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Charlotte (184 KP) rated Miss Havisham Says Yes in Books
Mar 17, 2023
Sweet and heartwarming.
Short, sweet and fun. There's a lot packed in to this heartwarming story. From long-term friendship, self-love and a beautiful relationship, all the way to conquering Everest. Following Cindi through her journey was a great experience, little things felt like I could really relate to her. She's kind and compassionate with insecurities that almost everyone has from time to time. Luckily she has her best friend Tara by her side. They make a great pair, thought the chemistry that they're both hiding makes Cindi blush up a storm!!
Two characters well written and supported by some equal fun and interesting other characters, makes for a nice cozy afternoon read. Worth having some chocolates to hand for this one.
Short, sweet and fun. There's a lot packed in to this heartwarming story. From long-term friendship, self-love and a beautiful relationship, all the way to conquering Everest. Following Cindi through her journey was a great experience, little things felt like I could really relate to her. She's kind and compassionate with insecurities that almost everyone has from time to time. Luckily she has her best friend Tara by her side. They make a great pair, thought the chemistry that they're both hiding makes Cindi blush up a storm!!
Two characters well written and supported by some equal fun and interesting other characters, makes for a nice cozy afternoon read. Worth having some chocolates to hand for this one.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002) in Movies
Apr 27, 2022
The first five Hellraiser movies range from love to like for me, which means that Hellseeker is the first in the series that I downright dislike.
The narrative is purposefully confusing, but not in a clever way. It's frustrating and has an underwhelming payoff, whilst not even trying to make any sense. Something will happen to the painfully bland main dude, and then it's like "lol, that didn't actually happen you mad bastard" over and over again for 90 minutes, whilst every female character inexplicably tries to shag him. Most importantly, it manages to be horrifically boring. It's nice to see Ashley Laurence back, but she's under utilised, as is Pinhead with his 3 seconds of screentime.
An absolute chore of an experience.
The narrative is purposefully confusing, but not in a clever way. It's frustrating and has an underwhelming payoff, whilst not even trying to make any sense. Something will happen to the painfully bland main dude, and then it's like "lol, that didn't actually happen you mad bastard" over and over again for 90 minutes, whilst every female character inexplicably tries to shag him. Most importantly, it manages to be horrifically boring. It's nice to see Ashley Laurence back, but she's under utilised, as is Pinhead with his 3 seconds of screentime.
An absolute chore of an experience.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Sound of My Voice in Books
Jul 29, 2023
98 of 235
Book
The Sound of My Voice
By Ron Butlin
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Morris Magellan has a house in the suburbs, nice wife and kids. But Morris is also a chronic alcoholic, heading fast towards self-destruction. Morris is not hoping to meet Ms. Right and acquire the two kids that will straighten everything out. He already has all this and it hasn't kept him off the bottle. Ron Butlin's tale of one man's inner turmoil is haunting, harrowing, yet strangely uplifting; a masterpiece from a neglected Scottish writer.
A glimpse into the mind of an alcoholic and how he sees the effects of his actions on his family. A different book to what I’m used to and I did find myself liking it.
Book
The Sound of My Voice
By Ron Butlin
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Morris Magellan has a house in the suburbs, nice wife and kids. But Morris is also a chronic alcoholic, heading fast towards self-destruction. Morris is not hoping to meet Ms. Right and acquire the two kids that will straighten everything out. He already has all this and it hasn't kept him off the bottle. Ron Butlin's tale of one man's inner turmoil is haunting, harrowing, yet strangely uplifting; a masterpiece from a neglected Scottish writer.
A glimpse into the mind of an alcoholic and how he sees the effects of his actions on his family. A different book to what I’m used to and I did find myself liking it.
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated Walking Tall (2004) in Movies
Dec 12, 2021
Cast (1 more)
Story
When the chips are down...
2004 saw the official beginning of one Dwayne Johnsons transition from the squared circle to the bright lights of Hollywood.
Starring as the protagonist in one of his first major leading roles, Rock "The Dwayne" Johnson put on a pretty steady and hard hitting performance as Chris Vaughn, a former member US Army Special Forces returning hometown after eight years.
Vaughn determined not to crumble under pressure from a local crime boss, battling his henchmen and corrupt officers who have all but taken over the town,
Slick, hard hitting action backed up by a solid story and performance.
No over the top special effects make this a nice Nod to past, lesser known action movies.
Starring as the protagonist in one of his first major leading roles, Rock "The Dwayne" Johnson put on a pretty steady and hard hitting performance as Chris Vaughn, a former member US Army Special Forces returning hometown after eight years.
Vaughn determined not to crumble under pressure from a local crime boss, battling his henchmen and corrupt officers who have all but taken over the town,
Slick, hard hitting action backed up by a solid story and performance.
