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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated T2 Trainspotting (2017) in Movies
Jul 12, 2019
The first time I saw Trainspotting was my senior year of high school. At the time, I knew that I wanted to get involved in film, and I really did for about ¾ of a year after I graduated. I looked at movies for their artistry and cinematography even at a young age. I was a band geek, so music was also things I would love about movies. I was deep for a 17-year-old, or so I thought any way. But I explain this to you so you don’t think that I loved this movie simply because of the drug use or humor it presented. I have always been of the mind to find something I like about a movie, watch it for what it is, and try to just find the enjoyment value (I know, weird coming from a film reviewer). I didn’t even have to try for Trainspotting. It was the complete package, and ground breaking. It also introduced me to Ewan McGregor, who is one of my favorite actors. I loved the movie so much, I bought Irvine Welsh’s book that the movie was based on of the same title, Trainspotting, which I highly recommend simply for the fact that it’s written in phonetic Scottish. I never picked up Porno, the literary sequel to Trainspotting, but I hear it is bizarre and will need to pick it up, but not because of this movie. I’ll explain in a moment.
Naturally, when the announcement was made for a second Trainspotting movie, I was both excited and terrified at the same time. The first was so good, why did Hollywood need to ruin it with a sequel that has a bigger budget. What was promising was that it was announced that the entire cast of characters (that survived from the first film) would be back, including Diane (Kelly MacDonald). But it’s been 20 years. Typically, when you see sequels come out even after only 10 years, the whole film seems a contrite, forced replication of the first. Hell, look at all the criticism for the Hangover films being exactly that, and they were only a few years apart. Whether the script feels forced just for the sake of a sequel, or the actors are trying too hard to be the character they played many years prior, it never quite works. So, as we neared the release date, I was getting more and more weary of seeing the film. Then, the trailer dropped.
Damn the trailer looked good. And I will tell you, the movie did not fall into the trap of forced sequels. The main cast came back and played the characters perfectly. Not as they were, but as the people they grew to be over the 20-year period. The plot was fun and pointless, with all of the same charm as its predecessor. I saw the movie with fellow SKNR staffer Joshua Aja, and we had a pretty good conversation following the film. We both came to the same conclusion, that neither of us could remember the last time we saw a film that just that good.
So now to the actual meat of the review itself. What was the movie about? Well, I won’t give away too much, but I will give you a quick recap of the events leading up to this film. Basically, do you remember the end of Trainspotting? Renton (Ewan McGregor), Spud (Ewen Bremner), Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), and Begbie (Robert Carlyle) had successfully pulled off a heist, and Renton was making off with the money while everyone slept, except Spud of course who saw Renton leaving but didn’t say anything. As a result, Renton left Spud’s share of the cash for him in a locker. Okay; all caught up.
T2 Trainspotting picks up 20 years later. Renton comes back to Scotland because his mother passed away, he ends up reuniting with Spud, and eventually Sick Boy, who we now know by his real name, Simon. Begbie is in prison because, well… he’s Begbie, but he doesn’t stay there long. Tempers fly, old feelings flare, and not every reunited moment is met with glee. But soon enough, Renton, Simon and Spud are drawn into old habits, though not old drugs, and start to build money up to open a ‘sauna’ (read: undercover brothel) for Simon’s girlfriend, Veronika (Angela Nedyalkova). It’s not long before Begbie shows up and starts mucking things up leading to a suspenseful conclusion between Renton, Simon and Begbie.
That’s all I can say. There was an excellent use of the history from the first film, and of course we get another fantastic ‘Choose Life’ speech from Renton. The soundtrack, while not quite as good as the first, still holds its own very well. And be sure to look for the Bowie tribute, since it was he who helped Danny Boyle obtain a lot of music rights on the cheap for the first film. And, you will find Spud’s writings throughout the movie to be lifted, verbatim, from the Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh. But what’s interesting, is that there is not a lot that relates this film to the literary sequel, Porno. Much of the plot of this film is taken from, or at least inspired by, parts of the book that were not used in the first film. That combined with some new writing and storytelling from Irvine Welsh and John Hodge.
Bottom line: if you liked the Trainspotting even in the slightest, you will absolutely enjoy T2 Trainspotting. A phenomenal job by cast, crew, and writers, and an excellent soundtrack will leave you wanting a trilogy. This is only the third film I have given a perfect score to in my 7 years of reviewing films, and it is well deserved. Go see this movie.
Naturally, when the announcement was made for a second Trainspotting movie, I was both excited and terrified at the same time. The first was so good, why did Hollywood need to ruin it with a sequel that has a bigger budget. What was promising was that it was announced that the entire cast of characters (that survived from the first film) would be back, including Diane (Kelly MacDonald). But it’s been 20 years. Typically, when you see sequels come out even after only 10 years, the whole film seems a contrite, forced replication of the first. Hell, look at all the criticism for the Hangover films being exactly that, and they were only a few years apart. Whether the script feels forced just for the sake of a sequel, or the actors are trying too hard to be the character they played many years prior, it never quite works. So, as we neared the release date, I was getting more and more weary of seeing the film. Then, the trailer dropped.
Damn the trailer looked good. And I will tell you, the movie did not fall into the trap of forced sequels. The main cast came back and played the characters perfectly. Not as they were, but as the people they grew to be over the 20-year period. The plot was fun and pointless, with all of the same charm as its predecessor. I saw the movie with fellow SKNR staffer Joshua Aja, and we had a pretty good conversation following the film. We both came to the same conclusion, that neither of us could remember the last time we saw a film that just that good.
So now to the actual meat of the review itself. What was the movie about? Well, I won’t give away too much, but I will give you a quick recap of the events leading up to this film. Basically, do you remember the end of Trainspotting? Renton (Ewan McGregor), Spud (Ewen Bremner), Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), and Begbie (Robert Carlyle) had successfully pulled off a heist, and Renton was making off with the money while everyone slept, except Spud of course who saw Renton leaving but didn’t say anything. As a result, Renton left Spud’s share of the cash for him in a locker. Okay; all caught up.
