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Merissa (12066 KP) rated A Timeline Restored (Prevent the Past #3) in Books
Jun 15, 2023
A TIMELINE RESTORED is the outstanding finale in the Prevent the Past trilogy and we finish with a bang!
It is Alora and Eli's turn - two people who have suffered more than most and are firmly on board with Lainey's plan. Now, I'm going to be honest here. I haven't suffered what Alora has (thank goodness) so I have no idea how I'd react, either during or after the event. I understand that, I do, but I did find myself telling her to move on; that Eli had done the best he could in a horrible situation, and that he wasn't the one to actually do the deed. She didn't listen to me and poor Eli paid the price. Him-I loved, which actually surprised me considering the things he has done. But, oh man, he knew he had done them and paid for them every moment of every day. Tortured hero, anyone? Sign me up!
Anyway, there is more to this book than just Eli and Alora. We also have Elle and Zach, plus Lainey and Hunter, plus Claire and Cyrus, and let's not forget the indomitable Marie. Can someone please pass me a hanky?
The ending - oh, my; let's talk about that ending, shall we? The words perfect, shocking, twisted, and is it really over? pass through my mind! I won't say anymore but oh, boy. Strap yourselves in because it's a bumpy ride but definitely worth it!
This has been such a great series, outside my normal comfort zone with all the talk of time travel, paradoxes, and science, but I have loved each and every book. Rebecca Hefner was already a go-to author for me for paranormal romance. Now I know that it doesn't matter the genre; if she writes it, I will read it!
HIGHLY recommended but please start with book one so you have some idea of what's going on!
** 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!
Jun 15, 2023
It is Alora and Eli's turn - two people who have suffered more than most and are firmly on board with Lainey's plan. Now, I'm going to be honest here. I haven't suffered what Alora has (thank goodness) so I have no idea how I'd react, either during or after the event. I understand that, I do, but I did find myself telling her to move on; that Eli had done the best he could in a horrible situation, and that he wasn't the one to actually do the deed. She didn't listen to me and poor Eli paid the price. Him-I loved, which actually surprised me considering the things he has done. But, oh man, he knew he had done them and paid for them every moment of every day. Tortured hero, anyone? Sign me up!
Anyway, there is more to this book than just Eli and Alora. We also have Elle and Zach, plus Lainey and Hunter, plus Claire and Cyrus, and let's not forget the indomitable Marie. Can someone please pass me a hanky?
The ending - oh, my; let's talk about that ending, shall we? The words perfect, shocking, twisted, and is it really over? pass through my mind! I won't say anymore but oh, boy. Strap yourselves in because it's a bumpy ride but definitely worth it!
This has been such a great series, outside my normal comfort zone with all the talk of time travel, paradoxes, and science, but I have loved each and every book. Rebecca Hefner was already a go-to author for me for paranormal romance. Now I know that it doesn't matter the genre; if she writes it, I will read it!
HIGHLY recommended but please start with book one so you have some idea of what's going on!
** 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!
Jun 15, 2023
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated All Clear (All Clear, #2) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
Well, this volume moved much more quickly than [b:Blackout|6506307|Blackout|Connie Willis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402428101s/6506307.jpg|6697901] did! Having read a brief piece written by Ms. Willis thanking those who stood by her as one book spread into two, I think I have a slightly better understanding now of what happened that led to my unhappiness with the way the first book ended. They really shouldn't be two books, but they couldn't physically fit into one volume. Or, for many e-readers, one ebook.
It is still a large book! And, as in [b:Blackout|6506307|Blackout|Connie Willis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402428101s/6506307.jpg|6697901], it isn't always clear just who a character is. I'm reading along happily and all of a sudden, there's a new main character! Wait, who is this? Has Colin gotten through somehow? Or is it another historian? Or another trip by one of the people we already know? Or--but--…Ms. Willis does a marvelous job of keeping us guessing. And the historians' habit of using different names on different assignments meant that I didn't always know which person I was reading about even when I thought I did know who he or she was! The reader has to catch the tiniest details to know that something isn't quite right, or be left completely surprised at the reveal! The many references to [a:Agatha Christie|123715|Agatha Christie|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1321738793p2/123715.jpg] are definitely meaningful, and I've come to believe that I haven't read nearly enough of her work!
