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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Written in the Stars in Books
Dec 3, 2020
Astrologist Elle Jones is looking for love. Even if she doesn't exactly have a successful track record of finding it. She and her best friend, Margot, are the pair behind the incredibly popular Twitter account, Oh My Stars. And they are just about to join with OTP, the coolest dating app ever, thereby realizing their professional dreams. OTP was created by Brendon, who is nerdy, sweet, and about to be their boss. So when he offers to set Elle up with his sister, Darcy, she agrees. But the date is a disaster. Darcy is the opposite of Elle: buttoned up, analytical, and completely against astrology. Still, neither can deny they felt a bit of a spark before their date went awry. And Darcy is sick of being set up on terrible dates by her brother. So when he asks how it went, she lies. And then, she begs Elle to play along, to say they are dating. Each agrees to a few conditions of a dating pact. Surely nothing can go wrong, right?
"What if? Wasn't that the million-dollar question, the spark of hope that kept her coming back for more time and time--and time--again?"
Bellefleur states that she set out to write a "quirky, queer rom com," and I have to say, I'm here for it. It's not often we get our own romantic comedies, with true blue queer characters, with their own problems and characterization and their gayness just being a part of who they are.
This is an incredibly witty, sexy, and sappy read. Yes, it was a bit drawn out and repetitive at times. Okay, we understand that Elle is the flitty one who needs family approval and Darcy is the hurt one unwilling to commit. That point was emphasized perhaps a bit too much. I get stressed out when books have a lot of misunderstandings, so one based on a fake dating relationship took a lot of my strength.
But, it makes up for it with some wonderful characters. I adored Elle, who is so sweet and funny and just "her." And, of course, I identified 110% with uptight, wary workaholic Darcy who was scared of falling in love again. Then there's Margot, Elle's best friend, who was the secret star of the show. I tell you, everyone needs a wise best friend like Margot!
In this end, this book is downright adorable, laugh out loud funny, and full of chemistry. A few pieces might have hit their point one (or two) too many times, but I still really enjoyed it. 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 here.
"What if? Wasn't that the million-dollar question, the spark of hope that kept her coming back for more time and time--and time--again?"
Bellefleur states that she set out to write a "quirky, queer rom com," and I have to say, I'm here for it. It's not often we get our own romantic comedies, with true blue queer characters, with their own problems and characterization and their gayness just being a part of who they are.
This is an incredibly witty, sexy, and sappy read. Yes, it was a bit drawn out and repetitive at times. Okay, we understand that Elle is the flitty one who needs family approval and Darcy is the hurt one unwilling to commit. That point was emphasized perhaps a bit too much. I get stressed out when books have a lot of misunderstandings, so one based on a fake dating relationship took a lot of my strength.
But, it makes up for it with some wonderful characters. I adored Elle, who is so sweet and funny and just "her." And, of course, I identified 110% with uptight, wary workaholic Darcy who was scared of falling in love again. Then there's Margot, Elle's best friend, who was the secret star of the show. I tell you, everyone needs a wise best friend like Margot!
In this end, this book is downright adorable, laugh out loud funny, and full of chemistry. A few pieces might have hit their point one (or two) too many times, but I still really enjoyed it. 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 here.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Thoroughbreds (2017) in Movies
Sep 26, 2019
Characters – Lily comes from one of the rich families in Connecticut, she ha be raised for boarding school away from the rest of the people her age in the neighbourhood, she opens up to her old friend with a troubled past, as she learns about getting a chance to escape this life she isn’t enjoying. Amanda is teenager that has done something horrific, she is struggling in school and sent to be tutored by her old friend to help with her college future, she is emotionally closed off from the world, though pushes Lily into doing the unthinkable. Tim is the local drug dealer that has a reputation of only dealing with minors which sees him be selected by the girls to complete the murder for them. Mark is the stepfather that Lily doesn’t get on with him, he is a control freak making the life of Lily more difficult.
Performances – Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy in the leading roles gives us the standout performances in this film, they both show us the struggles they are feeling as we see how their plan starts to unfold. Anton Yelchin in the main supporting role showed us one again why he will be missed too.
