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Ross (3282 KP) rated Firefight in Books

Sep 4, 2017  
Firefight
Firefight
Brandon Sanderson | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
9.0 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
The follow-on to Steelheart sees us (eventually) move city and become familiar with a new hierarchy of superheroes. I would have liked more exploration of the aftermath of Steelheart's defeat and the chaos that ensued before the search for Firefight begins.
The supers' weaknesses start to seem a little bit of a reach at times with no real tangible logic behind why they would be.
Again, some of the dialogue is a bit B-Movie and the characters too geeky/annoying.
  
An Abundance of Katherines
An Abundance of Katherines
John Green | 2012 | Children
10
6.9 (20 Ratings)
Book Rating
Honestly, I don't think I can not like any of John Green's works, and An Abundance of Katherines was no exception. I tend to always feel some connection when I read his stuff, to the nerdy characters who are trying to discover themselves. I'm also drawn in by thought processes, their logic, and Colin's logic is wonderful to read. Of course, I'm a bit of a math geek, at least when it comes to seeing such a beautiful equation as Collin creates, so I loved the process of trying to predict relationships.

Through the book, Colin repeatedly says he wants to matter, and I understand his longing. I too want to make a difference, want to be remembered, though perhaps not ad direly as he did in the beginning, but I am nowhere near how Lindsey was in the beginning either, because I don't want to lay low. Not only was it lovely to see them change their minds, to learn more about themselves thanks to each other, but I stsrted thinking and learning about myself as I read. Green's works tend to get me thinking, but I was especially thoughtful while reading this book.
  
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Ari Aster recommended Persona (1966) in Movies (curated)

 
Persona (1966)
Persona (1966)
1966 | Drama
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"I love all of Bergman’s films, but his later period has had the biggest impact on me, starting with Persona. The film marked the advent of a new period for him; I know that he wrote it when he was in the hospital and thought he was going to die. It adopts a dream logic in a really forward-thinking way, and like Altman’s Three Women, is an example of a proto-Lynchian dream movie. I was thinking about that when we were making Hereditary, how it gradually adopts a nightmare logic. Cries and Whispers strikes me as the most painful and beautiful film about death . . . and sisterhood. I screened it for the crew when we were making Hereditary, which is also a movie about suffering. Bergman was always wrestling with the big things—family dynamics, one’s relationship to God—but he did it in such an accessible way. His films are entertainments—they’re fun, and they’re beautiful. I feel like he has a reputation for being a forbidding director, but I find him to be as inviting as a filmmaker like that could possibly be."

Source
  
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Ari Aster recommended Cries and Whispers (1972) in Movies (curated)

 
Cries and Whispers (1972)
Cries and Whispers (1972)
1972 | Drama, Romance
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"I love all of Bergman’s films, but his later period has had the biggest impact on me, starting with Persona. The film marked the advent of a new period for him; I know that he wrote it when he was in the hospital and thought he was going to die. It adopts a dream logic in a really forward-thinking way, and like Altman’s Three Women, is an example of a proto-Lynchian dream movie. I was thinking about that when we were making Hereditary, how it gradually adopts a nightmare logic. Cries and Whispers strikes me as the most painful and beautiful film about death . . . and sisterhood. I screened it for the crew when we were making Hereditary, which is also a movie about suffering. Bergman was always wrestling with the big things—family dynamics, one’s relationship to God—but he did it in such an accessible way. His films are entertainments—they’re fun, and they’re beautiful. I feel like he has a reputation for being a forbidding director, but I find him to be as inviting as a filmmaker like that could possibly be."

Source
  
Another outstanding entry in the Brig-verse. When you tell me zombies are feature players, I inwardly groan a little as it's not a genre that typically fits the Doctor Who (or Lethbridge-Stewart) mold, and instead feels like a Walking Dead fan trying to insert his fan fic into someone else's sandbox. Not so here, as there's a certain logic and working science to the proceedings that makes all misgivings go away. The story is fast-paced and nicely told. For more of our review, visit www.travelingthevortex.com
  
A former cold case investigator puts the skills he learned on his job to looking at the evidence for the New Testament.

It's an interesting take on things, and his logic provides some good insights at times. However, I also felt it was a little shallow at times. A good introduction if you aren't familiar with the subject, and the notes in the back provide more detail if you want to examine it further.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-review-cold-case-christianity-by-j.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
Ask Science Mike
Ask Science Mike
Religion & Spirituality
10
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Podcast Rating
Christian Mysticism - Yup, that is a thing. (2 more)
Faith from a completely different point of view
real topics real discussions no fluff
Science - Faith - Life - Ask Science Mike!
Love this podcast. Mike McHargue takes any topic from science to faith to basic living anf breaks it down in a completely different way. Through a filter of logic, science and faith he turns faith based topics on their heads and digs into into the problems of traditional faith and organized religion.

Get ready to hear someone tell it like it is.
  
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Cee-Lo Green recommended Thriller by Michael Jackson in Music (curated)

 
Thriller by Michael Jackson
Thriller by Michael Jackson
1982 | Rock

"That record, and that image, and that video... it was powerful because I was afraid of it. More than just a regular horror movie, because at some point, logic will kick in. 'Freddy Kruger's not real'. But Michael Jackson is real, you know what I'm saying? I don't think it can be denied how brilliant he was. Michael Jackson was one of the most obviously brilliant things I've ever seen. Off The Wall was just as good as Thriller, if not better; it's the iconic image of Thriller that makes it so good."

Source
  
Romancing the Null (The Outlier Prophecies #1)
Romancing the Null (The Outlier Prophecies #1)
Tina Gower | 2016 | Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
First off, I don't get the name. Their wasn't much romancing of her going on. There was some tension between her and a certain werewolf but no romancing.

Then the storyline. It felt a little unexplained in background. How did these predictors come about? I know they were all some sort of paranormal descendent but..? It also got a little confusing for me with all the predictions and how the logic worked behind it.

I did like that it was different from the norm but I wasn't entirely convinced by the story.
  
Illuminae: The Illuminae Files: Book 1
Illuminae: The Illuminae Files: Book 1
Jay Kristoff, Amie Kaufman | 2015 | Children
10
9.2 (19 Ratings)
Book Rating
Unique narrative style (1 more)
Human-AI relationship
This book is ****ing epic!
The unique format and the eventful plot are just part of the reasons that make Illuminae an incredible reading.
The struggle of the cold logic of an AI that tries to stay true to its core programming but still finds itself evolving, trying to grasp human nature, even feeling emotions that it cannot completely understand (envy, rage, love, fear) reaches peaks that have something of the lyric typical of literary fiction shelf.
And this is just one of the plot line!
I can't wait to find out what's next.