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Karen Goodsell (3 KP) created a post
Nov 19, 2017
ClareR (5721 KP) rated My Name is Why in Books
Oct 29, 2019
If you can read this book and NOT get angry whilst doing so, then you’re a better person than me. My Name is Why is Lemn Sissay’s true story of his life in the English Care system. His Ethiopian mother handed her son into the care of Social Services whilst she finished her nursing course, only to have him permanently taken away and put in to long term foster care. She wrote letters begging for his return from after his birth, all to no avail. This was the start of a catalogue of failures for Lemn. The way his foster parents treated him after they basically abandoned him at the age of 12, putting him in to the care system and a series of unsuitable group homes, frustrated me to the point of tears. What was most upsetting was the complete lack of emotional support. He wasn’t treated as a child, a child who needed affection and emotional support, but as a problem to be solved. It seemed to me that his childhood was just a countdown until social services could get rid of him from off their books.
I’m so glad that Lemn wrote this book, because I’m sure that it speaks for all those children and adults who experienced life in care. And I hope that the right people read this: those who take care of all of those children. I’m full of admiration for Lemn Sissay and all of the work that he does: his poetry, his broadcasting, and the work that he does for care leavers at his Christmas dinners. I will have been to watch Lemn three times: heard him read his poetry, his one man play, and the third time will be when I see him talk about this book at my local library/ theatre/ cinema (Storyhouse in Chester, UK). And to be quite honest, he always inspires me whenever I see him. This is an inspirational book too - against the odds, Lemn has made something (quite a big something actually) of his life.
This is a wonderful book that I’d recommend all human beings to read.
I’m so glad that Lemn wrote this book, because I’m sure that it speaks for all those children and adults who experienced life in care. And I hope that the right people read this: those who take care of all of those children. I’m full of admiration for Lemn Sissay and all of the work that he does: his poetry, his broadcasting, and the work that he does for care leavers at his Christmas dinners. I will have been to watch Lemn three times: heard him read his poetry, his one man play, and the third time will be when I see him talk about this book at my local library/ theatre/ cinema (Storyhouse in Chester, UK). And to be quite honest, he always inspires me whenever I see him. This is an inspirational book too - against the odds, Lemn has made something (quite a big something actually) of his life.
This is a wonderful book that I’d recommend all human beings to read.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Unfollow Me in Books
Feb 6, 2020 (Updated Feb 6, 2020)
Another tale to warn of the dangers of social media - this time focused on a YouTube vlogger who suddenly deletes all her social media accounts - I mean shock horror what could be more suspicious!?!.
This book really wasn’t for me, I found all the characters irritating and unrelatable. We had Yvonne how spent most of her book uterus gazing which bores me to tears. As someone who doesn’t want kids, I sure do know a lot about fertility treatments and ovulation monitoring as this seems to be a recurring obsession in books at the moment and it’s just not interesting to me. Knew exactly where her storyline was going - sigh.
Then we have single mum Lily and get to hear the “woe is me being a single mum is so hard” bit, which I’m sure it is, but again not interested in the recurring theme. Yvonne and Lily both love to watch vblogger Violet on YouTube who is a mummy blogger and they flip out when she seems to disappear removing all her social media accounts. So that’s the mystery we move towards figuring out but I just don’t really care and I still don’t care once it’s all been underwhelmingly explained by the end.
I’m sure there are plenty who are as interested in these themes as I wasn’t - this book is for you - not me.
Many thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the ARC in which I gave an honest review in return.
This book really wasn’t for me, I found all the characters irritating and unrelatable. We had Yvonne how spent most of her book uterus gazing which bores me to tears. As someone who doesn’t want kids, I sure do know a lot about fertility treatments and ovulation monitoring as this seems to be a recurring obsession in books at the moment and it’s just not interesting to me. Knew exactly where her storyline was going - sigh.
