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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.
  
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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.
  
Scarsdale Crematorium (The Haunted #4)
Scarsdale Crematorium (The Haunted #4)
Patrick Logan | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Paranormal
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
By this point, the series is really starting to feel like it's being drawn out unnecessarily. More characters are being brought in, with pages of information about them/their surroundings/backgrounds, which feels a lot like filler to meet a word count in some cases.


For me, the series isn't living up to the promise of the first book, which is a real shame. I really hoped for a more "haunted" vibe, given the name of the series, with unresolved matters being settled in the manner of the very first book, but the direction the story has taken isn't as appealing to me - purely a matter of personal taste, and I'm clearly very much in the minority given reviews I've read on other sites.

In all honesty, this isn't a series I would have persevered with if I was buying the books, but borrowing them as part of my Kindle Unlimited subscription (akin to borrowing from a local library, but more convenient!), I will finish the series.
  
Synopsis: See your surroundings with fresh eyes and renewed energy. Through her personal experience and stories of God's redemptive work in communities and neighborhoods, Shauna Pilgreen gives readers the skills and guidance they need to live out the gospel in the places they call home.


My Thoughts: This book is a good reminder that we all need to get out of our comfort zones. The author reminds us that when we do get too comfortable we sometimes tend to get dissatisfied with life, and we tend to stop thinking about others. We also lose our focus on what God has for us.


In "Loving Where You Live" the author teaches us to step out of that comfort zone, learn your neighborhood and your neighbors. In doing this you will learn that where you are is a great place to be; that there is a purpose and a reason to be where you are.


This was an interesting book that the reader can learn from.
  
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Awix (3310 KP) rated Everybody Knows (Todos Lo Saben) (2018) in Movies

Mar 12, 2019 (Updated Mar 12, 2019)  
Everybody Knows (Todos Lo Saben) (2018)
Everybody Knows (Todos Lo Saben) (2018)
2018 | Drama, Thriller
7
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Spanish-language Euro-drama from Iranian director Asghar Farhadi is about as odd a fish as you might expect. Family wedding is going well until Penelope Cruz's daughter is kidnapped; much stressed is placed on everyone involved and their relationships, causing secrets to bubble to the surface in an unwelcome (to say the least) manner.

The thriller elements are definitely a bit of a red herring, as for much of the film the plight of the missing girl seems to get rather forgotten about while everyone sits or stands around articulating their personal baggage and unfinished emotional business. It does get a bit slow and talky (I believe I dozed off for a few moments), but the performances are meaty, involving ones with Cruz and Bardem showing every bit of their star quality and acting ability. Too well-scripted to really qualify as a melodrama, but certainly slices itself a thick slab of theatrical ham; performances make it a worthwhile watch.
  
Terraforming Mars: Venus Next
Terraforming Mars: Venus Next
2018 | Space, Territory Building
Great, but fully optional, expansion
There are lots of things about Venus Next which are enjoyable. The addition of a new card resource (floaters) adds an interesting mechanism, which with a bit of luck can really be a huge boost to your game (in some cases, however, they can be a bit of a damp squib).

Venus itself isn't a game changer, and it is absolutely viable to completely ignore Venus - remember, Venus itself it supposed to be the next challenge for Humanity after Terraforming Mars (hence "Venus Next..."!). I have had a couple of games where Venus' terrforming didn't get beyond a couple of percent (but there were plenty of Floater cards!) but equally I've had a couple of games where Venus was developed as far as the Board would allow, before Mars was even half-way completed.

It is a very good expansion, but personal opinion it would be one to get after the other expansions - some of the others offer much more
  
The Silent Guides
The Silent Guides
Steve Peters | 2018 | Education, Health & Fitness, Mind, Body & Spiritual
6
6.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
So, the (not so) Silent Guides

I'm calling it that because I read (listened to?) the audiobook version.

Recently, I decided to give audible (or, more accurately, it's free month) a try, and this came up as one of the 'recommended first listens'. I'd heard, anecdotally, of the Chimp Paradox, even though I'd never read it so thought I would give this a listen, especially since I'd been having a hard time of late and had been feeling rather a bit of stress/was unable to 'switch off' from work.

I don't really know what I was expecting, but what wasn't clear - at least, not to me - was that most of this (say, roughly 80% worth) is actually more about raising kids and how to be a role-model to them. I don't have any.

(I do have nieces and nephews, though)

With that said, there were still some aspects that I could probably put to use in my personal life ...
  
Thanks, Obama: My Hopey Changey White House Years
Thanks, Obama: My Hopey Changey White House Years
David Litt | 2017 | Biography
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A book of hopey changey during the Obama years
This funny, poignant look at the White House from the perspective of a speechwriter, humanises those who worked for Obama and the former president himself.

From hilarious anecdotes, where David Litt was literally found with his Hulk pants down on Air Force One, to harrowing experiences watching Obama sing Amazing Grace after the racially-motivated Charleston shooting -it's like a real-life series of West Wing.

His admiration for the ex-chief is rather sweet, turning from full-blown hero worshipping to quiet respect for POTUS as a person as in his own words: "We are not perfect but we have the capacity to be more perfect".

Hence the ending seems bittersweet - Litt was part of Obama's legacy that is being decimated so for him it is personal. He asks "Was Barack Obama a good President?" And without hesitation he agrees that he was.