No over the top special effects make this a nice Nod to past, lesser known action movies.
Dean (6927 KP) rated The Flash (2023) in Movies
Jun 19, 2023
Michael Keaton (2 more)
Some nice cameos
Great action scenes
Let's go nuts!
Well since seeing the trailers I have looked forward to this. Especially with Michael Keaton back as Batman. Still the best Batman for me. Teaming up with Supergirl and two Flash characters. What's not to like. It's handy if you know the backstory to the Flash but it's covered here even if you are new to the character. Also @Man of Steel (2013) as that story resurrects here. It's just amazing to see all these characters on screen with some amazing action scenes. Only down side is some slightly poor CGI at times. Otherwise definitely one of the best DC films since Wonder Woman and Aquaman.
ClareR (6037 KP) rated Don’t Make Me Laugh in Books
Nov 23, 2025
Don’t Make Me laugh is a slow burn with a most satisfying ending, narrated really well by Elizabeth Bower. I could imagine her as Ali.
We’ve heard a lot of talk recently of unnamed predators on the comedy circuit, and this is the story of one such man.
Ali thinks she has found the right man to co-present a radio show: comedian Ed. He’s funny, he’s nice - and actually he’s none of these things. He’s not at all what he seems to be, in fact.
Ali’s experience seemed all to plausible, and I very much enjoyed the way that she and the organisation called Scolds Bridle outed Ed’s behaviour. It was well worth the wait.
I did wonder who Ed could be modelled on…
We’ve heard a lot of talk recently of unnamed predators on the comedy circuit, and this is the story of one such man.
Ali thinks she has found the right man to co-present a radio show: comedian Ed. He’s funny, he’s nice - and actually he’s none of these things. He’s not at all what he seems to be, in fact.
Ali’s experience seemed all to plausible, and I very much enjoyed the way that she and the organisation called Scolds Bridle outed Ed’s behaviour. It was well worth the wait.
I did wonder who Ed could be modelled on…
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Someone Knows in Books
Jun 26, 2019
I was on the fence about reading Someone Knows by Lisa Scottoline. I kept wanting to read it, but then I'd change my mind. However, when I noticed it was available at my library, I decided to check it out. While it wasn't a great read, it was still alright.
Allie is a 15 year old overweight teenage girl. When popular and beautiful Sasha talks to her and invites her to hang out, she can't say no. When another teenager moves to the area and hangs out with them one night, things go lethally wrong. None of the teens confess to what actually happen, and no one gets in trouble. However, Allie continues to feel guilty over the next twenty years. This big secret has affected every aspect of Allie's life. When Allie finally wants to confess, things turn deadly.
The plot to Someone Knows sounded very similar to a book I had read previously. However, once I started reading it, I noticed how Lisa Scottoline gave her book a bunch of little twits and turns to keep it fresh. The plot seemed very realistic. I enjoyed how each chapter was told from each character's point of view. It was interesting to see the thought process behind each person. It was easy to lose myself in the story because of how realistic everything felt. Although I've never been as privileged financially as all the teens in the book, I felt like I was part of the group. There were no cliffhangers in this book either which was nice. While I did predict one plot twist, there was one that I didn't see coming! That was a nice curve ball!
I liked Allie very much. She reminded me a lot of myself at 15 years old. I definitely could see myself as Allie. In fact, my thought process was a lot like Allie's. I've never lost a sibling like Allie, but I was saddened by the death of her sister Jill, and I sympathized with Allie's mother when it came to depression. I do wish Allie would have clued her husband about what was going on because I felt bad for him since Allie was distant throughout a lot of the marriage. I get why she kept her secret to herself, but I still felt bad for Allie's and Larry's marriage. Sasha was an interesting character. I've definitely known a few Sashas in my life! Sasha was able to make any guy putty in her hands. I loved reading Sasha's point of view. Even though she could sometimes be a mean girl, I enjoyed her very much. It was interesting to read about David and learn of his struggle especially when it came to how his father was. David came across as a nice guy. Julian was a character who I would say was a mix of Sasha and David. He could be really nice and charming when he wanted to be, but he would say mean things about Allie to Sasha which wouldn't be very nice. However, I did admire how business oriented he was. I loved Kyle so much, and I hated how he was shunned because of something his father did. Kyle seemed like such a sweet boy who was dealt a tough hand through no fault of his own.
The pacing in Someone Knows seemed to be fairly slow throughout about 80 percent of the book especially during the first half or so. I know it was probably to set up the world building and backstory, but it was just so tedious. I would have liked a bit more action or had the backstory given to me during and after the main event. The pacing is what really let this book down in my opinion.
