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The Mouth of the Dark
The Mouth of the Dark
Tim Waggoner | 2018 | Horror
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Mouth of the Dark is the second book by Tim Waggoner that I’ve read and, after completing it, I’m pretty convinced I’ll like just about any of his work. Waggoner is imaginative and original, and The Mouth of the Dark takes readers to an entirely new world of monstrosities. It’s easily one of the most fantastic books I’ve read this year.

Jayce Lewis’s daughter has gone missing. No one’s seen her and in pursuit of her whereabouts, Jayce stumbles upon a world known as Shadow. Shadow is a dangerous place where nightmares are reality and with the help of a woman named Nicola, Jayce quickly discovers finding out what happened to his daughter isn’t going to be easy. The pair encounter several awesome creatures on their journey, some harmless and others not so much.

Nicola is a fairly likable character and I don’t have a whole lot to say about her. Jayce, on the other hand, has serious mommy issues–which you’ll see if you read the book. Though I didn’t really enjoy the flashbacks, Waggoner does a great job of filling Jayce out. By the end of the book, you know him pretty well.

The plot is a bit slow, and this is perhaps because of the time Waggoner spends detailing Shadow. I’m okay with this, as it’s an amazing ecosystem of horror. For the most part it is pretty straightforward, though the tenses do switch during the flashbacks. I found this to be mildly distracting, but overall it did not detract from the book.

The Mouth of the Dark is a great read and I highly recommend it to those who are into true horror. It is riddled with terror and depravity and there are some parts of the book that may make the squeamish uncomfortable. It’s definitely a title I’m glad to have on my shelf.

I’d like to thank Flame Tree Press for providing me with a free copy for the purpose of unbiased review.
  
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Fred (860 KP) rated The Grinch (2018) in Movies

Dec 26, 2019  
The Grinch (2018)
The Grinch (2018)
2018 | Animation, Family, Sci-Fi
Dr. Seuss lite
Everyone knows & loves Chuck Jones' animated version from the 60s & I'm sure most people know the live-action Jim Carrey version as well. Whether you like that one or not is up to you. I did like it. Anyway, here we get a new animated version, full-length movie. How is it? Well, it's hit & miss.

Let's start with the Grinch himself. He's kind of toned down in this version & not really as mean as he should be. Yeah, sure he tries to stop Christmas, but his reasoning for it is different than the original. But we deal with it because he still wants to stop Christmas from coming. He almost seems like he's a nice guy pretending to be mean.

One of the greatest things in the original animated version is the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" sung by Thurl Ravenscroft. Even the Jim Carrey version, was good. But the version in this film is absolutely horrendous. It borders on annoying. Actually, it may have crossed the border. The only thing saving it was they only used about 4 lines from the song.

My main problem with the movie is it's Dr. Seuss lite. What I mean by that is that they hardly use any of Seuss' crazy language. I remember words like floo-floobers, kazay, zoozits, tar-tinkers & things like that. There was nothing like that in this film. Even lines from the book were hardly used. It doesn't feel like Dr. Seuss at all. It's almost like they never read the book. They changed the story, the ending & add useless characters like Fred the reindeer.

As for the good. Well, the voice acting is good & the animation is very good. The story works well enough, even with the changes. All in all, it is enjoyable. It's not as good as the Jim Carrey version & nowhere near as good as the Chuck Jones version. Would I watch it again. Maybe. But I'd watch the others before this one.
  
The Girl In Between
The Girl In Between
Laekan Zea Kemp | 2014 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Great, characters, imaginative mix of Fantasy and issues connected with Disability (0 more)
Nothing (0 more)
‘The Girl In Between’ was the first book I read for the ‘Disability Read-a-Thon’ in October and, because this was a free download, I didn’t have high expectations for this book at all. However, I was very pleasantly surprised.

This book’s main character Bryn has a sleeping syndrome, which means that she can suddenly sleep for weeks and months on end. This didn’t mean however, that she a poor defenseless girl, in fact she was the opposite. She was funny, sarcastic and a fully rounded teenager and I thought she was relatable and likeable.

This book wasn’t just about Disability but the book does cover some of the issues that, even though I don’t have the same condition as Bryn, I could relate to, when I was growing up. However, it was also a complex mix of real life, fantasy and Bryn’s condition, which was seamlessly and imaginatively, incorporated into the story.

There were a couple of times when I thought that this book would develop into a slushy teen romance, but thankfully, this just managed not to turn into this and any kind of romance was maturely and sensitively handled.

I found the pace of this to be excellent. In no part of the book did I feel the story dragged and I really wanted to know what would happen to the characters.

I think that the ending was really good and it resolved enough to feel satisfied at the end, but it left enough for me to want to read the rest of the series.

