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Seth recommended Tunes of Glory (1960) in Movies (curated)
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Days Without End in Books
Jul 25, 2017
Unusual, descriptive, horrors of war
While I feel a lot of the descriptions about the genocide of Native Americans was grotesque, Barry's other descriptions was rich and beautiful especially describing the relationship between John and Thomas. It is a love story within the context of war. It is uncommon because it describes a homosexual relationship in a very natural way and also talks about the protagonist's desire to be a woman in terms of the historic backdrop.
Allory Auflick (55 KP) rated Turtles All The Way Down in Books
Jul 12, 2018
I’m a big fan of John Green so his latest release was highly anticipated. As someone with an anxiety disorder I found his portrayal of mental illness almost upsettingly exceptional. Some of the scenes were so relatable that I could see myself in Aza’s place. That being said, the overarching plot was somewhat lacking; I felt like the book wrapped up too quickly and the balance of the two plots, finding a lost rich man and living with mental illness, was lost.
Barry Newman (204 KP) rated Hard Target (1993) in Movies
Feb 26, 2020
Yes it does border on cheesy at times and the acting and one liners from Van-Damme (and mullet) are pretty ropey but this is still definitely one of his better movies. Nobody watches these sort of films for an academy award winning performance, they watch them for the action and being a John Woo film the action scenes are largely very satisfying here ( complete with familiar Woo staples - birds and flappy coats) . I liked the 'Hostel' like plot of rich people hunting the poor and thought Lance Henriksen was on good form as a memorable bad guy. All in all it's a good fun easy bit of action.
Jackjack (877 KP) rated Schitt's Creek in TV
Oct 22, 2020
Budget show but it works ridiculously well!!
So I first saw this program on tiktok a short video made me laugh so I thought why not I'll give it ago!
So when I first watched this I thought it was pretty low budget and the acting was shit. But as the episodes went on I got lost in it and I have binge watched it and almost finished. I feel the budget outlook gave it some sort of charm every episode makes me laugh and I have got lost in this story.
So this is about a rich family the roses who have unfortunately lost everything except for a small town the dad John Rose (Eugene Levy from American pie) brought for his son. This town is called schitt's creek and its about how this posh rich family go there with nothing and you see how they all grow up. It has the right amount of comedy and romance to keep me hooked. If your bored and looking for an easy watch, this is definitely the one. Good actors (took some getting used too) and a good story line. Keeps you laughing throughout.
So when I first watched this I thought it was pretty low budget and the acting was shit. But as the episodes went on I got lost in it and I have binge watched it and almost finished. I feel the budget outlook gave it some sort of charm every episode makes me laugh and I have got lost in this story.
So this is about a rich family the roses who have unfortunately lost everything except for a small town the dad John Rose (Eugene Levy from American pie) brought for his son. This town is called schitt's creek and its about how this posh rich family go there with nothing and you see how they all grow up. It has the right amount of comedy and romance to keep me hooked. If your bored and looking for an easy watch, this is definitely the one. Good actors (took some getting used too) and a good story line. Keeps you laughing throughout.
Story-telling (1 more)
Characters
An unexpected emotional ride.
As a fan of the Serial and This American Life podcasts I jumped on this podcast from the same makers. I love true crime and the initial hype around this sounded like it was going to be an investigative reporting adventure into a town where a rich boys murder had been covered up. However over the course of the podcast it changed into something quite unique.
Focusing on the person who initially contacted this American Life, John McLemore, it’s based in the small town of Woodstock and gives a stark look into the world of small town Alabama.. We get to know John well, he’s a horologist (clock maker / repairer - it was the new word of the week for me) who seems to be pretty well known in the industry for his restoration skills. John is an amazing character and as the podcast takes a dramatic change of direction we end up getting sucked into his story which is moving and full of lessons on living in a place you don’t feel you fit in.
It was an emotional ride and if you like This American Life, this is like an episode on steroids and then some.
Focusing on the person who initially contacted this American Life, John McLemore, it’s based in the small town of Woodstock and gives a stark look into the world of small town Alabama.. We get to know John well, he’s a horologist (clock maker / repairer - it was the new word of the week for me) who seems to be pretty well known in the industry for his restoration skills. John is an amazing character and as the podcast takes a dramatic change of direction we end up getting sucked into his story which is moving and full of lessons on living in a place you don’t feel you fit in.
It was an emotional ride and if you like This American Life, this is like an episode on steroids and then some.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated House of Thieves in Books
Feb 21, 2018
How far would you go to save the life of a loved one? Thats the question that architect John Cross is forced to ask himself after being confronted with evidence of his sons gambling problem and subsequent debt. The amount is more than his son, or he himself, could ever hope to repay. To keep his son from being killed by the gang holding the debt, John uses his specialized knowledge of local buildings to help the gang plan burglaries, with the understanding that with each job, some of the debt will be forgiven.