Trigger warnings include underage drinking, adult drinking, prescription pill abuse, death, talks of suicide, violence, and sexual situations (both underage and adult which aren't overly graphic).
Although the pacing for Someone Knows lets this book down, it's still an alright read. It does have some interesting characters with realistic problems that readers can identify with. I would recommend Someone Knows by Lisa Scottoline to those aged 17+ who are looking for an alright thriller to read.
Allie is a 15 year old overweight teenage girl. When popular and beautiful Sasha talks to her and invites her to hang out, she can't say no. When another teenager moves to the area and hangs out with them one night, things go lethally wrong. None of the teens confess to what actually happen, and no one gets in trouble. However, Allie continues to feel guilty over the next twenty years. This big secret has affected every aspect of Allie's life. When Allie finally wants to confess, things turn deadly.
The plot to Someone Knows sounded very similar to a book I had read previously. However, once I started reading it, I noticed how Lisa Scottoline gave her book a bunch of little twits and turns to keep it fresh. The plot seemed very realistic. I enjoyed how each chapter was told from each character's point of view. It was interesting to see the thought process behind each person. It was easy to lose myself in the story because of how realistic everything felt. Although I've never been as privileged financially as all the teens in the book, I felt like I was part of the group. There were no cliffhangers in this book either which was nice. While I did predict one plot twist, there was one that I didn't see coming! That was a nice curve ball!
I liked Allie very much. She reminded me a lot of myself at 15 years old. I definitely could see myself as Allie. In fact, my thought process was a lot like Allie's. I've never lost a sibling like Allie, but I was saddened by the death of her sister Jill, and I sympathized with Allie's mother when it came to depression. I do wish Allie would have clued her husband about what was going on because I felt bad for him since Allie was distant throughout a lot of the marriage. I get why she kept her secret to herself, but I still felt bad for Allie's and Larry's marriage. Sasha was an interesting character. I've definitely known a few Sashas in my life! Sasha was able to make any guy putty in her hands. I loved reading Sasha's point of view. Even though she could sometimes be a mean girl, I enjoyed her very much. It was interesting to read about David and learn of his struggle especially when it came to how his father was. David came across as a nice guy. Julian was a character who I would say was a mix of Sasha and David. He could be really nice and charming when he wanted to be, but he would say mean things about Allie to Sasha which wouldn't be very nice. However, I did admire how business oriented he was. I loved Kyle so much, and I hated how he was shunned because of something his father did. Kyle seemed like such a sweet boy who was dealt a tough hand through no fault of his own.
The pacing in Someone Knows seemed to be fairly slow throughout about 80 percent of the book especially during the first half or so. I know it was probably to set up the world building and backstory, but it was just so tedious. I would have liked a bit more action or had the backstory given to me during and after the main event. The pacing is what really let this book down in my opinion.
Trigger warnings include underage drinking, adult drinking, prescription pill abuse, death, talks of suicide, violence, and sexual situations (both underage and adult which aren't overly graphic).
Although the pacing for Someone Knows lets this book down, it's still an alright read. It does have some interesting characters with realistic problems that readers can identify with. I would recommend Someone Knows by Lisa Scottoline to those aged 17+ who are looking for an alright thriller to read.
Kyera (8 KP) rated Razor's Edge (Star Wars: Empire and Rebellion, #1) in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Razor's Edge is one of the books in a trilogy about our favourite characters. It focuses on Princess Leia Organa. This book takes place after the battle of Yavin, but before the next movie in the series. Leia is on a resistance mission with Han when they're attacked and must flee. There are only little cameos from Luke R2, Chewie and C3PO. I do wish we had seen more from Luke, because the books with Jedis (from my experience reading Star Wars books thus far) are more interesting. I understand why they wouldn't feature him, as the book is about Leia but Han was heavily included.
It was nice to get small glimpses into Lesia's character and it made her more human. She's tough and willing to do what needs to be dome. Most people underestimate her because she's a princess, much to their realized dismay.
The author assumes you are well-versed in the Star Wars universe. A casual fan will have no trouble following the story, but may not be able to imagine everything. Non-human beings are named but not always vividly described. Sometimes systems or locales are mentoned without further detail. For the benefit of a more casual reader and world building, it would have been nice if more details were provided.
Overall the story was enjoyable and a fitting addition to the universe, even if it isn't canon anymore. Recommended to any Star Wars fans as well as those that enjoy science fiction or adventure. Suggested that you rewatch the originals, at least 4 and 5 before reading this book.
It was nice to get small glimpses into Lesia's character and it made her more human. She's tough and willing to do what needs to be dome. Most people underestimate her because she's a princess, much to their realized dismay.
