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Coloring Book — No1 Coloring Book & Coloring Pages
Book and Entertainment
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The BEST FREE Adult Coloring Book on the App Store! No wifi needed, all coloring images are kept on...
Conversation Therapy Lite - Questions for Expressive Language, Pragmatics, & Cognition
Medical and Education
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Conversation Therapy gets people talking! Now you can try this professional speech therapy app to...
Medical Conditions in the Athlete 3rd Edition with Web Study Guide
Katie Walsh Flanagan and Micki Cuppett
Book
Medical Conditions in the Athlete, Third Edition With Web Study Guide, equips health care providers...
Bubble Shooter Relaxed Life
Games and Entertainment
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Bubble Shooter Relaxed Life bubble shooting game is coming! Take you into the lovely little raccoon...
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Almost Christmas (2016) in Movies
Jul 12, 2019
It’s that time of year again, well maybe a little bit sooner than I would prefer because we haven’t hit thanksgiving yet. Holiday Season is here! So the attempts from the studios to get a piece of the holiday season box office. This new comedy from writer David E. Talbert (Baggage Claim) and producer Will Packer (Ride Along, Think Like a Man series, This Christmas), Almost Christmas, tells the story of a beloved patriarch, Walter, played by Danny Glover, a retired mechanic who owned a chain of auto shops and is now getting ready to spend the holiday with his four adult children and their families.
This year is the family’s first Christmas since the death of Walter’s wife, Grace, and the film flashes back to show us a beautiful 45 year relationship, that even when their home overflowed with children, they kept their love and affection.
Grace showed her dedication to Walter and the rest of her family with delicious recipes, especially her sweet potato pie.
Walter asks his family for one gift this holiday season to spend five days under the same roof without killing one another.
But later in the film you find out that the real drama is the rivalry between Rachel and Cheryl and the undergoing feud over each other’s life choices. Rachel (Gabrielle Union) a divorced mom, who after different career attempts, finally decided to become a law student; but unfortunately this last one made her financially unstable. Rachel’s overachieving big sister, Cheryl (Kimberly Elise) is always hiding her own insecurities and trying to control her obnoxious husband J.B. Smoove, and older retired athlete, who played basketball in Croatia in the 80’s, and considers himself a celebrity and an American hero.
Their brothers Christian (Romany Malco) is occupied with his congressional run, and Evan (Jessie Usher), the surprise baby of the family, is attempting to conquer a college football injury and secretly abusing of pain killers.
Finally we have aunt May (Mo’nique), who deserves a special mention for being extremely hilarious having a still-functioning career as a backup singer and in the past performed with Mick Jagger and Chaka Khan and now enjoys imparting all of her wisdom to her nieces, nephews and Walter.
The movie’s sibling dynamics feels authentic, with a relatable blend of rivalry, nostalgia, and dependence; Glover’s quest to perfect his wife’s signature dish will pull at anyone’s heartstrings.
It is surprisingly funny and hits it mark more than it misses. But it is not a secret that the major strength of this movie is its cast led by Danny Glover, and how we start to get too old for some shit, and an amazing team of charming actors and actresses that can transport you in the time with the right music and some dancing in the kitchen.
This year is the family’s first Christmas since the death of Walter’s wife, Grace, and the film flashes back to show us a beautiful 45 year relationship, that even when their home overflowed with children, they kept their love and affection.
Grace showed her dedication to Walter and the rest of her family with delicious recipes, especially her sweet potato pie.
Walter asks his family for one gift this holiday season to spend five days under the same roof without killing one another.
But later in the film you find out that the real drama is the rivalry between Rachel and Cheryl and the undergoing feud over each other’s life choices. Rachel (Gabrielle Union) a divorced mom, who after different career attempts, finally decided to become a law student; but unfortunately this last one made her financially unstable. Rachel’s overachieving big sister, Cheryl (Kimberly Elise) is always hiding her own insecurities and trying to control her obnoxious husband J.B. Smoove, and older retired athlete, who played basketball in Croatia in the 80’s, and considers himself a celebrity and an American hero.
