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Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Darker (Fifty Shades as Told by Christian, #2) in Books
Jan 12, 2020
I far more enjoyed this novel than it's counterpart. Along the lines of my original review of its predecessor, I think that Christian is a far more interesting character than Ana. Ana's major character traits are that she's a virgin and kind of has mommy issues. I find his point of view, his thoughts, and his dreams, or nightmares rather, much more compelling than anything Ana really has to say. I think that he is a much stronger character and much more realistic than she is.
I originally rated this novel a 5/5 because I do truly love the story, I like the mystery, the thrill, the sex, I think it's great. I revised it, though, because as soon as I get into a good rhythm, reading 20 pages and feeling like it's been 5 minutes, I get pulled out of the story by something so small and seemingly irrelevant like a phrase or wording or the way they do something. It pulls me out of the story and forces me to remember that the writing isn't all that good. I've said previously about the dialogue and that always gets me - again, they sound English and they're not!!!! I'm not sure if E.L. James had an English editor either, but it seems like she could've because I think an American one would've caught those things.
Overall, I think that this is the best book of the 4 thus far - Fifty Shades of Grey, Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Darker. While I have enjoyed them all, somewhat of a guilty pleasure, I'm eager to read the final chapter of the trilogy and rage about how there isn't a Christian perspective. Stay tuned.
I originally rated this novel a 5/5 because I do truly love the story, I like the mystery, the thrill, the sex, I think it's great. I revised it, though, because as soon as I get into a good rhythm, reading 20 pages and feeling like it's been 5 minutes, I get pulled out of the story by something so small and seemingly irrelevant like a phrase or wording or the way they do something. It pulls me out of the story and forces me to remember that the writing isn't all that good. I've said previously about the dialogue and that always gets me - again, they sound English and they're not!!!! I'm not sure if E.L. James had an English editor either, but it seems like she could've because I think an American one would've caught those things.
Overall, I think that this is the best book of the 4 thus far - Fifty Shades of Grey, Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Darker. While I have enjoyed them all, somewhat of a guilty pleasure, I'm eager to read the final chapter of the trilogy and rage about how there isn't a Christian perspective. Stay tuned.
Aaron Zephyr (12 KP) rated Casino Royale (2006) in Movies
Aug 22, 2017
Lots of action. (2 more)
Nice casino theme.
Great transition to a new type of James Bond.
Vesper. (1 more)
Bad antagonist background.
Awesome Story, Awesome Lead Actor, Not So Awesome Female Companion.
Contains spoilers, click to show
I really looked forward to seeing this movie, and I really was satisfied. This movie had a great antagonist a great protagonist and a wonderful story to wrap it up in. My only problem was that Vesper was weak, and didn't add much to the story like some of Bond's other companions. Also the main enemy had no explanation to what HE really wanted to do. Like was he trying to make money? Or was he just being a jerk? The last thing is that this usually the transition with a new actor is rocky but Craig did amazing and that's one of the things I liked about the movie. I would definitely recommend it to other who like action movies.
David McK (3816 KP) rated Star Trek: Starfleet Academy in TV
Mar 15, 2026 (Updated Mar 15, 2026)
Star Trek 90210.
That's how I'd heard this described as although, never having seen 90210, I had no real basis to compare and contrast.
However, I can see where that description was coming from, as this centres around a young group of cadets in their first year at Starfleet Academy.
However, we're not talking James T Kirk time here - we're actually post-burn, int he 32nd (I think) century that Discovery (from the previous Star Trek series) jumped to, with certain characters - most prominently Tig Notaro's Jett Reno - also showing up here.
As does Robert Picardo's The Doctor (from Star Trek: Voyager), able to do so as he is a hologram (unlike the rest of the crew of Voyager).
This series, I found, to be hit and mis - when it hit, it hit good, but when it missed ... ohhh boyyyy did it miss.
That's how I'd heard this described as although, never having seen 90210, I had no real basis to compare and contrast.
However, I can see where that description was coming from, as this centres around a young group of cadets in their first year at Starfleet Academy.
However, we're not talking James T Kirk time here - we're actually post-burn, int he 32nd (I think) century that Discovery (from the previous Star Trek series) jumped to, with certain characters - most prominently Tig Notaro's Jett Reno - also showing up here.
As does Robert Picardo's The Doctor (from Star Trek: Voyager), able to do so as he is a hologram (unlike the rest of the crew of Voyager).
