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FilmIntuition (33 KP) rated An Anonymous Girl in Books
Dec 22, 2018
Takes 150 Pages to Get Going
Wasting a clever set-up that feels like a cross between David Fincher's The Game and “the wrong man” motif that filled Alfred Hitchcock’s filmography, after strapped-for-cash twenty-something makeup artist Jessica Farris participates in a paid ethics study intended for someone else, An Anonymous Girl takes roughly 150 pages to get going.
Graduating from creepy to only mildly thrilling, predictably Jessica discovers that the study was the bait needed to lure her into a diabolical shrink’s carnival funhouse of lies and manipulation where very little is what it seems.
Needless to say, it's a disappointing return to the genre for Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen following their smash hit The Wife Between Us. And while An Anonymous Girl has the makings of a much greater psychological mystery, the authors don't invest nearly as much thought into the heroine as the book's villain, which means that the reader is usually three steps ahead of Jessica each time she gets a (fairly obvious) ticket to the clue bus.
Sticking it out due to mild curiosity as to how everything would turn out as well a desire to review An Anonymous Girl since St. Martin's Press, Bookish First, and NetGalley were kind enough to send me an arc, despite an intriguing idea, in the end, I think most readers will be tempted to put it down in favor of picking a different thriller up.
Graduating from creepy to only mildly thrilling, predictably Jessica discovers that the study was the bait needed to lure her into a diabolical shrink’s carnival funhouse of lies and manipulation where very little is what it seems.
Needless to say, it's a disappointing return to the genre for Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen following their smash hit The Wife Between Us. And while An Anonymous Girl has the makings of a much greater psychological mystery, the authors don't invest nearly as much thought into the heroine as the book's villain, which means that the reader is usually three steps ahead of Jessica each time she gets a (fairly obvious) ticket to the clue bus.
Sticking it out due to mild curiosity as to how everything would turn out as well a desire to review An Anonymous Girl since St. Martin's Press, Bookish First, and NetGalley were kind enough to send me an arc, despite an intriguing idea, in the end, I think most readers will be tempted to put it down in favor of picking a different thriller up.
Ross (3282 KP) rated The Staircase in TV
Jun 28, 2018
The story of what happened to Kathleen Peterson is compelling. Her husband claims to have found her after a fall at the bottom of a narrow staircase bleeding to death.
The documentary follows the investigation from very early on, through the original trail and subsequent appeals. It still smacks of being quite one-sided (which is natural when the filmmakers are given access to one side of the legal battle and not the other). As with other similar programs, it is somewhat failed as an idea when the burden of formulating a story of what happened and of proof is on the estate, and the defence (by far the more vocal side in the program) only have to cast enough doubt on aspects of those stories to allow a jury to have "reasonable doubt" and therefore a conviction cannot be made.
Once again, this documentary shows that the state will do anything to convict, and once convicted it is very unlikely any appeals would be successful - they cast aspersions over the judge and prosecutors' professional ethics which they won't allow.
This one is rare in that the judge does appear to suggest there was a miscarriage of justice at the end of the final episode.
There is more closure in this story when compared to the likes of Evil Genius and Making a Murderer, but there still remains some doubt over what happened to Kathleen (I have now read there was a theory she was attacked by an owl on the way in to the house!).
Compelling but a little more drawn-out than its peers.
The documentary follows the investigation from very early on, through the original trail and subsequent appeals. It still smacks of being quite one-sided (which is natural when the filmmakers are given access to one side of the legal battle and not the other). As with other similar programs, it is somewhat failed as an idea when the burden of formulating a story of what happened and of proof is on the estate, and the defence (by far the more vocal side in the program) only have to cast enough doubt on aspects of those stories to allow a jury to have "reasonable doubt" and therefore a conviction cannot be made.
Once again, this documentary shows that the state will do anything to convict, and once convicted it is very unlikely any appeals would be successful - they cast aspersions over the judge and prosecutors' professional ethics which they won't allow.
This one is rare in that the judge does appear to suggest there was a miscarriage of justice at the end of the final episode.
