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Ridley Plays 2: Vincent River, Mercury Fur, Leaves of Glass Piranha Heights
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This second volume of Ridley's stage plays confirms him as one of the most imaginative, daring and...
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Into The Forest (2016) in Movies
Sep 19, 2020
A light, pretty take on the bonds of family during hard times gets brutalized halfway through by one of the hardest to watch scenes of 2015 before becoming a powerfully emotional apocalypse tale about how much of your life is actually necessary. This has been criticized up and down for not using a 'harrowing' enough crisis to set the scene, and look I'm just going to tell you right now that I understand why you all think this is 'millennial' but this right here would be my living nightmare. I'm that character in every pre/post-apocalyptic movie who loses their shit after the power goes out in the first five minutes - I don't even go tent camping, like I *need* that shit. To quote Kumail Nanjiani from đđ©đŠ đđȘđš đđȘđ€đŹ: "I'm going to be the first guy to die. I die so the other characters get to find out something weird is going on". Also a big plus that this doesn't turn into some finger-shaking technophobic lecture as it no doubt would have under any other circumstances. No I don't take a ton of stock in this rather simple story on the surface but the real beauty of it is brought to life with these all-in performances, earthly visuals, together with the *deeply* rich and evocative score. It's such a bracingly haunting yet unforgettably sensual experience, and it has one of the more sound 'good thing, bad thing, good thing, bad thing...' structures for the genre. Very lovely.
Ali A (82 KP) rated The Electric Kingdom in Books
Jan 11, 2021
The Electric Kingdom is a novel that takes another look at the beauty of humans in a post apocalyptic world. Eighteen years after a deadly Fly Flu sweeps the globe, killing most of the population, Nico and her dog, Harry get sent on a voyage by Nicoâs father to find a mythical portal. Along the way, she meets other children, including a young artist named Kit. Thereâs also the Deliverer, who lives Life after Life in an attempt to put the world back together. This story is an exploration of art, love, life, and finding beauty.
Every character that David Arnold writes in this book is so full of love, warmth, and heartbreak. I fell in love with Kit and his outlook on live. It was beautiful. The relationship he had with his mother Dakota, and why he calls her âMy Dakotaâ made me tear up.
Iâm not sure I completely understand the whole dynamics of the world that is in this book, but I still very much enjoyed it! There are so many layers and plot twists and double backs, you donât realize how intense it is until youâre half way through it. By then, Arnold has you hooked and youâve got to find out what happens and how itâs all connected!
I havenât read anything from Arnold before but I enjoyed this one and will seeking out others from him.
*Thank you Bookish First and Penguin Teen/Viking Books for Young Readers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Every character that David Arnold writes in this book is so full of love, warmth, and heartbreak. I fell in love with Kit and his outlook on live. It was beautiful. The relationship he had with his mother Dakota, and why he calls her âMy Dakotaâ made me tear up.
Iâm not sure I completely understand the whole dynamics of the world that is in this book, but I still very much enjoyed it! There are so many layers and plot twists and double backs, you donât realize how intense it is until youâre half way through it. By then, Arnold has you hooked and youâve got to find out what happens and how itâs all connected!
I havenât read anything from Arnold before but I enjoyed this one and will seeking out others from him.
*Thank you Bookish First and Penguin Teen/Viking Books for Young Readers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
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Lilyn G - Sci-Fi & Scary (91 KP) rated Earth Abides in Books
Jun 2, 2018
Truly a classic, and a must read.
Earth Abides is not an entertaining book. It is not perfect. It is a tad long-winded at some points, sometimes decidedly dated feeling, and has a serious lack of everything that generally entertains me. It is, at itâs base, a look at the post-apocalyptic world through one manâs eyes. It was first published in 1949, and according to Goodreads, currently has 55 editions. It is considered a sci-fi book, but thereâs nothing science fiction about the book. A disease hits, wipes out most of the worldâs population, and the few that survive are left to pick up the pieces. Thatâs it. But thatâs not all there is to it. A lot happens, but itâs over the life of one man. Thereâs no grand battles, no good versus evil in the ruins of the old world, just the quiet puttering of one of the last embers of humanity as it strives to not die out completely. And yet it wonât let you alone until you finish it.
