Search
Search results
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated King's Cage in Books
May 16, 2018
The third installment in Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen series, King’s Cage, is probably my favorite so far. Once again, Aveyard proves she is more focused on telling a story than describing a romance – something my readers know I really like. Especially when it comes to young adult fantasy. In fact, I feel labeling this series as “romance” is a stretch – especially given how little Aveyard focuses on actual material meant to draw in readers of that genre.
King’s Cage begins where Glass Sword left off: Mare’s deal with Maven. While she spends her time in prison, we finally get to learn more about other characters in the story – namely Cameron and (later) Evangeline. Though the latter takes place more toward when the action begins to kick up. Naturally, the story is more focused on Mare even from these perspectives, but it provides a refreshing look at the rebellion.
Surprisingly, there are several turns in King’s Cage that caught me entirely off guard. This is a good thing: I hate when books and stories become predictable. I won’t divulge more than that, for fear of spoilers, but I will say this: so far, this book is my favorite in the series and though I am so angry at the ending I could burn it, part of me wants to open it back up to page one and start again. I don’t imagine the library will like it much if I burn their book.
Until the fourth book hits shelves, I guess I’ll have to satisfy my hunger for more by reading the two novellas that Aveyard wrote for her post-apocalypse universe. Oh, and as a side note? This is the first one I read physically so I finally got to see a map of the lands. As I suspected, it takes place in the ruins of what was once the United States.
King’s Cage begins where Glass Sword left off: Mare’s deal with Maven. While she spends her time in prison, we finally get to learn more about other characters in the story – namely Cameron and (later) Evangeline. Though the latter takes place more toward when the action begins to kick up. Naturally, the story is more focused on Mare even from these perspectives, but it provides a refreshing look at the rebellion.
Surprisingly, there are several turns in King’s Cage that caught me entirely off guard. This is a good thing: I hate when books and stories become predictable. I won’t divulge more than that, for fear of spoilers, but I will say this: so far, this book is my favorite in the series and though I am so angry at the ending I could burn it, part of me wants to open it back up to page one and start again. I don’t imagine the library will like it much if I burn their book.
Until the fourth book hits shelves, I guess I’ll have to satisfy my hunger for more by reading the two novellas that Aveyard wrote for her post-apocalypse universe. Oh, and as a side note? This is the first one I read physically so I finally got to see a map of the lands. As I suspected, it takes place in the ruins of what was once the United States.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Queen Sugar in Books
May 10, 2018
Charley Bordelon has just inherited 800 acres of a sugar cane farm from her father. So she uproots herself and her daughter from their life in California to Saint Josephine, Louisiana. She moves in with her grandmother, Miss Honey and tries her best to raise a successful cane farm. With other family members stepping in her way, this can prove to be difficult at times. Charley is doing the best she can, but will it be enough to keep the farm or will she be forced to sell it and head back to California.
I watched the series for this book on <a href="http://www.oprah.com/app/queen-sugar.html">OWN</a>; and I loved it. If I would have known about the book, I definitely would have read that first. They always say, the book is better than the movie, but in this case, I will say that the book was not as good as the series. The characterization is a little different and the TV series definitely added a lot more drama to the situation. Overall, though, I enjoyed the book and look forward to other books by <a href="http://nataliebaszile.com/">Natalie Baszile</a>.
Charley Bordelon has a lot on her plate. She has an adolescent daughter who hates the idea of leaving her home in California to live in a remote area of Louisiana. She has a sugar cane farm she has just inherited and she knows nothing about sugar cane. Her older brother Ralph Angel feels as though he is entitled to something, but he feels that way about everything in his life. Dealing with hurricanes, quitting farm hands, no money, and flooding back lots, there is a lot to learn and most people in the area, don't think she can do it.
The book takes you on a journey through Charley's first season of Cane Farming and all the trials and tribulations she endures during this time. I enjoyed the book and I look forward to the new season of the show coming this summer!
