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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Splits in Books
Apr 22, 2023
47 of 235
Kindle
The Splits
By M.V Clark
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Imagine an eerie, parallel London living through a mysterious pandemic…
Two sisters escape a traumatic childhood to build perfect lives. Then one day Anna’s husband starts losing his mind. And Claire’s son becomes so volatile she’s frightened to be around him.
A terrifying disease known as ‘the splits’ lingers on the streets of the city. The science is definitive – the splits is quick, gruesome and fatal. There can be no link to what ails the men in Anna and Claire's families.
Except that nothing about this disease is what it seems. Evidence is emerging of a slow-burn variety, which infects its victims so stealthily it is invisible until the terrible end-stage.
A maverick researcher is touting a risky experimental cure. Anna rejects this as a dangerous fantasy.
But for Claire, it is her only chance to save her disintegrating boy.
What happens next changes the sisters' lives forever, as they fight themselves and each other for one last shot at happiness.
This was totally different to your average zombie infection read. I really enjoyed it. The characters and their lives were so interesting and it was definitely a different take on what makes a “zombie”. Very clever writing.
Kindle
The Splits
By M.V Clark
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Imagine an eerie, parallel London living through a mysterious pandemic…
Two sisters escape a traumatic childhood to build perfect lives. Then one day Anna’s husband starts losing his mind. And Claire’s son becomes so volatile she’s frightened to be around him.
A terrifying disease known as ‘the splits’ lingers on the streets of the city. The science is definitive – the splits is quick, gruesome and fatal. There can be no link to what ails the men in Anna and Claire's families.
Except that nothing about this disease is what it seems. Evidence is emerging of a slow-burn variety, which infects its victims so stealthily it is invisible until the terrible end-stage.
A maverick researcher is touting a risky experimental cure. Anna rejects this as a dangerous fantasy.
But for Claire, it is her only chance to save her disintegrating boy.
What happens next changes the sisters' lives forever, as they fight themselves and each other for one last shot at happiness.
This was totally different to your average zombie infection read. I really enjoyed it. The characters and their lives were so interesting and it was definitely a different take on what makes a “zombie”. Very clever writing.
David McK (3425 KP) rated Les Misérables (2012) in Movies
Jan 19, 2022
I'm still waiting for Miserable Les to turn up ;-)
Les Miserables.
One of those musicals/films that, while I had head of it and did not the broad strokes of, I had never actually seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Set in post-(Napoleonic)war France, this spans about roughly 20 years or so (i think 17, to be precise) starting in 1815 when ex-con Jean Valjean (Jackman) is released from servitude, breaks parole and reinvents himself but is then endlessly hunted by his former jailor Javert (Crowe), taking it upon himself to raise the daughter of seamstress Fantine (an Oscar-winning Hathaway) - as he believes himself responsible for her demise (which he does play a large part in, as he fired her from her job) Cosette, with the final potion of the film set in the 1830s with Colette now all grown up and falling in love with revolutionary Marius (Redmayne) across the barricades.
So, yes, there's some big names in the cast, including also Helena Bonh-Carter and Dacha Baron-Cohen providing the comic relief (and, somehow, I wasn't in the least bit surprised to see her there).
I'm still waiting for that bloke Les to turn up, though.
One of those musicals/films that, while I had head of it and did not the broad strokes of, I had never actually seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Set in post-(Napoleonic)war France, this spans about roughly 20 years or so (i think 17, to be precise) starting in 1815 when ex-con Jean Valjean (Jackman) is released from servitude, breaks parole and reinvents himself but is then endlessly hunted by his former jailor Javert (Crowe), taking it upon himself to raise the daughter of seamstress Fantine (an Oscar-winning Hathaway) - as he believes himself responsible for her demise (which he does play a large part in, as he fired her from her job) Cosette, with the final potion of the film set in the 1830s with Colette now all grown up and falling in love with revolutionary Marius (Redmayne) across the barricades.
So, yes, there's some big names in the cast, including also Helena Bonh-Carter and Dacha Baron-Cohen providing the comic relief (and, somehow, I wasn't in the least bit surprised to see her there).
I'm still waiting for that bloke Les to turn up, though.
Paige (277 KP) rated The Last of Us in Video Games
Jun 27, 2022
Story (4 more)
Character Development
Graphics
Gameplay
Multiplayer
The Last Of Us
The Last Of Us follows the story of an impending pandemic that results in the development of 'Walkers, Runners, Clickers and Bloaters.' The Virus, referred to as an attack on Corcyeps, will attack the brain and is a progressive disease resulting in more developed strains such as Clickers and Bloaters dependent on the period of time an individual had been contaminated.
Admittedly, I have played The Last Of Us to completion multiple times. It is a developmental game that you must play through multiple times to truly appreciate, and truly understand the circumstances that have caused individual characters to present themselves as they do.
