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Miguel Covarrubias (143 KP) rated We Cast a Shadow in Books
Apr 30, 2019
This was a difficult book for me to get through. Not because of the writing but by seeing too much of myself in the main protagonist. I am a multi-racial father of a multi-racial son. This story resonated so much with me and wanting to 'protect' my son from the injustices of this world and this country. As a white skinned latin-x person, I've struggled so much with the changes of peoples moods and attitudes when they find out my name or my heritage from many different means. So many of the moments where the narrator struggles with his own identity within his heritage context as well as the context of society made me have to stop and take stock of my own life.
So many don't realize the struggle of a parent trying to find one's identity amidst the current racism. Especially for Latin-x people during the reign of Trump and Trumpian ideals within the United Sates. We are being equated with animals and the worst of the worst that share our heritage. Yes, there are some bad people out there, but there are bad people of every skin color or heritage. I want so much to protect my son, and ensure that he gets every opportunity without the problems that this evil presents currently.
This is a near future story, that says so much about who we are today. Especially for those of us who are Multi-Racial. Many of us aren't even accepted in either societies that are full heritage-ly made up. This book was not without it's issues, but it is a very important story. It is a great read for those trying to understand the struggle of Multi-Racial Parents and children. Highly recommend.
So many don't realize the struggle of a parent trying to find one's identity amidst the current racism. Especially for Latin-x people during the reign of Trump and Trumpian ideals within the United Sates. We are being equated with animals and the worst of the worst that share our heritage. Yes, there are some bad people out there, but there are bad people of every skin color or heritage. I want so much to protect my son, and ensure that he gets every opportunity without the problems that this evil presents currently.
This is a near future story, that says so much about who we are today. Especially for those of us who are Multi-Racial. Many of us aren't even accepted in either societies that are full heritage-ly made up. This book was not without it's issues, but it is a very important story. It is a great read for those trying to understand the struggle of Multi-Racial Parents and children. Highly recommend.
Ande Thomas (69 KP) rated Foundation in Books
May 30, 2019
I'll admit. I didn't get it the first time. I found it lacking in more ways than one. I wanted a universe full of history and activity, rich with politics and intrigue. What I got...was actually just that. It just took me a second read through to appreciate it. I think that more than anything, I want a series that values society more than the individual. I want an acknowledgement that a single character isn't necessarily more important than any other, because in the grand scheme of the universe, life is far too fleeting to be of importance. Foundation fits the mold.
No character in Foundation really elevates to the unrealistic heroics one might expect in a sci-fi epic, save for possibly Hari Seldon. And though he get's all the credit, he did have a team of psycho-historians behind him. Every era throughout has its hero, to be sure, but they all identify within the confines of Seldon's prophecies. They recognize the Seldon crises, and they act, but only because they see what must be done. It's probably my favorite thing about the book and also the most frustrating. If a single person can set in motion the solution to a Seldon crisis, then how could Seldon have accounted for the variables of a single, powerful king or advisor? I'm no psycho-historian, so presumably his models give room for one rogue actor to deviate, causing another to react in a way that would guide the trajectory back on target. Who knows. All I know is it's fun. It's fun and frustrating, and despite my initial reservations, I can't wait to continue the series. I was wrong. There, I said it.
No character in Foundation really elevates to the unrealistic heroics one might expect in a sci-fi epic, save for possibly Hari Seldon. And though he get's all the credit, he did have a team of psycho-historians behind him. Every era throughout has its hero, to be sure, but they all identify within the confines of Seldon's prophecies. They recognize the Seldon crises, and they act, but only because they see what must be done. It's probably my favorite thing about the book and also the most frustrating. If a single person can set in motion the solution to a Seldon crisis, then how could Seldon have accounted for the variables of a single, powerful king or advisor? I'm no psycho-historian, so presumably his models give room for one rogue actor to deviate, causing another to react in a way that would guide the trajectory back on target. Who knows. All I know is it's fun. It's fun and frustrating, and despite my initial reservations, I can't wait to continue the series. I was wrong. There, I said it.
