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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Deep Blue Secret (The Water Keepers, #1) in Books
Jan 27, 2022
16 of 230
Kindle
Deep Blue Secrets ( The Water Keepers book 1)
By Christie Anderson
California teen Sadie James thinks her life couldn't get any better. She has great friends, an energetic mother she adores, and the beach practically in her own backyard. But her carefree life is turned upside down when she's rescued by a mysterious and strangely familiar boy who won't even tell her his name. Each time the boy appears, Sadie's unexplainable attraction to him deepens along with her need to unravel his secrets. The boy is there to protect her. But as wonderful and exciting as it might be to have an irresistible boy with crystal green eyes protecting her every move, every minute of the day . . . why does Sadie need one? As Sadie finds answers, she realizes her life isn't as perfect as she thought. Not only is she caught in a world of dangerous secret agents she never knew existed, but it turns out her true identity may be the greatest secret of all.
So I was in between a 3.5 and 4 stars for this. For a young adult it was well written flowed really nicely and had a new story to spin. The concept was really interesting and I’m looking forward to reading more. It was an easy enjoyable read also a new author for me.
Kindle
Deep Blue Secrets ( The Water Keepers book 1)
By Christie Anderson
California teen Sadie James thinks her life couldn't get any better. She has great friends, an energetic mother she adores, and the beach practically in her own backyard. But her carefree life is turned upside down when she's rescued by a mysterious and strangely familiar boy who won't even tell her his name. Each time the boy appears, Sadie's unexplainable attraction to him deepens along with her need to unravel his secrets. The boy is there to protect her. But as wonderful and exciting as it might be to have an irresistible boy with crystal green eyes protecting her every move, every minute of the day . . . why does Sadie need one? As Sadie finds answers, she realizes her life isn't as perfect as she thought. Not only is she caught in a world of dangerous secret agents she never knew existed, but it turns out her true identity may be the greatest secret of all.
So I was in between a 3.5 and 4 stars for this. For a young adult it was well written flowed really nicely and had a new story to spin. The concept was really interesting and I’m looking forward to reading more. It was an easy enjoyable read also a new author for me.
Alpha Champion ( Wolf Protectors book 1)
8.0
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Lily Mason is tired of her father's machinations. Seven years ago he tore her away from the love of...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated Anne of Green Gables in Books
Oct 4, 2022
It’s Hard to Imagine a More Romantic Story
Orphan Anne Shirley is thrilled when she is sent to live with the Cuthbert siblings, Matthew and Marilla. The problem is, they were looking for an orphan boy, someone who could help Matthew around the farm. Still, they begin to fall for Anne and agree to let her stay. This book follows her adventures of the next five years as she grows to become a sixteen-year-old. What will happen over that time?
I’ve never read this well-loved classic, and I decided it was time to fix that. It came out in 1908, so some of the language is dated, although there is nothing offensive here. I think I needed to be a pre-teen girl to fully enjoy this book. There were certainly parts I did enjoy, but overall, I found the book more episodic than a real novel. That tends to happen to me when a novel covers such a span of time. Also, the events in the second half of the book got to be too much for me. Having said that, I can see the appeal. The characters definitely grew on me, and I laughed at various events along the way. I’m curious enough about what happens next that I might go on with the series.
I’ve never read this well-loved classic, and I decided it was time to fix that. It came out in 1908, so some of the language is dated, although there is nothing offensive here. I think I needed to be a pre-teen girl to fully enjoy this book. There were certainly parts I did enjoy, but overall, I found the book more episodic than a real novel. That tends to happen to me when a novel covers such a span of time. Also, the events in the second half of the book got to be too much for me. Having said that, I can see the appeal. The characters definitely grew on me, and I laughed at various events along the way. I’m curious enough about what happens next that I might go on with the series.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Night Shift in Books
Sep 17, 2023
131 of 235
Kindle
The Night Shift
By Alex Finlay
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K is expected to end in chaos: planes falling from the sky, elevators plunging to earth, world markets collapsing. A digital apocalypse. None of that happens. But at a Blockbuster Video in New Jersey, four teenagers working late at the store are attacked. Only one inexplicably survives. Police quickly identify a suspect, the boyfriend of one of the victims, who flees and is never seen again.
