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BH
Bodily Harm (David Sloane, #3)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the second book I've read that was written by Robert Dugoni. I have to admit at first I wasn't a big fan of this book, but after getting about 50 pages in, the book did begin to pick up the pace a bit. Once the plot hit it's stride, it moved at breakneck speed with barely a second to let the reader catch his/her breath! (Just the way I like it!) So if you can forgive a slow start the payoff in the end is well worth it.
I also like the main character in Dugoni's books...David Sloane. He is a slightly misunderstood, foster care system raised, misfit attorney. But he is very easy to like, even if he does tend to be a bit lucky in verdicts & lost witnesses turning up at the last minute. You can't help but feel for him & want him to win.
  
The Cuckoo's Calling
The Cuckoo's Calling
Robert Galbraith | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.0 (21 Ratings)
Book Rating
Character depth (0 more)
Slightly too drawn out (0 more)
I read this book for my monthly book club, I was a bit dubious about reading it for two reasons- number one, I don't usually read crime fiction and number two, knowing it was J K Rowling and how much I love Harry Potter, I didn't know if I would like it.
All that being said I absolutely loved it, just as ahe does with Harry Potter she gives the characters so much depth and background you feel like you actually know them. I love the character of Cormoran Strike and the relationship he has with Robin.
I also like the fact there were no clues given away at all to indicate how the book will end which kept me interested all the way through.
Needless to say I will absolutely be reading the next few books in the series.
  
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Joseph Mount recommended Pinkerton by Weezer in Music (curated)

 
Pinkerton by Weezer
Pinkerton by Weezer
1996 | Rock
9.0 (4 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"That was a massive record for me. I remember being obsessed with the first Weezer record, then Pinkerton came out and I think it happened at the right time for me as far as feeling like a teenager, It’s funny, if you listen to it now it’s a bit of an odd, but very solid album about being awkward. The sound of it was quite unusual as well, the production, compared to the first Weezer record, it’s very live sounding and immersive. It was just what I was in the mood for as a teenager. I was chatting to someone the other day about early Weezer lyrics and how a lot of it’s quite cringy. It would get scrutinized in a different way nowadays, lines like ‘God damn you half-Japanese girls’, but I still really like this as a record. It’s a naïve record."

Source
  
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Sarah (7800 KP) rated Google Maps - GPS Navigation in Apps

Nov 4, 2017 (Updated Nov 4, 2017)  
Google Maps - GPS Navigation
Google Maps - GPS Navigation
Navigation, Utilities
8
8.7 (140 Ratings)
App Rating
Couldn't live without it
For me, Google maps is a vitally essential app that I just couldn't without it. There's rarely a day goes by where I don't use it for directions or checking traffic. The fact that you can check traffic is a very handy feature! I also love that you can check bus times by clicking on a bus stop. If like me you're not a regular bus rider, this is very helpful.

My only criticisms would be that sometimes the alternative routes don't seem to work. I live near the Manchester M60 ring road, so know there's always at least 2 options by going opposite ways round the ring road. However sometimes Google only gives me one route. But then other times it gives me both. Even if the traffic is atrocious I'd still like to see both routes! It also then makes me question the routes it gives me when I don't know the area.

Also the traffic indicator can be a little hit and miss. Sometimes it can be showing red, but there ends up being barely any traffic at all.
  
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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) Nov 4, 2017

Literally the most important app on phones!

MO
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book was an entertaining novel but it really didn۪t speak to me. The fact that Abby was so quick to lose her morals did not impress me. I۪m one for smut, but it felt a little weird to have the heroine give up her moral stance so quickly.

ۏAnd just what do you plan to do? Rape me?۝ ۏNo, I intend on making love with you۝ ے Seriously?!? Agh!

It also seemed that Abby and Jake۪s romance was a little forced. I couldn۪t help but roll my eyes at the plot line and the actions of the characters. This girl is supposed to be angelic yet she gives lap dances to prove someone wrong۟ correct me if I۪m wrong, but that isn۪t very angelic.

While on the subject of angelicness I would like to point out that the religious part of the book also felt forced. The only time her religion came into play was when she was lecturing individuals on being too judgmental.

