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Debbiereadsbook (1110 KP) rated A Hamiton Christmas (HIS #9) in Books
Nov 26, 2018
a very fitting end!!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book direct from the author, and I thank Ms Kell for that.
This book takes place a year after His Fantasy, Brad's story, and is like a catch up on what all the brothers and their wives have been up to. And they are been doing a LOT of baby making! So it was great to catch up with everyone, all in one place.
It's a bit different that the other HIS books, in that the story is told from Jesse's ten year old daughter, Reagan and her Poppy, Blake Hamilton's points of view. Reading such polar opposites was amusing at times: Reagan is determined to follow in her father's footsteps, even if she has to go against him to do it, and Blake is still a little in the dog house as far as I'm concerned! Oh, he redeemed himself in His Family, but maybe not as much as I thought he had!
There is a lot of love here, with every member of the Hamilton clan, their partners and babies all here along with a new member of the family that is introduced here. Reagan and her new cousin are a well matched pair and they pull their sleuthing off extremely well!
It was so lovely to catch up with everyone, it's always sad to say goodbye and this was a great little catch up, a little time after the main books ended.
Very well done, Ms Kell, I'm just not a great fan of holiday stories!
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This book takes place a year after His Fantasy, Brad's story, and is like a catch up on what all the brothers and their wives have been up to. And they are been doing a LOT of baby making! So it was great to catch up with everyone, all in one place.
It's a bit different that the other HIS books, in that the story is told from Jesse's ten year old daughter, Reagan and her Poppy, Blake Hamilton's points of view. Reading such polar opposites was amusing at times: Reagan is determined to follow in her father's footsteps, even if she has to go against him to do it, and Blake is still a little in the dog house as far as I'm concerned! Oh, he redeemed himself in His Family, but maybe not as much as I thought he had!
There is a lot of love here, with every member of the Hamilton clan, their partners and babies all here along with a new member of the family that is introduced here. Reagan and her new cousin are a well matched pair and they pull their sleuthing off extremely well!
It was so lovely to catch up with everyone, it's always sad to say goodbye and this was a great little catch up, a little time after the main books ended.
Very well done, Ms Kell, I'm just not a great fan of holiday stories!
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Great ideas for Christmas presents. Maybe I will be able to get ahead for next year!
There is nothing worse than starting a project and realising that you need 2 or 3 (or 4) skeins for that adorable baby blanket, or the cardigan that would be perfect for your nephew. One-Skein Wonders® solves that problem! One skein (granted some of the skeins are rather large) and that is all you need. From toys and blankets, to caps and sweaters. You are sure to love the adorable project bursting with color and creativity on every page!
If you are anything like me, you will be scrambling for the next few weeks crocheting like mad in order to get all of your projects done before Christmas Eve! Let me tell you, this book has 101 fun projects requiring only one skein. Mommy and Me Legwarmers and Tiny Tango Vest are a couple of my favorites. This will be the perfect pattern book to start your presents early for next year. This wonderful collection of patterns is put together very well! I wish had more time, because I would love to make a lot of the items in this book. The projects are very cute and the pictures depict them very well. The symbol key, abbreviations and glossary were very helpful and easy to understand. The patterns themselves have been designed with a lot of thought and are easy to understand.
I received a free digital copy of Crochet One-Skein Wonders® for Babies from Storey Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
There is nothing worse than starting a project and realising that you need 2 or 3 (or 4) skeins for that adorable baby blanket, or the cardigan that would be perfect for your nephew. One-Skein Wonders® solves that problem! One skein (granted some of the skeins are rather large) and that is all you need. From toys and blankets, to caps and sweaters. You are sure to love the adorable project bursting with color and creativity on every page!
If you are anything like me, you will be scrambling for the next few weeks crocheting like mad in order to get all of your projects done before Christmas Eve! Let me tell you, this book has 101 fun projects requiring only one skein. Mommy and Me Legwarmers and Tiny Tango Vest are a couple of my favorites. This will be the perfect pattern book to start your presents early for next year. This wonderful collection of patterns is put together very well! I wish had more time, because I would love to make a lot of the items in this book. The projects are very cute and the pictures depict them very well. The symbol key, abbreviations and glossary were very helpful and easy to understand. The patterns themselves have been designed with a lot of thought and are easy to understand.
