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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Cursed Films - Season 1 in TV
Oct 7, 2020
Cursed Films is a 5 part series focusing on the ins and outs of film productions that were deemed cursed for one reason or another - the 5 parts concentrate on The Exorcist, The Omen, Poltergeist, The Crow, and The Twilight Zone movie respectively.
When this series is focused on the films themselves, it's a real treat. Some of the interviews are moving as hell - in particular the conversations with Richard Sawyer, Lance Anderson, Jeff Most, and Gary Sherman. These guys are to this day still affected by some of the things that happened during their film productions.
The Twilight Zone episode includes footage of the infamous on set accident which is genuinely haunting, and is honestly a really powerful part of the documentary having Sawyer's interview running alongside it.
The Crow episode is great as well, and the look we get at Anderson's relationship with Brandon Lee is so human and raw.
These moments really shine a light on how ridiculous the curse theories are, when in fact, they are just tragic events that effected real people, people who then had to deal with a following media circus.
The big thing I really didn't like about this series is only really relevant to The Omen and Exorcist episodes. It's almost like they didn't have enough material to fill the runtime of these segments, and so opt to pad it out with interviews with real exorcists, or magicians that practice black magic. I'm sure that there are interesting stories to be told by these people, but it feels really out of place and forced here. It's even cringe inducing at times and feels like very obvious filler. It detracts somewhat from what is otherwise a pretty solid documentary series.
Cursed Films is certainly an interesting watch, and is easy to digest in the 30 minute episodes that are presented. Also, that theme music is wild (found out it's by an Italian space-prog band from the 70s called I Signori Della Galassia!)
Worth a watch for sure, just ignore the silly filler parts.
When this series is focused on the films themselves, it's a real treat. Some of the interviews are moving as hell - in particular the conversations with Richard Sawyer, Lance Anderson, Jeff Most, and Gary Sherman. These guys are to this day still affected by some of the things that happened during their film productions.
The Twilight Zone episode includes footage of the infamous on set accident which is genuinely haunting, and is honestly a really powerful part of the documentary having Sawyer's interview running alongside it.
The Crow episode is great as well, and the look we get at Anderson's relationship with Brandon Lee is so human and raw.
These moments really shine a light on how ridiculous the curse theories are, when in fact, they are just tragic events that effected real people, people who then had to deal with a following media circus.
The big thing I really didn't like about this series is only really relevant to The Omen and Exorcist episodes. It's almost like they didn't have enough material to fill the runtime of these segments, and so opt to pad it out with interviews with real exorcists, or magicians that practice black magic. I'm sure that there are interesting stories to be told by these people, but it feels really out of place and forced here. It's even cringe inducing at times and feels like very obvious filler. It detracts somewhat from what is otherwise a pretty solid documentary series.
Cursed Films is certainly an interesting watch, and is easy to digest in the 30 minute episodes that are presented. Also, that theme music is wild (found out it's by an Italian space-prog band from the 70s called I Signori Della Galassia!)
Worth a watch for sure, just ignore the silly filler parts.
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated The House By The Cypress Trees in Books
Sep 20, 2019
I have always wanted to travel to Italy. My father was in the Navy and was stationed in Italy for some time and my aunt and uncle lived there during their military career. So, I have always heard lots of amazing stories about the culture there. I was excited to read this book by Dr. Mikalsen because, due to health reasons, I will never get to visit Italy. Upon opening this beautiful book, I was instantly taken to the heart of the story and felt as though I got to be there, in the middle of Italy, just like my dad and uncle got to be. Oh and let's not forget to eat before reading this book because Mikalsen will leave you hungering for delicious Italian food!
Julia Ramos and Daniel Stafford are both wonderfully chiseled characters! I loved how Mikalsen created their chance encounter when Daniel nearly ran her over! The attraction between them could be felt as if I was right there standing next to them. Nothing is seeming to go right for either of them while they are in Italy, and it just doesn't seem like the universe is going to help ease their predicaments with all the misunderstandings, the sparks flying and interference from family! But, one night stranded on the side of the road, may be just what they need.
