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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) created a post

May 28, 2019  
So took my nephews to the #cinema today for the first time ever to see #howtotrainyourdragon3. Possibly one of the most rewarding & #magical experiences ive ever had. Seeing both thier faces light up in awe, excitement & wonder as it started is a #memory ill never forget. Sitting next to #Hudson & watching him shuvel popcorn in automatically without even breaking eye conact with screen showed me just how immersed he had become in the film too. Once the #popcorn had gone we started having little conversations about what was going one & thats when i realised suprisingly just how much he was actually following the story & taking it all in. After a slight lul in the middle (where he had a little lie down on his dads lap) he was soon back up leaning forward on the edge of his seat with me cheering & clapping as #toothless revield a new hidden #power he had learnt. Coming towards the end of the film Hudson went through moments of sheer panic, #surprise, sadness until finally lighting up with pure joy shouting out after the final set piece "I REALLY REALLY LOVED THAT BIT" & "Toothless is my favorite" which was so unbelievably #cute. As the film came to a close he started to become sad as the realiseation we were about to leave finally set in he turned to his dad & said "please can we come again tomorrow?" & "wait can we stay its not over theres more still" pointing at the credits. I think the entire experience just made me realise how truly magical & important the escapisum of film really is & just how many #feelings & #emotions a good movie can spark in you as you get lost/absorbed into it. I think it also reminded me of my first experience too & how it paved a way for the #love & adiction i have to film now. Bottom line is simply can not wait to take them again it was so rewarding & i urge any parent worrying about taking thier #kids for the first time to just do it (yes there will be teething problems but the reward of seeing thier little faces light up is oh so worth worth it). #EPIC. #sundayfunday #children #funny #weekend #family #sunday #vue #odeon #popcorn #beautiful #daysout #howtotrainyourdragon #dreamworks #filmbuff #filmcritic #joy #
     
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Laetitia Sadier recommended Rosy Maze by Marker Stalling in Music (curated)

 
Rosy Maze by Marker Stalling
Rosy Maze by Marker Stalling
2014 | Pop
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"If I were to have one at the moment, I think Chris [Cummings, AKA Marker Stalling] is my favourite composer. There's a lot of depth; there are a lot of nooks and crannies and obscure pockets to dive into, not at first listen but with each repeat. The album reveals its beauty after many listens, and each time you listen more it's like, ah yes! It's another one of those records that you can listen to forever, whatever mood you're in. I remember last year I took a long road trip to France and I was meeting friends, so each time I would play it, and in whatever circumstances, the music would fit. In happy circumstances it was great, but on another occasion I remember a friend had lost their dad, and it was very soothing and healing. It's another album that holds a lot of magic and is forever comforting. If it's hot it freshens you up, if it's cold it warms you up! It's great. He wrote a song for my last album as well. I'm a big fan. And live it's extraordinary. His backing band is Batch: we just did a residency together, they're amazing. I was watching their video last night actually, a little live thing from a festival, and those guys are brilliant. I can't believe how great they are, in terms of being really good musicians with great songs and also the heart, how they play. They are very implied in what they play. A lot of musicians I've seen in the past are just going through the moves, there's no energetic involvement or heart in their playing. Technically it's probably quite good, but to me it's very boring. But with these guys, I remember seeing them and I thought they were so good, but part of me wanted to make fun of them, but I couldn't because there was so much heart in their playing that I could only love them. So when Chris comes to the UK or tours Europe usually Batch are his backing band, and it's brilliant. But there are usually only ten or twenty people watching them. Maybe now it's a little bit more, but it's like, come on people, this is really amazing! He's an amazing performer who's full of surprises. He's very warm and super funny and excellent: I can't recommend him enough."

Source
  
What do you do when an ancestor's actions threaten your very existence? You disappear. Emily, or at least that's what her name is now, must begin a quiet, hidden, new life in Maine. It's one of those small towns with a couple of hundred residents, some shops/eating establishments, an unexplained interest to tourists and not much else. The sign must say Greenville, population: a handful of moose.

The beginning just reminds me of home, with the gorgeous trees, lake, the phrase "wicked cool" and Emily's Red Sox cap. The action quickly takes over the plot, as Emily must flee Maine with a man she doesn't know if she can trust.... from a guy who had been following her for years with one goal - to kill her. With her memories gone Emily, or Audra as she finds out, doesn't know who she can trust. Is Luka the one who wants her dead? Or did Rolan lie and he's the real threat?

