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Sarah (7798 KP) rated First Man (2018) in Movies
Aug 16, 2019
Dull
I'm so glad I didn't watch this film at the cinema. I don't think I could've gotten through it without falling asleep, it's that dull and drawn out.
Visually this film looks brilliant, the space scenes especially look great. It also has a very good cast, although unsurprisingly most appear to have been sidelined in favour of Ryan Gosling who is pretty average at best. This film may have been slightly more enjoyable had they gotten someone a little more charismatic in the lead role. I'm just very thankful for Corey Stoll as Aldrin for putting a little life into this! The main problem though is that it is far too long, drawn out and melodramatic, and spends too much time on the earth scenes and build up. They could have easily cut a lot of this out, speed up the pace and knock half an hour off the runtime without any noticeable issues. It isn't really helped though by the fact that we all know how this story turns out (spoiler - he walks on the moon at the end), so there's little suspense or tension and makes for rather a dull film.
I think I found the informative videos made for tourists to watch at Kennedy Space Center more entertaining than this film.
Visually this film looks brilliant, the space scenes especially look great. It also has a very good cast, although unsurprisingly most appear to have been sidelined in favour of Ryan Gosling who is pretty average at best. This film may have been slightly more enjoyable had they gotten someone a little more charismatic in the lead role. I'm just very thankful for Corey Stoll as Aldrin for putting a little life into this! The main problem though is that it is far too long, drawn out and melodramatic, and spends too much time on the earth scenes and build up. They could have easily cut a lot of this out, speed up the pace and knock half an hour off the runtime without any noticeable issues. It isn't really helped though by the fact that we all know how this story turns out (spoiler - he walks on the moon at the end), so there's little suspense or tension and makes for rather a dull film.
I think I found the informative videos made for tourists to watch at Kennedy Space Center more entertaining than this film.
ClareR (5603 KP) rated Keep Clear: My Adventures With Aspergers in Books
Oct 29, 2019
An honest account of Aspergers.
Keep Clear was such an interesting, informative and frank book. It gives a look into the life of Tom Cutler as he receives his Aspergers diagnosis. Immediately, he realises why he has always struggled in social situations and why people consider him to be rude and inappropriate. He then goes on to tell the story of his life and how Aspergers influenced it.
I really enjoyed this book as it gave me a lot to think about. It wasn’t all scientific based information - although that was there too. The anecdotes were sad at times, particularly his loneliness and depression when he started at university, but there was also great humour and the ability to laugh at himself.
Actually, I think there are a lot of people out there who could do with reading this. It explains so well that ‘high functioning’ doesn’t mean ‘easily able to cope’, that those with Aspergers need as much consideration as anyone else on the autism spectrum.
I will definitely be using what I’ve learnt in this book at work, as well as in everyday life. Thanks to the Pigeonhole for introducing me to such a great book, and to Tom for reading along with us and answering questions.
I really enjoyed this book as it gave me a lot to think about. It wasn’t all scientific based information - although that was there too. The anecdotes were sad at times, particularly his loneliness and depression when he started at university, but there was also great humour and the ability to laugh at himself.
Actually, I think there are a lot of people out there who could do with reading this. It explains so well that ‘high functioning’ doesn’t mean ‘easily able to cope’, that those with Aspergers need as much consideration as anyone else on the autism spectrum.
I will definitely be using what I’ve learnt in this book at work, as well as in everyday life. Thanks to the Pigeonhole for introducing me to such a great book, and to Tom for reading along with us and answering questions.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Adulting Manual in Books
Jan 26, 2021
First of all, I love the gold foil on the cover. It is shiny and very nicely illustrated. The journal itself is very colourful, fun and informative. There are many various topics discussed in this journal, such as body image, mental health, mindfulness and many more. It has many many fun tasks in every section, to help the reader explore themselves, helps to deal with mental health struggles or stress in general. 🙂 This journal has a very fun balance between adulthood and childishness. The topics are serious and grown-up oriented, but the illustrations and colours remind of something from my teenage years. 🙂 At the end, this journal has a couple of pages of fun stickers and a couple of postcards as well, that made me extremely happy. 🙂
So, to conclude, I love this journal! It is very well designed, it helped me to relax and to explore myself and my view about me and my mental health. I am from the generation where no one discusses their mental health, so this journal helped me to see things differently. I strongly recommend this journal to anyone who has low self-esteem or needs a fun emotional outlet. It has boosted my mood, and I hope it will help someone else as well.
