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J.K. Simmons recommended To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) in Movies (curated)
David McK (3557 KP) rated Knights of Dark Renown in Books
Aug 8, 2021
One of the rare(ish) David Gemmell stand-alone novels; [u]not[/u] part of any series such as the Stones of Power/Sipstrassi sereis, or even of the Drenai.
Indeed, there's only a single other reference made to the events of this in any of his other works: a throw-away line, briefly, during Morningstar.
The central character of this is Manannan, the Coward-Knight who once abandoned his other eight companions (the legendary 'Knights of the Gabala') to ride alone through a mysterious portal to another realm, and who is now (as the novel starts) trapped within his own armour and slowly being strangled to death by his own beard, as the armour was fashioned so that it could only be opened by passing through the portal.
As the land seems to be falling further and further into chaos, the rest of the novel deals with a terrible discovery made by Mannanan, and with the creation of a new Knights of the Gabala (the 'Knights of Dark Renown' of the title), most of whom - in true inimitable Gemmell style - start out as far from the ideal as it is possible to be!
I have to say, though, that I've always felt the ending of this story to be a little bit rushed: lots of work laying the groundwork; lots of 'meat' in the body and then it just seemingly ... ends. Almost as if Gemmell had gotten tired of the story!
Indeed, there's only a single other reference made to the events of this in any of his other works: a throw-away line, briefly, during Morningstar.
The central character of this is Manannan, the Coward-Knight who once abandoned his other eight companions (the legendary 'Knights of the Gabala') to ride alone through a mysterious portal to another realm, and who is now (as the novel starts) trapped within his own armour and slowly being strangled to death by his own beard, as the armour was fashioned so that it could only be opened by passing through the portal.
As the land seems to be falling further and further into chaos, the rest of the novel deals with a terrible discovery made by Mannanan, and with the creation of a new Knights of the Gabala (the 'Knights of Dark Renown' of the title), most of whom - in true inimitable Gemmell style - start out as far from the ideal as it is possible to be!
I have to say, though, that I've always felt the ending of this story to be a little bit rushed: lots of work laying the groundwork; lots of 'meat' in the body and then it just seemingly ... ends. Almost as if Gemmell had gotten tired of the story!
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Everybody Hurts in Books
Jun 24, 2019
I don't usually read cheesy YA romance novels, and very rarely do I enjoy them much. This was kind of an impulse read, and I probably wouldn't have read it usually. But I'm glad I did.
It is pretty cheesy, and the voices of the characters are maybe over-exaggerated and trging-too-hard. But something about the writing was just really good, and I often found myself not wanting to put it down. Even though it was about love and sex and brain tumours.
Jango is an interesting character, who seems like a plain old bully/idiot at first but actually turns out to be pretty good. His home life is complicated, and his friendship with Matt is more valuable than he lets on. But near-death experiences bring out the truth - and Jango's affectionate, kind side.
Like I said before, it does all feel a bit too artificial - the "teenage" lingo is just not right, and the events are maybe played out to be more dramatic than they needed to be. I'm not actually sure how much I liked either of the main characters, but the telling of the story was great and made up for any dislikes I had.
It is a bit of a feel-good, cheesy romance in the end, which is nice to read sometimes. It's got a lot of twists - bad luck, bad tempers - that make it a bit more unique than similar YA romances. 4 stars.
It is pretty cheesy, and the voices of the characters are maybe over-exaggerated and trging-too-hard. But something about the writing was just really good, and I often found myself not wanting to put it down. Even though it was about love and sex and brain tumours.
Jango is an interesting character, who seems like a plain old bully/idiot at first but actually turns out to be pretty good. His home life is complicated, and his friendship with Matt is more valuable than he lets on. But near-death experiences bring out the truth - and Jango's affectionate, kind side.
Like I said before, it does all feel a bit too artificial - the "teenage" lingo is just not right, and the events are maybe played out to be more dramatic than they needed to be. I'm not actually sure how much I liked either of the main characters, but the telling of the story was great and made up for any dislikes I had.
