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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Midnight Special (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
As children, we often fantasize about what it would be like to possess superpowers or some trait that sets us further apart from our peers. We imagine ourselves as being able to become invisible, fly, or command animals. The film Midnight Special introduces us to a young boy who is blessed with a special gift that no one can quite comprehend. A religious cult seeks the boy as their savior. The government wants to use him as a weapon. His father wants to protect him.
The film gives the audience enough suspense and relevant issues to keep them fully engrossed in the story. The opening of the film leaves us with very little background of the events that have taken place which for many films would be a grand weakness in the storytelling, however, for this film it is essential in shaping the dramatic moments as it builds to the climax. Midnight Special features strong performances from Adam Driver and Michael Shannon. Director Jeff Nichols does a superb job in weaving a story that is both original and imaginative. The film itself is a journey involving various elements that drive the story. For some, it will make them more skeptical of the government and religious fanaticism. For others, they will have a new take on the road film genre which is filled with peril, tension, friendship, and love.
Midnight Special is one of those rare movies that allows the viewers to become fully involved in the story and characters involved. With the suspense, humor, and interactions, the actors and director have made a complete film. It stays with you and makes you want more.
The film gives the audience enough suspense and relevant issues to keep them fully engrossed in the story. The opening of the film leaves us with very little background of the events that have taken place which for many films would be a grand weakness in the storytelling, however, for this film it is essential in shaping the dramatic moments as it builds to the climax. Midnight Special features strong performances from Adam Driver and Michael Shannon. Director Jeff Nichols does a superb job in weaving a story that is both original and imaginative. The film itself is a journey involving various elements that drive the story. For some, it will make them more skeptical of the government and religious fanaticism. For others, they will have a new take on the road film genre which is filled with peril, tension, friendship, and love.
Midnight Special is one of those rare movies that allows the viewers to become fully involved in the story and characters involved. With the suspense, humor, and interactions, the actors and director have made a complete film. It stays with you and makes you want more.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Batman the Killing Joke in Books
Jun 24, 2019
I went to London Super Comic Con on Friday and bought a few image books/graphic novels (I can't wait to read them!) and decided to start taking advantage of my boyfriend's extensive comic/graphic novel collection. As I've been intending to read The Killing Joke for ages now, I decided to start with that.
The edition I read included an introduction by Tim Sales, an afterword by Brian Bolland, and a final scene written and illustrated by Bolland.
This is one of the most famous and successful novels - and I can see why. The story is just fantastic - the Joker tries to prove that anyone can go insane after just one bad day, using Jim Gordon as his example. The colour palettes are so cleverly thought out, giving an eerie, creepy tone to most scenes, while the Joker's (possible) origin story is mostly black and white with just small details in red.
Batman is obviously included, but is not a massive character in this story. The focus is on the Gordons and the Joker.
I really loved this. The origin story for the Joker that's included can be taken as true or false - the Joker makes a comment about not actually remembering his past, and liking it to be "multiple choice". This gives the reader the choice of believing it or not. And the Joker's ways of putting Jim Gordon through hell are definitely in line with his character.
The Joker always fascinates me, and I would love to read all his stories. But whether you're a "fan" of his or not, this book is definitely worth the read. 5 stars; an fantastic novel.
The edition I read included an introduction by Tim Sales, an afterword by Brian Bolland, and a final scene written and illustrated by Bolland.
This is one of the most famous and successful novels - and I can see why. The story is just fantastic - the Joker tries to prove that anyone can go insane after just one bad day, using Jim Gordon as his example. The colour palettes are so cleverly thought out, giving an eerie, creepy tone to most scenes, while the Joker's (possible) origin story is mostly black and white with just small details in red.
Batman is obviously included, but is not a massive character in this story. The focus is on the Gordons and the Joker.
I really loved this. The origin story for the Joker that's included can be taken as true or false - the Joker makes a comment about not actually remembering his past, and liking it to be "multiple choice". This gives the reader the choice of believing it or not. And the Joker's ways of putting Jim Gordon through hell are definitely in line with his character.
The Joker always fascinates me, and I would love to read all his stories. But whether you're a "fan" of his or not, this book is definitely worth the read. 5 stars; an fantastic novel.