I've always considered Ms. Willis a cerebral author, but my emotions were heavily engaged here. The analogy of Polly, Sir Godfrey, and <i>The Admirable Crichton</i> was so apt, and that dreadful business in the Phoenix had me bawling. By the time a hero we'd grown to know and love dearly fell, and fell so, so close to home, I was a basket case.
After finishing this massive duology (which really should count as one enormous book spread across two volumes), you would think that I would be sick and tired of all things Willis and not want to read another word by her for the next year or so. Instead, I want to know, right now, what comes next. I want to read about Eileen and the Vicar, and watch Alf and Binnie grow up. I want to see Polly and Colin's relationship grow.
I imagine Ms. Willis is rather tired of all of them, though, and happy to rest for a while and remember what it is to live back in this century again. The Oxford Time Travel universe offers so many rich and fascinating possibilities for fiction, and I hope she chooses to write many more novels set in it. I'll definitely be willing to read them!
It is still a large book! And, as in [b:Blackout|6506307|Blackout|Connie Willis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402428101s/6506307.jpg|6697901], it isn't always clear just who a character is. I'm reading along happily and all of a sudden, there's a new main character! Wait, who is this? Has Colin gotten through somehow? Or is it another historian? Or another trip by one of the people we already know? Or--but--…Ms. Willis does a marvelous job of keeping us guessing. And the historians' habit of using different names on different assignments meant that I didn't always know which person I was reading about even when I thought I did know who he or she was! The reader has to catch the tiniest details to know that something isn't quite right, or be left completely surprised at the reveal! The many references to [a:Agatha Christie|123715|Agatha Christie|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1321738793p2/123715.jpg] are definitely meaningful, and I've come to believe that I haven't read nearly enough of her work!
I've always considered Ms. Willis a cerebral author, but my emotions were heavily engaged here. The analogy of Polly, Sir Godfrey, and <i>The Admirable Crichton</i> was so apt, and that dreadful business in the Phoenix had me bawling. By the time a hero we'd grown to know and love dearly fell, and fell so, so close to home, I was a basket case.
After finishing this massive duology (which really should count as one enormous book spread across two volumes), you would think that I would be sick and tired of all things Willis and not want to read another word by her for the next year or so. Instead, I want to know, right now, what comes next. I want to read about Eileen and the Vicar, and watch Alf and Binnie grow up. I want to see Polly and Colin's relationship grow.
I imagine Ms. Willis is rather tired of all of them, though, and happy to rest for a while and remember what it is to live back in this century again. The Oxford Time Travel universe offers so many rich and fascinating possibilities for fiction, and I hope she chooses to write many more novels set in it. I'll definitely be willing to read them!
Darren (64 KP) rated Midnight Run (1988) in Movies
Oct 28, 2019
An under-rated Masterpiece
Midnight Run is an Action/Comedy masterpiece.
A modest hit at the box office way back in 1988, Midnight Run, Is the perfect buddy buddy movie. Robert De NIro stars as Jack Walsh, an ex Chicago cop turned bounty hunter, who is hire by his slimy bail bondsman Eddie Moscone (played by Joe Pantoliano) to bring in Jonathan Mardukas aka The Duke ~(fantastically played by Charles Grodin) a former mafia accountant who has jumped bail and is wanted by the FBI and the Mafia themselves.
Walsh succeeds in easily finding The Duke in New York which embarrasses the FBI. Walsh plans to bring back "The Duke" on a plane but, An incident on the plane leads Jack having just 5 days to travel cross country to bring in Mardukas from New York.
Moscone, not sure that Walsh can deliver Mardukas in 5 days, hires another bounty hunter Marvin Dorfler ( John Ashton) to take Mardukas from Walsh. Not only is Marvin trying to Mardukas for a payday but Walsh also has FBI agent Alonzo Mosely (Yaphet Kotto) on his tail so that they can bring him in.
On top of all of that, Mafia Boss Jimmy Serrano (The late great Dennis Farina) has his guys hunting Walsh and Mardukas so, they can have them dead before reaching LA as Mardukas was Jimmy's accountant and has damning evidence which can land Jimmy and his pals in prison for a very long time.
