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Lenard (726 KP) rated Pig (2021) in Movies
Aug 1, 2021
One could look at the film as Nicolas Cage's "Ransom" ("Give me back my pig!"), "John Wick" (if the dog had survived the original attack), or "Taken" ("I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you're looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money but what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my pig go now, that will be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill you."). Ten years ago, Rob left the civilized world behind and chose an isolated life in the mountains, just him and his highly talented truffle pig. Once a week, twentysomething Alex Wolff comes to buy his "finds." That is the lone connection to humanity after tragedy left him broken. Then, in the middle of the night, a couple break in to steal the pig and leave him physically scarred. Rob must now return to the old life he left behind in order to get back his pig. Along for the ride is his young benefactor who has his own tragic backstory. Similar to "John Wick," there is a powerful puppetmaster behind all the tragedy. But that is where the similarities end as no one is a highly skilled assassin or underworld boss. Both Rob and his antagonist are just men with skills, connections, and money not guns and muscles. In fact, there is a running joke where people ask Rob if his face hurts or he needs medical attention for his wounds. This is a film for your heart and your mind to absorb starring two of the greatest shouters in Hollywood giving quiet performances. I highly recommend the film.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated We Were Liars in Books
Jun 24, 2019
Read the original review: https://bookmarkedreading.wordpress.com/2015/10/10/book-review-we-were-liars/
I honestly had no idea what to expect with this book. Even part-way through, I wasn't sure. But as the end drew nearer, I began to fall in love with the heartbreak and tragedy within the pages.
It tells the story of the Liars: Cadence, Gat, Johnny and Mirren. Mirren, Gat, Johnny and Cadence.
The Beautiful Sinclair Family spend their summers on Beechwood Island every year. But the aunties are fighting over Granny Tipper's possessions after she passes away, and the family is being torn apart. The Liars want their idyll back; they'll do anything to fix the family.
This is a love story, and it is a tragedy. Cadence begins to remember the horrific events of summer fifteen, when she was involved in a terrible accident. Her memory comes back in pieces, and she has to fit the pieces together like a jigsaw. When the final picture is complete, I was so shocked - it made too much sense, yet no sense at all.
The writing style is simple and to the point, but also full of wonderful metaphors. There are extracts of a fairytale variation every now and then, which I personally think was a very nice touch. It's rather unique in the way it's written, but in a good way. It has several phrases that are repeated throughout the story, or developed upon, which works nicely in this book.
Also, there are a few visual aids for the story; a may of the island and a family tree of the Sinclair family. While that could be seen as childish, I appreciate the diagrams as they help to keep track of the characters, though I did get a little lost and confused at times still.
Overall, I think We Were Liars deserves 4 stars out of 5. It's different, unexpected, and full of emotion. I wasn't sure about it at first, but it really grew on me as I read.
BookMarked
I honestly had no idea what to expect with this book. Even part-way through, I wasn't sure. But as the end drew nearer, I began to fall in love with the heartbreak and tragedy within the pages.
It tells the story of the Liars: Cadence, Gat, Johnny and Mirren. Mirren, Gat, Johnny and Cadence.
The Beautiful Sinclair Family spend their summers on Beechwood Island every year. But the aunties are fighting over Granny Tipper's possessions after she passes away, and the family is being torn apart. The Liars want their idyll back; they'll do anything to fix the family.
This is a love story, and it is a tragedy. Cadence begins to remember the horrific events of summer fifteen, when she was involved in a terrible accident. Her memory comes back in pieces, and she has to fit the pieces together like a jigsaw. When the final picture is complete, I was so shocked - it made too much sense, yet no sense at all.
The writing style is simple and to the point, but also full of wonderful metaphors. There are extracts of a fairytale variation every now and then, which I personally think was a very nice touch. It's rather unique in the way it's written, but in a good way. It has several phrases that are repeated throughout the story, or developed upon, which works nicely in this book.
Also, there are a few visual aids for the story; a may of the island and a family tree of the Sinclair family. While that could be seen as childish, I appreciate the diagrams as they help to keep track of the characters, though I did get a little lost and confused at times still.
Overall, I think We Were Liars deserves 4 stars out of 5. It's different, unexpected, and full of emotion. I wasn't sure about it at first, but it really grew on me as I read.
