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Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Crossing at Blaisdell Park in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Finn Butler is an amazing director in Los Angeles. His wife Diane is a well accomplished actress in soap operas. After the success of The Crossing at Blaisdell Park, he is now in the process of shooting the sequel. Finn and Diane are also in the process of selling their house, when a dead woman is found by the realtors right before the broker's open. More and more people are turning up dead all over the city and the common denominator in each case is Diane Butler. How is she connected to each of these murders? Will the police be able to find the killer before someone else turns up dead?
I had a lot of mixed emotions about this book. While the story was very interesting and I wanted to know what was going to happen at the end, I didn't find myself running to pick up the book and read it. The beginning of the book started out slowly. After the half way point it picked up a lot more and the end was much better than the beginning. There are a lot of twists and turns throughout this book, that will have you saying WHAAT? But overall the book was just OK for me. I would be interested to read more from this author.
I had a lot of mixed emotions about this book. While the story was very interesting and I wanted to know what was going to happen at the end, I didn't find myself running to pick up the book and read it. The beginning of the book started out slowly. After the half way point it picked up a lot more and the end was much better than the beginning. There are a lot of twists and turns throughout this book, that will have you saying WHAAT? But overall the book was just OK for me. I would be interested to read more from this author.
The New Librarianship Field Guide
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This book offers a guide for librarians who see their profession as a chance to make a positive...
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Miss Bala (2019) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Gloria (Gina Rodriguez), a makeup artist in Los Angeles, heads to Tijuana for a fun weekend with her best friend, Suzu (Cristina Rodlo). Gloria is going to help Suzu prepare for the Miss Baja California beauty pageant. They decide to head to a club to rub elbows with one of the more important judges, Chief Saucedo (Damian Alcazar). That is when a fun trip turns into a nightmare, several members of a local cartel, Estrella (Spanish for star), break in and start shooting up the club. The leader of Estrella, Leno (Ismael Cruz Cordova), believes that Chief Saucedo is trying to cut into his business and is there to assassinate him. Gloria escapes but gets separated from Suzu. She searches all night and calls the hospitals but can’t find her friend. She finds a police officer to have him help search and tells him he saw the attackers. Instead of taking her to the police station he delivers her to Estrella and Leno. He agrees to help her find her friend but there is a price. Now Gloria will have go to great lengths to find her friend and survive a deadly battle between a cartel and the police from right in the middle of the chaos.
Gina Rodriguez is really good in this film. I thought her performance was definitely the best part of this film. Otherwise the performances were a mix bag of good and bad. Cruz Cordova in particular failed to really come across as a scary, but sensitive, cartel leader. The cameo by Anthony Mackie was a surprise. The story is really interesting and there were times that were suspenseful. The action was decent with some good scenes. The issue was there were also some campy performances and scene set ups that felt rushed. The film was shot decently and the music fit well. The end, which I would not dare spoil, really fell short of all of the buildup.
Before looking for a trailer for this movie I did not know that this was a remake of a 2012 film of the same name. I would be interested to see this film to compare the two because I enjoyed the story. This film missed on some points but really did entertain me for the hour and forty-four minutes. I would say that you could save this for streaming or rental. I don’t think that it would be a movie I would watch again in the theater.
Gina Rodriguez is really good in this film. I thought her performance was definitely the best part of this film. Otherwise the performances were a mix bag of good and bad. Cruz Cordova in particular failed to really come across as a scary, but sensitive, cartel leader. The cameo by Anthony Mackie was a surprise. The story is really interesting and there were times that were suspenseful. The action was decent with some good scenes. The issue was there were also some campy performances and scene set ups that felt rushed. The film was shot decently and the music fit well. The end, which I would not dare spoil, really fell short of all of the buildup.
Before looking for a trailer for this movie I did not know that this was a remake of a 2012 film of the same name. I would be interested to see this film to compare the two because I enjoyed the story. This film missed on some points but really did entertain me for the hour and forty-four minutes. I would say that you could save this for streaming or rental. I don’t think that it would be a movie I would watch again in the theater.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2057 KP) rated Movieland in Books
Jul 26, 2022 (Updated Jul 26, 2022)
A Sniper in the State Park
Eve Ronin’s latest case starts in Malibu Creek State Park. A former movie studio backlot, it’s been known for hiking and camping for years. But someone shot at two female campers, killing one and wounding the other. Eve’s partner, Duncan Pavone, immediately connects the shooting to some cases he was investigating before Eve joined the department, but the higher ups are refusing to acknowledge that this is anything but an isolated incident. Can Eve find the truth no matter where it lays?
