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Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Last Mile (Amos Decker #2) in Books
May 10, 2018
Book 2 in the Amos Decker series by David Baldacci. On this mission, Decker is working with a special FBI task force. The task force has been given a set of cases that they must choose from to work on, but Decker has other plans. Melvin Mars is about to be executed for the murder of his parents. At the 11th hour, someone comes forward and claims he was the one who did the murders. Decker is determined to find out why this person has come forward and what he can tell him about the murder of Mars parents. But everything is not as it seems and Decker and his team will uncover secrets that have been hidden for more than 30 years and will bring down some very powerful people. Will they be able to solve the case before it's too late and more lives are lost?
Amos Decker has hyperthymesia where he has a perfect memory. He inherited this condition after he got pounded on the football field and had to be brought back to life twice. He has used his skills as a police officer and as a detective. After the tragic death of his family, life just wasn't the same. Working on the special task force is a new job for Decker and he hopes to do a good job.
This assignment starts in a small town in West Texas and takes Decker and his team all through the south of the United States. Trying to track down those that really killed Mars's parents and who was the one that saved Melvin right before it was too late.
Amos Decker has hyperthymesia where he has a perfect memory. He inherited this condition after he got pounded on the football field and had to be brought back to life twice. He has used his skills as a police officer and as a detective. After the tragic death of his family, life just wasn't the same. Working on the special task force is a new job for Decker and he hopes to do a good job.
This assignment starts in a small town in West Texas and takes Decker and his team all through the south of the United States. Trying to track down those that really killed Mars's parents and who was the one that saved Melvin right before it was too late.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Water for Elephants in Books
May 10, 2018
So I never thought that I would really fall in love with a book about the circus. I found it very difficult to put this book down, unfortunately I had to so I could take care of my family. I can't imagine would life would be like if I ran away with the circus, that's not something I have ever desired.
Jacob Jankowski loses everything in one day. His family, his home and his education. So he runs away with the circus(for real!). There he meets all kinds of interesting people and learns the ways of the circus. He also meets Marlena, the star of the show. He befriends her and her husband August, who is quite abusive to the animals, the roustabouts, and, at times, to Marlena. Shortly after Jacbo joins the Benzini Brothers Circus, they acquire an elephant, Rosie. Together Rosie and Marlena are bringing in the big money for Benzini Brothers. Of course there are a lot of ups and downs to get to that point.
The story is told through Jacob as an old man in a nursing home, waiting for his family to take him to the circus. He remineces about those days in anticipation for the event.
I want to tell so much more about this book, but I don't want to give it away. Please read this book, it will touch your heart and surprise you.
In the ebook version there is a conversation with the author, and she admits to never have gone to a circus before thinking about writing this book. I found that to be an interesting fact.
Jacob Jankowski loses everything in one day. His family, his home and his education. So he runs away with the circus(for real!). There he meets all kinds of interesting people and learns the ways of the circus. He also meets Marlena, the star of the show. He befriends her and her husband August, who is quite abusive to the animals, the roustabouts, and, at times, to Marlena. Shortly after Jacbo joins the Benzini Brothers Circus, they acquire an elephant, Rosie. Together Rosie and Marlena are bringing in the big money for Benzini Brothers. Of course there are a lot of ups and downs to get to that point.
The story is told through Jacob as an old man in a nursing home, waiting for his family to take him to the circus. He remineces about those days in anticipation for the event.
I want to tell so much more about this book, but I don't want to give it away. Please read this book, it will touch your heart and surprise you.
In the ebook version there is a conversation with the author, and she admits to never have gone to a circus before thinking about writing this book. I found that to be an interesting fact.
Steven Sklansky (231 KP) rated The Bad Batch (2016) in Movies
Apr 15, 2018
Being in the wasteland is just as boring as this movie
I thought with a cast like Keanu, Jim Carey, and Jason Momoa this might have been a decent movie. I was so wrong. The movie started out so gruesome that I thought we were going to get a mad max type of movie. I slowly went down hill from there.
This movie is about a girl that joins the bad batch, a group of people that are sentenced to Texas. Ouch, talk about the perfect prison. This new wasteland, as far as I can tell is divided into 2 groups. Cannibals and Stoners. With the only plot being get a little girl back to here father there was not much else going on.
It seems like the whole movie was just setting up these 2 worlds that really didn't make much sense. Although The Comfort was definitely a better place to live, they really didn't say how they pick the people that can stay there. They are boarded up by shipping containers which leads me to believe they want to keep bad people out, but then again they are all "bad". So maybe the really bad. They just seemed to not care who came and went.
I think the only good thing in the movie was Jim Carrey. Funny enough he didn't even have a spoken line, I didn't even recognize him.
