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Lou Grande (148 KP) rated It Looks Like This in Books
Jun 22, 2018
Hoo boy. I went into this book expecting to hate it. It's teen fiction, which can be okay, and I knew from the blurbs on the front cover and back that it was probably not a happy ending. I hate books like that, especially LGBT-themed books aimed at that audience. BUT!
This is the first book to make me cry in ages. I'm not a crier by nature. There's something very effective and hard-hitting about Mittlefehldt's style. It's spare and haunting and leaves a lot of room to read between the lines. It reminded me a lot of books I had to read growing up like Bridge to Terebithia and Where the Red Fern Grows. You have the vague notion that something is going to go wrong, but it still takes your breath away when it does.
It Looks Like This is a story about small towns, religion, young love, and tragedy. In many ways, it has universal appeal: we all remember our first love and how gut-wrenching it is when it's over. But it also describes a story that many queer people know very well: what it feels like to know that this will always be harder for you than the people who "hate the sin but love the sinner."
This is the first book to make me cry in ages. I'm not a crier by nature. There's something very effective and hard-hitting about Mittlefehldt's style. It's spare and haunting and leaves a lot of room to read between the lines. It reminded me a lot of books I had to read growing up like Bridge to Terebithia and Where the Red Fern Grows. You have the vague notion that something is going to go wrong, but it still takes your breath away when it does.
It Looks Like This is a story about small towns, religion, young love, and tragedy. In many ways, it has universal appeal: we all remember our first love and how gut-wrenching it is when it's over. But it also describes a story that many queer people know very well: what it feels like to know that this will always be harder for you than the people who "hate the sin but love the sinner."
Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated Ready Player One (2018) in Movies
Jul 17, 2018
So many references to games and movies (2 more)
Great story
Visually beautiful
Perfect movie for gamers and movie buffs!
I want to start off by saying I've never read the book so I can't make comparisons like so many have. For the movie it's self it's incredible.
Visually it's beautiful. So much action and set pieces. It felt like a video game most times but as it kept going back to the real world, the CGI ended up being a little distracting at times but it never put me off. They did an amazing job with it. It was probably even intended to keep reminding you it wasn't real. To differentiate between was was real and what was not.
So much references and it's fun to spot them. I saw the back to the future delorian, iron giant, tracer from overwatch, master chief.....I can keep going. I was quite surprised at a lot of them though, especially of the shining.
The cast is great, the plot was great, the environments were great. It makes you want this world to be real.
I really hope a sequel is considered. I'd be happy with the same cast as long as the story is right. I had a lot of fun with this movie.
Visually it's beautiful. So much action and set pieces. It felt like a video game most times but as it kept going back to the real world, the CGI ended up being a little distracting at times but it never put me off. They did an amazing job with it. It was probably even intended to keep reminding you it wasn't real. To differentiate between was was real and what was not.
So much references and it's fun to spot them. I saw the back to the future delorian, iron giant, tracer from overwatch, master chief.....I can keep going. I was quite surprised at a lot of them though, especially of the shining.
The cast is great, the plot was great, the environments were great. It makes you want this world to be real.
I really hope a sequel is considered. I'd be happy with the same cast as long as the story is right. I had a lot of fun with this movie.
Steph (468 KP) rated The Great Book of Amber (The Chronicles of Amber, #1-10) in Books
Jul 9, 2018
I'm rating this book as a 5 for a few reasons. First, I think the world is extremely innovative and unique. I really enjoyed the well thought-out and different magic system and setting. The plot and intrigue was also very enjoyable. The first set of books especially did this quite well. However, the second set of five books really fell short for me, especially 7-10. It seemed like there was a lot of random stuff thrown in that didn't make a whole lot of sense, wasn't explained very well, and no one thing was really focused on. It seemed very haphazard and complicated for no good reason. The ending also seemed to come on extremely quickly. The second to last page of the book was a fight scene and then everything ends on the very last page when Merlin decides to become the King of Chaos with very little rationale given how strongly he had been hinting he was not going to do this. The book completely lacked a resolution. So while I enjoyed it on the whole, I don't feel I would be missing much (except perhaps depth in the magic system) if I didn't read the second 5 books at all.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology in Books
Nov 9, 2018
Fascinating book filled with drama, hope, and a lot of cursing
Wow, just wow. I've been wanting to read Troublemaker ever since I heard of it. I've liked Leah Remini as an actress and I've always been curious about Scientology. The only thing I knew about it was that Tom Cruise was a Scientologist and that a bunch of Hollywood people were too.
This book is quite interesting and the audiobook was extremely well done. I enjoyed listening to Leah Remini tell her story and it was fascinating to listen to all of the hardships she has undergone. This book is centered around Scientology because Leah Remini grew up in the cult. I honestly loved hearing her tell her story and it is extremely brave of her to come forward with her story.
