
The Hunger Games Trilogy
Book
Hunger Games Trilogy Series 3 Books Collection Set By Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games: In the...

Himalayan Reset: Navigating Chaos through India, Nepal, and Tibet
Book
A regular guy, a pre-midlife crisis, and four months in the Himalayas - What could possibly go...
Travel Travelogue Memoir Outdoors

JT (287 KP) rated Triple Frontier (2019) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Triple Frontier turns from taught heist thriller to survivalistic drama all in the space of a few acts, and if you stick with it then you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Tracking down South American drug lord Gabriel Martin Lorea (Reynaldo Gallegos) has been an obsession for Santiago “Pope” Garcia (Oscar Isaac), but at last the intel has paid off.
Garcia has not only discovered where Lorea is located but where he is hiding his huge fortune. Rather than turn the intel over to the authorities he keeps the information for himself, sharing it with a group of ex-Special Forces buddies. The plan is simple, undergo surveillance of the compound and then pull off a daring heist where they will all walk away with a life changing amount of cash.
There is a lot of unrest initially, as all come to understand the complications as well as severity of what could happen if it all goes tits up, which of course, there is every chance it will do.
Garcia is joined by Tom “Redfly” Davis (Ben Affleck), brothers William “Ironhead” Miller (Charlie Hunnam) and Ben Miller (Garrett Hedlund), and Francisco “Catfish” Morales (Pedro Pascal).
The is a solid amount of brotherly love as well as chemistry which works incredibly well on screen. Back stories are to be believed and there is an air of intensity that hangs over the group, never quite knowing which way it is all going to go. The action is tight and well executed and the suspense is pretty much kept up all the way through the run time. If you’re a fan of the heist genre which avoids the slick, humorous elements of an Ocean’s Eleven, then this one is for you.

The Most Fun We Ever Had
Book
"A gripping and poignant ode to a messy, loving family in all its glory." --Madeline Miller A...

Uptown Oracle (24 KP) rated The House of Mountfathom in Books
Jun 30, 2017
My favourite aspect was how alive the house felt as it was so full of magic. The House of Mountfathom seemed like another member of the family almost like it had a mind of it's own. There was so much time given to explaining the house, magic and family though, that it reduced the actual plot to the second half of the book.
The House of Mountfathom has a strong focus on family. The Mountfathom family are the protagonists of the book. The Order of Driochta are another kind of family. There's no romance subplot which was a big plus point for me.
Another thing was that the house was in Ireland. I cant think off the top of my head another book I've read based in Ireland. The introduction of both historical aspects and folklore was great. There's also a distinct discussion about class systems. The 'big houses' aka the upper class in Ireland are in trouble, including the Mountfathom house, even though they're trying to keep the peace.
A problem I had was the format seemed odd, I assume it would be best in a printed book. My kindle seemed to push everything together and it was difficult to discern between chapters. The illustrations would have also worked much better within a book. Since this was an e-ARC though, I wouldn't take that into account.
Another problem is the book doesn't seem quite finished. Understandable as Nigel McDowell passed away in February. Although the ambiguous ending does give something towards the mysterious aspect of the book as a whole.
I really enjoyed how McDowell described the hows of magic. The first part of the book follows Luke as he grows up and learns magic. The five principles are distinct in how Luke learns them. I would compare The House of Mountfathom to Lemony Snicket and Neil Gaiman's Coraline. It was a bit dark and creepy in places. Full of intrigue and magic.
Diamonds in the Rough: Corporate Paternalism and African Professionalism on the Mines of Colonial Angola, 1917-1975
Book
"This meticulous study is a must read for scholars and graduate students interested in African labor...

They Can't Kill Us All: The Story of Black Lives Matter
Book
'A devastating front-line account of the police killings and the young activism that sparked one of...

The Color of Law
Book
In this groundbreaking history of the modern American metropolis, Richard Rothstein, a leading...
History Politics
Innocent Traitor
Book
I am now a condemned traitor . . . I am to die when I have hardly begun to live. Historical...