This strong book may be the best in the series to date. I couldn’t figure out where the plot was going to go for quite a while, and I mean that in the best way possible. Once I reached the end, everything was resolved in a logical manner. Eve got some great growth here, and all the characters, old and new, were strong and at their best. There are a couple of sub-plots that grow out of the events in previous books in the series. While you could read this as a standalone, I recommend you read the series in order. Since this is a police procedural, there is a tad more content that I try to avoid, but it was kept to a minimum. I also really enjoyed the humor in the book. If you are looking for a strong mystery, you’ll be glad you picked this one up.
This strong book may be the best in the series to date. I couldn’t figure out where the plot was going to go for quite a while, and I mean that in the best way possible. Once I reached the end, everything was resolved in a logical manner. Eve got some great growth here, and all the characters, old and new, were strong and at their best. There are a couple of sub-plots that grow out of the events in previous books in the series. While you could read this as a standalone, I recommend you read the series in order. Since this is a police procedural, there is a tad more content that I try to avoid, but it was kept to a minimum. I also really enjoyed the humor in the book. If you are looking for a strong mystery, you’ll be glad you picked this one up.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Asbury Park in Books
Nov 8, 2019
Virginia State Trooper Samuel 'Sailor' Doyle is recovering from his previous case, also trying to save his marriage and his job. Although he is a national hero he is suspended and under investigation for shooting a suspect while under the influence of prescription pain killers. To rehabilitate he takes his wife, young son and baby daughter to the beach near Asbury Park in New Jersey.
Doyle's problems are many: His wife has discovered that he had an affair, he is in withdrawal from his drug and alcohol abuse and he is still recovering from being shot. But far from getting away from it all his vacation just throws mysterious deaths at Doyle and strange things happen. He hears Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here playing from what seems like every car that passes and every shop he goes into as well as an old callope fairground tune. He starts to persuade himself that events are connected and sets out to find out what is going on.
This book definitely follows its own path and refused to be pigeon- holed into one genre or another. In the main this is a police procedural with Doyle assisting the local police with a gang related shooting and his own investigations into events that occurred in the 1970s in Canada. But the weirdness of the Pink Floyd, scratches and greasepaint (to name just a few of the odd occurrences that Doyle encounters) takes it beyond this and into the realms of the paranormal with Doyle convinced he is being haunted by the ghost of a dead teenager - or that he is going insane.
All this means that it is going to divide opinion (and quick check of the scores given to the book confirm that). It is not a standard police procedural so will disappoint if that is what is expected. But neither is it a ghost or horror story in the classic sense and so will disappoint if that is what is expected as well. What it is is an exploration of despair, revenge and redemption set against the decaying backdrop of the faded glory of the towns between Asbury Park and Spring Lake. Take the story on its own merits and go where it leads is my advice. Live a little.
I really liked the writing. There is a very noir feel to the way Doyle narrates the events first person and a certain nihilism to a lot of his observations that can be quite amusing. The other characters are also good and his interations with them very well written. Hodges the local detective he both assists and irritates is great as is her right hand man, Ed Hess to name just two.
The pace is slow, giving the story time to unfold but never dull or boring. When events do occur they are almost jarring and some of the more supernatural experiences of Doyle did send shivers down my spine.
The revelations of the story behind everything does work (in the terms of the book) and closure is finally achieved at the end, I couldn't think of a loose end that wasn't tidied up. Yes there isn't a rational explanation for everything - at least not if filtered by Doyle's somewhat damaged perception - but there is an explanation.
I didn't hesitate to give this book 5 stars. It was one of those that I enjoyed reading hugely and didn't want to get to the end... but wanted to get to the end to find out what happened. Overall I rate this book very highly.
Rating: Lots of violence, language and dead bodies
Doyle's problems are many: His wife has discovered that he had an affair, he is in withdrawal from his drug and alcohol abuse and he is still recovering from being shot. But far from getting away from it all his vacation just throws mysterious deaths at Doyle and strange things happen. He hears Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here playing from what seems like every car that passes and every shop he goes into as well as an old callope fairground tune. He starts to persuade himself that events are connected and sets out to find out what is going on.
This book definitely follows its own path and refused to be pigeon- holed into one genre or another. In the main this is a police procedural with Doyle assisting the local police with a gang related shooting and his own investigations into events that occurred in the 1970s in Canada. But the weirdness of the Pink Floyd, scratches and greasepaint (to name just a few of the odd occurrences that Doyle encounters) takes it beyond this and into the realms of the paranormal with Doyle convinced he is being haunted by the ghost of a dead teenager - or that he is going insane.
All this means that it is going to divide opinion (and quick check of the scores given to the book confirm that). It is not a standard police procedural so will disappoint if that is what is expected. But neither is it a ghost or horror story in the classic sense and so will disappoint if that is what is expected as well. What it is is an exploration of despair, revenge and redemption set against the decaying backdrop of the faded glory of the towns between Asbury Park and Spring Lake. Take the story on its own merits and go where it leads is my advice. Live a little.