I will definitely be reading the rest of this series at some point. I would recommend reading this book, whether you want to read something with a strong main character who has a Disability, or you enjoy a good Fantasy read.

My Rating ****
  
Death with a Dark Red Rose
Death with a Dark Red Rose
Julia Buckley | 2020 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Mysterious Disappearance
Life is going well for Lena London. Her latest collaboration with bestselling novelist Camilla Graham is doing well, she and her fiance, Sam West, are just starting to plan their wedding, and she enjoys spending time with her new friends in Blue Lake. The only shadow is the new factory that is being built just outside of town. It looks like the building is going to be an eye sore, and Lena is not happy about it and other ways it might change this area she considers home. However, a cold wind blows in when someone vanishes. Soon, Lena and her friends are caught up in another race to figure out what is happening before things turn deadly. Will they solve things in time?

I thought this novel’s beginning was weak, but it was the weakest part of the story. Even then, that is a minor complaint since I was hooked from the very first page and could hardly put the book down until I reached the end. If real life didn’t interfere, I could have easily finished it in one sitting. I did see one or two twists coming, but there were plenty others I didn’t suspect, but they made perfect sense by the time we reached the end of the story. I love Lena and her friends, and we got plenty of time with them in these pages. Their relationships are fantastic. Each chapter starts with a quote from the projects that Lena and Camilla are currently working on, and I found they helped me better understand just how this series works Gothic elements into each book. Honestly, I’d love to read their books if they were real. It is best to read this series in order since some events of previous books are spoiled by necessity. That’s not an issue since all the books in this series are great. Set aside plenty of time when you pick up this book because you won’t want to put it down until you’ve read every thrilling page.
  
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JT (287 KP) rated The A-Team (2010) in Movies

Mar 10, 2020  
The A-Team (2010)
The A-Team (2010)
2010 | Action
It might be seen as a risk to make a film off the back of a successful T.V. show, especially if you take Transformers as the prime example of poor execution, but the A-Team was the big budget blockbuster that everyone expected it to be.

The back story is still pretty much the same, four decorated soldiers are framed for a crime they didn’t commit are out on the run to clear their names. The opening sequence allows for all the characters to be introduced in their own unique way.

Gruff talking Liam Neeson as Col. Hannibal Smith, Smooth talking Bradley Cooper as Lt. Templeton ‘Faceman’ Peck, Rough talking Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson as the iconic mohawk styled B.A. Baracus and the crazy talking Sharlto Copley as howling mad Murdoch. It really couldn’t be a more perfectly cast ensemble, only Jessica Biel’s Charissa Sosa proves to be the weak link in the chain.

Director Joe Carnahan is no stranger to full bloodied action scenes having previously helmed Smokin Aces, but with the A-Team he got the chance to push the envelope even further on the non believable. From a falling tank to a finale that does to a container ship what an iceberg did to the Titanic. It’s a balls out testosterone filled epic that is surely not going to cause any disappointment.

Its a film in its own right, of course everything and anything can be drawn to the original and long running T.V. series but as a plot goes it’s quite an entertaining script, with some of the trademark A-Team mechanical inventions…you know in the garage queue the music, and a few cheeky cameos you’ll do well to spot.

Talk of a sequel has been mooted, whether that actually happens would be anyone’s guess but the rumour mill is always churning and we should never say never. I do love it when a plan come together!
  
Monster, She Wrote
Monster, She Wrote
Lisa Kröger, Melanie R. Anderson | 2019 | Biography
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I loved the concept behind this book, as a fan of gothic horror, and a lover of information, I was looking forward to getting a lot out of this.

The book is divided into eight parts, each focusing on a certain type of Horror or ‘Weird’ fiction. Within each part is a short introduction to each author and their works. Followed by a recommended reading list of the authors works, and other similar authors works.

As I said, in principle this book sounded great. Unfortunately it fell a bit short for me. It was full of some great facts, and I did come away learning something, but just as I was really getting my teeth into an interesting story or fact about an author, they moved onto the next thing. leaving me hanging!

Another note of discord for me was some of the references. Despite the fact there are a number of British authors featured, it didn’t feel like the book was aimed at an international audience. There were quite a few references to TV shows, magazines, and other authors that never quite made it over the pond. Unfortunately at times it just felt like I was involved in a conversation riddled with private jokes that I would never really ‘get’.

It’s not all bad though, as there were some nice illustrations within the book. My ARC hadn’t been formatted properly yet for me to get the most out of the illustrations, but from what I can see they’ll add a nice little touch to it. Plus, If this has done anything it has peaked my interest. I now want to find out more about a few authors and their works, and I have a few more books on my TBR list.

