Search
Search results
CloudsGirl27 (2 KP) rated Severed Threads (Threads #1) in Books
May 23, 2018
First off, I don't want to admit that I judge a book by it's cover... but I do. This cover looked intriguing to me so that is why I chose to review it.
I read the first chapter and wasn't too sold on what was going on. But I continued on, to really give it a fair chance. The more I got farther into the book, the more complex the story line became, and it was just too confusing to follow. Between scuba diving (in which the author explained in great detail, which was a plus), a past love affair, a kidnapping by people who seem to be mobsters, buried treasure from long ago and ghost stories, I think it's just too much for a reader to process. I felt like there wasn't even a chance to connect with the main characters (Chase and Rachel) because the story was taking me this way and that way and all over the place. Some parts of the book were well written, just not the entire book as a whole.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary electronic book from a website (in which I was told not to post the name of). I was not required to write a positive review, only an honest one. The opinions I have expressed here are my own.
I read the first chapter and wasn't too sold on what was going on. But I continued on, to really give it a fair chance. The more I got farther into the book, the more complex the story line became, and it was just too confusing to follow. Between scuba diving (in which the author explained in great detail, which was a plus), a past love affair, a kidnapping by people who seem to be mobsters, buried treasure from long ago and ghost stories, I think it's just too much for a reader to process. I felt like there wasn't even a chance to connect with the main characters (Chase and Rachel) because the story was taking me this way and that way and all over the place. Some parts of the book were well written, just not the entire book as a whole.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary electronic book from a website (in which I was told not to post the name of). I was not required to write a positive review, only an honest one. The opinions I have expressed here are my own.
Stephen (210 KP) rated Heavenly Creatures (1994) in Movies
Mar 12, 2019
Wealthy and precocious teenager Juliet (Kate Winslet) transfers from England to Christchurch, New Zealand, with her family, and forms a bond with the quiet, brooding Pauline (Melanie Lynskey) through their shared love of Mario Lanza and their games of make believe. But when their parents begin to suspect that their increasingly intense friendship is becoming unhealthy, the girls decide to run away together, hatching a dark plan for those who threaten to keep them apart.
The movie is one of Peter Jackson’s earlier works, and demonstrates his unique sense of directing which featured in his first few films. Both Kate Winslett and Melanie Lynskey give outstanding performances - Melanie’s scowling face is especially disturbing.
Based on a true story, Jackson focuses a lot on the dream world element of the girls’ story, which I feel gives the film’s ending even more shock appeal.
I won’t spoil the ending, but let me say that the first time I saw the movie I felt so disturbed I felt as if I was actually there, and even now, when I rewatch the movie, I still get chills when the girls are walking down that path....
I appreciate that the film is not going to appeal to everyone, but the amazing performances of the two main characters, and the horrifying insight into how deep obsessive friendships can go, makes this an essential but very disturbing watch.
The movie is one of Peter Jackson’s earlier works, and demonstrates his unique sense of directing which featured in his first few films. Both Kate Winslett and Melanie Lynskey give outstanding performances - Melanie’s scowling face is especially disturbing.
Based on a true story, Jackson focuses a lot on the dream world element of the girls’ story, which I feel gives the film’s ending even more shock appeal.
I won’t spoil the ending, but let me say that the first time I saw the movie I felt so disturbed I felt as if I was actually there, and even now, when I rewatch the movie, I still get chills when the girls are walking down that path....
I appreciate that the film is not going to appeal to everyone, but the amazing performances of the two main characters, and the horrifying insight into how deep obsessive friendships can go, makes this an essential but very disturbing watch.
Debbiereadsbook (1551 KP) rated Out Of The Penalty Box in Books
Feb 28, 2018
good, but not one for me.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I struggled with this one. And here's why.
Aidan is, or has been, straight. Here, he is attracted to Christophe, who is gay. You'd expect a whole lotta more soul searching and questioning going on, but there isn't. Aidan just jumps almost straight away into bed with Christophe, after he first expresses his feeling for Aidan.
I know its only a short book, some 100 odd pages and you can only do so much in those pages, but I did not feel any sort of emotional attachment to Aidan, at all.
We also only get Aidan. Yes yes YES, I KNOW I say it often enough, but think I might have enjoyed it a little more had Christophe had a say too.
And, aside from that very first chapter, there isn't any hockey!
