Search

Search only in certain items:

Last Breath (The Morganville Vampires, #11)
Last Breath (The Morganville Vampires, #11)
Rachel Caine | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.6 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
I always crack open the next Morganville book knowing that I will love it before I read a single word. Rachel Caine is a writer I can depend on. In this book, she takes the concept that she used in the previous book of sharing the P.O.V. with another character and multiplies it. In other words, while Claire still gets the most narration, the reader also gets to read a bit of narration by Amelie, Shane, Michael, and Eve. Shane's thought process is familiar from the previous book, and Eve's reminds me of her diary entries from the early books in the series. Michael's are interesting because I got to see some of the darkness that he struggles with on a daily basis, while trying to hide it from the other members of the Glass House. I enjoy Amelie's P.O.V. the most because she obviously has the most secrets and history to reveal. Caine could easily make Amelie the main character of a prequel series about the founding of Morganville (how I wish!).
Claire is in top form as usual, as she has the unique -- and unexplained -- ability to see Magnus before anyone else, or before Magnus even wants to be seen. Magnus is quite the horror-movie creature, the draug, whom even the local vamps fear. Reading the detailed descriptions of what he can do with water gives me goosebumps. As for how Magnus retaliates against Claire, I simply refused to believe that Claire's state was permanent -- she is simply too essential to the series. Now I am wondering, though, how the series would fare if Claire went vamp -- but that's all up to Rachel Caine.
The one thing I really disliked, of course, was how the book ended -- the first cliff-hanger of the series. There was just way too big of a loose end hanging to leave me feeling satisfied. The rest of the book was still fabulous, though, and I can't wait for Black Dawn to hit the shelves.
  
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
2019 | Sci-Fi, Thriller
Emotional and incredibly satisfying
I’ll start my review off by saying that apart from a very short teaser trailer, I have seen no trailers or read any articles about this film. And for me this really helps with my overall enjoyment of a film, especially with one as highly anticipated as this!

I’m going to struggle to say too much about this film without giving away any spoilers, but what I will say is that it is a truly intense experience. It manages to seamlessly tie up some of the loose ends from previous Marvel films in a matter of a few scenes and minutes, and also move the surviving characters on effortlessly from where we last saw them in Infinity War. This film does not play out the way I expected it to (in a good way) especially during the first third, but this could’ve been because I’ve refused to read any theories beforehand. But this for me made it even more enjoyable and I think the way this played out was rather nostalgic and heartwarming in a way. I spent most of this film torn between a mixture of emotions: on the edge of my seat suspense, confusion and sheer wtf moments, and yes I even shed a tear or two. I’ve never felt so gripped and invested before in a film I’ve seen at the cinema, especially one that’s on for over three hours. My only criticism (which explains why it isn’t a 10) is that some of the characters are underused or go missing with not very satisfactory explanations, and while I appreciate that this is a big film with lots of characters, it doesn’t do as much justice to them as Infinity War did. Despite this though, it is an incredibly enjoyable film with a very emotional and satisfying ending.


And this isn’t a spoiler, but don’t bother waiting after the film. There aren’t any post credits scenes.
  
40x40

Kevin Phillipson (10072 KP) Apr 25, 2019

I did stay to the end whoops but I liked it to

Her Body and Other Parties: Stories
Her Body and Other Parties: Stories
Carmen Maria Machado | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+
8
6.0 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is another book off my Wronged Women list - women who have been part of the #metoo movement. Specifically the ones that have come out against Junot Diaz and Sherman Alexie, but I hope to expand it to others as well. Her Body and Other Parties is a collection of eight surreal stories. Magical Realism is probably the best categorization for them, as they're not really fantasy. Real World stories with a touch of magic, or events that we're not sure whether they could be magic or are just in the narrator's head.

The Husband Stitch is the first story, and it's a retelling of an old children's story that I recently saw being discussed on Twitter - the one with the woman who had a green ribbon tied around her neck. Her husband always wanted to ask about it, but she refused to answer any questions about it, and wouldn't let him touch it until she was on her deathbed. In Machado's version, it isn't just the narrator that has one. Every woman does. It's different colors, in different places, but it's still never talked about. I think she means it as a metaphor for trauma. It works well.

Eight Bites is a particularly haunting piece about self-hate, body acceptance, and peer pressure. It's probably my second favorite story after The Husband Stitch.

The only one I didn't love was Especially Heinous. It was written as episode synopses of a television show, and it was interesting, but it just went on too long.

All of the stories are written well, though, and each one makes a different point. I think this would make an amazing Book Club book, because I'd love to discuss the meanings of the stories with other people. Other women, specifically. It would definitely be a great book for discussion.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
  
    Duérmete niño

    Duérmete niño

    Medical and Book

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    Keep your child asleep for a long stretch of time and recover lost sleep! *2.000.000 children have...