Search
Search results
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Passenger in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Firstly I'd like to thanks Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
The Passenger is thrilling and exhilarating! With twists and turns around every corner, I can assure you, you will not be bored.
While this books plot is overused, Lutz did really well to add her own spark to it, making it unique and fast paced, exactly what I love in a book. Each character presented had their own story to tell and I'm happy to say I found none of them annoying or boring (maybe apart from Domenic's use of the word 'sweetheart' a lot).
Tanya/Nora/Debra's/whatever you want to call her's story is heartbreaking and challenging throughout. I tend to find women found in these predicaments (in books) do all the wrong things and only make their life more difficult, but Tanya does everything expertly and wonderfully. She's such a likeable character that you are backing her the whole way through, even at the times where her actions are questionable.
I will definitely recommend this to friends and family when it is published as I believe it's a fabulous fast paced thriller that thousands will enjoy.
The Passenger is thrilling and exhilarating! With twists and turns around every corner, I can assure you, you will not be bored.
While this books plot is overused, Lutz did really well to add her own spark to it, making it unique and fast paced, exactly what I love in a book. Each character presented had their own story to tell and I'm happy to say I found none of them annoying or boring (maybe apart from Domenic's use of the word 'sweetheart' a lot).
Tanya/Nora/Debra's/whatever you want to call her's story is heartbreaking and challenging throughout. I tend to find women found in these predicaments (in books) do all the wrong things and only make their life more difficult, but Tanya does everything expertly and wonderfully. She's such a likeable character that you are backing her the whole way through, even at the times where her actions are questionable.
I will definitely recommend this to friends and family when it is published as I believe it's a fabulous fast paced thriller that thousands will enjoy.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Godzilla (2014) in Movies
Mar 24, 2018 (Updated Mar 24, 2018)
Second American attempt at a Godzilla movie avoids some of the old pitfalls which scuppered the Roland Emmerich version, but discovers some brand ones and promptly stumbles into those instead. A slightly oblique take on the Godzilla mythology - Godzilla is not the result of nuclear testing but a survivor from an earlier epoch - and the fact the film often seems more interested in the Muto monsters (Godzilla's opponents this time around) result in a film with a rather odd feel, for all that on paper it looks like a more 'classic' Godzilla story.
They get a lot right - Godzilla is a properly imposing beast, and there are monster battles at the centre of the film - but it's much more po-faced than the Emmerich version, apparently worried that if it cracks a smile for a second or acknowledges its own absurdity everyone will instantly lose interest. Gareth Edwards' habit of cutting away to another sequence every time the monsters start fighting rapidly becomes very annoying, too. A better Godzilla movie than the 1998 version, certainly; but less assured and capable as a piece of entertainment.
They get a lot right - Godzilla is a properly imposing beast, and there are monster battles at the centre of the film - but it's much more po-faced than the Emmerich version, apparently worried that if it cracks a smile for a second or acknowledges its own absurdity everyone will instantly lose interest. Gareth Edwards' habit of cutting away to another sequence every time the monsters start fighting rapidly becomes very annoying, too. A better Godzilla movie than the 1998 version, certainly; but less assured and capable as a piece of entertainment.
The Marinated Meeple (1848 KP) rated Counterpart - Season 1 in TV
Mar 26, 2018
I love this show.... JK simmons is amazing
I watch this sho with my wife and my inlaws. It's great, and always has me considering possibilities. It reminds me a lot of the time I read Time Traveler's wife. The best moments in this show are when the 2 sides interact on a human level. The little moments between people when the mixing and matching of the sides takes place. I don't want to list them due to spoilers, but in the premise for the show imagine there was another version of you on the other side, and the differences could be minor, or they could be vast. imagine meeting that person, or imagine meeting your wife's other? how wild would that be? There is espionage too, but truthfully that doesn't hold a candle to the human moments. Worth watching and I believe when I watch it again I'm going to see plenty I missed the first time. The only complaint I have is that it's sometimes hard to hear, we have to turn the sound way up. But it's worth it.
Awix (3310 KP) rated She (1965) in Movies
Feb 24, 2018
Blue Flame Blues
Well-remembered Hammer fantasy has lavish production values, thoughtful script, terrific cast. World-weary explorers find themselves drawn to lost city in the mountains of North Africa, where they find a living legend and a blue flame with the power to grant immortality.
