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Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Serpent's Shadow (Kane Chronicles #3) in Books
Jan 15, 2018
So sad to know that this is the last book in Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles. This trilogy has been my favorite of all his works by far! I'm hoping he will work Sadie, Carter, & Walt/Anubis into another series as the end left it pretty open to be picked up into the future with new Gods & magic trying to disrupt the ancient Egyptian beliefs.
This book was great! It was a satisfying ending to the series, despite the fact that it did leave things open to being picked up in the future. (Maybe he'll do something like he did with Percy Jackson & then Heroes of Olympus?!?) Again Sadie & Carter are such likable, believable, well-developed characters. The things they go through are extraordinary without a doubt, but they are so easy to identify with...which I'm sure helps with the appeal of the series to younger readers. But just because that is the target audience, doesn't mean an adult won't enjoy it.
The book is full of history, love, battles, & courage that it is very easy to get wrapped up in.
This book was great! It was a satisfying ending to the series, despite the fact that it did leave things open to being picked up in the future. (Maybe he'll do something like he did with Percy Jackson & then Heroes of Olympus?!?) Again Sadie & Carter are such likable, believable, well-developed characters. The things they go through are extraordinary without a doubt, but they are so easy to identify with...which I'm sure helps with the appeal of the series to younger readers. But just because that is the target audience, doesn't mean an adult won't enjoy it.
The book is full of history, love, battles, & courage that it is very easy to get wrapped up in.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated My Heart and Soul in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Randall has done something scary and risky: She has taken her interior monologue, her thoughts, her hopes and dreams, insecurities, fears, loves and hates, and written them out into long picturesque poems for the world to see. I know I could never expose myself the way she has… It was encouraging to read her works, to get inside her head. It was uplifting to see the trust and the security she has in God, and encouraging to know that there are people out there who feel like you do. She wrote about painful subjects like cancer, doubt, death, but also had some more touchy subjects like fear of never being loved again, racism, and sex—though she did it all in a way that doesn't feel uncomfortable.
I greatly enjoyed these poems, and have found myself flipping through the pages on several occasions, just re-experiencing the things she has to say and the experiences she has to share. My Heart and Soul is well worth the buy.
I greatly enjoyed these poems, and have found myself flipping through the pages on several occasions, just re-experiencing the things she has to say and the experiences she has to share. My Heart and Soul is well worth the buy.
MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated The Breakdown in Books
May 16, 2018
Ok, so I never saw the twist coming.
This story is crafted so well, and kept me so engaged, that it was hard to put the book down. The entire time, I felt so bad for Cass - what must it be like to forget things like how to use the washing machine or the microwave? Terrifying, I imagine. To feel like you're losing your mind, and then to find out you were being gas-lighted all along by the two people you love most in the world?
I felt vindicated right along with her when the truth came out and she got some measure of revenge on her husband and best friend - both of whom are just terrible, terrible people and deserve every ounce of it. In truth, the actual "murder mystery" part of the story was entirely secondary for me, as I was completely wrapped up in what was happening to Cass.
Thank you to SheSpeaks and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book!
This story is crafted so well, and kept me so engaged, that it was hard to put the book down. The entire time, I felt so bad for Cass - what must it be like to forget things like how to use the washing machine or the microwave? Terrifying, I imagine. To feel like you're losing your mind, and then to find out you were being gas-lighted all along by the two people you love most in the world?
I felt vindicated right along with her when the truth came out and she got some measure of revenge on her husband and best friend - both of whom are just terrible, terrible people and deserve every ounce of it. In truth, the actual "murder mystery" part of the story was entirely secondary for me, as I was completely wrapped up in what was happening to Cass.
