Search

Search only in certain items:

40x40

William Finnegan recommended City of Bohane in Books (curated)

 
City of Bohane
City of Bohane
Kevin Barry | 2012 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
(0 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"The language sizzles and hisses in this 2011 Irish novel set in a steampunk future. We slip from the Trace, all tangled alleyways, to the Fancy, which is as it sounds, and even out to the wastes of the Big Nothin’, from which the Bohane river crashes down through the city. There’s a gang war, indelible characters, a martial music. Sweet Baba Jay, did anyone ever really speak this way? It’s wordplay at the level of Nabokov, but with a very different, Gaelic purpose. “Fucker Burke and Wolfie Stanners set their face against the hardwind as they climbed the bluffs.”"

Source
  
    RTÉ News Now

    RTÉ News Now

    News

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    Stay up-to-date on all the latest Irish national and international news with the RTÉ News Now app...

The Great Wall (2016)
The Great Wall (2016)
2016 | Action, Drama, Mystery
6
5.8 (27 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Ah, right, so that's the real reason for the Great Wall of China.

It's to keep out those pesky Tao Tei monsters that attack every 60 years or so.

Staring Matt Damon, this is a somewhat so-so film that, despite an intriguing premise and some solid visuals (the colour-coded Chinese army), just never really connects at all. Personally, I don't think it helps that the CGI is also somewhat dodgy, while Mr Damon seems to be putting on some sort of weird Irish accent and has little to no spark with either a pre-Mandalorian Pedro Pascal or with Willem Dafoe.
  
Irish Meadows (Courage to Dream, #1)
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Romance, drama and faith can be found on every page of Irish Meadows. Delve into the pages of this book and get lost on Long Island, 1911.

 In order to save his farm from complete ruin, James O'Leary pressures his family to do what they have to do in order to save their home. His daughters, Brianna and Coleen, have very different plans for their future however. Brianna wishes to further her education by attending college. And Coleen is content to marry, as long as the man in questions meets her standards. Gilbert Whelan, who has practically been adopted by the O'Learys, returns and Brianna begins to question her outlook on her future. While Rylan Montgomery, a distant cousin attending seminary, sends Coleen's heart on a wild ride. Will they live the life that James has dictated for them? Or will they have the courage to dream?

 Irish Meadows had me riding an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end. This book is packed with dramatic events that left me frustrated, yet I kept turning the page in hopes that everything would work out for the best. I am going to need a couple of days for my emotions to settle down. While reading this book, I was reminded of how crucial it is to keep in mind the effects our actions have on others. Are we acting with other people's best interest in mind? Or are we only concerned with furthering our own ambitions and goals? And most importantly, are we keeping God at the center of our decisions? I really enjoyed Susan's first historical novel. And I am looking forward to the second book A Worthy Heart coming 2016.

I received a free copy of Irish Meadows from Susan Anne Mason and Bethany House Publishers for promotional purposes. I was not required to post a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.