With vivid details of the country side of Italy, and two characters who are from two separate worlds, yet fall into each others paths, and a plot line filled with emotional moments, this is a beautifully written, page turning novel that I highly recommend! Britain, Italy and America collide, quite literally, in this romantic roller coaster ride of a story. It's 4 star worthy, and I look forward to reading it again and again.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Author, Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Julia Ramos and Daniel Stafford are both wonderfully chiseled characters! I loved how Mikalsen created their chance encounter when Daniel nearly ran her over! The attraction between them could be felt as if I was right there standing next to them. Nothing is seeming to go right for either of them while they are in Italy, and it just doesn't seem like the universe is going to help ease their predicaments with all the misunderstandings, the sparks flying and interference from family! But, one night stranded on the side of the road, may be just what they need.
With vivid details of the country side of Italy, and two characters who are from two separate worlds, yet fall into each others paths, and a plot line filled with emotional moments, this is a beautifully written, page turning novel that I highly recommend! Britain, Italy and America collide, quite literally, in this romantic roller coaster ride of a story. It's 4 star worthy, and I look forward to reading it again and again.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Author, Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated It's in His Kiss (Bridgertons, #7) in Books
Jan 10, 2022 (Updated Jan 10, 2022)
Another easy reading Bridgerton book, I actually read this in one sitting! I just couldn’t find myself putting it down or even wanting to put it down.
Hyacinth’s story is very much how you would expect it to be from meeting her character in the other books, straight forward and to the point. We meet Gareth St. Clair and find out his secret that he will carry through the rest of the book very quickly, and we understand the exact reason why him and his father are estranged.
The relationship between Hyacinth and Gareth isn’t quite as frustrating as the ones that have come before, again very much in keeping with Hyacinth’s character, she sets her mind to it quite quickly after meeting him properly and it is obvious that she will manage to get her own way. But it is still fun to read all the same.
Throughout the book, we also have the mystery of Gareth’s grandmother’s diary and the problem of it being written in Italian (which of course Hyacinth knows and is more than happy to help try to translate) which adds more to the mystery and quite possibly why I couldn’t put this book down.
I also enjoyed that rather than it be letters that started the chapters, it was like reading a book in a book about the actions of them. I can only presume that this idea came from the off handed comment from Lady Danbury when Hyacinth was reading to her one day, that they should in fact write their own book. It was quite clever and meant that some parts of the book could be quite neatly summed up with these parts and the story could be quickly moved on.
I am definitely enjoying this series, and although I want to read the final two books as soon as possible, I think I will be sad when I finally do finish them!
Hyacinth’s story is very much how you would expect it to be from meeting her character in the other books, straight forward and to the point. We meet Gareth St. Clair and find out his secret that he will carry through the rest of the book very quickly, and we understand the exact reason why him and his father are estranged.
The relationship between Hyacinth and Gareth isn’t quite as frustrating as the ones that have come before, again very much in keeping with Hyacinth’s character, she sets her mind to it quite quickly after meeting him properly and it is obvious that she will manage to get her own way. But it is still fun to read all the same.
Throughout the book, we also have the mystery of Gareth’s grandmother’s diary and the problem of it being written in Italian (which of course Hyacinth knows and is more than happy to help try to translate) which adds more to the mystery and quite possibly why I couldn’t put this book down.
I also enjoyed that rather than it be letters that started the chapters, it was like reading a book in a book about the actions of them. I can only presume that this idea came from the off handed comment from Lady Danbury when Hyacinth was reading to her one day, that they should in fact write their own book. It was quite clever and meant that some parts of the book could be quite neatly summed up with these parts and the story could be quickly moved on.
I am definitely enjoying this series, and although I want to read the final two books as soon as possible, I think I will be sad when I finally do finish them!
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Chat Love in Books
Oct 2, 2020
I wanted to read this book immediately after reading the synopsis, and I was honoured when the author, Justine Faeth, approached me and sent me an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.
