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Alice (117 KP) rated You and Me on Vacation in Books
Mar 3, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for the advanced copy of this book
I read Beach Read last year and I did enjoy it but it didn't blow me away, this one, however... WOW! That's all I can say. A book about travel was always going to be right up my street but a slowburn friends to lovers story about travel. I was positively OBSESSED! The relationship between these two characters was so raw and honest and you were truly rooting for them from the very beginning. I related so hard to the character of Poppy too, like way too hard, there were moments when I genuinely thought that Emily Henry had been spying on me with how accurate some of these seemingly random character traits were to my life and I loved exploring the world through her eyes. I also think Alex Nilsen may be the new literary love of my life. I'm just so so so in love with this story and I probably shouldn't be typing this at midnight but that's when you get my most honest thoughts. I just have so much love for this book and I can already see it being one of my favourites of the year!
I read Beach Read last year and I did enjoy it but it didn't blow me away, this one, however... WOW! That's all I can say. A book about travel was always going to be right up my street but a slowburn friends to lovers story about travel. I was positively OBSESSED! The relationship between these two characters was so raw and honest and you were truly rooting for them from the very beginning. I related so hard to the character of Poppy too, like way too hard, there were moments when I genuinely thought that Emily Henry had been spying on me with how accurate some of these seemingly random character traits were to my life and I loved exploring the world through her eyes. I also think Alex Nilsen may be the new literary love of my life. I'm just so so so in love with this story and I probably shouldn't be typing this at midnight but that's when you get my most honest thoughts. I just have so much love for this book and I can already see it being one of my favourites of the year!
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated The Batman (2022) in Movies
Mar 19, 2022
Visual effects (2 more)
Cast
Storyline
I was hesitant at first with this being the first reboot with Robert Pattinson as Batman. But I was pleasantly surprised, he played a darker and more brooding version of Batman than previous actors. While I loved the Christopher Nolan trilogy, this may be up there with them.
Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman was a good interpretation and as independent as you would want her to be. Also I knew that Colin Farrell was playing Penguin, but if I hadn’t have already known, I definitely wouldn’t have guessed!
The Riddler was much more insane than I could ever have imagined, and I think Paul Dano played him perfectly. I enjoyed watching his riddles unfold and him thinking his relationship with Batman was so much more than it was.
I loved how they changed well know places in Liverpool into the backdrop of Gotham, and once they were done with the editing if you weren’t as familiar with them you probably would have thought they were made for Gotham.
The only thing that stopped me from giving this 10/10 was the length of the film, it was extremely long but it did keep my attention for the entirety. I will definitely be recommending this to anyone!
Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman was a good interpretation and as independent as you would want her to be. Also I knew that Colin Farrell was playing Penguin, but if I hadn’t have already known, I definitely wouldn’t have guessed!
The Riddler was much more insane than I could ever have imagined, and I think Paul Dano played him perfectly. I enjoyed watching his riddles unfold and him thinking his relationship with Batman was so much more than it was.
I loved how they changed well know places in Liverpool into the backdrop of Gotham, and once they were done with the editing if you weren’t as familiar with them you probably would have thought they were made for Gotham.
The only thing that stopped me from giving this 10/10 was the length of the film, it was extremely long but it did keep my attention for the entirety. I will definitely be recommending this to anyone!
