Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Face in the Mountain in Books
Dec 17, 2018
The Face in the Mountain </i>is a children’s picture book written by Tolulope Okudolo as part of the publishing company <i>Magnifying Children’s Horizons</i> vision of developing a world in which children learn about and appreciate nature.
The story is set in the fictional world of Vomper Creek where there is always an abundance of natural activity – that is if tree elves, giants and fairies count as “natural”. Papa and Boma are the only giants living in this area and are responsible for making sure nature does everything it is supposed to do. In fact it was Papa who built the mountains in this region to begin with. However Papa is old, frail and tired after working for over two hundred years. He needs to sleep for a century to regain his energy, thus leaving Boma, at a mere seven years of age, to take on all the important tasks.
So begins the main part of the story: Boma is scared and convinced he is unable to remember Papa’s instructions and tries to hide from all his duties. Without his help nature will not be able to function properly. Inspired by an artist he spies in the woods, Boma carves his father’s face into the side of one of the mountains so that he can always see it. This makes him feel less alone and he is able to complete all his jobs to perfection.
The purpose of this book is to help children discover the inner workings of nature and recognize that many things are connected together. For example the wind is needed to blow the seeds into places where they can sprout, then the rain, sun and soil provide the nutrients the plant needs to grow.
At the end of the story is <i>A Children’s Guide to Natural Beings</i>. This is essentially a glossary of the mythical beings featured in the book. The only issue with this is that calling them “natural beings” implies that they are real whereas there is no concrete evidence of their existence. This could give children the wrong impression about the way nature works.
The final pages of the book include a list of learning activities and discussion questions. These could be attempted in schools, in book clubs or at home with parents as a way for children to experience nature for themselves and examine the meaning of the story and the ways in which they can relate it to their own lives.
Eric Scott Fisher beautifully illustrates the book with realistic drawings that are appropriate for children of all ages. Yet there is a slight publishing issue in that the illustrations and body text do not work together. In some instances the text is overlaid on a picture, which makes it difficult to read.
The reading age of this book is approximately seven to ten year olds however younger children will be able to understand it if it is read to them by an adult. The storyline is not that strong but hopefully its purpose – to educate children about nature – will shine through the narrative.
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Darren (1599 KP) rated The Irishman (2019) in Movies
Nov 27, 2019
Frank continued to rise working under the infamous Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino) who was in battle with the Kennedy’s who were trying to find a way to take down his unions, which does see Frank become the president of his own region.
Thoughts on The Irishman
Characters – Frank Sheeran is the narrator who is looking back through his life as he started as delivery driver before finding himself joining the mobs in the Italian neighbourhood, rising up the ranks from the bottom becoming one of the closest members of Jimmy Hoffa go to man, one of the most trusted hitmen in the mob. Jimmy Hoffa is the man that runs the unions, he has the attention of the Kennedy’s who have never trusted his business, he will always find a way to get his side of the story through without ever getting his hands dirty. He expects respect from everybody he deals with and will give it back, before he runs for office. Russell Bufalino is the one that gives Frank enter into the criminal world, a chance meeting opens the door and he will give the instructions Frank to follow. Peggy is the daughter of Frank that has grown up seeing his action become worse over the years.
Performances – The performances here are almost flawless, we get three of the greatest gangster movie performers in De Niro, Pacino and Pesci, you simply wouldn’t expect anything less from the three. The supporting cast is also wonderful, where once again the acting isn’t the weak part of the film.
Story – The story here follows Frank Sheeran’s rise from delivery man to hitman under one of the leaders of the mobs through the 60’s and 70’s America. Most of the story is Frank recounting his career in the mob, seeing how he often watched the biggest moments in the background, only getting his hands dirty when he needs to. We do need to talk about the length of the film because there is a huge problem here, we have so many scenes we don’t really need, we do also end up going through the routine that every single gangster movie does, which just makes it feel like something we have seen before. The timeline does fill in the random deaths with a headline on screen, even if that person is only in one scene.
Biopic/Crime – We do get to learn the life’s story of a notorious hitman through his own eyes, we see how he isn’t completely good, but he is loyal and always tries to do the right thing in the middle of the criminal world.
Settings – The settings takes us back to the eras we are going through, we have the glamourous locations for parties, the small street locations that show us where the dirty work gets done and a location which means everything to Frank, where it all started.
Scene of the Movie – The taxis.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It is just too long.
Final Thoughts – This is a gangster film that gets heavyweight performances in a story that we have seen before that does seem to drag along for way too long.
Overall: Long Drawn Out Gangster Film.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Valkyrie’s Bond ( Half - Blood Rising book 1) in Books
Jul 22, 2022
Kindle
The Valkyrie’s Bond ( Half-Blood Rising book 1)
By Lucy Roy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As a rare halfblood among a race of witches and shifters, Freya has enjoyed living a quiet life away from the royal court of Lindoroth and among those who know little about her. She’s had the freedom to make her own choices, and fighting alongside the local marshals is just an added bonus.
When obligation arrives on her doorstep to remind her of promises made long ago, her quiet life comes to an end. With hardly time to say goodbye, Freya is whisked off to the capital city of Iladel to attend a prestigious royal academy with her peers, where appearances can be deceiving and connections are everything. While there, she’ll be reunited with her childhood friend, Prince Aerelius, and begin to experience life at the royal court in ways she never did as a girl.
As Freya and the prince dive into old routines and explore new feelings, they uncover the secrets and schemes that lurk below the court’s surface. When a secret is unveiled that changes everything, they must do whatever is necessary to ensure the safety of their kingdom. If they fail, long-held alliances will shatter and war will come to the shores of their land, threatening all they hold dear.
I adore this author and this didn’t disappoint. I love the world and character builds and the story came to so well. I love the idea of the Valkyries they are fascinating. If I had one thing that maybe stopped it being a 5⭐️ was that it waited till the last 4 chapters before the action kicked in. Although the build up was still enough to make me want more.
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Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Student in Books
Mar 15, 2018
This one is seriously dark and graphic. Im not really into the gritty sex, gritty crime kind of books, so a lot of this one wasnt really my cup of tea. We follow around a student drug dealer whose friend, and supplier, has gone missing. What ensues is a long journey of some seriously gruesome discoveries. While, of course, this book has a plot, its one of those books that also feels like it has no plot. It concludes itself, but it doesnt really finish.
I enjoyed the way it was written. The snappy sentences and the minimal descriptions, it felt right for this book. It definitely wasnt the best written book in the world, but it did what it needed to do and it did it quite well.
As for characters, theres no one to like in this book and I think thats intentional. I mean, dont me wrong, I did empathise with Nate in some parts but he wasnt a likeable guy.
In the end, this one just kind of depressed me and was reminiscent of Sarah by JT LeRoy in its brutal darkness. I think maybe the synopsis needs to be changed because it definitely sounds like a completely different novel to the one I just finished.
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