The book synopsis is a very promising one. Lucia is having trouble finding a man. After a few disastrous dates, she chooses to follow her friend’s advice and tries Chat Love, an online dating service.
As promising as the synopsis sounds, this book didn’t quite deliver. With Chat Love, I found the whole setting of the book unrealistic. There is a nice background story and a great idea, but it hasn’t been properly executed.
Lucia is an Italian lady. She is a city girl and a business woman. She is searching for love. See, Lucia is under pressure by her Italian family to get married. And I can completely understand that pressure, being born in a country where I have met people with similar beliefs. Lucia’s family thinks that a woman is made to be a mother, and not have a career. They think that if you are thirty and you haven’t got a boyfriend yet, you are useless and unworthy.
And I completely agree with Lucia when she tries to stand up to them and tell them how it’s important for her to find a man she will really love, not just marry in order to please her family. In some scenes though, it appears as if she hates her family, and has very bad attitude towards them. I understand completely where her frustration comes from.
But then, on the other hand, we have a Lucia that is being a hypocrite.
And while this whole book seems like she is searching for her true love, when someone appears and cares about her, she is acting as if she’s not interested. Woman, WHAT DO YOU WANT? She wants true love, and she doesn’t want to be used as a one-night stand, which is completely acceptable. But going on a date with a man for the first time, and telling him you want to get serious is creepy. Even if that is your long-term goal, you DO NOT say it on the first date. It scares people away. It makes people think you are a creep.
Also, given the fact that the synopsis promises an online app, this left me disappointed. During this book, we don’t get to really see a single chat happen through this app. Apart from a few letters from Jake. Honestly, I expected a back and forth conversations with men before a date happens. In the book, we get to see Lucia dating a lot of men. I didn’t stop to count them, but there must’ve been around twenty dates. And all these men had something wrong with them. But she never screwed up.
I will be honest with you now, and you people need to be honest with yourselves. In your life, you will meet people, and some people will make you giggle. Others might make you gag. But sometimes, the reason for a bad date is you. I am only trying to be honest here. I have screwed up a few dates myself, and you must have done the same thing too. That’s life though. We have to move on and try not to blame others for our mistakes. I wish this been represented in this book.
I really wish I loved this book.
I have mixed feelings, because despite all, this book did make me think and bring up discussions with people around the various topics, from family beliefs, to being creepy on first dates, to finding out what you really like. In a summary, as much as I didn’t enjoy it, I also am grateful for this book, for bringing out a lot of things to think about.
If you love chick-lit and short romance funny novels, you might enjoy it. If you think any of this discussion points is intriguing, you might enjoy it. I would love to have a chat and see what you think of this book.
The book synopsis is a very promising one. Lucia is having trouble finding a man. After a few disastrous dates, she chooses to follow her friend’s advice and tries Chat Love, an online dating service.
As promising as the synopsis sounds, this book didn’t quite deliver. With Chat Love, I found the whole setting of the book unrealistic. There is a nice background story and a great idea, but it hasn’t been properly executed.
Lucia is an Italian lady. She is a city girl and a business woman. She is searching for love. See, Lucia is under pressure by her Italian family to get married. And I can completely understand that pressure, being born in a country where I have met people with similar beliefs. Lucia’s family thinks that a woman is made to be a mother, and not have a career. They think that if you are thirty and you haven’t got a boyfriend yet, you are useless and unworthy.
And I completely agree with Lucia when she tries to stand up to them and tell them how it’s important for her to find a man she will really love, not just marry in order to please her family. In some scenes though, it appears as if she hates her family, and has very bad attitude towards them. I understand completely where her frustration comes from.
But then, on the other hand, we have a Lucia that is being a hypocrite.
And while this whole book seems like she is searching for her true love, when someone appears and cares about her, she is acting as if she’s not interested. Woman, WHAT DO YOU WANT? She wants true love, and she doesn’t want to be used as a one-night stand, which is completely acceptable. But going on a date with a man for the first time, and telling him you want to get serious is creepy. Even if that is your long-term goal, you DO NOT say it on the first date. It scares people away. It makes people think you are a creep.
