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The Bandersnatch (199 KP) rated The Lord of the Rings in Books
Nov 7, 2019
Lord of the rings is written by professor J. R. R. Tolkien and began as a squeal to the Hobbit but evolved over time into its own stand alone book. It was Published by Allen and Unwin (who also produced the hobbit) on July 29th 1954 in three segments; The Fellowship of the Ring, The Towers and The Return of the King. Structurally the book can be separated into six books with an appendices at the end. The book was intended to be one volume of a two volume set (Partnered with The Silmarillion). The title refers to the main antagonist the dark lord Sauron, who had in an earlier age created the one ring to rule them all and use it to conquer and rule Middle-Earth. The story starts in the shire at the 11th birthday of Bilbo Baggins and follows the journey of Frodo Baggins – Bilbos relative and heir as he ranges across middle-earth all the way to the fires of mount doom to destroy the magical ring (which Bilbo found during the Hobbit) during what ended up as the War of the Ring. The story is seen through the eyes of several characters including Frodo, and fellow Hobbits Sam Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took.
Now I own a copy of the lord of the rings and have done so since I've left school. The copy I own however is the single whole copy as such I've always struggled to read the book in one go. Its always taken me a long time to read it and as such I only re-read it every two years or so. Whilst I'd known of the hobbit and read it numerous times as a child and young adult. I wasn't aware of the Lord of the Rings until the movies came out and as such I came to LoTR through the movies instead of the book. If you want to know a brief history of Professor J.R.R Tolkien and my opinion of him have a look to last weeks book blog on The Hobbit.
The book was turned into the popular movie franchise by Director Peter Jackson, Weta Workshop and New Line Cinema. The movies followed the pattern of the books and were subsequently released under The fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The return of the King (2003). Lord of the rings is widely regarded as one of the most influential and greatest film trilogies ever created. Its ended up being both a major financial success and is amongst the highest grossing film series of all time (earning over £2.9 billion in worldwide receipts). When award season came around each film was critically acclaimed and heavily awarded they won 17 out of their 30 nominations. An extended copy of each movie was released on DVD after the theatrical release.....I still have my extended copies after 13 years.
I was introduced to the Lord of the Rings Movies during Secondary school and had spent a good chunk of my time out of school watching the movies. By the time I left school a knew a plethora of random knowledge of the Tolkien legendium at large and as I said earlier in this post I saw the movies first before I read the books and as such It does make it harder for me to read the books. Thanks to these movies however I now own several LoTR related books and have a healthy love of Fantasy and fiction at large.
Now I own a copy of the lord of the rings and have done so since I've left school. The copy I own however is the single whole copy as such I've always struggled to read the book in one go. Its always taken me a long time to read it and as such I only re-read it every two years or so. Whilst I'd known of the hobbit and read it numerous times as a child and young adult. I wasn't aware of the Lord of the Rings until the movies came out and as such I came to LoTR through the movies instead of the book. If you want to know a brief history of Professor J.R.R Tolkien and my opinion of him have a look to last weeks book blog on The Hobbit.
The book was turned into the popular movie franchise by Director Peter Jackson, Weta Workshop and New Line Cinema. The movies followed the pattern of the books and were subsequently released under The fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The return of the King (2003). Lord of the rings is widely regarded as one of the most influential and greatest film trilogies ever created. Its ended up being both a major financial success and is amongst the highest grossing film series of all time (earning over £2.9 billion in worldwide receipts). When award season came around each film was critically acclaimed and heavily awarded they won 17 out of their 30 nominations. An extended copy of each movie was released on DVD after the theatrical release.....I still have my extended copies after 13 years.
I was introduced to the Lord of the Rings Movies during Secondary school and had spent a good chunk of my time out of school watching the movies. By the time I left school a knew a plethora of random knowledge of the Tolkien legendium at large and as I said earlier in this post I saw the movies first before I read the books and as such It does make it harder for me to read the books. Thanks to these movies however I now own several LoTR related books and have a healthy love of Fantasy and fiction at large.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Dragon Wing in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Dragon Wing by Rebecca Bush was one of the books I was more looking forward to reading here recently. Sadly I was disappointed by this book. The back of the book talks about how the village Sigrun lives in wanted her killed even as a baby. This is not reflected in the book very well because for the most part Sigrun is treated fairly good by most of the other village faeries. This book turned out to be more of a teen romance than I expected, so be prepared.