Kevin Phillipson (9955 KP) rated The Batman (2022) in Movies
Mar 10, 2022
Robert pattinson (5 more)
Jeffrey wright
Zoe kravitz
Paul dano
Colin farrell
Andy serkis
Watched today right now I would say probably my favourite film of the year so far coming out of the after 3 hours I was impressed by the visuals the look of Gotham wasn’t sure about Robert pattinson as the Batman I wasn’t sure at first but I was soon won over and then there’s Jeffrey wright as Gordon was excellent his chemistry with pattinson is the best part of the movie as they work together to catch the riddler so let’s talk about the riddler played by Paul Dano who plays probably the darkest version of the riddler yet this version of the the character reminded me a lot of jigsaw from the saw movies which works both ways. Then there’s the penguin played by Colin Farrell looking at him u wouldn’t believe it’s him but he plays a version similar to the comics and finally Zoe kravitz as cat woman probably second favourite cat woman bat man returns very believable. Couple things against the the running time 3 hours way to long plus could have done with More Bruce Wayne overall good afternoon viewing
Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated Happy Feet Two (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Mumble is back and dancing his way back into our hearts. Happy Feet Two is a follow up to the 2006 Academy Award winning movie, Happy Feet directed by George Miller. Mumble (Elijah Wood) is now married to Gloria (Alecia “PiNK” Moore, who replaced the late Brittany Murphy) and they have a son, Erik (Ava Acres).
Mumble struggles to help Erik with his insecurities and inability to find his own heart song and dance steps. Erik ends up running away from Emperorland with a couple of friends, following the love struck Ramon (Robin Williams). Unsuccessful in love within Mumble’s penguin community, Ramon decides to head back to Adelieland and falls for Carmen (Sophia Vergara) who, of course, plays hard to get. So begins Ramon’s hilarious attempts at trying to win Carmen’s affection. While on their adventure, Erik and company stumble across Sven (Hank Azaria), a puffin that is mistaken for a penguin who can fly. Erik becomes enamored with Sven’s ability to fly and attempts to follow in Sven’s footsteps.
Once Mumble has found the runaway chicks, he forces them to return to Emperorland. Upon their return to home, they find a landslide has caused an iceberg to shift and ends up trapping their colony with no way out. Mumble must find help before it’s too late. In flies the self-help guru and fraud Sven to come and teach the penguins how to fly. Meanwhile, other animals in peril are an elephant seal (Anthony Lapaglia) and a couple of codependent krill named Will (Brad Pitt) and Bill (Matt Damon) who realized that their only place in life is to provide sustenance for the whales. Unwilling to succumb to their fate, the delusional Will forces the terrified Bill to swim away from their swarm and become omnivores in an attempt to move up the food chain.
In the end all these stories tie together to show a strong sense of community among different species. I do believe George Miller seems to have taken more of a commercialized approach when creating this movie. Miller once again attempts to send an eco-message regarding global warming with Happy Feet Two. Unfortunately the sequel’s message does not create the same emotional and heartfelt impact as its predecessor. Miller focused more on entertaining and visuals and less on the actual storyline which was very choppy and quite odd at times.
The animators definitely give Pixar a run for their money with their amazing Antarctica scenery details, their incredible animal close-up shots, the undersea moments with the krill and spectacular action sequences. The movie may not have had the substance of the first movie; however it was definitely enjoyable to watch. There was lots of dancing, singing and great laugh-out-loud moments; an absolute visual delight.
Mumble struggles to help Erik with his insecurities and inability to find his own heart song and dance steps. Erik ends up running away from Emperorland with a couple of friends, following the love struck Ramon (Robin Williams). Unsuccessful in love within Mumble’s penguin community, Ramon decides to head back to Adelieland and falls for Carmen (Sophia Vergara) who, of course, plays hard to get. So begins Ramon’s hilarious attempts at trying to win Carmen’s affection. While on their adventure, Erik and company stumble across Sven (Hank Azaria), a puffin that is mistaken for a penguin who can fly. Erik becomes enamored with Sven’s ability to fly and attempts to follow in Sven’s footsteps.
Once Mumble has found the runaway chicks, he forces them to return to Emperorland. Upon their return to home, they find a landslide has caused an iceberg to shift and ends up trapping their colony with no way out. Mumble must find help before it’s too late. In flies the self-help guru and fraud Sven to come and teach the penguins how to fly. Meanwhile, other animals in peril are an elephant seal (Anthony Lapaglia) and a couple of codependent krill named Will (Brad Pitt) and Bill (Matt Damon) who realized that their only place in life is to provide sustenance for the whales. Unwilling to succumb to their fate, the delusional Will forces the terrified Bill to swim away from their swarm and become omnivores in an attempt to move up the food chain.
