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This new, thoroughly updated fifth edition of Bradt's Serbia remains the most acclaimed guide...

Jonathan Donahue recommended track Seasons In the Sun by Terry Jacks in Starfish on the Beach by Terry Jacks in Music (curated)

Merissa (12971 KP) rated Bloodlaced (Youkai Bloodlines #1) in Books
May 7, 2021
BLOODLACED is the first book in the Youkai Bloodlines series, and I have to say I was blown away by this story. It is sad, it is hopeful; it is heart-warming, it is heart-breaking.
Asagi is neither man or woman, and their name reflects that. Sold as a child into a world of slavery, Asagi has been broken so many times. They will do what they need to, to protect those they claim. And when they take Tsukito as their own, they love him completely. Unfortunately, it isn't enough, and Asagi is sold once again, leaving his heart behind, and he can only fear for what will happen to Tsukito.
If you are looking for a light, fluffy book, then I implore you to look elsewhere. However, if you want a high-angst, incredibly sad story with highlights of happiness, then I can suggest you give this one a go.
There is so much character development for Asagi. They really do learn so much about themselves. Their love never falters but does change. Mahiro is constant and I can't help but wish for a happy ending for him.
One small thing - the ending. It about broke me! It really did. The only reason it didn't is because it almost felt over too soon. I know that doesn't make much sense, but if you read it, then you'll understand. There was no real build-up, just BOOM!! There is a snippet of hope left though, that a happy ending might be in sight... but not within the pages of this book. The author leaves that to the reader's imagination, and that is the perfect way to finish the story.
This book came as a surprise, and I am thrilled to have read it. I really can't wait for book 2. I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something a bit different to the usual vampire genre.
** 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!
Asagi is neither man or woman, and their name reflects that. Sold as a child into a world of slavery, Asagi has been broken so many times. They will do what they need to, to protect those they claim. And when they take Tsukito as their own, they love him completely. Unfortunately, it isn't enough, and Asagi is sold once again, leaving his heart behind, and he can only fear for what will happen to Tsukito.
If you are looking for a light, fluffy book, then I implore you to look elsewhere. However, if you want a high-angst, incredibly sad story with highlights of happiness, then I can suggest you give this one a go.
There is so much character development for Asagi. They really do learn so much about themselves. Their love never falters but does change. Mahiro is constant and I can't help but wish for a happy ending for him.
One small thing - the ending. It about broke me! It really did. The only reason it didn't is because it almost felt over too soon. I know that doesn't make much sense, but if you read it, then you'll understand. There was no real build-up, just BOOM!! There is a snippet of hope left though, that a happy ending might be in sight... but not within the pages of this book. The author leaves that to the reader's imagination, and that is the perfect way to finish the story.
This book came as a surprise, and I am thrilled to have read it. I really can't wait for book 2. I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something a bit different to the usual vampire genre.
** 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!

