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Emma (519 KP) rated The Manningtree Witches in Books
Jul 9, 2023
When I first started this book I was slightly dubious as to whether I would be able to finish it or not.
I found the writing style quite difficult at first, you can tell the author has previously written books of poetry.
After a few chapters though I was swept into the story, I desperately wanted to find out what happened to Rebecca west and the others. Ultimately it is a bitter sweet ending, but that was probably obvious from the start given the history of the witch trials. I congratulate the author on giving the characters such depth and bringing them back to life for their stories to be told again. #akblakemore
I found the writing style quite difficult at first, you can tell the author has previously written books of poetry.
After a few chapters though I was swept into the story, I desperately wanted to find out what happened to Rebecca west and the others. Ultimately it is a bitter sweet ending, but that was probably obvious from the start given the history of the witch trials. I congratulate the author on giving the characters such depth and bringing them back to life for their stories to be told again. #akblakemore
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Murder in the Family in Books
Jul 23, 2023
I really enjoy Cara Hunter's Adam Fawley series so was eager to read this, a standalone thriller but, unfortunately, whilst I enjoyed the story, I liked the characters (although not many were likeable!) and I really enjoyed the mystery of who did the deed, I wasn't overly keen on the writing format which I found quickly became tedious due to the scene setting rather than focusing on the actual story.
Despite my misgivings on the style, I did like the twists and turns and, like I said, overall I enjoyed it and I thank HarperCollins UK, Harperfiction and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Murder in the Family.
Despite my misgivings on the style, I did like the twists and turns and, like I said, overall I enjoyed it and I thank HarperCollins UK, Harperfiction and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Murder in the Family.
Merissa (11958 KP) rated Dirty Deeds (Cole McGinnis #4) in Books
May 30, 2023
Sheila Pinelli is back in Cole's life, and he wants to find her and make sure that she can't hurt anyone ever again. Due to a mistake, she is released without the officer knowing that she should have been detained. This takes Cole on a journey to find her and also draws him into finding some missing women as well. Claudia comes back to work too, and I love her wisdom and style!
Ending on a cliffhanger regarding Bobby, this is a well-written and fast-paced addition to the Cole McGinnis series. Definitely recommended.
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 20, 2016
Ending on a cliffhanger regarding Bobby, this is a well-written and fast-paced addition to the Cole McGinnis series. Definitely recommended.
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 20, 2016
Coco Fashion
Games and Entertainment
2.0
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~~> Welcome to the Coco Fashion Show! The trendiest 3D fashion show game on the app store! ~~> Be...
Lucy Buglass (45 KP) rated Rare Beasts (2019) in Movies
Oct 14, 2019
Directorial debuts are tough, and it gives people a chance to establish their personal style. Sadly for me, Billie Piper’s first film had a style that didn’t sit well with me at all. She was heavily involved in the project; directing, writing and starring in it, but her unique first film is perhaps a bit too quirky.
Rare Beasts follows Mandy, a career-driven single mother (Billie Piper) and her turbulent relationship with Pete (Leo Bill). Possibly the most frustrating thing about this film as it’s unclear why the two of them even ended up together at all.
It’s not uncommon for people to choose poorly when they’re dating, and end up in a relationship that doesn’t work, but Rare Beasts offers no reason for the two to even end up together in the first place. Mandy’s a single mother, she’s wild, she wears bold clothing, and Pete is a traditionalist who is, frankly, a misogynist with anger issues.
Interestingly, the film’s synopsis describes Pete as ‘charming’, and I’m unable to see that quality in him, nor is it ever shown from Mandy’s point of view. She never once looks at Pete lovingly, or seems charmed by him.
The lack of context or any indication as to what drove them to be together is a problem for me. Even if we saw one tiny nice moment between them it would make sense, but throughout the film they’re consistently awful to each other with no redeeming features.
Combined with a narrative that is all over the place and dialogue that feels very unnatural, it comes across as jarring most of the time. I have no issue with unconventional film styles, but I found it very hard to follow what was going on at various points.
It seems Rare Beasts is confused about what tone its actually going for, switching between whimsical musical style scenes (minus the music or singing) and gritty realism in a matter of seconds.
I appreciated the efforts to raise awareness of social issues such as domestic abuse, gender inequalities and the struggles of bringing up a child as a single parent, but these messages are squashed by a visual style that is rather overwhelming.
There is also a sub-plot involving Mandy’s parents (Kerry Fox and David Thewlis), who have separated but appear to have a complicated relationship. This is never fully explained either so it’s hard to connect with them, especially when Mandy’s mother falls ill.
This attempt to tug at our heartstrings falls flat, which is disappointing as it had the potential to bring some real, raw emotion to Rare Beasts. Sadly it’s as disjoined and confusing as Mandy and Pete’s relationship.
It’s clear those involved in the film gave it their all, and I can’t fault the quality of the actors even though some of the lines didn’t work and felt too far removed from natural conversation to be taken seriously. At least they tried.
Billie Piper has talent, there’s no doubt about it, but she hasn’t quite made it work in this very daring debut behind the camera. If Rare Beasts was attempting to be relatable and resonate with audiences, it failed to do that with me.
Rare Beasts follows Mandy, a career-driven single mother (Billie Piper) and her turbulent relationship with Pete (Leo Bill). Possibly the most frustrating thing about this film as it’s unclear why the two of them even ended up together at all.
