin, shopped the comic around again as a potential film adaptation, Niles found that the idea "went shockingly well," with Sam Raimi and Senator International picking up the property rights based on the original concept and Templesmith's unique mood and concepts for the vampires. According to Raimi, the potential project was "unlike the horror films of recent years".
Its a excellent vampire movie.
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Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated American Assassin (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
Traumatic events affect people differently. Some avoid anything that resembles that moment or triggers memories of it. Others are impacted so deeply that they must take action. American Assassin, based on the Vince Flynn books, features Dylan O’Brien (Maze Runner) as Mitch Rapp who wants to avenge the killing of his girlfriend in a terrorist attack. Upon his attempt to track down the men responsible, he is recruited by the CIA to help them track down the perpetrator of several attacks on civilian and military targets.
The film is ambitious in its approach to entering the realm of spy thrillers. There is no real depth to the film or moments that make the audience truly invested in the characters onscreen. At times, the story feels rushed, repetitive, and confusing. The actions scenes, however, are engrossing and give the audience the sense of chaos that would be felt if they were a part of it. The most interesting aspect of the film is not the story, but Michael Keaton’s portrayal of Stan Hurley, who leads Rapp on their international quest to find a rogue agent and prevent a nuclear detonation. Keaton’s character seems to be a combination of some of his more iconic roles allowing for much more depth, connection to be made between him and the other characters, despite the lack of chemistry between them collectively.
American Assassin is a good action film for those looking for an escape in the theaters, but for those looking for something that will rival any of the Bourne films, or the James Bond series, they are going to be sorely disappointed.
The film is ambitious in its approach to entering the realm of spy thrillers. There is no real depth to the film or moments that make the audience truly invested in the characters onscreen. At times, the story feels rushed, repetitive, and confusing. The actions scenes, however, are engrossing and give the audience the sense of chaos that would be felt if they were a part of it. The most interesting aspect of the film is not the story, but Michael Keaton’s portrayal of Stan Hurley, who leads Rapp on their international quest to find a rogue agent and prevent a nuclear detonation. Keaton’s character seems to be a combination of some of his more iconic roles allowing for much more depth, connection to be made between him and the other characters, despite the lack of chemistry between them collectively.
American Assassin is a good action film for those looking for an escape in the theaters, but for those looking for something that will rival any of the Bourne films, or the James Bond series, they are going to be sorely disappointed.
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mostlyinpyjamas (13 KP) rated Still Me in Books
Nov 25, 2017
First chapter has me hooked.
I was lucky enough to receive a sample of the new Jojo Moyes book, Still Me, via Netgalley.
The blurb; Lou Clark is back in the ALL NEW Jojo Moyes novel Still Me, follow-up to the Number One international bestsellers Me Before You and After You. Read the first chapter here! Lou Clark knows too many things . . . She knows how many miles lie between her new home in New York and her new boyfriend Sam in London. She knows her employer is a good man and she knows his wife is keeping a secret from him. What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to meet someone who’s going to turn her whole life upside down. Because Josh will remind her so much of a man she used to know that it’ll hurt. Lou won’t know what to do next, but she knows that whatever she chooses is going to change everything.
~
I absolutely love Jojo Moyes’ books, she writes in a way that gently pulls you in without you even realising, then by the end of the first chapter you know you’re completely hooked.
I’ve only read the first chapter of Still Me but already I feel as if I’ve met up with an old friend – Lou Clark – and can’t wait to see what’s next for her.
The story begins with Lou arriving in New York, about to start a new job as a companion to ‘a rich mans wife who gets depressed’.
I’m looking forward to reading about life with the Gopnik family and the adventures Lou will have on Fifth Avenue New York.
The only trouble with reading the first chapter of Still Me is that now I have to wait until 25th January 2018 to read the rest of the book.
The blurb; Lou Clark is back in the ALL NEW Jojo Moyes novel Still Me, follow-up to the Number One international bestsellers Me Before You and After You. Read the first chapter here! Lou Clark knows too many things . . . She knows how many miles lie between her new home in New York and her new boyfriend Sam in London. She knows her employer is a good man and she knows his wife is keeping a secret from him. What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to meet someone who’s going to turn her whole life upside down. Because Josh will remind her so much of a man she used to know that it’ll hurt. Lou won’t know what to do next, but she knows that whatever she chooses is going to change everything.
~
I absolutely love Jojo Moyes’ books, she writes in a way that gently pulls you in without you even realising, then by the end of the first chapter you know you’re completely hooked.
I’ve only read the first chapter of Still Me but already I feel as if I’ve met up with an old friend – Lou Clark – and can’t wait to see what’s next for her.
The story begins with Lou arriving in New York, about to start a new job as a companion to ‘a rich mans wife who gets depressed’.
I’m looking forward to reading about life with the Gopnik family and the adventures Lou will have on Fifth Avenue New York.
The only trouble with reading the first chapter of Still Me is that now I have to wait until 25th January 2018 to read the rest of the book.