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Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon in Books
Dec 29, 2020
I'd never heard of this Stephen King novel before but that's the joys of charity shops. The blurb on the back book didn't give much away and going into any King book blind can be a bit of a gamble, will it be horror, dark tower related, Shining related or some kind of hybrid. Oddly 'The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon' doesn't necessarily fit into any of these category's.
Set in Mane (Like a lot of Kings works.) 'The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon' follows 9 year old Trisha McFarland as she gets lost in the wood whilst on a hike with her mother and brother. The story is more about coping with horror than an actual horror story as Trisha tries to find her way out of the woods whilst having to contend with the changing landscape, dead animals, hunger, thirst and exposure. Oh and there may or may not be something stalking her and that's the real extent of the horror, the 'not knowing' what's out there. There is no 'Dark man' or plague and no one has any shine, the story is just a little girl trying to find her way home. King mix's the real threats with those of Trisha's imagination , blurring the line so that, by the end the reader is not sure what really happened. Pushed to her limits Trisha is forced to dwell on the nature of god(s) and whether she should wait for a miracle or try to save her self .
Overall a good book that is slightly different to Kings other works and, at just over 200 pages (the copy I read) it's a refreshingly quick read
Set in Mane (Like a lot of Kings works.) 'The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon' follows 9 year old Trisha McFarland as she gets lost in the wood whilst on a hike with her mother and brother. The story is more about coping with horror than an actual horror story as Trisha tries to find her way out of the woods whilst having to contend with the changing landscape, dead animals, hunger, thirst and exposure. Oh and there may or may not be something stalking her and that's the real extent of the horror, the 'not knowing' what's out there. There is no 'Dark man' or plague and no one has any shine, the story is just a little girl trying to find her way home. King mix's the real threats with those of Trisha's imagination , blurring the line so that, by the end the reader is not sure what really happened. Pushed to her limits Trisha is forced to dwell on the nature of god(s) and whether she should wait for a miracle or try to save her self .
Overall a good book that is slightly different to Kings other works and, at just over 200 pages (the copy I read) it's a refreshingly quick read
Kristina (502 KP) rated Consequences (Consequences, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2020
My main thought when I finished Consequences: WTF?!?
At the beginning, I was a little weary of continuing to read it. I initially hoped Aleatha planned to introduce some knight-in-shining-armor to save Claire from the monster that is Anthony. When I got far enough to realize that wasn't happening, I actually debated whether or not I should keep reading or come to a stop. It was a bit depressing and I hated (still do) Anthony with a passion. I didn't understand what the storyline could do for me. Luckily, I'm stubborn and I refused to quit reading. I'm really glad I did, because Consequences was totally worth reading all the way through. Despite a kind of lengthy, boring middle, the rest kept me intrigued and, sometimes, disgusted. Throughout the whole book, I kept saying, "I should stop reading. I'm definitely not reading the rest of this series." Of course, I did keep reading, and I definitely WANT to read the rest of this series. The ending was a complete shocker and I'm more than ready to figure out what happens in the second book.
That all being said, I've rated Consequences a 3, because there's not a 1/2 star option and I feel like 4 stars might be too much. I mainly rated it a 3 1/2, instead of a 4, because the book had my feelings stretched out beyond my normal limit. Normally, this would be a good thing, but some of the content is what officially determined my final rating. Despite only giving it a 3 1/2, I am very interested in finishing this series!
At the beginning, I was a little weary of continuing to read it. I initially hoped Aleatha planned to introduce some knight-in-shining-armor to save Claire from the monster that is Anthony. When I got far enough to realize that wasn't happening, I actually debated whether or not I should keep reading or come to a stop. It was a bit depressing and I hated (still do) Anthony with a passion. I didn't understand what the storyline could do for me. Luckily, I'm stubborn and I refused to quit reading. I'm really glad I did, because Consequences was totally worth reading all the way through. Despite a kind of lengthy, boring middle, the rest kept me intrigued and, sometimes, disgusted. Throughout the whole book, I kept saying, "I should stop reading. I'm definitely not reading the rest of this series." Of course, I did keep reading, and I definitely WANT to read the rest of this series. The ending was a complete shocker and I'm more than ready to figure out what happens in the second book.
