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Kyera (8 KP) rated Pandemonium (Delirium, #2) in Books
Jan 31, 2018
My reaction at the end of the book: I just can't.
I didn't think that it was possible to end the second book with a bigger reveal/cliffhanger than Delirium - but Lauren Oliver shocked me. She slipped a little comment in that immediately made you wonder, "could it be?" I spent the next few pages fearfully reading, unsure if I wanted to know. Which ending would I prefer? All I could do was repeat no, no, no, over and over. This book is the definition of a book hangover. I immediately had to begin reading the third novel in the series.
The world building is just as immersive and well-done as the first. The author vividly describes the landscape and the new hierarchy in which Lena finds herself. This book no longer takes place in Portland, Maine but switches perspectives between the Wilds and New York City. We are also introduced to a new set of characters that help transition Lena into her new Wilds life.
Raven is the leader, young but formed under pressure like a diamond by the Wilds. Tack is her right-hand man, reliable but a bit unfriendly. She is surrounded by Hunter and Bram, tiny Blue, Grandma, Lucky, and many others. There are so many "invalids" in the Wilds that they are not all well-developed and unique characters. Those that are more important to the story are given the attention that they deserve. (Raven is also given a novella, which is a wonderful insight and in my opinion the best of the four novellas that accompany the series.) Lena must find her place and pull her weight - collecting water, tending the fire and checking for messages in the trees.
The style of switching perspectives from now to then continuously was a little off-putting at first. Before long, you get used to the style and are fully immersed in the story. Just as engaging as the first and highly recommended. Just a warning that there are more curse words in the novel than in the first.
I didn't think that it was possible to end the second book with a bigger reveal/cliffhanger than Delirium - but Lauren Oliver shocked me. She slipped a little comment in that immediately made you wonder, "could it be?" I spent the next few pages fearfully reading, unsure if I wanted to know. Which ending would I prefer? All I could do was repeat no, no, no, over and over. This book is the definition of a book hangover. I immediately had to begin reading the third novel in the series.
The world building is just as immersive and well-done as the first. The author vividly describes the landscape and the new hierarchy in which Lena finds herself. This book no longer takes place in Portland, Maine but switches perspectives between the Wilds and New York City. We are also introduced to a new set of characters that help transition Lena into her new Wilds life.
Raven is the leader, young but formed under pressure like a diamond by the Wilds. Tack is her right-hand man, reliable but a bit unfriendly. She is surrounded by Hunter and Bram, tiny Blue, Grandma, Lucky, and many others. There are so many "invalids" in the Wilds that they are not all well-developed and unique characters. Those that are more important to the story are given the attention that they deserve. (Raven is also given a novella, which is a wonderful insight and in my opinion the best of the four novellas that accompany the series.) Lena must find her place and pull her weight - collecting water, tending the fire and checking for messages in the trees.
The style of switching perspectives from now to then continuously was a little off-putting at first. Before long, you get used to the style and are fully immersed in the story. Just as engaging as the first and highly recommended. Just a warning that there are more curse words in the novel than in the first.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Cold Pursuit (2019) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Cold as ice
#coldpursuit tries to hit like an avalanche but ends up being disappointing & forgettable like #snowflakes falling on to wet ground. Cold Pursuit is a remake of the #Norwegian film #inorderofdisappearance which received extremely good reviews across the board begging the question why did it need to be remade? & the straight answer to that is no it didn't. #liamnesson plays #NelsCoxman he's quite an interesting character being the town s #hero forced to seek revenge for the death of his son, problem is Nesson plays him just has he does any character now days making him not only #boring but unlikable & its hard to sympathise with him at all. Overall the film is a huge rip off of the far superior #WindRiver & also #Fargo trying its very hardest to be a #coenbrothers movie but failing at everything especially the #humour. Tone wise its a mess with #Nesson taking everything far to seriously while the film tries its hardest to be quirky & #funny. Humour that would work well in a Norwegian movie simply fails here & at times stops the movie dead or ruins the flow/serious tension its created. #tombateman is probably the best character here but even he feels like his character is an audition for the next #Joker in a #DC #batman movie. Essentially one big statement on #racism, the fight over territory & how the benefits of having & decent upbringing shapes our future Cold Pursuit has a decent message in there somewhere its just poorly handled. I did however like the score & there are sprinklings of nice production & visuals too which helped to hold my attention. All in all Cold Pursuit is simply just 'FINE' nothing more nothing less but when there are better films out there aka Wind River, Fargo or even the original fine just doesn't really cut it. #odeon #odeonlimitless #filmbuff #filmcritic #racist #winter #cold #revenge #weekend #weekendvibes #nordicnoir
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Warlords and Wastrels (The Duellists Trilogy #3) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
This series was a great start that kind of had a dead point in the middle, then got really good again with this third book, then the last little bit was kind of a let-down. The book itself, the plot, the twists and surprises, the murder, it was all great. But the ending and how it finished was very unsatisfactory. It felt like it came out of nowhere. It made some big changes to the characters lives. I feel like if you’re going to make a big change, you need to hint at it, leave some little for-shadowing clues in the body of the work, etc. Don’t just throw someting at me at the last page. That was the only part of the book I didn’t like.
