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BookblogbyCari (345 KP) rated Not Thomas in Books
Jul 31, 2018
This is such a sad story I often struggled to bring myself to read it. The novel is written as if it were a true story told by the central character, 5-year-old Tomos. Tomos has just moved in with his birth mother, following a long period of foster care which came to an end when the foster parent died.
The language with which it’s written, is very much like that of its protagonist, with common wording, present tense, short sentences, and childlike enthusiasm clearly conveyed. In spite of this, you may argue it’s not necessarily easy to read, as I shall explain.
In the beginning of the book, the neglect endured by Tomos is more commonplace, such as: occasionally having crisps instead of a cooked meal, making do with a removable ladder to on and off his bed, and his mum missing his nativity play. Later a teacher spots there’s an issue and starts bringing food and uniform for him to school.
However, after each let-down, the author must have thought “Right, what’s the worst thing that can happen next?” By the end of the book, there’s a rape, an arrest, and a murder. Eventually the teacher forges a rescue of sorts for Tomos, but things may never be the same again for poor Tomos.
Reading a book where the dialogue is in my own Welsh valley dialect made the story feel all the more real to me. In the first half of the book, the dialogue amongst the adults provides more depth, context and complexity to the story, which would otherwise only be hinted at.
In the end, it’s the realism of the story that makes it such a hard read.
You can check out more of my book reviews on Wordpress or Facebook:
https://bookblogbycari.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/bookblogbycari/
The language with which it’s written, is very much like that of its protagonist, with common wording, present tense, short sentences, and childlike enthusiasm clearly conveyed. In spite of this, you may argue it’s not necessarily easy to read, as I shall explain.
In the beginning of the book, the neglect endured by Tomos is more commonplace, such as: occasionally having crisps instead of a cooked meal, making do with a removable ladder to on and off his bed, and his mum missing his nativity play. Later a teacher spots there’s an issue and starts bringing food and uniform for him to school.
However, after each let-down, the author must have thought “Right, what’s the worst thing that can happen next?” By the end of the book, there’s a rape, an arrest, and a murder. Eventually the teacher forges a rescue of sorts for Tomos, but things may never be the same again for poor Tomos.
Reading a book where the dialogue is in my own Welsh valley dialect made the story feel all the more real to me. In the first half of the book, the dialogue amongst the adults provides more depth, context and complexity to the story, which would otherwise only be hinted at.
In the end, it’s the realism of the story that makes it such a hard read.
You can check out more of my book reviews on Wordpress or Facebook:
https://bookblogbycari.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/bookblogbycari/
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Christopher Robin (2018) in Movies
Aug 22, 2018 (Updated Aug 22, 2018)
A wonderful piece of heartwarming nostalgia
I'd seen some of the not very positive reviews about this film so I hadn't been expecting much, but I cannot tell you how pleasantly surprised and happy I was watching this.
I was a Winnie the Pooh fan as a child but probably haven't seen much of it since, and this was a wonderful nostalgic trip back to my childhood. Right from the opening scene and any time Pooh and his friends were on screen, I couldn't wipe the silly warm grin off my face. The CGI on the characters is very well done and they look fantastic, and the voices too are just spot on (even those not voiced by Jim Cummings). The main problem with this film is that when Pooh and his friends aren't on screen it obvious and whilst it's never dull, you notice their huge absence.
I loved the inclusion of the drawings over parts of the title sequence, and I think the whole way they've briefed over Christopher Robin's life is done well. For once this is a film that shows us what we need to know, and nothing more. It's nice to watch something that isn't aiming for an over 2 hour runtime.
Mark Gatiss is suitably hammy as Robin's boss and Ewan McGregor is as good as he ever is. Hayley Atwell though is vastly underused. And yes this is a Disney film, so there is a small amount of sickly sweet schmaltz thrown in. But for once this is kept almost entirely to the end and isn't overbearing in the slightest, which is a refreshing change for Disney.
This is the most wonderful film I've seen at the cinema for quite some time. I can't remember the last time I smiled so much.
