Search

Search only in certain items:

40x40

Edgar Wright recommended Brazil (1985) in Movies (curated)

 
Brazil (1985)
Brazil (1985)
1985 | Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi

"When I first saw Brazil in the late ’80s, it hit me like a truck. It was such a powerful, bold vision, so joyous in its escapism and so crushing in its ultimate nihilism, that it left my teenage mind in tatters. I wasn’t quite sure what I’d watched but knew it was unlike anything I’d seen before. The impressive (and somewhat sad) fact is that, decades later, I still haven’t seen anything quite like Brazil. It escaped from Terry Gilliam’s brain with such velocity that its power even today is undeniable. I showed it at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles in January of this year, and it still confounded me. I asked Terry Gilliam if he would write a quick intro for me to read out before the screening. This was it: Brazil was made by a bunch of young people who didn’t know any better. They are older and wiser now, but it seems America isn’t. It’s a pity that George W. and Dick Cheney aren’t still running the show. I was tempted to sue them for the illegal and unauthorized remake of Brazil. Just think . . . more people are living my movie than ever went to see it."

Source
  
Seen (Breaking Free #2)
Seen (Breaking Free #2)
A.M. Arthur | 2017 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
a far more emotionally devastaing read, but equally blown away!
I was shared my copy of this book, via Amazon friends and family thingie.

This is book two in the Breaking Free series and I would STRONGLY recommend you read book one, Saved, before this one. More than strongly, I think it's very necessary for you to get a proper picture of this world and the men in it.

And, I was totally blown away by that book. This one? Equally blown away, but this is a far more emotionally devastating and difficult read.

Kell is Braun's older brother, and after three years of horrific abuse, snaps. Already reeling from the loss of his newborn, Kell now faces a murder charge. Ronin knew Kell ten years before, but moved away before their mating bonds could fully develop. Coming to Kell's rescue, via a court room, brings him back into contact with his mate, damaged though he is.

I wasn't able to read this book in one sitting, but I wanted to. It's just far too heavy a book for a one sitting read, but it was so f*cking good!

the full extent of the abuse that Kell suffered at the hands of his husband, and indeed, his father in law, is bad, even for this world, and through a series of witnesses, the story becomes clear. Braun knew about the beatings, but he didn't know how bad it really was. Kell thinks everyone will look bad on him for what was done to him. But Ronin?? He SEES Kell, makes Kell SEE, that there are better ways to live than in fear.

I don't know if the author has experienced of spousal abuse, or if they did a huge amount of research for these book, but either way, the way this is played out, it could be happening in any given court room across the globe right now. Ronin is an outstanding lawyer, and he systematically destroys the prosecution witnesses, one by miserable one.

And he pulls a blinder! Won't say what he does, but oh! I cried! For Kell, and for Ronin at that point.

Actually, there were a lot of tears in this book. Some heart breaking sobs, but also, some tears of joy too.

Attitudes they are a-changing, but these things take time. Fortunately, I have 6 more books to read to see how that all plays out!

Again, trigger warning are rife here, and you should probably not read these books if you have abuse triggers. It's a HUGE part of this story.

I can't really say what I want to say about this book, without spoilers, and I don't do spoilers, so I'll leave you with this:

READ THE DAMN BOOKS!

5 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Jenny Han | 2014 | Children
9
8.8 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
I picked this up mostly because the trailer for the Netflix adaptation looked AMAZING. It's the first book in a trilogy, and I really want to read the other two now! Lara Jean is the middle daughter in a house of three daughters, being raised by their widower father. The relationships between the four of them play a large part in the book, as they are all adjusting to the eldest daughter being away at college. Everyone's roles are changing, and in the middle of that, Lara Jean's private love letters get mailed to the boys she wrote them to, throwing her love life into chaos as well.

I loved almost every character in this book - even Lara's troublemaking best friend has a good heart. I definitely need to watch the Netflix show now, because I really want to see how Chris - aforementioned best friend - is represented!

The family scenes around Christmas really tugged at my heart - Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, and the author absolutely NAILED the nostalgic, slightly dreamy, loving holiday atmosphere.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before was a cute, sweet read, and really my only negative thing to say about it is the ending left me hanging! Which is part of why I really need to read the other two books, so I suppose it was a good strategy. But man I hate cliffhangers!

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
  
Marked (Populations Crumble: Resurgence #1)
Marked (Populations Crumble: Resurgence #1)
K. A. Gandy | 2023 | Dystopia, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
MARKED is the first book in a spin-off series called Populations Crumble: Resurgence. I haven't read the first series but now I really want to. Not because something is missing from this book - oh, no. I want to read that because this one was SO good!

Demy is a likeable character from the start, running from danger, looking for safety. She joins the program not really knowing what she's doing, just hoping she will be safe. What she gets is so much more than she expected.

