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Jewels (684 KP) rated Social Creature in Books

Jul 19, 2018  
Social Creature
Social Creature
Tara Isabella Burton | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
8
8.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Not my normal go to read, but it sucked me in and won't let go. This story has a good flow to it, making for an easy read that can be finished rather quickly if you have the time. It is a rather strange, yet intriguing story about Louise, who pretends to be a different type of person than she really is, until it all twists horribly out of control. Did not expect the ending, but it was a good fit. The end left some open lines to continue the story if the author sees fit at a later date.
  
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Kevin Phillipson (9970 KP) rated Bob's Burgers - Season 1 in TV

Jun 1, 2022 (Updated Jun 1, 2022)  
Bob's Burgers  - Season 1
Bob's Burgers - Season 1
2011 | Animation
H. Jon benjamin (1 more)
Kristen schaal
Been binge watching bobs burgers in preparation for the movie tomorrow review up after the movie big fan of the show for years its dry humor the characters namely Bob played by H. Jon benjamin he has the right voice for the and he's one of my favourite characters I have twice cos played Bob at conventions. If I had to say who my second favourite character would be it has to be louise voiced by kristen schaal the youngest and the most devious of the three children. Anyway hope the movie lives up to the show
  
OT
One to Keep (One to Hold, #2)
Tia Louise | 2014
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Tia Louise has done it again! One To Keep is the perfect follow up of One To Hold, but it shows you things from another perspective; a man's. I loved this book, because although it did rehash some of the scenes from One To Hold it did show it from a different side.

The characters were very well developed in this book, and I felt like I really got a chance to know and understand Elaine and Patrick. They were great supporting characters, but Tia in her amazing storytelling abilities took Patrick and Elaine from supporting roles to main characters, and I instantly fell in love with them. We were also introduced to a couple new character, one I loved the other I loved to hate!

Kenny was a fabulous addition to this book, and I hope I get to see more of her. I loved her style and the way her personality played so well off of Patrick's. She's a very interesting character whom I wasn't expecting. She kind of just blindsided me with her awesomeness. Star/Toni was my love to hate character. I loved the way she came into the picture, but hated the torment she put Patrick through.

As per usual Tia Louise writing style, the characters and drama was hot, but the sex scenes were even hotter! I am so glad to have finally found an author that isn't afraid to get down to the nitty gritty and have a sex scene just be raw and call things what they really are.

Over all this book gets 4 stars and two thumbs up in my opinion! I can't wait to read more from Tia Louise! She is a great new writer that is really going to make a name for herself. I expect some great things in her future!

***This book was provided as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.***
  
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Kevin Phillipson (9970 KP) rated Doctor Who: Robots of Death in TV

Jul 17, 2020 (Updated Jul 17, 2020)  
Doctor Who: Robots of Death
Doctor Who: Robots of Death
1977 | Sci-Fi
9
6.8 (12 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
Tom baker (2 more)
Louise Jameson
Vocs
I like this one it has everything that makes classic who group of people who are trapped with the doctor and his companion with an enemy who's killing them off one by one. The story takes alot of cues from Agatha Christie novels plenty of red herrings. And then there's the VOCs probably one of the best designed robots in who history. plus Tom baker in his element trying to convince the crew that it's the VOCs that are the real killers and not him or someone else is controlling them. Pure classic but not the last time that doctor who will use Christie for inspiration
  
Rattlesnakes by Lloyd Cole / Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
Rattlesnakes by Lloyd Cole / Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
1984 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"“Louise is the girl with the perfect skin/ She says turn on the light, otherwise it can't be seen/ She's got cheekbones like geometry and eyes like sin/ And she's sexually enlightened by Cosmopolitan”. To think that was a hit record! It can be done. It can be done. I can remember everything. Again, it’s one of my favourite covers ever - the mystery of this story of a hazy door - are you going to open it and enter this world of student bedsit literary excellence? It’s a really underrated album and I absolutely adore it to this day. I’ve been trying to get my kids into it, but they’re not having it. It’s all Daft Punk for them."

Source
  
The Scarlet Empress (1934)
The Scarlet Empress (1934)
1934 | Classics, Drama
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"This fifth film from von Sternberg and Dietrich is their apotheosis, delirious and excessive, with the most perfectly controlled photography (by Bert Glennon) of any black-and-white film ever made. Dietrich never looked more beautiful, nor flaunted her signature decadent Dietrich persona more fully. Their sixth and final film, The Devil Is a Woman, harshly photographed by von Sternberg himself, just didn’t work. But after The Scarlet Empress, it’s not surprising that neither director nor actor had anywhere better to go, as this film summed up and concluded the greatest actor-director collaboration in film history. And the supporting performances by Louise Dresser, as the empress, and Sam Jaffe, as the mad emperor, are really superb."

Source
  
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ClareR (5603 KP) rated Snowflake in Books

Sep 11, 2021  
Snowflake
Snowflake
Louise Nealon | 2021 | Fiction & Poetry, Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences, Travel
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A really enjoyable coming of age story, Snowflake by Louise Nealon is about Debbie White, and how she navigates life away from her home. When Debbie gets a place at Trinity College, Dublin, it’s decided that she’ll commute every day by train from her farm in the country. This sets her apart from the beginning: most people seem to stay in Dublin. But Debbie struggles with how to behave around other students, and if not for Xanthe, who takes Debbie under her wing, I don’t think she would have made any friends at all.

