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Awix (3310 KP) rated Chocolate (2008) in Movies
Mar 2, 2018 (Updated Mar 2, 2018)
Mmm, Chocolate
Yet another film about an autistic girl with prodigious martial arts skills forced to beat the living daylights out of dozens of gangland thugs in order to pay for her mother's cancer medicine. But a really good one, by the standards of the kung fu movie genre at least. From the director of Ong-Bak, Prachya Pinkaew, who almost single-handedly seems to have put Thai martial arts movies on the map.
The plot is, as you can probably tell, somewhat eccentric and quite possibly in dubious taste (the final boss battle sees the autistic kickboxing girl facing off against a teenage capoeira expert with Tourette's syndrome), but this just adds to the distinctive flavour of this particular chocolate. Terrific performance, both acting and athletic, from Jeeja Yanin. The fight scenes are stupendously well-choreographed, especially the climax (a vertical fight up and down the side of a building). I don't know which is more surprising: that this movie exists at all, or that it's real and also really lives up to its potential.
The plot is, as you can probably tell, somewhat eccentric and quite possibly in dubious taste (the final boss battle sees the autistic kickboxing girl facing off against a teenage capoeira expert with Tourette's syndrome), but this just adds to the distinctive flavour of this particular chocolate. Terrific performance, both acting and athletic, from Jeeja Yanin. The fight scenes are stupendously well-choreographed, especially the climax (a vertical fight up and down the side of a building). I don't know which is more surprising: that this movie exists at all, or that it's real and also really lives up to its potential.
This is a lovely book. It deals with several issues. This story is good as again. Beverly get you reader involves and keep you on in the book. It tell you the story about two sisters, Will Tilly and Ruth find their peace? Do They resolve their relationships? The family need to settle their issues with both sister that left the faith.
The sister find out their father is ill. It might be their last time for them to get together. There is a secret about one of the sisters that left. Their mother and their father are the ones that know what happen. Tilly finds out why she at odds with her father. They all have to deal with what happen at the river. It also heal some relationships in the family when they go to the River. I think this would be a good book for those that enjoy a little mystery though it does not have many but a few. One is the mystery is about their little sister. A another other with Tilly.
The sister find out their father is ill. It might be their last time for them to get together. There is a secret about one of the sisters that left. Their mother and their father are the ones that know what happen. Tilly finds out why she at odds with her father. They all have to deal with what happen at the river. It also heal some relationships in the family when they go to the River. I think this would be a good book for those that enjoy a little mystery though it does not have many but a few. One is the mystery is about their little sister. A another other with Tilly.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated A Dark and Stormy Murder (A Writer's Apprentice Mystery, #1) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
This cozy mystery is dedicated to Mary Stewart, and that should tell you something! A fan of gothic romantic suspense, the author has done a great job of incorporating the common elements of that genre into a cozy mystery.
I've always loved Mary Stewart, Phyllis Whitney, Victoria Holt, and similar authors, so I was very excited to hear about this cozy. I was not disappointed. There's the young heroine, living in an unfamiliar house, the "is he good or is he bad" guy, and the "he must be good but there's something we don't like about him" guy, and lots of other suspicious characters for us to distrust. All of these elements, combined with a modern mystery and a likable amateur sleuth, created a story I didn't want to put down.
This one also wrapped up a little differently than most cozies - the reader is left with a pretty good idea of what the characters will be doing at the beginning of the next book. I can't wait for it!
I've always loved Mary Stewart, Phyllis Whitney, Victoria Holt, and similar authors, so I was very excited to hear about this cozy. I was not disappointed. There's the young heroine, living in an unfamiliar house, the "is he good or is he bad" guy, and the "he must be good but there's something we don't like about him" guy, and lots of other suspicious characters for us to distrust. All of these elements, combined with a modern mystery and a likable amateur sleuth, created a story I didn't want to put down.
This one also wrapped up a little differently than most cozies - the reader is left with a pretty good idea of what the characters will be doing at the beginning of the next book. I can't wait for it!
Connie (244 KP) rated Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in Video Games
Dec 8, 2018 (Updated Dec 8, 2018)
An amazing addition to an already fantastic franchise!
I haven't tried the actual online gameplay yet, but I can tell you that adventure mode is fantastic. I spent 8 hours after a full workday playing adventure mode; I've unlocked maybe a dozen fighters all told, some of whom I don't even recognize. There's a new mechanic that allows me to customize each fighter as I play, which allows me to improve characteristics that I like or use more frequently. I can even train my fighters to have different statistics, which unlocks a multitude of different playstyles.
