Search
Search results
Lenard (726 KP) rated Booksmart (2019) in Movies
May 8, 2019 (Updated May 8, 2019)
My favorite movie of the year so far
Booksmart is the kind of movie I always enjoy immensely. In a way, I was reminded of Sex Drive even though the two films have nothing in common. I just yelled "Rumspringa" as I left, I felt so free. Beanie Feldman who plays her character like brother Jonah Hill's younger sister and Kathlyn Dever play two high achieving high school seniors who spent all their time studying instead of having fun. They are bullied and made fun of due to their academic commitment. In a pivotal bathroom scene, Beanie overhears a conversation where she is the butt of the joke. Exiting falsely confident, she is shocked to learn that the three dopes all are on prestigious paths (Google, Stanford, Yale). She decides that she and her BFF have to crash a trending party. In a series of vignettes of misadventures, the two girls discover there is more to life than getting good grades. Extracurricular activities look good on the CV too.
My main complaint is the actors play the supposed seniors a little too confidently for adolescents. In this "Say Anything"esque world, there are no mean girls/alpha males. Everyone has a secret moral to their character. Except maybe Ryan who steals the boy crush, but she has a nice chin.
My main complaint is the actors play the supposed seniors a little too confidently for adolescents. In this "Say Anything"esque world, there are no mean girls/alpha males. Everyone has a secret moral to their character. Except maybe Ryan who steals the boy crush, but she has a nice chin.
Tommy Wiseau recommended Sonny (2002) in Movies (curated)
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated New X-Men: Childhood's End, Volume 3: Nimrod in Books
Nov 30, 2020
If you have not read Volumes 1 and 2, please don't skip them, as they are important to the overall story.
More of the same, not necessarily a bad thing. Fulfills the Daily Minimum Requirement for angst.
Laura Kinney -- oh, my bad, they are still referring to her as "Laura X" -- is written well, with Yost and Kyle succeeding in developing the character as she tries to leave her previous life behind.
Unfortunately, she was not treated so well art-wise. Paco Medina was still the artist, except for the issues where a guest artist stepped up to fill-in: #29 (Duncan Rouleau) and #32 (BATTLE PUG's Mike Norton). The issues that didn't have Medina on the art were okay enough, but the issues he DID draw were an insulting disappointment. Laura was drawn with breasts too big for her, and the outfit she wore made he look she was a regular shopper at Whores R Us!
Overall, it was a good read, just not a great read like the previous two. I found the Nimrod story to be MEH, as I have never been a fan of character. Yeah, he's neat, but trying to include often creates ideas-never-dealt-with of paradoxes and such. But, outside of his appearance as this volume's "Big Bad", it was good, just not great. You may read it and feel differently perhaps.
More of the same, not necessarily a bad thing. Fulfills the Daily Minimum Requirement for angst.
Laura Kinney -- oh, my bad, they are still referring to her as "Laura X" -- is written well, with Yost and Kyle succeeding in developing the character as she tries to leave her previous life behind.
Unfortunately, she was not treated so well art-wise. Paco Medina was still the artist, except for the issues where a guest artist stepped up to fill-in: #29 (Duncan Rouleau) and #32 (BATTLE PUG's Mike Norton). The issues that didn't have Medina on the art were okay enough, but the issues he DID draw were an insulting disappointment. Laura was drawn with breasts too big for her, and the outfit she wore made he look she was a regular shopper at Whores R Us!
Overall, it was a good read, just not a great read like the previous two. I found the Nimrod story to be MEH, as I have never been a fan of character. Yeah, he's neat, but trying to include often creates ideas-never-dealt-with of paradoxes and such. But, outside of his appearance as this volume's "Big Bad", it was good, just not great. You may read it and feel differently perhaps.
