Search
Search results
Remy Tankel Carroll (36 KP) rated They Shall Not Grow Old (2018) in Movies
Jan 4, 2019
Very moving
This doc is for everyone, not just people interested in military history. Peter Jackson has done an amazing job putting together a seamless, cohesive film from the many hours of footage he had available. I am usually not a fan of black and white films being colorized but in this case, it really adds to the viewer's experience. You'll get a real sense of what it was like on front lines of WWI and see the universal experience of the soldiers, no matter what country they were from. At times it's funny, at times heartbreaking, always intense. It's definitely a must-see. And do yourself a favor, stay after the credits for Peter Jackson's discussion about what it took to make this film. The amount of research and detail he and his team put into this film is awesome.
Jcadden76 (64 KP) rated Small Town Murder in Podcasts
Jun 15, 2018
Great research (2 more)
The hosts are amazing
They put a funny spin on a serious topic
Humor about murder - who would have thought.
This podcast may not be for the faint of heart but I love it. James Pietragallo and Jimmie Whisman are the hosts of this show. The two comedians lend their wit and humor to a serious topic and it works. They are upfront with the fact that they are in no way making fun of the victims but they are going to be humorous in their discussion of the topic.
Now, when they say Small Town, they are not kidding, they are legit talking about tiny towns with weird murders, lots of murders or somewhere in between.
This is a podcast that you need to give a shot. Give it the 3 episode challenge and see if this long-form podcast doesn't find a place on your playlist.
Now, when they say Small Town, they are not kidding, they are legit talking about tiny towns with weird murders, lots of murders or somewhere in between.
This is a podcast that you need to give a shot. Give it the 3 episode challenge and see if this long-form podcast doesn't find a place on your playlist.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Animal Planet Baby Animals in Books
Jun 16, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
Animal Planet: Animal Bite, Baby Animals by Dorothea Deprisco, Animal Planet is a book about various animal species family life. It talks about live and egg birth, how long babies stay with their parents, what they eat, where they live, how they travel and more.
The photos in this book are vibrant. They are close that you feel as if you can touch the animals.
There are some special sections on that side of the page that that include cool animal facts, simple infographics, and illustrated maps of the Earth and the habitats as well as the short bits on "All Grown Up". The special sections will invite discussion and further investigation. They even have bits on "Just like Humans" where they show how human families interact in some of the various topics.
On the top of the page there are activities, further resources and an extensive Glossary.
The photos in this book are vibrant. They are close that you feel as if you can touch the animals.
There are some special sections on that side of the page that that include cool animal facts, simple infographics, and illustrated maps of the Earth and the habitats as well as the short bits on "All Grown Up". The special sections will invite discussion and further investigation. They even have bits on "Just like Humans" where they show how human families interact in some of the various topics.
On the top of the page there are activities, further resources and an extensive Glossary.
Ross (3282 KP) rated Captain Marvel, Volume 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More in Books
Sep 17, 2018
Captain Marvel is not a superhero I am familiar with, but with a free Kindle Unlimited trial and an upcoming movie about her, I thought I should give it a try.
Some really good artwork here, being slightly cartoony in nature but not too twee. Some good interaction with Guardians of the Galaxy.
But in general, just a bit flimsy and dull. A lot of the book falls into Phantom Menace-esque international trade tariff discussions which take up quite a large proportion of the page count.
I don't feel like this really shows off one of the most powerful superheroes in all their glory, rather being a strong independent woman sorting things out through political discussion and diplomacy before eventually resorting to her powers. While this was right for the story being told, I found it a boring one. I may not be the target market for this.
Some really good artwork here, being slightly cartoony in nature but not too twee. Some good interaction with Guardians of the Galaxy.
But in general, just a bit flimsy and dull. A lot of the book falls into Phantom Menace-esque international trade tariff discussions which take up quite a large proportion of the page count.
I don't feel like this really shows off one of the most powerful superheroes in all their glory, rather being a strong independent woman sorting things out through political discussion and diplomacy before eventually resorting to her powers. While this was right for the story being told, I found it a boring one. I may not be the target market for this.
Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated The West Wing Weekly in Podcasts
Sep 17, 2018 (Updated Sep 17, 2018)
The hosts (7 more)
The guests
The topics
The behind-the-scenes discussion
The humor
The puns
The political history
The social issues
Relive all the best of The West Wing.
Co-hosted by actor Joshua Malina, who played Will Bailey in The West Wing, and Hrishikesh Hirway, host of the podcast Song Exploder. The West Wing Weekly reviews and explores the series episode by episode and shares behind-the-scenes stories with guest stars, writers, producers, and more from The West Wing, along with political figures who discuss the politics and social issues portrayed in the series. The co-hosts are intelligent, brilliant and hilarious. Josh Malina's puns are delightful. They put their own spin on the show and are a delight to listen to. I highly recommend this podcast to all West Wing fans. You won't regret it. Well, maybe. It depends on how much you like or hate puns. LOL
The Marinated Meeple (1848 KP) rated 1917 (2020) in Movies
Jan 29, 2020
Truly a movie worth seeing in the theater, best of this year by far!
I don't love war movies and I was hesitant to see it, as watching large amounts of people shooting and killing each other doesn't make me happy. But this movie is about surviving, and going on, and making the best of things, and doing your job. It's also about heroism, and humanity. Yes it is beautiful and gritty and uncomfortable, it's all things you think it should be. This might even be one of the best movies I've seen in multiple years.... I'd have to think on it some more, but this is one of the most satisfied times I've ever left a movie theater feeling. And a great date night film, ripe for discussion afterwards over dinner, or dessert.
Awix (3310 KP) rated On the Basis of Sex (2018) in Movies
Mar 1, 2019
Legal bio-pic has a title that makes it sound like a recipe for a failed marriage; unfortunately it's not as interesting as that. Felicity Jones plays a young Ruth Bader Ginsberg, battling the patriarchy first at Harvard and then in the courts, aided by her husband Marty (it's Armie Hammer time!).
Well-mounted and with some decent performances, and there are some startling revelations (sex discrimination was not considered unconstitutional in the US until fairly recently), but the actual story of the main case covered by the film is not that gripping (a lot of discussion of legal procedure and tax law), and the earnestness of the film also threatens to make it a bit indigestible: of course RBG is an important figure fighting for a good cause, but that doesn't mean any film about her has to feel like The Lives of the Saints. The documentary about Ginsberg is also flawed, but more peppy than this.
Well-mounted and with some decent performances, and there are some startling revelations (sex discrimination was not considered unconstitutional in the US until fairly recently), but the actual story of the main case covered by the film is not that gripping (a lot of discussion of legal procedure and tax law), and the earnestness of the film also threatens to make it a bit indigestible: of course RBG is an important figure fighting for a good cause, but that doesn't mean any film about her has to feel like The Lives of the Saints. The documentary about Ginsberg is also flawed, but more peppy than this.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Molly the Mole: A Story to Help Children Build Self-Esteem in Books
Jun 18, 2018
Molly the Mole: A Story to Help Children Build Self-Esteem by Alice Reeves is part of the Truth and Tails series, specifically regarding Self-Esteem. Molly is feeling sad because she is comparing herself to her friends. She does not think she measures up in various areas. Through helping her friends with different things, they help to show her that she has other traits and qualities that make her special too. The lesson of being yourself and feeling good about it is one important message, but also accepting each other for who they are and for whatever their talents and skills might be.
The questions at the end of the book to promote discussion are an added bonus. This is a good addition to an elementary class to help develop values and positive character.
I give this book 4/5 stars. I received an ARC from the publisher,Jessica Kingsley Publishers, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The questions at the end of the book to promote discussion are an added bonus. This is a good addition to an elementary class to help develop values and positive character.