Story – The story here follows two upper class teenagers that have very different problems in their lives, they reconnect after years apart learning they could help solve each other problems. This is a heavily conversation lead movie that puts the main two characters through discussions of killing problems in their lives and just how they could get away with it. The big weakness with the film is that it doesn’t address the mental health problems that both the women are going through. This story tries to be quirky in what gets done, only for it to feel anti-climactic.
Comedy/Crime – This must be classed as a dark comedy, because it didn’t seem to make me laugh once, the crime side of the film circles around the idea of what the two girls want to do and how they can get away with it.
Settings – The film is set in the upper-class area of Connecticut, showing how the girls can easily look down on people that they can walk over, this is a big factor for the style of the film.
Scene of the Movie – Don’t drink that.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We could have looked at the mental health problems going on here more.
Final Thoughts –This is a comedy crime thriller that doesn’t quite hit the marks it was aiming for and ends up just coming off strange.
Overall: Uniquely Styled
Performances – Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy in the leading roles gives us the standout performances in this film, they both show us the struggles they are feeling as we see how their plan starts to unfold. Anton Yelchin in the main supporting role showed us one again why he will be missed too.
Story – The story here follows two upper class teenagers that have very different problems in their lives, they reconnect after years apart learning they could help solve each other problems. This is a heavily conversation lead movie that puts the main two characters through discussions of killing problems in their lives and just how they could get away with it. The big weakness with the film is that it doesn’t address the mental health problems that both the women are going through. This story tries to be quirky in what gets done, only for it to feel anti-climactic.
Comedy/Crime – This must be classed as a dark comedy, because it didn’t seem to make me laugh once, the crime side of the film circles around the idea of what the two girls want to do and how they can get away with it.
Settings – The film is set in the upper-class area of Connecticut, showing how the girls can easily look down on people that they can walk over, this is a big factor for the style of the film.
Scene of the Movie – Don’t drink that.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We could have looked at the mental health problems going on here more.
Final Thoughts –This is a comedy crime thriller that doesn’t quite hit the marks it was aiming for and ends up just coming off strange.
Overall: Uniquely Styled
Shadow and Light (Arizona Raptors #3)
RJ Scott and V.L. Locey
10.0
Rate It
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Is it easier to fall into the shadows than hold onto the light? Injured in a horrific car...
Contemporary MM Sports Romance
Titan: The Life of John D. Rockerfeller, Sr.
Book
"John D. Rockefeller, Sr. history's first billionaire and the patriarch of America's most famous...
Toca Blocks
Education and Entertainment
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Toca Blocks is a unique world-building app that lets you create worlds, play in them and share them...
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Strange world (2022) in Movies
Jan 7, 2023
Takes Too Long To Find It's Legs
If a film is going to be 1/2 good and 1/2 bad, is it better to have the good part first (which will get you to watch until the end) or last (which will leave you with a good feeling, if you make it that far). With the new Disney Animated Film STRANGE WORLD it is bad first, good second. So, if you stick through the disjointed first part of this film, you’ll be rewarded for your persistence with an interesting and satisfying finale.
A nod to the “Pulp Magazine” Science Fiction works of the 1950’s, STRANGE WORLD follows the adventures of the Clade clan as they try to find out what is beyond the hills of their land with the central conflict of this movie being that the Grandfather - the great explorer Jaeger Clade - wanting to explore. His son, Searcher Clade, wanting to stay put and the Grandson, Ethan Clade, caught between the 2.
It is pretty standard fare that is made all the more confusing by the setup of the premise and the clumsy introduction of the myriad of characters and situations that leads the audience to the exploration adventure that is to come.
Written and Co-Directed by Qui Nguyen (and directed by Don Hall) - both of whom are responsible for the criminally under-rated RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON - Strange World stumbles out of the gate and spends the first 1/2 (maybe even the first 2/3) trying to recover from that stumble.
It finally does get it’s legs under itself and the end is worth the patience one must have to get through the beginning.
