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Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Nutshell in Books
Mar 15, 2018
I’ve never read any of Ian McEwan’s work before, but it seems like I started on a good one, because almost everyone is saying this is his best yet!
This has such an intriguing and unique plot, it would be hard to pass it up if you saw it in store. Are there actually <i>any</i> other novels out there told from the PoV of a foetus?
Considering no one actually knows what it’s like to be a foetus, that is to say, we’ve all been one, but we don’t remember back that far, I feel like McEwan really <i>got</i> what it’s like to be in the womb through the third trimester.. I wasn’t sure how anyone could write as an unborn child but it was done so well in this! The child was a very likable character, he was witty, intelligent and interesting - certainly not things I would think to associate with an unborn child.
The overall plot was certainly different and intriguing, but it wasn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be. I didn’t expect this unborn child to be able to solve a murder or stop a crime etc, but I did think it was going to be more of a thriller mystery than it was. That’s not to the say that the plot made the story any less fun to read, I just had to alter my mindset into accepting this as a different sort of book.
Unfortunately for me, this didn’t move me as much as it has done other readers because this is a <i>Hamlet</i> retelling, but I’ve never read <i>Hamlet.</i> (I have pretty much no time for the “classics”, they tend to just bore me, there’s no way around that, I’m just not that kind of girl). So maybe some of the beauty of this was a bit lost on me?
Anyway, this was a very enjoyable read. A solid piece of fiction that has and will appeal to thousands.
This has such an intriguing and unique plot, it would be hard to pass it up if you saw it in store. Are there actually <i>any</i> other novels out there told from the PoV of a foetus?
Considering no one actually knows what it’s like to be a foetus, that is to say, we’ve all been one, but we don’t remember back that far, I feel like McEwan really <i>got</i> what it’s like to be in the womb through the third trimester.. I wasn’t sure how anyone could write as an unborn child but it was done so well in this! The child was a very likable character, he was witty, intelligent and interesting - certainly not things I would think to associate with an unborn child.
The overall plot was certainly different and intriguing, but it wasn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be. I didn’t expect this unborn child to be able to solve a murder or stop a crime etc, but I did think it was going to be more of a thriller mystery than it was. That’s not to the say that the plot made the story any less fun to read, I just had to alter my mindset into accepting this as a different sort of book.
Unfortunately for me, this didn’t move me as much as it has done other readers because this is a <i>Hamlet</i> retelling, but I’ve never read <i>Hamlet.</i> (I have pretty much no time for the “classics”, they tend to just bore me, there’s no way around that, I’m just not that kind of girl). So maybe some of the beauty of this was a bit lost on me?
Anyway, this was a very enjoyable read. A solid piece of fiction that has and will appeal to thousands.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Woman in the Window in Books
Jun 4, 2018
Did that really happen?
Dr. Anna Fox has been in her house for the past ten months. After an accident involving her husband, daughter and herself, she became agoraphobic. She now spends her days staring out of her windows, spying on her neighbors and keeping up with all the comings and goings of the neighborhood. When a new family moves in across the park from her, she is immediately drawn to the mother and the son, a single child family like her own. They come over to introduce themselves and she feels an instant connection. But then Anna thinks she sees a crime being committed at the neighbors house. Did she really see something or is the combination of medications and alcohol blurring the lines of reality and fantasy? Will the authorities believe her or will they believe the family and the rest of the neighborhood that Dr. Fox is just a crazy, drunk, cooped up lady.
So many people I know have read and enjoyed this book. I loved it, it was so hard to put down. I was totally shocked by the twists and turns that this book dished out.
At first I was rooting for Anna. This poor lady devastated by the accident and her family leaving her because of it. I wanted her to be able to leave her house and live her life and have the opportunity to be with her husband and daughter again. Instead, she spends her days chatting with other agoraphobes and providing council to them, playing chess online and drinking lots of red wine while watching old movies.
When Anna's secrets are revealed I'm not sure if I felt sorry for her or was upset with myself for being on her side. I think this is a book all thriller fans will enjoy. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it.
So many people I know have read and enjoyed this book. I loved it, it was so hard to put down. I was totally shocked by the twists and turns that this book dished out.
At first I was rooting for Anna. This poor lady devastated by the accident and her family leaving her because of it. I wanted her to be able to leave her house and live her life and have the opportunity to be with her husband and daughter again. Instead, she spends her days chatting with other agoraphobes and providing council to them, playing chess online and drinking lots of red wine while watching old movies.
When Anna's secrets are revealed I'm not sure if I felt sorry for her or was upset with myself for being on her side. I think this is a book all thriller fans will enjoy. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it.
Bodies of Desire and Bodies in Distress: The Golden Age of Italian Cult Cinema, 1970-1985
Book
In recent years, there has been an explosion of critical interest in the icons, genres and...