Sigrun is a fairy that lives in a small village with her brother and father. One evening while on the beach with her friends Sigrun falls asleep and dreams her father and brother are in trouble. She rushes home to find her father dead, the family sword is stolen, and her brother (who went missing earlier) still gone. The council creates a search party for her brother but quickly gives up. Frustrated Sigrun tries to find her brother herself but ends up attacked by a lizard due to being unprepared for the dangers of the wild.
It is then that Khalon finds her and is able to rescue her. After he helps Sigrun heal she convinces him to go back to the village with her. Sadly Khalon is originally from a tribe that attacks villages and it is with reluctance that the council agrees to let Khalon stay since he warned them of a coming attack. Khalon trains Sigrun and her friends to fight but one of Sigrun’s friends, Jae, is not happy about Khalon’s presence. It is during the training that Sigrun learns that she was a child born of a prophecy and that is why she is so different from everyone else and what she must do to protect her village. Jae and Khalon are going to have to learn to get along because Sigrun is going to need all the support she can get.
What I liked best about this book was Sigrun’s transformation. She has to learn about who she is as a person and how to trust herself, a valuable lesson for anyone. I really have a hard time picking what it is that I did not like about this book. I can not seem to figure out why but something felt very off about the book. I think maybe it had something to do with the size of the fairies. At times they appear to be about the size of a human and at other times they were only about the size of a bee and that really bothered me.
The target readers for this book are teens as I do not think even a young adult would really like this book all that much. It seems to lack some of the depth that older, more frequent readers would enjoy. Also, the “love triangle” between Sigrun, Khalon, Jae, and Ainia leans more toward the interest of a young girl. I rate this book to be a 2 out of 4. While this book was good it did not really stand out to me as something that I will really remember. It sits at a steady middle ground for a book. I would not go out of my way to say everyone should read it but at the same time, I would not discourage anyone from reading. If teen romance and faeries are for you, go for it.
Sigrun is a fairy that lives in a small village with her brother and father. One evening while on the beach with her friends Sigrun falls asleep and dreams her father and brother are in trouble. She rushes home to find her father dead, the family sword is stolen, and her brother (who went missing earlier) still gone. The council creates a search party for her brother but quickly gives up. Frustrated Sigrun tries to find her brother herself but ends up attacked by a lizard due to being unprepared for the dangers of the wild.
It is then that Khalon finds her and is able to rescue her. After he helps Sigrun heal she convinces him to go back to the village with her. Sadly Khalon is originally from a tribe that attacks villages and it is with reluctance that the council agrees to let Khalon stay since he warned them of a coming attack. Khalon trains Sigrun and her friends to fight but one of Sigrun’s friends, Jae, is not happy about Khalon’s presence. It is during the training that Sigrun learns that she was a child born of a prophecy and that is why she is so different from everyone else and what she must do to protect her village. Jae and Khalon are going to have to learn to get along because Sigrun is going to need all the support she can get.
What I liked best about this book was Sigrun’s transformation. She has to learn about who she is as a person and how to trust herself, a valuable lesson for anyone. I really have a hard time picking what it is that I did not like about this book. I can not seem to figure out why but something felt very off about the book. I think maybe it had something to do with the size of the fairies. At times they appear to be about the size of a human and at other times they were only about the size of a bee and that really bothered me.
The target readers for this book are teens as I do not think even a young adult would really like this book all that much. It seems to lack some of the depth that older, more frequent readers would enjoy. Also, the “love triangle” between Sigrun, Khalon, Jae, and Ainia leans more toward the interest of a young girl. I rate this book to be a 2 out of 4. While this book was good it did not really stand out to me as something that I will really remember. It sits at a steady middle ground for a book. I would not go out of my way to say everyone should read it but at the same time, I would not discourage anyone from reading. If teen romance and faeries are for you, go for it.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Dead Don't Die (2019) in Movies
Jun 20, 2020
I'm a little sad to say that I spent real money on this film. It wasn't showing at my Cineworld and the chance of a second stage release with the summer holidays approaching was unlikely. Luckily one of my Showcase Cinemas had it on and I ventured out into the real world to see it.
