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The Sunrisers
Book
After years of adventures, professional thief and amateur noodle critic Yael is invited to join The...
Lesbian Space Opera
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2635 KP) rated Legally Blind Luck in Books
Aug 28, 2026
On the Trail of a Cursed Talisman
Summer is just starting, and in the break before Kellan starts to teach a summer course, he is helping with an exhibit of African artifacts that is setting up on campus temporarily. However, moments before the official opening, Kellan stumbles on another dead body. He’s also hearing about a talisman that might be cursed. Is it on campus? What does its legend have to do with the current murder?
Yes, this book does address the cliffhanger from the previous book, and it ties into the plot of this one. The entire thing was a bit of a stretch, but it mostly worked for me. The soap opera feel of the series is still intact here, for better or worse. The characters sniping at each other was cut down, which I appreciated, but the cast is still very large. The summarization of dialogue continues to annoy me. And either I missed a couple of things or the attention to detail was lacking. Still, fans of the series will be happy they picked up this book.
Yes, this book does address the cliffhanger from the previous book, and it ties into the plot of this one. The entire thing was a bit of a stretch, but it mostly worked for me. The soap opera feel of the series is still intact here, for better or worse. The characters sniping at each other was cut down, which I appreciated, but the cast is still very large. The summarization of dialogue continues to annoy me. And either I missed a couple of things or the attention to detail was lacking. Still, fans of the series will be happy they picked up this book.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Bel Canto in Books
Jan 15, 2018
This is a book unlike any I have ever read before. It seems like nothing much happens, yet I found myself sucked into the story & completely invested in how the characters would come out of the story. It was incredibly realistic, but at the same time so unbelievable & so romantic!
Bel Canto tells the story of a a birthday party for a captain of Japanese industry. That party is thrown in a Central American country better known for it's drugs than much else. The Japanese man is coaxed into coming to the party because he is a HUGE opera fan & his favorite soprano will be performing. As soon as Roxanne Coss finishes her last scheduled aria the lights go out & in pound soldiers looking to kidnap the president. Of course the president isn't there as he decided to stay home to watch his TV show!
From there, the story tells of the captivity of the hostages (guests at the party) & their captors. Relationships begin to flourish after the initial shock wears off. The book tells the story of this captivity & eventually it's tragic & heartbreaking conclusion.
Bel Canto tells the story of a a birthday party for a captain of Japanese industry. That party is thrown in a Central American country better known for it's drugs than much else. The Japanese man is coaxed into coming to the party because he is a HUGE opera fan & his favorite soprano will be performing. As soon as Roxanne Coss finishes her last scheduled aria the lights go out & in pound soldiers looking to kidnap the president. Of course the president isn't there as he decided to stay home to watch his TV show!
From there, the story tells of the captivity of the hostages (guests at the party) & their captors. Relationships begin to flourish after the initial shock wears off. The book tells the story of this captivity & eventually it's tragic & heartbreaking conclusion.
ClareR (6256 KP) rated The Wisdom Of Sally Red Shoes in Books
Apr 24, 2018
A book full of hope.
Masha has never got over the death of her infant son, who drowned at the age of two - even twelve years later she struggles daily. She finds comfort in the local victorian graveyard, and swims every day at her local lido. She has the most fascinating friends: Kitty Muriel, a woman who is so comfortable in her own skin that Masha clearly admires her greatly; Sally Red Shoes, who is portrayed as a crazy old bag lady, who feeds the crows at the cemetery, sings opera amongst the grave stones, and has great taste in shoes; Edwar, her best friend , who has seen her through so much hardship. There are others, but these characters really stood out for me.
This is a beautiful story about grief, death, and learning to live and love again. It sounds as though it will be 'cheesy', and I was apprehensive to begin with, but it is really such a lovely book. I laughed, I cried, and I enjoyed it enormously.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.
This is a beautiful story about grief, death, and learning to live and love again. It sounds as though it will be 'cheesy', and I was apprehensive to begin with, but it is really such a lovely book. I laughed, I cried, and I enjoyed it enormously.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Godzilla Raids Again (1955) in Movies
Jun 1, 2019 (Updated Jun 1, 2019)
Second Godzilla movie (and the last in black and white) hits on the idea that would sustain the franchise for decades to come (monster wrestling!) but doesn't quite perfect it. Two pilots in the fishing industry discover a second Godzilla has appeared, along with another monster, Angilas. With the secret of the weapon used to destroy the first Godzilla lost forever, it's thinking caps on for the government and armed forces...
The movie starts with pace and energy, even if it doesn't really have the intensity or powerful subtext of the original film. The city-flattening clash between Godzilla and Angilas comes relatively early on, though, and its impact is lessened somewhat by the fact it's arguably filmed at the wrong speed. After this comes a long and honestly dull soap opera subplot about the workers and management of a fishing company affected by Godzilla's attack, before we come to a protracted and quite laborious climax. Obviously of interest to fans of the series, but it really misses the presence of Ishiro Honda and Akira Ifukube as director and composer. Not a great or even particularly good film, but an important one in monster movie history.
The movie starts with pace and energy, even if it doesn't really have the intensity or powerful subtext of the original film. The city-flattening clash between Godzilla and Angilas comes relatively early on, though, and its impact is lessened somewhat by the fact it's arguably filmed at the wrong speed. After this comes a long and honestly dull soap opera subplot about the workers and management of a fishing company affected by Godzilla's attack, before we come to a protracted and quite laborious climax. Obviously of interest to fans of the series, but it really misses the presence of Ishiro Honda and Akira Ifukube as director and composer. Not a great or even particularly good film, but an important one in monster movie history.
Personally I think this should have also counted towards my classic read for the month aswell, but hey, I don’t make the rules . . oh, wait . .
For those of you not in the know The Iliad is Homers epic poem about the Trojan war, this version was translated by EV Rieu.
What can I say about this, without sounding like a complete philistine? It is essentially a Soap Opera based around testosterone fuelled macho men and a bunch of Gods having a hissy fit! I loved it!
Crivens, there’s a lot of people in it though!! It did take me a little while to get into it, and being a little rusty on my Greek mythology I kept forgetting who was on whose side, but I eventually found my stride, and if you can wade through all the different ways that different people were killed (Homer does really like describing how each person died, potentially the Tarantino of his day!) It is a really detailed account of a mythological war that inspired a whole wealth of literature, and I can see why it is a classic.
For those of you not in the know The Iliad is Homers epic poem about the Trojan war, this version was translated by EV Rieu.
What can I say about this, without sounding like a complete philistine? It is essentially a Soap Opera based around testosterone fuelled macho men and a bunch of Gods having a hissy fit! I loved it!
Crivens, there’s a lot of people in it though!! It did take me a little while to get into it, and being a little rusty on my Greek mythology I kept forgetting who was on whose side, but I eventually found my stride, and if you can wade through all the different ways that different people were killed (Homer does really like describing how each person died, potentially the Tarantino of his day!) It is a really detailed account of a mythological war that inspired a whole wealth of literature, and I can see why it is a classic.
Star Turns and Cameo Appearances: Memoirs of a Life Among Musicians
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Star Turns and Cameo Appearances is the entertaining and insightful memoir by veteran music critic...
Tatiana Leskova: A Ballerina at Large
Suzana Braga and Donald E. Scrimgeour
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Tatiana Leskova is one of last surviving pupils of dancers from the golden world of the Imperial...
Bridie Gallagher: The Girl from Donegal
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Known as 'the Girl from Donegal', Bridie Gallagher was Ireland's first truly international pop star....