Eating people and getting high could not save this move. Like I always say, I don't want to hold anyone back from seeing a movie because of me. If you like it let me know why. And as always enjoy the show.
This movie is about a girl that joins the bad batch, a group of people that are sentenced to Texas. Ouch, talk about the perfect prison. This new wasteland, as far as I can tell is divided into 2 groups. Cannibals and Stoners. With the only plot being get a little girl back to here father there was not much else going on.
It seems like the whole movie was just setting up these 2 worlds that really didn't make much sense. Although The Comfort was definitely a better place to live, they really didn't say how they pick the people that can stay there. They are boarded up by shipping containers which leads me to believe they want to keep bad people out, but then again they are all "bad". So maybe the really bad. They just seemed to not care who came and went.
I think the only good thing in the movie was Jim Carrey. Funny enough he didn't even have a spoken line, I didn't even recognize him.
Eating people and getting high could not save this move. Like I always say, I don't want to hold anyone back from seeing a movie because of me. If you like it let me know why. And as always enjoy the show.
Chloe (514 KP) rated The Walking Dead in TV
Mar 7, 2019
honestly have never really been a huge fan of gore and then … I watched this.
it is honestly amazing how they managed to have a great cast of so many people and even though they keep killing people of I still end up falling in love with the new characters.
I will be honest though the later seasons are no where near as good as the earlier ones. the whole negan plotline was just way to drawn out although now that the arc has finished its really picking up again and im really enjoying the new season at the moment.
I do think the director had a stroke of genius this season bringing in characters that remind me of the old ones in the first series as the best part of the walking dead was watching the characters develop into people and now I get to see that all over again.
honestly if they decide to kill of Daryl I will not be impressed as it seems to me that he hasn't really found his place in the world and the director has kind of ignored him.
also if they decide to use these new characters as throwaways as has been done in the past I think that the series would be lacking.
I suppose we will just have to see...….
as you can tell I'm quite passionate about this so if you do get the chance to watch it let me know I would love to have a good chat about this. ?
it is honestly amazing how they managed to have a great cast of so many people and even though they keep killing people of I still end up falling in love with the new characters.
I will be honest though the later seasons are no where near as good as the earlier ones. the whole negan plotline was just way to drawn out although now that the arc has finished its really picking up again and im really enjoying the new season at the moment.
I do think the director had a stroke of genius this season bringing in characters that remind me of the old ones in the first series as the best part of the walking dead was watching the characters develop into people and now I get to see that all over again.
honestly if they decide to kill of Daryl I will not be impressed as it seems to me that he hasn't really found his place in the world and the director has kind of ignored him.
also if they decide to use these new characters as throwaways as has been done in the past I think that the series would be lacking.
I suppose we will just have to see...….
as you can tell I'm quite passionate about this so if you do get the chance to watch it let me know I would love to have a good chat about this. ?
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Forbidden Darkness (Immortal Desire, #1) in Books
Mar 15, 2019
The vampire race is dying, and to save it, one vampire will risk his life.
Vampire Reinis has been assigned to mate with a human to create a prophesied child that will save his coven. The rules are simple: get the job done and come home. Falling in love is out of the question.
Yet that's exactly what Reinis has unwittingly done. Now he risks execution at the hands of his own coven for breaking vampire law.
Fresh out of a bad relationship, Sarma has no clue about the dark, seductive world Reinis is from. But when he marks her as his mate, she's thrown headfirst into a secret world of vampires...painting a target on her back with a rival coven that will do anything to prevent the prophecy from coming to pass.
Dark and hauntingly sensual, the fate of the vampire world lay in the birth of one special child born of a human and a vampire, but the prophecy states they may not fall in loveÂ…
A brilliant and unique story.
This is a fantastic start to a new series and I absolutely loved it. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book.
The characters were well thought out and the way Scarlett wrote about them made them seem so real and unique. I loved the plot lines and I particularly loved the way all the characters interacted with each other and others.
I just found it totally unique. You canÂ’t help but feel like you really know the main characters. I canÂ’t wait to see whatÂ’s going to happen in this series.
I am voluntarily reviewing a copy I received.
Vampire Reinis has been assigned to mate with a human to create a prophesied child that will save his coven. The rules are simple: get the job done and come home. Falling in love is out of the question.
Yet that's exactly what Reinis has unwittingly done. Now he risks execution at the hands of his own coven for breaking vampire law.
Fresh out of a bad relationship, Sarma has no clue about the dark, seductive world Reinis is from. But when he marks her as his mate, she's thrown headfirst into a secret world of vampires...painting a target on her back with a rival coven that will do anything to prevent the prophecy from coming to pass.
Dark and hauntingly sensual, the fate of the vampire world lay in the birth of one special child born of a human and a vampire, but the prophecy states they may not fall in loveÂ…
A brilliant and unique story.
