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BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Waking Land (The Waking Land, #1) in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The blurb of this novel tells pretty much all the necessary information. Elanna was kept away from her parents for fourteen years, in a different country, with a different culture and different way of living. She always wanted to be a botanist, because she loved plants. She was accused of King’s murder, so the only chance she had was to run. While on the run, she finds out, that she has a great gift and she supposed to be the one, who leads her country to independence.
This book has a great variety of characters to choose from. I loved their bravery and strong personalities. My favourite ones were El and Jahan. I loved their kindness and all the adventures which they had together in this novel. El is a very confused young woman, who is trying to make the right choice, even though it breaks her heart. She is emotionally torn between two countries who are at war because she has ties with both of them, it is hard for her to make the decisions, and this whole process was very interesting to watch for me.
I liked the plot of this book, but I found some of the parts quite repetitive. There is quite a bit of action going on in this novel, so that was what kept me going. I liked the adventure parts of it, filled with some really lovely and subtle romance. I think that author used her love for music and nature really well in this novel, I loved the overall setting of this book. It has some sex and violence in this novel, but it is not overwhelming, and I am really great full to the author, for keeping this novel quite elegant, when it used to come to violence.
The writing style is pleasant to read, but I don’t understand, why fantasy books have such complicated names in them. For me, it makes these books more difficult to read and it doesn’t add any charm at all. The chapters were quite long, but they were divided into smaller chunks, so it was quite easy to read it. I really liked the ending of this book, I think it rounded up the story really nicely, and there will be a second part published this year, so I am quite curious to see what it has to offer. So, to conclude, I think this book has all the right attributes necessary for this type of novel, it has magic, brave heroine who is kind and sweet, political disputes and the right amount of romance. Please do give this book a try and I hope you will enjoy it 🙂
This book has a great variety of characters to choose from. I loved their bravery and strong personalities. My favourite ones were El and Jahan. I loved their kindness and all the adventures which they had together in this novel. El is a very confused young woman, who is trying to make the right choice, even though it breaks her heart. She is emotionally torn between two countries who are at war because she has ties with both of them, it is hard for her to make the decisions, and this whole process was very interesting to watch for me.
I liked the plot of this book, but I found some of the parts quite repetitive. There is quite a bit of action going on in this novel, so that was what kept me going. I liked the adventure parts of it, filled with some really lovely and subtle romance. I think that author used her love for music and nature really well in this novel, I loved the overall setting of this book. It has some sex and violence in this novel, but it is not overwhelming, and I am really great full to the author, for keeping this novel quite elegant, when it used to come to violence.
The writing style is pleasant to read, but I don’t understand, why fantasy books have such complicated names in them. For me, it makes these books more difficult to read and it doesn’t add any charm at all. The chapters were quite long, but they were divided into smaller chunks, so it was quite easy to read it. I really liked the ending of this book, I think it rounded up the story really nicely, and there will be a second part published this year, so I am quite curious to see what it has to offer. So, to conclude, I think this book has all the right attributes necessary for this type of novel, it has magic, brave heroine who is kind and sweet, political disputes and the right amount of romance. Please do give this book a try and I hope you will enjoy it 🙂
ClareR (5721 KP) rated The Turn of The Key in Books
Aug 18, 2019
I’ve read some pretty spooky books in my time, but none have had me on the edge of my seat in quite the same way as Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware did! There’s an underlying menace in this book - nothing explicit - and I think that makes it all the more frightening. I can’t even tell you the amount of times I told the lead character, a Nanny from London, to just pack up, leave the children with the housekeeper, and go home!
So, as I’ve already begun to say, Rowan is a Nanny who has been employed to look after the children of a wealthy husband and wife architecture team. They work away from home, and need someone to take care of their young children (plus a 14 year old who comes home from boarding school at the weekend). It all seems very rushed, and when Rowan turns up to take her post, Sandra (the mum) drops the bombshell that they will both be leaving for a week the next day. The children haven’t even had a chance to get to know Rowan with their mum there! Sandra leaves a huge folder with instructions for EVERYTHING regarding the children, and a very quick lesson on ‘Happy’, the house computer system (kind of like Alexa, but less chatty and far less easy to use!). I would’ve said something here, but Rowan seems to be desperate for the job. She seems to be a nice enough person, but she does make allusions to her temper, and does seem to lose it with the children quite a bit. But I’m not surprised - she is woken up every night, either by bumps and pacing sounds, or Happy seemingly having a huge glitch and playing loud music whilst turning on lights throughout the house in the early hours. Well, Maddie, the 8 year old, did warn her about the displeasure of the ghosts at her interview.....
