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Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Breakfast with Tiffany: An Uncle's Memoir. Edwin John Wintle in Books
Jun 24, 2019
My teacher gave me a small stack of books to read upon hearing how much I love reading, and claimed that this was her all-time favourite. Honestly, the title is what really appealed to me - clearly, it wasn't anything to do with Breakfast at Tiffany's, but I appreciated the reference.
This novel, this memoir, is a truthful, brutally honest book about life. I can't say I know what it's like to be in the author's place - I'm not a man, I'm not gay, I am not the guardian of my niece and I don't even live in America - but the little things are just so real.
Tiffany's home life isn't great, and one day her uncle volunteers to take her in. Never did he anticipate so much drama and pain from such a small girl. She's thirteen when she first moves in with her Uncle Eddy, and despite being a nice girl she is known to hang around with the wrong crowd. No matter how hard he tries, Eddy cannot prevent her from finding similar friends at her new school.
The pair really go through their ups and downs, and Ed himself talks a lot about personal thoughts and issues. He'd tested HIV-positive many years ago, and was also an unsuccessful actor. He broke up with his boyfriend relatively recently, and suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder. Basically, life just has not turned out the way he'd planned.
Living with a teenager teaches him a lot of things. He is reminded of his own youth, and has to get on with his life all while keeping Tiffany going too. It's not easy. Things do get rough, and he does find himself wondering why he ever got himself into this. But in the end their relationship is good, and they have a lot of fun together.
I did find this book great. It has hints of humour, conveys the bitter truth, and even gave me a taste of what it's like to be a guardian of a teenage girl. There are definitely references I would have appreciated more had I been older than sixteen, and many of Ed's problems, thoughts or situations may have been more interesting or important to an older generation.
That being said, I actually kind of loved this book. It isn't quite in my favourites - but who knows, maybe in thirty years time it will be. I think I can easily give Breakfast with Tiffany: An Uncle's Memoir 4.5 stars out of the full five.
This novel, this memoir, is a truthful, brutally honest book about life. I can't say I know what it's like to be in the author's place - I'm not a man, I'm not gay, I am not the guardian of my niece and I don't even live in America - but the little things are just so real.
Tiffany's home life isn't great, and one day her uncle volunteers to take her in. Never did he anticipate so much drama and pain from such a small girl. She's thirteen when she first moves in with her Uncle Eddy, and despite being a nice girl she is known to hang around with the wrong crowd. No matter how hard he tries, Eddy cannot prevent her from finding similar friends at her new school.
The pair really go through their ups and downs, and Ed himself talks a lot about personal thoughts and issues. He'd tested HIV-positive many years ago, and was also an unsuccessful actor. He broke up with his boyfriend relatively recently, and suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder. Basically, life just has not turned out the way he'd planned.
Living with a teenager teaches him a lot of things. He is reminded of his own youth, and has to get on with his life all while keeping Tiffany going too. It's not easy. Things do get rough, and he does find himself wondering why he ever got himself into this. But in the end their relationship is good, and they have a lot of fun together.
I did find this book great. It has hints of humour, conveys the bitter truth, and even gave me a taste of what it's like to be a guardian of a teenage girl. There are definitely references I would have appreciated more had I been older than sixteen, and many of Ed's problems, thoughts or situations may have been more interesting or important to an older generation.
That being said, I actually kind of loved this book. It isn't quite in my favourites - but who knows, maybe in thirty years time it will be. I think I can easily give Breakfast with Tiffany: An Uncle's Memoir 4.5 stars out of the full five.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Bright (2017) in Movies
Dec 23, 2017
Dialogue (1 more)
The premise
Weird grown up sci-fi Zootropolis
I think Will Smith is having the time of his life. It might be a bit of a mid life crisis, going back into action films but he pulls it off so well and has proven he can do more serious acting. He seems to now be free to pick odd roles that he can have fun with.
The film is set in an alternative reality 2000 years after an epic battle of good and evil. This isn’t explored in too much detail but enough to get the gyst. Good won, orca sided with evil. Now in present day LA the city is run by elves, orcs are the downtrodden members of society and humans pretty much everything in between.
Will Smith is a cop partnered with the force’s first Orc cop. Yes a bit like Zootropolis if you must draw a comparison. He snd his partner become embroiled in a fight to stop evil elves from resurrecting the dark lord, rrying to protect a young Bright (being with magical powers) and a wand from falling into the hands of corrupt cops, orc and human gangbangers and those evil elves.