So, a nice book, but not one that grabbed me. An easy read, maybe a little too easy. Someone will LOVE this book, I have no doubt. And I might have at any other time, but it just landed in the queue at the wrong time.
Not my best review, but I'll plead illness and hope that someone will forgive me.
3 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I struggled with this one. And here's why.
Aidan is, or has been, straight. Here, he is attracted to Christophe, who is gay. You'd expect a whole lotta more soul searching and questioning going on, but there isn't. Aidan just jumps almost straight away into bed with Christophe, after he first expresses his feeling for Aidan.
I know its only a short book, some 100 odd pages and you can only do so much in those pages, but I did not feel any sort of emotional attachment to Aidan, at all.
We also only get Aidan. Yes yes YES, I KNOW I say it often enough, but think I might have enjoyed it a little more had Christophe had a say too.
And, aside from that very first chapter, there isn't any hockey!
So, a nice book, but not one that grabbed me. An easy read, maybe a little too easy. Someone will LOVE this book, I have no doubt. And I might have at any other time, but it just landed in the queue at the wrong time.
Not my best review, but I'll plead illness and hope that someone will forgive me.
3 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
SunnyD (6 KP) rated Lady Bird (2017) in Movies
Jun 19, 2018
Not extraordinary
If you love the starting actress, Saoirse Ronan, and indie films, then this is a fairly good watch. Lady Bird's relationship with her mother is the main theme here. The two continuously butt heads. At first, Lady Bird says that her mother is hard on her because she loves her so much, but it later gets harder for Lady Bird to accept their rough relationship as she questions whether her mother loves her because she has to or if she actually likes Lady Bird as a person. Her mother struggles to maintain their relationship while keeping their household afloat financially, especially after her father is laid off from his job.
I liked that, in addition to the mother-daughter theme, Lady Bird goes through a journey of selfdiscovery that starts when she dates her first crush at her Catholic high school. Lady Bird learns more about herself and those closest to her with every decision that she makes.
The quality of the ending might be up for some debate. If you're looking for real closure here, you won't be getting one. Ultimately, what happens after Lady Bird gets to college is up to your interpretation. The only thing that leaves your mind at some peace is that Lady Bird seems to learn to be grateful for what she has been given in life.
I liked that, in addition to the mother-daughter theme, Lady Bird goes through a journey of selfdiscovery that starts when she dates her first crush at her Catholic high school. Lady Bird learns more about herself and those closest to her with every decision that she makes.
The quality of the ending might be up for some debate. If you're looking for real closure here, you won't be getting one. Ultimately, what happens after Lady Bird gets to college is up to your interpretation. The only thing that leaves your mind at some peace is that Lady Bird seems to learn to be grateful for what she has been given in life.
Caitlin Ann Cherniak (85 KP) rated Moana (2016) in Movies
Oct 4, 2018
A real feminist Disney film (3 more)
LOVE THE SOUNDTRACK
The Rock actually makes an extremely good Maui
The animation is to DIE for!
David Bowie musical number ripoff, but that's a very minor issue (1 more)
WHERE'S PUA?
Letterboxd review: https://letterboxd.com/caitcher/film/moana-2016/
First Impressions:
I said it was one of the best movies I've ever seen two years ago. It's still one of the best movies I've ever seen. First, let me start by saying that the animation was definitely at its best with this film (And it's the best as far as the Disney animation studio is concerned; Pixar has nothing to do with this). It is very hard to animate water as real as Moana was made to be, but Disney did it. The film is also one of the most colorful that I have ever seen in years, and it was super appealing to all of the senses. I loved the casting because the majority, if not all, the characters are played either by those of Pacific Islander or New Zealand descent, and that's diversity without shoving it into everyone's faces. Also, remember when Frozen's commercials were saying that its soundtrack was the best since the Lion King. That's bull. Moana's soundtrack is one of the best since the Lion King. This movie beat Frozen by a landslide.