One thing that has set this book apart is how much of Leah Remini's personality is in it. It made me laugh, look on in horror, and want to cry at times. Remini really doesn't hold back her opinions yet at the same time this book comes off fairly humble. It's a fascinating book filled with drama, hope, and a lot of cursing. It's definitely worth a read/listen.
This book is quite interesting and the audiobook was extremely well done. I enjoyed listening to Leah Remini tell her story and it was fascinating to listen to all of the hardships she has undergone. This book is centered around Scientology because Leah Remini grew up in the cult. I honestly loved hearing her tell her story and it is extremely brave of her to come forward with her story.
One thing that has set this book apart is how much of Leah Remini's personality is in it. It made me laugh, look on in horror, and want to cry at times. Remini really doesn't hold back her opinions yet at the same time this book comes off fairly humble. It's a fascinating book filled with drama, hope, and a lot of cursing. It's definitely worth a read/listen.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Ghost Virus in Books
Nov 11, 2018
Strangely entertaining
This book is like Marmite®, you are either going to love it or hate it ... well I can't stand Marmite® but I really quite enjoyed this book ... I found it rather entertaining in a strange sort of way although I must admit that it did get a little OTT which had me giggling to myself and shaking my head at times BUT it did make me tell loads of people about it and isn't that the point?
Well written, good pace, great characters and a very unique story line makes this a pretty good read but it does contain a lot of violence, gore and graphic descriptions of death so be warned ... it is not for the fainthearted so if you don't like that type of thing, I would give this a wide berth if I was you.
Over the years, I have read a lot of Graham Masterton's books and I have never been disappointed and even though this probably isn't one of his best, I will carry on reading his stories and will continue to be entertained that I have no doubt.
Thank you to the publisher, Head of Zeus, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Well written, good pace, great characters and a very unique story line makes this a pretty good read but it does contain a lot of violence, gore and graphic descriptions of death so be warned ... it is not for the fainthearted so if you don't like that type of thing, I would give this a wide berth if I was you.
Over the years, I have read a lot of Graham Masterton's books and I have never been disappointed and even though this probably isn't one of his best, I will carry on reading his stories and will continue to be entertained that I have no doubt.
Thank you to the publisher, Head of Zeus, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
HLD (99 KP) rated Apple Music in Apps
Nov 22, 2018
Huge variety of music (2 more)
I personally believe it is easy to navigate - my fiancee does not
Usually a pretty fast interface
It's good, but it has it's flaws
I have enjoyed using apple music, and I think that it is a worthy competitor to Spotify. I do, however, think both companies could learn a thing or two from one another. The interface of AM is a lot better in my humble opinion, but Spotify has capabilities that AM should incorporate.
Saving songs to your library is easy - and when you remember a song that you loved 10 years ago, it is a 20 second process until it is saved in your playlist.
Browsing new songs could be A LOT better. I feel as though Apple don't put enough effort in to highlighting artists that you wouldn't normally find. Hell, even youtube is a better source for new music.
They also rehash the same 'Workout mix' or 'Alternative rock' playlists all the time. Maybe changing it up a little bit would encourage me to traverse their genre tabs for a hidden gem.
Saving songs to your library is easy - and when you remember a song that you loved 10 years ago, it is a 20 second process until it is saved in your playlist.
Browsing new songs could be A LOT better. I feel as though Apple don't put enough effort in to highlighting artists that you wouldn't normally find. Hell, even youtube is a better source for new music.
They also rehash the same 'Workout mix' or 'Alternative rock' playlists all the time. Maybe changing it up a little bit would encourage me to traverse their genre tabs for a hidden gem.
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Kingdom in the Valley - Single by Pretty Sister in Music
Jun 18, 2019
Pretty Sister is a singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, California. Not too long ago, he released a lyric video for his “Kingdom in the Valley” single.
“You know these bedrooms seen a whole lot of faces. 10 out of 10’s, they and their friends, MDMA in’ and this swimming pool has seen a whole lot of naked. Bodies on deck like video sets, all that cliché sh*t.” – lyrics
‘Kingdom in the Valley’ will be featured on Pretty Sister’s upcoming EP, which is a part of his forthcoming trio of multi-track projects.
The likable tune contains a relatable storyline and pleasing vocals. Also, the song possesses vibey instrumentation flavored with an electro-pop aroma.
Pretty Sister has spent the past year on the road, supporting Superfruit on a North American tour, touring with Betty Who, and performing on the 2019 Kesha Cruise: Kesha’s Weird & Wonderful Rainbow Ride.