So, to conclude, I love this journal! It is very well designed, it helped me to relax and to explore myself and my view about me and my mental health. I am from the generation where no one discusses their mental health, so this journal helped me to see things differently. I strongly recommend this journal to anyone who has low self-esteem or needs a fun emotional outlet. It has boosted my mood, and I hope it will help someone else as well.
Anne (15117 KP) rated Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murder and the Birth of the FBI in Books
Mar 4, 2022
This book is an interesting look at the Osage murders. This is a version that's adapted for young readers and is more readable and easy to understand and follow. I read both the original book and this version and I prefer this version. This version was more interesting to me and I felt more connected to the story.
The story and look at the Osage people, the murders, and all the history is very intriguing to learn about and know. This tells the story of the true-life murders of the Osage people. This talks about how because of the wealth of the Osage a lot of people wished to control them all due to greed. It's an important part of history that's not discussed or shared about much so it was good to learn about this and it's a great addition to history books.
Reading about this was devastating and it appalled me to learn of the greed and evil people and the horrible treatment of the Osage. This is an enlightening and essential read.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House Children's, Crown Books for Young Readers for letting me read and review this informative and good book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
The story and look at the Osage people, the murders, and all the history is very intriguing to learn about and know. This tells the story of the true-life murders of the Osage people. This talks about how because of the wealth of the Osage a lot of people wished to control them all due to greed. It's an important part of history that's not discussed or shared about much so it was good to learn about this and it's a great addition to history books.
Reading about this was devastating and it appalled me to learn of the greed and evil people and the horrible treatment of the Osage. This is an enlightening and essential read.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House Children's, Crown Books for Young Readers for letting me read and review this informative and good book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
This crochet book is amazing!!! So many cute patterns for kids and adults that are kids at heart. So many amazing patterns!!!
I love how the book is set up. It has various patterns for all skill level for crocheting. Each pattern gives you the level and explains that level of skills you need to complete the project, which I felt was amazing because some books don't have this clearly marked. Each pattern also gives the finished size, the hooks that will be needed, the yarn weight, the number of strands you will need, the gauge hooks you will need, stitch summary, skills, and specific crochet techniques needed to complete the specific project. It even has the specific crochet techniques explained in the back of the book which are clear and easy to follow and other tips and techniques when it comes to some of the sewing parts and other informative information.
Love this DYI crochet book. The layout is amazing, telling you step by step and even how to assemble the project.
If you never crocheted before this might be a little challenging but if you are familiar with crocheting, this is definitely a book I would recommend. I even love the added piece about wall art. And has add-ons you can add to your projects as options to change it up some.
I love how the book is set up. It has various patterns for all skill level for crocheting. Each pattern gives you the level and explains that level of skills you need to complete the project, which I felt was amazing because some books don't have this clearly marked. Each pattern also gives the finished size, the hooks that will be needed, the yarn weight, the number of strands you will need, the gauge hooks you will need, stitch summary, skills, and specific crochet techniques needed to complete the specific project. It even has the specific crochet techniques explained in the back of the book which are clear and easy to follow and other tips and techniques when it comes to some of the sewing parts and other informative information.
Love this DYI crochet book. The layout is amazing, telling you step by step and even how to assemble the project.
If you never crocheted before this might be a little challenging but if you are familiar with crocheting, this is definitely a book I would recommend. I even love the added piece about wall art. And has add-ons you can add to your projects as options to change it up some.
Tiffany Reuter (2 KP) rated Cells at Work Vol. 1 in Books
Jan 30, 2020
Informative (2 more)
Interesting Storytelling
Creative Personification
Ever wanted to learn about the human body in a fun and interesting way? Ever thought about personifying blood cells?
Probably not but Akane Shimizu did and wrote a cute, wholesome manga while doing it too!