T2 Trainspotting picks up 20 years later. Renton comes back to Scotland because his mother passed away, he ends up reuniting with Spud, and eventually Sick Boy, who we now know by his real name, Simon. Begbie is in prison because, well… he’s Begbie, but he doesn’t stay there long. Tempers fly, old feelings flare, and not every reunited moment is met with glee. But soon enough, Renton, Simon and Spud are drawn into old habits, though not old drugs, and start to build money up to open a ‘sauna’ (read: undercover brothel) for Simon’s girlfriend, Veronika (Angela Nedyalkova). It’s not long before Begbie shows up and starts mucking things up leading to a suspenseful conclusion between Renton, Simon and Begbie.
That’s all I can say. There was an excellent use of the history from the first film, and of course we get another fantastic ‘Choose Life’ speech from Renton. The soundtrack, while not quite as good as the first, still holds its own very well. And be sure to look for the Bowie tribute, since it was he who helped Danny Boyle obtain a lot of music rights on the cheap for the first film. And, you will find Spud’s writings throughout the movie to be lifted, verbatim, from the Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh. But what’s interesting, is that there is not a lot that relates this film to the literary sequel, Porno. Much of the plot of this film is taken from, or at least inspired by, parts of the book that were not used in the first film. That combined with some new writing and storytelling from Irvine Welsh and John Hodge.
Bottom line: if you liked the Trainspotting even in the slightest, you will absolutely enjoy T2 Trainspotting. A phenomenal job by cast, crew, and writers, and an excellent soundtrack will leave you wanting a trilogy. This is only the third film I have given a perfect score to in my 7 years of reviewing films, and it is well deserved. Go see this movie.
Mothergamer (1583 KP) rated the PC version of Dead Island in Video Games
Apr 3, 2019
I really wanted to love Dead Island. After seeing many fantastic pictures and reading up about the game months before it came out, I was excited. Friends and family know I am very much a zombie fan. Ever since that Halloween night when I was 12, and watched Romero's Night Of The Living Dead, I have genuinely enjoyed all forms of zombie multimedia. Some of it has been great, some of it filled with schlock, and some of it just plain fun. So I was excited about Dead Island and had high hopes for it. Some of my expectations were met, but others not so much. This included the discovery that the game is in the first person view (I have issues with vertigo and first person view games), but I found that I could play the game for short periods of time because the camera did not bounce around the way it does for so many other first person games I've experienced. There are good things about this game, but there are bad things as well.
Welcome To Paradise!
You start the game with the setting of what appears to be a tropical island paradise, Banoi. However, if you look closer, you'll notice the blood on the walls, in the sand, and in the swimming pools. Look even closer, and you'll see the zombies munching on corpses. Dead Island while appearing to be a first person shooter, is more than that. Sure there is shooting in it, but there are also a myriad of other weapons such as oars, cars, and molotov cocktails. Dead Island is more of a schlock filled action role playing game that plays heavily on grisly melee combat. The resort is not the only place you explore. You can go even further inland into city and jungle settings, while doing favors for survivors on the island. The maps are excellent and there is even a handy shortcut function, where you can click on the map and go back to a previous location without having to run through a zombie horde. There are also plenty of weapons that you can improvise, making them quite deadly to the zombie menace. The four player online co-op is pretty good and gives you a chance to survive a zombie horde fight for the more difficult quests.
Just a girl and her axe, waiting for some zombies.
The majority of your time on Banoi is spent exploring and foraging for items for weapons and supplies. In co-op mode, this can work very well with a couple of people fighting off the zombies, while the others get things like fuel for the vehicles. You can also have fun with the leveling grind, running zombies over with various automobiles and watch the points tally up. You can easily put twenty hours into this game with all the questing, exploring, and zombie slaying and it is fun trying all the different melee choices out. My personal favorite was driving a big truck and running zombies over.
Hungry Tourists.
Now we get to the bad. While there are only a few minor flaws with the game, it definitely made a difference in the game play and the story. Now I'm not saying for a fun schlock zombie game I need a gripping emotional story, but the story must be good. Dead Island gives you a very threadbare story and the characters backgrounds are rather weakly written. This is a reflection on the writers. They could have written the characters better and fleshed out the story more, but they chose to do it this way although I am not sure why. The voice acting is also not great, with monotone emotionless voices. Do the characters even care that they could get eaten by zombies? I get the impression that they don't with that flat tone in their voice acting. Clunky controls and awkward combat can make you frustrated. It can be off putting when you're fighting off a wave of zombies and trying to make the camera turn the way you want it to so you can at least see what you're fighting. The game would also benefit from a better block and dodge option during combat. The quality of the visuals isn't even. The environmental graphics on the resort are great and the jungle environments as well, but the character and npc animation is poor and as you progress towards the end of the game it comes across as the bare minimum at best.
The last issue I have with Dead Island is the lack of regard for the solo player. There isn't an offline co-op option so you can play with friends you have over. It's as if they didn't even consider the possibility that people would want to play offline with friends and only have the online option. While I appreciate their reliable system for online play, I still would have liked the option to play offline with others if I chose.
Overall, Dead Island is a good game, but not a perfect one. It had a lot of potential, but the execution of those ideas was severely lacking. You're better off just waiting for it to go on sale really cheap or just rent it.
Welcome To Paradise!
