Search

Search only in certain items:

The Lodge (2019)
The Lodge (2019)
2019 | Drama, Horror, Thriller
Smh
Contains spoilers, click to show
So a father leaves his kids-with a woman he's planning to marry- for a few days in a remote cabin. Just when his kids need him most(because their mother killed herself in the beginning) and goes off to work(at Christmas time). Somehow, he has ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA idea just how mentally damaged/unstable she is. This movie eas a slow, tedious, mind-numbing burn that just fizzles out in the end(horrible ending). The acting was decent and the cinematography was too. It had creep factor, I'll give it that, but the story was just... sad. These kids go through hell through pretty much the entire film because of this psychotic ex-cultist and it ends up being their last days. You genuinely feel bad for them, but overall this was just a weird movie strangely pieced together that built up to....nothing. Her craziness wins out. NOT worth a watch.
  
40x40

David McK (3562 KP) rated Hawkeye in TV

Dec 27, 2021  
Hawkeye
Hawkeye
2021 | Action, Drama
8
7.6 (9 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
The latest 9at the time of writing) of Marvel's post-blip TV shows, and the last to be aired in 2021, finally giving one of the OG Avengers who was oft-overlooked in the mainline movies a bit of his own agency and character development.

Released in late November and running through to December, there is a definite Christmassy feel to this one, which the series leans heavily into: indeed, getting home in time to spend Christmas with his family is one of the drivers of the plot.

This also sees the return of certain characters from the mainline movies tied to the former Black Widow, as well as - finally! - introducing character who made their live-action debut in the Netflix Marvel TV show of Daredevil (shows whose canonicity is now dubious).

Oh, and there's no end or mid credits scenes in this at all until the very last episode.

Which has, perhaps, the best such scene Marvel has ever produced.
  
Dragon's Mate Volume One: Books 1-3
Dragon's Mate Volume One: Books 1-3
Hope Bennett | 2023 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
DRAGON'S MATE VOLUME ONE: BOOKS 1-3 introduces us to the world of dragons, gargoyles, and witches, where liking someone of the same sex isn't a problem... unless you're part of the wrong clan.

With three full-length novels plus a Christmas novella that ties up those three stories nicely, there is plenty here to enjoy. Each couple became my favourite and each time, I was convinced no one could topple the couple before.

I really hope Glimmer gets his own story, and Alfie finds his way to the Hoskins! I am invested in these characters and the world they live in, and I can't wait to read more.

If you like Dragons, then you will absolutely enjoy this box set. Definitely recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 16, 2023
  
40x40

Hazel (1853 KP) rated What Light in Books

Dec 17, 2018  
What Light
What Light
Jay Asher | 2016 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
6
6.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>

Almost a decade after Jay Asher wowed readers with his debut novel, he returns to the literary scene with a brand new young adult romance. <i>What Light</i> focuses on the life of a good-natured girl living a complicated life. It is almost as if the teenaged Sierra is living two lives: eleven months on a Christmas tree farm in Oregon, followed by a month selling them in California. Due to the struggling business, this year may be the last time Sierra spends Christmas in California; however it is also the first year she meets the boy of her dreams.

Knowing that a romantic relationship is unlikely to survive the long distance between the two states, Sierra cannot help her developing feelings towards the handsome Caleb. Using his own money to purchase Christmas trees for families who cannot afford them, Caleb seems like the perfect guy; however rumours suggest he has a rather dubious history. Struggling to convince everyone that Caleb is a good person, Sierra suffers the consequences of strained relationships with her friends back home. The big issue is: should she continue to support Caleb even though in a couple of weeks she may never see him again?

As young adult romance novels go, <i>What Light</i> is fairly typical. Girl and boy meet; there are various issues to resolve; but things turn out all right in the end. If you are into those types of stories then this is the book for you, sadly, Asher does not bring anything new to the genre.

After reading several of these types of predictable novels, it becomes noticeable how unrealistic they are. The amount of youngsters in committed relationships is rather suspicious, especially the ones that seems to happen as if by accident or fate – although, from the readers perspective, are so obvious from the very beginning.

