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The Blood Demon's Pet (Demon Daddy #1)
The Blood Demon's Pet (Demon Daddy #1)
KD Ellis | 2023 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
THE BLOOD DEMON'S PET is the first book in the Demon Daddy series. We have Levi, the blood demon, and Eryn, the werewolf. There are a multitude of supporting characters that I adored, who did their job superbly.

Levi has been alone for quite a while. The last time he thought he'd found a long-term love, he was betrayed and stolen from. Since then, when he needs to feed, he keeps it as clinical as possible. Eryn is a werewolf who can't control either his shifts or the wolf inside. He gets told by the Beta that he has killed the Alpha, but he will help him escape. Can you hear the alarm bells ringing? I could and I hated what poor Eryn went through.

The attraction is instant but Levi tries to keep it clinical, even though he doesn't know Eryn's whole story. He isn't prepared to take a risk. In fact, when things move on between them, he is the one to put on the brakes and take a step back. I didn't like his behaviour (as I wasn't meant to) but I did understand it.

When he and Eryn are together, make sure you've got a fan because these two are H.O.T! Slowly, slowly in every way but s€x. And just when it gets even better, everything goes to hell in a handbasket, thanks to the ex. And...

...then it ends. So be prepared. I knew it ended on a cliffhanger and it still caught me by surprise.

I loved this story and will be re-reading it in the time I have to wait for the next part. Absolutely brilliant and definitely recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 31, 2023
  
Deadly Curiosities
Deadly Curiosities
Gail Z. Martin | 2014 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
4
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
DNF at 60%.
 
The cover grabbed me and the synopsis made me think this could be quite a fun read.It turned out it took a lot of reading. That’s not to say it was bad or anything, for me it was just okay; nothing special. I just prefer shorter books. And ones with less description. (I’m probably the only one who feels like that!)

And for them to have at least a bit of romance in them. By the half way point I’d given up on anything romantic happening. There wasn’t the slightest whiff of it at all. I like a bit of action in stories but I love it when it ends in some sexual tension between characters and there was nil. I’m a romance reader and I, wrongly, assumed that this would be like every other UF book I’ve read where there would be some romance mixed in the storyline.

Getting past the lack of romance, I liked the abilities of Cassidy and Teag. It was a refreshing change to read about something different. Not that I don’t love my shifters and vampires but every so often it’s nice to get a different take on things and seeing the history of items when you touch them and being able to piece together information on the internet and through books as a Weaver were definitely new to me.

I must confess that the lack of romance in the book put me off and I struggled to become interested in the storyline. I’m not the biggest fan of ghost stories and I’m no history buff so having to read all the back story of the Charleston really put me off.

Being honest, I have to say that this wasn’t my sort of book at all but if you like urban fantasy books with lots of description/back story with the occasional flashbacks and no romance, then this is likely perfect for you.
  
Flatliners (2017)
Flatliners (2017)
2017 | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
The idea of the plot (0 more)
nothing really happens and what does wasn't that great (0 more)
Nearly bored me to flatline.
Okay first off I'm pretty sure I never saw the original flatliners so I went into this like it was a newish concept for a movie.

Flatliners at its bare bones has a really interesting take on what happens to us after we die and what could happen to us if we manage to come back, I really wished they would have focused more on that aspect of the story and showed a little more of what each person went through when they "crossed over" instead of adding unnecessary love plotlines and even more unnecessary sex scenes that just ended up boring me nearly to death.


The other thing I was really hoping for was for this to venture a little more into the horror genre but sadly they wasted a really good opportunity with a few crappy jump scares that you could see coming from a mile away.


I recommend watching this if you literally have nothing else to watch or if you were a fan of the original and want to see how they updated it.
  
Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Drag Me to Hell (2009)
2009 | Comedy, Horror
I'll say one thing for certain, Drag Me to Hell is so unnecessarily and gratuitously gross at times (the old woman has the poor girls entire chin in her disgusting mouth on more than one occasion) and in that regard, it's a warm welcome back to over the top horror for Sam Raimi. His signature style is plastered all over the place, and it's great.

The cheesiness isn't a complete positive however. In terms of dialogue, it can take you out of the story a bit. Lead Alison Lohman and co star Justin Long (both actors who I like) suffer from this a bit, and are occasionally comical in a movie that plays it straight for the most part.
Some of the effects are a little iffy as well. There's some good practical stuff going on but a few digital effects are dodgy. It's not enough to severely impact anything, and there a few decent jump scares scattered throughout.