This was so original - dystopia where the women take control. This isn't an angle that we see very often, and in the current climate of #MeToo, it's nice to read something where the women have the upper hand (or is it?! Because that's what you're left thinking).
Women develop a 'skein' that grows across their collar bone, and gives them the ability to control/ kill/ maim men and each other. Absolute power corrupts absolutely (who said that anyway?) after all.
This is the story of the genesis of the power, how it was triggered throughout a generation, who were then able to awaken it in older women. How women realised that they didn't have to be victims anymore, and began to take on many/ all of the attributes of their male counterparts (and not always the good ones). Men are viewed as the weaker sex, women as protectors and leaders.
I was fascinated by this whole idea. The characters showed us the different sides to the power - religion, organised crime, politics - and how it utterly changed the dynamic in society.
The museum pieces were very interesting, and the idea that this book was being written thousands of years in the future was very clever. And being written by a man. I liked how his editor (a woman) thought he would be taken more seriously if he were to write under a female pseudonym! Oh how times had changed!
I listened to this on audiobook, and read along to parts of it. The narration and voice actors were spot on - I couldn't stop listening until I had to, of course. Real life has a habit of interrupting reading and listening time!
Highly recommended.
Women develop a 'skein' that grows across their collar bone, and gives them the ability to control/ kill/ maim men and each other. Absolute power corrupts absolutely (who said that anyway?) after all.
This is the story of the genesis of the power, how it was triggered throughout a generation, who were then able to awaken it in older women. How women realised that they didn't have to be victims anymore, and began to take on many/ all of the attributes of their male counterparts (and not always the good ones). Men are viewed as the weaker sex, women as protectors and leaders.
I was fascinated by this whole idea. The characters showed us the different sides to the power - religion, organised crime, politics - and how it utterly changed the dynamic in society.
The museum pieces were very interesting, and the idea that this book was being written thousands of years in the future was very clever. And being written by a man. I liked how his editor (a woman) thought he would be taken more seriously if he were to write under a female pseudonym! Oh how times had changed!
I listened to this on audiobook, and read along to parts of it. The narration and voice actors were spot on - I couldn't stop listening until I had to, of course. Real life has a habit of interrupting reading and listening time!
Highly recommended.
Lenard (726 KP) rated Men in Black International (2019) in Movies
Jun 14, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Men in Black International expands the world of the galaxy defenders even though it already opened up the universe. The film itself is a huge missed opportunity. Similar to the first film, it is the story of a trainee on an important mission to save the universe. Instead of a hidden galaxy, there is a secret weapon located on Earth that needs to be protected from aliens (Bugs/The Hive, a Borg-esque collective that insinuates all life into its society). Very similar to the earlier Captain Marvel, the villains are not who you think they are--the people who look like the villain turn out to be trying to save themselves. The biggest problem is that the most important relationships are never really formed. There is a prince who is supposed to be a great friend to Agent H, but all he really tells us is that H changed in the ensuing years which given what happens leaves many questions unanswered. Second is this "Queen" who was in a romantic relationship with H, but we never see much of their history to show why she may or may not hate him. The movie is also too predictable. Early in the film, we see Mollie save an alien which will obviously save her. And, it seemed obvious that the events of Paris 2016 would reveal that the Hive took someone over, but why wait three years to come back. As Will Smith stated in the first MIB, the effects of the neuralizer would mess with a man's brain (I just rewatched it last night). But why would an agent ever allow another agent to neuralize him/her? This is the better movie.
Kyera (8 KP) rated Requiem (Delirium, #3) in Books
Jan 31, 2018
Requiem switches between Hana's and Lena's points-of-view. It gives us perspectives of the world and its current events through the eyes of a girl in the Wilds and one in society. Hana has chosen her path and it is different from Lena's. The action comes to a head and their existences are thrust together again.