I really liked the writing. There is a very noir feel to the way Doyle narrates the events first person and a certain nihilism to a lot of his observations that can be quite amusing. The other characters are also good and his interations with them very well written. Hodges the local detective he both assists and irritates is great as is her right hand man, Ed Hess to name just two.
The pace is slow, giving the story time to unfold but never dull or boring. When events do occur they are almost jarring and some of the more supernatural experiences of Doyle did send shivers down my spine.
The revelations of the story behind everything does work (in the terms of the book) and closure is finally achieved at the end, I couldn't think of a loose end that wasn't tidied up. Yes there isn't a rational explanation for everything - at least not if filtered by Doyle's somewhat damaged perception - but there is an explanation.
I didn't hesitate to give this book 5 stars. It was one of those that I enjoyed reading hugely and didn't want to get to the end... but wanted to get to the end to find out what happened. Overall I rate this book very highly.
Rating: Lots of violence, language and dead bodies
Real Gangster War Mafia crime Shooter sniper simulator
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Deadly Intent (I-Team #8)
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Secrets buried in the sand… Former US Army Captain Mia Starr has built a new life for herself...
Romance Romanctic Suspense
Ali A (76 KP) rated I Must Betray You in Books
Feb 7, 2022
Trigger Warnings: blackmailing, manipulation, revolution, shooting, police brutality, government oppression
Set in late 1989 communist Romania, 17-year-old Cristian is forced to become an informer by the secret police in exchange to help his family. While he deals with the guilt and paranoia of being an informer, Cristian also risks everything to let the world know what is happening in Romania. But what is the cost of the revolution?
As usual, another section of history I didn’t really know anything about until Ruta Sepetys wrote a book about it and now I’ll be doing a ton of research about it this weekend. I was in middle school and high school in the 2000s, so I kind of understand why I probably never really learned much about this if they didn’t unseal files for 15 years… though I do remember learning about Nadia Comăneci leaving the country? But I don’t remember Nicolae Ceaușescu or the horrors of his regime.
Rita Sepetys is one of my favorite authors - if she writes it, I know I’m going to read it, get immersed in a new part of history I probably wasn’t aware of, and learn something new. I know Sepetys does a ton of research on each of her books, and this one is no different. She lets you know it is a work of fiction, but that a ton of research went into the novel and then she lists resources at the end of the book. Knowing how much research was done for this and matching it with a narrator who captivates the readers - I couldn’t put this book down.
The chapters were mostly short and a quick read, but that matched with the franticness of Cristian’s life. You slowly see his eyes opening to the fact that what his country is doing to him and his countrymen is not right and how much they had been lied to to keep them in line. You felt the same suspension he felt as he tried to figure out who he could really trust.
Please read this book (and other titles by Sepetys as well) and learn about an aspect of history that most likely wasn’t taught much in school in a way that’s well written and well researched.
Set in late 1989 communist Romania, 17-year-old Cristian is forced to become an informer by the secret police in exchange to help his family. While he deals with the guilt and paranoia of being an informer, Cristian also risks everything to let the world know what is happening in Romania. But what is the cost of the revolution?
As usual, another section of history I didn’t really know anything about until Ruta Sepetys wrote a book about it and now I’ll be doing a ton of research about it this weekend. I was in middle school and high school in the 2000s, so I kind of understand why I probably never really learned much about this if they didn’t unseal files for 15 years… though I do remember learning about Nadia Comăneci leaving the country? But I don’t remember Nicolae Ceaușescu or the horrors of his regime.
Rita Sepetys is one of my favorite authors - if she writes it, I know I’m going to read it, get immersed in a new part of history I probably wasn’t aware of, and learn something new. I know Sepetys does a ton of research on each of her books, and this one is no different. She lets you know it is a work of fiction, but that a ton of research went into the novel and then she lists resources at the end of the book. Knowing how much research was done for this and matching it with a narrator who captivates the readers - I couldn’t put this book down.
The chapters were mostly short and a quick read, but that matched with the franticness of Cristian’s life. You slowly see his eyes opening to the fact that what his country is doing to him and his countrymen is not right and how much they had been lied to to keep them in line. You felt the same suspension he felt as he tried to figure out who he could really trust.
Please read this book (and other titles by Sepetys as well) and learn about an aspect of history that most likely wasn’t taught much in school in a way that’s well written and well researched.
Darren (1599 KP) rated See You Yesterday (2019) in Movies
Dec 27, 2019
Verdict: Messy Time Travel Film
Story: See You Yesterday starts as we meet the two teenagers Claudette ‘CJ’ Walker (Duncan-Smith) and Sebastian Thomas (Crichlow) who have been working on their science project to make time travel possible. After they prove they can go back just one day, CJ the brains behind the project, does something reckless, which changes the pass, while dealing with an ex-boyfriend.