There is nothing deep or meaningful within this narrative – not a criticism of <i>What Light</i>, rather an observation of the genre – but it is sufficient for a quick read to pass the time, particularly over the upcoming Christmas period. There is nothing to disappoint the reader in terms of conclusion – it could be described as what some would call a “fluffy read”.

Overall, <i>What Light</i> is a novel that maintains the status quo of young adult romance, providing brief entertainment for those seeking a happy love story. With beautiful (in terms of personality) characters and settings, Jay Asher is likely to win back all the fans that had given up waiting for his next book to be written.
  
40x40

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated In a Holidaze in Books

Oct 29, 2020  
In a Holidaze
In a Holidaze
Christina Lauren | 2020 | Contemporary, Erotica, Fiction & Poetry, Humor & Comedy, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A joyful and flirty holiday romance
Maelyn Jones spends every Christmas at her favorite place in the world: a cabin owned by her parents' friends in Utah. She joins her (divorced) parents, younger brother Miles, and two other families for a magical Christmas experience--cookie baking, snow creature making contests, holiday scavenger hunts, and more. She's been sleeping in the basement in the "kid bunk beds" with Miles and family friends Theo and Andrew for years, despite the fact that they are adults now. But this year, it's all ruined: their friends are selling the cabin and Mae is humiliated after an embarrassing encounter with Theo. As her family drives away from the cabin one last time, she makes a desperate plea for happiness. Then she sees a car headed straight toward theirs, and it all goes black. When she awakes, she's back on a plane headed to Utah, headed to the same holiday trip. As various disasters return Mae to the plane over and over, she realizes she's in a time loop--she needs to break free, and figure out to find true love and happiness, once and for all.

"So I ask the universe, simply: Can you show me what will make me happy?"

I know I must have read this synopsis when I requested this book, but I didn't reread it before starting, because hello, CLo, enough said. So I was slightly surprised by the Groundhog Day-esque story to this one, but I went with the flow. Luckily Mae is funny and charming enough to make just about anything fly, even a crazy time loop plot where you're not exactly sure how or why she's in it or quite what she's supposed to do to get out of it.

"'I think it's possible I'm in the past, repeating the same holiday, and I'm the only one who knows it.'"

It took a little while for the romance to heat up here, but once it did, the book was off and running. And boom! It's a sweet read, but flirty and romantic too. I loved Mae and her crush--they crackled and simmered. Honestly, the time loop piece was secondary to their joyful love. Seeing Mae come into her own made everything else less important, including Mae's reliving of her holiday. (And I enjoyed how she took to it so quickly--don't eat that, you're going to need this, tell me a secret so I can prove this to you next time--you go girl, embrace the loop!).

So, yes, while this book is a little crazy, it's also sweet and happy, too. It's a perfect Christmas read for a snowy day (or a fall day when you feel like the world is falling apart). 4 stars.
  
40x40

Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) created a post

Jan 4, 2020 (Updated Jan 4, 2020)  
Here are my 'Top 16 Movies Of All Time' and a quick update of what's been going on for me over the past few weeks/why I haven't been posting many reviews recently. -------------------------------------------
Hello fellow film fans 📽 I hope you had a great Christmas and a nice New Year.

Christmas and New Year have both been absolutely mental for me this year which makes a change.
Not only have I been working a hell of a lot more than usual but I have also been spending a lot of time with my amazing girlfriend and her family, seeing my own family and friends, catching up on sleep, going to the gym and also plowing through the piles of films/games I have at home.
It seems every time I have booked to see a film at Odeon I have simply fallen asleep from pure exhaustion or been called into work which is really annoying as I really have missed going so much.
------------------------------------------
That being said this weekend I have 'Jo Jo Rabbit' and 'The Gentleman' booked so providing I have the energy you can expect reviews from both of those very soon and hopefully I can get back into the swing of things and back to doing what I enjoy.
Again thank you for all the continued support and love everyone and here's to many more cinematic adventures in 2020.