While I enjoyed this book, it wasn't quite as good as the previous two. The book ended and I wasn't quite sure how I felt. In some ways, I was satisfied. There were no little questions or loose ends that should have been tied up. Lena has chosen her love, even if we don't see the effects of it. When you think of the immediate story everything seems good, but then you wonder about the world at large. The Resistance attacked and seemingly brought down the walls (both literally and we assume legally) in Portland. Success! But.. what happened in the rest of the world? Were those attacks conducted simultaneously across the United States? If they weren't, then the book ends with Portland no longer under government control and seemingly a new safe space for the Resistance/Invalids to live... but they're still in a world where love is a disease and the government will come for them. What happens to the people? The last we see of Hana, she's running off into the woods. I personally would like to know what happens to her. The more I think about the book, the more questions I'm faced with.
I loved the series and highly recommend reading it. Just a warning that there are more curse words in the novel than in the first. It's a great young adult series set in a world similar to our own, about learning more about yourself, growing and learning to love.
While I enjoyed this book, it wasn't quite as good as the previous two. The book ended and I wasn't quite sure how I felt. In some ways, I was satisfied. There were no little questions or loose ends that should have been tied up. Lena has chosen her love, even if we don't see the effects of it. When you think of the immediate story everything seems good, but then you wonder about the world at large. The Resistance attacked and seemingly brought down the walls (both literally and we assume legally) in Portland. Success! But.. what happened in the rest of the world? Were those attacks conducted simultaneously across the United States? If they weren't, then the book ends with Portland no longer under government control and seemingly a new safe space for the Resistance/Invalids to live... but they're still in a world where love is a disease and the government will come for them. What happens to the people? The last we see of Hana, she's running off into the woods. I personally would like to know what happens to her. The more I think about the book, the more questions I'm faced with.
I loved the series and highly recommend reading it. Just a warning that there are more curse words in the novel than in the first. It's a great young adult series set in a world similar to our own, about learning more about yourself, growing and learning to love.
Lenard (726 KP) rated The Post (2017) in Movies
Jan 16, 2018
Acting (3 more)
Directing
Production Design
Editing
Burying the Lead
Meryl Streep is an American institution. Yet again, she proves that she is not finished finding new dimensions to her characters. In "The Post," she plays pioneering publisher Katherine Graham from The Washington Post. The film itself somehow manages to bury the lead in its own story. In an early scene, Streep playing Graham is at a meeting of the Board Of Directors voting whether The Post should go public. Graham never utters a word. Her advisor/attorney makes every statement for her. This is an indictment of the times, referred to later when Ben Bradlee makes an off-the-cuff remark about why her husband was given the paper in the first place. It is also a subtle clue about the quiet authority Katherine actually had, pulling all the strings though she had no voice in her own company. A later scene in which she retires to the drawing room with the other women while the men talk politics is another sign on the backward thinking times of not-so-long-age. It is here that the obstensible plot starts. Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara pulls Katherine away from the other women to reveal a story that is about to appear in the New York Times. A classified Pentagon report was leaked that detailed how the American government knew the conflict in Vietnam was unwinnable, kept the war going as a facade, and had been lying to its constituents. Nixon and Attorney General Mitchell threatened the free press with injunctions, restraining orders, and incarceration. In the resulting Supreme Court case, Justice Black found that the press is responsible to protect the governed and not the governors. Buried within is the story of the inequality of men and women and the small strides women made to exist in this patriarchal society.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Charming Olivia (Geary Brothers, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I requested this from NetGalleys erotica section, and boy is it erotica. So much so that it overshadows much of the plot that I almost missed it. While there is a plot, it wasnt one I was interested in. I am tired of the women with tragic pasts that have been hurt in some way.
What I appreciated about this novel is that it shows that people are able to separate love and sex. I think our society is so caught up in the idea that only people who are in love should have sex and if there isnt love involved, then there is something wrong with those people taking part (i.e. sluts, perverts, etc.) Thats not the case at all. Adults should be allowed to explore their sexuality without judgement and be able to enjoy themselves. That is what this novel is about: two people (one more so than the other) discovering their sexuality.
