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Darren (1599 KP) rated All Hallows' Eve (2013) in Movies
Oct 31, 2019
Characters – Sarah is our babysitter that is watching these horror shorts, she is trying to be responsible to the children she is babysitting for, the other characters we meet are from the shorts which are horror made and our typical heroines that don’t stand much of a chance against their enemies. The clowns are a big part of the film too appearing in certain parts right along the way and soon are just as involved in the horror.
Performances – This is a low budget movie and most of the shorts that were used, were done with actors that were just getting started, you can see the talent there without them being truly standout. Katie Maguire does the most work and is good for her part in the film.
Story – When it comes to anthology films we always need variety in the horrors we are watching, we get that which is good, the style of the shorts feels like 80s too, so we get to play with the trademarks of the horror for that era. The story outside that connections the stories works well too because it brings the unexplained to the mix to why the video was given to a child. We clearly have stronger stories which i feel was the third one and as always the middle ones are often the weakest.
Horror – When it comes to horror we get to see different styles of horror with an 80s theme throughout, each one gets to play on what we have come to know about where things will go, but with the low budget effects we know just what we have gotten ourselves into.
Settings – The film takes us to different locations which makes each story feel unique to what we are experiencing.
Special Effects – The effects are low budget which can make things look cheap, though they are used to make them have a grindhouse feeling which was nice to see.
Scene of the Movie – Most of the third tape.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – I felt the first story is too short and I wanted to see more.
Final Thoughts – This is a nice solid horror anthology which goes mostly for gore over suspense, it works and I can see the horror fans enjoying this one.
Overall: Nice low budget horror anthology.
Performances – This is a low budget movie and most of the shorts that were used, were done with actors that were just getting started, you can see the talent there without them being truly standout. Katie Maguire does the most work and is good for her part in the film.
Story – When it comes to anthology films we always need variety in the horrors we are watching, we get that which is good, the style of the shorts feels like 80s too, so we get to play with the trademarks of the horror for that era. The story outside that connections the stories works well too because it brings the unexplained to the mix to why the video was given to a child. We clearly have stronger stories which i feel was the third one and as always the middle ones are often the weakest.
Horror – When it comes to horror we get to see different styles of horror with an 80s theme throughout, each one gets to play on what we have come to know about where things will go, but with the low budget effects we know just what we have gotten ourselves into.
Settings – The film takes us to different locations which makes each story feel unique to what we are experiencing.
Special Effects – The effects are low budget which can make things look cheap, though they are used to make them have a grindhouse feeling which was nice to see.
Scene of the Movie – Most of the third tape.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – I felt the first story is too short and I wanted to see more.
Final Thoughts – This is a nice solid horror anthology which goes mostly for gore over suspense, it works and I can see the horror fans enjoying this one.
Overall: Nice low budget horror anthology.
Merissa (12841 KP) rated Driving Me to You in Books
Dec 17, 2018
This heart-warming story is based around only a few characters but trust me when I say with characters this full of life, you don't need many. Sam has just come back from India after being severely ill but it has changed how she views life and she has a lot of ideas on how to share this with others. Verlaine is down on his luck after being out of work for four months and has applied for his dream job - renovating classic cars. Gemma is struggling to keep the business her late father started afloat and has asked (but paying for) the help of an old friend, Marcus. Marcus is Sam's ex-boyfriend but he has decided that he will have her back, after all, who could resist him? And then you have Paul and Scott, a couple that definitely belong together, that complement each other and work well together. The one you don't hear much of is Jack, Verlaine's flat mate, who seems a bit grumpy but that is understandable as he is worried about where they will live if things don't work out between Verlaine and the boss' sister! So there are the characters, let the story commence.
This story is full of bumps and bends as Sam and Verlaine learn about each other, make friends with each other and the others in the small circle, and let the sparks fly between them. Sam is also trying to find a way of mending her relationship with Gemma, is it really broken beyond repair? The things you find out about Marcus will make your toes curl but I won't say whether that's in a good or bad way.
The thing that I love about Julie Farrell's stories is that although you have the main characters, you also get taken along on the side stories of the other characters. This makes the book simply a delight to read and they are never boring! They are realistic but not depressing. Julie's heroines have backbone, a sense of humour and wit, and yes, slightly kooky in a good way. Her hero's are not perfect, they have their flaws which just makes them more loveable.
If you are looking for a modern romance with a hint of suspense and mystery, then check out this book. I honestly can't see how you would be disappointed.
This story is full of bumps and bends as Sam and Verlaine learn about each other, make friends with each other and the others in the small circle, and let the sparks fly between them. Sam is also trying to find a way of mending her relationship with Gemma, is it really broken beyond repair? The things you find out about Marcus will make your toes curl but I won't say whether that's in a good or bad way.
