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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Wedding Cake Crumble in Books
Apr 6, 2018
Murder Doesn’t Stop for a Wedding
It is one week until Angie and Tate’s wedding, and Mel, as maid of honor, has joined Angie in running errands to various venders to make payments. A stop at the photographer turns up a nasty surprise – his dead body in his office. Mel’s Uncle Stan, a homicide detective, quickly makes a connection to another murder, that of Angie and Tate’s limo driver. Is someone out to sabotage the wedding? Will any of them be the next target?
This book is a pure delight for fans. The wedding does take over a bit in the second half, but I didn’t mind in the slightest. We’ve been waiting a lot of books for this moment. And that’s not to say we don’t get a good mystery with some interesting twists. The new characters are good, but the series regulars shine with their own sub-plots. This book also has some great laughs.
This book is a pure delight for fans. The wedding does take over a bit in the second half, but I didn’t mind in the slightest. We’ve been waiting a lot of books for this moment. And that’s not to say we don’t get a good mystery with some interesting twists. The new characters are good, but the series regulars shine with their own sub-plots. This book also has some great laughs.
Frecklesxoxo (6 KP) rated Silent Weapon (Street Soldier #2) in Books
Feb 27, 2019
I received an arc copy from Netgalley of this book for an open and honest review.
I was surprised to find that I really liked this book, more than I expected too. It was well written and interesting. The plot was current and hits home as to just how much work goes on behind the scenes to thwart terrorism and I love how 2 different departments worked together. Its scary and real about radicalisation and I was plesed to see there were no type casts in this story.
There were a few things that made this a 4 star rating- in some areas I felt the story was perhaps a little rushed (near the beginning) and some parts could have been more polished. As I was reading this I felt I had missed something (I didn't know there was a prequel to this) I didn't know the whole background story which threw me off.
But the storyline was greatc and kept me hooked :)
I was surprised to find that I really liked this book, more than I expected too. It was well written and interesting. The plot was current and hits home as to just how much work goes on behind the scenes to thwart terrorism and I love how 2 different departments worked together. Its scary and real about radicalisation and I was plesed to see there were no type casts in this story.
There were a few things that made this a 4 star rating- in some areas I felt the story was perhaps a little rushed (near the beginning) and some parts could have been more polished. As I was reading this I felt I had missed something (I didn't know there was a prequel to this) I didn't know the whole background story which threw me off.
But the storyline was greatc and kept me hooked :)
Awix (3310 KP) rated On the Basis of Sex (2018) in Movies
Mar 1, 2019
Legal bio-pic has a title that makes it sound like a recipe for a failed marriage; unfortunately it's not as interesting as that. Felicity Jones plays a young Ruth Bader Ginsberg, battling the patriarchy first at Harvard and then in the courts, aided by her husband Marty (it's Armie Hammer time!).
Well-mounted and with some decent performances, and there are some startling revelations (sex discrimination was not considered unconstitutional in the US until fairly recently), but the actual story of the main case covered by the film is not that gripping (a lot of discussion of legal procedure and tax law), and the earnestness of the film also threatens to make it a bit indigestible: of course RBG is an important figure fighting for a good cause, but that doesn't mean any film about her has to feel like The Lives of the Saints. The documentary about Ginsberg is also flawed, but more peppy than this.
Well-mounted and with some decent performances, and there are some startling revelations (sex discrimination was not considered unconstitutional in the US until fairly recently), but the actual story of the main case covered by the film is not that gripping (a lot of discussion of legal procedure and tax law), and the earnestness of the film also threatens to make it a bit indigestible: of course RBG is an important figure fighting for a good cause, but that doesn't mean any film about her has to feel like The Lives of the Saints. The documentary about Ginsberg is also flawed, but more peppy than this.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Promise in Books
Mar 15, 2019
Three girls held a deep, dark secret. Three girls made a promise they vowed to keep forever. Now something and someone is threatening that promise. Will the truth come out or will these women do anything possible to keep their secret hidden forever?