I watched the series for this book on <a href="http://www.oprah.com/app/queen-sugar.html">OWN</a>; and I loved it. If I would have known about the book, I definitely would have read that first. They always say, the book is better than the movie, but in this case, I will say that the book was not as good as the series. The characterization is a little different and the TV series definitely added a lot more drama to the situation. Overall, though, I enjoyed the book and look forward to other books by <a href="http://nataliebaszile.com/">Natalie Baszile</a>.
Charley Bordelon has a lot on her plate. She has an adolescent daughter who hates the idea of leaving her home in California to live in a remote area of Louisiana. She has a sugar cane farm she has just inherited and she knows nothing about sugar cane. Her older brother Ralph Angel feels as though he is entitled to something, but he feels that way about everything in his life. Dealing with hurricanes, quitting farm hands, no money, and flooding back lots, there is a lot to learn and most people in the area, don't think she can do it.
The book takes you on a journey through Charley's first season of Cane Farming and all the trials and tribulations she endures during this time. I enjoyed the book and I look forward to the new season of the show coming this summer!
Ross (3284 KP) rated Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) in Movies
Mar 18, 2019
Missed the mark by some way
Given the length of the film, there was a real chance to tell the compelling story of one of the biggest rock bands in history.
However, so much of the band's story is missed out in favour of portraying Mercury as a troubled man. The opening 10 minutes of the film basically covers the band's formation, first gigs and name change and within 15 minutes they are pretty much world famous. For me, this would have been the most interesting aspect of their fame. Instead it all just happens in some very short, throwaway scenes where the editing is so abrupt as to make you queasy.
There then follows an over-indulgent, though enjoyable, section showing how the recording of Bohemian Rhapsody came about. Very little about where the inspiration came from, just how it was recorded. Again, this felt like a missed mark.
There were some amusing scenes - arguing over the artistic merit of songs like "I'm in love with my car" for example, and Mike Myers' character saying he couldn't see a group of teenagers listening to Bo-Rap in their car (Wayne's World reference).
The film then spirals into misery, with Freddie's coming out, isolation from friends and family, the band's split and his solo career (with none of the highs of that material, just that it was hard work and the band hated it). His eventual realisation that he'd been lead astray by a negative influence and came back was pretty badly handled.
The culmination of the film, the Band Aid scenes, was excellent and thoroughly enjoyable.
I think the film was trying to show Freddie as being a troubled genius. Instead I found it to show him as being an irritating gullible drama queen.
Malek's portrayal of Freddie was mostly fine, but not Oscar-worthy.
All in all, a boring over-dramatized telling of the worst parts of Mercury's life, and by no means a celebration of his career and talent.
However, so much of the band's story is missed out in favour of portraying Mercury as a troubled man. The opening 10 minutes of the film basically covers the band's formation, first gigs and name change and within 15 minutes they are pretty much world famous. For me, this would have been the most interesting aspect of their fame. Instead it all just happens in some very short, throwaway scenes where the editing is so abrupt as to make you queasy.
There then follows an over-indulgent, though enjoyable, section showing how the recording of Bohemian Rhapsody came about. Very little about where the inspiration came from, just how it was recorded. Again, this felt like a missed mark.
There were some amusing scenes - arguing over the artistic merit of songs like "I'm in love with my car" for example, and Mike Myers' character saying he couldn't see a group of teenagers listening to Bo-Rap in their car (Wayne's World reference).
The film then spirals into misery, with Freddie's coming out, isolation from friends and family, the band's split and his solo career (with none of the highs of that material, just that it was hard work and the band hated it). His eventual realisation that he'd been lead astray by a negative influence and came back was pretty badly handled.
The culmination of the film, the Band Aid scenes, was excellent and thoroughly enjoyable.
I think the film was trying to show Freddie as being a troubled genius. Instead I found it to show him as being an irritating gullible drama queen.
Malek's portrayal of Freddie was mostly fine, but not Oscar-worthy.