I received a free digital copy of Crochet One-Skein Wonders® for Babies from Storey Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I absolutely love Mexican cuisine! Spicy, hot, wonderful goodness for my taste buds. But, I love my Crock-Pot even more! Combine the two and you have an incredible cookbook that not only delivers delicious recipes, but takes a load of time off of prep work as well.
The contents of this cookbook include Soups, Mains, Street Food Favorites, Sides and Desserts. Deborah Schneider gives us a wonderful introduction with tips for using a slow cooker, using chilies and kitchen basics. I have already made the Enchiladas Suizas with Shredded Chicken. In one word it was: Divine! I am most excited to try Burrito Ahogado ("Wet" Burrito), Tamales with Carnitas and Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas with Salsa Verde. I enjoy reading the descriptions and notes for each section and recipe. Deborah gives us information and history regarding Mexican cuisine, tips about the ingredients used as well as substitutes and modification ideas. Most of the recipes do require more work than simply turning on the slow cooker and leaving it all day. But it takes a lot of the stress out of preparing a Mexican dish. For a lot of the recipes the meat is cooked in the slow cooker and then you must put the finishing touches on the particular dish. I am excited to have this in my arsenal of Slow Cooker Cookbooks. I know without a doubt that it will be one of my most used.
I received a free print copy of The Mexican Slow Cooker from the publisher through Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
The contents of this cookbook include Soups, Mains, Street Food Favorites, Sides and Desserts. Deborah Schneider gives us a wonderful introduction with tips for using a slow cooker, using chilies and kitchen basics. I have already made the Enchiladas Suizas with Shredded Chicken. In one word it was: Divine! I am most excited to try Burrito Ahogado ("Wet" Burrito), Tamales with Carnitas and Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas with Salsa Verde. I enjoy reading the descriptions and notes for each section and recipe. Deborah gives us information and history regarding Mexican cuisine, tips about the ingredients used as well as substitutes and modification ideas. Most of the recipes do require more work than simply turning on the slow cooker and leaving it all day. But it takes a lot of the stress out of preparing a Mexican dish. For a lot of the recipes the meat is cooked in the slow cooker and then you must put the finishing touches on the particular dish. I am excited to have this in my arsenal of Slow Cooker Cookbooks. I know without a doubt that it will be one of my most used.
I received a free print copy of The Mexican Slow Cooker from the publisher through Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated Wonder Woman: Warbringer in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I must start off by saying that I picked up this book completely on a whim. I had seen the Wonder Woman movie and hadn't cared for it at all. I've noticed over the last couple years that I am definitely more of a Marvel fan than I am DC; however, that being said, I ended up enjoying this book A LOT. Another thing I need to point no matter how ashamed I am of this; Wonder Woman was the first book I've read by Leigh Bardugo. I've heard a lot about her writing style around booktube, and she has tons of fans. I must admit I quite enjoyed her writing style and even went so far as to purchase Shadow & Bone immediately after finishing this book.
I read this book in 2 ways. I physically read some of it and I also listened to a bit of it on Overdrive from my local library. I really enjoyed both aspects of it. Wonder Woman as a character was very well written and her journey in this story was much more enjoyable than in the movie.
The plot of the story was unique and moved along quickly which kept me deeply enthralled in the story and left me not wanting to put the book down. The characters are we written (especially WW). The supporting characters are easy to relate to, but when all is said and done I must admit they were easy to forget.
Overall I give it 4 stars and look forward to the other DC books that are coming out in the coming months.
I read this book in 2 ways. I physically read some of it and I also listened to a bit of it on Overdrive from my local library. I really enjoyed both aspects of it. Wonder Woman as a character was very well written and her journey in this story was much more enjoyable than in the movie.
The plot of the story was unique and moved along quickly which kept me deeply enthralled in the story and left me not wanting to put the book down. The characters are we written (especially WW). The supporting characters are easy to relate to, but when all is said and done I must admit they were easy to forget.
Overall I give it 4 stars and look forward to the other DC books that are coming out in the coming months.
Merissa (11805 KP) rated Turkish Delights in Books
Dec 17, 2018
I received this book from Totally Bound Publishing in return for a fair and honest review.
The premise of this story is that 3 men from different walks of life all come together to build a new, top of the range, hotel in Istanbul. Two of the men know each other already through work and are both attracted to each other but have never acted upon it due to mixing "business with pleasure". The third man comes along to help with the authenticity of the project with his amazing sculptures.
