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Lawrence Kasdan recommended Red River (1948) in Movies (curated)

 
Red River (1948)
Red River (1948)
1948 | Action, Adventure, Drama
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"One more. I’d have to say Red River. Great Western. John Wayne, Monty Clift — Monty Clift couldn’t be more wrong for a Western, and yet it totally works. When they finally have their fist fight at the end, they’ve taken and shot Wayne to even out the fight, because Wayne was about six inches taller than Clift, and 80 pounds heavier, and the fight works fine. The spirit of the cattle drive is extraordinary, the amount of drama that happens; the father and son struggle — in essence the Oedipal struggle, even though he’s not actually his son — between Clift and John Wayne, is magnificent. It’s pure Hawks: Men on the trail doing something dangerous, and doing it well. You can’t ask for a better Western. It talks about the whole opening of Texas, and it talks about the relationship between men. It talks about the dynamics of leadership, talks about betrayal. It’s Shakespearian, really, without any pretention. Pure Hawks."

Source
  
Bolder Guilt-Edged (Zack Bolder #3)
Bolder Guilt-Edged (Zack Bolder #3)
Janice Tremayne | 2021 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Who doesn't need a strong, sarcastic, gun toting partner to have their back??

Warning: contains suicide and references to baby deaths/abortion.

Although this is third in, what looks to be, an interesting series it can easily be read as a standalone. There's a little back story on Zack Bolder, our main character, which is woven throughout this story.
    I like that we're taken to Australia, it makes a change from the usual backdrops.

    I found Zack Bolder likeable with a well written character.....a good depth to him without feeling as though you might drown. And Wellbeck, the strong, sarcastic detective, is quite an interesting character.
    The working/personal relationship Bolder has with Wellbeck is just as good, they interact well together, bounce ideas off of each other and have each others back.

With adult themes throughout (not to mention creepy demons etc) I would recommend this for a more mature audience.
  
Indeterminancy, New Aspect of Form in Instrumental and Electronic Music by John Cage/David Tudor
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"This wild ride was released in 1959. John Cage reads 90 one-minute texts, while David Tudor creates inventive cacophony in another room, out of hearing; so that any relation between voice and accompaniment is purely accidental, as Cage says in the liner notes, "to suggest that all things – stories, incidental sounds from the environment, and by extension, beings – are related, and that this complexity is more evident when it is not oversimplified by an idea of relationship in one person's mind." Cage's preoccupations include music, mushrooms, and Merce Cunningham; personal anecdotes, Zen proverbs and monk jokes, and lots of modernist name dropping. Tudor's palette includes prepared piano, springs, radios, and existing music, notably Cage's 1958 Fontana Mix. Cage complains that at his readings inevitably "someone comes up afterwards and insists that the continuity was a planned one, in spite of the ideas that are expressed regarding purposelessness, emptiness, chaos, etc." Planned, schmanned! "

Source
  
Nowhere to Go and All Day to Get There
Nowhere to Go and All Day to Get There
Gar Anthony Haywood | 2014 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Short Trips with the Loudermilks
This is a collection of two short stories featuring retirees and full time RVers Joe and Dottie Loudermilk. In “A Mother Always Knows,” a quick trip into a convenience store results in the couple being on the scene of an armed robbery. “Better Dead Than Wed” find them getting involved in an abusive relationship during a late-night rest stop.

Both of these stories are fast reads – I finished the collection in about half an hour. But both stories are fun and held my interest the entire way through. I was caught off guard by some of the twists along the way. I laughed along the way, sometimes at Joe and Dottie’s reactions to each other and sometimes at the situations they found themselves in. The characters also appeared in two full length novels. Whether you already know them or are just meeting them here for the first time, you’ll enjoy these two quick road trips.
  
40x40

Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated The Donor in Books

Jul 1, 2021  
The Donor
The Donor
Clare Mackintosh | 2020 | Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I thought this was just going to be a nice little book about a child saved by organ donation and ending up in touch with the mother of the person who donated their heart to her, but I was so wrong!

The story follows Meg, a teenager who has been saved my a heart transplant, and her blossoming relationship between her and Karen, the mother of the boy that donated his heart that she now has. It is told from the point of view of Lizzie, Meg’s mother, who has a feeling that something isn’t right from the start.