I won't bother with an extended synopsis because honestly I don't know what the point would be... it's zombies, everyone is trying to stay alive, literally nothing else is really happening in the story.
Up until this point I never really understood people using the word "meta" (unless it was DC related), I get it now. Officer Peterson, played by Adam Driver, is so meta that there actually may not be any more to go around.
The cast felt like it was just quirky enough to work together, especially as this wasn't going to be a traditional zombie movie. Looking back at the actors now I'm wondering if I might have enjoyed this movie more if it had unknown actors in it. I don't think it would have risen much higher in the rankings but I would have been less annoyed by some of the happenings.
Bill Murray plays Chief Robertson, a man who is seemingly always slightly confused by everything and also never becomes more than mildly alarmed by what's going on. The character and the performance were both rather boring. Murray came alive about as much as any of the zombies did.
The same can be said for Adam Driver, though I actually think that's par for the course with the way he acts rather than anything else. He always feels like mid-tier Keanu Reeves without the range. Once you realise that Peterson has the meta inside track it becomes a challenge to see anything he says in any other way. The script became rather frustrating because of this.
We're shown a very strange Tilda Swinton in the trailer and you have to wonder if the make-up direction was just "I want her to be the palest she's ever been and throw in a little "Ring" vibe for good measure." Zelda is probably the perfect zombie apocalypse companion, but she doesn't make for very dynamic viewing.
All of this negative feeling can be laid squarely at the script's door. It has little of interest to warrant a story at all, which is weird because there are elements that you think lead somewhere and then inexplicably don't. The ending is particularly bad and is what I've dubbed the "Stephen King ending". I won't expand on that here because it definitely constitutes spoilers if you haven't seen it.
There are some nice touches. The animal behaviour, the character of Mallory, and some of the effects on Selena Gomez. There's also some that left me questioning how they've portrayed zombies in this compared to other z-movies, but it's not in the trailer and while it's in my notes I'm wondering if I didn't just imagine the whole thing.
Those few little snippets can't save this movie. The poor script has several (that's me being generous) holes in it that just don't stand up when you look closely, and it's not good enough to give you anything else to look at apart from those holes. From its "maybe sciency things will cover the lack of reasoning" beginning to the "Stephen King ending" I was very disappointed.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-dead-dont-die-movie-review.html
I won't bother with an extended synopsis because honestly I don't know what the point would be... it's zombies, everyone is trying to stay alive, literally nothing else is really happening in the story.
Up until this point I never really understood people using the word "meta" (unless it was DC related), I get it now. Officer Peterson, played by Adam Driver, is so meta that there actually may not be any more to go around.
The cast felt like it was just quirky enough to work together, especially as this wasn't going to be a traditional zombie movie. Looking back at the actors now I'm wondering if I might have enjoyed this movie more if it had unknown actors in it. I don't think it would have risen much higher in the rankings but I would have been less annoyed by some of the happenings.
Bill Murray plays Chief Robertson, a man who is seemingly always slightly confused by everything and also never becomes more than mildly alarmed by what's going on. The character and the performance were both rather boring. Murray came alive about as much as any of the zombies did.
The same can be said for Adam Driver, though I actually think that's par for the course with the way he acts rather than anything else. He always feels like mid-tier Keanu Reeves without the range. Once you realise that Peterson has the meta inside track it becomes a challenge to see anything he says in any other way. The script became rather frustrating because of this.
We're shown a very strange Tilda Swinton in the trailer and you have to wonder if the make-up direction was just "I want her to be the palest she's ever been and throw in a little "Ring" vibe for good measure." Zelda is probably the perfect zombie apocalypse companion, but she doesn't make for very dynamic viewing.
All of this negative feeling can be laid squarely at the script's door. It has little of interest to warrant a story at all, which is weird because there are elements that you think lead somewhere and then inexplicably don't. The ending is particularly bad and is what I've dubbed the "Stephen King ending". I won't expand on that here because it definitely constitutes spoilers if you haven't seen it.
