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Debbiereadsbook (1764 KP) rated The Earth Bleeds Red in Books
Apr 3, 2018
a good book, just not one for me!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Scott and Jessie, and their 17 year old daughter Ashley, live a good life, a happy life. Til one day, it all goes terribly wrong and Ashley is kidnapped, possibly dead. Scott and Jessie need to keep it together long enough for Ashley to be found alive, or not.
Sometimes, stepping out of your comfort zone is a really good thing but, while a well told story, this one just didn't quite hit the spot. And I don't really know why!
Told mostly from Scott's point of view, in the first, it deals with how a family copes when tragedy strikes.
We do get some other people, in the third person, but they felt more of a narration of their voice, rather than THEM speaking, if that makes any sense?? I didn't connect to them in any way, not even when the bad guy has his five minutes, and you know how much I LOVE getting into the mind of the bad guy! I just felt, apart from Scott, totally disconnected from everyone else.
It is well written, and I saw no editing or spelling errors. It does get a little graphic in places, when being told what was done to Ashley when she was kidnapped, but it is not in any way romantic. Not even before Ashley was kidnapped, did I feel the romance between Scott and Jessie.
A good book, just not one for me and I'm sorry for that!
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Scott and Jessie, and their 17 year old daughter Ashley, live a good life, a happy life. Til one day, it all goes terribly wrong and Ashley is kidnapped, possibly dead. Scott and Jessie need to keep it together long enough for Ashley to be found alive, or not.
Sometimes, stepping out of your comfort zone is a really good thing but, while a well told story, this one just didn't quite hit the spot. And I don't really know why!
Told mostly from Scott's point of view, in the first, it deals with how a family copes when tragedy strikes.
We do get some other people, in the third person, but they felt more of a narration of their voice, rather than THEM speaking, if that makes any sense?? I didn't connect to them in any way, not even when the bad guy has his five minutes, and you know how much I LOVE getting into the mind of the bad guy! I just felt, apart from Scott, totally disconnected from everyone else.
It is well written, and I saw no editing or spelling errors. It does get a little graphic in places, when being told what was done to Ashley when she was kidnapped, but it is not in any way romantic. Not even before Ashley was kidnapped, did I feel the romance between Scott and Jessie.
A good book, just not one for me and I'm sorry for that!
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Last Black Unicorn in Books
Feb 24, 2018
I've been wanting to read this book ever since I saw Haddish's interview on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. This woman is HILARIOUS. Somehow I didn't realize she was in the movie Girls Night until I read about it in her book - I really do need to see that movie. That aside, this book was pretty great. It's written in her speaking style, so it's not technically correct grammar, but it SOUNDS right, which is more important in a memoir, in my opinion. It's supposed to show the author's personality, and this does.
I don't know that I'd put this on quite the same level as Trevor Noah's Born A Crime, or Jenny Lawson's Furiously Happy, but it's not far behind them. Haddish talks about her childhood in the foster system and then raised by her grandmother, her string of no-good boyfriends, and her abusive marriage. She's had a rough life, but somehow she's come out of it with a gift for comedy and a grounded personality.
Her swamp tour with Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith is one of the most hilarious stories in the book, and one of the few that is purely funny. Most of them are underscored with a serious issue that make me feel a little bad for laughing at them, but Haddish laughs at them, so how can you not? It's an interesting conflict that leaves me with slightly mixed feelings about the book.
It's a pretty quick, easy, fun read, and if you like Tiffany Haddish, it definitely shows what she's gone through to get where she is now.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
I don't know that I'd put this on quite the same level as Trevor Noah's Born A Crime, or Jenny Lawson's Furiously Happy, but it's not far behind them. Haddish talks about her childhood in the foster system and then raised by her grandmother, her string of no-good boyfriends, and her abusive marriage. She's had a rough life, but somehow she's come out of it with a gift for comedy and a grounded personality.
Her swamp tour with Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith is one of the most hilarious stories in the book, and one of the few that is purely funny. Most of them are underscored with a serious issue that make me feel a little bad for laughing at them, but Haddish laughs at them, so how can you not? It's an interesting conflict that leaves me with slightly mixed feelings about the book.
It's a pretty quick, easy, fun read, and if you like Tiffany Haddish, it definitely shows what she's gone through to get where she is now.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Cynthia Armistead (17 KP) rated Suite 606 (In Death, #27.5) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
I only read the story by [a:J.D. Robb|17065|J.D. Robb|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1202524651p2/17065.jpg]. I glanced at the other three, but they're primarily romance stories, which do NOT interest me.
