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The Witless Protection Program
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In the fifth Catering Hall Mystery by Agatha Award-winning author Maria DiRico, series sleuth Mia...
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Also read my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/beyond-belief-my-secret-life-inside-scientology-and-my-harrowing-escape-by-jenna-miscavige
<i>3.5 stars</i>
<b><i>The problem is that Scientology is a system that makes it nearly impossible for you to think for yourself.</b></i>
What is Scientology? Is it a religion or is it just a way of life? I can’t quite get my head around it. I also can’t get my head around the fact that Scientology has become such a widely followed… thing. L. Ron Hubbard, was a sci-fi author, an adulterer (he eloped with his 2nd wife while still married to his first wife), an abuser, a hypocrite and a criminal. Did you know, when he <i>kidnapped</i> his 2nd wife, he told her she would never see her baby again if she didn’t go with him. He then, obviously, retracted this statement and told her that he’d “chopped the child into little pieces and watched them float down a river” and it was her fault he had done so, because she had left him. What kind of sick maniac was this man, and <i>why</i> do people follow his beliefs? No wonder he thinks psychiatry is evil, they obviously all told him he was medically insane and he refused to believe it because his ego was so big.
Scientology is just a big manipulation machine. Do as you’re told or you get humiliated - it’s disgusting.
<b><i>Anyway,</b></i> on to a review of the actual novel, not just the religion/following (which clearly I have some issues with).
Reading all about Jenna’s life in Scientology from such a young age is certainly eye opening and while a lot of people are saying she gives us too much information, I actually thinks it’s great that she’s included so much of what she did day in and day out throughout her progression in Scientology because it really gives us an insight into how messed up being in the Sea Org is and Scientology as a whole.
The humiliation and abuse she was put through, all because she did something as trivial as fancying a guy with a lower title than her or wanting to call her parents, is absolutely horrid and I’m amazed she’s come out of this life long experience rather normally. That being said, this isn’t as juicy as I was hoping it would be. I’m glad she wasn’t beaten and physically harmed in anyway, but I was lead to believe this was going a bit more terrifying by the “My Harrowing Escape” part of the title. Don’t get me wrong, Jenna went through some awful, awful stuff, I’m not discounting that at all, but… I don’t know, it just wasn’t macabre enough for me, as horrible as that sounds.
This is definitely a great book if you want to get a better look into life as a Scientologist, it gives you plenty of insider info, but I wouldn’t say it was the best of these kinds of book that I’ve read, though it’s probably the best about Scientology.
<i>3.5 stars</i>
<b><i>The problem is that Scientology is a system that makes it nearly impossible for you to think for yourself.</b></i>
What is Scientology? Is it a religion or is it just a way of life? I can’t quite get my head around it. I also can’t get my head around the fact that Scientology has become such a widely followed… thing. L. Ron Hubbard, was a sci-fi author, an adulterer (he eloped with his 2nd wife while still married to his first wife), an abuser, a hypocrite and a criminal. Did you know, when he <i>kidnapped</i> his 2nd wife, he told her she would never see her baby again if she didn’t go with him. He then, obviously, retracted this statement and told her that he’d “chopped the child into little pieces and watched them float down a river” and it was her fault he had done so, because she had left him. What kind of sick maniac was this man, and <i>why</i> do people follow his beliefs? No wonder he thinks psychiatry is evil, they obviously all told him he was medically insane and he refused to believe it because his ego was so big.
Scientology is just a big manipulation machine. Do as you’re told or you get humiliated - it’s disgusting.
<b><i>Anyway,</b></i> on to a review of the actual novel, not just the religion/following (which clearly I have some issues with).
Reading all about Jenna’s life in Scientology from such a young age is certainly eye opening and while a lot of people are saying she gives us too much information, I actually thinks it’s great that she’s included so much of what she did day in and day out throughout her progression in Scientology because it really gives us an insight into how messed up being in the Sea Org is and Scientology as a whole.
The humiliation and abuse she was put through, all because she did something as trivial as fancying a guy with a lower title than her or wanting to call her parents, is absolutely horrid and I’m amazed she’s come out of this life long experience rather normally. That being said, this isn’t as juicy as I was hoping it would be. I’m glad she wasn’t beaten and physically harmed in anyway, but I was lead to believe this was going a bit more terrifying by the “My Harrowing Escape” part of the title. Don’t get me wrong, Jenna went through some awful, awful stuff, I’m not discounting that at all, but… I don’t know, it just wasn’t macabre enough for me, as horrible as that sounds.