There is more closure in this story when compared to the likes of Evil Genius and Making a Murderer, but there still remains some doubt over what happened to Kathleen (I have now read there was a theory she was attacked by an owl on the way in to the house!).
Compelling but a little more drawn-out than its peers.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Apr 3, 2022
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated The Portrait of Mr W.H. in Books
May 14, 2017
. As a paradox to the realism and ethics of the period, decadent writers, artists, and poets challenged a society that strove for a standard in public discourse.
First published in 1889, Oscar Wilde’s The Portrait of Mr W.H., is a short story about the efforts of three characters trying to discover the identity of Shakespeare’s Mr W.H. ; the dedicatee of his many sonnets. Wilde’s novel is a prime example of decadent literature and aestheticism, which, as a result, challenges the Victorian ideals of moral decency and public rectitude. The author uses paradox in the novel to present a theory that contradicts the conservative critics of Shakespeare’s sonnets.
Wilde presents a subjective interpretation of Shakespeare’s sonnets that portrays homoerotic sexual desire as the force for creative inspiration. Foremost, through the character Cyril Graham, the author demonstrates that art is ‘an attempt to realise one’s own personality on some imaginative plane out of reach of the trammelling accidents and limitations of real life’, (Wilde, p.111).
Taking from a hypothesis in the previous century by Edmund Malone and Thomas Tyrwhitt, the character of Cyril forms a theory in which Mr W.H. is a young actor named Willie Hughes, employed by Shakespeare and who is the muse to which the sonnets are devoted. Cyril investigates each poem and pieces together a theory he believes to be true.
On the surface, Cyril’s theory derives from feeling and beauty rather than logic and instruction.
The withholding of facts in Shakespeare’s sonnets energises Cyril. He scours the poems to find a clue that harmonise with his own feelings. Cyril believes that Shakespeare influences his readers by guiding them to Willie Hughes.
Cyril, spurned by the moralistic interpretations of previous critics, becomes enthralled by Shakespeare’s muse.
Wilde presents a subjective interpretation of Shakespeare’s sonnets that portrays homoerotic sexual desire as the force for creative inspiration. Foremost, through the character Cyril Graham, the author demonstrates that art is ‘an attempt to realise one’s own personality on some imaginative plane out of reach of the trammelling accidents and limitations of real life’, (Wilde, p.111).
Taking from a hypothesis in the previous century by Edmund Malone and Thomas Tyrwhitt, the character of Cyril forms a theory in which Mr W.H. is a young actor named Willie Hughes, employed by Shakespeare and who is the muse to which the sonnets are devoted. Cyril investigates each poem and pieces together a theory he believes to be true.
On the surface, Cyril’s theory derives from feeling and beauty rather than logic and instruction.
The withholding of facts in Shakespeare’s sonnets energises Cyril. He scours the poems to find a clue that harmonise with his own feelings. Cyril believes that Shakespeare influences his readers by guiding them to Willie Hughes.
Cyril, spurned by the moralistic interpretations of previous critics, becomes enthralled by Shakespeare’s muse.
Merissa (11716 KP) rated Reservations (Reservations #1) in Books
Dec 15, 2021
RESERVATIONS is the first in a new series of the same name. In this one, we are introduced to a host of characters, some of whom have found their partners, some haven't. Thane is one that hasn't. He is happy to use escort services to give him what he needs without any messy emotions or complications getting in the way. When he sees Levi, he immediately wants him and makes the mistake of thinking that everyone can be bought. Levi is struggling to hold his family together but has a strong moral character with ethics that put Thane to shame.
I enjoyed the story of these two getting together. I LOVED that Thane was shot down in flames by Levi and the grovelling he did to try and put things right. The fact he learnt an important lesson during that made it all the more special. The sparks fly between these two and it is HOT! Be prepared for steam to come off your Kindle.
This novel is smoothly-paced and gives you plenty of time to get to know the characters. There is a LOT of miscommunication here, but then, love never runs smoothly.
