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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated All Grown Up in Books

Jan 3, 2018 (Updated Jan 3, 2018)  
All Grown Up
All Grown Up
Jami Attenberg | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Entertaining, a more realistic Sex and the City
This is a fictional but all too real account of one woman’s voyage through life, battered by family, societal pressures and her own inner demons. Andrea, the character at the heart of the book, is absolutely clear that she does not want a child of her own.

Her life is spread eagled across the pages for the reader to pick over. Each chapter is a snapshot of an episode in her life, whether it is looking back over some of her chaotic childhood years - Dad was a drug user who died too early; Mum, once on her own again, runs bi-monthly dinner parties in the 1990s attended by only men, who of course try and hit on Andrea, a teenager at the time; or whether it is an examination of her relationships with her friends, lovers and acquaintances who pass through her life now.

Andrea also has a brother who in turn has a daughter, only tiny, who was born with a congenital problem and her life expectancy is only around four years. Yet, our self absorbed protagonist does not really visit to offer support because she is so wrapped up in her own world. She simply does not have the mental capacity and resources to give to her brother and little niece.

This is an interesting read, on-point in many ways – it smacks of New York and of lives lived in the city, Freudian Angst, neuroses and all the shtick of metropolitan Manhattan. At times, it did feel a little cliched but may be we all repeat the same patterns?
  
T2 Trainspotting (2017)
T2 Trainspotting (2017)
2017 | Drama
Cast (3 more)
Script
Direction
Soundtrack
The timing of certain plot elements are a bit too convenient (0 more)
Here comes Johnny Yen again...
Choose nostalgia, choose sequels, choose another dose of high energy antics and following four reprobates as they show that although time rolls by, people don’t change. Choose betraying your mates and abandoning them for two decades until you are forced to return home and face your demons. Choose to buy the fact that Renton returns to Edinburgh the same week that Begbie decides to break out of prison after a twenty year stretch and try not to think too much about it. Choose facing the fact that we aren’t getting any younger and not everything works out the way we hope it will. Choose a killer soundtrack, a lighter tone, a witty script and phenomenal direction. Danny Boyle and the cast in this movie have came a long way in the last twenty years and this movie exhibits that awesomely, but doesn’t forget where they came from. This movie was never going to exceed the first movie but it instead functions as a companion piece to the original and actually makes the events of the first movie more meaningful. The film isn’t afraid to play on its legacy and the fact that a good amount of time has passed since the last time we saw these characters, it in fact relies on the time that has past since the original movie. This is one of the best Scottish films ever made and is right up there alongside the original and the two movies together tell a fantastic, gripping and engaging story over a significant period of time.
  
Knights of Stone: Bryce (Highland Gargoyles #3)
Knights of Stone: Bryce (Highland Gargoyles #3)
Lisa Carlisle | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Knights of Stone: Bryce (Highland Gargoyles #3)
Knights of Stone: Bryce is the third book in the Highland Gargoyles series. It features the second oldest of the brothers, who is also second in command. On a return trip from the Highlands, Bryce feels like he is being watched. With strange rumours of people being attacked, he is on his guard. What he finds though, was not what he expected. He finds a young Gargoyle woman, alone and traumatised, although still feisty as hell! When she tells him her story, he knows that the clan his mother and father belong to must be informed, otherwise all Gargoyles are in danger. He tries to ignore his protective instinct, which is going off the charts since he met Mairi.

Well, Bryce may have tried, but we all know how these things work. He didn't have a cat in hell's chance of withstanding the pull of Mairi, even if she wasn't actually doing anything! This book is full of action, although only one 'steamy' scene Bryce and Mairi. With demons to fight, brothers to contend with, and a protective instinct to overcome, Bryce has his hands full. This book felt very balanced, with equal time being given to Mairi and Bryce. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and one scene flowed into the other. This is turning out to be a wonderful series, with excellent world building and characters. Definitely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Never Fear the Reaper
Never Fear the Reaper
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
In a world filled with darkness…
can true love spark just enough light to save it?
When Chase hires the mysterious ghost exterminator, Ryder, to cleanse his house from a pesky poltergeist he gets way more than he’s paying her for…
There’s just something about Ryder that has him mesmerized.
Is it the fact that he’s witnessed her do the unexplainable? Or the fact that she’s absolutely breathtaking? Or perhaps it’s that eerie familiar feeling that they’ve met before, perhaps in another lifetime.
Chase desperately tags along with Ryder on a whirlwind of life threatening adventures in exchange for a few precious moments of alone time with her. With the Grimm Reaper’s Scythe as their defense, Chase developing some supernatural gifts of his own and an intense crush developing between the both of them what crazy supernatural force will target them next?