This is definitely a great book if you want to get a better look into life as a Scientologist, it gives you plenty of insider info, but I wouldn’t say it was the best of these kinds of book that I’ve read, though it’s probably the best about Scientology.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Luca (2021) in Movies
Jun 16, 2021
The artists at Disney and Pixar have returned with a new animated film “Luca” which will debut on Disney+ on June 18th.
The film introduces audiences to Luca (Jacob Tremblay); a young Sea Monster who lives with his family and fellow fish off the coast of a small town in Italy. Luca is warned not to go on the surface and to avoid humans at all costs by his parents.
When a rebellious Sea Monster named Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer); happens upon Luca and gets him to the surface; Luca discovers that he and Alberto appear as human boys when their skin is no longer wet.
Fascinated by the rebellious life Alberto leads and amazed by what he sees upon his brief land excursions; Luca looks for new ways to find time on the surface which leads to him being more and more deceptive to his parents.
In time Luca and Alberto head to the village and meet a spunky local girl named Giulia (Emma Berman); who is on a break from school and longs to win a local race in order to get back at the reigning champion and bully.
Luca and Alberto see the race as a chance to win money to buy their own Vespa which they see as the key to exploring the surface world which sets a chain of events into motion as their two worlds are about to collide leading up to the race.
The film is visually appealing, but the story for me dragged and did not have the spark and heart that have made countless PIXAR films enduring classics. While the characters were fine; they did not have the appeal or charisma that I have come to expect with the PIXAR brand.
There have been reports that after “SOUL” was moved from a theatrical release to streaming during the Pandemic that some at PIXAR were upset with the decision to make “Luca” a streaming option. My take is that it was 100% the correct decision as while it is an entertaining film; it is not one that is likely to light up the Box Office and is better suited for a streaming debut.
The biggest issue with “Luca” is that coming from a studio with such a long line of classics; it fails to reach the levels previously set and while entertaining comes up lacking.
3 stars out of 5
The film introduces audiences to Luca (Jacob Tremblay); a young Sea Monster who lives with his family and fellow fish off the coast of a small town in Italy. Luca is warned not to go on the surface and to avoid humans at all costs by his parents.
When a rebellious Sea Monster named Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer); happens upon Luca and gets him to the surface; Luca discovers that he and Alberto appear as human boys when their skin is no longer wet.
Fascinated by the rebellious life Alberto leads and amazed by what he sees upon his brief land excursions; Luca looks for new ways to find time on the surface which leads to him being more and more deceptive to his parents.
In time Luca and Alberto head to the village and meet a spunky local girl named Giulia (Emma Berman); who is on a break from school and longs to win a local race in order to get back at the reigning champion and bully.
Luca and Alberto see the race as a chance to win money to buy their own Vespa which they see as the key to exploring the surface world which sets a chain of events into motion as their two worlds are about to collide leading up to the race.
The film is visually appealing, but the story for me dragged and did not have the spark and heart that have made countless PIXAR films enduring classics. While the characters were fine; they did not have the appeal or charisma that I have come to expect with the PIXAR brand.
There have been reports that after “SOUL” was moved from a theatrical release to streaming during the Pandemic that some at PIXAR were upset with the decision to make “Luca” a streaming option. My take is that it was 100% the correct decision as while it is an entertaining film; it is not one that is likely to light up the Box Office and is better suited for a streaming debut.
The biggest issue with “Luca” is that coming from a studio with such a long line of classics; it fails to reach the levels previously set and while entertaining comes up lacking.
3 stars out of 5
MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated The Shape of Night in Books
Oct 11, 2019
This was a quick, fun read, and completely different from the author's previous titles - both her Rizzoli & Isles series and her stand-alone novels. I wouldn't call it romantic suspense, as it's being billed. There really isn't anything at all romantic about what happens to Ava. I'd call it paranormal mystery/suspense leaning toward gothic - and well done!
"After an unspeakable tragedy in Boston, Ava Collette flees to a remote village in Maine, where she rents an old house named Brodie’s Watch, hoping to work on a cookbook inspired by New England cuisine that she’s been trying to finish for months. In that isolated seaside mansion, Ava finally feels at peace . . . until she glimpses the long-dead sea captain who still resides there.
Rumor has it that Captain Jeremiah Brodie has haunted the house for more than a century. One night, Ava confronts the apparition, who feels all too real, and who welcomes her into his world—and into his arms. Even as Ava questions her own sanity, she eagerly looks forward to the captain’s ghostly visits. But she soon learns that the house she loves comes with a terrible secret, a secret that those in the village don’t want to reveal: Every woman who has ever lived in Brodie’s Watch has also died there. Is the ghost of Captain Brodie responsible, or is a flesh-and-blood killer at work?"
