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Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Darker (Fifty Shades as Told by Christian, #2) in Books

Jan 12, 2020

Darker (Fifty Shades as Told by Christian, #2)

E.L. James | 2017 | Erotica, Fiction & Poetry, Romance

7.3

(4 Ratings)

Book Rating

I far more enjoyed this novel than it's counterpart. Along the lines of my original review of its predecessor, I think that Christian is a far more interesting character than Ana. Ana's major character traits are that she's a virgin and kind of has mommy issues. I find his point of view, his thoughts, and his dreams, or nightmares rather, much more compelling than anything Ana really has to say. I think that he is a much stronger character and much more realistic than she is.

I originally rated this novel a 5/5 because I do truly love the story, I like the mystery, the thrill, the sex, I think it's great. I revised it, though, because as soon as I get into a good rhythm, reading 20 pages and feeling like it's been 5 minutes, I get pulled out of the story by something so small and seemingly irrelevant like a phrase or wording or the way they do something. It pulls me out of the story and forces me to remember that the writing isn't all that good. I've said previously about the dialogue and that always gets me - again, they sound English and they're not!!!! I'm not sure if E.L. James had an English editor either, but it seems like she could've because I think an American one would've caught those things.

Overall, I think that this is the best book of the 4 thus far - Fifty Shades of Grey, Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Darker. While I have enjoyed them all, somewhat of a guilty pleasure, I'm eager to read the final chapter of the trilogy and rage about how there isn't a Christian perspective. Stay tuned.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated The Silent Second in Books

Jan 16, 2020

Good, but Not the Tone I Was Expecting

Chuck Restic has spent twenty years in HR, and he’s good at his job – making sure employees get along so they don’t sue each other or, more importantly, the company. That’s how he first meets Ed, who has had a complaint filed against him. Ed seems like a nice guy, and their meeting goes well, but then Ed disappears a couple of days later. A plea from Ed’s family to figure out what happened to him intrigues Chuck. He’s recently separated from his wife, and he wants to do something to fill his time away from work, so he uses his boredom as an excuse to start poking around. The trail quickly leads to real estate around Los Angeles, but how could that have led to Ed’s disappearance?

I’d seen the author speak at a library event a while ago, and I thought this book sounded like fun. While I certainly enjoyed it, I found the book to be darker in tone than I was expecting. There were a few laughs when Chuck was in HR mode, but for the most part, this felt more like a hard-boiled book. But that’s my only complaint with the book. I really did like Chuck – in fact, I could identify with him a bit too much. (Maybe that was part of my problem.) The rest of the cast are just as strong and become well-rounded people as we learn most about them. The plot was great with plenty of twists and an ending I didn’t see coming. The book was light on foul language and didn’t get too graphic with the violence or sex, which I most definitely appreciated. This is a solid debut, but pick it up when you are in the mood for something on the darker side.

Kudos

Pete (121 KP) rated The Circle (2017) in Movies

Jul 19, 2017

The Circle (2017)

2017 | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

5.9

(44 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Tom Hanks... need i say more (2 more)

Karen Gillan (hot)

The idea behind the film

How the film was as a whole, could have been alot better (3 more)

Emma Watson

Without ruining it, the finish could have been alot better

The attempt at comedy

Could have been alot better

Maybe this would have been alot better without Emma watson, we will never find out. But in my opinion, it says alot when karen Gillan was by far the better actress and sadly had half the screen time compared with Watson.
As per normal, Hanks was brilliant in his role and what made it even better was you get to see his darker side.
Overall, as a thriller, theres a crushing lack of suspense.
The idea was brilliant, the film was not. I had high hopes when watching but ended somewhat disappointed.

Kudos

Sarah (7800 KP) rated Journeyman (2017) in Movies

Feb 16, 2019

Journeyman (2017)

2017 | Drama, Sport

8.3

(4 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Great performance from Paddy Considine

Paddy Considine really makes this film. I’ve always thought he’s a fantastic actor, and he proves it yet again with his performance in this film. Not only is his direction great, but his acting is truly superb. For me, the acting is the best part about this film and really what makes it better than average. Jodie Whittaker is also very good as Matty’s wife. The plot itself is good and definitely highlights the darker side of boxing, in a very stark and realistic manner. My issue is that boxing films have been done so many times before, and whilst this is a slightly different (and very good) take on the physical effects of boxing, I feel boxing has been done too many times before. Still worth a watch though for Paddy Considine’s performance alone.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Nun Too Soon (Giulia Driscoll #1) in Books

Mar 9, 2018

Driscoll Investigations already has a full plate when Giulia is offered the case of the Silk Tie Killer. Roger Fitch, the accused, maintains that he is innocent of killing his girlfriend, and Giulia has a hard time walking away from an underdog. Is he truly innocent? There are certainly enough suspects, but can she figure it out?

I absolutely loved this book! Giulia and the other series regulars are a complete delight, and their teasing and bantered kept me grinning and smiling. The case has some nice twists, and the suspects were memorable no matter how much page time they had. This book tends toward the darker end of the cozy spectrum, but it was completely enjoyable.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/01/book-review-nun-too-soon-by-alice.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.