ClareR (5906 KP) rated Beautiful Shining People in Books
Aug 5, 2023
“”Beautiful, shining kami in the sky. All different. All unique. Just like us”…After that, whenever we went camping, I would always tell my parents I couldn’t wait until nightfall so I could see the beautiful shining people in the sky.”
I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this, but I quickly realised that I was loving what I was reading. I do like both speculative and science fiction, so I knew we’d be off to a good start.
This is so much more though. It’s about relationships, both with others and oneself. It’s about loneliness, feeling cut off from others and trying to make a connection.
Both John, a young American tech genius, and Neotnia, are loners. Neither of them want to be alone. John is trying to escape his past and his past self, and Neotnia wants to find her past. They’re both very caring, likeable characters, Neotnia in particular, especially in her interactions with the elderly residents of a home she volunteers at.
My particular favourite was the cafe owner and Neotnia’s guardian - Goeido. He has an interesting and sad past as a Sumo, and this is probably the reason why he is so protective towards Neotnia.
Some of the themes have their place in our society too. The rise of AI, tense relationships between superpowers, terrorist attacks, deep fakes, cyber attacks, fake news - all of these affect us today.
Tokyo as a setting was inspired. All of the AI and robots didn’t seem out of place. I mean, we expect them there, don’t we? Robots taking your order in a fast food restaurant and helping you with directions in the street seem not too far a reach of the imagination in Japan (you can probably tell I’ve never been there!).
The last chapter or so, was so powerful. It was sad and explained all of what had gone before. It was emotional, and the ending was perfect.
Many, many thanks to Orenda for sending me a copy as a part of their book club. I’m really glad I read it!
I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this, but I quickly realised that I was loving what I was reading. I do like both speculative and science fiction, so I knew we’d be off to a good start.
This is so much more though. It’s about relationships, both with others and oneself. It’s about loneliness, feeling cut off from others and trying to make a connection.
Both John, a young American tech genius, and Neotnia, are loners. Neither of them want to be alone. John is trying to escape his past and his past self, and Neotnia wants to find her past. They’re both very caring, likeable characters, Neotnia in particular, especially in her interactions with the elderly residents of a home she volunteers at.
My particular favourite was the cafe owner and Neotnia’s guardian - Goeido. He has an interesting and sad past as a Sumo, and this is probably the reason why he is so protective towards Neotnia.
Some of the themes have their place in our society too. The rise of AI, tense relationships between superpowers, terrorist attacks, deep fakes, cyber attacks, fake news - all of these affect us today.
Tokyo as a setting was inspired. All of the AI and robots didn’t seem out of place. I mean, we expect them there, don’t we? Robots taking your order in a fast food restaurant and helping you with directions in the street seem not too far a reach of the imagination in Japan (you can probably tell I’ve never been there!).
The last chapter or so, was so powerful. It was sad and explained all of what had gone before. It was emotional, and the ending was perfect.
Many, many thanks to Orenda for sending me a copy as a part of their book club. I’m really glad I read it!

Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Born To Be Blue (2016) in Movies
Sep 26, 2017
Seriously depressing, a masterful musician and his addiction
As a fan of jazz great Chet Baker, Born to be Blue is an honest and brutal portrayal of the trumpeter, especially during his worst time battling addiction. After a mysterious but vicious assault Baker, portrayed by Ethan Hawke, he is left unable to play and kicked out of the industry on parole.
While it is mostly accurate, his love interest is an amalgamation of his three ex-wives and so there is a bit of artistic licence. And at times it flips into flashbacks of black and white, which is a film in a film, when Baker played himself in his biopic. But mostly it's his relationship with heroin which he took until the end of his life in 1988, though the film only concentrates on his growing insecurity between 1950 and 1960.
It's sad knowing how it ends, too many talents lost in the haze of drugs.
While it is mostly accurate, his love interest is an amalgamation of his three ex-wives and so there is a bit of artistic licence. And at times it flips into flashbacks of black and white, which is a film in a film, when Baker played himself in his biopic. But mostly it's his relationship with heroin which he took until the end of his life in 1988, though the film only concentrates on his growing insecurity between 1950 and 1960.
It's sad knowing how it ends, too many talents lost in the haze of drugs.

Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Serpent's Shadow (Kane Chronicles #3) in Books
Jan 15, 2018
So sad to know that this is the last book in Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles. This trilogy has been my favorite of all his works by far! I'm hoping he will work Sadie, Carter, & Walt/Anubis into another series as the end left it pretty open to be picked up into the future with new Gods & magic trying to disrupt the ancient Egyptian beliefs.
This book was great! It was a satisfying ending to the series, despite the fact that it did leave things open to being picked up in the future. (Maybe he'll do something like he did with Percy Jackson & then Heroes of Olympus?!?) Again Sadie & Carter are such likable, believable, well-developed characters. The things they go through are extraordinary without a doubt, but they are so easy to identify with...which I'm sure helps with the appeal of the series to younger readers. But just because that is the target audience, doesn't mean an adult won't enjoy it.
The book is full of history, love, battles, & courage that it is very easy to get wrapped up in.
This book was great! It was a satisfying ending to the series, despite the fact that it did leave things open to being picked up in the future. (Maybe he'll do something like he did with Percy Jackson & then Heroes of Olympus?!?) Again Sadie & Carter are such likable, believable, well-developed characters. The things they go through are extraordinary without a doubt, but they are so easy to identify with...which I'm sure helps with the appeal of the series to younger readers. But just because that is the target audience, doesn't mean an adult won't enjoy it.
The book is full of history, love, battles, & courage that it is very easy to get wrapped up in.

