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BookInspector (124 KP) rated Body Language in Books
Dec 13, 2020
It is worth reading.
The protagonists in this novel are Cassie and DS Flyte, and the story is told from their perspectives. When it comes to the characters, the author really went all out. đ Cassie is a bisexual, goth looking woman, who loved dead creatures since she was little. She had a very difficult life, and Cassie is an extremely complex character. Her eye to detail and a very sensitive six sense, just an icing on the cake. DS Flyte is fighting her own demons, but she has an OCD when it comes to her work, she does not like cutting corners, and many people donât like her. Both of these women are very strong personalities, but their love for the job makes them an amazing combo. Cassie has to be my favourite though, her relationship with the dead ones and her Babcia (granny) is very heartwarming. đ
The book started quite slowly. There were more thoughts about the past and previous experiences rather than the investigation itself, and I was about to lose my hope, but I was very glad that I didnât give up because the investigation was very entertaining indeed. Cassieâs life story was quite absorbing, and I was happy to learn more about her and her upbringing. I would have liked to know a little bit more about DS Flyte as well, I think she is quite an interesting persona. I really enjoyed the twists and turns that this book had to offer, they were really unexpected. On the other hand, there were some events that didnât really make sense and they were kind of forgotten at the end. đŚ The topics discussed in this novel were loss, miscarriages, homelessness, poverty, drug dealing and drug use, difficult family relationships, and many more.
The book is set in Camden, London, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the authorâs knowledge of the area. The writing style of the book was very creative, detail-oriented but very enjoyable nevertheless. I liked the way the story was flowing, revealing interesting surprises bit by bit. The chapters have a medium length, and the pages just flew by for me. The ending rounded the story very nicely, and I truly hope to read more books with this very intriguing character duo.
So, to conclude, if you are looking for a thriller with different, diverse characters, that are complex and intriguing, this book is for you! The narrative started quite slow, but it allowed to get to know Cassie better, and the rest of the story truly had me engrossed. I enjoyed this thriller, and especially the characters, and I hope you will give this book a try. I think everyone needs to meet Cassie. đ I hope you will like it as much as I did.
The book started quite slowly. There were more thoughts about the past and previous experiences rather than the investigation itself, and I was about to lose my hope, but I was very glad that I didnât give up because the investigation was very entertaining indeed. Cassieâs life story was quite absorbing, and I was happy to learn more about her and her upbringing. I would have liked to know a little bit more about DS Flyte as well, I think she is quite an interesting persona. I really enjoyed the twists and turns that this book had to offer, they were really unexpected. On the other hand, there were some events that didnât really make sense and they were kind of forgotten at the end. đŚ The topics discussed in this novel were loss, miscarriages, homelessness, poverty, drug dealing and drug use, difficult family relationships, and many more.
The book is set in Camden, London, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the authorâs knowledge of the area. The writing style of the book was very creative, detail-oriented but very enjoyable nevertheless. I liked the way the story was flowing, revealing interesting surprises bit by bit. The chapters have a medium length, and the pages just flew by for me. The ending rounded the story very nicely, and I truly hope to read more books with this very intriguing character duo.
So, to conclude, if you are looking for a thriller with different, diverse characters, that are complex and intriguing, this book is for you! The narrative started quite slow, but it allowed to get to know Cassie better, and the rest of the story truly had me engrossed. I enjoyed this thriller, and especially the characters, and I hope you will give this book a try. I think everyone needs to meet Cassie. đ I hope you will like it as much as I did.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated The Manifesto on How to be Interesting in Books
Jun 24, 2019
I fell in love with Holly Bourne's writing after reading Am I Normal Yet? and immediately decided to check out some of her other work. Hence me reading this novel.
The general idea of this book is Bree trying to become "interesting" enough to write something that publishers won't reject. She decides the way to go about this is by infiltrating to posse of popular girls at school, while anonymously blogging about it the whole time.
Bree has her issues; she's always been a bit of a loser, she's kind of falling in love with her English teacher, she has way too many rejection letters, and she self harms when she feels low. She has to make a lot of sacrifices for the sake of her new blog, one of which is her best friend, Holdo. She reminds herself that "it's all material" while she acts like a bitch, spends hundreds of pounds on new clothes and hairstyles, befriends with queen-bee Jassmine and even when she sleeps with Jass's boyfriend. Besides, her crush told her she wasn't interesting enough, so surely this is what she's supposed to be doing?
