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Lee (2222 KP) rated Nativity Rocks! (2018) in Movies
Nov 25, 2018
Another disappointing sequel
The original Nativity movie is a huge Christmas favourite in the Boardman household. It's one of the first seasonal Blu-ray's to get played each year, along with the soundtrack too. The second and third movie are thought of nowhere near as highly though. I managed to sleep through most of one of them at the cinema, and just got bored and angry at the other. My daughter on the other hand, likes all of them. So, me being the dutiful dad, decided to go along with her to see the latest offering, Nativity Rocks!
Simply put, this sits somewhere between number 2 and 3 in terms of awfulness. There isn't a single remaining original cast member, and all of what made the original movie so enjoyable is now completely lost. The thing about this one is that it is even more muddled than previous movies. There is so much going on, so many plot threads quickly introduced that nothing ever gets explored enough. Leaping from scene to scene, to the point where you don't have enough time to care about any of them. There's a story about Syrian refugees and a Syrian father and son getting separated, a boy whose parents are so caught up with work that they're neglecting him, homelessness, not to mention all the school nativity stuff. So many famous faces cropping up too and all needing their screen time. Then suddenly, right at the end they put on a big nativity show, making you wonder how on earth they had time to plan and rehearse any of it!
Luckily, my daughter agreed that this wasn't very good so even if they decide to keep churning these out, at least I won't have to go and see them.
Simply put, this sits somewhere between number 2 and 3 in terms of awfulness. There isn't a single remaining original cast member, and all of what made the original movie so enjoyable is now completely lost. The thing about this one is that it is even more muddled than previous movies. There is so much going on, so many plot threads quickly introduced that nothing ever gets explored enough. Leaping from scene to scene, to the point where you don't have enough time to care about any of them. There's a story about Syrian refugees and a Syrian father and son getting separated, a boy whose parents are so caught up with work that they're neglecting him, homelessness, not to mention all the school nativity stuff. So many famous faces cropping up too and all needing their screen time. Then suddenly, right at the end they put on a big nativity show, making you wonder how on earth they had time to plan and rehearse any of it!
Luckily, my daughter agreed that this wasn't very good so even if they decide to keep churning these out, at least I won't have to go and see them.
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Children of the Prison Boom: Mass Incarceration and the Future of American Inequality
Sara Wakefield and Christopher Wildeman
Book
An unrelenting prison boom, marked by stark racial disparities, pulled a disproportionate number of...
Red, White, and Black: Cinema and the Structure of U.S. Antagonisms
Book
Red, White & Black is a provocative critique of socially engaged films and related critical...
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Beast (Six Stories, #4) in Books
Sep 24, 2020
I find it hard to determine, who was the protagonist of this story. Scott King is interviewing people, who knew Youtube Vlogger Elizabeth or her killers, and trying to find out why and who locked Elizabeth in the Vampire Tower, where she was found dead. The characters in this novel are absolutely brilliant. They are diverse, complex, incredibly absorbing and mysterious. I really liked the way Scott King was choosing the people he interviewed, it showed different opinions and views, that kept me immensely intrigued.
The narrative was told from multiple sources, I should say. We are able to read what Elizabeth was saying to her followers, while she is doing an online challenge, as well as to read what Scott King uncovers during his interviews. I loved everything about this narrative, the way vampires were incorporated, giving this book a dark and ghostly feeling, the kind of Q&A writing style, and all the twists and discoveries that unravel as we read along. The topics discussed in this book were very dark, troublesome but at the same time very modern and realistic. Such as need of validation, the power of manipulation, abuse and bullying, social exclusion, social degradation and many, many more.
I really loved the setting of this book as well. It is set in Ergarth, a miserable town, that feels forgotten by the world, where unemployment and homelessness thrive, where the trouble is always next to you, and it is haunted by the Vampire Tower. LOVED IT! The whole book is divided into six chapters, and they are quite long, but the story absorbed me so much, that the pages just flew by. (And that comes from a person who despises long chapters
The narrative was told from multiple sources, I should say. We are able to read what Elizabeth was saying to her followers, while she is doing an online challenge, as well as to read what Scott King uncovers during his interviews. I loved everything about this narrative, the way vampires were incorporated, giving this book a dark and ghostly feeling, the kind of Q&A writing style, and all the twists and discoveries that unravel as we read along. The topics discussed in this book were very dark, troublesome but at the same time very modern and realistic. Such as need of validation, the power of manipulation, abuse and bullying, social exclusion, social degradation and many, many more.