I admit that I was expecting a little more of a mystery element after reading the blurb, but even without the mystery this book takes you on an enjoyable trip to the past. The story takes place in New York, 1886, and is rich with descriptions of society life, rat baiting, etiquette, gambling dens, and almost anything else you might want to know about the time period. I did like the way that almost every member of Johns family, without his knowledge, flaunted tradition and expectations to pursue happiness in their own way, even though to be found out would have meant their ruin and social outcast. It was hard not to root for them even when you knew they were doing wrong.
If you are a fan of historical fiction (or if you enjoyed the movie Gangs of New York), then I highly recommend this one.
Note: I was provided with a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I admit that I was expecting a little more of a mystery element after reading the blurb, but even without the mystery this book takes you on an enjoyable trip to the past. The story takes place in New York, 1886, and is rich with descriptions of society life, rat baiting, etiquette, gambling dens, and almost anything else you might want to know about the time period. I did like the way that almost every member of Johns family, without his knowledge, flaunted tradition and expectations to pursue happiness in their own way, even though to be found out would have meant their ruin and social outcast. It was hard not to root for them even when you knew they were doing wrong.
If you are a fan of historical fiction (or if you enjoyed the movie Gangs of New York), then I highly recommend this one.
Note: I was provided with a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Greg Mottola recommended The Godfather: Part II (1974) in Movies (curated)
Merissa (11925 KP) rated Cherokee Summer in Books
Feb 12, 2020
Cherokee Summer tells the story of two eighteen-year-old's who both have challenging family lives, although in different ways. Ace has a dad who is cheating, a mum who is a drunk, and also has to take the major responsibility of looking after her brother. John wants to leave the reservation and go to college whilst still dealing with the rest of his family and his addict mum.
In this story you get to see where each character comes from, with their own trials and tribulations, as well as seeing them grow closer together - mainly through adversity!
There are many characters in here, some of whom play a big role, some of whom don't. There are good characters and bad. What this means is you get rich, well-rounded story with plenty to keep you turning the pages. There is action and adventure, young love, suspense, and even some moments that had me shaking my head in gob-smacked wonder.
Full of drama, this is told from the first perspective from the viewpoints of both Ace and John. If you are on the lookout for an intriguing story then I can definitely recommend this one.
* 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!
In this story you get to see where each character comes from, with their own trials and tribulations, as well as seeing them grow closer together - mainly through adversity!
There are many characters in here, some of whom play a big role, some of whom don't. There are good characters and bad. What this means is you get rich, well-rounded story with plenty to keep you turning the pages. There is action and adventure, young love, suspense, and even some moments that had me shaking my head in gob-smacked wonder.
Full of drama, this is told from the first perspective from the viewpoints of both Ace and John. If you are on the lookout for an intriguing story then I can definitely recommend this one.
* 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!
ClareR (5667 KP) rated The Echo Chamber in Books
Jan 14, 2024
How on earth can John Boyne write a book about a thoroughly , rich, famous and unpleasant family, for it to be a hilarious satire on the state of modern life that I wanted to keep listening to. It helped enormously that Richard E. Grant was narrating. He was perfect. I mean, in real life he seems really lovely, but in this audiobook, his narration exactly reflects the Cleverley family’s selfishness and disregard for anyone other than themselves.
The whole family is obsessed with social media, permanently glued to their phones - all except for the youngest member of the family who gets his kicks elsewhere. Achilles starts off as the most likeable family member, but it soon becomes apparent that he’s as bad as the rest.
I laughed throughout this: it really is very funny. The insights into social media are spot on, and has actually made me think about how much time I spend on it (whatever it was, it’s a lot less now - with the added bonus that I read more!). I can see that some would find this controversial. There were times when I wanted to block out what these people had said or done. I was far too caught up in it though, and wanted to see what they could possibly do next!
Another outstanding book from John Boyne!
The whole family is obsessed with social media, permanently glued to their phones - all except for the youngest member of the family who gets his kicks elsewhere. Achilles starts off as the most likeable family member, but it soon becomes apparent that he’s as bad as the rest.
I laughed throughout this: it really is very funny. The insights into social media are spot on, and has actually made me think about how much time I spend on it (whatever it was, it’s a lot less now - with the added bonus that I read more!). I can see that some would find this controversial. There were times when I wanted to block out what these people had said or done. I was far too caught up in it though, and wanted to see what they could possibly do next!
Another outstanding book from John Boyne!