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Alexis Taylor recommended Mid-Eighties by Robert Wyatt in Music (curated)

 
Mid-Eighties by Robert Wyatt
Mid-Eighties by Robert Wyatt
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Old Rottenhat is an album that came out in 1985, and Works In Progress is an EP from the same time. They get grouped together on a compilation album called Mid-Eighties. On that album, he's using a lot more synthesiser, and a lot less acoustic and jazz instrumentation. I heard that when I was working at Domino where I used to work a few years ago, and it was just on in the office. I'd heard plenty of other Robert Wyatt but this was the stuff that I liked the most. I liked the combination of his very frail, beautiful voice mixed with properly 80s-sounding synthesisers. I like the claustrophobic sound, and the reverbs, and the synths. They're not nasty-sounding synths. For me, it's just very colourful-sounding music. I got to work with him more recently with Hot Chip, because we were such fans, and it was a real pleasure to be in the studio with him. He gave a lot of himself to the project, and came up with some amazing parts to add to our tracks. He would sing one song of mine, but he wouldn't sing another because he needed them to feel like something he had lived. I have to feel like stuff resonates with me. I liked his honesty, and what he bought to those recordings was amazing. There's a lot to learn from him - he's very political, and I'm not like that at all. And one of the things he was doing when he made Old Rottenhat was creating lyrics that nobody could misunderstand, in terms of political meaning. I was impressed by him not hiding anything, and that's something I like to do with my music in terms of the emotional content."

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Conrad (Assassin's To Order #4)
Conrad (Assassin's To Order #4)
JP Sayle, Lisa Oliver | 2023 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
CONRAD is the fourth and final book in the Assassin's To Order series and... NO! Just, NO!!! This can't be the final book. It just can't. There's still a brother that needs to find love, plus I need the details of Wyatt and James, so NO!!!

These authors really love to stomp all over my heart. I know they'll do it, but I just can't seem to help myself when it comes to reading their stories. Conrad is the most jovial of the brothers and yet is also the one to never give up control. When he finds his mate in Kylo, he is all in. He trusts Fate, simple as that. I did wonder about Kylo as he is quite highly strung in previous books, but I needn't have worried. Conrad knew how to calm him down!

I loved how the overall story arc came to a satisfying end, plus there is a specific scene when Kylo takes care of Conrad that I found both heartrending and absolutely beautiful!

I'm just not prepared to say goodbye to these guys. I loved the Thalassas and am so glad I read their stories, but I'm afraid the Assassins have knocked them off their perch. Don't get me wrong, I still love all the Krakens, but these guys... And Ekon hasn't got anyone yet! Don't leave him alone. He broke my heart. 😭 He needs to find his mate, PLEASE!

Absolutely brilliant and HIGHLY recommended by me. Just... please... don't leave me hanging. Bring the boys back and let Ekon find happiness!

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

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

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
I've Got Your Number
I've Got Your Number
Sophie Kinsella, Finty Williams | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.2 (11 Ratings)
Book Rating
Poppy Wyatt has just gotten engaged to Magnus Tavish. He gives her a gorgeous emerald ring that he had to get from the family lockbox. Then the unthinkable happens all in one horrendous day. First, she loses the ring after her friends are passing it around at an afternoon tea and then while she is on the phone trying to locate the ring, she is mugged and the phone is snatched right out of her hand. She finds another phone discarded in the bin(trash), what luck! Only problem is the owner wants it back before she finds her ring.

This is a cute and quirky story set in England. Poppy is marrying Magnus after being his physiotherapist. Theirs is a quick romance. Poppy's girlfriends are jealous and her future in-laws are very unsure about this relationship. When Poppy meets Sam, the owner of the phone, she can't help but insert herself into his life. They have the misfortune to share a phone since Sam is without a Personal Assistant(she's the one who tossed the phone) and Poppy has given this number to anyone in connection with finding her ring.

I listened to this book on my way to and from work this past week. It was read in an English accent and I found myself wanting to do the same. What I liked about this book was the sense of adventure tied into the romance. Trying to resolve a few crises in the midst of planning a wedding and trying to live life. They say, you can't help who or when you will fall in love. Poppy never meant to fall in love with Magnus while he was her patient. She never meant to lose his family's priceless heirloom. She didn't mean to have her phone 'nicked' and she certainly didn't mean to find a phone in the bin and be forever connected to Sam Rockston.

