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Natacha (374 KP) rated Half the World in Books

Dec 15, 2019 (Updated Dec 15, 2019)  
Half the World
Half the World
Joe Abercrombie | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
9
8.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
As with the first book, the main story is very basic. I group of misfits that are thrown together to complete a quest to find allies. But I still had a blast reading this book.

Things I liked:

-Because the main plot is so simple all characters and their developments are amazing. All of them have their own voice, their own personality and keep evolving and keep you intrigued until the end.
-Thorn. Thorn is a strong female character but with a twist. She is not the typical strong female character that is the best fighter to ever walk this earth, the most beautiful woman to ever walk the earth and who think that loves is something stupid and not for her. No, she tall, muscular, with scars and a weird hair cut. She is a fighter and a killer but you get to see her become one through hard training and strong will. And when she falls in love? She is afraid of it, yes, but when the times comes she doesn't shy away from it, she embraces it and doesn't mind showing a more gentle side of her. That was very nice to see.
-Brand is our second main character and the opposite of Thorn. He is a sweet boy that wants to be a soldier but deep down he just wants to be a good person and do good no matter what.
-There is a love story but it's not the main theme of the story and it's a slow burn one. Initially, I was a little annoyed just because at some point there is a misunderstanding that could have easily been solved by simply talking but the way things evolve later makes up for it.
-The ending left me with the feeling that something big is coming with the next book and made we want to pick it right away.
-We got to see magic! One of my complaints in the first book was that we had elves and magic being mention but never saw any of it.

Things I didn't like

-The main reason why my rating is (4.5 instead of 5 goodreads rating) 9/10 instead of 10/10 if this one. As I mention the main plot is very basic. I group of misfits that are thrown together. They travel a lot, get to know each other, bond and fight bad guys. Unfortunately, although I loved the characters, for more than half of the book I felt disappointed because what I was reading felt very similar to what I had read in book one. In Half a King you had again a group of misfits thrown in a boat together that travelled a lot, had to find a way to survive, they get to know each-other bond and fight bad guys. It sounds like a minor thing but when I picked because it picked up this book straight after the first one it felt repetitive.
  
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure
Delivers EXACTLY what is expected - and that's a good thing
If you are heading into the multi-plex to check out FAST AND FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW, the 9th(!) entry in the Fast and Furious Universe, you pretty much know (and expect) what you are about to watch.

And HOBBS & SHAW does not disappoint - delivering over-the-top action with unsinkable heroes and unblinking villains battling each other with explosions galore and disposable henchmen being...well...disposed of left and right.

Reprising their roles as "Lawman" Luke Hobbs and "Outcast" Deckard Shaw (F&F terms for them) are the charismatic Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and the smoldering Jason Statham. Their two characters can't stand each other, so - naturally - they are forced to work in concert with each other to stop Super-Villain Brixton (Edris Elba). Can these 2 "frenemies" learn to put aside their differences and work together to stop a Villain that they cannot stop by themselves?

What do you think?

But...it's the journey...not the destination that's the fun of this film and this film is fun, fun, fun, indeed. Both Johnson and Statham know EXACTLY what type of film they are in - and know what their core audience is coming to this film to see - and they deliver in spades. They are perfect for these characters and are perfectly paired together. While the script, at times, seemed forced, these 2 action SuperStars make even the clunkiest of dialogue work and they are "game" for whatever is thrown at them.

Elba joins in strongly as the villain and newcomer (at least to this franchise) Vanessa Kirby (the White Widow in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT) just as strongly counterbalances all 3 of them as the "McGuffin" of this film - the thing that the good guys and the bad guys are fighting each other for. Dame Helen Mirren is back as the criminal mother of Statham's character and she understands what type of film she's in as well. So does Eddie Marsan, who looks like he is having an absolute ball as a scientist brought into the fray.

There are also 2 "secret cameos" in this film that are fun - and I perked up in my seat when both of these cameos injected energy into this testosterone-infused flick.

Former Stuntman and Director David Leitch (DEADPOOL 2, ATOMIC BLONDE) throws a ton of action, car chases, guns, fights and explosions at the audience - all to good effect. His answer to bad acting and huge, implausible plot holes? Blow things up! And that works very, very well for this film. Leitch delivers exactly what is expected here - and that's just fine for me.

I was extremely entertained by this movie. I was in the mood for it - and it delivered exactly what I was looking for. Kind of like eating a good burger.