The unique plot is intriguing and the mystery won't let you put the book down. Danger lurks around every corner and Audra must rediscover what she forced herself to forget, at all costs.

The characters are intriguing and develop over the course of the novel. The Progeny are secretive and with good reason, any knowledge they have of their brethren can be taken upon their deaths. Their minds put countless others at risk unless they keep themselves isolated. While her comrades are decently well described, they don't quite feel like fully realized people. We need to now more of their dreams and fears, history, relationships and motivation.

The "big-bads" are sort of a generic evil villain type that I wished was developed more. What turned him into a zealot? What <i>is</i> his history with Audra's mother? How did he rise in the Court? I know Audra lost her memories, so we're in the dark like her but it just makes the novel feel less realized than it could.

The one relationship that feels authentic is between Audra and Luka. Even though she's not initially sure she can trust him and questions herlself throughout the novel - she still can't imagine going through everything without him/ I'm glad to learn that it isn't one long-running deception. The end of the novel is still completely unexpected in regards to the two of them.

Claudia and Piotrek are so close but he feels like such a mystery. We get to experience some of Claudia's emotions, like her confusion and hurt at being left or her anger about Ivan's death. Piotrek just seems flat in comparison. He's very protective of Claudia and painted a picture once. For all we know, he could have been an artist and it was just one of his many works. Its just as likely that it was the one and only time he attempted to be creative. I wish Piotrek was more develop as I"m very interested to learn more about him.

Audra travels to a number of foreign locations and they are described well enough that you can imagine them beautifully. They may not be the most glamorous villas or rich cities but you want to learn more about them nonetheless.

The book ends with a lot of revelations and so many more questions. Traitors are unmasked. Confessed or accused killers may not have been the murderers after all. Lovers are in peril. And time is running out. I know I can't wait to read the next book and find out what happens.
  
ST
Servant: The Kindred (Servant, #3)
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I almost feel bad having this series as my first review since I have absolutely nothing good to say about this book, or the series for that matter. Every element of this book was just terrible, from the language to the plot development, or lack thereof.
By the time I came to the final novel in the Servant trilogy, I quite literally had to force myself to read every page. Unlike the first two, where I became hooked on a goal that Gabrielle Cody was trying to reach, this book just grossed me out, bored me, and irritated me when I wasnÂ’t bored. After the first chapter, I lost any hope that this novel was an improvement on the first two.
The foul language was so excessive that I noticed myself just passing over it like you would the word “the” or “and”. The fact that Gaby couldn’t form a sentence without saying the f-word seemed a bit juvenile to me. Foster’s attempt to make Gaby seem uneducated is contradicted when she randomly uses words like cathartic. It was out of her character.
The characters were more frustrating in this novel than in the previous ones. Gaby and LutherÂ’s arguing left me so annoyed that, at times, I just skipped over it. I could not understand why Luther was so obsessed with her since any normal person probably would just ignored her from the get go. However, I felt that GabyÂ’s character had become more realistic in her feelings and thoughts. I actually liked that Gaby was so jealous of Ann, LutherÂ’s partner who is perfect in every way. I also liked the relationship she forms with Bliss, a ex-prostitute that Gaby saved from the streets, and the two orphans that Gaby takes under her wing.
The biggest problem I have with this series is the pedestal that Foster place Gaby upon. Foster makes her protagonist so strong and unbeatable that, more than once, I thought that the author was trying to make Gaby a god on earth. Gaby only obtains one injury through the entire novel, a bullet wound that is used to further the plot. Without the bullet wound, Gaby would have never gone to get a tattoo. Nobody can touch Gaby, something I found not only a nuascance but unlikely.
The final noteworthy thing about this book, is that we discover Gaby ancestry. I felt appeased in my search for discovering more about GabyÂ’s past and parents. Any surprise I had about her parentage was nullified by FosterÂ’s writing style.

I do believe I have complained enough about this series. I did have hope for it but was disappointed. After reading such an unpleasing series, I am going to read a book I know I should end up enjoying.
  
I knew when I first “met” Grant I wanted to know his story. After reading A Tall Dark Cowboy Christmas it not only met my expectations, it exceeded them ten-fold. Grant Dodge touched my soul through the wonderful words of Maisey Yates, and had me feeling like I was along for the ride from his first words.