How It Was
8.0
Rate It
Book
'IMMERSIVE, AMAZING, REMARKABLE' MARIAN KEYES 'WONDERFUL' EMMA KENNEDY 'JANET ELLIS WRITES WITH...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2352 KP) rated Lover Come Hack in Books
Nov 15, 2022 (Updated Nov 15, 2022)
Killer Hacks
Madison Night thought she and her new friend, Jane Strong, were going to enter the Very Important Projects (VIP) design contest together until she gets a nasty email from Jane. Madison’s attempt to talk to Jane about it doesn’t go well, and a few hours later Jane is dead. The police are looking at Madison as their primary suspect, so she has to balance the contest with figuring out what really happened to Jane. All of this is made harder by a hacker targeting her and others involved in the contest. What really happened?
This book starts out strongly and never really lets up. I held on through the twists and turns and was rewarded with a good climax. It was a little rushed, but that was minor. Another minor complaint was the timeline issues that should have been caught with a good edit. I love Madison and the rest of the supporting cast, so I was happy to visit them again. I’m curious to see what the results of some of the sub-plots here means for the next book in the series. I do wish Madison would trust people in her life more, but again, this is minor. Overall, this was a fun book that kept me entertained from start to finish.
This book starts out strongly and never really lets up. I held on through the twists and turns and was rewarded with a good climax. It was a little rushed, but that was minor. Another minor complaint was the timeline issues that should have been caught with a good edit. I love Madison and the rest of the supporting cast, so I was happy to visit them again. I’m curious to see what the results of some of the sub-plots here means for the next book in the series. I do wish Madison would trust people in her life more, but again, this is minor. Overall, this was a fun book that kept me entertained from start to finish.
ClareR (5879 KP) rated Madgermanes in Books
Feb 20, 2022
This is a really interesting period of history (for me, anyway!) and I enjoyed finding out about the ‘Madgermanes” or the Mozambicans who went to work in East Germany. After the wall between East and West Germany was erected, East Germany realised that they’d lost a lot of their workers to the West. So East Germany chose Mozambique as a sister country, and workers were sent to the GDR with promises of education, good work and good wages. Whilst they did get some education (if they largely sorted it out for themselves), the work could be simple and repetitive. What’s more, they only received half of their wages. They never got the half that had been sent back to Mozambique for ‘safekeeping’.
Housing for these visiting workers was usually in basic hostels, shared rooms, and away from the East Germans. Mixing was discouraged, as were relationships. Pregnancies were either terminated or the woman was sent home.
The pictures in the book are a wonderful mix of African and European, and some really big feelings are clearly illustrated. I loved it. I’d be really interested to know how many Mozambicans were able to stay in Germany and become German citizens. The novel implies that life was difficult for those who returned to Mozambique, financially, socially and culturally.
It’s a fascinating read, and one I’d recommend.
Housing for these visiting workers was usually in basic hostels, shared rooms, and away from the East Germans. Mixing was discouraged, as were relationships. Pregnancies were either terminated or the woman was sent home.
The pictures in the book are a wonderful mix of African and European, and some really big feelings are clearly illustrated. I loved it. I’d be really interested to know how many Mozambicans were able to stay in Germany and become German citizens. The novel implies that life was difficult for those who returned to Mozambique, financially, socially and culturally.
It’s a fascinating read, and one I’d recommend.
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Doctor Sleep in Books
Oct 9, 2019
Doctor Sleep is the sequel to ‘The Shining’. Following the life of Dan Torrance (the little boy from The Shining) the book quickly covers what happens after the events at the Overlook Hotel where Dan finds his lifestyle copying that of his alcoholic farther. His life starts to turn around when he arrives at a small town in New Hampshire where the now middle aged Dan finds a number of things; Help with his alcohol problem, A job in a nursing home, good friends and, with the help of his Shinning a child in need of help.
Doctor Sleep Focus’ on the power of the Shinning, what it can do and how it affects not only the people with the power but others around it. Unlike the first book ghost’s do not play a major part in most of the story, there is a bit in the beginning which ties up events at the Overlook but, although ghosts are mentioned they have been (Mostly) replaced by a group called The True Knot, a group of vampire like beings who feed off the Shining instead of blood. As Dan finds himself caught up with The True Knot he finds that he is being pulled back to the site of the Overlook.