Then we have single mum Lily and get to hear the “woe is me being a single mum is so hard” bit, which I’m sure it is, but again not interested in the recurring theme. Yvonne and Lily both love to watch vblogger Violet on YouTube who is a mummy blogger and they flip out when she seems to disappear removing all her social media accounts. So that’s the mystery we move towards figuring out but I just don’t really care and I still don’t care once it’s all been underwhelmingly explained by the end.
I’m sure there are plenty who are as interested in these themes as I wasn’t - this book is for you - not me.
Many thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the ARC in which I gave an honest review in return.
ClareR (5721 KP) rated Something Dark in Books
Nov 12, 2017
An unflinching look at the Social Care system in the UK
I went to see Lemn Sissay read poems from his last book 'Gold From The Stone' last year at the Chester Literature Festival, and I've been hooked ever since. His poetry is very personal, and so I was interested to see what this would be like.
This is his story of being taken in to care and the resultant damage. It's a one man show, there's no one else on stage with him, and I think this is indicative of how his life has been lived. He has always had to be self sufficient, from the day that his Foster parents (who had parented him from birth) told him at the age of 11 that 'he' didn't love them anymore (it would be more accurate to say that they didn't love him). They didn't even say goodbye to him: his brothers and sisters didn't get to say goodbye, and he was ushered into a car with his social worker and taken to a children's home.
This illustrates how children in care are 'emancipated' at 18 and expected to cope on their own. Most of them have no family or many friends, and are left to fend for themselves. Lemn was given the information to start the search for his birth mother, which is a very interesting part of the story (which I won't divulge!)
I'm actually going to see this performed by Lemn next week (14/11/17), and I'm very much looking forward to it.
This is his story of being taken in to care and the resultant damage. It's a one man show, there's no one else on stage with him, and I think this is indicative of how his life has been lived. He has always had to be self sufficient, from the day that his Foster parents (who had parented him from birth) told him at the age of 11 that 'he' didn't love them anymore (it would be more accurate to say that they didn't love him). They didn't even say goodbye to him: his brothers and sisters didn't get to say goodbye, and he was ushered into a car with his social worker and taken to a children's home.
This illustrates how children in care are 'emancipated' at 18 and expected to cope on their own. Most of them have no family or many friends, and are left to fend for themselves. Lemn was given the information to start the search for his birth mother, which is a very interesting part of the story (which I won't divulge!)
I'm actually going to see this performed by Lemn next week (14/11/17), and I'm very much looking forward to it.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated The Beast Side: Living (and Dying) While Black in America in Books
Oct 26, 2017
A vivid account of survival and growth
Dwight Watkins, a seasoned writer and teacher with indisputable talent and skills, gives a detailed account of living on the 'Other Side' of Baltimore. The Beast Side is a socio-historical examination of black lives in the United States juxtaposed against his upbringing in the area. Through his account we discover a poignant and unadulterated story about the systematic way black lives don't matter and how the challenges for African Americans are much deeper and pervasive than people will admit.
What helps the arguments in Watkins's essays hit home are the sobering and enlightening slices of life and characters he weaves throughout. By the end, you're left with an advanced understanding of this man's love for the community that formed him, and how neighbourhoods such as East Baltimore fit into the national debate for social change. A must for those who care about social equality.
What helps the arguments in Watkins's essays hit home are the sobering and enlightening slices of life and characters he weaves throughout. By the end, you're left with an advanced understanding of this man's love for the community that formed him, and how neighbourhoods such as East Baltimore fit into the national debate for social change. A must for those who care about social equality.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated What We Lose in Books
Mar 3, 2018
Wonderful variety but something missing
This is an interesting literary debut from Zinzi Clemmons, with many semi-autobiographical elements discussing her heritage.
Thandi, a girl of mixed race, has to endure taking care of her dying mother, all the while battling various social aspects of living as a daughter of a South African and an American parent. Written in different formats, from a text message to hip hop lyrics, Clemmons explores the rich tapestry of her life and layers it with various threads.
While I mostly enjoyed this story, I do feel there is something missing and could have been weaved together a little more clearly.
