
Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
Book
There just isn't enough time for everything on our to-do list-and there never will be. Successful...

The H Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness
Book
What do women want? The same thing men were promised in the Declaration of Independence: happiness,...
Gender studies

Light Changes Everything
Book
“I adored stepping back into to the world of the Prines through tough-as-rawhide Mary Pearl. Light...

DaveySmithy (107 KP) rated Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) in Movies
Dec 4, 2024 (Updated Dec 4, 2024)
The premise is intriguing: a mysterious, apocalyptic winter descending on New York City, with the Ghostbusters tasked to save the day. The visuals are striking—snow-covered cityscapes and frost-bitten ghosts make for some memorable scenes. The effects team clearly had a blast imagining what a frozen supernatural invasion would look like, and the frosty atmosphere feels like a fresh twist for the franchise.
The returning cast, especially Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon, are as likable as ever, but they’re not given much to do beyond reacting to the chaos. The younger characters, led by Mckenna Grace, are still charming, but the novelty of their “kid Ghostbusters” dynamic is starting to wear thin. The humor is hit-or-miss; while there are a few clever lines and fun moments, some of the jokes feel too forced, as though the film is trying too hard to mimic the original’s effortless wit.
One of the biggest disappointments for me was the pacing. The first half of the movie drags, spending too much time on exposition and setup without giving us the action or scares we came for. When the ghost-busting finally ramps up, it’s exciting, but it feels rushed and formulaic. The climactic battle is visually impressive but lacks emotional weight, relying more on spectacle than storytelling.
I also couldn’t help but feel that Frozen Empire leans too heavily on nostalgia. The callbacks to the original movies are fun at first, but they start to feel like a crutch, reminding us of the franchise’s glory days instead of moving it forward in a meaningful way.
Overall, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a decent popcorn flick with some cool visuals and a few laughs, but it doesn’t live up to the potential of its concept or its legacy. It’s a 6/10 for me—fun in the moment, but not particularly memorable.

The Silver Linings Playbook
Book
Pat Peoples has a theory. The theory is this: his life is actually a movie produced by God. And...

Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Infinity Chronicles ( Book 1) in Books
Sep 28, 2022
Kindle
Infinity Chronicles (Book1)
By Albany Walker
⭐️⭐️⭐️
New town, new school. Same story. I’m Laura, I’ve spent most of my life crisscrossing the county yielding to the whims of my transient mother. We’ve never stayed in one place long enough to call it home, and I don’t have any hope of that changing.
I follow the rules; no drawing attention to myself, no friends, and especially no boys.
But my mom’s been keeping secrets, secrets so profound they threaten to turn my world upside down. I’ve always assumed her paranoia was a symptom of a mental illness, but as her secrets begin to unravel, I realize nothing is what it seems.
As my life careens out of control a group of guys from school promise to give me answers about who I really am. I’m afraid of what I might learn, but more afraid of what I could be giving up if I don’t listen.
It was ok. Nothing really happens in it and the characters are average. There are so many similar stories out there like this and I think this one was just middle of the road. Nothing really stood out. It wasn’t a bad read either just nothing exciting.

Kyera (8 KP) rated An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1) in Books
Jan 31, 2018
Martials are the ruling people who came to the and many years ago as conquerors. They enslaved the Scholars and treated the others in the land as second class citizens. The Martials even have a place they send their children to train and become Masks, some of the most feared warriors and killers in the land. Elias and Helene are two of those future Masks - training, top of their class and about to graduate.
Each character has their own secrets and motivations. Elias hates being a Mask and doesn't want to turn into his mother, the vicious Commandant. Helene is in love with Elias and despite her commitment to the Masks, is hesitant to call Elias' out on his commitment. Laia is scared, but can't abandon her brother again. Each must go on a journey of self-discovery and find out what truly matters to them - and what they will sacrifice to make it happen.
The world is full of unique places and characters. More interestingly, there is magic and creatures like djinn and efrits. Those are some of the supernatural creatures that are not as frequently portrayed in novels, thus make this even more intriguing. This is a beautifully written book and highly recommended to young adult/teen readers that like fantasy, books with good characters, world building, magic and supernatural creatures.

Assail
Book
Tens of thousands of years of ice is melting, and the land of Assail, long a byword for menace and...

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated Murder in Chinatown in Books
Aug 18, 2019
Once again, we are expertly transported back to 1890’s New York City. Along with our normal glimpses of life during the time period, we get to see a bit of how the Chinese were treated during the time; unfortunately, it isn’t pretty. However, the book never stops to preach at us, instead working this in during the mystery. The case itself is strong with plenty of twists to keep us entertained until the end. I thought I had a few things figured out, but I discovered I was wrong when I reached the logical ending. Sarah, in her efforts to stay out of the case, isn’t quite as involved as Frank, but she still has plenty to contribute. Both are great lead characters, and I enjoyed spending time with the regular supporting players as well as meeting the new characters introduced here. We get some advancement on a couple of on-going storylines, and it looks like one of them will be the main focus of the next in the series. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where that leads.

Begin Again
Book
James Baldwin grew disillusioned by the failure of the Civil Rights movement to force America to...