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Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated The Buried Giant in Books
Mar 15, 2018
If you want a book that will leave you thinking, without forgetting to keep you entertained, you should pick this up. Telling the story of an elderly couple in post-Arthurian England who set off on foot to meet their estranged son in his village, it uses a slew of fantasy elements to make us question if it is really worth remembering everything or if we are better off letting some things be forgotten. Also touching on themes of love, age, and death, there are a lot of heady ideas thrown into the mix. With the portions of the countryside the book takes place in being shrouded in a mist that causes rather extreme forgetfulness, pretty much everyone winds up being at least somewhat unreliable. The writing is superb, the characters quite engaging, and the main plot reminiscent of a classic fairy tale but for adults. This is a book to be savored and a story I will likely cherish for some time to come.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Accountant (2016) in Movies
Mar 11, 2018 (Updated Mar 17, 2018)
Really-not-that-bad-at-all action thriller with Ben Affleck doing a surprisingly good job of playing a brilliant accountant-stroke-hitman. The film kind of dodges around the implication that Affleck's character is autistic, but the inference is clear and while this is still Movie Autism (never mind the crippling downsides, you get super powers!!!), it is still sympathetic and has at least a few vestiges of reality to it.
The plot eventually ends up being completely gonzo, involving corruption in the robotics industry and duelling assassins, but the movie fends off the moment when you shout 'this is all utterly ridiculous!' for a surprisingly long time. Eclectic cast includes Affleck, John Lithgow, Jon Bernthal, and Anna Kendrick (who appears to be about three feet tall in a few of her scenes). A fun and engaging movie; not a particularly great thriller but all the peripheral weirdness keeps it watchable.
The plot eventually ends up being completely gonzo, involving corruption in the robotics industry and duelling assassins, but the movie fends off the moment when you shout 'this is all utterly ridiculous!' for a surprisingly long time. Eclectic cast includes Affleck, John Lithgow, Jon Bernthal, and Anna Kendrick (who appears to be about three feet tall in a few of her scenes). A fun and engaging movie; not a particularly great thriller but all the peripheral weirdness keeps it watchable.
Mayhawke (97 KP) rated Who Let the Gods Out? in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Eliot, the troubled boy and his anarchic, dysfunctional foster-Gods...
Eliot is a boy with problems. A mum who is suffereing from crippling depression and mental health problems, a farm that is running to ruin since his grandparents died, and a school where the teachers know nothing about any of it. Facing repossession of his home and the looming threat of Social Services and being separated from his mum Eliot needs help: what he gets is a bunch of retired Greek Gods, minor deities and Zodiac characters who have spent millennia bickering over the small print and red-tape of running the Universe , or kicking their heels in cosy retirement.
After one of the Zodiac council crash-lands in his cowshed Eliot suddenly finds himself pulled into a quest to find power stones and defeat a wicked demon. Can he succeed, and can his squabbling new friends help him save his home & family?
A really engaging read for parents and kids.
After one of the Zodiac council crash-lands in his cowshed Eliot suddenly finds himself pulled into a quest to find power stones and defeat a wicked demon. Can he succeed, and can his squabbling new friends help him save his home & family?
A really engaging read for parents and kids.
Booksnthreads (19 KP) rated What Would She Do? 25 True Stories of Trailblazing Rebel Women in Books
Jun 4, 2018
My classroom library is somewhat lacking when it comes to non-fiction. I often have a difficult time finding non-fiction that is engaging for a middle school audience.
While I think that this will interest my students, as an adult reader, it's a bit lacking in depth.
I like the bite-sized chunks of information and the bold illustrations of each woman profiled in the book. The biographical information is just the right amount for this age group.
What I really objected to was the attempt to provide life advice from each woman. After each biography, the author imagines a modern real life question readers might have and then attempts to answer that question as the woman who was just profiled might. The whole thing feels incredibly contrived and, at times, not even loosely connected to the woman who was just profiled. I think I actually cringed with some of them because of how cliche and didactic they are.
While I think that this will interest my students, as an adult reader, it's a bit lacking in depth.
I like the bite-sized chunks of information and the bold illustrations of each woman profiled in the book. The biographical information is just the right amount for this age group.
What I really objected to was the attempt to provide life advice from each woman. After each biography, the author imagines a modern real life question readers might have and then attempts to answer that question as the woman who was just profiled might. The whole thing feels incredibly contrived and, at times, not even loosely connected to the woman who was just profiled. I think I actually cringed with some of them because of how cliche and didactic they are.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (2015) in Movies
Jun 6, 2018
Indie drama (with occasional mildly comic overtones) with a rather convoluted genesis (I'm not going through that again). Lonely Japanese woman believes she can change her life by locating the lost ransom money from the (wholly fictional) movie Fargo, sets off for Minnesota.
Brilliant, vanity-free performance by Rinko Kikuchi, who draws you in as a troubled but still engaging character; there are many moving moments. Much of the film is set in urban Tokyo and captures a real sense of the alienation which has such a negative impact on many people in Kumiko's situation. The US end of the film is slightly lighter in tone, equally well written, directed and performed.
Still, even if you've seen Fargo, I imagine this is a rather different and unsettling film, particularly the conclusion. It's ultimately about isolation, delusion, madness and death, and cheerful writing and polished production can only mitigate that so much. But still a very watchable oddity.
Brilliant, vanity-free performance by Rinko Kikuchi, who draws you in as a troubled but still engaging character; there are many moving moments. Much of the film is set in urban Tokyo and captures a real sense of the alienation which has such a negative impact on many people in Kumiko's situation. The US end of the film is slightly lighter in tone, equally well written, directed and performed.