I really can't say enough good things about Midnight Run. Never at any point do you get bored or fed up of this film. In fact, at 2hrs and 6mins i wished it had gone on a little more.
How many films can you say that about?
De Niro and Grodin play off each other wonderfully. Their relationship goes from hunter and hunted to a nicely played out bromance of mutual respect.
John Ashton as Marvin, always thinking he's one step ahead of Walsh when he is actually one step behind. Joe Pantoliano is a fine character actor and here once again, As Eddie Moscone he plays slimy brilliantly. Yaphet Kotto never puts in a bad performance and finally, Dennis Farina as Jimmy Serrano has some of the best lines in the film.
Martin Brest delivers an absolute all time classic as director. It's a shame that after Gigli he decided to never direct again. Understandable i suppose because of the reviews but, Lets not forget he did bring us Beverley Hills Cop and Scent of A Woman and only ever directed 9 films in his career.
As for the 18 rating, That was down to the language! There are a lot of FUCKS in this film and it really isn't a violent film.
If you have not seen it, I implore you to take a chance! I promise you will not be disappointed.
A modest hit at the box office way back in 1988, Midnight Run, Is the perfect buddy buddy movie. Robert De NIro stars as Jack Walsh, an ex Chicago cop turned bounty hunter, who is hire by his slimy bail bondsman Eddie Moscone (played by Joe Pantoliano) to bring in Jonathan Mardukas aka The Duke ~(fantastically played by Charles Grodin) a former mafia accountant who has jumped bail and is wanted by the FBI and the Mafia themselves.
Walsh succeeds in easily finding The Duke in New York which embarrasses the FBI. Walsh plans to bring back "The Duke" on a plane but, An incident on the plane leads Jack having just 5 days to travel cross country to bring in Mardukas from New York.
Moscone, not sure that Walsh can deliver Mardukas in 5 days, hires another bounty hunter Marvin Dorfler ( John Ashton) to take Mardukas from Walsh. Not only is Marvin trying to Mardukas for a payday but Walsh also has FBI agent Alonzo Mosely (Yaphet Kotto) on his tail so that they can bring him in.
On top of all of that, Mafia Boss Jimmy Serrano (The late great Dennis Farina) has his guys hunting Walsh and Mardukas so, they can have them dead before reaching LA as Mardukas was Jimmy's accountant and has damning evidence which can land Jimmy and his pals in prison for a very long time.
I really can't say enough good things about Midnight Run. Never at any point do you get bored or fed up of this film. In fact, at 2hrs and 6mins i wished it had gone on a little more.
How many films can you say that about?
De Niro and Grodin play off each other wonderfully. Their relationship goes from hunter and hunted to a nicely played out bromance of mutual respect.
John Ashton as Marvin, always thinking he's one step ahead of Walsh when he is actually one step behind. Joe Pantoliano is a fine character actor and here once again, As Eddie Moscone he plays slimy brilliantly. Yaphet Kotto never puts in a bad performance and finally, Dennis Farina as Jimmy Serrano has some of the best lines in the film.
Martin Brest delivers an absolute all time classic as director. It's a shame that after Gigli he decided to never direct again. Understandable i suppose because of the reviews but, Lets not forget he did bring us Beverley Hills Cop and Scent of A Woman and only ever directed 9 films in his career.
As for the 18 rating, That was down to the language! There are a lot of FUCKS in this film and it really isn't a violent film.
If you have not seen it, I implore you to take a chance! I promise you will not be disappointed.
Ultimate Zmanim
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Joni and Ken: An Untold Love Story
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It was not a typical Sunday morning for Joni Eareckson. Sure, she was in her regular place along the...
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Ensnared (Splintered, #3) in Books
Jun 24, 2019
I read the first novel of the Splintered series and immediately fell in love with it - purchasing the entire series as paperbacks. This is book #3 in the series by A.G. Howard.
If you haven't read the first two novels then I don't want to spoil anything for you. But I will say what I can about the plot and character development (of which there is plenty).
