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ClareR (5996 KP) rated The Night Ship in Books
Dec 12, 2022
The Night Ship is a wonderful story told from two different perspectives: Mayken is travelling to the Dutch East Indies on board the Batavia in 1629; in 1989, Gil is sent to live with his grandfather after he death of his mother. Gil finds out about the shipwreck of the Batavia when he meets some archaeologists, and becomes really interested in what happened.
The story switches between the two children, and I couldn’t wait to read about each perspective. Mayken is a happy, curious child, who is desperate to explore the world below decks - which due to her status, she isn’t supposed to do. So she enlists the help of a cabin boy and disguises herself. Mayken searches for a monster below decks, the Bullebak, as things start to go wrong on the ship. But it soon becomes apparent that the threat doesn’t come from a monster.
Gil doesn’t want to live with his uncommunicative, distant grandfather. He doesn’t want to fish with him either. And her certainly doesn’t want to talk about what happened with his mother. He finds solace in his friendships with an ancient tortoise called Enkidu, and Silvia Zanetti, the wife and mother of his grandfathers enemies, Frank and Roper (the latter sounds like he should be locked up, to be honest).
I absolutely loved this book. Mayken and Gil are both such tragic characters who only need someone to care for them. It’s a magical story, made more so by the imaginations of the two children. It’s a shame that the real world has to encroach on them.
Highly recommended.
The story switches between the two children, and I couldn’t wait to read about each perspective. Mayken is a happy, curious child, who is desperate to explore the world below decks - which due to her status, she isn’t supposed to do. So she enlists the help of a cabin boy and disguises herself. Mayken searches for a monster below decks, the Bullebak, as things start to go wrong on the ship. But it soon becomes apparent that the threat doesn’t come from a monster.
Gil doesn’t want to live with his uncommunicative, distant grandfather. He doesn’t want to fish with him either. And her certainly doesn’t want to talk about what happened with his mother. He finds solace in his friendships with an ancient tortoise called Enkidu, and Silvia Zanetti, the wife and mother of his grandfathers enemies, Frank and Roper (the latter sounds like he should be locked up, to be honest).
I absolutely loved this book. Mayken and Gil are both such tragic characters who only need someone to care for them. It’s a magical story, made more so by the imaginations of the two children. It’s a shame that the real world has to encroach on them.
Highly recommended.
Corpse Thief (Joshua Hawke #1)
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PART ONE of the searing new thriller featuring Joshua Hawke; Criminal, Informant, Body Snatcher,...
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It’s the funny side of homicide in acclaimed TV comedy writer and novelist Laura Levine’s newest...
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First in the world psychotherapeutic metaphorical fairy tale for adults effectively working with the...
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In this series finale, pathologist Dr. Lily Robinson races around the globe to hunt an assassin who,...
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Missing Piece (Neon Scars #2)
8.0
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When addiction recovery meets immortal obsession, some hungers can't be cured—they can only be...
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Taken by the Alien Triton King (Abducted by the Ruthless Royal)
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One minute, I am studying alien plants. The next, I am thrown over the shoulder of a blue-scaled...
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Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Public Enemies (2009) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019
The year is 1933 and bank robberies are at an all time high. John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd are at the top of their game. In the public eye, robbers are looked at as heroes instead of criminals. Dillinger enjoys the fruit of his labor to the fullest until the day Melvin Purvis is put in charge of the FBI division down in Chicago. Word traveled fast of how one of FBI's top agents (Purvis) took down Pretty Boy Floyd and hopes are high that he can help in the newly announced "war on crime." Once Purvis arrived in Chicago, the crime wave of the 30's that was on a steady uprise took a drastic decline. Bank robberies were never the same as Dillinger's friends began dropping like flies. As Dillinger's motto of not thinking about tomorrow since he's too busy enjoying today comes back to haunt him, he soon realizes that he can only hide for so long and that the feds will catch up with him sooner or later.
