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Lindsay (1779 KP) rated Helping Hats in Books
Jan 17, 2022
Are you looking for another community-based book that talks about the heroes that are in your child or children's hometown neighborhood? There are some important jobs and careers in your neighborhood that will help your child or children learn about.
Helping Hats is a good one with that. However, it is for older children to read. Parents can read this book to their child or children; They can help with reading the book. The pictures made done well. They describe what the person is trying to say and show through the different things our heroes do or need to do to help us.
Helping Hats shows our hometown heroes, from farmers to firefighters, in a job or career. The book helps to teach and show how hard work and dedication are for a job or a career. What a life is for each hero in our lives to help feed us or save us; Even to teach us. Can your child or children come up with some hometown heroes in your neighborhood? Maybe they can appreciate all their work and understand many different kinds of heroes through various careers.
Helping Hats is a good one with that. However, it is for older children to read. Parents can read this book to their child or children; They can help with reading the book. The pictures made done well. They describe what the person is trying to say and show through the different things our heroes do or need to do to help us.
Helping Hats shows our hometown heroes, from farmers to firefighters, in a job or career. The book helps to teach and show how hard work and dedication are for a job or a career. What a life is for each hero in our lives to help feed us or save us; Even to teach us. Can your child or children come up with some hometown heroes in your neighborhood? Maybe they can appreciate all their work and understand many different kinds of heroes through various careers.
ClareR (6037 KP) rated People Like Them in Books
Jan 29, 2024
How could a seemingly normal person commit an atrocious crime? How could that persons loved ones ever come to terms with it afterwards? And how well can you ever really know your own spouse? Are you as much to blame for their actions? Should you have seen it coming?
These are all questions that Anna Guillot asks herself about her husband, Constant.
It all starts so innocently: Constant and Bakary Langlois are good friends, even if the differences in their financial statuses are vast. Bakary starts to help other neighbours with their investments, and Constant is upset that he doesn’t seem to want to help him. Perhaps this should have been Constant’s warning.
Relationships change between the two families when Anna starts to work as the Langlois’ housekeeper/ cleaner, because how can they stay the same under these conditions?
It’s just one thing after another, until the final denouement where Anna is left to pick up the pieces of her family’s destroyed life, her guilt driving her? Was Constant racist? Were his actions based around those thoughts?
This was really disturbing and quite a distressing read. It was well worth it though.
These are all questions that Anna Guillot asks herself about her husband, Constant.
It all starts so innocently: Constant and Bakary Langlois are good friends, even if the differences in their financial statuses are vast. Bakary starts to help other neighbours with their investments, and Constant is upset that he doesn’t seem to want to help him. Perhaps this should have been Constant’s warning.
Relationships change between the two families when Anna starts to work as the Langlois’ housekeeper/ cleaner, because how can they stay the same under these conditions?
It’s just one thing after another, until the final denouement where Anna is left to pick up the pieces of her family’s destroyed life, her guilt driving her? Was Constant racist? Were his actions based around those thoughts?
This was really disturbing and quite a distressing read. It was well worth it though.
A Bibliophagist (113 KP) rated The Gentlemen (2020) in Movies
Jan 27, 2020 (Updated Jan 27, 2020)
Well paced (1 more)
Good characters
Third times a charm
I am not terribly well versed in Guy Ritchie films, however "Snatch" is one of my favorite films. I went into this with no expectations, and without even knowing the basic plot, I was greated with a wonderful experience.
If "Snatch" is Ritchie's attempt at perfecting "Lock Stock and two smoking barrels" then "The Gentlemen" is the final attempt at perfecting this formula. He absolutely succeeded in this in every way. "Snatch" is a GOOD movie, but this is a good FILM, in the same distinction as literature from standard fiction. We revisit his pentient for sprawling plots with a slew of characters, all intertwined but the full scale of their involvement coming to a head at the end, but he elevated this with "The Gentlemen".
