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You know sometimes when there is so much hype around a book and then you read it and it's a bit of a disappointment ... well, let me tell you that this is not one of them!
Oh my word. What an absolutely corker of a read this is. I know it's a cliché, but this really is page-turning and difficult to put down. It starts quite serenely but the sense of dread creeps up on you just as it does to Mina.
There aren't enough superlatives to describe this book, just know that it's everything you would want in a thriller. Excellent characters, relentless pacing, claustrophobic, nail-biting, gripping, tense, thrilling and that's just what's happening on the flight; I won't even start to go into what's going on at home!
As you have probably guessed, I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend to anyone who .... well anyone really!
Thanks must be given to Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review.
Oh my word. What an absolutely corker of a read this is. I know it's a cliché, but this really is page-turning and difficult to put down. It starts quite serenely but the sense of dread creeps up on you just as it does to Mina.
There aren't enough superlatives to describe this book, just know that it's everything you would want in a thriller. Excellent characters, relentless pacing, claustrophobic, nail-biting, gripping, tense, thrilling and that's just what's happening on the flight; I won't even start to go into what's going on at home!
As you have probably guessed, I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend to anyone who .... well anyone really!
Thanks must be given to Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Dead Man's Grave (DS Max Craigie #1) in Books
Jul 16, 2021
One of the best books I have read this year and one of the best in this genre I have read for a very long time!
I have never read anything by Neil Lancaster before but the blurb sounded right up my street so gave it a punt and I'm so glad I did because what a brilliant start to a series.
Max is a very interesting character with a strong back story which most definitely adds to the story as a whole. There are some dark moments interspersed with lighter times and I particularly like the relationship Max has with his boss, Ross, and colleague, Janie, which felt authentic.
What can I say ... brilliant characters, gripping story line, excellent pace, full of tension and action featuring historical feuds, revenge, dirty coppers, gangsters and all set in beautiful Scotland ... just a fantastic book all round really and I can't wait for the next instalment.
Thank you HQ Digital and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
I have never read anything by Neil Lancaster before but the blurb sounded right up my street so gave it a punt and I'm so glad I did because what a brilliant start to a series.
Max is a very interesting character with a strong back story which most definitely adds to the story as a whole. There are some dark moments interspersed with lighter times and I particularly like the relationship Max has with his boss, Ross, and colleague, Janie, which felt authentic.
What can I say ... brilliant characters, gripping story line, excellent pace, full of tension and action featuring historical feuds, revenge, dirty coppers, gangsters and all set in beautiful Scotland ... just a fantastic book all round really and I can't wait for the next instalment.
Thank you HQ Digital and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Rodney Barnes (472 KP) rated Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) in Movies
Jan 18, 2021
Not a Good Follow Up
Contains spoilers, click to show
Wonder Woman 84....wow. This was not a very good follow up to the first Wonder Woman movie. For me, there just was not enough Wonder Woman and the story was slow moving. Even the evolution of Cheetah, of which she was never referred to as that, was slow too. The way that Steve Trevor returned was odd to me and kind of silly. Pedro Pascal is a great actor but the villain he played seemed to be too much of the stereotypical old mustache twirling, monologing type of villain. He was not very compelling to me. Kristen Wiig did an excellent job at her character but I did not like the Cheetah angle. This movie under achieved royally in my opinion. At this point I don't know what is going in the DC movie verse but this movie is not a good part of it. I really like Patty Jenkins. I hope the next movie will overshadow this one.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Frankenstein (1931) in Movies
Jan 20, 2021
Iconic version of the novel by (it says here) 'Mrs Percy Shelley'; might even be definitive if the story was anything like the one in the book. The nature of the piece and its brief running time mean that characterisation and motivation take second place to atmosphere and incident: Henry Frankenstein wants to learn the secrets of life and death, and builds his own creature in the hope of bringing it to life. All does not go well.
Some parts of this film stand up remarkably well 90 years on: the sets, the direction, some of the performances (Karloff is obviously excellent, Colin Clive perhaps doesn't get the props he deserves); it's quite atmospheric. On the other hand, making the Creature mute removes any possibility of discourse between him and Frankenstein (which is really the heart of the novel) - this is a cautionary gothic melodrama without much interest in exploring the ideas that underpin Mary Shelley's work. Still, obviously, a massively influential movie, and well-done for what it is.