I liked the concept of the book but for me it felt like a cup of decaf coffee, has a similar taste to coffee but didn۪t give me anything to look forward to.
  
S
Secret by Alli Fitz
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Rating
Alli Fitz is a talented singer-songwriter, YouTuber, and comedian. Not too long ago, she released a lovely urban-pop tune, entitled, “Secret”.

“Last night you called me to get it off your mind. ‘Cause we both know that her love ain’t quite like mine. Sooner or later you’ll be back for more and I’ll be waiting just like every time before.” – lyrics

‘Secret’ tells an interesting tale of a young woman who desires to be with a guy who is in a romantic relationship with another woman.

Apparently, he’s confused, therefore, his lover, the woman, reveals to him that she’s a better fit for him than his current girlfriend.

Later, she urges him to let go of his girlfriend so they can be together as a couple. But in the meantime, she promises to keep what they got going on a secret.

‘Secret’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and lush instrumentation flavored with an urban-pop aroma.

“This song describes the mood and feelings you get when you’re trying to convince that special someone that you’re better than the person they’re currently with. We’ve all been there.” – Alli Fitz

https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/alli-fitz-secret/
  
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Awix (3310 KP) rated Bombshell (2019) in Movies

Jan 20, 2020  
Bombshell (2019)
Bombshell (2019)
2019 | Drama
Based-on-fact drama exposing the reality of sexual harassment in the American media, from the director of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (feel that cognitive dissonance!). When a broadcaster is hired from right-wing network Fox News, she resolves to sue the founder, causing ructions throughout the organisation. It's actually a bit more wide-ranged and discursive than that, touching on various issues connected to attitudes towards the media and the exploitation of woman. Not explicitly anti-Trump, but the mood music is certainly not supporting him - I doubt many of the red cap brigade will find much here to enjoy.

To be honest, I was kind of expecting something more like The Big Short or Vice - angry and smart, but also blackly funny and formally creative. After a fairly sparky first act this just becomes quite a serious drama about sexual harassment. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but the thing is that it does become a bit issue-led. Some very good performances, though, and the prosthetics are fun too, I suppose (most of these people are unknown in the UK, though - did like Malcolm McDowell's Rupert Murdoch). Very watchable.
  
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Jeremy Workman recommended Revanche (2008) in Movies (curated)

 
Revanche (2008)
Revanche (2008)
2008 | Crime, Drama, Romance
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"I love soulful noirs, and this slow-burn Austrian crime thriller is one of my faves of the new millennium. It’s as if Bergman made a movie about cops and robbers. Austrian director Götz Spielmann gets incredible naturalistic performances, and the storytelling has some real breathing space, which is rare in crime thrillers. (For another soulful Criterion crime pic, give The Hit a look-see.) What I love most about Revanche is this narrative magic trick it pulls. You think it’s going to be a relatively conventional story about a robbery that goes off the rails and criminal-code revenge. But instead it turns into this deep exploration about the intersection of people and the happenstances that lead us down surprising paths in our lives (a theme that I explored in my documentary Magical Universe. Find it!). Like the best noirs, the crime plot is just the Trojan horse that takes you into a profound story about choice and consequence. Before you even know it, Revanche has morphed into something like a Kieślowski film, and it suddenly knocks you on the floor and leaves you in a heap."

Source
  
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
2016 | Drama, History, War
This is honestly one of my favorite films ever made. I love Andrew Garfield even before he was in this film but then to see him in this film, he just shines. He is a phenomenal actor and while he's the main character, he doesn't take up too much space. It's clear that the story really isn't about Andrew Garfield as Desmond Doss, the story is about Desmond Doss and what he did for his country. I'm not sure that makes sense, but go with me. He gives such a powerful performance that it doesn't feel like you're watching an Andrew Garfield film, it's like you're watching what really happened to Desmond. I think those are the best films. When it isn't about the actors, it's about the story they're telling. When the story outshines the cast, I think that's when you have a great film on your hands. Sure, it helps that this cast was phenomenal - I love seeing Vince Vaughn play different levels of seriousness - but the story is what prevails here.

I think this might be Andrew Garfield's best film and easily one of the best films ever made.