Thank you to SheSpeaks and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book!
tanuki (2 KP) rated Fitbit Alta HR Fitness Wristband in Tech
Feb 6, 2019
Stylish and full of features
The Alta manages to be both stylish, light and sleek as well as containing all the desired features of a fitness band and smartwatch in one go. This slimline band fits on the wrist and will track any heart-rate-raising activity - it excels at detection, being able to determine road cycling from mountain biking (but it cannot detect weight lifting, as the heart rate isn't consistently high enough. It will detect a cardio class like Body Pump though.) It will monitor sleep cycles, your active minutes and calories burned. You can set all manner of goals in the app - fitness, diet or sleep goals, for example - and data is displayed in easy-to-read formats. Honestly I wouldn't be without it: it makes controlling your fitness a breeze, which is vital when you have goals to hit and stats to crunch. It will also, as a bonus, hook up to your phone and display the first line of any text or whatsapp messages, and you can set a silent alarm too.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Specials (Uglies, #3) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I loved this book and thought it was the best of the trilogy. The excitement of Tally and Shay's destruction of the Armory, Tally helping to defend Diego from attack, and other scenes - written so well that I could almost feel the adrenaline pumping through my own veins. The feel and speed of the book had a cinematic quality. I imagine Westerfeld wrote in this style on purpose to capture the style of the Specials, just as the second book had an "airhead" style of writing. The vocabulary also reflects the subculture of the Specials with words such as icy, which indicates the state of being clear-headed. I was saddened by Zane's death and disappointed that Tally could not have had more of a good-bye with him before he died, but I did like that she was reunited with David. I'm rather split as to which boyfriend of hers I prefered, since Zane and David are both very different and compliment Tally in different ways. Fortunately, Westerfeld made that decision for me.
So I’ve only watched one episode so far but the premise is very good. As the title would suggest the show is about a curfew which is imposed every night in England, not sure about the rest of the world yet.
It seemed a bit slow to start introducing us to the main characters, there seems to be 3 sets so far as they prepare to take part in an illegal street race.
Every night the whole country gets locked down for curfew to save people from whatever happens when it is dark. However there is hope as every year an illegal street race is held where the winners will earn their freedom to a mysterious island where there is no curfew and they will be safe.
I imagine the series will follow the race as at the end of the first episode it looked like the race was just about to begin.
It looked to be a good series with some action and drama as well as there being a bigger storyline and the main characters all having varied backstories.
It seemed a bit slow to start introducing us to the main characters, there seems to be 3 sets so far as they prepare to take part in an illegal street race.
Every night the whole country gets locked down for curfew to save people from whatever happens when it is dark. However there is hope as every year an illegal street race is held where the winners will earn their freedom to a mysterious island where there is no curfew and they will be safe.
I imagine the series will follow the race as at the end of the first episode it looked like the race was just about to begin.
It looked to be a good series with some action and drama as well as there being a bigger storyline and the main characters all having varied backstories.
Chloe (514 KP) rated The Good Doctor in TV
Mar 7, 2019
really enjoyable
The first season is amazing it has anything you could want out f a good medical drama:
- a quirky main character
-well developed secondary characters
-lots of gory medical scenes
and 1 thing you would want to see in any drama much character development
That being said like many other dramas and even movies and books the series falls at the hurdle of the second season.don't get me wrong the series is still watchable and good however it just for me at least loses its spark that you see in the first season. its really hard to pinpoint what is lacking but it is. if I had to say what brings this about id say that maybe if anything they set the bar to high in the first season. I mean how can you beat performing surgery in a train station?
Although yes the series does go downhill slightly it is still highly enjoyable and id recommend to anyone particularly for those with a love of medical dramas.
- a quirky main character
-well developed secondary characters
-lots of gory medical scenes
and 1 thing you would want to see in any drama much character development
That being said like many other dramas and even movies and books the series falls at the hurdle of the second season.don't get me wrong the series is still watchable and good however it just for me at least loses its spark that you see in the first season. its really hard to pinpoint what is lacking but it is. if I had to say what brings this about id say that maybe if anything they set the bar to high in the first season. I mean how can you beat performing surgery in a train station?
Although yes the series does go downhill slightly it is still highly enjoyable and id recommend to anyone particularly for those with a love of medical dramas.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home (1986) in Movies
Mar 26, 2019
Fourth big-screen Trek dodges the usual 'all SF blockbusters must be action movies' pitfall and opts for some gentle social comedy instead. Alien probe is outraged by the extinction of Earth's whales and decides to wipe out civilisation; Kirk and the gang have to travel back to 1980s San Francisco to recruit some substitute cetaceans and save the day. Very possibly riding on the coat-tails of Back to the Future, but also Nick Meyer's Time After Time (Meyer wrote the middle section of the film).
