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Robocop  (1987)
Robocop (1987)
1987 | Action, Sci-Fi
story (2 more)
action
explosions
Cyborgpunk?
Contains spoilers, click to show
One of my favorite films. Awesome story, good actors, stunts, puppetry, models, and good Special Effects. This is Paul Verhoeven and Peter Weller's best movie. $50 million budget (in 1987!), with multiple huge explosions, with hundreds of bullets fired, and scores of stuntmen used.

A cop loses his humanity and is brought back to life, he is resurrected as a cyborg super cop who once again regains his humanity and has to learn how to navigate being robot and deal with his past human memories. ED-209 has all the fire power and is just a cool design for a robot/urban tank. The costume and the suit for RoboCop was beautifully designed. Themes include media influence, gentrification, corruption, authoritarianism, greed, privatization, capitalism, identity, dystopia, and human nature. It is a movie well deserved of it's R rating. In one scene RoboCop prevents a rape when he shoots the rapist in the dick. VIOLENT and amazingly poetic.
  
Waking Up: Searching for Spirituality Without Religion
Waking Up: Searching for Spirituality Without Religion
Sam Harris | 2015 | Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Honest (1 more)
Philosophy
An interesting read
I don't think I have ever believed in a God. However, I did have certain spiritual beliefs that I started to question, I got interested in philosophy and this is one of the first books I read. If you are currently questioning your beliefs and feeling a little uncertain, this is a good book to read. I don't agree with everything Sam Harris has to say, on some points I completely disagree, that's ok though. This gets you thinking, which is a very good thing. It also helps you bridge the gap between Atheism and some spiritual beliefs you have, which on the surface don't seem to go together.
It's written well, as are most of Sam's books, an easy read and a short guide to meditating and the benefits (from a non-religious perspective). Sam has had an interesting life, what he has to say is worth taking the time to read.
  
Boundless (The Lost Fleet: Outlands, #1)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The first in a new series by Jack Campbell but following characters previously introduced in his 'Lost Fleet' series (never mind the various spin-offs, including the 'Lost Stars' series) and so, as a result, I'm not sure it would really be a good 'jumping-on' point for any new readers to the series.

For those who *have* read the previous aforementioned series, though?

You know what you're getting: more politics, more 'real time' space action and more intrigue, with Captain 'Jack Black' Geary surviving assassination attempts on his life and put in charge of a mission to contact the aliens known as 'The Dancers', who have popped up in previous novels.

More of the same, really, but sometimes that's no bad thing!
  
Stork Bite
Stork Bite
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Stork Bite by L.K. Simonds was one of the most deeply layered books I have ever had the privilege of reading before, and it emphasized how the small choices we make in life can have huge ripple effects that last generations.

This book is divided into two separate, yet connected stories. In the first “book” L.K. Simonds immediately immerses you into deep south life Louisiana. With vivid descriptions of local wildlife, scenery, and murder (really vivid). It was a great hook, and I could not put it down to see what happened next. L.K. Simonds did a great job making me feel like I was right there with David exploring all the options available to me. The people David meets on his journey were interesting and showed a real glimpse of life at that time, and the hardships that many people went through. I LOVED how David emphasized the need for education as being a founding block for a better life, and his selfless actions were remarkable. This “book” was my favorite as it really engaged me, and I enjoyed the ebb and flow of the author’s voice.

The second “book” introduces a completely new cast of characters, and as you will find out when you read the book, all the characters are interconnected in a remarkable way that is not obvious upon first reading the second “book”. While David seems to disappear from the story altogether, we meet Cargie and Mae two women from very different walks of life and who make very different life choices. I was fascinated by L.K. Simonds look into the 1920-1930s era of mobs, bootlegging, and the choices of people. It made for an interesting storyline. What really helped make this story interesting for me was not just the story itself, but the way L.K. Simonds rounded out the seemingly not connected stories into one overarching story.