I loved how creepy this was - I didn’t know what was real and what Rowan was imagining because of sleep deprivation, but it made all of the days seem to merge together. You could feel how tired and scared she must have been.
The last fifth of the book was something else though. I can’t think of many books where I’ve actually told a character out loud “No!” (It made my dogs stop and look!). The last few (yes, FEW!) revelations and twists kept the tension running right up to the end.
Have I said that I loved this book? This is my second Ruth Ware book, and it certainly won’t be my last - this is even better than The Death of Mrs Westaway (if that’s possible!).
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book - you did it again! Another absolutely cracking choice!
So, as I’ve already begun to say, Rowan is a Nanny who has been employed to look after the children of a wealthy husband and wife architecture team. They work away from home, and need someone to take care of their young children (plus a 14 year old who comes home from boarding school at the weekend). It all seems very rushed, and when Rowan turns up to take her post, Sandra (the mum) drops the bombshell that they will both be leaving for a week the next day. The children haven’t even had a chance to get to know Rowan with their mum there! Sandra leaves a huge folder with instructions for EVERYTHING regarding the children, and a very quick lesson on ‘Happy’, the house computer system (kind of like Alexa, but less chatty and far less easy to use!). I would’ve said something here, but Rowan seems to be desperate for the job. She seems to be a nice enough person, but she does make allusions to her temper, and does seem to lose it with the children quite a bit. But I’m not surprised - she is woken up every night, either by bumps and pacing sounds, or Happy seemingly having a huge glitch and playing loud music whilst turning on lights throughout the house in the early hours. Well, Maddie, the 8 year old, did warn her about the displeasure of the ghosts at her interview.....
I loved how creepy this was - I didn’t know what was real and what Rowan was imagining because of sleep deprivation, but it made all of the days seem to merge together. You could feel how tired and scared she must have been.
The last fifth of the book was something else though. I can’t think of many books where I’ve actually told a character out loud “No!” (It made my dogs stop and look!). The last few (yes, FEW!) revelations and twists kept the tension running right up to the end.
Have I said that I loved this book? This is my second Ruth Ware book, and it certainly won’t be my last - this is even better than The Death of Mrs Westaway (if that’s possible!).
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book - you did it again! Another absolutely cracking choice!
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KittyMiku (138 KP) rated Shadow of Night in Books
May 23, 2019
Shadow of Night is the second book of Deborah Harkness’ All Souls Trilogy. As with the first one, Harkness takes you on adventure with her two protagonists, a witch named Diana and a vampire named Mathew. However, unlike the first one, this book is placed in Elizabethan England. Though the characters remain the same at heart, they change to better suit each other and the time period, as it is needed. With the imminent danger around every corner, the two are still not able to find piece, but Diana is able to learn more about her powers while she learns about her vampire lover in the process.
The details in the book are beautifully done and give a great visual to how it must have looked in 1590, where the main storyline is. The clothing style was accurate and there were a great many nods to our history. However, even though some of it remained factual, or close to, there was no denying that there was whole lot of fiction intertwined to help create the illusion that witches, vampires, and daemons exist. Harkness has a way with her facts and her words to create such a wonderful woven story to have the facts and the fictions mix that you could practically believe that it could all be true and we just would never know about it. I am again truly amazed by the story and how it seems to flow from the first book to the second book so flawlessly. I am hardly able to express such enthusiasm I have for Harkness and her wonderful tale. Once again, she was able to submerge me into a tale that caused emotions to wax and wane in my soul.
