Search
Search results
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020 (Updated Mar 3, 2020)
If I was still 10 or 11 years old, this might be my favourite film of all time (for a few months). The 10 year old trapped inside me kinda thinks it is! At first I was sceptical that it could be any good at all, seeing it getting nominated in a lot of best animation categories during award season, and then winning them all! From the poster, or even the trailer, alone, I just didn’t get it!
Then folk whose opinion I trust, that normally go for really intense dramas and artsy stuff, started telling me how good it was. I added it to my watchlist and walked away, nodding, as if to say “sure, I’ll get around to it”. More fool me for waiting so long, cos let me tell you, as modern animations go, it is really really good! But why? Well, there are several things that set it apart…
Firstly, it patronises no one. This is a fun, all swinging, all action, adventure, with real threat, real emotion and real excitement. Secondly, the love and attention that have gone into the myth of Spiderman and what he/she/it represents is so astonishingly comprehensive in a 2 hour film, that anyone living on Mars and never knowing a single thing about it, would understand instantly. You also don’t have to be a superhero geek to like it (but it helps a bit).
And thirdly, the animation. Wow, the animation! Incorporating so many styles and techniques, often in the same image / scene, it is a mind boggling experience, and a visual festival of comic book art. It shouldn’t work, but, my word, it not only works, it totally rocks! I have never felt before that I was experiencing a living, moving, comic book. Every detail makes you respect and appreciate this art form, and its evolution through the years.
Not only that, however, but it has an inclusivity that is awesome and so simple. This isn’t a film about boys, for boys. Gwen Stacy, aka Spider-Woman, is a great, strong character in her own right; as is Spider-Ham; as are all of them. Literally, there is something for everyone to relate to. And the cunning conceit that brings them all together just… works!
I’m not sure I’ll watch it very often, because, you know, I’m not 10 any more. But if I am ever in the mood to feel young and excited about heroes, then this will be my first port of call.
Then folk whose opinion I trust, that normally go for really intense dramas and artsy stuff, started telling me how good it was. I added it to my watchlist and walked away, nodding, as if to say “sure, I’ll get around to it”. More fool me for waiting so long, cos let me tell you, as modern animations go, it is really really good! But why? Well, there are several things that set it apart…
Firstly, it patronises no one. This is a fun, all swinging, all action, adventure, with real threat, real emotion and real excitement. Secondly, the love and attention that have gone into the myth of Spiderman and what he/she/it represents is so astonishingly comprehensive in a 2 hour film, that anyone living on Mars and never knowing a single thing about it, would understand instantly. You also don’t have to be a superhero geek to like it (but it helps a bit).
And thirdly, the animation. Wow, the animation! Incorporating so many styles and techniques, often in the same image / scene, it is a mind boggling experience, and a visual festival of comic book art. It shouldn’t work, but, my word, it not only works, it totally rocks! I have never felt before that I was experiencing a living, moving, comic book. Every detail makes you respect and appreciate this art form, and its evolution through the years.
Not only that, however, but it has an inclusivity that is awesome and so simple. This isn’t a film about boys, for boys. Gwen Stacy, aka Spider-Woman, is a great, strong character in her own right; as is Spider-Ham; as are all of them. Literally, there is something for everyone to relate to. And the cunning conceit that brings them all together just… works!
I’m not sure I’ll watch it very often, because, you know, I’m not 10 any more. But if I am ever in the mood to feel young and excited about heroes, then this will be my first port of call.
Slice Package Tracker
Shopping
App Watch
Everyone’s favorite online shopping assistant is now on the Apple Watch! Watching your deliveries...
shopping
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated An Anonymous Girl in Books
Jan 25, 2019
An Anonymous Girl
Review can also be found on www.diaryofdifference.com
If someone offered you $500 to answer a few personal questions and stay anonymous, would you do it?
The makeup artist, Jessica Farris goes into a client’s house to do her job. Just the usual. And then she hears her teenage client mentioning the survey that gives you huge amounts of money for a few anonymous questions. When the teenager says she won’t be able to attend, and she is too lazy to let them know, Jessica decided to use this chance and go instead.
But what happens when after a few simple questions a woman starts telling her deepest secrets? And the money will increase, but so will the difficulty of the tasks she needs to do.
”It’s easy to judge other people’s choices.”
I was hyped about this book before I even started to read it. I read the synopsis, and it intrigued me from the very first moment. Of all the mysteries and thrillers, I have enjoyed the psychological the most. Something about how a twisted mind works triggers my pleasure senses. It’s creepy, but I wish you all get that feeling for a genre.
