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Reign of Ash (The Chosen #2)
Reign of Ash (The Chosen #2)
Meg Anne | 2018 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
27 of 250
Kindle
Reign of Ash ( The Chosen book 2)
By Meg Anne

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

 
"You will damn us all."

Kiri Helena Solene thought her trial was over. She was wrong. Prophesied to be the strongest of her kind, Helena is still coming to terms with the depth of her power and what it means to rule. Unfortunately, there's little time to learn.

"Without the tether you will fracture."

As her soul mate, Von is Helena's balance. Too bad he's missing. When he disappears, her tenuous hold on her magic begins to slip. Helena must find Von, and soon, or risk losing control completely. If only she knew where to look.

"You have a choice before you."

A malevolent force has risen, threatening the lives of Helena and those in her Circle. What they don't realize is that without Von, she will become the thing they most fear. How do you choose between the people you've vowed to protect and the one person you can't live without? How do you choose when there's no choice at all?



I’m really enjoying this series I loved this book! Was so glad she got her mate back and her circle intact! Full of action it’s one of those books you don’t want to put down!
  
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Will Oldham recommended Floating Weeds (1959) in Movies (curated)

 
Floating Weeds (1959)
Floating Weeds (1959)
1959 | Drama
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Criterion has so much Ozu. Ten to fifteen years ago, I hunted through Japanese markets in L.A. and San Francisco for DVDs of otherwise unavailable Ozu. Because Ozu movies settle my mind. At one point in the late 1980s I was in Los Angeles for an extended period of time. I got in the habit of renting movies from Tower Video on Sunset. The two gold mines I remember best were the Humphrey Bogart Santana productions and the Wim Wenders movies, including Tokyo-ga. I watched Tokyo-ga through a filter of loving Wenders; otherwise, its content was pretty mystifying. A year or two later someone showed me Tokyo Story, and I wished Ozu was my mother. So generous and gentle. Patiently ignoring the 180-degree line (which bugs the fuck out of me in production). Of course, I don’t know Yasujiro Ozu; still, I love the man who gave these movies to us. And what lessons! The pairing of I Was Born, But . . . and Good Morning. He didn’t know he was doing it, because at the time he made Good Morning, I imagine that I Was Born, But . . . was ancient history. Now the two movies are equally present, and they stand alone and together. I choose the Floating Weeds movies, as among the genre of movies about us performing artists those movies reign."

Source
  
The King’s Mother
The King’s Mother
Annie Garthwaite | 2024 | Fiction & Poetry
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I realise as I write this that I’ve read The King’s Mother before the first part of this duology (Cecily). Ah well. It hasn’t spoilt my enjoyment one bit, though. I have a fair bit of knowledge of the War of the Roses from Edward and Richard’s points of view, and it was fascinating to learn about Edward’s reign (and later Richard’s) from Cecily.

This novel explores those things that the women, in particular, would have experienced. Their lives wouldn’t have just been about waiting for their husbands, sons and fathers to come home, it would have been about the relationships with other women, their children, and in Cecily’s case, about her relationship to the throne and those in power.

Cecily was a formidable woman (as was Henry VII’s mother, Margaret Beaufort). She saw the death of her husband, sons, and regime changes. She backed her sons up, no matter her personal opinions. She was unendingly loyal - but anyone else was fair game!

This is such a well-researched, gripping read. I would have hated to have been in Cecily’s shoes, and she proved that power didn’t always bring happiness.

This was a fabulous read, and I will go back and read Cecily. If you enjoy historical fiction, then this would be a great addition to your TBR!
  
Striking The Match (Redwood Bay #3)
Striking The Match (Redwood Bay #3)
HJ Welch | 2025 | LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
freaking love this book!
I was gifted my copy of this book.

What this is, right, a massive hit of steam, a little bit of drama, an emotioanl connection off the chats (eventually!) a lotta love and. . . .kitties. . . .all wrapped up in 292 pages of lushness that I absolutely must tell you about!!

I mean, it's so freaking cute! Teddy has crushed on Cassius for years, and then the meet cute?? oh my days!

It's steamy. Cassius, though 15 years older than Teddy, has very little experience in the dating game or relationship game.

It's emotional. Teddy feels unseen. As a probie and a little brother. But Cassius SEES Teddy, and Teddy lovevs that.

There is a little drama. Teddy jumps into a raging river to rescue a cat. Teddy and Cassius get caught in a land slide. And then there is the whole outing-on-social-meida thing.

It's full of love! From the One-Thirteen crew, from the neighbours, from Cassius's PA and from *most* of Teddy's family. I really didn't like what his brother was trying to do!

I can't fault it, I really can't and if I give myself free reign, I may be some time and rewrite the whole darn book in the review!

So, I'm leaving you with this:

READ THE DARN BOOK!

5 Full and shiny stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
The Map of Lost Memories
The Map of Lost Memories
Kim Fay | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book took a little while to really pick up the pace. Once I got a handle on who was who & who had which agenda it became a lot more interesting. The characters were easy to like or to hate depending on who's side you were on. Identifying with them on a "real world" level was a bit more tricky though.
It tells the story of Irene, a museum assistant who gets passed over for a big promotion. When she is so easily dismissed she wants to do something to make a name for herself. With the help of her deceased father's wealthy best friend she goes treasure hunting. She sets out to find the lost Khmer copper scrolls which supposedly tell the as yet unknown history of the Khmer reign in Cambodia.
Yes, there is a good dose of history & politics mixed in throughout the story. Even if you know nothing about the Khmers in Cambodia you can still get into this book & understand the plot lines.
Along her journey from Seattle to the Orient, Irene assembles a misfit band of scientists & treasure hunters...everyone from a drug addicted Khmer scholar to a man who runs the "knowledge" network in Shanghai.
All in all this was a good book. It can be enjoyed by anyone despite the time period setting & the oriental history sprinkled in throughout the text. The story is easy to get lost in once you figure out who is who.
  
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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Halloween (2018) in Movies

May 17, 2019 (Updated May 18, 2019)  
Halloween (2018)
Halloween (2018)
2018 | Horror
Halloween offers a solid follow up to a Horror classic
Full diclosure - The original Halloween is one of my absolute favourite horror films of all time, so I wasn't sure what to think when the trailers for this started knocking around - it looked good, but I've spent years being fooled by sequels and reboots.

Thankfully, I left cinema feeling pretty satisfied.
Halloween offers that same feeling of dread the original offered up, alongside a great soundtrack (John Carpenter take a bow).
In terms if story, this movie disregards all sequels that has come before and picks up with Michael Myers still imprisoned for what happened in the original.
Of course, he eventually gets loose to reign terror on Haddonfield once again (there's a glorious one shot scene when he eventually arrives in said town), and what follows is a suitably gory slasher, that mostly ticks all the right boxes.

Jamie Lee Curtis is back as Laurie Strode, but with somewhat of a Sarah Connor-esque makeover, and she's pretty badass - familiar yet fresh, as she fearlessly takes on a foe she's spent years preparing to face.

The rest of the cast were pretty take it or leave it for me, none leaving a lasting impact, and some plot points were a not needed (the whole story arc of The doctor springs to mind), but overall, a pretty solid horror flick that deserves your attention.