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Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Sometimes I Lie in Books
Mar 15, 2018
<b><i>Nothing happens by accident.</b></i>
After being in a bit of a reading slump for a week or so, this is exactly the kind of book I needed to read to get my life back in order. This book is fast-paced, twisty & turny and overall fun to read. Thank you, Feeney, for getting me out of my slump with this terrific mystery thriller!
This is most definitely, one of the <i>best</i> thrillers I’ve read in such a long time. The writing style is superb, the characters are so well developed and complex (in a good way!!) and the twists in the plot come out of nowhere (again, in a good way)!
I loved each and every character in this. No one is originally as they seem and as the plot builds and builds around them, each person grows more and more complex. We suspect all of them for different things, so sure we’re right, and then all of a sudden, a new revelation appears and we’re shocked back into not knowing what the hell is going on. That's what’s so great about this novel, you think you’ve got it, you think you know what will happen next, but don’t be so naive! Just you wait and see what Feeney pulls out of the bag next.
As for the plot, I thought this was wonderfully unique. Having the perspective of Amber in a coma, telling us her story, was an incredible way to keep us “in the know” without actually knowing anything!
This is a seriously dark, but superbly written and executed novel. Any psychological thriller lovers out there? Well, you <i>must</i> pick this up in 2017!
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
After being in a bit of a reading slump for a week or so, this is exactly the kind of book I needed to read to get my life back in order. This book is fast-paced, twisty & turny and overall fun to read. Thank you, Feeney, for getting me out of my slump with this terrific mystery thriller!
This is most definitely, one of the <i>best</i> thrillers I’ve read in such a long time. The writing style is superb, the characters are so well developed and complex (in a good way!!) and the twists in the plot come out of nowhere (again, in a good way)!
I loved each and every character in this. No one is originally as they seem and as the plot builds and builds around them, each person grows more and more complex. We suspect all of them for different things, so sure we’re right, and then all of a sudden, a new revelation appears and we’re shocked back into not knowing what the hell is going on. That's what’s so great about this novel, you think you’ve got it, you think you know what will happen next, but don’t be so naive! Just you wait and see what Feeney pulls out of the bag next.
As for the plot, I thought this was wonderfully unique. Having the perspective of Amber in a coma, telling us her story, was an incredible way to keep us “in the know” without actually knowing anything!
This is a seriously dark, but superbly written and executed novel. Any psychological thriller lovers out there? Well, you <i>must</i> pick this up in 2017!
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
Mike Wilder (20 KP) rated St. Elmo's Fire (1985) in Movies
May 30, 2018
A great underrated and often overlooked 80's movie
Contains spoilers, click to show
In the mid 80's there were a group of young actors known as the "Brat Pack". It was made up of up and coming talented actors, many of them starred in a number of films together, St. Elmo's Fire being one of them.
The film is about seven University friends and the changes they find themselves going through once they graduate and try to make it as adults. Some thrive and others can't handle the new responsibilities that come with adulthood.
The cast is incredible made of Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Mare Winningham, & Andie MacDowell. All of them bring a special charm to the characters they play. Every actor is great in this film, their friendships seem genuine and come across well. The emotions each character goes through are portrayed exceptionally well. There really isn't a stand out performance of any of the main cast. They are all perfect performances.
The characters go through every possible emotion a person can go through, you will be able to empathise with most if not all the situations from debt, love, death, marriage, break ups and infatuation to name a few of them. Even with all seven characters having their own individual stories, the film isn't overloaded. There is a perfect balance between the each one. Each character has their hardships and each finds a resolution in their own way.
This is another great one of the great underrated and often overlooked 80's movies, with a great cast, engaging story and a perfect soundtrack. This is watchable time and time again.
For a perfect Sunday afternoon film it doesn't get much better than this.
The film is about seven University friends and the changes they find themselves going through once they graduate and try to make it as adults. Some thrive and others can't handle the new responsibilities that come with adulthood.