Right after the first chapter of the book I was satisfied, and happy. This book was all I needed right then, and it just kept getting better and better.
We get to meet Jessica and see how she thinks, follow her as she answers question after question, revealing secret after a secret. With each question, and each task, and each secret being revealed, the book kept becoming darker and darker, better and better.
It reminded me of the Harry Potter series, with the content getting darker after time. If you remember the first Harry Potter book, it is Children’s fiction, but the significantly darker compared to the first. Same happens with the movies as well.
I loved the questions that were asked on the survey – they are really meant to make you think through and try and give your answers.
Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?
Have you ever deeply hurt someone you care about?
The relationship between the people in this book is twisted. It’s all about playing games. It’s all about the cat and mouse chase. As much as I loved it, it also annoyed me at times, as I wanted it to stop.
The twists, cliff hangers and unexpected moments were brilliant. Pure skill, I tell you that. I haven’t been so surprised, excited, thrilled at the same time by any book I’ve recently read.
And with such twisted moments, and thrills throughout the book, and chapters ending leaving you breathless, you would expect the most thrilling ending.
I did. I expected it.
And I was very disappointed. It ended… rather bland. Like a Sunday Roast without gravy.
”We all have reasons for our actions. Even if we hide the reason from those who think they know us best. Even if the reasons are so deeply buried we can’t recognise them ourselves.”
I have a hard time judging this book now, as it was all hype and thrill, until it stopped dead. Maybe the authors wanted to ensure that we experiences exactly this feeling – I am not sure. Maybe for such a twisted book, calmness is all it needs to end with. I’ll leave this judgement up to you, as you experience the book and its ending on your own.
At this time, I feel like giving it 4 stars, as the ending was the only things that bothered me. This book is still a gem, and deserves to be read by people that enjoy psychological thrillers.
Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me a free copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review
If someone offered you $500 to answer a few personal questions and stay anonymous, would you do it?
The makeup artist, Jessica Farris goes into a client’s house to do her job. Just the usual. And then she hears her teenage client mentioning the survey that gives you huge amounts of money for a few anonymous questions. When the teenager says she won’t be able to attend, and she is too lazy to let them know, Jessica decided to use this chance and go instead.
But what happens when after a few simple questions a woman starts telling her deepest secrets? And the money will increase, but so will the difficulty of the tasks she needs to do.
”It’s easy to judge other people’s choices.”
I was hyped about this book before I even started to read it. I read the synopsis, and it intrigued me from the very first moment. Of all the mysteries and thrillers, I have enjoyed the psychological the most. Something about how a twisted mind works triggers my pleasure senses. It’s creepy, but I wish you all get that feeling for a genre.
Right after the first chapter of the book I was satisfied, and happy. This book was all I needed right then, and it just kept getting better and better.
We get to meet Jessica and see how she thinks, follow her as she answers question after question, revealing secret after a secret. With each question, and each task, and each secret being revealed, the book kept becoming darker and darker, better and better.
It reminded me of the Harry Potter series, with the content getting darker after time. If you remember the first Harry Potter book, it is Children’s fiction, but the significantly darker compared to the first. Same happens with the movies as well.
I loved the questions that were asked on the survey – they are really meant to make you think through and try and give your answers.
Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?
Have you ever deeply hurt someone you care about?
The relationship between the people in this book is twisted. It’s all about playing games. It’s all about the cat and mouse chase. As much as I loved it, it also annoyed me at times, as I wanted it to stop.
The twists, cliff hangers and unexpected moments were brilliant. Pure skill, I tell you that. I haven’t been so surprised, excited, thrilled at the same time by any book I’ve recently read.
And with such twisted moments, and thrills throughout the book, and chapters ending leaving you breathless, you would expect the most thrilling ending.
I did. I expected it.
And I was very disappointed. It ended… rather bland. Like a Sunday Roast without gravy.
”We all have reasons for our actions. Even if we hide the reason from those who think they know us best. Even if the reasons are so deeply buried we can’t recognise them ourselves.”
I have a hard time judging this book now, as it was all hype and thrill, until it stopped dead. Maybe the authors wanted to ensure that we experiences exactly this feeling – I am not sure. Maybe for such a twisted book, calmness is all it needs to end with. I’ll leave this judgement up to you, as you experience the book and its ending on your own.
