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Cynthia Armistead (17 KP) rated The Overseer in Books
Mar 1, 2018
I never had any interest in reading the Da Vinci Code, and if I'd heard about this, I might not have been interested in it, either. But somehow I picked up a damaged copy of it, and got terribly interested but it was in such bad shape that there was no way to go on reading. I found that I had to request it from the library, and as soon as it arrived I started over at the beginning. I've read it in chunks since then.
If I'd read this book when it was first released, back in 1998, I'm sure it would have been much more chilling. It was quite effective, even in 2011. I can easily remember the public figures who are echoed in Rabb's books - there are certainly similar ones in the news every day right now (some of them the same ones!)
I did, however, enjoy The Overseer for what it was. I didn't find myself chafing at the flaws other reviewers here have mentioned. Yes, government agents in such thrillers have to be nearly superhuman, and the protagonist, in order to survive, has to learn new rules very quickly. But the reader also has to suspend her disbelief, or she has no business reading such things. If the hero is an idiot, I'll accept that he's a slow learner and likely to die - but then he wouldn't be the hero, would he?
All in all, a decent read if you enjoy thrillers.
If I'd read this book when it was first released, back in 1998, I'm sure it would have been much more chilling. It was quite effective, even in 2011. I can easily remember the public figures who are echoed in Rabb's books - there are certainly similar ones in the news every day right now (some of them the same ones!)
I did, however, enjoy The Overseer for what it was. I didn't find myself chafing at the flaws other reviewers here have mentioned. Yes, government agents in such thrillers have to be nearly superhuman, and the protagonist, in order to survive, has to learn new rules very quickly. But the reader also has to suspend her disbelief, or she has no business reading such things. If the hero is an idiot, I'll accept that he's a slow learner and likely to die - but then he wouldn't be the hero, would he?
All in all, a decent read if you enjoy thrillers.
LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated Little House on the Prairie (Little House, #2) in Books
Nov 5, 2018
And so the Ingalls family follow the trend of most Americans in that era of the frontier and move from the big woods to the prairie, encountering the many trials along the way before settling in the Indian Territory.
As much as I enjoyed the book, I must be brutally honest and say that Ma Ingalls' view on the 'Indians' actually repulsed me. I hate the way they were treated by the white man and to read what was so prevalent at the time is truly gut wrenching and appalling as if these so called Christians had shown a bit of Christian love then the story of America would be much different, and personally I think it would be a much better place. But rant over, that really did grind my gears and needed to get it off my chest!
Other than that the book is well written, showing a good level of historical accuracy, as you would expect of a book based on personal experiences, and flows on well from the previous book. It has a good balance of factual recollections weaved delicately with family memories and introduces some much needed new characters into the scene. It progresses well and develops the main characters in a solid manner.
Overall it was enjoyable, but as I said, the attitudes portrayed are quite disgusting and sad really and this lets the book down in my opinion.
As much as I enjoyed the book, I must be brutally honest and say that Ma Ingalls' view on the 'Indians' actually repulsed me. I hate the way they were treated by the white man and to read what was so prevalent at the time is truly gut wrenching and appalling as if these so called Christians had shown a bit of Christian love then the story of America would be much different, and personally I think it would be a much better place. But rant over, that really did grind my gears and needed to get it off my chest!
Other than that the book is well written, showing a good level of historical accuracy, as you would expect of a book based on personal experiences, and flows on well from the previous book. It has a good balance of factual recollections weaved delicately with family memories and introduces some much needed new characters into the scene. It progresses well and develops the main characters in a solid manner.
Overall it was enjoyable, but as I said, the attitudes portrayed are quite disgusting and sad really and this lets the book down in my opinion.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Bird Box (2018) in Movies
Dec 28, 2018
Good but falls short
I’d heard mixed things about this, and Netflix made films are hit and miss at best, but this is actually quite good.
It’s an intriguing premise and for the most part it’s executed fairly well. I liked that it focused not only on the present but also how the events first came about, telling the story as it unfolded, even if it doesn’t quite get as far as a real explanation. There are some obvious comparisons with this and A Quiet Place, and rightly so as despite focusing on different senses, you can see the similarities. It’s nice to see Sandra Bullock back in a starring role, and I especially loved the scenes with her and John Malkovich, they added a nice bit of humour to an otherwise serious story.
This is quite a slow film, and I feel that it could maybe have been cut a little shorter to give it a faster pace. I disliked the ending completely as it is far too Hollywood and yet still didn’t show us what exactly was going on. And why did Sandra Bullock have a full face of makeup on during the entire 5 year span of the film?! I think that annoyed me most of all.
It’s not a bad film and with a few tweaks it could have been much better. However if I had to choose between this and A Quiet Place, I’m afraid A Quiet Place would win hands down.
It’s an intriguing premise and for the most part it’s executed fairly well. I liked that it focused not only on the present but also how the events first came about, telling the story as it unfolded, even if it doesn’t quite get as far as a real explanation. There are some obvious comparisons with this and A Quiet Place, and rightly so as despite focusing on different senses, you can see the similarities. It’s nice to see Sandra Bullock back in a starring role, and I especially loved the scenes with her and John Malkovich, they added a nice bit of humour to an otherwise serious story.
