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The Secret of Marrowbone (2018)
The Secret of Marrowbone (2018)
2018 | Drama, Horror, Thriller
6
6.0 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Good acting (1 more)
Enjoyable watch
Misleading tag line on trailer (0 more)
Some secret won't remain buried....because you need to bury them.
A mother and her four kids emigrate from the United Kingdom to America to escape her evil husband. Sadly the mother dies shortly after moving and the kids fend for themselves, keeping it secret she's gone.

The father finds them, but they fend him off....but a ghost seems to be bothering them.

It was an interesting movie to watch and I have to admit I didn't see the twist coming....I think the tagline was quite misleading though.
  
Truth in Lies (The Generators #2)
Truth in Lies (The Generators #2)
Jennifer DiGiovanni | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Truth in Lies (The Generators #2) by Jennifer DiGiovanni
Truth in Lies is the second book in The Generators series, and we reunite with Cara and Alex. Cara is still keeping her powers a secret from her family. Alex is keeping secrets from Cara and Nate. Nate is keeping secrets from Alex. It's a whole big secret-fest! The pressure is ramping up for them though, and the chances of them being 'normal' young adults seems to get further away.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story, although I did get frustrated with Cara at times. However, I had to remind myself she is only eighteen, and would I have done any different at that age? This is a high action book, with plenty of angst throughout. The story is fast-paced so make sure you keep up. I will admit to loving where this is going, and I can't wait to see where Jennifer DiGiovanni takes it next. Definitely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
40x40

ClareR (5561 KP) rated Blanket of Snow in Books

Apr 29, 2019  
Blanket of Snow
Blanket of Snow
Dianna Hardy | 2018 | Paranormal, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This picks up where The Eye of the Storm ended. If you’ve wondered what happened to Lydia and her mates, then this short story begins to tell you just that. Lydia seems much more at home in her own (wolf) skin, but she still has a secret that she’s keeping from her mates. This was only an hour long read, but it was such a GOOD read! I’m really looking forward to more from the Surrey pack in the future!
  
The second book in the Secrets & Seductions series but a standalone (as they all are), Lady Catherine's Secret tells of her rise to 'Lady' from Miss, as well as her secret fetish... fencing! Now obviously, in 1853 ladies had very strict guidelines to follow and fencing was definitely something not on that list. Cat isn't about to let that stop her though, and uses an alias of Alexander Gray so that she can attend lessons. Things change though when a new Lord appears on the scene. With mischief and mayhem, will Cat keep her secret?

I loved this story! Sheridan Jeane conveys just how much Cat is breaking the rules, and what could happen if anyone finds out, with admirable aplomb! Weaving in deals gone sour, ladies chasing after a husband, blackmail and kidnap, as well as a cameo appearance by Cecilia of It Takes A Spy... fame, this story skips along at a steady pace, keeping you intrigued and delighted as you do so.

Very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to distract the eye, this book is a solid read, thoroughly enjoyable in every way. Definitely recommended by me.

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
This Secret We're Keeping
This Secret We're Keeping
Rebecca Done | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
6
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well-Written
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

A pupil and a teacher. Is it ever right to break the rules? This is the dilemma which debut author Rebecca Done basis her novel on. This Secret We’re Keeping is set seventeen years after a maths teacher began an inappropriate relationship with a schoolgirl; but did he really deserve what happened to him, after all he loved her and she loved him?

Jess has never got over her love for the teacher she ran away with when she was fifteen. Although she has got her life together: living in Norfolk, freelance catering business, a rich boyfriend; she cannot help but think back to way Mr. Landley, Matthew, made her feel. Suddenly, after a chance encounter, Matthew is back in her life with a new name, Will, and a girlfriend and daughter. Delighted to see each other again, it is not long before they fall back into their illicit affair, however the potential consequences are almost as bad as the previous time.

This Secret We’re Keeping causes the reader to question strong personal beliefs, primarily whether a teacher-student relationship is as wrong as it sounds. If certain events in this novel were to be made public through the media, the majority would instantly hate Matthew, deem him a paedophile, and be satisfied with his punishment. However on reading the situation from his point of view, initial opinions begin to crumble. It appears he genuinely loved Jess, and she him; there were no abusive occurrences, and it was Jess that instigated the relationship in the first place. Did Matthew truly deserve to go to prison for something that would have been legal in a year’s time?

