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An Unlikely Union: The Love-Hate Story of New York's Irish and Italians
Book
They came from the poorest parts of Ireland and Italy and met as rivals on the sidewalks of New...
Earth's Deep History: How it Was Discovered and Why it Matters
Book
Earth has been witness to mammoths and dinosaurs, global ice ages, continents colliding or splitting...
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Happily Undead in Dark River (Dark River Days, #2) in Books
Jan 6, 2021
I read the first book in this series a few months ago and really quite enjoyed it so when I got my KU subscription and saw this was in the catalogue I decided to grab this one, too.
This one picks up not long after the events of the first with Raine now being persona non grata in Dark River apart from her four guys. It's going to take some time for the townspeople to come to terms with Raine being the victim of their well-loved, long-term resident (who I won't name.) It seems that what went down in their little town has drawn the attention of the Vampire Nation and they are on their way to investigate.
I did enjoy the first one, this one wasn't quite as engaging. I felt this one was getting a little too complicated with all the new lovers she was acquiring. Four men I can cope with - and have read several books with four males in reverse harems - but I think that at the end of this Raine was quickly verging on about 7 or 8 men that she would happily share her bed with and the others not be bothered about. It was getting a little ridiculous for me.
I can't say the storyline of this one pulled me into it, either. It was rather reminiscent of the first. Someone wants her dead, various attempts on her life and then saved by her guys - only the number of them has multiplied a little. There was quite a lot of sex in this, with various partners and combinations of men. It felt rather heavy on the erotica side of romance and I wasn't entirely convinced by the feelings floating around.
As much as I liked the first book I don't think I'll be continuing the series.
This one picks up not long after the events of the first with Raine now being persona non grata in Dark River apart from her four guys. It's going to take some time for the townspeople to come to terms with Raine being the victim of their well-loved, long-term resident (who I won't name.) It seems that what went down in their little town has drawn the attention of the Vampire Nation and they are on their way to investigate.
I did enjoy the first one, this one wasn't quite as engaging. I felt this one was getting a little too complicated with all the new lovers she was acquiring. Four men I can cope with - and have read several books with four males in reverse harems - but I think that at the end of this Raine was quickly verging on about 7 or 8 men that she would happily share her bed with and the others not be bothered about. It was getting a little ridiculous for me.
I can't say the storyline of this one pulled me into it, either. It was rather reminiscent of the first. Someone wants her dead, various attempts on her life and then saved by her guys - only the number of them has multiplied a little. There was quite a lot of sex in this, with various partners and combinations of men. It felt rather heavy on the erotica side of romance and I wasn't entirely convinced by the feelings floating around.
As much as I liked the first book I don't think I'll be continuing the series.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Visit (2015) in Movies
Nov 2, 2020
This movie, and I can't stress this enough, spends way too much time on the young kids budding rapping career. Not convinced I ever want to watch 13 year old white boys rap, let alone 3 or 4 seperate scenes of it...
Anyway, The Visit is pretty good (if you ignore the whole rapping part - not sure if I've mentioned that yet). It has a minimal yet great cast, some solid creepy moments, and a surprisingly grounded twist from the notoriously inconsistent M. Night Shyamalan.
Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould are likable as the two leads. The framing device of them filming a documentary about their estranged grandparents is a natural explanation for the 'found footage' camera style.
The stand out though is Deanna Dunagan as the grandma. Christ she is unsettlingly creepy, even when she's being kind. Her contribution to this film really lends the narrative as a whole, a huge help of tension. The slow burn nature of it is fantastically realised, and presents the audience with a decent mystery plot, and a chance to try and unravel what is really going on before the inevitable twist hits.
The twist itself is simple yet effective, and is certainly an "oh shit" moment, but unfortunately it leads to a final act that feels a bit over the top and silly. It shifts from an atmospheric creepy chiller to a sub par horror trying a little too hard to pack in the scares. It's a shame because 80% of the runtime is genuinely engaging!
Despite the lackluster ending, The Visit is a solid POV thriller that is head and shoulders above a huge chunk of Shyamalan's back catalogue, and is decent enough way to spend 90 minutes, except for the 3-4 minutes spent with the kid rapping...
