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Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy, #1) in Books
Sep 6, 2019
*Copy received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
4.5 stars
I love the cover of this; its very eye catching. Ill admit that covers attract me to books and this drew my attention straight away. Then I saw the name and I said to myself, I have to read this. But then theres the fact that Im rather picky with my fantasy books (loving the Throne of Glass series but not liking Daughter of Smoke and Bone). Nevertheless I jumped straight into the book.
This is only my second ever troll book but considering the other was just a short story, I was looking forward to learning more about them. And I wasnt disappointed. They sound equally enchanting and terrifying depending on who you meet. And I like the thought of there being handsome troll princes very much :D
Cécile is quite a tough girl. She doesnt mind giving as good as she gets verbally which I like about her. As for Prince Tristan, I liked his sarcasm at the start, even if it was directed at Cécile. And then I just sort of grew to like him. Some of the secondary characters were just as likeable, such as Marc and the twins.
There was an interesting storyline to this; almost a good versus evil plot but much more complicated. It was all very political and about who should rule Trollus and how. I wish I could go into detail but that would ruin the plot.
Then comes the romance aspect. I loved the progression of Cécile and Tristans relationship. They might not have liked each other in the beginning but as they got to know each other better it was very sweet reading and I was cheering them on from fairly early in the book.
To go back to my pickiness with fantasy. I have to say I loved a lot of what this book had going for it. The lights that are created by magic (especially Céciles own) are genius and the Glass Garden sounded amazing. I bet it looks lovely lit up!
I laughed, I ranted, I cried twice. It was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for me but I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next book in the trilogy.
4.5 stars
I love the cover of this; its very eye catching. Ill admit that covers attract me to books and this drew my attention straight away. Then I saw the name and I said to myself, I have to read this. But then theres the fact that Im rather picky with my fantasy books (loving the Throne of Glass series but not liking Daughter of Smoke and Bone). Nevertheless I jumped straight into the book.
This is only my second ever troll book but considering the other was just a short story, I was looking forward to learning more about them. And I wasnt disappointed. They sound equally enchanting and terrifying depending on who you meet. And I like the thought of there being handsome troll princes very much :D
Cécile is quite a tough girl. She doesnt mind giving as good as she gets verbally which I like about her. As for Prince Tristan, I liked his sarcasm at the start, even if it was directed at Cécile. And then I just sort of grew to like him. Some of the secondary characters were just as likeable, such as Marc and the twins.
There was an interesting storyline to this; almost a good versus evil plot but much more complicated. It was all very political and about who should rule Trollus and how. I wish I could go into detail but that would ruin the plot.
Then comes the romance aspect. I loved the progression of Cécile and Tristans relationship. They might not have liked each other in the beginning but as they got to know each other better it was very sweet reading and I was cheering them on from fairly early in the book.
To go back to my pickiness with fantasy. I have to say I loved a lot of what this book had going for it. The lights that are created by magic (especially Céciles own) are genius and the Glass Garden sounded amazing. I bet it looks lovely lit up!
I laughed, I ranted, I cried twice. It was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for me but I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next book in the trilogy.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Citizen Kane (1941) in Movies
Sep 30, 2019
Beautiful Cinematic Treat
Citizen Kane follows the life of a newspaper tycoon. I saw this movie months ago, but have been dreading the review due to my scoring. Granted, I LOVED this movie, I just know there will be those that say I should have scored the movie higher and I’m ok with that. Here goes nothing…
Acting: 10
Orson Welles delivers a powerful performance as Charles Foster Kane. In my eyes, I see him as the original Tony Stark: Powerful, suave, and undeniably lovable. His presence takes over making it hard for me to remember the impact of other performances. There is no doubt that this is a classic, iconic role.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Again, I could watch a movie made up of just Charles Foster Kane and no one else and still enjoy it. Yes, there were other characters that contributed to the film’s overall impactfulness, but the character of Kane is one you remember for a long time. He is a well-layered powerful man that has a lot brewing beneath the surface. He is compensating for something missing in his life and it doesn’t take us long to see this. His journey is definitely one worth watching.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 8
Entertainment Value: 10
The entire movie revolves around a mystery: What exactly is rosebud? It takes us all the way to the end to truly find out what that means. I don’t know about you, but I spent much of my time while watching the film trying to find hints to what the mystery could mean. This made the movie all the more interesting and it was a clever way to keep me engaged. This movie doesn’t need a full two hours to pack a powerful punch.
Memorability: 10
Pace: 8
Plot: 10
Resolution: 6
Here’s where i get crucified: I think the ending to Citizen Kane is a bit overrated. When I found out what it all meant, I kind of rolled my eyes a bit. I didn’t hate it, but also didn’t see what the big deal was.
Overall: 92
Citizen Kane definitely deserves its classic status and I agree that, even to this day, it is still one of the best movies ever made. I won’t go as far as to say the greatest movie of all time (as of today it sits at 87 on my list), but it is truly a movie to remember.