I think this book had to have made some waves when people first started reading in. Published in 1949 and it features an interracial union and espouses a life better without God in it? Yowzers.
I frequently disliked the main character. Isherwood Williams is the type of man that â while I might admire his mind â I would frequently want to thump. Heâs full of himself. Heâs so cynical about the âsimplicityâ of the people around him. And, of course, heâs completely human, and thereâs the rub. We look for a âheroâ in these types of books. Ish is no hero. Heâs someone who had the âluckâ to survive the end of the world, and now heâs got to live in it. But the world changes â doesnât it always? And Ish isnât a King of old. Heâs just the head of his Tribe.
Earth Abides feels timeless. I have read many post-apocalyptic books, and theyâve grown tiresome. I approached this book with some caution, because I was afraid of more of the same drivel that is wonderful the first few times you read it, and then swiftly approaches âBeen there done thatâ with disturbing ease. I didnât want to dislike this book because I was bone-weary of the sub-genre. Thankfully, that wasnât the case. Because, for all the post-apocalyptic books Iâve read, I donât think that Iâve ever read a novel like Earth Abides. It also feels the most real. This is how the world goes on; earth abides while humanity fumbles along.
I wonât deny that the main reason Iâm making the connection between the two is because I just recently read it, but I could not help but think of McCammonâs Boyâs Life when I finished Earth Abides. I am not someone who self-describes as liking âliterary fictionâ. Iâm happy with my genre jollies, thankyouverymuch. Iâll admit to even wrinkling my nose at the idea of reading âliteratureâ. However, I think both Earth Abides and Boyâs Life are perfect examples of books that show the appeal of that type of book. Theyâre not 600 pages long and packed with five dollar words, yet they donât fit into any particular genre, and they make you think far more than they entertain you.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
âIf there is a God who made us and we did wrong before His eyesâas George saysâat least we did wrong only because we were as God made us, and I do not think that He should set traps. Oh, you should know better than George! Let us not bring all that back into the world againâthe angry God, the mean Godâthe one who does not tell us the rules of the game, and then strikes us when we break them. Let us not bring Him back.â
âMan has been growing more stupid for several thousand years; I myself shall waste no tears at his demise.â
âDuring ten thousand years his numbers have been on the upgrade in spite of wars, pestilences, and famines. This increase in population has become more and more rapid. Biologically, man has for too long a time been rolling an uninterrupted run of sevens.â
Earth Abides really does deserve itâs spot on the âMust Readâ list folks. Its hard to talk about but easy to read. Youâll need some quiet to be able to really appreciate it. Take as long as you need to take with it. I actually walked away from it for a week or so because I have an attention span the length of a gnat, but was drawn back to it, and able to pick up right where I left off.
I think this book had to have made some waves when people first started reading in. Published in 1949 and it features an interracial union and espouses a life better without God in it? Yowzers.
I frequently disliked the main character. Isherwood Williams is the type of man that â while I might admire his mind â I would frequently want to thump. Heâs full of himself. Heâs so cynical about the âsimplicityâ of the people around him. And, of course, heâs completely human, and thereâs the rub. We look for a âheroâ in these types of books. Ish is no hero. Heâs someone who had the âluckâ to survive the end of the world, and now heâs got to live in it. But the world changes â doesnât it always? And Ish isnât a King of old. Heâs just the head of his Tribe.
Earth Abides feels timeless. I have read many post-apocalyptic books, and theyâve grown tiresome. I approached this book with some caution, because I was afraid of more of the same drivel that is wonderful the first few times you read it, and then swiftly approaches âBeen there done thatâ with disturbing ease. I didnât want to dislike this book because I was bone-weary of the sub-genre. Thankfully, that wasnât the case. Because, for all the post-apocalyptic books Iâve read, I donât think that Iâve ever read a novel like Earth Abides. It also feels the most real. This is how the world goes on; earth abides while humanity fumbles along.