Obviously, you have to overlook the fact that the ancient Egyptian queen looks and sounds so Swiss, but apart from that there is a lot to enjoy here, although it is probably all a bit unreconstructed by modern standards (the whiter and blonder you are, the more important and beautiful). Peter Cushing does the business, as usual; Christopher Lee doesn't get enough to do. The main problem is that the film's central relationship (between Richardson and Andress) is just terribly tepid and not dramatic enough to power the second half of the film; as a result this is one of those movies that starts very strongly but discovers that the lost city is worth seeing, but not really worth the trouble of going to see. Probably still worth a look, overall, if 60s fantasy films are your cup of tea.
Obviously, you have to overlook the fact that the ancient Egyptian queen looks and sounds so Swiss, but apart from that there is a lot to enjoy here, although it is probably all a bit unreconstructed by modern standards (the whiter and blonder you are, the more important and beautiful). Peter Cushing does the business, as usual; Christopher Lee doesn't get enough to do. The main problem is that the film's central relationship (between Richardson and Andress) is just terribly tepid and not dramatic enough to power the second half of the film; as a result this is one of those movies that starts very strongly but discovers that the lost city is worth seeing, but not really worth the trouble of going to see. Probably still worth a look, overall, if 60s fantasy films are your cup of tea.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated The Obsidian Chamber in Books
Feb 21, 2018
While some of the Pendergast books can be read as standalone thrillers, whether or not youve read the rest of the series, you really do need to have read a lot (if not all) of the previous books to appreciate this one. While its very hard to say much about it without using spoilers, I can say that this story is very much character driven, and you need to understand the relationships and motivations of the characters in question for the story to make sense. While there is more action than usual for Proctor in this installment, overall the style of the story makes it move along a little more slowly than most books in the series. While I did like the book, I cant say that I was completely happy with the way things were wrapped up, or with the amount of page-time Pendergast actually gets in this novel. It left me wanting more, but I guess that in itself is a good thing!
Longtime fans of the Pendergast series should enjoy this one, but Id recommend starting back with Relic if Pendergast is new to you!
Longtime fans of the Pendergast series should enjoy this one, but Id recommend starting back with Relic if Pendergast is new to you!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2151 KP) rated Hummus and Homicide (Kebab Kitchen Mystery #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Lucy Berberian is back in her hometown of Ocean Crest, New Jersey, while she tries to figure out what to do next in her life. While she is reconnecting with family and friends, she is also working at her parent’s restaurant, Kebab Kitchen. Her high school nemesis, Heather Banks, is now the health inspector, and goes out of her way to make trouble for Lucy. However, after eating at the restaurant’s hummus bar, Heather dies in the parking lot. With business declining and Lucy the prime suspect, Lucy begins to search for answers. What happened to Heather?
This series is off to a good start. Lucy has a great collection of family and friends, although I did feel that her parents could be better fleshed out. We see hints of more here, something I hope is developed further as the series progresses. The mystery is solid with several believable suspects and plenty of secrets. The ending surprised me and kept me turning pages.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2018/02/book-review-hummus-and-homicide-by-tina.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This series is off to a good start. Lucy has a great collection of family and friends, although I did feel that her parents could be better fleshed out. We see hints of more here, something I hope is developed further as the series progresses. The mystery is solid with several believable suspects and plenty of secrets. The ending surprised me and kept me turning pages.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2018/02/book-review-hummus-and-homicide-by-tina.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Body Finder (The Body Finder, #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
Okay, so I didn't fall in love with this book right away. For awhile, I thought I was going to rate the book 2, maybe 3 stars. However, about 2/3 of the way into the book, it became really good, and it definitely got boosted to 4 stars.
I loved, loved, loved the relationship between Jay & Violet. I thought it was really sweet =) I loved how protective he was of her, not in the "she's a girl so she can't take care of herself" way but because he genuinely cared for her.
The character of Chelsea made me laugh. I loved her sarcasm =)
It did have a hint of Mean Girls in it though. The character of Claire reminded me a lot of Amanda Seyfried's character in the film. And there is the mention of a Queen Bee.
I loved the plot as well. I've never read anything like it. I like the way the author brought together the elements of suspense, crime, romance, and paranormal. They all blended very well.
I'd definitely recommend this book. It does take a long time to get going, as I've said before, but once it does, it definitely drags you in!
I loved, loved, loved the relationship between Jay & Violet. I thought it was really sweet =) I loved how protective he was of her, not in the "she's a girl so she can't take care of herself" way but because he genuinely cared for her.