That all being said, I've rated Consequences a 3, because there's not a 1/2 star option and I feel like 4 stars might be too much. I mainly rated it a 3 1/2, instead of a 4, because the book had my feelings stretched out beyond my normal limit. Normally, this would be a good thing, but some of the content is what officially determined my final rating. Despite only giving it a 3 1/2, I am very interested in finishing this series!
Sarah (7798 KP) rated A Few Good Men (1992) in Movies
Aug 1, 2020
Brilliantly done
I'm ashamed to say that until tonight, I'd never seen this film. I had thought it was just another monotonous and dull courtroom drama (despite knowing most people refer to it as a classic), however had I known this was written by Aaron Sorkin I would've watched it a long time ago!
The star of this film is by far Sorkin's script and writing. It isn't just a dreary by the bools legal drama, the script is spot on - it's whip sharp, witty and surprisingly funny at parts. This film keeps you hanging on every minute and guessing about the outcome. This paired with a truly phenomenal cast makes the movie a must see. I'm not the biggest fan of Tom Cruise, but he's an absolute star in this and displays a range I never thought possible from him. And then of course there's Jack Nicholson who manages to almost steal the show with his iconic line and speech, despite it really only being a minor part. And the rest of the cast too are really great, even Demi Moore who I've never thought much of either.
My only criticism of this film is that it may be overly long. Not massively, but at 2h15 I feel like it could've been cut down a little to around 2 hours without any real detriment to the story. But that said, this did pretty much hold my attention throughout and this is mainly due to Tom Cruise's performance and Sorkin's unbelievably brilliant script. If you're looking for a shining example of a courtroom drama, you can do no better than this.
The star of this film is by far Sorkin's script and writing. It isn't just a dreary by the bools legal drama, the script is spot on - it's whip sharp, witty and surprisingly funny at parts. This film keeps you hanging on every minute and guessing about the outcome. This paired with a truly phenomenal cast makes the movie a must see. I'm not the biggest fan of Tom Cruise, but he's an absolute star in this and displays a range I never thought possible from him. And then of course there's Jack Nicholson who manages to almost steal the show with his iconic line and speech, despite it really only being a minor part. And the rest of the cast too are really great, even Demi Moore who I've never thought much of either.
My only criticism of this film is that it may be overly long. Not massively, but at 2h15 I feel like it could've been cut down a little to around 2 hours without any real detriment to the story. But that said, this did pretty much hold my attention throughout and this is mainly due to Tom Cruise's performance and Sorkin's unbelievably brilliant script. If you're looking for a shining example of a courtroom drama, you can do no better than this.
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
10.0
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Once, in a cottage above the cliffs on the Dark Sea of Darkness, there lived three children and...
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Bronson (2009) in Movies
Nov 14, 2017
Beautifully Brutal
I saw this movie years ago and recently re-watched it. Tom Hardy has given some great performances over the years, but an argument could be made for this being his best. He is in almost every scene in the movie and he commands the screen masterfully. He is domineering yet endearing, in other words you can't take your eyes off of this guy, but you wouldn't want to be left in a room alone with him either. You really do get a sense of him being extremely dangerous and highly unpredictable.
The movie was directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and his unique directorial style works well in the context of this insane story. Refn clearly took influence from other stories of violent insanity, such as A Clockwork Orange and Natural Born Killers, but the movie wears this on its sleeve and never feels derivative for it. The cinematography and lighting are also well implanted in the film, shot by Larry Smith, who has previously worked with Kubrick on Eyes Wide Shut and The Shining. The addition of Smith's eerily pretty camera work adds to the off kilter tone that the movie maintains throughout.