But things get a bit more complicated than she first anticipated, and things end up worse than before for Bree. Yeah, she's spent time with her mother and she's become a social princess, but things start to fall apart. There's a sex tape, and her teacher's realised his mistake, and she can't help but cut herself like she's always done... But this time, she takes it a little too far.
I love the way Holly Bourne incorporates painfully real issues into her novels, mainly revolving around mental health and feminism. Bree's issue with self harming isn't looked down upon, or brushed aside, or made into the main plot. Instead, it's just part of the story, like it is for most people who struggle with it.
My only real problem with this book is that I just can't believe that a makeover can get you into the posse of populars. Like, really? If I got a haircut and some new lipstick, would I really become best friends with the most popular girl in school? I highly doubt it. I did like how Bree actually became rather attached to the girls, and how she realised that they really are just normal people underneath all that bitchiness and foundation.
This was a nice, easy read though, and I did enjoy it. It combats some common thoughts that go round teenagers' heads, and although it is a little cheesy in some places, I think it's mostly rather realistic. Although it isn't quite one of my favourite books, I do think The Manifesto on How to Be Interesting could just about earn 4.5 stars from me.
The general idea of this book is Bree trying to become "interesting" enough to write something that publishers won't reject. She decides the way to go about this is by infiltrating to posse of popular girls at school, while anonymously blogging about it the whole time.
Bree has her issues; she's always been a bit of a loser, she's kind of falling in love with her English teacher, she has way too many rejection letters, and she self harms when she feels low. She has to make a lot of sacrifices for the sake of her new blog, one of which is her best friend, Holdo. She reminds herself that "it's all material" while she acts like a bitch, spends hundreds of pounds on new clothes and hairstyles, befriends with queen-bee Jassmine and even when she sleeps with Jass's boyfriend. Besides, her crush told her she wasn't interesting enough, so surely this is what she's supposed to be doing?
But things get a bit more complicated than she first anticipated, and things end up worse than before for Bree. Yeah, she's spent time with her mother and she's become a social princess, but things start to fall apart. There's a sex tape, and her teacher's realised his mistake, and she can't help but cut herself like she's always done... But this time, she takes it a little too far.
I love the way Holly Bourne incorporates painfully real issues into her novels, mainly revolving around mental health and feminism. Bree's issue with self harming isn't looked down upon, or brushed aside, or made into the main plot. Instead, it's just part of the story, like it is for most people who struggle with it.
My only real problem with this book is that I just can't believe that a makeover can get you into the posse of populars. Like, really? If I got a haircut and some new lipstick, would I really become best friends with the most popular girl in school? I highly doubt it. I did like how Bree actually became rather attached to the girls, and how she realised that they really are just normal people underneath all that bitchiness and foundation.
This was a nice, easy read though, and I did enjoy it. It combats some common thoughts that go round teenagers' heads, and although it is a little cheesy in some places, I think it's mostly rather realistic. Although it isn't quite one of my favourite books, I do think The Manifesto on How to Be Interesting could just about earn 4.5 stars from me.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Unforgettable (2017) in Movies
Sep 26, 2019
Characters â Julia Banks is hitting the high point of her, promotion and engagement to the man of her dream. She does have a past which is very secretive that even David doesnât know about it. She does have a habit about losing stuff, well she starts too, her past can play into her downfall against Tessa. Tessa is the ex-wife of David, she is very controlling and hasnât taken the idea of David moving on well, she wants him back and with her own demanding mother in her life she is acting the same towards her own daughter. She always feels distant from any human interaction as she is planning to make Juliaâs life a nightmare. David is the man stuck in the middle of everything, he is trying to keep both women happy one for the new love in his life the other to keep his daughter part of his life.
Performances â Rosario Dawson is good in her role we needed to see more of the life falling apart around her though. Katherine Heigl has had a mixed reaction from the audience and business over the last few years, she does work in this role as you do get an uneasy feeling whenever she is on screen. Geoff Stults is fine, he never really gets too much to do through the movie.
Story â The story follows an ex-wife that wants to make the new girlfriends life a living nightmare in an attempt to get her husband back. This does play out like all over the stalker films we have seen before and yes, we have moved along technologically making the moves against the victim more personally. This is an easy enough watch and playing into the idea that the victim has a past which could make her easier to frame does help even if the whole thing plays out just like you would imagine.