Also, given the fact that the synopsis promises an online app, this left me disappointed. During this book, we don’t get to really see a single chat happen through this app. Apart from a few letters from Jake. Honestly, I expected a back and forth conversations with men before a date happens. In the book, we get to see Lucia dating a lot of men. I didn’t stop to count them, but there must’ve been around twenty dates. And all these men had something wrong with them. But she never screwed up.
I will be honest with you now, and you people need to be honest with yourselves. In your life, you will meet people, and some people will make you giggle. Others might make you gag. But sometimes, the reason for a bad date is you. I am only trying to be honest here. I have screwed up a few dates myself, and you must have done the same thing too. That’s life though. We have to move on and try not to blame others for our mistakes. I wish this been represented in this book.
I really wish I loved this book.
I have mixed feelings, because despite all, this book did make me think and bring up discussions with people around the various topics, from family beliefs, to being creepy on first dates, to finding out what you really like. In a summary, as much as I didn’t enjoy it, I also am grateful for this book, for bringing out a lot of things to think about.
If you love chick-lit and short romance funny novels, you might enjoy it. If you think any of this discussion points is intriguing, you might enjoy it. I would love to have a chat and see what you think of this book.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Sniper Elite 4 in Video Games
Oct 10, 2017 (Updated Oct 10, 2017)
Satisfying gameplay. (2 more)
X-Ray camera.
Neat settings.
Generic characters and plot. (1 more)
Sub par graphics.
Hits It's Target
The fourth game in the third person WW2 shooter series, this game expands on the groundwork laid by it's predecessors. If you are coming off of a story driven game and are just looking for something satisfying and fun, then this is perfect for you. The story and characters are paper thin and the voice acting is all over the place in terms of quality, but that's not why you come to Sniper Elite, you come to watch a Nazi's brains explode from the sheer impact of your well placed bullet.
This is definitely the best game in the series in terms of it's gameplay systems. The control given to the player is clear and specific and if you miss a shot, you have no one to blame but yourself. The infamous X-ray cam makes a glorious return and it is even more detailed and brutal than in previous entries. No matter how many times you make a pair of Nazi testicles go pop from across a beautiful Italian town, it never gets old.
The other great thing about this game is it's various settings. There is an array of different maps that you work your way through during the game's campaign and each is unique and well thought out enough to give you a challenge, but also make you feel like a total bad-ass when you land a near impossible shot, in equal measure.
Although the landscapes are nice to run around in and function well in terms of matching with the game's gameplay style, the quality of the graphics itself isn't going to astonish anyone. We are around halfway through the PS4's life-cycle and this looks at best, like a late generation PS3 game. Again though, it doesn't really matter here, no one is buying Sniper Elite 4 for it's graphical quality.
Overall, there is a ton of fun to be had here. Don't think too much about the story and just enjoy systematically working your way through each various map, popping Nazi skulls as you go.
This is definitely the best game in the series in terms of it's gameplay systems. The control given to the player is clear and specific and if you miss a shot, you have no one to blame but yourself. The infamous X-ray cam makes a glorious return and it is even more detailed and brutal than in previous entries. No matter how many times you make a pair of Nazi testicles go pop from across a beautiful Italian town, it never gets old.
The other great thing about this game is it's various settings. There is an array of different maps that you work your way through during the game's campaign and each is unique and well thought out enough to give you a challenge, but also make you feel like a total bad-ass when you land a near impossible shot, in equal measure.
Although the landscapes are nice to run around in and function well in terms of matching with the game's gameplay style, the quality of the graphics itself isn't going to astonish anyone. We are around halfway through the PS4's life-cycle and this looks at best, like a late generation PS3 game. Again though, it doesn't really matter here, no one is buying Sniper Elite 4 for it's graphical quality.
