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Zombieland (2009)
Zombieland (2009)
2009 | Comedy, Horror
Great Cast Makes For the Perfect Movie
Four strangers have to learn to survive together during a zombie apocalypse. Talk about a movie that checks all the boxes, Zombieland does just that! It’s got a little something for everyone.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 10
The first ten minutes is a perfect setup for what you can expect throughout the movie. This isn’t your typical zombie-survival romp and I thought writer Rhett Reese did an amazing job of establishing that early. You meet and fall in love with the main character as he tries to survive a simple trip to the bathroom. You also learn how his “rules” have kept him alive so long.

Characters: 10
His name is Columbus, played by Jesse Eisenberg. He’s such an unlikely hero that you can’t help but root for the poor guy as he moves from one scene to the next. Many of the scenes would have played out much differently if it weren’t for his quirky personality.

The other three mains, Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) add their own flare to the film as well. Tallahassee is a badass to the point where it gets extremely comical. His character motivation of searching for a Twinkie (literally!) is priceless. The ladies share a fun backstory that make them an intriguing pair. You throw all four together and you have a perfect combination.

Cinematography/Visuals: 10

Conflict: 10

Entertainment Value: 10
This apocalyptic adventure is a blast across the board from beginning to end. Even the backstories are exciting to watch. The characters help drive the story as you can somehow manage to get on board with each of their motivations for survival. The action is a blast and the slower moments are underrated gems.

Memorability: 10

Pace: 10

Plot: 10
Zombie movies have been done over…and over…and over…It’s a rare treat when they get it right and try to think outside of the box. I love that the film manages to take a familiar theme and make it fresh. Not only is the movie original, but it harbors some of the most memorable scenes in film.

Resolution: 10
Always nice when a movie doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Zombieland ties up its story in tidy fashion, ending with a heartfelt bang. It immediately makes you want to watch it again.

Overall: 100
I have the utmost respect for the sheer creativity in Zombieland. Sometimes movies try too hard while others don’t try hard enough. This movie never feels forced and always feels in control of its own destiny. Even the small scenes are impactful, like the night scene where they are taking turns driving and getting to know each other in the car. Zombieland is a cinematic treat.
  
The Psychology of Time Travel
The Psychology of Time Travel
Kate Mascarenhas | 2018 | LGBTQ+, Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy
5
8.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Psychology of Time Travel – Kate Mascarenhas [BOOK REVIEW]
Full review on my blog: www.diaryofdifference.com

I love the idea of time travelling and I love the idea of time travelling books. That is the main reason why I chose to read this ARC copy. The synopsis sounded intriguing, and the cover was gorgeous. I don’t have much experience reading time travelling books. I still believe the synopsis is intriguing and the cover is gorgeous, but I am not satisfied with the feelings this book left me, after I read the last chapter.

The story begins when four ladies in the early 1960s work together and build the first time travel machine. And they are surrounded by curious people and media, and one of them has a breakdown and is expelled from the project, as she is a risk to herself and others. But they don’t just exclude her from their project, but from their whole lives, and time travelling altogether.

”Sometimes we want proximity and a crowd gives us the excuse.”

And many years after, when time travelling is something everyone knows about, secrets start to be revealed, little by little, and a murder happens without explanation. A few young women, completely unrelated and with different missions will try to get their way into the whole time-travel business, and try to figure the answers to their questions.

In The Psychology of Time Travel, one is certain – you will flow through time and places like never before. One chapter it’s 1967, and the next one, it’s 2015. You will meet a lady and her young self, her old self, and her current self, all at one place, talking to each other, or simultaneously performing a dancing act. You will get to see a world very well created, a complex structure of how time travel might work, and details that you wouldn’t thought of checking twice.

I couldn’t connect to any character. Maybe there were too many. The chapters were very short, and they travelled through years so quickly, that I couldn’t catch up. Catching up with the plot of a book, and figuring out what is going on while being presented things so fast is very frustrating. It’s like watching a movie in a foreign language, the subtitles being your only way of gathering information, and they disappear instantly, without you having a chance to understand.

The romance in this book was another thing that bothered me. While we get a lot of romantic relationships going around, one particularly threw me off my feet. A love story where one girl is in love with another. This is the completely realistic part. But the unrealistic one was that one girl lives in the present, and the other is a time-traveller in the past – so even though they are currently (technically) the same age, in reality one is in the mid 20s, and the other in the mid 80s. I couldn’t process this, or agree with it.

”You couldn’t get involved with someone who spent most of their life in a different time period from you.”

I am sure I would have loved the characters, have I had more chances to get to know them. They showed signs of bravery, and goals and hopes for a better tomorrow, with a spark unlike any others. But it all lasted so short, before we switched to another character, and so on.

Even though this one didn’t work for me – I still encourage you to give it a go, if you are a fan of time travel. The idea of time travelling is very well done, and deserves to be discussed.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, for providing me an ARC copy of The Psychology of Time Travel in exchange for an honest review.
  
