The Summer Visitors
Book
'One of the smartest writers of popular fiction around.' Irish Independent Summer has arrived in...
Encircling: Book 2
Book
The island of Otteroya, a rural backwater of Norway, provides the setting for Book Two of Tiller's...
Becky Shaw
Book
I'm also going to give you some advice. Your husband is not the Red Cross. The last time he started...
Gabriel (Legacy Ranch #2)
9.0
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Book
Trapped in darkness, can an escort find a man to help him into the light? Gabriel Reyes never...
M_M Dark Contemporary Romance
Awix (3310 KP) rated Hellraiser (1987) in Movies
May 20, 2020 (Updated May 21, 2020)
Not quite the film an unsuspecting viewer might expect: the focus is mainly on the screwed-up Cotton family, especially nasty Uncle Frank; Pinhead, for all that he is on the poster, is in a very minor role (billed as 'Lead Cenobite'). Visually striking and with some interesting ideas, but the low budget is obvious and this is equally obviously a British movie desperately trying to appeal to an American audience. Where the film falls down is in its lack of focus and the fact that its central metaphor or argument is unclear (beyond the fact that the Cottons are a very dysfunctional bunch). Still, there have been worse debuts from writer-directors; it's just that not many of them go on to have nine sequels.
You are Having a Good Time
Book
Named A Best Book of 2016 by Wall Street Journal, Vulture, Refinery29, Financial Times, and The...
Death at a Country Mansion
8.0
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Fans of Agatha Christie won’t want to miss this delightful new mystery set in the charming village...
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated The Portable Veblen in Books
Feb 15, 2019
The story centers around Veblen, a temporary secretary and amateur Norwegian translator who hides her wounds and feelings of inadequacy with optimism, mediation, and oh yeah, she talks to squirrels, mainly one in particular. Along with her is her fiancee, Paul, a neurologist on the verge of a breakthrough with a device he patented that could prevent traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Joining them in their journey are their dysfunctional families. I really felt sorry for Veblen growing up and enduring her narcissitic, hypochondriac mother; she was a piece of work, but I do think she really cared for Veblen. On the other hand, I thought Paul's parents seemed very nice and I mostly found Paul to be somewhat of an ass and priggish. While he changes by the end, it didn't feel very authentic as it seemed as if it happened a little too hastily, even with the circumstances. The parts with Paul at his work were mostly boring and definitely way too long. While I see how it could add to the whole consumerism angle, it didn't add to the overall book and could have been trimmed. The squirrel didn't play as big a part as I thought it would, but the little parts were sweet and added a little magic to the book. Also, the illustrations and pictures in the book were a nice touch and the appendices were cute.
I liked the book as a whole but felt like it was two stories that would have been better off split into two separate entities. Mostly, it was a study on dysfunctional families and coming to terms with pieces of your life that weren't happy and accepting what cannot be changed. The book is not nearly as funny as the description led me to believe and I more found it amusing and/or cute. Basically, it was more dramedy than anything. I don't regret reading it, as it was entertaining, but not something I'd read again.
<i>3.5 stars</i>
Received to review through Amazon Vine.
Shane Crick (5 KP) rated Archipelago (The Man Who Loved Too Much, #1) in Books
Dec 10, 2018
I was expecting something totally different when I started this book and It turned Into a completely different story. It was Interesting to see Billy's journey throughout his first 20 years of his life. It was as though you were viewing his world through his eyes with each page turn. From his dysfunctional family, his school years, and his experiences with women that come Into his life. My one big quirk with this book was that at times I felt as though this story was written specifically for Intelligent readers. Their are several big words In the book that I found myself having to look up the definition since I've never heard or seen used before. It really took away from the story for me and at times I just wanted to put the book down and not read any further. Aside from that, I carried on and found myself enjoying the book. I can't wait to start on book #2 and see how the story progresses with Billy and the other characters from this book.
Smoke and Other Tales
Book
Foreword by Will Self. Smoke and Other Tales is writer Gerry King’s follow-up to the...