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TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated Heart of a Royal (Daughters of Peverell, #1) in Books
Feb 24, 2021
WOW! This book. Was kinda an eye opener for me. I honestly did not know what to expect when I picked up this book to read. Growing up I was kind of a late bloomer regarding reading. Therefore, I never (and I mean never) read any YA fiction I would only read what was required of me for school assignments. I took a chance on reading this book because I thought the description sounded good (I have been trying to pick books solely based on descriptions). It did not disappoint me. Hannah Currie did a marvelously good job conveying many different characteristics of who we are as Sons and Daughters of the King. Princess (Lady) Mackenna is a very well-developed character, who displays strength when things don’t go as expected. All the while she is still silently searching for the answers her heart seeks. She does end up finding hope when she least expects it. Personally, I can relate to this story very easily (Not that I am royalty) but, I have always struggled with finding my place in this world and how God can use me. I think Hannah Currie did a great job covering this aspect in the story. Prince Thoraben (Ben) was also a great character. Though he was not the main character of the story, we do get lots of insight into his character, which I liked.
With some very interesting twists in this book that I wasn’t expecting, a dash of a very sweet romance (I absolutely loved that part), great characters and plot development I give this book a 5 out of 5 star rating. It was so good I literally could not put it down, and I can’t wait to read more books by Hannah Currie and I highly suggest picking this book up to read.
With some very interesting twists in this book that I wasn’t expecting, a dash of a very sweet romance (I absolutely loved that part), great characters and plot development I give this book a 5 out of 5 star rating. It was so good I literally could not put it down, and I can’t wait to read more books by Hannah Currie and I highly suggest picking this book up to read.
Dee (0 KP) rated Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #1) in Books
Mar 12, 2021
Contains spoilers, click to show
Minor spoilers ...
This started out so well. It was incredibly magical - secret doorways on earth, which took the main character Karou, into a shop where her chimeara 'family' resided. Karou has little knowledge, being human, about her own origins or how she ended up in the care of Brimstone, the shop's custodian. All she knows is that he collects an endless supply of teeth (which she is often sent to pick up from around the world - the shop's doorway acting as a portal that deposits her anywhere on earth). There is a second door within the shop, which Karou is not allowed near and she has no idea what lies beyond it. Messages are sent to her via a crow-like creature. So far, so mysterious. It reminded me a little of Narnia or The Adventures of the Wishing Chair / Magic Faraway Tree. Oh, and if that's not enough - the teeth are used to help grant wishes (ranging from minor to major).
I'm a big fan of dual-world/magic-portal books. However, as the novel went on it became less intriguing. It slips into the sort of insta-love that is ten-a-penny in YA fiction. Also, I just felt that the 'big reveal' of what was behind the second door was a bit of a letdown. And the whole war between angels and chimera felt somehow jarring and unimaginative. I feel mean-spirited saying this, but the dynamic and world-building just didn't capture my imagination. The layering of the back-story also felt a bit forced and I started to find it dull.
I suppose the real test of the first book in a trilogy (as this is) is whether the reader can't wait to pick up the next instalment. Personally, I'm not sure I would bother. A shame, really, as it started out so well.
This started out so well. It was incredibly magical - secret doorways on earth, which took the main character Karou, into a shop where her chimeara 'family' resided. Karou has little knowledge, being human, about her own origins or how she ended up in the care of Brimstone, the shop's custodian. All she knows is that he collects an endless supply of teeth (which she is often sent to pick up from around the world - the shop's doorway acting as a portal that deposits her anywhere on earth). There is a second door within the shop, which Karou is not allowed near and she has no idea what lies beyond it. Messages are sent to her via a crow-like creature. So far, so mysterious. It reminded me a little of Narnia or The Adventures of the Wishing Chair / Magic Faraway Tree. Oh, and if that's not enough - the teeth are used to help grant wishes (ranging from minor to major).
I'm a big fan of dual-world/magic-portal books. However, as the novel went on it became less intriguing. It slips into the sort of insta-love that is ten-a-penny in YA fiction. Also, I just felt that the 'big reveal' of what was behind the second door was a bit of a letdown. And the whole war between angels and chimera felt somehow jarring and unimaginative. I feel mean-spirited saying this, but the dynamic and world-building just didn't capture my imagination. The layering of the back-story also felt a bit forced and I started to find it dull.
I suppose the real test of the first book in a trilogy (as this is) is whether the reader can't wait to pick up the next instalment. Personally, I'm not sure I would bother. A shame, really, as it started out so well.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Since You've Been Gone in Books
Mar 25, 2021
A fun, summery YA read
This is the nineteenth book in my #atozchallenge! I'm challenging myself to read a book from my shelves that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Let's clear those shelves and delve into that backlist!
When Emily's best friend Sloane disappears, right on the cusp of the epic summer they have planned, she feels adrift. Sloane is outgoing while Emily is shy, and she doesn't know what to do without her friend. But then a letter arrives from Sloane, with a list of things Emily should do over the summer, such as "kiss a stranger," "dance until dawn," "hug a Jamie," and more. Very little on the list are things Emily feels comfortable with--they are more Sloane-esque--but she embarks on them anyway, hoping they will bring her friend back. Soon she has the unexpected help of Frank Porter, an upstanding fellow classmate and not normally a friend of hers, and her summer is off to an interesting start.