You start the game with the setting of what appears to be a tropical island paradise, Banoi. However, if you look closer, you'll notice the blood on the walls, in the sand, and in the swimming pools. Look even closer, and you'll see the zombies munching on corpses. Dead Island while appearing to be a first person shooter, is more than that. Sure there is shooting in it, but there are also a myriad of other weapons such as oars, cars, and molotov cocktails. Dead Island is more of a schlock filled action role playing game that plays heavily on grisly melee combat. The resort is not the only place you explore. You can go even further inland into city and jungle settings, while doing favors for survivors on the island. The maps are excellent and there is even a handy shortcut function, where you can click on the map and go back to a previous location without having to run through a zombie horde. There are also plenty of weapons that you can improvise, making them quite deadly to the zombie menace. The four player online co-op is pretty good and gives you a chance to survive a zombie horde fight for the more difficult quests.
Just a girl and her axe, waiting for some zombies.
The majority of your time on Banoi is spent exploring and foraging for items for weapons and supplies. In co-op mode, this can work very well with a couple of people fighting off the zombies, while the others get things like fuel for the vehicles. You can also have fun with the leveling grind, running zombies over with various automobiles and watch the points tally up. You can easily put twenty hours into this game with all the questing, exploring, and zombie slaying and it is fun trying all the different melee choices out. My personal favorite was driving a big truck and running zombies over.
Hungry Tourists.
Now we get to the bad. While there are only a few minor flaws with the game, it definitely made a difference in the game play and the story. Now I'm not saying for a fun schlock zombie game I need a gripping emotional story, but the story must be good. Dead Island gives you a very threadbare story and the characters backgrounds are rather weakly written. This is a reflection on the writers. They could have written the characters better and fleshed out the story more, but they chose to do it this way although I am not sure why. The voice acting is also not great, with monotone emotionless voices. Do the characters even care that they could get eaten by zombies? I get the impression that they don't with that flat tone in their voice acting. Clunky controls and awkward combat can make you frustrated. It can be off putting when you're fighting off a wave of zombies and trying to make the camera turn the way you want it to so you can at least see what you're fighting. The game would also benefit from a better block and dodge option during combat. The quality of the visuals isn't even. The environmental graphics on the resort are great and the jungle environments as well, but the character and npc animation is poor and as you progress towards the end of the game it comes across as the bare minimum at best.
The last issue I have with Dead Island is the lack of regard for the solo player. There isn't an offline co-op option so you can play with friends you have over. It's as if they didn't even consider the possibility that people would want to play offline with friends and only have the online option. While I appreciate their reliable system for online play, I still would have liked the option to play offline with others if I chose.
Overall, Dead Island is a good game, but not a perfect one. It had a lot of potential, but the execution of those ideas was severely lacking. You're better off just waiting for it to go on sale really cheap or just rent it.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated About a Girl (Metamorphoses, #3) in Books
Feb 13, 2018
This book tells the story of Tally, who at age 18, seems confident that her life will turn out just as she had planned - summer spent with her best friend, Shane; head to college; become an astronomer... But when Tally starts wondering about her past, she finds herself on a quest to learn more about mother and father, and her neatly ordered life is quickly turned upside down.
This is third book in the Metamorphoses trilogy - Tally, we learn, is the daughter of Aurora, whom Aurora left on her best friend's (now termed "Aunt Beast") doorstep to raise, along with Aunt Beast's best friend, Raoul and his husband, Henri. (All characters easily recognizable if you've read the first two books.)
Needless to say, this is an interesting book. I actually really liked Tally. She's different from Aurora and Maia and even Cass. Tally finds relief in the order of planets and stars. She is a good kid, overall, with a pretty common upbringing, despite the fact it was by her "Aunt" and her friends.
However, when Tally is shown a picture of Jack (and Aurora) and sent off to the West Coast by the shadowy Mr. M - whom she just knows as her friendly neighbor - everything changes. She finds herself sucked into the strangeness of the town where Jack lives, where she can't remember things and time just slips away. As always, the "weirdness" in McCarry's writing comes out, and I'm always not 100% sure I'm following things correctly. I won't spoil the book, but I can point out that Tally meets Maddy there, for whom she falls for deeply.
I probably liked this book the best of the three - I rooted for Tally, and I loved that this book featured a transgender character (Tally's friend Shane) and a lesbian relationship (between Tally and Maddy). Great to see that thrown into a YA book without it truly being the focus of anything. As always, the mystical side of McCarry's novel threw me a bit, but I found it less disconcerting in this one than the previous two, for some reason. While I would have loved more resolution to the story of everyone, this book did seem a fairly fitting bookend to the tales McCarry has woven for these characters.
(Note: I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.)
This is third book in the Metamorphoses trilogy - Tally, we learn, is the daughter of Aurora, whom Aurora left on her best friend's (now termed "Aunt Beast") doorstep to raise, along with Aunt Beast's best friend, Raoul and his husband, Henri. (All characters easily recognizable if you've read the first two books.)
Needless to say, this is an interesting book. I actually really liked Tally. She's different from Aurora and Maia and even Cass. Tally finds relief in the order of planets and stars. She is a good kid, overall, with a pretty common upbringing, despite the fact it was by her "Aunt" and her friends.
However, when Tally is shown a picture of Jack (and Aurora) and sent off to the West Coast by the shadowy Mr. M - whom she just knows as her friendly neighbor - everything changes. She finds herself sucked into the strangeness of the town where Jack lives, where she can't remember things and time just slips away. As always, the "weirdness" in McCarry's writing comes out, and I'm always not 100% sure I'm following things correctly. I won't spoil the book, but I can point out that Tally meets Maddy there, for whom she falls for deeply.
I probably liked this book the best of the three - I rooted for Tally, and I loved that this book featured a transgender character (Tally's friend Shane) and a lesbian relationship (between Tally and Maddy). Great to see that thrown into a YA book without it truly being the focus of anything. As always, the mystical side of McCarry's novel threw me a bit, but I found it less disconcerting in this one than the previous two, for some reason. While I would have loved more resolution to the story of everyone, this book did seem a fairly fitting bookend to the tales McCarry has woven for these characters.
