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Waxwork (1988)
Waxwork (1988)
1988 | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
Several teenagers encounter an ominous looking building housing a curious wax museum in their neighborhood one fine day. The proprietor is an evil Willy Wonka of sorts who invites them in for a look see. Once inside they discover the curious life-like looking exhibits which peak their individual curiosities. They soon discover the chilling truth. Once the velvet rope guarding each individual chamber pulls itself aside, an unsuspecting young person is transported to the specific realm depicted from the outside. These could include the mummy, the Phantom of the Opera and even the Marquis de Sade.Not only must they try and escape and not get caught by the evil creatures within, but they have to discover the overall diabolical plan for their destruction.

I had forgotten about this 80s cheesy horror flick until a recent stroll though Amazon Prime. The main reason for watching is the practical effects, They were cool by 80s standards; albeit a bit cheesy now. Having said so, I would still much rather have practical effects rather than bad CGI which completely takes you out of the scene. At least with practical effects, they are being executed on set so the actors can interact with them rather than staring at a blank wall.

There was some decent gore and semi funny moments as well. Parts of it reminded me of a Evil Dead type camp where they were not trying t take themselves too seriously, but I do not know if that as their intention.

  
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ClareR (5674 KP) rated Purple People in Books

Jul 26, 2020 (Updated Jul 26, 2020)  
Purple People
Purple People
Kate Bulpitt | 2020 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Humor & Comedy
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The satire is strong in Purple People, and there was a point in this where I thought that it all could be feasible. Ok, maybe not, but life never ceases to surprise me!

Eve Baxter is a reporter on an online news channel that reports all things weird and wonderful. She lives in New York, and is happy with her life and the distance it puts between her and her family. After a call from home to say that her father has been attacked and is unconscious in hospital, Eve decides to go home. At the same time, news comes out of the UK about a strange phenomenon: purple people. It transpires that in a bid to take the strain off an inadequate prison system and a rise in antisocial behaviour and violence, perpetrators are turned purple. No one quite knows how this is achieved, so Eve decides that she is going to find out.

This was a very entertaining read: I loved the humour especially, and there’s a big moral question in this. Is this really any way to treat people, whether they’re criminals or not? And is it really ‘right’ to lump all criminals in the same purple category, no matter the type of antisocial behaviour? Personally, I’m just glad that it’s not something that we could get away with (at least I hope so!).

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book, and for Kate Bulpitt for commenting along with the other readers in the margins.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Four Parties and a Funeral in Books

Mar 29, 2023 (Updated Mar 29, 2023)  
Four Parties and a Funeral
Four Parties and a Funeral
Maria DiRico | 2023 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Reality Show Gets Real with Murder
Even though Mia Carina has no desire to be part of the new reality show, Dons of Ditmars Boulevard, Belle View has been hired as a location for some events and to cater others. Not only that, but some mobsters she knows have been cast. She quickly learns that the drama unfolding before the cameras is no match for the drama unfolding among the crew. Still, she is surprised when a dead body turns up. With someone she knows the police’s chief suspect, Mia jumps in to find out what is really happening. Can she figure it out?

It was wonderful to be back with Mia and the rest of her family and friends. Yes, I did find a few things related to the production of the show stretched believability a bit for me, but that’s mostly minor. I was having fun the entire way through the book, laughing quite a bit at the antics of the characters. I suspect if I watched the kind of show being lampooned here, I would find it even funnier. There are several sub-plots, but they never take away from the strong mystery, which goes to some rather creative places before Mia reaches the logical solution. The regular characters are up to their usual antics, which is always fun, and I loved the development that some of them got. This book will leave readers, old and new, with a grin on their face.
  
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Merissa (11943 KP) rated Sticks and Stones (The Wish Makers #1) in Books

Apr 10, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)  
Sticks and Stones (The Wish Makers #1)
Sticks and Stones (The Wish Makers #1)
Shawn McGuire | 2014 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The premise of this book is unusual which immediately grabbed my interest. It isn't the same formula re-worded. However, I was still unsure, even after reading the synopsis, about what I would be getting.

What I got was an interesting, rich and fully detailed book covering not just our main female character but Lexi and the Wish Mistress too. There is enough background on the other characters that they all slot in perfectly together and you know that you are getting a complete story. There are no big chunks missed out of this one.