Overall, there is a ton of fun to be had here. Don't think too much about the story and just enjoy systematically working your way through each various map, popping Nazi skulls as you go.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated We All Fall Down in Books
May 22, 2019
...**THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ALERT**IF YOU EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS, STAY IN YOUR HOMES**PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND DO NOT ATTEMPT THE RESCUE OF OTHERS**THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ALERT**IF YOU EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS, STAY IN YOUR HOMES**PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND DO NOT ATTEMPT THE RESCUE OF OTHERS**THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ALERT**...
IT STARTS WITH ONE PATIENT
A woman is dying in an Italian hospital, coughing up blood, convulsing and barely conscious.
BEFORE IT SPREADS TO THE TOWN
Dr Alana Vaughn, an expert from NATO, confirms everyones worst fears: the woman has the highly infectious disease that swept through Europe eight hundred years ago. The Black Death.
AND TAKES THE CITY
The sickness is spreading so quickly that soon the outbreak becomes a global pandemic. Markets crash and governments fall as quickly as the citizens they govern.
THEN THE COUNTRY
As panic takes hold and the death toll climbs, the consequences become horrifically clear Alana must discover a way to stop the disease or it will be the end of us all.
THEN THE WORLD - AND WE ALL FALL DOWN.
The book is fast paced and had me on the edge of my seat wondering if Alana, Nico, Byron and company were going to be able to get to the bottom of who unleashed the plague and when or if they could get it under control.
The book was well written with believable and interesting characters.
I really liked the medical aspect of the book and how the scientists and doctors react to a dormant disease suddenly becoming active all over again and with them struggling to cope with the lack of vaccines available and also the consideration of the disease used as a bio-weapon was really interesting.
This is scary to think, could biological terrorism really happen, how fast can viruses spread and how safe are we?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
Highly Recommend reading!
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-book ARC to read and review. I enjoyed this so much that I intend to seek out the other books written by this author.
IT STARTS WITH ONE PATIENT
A woman is dying in an Italian hospital, coughing up blood, convulsing and barely conscious.
BEFORE IT SPREADS TO THE TOWN
Dr Alana Vaughn, an expert from NATO, confirms everyones worst fears: the woman has the highly infectious disease that swept through Europe eight hundred years ago. The Black Death.
AND TAKES THE CITY
The sickness is spreading so quickly that soon the outbreak becomes a global pandemic. Markets crash and governments fall as quickly as the citizens they govern.
THEN THE COUNTRY
As panic takes hold and the death toll climbs, the consequences become horrifically clear Alana must discover a way to stop the disease or it will be the end of us all.
THEN THE WORLD - AND WE ALL FALL DOWN.
The book is fast paced and had me on the edge of my seat wondering if Alana, Nico, Byron and company were going to be able to get to the bottom of who unleashed the plague and when or if they could get it under control.
The book was well written with believable and interesting characters.
I really liked the medical aspect of the book and how the scientists and doctors react to a dormant disease suddenly becoming active all over again and with them struggling to cope with the lack of vaccines available and also the consideration of the disease used as a bio-weapon was really interesting.
This is scary to think, could biological terrorism really happen, how fast can viruses spread and how safe are we?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
Highly Recommend reading!
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-book ARC to read and review. I enjoyed this so much that I intend to seek out the other books written by this author.
BookblogbyCari (345 KP) rated Vox in Books
Nov 4, 2018
Book review by Cari Mayhew. Rating 7/10.
A country where women can only speak 100 words a day – a novel concept for a dystopian thriller! The protagonist’s bitterness was palpable, and there were huge stakes at play, making for an intense read.
This book is set in the USA in the near future. A religious party is in power which sees women as only caregivers. Every woman and girl wears a counter on their wrist, counting the number of words spoken from midnight to midnight each day, delivering a powerful electric shock if they are one syllable over their 100-word limit. Ironically, the central character, Jean, is a linguist.
The action of the main storyline starts when the president’s brother, develops Wernicke’s aphasia as a result of brain damage following a skiing accident. This condition renders the victim unable to convey meaning in their speech, allowing them to only speak gibberish. With her knowledge of neuro-linguistics, Jean is uniquely placed to be persuaded to return to the lab to develop a remedy. Only, when she does, she discovers there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes – and she’s one of a small few with the power to save the day!
