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U Is for Undertow (Kinsey Millhone, #21)
U Is for Undertow (Kinsey Millhone, #21)
Sue Grafton | 2009 | Mystery
10
9.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Is There a Clue Underground?
When Matthew Sutton comes into Kinsey Millhone’s office one afternoon, he comes with a tale about two men he’d seen burring something in the woods twenty-one years earlier. As a six-year-old, he believed their story that they were pirates digging for treasure, but after seeing an article about a kidnapping that took place about the same time, Matthew is certain there is a connection. The catch? He doesn’t know where he was at the time. With very little to go on, Kinsey agrees to take the case. Will she find anything?

This is an excellent book in the series. While we know more than Kinsey does for most of the book, watching Kinsey figure things out keeps the pages turning. We spent time in the past as well as Kinsey’s present of 1988 to fully understand how things played out, and it always works. Kinsey is a fun main character, and a recurring series storyline comes back into play in this book, allowing for some growth for her. The rest of the cast are just as strong. I knew going in that this book would have more content than I typically get in the cozies I read, but there was some stuff in the final quarter of the book that could have been trimmed without it impacting anything. Still, overall, fans of this long running series will be happy with this book.
  
A Call To Haiti's Awakening
A Call To Haiti's Awakening
Ernst Etienne | 2018 | History & Politics, Natural World, Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Great little history book (0 more)
too short (0 more)
Little Haiti History Book
“The uniquely tragic history of the land is marked by the slavery, struggles, suffering and striving for betterment”

Ernst Etienne in his a very small ninety pages book takes on the Nation of Haiti. Haiti is actually one of two nations on the Island of Hispaniola. He covers from the beginning of the nation when it was a set of different tribes all the way to what Haiti is today and what the nation can look like in the future. Mr. Etinne in his search of the past even covered the five different chiefdom's of the Taino Indians and their culture, beliefs, and values with unequally distinctive tribes. The actions he took on covering the history both negative and positive with slavery, pirates and struggling of the countries past and. His bravery with being willing to show all of it both positive and negative is unique in today's world where we want to forget the parts of our pasts we do not like. He is kind of bad stuff and shows how people will a lot of times make bad decisions when striving for betterment. The photographs and photographic documents were a wonderful bonus to accompany the text throughout. The information he gives is historical in nature but is in by no means boring. I found it interesting and fun and at parts quit surprising. I had no interest in Haiti but with the help of Mr. Etienne, I want to learn more about this small nation.
  
Death Doesn't Bargain
Death Doesn't Bargain
Sherrilyn Kenyon | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Simi!!!!! (0 more)
Another fab Instalment from the pirates
Contains spoilers, click to show
The Deadmen are back...

But so are the demons who have broken free of their eternal prison and are bent on mankind's destruction. The worst of the lot is Vine, determined to claim their lives for taking hers. She will see the world burn...and has the perfect lure to destroy them all. One of their own.

Kalder Dupree has never known a day of mercy. Born to the cruelest of mer-races, he sacrificed himself for his crew and is in Vine's hands. He expects no mercy or rescue.

Yet Cameron Jack is determined to set Kalder free. As a Hellchaser, it's her calling, and she cannot allow even a not-so-innocent to be tortured for an act of kindness that spared her damnation.

To defeat evil, it sometimes takes an even worse evil, and Cameron is willing to do whatever she must to make this right. If Vine thought she had her hands full before, she hasn't seen anything nearly as powerful as Cameron's resolve.

I absolutely love Sherrilyn Kenyon! I struggled with the first book and sometimes this one was a bit of a struggle too but overall another great book from a very talented writer! I got so excited to see Savitar, Archeron and Simi!! No Dark hunter novel is complete without Simi and her BBQ sauce!!


I did find it funny swapping from normal to pirate talk my husband thought I was crazy laughing to myself!