All in all, a boring over-dramatized telling of the worst parts of Mercury's life, and by no means a celebration of his career and talent.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The Favourite (2018) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Something special
#thefavourite will not only leave you #feeling uncomfortable, vulnerable & #disturbed but your brain challenged & your thoughts running rampant. At its core #Favourite is a 3 way power struggle between its lead characters but what's oh so staggering about it when taking a closer look is the sheer depth & intricacy going on here around this already strong base. As these 3 #women duke it out for the top spot the stakes & #madness just seems to escalate more & more. What's so #terrifying is what the effects of all these petty & #selfish acts/behaviour are having on the country they are all in a sense running. Layered cleverly with numerous metaphors this #film is not only visually #creative but sound work & scenes are overlapped to #haunting effect at times eg a scenes of #gun duels symbolizing the #fight for control between 2 characters or #sex representing characters being dominated or #humiliated. Each character is played well with all 3 having interesting, deep & complex personalities & as we watch each of them fall, rise & fight for #power my opinion on each of the changed drastically. I also loved the many scenes showing the welthy having fun in silly, wasteful, cruel & inhumane ways while the poor struggle & taxes increase. Cinematography is excellent with so many fantastic wide shots, low camera angles & an almost static style fish eyed cctv camera feel at times making most scenes feel intimate, close & personal. Score wise its unnerving feeling almost like stabbing knives or wires pulling constantly at your senses which helps ramp up the intensity of every scene keeping you on edge all the time. With a fantastic ending & downright gorgeous production design The Favourite is an interesting & very relevant look at power/control & how it can be easily manipulated & abused to sickening effect. Well worth seeing even though you may leave with a headache from its sheer intensity haha. #odeon #odeonlimitless #queen #royal #thursdaythoughts #silly #filmbuff #filmcritic #review #thefavoritemovie #congress ##politics #political #drama
Maris (8 KP) rated The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2) in Books
Jun 10, 2019
All my book reviews are SPOILER FREE!
The Wicked King was my top three anticipating books of 2019. Let me just say I believe Holly Black knows what she is doing with this story and she has not let me down and more than likely she won't when she ends this story.
When I started to read the first pages I was having a hard time getting into the story and where we are now in the story. I was getting a little confused with so many characters. The beginning of the book was okay but everything started to pick up for me towards the very end of the story, which is kinda a bummer for me since the first book hooked me the moment I started to read.
Once the action started to flow in I was hooked and couldn't put the book down. I have a lot of feelings for some characters in this book and what are they planning and motives. I was surprised to see some characters backstab Jude and confused in a good way as to why they are doing it to where I need answers.
The ending was everything, just like the first book! It didn't fail me! I love the ending more than anything and it was the best part of the book. I had to flip back pages to read it again, it was that good!
The writing, of course, is wonderful and very detailed for me to feel like I was apart of the world that Holly Black has created. The first book was definitely my favorite so far but the second one is not bad at all. I am looking forward to the final book "Queen Of Nothing" to see what happens with Jude and the other characters in the story and unfortunately, I have to wait another whole year just to find out.
The Wicked King was my top three anticipating books of 2019. Let me just say I believe Holly Black knows what she is doing with this story and she has not let me down and more than likely she won't when she ends this story.
When I started to read the first pages I was having a hard time getting into the story and where we are now in the story. I was getting a little confused with so many characters. The beginning of the book was okay but everything started to pick up for me towards the very end of the story, which is kinda a bummer for me since the first book hooked me the moment I started to read.
Once the action started to flow in I was hooked and couldn't put the book down. I have a lot of feelings for some characters in this book and what are they planning and motives. I was surprised to see some characters backstab Jude and confused in a good way as to why they are doing it to where I need answers.
The ending was everything, just like the first book! It didn't fail me! I love the ending more than anything and it was the best part of the book. I had to flip back pages to read it again, it was that good!
The writing, of course, is wonderful and very detailed for me to feel like I was apart of the world that Holly Black has created. The first book was definitely my favorite so far but the second one is not bad at all. I am looking forward to the final book "Queen Of Nothing" to see what happens with Jude and the other characters in the story and unfortunately, I have to wait another whole year just to find out.
Kyera (8 KP) rated King's Cage in Books
Jan 31, 2018
King’s Cage is the third book in the Red Queen series, but not the final book in the installment. I highly suggest that you read the first two books before this one, otherwise you will be incredibly confused. The overall premise of the series is very intriguing and draws you in. Unfortunately, it is a little slow at times and can be difficult to get through. Glass Sword, in particular, took a while to get its stride and I kept putting it down. As a result of the cliffhanger at the end of Glass Sword, King’s Cage is able to start more quickly.