Lindsay (1779 KP) rated The Christmas Blanket in Books
Nov 24, 2021
Are you looking for a book that might help a child or children find the meaning of Christmas? The Christmas Blanket is a good one for children to read. The story starts with a boy named EJ who wants to see the Rockefeller tree.
The way this story signifies told is lovely. It is the view of the EJ. Does your child or children know the meaning of Christmas? The real meaning of Christmas? This book can help a child or children with this question.
The pictures are down wonderful. There is only one error I found in the ebook format, and that was that the sentence on pages 8 and 9 was on the wrong pages. Other than that, it was a pretty good read; This is why I put the rating at 4.5 Moons (stars). If you see a four-star rating, I could not put the rating at four and a half stars.
I loved the pictures. The hand-drawn images are beautiful; I enjoy looking and looking at the pictures. If I had a hard copy or print copy, I would love to reread it and hold it. I probably would read again yearly. It's a good one to do just that. Parents could make that a tradition of reading this book every year or near the holiday season.
I don't want to give away how the plot of the story and how the story ends. Parents and children will enjoy this book. It would be a great gift or even good to have on the bookshelves around the holiday season. You could even use this book in the advent calendar if you wanted to.
The way this story signifies told is lovely. It is the view of the EJ. Does your child or children know the meaning of Christmas? The real meaning of Christmas? This book can help a child or children with this question.
The pictures are down wonderful. There is only one error I found in the ebook format, and that was that the sentence on pages 8 and 9 was on the wrong pages. Other than that, it was a pretty good read; This is why I put the rating at 4.5 Moons (stars). If you see a four-star rating, I could not put the rating at four and a half stars.
I loved the pictures. The hand-drawn images are beautiful; I enjoy looking and looking at the pictures. If I had a hard copy or print copy, I would love to reread it and hold it. I probably would read again yearly. It's a good one to do just that. Parents could make that a tradition of reading this book every year or near the holiday season.
I don't want to give away how the plot of the story and how the story ends. Parents and children will enjoy this book. It would be a great gift or even good to have on the bookshelves around the holiday season. You could even use this book in the advent calendar if you wanted to.
This was not what I expected at all, from the very first chapter I knew that it was going to be a pleasure to read, and that’s exactly what it was. It’s not often that you find a crime novel that truly makes you laugh out loud, but there were definitely a few snorts while I was reading this one.
There are four different lives intertwined within this story and we change frequently throughout as to who we’re following: Daniel, Scott (Daniel’s father), Hannah (a police officer) and Ronan (the twin brother of someone found murdered). We follow Daniel as he struggles through life and him being bullied without him realising it, whilst also following Scott and finding out just how far he is willing to go to protect his son and wife. Hannah’s story is a bit sadder but I’m glad at the end of the book she comes to peace with everything that has been playing on her mind throughout the book. And then there’s Ronan, who’s twin brother can seemingly do no wrong in their mother’s eyes and after he is murdered Ronan still can’t understand why his mother doesn’t love him as much.
The story is ridiculous, but not in a way that it’s unbelievable. It’s a believable story of someone who gets caught up in the wrong world and the lengths that they’ll go to in order to try and get out of the hole they’ve found themselves in.
David Jackson’s writing was a pleasure to read and I have no doubt that I will pick up another of his books in the future.
There are four different lives intertwined within this story and we change frequently throughout as to who we’re following: Daniel, Scott (Daniel’s father), Hannah (a police officer) and Ronan (the twin brother of someone found murdered). We follow Daniel as he struggles through life and him being bullied without him realising it, whilst also following Scott and finding out just how far he is willing to go to protect his son and wife. Hannah’s story is a bit sadder but I’m glad at the end of the book she comes to peace with everything that has been playing on her mind throughout the book. And then there’s Ronan, who’s twin brother can seemingly do no wrong in their mother’s eyes and after he is murdered Ronan still can’t understand why his mother doesn’t love him as much.
The story is ridiculous, but not in a way that it’s unbelievable. It’s a believable story of someone who gets caught up in the wrong world and the lengths that they’ll go to in order to try and get out of the hole they’ve found themselves in.