I'm looking forward to seeing more of Julien as this didn't give me the information I wanted on him. Being as this isn't his book, that's not really surprising though! He is next so we'll see what happens.
A great start to a new series and definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I enjoyed the story of these two getting together. I LOVED that Thane was shot down in flames by Levi and the grovelling he did to try and put things right. The fact he learnt an important lesson during that made it all the more special. The sparks fly between these two and it is HOT! Be prepared for steam to come off your Kindle.
This novel is smoothly-paced and gives you plenty of time to get to know the characters. There is a LOT of miscommunication here, but then, love never runs smoothly.
I'm looking forward to seeing more of Julien as this didn't give me the information I wanted on him. Being as this isn't his book, that's not really surprising though! He is next so we'll see what happens.
A great start to a new series and definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Marylegs (44 KP) rated Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1) in Books
Aug 14, 2019
Jurassic Park is the first book in a two part saga written by Michael Crichton, it become one of the most iconic films of the 90’s. Those who have seen the film know that the story revolves around a biotechnology company experimenting with genetics and DNA reconstruction to create dinosaurs in the modern world. On an island off of Costa Rica, these Dinosaurs are being contained in what is being heralded as the zoo of the future. The scientists have managed through DNA extraction and reconstruction to produce 15 different species of extinct Dinosaurs. To test out the park some renowned academics including Dr Grant, palaeontology, Dr Sattler, palaeobotany and Ian Malcom a chaos theory mathematician, are invited to the park. This obviously ambitious leap in technology and questionable ethics runs into some trouble and obviously this has catastrophic consequences.
Never, have I ever, put off reading a book so much as this one. At the very beginning of the year I decided to randomly choose books to read to really push me out of my comfort zone. But, every time I looked at this list I had created I would choose something else. I was avoiding this book, not only because the film was so iconic to my childhood but also I didn’t know if it would be the sort of book I would enjoy to read.
All I can say is, bravo. This book was brilliant. I honestly didn’t want it to end. I loved everything. I didn’t even mind Malcom’s rants on chaos theory, I actually rather enjoyed them and found them thought provoking. I really liked that it was close enough to the film that I could follow what I already knew. But there is so much more to this story. There are obviously fictional elements included regarding the behaviour and activities related to the dinosaurs, but there was obviously a lot of research undertaking when the book was written so I believe the artistic licence is warranted. I loved the differences and I will definitely now read the sequel and these books will be placed into my exclusive re-read rotation.
Never, have I ever, put off reading a book so much as this one. At the very beginning of the year I decided to randomly choose books to read to really push me out of my comfort zone. But, every time I looked at this list I had created I would choose something else. I was avoiding this book, not only because the film was so iconic to my childhood but also I didn’t know if it would be the sort of book I would enjoy to read.
All I can say is, bravo. This book was brilliant. I honestly didn’t want it to end. I loved everything. I didn’t even mind Malcom’s rants on chaos theory, I actually rather enjoyed them and found them thought provoking. I really liked that it was close enough to the film that I could follow what I already knew. But there is so much more to this story. There are obviously fictional elements included regarding the behaviour and activities related to the dinosaurs, but there was obviously a lot of research undertaking when the book was written so I believe the artistic licence is warranted. I loved the differences and I will definitely now read the sequel and these books will be placed into my exclusive re-read rotation.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Confucius' Social Wisom in Books
Apr 20, 2020
Well, well, well… Another 1-star. The first one for 2020. And it had to be a philosophy book.
I remember reading another book by Pavan Choudary and it was called How A Good Person Can Really Win. I remember disliking this book as well, because it was a bit dodgy and click-baity. But together with that one, I also received this book – Confucius’s Social Wisdom.
My history with Confucius
Philosophy and I found our way to each other when I was in high school. Our professor was quite different than any other professors I had, but he taught me a lot of world and moral lessons. Even today, I still remember his lessons now, when I am on a life crossroad and wonder what he would say. I discovered Confucius’s work during those years and it was a huge revelation for me to learn about other culture’s ethics and moral rules and explanations.
