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Fifty Shades Darker
Fifty Shades Darker
E.L. James | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry
10
7.2 (44 Ratings)
Book Rating
Okay, first off I have to say that I have a friend that we talked into reading the 1st book in the series. As she was reading she commented that it is just so unromantic. I replied well, it's not supposed to be, that's not who Christian Grey is! BOY WAS I WRONG! (And yes, Mr. Grey, I did just use shouty capitals!) This book flipped that idea completely on its head. He managed to show yet another unexpected side to his "fifty shades of fucked up" in this installment.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first without a doubt! I don't want to give anything away at all. This series truly lives up & deserves all the buzz it has gotten of late. If you want to know what it is all about, well, you won't get that from me. You'll just have to take a chance & go pick them up. I will say if you do, make sure you pick up all 3. Once you start you won't want to stop until you are done!
  
Shazam! (2019)
Shazam! (2019)
2019 | Action, Sci-Fi
Great casting, excellent chemistry, fun action (0 more)
Villain issues (not a really strong motivation) (0 more)
Really good movie that could've done just a little more
After having some busy days of work, I finally had time to catch this movie and I'm really glad I did. With this being an origin story of a character I barely knew about about, it did one thing correctly they Marvel continues to do is make you care about your lead without much hesitation. At first he'll seem so idiotic for his actions (after all he's 15 years old), but considering what he went through, you'll get it.

I loved the acting and chemistry that went on between the entire cast, and one character will truly steal your heart (if you've seen it, you know who I mean). Main issue overall is the villain, unfortunately that's something else that this movie picked up from Marvel (weak villains up until Civil War). The actor did an excellent job from what he's given, but he seemed so one note that all he needed was the classic villain mustache to twirl and tie a damsel onto the train tracks.

Despite that issue, this is a definite recommended movie that you'll enjoy and worth a watch in theaters.

Also, be sure to stick for the first post credits scene, the second one is a silly joke that might not work for most.
  
Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)
Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)
2018 | Biography, Documentary
It's always a beautiful day in the neighborhood,
For in the worst of times you always made me see the good.
You would walk in with a smile on your face,
I knew that I was welcome at your place.
And no matter the weather,
You would put on your sweater.
Then you would sit down to put on more comfortable shoes,
Making me comfortable knowing I had a neighbor like you.
Together we would feed the fish,
Sometimes go to the kitchen and make a dish.
It was always my brain and heart that you were feeding,
As a kid you knew exactly what I was needing.
Messages would come from Mr. McFeely,
Who would show up with a speedy delivery.
When I'd hear the bell of the trolley,
I'd get excited and feel jolly.
For I knew we were off to visit our puppetry friends,
On the other side of the tunnel in make believe land.
You taught me what to do with my mad,
And that it was okay to be sad.
You helped in dealing with the bad and serious issues of the world,
But at the end of everyday in me the good you had restored.
In our daily meetings on television with me there is so much that you left,
I am special, amazing the way I am, and in the scary to be the one that helps.
It was in your words that I did find,
The key to success is being kind.
In many ways you were a savior whose love will always be savored,
Mister Rogers I will be forever grateful that you were my neighbor.
  
Another winner from the uberly talented Roseanna M. White. I sat down to read this book, coffee in hand (singing 'the' coffee jingle.....perhaps someday you blog readers will know just what that means!) to myself, and relaxing into my recliner. I was so reading to dive into this book. It was long awaited after reading A NAME UNKNOWN and falling in love. This book couldn't come fast enough for me. Did it disappoint? Oh no. No it did not. It gripped me, sent me spinning like I was on a tiltawhirl, and left me feeling breathless by the last page.

Willa and Lukas....oh Willa and Lukas. What can I say about this tenderly created characters? They are real to me. They came alive with each page turn. Their story, their music, flowing together, each strand of their being becoming mine. I loved that feeling! Their feelings wrapped me up, making me a part of their lives.

The faith and hope that is woven among these pages is beautifully done. I could heard the strands of the music coming from Willa's violin. I could feel the harmony of the love blending perfectly. Oh what a feeling that was! God's unending grace and mercy were the cords to this fantabulously written story.