I was a Winnie the Pooh fan as a child but probably haven't seen much of it since, and this was a wonderful nostalgic trip back to my childhood. Right from the opening scene and any time Pooh and his friends were on screen, I couldn't wipe the silly warm grin off my face. The CGI on the characters is very well done and they look fantastic, and the voices too are just spot on (even those not voiced by Jim Cummings). The main problem with this film is that when Pooh and his friends aren't on screen it obvious and whilst it's never dull, you notice their huge absence.
I loved the inclusion of the drawings over parts of the title sequence, and I think the whole way they've briefed over Christopher Robin's life is done well. For once this is a film that shows us what we need to know, and nothing more. It's nice to watch something that isn't aiming for an over 2 hour runtime.
Mark Gatiss is suitably hammy as Robin's boss and Ewan McGregor is as good as he ever is. Hayley Atwell though is vastly underused. And yes this is a Disney film, so there is a small amount of sickly sweet schmaltz thrown in. But for once this is kept almost entirely to the end and isn't overbearing in the slightest, which is a refreshing change for Disney.
This is the most wonderful film I've seen at the cinema for quite some time. I can't remember the last time I smiled so much.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Heart of Thorns (Heart of Thorns #1) in Books
Oct 19, 2018
I almost bailed on this book. It's not bad, exactly, it's just - mediocre. Mia discovers that she is the thing she's been taught to hate, discovers that maybe they're not all bad, that what she's been taught is probably wrong, but, y'know, maybe not entirely wrong - it's just one trope after another. It was rather predictable.
And there's this problem with the world. If every woman is suspected of being a witch, (sorry, Gwyrach) and they work their magic through touch - how is anyone having kids? Sure, women are required to wear gloves in public, but - the touch-magic doesn't keep men from abusing women. Not like in The Power, where men start getting actually scared to touch women for fear of what could happen.
The only character in this book that I actually LIKED was Prince Quin. And maybe Dom, the flirtatious gay boy. Mia was rather thoroughly unlikable. First she blindly accepts that she should hate and kill Gwyrach, then is appalled to find out she (and her mother) are/were Gwyrach, and refuses to accept that because of course she can't possibly be one of those reviled women. She refuses to take Quin into her confidence, despite him showing blind trust in her for most of the book. What does he have to do to prove himself to you, woman?
I've read much better feminist dystopias. This is oppressed-women-finding-their-hidden-powers-and-fighting-back clothed in a fantasy instead of a dystopia, and it's not nearly as good as it could be. Despite ending on a cliffhanger, I don't care enough about these characters to read the next book.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
And there's this problem with the world. If every woman is suspected of being a witch, (sorry, Gwyrach) and they work their magic through touch - how is anyone having kids? Sure, women are required to wear gloves in public, but - the touch-magic doesn't keep men from abusing women. Not like in The Power, where men start getting actually scared to touch women for fear of what could happen.
The only character in this book that I actually LIKED was Prince Quin. And maybe Dom, the flirtatious gay boy. Mia was rather thoroughly unlikable. First she blindly accepts that she should hate and kill Gwyrach, then is appalled to find out she (and her mother) are/were Gwyrach, and refuses to accept that because of course she can't possibly be one of those reviled women. She refuses to take Quin into her confidence, despite him showing blind trust in her for most of the book. What does he have to do to prove himself to you, woman?
I've read much better feminist dystopias. This is oppressed-women-finding-their-hidden-powers-and-fighting-back clothed in a fantasy instead of a dystopia, and it's not nearly as good as it could be. Despite ending on a cliffhanger, I don't care enough about these characters to read the next book.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Slaughterhouse Rulez (2018) in Movies
Nov 14, 2018
Such a disappointment
I've seen a lot of horrendous reviews for this film and whilst I'd agree that it isn't great, it's not nearly as bad as expected.
The problem is that this film has a stellar cast with impressive comedy credentials, yet apart from one or two titters, it just isn't funny. The humour falls completely flat. Michael Sheen, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost ham it up the best they can but their performances border on cringeworthy. Even the cameo from Margot Robbie is wasted. I did quite like Asa Butterfield though, who managed to get away with some of the best lines in the film.