The action is non-stop and well done, with some real edge of seat moments.
The main Gripe for me was that despite it being 2 hours long there wasn’t time to follow up with how safe Will Smith’s wife and child were during this.
Otherwise really enjoyable film in a very interesting world that I’d love to see more of (I believe there is a sequel planned but a tv series would be great).
The film is set in an alternative reality 2000 years after an epic battle of good and evil. This isn’t explored in too much detail but enough to get the gyst. Good won, orca sided with evil. Now in present day LA the city is run by elves, orcs are the downtrodden members of society and humans pretty much everything in between.
Will Smith is a cop partnered with the force’s first Orc cop. Yes a bit like Zootropolis if you must draw a comparison. He snd his partner become embroiled in a fight to stop evil elves from resurrecting the dark lord, rrying to protect a young Bright (being with magical powers) and a wand from falling into the hands of corrupt cops, orc and human gangbangers and those evil elves.
The action is non-stop and well done, with some real edge of seat moments.
The main Gripe for me was that despite it being 2 hours long there wasn’t time to follow up with how safe Will Smith’s wife and child were during this.
Otherwise really enjoyable film in a very interesting world that I’d love to see more of (I believe there is a sequel planned but a tv series would be great).
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Forget You Know Me in Books
Apr 4, 2019
I have to hand it to Jessica Strawser--not sure what's happened to her in her life (ha), but she can come up with some tangled plots. As always with her books, you have to go in expecting more women's fiction than suspense/thriller, and that helps set expectations up front. Still, I have to say, that there are a surprising number of suspects for the black-clad figure who pops up on Liza's web cam. For a suburban neighborhood, it sure is a tangled web of secrets and lies out there!
So I found the plot on this one kind of baffling at first: I think it could have done without Liza and Molly's fight, honestly. Their fighting was awkward and uncomfortable and didn't seem really necessary. But I quickly warmed to Molly and Liza, who were very real characters with flaws and genuine traits. For Liza, much of her life is ruled by her anxiety, while Molly's by her chronic pain. I felt for both of them. Despite being best friends, they are on separate tracks for most of the book, making you wonder where things are going to wind up.
With everyone keeping secrets, telling lies, and basically just being dishonest--both to others and themselves--the book really does keep you guessing about what happened that night. As it does, you're treated to a very realistic look at marriage and friendship. I felt parts of it were overblown and it was a very different sort of read, but I enjoyed it overall. The descriptions and portrayals of Molly and Liza are what really drew me in. 3.5+ stars.
So I found the plot on this one kind of baffling at first: I think it could have done without Liza and Molly's fight, honestly. Their fighting was awkward and uncomfortable and didn't seem really necessary. But I quickly warmed to Molly and Liza, who were very real characters with flaws and genuine traits. For Liza, much of her life is ruled by her anxiety, while Molly's by her chronic pain. I felt for both of them. Despite being best friends, they are on separate tracks for most of the book, making you wonder where things are going to wind up.
With everyone keeping secrets, telling lies, and basically just being dishonest--both to others and themselves--the book really does keep you guessing about what happened that night. As it does, you're treated to a very realistic look at marriage and friendship. I felt parts of it were overblown and it was a very different sort of read, but I enjoyed it overall. The descriptions and portrayals of Molly and Liza are what really drew me in. 3.5+ stars.
Crystal (148 KP) rated Ready Player One in Books
Jun 4, 2018 (Updated Jun 8, 2018)
Gaming references (3 more)
80s Easter eggs
Immersive
Not your typical dystopia
Don't judge a book by its movie
I still have not seen the movie and I have heard mixed reviews. However, I very much enjoyed this book. If you are into young adult dystopia then this book is for you. Ready Player One is one of the few books I've read multiple times. It is one of those books where you can really catch on to little details you may have missed the first time around. This book is chock full of 80s pop culture references.
I say this book is a bit of a slow starter and that is because of the world building. We get to know the main character and his in real life daily issues and also the craftsmanship of the fully immersive VR world that is the Oasis. I felt like I was plugging in along with the other players.