Originally, I didn’t have very strong feelings about any of the characters in the series. They were from various worlds, had different personalities, but I just didn’t truly connect with any of them. King’s Cage made a few of the characters slightly more likable to me, but it still wasn’t enough. Whether it was an important character or a side character, I wasn’t emotionally involved enough to deeply care if something happened to them. It was a simple, oh that’s sad or unfortunate, but it didn’t tear my heart out like some writing does.
Mare’s world is turned upside down and overall the plot of this novel is more engaging than Glass Sword. The fights were described very well and I felt like I was there watching them. I still wish that there was more world building in these novels. There are such varied lands, ruled by unique leaders that I wish we knew more about them.
Overall, I enjoy this series and would recommend giving it a shot. It’s difficult to categorize between fantasy and a form of dystopian. The series is not high fantasy so the world isn’t too difficult to dive into. I’d recommend to young adult/teen fans of fantasy books or books where the characters have powers.
Originally, I didn’t have very strong feelings about any of the characters in the series. They were from various worlds, had different personalities, but I just didn’t truly connect with any of them. King’s Cage made a few of the characters slightly more likable to me, but it still wasn’t enough. Whether it was an important character or a side character, I wasn’t emotionally involved enough to deeply care if something happened to them. It was a simple, oh that’s sad or unfortunate, but it didn’t tear my heart out like some writing does.
Mare’s world is turned upside down and overall the plot of this novel is more engaging than Glass Sword. The fights were described very well and I felt like I was there watching them. I still wish that there was more world building in these novels. There are such varied lands, ruled by unique leaders that I wish we knew more about them.
Overall, I enjoy this series and would recommend giving it a shot. It’s difficult to categorize between fantasy and a form of dystopian. The series is not high fantasy so the world isn’t too difficult to dive into. I’d recommend to young adult/teen fans of fantasy books or books where the characters have powers.
Steve Fearon (84 KP) rated Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) in Movies
Sep 7, 2018
A good antagonist for this one (1 more)
An interesting approach to character helplessness
Overall drop in quality of the cast and camerawork is noticable. (1 more)
Lacks some of the character of the first 2 movies
Whannell Takes the wheel...
So the third instalment sees co-writer Leigh Whannell take the wheel of this fledgling franchise, probably since James Wan is one of the busiest men in hollywood.
Whilst the familar faces of the first two movies are missing in this prequel, the mystic (Elise) returns as the point of familiarity, and one suspects the popularity of her character has led to this prequel.
The casting of the movie is interesting, with a generally weaker cast despite a bigger budget...the main protagonist does a decent job of essentially being a teenage scream queen, being pursued by a breathing-masked ghost/entity with mucky feet that torments her after she has her legs broken in a car accident.
Her claustrophobic situation, being essentially bed-bound, leads to a number of uncomfortable scenes, with the very creepy 'man who can't breath', as well as a hand, foot and faceless woman at one point.
The pacing of this film seems a little faster, getting to the ghostly scenes much quicker, and perhaps a little impatient to get to the moneymaking shots, some of which felt a little tacked on as 'additional scares' without any context, but they are mostly fun so I can let them slide.
The film answers a few questions about Elise, and how she meets the two goons that follow her around during the other films, as well as showing her talking with the other psychic from Insidious 2, and they are constantly making references to the family from the earlier movies, but most of this is pretty incidental to the core of the actual film itself.
All in all its a solid if unspectacular sequel, with some great moments, some clunky exposition and throwbacks, and some questions answered that you never knew needed answering!
Whilst the familar faces of the first two movies are missing in this prequel, the mystic (Elise) returns as the point of familiarity, and one suspects the popularity of her character has led to this prequel.
The casting of the movie is interesting, with a generally weaker cast despite a bigger budget...the main protagonist does a decent job of essentially being a teenage scream queen, being pursued by a breathing-masked ghost/entity with mucky feet that torments her after she has her legs broken in a car accident.
