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Fatal Cajun Festival
10.0
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USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Ellen Byron cranks it up to eleven in the fifth fast...
Freedom's Song
8.0
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Her voice made her a riverboat's darling--and its prisoner. Now she's singing her way to freedom in...
Christian Fiction Romance Historical Historical Fiction
ClareR (5674 KP) rated The Water Dancer in Books
Feb 9, 2023
The Water Dancer byTa-Nehisi Coates is a book of contradictions: a book beautifully written about a shameful time in history.
Hiram is taken away from his mother as a child when she is sold to another owner. When his feats of memory are recognised by his owner/ father, he is taken in to the big house and educated. As he gets older, all Hiram wants is to be free to choose his own life and to have his own family.
When Hiram runs away, he eventually finds himself involved with the Underground Railway. And that is where he learns to control his ability to “conduct” himself to different places to help people.
I love magical realism and the way it makes us think about the way the world works in reality, as opposed to how we’d all like it to work. Hiram’s ability to conduct himself immediately to another place takes all the risk out of capture, the miles of struggle and needing to stay hidden. Of course, Hiram only gets to this stage after he experiences the trauma and inhumanity of being caught by the slave catchers himself.
I thoroughly enjoyed this - I listened on audiobook, and the narrator Joe Morton was amazing. Especially his singing - his voice just brought the characters to life.
A fabulous novel.
Hiram is taken away from his mother as a child when she is sold to another owner. When his feats of memory are recognised by his owner/ father, he is taken in to the big house and educated. As he gets older, all Hiram wants is to be free to choose his own life and to have his own family.
When Hiram runs away, he eventually finds himself involved with the Underground Railway. And that is where he learns to control his ability to “conduct” himself to different places to help people.
I love magical realism and the way it makes us think about the way the world works in reality, as opposed to how we’d all like it to work. Hiram’s ability to conduct himself immediately to another place takes all the risk out of capture, the miles of struggle and needing to stay hidden. Of course, Hiram only gets to this stage after he experiences the trauma and inhumanity of being caught by the slave catchers himself.
I thoroughly enjoyed this - I listened on audiobook, and the narrator Joe Morton was amazing. Especially his singing - his voice just brought the characters to life.
A fabulous novel.
Merissa (11950 KP) rated Awariye (Danubian #2) in Books
Oct 22, 2023
AWARIYE is the second book in the Danubian series, and I highly recommend you read Lantern first.
Awariye was mentioned in Wren's book. He was the bard that stayed with Wren all night, singing and reciting poetry, until Wren came back. Now we catch up with him when he is not doing too well. In fact, he becomes deathly ill. Igor is one of Uli's top soldiers and is happy to share his bed with the unwell bard if it will make him well again. The relationship between these two is soft and sweet, in keeping with Awariye's recovery.
The last part of the book deals more with the Lantern Gods than with Igor and Awariye, leading on to comments made by Uli about Wren changing and having to leave the castle. I would liked to have seen these changes, rather than just know about them through comments.
This was a great addition to the series that has left me wanting more. I'm really hoping the next story will help tie everything together and answer some of the questions I have.
A wonderful story and definitely recommended by me.
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 21, 2023
Awariye was mentioned in Wren's book. He was the bard that stayed with Wren all night, singing and reciting poetry, until Wren came back. Now we catch up with him when he is not doing too well. In fact, he becomes deathly ill. Igor is one of Uli's top soldiers and is happy to share his bed with the unwell bard if it will make him well again. The relationship between these two is soft and sweet, in keeping with Awariye's recovery.
The last part of the book deals more with the Lantern Gods than with Igor and Awariye, leading on to comments made by Uli about Wren changing and having to leave the castle. I would liked to have seen these changes, rather than just know about them through comments.
This was a great addition to the series that has left me wanting more. I'm really hoping the next story will help tie everything together and answer some of the questions I have.
A wonderful story and definitely recommended by me.
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 21, 2023
His Holiday Fate (Christmas Omegas)
8.0
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Andrew Since my breakup with my cheating ex, I’ve hated the holidays. I hate the singing, the...
MM Omegaverse Seasonal Romance
A Pinky Promise
6.0
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Environmental science student Creena Arbre likes warm baths and fluffy slippers. Oh, and she also...
Castaway Environment New Adult Romance FF
Kim Pook (101 KP) rated Annie (2014) in Movies
Jul 31, 2022
Contains spoilers, click to show
Having never seen the original movie, I went in to this with a clean slate and nothing to compare it to. Therefore this review will be based purely on just this version of the movie.
