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Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020) in Movies
Oct 7, 2020
And you thought Tenet's timey wimey stuff was confusing?
Thirty-One years after the first Bill and Ted movie, and 29 years after the slightly disappointing sequel, the dudes are back for a three-quel. Older... but not much wiser.
Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are the only ones that can save reality. If they don't play the 'song that will unite humanity' at 7:17 at MP42 then the whole of time and space will unravel. It's already happening, with historical characters zapping here and there at random. There are only two problems: 1) they have no idea where MP42 is and; 2) the no-hoper wedding singers haven't written the song... yet.
Zipping forwards in time, they plan to steal the song from their future selves.
Meanwhile their daughters Thea (Samara Weaving) and Kelly (Kristen Schaal) travel backwards in time to assemble a world-class backing band. (As an aside, it is astonishing how much Weaving looks like Margot Robbie - never a bad thing in my book! If there is ever a biopic requiring a young and old version of her character, they will save a BOMB on the CGI bill!)
Meanwhile (meanwhile) Bill and Ted's princess brides (now Erinn Hayes as Elizabeth and Jayma Mays as Joanna) are unsettled with their marriages and are jumping from time to time to see if they can be happy with any version of Bill and Ted.
Death (William Sadler) quotes a Wyld Stallyns review as "A raging confused mess". And it really applies to this too! The screenplay, by original Bill and Ted writers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, is all over the place. With a scattergun approach to the comedy, some of the lines firmly stick to the wall - making me guffaw with laughter - and others are just plain duds.
Some of the scenes - a "couples therapy" session for example - seem to be desperately trying to be milked for all they're worth. Even the "monkey" after the end titles - with "old dudes" rocking out - isn't worth the wait.
But, contrary to that, it's also difficult not to be swept along with the anarchic joy of the concoction. The movie of course leans heavily on the nostalgic catchphrases and air guitar riffs of years gone by. But there's no shame in that. And there's a star quality cameo at one point that entertains.
Director Dean Parisot - most famous for the minor classic "Galaxy Quest" - manages to rustle all this diverse material into something that overall still manages to leave an overall stupid grin on your face. As a comedy it passes the '6-laugh' test, but - as someone who has never been a great "Bill and Ted" fan - it's not a classic. But I can see how "Bill and Ted" fans, like my daughter Jenn, would have loved it (and she did).
(For the graphical review, check out One Mann's Movies on t'internet here https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2020/10/06/bill-and-ted-party-on-til-we-drop-dudes/ . Thx.)
Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are the only ones that can save reality. If they don't play the 'song that will unite humanity' at 7:17 at MP42 then the whole of time and space will unravel. It's already happening, with historical characters zapping here and there at random. There are only two problems: 1) they have no idea where MP42 is and; 2) the no-hoper wedding singers haven't written the song... yet.
Zipping forwards in time, they plan to steal the song from their future selves.
Meanwhile their daughters Thea (Samara Weaving) and Kelly (Kristen Schaal) travel backwards in time to assemble a world-class backing band. (As an aside, it is astonishing how much Weaving looks like Margot Robbie - never a bad thing in my book! If there is ever a biopic requiring a young and old version of her character, they will save a BOMB on the CGI bill!)
Meanwhile (meanwhile) Bill and Ted's princess brides (now Erinn Hayes as Elizabeth and Jayma Mays as Joanna) are unsettled with their marriages and are jumping from time to time to see if they can be happy with any version of Bill and Ted.
Death (William Sadler) quotes a Wyld Stallyns review as "A raging confused mess". And it really applies to this too! The screenplay, by original Bill and Ted writers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, is all over the place. With a scattergun approach to the comedy, some of the lines firmly stick to the wall - making me guffaw with laughter - and others are just plain duds.
Some of the scenes - a "couples therapy" session for example - seem to be desperately trying to be milked for all they're worth. Even the "monkey" after the end titles - with "old dudes" rocking out - isn't worth the wait.
But, contrary to that, it's also difficult not to be swept along with the anarchic joy of the concoction. The movie of course leans heavily on the nostalgic catchphrases and air guitar riffs of years gone by. But there's no shame in that. And there's a star quality cameo at one point that entertains.
Director Dean Parisot - most famous for the minor classic "Galaxy Quest" - manages to rustle all this diverse material into something that overall still manages to leave an overall stupid grin on your face. As a comedy it passes the '6-laugh' test, but - as someone who has never been a great "Bill and Ted" fan - it's not a classic. But I can see how "Bill and Ted" fans, like my daughter Jenn, would have loved it (and she did).
(For the graphical review, check out One Mann's Movies on t'internet here https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2020/10/06/bill-and-ted-party-on-til-we-drop-dudes/ . Thx.)
Becs (244 KP) rated Death of a Salesman in Books
Oct 2, 2019
Wow. Death of a Salesman was a different style of a literary classic that I was honestly never expecting. It grabbed my emotions and pulled on my heartstrings. The plot contained a rollercoaster of events, and I’ll admit, there were a few times I was utterly confused and wanted to throw the book across the room. But towards the end of the ride, I was able to understand what each issue each of the characters had and what it meant to them.
Understanding the pain that Willy was going through. Understanding the issues Biff has with stealing from jobs. Understanding Happy’s need to sleep around. Bringing to light the issue of a salesman’s career and how the job market was going downhill. Death of a Salesman is worth a read or a couple of rereads!
Genre: Literary Classic, plays
Audience: Young Adult and Adults
Interests: Plays, salesmen, American Dreams, family-ties
Quality: The quality of Death of a Salesman is not one you can take lightly. There are moments throughout the play that a younger version of myself would never be able to understand until I experienced the real world for myself. Now, I understand what it’s like losing a job you hoped to have for the rest of your life. Becoming depressed to the point that you just don’t know what to do anymore regarding your family other than hoping that they can make ends meet when you’re gone.
