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Feeling Good: The Very Best of Nina Simone by Nina Simone
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Along with Patti Smith and Mary Margaret O'Hara, I would say that Nina Simone possesses the greatest voice I have ever heard. Nina's voice, my god, on songs like 'Sinner Man' or 'I Put A Spell On You' is beyond compare. If you really want to get Nina Simone, you need to get on YouTube and watch the early footage. There is 25 minutes of footage of a performance she did in England, after Martin Luther King had been shot, and she is playing to mainly a white audience. It is the greatest set of protest songs I have ever seen. It puts Dylan or anyone else into the shade. If you wish to see how to change the world with music, look at this dignified woman holding back her rage at what had been done to her people. [Fighting back tears] Nina Simone carried the weight of black experience more fully than anyone else I have heard. There is also some amazing footage of her dancing with the audience. It's when she was less bitter and her bipolar disorder hadn't kicked in, and she is dancing and singing. When you watch her move, you can see the music is in every part of her body. With the songs Nina wrote, her position in the civil rights movement, and then the fact she became broken, it is just one of the most devastating stories. [Crying]. But, her voice, fucking hell. And the song 'Ain't Got No, I Got Life' – on which she lists all the things that she hasn't got, but then lists all the things she does have, which are her passion and her spirit – gets me every time. It's important people go and check out the early footage on YouTube. When she sings 'I Put A Spell On You', you fucking know she has put a spell on that guy, who was her ex-husband. You do not fucking mess with that woman. I heard a lovely anecdote about Angelo Badalamenti, who was a desperately impoverished guy who had just given up his job to become a songwriter. He had been earning nothing for 18 months, and had sent some songs to Nina Simone. He got a call from her manager saying that Nina would like to meet him. He went to the place at the arranged time, walked into a room and there was this amazing lioness, lying on a sofa dressed in leopard skin. She said, ""I hear you have some songs for me. Play me one."" There was no piano, so he had to sing to her. He sang about a minute of 'I Hold No Grudge' and she said, ""I will take that"" and asked him if had any more. He sang another song for about 30 seconds, and she said, ""I will take that too"", and he sang a snippet from another one, which she also liked. Within two weeks, she had recorded all three songs and launched his career as a writer. Angelo told me that story when I made an album with him."

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Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
2021 | Action, Adventure
Life for Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is complicated thanks to his dual life as Spider-Man and the challenges of being in High School. Unfortunately for him; his best intentions are about to make things much worse in "Spider-Man: No Way Home".

Taking place where "Spider-Man: Far From Home" ended; Peter must deal with his secret identity being leaked by Tabloid Journalist J. Jonah Jameson (J. K. Simmons); and the throngs of people, helicopters, and protestors who follow his every move and camp outside his home.

As if this was not bad enough; being accused of being a murderer has drawn the attention of the authorities which further complicates his life as does returning to a school where everyone knows his identity.

Desperate to get away from the constant scrutiny and observation; Peter seeks out Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), and asks him to cast a spell that would make the world forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man.

Strange agrees but mid-spell Peter requests that there are some exemptions from the spell which include his Girlfriend MJ (Zendaya); his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei); and his friend Ned (Jacob Batalon).

Strange agrees but in doing so; complications arise which allows entrants from other dimensions to enter their realm. Soon Peter is accosted by villains whom he does not know but seem to know him; that is until he is unmasked and they have no idea who this Peter Parker is before them.

As more villains arrive; Peter learns of their fates in their natural dimension and is determined to save them and give them a second chance which puts him at odds with Doctor Strange who says they must go back to whatever fate they had.

What follows is a descent into humor and darkness as Peter despite his best intentions sees the situation go from bad to worse and he must fight to stay true to himself and save the day.

The film is a difficult one to review in the fact that there are so many surprise guests, twists, and turns that it is challenging to not reveal anything but suffice it to say that fans should absolutely enjoy it.

The film takes its time getting to the action as it has a very slow and deliberate climb and Director Jon Watts is confident enough in the characters and premise that he allows ample time for the characters and setting to build and be established before he gets to the action.

While there is considerable fan service in the film; it never once seems like it is pandering and it all fits very well within the story and the MCU and opens up numerous possibilities for the future.

There is a mid-credit scene and a post-credit scene which is basically a trailer and both are very engaging in terms of the possibilities as Marvel has again shown that their plan of interwoven stories and characters continues to deliver and that Spider-Man still remains as popular and engaging as ever.
  
Getting Hot with the Scot
Getting Hot with the Scot
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
From their freshman year in college, Cassie and her friends may a promise to each other that they would take a European vacation five years after graduation. So that's is where they are. Finishing up their trip in Scotland and then London. All Cassie wants out of this trip is to end her dry spell in the bedroom, but as the trip comes to a close, it doesn't look as though that is going to happen. And then she sees the man she's be waiting for. A long-haired redhead in a kilt named Logan Reid. Could it be more perfect? Cassie throws all her inhibitions to the side and goes for what she wants. Will the be just a vacation fling or something much more.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book. I'm participating in a blog tour for this title next week on my blog, so be sure to check it out. There will be an author interview as well as an audiobook excerpt for the book.

First of all, I would just like to say that I wish I had a good group of girlfriends I could travel around Europe with, or even just explore things here in my own hometown. When Cassie embarked on this journey with her friends, in the back of her mind, she was hoping for a romantic fling in a foreign country. She has never been the relationship type and so, a fling is all she needs to get her over this dry spell.

Logan Reid is Scotland's jokster, his show Shenanigans is gaining quite a bit of attention in Europe as well as across the pond. When Cassie throws herself at him, he is shocked to say the very least, but from that moment forward, she has a hold on him, that he can't seem to shake. Logan is not the relationship type either, but what this woman is doing to him, could change all of that.

From Europe to Chicago, will these two find love they so desperately are trying to avoid, or will they enjoy their fling and go on about their lives?
  
CB
10
8.0 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Claimed by Shadow is a hard hitting, beautiful work of art in a novel. It continues the crazy life of Cassie Palmer, throwing the poor young lady into even more danger - be it for her life or for love.

The relationships that were started in the first book are explored in depth. Not just with love interests, but deeper understanding of Cassie's role and her interaction with those around her. Still mostly alone, her perseverence and devil-may-care-but-let's-not-be-too-hasty-because-living-is-a-nice-idea attitude really warms you to Cassie. If you weren't already won over by her speak-before-you-think and vulnerable-but-determined-to-get-through charm.

Again, we see her misadventues start with Cassie just going straight in through the front door, choosing to hide in plain sight. She is not a silly girl. And while she may let sexy casino manager Casanova take advantage of her - as in free labour - she'll be damned in anybody else gets the chance.

In book 2, Cassie finds out that she is under a powerful love spell that, if completed, will put her under thrall of the ever enigmatic but you son-of-a-b!tch master vampire Mircea. For someone who servitude is a fate worse than death, Cassie is none too pleased, even if the idea of loving and being loved by Mircea has a certain pleasant ring to it...

And in true Cassie style, which isn't her fault but a product of her natural 'luck', she ends up complicating the spell further and oh yeah has to track down a homicidal maniac who is trying to kill her.

Karen's writing is fun and non-stop action. It's an exhilerating ride, with fascinating detail of history and forethought for the plot. Where you read something in book one, expect to have those 'Oh yeah' moments as they are aplenty. Without leaving many plot holes or confusing matters, Karen has weaved a complex tale that speaks with each other back and forth spanning all books. We've only just begun the fun.