⭐⭐⭐⭐



  
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ClareR (5589 KP) rated Mirrorland in Books

Apr 3, 2021  
Mirrorland
Mirrorland
Carole Johnstone | 2021 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
9
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone is a fantastic psychological thriller that will have you wondering who is telling the truth, what exactly that truth IS and what on earth could possibly happen next! I loved it.
The narrator is completely unreliable, mainly because she appears to have blocked out a huge part of her life.
Cat returns, reluctantly, to Edinburgh from California, because her sister has gone missing on her sailing boat. Cat seems unsurprised that her sister should have a boat - she and her sister spent hours as children playing in Mirrorland, pretending to be pirates, sailing the Seven Seas. But her disappearance is unexpected.
Has El been murdered? If so, by whom? Who is sending Cat on a treasure hunt and leaving written messages for her? Who is sending emails? Is El’s husband, Ross, implicated in her disappearance? And what DID happen to Cat and El when they were children?
This is such a delicious, rub-your-hands-together-with-evil-glee kind of book.
There are some pretty shocking subjects covered in this novel, so if you don’t like reading about abuse of any kind, this may not be for you. However, I was glued to it. I’m trying to think of some synonyms of ‘loved’ (I realise that i completely overuse this word when I talk about books), so: adored, enjoyed greatly, was besotted with, couldn’t get enough of. Well. You get the gist. It’s just well worth the read!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and to Carole Johnstone for joining in with the chat in the margins!
  
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Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated Never Never in Books

Oct 23, 2022  
Never Never
Never Never
Serena Valentino | 2022 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Serena Valentino’s books are amazing. This is the story of Captain Hook that I never knew that I needed.
We find out how Captain Hook learnt of Neverland in the first place… when he was a child he fell out of his pram and ended up in Neverland. He then spent the rest of his childhood years trying to get back there, when he realised he couldn’t, he decided that he was going to become and pirate and spent all of his years in school learning everything there was to know about pirates and ships so that when he graduated, he could join up and live out his dream.
This book not only gives us a backstory about Captain Hook, but we also have some pirate tales added in, with stories of Blackbeard, Calico Jack, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. This just helps to give the book a little more depth around the backstory.
We also get to revisit Circe and Lucinda again, with Lucinda being as deceitful as ever and Circe still trying to fix everything her mothers have messed up. Although I didn’t see the twist at the end coming, but that just made the book better in my opinion.
Although it’s a short book, I didn’t feel like the story was rushed in the slightest. And as with all of the other villains books, I started to feel some sympathy towards Captain Hook and understood how he became the person that he is in Peter Pan.
  
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
2011 | Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
8
6.3 (30 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Return to form
Based, believe it or not, loosely, on the Tim Powers novel, On Stranger Tides, Pirates 4 seemed about as appealing as hole in the head after the diabolical sequels to the excellent first outing. Then it was to be in 3D, scrap several key characters and shed the direction of Gore Verbinski, in favour of Chicago's, Rob Marshall. A recipe for disaster? It seemed that way.

Though saying that, Gore had certainly sealed his fate with me, turning what was a well conceived, action adventure romp with some very memorable characters into an unnecessary epic saga which seriously missed the point and derailed itself. One dubious decision taken in the production of Dead Man's Chest, was to keep Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly's characters, let alone giving them so much prominence.

Knightly was fine, for the first film,. in fact, she was spot on, but she couldn't carry the role any further and began to look ridiculous as the series progressed. This should have been the adventures of Jack Sparrow, so excellently portrayed by Johnny Depp, and Geoffrey Rush's, Barbossa was the perfect pirate. So I was more than pleased to see the continuing adventures of these two characters, with Depp, returning to form after I felt that he had lost it in the sequels.

Penélope Cruz was another pleasant surprise, as never being a fan of her's, I was dubious but this was casting done properly. She was more than convincing as a pirate and put Knightly's efforts to shame. But what of Ian McShane's Blackbeard? Well, another great showing from him, but the inexplicable magic displayed as he waves in his 3D sword around and points it at the camera to remind us that 3D is here, not so much.

