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Debbiereadsbook (1202 KP) rated Enough in Books

Aug 14, 2019  
Enough
Enough
Matthew J. Metzger | 2019 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Jesse was HARD work!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Jesse loves Ezra, he just can't say the words while he's waiting for Ezra to realise that Jesse isn't good enough for him. It takes an accident to make him see what Ezra does: that Jesses really is more than enough for him!

For the most part, I did enjoy this. Besides one glaring reason, which I will tell you shortly, the other reason is a little less glaring and might just be the reason other people love this book.

And it's Jesse himself!

You know the saying, if you hear it often enough, you'll start to believe it?? Well Jesse does not believe Ezra when he tells him he loves him. Jesse does not believe Ezra when he tells him he does NOT want his ex. He does not believe Ezra when Ezra tells Jesse that his family are homophobic and will hate Jesse on sight but that's only because Jesse is a MAN and not for Jesse himself.

And I found this bit hard to deal with! I mean Ezra tells him often enough, enough to get a little bored hearing Ezra repeat himself time and time again. Jesse talks himself down so much, I started to get negative feelings for him, and wanted to slap him upside the head and MAKE HIM SEE, but it's not until he realises he might actually LOSE Ezra, that Jesse takes stock, and finally, halle-flipping-luiah, prasie the God he doesn't belive in, Jesse FINALLY can see, that he really is what Ezra wants, WHO Ezra wants! It just took him far too long for my liking!

And the glaring thing?? Only Jesse has a say. Yes yes I know I say it often enough to be as annoying as Jesse is here, but come on! Ezra NEEDED a say, to balance out how negative Jesse was for most of this book. Ez is quite a chirpy soul, and I think this may well have been a 5 star read, had Ez been given a voice, and we got into HIS head, when he was telling Jesse over and over how much he loved him and wanted him.

It's heavy on steam and passion, but at one point I thought it might come out almost clean. It wasn't til it was clear it was NOT going to be clean, that I noticed it had been up to that point, and,to be honest, this book would have been great (previous points aside) had it been totally clean. I didn't dislike that it came out not clean, but I would have liked it just as much if it had, does that make sense? Does to me, so hope it does to you!

The after effects of the accident is described in great detail, graphically so, and that really IS needed, to get the full picture. Not easy reading, but you do need it.

This is the first I've read of this author, but another of his books is sitting on my "languishing on kindle" shelf. I might pull it forward!

So, because Jesse was a little grating on the nerves, adn because ez doesn't get a say. . . .

4 solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
 The Righteous Gemstones
The Righteous Gemstones
2019 | Comedy
Danny Mcbride (0 more)
This raucous comedy focuses on the Gemstone family,a bunch of TV evangelical preachers lead by head preacher Eli Gemstone.

The main story focuses on eldest son Jesse is blackmailed by a couple of thugs who have a vidro of him and other members of the church taking drugs with prostitutes when on a church related trip to atlanta.As things get more complicated the rest of the family are dragged into it and much hilarity ensues.

I was never really a big fan of Danny McBride (who created the show also) but in this he is brilliant as the arrogant son Jesse,as is john goodman as his dad.
  
Krampus
Krampus
Brom | 2012 | Horror
9
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A dark fairytale with occasional illustrations
Let's head into Christmas with something out of the ordinary, shall we? This was one heck of a dark fairytale, set in West Virginia, in a town where everyone knows everyone and the head of police is in cahoots with the local crime lord.

The story opens on Christmas Eve with Jesse Walker, failed husband and father, depressed, alone, and contemplating suicide, until he sees Santa Claus attacked and fleeing into the sky, leaving behind his magic sack. What he doesn't know is that Santa's attackers are mostly after the magic sack, and what he thinks is his salvation turns out to be what traps him into everything that follows.

And what follows is a thrillride! Jesse is roped into being one of Krampus' servants, along with his belsnickels, people Krampus has lent a portion of his magic to. The magic twists them into fur-covered monsters, but also grants them healing and near-immortality.

