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the sun and her flowers
the sun and her flowers
Rupi Kaur | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.7 (14 Ratings)
Book Rating
I know this will be controversial, but....
This is written in five parts, like the life cycle of a flower: wilting, falling, rooting, rising and blooming. Some really disturbing, personal poetry is amongst these poems. It's a celebration in all it's forms: romantic, sexual and parental (I may have missed some). I originally wrote that the poems were 'so good', but I wonder in hindsight whether they actually are. In some ways, the poems are all very disjointed. You don't even really know where one ends and another starts (and vice versa). I'm not keen on how the titles of the poems are written at the bottom of the poems, and some are just left hanging in the middle of a page, like a motivational slogan. I read quite a bit of poetry, but this just isn't for me. I wouldn't go by my opinion though. I strongly advise you, if you're interested, to have a go and read Kaur's poetry yourselves.
  
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
Trevor Noah | 2017 | Biography
10
9.2 (16 Ratings)
Book Rating
An insider's view of Apartheid
It seems unlikely that comedian Trevor Noah would have ever made it out of the prison of colonialism, apartheid, poverty and violence, yet now he's regarded as one of South Africa's biggest export. His memoir is brutal and harrowing, describing how because of the illegal interracial relationship between his Xhosa mother and his Swiss-German, his birth was actually a crime.

It's hard to imagine that this legal segregation only ended 26 years ago, yet Noah then faced the turbulent legacy of post-apartheid. Being mixed race posed its own problems, as Noah describes never fitting in anywhere, but being accepted to a certain degree because of his 'whiteness' and his chameleon-like ability to adapt to his surroundings.

There are moments which are truly disturbing, as Noah speaks about his violent stepfather and going hungry. In this way, his life can be seen as a story of personal survival, through intelligence and humour, which millions have come to love.
  
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Stephen Chbosky | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.2 (101 Ratings)
Book Rating
Plot (3 more)
Characters
The ending
Descriptive language
Character introduction (0 more)
Immersive and powerful
This book has been sat on my shelves since September, just waiting for the right moment to be read.
An increasingly powerful book that focuses on the life of outcast high school students that are relatable but not overshadowed by popular teenagers.
Grappling with love; loss and life, a teenager writes letters to a stranger (possibly considered to be the reader) explaining his life and his struggles with starting high school and all the aspects that can come along with it - falling in love, making friends, experimenting with drugs/alcohol/sexuality- as well as a multitude of family issues.
The end of the book is revealing and intense and leaves the reader considering the moral behind the book.

My personal opinion is that I would have loves the story to be longer, as I finished it within an evening and for character introductions to be more stable or descriptive.
  
Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
Erik Larson | 2015 | History & Politics
8
8.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
I stumbled on this book quite by accident while on one of my hours long "grocery shopping" treks through Target. I have had several Erik Larson books on my To Read list for awhile. It was just one of those, "I'll get to them one day," kind of things. I saw this on the shelf & bought it on a whim. I found it it be a truly engaging narrative, not just about the tragic torpedoing & sinking of the Lusitania, but about the passengers & crew too. The human side of the story is what really grabbed me. I will admit that it started off a bit slow for my taste, but I did get immersed in the day to day lives of those aboard the ship. The tales of survival are amazing along with all the political maneuvering that occurred in the wake of the sinking. This is a fascinating snapshot of world history told from a very personal perspective. Well word the read.
  
OO
Objects of My Affection
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was a really enjoyable book. It took a few chapters before I was really able to get in to it which is why it gets a 4 instead of a 5. It is not at all that it was boring, it just took me a few pages to get invested in the characters.
This book tells the story of Lucy, a personal organizer who is hired on to help clear out the home of Marva Meir Rios, a hoarding artist. Lucy son also happens to be in drug rehab which has forced her to sell her home & most of her possessions in order to be able to afford the program. The plot is a bit predictable...a reclusive, old, crabby artist; an amiable out to please everyone mother; a handsome younger man; a spurned lover. You get the drift. But the story itself was not always as predictiable as it sounds. Made for an interesting read & an intimate look into the characters' lives, losses, and realizations.
  
The Mummy (2017)
The Mummy (2017)
2017 | Action, Adventure
A sound action adventure and not as bad as all that. (3 more)
Good intro
Action sequences and effects.
Egyptian Princess of Darkness babe.
Unoriginal (0 more)
Or.... Dark Universe the beginning.
It was on so I watched it, as you do. I remember being gripped and impressed by the first 20 mins, it's a good start and does its job well. The rest of the film is totally watchable. I've seen that it gets some stick but the story line is solid, it's funny in parts with a good amount of action. The cast is more that decent. I fancied the Princess Ahmanet but, that just a personal positive for me and to be fair she does a great job. Tom Cruise does his job well as does Annabelle Wallis. Of course there's a big set up for more of the same. Not too much to complain about other than I've seen similar before. Don't be put off by the overly negative and easily influenced.
  
Spotlight (2015)
Spotlight (2015)
2015 | Drama, Mystery
Actors are superb (0 more)
Such an important film, well worth all the awards
"If it takes a community to raise a child, it takes one to abuse them."

Spotlight is such an important part of media history because they uncovered one of the darkest secrets of one community, which mirrors all communities. The film is awe-inspiring, so much so that I wanted to go back into a newsroom and be a TV journalist again at the forefront of major news. This is literally the best film for journalists to watch and for audiences to understand what it's like to work in a newsroom. More importantly, it shows how vital the media can be when actually doing proper investigations.

It is extremely dark given the subject nature - but having been in a similar situation breaking the story of Jimmy Savile in the UK for British media, the film completely reflects my own personal experiences.