Thriller â The film tries to give us the tension bound levels needed, only for the most part to feel like it was just being slowly building and any scenes involving Julia and Tessa feel empty for the first half of the film.
Settings â The film puts us in high-life houses which shows how the family can cope with divorce easily, while this works, a lower class of victim would make this more intense and interesting.
Scene of the Movie â The final showdown.
That Moment That Annoyed Me â There isnât enough tension in the early part of the film.
Final Thoughts â This is the trademark yearly stalker ex movie, it checks the boxes well without needing to be anything special or dreadful.
Overall: Simple Thriller.
Performances â Rosario Dawson is good in her role we needed to see more of the life falling apart around her though. Katherine Heigl has had a mixed reaction from the audience and business over the last few years, she does work in this role as you do get an uneasy feeling whenever she is on screen. Geoff Stults is fine, he never really gets too much to do through the movie.
Story â The story follows an ex-wife that wants to make the new girlfriends life a living nightmare in an attempt to get her husband back. This does play out like all over the stalker films we have seen before and yes, we have moved along technologically making the moves against the victim more personally. This is an easy enough watch and playing into the idea that the victim has a past which could make her easier to frame does help even if the whole thing plays out just like you would imagine.
Thriller â The film tries to give us the tension bound levels needed, only for the most part to feel like it was just being slowly building and any scenes involving Julia and Tessa feel empty for the first half of the film.
Settings â The film puts us in high-life houses which shows how the family can cope with divorce easily, while this works, a lower class of victim would make this more intense and interesting.
Scene of the Movie â The final showdown.
That Moment That Annoyed Me â There isnât enough tension in the early part of the film.
Final Thoughts â This is the trademark yearly stalker ex movie, it checks the boxes well without needing to be anything special or dreadful.
Overall: Simple Thriller.
Darren (1599 KP) rated St. Vincent (2014) in Movies
Sep 26, 2019
Characters â Julia Banks is hitting the high point of her, promotion and engagement to the man of her dream. She does have a past which is very secretive that even David doesnât know about it. She does have a habit about losing stuff, well she starts too, her past can play into her downfall against Tessa. Tessa is the ex-wife of David, she is very controlling and hasnât taken the idea of David moving on well, she wants him back and with her own demanding mother in her life she is acting the same towards her own daughter. She always feels distant from any human interaction as she is planning to make Juliaâs life a nightmare. David is the man stuck in the middle of everything, he is trying to keep both women happy one for the new love in his life the other to keep his daughter part of his life.
Performances â Rosario Dawson is good in her role we needed to see more of the life falling apart around her though. Katherine Heigl has had a mixed reaction from the audience and business over the last few years, she does work in this role as you do get an uneasy feeling whenever she is on screen. Geoff Stults is fine, he never really gets too much to do through the movie.
Story â The story follows an ex-wife that wants to make the new girlfriends life a living nightmare in an attempt to get her husband back. This does play out like all over the stalker films we have seen before and yes, we have moved along technologically making the moves against the victim more personally. This is an easy enough watch and playing into the idea that the victim has a past which could make her easier to frame does help even if the whole thing plays out just like you would imagine.
Thriller â The film tries to give us the tension bound levels needed, only for the most part to feel like it was just being slowly building and any scenes involving Julia and Tessa feel empty for the first half of the film.
Settings â The film puts us in high-life houses which shows how the family can cope with divorce easily, while this works, a lower class of victim would make this more intense and interesting.
Scene of the Movie â The final showdown.
That Moment That Annoyed Me â There isnât enough tension in the early part of the film.
Final Thoughts â This is the trademark yearly stalker ex movie, it checks the boxes well without needing to be anything special or dreadful.
Overall: Simple Thriller.
Performances â Rosario Dawson is good in her role we needed to see more of the life falling apart around her though. Katherine Heigl has had a mixed reaction from the audience and business over the last few years, she does work in this role as you do get an uneasy feeling whenever she is on screen. Geoff Stults is fine, he never really gets too much to do through the movie.
Story â The story follows an ex-wife that wants to make the new girlfriends life a living nightmare in an attempt to get her husband back. This does play out like all over the stalker films we have seen before and yes, we have moved along technologically making the moves against the victim more personally. This is an easy enough watch and playing into the idea that the victim has a past which could make her easier to frame does help even if the whole thing plays out just like you would imagine.
