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Infinity: Volume 1
Infinity: Volume 1
Jonathan Hickman, Jim Cheung | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
6
4.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Warning - not a Thanos-heavy book as described
The builders, a race of beings who created the universe, have decided they want a change and have begun to destroy it and start again. And there are numerous species that decide to try and stop them for obvious reasons. And there are other things with pointy things on their heads and no clothes on and there is Thanos being Thanos and there is sexual tension between Namor and Black Panther and .... just so much going on.
The scope of this story is epic, as you might expect given the recent Infinity Wars part 1. However, it really is not very accessible - there is a lot of gobbledigook and pseudoscience trotted out. And most of the action takes place in space, or inter-planetary politics.
Some parts of this neverending book were excellent, but they were few and far between.
To cut a long story short, I never truly felt like I had much of an idea of what was happening, and only enjoyed the final few issues to any great extent. Some decent artwork.
  
It's Not Summer Without You (Summer, #2)
It's Not Summer Without You (Summer, #2)
Jenny Han | 2010 | Romance, Young Adult (YA)
9
8.6 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
An Excellent Second Book
This book does a great job of showing the characters emotions as they go through hard times. All of them are suffering from the loss of Susannah, and all of the characters express themselves in very different ways.
Belly made a lot of good and bad decisions in this book, but overall she has grown a lot as a character. The first book was mainly about her love life, and while that still plays an important role; In this book she is more concerned with helping the people she cares about.
A great addition to this book were the chapters in Jeremiah's point of view. Jeremiah sees Belly differently than she sees herself, and it's nice to get his perspective on things.
Ive finished the first two books, and I still can't decide if I like Conrad. I don't think he's a very honest character; however I did enjoy seeing Belly learn more about him and herself. This is a great series, and I can't wait to read the next book.
  
The Shock of the Fall
The Shock of the Fall
Nathan Filer | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Engaging and emotional. Insightful and personable. Excellent use of formatting and notes/ letters/ images (0 more)
The book I read in one evening
This book sat on my shelf for six months before I picked it up. I must admit, I am guilty of judging a book by its cover occasionally and although it engaged me enough to pick it up in a charity shop haul, there always seemed to be something more appealing for me to pick up ahead of it.

I scanned the front cover and gave it a go and honestly I didn't put it down that evening until I had finished it. I couldn't. I had to continue hearing his story and it broke my heart in the most poignant and beautiful way.

The format is engaging and the letters, images and use of font and type really lend it a verisimilitude like no other, you are sucked into a life you never knew you cared about and he becomes close to your heart almost instantly.

Read this and be changed, be given an insight into mental health like no other.
  
Sanyare: The Heir Apparent is the second book in the Sanyare Chronicles, and follows Rie as she tries to control her magic, and realises that her position of Sanyaro Heir is very different to being a Messenger. Control is hard to attain, although she is working hard, and Greg just doesn't seem to be able to help. Hopefully, a ball will take her mind off things!

Once again, full of action and adventure, this book will delight and enthral as the words jump off the page at you. With a multitude of lovable characters, dangerous situations, baddies to dislike, and heroes to swoon over (including a bad-boy come good), then there is something here for everyone.

Exceptionally well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow, this book continues the story with a smooth pace, whilst leaving you wanting more. An excellent addition to the Chronicles, and I look forward to reading more.

* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Sleep in Books

Jan 27, 2019  
Sleep
Sleep
C.L. Taylor | 2019 | Thriller
8
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
A little gem
What a little gem this is - totally gripping, full of atmosphere, tension and general creepiness all set in the stunning but isolated Scottish island of Rum which creates a sense of trepidation all on its own.

This book can be likened to a classic who-dunnit story - a group of people trapped together in an isolated location with a possible murderer amongst them - it's your job to try and work out who it is from the drips of clues amongst the red herrings provided by the author and I have to give Ms Taylor a round of applause because I didn't figure it out until it was right in my face! and, to be honest, that doesn't happen too often.

Excellent characters - some nice, some not so nice - absolutely perfect setting, great story line and ideal pace makes this a great read and one I have little hesitation in recommending to all psychological thriller lovers out there.

A very big thank you to Avon Books UK via NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased review.
  
Game Night (2018)
Game Night (2018)
2018 | Comedy, Mystery
Better than expected
I need to start by saying that I’ve never been a fan of mainstream comedies, however this one is actually quite good - mainly because of the excellent cast.

