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Alex Strangelove (2018)
Movie
Alex, high school class president, nerd and a straight A student, has been dating Claire a long...
I Know You Did It
8.0
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Book
On her first day at a new school, Ruby finds a note in her locker saying "I KNOW YOU DID IT". She's...
David McK (3372 KP) rated Simulating War: Studying conflict through simulation games in Books
Jun 16, 2024
Well, that was something ... different.
This, essentially, is a scholarly thesis on the use of wargaming in an educational setting - like another reader, I found the first part (about the theory) interesting, the second part - containing example games - less so (perhaps because of my lack of real interest in anything beyond WW1 in the air).
Like being forced to study Shakespeare in school, I found this to somewhat suck the fun out of the activity in question.
Still, YMMV, as the saying goes ...
This, essentially, is a scholarly thesis on the use of wargaming in an educational setting - like another reader, I found the first part (about the theory) interesting, the second part - containing example games - less so (perhaps because of my lack of real interest in anything beyond WW1 in the air).
Like being forced to study Shakespeare in school, I found this to somewhat suck the fun out of the activity in question.
Still, YMMV, as the saying goes ...
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated A Love to Behold in Books
Mar 5, 2019
Two years after the Civil War, Lydia Albright, 27, is an established teacher in Boston when she senses God’s call to leave the comfort and security of her job and go south. She accepts a position to teach in a school for former slaves in Charleston, South Carolina. A church there that’s affiliated with the American Missionary Association offers support, along with room and board at the parsonage. The Ku Klux men are hell-bent on seeing that the new school fails. Lydia’s life is threatened, and the parsonage, church, and school are vandalized. But they haven’t contended with a strong, determined woman like Lydia before. It also helps that she has a couple potential suitors on her side. A Love to Behold is a tale of people who grow strong in the face of adversity and a church that learns love, compassion, and acceptance, even in the face of just cruelty and hatred.
My Thoughts: This is more than just a charming romance novel. It is the story of a young woman determined to answer God's calling on her life and nothing will stop her from doing so.
This is also a novel teaching us to love one another no matter what our differences may be. This is a story about compassion, determination, acceptance and overcoming affliction hen it is presented to us. It's holding on through the storm.
I really truly enjoyed this novel. The characters were all amazing, both the main and the supporting characters all worked well together. The storyline was fast-paced; there are no slow spots in this book.
This book comes highly recommended.
My Thoughts: This is more than just a charming romance novel. It is the story of a young woman determined to answer God's calling on her life and nothing will stop her from doing so.
This is also a novel teaching us to love one another no matter what our differences may be. This is a story about compassion, determination, acceptance and overcoming affliction hen it is presented to us. It's holding on through the storm.
I really truly enjoyed this novel. The characters were all amazing, both the main and the supporting characters all worked well together. The storyline was fast-paced; there are no slow spots in this book.
This book comes highly recommended.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2171 KP) rated Dying for Devil’s Food in Books
May 8, 2019
Somebody’s Dying for this Reunion
Mel Cooper is less than excited about her high school reunion because of all the bad memories she has from those years, yet she gets talked into going by her best friend, Angie, mainly because of the gig Angie gets them providing cupcakes for the event. Once there, Mel finds herself beginning to make peace with her past, that is until she finds the dead body of Cassidy in the bathroom. Cassidy was the worst bully in school, and just a couple hours with her has proved that things haven’t changed. With her classmates looking at her as the killer, Mel knows she has to clear her name. Can she do it?
Fortunately, most high school reunions aren’t nearly as bad as this one is. But all the horrible people from Mel’s past make for wonderful suspects as she attempts to figure out what really happened to Cassidy. What impressed me was that this book allowed for some growth in Mel and it showed us deeper suspects than I was expecting from the first few chapters. This allowed the plot to move along at a quick pace with plenty of twists to keep me engaged. Trust me, I didn’t want to put this book down until I reached the great climax. There is a dose of humor mixed in that kept me smiling and laughing as I read. Cupcake fans will be pleased with the three new cupcake recipes included at the back of the book. It’s hard to read just one book in this series, and I’m already hungry for my next visit with Mel, Angie, and the rest of the gang.
