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Merissa (12911 KP) rated Bishop to Knight One (Diviner's Game #1) in Books

Feb 12, 2021 (Updated Aug 3, 2023)  
Bishop to Knight One (Diviner's Game #1)
Bishop to Knight One (Diviner's Game #1)
Jennifer Cody | 2020 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
BISHOP TO KNIGHT ONE is the first book in the Diviner's Game trilogy. We enter the world of myth and magic, with Naiads, Nymphs, Obsidites, Telepaths, you name it.

Deejay takes in the unwanted sons of his sisters but ends up taking in step-sons too. One of these is Matt, supposedly human. Both Deejay and Matt fight their attraction as inappropriate in both the human and non-human worlds. Things come to light that show a ten-year difference will mean absolutely nothing as the years go by.

I loved their slow-burn, hot as hell, romance. This book is simply outstanding and had me gripped from the very beginning. I have my own list of characters that I like and dislike but will admit to being shocked with a twist at the end of this book. I really hope it is explained further in subsequent books as I really don't want to dislike this character, but his actions make me question!!!

I found the pacing to be perfect for the story, with plenty of action and romance to take me from page to page. There is intrigue, betrayal (maybe), curses, and fights. It's all here and I loved every single word.

I highly recommend this book and can't wait to continue the series. Bring it on!

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

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 12, 2021
  
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Kane Hodder recommended Monster (2003) in Movies (curated)

 
Monster (2003)
Monster (2003)
2003 | Drama

"Unfortunately, I keep saying ones that I had something to do with. I was the stunt coordinator on that, and I actually played the cop that arrested her at the end. If I have any kind of acting ability, it’s from watching people like Charlize Theron. I was on the set every day. I didn’t have all that much to do, stuntwise — just safety issues and a couple of little stunt things — but I could watch her work, and see how she got to certain places, and that’s the best possible training I think an actor can have. [Theron did] subtle things right before certain scenes, to get to a certain place. I think, even subconsciously, I’ve incorporated some of those techniques. It’s nothing I can really describe. For the violent stuff, it doesn’t take long. It’s just very easy for me to get from my personality to the murderously violent personality. I think I’m closer to that than most people are, so it’s a short trip. [laughs] But for the emotional stuff, and crying scenes and stuff like that, what works best for me is to use music that means something to me, that reminds me of something in the past that isn’t a good memory. Something like that. That helps me to where I can convincingly cry, because I’ve seen so many actors — and these are whom I consider good actors — who are not convincing when they’re crying. It’s just not believable, it’s too forced. I think that’s obviously one of the harder things to do. Take [Hatchet series’] Danielle Harris. Most often, when you have a character who has to have a lot of emotion like that, you start out as a regular character and become that, like Tamara [Feldman] did in the first movie. Starts out normal and then becomes emotional at the end. Well, because this picked up from the very last frame of the first movie, from the very beginning, Danielle has to be crazy emotional. She lost her whole family and found them dead. So, it’s one thing to be able to get to an emotional point, but to have to do it so many times is the hard part. Lots of people can make themselves cry once, but let me see you do it ten times in one day, and some of those times being after lunch, where you’re talking to friends, and then you gotta get back to that place. It’s not that you just do it one time and they film it and you’re done. You gotta do all the coverage and make sure the emotion matches. That’s the hard part."

Source
  
Sexy Beast (2000)
Sexy Beast (2000)
2000 | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
8
7.8 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: Sexy Beast starts as we meet retired safecracker Gal (Winstone) living the life of luxury in a Spanish villa which he enjoys relaxing by the pool enjoying his retirement. His retirement is put to the test when brutal gangster Don Logan (Kingsley) arrives in Spain to try and force him into doing one more job for him, he won’t take no for an answer.

Reluctantly taking the job, Gal returns to London and as most heist style movies, things don’t go to plan.

