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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Oblivion in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Rating: -2
I listened to the first three tracks of this book, and can honestly tell you I have no idea what was going on. It was two different stories flashing from one to another, and they didn't seem related at all. One was interesting, the other felt like I was doing math homework. On top of that, the reader sounded like he was reading something very exciting, when he was really just describing the length of someone's tie or the type of knot they used to tie their shoelaces.
Suffice to say, I quit. I sincerely apologize, but I can't recommend this book. I can't even tell you a content or age recommendation because I wanted to die twenty minutes after starting.
I listened to the first three tracks of this book, and can honestly tell you I have no idea what was going on. It was two different stories flashing from one to another, and they didn't seem related at all. One was interesting, the other felt like I was doing math homework. On top of that, the reader sounded like he was reading something very exciting, when he was really just describing the length of someone's tie or the type of knot they used to tie their shoelaces.
Suffice to say, I quit. I sincerely apologize, but I can't recommend this book. I can't even tell you a content or age recommendation because I wanted to die twenty minutes after starting.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Cube 2: Hypercube (2002) in Movies
Jan 6, 2020 (Updated Jan 8, 2020)
Whats Reality
Cube 2- Hypercube- is wired and you probley have to watch it multiplte times to fully understand it. Im going to watch it again, just because i need to understand it more.
The Plot: Without remembering how they got there, several strangers awaken in a prison of cubic cells, some of them booby-trapped. There's onetime cop Quentin (Maurice Dean Wint), scientist Holloway (Nicky Guadagni), young math genius Leaven (Nicole de Boer), master of escapes Rennes (Wayne Robson), autistic savant Kazan (Andrew Miller) and architect Worth (David Hewlett), who might have more information on the maze than he lets on. The prisoners must use their combined skills if they are to escape.
Its good horror movie, but you have to watch it multiplte times to fully understand it.
The Plot: Without remembering how they got there, several strangers awaken in a prison of cubic cells, some of them booby-trapped. There's onetime cop Quentin (Maurice Dean Wint), scientist Holloway (Nicky Guadagni), young math genius Leaven (Nicole de Boer), master of escapes Rennes (Wayne Robson), autistic savant Kazan (Andrew Miller) and architect Worth (David Hewlett), who might have more information on the maze than he lets on. The prisoners must use their combined skills if they are to escape.
Its good horror movie, but you have to watch it multiplte times to fully understand it.
Kyera (8 KP) rated I'm Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl in Books
Feb 1, 2018
I'm Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl follows Beas attempts to translate her status in high school into a scholarship winning mathematical formula. Simple right? Beatrice, Spencer, and Gabe are not the most popular kids at school to be honest theyre practically invisible. Most people call Bea Math Girl and she wants that to change. She convinces her friends to embrace and exploit a personality trait that fills a void in their school so that they can become popular.
Gabe agrees because he is a writer for the school paper and hopes to be chosen for an internship as a result. He becomes the schools flamboyant, gay best friend and almost immediately is absorbed into the popular inner-circle. Through his acceptance, Spencer and Bea, now known as Trixie, become known around the school. She must embrace her new personality but doesnt always make the right decisions.
I personally did not relate to her, despite her love of math and didnt create a connection. I completely agreed with the opinions of her friends about her behavior. I didnt find myself being sympathetic to her plight and was frustrated more than anything by her repeated mistakes. She meddles in other peoples business, doesnt take the high road and even though she accepts her mistakes at the end it doesnt feel, to me at least, that she has grown over the course of the novel.
Despite the book being formulaic, it was an enjoyable read I just wish it wasnt so predictable. It doesnt take long to figure out who is going to be the romantic endgame, what friendships will be formed and enemy status established. At the end of it all, you wonder will they realize that it is more important to be true to themselves than to be popular? I think you know what the answer will be.
The book has a fair amount of diversity and representation in it, which is good. I wish each of those various representations was given more detail and thought than being an intermittent descriptive word. It felt more like adding the token LGBTQ+ or ethnically diverse character. We dont often enough see diversity in books, so it was a little disappointing to me that it so little was done with it.
Overall, I think that it was a quick, contemporary read that young adult/teen readers will enjoy. It is cute, if predictable but the unique aspect of the story of using math to solve lifes problems was quirky and endearing.
Gabe agrees because he is a writer for the school paper and hopes to be chosen for an internship as a result. He becomes the schools flamboyant, gay best friend and almost immediately is absorbed into the popular inner-circle. Through his acceptance, Spencer and Bea, now known as Trixie, become known around the school. She must embrace her new personality but doesnt always make the right decisions.