Fortunately, we were given a DLC called 'Left Behind' that follows the story of Ellie. It was just as exceptionally produced as the original, and Naughty Dog made evident that they are willing to invest themselves within this franchise.
Multiplayer is also available, but I am unsure regarding current server provisions. If Online Multiplayer is no longer supported, I am able to confidently assure you that it was the most immersive Online Multiplayer Game that I have encountered.
Gather supplies, immerse yourselves and survive. 'Remember, when you're lost in the darkness, look for the light' The Fireflies.
Admittedly, I have played The Last Of Us to completion multiple times. It is a developmental game that you must play through multiple times to truly appreciate, and truly understand the circumstances that have caused individual characters to present themselves as they do.
Fortunately, we were given a DLC called 'Left Behind' that follows the story of Ellie. It was just as exceptionally produced as the original, and Naughty Dog made evident that they are willing to invest themselves within this franchise.
Multiplayer is also available, but I am unsure regarding current server provisions. If Online Multiplayer is no longer supported, I am able to confidently assure you that it was the most immersive Online Multiplayer Game that I have encountered.
Gather supplies, immerse yourselves and survive. 'Remember, when you're lost in the darkness, look for the light' The Fireflies.
How to Improve Study Habits
Book
For students 13 through college graduation, Christine Reidhead's guide to building study skills is...
Young Adult Non Fiction
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Hit & Run (2012) in Movies
Mar 22, 2020
it's almost like dax and kristin love each other or something
I really enjoyed this film. With this whole pandemic thing going on, I've been listening to Dax Shepard's podcast, Armchair Expert. He has talked about this film on several occasions and I finally decided to watch it. I am so glad I did.
Not only is the plotline great, the cast is phenomenal, the chemistry is there, but it moves, it takes you with them on the journey and you are never bored. The soundtrack for this film was perfect. It is everything you want from a movie like this and you can feel the love that Dax and Kristin have for each other through the screen. This film was released pre-marriage but when they were dating and I think it just shows. It doesn't feel forced, it doesn't feel fake or uncomfortable, it feels genuine and pure. Especially when you know them as a couple and listened to them talk in interviews and things, I think much more of their actual selves radiate through this film than most would think.
Bradley Cooper, Joy Bryant, and Kristin Chenoweth were the cherries on top of this film, but I think the real great character through this is Tom Arnold's Randy. He was just the true underdog of the film.
I would 1000% recommend this film. Watch!
Not only is the plotline great, the cast is phenomenal, the chemistry is there, but it moves, it takes you with them on the journey and you are never bored. The soundtrack for this film was perfect. It is everything you want from a movie like this and you can feel the love that Dax and Kristin have for each other through the screen. This film was released pre-marriage but when they were dating and I think it just shows. It doesn't feel forced, it doesn't feel fake or uncomfortable, it feels genuine and pure. Especially when you know them as a couple and listened to them talk in interviews and things, I think much more of their actual selves radiate through this film than most would think.
Bradley Cooper, Joy Bryant, and Kristin Chenoweth were the cherries on top of this film, but I think the real great character through this is Tom Arnold's Randy. He was just the true underdog of the film.
I would 1000% recommend this film. Watch!
The Big Fix
Book
Timed to coincide with the World Cup in Brazil and told in the style of a page-turning thriller,...
David McK (3425 KP) rated Black Widow (2021) in Movies
Aug 8, 2021
The first Marvel movie out of the stables since the start of the Worldwide Covid-19 pandemic; I believe this was originally to be released before the likes of even WandaVision (shown on Disney+).
This was alos released concurrently on Disney+ (behind a paywall) and in the cinema: indeed, this is the very reason for ScarJo's lawsuit against Disney (she says she was told it would be theatres first, then Disney+ and that she only gets a percentage of box office takings).
Anyway, all that aside: this is actually set pre-snap; the majority of it back just after the events of 'Captain America: Civil War' (and thus before 'Avengers: Infinty War'), with Natasha on the run from the US government having broken the Sokovia Accords. It's not long, however, before she receives a package from a previous safe-house (Budapest. Yes, the Budapest mentioned before with Hawkeye: 'remember Budapest?') that leads her into a further adventure, this time involving her surrogate 'family' from when she was undercover in America as a kid in the mid 1990s.
Her 'dad' (David Harbour) 'Red Guardian' steals the show, while Florence Pugh (as her younger 'sister') and Rachel Weisz (as her 'mum') also provide sterling back-up.
Plenty of action, but the film does, perhaps, fall into the common Marvel trap of having a CGI-heavy ending ...
This was alos released concurrently on Disney+ (behind a paywall) and in the cinema: indeed, this is the very reason for ScarJo's lawsuit against Disney (she says she was told it would be theatres first, then Disney+ and that she only gets a percentage of box office takings).