 

Thoughts on Sexy Beast

 

Characters – Gal was once the go to safecracker, now he is in retirement in Spain loving his life in the sun with his pool and friends, he has zero interest in returning to the game even after Don Logan pushes him. He stays relaxed through each scene because he knows his answer will always be no. he does reluctantly return for this last job mostly to get rid of Don. Don Logan is the brutal gangster, he knows who he wants for the jobs and this time it is Gal, he will not take ‘No’ as an answer, he will get violent and his outbursts will be the things you remember the most. Teddy is the man that the job is for, a fellow gangster that wants the best men for the job. DeeDee is the wife of Gal, she will stand by Gal in every decision even after the endless insults thrown their way.

Performances – Ray Winstone is great in this leading role, he is the perfect choice for a cockney criminal who knows there is a better life out there away from London. Ben Kingsley clearly steals every single scene in this movie with his performance that is filed with so much anger and aggression, you won’t be able to take your eyes off him. Ian McShane is great too where he brings us a calmer gangster who is also filled with anger. These three take most of the spotlight away from any other performers in the film.

Story – The story follows a retired criminal that gets forced to return to the game for one final job by an aggressive gangster, where this film does stand out from the other films in this genre, is that our hero Gal is 100% not interested in returning as most film give us the idea of ‘ok, I will do it’ on an easier formula. The story does have a nice twist on how things go and gives us the characters we could believe are from this world. if you are looking for a heist storyline, you will be disappointed though as this film focuses on the idea of getting the man to do the job.

Crime/Thriller – The crime world we enter giving us gangsters which will not take no for an answer, we don’t learn enough of their previous lives in the world though, only going on reputations.

Settings – The film uses Spain for the setting which gives us the retirement feel for a Brit to take, the sun increases the idea of the heat in the scenes.


Scene of the Movie – The heated argument.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The lack of heist action.

Final Thoughts – This is a true British crime film, it has great characters and a stunning performance from Ben Kingsley.

 

Overall: British Crime 101
  
Mad Punx and English Dogs by English Dogs
Mad Punx and English Dogs by English Dogs
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"This was an EP. They're also from Grantham. Actually the the singer Wakey, he came to the Coventry gig on the tour last year. It was fucking incredible, and he was fucking pissed as well. Him and his wife were pissed out their heads. They live on a narrowboat and apparently that night they went home and both of them fell in the river. I want to get him on a record. I meant to but I'm quite selfish and I forget. But I thought he was a great singer. He did this EP and an album, called Attack Of The Porky Men. I bought that on CD and it cost me £30, an import from America, because it's not on CD really, I think someone just burned it. I didn't start listening to English Dogs until about 2006. I liked trawling through old punk stuff on YouTube. Discharge, GBH, Exploited: stuff I wouldn't have listened to as a kid even though I was never an English Dogs fan. And then I came across that EP and I thought it was brilliant. You can tell it's a Grantham accent. That was brilliant, mind blowing almost. And also the lyrics were just crap, ""Psychokiller rah rah rah..."" It's just rubbish. He's got this diluted Lydon-esque approach, but that's what I love about it. A lot of that new wave punk, around the 80s, it's all crap isn't it. It kind of reminds me of Roachee, it's all crap. People like them are similar in my eyes. So it was a really big honour when he came backstage. He was off his nut. He had a can of cider in his pocket and he came in and was talking to me and looking at all the beer on the side. I said he should just take it. He was like, ""You're joking, can I?"" And was putting all this beer in his pockets, him and his missus, ""Right, mate, mate, I'm going alright."" And the thing is, he knows. He knows. He said, ""When you went out there and you just looked at the crowd and went 'FUCK OFF' this is what I'm going doing, you know, don't you, you know."" Even though, on the hierarchy of punk he's like, down here, he believes in it and he can identify that kind of spirit. And I thought that was really quite touching. I've got his number, I should text him."

Source
  
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ClareR (5879 KP) rated Wandering Souls in Books

Mar 25, 2023  
Wandering Souls
Wandering Souls
Cecile Pin | 2023 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Since reading Wandering Souls on The Pigeonhole, it has made it on to the Women’s Prize long list. And well-deserved it is too.

