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Celia Davies spends her days helping the women of 1867 San Francisco via her free medical clinic. One of her patients, a former Chinese prostitute is found murdered, and Celia must know what happened to her. Meanwhile, Nicholas Greaves is the police officer assigned to the case, and he is determined to get justice for the young woman. But where will the investigation lead?
This is a good debut that will please any fan of historical mysteries. The characters are intriguing, and their history makes them seem even more real. The plot did bog down a few times, but never for very long, and we reach a logical conclusion before the end. The world of 1867 is brought to wonderful life as well, and it’s easy to get lost in another time.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/04/book-review-no-comfort-for-lost-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This is a good debut that will please any fan of historical mysteries. The characters are intriguing, and their history makes them seem even more real. The plot did bog down a few times, but never for very long, and we reach a logical conclusion before the end. The world of 1867 is brought to wonderful life as well, and it’s easy to get lost in another time.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/04/book-review-no-comfort-for-lost-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Flatliners (2017) in Movies
Sep 19, 2020
Now I'm not saying this is all bullshit, but it's only a *generous* 5-10% non-bullshit. I'm not the first to say this nor will I be the last, but what was the point? Just as super-serious as the original with none of the fun camp, shorter but somehow feels centuries longer, and worst of all it looks roughly ten trillion times worse - dumping the artsy old-architectural/macabre feel for yet another lifeless medical aesthetic (only looking marginally better than some royalty-free tripe like 𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘺). I think one of the horror things here actually succeeds more than the original and there's one or two different plot switches from that one too, but it loses all other points for turning such riotous and ethereal shlock into yet another substandard mainstream 'horror' snore. The literal only mildly intriguing thing this did was ditched to a deleted scene. What a drag, can't believe this even got the right to exist. This feels like one of the fake movies that people inside the real movie
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Red Lotus in Books
May 28, 2020
"Let’s face it, in all of human history, the most effective delivery vehicle for mass death ever to exist on earth has been—wait for it—the rat."
This is a timely novel and rather scary, as it dips into medical research--particularly rats--and the plague. There's something slightly uncomfortable about reading about the spread of mass disease during a pandemic. It was, however, fascinating, too. Bohjalian tells his story from a variety of points of view--Alexis; Austin and his acquaintance Douglas; investigators in Vietnam who work Austin's case; a private investigator named Ken whom Alexis hires and more. Somehow it all works, with the careful unfolding of facts. We learn about Austin's real reason for being in Vietnam and it all builds up to a dangerous crescendo.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. Bohjalian has a way of embodying his characters, and I particularly loved Ken, the crusty yet kind P.I. The story was quite interesting; oddly well-timed; and the ending especially horrifying. Definitely worth a read. 4 stars.
This is a timely novel and rather scary, as it dips into medical research--particularly rats--and the plague. There's something slightly uncomfortable about reading about the spread of mass disease during a pandemic. It was, however, fascinating, too. Bohjalian tells his story from a variety of points of view--Alexis; Austin and his acquaintance Douglas; investigators in Vietnam who work Austin's case; a private investigator named Ken whom Alexis hires and more. Somehow it all works, with the careful unfolding of facts. We learn about Austin's real reason for being in Vietnam and it all builds up to a dangerous crescendo.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. Bohjalian has a way of embodying his characters, and I particularly loved Ken, the crusty yet kind P.I. The story was quite interesting; oddly well-timed; and the ending especially horrifying. Definitely worth a read. 4 stars.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Hotel Artemis (2018) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Los Angeles of 2028 is a riot laden area where Martial Law is the norm and brutality is a way of life. Amidst this setting, the Hotel Artemis is open for business.. The Artemis is not your typical hotel as it provides emergency medical services to members who engage in criminal activities.
The Nurse (Jodie Foster) runs the facility and with the help of her massive Orderly Everest (Dave Bautista), they ensure that only members get admitted and follow the rules as well as receive state of the art care while in the facility.