I loved this world. Okay, there are parts of it that aren't so good, but on the whole, I was taken with Demy and saw what she saw. There is lots of action and it's also very emotional. The choice Demy has to make is incredibly tough. I know which way I'd go, as it stands right now, but I'm hedging my bets because I have no idea which way this story is going to go. And I love that!

The cliffhanger is a killer and I honestly can't wait to see what happens next. An incredible story with amazing characters that I have no hesitation in HIGHLY RECOMMENDING.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* 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!
  
    MegaReader

    MegaReader

    Book and Education

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    Access over 2 million (and counting) FREE Books, Right From Your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch... …...

Poems to Live Your Life By
Poems to Live Your Life By
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Poems to Live Your Life By is a book of poetry collated and illustrated by Chris Riddell. People who read my blog regularly know that I obsess over Chris Riddell, which explains my reasons for buying this.

The collection is just beautiful. Each poem has individual illustrations surrounding it, bringing the poem to life.

Even though I dislike poetry as a whole, there are a few poems that I love, and some of them were in this collection, including Digging by Seamus Heaney and Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. Even though I have read these poems multiple times, the illustrations made them feel new to me, because it almost gave a new interpretation to them.

I also discovered some poems that I hadn’t heard of before and now love, including Thirteen by Kate Tempest, and Safe Sounds by Carol Ann Duffy.

This is definitely a book to buy for the poetry lover in your life!
  
Blood Fury: Black Dagger Legacy
Blood Fury: Black Dagger Legacy
J.R. Ward | 2018 | Paranormal, Romance
9
8.9 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ruhn and Saxton - loved them as a couple (0 more)
It's been so long since I read the last book, I forgot why Assail is at the BDB house....will have to refresh my memory before The Thief is released! (0 more)
Contains spoilers, click to show
I really enjoyed Blood Fury and I didn't expect to. Mainly, because I didn't care much for Saxton in the past and I didn't really have much of an opinion on Peyton and Novo. Having now read it, I can honestly say that I loved the romance between Saxton and Ruhn. I did not see that coming! And their involvement with the human developers was a great story.
My heart broke for Novo. With her past and her awful family, it's not surprising she's as tough as she is, and I'm glad that someone was able to make her love again and help her move on and I'm glad that that someone was Peyton- if only because it meant that he'd stop obsessing over the rather dull Paradise.
  
GA
Go Ask Fannie
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I really enjoyed Go Ask Fannie by Elisabeth Hyde. The characters were very well-defined, as well as likeable, and the story progressed so, so well and it was a very satisfying read from start to finish.

Fannie, is not the character I presumed her to be! But a clever feature of the story that I really enjoyed! The three siblings followed, Lizzie, George and Ruth, as well as they patriarch of the family, Murray, are going through some stuff. A LOT of stuff. There are secrets, and fighting, and lots of unspoken words. It was a sneak peek into a weekend of this family, and all the issues they possess. And also all the Love.

I'm a big fan of Elisabeth Hyde now - and will definitely look out for anything else she has written! I received a copy of Go Ask Fannie as part of the Penguin First to Read program in exchange for my honest review.
  
The Missing Map of Pirate’s Haven
The Missing Map of Pirate’s Haven
Sigmund Brouwer | 1991 | Children, Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Will the Accidental Detectives Find the Pirate Treasure?
Ricky, his brother Joel, and their friends are off to San Diego to help Lisa’s uncle paint his new house. When they arrive, they learn a local legend about a pirate who has buried his treasure in the area. It sounds crazy until Joel finds a couple of silver coins. Meanwhile, Lisa’s uncle is acting strangely. Can Ricky figure out everything that is going on?

I’ve read this book a couple of times now, although it’s been over a decade since the last time I read it, so pieces of the plot came back to me as I was reading. Even so, I was still blown away by how well plotted the book is, with all the clues needed in very plain sight. The characters are strong as well, and they provide some wonderful laughs along the way. The Christian elements is woven in seamlessly and never overwhelms this plot driven middle grade book.
  
40x40

ClareR (5879 KP) rated The Wanderer in Books

Nov 21, 2018 (Updated Nov 21, 2018)  
The Wanderer
The Wanderer
Michael Ridpath | 2018 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Icelandic not-so noir
Does no one tell the truth to the police anymore? Even if they’re innocent?!
It seems that everyone wants to keep their secrets to themselves in this book, even if they think the information might relate to the murder of an Italian tourist. A camera crew, who are filming a documentary about Gudrid the Wanderer in Iceland, find her body outside a church where they’re filming. Magnus Jonson is in charge of the police investigation.
I really enjoyed the references to the Icelandic Sagas (I’ve now got a book of them on my Christmas list!), and Magnus seems to be a very nice police officer! Everyone else appears to just be looking out for themselves, to the detriment of everyone else.
Great story though! This is the fifth in a series, I haven’t read the others, and I don’t think it actually matters story-wise. I would very much like to read the others though!!