I also like the way that this movie is structured. It comes across as erratic and unconventional, but this is intentional and serves the bizarre narrative perfectly. You have to remember that this is an insane person recalling his deranged memories to an audience inside his own head, it is going to be sporadic and manic at times.
Overall, I think Bronson is a fantastic view into a severely fractured psyche. It is a disturbing and intense watch, so it may not be for everyone, especially if aggressive violence bothers you, but I think it is a masterful film, with one of the greatest lead performances I have ever seen.
The movie was directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and his unique directorial style works well in the context of this insane story. Refn clearly took influence from other stories of violent insanity, such as A Clockwork Orange and Natural Born Killers, but the movie wears this on its sleeve and never feels derivative for it. The cinematography and lighting are also well implanted in the film, shot by Larry Smith, who has previously worked with Kubrick on Eyes Wide Shut and The Shining. The addition of Smith's eerily pretty camera work adds to the off kilter tone that the movie maintains throughout.
I also like the way that this movie is structured. It comes across as erratic and unconventional, but this is intentional and serves the bizarre narrative perfectly. You have to remember that this is an insane person recalling his deranged memories to an audience inside his own head, it is going to be sporadic and manic at times.
Overall, I think Bronson is a fantastic view into a severely fractured psyche. It is a disturbing and intense watch, so it may not be for everyone, especially if aggressive violence bothers you, but I think it is a masterful film, with one of the greatest lead performances I have ever seen.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Ready Player One (2018) in Movies
May 9, 2018
Visually stunning (1 more)
Definite improvements over the book (more accessible references)
Decent story, improvements over the book
I personally found this an improvement over the book. The John Hughes film references have been totally toned down and replaced by much better known references, and the D&D and ancient video game references have been almost totally removed. For me this was an improvement but that is because I had no connection to those games/films/D&D from the book. I'm not sure if this was to make the film more accessible or to simply make it a better film (I don't fancy watching geeks acting out Monty Python sketches).
Some major changes to characters irked me a little though - I-R0k goes from being an annoying wannabe fan-boy to a mercenary (albeit played brilliantly by TJ Miller) and Aech is much less Halliday-obsessed than in the book (where he trades obscure facts back and forth with Parzival) and hasn't even seen the Shining.
The puzzle solving aspects mirrored the book - it starts off being everything and over time, the solving of the riddles becomes a minor plot point that is just mentioned rather than any exposition. And similarly to the book, there are red herrings, however clumsy and unintentional - Parzival only gets the quarter because of following the wrong lead, the same as in the book (which annoyed me then too).
The scene in the nightclub was a total waste of time and effort, though the CGI was incredible (but then that was the only point of the scene).
I am glad the 80s references were toned down quite a lot otherwise it would have been incredibly annoying. Similarly, the tasks and missions were made much more movie-friendly.
All in all, a very good film
Some major changes to characters irked me a little though - I-R0k goes from being an annoying wannabe fan-boy to a mercenary (albeit played brilliantly by TJ Miller) and Aech is much less Halliday-obsessed than in the book (where he trades obscure facts back and forth with Parzival) and hasn't even seen the Shining.
The puzzle solving aspects mirrored the book - it starts off being everything and over time, the solving of the riddles becomes a minor plot point that is just mentioned rather than any exposition. And similarly to the book, there are red herrings, however clumsy and unintentional - Parzival only gets the quarter because of following the wrong lead, the same as in the book (which annoyed me then too).
The scene in the nightclub was a total waste of time and effort, though the CGI was incredible (but then that was the only point of the scene).
I am glad the 80s references were toned down quite a lot otherwise it would have been incredibly annoying. Similarly, the tasks and missions were made much more movie-friendly.
All in all, a very good film
Nikki Massey (8 KP) rated Carrie in Books
Feb 7, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Stephen King has been on my 'must read' list for many years. I've always wanted to read his books but never plucked up the courage.