The voice cast is steady - but unspectacular. Jake Gyllenhaal (Searcher), Gabrielle Union (Meridian Clade - the Mom and pilot), Jaboukie Young-White (Ethan, the Grandson), Lucy Liu (explorer Callisto Mal) and Dennis Quaid (Jaeger, the Grandfather) all put in “professional” work, but none of them stick out - which is especially disappointing in Quaid’s case, for his character looks like it was written to be the quirky, different, interesting character.
Disney animation has had a mixed bag with “action/adventure” animated films. For every BIG HERO 6, there are TREASURE PLANET attempts that seemed earnest and well-meaning, but just don’t hit the mark.
If you are in the mood for a good Disney/Animated adventure that comes from Hall and Nguyen, skip STRANGE WORLD and, instead, check out RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON.
Letter Grade: C+
5 1/2 stars (out of 10) - and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
A nod to the “Pulp Magazine” Science Fiction works of the 1950’s, STRANGE WORLD follows the adventures of the Clade clan as they try to find out what is beyond the hills of their land with the central conflict of this movie being that the Grandfather - the great explorer Jaeger Clade - wanting to explore. His son, Searcher Clade, wanting to stay put and the Grandson, Ethan Clade, caught between the 2.
It is pretty standard fare that is made all the more confusing by the setup of the premise and the clumsy introduction of the myriad of characters and situations that leads the audience to the exploration adventure that is to come.
Written and Co-Directed by Qui Nguyen (and directed by Don Hall) - both of whom are responsible for the criminally under-rated RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON - Strange World stumbles out of the gate and spends the first 1/2 (maybe even the first 2/3) trying to recover from that stumble.
It finally does get it’s legs under itself and the end is worth the patience one must have to get through the beginning.
The voice cast is steady - but unspectacular. Jake Gyllenhaal (Searcher), Gabrielle Union (Meridian Clade - the Mom and pilot), Jaboukie Young-White (Ethan, the Grandson), Lucy Liu (explorer Callisto Mal) and Dennis Quaid (Jaeger, the Grandfather) all put in “professional” work, but none of them stick out - which is especially disappointing in Quaid’s case, for his character looks like it was written to be the quirky, different, interesting character.
Disney animation has had a mixed bag with “action/adventure” animated films. For every BIG HERO 6, there are TREASURE PLANET attempts that seemed earnest and well-meaning, but just don’t hit the mark.
If you are in the mood for a good Disney/Animated adventure that comes from Hall and Nguyen, skip STRANGE WORLD and, instead, check out RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON.
Letter Grade: C+
5 1/2 stars (out of 10) - and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Bullet Train (2022) in Movies
Aug 6, 2022
I first got an extended look at “Bullet Train” during Cinemacon when a reel of the film was shown during the Sony showcase to an enthusiastic crowd. The footage mixed action and humor with quirky and dysfunctional characters and became a must-see film for me based on the teased footage.
The film is based on a book by Kotaro Isaka and stars Brad Pitt as an operative named Ladybug. He is called at the last minute as a replacement and given instructions to board a Bullet Train and snatch a case in one of the passenger areas before exiting at the next station.
Having gone through a recent crisis, Ladybug is awash in various philosophical and new age ideas as he attempts to find his inner peace and a new path in life, as such he does not take a gun with him when he boards despite being instructed to do so by his handler.
The train is filled with various killers and dangerous people who are there to accomplish various goals and most of whom fail frequently in violent and hysterical manners which further complicate their agendas as well as that of the others and often puts them into conflict with one another as the story unfolds.
It would be difficult to go into further detail on the various characters without spoiling some of the reveals and twists along the way but suffice it to say that Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry as Tangerine and Lemon are great and their banter, as well as capers, is a frequent highlight.
There are some surprise cameos in the film which add to the fun and Joey King is as great as perhaps one of the more complicated characters in the film. Pitt is clearly the star but the film allows him as well as his supporting cast plenty of moments to shine and the humor flies fast and frequent as does the action which creates a very engaging and stylistic hybrid of western and Asian cinema.