(Note: I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.)
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Where the Crawdads Sing in Books
Aug 12, 2021
A haunting story of survival
Kya Clark is very young when her mother leaves, abandoning her to their marshland home and her violent father. His presence is in her life is scattered, at best, and Kya mostly raises herself, learning about the land, the wildlife, and the swamp on her own. She forms attachment to few, but meets two very different young men from town whom she feels drawn to. In 1969, one of those men is found dead and Kya--always a source of gossip among the locals--is the prime suspect.
I'm not sure there's much I can add to the many reviews of this popular book. I read it as part of my new reading project--choosing books off my shelves based on their Goodreads rankings. This is my third book of the project, forcing me out of my comfort zone and to try books in genres I don't usually read! I'm glad I finally read it-- it's a very mesmerizing tale, and Kya's improbable life on the marsh quickly drew me in.
This is part a character-driven and coming of age story combined with a mystery and courtroom drama. It covers a lot of Kya's life, but focuses on her growing up in the marsh. There's a lot that seems hard to believe--especially that no one does anything to help this parent-less child, growing up alone in the marsh. The book covers a lot of heady topics, including racism, sexual assault, and more. Its description of nature and the marsh are beautiful. At the heart of the story is Kya, and it's impossible not to root for our heroine. She's tough and smart, and the way she loves her marsh is simply beautiful.
Overall, rating on pure enjoyment, I really liked this book. If I don't delve too deep into pondering about the inner workings of the plot, this was a great read--mesmerizing, haunting, and lovely. 4+ stars.
I'm not sure there's much I can add to the many reviews of this popular book. I read it as part of my new reading project--choosing books off my shelves based on their Goodreads rankings. This is my third book of the project, forcing me out of my comfort zone and to try books in genres I don't usually read! I'm glad I finally read it-- it's a very mesmerizing tale, and Kya's improbable life on the marsh quickly drew me in.
This is part a character-driven and coming of age story combined with a mystery and courtroom drama. It covers a lot of Kya's life, but focuses on her growing up in the marsh. There's a lot that seems hard to believe--especially that no one does anything to help this parent-less child, growing up alone in the marsh. The book covers a lot of heady topics, including racism, sexual assault, and more. Its description of nature and the marsh are beautiful. At the heart of the story is Kya, and it's impossible not to root for our heroine. She's tough and smart, and the way she loves her marsh is simply beautiful.
Overall, rating on pure enjoyment, I really liked this book. If I don't delve too deep into pondering about the inner workings of the plot, this was a great read--mesmerizing, haunting, and lovely. 4+ stars.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Musseled Out (A Maine Clambake Mystery, #3) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
***NOTE: I received an advance copy of this book for review through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
Julia Snowden is in Busman's Harbor, Maine, wrapping up the tourist season for her family's Clambake business and trying to decide if she will be headed back to her job in New York now that summer is over, or if she will be staying in Maine full-time. When a potential competitor turns up dead in the water, Julia's brother-in-law Sonny finds himself high on the list of suspects. Making matters worse, he is obviously hiding something from Julia, her sister Livvie, and the police. Julia is afraid that her boyfriend, Chris, is hiding something from her too. Since he's one of her reasons to stay in town, the decision to stay or go is just that much harder.
Once again I started a series somewhere other than at the beginning. While you won't be lost reading this book without having read the previous installments, in this case I do wish that I had read books one and two first. I think having a better understanding of the interpersonal relationships beforehand would have been nice, but the author does a good job of keeping you informed without totally rehashing everything that has already happened. With that aside, I really liked the story. There were enough characters and sub-plots to make it hard to guess "whodunnit", yet without being confusing. I felt like I should already have known who did it once Julia finally figured out who the murderer was, but while the conclusion was logical, it was not obvious.
This book is part of a series of culinary mysteries, and recipes like Lobster, Shrimp and Fennel Scampi, Hot Lobster Dip, and Grandma Snowden's Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are sure to make your mouth water.
I will be heading back to Busman's Harbor to read the beginning of this series, and I'm looking forward to more books to come.
Julia Snowden is in Busman's Harbor, Maine, wrapping up the tourist season for her family's Clambake business and trying to decide if she will be headed back to her job in New York now that summer is over, or if she will be staying in Maine full-time. When a potential competitor turns up dead in the water, Julia's brother-in-law Sonny finds himself high on the list of suspects. Making matters worse, he is obviously hiding something from Julia, her sister Livvie, and the police. Julia is afraid that her boyfriend, Chris, is hiding something from her too. Since he's one of her reasons to stay in town, the decision to stay or go is just that much harder.
Once again I started a series somewhere other than at the beginning. While you won't be lost reading this book without having read the previous installments, in this case I do wish that I had read books one and two first. I think having a better understanding of the interpersonal relationships beforehand would have been nice, but the author does a good job of keeping you informed without totally rehashing everything that has already happened. With that aside, I really liked the story. There were enough characters and sub-plots to make it hard to guess "whodunnit", yet without being confusing. I felt like I should already have known who did it once Julia finally figured out who the murderer was, but while the conclusion was logical, it was not obvious.
This book is part of a series of culinary mysteries, and recipes like Lobster, Shrimp and Fennel Scampi, Hot Lobster Dip, and Grandma Snowden's Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are sure to make your mouth water.