The whole point of these little anthologies is to introduce readers who enjoy an established author's work to other, similar authors, right?
I know that J.D. Robb is a pen name for [a:Nora Roberts|11139|Mary Shelley|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1205347203p2/11139.jpg]. I know that the stories she publishes as NR are romances. If I saw an anthology anchored by an NR story, I'd expect it to be full of romances.
However, I don't read the NR stuff. I only read her JDR books, which have a little romantic spice about the main character, Eve Dallas, and her husband Roarke, with occasional glimpses into Eve's partner, Peabody's, relationship with her guy, McNab. That's it, though. Neither of those sets of relationships are the focal point of the plots. The mystery/crime is the main thing, and while they're set in the future with the advantages of technology we don't yet have, they're essentially police procedurals. (I don't consider them SF, quite, because all the tech seems to be extrapolated from what we have now, and quite plausible. And, of course, the tech isn't the point of the stories, either.)
So why not put similar stories in an anthology anchored by a JDR story? Why why why? Misleading and disappointing readers is NOT the way to garner any positive buzz for the lesser-known authors, and the backlash can lead to less enthusiasm from established readers (like me) for the established author's work.
The whole point of these little anthologies is to introduce readers who enjoy an established author's work to other, similar authors, right?
I know that J.D. Robb is a pen name for [a:Nora Roberts|11139|Mary Shelley|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1205347203p2/11139.jpg]. I know that the stories she publishes as NR are romances. If I saw an anthology anchored by an NR story, I'd expect it to be full of romances.
However, I don't read the NR stuff. I only read her JDR books, which have a little romantic spice about the main character, Eve Dallas, and her husband Roarke, with occasional glimpses into Eve's partner, Peabody's, relationship with her guy, McNab. That's it, though. Neither of those sets of relationships are the focal point of the plots. The mystery/crime is the main thing, and while they're set in the future with the advantages of technology we don't yet have, they're essentially police procedurals. (I don't consider them SF, quite, because all the tech seems to be extrapolated from what we have now, and quite plausible. And, of course, the tech isn't the point of the stories, either.)
So why not put similar stories in an anthology anchored by a JDR story? Why why why? Misleading and disappointing readers is NOT the way to garner any positive buzz for the lesser-known authors, and the backlash can lead to less enthusiasm from established readers (like me) for the established author's work.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery in Books
Jul 12, 2018
I just finished reading Endurance by Scott Kelly and I have to say I really enjoyed the book. I ended up buying the audiobook after I received the physical book simply because I saw that the book was read by Scott Kelly. I always love listening to the person read their own life story.
I have to say that I was really impressed with this book. Scott Kelly really adds the human element to Space Exploration. It was motivating in a "I will never be that motivated" kind of way. Growing up, I never even thought of being an astronaut so reading about his experiences was truly one of a kind.
One thing when reading this book that I noticed is that Scott Kelly is a facts only kind of guy. He seems to almost lack emotions at certain pivotal parts in the book. He really just states the facts and moves on. That was something that I really had to accept because most of the biographies that I read have some sort of emotion placed in them. Even though the emotions was missing, I have to say I still really enjoyed learning about his journey and I'm sure it was better to not get lost in the details.
All in all, this book was fascinating. If anyone is wanting to learn more about the daily struggle that astronauts go through, this is a great book to read. I truly hope that this book speaks to many people and helps them realize their full potential. Scott Kelly just proved that picking up a book can truly change your life.
I have to say that I was really impressed with this book. Scott Kelly really adds the human element to Space Exploration. It was motivating in a "I will never be that motivated" kind of way. Growing up, I never even thought of being an astronaut so reading about his experiences was truly one of a kind.
One thing when reading this book that I noticed is that Scott Kelly is a facts only kind of guy. He seems to almost lack emotions at certain pivotal parts in the book. He really just states the facts and moves on. That was something that I really had to accept because most of the biographies that I read have some sort of emotion placed in them. Even though the emotions was missing, I have to say I still really enjoyed learning about his journey and I'm sure it was better to not get lost in the details.
All in all, this book was fascinating. If anyone is wanting to learn more about the daily struggle that astronauts go through, this is a great book to read. I truly hope that this book speaks to many people and helps them realize their full potential. Scott Kelly just proved that picking up a book can truly change your life.
Debbiereadsbook (1764 KP) rated Alphas Of Seduction Anthology in Books
Oct 18, 2018
great box set
Once Upon An Alpha along with 4 Paws for Ability, and these several bestselling authors, bring you this page turning, limited edition, anthology that’s sure to keep you up well past your bed time and craving your own Alpha of Seduction.