The character of Chelsea made me laugh. I loved her sarcasm =)
It did have a hint of Mean Girls in it though. The character of Claire reminded me a lot of Amanda Seyfried's character in the film. And there is the mention of a Queen Bee.
I loved the plot as well. I've never read anything like it. I like the way the author brought together the elements of suspense, crime, romance, and paranormal. They all blended very well.
I'd definitely recommend this book. It does take a long time to get going, as I've said before, but once it does, it definitely drags you in!
Jcadden76 (64 KP) rated Deadpool 2 (2018) in Movies
Jun 11, 2018
The Cast (4 more)
The storyline
The humor
The action
The CGI characters
Better than the original... No really, I mean it.
Liked it better than the original. Still kept the funny coming from every angle, still stayed true to the characters, and it was just a fun comic book movie overall.
Deadpool 2 progresses from the Deadpool in a number of ways. We explore Wade and the rest of the cast in a lot more detail. We also get to see Wade working out his demons with a team of super heroes instead of just by himself for the most of the movie.
Personally, for me, this was the best X-Movie of them all. Better than the originals and maybe only surpassed by Logan on some levels. I really don't think it missed for me at all. Not having Vanessa in it made sense but I did get the reasoning behind it.
Stay until the end. You get a few more scenes and then at the very end you get a reprise of one of the best musical moments in the flick.
Deadpool 2 progresses from the Deadpool in a number of ways. We explore Wade and the rest of the cast in a lot more detail. We also get to see Wade working out his demons with a team of super heroes instead of just by himself for the most of the movie.
Personally, for me, this was the best X-Movie of them all. Better than the originals and maybe only surpassed by Logan on some levels. I really don't think it missed for me at all. Not having Vanessa in it made sense but I did get the reasoning behind it.
Stay until the end. You get a few more scenes and then at the very end you get a reprise of one of the best musical moments in the flick.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2151 KP) rated In Cave Danger in Books
Jun 12, 2018
Death Deep Underground
Meg Reed is off to Bend, Oregon, to write a feature on the lava caves in the area. The future of the caves in in doubt thanks to a bill that would open the Federal land up to private use. The fight over the bill is creating a lot of tension, but when the group Meg is exploring the cave with makes their way to the bottom, they find a dead body. What is going on?
Those new to the series will be a little frustrated by this book. We’re almost a quarter of the way into the book before Meg makes it to Bend, for example. That time is spent updating us on several storylines introduced in the previous books, so fans will be satisfied. As the book progresses, we get some good suspects and twists to this mystery as well as a great wrap up to several series storylines, which is nice since this is the last book in the series (at least for now). Wrapping things up does overwhelm this book, so really, don’t start the series here.
Those new to the series will be a little frustrated by this book. We’re almost a quarter of the way into the book before Meg makes it to Bend, for example. That time is spent updating us on several storylines introduced in the previous books, so fans will be satisfied. As the book progresses, we get some good suspects and twists to this mystery as well as a great wrap up to several series storylines, which is nice since this is the last book in the series (at least for now). Wrapping things up does overwhelm this book, so really, don’t start the series here.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Lost in Translation (Geronimo Stilton Graphic Novels, #19) in Books
Jun 18, 2018
Geronimo Stilton #19: "Lost in Translation" by Geronimo Stilton finds the mice travelling in time to stop the pirate cats. These are fun adventures with a bit of history thrown in. The history this time was the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in Egypt during Napoleon's campaign in 1798. The pirate cats have their own agenda for what to do with it. It may alter the world that Geronimo and his friends know.
This is a cute time-travel story of a Mouse, Geronimo Stilton, who is also the editor of the Roden's Gazzette. This is the 19Th in the series, and apparently he has gone on a lot of adventures, but this particular one was to the time of the Neopolonic Wars, when the French were in Egypt, uncovering artifacts to take home with them, such as the Rosetta Stone.
I like how history is taught in this series. Every so often there is a blurb about how important the Rosetta Stone is and was, and what the French were doing when they are in Egypt.
I received this ARC from Papercutz via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a cute time-travel story of a Mouse, Geronimo Stilton, who is also the editor of the Roden's Gazzette. This is the 19Th in the series, and apparently he has gone on a lot of adventures, but this particular one was to the time of the Neopolonic Wars, when the French were in Egypt, uncovering artifacts to take home with them, such as the Rosetta Stone.
I like how history is taught in this series. Every so often there is a blurb about how important the Rosetta Stone is and was, and what the French were doing when they are in Egypt.
I received this ARC from Papercutz via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.