I found this to be an excellent psychological suspense story. Some may describe this as a slow burn but I found the pace to be perfect for this story. The characters build and grow with the story as does the plot as told from past to present. The ending you won't see coming.
The are loads of little hints dropped through the story and some are just red herrings to keep you guessing. I found myself totally absorbed and unable to put the story down til done.
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this psychological story with all it's dark twists and turns!
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and enjoy!
I found this to be an excellent psychological suspense story. Some may describe this as a slow burn but I found the pace to be perfect for this story. The characters build and grow with the story as does the plot as told from past to present. The ending you won't see coming.
The are loads of little hints dropped through the story and some are just red herrings to keep you guessing. I found myself totally absorbed and unable to put the story down til done.
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this psychological story with all it's dark twists and turns!
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and enjoy!
Sam (74 KP) rated Poems to Live Your Life By in Books
Mar 27, 2019
Poems to Live Your Life By is a book of poetry collated and illustrated by Chris Riddell. People who read my blog regularly know that I obsess over Chris Riddell, which explains my reasons for buying this.
The collection is just beautiful. Each poem has individual illustrations surrounding it, bringing the poem to life.
Even though I dislike poetry as a whole, there are a few poems that I love, and some of them were in this collection, including Digging by Seamus Heaney and Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. Even though I have read these poems multiple times, the illustrations made them feel new to me, because it almost gave a new interpretation to them.
I also discovered some poems that I hadn’t heard of before and now love, including Thirteen by Kate Tempest, and Safe Sounds by Carol Ann Duffy.
This is definitely a book to buy for the poetry lover in your life!
The collection is just beautiful. Each poem has individual illustrations surrounding it, bringing the poem to life.
Even though I dislike poetry as a whole, there are a few poems that I love, and some of them were in this collection, including Digging by Seamus Heaney and Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. Even though I have read these poems multiple times, the illustrations made them feel new to me, because it almost gave a new interpretation to them.
I also discovered some poems that I hadn’t heard of before and now love, including Thirteen by Kate Tempest, and Safe Sounds by Carol Ann Duffy.
This is definitely a book to buy for the poetry lover in your life!
Dean (6927 KP) rated Hotel Artemis (2018) in Movies
Apr 5, 2019
This is no 5 star Hotel
I was intrigued by the trailer for this a while back but missed it at the cinema. It features a secret hotel in LA for members only, usually those on the wrong side of the law. Set in the near future during a city riot.
There are a mix of characters at the Hotel which is mainly used as a patch up service for those injured and need treatment no questions asked.
The main issue of the film is it gives a glimpse into this world and tries to give some info to the back stories of the characters with varying success. Also leaving a few things unexplained and some plotlines thread bare. The direction is all over the place, part action, drama, thriller. It doesn't seem to know which one it should be. It's still an enjoyable film but it had much greater potential.
There are a mix of characters at the Hotel which is mainly used as a patch up service for those injured and need treatment no questions asked.
The main issue of the film is it gives a glimpse into this world and tries to give some info to the back stories of the characters with varying success. Also leaving a few things unexplained and some plotlines thread bare. The direction is all over the place, part action, drama, thriller. It doesn't seem to know which one it should be. It's still an enjoyable film but it had much greater potential.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Kid Who Would Be King (2019) in Movies
Apr 6, 2019 (Updated Apr 6, 2019)
Good-natured family fantasy based on Arthurian legend. Alex Elliot draws a magic sword from a stone and finds himself charged with defending Britain from an ancient sorceress, the problem being he's only twelve years old.
Scores highly on the CGI spectacle front, and some good gags as well, but some of the learning-and-growing stuff feels a bit laborious and it's probably about twenty minutes too long. Child acting is mostly acceptable and Patrick Stewart is always good value, even though he's hardly in it. Given the film is trying hard to hit the same beats as Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, and mostly succeeding, it's a little hard to see why it has turned out to be such a flop; a victim of too many other dud films based on classic mythology leaving a bad taste in the mouth, I guess. No-one involved in this one has any real reason to feel ashamed of themselves, anyway.
