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Mark Halpern (153 KP) rated Molly's Game (2017) in Movies
Jan 17, 2018
Either you are in or you are out
The true story of Molly Bloom who was an Olympic class skier who ended got injured which ended her career. She moved to California cause she wanted to spread her wings and ended up working as a bottle hostess and then working for a real estate company whose owner got her controlling his high stakes poker game filled with stars and clebs. Once she got the hang of it and was threatened of being fired she spread her wings even more and branched out her own game to only get her self into the life of high stakes poker (which she only ran the games) and drugs. She ended up having Russian mob attendees in which the FBI claimed she did money laundering but, she denies that and Italian mob personal who just wanted to be "partners." Once she found out she was in way too deep she got out only to be implicated by certain other players in her circle who claimed they were forced into the game when they came under indictment for their own troubles. After two years of not running the game she is picked up by the FBI and is being charged with a slew of charges. Will she rat everyone out or will she keep their secret.
If you don't known the story first look her up on wiki and read about her and her father first cause that plays a lot in the movie.
If you don't known the story first look her up on wiki and read about her and her father first cause that plays a lot in the movie.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine in Books
Jan 20, 2018 (Updated Jan 20, 2018)
Clever, humorous and heartwarmingly sad
It’s very rare for me not to have a single criticism about a book, but Eleanor Oliphant has managed it. This book was nothing like I had expected, and it completely blew me away.
This book is full of sadness, yet also humour and wit. Eleanor is such an endearingly loveable character and reading about her life and her social ineptitude fills you with such empathy. She really connects with you as a reader, to the point where I almost forgot she wasn't real. Maybe it’s because she’s the same age as me, and the social interactions, loneliness and crushes are what everyone goes through in their lifetime, albeit usually at a younger age. I was almost in tears during parts of this book, and then completely thrown into fits of laughter, especially when the cat appears. The ending was part surprise, part predictable, but this book isn’t about the ending, it’s about Eleanor’s journey and it was such a delight to read. Such a heartwarming read and reminds me very much of The Rosie Project.
There’s a lot of fantastic quotes in this book, but there was one very early on that really stuck with me and I knew after reading that that it was going to be a good book;
“What could be more normal than pizza and wine?” - it might not mean much to others, but to me this is a statement that me and my best friend live by!
This book is full of sadness, yet also humour and wit. Eleanor is such an endearingly loveable character and reading about her life and her social ineptitude fills you with such empathy. She really connects with you as a reader, to the point where I almost forgot she wasn't real. Maybe it’s because she’s the same age as me, and the social interactions, loneliness and crushes are what everyone goes through in their lifetime, albeit usually at a younger age. I was almost in tears during parts of this book, and then completely thrown into fits of laughter, especially when the cat appears. The ending was part surprise, part predictable, but this book isn’t about the ending, it’s about Eleanor’s journey and it was such a delight to read. Such a heartwarming read and reminds me very much of The Rosie Project.
There’s a lot of fantastic quotes in this book, but there was one very early on that really stuck with me and I knew after reading that that it was going to be a good book;
“What could be more normal than pizza and wine?” - it might not mean much to others, but to me this is a statement that me and my best friend live by!
Alex Trybus (79 KP) rated Pokémon GO in Apps
Jan 26, 2018
It is very organized (page for Pokemon, page for items, map, etc.) (2 more)
LOVE the idea of traveling and walking around in real life and having that change what happens in the app
The new feature that makes the weather of where you live change your pokemon is amazing
I won't be fully satisfied with the app until you can start "friending" people (1 more)
There are still a lot of glitches that need to be worked out
Good app with a lot of potential
I have been using this gaming app since it first came out almost two years ago. I spent the entire summer running around the neighborhood gathering up an army of Pokemon just like everyone else was doing at the time. I adored it- it was so much fun! Eventually the glitter wore off, just like any new game, and I stopped opening it every single day like I used to. But then, upon hearing of all the new changes to it this year (like raids, battles, etc.) I decided to download it again. I love the new weather feature, and how you can create a little "group" of your favorite Pokemon. I like the app now, and I think it's very enjoyable, but I think it still has MUCH more potential. I won't be fully satisfied with it until you're able to friend people, see their stats, talk to them, and maybe even begin trading Pokemon and items. That being said, should you ever see me in a gym or in a raid battle, my user tag is @alexthegloom !!!