I had no idea what this charity does, but there is a little bit at the beginning that describes their work. I couldn't see a common theme running through each story, but I did read them all. Maybe, if the theme was more prominent in each story, I might have enjoyed this set a little more. There wasn't, though, any one story that stood out, for either positive or negative reasons, and I'm struggling to write a review for each story, some only a few pages long.
So, here's a general review, for the entire set!
I found them all well written, some in the the third person, some in the first. Some were sexier than others, some almost clean. I saw no spelling or editing errors in any short to spoil my reading.
All these authors are new to me. After some sorting, my wish list is now many more books longer, as each author has given me a taste of their work, and I want to read longer books by these authors. BY ALL of these authors! Usually, in box sets like this, one or two sneak on to my wish list, but this time, they all did.
A nice way to pass a few lunch breaks, a hours of shutting out the world.
a good solid..
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I had no idea what this charity does, but there is a little bit at the beginning that describes their work. I couldn't see a common theme running through each story, but I did read them all. Maybe, if the theme was more prominent in each story, I might have enjoyed this set a little more. There wasn't, though, any one story that stood out, for either positive or negative reasons, and I'm struggling to write a review for each story, some only a few pages long.
So, here's a general review, for the entire set!
I found them all well written, some in the the third person, some in the first. Some were sexier than others, some almost clean. I saw no spelling or editing errors in any short to spoil my reading.
All these authors are new to me. After some sorting, my wish list is now many more books longer, as each author has given me a taste of their work, and I want to read longer books by these authors. BY ALL of these authors! Usually, in box sets like this, one or two sneak on to my wish list, but this time, they all did.
A nice way to pass a few lunch breaks, a hours of shutting out the world.
a good solid..
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated The Kiss Quotient in Books
Dec 13, 2018
Romance perfection
The enthusiasm and feelings are just rolling off me on finishing this book. It has given me such ‘smushy’ feelings at various junctures through the book and I am all toothy smiles and vacant stares now. THE KISS QUOTIENT is one of those truly memorable romances that are both real and perfect.
You’d have to be under a rock to not already have heard of this book and whilst I’ve heard lots of buzz from friends and my feed, I haven’t read one review. Therefore, knowing very little about the content, these characters were an immediate sneak attack of grabby hands to my brain. I felt complete absorption over Stella’s situation and plan to improve her social skills and sexual abilities with the aim to become girlfriend material. Stella knew herself through and through and the Stella I got to know was just total, lovable quirkiness.
Michael conjured all sorts of visuals in my head, each one rather delectable because that’s exactly what Michael is. I enjoyed the slow unpeeling of his character, meeting his family and getting to see the stand-up guy that he was. Michael with Stella was perfection, he saw, he understood, he valued...and I swooned, again and again.
The chemistry was mighty fine and each scene so wonderfully written. I lived in their moments and enjoyed being a fly on the wall.
Helen Hoang has invaded my world and I’m not letting her go. She wrote beautifully, from the heart with a tangibility that is unusual. I cannot wait to devour more from her and I’ve already planned a re-read for this book on my summer vacation.
You’d have to be under a rock to not already have heard of this book and whilst I’ve heard lots of buzz from friends and my feed, I haven’t read one review. Therefore, knowing very little about the content, these characters were an immediate sneak attack of grabby hands to my brain. I felt complete absorption over Stella’s situation and plan to improve her social skills and sexual abilities with the aim to become girlfriend material. Stella knew herself through and through and the Stella I got to know was just total, lovable quirkiness.
Michael conjured all sorts of visuals in my head, each one rather delectable because that’s exactly what Michael is. I enjoyed the slow unpeeling of his character, meeting his family and getting to see the stand-up guy that he was. Michael with Stella was perfection, he saw, he understood, he valued...and I swooned, again and again.
The chemistry was mighty fine and each scene so wonderfully written. I lived in their moments and enjoyed being a fly on the wall.
Helen Hoang has invaded my world and I’m not letting her go. She wrote beautifully, from the heart with a tangibility that is unusual. I cannot wait to devour more from her and I’ve already planned a re-read for this book on my summer vacation.
David McK (3801 KP) rated Battlefront II: Inferno Squad (Star Wars) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
The second 'Battlefront' tie-in novel (based on a series of games themselves based on a series of novels) which, I have to say, I found to be far more enjoyable than the previous ([b:Twilight Company|25455901|Twilight Company (Star Wars Battlefront, #1)|Alexander Freed|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1440781979s/25455901.jpg|45222133]).