Their brothers Christian (Romany Malco) is occupied with his congressional run, and Evan (Jessie Usher), the surprise baby of the family, is attempting to conquer a college football injury and secretly abusing of pain killers.
Finally we have aunt May (Mo’nique), who deserves a special mention for being extremely hilarious having a still-functioning career as a backup singer and in the past performed with Mick Jagger and Chaka Khan and now enjoys imparting all of her wisdom to her nieces, nephews and Walter.
The movie’s sibling dynamics feels authentic, with a relatable blend of rivalry, nostalgia, and dependence; Glover’s quest to perfect his wife’s signature dish will pull at anyone’s heartstrings.
It is surprisingly funny and hits it mark more than it misses. But it is not a secret that the major strength of this movie is its cast led by Danny Glover, and how we start to get too old for some shit, and an amazing team of charming actors and actresses that can transport you in the time with the right music and some dancing in the kitchen.
LifeShift
8.0
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Book
Was Zeus a Greek God or merely a space explorer? Following his mission to bring civilization to...
young-adult
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Oct 22, 2022
All the King's Men: The Beginning (All The King's Men #6)
8.0
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Book
NOTE: This book is a prequel. Reading the first five books of the series will greatly enhance your...
Paranormal Romance Vampires
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Awakening (The Vampire Diaries, #1) in Books
Feb 3, 2020
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2998210568">The Awakening</a> - ★★★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2998210684">The Struggle</a> - ★★★★★
<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Book-Review-Banner-24.png"/>;
<b><i>I had The Awakening and the Struggle (the first and second books from the Vampire Diaries series) on my shelf for years.</i></b>
When I say years, I mean it. It all started when I was in high-school, around 6 years ago, and I was in love with the Vampire Diaries TV Show. When I found out there are books as well, I begged my mum to buy them for me. And once I had them, I never got to read them, because teenage logic...
I recently noticed the Vampire Diaries books sitting on my shelf, forgotten, and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to read it in October, because of the whole spooky vibe. So there it is now - even thought the wheel didn't choose it, I did, because it deserved the attention!
Elena Gilbert is a popular girl in high-school and she always gets what she wants. Boys want to be with her, girls hate her, or want to be her best friends. And when this new boy Stefan comes into town, all mysterious, Elena wants him. But Stefan is hiding a deadly secret that Elena might now be ready for just yet. And her life, as well as the life of everyone living in Fell's Church is in grave danger... Elena finds herself between two brothers - one who came for a new life, and the other, who came for revenge...
Reading this book, while already knowing what the plot it, I thought I found find it boring. But no. I still enjoyed every single page of it, and I still devoured this book in one day.
From the first chapter, this book is intense and captures your attention. It is written in third person, but it also contains diary entries that belong to Elena and capture her deepest thoughts that she doesn't dare share with anyone else.
<b><i>I loved Elena!</i></b>
Her character is exactly what I was expected and what I have known to love - brave and fierce, and also willing to sacrifice her own happiness and safety for the people she loves the most.
Elena's friends, Meredith and Bonnie are the friends every girl needs. Funny and caring. A few pages in, and you will get to love them too.
Stefan - the mysterious new guy in school. The guy that tries to stay away from the girl he really wants because he's a danger to her. A little bit of Twilight vibes, but we can get past that. Because there is one thing that Twilight didn't have, that you can find reading The Vampire Diaries...
<b><i>DAMON</i></b>
Even though we only get a glimpse of him in this book, we can feel his presence throughout the whole book. We can feel his connection with Elena, as weird and spooky as it may be. All that danger that he carries with him, we all want to see whether there's anything good in him at all. His story is the most intriguing one, I think. His hunger for revenge makes you really understand both sides of the story and choose a side for yourself.