Thriller â The film tries to give us the tension bound levels needed, only for the most part to feel like it was just being slowly building and any scenes involving Julia and Tessa feel empty for the first half of the film.
Settings â The film puts us in high-life houses which shows how the family can cope with divorce easily, while this works, a lower class of victim would make this more intense and interesting.
Scene of the Movie â The final showdown.
That Moment That Annoyed Me â There isnât enough tension in the early part of the film.
Final Thoughts â This is the trademark yearly stalker ex movie, it checks the boxes well without needing to be anything special or dreadful.
Overall: Simple Thriller.
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Baylock Residence (2019) in Movies
Sep 26, 2019
Characters â Patricia Woodhouse left this house years ago, she is drawn back during the war after her sisterâs death, she wants to start a new life here, because the war has taken nearly everything else from her, but the past she spent so long trying to forget has come back to haunt her, as she looks for the truth of her sisterâs death. Annabel is the help around the house, she stays after Patricia requests for her to stay and help her with the transition, she does help fill in about the past, including what happened to Susanna. Susanna is the sister that has passed away, we are left to wonder what caused her death.
Performances â Kelly Goudie in the leading role isnât the strongest leading lady, when it comes to the reaction or horror scenes, we donât get anything bad, itâs the everyday moments which come off flatter than they should do. Sarah Wynne Kordas is the only other main cast member that does everything needed without getting the best scenes.
Story â The story here follows a woman that returns to her home after years away to deal with a family loss, only to learn that the house has a bigger secret that hasnât been unlock just yet. This is story that plays into the idea that your past can hold answers no matter how hard you look to forget it, it does also play into the ideas that a family can have secrets which will only disturb. The pace of the story isnât the most convincing, with large amounts of the film being stuff happening behind characters most notable Patricia, we also end up teasing an idea to what is happening, only it just gets forgotten which would have added extra dimension to an abuse victim. The war time theme doesnât help because the same story could easily happen at any other era too.
Horror â The horror in this film comes from how Patricia is struggling with the visions that she is having, not being able to balance reality with supernatural.
Settings â The film is set within the one house, which doesnât look time accurate from the outside, it does show how the family home can be reunited from tragedy.
Special Effects â The film does use effects sparely, when they are used they do add an element to horror in the film.
Scene of the Movie â The secret room.
That Moment That Annoyed Me â The non-horror moment conversations feel out of place.
Final Thoughts â This is a horror thriller that does have moments of strong tension, only it doesnât keep this up for long enough to make us what to learn the truth.
Overall: Slow Burning Horror.
Performances â Kelly Goudie in the leading role isnât the strongest leading lady, when it comes to the reaction or horror scenes, we donât get anything bad, itâs the everyday moments which come off flatter than they should do. Sarah Wynne Kordas is the only other main cast member that does everything needed without getting the best scenes.
Story â The story here follows a woman that returns to her home after years away to deal with a family loss, only to learn that the house has a bigger secret that hasnât been unlock just yet. This is story that plays into the idea that your past can hold answers no matter how hard you look to forget it, it does also play into the ideas that a family can have secrets which will only disturb. The pace of the story isnât the most convincing, with large amounts of the film being stuff happening behind characters most notable Patricia, we also end up teasing an idea to what is happening, only it just gets forgotten which would have added extra dimension to an abuse victim. The war time theme doesnât help because the same story could easily happen at any other era too.
Horror â The horror in this film comes from how Patricia is struggling with the visions that she is having, not being able to balance reality with supernatural.
Settings â The film is set within the one house, which doesnât look time accurate from the outside, it does show how the family home can be reunited from tragedy.
Special Effects â The film does use effects sparely, when they are used they do add an element to horror in the film.
Scene of the Movie â The secret room.
That Moment That Annoyed Me â The non-horror moment conversations feel out of place.
Final Thoughts â This is a horror thriller that does have moments of strong tension, only it doesnât keep this up for long enough to make us what to learn the truth.
Overall: Slow Burning Horror.
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Walker (2007) in Movies
Sep 26, 2019
Characters â Carter Page III has made a career out of mingling around the women of high society, where he walks them in parties to keep them entertained, his actions never put the rumours in the air, until one of the ladies is involved in a murder, Carter sees the once always open doors closing around him, forcing him to uncover the truth to save his own reputation. Lynn Lockner is one of the most frequent clients for Carter, they have a close friendship which is tested when she is involved in the murder of a man, did she discover the body or have something to do with it? Natalie Van Miter is another one of the high society that enjoys Carterâs company only she doesnât always play fair with the others in the circle. Jack Delorean isnât the biggest fan of Carter and certain members of the high society, he is always looking for dirt on them.