The film does drag slightly late before leading to the finale but thanks to the great cast and action it comes through in the end.
Director David Leitch has worked on films such as “Deadpool 2”, “Atomic Blonde”, and “John Wick: and you can see that he has a knack for directing action and comedy as this is a very fun and engaging film that has some great action and humor and one that you will not want to miss.
4 stars out of 5.
The film is based on a book by Kotaro Isaka and stars Brad Pitt as an operative named Ladybug. He is called at the last minute as a replacement and given instructions to board a Bullet Train and snatch a case in one of the passenger areas before exiting at the next station.
Having gone through a recent crisis, Ladybug is awash in various philosophical and new age ideas as he attempts to find his inner peace and a new path in life, as such he does not take a gun with him when he boards despite being instructed to do so by his handler.
The train is filled with various killers and dangerous people who are there to accomplish various goals and most of whom fail frequently in violent and hysterical manners which further complicate their agendas as well as that of the others and often puts them into conflict with one another as the story unfolds.
It would be difficult to go into further detail on the various characters without spoiling some of the reveals and twists along the way but suffice it to say that Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry as Tangerine and Lemon are great and their banter, as well as capers, is a frequent highlight.
There are some surprise cameos in the film which add to the fun and Joey King is as great as perhaps one of the more complicated characters in the film. Pitt is clearly the star but the film allows him as well as his supporting cast plenty of moments to shine and the humor flies fast and frequent as does the action which creates a very engaging and stylistic hybrid of western and Asian cinema.
The film does drag slightly late before leading to the finale but thanks to the great cast and action it comes through in the end.
Director David Leitch has worked on films such as “Deadpool 2”, “Atomic Blonde”, and “John Wick: and you can see that he has a knack for directing action and comedy as this is a very fun and engaging film that has some great action and humor and one that you will not want to miss.
4 stars out of 5.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated House Divided in Books
May 10, 2018
Erin and her husband, Jack live their professional lives on opposite sides of the aisle. Erin's blood bleeds blue, while Jack reports on all things red. When they are home, all of that is put to the side. Jack really doesn't believe most of the garbage he reports on, which makes their relationship work. But when Jack gets a new job at the same time Erin loses hers, their relationship and family will be put to the test.
Thank you to Jami Deise for the opportunity to read and review this book. This is the first book I have read from this author and it was a great political/family novel.
What would you do, if you found out your family was about to hit it big time? That you're husband's name was about to be on everyone's lips. All of a sudden people are nicer to you and things just seem to come easier. Erin feels very skeptical about Jack's new job and doesn't like the man it is turning him in to. He used to be laid back and right now, he seems on edge about everything. Erin has just lost her job, but the whole operation shut down after the election. She is eager to find a new job, but Jack insists she stays home with the kids since he will be making so much money. But money isn't everything and it definitely isn't buying them happiness.
I will say this about Erin, she is a strong willed woman who I'm not sure if I could fill her shoes. Some women enjoy working, I am one of those as well, especially when it's a job that I enjoy. So if I had lost that job, through no fault of my own I would be devastated and I would expect my husband to be by my side. I don't think Erin had that opportunity to mourn her job the way she wanted. She comes home to tell her husband about it just to find out he's landed a new job himself making a million dollars a year. It's more money then they have ever seen, but Erin is still a little skeptical about it. When she sees changes in Jack that she is not used to, it further confirms her suspicions that maybe this isn't the right job for him. The fallout from the two of them is immediate. Jack telling her that she doesn't need to work, she can stay home with their kids, when that is the last thing she wants to do.
Overall this was a cute quirky book. It touched me since it was based where I live. I was able to read this book quickly and it was hard to put down.
Thank you to Jami Deise for the opportunity to read and review this book. This is the first book I have read from this author and it was a great political/family novel.
What would you do, if you found out your family was about to hit it big time? That you're husband's name was about to be on everyone's lips. All of a sudden people are nicer to you and things just seem to come easier. Erin feels very skeptical about Jack's new job and doesn't like the man it is turning him in to. He used to be laid back and right now, he seems on edge about everything. Erin has just lost her job, but the whole operation shut down after the election. She is eager to find a new job, but Jack insists she stays home with the kids since he will be making so much money. But money isn't everything and it definitely isn't buying them happiness.