Fifteen years later, more teenage employees are attacked at an ice cream store in the same town, and again only one makes it out alive.
In the aftermath of the latest crime, three lives intersect: the lone survivor of the Blockbuster massacre who’s forced to relive the horrors of her tragedy; the brother of the fugitive accused, who’s convinced the police have the wrong suspect; and FBI agent Sarah Keller who must delve into the secrets of both nights—stirring up memories of teen love and lies—to uncover the truth about murders on the night shift.
I read this in one sitting and thought it was just brilliant. It kept me totally engaged and constantly guessing. It had some pretty nasty characters too which always makes for good reading. Really enjoyed it.
Kindle
The Night Shift
By Alex Finlay
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K is expected to end in chaos: planes falling from the sky, elevators plunging to earth, world markets collapsing. A digital apocalypse. None of that happens. But at a Blockbuster Video in New Jersey, four teenagers working late at the store are attacked. Only one inexplicably survives. Police quickly identify a suspect, the boyfriend of one of the victims, who flees and is never seen again.
Fifteen years later, more teenage employees are attacked at an ice cream store in the same town, and again only one makes it out alive.
In the aftermath of the latest crime, three lives intersect: the lone survivor of the Blockbuster massacre who’s forced to relive the horrors of her tragedy; the brother of the fugitive accused, who’s convinced the police have the wrong suspect; and FBI agent Sarah Keller who must delve into the secrets of both nights—stirring up memories of teen love and lies—to uncover the truth about murders on the night shift.
I read this in one sitting and thought it was just brilliant. It kept me totally engaged and constantly guessing. It had some pretty nasty characters too which always makes for good reading. Really enjoyed it.
Forbidden City
9.0
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In this third installment in the New York Times bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James...
Kim Pook (101 KP) rated Senior year (2022) in Movies
Jun 3, 2022
At the start of the movie, the main character steph is recording a video talking about her childhood, she was snubbed by the cool kids so decided she wanted to become popular. She achieved this, got a "hot" boyfriend and became a cheerleader. However, after a cheerleading accident steph ends up in a coma for 20 years. When she wakes up she has to learn all the ins and outs of the present day, such as smart phones, words you can't use anymore, the fact her boyfriend was now married and how much her body has aged.
She soon decides that she wants to finish her month she missed of her senior year, including cheerleading and becoming prom Queen.
I really enjoyed this movie despite it being over the top silly in places and unrealistic, I mean a 37 year old still fitting into her clothes from when she was 17 with very different body shapes is about as unrealistic as you can get!
The soundtrack is all kinds of nostalgic and took me back to my late teens as there was everything from Mandy Moore to a like for like redo of the drive me (crazy) video by britney spears. If you love the 90s/00s era of teen movies, you're sure to love this.
She soon decides that she wants to finish her month she missed of her senior year, including cheerleading and becoming prom Queen.
I really enjoyed this movie despite it being over the top silly in places and unrealistic, I mean a 37 year old still fitting into her clothes from when she was 17 with very different body shapes is about as unrealistic as you can get!
The soundtrack is all kinds of nostalgic and took me back to my late teens as there was everything from Mandy Moore to a like for like redo of the drive me (crazy) video by britney spears. If you love the 90s/00s era of teen movies, you're sure to love this.
Bayou Book Thief
8.0
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Book
A fantastic new cozy mystery series with a vintage flair from USA Today bestselling and Agatha...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated Mission Manhattan in Books
Feb 20, 2024 (Updated Feb 20, 2024)
Another Fast Pasted Adventure
As this book opens, the team is in Venice. MI6 has intercepted a threat against a climate change rally that is featuring Beatriz Santos, a teen who has gained quite a following with her outspokenness on the topic. Since she is from Brazil, Rio has been tasked with getting close to her. It’s a good thing they are there, since things don’t go according to plan.
But Venice was just the beginning. As the team looks into what happened there, they realize that the danger isn’t over yet. Can they figure out what is happening in time to stop it?
I was anxious to dive into this book after the cliffhanger from the last book, and it did not disappoint. It did take a while to get back to cliffhanger, and the answers only lead to more questions. While I could have done without the climate change theme, I was happy to see those mini-lectures never lasted too long. Instead, we get plenty of surprises and fun as the City Spies try to figure out exactly what is going on so they can stop it. Meanwhile, I still love these characters and their relationship. Fans of all ages will love their latest adventure and be left wanting to find out what happens next.