Fortunately, most high school reunions aren’t nearly as bad as this one is. But all the horrible people from Mel’s past make for wonderful suspects as she attempts to figure out what really happened to Cassidy. What impressed me was that this book allowed for some growth in Mel and it showed us deeper suspects than I was expecting from the first few chapters. This allowed the plot to move along at a quick pace with plenty of twists to keep me engaged. Trust me, I didn’t want to put this book down until I reached the great climax. There is a dose of humor mixed in that kept me smiling and laughing as I read. Cupcake fans will be pleased with the three new cupcake recipes included at the back of the book. It’s hard to read just one book in this series, and I’m already hungry for my next visit with Mel, Angie, and the rest of the gang.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Don't Even Breathe in Books
May 22, 2019
From the bestselling author of Crash comes a riveting thriller rife with murder, misdirection, and ghosts from the past.
Florida homicide detective Maggie Novak has seen hundreds of brutal murder cases, but when she is called out to investigate the charred remains of a young woman, in what appears to be a Halloween prank gone wrong, she is confronted with a twenty-year-old secret. The body is formally identified as that of school counselor Dana Cullen, but a distinguishing mark makes Maggie look again. She believes it is the body of her school friend Rita, who perished in a fire twenty years ago.
Maggies hunt for the truth behind the murder takes her back to a cruel high school trick shes desperate to forget. And when another body turns up, Maggie realizes she too may be the target of a sinister plot creeping toward its final act.
Maggie needs emotional distance to do her job, but shes so close to this case that she cant even breathe. Will Maggie be able to uncover the truth of who wanted Rita dead? Or will her past mistakes catch up with her first?
Don't Even Breathe is a great thriller with lots of twists.
You are thrown straight into action from the beginning.
Lots of suspense and twists that keep you gripped until those final pages.
Love the new characters and can't wait to see how they develop and evolve.
Looking forward to more of this series.
Recommend reading.
I would like to thank the author, Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for the ARC.
Florida homicide detective Maggie Novak has seen hundreds of brutal murder cases, but when she is called out to investigate the charred remains of a young woman, in what appears to be a Halloween prank gone wrong, she is confronted with a twenty-year-old secret. The body is formally identified as that of school counselor Dana Cullen, but a distinguishing mark makes Maggie look again. She believes it is the body of her school friend Rita, who perished in a fire twenty years ago.
Maggies hunt for the truth behind the murder takes her back to a cruel high school trick shes desperate to forget. And when another body turns up, Maggie realizes she too may be the target of a sinister plot creeping toward its final act.
Maggie needs emotional distance to do her job, but shes so close to this case that she cant even breathe. Will Maggie be able to uncover the truth of who wanted Rita dead? Or will her past mistakes catch up with her first?
Don't Even Breathe is a great thriller with lots of twists.
You are thrown straight into action from the beginning.
Lots of suspense and twists that keep you gripped until those final pages.
Love the new characters and can't wait to see how they develop and evolve.
Looking forward to more of this series.
Recommend reading.
I would like to thank the author, Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for the ARC.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Paper Towns in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Quentin is a typical high school kid - watching school life from behind the scenes and adoring his neighbor and classmate Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. However, one night Margo pops up in Quentin's window and asks for him to accompany her on a revenge-seeking adventure. They have an epic night and Quentin returns to school the next day, expecting things to have changed. However, Margo never shows up and eventually Quentin realizes she isn't coming back. He finds some supposed clues that lead to her whereabouts and tries to track her down, but suddenly Margo is consuming his entire life.
