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My first exposure to Neil Gaiman was when he co-wrote Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch with Terry Pratchett.
This, I believe, was the first of his solo novels that I read.
Circa 2006, not all that long before the movie on which it is based came out.
It was also a, how do we put this?, 'normal' prose novel: not a graphic novel; nor even an illustrated novel (as this is). Indeed, I didn't even know at first that the prose version which I read had previously been issued as an illustrated novel, until I saw it mentioned 'based on the work by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess' at the end of the movie.
It then took me approximately a good decade or so before I finally got round to actually reading that version of the work, when I came across it on sale via Comixology. And, I have to say, the illustrations do add a certain Je Ne Sais Quoi to the work: a work which, while the main beats may be familiar to the reader from the movie version, is also very much its own thing and which includes elements not in said movie (Tristran’s wider family, for one, or even the much sadder ending in this)
This, I believe, was the first of his solo novels that I read.
Circa 2006, not all that long before the movie on which it is based came out.
It was also a, how do we put this?, 'normal' prose novel: not a graphic novel; nor even an illustrated novel (as this is). Indeed, I didn't even know at first that the prose version which I read had previously been issued as an illustrated novel, until I saw it mentioned 'based on the work by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess' at the end of the movie.
It then took me approximately a good decade or so before I finally got round to actually reading that version of the work, when I came across it on sale via Comixology. And, I have to say, the illustrations do add a certain Je Ne Sais Quoi to the work: a work which, while the main beats may be familiar to the reader from the movie version, is also very much its own thing and which includes elements not in said movie (Tristran’s wider family, for one, or even the much sadder ending in this)
Lee (2222 KP) rated Little Women (2019) in Movies
Dec 30, 2019
If I’m honest, Little Women probably isn’t the kind of movie I’d generally watch. But I’d heard great things about it, and my wife and daughter both wanted to watch it, so I decided to give it a shot. I haven’t read Little Women the book, and I haven’t seen any of the numerous adaptations prior to this one either, so you should probably take my opinion with a pinch of salt.
Little Women switches between two different periods in the lives of four sisters - their current lives and their lives seven years earlier. And I quite often struggled to tell when it switched, leaving me slightly confused on more than one occasion. I eventually learned to identify which timeframe we were in depending on which of the sisters Laurie (Timothée Chalamet) was currently hitting on, but there was a lengthy period around the middle where the meandering story, and the rather hot cinema, saw me gently closing my eyes for a short while
But, after my short power nap, I actually grew to enjoy the last third of the movie. I’m a big fan of Saoirse Ronan and, along with Florence Pugh, who is currently having the most amazing year, they really make this movie. Relaxed, authentic dialogue and great chemistry between the sisters and the other characters made this a lot more bearable than I was expecting!
Little Women switches between two different periods in the lives of four sisters - their current lives and their lives seven years earlier. And I quite often struggled to tell when it switched, leaving me slightly confused on more than one occasion. I eventually learned to identify which timeframe we were in depending on which of the sisters Laurie (Timothée Chalamet) was currently hitting on, but there was a lengthy period around the middle where the meandering story, and the rather hot cinema, saw me gently closing my eyes for a short while
But, after my short power nap, I actually grew to enjoy the last third of the movie. I’m a big fan of Saoirse Ronan and, along with Florence Pugh, who is currently having the most amazing year, they really make this movie. Relaxed, authentic dialogue and great chemistry between the sisters and the other characters made this a lot more bearable than I was expecting!
Dork_knight74 (881 KP) rated Gothika (2003) in Movies
Jul 21, 2019
Smh
Contains spoilers, click to show
Older movie but I never saw it so I thought I'd check it out. The cinematography in this one was good and the acting was ok but the story was all over the place. I think they simply tried hard to include too many aspects of the horror/thriller genre in one movie. A ghost confusingly trying to warn someone if something, a person trying to convince others she's not crazy, an unknown murder mystery within a murder mystery, a killer that comes face to face eith his victim's ghost, a person who ends up with the ability to see the dead, etc etc etc.... only thing missing was a creature from space(or hell). It was ok for what it tried to be, I guess. Tried to have plot twists but they only ended up being pretty predictable. The ending didn't make sense (spoiler here). The main character DID (without a doubt) - although while possessed (and that means what, exactly, to authorities of the law?)- kill her husband but was walking free at the end of the movie. How'd THAT happen? Just ignore ALL the evidence against her (fingerprints, witnesses, etc)? Anyway, if, and ONLY if, you're really bored and there's nothing else on, this one is (kinda) worth a watch. Otherwise, I'd say you're not missing much here.