The descriptive passages are terrific, bringing a long-dead ghost to life in vivid detail. I had no trouble at all picturing the house as it was in the Captain's time, or believing the scenarios in which Ava found herself. I could absolutely see Hannibal the cat as he helped to rid the old house of its mouse population. I could almost taste the wonderful flavors in the meals Ava was testing for her cookbook. And I could very nearly smell the sea.
As with many of the author's previous works, she kept me guessing right up until the big reveal - which I did not see coming. The Shape of Night is a well-written, fast-paced read with a satisfying conclusion, and I'd love to see more like this from this author. (But of course, keep writing those Rizzoli & Isles stories, too, please.) 😊
"After an unspeakable tragedy in Boston, Ava Collette flees to a remote village in Maine, where she rents an old house named Brodie’s Watch, hoping to work on a cookbook inspired by New England cuisine that she’s been trying to finish for months. In that isolated seaside mansion, Ava finally feels at peace . . . until she glimpses the long-dead sea captain who still resides there.
Rumor has it that Captain Jeremiah Brodie has haunted the house for more than a century. One night, Ava confronts the apparition, who feels all too real, and who welcomes her into his world—and into his arms. Even as Ava questions her own sanity, she eagerly looks forward to the captain’s ghostly visits. But she soon learns that the house she loves comes with a terrible secret, a secret that those in the village don’t want to reveal: Every woman who has ever lived in Brodie’s Watch has also died there. Is the ghost of Captain Brodie responsible, or is a flesh-and-blood killer at work?"
The descriptive passages are terrific, bringing a long-dead ghost to life in vivid detail. I had no trouble at all picturing the house as it was in the Captain's time, or believing the scenarios in which Ava found herself. I could absolutely see Hannibal the cat as he helped to rid the old house of its mouse population. I could almost taste the wonderful flavors in the meals Ava was testing for her cookbook. And I could very nearly smell the sea.
As with many of the author's previous works, she kept me guessing right up until the big reveal - which I did not see coming. The Shape of Night is a well-written, fast-paced read with a satisfying conclusion, and I'd love to see more like this from this author. (But of course, keep writing those Rizzoli & Isles stories, too, please.) 😊
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MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Phoebe's Light (Nantucket Legacy #1) in Books
Mar 5, 2019
Phoebe's Light is the first book in suzanne Fisher's Nantucket Legacy. In this first book, we find our main character Phoebe Starbuck a Quaker on her 18th birthday; September 8th, 1767. Her father Barnabas decides it is time to pass along Great Mary's journal. Great Mary was Pheobe's great-grandmother and was well known for her wisdom.
Not only excited for her birthday, but the ship Fortuna has arrived in port. Phoebe has always imagined that she loved older widowed captain and she hopes to finally capture his attention. When Phoebe runs into the captain he is very interested in Phoebe's birthday gift and wants to read this journal for himself.
Soon Phoebe finds herself married to the captain Phineas Foulger and on a voyage with two things, her great grandmother's journal and a man sent by her father to mind her; Matthew Macy a cooper whom she once loved until he turned away from God.
Pheobe soon finds that life at sea is not the trip she envisioned. Seasick and disillusioned, she turns to the pages of great-grandmother Mary's journal and she finds a secret that has consequences for everyone on the ship.
This is a book that the reader will find hard to put down. Full of history and mystery; the plot takes the readers on many twists and turns and keeps your interest going.
I truly enjoyed this book and found it difficult to put down. Anyone who loves historical fiction will love this book. The author has done her research well and brought this research to life in her novels. I look forward to the next book in the series "Minding the Light".
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Not only excited for her birthday, but the ship Fortuna has arrived in port. Phoebe has always imagined that she loved older widowed captain and she hopes to finally capture his attention. When Phoebe runs into the captain he is very interested in Phoebe's birthday gift and wants to read this journal for himself.
Soon Phoebe finds herself married to the captain Phineas Foulger and on a voyage with two things, her great grandmother's journal and a man sent by her father to mind her; Matthew Macy a cooper whom she once loved until he turned away from God.
Pheobe soon finds that life at sea is not the trip she envisioned. Seasick and disillusioned, she turns to the pages of great-grandmother Mary's journal and she finds a secret that has consequences for everyone on the ship.
This is a book that the reader will find hard to put down. Full of history and mystery; the plot takes the readers on many twists and turns and keeps your interest going.
I truly enjoyed this book and found it difficult to put down. Anyone who loves historical fiction will love this book. The author has done her research well and brought this research to life in her novels. I look forward to the next book in the series "Minding the Light".
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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