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Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Hands Down in Books
Jan 15, 2021
Borrowed this from the Kindle Unlimited Library.
This starts with Bianca at work and taking a call from her cousin who asks her to go and get NFO star and his best friend Zac, since they haven't been able to get hold of him to tell him that his Paw-Paw has been admitted to hospital. It's been about ten years since Bianca last saw Zac, her teenage crush, and is reluctant to see him again but because she loves her cousin like a brother, she agrees to go see Zac and let him know what's happened. Before she realises it, Zac is a major part of her life again and the friendship they used to have has come back into full force. Only those pesky feelings she used to have for him haven't completely disappeared.
Mariana Zapata is the Queen of slow burn romances. You only ever see the woman's POV in her books and have to read the body language of the males to figure out what they're thinking and I think she is brilliant at it. Zac's facial expressions in this gave a lot away about how he was feeling but it still took somewhere around the 90% mark for the words to be spoken - the "I love you"s.
Her books are always long - I've pointed out several times I'm not the biggest fan of long books - but most of the time you don't even realise it because you're so engrossed in the story. The same could be said of this one although I did find Bianca a bit annoying at times with her persistent belief that Zac was only hanging around because he felt guilty for losing touch with her when he made sure she was there for everything and always wanted to hang out with her. I did feel like giving her a slap every now and then because it was pretty obvious he cared about you, you donut!
I also love how she writes the characters from her previous books into her latest. We see several of them in this one including characters from From Lukov with Love and The Wall of Winnipeg and Me and even DeMaio House gym plays a vital part in this book.
P.S. I can't help feeling like we've met Enzo somewhere before...?
This starts with Bianca at work and taking a call from her cousin who asks her to go and get NFO star and his best friend Zac, since they haven't been able to get hold of him to tell him that his Paw-Paw has been admitted to hospital. It's been about ten years since Bianca last saw Zac, her teenage crush, and is reluctant to see him again but because she loves her cousin like a brother, she agrees to go see Zac and let him know what's happened. Before she realises it, Zac is a major part of her life again and the friendship they used to have has come back into full force. Only those pesky feelings she used to have for him haven't completely disappeared.
Mariana Zapata is the Queen of slow burn romances. You only ever see the woman's POV in her books and have to read the body language of the males to figure out what they're thinking and I think she is brilliant at it. Zac's facial expressions in this gave a lot away about how he was feeling but it still took somewhere around the 90% mark for the words to be spoken - the "I love you"s.
Her books are always long - I've pointed out several times I'm not the biggest fan of long books - but most of the time you don't even realise it because you're so engrossed in the story. The same could be said of this one although I did find Bianca a bit annoying at times with her persistent belief that Zac was only hanging around because he felt guilty for losing touch with her when he made sure she was there for everything and always wanted to hang out with her. I did feel like giving her a slap every now and then because it was pretty obvious he cared about you, you donut!
I also love how she writes the characters from her previous books into her latest. We see several of them in this one including characters from From Lukov with Love and The Wall of Winnipeg and Me and even DeMaio House gym plays a vital part in this book.
P.S. I can't help feeling like we've met Enzo somewhere before...?
TacoDave (3955 KP) rated Lost and Found in Books
Oct 3, 2019
Plot (4 more)
World-Building
Characters
Dialogue
Concept
Small focus (1 more)
Plot coincidences
A smaller-scale story by the master of epic sci-fi
"Lost and Found" is a story about micropowers - small, seemingly useless powers that are almost the opposite of superpowers.
The main character, Ezekiel, can touch something that is lost and sense who and where the owner is. A lost toy on the ground might call out to him, asking to be returned to its five-year-old owner. Or a lost shoe might give him the impulse to track down a businessman. The power sounds useful, but since everyone assumes he is a thief (how else would he know where these items belong?), it is more of a burden than a blessing.
Everything changes when a police officer asks Ezekiel to help find a missing child. Could his "power" actually be useful? Or is it impossible to find a person who is "lost?" That's the main story of the book, and it is an intriguing concept, especially when Ezekiel meets other people with odd micropowers.
After saying all of that, how is the book? It's good! It isn't quite as engaging as some of Card's other books, but only because it is smaller in scale and scope. The Ender saga (which is up to approximately 12 books by now) feels important. The themes, moral dilemmas, and human interactions all have weight to them because of how epic the story is.
"Lost and Found" has a bit of adventure and danger, but it is much more grounded. It is focused on (almost) regular humans living their lives in contemporary times. So it is a touch lighter, a touch simpler than some of Card's other books.
Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed the book from beginning to end and would love to find out more about micropowers and just how inane they might be. The world-building is good enough to make me crave more.
One last note: the micropowers discussed actually *do* relate to the Ender saga, because they seem to be based (intentionally or not) on philotic rays. The main character can "feel" a connection between lost items and their owners. Another character can "feel" where spiders are. And one can "feel" other peoples' navels. It instantly reminded me of the ansible, the hive queen, and philotic webs. So that's something.
The main character, Ezekiel, can touch something that is lost and sense who and where the owner is. A lost toy on the ground might call out to him, asking to be returned to its five-year-old owner. Or a lost shoe might give him the impulse to track down a businessman. The power sounds useful, but since everyone assumes he is a thief (how else would he know where these items belong?), it is more of a burden than a blessing.
Everything changes when a police officer asks Ezekiel to help find a missing child. Could his "power" actually be useful? Or is it impossible to find a person who is "lost?" That's the main story of the book, and it is an intriguing concept, especially when Ezekiel meets other people with odd micropowers.
After saying all of that, how is the book? It's good! It isn't quite as engaging as some of Card's other books, but only because it is smaller in scale and scope. The Ender saga (which is up to approximately 12 books by now) feels important. The themes, moral dilemmas, and human interactions all have weight to them because of how epic the story is.
"Lost and Found" has a bit of adventure and danger, but it is much more grounded. It is focused on (almost) regular humans living their lives in contemporary times. So it is a touch lighter, a touch simpler than some of Card's other books.
Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed the book from beginning to end and would love to find out more about micropowers and just how inane they might be. The world-building is good enough to make me crave more.
One last note: the micropowers discussed actually *do* relate to the Ender saga, because they seem to be based (intentionally or not) on philotic rays. The main character can "feel" a connection between lost items and their owners. Another character can "feel" where spiders are. And one can "feel" other peoples' navels. It instantly reminded me of the ansible, the hive queen, and philotic webs. So that's something.
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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Halloween (1978) in Movies
Sep 29, 2020
What is there to say about Halloween that hasn't already been said? Not quite the first slasher, but arguably the film to throw this particular sub genre and all its tropes into the spotlight, and it's pretty much the perfect horror.
Halloween is iconic in several ways. A big part of that is it's characters. Laurie Strode is considered by many to be the quintessential scream queen/final girl and that is completely down to Jamie Lee Curtis. Her character is down to earth and relatable, realistic but shows resolve by the time the credits role. This has resulted in her return many times throughout the franchise and is still beloved now.
Donald Pleasance as Dr Loomis is another main stay of the franchise. His character arc is more tempestuous than Laurie's and as a result is less impactful overall, but is an important part nonetheless, especially in the original.
But what would Halloween be if it wasn't for Michael Myers, and indisputable behemoth of horror. His first outing is easily his best, with just enough back story to intrigue, and a quiet determination in the way he mercilessly and calmly stalks his victims. His souless, white mask (a mask infamously modelled after William Shatner) and dark jumpsuit is a simple yet effective aesthetic.
Some of the shots in Halloween are genuinely chilling - they got me when I was a kid, and they still get me now. One shot that always sticks in my head is when Laurie clocks Michael a little way down the street staring at her from behind a bush in broad daylight. The whole film is creepy, something that has seldom been imitated in the huge number of Slashers that followed in its wake.
This is all topped off by the instantly recognisable music score, composed by director John Carpenter (the talented bastard). I'm an unashamed Carpenter fan, and my love for his work started right here, as it did for many others.
Halloween is a film that is rightly still talked about today. It will never fade away, and it's simply down to how good it is, even all these years later. It's a must see piece of cinema, and it stands shoulder to shoulder with The Thing as my personal favourite horror of all time.
Halloween is iconic in several ways. A big part of that is it's characters. Laurie Strode is considered by many to be the quintessential scream queen/final girl and that is completely down to Jamie Lee Curtis. Her character is down to earth and relatable, realistic but shows resolve by the time the credits role. This has resulted in her return many times throughout the franchise and is still beloved now.
Donald Pleasance as Dr Loomis is another main stay of the franchise. His character arc is more tempestuous than Laurie's and as a result is less impactful overall, but is an important part nonetheless, especially in the original.
But what would Halloween be if it wasn't for Michael Myers, and indisputable behemoth of horror. His first outing is easily his best, with just enough back story to intrigue, and a quiet determination in the way he mercilessly and calmly stalks his victims. His souless, white mask (a mask infamously modelled after William Shatner) and dark jumpsuit is a simple yet effective aesthetic.
