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Louise (64 KP) rated The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales in Books
Jul 2, 2018
I am not going to ramble on and on giving you a synopsis for all the stories but I will let you know some of the ones that I enjoyed the most out of this collection. I really wanted to start reading some more short stories so I have continuously made an effort in reading a collection per month. With each book there are obviously going to be some better than others. I think the hardest thing for the authors is to create a really good and atmospheric story that will truly grip you and Kate Mosse has certainly done that in some of these stories. Others were a bit weak and easily forgettable.
The stories included are:
The Mistletoe Bride – 4/5 stars
Duet – 3.5/5 stars
Red Letter day – 2.5/5 stars
The drowned village – 3/5 stars
The house on the hill – 3/5 stars
Why the yew tree lives so long -1.5/5stars
Sainte-Therese – 3/5 stars
The ship of the dead -4/5 stars
La Fille de Melisande -2/5 stars
The revenant -5/5 star – FAVOURITE
On Harting hill -3.5/5 stars
The princess Alice -3/5 stars
In the Theatre at night 2.5/5 stars
The yellow scarf -3.5/5 stars
Syrinx 1/5 stars
Each of these stories comes with an authors note as what inspired her to write them. There are also some black and white gothic illustrations before each of the stories drawn by Rohan Daniel Eason which sets the tone. The stories are set in Sussex, Brittany and Languedoc that are based on Folk tales ranging from the 1800’s to the present day.
I will admit as writing this review I had to check the stories again to see which ones were which as they are somewhat forgettable. The ones that have clearly stuck with me is ‘The Mistletoe Bride’, ‘Duet’ and ‘The Revenant’.
The revenant was the best story by far in the book, it was eerie and creepy and had me on the edge of my seat with my pulse racing as I was actually scared but couldn’t stop reading. It is probably one of the scariest short stories that I have read! Mosse manages to create an intense atmosphere and completely grips the reader. The writing style is very easy to read and flows beautifully.
I would recommend this to people who are looking to read some short-stories that have historical fiction with supernatural elements and a bit of horror.
Overall I rated this 3.5/5 stars
The stories included are:
The Mistletoe Bride – 4/5 stars
Duet – 3.5/5 stars
Red Letter day – 2.5/5 stars
The drowned village – 3/5 stars
The house on the hill – 3/5 stars
Why the yew tree lives so long -1.5/5stars
Sainte-Therese – 3/5 stars
The ship of the dead -4/5 stars
La Fille de Melisande -2/5 stars
The revenant -5/5 star – FAVOURITE
On Harting hill -3.5/5 stars
The princess Alice -3/5 stars
In the Theatre at night 2.5/5 stars
The yellow scarf -3.5/5 stars
Syrinx 1/5 stars
Each of these stories comes with an authors note as what inspired her to write them. There are also some black and white gothic illustrations before each of the stories drawn by Rohan Daniel Eason which sets the tone. The stories are set in Sussex, Brittany and Languedoc that are based on Folk tales ranging from the 1800’s to the present day.
I will admit as writing this review I had to check the stories again to see which ones were which as they are somewhat forgettable. The ones that have clearly stuck with me is ‘The Mistletoe Bride’, ‘Duet’ and ‘The Revenant’.
The revenant was the best story by far in the book, it was eerie and creepy and had me on the edge of my seat with my pulse racing as I was actually scared but couldn’t stop reading. It is probably one of the scariest short stories that I have read! Mosse manages to create an intense atmosphere and completely grips the reader. The writing style is very easy to read and flows beautifully.
I would recommend this to people who are looking to read some short-stories that have historical fiction with supernatural elements and a bit of horror.
Overall I rated this 3.5/5 stars
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed the World in Books
Oct 12, 2017
Clearly, we only know a fraction of our minds
We know that the field of behavioral economics is a kind of the wild west of the sciences, filled with speculation, outlaws, and not a little shenanigans. And yet it is by far one of the most fascinating and controversial sciences on the popular stage.
This story is almost like a love affair between two visionary scholars, Daniel Kahneman and the late Amos Tversky. Their shared admiration and respect for one another, and opposite personalities, led them across the world from Israel, in the pursuit for knowledge.
The author notes the halo effect in which people see favourable attributes and let that impression impact the assessment of other attributes. Kahneman and Tversky later refer to this as Representativeness involving premature characterisation of an object or an individual.
While this is less plot driven than the author's other works The Blind Side, Moneyball, and The Big Short, it is still an endearing tale.
