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Rebellion (Matthew Hawkwood, #4)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The fourth book in James McGee's Matthew Hawkwood series of books, and over the course of the last two (in particular), the eponymous Bow Street Runner is getting further and further away from his usual haunts!

In this installment, Hawkwood actually spends the vast majority of it in the heart of Imperial France: in Paris itself, while Napoleon is away on his ill-fated Russian campaign. Again taking real historical facts as its basis, this novel concerns itself primarily with a conspiracy attempt to over-throw the regime: an event which, obviously, did not succeed.

If I'm honest, and to draw an anology between these books and the Star Wars films (which might seem strange, but bear with me!), the first couple of books in the series are like the original couple of films: full of danger, action and excitement. This one, unfortunately, is more like Episode I: seeming to be setting itself up for a broader story arc, and more concerned with politics than with action and excitement.

Worth a read? Yes, but if this was my introduction to the series as a whole - which can, by and large, be read independently as they only occassionally refer to earlier events - I wouldn't be going out of my way to look for any others in thes series, unlike if I had read any of the others first.
  
The Nightingale
The Nightingale
Kristin Hannah | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.9 (61 Ratings)
Book Rating
I had never heard of Kristin Hannah before, but will be looking for other books by her. Her writing is seamless and vivid and realistic. The Nightingale is a wonderful story of two sisters, far apart in body and mind, but still connected. They lose their mother and then experience the abandonment of their father. Both women are torn, but in their own way. The story takes place in France, in a small village until the women who realize they need something different, separate, with one sister in Paris and the other in the country, during WWII. The story is a bit dramatic, but I think it is fitting. Their feelings and emotions and experiences are so real and authentic. It is definitely an emotionally engaging read. Not only is the characters so vivid but it combines their story with an accuracy of the world history around them during that period and is interesting for people like myself, who are history buffs. Both women learn to live and learn to love. It is romantic and not just in a sexually intimate way. This story is complex, passionate, engaging and captivating and will make you think and feel along with them.
I received this book for free from SheSpeaks as part of the book club program, but the above review is based on my own opinions and thoughts.
  
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Gareth Evans recommended La Haine (1996) in Movies (curated)

 
La Haine (1996)
La Haine (1996)
1996 | International, Drama
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"The next one would be La Haine, Mathieu Kassovitz’s movie. I remember seeing that for the first time and being absolutely blown away by it. Not just on a technical level, but I’m always a fan of debut films that don’t just announce a director talent, but when the director talent is so confident and so self-assured that it feels like it’s their 10th or 15th movie already. That film just screamed that. It was filled with so many ideas and so much rage and anger. Again, it was an important movie, and I might be misremembering something now, but I’m pretty sure that the effect of the film was such that the president of France at the time forced his members of Parliament to go watch the film in order to understand the plight that people were living in the projects of France, of Paris, at the time. I’m sure I remember reading something like that. [Editor’s note: It was then Prime Minister Alain Juppé, who held a mandatory screening for his cabinet members.] It was such a powerful film and such a powerful story that’s told so unflinchingly. That film has always stuck with me and has been something I’ve owned in every possible format I could own it in. That’s definitely high on the list."

Source
  
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Olivier Assayas recommended Rififi (1955) in Movies (curated)

 
Rififi (1955)
Rififi (1955)
1955 | Crime, Drama, Thriller
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Rififi is a strange animal, based on a novel by a typically French crime writer, Auguste Le Breton, and shot in Paris as the first foreign-language film by a great American filmmaker at the height of his powers, whose career had been broken by McCarthyism. Jules Dassin’s previous film, made in London five years earlier, Night and the City, is his masterpiece. This inspired hybrid of French and American noir—which I discovered as a child on French TV—has constantly impressed me with its violence, its despair, its darkness, and its beauty. It has also been hugely influential, not only on Melville—so much of his work derives from Rififi—but also on a lot of minor figures of French genre. Dassin reinvented the whole syntax, and the after-effects have been felt for a long time. I am a fan of Michael Mann; he is one of the most inspired stylists in American cinema today, but it was all there from the start. In Thief, his first feature, you have echoes of Melville (it goes full circle), a sharp eye for realism, but also profound human characters with precisely drawn relationships, and great acting. Mann’s fascination with a geometrical modernity, even if it is always mediated by genre filmmaking, is genuinely reminiscent of Antonioni—explicitly so in the last scenes of Heat."

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Olivier Assayas recommended Thief (1981) in Movies (curated)

 
Thief (1981)
Thief (1981)
1981 | Action, Drama, Mystery
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Rififi is a strange animal, based on a novel by a typically French crime writer, Auguste Le Breton, and shot in Paris as the first foreign-language film by a great American filmmaker at the height of his powers, whose career had been broken by McCarthyism. Jules Dassin’s previous film, made in London five years earlier, Night and the City, is his masterpiece. This inspired hybrid of French and American noir—which I discovered as a child on French TV—has constantly impressed me with its violence, its despair, its darkness, and its beauty. It has also been hugely influential, not only on Melville—so much of his work derives from Rififi—but also on a lot of minor figures of French genre. Dassin reinvented the whole syntax, and the after-effects have been felt for a long time. I am a fan of Michael Mann; he is one of the most inspired stylists in American cinema today, but it was all there from the start. In Thief, his first feature, you have echoes of Melville (it goes full circle), a sharp eye for realism, but also profound human characters with precisely drawn relationships, and great acting. Mann’s fascination with a geometrical modernity, even if it is always mediated by genre filmmaking, is genuinely reminiscent of Antonioni—explicitly so in the last scenes of Heat."