With all the tears, joys, and laughs this book was able to get out of me, I thought the ending felt a tad bit rushed, and though I am grateful for the speed of the final chapters and how it sort of answered more questions while leaving the conclusions of the trilogy still to come, I feel I would have liked a bit more out of the characters in their reunions. With new characters being introduces slightly at the end, it left a lot of questions on what was going on. I understand that the last book in this trilogy would be what wrapped everything up, but I can’t help but feeling a little more should have been included about some of the characters that had been introduced. I will hold my breath on this matter though and wait to see how the trilogy ends.
I did find that Harkness was able to pin point things normal couples seem to be troubled with, such as jealousy and secrets, never mind should that couple have secret abilities or be of another entire species. I was overjoyed to see that even fictional characters could do something I see normal people due in reality without all the melodramatics that most romance novels and romantic comedies would have us believe. To watch the main characters have the differences, stand their ground, and even argue about things like secrets, other people, and insecurities makes it feel more at home. Not every romance should be almost perfect with a few flaws; Couples fight and through the power of love, the stay together. Even though they have chance to fall apart, it never ceases to amaze how simple communication, even between a d vampire and a witch, can make troubles and misunderstandings cease to exist. Even with the couple at ends at times, and the world seemingly against them, it was fun to watch them explore the world and themselves, if not to just become themselves more and learn how powerful love and trust could be.
I believe this book is 3 stars out of 4 stars for it rating. It is truly an amazing book and has the potential to stand alone, it is clear that without certain prior knowledges, a reader could get lost at the end of what is happening. Shadow of Night is as beautifully written as was A Discovery of Witches and I definitely would recommend it, if the person was will to start at the beginning with A Discovery of Witches. Luckily both can be bought on Amazon and in other places that sell books.
The details in the book are beautifully done and give a great visual to how it must have looked in 1590, where the main storyline is. The clothing style was accurate and there were a great many nods to our history. However, even though some of it remained factual, or close to, there was no denying that there was whole lot of fiction intertwined to help create the illusion that witches, vampires, and daemons exist. Harkness has a way with her facts and her words to create such a wonderful woven story to have the facts and the fictions mix that you could practically believe that it could all be true and we just would never know about it. I am again truly amazed by the story and how it seems to flow from the first book to the second book so flawlessly. I am hardly able to express such enthusiasm I have for Harkness and her wonderful tale. Once again, she was able to submerge me into a tale that caused emotions to wax and wane in my soul.
With all the tears, joys, and laughs this book was able to get out of me, I thought the ending felt a tad bit rushed, and though I am grateful for the speed of the final chapters and how it sort of answered more questions while leaving the conclusions of the trilogy still to come, I feel I would have liked a bit more out of the characters in their reunions. With new characters being introduces slightly at the end, it left a lot of questions on what was going on. I understand that the last book in this trilogy would be what wrapped everything up, but I can’t help but feeling a little more should have been included about some of the characters that had been introduced. I will hold my breath on this matter though and wait to see how the trilogy ends.
I did find that Harkness was able to pin point things normal couples seem to be troubled with, such as jealousy and secrets, never mind should that couple have secret abilities or be of another entire species. I was overjoyed to see that even fictional characters could do something I see normal people due in reality without all the melodramatics that most romance novels and romantic comedies would have us believe. To watch the main characters have the differences, stand their ground, and even argue about things like secrets, other people, and insecurities makes it feel more at home. Not every romance should be almost perfect with a few flaws; Couples fight and through the power of love, the stay together. Even though they have chance to fall apart, it never ceases to amaze how simple communication, even between a d vampire and a witch, can make troubles and misunderstandings cease to exist. Even with the couple at ends at times, and the world seemingly against them, it was fun to watch them explore the world and themselves, if not to just become themselves more and learn how powerful love and trust could be.
I believe this book is 3 stars out of 4 stars for it rating. It is truly an amazing book and has the potential to stand alone, it is clear that without certain prior knowledges, a reader could get lost at the end of what is happening. Shadow of Night is as beautifully written as was A Discovery of Witches and I definitely would recommend it, if the person was will to start at the beginning with A Discovery of Witches. Luckily both can be bought on Amazon and in other places that sell books.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated The Order in TV
Jul 6, 2020 (Updated Jul 6, 2020)
Don't Call Them Witches - 7/10
The Order is a 2019 supernatural horror/drama tv series created by Dennis Heaton and a team of writers including: Dennis Heaton, Shelley Eriksen, Rachel Langer, Jennica Harper, Penny Gummerson and Jason Filiatrault. The show was produced by Nomadic Pictures with producers Petros Danabassis, Jay Daniel Beechinor, and Morris Chapdelaine and released on Netflix in March. The shows stars Jake Manley, Sarah Grey, Matt Frewer, and Max Martini.