Insights: Death of a Salesman shows that dreams are not always sunny beaches and sprinkles. But that it contains a dark side that will rip your happiness and everything you’ve lived for into a million tiny pieces that will never be able to be fixed again.
Favorite Quotes: “The jungle is dark but full of diamonds, Willy.”
“I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been.”
“I stopped in the middle of that building and I saw — the sky. I saw the things that I love in this world. The work and the food and time to sit and smoke. And I looked at the pen and said to myself, what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be? What am I doing in an office, making a contemptuous, begging fool of myself, when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am! Why can’t I say that, Willy?”
Aesthetics: I love how Arthur Miller shows the reader what it’s like in a world as a struggling family. Nonetheless, a struggling middle-aged man in the fifties who is battling depression and the loss of his career. It really shows the reader that anything can happen, that you could possibly lose your career. That you could possibly lose your home or even your loved ones. Anything can happen when life decides to wipe your slate and leave you with nothing in return. So the time we have now, we must cherish it. For we never know how much time we truly have.
“The only thing you’ve got in this world is what you can sell.”
Understanding the pain that Willy was going through. Understanding the issues Biff has with stealing from jobs. Understanding Happy’s need to sleep around. Bringing to light the issue of a salesman’s career and how the job market was going downhill. Death of a Salesman is worth a read or a couple of rereads!
Genre: Literary Classic, plays
Audience: Young Adult and Adults
Interests: Plays, salesmen, American Dreams, family-ties
Quality: The quality of Death of a Salesman is not one you can take lightly. There are moments throughout the play that a younger version of myself would never be able to understand until I experienced the real world for myself. Now, I understand what it’s like losing a job you hoped to have for the rest of your life. Becoming depressed to the point that you just don’t know what to do anymore regarding your family other than hoping that they can make ends meet when you’re gone.
Insights: Death of a Salesman shows that dreams are not always sunny beaches and sprinkles. But that it contains a dark side that will rip your happiness and everything you’ve lived for into a million tiny pieces that will never be able to be fixed again.
Favorite Quotes: “The jungle is dark but full of diamonds, Willy.”
“I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been.”
“I stopped in the middle of that building and I saw — the sky. I saw the things that I love in this world. The work and the food and time to sit and smoke. And I looked at the pen and said to myself, what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be? What am I doing in an office, making a contemptuous, begging fool of myself, when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am! Why can’t I say that, Willy?”
Aesthetics: I love how Arthur Miller shows the reader what it’s like in a world as a struggling family. Nonetheless, a struggling middle-aged man in the fifties who is battling depression and the loss of his career. It really shows the reader that anything can happen, that you could possibly lose your career. That you could possibly lose your home or even your loved ones. Anything can happen when life decides to wipe your slate and leave you with nothing in return. So the time we have now, we must cherish it. For we never know how much time we truly have.
“The only thing you’ve got in this world is what you can sell.”
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Mindfulness Playbook in Books
Dec 23, 2017
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Discover how to become healthier, happier, and more resilient with The Mindfulness Playbook by psychology expert Dr Barbara Mariposa. Written with the general public in mind, Mariposa tackles thoughts, feelings and situations that crop up in everyday life and provides effective coping strategies that can be employed anytime, anywhere. Full of inspiring solutions and practical skills, this book advises and supports as readers bring calm and happiness back into their lives. “By engaging with the content of this book, you will learn unique tools and skills that can bring you greater energy, freedom and clarity.”
Mindfulness is about living in the moment rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. By regularly employing mindfulness, life, in theory, should become much simpler. Unfortunately, many people suffer from anxiety and depression; therefore, mindfulness can be a difficult concept to tackle. Mariposa breaks down the book into eight units and explains simple, proven techniques that, with daily practice, anyone can make a habit of using.
Dr Barbara Mariposa developed the Mind Mood Mastery programme and uses many of her ideas from this as the basis of her book. Each unit is broken down into manageable chunks that are easy to interpret and are relevant to the 21st century. Each unit contains a motto, which expresses the theme of the information provided and a task for people to do in their own time. There are also pages containing sections to write answers to questions Mariposa poses throughout the text.
Many of the tools Mariposa introduces can be shortened to acronyms, making them easy for people to remember in moments of anxiety or stress. One example is “BELL- Breathe. Expand. Listen. Look.” By remembering the letters of this power tool, it can be brought to mind in a difficult situation. It reminds the person to take a deep breath, notice what is going on around them, listen to what they can hear, and focus on something they can see. This helps to stop thoughts from spiralling into the past or future and causing lots of anxiety.
The problem with the term “mindfulness” is it has become an overused term and often replaces the word “relaxing”, for example, on colouring books. Dr Mariposa keeps to the scientific definition of the word (a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique) and is sympathetic to the reader, acknowledging that life can be hard and mindfulness can be difficult to maintain.
Within each unit is a section dubbed “The Science Bit”, which, it goes without saying, contains scientific information. Mariposa explains in layman’s terms how the brain works and what causes anxiety and depression. She also demonstrates with diagrams how to rewire the brain and alter thought processes. It is interesting to learn that the brain physically changes shape as mindfulness techniques are practised.
For those who want a simple, easy to follow book about mindfulness, The Mindfulness Playbook is definitely the one to purchase. The balance between science and everyday life is on point, and the language style is appropriate for all readers. Quotes from famous names break up the text into manageable sections and it is easy to dip in and out of the book as needed. Dr Barbara Mariposa has produced a superb self-help guide and, with hope, it will help everyone who reads it.
Discover how to become healthier, happier, and more resilient with The Mindfulness Playbook by psychology expert Dr Barbara Mariposa. Written with the general public in mind, Mariposa tackles thoughts, feelings and situations that crop up in everyday life and provides effective coping strategies that can be employed anytime, anywhere. Full of inspiring solutions and practical skills, this book advises and supports as readers bring calm and happiness back into their lives. “By engaging with the content of this book, you will learn unique tools and skills that can bring you greater energy, freedom and clarity.”