<b><i>So, are you team Stefan, or team Damon?</i></b>
I loved reading this - it was an amazing experience and it reminded me of my high-school days, of those innocent happy memories. My teenage life didn't include vampires, but hey - it was still awesome!
Pick the Vampire Diaries up if you love Young Adult spooky books, if you loved Twilight and if you love vampire, love and mystery stories in general.
<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Book-Review-Banner-8.png"/>;
<b><i>The Struggle is the continuation of the Vampire Diaries Series by L.J. Smith. The second book that features the life of popular girl Elena Gilbert and her endeavors with the mysterious vampire brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore.</i></b>
The Struggle continues where The Awakening ends; Elena is looking to talk to Damon, knowing that he has something to do with Stefan's disappearance.
I felt like there was more action in this book, compared to the first one. It made me more engrossed with the story and I was very excited for all the twists.
Elena was obviously the main character in this book, alongside Stefan and Damon. I am not sure how I felt about Elena in this book. She seemed to ignore everyone for a while and just be her selfish self - which resulted in getting people in trouble.
On the other hand, I really loved the history of Stefan and Damon. The memories from hundreds of years ago. The author manager to portray the time very well, and I was easily transported into another world, another time... I think these scenes were definitely the favourite part of this book.
I wish we saw more chapters with Bonnie and Meredith. Even though best friends, it didn't feel like they were too involved in the story. We didn't get to know them properly and it has already been two books. I really hope book three will let us meet these two characters better.
I am happy with the book in general.
The scenes, the plot, the twists - they were all very carefully put together. Elena's love choices are opening up, letting us wonder which brother she might choose. Making us choose sides (team Damon here!). This battle between the love and hate of the two brothers definitely seems interesting.
<b>The ending was everything I was hoping for and now I can't wait for the next book. The Awakening and The Struggle were only an introduction and the real adventures are yet to begin!</b>
I recommend it to all of you that love young-adult, teen romance and vampire stories. It will keep you on your toes for sure!
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2998210568">The Awakening</a> - ★★★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2998210684">The Struggle</a> - ★★★★★
<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Book-Review-Banner-24.png"/>;
<b><i>I had The Awakening and the Struggle (the first and second books from the Vampire Diaries series) on my shelf for years.</i></b>
When I say years, I mean it. It all started when I was in high-school, around 6 years ago, and I was in love with the Vampire Diaries TV Show. When I found out there are books as well, I begged my mum to buy them for me. And once I had them, I never got to read them, because teenage logic...
I recently noticed the Vampire Diaries books sitting on my shelf, forgotten, and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to read it in October, because of the whole spooky vibe. So there it is now - even thought the wheel didn't choose it, I did, because it deserved the attention!
Elena Gilbert is a popular girl in high-school and she always gets what she wants. Boys want to be with her, girls hate her, or want to be her best friends. And when this new boy Stefan comes into town, all mysterious, Elena wants him. But Stefan is hiding a deadly secret that Elena might now be ready for just yet. And her life, as well as the life of everyone living in Fell's Church is in grave danger... Elena finds herself between two brothers - one who came for a new life, and the other, who came for revenge...
Reading this book, while already knowing what the plot it, I thought I found find it boring. But no. I still enjoyed every single page of it, and I still devoured this book in one day.
From the first chapter, this book is intense and captures your attention. It is written in third person, but it also contains diary entries that belong to Elena and capture her deepest thoughts that she doesn't dare share with anyone else.
<b><i>I loved Elena!</i></b>
Her character is exactly what I was expected and what I have known to love - brave and fierce, and also willing to sacrifice her own happiness and safety for the people she loves the most.
Elena's friends, Meredith and Bonnie are the friends every girl needs. Funny and caring. A few pages in, and you will get to love them too.
Stefan - the mysterious new guy in school. The guy that tries to stay away from the girl he really wants because he's a danger to her. A little bit of Twilight vibes, but we can get past that. Because there is one thing that Twilight didn't have, that you can find reading The Vampire Diaries...
