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Then. Now. Always.
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Hannah Hodges can't believe her luck when she's offered a trip to sunny Spain with her best friend...
Girl Unknown
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'Full of intrigue and incident and keeps us guessing until the very last tragic page' Liz Nugent,...
Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald
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'If ever a couple ...became an era, it was F Scott Fitzgerald and his glamorous "flapper" wife,...
Adam White (32 KP) rated Mean Dreams (2016) in Movies
Jun 22, 2020
A new Bonnie and Clyde Feel
Well, let me start by saying this took me a few years to watch this and it wasn't because of the mixed reviews it was because I knew this was one of Bill Paxton last movie rolls. With that being said, I should have watched this years ago, as it was not a let down. Bill Paxton will be truly missed.
This movie is a caring, passionate, modern love story. At some points during the movie It had a Bonnie and Clyde feel to it, which was okay. A lot less killing but you will get the drift if you watch it.
Wayne Caraway (Bill Paxton) plays an over controlling father/policeman with a major hatred towards his daughter Casey Caraway (Sophie Nélisse) new found crush Jonas Ford (Josh Wiggins).
The movie starts off slow but speeds up very quickly, which for me is the only downfall of the movie. You learn about the characters quickly, but I wish we had more backstory and also a future of things to come, by the end you are left wondering what will take place next.
Now with only having about 8 total characters and a dog in the movie, it draws you into each person a lot faster, which I enjoyed too.
All and all it's a good movie, even if you have mixed feelings you should watch it for Bill Paxton, a true legend in the movie world.
Blaise
This movie is a caring, passionate, modern love story. At some points during the movie It had a Bonnie and Clyde feel to it, which was okay. A lot less killing but you will get the drift if you watch it.
Wayne Caraway (Bill Paxton) plays an over controlling father/policeman with a major hatred towards his daughter Casey Caraway (Sophie Nélisse) new found crush Jonas Ford (Josh Wiggins).
The movie starts off slow but speeds up very quickly, which for me is the only downfall of the movie. You learn about the characters quickly, but I wish we had more backstory and also a future of things to come, by the end you are left wondering what will take place next.
Now with only having about 8 total characters and a dog in the movie, it draws you into each person a lot faster, which I enjoyed too.
All and all it's a good movie, even if you have mixed feelings you should watch it for Bill Paxton, a true legend in the movie world.
Blaise
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Fuelled by Dragons Fire (Return of the Dragonborn #2) in Books
Feb 23, 2021
29 of 250
Kindle
Fuelled by Dragon Fire ( Return of the Dragonborn book 2)
By N.M. Howell
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
The dragons have returned. The world still wants them dead.The ancient dragonborn people have returned to Shaeyara, and with them came the dragons. But the celebration of their return is short lived as they soon discover they are not welcome. The world is at war.After living underground for eight months, Andie and her followers have had enough. It is time to return to the surface to find her people, and together they must stop the lies and prove to the world who the true monsters are: The University that has had the world in its clutches for centuries.The only problem is those who survived from the University have already convinced the world of their evil and will stop at nothing to have them destroyed. But with the peace of their world at stake, Andie and the dragonborn must band together to reunite the war-ravaged world before it's too late.Only, with a traitor in their midst, the task is proving more difficult than Andie could have ever
We continue with Andie be friends finding their escape route ending up on a ship. Dealing with traitors and finding out it hurts more when. It’s a friend! Then to finding acceptance for her race and their dragons, well at least do now! This is a good story with very different characters.
