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Welcome to China Town! This time, Kiki, our cute panda, and his little friends are so hungry! So,...
ClareR (6129 KP) rated The Ophelia Girls in Books
Jan 18, 2022 (Updated Jan 18, 2022)
There is no denying that The Ophelia Girls is a beautifully written, all-consuming novel. The main characters of Ruth and her daughter Maeve, are similar, in that they are both still searching for their place in the world. Ruth seems to feel uncomfortable back in her childhood home, where memories of the summer of 1973 seem to still consume her. Maeve on the other hand, is at the start of being able to make good memories, after being officially told that she’s in remission from leukaemia. But she still feels like a child - and she doesn’t want to be.
And then along comes Stuart: her mother’s childhood friend, and a friend of her fathers as well. Stuart makes Maeve feel seen. And this is where my internal klaxon went off. Stuart comes across as a predator. He notices Maeve’s infatuation and revels in it, finally taking advantage of her feelings. At least this is how I interpreted it.
Maeve is a girl who has led a sheltered life - a life mainly in hospital. She hasn’t had the opportunity to mix with other children, boys specifically, and has little life experience with the opposite sex. Regardless of that, Stuart’s character truly made me see red. I know, I know, it’s a book, but if I could have reached in, pulled him out and disposed of him (not thought that through properly, obviously), I would have. I will say that the sex scenes between Maeve and Stuart aren’t written in a titillating way. It’s seen through Maeve’s eyes, and she truly believes that he loves her. All the same, if this doesn’t appeal to you, you might want to steer clear.
In contrast to her mother, Maeve does follow her heart, and the reader is left to decide whether she was actually any better off.
Do I recommend it? Yes, of course. It’s written with gorgeous, lyrical prose, and really makes you empathise with the characters. I’m glad I read it.
And then along comes Stuart: her mother’s childhood friend, and a friend of her fathers as well. Stuart makes Maeve feel seen. And this is where my internal klaxon went off. Stuart comes across as a predator. He notices Maeve’s infatuation and revels in it, finally taking advantage of her feelings. At least this is how I interpreted it.
Maeve is a girl who has led a sheltered life - a life mainly in hospital. She hasn’t had the opportunity to mix with other children, boys specifically, and has little life experience with the opposite sex. Regardless of that, Stuart’s character truly made me see red. I know, I know, it’s a book, but if I could have reached in, pulled him out and disposed of him (not thought that through properly, obviously), I would have. I will say that the sex scenes between Maeve and Stuart aren’t written in a titillating way. It’s seen through Maeve’s eyes, and she truly believes that he loves her. All the same, if this doesn’t appeal to you, you might want to steer clear.
In contrast to her mother, Maeve does follow her heart, and the reader is left to decide whether she was actually any better off.
Do I recommend it? Yes, of course. It’s written with gorgeous, lyrical prose, and really makes you empathise with the characters. I’m glad I read it.
Krismc28 (2 KP) rated Insidious : The Last Key (2018) in Movies
Jan 12, 2018
Great movie
Contains spoilers, click to show
This movie was pretty great in my opinion. The jump scares make a movie fun. I loved the back story of Elise and what she had to go through as a child. The whole thing of her being beat by her dad because of her gifts was pretty sad. I was not expecting all of the stuff Elise found when coming back to her own childhood home that her dad had done. I also loved that one of Elise's nieces has the same gift as her. I'm loving the fact that they left it open for another movie with the help of Elise for the grandchild of the little boy from the first movie.
Ashley Valencia (5 KP) rated Christopher Robin (2018) in Movies
Mar 31, 2019
Surprisingly Good
I was very pleasantly surprised by this film. Disney's live action remakes have been pretty disappointing to me, in general. But this one was very well made. I think they did a great job incorporating the fantasy characters into the real life world of post war England.
Ewan McGregor plays a grown up Christopher Robin who most people will be able to relate to. He's trying to find balance between his work and home life and finds himself coming up short on both sides. He's stressed and has put aside childish things to focus on trying to be a competent adult.
Then he gets a visit from a few almost forgotten childhood friends and learns to loosen up a little and see things differently. It's a wonderfully told story and I was so glad that the original voice actor was brought back. It just wouldn't have been Winnie the Pooh without Jim Cummings.
Ewan McGregor plays a grown up Christopher Robin who most people will be able to relate to. He's trying to find balance between his work and home life and finds himself coming up short on both sides. He's stressed and has put aside childish things to focus on trying to be a competent adult.
Then he gets a visit from a few almost forgotten childhood friends and learns to loosen up a little and see things differently. It's a wonderfully told story and I was so glad that the original voice actor was brought back. It just wouldn't have been Winnie the Pooh without Jim Cummings.
Kyera (8 KP) rated Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Sorry, Not Sorry is Naya Rivera's ode to her life. It follows her path from childhood stardom (sort-of) to motherhood with all the trials, tribulations, successes, heartbreak and awkwardness in-between. Her honesty in the book is refreshing and makes me admire her more. She's not perfect and no one is, but she has gone through the good and the bad in her life and come out the other side a stronger person. Naya has very relatable stories and advice for any reader. Her story with Ryan is real and makes you root for them, even if they didn't have a picture perfect start. In her book, she says she set out to write something that was real and I feel that she hit the mark beautifully. She is honest, relatable and inspiring. This is one of the "celebrity" books that I enjoyed reading the most, and would recommend it. It's a quick read, so what are you waiting for?