Never Fear the Reaper (A Never Fear the Reaper Series Book 1) Ashley Pagano is an original read that is full of non stop action and the paranormal/supernatural.
Ghosts, Poltergeists and Demons abound in our world and a pair of reckless humans are determined to either help them move on, or make them.
Ms. Pagano is a new-to-me author and I have very much enjoyed my first experience of her work.
I loved reading it. I was hooked from the very beginning and found myself lost in the pages. It not only has a wonderful storyline it has characters that I loved reading about.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
  
Where The Dead Fall (DI Ridpath #2)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
One chance encounter, one street side murder, will change everything. The extraordinary new Ridpath crime thriller
DI Ridpath is in the process of getting his life back together when everything goes wrong.
Driving to meet his daughter, he is caught in a gruesome motorway accident, in which a near-naked man is rundown by a lorry, while fleeing from a lone gunman. As Ridpath closes Manchester’s road network in search of the assailant, one question remains: why did nobody else see him?
Ridpath’s investigations soon unearth a number of inconsistencies, which pulls the police force itself into question, and hint at something sinister to come.
For Manchester is on the brink of a fresh surge of violence unlike anything it has seen in decades, and Ridpath must battle this unprecedented conflict along with his own demons. One thing is for sure. There will be blood on the streets…

This is the second book in the DI Tom Ridpath series. This is a really well written book that is full of action and suspense. I thought this was a great follow-up to the first book. The pacing is excellent, the main character is engaging, and I couldn't stop reading til finished.
Excellent plot and great characters,
A roller-coaster of a read, well written with a cast of well rounded characters, good and bad.
Great plot line and an ending I didn’t see coming.
This book has so many twists and turns that will leave your head spinning.
Well done, roll on the next.
Would definitely recommend this this novel.

My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.
  
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Gail (4 KP) rated Incapable in Books

Jun 4, 2018  
I
Incapable
Marie Skye | 2016
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ok I know it has to be 5 stars but holy gravy train this book was AMAZING! The character build, the drama, the romance and holy macaroons the SEX! This was panty dripping good. This follows Grayson and Emmalin as they battle past demons and try to find their way to love. Emmalin is working hard to just scrape by. She doesn’t go looking for anything but a break from the hard life. What she finds is a man willing to lay down roads paved in gold for her. She can’t let him take over her life she has worked to hard to be independent and free to allow him in. Grayson slowly breaks down her walls but situations keep happening and she just builds them back up.
Grayson has to been the most amazing man in fiction right now. The guy oozes sex-appeal and dominance. The way he commanded her with that deep voice(in my head) just had me wishing I was her. He had his flaws but they just made him perfect. He gave more to others than any billionaire in any book I have read to date. The guy was possessive in all the right areas.
I want to spoil this for you so bad but I wont because this book if worth the read. I should be in bed getting rest for work but man I couldn’t put this book down. Marie Skye you just got yourself put on my all time favorite author list. To others it’s not much but to me that’s an achievement because I am high maintenance when it comes to books. THANK YOU!
  