The author assumes you are well-versed in the Star Wars universe. A casual fan will have no trouble following the story, but may not be able to imagine everything. Non-human beings are named but not always vividly described. Sometimes systems or locales are mentoned without further detail. For the benefit of a more casual reader and world building, it would have been nice if more details were provided.
Overall the story was enjoyable and a fitting addition to the universe, even if it isn't canon anymore. Recommended to any Star Wars fans as well as those that enjoy science fiction or adventure. Suggested that you rewatch the originals, at least 4 and 5 before reading this book.
Great for keeping in touch (2 more)
Nice way to share news, photos
Groups are a great way of sharing hobbies, finding like-minded people with similar interests
Updates are hit and miss - often a lot of problems with the app (2 more)
Bullying is poorly controlled
Standards are applied in a very hit and miss way
Has Its Good & Bad Points
Facebook has its uses - it's a good way to keep in touch with people you wouldn't ordinarily hear from very often, it's handy to send photos to people around the world and it can be a lovely way to brighten up your day with funny memes, jokes, and nice messages from people.
The App itself can be quite hit and miss - updates seem to be rolled out before they're properly ready, so you have issues where timelines don't update, comments don't load, etc. Whenever there's an update, while it may resolve one problem, it typically brings a whole host of others.
There are also the problems with Facebook itself, not least the prevalence of cyber-bullying that goes unchecked, the fact that Facebook seems to apply its rules in an incredibly haphazard way - allowing violent images to remain while removing those which, while perhaps "provocative" in the sense of being thought-provoking, are not indecent, obscene, violent or really in any way outrageous, and the rather concerning issues around the security/privacy of user data and increasing number of adverts on the site/app.
While not having yet run its course, Facebook is going to have to come up with newer and newer ideas to remain relevant, and have to improve its security and "policing" structures to keep users happy.
The App itself can be quite hit and miss - updates seem to be rolled out before they're properly ready, so you have issues where timelines don't update, comments don't load, etc. Whenever there's an update, while it may resolve one problem, it typically brings a whole host of others.
There are also the problems with Facebook itself, not least the prevalence of cyber-bullying that goes unchecked, the fact that Facebook seems to apply its rules in an incredibly haphazard way - allowing violent images to remain while removing those which, while perhaps "provocative" in the sense of being thought-provoking, are not indecent, obscene, violent or really in any way outrageous, and the rather concerning issues around the security/privacy of user data and increasing number of adverts on the site/app.
While not having yet run its course, Facebook is going to have to come up with newer and newer ideas to remain relevant, and have to improve its security and "policing" structures to keep users happy.
ClareR (6037 KP) rated Conversations With Friends in Books
Oct 28, 2019
Frances is a student in Dublin who performs her poetry with her ex-girlfriend Bobbi. They meet Melissa, a journalist and photographer, at one of their shows and she befriends them. When they go back to her house they meet her husband, Nick, and Frances goes on to start an affair with him.
Frances seems to be a very unapproachable person. She doesn’t give OF herself, but expects everyone to respond towards her with love. Which must be hard work. Her youth really comes across when she talks about never wanting to work and not wanting or needing money - and then later her father stops paying her allowance. She realises then just what having no money is really like. There are other hints at her mental state. She talks about self-harming, and she seems reluctant to talk to either Bobbi or Nick about her feelings for them (my theory is that her parents separation is responsible for this). She’s not a particularly likeable character, and writing this has made me realise that I actually seem to like books where the main characters just aren’t particularly nice. Perhaps I just want to see why people are like this?
Anyway, I listened to this on Audible as I read along (when I could), and I really liked the narrator, Aoife McMahon. She’s engaging, has a really nice voice and there was never any doubt in my mind that she was a good choice. She really made this book for me.
I can see why there was such a buzz around this book when it first came out, because I enjoyed it too!
Frances seems to be a very unapproachable person. She doesn’t give OF herself, but expects everyone to respond towards her with love. Which must be hard work. Her youth really comes across when she talks about never wanting to work and not wanting or needing money - and then later her father stops paying her allowance. She realises then just what having no money is really like. There are other hints at her mental state. She talks about self-harming, and she seems reluctant to talk to either Bobbi or Nick about her feelings for them (my theory is that her parents separation is responsible for this). She’s not a particularly likeable character, and writing this has made me realise that I actually seem to like books where the main characters just aren’t particularly nice. Perhaps I just want to see why people are like this?
Anyway, I listened to this on Audible as I read along (when I could), and I really liked the narrator, Aoife McMahon. She’s engaging, has a really nice voice and there was never any doubt in my mind that she was a good choice. She really made this book for me.
I can see why there was such a buzz around this book when it first came out, because I enjoyed it too!