I had to read this book for my craft of fiction class. This was my first time reading it, but we were able to look at it as more than just plot, and more about how it was written and why it was written that way.
There are spoilers, so read at your own risk.
I very much enjoyed this book. I loved this view into a post slavery world filled of women who have to deal with the grief that has followed them throughout their lives. Sethe, though she has made her mistakes in her life, is still a sympathetic character who relies on her grief to survive through what she has done. Her daughters are strong women in their own rights. Beloved, being childlike and taking out her rage of her death on her mother and her family through stealing the attention and food for herself. She isolates, makes it so the others feel death hanging over themselves to understand her pain.
The format, being more stream of consciousness and not a cohesive, linear narrative, lends itself well to the magical realism of this book. This is nothing like a Harry Potter type of magical realism though. This is steeped in the tradition of former slaves, magical in their beliefs of the world and the afterlife. Not the people being able to control magic, but allowing it to be a real thing in their lives either way.
I really liked this book. If you want to understand why, check it out for yourself.
There are spoilers, so read at your own risk.
I very much enjoyed this book. I loved this view into a post slavery world filled of women who have to deal with the grief that has followed them throughout their lives. Sethe, though she has made her mistakes in her life, is still a sympathetic character who relies on her grief to survive through what she has done. Her daughters are strong women in their own rights. Beloved, being childlike and taking out her rage of her death on her mother and her family through stealing the attention and food for herself. She isolates, makes it so the others feel death hanging over themselves to understand her pain.
The format, being more stream of consciousness and not a cohesive, linear narrative, lends itself well to the magical realism of this book. This is nothing like a Harry Potter type of magical realism though. This is steeped in the tradition of former slaves, magical in their beliefs of the world and the afterlife. Not the people being able to control magic, but allowing it to be a real thing in their lives either way.
I really liked this book. If you want to understand why, check it out for yourself.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) in Books
Feb 19, 2018
Shadow and Bone is a quasi-Russian-themed fantasy, from the landscape and building design, the ranks of both the soldiers and the Grisha, right down to the character and place names. This similarity to something slightly familiar had the effect of making the whole world, and the magic contained within it, even more believable to me. I love when I am able to become so completely immersed in a fictional world that I can almost forget it isn’t real.
I liked Alina from her first appearance as a young orphan. She’s smart and wily, and it seems like she is the one instigating if she and her friend Mal end up in trouble. She’s neither whiny, nor arrogant and entitled like she could have been growing up an orphan in a Duke’s home. Rather than feel sorry for herself, she grows into a young woman willing to accept the life that she’s been given, never thinking of herself as anything particularly special. She isn’t perfect; she can be naive, but then learns from her mistakes.
I have to admit that I knew almost nothing about this book going in. I was attracted to the cover (which I kept seeing everywhere), so when Barnes and Noble had the Nook book on sale, I decided I’d finally check it out. What I found was a tale of friendship, betrayal, love, and adventure. I wasn’t disappointed, and if you are a fan of Young Adult, Fantasy, or are just looking for a unique adventure, I don’t think you will be either.
I liked Alina from her first appearance as a young orphan. She’s smart and wily, and it seems like she is the one instigating if she and her friend Mal end up in trouble. She’s neither whiny, nor arrogant and entitled like she could have been growing up an orphan in a Duke’s home. Rather than feel sorry for herself, she grows into a young woman willing to accept the life that she’s been given, never thinking of herself as anything particularly special. She isn’t perfect; she can be naive, but then learns from her mistakes.
I have to admit that I knew almost nothing about this book going in. I was attracted to the cover (which I kept seeing everywhere), so when Barnes and Noble had the Nook book on sale, I decided I’d finally check it out. What I found was a tale of friendship, betrayal, love, and adventure. I wasn’t disappointed, and if you are a fan of Young Adult, Fantasy, or are just looking for a unique adventure, I don’t think you will be either.
Gail (4 KP) rated Simply Crazy in Books
Jun 4, 2018
Simply Crazy by Jenn Hype
Four stars
I had so much fun reading this book. From the opening pages to the very last sentence. I was invested in knowing how this would all end. Blake was everything you want to be fun, happy, confident and herself. From the beginning you only got truth from her. Yeah she was a little crazy but what’s life without some insanity. Cj was mouth watering good looking. He was brooding and silent. Who wouldn’t want to drive him crazy just to see if he looked better with a smile. The story felt almost to good to be true. I almost didn’t like Blake because I could never guess what was real or fake. Yeah she just went with what ever popped in her head but was that really her or her way of covering up her emotions? Cj's flip from wanting her out to wanting to be with her was confusing. He was all about getting her out but then he turned around and fell in love? His personality changed too fast. It didn’t seem natural and like Blake I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. With that being said I still enjoyed the flow of the books. The suspenseful moments and the drama. The ending was super crazy and just how I have come to expect Blake to act. The author did a really good job with this story and I am looking forward to see what comes next. I hope it’s a book about Michelle and Brady.
