Search

Search only in certain items:

Video

Here Lies Man - You Ain't Goin' Nowhere | Here Lies Man

  
Batman the Killing Joke
Batman the Killing Joke
Brian Bolland, Alan Moore | 2008 | Fiction & Poetry
4
7.4 (10 Ratings)
Book Rating
Hmm.... I've heard so much about this being the "greatest Batman and/or Joker comic ever written" and I'm left here like, ohhhhkkkaaaay, so what? The art is fantastic, but the story? I feel like it went nowhere. Or maybe just circled around. I don't know, but it was a major disappointment. I understand the parallels between The Joker and Batman, but the execution just wasn't there. I felt there was no humanity, and frankly it all felt very ho-hum and I felt no shock, no sadness or anger, or anything, just absolutely no emotions at all really.
  
40x40

Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Serial in Podcasts

Jan 22, 2018  
Serial
Serial
News & Politics
8
8.5 (42 Ratings)
Podcast Rating
Interviews with witnesses, suspects etc (1 more)
Information is well edited and presented
The host can be irritating and seems to harbour some bias at times (1 more)
The quality of the first season is never met again afterwards
An Exciting Tale To Hear Unfold
The first season of this show was great. Once you get over the annoying host, there is a gripping and exciting story to be told here. The second season was okay, but nowhere near as gripping or exciting as the first and I gave up on S-Town after one episode.
  
40x40

Hazel (2934 KP) rated Nowhere To Run in Books

Oct 24, 2021 (Updated Oct 24, 2021)  
Nowhere To Run
Nowhere To Run
James Oswald | 2021 | Crime, Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the third instalment in the Constance Fairchild series and yet another that doesn't disappoint. You don't have to have read any of the other 2 books but I would suggest you do because it gives insight into Constance's story and you won't regret it. Nowhere to Run provides some of the back story and history but it can only touch upon it otherwise it would be a tome!

I think I can safely say that I'm a fan of James Oswald's work and I particularly like his character DC Constance Fairchild, otherwise known as Con. She is one tough cookie and this is shown in all its glory here.

It starts off pretty sedately with Con recuperating in an isolated cottage in Wales but, as is the case with Con, trouble seems to find her regardless of whether she is in the centre of London or in the middle of nowhere! Here she is getting embroiled in a smuggling operation on the Welsh coastline - you just know from the very beginning that things aren't going to go well for Con but little do we know just how bad.

Once again, Mr Oswald creates fantastic characters even ones of the four legged variety; I absolutely loved Gelert the deerhound who embodies the phrase "[wo]man's best friend" and I guarantee you will want a Gelert in your life albeit without the flatulence!

With action from the start, numerous scenes of peril and suspense all wrapped up perfectly in a plot which mixes contemporary themes with Welsh folklore and a touch of the unexplained, this is a book that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Thank you Headline and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
A Barlow Lens (Circles #2)
A Barlow Lens (Circles #2)
Elizabeth Noble | 2020 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Mystery, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A BARLOW LENS is the second book in the Circles series and we continue with Wyatt and Val as they try to solve a mystery from a time-gone-by.

I LOVED THIS STORY! I really enjoyed reading about the historical side of things, and how Tom and Philip managed to be together. Archie was a nasty piece of work and I really can't say I'm sad about his ending!

There is mention of horse-racing in this one but nowhere near as much as in the first, simply because it isn't the focus in here. I loved how it was still there and an important time for Wyatt and Val, but I'm also glad the emphasis was on Tom and Philip.

Two for the price of one and both thoroughly enjoyable. Absolutely recommended by me.
  
Dead In The Pond (Grasmere Trilogy #2)
Dead In The Pond (Grasmere Trilogy #2)
Dahlia Donovan | 2018 | Crime, Romance, Thriller
10
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
i love Bishan!
This is book two in the Grasmere Cottage Mystery Trilogy, and you MUST read book one, Dead In The Garden, before you read this one. They are NOT stand alones and they follow on.

Bishan, now out of jail, and Valor still have no idea who is killing, and why Bish and Valor have been singled out. Then another body is discovered, and Valor's worst nightmare comes true. Bish tries, he really does, but he just wants things to go back to the way they were, before.

Bishan has his say here, and just Bishan. He is Autistic, and his minds does go off at tangents all over the place, and he does take some following.

But I'm so bloody glad he gets his voice here!!

