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Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated The Widows in Books
Jun 5, 2019
The Widows by Jess Montgomery is inspired by the true story of Ohio’s first female sheriff. The plot delves into how two women fought greed and violence while overcoming the loss of a loved one.
The author noted, “This is a darker and deeper style of writing, much more than my other stories. For example, I examine the Pinkerton men and the violence they used. I read multiple books that talked about how these men would shoot up the striking camps. I put in this book quote by one of the Pinkerton men, ‘A real war, and then, rule of law won’t matter. Those miners who resist, why, we’ll put ‘em down like rabid dogs.’”
The protagonists Lily and Marvena are based on the real-life historical figures of Maude Collins, the first female sheriff in Ohio, and Mother Jones, the famous activist and labor organizer. Sheriff Daniel Ross, the husband of Lily is murdered and no one knows by whom. Those powerful in the town want to pin it on a coal miner, Marvena’s brother. She has something in common with Lily since she also lost her husband, but to a coal mining accident. Because the mine owners think she will be easy to control, Lily is appointed sheriff pending the next election. But having a mind of her own and a sense of justice she partners with Marvena to find the elusive murderer and Marvena’s missing daughter.
“I wrote both Lily and Marvena as tough. Lily is sensitive but is also a protector who wants to support her community. She keeps her emotions close to her heart. Marvena is fierce and persistent, but also has a tender streak. Although both women were wary of each other at first, they have a common goal to find out what happened. They end up with a strong friendship and recognize that each is balancing their own demons.”
Readers might be curious as to what is real and what is fiction. Montgomery commented, “In real life Collins had five children, and the person who killed her husband was known. I decided it would be interesting to have Lily take the sheriff position to find out who killed her husband. The similarity is that both women lost their husbands in the line of duty, both were appointed sheriff, and both were elected. The differences: Lily is eight years younger than Maude during that time period and she had only had two children.”
Historical facts are intertwined in this novel that also has strong female characters and an intriguing mystery. Readers get a glimpse into the 1920s-coal mining town in Appalachian Ohio as the author examines women’s rights, prohibition, and the life of a coal miner.
The author noted, “This is a darker and deeper style of writing, much more than my other stories. For example, I examine the Pinkerton men and the violence they used. I read multiple books that talked about how these men would shoot up the striking camps. I put in this book quote by one of the Pinkerton men, ‘A real war, and then, rule of law won’t matter. Those miners who resist, why, we’ll put ‘em down like rabid dogs.’”
The protagonists Lily and Marvena are based on the real-life historical figures of Maude Collins, the first female sheriff in Ohio, and Mother Jones, the famous activist and labor organizer. Sheriff Daniel Ross, the husband of Lily is murdered and no one knows by whom. Those powerful in the town want to pin it on a coal miner, Marvena’s brother. She has something in common with Lily since she also lost her husband, but to a coal mining accident. Because the mine owners think she will be easy to control, Lily is appointed sheriff pending the next election. But having a mind of her own and a sense of justice she partners with Marvena to find the elusive murderer and Marvena’s missing daughter.
“I wrote both Lily and Marvena as tough. Lily is sensitive but is also a protector who wants to support her community. She keeps her emotions close to her heart. Marvena is fierce and persistent, but also has a tender streak. Although both women were wary of each other at first, they have a common goal to find out what happened. They end up with a strong friendship and recognize that each is balancing their own demons.”
Readers might be curious as to what is real and what is fiction. Montgomery commented, “In real life Collins had five children, and the person who killed her husband was known. I decided it would be interesting to have Lily take the sheriff position to find out who killed her husband. The similarity is that both women lost their husbands in the line of duty, both were appointed sheriff, and both were elected. The differences: Lily is eight years younger than Maude during that time period and she had only had two children.”
Historical facts are intertwined in this novel that also has strong female characters and an intriguing mystery. Readers get a glimpse into the 1920s-coal mining town in Appalachian Ohio as the author examines women’s rights, prohibition, and the life of a coal miner.
Pity by Andrew McMillan is a compassionate book that’s as much about the town it’s set in (Barnsley) as it is about the people in it.
I can’t honestly tell you which parts I liked best: the thoughts of the miners as they trudged to the mine and worked there; the sociologists researching the history and decline of the town; and Simon, who works in a call centre by day and has a drag act in local clubs and bars at night. Each part blended with and gave explanations for every other component of this book, and explained the impact on the next generation.
Simon’s sections and the preparation for his show, where he would dress as Margaret Thatcher were particularly engaging. Her impact on ex-mining towns are clearly still apparent, and Simons alter ego, Puttana Short Dress, appears dressed as the Iron Lady with the slogan “This turn is not a lady!” - it’s a genius act!
