Search

Search only in certain items:

Expectant Moon (Gladstone Shifters #1)
Expectant Moon (Gladstone Shifters #1)
Alexander Elliott | 2018 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Expectant Moon is the first book in the Gladstone Shifters series and it takes you to a current world where things are changing. Here we find Evan, a Delta, and Ben, an Alpha. Their two lives are separate at the start but once they meet, fireworks explode!

I found the beginning of this book to be slightly discombobulated, simply because we shift from one time to another, with different characters being introduced each time. HOWEVER, stick with it because each of those characters and situations is incredibly important to the overall story arc.

Once this story progressed, I was completely hooked. I loved this history of how times and attitudes had changed, how ways of life were forgotten and how they really needed to be remembered. Luckily for everyone, Jack is on hand to help and Evan will make sure it continues.

There was enough steam to melt my Kindle - which I loved! You really get a two-for-one deal with this book as Jack and William are magnificently interwoven with Evan and Ben - only in the literary sense! There is also pain, hate, tenderness, love, and hope.

Really, this was an amazing read that I thoroughly enjoyed. An amazing start to a new series with intricate details and new situations giving a brilliant twist to the 'standard' MM Paranormal Romance genre.

Absolutely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Drum Spectacular by Kenny Clare & Ronnie Stephenson
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I hate saying this, but it did what it said on the sleeve! It was them two and it was a lot of drums. It was one of the first records I would listen to because a lot of jazz drumming is very difficult and complicated, if you listen to somebody like Buddy Rich you can't help but think how does he do that; what is he doing? How do you do that? It's very complex which always scared me off. Kenny Clare and Ronnie Stephenson had that same technical proficiency but they didn't use it the same way. They were much more in the mould of Gene Krupa. The parts that they'd play were very musical. I don't know if they were musical to people who weren't drummers, but to me it all made sense. Some of the stuff they did was almost melodic, like patterns on the toms and breaks, and then just trading off each other, which I thought was pretty cool because it was like hearing two people being inspired. Again that was something that really came in with The Damned, with Brian and me. It was almost like a competition sometimes: he would play something and then I would go okay, if you're going to do that then I'm going to do this. And I think that probably came to us from listening to these drum battles and taking on the mentality of that; feeding on what's going on around you, regardless of what it is."

Source
  
Spirit Prophecy (The Gateway Trilogy #2)
Spirit Prophecy (The Gateway Trilogy #2)
E.E. Holmes | 2014 | Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
198 of 200
Kindle
Spirit Prophecy ( Gateway trilogy book 2)
By E E Holmes

Two sisters, haunted by more than their past...

Just weeks after discovering each other’s existence, Jess and Hannah Ballard arrive at Fairhaven Hall, where they will learn the clandestine ways of the Durupinen, an ancient sect of women who control the Gateways between the worlds of the living and the dead.
Though they are considered outcasts by most of their classmates, Jess and Hannah are determined to learn what they can to fulfill their responsibility to the many ghosts that haunt them. But danger, it seems, has followed them as closely as a shadow to their new home, and they have more questions than ever.
Who is the desperate child spirit pursuing Jess, and what do her terrifying visions mean? What has happened to Dr. David Pierce, Jess’ friend and mentor, who has suddenly and mysteriously vanished? And just what is it about Hannah’s unique abilities that has the other Durupinen frightened of her? The Ballard sisters are about to find out, and the answers could destroy their newfound life before it has even begun.


I love this series! I enjoyed the first one but this was better if possible. The whole concept is so enjoyable to read the characters are those you love and those you hate! I enjoy the writ style and how much detail goes into the writing it never feels rushed! Interested to see more of the Necromancers and the trouble they cause.
  
40x40

LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Alice in Wonderland (2010) in Movies

Dec 3, 2020 (Updated Dec 3, 2020)  
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
2010 | Action, Family, Sci-Fi
A greasy, molten CGI fever dream that bounces from random bullshit to random bullshit with the appeal of rabies mouth foam - I actually sort of dig it? Ten and a half years ago this was read as possibly one of the worst offenses to the Disney brand at the time; but now in lieu of the ever-growing gallery of visually sterile, grossly overbloated, laborious live action remakes we have now from the company the fact that this has any idiosyncrasy at all - insane as it is - makes this automatically better by comparison and you can't convince me otherwise. For better and for worse there's a reason people remember "Tim Burton's 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥" and not "Guy Ritchie's 𝘈𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯", for instance. Not to say this is that good, it still sucks a shit ton where it counts - has most of the usual collection of issues these have including but not limited to trying to turn this purposefully senseless source material into another bland "find your destiny" snore and maybe the most nothing lead character to ever exist (doesn't help that Wasikowska dons one expression the entire movie). But it's also 100% cockamamie self-assured auteur work that occasionally finds home to some striking imagery like tiny Alice crossing the water over bloated decapitated heads or the gorgeous final battle on a chess board-esque field. As you've heard, angry bobblehead Helena Bonham Carter steals the show. I like this a lot more than its detractors but hate it a lot more than its supporters.
  