Guests at the facility are giving names based on the suite in which they are assigned which involve geographical locales and there are a very strict set of rules they must follow such as no guns, bombs, killing other guests, and so on.
The Hotel Artemis is not a simple stitch and bandage facility as they offer advanced medical services such as Nanites, replacement organ printing, robotic A.I. medical treatment and other services which in 2018 seem like Science Fiction.
Enter Waikiki (Sterling K. Brown), who has tried to leave his criminal past behind him yet was savvy enough to keep paying his membership fees at the Artemis all the while. He and his brother have been injured in a heist and with the city under a deadly riot, they make their way to the Artemis to get treatment and hide out from the chaos outside.
Thanks to their services, the hotel is rarely empty and an Arms Dealer named Acapulco (Charlie Day), and an assassin named Nice (Sofia Boutella), are also in residence. The fact that Nice and Waikiki have a past association makes things a bit interesting as guests are always mindful of those around them even though the strict rules of membership exist to ward off any threats or danger to the guests or staff.
Complications arise when the near capacity hotel is informed that the Wolf King of L.A. (Jeff Goldblum) is en- route. The Nurse opts to follow the rules of first come first served and in doing so enrages his son (Zachary Quinto), who decided to barricade the Hotel to make sure nobody gets in before his father, who incidentally owns the facility.
As if this was not enough of a complication, a police officer from troubled past of The Nurse arrives begging for help which sets a very dangerous chain of events into motion.
The film is a very fresh and entertaining story filled with interesting characters, strong performances, and just enough action to keep the film moving along but yet keeping the focus as a character based drama.
First time Director Drew Pearce gets the most of his cast and has used his script to create a very entertaining and unique film that is well worth a watch. It is so nice to see Jodie Foster showing us once again that she is one of the most gifted actresses of our time as the two-time Oscar winner goes all in to portray a very damaged and troubled character who for what she lacks in glamour; more than makes up for with a determined strength.
I hope this film is a success as I would love to see more stories from the Hotel as I really enjoyed the film from start to finish.
http://sknr.net/2018/06/07/hotel-artemis/
The Nurse (Jodie Foster) runs the facility and with the help of her massive Orderly Everest (Dave Bautista), they ensure that only members get admitted and follow the rules as well as receive state of the art care while in the facility.
Guests at the facility are giving names based on the suite in which they are assigned which involve geographical locales and there are a very strict set of rules they must follow such as no guns, bombs, killing other guests, and so on.
The Hotel Artemis is not a simple stitch and bandage facility as they offer advanced medical services such as Nanites, replacement organ printing, robotic A.I. medical treatment and other services which in 2018 seem like Science Fiction.
Enter Waikiki (Sterling K. Brown), who has tried to leave his criminal past behind him yet was savvy enough to keep paying his membership fees at the Artemis all the while. He and his brother have been injured in a heist and with the city under a deadly riot, they make their way to the Artemis to get treatment and hide out from the chaos outside.
Thanks to their services, the hotel is rarely empty and an Arms Dealer named Acapulco (Charlie Day), and an assassin named Nice (Sofia Boutella), are also in residence. The fact that Nice and Waikiki have a past association makes things a bit interesting as guests are always mindful of those around them even though the strict rules of membership exist to ward off any threats or danger to the guests or staff.
Complications arise when the near capacity hotel is informed that the Wolf King of L.A. (Jeff Goldblum) is en- route. The Nurse opts to follow the rules of first come first served and in doing so enrages his son (Zachary Quinto), who decided to barricade the Hotel to make sure nobody gets in before his father, who incidentally owns the facility.
As if this was not enough of a complication, a police officer from troubled past of The Nurse arrives begging for help which sets a very dangerous chain of events into motion.
The film is a very fresh and entertaining story filled with interesting characters, strong performances, and just enough action to keep the film moving along but yet keeping the focus as a character based drama.