Deborah (162 KP) rated Never Dare a Duke (Sons of Scandal, #2) in Books
Dec 21, 2018
I do enjoy unwinding with an historical romance and I know they are not generally examples of great literature, but I found this particular book to be a pretty weak offering. At times I found myself skim-reading over passages...
Abigail Shaw, daughter of a newspaper owner and potential journalist herself, with a little help from her friend insinuates herself into a house party at the home of the Duke of Madingley in the hope of uncovering a scandalous secret from his past, publishing it in daddy's newspaper and thereby saving it from ruin. That's put quite bluntly, but for me it made the 'heroine' seem pretty unattractive in character! I found it really difficult to see what on earth the hero saw in her, especially as he didn't trust her. OK, she didn't fawn over him, but her actions were pretty underhand.
Most of the supporting characters are pretty weak and underdeveloped too. Lady Gwen appeared tainted by the deception of her friend and the whole ghost hunt sub plot was a bit childish.
The 'scandal' when finally revealed seems a bit odd, as since witnesses seemed so keen to come forward, surely no one would have been able to keep it so totally under wraps for ten years?!
Not a winner for me; I won't be rushing to pick up another by the same author.
Abigail Shaw, daughter of a newspaper owner and potential journalist herself, with a little help from her friend insinuates herself into a house party at the home of the Duke of Madingley in the hope of uncovering a scandalous secret from his past, publishing it in daddy's newspaper and thereby saving it from ruin. That's put quite bluntly, but for me it made the 'heroine' seem pretty unattractive in character! I found it really difficult to see what on earth the hero saw in her, especially as he didn't trust her. OK, she didn't fawn over him, but her actions were pretty underhand.
Most of the supporting characters are pretty weak and underdeveloped too. Lady Gwen appeared tainted by the deception of her friend and the whole ghost hunt sub plot was a bit childish.
The 'scandal' when finally revealed seems a bit odd, as since witnesses seemed so keen to come forward, surely no one would have been able to keep it so totally under wraps for ten years?!
Not a winner for me; I won't be rushing to pick up another by the same author.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Perfect Sister in Books
Feb 2, 2020
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
In the Perfect Sister, Claire receives a text message that reads ‘You don’t know me, but I’m your sister’ Reading that and the rest description my interest was piqued.
When I read The Second Wife by Sheryl Browne I could not put it down. It was a roller coaster of emotions to read. I was watching for her next book to be announced. When I saw, The Perfect Sister, I immediately requested to review it. It was originally titled The Family Secret. Both titles work well for the book.
The book felt much longer than its 326 pages. I put it down several times because I did not connect with the characters and was not surprised as the secrets were revealed. I kept yelling at the main character as if I was watching a movie.
The writing style is the same I enjoyed from The Second Wife but I did not like the characters and their actions.
Based on the description, I expected The Perfect Sister to read a thriller with secrets. It was not. It was more of a family drama than a thriller. When thinking of it as a family drama, I would say it is worth reading.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 2/2/20.
In the Perfect Sister, Claire receives a text message that reads ‘You don’t know me, but I’m your sister’ Reading that and the rest description my interest was piqued.
When I read The Second Wife by Sheryl Browne I could not put it down. It was a roller coaster of emotions to read. I was watching for her next book to be announced. When I saw, The Perfect Sister, I immediately requested to review it. It was originally titled The Family Secret. Both titles work well for the book.
The book felt much longer than its 326 pages. I put it down several times because I did not connect with the characters and was not surprised as the secrets were revealed. I kept yelling at the main character as if I was watching a movie.
The writing style is the same I enjoyed from The Second Wife but I did not like the characters and their actions.
Based on the description, I expected The Perfect Sister to read a thriller with secrets. It was not. It was more of a family drama than a thriller. When thinking of it as a family drama, I would say it is worth reading.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 2/2/20.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Saw III (2006) in Movies
Jan 10, 2020
The Consquence's: One's Pain and One's suffering
Saw III- continues the story from the last film, continues the games, continues the touture and contiues to have good/great charcters like Jigsaw and Amanda. You really care about these charcters but at the same time, feel sick by these charcters actions.
The Plot: Dr. Lynn Denlon (Bahar Soomekh) becomes a pawn in the Jigsaw Killer's (Tobin Bell) latest gory game. Kidnapped and taken to an abandoned warehouse, she finds Jigsaw bedridden and dying. Her task is to keep the maniac alive long enough for Jeff (Angus Macfadyen), a fellow victim, to complete his own task. Each is unaware that Jigsaw has much bigger -- and deadlier -- plans in store.
