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On Writing
On Writing
Stephen King | 2012 | Biography
10
9.2 (23 Ratings)
Book Rating
King gets personal (0 more)
Nothing (0 more)
Want to be a writer? Read this.
If you are an aspiring writer, either wanting it as a career or just as a hobby for yourself, this is aust read.
The first half of the book King details his life, and what a life he has had. We follow his highs and lows of getting published and his personal ups and downs. From Carrie to being hit by a truck. This is a reality check, an understanding into the mind of a great and prolific writer. Overall, King is honest, even about Tommyknockers.
The second half of the book, King gets down to business. He lays it out, what it takes, what you need to know already (your toolbox) and how he does it. He covers that ever mysterious idea of where ideas come from, giving a good tip on how to find them. (What if a I was bitten by a vampire today? What if that girl in the wallpaper stepped out?). He really does help you, from getting the creative juices flowing to penning it down.
Love him (I do) or hate him, King is an epic author with a distinctive style. If you want to write, you wouldn't go far wrong emulating King. We all have to start somewhere.
  
Foul Is Fair
Foul Is Fair
Hannah Capin | 2020 | Contemporary, Young Adult (YA)
8
9.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

It can be said about every book but, especially with this one, people are going to either love or hate Hannah Capin's Foul Is Fair. It is a dark novel of revenge, suicide, abusive relationships, murder, and a gang bang. Oh, and it is a Young Adult novel.

At a party thrown by one of the golden boys of St. Andrew's, the unthinkable happens. It turns out this was not the first time. This time, they picked the wrong girl. Jade has 3 close friends who will help her get revenge. The 4 of them are so close Jade refers to them as her coven. They do not practice witchcraft but their friendship is magical.

It is hard to make such dark themes enjoyable to read but Hannah Capin is able to do it well. If I had to describe this novel in 3 words I would say "dark but fun".

I found myself cheering for Jade and friends to succeed in exacting their revenge. The twists and turns are twisted and gritty. I enjoyed the narrative tone and humor used throughout. Golden boys beware! Something wicked this way comes.

I added Hannah Capin to my "authors to read" list.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 2/24/20.
  
The Snowman (2017)
The Snowman (2017)
2017 | Crime, Drama, Horror
No, not that one
Nordic noir is big business at the moment, but with the incredible scenery of the locations lending themselves perfectly to film, is there any wonder?

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Hypnotist are just a couple of movies that have fallen into this massively expanding genre.

Now, Jo Nesbø’s chilling The Snowman novel gets the silver screen treatment in a film of the same name. But can this continue the thrilling trend of whodunit novels being turned into fabulous crime dramas?For Detective Harry Hole (Michael Fassbender), the death of a young woman during the first snow of winter feels like anything but a routine homicide. His investigation leads him to “The Snowman Killer,” an elusive sociopath who continuously taunts Hole with ingeniously crafted cat-and-mouse games. As the brutal deaths show no sign of slowing, Harry teams up with a new recruit (Rebecca Ferguson) to try and lure the madman out of the shadows before it’s too late.

With Michael Fassbender at the helm, director Thomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) manages to blend gorgeous imagery with an intriguing plot and excellent performances in a film that suffers from a couple of issues that stops it from becoming a must-see event.

These R-rated thrillers are ten-a-penny these days with the bar still being set incredibly high by Gone Girl. Last year’s Girl on the Train was a decent stab at dethroning David Fincher’s masterpiece, but it just fell a little short – well the same has happened here.

Michael Fassbender is uniformly excellent as troubled detective, Harry and the actor can do no wrong in his performances, but he’s suffered this year. After Assassin’s Creed failed to ignite the box-office, it looks to be a similar story this time. While The Snowman is technically competent and filmed beautifully, it lacks the sense of originality that breeds success.

It also doesn’t help that he’s surrounded by thinly padded supporting characters like former love interest Rakel (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and new police officer Katrine (Ferguson). Elsewhere, bizarre glorified cameos for Val Kilmer and Toby Jones leave you wondering if these actors expected a little more from their parts.

Perhaps I’m being a little harsh. After all, the cast is one of the film’s strongest suits. Add J.K. Simmons to the aforementioned roster and it really does have one of the best line-ups of the year. It’s just a shame the script doesn’t do more with them.

To look at, The Snowman is absolutely gorgeous. Helped obviously by magnificent Norwegian landscapes, Alfredson shoots using steady cam in scenes reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, high praise indeed. In a year populated by CGI-heavy blockbusters, this comes as a real breath of fresh air.

Unfortunately, the constant use of flashbacks and a peculiar subplot involving a Winter sporting event ruin the pacing, though at 130 minutes, this isn’t too much of an issue. The ending however, is disappointing and lacks an emotional payoff after the film’s events.

Overall, The Snowman is a gritty adaptation of Jo Nesbø’s successful novel and while some of the plot choices leave a little to be desired, a great anchor performance by Michael Fassbender and stunning cinematography mean it’s definitely worth a watch; just don’t expect too much.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/10/14/the-snowman-review/
  
Distrust ( The Hallowed Crows MC book 1)
Distrust ( The Hallowed Crows MC book 1)
G.N Wright | 2022
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
160 of 230
Kindle
Distrust ( The Hallowed Crows MC book 1)
By G.N Wright
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

Dark. Depraved. Deadly.

That was the warning that everyone was given about The Hallowed Crows MC. That they were harsh, brutal, and completely unforgiving. And here I am, utterly at their mercy. Again.

My dad is dead and now the only people I have left are the boys who ripped out my heart. They loved me, then rejected me. Protected me, then abandoned me. Now they want to control me more than ever before. I thought I’d escaped the black mark placed on my soul, but I was wrong. They might think they own me, but someone else has already claimed me. I’m back, but I wasn’t given much of a choice. It was his cage or their club… Better the devil you know right?

But I’m not the same lost little girl they toyed with two years ago. I won’t go down without a fight. Not this time.

I’m a Crow and it’s time to call murder.


This was an ok wtf have I started! The author says at the beginning it got a hard and it’s spiced as hell. She was lying you are smacked in the face with it all the way through the book. A few time I actually thought I was going to DNF but the bugger kept reeling me back in. The start and a few bits were Jumpy but other that that it was good. Definitely don’t read if you have triggers for sexual abuse.