I will say this about Erin, she is a strong willed woman who I'm not sure if I could fill her shoes. Some women enjoy working, I am one of those as well, especially when it's a job that I enjoy. So if I had lost that job, through no fault of my own I would be devastated and I would expect my husband to be by my side. I don't think Erin had that opportunity to mourn her job the way she wanted. She comes home to tell her husband about it just to find out he's landed a new job himself making a million dollars a year. It's more money then they have ever seen, but Erin is still a little skeptical about it. When she sees changes in Jack that she is not used to, it further confirms her suspicions that maybe this isn't the right job for him. The fallout from the two of them is immediate. Jack telling her that she doesn't need to work, she can stay home with their kids, when that is the last thing she wants to do.
Overall this was a cute quirky book. It touched me since it was based where I live. I was able to read this book quickly and it was hard to put down.
Debbiereadsbook (1197 KP) rated At War with a Broken Heart in Books
Feb 26, 2019
get the tissues ready, you'll need them!
Davet and his younger brother moved to Bideford, in Cornwall to be away from their abusive parents. Davet runs a coffee shop and Fie goes every day for his coffee before starting in his pottery shop. Sid is a local police officer who also frequents the coffee shop, mostly when Fie is there too. All three men have crushed on each other for several years. When Davet is dealt a devastating blow, Fie and Sid have to rally round Davet, to keep the younger man from crumbling. Can they really make this work, the three of them?
I was warned, you know? Warned that I would need a box of tissues, for this one and boy did I need them!
Davet's blow is shocking in it's extreme, and it broke my heart for him. But also, for Fie and Sid, watching their man ( and they WERE a three, even before they voiced it!) fall apart around them and not really being able to help. BUT Davet's parents turning up galvanised them into doing what DAVET needed, rather than what they thought they should be doing, if that makes sense?
It's mmt overly explicit for a three way book, but that's not needed here. HERE it's about three men falling in, and acting on that love, even if it takes a tragedy for them to see it. That loves shines right from the start and it really is a joy to watch them fall, almost one after the other, like dominoes!
All three men have their say, so we get it all. We get Fie's dawning realisation to what Davet might feel for him, and how he deals with his survivors guilt, or not most days. We get Davet's heartbreak, but equally his joy when they finally give in to each other and how HE deals with everyone and everything in his own way. And we get Sid and his internal wrangling with himself over his relationship with his dad, and whether the three of them can REALLY be together.
It's full of Ms Donovan's witty one liners, quirky characters and her damaged and tortured men. Ms Donovan's boys do like to play with their food and I'm so glad we got a little food fight here!
I started this book at 10.15pm, after a long busy shift at work, full of a nasty cold. A few pages before sleep, is the lie you tell yourself and the next thing you know, it's 2.30am, your head is pounding, and you've ran out of book.
So, it can only get . . .
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I was warned, you know? Warned that I would need a box of tissues, for this one and boy did I need them!
Davet's blow is shocking in it's extreme, and it broke my heart for him. But also, for Fie and Sid, watching their man ( and they WERE a three, even before they voiced it!) fall apart around them and not really being able to help. BUT Davet's parents turning up galvanised them into doing what DAVET needed, rather than what they thought they should be doing, if that makes sense?
It's mmt overly explicit for a three way book, but that's not needed here. HERE it's about three men falling in, and acting on that love, even if it takes a tragedy for them to see it. That loves shines right from the start and it really is a joy to watch them fall, almost one after the other, like dominoes!
All three men have their say, so we get it all. We get Fie's dawning realisation to what Davet might feel for him, and how he deals with his survivors guilt, or not most days. We get Davet's heartbreak, but equally his joy when they finally give in to each other and how HE deals with everyone and everything in his own way. And we get Sid and his internal wrangling with himself over his relationship with his dad, and whether the three of them can REALLY be together.