The most noticeable thing about the film is its cinematography. Michael Mann has used the same method of shooting Public Enemies with HD digital cameras like he did with Collateral. This could be a hassle to some viewers as the picture isn't as shaky as it was in something like Cloverfield, but isn't as crystal clear and steady as you may have found in some of Mann's earlier work like Heat or most other films, for that matter. Perspective plays a huge role in this film. Certain lighting seems to come off better being shot in HD digital and it certainly shows, but the imperfections seem to give the film more character. Some people might throw the word, "edgy," around, but we'll settle on saying this style of filming feels like a more realistic approach. It makes the audience feel like they're actually amongst these gangsters during their heyday.
It almost felt like Christian Bale didn't really want to be there. Between this and Terminator: Salvation, he's really lacking the charisma and talent he's shown in films like The Prestige and The Machinist or even American Psycho. Maybe he's just hit his peak and has nothing else up his sleeve to wow audiences. Bale has hit an eye-catching slump, which is hard to say since this is coming from a long time fan. As long as he continues to be cast in big budget films though and those films wind up doing extremely well at the box office, then not many people are going to notice a difference in the actor's lackluster performance.
Johnny Depp, on the other hand, stole every scene he was in. His cockiness and confidence in his abilities in what he does just gave life to Dillinger that makes you generally like him. You want to see him escape as soon as he gets caught, pull off that next big robbery, and succeed at everything he does so he can run off with Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) and live happily ever after. His dialogue is also generally pretty incredible. In the scene where he's confronting Agent Purvis from behind bars, Dillinger is asking Purvis about what it was like to kill a man. How their eyes looked and how you can literally watch a man just drift away by staring into their eyes while they're dying. That that whole experience could keep a man up at night. Purvis asks Dillinger what keeps him up at night. Dillinger, who always seemed to be chewing gum, replies, "Coffee." Dillinger just felt like one of Depp's better acting roles, as of late. He showed more emotion than we're generally used to seeing from him and it was just an incredibly strong performance from the Oscar nominee.
The film has a lot of great dialogue, intriguing character interaction, and it's interesting watching the story unfold of how the crime wave of the 30s may have come to an end, but what really makes the film worth seeing is the shootouts. Any scene that begins with somebody holding a gun is worth getting excited over. There's a scene in the woods in the latter half of the film that is worth the price of admission alone. It takes place at night and everything is littered with darkness until the tommy guns make an appearance. The way the guns light up everything else around the characters firing them was a nice touch. Small explosions erupting from a chamber every time somebody pulled the trigger. This is some of the best gunfire to ever be filmed.
When it comes to Public Enemies, it is one of the best films of the year which is mentioned in at least one of the TV spots. Anyone who was a fan of Michael Mann's previous films (or gangster films, in general) will more than likely walk away from this film satisfied. Johnny Depp is still at the top of his game while Christian Bale seems to be winding down. Public Enemies is a film worthy of the summer blockbuster season which will satisfy the appetite of any fan of crime films.
The most noticeable thing about the film is its cinematography. Michael Mann has used the same method of shooting Public Enemies with HD digital cameras like he did with Collateral. This could be a hassle to some viewers as the picture isn't as shaky as it was in something like Cloverfield, but isn't as crystal clear and steady as you may have found in some of Mann's earlier work like Heat or most other films, for that matter. Perspective plays a huge role in this film. Certain lighting seems to come off better being shot in HD digital and it certainly shows, but the imperfections seem to give the film more character. Some people might throw the word, "edgy," around, but we'll settle on saying this style of filming feels like a more realistic approach. It makes the audience feel like they're actually amongst these gangsters during their heyday.
It almost felt like Christian Bale didn't really want to be there. Between this and Terminator: Salvation, he's really lacking the charisma and talent he's shown in films like The Prestige and The Machinist or even American Psycho. Maybe he's just hit his peak and has nothing else up his sleeve to wow audiences. Bale has hit an eye-catching slump, which is hard to say since this is coming from a long time fan. As long as he continues to be cast in big budget films though and those films wind up doing extremely well at the box office, then not many people are going to notice a difference in the actor's lackluster performance.