Between trying to rekindle the lost traditions of Yule and hunting down Santa Claus to end him for good, Jesse also struggles to save his wife and daughter from the possibly-murderous cop they're living with.

By the end of the book I wasn't sure who to cheer for, other than Jesse and one of the belsnickels, Isabel. But Krampus? He might be right, but is he good? I'm not sure. Similarly, except for his millennia-past misdeeds, Santa is good NOW. But I'm not sure he's right. In an ideal world, the two of them could come to some compromise and apologize to each other, but this is a dark fairytale, so of course that's not the case!

I enjoyed this book, even if there wasn't a lot of happiness in it. It definitely embodies the Appalachia Gothic idea.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
  
The Devil's Candy (2015)
The Devil's Candy (2015)
2015 | Drama, Horror
7
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Pruitt Taylor Vince perfectly cast...
265. The Devil's Candy. A pretty intense horror/thriller about everyone's favorite superhero: Satan!! Ok, it's more about the people that fall under that sly bastards charms... Jesse and Astrid move into a pretty sweet old house with their daughter, Zooey. Yea, sure the previous occupants died in the house under totally normal circumstances, a-hem, but it's just a house right. Everything is all razor blades and rainbows until the previous occupant of the house shows up and wants in... After that metal head Jesse, because metal heads worship Satan, starts hearing the dark lords sweet nothings in his ear, and unleashes itself in the form of Jesse's art... And the picture he paints, oh boy... Flames... his daughter... and dead kiddies... Yea it seems, the previous occupant, Ray, well maybe his parents deaths weren't so natural, and he may hear voices too... Pretty violent at times but also coated in a hidden layer of religious crap... it was a decent flick... Cool Metal soundtrack... Choosing Pruitt Taylor Vince to play a child murderer, always an excellent choice!! They dug up Ethan Embry for this one painted him like Jesus a bit, Shiri Appleby of Roswell fame (lol) and Angelina Jolie's hollywood clone as the daughter. Under 1 1/2 hours, you got the time, chillax, watch... Filmbufftim on FB
  
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Toy Story 3 (2010)
2010 | Animation, Comedy, Family
(would have been) the perfect end to the Toy Story series
Viewed by many as the perfect culmination of the Toy Story films, in which Andy has now grown up and is about to leave for College (or, as we call it here, University).

Many of his old toys have fallen by the wayside over the years since the first two Toy Story films - either sold off, or broken, or given away - leaving just a small cadre of Andy favourite childhood toys still around: Buzz, Woody, Jesse, Mr and Mrs Potato Head, Rex and Dr PorkChops (I think that's his name … you know, the Piggy Bank toy), with most of those - except Woody - mistakenly donated to Sunnyside Daycare Care, where they believe they will get played with every day.

(Incidentally, it's no mistake that Sunnyside Daycare Centre is a name that could just as easily be applied to an Old People's Home just as much as to a nursery.

That ending, though.

I'm not crying … you're crying!
  
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Merissa (12058 KP) rated Unashamedly Us (Offbeat Shifters #4) in Books

Apr 14, 2021 (Updated Jul 27, 2023)  
Unashamedly Us (Offbeat Shifters #4)
Unashamedly Us (Offbeat Shifters #4)
Colette Davison | 2021 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
UNASHAMEDLY US is the fourth and final book in the Offbeat Shifters series and concludes both Austin and Charlie's story, plus the series so far. I say so far because I really hope to return to this world in the future!

Three months doesn't sound that long, not until you realise you're not going to see the one you love during that time. This hits both Charlie and Austin at the same time. They've spoken about their future, and it's all good until that separation rears its ugly head.

Oh, this book made me so happy and so mad!!! I hated that record label, I really did! Their attitudes sucked and I really felt for Charlie. I think the way this story was finished, giving everyone their HEA, was simply perfect. Charlie and Austin deserve each other, just as Jesse and Isaac do.

I could ramble on and on, going into way too much detail about this or that happening, but instead, so I don't spoil it for anyone, I will just say this book is the Star of the Crown for this series. Everything I could ask for, and more!

