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A System So Magnificent It Is Blinding
A System So Magnificent It Is Blinding
Amanda Svensson | 2022 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have very mixed feelings about this book. I gave up reading it twice, but something kept pulling me back. I still can’t work out what the system is that’s so blinding, but I did like how quirky the whole novel was. It’s surreal, everyone in it has some sort of mental health issue, and is muddling their way through a life that they can make no sense of. Honestly, I couldn’t make sense of their lives either.
There are some really quite beautiful descriptive passages of London and Easter Island, and I found myself googling one of the photographic artists that was mentioned and falling down a rabbit hole for a while.
Should this win the international Booker prize? I have no idea, and I wouldn’t want to be the one that had to choose. Am I glad that I read it? I’m still not absolutely sure on that one. It’s left me with more questions than answers, and I don’t know as there even are any answers!
  
Into The Storm (Full Circle #2)
Into The Storm (Full Circle #2)
H.M. Wolfe | 2021 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
INTO THE STORM is the second book in the Full Circle series, a follow-on from The Base and, it seems, with references to another series too, The Island. In this one, we meet with Elias, Abernathy, and Riley -- three boys who each have a lot to learn about their pasts before they can move forward.

Once again, this story references situations and incidents in other books, as well as characters who I've never met before but have their own backstories that are relevant to this story. This makes it increasingly difficult to read as I feel as though I'm only getting half a story.

It appears I am in a minority feeling this way, and I can only presume other reviewers have read the previous books/series. The bit I could understand was good; I just didn't get the whole picture.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
 
* 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!
  
The Blue Lagoon (1980)
The Blue Lagoon (1980)
1980 | Action, Drama
Charming (1 more)
Enjoyable
Acting (3 more)
Aged Badly
Story
Clichés
Absolutely terrible, but somehow good!
This is probably one of the most difficult reviews I've written. I mainly bought this film because I wanted to watch the sequel, Return to the Blue Lagoon (I'm a big fan of Milla Jovovich).

I'm going to start with the negatives, as somehow this film has very few redeeming features.

Brook Shields (to be fair, only 14 at the time), and Christopher Atkins are absolutely awful actors at this early stage in their careers.

The story is highly predictable for the most part, it's very much the typical "stranded on a desert island" film, with somehow every single cliché included, apart from the ending (which remains somewhat ambiguous), and the scenes featuring the two learning about their bodies as they hit puberty.

Despite all this, the film is really enjoyable! It's not a good film by any stretch of the imagination, but somehow it has a certain charm and innocence that will keep you watching, and want to watch it again.

Overall, definitely worth a watch :)

Enjoy everyone!
  
Sugarplum Dead
Sugarplum Dead
Carolyn Hart | 2000 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Can Annie Catch a Killer at Christmas?
Annie gets a surprise this Christmas when her father, Pudge, walks into her store. He’s on the island because his ex-sister-in-law has summoned the family together. Annie winds up on hand when she makes an announcement that upsets everyone. The next night, someone dies and Pudge becomes the prime suspect. But Annie doesn’t think he’s the killer. Is she right?

This book seemed to wander a bit with the set up, and I was wondering when it was going to get to the point. But when it did, it was great with several twists that surprised me and an ending that wrapped everything up well. We didn’t see as much of many of the regulars, but Laurel has some fantastic scenes. We also get to know some of the suspects better than is often the case. The Christmas element was subdued, but the references to other mystery authors and books was toned down, which was great. This is another book that fans of cozy mysteries will love.