Search
Search results
Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Graveyard Book in Books
Oct 7, 2019
An interesting tale
My biggest criticism about this book is that it has been written for kids, or young adults, and I feel like this is a big shame as it could have been pretty terrifying. But aside from the fairly creepy first chapter, it falls just a little short of being actually scary (at least for a fully grown adult).
But that doesn't mean it's not a good book, because it is and it's such a wonderful idea for a story. I found it well paced and intriguing, with a lot of interesting characters although j do wish we'd have seen more of some of them. There is a certain lack of threat even considering the death theme, aside for the ghoul gate episode, but this is still such an enjoyable read that this doesn't really matter.
But that doesn't mean it's not a good book, because it is and it's such a wonderful idea for a story. I found it well paced and intriguing, with a lot of interesting characters although j do wish we'd have seen more of some of them. There is a certain lack of threat even considering the death theme, aside for the ghoul gate episode, but this is still such an enjoyable read that this doesn't really matter.
Actual Sunlight
Games
App
Actual Sunlight is a short interactive story about love, depression and the corporation. “I know...
The Botanist (The Sin Bin #2.5)
9.5
Rate It
Book
When mistaken identity leads a young botanist into trouble, Navy SEALs come to the rescue. Aled...
M_M Contemporary Romance
Calling My Name
4.0
Rate It
Book
Calling My Name, by debut author Liara Tamani, is a striking, luminous, and literary exploration of...
young adult
Marvel's Jessica Jones
8.1
Rate It
TV Show
This Netflix original chronicles the life of one of the darker Marvel characters, the mysterious...
Gareth von Kallenbach (974 KP) rated Kill the Messenger (2014) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
For those of you who don’t know the true story behind Kill the Messenger I won’t spoil anything for you in this review. I will just review the movie in general terms and talk about the performances.
The very basic premise that you pick up from seeing any trailers for this movie is that Kill the Messenger is about a reporter from a San Jose news paper that breaks a huge story that puts him in the national spot light and possibly in danger.
Jeremy Renner who plays the main character is fantastic in his role and really carries the movie as he has proven being very capable of in other great movies. He is so believable in his role. You really care about his character almost from the beginning and from then on out you are totally bought in. Renner has that “it” factor that makes you root so hard for him no matter what role he is playing in. He’s just a really likable guy.
The story is real and I knew the basics, so there really were no shocking moments but the movie still does a great job of telling a compelling tale. The pacing is good but still has the dramatic pauses and uncomfortable moments that all dramas need. The movie runs about 2 hours and it feels perfect, not too long or short.
For the most part the supporting actors fade away around Renner, but Rosemarie DeWitt who plays the spouse of the main character put in a solid performance. There are some miss steps such as watching Andy Garcia trying way to hard to act and a small part for Ray Liotta in the only underacted role in his entire career. Liotta is typically a scene stealer and even he wasn’t able to take the shine off of Renner.
Ultimately this isn’t the best drama this season, but its a great story that deserved the true Hollywood treatment and it got what it deserved with this film. I never looked at my watch during the entire movie. I just sat back, had a cold drink and a bag of popcorn and really enjoyed watching the story unfold.
Well told story, solid acting, good pacing, Jeremy Renner, go see it.
http://sknr.net/2014/10/10/kill-messenger/
The very basic premise that you pick up from seeing any trailers for this movie is that Kill the Messenger is about a reporter from a San Jose news paper that breaks a huge story that puts him in the national spot light and possibly in danger.
Jeremy Renner who plays the main character is fantastic in his role and really carries the movie as he has proven being very capable of in other great movies. He is so believable in his role. You really care about his character almost from the beginning and from then on out you are totally bought in. Renner has that “it” factor that makes you root so hard for him no matter what role he is playing in. He’s just a really likable guy.
The story is real and I knew the basics, so there really were no shocking moments but the movie still does a great job of telling a compelling tale. The pacing is good but still has the dramatic pauses and uncomfortable moments that all dramas need. The movie runs about 2 hours and it feels perfect, not too long or short.
For the most part the supporting actors fade away around Renner, but Rosemarie DeWitt who plays the spouse of the main character put in a solid performance. There are some miss steps such as watching Andy Garcia trying way to hard to act and a small part for Ray Liotta in the only underacted role in his entire career. Liotta is typically a scene stealer and even he wasn’t able to take the shine off of Renner.
Ultimately this isn’t the best drama this season, but its a great story that deserved the true Hollywood treatment and it got what it deserved with this film. I never looked at my watch during the entire movie. I just sat back, had a cold drink and a bag of popcorn and really enjoyed watching the story unfold.
Well told story, solid acting, good pacing, Jeremy Renner, go see it.
http://sknr.net/2014/10/10/kill-messenger/
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Dear Child in Books
Sep 24, 2020 (Updated Oct 8, 2020)
It is worth reading.