This series, I found, to be hit and mis - when it hit, it hit good, but when it missed ... ohhh boyyyy did it miss.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2591 KP) rated Double Minds in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Parker James is trying to catch her big break in Christian music when someone is murdered at the desk she works at for her day job. Meanwhile, her best friend wants Parker to rewrite some songs so she can cross over to the non-Christian music market. With as much as I love Christian music, I expected to love the book. Instead, it fizzles, taking a detour in the final third that slows things down and doesn't allow us enough time for a satisfying resolution.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/05/book-review-double-minds-by-terri.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/05/book-review-double-minds-by-terri.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Kevin Phillipson (10072 KP) rated Knives Out (2019) in Movies
Nov 28, 2019
Ana de Aramas (1 more)
Daniel Craig
Plot millionaire book write comiits suicide police suspect family of murdering him including the victims nurse is also suspect. Just seen the movie I liked it the plot was kinda confusing at first but after awhile I got it. Ana de Aramas is without a doubt a star in the making next to be seen in the new James bond movie with Daniel Craig so they have alot of screen time together. Anyway the rest of the cast is good as u wonder did they have a reason to see there father die. Highly recommended to anyone to see
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated The Blacklist - Season 1 in TV
Jun 17, 2019
FBI action series with a twist
This American crime thriller series focuses on criminal mastermind Raymond Reddington (James Spader) who turns FBI informant; as long as he can work with a particular agent: Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone.)
Initially the series follows a very episodic nature with Reddington providing info on particular bad guy and the FBI team chasing them down, it’s good fun and nice to the more recent trend of series long arcs. However as the series progresses you get a more ongoing underlying story hinting at why he insists on working with relative FBI rookie Keen and it’s engaging enough to keep coming back for the full 22 episodes of this first season. Some of the CGI especially early on is laughable but I've never let that stop me having a good time.
James Spader at times is amazing and others a tad cringe worthy, while Boone is unremarkable I did like Parminder Naga as agent Malik a lot. Overall entertaining diversion, I will be carrying on with the next season.
Initially the series follows a very episodic nature with Reddington providing info on particular bad guy and the FBI team chasing them down, it’s good fun and nice to the more recent trend of series long arcs. However as the series progresses you get a more ongoing underlying story hinting at why he insists on working with relative FBI rookie Keen and it’s engaging enough to keep coming back for the full 22 episodes of this first season. Some of the CGI especially early on is laughable but I've never let that stop me having a good time.
James Spader at times is amazing and others a tad cringe worthy, while Boone is unremarkable I did like Parminder Naga as agent Malik a lot. Overall entertaining diversion, I will be carrying on with the next season.
Kristina (502 KP) rated Escaping From Houdini in Books
Dec 7, 2020
Have I mentioned how much I love Kerri?? I don't remember how I stumbled across her, but I do remember the reading "James Patterson Presents" caught my attention and gave me enough reason to give her a try - I'm so glad I did! From beginning to end I have loved this series. I'm a bit sad to see it finished, but I'm quite satisfied at the same time. Kerri includes both fact, ficion, and stretched truths in each of her books, which usually makes me curious as to how much is true, so I'm almost always conducting research afterward; I love a book that makes me eager to learn. Escaping From Houdini, while conducting the same mysterious murder-solving theme as the previous two books, focuses a bit more on the blossoming relationship between Audrey Rose and Thomas, which was a delight. While watching Audrey Rose struggle with illusion and truth, I found myself both irritated at her and understanding, for Mephistopheles cast a very convincing spell. Each encounter had me questioning how exactly things would end, in a romantic perspective. Throughout the book, while I filtered through suspects and had my own suspicions, the title made me the most curious - Houdini's name is in the title, but the main magician is Mephistopheles, so it had me questioning what Houdini's true role could be. Honestly, I'm not usually good at guessing correctly unless the author is horribly obvious about it, which Kerri most certainly is not, so I was surprised at who the killer was and the motive behind the murders. I very much look forward to more works by Kerri!
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated All Our Yesterdays in Books
Jan 23, 2020
I'm a little fond of <i>All Our Yesterdays</i>.
Terrill writes the book in a very weird format – it takes awhile to get into the story and get a grip of what is really going on. Marina is a self-conscious person who lets her friends dictate <em>everything</em> for her – how to win boys, how to dress, how to talk, etc. Marina just comes across as a very shallow person hoping to win over the love of her best friend, James Shaw, while trying to find out who is attempting to murder him.
Em, on the other hand, is someone completely different – she's more determined, went through more trauma... Basically, Em has been through more than Marina, and I think she's a vital asset to the story's enjoyment (Marina plays a vital role as well, but if it were just her, it would have been boring). She teams up with Finn in the hopes to shut down Cassandra, a time travel device created with the intention for good things (stopping wars and disasters, for instance) but later became more of a problem rather than for everyone's good.
But back to the whole weird format. Since I've never actually come across Terrill's format ever in another time travel book, it's completely mind-boggling. One minute it seems like both Em and Marina are the same, the next, they're completely different. The only constant variable going on throughout the entire book is James and Finn (even those two were different and the same – they were just obvious). It really just takes awhile to realize the time period is the same, but the viewpoints are different.
Quite literally, 350+ pages of <i>All Our Yesterdays</i> is dedicated to getting rid of the evil mastermind behind Cassandra, but it's so much fun seeing how <i>Terrill</i> clicked the weird format so well together.
