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Merissa (11953 KP) rated The Gentle Wolf (Perth Shifters #2) in Books
Nov 16, 2020 (Updated Aug 14, 2023)
THE GENTLE WOLF is the second book in the Blackwood series and, wow, I hope you're ready for a read that will knock your socks off.
Aodhan is Braden's best friend and a well-renowned chocolatier in his own right. Thomas is the curator/owner of a local museum. For the past two years, Thomas has gone to Aodhan's shop every Tuesday for a coffee. Both of these have their own issues to work out.
What an amazing story! This covers some serious issues like child abuse, emotional and mental abuse, demisexuality, depression, survivor's guilt, and a whole host of other things so please don't expect a light and fluffy read. Instead, what you get is a story full of depth and feeling without being depressing in and of itself.
The pacing is perfect for this story and there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my enjoyment of the book. The characters are outstanding and now I really can't wait for Hunter's book. I don't actually know if he's got one but I sincerely hope he does. Braden and Coll from book one pop up now and again but you don't have to have read their book to get this one. Different settings, some different characters, all good.
Aodhan and Thomas make the perfect couple and I was with them every step of the way as they tried to work through turbulent pasts. One of the best bits for me was when Iona told Thomas something and he told her just exactly what she had done. I'm trying to be deliberately vague but, trust me, read the book and you'll know which part I'm talking about.
Blackwood was a great book that I thoroughly enjoyed. This one? Phenomenal! Absolutely and utterly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 16, 2020
Aodhan is Braden's best friend and a well-renowned chocolatier in his own right. Thomas is the curator/owner of a local museum. For the past two years, Thomas has gone to Aodhan's shop every Tuesday for a coffee. Both of these have their own issues to work out.
What an amazing story! This covers some serious issues like child abuse, emotional and mental abuse, demisexuality, depression, survivor's guilt, and a whole host of other things so please don't expect a light and fluffy read. Instead, what you get is a story full of depth and feeling without being depressing in and of itself.
The pacing is perfect for this story and there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my enjoyment of the book. The characters are outstanding and now I really can't wait for Hunter's book. I don't actually know if he's got one but I sincerely hope he does. Braden and Coll from book one pop up now and again but you don't have to have read their book to get this one. Different settings, some different characters, all good.
Aodhan and Thomas make the perfect couple and I was with them every step of the way as they tried to work through turbulent pasts. One of the best bits for me was when Iona told Thomas something and he told her just exactly what she had done. I'm trying to be deliberately vague but, trust me, read the book and you'll know which part I'm talking about.
Blackwood was a great book that I thoroughly enjoyed. This one? Phenomenal! Absolutely and utterly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 16, 2020
Merissa (11953 KP) rated Jamison (Maxim #1) by A.N. Waugh in Books
Jun 7, 2022 (Updated Jun 13, 2023)
JAMISON is the first book in the Maxim series and we are introduced to the guys in the band. This story (obviously) focuses on Jamison and I can't wait to read about the other guys too.
Six years ago, Jamison left love behind because he was told it would hold back his dream. He, and the rest of the guys, worked hard to make Maxim a hit and now, their dream is within their grasp. Vance is one left behind, courtesy of a Dear John letter. He followed his heart and got a degree in PR, ending in the same town as Jamison. Vance makes no bones about the fact he has always loved Jami, and Jami loves him back. But, sometimes, love just isn't enough.
Out of the two characters, I liked Jami a bit more than Vance. He took advice from people in the business and lost his way a bit, but once he found it again, he went for it. Vance was full of martyr complex, choosing his career because of Jami, but then making choices and decisions that affect both of them without talking about it.
Most of the story takes place on tour but not a lot is mentioned about performances, apart from the one at the end. Also, Marcy seemed to be heading somewhere but then disappeared, although she was mentioned in the epilogue by one of the other band members, so maybe she will reappear in future books.
On the whole, this was a quick and easy read with no real surprises, just a question of 'when'. I look forward to reading more in this series and seeing the pairings hinted at here. 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 3, 2022
Six years ago, Jamison left love behind because he was told it would hold back his dream. He, and the rest of the guys, worked hard to make Maxim a hit and now, their dream is within their grasp. Vance is one left behind, courtesy of a Dear John letter. He followed his heart and got a degree in PR, ending in the same town as Jamison. Vance makes no bones about the fact he has always loved Jami, and Jami loves him back. But, sometimes, love just isn't enough.
Out of the two characters, I liked Jami a bit more than Vance. He took advice from people in the business and lost his way a bit, but once he found it again, he went for it. Vance was full of martyr complex, choosing his career because of Jami, but then making choices and decisions that affect both of them without talking about it.
Most of the story takes place on tour but not a lot is mentioned about performances, apart from the one at the end. Also, Marcy seemed to be heading somewhere but then disappeared, although she was mentioned in the epilogue by one of the other band members, so maybe she will reappear in future books.
On the whole, this was a quick and easy read with no real surprises, just a question of 'when'. I look forward to reading more in this series and seeing the pairings hinted at here. 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 3, 2022
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Savage in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
When I read the blurb for this novella, I was a little bit interested especially when it came to the mysterious village. The whole creature thing isn't usually what I read when it comes to the horror genre, but as this was a short read, I thought I'd give it a try. However, it wasn't something I can say I enjoyed.
I don't really like or dislike the title. It's a bit plain and boring, and I don't really see what it has to do with the book unless it pertains to what the villagers call the undisciplined. No mention of the word savage was ever used.