Thrust into a world of magic and monsters (werewolves), Jack Morten (Jake Manley) must pledge himself to a secret society so that he can avenge the death of his mother by their leader, Edward Coventry (Max Martini). His only family is his grandfather, "Pops" (Matt Frewer), the genius behind their plan for him to infiltrate the order and learn what he can to bring them down from the inside. Things go from bad to worse as he uncovers The Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose are practitioners of magic and someone or something is killing their pledges on campus. And more complications arise as he becomes enamoured with a higher ranking member Alyssa Drake (Sarah Grey) and a group of Knights whose mission is to stop evil magic users.
The Order is a decent show. I liked it alot but it was hard for me to get behind. It definitely has a lot of flaws and I can see a lot of people (like critics) tearing this show apart. That being said, I can't believe it has 100% on rotten tomatoes at this point or that it has been renewed for a second season. It was pretty slow building to me especially because I thought it was only going to be a secret society type show like the movie The Skulls but with a werewolf angle to it. I was very surprised when it was more about a magic secret society and later had a werewolf element to it. What I really didn't care for so much was the love theme to it that made me want to compare it to Twilight. You'll know what I'm talking about if you give it a chance. I really wanted to give this show a 6. There was a lot to hate in this show but it did get better towards the end. One thing the dialogue was full of cussing, which I didn't mind at all but it felt very amateurish. It made me laugh a lot but it also made me feel like the writers were in high school still. And I believe it's the main reason for the TV-MA rating. Which is another complaint I had. I don't think that for a rated TV-MA show, particularly a horror one, did they have enough violence, blood or gore. It felt very watered down to me in those respects. To me it seems like it was a cool idea, they had good actors who suffered from poor script and dialogue with a decent enough plot but a director(s) who were going for more of a Twilight vibe. As it gets farther into it did get better but barely got a 7 from me. As I write this I'm still contemplating whether to change my rating. It did do somethings quite well. They didn't mess up on the werewolves and even did them in a unique way and I appreciated the world building and
lore that they brought to them. Even the way they portrayed magic in the series was well done. I also generally liked the second half of the seasons' story arc and plot. I give this show a 7/10. I don't recommend it to anyone unless you were a big fan of the Twilight films or if you are just someone who watches anything with magic or werewolves.
Thrust into a world of magic and monsters (werewolves), Jack Morten (Jake Manley) must pledge himself to a secret society so that he can avenge the death of his mother by their leader, Edward Coventry (Max Martini). His only family is his grandfather, "Pops" (Matt Frewer), the genius behind their plan for him to infiltrate the order and learn what he can to bring them down from the inside. Things go from bad to worse as he uncovers The Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose are practitioners of magic and someone or something is killing their pledges on campus. And more complications arise as he becomes enamoured with a higher ranking member Alyssa Drake (Sarah Grey) and a group of Knights whose mission is to stop evil magic users.
The Order is a decent show. I liked it alot but it was hard for me to get behind. It definitely has a lot of flaws and I can see a lot of people (like critics) tearing this show apart. That being said, I can't believe it has 100% on rotten tomatoes at this point or that it has been renewed for a second season. It was pretty slow building to me especially because I thought it was only going to be a secret society type show like the movie The Skulls but with a werewolf angle to it. I was very surprised when it was more about a magic secret society and later had a werewolf element to it. What I really didn't care for so much was the love theme to it that made me want to compare it to Twilight. You'll know what I'm talking about if you give it a chance. I really wanted to give this show a 6. There was a lot to hate in this show but it did get better towards the end. One thing the dialogue was full of cussing, which I didn't mind at all but it felt very amateurish. It made me laugh a lot but it also made me feel like the writers were in high school still. And I believe it's the main reason for the TV-MA rating. Which is another complaint I had. I don't think that for a rated TV-MA show, particularly a horror one, did they have enough violence, blood or gore. It felt very watered down to me in those respects. To me it seems like it was a cool idea, they had good actors who suffered from poor script and dialogue with a decent enough plot but a director(s) who were going for more of a Twilight vibe. As it gets farther into it did get better but barely got a 7 from me. As I write this I'm still contemplating whether to change my rating. It did do somethings quite well. They didn't mess up on the werewolves and even did them in a unique way and I appreciated the world building and
lore that they brought to them. Even the way they portrayed magic in the series was well done. I also generally liked the second half of the seasons' story arc and plot. I give this show a 7/10. I don't recommend it to anyone unless you were a big fan of the Twilight films or if you are just someone who watches anything with magic or werewolves.
