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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Tell Me How it Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions in Books
Jan 3, 2018
A human portrait of child migrants
With the world being shaped by migration, this essay comes at a timely fashion. Exploring the nuances of this reality, Valeria Luiselli, a skilful and gifted Mexican writer knows the migratory experience first-hand having travelled across the globe. This compassionate, short book finds her in a head-on confrontation with daily reality.
Based on her experiences working as an interpreter for dozens of Central American child migrants, she speaks to those who risked their lives crossing Mexico to escape their fraught existence back home. To stay in the US, each must be vetted by the Citizenship and Immigration Services, a vast, impersonal bureaucracy. It's her job to help these kids, but in order to do so, they must answer 40 questions that will determine their fate.
The truth about the crossing may be much more brutal in reality, with 80% of women and girls who cross from Mexico to the US being raped, hence some of the children appear evasive when answering questions. But this book is fueled, in no small part, by Luiselli's bottles up shame and rage. She's aghast at the gap between American ideals and the way they actually treat undocumented children, yet her writing is measured and fair-minded.
Luiselli takes us inside the grand dream of migration, offering the valuable reminder that exceedingly few immigrants abandon their past and brave death to come to America for dark or nasty reasons. Fantastic read.
Based on her experiences working as an interpreter for dozens of Central American child migrants, she speaks to those who risked their lives crossing Mexico to escape their fraught existence back home. To stay in the US, each must be vetted by the Citizenship and Immigration Services, a vast, impersonal bureaucracy. It's her job to help these kids, but in order to do so, they must answer 40 questions that will determine their fate.
The truth about the crossing may be much more brutal in reality, with 80% of women and girls who cross from Mexico to the US being raped, hence some of the children appear evasive when answering questions. But this book is fueled, in no small part, by Luiselli's bottles up shame and rage. She's aghast at the gap between American ideals and the way they actually treat undocumented children, yet her writing is measured and fair-minded.
Luiselli takes us inside the grand dream of migration, offering the valuable reminder that exceedingly few immigrants abandon their past and brave death to come to America for dark or nasty reasons. Fantastic read.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Halloween (2018) in Movies
Oct 24, 2018
Not bad, but another unnecessary sequel
The biggest question I had about this film, was did we really need another Halloween sequel? The answer is sadly a no.
They’ve at least had the common sense to completely erase all references to the other sequels, which was definitely a smart move. And getting Jamie Lee Curtis back was another good choice. I’m not going to lie, hearing the original Halloween theme music back on the big screen gave me the creeps, but in a good way. It’s just a shame that the majority of this film is a bit cliched and formulaic. It was easy to predict how the film was going to progress and who’d survive at the end, and having Michael escape in a prison bus transfer is so cliched it was painful.
There are some creepy moments in this, mainly for me around Michael's willingness to kill anyone in sight and a few jump scares. There’s also a fair amount of blood and gore too which was very much welcome. It was good to see some strong female characters in this and the subject of PTSD raised as well. The most overwhelming feeling I had watching this film was boredom. Apart from when Michael was on screen, which didn’t seem to be often enough, I found a lot of the other scenes a bit tedious and boring and the ending seemed rushed and was a bit of a letdown.
They’ve at least had the common sense to completely erase all references to the other sequels, which was definitely a smart move. And getting Jamie Lee Curtis back was another good choice. I’m not going to lie, hearing the original Halloween theme music back on the big screen gave me the creeps, but in a good way. It’s just a shame that the majority of this film is a bit cliched and formulaic. It was easy to predict how the film was going to progress and who’d survive at the end, and having Michael escape in a prison bus transfer is so cliched it was painful.
There are some creepy moments in this, mainly for me around Michael's willingness to kill anyone in sight and a few jump scares. There’s also a fair amount of blood and gore too which was very much welcome. It was good to see some strong female characters in this and the subject of PTSD raised as well. The most overwhelming feeling I had watching this film was boredom. Apart from when Michael was on screen, which didn’t seem to be often enough, I found a lot of the other scenes a bit tedious and boring and the ending seemed rushed and was a bit of a letdown.
The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness
Book
In 2011 Sy Montgomery wrote a feature for Orion magazine entitled 'Deep Intellect' about her...
Show Me A Mountain
Book
A story of revolution and oppression, privilege and poverty, love and betrayal from the Costa and...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Saw (2004) in Movies
Sep 26, 2020
The first Saw film has become tarnished over the years, due to the relentless shit filled wave of increasingly torturous (both for the audience and the characters) sequels, when really, Saw is a relatively low budget but super tight thriller.
The premise of a serial killer who kidnaps people who don't appreciate life itself, puts them in a dire situation, but gives them a chance to escape if they fight hard enough for it, is one that is intriguing, and captured the imagination of thousands - Jigsaw has since become an iconic horror antagonist.
The unlucky victims first time around are played by Cary Elwes and writer Leigh Whannell.
The two of them are situated in a very minimalist setting. It's grimy and nasty. Director James Wan works wonders with what little he has in that respect.
The cast also includes Danny Glover, which is always a win in my book.
The gore on show in Saw is pretty minimal compared to what's to come, but what we do see is effective and was just right - coupled with a plot that keeps the audience guessing until the final minute, it was enough to get everyone talking back in 2004.
And that ending absolutely shattered me on first watch. An iconic 'Gotcha!' moment for the ages.
Saw is a genuinely decent horror thriller and a rewarding experience for those that like a good twist. Just a shame about those sequels!
The premise of a serial killer who kidnaps people who don't appreciate life itself, puts them in a dire situation, but gives them a chance to escape if they fight hard enough for it, is one that is intriguing, and captured the imagination of thousands - Jigsaw has since become an iconic horror antagonist.
The unlucky victims first time around are played by Cary Elwes and writer Leigh Whannell.
The two of them are situated in a very minimalist setting. It's grimy and nasty. Director James Wan works wonders with what little he has in that respect.
The cast also includes Danny Glover, which is always a win in my book.
The gore on show in Saw is pretty minimal compared to what's to come, but what we do see is effective and was just right - coupled with a plot that keeps the audience guessing until the final minute, it was enough to get everyone talking back in 2004.
And that ending absolutely shattered me on first watch. An iconic 'Gotcha!' moment for the ages.
Saw is a genuinely decent horror thriller and a rewarding experience for those that like a good twist. Just a shame about those sequels!
From a Distance
6.0
Rate It
Book
April, 1946. Michael, a soldier, returns to Southampton on a troop ship. Brutalised and in shock, he...
fiction raffaella barker
Summerland
6.0
Rate It
Book
'A great beach read' - Every Little Thing She Does Book Blog On the night of high school...
Thief's Blade (Magic of Dimmingwood Book #1)
Book
Luka’s carefree existence as the spoiled son of a minor noble ended the day his family was...
ClareR (5991 KP) rated The Rain Heron in Books
Aug 23, 2021
The Rain Heron has a dreamlike, fairytale quality to it that I loved. In fact, the first part of the novel is exactly like a fairytale: an unlucky farmer is rewarded by becoming more prosperous, but in remembering the hard times that they had, the farmer shares their wealth. However, a jealous neighbour soon makes their feelings felt, and no one comes out of the situation well.
Further away, near the sea, another mans jealousy of nature has terrible consequences, causing poverty and abandonment of a seaside village.
These threads of story are interwoven with that of a woman who lives alone in the mountains in order to escape the effects of a military coup. But the soldiers come looking for her - and for the Rain Heron.
This is a book about mans need to control nature and their inability to. The more man tries to control it, the more damage is done.
I loved the feel of this novel. It’s a fable of our modern times, about how our actions are having a lasting and devastating effect on our climate and nature.
I would most definitely recommend this book, and Arnott’s previous book as well, Flames, if you haven’t read it. Both are masterpieces in magical realism. Rain Heron is a timely book as we come to realise just what an impact climate change is having on our world, and comes highly recommended from me!
Further away, near the sea, another mans jealousy of nature has terrible consequences, causing poverty and abandonment of a seaside village.
These threads of story are interwoven with that of a woman who lives alone in the mountains in order to escape the effects of a military coup. But the soldiers come looking for her - and for the Rain Heron.
This is a book about mans need to control nature and their inability to. The more man tries to control it, the more damage is done.
I loved the feel of this novel. It’s a fable of our modern times, about how our actions are having a lasting and devastating effect on our climate and nature.
I would most definitely recommend this book, and Arnott’s previous book as well, Flames, if you haven’t read it. Both are masterpieces in magical realism. Rain Heron is a timely book as we come to realise just what an impact climate change is having on our world, and comes highly recommended from me!