I haven't actually tried to play the online Quickplay yet, though I will probably do so sometime this weekend. It's great that they have online as an option, because that was always an issue for me--often I couldn't find anyone available at the same time as myself, so I only had CPUs or each hero's journey to complete.
I'd give this 15 out of 10 if I could... And 20 out of 10 with the more traditional controller!
I haven't actually tried to play the online Quickplay yet, though I will probably do so sometime this weekend. It's great that they have online as an option, because that was always an issue for me--often I couldn't find anyone available at the same time as myself, so I only had CPUs or each hero's journey to complete.
I'd give this 15 out of 10 if I could... And 20 out of 10 with the more traditional controller!
The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated Dimension in Tabletop Games
Aug 10, 2018
Fast Paced (2 more)
simple stacking of balls
The challenge is in getting the right colors
A game that is more fun than it should be...
We played this game by sheer accident. it was at a local convention in the play to win games, we picked it up and tried it out and spent the next 1/2 hour laughing at ourselves. I almost don't want to tell you how to play so that you'll give this game a try blind, which is maybe what made it even more fun. The quick gist if you really must know, is there are points for building your little structure in certain ways, like no red above a green, or no yellow below a black or a green and black can't touch. Sounds way too simple and easy, but yet it's not... and it's timed, so you only have a short window to make it happen as fast as possible.... I hope your not clumsey.... This would be a great kids game, and yet we were all adults playing and having a blast.
Lee (2222 KP) rated The Predator (2018) in Movies
Sep 13, 2018 (Updated Sep 14, 2018)
The second half (1 more)
Predator dog... WTF?!
So, another week, another disappointment at the cinema. This week, it's the turn of The Predator.
For the first 40 minutes or so though, I actually really enjoyed this latest installment of a franchise that has always struggled to match the original. Some interesting ideas and characters are introduced and there's a healthy dose of intense action as a captured Predator escapes a facility it's being held captive in. Overall, plenty of potential.
But then, probably soon after the arrival of the huge CGI Super Predator, the movie slowly descends into nonsense. What doesn't help is that the editing is noticeably bad from then on too. Scene cuts that don't make sense and numerous occasions when you just can't tell who is doing what, where people are and who is getting killed. It's a frustrating, jumbled mess.
And in among all of that, there's a predator dog that goes from trying to kill everyone to following them around and wanting to play fetch like a real dog!! Ridiculous.
For the first 40 minutes or so though, I actually really enjoyed this latest installment of a franchise that has always struggled to match the original. Some interesting ideas and characters are introduced and there's a healthy dose of intense action as a captured Predator escapes a facility it's being held captive in. Overall, plenty of potential.
But then, probably soon after the arrival of the huge CGI Super Predator, the movie slowly descends into nonsense. What doesn't help is that the editing is noticeably bad from then on too. Scene cuts that don't make sense and numerous occasions when you just can't tell who is doing what, where people are and who is getting killed. It's a frustrating, jumbled mess.
And in among all of that, there's a predator dog that goes from trying to kill everyone to following them around and wanting to play fetch like a real dog!! Ridiculous.
Aasiyah Sidat (34 KP) rated Little Fires Everywhere in Books
Oct 2, 2018
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
“But the problem with rules, he reflected, was that they implied a right way and a wrong way to do something. When, in fact, most of the time there were simply ways, none of them quite wrong or quite right, and nothing to tell you for sure which side of the line you stood on ”
This book focuses on the Richardsons, an idealistic suburban family; Mr Richardson a hotshot lawyer, Mrs Richardson a housewife cum reporter and the Richardson children; Lexi, Trip, Moody and Izzy. They live happily in their 6 bedroom house and had all the material belongings they could long for, but each had a void in their life. This would be filled in some way or another by Mia and her daughter Pearl, new tenants in one of Mrs Richardson’s properties. We watch the two families grow close and form relationships only to be divided by a custody battle taking place in the town.
Continue reading my review at: https://www.readsandrecipes.co.uk/2018/10/little-fires-everywhere-by-celeste-ng.html
This book focuses on the Richardsons, an idealistic suburban family; Mr Richardson a hotshot lawyer, Mrs Richardson a housewife cum reporter and the Richardson children; Lexi, Trip, Moody and Izzy. They live happily in their 6 bedroom house and had all the material belongings they could long for, but each had a void in their life. This would be filled in some way or another by Mia and her daughter Pearl, new tenants in one of Mrs Richardson’s properties. We watch the two families grow close and form relationships only to be divided by a custody battle taking place in the town.
