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Zero Charisma (2013)
Zero Charisma (2013)
2013 | Comedy
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
I saw this @ the 2013 Maryland Film Festival and I thought it was ok @ first, but after thinking about it it was good.
  
A Teacher (2013)
A Teacher (2013)
2013 | Drama
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
I saw this @ the 2013 Maryland Film Festival and I really enjoyed it. A good story about why it is wrong for teachers to get involved with students without getting into histrionics.
  
A historical fiction lovers dream. This book is all about getting history right and teaching you not just the well known facts but also the smaller facts that lead to Washington's escape. A picture is painted of how each decision lead to the next and how the Maryland 400 really helped save the day.

Perfect for all ages of historical fiction. This book really gives a truer view while teaching facts that not many may know. I learned things I never knew and am excited to have friends of history read this as well.
  
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Bobcat Goldthwait recommended Polyester (1981) in Movies (curated)

 
Polyester (1981)
Polyester (1981)
1981 | Comedy
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"I don’t know which John Waters to pick. The go-to would be Pink Flamingos — that was another movie that was pivotal, when I discovered that — but I would pick Polyester out of his movies. I’ve got a big soft spot for John Waters, ’cause again, there’s a guy who’s doing things on his own terms, and I think people would find his topics shocking but he has a lot of kindness towards these people, these characters. I love him. I just saw him this weekend when I was in Maryland."

Source
  
Go On by Phillip Sandifer
Go On by Phillip Sandifer
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Rating
Phillip Sandifer has a sound that is both polished and a little bit unfettered. With a career like his, it's easy to wonder if he's talking about himself with his single Seen Too Much.

Phillip was born in Baltimore, Maryland but moved to Texas as a young man. He can take credit for 22 top 40 Adult Contemporary songs. He has made recordings for a number of different labels, including Disney Records. With Seen Too Much, he makes a much needed statement about cognitive dissonance in society today and maybe clears the air a bit for those of us paying attention.

“I ain’t sleeping well, there just too much wrong
won’t someone help me with an honest song”
— Phillip Sandifer

I think perhaps we have all seen a bit too much in these last few years. I'm glad there are people writing about it.
  
Don't Fail Me Now
Don't Fail Me Now
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Michelle Devereaux in a police department with her younger siblings Cass and Denny waiting with a social worker for their aunt to pick them up. Their mother has been arrested. Unfortunately, this is not the first time this has happened. Her mother has been in jail several times and she hasn't seen her father in several years. When Michelle finds out that her father is dying in California and may have something for her, she sets out on a journey that will hopefully end in a windfall for her and her siblings.

This was a great YA Novel. A book about love, family and adventure. Michelle and her siblings are black kids from Baltimore, Maryland. Michelle knows that she and Cass have a half-sister, Leah, that is white, and that is about all the know about her. Until she shows up with her step-brother at Michelle's job with information about their father. With this new information and the current state of affairs, Michelle decides now is a good a time as any to drive across the country to see her father before he is no longer there.

Five kids, in an old station wagon are heading across the country without any of their parents being aware. They have very little money and barely more than the clothes on their back, but they are determined to find Buck Devereaux and collect whatever it is he has for them.

Their adventure is not without some complications. Will they make the journey successfully? Will these siblings, Michelle, Cass, and Leah be able to build a relationship? Will they reunite with the father they barely know? How will this trip change their lives for the future?

One of the things that drew me to this book where the characters. They were characters I could relate to, when I was that age and the kids are all from Maryland where I live. Plus, who doesn't love a good road trip. All of these factors made this an excellent book and something I would recommend to young adults from mixed racial backgrounds and diverse family dynamics.
  
Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation
Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation
John Jennings, Octavia E. Butler, Damian Duffy | 2017 | Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction & Poetry
10
9.3 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Kindred is the story of a black woman who is repeatedly transported from her 1970s apartment to Antebellum Maryland - and it’s not a place where any black person would really want to be.