A big part of the book is about how you can’t escape your past and that, until you accept your mistakes you will never really be able to move forward. It is also about acceptance and the fact that you are never really alone, that other people have experienced what you are going through and that they can help you get through life if you let them and it is about family, accepting the one you have but also find a new one, finding people who will accept you as you are but it is mostly about psychic Vampires and the power of the Shining.
Doctor Sleep Focus’ on the power of the Shinning, what it can do and how it affects not only the people with the power but others around it. Unlike the first book ghost’s do not play a major part in most of the story, there is a bit in the beginning which ties up events at the Overlook but, although ghosts are mentioned they have been (Mostly) replaced by a group called The True Knot, a group of vampire like beings who feed off the Shining instead of blood. As Dan finds himself caught up with The True Knot he finds that he is being pulled back to the site of the Overlook.
A big part of the book is about how you can’t escape your past and that, until you accept your mistakes you will never really be able to move forward. It is also about acceptance and the fact that you are never really alone, that other people have experienced what you are going through and that they can help you get through life if you let them and it is about family, accepting the one you have but also find a new one, finding people who will accept you as you are but it is mostly about psychic Vampires and the power of the Shining.
LOUISE HAY AFFIRMATION MEDITATIONS: ESSENTIAL AFFIRMATIONS FOR HEALTH, LOVE, SUCCESS & SELF-ESTEEM
Lifestyle and Health & Fitness
App
Unleash your full potential for love, health, success and self-esteem with this revolutionary new...
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated Turning Forty in Books
Jun 21, 2019
Typical Mike Gayle
I loved this book. Written in a first person point of view, the reader counts down the days with Matt, until his 40th birthday. The beginning of the novel see's Matt in his expensive house, admiring his new shed paid for by his high flying job. This false sense of security is short lived and the reader watches as the protagonist's life falls apart.
For me, this novel is all about the character's; Ginny, the back up plan, Gerry, the ex music idol and now charity shop manager, Rosa, the too young and too controlling girlfriend, and many many, more. These characters are believable and cringe worthy at the same time.
I think the most refreshing thing about the novel, however, is the ending. All the way through the story I held out hope for Matt, and the ending, although not exactly a fairytale ending, was realistic.
I love Mike Gayle's work, easy to read, believable, funny and sad, a real look at the idiosyncrasies of people.
For me, this novel is all about the character's; Ginny, the back up plan, Gerry, the ex music idol and now charity shop manager, Rosa, the too young and too controlling girlfriend, and many many, more. These characters are believable and cringe worthy at the same time.
I think the most refreshing thing about the novel, however, is the ending. All the way through the story I held out hope for Matt, and the ending, although not exactly a fairytale ending, was realistic.
I love Mike Gayle's work, easy to read, believable, funny and sad, a real look at the idiosyncrasies of people.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2352 KP) rated Hair of the Dog in Books
May 11, 2018
Penny Has Another Hairy Case
Penny Lively’s cousin and best friend, Annie Moore, runs the animal clinic in town. Normally, everything flows smoothly there, but trouble is brewing. First, Annie has to fire Nicole, the clinic’s technician, for stealing medicine. Then Annie is caught over the dead body of Brian, her business partner. Naturally, the police start looking at Annie as their prime suspect, but Penny knows her cousin better than that. Brian was such a nice guy; who would want to kill him?
It is so wonderful to be back in the town of Cypress Cove. The characters are a lot of fun, and I enjoyed seeing some relationships grow here. The new characters are just as strong. The plot is good, although the pacing is a little off in the second half. Still, things come together for a strong climax. I really felt like I was transported to the area. Penny, her town, and her vineyard were brought to wonderful life.
It is so wonderful to be back in the town of Cypress Cove. The characters are a lot of fun, and I enjoyed seeing some relationships grow here. The new characters are just as strong. The plot is good, although the pacing is a little off in the second half. Still, things come together for a strong climax. I really felt like I was transported to the area. Penny, her town, and her vineyard were brought to wonderful life.