Search
Search results
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Wake of Vultures in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Wake of Vultures was an exciting, fast paced, interesting read. It was fun and different for me. It wasn’t phenomenal. I would probably read the next one in the series, but I wouldn’t spend money on it.
The biggest problem I had with the story was I felt that it tried to deal with too many things at once. Racism, sexism, sexual identity, slavery, nudity, and religion are all important and heavy topics. All of them together in one YA urban fantasy novel? It’s a bit excessive. Even though I of all people understand that sometimes when a story comes to you, as an author, you can’t change your character! That’s just who they are! And don’t get me wrong, the story was great and I enjoyed listening to it, and I was totally caught up in it. But there were times when I would listen and something would come up and I’d be like “this is too much. this is ridiculous.” It felt like overkill.
That aside, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the sequel.
The biggest problem I had with the story was I felt that it tried to deal with too many things at once. Racism, sexism, sexual identity, slavery, nudity, and religion are all important and heavy topics. All of them together in one YA urban fantasy novel? It’s a bit excessive. Even though I of all people understand that sometimes when a story comes to you, as an author, you can’t change your character! That’s just who they are! And don’t get me wrong, the story was great and I enjoyed listening to it, and I was totally caught up in it. But there were times when I would listen and something would come up and I’d be like “this is too much. this is ridiculous.” It felt like overkill.
That aside, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the sequel.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures in Books
Apr 27, 2018
What the Dog Saw (Audio) by Malcolm Gladwell
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 3/5
What the dog saw tells some interesting stories and gives details about things that you never thought about, and probably never wanted to know. It was entertaining but a little silly when you get right down to it. I mean, do I really want to know the in depth process for making the perfect tomato sauce? No, not really.
It was a bit hard to listen to this for more than 45 minutes at a time, and I would recommend listening to one “story” at a time so that you don’t get overwhelmed.
The writing was clear but not flowery or over descriptive, and it was read by the author who did a great job, but read without much enthusiasm or inflection, making it difficult to listen to for too long.
Recommendation: Ages 12+. I would think that the people who would enjoy this most would be Journalists, History lovers, or anyone on a long car ride.
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 3/5
What the dog saw tells some interesting stories and gives details about things that you never thought about, and probably never wanted to know. It was entertaining but a little silly when you get right down to it. I mean, do I really want to know the in depth process for making the perfect tomato sauce? No, not really.
It was a bit hard to listen to this for more than 45 minutes at a time, and I would recommend listening to one “story” at a time so that you don’t get overwhelmed.
The writing was clear but not flowery or over descriptive, and it was read by the author who did a great job, but read without much enthusiasm or inflection, making it difficult to listen to for too long.
Recommendation: Ages 12+. I would think that the people who would enjoy this most would be Journalists, History lovers, or anyone on a long car ride.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated One More Light by Linkin Park in Music
May 3, 2018 (Updated May 3, 2018)
A beautiful final album for Chester
I know a lot of people will hate this album because it's not like the Linkin Park of old - it's not heavy and instead is verging on mainstream and poppy. But going more mainstream worked for Coldplay and Muse, and personally i think it works well for Linkin Park too, it's just a shame this will be the last time we get something quite like this.
I think this album is very poignant and beautiful, and has some fantastic songs. Title track One More Light is by far my favourite even if it is a little sad - I dare you to listen to this & not be moved. Listening to this after Chester's death is very bittersweet, to have such a good album and realise that this album along with the rest will never be performed by Linkin Park as they were.
Its a very fitting final album for Chester - albeit maybe a little too disturbingly fitting if you listen closely to some of the lyrics. Such a shame.
I think this album is very poignant and beautiful, and has some fantastic songs. Title track One More Light is by far my favourite even if it is a little sad - I dare you to listen to this & not be moved. Listening to this after Chester's death is very bittersweet, to have such a good album and realise that this album along with the rest will never be performed by Linkin Park as they were.
Its a very fitting final album for Chester - albeit maybe a little too disturbingly fitting if you listen closely to some of the lyrics. Such a shame.
LittleBit (2 KP) rated Ready Player One in Books
Mar 16, 2018
A love letter to the 80s and all things geek!
I love this book more than I can say. I think this is one of my favorite books of all time, to be honest. Ernest Cline did a great job at giving much needed kudos to the 80s and all things geek.
I have the physical, electronic, and audio editions of this book. I can’t get enough.