Mindfulness is about living in the moment rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. By regularly employing mindfulness, life, in theory, should become much simpler. Unfortunately, many people suffer from anxiety and depression; therefore, mindfulness can be a difficult concept to tackle. Mariposa breaks down the book into eight units and explains simple, proven techniques that, with daily practice, anyone can make a habit of using.
Dr Barbara Mariposa developed the Mind Mood Mastery programme and uses many of her ideas from this as the basis of her book. Each unit is broken down into manageable chunks that are easy to interpret and are relevant to the 21st century. Each unit contains a motto, which expresses the theme of the information provided and a task for people to do in their own time. There are also pages containing sections to write answers to questions Mariposa poses throughout the text.
Many of the tools Mariposa introduces can be shortened to acronyms, making them easy for people to remember in moments of anxiety or stress. One example is “BELL- Breathe. Expand. Listen. Look.” By remembering the letters of this power tool, it can be brought to mind in a difficult situation. It reminds the person to take a deep breath, notice what is going on around them, listen to what they can hear, and focus on something they can see. This helps to stop thoughts from spiralling into the past or future and causing lots of anxiety.
The problem with the term “mindfulness” is it has become an overused term and often replaces the word “relaxing”, for example, on colouring books. Dr Mariposa keeps to the scientific definition of the word (a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique) and is sympathetic to the reader, acknowledging that life can be hard and mindfulness can be difficult to maintain.
Within each unit is a section dubbed “The Science Bit”, which, it goes without saying, contains scientific information. Mariposa explains in layman’s terms how the brain works and what causes anxiety and depression. She also demonstrates with diagrams how to rewire the brain and alter thought processes. It is interesting to learn that the brain physically changes shape as mindfulness techniques are practised.
For those who want a simple, easy to follow book about mindfulness, The Mindfulness Playbook is definitely the one to purchase. The balance between science and everyday life is on point, and the language style is appropriate for all readers. Quotes from famous names break up the text into manageable sections and it is easy to dip in and out of the book as needed. Dr Barbara Mariposa has produced a superb self-help guide and, with hope, it will help everyone who reads it.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Birds Art Life Death: A Field Guide to the Small and Significant in Books
May 23, 2017
Unconventional Field Guide
This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
There comes a time when novelists, as with any creative professional, become unmotivated or at a loss as to what to write about – writer’s block. Such an occurrence happened to children’s novelist, Kyo Maclear. Through the work of her songwriter husband, Maclear discovers a musician struggling with the demands of his career in a competitive world, causing anxiety and depression. In order to distance himself from the stresses of his employment, the musician finds solace in bird watching. Intrigued as to what prompted his ardent interest in birds, Maclear tags along with him for a year, and thus, Birds Art Life Death: A Field Guide to the Small and Significant was born.
To preempt any confusion, despite what the title may suggest, this book is not a field guide about birds. When Maclear began talking to the musician (who remains anonymous except for a mention in the acknowledgements), she was completely nescient on the subject of birds and had a lot to learn. Although some facts are stated in the narrative, Birds Art Life Death is more a reflective memoir of the author’s life. Using bird watching as a key example, Maclear explores the ways artists of all kinds have retreated from the pressures of everyday life in order to take time to appreciate the smaller, less celebrated aspects.
Bird watching, in particular, provides the musician and Maclear the opportunity to sit still (literally) and just be. Paying attention to the numerous habitats of the winged-creatures provides the author with a new outlook on life, and fodder to include in future works (hence this book). It also gives her the opportunity to reflect on her past, her parents – particularly her anticipatory grief toward her elderly father – her husband, and her sons. In fact, the author’s own life features as heavily as the bird watching trips she goes on.
Written in chronological order from winter through to autumn, Maclear’s knowledge of birds increases, as does her awareness of the world and life around her. However, her sequence of events is often interrupted by retrospective thought and additional research, which causes the book to head in too many directions at once. It is as though the author’s disorganized mind has been spilled onto the page for everyone to see.
It is clear, however, that Maclear has put an exceptional amount of time into researching the topic of birds. She does not regurgitate factual, mundane information about the species; instead she has delved deeper and from an artistic point of view, to discover so much more than an encyclopedic textbook would provide.
From a myriad of resources, Maclear has pulled out quotes from bird enthusiasts and creative individuals alike to emphasise the effects birds have had on people’s lives and artistic careers. Interestingly, many artists and authors have found the delicate creatures fascinating and included them in their works, for example: Leonardo da Vinci, Charles Dickens, William Faulkner and Iris Murdoch.
Birds Art Life Death is unlikely to increase your knowledge of birds or bird watching, however it may inspire you to take time out to explore and enjoy nature. Whether you are a creative individual in need of a break, or an office worker desperately wanting some fresh air, Maclear encourages you to step back from the trials of life and find pleasure in the little, but highly significant, facts of being.
There comes a time when novelists, as with any creative professional, become unmotivated or at a loss as to what to write about – writer’s block. Such an occurrence happened to children’s novelist, Kyo Maclear. Through the work of her songwriter husband, Maclear discovers a musician struggling with the demands of his career in a competitive world, causing anxiety and depression. In order to distance himself from the stresses of his employment, the musician finds solace in bird watching. Intrigued as to what prompted his ardent interest in birds, Maclear tags along with him for a year, and thus, Birds Art Life Death: A Field Guide to the Small and Significant was born.
To preempt any confusion, despite what the title may suggest, this book is not a field guide about birds. When Maclear began talking to the musician (who remains anonymous except for a mention in the acknowledgements), she was completely nescient on the subject of birds and had a lot to learn. Although some facts are stated in the narrative, Birds Art Life Death is more a reflective memoir of the author’s life. Using bird watching as a key example, Maclear explores the ways artists of all kinds have retreated from the pressures of everyday life in order to take time to appreciate the smaller, less celebrated aspects.