BookMarked
Every Last Fear
Book
“They found the bodies on a Tuesday.” So begins this twisty and breathtaking novel that traces...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Spires in Books
Oct 28, 2021
Penelope Cox thinks she's put her college years behind her, when, twenty years later, her old friend Willa shows up unexpectedly on her doorstep. Willa Blaine needs help escaping her abusive husband. Penelope hasn't seen Willa since their gap year after college, when they and three other friends lived together in a converted church. Calling themselves "the Spires" they were a close-knit group, until hidden resentments and jealousies tipped over. Focused on their leader, Jack, things started to change when he brought home a girlfriend, Grace. Then tragedy struck and the group went their separate ways. Now, Willa seems the perfect guest, bringing order and happiness to the Cox household. But Penelope feels like her friend is putting her life off-balance and bringing up horrible memories: memories she'd rather leave long buried.
"Six months after they moved in, he brought home Grace and sent them all into a tailspin."
This is slow burn read--it's sluggish to start, but picks up as the story gets moving. Less thriller, more character-driven, THE SPIRES focuses on relationships more than mystery, though there is certainly plenty to figure out as the tale progresses.
The book skips back and forth between the group's gap year after college at The Church House and present day, when Penelope's friend Willa shows up without warning. The two haven't seen each other since they scattered after The Church House tragedy. We know something bad happened at The Church House, but it takes a while (basically the whole book) to get it all figured out. There is a lot of drama and angst as this all happens. None of the characters are particularly likeable, but there are plenty of motives and secrets tossed in along the way.
I didn't find THE SPIRES as thrilling as some of Moretti's other books. Still, it became more interesting and suspenseful as I read, and there are definitely some good twists. This is an especially good read for those who like a good psychological mystery. 3.5 stars.
"Six months after they moved in, he brought home Grace and sent them all into a tailspin."
This is slow burn read--it's sluggish to start, but picks up as the story gets moving. Less thriller, more character-driven, THE SPIRES focuses on relationships more than mystery, though there is certainly plenty to figure out as the tale progresses.
The book skips back and forth between the group's gap year after college at The Church House and present day, when Penelope's friend Willa shows up without warning. The two haven't seen each other since they scattered after The Church House tragedy. We know something bad happened at The Church House, but it takes a while (basically the whole book) to get it all figured out. There is a lot of drama and angst as this all happens. None of the characters are particularly likeable, but there are plenty of motives and secrets tossed in along the way.
I didn't find THE SPIRES as thrilling as some of Moretti's other books. Still, it became more interesting and suspenseful as I read, and there are definitely some good twists. This is an especially good read for those who like a good psychological mystery. 3.5 stars.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Ship Ablaze:The Tragedy of the Steamboat General Slocum in Books
Dec 30, 2017
A Timely Tale
This was a good book about a little known tragedy. The General Slocum was a steamer that traveled on the rivers that surrounded New York City. Often these ships were used by groups for excursions to the shore or picnic areas up river. On June 15, 1904 a German church group had booked passage. It was mainly women and children.
As the book title suggest the worst thing that could happen on a ship did when it caught on fire. The early 1900's were still a time of corruption and profit over safety. This helped lead to the deaths of over 1,000 people.
The story in this book is a timely warning to us as safety laws are rolled back for profits. It was a well written and researched tale. We need to heed the warnings of our past so as not to repeat them with larger tragedies.
As the book title suggest the worst thing that could happen on a ship did when it caught on fire. The early 1900's were still a time of corruption and profit over safety. This helped lead to the deaths of over 1,000 people.
The story in this book is a timely warning to us as safety laws are rolled back for profits. It was a well written and researched tale. We need to heed the warnings of our past so as not to repeat them with larger tragedies.
This book has been made into a movie. It is a true account from the one survivor and I recommend you read the book because I hate what Hollywood does to stories like this. These are real people not characters to over dramatize. Getting off my soapbox.
The book told what it really is like to be a wildland fire fighter and the brotherhood that exisits. The author Brendan McDonough had overcame alot to become a fire fighter. You get to see that these hero's have their own demons but still give their all.
I remember hearing about this tragedy when it happened and being very angry. Why were they there protecting property? Were lives worth that? Who dropped the ball with the weather reporting and communication? After reading this book I realize that alot of decisions were made by many people. I still feel this tragic accident could have been prevented but honor the men who died doing what they loved.