David Jackson’s writing was a pleasure to read and I have no doubt that I will pick up another of his books in the future.
Merissa (13378 KP) rated This is Not a Horror Movie in Books
Jun 4, 2021 (Updated Jul 18, 2023)
THIS IS NOT A HORROR MOVIE is a gorgeous story of first love and scary happenings.
Emory is a late bloomer and happy to hide behind horror movies and books so he doesn't have to socialise. He has been in the snarky shadow of his twin sister for a long time and doesn't understand the looks he's now getting. Liz helps to put him on the right track, much to his disgust at the thought of girls wanting to make out with him! Enter Connor, the crush Emory had and shows no signs of dissipating.
This was a great story, full of sibling snark, and romance with the boy of his dreams. Luckily for Emory, Connor feels the same way, and seeing these two grow and develop their feelings was a warm and fuzzy moment for me. Connor is very protective, and with good reason, as Emory doesn't appear to realise just when he's in danger. I loved the supernatural element to the story, although the realtor wasn't much of a surprise! I'm also happy about Leland!!! I was worried about him.
I enjoyed the pacing of this story, the sweet times with Connor and Emory, the promise of the future, and the amazing supporting cast that helped them. A great addition to the Sara Dobie Bauer collection, and absolutely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 4, 2021
Emory is a late bloomer and happy to hide behind horror movies and books so he doesn't have to socialise. He has been in the snarky shadow of his twin sister for a long time and doesn't understand the looks he's now getting. Liz helps to put him on the right track, much to his disgust at the thought of girls wanting to make out with him! Enter Connor, the crush Emory had and shows no signs of dissipating.
This was a great story, full of sibling snark, and romance with the boy of his dreams. Luckily for Emory, Connor feels the same way, and seeing these two grow and develop their feelings was a warm and fuzzy moment for me. Connor is very protective, and with good reason, as Emory doesn't appear to realise just when he's in danger. I loved the supernatural element to the story, although the realtor wasn't much of a surprise! I'm also happy about Leland!!! I was worried about him.
I enjoyed the pacing of this story, the sweet times with Connor and Emory, the promise of the future, and the amazing supporting cast that helped them. A great addition to the Sara Dobie Bauer collection, and absolutely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 4, 2021
Merissa (13378 KP) rated The Du Lac Chronicles (The Du Lac Chronicles #1) by Mary Anne Yarde in Books
Dec 17, 2018 (Updated Jun 8, 2023)
This is a young adult, historical romance, set after Arthur and Lancelot. Alden is Lancelot's son and, at eighteen years of age, is King of Cerniw. However, he is King in name only as he has just had his fortress and country razed by Cedric. The story starts with him tied to a whipping post, facing death and generally not in the best of health! Annis is Cedric's daughter and makes the decision to save him, for reasons that you learn about as the story progresses.
Full of action, chases, betrayal and mystery, this is a wonderful story that will keep you on your toes as you try to figure out just who will do what next.
If I had anything negative to say, it would be that Alden and Annis both change their minds so often, it gets both hard to follow and also a tad monotonous. Basically, both of them love each other, neither thinks they are good enough, and both try to do 'the right thing' - even to the detriment of their own feelings. This is just a small part of the larger story though, so it doesn't distract too much.
All in all, this was an epic historical saga with well-rounded characters and situations. Well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I found, I would have no hesitation in recommending this.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 20, 2016
Full of action, chases, betrayal and mystery, this is a wonderful story that will keep you on your toes as you try to figure out just who will do what next.
If I had anything negative to say, it would be that Alden and Annis both change their minds so often, it gets both hard to follow and also a tad monotonous. Basically, both of them love each other, neither thinks they are good enough, and both try to do 'the right thing' - even to the detriment of their own feelings. This is just a small part of the larger story though, so it doesn't distract too much.
All in all, this was an epic historical saga with well-rounded characters and situations. Well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I found, I would have no hesitation in recommending this.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 20, 2016
Merissa (13378 KP) rated Burn Patterns (First in Line #1) in Books
Feb 12, 2025
BURN PATTERNS is the first book in the First in Line series and also the first book by this author I have read. It won't be the last!