Bird watching, in particular, provides the musician and Maclear the opportunity to sit still (literally) and just be. Paying attention to the numerous habitats of the winged-creatures provides the author with a new outlook on life, and fodder to include in future works (hence this book). It also gives her the opportunity to reflect on her past, her parents – particularly her anticipatory grief toward her elderly father – her husband, and her sons. In fact, the author’s own life features as heavily as the bird watching trips she goes on.
Written in chronological order from winter through to autumn, Maclear’s knowledge of birds increases, as does her awareness of the world and life around her. However, her sequence of events is often interrupted by retrospective thought and additional research, which causes the book to head in too many directions at once. It is as though the author’s disorganized mind has been spilled onto the page for everyone to see.
It is clear, however, that Maclear has put an exceptional amount of time into researching the topic of birds. She does not regurgitate factual, mundane information about the species; instead she has delved deeper and from an artistic point of view, to discover so much more than an encyclopedic textbook would provide.
From a myriad of resources, Maclear has pulled out quotes from bird enthusiasts and creative individuals alike to emphasise the effects birds have had on people’s lives and artistic careers. Interestingly, many artists and authors have found the delicate creatures fascinating and included them in their works, for example: Leonardo da Vinci, Charles Dickens, William Faulkner and Iris Murdoch.
Birds Art Life Death is unlikely to increase your knowledge of birds or bird watching, however it may inspire you to take time out to explore and enjoy nature. Whether you are a creative individual in need of a break, or an office worker desperately wanting some fresh air, Maclear encourages you to step back from the trials of life and find pleasure in the little, but highly significant, facts of being.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Start Where You are: A Journal for Self-Exploration in Books
May 30, 2017
Helpful and creative
Start Where You Are is a “self-help” journal put together by an American artist, Meera Lee Patel.It is a book that causes you to think and contemplate about your day, behaviour, life and dreams.
Meera Lee has used her self-taught artistic talents to produce beautiful, hand-rendered typographic compositions for every page of the book. She has selected appropriate quotations that relate to a task she has set the reader on the facing page.
Most of the tasks throughout the book require the reader to think carefully and write down their answers. Each instruction is to help people sort through their true feelings and put their thoughts into some kind of order. For example: “What is something you wish you could leave behind?”
Although Start Where You Are has not (yet) be medically approved by mental health professionals, it contains a lot of deep, meaningful, assignments that can help you to learn more about your own insecurities, anxieties and depression. Meera Lee admits in her introduction that it took her a long time to be comfortable with her own life and spent a lot of time waiting for the future to arrive, but not really knowing how to get there. She discovered that in order to move forward she needed to find out who she really was, what was important to her, and what she wanted out of life. Meera Lee confesses that this is no easy task and warns that some questions within the book will be harder than others – but ultimately Start Where You Are will reveal your true personality, hopes and dreams, and convince you that life is not all doom and gloom.
There is no right or wrong way to complete this book. It is not a course or a linear activity, therefore there is no need to complete the pages in order. Some pages may feel too difficult, which is not a problem – the book’s purpose is not to cause stress – you can skip that task and come back to it when you are ready.
I have found Start Where You Are very interesting so far. I particularly enjoy reading the quotes included in the fantastic artwork. They are all positive and inspiring, showing the brighter side of life. As an artist, I have decided to also use this book as a way of practising my art skills. Recently art journal photographs that have appeared on Pinterest have been inspiring me to make my own. Instead of starting with a blank book I am using Meera Lee’s publication instead. On each page I complete the task given, but instead of merely writing my answers down, I display them in some sort of typographic or illustrative composition. So not only is Start Where You Are benefitting my mental health and thought processes, it is helping to improve my art skills too.
I highly recommend Start Where You Are for everyone feeling a little lost and unsure about the future. Whether you have been diagnosed with a mental disorder or are going through a low period of your life, this book is perfect for you to help pick yourself up again. But please remember this is not a form of therapy and is not going to “fix” you. It will either be a bit of fun or something insightful depending on how you approach it.
Meera Lee has used her self-taught artistic talents to produce beautiful, hand-rendered typographic compositions for every page of the book. She has selected appropriate quotations that relate to a task she has set the reader on the facing page.
Most of the tasks throughout the book require the reader to think carefully and write down their answers. Each instruction is to help people sort through their true feelings and put their thoughts into some kind of order. For example: “What is something you wish you could leave behind?”
Although Start Where You Are has not (yet) be medically approved by mental health professionals, it contains a lot of deep, meaningful, assignments that can help you to learn more about your own insecurities, anxieties and depression. Meera Lee admits in her introduction that it took her a long time to be comfortable with her own life and spent a lot of time waiting for the future to arrive, but not really knowing how to get there. She discovered that in order to move forward she needed to find out who she really was, what was important to her, and what she wanted out of life. Meera Lee confesses that this is no easy task and warns that some questions within the book will be harder than others – but ultimately Start Where You Are will reveal your true personality, hopes and dreams, and convince you that life is not all doom and gloom.
There is no right or wrong way to complete this book. It is not a course or a linear activity, therefore there is no need to complete the pages in order. Some pages may feel too difficult, which is not a problem – the book’s purpose is not to cause stress – you can skip that task and come back to it when you are ready.
I have found Start Where You Are very interesting so far. I particularly enjoy reading the quotes included in the fantastic artwork. They are all positive and inspiring, showing the brighter side of life. As an artist, I have decided to also use this book as a way of practising my art skills. Recently art journal photographs that have appeared on Pinterest have been inspiring me to make my own. Instead of starting with a blank book I am using Meera Lee’s publication instead. On each page I complete the task given, but instead of merely writing my answers down, I display them in some sort of typographic or illustrative composition. So not only is Start Where You Are benefitting my mental health and thought processes, it is helping to improve my art skills too.
