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ClareR (5721 KP) rated H is for Hawk in Books

Jan 14, 2018  
H is for Hawk
H is for Hawk
Helen Macdonald | 2015 | Biography
8
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A surprisingly fabulous memoir!
Helen Macdonald is an Academic and a Falconer. She loses her father and decides to get a Goshawk and train it - they're notoriously difficult to train; but the connection they have is special. T H White features heavily in this, and his memoir of training his Goshawk is recounted alongside Helen's own story. His first attempt with a Goshawk was disastrous (I believe he became more successful after.).
This is a very moving story: we see Helen trying to 'become' more like a Hawk and not need people after her father's death. The descriptions of nature and the hawk are amazing, and i loved the language she used. A brave story in a lot of ways, to admit to mental health issues and her own (perceived) shortcomings. The end is particularly sad - but I'll leave it to you to read it and find out why!
  
Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
2003 | Horror
5
6.4 (22 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The guiltiest of pleasures
It's always fun and when we get something like this.- two horror icons going toe to toe, but was Freddy vs. Jason ever destined to be a good film?

No. No it was not. Freddy vs. Jason is pretty damn terrible.
The human cast are hugely unlikable - but I imagine that's the point, as when the slaughter begins, it's easy to find yourself rooting for the killers.

The effects have aged pretty badly, but for all it's shortcomings, it's definitely the kind of movie I will always watch when it's on. Its fun enough to be enjoyable.

It's hard to imagine anyone but Robert Englund in the role of Freddy, so it's nice to see him once again in a more modern film before he was recast.
In terms of horror - it's not a particularly scary film, but its pretty gory - and the kills are pretty ludicrous.

Worth a watch just for what it is.
  
Entwined with You (Crossfire, #3)
Entwined with You (Crossfire, #3)
Sylvia Day | 2013 | Erotica
6
8.1 (18 Ratings)
Book Rating
I'm going to assume that this series is not a trilogy because just about everything was left unresolved. The story felt rushed and all over the place, things added just to fill space or for shock value. Too often I found myself thinking how incredibly unbelievable it was and couldn't understand how they could overreact one minute and then completely underreact the next.

Maybe it was the amount of time that passed between my reading the first two books and this one, or maybe it was all of the other books I'd read during that time that had me more aware of its shortcomings. The number of times the word "deft" appeared made me never want to see or hear the word ever again. I was reminded of its overuse in "Fifty Shades" as well. I'm sure there are other ways that these authors can convey the prowess and skill these men possess.

If I could give half stars, I would have given this 2 1/2, but since I can't, I rounded up to 3.
  
Kindle E-Reader
Kindle E-Reader
eBook Readers
Backlight (2 more)
Being able to read in sunlight without glare
Battery life
Slow menus (1 more)
Lagging text
Love this E-Reader
I have the kindle paperwhite 7th gen.

I carry this thing with me everywhere! I absolutely love this device. I enjoy being able to read it everywhere without having to worry about an internet connection, or having to contort my body to avoid screen glare. I have anywhere between 3-10 books downloaded at one time and that didn't make a large impact on its internal memory. The battery life on this is great, I usually read 1-2 hours a day and I go a week between charges, longer if I haven't used the device quite as often.

For as much as I enjoyed this device there are some shortcomings. There have been times that I have to turn the backlight off then back on again for it to work. All the menus lag when loading and while reading the pages occasionally take a moment to turn.

Overall I do recommend the kindle paperwhite or any kindle e-reader.
  
Pacific Rim (2013)
Pacific Rim (2013)
2013 | Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Brave and comparatively rare (these days) attempt to do a blockbuster that isn't a remake nor based on a novel, comic book, toy line, TV show or theme park attraction. Which is not to say this isn't a tremendously derivative movie; clearly inspired by tokosatsu movies, manga, and anime, just with most of the actual Japanese characters replaced by Americans and Australians. (Hmmm, isn't this cultural appropriation?)

Anyway: big monsters lumber out of the sea, get smacked in the mouth by giant robots. Story isn't really anything special, but the background details of this slightly cartoony world are engaging, as are some of the supporting performances. Film subscribes to the prevailing American dogma, which is that giant monster fights must take place at night and preferably in bad weather: apparently this makes them much more believable. The Hong Kong battle is terrific, the others not so much. In the end I think the premise of this movie is really much better than the way it is realised; maybe the sequel will address some of the shortcomings here.