I was left wondering where Simon and Ryan’s relationship would go, as Ryan seemed unhappy about Simon wearing his makeup on the journey home after his act had finished. Could he accept Simon - ALL of Simon?
This was a short read, that I would happily have read if it was twice (or more!) the length - it was all over too soon!
Recommended.
I can’t honestly tell you which parts I liked best: the thoughts of the miners as they trudged to the mine and worked there; the sociologists researching the history and decline of the town; and Simon, who works in a call centre by day and has a drag act in local clubs and bars at night. Each part blended with and gave explanations for every other component of this book, and explained the impact on the next generation.
Simon’s sections and the preparation for his show, where he would dress as Margaret Thatcher were particularly engaging. Her impact on ex-mining towns are clearly still apparent, and Simons alter ego, Puttana Short Dress, appears dressed as the Iron Lady with the slogan “This turn is not a lady!” - it’s a genius act!
I was left wondering where Simon and Ryan’s relationship would go, as Ryan seemed unhappy about Simon wearing his makeup on the journey home after his act had finished. Could he accept Simon - ALL of Simon?
This was a short read, that I would happily have read if it was twice (or more!) the length - it was all over too soon!
Recommended.
FilmIntuition (33 KP) rated The Byline Bible in Books
Aug 20, 2018
In this wholly entertaining guide for freelance writers looking to climb the publication ladder, professor and scribe Susan Shapiro transfers her highly successful, results oriented course to print in a lively new release.
Serving up various writing assignments that might result in you finding out where your strengths lie, from mining your life for irresistible personal essay fodder to locating someone to pitch it to (as well as how to respond to a critique and the most common reactions to expect), Shapiro guides old and new freelancers throughout the entire process from submit to print.
Reminding writers that the fastest way to burn a bridge is to respond to an email in anger, she offers another practical reason to bite one's tongue as charming someone on the staff of a publication with your sincerity, reliability, and professionalism might make an editor far more willing to work with you to get your piece publication ready than a total stranger would be.
With decades of proven experience to back her up both personally as a writer and professionally as a teacher, Shapiro includes countless columns and articles penned by her students over the years as examples throughout.
Giving it to you straight while maintaining a healthy sense of relatable optimism and dry wit that keeps you flipping pages, Susan Shapiro's compellingly readable Byline Bible makes a worthwhile addition to your nonfiction shelf.
Note: I received this title from Bookish First in exchange for an honest review.
Serving up various writing assignments that might result in you finding out where your strengths lie, from mining your life for irresistible personal essay fodder to locating someone to pitch it to (as well as how to respond to a critique and the most common reactions to expect), Shapiro guides old and new freelancers throughout the entire process from submit to print.
Reminding writers that the fastest way to burn a bridge is to respond to an email in anger, she offers another practical reason to bite one's tongue as charming someone on the staff of a publication with your sincerity, reliability, and professionalism might make an editor far more willing to work with you to get your piece publication ready than a total stranger would be.
With decades of proven experience to back her up both personally as a writer and professionally as a teacher, Shapiro includes countless columns and articles penned by her students over the years as examples throughout.
Giving it to you straight while maintaining a healthy sense of relatable optimism and dry wit that keeps you flipping pages, Susan Shapiro's compellingly readable Byline Bible makes a worthwhile addition to your nonfiction shelf.
Note: I received this title from Bookish First in exchange for an honest review.
David McK (3185 KP) rated Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers (Red Dwarf #1) in Books
Jan 28, 2019 (Updated Sep 1, 2019)
Back in the late 80s/early 90s, there was a TV show on British terrestial channles, that gained a bit of a cult following: 'Red Dwarf'.
Set on a 6-mile long mining ship in deep space, the early years of Red Dwarf were centred around the odd-couple pairing of Dave Lister (the last known Human alive, who was in a stasis booth - released thousands of years later - when a radiation leak wiped out the crew of the eponymous ship) and Arnold J Rimmer: a hologram of his dead bunk-mate, and perhaps the most annoying man in existence. Added to this are the ships now-senile computer Holly and the Cat: a creature evolved from a cat that Lister had smuggle aboard (and why he was in the stasis booth in the first place).
To this, and round about season 3 (although he first made an appearance in season 2), was added Kryten: a mechanoid with an overactive guilt chip.
Some novels based on a TV show seem to pretty much just repeat the episode scene for scene; others seem to share nothing in common with hteir source material except the name. This, I felt, falls somewhere in the middle: while certain segments of the novel do indeed follow (very) closely to their source, others only use that as their starting-off point. It aslo does a better job of tying the episodes together than the TV show ever could!
