Search
Search results
The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated Jack Reacher (2012) in Movies
Apr 1, 2018
A serviceable thriller, but this isn't Jack Reacher
It's just not possible.... Jack Reacher is HUGE, he is a Giant among men. His physical statue is part of the story... Tom Cruise is not. It's not his fault but this is bad casting. According to wikipedia: Explaining the casting decision, author Lee Child said that it would be impossible to find a suitable actor to play the giant Reacher and to recreate the feel of the book onscreen, and that Cruise had the talent to make an effective Reacher. Child also said, "Reacher's size in the books is a metaphor for an unstoppable force, which Cruise portrays in his own way." Of Cruise's relatively small stature, Child said, "With another actor you might get 100% of the height but only 90% of Reacher. With Tom, you'll get 100% of Reacher with 90% of the height."
I respectfully disagree. Lee Child can do whatever he likes, he created the character... but I think Mickey Rourke (as he did in Sin City) could've done a hell of a job. Or Clive Owen who is 6'2 and has action chops as well as a subtle humor.... And if you've going to without the height I think Bruce Willis is your man. Maybe they turned it down which is a shame if that's the case. This is one of my favorite literary characters.
The movie was acceptable, but could've been great.
I respectfully disagree. Lee Child can do whatever he likes, he created the character... but I think Mickey Rourke (as he did in Sin City) could've done a hell of a job. Or Clive Owen who is 6'2 and has action chops as well as a subtle humor.... And if you've going to without the height I think Bruce Willis is your man. Maybe they turned it down which is a shame if that's the case. This is one of my favorite literary characters.
The movie was acceptable, but could've been great.
14th entry in [a: Simon Scarrow|60636|Simon Scarrow|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1240832197p2/60636.jpg]'s Roman Army series of novels (that began with [b: Under the Eagle|578428|Under the Eagle (Eagle, #1)|Simon Scarrow|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1315349321s/578428.jpg|565359] and which, initially all had that word (Eagle) somewhere in their title), this concerns yet another attempt by the Romans to wipe out the Druidic cult that is responsible for most of the opposition to their conquest after the defeat of Caratacus.
With Macro injured early on and left behind to hold the fort (literally) while Cato marches off, under orders from his legate, to capture the Druid stronghold of the Isle of Mona, the novel is perhaps unusual in that the two main characters are apart for a large part of the read. Things, of course, do not go to plan, with the tail end of the novel (for some reason) reminding me quite strongly of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow ...
it is, of course, always the curse(?) of the literary hero to be in the thick of the action; to act (perhaps) out of character in relation to certain situations and threats - let's face it, it would be a pretty boring read otherwise! With that in mind, I can quite easily forgive the, perhaps, more flagrant examples of throwing the hero in the midst of things simply for the sake of doing so - the prime example being the rescue of the sailors from the shipwreck.
With Macro injured early on and left behind to hold the fort (literally) while Cato marches off, under orders from his legate, to capture the Druid stronghold of the Isle of Mona, the novel is perhaps unusual in that the two main characters are apart for a large part of the read. Things, of course, do not go to plan, with the tail end of the novel (for some reason) reminding me quite strongly of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow ...
it is, of course, always the curse(?) of the literary hero to be in the thick of the action; to act (perhaps) out of character in relation to certain situations and threats - let's face it, it would be a pretty boring read otherwise! With that in mind, I can quite easily forgive the, perhaps, more flagrant examples of throwing the hero in the midst of things simply for the sake of doing so - the prime example being the rescue of the sailors from the shipwreck.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Mister in Books
Jun 21, 2019
Alessia Demachi has left her country of Albania in order to avoid being married to a violent man and is now in London. She is working for Maxim Trevelyan as his cleaner. She comes and does her job and then leaves. When she first spots Mister Maxim naked across his bed, she can't believe her eyes. And he has this wonderful piano in his apartment that she enjoys playing when he is not there. But life is not easy for Alessia and she is constantly looking over her shoulder so she is not found by the people who brought her here and are trying to traffic her.
Maxim has just lost his brother and inherited the keys to the Earldom. This is not the life he wanted, but it is the life he now has. When he meets Alessia, he is at first shocked, since he didn't know she was now working for him and then intrigued by her beauty. Will he be able to maintain the employer/employee relationship, or will this develop into something else?
I know this book isn't a literary masterpiece, but for the most part, I enjoyed it. I wanted to know what was going to happen and when. I liked this a little better than Fifty Shades since it didn't have all the BDSM associated with it. If you like 50 Shades, you should like this one too.
One of my biggest problems with this book is that the main character's name is so much like my daughter's. Other than that, it was a quick read.
