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David McK (3731 KP) rated The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia, #5) in Books
Jan 28, 2019
Firstly, is this the third Narnia book, or is it the fifth?
The answer to that is whether you go by chronological setting (in which case it's the third), or by publication date (it's the fifth).
This is also a story that I didn't remember reading as a child; however, when I was recently re-reading it I was finding plot elements to be a little-bit-more-familiar than I was otherwise expecting: perhaps I did, and had just forgotten.
Unlike [b: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe|100915|The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)|C.S. Lewis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353029077s/100915.jpg|4790821], this does not follow the Pevensie children, but rather the journey of a young boy named Shasta who discovers he was adopted and is running away to Narnia when his adoptive father is about to sell him into slavery; running away alongside/with the help of the talking horse Bree. Along the way they fall in with a girl named Aravis and her talking horse Hwin, who are also making the same escape.
While I've heard arguments recently that, in this book, CS Lewis is displaying his own racist xenophobia ('fair and white ... accursed but beautiful Barbarians'), personally I think that is reading too much into what is simply intended to be a children's Arabian Nights esque fairytale
The answer to that is whether you go by chronological setting (in which case it's the third), or by publication date (it's the fifth).
This is also a story that I didn't remember reading as a child; however, when I was recently re-reading it I was finding plot elements to be a little-bit-more-familiar than I was otherwise expecting: perhaps I did, and had just forgotten.
Unlike [b: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe|100915|The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)|C.S. Lewis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353029077s/100915.jpg|4790821], this does not follow the Pevensie children, but rather the journey of a young boy named Shasta who discovers he was adopted and is running away to Narnia when his adoptive father is about to sell him into slavery; running away alongside/with the help of the talking horse Bree. Along the way they fall in with a girl named Aravis and her talking horse Hwin, who are also making the same escape.
While I've heard arguments recently that, in this book, CS Lewis is displaying his own racist xenophobia ('fair and white ... accursed but beautiful Barbarians'), personally I think that is reading too much into what is simply intended to be a children's Arabian Nights esque fairytale
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated The First Time I Died in Books
Jun 22, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Thank you to Hidden Gems for providing me with a copy of this book in return for my review!
I expected this to be quite an angsty, sad and maybe romantic novel. While it did have some of these aspects, it turned out to be far more of a detective novel than I ever anticipated.
I hate including spoilers in my review, and this isn't strictly a spoiler at all, but I found the anticipation leading up to the revelation of Colby's murder to be fantastic. As the reader, we are slowly given tiny bits of information, glimpses into the past, as Garnet recalls his disappearance. And after finding out that he was, in fact, dead, I was absolutely hooked on finding out what happened.
Toward the end of the book, Garnet seems to link everything together pretty fast. I'm not sure if it was too fast, honestly, but it's not a huge issue.
There was also a lot more behind his death than I'd ever anticipated, in terms of legalities and the family business. This was quite interesting, though in retrospect perhaps a little obvious.
The ending of this book was also nice - neat, satisfying, but not overly sweet. There was no big reunion between lovers. It just simply... ended.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this!
I expected this to be quite an angsty, sad and maybe romantic novel. While it did have some of these aspects, it turned out to be far more of a detective novel than I ever anticipated.
I hate including spoilers in my review, and this isn't strictly a spoiler at all, but I found the anticipation leading up to the revelation of Colby's murder to be fantastic. As the reader, we are slowly given tiny bits of information, glimpses into the past, as Garnet recalls his disappearance. And after finding out that he was, in fact, dead, I was absolutely hooked on finding out what happened.
Toward the end of the book, Garnet seems to link everything together pretty fast. I'm not sure if it was too fast, honestly, but it's not a huge issue.
There was also a lot more behind his death than I'd ever anticipated, in terms of legalities and the family business. This was quite interesting, though in retrospect perhaps a little obvious.
The ending of this book was also nice - neat, satisfying, but not overly sweet. There was no big reunion between lovers. It just simply... ended.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this!
Amy Norman (1048 KP) rated The Orphanage of Gods in Books
Apr 17, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is an absolute tour de force, and powerhouse of descriptive language.
The book is gripping from the start, it is fast moving, and keeps you guessing as to what will happen next. I haven't picked up a book this quickly in a while, and finished it faster than most.
However, so much happens throughout the book, and it builds and builds towards the ending that it almost felt like a bit too much happened, and I wasn't entirely sure where it would end. I feel like it could have been stretched out over two books, so we as an audience could have had more time to relish the story and appreciate the characters.
Please don't get me wrong though, I savoured every minute of it, and the ending was suitable and satiated my needs.
As I mentioned, the descriptive language was different to a great many books I've read, but it didn't feel forced or jarring, as some do when it feels like they threw a thesaurus at their writing, just to mix it up a bit.
The writers age did leak through a few times, but I am an older reader, and think this is perfectly suited to the YA audience.
Highly recommend, it is a fantastic read, and the only let down is that there wasn't more of it!
The book is gripping from the start, it is fast moving, and keeps you guessing as to what will happen next. I haven't picked up a book this quickly in a while, and finished it faster than most.
However, so much happens throughout the book, and it builds and builds towards the ending that it almost felt like a bit too much happened, and I wasn't entirely sure where it would end. I feel like it could have been stretched out over two books, so we as an audience could have had more time to relish the story and appreciate the characters.
Please don't get me wrong though, I savoured every minute of it, and the ending was suitable and satiated my needs.
As I mentioned, the descriptive language was different to a great many books I've read, but it didn't feel forced or jarring, as some do when it feels like they threw a thesaurus at their writing, just to mix it up a bit.
The writers age did leak through a few times, but I am an older reader, and think this is perfectly suited to the YA audience.