Continue reading my review at: https://www.readsandrecipes.co.uk/2018/10/little-fires-everywhere-by-celeste-ng.html
Caitlin Ann Cherniak (85 KP) rated Like Vanessa in Books
Nov 28, 2018
From Goodreads: 13-year-old girl from the '80s sees the first black woman win Miss America, which inspires her middle school to throw a pageant to boost moral. What could possibly go wrong?
Normally, I would say everything.
This book, nothing went wrong. In fact, Tami Charles did everything right.
You get an interesting main character. You have her going through real problems. You have this story take a look at a real problem with young black girls when it comes to what level of black skin is beautiful. You have major plot twists at every turn (And I don't take that sentence lightly.) And I actually don't hate the parental character this time (Because seriously, a lot of them try to make these characters awful for no reason at all). And you have the main character drop their walls to tell their vulnerable story to the audience.
In short, I love this book. One of the best middle grade and young adult novels I have ever read.
Normally, I would say everything.
This book, nothing went wrong. In fact, Tami Charles did everything right.
You get an interesting main character. You have her going through real problems. You have this story take a look at a real problem with young black girls when it comes to what level of black skin is beautiful. You have major plot twists at every turn (And I don't take that sentence lightly.) And I actually don't hate the parental character this time (Because seriously, a lot of them try to make these characters awful for no reason at all). And you have the main character drop their walls to tell their vulnerable story to the audience.
In short, I love this book. One of the best middle grade and young adult novels I have ever read.
Becs (244 KP) rated I Know You Know in Books
Jan 4, 2019
Alright book
I received the audiobook version through a giveaway that Book Riot hosted.
So, anybody that knows me knows that I am not a fan of audio books. Well, I won this one from a giveaway and thought why the heck not. It's a thriller, so I should love it. I'll admit, there were good parts, there were bad parts, and there were parts that made me want to rip my face off.
The speakers were good, they helped with the different voices instead of having one person doing all of the voices. But man, the first half of the "book" was an utter bore that seemed to drag me through the dirt and into the burning pits of hell to rot away. I'm not kidding. I can't say anything on the writing style as it was told to me and not read by me. But from what I could tell, the author seemed like a good writer but just didn't deliver the punch that was needed.
Want to read more? Go to my blog: bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
So, anybody that knows me knows that I am not a fan of audio books. Well, I won this one from a giveaway and thought why the heck not. It's a thriller, so I should love it. I'll admit, there were good parts, there were bad parts, and there were parts that made me want to rip my face off.
The speakers were good, they helped with the different voices instead of having one person doing all of the voices. But man, the first half of the "book" was an utter bore that seemed to drag me through the dirt and into the burning pits of hell to rot away. I'm not kidding. I can't say anything on the writing style as it was told to me and not read by me. But from what I could tell, the author seemed like a good writer but just didn't deliver the punch that was needed.
Want to read more? Go to my blog: bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
David McK (3623 KP) rated Marines (Crimson Worlds #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
The first in [a:Jay Allan|1024374|Jay Allan|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s 'Crimson Worlds' series, which - unfortunately - I struggled to really connect with.
I can see what the author was aiming for, with hints of a better, more compelling story peeking through every so often but I'm afraid, for me, this particular entry didn't really grip me all that much.
I don't know whether that's a result (probably) of the conscious decision to tell this entirely in the first person, meaning that there is, of necessity, a very tight focus on the central character or Erik Cain. If you do that, however, you have to make that character in and of themselves interesting and somebody you want to follow the trials and tribulation of: for me, Eric Cain just doesn't cut the mustard.
I may read the second entry (told, apparently, in the third person) to see if it gets any better, but - based on this - I'm afraid I'm not really holding out any high hopes.
I can see what the author was aiming for, with hints of a better, more compelling story peeking through every so often but I'm afraid, for me, this particular entry didn't really grip me all that much.
I don't know whether that's a result (probably) of the conscious decision to tell this entirely in the first person, meaning that there is, of necessity, a very tight focus on the central character or Erik Cain. If you do that, however, you have to make that character in and of themselves interesting and somebody you want to follow the trials and tribulation of: for me, Eric Cain just doesn't cut the mustard.
I may read the second entry (told, apparently, in the third person) to see if it gets any better, but - based on this - I'm afraid I'm not really holding out any high hopes.