It was an idea I could definitely get behind and that is why I enjoyed this novel so much. While I am a highly monogamous person in my own relationship, I fully support those who arent. I am not saying I condone cheating; that is a completely different ballpark. I just understand that monogamy isnt the only way and people should be able to have a happy healthy sex life without being by judge.
To get back to the story. Harper is a talented writer who knows how to write steamy scenes and a plotline present enough to keep the story moving. Her characters werent my favorite but they were realistic enough with their own flaws and quirks. The best part was the variety and open-mindedness of the erotic.
What I appreciated about this novel is that it shows that people are able to separate love and sex. I think our society is so caught up in the idea that only people who are in love should have sex and if there isnt love involved, then there is something wrong with those people taking part (i.e. sluts, perverts, etc.) Thats not the case at all. Adults should be allowed to explore their sexuality without judgement and be able to enjoy themselves. That is what this novel is about: two people (one more so than the other) discovering their sexuality.
It was an idea I could definitely get behind and that is why I enjoyed this novel so much. While I am a highly monogamous person in my own relationship, I fully support those who arent. I am not saying I condone cheating; that is a completely different ballpark. I just understand that monogamy isnt the only way and people should be able to have a happy healthy sex life without being by judge.
To get back to the story. Harper is a talented writer who knows how to write steamy scenes and a plotline present enough to keep the story moving. Her characters werent my favorite but they were realistic enough with their own flaws and quirks. The best part was the variety and open-mindedness of the erotic.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated One Knight Only (League of the Blade, #2) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
This was a cute little romance that I enjoyed the character that was all its own. There was nothing new about the plotline, a female wants to prove shes just as capable as one else (especially me) while her knight in shining armor tries his best to protect her from everything from highwaymen to assassins to spiders crawling in her shoes. It was just like any other romance about a knight falling in love with a maiden, and yet, Lathom added her own little touch of style to it to make it unique.
The story starts out with Anne Kendall masquerading as a woman of high society to save said women from being assassinated for information she knows. An organization called the League of the Blade considers Annes protection as one of their many duties for the betterment of the kingdom. Meanwhile, Sir Philip Clifford is acting like a pouting brat because he was not asked to join the League, which has been his lifelong goal. He first meets Anne at her mistresss house and they begin to become acquainted with each other even though Philip does not bed Anne, much to her humiliation. He tries to forget her as just a passing interest, and she tries to forget her feelings for him because she realizes she was just a skirt to him. Or so they think.
When Philip runs into her again masquerading as the widowed Lady Rosamond Wolsingham, they realize they that, basically, they still want in each others pant. After creeping into the window of her inn room, Philip doesnt really give her a choice in whether he travels with her in her journey to the king. Adventure ensues.
While I didnt find this novel particularly fascinating, it was still enjoyable.
The story starts out with Anne Kendall masquerading as a woman of high society to save said women from being assassinated for information she knows. An organization called the League of the Blade considers Annes protection as one of their many duties for the betterment of the kingdom. Meanwhile, Sir Philip Clifford is acting like a pouting brat because he was not asked to join the League, which has been his lifelong goal. He first meets Anne at her mistresss house and they begin to become acquainted with each other even though Philip does not bed Anne, much to her humiliation. He tries to forget her as just a passing interest, and she tries to forget her feelings for him because she realizes she was just a skirt to him. Or so they think.
When Philip runs into her again masquerading as the widowed Lady Rosamond Wolsingham, they realize they that, basically, they still want in each others pant. After creeping into the window of her inn room, Philip doesnt really give her a choice in whether he travels with her in her journey to the king. Adventure ensues.
While I didnt find this novel particularly fascinating, it was still enjoyable.