I highly recommend Start Where You Are for everyone feeling a little lost and unsure about the future. Whether you have been diagnosed with a mental disorder or are going through a low period of your life, this book is perfect for you to help pick yourself up again. But please remember this is not a form of therapy and is not going to “fix” you. It will either be a bit of fun or something insightful depending on how you approach it.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Female Persuasion in Books
May 8, 2018
The Female Persuasion was billed as a feminist novel, and in some ways it is, but we all agreed it's not REALLY about feminism. The main character, Greer, works for a feminist foundation, but you could have changed what the foundation's purpose was, or made her work for a corporation, and the essence of the book would have been exactly the same. It was only tangentially about feminism. It was about women supporting each other, though, and the mentor relationship between an older woman and a younger woman, so in some ways, yes. If I was asked to make a list of books about feminism, though, it certainly wouldn't make the cut.
All of the characters have some major flaws. Greer is selfish, and doesn't understand when things don't go according to plan. Cory's life gets entirely derailed by a tragedy he couldn't prevent, but in some ways he lets the derailment happen. If he'd really wanted what he said he wanted (and perhaps he didn't) he could have fixed his trajectory. Zee is a little brash and headstrong, but the most likable character in the book. Faith - oh, Faith. Faith is the older feminist mentor who turns out to be far more jaded than expected.
I have lots of conflicts about Faith. She is one of those feminists who doesn't seem to care for individual women - she can't even remember most of the women who credit her with changing their lives - but she keeps her eyes on the big picture. And as I brought up in book club, the movement does need people who see the big picture. Those people are important - but they still need certain principles that I think Faith lacks.
IR mentioned that Cory was a good foil to all the female characters in the book, and he needed his flaws, because otherwise he would be the perfect feminist boyfriend. And no one is perfect.
We were all a little disappointed with the ending; it felt like Wolitzer skipped a whole section of the story. How did Greer get from point A to point B? (Well, really, it's more like the book covers Points A, B, C, and E. And skips D.)
I think one of my favorite quotes from the book (I misattributed it to Faith at the book club, it turns out it came from Greer) was the one about being given permission:
"I think that's what the people who change our lives always do. They give us permission to be the person we secretly really long to be but maybe don't feel we're allowed to be. Many of you here in this room.....had someone like that, didn't you? Someone who gave you permission. Someone who saw you and heard you. Heard your voice."
I think that really sums up mentorship, in some ways. Women are often still socialized to not trust their own instincts, to lean on outside opinions for validation. (I know I was.) To be given permission and encouragement to trust yourself can be a life-changing event.
I really enjoyed this book. I saw bits of myself in all four characters - Faith's practicality, Greer's impressionability, Zee's idealism, and even a little of Cory's foggy despair and lack of ambition. I wouldn't call it a feminist classic. But it was a good book.
To see all my reviews (and my experience at the Barnes & Noble Book Club event where we talked about this book!) go to http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
All of the characters have some major flaws. Greer is selfish, and doesn't understand when things don't go according to plan. Cory's life gets entirely derailed by a tragedy he couldn't prevent, but in some ways he lets the derailment happen. If he'd really wanted what he said he wanted (and perhaps he didn't) he could have fixed his trajectory. Zee is a little brash and headstrong, but the most likable character in the book. Faith - oh, Faith. Faith is the older feminist mentor who turns out to be far more jaded than expected.
I have lots of conflicts about Faith. She is one of those feminists who doesn't seem to care for individual women - she can't even remember most of the women who credit her with changing their lives - but she keeps her eyes on the big picture. And as I brought up in book club, the movement does need people who see the big picture. Those people are important - but they still need certain principles that I think Faith lacks.
IR mentioned that Cory was a good foil to all the female characters in the book, and he needed his flaws, because otherwise he would be the perfect feminist boyfriend. And no one is perfect.
We were all a little disappointed with the ending; it felt like Wolitzer skipped a whole section of the story. How did Greer get from point A to point B? (Well, really, it's more like the book covers Points A, B, C, and E. And skips D.)
I think one of my favorite quotes from the book (I misattributed it to Faith at the book club, it turns out it came from Greer) was the one about being given permission:
"I think that's what the people who change our lives always do. They give us permission to be the person we secretly really long to be but maybe don't feel we're allowed to be. Many of you here in this room.....had someone like that, didn't you? Someone who gave you permission. Someone who saw you and heard you. Heard your voice."
I think that really sums up mentorship, in some ways. Women are often still socialized to not trust their own instincts, to lean on outside opinions for validation. (I know I was.) To be given permission and encouragement to trust yourself can be a life-changing event.
I really enjoyed this book. I saw bits of myself in all four characters - Faith's practicality, Greer's impressionability, Zee's idealism, and even a little of Cory's foggy despair and lack of ambition. I wouldn't call it a feminist classic. But it was a good book.
To see all my reviews (and my experience at the Barnes & Noble Book Club event where we talked about this book!) go to http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Beasts Made of Night in Books
Apr 19, 2018
Terrible characters (3 more)
Lack of explanation of terms
Stupid cliffhanger
Confusing geography
So this Nigerian-influenced fantasy made enough of a splash when it was released in October that I JUST got it in my hands from the library. That long wait....was not actually justified, sadly. The cover is GORGEOUS and the concept is really, really cool - the execution is lacking. I can tell that the author had the world pretty fleshed out in his mind, from the geography to the vocabulary - but he didn't actually pass that knowledge on to the reader. Kos is a walled city, but I'm not sure whether the Palace is within the walls or not? In one scene our protagonist LEAPS out of the castle and runs back the city - but in another scene he mentions that looking out the castle wall, Kos fits behind his fingernail. Kos is made up of several neighborhood plus a market - it's not small. So either his fingernail is HUGE or Kos is a pretty decent distance away. But it's written as if it only takes him about ten minutes to run there? Not to mention that he cracked a rib in the room that he leaped from (which is never mentioned again).
Oh and he winds up landing in an ivy maze out of nowhere - he couldn't see it from the palace? Let's see....the King regularly bombards neighborhoods with catapults in what's called a "baptism" but the people haven't revolted against this, for some reason. They talk about something called a "kanselo" but never define it. I -think- it's like an organized group or coalition, but I'm really not entirely sure.