I will be heading back to Busman's Harbor to read the beginning of this series, and I'm looking forward to more books to come.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Playing with Matches in Books
Mar 10, 2019
Good read, especially for those young & dating
Sasha Goldberg's plans as a writer are quickly derailed when her boss tells her he doesn't have the funds to hire her on after her graduation. She's stuck--in New York City--without a Plan B. When she sees a job listing for a matchmaker, she's intrigued. Sasha's secret is that her parents met through a kind of matchmaker: her father chose her mom through a catalog and paid for her to come to the United States from Russia. Of course, it didn't exactly work out (they're divorced), but Sasha uses the story to get hired on at Bliss, an exclusive NYC matchmaking service. She's hopeful the job will tide her over while she waits for a writing gig. And, she thinks, she has to know something about love, since she's successfully with her boyfriend, Jonathan, who works around-the-clock in his Wall Street gig. But matchmaking isn't as easy as it looks--it's a lot of stressful Tinder swiping and tracking down potential mates in random ways--and it becomes even more complicated when Sasha develops a crush on one of her client's matches. One of the firm's rules is that matches are off-limits. Sasha's struggling: can she keep it all together?
This is one of those books where I find myself going into it warily, because you just know things are going to come crashing down, and you (me) are not 100% sure you want to be there for all of it. It's not a secret (it's in the book description) that Sasha and Jonathan break up and that she gets into a relationship with Adam, one of her client's matches. For some reason, I often have an issue with these sorts of books where the character just makes bad choices: Sasha makes no attempt to avoid what will be an inevitable downfall with Adam, so I found myself cringing as she made a string of poor decisions.
That's not to say Sasha isn't an engaging character. This book is very readable, and I certainly liked Sasha and reading about her life. However, I can't lie:I probably am a little older than the target audience for this novel. It offers a fun and engaging look at the dating scene in New York, but there wasn't a lot I could relate to. I felt protective of Sasha, not empathetic to her, if that makes any sense. Honestly, the book just made me feel relieved I no longer have to date or deal with basically anything Sasha had to endure during the course of this novel.
Still, Orenstein does a good job at capturing Sasha's voice and what it's like to be a young twenty-something trying to survive in the city. Sasha's relationship with her best friend Caroline and her mom are well-done. I didn't think there was as much overall about matchmaking as a job as I'd hoped--it seemed to be a lot of Tinder swiping and chatting--so that was a little bit of a bummer, but there was enough to know it's a job I'd never want!
Overall, if you're young and still dating, you'll probably really enjoy this book--especially if you live in a city. If not, some of its essence may be a bit lost of you, but you'll still like Orenstein's witty writing and the arc of Sasha's struggles.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
This is one of those books where I find myself going into it warily, because you just know things are going to come crashing down, and you (me) are not 100% sure you want to be there for all of it. It's not a secret (it's in the book description) that Sasha and Jonathan break up and that she gets into a relationship with Adam, one of her client's matches. For some reason, I often have an issue with these sorts of books where the character just makes bad choices: Sasha makes no attempt to avoid what will be an inevitable downfall with Adam, so I found myself cringing as she made a string of poor decisions.
That's not to say Sasha isn't an engaging character. This book is very readable, and I certainly liked Sasha and reading about her life. However, I can't lie:I probably am a little older than the target audience for this novel. It offers a fun and engaging look at the dating scene in New York, but there wasn't a lot I could relate to. I felt protective of Sasha, not empathetic to her, if that makes any sense. Honestly, the book just made me feel relieved I no longer have to date or deal with basically anything Sasha had to endure during the course of this novel.
Still, Orenstein does a good job at capturing Sasha's voice and what it's like to be a young twenty-something trying to survive in the city. Sasha's relationship with her best friend Caroline and her mom are well-done. I didn't think there was as much overall about matchmaking as a job as I'd hoped--it seemed to be a lot of Tinder swiping and chatting--so that was a little bit of a bummer, but there was enough to know it's a job I'd never want!
Overall, if you're young and still dating, you'll probably really enjoy this book--especially if you live in a city. If not, some of its essence may be a bit lost of you, but you'll still like Orenstein's witty writing and the arc of Sasha's struggles.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Modern Lovers in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Zoe, Andrew, and Elizabeth have been friends since their college days at Oberlin. Back then, they were part of a band with their fourth friend, Lydia. Now the first three are nearing fifty, living in the same New York suburban neighborhood. Zoe resides with her wife, Jane, and their daughter Ruby. Meanwhile, Andrew and Elizabeth, now married, have a teenage son, Harry. The friends have been together through thick and thin, but things are starting to get a bit more difficult as they face the trials of aging. Zoe isn't sure if her marriage is going to hold, while Elizabeth is struggling with issues of her own. And Andrew, well, is Andrew going through some sort of midlife crisis? The three friends must confront their past (and some well-kept secrets) as well as deal with their future, including their growing (and rapidly maturing) offspring.
I wasn't one of those who adored Straub's previous novel, [b:The Vacationers|18641982|The Vacationers|Emma Straub|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386629708s/18641982.jpg|26440459], though I liked it, but this one sounded interesting and worth a try. And, in its defense, it was. It receives bonus points immediately for having lesbian characters who are simply part of the fabric of the novel (what, lesbians simply living regular life? surely not!). Straub's characters are crisp and well-defined. They are also a bit "New Yorky" and fall into that bucket that I so often find of whiny, self-involved New Yorkers. Andrew, in particular, though I suppose that is perhaps the entire point of Andrew. Still, overall, I found the book witty and wise. The younger protagonists--Ruby and Harry--in particular, offer fresh and fun voices. They are teenagers, after all: they are allowed to be self-involved! This was a quick read; it's engaging, fun, and occasionally sweet, even if it causes you to roll your eyes from time to time. 3.5 stars overall.
I received a copy of this novel from Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available for publication everywhere on 5/31/2016.
I wasn't one of those who adored Straub's previous novel, [b:The Vacationers|18641982|The Vacationers|Emma Straub|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386629708s/18641982.jpg|26440459], though I liked it, but this one sounded interesting and worth a try. And, in its defense, it was. It receives bonus points immediately for having lesbian characters who are simply part of the fabric of the novel (what, lesbians simply living regular life? surely not!). Straub's characters are crisp and well-defined. They are also a bit "New Yorky" and fall into that bucket that I so often find of whiny, self-involved New Yorkers. Andrew, in particular, though I suppose that is perhaps the entire point of Andrew. Still, overall, I found the book witty and wise. The younger protagonists--Ruby and Harry--in particular, offer fresh and fun voices. They are teenagers, after all: they are allowed to be self-involved! This was a quick read; it's engaging, fun, and occasionally sweet, even if it causes you to roll your eyes from time to time. 3.5 stars overall.