Performances â Woody Harrelson is the highlight of the film with his engaging performance in an otherwise forgettable story. Kristin Scott Thomas, Lauren Bacall, Ned Beatty bring their big name presence to the film without making the impact to make you care about their characters.
Story â The story takes us into the high society world where the rich believe they can get away with anything, we follow a walker that mingles with the ladies to keep the business with gossip etc, when a murder is committed, he becomes the prime suspect and must figure out how to clear his name before his reputation is ruined. This story is just like you would imagine, it is a series of conversations from people that are always looking down on people who just want to take each other of their high horses through the eyes of a man desperately trying to stay within the circle. This story could have been extended to give more development to the characters through a television series, which would have been a lot more interesting to watch.
Crime/Mystery â The crime side of the film follows the aftermath of the murder which adds to the mystery as to who committed it and why, we do get plenty of suspects, but most people we meet seem to have a shady reason to be in the position they are in.
Settings â The film is set in the Washington high society world, with flashy parties, massive apartments, everything you donât see people in natural life.
Scene of the Movie â Reporting the murder.
That Moment That Annoyed Me â Not enough time to address the real issues touched on within the story.
Final Thoughts â This is a story that had potential to be much bigger and more interesting only for it to become mostly forgettable with the slow pacing and weak character development.
Overall: Slow and disappointing.
Performances â Woody Harrelson is the highlight of the film with his engaging performance in an otherwise forgettable story. Kristin Scott Thomas, Lauren Bacall, Ned Beatty bring their big name presence to the film without making the impact to make you care about their characters.
Story â The story takes us into the high society world where the rich believe they can get away with anything, we follow a walker that mingles with the ladies to keep the business with gossip etc, when a murder is committed, he becomes the prime suspect and must figure out how to clear his name before his reputation is ruined. This story is just like you would imagine, it is a series of conversations from people that are always looking down on people who just want to take each other of their high horses through the eyes of a man desperately trying to stay within the circle. This story could have been extended to give more development to the characters through a television series, which would have been a lot more interesting to watch.
Crime/Mystery â The crime side of the film follows the aftermath of the murder which adds to the mystery as to who committed it and why, we do get plenty of suspects, but most people we meet seem to have a shady reason to be in the position they are in.
Settings â The film is set in the Washington high society world, with flashy parties, massive apartments, everything you donât see people in natural life.
Scene of the Movie â Reporting the murder.
That Moment That Annoyed Me â Not enough time to address the real issues touched on within the story.
Final Thoughts â This is a story that had potential to be much bigger and more interesting only for it to become mostly forgettable with the slow pacing and weak character development.
Overall: Slow and disappointing.
Fred (860 KP) rated Mother! (2017) in Movies
Jul 10, 2019
What the hell did I just watch?
Contains spoilers, click to show
Okay, so normally as soon as I watch a film, I review it. That keeps my initial thoughts fresh. But with "Mother", I just couldn't. Because I don't know what the hell I just watched. It was only at the very end, when I realized Javier Bardem was God, that I knew I had to think back & figure out what this mess was about. And so, I slept on it. And here's the way I see it.
Bardem is God, Jennifer Lawrence is Mother Earth, Ed Harris is Adam, Michelle Pfeiffer is Eve. Their sons are of course, Cain & Able & everyone else is the human race. So, now it clicks and I understand what the movie is about. It's a great premise. However, it's a terrible movie.
Let's start with the acting. It is terrible. Normally greats like Lawrence, Harris & Bardem would light up the screen, but here they come across as over-the-top novice actors. I blame the dialogue & the direction, of course. At no point during the film did I feel that any of the actors were even acting. This brings me to the next point.
No one in the film acts like they should act. Now, I get that they are playing people who are the interpretation of biblical beings. But come on. These people barge in to your home and you're like "Can you please...." and "Go downstairs..." when it should be "Get the f*ck out of my house!!!" Perhaps if I knew the meaning before I watched the movie, I would have picked up on the way they were acting in these situations, but even now knowing, I find it so goddamn annoying. That may be the one word that best describes this movie. Annoying. When you want to scream at the screen to tell people how to act in a situation, it's just annoying. There's nothing worse than a movie where someone is treated like shit & they don't do anything about it. That's the entire movie.