40x40

Andy K (10821 KP) rated Climax (2018) in Movies

Jun 28, 2019  
Climax (2018)
Climax (2018)
2018 | Drama, Horror, Musical
Unique Disturbing Pointless? Vulgar Colorful Jarring Unforgettable
If I could just get my hands on a list of movies that all the reviews were either 1&2 or 9&10 those would be the kind of movies I would spend the rest of my life watching. Filmmaker Gasper Noe is no stranger to controversy and making one-of-a-kind cinematic experiences and Climax is no exception. Certainly not a family or date film, but it is one I am convinced you will either love or hate and certainly never forget.

The story is simple. Dancers rehearse and choreograph an elaborate dance number routine at a remote location only to discover someone has poisoned their celebration punch with LSD.

Accusations start flying as to the perpetrator, but slowly things deteriorate. The various dance ensemble members start exhibiting the effects in many ways including violence, euphoria and sexual desire. The members are left to fend for themselves when hallucinatory madness grips the entire gang.

The use of color along with long uncut camera movements and takes draw you into this film immediately. The nonstop pumping dance score keeps you shaking in your seats even when you are witnessing the craziness displayed on screen.

Recent breakout star Sofia Boutella shins brightest as the camera follows her throughout the 2nd half of the film specifically detailing her interactions with others and her slow descent into mental anguish.

If you are open to a new type of film experience, try it and let me know what you think.

  
Clan of the Jersey Boys (Fangsters #1)
Clan of the Jersey Boys (Fangsters #1)
Ryan Field | 2013
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
DNF

I hate DNF’s. I always feel bad for not finishing them but sometimes I just cant get into a story. I stopped at 38%.

Right. Well, I expected this to be better–that sounds bad I know–but I was expecting them to be these tough vampires who kicked arse while running an illegal empire. In a way it was, but it didn’t seem bad-arse enough for me. Sure there were a few scenes with retribution/warnings handed out to people but I didn’t feel it.

Another thing that got me was all the mention of family and it’s many members. Yeah I know families are important in Italian/Sicilian cultures but more people kept getting mentioned and I found myself getting confused. What with Anton and someone else being turned by one person and his dad and uncle turned by someone else and this guy turned by the brother of that guy making them cousins…I got lost. It was a little too much for me to keep up with.

The relationship between Anton and Leo happened a little too fast for me to believe. Not the sex–he’s an attractive guy after all–but the “love you’s” and how strong their feelings were after the one night they spent together. Or maybe I just missed something?

It’s not a bad story, it was just a little different to what I normally read; the mobster/gangster bit anyway. If you like vampires, mobsters and m/m stories then you will probably like this.
  
    Geranium

    Geranium

    Kasia Boddy

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    Book

    Reaktion's new 'Botanical' series is the first of its kind, integrating horticultural and botanical...

The Old Guard (2020)
The Old Guard (2020)
2020 | Action, Fantasy
Decent entertainment
I never hold out much hope for Netflix original films, however I was pleasantly surprised with this as it managed to hold my attention throughout with a decent amount of entertainment.

The star of this film is undoubtedly Charlize Theron. There no one better to call when you want a kick ass female lead, and she plays this role to perfection in the same way she did Atomic Blonde. She is without a doubt the best thing about this film. However the rest of the cast are decent - it’s been a while since I’ve seen Matthias Schoenaerts in anything and Chiwetel Ejiofor is always good, but I do think they have been let down a little by the majority of the focus being on Andy.

The plot is probably the biggest letdown with this film as immortality aside, this is nothing new. It’s full of one dimensional bad guys (Harry Melling hamming it up to the max) and plot twists that you can see coming a mile off. However despite the plot unoriginality, the action and the general fast pace of the film along with the endearing cast, the fitting flashbacks and the decision not to explain the immortality origins (I hate it when films concoct overelaborate explanations that are entirely unnecessary) make for a pretty enjoyable and entertaining watch. The 2 hours virtually fly by. I’m not convinced by the sequel baiting ending as I dislike films doing this, but would I watch a sequel? Actually yes I would.