But the 3D was pretty naff. You could watch most of the film without the glasses, with the effect being limited to several sequences. It looked good, it was inoffensive and unobtrusive but what was the point again? I don't think that this film will do 3D any real harm but that's because nobody really noticed it in the first place.

The sense of adventure from the The Curse Of The Black Pearl was evident here and long over due. I find it puzzling as to why so many reviews have been so harsh, branding it boring, overly complicated and not pulled together properly, but I would disagree. Granted, it is a bit scrappy, it's not going to be used as case study in tight scripting, or deep character development and it is somewhat derivative, but it was fun, flashy and flamboyant.

Isn't this what these films are all about? Depp created a classic character with Sparrow back in 2003, and tough I felt that he was a one trick pony, Sparrow that is, not Depp, this was a partial return to form, under new direction from Marshall. But I am left feeling that no matter how much I enjoyed this for what it was, the first Pirates Of The Caribbean was a film which successfully transferred a theme park ride into a career defining blockbuster, but I feel that it should have remained one film, a single triumph and not a franchise that has been saved in my eyes, by the fourth installment.
  
Jungle Cruise (2021)
Jungle Cruise (2021)
2021 | Adventure
Ask anyone who has ever spent time at a Disney park what attractions they enjoy riding and chances are good that the Jungle Cruise will be amongst them. The project was a labor of love for Walt Disney and has thrilled millions of guests with the scenic cruise, animated animals, and the cringe-worthy puns and jokes from the captains who have made it an enduring legend.

Since attractions ranging from “Pirates of the Caribbean”, “The Haunted Mansion” and “The Tower of Terror” have made their way to screens along with others over the years; it was not much of a shock to hear that The Jungle Cruise was next in line to make the leap to the big screen. Despite several release date changes and then a lengthy delay due to Covid; the film has finally arrived backed by a star-studded premiere at Disneyland.

When Doctor Lilly Houghton (Emily Blunt) with the help of her high-maintenance brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall) desire to find a mythical item and gain entry into a prestigious organization; they are hampered by the sexist views of early 1900 England and forced to steal an artifact and race to the Amazon.

With a dangerous foreigner; Prince Joachim Jesse Plemons and his goons in hot pursuit, Lilly and her brother find themselves in the company of a boat captain named Frank (Dwayne Johnson); who in dire need of money uses all sorts of methods to gain a charter and take Lilly and her brother into a dangerous area.

Along the way, all manner of humor, action, and dangers arise as everything from hostile natives, animals, rapids, and of course, The Prince stands in their way. If this was not bad enough; there is also a matter of a curse that must be factored in which presents an even bigger danger than before.

In a race against time, Frank and Lilly must learn to trust and work with one another and decipher the clues to save the day and keep the forces of evil from winning.

The film takes a bit of time to get going as while there is some action and great scenery and sets; early on it does seem to be unsure of what type of film it wants to be and what type of story it wants to tell.

Is it a madcap adventure with a dash of romance? Is it an FX-laden action spoof? Perhaps it is an over-the-top action film that recalls the fabled cinematic adventures of old?

In reality, the film is a combination of all of the above. I had flashes of “The African Queen”, “Romancing the Stone”, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “Pirates of The Caribbean”, and “The Mummy” during the film.

While the MacGuffin element of the film may be a bit confusing for some with more questions than answers; Blunt and Johnson work very well with one another and Whitehall provides a wider element to his character making him more than the comic relief in the film.

The FX are very enjoyable and the film mixes the humor with the action well including some of the best jokes from the attraction.

While it may at first glance be considered just a routine adventure film; the movie blends a strong and enjoyable cast with a fun adventure that recalls the thrilling cinematic tales of old but does so with a fresh and modern twist.

