Search
Search results
David McK (3251 KP) rated The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2021) in Movies
Jan 30, 2022
Sequel to 2017s 'The Hitman's Bodyguard', in which Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L Jackson and Salma Hayek all reprise their roles from that earlier film as the Bodyguard Michael Bryce, the assassin Darius Kincaid and that assassin's wife Sonia Kincaid.
This picks up relatively soon after The Hitman's Bodyguard (in which time around Bryce had to protect and deliver Kincaid to the International Criminal Court where he was to testify), with Bryce on vacation until that rest is interrupted by Sonia.
Cue a quick (and foul mouthed) tour of Italy as the trio race to stop a Greek millionaire (played by the Spanish actor Antonio Banderas) from bringing the EU to its knees by crippling it's communications.
Forgettable dross, really.
This picks up relatively soon after The Hitman's Bodyguard (in which time around Bryce had to protect and deliver Kincaid to the International Criminal Court where he was to testify), with Bryce on vacation until that rest is interrupted by Sonia.
Cue a quick (and foul mouthed) tour of Italy as the trio race to stop a Greek millionaire (played by the Spanish actor Antonio Banderas) from bringing the EU to its knees by crippling it's communications.
Forgettable dross, really.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated A Court of Wings and Ruin in Books
May 15, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas doesn’t quite live up to A Court of Mist and Fury, but it’s still a surprisingly fun jaunt through war-torn Prythian. Brimming with dangerous deals and unlikely allies, I actually enjoyed reading this – for the most part. It should be made clear, once again, that though Maas’s books are found in the young adult section, they contain material not suitable for some young readers.
Like sex. Lots and lots of detailed sex. The few times it popped up in the Mist and Fury, it was alright. Wings and Ruin, on the other hand, really hones in on the sexual relationship between Feyre and Rhysand. A bit too much for my taste, anyway.
Sex aside, the plot moves along at a fairly quick pace and, for the most part, kept me hooked. (As in, I legit stayed up waaay too late one night reading.) I also love that there was a bit more focus on Feyre’s sisters this time around, rather than Feyre’s own self interests. It’s nice to see her grow as a… person, I guess you could say.
Overall, this isn’t my favorite book of the bunch, but I don’t find it (or its ending, which I feel is approached with the same logic I would have used) to be near as horrid as I was told to expect. I look forward to the next in the series, as ACOTAR is, undoubtedly, a guilty pleasure of mine.
Like sex. Lots and lots of detailed sex. The few times it popped up in the Mist and Fury, it was alright. Wings and Ruin, on the other hand, really hones in on the sexual relationship between Feyre and Rhysand. A bit too much for my taste, anyway.
Sex aside, the plot moves along at a fairly quick pace and, for the most part, kept me hooked. (As in, I legit stayed up waaay too late one night reading.) I also love that there was a bit more focus on Feyre’s sisters this time around, rather than Feyre’s own self interests. It’s nice to see her grow as a… person, I guess you could say.
Overall, this isn’t my favorite book of the bunch, but I don’t find it (or its ending, which I feel is approached with the same logic I would have used) to be near as horrid as I was told to expect. I look forward to the next in the series, as ACOTAR is, undoubtedly, a guilty pleasure of mine.
ClareR (5608 KP) rated The Court of Miracles in Books
Nov 29, 2020
The Court of Miracles grabbed me from the first paragraph and kept me enthralled for the rest of the book. As I was reading it, I could fully picture the roads and alleys of Paris, see the inside of the Courts, watch Nina as she crept in to the Palace to steal from a sleeping prince. It was cinematic. And this was just the first couple of chapters. I thought that this couldn’t possibly keep up for the whole book: the pictures, the movie in fact, in my head would lose it’s momentum. It didn’t.
As for the characters, I was fully invested in them. Nina is brave, an adventurer with a strict moral code, the naive, innocent Ettie who needs protection from Nina’s wicked father, Thenardier, who would sell his own daughter to a ‘Flesh Trader’, as well as the evil Tiger (the man Thenardier sold his eldest daughter to). These are all such colourful characters - I could see them all as I read about them. I’m a very visual reader. I have a definite picture in my head of the characters I read about. This book made that easy.
I’m really looking forward to the next book in this (I’m assuming) trilogy. The Court of Miracles has really captured my imagination and my heart.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this, and the publisher for making it possible. And thanks again to The Pigeonhole for helping to put a dent in my NetGalley reading list!!