This book is fantastic for many reasons: the fact that there is something for the techy, the geek, the pop-culture guru, the romantic, or even the adventure seeker.
Set in the future where our world is lived in VR, Ernest Cline takes us on an adventure that teaches many of us to sit and think “Oh, man! Do I spend that much time with technology!?”, “What would I do with more cash than any sane person should have??”, or even “What would you do for love and friendship??”
This is an easy and fun read and I think that almost anyone would get some type of joy from reading(or listening) to Ready Player One.
I have the physical, electronic, and audio editions of this book. I can’t get enough.
This book is fantastic for many reasons: the fact that there is something for the techy, the geek, the pop-culture guru, the romantic, or even the adventure seeker.
Set in the future where our world is lived in VR, Ernest Cline takes us on an adventure that teaches many of us to sit and think “Oh, man! Do I spend that much time with technology!?”, “What would I do with more cash than any sane person should have??”, or even “What would you do for love and friendship??”
This is an easy and fun read and I think that almost anyone would get some type of joy from reading(or listening) to Ready Player One.
Mekkin B. (122 KP) rated Writing Excuses in Podcasts
Feb 22, 2018
15 Minutes Long, Because You're in a Hurry and They're Not That Smart
I've been an avid follower of this podcast for years. Every episode is a concise 15 to 20 minutes surrounding a discrete topic on the subject of writing and storytelling. All four authors are fairly well known sci-fi, fantasy and horror genre authors, so the advice does tend to be more geared towards those interested in writing genre fiction, but perfectly applicable to anyone who wants to learn how to write a compelling story.
I love the format. I'm not a huge fan of the rambly format of some other hour + long podcasts. I feel like I zone in and out listening to podcasters attempt to make a point. That's never the case with Writing Excuses. Ironically, the short format that probably accounts for this also makes me wish there was more!
Plus they include a book recommendation and a writing exercise as "homework" every week, which I have found to be particularly useful.
If you're interested in writing, I would definitely give Writing Excuses a listen.
I love the format. I'm not a huge fan of the rambly format of some other hour + long podcasts. I feel like I zone in and out listening to podcasters attempt to make a point. That's never the case with Writing Excuses. Ironically, the short format that probably accounts for this also makes me wish there was more!
Plus they include a book recommendation and a writing exercise as "homework" every week, which I have found to be particularly useful.
If you're interested in writing, I would definitely give Writing Excuses a listen.
Tim Fitzmaurice (1 KP) rated The Adventure Zone in Podcasts
May 31, 2018 (Updated May 31, 2018)
Well edited (2 more)
Humorus
Worked with fans for new content
Silly, funny, and sometimes a little bit stupid. Overall grear.
Loved listening to this. My physical therapist got me into this podcast. Thanked her a couple times as it was a blast. At first I wasn't too sure how I was going to like it... found I loved the way the characters interacted with each other and the npc's. Reminded me of how my players play... A bit serious but mostly silly. Want to try and charm an enemy instead of fighting it why not? Want to poke fun at npc's why not? Want to eat a unicorn horn because you can? Go for it! This show will make you laugh and even if your an experienced gamer or game master you will discover more exciting and humorous ways to mess with one another.
I know they make money via advertising revenue from this podcast and all. I only put it in there because I needed to put a negative and couldn't think of another.
I know they make money via advertising revenue from this podcast and all. I only put it in there because I needed to put a negative and couldn't think of another.
ashezbookz (32 KP) rated From Twinkle, with Love in Books
Jul 5, 2018
I won this book in a giveaway a while ago - and finished it last night - I actually listened to When Dimple Met Rishi around the time it showed up at my door - and I must say that I much prefer that - either because of the listening aspect or because I liked the story more. For some reason I found Twinkle to be a bit annoying, repeating same things over and over (her feelings about what she was going through) and it was just not my cup of tea - perhaps if I would have listened to it I would have liked it more, and I intend to do that in the future. I have no ill words to say about any of the other characters and I quite enjoyed Maddie she seemed like she had her head on straight. Overall it was an OK read and had some funny moments but it definitely didn't hit all my wants in a book. Though I did enjoy the journal formatting/texts/emails, that was something I had never really read before.
MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated A Star Is Born (2018) in Movies
Oct 8, 2018
Give Bradley Cooper ALL the awards.