Alyssa takes us on another crazy journey, from the human realm through AnyElsewhere and, of course, Wonderland. Again, she finds herself stuck between her two halves - and between her two loves.
Along with her parents, Morpheus and Jeb, Alyssa must banish Red's spirit forever, return Wonderland to its former glory, and find a way to balance the two halves of her heart. But the travel to this magical realm has changed Jeb, and he's found something he's not willing to leave behind anymore.
There's a lot of madness and magic in this, which is my favourite part. The pure craziness and mystery of Carroll's Wonderland is captured beautifully by Howard. There are weird and terrifying creatures - my favourite being the strange butterflies native to AnyElsewhere, even if they do endanger the life of one of our beloved characters - as well as beautiful landscapes and clever backstories. The whole origin of Carroll's story is put into question, Alyssa slowly uncovering how he discovered the magical land all those years ago.
The main part of this is about Alyssa trying to placate the two halves of her heart. After her previous run-in with Queen Red, there's something strange going on inside her heart - something that hurts when her human side and netherling side are fighting. What's wrong with her? How can she live like this?
And Morpheus and Jeb still aren't the best of friends, either. They're almost constantly competing for her affections - despite being stuck alone together for who knows how long. I'm always routeing for Morpheus, even if he is a bit of a troublemaker.
The ending is quite a nice compromise, a clever and clean way to stitch everything together. And the epilogue is really good, in my opinion. I won't tell you what happens. But it's short and brief, leaving so many questions and opportunities at the end that makes me reeeally want to read the next book.
It is sometimes a little too perfect, if you know what I mean, but it's not sickeningly good or sweet. I think the solutions they conjure are really creative and clever, and when they're in trouble I'm always wondering what they'll come up with this time.
As for development, Jeb and Morpheus have a clear "epiphany" sort of moment toward the end. But I found that Alyssa also developed a lot, slowly - little realisations that shape her being over time, shape her as a queen.
I do love a good Wonderland story. This isn't, in my personal opinion, quite as the first novels, but I still really enjoyed it. 4 stars for Ensnared.
If you haven't read the first two novels then I don't want to spoil anything for you. But I will say what I can about the plot and character development (of which there is plenty).
Alyssa takes us on another crazy journey, from the human realm through AnyElsewhere and, of course, Wonderland. Again, she finds herself stuck between her two halves - and between her two loves.
Along with her parents, Morpheus and Jeb, Alyssa must banish Red's spirit forever, return Wonderland to its former glory, and find a way to balance the two halves of her heart. But the travel to this magical realm has changed Jeb, and he's found something he's not willing to leave behind anymore.
There's a lot of madness and magic in this, which is my favourite part. The pure craziness and mystery of Carroll's Wonderland is captured beautifully by Howard. There are weird and terrifying creatures - my favourite being the strange butterflies native to AnyElsewhere, even if they do endanger the life of one of our beloved characters - as well as beautiful landscapes and clever backstories. The whole origin of Carroll's story is put into question, Alyssa slowly uncovering how he discovered the magical land all those years ago.
The main part of this is about Alyssa trying to placate the two halves of her heart. After her previous run-in with Queen Red, there's something strange going on inside her heart - something that hurts when her human side and netherling side are fighting. What's wrong with her? How can she live like this?
And Morpheus and Jeb still aren't the best of friends, either. They're almost constantly competing for her affections - despite being stuck alone together for who knows how long. I'm always routeing for Morpheus, even if he is a bit of a troublemaker.
The ending is quite a nice compromise, a clever and clean way to stitch everything together. And the epilogue is really good, in my opinion. I won't tell you what happens. But it's short and brief, leaving so many questions and opportunities at the end that makes me reeeally want to read the next book.
It is sometimes a little too perfect, if you know what I mean, but it's not sickeningly good or sweet. I think the solutions they conjure are really creative and clever, and when they're in trouble I'm always wondering what they'll come up with this time.
As for development, Jeb and Morpheus have a clear "epiphany" sort of moment toward the end. But I found that Alyssa also developed a lot, slowly - little realisations that shape her being over time, shape her as a queen.
I do love a good Wonderland story. This isn't, in my personal opinion, quite as the first novels, but I still really enjoyed it. 4 stars for Ensnared.
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