The Escort (Night Series #2)
(unknown)
10.0
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He is everything I’ve ever wanted in a man. And I will do anything to get him. Even if I have to...
male/male 5 stars crime/thriller romance short stories too stinking cute
BookishWoo (317 KP) rated Buried Secrets in Books
Jun 14, 2020
An atmospheric, emotional, Rollercoaster ride that has you hooked from the start
I’m extremely excited to share my review of Buried Secrets by Krissy Baccaro, courtesy of Love Books Group Tours
What an atmospheric, emotional, Rollercoaster ride this took me on! I’m going to have to bite my tongue, so I don’t include spoilers!
After her Grandfather “Poppy” passes on, our main protagonist Ella, sets out to unravel a family mystery, when she finds “the box” that he asks her to find as it was his dying wish.
It’s not often I find a book in this genre that touches me so deeply. This literally had my eyes welling right from the start. Buried Secrets is a page turner that takes a hold on you from the start and you won’t be able to put it down.
Krissy sets the scene beautifully and you can imagine yourself right alongside the cast of characters, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of Italy that she so wonderfully depicts. I even caught myself googling the places that were visited and now want to go myself to follow in Ella’s footsteps.
The characters are so well developed, multi faceted and believable! Characters you can imagine amongst your own family and circle of friends.
Moving on to the plot, where do I start? It was full of twists, turns and surprises! Just when you thought you had solved the mystery………. nope you’re wrong! Krissy goes and throws in another treat of a twist to throw you off guard.
This seriously isn’t a book to pass up and by the end, you will be left with so many unanswered questions that you’ll be pleased to hear that this is the 1st of a series and let me tell you, I for one can’t wait for the 2nd Ella Perri instalment. So all you mystery, crime and thriller fans, why are you still reading my ramblings? Go buy the book already, so I can talk about it with you.
Krissy……You nailed it!
What an atmospheric, emotional, Rollercoaster ride this took me on! I’m going to have to bite my tongue, so I don’t include spoilers!
After her Grandfather “Poppy” passes on, our main protagonist Ella, sets out to unravel a family mystery, when she finds “the box” that he asks her to find as it was his dying wish.
It’s not often I find a book in this genre that touches me so deeply. This literally had my eyes welling right from the start. Buried Secrets is a page turner that takes a hold on you from the start and you won’t be able to put it down.
Krissy sets the scene beautifully and you can imagine yourself right alongside the cast of characters, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of Italy that she so wonderfully depicts. I even caught myself googling the places that were visited and now want to go myself to follow in Ella’s footsteps.
The characters are so well developed, multi faceted and believable! Characters you can imagine amongst your own family and circle of friends.
Moving on to the plot, where do I start? It was full of twists, turns and surprises! Just when you thought you had solved the mystery………. nope you’re wrong! Krissy goes and throws in another treat of a twist to throw you off guard.
This seriously isn’t a book to pass up and by the end, you will be left with so many unanswered questions that you’ll be pleased to hear that this is the 1st of a series and let me tell you, I for one can’t wait for the 2nd Ella Perri instalment. So all you mystery, crime and thriller fans, why are you still reading my ramblings? Go buy the book already, so I can talk about it with you.
Krissy……You nailed it!
Every Day Above Ground
9.0
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A favor for a dying ex-con turns into a violent battle against a mysterious enemy for Van Shaw in...
Chasing Darkness
9.0
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Elvis Cole is Back--In a Desperate Fight to Clear his Name... It's fire season, and the hills of...
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The German Wife [Audiobook] in Books
Jan 9, 2022
![The German Wife [Audiobook]](/uploads/profile_image/8ae/029a04d2-94e9-4a45-b8f5-a8fb3b5768ae.jpg?m=1641746893)
This book is a departure from my usual but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I usually read crime/thriller books but I do have an interest in the World Wars and this sounded like something a bit different so I took a punt and I definitely wasn't disappointed.
With strong characters, a riveting story line blended between real events and fiction, this book had me hooked from the very beginning to the very end. It's a story of love and survival set amongst the horrors of World War II. It's told from the German perspective and provides an illuminating insight into what life was like for a German SS Officer sent to Dachau in order to further his medical experiments and his wife. I'm not going to lie, this is a tough read in parts as you would expect from the subject matter but it's not overly gratuitous.
This book is filled with moral dilemmas and whilst I didn't want to like or sympathise with any of the main characters, I found myself torn and asking myself the question "what would you have done in the same situation?" I absolutely do not condone in any way, shape or form, the horrors inflicted by the Nazis on their fellow human beings but this book does make you question what you would have done had you been in their shoes. I would hope to think that I would make different choices in the beginning but hindsight is a wonderful thing!
This is a story about love and hope amongst horror and fear and one that I would recommend to others who enjoy this genre.
I must give a shout out to the narrator, Tamsin Kennard, her voice absolutely drew me in completely and was perfect for this book.
Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
With strong characters, a riveting story line blended between real events and fiction, this book had me hooked from the very beginning to the very end. It's a story of love and survival set amongst the horrors of World War II. It's told from the German perspective and provides an illuminating insight into what life was like for a German SS Officer sent to Dachau in order to further his medical experiments and his wife. I'm not going to lie, this is a tough read in parts as you would expect from the subject matter but it's not overly gratuitous.
