David McK (3838 KP) rated Shazam! (2019) in Movies
Apr 17, 2019 (Updated Jul 14, 2024)
I was also quite surprised by how dark/scary parts of this were for a child-friendly film, with it really only lightening up once the 14 year old Billy Batson gets his powers and transforms into Zachary Levis's adult superhero (but still with his child's mind).
With a subplot concerning family - one strand of which could probably have been handled better - and Levi knocking it out of the park (I'll admit, the TV series Chuck in which he starred is one of my favourites) as Shazam, this is one of the better entries in DC growing catalogue of movies.
David McK (3838 KP) rated The Valley of Fear in Books
Apr 13, 2024
The Hound of the Baskervilles (natch)
A Study in Scarlet
The Sign of Four
The Red-Headed League
The Final Problem
.. and a few others whose name I cannot currently recall.
None of them, however, were this one.
Like "The Hound...", this was a later-written story, but is also set before Holmes encounter with Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls. And like "A Study in Scarlet", it's also very much split into distinct sections: the first section in which Holmes and Watson are called to the English countryside to investigate a murder (or is it suicide?), and the a whole other section set in the United States of America filling in the backgrounds of the principal actor of the first section.
Being new to me, also, I have to say I did wonder - until the reveal! - just how this whole section (and the mention of the Pinkerton Detective Agency) fitted into the first part.
Perhaps because of its novelty (to me), I also fairly enjoyed this.
A Day of Fallen Night
10.0
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Tunuva Melim is a sister of the Priory. For fifty years, she has trained to slay wyrms – but none...
High Fantasy Dragons
David McK (3838 KP) rated Monstrous Regiment: (Discworld Novel 31) in Books
Mar 31, 2023
I wonder how this was affected by Pratchett's 'embuggerance'?
Original 2011 review
Not one of the strongest of Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld books, this is only loosely - even more so than normal - connected to any of his other books in the series. Loosely connected, but not to the level of ""Small Gods"" (which is set centuries before the rest of the series), or "Pyramids".
In "Monstrous Regiment", Pratchett introduces a whole host of new characters - none of who have yet, been heard of again - as well as some new nations, with Commander Sam Vimes (from the City Watch books) and William De Worde (from "the Truth") only really having cameos in the story. He also exaggerates, to comic effect, the famous stories of women secretly joining the army, with this providing the basis for his plot.
As I said at the top, this is not one of the best of Pratchetts works, but even a below-par Pratchett is miles above any other author in the same genre
Gingerdead Man
9.0
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When Santa is sleighed by a poison gingerbread cookie at a holiday party, Val Deniston's reputation...
The Oath (The Druid Chronicles, #1) by A.M. Linden
Book
When the last of members of a secretive Druid cult are forced to abandon their hidden sanct-uary,...
Historical Fiction Medieval
For the Strange and Surprising: Where the Mongrels Are (Where They Are #1)
8.0
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I’m a catastrophe waiting to happen—I always have been. When a waterspout drops me on the...
Adult Reverse Harem Science Fiction Romance
Hazel (2934 KP) rated What His Wife Knew in Books
Feb 20, 2022
Oscar is found dead by his brother at the bottom of Cloud Drop; a note is found which just says "sorry" and his wedding ring in his car - a slam bunk you might say but his wife, Beth, is having none of it and the more she delves, the more she realises her husband is not who she thought he was but neither are those around her.
This was proper good! The story was compelling with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing and although I guessed the main twist, it didn't ruin the story for me at all as it was great getting there. The main characters are excellent and well developed and the pace is good.
All in all, a great psychological/domestic thriller and one which I would recommend to lovers of this genre.
Thank you Penguin Random House UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Kaden (The Hawks #0)
10.0
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He has to leave. He can’t take her with him. And he needs to go now. Kaden has always kept his...
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