Sure, you can sit back & think that people are over-populating the Earth. And that God is super-interested in being worshipped and some people are trying to help the Earth, while others treat it like garbage. Blah blah blah. The movie is still not a good movie. The idea is great & should have made for a great movie, but it's execution is terrible. I would actually think about watching it again, knowing what I know now, but thinking about how bad the movie is, I doubt that would happen. This would probably have been better as a book. I'm giving it 4 points for the idea, but 0 extra points for the movie.
Bardem is God, Jennifer Lawrence is Mother Earth, Ed Harris is Adam, Michelle Pfeiffer is Eve. Their sons are of course, Cain & Able & everyone else is the human race. So, now it clicks and I understand what the movie is about. It's a great premise. However, it's a terrible movie.
Let's start with the acting. It is terrible. Normally greats like Lawrence, Harris & Bardem would light up the screen, but here they come across as over-the-top novice actors. I blame the dialogue & the direction, of course. At no point during the film did I feel that any of the actors were even acting. This brings me to the next point.
No one in the film acts like they should act. Now, I get that they are playing people who are the interpretation of biblical beings. But come on. These people barge in to your home and you're like "Can you please...." and "Go downstairs..." when it should be "Get the f*ck out of my house!!!" Perhaps if I knew the meaning before I watched the movie, I would have picked up on the way they were acting in these situations, but even now knowing, I find it so goddamn annoying. That may be the one word that best describes this movie. Annoying. When you want to scream at the screen to tell people how to act in a situation, it's just annoying. There's nothing worse than a movie where someone is treated like shit & they don't do anything about it. That's the entire movie.
Sure, you can sit back & think that people are over-populating the Earth. And that God is super-interested in being worshipped and some people are trying to help the Earth, while others treat it like garbage. Blah blah blah. The movie is still not a good movie. The idea is great & should have made for a great movie, but it's execution is terrible. I would actually think about watching it again, knowing what I know now, but thinking about how bad the movie is, I doubt that would happen. This would probably have been better as a book. I'm giving it 4 points for the idea, but 0 extra points for the movie.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated The Mister in Books
Sep 1, 2019 (Updated Sep 3, 2019)
I'll start by saying that I enjoyed the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy. Yes, the sex scenes got a little repetitive after a while but I skipped a lot of it anyway because BDSM is not one of my favourite subgenres. BUT for the romance aspect, that's the bit I enjoyed.
So now I'm trying The Mister and let's see...
So Maxim Trevelyan has just inherited a noble title after the death of his older brother, a job he never wanted or expected to hold. Maxim has been a bit of a playboy up until this point, never having a proper job, sleeping with a new women almost every other day...and now he has responsibilities. He struggles with it all. And then he meets his new daily--his illegal immigrant cleaner/home help--and has an instant fascination with her that just grows every day.
The romance was slow going--a little too slow since it took nearly half the book before they slept together. I'm not sure about Albanian customs and stuff but Alessia seemed very prim and proper, very innocent having never even kissed a man. Her thoughts got a little annoying after a while when she kept thinking of her disapproving parents back home.
I also wasn't a fan of the constant switching between viewpoints. We could have one or two paragraphs--yes, paragraphs!--from Alessia's POV and then we'd switch back to Maxim for a few pages and then we'd switch back and forth for each others view on whatever was happening. It got a little tiring after a while.
Honestly, I struggled to get to the half way point but I flicked through waiting for Alessia's traffickers to find them again or for something to happen that didn't involve sex and luckily it was only about 70 pages away. And then it got a little more exciting. We had a little showdown or two but it wasn't enough to truly get my attention. I think the book could have been half as many pages if the beginning had been shortened where he's a bit of a man-whore and the middle with all sex.
On a side note: I loved how British this was, seeing familiar swearing like "f*ck a duck", "f*cking hell" and "b*llocks". Most of the books I read tend to be set in the US so this was a nice change in that respect. Cornwall seems to be a popular setting for books lately, with The Last Piece of My Heart being set there too.
If E.L. James releases another book, I'm not sure if I'll be reading it.
So now I'm trying The Mister and let's see...