This story is almost like a love affair between two visionary scholars, Daniel Kahneman and the late Amos Tversky. Their shared admiration and respect for one another, and opposite personalities, led them across the world from Israel, in the pursuit for knowledge.
The author notes the halo effect in which people see favourable attributes and let that impression impact the assessment of other attributes. Kahneman and Tversky later refer to this as Representativeness involving premature characterisation of an object or an individual.
While this is less plot driven than the author's other works The Blind Side, Moneyball, and The Big Short, it is still an endearing tale.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Man in the High Castle in Books
Jan 8, 2018
Great idea, not very well executed
I was sorely disappointed on this book. I’ve never seen the tv show either, so had nothing whatsoever to bias my views. On paper this is a fantastic idea for a dystopian future, I just felt that it wasn’t very well excecuted or, I’m ashamed to say, very well written either.
I found that I cared very little for the characters, and the plot itself seemed very plodding and boring at times. I read to the end as it was only short and I kept hoping for more, but it never delivered. Yes the ending was good, but could’ve been so more much more. I’m actually very frustrated as this is such a great idea, i love dystopian future novels and this could’ve been so much better than it is. I like Philip K Dick, but I keep imagining how differently this story could’ve been told in the hands of another author.
I found that I cared very little for the characters, and the plot itself seemed very plodding and boring at times. I read to the end as it was only short and I kept hoping for more, but it never delivered. Yes the ending was good, but could’ve been so more much more. I’m actually very frustrated as this is such a great idea, i love dystopian future novels and this could’ve been so much better than it is. I like Philip K Dick, but I keep imagining how differently this story could’ve been told in the hands of another author.
Lee (2222 KP) rated The Big Sick (2017) in Movies
Jul 25, 2017
Pretty Average
It's probably best not to take this review too seriously as I actually managed to fall asleep during this movie at two or three separate points so I'm not sure how much of it I missed!! Note to self: Do not go on a brewery tour, followed by a tasting session, just a few short hours before heading into the cinema...
That being said, I did see a fairly large chunk of the start of the movie, and towards the end, and what I saw was pretty average. The characters were average and the interaction between them all was so-so. The humour was pretty light but the story itself, particularly due to the fact that it's based on true events, was actually very good. To be honest though, I'm not sure I understand all the buzz surrounding this movie and it obviously didn't grab me enough to keep me awake either.
That being said, I did see a fairly large chunk of the start of the movie, and towards the end, and what I saw was pretty average. The characters were average and the interaction between them all was so-so. The humour was pretty light but the story itself, particularly due to the fact that it's based on true events, was actually very good. To be honest though, I'm not sure I understand all the buzz surrounding this movie and it obviously didn't grab me enough to keep me awake either.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Fault in Our Stars in Books
Sep 11, 2017
Bittersweet, but quite similar to others in the genre
There seems to be rave reviews for this book and its counterpart film, and while I understand that it is tragic I just feel I've read similar novels in the past.
The tone resembles My Sister's Keeper in many ways, written in the perspective of teenagers suffering from cancer and attempting to lead as normal a life as possible. And while it's sweet and sad, I just don't feel it was written that spectacularly. The story content is important, but the writing falls a little short - but I'm assuming that as this is more for young adults, it is geared in this way as well.
And I may sound completely heartless but the build-up to the reveal was overdone, and the ending was drawn out for far too long that it was an anti-climax. That could be the author's intention to make death seem as if a passing ship. A little disappointed overall.
The tone resembles My Sister's Keeper in many ways, written in the perspective of teenagers suffering from cancer and attempting to lead as normal a life as possible. And while it's sweet and sad, I just don't feel it was written that spectacularly. The story content is important, but the writing falls a little short - but I'm assuming that as this is more for young adults, it is geared in this way as well.
And I may sound completely heartless but the build-up to the reveal was overdone, and the ending was drawn out for far too long that it was an anti-climax. That could be the author's intention to make death seem as if a passing ship. A little disappointed overall.
Sofianosheen (0 KP) rated Deep Blue Sea (1999) in Movies
Apr 22, 2018
Graphics (3 more)
Audio
Acting
Plot
You mess with the sharks, the sharks mess with you.
