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Abraham Hicks Vortex Attraction Guided Meditations
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This guided meditation digital recording and book from NY Times best-selling authors Esther and...
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Hugo: The Shooting Script
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Director Martin Scorsese, the legendary storyteller, decided to make his first-ever 3D film based on...
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
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Meticulously directed by David Lean at a then-record studio cost of $13 million, the Sam Spiegel...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Infected (Releasing the Magic #1) in Books
Jul 14, 2020
126 of 200
Kindle
Infected ( Releasing the magic book1)
By Maya Riley
What's the worst that could happen? Sit down and let me tell you.
The Void Virus has been let loose on the Earth. Caused by experiments gone wrong, an outbreak has ravaged the world. Anyone infected has turned into a decaying empty shell, void of their former selves. The animate decomposing bodies have become known as Rotters, stumbling around for the scent of the living.
Alone in the dark new world where even the dead don’t die, I must fight to survive. Not only against the Rotters, but the remaining uninfected who have turned savage in their plight of survival; the scavers.
As the world I once knew is lost, a new one emerges. Strange things begin to happen. Some are able to wield power over the elements. I develop a strange healing ability. It is unknown if this is a rogue symptom of the virus, or if the solitude is driving me crazy.
Puppy, my German Shepherd, and I have been on our own until four guys enter my life and refuse to leave. Strangely enough, they’re just as broken as I am.
My name is Blyss and we will set this world on fire if necessary. After all… What’s the worst that could happen?
I don’t give many 5 stars but I absolutely loved this book! It was well written and packed with action! I loved the romantic stuff too as it wasn’t shoved In your face every other page! You could feel the tension building. Highly recommended the best “zombie” book I’ve read in a long time!
Kindle
Infected ( Releasing the magic book1)
By Maya Riley
What's the worst that could happen? Sit down and let me tell you.
The Void Virus has been let loose on the Earth. Caused by experiments gone wrong, an outbreak has ravaged the world. Anyone infected has turned into a decaying empty shell, void of their former selves. The animate decomposing bodies have become known as Rotters, stumbling around for the scent of the living.
Alone in the dark new world where even the dead don’t die, I must fight to survive. Not only against the Rotters, but the remaining uninfected who have turned savage in their plight of survival; the scavers.
As the world I once knew is lost, a new one emerges. Strange things begin to happen. Some are able to wield power over the elements. I develop a strange healing ability. It is unknown if this is a rogue symptom of the virus, or if the solitude is driving me crazy.
Puppy, my German Shepherd, and I have been on our own until four guys enter my life and refuse to leave. Strangely enough, they’re just as broken as I am.
My name is Blyss and we will set this world on fire if necessary. After all… What’s the worst that could happen?
I don’t give many 5 stars but I absolutely loved this book! It was well written and packed with action! I loved the romantic stuff too as it wasn’t shoved In your face every other page! You could feel the tension building. Highly recommended the best “zombie” book I’ve read in a long time!
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Wife in Books
Sep 9, 2020
Their 10th wedding anniversary should be something to celebrate. Why does Zoe only feel dread?
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.
After reading the synopsis of The Wife by Shalini Boland, I knew I wanted to read it. A bride faints on her wedding day while getting ready. She wakes to a massive headache and no memory of fainting or what led up to it. Everyone said she must have been overcome with emotion, but nothing felt right afterward. Fast forward ten years and Zoe is planning an anniversary party. As the anniversary draws closer, the people around her are acting strangely. If she finds out what happened during the missing time, will it ruin the life she built?
I know, right? Sound good, doesn't it? Well, when I started reading it, I was disappointed. I thought I had everything figured out but was still enjoying the story. Then, wait, what? The story becomes intriguing and pulls you in and does not let go. It is not the fluffy and straightforward story I thought it was. It is a thriller worth reading.
Although Boland herself says she writes "suspense thrillers and dark adventures," I had not read any of her work previously. Her novels are rated around four stars on Goodreads, and I will be reading more of her work soon.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 9/9/20.
After reading the synopsis of The Wife by Shalini Boland, I knew I wanted to read it. A bride faints on her wedding day while getting ready. She wakes to a massive headache and no memory of fainting or what led up to it. Everyone said she must have been overcome with emotion, but nothing felt right afterward. Fast forward ten years and Zoe is planning an anniversary party. As the anniversary draws closer, the people around her are acting strangely. If she finds out what happened during the missing time, will it ruin the life she built?