There are some nice touches. The animal behaviour, the character of Mallory, and some of the effects on Selena Gomez. There's also some that left me questioning how they've portrayed zombies in this compared to other z-movies, but it's not in the trailer and while it's in my notes I'm wondering if I didn't just imagine the whole thing.
Those few little snippets can't save this movie. The poor script has several (that's me being generous) holes in it that just don't stand up when you look closely, and it's not good enough to give you anything else to look at apart from those holes. From its "maybe sciency things will cover the lack of reasoning" beginning to the "Stephen King ending" I was very disappointed.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-dead-dont-die-movie-review.html
Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated Dubious (The Loan Shark Duet, #1) in Books
Feb 8, 2018
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/download_zpsalznydhx.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/download_zpsalznydhx.jpg~original"; border="0" alt=" photo download_zpsalznydhx.jpg"/></a>
🌟🌟🌟🌟STARS.
Dubious (The Loan Shark Duet, #1) was a delight to read and once I started there was no stopping me, I was on a mission to finish this.
So the low-down on Dubious was that Valentina Haynes a young veterinary student manages to get on the wrong side of the Louw family courtesy of her car thief neighbour, who while watching her disabled brother Charlie lets him run up gambling debt's at a local club.
Sent in on a kill order Gabriel Louw wanting Valentina for himself offers her an out, come work for him for nine years to pay off her brother's debt and he will let her brother go.
Now this book was fantastic and was such an easy read.
Despite the subject matter involved here, this was not in any way for me dark.
Gabriel rather than force Valentina (who is now working as a maid in his home).
Gradually seduces her senses with his brand of charisma and skills.
Alongside Gabriel, Valentina has to endure his mother Magda. who from day one is unhappy with her son's decision to allow the Hayne's to continue to exist and is just looking for an excuse to end Valentina.
I also loved the fact that Gabriel wasn't your typical looker and was covered in scars, this to me was an actual plus rather than a minus because I do adore me a less than perfect anti-hero.
Gabriel also came packed with a spoilt teenage daughter and I get the impression from her behaviour that she was less than aware of her father's profession.
I also thought it was a stroke of genies to set this in South Africa, Johannesburg to be precise.
This made it stand out for me from the norm, I can honestly say I don't think I've read this genre of story set in this background before.
This made this really original.
The tale told here was not very angsty but that didn't matter.
As this story progressed, two things became very clear to me, Gabriel's self-confidence in his own appeal was low, more than likely due to his scarring.
He felt that his money and power was all he had to offer besides the obvious things as well of course.
The second being Valentina has vastly underestimated how much Gabriel wants to protect and keep her, the former going to such extremes that it was bound to come crashing down around his ears just through miscommunication.
There were some very interesting side characters here Quinn and Rhett, Gabriel's bodyguards being two that grew on me and I believe they both generally liked Valentina.
Also, her friend Kris was a diamond watching her brother Charlie, maybe for the next nine years, this was definitely above and beyond.
Bet we would all love a friend like that.
So the only reason I pulled this down a star was that I feel that Gabriel himself would with this sort of reputation and power be less than inclined to allow his mother to pull his strings.
Yes, I know in the beginning she was described as having all the power.
I just fail to see, how with Gabriel's sort of nature he has allowed this status quo to go unchallenged all these years, I just can't see it.
After all, he is the muscle and scary face of the Louw's family loan shark franchise.
I actually just really wanted him to tell his mother to go screw herself.
So Would I recommend this? Hell yeah!!!
Dubious was well written with great developed characters and an interesting storyline.
It also really helped that the hero and heroine were both extremely likeable people.
Even considering the hero's occupation.
And the way this was left. well just Phew, so need that next instalment.
Dubious ended on such a fantastic cliffhanger.
I would like to say thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with a free ARC.
This is my own free and honest opinion of Dubious.
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/images_zpshdbbnmle.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/images_zpshdbbnmle.jpg~original"; border="0" alt=" photo images_zpshdbbnmle.jpg"/></a>
Reviewed By Bookworm
www.beckiebookworm.com
🌟🌟🌟🌟STARS.