The cover of this book reminds me of a book from the time of Alfred Hitchcock. I believe that the cover does suit the book.
The world building starts off being believable. It was quite easy to picture a man driving along a country road, his car dying, and then he mysteriously gets transported to a strange village. However, the author starts talking about angles and shapes, and I just found myself being really confused. I wouldn't say this made the world building any less believable but just confusing, at least for me.
I thought the pacing to be a bit too slow for my liking. There's not really any action until almost the very end of the book. Luckily this book is short or else I would've quit reading it before I was finished.
The plot is interesting enough. A man's car breaks down just outside some strange village. The man goes into the village and notices how perfectly angular the people and the landscape is. The villagers start talking about the undisciplined. The man ends up getting locked up but manages to escape. However, he runs into something a lot worse than the strange villagers. So yes, the plot line was interesting enough, but I just felt it was executed a bit poorly. I felt as if the ending didn't tie in with the whole book. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I will say that if the author was going for that ending, maybe he should've rethought about whether or not to have a mysterious village in the book as the village and the ending don't really mesh well.
I did like Daryl. He seemed like your everyday, normal working man. However, I think he was a bit too intellectual for me to fully relate to. As for the villagers, I can't really comment on them because I felt like there wasn't enough back story on the village and its people to fully form an opinion. I would've liked more back story on the village, and I feel that with more back story, the book would've been less confusing and more interesting.
There wasn't much dialogue in the book which I found disappointing. It seemed like all that was in the book was adjectives and too much description for my liking. Not only that, but I felt that the words used were too intellectual for a common reader such as myself. A lot of the time I didn't even know what the words meant, and this lead to a lot of confusion and lack of interest for me. It's just too wordy of a book if that makes sense. There are a few swear words and a tiny bit of violence. There is also a little bit of sexual references but only in one or two scenes, and it's not very graphic.
Overall, Savage by Gary Fry has a promising story line, but with all the big words, too much description and not enough dialogue, it just falls flat. It doesn't help that the mysterious village has no back story and that the ending doesn't really mesh with the rest of the story.
Personally, I wouldn't recommend this book unless you know words that aren't used in every day conversations or if you're an English major. I'd say this book is written for those 18+.
<b>I'd give Savage by Gary Fry a 2 out of 5.</b>
(I received a free ecopy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley for an honest and unbiased review).
When I read the blurb for this novella, I was a little bit interested especially when it came to the mysterious village. The whole creature thing isn't usually what I read when it comes to the horror genre, but as this was a short read, I thought I'd give it a try. However, it wasn't something I can say I enjoyed.
I don't really like or dislike the title. It's a bit plain and boring, and I don't really see what it has to do with the book unless it pertains to what the villagers call the undisciplined. No mention of the word savage was ever used.
The cover of this book reminds me of a book from the time of Alfred Hitchcock. I believe that the cover does suit the book.
The world building starts off being believable. It was quite easy to picture a man driving along a country road, his car dying, and then he mysteriously gets transported to a strange village. However, the author starts talking about angles and shapes, and I just found myself being really confused. I wouldn't say this made the world building any less believable but just confusing, at least for me.
I thought the pacing to be a bit too slow for my liking. There's not really any action until almost the very end of the book. Luckily this book is short or else I would've quit reading it before I was finished.
The plot is interesting enough. A man's car breaks down just outside some strange village. The man goes into the village and notices how perfectly angular the people and the landscape is. The villagers start talking about the undisciplined. The man ends up getting locked up but manages to escape. However, he runs into something a lot worse than the strange villagers. So yes, the plot line was interesting enough, but I just felt it was executed a bit poorly. I felt as if the ending didn't tie in with the whole book. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I will say that if the author was going for that ending, maybe he should've rethought about whether or not to have a mysterious village in the book as the village and the ending don't really mesh well.
I did like Daryl. He seemed like your everyday, normal working man. However, I think he was a bit too intellectual for me to fully relate to. As for the villagers, I can't really comment on them because I felt like there wasn't enough back story on the village and its people to fully form an opinion. I would've liked more back story on the village, and I feel that with more back story, the book would've been less confusing and more interesting.
There wasn't much dialogue in the book which I found disappointing. It seemed like all that was in the book was adjectives and too much description for my liking. Not only that, but I felt that the words used were too intellectual for a common reader such as myself. A lot of the time I didn't even know what the words meant, and this lead to a lot of confusion and lack of interest for me. It's just too wordy of a book if that makes sense. There are a few swear words and a tiny bit of violence. There is also a little bit of sexual references but only in one or two scenes, and it's not very graphic.
Overall, Savage by Gary Fry has a promising story line, but with all the big words, too much description and not enough dialogue, it just falls flat. It doesn't help that the mysterious village has no back story and that the ending doesn't really mesh with the rest of the story.
Personally, I wouldn't recommend this book unless you know words that aren't used in every day conversations or if you're an English major. I'd say this book is written for those 18+.
<b>I'd give Savage by Gary Fry a 2 out of 5.</b>
(I received a free ecopy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley for an honest and unbiased review).
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Uninvited in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
When I saw that Liz Jensen had written a new book, I knew I wanted to read it. I loved her book The Rapture and was hoping The Uninvited would be just as good. However, I was disappointed with this book.