Spiral (2007)
Spiral (2007)
2007 | Drama, Mystery
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Mason isn't exactly your everyday joe. He's an artist. A sketcher and a painter, but he's also incredibly quiet and tends to keep to himself. He has an office job where he tries to sell car insurance, but he doesn't exactly fit in with others. His only friend(if that's what you want to call him) is Berkeley, the boss. Berkeley comes off like he cares about Mason, but his compassion is overshadowed by the fact that he's a prick. Things start looking up for Mason as he meets Amber. After seeing Mason's sketches and getting to know him a little better, she decides she wants him to paint her. Mason's...odd side starts to reveal itself as he won't let Amber see his sketches. "There are rules," he says, "You can't see it until it's done." As Amber gets closer to Mason, what can he be hiding? Why is he such an "enigma," as Amber put it? Why does he keep having disturbing dreams about another woman?

Where do I start? I actually really liked this. I was expecting to as Adam Green and Joel David Moore were both involved with Hatchet, which is a guilty pleasure of mine. While Hatchet is half comedy and half gorefest, Spiral is more of a dramatic thriller that builds towards the ending. Spiral, while being low budget, is shot in superb fashion. The way its shot is actually its charm. I love the way the camera gets shaky during the scenes where Mason seems like he's going to lose it or when he finally does. Joel David Moore is also in top form here. His talent truly shines in this role. Everything from his body language to the way he chomps his teeth when he gets nervous, he sucks you in. You wind up feeling sorry for Mason even though you know he's twisted in some way. Witnessing his character unveil how dark really is is just amazing. The other actor I was really impressed with was Zachary Levi. I wound up becoming a fan of his with Chuck, but I've never seen him like this. He's basically a prick with a heart(even though that side of him is really only shown to Mason). While his role is a little small, he's still able to steal a few scenes...especially in the last half of the film. The other element that really adds to the film is the jazz music used. It fits perfectly with Mason's personality. Jazz music accentuates Mason's insanity that nothing else could. I really have nothing bad to say about the film.

This may surprise a few people, but Spiral is actually quite enjoyable. The acting is top notch and it's written incredibly well. For a movie that went straight to DVD, it's quite surprising how good it actually is. Even if you hated Hatchet, you should give Spiral a chance as it's a completely different kind of film.
  
The Once and Future Witches
The Once and Future Witches
Alix E. Harrow | 2020 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
It’s 1893 and witches are no more since Old Salem was burnt to the ground along with all of its witches. Women’s fights have now taken to the ballot box with the Suffragist movement. In reality, the difference between ‘Witch’ and ‘Suffragist’ is quite blurred for many men. All women with too much power, knowledge or motivation are something to be reviled and controlled. Yes, this is really all about feminism, and this is only one of the many reasons why it’s a top read for me.

As far back as I can remember (and that’s quite a long way), I’ve loved fairytales, myths and legends. The original stories, if you will. Witches didn’t fare well in these stories, but they were always the characters that I wanted to know more about. What motivated them? Why were they ‘evil’? How did they do THAT?! I wanted to be the ‘good’ version! So this book has ticked a lot of boxes for me. They’re witches, they’re good, normal, women, and they want to make ALL of their lives better.

The main three characters reflect the three stages of a woman’s life (maiden, mother, crone) and also reflect the kinds of lives that many women would (and still do) live.
James Juniper, the youngest, wants to come in to her own power - whether that’s as a suffragist or a witch. She believes that you don’t have to choose: she’s a true fighter and is willing to stand up for her beliefs.
Beatrice Belladonna has escaped her life with the family years ago and works as a librarian: knowledge is her greatest power. Finally, Agnes Amaranth is an unmarried mother who wants to protect her unborn child.
They’ve all been damaged by their abusive father, and this story is as much about them rebuilding their relationship as it is about women coming in to their own power.

The Once and Future Witches has a lot to offer all ages of reader. It makes you think about not just women’s rights, but also race, LGBTQI+ rights, survival, and just standing firm for what you believe in. It shows through the example of the three estranged sisters, that we are all stronger if we stand together.

I didn’t want to stop reading this - I inhaled it, couldn’t put it down, went to bed early two days in a row just to read it, and thought about it in between times. And I’m still thinking about it. If you like witches, you’ll like this. If you like a good story, you’ll love it. If you want to read a book that encompasses all of this and has relevance to our lives today, here’s your book.

This is going to remain a firm favourite for me for a long time. Perhaps I’m one of the future witches?

Many thanks to Little, Brown and NetGalley for my copy of this book.
  
P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #2)
P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #2)
Jenny Han | 2015 | Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
7
7.6 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
PS I Still Love You is a continuation of Lara Jean's story from To All The Boys I've Loved Before. It really is a seamless continuation - it picks up almost immediately where the first ends, in the holidays, with Lara Jean pining over Peter.

I didn't like this one as much as the first - the sisters are still here, but Lara Jean doesn't spend as much time worrying over her dynamic with her sisters as she did in the first book. This second book is all about Peter, his ex, and what's going on at school. That's fine - obviously the story needs to evolve and move, but the sisters were such a huge part of the charm of the first book that I really miss them in this one.