Anyway, The Visit is pretty good (if you ignore the whole rapping part - not sure if I've mentioned that yet). It has a minimal yet great cast, some solid creepy moments, and a surprisingly grounded twist from the notoriously inconsistent M. Night Shyamalan.
Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould are likable as the two leads. The framing device of them filming a documentary about their estranged grandparents is a natural explanation for the 'found footage' camera style.
The stand out though is Deanna Dunagan as the grandma. Christ she is unsettlingly creepy, even when she's being kind. Her contribution to this film really lends the narrative as a whole, a huge help of tension. The slow burn nature of it is fantastically realised, and presents the audience with a decent mystery plot, and a chance to try and unravel what is really going on before the inevitable twist hits.
The twist itself is simple yet effective, and is certainly an "oh shit" moment, but unfortunately it leads to a final act that feels a bit over the top and silly. It shifts from an atmospheric creepy chiller to a sub par horror trying a little too hard to pack in the scares. It's a shame because 80% of the runtime is genuinely engaging!
Despite the lackluster ending, The Visit is a solid POV thriller that is head and shoulders above a huge chunk of Shyamalan's back catalogue, and is decent enough way to spend 90 minutes, except for the 3-4 minutes spent with the kid rapping...
ClareR (6134 KP) rated Daughters of Night in Books
Mar 20, 2021
Daughters of Night is set in Georgian London, not a period that I’ve read that much about. I love a good historical novel, and this is definitely one of the good ones! There’s loads of really interesting, accurate (it seems to me!)historical detail, and the characters are well developed people that I wanted to find out more about.
It was surprising that Caro Corsham could investigate a death and a disappearance herself, but I suppose with money and status comes a little freedom - and her husband isn’t in the country for the vast majority of the book. Caro’s thief taker, Peregrine Child, is a great character. A complex man, he wants to do what’s right, despite the fact that he’s paid to do so. He comes with his own set of problems: drinking, gambling, he owes money to the wrong people (if there are ‘right’ ones, I don’t know!), but I really had the impression throughout that he had empathy for the prostitute he was looking for. He realises that these women don’t always choose to do the job, and when they do, it’s because there’s little other choice.
This is a big book, and I listened to it on Audible, so it was a lot of hours - but it didn’t seem that way. The narrator, Lucy Scott, was really engaging, and her different voices were discernible from one another. I’ve done this a couple of times recently with my NetGalley books: I realise that there are some books that just really lend themselves well to being read aloud - and it’s a far more entertaining way to get ready for work or to cook dinner!
I loved this book, and I’d highly recommend it - either in book or audible form!
It was surprising that Caro Corsham could investigate a death and a disappearance herself, but I suppose with money and status comes a little freedom - and her husband isn’t in the country for the vast majority of the book. Caro’s thief taker, Peregrine Child, is a great character. A complex man, he wants to do what’s right, despite the fact that he’s paid to do so. He comes with his own set of problems: drinking, gambling, he owes money to the wrong people (if there are ‘right’ ones, I don’t know!), but I really had the impression throughout that he had empathy for the prostitute he was looking for. He realises that these women don’t always choose to do the job, and when they do, it’s because there’s little other choice.
This is a big book, and I listened to it on Audible, so it was a lot of hours - but it didn’t seem that way. The narrator, Lucy Scott, was really engaging, and her different voices were discernible from one another. I’ve done this a couple of times recently with my NetGalley books: I realise that there are some books that just really lend themselves well to being read aloud - and it’s a far more entertaining way to get ready for work or to cook dinner!
I loved this book, and I’d highly recommend it - either in book or audible form!
Kim Pook (101 KP) rated The Woman in the Window (2021) in Movies
Jul 26, 2021
A woman, Anna, wakes up and we get a view around her home, followed by a conversation with her daughter and her husband. We see her watching her neighbours before engaging in a therapy session. It is soon clear that Anna has problems. She has attempted suicide, has a drinking problem and is agrophobic meaning she is too scared to leave the house.
One evening her new neighbours son Ethan, comes over to introduce himself and they get talking, but something is worrying him. The next day his judgemental mum, Jane, comes over after Anna's House is egged on Halloween and they also get talking, but she is worried about her son and husband. That same evening, the husband comes over asking her if his family had come to see her, she lies and says no.