It is a bit of a feel-good, cheesy romance in the end, which is nice to read sometimes. It's got a lot of twists - bad luck, bad tempers - that make it a bit more unique than similar YA romances. 4 stars.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (AVP 2) (2007) in Movies
Jun 28, 2019
A shameless money grab
After the thoroughly underwhelming AVP, we are presented with Requiem, a film that's entices you with it's R rating (after the first films odd PG-13 rating), and it's clear to see why a lot of the advertising was centred around the R rating - because Requiem has little else to offer.
Both of these franchises are beloved, but unfortunately, the bad films have really started to outweigh the good - and Requiem is a film made purely to make money. There's no diving into the lore behind any of the past films, and instead the story is set in a small Colorado town, full of actors that I kind of recognise from various TV shows - which is fitting, because the film plays out like an episode of Dawson's Creek, just with lots of Aliens running around.
The staple violence of both series is present once again, however, it feels like the constant Gore is being thrown at you to distract you from the threadbare plot.
The (singular) Predator looks pretty good, however the Aliens are mostly shrouded in shadow, I don't recall seeing a full body shot of a Xenomorph at any point, and the Predator-Alien hybrid, again, is never really shown properly, and what we do see looks silly.
It's a pretty shoddy movie all in all, and this particular mash up is probably best left to books and graphic novels.
Both of these franchises are beloved, but unfortunately, the bad films have really started to outweigh the good - and Requiem is a film made purely to make money. There's no diving into the lore behind any of the past films, and instead the story is set in a small Colorado town, full of actors that I kind of recognise from various TV shows - which is fitting, because the film plays out like an episode of Dawson's Creek, just with lots of Aliens running around.
The staple violence of both series is present once again, however, it feels like the constant Gore is being thrown at you to distract you from the threadbare plot.
The (singular) Predator looks pretty good, however the Aliens are mostly shrouded in shadow, I don't recall seeing a full body shot of a Xenomorph at any point, and the Predator-Alien hybrid, again, is never really shown properly, and what we do see looks silly.
It's a pretty shoddy movie all in all, and this particular mash up is probably best left to books and graphic novels.
Merissa (12854 KP) rated Dine With Me in Books
Sep 4, 2019
DINE WITH ME is a change of direction from the Romantic Suspense novels I have read by Layla Reyne. And I don't mean in a bad way, as I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.
Miller is a chef, who has just closed down a restaurant, is getting a divorce from his best-friend/wife, oh, and by the way, has throat cancer too. There are many trials and tribulations he goes through, most of which are completely understandable, and you will certainly empathise with him as a character.
As for Clancy, he is a foodie and also a doctor. He has just agreed to work at his dad's plastic surgery clinic, although he has major doubts about that. His calling is for oncology, but he doesn't know how to let his dad down.
You travel with these two as they go from one special place to another, with Miller sharing his love of food. The attraction between these two simmers all the way through, overflowing at points.
With a fantastic supporting cast of characters, I thoroughly enjoyed the story as it panned out. I loved Miller's thought processes, and how Clancy worked.
There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading, and I found the pacing to be perfect for the story.
Although we had an epilogue, I would still love to hear more from this couple! Absolutely recommended by me.
Miller is a chef, who has just closed down a restaurant, is getting a divorce from his best-friend/wife, oh, and by the way, has throat cancer too. There are many trials and tribulations he goes through, most of which are completely understandable, and you will certainly empathise with him as a character.
As for Clancy, he is a foodie and also a doctor. He has just agreed to work at his dad's plastic surgery clinic, although he has major doubts about that. His calling is for oncology, but he doesn't know how to let his dad down.
You travel with these two as they go from one special place to another, with Miller sharing his love of food. The attraction between these two simmers all the way through, overflowing at points.
With a fantastic supporting cast of characters, I thoroughly enjoyed the story as it panned out. I loved Miller's thought processes, and how Clancy worked.
There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading, and I found the pacing to be perfect for the story.