Hesketh is a man who has Asperger's Syndrome. He is sent by his company to investigate cases of whistle blowers and sabotage within companies. When Hesketh goes to investigate his first case in Taiwan, he gets more than he bargained for. The supposed whistle blower seems to be talking non-sense. The next day, the whistle blower commits suicide. Soon, this is happening all over the world. Not only that, but it children all over the world are attacking adults. What's going on? Will Hesketh be able to find the answer before it's too late?
The title of The Uninvited suits the book. Like most of my reviews, I don't want to go into too much detail as to why the title fits because I don't want to give away any spoilers.
I found this particular cover to be a bit plain for my liking. The cover didn't catch my attention. (It was the synopsis that did). This cover doesn't really give too much away about what the story is going to be about. To me, the cover just looks like some spoilt child hiding in her room trying to spy on what's going on which has nothing to do with the actual story of the book!!
The world building is very believable. I could actually imagine everything written in the book happening as the author was writing about it. I had no qualms about the world building. The author brings this dystopian world to life beautifully and scarily so!
Unfortunately, the pacing was horrible in this book. I had to force myself to read it and finish it which is a shame because I really wanted to love The Uninvited. The story just went on too slowly for my liking. A lot of the time, I was contemplating giving up on this book, but I've read a lot of books that get better towards the end. However, this wasn't the case with this book. It never got any better. It was a slow read throughout.
The dialogue, to me, confused me. It featured a lot of science jargon that I didn't understand. I found myself completely lost through most of this book. The ending, especially, left me the most confused. I didn't understand why or how. I just felt it was never fully explained which left me feeling rather annoyed.
The characters just felt too one dimensional. I couldn't relate to any of them, and I didn't care what happened to them. The character of Hesketh just came across really annoying. Yes, I understand he has Asperger's but so does my son, and he's no where as annoying as Hesketh. (And I'm not just saying that because he's my son). Throughout the book, Hesketh repeats things to himself three times, and he's constantly talking about his origami. I realise that he has his little quirks, but I felt as if Hesketh's origami was being shoved down my throat. If I had to pick a favourite character, it was be Professor Whybray. He just had that lovely old man quality and came across feeling grandfatherly.
All in all, I think the idea of this story is a great one, but it was just poorly executed. The pacing was too slow, the characters were too dull, and the dialogue was just too confusing. Like I said, I really wanted to enjoy this book as Liz Jenson has written some wonderful books before this one.
I really wouldn't recommend this book, but if you'd like to give it a try, I'd say ages 16+ would be the best ages to try to enjoy it.
I'd give The Uninvited by Liz Jensen a 1.5 out of 5.
(A special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review).
When I saw that Liz Jensen had written a new book, I knew I wanted to read it. I loved her book The Rapture and was hoping The Uninvited would be just as good. However, I was disappointed with this book.
Hesketh is a man who has Asperger's Syndrome. He is sent by his company to investigate cases of whistle blowers and sabotage within companies. When Hesketh goes to investigate his first case in Taiwan, he gets more than he bargained for. The supposed whistle blower seems to be talking non-sense. The next day, the whistle blower commits suicide. Soon, this is happening all over the world. Not only that, but it children all over the world are attacking adults. What's going on? Will Hesketh be able to find the answer before it's too late?
The title of The Uninvited suits the book. Like most of my reviews, I don't want to go into too much detail as to why the title fits because I don't want to give away any spoilers.
I found this particular cover to be a bit plain for my liking. The cover didn't catch my attention. (It was the synopsis that did). This cover doesn't really give too much away about what the story is going to be about. To me, the cover just looks like some spoilt child hiding in her room trying to spy on what's going on which has nothing to do with the actual story of the book!!
The world building is very believable. I could actually imagine everything written in the book happening as the author was writing about it. I had no qualms about the world building. The author brings this dystopian world to life beautifully and scarily so!
Unfortunately, the pacing was horrible in this book. I had to force myself to read it and finish it which is a shame because I really wanted to love The Uninvited. The story just went on too slowly for my liking. A lot of the time, I was contemplating giving up on this book, but I've read a lot of books that get better towards the end. However, this wasn't the case with this book. It never got any better. It was a slow read throughout.
The dialogue, to me, confused me. It featured a lot of science jargon that I didn't understand. I found myself completely lost through most of this book. The ending, especially, left me the most confused. I didn't understand why or how. I just felt it was never fully explained which left me feeling rather annoyed.
The characters just felt too one dimensional. I couldn't relate to any of them, and I didn't care what happened to them. The character of Hesketh just came across really annoying. Yes, I understand he has Asperger's but so does my son, and he's no where as annoying as Hesketh. (And I'm not just saying that because he's my son). Throughout the book, Hesketh repeats things to himself three times, and he's constantly talking about his origami. I realise that he has his little quirks, but I felt as if Hesketh's origami was being shoved down my throat. If I had to pick a favourite character, it was be Professor Whybray. He just had that lovely old man quality and came across feeling grandfatherly.
All in all, I think the idea of this story is a great one, but it was just poorly executed. The pacing was too slow, the characters were too dull, and the dialogue was just too confusing. Like I said, I really wanted to enjoy this book as Liz Jenson has written some wonderful books before this one.
I really wouldn't recommend this book, but if you'd like to give it a try, I'd say ages 16+ would be the best ages to try to enjoy it.
I'd give The Uninvited by Liz Jensen a 1.5 out of 5.
(A special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review).