I can only imagine the hours upon hours of research that has been put into this book, which makes the story full of Eastern Promise and richness. The descriptions of Istanbul, the hotel in process, architecture, religion and what it means to specific families and people, it's all here. This gives the story a certain something which takes it above and beyond a 'usual' M/M or ménage story. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of sex in this book if that is all you are interested in but personally, I feel like you'd be missing out on a whole lot more if you just skim to the sexy bits.
Incredibly well put together with a depth of knowledge and research that makes it a joy to read.
*** Minor Spoiler ***
I loved the part towards the end where Emir uncovers a sculpture he has done and it is all in sets of three. A small thing, unknown to most, that can mean so much. A wonderful touch.
Definitely recommended for all fans of M/M and Ménage and this is certainly an author for me to watch.
The premise of this story is that 3 men from different walks of life all come together to build a new, top of the range, hotel in Istanbul. Two of the men know each other already through work and are both attracted to each other but have never acted upon it due to mixing "business with pleasure". The third man comes along to help with the authenticity of the project with his amazing sculptures.
I can only imagine the hours upon hours of research that has been put into this book, which makes the story full of Eastern Promise and richness. The descriptions of Istanbul, the hotel in process, architecture, religion and what it means to specific families and people, it's all here. This gives the story a certain something which takes it above and beyond a 'usual' M/M or ménage story. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of sex in this book if that is all you are interested in but personally, I feel like you'd be missing out on a whole lot more if you just skim to the sexy bits.
Incredibly well put together with a depth of knowledge and research that makes it a joy to read.
*** Minor Spoiler ***
I loved the part towards the end where Emir uncovers a sculpture he has done and it is all in sets of three. A small thing, unknown to most, that can mean so much. A wonderful touch.
Definitely recommended for all fans of M/M and Ménage and this is certainly an author for me to watch.
Andrew Kennedy (199 KP) rated Cube (1997) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
The puzzles (1 more)
Original concept
Before Saw and Hostel conjured up the term "torture porn" and it was rammed home with each sequel, a little Canadian film called Cube came out to little fanfare in 1997.
Made for a mere $400,000 dollars and with a lot of the special effects provided by local Canadian companies for free.
It is a simple yet ingenious premise, six strangers awaken in series of cube like rooms no recollection of how they got there or even why they are there. It also seems some of the rooms contain traps.
The tense and almost claustrophobic surroundings force both friendships and mistrust in equal measure.
The characters are well rounded and deliver believable performances of people trapped against their will, for the most part. There is a one point I disliked that felt too preachy but I did like the character.
The other thing I enjoyed was the forced interaction between the main protagonists because while there are traps this isn't some Saw film, the traps are present but just to provide the threat of one false move. I would even argue that at times the traps don't provide much of a threat but the "silent cube" really rings every drop of tension out of that scene.
The most interesting thing I found was that some people criticized the ending. Yes by the end not everything is explained, there is a lot of questions left unanswered and this is a good thing.
Why must we have everything explained? Leave thinking and wondering. Director Vincenzo Natali did film a longer ending and it was the first thing he cut.
Made for a mere $400,000 dollars and with a lot of the special effects provided by local Canadian companies for free.
It is a simple yet ingenious premise, six strangers awaken in series of cube like rooms no recollection of how they got there or even why they are there. It also seems some of the rooms contain traps.
The tense and almost claustrophobic surroundings force both friendships and mistrust in equal measure.
The characters are well rounded and deliver believable performances of people trapped against their will, for the most part. There is a one point I disliked that felt too preachy but I did like the character.
The other thing I enjoyed was the forced interaction between the main protagonists because while there are traps this isn't some Saw film, the traps are present but just to provide the threat of one false move. I would even argue that at times the traps don't provide much of a threat but the "silent cube" really rings every drop of tension out of that scene.
The most interesting thing I found was that some people criticized the ending. Yes by the end not everything is explained, there is a lot of questions left unanswered and this is a good thing.
Why must we have everything explained? Leave thinking and wondering. Director Vincenzo Natali did film a longer ending and it was the first thing he cut.
The Art of Execution: How the World's Best Investors Get it Wrong and Still Make Millions
Book
Over seven years, 45 of the world's top investors were given between $25m and $150m to invest by...