Scores highly on the CGI spectacle front, and some good gags as well, but some of the learning-and-growing stuff feels a bit laborious and it's probably about twenty minutes too long. Child acting is mostly acceptable and Patrick Stewart is always good value, even though he's hardly in it. Given the film is trying hard to hit the same beats as Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, and mostly succeeding, it's a little hard to see why it has turned out to be such a flop; a victim of too many other dud films based on classic mythology leaving a bad taste in the mouth, I guess. No-one involved in this one has any real reason to feel ashamed of themselves, anyway.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Pet Sematary (2019) in Movies
Apr 9, 2019 (Updated Apr 9, 2019)
Stephen King adaptation is a serviceable tale warning against meddling with the primal forces of life and death; also about the importance of correct spelling. Starts with the usual horror film trope of a nice family moving to the peaceful countryside and having horrible experiences; this time they concern an ancient burial ground out the back of the house with the power to reanimate corpses buried there - sounds great for when the family pet gets run over, but is it really such a good idea?
Benefits greatly from a strong performance from Jason Clarke as one of King's Everyman protagonists, driven into very bad choices; John Lithgow is also good value as the neighbourhood's Creepy Exposition Yokel. The pacing is a bit skewed, but the film digs profitably into ideas of grief and madness, although some may find it tough to watch in a not-very-fun way due to some of the subject matter. A competent and enjoyable piece of high-class schlock.
Benefits greatly from a strong performance from Jason Clarke as one of King's Everyman protagonists, driven into very bad choices; John Lithgow is also good value as the neighbourhood's Creepy Exposition Yokel. The pacing is a bit skewed, but the film digs profitably into ideas of grief and madness, although some may find it tough to watch in a not-very-fun way due to some of the subject matter. A competent and enjoyable piece of high-class schlock.
Dork_knight74 (881 KP) rated The Divide (2012) in Movies
Apr 22, 2019
Dark
Wasn't sure what to expect from this movie. It was a very strange, dark story. The acting was just ok. The cinematography was decent. The turns this story takes with the characters throughout were sad and twisted.. These people feel apart in perry unimaginable ways. Some just took longer than others. You never really know who the "main" character is until late in the story but that didn't matter much as they all went through a type of "hell" trapped in this basement after a nuclear attack. The ending was a little predictable but it didn't really matter either. Throughout the whole movie there's a sense of hopelessness I haven't seen in many movies. I don't think this one is for the kids. I mean, I don't think it's for some adults either. Anyway, if you're bored and don't mind a dark, hopeless type of "horror" film, this on will do. Overall though, this one isn't really worth a watch.
Cori June (3033 KP) rated Terminal Uprising (Book Two of the Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse) in Books
May 9, 2019
Wit (3 more)
Descriptions of Earth
the escapes
Doc
slow at times (1 more)
ends too soon
Mops & Co. are at it again. Four months of avoiding the Krakau, Mops and her team embark on a mission to the most feared place in the galaxy: Earth. What her team learns will change them and the Alliance forever.
There are not as many alien life forms as it focuses mostly on the Krakau and humans however there are still some fun life forms that you get to meet, as well as, getting to know the Prodryans better. These space janitors are great at sweeping away lies to get to the truth. Cleaning up other people's messes is just all in a day's work. Just as witty and humorous as the first book. Unlike the first book this one is also a little more serious. There is more times the pace is slow although that doesn't mean there isn't some great action.
There are not as many alien life forms as it focuses mostly on the Krakau and humans however there are still some fun life forms that you get to meet, as well as, getting to know the Prodryans better. These space janitors are great at sweeping away lies to get to the truth. Cleaning up other people's messes is just all in a day's work. Just as witty and humorous as the first book. Unlike the first book this one is also a little more serious. There is more times the pace is slow although that doesn't mean there isn't some great action.