I know, right? Sound good, doesn't it? Well, when I started reading it, I was disappointed. I thought I had everything figured out but was still enjoying the story. Then, wait, what? The story becomes intriguing and pulls you in and does not let go. It is not the fluffy and straightforward story I thought it was. It is a thriller worth reading.
Although Boland herself says she writes "suspense thrillers and dark adventures," I had not read any of her work previously. Her novels are rated around four stars on Goodreads, and I will be reading more of her work soon.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 9/9/20.
African Rhythm and African Sensibility
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"We have in this book a Rosetta stone for mediating, or translating, African musical behavior and...
Dutch From the 5th by Dutchavelli
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Disrupting the game in the best way possible, Dutchavelli’s meteoric rise over the last 6 months...
Debbiereadsbook (1202 KP) rated Dexterity Check (Dungeons and Dating #5) in Books
Feb 23, 2023
I wanted to punch Eli a time or two!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 5 in the Dungeons and Dating series. While not strictly necessary to have read books one to 4 before this, I strongly recommend that you do. It will give you a better feel of this group of people and their ever expanding found family. I loved all four of the previous books.
And while I liked this one well enough, there was something different about it and I can't put my finger on it and it pains me so that I can't!
I liked Arjun, and I liked Eli, both together and separately. I liked their interactions with the rest of the group. The progression of their relationship went as I expected it to. I loved Arjun's grandmother and how much love there is between those two! I loved how easy Eli fit into to that.
I did not like how Eli kinda strung Arjun along, when he was making a decision about moving, though! I wanted to punch him a time or two.
BUT! I do understand WHY Eli is the way he is. He has been hurt before, and they both went into this clear and up front as to what it was. It's just those pesky feelings doing their thing that throws a spanner in the works!
I enjoyed this; I really did. It's a welcome addition to the series. I just didn't love it as much as the other 4 books.
4 stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 5 in the Dungeons and Dating series. While not strictly necessary to have read books one to 4 before this, I strongly recommend that you do. It will give you a better feel of this group of people and their ever expanding found family. I loved all four of the previous books.
And while I liked this one well enough, there was something different about it and I can't put my finger on it and it pains me so that I can't!
I liked Arjun, and I liked Eli, both together and separately. I liked their interactions with the rest of the group. The progression of their relationship went as I expected it to. I loved Arjun's grandmother and how much love there is between those two! I loved how easy Eli fit into to that.
I did not like how Eli kinda strung Arjun along, when he was making a decision about moving, though! I wanted to punch him a time or two.
BUT! I do understand WHY Eli is the way he is. He has been hurt before, and they both went into this clear and up front as to what it was. It's just those pesky feelings doing their thing that throws a spanner in the works!
I enjoyed this; I really did. It's a welcome addition to the series. I just didn't love it as much as the other 4 books.
4 stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Turn of The Key in Books
Aug 16, 2019
Rowan Caine feels like her life is at a bit of a dead end when she finds the advertisement: it's for a live-in nanny, and the pay is amazing. Rowan has a background in nannying and working with children, so she submits her CV and crosses her fingers. Still, she can't believe her luck when she interviews at the gorgeous Heatherbrae House in Scotland. It's isolated, but beautiful. And then she gets the job caring for four seemingly lovely children: Rhiannon, 14; Maddie, 8; Ellie, 5; and Petra, eighteen months. But the position isn't all it cracked up to be. The children are nothing like the sweet kids they appeared when she interviewed. The entire house is a smart home, controlled by a home management app, and it seems to go haywire constantly. The parents leave nearly the moment she arrives. And it really seems like the rumors of ghosts and a haunted house that drove away the past four nannies are true. We know Rowan is writing about all of this from prison--jailed for the death of one of the children. She claims she's innocent. What really happened at Heatherbrae House?
This was a very intriguing, eerie thriller, made all the more creepy by reading it alone in a cabin in the woods with no one beside me but my dog. Perhaps choosing this read for my short getaway was a mistake? Ha, I actually liked getting a little spooked by this Gothic mystery. It was an enjoyable slow-burning read that kept me hooked.