One evening whilst in the bath, Anna hears a scream coming from her new neighbours house, she speaks to Ethan who is clearly distraught but won't say why. Then whilst watching them again, she witnesses a brutal crime where a Russell family member is stabbed, but when she reports it nobody believes her, so she decides to try and find out what happened, which isn't going to be easy for someone with agrophobic.
I want to say I have never seen a movie like this before, and in truth I haven't, but I have seen a very similar storyline on the simpsons, when Bart thinks ned flanders has killed maude, it even plays out in a similar way.
It was an interesting movie though, with so many twists that I didn't see coming and it kept me interested right to the end. I did feel the end wasn't In keeping with the tone of the movie though, it started off like a psychological thriller but ended like a teen Slasher.
One evening her new neighbours son Ethan, comes over to introduce himself and they get talking, but something is worrying him. The next day his judgemental mum, Jane, comes over after Anna's House is egged on Halloween and they also get talking, but she is worried about her son and husband. That same evening, the husband comes over asking her if his family had come to see her, she lies and says no.
One evening whilst in the bath, Anna hears a scream coming from her new neighbours house, she speaks to Ethan who is clearly distraught but won't say why. Then whilst watching them again, she witnesses a brutal crime where a Russell family member is stabbed, but when she reports it nobody believes her, so she decides to try and find out what happened, which isn't going to be easy for someone with agrophobic.
I want to say I have never seen a movie like this before, and in truth I haven't, but I have seen a very similar storyline on the simpsons, when Bart thinks ned flanders has killed maude, it even plays out in a similar way.
It was an interesting movie though, with so many twists that I didn't see coming and it kept me interested right to the end. I did feel the end wasn't In keeping with the tone of the movie though, it started off like a psychological thriller but ended like a teen Slasher.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Escape Room (2019) in Movies
Sep 15, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
In short, Escape Room is actually a pretty tight thriller with a really disappointingly shitty ending.
It's disappointing because I found myself unexpectedly enjoying the bulk of the movie, even if it doesn't carry a lot of substance.
It's a more recent entry into the currently popular and seemingly unending PG-13 corner of horror. This of course means little in the way of gore or scares, something that I would usually take issue with, but managed to get on board with in this instance.
The set up is resemblant of Saw, but the later films in that franchise are evidence that more gore certainly doesn't make for a better film. With the focus here not being on violence but the actual puzzles the characters have to work through, I found it to be fairly engaging.
The set pieces and room designs are imaginative, and a lot of these moments are suitably tense.
The cast are decent as well - Taylor Russell, Tyler Labine and Nik Dodani are likeable, and I always enjoy Deborah Ann Woll whenever she pops up in things.
My main gripe however is the plot. The premise is really straightforward, not much room for error in that respect, so the inclusion of a faceless Hostel-esque corporation who caters to rich people who profit from this whole thing is just dumb. It's feels lazy, unnecessary, and more than anything, really tacked on and rushed. The ending flies by in an attempt to hastily set up a sequel rather than focusing on ending this film in a satisfying manner. It's a real shame because the majority of the film is relatively entertaining, and the climax just de-rails it completely.
Escape Room is worth watching for the Saw meets Cube premise, but ultimately ends up being a bang average thriller.
It's disappointing because I found myself unexpectedly enjoying the bulk of the movie, even if it doesn't carry a lot of substance.
It's a more recent entry into the currently popular and seemingly unending PG-13 corner of horror. This of course means little in the way of gore or scares, something that I would usually take issue with, but managed to get on board with in this instance.
The set up is resemblant of Saw, but the later films in that franchise are evidence that more gore certainly doesn't make for a better film. With the focus here not being on violence but the actual puzzles the characters have to work through, I found it to be fairly engaging.
The set pieces and room designs are imaginative, and a lot of these moments are suitably tense.
The cast are decent as well - Taylor Russell, Tyler Labine and Nik Dodani are likeable, and I always enjoy Deborah Ann Woll whenever she pops up in things.
My main gripe however is the plot. The premise is really straightforward, not much room for error in that respect, so the inclusion of a faceless Hostel-esque corporation who caters to rich people who profit from this whole thing is just dumb. It's feels lazy, unnecessary, and more than anything, really tacked on and rushed. The ending flies by in an attempt to hastily set up a sequel rather than focusing on ending this film in a satisfying manner. It's a real shame because the majority of the film is relatively entertaining, and the climax just de-rails it completely.