So Maxim Trevelyan has just inherited a noble title after the death of his older brother, a job he never wanted or expected to hold. Maxim has been a bit of a playboy up until this point, never having a proper job, sleeping with a new women almost every other day...and now he has responsibilities. He struggles with it all. And then he meets his new daily--his illegal immigrant cleaner/home help--and has an instant fascination with her that just grows every day.
The romance was slow going--a little too slow since it took nearly half the book before they slept together. I'm not sure about Albanian customs and stuff but Alessia seemed very prim and proper, very innocent having never even kissed a man. Her thoughts got a little annoying after a while when she kept thinking of her disapproving parents back home.
I also wasn't a fan of the constant switching between viewpoints. We could have one or two paragraphs--yes, paragraphs!--from Alessia's POV and then we'd switch back to Maxim for a few pages and then we'd switch back and forth for each others view on whatever was happening. It got a little tiring after a while.
Honestly, I struggled to get to the half way point but I flicked through waiting for Alessia's traffickers to find them again or for something to happen that didn't involve sex and luckily it was only about 70 pages away. And then it got a little more exciting. We had a little showdown or two but it wasn't enough to truly get my attention. I think the book could have been half as many pages if the beginning had been shortened where he's a bit of a man-whore and the middle with all sex.
On a side note: I loved how British this was, seeing familiar swearing like "f*ck a duck", "f*cking hell" and "b*llocks". Most of the books I read tend to be set in the US so this was a nice change in that respect. Cornwall seems to be a popular setting for books lately, with The Last Piece of My Heart being set there too.
If E.L. James releases another book, I'm not sure if I'll be reading it.
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated Note to Self in Books
Sep 10, 2019
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ
Goodreads rating: 3.73 out of 5 stars
My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Anna never considered herself bisexual or a lesbian. Sheâs totally in love with her husband and happy with her life as a wife, mother, and cop. But that all changes when she meets Susan, a pretty, feminine doctor, who turns Annaâs world upside down. Confused and full of guilt from thinking erotic thoughts about Susan while married to Nick, Anna turns to her journal to sort it all out.
Okay, once this story gets going, itâs great. But in the beginning it is so damn boring. Journal or not, Anna does not get to the frigging point for like four or five pages! I was tempted to go wash the dishes at least twice in the beginning of the book. When the dishes are pulling me away from a book, and not the other way around, something is very wrong.
However, it does read like a real diary, so kudos on that.
Once Anna gets her shit together and actually starts telling what happened, the story gets a lot better. Her inner turmoil is relatable and realistic and makes me like her alot. Susanâs character is also great. Being very girly, Susan has a nice contrast with Anna, and that makes their time together that much sweeter. I always love it when characters are developed, even for short erotica pieces like this one.
I do have a problem with Anna being married, though. Her husband is a great guy who is very supportive of her and their son. He showed up to their sonâs kindergarten barbecue, doesnât mind his wife being âone of the guysâ, and doesnât even get jealous from other menâs stares at her.
Itâs really clear that they are still very much in love and unless it becomes clear in the sequel that heâs a serial cheater or hiding huge secrets, (like, âI killed my boss and embezzled five million dollarsâ type of secret. Not âthat purple dress really did make you look like Barney and I didnât tell you even though I knew pictures were going on Facebookâ type of secret) then Iâm never going to like Annaâs and Susanâs relationship as much as I could.
Lesbian relationship? No problem. More power to ya. Cheating on a very sweet person? Huge problem. Shouldnât happen. Burn in hell.
You can read Note to Self on Smashwords for free. I recommend you check it out if it sounds like your cup of tea. Speaking of tea, take some time to read with a cup of it. The holidays are coming up, and you need some relaxation before your life dissolves into chaos. Take care!
Goodreads rating: 3.73 out of 5 stars
My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Anna never considered herself bisexual or a lesbian. Sheâs totally in love with her husband and happy with her life as a wife, mother, and cop. But that all changes when she meets Susan, a pretty, feminine doctor, who turns Annaâs world upside down. Confused and full of guilt from thinking erotic thoughts about Susan while married to Nick, Anna turns to her journal to sort it all out.
Okay, once this story gets going, itâs great. But in the beginning it is so damn boring. Journal or not, Anna does not get to the frigging point for like four or five pages! I was tempted to go wash the dishes at least twice in the beginning of the book. When the dishes are pulling me away from a book, and not the other way around, something is very wrong.
However, it does read like a real diary, so kudos on that.