As mentioned, the entire book is told in letter form--albeit mostly one long letter--as Rowan sits in Scottish prison, trying to convince a Mr. Wrexham to take up her case. She's innocent, she says, and here is her story. And quite a story it is. From the moment Rowan arrives at the Elincourt's beautiful home, Heatherbrae House, it seems like things go wrong--she hasn't memorized the 300-page "manual" required to watch the girls, the "smart" house is out of control, and the children are absolute terrors.
"I guess it comes down to this in the end. I am the nanny in the Elincourt case, Mr. Wrexham. And I didn't kill that child."
But the more we hear from Rowan, we learn she may not be completely guilt-free in all of this, as perhaps there is more to her story than meets the eye. It all unfurls easily in Ware's deft hands. It may take a while to get to some of the major twists and turns, but there's plenty of little bits of creepiness along the way. Rowan is sure she's being haunted, and it's quite fun to try to figure out what exactly is happening. Ghosts? The smart house gone awry? While Rowan isn't always the easiest character to root for, I still sympathized with her (I wouldn't want to be left with four combative children) and yet I found myself getting attached to the kids anyway (clearly they didn't choose to be left behind by their rich and distracted parents).
"I need you to understand why I did what I did."
Overall, this one is a fun, eerie read. I enjoyed the combination of creepy Gothic plus smart home craziness. I also couldn't always foresee what was coming up next, which I appreciated. It's engaging and surprising, despite our limited cast of characters. 4 stars.
This was a very intriguing, eerie thriller, made all the more creepy by reading it alone in a cabin in the woods with no one beside me but my dog. Perhaps choosing this read for my short getaway was a mistake? Ha, I actually liked getting a little spooked by this Gothic mystery. It was an enjoyable slow-burning read that kept me hooked.
As mentioned, the entire book is told in letter form--albeit mostly one long letter--as Rowan sits in Scottish prison, trying to convince a Mr. Wrexham to take up her case. She's innocent, she says, and here is her story. And quite a story it is. From the moment Rowan arrives at the Elincourt's beautiful home, Heatherbrae House, it seems like things go wrong--she hasn't memorized the 300-page "manual" required to watch the girls, the "smart" house is out of control, and the children are absolute terrors.
"I guess it comes down to this in the end. I am the nanny in the Elincourt case, Mr. Wrexham. And I didn't kill that child."
But the more we hear from Rowan, we learn she may not be completely guilt-free in all of this, as perhaps there is more to her story than meets the eye. It all unfurls easily in Ware's deft hands. It may take a while to get to some of the major twists and turns, but there's plenty of little bits of creepiness along the way. Rowan is sure she's being haunted, and it's quite fun to try to figure out what exactly is happening. Ghosts? The smart house gone awry? While Rowan isn't always the easiest character to root for, I still sympathized with her (I wouldn't want to be left with four combative children) and yet I found myself getting attached to the kids anyway (clearly they didn't choose to be left behind by their rich and distracted parents).
"I need you to understand why I did what I did."
Overall, this one is a fun, eerie read. I enjoyed the combination of creepy Gothic plus smart home craziness. I also couldn't always foresee what was coming up next, which I appreciated. It's engaging and surprising, despite our limited cast of characters. 4 stars.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) in Movies
Dec 15, 2019
I said this when I reviewed Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, but Jumanji was one of my favorite movies going up. I was extremely reluctant to see the 2017 film. However, I walked out of the theater happy as can be. The movie wasn’t perfect, but it was charming and entertaining, and I felt it was a good modernization of the Jumanji experience.
Then they announced the sequel, and all that fear and panic (not much, but you know… melodrama) kicked back in. Given the state of some sequels these days, I couldn’t imagine how they would be able to do this, and do this well. But I had hopes considering how good the previous entry in the franchise was. Could it be just as good?
The Jumanji: The Next Level releases 2 years after Welcome to the Jungle, and just as much time has passed for our four heroes: Spencer (Alex Wolff), Fridge (Ser’Darius Blain), Bethany (Madison Iseman), and Martha (Morgan Turner). We see the four friends leading their different lives and getting excited to reunite over the holidays.
Everyone, except for Spencer that is. Spencer missed the feeling he had as Doctor Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson) in Jumanji, so he decides to try and fix the game and re-enter to recapture that feeling. The game was smashed to pieces in the last movie, but Spencer retrieved it and it’s been sitting his basement ever since.