At this time, I feel like giving it 4 stars, as the ending was the only things that bothered me. This book is still a gem, and deserves to be read by people that enjoy psychological thrillers.
Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me a free copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Once Upon a River in Books
Oct 2, 2020
’A river no more begins at its source than a story begins with the first page.’’
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield is a story that had the perfect plot potential to be amazing, but it didn’t deliver at all. As a huge fan of storytelling, this was a big disappointment for me, the biggest one so far in 2019.
‘’There are stories that may be told aloud, and stories that must be told in whispers, and there are stories that are never told at all.’’
The story happens in a small city, on the river Thames. It features the pub Swan, where people gather every night, and everyone knows each other, and they all tell stories all night and enjoy their company.
If you have ever been to England, it is so easy to imagine the setting of a pub, warm place, crowded with people laughing and talking loudly, glasses clinking and people singing random songs in the background. A lot of positive noise and enchanting atmosphere.
And one night, the usual setting is being disturbed, when a man enters the pub with a little girl in his arms, and then passes away. The girl appears to not be breathing for a while, and everyone thinks she is dead, but suddenly, she is breathing again. And the man that is with her is not her father.
As the town is used to, they make stories of it. How it happened, who is the father, does she have a family, why was she drowning in the river… The plot entangles when the family is to be found of the little girl, but a few people claim she is their relative.
‘’Something happens and then something else happens and then all sorts of other things happen, expected and unexpected, unusual and ordinary.’’
The storytelling and the writing of the author was beautiful. At times. The beginning was a paradise for book lovers. The best first chapters I read this year. But after the plot opening, everything started going downhill.
It felt like being on this roller coaster, excited, going slowly upwards, slowly reaching the top, ready to fall so fast, ready for an adventure, only for them to tell you that there is a fault, and you have to get back and exit the ride without even making the adventure out of it.
I wanted to love it. The writing at parts was great, and I am including a lot of quotes throughout the review, because I loved those parts. But the chapters and characters were too many, and things were happening too fast and without a purpose, that it was hard for me to pick up the pace. I had to leave the book and pick it up again, and it took me three months to complete it. A hard book to swallow and process.
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield is a story that had the perfect plot potential to be amazing, but it didn’t deliver at all. As a huge fan of storytelling, this was a big disappointment for me, the biggest one so far in 2019.
‘’There are stories that may be told aloud, and stories that must be told in whispers, and there are stories that are never told at all.’’
The story happens in a small city, on the river Thames. It features the pub Swan, where people gather every night, and everyone knows each other, and they all tell stories all night and enjoy their company.
If you have ever been to England, it is so easy to imagine the setting of a pub, warm place, crowded with people laughing and talking loudly, glasses clinking and people singing random songs in the background. A lot of positive noise and enchanting atmosphere.
And one night, the usual setting is being disturbed, when a man enters the pub with a little girl in his arms, and then passes away. The girl appears to not be breathing for a while, and everyone thinks she is dead, but suddenly, she is breathing again. And the man that is with her is not her father.
As the town is used to, they make stories of it. How it happened, who is the father, does she have a family, why was she drowning in the river… The plot entangles when the family is to be found of the little girl, but a few people claim she is their relative.
‘’Something happens and then something else happens and then all sorts of other things happen, expected and unexpected, unusual and ordinary.’’
The storytelling and the writing of the author was beautiful. At times. The beginning was a paradise for book lovers. The best first chapters I read this year. But after the plot opening, everything started going downhill.
It felt like being on this roller coaster, excited, going slowly upwards, slowly reaching the top, ready to fall so fast, ready for an adventure, only for them to tell you that there is a fault, and you have to get back and exit the ride without even making the adventure out of it.
I wanted to love it. The writing at parts was great, and I am including a lot of quotes throughout the review, because I loved those parts. But the chapters and characters were too many, and things were happening too fast and without a purpose, that it was hard for me to pick up the pace. I had to leave the book and pick it up again, and it took me three months to complete it. A hard book to swallow and process.
Debbiereadsbook (1171 KP) rated Unlikely Hero (AUDIO) in Books
May 14, 2018
excellent narration of a great book!
Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted the audio version of this book.
Brock never got over Eric leaving him, but he understood why Eric needed to go. When Eric calls, 9 years later, Brock drops everything and calls upon his considerable resources to find Eric's 3 year old daughter , who has been kidnapped. But having Eric and Josie under his roof, to keep them safe, has Brock thinking about all the things he missed out on.
I loved this!!