Escape Room is worth watching for the Saw meets Cube premise, but ultimately ends up being a bang average thriller.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Unnatural Causes: The Life and Many Deaths of Britain's Top Forensic Pathologist in Books
Oct 17, 2020
Fascinating
I don’t often choose to read non-fiction books, I’m not entirely sure why except for the fact that I prefer escaping the real world. However there are some real life topics that really grab me, and forensic pathology is definitely one of those areas.
This book is truly a fascinating read. It’s an interesting mixture detailing Richard Shepherd’s personal life and the many cases he’s had involvement in over the years. It balances these two aspects very well, and I found I was as interested in his personal life as I was in the cases. It is the cases though that take precedence in this book and Shepherd really has left no stone unturned. There is an immense amount of detail in this about the deaths, bodies, medical terms and outcomes of the cases, and by the end of the book you feel completely satisfied that nothing has been missed.
Shepherd has had a truly impressive career, spanning a number of decades and quite a lot of high profile cases and inquests; Stephen Lawrence, Princess Diana, 9/11, 7/7, Derrick Bird, Harold Shipman. His involvement in all of these cases is impressive and with some, I’ve learnt a fair amount that I’d never known previously (i.e. Diana’s cause of death and the pathology side of 9/11). Shepherd is obviously a very knowledgeable and respected pathologist and it shows from his experience and his writing.
I may be biased as forensics, crime and pathology have always been an interest of mine (I did my dissertation at university on alternatives to traditional post-mortems), but this book is engaging, intriguing and beyond fascinating. I’d liken it to This is Going to Hurt by Adam McKay, obviously this is a lot more serious without the funny anecdotes but if you enjoyed the medical side then you’d probably enjoy this too.
This book is truly a fascinating read. It’s an interesting mixture detailing Richard Shepherd’s personal life and the many cases he’s had involvement in over the years. It balances these two aspects very well, and I found I was as interested in his personal life as I was in the cases. It is the cases though that take precedence in this book and Shepherd really has left no stone unturned. There is an immense amount of detail in this about the deaths, bodies, medical terms and outcomes of the cases, and by the end of the book you feel completely satisfied that nothing has been missed.
Shepherd has had a truly impressive career, spanning a number of decades and quite a lot of high profile cases and inquests; Stephen Lawrence, Princess Diana, 9/11, 7/7, Derrick Bird, Harold Shipman. His involvement in all of these cases is impressive and with some, I’ve learnt a fair amount that I’d never known previously (i.e. Diana’s cause of death and the pathology side of 9/11). Shepherd is obviously a very knowledgeable and respected pathologist and it shows from his experience and his writing.
I may be biased as forensics, crime and pathology have always been an interest of mine (I did my dissertation at university on alternatives to traditional post-mortems), but this book is engaging, intriguing and beyond fascinating. I’d liken it to This is Going to Hurt by Adam McKay, obviously this is a lot more serious without the funny anecdotes but if you enjoyed the medical side then you’d probably enjoy this too.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Lifeforce (1985) in Movies
Oct 22, 2020
Fun fact - this is the second film I've seen where a female character uses Patrick Stewart's body to communicate with someone. Maybe this is some kind of niche sub-genre I'm just discovering...
Lifeforce is a film of three parts - it's one part sci-fi, one part British thriller, and one part ridiculous end-of-the-world horror, in that precise order.
The sci-fi part is decent enough, where a space crew discovers a strange object near Halley's comet, and further inspection reveals giant bats and sleeping naked humans in crystal coffins that turn out to weird space vampires (so on board with this ridiculous plot). It has a great aesthetic and some good special effects (keeping in mind this movie came out in 1985). The puppetry when some of the space-vampire victims come back to life is awesome.
Then the film shifts to Colonels Caine (Peter Firth) and Carlsen (Steve Railsback) as they track down one of the escaped aliens through London, whilst it kills and shapeshifts to it's hearts content.
This portion is slower, but Lifeforce has an engaging screenplay, and boasts a cast good enough to keep things entertaing. Patrick Stewart, Frank Finlay, Mathilda May, and John Hallam amongst others provide a solid ensemble that ensures the film doesn't fall into silly territory.
