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Dawn of Chaos (The Caitlin Chronicles #1)
Dawn of Chaos (The Caitlin Chronicles #1)
Daniel Willcocks, Michael Anderle | 2018 | Horror, Humor & Comedy, Science Fiction/Fantasy
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
34 of 250
Kindle
Dawn of Chaos ( Caitlin Chronicles book 1)
By Michael Anderle and Daniel Wilcocks

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

The Governor she trusted to protect her wants her dead. The target she was sent to capture wants to help her live.

When Caitlin finally gets the chance to join her brother on a mission outside of the walls of the town she has been trapped inside all of her life, her entire reality is shaken.

Enemies appear in the strangest of places. The zombie-like ‘Mad’ roam the forests. Vampires and Werewolves from the fairy tales of her childhood become reality as Caitlin is forced to discover the truth of the Age of Madness and begin the fight for justice.


So I wasn’t sure what to Expect but it was actually quite good! I got a very walking dead theme but with vampires and weres thrown in! The characters were likeable and of course detestable, loving the female leads which I find sometimes when written by men are just slightly patronising but not here! Looking forward to seeing more.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2173 KP) rated Murder Gets a Makeover in Books

Oct 15, 2021 (Updated Oct 15, 2021)  
Murder Gets a Makeover
Murder Gets a Makeover
Laura Levine | 2021 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Who Gave Bebe a Makeover as a Corpse?
Thanks to her neighbor, Jaine Austen is getting a free makeover. Unfortunately, it is with Bebe Braddock, who turns out to be a nasty woman. When Jaine goes to a fitting, she finds Bebe’s dead body. The police start looking at Jaine as their top suspect, so she tries to find the real killer. Meanwhile, Jaine’s cat, Prozac, becomes a viral star after saving a toddler’s life and her father thinks he finally has the goods on his nemesis in the retirement community.

Between the strong sub-plots and the solid mystery, this book is always hopping. Author Laura Levine does a great job of juggling everything and keeping us entertained the entire time. The book is filled with laughs, mainly coming from the sub-plots. The characters are more caricatures, but they fit the tone of the series perfectly and do their job of entertaining us. I did feel this book wasn’t quite as good as most of the series, but it’s mostly minor nitpicks. Overall, I enjoyed Jaine’s latest adventure and am sure that her fans will laugh as the pages fly by.
  
Brawl In Cell Block 99 (2017)
Brawl In Cell Block 99 (2017)
2017 | Action, Thriller
This ain't no Wedding Crashers
Having just watched Bone Tomahawk (you must watch it) and learning writer/director S. Craig Zahler also helmed this film, I was even more anxious to see.

After Vince Vaughn loses his job, he is forced into a life as a drug runner. His big score goes wrong, he makes some tough decisions and ends up in prison. He is then manipulated and has to make even more intense decisions in order to make events happen in his favor.


Vaughn is believable as a tough, abrasive husband trying to save his family. His morality is questionable and you can't decide whether to root for him pr hate him. Don Johnson is also a standout as the warden.


I found it fascinating and exhilarating at the same time. Some of the fight scenes are maybe a little excessively violent, but that is the nature of prison life I imagine.


Zahler is slowly making a name for himself with these two films. He also has Dragged Across Concrete coming out later this year.



He hasn't reached Tarantino status quite yet, but he is off to a good start.


  
Love...Under Different Skies
Love...Under Different Skies
Nick Spalding | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Another fun instalment
As ive said before, Nick Spalding will never win any literary prizes for this series of books, he really does well to sum up real life situations and emotions. The writing is good but what really makes this story entertaining is the characters. Laura and Jamie are a very relatable couple and their diary/blog entries are so down to earth and realistic. I doubt anyone could read this book (or any others in the series) and not find a handful of comments, thoughts or situations that they’ve experienced in their own life. This story is also pretty funny and I found myself laughing out loud on many occasions.

It may not be the most thought provoking or insightful of reads, but this is a great fun and lighthearted story that is refreshingly short. There are parts in this book that are a little far fetched and scepticism does sink in at times, but I that’s really what you expect from a work of fiction. This kept me highly entertained when I had to get public transport into work this week, although I did have to restrain my laughter at times!
  
Bad Boys for Life (2020)
Bad Boys for Life (2020)
2020 | Action, Comedy, Crime
It's says a lot about this third entry into the Bad Boys franchise, when there's been a 17 year gap between movies, and it still manages to be this good!

The Bad Boys films are known for being over the top, sweary, violent, funny, and action packed, and thankfully, this tried and tested formula sticks again.
It's silliness is hugely toned down from the overly gratuitous Bad Boys II, (it's still pretty silly mind), and we're presented with a host of characters that actually ground the franchise a little, and it's all the better for it.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are once again hugely likable as detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, the chemistry between the two is still hilariously beautiful and bro-tastic after all these years.
BBFL also introduces a group of new characters, a law enforcement response team known as AMMO, who are also all pretty likable. I feel that the writers are perhaps testing the waters for a potential spin off.
The movies bad guys are drug-queen Isabel Aretas and her son Armando (Kate del Castillo and Jacob Scipio respectively) who both do a pretty good job at playing imposing and dangerous villains.
We also get some back story regarding Mike Lowrey that has never been touched on before - a possible avenue for a prequel maybe?

The action set pieces are exciting and well choreographed (best motorbike chase since John Wick 3) and directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah - taking over from Michael Bay - do a solid job of delivering a well shot action packed adventure, with just enough nods to the original duology's style.

The only criticisms I have really stem from pacing. The movie feels very staggered for much of the first half and takes a while to really kick into gear, but once it does, it's hugely entertaining.
Also, the comedy is laid on pretty thick and fast from the get go, and there were quite a few moments that didn't land, (predictably, there was plenty of too-old-for-this-shit jokes) but by the same merit, there were plenty that did.

Bad Boys For Life is overall a fun time that is pretty hard to not enjoy, and it actually might just be the best of the series, if not, then it's certainly on par with the first.
The narrative makes a good effort to set up potential directions for the franchise going forward (I counted at least three obvious set ups) but based on the strength of this entry, it something that I would actually like to see, and considering I went to the cinema content in the apparent knowledge that this would be the last one, that can only be a good thing.
  
    My Journey

    My Journey

    Jim Stynes

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    Book

    Moving, thrilling, inspirational: the autobiography of Jim Stynes. In July 2009, Jim Stynes was...