As you’d imagine, the female central character is extremely bitter, bitter with society and bitter with herself. She frequently looks back at how things became this way and wishes she had done more. The author does an excellent job of showing how insidiously the propaganda behind the movement swallowed up the nation. Jean sees it in her sons and daughter.
I’d very much like to believe that nothing like this would ever happen in western society, but sadly there are still some cultures in the world where women are faced with oppression.
I have mixed feelings about this book. In some ways, there was too much going on, such as Jean’s mother’s aphasia, and Jean’s extra-marital affair with her Italian crush. On the other hand, Dalcher could have done more to convey how oppressive the rule was for society at large, rather than concentrating on one woman’s experience – particularly since it was a woman for whom the rule was lifted for.
Book review from Book Blog by Cari.
A country where women can only speak 100 words a day – a novel concept for a dystopian thriller! The protagonist’s bitterness was palpable, and there were huge stakes at play, making for an intense read.
This book is set in the USA in the near future. A religious party is in power which sees women as only caregivers. Every woman and girl wears a counter on their wrist, counting the number of words spoken from midnight to midnight each day, delivering a powerful electric shock if they are one syllable over their 100-word limit. Ironically, the central character, Jean, is a linguist.
The action of the main storyline starts when the president’s brother, develops Wernicke’s aphasia as a result of brain damage following a skiing accident. This condition renders the victim unable to convey meaning in their speech, allowing them to only speak gibberish. With her knowledge of neuro-linguistics, Jean is uniquely placed to be persuaded to return to the lab to develop a remedy. Only, when she does, she discovers there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes – and she’s one of a small few with the power to save the day!
As you’d imagine, the female central character is extremely bitter, bitter with society and bitter with herself. She frequently looks back at how things became this way and wishes she had done more. The author does an excellent job of showing how insidiously the propaganda behind the movement swallowed up the nation. Jean sees it in her sons and daughter.
I’d very much like to believe that nothing like this would ever happen in western society, but sadly there are still some cultures in the world where women are faced with oppression.
I have mixed feelings about this book. In some ways, there was too much going on, such as Jean’s mother’s aphasia, and Jean’s extra-marital affair with her Italian crush. On the other hand, Dalcher could have done more to convey how oppressive the rule was for society at large, rather than concentrating on one woman’s experience – particularly since it was a woman for whom the rule was lifted for.
Book review from Book Blog by Cari.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Casquette Girls in Books
Jan 23, 2020
What an interesting read! The Casquette Girls is centered shortly after Hurricane Katrina, and of course, New Orleans, where the unexplainable happens.
Part One is a bit slow, with Adele coming back from Paris, reconstruction in the city after the hurricane, and the occasional unexplainable situation happening (aka dead people on the rise, and I don't mean zombies) but Part Two is when things really pick up.
Part Two and a bit of Part Three actually goes back to the past as Adele is reading her ancestor's diary, trying to figure out what happened in the early 1700s after being lead to a completely shut and by completely shut, I mean nailed in attic of the local convent. Of course, she's not lead to the diary until she accidentally "breaks" open a shutter of said convent and unleashes a threat to her entire town.
(I was sort of disappointed when the end of the diary was reached. *sigh*)
What's really neat is said threat is confined within a specific part of the city based on a curse from centuries ago it's usually either vampires or witches. If they are together, chances are there's a pack of werewolves running around or they're with others. Plus, everyone hates vampires by then, not that it isn't the case here.
The Casquette Girls was a neat read based on a hurricane, centering around vampires and witchcraft, although Alys really could have added in a translation of the many French words used (Italian was no problem for me). I wouldn't have felt as though I'm reading fragments by then, and I'm sure the translation guide would help other non-French speaking readers too!