Grant Dodge was used to the pity head tilts, the supportive hand touches, the tsking and awwing whenever he was spoken to. He was Grant Dodge, widower. No longer just Grant or even just Grant Dodge because he lost his wife. He is old, cranky, tired and just wants to get on with his life, however that needs to happen. As it happens currently it is with a bottle of whatever alcohol he has on hand. He doesnÂ’t like to be sober at bedtime and tonight was no exception. However the light coming from the small abandoned cabin abutting his property is. He has no idea what heÂ’ll find but he knows his snarkyness will send them running.

McKenna Tate just needs a place to rest for a bit. Finding this abandoned cabin in the woods was a cherry on the crap sundae that has become her life. Her truck is toast, she has little to no money, clothes or food but she has made it to Gold Valley, which was her objective to begin with. The hunky cowboy that just interrupted her sleep was not on her to do list however.

Grant and McKenna are broken but together they start to heal each other. Each is looking to fulfill some part of their lives and not knowing how to truly trust someone else to walk the walk with them. Grant still lives with the guilt of losing his wife and how to move on while McKenna never had a “real life” and struggles with knowing her place in the world.

Grant has to delve deep inside to mourn his wife but to also let her go so he can move on. He lives daily with the reminders of his previous life, stuck in a sort of limbo both self-inflicted and by his surroundings. McKenna has a mission in mind to find her family, she has never been wanted by anyone so she doubts theyÂ’ll want her either. But if she doesnÂ’t find out the answer she will drive herself crazy.

Such a wonderful story, diving deep into feelings we all have experienced at one point or another. Surprising for me was the fact that Grant was a virgin. Very unexpected but also makes so much sense when put in the bigger picture of his life from high school to the present. Just another wonderful way Ms Yates takes all aspects of someoneÂ’s life and incorporates those tiny details to weave an amazing story. 5 amazing stars for this incredible journey to the depths of GrantÂ’s soul.
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated How Hard Can It Be? in Books

Mar 10, 2019 (Updated Mar 10, 2019)  
How Hard Can It Be?
How Hard Can It Be?
Allison Pearson | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Things have taken a bit of a turn for Kate Reddy--she's nearing 50, her husband has lost his job and spends most of his time cycling, and her kids are busy teenagers. With Richard out of work, Kate has to return to work. However, she finds that the financial community isn't welcoming to a woman on the cusp of fifty. When Kate decides to pretend she's seven years younger to enter the working world, she winds up working at the hedge fund she originally started. Once back at work, though, she finds herself overwhelmed dealing with everything: the unhelpful husband, the ungrateful kids, the demanding colleagues, and an unexpected appearance from an old flame.

This was a tough one for me. It was a slow read, although in its defense, I read it during a very busy time at work. I empathized with Kate's return to working motherhood--especially juggling kids and work and dealing with a male-driven workplace. I didn't enjoy the intense focus on how old Kate was, making her seem nearly decrepit at fifty. It's one thing to deal with turning the big 5-0 and its ramifications, but its another to make it seem like it's the end of the world. Even worse, while Kate could seem so strong in the workplace, she was such a pushover with her children. She was supposedly clueless with technology, unable to keep up with their exploits, and a complete doormat. (I also couldn't handle the endless endearments she used with her kids--there's only so many "sweeties" and "darlings" I can take.)

There are certainly humorous moments in the novel. This is a sequel to Pearson's first novel featuring Reddy and the parts I enjoyed here were the parts I liked about the first one: Kate's wit, her ability to take on the "big boys" at her fund, and the snippets of emails between her and her friend, Candy. There were definitely pieces of the novel that I found myself nodding along with--her moments of anxiety; her rants about how working moms are treated; some insights into kids and the social media era, etc. And Kate certainly doesn't have an easy go of it, with her clueless husband, helpless kids, crumbling house, aging parents, and stressful job.

That being said, I could see most of the plot twists coming a mile away, and you couldn't help but get frustrated that Kate couldn't see them too. Overall, while I found parts of this novel funny, refreshing, and quite apropos, I couldn't really get over Kate's obsession with her looks or her one-sided relationship with her children. In the end my rating is probably bumped up a bit for a little Kate Reddy nostalgia.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
  
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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Boy Erased (2018) in Movies

Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)  
Boy Erased (2018)
Boy Erased (2018)
2018 | Biography, Drama
This is a tough one to get into, not because of the subject matter but because the beginning is just so slow. I actually sat there wondering if this was the movie I had thought I was going to be seeing when I walked in.