As for the characters, I was fully invested in them. Nina is brave, an adventurer with a strict moral code, the naive, innocent Ettie who needs protection from Nina’s wicked father, Thenardier, who would sell his own daughter to a ‘Flesh Trader’, as well as the evil Tiger (the man Thenardier sold his eldest daughter to). These are all such colourful characters - I could see them all as I read about them. I’m a very visual reader. I have a definite picture in my head of the characters I read about. This book made that easy.
I’m really looking forward to the next book in this (I’m assuming) trilogy. The Court of Miracles has really captured my imagination and my heart.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this, and the publisher for making it possible. And thanks again to The Pigeonhole for helping to put a dent in my NetGalley reading list!!
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Night Swim: A Novel in Books
Aug 4, 2020
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.
Having worked in the criminal court system for years, I was looking forward to The Night Swim by Megan Goldin. The premise that you follow along with a podcast to reach your own verdict of a current and controversial trial sounded intriguing. I found myself angry by the main character's obvious slant on her podcast. If her role was to present an unbiased reporting of the events in court, she failed at her job. Her reporting of the case proceedings and the investigation taken are accurate, detailed, and complete. Goldin successfully captures the emotions involved in sensitive cases such as the one podcaster Rachel Krall covers for the third season of her podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty.
Goldin's story of the trial, the people involved, and the overlapping, interconnected tale from the past are woven into a clever novel narrated by Bailey Carr, January LaVoy, and Samantha Desz. All three narrators are accomplished voice actors. LaVoy narrated books by Patterson, Deaver, Grisham, and Goldin's New York Times Bestseller, The Escape Room.
The narrators' voices matched the story well, but the speed in which they spoke was too slow for me, and I listened to the story at a faster rate.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 8/3/20.
Having worked in the criminal court system for years, I was looking forward to The Night Swim by Megan Goldin. The premise that you follow along with a podcast to reach your own verdict of a current and controversial trial sounded intriguing. I found myself angry by the main character's obvious slant on her podcast. If her role was to present an unbiased reporting of the events in court, she failed at her job. Her reporting of the case proceedings and the investigation taken are accurate, detailed, and complete. Goldin successfully captures the emotions involved in sensitive cases such as the one podcaster Rachel Krall covers for the third season of her podcast, Guilty or Not Guilty.
Goldin's story of the trial, the people involved, and the overlapping, interconnected tale from the past are woven into a clever novel narrated by Bailey Carr, January LaVoy, and Samantha Desz. All three narrators are accomplished voice actors. LaVoy narrated books by Patterson, Deaver, Grisham, and Goldin's New York Times Bestseller, The Escape Room.
The narrators' voices matched the story well, but the speed in which they spoke was too slow for me, and I listened to the story at a faster rate.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 8/3/20.
Merissa (11805 KP) rated Songbird (The Tudor Court #1) in Books
Apr 13, 2021 (Updated Jul 27, 2023)
SONGBIRD is the first book in the Tudor Court series, and we are introduced to the world of King Henry VIII, and his love of music. Bess is sold to the King just before her tenth birthday and, with hard study and lots of practice, becomes a favourite of his. We stay with her as she grows from a young child, to a young woman, with friends and lovers along the way.
Reading about Henry, Katherine, Mary, and the Boleyn sisters, from a servant's perspective made it all the more fascinating. Her life at court is comfortable, but she is still a servant. There is romance for Bess, from Tom, who was with her from the start, to Nick, a courtier currently in favour with the King. Bess has her own choices to make, some of which end up being heartbreaking.
If I had one thing to say, it would be I was disappointed we skipped so much of Henry's reign, but then, if we'd had it all, it would have been enough for more books! A fascinating story, with realism and character development a-plenty. This was a book I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending, and I am so happy to see there is a second book in this series!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 13, 2021
Reading about Henry, Katherine, Mary, and the Boleyn sisters, from a servant's perspective made it all the more fascinating. Her life at court is comfortable, but she is still a servant. There is romance for Bess, from Tom, who was with her from the start, to Nick, a courtier currently in favour with the King. Bess has her own choices to make, some of which end up being heartbreaking.