The movie begins with Annie giving her school report before summer break, the school bell goes and Annie heads........ Anywhere but home. It seems she stays out pretty late to the point where you think she's homeless, but then she finally goes home where she is met by a woman who is not very nice to her. She then goes to her room when we realise she's in foster care with 4 other children, and it's not long before they're singing and Annie is trying to find her real parents.
There seems to be a back and forth story with this rich guy running for mayor, but we soon find out his role in the story as he invites Annie to move in with him to boost his career.
At first I couldn't get into the movie, it came across as poorly acted and the songs wasn't very catchy. However, as the movie went on it got better and by the end there was definitely "dust in my eye". It was very much a children's film though, so whilst it may not have much of a rewatch factor for adults, kids will love it.
The movie begins with Annie giving her school report before summer break, the school bell goes and Annie heads........ Anywhere but home. It seems she stays out pretty late to the point where you think she's homeless, but then she finally goes home where she is met by a woman who is not very nice to her. She then goes to her room when we realise she's in foster care with 4 other children, and it's not long before they're singing and Annie is trying to find her real parents.
There seems to be a back and forth story with this rich guy running for mayor, but we soon find out his role in the story as he invites Annie to move in with him to boost his career.
At first I couldn't get into the movie, it came across as poorly acted and the songs wasn't very catchy. However, as the movie went on it got better and by the end there was definitely "dust in my eye". It was very much a children's film though, so whilst it may not have much of a rewatch factor for adults, kids will love it.
Boy Banned
10.0
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When the only way to win is to hide who you are, how far are you prepared to go? Reuben...
Contemporary MM Romance
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Fisherman's Friends (2019) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
I'm a sucker for this sort of film. There's a soothing consistency to them that makes for an entertaining and wholesome watch.
Daniel Mays as Danny us just adorable, he's always good for an amusing role. If you haven't caught Swimming With Men then you probably should. Danny isn't quite the same as his music exec counterparts, while he has the bullshitting down to a t he also cares much more for others than he does himself. I absolutely love the way he is with Alwyn and her daughter.
One thing that concerns me about this film is that it made me aware that James Purefoy is now old enough to be cast as someone's grandad. When did that happen? Purefoy along with all the other actors in the gang are a vision of camaraderie. There's a great scene where they head out to London, it's funny from start to finish and filled with toe-tapping enjoyment.
As much as I loved Noel Clarke when he was in Doctor Who it can't rescue him from the stereotypical American exec role. That accent was like a punch in the face every time I heard it. Has any American ever genuinely sounded like that or is it just reserved for British actors putting on American accents?
Obviously a lot of this film is dedicated to music, the sea shanties have me goosebumps as soon as they all started singing. It doesn't necessarily matter what they're singing about, the crescendos of it are just so beautiful. I will admit that generally I wouldn't be able to tell you if films had music in the background, unless it's bad or amazing it will largely pass me by, but Fisherman's Friends had one of those rare occasions where I noticed.
There are a lot of things happening in the film, several of the main characters have something going on around them but at no point did it feel like anything was surplus to requirements. In films with a larger cast it can often end up missing or skipping over a storyline but all of them seemed to be tied up neatly at the end of this.
The ending has a very emotional sequence in it, I spent a significant amount of it crying into my cuffs. James Purefoy and Daniel Mays manage to have an incredibly powerful moment together. There was so much emotion in it that just recalling it now is making me well up as I write.
While I might not buy this one I would certainly watch it again. It's a film that I'm certain almost anyone would enjoy, you'll certainly learn a few life lessons while you watch it.
What you should do
Definitely one to see, I know not everyone is a fan of musical numbers but there's plenty to go on to keep you amused.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Where do I get myself a group to sing with? I miss a good old fashioned singalong.
Daniel Mays as Danny us just adorable, he's always good for an amusing role. If you haven't caught Swimming With Men then you probably should. Danny isn't quite the same as his music exec counterparts, while he has the bullshitting down to a t he also cares much more for others than he does himself. I absolutely love the way he is with Alwyn and her daughter.
One thing that concerns me about this film is that it made me aware that James Purefoy is now old enough to be cast as someone's grandad. When did that happen? Purefoy along with all the other actors in the gang are a vision of camaraderie. There's a great scene where they head out to London, it's funny from start to finish and filled with toe-tapping enjoyment.
As much as I loved Noel Clarke when he was in Doctor Who it can't rescue him from the stereotypical American exec role. That accent was like a punch in the face every time I heard it. Has any American ever genuinely sounded like that or is it just reserved for British actors putting on American accents?
Obviously a lot of this film is dedicated to music, the sea shanties have me goosebumps as soon as they all started singing. It doesn't necessarily matter what they're singing about, the crescendos of it are just so beautiful. I will admit that generally I wouldn't be able to tell you if films had music in the background, unless it's bad or amazing it will largely pass me by, but Fisherman's Friends had one of those rare occasions where I noticed.