The cast is incredible made of Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Mare Winningham, & Andie MacDowell. All of them bring a special charm to the characters they play. Every actor is great in this film, their friendships seem genuine and come across well. The emotions each character goes through are portrayed exceptionally well. There really isn't a stand out performance of any of the main cast. They are all perfect performances.
The characters go through every possible emotion a person can go through, you will be able to empathise with most if not all the situations from debt, love, death, marriage, break ups and infatuation to name a few of them. Even with all seven characters having their own individual stories, the film isn't overloaded. There is a perfect balance between the each one. Each character has their hardships and each finds a resolution in their own way.
This is another great one of the great underrated and often overlooked 80's movies, with a great cast, engaging story and a perfect soundtrack. This is watchable time and time again.
For a perfect Sunday afternoon film it doesn't get much better than this.
Infinity by Tabitha Lord Infinity is the second book to Horizon. It times to return to Caeli home world. What is going on there and what is happening to her people? It is an adventure of it own. Will the Resistance win the war or will the Dictator of Augestmast win.
Caeli and her small group of friends want to help. They will assist Caeli and her people and their group of resistance mean. Is there a spy along the way for Marcus and his army. You will need to read to find out. Caeli comes back to help her group of resistance friends like Jon. What are they keeping them and what are they doing to the children.
Will the people stand up and fight or will they let some tell them what to do? Will Derek and Cali love survive? A world is torn between them too. Derek love Caeli enough to stay with her? There are so many surprises and twist along the way, you will be to wanting turn the page to find out.
Tabitha Lord give you adventure of your life and a book you will not want to put down. The plot is well written and done. You get a love story along the way. You get to know the crew as well as Derek and Caeli.
I believe this book is good for though science fiction but also I would suggest teens to read it from the age of 14 and up. The parent has the right to decide. It being rated PG 13 so it would be okay for 13 years old if you the parent this your child or children are mature enough for the book. That is up to you.
Caeli and her small group of friends want to help. They will assist Caeli and her people and their group of resistance mean. Is there a spy along the way for Marcus and his army. You will need to read to find out. Caeli comes back to help her group of resistance friends like Jon. What are they keeping them and what are they doing to the children.
Will the people stand up and fight or will they let some tell them what to do? Will Derek and Cali love survive? A world is torn between them too. Derek love Caeli enough to stay with her? There are so many surprises and twist along the way, you will be to wanting turn the page to find out.
Tabitha Lord give you adventure of your life and a book you will not want to put down. The plot is well written and done. You get a love story along the way. You get to know the crew as well as Derek and Caeli.
I believe this book is good for though science fiction but also I would suggest teens to read it from the age of 14 and up. The parent has the right to decide. It being rated PG 13 so it would be okay for 13 years old if you the parent this your child or children are mature enough for the book. That is up to you.
Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated Whisper Me This in Books
Oct 1, 2018
Captivating story that loses its pace
I want to start by saying i liked this story. The first half was very captivating, and will definitely keep you engaged. The author tackled a very delicate issue about abuse and the characters were very believable.
I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the parents but if you read the sypnosis you can kind of see what's going to happen. I hate they put in a big spoiler in a typical sypnosis. It did lose some of its mystery but was still engaging. This mystery was all reveled halfway through the book and this is when it started to lose its pace and I lost my interest sadly but this is probably because this genre in general has never interested me.
I loved the characters and felt very connected to them. They were believable and you could relate to them.
Because of the big spoiler the story became too predictable which left me very disappointed. The fact I stick with this story despite it not being my kind of book shows that it was still engaging though and I would recommend. Just don't read the story sypnosis first.
I still think the story overcomes the shortcomings, and also think it is an important story to read. It is intense and the author did well telling such a complex story.
I'll give you the spoiler free sypnosis here : Single mother Maisey has always fallen short of her own mother's expectations but she is rushed back home when she hears here mother is in a coma and her father is facing charges of abuse and neglect.
She must make a life and death decision. Her confused father is destroying can't records including her mother's final wishes. What is the big mystery?
I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the parents but if you read the sypnosis you can kind of see what's going to happen. I hate they put in a big spoiler in a typical sypnosis. It did lose some of its mystery but was still engaging. This mystery was all reveled halfway through the book and this is when it started to lose its pace and I lost my interest sadly but this is probably because this genre in general has never interested me.