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mvEgVOM_JGs/U3FfeZceS7I/AAAAAAAADQc/Omh5mPoZ6Gc/s1600/Translation_Please_.jpg"; height="320" width="301">
----------------------
Review copy provided by the author via Xpresso Book Tours
Original Rating: 4.5
This review and more can be found over at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/06/review-the-casquette-girls-by-alys-arden.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
Part One is a bit slow, with Adele coming back from Paris, reconstruction in the city after the hurricane, and the occasional unexplainable situation happening (aka dead people on the rise, and I don't mean zombies) but Part Two is when things really pick up.
Part Two and a bit of Part Three actually goes back to the past as Adele is reading her ancestor's diary, trying to figure out what happened in the early 1700s after being lead to a completely shut and by completely shut, I mean nailed in attic of the local convent. Of course, she's not lead to the diary until she accidentally "breaks" open a shutter of said convent and unleashes a threat to her entire town.
(I was sort of disappointed when the end of the diary was reached. *sigh*)
What's really neat is said threat is confined within a specific part of the city based on a curse from centuries ago it's usually either vampires or witches. If they are together, chances are there's a pack of werewolves running around or they're with others. Plus, everyone hates vampires by then, not that it isn't the case here.
The Casquette Girls was a neat read based on a hurricane, centering around vampires and witchcraft, although Alys really could have added in a translation of the many French words used (Italian was no problem for me). I wouldn't have felt as though I'm reading fragments by then, and I'm sure the translation guide would help other non-French speaking readers too!
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mvEgVOM_JGs/U3FfeZceS7I/AAAAAAAADQc/Omh5mPoZ6Gc/s1600/Translation_Please_.jpg"; height="320" width="301">
----------------------
Review copy provided by the author via Xpresso Book Tours
Original Rating: 4.5
This review and more can be found over at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/06/review-the-casquette-girls-by-alys-arden.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
ClareR (5603 KP) rated Two Women in Rome in Books
Jun 15, 2021
Two Women in Rome is a truly captivating story set in two time periods. In the present day, Lottie is an archivist working in Rome who comes across a painting once owned by an English woman called Nina who died in the late 1970’s. The painting appears to be valuable, painted in the fifteenth century.
Lottie also finds Nina’s journal in her personal effects, and the more of it she reads, the more she wants to find out about her life.
I loved the details about Rome in both timelines - I’ve visited Rome and loved it. The strong female characters were also a big plus point for me. Lottie is a head archivist, she really knows what she’s doing and is confident in her abilities. Nina is also an assertive woman - she is often in new situations that many would find themselves floundering in (Ok, that sounds really vague, but I don’t want to give anything away!)
This is a book about secrets: about keeping them, and what happens when they are revealed - both good and bad. This isn’t a book that goes fast and hard in its revelations. Quite opposite in fact, and probably why I liked it so much. I love a well told story, and I really felt that I knew the women in this because of that feeling of not being rushed through the story.
There’s a fair amount of Italian politics in this, some of which I had never known about, so that was another plus point. I hadn’t realised that Italy had had quite such a tumultuous political life for so long after World War Two. The novel has a great mix of themes, actually: secrets, history, politics, life in Rome, betrayal, guilt. I think I’m becoming a bit of an Elizabeth Buchan fan because I really enjoyed her last book The Museum of Broken Promises, as well. Both books are set in Europe, with the aftereffects of great political upheavals, ostensibly going back to World War Two. This book is well worth reading - I’d definitely recommend it.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and NetGalley for my copy of this book.
Lottie also finds Nina’s journal in her personal effects, and the more of it she reads, the more she wants to find out about her life.
I loved the details about Rome in both timelines - I’ve visited Rome and loved it. The strong female characters were also a big plus point for me. Lottie is a head archivist, she really knows what she’s doing and is confident in her abilities. Nina is also an assertive woman - she is often in new situations that many would find themselves floundering in (Ok, that sounds really vague, but I don’t want to give anything away!)
This is a book about secrets: about keeping them, and what happens when they are revealed - both good and bad. This isn’t a book that goes fast and hard in its revelations. Quite opposite in fact, and probably why I liked it so much. I love a well told story, and I really felt that I knew the women in this because of that feeling of not being rushed through the story.