Although we had an epilogue, I would still love to hear more from this couple! Absolutely recommended by me.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Labyrinth (FBI Thriller #23) in Books
Oct 11, 2019
Book 23 of the FBI Thriller series
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Back in 1996, The Cove, the 1st story in Catherine Coulter's FBI Thriller series was published. The 23rd book, Labyrinth was recently published. In the series, readers have been introduced to FBI thrillers with recurring characters. From what I have read about the series, the main characters are Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock, a husband and wife team who are FBI agents.
Although the series has been on my "want to read" list for many years, I have never read any books from the series. When given the opportunity to review Labyrinth, I jumped at the chance. I usually read the rest of the series before reviewing a book, but Labyrinth is the 23rd book in the series, so I decided to forgo my usual routine and read just the one book.
Labyrinth could stand alone as a novel. The story was interesting and easy to follow. The characters were likable and well developed. Reading the earlier novels would help with understanding some of the references but it is not necessary.
I will continue reading the series with the next book but will keep the earlier books on my "to read" list and try to catch up on the series.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 10/11/19.
Back in 1996, The Cove, the 1st story in Catherine Coulter's FBI Thriller series was published. The 23rd book, Labyrinth was recently published. In the series, readers have been introduced to FBI thrillers with recurring characters. From what I have read about the series, the main characters are Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock, a husband and wife team who are FBI agents.
Although the series has been on my "want to read" list for many years, I have never read any books from the series. When given the opportunity to review Labyrinth, I jumped at the chance. I usually read the rest of the series before reviewing a book, but Labyrinth is the 23rd book in the series, so I decided to forgo my usual routine and read just the one book.
Labyrinth could stand alone as a novel. The story was interesting and easy to follow. The characters were likable and well developed. Reading the earlier novels would help with understanding some of the references but it is not necessary.
I will continue reading the series with the next book but will keep the earlier books on my "to read" list and try to catch up on the series.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 10/11/19.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated A Study in Scarlet (The Sherlock Holmes Children's Collection #1) in Books
May 29, 2020
Wonderful Retelling For Children
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Stephanie Baudet has written over 50 books for children. Among them, The Sherlock Holmes Children's Collection, a retelling of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's brilliant novels for children ages seven and up.
To give a fair and accurate review of the first book in the series, A Study in Scarlet, I read the original novel. I am not going to review Conan Doyle's work at this time. This review deals with Baudet's adaption. Although I will add, those who are not familiar with Holmes and Watson should start the series with this adaption. It introduces the characters when they first meet and agree to move into Baker Street together.
Baudet's adaption is so enjoyable and entertaining, if they were available years ago, I would have bought the entire collection for my children. The drawings are well done. All of the major points in the original work are presented clearly for children to understand and appreciate Conan Doyle's work.
To date, there are 12 adaptions published. None of them are Sir Author Conan Doyle's most famous work, The Hound of the Baskervilles. I appreciate that Baudet adapted his lesser-known work to allow children access to stories they may not have discovered otherwise.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 5/29/20.
Stephanie Baudet has written over 50 books for children. Among them, The Sherlock Holmes Children's Collection, a retelling of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's brilliant novels for children ages seven and up.
To give a fair and accurate review of the first book in the series, A Study in Scarlet, I read the original novel. I am not going to review Conan Doyle's work at this time. This review deals with Baudet's adaption. Although I will add, those who are not familiar with Holmes and Watson should start the series with this adaption. It introduces the characters when they first meet and agree to move into Baker Street together.
Baudet's adaption is so enjoyable and entertaining, if they were available years ago, I would have bought the entire collection for my children. The drawings are well done. All of the major points in the original work are presented clearly for children to understand and appreciate Conan Doyle's work.
To date, there are 12 adaptions published. None of them are Sir Author Conan Doyle's most famous work, The Hound of the Baskervilles. I appreciate that Baudet adapted his lesser-known work to allow children access to stories they may not have discovered otherwise.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 5/29/20.
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