This is a fantastic start to a new series and I absolutely loved it. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book.
The characters were well thought out and the way Scarlett wrote about them made them seem so real and unique. I loved the plot lines and I particularly loved the way all the characters interacted with each other and others.
I just found it totally unique. You canÂ’t help but feel like you really know the main characters. I canÂ’t wait to see whatÂ’s going to happen in this series.
I am voluntarily reviewing a copy I received.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Forever Layla in Books
Apr 3, 2019
David Foster is 17 years old, a few days away from being 18, on the road as a sound guy for his best friend, Michael's Band, and his life is about to change forever.
Layla is 24. She's in town from California and when she see David for the first time, like this, she's not quite sure what to do.
How does Layla know so much about David? Did his friends put her up to this as a prank for his birthday? But Layla knows things he would never tell Michael. So as David gets to know Layla better and as she gets to know the David she already knows in a whole other way, they form a bond that is not so easily broken.
Forever Layla is a story of love, happiness, trust, and science all wrapped up in one. David is living in 1994 and Layla shows up in his life from 2014. David is the kind of man every girl dreams of meeting, but Layla is afraid to mess up his life what she already knows. How can she make a life with him without giving away too much about who she is and how and why is now in his life.
This is a very well written book and it was very difficult to put down.
I loved the story of David and Layla. I was rooting for them to be together Forever as the title suggests. Their love was intense and amazing. To have a love like that with someone that you are willing to give up so much of yourself in order to make them happy and make their dreams come true.
Layla is 24. She's in town from California and when she see David for the first time, like this, she's not quite sure what to do.
How does Layla know so much about David? Did his friends put her up to this as a prank for his birthday? But Layla knows things he would never tell Michael. So as David gets to know Layla better and as she gets to know the David she already knows in a whole other way, they form a bond that is not so easily broken.
Forever Layla is a story of love, happiness, trust, and science all wrapped up in one. David is living in 1994 and Layla shows up in his life from 2014. David is the kind of man every girl dreams of meeting, but Layla is afraid to mess up his life what she already knows. How can she make a life with him without giving away too much about who she is and how and why is now in his life.
This is a very well written book and it was very difficult to put down.
I loved the story of David and Layla. I was rooting for them to be together Forever as the title suggests. Their love was intense and amazing. To have a love like that with someone that you are willing to give up so much of yourself in order to make them happy and make their dreams come true.
Miguel Covarrubias (143 KP) rated Game Of Thrones - Season 8 in TV
May 26, 2019
The Ingredients were mixed in the bowl without being baked.
The buildup to the climaxes of the previous seasons hand our expectations at an all time high. For those of us who became invested in the story and the characters, we were supremely let down. This season could have benefited from more time. When everything seems rushed it doesn't give enough time for things to be fulfilled and wrapped up in an emotionally satisfactory way.
The writers were unable to "Kill their darlings". You could tell they only wanted to jump from their favorite plot point to their favorite plot point without any or little explanation of how they got there. The same plot points could have been reached and been plausible had there been enough time to develop.
The entire season seemed to be half baked. It built well to a very underwhelming climax of the battle of Winterfell which made everything after that felt like a poor excuse for denouement. Some of the heroes that they spent 8 years developing became poor shadows of themselves in order to accomplish what the writers wanted. We received good ingredients but not being mixed well or even cooked to become something good, it fell horribly flat.
It also seemed like the wrong medium for this type of adaptation. It could have used more time to develop for screen what worked well in the books, instead it turned into a poor excuse for a stage show.
The writers were unable to "Kill their darlings". You could tell they only wanted to jump from their favorite plot point to their favorite plot point without any or little explanation of how they got there. The same plot points could have been reached and been plausible had there been enough time to develop.
The entire season seemed to be half baked. It built well to a very underwhelming climax of the battle of Winterfell which made everything after that felt like a poor excuse for denouement. Some of the heroes that they spent 8 years developing became poor shadows of themselves in order to accomplish what the writers wanted. We received good ingredients but not being mixed well or even cooked to become something good, it fell horribly flat.
It also seemed like the wrong medium for this type of adaptation. It could have used more time to develop for screen what worked well in the books, instead it turned into a poor excuse for a stage show.
