Search

Search only in certain items:

40x40

Jennifer Fox recommended Roma (2018) in Movies (curated)

 
Roma (2018)
Roma (2018)
2018 | Drama

"What I love about “Roma” that is that the director created a story where you can see the force of society in the background of the narrative in such a way that feels so truthful to the way we live history as human beings – in fact we don’t notice history even as it is creating us. As the maid lives her ordinary life, caring for her upper-class family, the world is swirling around her, yet she must continue to do her job even while the very fabric of the society she lives in is being torn apart, ransacked and recreated. This film is about so much and of course it is about class and the complexities of class, but yet despite class, in this story the “sisterhood” of women triumphs over station in such an ordinary and surprising way. It is this aspect that was glorious. The father disappears to follow his wandering desires and the mother, grandmother and the maid and cook are left to fend for themselves and the children. Yet even as the mother rages against the loss of her husband and takes it out on the maid, she completely accepts her maid’s accidental pregnancy and includes her in the family tribe without a second thought"

Source
  
Things We Never Said
Things We Never Said
Samantha Young | 2019 | Romance
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Characters (0 more)
Emotional roller coaster
I've been in a reading slump the past few weeks so I was excited that I could dive into the ARC of Samantha Young's newest book. I started reading Samantha Young back when she first published On Dublin Street, and I've been a fan ever since.

While reading this book, I finally was able to figure out what I love about Samantha Young's writing style, and it's the fact that each story reads like your best friend is telling you the story. It's almost like you sit down and spend 4 hours listening to your best friend's dirty jokes, setbacks, and love life. It's truly a fantastic experience. I love how conversational her books are, and I always feel like I'm saying goodbye to a friend when I finish a book. This book was no different.

Things We Never Said is the third in the Hart's Boardwalk series. We learn about Dahlia McGuire's past, her heartbreaks, and her family. Dahlia was never a character I connected to in the other books, so I was worried that I wouldn't enjoy it as much as her other books. Luckily, my hesitancy was misplaced. Not only did I start to connect with Dahlia as a character but I also truly enjoyed the plot. We got to see more of Dahlia's background, and I couldn't help but cry for her and her experiences.

I loved Dahlia's messy background, and I couldn't help but cry for her and her family. I enjoyed learning more about her history and see how she could overcome some of her hardships. With all of Samantha Young's books, the characters and relationships were the shining stars of this story. I think many readers will be able to connect with Dahlia and Michael. They were realistic, and I loved the character growth they both had to do throughout the book.

All in all, I'm giving this 4 1/2 Caffeinated Stars! The plot was interesting, the characters superb, and I really can't wait for the next book in the series.
  
Mad Shelia (2016)
Mad Shelia (2016)
2016 | Sci-Fi
1 or 2 good songs on the sound track (0 more)
Everything (0 more)
You have to watch 1000 bad films to understand what make a film great
Where to start. I love watching films that are out of left field. So when I heard about this i had to look for it, i found it on youtube in 2 parts, it was to be to 60min tv movies but it works better as 1 1h film.


What is China known for? Yes that is it knock offs. Mad Max: Fury Road was nominated for Best Picture so lets rip it off. So i have seen that in the past but this was so low budget. We are talking looking for change in tbe couch low budget.

Some of the vehicles look like they used cardboard on them as props.
CG effects that were not needed that you can point out and would look better if left out.
In seens with motorcycles they were going so slow that the front tired would wobble to try to stay balanced.
The best acting came from the goofy sidekick.
Shelia was trying to look like a male in the beginning, you would half to be deaf and blind not to figure out she was a female.
They are in a wasteland and everyone is clean.
Acting skills or the lack of.
And many more problems.

If you ever think about watching this movie
DONT DO IT!! I WATCHED IT FOR YOU
You will get more enjoyment out of the trailer. If i had seen this in the theater i would have walked out. My friend and i could say after watching this was. WTF and we will never talk about this again. But after tradhing it i can say it had 1 or 2 good songs on the sound track
  
    My Virtual Pet Bobbie

    My Virtual Pet Bobbie

    Games, Entertainment and Stickers

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    Meet My Virtual Pet Bobbie, your new best friend! Everyone has one of those virtual pet games for...

Black (The Silver #2)
Black (The Silver #2)
Cheree Alsop | 2011 | Paranormal, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Black is the second book in the Silver series and this time the focus is on Jet. He was stolen from his family at a very young age and given to the Woman, who only wanted him for deathmatches. There was no love, care, or attention in Jet's life from that moment. All that changes when Jaze rescues him and takes him in. It doesn't all suddenly become sunshine and roses though and THAT is what made this book so good!

Jet has issues, he really does, and let's face it, you would do too if you'd gone through what he did. He proves he is intelligent by teaching himself English, Spanish, and lip-reading. He shows compassion by not killing someone until he realises that it just doesn't work that way and understands the pact made by the other wolves. My heart broke for him in so many ways and yet I was proud of him too. He didn't stop trying and would do anything to protect those he called his own.

This was incredibly written and I read it in one sitting. I was literally unable to stop reading until I knew all was good in Jet's world. The world-building just gets better as it becomes clearer with each book. The characters grow and change, becoming 'more'. I loved hearing about Jaze and Nikki and I hope we continue hearing about past couples as the series progresses.

