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The Perfection (2019)
The Perfection (2019)
2019 | Drama, Horror, Thriller
The performances, the story & the effects. (0 more)
The very last scene...sort of (0 more)
Chello there!
I love stumbling on little treats like this. Had heard nothing about, hadn't seen the trailer, read the blurb and thought why not - and I'm glad I did. Story starts with a former chello child prodigy who had given up chances of fame etc to take care of her sick mother. When her mother dies she returns to her old life and meets her schools new prodigy and the quickly form a friendship and decide to go on a trip together. What follows is a cracking story of love, betrayal, abuse, jealousy & revenge done really really well with some good gore and plenty of twists. The only down I had was the very last scene so it left me with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Without giving too much away the scene itself is really good but I thought 'oh my God that's cool, that's even cooler - but wait - why wud they do that?'. But apart from that its amazingly good and totally worth a watch!
  
The Change 3: Paris: A City of Fools
The Change 3: Paris: A City of Fools
Guy Adams | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Odd and more intense than previous books
This third book, again in a different city to the previous ones, is set in central Paris. A group of people have made a life for themselves in the catacombs and tunnels underneath the city, largely safe from the strange monsters and beings that have taken over the city.
Loic, the main PoV character, is a former street child who has quite easily adapted to life under the streets, scavenging for food where he can. The main threat they face is the Impressionists, a race of paint-monsters who roam the streets and tunnels rounding up the people they find.
This book is more focused on people who have made a life for themselves following The Change (still a mystery, but safe to assume that weird things can happen now), rather than those struggling to come to terms with it.
It is quite an exciting tale of rescue, bargaining and trying to evade some very strange, but very Parisian, enemies who are never as they seem.
This book, for once, is fairly self-contained and has an ending and was a good short read.
  
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Mary Ellen Mark recommended Ikiru (1952) in Movies (curated)

 
Ikiru (1952)
Ikiru (1952)
1952 | Drama
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"This is a film about a man’s rebirth. It was made in 1952 and is set in Japan’s postwar rebuilding period. Kanji Watanabe is a man trapped in the dreary bureaucracy of his job and life. When his doctor tells him that he has terminal cancer and a short time to live, he decides to change his life. He first tries going out on the town drinking in nightclubs and spending time with a young woman. This is a beautifully seen relationship that soon ends in disappointment. It is not until several poor women come into his office to complain about the terrible conditions in their slum neighborhood that he realizes how he can give his life meaning. In his quiet way, he uses the bureaucratic system he knows so well against itself. In the end he is able to establish a playground for the children of the slum. His selfless action in the last days of his life makes him a hero. At his funeral, his workmates try to claim the creation of the playground as theirs, but when the community show up to pay their respects, there is no doubt who acted for the greater good. For me, one of the most powerful and moving images in the film is the flashback during his wake. In this flashback, we see Kanji from behind, sitting on a swing in the snow in the middle of the playground. This film is about how fleeting life is and how important it is to be personally creative and to live every moment like it is your last."

Source
  
Good Girl, Bad Girl
Good Girl, Bad Girl
Michael Robotham | 2019 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
10
9.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
While browsing the books in my local library, I stumbled across Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham. I was instantly intrigued by the synopsis. A teenager with a mysterious past, yes please! A murder mystery, heck yes! Good Girl, Bad Girl did not disappoint.

I felt like the synopsis was wrong a little. The story doesn't focus on Evie as much as the synopsis makes it seem. Good Girl, Bad Girl does start out focused on Evie though. No one knows Evie's past or even how old Evie really is. All anyone knows is that Evie knows when another person is lying. From there, the book seemed like it was going to be a paranormal read, but it wasn't. Not very long after we are introduced to Evie, we learn about Jodie Sheehan, a 15 year old girl who was a very talented figure skater and the girl next door type. When Jodie is found murdered, psychologist Cyrus Haven starts to piece together Jodie's life before her murder and realizes that she wasn't as squeaky clean as everyone thought she was which puts Cyrus and others in danger. Jodie Sheehan's life and murder is what Good Girl, Bad Girl mainly focuses on throughout the novel.

I did enjoy the plot, and I found it to be very intriguing. There were quite a few plot twists peppered throughout Good Girl, Bad Girl that I never predicted. I would think I had the story figured out, but then there would be another fantastic twist that always had me second guessing myself. All my questions were answered about Jodie's disappearance and murder, but I still was left wondering about Evie and her past. Michael Robotham leaves Evie a mystery on purpose, but I would have liked some closure on knowing Evie's past. It's obvious she remembers somewhat. (Goodreads has Good Girl, Bad Girl as a series, but I can't find anything on the actual cover of the book or on any book retailer that has this book as part of a series. I really hope it will be a series though so I can learn more about Evie.) One good thing about this book is that there are no cliff hanger endings. Also, the pacing is done fantastically throughout Good Girl, Bad Girl. This was one book that I really couldn't put down. I'd say it could even be read in one sitting. It is just so good, and it flows so well!

I felt like all the characters, even the supporting ones, were very well written and very fleshed out in Good Girl, Bad Girl. I liked the character of Evie. I liked the fact she was this mysterious force to be reckoned with. She was pretty hardcore, yet she still had that childlike vulnerability about her. I really enjoyed the character of Cyrus. He was such a fantastic main character. He had been dealt a bad hand, but he was able to rise above it. I thought it was fantastic to read about how much he cared for Evie as well as his perseverance to learn the truth about Jodie even when the police were ready to close the case.

Trigger warnings for Good Girl, Bad Girl include violence, drugs, drinking (both adult and underage), sexual references, profanity, death, abduction, attempted murder, and attempted rape.

Overall, Good Girl, Bad Girl is such a fun and thrilling read! I can't fault this book at all. It's got such a great plot as well as fantastic characters with interesting backstories. The plot twists will definitely keep you guessing throughout. I would wholeheartedly recommend Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham to those aged 17+ who love thrilling and suspenseful novels. You will not be disappointed.
  
    Everyday Attraction

    Everyday Attraction

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    The Teachings of Abraham are some of the most dynamic, captivating, and spiritually informed...

More Than Just a Good Life
More Than Just a Good Life
James Hogg | 2019 | Biography
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
informative, easy to read, funny (0 more)
Wonderful, Light hearted, in-depth
When you think of Richard Briers, if like me you were born in the early seventies, then you will always associate him with The Good Life and Ever Decreasing Circles. Reading this book i found out that he was so much more than just situation comedy actor. From his early childhood days selling cigarettes and comics to appearing in films with such legendary actors as Robert De Niro and Denzel Washington this book covers it all. It also tells the background story of his family life, which opens him up to be a more complex character than you can imagine. A fantastic read and definitely up there with the best i have read :)
  
The Boys Volume 10: Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker
The Boys Volume 10: Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker
Garth Ennis | 2011 | Comics & Graphic Novels
9
9.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Finally - Butcher's backstory
For a number of issues now, we have known Butcher is a violent, yet calculated man with a real hatred of superheroes. But nobody quite knows the details of his life. Until now. This story sees Butcher standing over his dead father before his funeral, outlining his life and why he hates him.
A great background to this mysterious Negan-like character, we finally see quite what Homelander did to his wife, how he became so twisted and violent and get a glimpse of what he has planned.
Some cliché'd London upbringing scenes but good to put meat on the character's bones.