Synopsis: The story takes place in the very near future. Sky rocketing gas prices have forced people to give up driving. Most people now actually work in a VR office rather than commuting. The economy has fallen apart and people depend on the Oasis for everything. The big baddie is a mega corporation that wants to control the Oasis, and in turn control the country/world. Regular kids raised by the Oasis take on this corporation simply by trying to win an Easter egg hunt set up by the games founder. The stakes are high. What starts off as a contest quickly becomes a matter of life and death as our heroes get closer to solving the quest and winning it all.
I say this book is a bit of a slow starter and that is because of the world building. We get to know the main character and his in real life daily issues and also the craftsmanship of the fully immersive VR world that is the Oasis. I felt like I was plugging in along with the other players.
Synopsis: The story takes place in the very near future. Sky rocketing gas prices have forced people to give up driving. Most people now actually work in a VR office rather than commuting. The economy has fallen apart and people depend on the Oasis for everything. The big baddie is a mega corporation that wants to control the Oasis, and in turn control the country/world. Regular kids raised by the Oasis take on this corporation simply by trying to win an Easter egg hunt set up by the games founder. The stakes are high. What starts off as a contest quickly becomes a matter of life and death as our heroes get closer to solving the quest and winning it all.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Tag (2018) in Movies
Jul 3, 2018
An interesting story, badly told
I feel like whenever I review a comedy film I need to give a warning - I have a very discerning sense of humour and mainstream comedies never really appeal. I can usually tell in advance if I'm going to like something or not, so take my reviews with a pinch of salt?
My biggest issue with this film is that it takes a fun and interesting true story and turns it into a pretty dull and unfunny movie. I can count on one hand the amount of times I laughed during this. The only people to come out of this unscathed are Hannibal Buress (the best and funniest lines) and Jeremy Renner (who looks like he's having the time of his life). Even Jon Hamm who I've loved since his Black Mirror episode couldn't make this any better. And the rest of the cast? Well the female characters are either vastly underused (Rashida Jones), pointless (Annabelle Wallis) or just plain awful (Isla Fisher). And why does Ed Helms play virtually the same character in everything he's in?! And he doesn't even do it well!
The story itself tries to hard to be both funny and heart warming, sombre and sentimental and doesn't succeed in any of these. Everything is just a bit out of place. The best bit was watching the guys from the real life story in the clips before the end credits.
Personally I think this film could've been so much better. I actually think a Jackass style prank film around tag would've been a lot funnier instead of this Hollywood-ised version.
My biggest issue with this film is that it takes a fun and interesting true story and turns it into a pretty dull and unfunny movie. I can count on one hand the amount of times I laughed during this. The only people to come out of this unscathed are Hannibal Buress (the best and funniest lines) and Jeremy Renner (who looks like he's having the time of his life). Even Jon Hamm who I've loved since his Black Mirror episode couldn't make this any better. And the rest of the cast? Well the female characters are either vastly underused (Rashida Jones), pointless (Annabelle Wallis) or just plain awful (Isla Fisher). And why does Ed Helms play virtually the same character in everything he's in?! And he doesn't even do it well!
The story itself tries to hard to be both funny and heart warming, sombre and sentimental and doesn't succeed in any of these. Everything is just a bit out of place. The best bit was watching the guys from the real life story in the clips before the end credits.
Personally I think this film could've been so much better. I actually think a Jackass style prank film around tag would've been a lot funnier instead of this Hollywood-ised version.
ClareR (5996 KP) rated The Corset in Books
Sep 28, 2018
A Victorian tale (so pretty horrifying then)
Dorothea is a rich, upper class 25 year old, who believes that she can change a convicts attitudes by the power of phrenology (better than Greyskull, I suppose). Well, if she's kind to them, their heads will change shape, and they'll magically/ scientifically reform (I still think she'd have more luck with Greyskull, to be honest). This was a common belief in Victorian times: that the lumps, bumps and the shape of a persons head would tell the phrenologist all they needed to know about a person. So, Dorothea visits the local women's prison regularly to test her theories. This is where she meets Ruth, who believes that she can kill someone with the power of her sewing. We learn Ruth's story as told to Dorothea: how she lost her baby sister and father (her fault, she sewed bad feelings in to a baby hat); her mother, a seamstress went blind (also her fault), and was consequently sold in to a life of slavery and abuse at Metyards dress making shop.
As the story unfolded, I was left wondering if Ruth did indeed have some sort of magical power. It's quite a menacing atmosphere in the book. Dorothea comes across as frivolous, only concerned with her comfy life - but this also changes as the book develops.