Some parts of this film stand up remarkably well 90 years on: the sets, the direction, some of the performances (Karloff is obviously excellent, Colin Clive perhaps doesn't get the props he deserves); it's quite atmospheric. On the other hand, making the Creature mute removes any possibility of discourse between him and Frankenstein (which is really the heart of the novel) - this is a cautionary gothic melodrama without much interest in exploring the ideas that underpin Mary Shelley's work. Still, obviously, a massively influential movie, and well-done for what it is.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Sometimes Always Never (2019) in Movies
Jun 26, 2019
Bill Nighy's deadpan comic performance as a obsessive Scrabble player trying to reconnect with his family is the best reason to go and see this movie. Nighy's character has a strained relationship with the rest of his clan, partly because one of his children walked out, never to return, after a row over a contentious two-letter word. The film, which is not exactly over-burdened with plot, shows them trying to work out their various issues.
Not nearly as wacky as it possibly sounds; it is certainly a very whimsical film, but handled in an extremely dry and low-key way. There is something very quiet and English about it, possibly due to the fact it has clearly been made on a vanishingly tiny budget. Nighy is excellent, and there are some very funny moments (such as when he hustles Tim McInnerny's character into playing Scrabble for cash). No real flaws, but at the same time it does feel a little under-powered as a piece of drama.
Not nearly as wacky as it possibly sounds; it is certainly a very whimsical film, but handled in an extremely dry and low-key way. There is something very quiet and English about it, possibly due to the fact it has clearly been made on a vanishingly tiny budget. Nighy is excellent, and there are some very funny moments (such as when he hustles Tim McInnerny's character into playing Scrabble for cash). No real flaws, but at the same time it does feel a little under-powered as a piece of drama.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Talk to Her (2002) in Movies
Sep 11, 2019 (Updated Sep 11, 2019)
Genre-busting Spanish drama almost feels like the film Hitchcock could have made if he'd spent thirty years in therapy. The story is told partly out of sequence but concerns two men devoted to women in comas: a bullfighter and a dance student. Slowly their stories unfold, and turn out to be quite different. Almodóvar's script is as subtle and playful as ever, cheerfully toying with audience assumptions and expectations - it's impossible to predict the way this story will go, and this is before we even get to the eye-popping silent movie interlude.
Brilliant performances from the two leads; for once, the female characters have a more secondary role but they are also well-played. All the vibrance and sensuousness of Almodóvar's other films, but this is a deeply serious, mature work. Perhaps his greatest achievement is to find pathos and sympathy in the most unlikely places imaginable, and conclude a film which goes to some very dark places on a definite note of implied hope. An excellent movie in every way.
Brilliant performances from the two leads; for once, the female characters have a more secondary role but they are also well-played. All the vibrance and sensuousness of Almodóvar's other films, but this is a deeply serious, mature work. Perhaps his greatest achievement is to find pathos and sympathy in the most unlikely places imaginable, and conclude a film which goes to some very dark places on a definite note of implied hope. An excellent movie in every way.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Savage (Ravaged World Trilogy #3) in Books
Oct 6, 2019 (Updated Oct 6, 2019)
This is the third book in the trilogy with Sea Sick and Ravage being the first two; although a trilogy, you don't need to read them all as they work equally well as standalone stories.
Savage is more than your typical zombie apocalypse story, it doesn't focus on the zombies and the usual eating-fest that accompanies such stories, it is more about the survivors and their quest to remain human both literally and figuratively.
I have to say that I enjoyed this trilogy and found Savage neatly finishes the series with satisfaction although not without some losses on the way! There aren't many books that make my eyes leak and I certainly didn't expect a horror/zombie book to do this but Savage did! I think it's because the author creates characters so well you get attached to them and when one of them is killed, it affects you ... well it did me anyway when one particular character met their end.
Well written, excellent characters, perfect setting, great pace and plenty of tension makes this a great read.
Savage is more than your typical zombie apocalypse story, it doesn't focus on the zombies and the usual eating-fest that accompanies such stories, it is more about the survivors and their quest to remain human both literally and figuratively.
I have to say that I enjoyed this trilogy and found Savage neatly finishes the series with satisfaction although not without some losses on the way! There aren't many books that make my eyes leak and I certainly didn't expect a horror/zombie book to do this but Savage did! I think it's because the author creates characters so well you get attached to them and when one of them is killed, it affects you ... well it did me anyway when one particular character met their end.
Well written, excellent characters, perfect setting, great pace and plenty of tension makes this a great read.
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