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John Wick (2014)
John Wick (2014)
2014 | Action, Thriller
Keanu Reeves (4 more)
The established hitman universe
Incredible gunplay
Solid fight choreography
Decipherable cinematography during action
That poor dog (0 more)
Best Action Movie Post-Matrix
The problem with many modern action movies lies in the bullshit concept known as "shaky-cam." Perhaps well meant at first, in order to make audiences "feel" the impact of punches and gunshots, it is now so overused that you can't even tell what's going on or who is hitting who in many action movies. Enter John Wick: not a single use of "shaky-cam." Not one. All camera shots during action sequences are stable and staged at angles that allow the audience to see exactly what is going on. I used to think Jason Bourne was the best action series post-Matrix, but John Wick and its sequel changed that as fast the titular character can shoot another goon in the head. The fight choreography is sublime, the script is simple but tight, and Keanu Reeves is slicker than ever. John Wick is the best action movie since The Matrix, and it just so happens to star the same bad-ass guy we've been dreaming of being since 1999. Now I have to go review John Wick: Chapter 2!
  
GT
Gone to Green (Green #1)
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The paper was an unexpected inheritance from a close colleague, and Lois must keep it for at least a year, bringing a host of challenges, lessons, and blessings into her life.

When Lois pulls into Green on New Year’s Day, she expects a charming little town full of smiling people.She quickly realizes her mistake. After settling into a loaned house out on Route 2,
she finds herself battling town prejudices and inner doubts and making friends with
the most surprising people: troubled teenager Katy, good-looking catfish farmer
Chris, wise and feisty Aunt Helen, and a female African-American physician named
Kevin.

Whether fighting a greedy, deceitful politician or rescuing a dog she fears, Lois notices the headlines in her life have definitely improved. She learns how to provide small-town news in a big-hearted way and realizes that life is full of newsworthy moments. When she encounters racial
prejudice and financial corruption, Lois also discovers more about the goodness of
real people and the importance of being part of a community.

While secretly preparing the paper for a sale, Lois begins to realize that God might indeed have a plan for her life and that perhaps the allure of city life and career ambition are not what she wants after all.
  
GT
Gone to Green (Green #1)
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The paper was an unexpected inheritance from a close colleague, and Lois must keep it for at least a year, bringing a host of challenges, lessons, and blessings into her life.

When Lois pulls into Green on New Year’s Day, she expects a charming little town full of smiling people.She quickly realizes her mistake. After settling into a loaned house out on Route 2,
she finds herself battling town prejudices and inner doubts and making friends with
the most surprising people: troubled teenager Katy, good-looking catfish farmer
Chris, wise and feisty Aunt Helen, and a female African-American physician named
Kevin.

Whether fighting a greedy, deceitful politician or rescuing a dog she fears, Lois notices the headlines in her life have definitely improved. She learns how to provide small-town news in a big-hearted way and realizes that life is full of newsworthy moments. When she encounters racial
prejudice and financial corruption, Lois also discovers more about the goodness of
real people and the importance of being part of a community.

While secretly preparing the paper for a sale, Lois begins to realize that God might indeed have a plan for her life and that perhaps the allure of city life and career ambition are not what she wants after all.
  
Shelter in Place
Shelter in Place
Nora Roberts | 2018 | Contemporary, Romance, Thriller
10
7.6 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Amazing, beginning to end.
Contains spoilers, click to show
THIS BOOK. I don't know how Nora Roberts continues to write so many stories that intrigue and enthrall me after all these years, but she does, and flawlessly.

The first 15 pages of this book were pretty traumatizing. I actually had to put it down for a couple of days before I could go back to it. I felt like I was THERE, in that mall, feeling what those people were feeling. Written from the perspective of several different characters, the shock, the pain, the absolute horror of it all comes through loud and clear.

As we follow the lives of these victims after the shooting, a complex and emotionally charged story is masterfully woven, drawing the reader further in with every page. I fell half in love with Reed myself, laughed at the silly dog getting his head stuck between the railings, cheered when Patricia was taken down, and let silent tears fall when Simone's memorial was unveiled. It was a beautiful, moving, timely story - and as with all Nora Roberts books, I truly felt like I knew the characters intimately by the end.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARE and the opportunity to read this early!
  
