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A Chevalier from Poland: The Memoirs of Chevalier Rafael de Weryha-Wysoczanski
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The memoirs of Chevalier Rafael de Weryha-Wysoczanski, a Polish nobleman whose nobility dates back...
Careless Whiskers
9.0
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When librarian Charlie Harris' daughter is falsely accused of murder, he and his faithful feline...
Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots
6.0
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Now a Netflix original series! Unorthodox is the bestselling memoir of a young Jewish woman’s...
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Night At The Museum: Secret of the Tomb, is a new movie (rated PG) starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Dan Stevens, and Rebel Wilson.
It is the third installment in the ‘Night At The Museum’ series.
The movie begins in time before any of the movies take place in time, throwing us back to the discovery of the magical tablet that brings the museum to life after sunset.
We then flash forward to current day,
and Ben Stillers character, Larry Daley, is the ‘special effects’ manager, in charge of all the magic of the museum.
Things go awry, and the rest of the movie is spent wrapped up in an attempt to first find out how to stop the erosion of the tablet, and then how to implement the information that is discovered.
The movie is fast paced, and it did draw me in. It is likely I was more emotionally invested in this film because it is the last film I will see Robin Williams in, and that was definitely at the forefront of my mind while watching the movie.
Some of the scenes between Rebel Wilson and Ben Stiller were less than funny to me, and some of the jokes were definitely groan worthy.
It was fairly predictable, but Dan
Stevens as Sir Lancelot did throw a few curve balls that mixed it up a bit.
It seems, based on some of the scenes, that Night at The Museum might be better in 3D than it was in 2D.
Over all, I liked the movie, but wouldn’t bother to take my son, who is 6 to see it ‘at the theatre’. It is one of those movies where the best parts seem to be in the previews.
http://sknr.net/2014/12/19/night-museum-3/
It is the third installment in the ‘Night At The Museum’ series.
The movie begins in time before any of the movies take place in time, throwing us back to the discovery of the magical tablet that brings the museum to life after sunset.
We then flash forward to current day,
and Ben Stillers character, Larry Daley, is the ‘special effects’ manager, in charge of all the magic of the museum.
Things go awry, and the rest of the movie is spent wrapped up in an attempt to first find out how to stop the erosion of the tablet, and then how to implement the information that is discovered.
The movie is fast paced, and it did draw me in. It is likely I was more emotionally invested in this film because it is the last film I will see Robin Williams in, and that was definitely at the forefront of my mind while watching the movie.
Some of the scenes between Rebel Wilson and Ben Stiller were less than funny to me, and some of the jokes were definitely groan worthy.
It was fairly predictable, but Dan
Stevens as Sir Lancelot did throw a few curve balls that mixed it up a bit.
It seems, based on some of the scenes, that Night at The Museum might be better in 3D than it was in 2D.
Over all, I liked the movie, but wouldn’t bother to take my son, who is 6 to see it ‘at the theatre’. It is one of those movies where the best parts seem to be in the previews.
http://sknr.net/2014/12/19/night-museum-3/
National Identity in Contemporary Australian Opera: Myths Reconsidered
Book
Opera has been performed in Australia for more than two hundred years, yet none of the operas...
ClareR (6001 KP) rated The Queens Lady in Books
Dec 8, 2022
The Queens Lady is the second in the Queens of the Tower series, and picks up the Joan Vaux story where it left off in the last book. She’s now Lady Joan Guildford, and is Lady in Waiting to Queen Elizabeth, the wife of Henry VII. It’s a privileged position and means that Joan is at Court when Prince Arthur dies and Prince Henry is named as heir. Joan acts as something of a go between with the King and Queen, but King Henry is a serious, dour man - and this isn’t improved when the Queen dies shortly after her son.
Joan no longer has a place at court, and her husband falls out of favour when his enemies gain considerable influence with the King.
It was really interesting to learn about the inner workings of the English court and the precarious line that courtiers had to tread. Joan also gave some insight into some significant historical events: the Field of the Cloth of Gold in France, Princess Margaret’s marriage to King James, the arrival of Catherine of Aragon, and accompanying Princess Mary to Paris when she marries King Louis.
I’m an absolute sucker for historical fiction, and I loved the details and the very human, realistic style this book was written in. And I really liked Joan.
The ravens are a constant - after all, Joan is the Lady of the Ravens. Bu they’re not as central to the storyline this time.
I don’t know whether this will just be a duology, or if there’s more to come, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Highly recommended.