It’s not uncommon for people to choose poorly when they’re dating, and end up in a relationship that doesn’t work, but Rare Beasts offers no reason for the two to even end up together in the first place. Mandy’s a single mother, she’s wild, she wears bold clothing, and Pete is a traditionalist who is, frankly, a misogynist with anger issues.
Interestingly, the film’s synopsis describes Pete as ‘charming’, and I’m unable to see that quality in him, nor is it ever shown from Mandy’s point of view. She never once looks at Pete lovingly, or seems charmed by him.
The lack of context or any indication as to what drove them to be together is a problem for me. Even if we saw one tiny nice moment between them it would make sense, but throughout the film they’re consistently awful to each other with no redeeming features.
Combined with a narrative that is all over the place and dialogue that feels very unnatural, it comes across as jarring most of the time. I have no issue with unconventional film styles, but I found it very hard to follow what was going on at various points.
It seems Rare Beasts is confused about what tone its actually going for, switching between whimsical musical style scenes (minus the music or singing) and gritty realism in a matter of seconds.
I appreciated the efforts to raise awareness of social issues such as domestic abuse, gender inequalities and the struggles of bringing up a child as a single parent, but these messages are squashed by a visual style that is rather overwhelming.
There is also a sub-plot involving Mandy’s parents (Kerry Fox and David Thewlis), who have separated but appear to have a complicated relationship. This is never fully explained either so it’s hard to connect with them, especially when Mandy’s mother falls ill.
This attempt to tug at our heartstrings falls flat, which is disappointing as it had the potential to bring some real, raw emotion to Rare Beasts. Sadly it’s as disjoined and confusing as Mandy and Pete’s relationship.
It’s clear those involved in the film gave it their all, and I can’t fault the quality of the actors even though some of the lines didn’t work and felt too far removed from natural conversation to be taken seriously. At least they tried.
Billie Piper has talent, there’s no doubt about it, but she hasn’t quite made it work in this very daring debut behind the camera. If Rare Beasts was attempting to be relatable and resonate with audiences, it failed to do that with me.
Avakin Life – 3D Virtual World
Games and Social Networking
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ENTER AVAKIN LIFE: The amazing virtual world where you can become the person you always wanted to...
groundedGeek (4 KP) rated This American Life in Podcasts
Jan 10, 2018
Almost always great
The topics on this show are sometimes hit-or-miss, but often you will come across an absolute gem of a theme and the stories shared are fascinating. I rated it higher because more often than not I find the topics really interesting. On occasion there will be a dud where the host isn't as engaging or the stories just aren't my taste, but the great thing about the show is that even those episodes hit home for someone most likely. There really is something for everyone in this series... if the current episode doesn't float your boat, it's likely a previous one will be fascinating or maybe the next topic will be right up your alley.
The episodes are "investigative" in nature where the host has interviewed people and tells the true story as they go, but like many "documentary" style features in this day and age... they can sometimes be driven to tell the story they want you to hear, guiding you to the conclusion that fits their narrative rather than simply providing the facts and letting the listener draw their own conclusions. To be fair, this makes it more entertaining... because simple fact-finding would likely be boring in podcast form. It's not necessarily a criticism... Michael Moore is an example of the worst purveyor of this kind of "documentary" style... generate a conclusion, craft the clips, audio and narrative to support that conclusion... voila... Michael Moore movie. While I don't prefer that style of "documentary" because it is obviously biased, there is no doubt that Michael Moore knows how to sell his story and makes entertaining films. TAL is not quite the same, it's probably unfair to put them in that category, but there is with some of the hosts, a definite feel that they have the conclusion they want you to draw firm in their mind when they provide the accompanying stories...
Other times there isn't any agenda, they simply want to provide you with fascinating stories about fascinating people in this fascinating country... and when they do that, they do it spectacularly. I feel like my criticism above could possibly be misconstrued as a knock on the show, but discerning listeners likely recognize when this is sometimes happening and it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the journey the show takes you on. It's not a knock, it's a fun show.
The episodes are "investigative" in nature where the host has interviewed people and tells the true story as they go, but like many "documentary" style features in this day and age... they can sometimes be driven to tell the story they want you to hear, guiding you to the conclusion that fits their narrative rather than simply providing the facts and letting the listener draw their own conclusions. To be fair, this makes it more entertaining... because simple fact-finding would likely be boring in podcast form. It's not necessarily a criticism... Michael Moore is an example of the worst purveyor of this kind of "documentary" style... generate a conclusion, craft the clips, audio and narrative to support that conclusion... voila... Michael Moore movie. While I don't prefer that style of "documentary" because it is obviously biased, there is no doubt that Michael Moore knows how to sell his story and makes entertaining films. TAL is not quite the same, it's probably unfair to put them in that category, but there is with some of the hosts, a definite feel that they have the conclusion they want you to draw firm in their mind when they provide the accompanying stories...
Other times there isn't any agenda, they simply want to provide you with fascinating stories about fascinating people in this fascinating country... and when they do that, they do it spectacularly. I feel like my criticism above could possibly be misconstrued as a knock on the show, but discerning listeners likely recognize when this is sometimes happening and it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the journey the show takes you on. It's not a knock, it's a fun show.
Pomelo Fashion
Shopping and Lifestyle
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Welcome to Pomelo: Affordable fashion born in Asia. On trend. Online. On the go. With an...
Music Idol!
Games and Entertainment
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Picture yourself on a giant stage, singing in front of thousands of fans screaming your name! Live...
D1
Domus 1980s
Book
Postmodern & High-Tech The 1980s in full force Founded in 1928 as a ""iving diary" by the great...