Kindle
Fuelled by Dragon Fire ( Return of the Dragonborn book 2)
By N.M. Howell
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
The dragons have returned. The world still wants them dead.The ancient dragonborn people have returned to Shaeyara, and with them came the dragons. But the celebration of their return is short lived as they soon discover they are not welcome. The world is at war.After living underground for eight months, Andie and her followers have had enough. It is time to return to the surface to find her people, and together they must stop the lies and prove to the world who the true monsters are: The University that has had the world in its clutches for centuries.The only problem is those who survived from the University have already convinced the world of their evil and will stop at nothing to have them destroyed. But with the peace of their world at stake, Andie and the dragonborn must band together to reunite the war-ravaged world before it's too late.Only, with a traitor in their midst, the task is proving more difficult than Andie could have ever
We continue with Andie be friends finding their escape route ending up on a ship. Dealing with traitors and finding out it hurts more when. It’s a friend! Then to finding acceptance for her race and their dragons, well at least do now! This is a good story with very different characters.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Howling (1981) in Movies
Oct 30, 2020
A fair few werewolf horror movies came out during the 80s, but whilst American Werewolf in London is generally considered to be the best of the bunch, The Howling definitely deserves a look in for that honour.
The plot takes a little while to kick in, but the slow first half actually allows the audience time to get to know the characters. Karen White (Dee Wallace) takes the lead, and is a hugely likable protagonist to carry the story forward. By the time the monstrous shenanigans kick off, you genuinely want her to win. Everyone else is a little disposable, allowing the rest of the focus to go towards werewolf characters, mainly Eddie Quist (Robert Picardo) and Marsha (Elisabeth Brooks), two characters that are sick of hiding their true nature, and want to live free, like wild animals should, feeding in humans and all. Unfortunately, the slow burn first half leaves little time to properly explore this aspect of the narrative.
The transformation effects are fucking great. Do they look dated? Sure, but considering that this released in 1981, the practical effects used are fantastic. I'm a fan of the bubbling effects in particular. When the transformation is complete, the aesthetic mostly avoids looking like a guy in a suit (not completely mind) and this is probably down to the make up work on the faces. The creatures look pretty damn mean.
A solid screenplay, a decent cast, and some great effects work ensure that The Howling stands out in a decade of gratuitous horror. Love it.
The plot takes a little while to kick in, but the slow first half actually allows the audience time to get to know the characters. Karen White (Dee Wallace) takes the lead, and is a hugely likable protagonist to carry the story forward. By the time the monstrous shenanigans kick off, you genuinely want her to win. Everyone else is a little disposable, allowing the rest of the focus to go towards werewolf characters, mainly Eddie Quist (Robert Picardo) and Marsha (Elisabeth Brooks), two characters that are sick of hiding their true nature, and want to live free, like wild animals should, feeding in humans and all. Unfortunately, the slow burn first half leaves little time to properly explore this aspect of the narrative.
The transformation effects are fucking great. Do they look dated? Sure, but considering that this released in 1981, the practical effects used are fantastic. I'm a fan of the bubbling effects in particular. When the transformation is complete, the aesthetic mostly avoids looking like a guy in a suit (not completely mind) and this is probably down to the make up work on the faces. The creatures look pretty damn mean.
A solid screenplay, a decent cast, and some great effects work ensure that The Howling stands out in a decade of gratuitous horror. Love it.
Donna C (199 KP) rated Sleeping with a Psychopath in Books
Jun 2, 2021
Fast paced true story
Contains spoilers, click to show
So this is a biography of a woman who was completely fooled by a fraudster called Mark Acklom. She was happily living alone in a rented cottage, looking for a house to buy after selling her previous home. She worked in an upmarket clothes shop and had £850,000 from the house sale.
One day a handsome charming man comes in to the shop and sweeps her off her feet, claiming to be a millionaire with property, planes and a job in MI6 which is top secret. Within a couple of days he is promising her the world but claims that he cannot be a proper couple for 18 months until he can complete his current contract. He tells her he is involved in goings on in Syria, claims to have been shot, the stories get wilder and wilder! In the meantime he also has a "cashflow problem" and asks her to pay for everything and he will pay her back.
You do start off thinking "how did she fall for all this blather? It's so totally untrue." But she is not a stupid person. Her friends and family don't like him, but she has fallen head over heels and won't listen.
It is a fast paced book, and I really wanted to know how she got out of the situation.
You really don't know what is going on in other peoples' lives do you???