We open with Charlie Hunnan, proving to me he is a capable actor when he's not faking an american accent and given a role that suits him. A pot kingpin's right hand man being greeted by Hugh Grant in a role I've never seen him in, skeezy, unattractive, cockney accent, a reporter for tabloids offering his story for a mere 20mil pounds. Grant preceeds to tell this thrilling tale of Micky (mcconaughy) the aforementioned kingpin, attempting to sell his impressive pot empire so he can retire with his wife who he absolutely loves. Through Grant, we are given a new twist on the Ritchie formula, an unreliable narrator, which just brings the story to life. We see what goes down during these days of attempted sale, the involvent of another druglord wannabe (golding), wanting a piece of the pie, the accidental involvement of Coach(Farrel) when his group of trainees piss off the wrong people, and the twisty, turny, bullet flinging fights that ensue. This movie is beautifully paced, not feeling as long as it was, witty, with plenty of laugh out loud moments, but balanced with enough gritty reality to leave you quiet as soon as you finished laughing. In true Ritchie form, by the end all the pieces fall into place, the full reality revealed in a satisfying, fun finale. However, the twist of the unreliable narrator, leaves us with the reality that we may not know everything that happened. I would argue that beyond a part with some Russians, every character and event (and there were a number of them) felt purposeful, well thought oit and completely necessary to the plot. Like it's predecessors, the music was on point, the editting and cutting perfect and leading to a slightly old school vibe while feeling fully rooted to the present. The plot was over the top, but modern and believable. Overall, it was just exceptionally fun.
He finally figured it out, and gave us something as fun as "Snatch" but elevated it to true FILM status. Making it, arguably, the better film. Highly recommend it.
If "Snatch" is Ritchie's attempt at perfecting "Lock Stock and two smoking barrels" then "The Gentlemen" is the final attempt at perfecting this formula. He absolutely succeeded in this in every way. "Snatch" is a GOOD movie, but this is a good FILM, in the same distinction as literature from standard fiction. We revisit his pentient for sprawling plots with a slew of characters, all intertwined but the full scale of their involvement coming to a head at the end, but he elevated this with "The Gentlemen".
We open with Charlie Hunnan, proving to me he is a capable actor when he's not faking an american accent and given a role that suits him. A pot kingpin's right hand man being greeted by Hugh Grant in a role I've never seen him in, skeezy, unattractive, cockney accent, a reporter for tabloids offering his story for a mere 20mil pounds. Grant preceeds to tell this thrilling tale of Micky (mcconaughy) the aforementioned kingpin, attempting to sell his impressive pot empire so he can retire with his wife who he absolutely loves. Through Grant, we are given a new twist on the Ritchie formula, an unreliable narrator, which just brings the story to life. We see what goes down during these days of attempted sale, the involvent of another druglord wannabe (golding), wanting a piece of the pie, the accidental involvement of Coach(Farrel) when his group of trainees piss off the wrong people, and the twisty, turny, bullet flinging fights that ensue. This movie is beautifully paced, not feeling as long as it was, witty, with plenty of laugh out loud moments, but balanced with enough gritty reality to leave you quiet as soon as you finished laughing. In true Ritchie form, by the end all the pieces fall into place, the full reality revealed in a satisfying, fun finale. However, the twist of the unreliable narrator, leaves us with the reality that we may not know everything that happened. I would argue that beyond a part with some Russians, every character and event (and there were a number of them) felt purposeful, well thought oit and completely necessary to the plot. Like it's predecessors, the music was on point, the editting and cutting perfect and leading to a slightly old school vibe while feeling fully rooted to the present. The plot was over the top, but modern and believable. Overall, it was just exceptionally fun.
He finally figured it out, and gave us something as fun as "Snatch" but elevated it to true FILM status. Making it, arguably, the better film. Highly recommend it.
II
If I Were You (Inside Out, #1)
9.3
Rate It
Book
How it all started… One day I was a high school teacher on summer break, leading a relatively...
Emily (2 KP) rated the Nintendo Switch version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in Video Games
Oct 7, 2019 (Updated Oct 7, 2019)
Bringing Zelda Back
I have been a Zelda fan for pretty much my whole life. I wasn't born when the "classic" games were coming out, but I grew up with fabulous titles like The Phantom Hourglass & The Twilight Princess.
At first, I was skeptical when I realised that the Zelda franchise was going to have an open world game. To me, Zelda whas always been somewhat of a corridor game (yes, this was probably mainly the result of playing a lot of Zelda DS games). Nevertheless, I wasn't sure what to expect from Breath of the Wild.