The male protagonist treats every woman his age as a potential love interest, debating whether to give them his heart-stone, or whether people will think he's already given one girl or another his heart-stone - but never stops to ask if the girls are interested in HIM that way. Because of COURSE they would be, right? He's the Sky-Fist! The Lightbringer! The one whose tattoos never fade! (Eating sin-beasts causes a black tattoo to appear on your skin - on most sin-eaters these fade eventually.) Also he's just DUMB. He recalls that the sin-eater who ate his mother's sin had a certain tattoo, and when he runs across her years later, it takes him three or four encounters before realizing it's the same sin-eater. (The tattoo is a spider. Covering her FACE. It hasn't faded.) He makes stupid decisions - after nightmares of one love-interest being attacked by sin-beasts, he LEAVES HER SURROUNDED BY THEM to go run out into the city. He has at least FIVE love interests in this book. And only ONE of them seems interested in him in return.
I really wanted to like this book. The concept of sin-eating is great. But the main character and all the one-dimensional characters that surrounded him, along with the confusing geography, just turned me off. And I'm not even getting into the "ending." Yeah. Definitely throwing quotes on that because that was not an ending. The book just stops.
Skip this. It was a terrible book wrapped in a deceptively pretty package.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Oh and he winds up landing in an ivy maze out of nowhere - he couldn't see it from the palace? Let's see....the King regularly bombards neighborhoods with catapults in what's called a "baptism" but the people haven't revolted against this, for some reason. They talk about something called a "kanselo" but never define it. I -think- it's like an organized group or coalition, but I'm really not entirely sure.
The male protagonist treats every woman his age as a potential love interest, debating whether to give them his heart-stone, or whether people will think he's already given one girl or another his heart-stone - but never stops to ask if the girls are interested in HIM that way. Because of COURSE they would be, right? He's the Sky-Fist! The Lightbringer! The one whose tattoos never fade! (Eating sin-beasts causes a black tattoo to appear on your skin - on most sin-eaters these fade eventually.) Also he's just DUMB. He recalls that the sin-eater who ate his mother's sin had a certain tattoo, and when he runs across her years later, it takes him three or four encounters before realizing it's the same sin-eater. (The tattoo is a spider. Covering her FACE. It hasn't faded.) He makes stupid decisions - after nightmares of one love-interest being attacked by sin-beasts, he LEAVES HER SURROUNDED BY THEM to go run out into the city. He has at least FIVE love interests in this book. And only ONE of them seems interested in him in return.
I really wanted to like this book. The concept of sin-eating is great. But the main character and all the one-dimensional characters that surrounded him, along with the confusing geography, just turned me off. And I'm not even getting into the "ending." Yeah. Definitely throwing quotes on that because that was not an ending. The book just stops.
Skip this. It was a terrible book wrapped in a deceptively pretty package.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated Mom and Dad (2018) in Movies
Jan 27, 2018
Nicholas Cage (2 more)
Great idea
Superb dialogue
Some damn fine fun with Cage and Blair
Contains spoilers, click to show
Two people who you should be able to count on for your safety as a child are your Mother and Father. But that doesn' ring true in this amazing little film by writer/director Brian Taylor.
The film's opening sequence shows a woman in a minivan with a baby in the backseat. The radio plays some strange static and out of nowhere she looks back to the infant and exits the vehicle. Leaving the baby and the van to meet their demise via an oncoming train.
What follows is pure genius and insanity that is topped by Nick Cage doing what Nick Cage does best. Losing it onscreen with a fever that only my he can provide.
Selma Blair holds her own as Cafe's seemingly mild mannered wife who turns on a dime and joins him in the craziness with a certain flair comparable to Cages insane bravado.
The kids, played by Anne Winters and Zachary Arthur, fight their parents with some Home Alonish antics that prove to serve them well.
No one can fully say what it is that officially makes the parents around the world turn on their kids. But it has something to do with white noise and static on televisions and radios across the planet. Parents instinct to protect their young like a bear is replaced with the feeling off ultimate anger and insanity.
In one scene, Blair is at the hospital coaching her sister through birth. The the is born and handed to the mother and a monitor goes all static filled and noisy. The sister clutches the baby tightly, beginnng to cut off the airwaves and choking the child. Blair rips the newborn from her sister in an attempt to protect her. But something driving her sister forces her to stand upright and destroy the baby. She ultimately fails and is sedated.
The best performance in this film goes hands down to Nicholas Cage. Who freaks out like only Cage can. And even though his appeaance resembles a slightly bloated version of Marilyn Manson. His ability to use his expression and booming voice to command insanity is off the charts amazing.
I recall a scene where the kids are locked in the basement trying to escape their folks. And Blair and Cage are looking for a way to break down the door. Nicholas bangs on the door, shaking and screaming a line i will never forget "Your motherfucking Mother said to open this goddamn door, Motherfuckers!!!! Youre going to open this motherfucking door!!!!". Cage goes one way Blair goes another... she gets a reciprocating saw and brings it to the door. Her line, while simple, is unforgettable. "It's called a Saws all because it saws all,".
She begins hacking and at the door as Cage is upstairs looking for his gun... he hears shots and runs downstairs, finding Blair sitting on the floor nursing a fresh gunshot to the arm. He freaks out and explains the gun to his wife who quotes some stats about kids hurting themselves and others with handguns. Irony at its finest.
All in all, this movie never gets boring after the parents begin to try and kill their kids. It's only better when Cages character Brent's folks show up and attempt to kill him. Lance Henricksons performance as the father is extreme and awesome.
Watch this movie if you have a spare 90 minutes, i promise you it will motherfucking not disappoint, Motherfuckers:)
The film's opening sequence shows a woman in a minivan with a baby in the backseat. The radio plays some strange static and out of nowhere she looks back to the infant and exits the vehicle. Leaving the baby and the van to meet their demise via an oncoming train.