This is a cute, quick adventurous love story.
  
BV
Bleeding Violet
Dia Reeves | 2010
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves
Genre: YA, Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 4/5

My Summary: Hanna is a freak. Diagnosed with Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia, Hyperactivity, Insanity, and nearly shut away as a maniac-depressive, she runs away from home in search of the mother she never knew. On arriving in her mother’s strange town called Portero, she makes a deal with her mom—if she can fit in with the people in this town within two weeks, she can stay. Her mother scoffs at the idea of Hanna being able to fit into the town—but Hanna soon learns that this has nothing to do with her, and everything to do with the town. Portero is like nothing she’s ever seen or heard of or imagined before. Strange creatures, invisible doors, a police-like force with a strange sense of right and wrong, a boy who she’s not sure if she likes or hates (but knows for sure that he’s hot), and a mayor who thinks she’s a god, Hanna starts her two-week challenge trying to fit in—and ends it trying to save the lives of everyone she loves.

Review:

Bleeding Violet was freakishly amazing, morbidly exciting, and realistically romantic.

 I love it when the romance between the characters is real—not two perfect people who never fight who get along perfect. No, the romance between Hanna and Wyatt was not perfect, but it was there and it was special, and it was funny.

This whole book was funny. Though parts of it were strange and morbid, a lot of it was moderately confusing in an understandable way (Does that make any sense? probably not. Remember that Hanna is insane. She hallucinates… and makes some pretty interesting things happen near the end. It is confusing because it’s impossible, but understandable because she’s crazy.). I laughed almost the whole way through. It’s light and heavy, witty and serious, all mixed with the color purple.

The characters were my favorite. All the characters were very distinct and different. Sometimes when reading a story, some of the minor characters kind of blend together and seem similar, not defined enough, because they don’t really matter. But in Bleeding Violet, all the characters are distinct. I’m not sure if telling everyone that I identify with Hanna would be a wise idea because it might scare you… but to a certain extent, I did (and do) relate to her. Not just because of my own insanity (mwa-ha-ha!) but because her character was written in a very clear personal way. The story is told from first person inside Hanna’s head, so I knew exactly what Hanna was thinking all the time. Wyatt wasn’t perfect either. He had his flaws and that made him a real person. The change in Rosalie (the mother) was… both interesting and wonderful to see (Trying to keep this spoiler-free… but those of you who’ve read it already know what I mean by “change”).

The plot was engaging and fast paced, but not rushed. The details enhanced the story, rather than slowing it down just for the sake of telling you what something looked or felt like.

Bleeding Violet has a good mix of reality and paranormal. It’s mixed well enough that you can relate to it and it feels like our present day, age, and atmosphere, but the paranormal aspects are still strong and don’t feel out of place.

The low points of the book were the writing, and the ending. The writing was nothing special, but for the most part it was acceptable. The ending wasn’t a let down, but it could have been better. It was cute and sweet, but it didn’t fix all the problems, didn’t answer all the questions, and didn’t have quite enough closure for me.


Content: There was some sex, but no explicit details. There were some sexual references, moderate language, and some morbid details. Not for the easily offended or the weak of stomach.

Recommendation: Ages 16+ to anyone who doesn’t mind being a little freaked out or surprised by crazy people.

Will I buy this book and read it again? Yes, probably. (I read the e-book copy for review.) It will (hopefully soon) have a permanent spot on my bookshelf.



~Haleyknitz
  
Mistletoe Miracles (Ransom Canyon #7)
Mistletoe Miracles (Ransom Canyon #7)
Jodi Thomas | 2018 | Contemporary, Romance
10
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Lovable Characters (3 more)
Interesting Plot
Great Worldbuilding
Good Pacing
A Clean, Sweet Read
I'm not usually a romance person, but the synopsis for Mistletoe Miracles by Jodi Thomas caught my attention. I'm really glad I read Mistletoe Miracles because I absolutely adored this book. In fact, Mistletoe Miracles may have converted me to be a romance reader. It has definitely made me a Jodi Thomas fan for sure.

The pacing for Mistletoe Miracles was spot on. It wasn't a fast paced book, but it wasn't slow paced either. It moved at a nice relaxing pace, and I found myself loving it.

