Search

Search only in certain items:

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
2017 | Comedy, Drama
Okay...now I’m angry!!
I just started binge watching this show tonight and I couldn’t stop!! Now, it’s 2:30 in the morning and I’m sad and grumpy it’s over...mostly because I just know my kids will wake my butt up early tomorrow. But let’s be honest, it was worth it for my crazy Mrs. Maisel!!
I came because Gilmore Girls is right up there with my favorite shows of all time. I love Gilmore Girls for the wittiness, pop references, and girl power and Mrs. Maisel definitely delivered in many of the same ways. The characters are well-developed and sympathetic—I even felt for her “evil” husband. The only criticisms I had were that it bugged me that as a mom, she basically never took care of her own children, but I get that the show wasn’t really about that at all.
I highly recommend this series. Hilarious and charming. I can’t wait for more episodes! Just watch it!
Then, once you’re done with that, find Bunheads (same writers) and watch that. Then, come see me and we’ll bitch about how that show deserved more episodes, too!!
  
Batman: Year One
Batman: Year One
8
8.3 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Not all that long ago, I watched the cartoon movie version of this graphic novel, and did quite enjoy it. I'd also heard, but couldn't verify, that it was actually pretty close to its source material: well, now I can co firm that that is indeed the case!

Written shortly after The Dark Knight Returns (which concerns an ageing Batman, and is set towards the end of his career), this takes the opposite approach and is instead set during his first year back in Gotham (after travelling abroad for 12(?) years in the wake of his parents murder), which is also coincidentally Jim Gordon's first year working for the corrupt Gotham P.D.

If anybody has also seen the recent(ish) live action movie Batman Begins, it's also pretty obvious where a large chunk of that movie gets it's influence from, with one sequence in particular almost a straight riff from the pages of this graphic novel.

All in all, and while it is true that I've only read a few of the Batman graphic novels so far, this is a strong contender for the best of those I've read.
  
Lightnin' And The Blues by Lightnin Hopkins
Lightnin' And The Blues by Lightnin Hopkins
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"He released records on numerous labels, but this album was on the Herald imprint, and it features a song called Moving Out Boogie that alone is worth the price of admission. He kind of talks his way through it – it’s not really singing in the traditional sense – but the guitar playing could wake the dead. What he does in two and a half minutes on the guitar is enough to make you want to throw your fuzz and wah-wah pedals as far away as you can. Just toss 'em over the fence! If you can play Moving Out Boogie with even a third of the spirit of Lightnin’ Hopkins, then you just might have a chance. It’s the way to move, man. He played it like he wanted to play it. Our fair bassist, Dusty Hill, worked with Lightnin’ Hopkins a bit, and one time he said, ‘You know, Lightnin’, you seem to play in odd time signatures. One verse will be eight bars, and the next will be 10 bars.’ And Lightnin’ just said, ‘It don’t matter. Lightnin’ changes when Lightnin’ wants to change"

Source
  
The Rocketeer (1991)
The Rocketeer (1991)
1991 | Action, Drama, Family
I remember having an old game, back in the day (late 80s) in the Amiga: Rocket Ranger.

The reason I mention that?

Because it very well could have acted as inspiration for this 1991 film.

(edit: I've just discovered it's actually based on a lesser known graphic novel of the same name! Presumably so is Rocket Ranger ...)

Released in the wake of Batman, and a good couple of decades before the birth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), this stars a post-Bond Timothy Dalton on villain duty, with Bill Campbell taking on the role of Cliff Secord (who becomes The Rocketeer) and Jennifer Connolly as his love interest.

Set in 1938, this - apparently, like the comics - takes inspiration from the pulp serials of old, with director Joe Johnston bringing the same verisimilitude to the setting as he would his (much) later "Captain America: The First Avenger". Unfortunately, the film is a bit too po-faced for its own good - missing the wryness of, say, an Indiana Jones - an suffered somewhat from an unfortunate release window, sandwiched right between "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day".
  
Altered (Altered #1)
Altered (Altered #1)
Marnee Blake | 2015 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Seth is in the military and is suffocating under the guilt he feels at his friend's death, which he feels he should have prevented. Blue is a waitress in a very small town, living with her grandmother, and with no way out that she sees. She gets home from work and goes to bed feeling ill, to wake up to something straight out of the X Files. The whole town is dead, including her gran, or so it seems. Before long, she finds another survivor and they also find out that a private military firm is on their way, which can't be a good thing. Through trials and tribulations, they search for safety whilst being hunted at every turn, not knowing who to trust.

This is a fast-paced novel with plenty of action and romance. I am intrigued with where this story is going and can't wait to read more. Definitely recommended.