The plot isn't the worst, and is surprisingly relevant to current affairs. Considering the ongoing debate over fracking and the fracking going on in Lancashire (30 mins down the road from where I live), I was impressed at the relevance even if they didn't really touch on any of the serious issues. The start of the story is a little bit cliched too. Fish out of water Northerner going to a posh Southern boarding school? Some originality would be nice, as a northerner myself it's gets a little frustrating seeing so many films choose this sort of plot mechanism.
The creatures themselves are underdeveloped and aren't scary, although the amount of blood and gore was a nice touch. And it all just gets a little bit silly and ridiculous with them towards the end, which is a shame as there was some potential hidden here somewhere.
That said, as horror comedies go it's fairly inoffensive. Whilst I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to watch it, if you're ever at a loss for something easy to watch, there are worse films you could choose. Just don't expect another of the Cornetto films...
The problem is that this film has a stellar cast with impressive comedy credentials, yet apart from one or two titters, it just isn't funny. The humour falls completely flat. Michael Sheen, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost ham it up the best they can but their performances border on cringeworthy. Even the cameo from Margot Robbie is wasted. I did quite like Asa Butterfield though, who managed to get away with some of the best lines in the film.
The plot isn't the worst, and is surprisingly relevant to current affairs. Considering the ongoing debate over fracking and the fracking going on in Lancashire (30 mins down the road from where I live), I was impressed at the relevance even if they didn't really touch on any of the serious issues. The start of the story is a little bit cliched too. Fish out of water Northerner going to a posh Southern boarding school? Some originality would be nice, as a northerner myself it's gets a little frustrating seeing so many films choose this sort of plot mechanism.
The creatures themselves are underdeveloped and aren't scary, although the amount of blood and gore was a nice touch. And it all just gets a little bit silly and ridiculous with them towards the end, which is a shame as there was some potential hidden here somewhere.
That said, as horror comedies go it's fairly inoffensive. Whilst I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to watch it, if you're ever at a loss for something easy to watch, there are worse films you could choose. Just don't expect another of the Cornetto films...
Little Ray Of Sunshine (41 KP) rated The Lemon Grove in Books
Jan 11, 2019 (Updated Feb 10, 2019)
Book Review | The Lemon Grove by Helen Walsh
I haven't heard of this book and author before but I saw this book in the charity shop and the front cover grabbed my eye. I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but I always do lol. I'm like a magpie shiny bright colours on the cover drew me in.
I did then read the blurb and the story intrigue me as I ain't read this sort of book before but I'm trying to widen my variety of genre I read as I always read romance.
The story is about Jenn and her husband Greg. They have returned to their beloved rented villa in Deia in West Coast of Mallorca.
They usually go here by theirselves each year but this year her husband's daughter Emma wants to come along with her new boyfriend Nathan. So while her step daughter Emma is settling into the villa in the spare room her boyfriend decides to go in the swimming pool in the back garden. Jenn is drawn to this guy by hes body and she starts to see that he loves the attention from her and he likes her. She starts getting obsessed with him being around and they start a sordid affair. She loved the fact that his younger and brings her sexy side to her out. This is all happening right under the nose of her husband and step daughter and you grabbed by the story as you wondering what is going to happen are they gonna get caught.
You need to read it to find out for yourself. It's just the ending I wanted more but you tell me what you think when you read it.
I do book reviews on my blog xxlittlerayofsunshinexx.blogspot.co.uk, Please could you check it out.
I did then read the blurb and the story intrigue me as I ain't read this sort of book before but I'm trying to widen my variety of genre I read as I always read romance.
The story is about Jenn and her husband Greg. They have returned to their beloved rented villa in Deia in West Coast of Mallorca.
They usually go here by theirselves each year but this year her husband's daughter Emma wants to come along with her new boyfriend Nathan. So while her step daughter Emma is settling into the villa in the spare room her boyfriend decides to go in the swimming pool in the back garden. Jenn is drawn to this guy by hes body and she starts to see that he loves the attention from her and he likes her. She starts getting obsessed with him being around and they start a sordid affair. She loved the fact that his younger and brings her sexy side to her out. This is all happening right under the nose of her husband and step daughter and you grabbed by the story as you wondering what is going to happen are they gonna get caught.