The plot for Mistletoe Miracles is a sweet one. It was interesting to see each couple's relationship blossom. Mallory is on the run from her abusive ex-boyfriend. She ends up in a car crash. Her dog is also injured in the crash. Little does Jax know he has her dog, but once he figures it out, it's the start of something sweet. Griffin needs a rich bride in order to save his working ranch that's been in the family for generations. Sunlan, a ranch girl herself, is just the right woman to fill that position. She's also looking for someone to take her away from her overbearing father. Wyatt is a soldier just looking for a place to rest while on leave. With everyone assuming he's Jamie's husband, he is taken to Jamie's house after he falls asleep and has a small crash. Jamie has been out of town, but when she returns, she's gets the biggest surprise of her life. However, she's been telling everyone she's married even though she's not. Wyatt may just be the (pretend) husband she needs. The reader has the pleasure of reading about each immersive relationship and how each one blossoms in its own way. There are no major plot twists, but Mistletoe Miracles is a book that doesn't need plot twists to be enjoyable. All loose ends are also tied up by the end of the book which I was happy about. I also liked that Mistletoe Miracles can be read as a standalone.

I felt that the world building in Mistletoe Miracles was done very well. Jodi Thomas makes it so easy to feel as if you are one of the characters in her book. She puts you right in the midst of everything that is happening, and it is so easy to lose yourself within each page of the story. Mistletoe Miracles takes place in Texas which made me enjoy the book even more! The world building is so realistic in this novel that I would lose track of time whenever I was reading it.

I loved every character in Mistletoe Miracles. I felt each character was fleshed out substantially, and every character felt like they were an actual real person instead of a character in a book. My favorite characters in this book were Sunlan and Griffin. I loved how they started out a bit distant towards each other, but eventually, they warmed up to one another and came out of their shell, especially Sunlan. Don't get me wrong, I loved the other characters too, but it was Sunlan's and Griffin's relationship that I loved the most. I did enjoy reading about all the other character's relationships as well, and I found them to be very interesting. Each character had something to bring to the table to make Mistletoe Miracles the great read it is.

There aren't many trigger warnings for Mistletoe Miracles. I would classify it was a clean romance. There's no swearing and no steamy scenes. There is some violence although it is not graphic. There is some drinking of alcohol as well as kissing. There's also talk about making love but everything is implied and not described in graphic detail.

Overall, Mistletoe Miracles is a very sweet and refreshing read that will warm even the most hardened hearts. It's got very likable and realistic characters characters, an interesting plot, and fantastic world building. I would definitely recommend Mistletoe Miracles by Jodi Thomas to everyone aged 16+ whether they like romance or not. This is one of those books that everyone should read even if romance isn't their preferred genre.

(Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this title in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
  
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Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Overlord (2018) in Movies

Jul 3, 2020 (Updated Oct 29, 2020)  
Overlord (2018)
Overlord (2018)
2018 | Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Rated-R Horror movie, lots of action, lots of gore, diverse group of characters/cast. (0 more)
the movie wound up too over the top for me, at least towards the very end (0 more)
Over The Top Action Horror Gorefest - 8/10
Overlord is a action/horror movie directed by Julius Avery, and written by Billy Ray and Mark L. Smith. Produced by J. J. Abrams and Lindsey Weber through Bad Robot Productions, it's R rating, action, and gore carry it past where so many PG-13 horror movies fall short. I really enjoyed this movie despite the familiarity of feeling like a movie version of Call of Duty's Nazi Zombies.


The night before D-day a squad of paratroopers are tasked with destroying a German radio tower in an occupied French village. Before they can reach their target their plane is shot down and they are left with a ragtag group of survivors: Private First Class Ed Boyce (Jovan Adepo), and Corporal Ford (Wyatt Russell) among others. Also starring John Magaro, Iain De Caestecker, Jacob Anderson, and Dominic Applewhite. While traveling they find a French woman, Chloe (Matthilde Ollivier) who leads them to her home in the village where she lives with her little brother. Boyce is ordered to look for survivors at a rendezvous point and while avoiding detection, has no choice but to infiltrate the base to hide from soldiers. While using the base as a means of escape and avoid capture he learns the Nazis are submitting p.o.w.s and villagers to horrendous experiments involving a mysterious liquid.


