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Vaccines: A Parent's Guide
Book
One of the main choices that any parent will have to make regarding the future health of their...
Creating a Garden for Every Season: the Best Plants for Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter Displays, with Over 300 Photographs
Book
This book features the best plants for spring, summer, autumn and winter displays, with over 300...
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Kingdom of Us (2017) in Movies
Oct 22, 2017 (Updated Oct 22, 2017)
Poignant, heartbreaking and complex
Another superb documentary film on Netflix exploring the complexities of bereavement, in this case, a family of seven children and their father who took his own life.
The filmmaker follows the journey of the Shanks children, now teenagers and young adults, who six years later are still trying to make sense of their loss. Issues include mental health problems, and dealing with trauma especially with four of the teens suffering from autism. Each person deals with it differently, ranging from creating music, becoming philosophical, to having a full-blown nervous breakdown.
Mother Vikie is incredibly stoic, attempting to keep order despite the horrendous upheaval from the death. There's some disturbing scenes in which the children discuss finding a note in which their father had originally planned to kill them before committing suicide. It is heartbreaking to watch how it has both scarred and shaped the family, but they courageously attempt to pull together as one unit. A must-watch documentary.
The filmmaker follows the journey of the Shanks children, now teenagers and young adults, who six years later are still trying to make sense of their loss. Issues include mental health problems, and dealing with trauma especially with four of the teens suffering from autism. Each person deals with it differently, ranging from creating music, becoming philosophical, to having a full-blown nervous breakdown.
Mother Vikie is incredibly stoic, attempting to keep order despite the horrendous upheaval from the death. There's some disturbing scenes in which the children discuss finding a note in which their father had originally planned to kill them before committing suicide. It is heartbreaking to watch how it has both scarred and shaped the family, but they courageously attempt to pull together as one unit. A must-watch documentary.
Lindsay (1717 KP) rated Yellow-Billed Magpie in Books
Sep 7, 2017
I enjoyed this book about Yellow-Billed Magpies. Nancy does a wonderful job writing the plot and the story. I enjoyed every part of it. I loved that there were an autism and other disabilities as part of the story as well.
You get a bit of a spiritual in the story as well. We learn about Magpies somewhat in the book. We also go on a quest with Samantha O’Malley. We meet Craig and her old lover. She goes back to her teaching career.
What discoveries will Samantha and Craig find by working together and with her students? Nancy writing is done well. I have not been into a book that felt so real. I feel the book show us what it likes somewhat of our world. Is our world what we think or is it an illusion? I start to wonder this and if we are just experiencing it as humans.
You get a bit of a spiritual in the story as well. We learn about Magpies somewhat in the book. We also go on a quest with Samantha O’Malley. We meet Craig and her old lover. She goes back to her teaching career.
What discoveries will Samantha and Craig find by working together and with her students? Nancy writing is done well. I have not been into a book that felt so real. I feel the book show us what it likes somewhat of our world. Is our world what we think or is it an illusion? I start to wonder this and if we are just experiencing it as humans.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Accountant (2016) in Movies
Mar 11, 2018 (Updated Mar 17, 2018)
Really-not-that-bad-at-all action thriller with Ben Affleck doing a surprisingly good job of playing a brilliant accountant-stroke-hitman. The film kind of dodges around the implication that Affleck's character is autistic, but the inference is clear and while this is still Movie Autism (never mind the crippling downsides, you get super powers!!!), it is still sympathetic and has at least a few vestiges of reality to it.
The plot eventually ends up being completely gonzo, involving corruption in the robotics industry and duelling assassins, but the movie fends off the moment when you shout 'this is all utterly ridiculous!' for a surprisingly long time. Eclectic cast includes Affleck, John Lithgow, Jon Bernthal, and Anna Kendrick (who appears to be about three feet tall in a few of her scenes). A fun and engaging movie; not a particularly great thriller but all the peripheral weirdness keeps it watchable.
The plot eventually ends up being completely gonzo, involving corruption in the robotics industry and duelling assassins, but the movie fends off the moment when you shout 'this is all utterly ridiculous!' for a surprisingly long time. Eclectic cast includes Affleck, John Lithgow, Jon Bernthal, and Anna Kendrick (who appears to be about three feet tall in a few of her scenes). A fun and engaging movie; not a particularly great thriller but all the peripheral weirdness keeps it watchable.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Bride Test in Books
Jun 21, 2019
As you may know, I have a child with Autism and reading books fiction or non-fiction that give me a little more insight into what is going on in his brain, always make me feel like I get to know him a little better. Stella doesn't always say and do the right things, but that is what makes her so lovable. I think everyone who reads this book will fall in love with Stella.
The Kiss Quotient had me wanting to know what was going to happen with Stella. Was she going to find the love she wanted? Was her relationship with Michael going to be just temporary? Will Michael stop helping Stella if he finds out about her labels? I laughed, and cried during while listening to this book. I was happy for Stella for going for what she wanted and making her own happiness.
I think I've found a new favorite author!! I will read everything she writes.
The Kiss Quotient had me wanting to know what was going to happen with Stella. Was she going to find the love she wanted? Was her relationship with Michael going to be just temporary? Will Michael stop helping Stella if he finds out about her labels? I laughed, and cried during while listening to this book. I was happy for Stella for going for what she wanted and making her own happiness.
I think I've found a new favorite author!! I will read everything she writes.
Sara Cox (1845 KP) rated The Perfect Wife in Books
Aug 1, 2019
When Tim, an COE for an AI company,idea his wife he starts a controversial project - he creates a robot of his wife. Abbie-bot has all the memories and feelings that Abbie had, but she can tell that something isn't right with Abbie's disappearance.
This book had me from the go! After two pages I could tell it was going to be a "Black Mirror" sort of thing. And I'm going to be honest, Black Mirror freaked me out. This book however was amazing! So many twists and turns. A real psychological ride! The character development of robot Abbie was brilliant. I loved going through her thoughts with her. The aspects of this novel are well researched, coding and autism. I cannot fault it. The ending took my breath away, three times in fact. Just as I was getting over the first "no way!" moment I was hit with another and then another. This is definitely going on my to read pile to read again!
This book had me from the go! After two pages I could tell it was going to be a "Black Mirror" sort of thing. And I'm going to be honest, Black Mirror freaked me out. This book however was amazing! So many twists and turns. A real psychological ride! The character development of robot Abbie was brilliant. I loved going through her thoughts with her. The aspects of this novel are well researched, coding and autism. I cannot fault it. The ending took my breath away, three times in fact. Just as I was getting over the first "no way!" moment I was hit with another and then another. This is definitely going on my to read pile to read again!
Transitioning Together: One Couple's Journey of Gender and Identity Discovery
Book
This is the story of a long-lasting relationship, surviving against the odds. It is the story of...
Was This in the Plan?
Book
In 2004 Stephanie Nimmo was a career-focused, suburban mother of three, happily married to the...