This book is filled with moral dilemmas and whilst I didn't want to like or sympathise with any of the main characters, I found myself torn and asking myself the question "what would you have done in the same situation?" I absolutely do not condone in any way, shape or form, the horrors inflicted by the Nazis on their fellow human beings but this book does make you question what you would have done had you been in their shoes. I would hope to think that I would make different choices in the beginning but hindsight is a wonderful thing!
This is a story about love and hope amongst horror and fear and one that I would recommend to others who enjoy this genre.
I must give a shout out to the narrator, Tamsin Kennard, her voice absolutely drew me in completely and was perfect for this book.
Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Payback (1999) in Movies
Jul 15, 2020
Get Ready To Root For The Bad Guy
Payback- is a intresting revenge action thriller. Maybe its me, but i fell like this movie is boring. Its good, but some what boring, like nothing going on. Also its kinda of confusing, again it might just be me, but i fell like its confusing as well. Like i said before its good, but in the end its both boring and confusing.
The plot: Porter (Mel Gibson) is a thief betrayed by both his wife, Lynn (Deborah Kara Unger), and his partner, Val (Gregg Henry), when he is shot in the back after a heist. Slowly, Porter recovers from his wounds and begins a search for Val, intent on recovering his share of the money they stole together. With the aid of prostitute Rosie (Maria Bello), Porter captures Val but still cannot find his cash. For this, Porter will have to challenge an imposing crime syndicate called the Outfit.
Although credited as director, Brian Helgeland's cut of the film was not the theatrical version released to audiences. After the end of principal photography, Helgeland's version was deemed too dark for the mainstream public. Following a script rewrite by Terry Hayes, director Helgeland was replaced by the production designer John Myhre, who reshot 30% of the film. The intent was to make the Porter character accessible. The film's tagline became: "Get Ready to Root for the Bad Guy." A potentially controversial scene between Porter and Lynn which arguably involves spousal abuse was excised and more plot elements were added to the third act. After 10 days of reshoots, a new opening scene and voiceover track also were added, and Kris Kristofferson walked on as a new villain.
The Director's Cut version features a female Bronson, that is never seen only heard over the phone voiced by Sally Kellerman, does not include the voice-over by Porter and several Bronson-related scenes. During their scuffle (which is longer than in the theatrical version and was the main source of controversy), Porter earlier tells Lynn that his picture with Rosie was taken before they met, thereby rendering her jealousy unjustified. This version has an entirely different, ambiguous ending where Porter is seriously wounded in a train station shootout and driven off by Rosie.
A June 4, 2012, look at "movies improved by directors' cuts" by The A.V. Club described Payback: Straight Up as "a marked improvement on the unrulier original.
Mel Gibson stated in a short interview released as a DVD extra that it "would've been ideal to shoot in black and white." He noted that "people want a color image" and that the actual film used a bleach bypass process to tint the film. In addition to this, the production design used muted shades of red, brown, and grey for costumes, sets, and cars for further effect.
Like i said its a good revenge action thriller but to me its both boring and confusing. Maybe i have to watch the directors cut.
The plot: Porter (Mel Gibson) is a thief betrayed by both his wife, Lynn (Deborah Kara Unger), and his partner, Val (Gregg Henry), when he is shot in the back after a heist. Slowly, Porter recovers from his wounds and begins a search for Val, intent on recovering his share of the money they stole together. With the aid of prostitute Rosie (Maria Bello), Porter captures Val but still cannot find his cash. For this, Porter will have to challenge an imposing crime syndicate called the Outfit.
Although credited as director, Brian Helgeland's cut of the film was not the theatrical version released to audiences. After the end of principal photography, Helgeland's version was deemed too dark for the mainstream public. Following a script rewrite by Terry Hayes, director Helgeland was replaced by the production designer John Myhre, who reshot 30% of the film. The intent was to make the Porter character accessible. The film's tagline became: "Get Ready to Root for the Bad Guy." A potentially controversial scene between Porter and Lynn which arguably involves spousal abuse was excised and more plot elements were added to the third act. After 10 days of reshoots, a new opening scene and voiceover track also were added, and Kris Kristofferson walked on as a new villain.
The Director's Cut version features a female Bronson, that is never seen only heard over the phone voiced by Sally Kellerman, does not include the voice-over by Porter and several Bronson-related scenes. During their scuffle (which is longer than in the theatrical version and was the main source of controversy), Porter earlier tells Lynn that his picture with Rosie was taken before they met, thereby rendering her jealousy unjustified. This version has an entirely different, ambiguous ending where Porter is seriously wounded in a train station shootout and driven off by Rosie.
A June 4, 2012, look at "movies improved by directors' cuts" by The A.V. Club described Payback: Straight Up as "a marked improvement on the unrulier original.
Mel Gibson stated in a short interview released as a DVD extra that it "would've been ideal to shoot in black and white." He noted that "people want a color image" and that the actual film used a bleach bypass process to tint the film. In addition to this, the production design used muted shades of red, brown, and grey for costumes, sets, and cars for further effect.
Like i said its a good revenge action thriller but to me its both boring and confusing. Maybe i have to watch the directors cut.