Joan no longer has a place at court, and her husband falls out of favour when his enemies gain considerable influence with the King.
It was really interesting to learn about the inner workings of the English court and the precarious line that courtiers had to tread. Joan also gave some insight into some significant historical events: the Field of the Cloth of Gold in France, Princess Margaret’s marriage to King James, the arrival of Catherine of Aragon, and accompanying Princess Mary to Paris when she marries King Louis.
I’m an absolute sucker for historical fiction, and I loved the details and the very human, realistic style this book was written in. And I really liked Joan.
The ravens are a constant - after all, Joan is the Lady of the Ravens. Bu they’re not as central to the storyline this time.
I don’t know whether this will just be a duology, or if there’s more to come, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Highly recommended.
Carma (21 KP) rated Cowboy SEAL Christmas (Navy SEAL Cowboys, #3) in Books
Jun 17, 2019
Love and a Llama, how can a book get any better than this?! Cowboy Seal Christmas is the 3rd book in the Navy Seal Cowboy series (a sort of spin off of Helms Big Sky Cowboy series). I have not read the first 2 books in this series (time constraints and a overwhelming TBR pile but I did read all the books in the Big Sky Cowboy series). This book has all the elements I loved from those books and more. Nicole Helm has a way of getting you right into the moment as if you were standing right there alongside the characters. 5/5 for Grouchy Gabe!!!
Gabe Cortez is a grouchy, ex Navy SEAL who hates Christmas. He hates most things actually and is more than happy to tell you how much it all sucks. He had a horrible childhood that led to him entering the military and losing a good friend in one horrifying instance. He comes to Revival ranch with his 2 friends, Jack and Alex, to help start a new program for injured military servicemen and women to get back on their feet. Jack and Alex both find love (spoiler for the first 2 books haha) and he is once again the odd man out. Then he meets the new ranch therapist Monica Finley and hope starts to rise in him again.
Monica Finley is looking forward to working with all the men and women headed to Revival Ranch for therapy and help getting back to civilian life. Growing up with a Marine father suffering from PTSD has helped her understand some of the struggles men and women face upon returning home. She has a 10 year old son named Colin, with her late Air Force husband Dex, who is her entire world. She protects him, well overprotects, as well as she can as a single mother and is hoping the closeness of the ranch will help them all start a new life. Gabe has been the only one to deny needing therapy and keeps his distance from her both literally and figuratively. She has to find a way to crack his shell. Can Gabe help her understand not only his struggles but some of her own struggles since her husband died?
This story flows really well from start to finish. I was able to get a great idea of where Monica and Gabe are in their lives as well as some past situations that have molded their current state of mind. Throw in great friends (who meddle), a Montana snowstorm, being snowed in for days without heat (snuggle alert), past secrets, daily questions (1 for her, 2 for him) and a llama and you have pretty much the perfect love story. Nicole Helm once again draws me into her cowboy world and makes me sad to leave when the story ends.
Gabe Cortez is a grouchy, ex Navy SEAL who hates Christmas. He hates most things actually and is more than happy to tell you how much it all sucks. He had a horrible childhood that led to him entering the military and losing a good friend in one horrifying instance. He comes to Revival ranch with his 2 friends, Jack and Alex, to help start a new program for injured military servicemen and women to get back on their feet. Jack and Alex both find love (spoiler for the first 2 books haha) and he is once again the odd man out. Then he meets the new ranch therapist Monica Finley and hope starts to rise in him again.
Monica Finley is looking forward to working with all the men and women headed to Revival Ranch for therapy and help getting back to civilian life. Growing up with a Marine father suffering from PTSD has helped her understand some of the struggles men and women face upon returning home. She has a 10 year old son named Colin, with her late Air Force husband Dex, who is her entire world. She protects him, well overprotects, as well as she can as a single mother and is hoping the closeness of the ranch will help them all start a new life. Gabe has been the only one to deny needing therapy and keeps his distance from her both literally and figuratively. She has to find a way to crack his shell. Can Gabe help her understand not only his struggles but some of her own struggles since her husband died?
