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Erika (17788 KP) rated Twelve Nights at Rotter House in Books
Oct 31, 2020
This book has stuck with me. I read Ocker's non-fiction book @Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items, the other day, so I decided to try out his novel.
In the first chapter, we find out that the original title of the book was 13 nights, rather than 12. So, obviously, something happened. The main character is a travel writer (like the author), and a skeptic (like the author), who decides to spend 13 nights in a supposedly haunted house.
There were hints, dropped throughout, as to what is actually happening, various movie and book references. Crimson Peak was the most obvious one.
After one night spent alone, the author's best friend comes to visit. There's some unspoken thing that happened a year ago, that's not all that hard to figure out. When things begin to happen, screams, apparitions, etc, the author explains them away. He is a skeptic after all.
The woman character/ghost, has a head that's split down the middle... wonder what that symbolizes.
Towards the end, the author gradually unravels. The end, with the twist... Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it. That's why I just rated this as ok. It was entertaining, and haunted me for about three days,
In the first chapter, we find out that the original title of the book was 13 nights, rather than 12. So, obviously, something happened. The main character is a travel writer (like the author), and a skeptic (like the author), who decides to spend 13 nights in a supposedly haunted house.
There were hints, dropped throughout, as to what is actually happening, various movie and book references. Crimson Peak was the most obvious one.
After one night spent alone, the author's best friend comes to visit. There's some unspoken thing that happened a year ago, that's not all that hard to figure out. When things begin to happen, screams, apparitions, etc, the author explains them away. He is a skeptic after all.
The woman character/ghost, has a head that's split down the middle... wonder what that symbolizes.
Towards the end, the author gradually unravels. The end, with the twist... Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it. That's why I just rated this as ok. It was entertaining, and haunted me for about three days,
David McK (3425 KP) rated Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) in Movies
Nov 27, 2020 (Updated Nov 27, 2020)
"Captain Jack Sparrow. You are, without a doubt, the worst Pirate I have ever heard of" / "Ah, but you have heard of me ..."
The first Pirates of the Caribbean film (based on a Disney theme ride!), this is far less bloated and self referential than any of the later sequels, with Johnny Depp's portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow a breath of fresh air (at the time) in a genre that had become increasingly stale: indeed, I can't even remember there being any other pirate films in my lifetime other than 1995s Cutthroat Island.
The plot, here, makes much use of the superstition and folklore of the Caribbean - "You better start believing in Ghost stories again, Miss: you're in one!" (to paraphrase a certain other character - with the crew of the Black Pearl all cursed to an everlasting life by an ancient Aztec curse unless they can restore all the stolen coins.
And this is where Will Turner comes in, as the son of 'Bootstrap' Bill, a colleague of Captain Jack Sparrows before his crew mutinied, stole the treasure, and were cursed. When the governors daughter Elizabet Swann is kidnapped, Turner sets off to rescue here in the company of Sparrow and a crew of n'er do wells, in a very entertaining slice of Pirate action!
The plot, here, makes much use of the superstition and folklore of the Caribbean - "You better start believing in Ghost stories again, Miss: you're in one!" (to paraphrase a certain other character - with the crew of the Black Pearl all cursed to an everlasting life by an ancient Aztec curse unless they can restore all the stolen coins.
And this is where Will Turner comes in, as the son of 'Bootstrap' Bill, a colleague of Captain Jack Sparrows before his crew mutinied, stole the treasure, and were cursed. When the governors daughter Elizabet Swann is kidnapped, Turner sets off to rescue here in the company of Sparrow and a crew of n'er do wells, in a very entertaining slice of Pirate action!
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Nine Ways to Die in Books
Jan 24, 2021
Fifteen-year-old January "Jan" hates the new town she has moved to but loves her new boyfriend, Jean. Her parents are never home, and her sister is in hospital, so she spends the summer days with her new friends. The only people she meets are around her age, and she never comes across any adults. The buildings are decrepit and old, almost like a ghost town. The more time Jan spends with her friends, the more peculiar the town, Memoir Falls feels.
Nine Ways to Die is a short story by versatile writer, Jordan Elizabeth. The details about Jan's past gradually emerge until Jan, along with the reader, discovers the truth about the strange town and its inhabitants. There are clues everywhere, but like Jan, readers fail to notice them until they come together in a sudden climax.