Cells at Work Vol. 1 is the beginning of a short series that follows a new Red Blood Cell (RBC) as she tries to figure out how to do her job within a human body. While doing so, she meets other blood cells like a White Blood Cell and cute little Platelets while the human body get attacked by everyday things like the flu or a scrape on the knee.
This manga takes the human body and makes it very interesting. Each character, which represent a different cell within the body, comes with unique characteristics and traits that match what that cell does beautifully. You can tell that the writer took the time to look up what each cell did within the body and how to personify it and make it relatable without tarnishing the job that the cwll does.
I highly suggest this manga to anyone who is new to manga as it's a nice introduction into the genre especially since the series is so short. It's also light hearted (thus far, I only read the first volume!) And enjoyable to read.
Probably not but Akane Shimizu did and wrote a cute, wholesome manga while doing it too!
Cells at Work Vol. 1 is the beginning of a short series that follows a new Red Blood Cell (RBC) as she tries to figure out how to do her job within a human body. While doing so, she meets other blood cells like a White Blood Cell and cute little Platelets while the human body get attacked by everyday things like the flu or a scrape on the knee.
This manga takes the human body and makes it very interesting. Each character, which represent a different cell within the body, comes with unique characteristics and traits that match what that cell does beautifully. You can tell that the writer took the time to look up what each cell did within the body and how to personify it and make it relatable without tarnishing the job that the cwll does.
I highly suggest this manga to anyone who is new to manga as it's a nice introduction into the genre especially since the series is so short. It's also light hearted (thus far, I only read the first volume!) And enjoyable to read.
ClareR (5603 KP) rated Not As Nature Intended in Books
Feb 9, 2020
Not As Nature Intended is not a book that’s going to give you the warm and fuzzies. It’s a book that tells it how it is: it’s graphic, even without the pictures.
Rich Hardy is an animal activist, and he considers that it is his responsibility to inform the public of the living conditions that the animals who live and die for our food and clothing endure. And it’s not easy reading. It can’t have been easy researching either. It’s clear that Rich’s life and/ or safety is in danger on several occasions, and that by the way he deals with these incidents it just shows that these aren’t the first time he’s had to deal with them. This man has made it his life’s work to stand up for animals and the way they live and die (although as he is a vegan, I’m pretty sure he’d rather they didn’t have to die for our benefit at all), and has written this book in an informative, non-preachy way.
This has certainly made me think more about the food I put on my family’s plate, and we have reduced the amount of meat in our diet as a consequence. Who knows, perhaps we’ll ditch it completely!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising the book, and Rich Hardy for reading along.
Rich Hardy is an animal activist, and he considers that it is his responsibility to inform the public of the living conditions that the animals who live and die for our food and clothing endure. And it’s not easy reading. It can’t have been easy researching either. It’s clear that Rich’s life and/ or safety is in danger on several occasions, and that by the way he deals with these incidents it just shows that these aren’t the first time he’s had to deal with them. This man has made it his life’s work to stand up for animals and the way they live and die (although as he is a vegan, I’m pretty sure he’d rather they didn’t have to die for our benefit at all), and has written this book in an informative, non-preachy way.
This has certainly made me think more about the food I put on my family’s plate, and we have reduced the amount of meat in our diet as a consequence. Who knows, perhaps we’ll ditch it completely!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising the book, and Rich Hardy for reading along.
Very entertaining
I've grown up watching Who Wants to be a Millionaire although I have to admit the detail behind the Charles Ingram cheating scandal passed me by. I knew of it but that was it, so I found this show to be not only entertaining but informative too.
As far as tv dramas go, this is very entertaining. The 3 episodes are just enough to tell the story without being overly long and the whole scandal itself is an intriguing tale. I never knew the origins of the show or the real detail behind the scandal (like the brother being involved), so I found this to be fascinating and it was very well made. There's a great cast in this too, Matthew Macfayden is wonderful as the almost dim witted Ingram and he's ably supported by the rest of the cast. The star of the show though is definitely Michael Sheen as Chris Tarrant. He's an absolute hoot and looks like he's having so much fun. It's just a shame that he isn't in this more, although understandable considering the story isnt about him.