Four stars
I had so much fun reading this book. From the opening pages to the very last sentence. I was invested in knowing how this would all end. Blake was everything you want to be fun, happy, confident and herself. From the beginning you only got truth from her. Yeah she was a little crazy but what’s life without some insanity. Cj was mouth watering good looking. He was brooding and silent. Who wouldn’t want to drive him crazy just to see if he looked better with a smile. The story felt almost to good to be true. I almost didn’t like Blake because I could never guess what was real or fake. Yeah she just went with what ever popped in her head but was that really her or her way of covering up her emotions? Cj's flip from wanting her out to wanting to be with her was confusing. He was all about getting her out but then he turned around and fell in love? His personality changed too fast. It didn’t seem natural and like Blake I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. With that being said I still enjoyed the flow of the books. The suspenseful moments and the drama. The ending was super crazy and just how I have come to expect Blake to act. The author did a really good job with this story and I am looking forward to see what comes next. I hope it’s a book about Michelle and Brady.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Fifty Shades of Grey in Books
Jul 10, 2018
I thought this book was an entertaining read. I started hearing about these books a couple weeks ago and I thought I would give them a try. This is one of those guilty pleasure reads. The basic premise of this book is that a rich man wants to make a non rich virgin his submissive. It is something that many women fantasize about but in real life would be terrifying. The rich man (Christian) is a stalker, but because he has money then it is fine.
The characters are easy to relate to. I found that the main character (Ana) held a lot of insecurities that many of us are scared to admit. With that said, I quickly became tired of "Oh My..." and "My inner goddess" being repeated over and over and over.
A lot of people are dwelling on the fact that the Ana was scared of Christian. But in all honesty, if someone new into the lifestyle is not scared than they do not know the full weight of what is involved in BDSM.
I think that this book has eased the reader into the world of BDSM. It is very witty and I found at times that I was laughing.
The writing skills were not extremely good. It felt that the author kept looking up words in the thesaurus and it did not seem to flow extremely well.
All in all, the book was entertaining and witty. I will continue on in the series.
The characters are easy to relate to. I found that the main character (Ana) held a lot of insecurities that many of us are scared to admit. With that said, I quickly became tired of "Oh My..." and "My inner goddess" being repeated over and over and over.
A lot of people are dwelling on the fact that the Ana was scared of Christian. But in all honesty, if someone new into the lifestyle is not scared than they do not know the full weight of what is involved in BDSM.
I think that this book has eased the reader into the world of BDSM. It is very witty and I found at times that I was laughing.
The writing skills were not extremely good. It felt that the author kept looking up words in the thesaurus and it did not seem to flow extremely well.
All in all, the book was entertaining and witty. I will continue on in the series.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated The Knight's Bride: Chivalry Lives in 6 Stories from the Middle Ages in Books
Jan 2, 2019
In an age where chivalry thrives, danger abounds also. Follow six stories of love and honor that will warm your heart during these cold winter months.
With settings ranging from the years 1367 to 1815, there is a wide variety of stories in this collection. Each author brings to life the mystery and romance of the time in their own unique ways. The beauty of the language and the oddity of the customs is always a pleasure to learn more about. The Middle Ages has always held a fascination for me. Times were so different then that it is sometimes hard for me to understand why things happened the way they did. But this collection was eye opening to the culture of the time and inspired me to look up different aspects of the era. This is a nice collection and the stories are short and easy to read. My personal favorite was A Stranger's Kiss by Yvonne Lehman. Even though most of the time I was frustrated with the main character for not speaking out what was on her heart. I realised however, that in the real world, we could save so much stress and confusion if we would only speak out. Unfortunately, this doesn't always happen right away. Fear and doubt riddle us until we no longer know what to do. But in the end the truth will win out and justice will reign.