Let me start off by saying I've never seen the 1937 or 1954 versions of A Star Is Born, and I only very vaguely remember the 1976 Streisand version. That said, this movie was everything I wanted it to be, and I was enthralled from the very beginning.
While Lady Gaga's performance was amazing, Bradley Cooper's performance was a level above, and the fact that he directed as well just adds to that for me. The supporting cast was wonderful - notably Andrew Dice Clay as Ally's father, and Dave Chappelle as Jack's childhood friend.
The music was great, and I've already downloaded the soundtrack for the express purpose of listening to "Black Eyes" on repeat.
I went through all the emotions while watching this movie, and I'd definitely watch it again. It didn't feel too long, which is the case with so many movies these days, and the pace was steady but not slow.
Plus, as I overheard from one moviegoer: "I've never seen Bradley Cooper so hot." Amen, sister.
While Lady Gaga's performance was amazing, Bradley Cooper's performance was a level above, and the fact that he directed as well just adds to that for me. The supporting cast was wonderful - notably Andrew Dice Clay as Ally's father, and Dave Chappelle as Jack's childhood friend.
The music was great, and I've already downloaded the soundtrack for the express purpose of listening to "Black Eyes" on repeat.
I went through all the emotions while watching this movie, and I'd definitely watch it again. It didn't feel too long, which is the case with so many movies these days, and the pace was steady but not slow.
Plus, as I overheard from one moviegoer: "I've never seen Bradley Cooper so hot." Amen, sister.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Read Me Romance in Podcasts
Jul 24, 2019
I can no longer support this podcast
I really loved this podcast up until I found out some of the sketchy things that Alexa Riley (Lea & Mel) have done. They're known scammers who have book stuffed on Amazon, stolen plots from various authors and have been subsequently banned from Amazon.
I still love that you can get free professionally narrated audiobooks but I cannot listen to this podcast anymore due to the above issues.
Original Review:
I love this podcast because I get to try new authors and listen to professionally narrated audiobooks in bite-size chunks. I'm not one to listen to podcasts, so when I heard about this podcast through a Skye Warren post, I knew I needed to give it a try.
This podcast is a great way to read new authors and find some new favorites. I haven't had a chance to listen to all of them, but it has been fun catching up to the live airing and listening to all of the different novellas.
I still love that you can get free professionally narrated audiobooks but I cannot listen to this podcast anymore due to the above issues.
Original Review:
I love this podcast because I get to try new authors and listen to professionally narrated audiobooks in bite-size chunks. I'm not one to listen to podcasts, so when I heard about this podcast through a Skye Warren post, I knew I needed to give it a try.
This podcast is a great way to read new authors and find some new favorites. I haven't had a chance to listen to all of them, but it has been fun catching up to the live airing and listening to all of the different novellas.
David McK (3557 KP) rated Baby Driver (2017) in Movies
Aug 10, 2019
Well, that was an … interesting … film
I've seen movies before where the songs were specifically written for that movie, and were used to propel the plot along (aka musicals).
I've seen movies before where the songs were 'dropped into' the story, but could almost just as easily have been left out with no real loss to the narrative.
This falls somewhere between those 2 extremes, with the titular Baby a reluctant get-away driver (paying off an old debt) who suffers from tinnitus, and spends the majority of the movie with his headphones in listening to music from his various ipods to drown out that constant ringing.
Somewhat cliched in parts - one last job, indeed! - with an eclectic mix of music, I found the romance between Baby and Lily James waitress Debora to be somewhat unbelievable, with the film - at the very start - almost going full-on musical (too much so for my sake), as Baby dances and weaves his way through crowds to collect coffee after the first expertly-choreographed car chase.
I've seen movies before where the songs were specifically written for that movie, and were used to propel the plot along (aka musicals).
I've seen movies before where the songs were 'dropped into' the story, but could almost just as easily have been left out with no real loss to the narrative.
This falls somewhere between those 2 extremes, with the titular Baby a reluctant get-away driver (paying off an old debt) who suffers from tinnitus, and spends the majority of the movie with his headphones in listening to music from his various ipods to drown out that constant ringing.
Somewhat cliched in parts - one last job, indeed! - with an eclectic mix of music, I found the romance between Baby and Lily James waitress Debora to be somewhat unbelievable, with the film - at the very start - almost going full-on musical (too much so for my sake), as Baby dances and weaves his way through crowds to collect coffee after the first expertly-choreographed car chase.