This is a fun and fluffy book, with a small but lovable cast of characters. I really liked Emily and adored Frank. I especially identified with Emily due to her shyness and her intense dislike of horses. Somehow the crossing items off a list concept was fresh and intriguing here. It's a very summery book, filled with all those fun summery things: ice cream, road trips, pizza parlors, falling in love, and more.
It is a little concerning that no one seems to worry that Sloane and her family has been kidnapped, when she just disappears, but maybe kidnapped people don't have access to stamps?
Overall, this is a sweet book focused on teen friendship. It's cute and romantic and will make you long for warm summer nights and falling in love for the first time.
When Emily's best friend Sloane disappears, right on the cusp of the epic summer they have planned, she feels adrift. Sloane is outgoing while Emily is shy, and she doesn't know what to do without her friend. But then a letter arrives from Sloane, with a list of things Emily should do over the summer, such as "kiss a stranger," "dance until dawn," "hug a Jamie," and more. Very little on the list are things Emily feels comfortable with--they are more Sloane-esque--but she embarks on them anyway, hoping they will bring her friend back. Soon she has the unexpected help of Frank Porter, an upstanding fellow classmate and not normally a friend of hers, and her summer is off to an interesting start.
This is a fun and fluffy book, with a small but lovable cast of characters. I really liked Emily and adored Frank. I especially identified with Emily due to her shyness and her intense dislike of horses. Somehow the crossing items off a list concept was fresh and intriguing here. It's a very summery book, filled with all those fun summery things: ice cream, road trips, pizza parlors, falling in love, and more.
It is a little concerning that no one seems to worry that Sloane and her family has been kidnapped, when she just disappears, but maybe kidnapped people don't have access to stamps?
Overall, this is a sweet book focused on teen friendship. It's cute and romantic and will make you long for warm summer nights and falling in love for the first time.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Insurgent (2015) in Movies
Apr 23, 2021
Not as decent as 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘻𝘦 𝘙𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳, not as horrendous as 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘎𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴, on nearly exactly the same level as the first 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵. I'm still shocked these still manage to be kind of entertaining even in spite of telling one of the dumbest stories to ever be translated to screen. At least half the cast just seems bored, but Jai Courtney and Daniel Dae Kim shine in supporting roles - which isn't all too hard to do here actually considering these two lead characters are inexplicably even *more* lifeless than they were in the first one. Great, we get to see more of this mid-2010s "trauma romance" crap - but at least they have the common decency to make the action sorta fun (the shameful choice to exchange Burger's visual panache [and... actual color] for this ugly ash-gray palette notwithstanding). And I'll always give credit to this one for being a lot ballsier than most of these YA copies-of-each-other - it's pretty violent and a fair amount of people get shot in the head, we even see more blood than just a nosebleed for once! Makes no human sense but that's also what makes it kind of enjoyable tbh. The Woodley character is the weakest link: emulating every overdramatic shithead teenager who thinks they're a revolutionary for making a Tweet about how much they hate 5th period geometry doesn't really help the cringe factor any (the 'dramatic haircut' smash cut into the flock of crows flying through the forest to triumphant music is one of the worst things ever). If this were made today Tris would be trying to cancel Kate Winslet's character for using the term "spirit animal" 11 years ago.
Shirley Manson recommended Broken English by Marianne Faithfull in Music (curated)
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Hawkeye, Volume 4: Rio Bravo in Books
Nov 30, 2020
So, this afternoon, I took it upon myself to nom-nom-nom on this nugget, instead of leaving it for my "pre-sleep time read". Let's just say that I have no regrets for this decision.
All four volumes of the Matt Fraction HAWKEYE run were a re-read for me. This volume, and the previous volume, Vol. 3: "L.A. Woman", were compiled slightly out of order. The issues in the Vol. 3 were all part of Kate Bishop's story, as she and Lucky went out to L.A. The issues in this final volume, while out of order, help continue the story, concluding with Kate's return for the series finale (not a spoiler, if you read Volume 3, which if you didn't, I am very disappointed in you. Tch!).
The volume, as a whole, flows like a well-crafted indie action-adventure flick. There is plenty of white-knuckle tense scenes, as well as some genuine "kick ya in the feels" moments. Heck, there's even a small amount of chuckles, too! All in all, a perfect ending to a perfect series!
In addition to Katie-Kate's return, it also brings back David Aja, whose art on the series' run, was nothing short of brilliant! Aja brought a pulp feel to the art, a style that suited Fraction's portrayal of Clint Barton.
All in all, the entire run is worth your time, not just this fourth, and final, volume of the series! In an era where Marvel thinks constantly rebooting series, as well as offering way too many meaningless crossover events, is how you put out quality material, it warms my nerdy comic lovin' heart to still return to good stuff like Matt Fraction's HAWKEYE run! Thank you, Matt, and thank you to all the excellent art choices you assembled for this run!