I haven’t read the original novel, so I can’t compare them - but this is really good in its own right. It’s rich in both dialogue and artistry - the pictures are at times graphic (when Dana, the lead character, is whipped and her ensuing injuries), and there is talk of the white plantation owner raping ‘his’ slaves. Dana learns that her purpose is to keep the plantation owners son, Rufus, alive - which isn’t easy when he seems set on doing things that put his life in danger. Dana learns that Rufus is in fact her great great (great?) grandfather, and he has yet to sire the child that will ensure Dana’s existence.

This isn’t a book for the faint-hearted, and I’m so glad I’ve read it - all thanks go to my local library, who have started providing graphic novel ebooks. A graphic novel habit is an expensive one, so it’s great that they’re able to do this!
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2084 KP) rated Gingerdead Man in Books

Dec 1, 2021 (Updated Dec 1, 2021)  
Gingerdead Man
Gingerdead Man
Maya Corrigan | 2020 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Christmas Cookie of Doom
Bayport, Maryland, is kicking off the holiday season with a Victorian themed Christmas event. While Val’s granddad is upset about being demoted from Santa to Scrooge this year, Val is looking forward to helping out at the teas throughout the afternoon. The final tea of the day is for the event’s volunteers. As it is getting started, someone in a weird costume comes and starts passing out gingerbread cookies. When this year’s Santa eats his, he drops over. Can Val figure out what is going on?

I really do appreciate the relationship between Val and her granddad in these books. While Granddad is a senior citizen, he isn’t a stereotype. He acts appropriately for his age and yet still contributes to Val’s investigation. The other characters are strong enough to keep us engaged in the story and keep the suspects straight. The story seemed to wander a bit at the beginning, but I was ultimately impressed with how everything came together. Naturally, we get more five-ingredient recipes at the end of the book, including several seasonal delights. If you are looking for a cozy to curl up with this Christmas, this is one you’ll enjoy.
  
Mushroom Capped
Mushroom Capped
Cathy Wiley | 2023 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Jackie Finds Murder Mushrooming
Former celebrity chef Jackie Norwood has landed in Conway, Maryland, for their second annual mushroom festival. She’s especially excited about connecting with her friend, Marshall. However, she quickly discovers that there’s lots of tension in town thanks to a big farming company trying to buy up the mushroom farms in the area. When Jackie finds the owner of the company dead, Marshall becomes the prime suspect. Can Jackie clear him?

I loved the first book in the series, and it was great to be spending time with Jackie again. All of her family and friends from the last book are back as well. While it would have been nice to see a bit more development for them, I still enjoyed spending time with them and loved the humor they brought to the story. The story started quickly, and when I reached the end, I appreciated just how the clues and motives were layered into the story. I was engaged the entire time, and the ending made perfect sense. If you like mushrooms, you’ll be interested in the five delicious sounding recipes at the end of the book. This is looking to be a great culinary cozy mystery series, and I’m looking forward to finding out what happens at Jackie’s next festival.
  
Open Season for Murder (Mac Faraday Mystery #10)
Open Season for Murder (Mac Faraday Mystery #10)
Lauren Carr | 2015 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Open season for Murder, Get you involved with a cold case from the beginning. You get brought in with a mysterious phone call to Mac. Who is the caller? We get all kinds of killers. We also get deaths at every turn. Why the Diablo ball?
 
Who wants Carlyle dead or anyone else for that matter. Brian Galestar, comes about and his he as suspects to Lindsey York death? Who wanted Lindsey York dead and Jasmine Simpson? Reva Saint Clair is around as well. Who killed Aston Piedmont?
 
You go for a ride with Mac and David on an adventure. We sure find out who good at solving mysteries around Spencer Maryland. Lauren Carr plots are good and you are invested throughout the book. There's a story inside the main story. You get captive into the story and you will not want to leave these charters from this series or any of Lauren Carr mysteries.

Lauren Carr is one talented writer. She brings you along to find out who the killer is. One thing I love about her mysteries is that you never know who the murderer is? I have read a few of her books already and reviewed a few of them. You are welcome to read my reviews that are part of this audiobook palooza. My reviews are Cancelled Vows, A Fine Year for Murder, Killer in the Band, The Murders at Astaire Castle, Candidate for Murder, 3 Days to Forever, Kill and Run, Old Love Die Hard, 12 To Murder.