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Awix (3310 KP) rated The Dig (2021) in Movies
Feb 6, 2021 (Updated Feb 6, 2021)
True-life Anglo-Saxon chronicle is brought to the screen as another wartime hats-and-fags tale of class and repression. Posh woman hires blunt-but-brilliant working-class bloke to examine her mounds (don't snipe, the film does the same gag, more or less); what ensues reminded me, for a while at least, of a big-budget version of Ted and Ralph with Carey Mulligan playing Charlie Higson's part.
Really a film of two halves: the first part, which is very quiet and still and all about figures in a landscape with Vaughan Williams-esque music playing, I found was much engaging than the second, which is not particularly focused and turns into a bit of a soap opera (there's a forbidden romance, terminal illness, political squabbling over who gets to run the dig and keep the treasure, etc, etc). Decent performances from a strong cast and it looks good in a fairly cinematic way, but by the end it seemed to me that archaeology in general and Sutton Hoo in particular had rather been forgotten about, which seemed like a shame.
Really a film of two halves: the first part, which is very quiet and still and all about figures in a landscape with Vaughan Williams-esque music playing, I found was much engaging than the second, which is not particularly focused and turns into a bit of a soap opera (there's a forbidden romance, terminal illness, political squabbling over who gets to run the dig and keep the treasure, etc, etc). Decent performances from a strong cast and it looks good in a fairly cinematic way, but by the end it seemed to me that archaeology in general and Sutton Hoo in particular had rather been forgotten about, which seemed like a shame.
Merissa (13398 KP) rated Rise of the Draman in Books
Jun 8, 2021
RISE OF THE DRAMAN is a collection of five stories that follow the life of a boy called Croft. Set in a land where dragons and humans live together but don't really communicate, one small boy makes a big difference.
I loved how the stories all followed on from each other, giving greater insight to Croft and his relationships not only with Rueloo but also his nestmates, his father, and his friends.
One of the best parts for me were the dragons themselves. They had just as much to learn about the humans as the humans did about them. It made for some amusing moments!
Whilst this is predominantly a young adult fantasy, I thoroughly enjoyed every word and would love to have more from Croft and Rueloo. A brilliant book that had me gripped. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I loved how the stories all followed on from each other, giving greater insight to Croft and his relationships not only with Rueloo but also his nestmates, his father, and his friends.
One of the best parts for me were the dragons themselves. They had just as much to learn about the humans as the humans did about them. It made for some amusing moments!
Whilst this is predominantly a young adult fantasy, I thoroughly enjoyed every word and would love to have more from Croft and Rueloo. A brilliant book that had me gripped. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Kim Pook (101 KP) rated The Theory of Everything (2014) in Movies
Sep 4, 2020
Unless you have been living in a cave you will have heard of Stephen Hawking, this movie is the story of how he met and came to rely on his wife Jane.
It starts in the 1960s, Stephen is an awkward and nerdy college student attending classes, wondering about the universe and meeting the love of his life. Straight away it is evident from little things that his disease is taking a hold on him even before his diagnosis. Eddie Redmayne does such a good job of portraying him that his decline is hard to watch and you feel the frustration he must have felt too. It not only shows Stephens struggles with his motor neurons disease, but also Jane's struggles with helping him, which understandably pushes her into the arms of another man.
The film has its ups and downs, you feel for Stephen and the people around him, but you also laugh as despite his disease his personality remained intact. It is a long movie (just over 2 hours) and very intense, but worth every minute.
It starts in the 1960s, Stephen is an awkward and nerdy college student attending classes, wondering about the universe and meeting the love of his life. Straight away it is evident from little things that his disease is taking a hold on him even before his diagnosis. Eddie Redmayne does such a good job of portraying him that his decline is hard to watch and you feel the frustration he must have felt too. It not only shows Stephens struggles with his motor neurons disease, but also Jane's struggles with helping him, which understandably pushes her into the arms of another man.
The film has its ups and downs, you feel for Stephen and the people around him, but you also laugh as despite his disease his personality remained intact. It is a long movie (just over 2 hours) and very intense, but worth every minute.
Chinaberry Sidewalks: A Memoir
Book
In a tender and uproarious memoir, singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell reveals the good, the bad, and...
With Silent Screams ( Hellequin book 3)
9.0
Rate It
Book
His name is Nathan Garrett, but he’s also known as Hellequin. And murdering one of his friends and...
Insomnia wasn’t at all what I expected - and that’s a good thing!
Emma is terrified that she will end up like her mother on her 40th birthday: which is only 12 days away. At the same age, her mother became paranoid and tried to kill Emma’s sister. She ends up in a psychiatric hospital for the rest of her life - but not before predicting that Emma will end up the same way.
Emma isn’t sleeping. Is the insomnia an understandable result of the worry and trauma caused by her mother, or is she really going to end up with the same mental illness?
Ooh, this was a twisty-turny one! When Emma starts ‘losing’ parts of her day, even I thought she was heading down the same path as her mother. Trying to keep her disturbed past and her successful present completely separate seems an impossible task, and really piles the tension on.
This was a very tense read, and I was completely hooked - this is one of those books that you won’t want to put down.
Emma is terrified that she will end up like her mother on her 40th birthday: which is only 12 days away. At the same age, her mother became paranoid and tried to kill Emma’s sister. She ends up in a psychiatric hospital for the rest of her life - but not before predicting that Emma will end up the same way.
Emma isn’t sleeping. Is the insomnia an understandable result of the worry and trauma caused by her mother, or is she really going to end up with the same mental illness?
Ooh, this was a twisty-turny one! When Emma starts ‘losing’ parts of her day, even I thought she was heading down the same path as her mother. Trying to keep her disturbed past and her successful present completely separate seems an impossible task, and really piles the tension on.
This was a very tense read, and I was completely hooked - this is one of those books that you won’t want to put down.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated Murder Walks the Plank in Books
Oct 16, 2025
Mystery Cruise Ends in Mystery Death
Annie Darling has been plotting a harbor cruise to raise funds for a local charity. But the mystery themed event turns real life mystery when someone falls overboard. While everyone thinks it was an accident, Annie is sure it was murder. But can she figure out what happened before another tragedy strikes?
I’ve been looking forward to this book since the title is so fun. I’m glad to say it lived up to my expectations. Yes, I’m tired of law enforcement not taking Annie seriously, but on the whole, I enjoyed seeing the characters again. The mystery is very well done with plenty of good suspects, twists, and red herrings. Yet things made sense at the end. Since we are now in the era when I was reading mysteries, I enjoy seeing some of those books pop up in the references to real mysteries this series is famous for. If you are a fan of this series, you’ll be glad you picked this one up.
I’ve been looking forward to this book since the title is so fun. I’m glad to say it lived up to my expectations. Yes, I’m tired of law enforcement not taking Annie seriously, but on the whole, I enjoyed seeing the characters again. The mystery is very well done with plenty of good suspects, twists, and red herrings. Yet things made sense at the end. Since we are now in the era when I was reading mysteries, I enjoy seeing some of those books pop up in the references to real mysteries this series is famous for. If you are a fan of this series, you’ll be glad you picked this one up.
The Secret
Book
Regarded as a life-changing read by many readers, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne is a self-help book...
First Day Of High School Fun
Games and Entertainment
App
"High School First Day is a girl care and learning game. For girl the first day at school is always...