I give this book 4/5 stars. I received an ARC from the publisher,Jessica Kingsley Publishers, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a short and snappy novella - a quick and enjoyable read. A lot like social media, really - and that’s what it’s all about. I’d heard of catfishing before, but I have to admit that I didn’t really know what the term meant (fyi: “the process of luring someone into a relationship by means of a fictional online persona”).
I would imagine this could be read in one sitting quite quickly (this was a book that The Pigeonhole serialised over five days), because the action is pretty relentless - much like social media, really! I think it holds a mirror up to society’s reliance on social media - usually minus the murder (I hope!) - and how we’re all deeply influenced by it.
There are some deeply unpleasant people in this, but that’s never a bad thing, in my own opinion. It’s an entertaining read, and worth your time!
Thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this, and to Kevin Landt for joining in the discussion!
I would imagine this could be read in one sitting quite quickly (this was a book that The Pigeonhole serialised over five days), because the action is pretty relentless - much like social media, really! I think it holds a mirror up to society’s reliance on social media - usually minus the murder (I hope!) - and how we’re all deeply influenced by it.
There are some deeply unpleasant people in this, but that’s never a bad thing, in my own opinion. It’s an entertaining read, and worth your time!
Thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this, and to Kevin Landt for joining in the discussion!
Lilyn G - Sci-Fi & Scary (91 KP) rated The Sleeper in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Interesting elements for a kids book
The Sleeper is a 96-page science fiction mystery early chapter book. It comes with a few accompanying discussion questions at the back, as well as with some writing prompts and a basic glossary. These writing prompts encourage the reader to continue to interact with the story on their own terms. It plunges the reader right into a world that is theoretically just a few days away from getting destroyed by aliens. But the viewpoint the story is being told from is different than you might expect.
The illustrations in The Sleeper are black and white and surprisingly creepy. The illustrator, Tom Percival, does a solid job doing things like showing how even a smile can be rather disturbing. Nothing is graphic or outright scary at all, and yet readers can definitely experience an unease just looking at the pictures.
The Sleeper introduces the concept of a sleeper agent to young readers. I thought this was interesting and wasn't expecting it even though the title should have been a dead giveaway. In my defense, the cover for The Sleeper and the two line synopsis don't exactly tell you what to expect other than aliens!
While there are several good points to The Sleeper, I can't say I particularly liked it. It felt too brief and even though the discussion questions invite the reader to continue the story, it ends on a massive cliffhanger regarding one of the kids' fate. This may be deliberate, and for younger readers, it may actually work out well. It enables the child to feel a sense of accomplishment that they finished a book, and yet provides the impetus for them to pick up the next one. (Still made me twitch as it reeks too much of the chop-job that some authors like to do to a plot to sell more books.)
Overall, The Sleeper was an okay read. If it gets even a handful of kids interested enough to pick up another book, then it is has done its job. And, as always, it's nice to see a beginning chapter book that focuses on science fiction!
The illustrations in The Sleeper are black and white and surprisingly creepy. The illustrator, Tom Percival, does a solid job doing things like showing how even a smile can be rather disturbing. Nothing is graphic or outright scary at all, and yet readers can definitely experience an unease just looking at the pictures.
The Sleeper introduces the concept of a sleeper agent to young readers. I thought this was interesting and wasn't expecting it even though the title should have been a dead giveaway. In my defense, the cover for The Sleeper and the two line synopsis don't exactly tell you what to expect other than aliens!
While there are several good points to The Sleeper, I can't say I particularly liked it. It felt too brief and even though the discussion questions invite the reader to continue the story, it ends on a massive cliffhanger regarding one of the kids' fate. This may be deliberate, and for younger readers, it may actually work out well. It enables the child to feel a sense of accomplishment that they finished a book, and yet provides the impetus for them to pick up the next one. (Still made me twitch as it reeks too much of the chop-job that some authors like to do to a plot to sell more books.)
Overall, The Sleeper was an okay read. If it gets even a handful of kids interested enough to pick up another book, then it is has done its job. And, as always, it's nice to see a beginning chapter book that focuses on science fiction!
Andy K (10821 KP) Jan 4, 2019