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Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The Modern Woman's Guide to Finding a Knight in Books
Feb 8, 2018
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com
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🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS
"The Modern Woman's Guide to Finding a Knight" by Anna Klein
Well Well Well!!! What a little gem this was.
And It's not very often I read a completely clean, no hanky-panky romance and actually enjoy it.
But this one just really appealed to me so I thought I would give it a chance.
And I'm so not joking folks, this is clean with a capital "C" there was one little kiss at the end of the book and it wasn't even a passion filled snog, just a sweet couple second smooch and you know what, it made my girly romantic heart go pitter-patter.
So "The Modern Woman's Guide to Finding a Knight" is a clean contemporary romance that features heavily around the Renaissance Faire.
Connie is a dressmaker in the week but come the weekend she is lady Constance,
Dominic is a software programmer in his day to day job, and in his leisure, he is Lord Justin competing in jousts and making his own armour.
After Dom saves Connie from a runaway vehicle he tracks her down to ask her out but lacking self-confidence he manages to get himself in a right muddle pretending to be his own best friend.
What follows is a very amusing tale full of twists, turns and even intrigue and it was such a delight to settle in and read.
Connie and Dominic are both such likeable characters.
Dom is so obviously completely smitten over Connie and Connie herself is so confused by her feelings for what she thinks is two men.
Also just have to mention Lucas the best friend, he was a hoot probably my favourite person in this story, he had all the best lines.
So "The Modern Woman's Guide to Finding a Knight" is a romance of old, it has a lovely old world feel to it, it shows a proper courtship between two imperfect people, both with a bucket load of insecurities to boot.
I was charmed all the way as Connie and dom found there own sweet HEA.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the Author for providing me with an arc of this book, this is my own honest opinion.
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Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.beckiebookworm.com
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/download_zpst8hof79o.png.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/download_zpst8hof79o.png~original"; border="0" alt=" photo download_zpst8hof79o.png"/></a>
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🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS
"The Modern Woman's Guide to Finding a Knight" by Anna Klein
Well Well Well!!! What a little gem this was.
And It's not very often I read a completely clean, no hanky-panky romance and actually enjoy it.
But this one just really appealed to me so I thought I would give it a chance.
And I'm so not joking folks, this is clean with a capital "C" there was one little kiss at the end of the book and it wasn't even a passion filled snog, just a sweet couple second smooch and you know what, it made my girly romantic heart go pitter-patter.
So "The Modern Woman's Guide to Finding a Knight" is a clean contemporary romance that features heavily around the Renaissance Faire.
Connie is a dressmaker in the week but come the weekend she is lady Constance,
Dominic is a software programmer in his day to day job, and in his leisure, he is Lord Justin competing in jousts and making his own armour.
After Dom saves Connie from a runaway vehicle he tracks her down to ask her out but lacking self-confidence he manages to get himself in a right muddle pretending to be his own best friend.
What follows is a very amusing tale full of twists, turns and even intrigue and it was such a delight to settle in and read.
Connie and Dominic are both such likeable characters.
Dom is so obviously completely smitten over Connie and Connie herself is so confused by her feelings for what she thinks is two men.
Also just have to mention Lucas the best friend, he was a hoot probably my favourite person in this story, he had all the best lines.
So "The Modern Woman's Guide to Finding a Knight" is a romance of old, it has a lovely old world feel to it, it shows a proper courtship between two imperfect people, both with a bucket load of insecurities to boot.