Debbie’s home life is unconventional. Her mother is obsessed with dreams, and believes that she knows what people’s dreams are - that she can see right into them. She has periods of extreme moods, and Debbie has to look after her during these episodes.

And then there’s Debbie’s Uncle Billy. He runs the farm and lives in a caravan. I rather liked his no-nonsense approach to life, but he’s just as vulnerable as his sister and niece.

It isn’t all doom and gloom though. Debbie is funny, quirky and a highly likeable person - the book had moments that really made me laugh. It was these moments of light and dark that really made the book work for me. Louise Nealon is going to be a name to watch for in the future. I loved this. You should all go and read this now!

Many thanks to Manila Press for the copy provided to me through NetGalley.
  
The Keeping Room (2015)
The Keeping Room (2015)
2015 | Drama, Mystery, Western
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: The Keeping Room starts as during the civil war, Augusta (Marling), Louise (Steinfeld) and their slave Mad (Otaru) must work together to look after their family home together, while the men are out at war, they are getting by with Louise wanting to do more than just work around the house.

The women soon become targets for the rogue soldiers Moses (Worthington) and Henry (Soller), without the normal support they must defend their home before the war comes to them.

 

Thoughts on The Keeping Room

 

Characters – Augusta is the lady of the house, keeping Louise in line, while making it fair for everyone under the roof, no matter what their status is. She will be the one that will go for help and risk her life to protect the rest. Louise is the younger of the two women, she doesn’t like being forced into work believing the slave should do it all, her failure to follow instructions only makes it difficult for Augusta. Mad is the slave that has been welcomed as part of the family, joining in the defence of the home too. Moses is one of the soldiers that is leaving a path of destruction as they run away from the war. He targets the women’s home and the women to make his own for the time being.

Performances – Brit Marling is good in the leading role, we see strong performances from the three women if we are being honest, Hailee Steinfeld continues to show her ability, where as unknown Muna Otaru should be a name we pay more attention too. Sam Worthington does a fine job in the villainous role where we see him deliver lines in a disturbing manner.

Story – The story follows three women that must put their classes a side during the American Civil War to protect their home from rogue soldiers that only want to do unthinkable things to them. We get to see how the women do have their own problems to deal without the soldier adding to them, the unsure feeling about whether they will have the men in their lives returning to them. Once the soldiers arrive it does become a survival story which is good, it shows how difficult and risky it would be for either side just to attack they must focus on defending. The pacing of the story seems solid with giving away too much too early before leading to the night of the event.

Western – The film does use the western themes in the elements of the war time western not the wild west style it works well enough with the rogue soldiers trying to take a home.

Settings – The film uses the lone settings of the house in the middle of nowhere and the paths leading to it, to show us how isolated people would become during the war time.


Scene of the Movie – The night of the event.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Certain parts feel slow though.

Final Thoughts – This is a slow-moving western that shows the effects of the civil war on the women left behind that could face their own uncertain future as the men out at war. It has strong performances and a dark feeling about what could happen next.

 

Overall: darkly depressive look at the American Civil War.
  
This Lovely City
This Lovely City
Louise Hare | 2020 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The beginnings of the Windrush generation.
The only thing I didn’t like about This Lovely City by Louise Hare, were the attitudes of a lot of the (predominantly) white, male Londoners. And there’s not a thing that the author could do about that.

In 1948 answering a call from the Homeland, Lawrie and hundreds of mainly young men like him, arrived in London, fresh off the Empire Windrush from Jamaica. They were there to help rebuild England after the Blitz and the end of the Second World War. We see this story mainly from Lawrie’s point of view, so we see the racism, the way he was turned away from jobs because the other men wouldn’t want to work with ‘his type’. It was a shock to see the use of the ‘n’ word so often, and the blatant hostility towards Lawrie and his friends.

This story isn’t just about that though. There’s a bit of a love story and a mystery to solve as well. Lawrie makes an upsetting discovery, and rather than being thanked for it, he is immediately under suspicion. Again, solely down to the colour of his skin.

I loved this book. It gave me an insight into the lives of the Windrush generation as they began their lives here. Lawrie and his girlfriend Evie were great characters to read about - I WANTED all to be well for them, as I did for the other Jamaican characters, if I’m honest.

If this is Louise Hare’s first book, I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for my copy of this wonderful book.
  
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Milleen (47 KP) rated The Empress Of Ice Cream in Books

Nov 14, 2018 (Updated Nov 14, 2018)  
TE
The Empress Of Ice Cream
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was published back in 2010 but I recommend it for anyone who enjoys historical novels or gourmet food. This is a gastronomic romp through history. Based on the real-life of Louise De Karouelle, who went from Louis XIV French court at Versailles to 'keep company' with the British King, Charles II. An Italian chef, Carlo Dimirco, is sent to tempt the Royal British taste-buds with ices, sorbets, cordials and ice creams. His observations about the royal household, experiments in the ice house and the addition of extracts from 'The Book of Ices' balance Louise's view of her life. You'll come away with a dozen summer recipes and a good knowledge of a woman who is distantly related to both Princess Diana and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall.