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Marlon James recommended Dogeaters in Books (curated)
Charli XCX recommended track Piece of Me by Britney Spears in Singles Collection by Britney Spears in Music (curated)
Buzz Aldrin recommended The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955) in Movies (curated)
ClareR (5566 KP) rated Antiemetic for Homesickness in Books
Nov 28, 2020
I don’t often review poetry, because I just don’t have the experience to do so effectively, I think. But I do like to read poetry, and listen to it being read. This book of poems centres around the poets lived experience - leaving the Philippines as an older teenager and coming to live in the UK with her mother, a nurse in the NHS, and the rest of her family. As it says in the title of the book, there is a real feeling of homesickness and guilt of having left family behind. The wish to hold on to her heritage comes across strongly as well. At the same time, Ante’s life and work as a nurse in the NHS is in many of these poems - the hard work, the racism she encounters and the care she takes of her patients.
I really enjoyed the glimpses into life in the Philippines, and I made good use of the ‘Boodle Fight of Words and Terminologies’, the notes and Google translate (it’s the linguist in me 🤷🏼♀️) It sounds like hard work, doesn’t it - but it wasn’t. This will be a book that goes on my poetry shelf (yes, I have one!) that I will revisit often, I think.
Thank you to Vintage Books for sending me this book - it’s always worth entering the competition because sometimes I do win!!
I really enjoyed the glimpses into life in the Philippines, and I made good use of the ‘Boodle Fight of Words and Terminologies’, the notes and Google translate (it’s the linguist in me 🤷🏼♀️) It sounds like hard work, doesn’t it - but it wasn’t. This will be a book that goes on my poetry shelf (yes, I have one!) that I will revisit often, I think.
Thank you to Vintage Books for sending me this book - it’s always worth entering the competition because sometimes I do win!!
Jennifer Weiner recommended The Farm in Books (curated)
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Kingmaker (2019) in Movies
Dec 18, 2019
'When they searched my closet, they found no skeletons, only beautiful shoes,' declares Imelda Marcos (subject of this documentary), displaying a somewhat inconsistent level of self-awareness. For many people in the west, Mrs Marcos is only the punchline to jokes about her shoe collection: this documentary gives the full story of her life, especially in the present day. We see her making her stately progress about Manila, occasionally pausing to literally throw money at the poor people she encounters.
Much of the movie concerns Mrs Marcos holding forth on her achievements as mother of the world, bringer of world peace, ender of the cold war (and so on), intercut with other people with perhaps a stronger grip on reality pointing out what actually went on. Intended criticisms just ping off Mrs Marcos' elephantine self-regard; the effect is blackly comic more than anything else. But the film moves on to consider her attempts to make her son president of the Philippines, with all the re-writing of history and political corruption this entails: it seems the world may hear from her again. Intelligently made, eye-openingly weird, ultimately rather chilling.
Much of the movie concerns Mrs Marcos holding forth on her achievements as mother of the world, bringer of world peace, ender of the cold war (and so on), intercut with other people with perhaps a stronger grip on reality pointing out what actually went on. Intended criticisms just ping off Mrs Marcos' elephantine self-regard; the effect is blackly comic more than anything else. But the film moves on to consider her attempts to make her son president of the Philippines, with all the re-writing of history and political corruption this entails: it seems the world may hear from her again. Intelligently made, eye-openingly weird, ultimately rather chilling.
Erika (17788 KP) rated Trese in TV
Jun 22, 2021
Trese is the newest Netflix Original Anime, based upon a Filipino comic by the same name. The show follows Alexandra Trese, who is a paranormal detective, and assists the police with paranormal crimes. The series is set in Manila, and creatures from the lore of the Philippines co-exist alongside the humans. Trese is known as the ‘Lakan’, and her father facilitated an accords agreement with the different groups of creatures to keep the peace.
I haven’t read the source material, so I can’t say how close it was to the original work. I really liked Alexandra as a character, she was interesting, and strong. One of the coolest things, for me, was that she carried a Kris, which is a really cool looking knife. One of my favorite things, that made me laugh the first time, is that there is a Fire god that she calls by hitting a button on a Nokia phone. There were also the twins, or ‘kambal’, Crisipin and Basilio, who provided a little comic relief.
The series is a short watch, six episodes that are around 20 minutes each. Each episode was a self-contained, separate case, then dove into Trese’s background and family. It was definitely for a mature audience, it was bloody and gory, and the animation was fantastic. I completely loved this series, because of the cool blend of mythology with a detective show. I hope that Netflix opts to make a second season, because I want to know how the story continues.
I haven’t read the source material, so I can’t say how close it was to the original work. I really liked Alexandra as a character, she was interesting, and strong. One of the coolest things, for me, was that she carried a Kris, which is a really cool looking knife. One of my favorite things, that made me laugh the first time, is that there is a Fire god that she calls by hitting a button on a Nokia phone. There were also the twins, or ‘kambal’, Crisipin and Basilio, who provided a little comic relief.
The series is a short watch, six episodes that are around 20 minutes each. Each episode was a self-contained, separate case, then dove into Trese’s background and family. It was definitely for a mature audience, it was bloody and gory, and the animation was fantastic. I completely loved this series, because of the cool blend of mythology with a detective show. I hope that Netflix opts to make a second season, because I want to know how the story continues.
Kyera (8 KP) rated Something in Between in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Something in Between is a timely novel that is so relevant to the political environment in our country today and a must read. Jasmine's life is turned upside down when she realizes that she and her family are in America, illegally. Her whole life she thought that they had green cards. She worked hard, was top in her class and ran herself ragged to be the best and to do everything from class president to cheer captain. It all seemed to pay off when she received a scholarship that would allow her to attend any college in the US, until her parents informed her that she wouldn't be able to accept. Couldn't accept, because she was an illegal immigrant.
Life turned upside down, Jasmine must figure out what to do and how to come to terms with her changed identity. Then Jas falls for the son of a politician who is spearheading the fights against undocumented workers. How will she reconcile her new self-identity in the world she lives in? Will she and her family be able to stay in America will they be forced to move back to the Philippines, a country her brothers have never known. And, will all of her hard work be for naught because she cannot find a way to attend college? Find out in this young adult/teen contemporary fiction novel about family, friends and growing up.
Life turned upside down, Jasmine must figure out what to do and how to come to terms with her changed identity. Then Jas falls for the son of a politician who is spearheading the fights against undocumented workers. How will she reconcile her new self-identity in the world she lives in? Will she and her family be able to stay in America will they be forced to move back to the Philippines, a country her brothers have never known. And, will all of her hard work be for naught because she cannot find a way to attend college? Find out in this young adult/teen contemporary fiction novel about family, friends and growing up.
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Plane (2023) in Movies
Jan 12, 2023
Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler), is a recently widowed dad who looks
forward to completing his nearly empty run from Singapore to Tokyo so he
can take advantage of the time difference and meet up with his daughter in
Hawaii in time to celebrate the new year.
In the new film “Plane” things do not go as planned as the nearly empty
the flight also hosts a prisoner transfer as a dangerous fugitive named Louis
(Mike Colter), is brought onto the flight late.
Forced by a corporate officer to fly through a storm they were told would
be clear by the time they reached it to save time and fuel, the flight
encounters severe issues and soon find themselves without avionics and
forced to make an emergency landing on an island.
Unable to send for help and unsure of their exact location, Brodie learns
that they are on an outer island of the Philippines and that there is only
insurrectionists and militia on the island and that the military or police
are not options.
While attempting to find a way to contact help, Brodie enlists Louis to
help and soon finds that the passengers and crew have been taking hostage
by a brutal local militia. Forced to improvise rescue and wait for
help, the tense and violent situation quickly becomes a living nightmare
as they fight to survive.
The tension level of the film is great as the early segments in the plane
did a great job of showing the routine of a pilot and also ramped up the
tension. I can be a nervous passenger when a plane gets into bad weather
and I found my palms getting sweaty and anxiety creeping in during the
detailed sequences of the flight in peril.
The action of the film was engaging as were the characters as they were
easy to pull for despite not having much in the way of backstory or
character development. The film has plenty of action as was engaging from
start to finish which makes “Plane” a pleasant diversion and one fan of
Butler will not want to miss.
4 stars out of 5
forward to completing his nearly empty run from Singapore to Tokyo so he
can take advantage of the time difference and meet up with his daughter in
Hawaii in time to celebrate the new year.
In the new film “Plane” things do not go as planned as the nearly empty
the flight also hosts a prisoner transfer as a dangerous fugitive named Louis
(Mike Colter), is brought onto the flight late.
Forced by a corporate officer to fly through a storm they were told would
be clear by the time they reached it to save time and fuel, the flight
encounters severe issues and soon find themselves without avionics and
forced to make an emergency landing on an island.
Unable to send for help and unsure of their exact location, Brodie learns
that they are on an outer island of the Philippines and that there is only
insurrectionists and militia on the island and that the military or police
are not options.
While attempting to find a way to contact help, Brodie enlists Louis to
help and soon finds that the passengers and crew have been taking hostage
by a brutal local militia. Forced to improvise rescue and wait for
help, the tense and violent situation quickly becomes a living nightmare
as they fight to survive.
The tension level of the film is great as the early segments in the plane
did a great job of showing the routine of a pilot and also ramped up the
tension. I can be a nervous passenger when a plane gets into bad weather
and I found my palms getting sweaty and anxiety creeping in during the
detailed sequences of the flight in peril.
The action of the film was engaging as were the characters as they were
easy to pull for despite not having much in the way of backstory or
character development. The film has plenty of action as was engaging from
start to finish which makes “Plane” a pleasant diversion and one fan of
Butler will not want to miss.
4 stars out of 5
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Wanted in Paradise in Books
Jun 18, 2019
Wanted in Paradise by Kate Ashenden is a quick-to-read romance thriller set on the tropical nation of the Maldives. The twenty-five-year-old protagonist, Jasmine Hartwell has been on a hellish journey: surviving a typhoon in the Philippines, which killed thousands of people, and quitting her job because she cannot stand the way her boss treats her. To top it off, her ex-boyfriend has disappeared, presumed dead. After sending her condolences to his good looking superstar brother, Romeo Moretti, Jasmine is offered the chance to join him in the Maldives to help set up a concert in aid of climate change.
Readers are aware that Jasmine has had a crush on Romeo since she met him five years ago but due to their current circumstances, it would not be right for them to form a relationship while her ex, Diego is still missing. That does not stop Jasmine having strong feelings for Romeo and vice versa, however, there is another love interest on the scene. The Sheikh has fallen for Jasmine but Romeo believes he is an evil character set on destroying the concert and taking over the islands. Not only does Jasmine have to contend with this love-triangle, but Romeo's publicist also seems fixed on making things unnecessarily hard for her.
It takes a while for the reader to warm to the characters, especially as the story is fast-paced. It also takes a moment to appreciate the complexities of the storyline; it is not only about romance, but it also encompasses natural disasters, the dangers of climate change and the ignorance and selfishness of those with power. By the closing chapters, readers are enthralled with the potential of a happy-ever-after but still in the knowledge that all could backfire at the last minute.
Wanted in Paradise is Kate Ashenden's debut novel, which, whilst it has room for improvement, gives a taster of her potential. It is the ideal book for those who want a quick read and to be transported to another part of the world to escape the challenged of everyday life.
Readers are aware that Jasmine has had a crush on Romeo since she met him five years ago but due to their current circumstances, it would not be right for them to form a relationship while her ex, Diego is still missing. That does not stop Jasmine having strong feelings for Romeo and vice versa, however, there is another love interest on the scene. The Sheikh has fallen for Jasmine but Romeo believes he is an evil character set on destroying the concert and taking over the islands. Not only does Jasmine have to contend with this love-triangle, but Romeo's publicist also seems fixed on making things unnecessarily hard for her.
It takes a while for the reader to warm to the characters, especially as the story is fast-paced. It also takes a moment to appreciate the complexities of the storyline; it is not only about romance, but it also encompasses natural disasters, the dangers of climate change and the ignorance and selfishness of those with power. By the closing chapters, readers are enthralled with the potential of a happy-ever-after but still in the knowledge that all could backfire at the last minute.
Wanted in Paradise is Kate Ashenden's debut novel, which, whilst it has room for improvement, gives a taster of her potential. It is the ideal book for those who want a quick read and to be transported to another part of the world to escape the challenged of everyday life.