I finally went down to my local library and the librarian raved about him - which books were good, what collections were interesting, all about the films, TV shows, similar authors. I was sold!
I went in expecting Carrie to be this evil witch using her telekinesis to harm others. I ended up feeling so sorry for her and in some way able to relate to her. She had a difficult time through school, singled out for being different and getting bullied for it. I didn't enjoy school myself and the people who say that it is the best time of your life are highly mistaken and lying through their teeth.
Carrie was just pushed one too many times and then all hell is let loose at her Senior Prom.
I found the writing method quite different to anything I had read in the past. It is an epistolary novel - in that it uses clippings of newspapers, diary entries and such to get the story across. It is also quite unusual in that due to the clippings you find you know what has happened quite early on in the novel but not how. I guess that is what keeps you reading, to find out exactly how it panned out.
I finished with a few questions remaining but perhaps that is part of the joy of a good novel - it gets you thinking and you end up questioning what actually happened and researching possible alternative endings.
I have found my new favourite author in Stephen King and already have Salem's Lot, The Shining and The Stand on order from the library!
I finally went down to my local library and the librarian raved about him - which books were good, what collections were interesting, all about the films, TV shows, similar authors. I was sold!
I went in expecting Carrie to be this evil witch using her telekinesis to harm others. I ended up feeling so sorry for her and in some way able to relate to her. She had a difficult time through school, singled out for being different and getting bullied for it. I didn't enjoy school myself and the people who say that it is the best time of your life are highly mistaken and lying through their teeth.
Carrie was just pushed one too many times and then all hell is let loose at her Senior Prom.
I found the writing method quite different to anything I had read in the past. It is an epistolary novel - in that it uses clippings of newspapers, diary entries and such to get the story across. It is also quite unusual in that due to the clippings you find you know what has happened quite early on in the novel but not how. I guess that is what keeps you reading, to find out exactly how it panned out.
I finished with a few questions remaining but perhaps that is part of the joy of a good novel - it gets you thinking and you end up questioning what actually happened and researching possible alternative endings.
I have found my new favourite author in Stephen King and already have Salem's Lot, The Shining and The Stand on order from the library!
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated So Cold the River in Books
Feb 15, 2019
This book has taken me a long time to read and I never totally got into the story past the first part, which was intriguing. It's not that it was poorly written or the plot itself wasn't an interesting idea, but my attention strayed a lot, most likely due the length (about 500 pages) and how slowly the story moved. And while I believe that some slowness was necessary to build the tension, it just crawled through it towards the finish line, and I was bored more times than not. I can't say Eric or most of the characters were interesting, so I didn't care too much what happened to them. Although I did like Kellen and Anne and it's too bad they weren't in the book a bit more. Possibly some things could have been pared down for a better flow to the story, such as Eric's separation from his wife, which was overdone with more background information than was needed. Also, there could have been a little less time spent with Josiah, who was a loathsome character. Even if he was supposed to be a nasty individual, and essential to the plot, not everything from his point of view added to the book. The ending was okay, but didn't really fit where the book had been going beforehand. That's not to say there isn't something good here, for instance the atmosphere was well done and the bit of history thrown in about Pluto Water, the springs, West Baden, French Lick, and the hotels added to that. Maybe a couple more rewrites and this could have been a scary or thrilling horror story. As it stands, it just wasn't for me, so I'll stick with The Shining, which I couldn't help thinking about while reading So Cold the River.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Owned in Books
Apr 4, 2019
I wasn't quite sure what to read so I turned to my extremely large Kindle library to find a book that would hold my attention. I've never read a book by M. Never so I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised.
Owned deals with various dark and twisted themes. Readers should know that it deals with the following: Coercion, Kidnapping, Rape, & Abuse. If those themes are instant turn-offs, this book isn't for you. Personally, I love a good dark romance so this book was right up my alley.