I personally did not relate to her, despite her love of math and didnt create a connection. I completely agreed with the opinions of her friends about her behavior. I didnt find myself being sympathetic to her plight and was frustrated more than anything by her repeated mistakes. She meddles in other peoples business, doesnt take the high road and even though she accepts her mistakes at the end it doesnt feel, to me at least, that she has grown over the course of the novel.
Despite the book being formulaic, it was an enjoyable read I just wish it wasnt so predictable. It doesnt take long to figure out who is going to be the romantic endgame, what friendships will be formed and enemy status established. At the end of it all, you wonder will they realize that it is more important to be true to themselves than to be popular? I think you know what the answer will be.
The book has a fair amount of diversity and representation in it, which is good. I wish each of those various representations was given more detail and thought than being an intermittent descriptive word. It felt more like adding the token LGBTQ+ or ethnically diverse character. We dont often enough see diversity in books, so it was a little disappointing to me that it so little was done with it.
Overall, I think that it was a quick, contemporary read that young adult/teen readers will enjoy. It is cute, if predictable but the unique aspect of the story of using math to solve lifes problems was quirky and endearing.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated The Drawing Lesson: A Graphic Novel That Teaches You How to Draw in Books
Jan 2, 2019
I was very impressed with this new approach to drawing lessons. Fresh and different there is a lot to learn. There are several "Chapters" touching on subjects such as: Shading, Using Negative Space, Checking Proportions, Simplifying Things, and more. Seeing the examples and poor David's frustration at constantly having to redraw lines, helps me feel a little more normal in my artwork. I love the interaction between teacher and student. David's eagerness to learn and study...And his teacher's guiding hand, bringing him back to earth. I recommend this book for those who have a basic concept of drawing, but would like to learn more. Have fun with it, and remember, art is NOT like math!
I received a free copy of The Drawing Lesson through Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
I received a free copy of The Drawing Lesson through Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Lenard (726 KP) rated Black Panther (2018) in Movies
Feb 20, 2018
Conquered or conqueror
Does a nation or peoples with ability have a responsibility? That seems to be one of the central questions. There is a long history of nonwhite civilizations that developed more advanced technology that became conquered by the white nations (more through their disease, but that is another story, than their weaponry although they had that too.) Wakanda and its king have remained hidden in an effort to prevent such a tragedy.
China gave us gunpowder, Japan feudalism, Arabs medicine and math, Africa astronomy, and Mayans soccer. Yet all of these people became conquered and enslaved over time. T'Chaka seems to attempt to prevent this eventuality, but T'Challa soon faces his own dilemma. When an African-African cousin wants to expose Wakandan ability to his oppressed "others," Black Panther, king of Wakanda, must come out of hiding to assist the world and possibly expose their many secrets.
China gave us gunpowder, Japan feudalism, Arabs medicine and math, Africa astronomy, and Mayans soccer. Yet all of these people became conquered and enslaved over time. T'Chaka seems to attempt to prevent this eventuality, but T'Challa soon faces his own dilemma. When an African-African cousin wants to expose Wakandan ability to his oppressed "others," Black Panther, king of Wakanda, must come out of hiding to assist the world and possibly expose their many secrets.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated A Bride Most Begrudging in Books
Jan 18, 2018
After falling in love with Maid To Match, I decided to try another novel from Deeanne Gist. I have always enjoyed books about people trying to make it in the harsh frontiers, so I figured this would be a good choice.
Like Maid To Match, the characters of A Bride Most Begrudging live simple lives in simple times where the most they worry about is keeping peace with the Indians and keeping their young girls from learning math. It was like being taken to another world. Deeanne Gist is such a master at creating realistic historical worlds that its hard to not be drawn in.
Its not just the world that Gist creates that is realistic, but also the characters. They have their faults, glaring and obvious, and they have their strengths that keep them driving forward. They have their struggles and the trials, and, while the situations dont always end up they way they want or plan, they still survive...mostly.
Like Maid To Match, the characters of A Bride Most Begrudging live simple lives in simple times where the most they worry about is keeping peace with the Indians and keeping their young girls from learning math. It was like being taken to another world. Deeanne Gist is such a master at creating realistic historical worlds that its hard to not be drawn in.
Its not just the world that Gist creates that is realistic, but also the characters. They have their faults, glaring and obvious, and they have their strengths that keep them driving forward. They have their struggles and the trials, and, while the situations dont always end up they way they want or plan, they still survive...mostly.