I received a free digital copy of The Knight's Bride from Barbour Publishing Inc. through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
With settings ranging from the years 1367 to 1815, there is a wide variety of stories in this collection. Each author brings to life the mystery and romance of the time in their own unique ways. The beauty of the language and the oddity of the customs is always a pleasure to learn more about. The Middle Ages has always held a fascination for me. Times were so different then that it is sometimes hard for me to understand why things happened the way they did. But this collection was eye opening to the culture of the time and inspired me to look up different aspects of the era. This is a nice collection and the stories are short and easy to read. My personal favorite was A Stranger's Kiss by Yvonne Lehman. Even though most of the time I was frustrated with the main character for not speaking out what was on her heart. I realised however, that in the real world, we could save so much stress and confusion if we would only speak out. Unfortunately, this doesn't always happen right away. Fear and doubt riddle us until we no longer know what to do. But in the end the truth will win out and justice will reign.
I received a free digital copy of The Knight's Bride from Barbour Publishing Inc. through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Merissa (13178 KP) rated See No Evil (Brotherhood, #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
I will admit, when I started reading See No Evil I rolled my eyes a couple of times. A young girl, innocent of all knowledge of what her family is actually like. Oh please! However, within the first chapter, that swiftly became unimportant as I was entwined in Chris' life, and her struggles to fit in at a boy's school. Enter Trey, Riley, and Kade - the Wolf Pack, or Brotherhood, that proves that family is what you make it, not what you are born with. Chris' struggles are real, and it broke my heart. Showing an inner core of strength, yet bowing under the pressure of what she is doing, Chris manages to find a way to cope at the school. Things take a turn for the better though, when Trey takes her under his wing and she becomes enfolded into their lives.
This is incredibly well written, with plenty of layers to every character and situation. Heart stopping romance, with 'normal' boy reactions, as well as situations pertinent to this story alone. I don't think there were any editing or grammatical errors, none disrupted me anyway. Although I will say that I was that engrossed in the story, I may not have realised anyway!
The start of another exceptional series from Jordan Ford, and highly recommended by me. Absolutely loved this story, and can't wait for Kade's.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is incredibly well written, with plenty of layers to every character and situation. Heart stopping romance, with 'normal' boy reactions, as well as situations pertinent to this story alone. I don't think there were any editing or grammatical errors, none disrupted me anyway. Although I will say that I was that engrossed in the story, I may not have realised anyway!
The start of another exceptional series from Jordan Ford, and highly recommended by me. Absolutely loved this story, and can't wait for Kade's.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I think it's a common understanding that, of all the characters in 2015's 'The Force Awakens', Gwendoline Christie's enigmatic Captain Phasma was the biggest missed opportunity.
Much like Darth Maul before her (who became a cult favourite in the 'old' Extended Universe), this novel seeks to set that right.
How?
By, effectively, having a story-within-a-story: in this case, by having a captured Resistance spy telling her First Order captor what she has discovered about Phasma, with that interrogation carried out in secret as Phasma is still viewed as a hero of the Order (but with deep mistrust by said captor).
This story-within-a-story, then, tells of the mysterious Phasma's originss, of her early life on her abandoned and decaying home planet, of a trip across said planet to the site of a crashed First Order spaceship in the company of a rescued officer and of the many and varied incidents and people/driods met along that journey.
The result is not a bad novel, but not the best of the recent Star Wars novels I've read: it passes a few days easy reading, sure, but (for me, at least) has no real oomph to it; nothing that really makes it stick in my mind or that would cause me to look for other novels by this author. That's not to say I wouldn't read any such if I came across them; just not going out of my way to look for them.
Much like Darth Maul before her (who became a cult favourite in the 'old' Extended Universe), this novel seeks to set that right.
How?
By, effectively, having a story-within-a-story: in this case, by having a captured Resistance spy telling her First Order captor what she has discovered about Phasma, with that interrogation carried out in secret as Phasma is still viewed as a hero of the Order (but with deep mistrust by said captor).
This story-within-a-story, then, tells of the mysterious Phasma's originss, of her early life on her abandoned and decaying home planet, of a trip across said planet to the site of a crashed First Order spaceship in the company of a rescued officer and of the many and varied incidents and people/driods met along that journey.
The result is not a bad novel, but not the best of the recent Star Wars novels I've read: it passes a few days easy reading, sure, but (for me, at least) has no real oomph to it; nothing that really makes it stick in my mind or that would cause me to look for other novels by this author. That's not to say I wouldn't read any such if I came across them; just not going out of my way to look for them.