I needn't have worried. Breath of the Wild is the perfect mix of old and new. There are throwbacks to old games, and despite the open world nature, there are still different biomes with distinctive (and familiar) characters. You will still get a huge sense of satisfaction from smashing up pots and cuckoos can still be pretty deadly.
Yet Breath of the Wild also adds a lot to the franchise. It opens the wonderful world of Link up to players who may have never experienced a Zelda game before. With bright, gorgeous graphics, a stunning soundtrack, and a whole cast of great characters to meet, this game is perfect for both players who are already familiar with the franchise, and those who are experiencing it for the first time.
The other thing to say about Breath of the Wild is the huge sense of progression that it provides. The world is fully climbable, which means you can scale huge mountains, but these mountains can also be deadly. It is not until you have put a good few hours into the game that you have the stamina required to survive such ambitious climbs. This means that when you DO master that mountain that you attempted to climb twenty or so times, you feel extremely powerful. The same can be said for the new weapons you receive, although not, in my opinion, to the same extent.
In short, I absolutely love Breath of the Wild. It is a HUGE game; I have completed the main storyline and a good deal of the side quests two times, and there is still so much to discover! I would recommend this game to pretty much anyone. It's an incredible game, and it is definitely something worth experiencing.
At first, I was skeptical when I realised that the Zelda franchise was going to have an open world game. To me, Zelda whas always been somewhat of a corridor game (yes, this was probably mainly the result of playing a lot of Zelda DS games). Nevertheless, I wasn't sure what to expect from Breath of the Wild.
I needn't have worried. Breath of the Wild is the perfect mix of old and new. There are throwbacks to old games, and despite the open world nature, there are still different biomes with distinctive (and familiar) characters. You will still get a huge sense of satisfaction from smashing up pots and cuckoos can still be pretty deadly.
Yet Breath of the Wild also adds a lot to the franchise. It opens the wonderful world of Link up to players who may have never experienced a Zelda game before. With bright, gorgeous graphics, a stunning soundtrack, and a whole cast of great characters to meet, this game is perfect for both players who are already familiar with the franchise, and those who are experiencing it for the first time.
The other thing to say about Breath of the Wild is the huge sense of progression that it provides. The world is fully climbable, which means you can scale huge mountains, but these mountains can also be deadly. It is not until you have put a good few hours into the game that you have the stamina required to survive such ambitious climbs. This means that when you DO master that mountain that you attempted to climb twenty or so times, you feel extremely powerful. The same can be said for the new weapons you receive, although not, in my opinion, to the same extent.
In short, I absolutely love Breath of the Wild. It is a HUGE game; I have completed the main storyline and a good deal of the side quests two times, and there is still so much to discover! I would recommend this game to pretty much anyone. It's an incredible game, and it is definitely something worth experiencing.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Girl in Pieces in Books
Jan 29, 2019
Very Raw (2 more)
Great cast of characters
Beautifully written
A Dark Gritty Read
When I read the synopsis of Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow, I knew it was a book I had to read. I'm a big fan of books that deal with mental illness. I just love how raw they can be. Luckily, Girl in Pieces did not disappoint.
The plot for Girl in Pieces is so raw yet it is beautifully written. The story starts out with Charlie at Creeley, a mental hospital because she's a cutter, and the last time she cut, she cut pretty bad. At first, she is a selective mute, but eventually, she starts talking again. We learn that Charlie's had a pretty bad life. She's been homeless, assaulted, pretty much lost her best friend, had a horrible home life and other things. When the money for her stay at Creeley runs out, Charlie is thrust back into the real world much earlier than expected. She's left to fend for herself. She moves out to Arizona to be with her friend and crush, but things don't turn out as planned. Charlie must learn to survive and heal on her own or risk losing herself once again. Girl in Pieces felt so relatable and so true to life, like it could happen to anyone at any time.
The characters in Girl in Pieces all felt very real and exposed. They were written perfectly and felt like people I know and have known. It was interesting and eye opening to experience Charlie's journey every step of the way from the highs and the lows. There were so many times I wanted to be Charlie's friend so I could support her and let her know when she was making a mistake. I wanted to be there for her after the mistakes had been made and let her know that every day is a new chance to start over. I loved Blue and her joking attitude. Riley was an interesting character. I wanted him to turn out good. I wanted him to get better for Charlie and for himself. Linus was also a very amazing character. I also loved how real Julie was. Every single character in this book played a great part in Charlie's life, and I loved how well written each and every one of them was.