If I had one thing to say, it would be I was disappointed we skipped so much of Henry's reign, but then, if we'd had it all, it would have been enough for more books! A fascinating story, with realism and character development a-plenty. This was a book I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending, and I am so happy to see there is a second book in this series!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 13, 2021
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated His Bloody Project in Books
Jul 25, 2017
Well written, realistic penny dreadful
The author has done quite a spectacular job of researching this piece of historical fiction, bringing to life a gruesome episode in 1800s Scotland. Expect to read a documentary type book and not a particularly suspenseful thriller. It took a long time to get into this book, mostly because the performance was quite dry and dull, hence I struggled to concentrate. During the crux of the story, in which Roddy is in court, the story picks up slightly, sounding more like a courtroom drama. He attempts to explore the idea of moral insanity, but falls short mostly because of the lack of understanding they would have at the time the book is set.
Well written and researched but a bit bland.
Well written and researched but a bit bland.
Erika (17788 KP) rated No Strings Attached by NSYNC in Music
May 20, 2018
No Strings Attached may be my favorite NSYNC album, it varies upon how I'm feeling. I listened to it so much, I had to buy another copy because my CD player/Walkman wouldn't play it anymore without skipping.
This album was the first released on Jive, after NSYNC won the court battle with Lou Pearlman. That whole situation paid off, because it was the fastest-selling album ever at the time. Bye Bye Bye and It's Gonna Be Me, are the most famous songs NSYNC ever put out, and routinely, every April 30th, the 'It's Gonna Be May' memes make their way around the Facebook. NSYNC definitely made catchy songs, and while they may seem dated, they still bring joy (at least, to me).
This album was the first released on Jive, after NSYNC won the court battle with Lou Pearlman. That whole situation paid off, because it was the fastest-selling album ever at the time. Bye Bye Bye and It's Gonna Be Me, are the most famous songs NSYNC ever put out, and routinely, every April 30th, the 'It's Gonna Be May' memes make their way around the Facebook. NSYNC definitely made catchy songs, and while they may seem dated, they still bring joy (at least, to me).
Nickg24 (492 KP) rated Peppermint (2018) in Movies
May 20, 2019
Mum seeks revenge for murder of her family
Pretty much knew what I was going to get watching this but decided to give it a go none the less.
Jennifer Garner witnesses her husband and daughter slaughtered and decides to go after those responsible and their boss when the court decides they should have no case to answer.
The usual revenge movie cliches are all present and correct in this film (corrupt judge..corrupt cop etc) and you pretty much know what to expect once she starts her down her path of own justice.
An ok movie with a good performance by garner.Worth a watch if your in the mood for some good old fashioned action and revenge.
Jennifer Garner witnesses her husband and daughter slaughtered and decides to go after those responsible and their boss when the court decides they should have no case to answer.
The usual revenge movie cliches are all present and correct in this film (corrupt judge..corrupt cop etc) and you pretty much know what to expect once she starts her down her path of own justice.
An ok movie with a good performance by garner.Worth a watch if your in the mood for some good old fashioned action and revenge.
Lindsay (1706 KP) rated My Sister's Keeper in Books
Feb 15, 2018
The story will make your heartbroken. I know there a movie called the same thing but the ending has changed from the books ending. If you watched the movie before reading this book your are going to get surprise ending either way but especially by the book ending.
Anna doe go to court hearing to get a medical emancipation from her parents. You see how each member of the family is suffering from her older sister Kate illness. It is something you should have tissures around for it a bit sad. You also start to understand the movie a bit but I really like the book better then the movie. Though I was shock to see what sister dies in book.
Anna doe go to court hearing to get a medical emancipation from her parents. You see how each member of the family is suffering from her older sister Kate illness. It is something you should have tissures around for it a bit sad. You also start to understand the movie a bit but I really like the book better then the movie. Though I was shock to see what sister dies in book.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) in Movies
Feb 12, 2018
Nothing says knockabout comedy like a truck bomb
Raucous action-comedy odd-couple movie with uptight protection agent Ryan Reynolds having to get laid-back hired killer Samuel L Jackson to the court on time so he can testify against evil despot Gary Oldman (one of his 'just here for the cheque' performances).
Some good jokes and well-mounted action but you have to wonder about a movie which thinks there's nothing tonally weird about including scenes of women and children being cold-bloodedly murdered or terror attacks on western cities in what's essentially a knockabout comedy. Some genuinely funny moments and nice chemistry between the two leads, but hard to get past the fundamental moral vacancy of it all.
Some good jokes and well-mounted action but you have to wonder about a movie which thinks there's nothing tonally weird about including scenes of women and children being cold-bloodedly murdered or terror attacks on western cities in what's essentially a knockabout comedy. Some genuinely funny moments and nice chemistry between the two leads, but hard to get past the fundamental moral vacancy of it all.