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MaryAnn (14 KP) rated A Love to Behold in Books

Mar 5, 2019

Two years after the Civil War, Lydia Albright, 27, is an established teacher in Boston when she senses God’s call to leave the comfort and security of her job and go south. She accepts a position to teach in a school for former slaves in Charleston, South Carolina. A church there that’s affiliated with the American Missionary Association offers support, along with room and board at the parsonage. The Ku Klux men are hell-bent on seeing that the new school fails. Lydia’s life is threatened, and the parsonage, church, and school are vandalized. But they haven’t contended with a strong, determined woman like Lydia before. It also helps that she has a couple potential suitors on her side. A Love to Behold is a tale of people who grow strong in the face of adversity and a church that learns love, compassion, and acceptance, even in the face of just cruelty and hatred.

My Thoughts: This is more than just a charming romance novel. It is the story of a young woman determined to answer God's calling on her life and nothing will stop her from doing so.

This is also a novel teaching us to love one another no matter what our differences may be. This is a story about compassion, determination, acceptance and overcoming affliction hen it is presented to us. It's holding on through the storm.

I really truly enjoyed this novel. The characters were all amazing, both the main and the supporting characters all worked well together. The storyline was fast-paced; there are no slow spots in this book.

This book comes highly recommended.

Kudos

Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Black Panther (2018) in Movies

Mar 5, 2018 (Updated Mar 5, 2018)

Black Panther (2018)

2018 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

8.3

(282 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Cool For Cats

Marvel's latest hotly anticipated superhero epic Black Panther, has arrived. Chadwick Boseman stars as the titular hero and gives a subdued, collected performance, which I didn't expect. The first time that we saw this character was in Civil War and while I understand he was on a revenge quest in that movie, he conveyed an sense of energy that is isn't present in Black Panther. I don't think that this was Chadwick Boseman's decision, but is instead based on what Ryan Coogler's vision of who Black Panther should be.

There are a lot of stand out performances in the film though Michael B Jordan, who is a Coogler movie staple at this point, brings us the best Marvel villain so far, or at the very least, the most believable motivation for doing villainous things that we have seen so far in the MCU. The rest of the cast bring their A game too, including Danai Guira, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Daniel Kaluuya, Forest Whittaker, Martin Freeman and Sterling K Brown.

The costume design and sets where fantastic to look at, but some of the character CGI looked a but too bouncy and unrealistic. I also felt like the movie dragged a bit in the second act. While the soundtrack started off great and added to the excitement of certain scenes in the movie's first act, by around halfway through the movie, I was sick of hearing African drums and chanting.

Overall though, this is a pretty great entry into the MCU and although it isn't Marvel's best ever, it is also definitely not their worst.