Once Anna gets her shit together and actually starts telling what happened, the story gets a lot better. Her inner turmoil is relatable and realistic and makes me like her alot. Susanâs character is also great. Being very girly, Susan has a nice contrast with Anna, and that makes their time together that much sweeter. I always love it when characters are developed, even for short erotica pieces like this one.
I do have a problem with Anna being married, though. Her husband is a great guy who is very supportive of her and their son. He showed up to their sonâs kindergarten barbecue, doesnât mind his wife being âone of the guysâ, and doesnât even get jealous from other menâs stares at her.
Itâs really clear that they are still very much in love and unless it becomes clear in the sequel that heâs a serial cheater or hiding huge secrets, (like, âI killed my boss and embezzled five million dollarsâ type of secret. Not âthat purple dress really did make you look like Barney and I didnât tell you even though I knew pictures were going on Facebookâ type of secret) then Iâm never going to like Annaâs and Susanâs relationship as much as I could.
Lesbian relationship? No problem. More power to ya. Cheating on a very sweet person? Huge problem. Shouldnât happen. Burn in hell.
You can read Note to Self on Smashwords for free. I recommend you check it out if it sounds like your cup of tea. Speaking of tea, take some time to read with a cup of it. The holidays are coming up, and you need some relaxation before your life dissolves into chaos. Take care!
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Confines (2015) in Movies
Sep 13, 2019
Characters â Streak is a disturbed young woman, she must prove she can keep a job to get her child back which leads her to the night watchwoman role. She doesnât have experience in this role which leads her to explore and using her gift to learn the truth about the building. Cooper is the experienced night watchman, he needs this job and with his disability, it seems like a comfortable gig for him, this night turns into a nightmare as he must deal with Streak never being sure if she is unstable herself or there is something going on in the building. To round out our small cast we have a homeless man and the guy that hires Streak, neither do much else in the film.
Performances â Louisa Krause in the leading role is solid enough, though we never truly believe her fear through the night and her lack of ability to make us feel like we could be seeing her on edge over just horrors doesnât convince. Jason Patric is solid to, though he never gets the time required to do anything with his character. The rest of the cast barely get any screen time which is why they suffer from low scores.
Story â The story much like many horror film keeps everything very simple, this is all we needed it to do too. On the first night of a job as a night watchwoman our leading lady must battle her own inner demons when strange things start happening within the apartment building she is working in. well this sounds like it should be an enjoyable enough watch for a horror fan, the ending only left me scratching my head which is disappointing, even though it could have made sense or not.
Horror/Mystery â The horror side of the film mostly down to what isnât there as we balance between stuff int eh corner over anything else. The mystery comes from what could be making the noises in the building and what is involved with the history of the events here.
Settings â The film takes place completely in the building, this does keep the events confined to one location, we have the darker rooms, the forbidden rooms which only draw the horror ideas we could get.
Special Effects â The effects are solid enough though most of it is the in the corners blink and you miss it moments.
Scene of the Movie â The first visit.
That Moment That Annoyed Me â The ending.
Final Thoughts â This isnât the best horror, it has potential of greatness, though it just doesnât click things together like it should do.
Overall: Horror that will just become forgettable.
Performances â Louisa Krause in the leading role is solid enough, though we never truly believe her fear through the night and her lack of ability to make us feel like we could be seeing her on edge over just horrors doesnât convince. Jason Patric is solid to, though he never gets the time required to do anything with his character. The rest of the cast barely get any screen time which is why they suffer from low scores.
Story â The story much like many horror film keeps everything very simple, this is all we needed it to do too. On the first night of a job as a night watchwoman our leading lady must battle her own inner demons when strange things start happening within the apartment building she is working in. well this sounds like it should be an enjoyable enough watch for a horror fan, the ending only left me scratching my head which is disappointing, even though it could have made sense or not.
Horror/Mystery â The horror side of the film mostly down to what isnât there as we balance between stuff int eh corner over anything else. The mystery comes from what could be making the noises in the building and what is involved with the history of the events here.
Settings â The film takes place completely in the building, this does keep the events confined to one location, we have the darker rooms, the forbidden rooms which only draw the horror ideas we could get.
Special Effects â The effects are solid enough though most of it is the in the corners blink and you miss it moments.
Scene of the Movie â The first visit.
That Moment That Annoyed Me â The ending.
Final Thoughts â This isnât the best horror, it has potential of greatness, though it just doesnât click things together like it should do.
Overall: Horror that will just become forgettable.