Search

Search only in certain items:

    7-Eleven, Inc.

    7-Eleven, Inc.

    Food & Drink and Lifestyle

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    Put savings in your pocket with this convenient app from 7-Eleven that rewards you for buying the...

    Godus

    Godus

    Games

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    ** Winner of App Store Best of 2014 ** YOU are about to PLAY GOD. Rule over a living, breathing...

Once Upon Another Time
Once Upon Another Time
James Riley | 2022 | Children
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Second Magical Remix of Fairytales
Lena is small for a giant, but she is still ready to participate in her first Ritual of the Spark ceremony. However, when she does go, things don’t go the way she thought they would, and she finds herself running to visit her friends in the Cursed City. Meanwhile, Jin, a genie in training, finds himself on a mission for his current master, the Golden King. The king is trying to capture the Last Knight, the leaders of the rebels, and his current hiding place is supposed to be the Cursed City. What will happen when both Lena and Jin get there?

I’ve been reading author James Riley since his first book came out, and when I found out he was returning to that world for a new trilogy, I was thrilled. This book stands on its own, although there are a few references to things from the earlier books. We alternate chapters from Lena and Jin’s points-of-view, so we get to know them both well. I liked them and several of the other characters here. The further into the book I read, the more I was hooked on the story as the characters faced more obstacles. With that ending, I’m glad the next is coming out this fall. The target middle grade audience will love this series, and anyone looking for a fun take on familiar characters will be glad they picked it up no matter what their age.
  
Headshot (Model Love)
Headshot (Model Love)
JP Sayle | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
A feel-good, funny, steamy story!
HEADSHOT is a standalone story in the multi-author series, Model Love. I was happily reunited with some of the fellows from J.P. Sayle's Billionaire’s Playground series. In this story, Kit and Garfield House are under threat from the new owner, who wants to sell it against his deceased uncle's wishes. Jack has bided his time, not wanting to act upon his feelings for Kit until he knows they are returned. But when Garfield is threatened, he will stop at nothing to save it, and show Kit exactly how he feels at the same time.

These two! There is a slight age gap here, but nothing too bad, 'grandpa'! LOL! What you have is a beautiful story about two men who fight to save what is important to them and so many others AND what they might have together too. It was gorgeous!!!

Nanna was here, causing trouble as always, plus ham candles. Nope, I won't explain, you really have to read it! This was so light-hearted in places and yet the sense of what would be lost if Garfield closed was never downplayed.

This was a feel-good, funny, steamy story that I loved from beginning to end. A brilliant addition both to Model Love and also Billionaire's Playground. Highly recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Maleficent (2014)
Maleficent (2014)
2014 | Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
I was quite apprehensive headed into the new Disney movie ‘Maleficent’

(Starring Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, and Sam Riley), because all the ‘official’ reviews said it wasn’t any good.

 

I thoroughly disagree.

Maleficent made me laugh, it made me cry and it had me holding my breath in anticipation in some parts.

It takes a ‘Wicked’ type look at the age old story of Sleeping Beauty.

 

While the narration is from the point of view of a much older Aurora, the story focuses on the point of view of Maleficent.

The young Maleficent (played by Isobelle Molloy) meets a young orphaned peasant boy with aspirations to live in the neighboring kingdoms castle.

Through the years they bond and grow close and share what is supposed to be ‘true loves kiss’.

 

Time moves on. The king in the adjoining kingdom is greedy and wants the lands that are ruled over by Maleficent. There is a battle, he is soundly defeated, and the King is injured mortally in battle. He pronounces that he will make whoever avenges him and kills Maleficent the next ruler.

 

Stefan, still being ambitious, finds Maleficent, and while pretending to still be her friend, drugs her. He can’t bring himself to actually kill her and steals her wings instead, to present to the king as proof of her demise.

Stefan is crowned king. Time passes.

 

Maleficent’s pain and anger and betrayal do not dissipate. They grow and coalesce to the point that at the celebration to celebrate the birth of King Stefan’s daughter Aurora, she curses the child, sealing her fate that naught but ‘true loves kiss’ will break the curse.

 

The story follows the child’s growth, with Maleficent watching her every move, and getting closer and closer to her with every passing year.

Maleficent dubs Aurora ‘Beastie’, and Aurora calls Maleficent ‘Godmother’.

 

As Aurora’s 16th birthday draws near, Maleficent grows desperate to break the very curse that she had cast many years before.

It does not work.

 

I won’t ruin it by telling the ending, but it was action packed, and heart wrenching, and (at least to me) marginally unpredictable…. (I thought one person would break it, but another did…. I did figure it out before it happened, but mostly because I’ve been watching Once Upon A Time).

I really enjoyed the film, I loved the 3D of it, and I would most assuredly see it again. I wouldn’t recommend it for very young children, and I don’t feel like I can bring my almost 6 year old to it, but I would consider letting him see it by age 8 or 9.