I loved the characters and felt very connected to them. They were believable and you could relate to them.
Because of the big spoiler the story became too predictable which left me very disappointed. The fact I stick with this story despite it not being my kind of book shows that it was still engaging though and I would recommend. Just don't read the story sypnosis first.
I still think the story overcomes the shortcomings, and also think it is an important story to read. It is intense and the author did well telling such a complex story.
I'll give you the spoiler free sypnosis here : Single mother Maisey has always fallen short of her own mother's expectations but she is rushed back home when she hears here mother is in a coma and her father is facing charges of abuse and neglect.
She must make a life and death decision. Her confused father is destroying can't records including her mother's final wishes. What is the big mystery?
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated Moon Over Soho: The Second PC Grant Mystery in Books
Dec 4, 2018
Great follow up to the first one
Contains spoilers, click to show
***Spoilers ahead you’ve been warned***
It is advisable to read the first one before you get into Moon Over Soho. You’re pretty much carrying on right after the events in the first book so it’s always better to get the background information before carrying on :)
I was pleased with this one, complete with rather macabre scenes that will stick with me for a while. I still enjoy the way it’s being narrated by Peter Grant. He tells it pretty bluntly and explains well for some of us who don’t live in London which helps understand the setting more. The setting is dark and gritty, just right to complement the mystery that is prevalent to the case. The mix with the supernatural blends quite well with real life London, I believe it’s probably even more enjoyable to read for those that are quite familiar to the city.
Supporting characters and some new ones are featured in the book. It’s nice to see Leslie again despite what happened to her (ahh but the ending though!). Peter takes a lot of beating (both verbal and physical) during the book which is to be expected. He does have a thing with Simone that covers a good latter part of the book which is ok, although I thought it provided a lot of filler and it slowed the pace down considerably. You almost wanted to ask; “Peter, don’t you have a case to work on?”
It proved to be a quick read with a good open cliffhanger ending with the mystery of The ‘Faceless One’ which makes the series even more intriguing at this point. I’ll be definitely be picking up the third one. A great series to read so far!
It is advisable to read the first one before you get into Moon Over Soho. You’re pretty much carrying on right after the events in the first book so it’s always better to get the background information before carrying on :)
I was pleased with this one, complete with rather macabre scenes that will stick with me for a while. I still enjoy the way it’s being narrated by Peter Grant. He tells it pretty bluntly and explains well for some of us who don’t live in London which helps understand the setting more. The setting is dark and gritty, just right to complement the mystery that is prevalent to the case. The mix with the supernatural blends quite well with real life London, I believe it’s probably even more enjoyable to read for those that are quite familiar to the city.
Supporting characters and some new ones are featured in the book. It’s nice to see Leslie again despite what happened to her (ahh but the ending though!). Peter takes a lot of beating (both verbal and physical) during the book which is to be expected. He does have a thing with Simone that covers a good latter part of the book which is ok, although I thought it provided a lot of filler and it slowed the pace down considerably. You almost wanted to ask; “Peter, don’t you have a case to work on?”
It proved to be a quick read with a good open cliffhanger ending with the mystery of The ‘Faceless One’ which makes the series even more intriguing at this point. I’ll be definitely be picking up the third one. A great series to read so far!
ClareR (5996 KP) rated The Doll Factory in Books
Jun 20, 2019
Set as the Great Exhibition is being erected, Iris and her twin sister, Rose, work in a doll shop, painting porcelain dolls. Iris wants more from her life, and longs to paint pictures, works of art - not dolls. She leaves her apprenticeship in the shop to become a model for an artist (Louis), who promises to teach her to paint.
Parallel to this storyline is that of Silas, a taxidermist, and Albie, a street urchin who supplies him with the animals that he stuffs. Albie is the character who eventually connects Iris, Silas and Louis.
