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Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
2017 | Action, Sci-Fi
Not the Star Wars film I was looking for.
While I am a pretty big Star Wars fan (hell I have a lightsaber tattoo) I also don't mind them playing around with the universe and changing this as long as it makes for a good movie with a good story, so no I'm not some purist that was going to hate this no matter what I was hype and ready for this just like I was for The Force Awakens and man is it killing me to write that I just didn't enjoy this installment to the series.

The main reason I didn't enjoy it that much was that the entire film just felt like a transition to the next saga while The Force Awaken built up so much The Last Jedi just didn't keep up with the momentum and just fell really short for me, halfway through the movie I kind of just wanted it to be over already.


The real downfall in the end though was the characters this time around I really feel like they just wasted Finn and Poe so much throughout the movie with a half thought out side plot that didn't really do or go anywhere for me.
  
The Girl on the Train
The Girl on the Train
Paula Hawkins | 2016 | Mystery, Thriller
7
7.6 (173 Ratings)
Book Rating
Does a great job of creating a creepy atmosphere (1 more)
Gives us someone to root for without making them perfect
The ending felt really rushed (2 more)
Once again, I called the twist halfway through
None of the characters are really likeable
An Interesting Read
The Girl on the Train was a book I was really looking forward to reading. I, unfortunately, hadn't heard much about it until I saw the previews for the movie. It seemed like a solid thriller and picking up the book I can tell you that the first half is. Rachel is an unreliable narrator due to her "drunken blackouts." She's got an ex-husband who has a new, younger wife and a baby, a long suffering roommate, and the people she watches on the train every morning. I felt for Rachel when the wife of the young couple she watched every morning, in a not really creepy way, disappeared. Then every character plunged into completely unlikable territory. Even characters we're supposed to root for have such horrible attitudes and are downright jerks that it's hard to be on anyone's side. Don't get me wrong, I would definitely recommend this book for people to read, I would just warn them that they'll hate everyone by the time they're done.
  
The Dark Tower (2017)
The Dark Tower (2017)
2017 | Horror, Sci-Fi, Western
Stephen King let them make this?
I'll start off by saying I knew I was going to hate this film. From the moment I heard of the casting and then saw the first trailer. I get the justification for them making this film completely different (i.e. Horn of Eld - but was that even in the film?!), but for me it just doesn't work.


The book series is a fantasy masterpiece, but they appear to have made a standalone Dark Tower film pulled together with a vague mishmash of characters and ideas from the entire book series. It just doesn't work, especially not in a paltry 90 minutes. This is just far too different from the books - the characters are undeveloped, their motives are unclear. You almost have to have read the books to get an understanding of the characters as it just doesn't come across in this. Casting for me was poor too. McConaughey and Elba are fantastic actors but it doesn't show in this, they're let down by a poor script and a poor plot.

My only hope for this film is that it prompts those who haven't read the books to pick them up and realise how awesome they are.
  
Gone Girl (2014)
Gone Girl (2014)
2014 | Mystery, Thriller
Rosamund Pike (1 more)
The plot was interesting
Ben Affleck... I Just hate him okay (1 more)
I guessed the ending.
One of the biggest let downs.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Okay I know this is going to be an unpopular opinion but personal opinion I just really didn't care for this movie that much. My biggest problem was everybody just talked about how there was no movie like this the story was so unique the plot twist was going to blow you away when I managed to guess the plot twist with no problem whatsoever so to say I was really disappointed is a bit of an understatement.


I found a majority of the movie to be very monotone and boring which for me basically sums up Ben Affleck's acting but what can I say I've just never been a fan of the guy.


Okay so it wasn't all bad the parts that I did like was Rosamund Pike really stole the entire movie she was brilliant I really liked her character as well as her acting was top notch I really bought her as Amy Dunne. My favorite scene was the bedroom scene with her and Neil Patrick Harris if there was more of that through out they movie I would have probably liked it more.
  
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Scott Tostik (389 KP) Oct 8, 2017

If Affleck would've stayed in Kevin Smith and the Dazed and Confused world and not tried to be the world's greatest actor, he would've been at least tolerable. The last movie I enjoyed this swelled headed idiot in was Smith's Chasing Amy... That was nearly 20 YEARS AGO!!!!
GIVE IT UP BAT-FLECK!!

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BobbiesDustyPages (1259 KP) Oct 8, 2017

Preach it dude,preach it ?

Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush, #1)
Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush, #1)
Becca Fitzpatrick | 2009 | Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
10
7.6 (36 Ratings)
Book Rating
I read this book saturday/sunday, and i’ve waited a while to write the review. i wasn’t sure what to say.

obviously, everyone has heard about the Hush, Hush phenomenon. it’s everyone’s new favorite book, it’s everywhere, it’s popular. well people, there’s a reason for that.

this review is going to be different than my others in that I’m breaking my usual format. short and sweet—this will either be your new favorite book, or the dumbest book you’ve ever read in your life. I’m on the favorite side.

I mention the other side because of the twilight phenomenon. people either love it or hate it. same with Harry Potter.

My opinion: I’ll never regret spending $12.00 on this book (I bought it discounted). I’ll read it again and again and i loved it. (but remember that Patch is already taken *coughhesminecough*)

I will say this, though. I’m so excited for the sequel Crescendo. there is no cliff-hanger in this though, rest assured. I just want more of Patch ;)

I'm not writing more than this because i don't want to spoil it and i don't want to give you a preconceived idea about it. i want you to approach it with an open mind ;)
  
TC
The Coldest Winter Ever
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Winter Santiaga is a girl whose whole world gets flipped upside down in a matter of moments. Winter thinks she is living the high life. She dresses in the best clothes, dates whoever she wants and gets whatever she asks for.