Dubious (The Loan Shark Duet, #1) was a delight to read and once I started there was no stopping me, I was on a mission to finish this.
So the low-down on Dubious was that Valentina Haynes a young veterinary student manages to get on the wrong side of the Louw family courtesy of her car thief neighbour, who while watching her disabled brother Charlie lets him run up gambling debt's at a local club.
Sent in on a kill order Gabriel Louw wanting Valentina for himself offers her an out, come work for him for nine years to pay off her brother's debt and he will let her brother go.
Now this book was fantastic and was such an easy read.
Despite the subject matter involved here, this was not in any way for me dark.
Gabriel rather than force Valentina (who is now working as a maid in his home).
Gradually seduces her senses with his brand of charisma and skills.
Alongside Gabriel, Valentina has to endure his mother Magda. who from day one is unhappy with her son's decision to allow the Hayne's to continue to exist and is just looking for an excuse to end Valentina.
I also loved the fact that Gabriel wasn't your typical looker and was covered in scars, this to me was an actual plus rather than a minus because I do adore me a less than perfect anti-hero.
Gabriel also came packed with a spoilt teenage daughter and I get the impression from her behaviour that she was less than aware of her father's profession.
I also thought it was a stroke of genies to set this in South Africa, Johannesburg to be precise.
This made it stand out for me from the norm, I can honestly say I don't think I've read this genre of story set in this background before.
This made this really original.
The tale told here was not very angsty but that didn't matter.
As this story progressed, two things became very clear to me, Gabriel's self-confidence in his own appeal was low, more than likely due to his scarring.
He felt that his money and power was all he had to offer besides the obvious things as well of course.
The second being Valentina has vastly underestimated how much Gabriel wants to protect and keep her, the former going to such extremes that it was bound to come crashing down around his ears just through miscommunication.
There were some very interesting side characters here Quinn and Rhett, Gabriel's bodyguards being two that grew on me and I believe they both generally liked Valentina.
Also, her friend Kris was a diamond watching her brother Charlie, maybe for the next nine years, this was definitely above and beyond.
Bet we would all love a friend like that.
So the only reason I pulled this down a star was that I feel that Gabriel himself would with this sort of reputation and power be less than inclined to allow his mother to pull his strings.
Yes, I know in the beginning she was described as having all the power.
I just fail to see, how with Gabriel's sort of nature he has allowed this status quo to go unchallenged all these years, I just can't see it.
After all, he is the muscle and scary face of the Louw's family loan shark franchise.
I actually just really wanted him to tell his mother to go screw herself.
So Would I recommend this? Hell yeah!!!
Dubious was well written with great developed characters and an interesting storyline.
It also really helped that the hero and heroine were both extremely likeable people.
Even considering the hero's occupation.
And the way this was left. well just Phew, so need that next instalment.
Dubious ended on such a fantastic cliffhanger.
I would like to say thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with a free ARC.
This is my own free and honest opinion of Dubious.
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/images_zpshdbbnmle.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/images_zpshdbbnmle.jpg~original"; border="0" alt=" photo images_zpshdbbnmle.jpg"/></a>
Reviewed By Bookworm
www.beckiebookworm.com
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated Amish Cooking Class : The Celebration in Books
Feb 25, 2019
The Cooking Class is back! I'm so glad that Mrs. Brunstetter brought us back to the Troyers and Heidi's cooking class. This one was as addictive as the first two, and Mrs. Brunstetter's extremely captivating talent has shone once again!
I loved seeing the Troyers and Marsha and Randy again. They are wonderfully chiseled characters and really come to life with each story. The other characters that Mrs. Brunstetter created for this one really stole a piece of my heart, too! Being married to my own firefighter, I loved seeing Darren Keller's character worked in there. It was definitely an added bonus to an already amazing novel.
I loved the way Mrs. Brunstetter made this novel about the kids. It was such a refreshing change from the first two, though they were amazing, as well. The different familes that Mrs. Brunstetter created really made the story pop. Each family had a different circumstance, different struggles, and they all felt real to me. The inspiring ways that Heidi Troyer helps each family, really shines.
