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The Man Who Knew Infinity (2016)
The Man Who Knew Infinity (2016)
2016 | International, Drama
8
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Slightly over dramatised
The original story behind Srinivasa Ramanujan is remarkable enough without resorting to such theatrics. These films, as much as they are historically important especially for those with a similar background, tend to be slightly over the top. Ramanujan is one of the most significant mathematicians of our time, even more extraordinary is that he achieved success as a fellow at Cambridge despite being an Indian during wartime. Dev Patel hasn't quite reached his peak acting phase in this film, not like he did in Lion. He seemed to be a replica of his role in Slumdog Millionaire, a weepy, mopey kind of character. It's a vital film, but they could have done it better.
  
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Katarzyna Krasuska (81 KP) rated Dead Scared (Lacey Flint, #2) in Books

Aug 10, 2018 (Updated Aug 10, 2018)  
Dead Scared (Lacey Flint, #2)
Dead Scared (Lacey Flint, #2)
Sharon Bolton | 2012 | Thriller
10
8.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Characters, twists (0 more)
Ending could have been better (0 more)
Wow- I wasn't expecting that
What a brilliant story! I bought this book on Monday and by Wednesday evening I was sad, that it ended.
The story takes place in Cambridge University. There's been way too many suicides in one year for it to go unnoticed. DC Flint goes in undercover to investigate but due to her troubled past becomes the perfect victim herself.
Very gripping, kept me on edge from the beginning till the end.
How have I never come across Sharon Bolton before, I don't know. Need to get hold of 'Now you see me'- a bit backward, I know, but what can I do :-)
  
One Ordinary Day at a Time
One Ordinary Day at a Time
Sarah J Harris | 2021 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
One Ordinary Day at a time is an ultimately uplifting story and I loved it. It’s not all plain sailing though.

Jodie has been in numerous foster placements as a child and a disastrous adult relationship. The only good things to have come out of it are her son Zak, and her drive to succeed and get into Cambridge University. But Jodie is living in one room with Zak and working at Prince Burger whilst she finishes her college course - and life is hard.

She meets Simon Sparks at Prince Burger and once she finds out that he has been to Cambridge, she’s determined to convince him to tutor her for her entrance interview. But Simon has a lot of secrets and has endured hardships and abuse of his own.

The narrators on the audiobook really brought this to life for me. Jodie’s narrator (Ayesha Kala) was spot on, but I did struggle a little with Simon’s narrator (Victor Oshin), and found that I had to speed the narration up more on his chapters. I do realise that he was probably trying to show how disconnected from real life Simon was, but it did annoy me 🤷🏼‍♀️. I liked that the narrative swapped between Jodie and Simon, so I often saw the same things from both of their viewpoints.

This is a really heartwarming story of overcoming adversity and working hard to get what you want out of life. A story of what being a good friend is all about.
  
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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Educated in Books

Apr 5, 2018  
Educated
Educated
Tara Westover | 2018 | Biography
9
9.3 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
Harrowing and inspiring
It seems almost impossible that Tara Westover is an academician from both Harvard and Cambridge given that she had never been to school. Her story is important, revealing how women are treated and subjugated in fundamentalist societies.

Brought up in a survivalist, Mormon family, Westover speaks about a poverty-stricken, difficult childhood where education is seen as secondary and violence is rife. Her relationship with her abusive brother is horrifying, And moreso is her family's acceptance of his behaviour. So gaining scholarships to top universities in the world despite having had no clue about the Holocaust, the civil rights movement, and Napoleon, is no mean feat.

While parts are repetitive, it is engaging and harrowing to hear her inspiring story.
  
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Alexis Taylor recommended Duty Now for the Future by Devo in Music (curated)

 
Duty Now for the Future by Devo
Duty Now for the Future by Devo
1979 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I heard the track 'Timing X' from that album when my friend played it at the 333 Club in Old Street. It was only a minute-and-a-half long, but it was just really funky and just very strange -sounding. That's why I bought the record. I found it at this little junk shop in Cambridge, and it was just very exciting to hear - it goes from this really aggressive mood to this disco tune. I liked how full-on it sounded. I remember watching videos of them live and admiring how confrontational they were, and they had so much energy - they'd always be right at the front of the stage. It was exhilarating music from an era where it just felt very adventurous."

