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Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
2017 | Sci-Fi
Pretty visuals are just not enough any more
As usual I am late to the party as to just watching this movie tonight, but I was not impressed overall.

In the days of every high budget movie now has striking visuals the last 15 years, it is not impressive enough to me to just have a movie look good. I am all about nonlinear storytelling, or movies that are vague and not all tied up in a know at the end, but this movie just felt like it was missing something.


I'm sure Harrison Ford got a health paycheck (as he always says on all the talk shows he's on promoting his films these days) to reprise his role from Ridley's Scott's 1982 classic, but he really doesn't have much to work with here. This time Deckard is a hideaway recluse with some loose ends in his life.


This film puts to rest some of the hanging threads in the many versions of the original film and there are a few surprises too.


Overall, I would say interesting film with some cool visuals, but ultimately disappointing.

  
Wolves and Roses (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum book 1)
Wolves and Roses (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum book 1)
Christina Bauer | 2017 | Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
8
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I really enjoyed this book. It follows the story of Bryar Rose a human girl who should be following a Sleeping Beauty life template, however Bryar has different ideas.

This book is not a re telling of Sleeping Beauty it has lots of different elements that make the story unique. The story has quite a few secrets and mysteries which was good as the reveals were often a surprise. The story was quite fast paced which kept it engaging and the ending was not rushed.

I liked Bryar’s character as I found her a realistic teenage girl. She gets a bit boy crazy but not to the point that she loses her character. She likes to ignore/ put off some of her problems and pretend she is normal when things get a bit too crazy. I enjoyed seeing her friendship with Elle as it did show her more mature side.


This book is part of a series so most of Bryar’s story is resolved there is a novella and another book left of Bryar before we move onto Elle’s story. So I imagine the big storyline which effects other characters will still take a while to finish.
  
Cold Granite (Logan McRae #1)
Cold Granite (Logan McRae #1)
Stuart MacBride | 2005 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
8
8.2 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Gritty Police procedural.
If you are not going to manage with descriptions of horrendous crimes committed against young children though I would step away from this one.

Listening to the audio of this book narrated by Steve Worsley felt a lot like curling up in front of the TV to watch a post-watershed BBC police procedural series set in Scotland. If you like a good dark down to earth police procedural then this may well be up your alley.

Logan McRae is just returning to work following sustaining horrific injuries in the line of duty and is thrown straight back into the thick of it when the mutilated body of a young boy is discovered. Numerous threads, involving various cases and a smattering of personal life then intertwine to give a very solid down to earth police procedural. OK, I could of done with Logan being a bit less obsessed with every bit of leg he saw but for the time and place set probably fairly accurate…

First in a long-running series and as there's not much on the TV at the minute I'm on board for more of these
  
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JT (287 KP) rated My Lovely Wife in Books

Mar 11, 2020  
My Lovely Wife
My Lovely Wife
Samantha Downing | 2019 | Thriller
9
8.2 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
Gripping unique thriller (0 more)
Early Twist Will Leave You Wanting More
I told myself this year that I would read more. I'm trying to write my own thriller so thought it would be good to get some tips from a few unknown authors to get a bit of inspiration - so far I haven't been disappointed.

My Lovely Wife does something that I haven't come across yet - it drops the twist within the first chapter. It's a bold move but certainly, a clever one as it leaves the reader wondering what the rest of the story is going to entail. In this one a married couple is a pair of serial killers working together, while at the same time trying to live a normal family life, raising their two kids and going to work.

Things go a bit pear-shaped when they try to resurrect someone from the past that the town they are living in know all too well. Throw in a few more late twists and you have a cracking thriller which I guarantee you won't put down. I would love to see a film made of this.
  
A Castle of Sand (A Shade of Vampire #3)
A Castle of Sand (A Shade of Vampire #3)
Bella Forrest | 2014 | Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
7
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
128 of 250
Kindle
Castle of Sand ( A Shade of Vampire book 3)
By Bella Forrest

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

What Sofia has with Derek feels like a sandcastle; temporary and something that the waves of life and time will soon ruin...

Since the return of Gregor Novak, the island has turned several shades darker. His hatred toward Sofia and thirst for fresh blood lead to a brutal war igniting between father and son.

Meanwhile, the hunters are gaining formidable strength and resources by the day; they know that the safety of The Shade hangs entirely on its ability to remain hidden from them.

And a sinister secret lies in wait for Sofia within the bowels of an Egyptian desert ... a secret that threatens to crush her sandcastle much sooner than she could have expected.


A good read! Nothing has really jumped out of this series so far to go hey that’s a brilliant series but saying that it’s definitely a decent read! Shame we have to have a death but at least she’s not scared of letting loved characters go!
  
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ClareR (5879 KP) rated The Road Trip in Books

Aug 4, 2021  
The Road Trip
The Road Trip
Beth O'Leary | 2021 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I loved this book. The Road Trip has a different feel to it compared to Beth O’Leary’s previous two novels, and whatever direction she’ll take next, I’m going along for the ride (see what I did there!🤭)

I just love the way that O’Leary writes characters: in this book they’re funny, flawed and feel like genuine, real people. There are those with mental health problems, dysfunctional families and strong sibling relationships.

We see the contrast of the carefree student on holiday, and the way that real life has a habit of sticking its oar in - and not always in a good way.

The road trip element was hilarious though. Deliciously awkward, thanks to Addie, Dylan and Dylan’s friend Marcus, with the devil-may-care attitude of Addie’s sister, Debs. And than there’s Rodney (I’l leave him right here - I don’t want to spoil THIS character for you!).

This book is a little darker in places in comparison to her other books, but I absolutely loved every page. I can’t wait to see what’s next from Beth O’Leary. Oh, and you should definitely read this book!!

Many thanks to Quercus for my copy via NetGalley.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Sep 22, 2020  
Sneak a peek at the Christian historical fiction novel SOMETHING WORTH DOING: A Novel of an Early Suffragist by Jane Kirkpatrick on my blog. There's also a GIVEAWAY to win a $25 or $10 Barnes & Noble gift card, a copy of the book, and/or an Oregon map bag - THREE WINNERS!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2020/09/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-something.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Some things are worth doing—even when the cost is great.

In 1853, Abigail Scott was a nineteen-year-old schoolteacher in Oregon Territory when she married Ben Duniway. Marriage meant giving up on teaching, but Abigail always believed she was meant to be more than a good wife and mother. When Abigail becomes the primary breadwinner for her growing family, what she sees as a working woman appalls her—and prompts her to devote her life to fighting for the rights of women, including the right to vote.

Based on a true story, Something Worth Doing will resonate with modern women who still grapple with the pull between career and family, finding their place in the public sphere, and dealing with frustrations and prejudices when competing in male-dominated spaces.