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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Apr 26, 2022
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated The Pajama Frame in Books
Jul 26, 2022
Odd Inheritance Leads to Danger
Madison Night is surprised when her friend Alice Sweet leaves her the factory for Sweet Dreams, a pajama company that was closed years ago after a tragic death. Rumors over the decades hinted there may be more to the death than was reported at the time, and there are those who want to get in and see if they can find any clues for themselves. Before Madison can decide exactly what to do with the building, she stumbles over a very fresh dead body. Can she figure out what is going on?
This book started out well, and it never really let up. I was engaged the entire time, and the twists came faster as we got closer. Unfortunately, one aspect of the plot was never really fully explained, but the rest of the mystery is successfully wrapped up. Once again, Madison grows here, and I enjoy seeing her journey. The rest of the cast is just as strong and engaging. Fans of Doris Day movies will enjoy a few Easter eggs hidden in the book, although if you miss them (and I’m sure I missed a couple), it doesn’t take anything away from the story itself. Some humor sprinkled throughout the book added to the fun. If you, like me, need to catch up on this series, you’ll enjoy this book.
This book started out well, and it never really let up. I was engaged the entire time, and the twists came faster as we got closer. Unfortunately, one aspect of the plot was never really fully explained, but the rest of the mystery is successfully wrapped up. Once again, Madison grows here, and I enjoy seeing her journey. The rest of the cast is just as strong and engaging. Fans of Doris Day movies will enjoy a few Easter eggs hidden in the book, although if you miss them (and I’m sure I missed a couple), it doesn’t take anything away from the story itself. Some humor sprinkled throughout the book added to the fun. If you, like me, need to catch up on this series, you’ll enjoy this book.
Point Blank (Badlands #6)
Book
Sexy psychic Simon Kincaide and skeptical homicide detective Vic D’Amato are getting married--if...
MM Fantasy Romance Urban Fantasy Opposites Attract Established Relationship
Merissa (11800 KP) rated The Guardian, a Sword, & Stilettos (Enlighten #1) in Books
May 31, 2023
Zoe is best friends with Kieran, they have been together since day dot. So when he suddenly turns into this death-defying badass, she is a bit shocked. No more so than when another hot bod also turns up to help save her. Just what is going on?
Zoe is a brilliant character, with just the right amount of innocence and naivety to carry it off, without becoming the world's most annoying character. She takes what she has to in her stride, with only an occasional flip-out. She also still tries to continue on with her 'normal' life - cart/horse scenario! With Shay and Kieran by her side to help her sort things out, the future is uncertain for Zoe. High potential on the one hand; death and destruction on the other.
With a supporting cast of excellent characters, all with their own personalities and foibles, this book was an entertaining read from start to finish. With plenty of room left for further growth and adventures, this is one series that I will definitely be continuing. Highly recommended for all YA Paranormal fans.
* 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!
Mar 27, 2016
Zoe is a brilliant character, with just the right amount of innocence and naivety to carry it off, without becoming the world's most annoying character. She takes what she has to in her stride, with only an occasional flip-out. She also still tries to continue on with her 'normal' life - cart/horse scenario! With Shay and Kieran by her side to help her sort things out, the future is uncertain for Zoe. High potential on the one hand; death and destruction on the other.
With a supporting cast of excellent characters, all with their own personalities and foibles, this book was an entertaining read from start to finish. With plenty of room left for further growth and adventures, this is one series that I will definitely be continuing. Highly recommended for all YA Paranormal fans.
* 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!
Mar 27, 2016
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Death Race (2008) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
In 1975, legendary B-movie producer Roger Corman showed audiences a look at the near future with a biting film that deftly blended action and political commentary and satire. The film was “Death Race 2000” and starred David Carradine and featured a pre-“Rocky” Sylvester Stallone as bitter rivals in a brutal cross country race where finishing first was second only to the amount of death and carnage a driver left in their wake.
The film became a cult hit, and paved the way for films such as “Rollerball”, “Arena”, and countless other films that featured bloodlust sporting events for the masses a la Rome in the age of gladiators at the coliseum. Thirty-three years later, audiences are given the new and upgraded “Death Race” which benefits from a bigger budget with more carnage than the original film that inspired it ever dreamed of.
The film opens with an eerie warning of today’s troubled economic times, stating that the U.S.
economy collapses in 2012 and record unemployment and crime sweep the nation. With prisons overcrowded, corporations run correctional facilities for a profit and soon offer caged matches between inmates for the viewing pleasure of the nation. At first the matches are a huge success but soon lose their appeal to an audience that is eager for even bloodier sport.
In an effort to keep the cash flowing, the Death Race is created which pits convicts against one another in a brutal mix of speed, firepower, and death which in a few years surpasses even the Super Bowl as the most watched sporting event in the world.
