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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated Twelve Angry Librarians (Cat in the Stacks, #8) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Athena College is playing host to the Southern Academic Libraries Association convention and Charlie Harris’s old grad school classmate Gavin Fong is giving the keynote address. Charlie doesn’t have fond memories of Gavin, and an encounter opening night proves that Gavin is still as arrogant as ever. But when Gavin collapses and dies in the middle of his speech, Charlie is surprised. Yes, Gavin was a jerk, but who hated him enough to kill him?
As always, this is a strong mystery, with conflict and tension set up from the very first chapter. We have several strong motives and suspects before Gavin dies, and we get some nice twists before the logical solution. The suspects are all believable, and the returning characters continue to be strong. Charlie’s cat Diesel charms like always as well.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/02/book-review-twelve-angry-librarians-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
As always, this is a strong mystery, with conflict and tension set up from the very first chapter. We have several strong motives and suspects before Gavin dies, and we get some nice twists before the logical solution. The suspects are all believable, and the returning characters continue to be strong. Charlie’s cat Diesel charms like always as well.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/02/book-review-twelve-angry-librarians-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated The Ghosts of Misty Hollow in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Emma and Phil are in Massachusetts at the invitation of mystery writer Gino Costello. He plans to include ghosts in his next book, and plans to use Emma’s expertise to get that part right. However, tension between Gino and Vanessa and the presence of many ghosts looking for Emma’s help will keep this trip for being restful.
While I don’t read many paranormal cozies, I enjoy this series because the characters are so much fun. We only really see Emma, Phil, and Granny here, but they are fantastic, and the new characters more than make up for any characters you might miss. The pacing is a little uneven, but the plot is good and the further I got into the book, the harder it was to put down.
Note: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/12/book-review-ghosts-of-misty-hollow-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
While I don’t read many paranormal cozies, I enjoy this series because the characters are so much fun. We only really see Emma, Phil, and Granny here, but they are fantastic, and the new characters more than make up for any characters you might miss. The pacing is a little uneven, but the plot is good and the further I got into the book, the harder it was to put down.
Note: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/12/book-review-ghosts-of-misty-hollow-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Dr. Strangelove (1964) in Movies
Jun 12, 2018
Love the Bomb
Inspired, justly-celebrated black comedy satirising the absurdity of the nuclear arms race. American general is unhinged by a sudden attack of impotence, 'does a silly thing' and launches an atomic attack on the USSR. The President tries his best to restore order and sanity but finds the deck is stacked against him - suddenly it feels like too much trouble not to have a war...
The brilliant triple-performance by Peter Sellers is what you remember of this film, but it is powered along by the tension between the black absurdity of its characters and situations and the naturalistic realism with which they are depicted. Some terrific dialogue and brilliant visual gags, and a lacerating subtext about masculinity running out of control. Current concerns about crazed egomaniacs with their fingers on nuclear buttons mean that Dr Strangelove shows every sign of becoming worryingly topical again, but you can hardly blame Stanley Kubrick for that.
The brilliant triple-performance by Peter Sellers is what you remember of this film, but it is powered along by the tension between the black absurdity of its characters and situations and the naturalistic realism with which they are depicted. Some terrific dialogue and brilliant visual gags, and a lacerating subtext about masculinity running out of control. Current concerns about crazed egomaniacs with their fingers on nuclear buttons mean that Dr Strangelove shows every sign of becoming worryingly topical again, but you can hardly blame Stanley Kubrick for that.
Mikey H. (24 KP) rated The Raid (2011) in Movies
May 26, 2018
Best Fight choreography ever (1 more)
100 minutes of non-stop action, it's beautiful in the way the violence is done. Amazing.
Wow, just wow
Lots of movies get described as "an adrenaline rush, from start to finish" and rarely do they deliver. The Raid does exactly that. The best fight choreography, its more of a violent dance than fighting...stunning in its visceral display. The story is simple, yet goes deeper than just "get the bad guy". It's survival behind enemy lines, at all cost...but manages to preserve the hero's humanity as well. There are mine.t's of little action, but they are filled with nail-biting tension...and with the rate of the body count, there isn't a guarantee even the hero makes it out alive.
Sidenote: while a different movie altogether, yet with the same feel, if you like The Raid then give Dredd (with Karl Urban) a watch. Also a great film, and highly underrated.
Sidenote: while a different movie altogether, yet with the same feel, if you like The Raid then give Dredd (with Karl Urban) a watch. Also a great film, and highly underrated.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Jurassic Park (1993) in Movies
May 31, 2018
Why do we like dinosaurs so much?
Just when Spielberg was on a minor low after the critical and box office disappointment of "Hook" in 1991, he decided to make not only A movie about dinosaurs, but THE movie about dinosaurs to turn things around.
The original Jurassic Park is a modern marvel of cinema in many ways, but mostly the ground-breaking visual effects. Yeah, there had been other movies with prehistoric beasts, but none that integrated them seamlessly with human actors before this film.
What a great idea (based on the book) of having human beings visit a remote coming soon amusement park and watch what happens when everything goes wrong.
There are so many iconic scenes, I can't even begin to list them. The T-Rex, the raptors, the spitting ones. It was all just magic.
The tension build to the ultimate climax will never be beaten even with the 27 sequels.
The original Jurassic Park is a modern marvel of cinema in many ways, but mostly the ground-breaking visual effects. Yeah, there had been other movies with prehistoric beasts, but none that integrated them seamlessly with human actors before this film.
What a great idea (based on the book) of having human beings visit a remote coming soon amusement park and watch what happens when everything goes wrong.
There are so many iconic scenes, I can't even begin to list them. The T-Rex, the raptors, the spitting ones. It was all just magic.