This is definitely a 5 star worthy addition to a fantastically created 5 star series by the Queen of Amish Fiction. Mrs. Brunstetter adds yummy sounding recipes to the book, making this a tasty treat for all Amish fiction lovers everywhere. While this could easily be read as a stand alone, I don't recommend that you read it as one. Grab this one, along with the first two, and take a trip to the Troyer's farm, to the fun of cooking and baking, and to where God is foremost the center of the story! You won't be sorry!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
I loved seeing the Troyers and Marsha and Randy again. They are wonderfully chiseled characters and really come to life with each story. The other characters that Mrs. Brunstetter created for this one really stole a piece of my heart, too! Being married to my own firefighter, I loved seeing Darren Keller's character worked in there. It was definitely an added bonus to an already amazing novel.
I loved the way Mrs. Brunstetter made this novel about the kids. It was such a refreshing change from the first two, though they were amazing, as well. The different familes that Mrs. Brunstetter created really made the story pop. Each family had a different circumstance, different struggles, and they all felt real to me. The inspiring ways that Heidi Troyer helps each family, really shines.
This is definitely a 5 star worthy addition to a fantastically created 5 star series by the Queen of Amish Fiction. Mrs. Brunstetter adds yummy sounding recipes to the book, making this a tasty treat for all Amish fiction lovers everywhere. While this could easily be read as a stand alone, I don't recommend that you read it as one. Grab this one, along with the first two, and take a trip to the Troyer's farm, to the fun of cooking and baking, and to where God is foremost the center of the story! You won't be sorry!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated Ghostal Living (Hamptons Home & Garden Mysteries #3) in Books
Feb 27, 2019
Ms. Bridge is a new to me author and I can tell you that I loved her unique, quirky style. I'm now a fan for life! I love a good cozy mystery full of twists, turns, and who dun its and Ms. Bridge's third installment to the Hampton Home and Garden Mysteries did not disappoint! It had the perfect blend of all that and more.
I love that this book is centered around a bed and breakfast called Bibliophile Bed&Breakfast! It seems perfect for us book lovers! A rare manuscript,a killer on the loose and lots of decorating to do, Meg finds her hands full in this book filled with witty characters and happenings that is sure to leave you on the edge of your seat while you help Meg uncover the clues and solve the mystery. Following Meg on her race to find the who's and why's behind it all was so fun! I read this book in one sitting, turning the pages long into the night.
I definitely sing this book's praises. The theme, the characters, the mystery behind it all, make the perfect cozy read and will capture you from the start. It's worthy of 4 stars and two thumbs up. And while this is the 3rd installment in this series, it could easily be read as a stand alone. So, what are you waiting for? Grab that cup of coffee, this amazing book, and settle in for the roller coaster ride of your life! Ms. Bridge will capture you wholly with her characters, charm and who dun it mysteries! And, as a bonus, Ms. Bridge throws in recipes and decorating tips! <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/review-ghostal-living-by-kathleen-bridge/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
I love that this book is centered around a bed and breakfast called Bibliophile Bed&Breakfast! It seems perfect for us book lovers! A rare manuscript,a killer on the loose and lots of decorating to do, Meg finds her hands full in this book filled with witty characters and happenings that is sure to leave you on the edge of your seat while you help Meg uncover the clues and solve the mystery. Following Meg on her race to find the who's and why's behind it all was so fun! I read this book in one sitting, turning the pages long into the night.
I definitely sing this book's praises. The theme, the characters, the mystery behind it all, make the perfect cozy read and will capture you from the start. It's worthy of 4 stars and two thumbs up. And while this is the 3rd installment in this series, it could easily be read as a stand alone. So, what are you waiting for? Grab that cup of coffee, this amazing book, and settle in for the roller coaster ride of your life! Ms. Bridge will capture you wholly with her characters, charm and who dun it mysteries! And, as a bonus, Ms. Bridge throws in recipes and decorating tips! <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/review-ghostal-living-by-kathleen-bridge/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
Jessi Bone (48 KP) rated Murder in the Reading Room in Books
Apr 30, 2019
Storyline (1 more)
Characters
How Far Would You Go For The Truth
Jane goes on a search to the Biltmore Estate to find Edward and discovers far more than she thought she knew about her own past. Now she must discover what she really wants for her future and her family she has created for herself and her sons. When enemies from the past and the present collide Jane must decide if the secrets of the library should be open for the world to see and read. As more of the story of the Templars and Guardians becomes unwound Jane discovers that everyone is keeping secrets from her both friends and foes that make her want to take a stand and change the rules of what has always been at Storyton Hall.