I always love sharing opinions and beliefs and Confucius’s works showed me another side of the world that I never thought of. Love others while you exercise self-discipline. How can it be done, and how I can implement this in my life. His works always triggered more questions than answers. And that was the beauty of it.
Why I don’t like this book
I will be completely honest with you. I appreciate everyone’s work and I know that a lot of time and effort has been put into this work. However, I will not praise nor endorse any book that is published and sells on behalf of someone else’s work. And this is what has happened here.
The author has taken the most famous quotes from Confucius and then elaborated them into what he believes they might mean, advising the reader what they should do. I cannot see any wisdom in this book whatsoever. You can get the same information by just grabbing a copy of the original works of Confucius.
I would not recommend this book to anyone. If anything, I would recommend you to avoid it. Stick to the original works of Confucius and form your own conclusions on the meaning behind the words.
I remember reading another book by Pavan Choudary and it was called How A Good Person Can Really Win. I remember disliking this book as well, because it was a bit dodgy and click-baity. But together with that one, I also received this book – Confucius’s Social Wisdom.
My history with Confucius
Philosophy and I found our way to each other when I was in high school. Our professor was quite different than any other professors I had, but he taught me a lot of world and moral lessons. Even today, I still remember his lessons now, when I am on a life crossroad and wonder what he would say. I discovered Confucius’s work during those years and it was a huge revelation for me to learn about other culture’s ethics and moral rules and explanations.
I always love sharing opinions and beliefs and Confucius’s works showed me another side of the world that I never thought of. Love others while you exercise self-discipline. How can it be done, and how I can implement this in my life. His works always triggered more questions than answers. And that was the beauty of it.
Why I don’t like this book
I will be completely honest with you. I appreciate everyone’s work and I know that a lot of time and effort has been put into this work. However, I will not praise nor endorse any book that is published and sells on behalf of someone else’s work. And this is what has happened here.
The author has taken the most famous quotes from Confucius and then elaborated them into what he believes they might mean, advising the reader what they should do. I cannot see any wisdom in this book whatsoever. You can get the same information by just grabbing a copy of the original works of Confucius.
I would not recommend this book to anyone. If anything, I would recommend you to avoid it. Stick to the original works of Confucius and form your own conclusions on the meaning behind the words.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Ron's Gone Wrong (2021) in Movies
Oct 14, 2021
Cute animation with funny characters, this seemed like a nice diversion from the usual, mainly heavy, festival lineup.
Barney has an eccentric family. Dad is trying to make ends meet and Gran’s solution is food and a song. But for Barney, who just wants to fit in with his classmates, scraping by means not having the latest “Best friend in a box” robot to hang out with like everyone in his class.
As well as looking for something light hearted to watch, I was a little bit excited to see a children’s film in an adult only screening. I’m easily pleased, it’s the dream screening really.
When kids films from bigger studios don’t appear on my radar well in advance of their release I’m always a little sceptical. But the idea behind Ron’s Gone Wrong sounded like it was going to be a bit of a win, after all, it's either friendship or all out war, there's generally no in between.
Despite it having some bigger names in the cast, I really couldn’t put my finger on any of them as I watched. Performances were a little forgettable if I’m honest, out of everything, it’s the antics that are memorable, not the voices. The dialogue felt a little anaemic and it really just didn’t hit the spot for me.
Then there’s the animation, again, a bit of a shrug. It’s lovely but familiar. The little robots are a fun creation though and the way they interact with their humans and the online world is nicely done. As I watched it though I had flashes of other films. I tried to remember the name of the bots as I wrote the synopsis, but all I could think was PAL… but that’s Mitchell’s vs the Machines, and if you’ve seen that then you’ll more than likely draw some comparisons. That’s not the only film either.
Ron's Gone Wrong has some nice messages about friendship and it tries to shoehorn some ethics in there for the adults, but all in all, despite being a nice film, it doesn’t hold much of a punch to stand out from the crowd.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/10/rons-gone-wrong-movie-review.html
Barney has an eccentric family. Dad is trying to make ends meet and Gran’s solution is food and a song. But for Barney, who just wants to fit in with his classmates, scraping by means not having the latest “Best friend in a box” robot to hang out with like everyone in his class.