Thandi, a girl of mixed race, has to endure taking care of her dying mother, all the while battling various social aspects of living as a daughter of a South African and an American parent. Written in different formats, from a text message to hip hop lyrics, Clemmons explores the rich tapestry of her life and layers it with various threads.
While I mostly enjoyed this story, I do feel there is something missing and could have been weaved together a little more clearly.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Spree (2020) in Movies
Jan 24, 2021
Different
In a world filled with YouTubers and social media influencers, it was inevitable that eventually we’d get a film shot in the style of a social media stream. We’ve seen similar with films like Unfriended and Searching, taking on the likes of social media whilst shot entirely from a webcam. However Spree is the first that I’ve seen that takes on social media almost entirely from live streaming or go pro recordings, and overall it’s a pretty decent attempt.
Spree is a 2020 comedy horror film starring Joe Keery as Kurt Kunkle, a failing social media influencer who works as a driver for a rideshare app called Spree. Fed up of his lack of viewers, Kurt decides to fit out his car with cameras and livestream “The Lesson”, where he instructs viewers on how to become famous on social media while picking up passengers and murdering them. One of the passengers he lets go is comedian Jessie Adams (Sasheer Zamata), a star and social media success who Kurt becomes obsessed with over the course of his murderous evening.
Spree is definitely a fun film. The comedic horror style works very well, especially in the first half although later on it does make way for a more serious side. There’s a decent amount of blood and gore too and it has a wonderfully cheesy B-movie vibe about it. What makes Spree so fun though is Joe Keery. His performance as an influencer is entirely believable and it’s his charisma and baby-faced innocence that makes this film watchable. He spends the entirety of the film like he’s high and hyped up on energy drinks and while this does make his performance a little over the top, this is exactly what Spree needs. David Arquette as Kurt’s dad also brings a lot of fun although his screen time is sadly lacking.
Despite Spree’s dark comedic feel, there’s a more serious story and commentary underlying this film. It might look as though it’s making light of social media influencers, but actually it’s making a rather serious point of the pressures and negatives of the constant need influencers have to be liked and obtain more followers. Kurt’s story is rather sad, and even the other characters like Jessie are shown to have their own stories but still stuck in the same social media behaviour. The live streams used to shoot most of this film, with the likes and comments from viewers, emphasise the pitfalls and real life issues with social media.
Admittedly this live stream method does get a little thin by the end of the 90 minute run time, and after the initial few murders, it’s only Keery’s performance that holds the film up to the end. It isn’t helped that aside from Kurt, none of his victims are particularly likeable and it makes them very difficult to relate to or care about. And this also goes for Jessie who despite her heroine status, becomes unlikeable due to how she too bows to the pressure of social media.
I’m not a fan of the YouTube and influencer revolution, so for me Spree was an interesting take on this and social media in general. It has a good point to make and a serious message, although this may be overshadowed by the dark comedy and horror. With a great turn from Joe Keery, it’s a fun film but not entirely memorable.
Spree is a 2020 comedy horror film starring Joe Keery as Kurt Kunkle, a failing social media influencer who works as a driver for a rideshare app called Spree. Fed up of his lack of viewers, Kurt decides to fit out his car with cameras and livestream “The Lesson”, where he instructs viewers on how to become famous on social media while picking up passengers and murdering them. One of the passengers he lets go is comedian Jessie Adams (Sasheer Zamata), a star and social media success who Kurt becomes obsessed with over the course of his murderous evening.
Spree is definitely a fun film. The comedic horror style works very well, especially in the first half although later on it does make way for a more serious side. There’s a decent amount of blood and gore too and it has a wonderfully cheesy B-movie vibe about it. What makes Spree so fun though is Joe Keery. His performance as an influencer is entirely believable and it’s his charisma and baby-faced innocence that makes this film watchable. He spends the entirety of the film like he’s high and hyped up on energy drinks and while this does make his performance a little over the top, this is exactly what Spree needs. David Arquette as Kurt’s dad also brings a lot of fun although his screen time is sadly lacking.