I'm not exactly sure what I thought about this one. Margo and Quentin's night out was fun to read about, but the book starts to lag after Margo disappears. It seems like Quentin becomes overly obsessed with Margo - to the extreme - and his search takes forever. You never quite realize why Margo is so special. The book picks up at the end, but by then, I was a little jaded.
Also, and this is just my own pet peeve, I dislike reading books after they've already been made into movies, because I can only picture the actors as I read the story, versus my own imagination. Not sure why this bothers me, but it does.
Still, this was a fun story and definitely hilarious at points (I very much love Quentin and his friends), so I think it's worth a read. However, if you're looking to feel as much emotion as say, when reading "The Fault in Our Stars," you'll be a little disappointed.
I'm not exactly sure what I thought about this one. Margo and Quentin's night out was fun to read about, but the book starts to lag after Margo disappears. It seems like Quentin becomes overly obsessed with Margo - to the extreme - and his search takes forever. You never quite realize why Margo is so special. The book picks up at the end, but by then, I was a little jaded.
Also, and this is just my own pet peeve, I dislike reading books after they've already been made into movies, because I can only picture the actors as I read the story, versus my own imagination. Not sure why this bothers me, but it does.
Still, this was a fun story and definitely hilarious at points (I very much love Quentin and his friends), so I think it's worth a read. However, if you're looking to feel as much emotion as say, when reading "The Fault in Our Stars," you'll be a little disappointed.
Micah Ulibarri (79 KP) rated Everything Sucks - Season 1 in TV
Apr 3, 2018
It's a dramedy that takes place in the 90s. I'm talking so 90's it hurts. Three high school freshmen in Boring, Oregan start off their first year of high school in a big way. Hopefully they wont embarrass themselves.
I absolutely fell in love with this show. First of all, it is funny and feels more like a comedy. Nevertheless, the characters are complex and the situations are interesting and emotional.
The young actors, Peyton Kennedy, Jahi Winston, and Rio Mangini especially, do some great work. I think it's great that they actually look like young high school kids. Nonetheless, the are able to bring the emotion.
The show has themes of relationships, self-discovery, growing up, and how the 90s influenced that. There are some very positive representations of discovering sexuality. Not only as a young adult, but some of the older adults recently out of long term relationships also learn what it is to love and trust again.
Finally, one of the big plot points is the making of a movie in the kids AV club. It's actually really impressive when you see just how intensive a process that was not even 20 years ago.
All in all, the characters are the ones that sell the show. The show often ends on cliff hangers making you wanting to come back. My wife and I watched it through twice in one week. It's only 10 episodes and every single one of them is well worth it.
Also, shout out to the 90s tunes. Most of which are still songs on pretty much any of my playlists.
I absolutely fell in love with this show. First of all, it is funny and feels more like a comedy. Nevertheless, the characters are complex and the situations are interesting and emotional.
The young actors, Peyton Kennedy, Jahi Winston, and Rio Mangini especially, do some great work. I think it's great that they actually look like young high school kids. Nonetheless, the are able to bring the emotion.
The show has themes of relationships, self-discovery, growing up, and how the 90s influenced that. There are some very positive representations of discovering sexuality. Not only as a young adult, but some of the older adults recently out of long term relationships also learn what it is to love and trust again.
Finally, one of the big plot points is the making of a movie in the kids AV club. It's actually really impressive when you see just how intensive a process that was not even 20 years ago.
All in all, the characters are the ones that sell the show. The show often ends on cliff hangers making you wanting to come back. My wife and I watched it through twice in one week. It's only 10 episodes and every single one of them is well worth it.
Also, shout out to the 90s tunes. Most of which are still songs on pretty much any of my playlists.
The Penguin Lessons
Book
*AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 2 FACT NOT FICTION BOOKCLUB AND READ BY BILL NIGHY ON AUDIO* 'I was hoping...
Napkin Notes: Make Lunch Meaningful, Life Will Follow
Book
Garth Callaghan doesn't know how long he has to live. But he can be certain of one simple thing: No...