This is the story of a family who make it by boat to Hong Kong from Vietnam. At least Anh and her two brothers do. Their parents and younger siblings come after them and drown.

This is Anh’s story, and how she copes on their journey from Vietnam to Hong Kong, and then on to London where they settle permanently. It’s a story of loss, life-long trauma and the struggle to find security and happiness. It brought home the continuing issues of refugees - particularly those who take the dangerous route of the sea. It always makes me think of these lines from Warsan Shire’s “Home”:
“You have to understand that no one puts children in a boat
Unless the water is safer than the land”
Anh and her family want a better life than that of poverty, war and political oppression.

This is a dark story and the experiences have such a huge effect on every aspect of Anh and her brothers lives, and you can still see this in the interactions that Anh has with her own children.

It’s a wonderful book, and well worth reading. I’ve learnt so much about the Vietnamese people who resettled in the UK and their journeys here.

I wouldn’t be at all disappointed to see this make the short list.
  
Let me begin by saying that this book introduced me to a wonderful author who I can not wait to read more of!! I love when I can say that about any book, especially a book that I won from First Reads!
The Perfect Death was non-stop action & suspense from page one. It truly started off to hook the reader & it worked for me! The plot felt incredibly real particularly the parts dealing with the Jacksonville Sheriffs & how police handle investigations. The fascinating part was not how the characters handled the police work, but how they interacted with each other. It seemed like a real life workplace with honest to God co-workers.
The plot itself deals with a serial killer who has been on the hunt in North Florida. He finds young, naive victims & strangles them with a cord. As the story continues you find out that he is using them to complete his "work of art." He is a glass blower & blows jars in which he traps his victims' last breaths before he proceeds to strangle them to death.
This book is a fascinating look into real police work & the mind of a serial killer. A person no one thought to take a second glance at until it was too late. I really do look forward to reading more from this author in the future!!!
  
Soul of Discretion
Soul of Discretion
Susan Mac Nicol, M. Tasia | 2018 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Soul of Discretion by Susan Mac Nicol & M. Tasia
Soul of Discretion is written by both Susan Mac Nicol and M. Tasia. Ms Mac Nicol's work I have read and enjoyed before, but I think Ms Tasia's work is new to me.

In a nutshell, this story is about a man finding out his friend has been stealing from him, so he goes to confront him. Things take a darker turn when his friend is murdered, and it looks like the mob is involved. On a lighter note, the one night stand turns out to be a repeat, and in the RCMP.

I really liked this story. It has enough twists and turns to keep the reader's attention, whilst not drowning in detail. The relationship between the two MCs moves fast, but it is only right it does so. They work very well together, complementing each other in nearly every aspect. There is a great supporting cast, with Peter and Steph being amongst my personal favourites.

With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, this book was a delight from start to finish. Thoroughly enjoyable and definitely recommended by me.

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

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Cocktails & Casualties (Crooked Cove Mysteries #1)
Cocktails & Casualties (Crooked Cove Mysteries #1)
Carly Wayne | 2023 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
COCKTAILS & CASUALTIES is the first book in the Crooked Cove Mysteries and we are introduced to Teddy, a wandering bartender who decides to go exploring by herself when the cruise ship she is on docks at an island. Unfortunately, time gets away from her and she ends up stranded. Luckily for her, she is found by a nice couple who take her to 'civilisation' where she can at least eat and sleep in a bed for the night. Then her adventures really begin.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story as Teddy becomes good friends with Jazz, and learns all about the other members of the community. Hawk is a great character and I hated what happened, although he still managed to hit me in the feels near the end of the book. There is a slight triangle here with Nate and Santi, which I'm hoping doesn't become a thing. Santi, all the way!

The pacing was wonderful and all the characters well fleshed out. I enjoyed my time in Crooked Cove and look forward to returning, where (hopefully) I'll see more of Santi! 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!
Aug 17, 2023