Some of the shots in Halloween are genuinely chilling - they got me when I was a kid, and they still get me now. One shot that always sticks in my head is when Laurie clocks Michael a little way down the street staring at her from behind a bush in broad daylight. The whole film is creepy, something that has seldom been imitated in the huge number of Slashers that followed in its wake.
This is all topped off by the instantly recognisable music score, composed by director John Carpenter (the talented bastard). I'm an unashamed Carpenter fan, and my love for his work started right here, as it did for many others.
Halloween is a film that is rightly still talked about today. It will never fade away, and it's simply down to how good it is, even all these years later. It's a must see piece of cinema, and it stands shoulder to shoulder with The Thing as my personal favourite horror of all time.
War of Mist (The Oremere Chronicles #3)
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War is here. Toxic mist drives all life to the brink of destruction and the conqueror queen, Ines,...
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Spencer (2021) in Movies
Feb 10, 2022
Stewart's Performance Elevates a Mediocre Film
Pablo Loraine’s SPENCER is not a subtle film, it shows the confinement and suffocation of Lady Diana Spencer under the watchful eye of the British monarchy and is not shy about who the bad guys are.
This sort of one-sided-ness of storytelling does not a compelling film make, but what does make this film compelling is the outstanding performance that is at the center of this film, Kristen Stewart as Lady Diana Spencer.
Telling the tale of the last Christmas that Diana spent as a member of the Royal family, SPENCER shows a a person in mental distress, living an ordered life that leaves little room for spontaneity or originality - things that Diana had in spades.
The only thing that makes this film work is the Oscar Nominated performance of Kristen Stewart as Diana. The way this movie was filmed, it would have been very easy for Stewart to portray Diana as a one-note victim, by she embodies this character with joy, sorrow, love, anger, depression and acceptance - sometimes at the same time. It is a tour-de-force performance that is well deserved of the Oscar nom.
What doesn’t work is the perspective of the film by Director Pablo Larrain (who also Directed Natalie Portman to an Oscar nom in JACKIE). He, clearly, had a vision and the look of the film is strong. What isn’t strong is the characters apart from Diana. The Royal family (especially Jack Farthings’ Prince Charles and Stella Gonet’s Queen Elizabeth) are mustache-twirling villians, Diana’s sons William and Harry look like they came out of the “Weasley Family” casting agency, while terrific character actors like Sally Hawkins, Timothy Spall and Sean Harris have almost (but not quite) interesting characters that don’t quite gel with what is going on.
But that is besides the point, for this is a story about Diana and Stewart is front and center in almost every scene - and is fascinating to watch - especially as she embodies Lady Diana in the marvelous costumes by Jacqueline Durran.
Come for the look at the Royals, stay for the performance by Stewart - one that I would not be suprised is honored come Oscar night.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
This sort of one-sided-ness of storytelling does not a compelling film make, but what does make this film compelling is the outstanding performance that is at the center of this film, Kristen Stewart as Lady Diana Spencer.
Telling the tale of the last Christmas that Diana spent as a member of the Royal family, SPENCER shows a a person in mental distress, living an ordered life that leaves little room for spontaneity or originality - things that Diana had in spades.
The only thing that makes this film work is the Oscar Nominated performance of Kristen Stewart as Diana. The way this movie was filmed, it would have been very easy for Stewart to portray Diana as a one-note victim, by she embodies this character with joy, sorrow, love, anger, depression and acceptance - sometimes at the same time. It is a tour-de-force performance that is well deserved of the Oscar nom.
What doesn’t work is the perspective of the film by Director Pablo Larrain (who also Directed Natalie Portman to an Oscar nom in JACKIE). He, clearly, had a vision and the look of the film is strong. What isn’t strong is the characters apart from Diana. The Royal family (especially Jack Farthings’ Prince Charles and Stella Gonet’s Queen Elizabeth) are mustache-twirling villians, Diana’s sons William and Harry look like they came out of the “Weasley Family” casting agency, while terrific character actors like Sally Hawkins, Timothy Spall and Sean Harris have almost (but not quite) interesting characters that don’t quite gel with what is going on.
But that is besides the point, for this is a story about Diana and Stewart is front and center in almost every scene - and is fascinating to watch - especially as she embodies Lady Diana in the marvelous costumes by Jacqueline Durran.
Come for the look at the Royals, stay for the performance by Stewart - one that I would not be suprised is honored come Oscar night.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)