First time Director Drew Pearce gets the most of his cast and has used his script to create a very entertaining and unique film that is well worth a watch. It is so nice to see Jodie Foster showing us once again that she is one of the most gifted actresses of our time as the two-time Oscar winner goes all in to portray a very damaged and troubled character who for what she lacks in glamour; more than makes up for with a determined strength.
I hope this film is a success as I would love to see more stories from the Hotel as I really enjoyed the film from start to finish.
http://sknr.net/2018/06/07/hotel-artemis/
Richard Crump (5 KP) rated Freddy Got Fingered (2001) in Movies
May 5, 2018 (Updated May 5, 2018)
The beastiality was too much. (1 more)
Had to watch it twice to find it funny
Over the top or just silly fun?
Gord Brody (Tom Green) is a cartoonist trying to pitch an animated show to Hollywood execs. After failing, he goes home and has to live with his parents and brother Freddy (Eddie Kaye Thomas). His father (Rip Torn) doesn't approve of Gord's career path and pressures him to get a real job and move out. That is, Until Gord claims his dad is molesting Freddy which leads to drastic and hilarious consequences.
Sounds crazy right? Very weird and surreal but it makes me chuckle. Very silly toilet humour tbf and there are a few scenes that are a bit inappropriate and because of this, I’m not sure if tom green is bizarre, needs medical attention or a genius.
So was it over the top or just a bit of silly fun?
IMO a bit of BOTH
Sounds crazy right? Very weird and surreal but it makes me chuckle. Very silly toilet humour tbf and there are a few scenes that are a bit inappropriate and because of this, I’m not sure if tom green is bizarre, needs medical attention or a genius.
So was it over the top or just a bit of silly fun?
IMO a bit of BOTH
This won’t be a long review since this is a short book. If you are a pastor or church counselor, this book would be a great addition to your shelves or office. It’s a book that is filled with great information for those seeking help with their mental illnesses. It’s filled with Biblical sections and will help them better understand ways to help. The pages within give you a better understanding of the illnesses and what psych meds are used to help them.
Since I am not a pastor or a church counselor I can’t give this more than 3.5 stars since I am not into this type of book. However, that said, I am recommending this book to those that are in the clergy of the churches to help with those that come to them. You will gain good Biblical insight, along with good medical insight to help. Hats off to Dr. Emlet on creating an informative book for the churches.
*Cafinated Reads received a complimentary copy of this book from LitFuse Blog Tours and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Since I am not a pastor or a church counselor I can’t give this more than 3.5 stars since I am not into this type of book. However, that said, I am recommending this book to those that are in the clergy of the churches to help with those that come to them. You will gain good Biblical insight, along with good medical insight to help. Hats off to Dr. Emlet on creating an informative book for the churches.
*Cafinated Reads received a complimentary copy of this book from LitFuse Blog Tours and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Kisscut (Grant County, #2) in Books
Jun 18, 2019
A disturbingly good thriller
The second in the Grant County series this book continues with the high shock value of the crimes involved. Seriously if you are squeamish or don’t want to be reading about rape, genital mutilation, paedophilia, child abuse, and/or suicide then you should probably avoid.
In this outing medical examiner Sara Linton and her on / off partner police chief Jeffery Tolliver investigate a tragic teenage argument that leads to the uncovering of a series of very dark secrets in the town. But with those around the victim closing ranks it’s tough to get to the bottom of who is responsible for some pretty disturbing stuff.
We get to see a bit more of the Sara and Jeffrey relationship dynamic; but more interesting in this book is the ongoing recovery of Detective Lena Adams. The horrendous experiences that were covered in the previous book in the series “Blindsighted” are taking their toll on Lena. I would recommend reading this series in order to fully get the back story to this.
Despite the uncomfortable nature of some of the subject matter this is another well written thriller from Slaughter.
In this outing medical examiner Sara Linton and her on / off partner police chief Jeffery Tolliver investigate a tragic teenage argument that leads to the uncovering of a series of very dark secrets in the town. But with those around the victim closing ranks it’s tough to get to the bottom of who is responsible for some pretty disturbing stuff.