But Venice was just the beginning. As the team looks into what happened there, they realize that the danger isn’t over yet. Can they figure out what is happening in time to stop it?
I was anxious to dive into this book after the cliffhanger from the last book, and it did not disappoint. It did take a while to get back to cliffhanger, and the answers only lead to more questions. While I could have done without the climate change theme, I was happy to see those mini-lectures never lasted too long. Instead, we get plenty of surprises and fun as the City Spies try to figure out exactly what is going on so they can stop it. Meanwhile, I still love these characters and their relationship. Fans of all ages will love their latest adventure and be left wanting to find out what happens next.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Teen Spirit (2019) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Seventeen year old Violet (Elle Fanning) loves to sing. She spends every free moment listening to her iPod or singing. But since her father left Violet and her mother alone, Marla (Agnieszka Grochowska), on a small farm on Isle of Wight, she has very little free time. Each morning, she feeds and cares for the animals on the farm before she heads to school. After school and every weekend she waits tables. Each night secretly she heads to a bar to sing for extra money to help save the farm, but also to have a chance to sing. When she sees a billboard advertising Teen Spirit, a singing competition show, she sees an opportunity to do the one thing that brings her joy and also help get her a better life. The only problem is that she will have to do it without her mother finding out. Since she is under eighteen she has to convince someone to act as her guardian. She asks an old drunk at the bar, Vlad (Zlatko Buric), who loves her singing to go with her. She soon finds out that the disheveled looking old Vlad used to be a famous opera singer. When she finds out she makes it to the second round Vlad helps convince her mother that she should continue chasing her dream with his help. Even though Violet is going against much more experienced and refined competition she is focus on continuing to chase her dream and make it to the Finals in London.
Teen Spirit is the directorial debut for Max Minghella who also wrote the film (written also The 9th Life of Louis Drax, actor in TVs The Handmaid’s Tale). The story was familiar, a small town girl with big dreams and talent trying to overcome overwhelming odds to accomplish a goal. But it is told in a unique way and I would call it a fresh take on the “Cinderella” story. The visuals were unique and interesting. Most of the singing scenes, and not just Violet, were up close or focused on the singer with the background out of focus. It was an original and interesting way to visually tell the story. Elle Fanning does a good job as the protagonist. She is both bold and vulnerable in the film. Zlatko Buric did a marvelous job and brought some much needed light moments in an overall darker film. I thought the music was good but maybe not my cup of tea.
I thought that overall this was an enjoyable film. Not really something I would generally seek out to watch but was originally made and had interesting characters. It is the same old story though and minus some originality in how it gets through the story the outcome is predictable. My wife enjoyed it a little more than I did so it would be a good date movie. Personally worth a stream or rental but not really theater prices.
Teen Spirit is the directorial debut for Max Minghella who also wrote the film (written also The 9th Life of Louis Drax, actor in TVs The Handmaid’s Tale). The story was familiar, a small town girl with big dreams and talent trying to overcome overwhelming odds to accomplish a goal. But it is told in a unique way and I would call it a fresh take on the “Cinderella” story. The visuals were unique and interesting. Most of the singing scenes, and not just Violet, were up close or focused on the singer with the background out of focus. It was an original and interesting way to visually tell the story. Elle Fanning does a good job as the protagonist. She is both bold and vulnerable in the film. Zlatko Buric did a marvelous job and brought some much needed light moments in an overall darker film. I thought the music was good but maybe not my cup of tea.
I thought that overall this was an enjoyable film. Not really something I would generally seek out to watch but was originally made and had interesting characters. It is the same old story though and minus some originality in how it gets through the story the outcome is predictable. My wife enjoyed it a little more than I did so it would be a good date movie. Personally worth a stream or rental but not really theater prices.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Dance in Shadow and Whisper (The Marionettes of Myth, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Original Review posted on <a title="Dance in Shadow and Whisper by Sarah Godfrey and Victoria deRubeis" href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/09/review-dance-in-shadow-and-whisper-by-sarah-godfrey-and-victoria-derubeis.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Original Rating: 4.5
Note: Formatting is lost due to copy and paste
<i><b>Disclaimer:</b> The authors provided a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The review is not influenced in any way.</i>
Basically from the first chapter, I was pretty hooked. Actually, I would say the first sentence, but that could have changed from sentence two or even sentence three.
