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The Wish List
7
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I picked up this book after deciding I wanted to read an easy, light hearted and humorous novel. This ticked all the boxes.

It was the blurb on the rear cover that swayed it for me - Emma is approaching her thirties and realised she wanted to achieve so much more by this age. So she sets off on an experience adventure to ensure she ticks off as many of her bucket list wish items by her birthday.
I'm almost 6 months away from my thirties too and thought this book might give me the reassurance needed to approach this big birthday with a little less trepidation.

As some of the other reviews say, this book is laugh out loud funny. On one occasion I had quite a few odd stares when I burst out laughing in my work canteen during lunch. Other times I had to stifle my laughing with my hand over my mouth and even one time I had to put the book down and walk away as I felt like suffocation from laughter was imminent.
It is just the author's descriptive way with words and the hapless ways of the main character that got me giggling.

It is definitely worth a read just to brighten up a lazy day or any day for that matter.
  
The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill
The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill
C.S. Robertson | 2022 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
8
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Grace McGill is a professional death cleaner. She is the person that the authorities call to clean up after a dead body has been found. Usually a dead body that has lain there for months before being discovered. It’s a grim job, but Grace does it with respect and fastidiousness.

Grace is something of a loner. She only seems to have passing contact with those she works with, and her abusive father. In fact, she seems to build more of a relationship with the dead people she cleans up after. Which is how she notices that several of the bodies have something in common. A daisy is near the spot where each of the corpses was found.

One particular person, Thomas Agnew, really affects her. He has lain undiscovered for 5 months, seemingly missed by no one. She collects some photos from his room, hoping to give them to a family member at the funeral, and then notices the piles of newspapers. They are all dated the same day over a period of many years. Something happened on that day, and Grace wants to know what it is.

This book was so well written - unputdownable. It threw a huge curveball as well and the twist, when it came, was totally unexpected. It was macabre, quirky and so different from anything else I’ve read recently. It really is well worth a read!
  
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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Hide in Books

Dec 11, 2021  
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Nell Pattison | 2021 | Crime, Thriller
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is what I would call a slow burn - it never really ignites fully and sometimes fizzles to the point it almost goes out but, generally, it just stays at a solid gas mark 3 for the most part.

Seven members of a nature group come together for a Boxing Day gathering to watch a murmuration within a nature reserve. Seems like a fairly innocuous and harmless way to spend a day and evening usually spent eating leftovers and vegging in front of the television and it is, until a shot rings out and one of their party is dead.

Each of the remaining six have secrets they don't want made common knowledge and therefore each have a motive for murder. None of the characters have many redeeming features if I'm honest and it wouldn't have made any difference to me who was the victim as I didn't particularly like any of them.

What follows is infighting which results in the group splitting up (never a good idea - have they never watched a horror film!) and suspicions falling on one person, then another, then another ... well, you get the idea. More shots are heard, people are separated further, injuries happen, more separation and more infighting and, all the while, the secrets they want to stay hidden gradually come to light.

What I enjoyed about this book was the sense of claustrophobia and isolation that was well captured and, as seems to be the norm with Nell's books, the inclusion of a character who is deaf added something a bit different.

What I didn't like about it was there was too much time spent describing stuff that didn't really seem to add to the story and this resulted in it dragging - hence the slow burn.

I have read a few of Nell's other books and this does seem to be a pattern with her stories but there have been plenty of people who have absolutely raved about this book so please, please don't judge it from my review alone.

Remember, if we all liked the same things, it would be a very, very boring world indeed!

Thanks go to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)
The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)
2017 | Action, Comedy
Michael Bryce is a triple A rated executive protection agent. Well... he was, up until he lost one of his high profile clients. Now he's living in the less than luxurious life, with less than A rated clients. What he needs is to get his reputation back, and when his ex appears asking for his help, he could get more than his reputation back.

It's just another job, until he see's who he's supposed to be protecting. Darius Kincaid. Master assassin.

Kincaid needs to get to The Hague to testify against Vladislav Dukhovich, merciless dictator of Belarus. With all the other witnesses dying he's Interpol's last hope. But with Kincaid and Bryce both thinking they know the best way to survive the trip, will they both get there in one piece?



Honestly, I love all the trailers for this film, but this one has the song in it. There's just something catchy about Samuel L. Jackson singing along with a bunch of nuns.

Anyway, to the film. Straight off the bat I'm going to say I loved it. Award winner? Nope. Dramatic master piece? Nope. Hilarious? Abso-motherf***ing-lutely. Reynolds and Jackson play really well off each other all the way through, but for me, the highlight was Salma Hayek. She really was an unexpected gem.

I read views of this online and it made me a little mad... some people just need to lighten up. Some films are just made to be entertaining, and this one had the bases covered... excessive mindless violence, car chases, romance, singing nuns... you couldn't really ask for more... apart from maybe more nudity of Ryan Reynolds. (Just me? Never mind then)

Probably the most entertaining Unlimited screening I've seen, and I think everyone else agreed. I haven't been in a cinema where that many people have been laughing out loud. I honestly think that is a great achievement in a film.

I'll be buying this one on DVD when it comes out, I think everyone should, it'll really brighten up your day and help you relieve some stress... if like me you enjoy seeing random things getting destroyed. (Only on screen, not in real-life, no need to panic!) Possibly not for those of you who don't like swearing though, as Samuel L. Jackson does get to use swearing like punctuation... and the writers were clearly fond of excessive commas.