The tension build to the ultimate climax will never be beaten even with the 27 sequels.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Train to Busan (2016) in Movies
Oct 8, 2018
A zombie movie with a heart?
After reading some great reviews for this film (some on Smashbomb) I thought I would give this modern Korean zombie film a try.
Boy was I glad I did.
Nothing too complicated with the plot here. Just a straight escape the zombie hoard before they bite you and make you part of the global onslaught type thing.
The characters are not well explained for the most part, but you care about them anyways when bad things start to happen. Blood and guts are amped down in favor of tension instead which I liked. The chase scenes were great and keep me watching and on the edge of my seat.
For those who don't like foreign films no worries here. The action and story keep you going almost immediately and you forget you are watching and reading at the same time.
Highly recommended. (Find on Netflix currently).
Boy was I glad I did.
Nothing too complicated with the plot here. Just a straight escape the zombie hoard before they bite you and make you part of the global onslaught type thing.
The characters are not well explained for the most part, but you care about them anyways when bad things start to happen. Blood and guts are amped down in favor of tension instead which I liked. The chase scenes were great and keep me watching and on the edge of my seat.
For those who don't like foreign films no worries here. The action and story keep you going almost immediately and you forget you are watching and reading at the same time.
Highly recommended. (Find on Netflix currently).
Roxanne (13 KP) rated The Woman in Black in Books
Nov 14, 2018
I really enjoyed this book, so much that I found it very difficult to put down...I must say I wasn't very happy that I had to put it down occasionally. I thought the story moved along at a good pace and it kept me interested from beginning to end. The reasons for removing a star was because I thought the language was a bit too descriptive in some places...a whole page and a half dedicated to how foggy it is in my opinion is a bit too much. Also, it wasn't as scary as I expected it to be. There was a good amount of tension and suspense but it didn't quite give me the chills I was looking forward to whilst reading it at night. For those who have watched the film first the book is very different, not so many supernatural moments occurred which was disappointing but it was like reading a different story. I recommend this book to fans of supernatural horror.
Creepily entertaining
I admit, I am a fan of this author and he is one of a very select few that I will buy their book without much hesitation. I love a good horror/creep-fest book every now and again and Iain is more and more my go-to author.
I absolutely devoured this book in less than a day whilst sunning myself, chilling in a hammock whilst on holiday in Portugal - no one spoke to me and I had to keep reminding myself to move I was that hooked; I couldn't put it down.
What's not to love ... great characters, spooky abandoned fun fair, tension, fast pace, easy to read, laugh out loud one-liners and sad moments ... this book has it all BUT I didn't find it particularly scary however, I was very much entertained and isn't that the point?
Recommended for anyone who enjoys a book that gives you the creeps but doesn't like a full blown horror ... I enjoy both 😊
I absolutely devoured this book in less than a day whilst sunning myself, chilling in a hammock whilst on holiday in Portugal - no one spoke to me and I had to keep reminding myself to move I was that hooked; I couldn't put it down.
What's not to love ... great characters, spooky abandoned fun fair, tension, fast pace, easy to read, laugh out loud one-liners and sad moments ... this book has it all BUT I didn't find it particularly scary however, I was very much entertained and isn't that the point?
Recommended for anyone who enjoys a book that gives you the creeps but doesn't like a full blown horror ... I enjoy both 😊
Deborah (162 KP) rated A Duke's Temptation (Boscastle #10; The Bridal Pleasures #1) in Books
Dec 21, 2018
This is the first in the new Bridal Pleasures series by Jillian Hunter, but it starts off with our heroine, Lily, who is from a junior branch of the infamous Boscastle clan!
The basic idea of this book, with the hero as a secret author of a series of gothic-fantasy novels is great and the concept does work well - the acting out of scenes is fun! However, I find that there is something missing here compared to other books I've read by Hunter. I think it's maybe that there isn't a huge feeling of jeopardy? When the villain comes in for a dramatic moment near the end it does seem to be a bit pointless and it's neither completely unexpected and therefore a dramatic shock, or really built up to with the ratcheting of the tension.
So overall it's not a bad book, but I think it could have been better. I had a few '??!?' moments in the reading.
The basic idea of this book, with the hero as a secret author of a series of gothic-fantasy novels is great and the concept does work well - the acting out of scenes is fun! However, I find that there is something missing here compared to other books I've read by Hunter. I think it's maybe that there isn't a huge feeling of jeopardy? When the villain comes in for a dramatic moment near the end it does seem to be a bit pointless and it's neither completely unexpected and therefore a dramatic shock, or really built up to with the ratcheting of the tension.
So overall it's not a bad book, but I think it could have been better. I had a few '??!?' moments in the reading.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Spark in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<i>Spark</i> has such an awkward tension at the beginning, but it is so worth the reading in order to see all of the characters grow by the end of the story. All of the characters in the Advanced Drama class - Quin, Dylan, Cass - are considered to be outsiders compared to their classmates at Verona High. But when Quin's mother decides to revive the old Avery Theater, Quin and her drama class members are all placed in roles they aren't actually comfortable with.
Overall, I love the magic Schindler weaves into her latest book, blending fantasy and contemporary seemlessly and bringing theater to life.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-spark-by-holly-schindler-arc-review-and-giveaway/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<i>Spark</i> has such an awkward tension at the beginning, but it is so worth the reading in order to see all of the characters grow by the end of the story. All of the characters in the Advanced Drama class - Quin, Dylan, Cass - are considered to be outsiders compared to their classmates at Verona High. But when Quin's mother decides to revive the old Avery Theater, Quin and her drama class members are all placed in roles they aren't actually comfortable with.
Overall, I love the magic Schindler weaves into her latest book, blending fantasy and contemporary seemlessly and bringing theater to life.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-spark-by-holly-schindler-arc-review-and-giveaway/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>