Everything leads up to the absurd finale however. London is completely aflame, hordes of vampire zombie things flood the street, there are bodies everywhere, shit is blowing up, vampire aliens are being vanquished with giant swords, people are being thrown out of helicopters - Tobe Hooper doesn't fuck about with this kind of stuff, and Lifeforce has a final sequence that puts a lot of other horror films to shame, and looks fantastic. It's glorious - This sci-fi-horror gem is well worth checking out.
Lifeforce is a film of three parts - it's one part sci-fi, one part British thriller, and one part ridiculous end-of-the-world horror, in that precise order.
The sci-fi part is decent enough, where a space crew discovers a strange object near Halley's comet, and further inspection reveals giant bats and sleeping naked humans in crystal coffins that turn out to weird space vampires (so on board with this ridiculous plot). It has a great aesthetic and some good special effects (keeping in mind this movie came out in 1985). The puppetry when some of the space-vampire victims come back to life is awesome.
Then the film shifts to Colonels Caine (Peter Firth) and Carlsen (Steve Railsback) as they track down one of the escaped aliens through London, whilst it kills and shapeshifts to it's hearts content.
This portion is slower, but Lifeforce has an engaging screenplay, and boasts a cast good enough to keep things entertaing. Patrick Stewart, Frank Finlay, Mathilda May, and John Hallam amongst others provide a solid ensemble that ensures the film doesn't fall into silly territory.
Everything leads up to the absurd finale however. London is completely aflame, hordes of vampire zombie things flood the street, there are bodies everywhere, shit is blowing up, vampire aliens are being vanquished with giant swords, people are being thrown out of helicopters - Tobe Hooper doesn't fuck about with this kind of stuff, and Lifeforce has a final sequence that puts a lot of other horror films to shame, and looks fantastic. It's glorious - This sci-fi-horror gem is well worth checking out.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated White Boy Rick (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
I'm in that bizarre situation again where I've just seen a film that I couldn't actually find a flaw in but it's getting a low rating because it really wasn't my sort of thing.
The cast did a great job, I couldn't fault any of them, even Eddie Marsan who I've become increasingly wary about since he's started popping up all over the place. Richie Merritt as Ricky gave such a great performance. Just the right amount of teenage attitude. His interactions with the police and agents really hit the right spot.
The film has such amazing accuracy on all the "period" items, and the general feel over the whole film really nails that era. Nothing felt out of place at all, every camera angle worked, every bit of scenery. It isn't often I think that about a film.
It baffles my mind a little to think that this isn't a made up story. It really is a shame that this isn't my sort of film. While it definitely had some interesting moments and a fairly strong, if rocky, family theme running through it, if you aren't engaging with it then it does feel a little drawn out. As I said, it's a well made film and brought to the screen incredibly well but it's definitely not made for me.
What you should do
If you're into true stories then this one might appeal to you. My score says don't watch it, but my brain is saying do. It is a good film, and if the subject matter appeals then I think you'll appreciate it a lot more than I was able to.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I've got a shoe box under my bed, if it could be full of money the next time I check that would be great.
The cast did a great job, I couldn't fault any of them, even Eddie Marsan who I've become increasingly wary about since he's started popping up all over the place. Richie Merritt as Ricky gave such a great performance. Just the right amount of teenage attitude. His interactions with the police and agents really hit the right spot.
The film has such amazing accuracy on all the "period" items, and the general feel over the whole film really nails that era. Nothing felt out of place at all, every camera angle worked, every bit of scenery. It isn't often I think that about a film.
It baffles my mind a little to think that this isn't a made up story. It really is a shame that this isn't my sort of film. While it definitely had some interesting moments and a fairly strong, if rocky, family theme running through it, if you aren't engaging with it then it does feel a little drawn out. As I said, it's a well made film and brought to the screen incredibly well but it's definitely not made for me.
What you should do
If you're into true stories then this one might appeal to you. My score says don't watch it, but my brain is saying do. It is a good film, and if the subject matter appeals then I think you'll appreciate it a lot more than I was able to.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I've got a shoe box under my bed, if it could be full of money the next time I check that would be great.