Letter Grade: A- (though, don't expect to break into "discussion groups" afterward)

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
  
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Duff McKagan recommended Clash by The Clash in Music (curated)

 
Clash by The Clash
Clash by The Clash
1977 | Rock
8.6 (5 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I got that record from my brother-in-law for Christmas - we have this huge family and so we were picking names from a hat and whoever you got the name of you bought a present for. My brother-in-law was this cool fucking dude who listened to college radio and he got me that first Clash record and I got to see them later that year so I guess it was Christmas 1978. We had the US version, it was just called The Clash with the green cover – you knew that if you were American, 'cos we were like, ""we cant get the real fucking English version"" - I mean they had it on import, but it was so expensive. I don’t know what my musical life would have been like if I didn’t get to see that gig. It was really exotic for that band to come and play Seattle. The whole Seattle community was there and it was probably only 200 people but it felt like everybody in the world was there. I remember there was this wooden barrier and this security guy in front of the pit who didn’t know how to deal with a punk rock audience, and he just decked this kid and broke his nose and The Clash just stopped the gig. And Paul Simonon or someone grabbed an axe and broke down the barrier! And I remember Joe Strummer saying, ""there’s no difference between us and you guys, these barriers and shit are separating us"", and it suddenly dawned on me. They were totally against the whole rock star thing, like there’s not us and there’s you, it was like we were all in this together. I guess I’d be lying if I said in the nineties I didn’t have… not ‘punk rock guilt’ exactly, but there would be a lot of bands that came up, like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, there were guys who were in the punk rock scene and this was what was next, and as a young dude you feel a little guilty when you’re suddenly selling millions of records. But no-one sold their soul or changed their fucking tune, this was what evolved out of punk rock. Looking back it was a natural progression. Guns was a mix of a lot of different input, punk rock, seventies rock, and it was about doing something different and maybe that’s what punk rock sounded like at that point, I don’t know (laughs). I mean Guns was as DIY as it got, we would hitchhike 1,200 miles to get to a gig but we just went to the next level in getting a major label deal, that was the big change. But I took that ethic with me that Strummer had said. I don’t know any different, I’m honoured to be playing gigs and I’ve always paid tribute to that way of thinking."

Source
  
Level Up (Reigns Brothers #2)
Level Up (Reigns Brothers #2)
Kindle Alexander | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
its sweet and delicious and all kinds of warm and fuzzies!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is the second book in the Reigns Brothers series and it can be read as a stand alone book. However, personally, to get the full force that is Chad's dad and the one that is Ducky's brother, I recommend you read Secret and then Breakaway before this one. It will give you context to some things that are referenced here.

Gotta be honest here, cos reviewing is all about being honest. I went into this with a bit of hesitation. I was . . .disappointed I think is the best word . . in a follow up book by another Alexander and I didn't want to be let down again. However, I need not have worried.

Because this?? Bloody LOVED this!!

It's delicious and sweet and all kinds of warm and fuzzies that just blew my socks off!

Chad has lusted over his best friend for years, but never MET Ducky face to face. When Ducky ghosts Chad, he takes matters into his own hands. What follows is a wonderful tale of seeing what's right in front of you, and taking it.

Both young men are struggling with their place in their respective worlds. Neither mentioned it to the other, or they might not have struggled so much. And it takes a trip to Hawaii for them to find themselves.

There are some issues along the way, but these are not of the guys making, more the bane of our modern life that is social media and the general angst level is low, which I needed right now.

I loved that I was made to wait a long ass time for the guys to finally, FINALLY see each other in the way they did, and while that scene is smoking hawt, the smexy level is lower than other books by Alexander. Again, I loved that!

I loved that Dallas and Greer (Breakaway) and Tristan and Dylan (Secret) play a huge part here. It was great to catch up with them. Tristan has taken to his step dad role brilliantly!

I mentioned in my review for Breakaway that mum to Dallas and Ducky does something amazing, but thinking about it, she isn't mentioned here. Neither is dad. Eldest brother Donny is, though, and he's spouting his vitriol now that he's found 'religion'.

But it makes me wonder. This is the Reigns brothers series, and there are 3 brothers. So, will Donny see the error of his ways, and get a book? That would be an interesting read, for sure, given how he's acted with Dallas and Ducky coming out.

An absolutely wonderful follow up to Breakaway, and I loved it, and as such, it can only get. . . .

5 full and shiny stars.

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
The Joe Rogan Experience
The Joe Rogan Experience
Comedy
9
7.8 (33 Ratings)
Podcast Rating
Informative (2 more)
Great guest on all sorts of topics
MMA devoted episodes
What needs to be said about a pod that has over 1000 episodes??
I've been a fan of Joe Rogan for almost twenty years. His stand up comedy is some of the funniest shit I have ever heard. So naturally I become a fan of his podcast as well. Listening to Joe's chemistry with his guests and how well and articulate he speaks makes people forget he's also a full time color commentator for the UFC. The man has a wealth of knowledge at his Beck and call and he shows that. Keeping up with conversations involving astrophysicists, doctor's and Eddie Bravo(insert laugh track here).
His devotion to the pod can give listeners three to four new episodes a week. The vast library of episodes have something for everyone, including but not limited to comedians, doctors, fighters and other sports figures. Joe keeps the listener intrigued and involved and wanting more. Even if it's a goofy episode involving pod regulars and Fighter and the Kid podcasters Brian Called and Brendan Shaub, where the guys do nothing but drink, smoke weed and watch fights. They never just talk about the fights... They cover a wide variety of topics that are both serious and hilarious.
Ear candy for those who want to be informed...or misinformed... Depending how serious the episodes are.
Great podcast. In my top 5 for life.
  