This is quite a slow film, and I feel that it could maybe have been cut a little shorter to give it a faster pace. I disliked the ending completely as it is far too Hollywood and yet still didn’t show us what exactly was going on. And why did Sandra Bullock have a full face of makeup on during the entire 5 year span of the film?! I think that annoyed me most of all.
It’s not a bad film and with a few tweaks it could have been much better. However if I had to choose between this and A Quiet Place, I’m afraid A Quiet Place would win hands down.
Merissa (13696 KP) rated A Vixen in Venice in Books
Dec 17, 2018
I received this book from Totally Bound Publishing in return for a fair and honest review.
This book is part of the Totally 5 Star series which has the focus on a different city in each book. Although, to be fair, the focus of this book definitely wasn't on Venice but rather the goings on in Venice.
I enjoyed reading this book - it is a hot, steamy but also fun read. A couple of things didn't sit right with me which I'll go into shortly. If, however, you're looking for a book to read for pure pleasure and not to worry about the nitty gritty then I can definitely recommend this one. On the whole though, this was thoroughly enjoyable and a raunchy, fast-paced story.
The things that didn't seem to work (for me) was what Alessandro actually did. There is an explanation in the book but by the time I reached that point, I think my mind had gotten too confused with it. It's also not clear why he was brought in to supervise Monique although she does need it. She comes across as very flighty which is not something that you would expect from someone who needs this job and income.
On the whole, the characters are good, the story is well-written and the sex scenes are smoking. An escape from reality? Yes! Definitely recommended.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This book is part of the Totally 5 Star series which has the focus on a different city in each book. Although, to be fair, the focus of this book definitely wasn't on Venice but rather the goings on in Venice.
I enjoyed reading this book - it is a hot, steamy but also fun read. A couple of things didn't sit right with me which I'll go into shortly. If, however, you're looking for a book to read for pure pleasure and not to worry about the nitty gritty then I can definitely recommend this one. On the whole though, this was thoroughly enjoyable and a raunchy, fast-paced story.
The things that didn't seem to work (for me) was what Alessandro actually did. There is an explanation in the book but by the time I reached that point, I think my mind had gotten too confused with it. It's also not clear why he was brought in to supervise Monique although she does need it. She comes across as very flighty which is not something that you would expect from someone who needs this job and income.
On the whole, the characters are good, the story is well-written and the sex scenes are smoking. An escape from reality? Yes! Definitely recommended.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Spike Milligan: Man of Letters
8.5
Rate It
Book
Spike Milligan's letters contain some of the best material he ever wrote ...Collected here for the...
Her Turn to Cry: A Gripping Psychological Drama with Twists You Won't See Coming
Book
'Powerful story telling with a dark mystery at its heart' Amanda Hodgkinson, New York Times...
Mothergamer (1613 KP) rated The Last of Us Part II in Video Games
Jun 29, 2020
I really wanted to like this game. There have been so many issues with the leaks and misleading trailers. Initially the game starts out pretty strong showing Ellie and Joel living in Jackson peacefully. That doesn't last long of course and the main theme of the story is about how the cycle of revenge and violence hurts everyone. The gameplay is good for the most part, but the storytelling comes across as very heavy handed and having to switch between Ellie and Abby feels frustrating. I understand the intent behind what the writers were trying to do showing both sides of the situation but it comes across as clunky and sloppy writing. I also took issue with the handling of a trans character in the game. They made this trans character a target for constant abuse and trauma, including deadnaming them something that is incredibly hurtful to a trans person. The fact that the writers did not get any input from trans writers is frankly grossly irresponsible because we LGBT people are more than trauma and we're tired of this constant trauma trope. It's not okay and it's very lazy writing. The story is not completely bad, but it's not great either and I feel we didn't really need this sequel. You can read my full review with spoilers here: http://lorrie28-mothergamer.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-last-of-us-part-ii-good-but-not.html
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Cargo (2017) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020 (Updated Oct 26, 2020)
Emotional Story About Father's Devotion To His Child During The Zombie Apocalypse
Contains spoilers, click to show
I like this movie. I mean an emotional journey of a father trying to find a safe place and people to take care of his baby daughter before he turns into a zombie is a great premise. Martin Freeman also puts on quite a good performance as he portrays the character Andy on this journey. The backdrop of Australia was beautiful as the setting in this movie too. This film has a well written plot and tense atmosphere but for me personally didn't quite reach fare enough into the horror genre to scare you and not enough zombie action. What it did have was added tension from the characters of other survivors and not knowing how they would deal with Andy being infected. I really liked some of the small details like how the little girl Thoomi made modifications to her shoes so her mother couldn't find her tracks or how she painted her face with stuff to hide her smell from the zombies. I even liked the villain's motivations and reasoning because they seemed realistic and very believable. Still it has me on the fence a bit because it feels like it was missing something when being considered a zombie movie. I wanted to rate it higher but personally feel like it deserves the score of 7/10.
Beth Orton recommended Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake in Music (curated)