You need to read it to find out for yourself. It's just the ending I wanted more but you tell me what you think when you read it.
I do book reviews on my blog xxlittlerayofsunshinexx.blogspot.co.uk, Please could you check it out.
Debbiereadsbook (1511 KP) rated Becoming Magic (Sleight of Hand #5) in Books
Dec 10, 2018
Not really one for me :-(
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I'm jumping straight in here, because this is one of those reviews that is going to be difficult to write!
Overall, I liked this book. Mostly.
It's reasonably well written, from both Carole and Connor's points of view, so that was good. I didn't see any spelling or editing errors to spoil my reading.
It just didn't grab me! I found myself wanting more, from Connor, about that break up with his ex-co-star. From Carole about what happened all those years ago in Hollywood. From them both, about each other, their feelings. . . . I. . . . just . . . .
Wanted MORE!!!! And I can't word just WHAT I wanted, and that's why this is a hard review to write, cos I cannot, for the life of me, find the right words, and you know how much that PAINS me!
It does deal with some difficult topics: being drugged and a sexual assault. It deals with these in a sensitive manner, but needs to be mentioned. I also found the assault story arc a little bit too much like what's going in the the REAL Hollywood right now, with the growing list of high powered Hollywood men being accused of various assaults. Maybe that's where the author got the inspiration from, I dunno, but I found it a little too much like it, you know??
This is book 5 in the Sleight of Hand series, and I have not read the others. I did not feel I was missing anything, by not reading them And although Sabrina and Walter (book4) play a huge part here, I didn't feel I HAD to have read their story before this one.
So, I'm sorry, but not one for me.
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I'm jumping straight in here, because this is one of those reviews that is going to be difficult to write!
Overall, I liked this book. Mostly.
It's reasonably well written, from both Carole and Connor's points of view, so that was good. I didn't see any spelling or editing errors to spoil my reading.
It just didn't grab me! I found myself wanting more, from Connor, about that break up with his ex-co-star. From Carole about what happened all those years ago in Hollywood. From them both, about each other, their feelings. . . . I. . . . just . . . .
Wanted MORE!!!! And I can't word just WHAT I wanted, and that's why this is a hard review to write, cos I cannot, for the life of me, find the right words, and you know how much that PAINS me!
It does deal with some difficult topics: being drugged and a sexual assault. It deals with these in a sensitive manner, but needs to be mentioned. I also found the assault story arc a little bit too much like what's going in the the REAL Hollywood right now, with the growing list of high powered Hollywood men being accused of various assaults. Maybe that's where the author got the inspiration from, I dunno, but I found it a little too much like it, you know??
This is book 5 in the Sleight of Hand series, and I have not read the others. I did not feel I was missing anything, by not reading them And although Sabrina and Walter (book4) play a huge part here, I didn't feel I HAD to have read their story before this one.
So, I'm sorry, but not one for me.
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Krampus in Books
Dec 17, 2018
A dark fairytale with occasional illustrations
Let's head into Christmas with something out of the ordinary, shall we? This was one heck of a dark fairytale, set in West Virginia, in a town where everyone knows everyone and the head of police is in cahoots with the local crime lord.
The story opens on Christmas Eve with Jesse Walker, failed husband and father, depressed, alone, and contemplating suicide, until he sees Santa Claus attacked and fleeing into the sky, leaving behind his magic sack. What he doesn't know is that Santa's attackers are mostly after the magic sack, and what he thinks is his salvation turns out to be what traps him into everything that follows.
And what follows is a thrillride! Jesse is roped into being one of Krampus' servants, along with his belsnickels, people Krampus has lent a portion of his magic to. The magic twists them into fur-covered monsters, but also grants them healing and near-immortality.
Between trying to rekindle the lost traditions of Yule and hunting down Santa Claus to end him for good, Jesse also struggles to save his wife and daughter from the possibly-murderous cop they're living with.