All four volumes of the Matt Fraction HAWKEYE run were a re-read for me. This volume, and the previous volume, Vol. 3: "L.A. Woman", were compiled slightly out of order. The issues in the Vol. 3 were all part of Kate Bishop's story, as she and Lucky went out to L.A. The issues in this final volume, while out of order, help continue the story, concluding with Kate's return for the series finale (not a spoiler, if you read Volume 3, which if you didn't, I am very disappointed in you. Tch!).
The volume, as a whole, flows like a well-crafted indie action-adventure flick. There is plenty of white-knuckle tense scenes, as well as some genuine "kick ya in the feels" moments. Heck, there's even a small amount of chuckles, too! All in all, a perfect ending to a perfect series!
In addition to Katie-Kate's return, it also brings back David Aja, whose art on the series' run, was nothing short of brilliant! Aja brought a pulp feel to the art, a style that suited Fraction's portrayal of Clint Barton.
All in all, the entire run is worth your time, not just this fourth, and final, volume of the series! In an era where Marvel thinks constantly rebooting series, as well as offering way too many meaningless crossover events, is how you put out quality material, it warms my nerdy comic lovin' heart to still return to good stuff like Matt Fraction's HAWKEYE run! Thank you, Matt, and thank you to all the excellent art choices you assembled for this run!
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated The Killables. Gemma Malley in Books
Jun 24, 2019
I first discovered Gemma Malley thanks to my close friend several years ago. I remember loving her books and was so upset when the sequel to the book I'd read had not been released. I'm planning on reading that book soon...
So, the plot. Evie thinks she's evil, doomed to be reconditioned. She has dreams that must be caused by her evilness, and even meets up secretly with her matched one's brother.
The city Evie lives in is supposed to be safe, with no evil. But when her lover, Raffy, is destined to become a K, Evie knows something is wrong. His brother, Lucas, who once seemed so harsh and cold, is now the one helping Evie and Raffy escape. What if everything she had thought about him was wrong?
Beyond the city walls, Raffy and Evie meet Linus. He reveals the truth about the New Baptism, about the effects of the operation - how removing the amygdala does not only remove evil but humanity itself. They devise a plan to overcome the System as it is and return it to its original design.
I love the plot of this, and it's fantastically written. It's exciting and unexpected and really easy to read. But the love triangle... Why... Why does every YA book have one?! Why can't Evie just be in love with one brother and leave it at that?! Meh.
I am soon to read the rest of this trilogy, and will be posting my reviews on those too. But I do really like Gemma Malley, and would certainly recommend reading some of her books.
As for this particular novel, I'm going to rate it 4 stars out of 5. Exciting and thrilling, but not perfect.
So, the plot. Evie thinks she's evil, doomed to be reconditioned. She has dreams that must be caused by her evilness, and even meets up secretly with her matched one's brother.
The city Evie lives in is supposed to be safe, with no evil. But when her lover, Raffy, is destined to become a K, Evie knows something is wrong. His brother, Lucas, who once seemed so harsh and cold, is now the one helping Evie and Raffy escape. What if everything she had thought about him was wrong?
Beyond the city walls, Raffy and Evie meet Linus. He reveals the truth about the New Baptism, about the effects of the operation - how removing the amygdala does not only remove evil but humanity itself. They devise a plan to overcome the System as it is and return it to its original design.
I love the plot of this, and it's fantastically written. It's exciting and unexpected and really easy to read. But the love triangle... Why... Why does every YA book have one?! Why can't Evie just be in love with one brother and leave it at that?! Meh.
I am soon to read the rest of this trilogy, and will be posting my reviews on those too. But I do really like Gemma Malley, and would certainly recommend reading some of her books.
As for this particular novel, I'm going to rate it 4 stars out of 5. Exciting and thrilling, but not perfect.
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated Hell or High Water (2016) in Movies
Aug 21, 2019
Classic Western in Modern Day
351. Hell or High Water. Have you ever wondered what a classic western style story would be like filmed today without much done to update the script? No, me either, until I realized that's exactly what I was watching... Story about two bank robbing brothers, Tanner and Toby Howard, raising enough cash to keep the bad bank man from taking the farm. Ya see, they struck oil on that land, not much, but enough to get by. Toby is the smart one, doing bad things for good reasons. Tanner is the wild card, doing bad things just to do bad things, but deep down, doing it for his brother! But coming up quick behind them is the law, Texas Ranger kinda law!! The old sheriff, Marcus Hamilton, just about to retire, and through pretty much intuition alone ends up in the right places at the right times, and with Marcus his Native American partner, Alberto, who is assaulted by the racist humor of the sheriff all day, but deep down, there's a bromance going on! And as Tanner and Toby continue their bank robbing ways, Tanner gets a little cocky takes on a bank full of people, shots fired, they barely escape with their lives, the townsfolk round up an armed posse to go after them chasing them up the road, but right around the corner is the sheriff, because deep down he knew where those pesky Howard boys were gonna strike next leading up to the ultimate showdown between the Texas Rangers and a couple of law breaking cowboys!! So this takes place in modern day, but it had the classic western set up. So if your looking for a modern day western, go for it, looking for Heat, or Point Break, i'd say probably not. Filmbufftim on FB
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