The pacing for Girl in Pieces starts out really strong which I enjoyed. It does slow down a bit after Charlie gets out of the hospital, but it's still flows along at a good pace. There are a few places where the book does get a bit too slow, but it quickly picks up not too much later.
Girl in Pieces is a very raw, gritty, and dark book, so there are a lot of triggers. The whole book could be a possible trigger. Triggers include self harm, self mutilation, cutting, drug use, underage drinking, drinking, death, suicide, violence, physical abuse, emotional abuse, mental illness, dark thoughts, profanity, and sexual acts and references.
Overall, Girl in Pieces is a great read. It's very dark, but it is real and written so well with fantastic characters. I would definitely recommend Girl in Pieces to those aged 16+ who love a dark gritty read.
The plot for Girl in Pieces is so raw yet it is beautifully written. The story starts out with Charlie at Creeley, a mental hospital because she's a cutter, and the last time she cut, she cut pretty bad. At first, she is a selective mute, but eventually, she starts talking again. We learn that Charlie's had a pretty bad life. She's been homeless, assaulted, pretty much lost her best friend, had a horrible home life and other things. When the money for her stay at Creeley runs out, Charlie is thrust back into the real world much earlier than expected. She's left to fend for herself. She moves out to Arizona to be with her friend and crush, but things don't turn out as planned. Charlie must learn to survive and heal on her own or risk losing herself once again. Girl in Pieces felt so relatable and so true to life, like it could happen to anyone at any time.
The characters in Girl in Pieces all felt very real and exposed. They were written perfectly and felt like people I know and have known. It was interesting and eye opening to experience Charlie's journey every step of the way from the highs and the lows. There were so many times I wanted to be Charlie's friend so I could support her and let her know when she was making a mistake. I wanted to be there for her after the mistakes had been made and let her know that every day is a new chance to start over. I loved Blue and her joking attitude. Riley was an interesting character. I wanted him to turn out good. I wanted him to get better for Charlie and for himself. Linus was also a very amazing character. I also loved how real Julie was. Every single character in this book played a great part in Charlie's life, and I loved how well written each and every one of them was.
The pacing for Girl in Pieces starts out really strong which I enjoyed. It does slow down a bit after Charlie gets out of the hospital, but it's still flows along at a good pace. There are a few places where the book does get a bit too slow, but it quickly picks up not too much later.
Girl in Pieces is a very raw, gritty, and dark book, so there are a lot of triggers. The whole book could be a possible trigger. Triggers include self harm, self mutilation, cutting, drug use, underage drinking, drinking, death, suicide, violence, physical abuse, emotional abuse, mental illness, dark thoughts, profanity, and sexual acts and references.
Overall, Girl in Pieces is a great read. It's very dark, but it is real and written so well with fantastic characters. I would definitely recommend Girl in Pieces to those aged 16+ who love a dark gritty read.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated The Lost History of Stars in Books
Jun 16, 2018
The Lost History of Stars by Dave Boling is a powerful and shocking story about a family during The Second Anglo-Boer War during the early part of the 20th century in Africa. It's a historical fiction story that is inspired by true events. The Lost History of Stars is a story of desperation and hope.
The main character, Lettie, who is a thirteen year old Dutch-Africkaner girl comes from a poor farming family. She endures the loss of her home with her mother and two younger siblings when the scorched earth policy employed by the British during the Boer War burns their farm and forces them to leave in a wagon. Their African maid, Bina, tries to stay with the family, but is given no choice by the soldiers but to return to her people.
Lettie and her family are sent to a concentration camp where the conditions are awful. Her father, older brother, uncles, and grandfather are sent to fight the British with guerrilla tactics. Lettie worries and wonders about Bina and her family. Often Lettie remembers the songs and wisdom Bina shared during her childhood and the history of stars that Grandpa shared with her at night under the sparkling sky.
The story is told from Lettie's point of view. The reader learns of her experience in the concentration camp. Lettie attempt to find the good in small moments. Her more treasured possession is her English dictionary, which she reads for comfort to pass time.
The story switches between the present and past. This allows the reader to understand life before the war and during the war. It give the reader background information to understand the family dynamics.
The main character, Lettie, who is a thirteen year old Dutch-Africkaner girl comes from a poor farming family. She endures the loss of her home with her mother and two younger siblings when the scorched earth policy employed by the British during the Boer War burns their farm and forces them to leave in a wagon. Their African maid, Bina, tries to stay with the family, but is given no choice by the soldiers but to return to her people.
Lettie and her family are sent to a concentration camp where the conditions are awful. Her father, older brother, uncles, and grandfather are sent to fight the British with guerrilla tactics. Lettie worries and wonders about Bina and her family. Often Lettie remembers the songs and wisdom Bina shared during her childhood and the history of stars that Grandpa shared with her at night under the sparkling sky.
The story is told from Lettie's point of view. The reader learns of her experience in the concentration camp. Lettie attempt to find the good in small moments. Her more treasured possession is her English dictionary, which she reads for comfort to pass time.
The story switches between the present and past. This allows the reader to understand life before the war and during the war. It give the reader background information to understand the family dynamics.
The Ultimate Book of Heroic Failures
Book
This book was the winner of the Sunday Times Humour Book of the Year. Anyone can be a success, but...
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Talking with Psychopaths and Savages: A Journey into the Evil Mind in Books
Oct 16, 2017
There is no journey into an evil mind, just the author's ego
God, if ever there is a narcissist, is the author writing this book. There are zero citations because he feels he's a good enough source by himself. This entire book is just pure self-promotion, with him speaking about one book or TV series he's been involved with in every single chapter, and his letters and interviews to serial killers are just a form of bragging rights disturbingly.
Ironically, there is little sincere empathy with the victims killed by these psychopaths, but just a titillation factor in this book, with the author essentially being a fanboy of these men and one woman. The book also inadvertently reveals how corrupt the American judicial system is, allowing white men to murder and defraud with impunity, while avoiding life sentences and even being granted parole after murdering three people in cold blood.
And with shockingly little psychology in this book, the author even "runs out" of his word count, so it ends abruptly. It is poorly written, as he repeats the phrase "elephants fly" etc. In every other paragraph, and I can now see why it has received low ratings on review sites. Not worth it.
Ironically, there is little sincere empathy with the victims killed by these psychopaths, but just a titillation factor in this book, with the author essentially being a fanboy of these men and one woman. The book also inadvertently reveals how corrupt the American judicial system is, allowing white men to murder and defraud with impunity, while avoiding life sentences and even being granted parole after murdering three people in cold blood.
And with shockingly little psychology in this book, the author even "runs out" of his word count, so it ends abruptly. It is poorly written, as he repeats the phrase "elephants fly" etc. In every other paragraph, and I can now see why it has received low ratings on review sites. Not worth it.
Elli H Burton (1288 KP) rated Tell Me Who I Am (2019) in Movies
Oct 25, 2019
It's direction. (2 more)
The courage of the people involved.
The way it's shot.
Heartbreaking. Unbelievable.
The story follows twins Alex and Marcus they are 54 years old and when they were 18 Alex lost his memory. He couldn't remember anything or anyone other than his twin brother. (All in the introduction, no spoilers here)
It is something so unique it wouldn't be believed if it wasn't true. This in itself is such an interesting premise but it's full of so many twists and turns by the end you're head is spinning.
The story is gripping, at times I thought I'm tired maybe here will be a good time to pause, go to sleep and start back up tomorrow but I couldn't switch it off. It makes you go from confusion, anger, sadness and rage in such a small amount of time.
What makes this so heartbreaking is that not only is it true, it is something I believe every person should watch. It touches on subjects that happen in peoples everyday lives and aren't talked about enough.
I sincerely hope people will watch this, appreciate these courageous men for their pure strength and if the story they tell is similar to something in your life, it will help you open up too.
It is something so unique it wouldn't be believed if it wasn't true. This in itself is such an interesting premise but it's full of so many twists and turns by the end you're head is spinning.
The story is gripping, at times I thought I'm tired maybe here will be a good time to pause, go to sleep and start back up tomorrow but I couldn't switch it off. It makes you go from confusion, anger, sadness and rage in such a small amount of time.
What makes this so heartbreaking is that not only is it true, it is something I believe every person should watch. It touches on subjects that happen in peoples everyday lives and aren't talked about enough.
I sincerely hope people will watch this, appreciate these courageous men for their pure strength and if the story they tell is similar to something in your life, it will help you open up too.