Set on a 6-mile long mining ship in deep space, the early years of Red Dwarf were centred around the odd-couple pairing of Dave Lister (the last known Human alive, who was in a stasis booth - released thousands of years later - when a radiation leak wiped out the crew of the eponymous ship) and Arnold J Rimmer: a hologram of his dead bunk-mate, and perhaps the most annoying man in existence. Added to this are the ships now-senile computer Holly and the Cat: a creature evolved from a cat that Lister had smuggle aboard (and why he was in the stasis booth in the first place).
To this, and round about season 3 (although he first made an appearance in season 2), was added Kryten: a mechanoid with an overactive guilt chip.
Some novels based on a TV show seem to pretty much just repeat the episode scene for scene; others seem to share nothing in common with hteir source material except the name. This, I felt, falls somewhere in the middle: while certain segments of the novel do indeed follow (very) closely to their source, others only use that as their starting-off point. It aslo does a better job of tying the episodes together than the TV show ever could!
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Early Man (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
From the creators of Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit comes the “true”
story of the origin of the world’s most popular sport-football (or soccer
as we call it in the U.S.). A charming film that takes us back to the dawn
of man, The Stone Age, where a motley band of cavemen and women live an
archaic lifestyle foraging and hunting for their food.
Their way of life
is shattered as the Bronze age approaches, and mining for metal becoming
superior, along with the love of football (soccer) playing second. The
leader of the Bronze Age conquerors Lord Nooth strips the cavemen from
their land to mine for more metal and for smelting. Eager to keep their
way of life and get their home back, the Cavemen challenge Lord Nooth to a
game of football.
Who doesn’t love a good underdog story? As you can guess, it’s hysterical
slapstick humor and sheer silliness of epic proportion. In true Wallace
and Gromit fashion, Aardman animation create a movie with an underlying
sweetness that makes the audience fall in love with such delightful
characters.
Featuring an all-star British voice cast featuring Tom
Hiddleston, Maisie Williams, Tom Redmayne, and Timothy Spall, Early Man may
not be your typical run of the mill bright, boisterous, tug at the
heartstrings type of movie, but it definitely provides enough physical
comedy to keep the audience laughing and a great message about teamwork and
learning to coexist.
story of the origin of the world’s most popular sport-football (or soccer
as we call it in the U.S.). A charming film that takes us back to the dawn
of man, The Stone Age, where a motley band of cavemen and women live an
archaic lifestyle foraging and hunting for their food.
Their way of life
is shattered as the Bronze age approaches, and mining for metal becoming
superior, along with the love of football (soccer) playing second. The
leader of the Bronze Age conquerors Lord Nooth strips the cavemen from
their land to mine for more metal and for smelting. Eager to keep their
way of life and get their home back, the Cavemen challenge Lord Nooth to a
game of football.
Who doesn’t love a good underdog story? As you can guess, it’s hysterical
slapstick humor and sheer silliness of epic proportion. In true Wallace
and Gromit fashion, Aardman animation create a movie with an underlying
sweetness that makes the audience fall in love with such delightful
characters.
Featuring an all-star British voice cast featuring Tom
Hiddleston, Maisie Williams, Tom Redmayne, and Timothy Spall, Early Man may
not be your typical run of the mill bright, boisterous, tug at the
heartstrings type of movie, but it definitely provides enough physical
comedy to keep the audience laughing and a great message about teamwork and
learning to coexist.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Invisible Man Returns (1940) in Movies
Dec 7, 2020
See No Evil
The Invisible Man Returns- is a great sequel to "The Invisible Man". I love "The Invisible Man", he is in my opinion the best universal monster. He's funny, dramatic, crazy, and invisible.
The plot: Wrongly accused of murdering his brother, Geoffrey Radcliffe (Vincent Price) is found guilty and sentenced to die. But when sympathetic Dr. Griffin (John Sutton) injects him with a serum that renders him invisible, Radcliffe is able to escape and search for the real culprit. With Inspector Sampson (Cecil Kellaway) of Scotland Yard hot on his trail, Radcliffe begins to suspect that a recent hire in his family's mining company might have the answers he seeks.
Following the commercial success of Son of Frankenstein, Universal Studios announced the development of The Invisible Man Returns in March 1939.
In May, Joe May was announced as the director of the film with either Boris Karloff or Bela Lugosi hinted at playing the lead.
Vincent Price when he was not covered by bandages or special effects only appears as himself for one minute in the film. Price spoke on the film saying that the special effects were done with Price being draped in black velvet and working against a set draped in black velvet. Price also spoke about working with Hardwicke, who he recalled "didn't like doing this film; he was facing home problems at the time. We became very close."