I’ve always liked Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman, and they have great chemistry together in this. Billy Magnussen is really funny as the dumb blonde, and there’s some great support from Kyle Chandler and Sharon Horgan. However it’s Jesse Plemons that steals the show as the bonkers creepy neighbour. He’s so deadpan that you can’t help but laugh whenever he’s on screen.

The plot itself is simple and straightforward although fairly entertaining. It’s funny in parts although I didn’t find it particularly hilarious (probably my sense of humour). I did think some of the twists at the end were fairly fun. I love games though, so can really relate to the competitiveness and wish I could persuade my friends to have weekly game nights! I do think it gets a bit cringey in parts and a bit ridiculous, but it’s still an enjoyable fun film.
  
Grace After Henry
Grace After Henry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was a lovely and often heartbreaking book about love and loss. Grace and Henry have just bought a house together when he dies, leaving Grace bereft. She moves into their new home and one day Henry shows up to fix the faulty boiler. Only it isn’t Henry, of course; the look-alike man’s name is Andy, and suddenly Grace’s life is turned upside down.

This is a different sort of story—sometimes predictable but often not. It’s touching and sad and captures grief and love quite wonderfully. Grace is an excellent, real character, and her ache for Henry is so true and honest. There are plenty of funny moments, too; her parents’ battles with the moths in their home was my favorite. The supporting cast is simply wonderful, particularly Grace’s friends from the cemetery (you read that right) and her elderly neighbor, Betty.

This isn’t always the easiest book to read, as it so well portrays grief and heartache, but it’s very well-done, and I appreciated reading such a heartfelt and loving story. Definitely worth picking up.
  
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KalJ95 (25 KP) rated the Nintendo Switch version of Hollow Knight in Video Games

Dec 30, 2019  
Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight
2017 | Action/Adventure
Masterful platformer. (2 more)
Gorgeous visuals.
Superb story.
Difficulty spikes are random. (0 more)
Hollow Knight is one of those rare games that will be remembered as a classic Metroidvania. A true gem amongst AAA videogames that year, that outshines them on almost every level.

A simple platformer, expertly crafted to perfect, with a gloomy black and white palette to boot, Hollow Knight tells the story of a small, sword wielding knight, who must discover the various secrets in the underground cities of Hallownest.

It's hard to sum up just how brilliant, often brutal and pulsating Hollow Knight can be. With so much to explore, so many quests to complete, and many, many boss battles that will make you want to jump out of tall building. Yet, once you do defeat that one frustrating creature, the game rewards you further with excellent progression with new abilities and items that help you along your journey.

From a game that was crowdfunded on a budget of $57,000, its astounding just how meticulously crafted Hollow Knight is. Support Team Cherry, you will love this amazing piece of art and entertainment.
  
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Dean (6927 KP) rated The Lion King (2019) in Movies

Jul 19, 2019 (Updated Jul 19, 2019)  
The Lion King (2019)
The Lion King (2019)
2019 | Adventure, Animation, Family
Amazing life like animation of the animals (0 more)
Songs didn't seem that great (0 more)
Same story with different visuals
Yet another re-imaging update of a Disney classic. People will always have quite varied reactions to these films depending in how high regard they hold the original. So far they have been a bit hit and miss, with Dumbo the worst for me. This is more in line with the Jungle book, with the same director. The story is pretty much exactly the same as the original. The difference is the amazing life like animation of the animals. So good it will feel like a nature documentary at times, waiting for David Attenborough to narrate over.
The voice cast is OK with only James Earl Jones voice standing out as he has such a commanding tone. The songs were just ok for me and I think this is where most people might be disappointed with this version. Overall it's a good story still given a technically excellent make-over. Just maybe lacking a little charm here and there.
  
HH
Highland Hearts
J.P. Bowie | 2016
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book takes place in Scotland which I am sure is a massive surprise considering the title! Callum has a flat in Edinburgh, but goes to the Highlands to see the house that he has inherited from the grandfather he has never met, and now never will. Upon his arrival, he meets his next door neighbour and the spark between them is instantaneous.

With a hint of the supernatural about it, just enough to give Callum a nudge, this story is well-paced and thought out. It moves smoothly, giving the characters enough time to get to know each other even if they do go to bed together the first night - because no one ever does that in real life, right?!

This book simply ticked all my boxes. With excellent characters, whether you like them or not, a back story that completes the picture, romance, steam, supernatural, sadness, hope - it's all here. I loved every word and didn't want it to finish. Absolutely recommended by me.

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!