It's a perfectly fine slice of horror, that is elevated by a ballsy as fuck ending, that makes Drag Me to Hell a film worth revisiting now and again. Would love to see a sequel someday!
  
40x40

Martin Scorsese recommended Ugetsu (1953) in Movies (curated)

 
Ugetsu (1953)
Ugetsu (1953)
1953 | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Mizoguchi is one of the greatest masters who ever worked in the medium of film; he’s right up there with Renoir and Murnau and Ford, and after the war he made three pictures—The Life of Oharu, Ugetsu, and Sansho the Bailiff—that stand at the summit of cinema. All of his artistry is channeled into the most extraordinary simplicity. You’re face-to-face with something mysterious, tragically inevitable, and then, in the end, peacefully removed. I love all three of these pictures and many other Mizoguchi films as well (including Princess Yang Kwei-fei, The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums, and Miss Oyu, to name only a few), but Ugetsu has the most powerful effect on me. There are moments in the picture, famous ones, that I’ve seen again and again and that always take my breath away: the boat slowly materializing from out of the mist and coming toward us . . . Genjuro collapsing on the grass in ecstasy and being smothered by Lady Wakasa . . . the final crane up from the son making an offering at his mother’s grave to the fields beyond. Just to think of these moments now fills me with awe and wonder."

Source
  
Dad Next Door (Crimson Club #5)
Dad Next Door (Crimson Club #5)
Willow Dixon | 2024 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
DAD NEXT DOOR is a slow-burn story in the Crimson Club series, featuring Tristan (the man of the title) and Quinn. Tristan is a vet, and Quinn is a dancer/cam-boy/businessman. They take things slowly due to their histories and IT WORKS! It unfolds in a completely natural way that is the right way for Quinn and Tristan.

I love how these two communicated without judging, and their issues were completely relatable and realistic. For these two, friendship came first, although the attraction was there on Tristan's part, at least. Quinn was a little slower as he hadn't put a label on himself but thought he was 'straight'.

This was the first book in the Crimson Club I have read, and now I definitely want to read the others. This was a cinnamon roll of a book that was just what I needed. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 1, 2024
  
Lies We Tell Our Kids
Lies We Tell Our Kids
Brett Wagner | 2018 | Humor & Comedy
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
short, entertaining book is that more appropriate for adults than children
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

Lies We Tell Our Kids by Brett Wagner is a short, entertaining book is that more appropriate for adults than children. This book is an example of some of the lies parents tell their children, mostly to keep them in line and behave well. It is funny as a "look back" to the lies we were told as children and, in return, told younger children. I remember my grandmother telling me that thunder was caused by angels bowling. That lightning occurs when angels take a picture was new to me.

This book is less than 100 pages and each page states a "lie" that is one sentence so it is a very fast read. For every lie, there is a corresponding, colorful illustration which are imaginative and allow for eye rolling and shaking of my head. I have heard of a few of the lies mentioned but most of them were new to me and gave me a good chuckle.

I read reviews of this which were posted on Goodreads. Many reviews rated it low. I think they should have taken into consideration that this book is not intended to be taken seriously. Just enjoy its quirkiness and have fun!
  
Delinquent (Academy of Misfits #1)
Delinquent (Academy of Misfits #1)
Bea Paige | 2020 | Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
213
Kindle
Delinquent (Academy of Misfits book 1)
By Bea Paige

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments.

 
I’m the kid your parents warned you about…

Eighteen months in prison or doing time at Oceanside Academy.
Reform school has met its match in me, even if it is full of young offenders. Thieves, graffiti writers, drug runners and other petty criminals reside within the walls, and I'm just like them.
But what they didn't tell me was that I'd be one of only a handful of girls in a hoard full of boys. It'll take more than just street smarts to keep my wits about me.
Everyone here has a chip on their shoulders, and I'm no different. Mine's one of the biggest, that's why they call me Asia because I have one as large as a continent.
Rules or not, these bad boys are about to discover I've earned my label for reason...
I'm the biggest misfit of them all.



Not the usual school/academy I’m used to reading for this one has no actual magic! But I have to say I really enjoyed the set up, the story and the characters! Growing up in a broken home is not easy and I think Bea captur these kids well! Those stick in a situation they can’t control or get out of!