I was charmed all the way as Connie and dom found there own sweet HEA.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the Author for providing me with an arc of this book, this is my own honest opinion.
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/images%201_zpsizg6zdjz.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/images%201_zpsizg6zdjz.jpg~original"; border="0" alt=" photo images 1_zpsizg6zdjz.jpg"/></a>
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
Dana (24 KP) rated Twelfth Night: Texts and Contexts in Books
Mar 23, 2018
I am actually giving this play a 3.5 star review, not a 4 star review. This is the third or fourth time I have had to read this play; the second time for college alone. Oh, and this review may have spoilers to the plot of this play, so if by some chance you haven't read it yet and do not want to know any of the plot points, read at your own risk.
I used to absolutely love this play. It used to be one of my favorite Shakespearean comedies, but I think I've had to study it so many times that I'm getting tired of it.
The class that I am reading it for, my Approaches to Shakespeare class, is really fun. I feel like I am going to start liking the book more the more I study it in this class because we are not just reading it for plot. The first day we were studying it, we went line by line for the first scene and talked about the various possible meanings each word could have meant and that was so much fun to me!
Also, I love the title: Twelfth Night: Or What You Will. It makes Shakespeare seem like he's saying, "Twelfth Night: Or Whatever." I don't know why, but that cracks me up.
I love looking at a text in a new way, and this class is definitely doing that. We are looking at dress and identity, sexuality and identity, the nature of love, setting the scene, the problem of Malvolio, and clown and comedy in the next few weeks that we are studying the play. I think my favorite parts to study are going to be the dress and identity and the problem of Malvolio.
Dress and identity are main aspects of the play. I mean, the entire think is about mistaken identities and disguises, so of course that would be heavily shown throughout the play. But even with this, we are going to look at connections within the characters to see if there are even more layers to this.
The problem of Malvolio is also very important. He is the loose cannon of this play because he does not necessarily fit with the comedic structure. Most of the time in comedies, everything is wrapped up and everyone is happy, but not in this comedy. In this, he seeks revenge on those who messed with him, but why did Shakespeare go so dark with this ending? Especially since he did not do this for the other comedies. That is what I can't wait to find out in my class.
I may do an update after we finish studying this book just in case I get an answer for that question, but that will only be seen in the future.
Overall, this play will always have a place in my heart, but I need to see if time will let it come back to the higher spot it used to have before.
I used to absolutely love this play. It used to be one of my favorite Shakespearean comedies, but I think I've had to study it so many times that I'm getting tired of it.
The class that I am reading it for, my Approaches to Shakespeare class, is really fun. I feel like I am going to start liking the book more the more I study it in this class because we are not just reading it for plot. The first day we were studying it, we went line by line for the first scene and talked about the various possible meanings each word could have meant and that was so much fun to me!
Also, I love the title: Twelfth Night: Or What You Will. It makes Shakespeare seem like he's saying, "Twelfth Night: Or Whatever." I don't know why, but that cracks me up.
I love looking at a text in a new way, and this class is definitely doing that. We are looking at dress and identity, sexuality and identity, the nature of love, setting the scene, the problem of Malvolio, and clown and comedy in the next few weeks that we are studying the play. I think my favorite parts to study are going to be the dress and identity and the problem of Malvolio.
Dress and identity are main aspects of the play. I mean, the entire think is about mistaken identities and disguises, so of course that would be heavily shown throughout the play. But even with this, we are going to look at connections within the characters to see if there are even more layers to this.
The problem of Malvolio is also very important. He is the loose cannon of this play because he does not necessarily fit with the comedic structure. Most of the time in comedies, everything is wrapped up and everyone is happy, but not in this comedy. In this, he seeks revenge on those who messed with him, but why did Shakespeare go so dark with this ending? Especially since he did not do this for the other comedies. That is what I can't wait to find out in my class.
I may do an update after we finish studying this book just in case I get an answer for that question, but that will only be seen in the future.
Overall, this play will always have a place in my heart, but I need to see if time will let it come back to the higher spot it used to have before.