Deadpool (2016)
Deadpool (2016)
2016 | Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
It's a freaking Deadpool movie (4 more)
Deadpool.
Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, arguably the reason he was put on this earth
It's fun, really funny, and appropriately shallow where it should be
The modest budget was very good for this film, forcing (allowing?) a focus on character
It could have been funnier still (1 more)
Not enough Deadpool.
A more than promising start to the only superhero franchise I can really get excited about anymore
After ten plus years of overly serious, dour, and sometimes downright depressing movies about silly people who choose to dress in silly outfits when they fight equally ridiculous "bad guys", we finally got Deadpool. Sure, Guardians of the Galaxy was the first one to take itself not so seriously, and it was genuinely great, but nothing beats the small scale stakes of a guy who just wants really good plastic surgery so his girlfriend will still want to f him. Because that's what Deadpool is, and it's great. It could have perhaps, possibly, still been funnier, as there are several scenes that just felt as if they were missing 'something', but that might be largely due to the fact that we don't get to Deadpool being Deadpool until almost half way through - i know a lot of people would disagree, but for me, the only real problem with "Deadpool" is that there isn't enough Deadpool. But what we get is pretty amazing.
  
Suicide Squad (2016)
Suicide Squad (2016)
2016 | Action
Cast (3 more)
Visual Effects
Dark/Dry Humour
Perfect Harley Quinn portrayal
Harley/Joker relationship portrayed felt romantic rather than what it is (2 more)
Villain was lacking
Storyline wasn't fleshed out enough
Excellent Movie - Even for a Marvel fan ;)
Let it be said now, I will always love Marvel more than DC because I relate to the characters. I've never particularly been a fan of DC heroes but I've always said they have excellent bad guys. If you're a die-hard fan of the comics this movie probably won't do it for you because there is a lot of interpretation in there. I, however, loved it solely because of the excellent casting. The storyline is a little lacking and I felt the villain in the movie wasn't quite fleshed out enough for it to be a complete movie, if that makes sense. Harley Quinn couldn't have been more perfectly cast (though I might be biased as an Aussie lol), Deadshot had an interesting interpreation from Will Smith and I enjoyed it, Joker was definitely closer to what I've seen in the comics, however I feel his relationship with Harley wasn't shown correctly (it felt more romantic than it should have, he's an awful person and truly treats her like s**t, it's a relationship based on insanity and stockholm syndrome and it didn't feel that way to me) All in all despite a few flaws it was a good movie. I would definitely watch it again.
  
True Crime Garage
True Crime Garage
News & Politics
8
8.6 (10 Ratings)
Podcast Rating
The chemistry between the hosts (2 more)
The research
Variety of topics
Occasional personal views (0 more)
Serious, But Amusing
Nic and the Captain bring personality and camaraderie to the true-crime table without the outright silliness and irreverence of some of the more popular podcasts. Soft-spoken and smooth-voiced, they weave stories of victims and crimes with vivid detail while still respecting the dignity of the victims. They are never careless in that respect.

Even the stories that are familiar to the average listener are compiled in such a way as to make them feel fresh, and most are peppered with items that may not be so widely known.

Nic and the Captain are lifelong friends and their chemistry is one of the best parts of the show. From the first few minutes of your first episode, you will feel as if you are in the garage with them, having an IPA and talking about true crime.

I suggest The Boys On The Tracks as a good first show to throw you headfirst into a multi-part, multi-layered story that showcases the amount of research the guys put into their work. Unfortunately, I feel that it also is one of the episodes where their personal views made me a bit annoyed. They rarely seem to cross over into the realm of conspiracy, but this one episode seems to do that. But it is very good, nonetheless.
  
As a married woman, I can't relate with this book. However, that said, this book is a 4 star book that is great for those Christian women who are single and looking for their Mr. Right. Deepak Reju creates a well thought out, well researched book that will help those seeking their Mr. Right. 

Reju creates a book that is unique and filled with different types of guys and what they are like. Waiting for the one that God has in mind for you is not always a bad thing. In fact, I was a single mom for 8 years before God introduced me to my husband and showed me that he was the one for me. His timing might not be our timing, but when you are looking for your other half, then you just might have to wait awhile. 

Overall, this is a 4 stars. I like the way the author created this book, but, like I said, it's not for me, since I'm happily married now to the one that God picked for me. But, if you are someone who is single and looking, then grab this book. You may find just what you need to do within it's pages. Great job, Mr. Reju! 

*Cafinated Reads received a complimentary copy of this book from LitFuse Blog Tours and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*