While no character came off as exclusively entertaining to me, I felt the film did well in conveying the difficulty of a diverse group being forced to work with each other for their survival. I also felt the casting was successful, although the lead didn't fall into the usual "soldier" archetype, the others did, but rounded off the group in a good way. The casts' chemistry was good, their roles were believable plus the special effects and gore were awesome. Like I said 8/10, almost a 9, but I felt it suspended disbelief too much at the end and was a little "too" over the top.


  
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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in TV

Apr 24, 2021 (Updated Jul 16, 2021)  
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
2021 | Action, Drama
Contains spoilers, click to show
On the surface, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier starts off in a familiar fashion. The first couple of episodes feel like a (welcome) return to the earlier days of the MCU, but as the story develops, it just blossoms into so much more.
The narrative mainly focuses on the two titular Avengers taking on a revolutionary group, hell bent on returning to a post snap world. It deals head first with the fallout of Thanos' devastating blow in Infinity War, and the subsequent return of the 3.5 billion people who re-materialised after Endgame, and the issues that came with them. It's good to see that Marvel Studios aren't avoiding these complicated plot points that could have potentially just been swept under the rug.
The series also develops the John Walker/U.S. Agent comic story. Its well realised and Wyatt Russell is fantastic in the role. Daniel Brühl returns as Baron Zemo after an underwhelming narrative in Civil War, and unexpectedly is plain hilarious (and finally in full costume, even if it is for one scene).
As well as all this, fans of the comics are treated to a plethora of potential future stories - The introduction of Madripoor marks the first proper acknowledgement of X-Men material. Lesser known comic characters such as Isiah Bradley, Madame Hydra, Battlestar, Batroc, and Ayo are given screentime. There's even some carrots dangled for a potential Young Avengers adaption with the appearance of Eli Bradley/Patriot (and with Kate Bishop incoming, surely this is a thing)
Perhaps most importantly, TFATWS doesn't shy away from tackling race issues, touching upon real world events, and developing them into the plot. This spills over into the future of Captain America, and what the shield represents to the black community. There are some truly powerful moments of dialogue, especially between Isiah and Sam. It's all handled respectfully, and brings new depth the MCU, as they stride into a more diverse future.

With this series, and the preceding WandaVision, this new phase for the MCU is off to an incredibly strong start, and I'm so excited to see where they take it. Between Falcon rightfully taking the reigns as Captain America, the upcoming Shang Chi movie finally adapting the martial arts corner of Marvel for the MCU, and the tantalising promise of the multiverse, it's a good time to be a Marvel fan.
  
Legend (A Claire Whitcomb Western #3)
Legend (A Claire Whitcomb Western #3)
D.V. Berkom | 2021 | Thriller
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
If, like me, you tend to bypass the Western or Historical Fiction genres thinking they might be boring or not what you usually enjoy, can I give you a little advice? Don't ... take a look at the blurb and if it sparks even a little light of interest, give it a go ... you never know, you might enjoy it. I have certainly enjoyed this series and it is way off what I normally read.

This is a very satisfying third and, supposedly the last, book in the series featuring Claire Whitcomb with "Retribution" being the first and "Gunslinger" being the second. Claire is a strong female in a time when strong females were frowned upon and she has to work doubly hard to follow the line of work she wishes and to prove herself amongst a world full of men; she does this with grace, dignity and style in this story filled with action and adventure set in the Wild West.

What I particularly enjoy is the references to real historical figures and places such as Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, Calamity Jane, Tombstone and the OK Corral; these are people and places I have grown up with (my dad and husband being avid Western watchers) and with adding a great character like Claire in amongst it all brought it to life even more for me.

My only gripe, which has continued over the three books, is that they aren't long enough ... you no sooner start when you have finished but maybe that's my fault and I read too quickly!

Having said that, I still highly recommend this series and D.V. Berkom as a whole; you won't be disappointed with anything she writes because, let's face it, what's not to like - great characters, immersive stories that transport you to different times and places, action, adventure, thrills and spills; she writes about it all with the bonus of the lead characters being strong females that aren't afraid to kick some behinds! So, have a look at her back catalogue and get reading.

I am lucky to be a member of D.V. Berkom's ARTeam and was sent a copy of Legend before the official publication date of 12-January-2020 in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review and for which I am, once again, extremely grateful.