Definitely not where I thought it was going, and I really enjoyed the book. It’s also one that’s made me think about organ donation, knowing someone could benefit from my organs when I die. The only thing I would wish for is that it was longer than its 101 pages! I could easily read more about Lizzie and Meg and even Karen!
  
The Thursday Murder Club
The Thursday Murder Club
Richard Osman | 2020 | Crime, Mystery
8
8.1 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
I could not really pick one protagonist in this novel, this story is told from multiple perspectives, unpicking many lives. We do kind of have these two “camps” here. The first one would be Elisabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron, and the second one would be the police officers working on the case: Donna and Chris. I really loved how the characters were developed throughout the pages. Elisabeth seems so strong and she is leading the investigate gang, but really she is worried and scared because of her frail husband. Joyce has a difficult relationship with her daughter and a very strange love life going on. Donna feels like she failed in life by moving to this God’s forgotten town, and Chris is lonely, getting fat and unhappy. We not only get to know our leading characters but the ones that got killed as well. All the characters are beautiful, amusing and absorbing personalities, and I was so happy to meet them.
  
Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1)
Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1)
Leigh Bardugo | 2012 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
I'm kind of unsure of how to rate this. I wasn't entirely engrossed in it but I did like it by the end. 3 star, I think.

At the beginning of this I can't say that I saw much of a blooming relationship between Mal and Alina. They'd been friends for years and though Alina liked him romantically, Mal didn't seem to feel the same way.`

That's probably why when the Darkling started to show interest in her that I jumped on ship with it and waited for something to happen. Only when something did, I wasn't entirely convinced by it.

As for the rest of the plot with the Unsea, I found myself getting more into it the closer we got to the end of the book as deception and intrigue came about.

I definitely think it has left me intrigued enough about the outcome of the events following the ending, that I will continue the series at some point.
  
Frenched (Frenched, #1)
Frenched (Frenched, #1)
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
For a freebie this was good! I'm always a little wary when I download them no matter how good they sound but I have to admit I was quickly drawn into this one, maybe not straight away but as soon as she stumbled into the sports bar and met Lukas.

The spark of interest from both of them was great and I loved reading them falling for each other. I didn't even mind the abundance of sex because I'd become invested in them as a couple and was just waiting for them to get their HEA.

I enjoyed the journey through Paris and learning some of its history as well, such as the scene in the graveyard with the shared grave of the lovers.

I'd like to read more of this series at some point, including the follow on to this to see hoe Lukas and Mia manage the long distance relationship.
  
Unbreakable (Unbreakable, #1)
Unbreakable (Unbreakable, #1)
6
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Hmmm...

I struggled with this. I think it was because we missed the relationship build up between Gabe and Jess. It just started with them getting together and I liked to "read" it happen. From there I just sort of lost interest.

That was until the incident around the 40% mark. And it was Gabe I felt sorry for most, with how she pushed him away when all he wanted to do was hold her and love her. You could see and feel his torment in his chapters and I felt his pain.

That being said, I have to say I liked Landon. He was a cocky bugger, but we got to read about the build up between him and Jess, which we missed at the beginning with Gabe, and I felt sorry for him too, near the end.

I have to admit, I'd love to read his story when it comes out.
  
Poe Dameron: Free Fall
Poe Dameron: Free Fall
Alex Segura | 2020 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
6
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I am a huge fan of Poe DAMron because of Oscar Isaac. He was also one of my favorite new additions to the Star Wars universe. We were first semi-introduced to Poe in @Star Wars: Shattered Empire . This book picks up when Poe is around 16, trying to escape Yavin IV because he doesn't want to lead a boring life or be a farmer.

My main issue is the timing of the release, this should have been released as part of the 'Journey to Rise of Skywalker'. It would have really added context to Poe and Zorii's relationship. It was a huge misstep in my opinion.

The story itself isn't bad, it's a Star Wars book, and I've read some stinkers in new canon (cough cough, I'm looking at you, @Star Wars: Queen's Shadow ). It was more predictable than most, and would have been useful prior to the release of Rise of Skywalker.