The thing that I love about Julie Farrell's stories is that although you have the main characters, you also get taken along on the side stories of the other characters. This makes the book simply a delight to read and they are never boring! They are realistic but not depressing. Julie's heroines have backbone, a sense of humour and wit, and yes, slightly kooky in a good way. Her hero's are not perfect, they have their flaws which just makes them more loveable.
If you are looking for a modern romance with a hint of suspense and mystery, then check out this book. I honestly can't see how you would be disappointed.
BookishWoo (317 KP) rated Impervious in Books
Jul 12, 2020
When I agreed to take part in the Love Books Group book tour, I honestly thought that I would be immersing myself in a new Fantasy fiction. That one genre I hold close to my heart, where I can truly lose myself in the pages and is my escapism from everyday life. Where the hero’s and heroines win through and live happily every after.
Don’t get me wrong, on the face of it, Impervious is a Fantasy story. You find yourself wrapped up in a Quest with cleverly thought out nods to legends we oh so love. King Arthur, Excalibur and The Lady of the Lake, are those that struck me the most. With bone chilling monsters thrown into the mix.
As I got further into it, I realised there is something underlying, running parallel that you need to scratch, no dig under the surface to find.
It’s that scab that you just have to pick at (no intentions to gross anyone out there, but its the best analogy I can think of at the moment)
It’s not until close to the end that I had that Eureka moment. It was at that moment my heart was wrenched from my chest and the full force of the story hit me like a ton of bricks.
I have no doubt that some of you will have you “Ah Ha” moment a lot earlier than me. I was so wrapped up in the quest that I literally could not see the woods for the trees. But that’s OKAY! I am glad I didn’t figure it out, it kinda would have spoilt it for me.
Trina our protagonist, who pretty much has the full focus throughout, with reason, is just so god damn likeable. Lets give it up for Girl Power!
She takes everything in her stride, or so you are led to believe. Im having to be so careful I don’t give anything away here!
With that said, I am going to just leave you with this……….
This is a well written book, with a truly intricate plot within a plot. Delving into the Psyche and coping mechanisms of a teenage girl. A story with a deep message!
I received my copy from Love Books Group, A.J. Hartley and Uclan Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Don’t get me wrong, on the face of it, Impervious is a Fantasy story. You find yourself wrapped up in a Quest with cleverly thought out nods to legends we oh so love. King Arthur, Excalibur and The Lady of the Lake, are those that struck me the most. With bone chilling monsters thrown into the mix.
As I got further into it, I realised there is something underlying, running parallel that you need to scratch, no dig under the surface to find.
It’s that scab that you just have to pick at (no intentions to gross anyone out there, but its the best analogy I can think of at the moment)
It’s not until close to the end that I had that Eureka moment. It was at that moment my heart was wrenched from my chest and the full force of the story hit me like a ton of bricks.
I have no doubt that some of you will have you “Ah Ha” moment a lot earlier than me. I was so wrapped up in the quest that I literally could not see the woods for the trees. But that’s OKAY! I am glad I didn’t figure it out, it kinda would have spoilt it for me.
Trina our protagonist, who pretty much has the full focus throughout, with reason, is just so god damn likeable. Lets give it up for Girl Power!
She takes everything in her stride, or so you are led to believe. Im having to be so careful I don’t give anything away here!
With that said, I am going to just leave you with this……….
This is a well written book, with a truly intricate plot within a plot. Delving into the Psyche and coping mechanisms of a teenage girl. A story with a deep message!
I received my copy from Love Books Group, A.J. Hartley and Uclan Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated What You Wish For in Books
Aug 6, 2020
I feel bad, but I think I'm somehow immune to Katherine Center's charms, which seem to make everyone swoon over her books. With the exception of How To Walk Away, which I really enjoyed, I like her books, but never really love them. And that's definitely what happened here. In fact, I often found WISH to be utterly frustrating.
Maybe it's because I'm the child of educators, but I just kept shaking my head at the idea of a principal who could come in and unilaterally make decisions without any resistance. It made it impossible for me to focus on the rest of the story. Apparently Duncan is hired by the school founders' son-in-law--essentially a school board of one. What private school has one person on their board? What sort of private school has parents who just quietly allow someone to paint the halls gray and put bars on the windows??! None of this made any sense to me. All the resistance came down to the teachers?? I've seen parents riot over far less.
I couldn't handle it--could you tell? I also couldn't handle Sam for most of the book. I just get frustrated with Center's heroines. Sam was so whiny about nearly everything. She was more than happy to judge everyone else, yet completely resistant to owning her own life, making any changes, and opening up. Ugh. I wanted to shake her sometimes.
The book was very slow to start. Much rehashing of Sam's own problems, Duncan's arrival and the fact that--can you believe it--he is different than he was before. Hey, did you know Duncan used to be cool and funny, but now he's not?! I didn't! Oh wait, let me tell you again 15 times. Also, let's go into the fact that Sam has some issues and can never ever love again. Did I mention ever?
Also, later, without giving too much away, we completely gloss over how serious PTSD is and whitewash over the severity of things like depression, because focusing on happy things will just take away those issues completely, right? Also most plot points are telegraphed a mile away.
Sigh, I'm probably being too harsh here. The book gets a bit better as things go on. And there's a really cute kid whom I enjoyed. But still. Repetitive, predictable, and not the best at presenting mental health issues. 2.5 stars, rounding to 3 here.
Maybe it's because I'm the child of educators, but I just kept shaking my head at the idea of a principal who could come in and unilaterally make decisions without any resistance. It made it impossible for me to focus on the rest of the story. Apparently Duncan is hired by the school founders' son-in-law--essentially a school board of one. What private school has one person on their board? What sort of private school has parents who just quietly allow someone to paint the halls gray and put bars on the windows??! None of this made any sense to me. All the resistance came down to the teachers?? I've seen parents riot over far less.
I couldn't handle it--could you tell? I also couldn't handle Sam for most of the book. I just get frustrated with Center's heroines. Sam was so whiny about nearly everything. She was more than happy to judge everyone else, yet completely resistant to owning her own life, making any changes, and opening up. Ugh. I wanted to shake her sometimes.
The book was very slow to start. Much rehashing of Sam's own problems, Duncan's arrival and the fact that--can you believe it--he is different than he was before. Hey, did you know Duncan used to be cool and funny, but now he's not?! I didn't! Oh wait, let me tell you again 15 times. Also, let's go into the fact that Sam has some issues and can never ever love again. Did I mention ever?
Also, later, without giving too much away, we completely gloss over how serious PTSD is and whitewash over the severity of things like depression, because focusing on happy things will just take away those issues completely, right? Also most plot points are telegraphed a mile away.
Sigh, I'm probably being too harsh here. The book gets a bit better as things go on. And there's a really cute kid whom I enjoyed. But still. Repetitive, predictable, and not the best at presenting mental health issues. 2.5 stars, rounding to 3 here.
Midlife Magic (Not Too Late #1)
9.0
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FOR ALL THE EVERYDAY HEROINES OVER FORTY WHO KNOW IT'S NOT TOO LATE FOR MAGIC! If you can imagine...
Urban Fantasy Romance Series
Jamie (131 KP) rated A Thousand Splendid Suns in Books
May 24, 2017
An eye opening and jarring exploration into the plight of women in the middle east
If I had to pick one word to sum up this book: it would be powerful. I thought that The Kite Runner was an emotional roller coaster, A Thousand Splendid Suns leaves its predecessor in the dust. This book made me smile, it made me cry, and at times I became so violently angry over the cruel circumstances faced by the book’s heroines that I had to put it down for a while to calm myself. The story utterly destroyed me and shook me to my core. It is rare indeed for a book to make me feel such a wide variety of emotions.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a beautiful historical fiction set to the backdrop in a war torn Afghanistan fresh off the fall of Najibullah’s government. The book takes us through the violent struggle between rival militias that eventually leads to the rise of the Taliban. The story follows first a young girl named Mariam, a bastard child forced with her abusive mother to live secluded in the countryside. Later she is forced into marriage with a much older man obsessed with having another son. The story then picks up with the birth of another young girl named Laila. The book continues to switch narratives between the two women until they are eventually brought together by circumstance. Together the girls face immeasurable hardship, vividly showing the dreadful reality for many women in the middle east.
The overall tone of the novel is intense, with the story taking many heart-wrenching turns. It opened my eyes to a part of the world that I had previously known little about. My childhood in the 1990’s was comfortable and safe, a far cry from the horrors faced by women and children during the same time period on the other side of the globe; it was like stepping into another world.
I’ve found that twice now, I liked the first half of Khaled Hosseini’s books better than the second half. The later plot lines usually seem a little far-fetched to me, but it doesn’t change the overall satisfaction I get from the book. The book covers the topics of the relationship between women, a perfect compliment to The Kite Runner‘s themes of relationships between men. This beautiful book is a masterpiece and the very best of Hosseini’s work. Be prepared to cry though, this one is hard on the emotions.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a beautiful historical fiction set to the backdrop in a war torn Afghanistan fresh off the fall of Najibullah’s government. The book takes us through the violent struggle between rival militias that eventually leads to the rise of the Taliban. The story follows first a young girl named Mariam, a bastard child forced with her abusive mother to live secluded in the countryside. Later she is forced into marriage with a much older man obsessed with having another son. The story then picks up with the birth of another young girl named Laila. The book continues to switch narratives between the two women until they are eventually brought together by circumstance. Together the girls face immeasurable hardship, vividly showing the dreadful reality for many women in the middle east.
The overall tone of the novel is intense, with the story taking many heart-wrenching turns. It opened my eyes to a part of the world that I had previously known little about. My childhood in the 1990’s was comfortable and safe, a far cry from the horrors faced by women and children during the same time period on the other side of the globe; it was like stepping into another world.
I’ve found that twice now, I liked the first half of Khaled Hosseini’s books better than the second half. The later plot lines usually seem a little far-fetched to me, but it doesn’t change the overall satisfaction I get from the book. The book covers the topics of the relationship between women, a perfect compliment to The Kite Runner‘s themes of relationships between men. This beautiful book is a masterpiece and the very best of Hosseini’s work. Be prepared to cry though, this one is hard on the emotions.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) in Movies
Dec 10, 2019 (Updated Dec 10, 2019)
The Force Awakens is a damn good return to the Star Wars saga, reintroducing us to beloved characters that we haven't seen in decades, whilst simultaneously introducing new and exciting blood.
The new characters take centre stage here - the most important of course being Rey. It's great that in this day and age, young girls all over the world have a strong female protagonist to look up to within Star Wars. There have of course been some great heroines before, but Rey is well developed over the course of TFA, is extremely likable, incredibly badass, and represents the ever heroic light side.
Over on the dark side, we are introduced to Kylo Ren, a villain who idolises the now legendary Darth Vader, to the point where he even wheres a mask. Ren feels emotionally unstable and dangerous throughout, and gives a strong villain for this new trilogy.
We also have Finn, a Stormtrooper who defects after seeing war atrocities commuted by the First Order. This storyline feels important, and it's nice to see that Stormtroopers are human under the armour.
And we also have Poe Dameron. Poe is my least favorite out of the new characters in all honesty. He doesn't feel all that relevant, but he's entertaining enough.
The inclusion of Chewbacca, Han Solo, C3-P0 and Leia, give us a nice shot if nostalgia, as all of our protagonists fight to thwart The First Order, and search for the AWOL Like Skywalker at the same time.
The set pieces and action sequences are nothing short of breathtaking. The CGI is top notch, and Star Wars has honestly never looked this good. All the great thing that JJ Abrams bought to his Star Trek reboot are replicated here and then some.
Saying that, he does play it safe when it comes to the plot, and a lot of the film has a familiar feeling to it. A handful of plot elements borrow heavily from A New Hope, sometimes feeling like a re tread, but for those of us who are less cynical, we can always view it as a love letter instead, from a man who adores Star Wars just as much as we do.
Once again, John Williams provides a fantastic score, and just like that, Star Wars is exciting again.
TFA has flaws here and there, but it's the best Star Wars movie since the original trilogy concluded, and it puts a huge smile on my face.
The new characters take centre stage here - the most important of course being Rey. It's great that in this day and age, young girls all over the world have a strong female protagonist to look up to within Star Wars. There have of course been some great heroines before, but Rey is well developed over the course of TFA, is extremely likable, incredibly badass, and represents the ever heroic light side.
Over on the dark side, we are introduced to Kylo Ren, a villain who idolises the now legendary Darth Vader, to the point where he even wheres a mask. Ren feels emotionally unstable and dangerous throughout, and gives a strong villain for this new trilogy.
We also have Finn, a Stormtrooper who defects after seeing war atrocities commuted by the First Order. This storyline feels important, and it's nice to see that Stormtroopers are human under the armour.
And we also have Poe Dameron. Poe is my least favorite out of the new characters in all honesty. He doesn't feel all that relevant, but he's entertaining enough.
The inclusion of Chewbacca, Han Solo, C3-P0 and Leia, give us a nice shot if nostalgia, as all of our protagonists fight to thwart The First Order, and search for the AWOL Like Skywalker at the same time.
The set pieces and action sequences are nothing short of breathtaking. The CGI is top notch, and Star Wars has honestly never looked this good. All the great thing that JJ Abrams bought to his Star Trek reboot are replicated here and then some.
Saying that, he does play it safe when it comes to the plot, and a lot of the film has a familiar feeling to it. A handful of plot elements borrow heavily from A New Hope, sometimes feeling like a re tread, but for those of us who are less cynical, we can always view it as a love letter instead, from a man who adores Star Wars just as much as we do.
Once again, John Williams provides a fantastic score, and just like that, Star Wars is exciting again.
TFA has flaws here and there, but it's the best Star Wars movie since the original trilogy concluded, and it puts a huge smile on my face.
The Constant Princess (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #6)
8.4
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"I am Catalina, Princess of Spain, daughter of the two greatest monarchs the world has ever...
Color by Numbers - Princesses
Games and Education
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Let your young artist color in these enchanting princesses and heroines from here favorite stories...
American Star. Jackie Collins
6.0
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Featuring a brand new introduction from bestselling author, Isabelle Broom, talking about what...