Search
Anti-Black Racism in Early Modern English Drama: The Other Other
Book
This is the first book to deploy the methods and ensemble of questions from Afro-pessimism to engage...
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated If I'm Being Honest in Books
Jan 6, 2021
This review and more can be found at my blog https://aromancereadersreviews.blogspot.com
A Romance Reader's Reviews
This starts with Cameron eating lunch with her two best friends and trying to do her Econ coursework. They start chatting about a party where Cameron's crush, Andrew, will be at the weekend and she plans to tell him she likes him. But things don't go great when they get interrupted and Cameron is really horrible to them, causing Andrew to call her a b*tch. She decides to try and publicly apologise to the girl who interrupted them and do it in front of Andrew but the girl points out something obvious and things get worse with Andrew. She then decides to make a list of people she needs to apologise to and tries to figure out how.
I actually got really into this staying up until midnight last night to get to the 80% mark. I was drawn in by Cameron and the journey she went on from just being brutally honest and a bit of a b*tch to someone who enjoyed being friends and spending time with the less popular crowd. It was a great read and Cameron's internal thinking was interesting.
Cameron and Brendan were super cute. They had quite a lot in common and I found myself rooting for them from early on. I'll admit I had a little cry at a few bits. Some of the tears were for Cameron in regards to her dad, and some were for her and Brendan when he took something the wrong way and I felt as wounded as Cameron did.
I've read this is based on The Taming of the Shrew but I'm not that big a fan of Shakespeare so I can't compare as I've never read the book/seen the play but Cameron's views on it helped me understand it a lot more.
I'd enjoy reading more books from this writing duo.
A Romance Reader's Reviews
This starts with Cameron eating lunch with her two best friends and trying to do her Econ coursework. They start chatting about a party where Cameron's crush, Andrew, will be at the weekend and she plans to tell him she likes him. But things don't go great when they get interrupted and Cameron is really horrible to them, causing Andrew to call her a b*tch. She decides to try and publicly apologise to the girl who interrupted them and do it in front of Andrew but the girl points out something obvious and things get worse with Andrew. She then decides to make a list of people she needs to apologise to and tries to figure out how.
I actually got really into this staying up until midnight last night to get to the 80% mark. I was drawn in by Cameron and the journey she went on from just being brutally honest and a bit of a b*tch to someone who enjoyed being friends and spending time with the less popular crowd. It was a great read and Cameron's internal thinking was interesting.
Cameron and Brendan were super cute. They had quite a lot in common and I found myself rooting for them from early on. I'll admit I had a little cry at a few bits. Some of the tears were for Cameron in regards to her dad, and some were for her and Brendan when he took something the wrong way and I felt as wounded as Cameron did.
I've read this is based on The Taming of the Shrew but I'm not that big a fan of Shakespeare so I can't compare as I've never read the book/seen the play but Cameron's views on it helped me understand it a lot more.
I'd enjoy reading more books from this writing duo.
Erika (17789 KP) rated Hamnet in Books
Jan 10, 2021
Hamnet was the 1st book I read in 2020 that was named after the son, but, in reality, the entire book is about the mother.
Hamnet is the story of an little, unknown playwright's son, who died of the plague. Just kidding, the playwright is obviously Shakespeare, but he is never named. Which is fine with me, he wasn't the focus.
Nothing much is really known about Hamnet, the author did some extensive research, and created the series of events. I thought they were all plausible, and I always appreciate a heavily researched historical fiction novel.
In truth, the focus of the novel is on Anne Hathaway, called Agnes in this novel. It's possible her true name was Agnes, rather than Anne. Now, I had a slight problem with the character of Agnes in general. This was the major negative in the book for me, I feel as though the woman in the woods, is she or isn't she a witch situation is getting overplayed way too much. Now, I see it as the equivalent as the manic pixie dream girl. I understand this woman of the woods trope is to empower the female characters, but it's just too familiar at this point.
I feel mostly that every book I read is predictable, when you read over 100 books a year, it's hard not to predict the ending. Is it necessarily a bad thing? Of course it's not, but that coupled with the manic pixie woman of the woods is why I can't rate this higher than good.
I have to add that one of my favorite parts, that was probably really unnecessary, was the journey of the plague-carrying flea. I thought it was amusing, and kind of odd.
I can definitely see why this book was up for prizes, and I'm sure to the casual reader, it was better than good.
Hamnet is the story of an little, unknown playwright's son, who died of the plague. Just kidding, the playwright is obviously Shakespeare, but he is never named. Which is fine with me, he wasn't the focus.