I really loved the setting of this book as well. It is set in Ergarth, a miserable town, that feels forgotten by the world, where unemployment and homelessness thrive, where the trouble is always next to you, and it is haunted by the Vampire Tower. LOVED IT! The whole book is divided into six chapters, and they are quite long, but the story absorbed me so much, that the pages just flew by. (And that comes from a person who despises long chapters
The Early Life of Walt Disney
7.0
Rate It
Book
Most biographies of Walt Disney portray him as a creative genius who revolutionized the...
I Wish My Teacher Knew by Kyle Schwartz is a must read for all teachers. The book is a set of essays based from student responses to the question "I wish my teacher knew___________." The teacher asked her questions the above question and the information she gathered from the assignment shocked her but helped to gain necessary information from her students about them.
The book begins by explaining the project that the teacher/author created in order to get to know her students better. The author describes what students said that the teacher needed to know in how to properly teach/engage the students.
Beyond knowing how to effectively teach students a teacher needs to be aware of issues that students may be experiences. The book states that it is important to know how to deal with these issues because if the issue of death, homelessness, family issues are causing issues for a student it will be difficult for a student to focus on their studies. These issues are just as important at learning in the classroom. As a teacher I found this very true. In addition to knowing how to effectively engage student based on their learning styles, the book also states that as a teacher it is important to know the students hobbies/ interests.
The book is thoroughly researched which is valuable to any person who is going into the field of teaching or has been in the field for many years. As a 2nd year teacher I found the book very interesting. I plan to do this as a first activity with my students to learn about them. The activity is a way to get to know your students without pre-judging their personalities. It is a stress free way for students to share important information.
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in response for an honest review.
The book begins by explaining the project that the teacher/author created in order to get to know her students better. The author describes what students said that the teacher needed to know in how to properly teach/engage the students.
Beyond knowing how to effectively teach students a teacher needs to be aware of issues that students may be experiences. The book states that it is important to know how to deal with these issues because if the issue of death, homelessness, family issues are causing issues for a student it will be difficult for a student to focus on their studies. These issues are just as important at learning in the classroom. As a teacher I found this very true. In addition to knowing how to effectively engage student based on their learning styles, the book also states that as a teacher it is important to know the students hobbies/ interests.
The book is thoroughly researched which is valuable to any person who is going into the field of teaching or has been in the field for many years. As a 2nd year teacher I found the book very interesting. I plan to do this as a first activity with my students to learn about them. The activity is a way to get to know your students without pre-judging their personalities. It is a stress free way for students to share important information.
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in response for an honest review.
The Pragmatist: Bill de Blasio's Quest to Save the Soul of New York
Book
When Michael Bloomberg handed the city over to Bill de Blasio, New York and the country were...
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Spectacular Vision of Oskar Dunkelblick in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The protagonist in this book is Oskar, and the whole story is told from his perspective. He is a misery artist, which I found very amusing. I had no idea it is a thing. 😀 I really liked the protagonist’s personality, until I found out, that he is not that innocent as I thought. Oskar came to the saddest place in Germany, looking for the inspiration for his next painting, but he got sucked in into local affairs very quickly. I really liked how the author picked the characters for this book. I loved the way she portrayed the complexity of the people and how their life stories unravelled.
The narrative of this novel was very interesting to follow. We have Oskar telling his story and describing his relationships with the citizens at the present time, but at the same time, he time travels to his childhood as well as sharing an unbelievable story from his recent past. Because of this constant change in the plot, the story went pretty quickly for me. There are some parts which didn’t really make sense to me, but I liked the message behind it. I really liked the topics used in this book, such as parenting, homelessness, misery, lack of socializing, alcoholism, loneliness etc.
The setting of this book was very unusual, I loved that the story was set in Germany, and the atmosphere of this book felt like everything around is grey and colourless, and Oskar is this little sparkly gem, which makes everything better and brighter. I can not exactly describe the feeling it created. 🙂 I really liked the writing style of this book, it is very creative but at the same time quite simple and understandable. The chapters are pretty short, and the pages flew by quick. The ending rounded the story nicely and left me satisfied with the outcome.