Source
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Apr 26, 2022  
Dance on over to my blog to check out the awesome playlist and the book trailer for the cozy mystery CHARLESTON CONUNDRUM by Stacy Wilder. If you like what you read, enter the giveaway for a chance to win an autographed copy of the book - two winners!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/04/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-charleston.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
A Cozy Mystery with a Twist…

Liz Adams never imagined when she moved to Charleston with her truth sniffing Labrador retriever, Duke, that she would use her skills as a private investigator to avoid winding up on Death Row.

Liz’s life is upended when her best friend, Peg, is murdered and she becomes a suspect. Liz’s gun was the murder weapon. Tensions flare between Liz and the cops as she rises to the top of their suspect list.

At the request of Peg’s father, Liz agrees to take on the investigation. Riding a roller coaster of emotions, Liz uncovers many secrets Peg kept from her despite being best friends. The suspects include a cast of characters: the ex-husband, the boyfriend, a coworker, several neighbors and family members.

Charleston Conundrum takes the reader from Charleston, South Carolina to Paris and back in the emotional unraveling of Peg’s life and death to a killer ending. It is the first book in the Conundrum series.
     
Mastering the Art of French Murder
Mastering the Art of French Murder
Colleen Cambridge | 2023 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Chef’s Knife of Crime
Tabitha Knight has decided to live with her grandfather in 1949 Paris as she tries to decide what to do with her life after the end of the war. One of her new neighbors is Julia Child, and the two quickly become friends. After a party at Julia’s apartment one night, one of the guests is killed with Julia’s chef’s knife. Naturally, the police think she did it, but Tabitha knows it had to be someone else at the party. Can she prove it?

While I know little about Julia Child, I did feel what we saw here rang true to her personality. But she is just one of many enchanting characters we meet here, and I can’t wait to see them again. The suspects were strong, and the mystery kept me guessing. I thought I’d picked up on a clue early on, but it turned out to be a red herring that got me. I did feel one aspect of the plot was left up in the air, but the rest was explained to my satisfaction. While there are no recipes in this book, there is tons of talk about food. You’ll definitely be hungry when you read. I’m glad I finally read a book by this author, and I’ll be looking for more.
  
Peril in Paris
Peril in Paris
Rhys Bowen | 2022 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder is Fashionable
Spring of 1936 finds a pregnant Lady Georgiana Rannoch feeling a bit restless. When her husband, Darcy, suggests they go to Paris to visit Georgie’s friend, Belinda, Georgie is delighted. Belinda is there interning with Coco Chanel, and it isn’t long before Georgie finds herself roped into helping with an upcoming fashion show. Darcy, meanwhile, has a small assignment to accomplish, and asks for Georgie’s help. That request winds up putting Georgie in a very uncomfortable spot when someone winds up dead at the fashion show. Can she get out of it without sparking an international incident?

The further along this series gets, the finer the line is between the seriousness of Europe during the era and the fun tone of the series. This book walks that tension perfectly. It also starts more quickly than some of the books in the series do. Some foundation for the plot is laid before it truly takes off, and once it did, I was fully invested until we reached the logical climax. Several of the series regulars are involved, and I enjoyed getting to spend more time with them. We even see a different side of a supporting player. Fans of the series will enjoy this latest outing. If you haven’t met Georgie yet, I definitely recommend you fix that soon.
  
Troy
Troy
Stephen Fry | 2020 | Education
9
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
39 of 230
Book
Troy (Mythos book 3)
By Stephen Fry
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 
AN EPIC BATTLE THAT LASTED TEN YEARS. A LEGENDARY STORY THAT HAS SURVIVED THOUSANDS.

'An inimitable retelling of the siege of Troy . . . Fry's narrative, artfully humorous and rich in detail, breathes life and contemporary relevance into these ancient tales'OBSERVER

'Stephen Fry has done it again. Well written and super storytelling' 5***** READER REVIEW
________

'Troy. The most marvellous kingdom in all the world. The Jewel of the Aegean. Glittering Ilion, the city that rose and fell not once but twice . . .'

When Helen, the beautiful Greek queen, is kidnapped by the Trojan prince Paris, the most legendary war of all time begins.

Watch in awe as a thousand ships are launched against the great city of Troy.

Feel the fury of the battleground as the Trojans stand resolutely against Greek might for an entire decade.

And witness the epic climax - the wooden horse, delivered to the city of Troy in a masterclass of deception by the Greeks . . .

In Stephen Fry's exceptional retelling of our greatest story, TROY will transport you to the depths of ancient Greece and beyond.
________


I love Greek Mythology and Stephen Fry is one of my favourite people. All through this book his voice was in my head. Brilliant retellings and underlying humour. Brilliant!
  
Kiss Me Deadly
Kiss Me Deadly
Tamela Miles | 2023 | Horror, Paranormal, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Paper Dolls, I felt was perfect for a full length story
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

6 short stories, of the horror/paranormal variety.

So, here's the thing.

I like short stories, I really do. The skill with a short is, you gotta grab the reader, and hold on for those few pages and not let go.

And here, I was only grabbed once or twice, and one of those was an excerpt from another collection.

I loved the excerpt from One, which appears in Rock Paper Scissors. That really got me good and excited for this collection, it really did. I'd like to go back and read THAT particular story.

The Swinging Tree was rather good too. That certainly grabbed and didn't let go!

Paper Dolls, I felt was perfect for a full length story. What Zach and Paris could get up to boggles the (obviously very twisted) mind!

But the other stories, while well written and well told, didn't grab me too much.

I think it would have better, for ME, had I not read these short stories back to back. Maybe if I had read one, then something else, then come back to these, I might have enjoyed them better.

But still, an enjoyable way to pass an hour.

3 stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere