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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Absolution: A Leine Basso Thriller in Books
Mar 24, 2019
A Great Series
Once again, DV Berkom provides us with a treat with her latest installment in the Leine Basso series. You would assume that things would be getting a bit stale and boring by now but you would be wrong.
Leine finds herself in a life and death struggle with her nemesis, Salome, a particularly nasty terrorist and assassin (are there any other kinds!) who is after Leine and those she holds most dear. Leine has to use all her skills honed when she herself was an assassin but also those gained whilst working for an organisation called SHEN who rescue victims of human trafficking.
What we are provided with in this book is action, adventure and a thrill-a-minute. What we are not provided with is loads of bad language, gratuitous violence and graphic descriptions of death ... don't get me wrong, there is violence but nothing that you would not expect in a book dealing with assassins, terrorism and trafficking; the author just doesn't go over the top, in fact she doesn't need to as she just lets her writing and the story do the talking.
With excellent characters - and I am particularly pleased to see the return of Jinn, the little streetwise girl Leine saved from being murdered in "Dark Return" - suspense from start to finish and an exciting story, this book grabbed me by the "short and curlies" and refused to let go until the last letter.
I want to thank DV Berkom for providing me with a copy in return for an honest review and for writing another fantastic book which I have no hesitation in recommending this and the rest of the series to anyone but particularly those of you who love a strong, female lead character who has a sensitive and loving side but who is not afraid to kick some rear ends!
Leine finds herself in a life and death struggle with her nemesis, Salome, a particularly nasty terrorist and assassin (are there any other kinds!) who is after Leine and those she holds most dear. Leine has to use all her skills honed when she herself was an assassin but also those gained whilst working for an organisation called SHEN who rescue victims of human trafficking.
What we are provided with in this book is action, adventure and a thrill-a-minute. What we are not provided with is loads of bad language, gratuitous violence and graphic descriptions of death ... don't get me wrong, there is violence but nothing that you would not expect in a book dealing with assassins, terrorism and trafficking; the author just doesn't go over the top, in fact she doesn't need to as she just lets her writing and the story do the talking.
With excellent characters - and I am particularly pleased to see the return of Jinn, the little streetwise girl Leine saved from being murdered in "Dark Return" - suspense from start to finish and an exciting story, this book grabbed me by the "short and curlies" and refused to let go until the last letter.
I want to thank DV Berkom for providing me with a copy in return for an honest review and for writing another fantastic book which I have no hesitation in recommending this and the rest of the series to anyone but particularly those of you who love a strong, female lead character who has a sensitive and loving side but who is not afraid to kick some rear ends!
Sam (74 KP) rated Notes on a Nervous Planet in Books
Mar 27, 2019
Let’s just start off with the compulsory statement: I would read absolutely anything written by Matt Haig. I’ll link my reviews of his other books at the end of this post.
Notes is a follow-on book to Reasons to Stay Alive, and focuses on her the world is effecting your mental health. It’s in quite small chapters so it’s really easy to get along with and read in short bursts rather than being a book you need a large amount of free time to read.
I really loved Haig’s commentary on the roles of social media towards your mental health. He points out how social media can both help and hinder people’s mental health, and how social media is full of the best parts of people, not every part.
The thing I love about his writing is that he’s straight-talking. He says it as it is throughout the book, and definitely puts a strong point forward about exactly what can make a large difference to your mental health.
I’m happy that in Notes, Haig points out that there is no difference between mental and physical health in their effects, making a brilliant argument on why mental health should be taken more seriously by everyone.
When this book came in the post I told myself I was going to savour it, because I was so excited to get a new book by Matt Haig that I didn’t want to rush it. So in the end I read it in two days instead of one!
Notes on a Nervous Planet is definitely necessary reading for everyone, whether you have mental health struggles or not. It gives many ways to stop letting the world into your head and not wasting your energy worrying. It’s made me glad I read it.
Notes is a follow-on book to Reasons to Stay Alive, and focuses on her the world is effecting your mental health. It’s in quite small chapters so it’s really easy to get along with and read in short bursts rather than being a book you need a large amount of free time to read.
I really loved Haig’s commentary on the roles of social media towards your mental health. He points out how social media can both help and hinder people’s mental health, and how social media is full of the best parts of people, not every part.
The thing I love about his writing is that he’s straight-talking. He says it as it is throughout the book, and definitely puts a strong point forward about exactly what can make a large difference to your mental health.
I’m happy that in Notes, Haig points out that there is no difference between mental and physical health in their effects, making a brilliant argument on why mental health should be taken more seriously by everyone.
When this book came in the post I told myself I was going to savour it, because I was so excited to get a new book by Matt Haig that I didn’t want to rush it. So in the end I read it in two days instead of one!
Notes on a Nervous Planet is definitely necessary reading for everyone, whether you have mental health struggles or not. It gives many ways to stop letting the world into your head and not wasting your energy worrying. It’s made me glad I read it.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Au Pair in Books
Apr 4, 2019
This was a book that everyone seemed to be talking about on Goodreads, so I picked it up. I'm glad I did. It was an engaging, quick read that kept me interested and guessing. The story alternates between the present-day, told by Seraphine and the past, leading up to the twins birth, as told by Laura, the young au pair. We learn that the Mayes family has a history of sadness and tragedy--especially when it comes to twins. However, Rous is very good as slowly unfurling her plot, letting us carefully uncover exactly what happened not only with Seraphine, Danny, and their older brother Edwin, but with their mother, Ruth, and with Laura.
The book is certainly weird and intriguing early on. It's very readable and certainly creepy at times. I did wonder why Seraphine didn't just take a DNA test from the beginning: at least then she'd know if Edwin and Danny were her brothers! There was a lot of hand-wringing and angst. Which, okay, I can understand if you believe you don't belong in your family, but it was a little much at times. There were a few cliches and predictable moments, but the plot was also really interesting and just dramatic enough to draw me in and keep me flipping the pages. I was fascinated to see how things would all turn out. And while Seraphine could irritate me at times, I overall liked both Laura and Seraphine as narrators and characters.
Overall, this was a good read--fast and twisty. I probably could have used a notepad to draw out the family dynamics by the end: there are some fun twists and turns there. It's a good book to embrace and enjoy the craziness and drama. It can be a little melodramatic, but overall a fun read. 3.5 stars.
The book is certainly weird and intriguing early on. It's very readable and certainly creepy at times. I did wonder why Seraphine didn't just take a DNA test from the beginning: at least then she'd know if Edwin and Danny were her brothers! There was a lot of hand-wringing and angst. Which, okay, I can understand if you believe you don't belong in your family, but it was a little much at times. There were a few cliches and predictable moments, but the plot was also really interesting and just dramatic enough to draw me in and keep me flipping the pages. I was fascinated to see how things would all turn out. And while Seraphine could irritate me at times, I overall liked both Laura and Seraphine as narrators and characters.
Overall, this was a good read--fast and twisty. I probably could have used a notepad to draw out the family dynamics by the end: there are some fun twists and turns there. It's a good book to embrace and enjoy the craziness and drama. It can be a little melodramatic, but overall a fun read. 3.5 stars.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Chat Love in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Let me start by saying that this was a cute little love story, that I read quickly. I give it such a low rating mainly because it was pretty predictable and I figured out what was going to happen 1/3 of the way into the book.
Lucia is from an Italian family. Being 28 and single means she is practically an old maid. She has a couple of serious boyfriends, but she has never found THE ONE. One of her co-workers has recently found the man of her dreams on an online dating site called Chat Love. When her married younger sister announces that she is pregnant, the pressure is really on then. After pressure from her friends, Lucia decides to join Chat Love and try something new. Her dates are very interesting, to say the least. But you never know where you will find love.
As I stated before, this was a quick and fun read. The story is cute, but very predictable. The dates that she goes on are always dinner dates, there is no variety to them. The main character Lucia is an Italian bombshell from the way she is described by her dates and her peers. She is loved by all, but can't seem to find love. She goes on several dates in the book that range from good to just plain weird. She even had a stalker for a brief moment. In the end, she ends up with the guy she would have least expected, but the reader knew from the start. There is a part in the book, where I wanted to jump through the pages and smack Lucia for not knowing she was talking to the man she wanted online the whole time.
I will try another title by Justine Faeth.
Lucia is from an Italian family. Being 28 and single means she is practically an old maid. She has a couple of serious boyfriends, but she has never found THE ONE. One of her co-workers has recently found the man of her dreams on an online dating site called Chat Love. When her married younger sister announces that she is pregnant, the pressure is really on then. After pressure from her friends, Lucia decides to join Chat Love and try something new. Her dates are very interesting, to say the least. But you never know where you will find love.
As I stated before, this was a quick and fun read. The story is cute, but very predictable. The dates that she goes on are always dinner dates, there is no variety to them. The main character Lucia is an Italian bombshell from the way she is described by her dates and her peers. She is loved by all, but can't seem to find love. She goes on several dates in the book that range from good to just plain weird. She even had a stalker for a brief moment. In the end, she ends up with the guy she would have least expected, but the reader knew from the start. There is a part in the book, where I wanted to jump through the pages and smack Lucia for not knowing she was talking to the man she wanted online the whole time.
I will try another title by Justine Faeth.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Avengers: Endgame (2019) in Movies
May 1, 2019
Fantastic
Contains spoilers, click to show
What a fantastic film!
I have waited a few days before reviewing this film, and honestly think it would have been 10/10 if I had reviewed it straightaway.
This is so very nearly the perfect superhero film. There is a massive cast of characters, there is humour, there are niche geek references, there are shocks and twists, there are highs, there are lows and there are tears.
But also (and here comes why 1 mark was lost) ... there is time travel. I have an uncomfortable relationship with time travel. I know you always have to give a bit of artistic license with time travel and not get too hung up on the nitty gritty. But here the plot revolves around the characters changing nothing in the past as it would change the future/make it not happen. And yet they go ahead and do it anyway! We have to go back and put the infinity stones back the instant after they were taken. But they didn't have to with Thor's hammer? And why did they have to do that at all because past-Thanos died which means the Infinity War never happened.
I have never been truly happy with time travel in film, with the notable exception of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure which somehow nails it. For me, Endgame failed in this regard purely by setting itself rules it then broke and didn't explore the consequences.
But still, an outstanding film and if I can get myself happy with a crude, straight-talking, machine gun-toting space-raccoon and a teenage living tree then I think I can overlook some timey-wimey things.
I have waited a few days before reviewing this film, and honestly think it would have been 10/10 if I had reviewed it straightaway.
This is so very nearly the perfect superhero film. There is a massive cast of characters, there is humour, there are niche geek references, there are shocks and twists, there are highs, there are lows and there are tears.
But also (and here comes why 1 mark was lost) ... there is time travel. I have an uncomfortable relationship with time travel. I know you always have to give a bit of artistic license with time travel and not get too hung up on the nitty gritty. But here the plot revolves around the characters changing nothing in the past as it would change the future/make it not happen. And yet they go ahead and do it anyway! We have to go back and put the infinity stones back the instant after they were taken. But they didn't have to with Thor's hammer? And why did they have to do that at all because past-Thanos died which means the Infinity War never happened.
I have never been truly happy with time travel in film, with the notable exception of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure which somehow nails it. For me, Endgame failed in this regard purely by setting itself rules it then broke and didn't explore the consequences.
But still, an outstanding film and if I can get myself happy with a crude, straight-talking, machine gun-toting space-raccoon and a teenage living tree then I think I can overlook some timey-wimey things.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Clerks (1994) in Movies
May 6, 2019
Dante and Randal - together forever
I had the pleasure of meeting Kevin Smith when he appeared at the Hollywood Video manager's meeting in Las Vegas in the summer of 1999. Clerks was revered at that time by all of us since we were living the life of Randal to a certain extent being video store managers. We could all relate to the examples of stupid customers and things we wanted to say to them, but couldn't since "the customer is always right".
Smith's appearance at our meeting must've shocked the Mormon founder, Mark Wattles, when Smith began using excessive profanity and talking about giving blow jobs in the bathroom for cash.
My own experiences as a video store manager were reflected in a lot of what Randal says especially when it came to movie recommendations. I'll never forget being asked "Which is better, Booty Call or Schindler's List" or arguing with customers during the "full screen" vs. "widescreen" debate explaining widescreen was better because you could see the entire picture instead of the side of the film being cut off.
Every time I rewatch Clerks it always reminds me of those times and how I reflect fondly on them now so many years later.
Smith was a funny guy and he certainly tells good stories if you have ever seen one of his stand-up specials where he talks about meeting Prince, Bruce Willis or his experiences writing a Superman draft.
Jay and Silent Bob are iconic too even getting their own reboot movie now.
Clerks is a comedy cinema cult classic having lived far beyond its original $27,000 budget where Smith had to sell his comic book collection and its characters will live on forever due to some classic screenwriting.
Smith's appearance at our meeting must've shocked the Mormon founder, Mark Wattles, when Smith began using excessive profanity and talking about giving blow jobs in the bathroom for cash.
My own experiences as a video store manager were reflected in a lot of what Randal says especially when it came to movie recommendations. I'll never forget being asked "Which is better, Booty Call or Schindler's List" or arguing with customers during the "full screen" vs. "widescreen" debate explaining widescreen was better because you could see the entire picture instead of the side of the film being cut off.
Every time I rewatch Clerks it always reminds me of those times and how I reflect fondly on them now so many years later.
Smith was a funny guy and he certainly tells good stories if you have ever seen one of his stand-up specials where he talks about meeting Prince, Bruce Willis or his experiences writing a Superman draft.
Jay and Silent Bob are iconic too even getting their own reboot movie now.
Clerks is a comedy cinema cult classic having lived far beyond its original $27,000 budget where Smith had to sell his comic book collection and its characters will live on forever due to some classic screenwriting.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Smashing
#legomovie2 is a sequel that manages to out brick the first film & fly straight into your #heart #spaceship first. I loved the first lego movie & absolutely adored the #legoninjago movie but wasn't entirely sure if we needed anymore of them. That being said Im happy to report that the second lego movie is infact really #awesome & while not laugh out loud funny its by far the most interesting & varied one out of the bunch. This time the story is centred around #love, change & the inner battles we all face on a day to day basis with strong themes of battling #depression, realising self worth, being who you are/trying to fit in & trust it gets #pretty complex at times too & as i left i overheard kids telling their parents that they didnt get it. That being said there is enough visual variety, visual pop & #crazy #music numbers to keep people of all ages engrossed the entire run time too. Talking of visuals the #beauty/complexity of the animation & textures has been severely ramped up this time, figures have dust, muck, scratches & chipped paint galore making the real world connection to these plastic blocks even more prominent. Riding on movie cliches & poking fun of other films is a big part of this film too as are various #popculture #cameos & they fit perfectly/bring a #smile (there are some really niche one too like #starshiptroopers & #2001aspaceodyssey which isreally #cool to see). #legomovie 2 really is a lot of #fun & with a good over all message letting us all know that sometimes not everything is awesome.... but that's ok is something i feel a lot of us can certainly learn from. Take the #family to see it you'll all have a blast i promise. #odeon #odeonlimitless #filmbuff #filmcritic #lego #weekend #kids #family #funny #silly #saturday
KatieLouCreate (162 KP) rated Who Moved My Cheese in Books
Mar 5, 2018
Bad message (2 more)
childish
partonising
Pretentious
Well. Even just thinking about this book again riles me up. I don’t even know why I bought the book. The premise sounded interesting, I guess, and it was cheap. The book only took me around two hours to read so at least I didn’t invest a lot of time and energy into reading it.
On the one hand, I can kind of see what the book is trying to accomplish. It is a message of encouragement and productivity in life. Instead of waiting around for something and complaining about changed circumstance, we should move on and look for something better.
On the other hand, it does it in a terrible way. It feels like an adult message told in a children’s story book fashion. It feels patronising. We have a group of adults talking about how they dislike their life. One of the adults tells the story of the two mice, humans, and block of cheese, and at the end the adults realise, in an expositional way, how the story relates to their lives and how they should change it. It is oversimplified and cringy. If only it was that easy to move on if say you’ve just got fired or accused of something you didn’t do. Life, unfortunately, it not that easy. I don’t know what the author was thinking. (More over, I don’t agree with the message Johnson is giving. To me, it feels like Johnson is explaining why laborers and lower class individuals should just accept and adapt to the whims of capitalism and upper class authorities instead of fighting for what is right. But hey ho.)
On the one hand, I can kind of see what the book is trying to accomplish. It is a message of encouragement and productivity in life. Instead of waiting around for something and complaining about changed circumstance, we should move on and look for something better.
On the other hand, it does it in a terrible way. It feels like an adult message told in a children’s story book fashion. It feels patronising. We have a group of adults talking about how they dislike their life. One of the adults tells the story of the two mice, humans, and block of cheese, and at the end the adults realise, in an expositional way, how the story relates to their lives and how they should change it. It is oversimplified and cringy. If only it was that easy to move on if say you’ve just got fired or accused of something you didn’t do. Life, unfortunately, it not that easy. I don’t know what the author was thinking. (More over, I don’t agree with the message Johnson is giving. To me, it feels like Johnson is explaining why laborers and lower class individuals should just accept and adapt to the whims of capitalism and upper class authorities instead of fighting for what is right. But hey ho.)
Dana (24 KP) rated The Princess Diarist in Books
Mar 23, 2018
I want to start off by saying that I was so saddened to hear about Carrie's passing. She was a childhood hero of mine, so to see that she was gone was devastating.
Carrie Fisher was a brilliant woman, but like was not always kind to her. She battled with addiction, depression, and so many other things, but I would have never guessed it.
It was interesting to actually read what she thought of herself when she was younger. With her self worth and self-esteem issues, it was very easy to identify with her journal pages. Now, having read the whole book, I know she would tell me to buck up and don't give a damn about what other people think of me. Which is something I am trying to do now. It honestly hurt to read these things because I can see myself in these pages. People are so quick to put these famous people on pedestals and forget that they are human too. I can say that I did the same thing.
Yes, we get information on her affair with Harrison, but I don't necessarily want to get into that. If you want information on it, feel free to pick up the book.
We also get an understanding of how fame affected her. She often speaks of her own mortality, talking about how people will see her after her death. Many of these things have already started happening. For example, she talked about how she would be forever immortalized by her pictures as Princess Leia with those buns she hated so much. Oh, and she loved fan interactions because it showed why her work was important to others.
I loved reading this book and I am going to pick up some of her other biographies.
Carrie Fisher was a brilliant woman, but like was not always kind to her. She battled with addiction, depression, and so many other things, but I would have never guessed it.
It was interesting to actually read what she thought of herself when she was younger. With her self worth and self-esteem issues, it was very easy to identify with her journal pages. Now, having read the whole book, I know she would tell me to buck up and don't give a damn about what other people think of me. Which is something I am trying to do now. It honestly hurt to read these things because I can see myself in these pages. People are so quick to put these famous people on pedestals and forget that they are human too. I can say that I did the same thing.
Yes, we get information on her affair with Harrison, but I don't necessarily want to get into that. If you want information on it, feel free to pick up the book.
We also get an understanding of how fame affected her. She often speaks of her own mortality, talking about how people will see her after her death. Many of these things have already started happening. For example, she talked about how she would be forever immortalized by her pictures as Princess Leia with those buns she hated so much. Oh, and she loved fan interactions because it showed why her work was important to others.
I loved reading this book and I am going to pick up some of her other biographies.
Kristin (149 KP) rated Looking for La La in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Cathy is a stay-at-home mom, but that's starting to be an issue for her husband. He thinks all she does is sit at home all day, now that both kids are in school most of the day. He harps on her about joining the workforce again, but she has her own issues and reasons for not wanting to go along with it. Then, random postcards start arriving in the post from a person called "La La," talking about Cathy's husband. Is he having an affair? Is THAT why he wants her otherwise occupied with a job, so she's not home as often? Or is it just someone messing with him, with her? As Cathy and her trusted friends try to figure out the identity of the poison penner, their "perfect" suburban lives start to go through downward spirals. With all this other chaos going on, how will Cathy even find the time to figure out who La La is, much less be able to nab a job?
This is such a fun little mystery, and it has all those juicy tidbits that also pull you along for the ride; you know, the ones we all watch reality shows and soap operas for. Cathy and her friends are such interesting characters, and I honestly can't tell you how many times I flipped back and forth on La La's identity, as well as how I felt about certain people in her life. All of this, while still trying to be a wife and mother; it's craziness, I tell you! I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next one in the series, and will actually be starting it upon publishing this review. Loved it!
4 1/2 stars
Cathy is a stay-at-home mom, but that's starting to be an issue for her husband. He thinks all she does is sit at home all day, now that both kids are in school most of the day. He harps on her about joining the workforce again, but she has her own issues and reasons for not wanting to go along with it. Then, random postcards start arriving in the post from a person called "La La," talking about Cathy's husband. Is he having an affair? Is THAT why he wants her otherwise occupied with a job, so she's not home as often? Or is it just someone messing with him, with her? As Cathy and her trusted friends try to figure out the identity of the poison penner, their "perfect" suburban lives start to go through downward spirals. With all this other chaos going on, how will Cathy even find the time to figure out who La La is, much less be able to nab a job?
This is such a fun little mystery, and it has all those juicy tidbits that also pull you along for the ride; you know, the ones we all watch reality shows and soap operas for. Cathy and her friends are such interesting characters, and I honestly can't tell you how many times I flipped back and forth on La La's identity, as well as how I felt about certain people in her life. All of this, while still trying to be a wife and mother; it's craziness, I tell you! I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next one in the series, and will actually be starting it upon publishing this review. Loved it!
4 1/2 stars