What starts as a relatively light hearted story, becomes something much more macabre - although I did feel quite anxious about the precariousness of Iris’ new way of life and job (but I think I’ve read far too many stories set in this period of fallen, abandoned women). She’s an admirable character, though. She’s brave and sticks to her guns, she is kind-hearted in her dealings with Albie, and even though her sister makes it very difficult to be nice to her, she is always thoughtful and generous to her as well.
Silas on the other hand, is very concerning. He made me feel supremely uncomfortably throughout. His obsession with Iris is very worrying, and his attitude towards other people is equally so.
The Victorian atmosphere and the scents, sights and crush of people in London are so well described in this book, as are the characters. I spent most of this book holding my breath (or so it felt - obviously not though!) and expecting the worse - the tension and menace becoming more and more unbearable as the book progressed. And I loved every minute of it - I’ve already bought it as a birthday present for a friend!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book to read and honestly review.
Parallel to this storyline is that of Silas, a taxidermist, and Albie, a street urchin who supplies him with the animals that he stuffs. Albie is the character who eventually connects Iris, Silas and Louis.
What starts as a relatively light hearted story, becomes something much more macabre - although I did feel quite anxious about the precariousness of Iris’ new way of life and job (but I think I’ve read far too many stories set in this period of fallen, abandoned women). She’s an admirable character, though. She’s brave and sticks to her guns, she is kind-hearted in her dealings with Albie, and even though her sister makes it very difficult to be nice to her, she is always thoughtful and generous to her as well.
Silas on the other hand, is very concerning. He made me feel supremely uncomfortably throughout. His obsession with Iris is very worrying, and his attitude towards other people is equally so.
The Victorian atmosphere and the scents, sights and crush of people in London are so well described in this book, as are the characters. I spent most of this book holding my breath (or so it felt - obviously not though!) and expecting the worse - the tension and menace becoming more and more unbearable as the book progressed. And I loved every minute of it - I’ve already bought it as a birthday present for a friend!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book to read and honestly review.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Love Hurts in Books
Dec 17, 2018
This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Love Hurts is a young adult book containing several stories compiled together by the well-known Malorie Blackman. There are a few new short stories however most are extracts from pre-existing novels. The short stories are written by a variety of different authors such as Susie Day, Lauren Dockrill, Lauren Kate, Catherine Johnson and James Dawson. Many readers will be familiar with these authors as well as some of the books that the extracts are from, for example: More Than This, If I Stay, I Am The Messenger and Northern Lights.
The aim of this anthology is to explore what love means. Love is not a simple, straightforward concept. There is love lost and love found, bitter love and sweet love. Each story focuses on a different perspective. Some are about teenagers, some are about adults. Some are about homosexuality and others are not.
Love Hurts is an interesting concept and it is interesting to see different authors' understanding on the term "love". The biggest problem with this book however is due to most of the entries being snippets of other stories as it is often difficult to understand what was going on and who the characters were.
Another issue for me was I found some of the stories uninteresting and difficult to get into; and as they were short there was not a lot of time to appreciate the different concepts and styles of writing.
Although it would have been a challenge, it would have been better for all the stories to be brand new and unique. On he other hand, Malorie Blackman has done an excellent job at sourcing all the content.
Love Hurts is a young adult book containing several stories compiled together by the well-known Malorie Blackman. There are a few new short stories however most are extracts from pre-existing novels. The short stories are written by a variety of different authors such as Susie Day, Lauren Dockrill, Lauren Kate, Catherine Johnson and James Dawson. Many readers will be familiar with these authors as well as some of the books that the extracts are from, for example: More Than This, If I Stay, I Am The Messenger and Northern Lights.
The aim of this anthology is to explore what love means. Love is not a simple, straightforward concept. There is love lost and love found, bitter love and sweet love. Each story focuses on a different perspective. Some are about teenagers, some are about adults. Some are about homosexuality and others are not.
Love Hurts is an interesting concept and it is interesting to see different authors' understanding on the term "love". The biggest problem with this book however is due to most of the entries being snippets of other stories as it is often difficult to understand what was going on and who the characters were.
Another issue for me was I found some of the stories uninteresting and difficult to get into; and as they were short there was not a lot of time to appreciate the different concepts and styles of writing.
