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Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined to Meet
6.7
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Book
Readers will experience Nina LaCour's beautifully written piece about two Bay Area girls meeting via...
romance young adult
The Big Push: Exposing and Challenging Sustainable Patriarchy
Book
Leading feminist analyst Cynthia Enloe asks why patriarchy is proving to be such a sustainable...
A Sense of Justice: Legal Knowledge and Lived Experience in Latin America
Sandra Brunnegger and Karen Ann Faulk
Book
Throughout Latin America, the idea of "justice" serves as the ultimate goal and rationale for a wide...
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated The Grudge (2020) in Movies
Sep 21, 2020
Thankfully doesn't skimp out on the gore (some real solicitously nasty, gushy butchery on display - it's far and away the star of the show) but misses out on nearly everything else that made this concept so watchable. A bunch of people sitting around and sulking about stupid bullshit the entire time, who gives a rat's ass? Doesn't help that the demon design is pure crap and not a single actor - save for the always superlative Lin Shaye (who is seriously one of the best new horror actors in the game right now) - even wants to be here to begin with; and it shows in these fucking intolerably drab performances. The structure is actually kind of neat, though it peddles all but nothing. In fact the whole product has a clever method of execution but shits the bed on actually doing anything with it. Also its unintentionally funny in the worst possible way, these tropes are so tired (blink and you miss them predictable jump 'scares', dumbass characters, competent but uninspired visuals, morose and generic police procedural elements being poorly mixed into a much more interesting horror story, etc.) beyond belief. Barely 93 minutes and feels like forever, has okay moments but *not* worth the sit.
Merissa (13149 KP) rated Stalkers: True Stories of Deadly Obsessions (Dark Webs True Crime #3) in Books
Oct 9, 2020
Stalkers is the third book in the Dark Webs series and, trust me, it beggars belief. It reads like it is straight out of Hollywood, the scene of the first telling of stalker behaviour. In here, we have two stories from America and two from the U.K. They are all horrible in their own way and yet show how easy it is, if you are that way inclined, to become a stalker.
The book itself is well-written with each story almost have a fiction-like quality to it. There are facts and figures, police reports, and verdicts given though, just to prove this actually happened. They will all twist your mind but the Craigslist one is just unbelievable! I felt sorry for all the 'victims' in this book but, mostly, I feel sorry for 'Mark'.
This is the first book by this author I have read but it will not be the last. If you like #TrueCrime then this is one I definitely recommend you don't miss.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
The book itself is well-written with each story almost have a fiction-like quality to it. There are facts and figures, police reports, and verdicts given though, just to prove this actually happened. They will all twist your mind but the Craigslist one is just unbelievable! I felt sorry for all the 'victims' in this book but, mostly, I feel sorry for 'Mark'.
This is the first book by this author I have read but it will not be the last. If you like #TrueCrime then this is one I definitely recommend you don't miss.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Blueberry Muffin Murder (Hannah Swensen, #3)
8.0
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Preparations are underway for Lake Eden, Minnesota's annual Winter Carnival--and Hannah Swensen is...
Bad Magic and the Big Top (Blackwood Bay Witches Paranormal Cozy Mystery)
8.0
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Welcome to Blackwood Bay, where magic and murder have come out to play...Life for fledgling new...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2389 KP) rated A Sprinkle in Time in Books
May 28, 2022 (Updated May 28, 2022)
The Corpse in the Trunk. Maybe.
Trinidad Jones is focused on the Alpenfest that is in town for the new two weekends, hoping that the tourists will provide a nice bump to her Shimmy and Shake Shop before business slows for the winter. Her life gets complicated, however, when her grandfather finds a corpse in the trunk of his classic car. When the police show up, the body is gone, only to turn up floating in the lake. What is going on?
I enjoyed the first in the series, but this one was even better. I was pulled in right away, and the plot never lagged. Because of how it impacted some of the characters we got to know in the first book, I found it compelling. I had part of the solution figured out, but there was a lot I hadn’t pieced together. The characters are strong again. I laughed at parts, but because of how things were impacting everyone, I also got chocked up a time or two. There are two recipes at the end to help with your cravings for ice cream and sweets in general. I’m already looking forward to visiting the gang again soon.
I enjoyed the first in the series, but this one was even better. I was pulled in right away, and the plot never lagged. Because of how it impacted some of the characters we got to know in the first book, I found it compelling. I had part of the solution figured out, but there was a lot I hadn’t pieced together. The characters are strong again. I laughed at parts, but because of how things were impacting everyone, I also got chocked up a time or two. There are two recipes at the end to help with your cravings for ice cream and sweets in general. I’m already looking forward to visiting the gang again soon.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2389 KP) rated A Bird’s Eye View of Murder in Books
Mar 19, 2022
Frankie Finds that Murder Isn’t Flighty
Frankie Chandler’s hardly recovered from the murder she got involved in the month before when her aunt comes for a visit. The aunt has scored some tickets to the taping of a live baking show, and Frankie joins her. That’s how Frankie stumbles on the dead body of the contestant winner. With the police looking at her aunt, her aunt hiding secrets, and animals starting to talk to Frankie again, can she figure out what is really going on?