What follows is pure genius and insanity that is topped by Nick Cage doing what Nick Cage does best. Losing it onscreen with a fever that only my he can provide.
Selma Blair holds her own as Cafe's seemingly mild mannered wife who turns on a dime and joins him in the craziness with a certain flair comparable to Cages insane bravado.
The kids, played by Anne Winters and Zachary Arthur, fight their parents with some Home Alonish antics that prove to serve them well.
No one can fully say what it is that officially makes the parents around the world turn on their kids. But it has something to do with white noise and static on televisions and radios across the planet. Parents instinct to protect their young like a bear is replaced with the feeling off ultimate anger and insanity.
In one scene, Blair is at the hospital coaching her sister through birth. The the is born and handed to the mother and a monitor goes all static filled and noisy. The sister clutches the baby tightly, beginnng to cut off the airwaves and choking the child. Blair rips the newborn from her sister in an attempt to protect her. But something driving her sister forces her to stand upright and destroy the baby. She ultimately fails and is sedated.
The best performance in this film goes hands down to Nicholas Cage. Who freaks out like only Cage can. And even though his appeaance resembles a slightly bloated version of Marilyn Manson. His ability to use his expression and booming voice to command insanity is off the charts amazing.
I recall a scene where the kids are locked in the basement trying to escape their folks. And Blair and Cage are looking for a way to break down the door. Nicholas bangs on the door, shaking and screaming a line i will never forget "Your motherfucking Mother said to open this goddamn door, Motherfuckers!!!! Youre going to open this motherfucking door!!!!". Cage goes one way Blair goes another... she gets a reciprocating saw and brings it to the door. Her line, while simple, is unforgettable. "It's called a Saws all because it saws all,".
She begins hacking and at the door as Cage is upstairs looking for his gun... he hears shots and runs downstairs, finding Blair sitting on the floor nursing a fresh gunshot to the arm. He freaks out and explains the gun to his wife who quotes some stats about kids hurting themselves and others with handguns. Irony at its finest.
All in all, this movie never gets boring after the parents begin to try and kill their kids. It's only better when Cages character Brent's folks show up and attempt to kill him. Lance Henricksons performance as the father is extreme and awesome.
Watch this movie if you have a spare 90 minutes, i promise you it will motherfucking not disappoint, Motherfuckers:)
Dana (24 KP) rated Furthermore (Furthermore, #1) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
Okay, so I got this book as an ARC at Yallwest back in May, so I finally decided to read it because it comes out later this month!! This is my second book in the 10 books in 10 days challenge!!
I love that Tahereh Mafi wrote a middle grade book. I don't often read this age group, but because it was hers, I went for it and oh my goodness I was not disappointed. Even though it's a middle grade book, maybe even because of it, the story is able to get super deep and promotes the idea that you are enough as you are, no matter what you look like or what you have. I think that's super important for students during this time.
It is amazing how much one person's writing style is able to change based on the story they are telling. Tahereh, I feel, is very much a method writer in the fact that she really inhabits the characters and their worlds as she is writing them. I really appreciate that as a reader because it makes the stories more immersive and entertaining!!
I loved the nonsensicalness of the story. It is very reminiscent of Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland, but it doesn't blatantly copy what he wrote. While they both have lands in which nonsense rules, they are still different beings.
Alice is so freaking sassy and I love it. The insults she throws throughout the story are hilarious, my favorite being "overgrown pineapple" because why not?
Also, the author asides are almost at a Lemony Snicket level of commentary. And the chapter breaks are so random, but I love them. There are so many interjections that are hilarious.
I love this adventure story so much! It focuses a lot of the growth of friendships and of the characters themselves which, again, is something I think middle grade readers need to see more of.
This book is actually very emotions as well! It shows a child's view of her parents and that everyone, even parents, can make mistakes and should be able to apologize for those mistakes. The characters are very well written and are amazingly deep. I haven't read many middle grade novels recently, but this one seems especially awesome. It shows people as having flaws and making bad decisions.
I recommend that everyone reads this at some point because it is just so freaking amazing and so quotable!!
I'm going to post some of my favorite quotes after this, so if you don't want to read them, stop here!!
"Love had made her fearless, wasn't it strange? It was so much easier to fight for another than it was to fight for oneself." (p144)
"'And his sentence was very long,' said Oliver.' 'Oh yes, it was made up of many words!'" (p231) (This one made me cackle)
"He never let her win, never let her convince him she was right. He fought harder for her than she ever fought for herself." (p250)
"This new Alice was confident and bold; she was articulate and passionate; she had become the kind of person who'd lived through hardship and survived with grace." (p382)
<b>"The simple truth was that Alice would always be different-but to be different was to be extraordinary, and to be extraordinary was an adventure. It no longer mattered how the world saw her; what mattered was how Alice saw herself." (p385)</b>
I love that Tahereh Mafi wrote a middle grade book. I don't often read this age group, but because it was hers, I went for it and oh my goodness I was not disappointed. Even though it's a middle grade book, maybe even because of it, the story is able to get super deep and promotes the idea that you are enough as you are, no matter what you look like or what you have. I think that's super important for students during this time.
It is amazing how much one person's writing style is able to change based on the story they are telling. Tahereh, I feel, is very much a method writer in the fact that she really inhabits the characters and their worlds as she is writing them. I really appreciate that as a reader because it makes the stories more immersive and entertaining!!
I loved the nonsensicalness of the story. It is very reminiscent of Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland, but it doesn't blatantly copy what he wrote. While they both have lands in which nonsense rules, they are still different beings.
Alice is so freaking sassy and I love it. The insults she throws throughout the story are hilarious, my favorite being "overgrown pineapple" because why not?
Also, the author asides are almost at a Lemony Snicket level of commentary. And the chapter breaks are so random, but I love them. There are so many interjections that are hilarious.