I don't know whether that because, this time around, the source online shooter game actually (and finally!) has a single-player campaign, meaning the author can actually concentrate on proper chatacters instead of the expendable cannon-fodder of the previous, or if it's because this time aroudn it's told from the point of view of the 'bad guys': that is, from the PoV from dyed-in-the-wool Imperials.
This picks up towards the end of the first Star Wars film (Episode IV, retroactively entitled 'A New Hope'),w ith the attack on the Death Star occuring in the opening pages of the novel and with the central character of Iden Versio actively participating in the defense of the Space Station, before crash-landing on the planet of Yavin IV and making her way back to Imperial Space (that bit told in passing).
This also ties into Rogue One, with an offshoot of Saw Garrera's violent Partisan group - naming themselves The Dreamers - providing the antagonists rather than The Rebellion, allowing the story and the characters to go undercover into that group without breaking with the commonly-held lore - lets face it, since Inferno Squad is meant to be the best of the best it would be hard to place them in Leia / Han's / Luke's path without somehow having to wave the explanation away!
I don't know whether that because, this time around, the source online shooter game actually (and finally!) has a single-player campaign, meaning the author can actually concentrate on proper chatacters instead of the expendable cannon-fodder of the previous, or if it's because this time aroudn it's told from the point of view of the 'bad guys': that is, from the PoV from dyed-in-the-wool Imperials.
This picks up towards the end of the first Star Wars film (Episode IV, retroactively entitled 'A New Hope'),w ith the attack on the Death Star occuring in the opening pages of the novel and with the central character of Iden Versio actively participating in the defense of the Space Station, before crash-landing on the planet of Yavin IV and making her way back to Imperial Space (that bit told in passing).
This also ties into Rogue One, with an offshoot of Saw Garrera's violent Partisan group - naming themselves The Dreamers - providing the antagonists rather than The Rebellion, allowing the story and the characters to go undercover into that group without breaking with the commonly-held lore - lets face it, since Inferno Squad is meant to be the best of the best it would be hard to place them in Leia / Han's / Luke's path without somehow having to wave the explanation away!
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Love Don't Let Me Down by Bishara in Music
Jun 21, 2019
Bishara is a 16-year-old singer based in Linköping, Sweden. Not too long ago, he released a music video for his “Love Don’t Let Me Down” single.
“Never wanted to be friends. Never thought it could be more than stories when I saw it made no sense. Better safe than sorry. Didn’t want to play pretend. I stayed back hoping you’d ignore me. Now, I’m off the deep end. Oh, Lord have mercy.” – lyrics
‘Love Don’t Let Me Down’ tells an interesting tale of a young guy who is fearful of giving his heart to someone who he desires to be with.
Apparently, he’s seen a million hearts break before, so he doesn’t want that to happen to him. Later, he admits that he is ready for love if what he feels is considered real love.
‘Love Don’t Let Me Down’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and stripped instrumentation scented with sentimental elements.
Check out Bishara’s music video for his “Love Don’t Let Me Down (Remix)” single.
Not too long ago, Bishara competed in the Swedish Melodifestivalen with his second single, entitled, “On My Own”.
His performance in the TV Show was the first time he ever stood on a stage. In the end, he received an honorable second place in the competition.
Shortly afterward, the song went straight to #2 on the Swedish Spotify Top 50. Also, it was added on Sweden’s biggest radio channels and has today reached gold status.
Bishara’s latest performance was with Benjamin Ingrosso at Gröna Lund where they performed ‘On My Own’ in front of a crowd of 11,000 people.
“Never wanted to be friends. Never thought it could be more than stories when I saw it made no sense. Better safe than sorry. Didn’t want to play pretend. I stayed back hoping you’d ignore me. Now, I’m off the deep end. Oh, Lord have mercy.” – lyrics
‘Love Don’t Let Me Down’ tells an interesting tale of a young guy who is fearful of giving his heart to someone who he desires to be with.
Apparently, he’s seen a million hearts break before, so he doesn’t want that to happen to him. Later, he admits that he is ready for love if what he feels is considered real love.
‘Love Don’t Let Me Down’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and stripped instrumentation scented with sentimental elements.
Check out Bishara’s music video for his “Love Don’t Let Me Down (Remix)” single.
Not too long ago, Bishara competed in the Swedish Melodifestivalen with his second single, entitled, “On My Own”.
His performance in the TV Show was the first time he ever stood on a stage. In the end, he received an honorable second place in the competition.
Shortly afterward, the song went straight to #2 on the Swedish Spotify Top 50. Also, it was added on Sweden’s biggest radio channels and has today reached gold status.