Marcus is the oldest of four brothers and he followed in his father's footsteps when he joined the Fire Service. James is a Forensic Psychologist at a local university, retired from field work due to a horrific tragedy he feels responsible for. What brings these two together is a series of fires that get more and more personal as the story unravels.
If you are looking for a relaxing, laid-back read, then choose a different book! This story kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. There is romance between Marcus and James, a natural progression and acknowledgement of what was between them. For me though, it wasn't the romance that kept me turning the pages (which was a shock because I LOVE romance!) but the sheer creepiness of the story. No, I didn't understand some of the reasoning behind it, but then I'm not some stalker with psychopathic qualities!
Both the story- and character development are outstanding! One of my favourite parts was reading about the patterns James spotted. The world-building was also perfect and I really hope we see more of the firehouse in future stories.
Absolutely amazing and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 12, 2025
Marcus is the oldest of four brothers and he followed in his father's footsteps when he joined the Fire Service. James is a Forensic Psychologist at a local university, retired from field work due to a horrific tragedy he feels responsible for. What brings these two together is a series of fires that get more and more personal as the story unravels.
If you are looking for a relaxing, laid-back read, then choose a different book! This story kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. There is romance between Marcus and James, a natural progression and acknowledgement of what was between them. For me though, it wasn't the romance that kept me turning the pages (which was a shock because I LOVE romance!) but the sheer creepiness of the story. No, I didn't understand some of the reasoning behind it, but then I'm not some stalker with psychopathic qualities!
Both the story- and character development are outstanding! One of my favourite parts was reading about the patterns James spotted. The world-building was also perfect and I really hope we see more of the firehouse in future stories.
Absolutely amazing and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 12, 2025
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Hunters: The Beginning (Hunters, #1 and #2) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Honestly, I can't believe I read the whole thing. Here's the premise of the first story: Girl gets turned into vamp. Has sex. Has some more sex. A tiny bit of plot. Even kinkier sex. Sex, sex, sex. And more sex than plot throughout the remainder of the story. Honestly the redundancy got really boring. Now, I knew this was erotica (or Erotic Romance as it says on the spine) going into this, but I had read that there was a good plot in there too. I would think even erotica would have at least equal plot with the sex, if not slightly more. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know, this is the only book in this genre I've read. And seeing as it does say it's also a romance, I would expect some feelings and emotions behind all the rutting sex in almost every possible sexual situation known to man (and wolf), but no, there's nothing there. The second story is slightly better in the love territory, but the plot is a complete disaster. While I didn't care for Tori in the first story, I hated her here. What a *bleep*! And if there's nothing I despise more, it's a Mary Sue; every guy wants her, she's this perfect creature, et cetera, et cetera, excuse me while I throw up. And it's carrying it too far that everyone hates Sarel and she has to suffer that much because she made a big mistake, but geez, deal with it! She knows she was stupid and wrong, and Eli forgave her. Bunch of hypocrites.
So it sounds like I totally hated the book, not so. The ideas are solid and in between sex scenes in the first story, it was well-written. So overall, not the worst thing I've read, but far, far from the best. I do have another in the series sitting here that I'll give a try, although I think it might be my last one by this author, unless she goes strictly romance.
So it sounds like I totally hated the book, not so. The ideas are solid and in between sex scenes in the first story, it was well-written. So overall, not the worst thing I've read, but far, far from the best. I do have another in the series sitting here that I'll give a try, although I think it might be my last one by this author, unless she goes strictly romance.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated After Anna in Books
Apr 3, 2019
Maggie and Noah have been married for a few years. Noah has a son from a previous marriage and Maggie has a daughter, but Maggie hasn't seen her daughter, Anna, since she was 6 months old. When Anna, decides she wants to be a part of Maggie's life, Maggie is over the moon. This is something she has wanted for the past 16 years. But as soon as Anna enters their lives, everything gets turned upside down. Noah is accused of molesting and killing Anna and Maggie isn't sure who to believe, her husband of a few years or the daughter who she has desperately has wanted in her life.
In the past couple of years, I have discovered Lisa Scottoline books and I have fallen in love. The stories are unbelievable and they always leave you on the edge of your seat.