All in all it was a good conclusion and a nice finish to a fun and exciting story. Not a Joe Abercrombie or a James Patterson or a Gail Carriger, but still fun and lots of swordfights. And we all know swordfights are really the only reason I listen to audiobooks.
All in all it was a good conclusion and a nice finish to a fun and exciting story. Not a Joe Abercrombie or a James Patterson or a Gail Carriger, but still fun and lots of swordfights. And we all know swordfights are really the only reason I listen to audiobooks.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated My Heart and Soul in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Randall has done something scary and risky: She has taken her interior monologue, her thoughts, her hopes and dreams, insecurities, fears, loves and hates, and written them out into long picturesque poems for the world to see. I know I could never expose myself the way she has… It was encouraging to read her works, to get inside her head. It was uplifting to see the trust and the security she has in God, and encouraging to know that there are people out there who feel like you do. She wrote about painful subjects like cancer, doubt, death, but also had some more touchy subjects like fear of never being loved again, racism, and sex—though she did it all in a way that doesn't feel uncomfortable.
I greatly enjoyed these poems, and have found myself flipping through the pages on several occasions, just re-experiencing the things she has to say and the experiences she has to share. My Heart and Soul is well worth the buy.
I greatly enjoyed these poems, and have found myself flipping through the pages on several occasions, just re-experiencing the things she has to say and the experiences she has to share. My Heart and Soul is well worth the buy.
MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated And Then You Were Gone in Books
Feb 8, 2019 (Updated Mar 26, 2019)
Meh.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Meh.
I'm a huge fan of psychological thrillers, which this is billed as, but I just couldn't get into this one. I didn't find any of the characters very likable, including Emily, and the story took FOREVER to develop - to the point of dragging. I really felt like I was slogging through mud trying to get through this book. The author practically beats us over the head with the fact that Emily is bipolar. WE GET IT. Also, for someone who was "under suspicion" for murder, she had an awful lot of freedom, no? Even Cal, who I wanted to like, was flat and one-dimensional. I found myself not caring whether Paolo was alive or not (though, from fairly early in the story, I was 100% sure he was indeed alive), because he hadn't been interesting enough to keep my attention.
The pace didn't pick up at all until the last third of the story, if that. Even the "big reveal" was like "well, yeah, ok that's what I thought." A disappointing read.
I'm a huge fan of psychological thrillers, which this is billed as, but I just couldn't get into this one. I didn't find any of the characters very likable, including Emily, and the story took FOREVER to develop - to the point of dragging. I really felt like I was slogging through mud trying to get through this book. The author practically beats us over the head with the fact that Emily is bipolar. WE GET IT. Also, for someone who was "under suspicion" for murder, she had an awful lot of freedom, no? Even Cal, who I wanted to like, was flat and one-dimensional. I found myself not caring whether Paolo was alive or not (though, from fairly early in the story, I was 100% sure he was indeed alive), because he hadn't been interesting enough to keep my attention.
The pace didn't pick up at all until the last third of the story, if that. Even the "big reveal" was like "well, yeah, ok that's what I thought." A disappointing read.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated The Karate Kid (1984) in Movies
Dec 1, 2018
I wish I had a friend like Mr. Miyagi!
When high schooler Daniel moves to California with his mother, he soon discovers life on the West Coast is more intense then what he is used to back home and starts getting bullied by the local hooligans.
Enter Mr. Miyagi.
Daniel meets a quiet, Japanese man who gives Daniel odd jobs to do when he is supposed to be teaching Daniel to defend himself.
What does it all mean?
I could use so many phrases to describe the perfect elements of this film like coming-of-age, heroes, mentoring, positive role models, underdog story and none of them would do this movie justice.
I'm sure the younger generation would find some of this cheesy now (like the standard 80s montages), but the message is what's important and that has not changed.
It really is one of those films that just makes you feel good while watching and you always get swept up in the drama and want Daniel to succeed.
A triumph!
Enter Mr. Miyagi.
Daniel meets a quiet, Japanese man who gives Daniel odd jobs to do when he is supposed to be teaching Daniel to defend himself.
What does it all mean?
I could use so many phrases to describe the perfect elements of this film like coming-of-age, heroes, mentoring, positive role models, underdog story and none of them would do this movie justice.
I'm sure the younger generation would find some of this cheesy now (like the standard 80s montages), but the message is what's important and that has not changed.
It really is one of those films that just makes you feel good while watching and you always get swept up in the drama and want Daniel to succeed.
A triumph!
Elli H Burton (1288 KP) rated Zombieland (2009) in Movies
Oct 30, 2019
It's so funny (1 more)
Woody Harrelson. He is just brilliant.
Even a whimp like me can enjoy this!