Darren (1599 KP) rated Stephen King's A Good Marriage (2014) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: A Good Marriage starts with the anniversary party of Darcy (Allen) and Bob Anderson (LaPaglia) with their grown up children Petra (Connolly) and Donnie (Stockman). Everything on the outside looks like it is going great for the couple and what could possibly be shocking about them? The couple seem to have a follower in Holt Ramsey (Lang) but why?
Darcy’s life takes a sudden change when searching for batteries she finds a hidden box with the drivers licences of woman who are found dead. As Darcy struggles to deal with the realisation that she is married to a serial killer we watch how Bob is tracking down him latest victim while away on business. We have to watch how Bob and Darcy try to work through the problems because spilling the secret could ruin the family.
A Good Marriage really does end up coming off very dull, the concept sounds very interesting. I feel this story should have been a hell of a lot tenser because of the action of the husband especially with the idea that the wife doesn’t want to destroy her children’s lives with the secret. I can honestly say I was expecting a look into the husband’s killing and an actual confrontation rather than just a calm talking about his actions. Overall the story doesn’t come off very well at all and I can honestly say this will disappoint any and all the Stephen King Fans out there. (2/10)
Actor Review
Joan Allen: Darcy Anderson is the loving mother and wife who discovers her husband’s secret. Darcy has to try and figure out what to do because talking will destroy the family but she also knows the next victim will now be here fault. Joan does a solid job but doesn’t reach the levels you would expect to make you feel like her character is scared or keeping a brave face. (5/10)
Anthony LaPaglia: Bob Anderson is the account husband of Darcy who has been living a different life behind his family’s back as a serial killer. When his wife discovers his secret he has to convince her not to go to the cops and ruin the life the children think they have had. Anthony is an actor I would expect to be able to play this role really well but he doesn’t seem to get into the role enough to make us believe he is a killer. (3/10)
Support Cast: A Good Marriage has a supporting cast that are mostly people Darcy is trying to protect from the truth, but it also has a man trying to find out the truth about the killer.
Director Review: Peter Askin – Peter doesn’t give us enough tension in a film that should be filled to the rim with tension because of the subject matter. (3/10)
Thriller: A Good Marriage is a film that should be filled with tension but this manages to let it all go without capitalising on the idea. (2/10)
Settings: A Good Marriage keeps the settings great because the idea would be that the killer is in plain sight living a normal life. (9/10)
Suggestion: A Good Marriage has to go down as one to avoid because it really does disappoint trying to tell an easy story. (Avoid)
Best Part: Hard to find anything.
Worst Part: No Tension.
Improve Ideas: High tension level.
Believability: The idea does come from a real serial killer but the outcome on film doesn’t really work. (3/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 1 Hour 42 Minutes
Trivia: This is Stephen King’s first self-adapted screenplay since “Pet Sematary,” which was released 25 years earlier. The last feature film script he wrote was “Sleepwalkers,” released in 1992. Since then he has written TV movies, mini-series and shows, such as “The Stand,” “The Shining” and “Kingdom Hospital.”
Overall: Very disappointing thriller with no actual tension.
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/06/04/a-good-marriage-2014/
Darcy’s life takes a sudden change when searching for batteries she finds a hidden box with the drivers licences of woman who are found dead. As Darcy struggles to deal with the realisation that she is married to a serial killer we watch how Bob is tracking down him latest victim while away on business. We have to watch how Bob and Darcy try to work through the problems because spilling the secret could ruin the family.
A Good Marriage really does end up coming off very dull, the concept sounds very interesting. I feel this story should have been a hell of a lot tenser because of the action of the husband especially with the idea that the wife doesn’t want to destroy her children’s lives with the secret. I can honestly say I was expecting a look into the husband’s killing and an actual confrontation rather than just a calm talking about his actions. Overall the story doesn’t come off very well at all and I can honestly say this will disappoint any and all the Stephen King Fans out there. (2/10)
Actor Review
Joan Allen: Darcy Anderson is the loving mother and wife who discovers her husband’s secret. Darcy has to try and figure out what to do because talking will destroy the family but she also knows the next victim will now be here fault. Joan does a solid job but doesn’t reach the levels you would expect to make you feel like her character is scared or keeping a brave face. (5/10)
Anthony LaPaglia: Bob Anderson is the account husband of Darcy who has been living a different life behind his family’s back as a serial killer. When his wife discovers his secret he has to convince her not to go to the cops and ruin the life the children think they have had. Anthony is an actor I would expect to be able to play this role really well but he doesn’t seem to get into the role enough to make us believe he is a killer. (3/10)
Support Cast: A Good Marriage has a supporting cast that are mostly people Darcy is trying to protect from the truth, but it also has a man trying to find out the truth about the killer.
Director Review: Peter Askin – Peter doesn’t give us enough tension in a film that should be filled to the rim with tension because of the subject matter. (3/10)
Thriller: A Good Marriage is a film that should be filled with tension but this manages to let it all go without capitalising on the idea. (2/10)
Settings: A Good Marriage keeps the settings great because the idea would be that the killer is in plain sight living a normal life. (9/10)
Suggestion: A Good Marriage has to go down as one to avoid because it really does disappoint trying to tell an easy story. (Avoid)
Best Part: Hard to find anything.
Worst Part: No Tension.
Improve Ideas: High tension level.
Believability: The idea does come from a real serial killer but the outcome on film doesn’t really work. (3/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 1 Hour 42 Minutes
Trivia: This is Stephen King’s first self-adapted screenplay since “Pet Sematary,” which was released 25 years earlier. The last feature film script he wrote was “Sleepwalkers,” released in 1992. Since then he has written TV movies, mini-series and shows, such as “The Stand,” “The Shining” and “Kingdom Hospital.”
Overall: Very disappointing thriller with no actual tension.
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/06/04/a-good-marriage-2014/
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated What Men Want (2019) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
Who wouldn't want to know what goes through a man's mind on occasion? Actually, you know what... I'm fine, I'm not sure I really want to hear everything... *shudder*
Ali is looking for the recognition she deserves for the hard work she puts in. She's successful, but in an office full of men she might not get out of her lane and be equal with the men around her. Without the supernatural twist the outcome could have eventually been the same, but that wouldn't have made for such an entertaining movie.
What Men Want is entirely predictable, after all we saw it all before in What Women Want but it's also like a whole bunch of romcoms out there. Character encounters an obstacle, character finds romance, character finds a way to fix the obstacle and in the process of that mucks up romance, obstacle gets fixed, character realises that none of it is worthwhile without romance and gets them back with big gesture, The End.
Taraji P. Henson is right up near the top of my favourite actresses, she's got so many great performances under her belt. Ali isn't going to appear very near the top of that list. Everything in Ali, as well as the film, seems to be at opposite ends of the scale. When we have comedy it sometimes feels over the top, when we have real life it's serious. Had there been more of a balance I think we could have had a better result. That being said, I thought she was great, she's very good at visual acting.
When it comes to the supporting cast it doesn't quite hit the spot. Again, this is partly due to the Jekyll and Hyde nature of everything. You've got characters who are serious, textbook romcomers, some for comedy and a handful of sports stars doing cameos, it's difficult to make them all gel. Pete Davidson and Tracy Morgan in both stick out from the rest because they bring quite a harsh comedy which I didn't find all that entertaining.
On the flip side though I was pleased to see Aldis Hodge make an appearance, he's got just the right amount of humour and serious in there and against Henson in scenes he works particularly well. Josh Brener also brought something fun to the mix, and possibly had the best part overall. Getting to sit on both sides of the storyline allows him to interact in fun ways with Ali when she's discovering her abilities as well as later on when he's trying to hide his inner thoughts.
Speaking of which, men's inner thoughts throughout aren't badly done, though there's the occasional over the top effort. Jamal Barry/Shane Paul McGhie had the winner for me when he was meeting his sporting hero though.
Looking back at this film I think I'm actually talking it out of stars in my head. I enjoyed it a lot at the cinema, it was funny (if a little excessive at times) and it eventually shows Ali being able to empower herself even if she does cock it up along the way. It flowed well and I wasn't finding myself urging it along... but... it's not a massively consistent film. The storyline with her female friends in obviously essential to the beginning but its addition later on holds little impact apart from giving her multiple points to claim some redemption.
I can honestly say that on first viewing I was amused and entertained, but I'm not sure how well it would hold up to a second.
What you should do
When talking to people who have seen What Men Want it is fairly consistent, men tend not to like it while women say they found it entertaining (admittedly that's somewhere between 2.5 and 4 stars). I think it's worth watching, and it would probably make a good film for a girls night.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I've completely talked myself out of hearing men's thoughts so maybe box seats instead?
Ali is looking for the recognition she deserves for the hard work she puts in. She's successful, but in an office full of men she might not get out of her lane and be equal with the men around her. Without the supernatural twist the outcome could have eventually been the same, but that wouldn't have made for such an entertaining movie.
What Men Want is entirely predictable, after all we saw it all before in What Women Want but it's also like a whole bunch of romcoms out there. Character encounters an obstacle, character finds romance, character finds a way to fix the obstacle and in the process of that mucks up romance, obstacle gets fixed, character realises that none of it is worthwhile without romance and gets them back with big gesture, The End.
Taraji P. Henson is right up near the top of my favourite actresses, she's got so many great performances under her belt. Ali isn't going to appear very near the top of that list. Everything in Ali, as well as the film, seems to be at opposite ends of the scale. When we have comedy it sometimes feels over the top, when we have real life it's serious. Had there been more of a balance I think we could have had a better result. That being said, I thought she was great, she's very good at visual acting.
When it comes to the supporting cast it doesn't quite hit the spot. Again, this is partly due to the Jekyll and Hyde nature of everything. You've got characters who are serious, textbook romcomers, some for comedy and a handful of sports stars doing cameos, it's difficult to make them all gel. Pete Davidson and Tracy Morgan in both stick out from the rest because they bring quite a harsh comedy which I didn't find all that entertaining.
On the flip side though I was pleased to see Aldis Hodge make an appearance, he's got just the right amount of humour and serious in there and against Henson in scenes he works particularly well. Josh Brener also brought something fun to the mix, and possibly had the best part overall. Getting to sit on both sides of the storyline allows him to interact in fun ways with Ali when she's discovering her abilities as well as later on when he's trying to hide his inner thoughts.
Speaking of which, men's inner thoughts throughout aren't badly done, though there's the occasional over the top effort. Jamal Barry/Shane Paul McGhie had the winner for me when he was meeting his sporting hero though.
Looking back at this film I think I'm actually talking it out of stars in my head. I enjoyed it a lot at the cinema, it was funny (if a little excessive at times) and it eventually shows Ali being able to empower herself even if she does cock it up along the way. It flowed well and I wasn't finding myself urging it along... but... it's not a massively consistent film. The storyline with her female friends in obviously essential to the beginning but its addition later on holds little impact apart from giving her multiple points to claim some redemption.
I can honestly say that on first viewing I was amused and entertained, but I'm not sure how well it would hold up to a second.
What you should do
When talking to people who have seen What Men Want it is fairly consistent, men tend not to like it while women say they found it entertaining (admittedly that's somewhere between 2.5 and 4 stars). I think it's worth watching, and it would probably make a good film for a girls night.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I've completely talked myself out of hearing men's thoughts so maybe box seats instead?
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Freiyon Fables: A Tail to Remember in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Freiyon Fables: Tail to Remember by Justin Hunt was a book that I could only compare to one other book and that would be Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. The Prologue promises an amazing tale, yet I feel as if the book doesn't quite live up to it. So even though I compare it to Narnia in style it is nothing like it when it comes to the actual material. The complete book itself is separated into three smaller books (or parts) that is then spread out into chapters.
In A Tail to Remember a squirrel by the name of Micklang escapes from a zoo and in the process is electrocuted, giving his tail a lightning-bolt shape. He then falls into another world in an Alice in Wonderland – down the rabbit hole style. In this new world, Micklang receives dreams about his warrior-self telling hi how to become that version of himself. During his journey, Micklang makes some surprising new friends and is reunited with some he has met before in the human world. It is with these friends that Micklang travels this new world, mapping it out.
At one point Micklang comes across an island where his traveling companions are captured and must rescue them before their captors harm them. Then after abandoning ship in a bad storm Micklang finds himself on yet another island, but this one is home to only other lightning-tail animals. Towards the end, Micklang goes back to one of the first islands that he visited in this new world, now called Freiyon. It is there that Micklang and his friends fight in the first battle in a war between The Grabbers and King Karel. It is during this battle that Micklang’s story ends but it is not the end of the stories about Freiyon. This is because a little human boy is told about Freiyon by his mother and decides it is time for him to visit this land of talking animals.
What I liked best about this book is that it is a rare occasion when I can honestly say that the ending, specifically the Epilogue is my favorite part. The epilogue tied the entire story together with the prologue when frankly I originally was confused about how it all connected. This actually redeemed the entire book in some ways. What I did not like was that the talking animals and being in a different world or realm gave the book a Chronicles of Narnia feel. Normally that would be a good thing but in this case, the writing style felt simplified and rushed at the same time. Also, this book felt like it was intended for children up until book three. In Book Three: The Switch Between Stories the phrases “What the HELL” and “how the HELL” were both used and that doesn't feel kid-friendly.
It was hard for me to pick a target audience for this book. My best guess would be for early middle school students and late elementary students, age-wise anyway. This is because the length might make it difficult for some elementary students (and some parents may not be thrilled about all the violence, who knows). Yet the simplified writing style may (or may not) appeal to older readers. Most likely it would be dry and boring for anyone out of middle school. That being said I rate this book a 2 out of 4. This is because this story falls in that dangerous zone between being simple enough for young readers and having just enough detail to feel rushed. The action moves from one major event to another without much of a break in between yet the story is still interesting
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In A Tail to Remember a squirrel by the name of Micklang escapes from a zoo and in the process is electrocuted, giving his tail a lightning-bolt shape. He then falls into another world in an Alice in Wonderland – down the rabbit hole style. In this new world, Micklang receives dreams about his warrior-self telling hi how to become that version of himself. During his journey, Micklang makes some surprising new friends and is reunited with some he has met before in the human world. It is with these friends that Micklang travels this new world, mapping it out.
At one point Micklang comes across an island where his traveling companions are captured and must rescue them before their captors harm them. Then after abandoning ship in a bad storm Micklang finds himself on yet another island, but this one is home to only other lightning-tail animals. Towards the end, Micklang goes back to one of the first islands that he visited in this new world, now called Freiyon. It is there that Micklang and his friends fight in the first battle in a war between The Grabbers and King Karel. It is during this battle that Micklang’s story ends but it is not the end of the stories about Freiyon. This is because a little human boy is told about Freiyon by his mother and decides it is time for him to visit this land of talking animals.
What I liked best about this book is that it is a rare occasion when I can honestly say that the ending, specifically the Epilogue is my favorite part. The epilogue tied the entire story together with the prologue when frankly I originally was confused about how it all connected. This actually redeemed the entire book in some ways. What I did not like was that the talking animals and being in a different world or realm gave the book a Chronicles of Narnia feel. Normally that would be a good thing but in this case, the writing style felt simplified and rushed at the same time. Also, this book felt like it was intended for children up until book three. In Book Three: The Switch Between Stories the phrases “What the HELL” and “how the HELL” were both used and that doesn't feel kid-friendly.
It was hard for me to pick a target audience for this book. My best guess would be for early middle school students and late elementary students, age-wise anyway. This is because the length might make it difficult for some elementary students (and some parents may not be thrilled about all the violence, who knows). Yet the simplified writing style may (or may not) appeal to older readers. Most likely it would be dry and boring for anyone out of middle school. That being said I rate this book a 2 out of 4. This is because this story falls in that dangerous zone between being simple enough for young readers and having just enough detail to feel rushed. The action moves from one major event to another without much of a break in between yet the story is still interesting
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Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Devil's Workshop in Books
Jan 10, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
The Devil’s Workshop by Donnally Miller is one of the few books that I felt like I had to read twice, and did. Even after that I still feel like I am missing quite a bit of what this book has to offer. If there were ever a book that deserves to be torn apart (and I mean that in the best possible sense) and be studied in depth to have all the hidden meanings exposed this is it. However, I am not the one to do it.