And that twist at the end!
Contrary to my He-Man allusions at the start, I really enjoyed this book. It was a real treat to read, and completely unexpected, as I hadn't read her first book. I'll be rectifying that mistake!!
As the story unfolded, I was left wondering if Ruth did indeed have some sort of magical power. It's quite a menacing atmosphere in the book. Dorothea comes across as frivolous, only concerned with her comfy life - but this also changes as the book develops.
And that twist at the end!
Contrary to my He-Man allusions at the start, I really enjoyed this book. It was a real treat to read, and completely unexpected, as I hadn't read her first book. I'll be rectifying that mistake!!
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Big Little Lies in TV
Dec 16, 2018
The best thing about good programming is good writing!
I just finished binge watching all 7 episodes of this fantastic HBO limited series featuring a mostly female cast (I'm sure everyone knows of this by now).
The story centers around three women, all raising children trying to lead "normal" lives, but have hidden scars and emotional baggage in their relationships they are trying to work through. Tensions continue to escalate through a series of confrontations and slow burn emotional scenes, but the payoff is ultimately worth it. I am much more a fan of vague endings than most people, so I would say I thought they could have left out the final scene and left us to wonder what happened, but I'm sure I'm in the minority on that.
The acting is certainly stellar all around; however, the real royalty here is the screenplay. too often great writing gets overlooked since it's not the flashiest of production values, but this one should not be ignored. It shows that everyone you encounter in life is a human being with strengths and weaknesses. You have to take the good with the bad sometimes, or make the tough choices to save your situation and make a better life for yourself.
After finishing I read they are doing a second season. Not sure how I feel about that. It would be all right maybe if it was a completely separate story, but this is going to be a continuation. They are adding Meryl Streep so I guess that's a good start.
I will have to wait and see!
The story centers around three women, all raising children trying to lead "normal" lives, but have hidden scars and emotional baggage in their relationships they are trying to work through. Tensions continue to escalate through a series of confrontations and slow burn emotional scenes, but the payoff is ultimately worth it. I am much more a fan of vague endings than most people, so I would say I thought they could have left out the final scene and left us to wonder what happened, but I'm sure I'm in the minority on that.
The acting is certainly stellar all around; however, the real royalty here is the screenplay. too often great writing gets overlooked since it's not the flashiest of production values, but this one should not be ignored. It shows that everyone you encounter in life is a human being with strengths and weaknesses. You have to take the good with the bad sometimes, or make the tough choices to save your situation and make a better life for yourself.
After finishing I read they are doing a second season. Not sure how I feel about that. It would be all right maybe if it was a completely separate story, but this is going to be a continuation. They are adding Meryl Streep so I guess that's a good start.
I will have to wait and see!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated Pruning the Dead in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Lilly Must Prune the Suspects Until She Finds a Killer
Lilly Jayne is opening up her garden for a garden party for the first time in years, a first step toward getting back into life in Goosebush, Massachusetts, after the death of her husband. Unfortunately, getting back into life in Goosebush includes dealing with her first husband's current wife. Merilee Frank goes looking for trouble and does a very good job of stirring it up. She makes several scenes at the party, but the real shock comes a few days later when Merilee turns up dead. With the police looking at several people Lilly is certain are innocent, she begins to investigate with the help of her best friends. But can they figure out what really happened?
This is the start of a new series, but I can already tell you I love these characters. Lilly and her "squad" are well drawn, and how much they obviously care for each other made me care for them. I do feel the book could have been a little tighter, especially at the beginning, but it never wandered for too long, and a strong gardening sub-plot helped keep me engaged. I did feel the third person narration head hopped a bit, a personal pet peeve, but that was a minor complaint. I love the setting, a coastal small town. This is exactly the kind of place I'd love to visit if I could. The mystery itself was enjoyable with several strong suspects. I began to suspect where things were going as we got close to the end, but I didn't have everything figured out until Lilly pieced things together for us.