P.S. I personally think <i>All Our Yesterdays</i> works out just fine as a stand-alone. Although I would love to see a sequel and how Terrill will take the story now that the main problem has been solved, I don't really see anything that could happen aside from a "tragic" love story.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-all-our-yesterdays-by-cristin-terrill/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Terrill writes the book in a very weird format – it takes awhile to get into the story and get a grip of what is really going on. Marina is a self-conscious person who lets her friends dictate <em>everything</em> for her – how to win boys, how to dress, how to talk, etc. Marina just comes across as a very shallow person hoping to win over the love of her best friend, James Shaw, while trying to find out who is attempting to murder him.
Em, on the other hand, is someone completely different – she's more determined, went through more trauma... Basically, Em has been through more than Marina, and I think she's a vital asset to the story's enjoyment (Marina plays a vital role as well, but if it were just her, it would have been boring). She teams up with Finn in the hopes to shut down Cassandra, a time travel device created with the intention for good things (stopping wars and disasters, for instance) but later became more of a problem rather than for everyone's good.
But back to the whole weird format. Since I've never actually come across Terrill's format ever in another time travel book, it's completely mind-boggling. One minute it seems like both Em and Marina are the same, the next, they're completely different. The only constant variable going on throughout the entire book is James and Finn (even those two were different and the same – they were just obvious). It really just takes awhile to realize the time period is the same, but the viewpoints are different.
Quite literally, 350+ pages of <i>All Our Yesterdays</i> is dedicated to getting rid of the evil mastermind behind Cassandra, but it's so much fun seeing how <i>Terrill</i> clicked the weird format so well together.
P.S. I personally think <i>All Our Yesterdays</i> works out just fine as a stand-alone. Although I would love to see a sequel and how Terrill will take the story now that the main problem has been solved, I don't really see anything that could happen aside from a "tragic" love story.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-all-our-yesterdays-by-cristin-terrill/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Merissa (14046 KP) rated Shadow Seer (Blood Shadows #2) in Books
Nov 21, 2022
SHADOW SEER is the second book in the Blood Shadows trilogy and although it is sort of standalone - in that it is Zach and Emma's story - it is better to read in sequence so you get the big picture. As for Zach and Emma, they were childhood friends who were separated by sad circumstances. Zach sets out to find her, not knowing what he will find. Is Emma innocent or is she involved with her father's wrongdoings?
Oh, man. She's only gone and done it again! Jennie Lynn Roberts is an outstanding author, in my humble opinion. I haven't read a bad book of hers yet and doubt I ever will. Although not fantasy per se, this is an amazing story. It changes the way you look at shadows, that's for sure. They sound so beautiful, I wish I could see them for myself!
There is so much intrigue here. So many machinations, people being played like puppets, and others fighting the good fight. It is intricate, leading you along through a maze of words as you try to work out what the final objective is.
Zach and Emma are just as perfect together as Kay and Ethan are. Zach acts like a first-class jerk at one point though, and I was glad Emma was so strong. She stood by her convictions, even though she wanted Zach at her side, and he had faltered. With the others by her side, I think Emma is going to grow into a force to be reckoned with, and I can't wait to see her develop in James' story. (Or, at least, I hope!)
And speaking of James, he's gone from a character I didn't much like, to one who is breaking my heart as he tries to the do right thing. Read these two books and you'll see what I mean.
No mid-trilogy slump for this series, oh no. Instead, it's a nail-biting, gripping story that will keep you turning the pages and definitely leave you wanting more. HIGHLY recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oh, man. She's only gone and done it again! Jennie Lynn Roberts is an outstanding author, in my humble opinion. I haven't read a bad book of hers yet and doubt I ever will. Although not fantasy per se, this is an amazing story. It changes the way you look at shadows, that's for sure. They sound so beautiful, I wish I could see them for myself!
There is so much intrigue here. So many machinations, people being played like puppets, and others fighting the good fight. It is intricate, leading you along through a maze of words as you try to work out what the final objective is.
Zach and Emma are just as perfect together as Kay and Ethan are. Zach acts like a first-class jerk at one point though, and I was glad Emma was so strong. She stood by her convictions, even though she wanted Zach at her side, and he had faltered. With the others by her side, I think Emma is going to grow into a force to be reckoned with, and I can't wait to see her develop in James' story. (Or, at least, I hope!)
And speaking of James, he's gone from a character I didn't much like, to one who is breaking my heart as he tries to the do right thing. Read these two books and you'll see what I mean.
No mid-trilogy slump for this series, oh no. Instead, it's a nail-biting, gripping story that will keep you turning the pages and definitely leave you wanting more. HIGHLY recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Million Dollar Decorating
Podcast
With the launch of Million Dollar Decorating, James Swan adds media-host to his career...