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Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated Turning Forty in Books
Jun 21, 2019
Typical Mike Gayle
I loved this book. Written in a first person point of view, the reader counts down the days with Matt, until his 40th birthday. The beginning of the novel see's Matt in his expensive house, admiring his new shed paid for by his high flying job. This false sense of security is short lived and the reader watches as the protagonist's life falls apart.
For me, this novel is all about the character's; Ginny, the back up plan, Gerry, the ex music idol and now charity shop manager, Rosa, the too young and too controlling girlfriend, and many many, more. These characters are believable and cringe worthy at the same time.
I think the most refreshing thing about the novel, however, is the ending. All the way through the story I held out hope for Matt, and the ending, although not exactly a fairytale ending, was realistic.
I love Mike Gayle's work, easy to read, believable, funny and sad, a real look at the idiosyncrasies of people.
For me, this novel is all about the character's; Ginny, the back up plan, Gerry, the ex music idol and now charity shop manager, Rosa, the too young and too controlling girlfriend, and many many, more. These characters are believable and cringe worthy at the same time.
I think the most refreshing thing about the novel, however, is the ending. All the way through the story I held out hope for Matt, and the ending, although not exactly a fairytale ending, was realistic.
I love Mike Gayle's work, easy to read, believable, funny and sad, a real look at the idiosyncrasies of people.
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated Boy 2 Girl in Books
Jul 2, 2019
Full marks for making me laugh out loud
Contains spoilers, click to show
This book deserved a five star rating because it made me laugh out loud so often. It was a brilliant book and I loved Blacker's use of narrative voice. It is a multiple first person narrative which allows the reader a close and personal account of the characters feelings and emotions, this is particular interesting as there is a mixture of both adult and child characters. The book gives the reader a wonderful insight into gender and demonstrates the way in which gender is socially constructed. It also shows how children can be attracted to other children regardless of gender. As a whole, children are influenced by other children, by characteristics, by confidence and by personality. Children are often put into boxes and treated differently because of gender, this book breaks the rules and it genius. I would highly recommend this book to both adults and children as it may just demonstrate how alike we all are and how society is often too eager to put us into groups.
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated The Battery (2014) in Movies
Jan 25, 2020
381. The Battery. A rather boring zombie tale. It has good reviews, but eh... We meet Ben and Mickey, two former baseball players, we know this because they frequently stop to have a quick game of catch, they are travelling the now deserted roads of New England. Mickey is the scared one, not quite grasping the situation and wants to settle down somewhere. Also Mickey wears headphones most of the time, is that really a wise decision walking the streets of a zombie infested land, and you disable your hearing?? And Ben wants to keep moving because that's the best thing to do. On occasion they run into a zombie, a person with some powder on their face and lipstick smeared on various parts of their faces. They also spend a large portion of time trapped in a car, and quite a funny part this is. First thing I noticed about the car they are trapped in, the windows are partially rolled down, however the zombies never reach in to grab at em. So yea, it's forgettable. Filmbufftim on FB
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Taylor Swift: Miss Americana (2020) in Movies
Feb 1, 2020
Taylor Swift is a powerhouse. Throughout this film she goes through her career and how she ended up to this spot, to build this album, to create this life for herself. She discusses her struggles with food, the media, her "downfall" after another Kanye West debacle, loving herself, living for herself, and so much more.
I might be biased a bit, as I've loved Taylor since she first hit the scene so many years ago, but what I love most is her openness to grow, to change, to learn from who she was, and all of those things have created who she is now. As a woman, she is fierce, strong, loud, a boss, a fighter, a dreamer, and so much more. She's herself and throughout the film, you watch her tell the story of how she came to love the person that she is.
Music documentaries are some of my favorite films to exist and this one might just have shot to the top of the list.
I might be biased a bit, as I've loved Taylor since she first hit the scene so many years ago, but what I love most is her openness to grow, to change, to learn from who she was, and all of those things have created who she is now. As a woman, she is fierce, strong, loud, a boss, a fighter, a dreamer, and so much more. She's herself and throughout the film, you watch her tell the story of how she came to love the person that she is.
Music documentaries are some of my favorite films to exist and this one might just have shot to the top of the list.
David McK (3755 KP) rated Robin Hood and the Caliph's Gold in Books
Mar 26, 2020
The 9th entry in Angus Donald's Robin Hood Outlaw series of books, although chronologically I think this is the third (set after Holy Warrior).
As such, this starts with Robin and his men trying to make their way back to England from the Holy Land, with the entire story told (as are all the others) in first person narrative, and from the point of view of Alan a Dale, the true protagonist of these stories (let's face it, Robin isn't always a very nice man...)
Shipwrecked on the way home, this sets off a series of circumstances and encounters that sees Robin and his men hatching a plan to steal the Caliph's Gold (it's all there in the title!), with many a ferocious battle and deeds of derring do throughout.
Having recently just having read one of Angus Donald's other historical works (the Blood series: last one I read was Bloods Campaign), I have to say: I think I prefer the medieval setting of these novels better, with Alan a Dale coming across as a more relatable character than Holcroft Blood.
As such, this starts with Robin and his men trying to make their way back to England from the Holy Land, with the entire story told (as are all the others) in first person narrative, and from the point of view of Alan a Dale, the true protagonist of these stories (let's face it, Robin isn't always a very nice man...)
Shipwrecked on the way home, this sets off a series of circumstances and encounters that sees Robin and his men hatching a plan to steal the Caliph's Gold (it's all there in the title!), with many a ferocious battle and deeds of derring do throughout.
Having recently just having read one of Angus Donald's other historical works (the Blood series: last one I read was Bloods Campaign), I have to say: I think I prefer the medieval setting of these novels better, with Alan a Dale coming across as a more relatable character than Holcroft Blood.
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