In the end all these stories tie together to show a strong sense of community among different species. I do believe George Miller seems to have taken more of a commercialized approach when creating this movie. Miller once again attempts to send an eco-message regarding global warming with Happy Feet Two. Unfortunately the sequel’s message does not create the same emotional and heartfelt impact as its predecessor. Miller focused more on entertaining and visuals and less on the actual storyline which was very choppy and quite odd at times.
The animators definitely give Pixar a run for their money with their amazing Antarctica scenery details, their incredible animal close-up shots, the undersea moments with the krill and spectacular action sequences. The movie may not have had the substance of the first movie; however it was definitely enjoyable to watch. There was lots of dancing, singing and great laugh-out-loud moments; an absolute visual delight.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Secretary in Books
Mar 15, 2019
Day after day, year after year, Christine has been there, invisiblewatching, listening, absorbing all the secrets floating around her. Keeping them safe.
Christine is trusted. But those years of loyalty and discretion come with a high price. And eventually Christina will pay.
Yet, it would be a mistake to underestimate such a steadfast woman. Because as everyone is about to discover, theres a dangerous line between obedience and obsession...
"The Secretary" is Renee Knight's second novel. This story has an explosive plot and a very surprising twist at the end.
This story revolves and explores the relationship between the employer and the employee. The author has done a fabulous job of exploring the loyalty of an employee to her employer. The story is completely gripping and I was glued to it.
The characters are completely and utterly convincing and I developed a love/hate relationship with them.
The underlying tension is apparent from the start and it just adds to the suspense going forward.
Some may call this a slow burn but I felt the pace of the story is just perfect. This is an intelligent, twisted, psychological thriller.
Very believable characters and brilliant plot! Perfect story in my opinion.
Highly Recommend!
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.
Christine is trusted. But those years of loyalty and discretion come with a high price. And eventually Christina will pay.
Yet, it would be a mistake to underestimate such a steadfast woman. Because as everyone is about to discover, theres a dangerous line between obedience and obsession...
"The Secretary" is Renee Knight's second novel. This story has an explosive plot and a very surprising twist at the end.
This story revolves and explores the relationship between the employer and the employee. The author has done a fabulous job of exploring the loyalty of an employee to her employer. The story is completely gripping and I was glued to it.
The characters are completely and utterly convincing and I developed a love/hate relationship with them.
The underlying tension is apparent from the start and it just adds to the suspense going forward.
Some may call this a slow burn but I felt the pace of the story is just perfect. This is an intelligent, twisted, psychological thriller.
Very believable characters and brilliant plot! Perfect story in my opinion.
Highly Recommend!
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated The Time Chamber: A Magical Story and Colouring Book in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Take a break from the chaos of life and spend hours immersed in the intricacies and the magic of The Time Chamber, a coloring book for adults.
The red haired fairy leaves her time garden to visit our world. She brings with her, a few magical items, which you must find hidden in the pages. Everything she touches is a magical new adventure for her. She explores our world as the little girl sleeps. When the girl awakens, the fairy retreats back to her own world.
I have always enjoyed art. Whether it's painting an original piece, coloring a fuzzy poster, doing a paint-by-number or doodling in my son's coloring book, I find relaxation in expressing myself through my artwork. So when I discovered coloring books for adults, I did a happy dance. I have spent hours coloring in The Time Chamber. The detail is incredible and the artwork intricate. I also found the story line enchanting. Although, I did find a few inconsistencies with the patterns that my O.C.D. did not like, I was able to overlook them and enjoy my time. Overall, this is a very charming book and I absolutely love taking time out of the day to relax and color.
I received a free copy of The Time Chamber from Penguin Random House Publishing through Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.