Paul Smedley (141 KP) rated Colossal (2016) in Movies
Jun 5, 2018
Humour (3 more)
Special effects
Unique
Acting
Very different
Contains spoilers, click to show
Well I finally got round to watching this on Amazon Prime last night and really enjoyed it.
What starts as a very funny film, turns into something more dark and deep to which I was not expecting.
Overall I thought it was great and the only thing I had an issue with was that Oscar (played by the great Jason Sudeikis) changed his character literally overnight with no explanation. We can only presume it was known that Gloria did the deed with Joel or that we are to later find out that Oscar is actually a bad person (stemming back to a childhood incident involving his inferior diorama compared to that of Gloria’s and he still holds a grudge) but either way, it was all very sudden with no build up and made this part of the movie seem a little rushed.
Either way, would love to hear other people’s views on this!
What starts as a very funny film, turns into something more dark and deep to which I was not expecting.
Overall I thought it was great and the only thing I had an issue with was that Oscar (played by the great Jason Sudeikis) changed his character literally overnight with no explanation. We can only presume it was known that Gloria did the deed with Joel or that we are to later find out that Oscar is actually a bad person (stemming back to a childhood incident involving his inferior diorama compared to that of Gloria’s and he still holds a grudge) but either way, it was all very sudden with no build up and made this part of the movie seem a little rushed.
Either way, would love to hear other people’s views on this!
Emily Slomski (3 KP) rated Fortunate Son in Books
Jun 18, 2018
Narrative (2 more)
Voice!
History of CCR
Personal and Revealing Memoir of CCR's Front Man
John Fogerty welcomes us into his world and talks to us like a close friend. He doesn't shy away from the difficult topics. For those who had only a positive connotation for Creedence Clearwater Revival, this book will smash that perspective. Fogerty spends the majority of the book discussing the difficult relationships between the band members and the many ways that the recording company screwed the band, and particularly John Fogerty, over. There is much to get out of this book. While he spends a lot of time talking about the difficulties, he also talks about his childhood, his personal relationship with music, his wife, his friendships with people like Bruce Springsteen, and the fulfilling life he has built for himself today. I totally recommend this book for anyone interested in Fogerty, CCR, and/or classic rock and roll!
Sue (5 KP) rated Walk a Crooked Line in Books
Aug 13, 2018
A young girl is found at the base of an old water tower deemed a suicide and Detective Jo Larsen is put on the case. What brought this girl to this place and caused her to end young life; abuse, neglect, bullying, loneliness, and/or depression. Upon further investigation through interviews with family and friends, Jo and her partner Hank try to put the pieces together and find that something horrible happened to Kelly causing her to take the fatal plunge.
In this well-written book by author Susan McBride, she draws you into a story about a girl that was failed by those that were supposed to look out for her and take care of her. It brings to light a factor that many young people face today concerning bullying, loneliness, and trying to fit in. Through the character of Jo, you see the story unfold as she investigates and discovers the parallels between her own childhood and that of the young girl she is investigating.
In this well-written book by author Susan McBride, she draws you into a story about a girl that was failed by those that were supposed to look out for her and take care of her. It brings to light a factor that many young people face today concerning bullying, loneliness, and trying to fit in. Through the character of Jo, you see the story unfold as she investigates and discovers the parallels between her own childhood and that of the young girl she is investigating.
Joelene Marie (28 KP) rated How to Murder Your Life in Books
Oct 1, 2018
Compulsively readable, feels more like a novel than an autobiography. At times I found myself able to relate to her or almost feeling sorry for her, at least in regards to her childhood, while other times I found her to be truly obnoxious and off-putting, especially in not accepting responsibility for her actions. However, I enjoyed her style of writing and I commend her bravery in putting her life and her struggles with addiction out there for the world to see, and judge. I imagine that every author dreads the bad reviews but when it's a book about your life that has to sting twice as hard. Hopefully her story will inspire others dealing with the same issues to turn things around. Curious to see if/how she will continue her literary career, perhaps a novel will be in her future (I certainly hope so!) *Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!*
Atmospheric mystery
Arrowood is a grand old house that was used as part of the underground railway network in Iowa. It is the family home for generations of Arrowoods, the home that Arden grew up in and the home from which her twin sister disappeared from twenty years ago.
When Arden inherits Arrowood and returns to the now deteriorating town of her childhood; Keokuk, she is met with some faces from her past. Arden opens old wounds by digging around the unsolved disappearance of her sister, and has to ask herself some difficult questions about what really happened all those years ago at Arrowood.
This book had a great build up in it. The atmosphere created around the house and town was eerie and haunting. There was some delightfully suspenseful moments and overall the feel of this book was intense. The ending went a bit off the rails for me and I'd already guessed roughly the deal but still would strongly recommend for the ride.
When Arden inherits Arrowood and returns to the now deteriorating town of her childhood; Keokuk, she is met with some faces from her past. Arden opens old wounds by digging around the unsolved disappearance of her sister, and has to ask herself some difficult questions about what really happened all those years ago at Arrowood.
This book had a great build up in it. The atmosphere created around the house and town was eerie and haunting. There was some delightfully suspenseful moments and overall the feel of this book was intense. The ending went a bit off the rails for me and I'd already guessed roughly the deal but still would strongly recommend for the ride.