I absolutely recommend that you stop what you are doing right now, find a retailer and click on the "buy now" option. While it could be read as a stand alone, I still recommend you read book 1, A Name Unknown, to feel the depth, the fullness that these books can leave you with. This 5 stars times 50 worthy. This is two thumbs up, hats off, mountain top shouting worthy. Ms. White has once again fulfilled her duties of bringing forth a novel that her fans, old and new alike, will forever talk about. Well done, Ms. White! Well done!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from CelebrateLit/Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
  
    Fake-A-Call ™

    Fake-A-Call ™

    Entertainment and Utilities

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    ☆ Now you can fake outgoing phone calls too! Complete with 'fake answerer' recordings! ☆ This...

The Haunting of Hill House
The Haunting of Hill House
2018 | Horror
Beautifully and cleverly written (3 more)
Amazing cast
Amazing acting
Some good twists
A beautiful well-crafted story
This was a fantastic season. Before watching I was hearing insane hype about this show and it did get me worried. There have been many shows and movies in the past that to me were well overhyped before I watched and did not deliver. Finally the hype is real. This is by far my favourite show of the year.

It is creepy throughout the entire season while having so much emotion and believability with this family that have been through many traumatic experiences and you can see the damage and scarring within each character thanks to their incredible performance. The beautiful writing, the believable acting and eery score all add to a compelling and gripping story all the way to the end.

There are so many twists throughout the entire thing which I did not see coming. By the end, the whole thing felt like a puzzle. Everything connected in a way I never expected. What you thought were completely different things would be connected like puzzle pieces and it made the whole thing work and leave you admiring this beautiful piece of art.

I think it's obvious I can't recommend this enough. I'd love to see more from this. Maybe even make this an anthology series with a new cast and era.
  
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
1946 | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

"It’s just awesome. What is there not to love about this movie? Donna Reed was amazing! My brother wants to marry Donna Reed. I’m like, “Dude, she’s a little old for you now.” I love the way he (George Bailey) was a happy guy but then can get cantankerous sometimes. Jimmy Stewart was just fantastic in that. I love the magic feel of it and I love the whole idea at the end of this person who did so much for everybody else and really stood on his own and sacrificed so much, that when he finally gave up and needed (help), everyone was there for him and I just cry every single time. I cry every single time. My brother actually says that I am that character in real life. I AM George Bailey. He’s like, “That’s you. You are that guy,” and every time I get ticked off when finally the pressure gets to me — because I do take care of a lot of people — he just yells at me, “Why do we have to have so many kids,” which is of course a Jimmy Stewart line. I even did It’s a Wonderful Life on a thing called “Fake Radio” where we did the entire radio version, on radio. It was great! So, I love that movie!"

Source
  
ME
Midnight Exposure (Midnight, #1)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Don't you just love it when you read a book and it is so much more than what you expected? This is what happened to me when I read Midnight Exposure. I thought it would the usual story of hero meets heroine, they don't get on, big calamity, insta-love, everything's fine. That is so NOT what you get with this. You get a well thought out, full of plot, suspenseful story. Yes, there are overtures of romance to the book but they are brilliantly done.

Our main female and male leads both come with baggage and flaws. Jayne is no weeping wallflower mind you. One of my favourite parts of the book was when she used her black belt karate on someone. She is not just going to sit there and be a victim. The supporting characters are all well rounded and develop really well throughout the book.

As for the 'occult' side of things - I thought this was remarkably well written and that's coming from a pagan. Too often in books, knowledge is mis-used or only given in part and the result can be something that makes me cringe as it dumps every earth and nature based religion in with satanism. The parts of this book that were revealing more about the villain and his motives etc, never painted the actual symbolism as black, instead just showing how it was being used for his purposes. I know I haven't explained it very well but trust me, Melinda Leigh did a great job. As for the reviewer who said "we get no clue what kind of religion this is", I suggest you take a re-read as it is written plain as day.

Loved this book and have started on book 2, Midnight Sacrifice. Recommended!