This novel is told from multiple perspectives, and we have three people who are sharing their sides of the story. First of all, it is a woman, who ran away from the cabin. She is sharing her story during the time inside, as well as how she is coping now. She is a really disturbed woman, who went through a lot, and I found her story very engrossing and absorbing. The second character is Hannah, one of the children, that were kept in that cabin. She is on the spectrum of Autism, and she sees her life through a completely different perspective than the woman that was held captive. Hannah is a perfectionist, and the cabin with all the rules imposed by the captor are her norms, so she finds very hard to open up about her life, but when she does, I could not stop reading her parts. The last character would be Matthias, Lena’s father. For me he was the least interesting character of all, I could not understand his role in all this story, but he does have few tricks up his sleeve.
The narrative of this book is pure beauty. It has everything that my thriller loving heart could wish for, the twists and turns left me gobsmacked on many occasions, the suspense was very well placed and kept developing throughout the pages, and I was so absorbed in this novel, that the pages just flew by. The topics discussed in this novel were an obsession, controlling personalities, blind fatherly love, denial, post-traumatic disorder and other mental illnesses, and many more.
The book was set in Germany, and I was very intrigued by the way German police were working. I really liked the writing style of this book, we have the very intense parts with Hannah and the woman in the cabin, as well as calmer ones with Matthias, that created the perfect balance. The chapters are short, so the book was easy to read for me. The ending was amazing and I really enjoyed how this book ended, it did answer my questions and rounded this story very well. I would like to mention, that this book has plenty of violent and disturbing parts, so it might not be very suitable to sensitive readers.
The narrative of this book is pure beauty. It has everything that my thriller loving heart could wish for, the twists and turns left me gobsmacked on many occasions, the suspense was very well placed and kept developing throughout the pages, and I was so absorbed in this novel, that the pages just flew by. The topics discussed in this novel were an obsession, controlling personalities, blind fatherly love, denial, post-traumatic disorder and other mental illnesses, and many more.
The book was set in Germany, and I was very intrigued by the way German police were working. I really liked the writing style of this book, we have the very intense parts with Hannah and the woman in the cabin, as well as calmer ones with Matthias, that created the perfect balance. The chapters are short, so the book was easy to read for me. The ending was amazing and I really enjoyed how this book ended, it did answer my questions and rounded this story very well. I would like to mention, that this book has plenty of violent and disturbing parts, so it might not be very suitable to sensitive readers.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated 19 Souls in Books
Sep 24, 2020
I really liked the cover of this book, I think it is simple but at the same time it is dark and mysterious, and I knew it is going to bring a good story to read.
The protagonist of this story is Jim Bean, a private investigator, who was summoned by a female customer (Sophie) to find her brother. But when he starts his investigation, he uncovers so many surprises, that gets him into great trouble. Now, he has to protect the person, whom he was looking for…
I really loved the characters chosen for this book, all of them are very intriguing and charismatic personalities, and the author has done a great job by developing them throughout the book. The story is told from a dual perspective: Jim’s and Sophie’s. I really liked reading all the details about Jim’s investigation, and where the evidence took him. I liked that he had to visit some dark and dangerous places to get his information, and I was really sucked in with all the unexpected twists and turns which Allen incorporated into the story. I absolutely loved Sophie’s parts, I think she is such an interesting and delusional character, and to read her thoughts and plans was an absolute treat. I love when authors include negative character’s perspectives, it makes the book way more interesting and absorbing. One thing that bothered me was that I don’t like when authors create drug using characters and make it sound like it is ok, and they are so cool. :/ I don’t see the need to promote drugs.
The narrative is set in the US, and the setting is always changing. The investigation is pretty adventurous, but sometimes the whole story tended to slow down a little by sharing Jim’s thoughts and inner fights, which was quite nice. I really enjoyed the writing style of this book, it is easy to read, with pretty short chapters, constantly changing situations and new findings, and it is a really entertaining book. The ending of this novel rounded up the story nicely and I will be waiting for more of Jim Bean’s adventures in the future. So, if you enjoy detective investigations and character-driven stories, this book will not disappoint you. Give this book a go, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
The protagonist of this story is Jim Bean, a private investigator, who was summoned by a female customer (Sophie) to find her brother. But when he starts his investigation, he uncovers so many surprises, that gets him into great trouble. Now, he has to protect the person, whom he was looking for…
I really loved the characters chosen for this book, all of them are very intriguing and charismatic personalities, and the author has done a great job by developing them throughout the book. The story is told from a dual perspective: Jim’s and Sophie’s. I really liked reading all the details about Jim’s investigation, and where the evidence took him. I liked that he had to visit some dark and dangerous places to get his information, and I was really sucked in with all the unexpected twists and turns which Allen incorporated into the story. I absolutely loved Sophie’s parts, I think she is such an interesting and delusional character, and to read her thoughts and plans was an absolute treat. I love when authors include negative character’s perspectives, it makes the book way more interesting and absorbing. One thing that bothered me was that I don’t like when authors create drug using characters and make it sound like it is ok, and they are so cool. :/ I don’t see the need to promote drugs.
