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A Horse Walks into a Bar
A Horse Walks into a Bar
David Grossman, Jessica Cohen | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
8
5.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Comedian's nervous breakdown is like watching a train wreck
An intriguing look into bereavement and trauma in the guise of an unravelling comic. Set on a stage, the comedian performs an intimate act in the presence of a former student and colleague. It is a gritty, disturbing and excruciating read to see how he undoes himself in the space of one night. It is also revealing how little sympathy and empathy he receives. It is a well structured piece of literary fiction, moving back and forth through past and present narratives. Well deserved of a Man Booker Prize nomination.
  
The Great Flood of 1913 is perhaps the biggest disaster that no one has heard about. It impacted fourteen states and was not only a flood but also a tornado outbreak. The impact was felt for a long time through many communities.This is a well researched and constructed narractive of the events during the disaster of 1913. It not only adequately explains the scientific and historic aspects of this event but really focuses on the humanistic angle. By telling the stories of the people that were effected by this event it makes it very readable as well as informative.
  
Everything, Everything
Everything, Everything
Nicola Yoon | 2015 | Children
8
8.3 (49 Ratings)
Book Rating
4.75 Stars. This book is phenomenal. I read in on sitting and could not stop!

Olly and Maddy's relationship progression was amazingly written and even though there was a small spark of insta-love , the relationship as a whole was well thought out and well-paced.

The part of this that brought it down from a 5 (which as a whole it deserved) is what she found out about the disease in the end. That was a little to cinematic (Bubble Boy) for me.

I wish there was more of it to devour - definitley an Incredible book.
  
BT
Black Ties and Lullabies (Playboys, #3)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Black Ties & Lullabies is a contemporary romance...not usually a book I would pick up on my own. I borrowed it from a friend after she won it on First Reads. It was an entertaining, light read, the perfect book to be reading at the start of the school year.
I enjoyed the story & the characters were interesting & well developed. So why 3 stars? Well, the plot itself was very predictable, maybe that's why I'm not so into romance novels. I like a little suspense & I could pretty much see every aspect of this story taking place before it actually did.
  
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Alison Pink (7 KP) rated American Gods in Books

Jan 15, 2018  
American Gods
American Gods
Neil Gaiman | 2005 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Well hmmm. I started reading this book not quite sure what to expect. Like a few of the reviews I've seen, I too thought it started off a tad slow & a bit off. But somewhere in the middle I got hooked. Not quite sure when or where or even why, but at some point it got very interesting. It was hard to follow & suddenly it made sense. Weird, I know. But apparently that's just Neil Gaiman being Neil Gaiman. The ending tied everything together well. I think I may even give another of his books a try!
  
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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Ragdoll in Books

Jul 26, 2017  
Ragdoll
Ragdoll
Daniel Cole | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.5 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Slightly overhyped - lost concentration
By the time I reached the end I actually had to ask myself who the hell the suspect was which says it all. I think the premise of it is dark, gritty and fascinating - is the detective involved far too flawed a character to be trusted or is he being framed by an evil genius? Unfortunately with all the various characters and sub-plots introduced, I lost focus and ended up losing the story thread as well. Detective Faulkes' character is well- written but I think the novel literally loses the plot.
  
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
2015 | Action, Sci-Fi
Some great action scenes (2 more)
Cool new characters
Links well to the older films
Key plotlines seem familiar (0 more)
Deja vu
It's great to see a Star Wars film back on the big screen. It has plenty of action, a good mix of new characters with some old favourites. The Sfx and battle scenes are great. The only disappointment for me, without giving too much away, was that it seemed to take key plotlines and scenes almost straight from the original 3 films and reused them again. Still it's a fun entertaining film and well made to keep the fans happy.
  
Spirit Circle
Spirit Circle
Satoshi Mizukami | 2016 | Comics & Graphic Novels, Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Stellar plot (3 more)
Engaging mystery
Well rounded characters
Good ending
Absolutely amazing!
"Spirit Circle" is an amazing manga that pairs characters that are well rounded and have interesting motivations with a story that is genuinely engaging. The main characters Fuuta and Kouko are dynamic and sympathetic, while not overpowering the side characters. Additionally, the manga isn't overstuffed with the traditional tropes that you would expect to find in an adventure. The art is beautiful and fits the mood perfectly.

Overall, it's just an amazing read and I would highly recommend it if you are into a good mystery.
  
Wayne's World (1992)
Wayne's World (1992)
1992 | Comedy
I haven’t watched this in quite a while, and as last night was ‘Family Film Night’, and this was free on amazon prime, I thought we might as well watch it.
My 11 and 13 year olds thought it was hilarious. Honestly, I thought it was very funny too. It never gets old. And the Bohemian Rhapsody bit has to be one of my favourite parts in a film (like, ever!).
I don’t know whether this would get made now, but I’m glad it was made then! The whole ‘Shwing’ bit went down VERY well with my young teenaged/ pre-teen boys. Unsurprisingly!
  
Rambo (Rambo IV) (2008)
Rambo (Rambo IV) (2008)
2008 | Action, Drama, Mystery
This is a very good enjoyable , but simple film, even for a action film the plot couldn't be more straight forward. Yes this is far more violent, bloody and gory than the previous three. Done very realistically as well similar to the scenes on the beach in saving private ryan. A brutal bloody film and entertaining as a modern day action film. Despite his years Stallone's character is believable in this and he doesn't over do any stunts, action unlike some of the other Rambo films. Well worth seeing if you have seen the others or not.