This is the start of a new series, but I can already tell you I love these characters. Lilly and her "squad" are well drawn, and how much they obviously care for each other made me care for them. I do feel the book could have been a little tighter, especially at the beginning, but it never wandered for too long, and a strong gardening sub-plot helped keep me engaged. I did feel the third person narration head hopped a bit, a personal pet peeve, but that was a minor complaint. I love the setting, a coastal small town. This is exactly the kind of place I'd love to visit if I could. The mystery itself was enjoyable with several strong suspects. I began to suspect where things were going as we got close to the end, but I didn't have everything figured out until Lilly pieced things together for us.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Dispel Illusion in Books
Jan 3, 2020
A consistent end to the trilogy
The D&D time-travel series comes to and end with this third book. Here the action is split between a timeline in the 90s following the first two books, with a future narrative of Nick's adult life in the 2000s and 2010s, and finishing up with a retelling of the events of the first book, from "future Nick's" PoV.
I still have issues with the science, multiverse and time-travel execution here as with the first books, but appreciate the way the story was woven together. Some of Lawrence's fantasy books have the different timeline feature and once again he expertly weaves them together so the overall story emerges at a good pace.
At one point, I thought the book was going to go down the Bill & Ted route as a cop-out ("in the future we will come back to this point and leave this key here and voila here it is") but this was actually quite well handled and wasn't the cop-out I feared.
The book benefits from a more stretched timeline as we see significant events from Nick's adult life, rather than dwelling on his teenage years solely. Likewise there is more of a focus on the D&D, which was somewhat lacking in book 2, and with key learnings from that featuring in the real world storyline.
Overall, I think I enjoyed this series, but I have my hang-ups about time-travel and multiverse theories in general. A good bit of escapism, if a little heavy on the pretend science at times.
I still have issues with the science, multiverse and time-travel execution here as with the first books, but appreciate the way the story was woven together. Some of Lawrence's fantasy books have the different timeline feature and once again he expertly weaves them together so the overall story emerges at a good pace.
At one point, I thought the book was going to go down the Bill & Ted route as a cop-out ("in the future we will come back to this point and leave this key here and voila here it is") but this was actually quite well handled and wasn't the cop-out I feared.
The book benefits from a more stretched timeline as we see significant events from Nick's adult life, rather than dwelling on his teenage years solely. Likewise there is more of a focus on the D&D, which was somewhat lacking in book 2, and with key learnings from that featuring in the real world storyline.
Overall, I think I enjoyed this series, but I have my hang-ups about time-travel and multiverse theories in general. A good bit of escapism, if a little heavy on the pretend science at times.
JT (287 KP) rated Robot & Frank (2012) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Frank (Frank Langella) is slowing drifting into dementia, although his stiff upper lip and stubbornness refuse him to believe that there is anything wrong. His children fight to offer help despite an ongoing sense of resentment that they have to. When his son Hunter presents Frank with a robot butler designed to look after him he finds another more profitable use for it.
The portrayal of old age in any film can be depressing. We’re all going to end up that way at some point in our lives whether we like it or not. The only control we have is do we go quietly or kicking and screaming. The robot (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard) is not given a name but his calming presence and dry underlying humour make him a perfect compliment for Frank’s brash and rather direct old timer.
Frank’s hidden past was as a jewel thief, spending most of his early life inside made it clear that he was not a good father to either of his children, and he’s been divorced from his wife for some time. It’s a beautifully written script set near enough in the future that it still is in keeping with present day surroundings – uniquely different mobile phones and voice activated Skype chat seem to be the more futuristic of the technologies, robots aside.
As their relationship develops the bond between them becomes closer. It feels very much like a real life Wall-E, Frank relaxes to become dependant on the Robot. It’s a solid film with great central performances with controlled and light hearted direction. The plot is wayward at times but it holds well for the duration.
The portrayal of old age in any film can be depressing. We’re all going to end up that way at some point in our lives whether we like it or not. The only control we have is do we go quietly or kicking and screaming. The robot (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard) is not given a name but his calming presence and dry underlying humour make him a perfect compliment for Frank’s brash and rather direct old timer.
Frank’s hidden past was as a jewel thief, spending most of his early life inside made it clear that he was not a good father to either of his children, and he’s been divorced from his wife for some time. It’s a beautifully written script set near enough in the future that it still is in keeping with present day surroundings – uniquely different mobile phones and voice activated Skype chat seem to be the more futuristic of the technologies, robots aside.
As their relationship develops the bond between them becomes closer. It feels very much like a real life Wall-E, Frank relaxes to become dependant on the Robot. It’s a solid film with great central performances with controlled and light hearted direction. The plot is wayward at times but it holds well for the duration.