Highly recommend, it is a fantastic read, and the only let down is that there wasn't more of it!
CO
Crime or Compassion?: One Woman's Story of a Loving Friendship That Knew No Bounds
Book
'I was torn. My best friend needed me. But little did I know then what the consequences of helping...
Student Study Bible: English Standard Version (ESV)
Book
Adapted from the acclaimed ESV Study Bible, the ESV Student Study Bible, is the most content-rich,...
Allah Does Not Have an Exit Visa
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This is a personal look at one life, lived by an ordinary guy, who has visited some extraordinary...
Bostonian916 (449 KP) rated Gemini Man (2019) in Movies
Jun 29, 2020
I believe that this movie has taken A LOT of flack due to unrealistic expectations. One of the things that I heard a lot before I saw it was that the CGI that made Will Smith appear younger was really poor. Let's take into consideration what is happening with this. They are making a man look over 20 years YOUNGER. FOR AN ENTIRE MOVIE. While the current version of said actor stands next to him. Of course it isn't going to be perfect. Nothing ever could be. But I think Ang Lee and company did a helluva job with it. The action was at times a bit generic but nothing that I would put in the terrible column.
The story itself was pretty original. I won't give too much away, as I try to avoid spoilers when I review things, but you'll likely be surprised on a couple of different occasions.
In regards to the action, I have to admit that it was all kinds of gnarly to see Will Smith fight himself. And due to his acting ability you believed the shock on his face and in his actions as it was happening for the first time.
Don't listen to all the hate, this movie isn't awful. Definitely worth a viewing if you're a science fiction fan.
The story itself was pretty original. I won't give too much away, as I try to avoid spoilers when I review things, but you'll likely be surprised on a couple of different occasions.
In regards to the action, I have to admit that it was all kinds of gnarly to see Will Smith fight himself. And due to his acting ability you believed the shock on his face and in his actions as it was happening for the first time.
Don't listen to all the hate, this movie isn't awful. Definitely worth a viewing if you're a science fiction fan.
Darren Hayman recommended The Kids from "Fame" by Kids From Fame in Music (curated)
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) in Movies
Mar 2, 2021
I Know What You Did Last Summer opens with the Type O Negative cover of Summer Breeze, which is always going to be a winner in my book.
This film is rightly considered a bit of a classic these days, and there's really not a whole bunch to complain about. It has well written characters, a decent cast, a visually creepy villain, an engaging whodunit plot, one of the best chase scenes in slasher movie history (that's right), and still manages to stand on its own two feet in a world where it's constantly compared to Scream.
I find this to be an unfair comparison. Beyond the 90s setting, teen characters, slasher tropes, and shared writer in Kevin Williamson, there's not much else that ties them together. Scream is of course a fantastic horror, but relishes in being satire, whereas IKWYDLS is a straight shooting horror. Its the exact kind of film that Scream takes aim at, but it still manages to be a decent slasher without feeling silly, and delivers some well earned jump scares for good measure. I also really enjoy it's fishing town setting and the hole movie is accompanied by a hilariously epic score courtesy of John Debney. It's great.
I will always have a lot of time for IKWYDLS, overshadowed by some of its contemporaries, but a hugely satisfying and entertaing horror in its own right.
This film is rightly considered a bit of a classic these days, and there's really not a whole bunch to complain about. It has well written characters, a decent cast, a visually creepy villain, an engaging whodunit plot, one of the best chase scenes in slasher movie history (that's right), and still manages to stand on its own two feet in a world where it's constantly compared to Scream.
I find this to be an unfair comparison. Beyond the 90s setting, teen characters, slasher tropes, and shared writer in Kevin Williamson, there's not much else that ties them together. Scream is of course a fantastic horror, but relishes in being satire, whereas IKWYDLS is a straight shooting horror. Its the exact kind of film that Scream takes aim at, but it still manages to be a decent slasher without feeling silly, and delivers some well earned jump scares for good measure. I also really enjoy it's fishing town setting and the hole movie is accompanied by a hilariously epic score courtesy of John Debney. It's great.
I will always have a lot of time for IKWYDLS, overshadowed by some of its contemporaries, but a hugely satisfying and entertaing horror in its own right.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2506 KP) rated Murder in Greenwich Village in Books
Mar 10, 2021 (Updated Mar 10, 2021)
The Murdered Roommate
In the summer of 1913, Louise Faulk is enjoying her new life in New York City until one evening when she and her roommate, Callie, return to their apartment to find Callie’s cousin, Ethel, dead. Ethel had been staying with them for several weeks, but was from out of town and hardly knew anyone. The police focus on someone that Louise knows would never commit murder, so she starts to investigate. But who could have motive to kill Ethel?
The book starts off quickly, but I did feel the pacing was a bit uneven as the story unfolded. There was one thing that I wasn’t satisfied with at the end of the book as well, but only because I disagreed with Louise’s conclusion. Overall, the plot is interesting and held my interest all the way until we reached the logical climax. Louise is a wonderful main character, and I’m very interested to see where the series takes her next. The suspects are strong, and the rest of the cast is interesting. The book was a little darker than I was expecting, more a traditional than the cozies I normally read. As long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. I will definitely be visiting Louise again. I’m anxious to find out what happens to her next.
The book starts off quickly, but I did feel the pacing was a bit uneven as the story unfolded. There was one thing that I wasn’t satisfied with at the end of the book as well, but only because I disagreed with Louise’s conclusion. Overall, the plot is interesting and held my interest all the way until we reached the logical climax. Louise is a wonderful main character, and I’m very interested to see where the series takes her next. The suspects are strong, and the rest of the cast is interesting. The book was a little darker than I was expecting, more a traditional than the cozies I normally read. As long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. I will definitely be visiting Louise again. I’m anxious to find out what happens to her next.