The pacing is perfect, the overall story arc is finished, we get glimpses into Jesse and Isaac's life, plus Charlie and Austin get their HEA. This book brought tears to my eyes in such a good way. There is nothing about this book that I would change!

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND both this book and the series. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and get my grubby little mitts on some more Colette Davison books.

* 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!
Apr 14, 2021
  
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Kurt Vile recommended Interstellar Space by John Coltrane in Music (curated)

 
Interstellar Space by John Coltrane
Interstellar Space by John Coltrane
2020 | Pop
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Well, that was another one I burned on my way. At first, I was into the earlier John Coltrane, and then when he went into more free jazz, at first I didn't like it as much because I was so into his early tone and the swing and the melody of this more classic jazz, but the next one's more like that. Jesse [Trbovich, bandmate in the Violators] turned me on to it. We got stuck on the way home from an LA show or somewhere, we got dumped off in Phoenix, Arizona, and we had to stay for the night. We knew a really good record store there, Revolver Records, there was just a ton of jazz. I was wanting to stock up so I got Interstellar Space as a recommendation. When I first listened, I was like, [shrugs] yeah, 'cause he's just freaking out, just him and a drummer, Rashied Ali, then I burned it anyway. Usually what happens is that it sounds so good 'cause it's burned from those original vinyls and then you crank it in your headphones and it just sounds unreal, so that's what happened with that one on the way to Joshua Tree. My mind was blown and it's just so open and such raw emotion and so psychedelic without any of the pretensions that 'psychedelic' eventually became - he's just the real thing. It's just wide open and sprawling. 'Lost My Head' for sure has that jazz influence... obviously it's a white man's, with limited skill. The convenience of the key of C, for instance - you play all those sevenths with the same formation all over the place, so that's why the piano's beautiful, but that's got the McCoy Tyner or whatever thing in it."

Source
  
Now You See Me 2 (2016)
Now You See Me 2 (2016)
2016 | Mystery
The new Lionsgate film Now You See Me 2 is a sequel to the 2013 film of
the same name.

It brings back most of the same cast members: Jesse Eisenberg as J.
Daniel Atlas, Mark Ruffalo as FBI agent Dylan Rhodes, Woody Harrelson as
Merritt McKinney, Morgan Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley, and Dave Franco as
Jack Wilder. It introduces Daniel Radcliffe as Walter Mabry and Lizzy
Kaplan as Lula. It is directed by Jon Chu.

This film picks up some months after the first film ends, with the Four
Horsemen in hiding, and Dylan Rhodes pretending to try to track them
down for their crime of thievery from the rich insurance tycoon that
withheld paying Rhodes’ fathers’ life insurance claim 30 years earlier.

The movie is fast paced and full of special effects, but it is certainly
fantastical and unbelievable. I am not sure there was even a little
realism in the entire movie, but it was fun to watch.

The banter between characters was funny, and it was interesting, if not
believable, to watch the effects used to create the magic tricks in the
movie. I thought that the movie was suspenseful, and I had one ending in
my head, but that isn’t the way it turned out, so it was sufficiently
twisty to hold my attention.

My friend that accompanied me has not seen the first movie and was able
to follow the sequel just fine, due to the narratives that tie the two
movies together. Regarding this film, she says: “Just when you think
you’ve got it all figured out, its something else altogether. The movie
was light hearted, adventurous, funny and suspenseful.”

For me, the effects in the movie make it one that ought to be seen on
“the big screen” but I would be hard pressed to go during any time when
it was full price, rather, I would catch it at a matinee or with a
coupon or at the second run theatre.
  
Black Christmas (2019)
Black Christmas (2019)
2019 | Horror
Verdict: All Over the Place

Story: Black Christmas starts as we meet our sorority sisters Riley (Poots), Kris (Shannon), Marty (Donoghue), Jesse (O’Grady), Helena (Adams) and Fran (Morris) who are preparing for the Christmas break, with Riley having history with the alpha sorority, which never got dealt with by the authorities.
They decide to get revenge through song and soon find themselves getting picked of by a masked killer, where they need to find themselves fighting to survive.