Although it would have been a challenge, it would have been better for all the stories to be brand new and unique. On he other hand, Malorie Blackman has done an excellent job at sourcing all the content.
David McK (3632 KP) rated Jim Butcher's Dresden Files Welcome to the Jungle in Books
Jan 28, 2019
The problem with graphic novels based on characters previously only written about, I think, is that most of the time how they are portrayed in the visual medium is different than how they appear in your minds eye - a problem that both graphic novels and movies share.
This graphic novel, however, manages to avoid that particular problem, with Dresden drawn pretty-much as I imagined him to be (OK, maybe a bit less battered and bruised and dishevelled, but close enough).
Written by [a:Jim Butcher|10746|Jim Butcher|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1400640324p2/10746.jpg] himself, this entry actually takes place before the 'meat' of the main series (that began with [b:Storm Front|47212|Storm Front (The Dresden Files, #1)|Jim Butcher|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1419456275s/47212.jpg|1137060]), with Harry called in by (still) Lt Karin Murphy of the Chicago PD to investigate a killing in the zoo - a killing that is currently being pinned on a gorilla in said zoo, but that could not have realistically been carried out by him.
With Harry as his usual sarcastic wise-cracking self, and with Bob the skull putting in an appearance, the only thing that was missing was some of Harrys wider supporting cast and Mouse the dog, although all that makes sense in the context of the setting (book 0.5, remember?).
While I was a bit hesistant at first about how well the character and his world would transfer to this medium, based on this I may well pick up more of the 'graphical exclusive' (to coin a phrase) stories, such as [b:Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin|18430203|Jim Butcher's Dresden Files Ghoul Goblin|Jim Butcher|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388266297s/18430203.jpg|26071782] - that is, entries where I haven't already read the prose!
This graphic novel, however, manages to avoid that particular problem, with Dresden drawn pretty-much as I imagined him to be (OK, maybe a bit less battered and bruised and dishevelled, but close enough).
Written by [a:Jim Butcher|10746|Jim Butcher|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1400640324p2/10746.jpg] himself, this entry actually takes place before the 'meat' of the main series (that began with [b:Storm Front|47212|Storm Front (The Dresden Files, #1)|Jim Butcher|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1419456275s/47212.jpg|1137060]), with Harry called in by (still) Lt Karin Murphy of the Chicago PD to investigate a killing in the zoo - a killing that is currently being pinned on a gorilla in said zoo, but that could not have realistically been carried out by him.
With Harry as his usual sarcastic wise-cracking self, and with Bob the skull putting in an appearance, the only thing that was missing was some of Harrys wider supporting cast and Mouse the dog, although all that makes sense in the context of the setting (book 0.5, remember?).
While I was a bit hesistant at first about how well the character and his world would transfer to this medium, based on this I may well pick up more of the 'graphical exclusive' (to coin a phrase) stories, such as [b:Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin|18430203|Jim Butcher's Dresden Files Ghoul Goblin|Jim Butcher|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388266297s/18430203.jpg|26071782] - that is, entries where I haven't already read the prose!
Fred (860 KP) rated Rocketman (2019) in Movies
Aug 16, 2019
Burning out my fuse up here alone.
The comparisons to Bohemian Rhapsody are gonna happen. A bio-pic about a famous gay rock singer? Gotta happen. But these films are so different, there really is no comparison. Where B.R. tried to bring us a realistic (but filled with a lot of B.S.) film, Rocketman is more of a musical in every sense. Rami Malek lip-syncs the entire movie, where Taron Egerton actually sings everything. True, Egerton is nowhere near as good a singer as Elton John is (or myself for that matter.) but he does well enough.
The movie reminded me a lot of "Across the Universe", which used songs from The Beatles to tell a story. Although the story itself had nothing to do with the Beatles. This movie uses Elton's songs to tell the story of Elton John himself. Sure, some of the songs are played way before they actually existed, but this was done on purpose, rather than being an actual blooper, like when the same "mistake" was done in B.R. If you're not a fan of Elton John (they exist?), you may not have known how many hit songs he actually had. And if you are an Elton John fan, you'll realize that if they used all of his hits, the movie would be about 6 hours long.
