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Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Black Widow Vol. 1: S.H.I.E.L.D.'S Most Wanted: Volume 1 in Books
Nov 30, 2020
Man, I so wanted to be bowled over this one! But, in the end? Not so much!
Let's see.. Natasha Romanoff is still BW? Check! Mark Waid is writing? Check! Chris Samnee is handling the art? And, check! Seriously, sounds like a recipe for "Win!", but I didn't think so. And, I am know I am in the minority (along w/hating "emo" Robert Pattison-as-Batman), but that is what makes GoodReads so great: freedom to express your opinion on books read!
I quite liked Samnee's art! I thought his (in my opinion) very Steve McQueen/1970s "spy flick"-influenced style worked PERFECT for this! I know he worked on DD (w/Waid), but I did not check it out as I <i>like</i> DAREDEVIL, but I don't <i>love</i> it! Going forward, I can't wait too more work coming Chris' way!
Now, Waid's writing? It never gelled for me! I normally gravitate towards his scripting, but for I dunno. The writing overall felt "off" and at times, the flashbacks didn't always fit as seemlessly as they should have! Even his dialogue for Natasha just didn't "Wow!" me in any way!
At the end of the day, I don't there is much else I can say that hasn't already been said! It seems like mostly everyone liked/loved, while I didn't! That said, read it, and make up your own opinion! Just like I did...!
Let's see.. Natasha Romanoff is still BW? Check! Mark Waid is writing? Check! Chris Samnee is handling the art? And, check! Seriously, sounds like a recipe for "Win!", but I didn't think so. And, I am know I am in the minority (along w/hating "emo" Robert Pattison-as-Batman), but that is what makes GoodReads so great: freedom to express your opinion on books read!
I quite liked Samnee's art! I thought his (in my opinion) very Steve McQueen/1970s "spy flick"-influenced style worked PERFECT for this! I know he worked on DD (w/Waid), but I did not check it out as I <i>like</i> DAREDEVIL, but I don't <i>love</i> it! Going forward, I can't wait too more work coming Chris' way!
Now, Waid's writing? It never gelled for me! I normally gravitate towards his scripting, but for I dunno. The writing overall felt "off" and at times, the flashbacks didn't always fit as seemlessly as they should have! Even his dialogue for Natasha just didn't "Wow!" me in any way!
At the end of the day, I don't there is much else I can say that hasn't already been said! It seems like mostly everyone liked/loved, while I didn't! That said, read it, and make up your own opinion! Just like I did...!
Zoe Nock (13 KP) rated Codename Villanelle (Killing Eve #1) in Books
Jun 26, 2019
Whilst binge-watching the BBC’s excellent Killing Eve I kept promising myself that I would hunt down a copy of the source material to learn more about the fascinating female protagonists.
It was certainly intriguing to hear the inner workings of Eve’s & Villanelle’s minds and to discover more about their backstory. I particularly enjoyed learning how Villanelle was moulded into the cold-bloodedly efficient assassin that fans of the show have come to love and fear.
“Black, white and red. Darkness, snow and blood. Perhaps it takes as Russian to understand the world in those terms.”
The novel is well written and clips along nicely. There are some well-executed (pun intended) set pieces in exotic or glamourous locations, it easy to see why it was targeted for adaptation. I’m glad that they resisted the temptation to give it the big screen treatment, turning it into what would probably been a beautifully shot but ultimately forgettable ‘sexy spy’ film.
It was an inspired decision to inject humour into the TV show; Phoebe Waller-Bridge brought this book to life in a darkly, deliciously, delightful way. Because of that I was a little disappointed with the book itself. Eve’s kookiness and Villanelle’s bat-s**t craziness are absent and sorely missed by anyone who has seen the series. It is still a good read but Waller-Bridge has shown us what the characters are truly capable of.
It was certainly intriguing to hear the inner workings of Eve’s & Villanelle’s minds and to discover more about their backstory. I particularly enjoyed learning how Villanelle was moulded into the cold-bloodedly efficient assassin that fans of the show have come to love and fear.
“Black, white and red. Darkness, snow and blood. Perhaps it takes as Russian to understand the world in those terms.”
The novel is well written and clips along nicely. There are some well-executed (pun intended) set pieces in exotic or glamourous locations, it easy to see why it was targeted for adaptation. I’m glad that they resisted the temptation to give it the big screen treatment, turning it into what would probably been a beautifully shot but ultimately forgettable ‘sexy spy’ film.
It was an inspired decision to inject humour into the TV show; Phoebe Waller-Bridge brought this book to life in a darkly, deliciously, delightful way. Because of that I was a little disappointed with the book itself. Eve’s kookiness and Villanelle’s bat-s**t craziness are absent and sorely missed by anyone who has seen the series. It is still a good read but Waller-Bridge has shown us what the characters are truly capable of.