<b><i>DAMON</i></b>
Even though we only get a glimpse of him in this book, we can feel his presence throughout the whole book. We can feel his connection with Elena, as weird and spooky as it may be. All that danger that he carries with him, we all want to see whether there's anything good in him at all. His story is the most intriguing one, I think. His hunger for revenge makes you really understand both sides of the story and choose a side for yourself.
<b><i>So, are you team Stefan, or team Damon?</i></b>
I loved reading this - it was an amazing experience and it reminded me of my high-school days, of those innocent happy memories. My teenage life didn't include vampires, but hey - it was still awesome!
Pick the Vampire Diaries up if you love Young Adult spooky books, if you loved Twilight and if you love vampire, love and mystery stories in general.
<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Book-Review-Banner-8.png"/>;
<b><i>The Struggle is the continuation of the Vampire Diaries Series by L.J. Smith. The second book that features the life of popular girl Elena Gilbert and her endeavors with the mysterious vampire brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore.</i></b>
The Struggle continues where The Awakening ends; Elena is looking to talk to Damon, knowing that he has something to do with Stefan's disappearance.
I felt like there was more action in this book, compared to the first one. It made me more engrossed with the story and I was very excited for all the twists.
Elena was obviously the main character in this book, alongside Stefan and Damon. I am not sure how I felt about Elena in this book. She seemed to ignore everyone for a while and just be her selfish self - which resulted in getting people in trouble.
On the other hand, I really loved the history of Stefan and Damon. The memories from hundreds of years ago. The author manager to portray the time very well, and I was easily transported into another world, another time... I think these scenes were definitely the favourite part of this book.
I wish we saw more chapters with Bonnie and Meredith. Even though best friends, it didn't feel like they were too involved in the story. We didn't get to know them properly and it has already been two books. I really hope book three will let us meet these two characters better.
I am happy with the book in general.
The scenes, the plot, the twists - they were all very carefully put together. Elena's love choices are opening up, letting us wonder which brother she might choose. Making us choose sides (team Damon here!). This battle between the love and hate of the two brothers definitely seems interesting.
<b>The ending was everything I was hoping for and now I can't wait for the next book. The Awakening and The Struggle were only an introduction and the real adventures are yet to begin!</b>
I recommend it to all of you that love young-adult, teen romance and vampire stories. It will keep you on your toes for sure!
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Blood, Ink & Fire in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
Imagine a world without books… In this dystopian novel by Ashley Mansour, that is exactly what the world is like. <i>Blood, Ink & Fire</i> is set in the future where not only are books non-existent, it is illegal to know how to read. Noelle Hartley has grown up in the United Vales of Fell, where a computer controls what she hears, sees and feels by showing her a constant stream of artificial images. But, Noelle knows she is different. Unlike her parents she is able to question the meanings of the pictures, and when a rebellious group hacks into the system, forcing words onto their screens, Noelle is able to read them.
With the help of her blind friend, John, Noelle and her grandfather escape from this controlling society and find people living on the outside who are against what Fell is doing to humanity. Noelle learns facts about her grandfather’s past that she could never have imagined as well as discovering secrets about herself. Noelle is a reader and is told by members of the past generations that it is not true that all the books were destroyed. There are nine volumes hidden in various locations, which when brought together will become the key to unlock the knowledge that has been banned for so long. It is Noelle’s job to find them.
It is scary how plausible this post-literacy world is. Mansour includes three quotes before the beginning of the novel from the years 1987, 2008 and 2014 that put forward fears that books and our ability to read is becoming less important with the advancement of the internet. Humanity is becoming less intelligent and more controlled by what they see on their computers. Brains do not need to think as much as the answers are all online. Even whilst reading the narrative, there are aspects that are frighteningly familiar. The idea of a continuous stream of images is similar to current social medias such as Tumblr and Pinterest, where users feel compelled to scroll through the entire feed to view all of the latest posts.