Source
  
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
1997 | Action, Drama, Mystery
Umpty-tumpth Bond film rests on the laurels of GoldenEye perhaps just a bit too much. Evil media magnate Carver tries to orchestrate a war between the UK and China so he can sell more papers and grab a satellite TV franchise; British intelligence decides to disrupt his scheme by sending James Bond to have sex with his wife.

Well-mounted set pieces, and plenty of them, plus Michelle Yeoh gets an eye-catching role as the 'Oh, James!' character, but the problem is that the rest of it feels like karaoke Bond, without the self-awareness or attempts to move the franchise on that lifted GoldenEye somewhat - plus, it's just not as well written. The result is a mid-range entry in the series, assuming one overlooks the schoolboy error of Bond not being able to read Chinese (as any fule kno, he got a First in Oriental Languages at Cambridge). This still equates to an entertaining movie, just not an exceptional one.
  
TF
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Kelsey Cambridge is getting ready for the first annual Maple Sugar Festival at Barton Farm, the living history museum she runs in Ohio. As part of that festival, she has invited Dr. Conrad Beeson to teach a class on harvesting maple sugar. However, while he is inspecting the trees on the farm, someone stabs him with a hand drill. With the police looking at one of Kelsey’s employees, can she find the real killer?

I was delighted to slip back into the world of this series. The setting is fantastic, and the characters are strong. Not all the returning characters get a lot of page time, but the ones that do get a good deal of development. The suspects are also strong, and the varying suspects and motives kept me guessing until the end.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/05/book-review-final-tap-by-amanda-flower.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
Kelsey Cambridge enjoys her job running the Barton Farm Living History Museum. However, on the weekend that she’s added Civil War reenactors to the museum’s activities, she gets word from Maxwell that he is going to cut off the funds she’s been getting through a charitable foundation to help keep the place running. When Kelsey finds Maxwell murdered on the museum property the next morning, she becomes a suspect. Can she find the real killer?

I already enjoy history, but Kelsey’s love of the subject comes through loud and clear. The plot was a little slow to get going as the museum and characters were introduced, but it quickly gained speed and drew me in. Kelsey is a strong character, and the rest of the cast is great as well. I’m looking forward to reading more about them in the future.

NOTE: I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/05/book-review-final-reveille-by-amanda.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
Chariots of Fire (1981)
Chariots of Fire (1981)
1981 | Drama, International, Sport

"I guess my first favorite movie would be Chariots of Fire. I know it’s not just me because it won an Academy Award, so I know it’s pretty good. But it struck a chord with me. I think when I was younger I was very religious, and that aspect of the story appealed to me. Although not anymore, I still love it. I have a certain, I guess, fascination with that kind of period in England. Not that I know about it; I’m not a historian or anything. But just like it’s something so romantic about, you know, going to school there and in that atmosphere and that time. I mean, it was an awful time for a lot of people, but for the guys who got to go to Oxford and Cambridge. I don’t know. It’s cool. And then they go to the Olympics, and the characters are just so interesting, and winning. I mean obviously based on real people, and such fantastic acting, you know. Great direction. Art direction, and wardrobe, and all of that."

Source
  
Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss
Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss
Rajeev Balasubramanyam | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Humor & Comedy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A wonderful story of family and finding yourself.
This is SUCH a good book!
Professor Chandra, a Professor at Cambridge University, has missed out on the Nobel Prize for Economics, and he’s not happy about it! So unhappy in fact, that he doesn’t pay attention whilst crossing the road, and gets run over by a bicycle. He ends up in hospital, and decides that he needs to re-evaluate his life and get in contact with his children. And so starts his journey of self-realisation.
I loved this book. The characters were all immensely likeable (even the irritating Steve - Chandra’s ex-wife’s new husband). Some of the things that happened seemed a bit unlikely, but we’re not reading this as a non-fiction book, are we? They were very funny though, and occasionally, they were quite sad. This book had it all for me. I read this on The Pigeonhole, so one part a day for ten days, and I can honestly say that I looked forward to reading it every day. I feel a little bereft that it’s over now.
Highly recommended!