The consequences of her actions create a domino effect which sees her brother Calvin (Astro) killed in a police shooting, wanting to make a different CJ works with Sebastian to try and create the ability to go further back, which only ends up creating more problems, the more she tries to fix.
Thoughts on See You Yesterday
Characters – Claudette ‘CJ’ Walker is the brains behind the time travel machine, she however has started to become difficult to be around, causing unnecessary trouble in an already combustible neighbourhood. When the pair get the machine to work, it is her mistake which causes the effects the pair must go through. She is always so desperate to fix the mistakes, she doesn’t even consider the consequences. Sebastian is the best friend that has always helped along the way, he is the one that will ask the questions about the consequences, seeing how reckless CJ has become. Calvin is the big brother of CJ’s, he will always make sure she is safe, whenever somebody in the neighbourhood causes her trouble.
Performances – While the two leading stars Eden Duncan-Smith and Dante Crichlow don’t do anything wrong through the film, they have annoying character traits to bring to life, which doesn’t help what they have to work with.
Story – The story here follows two high school friends that are trying to prove time travel is possible and soon learn the consequences of trying to change the past. This story does have an important reason for trying to create the time travel, we are placed into a Brooklyn neighbourhood that has been dealing with police shooting, overly aggressive gang mentality and will have signs of poverty. Outside of this side of the story, we are dealing with really bad time travel decisions, even though the characters seem clear of what not to do. We won’t go into the non-ending either, which leaves us with nothing after what has happened through the film, this does just feel like an unfinished script, that really wants deal with topical issues through the film.
Action/Sci-Fi – The action in the film does come from the panic involved once the first incident happens, it is more neighbourhood action, rather anything else, while the time travel might dive into basic science behind time travel, which does work well, it is the behaviour from people that believe they understand it that let everything down.
Settings – The film is set in Brooklyn which shows the environment the two friends are around, which brings the combustible elements.
Scene of the Movie – See You Yesterday.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Most of CJ’s decisions.
Final Thoughts – Messy time travel film, which does deal with big topical issues the best it can, sadly, get caught in the middle of both worlds.
Overall: Missed the point.
Story: See You Yesterday starts as we meet the two teenagers Claudette ‘CJ’ Walker (Duncan-Smith) and Sebastian Thomas (Crichlow) who have been working on their science project to make time travel possible. After they prove they can go back just one day, CJ the brains behind the project, does something reckless, which changes the pass, while dealing with an ex-boyfriend.
The consequences of her actions create a domino effect which sees her brother Calvin (Astro) killed in a police shooting, wanting to make a different CJ works with Sebastian to try and create the ability to go further back, which only ends up creating more problems, the more she tries to fix.
Thoughts on See You Yesterday
Characters – Claudette ‘CJ’ Walker is the brains behind the time travel machine, she however has started to become difficult to be around, causing unnecessary trouble in an already combustible neighbourhood. When the pair get the machine to work, it is her mistake which causes the effects the pair must go through. She is always so desperate to fix the mistakes, she doesn’t even consider the consequences. Sebastian is the best friend that has always helped along the way, he is the one that will ask the questions about the consequences, seeing how reckless CJ has become. Calvin is the big brother of CJ’s, he will always make sure she is safe, whenever somebody in the neighbourhood causes her trouble.
Performances – While the two leading stars Eden Duncan-Smith and Dante Crichlow don’t do anything wrong through the film, they have annoying character traits to bring to life, which doesn’t help what they have to work with.
Story – The story here follows two high school friends that are trying to prove time travel is possible and soon learn the consequences of trying to change the past. This story does have an important reason for trying to create the time travel, we are placed into a Brooklyn neighbourhood that has been dealing with police shooting, overly aggressive gang mentality and will have signs of poverty. Outside of this side of the story, we are dealing with really bad time travel decisions, even though the characters seem clear of what not to do. We won’t go into the non-ending either, which leaves us with nothing after what has happened through the film, this does just feel like an unfinished script, that really wants deal with topical issues through the film.
Action/Sci-Fi – The action in the film does come from the panic involved once the first incident happens, it is more neighbourhood action, rather anything else, while the time travel might dive into basic science behind time travel, which does work well, it is the behaviour from people that believe they understand it that let everything down.
Settings – The film is set in Brooklyn which shows the environment the two friends are around, which brings the combustible elements.
Scene of the Movie – See You Yesterday.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Most of CJ’s decisions.
Final Thoughts – Messy time travel film, which does deal with big topical issues the best it can, sadly, get caught in the middle of both worlds.
Overall: Missed the point.
The Removed
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In the 15 years since their teenage son, Ray-Ray, was killed in a police shooting, the Echota family...