Let's just start by saying that Nicole Kidman is genuinely the best thing about this film. You can feel her shame, and the love she feels for her son... and all of that through the horrendous wig. The wig people are definitely out to get her in these recent films.

Boy Erased certainly doesn't pull any punches. There are two scenes in particular that are brutal and quite shocking, but they hit on completely opposite ends of the scale for me. The first sees a relationship develop between Jared and his male friend at college, this leads to a rape scene that should have a massive impact on the film but it somehow didn't. The second is at the conversion program and we see one of the members getting beaten by his family, this one had some very powerful performances. Two shocking scenes that should surely hold similar impact and yet they don't.

There is a break in this film that takes it from bad to good, that divide comes when the conversion therapy enters the story. Before that point nothing seems to hold much weight. Had there been something at the beginning that alluded to the latter part of the film then that incredibly long set up could have been forgiven.

When it comes to the acting it's really all over the shop. As I said, Nicole Kidman knocked my socks off as the leading lady, but when it came to the leading men I was a little underwhelmed. Crowe's performance didn't make me feel anything about his character, possibly because most of his role appears in the beginning of the film where it feels like nothing happens. Until he was able to start developing Jared's character with his interactions with other group members Lucas Hedges' offering wasn't much to write home about either. I could probably go on for ages about the supporting cast but there's good, there's bad, and there's unnecessary, but I'm sure that all the characters are there for a reason.

The story is an important one and had the scope to be amazing but somewhere along the line some choices were made that meant momentum was lost very early on in the film.

What you should do

I think it's worth a watch, but do be aware that it takes a while to reach its stride.

Movie thing you wish you could take home

I think we could all do with Nancy's ability to realise her mistake and rectify it against such powerful opposition. "Shame on you, and shame on me!"
  
Pushing Daisies  - Season 2
Pushing Daisies - Season 2
2008 | Comedy
Great storyline (0 more)
Rushed ending (0 more)
As mentioned in the first season, the story follows Emerson Cod, a private investigator; Charlotte Charles, Ned's childhood sweetheart brought back from the dead by Ned; and Ned, who has the ability to bring the dead back to life for one minute before something else takes its place.

Each episode entails all kinds of quirky murder mysteries in which Ned, Emerson, and Charlotte must solve together. As the season progresses, we learn more about each character and other sub characters such as Olive Snook.


We see Emerson in his flight to get in contact with his long lost daughter, Charlotte who tricks Ned into bringing her deceased father back to life, Olives unrequited love with Ned, and Ned who can never touch his only true, Charlotte, love again.


However, I will warn you, the series end kind of abruptly. The contract for a third series, for some reason, was cancelled meaning everything had to be tied up at the end when it should not have. It is rather unfortunate because it is such a good series.
  
TT
The Thing on the Doorstep
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Wow. I wasn't sure what to I was going to think of this, as several state it's not his best of stories, but as I'm a new reader of Lovecraft, I have nothing to compare this to, so I enjoyed it hugely!

The opening line of this story, <b><i>It is true that I have sent six bullets through the head of my best friend, and yet I hope to show by this statement that I am not his murderer,"</b></i> is enough to completely suck you in to the story. You'll find yourself getting lost in this piece of fiction, coming out the other side of it dazed, horrified and delighted.

This story has some of the best tension building, leaving you to decide what is happening to the ever changing Edward and his mysterious wife Asenath.

The hints to black magic and the occult make this story really ominous, dark and brooding. This is really a terrific horror story. If this isn't one of his best, I'm excited to see what his other stories bring!
  
Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)
Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)
2018 | Action, Sci-Fi
If you were a fan of Pacific Rim and were looking forward to this movie, I'm sorry.

Where Pacific Rim was an action movie that had a soul, Uprising is the equivalent of a Transformers movie. Big things on a screen blowing up with characters that serve a non-existent plot.

Uprising is a big, expensive, stinking turd of a film, dropped on an audience that is expecting a treat and instead gets a face full of fresh, wet, crap. There's absolutely no excuse for how bad this film is. As of right now, less than five minutes after I walked out the theater's door, I cannot remember a single character's name, let alone motivations. Neither can I really remember the action sequences. All I can think of is the disappointment I'm feeling and, yes, anger that what could have been an entertaining franchise being trashcanned by this sequel.

Don't go to it. Don't rent it. Don't reward lazy films like this one. Let this become lost down the memory hole. Forever.