Anyway, all that aside: this is actually set pre-snap; the majority of it back just after the events of 'Captain America: Civil War' (and thus before 'Avengers: Infinty War'), with Natasha on the run from the US government having broken the Sokovia Accords. It's not long, however, before she receives a package from a previous safe-house (Budapest. Yes, the Budapest mentioned before with Hawkeye: 'remember Budapest?') that leads her into a further adventure, this time involving her surrogate 'family' from when she was undercover in America as a kid in the mid 1990s.
Her 'dad' (David Harbour) 'Red Guardian' steals the show, while Florence Pugh (as her younger 'sister') and Rachel Weisz (as her 'mum') also provide sterling back-up.
Plenty of action, but the film does, perhaps, fall into the common Marvel trap of having a CGI-heavy ending ...
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Contagion (2011) in Movies
Sep 21, 2020 (Updated Nov 26, 2020)
"𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘥!"
Totally unrealistic, not even a *single* scene where someone buys out all the toilet paper. In all seriousness, it's interesting to kick this around in terms of the current pandemic really only until this starts to take form of a narrative movie (a fucking bingo drawing for who gets the first vaccines? lmfao) rather than a "what if?" scenario - but it's never any less measured or just plain fun. Soderbergh's sickly, medical-esque digital palette coats a befitting film over a story with absolutely no regard for the sanctity of human life. I wish it retained most of the pure penchant for schadenfreude it did in its first hour before turning toward a more traditional route - characters being viciously snuffed out one after another without warning, paranoia cranked up to 11 (bystanders are the enemy, air is the enemy) but even still it does have a giddy love for the cruelty of dragging this world and its inhabitants through the wringer. Sacrifices depth for pure pacing perfection (favorably, might I add) in what is essentially a seamless series of montages that boast the same kind of uninterrupted inertia of (lesser) films such as 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦. And what a bitchin' score, no? Could have ended with more vigor, but very much succeeds as the business-casual 𝘊𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘯 𝘍𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳.
Totally unrealistic, not even a *single* scene where someone buys out all the toilet paper. In all seriousness, it's interesting to kick this around in terms of the current pandemic really only until this starts to take form of a narrative movie (a fucking bingo drawing for who gets the first vaccines? lmfao) rather than a "what if?" scenario - but it's never any less measured or just plain fun. Soderbergh's sickly, medical-esque digital palette coats a befitting film over a story with absolutely no regard for the sanctity of human life. I wish it retained most of the pure penchant for schadenfreude it did in its first hour before turning toward a more traditional route - characters being viciously snuffed out one after another without warning, paranoia cranked up to 11 (bystanders are the enemy, air is the enemy) but even still it does have a giddy love for the cruelty of dragging this world and its inhabitants through the wringer. Sacrifices depth for pure pacing perfection (favorably, might I add) in what is essentially a seamless series of montages that boast the same kind of uninterrupted inertia of (lesser) films such as 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦. And what a bitchin' score, no? Could have ended with more vigor, but very much succeeds as the business-casual 𝘊𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘯 𝘍𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳.
The Premonition
Book
From the global bestselling author of The Big Short, the gripping story of the maverick scientists...
ClareR (5721 KP) rated End of Story in Books
Apr 14, 2023
End of Story had me on the edge of my seat, desperate to know what would happen next - and completely bewildered.
It’s 2035, fiction has been banned for the last five years, and even owning a work of fiction is a criminal act. Fern Dostoy had won a prestigious book award before the laws came in to force, and now she isn’t allowed to write. She has random home checks by frightening men in suits, is threatened by imprisonment - or worse.
I found this a very disturbing read - I mean, I would be among the first to be booked in to a stay at His Majesty’s Pleasure (aka, prison). And is this so very far from the truth right now?
Some aspects of the pandemic are referred to, especially the isolation that so many people struggled through.
This is a pretty bleak read, but I just loved it. It’s touching, too, and gave me a lot to think about. This isn’t a book to race through (or it at least needs a second read), because it throws up so many questions with regards to fiction, the arts and society in general.
As Fern says: “if you tell a story we’ll enough, it’s true”. I honestly hope not in this case!
Highly recommended - and many thanks to The Pigeonhole and Louise for reading along with us.
It’s 2035, fiction has been banned for the last five years, and even owning a work of fiction is a criminal act. Fern Dostoy had won a prestigious book award before the laws came in to force, and now she isn’t allowed to write. She has random home checks by frightening men in suits, is threatened by imprisonment - or worse.
I found this a very disturbing read - I mean, I would be among the first to be booked in to a stay at His Majesty’s Pleasure (aka, prison). And is this so very far from the truth right now?
Some aspects of the pandemic are referred to, especially the isolation that so many people struggled through.
This is a pretty bleak read, but I just loved it. It’s touching, too, and gave me a lot to think about. This isn’t a book to race through (or it at least needs a second read), because it throws up so many questions with regards to fiction, the arts and society in general.
As Fern says: “if you tell a story we’ll enough, it’s true”. I honestly hope not in this case!
Highly recommended - and many thanks to The Pigeonhole and Louise for reading along with us.