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) in Movies
Oct 7, 2019
274. Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Tom Cruise is totally insane, but, he does make some entertaining flicks, even in this 20+ year film franchise. He does some crazy stunts, the ankle scene, I think is still in there, and its brutal. And he fights Superman! So the main theme to part 6 is this. Ethan Hunt did not kill the bad guy, Solomon Lane from the previous film, played by Sean Harris, a cool creepy character actor, and he's back to tear Ethan Hunt a new butthole, and plans to take a bunch of people with him, including Ethan's ex Julia, what??? And to top it all off, the government bastards don't really trust Ethan, so they send a babysitter, Henry Cavill as August Walker. Ok, so the big mystery of this one... there's a mystery guy out there working against Ethan's team, and they seem to know their every move. So Ethans entire team, and August Walker is out to recapture Solomon and stop the madness before the mystery bad spy can get him. Who could it be??? The basic cast has remained the same, a few additions along the way, and then there's Henry Cavill's character, this one will be tough to figure out. But a really fun entertaining flick... Were they hinting at Ethan Hunt getting a little old?? Several scenes were focused on Hunt catching his breath....maybe its just me... Filmbufftim on FB
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2318 KP) rated The First Wave in Books
Sep 2, 2020
Operation: Algeria
It’s November of 1942, and Billy Boyle is part of the landing party trying to secure Algeria for the Allies. However, the plans fall apart quickly after the landing. Then, Billy figures out that someone is stealing the medical supplies that are coming in. Can he figure out who is trying to profit from the thefts while also rescuing his love?
Between the history, the spy story, and the mystery, there is a lot going on in this book. At times, it gets to be a bit too much, and I felt like the pacing was slowed down as a result. That’s ironic since there is plenty of action, and I was turning pages as quickly as I could multiple times over the course of the book. This certainly isn’t one of my normal light mysteries, but it shouldn’t be since it is a book about war. Still, the impact of this story hit me hard since I love these characters. The characters, both real and fictional, interact effortlessly, and it is very easy to care for our heroes. I do recommend reading the first book first since this book spoils some of the events of that story. It has to since those events impacted the characters so much. When you are looking to be fully immersed in another time and place, this is definitely the book to pick up.
Between the history, the spy story, and the mystery, there is a lot going on in this book. At times, it gets to be a bit too much, and I felt like the pacing was slowed down as a result. That’s ironic since there is plenty of action, and I was turning pages as quickly as I could multiple times over the course of the book. This certainly isn’t one of my normal light mysteries, but it shouldn’t be since it is a book about war. Still, the impact of this story hit me hard since I love these characters. The characters, both real and fictional, interact effortlessly, and it is very easy to care for our heroes. I do recommend reading the first book first since this book spoils some of the events of that story. It has to since those events impacted the characters so much. When you are looking to be fully immersed in another time and place, this is definitely the book to pick up.
Point of No Return
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In a dramatic account of violence and espionage, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Ronan...
Fearless (Somerton Security #3)
10.0
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A broken man. A desperate woman. And a love that could save them both. William Bennett lost...
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Night Prince
10.0
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From Lambda Literary Award winning author Felice Stevens comes a sexy paranormal stand-alone...
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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Invisible Library ( Book 1) in Books
Jul 7, 2022
116 of 230
Kindle
The Invisible Library ( Book 1)
By Genevieve Cogman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Irene must be at the top of her game or she'll be off the case – permanently . . .
Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. And along with her enigmatic assistant Kai, she's posted to an alternative London. Their mission – to retrieve a dangerous book. But when they arrive, it's already been stolen. London's underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book.
Adding to the jeopardy, this world is chaos-infested – the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic. Irene's new assistant is also hiding secrets of his own.
Soon, she's up to her eyebrows in a heady mix of danger, clues and secret societies. Yet failure is not an option – the nature of reality itself is at stake.
The Invisible Library is followed by the second adventurous title in the The Invisible Library series, The Masked City.
I thought this was brilliant! It was definitely an appealing concept. Librarians crossed with Sherlock Holmes set in a steam punk environment with supernaturals what’s not to love? This is a new author for me too and I just loved her style. I’m so looking forward reading the rest of this series and more from the author too. I’m a sucker for Dragons too and this has powerful Dragons!
Kindle
The Invisible Library ( Book 1)
By Genevieve Cogman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Irene must be at the top of her game or she'll be off the case – permanently . . .
Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. And along with her enigmatic assistant Kai, she's posted to an alternative London. Their mission – to retrieve a dangerous book. But when they arrive, it's already been stolen. London's underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book.
Adding to the jeopardy, this world is chaos-infested – the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic. Irene's new assistant is also hiding secrets of his own.
Soon, she's up to her eyebrows in a heady mix of danger, clues and secret societies. Yet failure is not an option – the nature of reality itself is at stake.
The Invisible Library is followed by the second adventurous title in the The Invisible Library series, The Masked City.
I thought this was brilliant! It was definitely an appealing concept. Librarians crossed with Sherlock Holmes set in a steam punk environment with supernaturals what’s not to love? This is a new author for me too and I just loved her style. I’m so looking forward reading the rest of this series and more from the author too. I’m a sucker for Dragons too and this has powerful Dragons!