The guys are trying to piece together who might be doing this, and getting nowhere. Neither are the police. Things seem to calm down, then Bish and Valor are in a car accident that appears to be anything but. Didn't expect that particular person to stoop quite so low, but when HE turns up dead, and Valor is faced with having to deal with the family who disowned him so long ago. Bish struggles with that, but knows it's gotta be done.

Bish's mind wanders all over the place, but always seems to come back to the point at hand, he just goes the long way round. You have to concentrate, pat attention and keep up! For ME?? That's a really good thing! Being a speed reader at the best of times, if I've gotta slow down, it's the sign of a great book.

There is almost two plot lines going on here: the murders, and whatever is happening with Valor's family and just WHY they are so desperate to bring him back to London, away from Bish. But Valor won't go, not without Bishan. He LOVES Bishan, I loved the scene where they decide to definitely NOT get married! The love these two have for each other comes across every time Valor reaches for Bish and is rewarded with their joined hands, every time Bish makes tea for Valor, in every single thing they do for each other.

I fell in love with Bishan here, and his mum!

I'm still none the wiser as to whodunnit or why, but it's great that I'm being kept on my toes!

OH!!! Massive cliffhanger here! There was one for book one, but here's is far bigger!

Since Bishan has such an interesting voice

5 full stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
The Rogue (Traitor Spy Trilogy, #2)
The Rogue (Traitor Spy Trilogy, #2)
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The paving issues from the previous book where definitely less evident here. Really enjoying the plot, though, I did find Dannyl's story dragging a bit, but having learnt Canavan's habit of pulling loose threads together, I am guessing this will all make sense by the end of the last book. She still has a tendency to not develop the affection between people will, so some (though not all) romantic interests seem to come out of nowhere, though I wouldn't exactly call it instalove, it does border on it at times.

Still a very enjoyable read, and I'm both looking forward to finishing the whole story, as well as wanting to put it off because I don't want it to end.
  
40x40

LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Predator 2 (1990) in Movies

Sep 29, 2019 (Updated Sep 29, 2019)  
Predator 2 (1990)
Predator 2 (1990)
1990 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
One of the most aggressively 'ok' films ever
Predator 2 isn't awful. It's gets a bad wrap, and I think that stems from just how good the first film is.

Let's look at the positives - Director Stephen Hopkins tried something new with a simple change of scenery, from a thick jungle to a dystopian Los Angeles. I have nothing but respect for not straight up ripping off the first movie, unlike Predators...
Another positive - I find it almost impossible to dislike Danny Glover. His character is nowhere near as iconic as as Arnie's Dutch, but he's still pretty likable.
The titular Predator looks pretty badass as always, and the use of practical effects throughout are pretty good.

The digital effects dotted about here and there have aged terribly, and the general plot is largely forgettable for the most part. Quite simply, it's an inferior movie to it's predecessor, but it's an entertaining enough slice of 90s Sci-fi and still worth a watch, even if it's just to hear Danny Glover call the Predator a 'pussy face'.
  
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
The sequel to 2014's disappointingly action light reboot is thankfully an improvement and contains an abundance of giant monsters smashing the shit out of world landmarks and each other. The plot is of course complete gubbins but they have a pretty decent cast who do the best they can to take the material seriously. As a big 'Stranger Things' fan I find it pretty hard to dislike Millie Bobby Brown even if her character here is nowhere near as interesting. The main selling point of the film is of course the monsters and I thought the special effects were very impressive. My advice is to just switch your brain off and enjoy the sheer stupid spectacle of it all and you'll get some fun out of it.
  
The Nowhere Man (Orphan X, #2)
The Nowhere Man (Orphan X, #2)
Gregg Hurwitz | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller
8
7.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Evan Smoak is working to take down a human trafficking ring, but as he finds a last piece he needs to stop, he is captured by forces unknown. When he wakes up, he has no idea where he is. Can he escape?

I’m not usually a fan of plotlines where we follow a prisoner, and this book definitely fell into some of those pacing pitfalls. Still, this was a fun read with good twists to keep things fresh, and I was turning pages quickly most of the time. The character development for Evan was quite interesting here, and he is surrounded by a mostly strong cast of new characters, although one of them felt over the top. Overall, a fun, page turning thriller.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/05/book-review-nowhere-man-by-gregg.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.