So, to conclude, I really enjoyed this amusing book, set in a very intriguing place, and filled with very unique and complex characters, whose life stories created something unforgettable.
The narrative of this novel was very interesting to follow. We have Oskar telling his story and describing his relationships with the citizens at the present time, but at the same time, he time travels to his childhood as well as sharing an unbelievable story from his recent past. Because of this constant change in the plot, the story went pretty quickly for me. There are some parts which didn’t really make sense to me, but I liked the message behind it. I really liked the topics used in this book, such as parenting, homelessness, misery, lack of socializing, alcoholism, loneliness etc.
The setting of this book was very unusual, I loved that the story was set in Germany, and the atmosphere of this book felt like everything around is grey and colourless, and Oskar is this little sparkly gem, which makes everything better and brighter. I can not exactly describe the feeling it created. 🙂 I really liked the writing style of this book, it is very creative but at the same time quite simple and understandable. The chapters are pretty short, and the pages flew by quick. The ending rounded the story nicely and left me satisfied with the outcome.
So, to conclude, I really enjoyed this amusing book, set in a very intriguing place, and filled with very unique and complex characters, whose life stories created something unforgettable.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Key in Books
Sep 24, 2020
I really like reading books which has an interesting setting, and what could be more intriguing than a mental hospital in 60ies. That was what kindled my interest to read this book. There is always something sinister behind those closed doors…
This novel didn’t disappoint me with the originality of its characters. I loved this wide variety of amusing characters with different states of mind. The main characters in this novel were Ellen, Amy and Sarah. Amy was a patient in the hospital where Ellen was working. And Sarah was the person from the present, investigating, what happened in Ambergate all those years ago. I absolutely adored Ellen and Amy’s story in this novel. It was very indulging, absolutely absorbing and heartbreaking. I adored Ellen’s kindness and the constant fight for making patient’s lives better. I really enjoyed reading multiple perspectives in this novel, I think it opened up the characters wonderfully.
It is obvious from the blurb, that narrative was switching between past and present events, bringing different stories and different findings, and Hughes has done amazing transitions between these parts. I really liked that author was telling multiple stories in this novel, constantly bringing in turns and twists to keep the reader entertained and hooked. K. Hughes touched really sensitive topics in this novel, such as mental health, loss in a family, teenage homelessness, family relationships, disability and many more.
The writing style of this novel was absolutely beautiful and the whole book very well rounded up. It has pleasant short chapters and the pages just flew through my fingers. I really liked the way author ended this book. I think it was very deserved and heartwarming finish to the story, and I appreciate that author kept it realistic. So, to conclude, this is a very intriguing and full of surprises story, with plenty of original characters, which kept me hooked, and I savoured this book till the last page. I do strongly recommend it and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
This novel didn’t disappoint me with the originality of its characters. I loved this wide variety of amusing characters with different states of mind. The main characters in this novel were Ellen, Amy and Sarah. Amy was a patient in the hospital where Ellen was working. And Sarah was the person from the present, investigating, what happened in Ambergate all those years ago. I absolutely adored Ellen and Amy’s story in this novel. It was very indulging, absolutely absorbing and heartbreaking. I adored Ellen’s kindness and the constant fight for making patient’s lives better. I really enjoyed reading multiple perspectives in this novel, I think it opened up the characters wonderfully.
It is obvious from the blurb, that narrative was switching between past and present events, bringing different stories and different findings, and Hughes has done amazing transitions between these parts. I really liked that author was telling multiple stories in this novel, constantly bringing in turns and twists to keep the reader entertained and hooked. K. Hughes touched really sensitive topics in this novel, such as mental health, loss in a family, teenage homelessness, family relationships, disability and many more.
The writing style of this novel was absolutely beautiful and the whole book very well rounded up. It has pleasant short chapters and the pages just flew through my fingers. I really liked the way author ended this book. I think it was very deserved and heartwarming finish to the story, and I appreciate that author kept it realistic. So, to conclude, this is a very intriguing and full of surprises story, with plenty of original characters, which kept me hooked, and I savoured this book till the last page. I do strongly recommend it and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Hit So Hard: A Memoir
Book
A stunningly candid and inspiring memoir of recovery from addiction and the '90s, by Hole drummer...
Music biography
Ross (3284 KP) Nov 26, 2018