Yes, this book falls into the paranormal cozy subgenre, which I tend to avoid. I appreciated how Frankie wrestles with her gift and what it means since those are the same things I struggle with myself. And it’s a minor part of the book anyway. In fact, this is more comedic, at least to me. I enjoyed laughing at the antics of the characters as the book progressed. The story started a bit slowly, but it grew stronger as it went along, and I was surprised by the ending. Do keep in mind that there is some violence to animals, but they are treated no worse than the human characters in the story. I really enjoyed the characters. I’m hoping I can get to the next in the series soon.
Yes, this book falls into the paranormal cozy subgenre, which I tend to avoid. I appreciated how Frankie wrestles with her gift and what it means since those are the same things I struggle with myself. And it’s a minor part of the book anyway. In fact, this is more comedic, at least to me. I enjoyed laughing at the antics of the characters as the book progressed. The story started a bit slowly, but it grew stronger as it went along, and I was surprised by the ending. Do keep in mind that there is some violence to animals, but they are treated no worse than the human characters in the story. I really enjoyed the characters. I’m hoping I can get to the next in the series soon.
Jamie (131 KP) rated Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood in Books
Jul 22, 2017
Noah’s wit and charm (1 more)
Frank discussions of racism, poverty, and family
A stellar memoir
For those that don’t already know who Trevor Noah is, he is a comedian from South Africa that is now the current host of The Daily Show, taking the place of Jon Stewart when he retired. Trevor is an accomplished polyglot, speaking 9 languages fluently and has some fluency in several more. In much of his comedy he talks about his difficulties with racial identity having been born during apartheid to an African mother and a Swiss father. Apartheid was a system of institutionalized segregation in South Africa that lasted from the 1940’s to the 1990’s.
The book is bursting at the seams with humorous anecdotes about growing up as the wild child in his family. Getting in trouble, trying to outrun and outsmart his mom, committing petty crimes with friends, striking out with girls; Trevor’s life was colorful in no small part because of his mother. In interviews Trevor has stated that his memoir became sort of an open love letter to his mother, Patricia Noah–a fiercely independent woman that refused to be held down by her race or gender and sought to show her son the world outside of apartheid South Africa, who tried to save her son from the cruelty of the world.
“The world doesn’t love you. If the police get you, the police don’t love you. When I beat you, I’m trying to save you. When they beat you, they’re trying to kill you.”
The last chapters had me sobbing which was something that I hadn’t anticipated. Trevor mentions his step-father in the early chapters in passing, like a dark cloud that hung over his family’s life. I wasn’t prepared for the deeply troubling and heartbreaking portrait of a loving family ripped apart by abuse and the failures of law enforcement to prevent tragedy despite numerous attempts to get help.
I was already a fan of Trevor Noah, having watched some of his stand-up comedy and was overjoyed when he took over The Daily Show. From this memoir I have a newfound respect for Trevor not only for the horrendous abuse and racism he has endured, but how he allowed these things to shape who he is. He approaches issues of race, identity, poverty, and abuse with honesty and was able to articulate his feelings on topics that I have been struggling with for years. This memoir was surprisingly cathartic to me as someone that has struggled both with a mixed racial background and as a survivor of domestic abuse.
This was a wonderful memoir that really showcased that even in the darkest of places one can still find hope and strength in love. It was both insightful and laugh out loud funny, even if some of the humor could be viewed as highly offensive. I really enjoyed this memoir and am happy that I read it, it’s definitely going down on my shelf as a favorite.
The book is bursting at the seams with humorous anecdotes about growing up as the wild child in his family. Getting in trouble, trying to outrun and outsmart his mom, committing petty crimes with friends, striking out with girls; Trevor’s life was colorful in no small part because of his mother. In interviews Trevor has stated that his memoir became sort of an open love letter to his mother, Patricia Noah–a fiercely independent woman that refused to be held down by her race or gender and sought to show her son the world outside of apartheid South Africa, who tried to save her son from the cruelty of the world.
“The world doesn’t love you. If the police get you, the police don’t love you. When I beat you, I’m trying to save you. When they beat you, they’re trying to kill you.”
The last chapters had me sobbing which was something that I hadn’t anticipated. Trevor mentions his step-father in the early chapters in passing, like a dark cloud that hung over his family’s life. I wasn’t prepared for the deeply troubling and heartbreaking portrait of a loving family ripped apart by abuse and the failures of law enforcement to prevent tragedy despite numerous attempts to get help.
I was already a fan of Trevor Noah, having watched some of his stand-up comedy and was overjoyed when he took over The Daily Show. From this memoir I have a newfound respect for Trevor not only for the horrendous abuse and racism he has endured, but how he allowed these things to shape who he is. He approaches issues of race, identity, poverty, and abuse with honesty and was able to articulate his feelings on topics that I have been struggling with for years. This memoir was surprisingly cathartic to me as someone that has struggled both with a mixed racial background and as a survivor of domestic abuse.
This was a wonderful memoir that really showcased that even in the darkest of places one can still find hope and strength in love. It was both insightful and laugh out loud funny, even if some of the humor could be viewed as highly offensive. I really enjoyed this memoir and am happy that I read it, it’s definitely going down on my shelf as a favorite.