Its a great movie.
The plot: Wrongly accused of murdering his brother, Geoffrey Radcliffe (Vincent Price) is found guilty and sentenced to die. But when sympathetic Dr. Griffin (John Sutton) injects him with a serum that renders him invisible, Radcliffe is able to escape and search for the real culprit. With Inspector Sampson (Cecil Kellaway) of Scotland Yard hot on his trail, Radcliffe begins to suspect that a recent hire in his family's mining company might have the answers he seeks.
Following the commercial success of Son of Frankenstein, Universal Studios announced the development of The Invisible Man Returns in March 1939.
In May, Joe May was announced as the director of the film with either Boris Karloff or Bela Lugosi hinted at playing the lead.
Vincent Price when he was not covered by bandages or special effects only appears as himself for one minute in the film. Price spoke on the film saying that the special effects were done with Price being draped in black velvet and working against a set draped in black velvet. Price also spoke about working with Hardwicke, who he recalled "didn't like doing this film; he was facing home problems at the time. We became very close."
Its a great movie.
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated Faith's Mountain Home (Hearts of Montana, #3) in Books
Feb 24, 2021
Do you like books? Well, you probably do if you are reading this…..
Misty M. Beller has become one of my favorite authors over the last year as I have kept up with her new books and gone back and read her previous books. In each one she creates this beautiful connection between the reader and her characters that is phenomenal. Faith’s Mountain Home is a bit of a different focus than most of Misty M. Beller’s other books in that the characters do not travel all over the west, they mainly stay in a mining town. But after learning a bit about the main characters of this book in the last one Loves Mountain Quest I was really excited to learn more about Nate and Lauren and Misty M. Beller did not disappoint. Both Lauren and Nate showed great growth as individuals and their faith really showed through. I enjoyed the themes that Misty M. Beller wove into this story as they were realistic and had real life applications. Plus, the storyline hooked my interest with the opening line “Just a little farther. Laura Hannon dared another step on the rock ledge that wrapped around the mountain.” It was a great start and the momentum kept going throughout the book.
Overall, I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the great character development, the themes presented, the the great display of faith throughout this book.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
Misty M. Beller has become one of my favorite authors over the last year as I have kept up with her new books and gone back and read her previous books. In each one she creates this beautiful connection between the reader and her characters that is phenomenal. Faith’s Mountain Home is a bit of a different focus than most of Misty M. Beller’s other books in that the characters do not travel all over the west, they mainly stay in a mining town. But after learning a bit about the main characters of this book in the last one Loves Mountain Quest I was really excited to learn more about Nate and Lauren and Misty M. Beller did not disappoint. Both Lauren and Nate showed great growth as individuals and their faith really showed through. I enjoyed the themes that Misty M. Beller wove into this story as they were realistic and had real life applications. Plus, the storyline hooked my interest with the opening line “Just a little farther. Laura Hannon dared another step on the rock ledge that wrapped around the mountain.” It was a great start and the momentum kept going throughout the book.
Overall, I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the great character development, the themes presented, the the great display of faith throughout this book.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated My Bloody Valentine (1981) in Movies
Jan 5, 2021
My Bloody Valentine is an entertaining and somewhat charming slasher that released just as the sub genre was really gaining some traction.
Unfortunately, it suffers from a couple of things - a low budget that shows at times, and secondly, cuts made due to the MPAA in order to secure an R Rating. The wide released cut version loses its edge a little, an edge that really makes this movie stick in your brain.
The uncut version has some truly staggering gore effects here and there. All practical of course, and it's the kind of violence that genuinely adds to the overall experience.
MBV has plenty of positives to shout about - the on location shoot in a small mining town in Nova Scotia really adds a lot of personality to the back drop, and the whole second half of the film was filmed in a genuine mine. It feels authentic and genuine as a result.
The characters are all working class regular Joes as well, and feel relatable.
The killer, [spoiler alert] AKA Harry Warden, has of course earned a place in horror history. The gas mask and jumpsuit get up he wears alongside his humble pickaxe makes for a minimalist yet memorable villain.
There are better slashers out there for sure, but My Bloody Valentine is still a pretty damn good watch, especially on Valentine's Day - it works as a film to get cosy too with someone special, whilst simultaneously being a good tonic for someone who fucking hates everything about it. A stroke of genius in that respect!
Unfortunately, it suffers from a couple of things - a low budget that shows at times, and secondly, cuts made due to the MPAA in order to secure an R Rating. The wide released cut version loses its edge a little, an edge that really makes this movie stick in your brain.