In summary, it is really a good book if you like just little titbits of information and a recommended reads list. If you want more in depth information, avoid.
  
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Caribou recommended Music for 18 Musicians by Steve Reich in Music (curated)

 
Music for 18 Musicians by Steve Reich
Music for 18 Musicians by Steve Reich
1998 | Classical
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Again, I've gone for the "pop" album - I've gone for the greatest hit. I thought about all his records and the minimalist composers, and I could have gone for a Terry Riley record or whatever, but there's a reason this is his hit. I could come back and listen to this any time. One of the greatest live music experiences of my life was when Steve Reich had his 70th birthday at the Barbican, and he came over with his musicians and did nearly all of his classic pieces. I saw Drumming and other stuff, and then I saw this at a little church across the street from the Barbican and it's so beautiful, so gorgeous. Really, really moving. Having said that, this year Kieran and I booked a trip of DJ gigs because we hadn't seen each other in a while, and we played the Snowbombing festival in Austria, which was hilarious. We were driving around, so we hired my friend who's this really placid Czech guy. He's the driver on all my tours and I've never seen him get agitated about anything ever. Most people who drive primarily for a living are prone to road rage, but I've never seen him lose it. So he asked us if we wanted to put on any music so on went Music For 18 Musicians. He's not really a music fan - if you put on Albert Ayler he'd be like, "Jesus Christ, what are you trying to do to me here?!" So we were driving through the Alps, I was chatting to him and Kieran and listening to this piece of music that I love. I didn't really notice but he'd gone silent and 40 minutes in he was like, "Um, excuse me, this music's driving me insane, can we please turn it off?" To me it's the opposite of that, it's the most soothing music possible, so I guess that illustrates that it's not for everyone."

Source
  
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DJ Muggs recommended Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin in Music (curated)

 
Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin
1971 | Rock
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"When I first heard Led Zeppelin, I was a kid in kindergarten but my uncle and my mum used to pump Led Zeppelin loudly. I grew up with those mad eight-tracks and all the imagery in their songs hit my imagination hard. It was so hard to pick one record of theirs – I obviously couldn't pick them all but this is the one that came to my mind first and the one I think I heard and played the most. I also loved the album cover for this; I used to look at this record cover for hours and I'd never get bored. I got deeper into this record I think because I was hearing stories that if you played the record backwards, it said something. There were so many folklore stories around this album when I was a kid growing up and it was ripe for the imagination. Next thing when you're listening you'd see the fucking hermit from the tarot cards and you'd hear these stories that Jimmy Page bought Aleister Crowley's house and then next they'd suddenly be going to India and working with all these different musicians. All these wild stories, all the mysticism behind the band is what really sucked me in with Led Zeppelin. When this record came out, there was no internet and you didn't know if the stories were all true or not so they had this great mystery to them. There were a couple of television shows but I'd never seen Led Zeppelin on TV; there were no music videos back then either. Even magazine articles about them were short. There was a great mystery to them and it just left it all open to your imagination to make up its own shit and my imagination is wild. Their stage shows were also ridiculous and they completely revolutionised touring today. So many things they did inspired me, inspired Cypress Hill."

Source
  
Pudge & Prejudice
Pudge & Prejudice
A.K. Pittman | 2021 | Romance, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Do you like Pride and Prejudice? Well, I have a love/hate relationship with the story as I love Darcy but want to clobber him at the same time! However, this retelling of the story… is extraordinary. From the first chapter, I was fascinated by Elyse and the way Allison Pittman immersed me in her story. Elyse and Billy Fitz (how cool are their names?!) played off each other so well, I loved their conversations, the letter passing in class, and how both cared so much about the people around them. Allison Pittman also did a great job telling interweaving themes that are so prevalent and realistic into the characters’ thoughts and actions, such as body positivity and being careful who your friends are. Elyse’s older sister Jayne, and Billy’s best friend Charlie, plus the other beloved characters’ help make this story truly unique and engaging.

I loved the setting (Northenfield, TX), the 1980s drama, and the emphasis on music. Plus, all the 1980s references throughout the story helped to shape thing into a funny, realistic, and heart touching retelling of the original. Yet, it stands out as one of the most memorable renditions of Jane Austen’s works, that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It was also interesting to see how Allison Pittman took the 1800s classic and evolved it into a new classic.

Overall, I think any age group would enjoy this book especially if you enjoyed the original. I know it will be going down as one of my favorite stories this year. 5 out of 5 stars.

*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.

IF Y’ALL LOVE ’80S MUSIC BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE PLAY LIST THAT JENN FROM<a href="https://thatswhatshesreading.com/2021/02/05/pudge-and-prejudice-book-review/">THAT’S WHAT SHE’S READING</a> PUT TOGETHER!