We get to see a bit more of the Sara and Jeffrey relationship dynamic; but more interesting in this book is the ongoing recovery of Detective Lena Adams. The horrendous experiences that were covered in the previous book in the series “Blindsighted” are taking their toll on Lena. I would recommend reading this series in order to fully get the back story to this.
Despite the uncomfortable nature of some of the subject matter this is another well written thriller from Slaughter.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Flatliners (2017) in Movies
Feb 27, 2020 (Updated Feb 27, 2020)
Just A Flat Line......
Flatliners- is a remake that i forgot that came out in 2017. I love the oringal and think its a very underrated film that has a great cast. I like Kiefer's cameo/small role in this film, their is a delted scene where it connects to the oringal film. So thats cool. I mean Ellen Page was good in it, and i like some of the psychological espects, that how the past haunts you and the past will bite you. Other than that this film was bad, really bad, awful.
The Plot: Five medical students embark on a daring and dangerous experiment to gain insight into the mystery of what lies beyond the confines of life. The bold adventure begins when they trigger near-death experiences by stopping their hearts for short periods of time. As their trials become more perilous, each must confront the sins from their past while facing the paranormal consequences of journeying to the other side.
Just skip this film, and go watch the oringal film. Cause like i said its a very underrated psycological horror jem.
The Plot: Five medical students embark on a daring and dangerous experiment to gain insight into the mystery of what lies beyond the confines of life. The bold adventure begins when they trigger near-death experiences by stopping their hearts for short periods of time. As their trials become more perilous, each must confront the sins from their past while facing the paranormal consequences of journeying to the other side.
Just skip this film, and go watch the oringal film. Cause like i said its a very underrated psycological horror jem.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated A Dangerous Breed in Books
Dec 10, 2021
Learning About the Past – Danger in the Present
A trip with his friend Hollis to get medical help for an injured man puts reformed thief and former Army Ranger Van Shaw in the sights of a dangerous man. Suddenly, Van is being extorted to break into a biotech firm and steal an unspecified item. Meanwhile, Van might be on the trail of his father for the first time in his life. If he finds him, does he want to know this man after all?
Normally, I enjoy these books and all the twists and turns they give us. This one left me unsatisfied. While the stories do reach logical and suspenseful conclusions, I can’t help feeling there should have been more. Neither story was developed enough for a full novel, but took time away from each other. Of course, the characters, new and returning, were excellent as always. While I was expecting more language and violence than the books I normally read, there was one particularly distasteful scene. This book is disappointing since I usually enjoy the series. This one is for fans only.
Normally, I enjoy these books and all the twists and turns they give us. This one left me unsatisfied. While the stories do reach logical and suspenseful conclusions, I can’t help feeling there should have been more. Neither story was developed enough for a full novel, but took time away from each other. Of course, the characters, new and returning, were excellent as always. While I was expecting more language and violence than the books I normally read, there was one particularly distasteful scene. This book is disappointing since I usually enjoy the series. This one is for fans only.
Danii19936 (3 KP) rated This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor in Books
Aug 20, 2018
MUST READ
After I graduated this summer I was reading just about anything I could due to all my free time and I saw sooooo many people recommending this book so although it’s not what I would normally read I gave it a go. I am SO glad I did, I read it within a couple of hours and I would argue it is my favourite book of the summer! It is incredibly eye opening. As a law graduate I like to think I am relatively clued up about society and although I knew that the medical profession gets no where near the credit they deserve I couldn’t believe how much they are put through! Adam Kay writes such a powerful piece while still being witty and engaging, you almost forget it is a true story! I fully support his message and as soon as I put the book down I was telling everyone I could about it! I would urge everyone to read this book! As a side note (and probably completely irrelevant) I couldn’t believe it when I saw an acknowledgement to one of my closest friends at the end of the book, it’s such a small world!