Rat (1 KP) rated Peaky Blinders - Season 1 in TV
Mar 28, 2018
Forget everything you think you know about period drama
It would be easy to dismiss Peaky Blinders as just a British drama. It would be easy to dismiss it as just a period piece. It would be easy to claim that it was just a British Boardwalk Empire. You'd be so wrong to do so.
Every part of Peaky Blinders is perfection. From the superb acting of its regular cast (Cillian Murphy on a tv show? Sign me up!) to a roster of featured guests (Sam Neill? Tom Hardy? Adrien Brody? Who did the casting director sell their soul to, anyway?) to the use of colour and an outlaw music soundtrack that shouldn't work, but does (Nick Cave? PJ Harvey? Tom Waits? David Bowie? On a period drama? What is this? Freaking genius, that's what.)
Shortly after the end of the first World War, a family of Irish gypsy (their word, not mine) - blooded Birmingham bookmakers tries to recover from the horrors of that war and build up their business. Second oldest, Tommy Shelby (played expertly by Cillian Murphy who manages to play a gangster who is both ruthless and fragile with the ability to break your heart with a single look), came back from the war broken by his experiences, but determined to rise far beyond the limitations of his Small Heath upbringing. Not only does he have the expected clashes with those who want to keep him from growing his business (both criminal rivals and the police) but he has a family to run (with all the interpersonal conflicts that entails). All of this is set against a backdrop of political turmoil from the IRA and the rise of communist sympathy in the UK.
You shouldn't like Tommy Shelby, but he is written and acted so well that you won't be able to not like him. The same can be said for older brother, Arthur, younger siblings John, Ada, and Finn. If you don't love Aunt Polly, then you must have a problem with strong female characters.
Steven Knight has taken a world told to him through family legend and turned it into a world that you will be eager to inhabit an hour (or, if you're like everyone I know, a season) at a time. He writes a period drama that doesn't feel dated. The characters and their struggles are as relevant today as they were nearly a hundred years ago.
Take a chance on the show with the weird name and discover why there are very few casual Peaky Blinders fans. There's a reason why the late, great David Bowie was a huge fan and made sure that they would have a song from his last album before he died. There's a reason the show's dated fashion and hairstyles are making a comeback, why Peaky Blinders pubs and pub nights are popping up all over. It's that good. Check it out for yourself.
Every part of Peaky Blinders is perfection. From the superb acting of its regular cast (Cillian Murphy on a tv show? Sign me up!) to a roster of featured guests (Sam Neill? Tom Hardy? Adrien Brody? Who did the casting director sell their soul to, anyway?) to the use of colour and an outlaw music soundtrack that shouldn't work, but does (Nick Cave? PJ Harvey? Tom Waits? David Bowie? On a period drama? What is this? Freaking genius, that's what.)
Shortly after the end of the first World War, a family of Irish gypsy (their word, not mine) - blooded Birmingham bookmakers tries to recover from the horrors of that war and build up their business. Second oldest, Tommy Shelby (played expertly by Cillian Murphy who manages to play a gangster who is both ruthless and fragile with the ability to break your heart with a single look), came back from the war broken by his experiences, but determined to rise far beyond the limitations of his Small Heath upbringing. Not only does he have the expected clashes with those who want to keep him from growing his business (both criminal rivals and the police) but he has a family to run (with all the interpersonal conflicts that entails). All of this is set against a backdrop of political turmoil from the IRA and the rise of communist sympathy in the UK.
You shouldn't like Tommy Shelby, but he is written and acted so well that you won't be able to not like him. The same can be said for older brother, Arthur, younger siblings John, Ada, and Finn. If you don't love Aunt Polly, then you must have a problem with strong female characters.
Steven Knight has taken a world told to him through family legend and turned it into a world that you will be eager to inhabit an hour (or, if you're like everyone I know, a season) at a time. He writes a period drama that doesn't feel dated. The characters and their struggles are as relevant today as they were nearly a hundred years ago.
Take a chance on the show with the weird name and discover why there are very few casual Peaky Blinders fans. There's a reason why the late, great David Bowie was a huge fan and made sure that they would have a song from his last album before he died. There's a reason the show's dated fashion and hairstyles are making a comeback, why Peaky Blinders pubs and pub nights are popping up all over. It's that good. Check it out for yourself.