I love this adventure story so much! It focuses a lot of the growth of friendships and of the characters themselves which, again, is something I think middle grade readers need to see more of.
This book is actually very emotions as well! It shows a child's view of her parents and that everyone, even parents, can make mistakes and should be able to apologize for those mistakes. The characters are very well written and are amazingly deep. I haven't read many middle grade novels recently, but this one seems especially awesome. It shows people as having flaws and making bad decisions.
I recommend that everyone reads this at some point because it is just so freaking amazing and so quotable!!
I'm going to post some of my favorite quotes after this, so if you don't want to read them, stop here!!
"Love had made her fearless, wasn't it strange? It was so much easier to fight for another than it was to fight for oneself." (p144)
"'And his sentence was very long,' said Oliver.' 'Oh yes, it was made up of many words!'" (p231) (This one made me cackle)
"He never let her win, never let her convince him she was right. He fought harder for her than she ever fought for herself." (p250)
"This new Alice was confident and bold; she was articulate and passionate; she had become the kind of person who'd lived through hardship and survived with grace." (p382)
<b>"The simple truth was that Alice would always be different-but to be different was to be extraordinary, and to be extraordinary was an adventure. It no longer mattered how the world saw her; what mattered was how Alice saw herself." (p385)</b>
Dana (24 KP) rated This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
This is my first book in the 10 Books in 10 Days Challenge presented by Epic Reads.
This book has such an interesting concept in the way it takes the standard Good vs Evil and blurs the lines completely. There are the standard "monsters" and "humans" but it gets hard to tell who is actually at fault in the war that is brewing in the book.
I loved the characters in this book. If I were to rate the book on characters alone, I would have given it a five star review, but alas, I did not. I really enjoyed how August and Kate were both trying to be something they weren't in order to impress their families, but then when they met each other, they weren't as pressured to do that. They rescued each other from their own self destruction.
There were a few really subtle moments of romance, but it wasn't the main focus of the novel, which is something I appreciated a lot. Too often in these dystopian fantasy novels, the girl needs a male romantic lead to make her feel whole and give her some amount of power. Not here!! Kate is already strong as hell!
It was cool to see them anchoring each other through talking. When either one of them was going to break, they told each other to tell them something, anything, and that was just one of those moments that were so emotional. They start repeating each other and caring for one another, something that I don't think either of them had really had before.
I loved all of August's quotes about humanity and what makes a person human. They were very well written!!
I can honestly keep going on the characters and do a character study on these two, but I am not going to do that. (At least not right now.)
I want Ilsa to be my best friend (even though she's kinda creepy at times) and Allegro to cuddle with. It was so freaking cute how the cat was brought in to further humanize August and Ilsa. It reminded me of my cat too.
The monsters were creepy as hell. It actually made me a little nervous in the dark for a bit while I was reading it. (To be honest, I don't get scared of the dark, so that just amps the creepy factor of this book.)
I loved all of the descriptions of sound, music and silence. Because they are all so important and ingrained into the story itself, it was cool whenever Victoria Schwab would bring attention to them in more artistic and melodic ways was just beautiful. I also loved all of the star imagery (but that's just because I am obsessed with the stars.)
I really want to explore the rest of the world and see what else is in store for these characters.
Overall, very well written novel. There were a few moments where it felt a little slow to me, but those were pretty few and far between.
Plot/joke spoilers in the rest of the review.
WTF happened in the freaking Elegy? Did a new Sunai/Malaki just emerge looking like Kate's mom?!?!?!? That is just bananas!!
Also, Leo, wtf dude? You're such a prick. Why would you do that?
Sunai's favorite food = SOUL FOOD (This line was freaking brilliant.)
This book has such an interesting concept in the way it takes the standard Good vs Evil and blurs the lines completely. There are the standard "monsters" and "humans" but it gets hard to tell who is actually at fault in the war that is brewing in the book.
I loved the characters in this book. If I were to rate the book on characters alone, I would have given it a five star review, but alas, I did not. I really enjoyed how August and Kate were both trying to be something they weren't in order to impress their families, but then when they met each other, they weren't as pressured to do that. They rescued each other from their own self destruction.
There were a few really subtle moments of romance, but it wasn't the main focus of the novel, which is something I appreciated a lot. Too often in these dystopian fantasy novels, the girl needs a male romantic lead to make her feel whole and give her some amount of power. Not here!! Kate is already strong as hell!
It was cool to see them anchoring each other through talking. When either one of them was going to break, they told each other to tell them something, anything, and that was just one of those moments that were so emotional. They start repeating each other and caring for one another, something that I don't think either of them had really had before.
I loved all of August's quotes about humanity and what makes a person human. They were very well written!!
I can honestly keep going on the characters and do a character study on these two, but I am not going to do that. (At least not right now.)
I want Ilsa to be my best friend (even though she's kinda creepy at times) and Allegro to cuddle with. It was so freaking cute how the cat was brought in to further humanize August and Ilsa. It reminded me of my cat too.
The monsters were creepy as hell. It actually made me a little nervous in the dark for a bit while I was reading it. (To be honest, I don't get scared of the dark, so that just amps the creepy factor of this book.)
I loved all of the descriptions of sound, music and silence. Because they are all so important and ingrained into the story itself, it was cool whenever Victoria Schwab would bring attention to them in more artistic and melodic ways was just beautiful. I also loved all of the star imagery (but that's just because I am obsessed with the stars.)
I really want to explore the rest of the world and see what else is in store for these characters.
Overall, very well written novel. There were a few moments where it felt a little slow to me, but those were pretty few and far between.
Plot/joke spoilers in the rest of the review.
WTF happened in the freaking Elegy? Did a new Sunai/Malaki just emerge looking like Kate's mom?!?!?!? That is just bananas!!
Also, Leo, wtf dude? You're such a prick. Why would you do that?
Sunai's favorite food = SOUL FOOD (This line was freaking brilliant.)