Brock loved Eric, never stopped so of course he's gonna help him find his daughter! I loved that, right from Eric turning up at his office, Brock is calling him baby. I don;'t usually, so it surprised me here that I did love it! I think it surprised Brock too, the first time he did it!
Brock makes no apologies for his wealth and power and he pulls no punches in using both to keep Eric and Josie safe, and in finding out who is doing this.
But we don't get Eric, at all. This is told entirely from Brock's POV in the third person. And I really REALLY needed to hear from Eric at key points along the way: when Josie is first discovered gone; when he walks into Brock's office and when he finds out just who is behind it all. This is the only reason I gave the book 4 stars, because Eric is not given a voice, and he needed one.
I loved the supporting cast, especially Max and Gordon. They have a tale to tell, not least because of what goes down here!
Jeff Gelder narrates. This is the first, as far as I can see, that I have listened to of his work and I was very impressed. His reading voice is deep and even, and his voices consistent and easily identifiable in multi person conversations. Loved his voice for Josie, who sounded just like a 3 year old should, with all the funny things they say. Gelder gets over all of Brock's emotions in all the right places.
I cannot fault the narration. Gelder is firmly on my to listen list!
4 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration.
4.5 (rounded down to 4) overall.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Brock never got over Eric leaving him, but he understood why Eric needed to go. When Eric calls, 9 years later, Brock drops everything and calls upon his considerable resources to find Eric's 3 year old daughter , who has been kidnapped. But having Eric and Josie under his roof, to keep them safe, has Brock thinking about all the things he missed out on.
I loved this!!
Brock loved Eric, never stopped so of course he's gonna help him find his daughter! I loved that, right from Eric turning up at his office, Brock is calling him baby. I don;'t usually, so it surprised me here that I did love it! I think it surprised Brock too, the first time he did it!
Brock makes no apologies for his wealth and power and he pulls no punches in using both to keep Eric and Josie safe, and in finding out who is doing this.
But we don't get Eric, at all. This is told entirely from Brock's POV in the third person. And I really REALLY needed to hear from Eric at key points along the way: when Josie is first discovered gone; when he walks into Brock's office and when he finds out just who is behind it all. This is the only reason I gave the book 4 stars, because Eric is not given a voice, and he needed one.
I loved the supporting cast, especially Max and Gordon. They have a tale to tell, not least because of what goes down here!
Jeff Gelder narrates. This is the first, as far as I can see, that I have listened to of his work and I was very impressed. His reading voice is deep and even, and his voices consistent and easily identifiable in multi person conversations. Loved his voice for Josie, who sounded just like a 3 year old should, with all the funny things they say. Gelder gets over all of Brock's emotions in all the right places.
I cannot fault the narration. Gelder is firmly on my to listen list!
4 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration.
4.5 (rounded down to 4) overall.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Passbook Manager Pro & Manage Cards Secure Dominations wallet vault - Password Okay Membership Rewards Gift Contacts
Catalogs and Lifestyle
App
**The Best & Most Convenient Card Manager!** Store ALL your membership cards in one secure app on...
Bubblesreview (110 KP) rated Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Generation) in Tech
Apr 18, 2019
Responsive (3 more)
Loud speakers
Large variety of extra widgets
Small for easy placement
I've had my alexa for a couple of weeks now and have to say it really is fantastic. It was so easy to setup, literally took a few minutes and she was up and running. I use her everyday from the minute I get up to the minute I go to bed. I placed her in my kitchen which is adjacent to my lounge. I found this the most appropriate placement for her as I use her daily for timers when I'm cooking. I love the personalised routines you can create, my morning routine is "alexa, good morning" where she will then tell me a random 'on this day' fact, my daily schedule which is linked to my phone's calendar, the local weather and then she will play my chosen radio station. At night I say "alexa goodnight" where she will then wish me goodnight.
The app is really easy to use and I love looking through all the widgets that you can enable alexa to do, such as: speak in Chewbacca language or tell me a joke. I personally like the daily affirmations or life quotes. You can also meditate with her, that's quite interesting.
The reason my review is 9/10 is because there is an extra subscription charge for Amazon music, 3.99 a month I believe. Perhaps it would be out of kindness for Amazon to allow alexa product buyers a free subscription.
However, I do have the radio on all day anyway so don't really request her to play specific songs.
