Search
Search results
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2526 KP) rated Toucan Keep a Secret in Books
Sep 12, 2018
It's No Secret - I Think You'll Enjoy This Book
Meg Langslow is taking a turn locking up the Episcopal Church in town. She's part of the brigade helping out since Reverend Robyn Smith is out on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy. Meg just about has everything taken care of when she hears a pounding coming from the columbarium. When she goes to investigate, she finds several of the crypts have been opened, and the dead body of Junius Hagley on the ground. Mr. Hagley was a grouchy old man who Meg and her mother secretly call one of the Muttering Misogynists, but Meg didn't wish him dead. What has Meg stumbled into now?
My biggest issue with this book involved the use of the term misogynist to describe the victim as well as describing some of his actions as mansplaining. Honestly, I felt both of these terms didn't have much to do with the mystery plot in the slightest and were there more to lecture us than to entertain. Which is a shame because the mystery itself was very entertaining. Between a mystery from the past and how it is factoring into the events of the present, I was hooked until Meg pieced it together at the end. We get most of the series regulars here, and they entertain as always. The new characters are colorful and therefore plenty of fun as well. A few of the scenes were so much funny they literally made me laugh out loud.
My biggest issue with this book involved the use of the term misogynist to describe the victim as well as describing some of his actions as mansplaining. Honestly, I felt both of these terms didn't have much to do with the mystery plot in the slightest and were there more to lecture us than to entertain. Which is a shame because the mystery itself was very entertaining. Between a mystery from the past and how it is factoring into the events of the present, I was hooked until Meg pieced it together at the end. We get most of the series regulars here, and they entertain as always. The new characters are colorful and therefore plenty of fun as well. A few of the scenes were so much funny they literally made me laugh out loud.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated A Simple Favor (2018) in Movies
Sep 26, 2018
Confused and dull
Having read other Smashbombers reviews, I did at least go into this film knowing it wasn't an out an out thriller, but that still didn't prepare me for what followed.
This film really can't decide what it is; dark comedy, thriller? It seems to seesaw between the two for the entire 2 hour run time, with very little success in either genre. There are a few funny-ish (I smiled a bit) parts but most of the humour is a little bit cheesy or niche. The thriller side too is very predictable, and most of the twists you can see coming a mile off - this almost feels like a second rate comedy rip off of Gone Girl. And then the final act just goes completely bonkers and ridiculous.
Anna Kendrick plays the same character she always does, and I've finally had enough as shes starting to grate on me. Some of the supporting actors like Andrew Rannells aren't given anywhere near enough screen time (loved him in Girls). The only one to come out of this film unscathed is Blake Lively. She's very charismatic and surprisingly endearing, despite her characters reputation and actions. I have to admit, I have a bit of a girl crush on her - id love to be able to dress like that at work!
For the most part, this film was pretty dull and predictable, and was only entertaining whenever Lively is on screen, which wasn't nearly often enough.
This film really can't decide what it is; dark comedy, thriller? It seems to seesaw between the two for the entire 2 hour run time, with very little success in either genre. There are a few funny-ish (I smiled a bit) parts but most of the humour is a little bit cheesy or niche. The thriller side too is very predictable, and most of the twists you can see coming a mile off - this almost feels like a second rate comedy rip off of Gone Girl. And then the final act just goes completely bonkers and ridiculous.
Anna Kendrick plays the same character she always does, and I've finally had enough as shes starting to grate on me. Some of the supporting actors like Andrew Rannells aren't given anywhere near enough screen time (loved him in Girls). The only one to come out of this film unscathed is Blake Lively. She's very charismatic and surprisingly endearing, despite her characters reputation and actions. I have to admit, I have a bit of a girl crush on her - id love to be able to dress like that at work!
For the most part, this film was pretty dull and predictable, and was only entertaining whenever Lively is on screen, which wasn't nearly often enough.
Operation Ouch!
Games, Entertainment and Stickers
App
Disaster!! - Dr Chris and Dr Xand have accidentally unleashed a tidal wave of snot. Run for your...
Dreadnought: Nemesis Book 1
9.5
Rate It
Book
An action-packed series-starter perfect for fans of The Heroine Complex and Not Your Sidekick. ...
LGBTQ Young Adult
Catch the Ark
Games and Entertainment
App
Can you survive the jungle and Catch The Ark in this amazing former EDITOR'S CHOICE game? A flood...
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated Never Never in Books
Oct 23, 2022
Serena Valentino’s books are amazing. This is the story of Captain Hook that I never knew that I needed.
We find out how Captain Hook learnt of Neverland in the first place… when he was a child he fell out of his pram and ended up in Neverland. He then spent the rest of his childhood years trying to get back there, when he realised he couldn’t, he decided that he was going to become and pirate and spent all of his years in school learning everything there was to know about pirates and ships so that when he graduated, he could join up and live out his dream.
This book not only gives us a backstory about Captain Hook, but we also have some pirate tales added in, with stories of Blackbeard, Calico Jack, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. This just helps to give the book a little more depth around the backstory.
We also get to revisit Circe and Lucinda again, with Lucinda being as deceitful as ever and Circe still trying to fix everything her mothers have messed up. Although I didn’t see the twist at the end coming, but that just made the book better in my opinion.
Although it’s a short book, I didn’t feel like the story was rushed in the slightest. And as with all of the other villains books, I started to feel some sympathy towards Captain Hook and understood how he became the person that he is in Peter Pan.