Christine Allard (22 KP) rated Queen of Spades in Books
Jan 26, 2018
Small story, small setting, gambling and some mystical realism in a down-to-earth story.
Very few characters. Set in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. It's about gambling and math and cheating, and winning and losing at life and relationships. The writing is simple and stunning. The characters are few and very well-developed, quickly and slowly at the same time, without a lot of fanfare. There's a touch of mystery.
It's a "small" book, as I like to call them. Kind of like Nicholson Baker's writing. Focused.
Read it in two sittings--started one evening and finished over breakfast. Wish I had savored it more. Have already sent copies to at least seven people. Don't bother with the blurb on the back--doesn't do it much justice for what's really between the covers. Also, the paperback is a joy to hold. Even if you're a fan of eReaders, I recommend buying the real deal for this one.
It's a "small" book, as I like to call them. Kind of like Nicholson Baker's writing. Focused.
Read it in two sittings--started one evening and finished over breakfast. Wish I had savored it more. Have already sent copies to at least seven people. Don't bother with the blurb on the back--doesn't do it much justice for what's really between the covers. Also, the paperback is a joy to hold. Even if you're a fan of eReaders, I recommend buying the real deal for this one.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The One Plus One in Books
Feb 13, 2018
One of my favorite books that I read in 2014. Its sort of silly and outlandish in plot, but you dont care, because youre just riveted, wanting to read it as quickly as possible. Jess is a down-on-her-luck mom of two (her daughter, Tanzie, plus stepson Nicky), whose husband has abandoned her so she has to work two jobs to make ends meet. She meets Ed, a millionaire who is also a bit down-on-his-luck (oh just some investment fraud charges and such) while cleaning his vacation home. Eventually Ed comes to their rescue (literally, as the family is sitting on the side of the road) and helps drive them to a math competition for young Tanzie, who is a maths expert. Along the way, a lot happens. Youd think the novel would be pat and predictable, but its really just
lovely. And one of the few books Ive really loved that I actually think would make a good movie, provided I can approve all casting choices, of course.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Cube (1997) in Movies
Jan 6, 2020
Inside The Cube
Cube- holy shit this movie was good, i liked it alot. I never seen it before, but heard about it. I heard many things about it, like it was a cult classic, a great twisted psycholgoical horror film and has traps. Than i was confused because i thought their were talking about Saw, the first one. Nope their are two different movies but about the same thing basically. Saw is also a cult classic, a great twisted psychological horror film and has traps. So thats aint cofusing at all.
The Plot: Without remembering how they got there, several strangers awaken in a prison of cubic cells, some of them booby-trapped. There's onetime cop Quentin (Maurice Dean Wint), scientist Holloway (Nicky Guadagni), young math genius Leaven (Nicole de Boer), master of escapes Rennes (Wayne Robson), autistic savant Kazan (Andrew Miller) and architect Worth (David Hewlett), who might have more information on the maze than he lets on. The prisoners must use their combined skills if they are to escape.
Its a cult classic and must watch horror film.
The Plot: Without remembering how they got there, several strangers awaken in a prison of cubic cells, some of them booby-trapped. There's onetime cop Quentin (Maurice Dean Wint), scientist Holloway (Nicky Guadagni), young math genius Leaven (Nicole de Boer), master of escapes Rennes (Wayne Robson), autistic savant Kazan (Andrew Miller) and architect Worth (David Hewlett), who might have more information on the maze than he lets on. The prisoners must use their combined skills if they are to escape.
Its a cult classic and must watch horror film.
The Marinated Meeple (1848 KP) rated Mini Golf King - Multiplayer in Apps
Jul 25, 2018
Graphics are good (5 more)
Physics engine seems solid
Fun head to head gameplay
Collecting jewels is the tie breaker
there are little adjustments to the courses with rails, launchers, pop up blockers and other things like that.
wind is always changing and shifting.
upgrades to the clubs don't seem to have any effect (the math isn't obvious) (1 more)
constant begging for money with paid upgrades are a bit more than usual
My new current favorite game app.
I tend to go thru a game a month, I jump on play semi constantly, and then hit a wall, get bored and move on to something else, rarely does a game stay on my phone longer than 2 months. This one I really like so far, it's been about 2 weeks... it feels a little like playing poker, in that you both pay the ente and then the winner takes the pot.... also the best player doesn't always win, there is enough luck going on that you can take a great shot that goes sideways, or a bad shot that ends up better than it should... but for the most part skill wins. it's a good solid game.