I'm quite excited to purchase additional alexas to use in other rooms. The drop in ability is fantastic, I drop in on my families devices to check all is well or to have a quick chat, they're like walkie talkies. Brilliant. This ability can be disabled easily for times you don't want anyone dropping in on awkward situations or during the night. I also find the drop in ability good for when I'm away, I can drop in on my cat and talk to him, obviously I don't get a response but I know he can hear me.
Lastly, she's also nice to talk to if you're lonely.
Overall, I'm very much enjoying my alexa and her wide variety of abilities.
The app is really easy to use and I love looking through all the widgets that you can enable alexa to do, such as: speak in Chewbacca language or tell me a joke. I personally like the daily affirmations or life quotes. You can also meditate with her, that's quite interesting.
The reason my review is 9/10 is because there is an extra subscription charge for Amazon music, 3.99 a month I believe. Perhaps it would be out of kindness for Amazon to allow alexa product buyers a free subscription.
However, I do have the radio on all day anyway so don't really request her to play specific songs.
I'm quite excited to purchase additional alexas to use in other rooms. The drop in ability is fantastic, I drop in on my families devices to check all is well or to have a quick chat, they're like walkie talkies. Brilliant. This ability can be disabled easily for times you don't want anyone dropping in on awkward situations or during the night. I also find the drop in ability good for when I'm away, I can drop in on my cat and talk to him, obviously I don't get a response but I know he can hear me.
Lastly, she's also nice to talk to if you're lonely.
Overall, I'm very much enjoying my alexa and her wide variety of abilities.
Palm-reading: Fortune teller Horoscope Zodiac sign
Entertainment and Lifestyle
App
Do you know what awaits you tomorrow? You will receive tips every day with our application. Worried...
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated Isaiah's Daughter (Prophets and Kings, #1) in Books
Feb 27, 2019
Hold on just one moment, please. *Reflects* Ahem. Okay. Now, I can review this book. This book. What can say about this poignant, stunning novel of epic proportions? I can tell you that this book will pull you in and twist you up inside, as you get to know Hephzibah, or Ishma as she's first known. The pages within this book come to life, the characters moving before you like you are really there, learning of Isaiah, Hephzibah,Yaira,Hezekiah and all the happenings of Jerusalem.
Seeing all that young Ishma went through, really tugged at my heart. Watching her grow with Hezekiah was an experience I won't soon forget. I felt all of Zibah's feelings, all her pain and love for the Father. I cried when Isaiah and his wife adopted Zibah, I cried when Hezekiah and Zibah fell in love, I cried when I reached the end of this amazing novel.
This book is a book of true love. Of sacrificial love. Of a love that will never end, both within family, even if it's not blood family, and the never ending love of our amazing Father above. This story is utterly heartbreaking, yet it's heart-reviving. It is rich in detail, it is throroughly researched, and it's stitched perfectly together like that of a beautiful handmade quilt.
Ms. Andrews has gone beyond 5 stars with this book. This book is so much more than just that. If you want a book that will carry you away to a land, and a time, that we've only read about in the Bible and imagined with our minds and hearts, then this is a book for you. If you want a book that steals your mind, and soul long after you've shut the book, then this is for you. If you want a book that will leave you contemplating all you've learned in Bible study, then please, look no further than the first book in a Biblical series that is sure to be a best seller.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Seeing all that young Ishma went through, really tugged at my heart. Watching her grow with Hezekiah was an experience I won't soon forget. I felt all of Zibah's feelings, all her pain and love for the Father. I cried when Isaiah and his wife adopted Zibah, I cried when Hezekiah and Zibah fell in love, I cried when I reached the end of this amazing novel.
This book is a book of true love. Of sacrificial love. Of a love that will never end, both within family, even if it's not blood family, and the never ending love of our amazing Father above. This story is utterly heartbreaking, yet it's heart-reviving. It is rich in detail, it is throroughly researched, and it's stitched perfectly together like that of a beautiful handmade quilt.
Ms. Andrews has gone beyond 5 stars with this book. This book is so much more than just that. If you want a book that will carry you away to a land, and a time, that we've only read about in the Bible and imagined with our minds and hearts, then this is a book for you. If you want a book that steals your mind, and soul long after you've shut the book, then this is for you. If you want a book that will leave you contemplating all you've learned in Bible study, then please, look no further than the first book in a Biblical series that is sure to be a best seller.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Calisthenics Workout • Learn how to Muscle Up
Health & Fitness, Sports and Stickers
App
Unlock the 20 levels all the way to the Muscle up. "This is seriously a great app for anyone...