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Christine A. (965 KP) rated Celine in Books

Nov 14, 2018  
Celine
Celine
Peter Heller | 2017 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
2
5.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
I read this book for the monthly mystery book club I attend. Usually, I thoroughly enjoy the books selected for us to read. The other times I really do not like the choice. This, unfortunately, is one of those times. I just could not get into this book. I read nearly 100 pages before I started just skimming the rest of the book. I tried to listen to the audiobook, read the ebook, and read a printed copy of it and none of them could hold my attention.

There is a lot of extraneous detail about the characters, their background, the scenery, etc. The story jumps all over the place and discusses different story lines and different timelines. This did not help me make a connection with any of the characters. The story mentions how bad last year was for the main character. The reason for this was not stated in the first 100 pages or, if it was, I did not care enough to retain the information.

The author, Peter Heller, has written other books. One, "The Dog Stars" is on my "want to read" list. However, after reading this book, it has moved down further on my list.
  
99 Nights in Logar
99 Nights in Logar
Jamil Jan Kochai | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry
3
3.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Just not for me...
I don't like giving low marks, but I really struggled with this book. The synopsis of the book was very interesting: 12 year old Marwand and his young cousins set off on a journey to find the family dog after it bites off Marwand's finger and escapes. They travel through a remote area of Afghanistan without any adults knowledge. So far so good. I liked the premise of the story.
Where I struggled was the style of writing. Pakhto and Farsi were used in the story, and I found it impossible to understand. Perhaps the end published book will have a glossary to refer to? Even the context where the language was used didn't help me. The family relationships and forms of address were complicates and I really couldn't keep track of who was who (could this be added into a glossary?). Finally, for me, the animal cruelty was pretty difficult to stomach.
Other readers may be able to see past this last point, and a glossary may well be added in the finished, published book, but I'm afraid this is just not for me personally.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book to read and review.
  
Family Guy  - Season 5
Family Guy - Season 5
2006 | Animation
Hillarious (0 more)
Immoral (1 more)
The show doesn’t know where the line is
Remember the friends quote
Joey: Over the line? You — you're — you're so far past the line, that you — you can't even see the line! The line is a dot to you!
That is Family Guy summed up in a quote. Family Guy is hilarious and a few episodes before falling asleep is the best thing ever BUT I used to truly believe Family Guy was morally offensive and I wouldn’t watch it, now I see it is morally offensive it just so happens to be hilarious with it.
The voice artists are superb, songs aplenty about anything and everything and the discussions you can have are great:
How can Stewie plot to take over the world yet get really confused that Peter has vanished when they play peek a boo ?
Why don’t they age?
How come the dog speaks?
How come Quagmire has never been arrested for some of his sexually extravagant behaviour?

In short you may love this or hate this but if you hate it, it could be because you secretly love it and you are just too worried about admiring it because of how ‘the line is a dot’ to the show
  
A Dog Called Demolition
A Dog Called Demolition
Robert Rankin | 1996 | Humor & Comedy, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book follows the story of Danny, a young man who has always wanted a dog but has never been allowed one. So he builds one himself, a path that will eventually lead to him discovering a horrifying truth about the world.

This book is full-on Robert Rankin, meaning that unless you have read a few of his books and are used to his writing style and in-jokes a lot of this one will just make no sense (although making sense is never the aim of a Rankin book). The plot is a slight one to hang a whole novel off of and so there is a lot of inconsequential writing around the main story. Enjoying this book relies on the reader enjoying passing the time with these bits when the main plot isn't going anywhere. I enjoy spending time with Rankin's writing so enjoy the book. Others may feel otherwise.

So the book itself is full of the usual Rankin nonsense, walk on parts of characters from other books, repeated phrases and general strangeness. It's not brilliantly funny but it's pretty amusing.

Also worth noting is Danny's cameo in another book, which casts a whole different light in what might really be going on in this one.