I cannot give up too much of the plot but I will say that the characters were well written and the plot was intriguing. I was going to give it 4 1/2 caffeinated stars but I felt that at points the book lost track of the plot & sometimes things were divulged in too obvious of ways. I would have loved it if it flowed better and didn't feel forced at times.
The shining stars of the book were the main characters. Ellie & Kayne were so much fun to read about. I loved Ellie & her snark. The snarkiness was fun and made her more relatable. Kayne was interesting and kept my attention as well. I would have loved to learn more about him. I also LOVED Jett. He was such a fun character and I really can't wait to read more of this series.
All in all, the book was good and anyone that enjoys a good dark romance is sure to enjoy this one. It would also be a decent beginner book for people who want to dip their toes into dark romances. It wasn't too dark though it dealt with darker themes.
Owned deals with various dark and twisted themes. Readers should know that it deals with the following: Coercion, Kidnapping, Rape, & Abuse. If those themes are instant turn-offs, this book isn't for you. Personally, I love a good dark romance so this book was right up my alley.
I cannot give up too much of the plot but I will say that the characters were well written and the plot was intriguing. I was going to give it 4 1/2 caffeinated stars but I felt that at points the book lost track of the plot & sometimes things were divulged in too obvious of ways. I would have loved it if it flowed better and didn't feel forced at times.
The shining stars of the book were the main characters. Ellie & Kayne were so much fun to read about. I loved Ellie & her snark. The snarkiness was fun and made her more relatable. Kayne was interesting and kept my attention as well. I would have loved to learn more about him. I also LOVED Jett. He was such a fun character and I really can't wait to read more of this series.
All in all, the book was good and anyone that enjoys a good dark romance is sure to enjoy this one. It would also be a decent beginner book for people who want to dip their toes into dark romances. It wasn't too dark though it dealt with darker themes.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated One Knight Only (League of the Blade, #2) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
This was a cute little romance that I enjoyed the character that was all its own. There was nothing new about the plotline, a female wants to prove shes just as capable as one else (especially me) while her knight in shining armor tries his best to protect her from everything from highwaymen to assassins to spiders crawling in her shoes. It was just like any other romance about a knight falling in love with a maiden, and yet, Lathom added her own little touch of style to it to make it unique.
The story starts out with Anne Kendall masquerading as a woman of high society to save said women from being assassinated for information she knows. An organization called the League of the Blade considers Annes protection as one of their many duties for the betterment of the kingdom. Meanwhile, Sir Philip Clifford is acting like a pouting brat because he was not asked to join the League, which has been his lifelong goal. He first meets Anne at her mistresss house and they begin to become acquainted with each other even though Philip does not bed Anne, much to her humiliation. He tries to forget her as just a passing interest, and she tries to forget her feelings for him because she realizes she was just a skirt to him. Or so they think.
When Philip runs into her again masquerading as the widowed Lady Rosamond Wolsingham, they realize they that, basically, they still want in each others pant. After creeping into the window of her inn room, Philip doesnt really give her a choice in whether he travels with her in her journey to the king. Adventure ensues.
While I didnt find this novel particularly fascinating, it was still enjoyable.
The story starts out with Anne Kendall masquerading as a woman of high society to save said women from being assassinated for information she knows. An organization called the League of the Blade considers Annes protection as one of their many duties for the betterment of the kingdom. Meanwhile, Sir Philip Clifford is acting like a pouting brat because he was not asked to join the League, which has been his lifelong goal. He first meets Anne at her mistresss house and they begin to become acquainted with each other even though Philip does not bed Anne, much to her humiliation. He tries to forget her as just a passing interest, and she tries to forget her feelings for him because she realizes she was just a skirt to him. Or so they think.
When Philip runs into her again masquerading as the widowed Lady Rosamond Wolsingham, they realize they that, basically, they still want in each others pant. After creeping into the window of her inn room, Philip doesnt really give her a choice in whether he travels with her in her journey to the king. Adventure ensues.
While I didnt find this novel particularly fascinating, it was still enjoyable.