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Andy K (10821 KP) created a post in Dear Smashbomb....

Dec 3, 2018  
OK how do you decide when or who to buy Christmas presents for? Are we friends or present friends? Do you buy for all the nieces and nephews? What about those people you don't like at work? What about when someone buys you a gift you weren't expecting to buy for? Do you have to get them something in return?

I don't have enough money for all those people.

I am not very good will all these present protocols!
  
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Leah (: (569 KP) Dec 3, 2018

I never know what to actually buy for the people I do need to buy for!!

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Andy K (10821 KP) Dec 3, 2018

I know I hate that also!

The Color Purple (1985)
The Color Purple (1985)
1985 | Drama

"Next is The Color Purple, for obvious reasons. The first way I came to it was the film, a bit before I read the book. And it has some of my favorite people in it. And I think I’ve met them now, strangely enough, most of those people from the film."

Source
  
Fishing With John (1992)
Fishing With John (1992)
1992 | Comedy, Documentary
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"This is mostly on my list because I think it’s hilarious and I have watched all of the episodes several times. I love exposing friends to it, as many people haven’t even heard of it. It did teach me that the same idea can be interesting and entertaining over and over again, as long as you switch up the people in front of the camera (and as long as those people are fascinating to watch)."

Source
  
Those People
Those People
Louise Candlish | 2019 | Thriller
8
7.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Enthralling Read
I must admit that I was sucked into Those People by Louise Candlish as soon as I read the synopsis. I had a feeling this was going to be a good read, and I was correct. I found this book to be very interesting.

The plot of Those People really held my attention. Basically, the short of it is, Lowland Way, the road where the story takes place, is full of rich people. When neighbors Darren and Jodie inherit a house from a relative, they make their neighbors' lives a nightmare by being loud, playing loud music all day and night, taking up a lot of space with their car business, and not following the neighborly rules of being good neighbors. When a murder occurs, the rich folk of Lowland Way think it will be an open and shut case and that their lives will return to normal. However, nothing could be further from the truth. After reading about Darren and Jodie, I could definitely relate to the feelings of the people on Lowland Way because I've had some pretty bad neighbors. Luckily, they've never been as bad as Darren and Jodie though. I found the plot to be extreme, but it was believable. Sometimes people will go too far if they are driven mad enough (not that I agreed with their actions) as was the case in Those People. There were a few good plot twists. However, I felt like I need more closure at the end of the book. Those People is not part of a series, so I feel like I will never get answers. It's more of a speculative ending which I am never a fan of.

I did enjoy reading about the lives of the characters in Those People. I felt they were all written perfectly and were fleshed out enough to feel like real people instead of just characters in a book. I did find many of the characters to be snobby especially Naomi. She was written really well, but I felt her character had a giant chip on her shoulder. Emma was a complete basket case. I get that she just had a baby, but some of her actions were quite extreme. However, I do know someone like her in real life. Sissy was my overall favorite character. She was the oldest, and she also had the most to lose especially as Darren and Jodie's actions were causing her to lose her bed and breakfast business. My heart really went out to her. I did think Darren and Jodie made for great baddies. I like how Darren would keep his cool for the most part when the others of Lowland Way would lose their cool towards him. For the most part, I felt that females in this book overshadowed the men with the exception of Darren and Jodie. The females seemed to be the stronger characters. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing though.

The pacing for Those People always stayed consistent and held my attention throughout. In fact, I never wanted to put this book down because I was so entranced with what was going on and what would happen next.

Trigger warnings for Those People include violence, death, profanity, and alcohol and drug use.

Overall, Those People is a really good read. I was consistently absorbed by all the drama happening at Lowland Way. The characters were written well, and the plot definitely held my attention. I would definitely recommend Those People by Louise Candlish to everyone aged 18+ especially those who have ever had to deal with some horrible neighbors.
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(A special thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC paperback of Those People by Louise Candlish in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
  
The Dissident (2021)
The Dissident (2021)
2021 | Crime, Documentary, History, Thriller
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Awesome documentary about the work of Jamal Khashoggi. It explores the investigation into his murder, the people he touched, and the spy work involved in tracking him and protecting those involved. In 2018, a number of Republicans were pushing for sanctions which President Trump rejected for economic reasons. Two years later, many of those congressmen sided with Trump in the 2020 Election Controversy.