Nothing much is really known about Hamnet, the author did some extensive research, and created the series of events. I thought they were all plausible, and I always appreciate a heavily researched historical fiction novel.
In truth, the focus of the novel is on Anne Hathaway, called Agnes in this novel. It's possible her true name was Agnes, rather than Anne. Now, I had a slight problem with the character of Agnes in general. This was the major negative in the book for me, I feel as though the woman in the woods, is she or isn't she a witch situation is getting overplayed way too much. Now, I see it as the equivalent as the manic pixie dream girl. I understand this woman of the woods trope is to empower the female characters, but it's just too familiar at this point.
I feel mostly that every book I read is predictable, when you read over 100 books a year, it's hard not to predict the ending. Is it necessarily a bad thing? Of course it's not, but that coupled with the manic pixie woman of the woods is why I can't rate this higher than good.
I have to add that one of my favorite parts, that was probably really unnecessary, was the journey of the plague-carrying flea. I thought it was amusing, and kind of odd.
I can definitely see why this book was up for prizes, and I'm sure to the casual reader, it was better than good.
Becs (244 KP) rated Words That Kill in Books
Oct 2, 2019
I’ve always had a thing for poetry and have loved every single poetry collection that I have gotten my hands on. My husband got me Words That Kill by Vivid Vega for this past Christmas. When I started to read it, I couldn’t put it down, it was just so good and so emotional. But I eventually had to take a break because it was starting to mess with me. There are not many poetry collections that touch on the mental health subject and I’m glad that there is now one available to the public.
Genre: Mental Health, Young Adult
Audience: Young Adult but also mature audiences as well
Reading level: Middle to High School
Interests: Depression, Mental Health, Anxiety, Suicide, Abuse, Hope, and Love.
Style: Light to hard – depending on the person.
Point of view: First person
Difficulty reading: Very easy to read but be warned, it does make you very emotional.
Promise: Words That Kill promises a poetry collection that talks about mental health and it delivers.
Quality: I believe everybody should read this even if they haven’t dealt with mental health.
Insights: Not taking the grammatical and spelling errors, the poems were a lot lighter to read compared to Rupi Kuar or even Shakespeare.
Ah-Ha Moment: There wasn’t really a moment where I went ‘Ah yea, that’s the turning point’. This is only because it wasn’t really a story, more of a poem that brings memories of the past back to life.
Favorite quote: “There is no need to hide in the shade, the light will come and your pain will fade.” – This is a great representation of how depression works. You have your good and your bad moments.
Aesthetics: The thing that drew me to the book in the first place, minus the topic of mental health of course, was the fact that the entire book is white words on an entirely black background. I’ve never seen a book have that aesthetically pleasing style and I love it!
“Like a flower, I will bloom again – depression.”
Genre: Mental Health, Young Adult
Audience: Young Adult but also mature audiences as well
Reading level: Middle to High School
Interests: Depression, Mental Health, Anxiety, Suicide, Abuse, Hope, and Love.
Style: Light to hard – depending on the person.
Point of view: First person
Difficulty reading: Very easy to read but be warned, it does make you very emotional.
Promise: Words That Kill promises a poetry collection that talks about mental health and it delivers.
Quality: I believe everybody should read this even if they haven’t dealt with mental health.
Insights: Not taking the grammatical and spelling errors, the poems were a lot lighter to read compared to Rupi Kuar or even Shakespeare.
Ah-Ha Moment: There wasn’t really a moment where I went ‘Ah yea, that’s the turning point’. This is only because it wasn’t really a story, more of a poem that brings memories of the past back to life.
Favorite quote: “There is no need to hide in the shade, the light will come and your pain will fade.” – This is a great representation of how depression works. You have your good and your bad moments.
Aesthetics: The thing that drew me to the book in the first place, minus the topic of mental health of course, was the fact that the entire book is white words on an entirely black background. I’ve never seen a book have that aesthetically pleasing style and I love it!
“Like a flower, I will bloom again – depression.”
New Kid In Town
7.0
Rate It
Book
Liv, Jude and Kat are greater than the sum of their parts. Separately they are Brainy, Sporty and...
The Oxford Book of English Verse
Book
Here is a treasure-house of over seven centuries of English poetry, chosen and introduced by...
Humiliation: And Other Essays on Honor, Social Discomfort and Violence
Book
How do we feel when our friend turns up with a holiday present and we have nothing ready to give in...