The red haired fairy leaves her time garden to visit our world. She brings with her, a few magical items, which you must find hidden in the pages. Everything she touches is a magical new adventure for her. She explores our world as the little girl sleeps. When the girl awakens, the fairy retreats back to her own world.
I have always enjoyed art. Whether it's painting an original piece, coloring a fuzzy poster, doing a paint-by-number or doodling in my son's coloring book, I find relaxation in expressing myself through my artwork. So when I discovered coloring books for adults, I did a happy dance. I have spent hours coloring in The Time Chamber. The detail is incredible and the artwork intricate. I also found the story line enchanting. Although, I did find a few inconsistencies with the patterns that my O.C.D. did not like, I was able to overlook them and enjoy my time. Overall, this is a very charming book and I absolutely love taking time out of the day to relax and color.
I received a free copy of The Time Chamber from Penguin Random House Publishing through Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of its release!
I hadn't read anything by Dolly Alderton before but I'd heard great things about 'Everything I Know About Love' so when I heard about her fiction debut I knew I needed to try it! I love Dolly's voice, it's so wonderfully British which as someone who reads so much American based fiction was refreshing. There was quite a lot of heavy swearing so if that's not your thing be wary (but that's what you get for being British I guess). I loved the different aspects of ghosting that were covered from dating, to friendships fading, and to dementia and the ghosting of memories. It was such a poignant read. I enjoyed this book immensely but I just couldn't get invested, it took me quite a while to get through as I only found myself reading a chapter at a time so hence the reason for my lower rating but I think I'm slightly younger than the target audience for this book so that's potentially why but I'd say if you are older and single you'll definitely see a lot of yourself here, I'm young and single and I definitely did. It made me think a lot about the future.
I hadn't read anything by Dolly Alderton before but I'd heard great things about 'Everything I Know About Love' so when I heard about her fiction debut I knew I needed to try it! I love Dolly's voice, it's so wonderfully British which as someone who reads so much American based fiction was refreshing. There was quite a lot of heavy swearing so if that's not your thing be wary (but that's what you get for being British I guess). I loved the different aspects of ghosting that were covered from dating, to friendships fading, and to dementia and the ghosting of memories. It was such a poignant read. I enjoyed this book immensely but I just couldn't get invested, it took me quite a while to get through as I only found myself reading a chapter at a time so hence the reason for my lower rating but I think I'm slightly younger than the target audience for this book so that's potentially why but I'd say if you are older and single you'll definitely see a lot of yourself here, I'm young and single and I definitely did. It made me think a lot about the future.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Chestnut Man in Books
Mar 24, 2019
A great debut
If that cover doesn't draw you in and make you pick it up, you are a lost soul !!!
And if the cover doesn't do it for you, the story certainly will. It does make for uncomfortable reading at times given the subject matter but it is a story about a serial killer so some gruesome descriptions of the crimes shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.
The plot is gripping, dark and thrilling and the pace of the book is ideal with a seamless mix of murder, politics and police procedure all wrapped up in a perfect psychological thriller package. I actually don't normally like what is called Scandi-noir after having previously tried and failed to read one by a very successful author but this one is excellent.
The characters are fantastic - I know it's a good book when I can see the characters as real people and imagine who would play them if the book were made into a film or TV series - the Danish actor, Kim Bodnia, from The Bridge (Bron/Broen) and Killing Eve would be perfect for the role of Hess.
This is the debut novel by this author, although he has written the highly acclaimed series "The Killing", and a very accomplished debut it is and my thanks must go to the publisher, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
And if the cover doesn't do it for you, the story certainly will. It does make for uncomfortable reading at times given the subject matter but it is a story about a serial killer so some gruesome descriptions of the crimes shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.
The plot is gripping, dark and thrilling and the pace of the book is ideal with a seamless mix of murder, politics and police procedure all wrapped up in a perfect psychological thriller package. I actually don't normally like what is called Scandi-noir after having previously tried and failed to read one by a very successful author but this one is excellent.