It's full of Ms Donovan's witty one liners, quirky characters and her damaged and tortured men. Ms Donovan's boys do like to play with their food and I'm so glad we got a little food fight here!
I started this book at 10.15pm, after a long busy shift at work, full of a nasty cold. A few pages before sleep, is the lie you tell yourself and the next thing you know, it's 2.30am, your head is pounding, and you've ran out of book.
So, it can only get . . .
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Let me start off by saying that I love Marissa Meyer's writing so much, but this book wasn't as good for me as The Lunar Chronicles.
This was a really cute and quirky book with so many puns! I loved all of the puns about baking, they gave me life. Especially since I love puns and I love baking, so putting those two things together made me so happy!
This had a very interesting story, one we all know the end of, just not how the story will get to that point. If you have read or even know of Alice in Wonderland, you know that the Queen of Hearts is a villain, so it was interesting to see how she got to be that way. I am always a little hesitant to read the villain backstories because a lot of times, authors will make them out to be the heroes and completely go against what the audiences know about these beloved villains. While Meyer does have some instances of this, she also is able to build up the story enough to the point where it may be believable.
So there are going to be some plot spoilers in this paragraph, so if you do not want to read them, skip to the next paragraph! Okay, so the plot goes like this: Catherine doesn't want to be queen, she wants to bake, but the King of Hearts, as well as her parents, want her to be the queen. Cue the Joker, Jest, who is the wrong guy to fall for, but she does it anyway which eventually gets him killed and will make Cath want revenge and become the killer we know her as. There were a lot of moments throughout the plot that I was not as engaged with because they felt like they had been too much. Of course Cath would fall for Jest and of course a man would be her turning point. I was not the biggest fan of those aspects of the story. I wanted her to have more agency in why she becomes the Queen of Hearts, not just that she wants to use her power to avenge her lost love.
There was a prophecy in this book, I won't say what it was, but I will say that it wasn't my favorite because it takes any and all tension out of the story.
I loved the play on names from Meyer. Hatta being the Mad Hatter and Haigher being the March Hair, loved it!
The characters were pretty interesting, but they weren't as gripping or memorable as I would have like them to be.
I usually adore Marissa Meyer's books, but this one fell a little flat for me. Overall, it was enjoyable, but I am not sure if I would read it again.
This was a really cute and quirky book with so many puns! I loved all of the puns about baking, they gave me life. Especially since I love puns and I love baking, so putting those two things together made me so happy!
This had a very interesting story, one we all know the end of, just not how the story will get to that point. If you have read or even know of Alice in Wonderland, you know that the Queen of Hearts is a villain, so it was interesting to see how she got to be that way. I am always a little hesitant to read the villain backstories because a lot of times, authors will make them out to be the heroes and completely go against what the audiences know about these beloved villains. While Meyer does have some instances of this, she also is able to build up the story enough to the point where it may be believable.
So there are going to be some plot spoilers in this paragraph, so if you do not want to read them, skip to the next paragraph! Okay, so the plot goes like this: Catherine doesn't want to be queen, she wants to bake, but the King of Hearts, as well as her parents, want her to be the queen. Cue the Joker, Jest, who is the wrong guy to fall for, but she does it anyway which eventually gets him killed and will make Cath want revenge and become the killer we know her as. There were a lot of moments throughout the plot that I was not as engaged with because they felt like they had been too much. Of course Cath would fall for Jest and of course a man would be her turning point. I was not the biggest fan of those aspects of the story. I wanted her to have more agency in why she becomes the Queen of Hearts, not just that she wants to use her power to avenge her lost love.
There was a prophecy in this book, I won't say what it was, but I will say that it wasn't my favorite because it takes any and all tension out of the story.
I loved the play on names from Meyer. Hatta being the Mad Hatter and Haigher being the March Hair, loved it!
The characters were pretty interesting, but they weren't as gripping or memorable as I would have like them to be.
I usually adore Marissa Meyer's books, but this one fell a little flat for me. Overall, it was enjoyable, but I am not sure if I would read it again.