“Your Stories are their stories' said Uncle Abysius” By Jove, I think I like it.”
Mrs. Adams takes us beyond Storyton Hall to the walls of the Biltmore Estate. She outdoes herself again. As a long time Ellery Adams fan she blew me away with this story-line and how she evolved the characters in this five Book Retreat Series. I must say this is my favorite book of the series. I really recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a who done it, thriller, bibliophile or even a little romance it has all of those and a little history too. It is really worth your time to pick up the book and take a trip to Storyton Hall even if only for an hour at a time to escape to a place where books are protected and cherished and the characters will make you feel like you are coming home.
“Your Stories are their stories' said Uncle Abysius” By Jove, I think I like it.”
Mrs. Adams takes us beyond Storyton Hall to the walls of the Biltmore Estate. She outdoes herself again. As a long time Ellery Adams fan she blew me away with this story-line and how she evolved the characters in this five Book Retreat Series. I must say this is my favorite book of the series. I really recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a who done it, thriller, bibliophile or even a little romance it has all of those and a little history too. It is really worth your time to pick up the book and take a trip to Storyton Hall even if only for an hour at a time to escape to a place where books are protected and cherished and the characters will make you feel like you are coming home.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Clerks (1994) in Movies
May 6, 2019
Dante and Randal - together forever
I had the pleasure of meeting Kevin Smith when he appeared at the Hollywood Video manager's meeting in Las Vegas in the summer of 1999. Clerks was revered at that time by all of us since we were living the life of Randal to a certain extent being video store managers. We could all relate to the examples of stupid customers and things we wanted to say to them, but couldn't since "the customer is always right".
Smith's appearance at our meeting must've shocked the Mormon founder, Mark Wattles, when Smith began using excessive profanity and talking about giving blow jobs in the bathroom for cash.
My own experiences as a video store manager were reflected in a lot of what Randal says especially when it came to movie recommendations. I'll never forget being asked "Which is better, Booty Call or Schindler's List" or arguing with customers during the "full screen" vs. "widescreen" debate explaining widescreen was better because you could see the entire picture instead of the side of the film being cut off.
Every time I rewatch Clerks it always reminds me of those times and how I reflect fondly on them now so many years later.
Smith was a funny guy and he certainly tells good stories if you have ever seen one of his stand-up specials where he talks about meeting Prince, Bruce Willis or his experiences writing a Superman draft.
Jay and Silent Bob are iconic too even getting their own reboot movie now.
Clerks is a comedy cinema cult classic having lived far beyond its original $27,000 budget where Smith had to sell his comic book collection and its characters will live on forever due to some classic screenwriting.
Smith's appearance at our meeting must've shocked the Mormon founder, Mark Wattles, when Smith began using excessive profanity and talking about giving blow jobs in the bathroom for cash.
My own experiences as a video store manager were reflected in a lot of what Randal says especially when it came to movie recommendations. I'll never forget being asked "Which is better, Booty Call or Schindler's List" or arguing with customers during the "full screen" vs. "widescreen" debate explaining widescreen was better because you could see the entire picture instead of the side of the film being cut off.
Every time I rewatch Clerks it always reminds me of those times and how I reflect fondly on them now so many years later.
Smith was a funny guy and he certainly tells good stories if you have ever seen one of his stand-up specials where he talks about meeting Prince, Bruce Willis or his experiences writing a Superman draft.
Jay and Silent Bob are iconic too even getting their own reboot movie now.
Clerks is a comedy cinema cult classic having lived far beyond its original $27,000 budget where Smith had to sell his comic book collection and its characters will live on forever due to some classic screenwriting.