Still, even if you've seen Fargo, I imagine this is a rather different and unsettling film, particularly the conclusion. It's ultimately about isolation, delusion, madness and death, and cheerful writing and polished production can only mitigate that so much. But still a very watchable oddity.
Erika (17789 KP) rated Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) in Movies
May 28, 2018 (Updated May 28, 2018)
I think I liked this film, I'll definitely have to see it at least once more to form a full opinion. But, for now:
The plot was engaging, but fairly predictable. It did a good job of checking off the boxes, how Han met Chewie, the Kessel Run, and winning the ship from Lando.
I don't think I can currently comment on Alden's Han, I'll definitely need to see it again. I don't think he was bad, but he needed to make the character his own. I'm not sure he really had a choice in that though.
I do take a slight issue with Donald Glover's Lando. I'm not particularly a Lando fan, I don't feel one way or another about him. Lando was schmaltzy, corny, and I don't need a stand alone Lando movie.
I think Ron Howard did a good job with fixing the film. And I liked that he threw his bro in as a cameo.
Also, the appearance of ... that character... great.
The plot was engaging, but fairly predictable. It did a good job of checking off the boxes, how Han met Chewie, the Kessel Run, and winning the ship from Lando.
I don't think I can currently comment on Alden's Han, I'll definitely need to see it again. I don't think he was bad, but he needed to make the character his own. I'm not sure he really had a choice in that though.
I do take a slight issue with Donald Glover's Lando. I'm not particularly a Lando fan, I don't feel one way or another about him. Lando was schmaltzy, corny, and I don't need a stand alone Lando movie.
I think Ron Howard did a good job with fixing the film. And I liked that he threw his bro in as a cameo.
Also, the appearance of ... that character... great.
I've read the first 7 at least a dozen times each and truly enjoy them every time. This book lived up to none of those standards. There was one, only one, character I actually cared about in the entire book. I found 4 - 5 pages of the work truly engaging. The level of writing simply wasn't the same. The character development wasn't there. I didn't get a feel for the personality behind any of the characters. I went in expecting it to be extremely different, but the plot made no sense. I would have enjoyed finding out more about the characters beyond their relation to another character.
The characters we loved from past books are so incredibly different they don't seem like the same people. Even knowing they have aged and are likely to change, they are nearly unrecognizable. I will likely not dive into this story again like I have the others so often.
The characters we loved from past books are so incredibly different they don't seem like the same people. Even knowing they have aged and are likely to change, they are nearly unrecognizable. I will likely not dive into this story again like I have the others so often.
Loz Hughes (80 KP) rated Transcendence (2014) in Movies
Jul 20, 2018
Johnny Depp as a scientist pushing the boundaries of Ai. (1 more)
The concept of uploading a digital version of your brain
Interesting concept.
Contains spoilers, click to show
The plot is an interesting concept. Basically a scientist successfully manages to upload the brain of a Monkey in digital format and presents these findings to the scientific community, he comes into conflict with a group of Anti technology, animal activists and gets shot and slowly poisoned as the bullet is laced with a radioactive material. The film then follows Will (the scientist), and his partner, who struggling with his premature imminent death decides to upload his brain as the first human trail. Afterwards comes the questions of how much meddling is too much meddling in human evolution.
I think they could have done much more with the film than they did but overall it was a decent watch.
I think they could have done much more with the film than they did but overall it was a decent watch.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Better Call Saul - Season 4 in TV
Oct 31, 2018
Following his disbarment and the death of his brother Chuck, Jimmy (Saul) tries to come to terms with life after lawyering. He soon finds himself partaking in various scams to make ends meet or, more telling, to alleviate the boredom of working in the world's quietest cellphone store. Jimmy's activities, and Kim being dragged into them shows the human desire to take risk and seek excitement, the thrill of winning against unassailable odds by bending the rules. More and more Jimmy becomes Saul.
Meanwhile, Mike oversees the construction of Gus Fring's underground meth lab and we start to see how the former cop, who has dealt out street justice and used his skills against some low-lifes and druglords, also starts to break more rules and will go beyond in order to protect his own interests, and keep his own honour.
Brilliant, arty but engaging series telling two stories that for now are distinct, but will start to overlap more eventually.
Meanwhile, Mike oversees the construction of Gus Fring's underground meth lab and we start to see how the former cop, who has dealt out street justice and used his skills against some low-lifes and druglords, also starts to break more rules and will go beyond in order to protect his own interests, and keep his own honour.
Brilliant, arty but engaging series telling two stories that for now are distinct, but will start to overlap more eventually.
David McK (3562 KP) rated Last Argument of Kings in Books
Jan 28, 2019
The final part in [a:Joe Abercrombie|276660|Joe Abercrombie|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1421267339p2/276660.jpg]'s 'The First Law' series, I have to say that I found this one pretty heavy going at times, at times almost a chore to read through.
The title, apparently, comes from an inscription made on his cannons by Louis XIV and is pretty apt for this novel, dealing (as it does) pretty much with all-out war (even if it does take about halfway throught the book before that actually happens). Once again following it's protaganists more-or-less chapter about, I can understand where this is coming from in showing that life isn't fair, but since I found none of those protaganists not really all that engaging, and with the only one who even seems to show any redeeming qualities being the one that doesn't make it all the way to the end ...
Not that impressed (sorry).
The title, apparently, comes from an inscription made on his cannons by Louis XIV and is pretty apt for this novel, dealing (as it does) pretty much with all-out war (even if it does take about halfway throught the book before that actually happens). Once again following it's protaganists more-or-less chapter about, I can understand where this is coming from in showing that life isn't fair, but since I found none of those protaganists not really all that engaging, and with the only one who even seems to show any redeeming qualities being the one that doesn't make it all the way to the end ...
Not that impressed (sorry).