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Awix (3310 KP) rated The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999) in Movies

May 3, 2019

Sprawling, episodic historical drama which brought the Hollywood career of Luc Besson to a firm stop. 15th century France is invaded by the English, but leading the resistance is a teenage girl who believes she can hear the voice of God. She may be able to defeat the invaders, but can she survive the snake pit of court and church politics?

So: Joan of Arc, an iconic, legendary, complex figure, is brought to the screen by Milla Jovovich, whose performance mostly consists of her rolling her eyes a lot and squeaking. No matter how distinguished the rest of the cast, or how well staged the various massed battle scenes, this is a problem which any film would struggle to overcome. Some other odd creative choices don't help much (Dustin Hoffman turns up as the embodiment of Joan's self-doubt). Still, there is a genuine sense of the medieval grotesque, and Besson is very much in his comfort zone during the battles. Certainly a brave and imaginative take on history, but the end result is too close to Monty Python and the Holy Grail for comfort.

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Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Get a Move On, Neuron! in Books

Jun 18, 2018

Get a Move On, Neuron! by Philip R. Kennedy presents a basic description of brain function to young readers who enjoy science.

Throughout the book the reader goes on a tour of the brain learning about different brain functions. The reader learn about some interesting issues during the tour; such as, memory, self-awareness, and emotions. Each brief chapter ends with a series of questions that recap and review the material. I find the questions a bit distracting since the answers are not provided. The illustrations are nice and helpful. The illustrations are not overly busy, in fact, they help emphasize the topic being discussed. A friendly looking neuron is the "instructor".

Young readers who enjoy science will enjoy this book and will learn a lot of interesting brain facts from this book. This book could be used within the science classroom for going beyond the lesson when discussing brain function.

I give this book 3/5 stars being of the continual repetition which caused the book to come off as boring at times.

I received this book from Choice Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kudos

Merissa (12681 KP) rated The Elevator (Close Proximity #1) in Books

Jul 19, 2018

The Elevator (Close Proximity #1)

Erin M. Leaf | 2018 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

The Elevator (Close Proximity #1) by Erin M. Leaf

The Elevator is the first in the Close Proximity series, which from the looks of this book, is going to be short and steamy reads!

Adrian is a self-proclaimed geek, and works hard for a company that doesn't really appear to deserve him. Greyson is the owner of the building, definitely a millionaire but probably a multi-billionaire, and has his sights set on Adrian.

This is a short story, so expect a fast pace. The whole story takes place from Friday through Monday, so don't expect too much detail. The details you do get though, are brilliant and really help to see all the characters. It is well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. I would recommend this read as perfect for a coffee break book, so long as you don't mind being hot under the collar!

More in this series? Bring it on!

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

Kudos

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1) in Books

Aug 16, 2019

I've been in such a YA mood lately and determined to work on my self-imposed #readwhatyouown challenge, so I picked up this one, the first in a trilogy.

I couldn't help but compare this book to Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before series, but Belly (yes, they call this poor girl Belly) is no Lara Jean.

This is a rather predictable yet fun book as Belly returns to the beach house where she spends each summer with her Mom; her Mom's best friend Susannah; and Susannah's two sons, teenage Conrad and Jeremiah. This summer, Belly is fifteen and growing up--and it seems like everything is changing.

So I resented that Belly supposedly only deserved attention because she was now "pretty," though thankfully another boy comes on the scene who appreciates her for more than her looks. Still, I must admit, I was caught up in the book's drama, and this was pretty much the diversion and break from thrillers that I as seeking. And it definitely made me yearn for the beach. I won't lie, I'll probably check out the second book in the series out of curiosity, despite my complaints. 2.5/3 stars.