Through Jan's eyes, readers experience the town as though they are also new inhabitants. Although it is a short story, there is so much on offer: suspense, romance, thrills, and the supernatural. For those familiar with Jordan Elizabeth's work, this is a welcome addition to her vast collection of books. For newbie readers, this is a tempting taste of the author's full potential.
Nine Ways to Die is a short story by versatile writer, Jordan Elizabeth. The details about Jan's past gradually emerge until Jan, along with the reader, discovers the truth about the strange town and its inhabitants. There are clues everywhere, but like Jan, readers fail to notice them until they come together in a sudden climax.
Through Jan's eyes, readers experience the town as though they are also new inhabitants. Although it is a short story, there is so much on offer: suspense, romance, thrills, and the supernatural. For those familiar with Jordan Elizabeth's work, this is a welcome addition to her vast collection of books. For newbie readers, this is a tempting taste of the author's full potential.
ClareR (5726 KP) rated Platform Seven in Books
Sep 1, 2019 (Updated Sep 2, 2019)
A beautiful, sad story.
If I could give more than 10/10 for Platform Seven, I would. The main character, and I’m giving nothing away here, is a ghost. She doesn’t know her name or why she’s there, but she knows that she’s dead, and she knows that she can’t leave the confines of Peterborough train station. However, two things trigger the return of her memories: a suicide on Platform Seven, and the appearance of a (living) young man in the station. We then learn her name, and the sequence of events that resulted in her death and afterlife at Peterborough train station.
This was a beautifully told story, and I’ll warn you now that you’ll need to read it with tissues at hand. I cried, and I cried quite a lot! This isn’t an action packed thriller. It’s thoughtful, emotional, and at times it’s frustrating. It’s easy to read a story and say to yourself that you won’t make the same mistakes as the lead character, that that character should have made different choices, but this book explains so well a manipulative, emotionally abusive relationship.
I would recommend this story - it really is well worth reading.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this outstanding book.
This was a beautifully told story, and I’ll warn you now that you’ll need to read it with tissues at hand. I cried, and I cried quite a lot! This isn’t an action packed thriller. It’s thoughtful, emotional, and at times it’s frustrating. It’s easy to read a story and say to yourself that you won’t make the same mistakes as the lead character, that that character should have made different choices, but this book explains so well a manipulative, emotionally abusive relationship.
I would recommend this story - it really is well worth reading.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this outstanding book.
Zen Bound® 2
Games and Entertainment
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Zen Bound 2 is the sensational sequel to the most critically acclaimed iPhone game ever. Features:...
InsTrack for Instagram - Analytics Plus More
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InsTrack is the most popular app for Instagram community management. It provides powerful analytics...
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Bag of Bones in Books
May 9, 2020
Enjoyable but not the best
As always I have to state that Stephen King is my all time favourite author so I probably always look at his books with rose tinted glasses. That said whilst I enjoyed Bag of Bones, it definitely isn't one of his best.
The story and plot in this are almost your typical ghost story, but with your usual King flair and horror thrown in. The characters are well developed and likeable yet flawed, and the writing is as superb as always. I think my main problem with this book was it didn't half ramble on a bit. It comes in at just over 500 (hardback) pages and this is far too long. A fair amount of this book could've been cut out without impacting drastically on the story. And also the name of the lake house in this is "Sara Laughs" - whilst there is an explanation for this in the books, I still think it's a ridiculous name for a house and it irritated me every time it was mentioned.
Overall this is still an enjoyable King story, but definitely not his best and not one I'd recommend with there being so many other amazing and better novels of his out there.
The story and plot in this are almost your typical ghost story, but with your usual King flair and horror thrown in. The characters are well developed and likeable yet flawed, and the writing is as superb as always. I think my main problem with this book was it didn't half ramble on a bit. It comes in at just over 500 (hardback) pages and this is far too long. A fair amount of this book could've been cut out without impacting drastically on the story. And also the name of the lake house in this is "Sara Laughs" - whilst there is an explanation for this in the books, I still think it's a ridiculous name for a house and it irritated me every time it was mentioned.
Overall this is still an enjoyable King story, but definitely not his best and not one I'd recommend with there being so many other amazing and better novels of his out there.
The Whispering Skull: Lockwood & Co. #2
10.0
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In the six months since Anthony, Lucy, and George survived a night in the most haunted house in...
supernatural mystery horror
What it Means When a Man Falls From the Sky
2.0
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Book
A stunning collection of short stories from Caine-Prize shortlisted and Commonwealth Writer’s...
Fiction