Mandy's birthday wish was a rare one - it was her soul wish. And it is not just granted without a thought. The wish is the start of a journey that she can choose whether to take or not. And therein lies a brilliant story. It starts off quite light but soon gets darker (in a YA-friendly way). The secret that Mandy was hiding was heartbreaking in its childlike simplicity. It is easy to forget how literal children are with what you say to them and how long it can stay with them. During the conversation with Mandy and her mum, it brought tears to my eyes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and will be reading Break My Bones, the second in this series.
 
* 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!
September 12, 2016
  
Her Wicked Angel (Her Angel: Eternal Warriors #3)
Her Wicked Angel (Her Angel: Eternal Warriors #3)
Felicity Heaton | 2013 | Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I thought that Veiron had stolen my heart but it appears that it is split in two and Asmodeus holds the other part! I will say that feisty, stubborn Liora is Asmodeus' perfect match. These two actually work together to move forwards. They know when they have hurt the other and take steps to say sorry or repair whatever damage may have been done. The interaction between these two is just perfect, whether it is witty or flirtatious banter or whether it is deep, soul-searching.

Erin and Veiron are also in this and continue to show just how wonderful they are together. I still love Erin's attitude and how she won't bow down to the male in her life but instead meets him toe-to-toe.

Amelia and Marcus also show up but Marcus appears to be more and more 'ghostly' as the series moves on. He is just fading into the background which is a shame whereas Amelia still feels that instead of the original angel, she is the ultimate matchmaker but no one is good enough.

Tears, laughter, sexiness - it's all here. I can't not give it 5 stars!

ps, does anyone know where I can get a couple of my own hellhounds? Romulus and Remus are brilliant!!!
 
* 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!
August 6, 2016
  
Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter
Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter
Lizzie Pook | 2022 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Moonlight and the Pearler’s daughter ticked a lot of the boxes on my ‘favourite books’ list:
Historical fiction ✅
Set somewhere completely out of my previous knowledge ✅
A strong female character, operating in a difficult situation ✅
A bit of a mystery ✅ (I don’t really want to try and solve it, I just like the big reveal!)

As is often the case, the expectation of women in historical fiction is to stay at home, look after the house, wait to get married and have babies. But Eliza won’t stay at home when her father goes missing - she doesn’t assume he’s dead like the rest of the townsfolk.

There’s a real feeling of danger in a town where there appears to be no law keepers - not honest one’s, anyway. And if the corrupt, prejudiced townsfolk don’t get you, the climate and the wildlife (jellyfish, crocodiles!!) will.

This is a gripping, descriptive novel, that puts the reader firmly in Eliza’s world. I certainly had more of an idea of the hardships of living in NW Australia at this time. What will stay with me however, is Eliza’s determination to save her father and her family. She’s single-minded in her quest to find him, and determined not to let anyone else take the blame for his supposed death. It’s unnerving at times, when the attitudes of the white settlers towards the Aboriginals and other people of colour are starkly described.

A dark time in history, indeed.
And I’d highly recommend this. It’s wonderfully told.
  
HB
Heartbreak Bay ( Stillhouse Lake 5)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
162 of 235
Kindle
Heartbreak Bay ( Stillhouse Lake 5)
By Rachel Caine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

They’re hunting a killer so silent, so invisible, that his unspeakable crimes are the only proof he exists.

A car submerged in a remote pond. The bodies of two girls strapped into their seats. The mystery of their mother, vanished without a trace, leads Gwen Proctor and Kezia Claremont into dangerous territory.

On the surface, Gwen’s life is good—two children approaching adulthood, a committed partner, and a harrowing past dead and gone. But that past is attracting the attention of someone invisible…and unstoppable. Trouble’s just beginning. So is the body count in this backwoods Tennessee town.

As threats mount and Gwen’s hunted by an enemy who pulls all the strings, Kezia has her back. But working to solve these vicious and unreasonable crimes will expose them both to a killer they can’t for the life of them see coming.

Loved this kinda had to take a breath after Keiza finds those poor babies I even put it down for a few to just breathe. It was full of tension and I really liked that it was the two kick ass females taking the lead. I did want to shake Sam and say well that was a bit obvious mate!!! Really good ending! This is such a sad place to be knowing this was the last book Rachel Caine sent to be published and I can’t thank her enough for getting me through some hard times. Thank you..