Contains spoilers, click to show
If you like shark attack movies, you're going to love this one. The graphics are great for its time. The plot is quite engaging, as you understand why they did what they did and agree that you would have done the same thing if you were looking for a cure for degenerative brain disease. L.L. Cool J adds a hot simmer to the character exchanges and the ending is poetic justice for the head scientist, getting eaten by her own creation. My single and only let down from this movie was that I wish there had been more incidences of the sharks using their new intelligence together as a team. Long story short: this movie isn't going to win any emmys/oscars/etc., but it will satisfy your hunger for a bloody shark movie with a legitimate plot.
Sam (74 KP) rated Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher Girls, #2) in Books
Mar 27, 2019
This series is so addictive. I completely devoured this second book after finishing the first. It’s the sort of book that you can binge in one sitting which is partly why I loved it so much.
This was even better than the first book. There was somehow even more action and drama packed into this little book and it still didn’t feel like there was to much in such a short space. The action was completely gripping and still managed to keep me hooked to the point that I bought the third book while I was halfway through reading this one.
I loved Cammie even more in this one. Her wit gets me laughing in places and I felt every single emotion she was feeling in the book. For YA, the novel is so emotionally written and I loved that. You can completely tell with this series that Ally Carter had a true bond with Cammie, which really brings her story to life.
This was even better than the first book. There was somehow even more action and drama packed into this little book and it still didn’t feel like there was to much in such a short space. The action was completely gripping and still managed to keep me hooked to the point that I bought the third book while I was halfway through reading this one.
I loved Cammie even more in this one. Her wit gets me laughing in places and I felt every single emotion she was feeling in the book. For YA, the novel is so emotionally written and I loved that. You can completely tell with this series that Ally Carter had a true bond with Cammie, which really brings her story to life.
Ashley Valencia (5 KP) rated Christopher Robin (2018) in Movies
Mar 31, 2019
Surprisingly Good
I was very pleasantly surprised by this film. Disney's live action remakes have been pretty disappointing to me, in general. But this one was very well made. I think they did a great job incorporating the fantasy characters into the real life world of post war England.
Ewan McGregor plays a grown up Christopher Robin who most people will be able to relate to. He's trying to find balance between his work and home life and finds himself coming up short on both sides. He's stressed and has put aside childish things to focus on trying to be a competent adult.
Then he gets a visit from a few almost forgotten childhood friends and learns to loosen up a little and see things differently. It's a wonderfully told story and I was so glad that the original voice actor was brought back. It just wouldn't have been Winnie the Pooh without Jim Cummings.
Ewan McGregor plays a grown up Christopher Robin who most people will be able to relate to. He's trying to find balance between his work and home life and finds himself coming up short on both sides. He's stressed and has put aside childish things to focus on trying to be a competent adult.
Then he gets a visit from a few almost forgotten childhood friends and learns to loosen up a little and see things differently. It's a wonderfully told story and I was so glad that the original voice actor was brought back. It just wouldn't have been Winnie the Pooh without Jim Cummings.
Fench Fletcher (5 KP) rated Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! in Video Games
Apr 25, 2019
This was a great game, though I wish it had a full pokedex and other regions to explore since this is the fifth time we've seen Kanto (including going back to Kanto in g/s/c/hg/ss). The catching mechanic was a little weird at first, but I grew to enjoy it quite a bit. I love the pokemon being seen in the overworld, and I thought the art style was very cute. All this good being said, the game was short. I finished the story in about ten hours, and the pokedex in about 20 (but the longer times were because I was spending a lot more time catching things than I really needed to in the hopes of finding a shiny pokemon). After completing the pokedex I feel very little need to pick the game back up again, which is unfortunate. For what it was though, ot was a very good experience.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Lion (2016) in Movies
May 14, 2019
Based-on-a-true-story drama transcends the fact it looks rather like a big long advert for Google Earth and becomes something genuinely moving. A five year old child gets on the wrong train one night in India, and finds himself in a strange city hundreds of miles away, unable to speak the local language. After various hair-raising experiences he is adopted by a nice couple from Tasmania. Many years later, and apparently settled in his new life, he finds the urge to find his home still lingers...
Definitely a film of two halves, with the second one being a bit more internal and short on actual incident - nevertheless, strong performances from the cast keep this very involving and watchable. Covers a lot of the same ground as Slumdog Millionaire, but puts its own spin on it; the climax is honestly rather affecting. Probably won't rock your world but still a well-made movie.
Definitely a film of two halves, with the second one being a bit more internal and short on actual incident - nevertheless, strong performances from the cast keep this very involving and watchable. Covers a lot of the same ground as Slumdog Millionaire, but puts its own spin on it; the climax is honestly rather affecting. Probably won't rock your world but still a well-made movie.