There’s a fair amount of Italian politics in this, some of which I had never known about, so that was another plus point. I hadn’t realised that Italy had had quite such a tumultuous political life for so long after World War Two. The novel has a great mix of themes, actually: secrets, history, politics, life in Rome, betrayal, guilt. I think I’m becoming a bit of an Elizabeth Buchan fan because I really enjoyed her last book The Museum of Broken Promises, as well. Both books are set in Europe, with the aftereffects of great political upheavals, ostensibly going back to World War Two. This book is well worth reading - I’d definitely recommend it.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and NetGalley for my copy of this book.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Stir Until Petrified (Violetta Massoni #1) in Books
Sep 12, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
165 of 200
Kindle
Stir until petrified ( A Violetta Massoni book 1)
By Theda Vallee
Welcome to beautiful Palermo Bay, where the witches are fierce
...and the biscotti is to die for.
Violetta "Etta" Massoni is an Italian witch living and working with her overbearing family in the sleepy seaside town of Palermo Bay. Healing from tragedy, she wants nothing to do with the magic she was born with.
Etta soon finds herself forced into the world of magic that she had resisted for so long. The peaceful calm of her community is shattered by a string of attacks that leaves fifteen people trapped in their dreams. An ominous magic task force is sent to investigate, with Etta as their number one suspect.
Her family has never been able to mind their own business, and they aren’t about to start now! Dragging her grandmother from crime scenes will be the least of her worries. Join Etta and the whole Massoni girl gang on a perilous, hilarious adventure filled with magic, myth, and minestrone!
After waiting for so long I finally got round to reading this! Oh my god! I don’t remember the last time I gave a 5* and enjoyed a book so much! I laughed I adore Etta and her family! It was packed with wit and so well written! The last character I loved this much was Charley Davidson from Darynda Jones’s books! I also learnt what a Benandanti was and that in this book I’d be expecting a knock at the door on his 10th birthday. Also my favourite quote which had me laughing out loud!
“Where am I supposed to sit?” I eyed the motorcycle’s seat, trying to calculate how much butt room there was. He handed me a helmet, pointing to the back of the bike. “You sit behind me. It’s called the bitch seat.” “Does that make where you’re sitting the prick perch?” I asked, climbing on behind him. As I’d feared, sitting made my shorts move so far up my nether region, I was positive we’d need a search and rescue team to get them out later.
I really can’t wait to read the next book!
Kindle
Stir until petrified ( A Violetta Massoni book 1)
By Theda Vallee
Welcome to beautiful Palermo Bay, where the witches are fierce
...and the biscotti is to die for.
Violetta "Etta" Massoni is an Italian witch living and working with her overbearing family in the sleepy seaside town of Palermo Bay. Healing from tragedy, she wants nothing to do with the magic she was born with.
Etta soon finds herself forced into the world of magic that she had resisted for so long. The peaceful calm of her community is shattered by a string of attacks that leaves fifteen people trapped in their dreams. An ominous magic task force is sent to investigate, with Etta as their number one suspect.
Her family has never been able to mind their own business, and they aren’t about to start now! Dragging her grandmother from crime scenes will be the least of her worries. Join Etta and the whole Massoni girl gang on a perilous, hilarious adventure filled with magic, myth, and minestrone!
After waiting for so long I finally got round to reading this! Oh my god! I don’t remember the last time I gave a 5* and enjoyed a book so much! I laughed I adore Etta and her family! It was packed with wit and so well written! The last character I loved this much was Charley Davidson from Darynda Jones’s books! I also learnt what a Benandanti was and that in this book I’d be expecting a knock at the door on his 10th birthday. Also my favourite quote which had me laughing out loud!
“Where am I supposed to sit?” I eyed the motorcycle’s seat, trying to calculate how much butt room there was. He handed me a helmet, pointing to the back of the bike. “You sit behind me. It’s called the bitch seat.” “Does that make where you’re sitting the prick perch?” I asked, climbing on behind him. As I’d feared, sitting made my shorts move so far up my nether region, I was positive we’d need a search and rescue team to get them out later.
I really can’t wait to read the next book!