The narrative is set in the US, and the setting is always changing. The investigation is pretty adventurous, but sometimes the whole story tended to slow down a little by sharing Jim’s thoughts and inner fights, which was quite nice. I really enjoyed the writing style of this book, it is easy to read, with pretty short chapters, constantly changing situations and new findings, and it is a really entertaining book. The ending of this novel rounded up the story nicely and I will be waiting for more of Jim Bean’s adventures in the future. So, if you enjoy detective investigations and character-driven stories, this book will not disappoint you. Give this book a go, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
ZebraLily (5 KP) rated The Usborne Complete Shakespeare: Stories from all the plays in Books
Mar 21, 2018
MY FAVORITE USBORNE BOOK!
This book is absolutely breathtaking! In most schools, children are not introduced to Shakespeare until at least late middle, if not high-school, and by then, it’s in his original language. By providing children, and adults even, with a book such as this, in a readable language relavent to today, we are able to fully enjoy Shakespeare’s stories in a way that we can comprehend before diving into his original works. By providing books such as these, our children will better appreciate his work when they approach it in school in later years because they will already be familiar with his plays. Each play is labeled as a comedy, tragedy, or historical play, and then provided with a one-page synopsis of the play, along with beautiful illustrations of the characters and how they relate to the other characters. Then you’ll dive into 7-8 pages of text that are written in plain-English that relay the story! This is brilliant! There are a handful of his lesser-popular works that are provided in a simple one-page summary with illustrated characters, but they are still included, as well as a brief section of Williams Shakespeare’s life. This book is also hard bound with extra padding to protect the cover, and a ribbon bookmark to save your place. It will definitely be a treasured book in your family’s library for years to come! My 6yo daughter has absolutely fallen in love with is works because of this...and I must say.....she’s SIX and already knows Shakespeare!!!! All thanks to Usborne Books and More! This is why I do what I do! You can find this book on my website at: https://k6798.myubam.com for only $24.99 and it’s well worth it! Happy reading!
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Diary of a Young Girl in Books
Jan 25, 2019
The Diary of a Young Girl
We have all heard about or read this book. I remember reading it in high-school as a project. And since I never had written a proper book review, I decided to read it again.
I went to the library, and they only had the short Penguin version, with the most important diary entries of Anne Frank. It is only 65 pages. So, I decided to also grab another book – The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank by Willy Lindwer, so I can write a full overview.
This is a diary of a young girl, and she was writing these stories during two years of hiding. Anne Frank and her family are Jews and they live in The Netherlands. After the Germans invade, many people are captured and go to designated camps. A few manage to escape and go into hiding. Anne’s family hides in her father’s office.
If you are reading this diary, without knowing anything about history – this could be a happy story. These diary entries are filled with love and hope, dreams of a young girl, beliefs, opinions, descriptions of her first crush and planning a future.
But this is not a happy story. This girl doesn’t get the chance to grow up. This girl doesn’t get the chance to experience freedom, and live to get to know her grandchildren. This is a sad story of not just Anne Frank, but all these people that have gone through that painful journey.
While this book deserves to be read by every person, and this history needs to keep being told many years after us, I feel the need to make a proper book review.
This is not a well-written book, with a great plot and amazing description. So based on that, this doesn’t stand up to the standards. But this book has a meaning that makes up for all the amateur writing. After all, this was a teenager writing it, without even knowing this will someday be shared with the world.
To all of you that haven’t read it yet – I highly recommend it. If you don’t want to go with the long version, read the short Penguin one, like I did.
I went to the library, and they only had the short Penguin version, with the most important diary entries of Anne Frank. It is only 65 pages. So, I decided to also grab another book – The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank by Willy Lindwer, so I can write a full overview.
This is a diary of a young girl, and she was writing these stories during two years of hiding. Anne Frank and her family are Jews and they live in The Netherlands. After the Germans invade, many people are captured and go to designated camps. A few manage to escape and go into hiding. Anne’s family hides in her father’s office.
If you are reading this diary, without knowing anything about history – this could be a happy story. These diary entries are filled with love and hope, dreams of a young girl, beliefs, opinions, descriptions of her first crush and planning a future.
But this is not a happy story. This girl doesn’t get the chance to grow up. This girl doesn’t get the chance to experience freedom, and live to get to know her grandchildren. This is a sad story of not just Anne Frank, but all these people that have gone through that painful journey.
While this book deserves to be read by every person, and this history needs to keep being told many years after us, I feel the need to make a proper book review.
This is not a well-written book, with a great plot and amazing description. So based on that, this doesn’t stand up to the standards. But this book has a meaning that makes up for all the amateur writing. After all, this was a teenager writing it, without even knowing this will someday be shared with the world.
To all of you that haven’t read it yet – I highly recommend it. If you don’t want to go with the long version, read the short Penguin one, like I did.