Smashbomb

"Huge, magical, realist epic about Indian Independence through the eyes of a child born on the stroke of midnight. Funny, dense, flowery, the story goes on huge tangents, but I love this crazy novel, which somehow manages to depict and sum up the essence of the incredible vast country of India. A real education for me as someone who grew up in London, who had never been to India while growing up. This book helped me better understand what my parents had been through, where they came from before they chose to travel across the world to settle in the the U.K., where I was born."

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Kudos

Emily Mortimer recommended The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie: Girls of Slender Means, Driver's Seat & the Only Problem in Books (curated)

"The novel begins “Long ago in 1945 all the nice people in England were poor, allowing for exceptions.” It’s in the bombed out London of 1945 at the end of the war in a shabby, genteel boarding house for young ladies called the May of Teck Club. We meet the various girls of slender means and follow their lives and love affairs. I love all Muriel Spark’s books and think she is witty and elegant and spiky and weird. I met her once in Italy when I was a teenager and she told me, “For the next ten years all you should do is sleep and go to parties.”"

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The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated At the Stroke of Nine O'Clock in Books

Oct 5, 2020

On the 12th of August 1949, Big Ben was prevented from chiming at 9pm by four and a half minutes because a flock of starlings perched on the minute hand. This event initially panicked the British public, who didn’t know that it was only birds that stopped the clock. In Davis’ new novel, this is not only a starting point for her story, but also a metaphor for the lives of three fictional women living in post-WWII era London, whose lives are about to intersect. My #bookreview of this newly released novel is on my blog here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2020/07/14/four-and-a-half-minutes/

Kudos

David McK (3705 KP) rated The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) in Movies

Oct 10, 2020

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

2007 | Action, Drama, Mystery

8.3

(21 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

The final part of the original Bourne trilogy, picking up directly from towards the end of the previous film (The Bourne Supremacy) in Russia, and overlapping - roughly 2/3rds of the was through - with the final scene from that film) "you look tired, Pam. Get some rest") and providing some new context to said scene.

This is the one with the tense stakeout/hide and seek in Waterloo Train station in London, and the foot race through the streets of Morocco as Bourne races to stop a fellow assassin who is targeting a key ally, and as he finally starts to remember more about his past.

Kudos

Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Hot Fuzz (2007) in Movies

May 18, 2020

Hot Fuzz (2007)

2007 | Action, Comedy

8.2

(54 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Hilarious and very British

If you loved Shaun of the dead, you will love this movie too! Sergeant Angel is the best performing police officer in London, and he is sent to the quiet village of Stanford. While everything is quiet and people seem nice, something seems odd and Angel is about to uncover the mystery.

I loved the British humor in this movie, and all the action! Also, it is amazing to see some legendary actors appear as well (the actors that play The Hound from Game of Thrones and Argus Filch from Harry Potter).

Definitely a good choice to spend some time in a good atmosphere! Highly recommended.