First Impressions:
I said it was one of the best movies I've ever seen two years ago. It's still one of the best movies I've ever seen. First, let me start by saying that the animation was definitely at its best with this film (And it's the best as far as the Disney animation studio is concerned; Pixar has nothing to do with this). It is very hard to animate water as real as Moana was made to be, but Disney did it. The film is also one of the most colorful that I have ever seen in years, and it was super appealing to all of the senses. I loved the casting because the majority, if not all, the characters are played either by those of Pacific Islander or New Zealand descent, and that's diversity without shoving it into everyone's faces. Also, remember when Frozen's commercials were saying that its soundtrack was the best since the Lion King. That's bull. Moana's soundtrack is one of the best since the Lion King. This movie beat Frozen by a landslide.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated A Change of Fortune (Ladies of Distinction, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
It is a well known fact that I ADORE Jen Turano. In fact, my friends like to tease me about my "That's Jen Turano" face from when I met her in Nashville last summer. However, I only discovered her books in January of 2015 with After a Fashion. Ever since, I have been building my library and now own all her books and have finally been able to start catching up on reading them!
A Change of Fortune is filled with the quirky humour that I have grown to love in Jen's writing. Fun characters, mystery, wit, and romance. A fun quick read that is sure to lift your spirits and bring a smile (or two) to your face. There are also plenty of situations that will keep you on the edge of your seat and biting your nails. You won't want to put it down until you know the ending. While Hamilton and Eliza must deal with hurts and betrayals from the past, God uses the troubling circumstances to bring them closer to Himself.
Set in New York City, 1880. The Gilded Age is one of my favorites to read. The fashion, the society, the adventure, is something you won't want to miss! A Change of Fortune is the first full length book in Jen's first series, Ladies of Distinction. Don't miss her other fabulous books.
A Change of Fortune is filled with the quirky humour that I have grown to love in Jen's writing. Fun characters, mystery, wit, and romance. A fun quick read that is sure to lift your spirits and bring a smile (or two) to your face. There are also plenty of situations that will keep you on the edge of your seat and biting your nails. You won't want to put it down until you know the ending. While Hamilton and Eliza must deal with hurts and betrayals from the past, God uses the troubling circumstances to bring them closer to Himself.
Set in New York City, 1880. The Gilded Age is one of my favorites to read. The fashion, the society, the adventure, is something you won't want to miss! A Change of Fortune is the first full length book in Jen's first series, Ladies of Distinction. Don't miss her other fabulous books.
Merissa (13358 KP) rated Adrian's Bodyguard (Vampires of Vadin #1) in Books
Dec 14, 2018
Adrian's Bodyguard (Vampires of Vadin #1) by Shelby Rhodes
Adrian's Bodyguard is the first book in the Vampires of Vadin series, and we start off with the vampire King himself, nearly 10,000-year-old Adrian. He survives an assassination attempt, and is more concerned about the hole in the wall, than his safety. Others are more concerned though, and he ends up with a bodyguard that he wants, but doesn't want! Xavier does his best to be professional around Adrian, but the tension between them just makes things hotter. Plus the fact, Xavier can't quite control his impulses to wind Adrian up.
I thoroughly enjoyed this mixture of contemporary and other-realm magic. They have cars, not run on fossil fuels, obviously!, and mobile phones, but magic is also an everyday act. The two joining together was great to read, and I loved it. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and I loved the dynamic between our two main characters. So many characters I would love to hear about now, first and foremost Asher and Kaiden!!!
Absolutely 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 thoroughly enjoyed this mixture of contemporary and other-realm magic. They have cars, not run on fossil fuels, obviously!, and mobile phones, but magic is also an everyday act. The two joining together was great to read, and I loved it. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and I loved the dynamic between our two main characters. So many characters I would love to hear about now, first and foremost Asher and Kaiden!!!
Absolutely 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!
David McK (3623 KP) rated Knights of the Hawk (The Bloody Aftermath of 1066, #3) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I remember a few years back I read a book, before I read the first in this 'Conquest' series [b:Sworn Sword|20684800|Sworn Sword A Novel|James Aitcheson|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-6121bf4c1f669098041843ec9650ca19.png|39982373], which told of (some of) the events of 1066 from the English rather than Norman perspective.
Why do I bring that up? Because the main character of that book - Hereward, known today with the sobriquet 'The Wake' - also appears in this, and is indeed a central character in roughly the first half or so.
That part of the book deals with King Guillaime (William, aka (today) 'The Conqueror') campaign to crush the last(?) of the English resistance to his conquest in the fen country, with Tancred (as always) playing a central role in doing so. Following their eventual success, however, and for plot reasons I am not going to go into here, Tancred finds himself on the run from his former Lord, traveling to Dyfflin (Dublin) in pursuit of his lost love, leading to him allying himself with the most unlikely of allies and launching an assault upon a Dane who has holed up in the Northern Isles.