By the end of the book I wasn't sure who to cheer for, other than Jesse and one of the belsnickels, Isabel. But Krampus? He might be right, but is he good? I'm not sure. Similarly, except for his millennia-past misdeeds, Santa is good NOW. But I'm not sure he's right. In an ideal world, the two of them could come to some compromise and apologize to each other, but this is a dark fairytale, so of course that's not the case!
I enjoyed this book, even if there wasn't a lot of happiness in it. It definitely embodies the Appalachia Gothic idea.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
The story opens on Christmas Eve with Jesse Walker, failed husband and father, depressed, alone, and contemplating suicide, until he sees Santa Claus attacked and fleeing into the sky, leaving behind his magic sack. What he doesn't know is that Santa's attackers are mostly after the magic sack, and what he thinks is his salvation turns out to be what traps him into everything that follows.
And what follows is a thrillride! Jesse is roped into being one of Krampus' servants, along with his belsnickels, people Krampus has lent a portion of his magic to. The magic twists them into fur-covered monsters, but also grants them healing and near-immortality.
Between trying to rekindle the lost traditions of Yule and hunting down Santa Claus to end him for good, Jesse also struggles to save his wife and daughter from the possibly-murderous cop they're living with.
By the end of the book I wasn't sure who to cheer for, other than Jesse and one of the belsnickels, Isabel. But Krampus? He might be right, but is he good? I'm not sure. Similarly, except for his millennia-past misdeeds, Santa is good NOW. But I'm not sure he's right. In an ideal world, the two of them could come to some compromise and apologize to each other, but this is a dark fairytale, so of course that's not the case!
I enjoyed this book, even if there wasn't a lot of happiness in it. It definitely embodies the Appalachia Gothic idea.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Of Fire and Stars (Of Fire and Stars #1) in Books
Dec 25, 2018
Having read the prequel to this book already, I can see why a lot of people complained about the lack of worldbuilding. Even though the prequel is based in a neighboring country, there's a lot in this book that I understood based on events in Inkmistress. I definitely recommend reading that one first.
That said, I enjoyed this book a lot. I think Inkmistress is better, but that happens often with new authors. I think the sequel, Of Ice and Shadows, due out this summer, will probably be even better, and should bring the events of the previous two books together.
Like Inkmistress, bisexuality seems to be absolutely normal in Denna's country, with Denna not expressing a preference, Mare having had male and female lovers, and one of Denna's ladies having a female lover. (There is a brief mention of a gay couple as well.) I do wish nonbinary people would make an appearance, but it's something, at least.
There are a lot of twists and turns to the plot in this book, so while Inkmistress was fairly straightforward, this one took me by surprise multiple times. It also makes it much harder to talk about the plot without giving anything away!
I wish we'd discovered more about the King's council - several members of it seemed to have ulterior motives but we never got to see what those were. If we knew their motivations, some things might make a lot more sense and be a lot more satisfying.
Read Inkmistress. If you like the world, go ahead and read this book, because the events of this will be necessary to understand the third book, which takes us back to the country featured in Inkmistress. And I want to know more about that country!
You can read all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
That said, I enjoyed this book a lot. I think Inkmistress is better, but that happens often with new authors. I think the sequel, Of Ice and Shadows, due out this summer, will probably be even better, and should bring the events of the previous two books together.
Like Inkmistress, bisexuality seems to be absolutely normal in Denna's country, with Denna not expressing a preference, Mare having had male and female lovers, and one of Denna's ladies having a female lover. (There is a brief mention of a gay couple as well.) I do wish nonbinary people would make an appearance, but it's something, at least.
There are a lot of twists and turns to the plot in this book, so while Inkmistress was fairly straightforward, this one took me by surprise multiple times. It also makes it much harder to talk about the plot without giving anything away!
I wish we'd discovered more about the King's council - several members of it seemed to have ulterior motives but we never got to see what those were. If we knew their motivations, some things might make a lot more sense and be a lot more satisfying.
Read Inkmistress. If you like the world, go ahead and read this book, because the events of this will be necessary to understand the third book, which takes us back to the country featured in Inkmistress. And I want to know more about that country!
You can read all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Upgrade (2018) in Movies
Aug 16, 2019
Robocop meets All of Me?