So what is the movie like? Well, it's crazy. Picture Elton's crazy "Pinball Wizard" scene from the Who's "Tommy" film. It's pretty much like that, but even crazier. I found myself smiling & even laughing joyfully at a few scenes. While watching, my wife said that she liked it better than B.R. & I agree with her. In my review of B.R., I mention thatI would probably never watch it again. But I would definitely watch Rocketman again. Such a fun, entertaining film.
The movie reminded me a lot of "Across the Universe", which used songs from The Beatles to tell a story. Although the story itself had nothing to do with the Beatles. This movie uses Elton's songs to tell the story of Elton John himself. Sure, some of the songs are played way before they actually existed, but this was done on purpose, rather than being an actual blooper, like when the same "mistake" was done in B.R. If you're not a fan of Elton John (they exist?), you may not have known how many hit songs he actually had. And if you are an Elton John fan, you'll realize that if they used all of his hits, the movie would be about 6 hours long.
So what is the movie like? Well, it's crazy. Picture Elton's crazy "Pinball Wizard" scene from the Who's "Tommy" film. It's pretty much like that, but even crazier. I found myself smiling & even laughing joyfully at a few scenes. While watching, my wife said that she liked it better than B.R. & I agree with her. In my review of B.R., I mention thatI would probably never watch it again. But I would definitely watch Rocketman again. Such a fun, entertaining film.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated District 9 (2009) in Movies
Aug 9, 2019
For months the Internet has been ablaze with movie propaganda about “District 9” the anticipated Science Fiction hit of the year. The exciting ad campaign and constant mumbling regarding the film made me wary, it is not unheard for films to lack the luster their advertisements display.
The story takes place twenty years after an alien space ship appears above Johannesburg, South Africa filled with bug-like aliens. These aliens, derogatorily called prawns, are placed in a quarantined slum called District 9. The film begins as a documentary following bumbling cross-species specialist Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley) an employee of Multi-National United (MNU) a private company on a mission to evict the aliens to a new location, Distinct 10. Additionally, MNU is the primary company working to integrate the advanced alien weaponry with our own.
As the film progresses Wikus builds a relationship with an alien father and son while his relationship with MNU, the company he had long worked for, deteriorates. Throw in some Nigerian gangsters selling cat food and powerful alien technology and you have the making of science fiction gold.
One of the best elements of the film is the choice of location. The tension regarding South African history and politics is well worked into the film. In particular, the idea of standing up against oppression, even under impossible odds, is well paralleled.
The film provides nonstop entertainment and solidifies its place as a great science fiction film by providing introspection into the human race through interaction with aliens. “District 9” begs the audience to wonder what is more important the essence of humanity or being human.
One of the best science fiction films since “The Fifth Element”, “District 9 “ is both a thought provoking and engrossing film.
The story takes place twenty years after an alien space ship appears above Johannesburg, South Africa filled with bug-like aliens. These aliens, derogatorily called prawns, are placed in a quarantined slum called District 9. The film begins as a documentary following bumbling cross-species specialist Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley) an employee of Multi-National United (MNU) a private company on a mission to evict the aliens to a new location, Distinct 10. Additionally, MNU is the primary company working to integrate the advanced alien weaponry with our own.
As the film progresses Wikus builds a relationship with an alien father and son while his relationship with MNU, the company he had long worked for, deteriorates. Throw in some Nigerian gangsters selling cat food and powerful alien technology and you have the making of science fiction gold.
One of the best elements of the film is the choice of location. The tension regarding South African history and politics is well worked into the film. In particular, the idea of standing up against oppression, even under impossible odds, is well paralleled.
The film provides nonstop entertainment and solidifies its place as a great science fiction film by providing introspection into the human race through interaction with aliens. “District 9” begs the audience to wonder what is more important the essence of humanity or being human.
One of the best science fiction films since “The Fifth Element”, “District 9 “ is both a thought provoking and engrossing film.