Li Hughes (285 KP) rated I, Olga Hepnarová (Já, Olga Hepnarová) (2017) in Movies
Aug 6, 2017
I had never heard about this case before, so this was fascinating to me and I read up on the actual history before I watched the film. The film isn't too far off, though it does seem to fill in holes and exaggerate things as many movies do. The acting is very good, and the film's atmosphere makes it feel almost like an authentic product of the 70's at times. The depiction of Olga's mental illness is also very on point.
The iffy points for me: the plot can be very disjointed in places. Maybe it's because the subtitles lose part of the film's flow, but there were several points (when she moved to the cottage, when she got fired, etc.) where I had to stop and think about how we had gotten to that point. And the depiction of Olga's attempts to experiment and create relationships with both genders began to feel a bit exploitative, though maybe that was just me.
Overall, this was a very good movie about a very interesting and sad situation and woman.
The iffy points for me: the plot can be very disjointed in places. Maybe it's because the subtitles lose part of the film's flow, but there were several points (when she moved to the cottage, when she got fired, etc.) where I had to stop and think about how we had gotten to that point. And the depiction of Olga's attempts to experiment and create relationships with both genders began to feel a bit exploitative, though maybe that was just me.
Overall, this was a very good movie about a very interesting and sad situation and woman.

Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated American Pastoral (2016) in Movies
Aug 24, 2017
Ewan McGregor is brilliant (2 more)
Incredibly sad
Not bad adaptation of Philip Roth's book
Harrowing, tragic and moving
Philip Roth's tragic drama about the perfect high school couple and the disintegration of a family has finally made it on to the big screen. Set in the 1960's during massive political upheaval in America, it follows the story of a daughter who disappears after allegedly bombing a store, killing a clerk as part of a 'revolutionary' movement. Her father, played by Ewan McGregor, believes that she has been manipulated and that she is truly innocent throughout, even in the face of all opposing evidence. It's horrific seeing the mother and father's complete breakdown and it seems apparent the daughter Merry is suffering from a mental illness. There's hints of sexual abuse thought to have triggered her stutter, but it is extremely subtle.
It's really quite a sombre watch, especially given that the film begins with the father's funeral. Beautiful acting, but the daughter's character was extremely irritating.
It's really quite a sombre watch, especially given that the film begins with the father's funeral. Beautiful acting, but the daughter's character was extremely irritating.

Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Florence Foster Jenkins (2016) in Movies
Aug 15, 2017
Lighthearted at times, quite sad actually, but all a ball of fluff in the end
The story of Florence Foster Jenkins is ambivalent. On the one hand, it shows how money can buy anything, and the upper class privileges that allow anyone to get away with anything. At the same time, you feel sorry for FFJ because she's extremely ill, alone, and she sings terribly, because why the hell not? From being a piano prodigy to contracting syphilis on her wedding night by her ex-husband that destroyed her ability to play let alone hear the pitch of her own voice - so in the end you feel sympathy for her. After that, you witness the brilliant performance of Meryl Streep, who is actually a good singer in reality, having to sing in the most terrible tones possible. Hugh Grant, as per usual, is a sap because that's the only role he knows how to play. Overall, a bit of lighthearted fluff.

Sarah (7800 KP) rated One More Light by Linkin Park in Music
May 3, 2018 (Updated May 3, 2018)
A beautiful final album for Chester
I know a lot of people will hate this album because it's not like the Linkin Park of old - it's not heavy and instead is verging on mainstream and poppy. But going more mainstream worked for Coldplay and Muse, and personally i think it works well for Linkin Park too, it's just a shame this will be the last time we get something quite like this.
I think this album is very poignant and beautiful, and has some fantastic songs. Title track One More Light is by far my favourite even if it is a little sad - I dare you to listen to this & not be moved. Listening to this after Chester's death is very bittersweet, to have such a good album and realise that this album along with the rest will never be performed by Linkin Park as they were.
Its a very fitting final album for Chester - albeit maybe a little too disturbingly fitting if you listen closely to some of the lyrics. Such a shame.
I think this album is very poignant and beautiful, and has some fantastic songs. Title track One More Light is by far my favourite even if it is a little sad - I dare you to listen to this & not be moved. Listening to this after Chester's death is very bittersweet, to have such a good album and realise that this album along with the rest will never be performed by Linkin Park as they were.
Its a very fitting final album for Chester - albeit maybe a little too disturbingly fitting if you listen closely to some of the lyrics. Such a shame.