There is however a part of this novel that is entirely fiction and would be impossible to ever occur. One of the characters is a bit of an enigma, a piece of the past inhabiting a human body. Literacy personified. This causes the storyline to be less credible, thus readers will view this as a piece of fiction (which it is) and be less likely to take the warning about the Internet changing people’s brains to heart.
<i>Blood, Ink & Fire</i> is a really fascinating story that is exciting from start to finish. It is full of clever ideas, making it unique from other books in this genre. It is also evident that Mansour undertook a vast amount of research, particularly of Shakespeare’s plays, as there was a reference to the playwright and his work in nearly every chapter, from character names to plots. Those familiar with Shakespeare will benefit from these allusions as they make the narrative flow effectively from beginning to end. It is, however, possible to read and enjoy without any prior knowledge of Shakespeare – you may even learn something new from reading this book.
I highly recommend <i>Blood, Ink & Fire</i> to book lovers and dystopian fiction fans. It feels similar in style to <i>The Darkest Minds</i> trilogy by Alexander Bracken, and with series such as <i>The Hunger Games</i> and <i>Divergent</i> being brought to the big screen, this new young adult book is bound to be popular. This was Ashley Mansour’s debut novel and I am keen to discover what she will write next.
Imagine a world without books… In this dystopian novel by Ashley Mansour, that is exactly what the world is like. <i>Blood, Ink & Fire</i> is set in the future where not only are books non-existent, it is illegal to know how to read. Noelle Hartley has grown up in the United Vales of Fell, where a computer controls what she hears, sees and feels by showing her a constant stream of artificial images. But, Noelle knows she is different. Unlike her parents she is able to question the meanings of the pictures, and when a rebellious group hacks into the system, forcing words onto their screens, Noelle is able to read them.
With the help of her blind friend, John, Noelle and her grandfather escape from this controlling society and find people living on the outside who are against what Fell is doing to humanity. Noelle learns facts about her grandfather’s past that she could never have imagined as well as discovering secrets about herself. Noelle is a reader and is told by members of the past generations that it is not true that all the books were destroyed. There are nine volumes hidden in various locations, which when brought together will become the key to unlock the knowledge that has been banned for so long. It is Noelle’s job to find them.
It is scary how plausible this post-literacy world is. Mansour includes three quotes before the beginning of the novel from the years 1987, 2008 and 2014 that put forward fears that books and our ability to read is becoming less important with the advancement of the internet. Humanity is becoming less intelligent and more controlled by what they see on their computers. Brains do not need to think as much as the answers are all online. Even whilst reading the narrative, there are aspects that are frighteningly familiar. The idea of a continuous stream of images is similar to current social medias such as Tumblr and Pinterest, where users feel compelled to scroll through the entire feed to view all of the latest posts.
There is however a part of this novel that is entirely fiction and would be impossible to ever occur. One of the characters is a bit of an enigma, a piece of the past inhabiting a human body. Literacy personified. This causes the storyline to be less credible, thus readers will view this as a piece of fiction (which it is) and be less likely to take the warning about the Internet changing people’s brains to heart.
<i>Blood, Ink & Fire</i> is a really fascinating story that is exciting from start to finish. It is full of clever ideas, making it unique from other books in this genre. It is also evident that Mansour undertook a vast amount of research, particularly of Shakespeare’s plays, as there was a reference to the playwright and his work in nearly every chapter, from character names to plots. Those familiar with Shakespeare will benefit from these allusions as they make the narrative flow effectively from beginning to end. It is, however, possible to read and enjoy without any prior knowledge of Shakespeare – you may even learn something new from reading this book.
I highly recommend <i>Blood, Ink & Fire</i> to book lovers and dystopian fiction fans. It feels similar in style to <i>The Darkest Minds</i> trilogy by Alexander Bracken, and with series such as <i>The Hunger Games</i> and <i>Divergent</i> being brought to the big screen, this new young adult book is bound to be popular. This was Ashley Mansour’s debut novel and I am keen to discover what she will write next.