Johnny Depp, on the other hand, stole every scene he was in. His cockiness and confidence in his abilities in what he does just gave life to Dillinger that makes you generally like him. You want to see him escape as soon as he gets caught, pull off that next big robbery, and succeed at everything he does so he can run off with Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) and live happily ever after. His dialogue is also generally pretty incredible. In the scene where he's confronting Agent Purvis from behind bars, Dillinger is asking Purvis about what it was like to kill a man. How their eyes looked and how you can literally watch a man just drift away by staring into their eyes while they're dying. That that whole experience could keep a man up at night. Purvis asks Dillinger what keeps him up at night. Dillinger, who always seemed to be chewing gum, replies, "Coffee." Dillinger just felt like one of Depp's better acting roles, as of late. He showed more emotion than we're generally used to seeing from him and it was just an incredibly strong performance from the Oscar nominee.
The film has a lot of great dialogue, intriguing character interaction, and it's interesting watching the story unfold of how the crime wave of the 30s may have come to an end, but what really makes the film worth seeing is the shootouts. Any scene that begins with somebody holding a gun is worth getting excited over. There's a scene in the woods in the latter half of the film that is worth the price of admission alone. It takes place at night and everything is littered with darkness until the tommy guns make an appearance. The way the guns light up everything else around the characters firing them was a nice touch. Small explosions erupting from a chamber every time somebody pulled the trigger. This is some of the best gunfire to ever be filmed.
When it comes to Public Enemies, it is one of the best films of the year which is mentioned in at least one of the TV spots. Anyone who was a fan of Michael Mann's previous films (or gangster films, in general) will more than likely walk away from this film satisfied. Johnny Depp is still at the top of his game while Christian Bale seems to be winding down. Public Enemies is a film worthy of the summer blockbuster season which will satisfy the appetite of any fan of crime films.
Merissa (13427 KP) rated Regret (Under My Skin #1) in Books
Apr 30, 2018
Regret (Under My Skin #1) by Christina Lee
Regret is the first book in the Under My Skin series, and is a fantastic second-chance romance. Brin fell hard for Nick when he was younger, but due to Nick's 'cowardice' they broke up before things could really get started. Fast forward and Brin finds out that Nick is the roommate of his friend, where he will also be staying whilst his condo is put back together after a flood. Brin finds out he still holds a lot of resentment towards Nick, and feelings too. He is confused over what he feels, and gives Nick hell, who just seems to accept everything Brin throws at him. Brin becomes intrigued and is determined to find out more, as Nick continues to worm his way past Brin's defences and into his heart.
This story is a second chance story, with a hint of enemies to lovers, and also an openly gay vs. closeted in the mix too. There is something here for everyone, and it is exceedingly well told. Although Brin can hold onto a grudge, he is also prepared to accept people have changed. It may take him a while, but he isn't completely closed off to the notion. As for Nick, boy, that man really needs to have some therapy. I can completely understand the guilt he feels, but to hold onto it for so long, so strongly, well, it made my heart break.
With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, this was a story that pulled me in and wouldn't let go until I'd finished. Absolutely brilliant, and 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!
This story is a second chance story, with a hint of enemies to lovers, and also an openly gay vs. closeted in the mix too. There is something here for everyone, and it is exceedingly well told. Although Brin can hold onto a grudge, he is also prepared to accept people have changed. It may take him a while, but he isn't completely closed off to the notion. As for Nick, boy, that man really needs to have some therapy. I can completely understand the guilt he feels, but to hold onto it for so long, so strongly, well, it made my heart break.
With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, this was a story that pulled me in and wouldn't let go until I'd finished. Absolutely brilliant, and 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!