This story flows really well from start to finish. I was able to get a great idea of where Monica and Gabe are in their lives as well as some past situations that have molded their current state of mind. Throw in great friends (who meddle), a Montana snowstorm, being snowed in for days without heat (snuggle alert), past secrets, daily questions (1 for her, 2 for him) and a llama and you have pretty much the perfect love story. Nicole Helm once again draws me into her cowboy world and makes me sad to leave when the story ends.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2440 KP) rated Essentials of Murder in Books
Sep 11, 2021
Essential Series Debut
After a scandal in San Francisco sent her packing, Carissa Carmichael has returned home to Oak Creek Valley in Southern California and has decided to open Aromatherapy Apothecary, a store specializing in essential oils. She is planning to work with her neighbor, who owns a candle shop, but the neighbor’s son, Russ, is certain that Carissa is going to steal business from his mom’s store. After a particularly nasty scene with Russ, Carissa enters her shop the next day to find his body in the back of her shop. Already convicted of the crime by local gossip and with the detective in charge of the case determined to find evidence to arrest her, Carissa sets out to prove her innocence. Can she do it?
I always love it when a debut cozy has characters who already feel like old friends, and that’s the case here. As we slowly meet Carissa’s family and friends, they form a great group I can’t wait to hang out with again. The suspects? They are great at keeping us confused. The mystery is good. I had some guesses on part of it, but I wasn’t sure until the end. The climax could have been stronger, but it did answer all our questions. As a Southern California resident, I loved recognizing some of the locations mentioned even if Oak Creek Valley is fictional. This is a fun debut you won’t want to miss.
I always love it when a debut cozy has characters who already feel like old friends, and that’s the case here. As we slowly meet Carissa’s family and friends, they form a great group I can’t wait to hang out with again. The suspects? They are great at keeping us confused. The mystery is good. I had some guesses on part of it, but I wasn’t sure until the end. The climax could have been stronger, but it did answer all our questions. As a Southern California resident, I loved recognizing some of the locations mentioned even if Oak Creek Valley is fictional. This is a fun debut you won’t want to miss.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Superman: Dawnbreaker (DC Icons #4) in Books
Jul 23, 2019
This is the fourth in the DC Icons series, all of which I have now reviewed. It started with Wonder Woman, then moved through Batman and Catwoman before culminating in Superman. All four books have been written by popular young adult authors, from Leigh Bardugo to Marie Lu to Sarah J. Maas. Superman went to Matt De La Peña, who I had not actually heard of before. He apparently wrote a book called Ball Don't Lie that was made into a movie in 2011, and another book titled Mexican Whiteboy. What I'm trying to say is that De La Peña's Hispanic background makes him a perfect choice for this book. Because whatever else can be said about Superman, his is the ultimate immigrant story.
And this book not only tells Superman's immigrant story, but deals heavily with immigrant issues around him as well. Smallville is deliberating a new law that is basically stop-and-frisk; Hispanic people are going missing; undocumented immigrants are getting beaten in the streets. Clark is rightly horrified, and vows to get to the bottom of the disappearances.
The book is very timely, and I love what it says about one of our country's greatest fictional heroes. It reminds me of Justice League: Gods and Monsters, in which Superman is the son of General Zod, and was raised by illegal Mexican immigrants instead of the all-American Kents. (It's a fantastic animated movie, and well worth watching.)
Lex Luthor makes an appearance, and for a while I thought Clark's best friend, Lana, was a stand-in for Lois, but Lois is mentioned ever-so-briefly late in the book.
This is the fourth and final book in the DC Icons series, and taken as a whole, they're quite good. I wish they were a little more entwined with one another, but I understand that would be difficult with four different authors. But they are a very neat re-work of the four characters' origin stories.
You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
And this book not only tells Superman's immigrant story, but deals heavily with immigrant issues around him as well. Smallville is deliberating a new law that is basically stop-and-frisk; Hispanic people are going missing; undocumented immigrants are getting beaten in the streets. Clark is rightly horrified, and vows to get to the bottom of the disappearances.
The book is very timely, and I love what it says about one of our country's greatest fictional heroes. It reminds me of Justice League: Gods and Monsters, in which Superman is the son of General Zod, and was raised by illegal Mexican immigrants instead of the all-American Kents. (It's a fantastic animated movie, and well worth watching.)
Lex Luthor makes an appearance, and for a while I thought Clark's best friend, Lana, was a stand-in for Lois, but Lois is mentioned ever-so-briefly late in the book.
This is the fourth and final book in the DC Icons series, and taken as a whole, they're quite good. I wish they were a little more entwined with one another, but I understand that would be difficult with four different authors. But they are a very neat re-work of the four characters' origin stories.
You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Red Dwarf - Season 1
8.2
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It was a script rejected by everyone at the BBC for three years. It starred a poet, an...