This story is told from the perspective of Noah and Maggie. Noah's story starts, as he is on trial for Anna's death. His story goes back in time from day 10 of the trial to day one, then back to the verdict and life after. Maggie's story starts from the day she gets a phone call from Anna asking to reconnect and continues through the end of Noah's trial and the aftermath. We learn about why Maggie hasn't been in Anna's life and what has happened in Anna's life.
Anna is far from a normal teenage girl and that is obvious from the time she and Maggie meet. Trying to encourage her to try and lead a normal life now that she is in their lives, proves to be very difficult for Noah and Maggie. Noah is a pediatric allergist and his life is totally unraveled when Anna enters it. This story will have you guessing until the very end and it will show you a mother's resilience.
Highly recommended!
In the past couple of years, I have discovered Lisa Scottoline books and I have fallen in love. The stories are unbelievable and they always leave you on the edge of your seat.
This story is told from the perspective of Noah and Maggie. Noah's story starts, as he is on trial for Anna's death. His story goes back in time from day 10 of the trial to day one, then back to the verdict and life after. Maggie's story starts from the day she gets a phone call from Anna asking to reconnect and continues through the end of Noah's trial and the aftermath. We learn about why Maggie hasn't been in Anna's life and what has happened in Anna's life.
Anna is far from a normal teenage girl and that is obvious from the time she and Maggie meet. Trying to encourage her to try and lead a normal life now that she is in their lives, proves to be very difficult for Noah and Maggie. Noah is a pediatric allergist and his life is totally unraveled when Anna enters it. This story will have you guessing until the very end and it will show you a mother's resilience.
Highly recommended!
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Indecent/Wicked in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I was not expecting this omnibus to be as great as it was. When I requested it, I thought it was just going to be another run of the mill erotic novel. And while there really wasnt anything special about it, I still love it more than I should.
First, I loved the complication of the characters. They each have their story, their dirty little secrets, and what makes them tick. There was nothing glamorous or fairytale like to this story. It showed the ugly side of the relationships along with the good, which was usually the sex. The erotic scenes were pretty spicy, but nothing fantastic. I was reading it more for the story than the erotic factor.
The first story has to do with Lucky and Colin. Lucky has her own inner demons and a past that has messed with her perception of men. Colin is a psychologist who seem to cant turn it off when interacting with Lucky who doesnt want him digging in her brain. It was interesting to see how their relationship developed and how they dealt with each others faults.
The second story concerns Luckys co-worker and friends Renae and Colins best friend Will. Will thinks Renae is a lesbian which is was initially stopped him from chasing her tail. Currently, he is courting someone else, but when Renae makes the first move, Will is certainly not passing up the chance. Will and Renaes relationship is less complicated than Colin and Luckys, but that still doesnt mean they dont have their issues to work through.
This novel was so realistic to me in terms of relationships, the troubles that come with them, and how the couple works through them. It was something refreshingly new, especially since, while they didnt get the happy endings we normal expect from such novels, everything still worked out in the end.
First, I loved the complication of the characters. They each have their story, their dirty little secrets, and what makes them tick. There was nothing glamorous or fairytale like to this story. It showed the ugly side of the relationships along with the good, which was usually the sex. The erotic scenes were pretty spicy, but nothing fantastic. I was reading it more for the story than the erotic factor.
The first story has to do with Lucky and Colin. Lucky has her own inner demons and a past that has messed with her perception of men. Colin is a psychologist who seem to cant turn it off when interacting with Lucky who doesnt want him digging in her brain. It was interesting to see how their relationship developed and how they dealt with each others faults.
The second story concerns Luckys co-worker and friends Renae and Colins best friend Will. Will thinks Renae is a lesbian which is was initially stopped him from chasing her tail. Currently, he is courting someone else, but when Renae makes the first move, Will is certainly not passing up the chance. Will and Renaes relationship is less complicated than Colin and Luckys, but that still doesnt mean they dont have their issues to work through.
This novel was so realistic to me in terms of relationships, the troubles that come with them, and how the couple works through them. It was something refreshingly new, especially since, while they didnt get the happy endings we normal expect from such novels, everything still worked out in the end.