Mike Wilder (20 KP) rated Horrible Bosses (2011) in Movies
May 30, 2018
Easily my favourite comedy of 2011
Contains spoilers, click to show
Easily my favourite comedy of 2011, with Crazy, Stupid, Love. coming a close second. The film is about three guys whose jobs are made hell by their bosses. They decide to kill them in a "Strangers on a train" style, where one kills another's boss so it can't be traced back to the employee. I wasn't sure what to expect from the cast that includes Kevin Spacey, Jason Bateman, Colin Farrell, Donald Sutherland, Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Aniston. Each fine actors but how would they fair in this film? Amazingly is how. Colin Farrell is almost unrecognizable as one of the bosses and Kevin Spacey is great as usual. However the stand out performance of the film is Jennifer Aniston. She plays a dentist, the boss of Dale (Charlie Day) and she is sexually harassing him. She really takes the role and plays it to perfection. Dale is her shy assistant who is engaged to Stacy (Lindsay Sloane). He is faithful to her and resists all advances from his over sexed boss. It is not a role we are used to seeing her play but it is a perfect performance. Another great performance was Jamie Foxx the murder consultant they hire. Horrible Bosses is a great comedy, almost a perfect comedy. The only flaw for me was it was all tied up a little too neatly. I saw the ending coming before it happened and it would have been nice to have an ending a little more surprising. Having said that I can't imagine how it could have been ended differently. The film doesn't have to resort to crude gags and just lets the script and performances of the cast tell the story. This works so well and full credit to the writers for a great comedy.
b.Young (97 KP) rated Apocalypticon in Books
Jun 1, 2018
Witty dialog (1 more)
Humorous take on apocalypse genre
The most humorous apocalypse book I've ever read
I found this book offered for Kindle and decided to read it based on the fact that it was humorous instead of serious.
Apocalypticon is a story of two friends in Chicago that somehow survived M-Day, the day the monkey shaped missiles were launched from Jamaica to destroy most of the inhabitants of Earth, only to pack up 3 years later and make a whirlwind trip to visit Disney World, of all places.
Along the way, Patrick and Ben come across some very colorful survivors like Violet, a woman who runs the only bridge out of town like a restaurant: hostess stand, bus boys, wine and all; an Amtrak Captain who happens to be the only one left in the country, that is obsessed with keeping a schedule he never can seem to keep; a futune teller that warns Patrick of his fate; a couple of religious cults, each morbidly twisted in their own way; zombie-like creatures called Runners that snorted their way into the realm of the semi-undead; a gun-toting chick that thinks that the Runners can be cured; and journalist who is trying to make sense of why certain people survived the decimation of 98% of the world's population.
Now, don't get me wrong, there were plenty of action scenes where people and things got effed up, but not so much of the blood and gore that typically goes along with genre.
I surprised myself by actually laughing out loud while reading this...several times, I might add.
I recommend Apocalypticon to anyone who enjoys a good apocalypse story and can accept the hilarity of the situation at hand.
Apocalypticon is a story of two friends in Chicago that somehow survived M-Day, the day the monkey shaped missiles were launched from Jamaica to destroy most of the inhabitants of Earth, only to pack up 3 years later and make a whirlwind trip to visit Disney World, of all places.
Along the way, Patrick and Ben come across some very colorful survivors like Violet, a woman who runs the only bridge out of town like a restaurant: hostess stand, bus boys, wine and all; an Amtrak Captain who happens to be the only one left in the country, that is obsessed with keeping a schedule he never can seem to keep; a futune teller that warns Patrick of his fate; a couple of religious cults, each morbidly twisted in their own way; zombie-like creatures called Runners that snorted their way into the realm of the semi-undead; a gun-toting chick that thinks that the Runners can be cured; and journalist who is trying to make sense of why certain people survived the decimation of 98% of the world's population.
Now, don't get me wrong, there were plenty of action scenes where people and things got effed up, but not so much of the blood and gore that typically goes along with genre.
I surprised myself by actually laughing out loud while reading this...several times, I might add.
I recommend Apocalypticon to anyone who enjoys a good apocalypse story and can accept the hilarity of the situation at hand.