Tom and Katie love each other to the point that when Tom leaves to work on a ship for a while, Katie gives him an extremely special engraved pocket watch to take with him. Little does Tom know, he helped bury the Son of Light shortly before leaving and this has thrown the world into chaos. Katie loses her job at the mansion where she lives and finds herself traveling with a dog and a lovesick man whom she has no affection for on a journey to find Tom. Meanwhile, Tom has lost Katie’s pocket watch, was thrown overboard, and is trying to make his way back to her. Thanks to Deirdre, The Queen of the Witches, the journey these two lovers are on is excruciatingly long and dangerous.
The Indians who live peacefully in the Forest have started to band together in preparation for driving “the white man” back into the sea where they came from. Slaves have also started rebelling all along the Coast and are being hunted by a military who wants them destroyed. Making things even worse Pirates are causing the roads to be unsafe for travelers and Tom finds himself mixed up with them. All the while Deirdre is playing her games with each of the separate groups. The only way to set everything right once more is to create a new Child of Light.
I enjoyed how all the characters seem to cross paths at one point or another in ways that are more natural than forced by the author. All the trials that Tom and Katie are willing to endure in an attempt to see each other again restore a person’s faith in humanity and love. At the same time, the book forces the reader to question just what is love and why will we go to the ends of the Earth for it. What I did not like was that there were a few different times where I would lose track of who was talking or what was going on. I am not sure if this was in any way due to how the book was written or because I was not devoting the amount of attention to the book as it deserves. Even so philosophical books are expected to confuse readers at times and force them to re-evaluate passages, so it in no way changes my opinion of this book.
I would only recommend this book to adult readers. While there is nothing inappropriate for readers in high school, the philosophy would probably be a bit much for them. The casual reader should also be prepared for a long and at times difficult read. Nonetheless, I rate this book to be a perfect 4 out of 4. People who do not realize what kind of book this is would probably put it down during the first few chapters and give it a low rating for being hard to read. Those that realize what they are reading will find that the seemingly random ramblings do make sense if you slow down. There is a wonderful plotline and a beautiful love story (thankfully not a mushy one) that takes place throughout the book if readers are willing to take their time and look.
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Tom and Katie love each other to the point that when Tom leaves to work on a ship for a while, Katie gives him an extremely special engraved pocket watch to take with him. Little does Tom know, he helped bury the Son of Light shortly before leaving and this has thrown the world into chaos. Katie loses her job at the mansion where she lives and finds herself traveling with a dog and a lovesick man whom she has no affection for on a journey to find Tom. Meanwhile, Tom has lost Katie’s pocket watch, was thrown overboard, and is trying to make his way back to her. Thanks to Deirdre, The Queen of the Witches, the journey these two lovers are on is excruciatingly long and dangerous.
The Indians who live peacefully in the Forest have started to band together in preparation for driving “the white man” back into the sea where they came from. Slaves have also started rebelling all along the Coast and are being hunted by a military who wants them destroyed. Making things even worse Pirates are causing the roads to be unsafe for travelers and Tom finds himself mixed up with them. All the while Deirdre is playing her games with each of the separate groups. The only way to set everything right once more is to create a new Child of Light.
I enjoyed how all the characters seem to cross paths at one point or another in ways that are more natural than forced by the author. All the trials that Tom and Katie are willing to endure in an attempt to see each other again restore a person’s faith in humanity and love. At the same time, the book forces the reader to question just what is love and why will we go to the ends of the Earth for it. What I did not like was that there were a few different times where I would lose track of who was talking or what was going on. I am not sure if this was in any way due to how the book was written or because I was not devoting the amount of attention to the book as it deserves. Even so philosophical books are expected to confuse readers at times and force them to re-evaluate passages, so it in no way changes my opinion of this book.
I would only recommend this book to adult readers. While there is nothing inappropriate for readers in high school, the philosophy would probably be a bit much for them. The casual reader should also be prepared for a long and at times difficult read. Nonetheless, I rate this book to be a perfect 4 out of 4. People who do not realize what kind of book this is would probably put it down during the first few chapters and give it a low rating for being hard to read. Those that realize what they are reading will find that the seemingly random ramblings do make sense if you slow down. There is a wonderful plotline and a beautiful love story (thankfully not a mushy one) that takes place throughout the book if readers are willing to take their time and look.
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Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
The best movie of the summer has arrived, and it’s Star Trek Into Darkness!
There are so many cool things about J.J. Abrams second adventure in the beloved universe created all those years ago by Gene Roddenberry. But the best way to experience this movie is cold, devoid of any internet spoilers, if such a thing is possible in this day and age. That being said, here’s what I got for you.
The movie begins with Captain James Tiberius Kirk (Chris Pine) getting in to trouble with Starfleet for violating the Prime Directive. The Prime Directive is the United Federation of Plants number one rule against alerting primitive cultures to things that they are not nearly ready to grasp (i.e. space travel). But Kirk manages to avoid his punishment because Starfleet has a bigger problem on its hands: a rogue agent, named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) is attacking Federation facilities on Earth.