Jason Statham stars as Jensen Ames, a former race driver who is framed for the murder of his wife and faces the prospect of life in prison while his daughter is raised by strangers. With the Death Race losing some if its audience, its creator, and warden of the prison, Hennessey (Joan Allen), offers Jensen a solution to both of their problems. If Jensen will pose as the masked Frankenstein for the race and win, he will be granted his freedom. It is learned that the real Frankenstein has finally succumbed to the numerous injuries he has incurred racing, and rather than risk losing his vast legions of fans who drive the ratings, it is easier to replace him than lose him, especially since recent races without Frankenstein had not garnered the same ratings as his past races.
It is explained that should a driver win five death races, they will be set free. Since Frankenstein has won four races, all Jensen has to do is win the race and stay alive to earn his freedom. Jensen is faced with an menacing list of adversaries including the deadly Machine Gun Joe (Tyrese Gibson), who is the biggest threat to Jensen with an absolute hatred for Frankenstein. Gun Joe is a cold-blooded killer who wants nothing more than two more race wins to earn his freedom and will stop at nothing to get it.
Jensen is assisted by the talented Coach (Ian McShane), who dispenses wisdom while overseeing the crew that outfits Jensen’s suped up, armor-plated, and very heavily armed racer. Assigned to ride with Jensen as his Navigator is Case (Natalie Martinez), a female prisoner who, like many of her fellow navigators, sees the race as a chance to earn their freedom and other special perks which makes risking their lives a worthwhile endeavor.
As the race unfolds in three stages, Jensen is tasked with not only surviving the threats Machine Gun Joe and the other racers aim his way, but surviving the twisted scheme that has him in its grasp.
The action of the film is fast, brutal, and unforgiving and is easily the highlight of the film. Sadly there are plenty of scenes with stiff and uninspired characters, numerous plot holes and leaps of logic, and clichés that bog the film down.
Statham is his usual soft talking hard man, a character he has made a career out of playing in such films as the “Crank” and the “Transporter” series. But unlike those films, he is not given much material to work with here. Statham has done solid work in the past but Jensen is a paper thin character who never fully given a chance to develop nor be embraced by the audience.
The same is true for the rest of the cast, a talented ensemble left to languish in want of better material. The film is directed by Paul W.S. Anderson of the “Resident Evil” series who once again shows that he has an eye for action, but still has issues with pacing and unsympathetic characters. This is a shame as the premise of the film is solid, but unlike the original, lacks the social and political commentary needed to balance the carnage and mayhem.
With a little more time in shop and tinkering, this could have been a solid action film, instead it stalls at the starting line badly in need of a tune up.
The film became a cult hit, and paved the way for films such as “Rollerball”, “Arena”, and countless other films that featured bloodlust sporting events for the masses a la Rome in the age of gladiators at the coliseum. Thirty-three years later, audiences are given the new and upgraded “Death Race” which benefits from a bigger budget with more carnage than the original film that inspired it ever dreamed of.
The film opens with an eerie warning of today’s troubled economic times, stating that the U.S.
economy collapses in 2012 and record unemployment and crime sweep the nation. With prisons overcrowded, corporations run correctional facilities for a profit and soon offer caged matches between inmates for the viewing pleasure of the nation. At first the matches are a huge success but soon lose their appeal to an audience that is eager for even bloodier sport.
In an effort to keep the cash flowing, the Death Race is created which pits convicts against one another in a brutal mix of speed, firepower, and death which in a few years surpasses even the Super Bowl as the most watched sporting event in the world.
Jason Statham stars as Jensen Ames, a former race driver who is framed for the murder of his wife and faces the prospect of life in prison while his daughter is raised by strangers. With the Death Race losing some if its audience, its creator, and warden of the prison, Hennessey (Joan Allen), offers Jensen a solution to both of their problems. If Jensen will pose as the masked Frankenstein for the race and win, he will be granted his freedom. It is learned that the real Frankenstein has finally succumbed to the numerous injuries he has incurred racing, and rather than risk losing his vast legions of fans who drive the ratings, it is easier to replace him than lose him, especially since recent races without Frankenstein had not garnered the same ratings as his past races.
It is explained that should a driver win five death races, they will be set free. Since Frankenstein has won four races, all Jensen has to do is win the race and stay alive to earn his freedom. Jensen is faced with an menacing list of adversaries including the deadly Machine Gun Joe (Tyrese Gibson), who is the biggest threat to Jensen with an absolute hatred for Frankenstein. Gun Joe is a cold-blooded killer who wants nothing more than two more race wins to earn his freedom and will stop at nothing to get it.
Jensen is assisted by the talented Coach (Ian McShane), who dispenses wisdom while overseeing the crew that outfits Jensen’s suped up, armor-plated, and very heavily armed racer. Assigned to ride with Jensen as his Navigator is Case (Natalie Martinez), a female prisoner who, like many of her fellow navigators, sees the race as a chance to earn their freedom and other special perks which makes risking their lives a worthwhile endeavor.