Rikki Hammond (33 KP) rated Drakon (fourth edition) in Tabletop Games
May 24, 2019
Quick to teach and learn (2 more)
Fast Turns, little downtime
Player powers are balanced
Higher player counts can be too chaotic (2 more)
Infinite loops can become annoying
Some games are more exciting than others
A Simple, Light Filler of a Dungeon Game
The best way that I can describe Drakon is that it is 'Carcassonne in a dungeon.' It's just as easy to pick up and play, but adds the concept of building your own dungeon as you progress through the game.
Each player will have 4 tiles in their hand, and on their turn, they can either place a tile (drawing a new one afterwards) or move their character into an adjacent chamber. Each tile has a door or an arrow on each side. You can place a tile door to door or arrow to door, but never arrow to arrow. Once a player moves through a door, you can't go back the eay you came (by the usual means anyway.) The goal of the game is to collect 10 coins through entering a chamber with gold in it, or by stealing them from another player. Each coin will have a value between 1 and 3, and the players keep them secret from the others.
A chamber might have an effect associated with it, which is activated when someone mives into it, such as allowing you to rotate a chamber, removing one from the game entirely, teleporting to another part of the dungeon, or even unleashing Drakon the dragon into the dungeon.
Once Drakon is in the dungeon, whoever next lands on her space can move her up to 3 spaces, ignoring doors and arrows along the way. If she ends on a space with a character, that player must put back a random coin into the stack and return to the entrance chamber.
Once someone collects 10 coins total, they win the game. If the tile stack runs out, the game automatically ends, and the player with the most coins at the end will be the winner.
For the base game, I would say that Drakon is TOO simple, and I highly recommend playing with the alternate methods, which gives each character it's own unique power to use once per game, and whoever collects 10 coins must then either make it back to the entrance chamber, make it to a teleport tile, or use an escape tile. This makes the game a lot more fun in my opinion, and also adds the element of the other players trying to stop you if they suspect you are trying to escape.
Drakon can be a mixed bag. Sometimes the games are really enjoyable, as the chambee effects can really play havoc with other players, esoecially if Drakon comes out. Other times, it can be rather boring, and sometimes a player can build an infinite loop of collecting coins, with no way of stopping them, which isn't really fun for anyone. I also feel that anything over 4 players makes the game a little too chaotic, and it can make the game overstay it's welcome. Generally though, Drakon is a quick, light filler game that can hold up well in anyones collection.
Each player will have 4 tiles in their hand, and on their turn, they can either place a tile (drawing a new one afterwards) or move their character into an adjacent chamber. Each tile has a door or an arrow on each side. You can place a tile door to door or arrow to door, but never arrow to arrow. Once a player moves through a door, you can't go back the eay you came (by the usual means anyway.) The goal of the game is to collect 10 coins through entering a chamber with gold in it, or by stealing them from another player. Each coin will have a value between 1 and 3, and the players keep them secret from the others.
A chamber might have an effect associated with it, which is activated when someone mives into it, such as allowing you to rotate a chamber, removing one from the game entirely, teleporting to another part of the dungeon, or even unleashing Drakon the dragon into the dungeon.
Once Drakon is in the dungeon, whoever next lands on her space can move her up to 3 spaces, ignoring doors and arrows along the way. If she ends on a space with a character, that player must put back a random coin into the stack and return to the entrance chamber.
Once someone collects 10 coins total, they win the game. If the tile stack runs out, the game automatically ends, and the player with the most coins at the end will be the winner.
For the base game, I would say that Drakon is TOO simple, and I highly recommend playing with the alternate methods, which gives each character it's own unique power to use once per game, and whoever collects 10 coins must then either make it back to the entrance chamber, make it to a teleport tile, or use an escape tile. This makes the game a lot more fun in my opinion, and also adds the element of the other players trying to stop you if they suspect you are trying to escape.
Drakon can be a mixed bag. Sometimes the games are really enjoyable, as the chambee effects can really play havoc with other players, esoecially if Drakon comes out. Other times, it can be rather boring, and sometimes a player can build an infinite loop of collecting coins, with no way of stopping them, which isn't really fun for anyone. I also feel that anything over 4 players makes the game a little too chaotic, and it can make the game overstay it's welcome. Generally though, Drakon is a quick, light filler game that can hold up well in anyones collection.