The next day, when the four adventurers are supposed to be meeting for brunch, the remaining three get worried when Spencer doesn’t show. So they head over to Spencer’s place to find Spencer’s Grandfather, Eddie (Danny Devito), and an old friend, Milo (Danny Glover), who also don’t know where he is. Soon they discover the broken remnants of the game and that they’ve been fixed (sorta) and eventually they realize that Spencer has gone into the game again.
They decide to head back in, but somethings a little different this time around, as both Eddie and Milo get pulled into the game as well. All our game characters return: Bravestone, Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon (Jack Black), Franklin “Mouse” Finbar (Kevin Hart), and Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan). But will our young adventurers be controlling the same characters, and what of Eddie and Milo? I can’t say without spoiling so much more.
Now that we have the description out of the way, I will say that I loved this film. Not quite as much as the previous entry, though. I didn’t have high hopes for The Next Level as the trailers and commercials just seemed to be overselling certain aspects of the film, but the film was great.
A good follow up story, excellent acting from our four mains, and enough changeup to allow it to not be essentially the same movie as the first. The acting is great. The plot, while a little predictable, was good as well. The music and score really set the tone and pace of the new Jumanji movies, and in such a good way.
One of the only real criticism I had was that Johnson became a little annoying with his characterization for most of the movie in this film, but that could be intended. A good pallet cleanser, though, was Kevin Hart as he literally played the polar opposite and it was a good balance. The other issue I had was that the finale of the third act seemed a little cheated. It was so rushed, relied heavily on the video game trope and never explained why what happened did happen.
Overall, though, this film is a worthy successor to Welcome to the Jungle and you should definitely check it out. Good for the family, just like the first. I personally cannot wait to see what happens in the next film. There is an obvious set up for third in the reboot, or it could be just left as is. Such is the way of Jumanji.
4 out of 5 stars.
Then they announced the sequel, and all that fear and panic (not much, but you know… melodrama) kicked back in. Given the state of some sequels these days, I couldn’t imagine how they would be able to do this, and do this well. But I had hopes considering how good the previous entry in the franchise was. Could it be just as good?
The Jumanji: The Next Level releases 2 years after Welcome to the Jungle, and just as much time has passed for our four heroes: Spencer (Alex Wolff), Fridge (Ser’Darius Blain), Bethany (Madison Iseman), and Martha (Morgan Turner). We see the four friends leading their different lives and getting excited to reunite over the holidays.
Everyone, except for Spencer that is. Spencer missed the feeling he had as Doctor Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson) in Jumanji, so he decides to try and fix the game and re-enter to recapture that feeling. The game was smashed to pieces in the last movie, but Spencer retrieved it and it’s been sitting his basement ever since.
The next day, when the four adventurers are supposed to be meeting for brunch, the remaining three get worried when Spencer doesn’t show. So they head over to Spencer’s place to find Spencer’s Grandfather, Eddie (Danny Devito), and an old friend, Milo (Danny Glover), who also don’t know where he is. Soon they discover the broken remnants of the game and that they’ve been fixed (sorta) and eventually they realize that Spencer has gone into the game again.
They decide to head back in, but somethings a little different this time around, as both Eddie and Milo get pulled into the game as well. All our game characters return: Bravestone, Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon (Jack Black), Franklin “Mouse” Finbar (Kevin Hart), and Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan). But will our young adventurers be controlling the same characters, and what of Eddie and Milo? I can’t say without spoiling so much more.
Now that we have the description out of the way, I will say that I loved this film. Not quite as much as the previous entry, though. I didn’t have high hopes for The Next Level as the trailers and commercials just seemed to be overselling certain aspects of the film, but the film was great.
A good follow up story, excellent acting from our four mains, and enough changeup to allow it to not be essentially the same movie as the first. The acting is great. The plot, while a little predictable, was good as well. The music and score really set the tone and pace of the new Jumanji movies, and in such a good way.
One of the only real criticism I had was that Johnson became a little annoying with his characterization for most of the movie in this film, but that could be intended. A good pallet cleanser, though, was Kevin Hart as he literally played the polar opposite and it was a good balance. The other issue I had was that the finale of the third act seemed a little cheated. It was so rushed, relied heavily on the video game trope and never explained why what happened did happen.
Overall, though, this film is a worthy successor to Welcome to the Jungle and you should definitely check it out. Good for the family, just like the first. I personally cannot wait to see what happens in the next film. There is an obvious set up for third in the reboot, or it could be just left as is. Such is the way of Jumanji.
4 out of 5 stars.