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Call Me By Your Name
Call Me By Your Name
André Aciman | 2007 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+
9
6.6 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
Very moving
I don’t know what I’d expected from this book, but I hadn’t anticipated liking it as much as I did. And I haven’t seen the film yet either.

This is a beautifully written tale of a kind of love story between a young teenager and his family’s summer house guest. The confusion, frustration and heartbreak of his first gay relationship really comes across throughout the entire novel, and you really feel for him. Elio is an endearing protagonist and I was really invested in the outcome although I feel like the ending and the summary of the 20 years following that summer were a little too short and very sad. I would’ve happily read on for longer for a slightly happier ending. But that said, it’s still a well written book and a very interesting plot.
  
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Sam (8 KP) rated The Lion King: Simbas Mighty Adventure in Video Games

Feb 4, 2019 (Updated Feb 4, 2019)  
The Lion King: Simbas Mighty Adventure
The Lion King: Simbas Mighty Adventure
2000 | Action/Adventure, Platform
Nostalgic (0 more)
Clunky Gameplay (0 more)
Recommended only if you're a diehard fan of The Lion King
I wish I could give this game a higher rating, but it would be a biased review based on my own love for The Lion King. The game follows the first two films. You'll run along classic locations like the elephant graveyard, the outlands, and the gorge. It was nice playing a character I knew and loved, and I enjoyed seeing the levels. Unfortunately, that's about all this game has going for it. It was short, and the controls so clunky it's hard to place your jumps and attacks exactly where they need to be. The voice acting was okay, nothing to write home about. Long story short, if you're a die hard Lion King fan, you'll have fun with this game. Otherwise, give this title a pass.
  
Halloween (2018)
Halloween (2018)
2018 | Horror
Love for the original and the evolution of Laurie. (0 more)
Unnecessary twist. (0 more)
Michael Myers is back but unfortunately for him so is Laurie Strode!
Contains spoilers, click to show
I was on board with this as soon as I saw the trailer showing a more grizzled badass Laurie and that really is the highlight of this film. There are 2 twists in this film. 1 is quite unnecessary but leads to quite a glorious head squash which is the standout bit of gore. The second twist is excellent, paying homage to the original we get scenes similar to those from the first but roles reversed so that Laurie takes Michael's place and is stalking him showing her evolution from victim to prepared survivor/hunter. So yeah not a perfect film but a really solid effort. Hopefully leads to a new run of films with Laurie and her brood.
  
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Auburn (57 KP) rated 806 in Books

Apr 10, 2019  
806
806
Cynthia Weil | 2018 | Young Adult (YA)
6
7.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
When I read the first look I was intrigued by the premise but sadly the rest of the book fell flat for me. The characters seemed silly and the plot was alright. Mostly I just couldn't get behind the reasoning or the follow through. Add Kat's mom who seemed to just be there to push her over the edge and not be a substantial enough character to feel real.
Some may enjoy the music references as well as the personalities of the individual characters. I found myself having to look a lot of things up which slowed me down. If I could have just read straight through I may have enjoyed it more.
Overall I can see why a certain audience would really love this book, the meaning, and the resolution. Hopefully those people find this and are able to enjoy it.
  
The BadChristian Podcast
The BadChristian Podcast
Religion & Spirituality
8
9.0 (3 Ratings)
Podcast Rating
Funny (2 more)
Entertaining
Theology Discussions
The language/profanity (0 more)
I love these guys, but the vulgarity is a bit much at times
I've been listening to the Bad Christian Podcast since the first episode. I was a big fan of the band Emery, and two of the hosts are members of that band, while the third is a pastor.


These guys are funny and entertaining and their guests and topics - usually centered on religion, but not always - are timely and interesting. But... through the process of "deconstructing" their faith, they have gone sharply vulgar, and it frequently makes me want to stop listening. I haven't stopped yet, but the temptation is there.

If you can handle "blue" humor and lots of swearing, there's a lot to enjoy here. And if you like emo or screamo music, I definitely suggest listening to Emery.
  
TG
The Ghoul Next Door (Monster High, #2)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I loved this one just as much as the first, if not more because of how many more characters are involved. I don't expect anything from this series, so maybe that it why I am not disappointed by the lack of originality and that it's clearly written for a generation younger than me.

It is my guiltiest of guilty pleasures in the reading world. I am not afraid to admit it. The book is filled with stereotypical teens (minus the whole monster factor) that live in a stereotypical world (minus the humans trying to destroy them). Once you accept that this novel is not meant to be the next great American novel filled with thought provoking passages and a great original plot, than you can sit back and enjoy all the ridiculousness. I love it because I take it at face value.
  
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t think it was capable for the series to get better. Haskell is such a talented writer and story teller that the second installment not only expands on the first, it enriches it. In this novel, we are treated to more in-depth look at the world and mythology, which are both intricate and original.

Plus I absolutely love Rio. She is a solid character, it’s hard to not like her. She has such a strong, dynamic personality, and yet we are allowed to see the inner workings of her mind where her insecurities are evident.

A steady paced novel with an interesting world and entertaining characters, Sanyare is an immediate favorite that I tend to follow to its end.
  
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Duty (Rhynan #1)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received a e copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Can I just start by saying I absolutely loved this book one of my favourite reads in a while and reminds me of the books I avidly devoured when first dipping my toe into the romance genre.Duty is a lovely medieval read where we become attached to the to main characters from the start Brielle and Tomas , they were both such strong characters with amazing positive attributes, I loved travelling the journey of there love story and was sad to finish a thoroughly engaging tail that kept me captivated from start to finish.on a final note I absolutely hated the king he was vile and I felt like giving the little brat a kick up the derrière while reading.but even with that little gripe this is a fab read.
  
Love is in the air as Valentine’s Day approaches. Even Mel’s widowed mother is getting back into the dating game. But Joyce calls part way through the evening when she finds her date floating face down in his pool. Baxter was despised by all who knew him, but who actually decided to kill him?

It had been a while since I read the first in the series, but the characters came back to me very quickly. I enjoyed seeing them again and meeting the fun cast introduced here. The plot was a little thin at times, but Mel’s antics as she investigated the case more than made up for it. This was fun, and I will be visiting these characters again soon.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/02/book-review-buttercream-bump-off-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
Wedding Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #19)
Wedding Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #19)
Joanne Fluke | 2016 | Mystery
8
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Hannah Swensen is getting married in just a few weeks, but first she has the dessert competition that her sisters signed her up for. It turns out this televised competition is anything but sweet when the backstage tension leads to murder. Can Hannah solve the case before she gets married?

The baking competition allowed food to be brought into the book seamlessly, and the competition itself was plenty of fun. It’s always great to revisit the characters, too. The murder takes a back seat early on, but it gets plenty of focus as we rush toward the ending. I do hope the wedding sticks because, while it was rushed, I do love the potential I see in this character and relationship.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/04/book-review-wedding-cake-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.