So i first saw this on a zombie night with friends, no idea what possessed a whimp like me to participate in a zombie night but they assured me I'd like this one. They were right.
It has the odd jumpy bits which i can tolerate. This is where I usually hate a film, i HATE to be made to jump, this one does here and there but its nothing major. It's obviously got blood and guts which isn't actually what I'm bothered about.
Out of the zombie films around, its refreshing to see one that's not about the imminent death, but the survival and camaraderie of living in such a place. Reminds me of Shaun of the Dead in that respect, not about making the audience scared but laugh.
Because I'm a major whimp and i enjoy it, it speaks volumes that it's a decent film lol. Definitely recommend it and cannot wait to watch the sequel!
It has the odd jumpy bits which i can tolerate. This is where I usually hate a film, i HATE to be made to jump, this one does here and there but its nothing major. It's obviously got blood and guts which isn't actually what I'm bothered about.
Out of the zombie films around, its refreshing to see one that's not about the imminent death, but the survival and camaraderie of living in such a place. Reminds me of Shaun of the Dead in that respect, not about making the audience scared but laugh.
Because I'm a major whimp and i enjoy it, it speaks volumes that it's a decent film lol. Definitely recommend it and cannot wait to watch the sequel!
Jeremy Renner recommended E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) in Movies (curated)
Touchgrind
Games and Entertainment
App
"One of the best games available for the platform" - Gizmodo Winner of Most Innovative Game 2008 -...
Merissa (13619 KP) rated Gabriel (Legacy Ranch #2) in Books
Aug 17, 2017
Gabriel (Legacy Ranch #2) by R.J. Scott
Gabriel is the second book in the Legacy Ranch series, and we find out a bit more about the young man who cried at the trial that happened in book one. His life hasn't been a good one so far, but he is broken enough that he thinks it is just fine. He lives with his pimp, Stefan, who controls every aspect of his life, and makes Gabriel pay for any misdemeanours that Stefan thinks has happened, or that he has just made up because he's not having a good day. Stefan has managed to get into Gabriel's mind and twist things around so that Gabriel is actually thankful for all that Stefan does for him.
Cam, on the other hand, appears to have it all. He runs a successful hotel, has plenty of money, and even has a bodyguard. Things must be good, right? Wrong! Cam's family, with the odd exception, are a bunch of BEEP, condescending, BEEP, know-it-alls, who think that just because Cam is losing his sight, he must be losing all of his faculties too. His father, well, enough said about him!
Cam and Gabriel end up together on a purely business level. Cam needs someone to pretend to be with him, Gabriel wants the money. However, feelings quickly become involved, and then it's anyone's guess. Six tries to tell Cam not to get involved, but Cam pays no attention. Their road is anything but smooth, but luckily the folks at Legacy Ranch are there to help... once Gabriel lets them in.
This is a dark book, with dark topics and it's not a HEA situation full of rainbows and glitter. This is hard, and horrible, and may be a trigger book for some readers. There is light at the end of the tunnel for Gabriel though, and I really hope that he will feature in the next book, just so I can see what progress he's made.
Gabriel is extremely well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. Like I've already said, it's not an easy book to read, but it is definitely worth it. I would also say that it isn't fully necessary to have read book one in this series, or indeed the Texas series which is where we first meet Jack and Riley. This book does stand on it's own merit, but personally I would recommend reading Kyle at the minimum, just to give you a feeling of what the Legacy Ranch series is about.
If you like your M/M Romance with angst, then I can definitely recommend this book/series. Just remember the trigger warnings!
* 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!
Cam, on the other hand, appears to have it all. He runs a successful hotel, has plenty of money, and even has a bodyguard. Things must be good, right? Wrong! Cam's family, with the odd exception, are a bunch of BEEP, condescending, BEEP, know-it-alls, who think that just because Cam is losing his sight, he must be losing all of his faculties too. His father, well, enough said about him!
Cam and Gabriel end up together on a purely business level. Cam needs someone to pretend to be with him, Gabriel wants the money. However, feelings quickly become involved, and then it's anyone's guess. Six tries to tell Cam not to get involved, but Cam pays no attention. Their road is anything but smooth, but luckily the folks at Legacy Ranch are there to help... once Gabriel lets them in.
This is a dark book, with dark topics and it's not a HEA situation full of rainbows and glitter. This is hard, and horrible, and may be a trigger book for some readers. There is light at the end of the tunnel for Gabriel though, and I really hope that he will feature in the next book, just so I can see what progress he's made.
Gabriel is extremely well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. Like I've already said, it's not an easy book to read, but it is definitely worth it. I would also say that it isn't fully necessary to have read book one in this series, or indeed the Texas series which is where we first meet Jack and Riley. This book does stand on it's own merit, but personally I would recommend reading Kyle at the minimum, just to give you a feeling of what the Legacy Ranch series is about.
If you like your M/M Romance with angst, then I can definitely recommend this book/series. Just remember the trigger warnings!
* 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!