We find out how Captain Hook learnt of Neverland in the first place… when he was a child he fell out of his pram and ended up in Neverland. He then spent the rest of his childhood years trying to get back there, when he realised he couldn’t, he decided that he was going to become and pirate and spent all of his years in school learning everything there was to know about pirates and ships so that when he graduated, he could join up and live out his dream.
This book not only gives us a backstory about Captain Hook, but we also have some pirate tales added in, with stories of Blackbeard, Calico Jack, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. This just helps to give the book a little more depth around the backstory.
We also get to revisit Circe and Lucinda again, with Lucinda being as deceitful as ever and Circe still trying to fix everything her mothers have messed up. Although I didn’t see the twist at the end coming, but that just made the book better in my opinion.
Although it’s a short book, I didn’t feel like the story was rushed in the slightest. And as with all of the other villains books, I started to feel some sympathy towards Captain Hook and understood how he became the person that he is in Peter Pan.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2526 KP) rated Once Upon Another Time in Books
Apr 7, 2022
A Second Magical Remix of Fairytales
Lena is small for a giant, but she is still ready to participate in her first Ritual of the Spark ceremony. However, when she does go, things don’t go the way she thought they would, and she finds herself running to visit her friends in the Cursed City. Meanwhile, Jin, a genie in training, finds himself on a mission for his current master, the Golden King. The king is trying to capture the Last Knight, the leaders of the rebels, and his current hiding place is supposed to be the Cursed City. What will happen when both Lena and Jin get there?
I’ve been reading author James Riley since his first book came out, and when I found out he was returning to that world for a new trilogy, I was thrilled. This book stands on its own, although there are a few references to things from the earlier books. We alternate chapters from Lena and Jin’s points-of-view, so we get to know them both well. I liked them and several of the other characters here. The further into the book I read, the more I was hooked on the story as the characters faced more obstacles. With that ending, I’m glad the next is coming out this fall. The target middle grade audience will love this series, and anyone looking for a fun take on familiar characters will be glad they picked it up no matter what their age.
I’ve been reading author James Riley since his first book came out, and when I found out he was returning to that world for a new trilogy, I was thrilled. This book stands on its own, although there are a few references to things from the earlier books. We alternate chapters from Lena and Jin’s points-of-view, so we get to know them both well. I liked them and several of the other characters here. The further into the book I read, the more I was hooked on the story as the characters faced more obstacles. With that ending, I’m glad the next is coming out this fall. The target middle grade audience will love this series, and anyone looking for a fun take on familiar characters will be glad they picked it up no matter what their age.
Crimes and Covers
5.0
Rate It
Book
Violet Waverly sleuths a Thoreau-ly puzzling Christmastime murder in Agatha Award-winning, USA Today...
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Logan Lucky (2017) in Movies
Dec 7, 2017
Sleeper
If you are looking for a movie that checks all the boxes, Logan Lucky is the one. I LOVE finding gems like these. Sleepers. Sure you can see movies like Logan and War For the Planet of the Apes coming from a mile away. You expect them to be great It's films like Logan Lucky, however, that keep the movie calendar refreshing.
Just fired from his job and trying to make enough money to take care of his daughter, Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) devises a plan to rob the Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Tatum is awesome in his role, but has a great deal of help from a star-studded the cast the likes of Daniel Craig, Adam Driver, and Katie Holmes. With too many hilarious moments to count and an overly lovable protagonist who you can't help but root for, Logan Lucky is one of the year's best.
In 2007, I saw a movie called Stardust that surprised the heck out of me by how good it was. I mean, the film just came out of nowhere but I couldn't have been happier that I saw it. Logan Lucky gives me the exact same vibe. I give it a very solid 97.
Just fired from his job and trying to make enough money to take care of his daughter, Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) devises a plan to rob the Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Tatum is awesome in his role, but has a great deal of help from a star-studded the cast the likes of Daniel Craig, Adam Driver, and Katie Holmes. With too many hilarious moments to count and an overly lovable protagonist who you can't help but root for, Logan Lucky is one of the year's best.
In 2007, I saw a movie called Stardust that surprised the heck out of me by how good it was. I mean, the film just came out of nowhere but I couldn't have been happier that I saw it. Logan Lucky gives me the exact same vibe. I give it a very solid 97.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2526 KP) rated How to be a Perfect Christian in Books
May 26, 2018
Perfection is Within Your Reach
This book does just what the title says. In ten chapters, it tells you exactly how to live like a perfect Christian. Oh, we aren’t worried about the fruit of the spirit or holiness or anything hard like that. We are talking about finding the perfect church (one that is focused on you), “doing life together,” serving without ever lifting a finger, looking spiritual online (I’m sure they left out reviewing this book in that chapter), and quarantining your home from non-Christian culture.
And if you aren’t familiar with The Babylon Bee, it is a fantastic satire site that looks at Christian culture and the world from a Christian perspective. I’ve become addicted to their articles, so when I saw this book was coming out, I had to get it. I’m not kidding when I saw there is a laugh on every page as the book mercilessly mocks what many Christians in modern day America focus on. And there were times that the book convicted me since I live a little too much like the person they are mocking. At least some portions of this book have appeared in shorter form on the site, but everything here blends together perfectly for a comprehensive and very funny whole.
And if you aren’t familiar with The Babylon Bee, it is a fantastic satire site that looks at Christian culture and the world from a Christian perspective. I’ve become addicted to their articles, so when I saw this book was coming out, I had to get it. I’m not kidding when I saw there is a laugh on every page as the book mercilessly mocks what many Christians in modern day America focus on. And there were times that the book convicted me since I live a little too much like the person they are mocking. At least some portions of this book have appeared in shorter form on the site, but everything here blends together perfectly for a comprehensive and very funny whole.