Maxim has just lost his brother and inherited the keys to the Earldom. This is not the life he wanted, but it is the life he now has. When he meets Alessia, he is at first shocked, since he didn't know she was now working for him and then intrigued by her beauty. Will he be able to maintain the employer/employee relationship, or will this develop into something else?
I know this book isn't a literary masterpiece, but for the most part, I enjoyed it. I wanted to know what was going to happen and when. I liked this a little better than Fifty Shades since it didn't have all the BDSM associated with it. If you like 50 Shades, you should like this one too.
One of my biggest problems with this book is that the main character's name is so much like my daughter's. Other than that, it was a quick read.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Perfect Date in Books
Aug 5, 2019
Angel Gomez is a single mother, doing the best she can to raise and support her son. Finishing up her nursing degree and working as a bartender has Angel always busy. When she meets Duke, a Yankees pitcher, she doesn't even know who he is, but he needs her help. His team can't know he's not ready to take the mound, so Duke needs Angel to pretend they are dating so he has an excuse for why he's visiting the clinic where she works. But Angel has enough drama in her life with her boss's trying to hit on her all the time, to be worried about Duke's drama as well. Will she go along with the fake dating or will she pass?
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I have been watching Basketball Wives from the very first season. Then Evelyn Lozada had a shoe store in Miami. Now she's living in L.A. as a single mom to 2 children and is still on Basketball Wives. I can hear her in this book. Her voice rings through Angel's character.
Now this book was no literary piece of art, but it held my attention throughout. I didn't like the repetitiveness of the book and there were a couple of things in there that seemed so unreal. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I got it because of watching the show and I wanted to see what it was all about.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I have been watching Basketball Wives from the very first season. Then Evelyn Lozada had a shoe store in Miami. Now she's living in L.A. as a single mom to 2 children and is still on Basketball Wives. I can hear her in this book. Her voice rings through Angel's character.
Now this book was no literary piece of art, but it held my attention throughout. I didn't like the repetitiveness of the book and there were a couple of things in there that seemed so unreal. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I got it because of watching the show and I wanted to see what it was all about.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2322 KP) rated Crypt Suzette in Books
Feb 25, 2020
Halloween Hit and Run
Val Deniston’s granddad has taken on another boarder, a young woman named Suzette Cripps. Suzette spends most of her time in her room, but she is planning to participate in the literary themed costume contest to celebrate the town’s new bookstore. The morning after the contest, Suzette is dead, killed by a hit and run driver. The police are investigating, but they think it was an accident. Val can’t help but think it was more than that. Is she right?
The mystery starts out quickly, and it is easy for us to share Val’s suspicion that this wasn’t an accident. There are plenty of suspects, and I felt like it took a little while for me to keep them all straight. This is a minor complaint, however, as they did get developed as the book went along. I’m in awe at how the clues were sprinkled into the book, and as Val used them to piece things together at the end, I felt foolish for not picking up on them myself. The book is set at Halloween, and the fall atmosphere is a lot of fun. We get a creepy Halloween inspired scene near the end as well. Val’s granddad is a hoot, and I really enjoyed his sub-plot involving ghost hunting. There are five more five-ingredient recipes at the end of the book. While it would be fun to read this book at Halloween, it works well at any season of the year. I enjoyed it in February, after all.
The mystery starts out quickly, and it is easy for us to share Val’s suspicion that this wasn’t an accident. There are plenty of suspects, and I felt like it took a little while for me to keep them all straight. This is a minor complaint, however, as they did get developed as the book went along. I’m in awe at how the clues were sprinkled into the book, and as Val used them to piece things together at the end, I felt foolish for not picking up on them myself. The book is set at Halloween, and the fall atmosphere is a lot of fun. We get a creepy Halloween inspired scene near the end as well. Val’s granddad is a hoot, and I really enjoyed his sub-plot involving ghost hunting. There are five more five-ingredient recipes at the end of the book. While it would be fun to read this book at Halloween, it works well at any season of the year. I enjoyed it in February, after all.
The Sarashina Diary: A Woman's Life in Eleventh-century Japan
Sugawara no Takasue no Musume, Sonja Arntzen and Moriyuki Ito
Book
A thousand years ago, a young Japanese girl embarked on a journey from the wild East Country to the...
The Writer's Garden: How Gardens Inspired Our Best-Loved Authors
Book
Great things happen in gardens. No one can doubt the importance of the garden in Roald Dahl's life...
Walter Benjamin: A Critical Life
Book
Walter Benjamin is one of the twentieth century's most important intellectuals, and also one of its...
War is War: By Ex-Private X
Book
Alfred Burrage's War is War is his sincere and successful attempt to record his experiences as a...
Platform Souls: The Trainspotter as 20th-Century Hero
Book
Nicholas Whittaker's much-loved classic recollects the long sunny days of his childhood when,...