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Star Trek VI - The Undiscovered Country (1991) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
“Star Trek is not bloody Shakespeare” – – I’m sure someone has said that at some point (probably, my wife!). But here, it is! The late Christopher Plummer comes roaring into the series joyfully quoting the great bard (from the original Klingon version!).
Trek got firmly back in the fast lane again with this movie. The fun was back! David Warner becomes the only character to date to appear in two consecutive Trek films as different characters (with curiously Michael Dorn becoming the next – see below!). He gets a meatier part this time though. But he – and indeed everyone else – is upstaged by Plummer’s marvellously over-the-top performance.
Iman is memorable as a cigar-smoking shape-shifting alien, leading to some wonderful Kirk-on-Kirk action, and the delivery of one of the best lines of comedy in the series: surprisingly self-deprecating for the normally ego-centric Shatner. There’s also a welcome call-back to the ‘Kirk gets the girl’ joke of the original series, which you realise, with a shock, has been completely missing from all of the previous movie outings.
There are also a nice range of cameo appearances in here. Christian Slater – a lifelong Trek-fan – has a bit part: apparently he framed, rather than cashed, his cheque! And Michael Dorn – already playing Worf in “The Next Generation”, and to appear as Worf in the next movie – plays Worf’s grandfather, a Klingon defence attorney!
But my favourite piece of trivia relates to a completely different film. Al Pacino was filming “Frankie and Johnny” in the studio at the same time, and a scene (sadly cut from the final film) called for Pacino to look surprised after opening a door. So director Garry Marshall arranged for Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley in full Star Trek costume, to be standing behind the door when he opened it. (Garry Marshall quote here). Love it!
Trek got firmly back in the fast lane again with this movie. The fun was back! David Warner becomes the only character to date to appear in two consecutive Trek films as different characters (with curiously Michael Dorn becoming the next – see below!). He gets a meatier part this time though. But he – and indeed everyone else – is upstaged by Plummer’s marvellously over-the-top performance.
Iman is memorable as a cigar-smoking shape-shifting alien, leading to some wonderful Kirk-on-Kirk action, and the delivery of one of the best lines of comedy in the series: surprisingly self-deprecating for the normally ego-centric Shatner. There’s also a welcome call-back to the ‘Kirk gets the girl’ joke of the original series, which you realise, with a shock, has been completely missing from all of the previous movie outings.
There are also a nice range of cameo appearances in here. Christian Slater – a lifelong Trek-fan – has a bit part: apparently he framed, rather than cashed, his cheque! And Michael Dorn – already playing Worf in “The Next Generation”, and to appear as Worf in the next movie – plays Worf’s grandfather, a Klingon defence attorney!
But my favourite piece of trivia relates to a completely different film. Al Pacino was filming “Frankie and Johnny” in the studio at the same time, and a scene (sadly cut from the final film) called for Pacino to look surprised after opening a door. So director Garry Marshall arranged for Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley in full Star Trek costume, to be standing behind the door when he opened it. (Garry Marshall quote here). Love it!
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Fast & Furious (2009) in Movies
Feb 25, 2019
Back on track
The best way to describe Fast & Furious would be as a guilty pleasure. There's nothing to lend weight to this film as a great work, an Oscar contender or a movie worthy of critical acclaim, but there something about this, as there was with the first, The Fast And The Furious, back in 2001.
Rob Cohen has never been known for subtlety and his 2001 film was far from it, but even even though he had nothing to do with this, his stamp is well and truly on it. Fast & Furious is the fourth in this surprising successful franchise, and besides the fact that I liked the original in spite of the fact that I'm NOT a motor-head, I've avoided the intervening sequels, 2 fast, 2 Furious and Tokyo Drift, for one simple reason, besides the fact that just didn't fancy them.
No Vin Diesel. I'm not suggesting that Vin is the greatest actor in the Hollywood, nor should be treading the boards of the Royal Shakespeare Company anytime soon, but his blockhead with a heart of gold persona works for me. He's likable and suits this role down to a tee, as does his dimwitted surfer dude sidekick, Paul Walker.
Walker offers nothing significant to the film except for his relationship with Diesel. The pairing is enjoyable but little more, but isn't that the point of adrenalin films like this? This is about cars, women, cops and robbers, and great fun to boot. The tone of this movie is on par with Cohen's original and though I can't justifiably compare this to the sequels which I have never seen, I don't want too either. This is the sequel that 2 Fast should have been and I only hope that now they're back on track, that Fast & Furious 5 could be another romp worthy of a watch.