Jeff's charcter- after his son is killed by a drunk driver, is put through a series of tests by Jigsaw in order to try to get him to let go of his vengeance for the man that killed his son. You care about Jeff, you feel his pain and suffering, you want him to survivie Jigsaw's games. You want to know who killed his son and by the end you will find out.
I liked this movie, i liked this sequel, i liked the story, i like psychological espect, the twist and turns and i liked the ending of all three movies so far.
The Plot: Dr. Lynn Denlon (Bahar Soomekh) becomes a pawn in the Jigsaw Killer's (Tobin Bell) latest gory game. Kidnapped and taken to an abandoned warehouse, she finds Jigsaw bedridden and dying. Her task is to keep the maniac alive long enough for Jeff (Angus Macfadyen), a fellow victim, to complete his own task. Each is unaware that Jigsaw has much bigger -- and deadlier -- plans in store.
Jeff's charcter- after his son is killed by a drunk driver, is put through a series of tests by Jigsaw in order to try to get him to let go of his vengeance for the man that killed his son. You care about Jeff, you feel his pain and suffering, you want him to survivie Jigsaw's games. You want to know who killed his son and by the end you will find out.
I liked this movie, i liked this sequel, i liked the story, i like psychological espect, the twist and turns and i liked the ending of all three movies so far.
Erika (17789 KP) rated The Confession Killer in TV
Apr 4, 2020
When I began this series, I wasn't really paying attention to it. I looked at the screen at one point and thought to myself, man, that jail looks super familiar, like the jail on Jail Hill in the town I grew up in. I shrugged it off, continued my chores, then saw a shot of the downtown square... I realized it was the town I grew up in, Georgetown, TX. BTW - when you live in a small town in TX, you end up doing some strange stuff, like touring an abandoned jail.
So, after I realized the dude was held in Georgetown, by the Wilco SO (I have very strong, negative feelings about those idiots), I paid attention. Henry Lee Lucas confessed to a crazy amount of crimes, crimes that he couldn't have committed due to timing and location. I still don't agree that he killed Orange Socks (a famous murder in GT). This dude was delusional, and Wilco was completely in the wrong, at one point, they're looking at calendars and offering dates to the other LE agencies calling them. I feel like it's really awful they 'solved' these murders, and ultimately killers are still out there.
I liked the way it was put together, but, like many Netflix shows, required editing to cut out at least the last ep.
So, after I realized the dude was held in Georgetown, by the Wilco SO (I have very strong, negative feelings about those idiots), I paid attention. Henry Lee Lucas confessed to a crazy amount of crimes, crimes that he couldn't have committed due to timing and location. I still don't agree that he killed Orange Socks (a famous murder in GT). This dude was delusional, and Wilco was completely in the wrong, at one point, they're looking at calendars and offering dates to the other LE agencies calling them. I feel like it's really awful they 'solved' these murders, and ultimately killers are still out there.
I liked the way it was put together, but, like many Netflix shows, required editing to cut out at least the last ep.
Sara Cox (1845 KP) rated Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men in Books
Feb 23, 2020
I’ve read a book similar to this before so was interested when I saw it on the library shelf. This is about the gender data gap. I know what some of you are thinking “oh look a book that’s going to slam men”. But this isn’t about that. This is about missing data, not because it’s been done on purpose but because some of the tests have never thought about. Some of these absolutely shocked me though. For example, did you know the female crash test dummy hasn’t been put in the driver’s seat? How mad is that?!?!
At some points I did find this book a little one sided. I mean it’s hard when you’re trying to delve into a data gap bit one example that stood out to me was “unpaid work”. There was a big continuing theme about the unpaid work women do that isn’t thought of to include in data (child care, housework, elderly care) and yes men do these too (that was pointed out), but what about the unpaid work men do that I bet isn’t thought of to be included in data? Like DIY? I did enjoy listening to this (borrowed on #borrowbox ) but I found it did become tedious in places. Would recommend for some who enjoys data…..like myself.
At some points I did find this book a little one sided. I mean it’s hard when you’re trying to delve into a data gap bit one example that stood out to me was “unpaid work”. There was a big continuing theme about the unpaid work women do that isn’t thought of to include in data (child care, housework, elderly care) and yes men do these too (that was pointed out), but what about the unpaid work men do that I bet isn’t thought of to be included in data? Like DIY? I did enjoy listening to this (borrowed on #borrowbox ) but I found it did become tedious in places. Would recommend for some who enjoys data…..like myself.
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