Matthew/Will’s narrative helps to show that it is virtually impossible to pinpoint a single moment that changes a life forever. At which point did he know that he had stepped over the line from right to wrong? In hindsight it is fairly obvious, but at the time the warning signs are not so clear.

Due to the challenging of preset judgments, This Secret We’re Keeping can often be difficult to read. Whilst on the one hand logic will be screaming, “This is wrong!” Done plays with her readers’ sentimentalities to consider the other side of the argument. As the novel progresses it becomes easier to fall in line with Jess and Matthew/Will’s viewpoints, however a brief interaction towards the end forces readers to temporarily reconsider their forgone conclusion. After all, how much can a first person narrative really be trusted?

Having read the blurb I admit I was a bit wary about reading this book. For one, it falls under the genre of Chick Lit, which I am not all that fond of, but secondly the book’s theme appeared rather controversial. On the whole, This Secret We’re Keeping was much better than I was anticipating, however I began to lose interest towards the end as nothing much had changed throughout the present day chapters, and it was already obvious how the past narrative would pan out. The ending is also frustratingly ambiguous, as we never find out whether either of the key characters gets a “happy ever after.”

If you are someone who enjoys Chick Lit, do not let the themes of the book put you off. This Secret We’re Keeping is essentially a romance story, one that is written remarkably well for a first time author. Rebecca Done will be a name to look out for in the world of contemporary literature.
  
TA
The Art of Keeping Secrets
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Art of Keeping Secrets is an intertwining story of 3 women (Emma, Flick, and Neve) who share a friendship and close bond. You soon find out that they each is hiding a different secret, one which they are struggling to come to terms with. A mother who never shared with her child the truth about his father. Another who fears losing her children to her ex & his new wife, while hiding a health issue. While the third lives in a picture-perfect marriage, all the while hiding the fact that her husband is not who everyone thinks he is.

Each chapter is from the point of view from one of the characters and you get a peek at their inner turmoil as they must face their secrets and the destruction it could cause to their families, friendships, and the lives that they are living.

If you want a book that is hard to put down and makes you go through every emotion (I laughed, cried, yelled, and more than once was in shock), then this is definitely a book you want to read.
  
Zero Day (John Puller #1)
Zero Day (John Puller #1)
David Baldacci | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
8
9.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
John Puller is an Army investigator. He is called to Drake, West Virginia when a fellow Army officer is found dead(along with his wife and children) in his in-laws home. With the help of local police chief Cole, they uncover some interesting dealings in Drake.

Drake is a mining town, as most are, in West Virginia. When people start showing up dead in this small town for no apparent reason, people tend to get really upset by that. So why are people getting killed? What is going on in this town that someone is trying to keep secret? Who is behind it all.

In this first John Puller novel, you are pulled in from the beginning. David Baldacci does an amazing job of drawing you into his stories and keeping you there.

**Beware** If you are listening to the audio you will hear actual gun shots and explosions! Be prepared!!
  
This Secret We're Keeping
This Secret We're Keeping
Rebecca Done | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
6
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

A pupil and a teacher. Is it ever right to break the rules?</i> This is the dilemma which debut author Rebecca Done basis her novel on. <i>This Secret We’re Keeping</i> is set seventeen years after a maths teacher began an inappropriate relationship with a schoolgirl; but did he really deserve what happened to him, after all he loved her and she loved him?

Jess has never got over her love for the teacher she ran away with when she was fifteen. Although she has got her life together: living in Norfolk, freelance catering business, a rich boyfriend; she cannot help but think back to way Mr. Landley, Matthew, made her feel. Suddenly, after a chance encounter, Matthew is back in her life with a new name, Will, and a girlfriend and daughter. Delighted to see each other again, it is not long before they fall back into their illicit affair, however the potential consequences are almost as bad as the previous time.

<i>This Secret We’re Keeping</i> causes the reader to question strong personal beliefs, primarily whether a teacher-student relationship is as wrong as it sounds. If certain events in this novel were to be made public through the media, the majority would instantly hate Matthew, deem him a paedophile, and be satisfied with his punishment. However on reading the situation from his point of view, initial opinions begin to crumble. It appears he genuinely loved Jess, and she him; there were no abusive occurrences, and it was Jess that instigated the relationship in the first place. Did Matthew truly deserve to go to prison for something that would have been legal in a year’s time?

