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Behind Her Eyes
Behind Her Eyes
Sarah Pinborough | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.9 (18 Ratings)
Book Rating
That ending...wait until the last chapter
I spent about 90% of the time umming and ah-ing about whether to finish this book or not. Most of the time I felt irritated bordering on bored, or brushing certain elements of it as downright ridiculous. So here's how you should listen to it. It is not a psychological thriller in the conventional sense, parts of it requires suspending all disbelief and just accepting for what it is.

But wait until the last chapter.

And your head will spin 180 degrees to make you realise the past 290 pages was all a fabrication of some sort.

Not a perfect book, could have been a lot shorter, but a very good climax.
  
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
John Boyne | 2006 | Young Adult (YA)
9
8.9 (18 Ratings)
Book Rating
An important and terrifying fable still relevant
It's probably quite important to understand that this is a novel and so there is a lot of artistic license taken with it by the author. That being said the main protagonist, nine-year-old Bruno was brilliantly written, a great juxtaposition of unwaning innocence and extreme cruelty in a time of brutality.

Having visited Auschwitz myself, the naive descriptions of the young boy is gut churning especially as he is so unaware of his fate. The reader does a great job in performing the role of an innocent child.

It is a moral story about complacency and how easy it is to fall into patterns, so it is essential to read with an open mind.
  
The Missing  - Season 1
The Missing - Season 1
2014 | Drama
writing (2 more)
direction
cast/acting
can be slow at times (0 more)
I started watching this show (on Starz in the US) because I like limited series. Limited series are awesome because they're kind of like long movies, long enough to know the characters, but without having to worry about show runners milking old story lines. The first episode of this series feels both fast and slow. You learn a lot, but it doesn't come screaming at you. The suspense builds the further in you get and the intrigue increases along with it. I think I enjoyed the characters and their development more than the actual overall plot. However, it was still a good story all in all. A good mystery/crime drama to satiate your needs.
  
The Wrestler (2008)
The Wrestler (2008)
2008 | Drama
Mickey Rourke (0 more)
Great Drama
I heard a lot of good things about this film. By far the best thing about it is Micky Rourke performance of a once popular wrestler in the 80's now 20 years on making appearances on the small time circuit to try and make ends meets. It's a sad, touching drama of someone who has a fall from grace, struggling to carry on doing what they love and trying to put things right from where they went wrong in the past. It has a raw gritty feel to it and made on a low budget but it doesn't deter from the great acting on show. Might be a bit slow for those who are not in to dramas.
  
The Big Short (2015)
The Big Short (2015)
2015 | Drama
Does well with a difficult subject
Considering how difficult and complex the subject of this film is, Adam McKay has done a very good job of making this both understandable and entertaining. Yes you do have to think watching this, but they do their best to explain things in a fun manner and it helps that the film is injected with quite a lot of humour. The cast are fantastic and it has a great script. My only criticism is that there are a few bits that are still difficult to understand, and at the end of the day, these guys are the bad guys who profited from the financial crash, and yet you almost find yourself rooting for them.
  
40x40

tonidavis (353 KP) rated Hate List in Books

Jul 5, 2017  
Hate List
Hate List
Jennifer Brown | 2009 | Children
10
7.7 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Hard Topic Matter well Handled (0 more)
School Shooting examined
There are a lot of school shooting YA books. Out of all of the ones I've read this one is handle the best.
Valerie is caught up and under suspicion of aiding in the shooting for writing in a book when she was stressed or been bullied. Valerie never wanted anyone to die and saved lives when the shooting happens but it doesn't help that the press don't care about that. This book is well written and deals with a hard subject matter to grasp. Unfortunately we live in a world where these events keep happening more and more frequently. This book explores why and people emotions of it and it written so well.
  
The Three (The Three #1)
The Three (The Three #1)
Sarah Lotz | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Great book!
I love the concept of a 'book-within-a-book'. The Three is so well written, and it had me guessing what would happen right up until the very end. This is one of those stories that every time a question is answered, a load more are asked! There are a lot of characters to keep track of but it's structured so well that that isn't a problem.
I really enjoyed this book. It's the kind of book that is impossible to put down! I would have maybe liked a bit more of an explanation at the end though, as many questions (like 'what actually happened?!' are still unanswered. But still a wonderful read and a thoroughly enjoyable thriller :)
  
The Art of Asking: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help
The Art of Asking: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help
Amanda Palmer | 2014 | Business & Finance
10
6.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Her conversational style comes through in the book.. (0 more)
I actually won a copy of this when it came out.. I love her work, I love her personality.. This book goes beyond all of this...She talks about people's reluctance to ask for help, or think outside the box while keeping the tone on the level of a best friend. She talks about her life, her fans, and how she grew her work based on asking the fan base for help. Keeping the fan base as part of the process she has kept a very loyal following. There is a lot to be learned within the stories she shares and the reasons she added them to the book. Her writing is warm, and undeniably honest.
  
You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)
You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)
Felicia Day | 2016 | Biography
10
9.0 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
I loved absolutely everything about this memoir. Felicia Day perfectly bares her soul to anyone smart enough to pick up this treasure. At times raw and wildly hilarious, I've never related more to someone I've never met. Representation matters and I was more than happy to read this book based on Felicia alone but realizing early on that it catalogs a lot of her struggles with anxiety made it an even easier read. In many ways, this book shows just how down to earth and relatable Day is to the many people who love her and her work. I highly recommend giving You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) the chance it deserves and a place on your book shelf.
  
Cards Against Humanity
Cards Against Humanity
2009 | Adult, Card Game, Humor, Party Game, Print & Play
Funny (0 more)
Needs expansion packs after a while (0 more)
Great for Parties
I love this game. I play it with my family at Christmas and on holiday (because we are strange and inappropriate). It is always hilarious and often lasting jokes are created by the conversations we have whilst playing. (n.b. I would not recommend this as a "family game" for most families!)
The only drawback is that we play it a lot and thus some combinations of cards get played again and again which makes them less funny. Therefore we have to keep buying expansion packs to save from getting tired of it. However, that does make buying presents easier as Cards Against Humanity regularly bring out new decks and we can all buy them for eachother.