Overall, I think that L.K. Simonds did a great job layering her characters, giving a good mystery that left you scratching your head for a while, and showing how one man’s choice can affect a multitude of people. One thing I wish was done differently, would have been the first book characters remaining as background characters in the second “book” so that I was not completely at a loss on how the two stories fit together until the last 50 or so pages. But Stork Bite did have a good conclusion that wrapped everything up nicely and gave me the pieces I needed to feel like David’s story ended. I give it 4 out of 5 stars for the accurate historical details, the stretched-out mystery, and for being able to layer so many characters and have the story come out richer because of it.

*I will advise that this story does include some mild swearing
**I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
  
Child's Play (1988)
Child's Play (1988)
1988 | Horror
More suspenseful than remember. (0 more)
Hasnt aged well and some wooden acting. (0 more)
He'll be your friend till the end
Coming from the UK the childs play films are best remembered for the real life James Bulger murders where 2 evil shits kidnapped a young boy and killed him using scenes from the films as inspiration - particularly childs play 2. It was a horrible crime and I remember when i first watched the Childs Play films i expected gore galore but in all honesty there was never really that much gore in them until Bride of Chucky. It's been years since I've watched them and with the 'remake/reboot' out soon I thought I'd revisit the original. So being the film that started it all, the original childs play is far more a suspenseful horror than a gore flick. Tension is built up as chucky stalks his prey and then dispatches them using some good old fashioned jump scares. Some of the support acting is quite wooden but Andy and his mum are really good and the always impressive Chris Sarandon is excellent. A 'classic' that holds up ok still.
  
Once Upon a River
Once Upon a River
Diane Setterfield | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry
10
6.8 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
A beautiful story of the Thames
It’s really hard to read through tears, you know. And that’s just what I had to do through the last chapters of this book. This book held my attention throughout. Its beautifully, lyrically written - it has a real feel of the fairytale and supernatural about it (Quietly, the Ferryman), set alongside the practical and realistic (Rita, the nurse/ midwife).
This is a story that follows several characters who come together because of a drowned child who comes back to life. The fantastical runs alongside the everyday, and the Thames runs alongside all of it.
I loved this book, it’s gentle pace (like the Thames on a good day, perhaps!), and the people who populated its pages. It really is a gorgeous book and well worth reading.
  
The Commuter (2018)
The Commuter (2018)
2018 | Crime, Drama, Mystery
All Aboard The Train: Ticket Please
The Commuter- combines the Taken franchise, Non-Stop and Run All Night mixs it with Murder on The Orient Express and Strangers on a Train. All those togther results into this movie. A decent action suspense thriller starting Liam Nesson.

The Plot: Insurance salesman Michael is on his daily commute home, which quickly becomes anything but routine. After being contacted by a mysterious stranger, Michael is forced to uncover the identity of a hidden passenger on the train before the last stop. As he works against the clock to solve the puzzle, he realizes a deadly plan is unfolding, and he is unwittingly caught up in a criminal conspiracy that carries life and death stakes for everyone on the train.

I would reccordmend watching this movie, cause its good.
  
It was a little over a year ago that I first read a Melanie Dickerson book. I fell instantly in love with her gift for stories! This year I have resolved to read more of the books that have piled up on my To-Be-Read pile (island...OK, it's a planet!) and I am making good progress so far. The Healer's Apprentice is a retelling of The Sleeping Beauty, which is my ALL TIME favorite fairy tale.

Rose is a kind and gentle young woman with a gift for storytelling, and a passion for life and Lord Hamlin, however, he is already betrothed. She struggles find her destiny. She thinks she knows what she wants in life, but it isn't until she lets go and hands her future path over to God that she begins to feel peace. Wilhelm, Lord Hamlin, has never had a problem fulfilling his duty as the future Duke. But when he meets Rose his life is turned upside down and he is conflicted by the pull of his heart and his responsibility as his father's heir.

A sweet romance and a life lesson, that when we follow God's calling and do the right thing, He will bless our path. Although it may be in a way we least expect.

I am so glad I finally read this story and look forward on catching up on the rest of the Hagenheim series in the near future. Don't miss A Noble Servant, book 3 of the THornbeck series, releasing in May!