There are a lot of things happening in the film, several of the main characters have something going on around them but at no point did it feel like anything was surplus to requirements. In films with a larger cast it can often end up missing or skipping over a storyline but all of them seemed to be tied up neatly at the end of this.
The ending has a very emotional sequence in it, I spent a significant amount of it crying into my cuffs. James Purefoy and Daniel Mays manage to have an incredibly powerful moment together. There was so much emotion in it that just recalling it now is making me well up as I write.
While I might not buy this one I would certainly watch it again. It's a film that I'm certain almost anyone would enjoy, you'll certainly learn a few life lessons while you watch it.
What you should do
Definitely one to see, I know not everyone is a fan of musical numbers but there's plenty to go on to keep you amused.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Where do I get myself a group to sing with? I miss a good old fashioned singalong.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated The Lion King (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
Return of The King
The Lion King is a 2019 computer-animated musical movie directed and produced by Jon Favreau. It was written by Jeff Nathanson, and produced by Fairview Entertainment and Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film stars Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Beyonce and James Earl Jones.
King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and Queen Sarabi rule over the animal kingdom with their pride of lions from Pride Rock, in the African Pride Lands. Things change with the birth of their son, Simba, the new Prince. Mufasa's younger brother, and former heir to the throne, Scar, covets the throne and plots to eliminate Mufasa and Simba, so he may become king. The battle for Pride Rock is filled with betrayal, tragedy and drama and circumstances are forever changed after the events of the stampede.
This movie was really good, but of course it was. The original Lion King was one of Disney's best animated films to date. There was a lot of build up to the release of this movie, with fans every anticipating when they could finally see this story on the big screen again. Jon Favreau did not disappoint, but there was a lot of negativity and bad review scores when it first released. I think the big problem was that in all the previews/trailers leading up to the movie coming out showed how realistic the animals looked and how they were able to recreate iconic scenes in stunning state of the art CGI, but they never showed the animals talking or singing. This for me made it difficult to get fully immersed in the film when the very realistic animals began talking and singing, but eventually it went away or I got used to it a couple minutes into the movie. Also they changed very little in this remake and it was almost literally a shot for shot or scene for scene recreation of the original Lion King, which I think bothered the critics. I personally liked little changes they made that I felt made the movie just a little bit better, like the dialogue between Mufasa's and Scar implying Mufasa's gave him the scar, Zimbabwe catching up with Nala for the journey back to Pride Rock, and Nala leading the female lions in the fight against the hyenas. I also thought it was cool how they made it more clear that one of the hyenas was the leader and it was the female and the scene where Scar makes the deal with them. Overall though I feel like they could have shown more emotion in the animals if they had chosen a style that was so detailed to look so realistic. I give this movie a 7/10. It is worth watching for nostalgia and to see it in theaters is a treat, especially when getting children or younger family members to see it for the first time, but the original is still the better film.
King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and Queen Sarabi rule over the animal kingdom with their pride of lions from Pride Rock, in the African Pride Lands. Things change with the birth of their son, Simba, the new Prince. Mufasa's younger brother, and former heir to the throne, Scar, covets the throne and plots to eliminate Mufasa and Simba, so he may become king. The battle for Pride Rock is filled with betrayal, tragedy and drama and circumstances are forever changed after the events of the stampede.
This movie was really good, but of course it was. The original Lion King was one of Disney's best animated films to date. There was a lot of build up to the release of this movie, with fans every anticipating when they could finally see this story on the big screen again. Jon Favreau did not disappoint, but there was a lot of negativity and bad review scores when it first released. I think the big problem was that in all the previews/trailers leading up to the movie coming out showed how realistic the animals looked and how they were able to recreate iconic scenes in stunning state of the art CGI, but they never showed the animals talking or singing. This for me made it difficult to get fully immersed in the film when the very realistic animals began talking and singing, but eventually it went away or I got used to it a couple minutes into the movie. Also they changed very little in this remake and it was almost literally a shot for shot or scene for scene recreation of the original Lion King, which I think bothered the critics. I personally liked little changes they made that I felt made the movie just a little bit better, like the dialogue between Mufasa's and Scar implying Mufasa's gave him the scar, Zimbabwe catching up with Nala for the journey back to Pride Rock, and Nala leading the female lions in the fight against the hyenas. I also thought it was cool how they made it more clear that one of the hyenas was the leader and it was the female and the scene where Scar makes the deal with them. Overall though I feel like they could have shown more emotion in the animals if they had chosen a style that was so detailed to look so realistic. I give this movie a 7/10. It is worth watching for nostalgia and to see it in theaters is a treat, especially when getting children or younger family members to see it for the first time, but the original is still the better film.