Thoughts on Black Christmas

Characters – Riley is previously a victim of sexual assault by one of the rich college students, 3-years-later she is still dealing with the effects, being the big sister to the rest of the sisters and is one of the few that worries about the locations of the other girls. Kris has been on a crusade to get equality, she spends most of the time preaching about how men have it easy and mostly gets annoying. Marty is another member of the sorority and like Jesse, we don’t learn much more about any of the other girls.
Performances – Imogen Poots is a talent actress when she is given something to work with, she is the strongest of a weak story, where nobody comes off like they are giving a good acting performance.
Story – The story is meant to be following a group of sorority sisters that get picked off and attacked by a masked killer over the Christmas break. Well, where do we start to break this story down, first thing, this isn’t any sort of remake or sequel to either movie seen before, it uses the location of the house and one look at a death, don’t think this is a remake. Secondly, we spend more time trying to get the message over about men thinking they can walk all over women and the only good men in life are nervous wrecks around the women. Thirdly, this is meant to be a horror and doesn’t even know what tone to stick to. Finally, the trailer gives away everything. This is a social message that uses an existing horror franchise to try and get a point over, without using any sort of subtitle approach.
Horror/Mystery – The horror in this film is almost non-excitant, it tries to use the slow slasher traits early on, which show glimpses, only to go, ‘you know what, we want to do an action horror now’ by the end. The mystery is also poor, because we get zero potential suspects and the only person it could be is revealed in the trailer.
Settings – The college location is fine, though it is the weird college I have ever seen.
Special Effects – When it comes to the effects, we get basic horror ones, sadly, the film decides to hide away from showing any actual gore, even though the injuries are designed to show it.

Scene of the Movie – Nate grabs an axe.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The girls leave a party at what they say is midnight, we cut to one that left early and it is suddenly 10.45, seriously can people not tell the time?
Final Thoughts – This is a very bad social message horror that spends more time banging you over the head with the message, than actually giving us a coherent story or any scare.

Overall: Social Message, without a scare.
  
Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)
Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)
2019 | Action, Comedy, Horror
I ended up enjoying this film
I really enjoyed the 2009 Horror/Comedy ZOMBIELAND - a truly unique and original film that blends the trendy (at the time) Zombie genre with really smart comedy populated by some truly charismatic comedic performers and a GREAT surprise cameo.

So...I greeted the news that there would be a sequel - 10 years later - with a shrug. Why would they want to revisit this tired (at this time) genre with performers that have (for the most part) gone on to "bigger and better" things (including a few Oscar nominations and 1 Oscar win). But...I enjoyed the first, so I figured I'd check it out. And...for the first 20 minutes or so of this film, I sat there with my arms folded across my chest thinking "they are just trying too hard to replicate the first film". And then an interesting thing happened...

I chuckled to myself. Then I chuckled some more, and then I started laughing out loud and at about the 1 hour mark, I realized, "I'm really enjoying myself".

Credit, I think, has to go the charm, charisma and chemistry between the 4 returning leads - Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin and Woody Harrelson. It was like running into 4 old friends and old, comfortable, patterns re-emerge (kind of liking eating comfort food). These are ably assisted by good, fun turns by the likes of Rosario Dawson, Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch. Special mention has to be made of Zoey Deutsch's turn as blonde air-head, Madison. This could have easily been a one-note, annoyance. but she brings something more to role that makes her endearing, not cloying.

The original creative team - Director Ruben Fleischer and Writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick - are back as well, so the style and humor are similar to the first film - not really bringing much new to the proceedings, but not just "getting a paycheck" either.

This film is "nothing new", but I enjoyed it anyway - so if you liked the first Zombieland, you'll like this one as well. ONE NOTE - there is a "credits scene" as well as a "button scene" at the end of the credits that are MUST WATCH. So stick around for those, you'll be glad you did.

Letter Grade: B+

7 1/2 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)