The characters are fantastic - I know it's a good book when I can see the characters as real people and imagine who would play them if the book were made into a film or TV series - the Danish actor, Kim Bodnia, from The Bridge (Bron/Broen) and Killing Eve would be perfect for the role of Hess.
This is the debut novel by this author, although he has written the highly acclaimed series "The Killing", and a very accomplished debut it is and my thanks must go to the publisher, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated My Lovely Wife in Books
Apr 6, 2019
A gem of a read
This book is like nothing I have read before ... in a good way of course but I am slightly worried that I may be moving onto the dark side of normal! Why? you may ask - just read this book and you'll understand!
What we have here is an absolute gem of a read that had me hooked from the start. I won't go into the plot as I don't want to give anything away but will describe it as being edgy, dark, twisted, engrossing, disturbingly entertaining and totally unique. The characters are just excellent but more than that, they are frighteningly believable and rarely do I find myself feeling so wrong about liking and rooting for someone so disturbed but scarily normal!
The writing is crisp and effective and easy to read with excellent pacing; great suspense and twists leave you reading way too late into the night in anticipation of what the heck is going to happen next.
I can't believe this is a debut and I am waiting on tenterhooks for Samantha Downing's next book and I only hope it's as disturbingly good as this one. On her website, she says that she wants to "tell stories that make people walk into walls"; I think she did with this one.
Thank you to the publisher, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
What we have here is an absolute gem of a read that had me hooked from the start. I won't go into the plot as I don't want to give anything away but will describe it as being edgy, dark, twisted, engrossing, disturbingly entertaining and totally unique. The characters are just excellent but more than that, they are frighteningly believable and rarely do I find myself feeling so wrong about liking and rooting for someone so disturbed but scarily normal!
The writing is crisp and effective and easy to read with excellent pacing; great suspense and twists leave you reading way too late into the night in anticipation of what the heck is going to happen next.
I can't believe this is a debut and I am waiting on tenterhooks for Samantha Downing's next book and I only hope it's as disturbingly good as this one. On her website, she says that she wants to "tell stories that make people walk into walls"; I think she did with this one.
Thank you to the publisher, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
A Soldier's Sketchbook: The Illustrated First World War Diary of R.H. Rabjohn by John Wilson is a fascinating glimpse into the actual sketchbook/diary of a soldier who served in World War I. It follows Russell Rabjohn from 1916 to 1919 during his time in World War I. Russell was a trained artist, so his superiors directed him to make technical drawings and maps. Constantly having pen and paper available enabled Russell to freely sketch his experiences on the frontlines. The drawings are a unique peek into the past.
The selected diary entries are interspersed with clearly marked context. The black-and-white pencil drawings are impressive and the sketches that show the horrors of war are respectfully rendered. What impacted me most in the beginning was the innocence of the young man from Toronto going out into the world for the first time.
I appreciated this chance to get to know a little more about World War I from the life of a Canadian soldier. It was a pleasure to get to know Private Rabjohn. I am grateful to him for his commitment to documentation. Historian and author John Wilson did a great job providing context and compiling the information into an engaging and beautifully formatted book. This book can be appreciated by older children and adults.
I received an advanced readers copy from Penguin Random House Canada and Tundra Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The selected diary entries are interspersed with clearly marked context. The black-and-white pencil drawings are impressive and the sketches that show the horrors of war are respectfully rendered. What impacted me most in the beginning was the innocence of the young man from Toronto going out into the world for the first time.
I appreciated this chance to get to know a little more about World War I from the life of a Canadian soldier. It was a pleasure to get to know Private Rabjohn. I am grateful to him for his commitment to documentation. Historian and author John Wilson did a great job providing context and compiling the information into an engaging and beautifully formatted book. This book can be appreciated by older children and adults.
I received an advanced readers copy from Penguin Random House Canada and Tundra Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.