Matthew/Will’s narrative helps to show that it is virtually impossible to pinpoint a single moment that changes a life forever. At which point did he know that he had stepped over the line from right to wrong? In hindsight it is fairly obvious, but at the time the warning signs are not so clear.

Due to the challenging of preset judgments, <i>This Secret We’re Keeping</i> can often be difficult to read. Whilst on the one hand logic will be screaming, “This is wrong!” Done plays with her readers’ sentimentalities to consider the other side of the argument. As the novel progresses it becomes easier to fall in line with Jess and Matthew/Will’s viewpoints, however a brief interaction towards the end forces readers to temporarily reconsider their forgone conclusion. After all, how much can a first person narrative really be trusted?

Having read the blurb I admit I was a bit wary about reading this book. For one, it falls under the genre of Chick Lit, which I am not all that fond of, but secondly the book’s theme appeared rather controversial. On the whole, <i>This Secret We’re Keeping</i> was much better than I was anticipating, however I began to lose interest towards the end as nothing much had changed throughout the present day chapters, and it was already obvious how the past narrative would pan out. The ending is also frustratingly ambiguous, as we never find out whether either of the key characters gets a “happy ever after.”

If you are someone who enjoys Chick Lit, do not let the themes of the book put you off. <i>This Secret We’re Keeping</i> is essentially a romance story, one that is written remarkably well for a first time author. Rebecca Done will be a name to look out for in the world of contemporary literature.
  
It: Chapter Two (2019)
It: Chapter Two (2019)
2019 | Horror, Thriller
It: Chapter Two continues the story of the malevolent cosmic being that appears mostly as a clown named Pennywise. In 1989, a group of seven friends nicknamed The Losers' Club ended the reign of terror of It, swearing a blood oath (seen in both chapters) that if It returned they would come back. They had an unearthed a twenty-year cycle of terror so one would assume that they would be extravigilent in 2016. But you know how it is. You move away from your hometown, you lose track of your friends, the horrible things that happened to you when you were 13 tend to take on a glossy foggy shade of its former memory. As an adult, you forget about some of the things you did when you were younger, keeping only the happier memories of your childhood unless you were mercilessly abused and keep hold on the childhood traumas you escaped. Bill, Stan, Eddie, Richie, Bev, and Ben have no memories of the weird events of that summer. But sometimes the past comes back to haunt you or in this case, your old friend from back then, Mike calls you up and reminds you that you made a pact.
Now, The Losers' Club reunite to defeat the evil force that overtakes their town of Derry, Maine. Like any good Stephen King adaptation, the supernatural being that terrorizes is not such a huge component. It is the story of friends and the way they are able to colloborate and grow. It: Chapter 2 is a sort of The Big Chill if a murderous clown connected the friends. Bev and Ben rediscover old feelings. Richie hides a secret from his friend, Eddie. Bill is a writer who can't write an ending until the novelization of his childhood traumas are written. Stan is (spoiler alert) Kevin Costner, but still serves an important purpose for the Club to triumph.
The movie is a blueprint for horror movie direction. Andy is a master horror visual storyteller. The movie is not very scary if you are susceptible to that. It is more a terror than fearful. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie even if it did tend to drag in areas.
  
The 39 Steps (1935)
The 39 Steps (1935)
1935 | Drama
10
7.0 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Classic
Admission #1: I loved this film.
Admission #2: It was a little confusing in spots which made it hard at times for me to be fully immersed.
Admission #3: The second admission probably had a lot to do with the fact that I was extremely tired after having run a full day on two hours of sleep.

The 39 Steps succeeded in keeping me interested because of its intriguing premise. It wasn't twenty minutes of watching before I knew there was no way I was going to miss this ending. The film is shrouded in mystery as the main characters run for their lives from location to location holding on to a secret they're not even sure of. The twist is clever and not over-the-top. You can feel it building throughout the entirety of the film. The payoff is definitely worth it.

A man in London tries to help a counterespionage agent. When the agent is killed and he stands accused, he must go on the run to both save himself and also stop a spy ring trying to steal top secret information. Robert Donat is a joy to watch playing the role of main character Richard Hannay. His charm and humor make him instantly likable.

I love when films like The 39 Steps give me yet another reason to appreciate the classics. I give it a very solid 95.