I received a copy of this novel from Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available for publication everywhere on 5/31/2016.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Invited in Books
Jun 25, 2019
A Decent Ghost Mystery
I had been eyeing The Invited by Jennifer McMahon since it first came out at the end of April. When a book club I'm in decided to make that their June read, I knew this was my opportunity to actually buy it. While it wasn't as great as I had imagined, it wasn't a bad read.
After receiving a big chunk of money from her father, Helen and her husband Nate decide to move to a small town in rural Vermont to build their own house. After buying the land at a very good price, Helen and Nate start building. It isn't long before they learn the legend of Hattie, a witch who was hanged on the bog where their house is being built. People swear the bog is haunted. Helen loves the history behind the bog and seeks out more information about Hattie which will ultimately put her and her husband in danger. Olive, a 14 year old girl, is searching for Hattie's treasure, another legend and wondering if the stories about her mother running off with another man or true. As Olive comes closer to discovering the truth about Hattie's treasure and what happened to her mother, it puts her that much closer to danger.
The plot for The Invited was interesting enough. I enjoyed learning about Hattie as well as her descendants. The book is written mostly from Olive's and Helen's point of view, but there are some characters where we get to see things from their point of view which I found intriguing. There are a few plot twists although I found them all to be easily predictable. Not one of the plot twists surprised me at all unfortunately. Still, I did enjoy reading the climax of the story and afterwards. I also enjoyed that there were no cliffhangers in this book.
I really enjoyed the character of Helen. She felt so realistic and like someone I would want to be friends with. I admired how laid back she was. I was indifferent about Nate. I just couldn't connect with him. I don't think he was written badly, but you could tell he wasn't meant to be a focal point in The Invited. I did like the character of Olive, but I felt like she was a lot younger than 14. I felt like she acted and spoke more like an 11 or 12 year old. I really had a hard time believing she was actually 14. I did admire how courageous she was and how determined on her goal whether it be to find Hattie's treasure or to find out the truth about what happened to her mother. I never really liked the character of Riley. She came across as someone who was trying too hard to be friendly. She felt too syrupy sweet. Hattie made a great ghost! There were times where I didn't trust her motives, and I couldn't figure out if I should be wary of her or if I should trust her.
The pacing for The Invited was slow throughout the majority of the book. The first few chapters were painfully slow. It was as if the author had word vomit and was describing every minute detail about the land and about Helen's inheritance. I felt like all that backstory was unneeded and definitely didn't need two or three chapters dedicated to it. After those chapters, the pacing picks up slightly, so it goes from being painfully slow to just slow. There were so many times I considered giving up on this book, but others in my book club said to keep on reading because it gets better. The pacing finally did pick up around 70 percent through the book. Once the pacing picked up, I couldn't put this book down! I had to know what would happen next even if it was predictable. (I had to make sure I had predicted correctly!)
Trigger warnings for The Invited include violence, death, murder, mentions of suicide, the occult, drug use (marijuana), drinking, some sexual references (not graphic), and profanity.
Overall, The Invited is a decent ghost story although there is more to the story than just that. It also makes for a decent mystery read. While it is mostly slow paced, the action does pick up eventually. I would recommend The Invited by Jennifer McMahon to those aged 16+ who enjoy a decent ghostly mystery.
After receiving a big chunk of money from her father, Helen and her husband Nate decide to move to a small town in rural Vermont to build their own house. After buying the land at a very good price, Helen and Nate start building. It isn't long before they learn the legend of Hattie, a witch who was hanged on the bog where their house is being built. People swear the bog is haunted. Helen loves the history behind the bog and seeks out more information about Hattie which will ultimately put her and her husband in danger. Olive, a 14 year old girl, is searching for Hattie's treasure, another legend and wondering if the stories about her mother running off with another man or true. As Olive comes closer to discovering the truth about Hattie's treasure and what happened to her mother, it puts her that much closer to danger.
The plot for The Invited was interesting enough. I enjoyed learning about Hattie as well as her descendants. The book is written mostly from Olive's and Helen's point of view, but there are some characters where we get to see things from their point of view which I found intriguing. There are a few plot twists although I found them all to be easily predictable. Not one of the plot twists surprised me at all unfortunately. Still, I did enjoy reading the climax of the story and afterwards. I also enjoyed that there were no cliffhangers in this book.
I really enjoyed the character of Helen. She felt so realistic and like someone I would want to be friends with. I admired how laid back she was. I was indifferent about Nate. I just couldn't connect with him. I don't think he was written badly, but you could tell he wasn't meant to be a focal point in The Invited. I did like the character of Olive, but I felt like she was a lot younger than 14. I felt like she acted and spoke more like an 11 or 12 year old. I really had a hard time believing she was actually 14. I did admire how courageous she was and how determined on her goal whether it be to find Hattie's treasure or to find out the truth about what happened to her mother. I never really liked the character of Riley. She came across as someone who was trying too hard to be friendly. She felt too syrupy sweet. Hattie made a great ghost! There were times where I didn't trust her motives, and I couldn't figure out if I should be wary of her or if I should trust her.
The pacing for The Invited was slow throughout the majority of the book. The first few chapters were painfully slow. It was as if the author had word vomit and was describing every minute detail about the land and about Helen's inheritance. I felt like all that backstory was unneeded and definitely didn't need two or three chapters dedicated to it. After those chapters, the pacing picks up slightly, so it goes from being painfully slow to just slow. There were so many times I considered giving up on this book, but others in my book club said to keep on reading because it gets better. The pacing finally did pick up around 70 percent through the book. Once the pacing picked up, I couldn't put this book down! I had to know what would happen next even if it was predictable. (I had to make sure I had predicted correctly!)