The book told what it really is like to be a wildland fire fighter and the brotherhood that exisits. The author Brendan McDonough had overcame alot to become a fire fighter. You get to see that these hero's have their own demons but still give their all.
I remember hearing about this tragedy when it happened and being very angry. Why were they there protecting property? Were lives worth that? Who dropped the ball with the weather reporting and communication? After reading this book I realize that alot of decisions were made by many people. I still feel this tragic accident could have been prevented but honor the men who died doing what they loved.
TacoDave (3721 KP) rated Lord of the Flies in Books
May 23, 2019
Engaging (2 more)
Good pace
Believable characters and plot
A brutal classic
"Lord of the Flies" is a classic for a reason. It is the story of a bunch of boys who survive a plane crash and are stranded on an island together. They get along well at first, but soon the pressures of their situation cause cracks in their 'society' and they form into two groups that clash with each other, sometimes violently.
The idea that human civilization is fragile is examined, but not through exposition, rather through the actions of the characters in the story. Are humans inherently violent? Is peaceful society an illusion, one tragedy away from breakdown?
If you've never read this book - or seen one of the movie versions - be aware that it gets brutal at times. There is violence and bloodshed and not everyone escapes unharmed. But it is a fascinating story of civility and civilization and what it means to be a human in a stable society.
The idea that human civilization is fragile is examined, but not through exposition, rather through the actions of the characters in the story. Are humans inherently violent? Is peaceful society an illusion, one tragedy away from breakdown?
If you've never read this book - or seen one of the movie versions - be aware that it gets brutal at times. There is violence and bloodshed and not everyone escapes unharmed. But it is a fascinating story of civility and civilization and what it means to be a human in a stable society.
Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated Before the Fall in Books
Mar 15, 2018
The description of the book (who crashed a private jet killing nearly everyone on board) makes it sound like another twisty-turny thriller along the lines of "The Girl on the Train", and while the central mystery does have some surprises and keeps one wanting to read, this is actually a much smarter book than that. It is far more interested in human nature, what makes each of us what we are, how we cope with tragedy, and how our minds can jump to make conclusions that aren't there. It even manages to dig into themes like art, the recent financial crisis, and the 24-hour news cycle. All of the characters are interesting and very well written. Everything seems entirely believable and the book is full of moments of genuine emotion. Those looking for another trendy "thriller-of-the-month" might be disappointed, but anyone looking for a truly great novel, possibly one of the year's best, should pick this up.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2273 KP) rated C is for Corpse (Kinsey Millhone #3) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
While working out at the gym, PI Kinsey Millhone is approached by a young man who was in a horrific accident 10 months ago take took part of his memory. He doesn’t think it was an accident but attempted murder and he wants Kinsey to find out why someone would want to kill him. She just begun when tragedy strikes. Can she solve this 10 month old puzzle?
Another strong entry makes it easy to see why this long running series is so popular. The characters are sharp; in fact, it is a pleasure to see how easily the author creates characters with just a few sentences. The plot moves along well, although I did figure things out a bit before Kinsey did. That’s a minor issue in this enjoyable novel.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/01/book-review-c-is-for-corpse-by-sue.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Another strong entry makes it easy to see why this long running series is so popular. The characters are sharp; in fact, it is a pleasure to see how easily the author creates characters with just a few sentences. The plot moves along well, although I did figure things out a bit before Kinsey did. That’s a minor issue in this enjoyable novel.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/01/book-review-c-is-for-corpse-by-sue.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Kristie (106 KP) rated The Ones Who Got Away (The Ones Who Got Away, #1) in Books
Sep 18, 2018
Loved it
The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren is one of the best romance novels I have read in awhile. I love a good second chance at love story and this was one of the best I've read. I really enjoyed the story line of high school sweethearts torn apart by tragedy who meet back up unexpectedly years later. They help each other overcome the pain of the past and discover that they can be happy again. This whole story was just beautifully written. I loved when the group of friends who bonded after the shooting came back together and that bond was re-established once again. I am a new reader of Roni Loren's but I enjoyed her writing so much that I will definitely be watching for more from her in the future. I loved the sneak peek of Rebecca's story at the end and I can't wait to read her and the other survivors stories next.