A darker fantastic young adult paranormal that I absolutely recommend! The only thing I don't know is what happened to Shadow's Curse. I'm presuming he's dead but I really wish he wasn't!

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
    The Roman Emperors

    The Roman Emperors

    Reference and Education

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    Do you like learning about Roman Emperors? If you do, then you have come to the right place. Inside...

Vampire Academy
Vampire Academy
Richelle Mead | 2007 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.5 (48 Ratings)
Book Rating
Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead [BOOK REVIEW]
Read this review and more on www.diaryofdifference.com
It happened, people. I finally did it. I have officially read Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, and I have mixed feelings about it.

After years of you guys begging me to read this book, I have finally managed to dig into this vampire world with Lissa – the Moroi (mortal) vampire and Rose – her guardian, sworn to protect her.

These two best friends are on the run, after Lissa’s family has been killed. Now, they unwillingly return to the Vampire Academy, and try to live their normal lives, but danger is on their doorstep.
I loved the plot, and the idea of the world building, even though, I have to admit, I wish we had more pages of the Vampire Academy description. Or maybe this is just me screaming – ”I want a vampire Hogwarts description right here, right now!”

I loved their friendship, and I loved how both of them would sacrifice so much for each other. It is a character quality we rarely see, and it was so well delivered that it gave me shivers for a few scenes.

However, the characters themselves weren’t much likeable. Lissa, well, we hardly get to really know her. She is mostly a shadow of Rose’s opinions of herself. And as of Rose, as much as I admired her bravery and wisdom, sometimes she was just so dumb for her own good.

I loved the plot twists, and the cliffhangers, especially the few ones right at the very end, but it took so long for them to come. Despite that, this book was still such a fast read, and you can’t take your hands off it.

”For they (women) are strange and mysterious creatures,” he continued in his scholarly voice, ”and a man must be a mind reader if he ever wishes to make them happy.”

I wanted to not mention the romance bit of the novel, but I have to stay honest to myself and do it. Unrealistic romances will happen that will make you cringe. I won’t spoil it for you, but I happened to love these two people together, even though their so called love happened instantly.

”And sometimes, if I was really, really lucky, he’d smile at me. A real smile too – not the dry one that accompanied the sarcasm we tossed around so often.”

A typical high-school fantasy novel, with vampires included, this will be a great addition to your shelves if you love this genre. I greatly enjoyed it, but being older I think these things stuck a bit to me.

If you haven’t read this, I do recommend it. Even though it had a few weak points, I would definitely read the second book of the series.

Have you read Vampire Academy? Is it on your TBR? I would love to see what you think!
  
    Clean and Green Eating

    Clean and Green Eating

    Food & Drink and Health & Fitness

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    The Clean & Green Eating App includes an abundance of healthy recipes for the whole family to enjoy!...

Murder with a Cherry on Top
Murder with a Cherry on Top
Cynthia Baxter | 2018 | Mystery
7
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Rival’s Murder Cools Off Opening Week
Kate McKay has returned to her hometown of Wolfet’s Roost in the Hudson River Valley of New York, and she has opened her own ice cream shop. Her only possibly concern is that it is across the street from the bakery owned by Ashley Winthrop. The two have known each other all their lives, and they have never gotten along. Sadly, Kate hasn’t even been opened a week before she gets proof that Ashley intends to continue their feud. But when Ashley is murdered the day after the two have a very public fight, Kate finds herself questioned by the police. Can she figure out what really happened before she is arrested for a crime she didn’t commit?
 
First books in series walk a fine line between introducing us to characters and giving us a good mystery. This one errs on the side of character backstory, which makes the first quarter very slow plot wise. Things do pick up as we go along, and by the second half the mystery is in full swing. Once it got going, I found the mystery good with an ending I didn’t suspect yet one that made sense. Kate, her Gran, and her niece are all solid characters and I enjoyed spending time with them. I am curious where Kate’s love life will go after what we learned and the characters we met here. The suspects don’t get much page time, but they seem real from the little bit of time we did get to spend with them. And there is plenty of talk about ice cream, which made me crave one of my favorite desserts. There are four delicious sounding recipes at the end, so you can bring a bit of Kate’s shop home with you. If you are looking for a new series to help you cool off as the summer heats up, this debut is for you.
  
Charisma Check (Dungeons and Dating #6)
Charisma Check (Dungeons and Dating #6)
Katherine McIntyre | 2023 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
What a series!

Jasper runs the tabletop tavern with his close friends and has no intention of letting anybody else in he likes it that way. Matt has gone through yet another breakup and is feeling unlovable what is wrong with him why is he not good enough for any woman? Jasper helps him on his journey of healing but could there be more to it?


I have absolutely loved this series from start to finish! The warmth, emotion, turmoil, love, and everything in between is gripping. There are so many issues dealt with and they are done so in a sensitive heartwarming way. Although this can be read as a stand-alone I would advise reading all of the books as each character has a different story to tell it's easy to see why they support each other so fondly.
Jasper's story is heartbreaking but I'm so happy he has his family to help him get through it even though at times like some of us do we can get quite nasty when we're hurting or unable to process certain things.

It has been such a pleasure reading and learning about each of these characters realizing that no matter what you don't need to feel shame. Thank you Katherine you've done an amazing job.