Solidly structured and engagingly played: the actors know their characters backward and it's a pleasure to spend time with them. Interesting to speculate about the original version of the film, which would have co-starred Eddie Murphy (Paramount nixed the idea). Doing a lighter Trek works well here, but led to the studio insisting on comedy bits being added to future films in the series, which was arguably a big mistake. Doesn't detract from the entertainment value of Star Trek in one of its magisterial phases.
Solidly structured and engagingly played: the actors know their characters backward and it's a pleasure to spend time with them. Interesting to speculate about the original version of the film, which would have co-starred Eddie Murphy (Paramount nixed the idea). Doing a lighter Trek works well here, but led to the studio insisting on comedy bits being added to future films in the series, which was arguably a big mistake. Doesn't detract from the entertainment value of Star Trek in one of its magisterial phases.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Star Inspector (Zvyozdniy inspektor) (1980) in Movies
May 26, 2019 (Updated May 26, 2019)
Borderline-unwatchable Soviet-era sci-fi film, also known as Space Cop (according to the subtitles on the version I saw, anyway). The reappearance of a ship thought lost in space, and an attack on Space Police HQ, results in a patrol spaceship being sent to investigate, the search leading to one of those planets which looks suspiciously like a quarry. What ensues there is a joyless, repetitive trudge.
Feels like one of those films made by people who've had sci-fi explained to them over the phone, but who have no first-hand familiarity with the genre, or indeed much familiarity with storytelling in general. This is before we get to the primitive production values, the aspects of the story which don't travel well (the villains are a trio named Doug, Marge, and Steve), or the heavy reliance on technobabble plot devices. Has the general feel of an episode of Space 1999. There are some interesting psychedelic visuals on display, and the special effects are often amusing (this was not the intention), but this is grim stuff for the most part.
Feels like one of those films made by people who've had sci-fi explained to them over the phone, but who have no first-hand familiarity with the genre, or indeed much familiarity with storytelling in general. This is before we get to the primitive production values, the aspects of the story which don't travel well (the villains are a trio named Doug, Marge, and Steve), or the heavy reliance on technobabble plot devices. Has the general feel of an episode of Space 1999. There are some interesting psychedelic visuals on display, and the special effects are often amusing (this was not the intention), but this is grim stuff for the most part.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Game Of Thrones - Season 2 in TV
May 27, 2019 (Updated May 27, 2019)
A second fantastic season
Season 2 of Game of Thrones continues the first seasons display of excellent character development and writing.
We follow Robb Stark for much of the season, as he proceeds to March toward King's Landing in open rebellion against the crown after the events of season 1. It's another slow burning season, but once again, nothing becomes dull, every scene is engaging, and you as a viewer are given time to digest all of the information being handed to you, as well as getting to know both new characters, and already established characters - learning to really detest Joffrey is a particular treat (Hats off to Jack Gleeson).
This season also contains the first proper battle of the show, in the episode Blackwater, which remains one of my favourite episodes to this day.
The closing episodes of season 1 showed that GoT was a show that was not afraid to pull any punches, and season 2 is almost an apitizer for what is yet to come.
Top tier TV!
We follow Robb Stark for much of the season, as he proceeds to March toward King's Landing in open rebellion against the crown after the events of season 1. It's another slow burning season, but once again, nothing becomes dull, every scene is engaging, and you as a viewer are given time to digest all of the information being handed to you, as well as getting to know both new characters, and already established characters - learning to really detest Joffrey is a particular treat (Hats off to Jack Gleeson).
This season also contains the first proper battle of the show, in the episode Blackwater, which remains one of my favourite episodes to this day.
The closing episodes of season 1 showed that GoT was a show that was not afraid to pull any punches, and season 2 is almost an apitizer for what is yet to come.
Top tier TV!