Overall this is a very entertaining retelling of a true story and whilst the outcome is rather frustrating (as in real life), it's a lot of fun and has a great nostalgic feel.
As far as tv dramas go, this is very entertaining. The 3 episodes are just enough to tell the story without being overly long and the whole scandal itself is an intriguing tale. I never knew the origins of the show or the real detail behind the scandal (like the brother being involved), so I found this to be fascinating and it was very well made. There's a great cast in this too, Matthew Macfayden is wonderful as the almost dim witted Ingram and he's ably supported by the rest of the cast. The star of the show though is definitely Michael Sheen as Chris Tarrant. He's an absolute hoot and looks like he's having so much fun. It's just a shame that he isn't in this more, although understandable considering the story isnt about him.
Overall this is a very entertaining retelling of a true story and whilst the outcome is rather frustrating (as in real life), it's a lot of fun and has a great nostalgic feel.
ClareR (5603 KP) rated Making a Psychopath: My Journey into 7 Dangerous Minds in Books
Nov 8, 2020
This was such an interesting glimpse into the minds and motivations of psychopaths, and also made me realise that there is most certainly no such thing as ‘one size fits all’. I also learnt that we bandy this word ‘psychopath’ around and we don’t always use it correctly. Generally speaking, psychopaths are people who have no remorse or worries about using and abusing people. They have no feelings of guilt over their actions.
This was a fascinating look at seven very different people (six men and one woman), and looked at how they used different kinds of violence and manipulation to get what they wanted.
This also looks at rehabilitation and whether it’s actually possible - which surprised me. I had thought that there was no chance of that at all. I shouldn’t have judged though, because all people are different, and that applies to those diagnosed with psychopathy as well. Some will never be able to rehabilitate, but there are those who want to be able to live their lives out of an institution.
I’ve said this a lot, but this really WAS interesting, insightful and informative, and I very much enjoyed it.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and the author, Mark Freestone, for reading along and adding clarifications to us readers, as well as answering our questions!
This was a fascinating look at seven very different people (six men and one woman), and looked at how they used different kinds of violence and manipulation to get what they wanted.
This also looks at rehabilitation and whether it’s actually possible - which surprised me. I had thought that there was no chance of that at all. I shouldn’t have judged though, because all people are different, and that applies to those diagnosed with psychopathy as well. Some will never be able to rehabilitate, but there are those who want to be able to live their lives out of an institution.
I’ve said this a lot, but this really WAS interesting, insightful and informative, and I very much enjoyed it.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and the author, Mark Freestone, for reading along and adding clarifications to us readers, as well as answering our questions!
A good and extremely informative read about the female computers at NASA who were behind a lot of the theory behind space flight, and were integral to getting rockets into space and to the moon.
I did enjoy reading about these women, but I did find some of it extremely heavy going with a lot of the information being around maths and science. But it was a lovely read to find out more about the women who have been hidden for so long and not had the credit and recognition that they deserve in the history books.
I will say, that this may be one of the only times that I have actually preferred the film to the book. And I think that might have been because it flowed better as a story rather than how Margot Lee Shetterley presented the facts. I think the film showed just how much the women had to endure with segregation and made it a lot more shocking than reading it in the book. While it was shocking in the book the extent of things, I don’t think it quite hit as hard as seeing it on screen.
But overall, a very interesting book if you want to learn more about how these women helped shape space travel as we know it today.
I did enjoy reading about these women, but I did find some of it extremely heavy going with a lot of the information being around maths and science. But it was a lovely read to find out more about the women who have been hidden for so long and not had the credit and recognition that they deserve in the history books.
I will say, that this may be one of the only times that I have actually preferred the film to the book. And I think that might have been because it flowed better as a story rather than how Margot Lee Shetterley presented the facts. I think the film showed just how much the women had to endure with segregation and made it a lot more shocking than reading it in the book. While it was shocking in the book the extent of things, I don’t think it quite hit as hard as seeing it on screen.
But overall, a very interesting book if you want to learn more about how these women helped shape space travel as we know it today.
Andy K (10821 KP) Aug 16, 2019