Her claustrophobic situation, being essentially bed-bound, leads to a number of uncomfortable scenes, with the very creepy 'man who can't breath', as well as a hand, foot and faceless woman at one point.
The pacing of this film seems a little faster, getting to the ghostly scenes much quicker, and perhaps a little impatient to get to the moneymaking shots, some of which felt a little tacked on as 'additional scares' without any context, but they are mostly fun so I can let them slide.
The film answers a few questions about Elise, and how she meets the two goons that follow her around during the other films, as well as showing her talking with the other psychic from Insidious 2, and they are constantly making references to the family from the earlier movies, but most of this is pretty incidental to the core of the actual film itself.
All in all its a solid if unspectacular sequel, with some great moments, some clunky exposition and throwbacks, and some questions answered that you never knew needed answering!
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Elite (The Selection, #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
In <i>The Selection</i> Kiera Cass introduced young adult readers to a dystopian society where people are sorted into different castes which dictate how rich or poor they are. America Singer (a five) was selected amongst many other girls to live at the palace where eventually one will be chosen to marry Prince Maxon. With only six girls remaining, the story continues in <i>The Elite</i>.
America and the girls are faced with more challenges to prove they have what it takes to become a princess and eventually a queen, however is this something America wants? It is clear to America and the reader that she has strong feelings for Maxon but she cannot easily forget her childhood sweetheart, Aspen. Things become more confusing for America as she begins to question Maxon’s intentions. She can love him but can she trust him? America needs to decide whether she still wants a place in this competition as she faces rebel attacks and discovers information about the history of Illéa.
The will they, won’t they aspect of America and Maxon’s relationship keeps us engaged in the story, and the love triangle adds even more tension. Cass writes so well that readers will find themselves so engrossed in the novel that they may even become frustrated when things do not go they way they wished they had.
Although America recaps on the major events of book one, this is for the benefit of refreshing readers’ minds and not to ease new readers into the story. Without prior knowledge things may be confusing so make sure to read <i>The Selection</i> first.
Overall, <i>The Elite</i> is a great sequel and it will be exciting to find out where the story goes next. <i>The Selection</i> in general is a great series for teenage girls who love a bit of romance.
In <i>The Selection</i> Kiera Cass introduced young adult readers to a dystopian society where people are sorted into different castes which dictate how rich or poor they are. America Singer (a five) was selected amongst many other girls to live at the palace where eventually one will be chosen to marry Prince Maxon. With only six girls remaining, the story continues in <i>The Elite</i>.
America and the girls are faced with more challenges to prove they have what it takes to become a princess and eventually a queen, however is this something America wants? It is clear to America and the reader that she has strong feelings for Maxon but she cannot easily forget her childhood sweetheart, Aspen. Things become more confusing for America as she begins to question Maxon’s intentions. She can love him but can she trust him? America needs to decide whether she still wants a place in this competition as she faces rebel attacks and discovers information about the history of Illéa.
The will they, won’t they aspect of America and Maxon’s relationship keeps us engaged in the story, and the love triangle adds even more tension. Cass writes so well that readers will find themselves so engrossed in the novel that they may even become frustrated when things do not go they way they wished they had.
Although America recaps on the major events of book one, this is for the benefit of refreshing readers’ minds and not to ease new readers into the story. Without prior knowledge things may be confusing so make sure to read <i>The Selection</i> first.
Overall, <i>The Elite</i> is a great sequel and it will be exciting to find out where the story goes next. <i>The Selection</i> in general is a great series for teenage girls who love a bit of romance.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Twisted Family Values in Books
Aug 16, 2019
"Always do your Thornden best!" This is the family motto in Twisted Family Values. This book travels over 30 years following the lives of two of the Thornden's, Elizabeth and Charles. Elizabeth "Bizzy", is the daughter to Claire, a no nonsense woman who is the queen of keeping up appearances. Charles "Choo" is the son of Cat, the person who everyone in the family can trust. These two are cousins and best friends and we get to see them conquer the world from the age of 12 until they reach their 40s. A lot of things they get into are not acceptable to their family, most of all Claire. Will these two be able to remain friends long into their lives, or will they just have to settle at being family?
