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Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
2015 | Mystery
That weird moment between Eggsy and Princess Tilde before she's rescued. (0 more)
This is a movie that I re-watch a lot. I don't know quite why, but it's one of my current loves. It's a great mash-up/send up of old-school spy movies, particularly James Bond, and it does it well. Samuel L. Jackson's over-the-top villain Valentine is great and Sophia Boutella's side-kick Gazelle is way more than just a side-kick.
  
Jamie Grimm is a middle schooler who has learned to deal with the sorrow in his life by telling jokes. Then he hears about a contest for kid comedians. Should he enter? I enjoyed the books and the humor definitely made me laugh. However, the plot introduced several potential conflicts only to drop them without any development at all.

<a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/01/book-review-i-funny-by-james-patterson.html">My full review at Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
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Ross (3284 KP) rated At Budokan by Cheap Trick in Music

May 7, 2020  
At Budokan by Cheap Trick
At Budokan by Cheap Trick
1979 | Live Performances
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Rating
Rolling Stone's 426th greatest album of all time
An incredibly atmospheric live album (Cheap Trick really seem to have been massive in Japan, like Beatlemania level), including "I Want You to Want Me" and a number of other foot-stomping rock and roll songs. One nice little Easter Egg was discovering that the speaking at the end of "I Want You to Want Me" was sampled to introduce "Jimmy James" by the Beastie Boys on Check Your Head.
  
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Erika (17789 KP) rated Alita: Battle Angel (2019) in Movies

Feb 18, 2019 (Updated Feb 18, 2019)  
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
2019 | Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
The fight/action scenes (0 more)
Everything else (0 more)
This movie was on the borderline between good and just ok, I rounded up. I was irritated because the theater where I have the subscription with was only showing the film in 3D. I'm not a huge 3D fan, and don't think anything is really added by it.
I know James Cameron was supposed to be the main draw, but I think he's pompous, and Avatar is not a good movie (IMO/it's lame and a snore). I was there mainly for Robert Rodriguez, he's a BFD here.
Essentially, it's Ghost in the Shell with a different story around it. I loved the fight/actions scenes, I was riveted by those. But, everything around it was kind of lame with bad dialogue and an unnecessary love story.
I also hated that it left on a cliffhanger. The movie drastically under-performed, leading to the worst Presidents' Day box office in the US since 2004. Likelihood of a sequel? Slim to none.
  
Absolute Power
Absolute Power
David Baldacci | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
"If I told you who did it you wouldn't believe it." The book was a definite page turner for me. At about 30% in, I wanted to find out how it was going to end. There were a few twists and turns along the way, but the outcome was inevitable. This was the second Baldacci book I had read. I am a big fan of James Patterson and I must say that this book was better than any Patterson book I have read in a long time. I would love to see this made into a movie...it would definitely be a hit. This book has everything you need. Action, drama, multiple murders, a touch of romance, and a bit of rough sex. What else could you ask for? I would recommend this to anyone who likes controversy and crime. P.S. Just found out, this is a movie!
  
The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut&#039;s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt
The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt
Kara Cooney | 2015 | Biography, History & Politics
1
1.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fiction purporting to be non-fiction (0 more)
This was a big DNF from me. I had many problems with this book. Yes, Cooney did disclaim that a lot of this book was conjecture, but it was worse than I was expecting. This book reminded me of James Patterson's book on King Tut that claimed to be non-fiction.
I quit 1/3rd into this book. I got tired of the maybe, likely, probably, it should have just been a fiction novel.
I'm also not a fan of the feminist theory of history, which was exactly what this was. Of that whole third of the book I got through, there was zero information presented that I didn't already know.
I think I'm so irritated by this book because I've been wanting to read it since it came out in 2015. I wait three years for this?!? Woof.
  
Season of Hope
Season of Hope
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<a href="https://travelingwife4life.wordpress.com/2020/08/15/season-of-hope-celebrate-lit">my link text</a>
Are you ready for a heart-searching, feel good, happily-ever-after type story? Well, then this is a book you definitely need to read! This is my first time reading a book by Carol James and I enjoyed the way she developed her story.

From the start, there is great tension and emotions between the characters without them being over the top or dramatic. They feel natural given the situation presented. Both Hope and her son were cute characters and I liked the conflicts between Hope and Josh. I felt they were very likely to happen to real people. The only thing I did not like was the way Hope’s son Mattie phrased things at times, it seemed like Carol James was trying to hard to get him to sound like a kid. Otherwise, I thought the characters were very well done.

The setting of this book takes place in a little Texas town near Fort Worth! I love all things Texas, and this was a fun addition to the storyline since I knew a couple of the places mentioned. The time period is set in the 1970’s right after the Vietnam War. I thought it was a unique timeline that I have not read very many books about. I truly enjoyed it.

I give the book 4 out of 5 stars for the creative characters, the interesting setting, and for the very prevalent aspects of finding faith and forgiveness.
 
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
  
Hot Stuff
Hot Stuff
Don Bruns | 2012 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
James and Skip are in Another Hot Situation
When Skip is out with his girlfriend, Emily, at a fancy restaurant, the sous chef is stabbed. Emily and the victim, Amanda, had been friends, and she had set Amanda up with James on a couple of dates. The owner of the restaurant doesn’t trust the police to solve the case, so he hires Skip and James to go under cover in the kitchen to figure out if someone on the staff killed Amanda. But Emily is hiding something about Amanda. Can Skip and James solve the case without driving a wedge between Skip and Emily?

Over the course of the series, the characters have slowly matured, and that continues here, especially for Emily. A couple of the supporting players could have been a little stronger, however. After some initial pacing issues, the plot was solid and built to a logical conclusion. While not a cozy, the content wasn’t too bad overall. I enjoyed this one and am looking forward to seeing how this series wraps up.