Acting: 10
Orson Welles delivers a powerful performance as Charles Foster Kane. In my eyes, I see him as the original Tony Stark: Powerful, suave, and undeniably lovable. His presence takes over making it hard for me to remember the impact of other performances. There is no doubt that this is a classic, iconic role.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Again, I could watch a movie made up of just Charles Foster Kane and no one else and still enjoy it. Yes, there were other characters that contributed to the film’s overall impactfulness, but the character of Kane is one you remember for a long time. He is a well-layered powerful man that has a lot brewing beneath the surface. He is compensating for something missing in his life and it doesn’t take us long to see this. His journey is definitely one worth watching.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 8
Entertainment Value: 10
The entire movie revolves around a mystery: What exactly is rosebud? It takes us all the way to the end to truly find out what that means. I don’t know about you, but I spent much of my time while watching the film trying to find hints to what the mystery could mean. This made the movie all the more interesting and it was a clever way to keep me engaged. This movie doesn’t need a full two hours to pack a powerful punch.
Memorability: 10
Pace: 8
Plot: 10
Resolution: 6
Here’s where i get crucified: I think the ending to Citizen Kane is a bit overrated. When I found out what it all meant, I kind of rolled my eyes a bit. I didn’t hate it, but also didn’t see what the big deal was.
Overall: 92
Citizen Kane definitely deserves its classic status and I agree that, even to this day, it is still one of the best movies ever made. I won’t go as far as to say the greatest movie of all time (as of today it sits at 87 on my list), but it is truly a movie to remember.
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David McK (3770 KP) rated Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking in Books
Aug 15, 2020
2019.
One of the worst years of my professional working life.
In the early part of the year, I ended up getting dragged to the Doctor by my significant other, with the Doc then putting me off work with stress for just over a month. I returned, and then, roughly 6 months later, ended up putting myself off on unpaid leave for a year (which is ending soon, but that’s another matter).
Looking back on it, I believe a MASSIVE contributor to me feeling the way I did was the change in the office environment, and in my role: a move from being a key member of a small technical team (with its own side office) to being put in charge of a customer focused role I felt ill suited to, and slap-bang in the middle of a massive open plan office no less (which had the effect of leaving me completely and utterly drained each and every day, having to be always ‘on’).
Which is a long winded way of saying that I am, as I’ve always expected, a massive Introvert. (That could also probably be borne out by the fact that it’s now been more than 10 months since I last physically saw most of my friends due to Covid-19, and that I can count on the fingers of one hand the amount of times I’ve spoken to them in the same period (we more often text). Which I’m perfectly happy with.)
I’ve always felt exhausted by daily interactions, always felt happier in my own head than in the midst of a crowd. A music festival, or rock concert? My idea of hell. However, I’ve also always felt guilty for feeling the same, with society (seemingly) geared towards the go-getters, the ‘look at me!’ life and soul of the party (which I always leave early), to those who make the most noise. In short, to the Extroverts.
While it’s true that this book is American centric (I’m glad to say, in the UK at least, the large gatherings/conventions described in the chapter about ‘The Extrovert Ideal’ don’t seem to happen), I’m also glad I’m not alone, that – actually - there’s nothing wrong with me. There’s nothing wrong with being quiet, reserved, needing time alone to recharge. Just ask Mother Theresa. Steve Wozniak. Eleanor Roosevelt. Rosa Parks.
This should be required reading in our schools.
One of the worst years of my professional working life.
In the early part of the year, I ended up getting dragged to the Doctor by my significant other, with the Doc then putting me off work with stress for just over a month. I returned, and then, roughly 6 months later, ended up putting myself off on unpaid leave for a year (which is ending soon, but that’s another matter).
Looking back on it, I believe a MASSIVE contributor to me feeling the way I did was the change in the office environment, and in my role: a move from being a key member of a small technical team (with its own side office) to being put in charge of a customer focused role I felt ill suited to, and slap-bang in the middle of a massive open plan office no less (which had the effect of leaving me completely and utterly drained each and every day, having to be always ‘on’).
Which is a long winded way of saying that I am, as I’ve always expected, a massive Introvert. (That could also probably be borne out by the fact that it’s now been more than 10 months since I last physically saw most of my friends due to Covid-19, and that I can count on the fingers of one hand the amount of times I’ve spoken to them in the same period (we more often text). Which I’m perfectly happy with.)
I’ve always felt exhausted by daily interactions, always felt happier in my own head than in the midst of a crowd. A music festival, or rock concert? My idea of hell. However, I’ve also always felt guilty for feeling the same, with society (seemingly) geared towards the go-getters, the ‘look at me!’ life and soul of the party (which I always leave early), to those who make the most noise. In short, to the Extroverts.
While it’s true that this book is American centric (I’m glad to say, in the UK at least, the large gatherings/conventions described in the chapter about ‘The Extrovert Ideal’ don’t seem to happen), I’m also glad I’m not alone, that – actually - there’s nothing wrong with me. There’s nothing wrong with being quiet, reserved, needing time alone to recharge. Just ask Mother Theresa. Steve Wozniak. Eleanor Roosevelt. Rosa Parks.
This should be required reading in our schools.
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