Admiral Markus (Peter Weller) gives Jim Kirk orders to kill Harrison, who has managed to escape Earth and hide on Kronos, the Klingon homeworld. So Kirk, along with his trusty crew including the ever-logical Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto), James “Bones” McCoy (Karl Urban) and Uhura (Zoe Saldana), warp to the Neutral Zone that separates Federation space from the Klingon Empire. Only they discover that this mission – including the identity of the fugitive Harrison – is not what it seems.
That’s all I am giving you for plot details. Go see the movie!
And when you do, watch for the cleverness of the screenwriters. There are many classic Trek littered throughout the film including characters, place names and alien species that a Trekkie, excuse me… Trekker, will be hooting and hollering at. But this movie isn’t solely for the die hard Trekkers. There is enough action and excitement to keep even the most hard to please moviegoer entertained.
Abrams got a lot of flack for his 2009 reboot of the franchise, and most likely he will get it again for this film. But this time around, Abrams does stay closer to the virtues of the original universe including the bond of the Enterprise crew and the close friendships among Kirk, Spock and Bones. Abrams manages to draw nice moments of tension and comedy alike from the entire crew.
Our main characters do shine through though. Pine brings just the right amount of swagger to Kirk, Quinto gives both the humor and emotional intensity within Spock’s struggle to balance logic and emotion. But both of these actors have to work overtime to even be on the same level as Cumberbatch, who brings muscle and old-school, butt kicking style to the villain’s role.
The other thing that I really enjoyed, again without giving too much of the plot away, is the films willingness to acknowledge that we have strayed from the original story of Kirk and crew, and how the plot can draw on that to help strengthen the story. Once you see it, you will know what I am talking about.
I saw the movie in 3D, though I am of the impression that 3D is getting a little overrated these days. I am just not blown out of the water by the 3D effects that we are seeing in movies. The one thing that I was truly grateful for is that they didn’t throw it in your face, too much. There were moments where they had things fly at you, but for the most part it wasn’t the emphasis which allowed it to play out nicely.
What are you doing still reading? Get out there and see this movie. If you don’t, you will be sorry you hadn’t as everyone and their mom will be talking about this movie come Monday. I, myself, will be seeing it for a second time this Friday hoping to spot things I missed this first time around. The movie made people laugh, cry, and hang on to the edge of your seat. As a Star Wars fan, I loved this movie. And really can’t wait to see what Abrams does with the next installment (as well as Episode 7).
There are so many cool things about J.J. Abrams second adventure in the beloved universe created all those years ago by Gene Roddenberry. But the best way to experience this movie is cold, devoid of any internet spoilers, if such a thing is possible in this day and age. That being said, here’s what I got for you.
The movie begins with Captain James Tiberius Kirk (Chris Pine) getting in to trouble with Starfleet for violating the Prime Directive. The Prime Directive is the United Federation of Plants number one rule against alerting primitive cultures to things that they are not nearly ready to grasp (i.e. space travel). But Kirk manages to avoid his punishment because Starfleet has a bigger problem on its hands: a rogue agent, named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) is attacking Federation facilities on Earth.
Admiral Markus (Peter Weller) gives Jim Kirk orders to kill Harrison, who has managed to escape Earth and hide on Kronos, the Klingon homeworld. So Kirk, along with his trusty crew including the ever-logical Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto), James “Bones” McCoy (Karl Urban) and Uhura (Zoe Saldana), warp to the Neutral Zone that separates Federation space from the Klingon Empire. Only they discover that this mission – including the identity of the fugitive Harrison – is not what it seems.
That’s all I am giving you for plot details. Go see the movie!
And when you do, watch for the cleverness of the screenwriters. There are many classic Trek littered throughout the film including characters, place names and alien species that a Trekkie, excuse me… Trekker, will be hooting and hollering at. But this movie isn’t solely for the die hard Trekkers. There is enough action and excitement to keep even the most hard to please moviegoer entertained.
Abrams got a lot of flack for his 2009 reboot of the franchise, and most likely he will get it again for this film. But this time around, Abrams does stay closer to the virtues of the original universe including the bond of the Enterprise crew and the close friendships among Kirk, Spock and Bones. Abrams manages to draw nice moments of tension and comedy alike from the entire crew.
Our main characters do shine through though. Pine brings just the right amount of swagger to Kirk, Quinto gives both the humor and emotional intensity within Spock’s struggle to balance logic and emotion. But both of these actors have to work overtime to even be on the same level as Cumberbatch, who brings muscle and old-school, butt kicking style to the villain’s role.
The other thing that I really enjoyed, again without giving too much of the plot away, is the films willingness to acknowledge that we have strayed from the original story of Kirk and crew, and how the plot can draw on that to help strengthen the story. Once you see it, you will know what I am talking about.
I saw the movie in 3D, though I am of the impression that 3D is getting a little overrated these days. I am just not blown out of the water by the 3D effects that we are seeing in movies. The one thing that I was truly grateful for is that they didn’t throw it in your face, too much. There were moments where they had things fly at you, but for the most part it wasn’t the emphasis which allowed it to play out nicely.
What are you doing still reading? Get out there and see this movie. If you don’t, you will be sorry you hadn’t as everyone and their mom will be talking about this movie come Monday. I, myself, will be seeing it for a second time this Friday hoping to spot things I missed this first time around. The movie made people laugh, cry, and hang on to the edge of your seat. As a Star Wars fan, I loved this movie. And really can’t wait to see what Abrams does with the next installment (as well as Episode 7).
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