4 stars out of 5
  
Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End (2007)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End (2007)
2007 | Action, Sci-Fi
Great Action (2 more)
Beautiful Visuals
Great Humour
Doesn't quite entertain as much as the others (1 more)
Too many characters to really care for anyone other than the original cast
Probably my least favourite installment
At World's End is not a bad film, but it's not great either. It's a necessary installment to the franchise to finish of the story of Davey Jones, and to lead the franchise to the latest installment, 'Salazar's Revenge'.

I was excited to see the finale to the Davey Jones chapter of this fantasy film franchise, but was somewhat disappointed to find this film lacking something special, and not quite living up to the previous installments.

The action is thrilling, and the visuals are ever improving with each film, which still makes this film a good addition to the franchise, and I will always watch them as a franchise and leave none unwatched in a marathon of the films. However it would not be a first choice when recommending a pirate film to anyone.

The brilliant cast of the previous two films return, joined by many new faces from the pirates of Singapore to the Pirate Lords of Shipwreck Cove. Some of which are memorable but not all. This is where the film drifts from being as good as it could have been. With so many characters it is hard to care for anyone we haven't already spent two films caring for.

Overall this film will be the one you watch, only if you are having a marathon. It won't be the most memorable of the franchise, but it shouldn't be forgotten.
  
Early Riser
Early Riser
6
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Slow plot compromises the book
I enjoyed the concept of this one and the world building. It was interesting and definitely something different.

Charlie is your lovable loser who doesn’t have much going for him but has this perfect opportunity to do better. Other characters make the story colorful and engaging (The Toccata/Aurora arc is amusing and fun to read). Each character has their own quirks and personality traits which makes the book develop a personality of its own.

The concept of people going into hibernation, and the viral dreams is interesting and makes the world unique and unbelievable but also fun to read. The world building itself in the novel is also interesting. I took a liking to the Villains and their stamp collecting, although they play a small part in the novel, think of them as elegant pirates with a penchant for stamps.

So although the characters and the setting is interesting, the plot itself falls flat and is very slow. There’s sporadic moments to carry the book along, but overall the book in its entirety is slow paced. It did feel a bit of a chore to read for the most part which is unfortunate as there the setting and the characters proved to be promising but the plot could have been better.

This was my first Jasper Fforde book, so I’m willing to give the other books a chance as I’m sure they’re better this one. It’s not that I didn’t like reading it, but it was the slow pace of the plot that nearly compromised my attention and rather affected my reading and enjoyment of the book.
  
Dolittle (2020)
Dolittle (2020)
2020 | Adventure
The new Universal Studios movie Dr. Dolittle stars Robert Downey Jr as Dr. Dolittle, Antonio Banderas as King Rassouli, Michael Sheen as Dr. Mudfly, Emma Thompson as Poly, Jessie Buckley as Queen Victoria, and a host of other well-known stars as the voices of the animals, including John Cena, Ralph Fiennes and Selna Gomez. Dolittle is directed by Stephen Gaghan
Dr. Dolittle is a charming movie.

The audience is taken on a wonderful adventure across oceans and far away kingdoms in search of a magical cure for young Queen Victoria.

Robert Downey Jr. does a phenomenal job in portraying Dr. Dolittle. He plays the role with emotion and charm. His life has been sad since the passing of his wife, and he secludes himself with the only beings he wants to have contact with, his animal menagerie. He is interrupted in his solitude by a request from the palace to find a cure for young Queen Victoria who has been poisoned.

Dr. Dolittle and his animal menagerie set off on an epic adventure to hunt down the one thing that might save the Queen, the sap from a tree that Dolittles late wife has been researching. On the way, they must get around the nefarious Dr. Blair Mudfly, and Rassouli the king of pirates.

Younger viewers are sure to be kept engaged, as the movie is fast paced and they will not have the chance to be bored. The audience are sure to be pleased with the vitality and humor that each role brings to the film.
The movie is perfect for families to view together and everyone will enjoy it.