Soul Dimension
Soul Dimension
2017 | Action/Adventure, Horror, Puzzle & Cards
Great Atmosphere (0 more)
Was never finished (0 more)
A gem of a game, now forgotten
Soul Dimension is a beautiful game, the lighting, the art style, the way the white opaque curtains look almost ethereal in the moonlight. You are greeted by a woman who is decked out in masquerade garb in your home asking if you're ready to play a game before she disappears down the hallway. Afterwords you explore your home and piece together what is potentially a very powerful story. There is a constant feeling if tension created from the lighting, ambient soundtrack, and the masked woman taunting you. There becomes a point where reality becomes more and more distorted, a room you were just in may change completely the next time you visit it. There is one particular room after you leave it to go back to the room you came from, you open the door to find yourseof on a wooden bridge surrounded by darkness aside from a white glowing tree ahead that is on a small patch of land and demons flying in the air attacking you. It's trippy, beautiful, powerful but... I have a hard time recommending it. The problem is, this is the 1st episode and it released a few years ago with no word of a follow up. It took me a half hour my first playthrough, and 15 minutes the second. The story leaves off on a hell of an unresolved cliffhanger that leaves you burning for more, but no one knows if more is coming. So while I adore the episode, without any sign of a resolution it ends up being more frustrating than anything.
  
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JT (287 KP) rated The Intruder (2019) in Movies

Mar 10, 2020  
The Intruder (2019)
The Intruder (2019)
2019 | Thriller
When are couples moving into a new home going to realise that there is a lot more to worry about than just making sure all of your stuff arrives in one piece. If it’s not things going bump in the night or uninvited demons, it’s seemingly sweet as pie neighbours with an ulterior motive.

Annie (Meagan Good) and Scott ( Michael Ealy) think that they have found their dream home, away from the concrete jungle of the city with an idyllic setting in which to start a family. Step in Charlie (Dennis Quaid), a kind hearted widower who is selling in order to start a new life with his daughter in Florida – or so it would seem, as we know, looks can be deceiving.

Dennis Quaid nails the disturbed seller turned psycho
The film has been battered with reviews saying that it forgoes plot in favour of setting up a good jump scare, but do you know what? I don’t mind that.

I’ve always been a sucker for this type of genre and this one is no different. There are the obvious plot holes, some laughable, like how come it takes Annie so long to realise that Charlie has psychotic tendencies, despite Scott practically spelling it out for her? Or the fact that everyone seems to be drawn to a particular linen closet. It moves along enough to keep you entertained with Quaid giving a good account of himself and clearly having fun.

Director (Deon Taylor) seems inspired by classic home invasion thrillers but offers nothing new that we won’t have already seen before – you can just throw this one onto the pile with all the rest.
  
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Ali A (80 KP) rated Sparrow in Books

Mar 11, 2020  
Sparrow
Sparrow
Mary Cecilia Jackson | 2020 | Young Adult (YA)
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Trigger Warnings: abuse, assault, dating violence

Sparrow is about 17-year-old ballet prodigy Savannah Rose, aka Sparrow, and her journey after being violently assaulted by her boyfriend, Tristan. The story jumps between Sparrow's POV and her friend's Lucas as they both confront their ghosts and demons of the aftermath.

Through most of this story I felt like I was just missing chunks of it. Before we went into Lucas' POV we seemed to just jump around with Sparrow. She has her first date with Tristan and then all of a sudden she's afraid of him. Then, when she'd have fights with Lucas, we'd get half with Sparrow's POV and then a few chapters later we'd get the other half with Lucas' POV which most of the time changed the whole fight. Pieces were almost always missing - like the fact that I thought Sophie was Sparrow's stepmom or her dad's girlfriend, not her aunt for the first hundred pages.

Because of all this, I really had no connection to Sparrow. I did, however, feel more connected with Lucas and what happened with him. Some things that happened with him tugged on my heartstrings. I feel bad for not really caring about Sparrow's story, but the only reason I knew of her story was because I wanted to read more about Lucas'.

Overall the book was good, but I wish it was fleshed out a bit more. A lot of characters had such great potential in the beginning but seemed to fade out/be glossed over in the middle and end. There were many distractions and an empty hole around the plot that I wish were filled in.
  
    Ghosts'n Goblins MOBILE

    Ghosts'n Goblins MOBILE

    Games and Entertainment

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    This game is not fully compatible with iOS 11 (including the beta version). Please note that there...