Her father, who goes by just Santiaga, is a big deal in the neighborhood. Mostly everyone is on his payroll and nothing goes down without his knowledge. When the Santiaga's move out of Brooklyn and to Long Island, things take a turn for the worse. With both of her parents arrested and her sisters wards of the state, Winter does all she can to survive.

Winter is a bitch!! I hate to use that word, but she really is. All of these people who try to help her, but she can't see the help for the all mighty dollar. She wants to follow in her father's footsteps and make that quick money, but it's not going to work for her the way that she is hoping.

Will Winter be able to survive and make it for herself? Will she be able to save her mother from the thing that used to keep her family together? Will she get the man she has always wanted?
  
Girl Last Seen
Girl Last Seen
Nina Laurin | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller
4
6.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
I like to listen to audiobooks while I game, which means I ended up reading Girl Last Seen by chance. It is the first book I’ve read by Nina Laurin and may very well be the last – harsh, I know. When I choose to read a thriller, suspense, or mystery book, I expect… well, the elements of those genres. Girl Last Seen was devoid of any excitement whatsoever and a bit too stereotypical for my taste.

Time and time again, I’ve made it clear that I hate slow plots. I want to feel urgency in a book, especially if it deals with a kidnapped child. In Girl Last Seen, the characters were underwhelming. It becomes obvious early on that things are going to go exactly the way the reader feels they are: girl disappears, guy everyone knows is at fault, oh dear god how can it possibly be. The main character is more unlikable than her own despicable mother, considering she’s drug addicted. There’s even a sex scene that’s a bit on the descriptive side thrown in for what feels like the hell of it. And that annoys me.

Fortunately, the narrator is an excellent choice and I would gladly listen to more books read by her.
  
TT
The Truth and Other Lies
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Henry Hayden is a best selling author in Germany. He and his wife live a somewhat modest lifestyle. He is adored by women and envied by men. Henry is in the process of "writing" his next great novel, when his editor gives him some disturbing news. This news sets off a chain of events that will forever alter the lives of everyone who knows Henry.

The Truth and Other Lies, had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning. Henry Hayden is a character you love to hate. I was afraid of him from the start and very glad he is not someone I would ever have to come in contact with. With a friend like Henry, who needs enemies.

Everyone loves Henry, but why? He's not really good at anything, including the writing that has made him so famous. He's not especially nice to anyone, least of all his wife. He love her, that is for sure for without her, he would be nothing. But he struggles to remain faithful and to treat her in the same manner she treats him.

This is one of the best books I have read so far this year. Highly recommended.

**I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
  
The Time Of Our Lives
The Time Of Our Lives
Jane Costello | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Weak main character (0 more)
I really enjoyed The Wish List by Jane Costello, so when I picked up this book I was quite keen to get stuck in.
The back of the book states 'even in the most glamorous of locations, things can go wrong.' Well let me just say there are things going wrong and then there are things going WRONG.
It is all well and good having a few unfortunate events happening to the main character but I didn't believe that it was then essential to make her awkward, accident prone and a complete sap.
I don't know if I was meant to love or hate Imogen. I grew to really dislike her. I wanted to shake her and tell her to be stronger. There is no need for women to be portrayed in such a pathetic way.
It wasn't a wholly predictable tale though. There were a couple swings that I hadn't expected that gave a bit more substance to the novel.
I read to escape life, find inspiration and motivation. In my opinion, this book reaffirmed the idea that women are weak. Please create a strong, intelligent, independent woman as a main character! It will give girls a better role model for life!
  
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Erika (17788 KP) rated War and Peace in Books

Feb 16, 2019  
War and Peace
War and Peace
Leo Tolstoy | 1869 | Fiction & Poetry
9
8.6 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
Leo Tolstoy's expositions about history theory. (0 more)
While reading this book, I went from loving it, to hating it, to loving it. This book is widely talked about because of its length, but how many people have actually read the unabridged novel?
The main character I was annoyed with, that made me hate it, was Natasha. Some of her decisions were so stupid, but then I had to remind myself that I was once a dumb 16 year old that made stupid decisions.
At the beginning, it was hard to pick out which characters were actually considered to be the main characters. For sure, Natasha and Pierre, but the others I questioned.
This novel is a very interesting meditation (that's what I'm going to call it), on the differences between war, peace, and the cause and effect that follows.
Something I found very interesting was that Tolstoy would have sections of historical analysis and theory. I really enjoyed these parts, since I have a degree in history. The way it was juxtaposed with the novel kept it interesting for me. Though, I might be in the minority there.
I'm glad I finally read this novel, and can now say, proudly, that I made it through the whole thing.
  
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Sarah (7798 KP) Feb 17, 2019

I've had this on my To Read list since forever, but always put it off as it's such an huge book. Sounds like it's worth the read though!

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Erika (17788 KP) Feb 17, 2019

@Sarah I was surprised at how much I liked the novel. I think it was clever of Tolstoy, because almost as soon as you got bored with one part, the novel would switch gears.
If you listen to audiobooks (I get them from the digital catalog through my library), it's around 66 hours.