As well as looking for something light hearted to watch, I was a little bit excited to see a children’s film in an adult only screening. I’m easily pleased, it’s the dream screening really.
When kids films from bigger studios don’t appear on my radar well in advance of their release I’m always a little sceptical. But the idea behind Ron’s Gone Wrong sounded like it was going to be a bit of a win, after all, it's either friendship or all out war, there's generally no in between.
Despite it having some bigger names in the cast, I really couldn’t put my finger on any of them as I watched. Performances were a little forgettable if I’m honest, out of everything, it’s the antics that are memorable, not the voices. The dialogue felt a little anaemic and it really just didn’t hit the spot for me.
Then there’s the animation, again, a bit of a shrug. It’s lovely but familiar. The little robots are a fun creation though and the way they interact with their humans and the online world is nicely done. As I watched it though I had flashes of other films. I tried to remember the name of the bots as I wrote the synopsis, but all I could think was PAL… but that’s Mitchell’s vs the Machines, and if you’ve seen that then you’ll more than likely draw some comparisons. That’s not the only film either.
Ron's Gone Wrong has some nice messages about friendship and it tries to shoehorn some ethics in there for the adults, but all in all, despite being a nice film, it doesn’t hold much of a punch to stand out from the crowd.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/10/rons-gone-wrong-movie-review.html
Jamie (131 KP) rated Little Lies in Books
Jul 26, 2017
Extremely predictable (2 more)
Unlikeable main character
Poor representation of social workers
The worst social worker ever
What bothered me the most about this book was how poor of a representation Ellen Moore is of a social worker. Just think, if it was you or your own children that were involved in a case, would you want the CPS worker talking to other people idly about it? Carelessly giving personal information out even years after the case has been closed? Of course not. It would go against the code of ethics. A considerable portion of the story involved Ellen discussing a previous case involving a now grown child to multiple people, some that were involved in the case and some not. Then there’s the added bonus that Ellen ends up investigating a murder right along with buddy cop, adding her own opinions and speculations on the case without doing any actual police work. One of her theories involved said child from a previous case, which is quite frankly ridiculous and a serious violation of the code. I personally found this portrayal of social workers to be incredibly irresponsible.
I also wasn’t digging the pseudo romance between Ellen and the police officer. Ellen is supposed to be happily married with children, yet keeps going back to how she’s sure that mister cop is sweet on her, and how awkward it is even though they’re close friends. I rolled my eyes when she felt guilty not telling her husband about the not date at a diner to look at crime scene photos and discuss a case. This extra bit of fluff just made Ellen’s character more of an annoyance to me.
The plot tries really hard to set up a classic bait and switch in order to throw readers off the trail and make the reveal at the end that much more surprising and exciting, but it was so painfully obvious it just seemed amateurish. A let down, really, considering how much I loved one of Gudenkauf’s previous works, The Weight of Silence. This story felt so shallow in comparison. Taking it as an introduction to the characters in Little Mercies, well, I’m not sure if I’d want to pick up the full length novel after reading this and that’s a shame. Overall, this little novella was disappointing and could easily be skipped.
I also wasn’t digging the pseudo romance between Ellen and the police officer. Ellen is supposed to be happily married with children, yet keeps going back to how she’s sure that mister cop is sweet on her, and how awkward it is even though they’re close friends. I rolled my eyes when she felt guilty not telling her husband about the not date at a diner to look at crime scene photos and discuss a case. This extra bit of fluff just made Ellen’s character more of an annoyance to me.
The plot tries really hard to set up a classic bait and switch in order to throw readers off the trail and make the reveal at the end that much more surprising and exciting, but it was so painfully obvious it just seemed amateurish. A let down, really, considering how much I loved one of Gudenkauf’s previous works, The Weight of Silence. This story felt so shallow in comparison. Taking it as an introduction to the characters in Little Mercies, well, I’m not sure if I’d want to pick up the full length novel after reading this and that’s a shame. Overall, this little novella was disappointing and could easily be skipped.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Something Borrowed (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
“Sometimes good people do bad things!”
Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) is a successful New York City lawyer, the ever-loyal and perpetual good girl, who, on the night of her surprise 30th birthday party, sleeps with Dex, her old study buddy and secret crush from law school. Unfortunately, Dex happens to be the fiancé of Rachel’s egotistical best friend Darcy’s (Kate Hudson). Throughout the movie you find Rachel conflicted with the thought of hurting her best friend because she has just realized she is in love with Dex (Colin Egglesfield). Dex feels equally guilty for having fallen for Rachel but would rather do what everyone expects him to do, as opposed to following his heart.
As Rachel tries to assist the self-absorbed party girl Darcy plan her wedding, she finds it difficult to to hide her feelings for Dex. Rachel and Darcy’s childhood friend Ethan (John Krasinski) figures out that Rachel and Dex are more than just friends. He lends a shoulder for Rachel to lean on as well as some very harsh criticisms to help her realize that she does deserve to be happy.
Based on the novel written by Emily Giffin, Something Borrowed is a romantic comedy that explores the true meaning of friendship, love and ethics. Always a fan of Ginnifer Goodwin, she does a decent job at playing our heroine/doormat, Rachel White. Kate Hudson was spot-on with the role of self-centered, always-gets-her-way Darcy. And let’s not forget the Tom Cruise look-alike, Colin Egglesfield, who for some reason didn’t impress me much as Dex. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there was definitely something missing there. Plug in some weekend getaways to the Hamptons, some awkward drinking and partying moments, some flashback moments of Darcy and Rachel’s childhood as well as flashbacks to Rachel’s law school days when she was swooning over Dex and voila! A mediocre, very predictable movie. I’d have to say if it wasn’t for the sarcastic comedic stylings of John Krasinski as Ethan, this movie would have been a major flop.
This film is definitely a twist on My Best Friend’s Wedding, but not in the best way. If nothing else, it’s worth seeing as a “girls night out” kind of movie!
Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) is a successful New York City lawyer, the ever-loyal and perpetual good girl, who, on the night of her surprise 30th birthday party, sleeps with Dex, her old study buddy and secret crush from law school. Unfortunately, Dex happens to be the fiancé of Rachel’s egotistical best friend Darcy’s (Kate Hudson). Throughout the movie you find Rachel conflicted with the thought of hurting her best friend because she has just realized she is in love with Dex (Colin Egglesfield). Dex feels equally guilty for having fallen for Rachel but would rather do what everyone expects him to do, as opposed to following his heart.
As Rachel tries to assist the self-absorbed party girl Darcy plan her wedding, she finds it difficult to to hide her feelings for Dex. Rachel and Darcy’s childhood friend Ethan (John Krasinski) figures out that Rachel and Dex are more than just friends. He lends a shoulder for Rachel to lean on as well as some very harsh criticisms to help her realize that she does deserve to be happy.
Based on the novel written by Emily Giffin, Something Borrowed is a romantic comedy that explores the true meaning of friendship, love and ethics. Always a fan of Ginnifer Goodwin, she does a decent job at playing our heroine/doormat, Rachel White. Kate Hudson was spot-on with the role of self-centered, always-gets-her-way Darcy. And let’s not forget the Tom Cruise look-alike, Colin Egglesfield, who for some reason didn’t impress me much as Dex. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there was definitely something missing there. Plug in some weekend getaways to the Hamptons, some awkward drinking and partying moments, some flashback moments of Darcy and Rachel’s childhood as well as flashbacks to Rachel’s law school days when she was swooning over Dex and voila! A mediocre, very predictable movie. I’d have to say if it wasn’t for the sarcastic comedic stylings of John Krasinski as Ethan, this movie would have been a major flop.
This film is definitely a twist on My Best Friend’s Wedding, but not in the best way. If nothing else, it’s worth seeing as a “girls night out” kind of movie!