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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Larry, Bush Pilot in Books

Mar 18, 2021

Jordan Mierek, also known as Jordan Elizabeth, usually writes for young adults, but after many requests, she has published her first children's book. Larry, Bush Pilot is a collaborative effort between Mierek and her father, Lawrence Mierek, who grew up on a dairy farm. Larry, a ten-year-old boy, also lives on a farm during the 1970s with his father, who owns an aeroplane. Despite his age, Larry's father taught him to fly, which came in handy when his father suffered an accident in the middle of nowhere.

This short story loosely reflects Lawrence Mierek's childhood. As a teenager, his father taught him to fly a plane on the airstrip behind their barn. The narrative is likely an imagined scenario, placing a young boy in a precarious situation, which many children would not have the means to solve. Only through extreme determination and courage is Larry able to rescue his father.

Larry, Bush Pilot is a short story intended for primary school children. The few illustrations between chapters make it an appropriate step between picture books and teenage novels. Larry's life on the farm allows modern children to learn about the world before digital technology and the importance of a family working together. The story also tells the reader that if they believe in themselves and their abilities, they can achieve great things.

Jordan Mierek has stepped into the world of children's literature and proved that she is more than capable of writing for several age groups. Larry, Bush Pilot is the first in a series called Flying Acres, and we look forward to joining Larry on his next adventure.

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Patricia Heaton recommended Romeo and Juliet (1968) in Movies (curated)

Romeo and Juliet (1968)

1968 | Drama, Romance

7.5

(4 Ratings)

Movie Favorite Watch

"Romeo and Juliet is on my list because I saw it when I was at a very formative age. I think I was 14 or 15, and at that age, girls are very dramatic about romance and they’re just starting to get those feelings, and love is very painful and very important. It’s overwhelming and you have these huge crushes, and so Romeo and Juliet is all about that huge first love. And you couldn’t have found two more beautiful teenagers than Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting… and that was the first time I had ever seen Michael York and he was stunning — he was stunning. The costumes were gorgeous. Zeffirelli was a beautiful artist. He designed theater and opera and sets, so it was just beautiful. I think why I love Italy so much now is because of that movie, and it made me fall in love with Shakespeare. That’s one of the first times that Shakespeare became not just some dusty old English thing that you had to study in school, but it became really alive. You know what else did that really well? Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet… So, Romeo and Juliet was my first introduction. I walked around pretending I was Olivia Hussey. I had my long dark hair parted in the middle, and we had these, like, hippie baby-doll blouses that had the empire waist, so I would wear that all the time and I’d sorta stare at myself in the mirror. Of course, there was nobody in Cleveland, OH who looked anything like Leonard Whiting, so it was all in my head."

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Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated One Cut of the Dead (Kamera o Tomeru na!) (2017) in Movies

Oct 14, 2020

Fun From the Beginning

I wouldn’t dare spoil the plot of One Cut of the Dead. Not knowing is half the fun. Let’s just call it a zombie movie and leave it at that.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 10

Characters: 6

Cinematography/Visuals: 10
From a visual standpoint, I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like this movie before. Watching this movie unfold is like seeing someone play with one of those things that’s a toy inside a toy inside a toy. No shot is wasted here and every angle tells a different part of the story. Director Shinichiro Ueda does a masterful job across the board. Overall, it has a gritty old school feel to it, much like Tarantino’s Planet Terror.

Conflict: 10

Entertainment Value: 9
There is so much packed into 96 minutes, it’s hard not to be overly entertained the whole time. I didn’t give it a perfect score as there were some moments where I was more confused than I was hoping for. It’s truly a wild ride where you feel like things are constantly out of control.

Memorability: 10

Pace: 6
Things move at a decent pace until about the forty-five-minute mark where the movie slows down drastically. I understand the shift, but it took away from the momentum for me a bit. Despite the momentum shift, the movie is highly enjoyable overall.

Plot: 10

Resolution: 8

Overall: 89
One Cut of the Dead, once finished, will leave you saying, “What just happened?” It’s fun, it’s original, and it keeps you guessing. I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun movie to watch this Halloween season.

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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated O is for Outlaw in Books

Oct 5, 2019

O is for Outlaw

Sue Grafton | 1999 | Mystery

9.5

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

Mystery from Kinsey’s Past

PI Kinsey Millhone is surprised to get a phone call from a guy claiming he found some of her stuff in an abandoned storage locker. Most of it is old school papers she left behind when she moved out on Mickey, her first ex-husband. But among those things is some mail – it’s mostly junk, but she finds a letter to her in the stack. Reading the letter shocks Kinsey. It sheds new light on her marriage to Mickey and the events that led to her leaving him fourteen years before. As Kinsey begins to hunt for Mickey to learn exactly what happened, she also begins to look into the murder that lead to her leaving Mickey. Will she learn the truth about what happened all those years ago?

I wasn’t burning with desire to learn about Kinsey’s first marriage, but that changes pretty quickly when I started this book. We are given the information we need from that time to understand what is happening in an interesting way that doesn’t slow things down. The past and present are meeting, and both drive the story forward. I was hooked until we reached the climax, which expertly wrapped everything up. The characters spring from the page fully formed the instant we meet them, which is nothing new for this series. We spend the most time with Kinsey, however, and she is a strong lead. I enjoyed seeing how these events impacted her. Fans of the series will enjoy seeing the background, and if you are new to the series, this book will show you why it has been so popular for so many years.