* 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!
Dec 28, 2015
  
Jaws 2 (1978)
Jaws 2 (1978)
1978 | Thriller
Put simply, Jaws 2 is a rehash of the first film, just nowhere near as memorable. It definitely set an ongoing trend of unnecessary sequels made because money exists.
For what it's worth, it's not too shabby all things considered. It's nice to see Roy Scheider back for another turn, even if he was reluctant to do so. The group of teens that the main bulk of the film focuses on are likable enough, even if they're somewhat forgettable. There are a few nice shots scattered throughout, and some fun sequences - An early boat chase that ends with the shark aflame, and the boat blowing the fuck up is a ridiculous highlight, and John Williams also returns to provide another great score.
Otherwise, it's just lacks a lot that makes the original such a classic. It's nowhere near as terrifying for instance, and is missing the character chemistry that was such a big part of Jaws' second half.

Jaws 2 definitely has some entertainment value that's worth exploring, but like so many sequels that followed in its wake, it was never going to step out of the shadow of its predecessor, nothing more, nothing less.
  
TH
The Hollow Kind
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
72 of 220
Book
The Hollow Kind
By Andy Davidson
⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Nellie Gardner learns that she has inherited a turpentine estate from her long-lost grandfather, she throws everything she can think of in her pickup and flees to Georgia with her eleven-year-old son, Max, in tow.

August Redfern’s “estate” is a decrepit farmhouse on a thousand acres of old pine forest, but Nellie sees it as the perfect refuge—a safe place to hide from her violent husband and the chance for a fresh start. But Max sees what his mother can’t: Redfern Hill is no haven. Something lurks beneath the soil, ancient and hungry, with the power to corrupt hearts and destroy souls. And Nellie’s return is about to wake it up.

This was decent read. We follow 2 timelines of a 2 families and it’s dark deep seated roots, and I mean literally. This was darkness from the roots of a turpentine estate which brings nothing but death for both. It’s an interesting premise and dark in a few places. If I had on issue it was sometimes I found it a slog to read. But overall it was good.
  
40x40

Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Moonglow in Books

Nov 9, 2017  
Moonglow
Moonglow
Michael Chabon | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Beautifully written
This biography of Michael Chabon's 'grandfather' is a stunning piece of whimsy, the tale of a cranky, old genius that grips and surprises throughout. It is a long, meandering novel masquerading as a memoir, flitting around time and place so that the chapters don't follow consecutively and it's only gradually that we build up a picture of the narrator's family history via the stories told to him by his grandfather.

Despite the fragmented narrative and some aspects considered to be fictional truth, there's real heart and soul here which lifts this novel beyond merely the clever construction, giving it a haunting, poignant undertone.

For me the book is less about the grandfather, but the beautiful, damaged woman with whom he falls in love with. Profoundly affected by her experiences during the Second World War, the narrator's grandmother tells stories to shore up her own sense of self and to hold herself together in the wake of trauma.

While at times it can seem tedious, the author's writing carries it through, moving effortlessly from rambunctious humour to distressing scenes. It is a meditation on families and what constitutes a family when it's not based on blood, histories and accurate memories. A big-hearted and beautifully-written novel.
  
Until Forever Comes (Mates #2)
Until Forever Comes (Mates #2)
Cardeno C | 2015 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Until Forever Comes (Mates #2) by Cardeno C.
This book is about Ethan and Miguel, who we have already met or heard mention of in the other two books. Ethan is only young but Miguel is already over four hundred years old. Ethan is used to being the runt of the pack, weak and ineffective. Miguel is a cold-blooded, cold-hearted killer who has no qualms about hurting those in his 'care'.

This book is about how opposites attract and how, if it's your true mate, then anything is possible. Of course, you get your idiots (Ralph) and those who don't believe, but in the course of any book of Cardeno C, you know that true love will win!

Very well written with a smooth story and pace, I actually wish that I'd read this one first as I thought it gave a good history to the different packs and attitudes. From this book, I can see how Zev had his work cut out for him in Wake Me Up Inside. Another excellent story that I can definitely recommend.

I received this book from WLK Book Promotions in return for a fair and honest review.

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
The Family Lie
The Family Lie
Jake Cross | 2019
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
You whispered goodnight to your daughter. You didn’t know that would be your last goodbye.
You wake up in the middle of the night.
Your five-year-old daughter is gone.
Your husband is nowhere to be seen.
Your family think he took her.
The police believe he’s guilty.
But he wouldn’t do that, would he?
He’s a loving father. A loving husband. Isn’t he?

This book is about a mother, Anna, who will do anything to get her five year old daughter back. I really liked how the author portrayed Anna. All this mother wanted was to get her daughter back and would stop at nothing to do this. In the end she had to be brave and face her demons of the past to do this.
I also liked that there were so many twists and turns throughout the whole book. You never knew what surprise was coming next. This book had me guessing up til the end.
I thought I had it figured out but boy was I wrong, and I'm glad I was. Great book!
Recommend Reading!

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.