The uncut version has some truly staggering gore effects here and there. All practical of course, and it's the kind of violence that genuinely adds to the overall experience.
MBV has plenty of positives to shout about - the on location shoot in a small mining town in Nova Scotia really adds a lot of personality to the back drop, and the whole second half of the film was filmed in a genuine mine. It feels authentic and genuine as a result.
The characters are all working class regular Joes as well, and feel relatable.
The killer, [spoiler alert] AKA Harry Warden, has of course earned a place in horror history. The gas mask and jumpsuit get up he wears alongside his humble pickaxe makes for a minimalist yet memorable villain.
There are better slashers out there for sure, but My Bloody Valentine is still a pretty damn good watch, especially on Valentine's Day - it works as a film to get cosy too with someone special, whilst simultaneously being a good tonic for someone who fucking hates everything about it. A stroke of genius in that respect!
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Divine Justice (Camel Club, #4) in Books
Jan 15, 2018
I am a huge Baldacci fan thanks to a great friend's introduction to his work! I have found myself particularly sucked in to the Camel Club series and #4 did not disappoint. In fact, I think this has been my favorite of the series thus far...of course I feel like I say that every time I read one of his books.
This installment of the series picks up right where the 3rd book ended. Oliver Stone finds himself breaking the water's surface after having tossed his scoped sniper rifle & then himself off of a rocky cliff after killing one of America's higher ups. He bails on the Camel Club & splits out of D.C. with no clues as to where he is heading. He eventually finds himself in a small, coal mining, mountain town called Divine, Virginia.
From there, & as usual, Stone finds himself mixed up in a corrupt supermax prison scandel & surrounded by a lethal drug ring, with most of the small town's residents blissfully unaware. You would think he was in over his head, but when one of your best friends is a Secret Service agent & you yourself are a former government assasin, I don't think you could ever be in over your head. I do have to admit that there were points in the story that I was convinced that Stone was finished. He was in some very precarious situations, unlike ones he'd been put into before. Of coure I did also know that there were more books in the series, which did ruin a little bit of the suspense. I mean, what would the Camel Club be without Oliver Stone?
This installment of the series picks up right where the 3rd book ended. Oliver Stone finds himself breaking the water's surface after having tossed his scoped sniper rifle & then himself off of a rocky cliff after killing one of America's higher ups. He bails on the Camel Club & splits out of D.C. with no clues as to where he is heading. He eventually finds himself in a small, coal mining, mountain town called Divine, Virginia.
From there, & as usual, Stone finds himself mixed up in a corrupt supermax prison scandel & surrounded by a lethal drug ring, with most of the small town's residents blissfully unaware. You would think he was in over his head, but when one of your best friends is a Secret Service agent & you yourself are a former government assasin, I don't think you could ever be in over your head. I do have to admit that there were points in the story that I was convinced that Stone was finished. He was in some very precarious situations, unlike ones he'd been put into before. Of coure I did also know that there were more books in the series, which did ruin a little bit of the suspense. I mean, what would the Camel Club be without Oliver Stone?
Lee (2222 KP) rated Early Man (2018) in Movies
Oct 23, 2018
Early Man is from Aardman Animation, the team behind Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Chicken Run. Following the devastation caused by a large meteor hitting the Earth many generations ago, a stone age tribe now lives in the lush forest within the crater it left behind. Fairly primitive, and fairly stupid, they hunt rabbits for food and don't really venture outside of the crater into the volcanic wastelands that surround them. But when a more advanced civilisation of bronze age people come along and take over the crater in order to start mining more bronze, the stone age gang find themselves forced out of their home and into the wastelands. One of the stone age men, Dug, follows the bronze age men back to their city and into their football stadium, where thousands gather to watch football. He decides to challenge the bronze age team to a football match, with the winner getting to keep the valley that they call home. Turns out that the stone age tribe invented football many generations ago, and now need to reawaken their passion for the game, and somehow get themselves match ready in time for the match.
As always with Aardman and Nick Park, the stop-motion animation and the attention to detail are top notch. There are some funny moments, but it's nowhere near the standard of some of the previous Aardman productions. It boasts a great line up for the character voices too - Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams and more - only it's not enough to lift this beyond being a fairly below average family movie, which is a real shame.
As always with Aardman and Nick Park, the stop-motion animation and the attention to detail are top notch. There are some funny moments, but it's nowhere near the standard of some of the previous Aardman productions. It boasts a great line up for the character voices too - Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams and more - only it's not enough to lift this beyond being a fairly below average family movie, which is a real shame.