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
When I read the description of this book, I was very excited to read it. The beginning hooked me in right away, but then throughout each section, there was a lull, a point where it felt like there was a bit too much information. There were also times when it was predictable, but I don't really have too much of an issue with that.
Everyone has drama in their family and I'm sure we all have an extended family member out there, who feels more like a friend or a sibling than a cousin or aunt or uncle. Bizzy and Choo are best friends, as they go through life, they lean on each other to learn different aspects of life, sometimes their friends and family don't understand their relationship, but they don't care.
Through their teens, college, and adulthood, this family goes through a lot, but will Biz and Charlie be able to survive it all and remain friends.
Good book and I will read more by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
When I read the description of this book, I was very excited to read it. The beginning hooked me in right away, but then throughout each section, there was a lull, a point where it felt like there was a bit too much information. There were also times when it was predictable, but I don't really have too much of an issue with that.
Everyone has drama in their family and I'm sure we all have an extended family member out there, who feels more like a friend or a sibling than a cousin or aunt or uncle. Bizzy and Choo are best friends, as they go through life, they lean on each other to learn different aspects of life, sometimes their friends and family don't understand their relationship, but they don't care.
Through their teens, college, and adulthood, this family goes through a lot, but will Biz and Charlie be able to survive it all and remain friends.
Good book and I will read more by this author.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Favourite (2018) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
We're at yet another point in history that I'm not familiar with, let's just take that as read for all historical films from now on. As such I don't know how accurately it portrays things.
Our leading ladies each give outstanding performances, Weisz being the stand out of the three. Lady Sarah was the only one who's character seemed consistently believable the whole way through. Coleman gave a strong performance of Queen Anne and her moods. Stone though was the only one that suffered from the quirks of her character, Abigail's change towards the end of the film to a much more grotesque demeanor was not enjoyable.
That wasn't the only thing that was troublesome to watch. The camera work and the transition pieces were some strange choices. Early on we have a scene set in a dark shadowed room that means we're just watching two silhouettes, we see other scenes that are shot in darkened rooms and they're all handled much better than this shot. The other two issues I came across feel very old fashioned. Firstly cross fading transitions, I can't say added anything. Secondly the random fish eye lens, again it doesn't add anything and would be more at home in a sci-fi film than a historical one.
I can't say I enjoyed the film overall. It's a rather bland tale punctuated by overdone lavish moments, unnecessary sex and nudity, and all punctuated with some gratuitous additions of the C word. I'm not even offended by any of these things but none of it felt like it needed to be in the film, I genuinely feel it would have been a better production without some of it.
What you should do
I wouldn't bother with this one, and I'm aware I'm in a minority on this point. Personally I feel like time would be better spent researching the real point in history than this account.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Lady Sarah's shooting outfit.
Our leading ladies each give outstanding performances, Weisz being the stand out of the three. Lady Sarah was the only one who's character seemed consistently believable the whole way through. Coleman gave a strong performance of Queen Anne and her moods. Stone though was the only one that suffered from the quirks of her character, Abigail's change towards the end of the film to a much more grotesque demeanor was not enjoyable.
That wasn't the only thing that was troublesome to watch. The camera work and the transition pieces were some strange choices. Early on we have a scene set in a dark shadowed room that means we're just watching two silhouettes, we see other scenes that are shot in darkened rooms and they're all handled much better than this shot. The other two issues I came across feel very old fashioned. Firstly cross fading transitions, I can't say added anything. Secondly the random fish eye lens, again it doesn't add anything and would be more at home in a sci-fi film than a historical one.
I can't say I enjoyed the film overall. It's a rather bland tale punctuated by overdone lavish moments, unnecessary sex and nudity, and all punctuated with some gratuitous additions of the C word. I'm not even offended by any of these things but none of it felt like it needed to be in the film, I genuinely feel it would have been a better production without some of it.
What you should do
I wouldn't bother with this one, and I'm aware I'm in a minority on this point. Personally I feel like time would be better spent researching the real point in history than this account.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Lady Sarah's shooting outfit.