As the race unfolds in three stages, Jensen is tasked with not only surviving the threats Machine Gun Joe and the other racers aim his way, but surviving the twisted scheme that has him in its grasp.
The action of the film is fast, brutal, and unforgiving and is easily the highlight of the film. Sadly there are plenty of scenes with stiff and uninspired characters, numerous plot holes and leaps of logic, and clichés that bog the film down.
Statham is his usual soft talking hard man, a character he has made a career out of playing in such films as the “Crank” and the “Transporter” series. But unlike those films, he is not given much material to work with here. Statham has done solid work in the past but Jensen is a paper thin character who never fully given a chance to develop nor be embraced by the audience.
The same is true for the rest of the cast, a talented ensemble left to languish in want of better material. The film is directed by Paul W.S. Anderson of the “Resident Evil” series who once again shows that he has an eye for action, but still has issues with pacing and unsympathetic characters. This is a shame as the premise of the film is solid, but unlike the original, lacks the social and political commentary needed to balance the carnage and mayhem.
With a little more time in shop and tinkering, this could have been a solid action film, instead it stalls at the starting line badly in need of a tune up.
Erika (17788 KP) rated Captain America: Civil War (2016) in Movies
Nov 24, 2017
When it was announced that they were going to take the last in the Cap trilogy and make it the civil war storyline, I was ticked. The comic book Civil War was painful to read. Why does Tony Stark have to be in every movie? At least Cap kicked his ass fully at the end. Stark needs to go see a psychiatrist, because he obviously can't get over his parents death. Tony Stark being in the movie made it a 9.
I loved that they brought in Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman did a fantastic job. The fight choreography was great during the car chase scene.
I loved that they brought in Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman did a fantastic job. The fight choreography was great during the car chase scene.
Laura (4 KP) rated Cruel Crown: Two Red Queen Short Stories in Books
Jan 5, 2018
I enjoyed being able to see what Cal’s mother was like, and early Elara, and what happened between them. It makes sense of the difficulties between certain silver lines and why people always talked about Coriane and Elara because of their powers. It was also good to find out More about Farley. However I felt there should have been more, maybe a full book prequel to how they came about and some more about Farley & shade, an in-depth look at how Elara took the thrown after Coriane’s death. But overall I’m glad we got a sneak preview at the time before the Red Queen series
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Time of Death (Tom Thorne,#13) in Books
Jan 12, 2018
I am a massive fan of Mark Billingham and I absolutely love his character - Tom Thorne - neither have ever disappointed me and, after reading this, they still havent. This book is ace as are all previous 12 novels. I am usually one of the first to the bookshop when a new one comes out but this time I was lucky enough to have been sent an eBook copy via NetGalley and I want to thank the publisher, Grove Atlantic, for this in return for an unbiased review.
For my full review, please visit my blog at http://readingstuffnthings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/time-of-death-by-mark-billingham.html, thank you.,
For my full review, please visit my blog at http://readingstuffnthings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/time-of-death-by-mark-billingham.html, thank you.,
MissCagey (2652 KP) rated Tumbledown (2016) in Movies
Jan 12, 2018
Good have been so much better!
Contains spoilers, click to show
Two years after her folk singer husband’s death husband widow is still grieving for him. A writer tries to get in touch with her to research her late husband for his book. In the end they collaborate.
I found the female character quite unlikeable, zero chemistry between the two leads and a story that really goes nowhere. A possible subplot of whether the singer had actually committed suicide is not explored and I think it would’ve made a much better film if they’d gone down that route rather than the cliche of the two leads falling in love. Disappointing.
I found the female character quite unlikeable, zero chemistry between the two leads and a story that really goes nowhere. A possible subplot of whether the singer had actually committed suicide is not explored and I think it would’ve made a much better film if they’d gone down that route rather than the cliche of the two leads falling in love. Disappointing.
tapestry100 (306 KP) rated Snotgirl, Vol 1: Green Hair Don't Care in Books
Aug 2, 2017
Originally reviewed on http://www.frommybookshelf.com
I picked this up on a whim (I find that I really enjoy most Image titles), and what started out as a seemingly fluff story about fashion bloggers and their rather shallow lives takes a surprising turn into something more... sinister? A mysterious "resurrection", possible supernatural elements, a stalker, a police investigation into the possible death of the possibly resurrected friend, and another possible murder. Or is it all just an allergy drug-induced hallucination? We'll have to wait until the next collected edition to find out more, but needless to say I was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly intrigued to find out what happens next.
I picked this up on a whim (I find that I really enjoy most Image titles), and what started out as a seemingly fluff story about fashion bloggers and their rather shallow lives takes a surprising turn into something more... sinister? A mysterious "resurrection", possible supernatural elements, a stalker, a police investigation into the possible death of the possibly resurrected friend, and another possible murder. Or is it all just an allergy drug-induced hallucination? We'll have to wait until the next collected edition to find out more, but needless to say I was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly intrigued to find out what happens next.