I wonât deny that the main reason Iâm making the connection between the two is because I just recently read it, but I could not help but think of McCammonâs Boyâs Life when I finished Earth Abides. I am not someone who self-describes as liking âliterary fictionâ. Iâm happy with my genre jollies, thankyouverymuch. Iâll admit to even wrinkling my nose at the idea of reading âliteratureâ. However, I think both Earth Abides and Boyâs Life are perfect examples of books that show the appeal of that type of book. Theyâre not 600 pages long and packed with five dollar words, yet they donât fit into any particular genre, and they make you think far more than they entertain you.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
âIf there is a God who made us and we did wrong before His eyesâas George saysâat least we did wrong only because we were as God made us, and I do not think that He should set traps. Oh, you should know better than George! Let us not bring all that back into the world againâthe angry God, the mean Godâthe one who does not tell us the rules of the game, and then strikes us when we break them. Let us not bring Him back.â
âMan has been growing more stupid for several thousand years; I myself shall waste no tears at his demise.â
âDuring ten thousand years his numbers have been on the upgrade in spite of wars, pestilences, and famines. This increase in population has become more and more rapid. Biologically, man has for too long a time been rolling an uninterrupted run of sevens.â
Earth Abides really does deserve itâs spot on the âMust Readâ list folks. Its hard to talk about but easy to read. Youâll need some quiet to be able to really appreciate it. Take as long as you need to take with it. I actually walked away from it for a week or so because I have an attention span the length of a gnat, but was drawn back to it, and able to pick up right where I left off.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Altered (Crewel World, #2) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
First off, I don't think Altered would work as a stand alone novel, so therefore, I'd suggest reading Crewel first so as not to be too confused. Oh, and if you haven't read Crewel, this review may contain some spoilers for it.
I really enjoyed Crewel, the first book in this series. I'd been wanting to read Altered since I finished Crewel. While this book takes a different direction from Crewel, I still really enjoyed it.
I like the title. It suits the book rather well. Even the Earth in this book has been altered from the Earth we know.
I really love the cover! I love the photo off Adelice within the whole sand timer thing. Adelice is running on borrowed time, and the cover depicts this perfectly.
The world building was done fantastically! It is quite a different world then that of Arras. Yes, I know it takes place on Earth, but this is a post apocalyptic type Earth with a sort of alternate history. In fact, there is one famous figure from history who makes an appearance in Altered which I didn't expect.
The pacing was done really well, and I was instantly drawn back into Adelice's world. I never wanted to put the book down!
Again, the plot is very original. I was confused a little bit through out the book, but I think that was because it had been awhile since I had read Crewel (well over a year ago). I had to try to remember how Adelice can weave and her abilities. Saying that though, I did enjoy the whole plot throughout especially the whole alternate history take. The cliff hanger at the end of this book leave it open for another book in the seires (which I will be reading). There's also the whole love triangle with Jost and Eric again. With the last book, I was team Jost, but this book, I was team Eric!
Again, Albin does a fantastic job in writing well developed characters. Adelice feels like she's grown a lot emotionally in this book. She's more of a stronger female lead and less sarcastic in this book. Jost, to me, shows his true colors in Altered. We also get to learn more about Eric and his background. We are also introduced to another baddie in this book named Kincaid. Kincaid is more of a snake in the grass compared to Cormac who was an up front, in your face, sleazeball.
The dialogue is fantastic and never once feels awkward. I don't remember any swear words, and there is minor violence.
Overall, Altered is a much different book from its predecessor, but that's not a bad thing. There's more gritty, fast paced action as well as a whole new cast of characters.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 14+ who are into science fiction and post apocalyptic worlds.
<center><b>I'd give Altered (Crewel World #2) by Gennifer Albin a 4.75 out of 5.</b></center>
(I won this hardback book in a competition. I was not required to write a review).
First off, I don't think Altered would work as a stand alone novel, so therefore, I'd suggest reading Crewel first so as not to be too confused. Oh, and if you haven't read Crewel, this review may contain some spoilers for it.
I really enjoyed Crewel, the first book in this series. I'd been wanting to read Altered since I finished Crewel. While this book takes a different direction from Crewel, I still really enjoyed it.