Bishara’s latest performance was with Benjamin Ingrosso at Gröna Lund where they performed ‘On My Own’ in front of a crowd of 11,000 people.
Fred (860 KP) rated Joker (2019) in Movies
Oct 15, 2019
The biggest joke would be if Phoenix doesn't win best actor
While watching this film, I noticed a strange thing. People in the audience were laughing at parts that I didn't think were supposed to be funny. I laughed at parts that some didn't too. Joaquin Phoenix said that you as the viewer choose to side with Arthur (his character) or not. And just by these reactions I saw and felt, he is right. This is one of the things that makes this movie so great.
The movie is basically a man's decent into madness and the things that push him to it. When the movie starts, we see he already has problems. But between getting bullied and finding out about his past and many other tragedies, he totally loses it. Or does he? By the end, you may think he actually has an awakening.
Of course, without Phoenix's portrayal, none of this is possible. Joaquin takes the Joker character and makes him totally unique. He may be the greatest Joker seen on the screen. Already knew he was a great actor, but he is just amazing. You feel for him, you know what he's going through, you cheer him and yet, he does horrible things.
The supporting cast is very good as well, but they are outshined by Phoenix. DeNiro's Johnny Carson/Joe Frankin-type TV host may be the only one that comes close to Phoenix, but still, Joker is tops.
If you're expecting a super-hero movie, like the ones we've seen recently, forget it. Even Scorcese must admit, this is a cinematic masterpiece.
The movie is basically a man's decent into madness and the things that push him to it. When the movie starts, we see he already has problems. But between getting bullied and finding out about his past and many other tragedies, he totally loses it. Or does he? By the end, you may think he actually has an awakening.
Of course, without Phoenix's portrayal, none of this is possible. Joaquin takes the Joker character and makes him totally unique. He may be the greatest Joker seen on the screen. Already knew he was a great actor, but he is just amazing. You feel for him, you know what he's going through, you cheer him and yet, he does horrible things.
The supporting cast is very good as well, but they are outshined by Phoenix. DeNiro's Johnny Carson/Joe Frankin-type TV host may be the only one that comes close to Phoenix, but still, Joker is tops.
If you're expecting a super-hero movie, like the ones we've seen recently, forget it. Even Scorcese must admit, this is a cinematic masterpiece.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Walking Dead - Season 8 in TV
Dec 23, 2019
Season 8 of The Walking Dead is where the show completely lost me for a good while.
I slowly limped through the first half of it, and had to literally talk myself into watching the next episode.
The main reason for this is just how painfully boring it's all is.
The much anticipated 'All Out War' storyline from the comic series is in full swing, after being set up through season 7, and every episode feels like it's just uninspired gun fight after uninspired gun fight. Any episodes in the past seasons that featured this kind of action felt exciting and tense. It happened rarely so was impactful when they came along.
Here, it just feels a lot like dead weight.
I also felt the writers saw TWD as a much artier project than it actually is at this point - there only so much of main characters staring deeply into the horizon, or at the sun that I care to watch.
Even character deaths feel dragged out and testing and so many
of the gory practical effects have been replaced by sub par CGI now, that it just doesn't even warrant a reaction. It's a sad state of affairs.
It's not all bad, I guess? All of the acting talent are still stellar, they're just not being given much to do. Although the Negan storyline failed to light up the small screen for me, I still enjoy him as a character, and JDM as an actor. There are still some entertaining set pieces strewn throughout, but the overall experience is a shadow of it's former self.
I slowly limped through the first half of it, and had to literally talk myself into watching the next episode.
The main reason for this is just how painfully boring it's all is.
The much anticipated 'All Out War' storyline from the comic series is in full swing, after being set up through season 7, and every episode feels like it's just uninspired gun fight after uninspired gun fight. Any episodes in the past seasons that featured this kind of action felt exciting and tense. It happened rarely so was impactful when they came along.
Here, it just feels a lot like dead weight.
I also felt the writers saw TWD as a much artier project than it actually is at this point - there only so much of main characters staring deeply into the horizon, or at the sun that I care to watch.
Even character deaths feel dragged out and testing and so many
of the gory practical effects have been replaced by sub par CGI now, that it just doesn't even warrant a reaction. It's a sad state of affairs.
It's not all bad, I guess? All of the acting talent are still stellar, they're just not being given much to do. Although the Negan storyline failed to light up the small screen for me, I still enjoy him as a character, and JDM as an actor. There are still some entertaining set pieces strewn throughout, but the overall experience is a shadow of it's former self.