Though if I said I nearly chucked the book across the room after sentence one, I would be telling a white lie.
So I actually did like Dance in Shadow & Whisper. Really liked it. And I pretty much believed I was in for a good read from sentence one. In fact, I would have recommend it to my school book club but due to language, I would probably get whacked in the head. Literally.
Yeah. Not happening. I'm the last fan of migraines and headaches (and bruises). I'm pretty sure the lot of us are as well.
But here are a few reasons why I really liked the book and labeled it potential book club recommendation:
1. I think this tends to be the very obvious in a lot of books I read: the idea. Demons vs. Vampires. Finally vampires have a new group of people they don't really like that aren't called werewolves.
~ ABOUT TIME in my very humble opinion. Not that anyone cares because they're probably too busy screaming Team Jacob! or perhaps Team Teen Wolf! (I probably made the Team Teen Wolf up. It is about werewolves after all.
2. I loved almost all of the characters' personalities, in which most are humorous and witty. But I particularly liked Kali, who is the main character in the book and seems to be a really fun person to be around (pigtails, lol).
3. Even though there are a few different POV changes throughout the book, it's easy to tell who's POV it is when it's not Kali.
4. The ending. Literally. If I say why I like it, I'll spill the milk and I might get haunted in the middle of the night. Because really...
<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PewNyeCe7Do/TcGApe1JtjI/AAAAAAAABeU/2mvFe0wDB4s/s1600/cat-cats-kitten-kitty-pic-picture-funny-lolcat-cute-fun-lovely-photo-images-oh-god-why-would-you-do-that.jpg"; />
It was flawless in the transition. That's all I'm going to say about the ending. But now I'm in another waiting room... just keep waiting.
That's all I'm going to say and I refuse to say any more. But for Sarah Godfrey and Victoria DeRubeis's debut novel, Dance in Shadow & Whisper is definitely worth a read.
Original Rating: 4.5
Note: Formatting is lost due to copy and paste
<i><b>Disclaimer:</b> The authors provided a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The review is not influenced in any way.</i>
Basically from the first chapter, I was pretty hooked. Actually, I would say the first sentence, but that could have changed from sentence two or even sentence three.
Though if I said I nearly chucked the book across the room after sentence one, I would be telling a white lie.
So I actually did like Dance in Shadow & Whisper. Really liked it. And I pretty much believed I was in for a good read from sentence one. In fact, I would have recommend it to my school book club but due to language, I would probably get whacked in the head. Literally.
Yeah. Not happening. I'm the last fan of migraines and headaches (and bruises). I'm pretty sure the lot of us are as well.
But here are a few reasons why I really liked the book and labeled it potential book club recommendation:
1. I think this tends to be the very obvious in a lot of books I read: the idea. Demons vs. Vampires. Finally vampires have a new group of people they don't really like that aren't called werewolves.
~ ABOUT TIME in my very humble opinion. Not that anyone cares because they're probably too busy screaming Team Jacob! or perhaps Team Teen Wolf! (I probably made the Team Teen Wolf up. It is about werewolves after all.
2. I loved almost all of the characters' personalities, in which most are humorous and witty. But I particularly liked Kali, who is the main character in the book and seems to be a really fun person to be around (pigtails, lol).
3. Even though there are a few different POV changes throughout the book, it's easy to tell who's POV it is when it's not Kali.
4. The ending. Literally. If I say why I like it, I'll spill the milk and I might get haunted in the middle of the night. Because really...
<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PewNyeCe7Do/TcGApe1JtjI/AAAAAAAABeU/2mvFe0wDB4s/s1600/cat-cats-kitten-kitty-pic-picture-funny-lolcat-cute-fun-lovely-photo-images-oh-god-why-would-you-do-that.jpg"; />
It was flawless in the transition. That's all I'm going to say about the ending. But now I'm in another waiting room... just keep waiting.
That's all I'm going to say and I refuse to say any more. But for Sarah Godfrey and Victoria DeRubeis's debut novel, Dance in Shadow & Whisper is definitely worth a read.