Despite Spree’s dark comedic feel, there’s a more serious story and commentary underlying this film. It might look as though it’s making light of social media influencers, but actually it’s making a rather serious point of the pressures and negatives of the constant need influencers have to be liked and obtain more followers. Kurt’s story is rather sad, and even the other characters like Jessie are shown to have their own stories but still stuck in the same social media behaviour. The live streams used to shoot most of this film, with the likes and comments from viewers, emphasise the pitfalls and real life issues with social media.
Admittedly this live stream method does get a little thin by the end of the 90 minute run time, and after the initial few murders, it’s only Keery’s performance that holds the film up to the end. It isn’t helped that aside from Kurt, none of his victims are particularly likeable and it makes them very difficult to relate to or care about. And this also goes for Jessie who despite her heroine status, becomes unlikeable due to how she too bows to the pressure of social media.
I’m not a fan of the YouTube and influencer revolution, so for me Spree was an interesting take on this and social media in general. It has a good point to make and a serious message, although this may be overshadowed by the dark comedy and horror. With a great turn from Joe Keery, it’s a fun film but not entirely memorable.
365Flicks (235 KP) rated Struck (2019) in Movies
Oct 31, 2019 (Updated Oct 31, 2019)
Further proof that Budget and star power is not everything
A movie that relies solely on the performance of its actors, A movie that has you thinking it could be one thing but shows you its actually something else, A story that takes an unflinching look into the social conscious.
Writer/Directors Alexander Milo Bischof and Michael Couvaras have come out the gates with an excellent first feature film. Wonderfully written with viscerally real dialogue dealing with some complex real life issues plucked straight from the headlines that if not given care and attention would just have fallen flat. Our core cast of relative newcomers put in performances they can all be proud of and I hope to see more from our young stars going forward.
Writer/Directors Alexander Milo Bischof and Michael Couvaras have come out the gates with an excellent first feature film. Wonderfully written with viscerally real dialogue dealing with some complex real life issues plucked straight from the headlines that if not given care and attention would just have fallen flat. Our core cast of relative newcomers put in performances they can all be proud of and I hope to see more from our young stars going forward.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Hampstead (2017) in Movies
May 8, 2019
Soul-eatingly horrible late-life rom-com. Recently widowed clearly well-off American woman living in (duh) Hampstead meets human womble living rough nearby, there is chemistry, despite the fact her friends disapprove and he is about to be evicted by the council. Various life lessons are just waiting to be learnt.
A calculated new take on the classic Richard Curtis formula, although it is even more obvious and predictable than most examples of the form, and has virtually no good jokes to make you not care about this. The soft-focus depiction of homelessness and the social divisions in London is simply objectionable. Gleeson and Keaton are too good not to find their moments even in a film like this, but they are glitter on a dungheap. Hollow and mechanical, unsurprising, unfunny, unemotional and manipulative.
A calculated new take on the classic Richard Curtis formula, although it is even more obvious and predictable than most examples of the form, and has virtually no good jokes to make you not care about this. The soft-focus depiction of homelessness and the social divisions in London is simply objectionable. Gleeson and Keaton are too good not to find their moments even in a film like this, but they are glitter on a dungheap. Hollow and mechanical, unsurprising, unfunny, unemotional and manipulative.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Glass Houses (The Morganville Vampires, #1) in Books
Oct 21, 2022
194 of 230
Book
Glass Houses ( Morganville Vampires book 1)
By Rachel Caine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reread
Just don't stay out after dark.
College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation, where the popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks in the school's social scene: somewhere less than zero.
When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life. But they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood.
I don’t care I absolutely love these books!! This is my 5th reread and I have so many memories come back every time I read them. Rachel Caine is an author that helped me a lot at a tough time in my life and she is sorely missed.
Book
Glass Houses ( Morganville Vampires book 1)
By Rachel Caine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reread
Just don't stay out after dark.
College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation, where the popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks in the school's social scene: somewhere less than zero.
When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life. But they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood.
I don’t care I absolutely love these books!! This is my 5th reread and I have so many memories come back every time I read them. Rachel Caine is an author that helped me a lot at a tough time in my life and she is sorely missed.