Sonofdel (6291 KP) rated the Xbox One version of Layers of Fear in Video Games
May 31, 2019
Messes with you
Contains spoilers, click to show
Well i saw that this was one of the games down for the monthly game pass challenge and so i thought i would give it a go. I loved it. Its a strange mind blowing game that is more point and click than anything else. It took a few screens to get going and after opening drawers and cupboards i was beginning to get a little bored. This all changed once i had started the game properly and both me and my wife (who was watching me play it) were mesmerized by how complicated and ingenious the game is. At the end of playing it i discovered that i had finished the game, but definitely not completed it. In the game you have to find lots of items, evidence and photographs that ultimately tell the story of the descent into madness of an artist and the horrors that befell both him and his family. Each chapter you complete sees him descend deeper into his mind and makes the game that much more interesting and warped. I would give it an 8 as its one of the best of this genre i have played. I would not recommend it to people who suffer with light sensitive disorders or epilepsy as its very disorientating in places and seriously messes with your mind. Nothing is as it seems and rooms change just as easy as you turning round in them. Doors appear, images appear and its basically a cross between American Magees Alice and Silent Hill in atmosphere and game play. Definitely worth playing.
Kaz (232 KP) rated An Unwanted Guest in Books
Jun 16, 2019
A fun 'Whodunnit'
This is the first book I had read by Shari Lapena and I was surprised to find out this was her third book, because it feels like a first novel.
I enjoyed the element of trying to work out who the killer was. However, I did have a problem with several elements within this book.
Firstly, the dialogue at the beginning, is awful. You could tell that Lapena was trying to introduce each character using dialogue, but what she succeeded in doing, was creating forced, unnatural conversation. This does improve throughout the book though.
Secondly for me, there were too many characters. At times, I got confused about who was who and had to keep referring to the beginning, to figure that out. I don't think that the characters were distinctive enough.
I also found some of the decisions of the characters to be implausible and, things which seemed obvious to do, took nearly 200 pages for the characters to figure out.
The ending for me was a bit weak. It felt like Shari Lapena wasn't exactly sure who the killer was herself. So as the book went on, the plot started to unravel. However, I did enjoy the little twist at the end.
Judging by all of the criticisms I have about this novel, you would think that I hated it. However, despite it's many flaws, I quite enjoyed it.
I might re-read 'An Unwanted Guest', but I have no intention of reading any more of Shari Lapena's books in the future.
I enjoyed the element of trying to work out who the killer was. However, I did have a problem with several elements within this book.
Firstly, the dialogue at the beginning, is awful. You could tell that Lapena was trying to introduce each character using dialogue, but what she succeeded in doing, was creating forced, unnatural conversation. This does improve throughout the book though.
Secondly for me, there were too many characters. At times, I got confused about who was who and had to keep referring to the beginning, to figure that out. I don't think that the characters were distinctive enough.
I also found some of the decisions of the characters to be implausible and, things which seemed obvious to do, took nearly 200 pages for the characters to figure out.
The ending for me was a bit weak. It felt like Shari Lapena wasn't exactly sure who the killer was herself. So as the book went on, the plot started to unravel. However, I did enjoy the little twist at the end.
Judging by all of the criticisms I have about this novel, you would think that I hated it. However, despite it's many flaws, I quite enjoyed it.
I might re-read 'An Unwanted Guest', but I have no intention of reading any more of Shari Lapena's books in the future.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Quatermass Conclusion (1979) in Movies
Feb 10, 2018 (Updated Feb 10, 2018)
We're all doomed, I tell you, DOOMED!
Big-screen version of Nigel Kneale's ultra-depressing finale to his series of Quatermass TV shows and films. Kneale was only in his fifties when he wrote this, which is odd because it feels very much like an old man's wail of anguish when faced with a world he no longer feels he belongs to or even recognises. Set in the near future - one very much informed by the social unrest and generational tensions that were present in the UK when it was made - this is the story of a collapsing civilisation presented with a new threat: a hostile alien presence, which originally visited Earth five thousand years ago, has returned, basically intent on chowing down on young people (this was clearly an influence on the later Torchwood series Children of Earth). Ageing boffin Bernard Quatermass must find a solution, if he can.
It's not uncommon for SF to be not so much about predicting the future as complaining about the present, but what makes this version of Quatermass unusual is it's told primarily from the perspective of old people - there are a couple of younger sympathetic characters, but even they are thirty-five-going-on-sixty in their attitudes, and most of the younger people are depicted as either feckless wasters or violent psychopaths. (The generation gap is explained by alien influences being at work.)
Reasonably lavish, bearing in mind its TV origins, and quite successful on its own terms - but as its main intention seems to be to drive the viewer to despair, it's not especially easy to like.
It's not uncommon for SF to be not so much about predicting the future as complaining about the present, but what makes this version of Quatermass unusual is it's told primarily from the perspective of old people - there are a couple of younger sympathetic characters, but even they are thirty-five-going-on-sixty in their attitudes, and most of the younger people are depicted as either feckless wasters or violent psychopaths. (The generation gap is explained by alien influences being at work.)
Reasonably lavish, bearing in mind its TV origins, and quite successful on its own terms - but as its main intention seems to be to drive the viewer to despair, it's not especially easy to like.