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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Surviving the Holocaust and Stalin: The Amazing Story of the Seiler Family in Books

Jan 29, 2023  
Surviving the Holocaust and Stalin: The Amazing Story of the Seiler Family
Surviving the Holocaust and Stalin: The Amazing Story of the Seiler Family
Vanessa Holburn | 2023 | History & Politics
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is a compelling story of one family's experiences of being a Hungarian Jew before, during and after World War 2.

No matter how many of these types of books I read, it never ceases to shock me how 'human beings' can develop an insidious culture against others just because they are different be it religion, race or whatever. What I didn't realise was how, even after the Russians liberated the death and labour camps created by the Nazi regime, the persecution of Jews continued for those living behind the 'Iron Curtain'.

This book has opened my eyes to the continued injustice and oppression that was inflicted upon the Jewish people by the Stalin regime despite the horrors they had been subjected to by the Nazis but what it also did was show the resilience, bravery and hope the Seiler family demonstrated despite the tragedies and hardships they encountered and experienced.

This is a must-read for people who are interested in European history and to ensure that the voices of those who went through one of the darkest periods of the twentieth century are not forgotten and I must thank Pen & Sword and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this book.
  
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Merissa (14190 KP) rated Geomancist (7 Forbidden Arts #5) in Books

Jun 8, 2023  
Geomancist (7 Forbidden Arts #5)
Geomancist (7 Forbidden Arts #5)
Charmaine Pauls | 2016 | Erotica, Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sean is our Geomancist, but he can't access his power any longer, following a traumatic event with his twin sister. He is desperate to own the bar he works in, so he can fulfil his dream. Then Asia walks into his life, and tells him that SHE wants the bar - to change it into a spa to fulfil HER dream! The race is on to see which will raise the money first, and be the owner of the bar/spa.

To do this they have to do something that neither of them wanted to - attend a week-long private party on a private island owned by a Columbian drug lord. Things don't go according to plan and the book takes a sinister twist. Parts of this story are incredibly 'uncomfortable' to read, as well as hot and spicy bits of the story.

It unfolds in a way that could only be written by Charmaine Pauls, she keeps you guessing and the story moving in ways that you just don't anticipate. Absolutely thrilling and heart-wrenching, this story is a fantastic addition to the Seven Forbidden Arts series. Highly recommended and I'm already looking forward to the next book!

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 1, 2016
  
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Lee (2222 KP) rated Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (2018) in Movies

Dec 12, 2018  
Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (2018)
Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (2018)
2018 | Adventure, Animation, Comedy
7
7.6 (115 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
Imaginative portrayal of the internet (2 more)
Ralph and Vanellope
Good positive messages throughout
Stumbles and drags a bit towards the end (0 more)
Enjoyable Sequel
I cannot believe it's been 6 years since we last saw Ralph and Vanellope! And when we join them again, they're still in the same arcade, right where we left them. By day carrying out their respective gaming duties, by night socialising with the other arcade characters and drinking together in Tappers bar. They seem happy and content with life, although Vanellope is beginning to feel that there's more to life than the same old Sugar Rush races all day every day.

In an attempt to help his friend and spice things up for her, Ralph decides to smash a new race course through the Sugar Rush landscape. But things don't go quite according to plan, resulting in a broken steering wheel on the arcade machine. Unfortunately, the company responsible for making that machine is no longer in business so parts for it aren't readily available, or too expensive to buy online, so the plug gets pulled on the machine. With the future of the game in jeopardy, and with the Sugar Rush inhabitants having to find new homes with the other arcade residents, Ralph and Vanellope decide to try and help. The arcade has just had a Wi-fi router plugged in, and they overheard one of the kids in the arcade earlier talking about the steering wheel being available online on some site called eBoy? So, they decide to go investigate this thing called the internet.

I've seen a few reviews that draw comparisons to this movie and with 'Ready Player One' from earlier this year. As we entered the Oasis of Ready Player One, we were treated to an amazing visual onslaught of wonderful imagery and instantly recognisable characters. And, as Ralph and Vanellope enter the internet, it's a similarly enjoyable experience. Recognisable brands and websites are everywhere you look, either as buildings or with their concepts imaginatively represented in some form. Twitter birds fly around, characters force suspicious looking spam adverts in your face while busy web traffic is everywhere, constantly being directed to its next destination. Ralph and Vanellope eventually find their way to eBay, where the steering wheel they need is currently being auctioned, but they don't really understand the bidding process and end up winning it for more money than they can possibly pay. They then set about finding a way to get rich quick so that they can pay for the wheel and get it shipped to the arcade before the game gets removed for scrap. Their journey takes them to an online game called 'Slaughter Race', a violent racing game featuring skilled racer Shank (voiced by Gal Gadot), a world which immediately excites racing fiend Vanellope, who feels right at home.

It's great to see the characters of Ralph and Vanellope back on our screens. Ralph is still very funny and Vanellope is still extremely cute! There are also a large number of sections of the movie which work very well and are extremely enjoyable. Aside from the initial introduction to the internet, and the whole Slaughter Race segment, probably the most enjoyable portion is the visit to Disney and the Disney princesses, which received such a big reaction when featured in the various trailers for the movie. And we don't just get the princesses either, we also get to see Marvel and Star Wars characters too! Another chance to scour the screen to try and spot background characters, and a reminder that Disney is in fact slowly taking over the world!

Towards the end of the movie I felt that things weren't so interesting and enjoyable, with a lengthy segment involving a virus and how it spreads and manifests itself, threatening the whole internet. But that's a minor negative from me in what is overall a hugely enjoyable sequel. There are also a number of very strong messages throughout, from the Disney princesses and the way they act, to the way that internet negativity is portrayed. I'm not sure of the longevity of this movie though - after all, at the speed the internet develops these days, how many of the sites or concepts featured are going to still be around or even relevant in another 6 years time?