A second boy is introduced in this book - John - and to be honest, I like him more than Peter. I know Peter and Lara Jean are really set up as THE couple in this series, but - John's so nice. And Peter's so oblivious.

There's one more book - Always and Forever, Lara Jean - and while I'm sure it won't happen, I'm holding out hope that John will come back in book #3 and win Lara Jean over. I really, really liked him.

You can read all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
  
AH
A Heart Revealed (Winds of Change, #2)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
*This review is from my blog and originally published in 2011*

Okay. Let me take just one moment to reflect on this book. *Reflecting* Okay. That’s better. WOW. I don’t even know where to begin. There is so much to say about this novel. Let me start off by saying if you’ve never read a Julie Lessman novel, stop what you are doing right now, and grab a copy. You won’t be sorry. The first novel I read by her was last September, entitled A Hope Undaunted, book 1 in this Winds Of Change series. I couldn’t believe how much I fell in love with her work! I was then lucky enough to win all three novels in her first series, The Daughters of Boston. Though they are still sitting on my shelf to be read, they are definitely calling my name and I can’t wait to go back and read them.

Now, on to the rest. In the first book in this series, I fell in love with Luke McGee. In this novel, I think I love Sean O’Connor even more. I really enjoy Snickers bars, so see, Julie? You could send SEAN my way, and I’d be forever blissfully happy. I LOVED his character. He was great in his role in A Hope Undaunted , but reading his story with the focus on him, was absolutely amazing. His past wasn’t perfect, and there were times when he went wild with anger, but he overcame that. There was one thing from his past that he holds inside though. No one, not even his nosy sisters, know. That is until, he finds himself drawn to his best friend Emma in a way that he couldn’t imagine. He opens up to her….with everything.

Emma Malloy. Bless her soul. She was a wonderful character, flawed and sweet, and wanting everyone close to her to be happy. Including Sean. When she finds her self falling in love with him, when she’s still married to the man who beat her 11 years ago, she’s determined to push him off on Rose Kelly…the woman who loves him. Trouble is, something happened to Sean and he won’t try with Rose.

Oh, I so want to go on and on….but I’m SO close to giving away the plot! I DO NOT want to do that! I want you to devour the book like I did and take the time to reflect on the wonderfulness of this novel. It’s stunning. It’s breath taking. It’s a roller coaster of emotions, from happiness, to sadness, to anger, to pride, to passion. It has a WHOPPER of a twist and an ending that will leave you smiling and tears running down your face. Not to mention I LOVED Casey Herringshaw and Michelle Tuller’s characters 😉 *grins*!

I highly suggest that you grab a copy of this novel NOW. It’s 5 Books worthy, two thumbs up, hats off, a home run, a winner, a best seller……what ever you want to call it’s that. Julie Lessman really has a way to make ME feel a part of the heart of the story. She speaks to me through the words of her characters, and really brings me closer to God each time. She is by far my absolute FAVORITE Christian novelist and I will NEVER part with her books. They are forever on myself for me to read and reread, and reflect on each time. I am looking forward to book three in this series, Steven O’Connor’s story. Sweet angels in Heaven, though, Julie, do you have to make us wait a whole YEAR!?!? *Sigh* Oh well. All the more for me to savor that one upon it’s release.
  
This Tender Land
This Tender Land
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Thank you to Libro.fm and Recorded Books for letting me listen and review this book. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would and it has a lot to digest from it. I've been thinking about it to try to formulate a review for a couple of days since I finished it.
This story is about 4 orphans on a life-changing journey during the era of the Great Depression in 1932.
In Minnesota, they are at a horrible place called The Lincoln School, where Native American children that have been separated from their families are sent to get an education. It's also where Odie is, who is the MC/one of the 4 orphans in this story. After getting in a lot of trouble and gaining the school superintendent's attention and wrath, Odie, his brother, Albert, their friend, Mose, and Emmy all run away together in a canoe they stole, going to the Missippi and to find a place of their own.
What follows is the telling of their journey during the summer, an adventure where they meet others who are wandering and on their own journeys as well. They meet all types of people like pig farmers, faith healers and others who are lost and trying to find their own way in life and to their own places to call home as well.
It's a coming of age tale, where they come across and are deciding and figuring things out for themselves like religion, belief in God, first crush/love, what's right and wrong, how to treat others with respect and love and so many things.
This story kept sucking me back in whenever I listened to it so I felt like I was there on the banks of the river watching their story or in the school or in the faith revival tents or towns along the way. I was a bit overwhelmed at times from the bigger picture they were showing and talking about along the way, but it also resonated with me a lot and reminded me a lot of Mark Twain's writing with his books about Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer that I remember loving and connecting with when I was younger.
The only thing that bothered me some was that if like me you try to go for clean reads, there's a little bit of language throughout the book, but other than that it was a really good story and the audio was great.
  
    Snake Simulator

    Snake Simulator

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    Enter a tropical rainforest and live the life of a poisonous Snake! Explore a lush jungle filled...