This, I felt, is another great read in the series: I will be picking up the next when it comes out!
Why do I bring that up? Because the main character of that book - Hereward, known today with the sobriquet 'The Wake' - also appears in this, and is indeed a central character in roughly the first half or so.
That part of the book deals with King Guillaime (William, aka (today) 'The Conqueror') campaign to crush the last(?) of the English resistance to his conquest in the fen country, with Tancred (as always) playing a central role in doing so. Following their eventual success, however, and for plot reasons I am not going to go into here, Tancred finds himself on the run from his former Lord, traveling to Dyfflin (Dublin) in pursuit of his lost love, leading to him allying himself with the most unlikely of allies and launching an assault upon a Dane who has holed up in the Northern Isles.
This, I felt, is another great read in the series: I will be picking up the next when it comes out!
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated (Un)arranged Marriage in Books
Jul 2, 2019
This is a funny book
Contains spoilers, click to show
This is the first book I've read for pleasure since I completed my 3rd year at university. This is the type of book I enjoy and I wasn't disappointed.
The story is written in first person from the point of view of a young English Indian boy. It begins on his wedding day and his nervousness and anger at being forced into an arranged marriage. The author then writes the book in retrospect, and takes the reader back three years. The story explores the difficulty of the protagonist who struggles to adhere to his family's traditional views and religion. He endures years of beatings from his alcoholic father and emotional blackmail from his mother. He is beaten and ridiculed by his older brothers and his intimate narration allows the reader to discover his feelings of 'otherness'amongst his family whilst he attempts to live a normal life as an ordinary English boy. The author explores racism, poverty, domestic violence, neglect and love through the use of bildungsroman which concludes with the protagonist choosing his own path in life. It is by no means a happy ending, but it demonstrates determination and an understanding of a culture that the character is unable to comprehend.
Interesting and easy novel to read.
The story is written in first person from the point of view of a young English Indian boy. It begins on his wedding day and his nervousness and anger at being forced into an arranged marriage. The author then writes the book in retrospect, and takes the reader back three years. The story explores the difficulty of the protagonist who struggles to adhere to his family's traditional views and religion. He endures years of beatings from his alcoholic father and emotional blackmail from his mother. He is beaten and ridiculed by his older brothers and his intimate narration allows the reader to discover his feelings of 'otherness'amongst his family whilst he attempts to live a normal life as an ordinary English boy. The author explores racism, poverty, domestic violence, neglect and love through the use of bildungsroman which concludes with the protagonist choosing his own path in life. It is by no means a happy ending, but it demonstrates determination and an understanding of a culture that the character is unable to comprehend.
Interesting and easy novel to read.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) in Movies
Nov 19, 2019 (Updated Nov 20, 2019)
Drunk Johnny Part 2
Yo-Ho, what do you get when you based you movie off of a disney ride, a great movie. Yes you read the correctly, this movie is based off of the ride at disney. So how does a 20-30 minute ride turn into a 2h and 40min movie, well you ride the ride a bunch of times, than evently you get to the 2h and 40min mark. Im kidding, dont do that, instead watch this movie. Plus you get more drunking Johnny Depp or Johnny Depp playing pirate Keith Richards, so thats always good.
This movie is great and is better from the first one, coming off the first one, this one has more action, comedy, adventure and overall a better plot and a excellent villian.
The Plot: When ghostly pirate Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) comes to collect a blood debt, Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) must find a way to avoid his fate lest his soul be damned for all time. Nevertheless, the wily ghost manages to interrupt the wedding plans of Jack's friends Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley).
Bill Nighy is excellent as Davy Jones, i love the charcter and his haterd against Jack Sparrow.
This film was shot back-to-back with the third film of the series, At World's End.
Its a excellent movie and highly reccordmend it.
This movie is great and is better from the first one, coming off the first one, this one has more action, comedy, adventure and overall a better plot and a excellent villian.
The Plot: When ghostly pirate Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) comes to collect a blood debt, Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) must find a way to avoid his fate lest his soul be damned for all time. Nevertheless, the wily ghost manages to interrupt the wedding plans of Jack's friends Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley).
Bill Nighy is excellent as Davy Jones, i love the charcter and his haterd against Jack Sparrow.
This film was shot back-to-back with the third film of the series, At World's End.
Its a excellent movie and highly reccordmend it.