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020) in Movies
Jun 28, 2020
Full of Eurovision spirit
I am a big fan of Eurovision, it's a must see event every year and I've even been to see it in person when it was last held in Denmark. Sadly with the cancellation of pretty much everything this year including Eurovision, I've been dying for a bit of cheesy fun and this film *almost* delivers it in the truckload.
This film really knows how to channel the Eurovision spirit. There's a lot of great cheesy songs and costumes, some great over the top performances (Dan Stevens was a hoot) and a decent amount of heart. The songs are very good, from the hilariously cheesy to the impressive ballads. The acting was good although i felt Will Ferrell was a little of a letdown. It was great to see Dan Stevens camping it up though and a nice (but sadly too short) role for Natasia Demetriou from What We Do in the Shadows, and I loved the cameos from existing real life Eurovision acts.
The problem with this film is the humour is lacking when it's not cheesy Eurovision fun. And the jokes that were there fell pretty flat for me. The film is also rather longer than you'd expect and did drag a little in the middle.
I had been expecting a Eurovision spoof comedy, but instead what I got was almost a homage to everything we love about Eurovision. It's not great but definitely an enjoyable bit of fun. I've been debating whether to score this a 6 or 7 and in the end, I've decided to be rather generous as it is a lot of fun.
This film really knows how to channel the Eurovision spirit. There's a lot of great cheesy songs and costumes, some great over the top performances (Dan Stevens was a hoot) and a decent amount of heart. The songs are very good, from the hilariously cheesy to the impressive ballads. The acting was good although i felt Will Ferrell was a little of a letdown. It was great to see Dan Stevens camping it up though and a nice (but sadly too short) role for Natasia Demetriou from What We Do in the Shadows, and I loved the cameos from existing real life Eurovision acts.
The problem with this film is the humour is lacking when it's not cheesy Eurovision fun. And the jokes that were there fell pretty flat for me. The film is also rather longer than you'd expect and did drag a little in the middle.
I had been expecting a Eurovision spoof comedy, but instead what I got was almost a homage to everything we love about Eurovision. It's not great but definitely an enjoyable bit of fun. I've been debating whether to score this a 6 or 7 and in the end, I've decided to be rather generous as it is a lot of fun.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Parasite (2019) in Movies
Jul 17, 2020
Deserving of the hype
I very rarely rate Oscar winners when I eventually see them. For me, apart from a few exceptions, most tend to be overrated. However Parasite is definitely one of the exceptions.
It takes a lot of concentration to watch a foreign language film and constantly read the subtitles, but Parasite is that interesting and entertaining that I virtually forgot it was in Korean. I was so enthralled by the life and schemes of the Kim family. What surprised me the most was how funny this was. I'd been expecting a serious drama and whilst it was serious in parts, the first half of the film is quite humorous watching the Kim family scheme their way into the lives of the Parks. It really is a crazy plot but that's what makes it so enjoyable to watch. And the final act of the film is bonkers yet a work of absolute genius - I never would've predicted that the film would turn out that way.
There are a lot of great things about this film - a fantastic script, a clear message on the divide between rich and popt and a plot spanning a variety of genres from drama, comedy to even horror. It's wonderfully directed too and there's no surprise on the Oscar for that one. It's not perfect, there are a few niggles and unbelievable elements. But for the most part, this is a brilliant film. Is it deserving of the hype? Absolutely. Is it deserving of the Oscar? Possibly. Most likely. It's definitely as deserving as 1917 was, despite them being polar opposites.
It takes a lot of concentration to watch a foreign language film and constantly read the subtitles, but Parasite is that interesting and entertaining that I virtually forgot it was in Korean. I was so enthralled by the life and schemes of the Kim family. What surprised me the most was how funny this was. I'd been expecting a serious drama and whilst it was serious in parts, the first half of the film is quite humorous watching the Kim family scheme their way into the lives of the Parks. It really is a crazy plot but that's what makes it so enjoyable to watch. And the final act of the film is bonkers yet a work of absolute genius - I never would've predicted that the film would turn out that way.
There are a lot of great things about this film - a fantastic script, a clear message on the divide between rich and popt and a plot spanning a variety of genres from drama, comedy to even horror. It's wonderfully directed too and there's no surprise on the Oscar for that one. It's not perfect, there are a few niggles and unbelievable elements. But for the most part, this is a brilliant film. Is it deserving of the hype? Absolutely. Is it deserving of the Oscar? Possibly. Most likely. It's definitely as deserving as 1917 was, despite them being polar opposites.