His recent writing successes include Robert Delong’s “Revolutionary” single and Rozzi’s “Lose Us” song.
Also, his vocal contributions to Nause’s “Dynamite” single has resulted in over 110M streams, while his appearance on Madeon’s “The City” single helped to pull in a whopping 24M streams.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/pretty-sister-kingdom-in-the-valley/
“You know these bedrooms seen a whole lot of faces. 10 out of 10’s, they and their friends, MDMA in’ and this swimming pool has seen a whole lot of naked. Bodies on deck like video sets, all that cliché sh*t.” – lyrics
‘Kingdom in the Valley’ will be featured on Pretty Sister’s upcoming EP, which is a part of his forthcoming trio of multi-track projects.
The likable tune contains a relatable storyline and pleasing vocals. Also, the song possesses vibey instrumentation flavored with an electro-pop aroma.
Pretty Sister has spent the past year on the road, supporting Superfruit on a North American tour, touring with Betty Who, and performing on the 2019 Kesha Cruise: Kesha’s Weird & Wonderful Rainbow Ride.
His recent writing successes include Robert Delong’s “Revolutionary” single and Rozzi’s “Lose Us” song.
Also, his vocal contributions to Nause’s “Dynamite” single has resulted in over 110M streams, while his appearance on Madeon’s “The City” single helped to pull in a whopping 24M streams.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/pretty-sister-kingdom-in-the-valley/
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Superman (1978) in Movies
Dec 22, 2018
Gets better every time I watch!
After purchasing the new 4K edition of the original Donner classic, I had to rush right home and watch it immediately!
Having seen this film way too many times, it is impossible for me to be objective I have discovered. I can look past the film's faults and just enjoy the countless classic scenes which are still imitated in superhero films of today.
The cast is what makes the films special including Christopher Reeeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman and even Marlon Brando.
It is too bad history never got to see a Superman II directed by Richard Donner. Who knows what that would've been. I'm sure it would have been amazing.
If you have ever seen the "made for TV" version, there is a LOT of additional footage there a lot of which is really good including the sequence near the end where Superman has to make his way underground to find Luthor's lair.
Reflecting on Superman now really shows me I remember it being epic as a kid and still leaves me in wonder as an adult. Very films can still do that.
And LOVE those opening credits... (bring back opening credits)
Having seen this film way too many times, it is impossible for me to be objective I have discovered. I can look past the film's faults and just enjoy the countless classic scenes which are still imitated in superhero films of today.
The cast is what makes the films special including Christopher Reeeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman and even Marlon Brando.
It is too bad history never got to see a Superman II directed by Richard Donner. Who knows what that would've been. I'm sure it would have been amazing.
If you have ever seen the "made for TV" version, there is a LOT of additional footage there a lot of which is really good including the sequence near the end where Superman has to make his way underground to find Luthor's lair.
Reflecting on Superman now really shows me I remember it being epic as a kid and still leaves me in wonder as an adult. Very films can still do that.
And LOVE those opening credits... (bring back opening credits)
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Attack the Block (2011) in Movies
Dec 30, 2018
A silly, fun British horror
When I first saw this at the cinema I absolutely loved it, but I haven’t really seen it since. On watching it again recently, I have to admit it’s not quite as good as I remembered but it’s still a very enjoyable film.
It’s a very B-movie esque horror film, with very low budget, lots of blood and a fairly unknown cast. Of course a lot of the cast have now gone on to bigger things (John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker and Luke Treadaway mainly), but they’re still very good and great to watch in this. The plot is fun and a little bit silly, and the aliens themselves are very well done. They’re creepy and pretty terrifying, without being overly complicated and there’s a lot of good physical effects thrown in here in addition to cgi. The most annoying thing about this film is the language. I completely understand why it has been set on a council estate in London, that’s part of the entertainment, however some of the slang and gang type language grates after a while. It’s difficult to understand and a little bit irritating after a while. Aside from this it’s a very enjoyable low budget horror that’s worth a watch.
It’s a very B-movie esque horror film, with very low budget, lots of blood and a fairly unknown cast. Of course a lot of the cast have now gone on to bigger things (John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker and Luke Treadaway mainly), but they’re still very good and great to watch in this. The plot is fun and a little bit silly, and the aliens themselves are very well done. They’re creepy and pretty terrifying, without being overly complicated and there’s a lot of good physical effects thrown in here in addition to cgi. The most annoying thing about this film is the language. I completely understand why it has been set on a council estate in London, that’s part of the entertainment, however some of the slang and gang type language grates after a while. It’s difficult to understand and a little bit irritating after a while. Aside from this it’s a very enjoyable low budget horror that’s worth a watch.
ClareR (5950 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.