I found this film in a bargain bin at my local video shop for only $1 to purchase and after reading many good reviews I thought I couldn't go wrong and I was right.
Maybe a sci-fi/horror version of "The Six Million Dollar Man" is more appropriate.
In the future, a man and his wife have a car accident. Afterwards the woman is murdered and the man is shot leaving him paralyzed. Rather than living life with a severe handicap, the man decides to undergo an experimental medical procedure which would give him augmented abilities through the implantation of a mysterious computer chip which would control his ability to walk and use his arms.
Once he is back to "normal" he feels compelled to investigate the circumstances of his wife's death and hunt down those responsible. His ability start to manifest themselves once he is interacting with his new friend STEM.
His quest for vengeance and justice leads him through some interesting twists and turns before its unexpected conclusion.
This films pulls no punches (literally) and some of the fight scenes are not only well choreographed, but downright vicious and gory. The inaction between the main character and his mind are cool and unexpected. Even though you feel like you have seen this before in other movies, this one takes a fresh spin and keeps you guessing the majority of the time.
It appears writer/director Leigh Whannell (who also wrote the original Saw) is headed for great things probably because of this film as IMDb lists remakes of The Invisible Man and Escape From New York as his next projects.
Maybe a sci-fi/horror version of "The Six Million Dollar Man" is more appropriate.
In the future, a man and his wife have a car accident. Afterwards the woman is murdered and the man is shot leaving him paralyzed. Rather than living life with a severe handicap, the man decides to undergo an experimental medical procedure which would give him augmented abilities through the implantation of a mysterious computer chip which would control his ability to walk and use his arms.
Once he is back to "normal" he feels compelled to investigate the circumstances of his wife's death and hunt down those responsible. His ability start to manifest themselves once he is interacting with his new friend STEM.
His quest for vengeance and justice leads him through some interesting twists and turns before its unexpected conclusion.
This films pulls no punches (literally) and some of the fight scenes are not only well choreographed, but downright vicious and gory. The inaction between the main character and his mind are cool and unexpected. Even though you feel like you have seen this before in other movies, this one takes a fresh spin and keeps you guessing the majority of the time.
It appears writer/director Leigh Whannell (who also wrote the original Saw) is headed for great things probably because of this film as IMDb lists remakes of The Invisible Man and Escape From New York as his next projects.
Elli H Burton (1288 KP) rated Game Of Thrones - Season 8 in TV
Aug 11, 2019
The battle of winterfell was good (1 more)
Arya.
Rushed (2 more)
The battle of winterfell was dark as anything. Clearly
a production problem not our TVS!!!
Spoilers ruined this season finale, making it predictable and not worth watching tbh.
Such a disappointment
I don't like to include spoilers in my reviews as it ruins it for people who haven't seen it. Although the following is quite negative I would urge people to watch this series and make their own minds up about it. It has some awesome moments that had the essence of the good thrones series. G.O.T. fan when this season started I counted down minutes until I could watch it (yes I'm that sad). All I found after 2 years of waiting was a rushed finale that could have used atleast 2 more episodes or even another series. Despite the fantastic actors they have in thrones, the writer's clearly just wanted to get this over and done with. It is rumoured that George R.R. Martin wanted 2 more series after S.8 (he had written up to series 5 i believe). Series 6 and 7 weren't awful but definitely not as good as the first 5, this was the final nail in what was a perfect coffin.
I would have preferred to wait longer to get what the person that created the world wanted than writers just winging it. It's been months since the finale and I haven't been able to bring myself to watch it anymore if I'm honest.
Again, I know how sad it sounds but I am actually heartbroken as it was a finale so many had waited for and it just didn't live up to true thrones standards.
Granted some bits were brilliant, but unfortunately the pros of this series do not outway the cons.
I would have preferred to wait longer to get what the person that created the world wanted than writers just winging it. It's been months since the finale and I haven't been able to bring myself to watch it anymore if I'm honest.
Again, I know how sad it sounds but I am actually heartbroken as it was a finale so many had waited for and it just didn't live up to true thrones standards.
Granted some bits were brilliant, but unfortunately the pros of this series do not outway the cons.