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated The Subway Girls in Books
Jul 9, 2018
Charming, interesting and Girl Power!
Soooo charming and loads of girl power!!
The Subway Girls had me roped in from the second I heard about the story. Being in advertising, having lived in Brooklyn, and ALL about being a strong, independent and confident chick - I soared through this book and cannot believe I didn't know about this campaign before! Now, I'm gobbling up every book and article across the internet about it!
The Miss Subways campaign was basically a beauty/modeling contest, which translated into posters of beautiful women splashed across subway as advertising to encourage New Yorkers to ride. But it was also so much more than that. It opened doors for these women, when there weren't many available. Some went on to modeling careers, while others went back to their quiet lives at home with their family - thrilled to have such an exciting experience, even if just once in their lives. One contestant even received 278 marriage proposals!
The book is told by two women: one in the past, one present day. Both strong and ambitious, trying to find and make their way in the world. A world as we know - basically ruled by men.
Charlotte, dreams of a career in advertising - not an easy feat in the 1940's for a woman. Her boyfriend Sam supports her ambitions, while her family, for the most part - does not. She strives to get into any position at these prestigious firms, but when her efforts fail, she aims for a new way of achieving opportunity - the Miss Subways contest. Swept up in the whirlwind of beauty contests, meeting glamorous new friends, all the while fighting with her father - her struggle between doing what's expected of her and what is in her heart threatens to upend all her dreams.
Fast forward 70 years to Olivia, an advertising exec workaholic, desperate for a normal family and steady, loving relationship. While just like Charlotte - she has lofty ambitions to make her mark in the world - but struggles to make herself shine in a (still, of course!) man's world. When Olivia's firm gets a chance to land the NYC subways account - she dives into researching the history of the Miss Subways campaign. The juxtaposition of these two amazing women's lives is so clever and interesting!
I totally understand the personal and professional juggle struggle! And also the strength it takes to accomplish some things that come WAY easier in this world to men. The power of the story in this book is pleasantly overwhelming and so creatively done. I fell in love with Charlotte, her spunk and determination. And Olivia's history is a bit painful, but she never gives up. The girl power is real here, and I loved the story from beginning to end!
The Subway Girls had me roped in from the second I heard about the story. Being in advertising, having lived in Brooklyn, and ALL about being a strong, independent and confident chick - I soared through this book and cannot believe I didn't know about this campaign before! Now, I'm gobbling up every book and article across the internet about it!
The Miss Subways campaign was basically a beauty/modeling contest, which translated into posters of beautiful women splashed across subway as advertising to encourage New Yorkers to ride. But it was also so much more than that. It opened doors for these women, when there weren't many available. Some went on to modeling careers, while others went back to their quiet lives at home with their family - thrilled to have such an exciting experience, even if just once in their lives. One contestant even received 278 marriage proposals!
The book is told by two women: one in the past, one present day. Both strong and ambitious, trying to find and make their way in the world. A world as we know - basically ruled by men.
Charlotte, dreams of a career in advertising - not an easy feat in the 1940's for a woman. Her boyfriend Sam supports her ambitions, while her family, for the most part - does not. She strives to get into any position at these prestigious firms, but when her efforts fail, she aims for a new way of achieving opportunity - the Miss Subways contest. Swept up in the whirlwind of beauty contests, meeting glamorous new friends, all the while fighting with her father - her struggle between doing what's expected of her and what is in her heart threatens to upend all her dreams.
Fast forward 70 years to Olivia, an advertising exec workaholic, desperate for a normal family and steady, loving relationship. While just like Charlotte - she has lofty ambitions to make her mark in the world - but struggles to make herself shine in a (still, of course!) man's world. When Olivia's firm gets a chance to land the NYC subways account - she dives into researching the history of the Miss Subways campaign. The juxtaposition of these two amazing women's lives is so clever and interesting!
I totally understand the personal and professional juggle struggle! And also the strength it takes to accomplish some things that come WAY easier in this world to men. The power of the story in this book is pleasantly overwhelming and so creatively done. I fell in love with Charlotte, her spunk and determination. And Olivia's history is a bit painful, but she never gives up. The girl power is real here, and I loved the story from beginning to end!