It's nice to see a franchise go off track and find its feet again after so many years and it is a testament to the original cast who, though only have a limited range, have clearly breathed life back into the franchise.
Rob Cohen has never been known for subtlety and his 2001 film was far from it, but even even though he had nothing to do with this, his stamp is well and truly on it. Fast & Furious is the fourth in this surprising successful franchise, and besides the fact that I liked the original in spite of the fact that I'm NOT a motor-head, I've avoided the intervening sequels, 2 fast, 2 Furious and Tokyo Drift, for one simple reason, besides the fact that just didn't fancy them.
No Vin Diesel. I'm not suggesting that Vin is the greatest actor in the Hollywood, nor should be treading the boards of the Royal Shakespeare Company anytime soon, but his blockhead with a heart of gold persona works for me. He's likable and suits this role down to a tee, as does his dimwitted surfer dude sidekick, Paul Walker.
Walker offers nothing significant to the film except for his relationship with Diesel. The pairing is enjoyable but little more, but isn't that the point of adrenalin films like this? This is about cars, women, cops and robbers, and great fun to boot. The tone of this movie is on par with Cohen's original and though I can't justifiably compare this to the sequels which I have never seen, I don't want too either. This is the sequel that 2 Fast should have been and I only hope that now they're back on track, that Fast & Furious 5 could be another romp worthy of a watch.
It's nice to see a franchise go off track and find its feet again after so many years and it is a testament to the original cast who, though only have a limited range, have clearly breathed life back into the franchise.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Stranger Diaries in Books
Apr 4, 2019 (Updated May 21, 2019)
Oh I love Elly Griffiths so much, and I was incredibly excited to win this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. It was so good! It's told in various points of view, including Clare's and that of Harbinder, an incredibly awesome Sikh lesbian Detective Constable. I mean... so cool. Harbinder attended Talgarth High in the past, so her former schooling memories are aligned with the current case.
The book gets off to an engaging start from the beginning. It's creepy and interesting from page one and never stops. We get pieces of R.M. Holland's story "The Stranger" interwoven in our story, too, and have to figure out how it aligns to the tale unfolding before our eyes. In fact, the book is very literary, which is really fun, especially if you're a book nerd like me. Lots of little Easter eggs thrown in, almost: bits of Shakespeare and more throughout.
Griffiths is just so darn good at writing her characters. Clare and Harbinder are both so uniquely "them" and different from each other from the get-go. I was completely engrossed in the story and caught up in their lives, even Clare's and honestly, she can be a little self-absorbed at times. It's hard not to appear that way when you're reading excerpts from someone's journals. Clare has a daughter, too, and we also learn about others in the English department who worked with Clare. Truly, the British education system is its own mystery to me, though I'm slowly learning about it through many English novels!
This novel is an excellent mystery and incorporates creepy Gothic undertones. I couldn't help but get a little spooked when Clare was discovering writing that wasn't hers in her journal. Even better, it's just so good and well-written! It kept me guessing the entire time, and putting all the pieces together down the finish line was fun. I literally had no idea who had done it--it was incredibly well-done!
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. The characters are great, the plot is befuddling and exciting--it's a wonderful mystery! Highly recommend.
The book gets off to an engaging start from the beginning. It's creepy and interesting from page one and never stops. We get pieces of R.M. Holland's story "The Stranger" interwoven in our story, too, and have to figure out how it aligns to the tale unfolding before our eyes. In fact, the book is very literary, which is really fun, especially if you're a book nerd like me. Lots of little Easter eggs thrown in, almost: bits of Shakespeare and more throughout.
Griffiths is just so darn good at writing her characters. Clare and Harbinder are both so uniquely "them" and different from each other from the get-go. I was completely engrossed in the story and caught up in their lives, even Clare's and honestly, she can be a little self-absorbed at times. It's hard not to appear that way when you're reading excerpts from someone's journals. Clare has a daughter, too, and we also learn about others in the English department who worked with Clare. Truly, the British education system is its own mystery to me, though I'm slowly learning about it through many English novels!
This novel is an excellent mystery and incorporates creepy Gothic undertones. I couldn't help but get a little spooked when Clare was discovering writing that wasn't hers in her journal. Even better, it's just so good and well-written! It kept me guessing the entire time, and putting all the pieces together down the finish line was fun. I literally had no idea who had done it--it was incredibly well-done!
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. The characters are great, the plot is befuddling and exciting--it's a wonderful mystery! Highly recommend.