Trigger warnings for The Invited include violence, death, murder, mentions of suicide, the occult, drug use (marijuana), drinking, some sexual references (not graphic), and profanity.
Overall, The Invited is a decent ghost story although there is more to the story than just that. It also makes for a decent mystery read. While it is mostly slow paced, the action does pick up eventually. I would recommend The Invited by Jennifer McMahon to those aged 16+ who enjoy a decent ghostly mystery.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Morels in Tabletop Games
Jul 12, 2019
Ahh mushrooms. Such a wonderful foodstuff that I am trying to teach myself to enjoy. I just have never really liked them. Imagine my surprise when several years ago this game about mushrooms was causing some buzz and after some research decided I absolutely had to have it. Back then my wife and I played games together a lot. So 2-player games were our jam. Now we have kids, and we game with more people usually. But, I still never forgot about this little card game, and if you play it, you won’t either.
Imagine yourself hiking in the forest with your loved one or a friend, or straight up mushroom hunting like Josh enjoys. You come across many species of fungus, and that makes you super hungry. Well, why not collect those mushrooms and cook them into a delightful little snack for you and your traveling partner? This is the premise of the game Morels.
DISCLAIMER – The focus of this review is for vanilla base game Morels. Should we add in the “Foray” expansion in the future we will add that information here, or add a link to the expansion material review. -T
I do not intend to paraphrase the entire rulebook here, but will hit on some of important factors so my readers can get a sense of how the game plays. A row of cards will be splayed out in the middle of the table to create the walking path you will traverse. On your turn you may collect one of the cards closest to the draw deck, play a card from your hand, exchange like mushroom cards for walking sticks, cook like mushrooms (adding any butter or cider you may have), or collect all the cards from the decay pile. Only cards that you cook will score at the end of the game, so be mindful to collect enough frying pans and bonus cards to improve your scores. WATCH OUT for the Destroying Angels that temporarily poison you and need to work their way through your camp. If you can make it through the forest with the highest quality snacks being cooked you win!
Components. This game consists of a giant pile of cards that barely fit back in the box when sleeved, and some cardboard chips. Honestly, I have had my copy of the game sleeved for so long I do not remember the quality of the cards, but I am sure they are great. The cardboard chips are fine. I got rid of my insert from my box so that I can use my sleeves and arrange it the way I want – actually, I am thinking of crafting my own foamcore insert for this game too. The art is good. It straddles the line between realistic and quasi-cartoony but I like it all the same. Iconography is clear and the night-time cards are especially fun to inspect.
The game play is simple card drafting, set collection, and hand management, but it’s a light game to be enjoyed by two players with minimal direct interaction. I do love the weight of the game. It is light, but you also have to think and make some very difficult decisions. Do you grab the decay that has two Morels and a Destroying Angel? It could definitely be worth it if you can stomach having that Angel in your camp. Should you bolster up on frying pans or maybe you should sell those other shrooms for walking sticks so you can choose better cards from the path. It’s really a great game that I am very happy to still have in my collection. With that said, Purple Phoenix Games (with an assist from my wife, Kristin), give this one a relaxing, but not really delicious to me yet, rating of 13 / 18.
Imagine yourself hiking in the forest with your loved one or a friend, or straight up mushroom hunting like Josh enjoys. You come across many species of fungus, and that makes you super hungry. Well, why not collect those mushrooms and cook them into a delightful little snack for you and your traveling partner? This is the premise of the game Morels.
DISCLAIMER – The focus of this review is for vanilla base game Morels. Should we add in the “Foray” expansion in the future we will add that information here, or add a link to the expansion material review. -T
I do not intend to paraphrase the entire rulebook here, but will hit on some of important factors so my readers can get a sense of how the game plays. A row of cards will be splayed out in the middle of the table to create the walking path you will traverse. On your turn you may collect one of the cards closest to the draw deck, play a card from your hand, exchange like mushroom cards for walking sticks, cook like mushrooms (adding any butter or cider you may have), or collect all the cards from the decay pile. Only cards that you cook will score at the end of the game, so be mindful to collect enough frying pans and bonus cards to improve your scores. WATCH OUT for the Destroying Angels that temporarily poison you and need to work their way through your camp. If you can make it through the forest with the highest quality snacks being cooked you win!
Components. This game consists of a giant pile of cards that barely fit back in the box when sleeved, and some cardboard chips. Honestly, I have had my copy of the game sleeved for so long I do not remember the quality of the cards, but I am sure they are great. The cardboard chips are fine. I got rid of my insert from my box so that I can use my sleeves and arrange it the way I want – actually, I am thinking of crafting my own foamcore insert for this game too. The art is good. It straddles the line between realistic and quasi-cartoony but I like it all the same. Iconography is clear and the night-time cards are especially fun to inspect.
The game play is simple card drafting, set collection, and hand management, but it’s a light game to be enjoyed by two players with minimal direct interaction. I do love the weight of the game. It is light, but you also have to think and make some very difficult decisions. Do you grab the decay that has two Morels and a Destroying Angel? It could definitely be worth it if you can stomach having that Angel in your camp. Should you bolster up on frying pans or maybe you should sell those other shrooms for walking sticks so you can choose better cards from the path. It’s really a great game that I am very happy to still have in my collection. With that said, Purple Phoenix Games (with an assist from my wife, Kristin), give this one a relaxing, but not really delicious to me yet, rating of 13 / 18.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Curse of Betrayal (Curse Books, #2) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
You know when you read the second book in a series, and think how much better the first book was? Well, this isn't the case with The Curse of Betrayal! In fact, I think this book was even better than its predecessor. I believe The Curse of Betrayal could be read as a stand alone, but it'd be much more enjoyable if you read The Thousand Year Curse which is the first book in the series.