(Disclaimer: I won a free copy of this book from ReadersFirst for an honest review)
One day a handsome charming man comes in to the shop and sweeps her off her feet, claiming to be a millionaire with property, planes and a job in MI6 which is top secret. Within a couple of days he is promising her the world but claims that he cannot be a proper couple for 18 months until he can complete his current contract. He tells her he is involved in goings on in Syria, claims to have been shot, the stories get wilder and wilder! In the meantime he also has a "cashflow problem" and asks her to pay for everything and he will pay her back.
You do start off thinking "how did she fall for all this blather? It's so totally untrue." But she is not a stupid person. Her friends and family don't like him, but she has fallen head over heels and won't listen.
It is a fast paced book, and I really wanted to know how she got out of the situation.
You really don't know what is going on in other peoples' lives do you???
(Disclaimer: I won a free copy of this book from ReadersFirst for an honest review)
Sarah (7798 KP) rated You Will Be Safe Here in Books
Jul 10, 2019
Moving and thought provoking
I can’t lie, history isn’t a strong subject of mine so I knew very little about the South African concentration camps and these New Dawn Type camps when i first started this book. So for me, the events detailed and unfolding in this book are a disturbing revelation. It might be fiction, but it’s based on historical true events so I know it’s not far from the truth. It’s shocking and immensely moving, reading about the plight of a number of characters from 1901 to the present date. At first I didn’t understand why this started off in 1901 and worked it’s way through different characters to the almost present day, but it all makes sense and intertwines in a way as the book goes on and it’s a great way to tell a story. This is wonderfully written, bringing out a number of reactions and the emotions in the reader as it goes on and I felt a mixture of sheer anger and frustration and sadness reading this. The characters are all well developed, with their own flaws and traits that make them both intriguing and sometimes frustrating (but in a good way) to read. My only criticism would be that the ending seemed a little rushed in comparison to the rest of the book, and I wouldn’t have minded a slightly longer book at the benefit of a less rushed ending.
This isn’t a book I would have ordinarily thought of reading, but I’m glad I did and would highly recommend reading it!
This isn’t a book I would have ordinarily thought of reading, but I’m glad I did and would highly recommend reading it!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2171 KP) rated The Murder of Twelve in Books
May 28, 2020
Weddings are Murder
With a record setting blizzard on the way to Cabot Cove, Maine, Jessica Fletcher is planning to hunker down in her temporary home – the Hill House hotel. Before she can do that, she joins Sheriff Metzger when he gets a call about a man found in his car on the edge of town. What at first looks like a tragic accident is indeed murder. On arriving at the hotel, Jessica learns she will be joined for the weekend by a wedding party. But with the bride and groom missing, tempers begin to flair. Then a dead body appears. Are they trapped with a killer? Is it connected to the man outside of town?
This is another fast-moving mystery that obviously pays homage to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. I felt it was a bit more of a thriller (minus the language and violence) than a true cozy, but I’m not complaining since I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. Much of the book features Jessica and those trapped in the hotel with her, and they are all strong enough characters to carry the story. Unfortunately, the little bit we did see of the recurring characters fell into predictable patterns, although I still enjoyed spending time with them. The writing was so vivid, I felt the cold as I was reading. Any complaints are minor, and I’m happy I picked up this fast-paced book.
This is another fast-moving mystery that obviously pays homage to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. I felt it was a bit more of a thriller (minus the language and violence) than a true cozy, but I’m not complaining since I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. Much of the book features Jessica and those trapped in the hotel with her, and they are all strong enough characters to carry the story. Unfortunately, the little bit we did see of the recurring characters fell into predictable patterns, although I still enjoyed spending time with them. The writing was so vivid, I felt the cold as I was reading. Any complaints are minor, and I’m happy I picked up this fast-paced book.
Al Franken, Giant of the Senate
Book Watch
#1 New York Times Bestseller “Flips the classic born-in-a-shack rise to political office tale...
Biography comedy politics