Search
Search results
Loz Hughes (80 KP) rated Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Books
Jul 14, 2018
By far my favorite Harry potter book.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Ive always found this book to be my favorite out of the whole series purely because Harry finds some family...his godfather, whom after a convoluted storyline he realises isnt set out to murder him. Its the only book where I feel he actually has a few happy moments in his life and is discovering who he is and achieves a bit of character stability. I love how the story handles the introduction of Sirius and displays the political and media spin that happens in the background (between the bad reporting on the daily prophet and ministry of magic). Also the trio (Harry, Ron and hermoine) seem to have solid bonds of friendship grow tighter in this storyline.
Jarom Solar Norris (177 KP) rated Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) in Movies
Nov 9, 2018 (Updated Feb 13, 2019)
What’s not to like about Queen? Bohemian Rhapsody does an excellent job of telling a dramatic history of the band and its forerunner, Freddie Mercury. Rami Malek does an excellent performance. Parts of the movie are like watching a hilarious “How It’s Made” video of some of the best music of the century, parts of it are literally just watching concerts and listening to awesome music. Most importantly, there’s the story of Mercury’s evolution, which is a story arc any writer could only dream of: a British-Indian man abandoning his heritage, struggling to balance love for a woman with being gay, being manipulated by a manager turned lover, being scrutinized by the media, and eventually being able to be comfortable with who he is, all the while using his talent to push the band to create more and more musical innovations. It’s so good.
Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated They Both Die At The End in Books
Dec 6, 2018
Uplifting and sad
This was more uplifting than I expected and an easy story to slip into despite the dystopian slant of the contemporary setting. Both Matteo and Rufus were endearing characters in different ways with friends and family you could love on. The book takes place over a very short timeline and it takes some talent to make connections work in this context but the dystopia facilitated some of this.
I didn’t expect the culmination (outside of the obvious) to happen in the way that it did. It took me by surprise and half cheated my hopes and desires for the story. However, I felt a lot and sniffed to the end.
Great narration, I particularly liked the use of a third narrator to add in any random characters POV of which this book has rather a few. This third narrator contextualised this aspect.
I didn’t expect the culmination (outside of the obvious) to happen in the way that it did. It took me by surprise and half cheated my hopes and desires for the story. However, I felt a lot and sniffed to the end.
Great narration, I particularly liked the use of a third narrator to add in any random characters POV of which this book has rather a few. This third narrator contextualised this aspect.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Red Turtle (2016) in Movies
Jun 16, 2019 (Updated Jun 16, 2019)
Animated Belgo-Japanese allegorical fantasy is nice to look at and relaxing to watch. A man is washed up on a desert island after a storm, finds his attempts to leave are frustrated by a large crimson chelonian; after an attempt to kill the creature, he resolves to make friends, successfully bringing the turtle out of her shell (thanks, I'm here all week) - the two of them fall in love and have a family together.
As you can see, not short on the traditional 'WTF?!?!?' element of Studio Ghibli films, but it also possesses the typical virtues of being a really, really beautiful and well-told story. Maybe a touch under-powered story-wise, and it doesn't feel rushed even at only about 80 minutes long, but a finely-crafted and very pleasant film. The romance that HP Lovecraft never got around to writing.
As you can see, not short on the traditional 'WTF?!?!?' element of Studio Ghibli films, but it also possesses the typical virtues of being a really, really beautiful and well-told story. Maybe a touch under-powered story-wise, and it doesn't feel rushed even at only about 80 minutes long, but a finely-crafted and very pleasant film. The romance that HP Lovecraft never got around to writing.
Merissa (12363 KP) rated Insight (Insight #1; Web of Hearts and Souls #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
This is supposed to be a book for Young Adults but I think it is suitable for anyone wishing to read a mystery / love story with a hint of paranormal in the form of "insights" or talents or gifts, whatever you want to call them.
This book starts on earth and will take you to different dimensions via 'strings', invisible (to most) passages of energy.
I won't go into the plot as it is better to just read the synopsis and go from there but it has an overall quite simple story that is overlaid with complications and events that all in all make this a fantastic read.
And, yes, I am a hopeless romantic, so the idea of having your other half out there who will complete you is almost certainly going to go down well with me and this book does it well!!
This book starts on earth and will take you to different dimensions via 'strings', invisible (to most) passages of energy.
I won't go into the plot as it is better to just read the synopsis and go from there but it has an overall quite simple story that is overlaid with complications and events that all in all make this a fantastic read.
And, yes, I am a hopeless romantic, so the idea of having your other half out there who will complete you is almost certainly going to go down well with me and this book does it well!!
Merissa (12363 KP) rated Fracture (The Secret Enemy Saga, #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
A brilliant concept intertwined with a very well-written story! One world has magic, one world has technology. Should they try to combine there is a chance that both will perish. But what happens when someone from one falls in love with someone from the other?
This is the tale of what happens when one world tries to cross over to the other and the people who are trying to stop this from happening. There are noble kings, honourable assasins, seers, traitors, inner evil that is wrapped up in beauty and stallions with attitude to name but a few.
I loved how the worlds intermingle and how someone from one world would try to comprehend the other. The characters all have depth and are fantastic to read about. You will become involved with each and every one as their story unfolds.
Highly recommended to all fantasy readers!
This is the tale of what happens when one world tries to cross over to the other and the people who are trying to stop this from happening. There are noble kings, honourable assasins, seers, traitors, inner evil that is wrapped up in beauty and stallions with attitude to name but a few.
I loved how the worlds intermingle and how someone from one world would try to comprehend the other. The characters all have depth and are fantastic to read about. You will become involved with each and every one as their story unfolds.
Highly recommended to all fantasy readers!
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated The Rules of Seeing in Books
Nov 7, 2019
I saw and I enjoyed
I have to be honest, this was a book I would never buy from the cover or from reading the back blerb, but it landed in my lap and I picked it up then I couldn't put it down. Never since I was a child have I read something since my childhood, where the characters are so vivid they become real and pictured in your head. They become characters you love like a friend and so route for them. This is a book about live without being a cheesy live story. This is a book about seeing things differently without being pretentious. This is a book about abuse without being focused on it. Joe Heap has written something quite special, a story of two wonderful characters who make you want to turn every page to will them on. I'm so glad I picked up this book.
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Silver Linings Playbook (2012) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020
Chemistry. It can’t be bought, on screen or off. At the time of Silver Linings, we pretty much knew what a talent Jennifer Lawrence was, but Bradley Cooper was still an unknown, having made a string of bad to awful films where we didn’t get to see what he was really all about as an actor. The director too, despite some interesting efforts hadn’t really nailed it yet. So the joy of this one is seeing it all come together! Nothing is more satisfying than an underdog story that lets you believe it just isn’t going to happen. And then to see the fairytale distilled into reminding you it was never about winning, it was about moving forward and really loving someone for who they truly are, not what they can give. A modern love story that rings true and deserves multiple re-watches.
Iceland, Defrosted
Book
This is the story of one Englishman's obsession with a half-frozen, roughly duck-shaped island in...
Above All Things: The Journey of an Evangelical Mother and Her Gay Daughter
Book
Shari Johnson's world turned upside down the night her 37 year old daughter called and told her that...