I like the title. Ryder does feel a bit betrayed by her mother and someone else (to tell would be spoilers) in the book.
Like the first book, I'm not a fan of the cover of this book either. It's just too plain for my liking, and for those that do judge a book by its cover (of which I have been guilty before), I think it will put them off reading this AMAZING book!
I enjoyed the world building. It seemed as if a place like the Demi God Academy could really exist. Plus, the world in this book answers most of my questions from the first book. The world building is definitely interesting in this book!
The pacing is spot on! I loved every page and couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. Even in the pages where there was no action, it was still very gripping.
The plot is just as interesting, if not more interesting, as the first book. In this book, we learn more about Ryder, Ryder's elusive mother, and Ari as well as a new cast of characters. We get to see Ryder's first year at Demi God Academy, and let's just say it is anything but uneventful. Ryder is still trying to work out her curse and find out which man is her soul mate. There's also another added danger that I won't go in to due to spoilers.
Miss Lavati does an excellent job of making sure her characters are well written and able to come to life. While I liked Ryder and found her to be a well rounded character, I thought she was being a bit too whiny and selfish with double standards. For example, it's okay for Ryder to flirt with and kiss both Ollie and Ari, but when one of them does it with another girl, Ryder gets insanely jealous. (There's one scene at a restaurant where this is very apparent and a bit over the top). I do feel bad for Ryder though. While some may think it'd be amazing to have two hot guys pine after your affections, Ryder doesn't want to hurt either one of them and hates seeing each one miserable. Plus, her life is in danger thanks to the curse Hades has put on her. I was glad that Ari was featured a lot in this book because I'm definitely Team Ari, and I really want Ryder to pick him. Ari is just a smooth kind of guy. He's funny and witty. Ollie is in the book just not as much as Ari. I do like Ollie also, but just not as much as Ari. Ollie is very caring and everything, but I just feel like Ari would make a better boyfriend. I also liked Kara in this book. She was such an awesome best friend, and I loved the way she really cared about Ryder.
The dialogue fits perfectly for a mature young adult/new adult book. I enjoyed every single scene. There are a few grammatical errors, but it doesn't take away from the book at all. There's also swearing and sexual references, but nothing over the top.
Overall, The Curse of Betrayal by Taylor Lavati is a fantastic read. This book has a great cast of characters, a super interesting plot, and a very immersive world. Miss Lavati is a very talented writer, and I enjoy reading her work. Will I be reading the next book in the series? Most definitely!
I'd recommend this book to those aged 17+ who enjoy reading about Greek mythology, hot guys, and/or great characters.
<b>I'd give The Curse of Betrayal (Curse Books #2) by Taylor Lavati a 4.75 out of 5.</b>
You know when you read the second book in a series, and think how much better the first book was? Well, this isn't the case with The Curse of Betrayal! In fact, I think this book was even better than its predecessor. I believe The Curse of Betrayal could be read as a stand alone, but it'd be much more enjoyable if you read The Thousand Year Curse which is the first book in the series.
I like the title. Ryder does feel a bit betrayed by her mother and someone else (to tell would be spoilers) in the book.
Like the first book, I'm not a fan of the cover of this book either. It's just too plain for my liking, and for those that do judge a book by its cover (of which I have been guilty before), I think it will put them off reading this AMAZING book!
I enjoyed the world building. It seemed as if a place like the Demi God Academy could really exist. Plus, the world in this book answers most of my questions from the first book. The world building is definitely interesting in this book!
The pacing is spot on! I loved every page and couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. Even in the pages where there was no action, it was still very gripping.
The plot is just as interesting, if not more interesting, as the first book. In this book, we learn more about Ryder, Ryder's elusive mother, and Ari as well as a new cast of characters. We get to see Ryder's first year at Demi God Academy, and let's just say it is anything but uneventful. Ryder is still trying to work out her curse and find out which man is her soul mate. There's also another added danger that I won't go in to due to spoilers.
Miss Lavati does an excellent job of making sure her characters are well written and able to come to life. While I liked Ryder and found her to be a well rounded character, I thought she was being a bit too whiny and selfish with double standards. For example, it's okay for Ryder to flirt with and kiss both Ollie and Ari, but when one of them does it with another girl, Ryder gets insanely jealous. (There's one scene at a restaurant where this is very apparent and a bit over the top). I do feel bad for Ryder though. While some may think it'd be amazing to have two hot guys pine after your affections, Ryder doesn't want to hurt either one of them and hates seeing each one miserable. Plus, her life is in danger thanks to the curse Hades has put on her. I was glad that Ari was featured a lot in this book because I'm definitely Team Ari, and I really want Ryder to pick him. Ari is just a smooth kind of guy. He's funny and witty. Ollie is in the book just not as much as Ari. I do like Ollie also, but just not as much as Ari. Ollie is very caring and everything, but I just feel like Ari would make a better boyfriend. I also liked Kara in this book. She was such an awesome best friend, and I loved the way she really cared about Ryder.
The dialogue fits perfectly for a mature young adult/new adult book. I enjoyed every single scene. There are a few grammatical errors, but it doesn't take away from the book at all. There's also swearing and sexual references, but nothing over the top.
Overall, The Curse of Betrayal by Taylor Lavati is a fantastic read. This book has a great cast of characters, a super interesting plot, and a very immersive world. Miss Lavati is a very talented writer, and I enjoy reading her work. Will I be reading the next book in the series? Most definitely!
I'd recommend this book to those aged 17+ who enjoy reading about Greek mythology, hot guys, and/or great characters.
<b>I'd give The Curse of Betrayal (Curse Books #2) by Taylor Lavati a 4.75 out of 5.</b>