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Mark Halpern (153 KP) rated Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2018) in Movies
Feb 9, 2018
Lots of lawyer movies you see these days involve the lawyer to get involved in some type of action sequence. This movie brings us to a great story, a good plot and a great cast. The only problem with it is that it is a little slow and at times and makes you kind of not interested but, then it picks back up again. This is a must for any Denzel Washington fan. Colin Farrell is very good as well
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David McK (3496 KP) rated Catching Fire in Books
Jan 28, 2019
At the start of the novel, and having survived <i>The Hunger Games</i>, Katniss is back in District 12 in the company of her mother, sister, and Peeta. Things aren't entirely all rosy, however, as her stunt with the berries has enraged President Snow (and the Capitol), who is now looking for ways to further punish her, leading to her heading back into the arena ...
I have to say, the parallels between the Capitol and ancient Rome are even more pronounced this time round than previously, especially in an early(ish) scene where Katniss and Peeta attend a banquet in the Capitol: a banquet that provides it's guests with the means to be sick so they can eat more more, while those in the districts starve (the myth of the Roman Vomitorium, anyone?). Once again, this is told in the immediate first-person sense, with the novel also ending in a definite cliff-hanger for the final part of the trilogy.
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David McK (3496 KP) rated The Blood Crows (Eagle, #12) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
The newly promoted Prefect Cato (who has thus overtaken his old mentor and friend Macro - now a Centurion - in rank), as well as Centurion Macro, are given the task of taking command of a military outpost on the borders of the empire: a military outpost in which the previous Prefect has been killed in mysterious circumstances, and in which (it proves) the current Commander and his Blood Wolves are carrying out a policy of total war against the inhabitants of the valley in which the fort is situated.
It's not long before Cato has to assert his own authority, as well as finding ways to deal with hordes of vengeful natives on his doorstep ...
As before in the series, I found this to be an enjoyable read: it will also be interesting to see where the series goes next! :)
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Sister Queens: Katherine of Aragon and Juana Queen of Castile
Book
Katherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first bride, has become an icon: the betrayed wife, the revered...
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The Invention of Jane Harrison
Book
Jane Ellen Harrison (1850-1928) is the most famous female classicist in history, the author of books...
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Childhood
Nathalie Sarraute, Alice Kaplan and Barbara Wright
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As one of the leading proponents of the nouveau roman, Nathalie Sarraute is often remembered for her...
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Confessions of a Convert: The Classic Spiritual Autobiography from the Author of Lord of the World
Robert Hugh Benson and Dawn Eden
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In Confessions of a Convert, Robert Hugh Benson shares his spiritual journey from being an Anglican...
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Fallen Angel: The Passion of Fausto Coppi
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Voted the most popular Italian sportsman of the twentieth century, Fausto Angelo Coppi was the...
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Nazi Fugitive: The True Story of a German on the Run
Eugen Dollmann and David Talbot
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An SS colonel goes underground at the end of WWII Eugen Dollmann was a scholar and member of the SS...
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Agricultural Policy in the United States: Evolution and Economics
James L. Novak, James W. Pease and Larry D. Sanders
Book
Agricultural Policy in the US: Evolution and Economics traces the foundation of US agricultural...