I like the title. It suits the book rather well. Even the Earth in this book has been altered from the Earth we know.
I really love the cover! I love the photo off Adelice within the whole sand timer thing. Adelice is running on borrowed time, and the cover depicts this perfectly.
The world building was done fantastically! It is quite a different world then that of Arras. Yes, I know it takes place on Earth, but this is a post apocalyptic type Earth with a sort of alternate history. In fact, there is one famous figure from history who makes an appearance in Altered which I didn't expect.
The pacing was done really well, and I was instantly drawn back into Adelice's world. I never wanted to put the book down!
Again, the plot is very original. I was confused a little bit through out the book, but I think that was because it had been awhile since I had read Crewel (well over a year ago). I had to try to remember how Adelice can weave and her abilities. Saying that though, I did enjoy the whole plot throughout especially the whole alternate history take. The cliff hanger at the end of this book leave it open for another book in the seires (which I will be reading). There's also the whole love triangle with Jost and Eric again. With the last book, I was team Jost, but this book, I was team Eric!
Again, Albin does a fantastic job in writing well developed characters. Adelice feels like she's grown a lot emotionally in this book. She's more of a stronger female lead and less sarcastic in this book. Jost, to me, shows his true colors in Altered. We also get to learn more about Eric and his background. We are also introduced to another baddie in this book named Kincaid. Kincaid is more of a snake in the grass compared to Cormac who was an up front, in your face, sleazeball.
The dialogue is fantastic and never once feels awkward. I don't remember any swear words, and there is minor violence.
Overall, Altered is a much different book from its predecessor, but that's not a bad thing. There's more gritty, fast paced action as well as a whole new cast of characters.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 14+ who are into science fiction and post apocalyptic worlds.
<center><b>I'd give Altered (Crewel World #2) by Gennifer Albin a 4.75 out of 5.</b></center>
(I won this hardback book in a competition. I was not required to write a review).
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Mercury Striking (Scorpius Syndrome, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! After reading the description for this novel, I could not pass Mercury Striking up. I thought it was too much to ask that the story would actually be as great as the description made it out to be, but I was far from disappointed. Thankfully itâs a series because I was blown away by how amazing this novel was. On that note, reading the novella that precedes this may be a good idea. While I felt that I was able to comprehend the story and keep up with it, the novella gives the reader better comprehension of the world/story overall.
I love romance/erotica and I also love post-apocalyptic stories. Going in, I was convinced there was no way someone could write a combination of the two adequately. They are tough genres to combine without one suffering. Zanetti clearly knows what sheâs doing. Not only can she write an intriguing dystopian world, she created a love story that grabs at you and wonât let go until you know how it plays out. Her characters are powerful and dynamic, tangible in a world that I had to remember doesnât actually exist. They captured me heart and soul from the very beginning.
Zanettiâs writing is a triple threat. She knows how to write great characters with engaging dialogue without skimping on plot or romance. If you think this sounds like a story you would like, let me make the decision for: get it. I canât wait for the nest in the series to come out.
Wow! After reading the description for this novel, I could not pass Mercury Striking up. I thought it was too much to ask that the story would actually be as great as the description made it out to be, but I was far from disappointed. Thankfully itâs a series because I was blown away by how amazing this novel was. On that note, reading the novella that precedes this may be a good idea. While I felt that I was able to comprehend the story and keep up with it, the novella gives the reader better comprehension of the world/story overall.
I love romance/erotica and I also love post-apocalyptic stories. Going in, I was convinced there was no way someone could write a combination of the two adequately. They are tough genres to combine without one suffering. Zanetti clearly knows what sheâs doing. Not only can she write an intriguing dystopian world, she created a love story that grabs at you and wonât let go until you know how it plays out. Her characters are powerful and dynamic, tangible in a world that I had to remember doesnât actually exist. They captured me heart and soul from the very beginning.
Zanettiâs writing is a triple threat. She knows how to write great characters with engaging dialogue without skimping on plot or romance. If you think this sounds like a story you would like, let me make the decision for: get it. I canât wait for the nest in the series to come out.