KatieLouCreate (162 KP) rated The Resistance in Books
Feb 6, 2018 (Updated Feb 6, 2018)
A Nice Quick Read
This book is perfect for those who want a nice quick YA dystopian read. It will literally take only a few hours to read. I read it in about 6 hours and I am a slow reader. The story line is great. In fact, it is its most greatest strength. This book, I think, is the worst of the three books in the trilogy. Not much really happens in terms of plot until the end. But it makes up for it with the third book.
The main downfall of this book is the characters. I'm sure I mentioned it previously. Although some of the characters are good, like Pip, Richard and Mrs Pincent, other characters are lacking. Peter is too centered around wanting action, and being the hero, Anna thinks she's strong but is actually quiet a passive character when you think about it. Jude always thinks he is the underdog, a shadow of Peter and loves Sheila, even though they barely know each other, and Sheila is whiney. You notice these traits more in this book because the book has a gradual buildup of action so you have no choice but to focus on the characters.
The book does not shy away from controversial topics. Where other authors would have left the scene to the imagination or alluded to it, Malley delves right into it which forces us to be exposed to the same trauma as the characters. It helps highlight what is wrong in their society and allows us think about the ethical situations and implications of what is happening. For this, I applaud Malley greatly.
It is not a terrible read and the third book makes up for what this book lacks but the are room for improvements in this collection.
The main downfall of this book is the characters. I'm sure I mentioned it previously. Although some of the characters are good, like Pip, Richard and Mrs Pincent, other characters are lacking. Peter is too centered around wanting action, and being the hero, Anna thinks she's strong but is actually quiet a passive character when you think about it. Jude always thinks he is the underdog, a shadow of Peter and loves Sheila, even though they barely know each other, and Sheila is whiney. You notice these traits more in this book because the book has a gradual buildup of action so you have no choice but to focus on the characters.
The book does not shy away from controversial topics. Where other authors would have left the scene to the imagination or alluded to it, Malley delves right into it which forces us to be exposed to the same trauma as the characters. It helps highlight what is wrong in their society and allows us think about the ethical situations and implications of what is happening. For this, I applaud Malley greatly.
It is not a terrible read and the third book makes up for what this book lacks but the are room for improvements in this collection.
ClareR (5879 KP) rated Red Clocks in Books
Mar 18, 2018 (Updated Mar 18, 2018)
A marmite book!
This follows the lives of five women, in a world where abortion is illegal and seen as murder, IVF is also illegal as the embryo cannot give its opinion, and only married couples can foster and adopt. Back street abortions are back, and the people in a seaside town believe that a woman who lives on her own in the woods and sells cures, is a witch. Each chapter is for a separate female character: the Wife, the Biographer, the Mender, and the Daughter, and between those chapters are snippets from a book that the Biographer is trying to write about a female Arctic explorer. Each woman shows how a patriarchal society inhibits their life choices - they have no choice of their own.
I loved the flow of the language in this novel, I loved the personalities of the characters who were shown to be both loving and spiteful, selfish and generous and strong and weak. Finally, I loved how Zumas has chosen a topic that is all too current in her own country and many others around the world. This is a great book, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it won awards. It has been criticised for riding on the coat tails of The Handmaids Tale, but I really don't think that this is the case. It is a great piece of work in its own right. This is a topic, though, that is very much on people's minds. And rightly so.
I've seen some very mixed reviews about this novel: it seems to attract extremes of hatred/ love, and I'm not overly surprised. I think the best thing to do, is to probably go and read it!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read this!
I loved the flow of the language in this novel, I loved the personalities of the characters who were shown to be both loving and spiteful, selfish and generous and strong and weak. Finally, I loved how Zumas has chosen a topic that is all too current in her own country and many others around the world. This is a great book, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it won awards. It has been criticised for riding on the coat tails of The Handmaids Tale, but I really don't think that this is the case. It is a great piece of work in its own right. This is a topic, though, that is very much on people's minds. And rightly so.
I've seen some very mixed reviews about this novel: it seems to attract extremes of hatred/ love, and I'm not overly surprised. I think the best thing to do, is to probably go and read it!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read this!
