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David McK (3562 KP) rated Blood's Campaign in Books
Mar 5, 2020
Third entry in Angus Donald's Holcroft Blood series (after Blood's Game and Blood's Revolution), with this one set in Ireland.
Which is where I live (well, in Northern Ireland).
Living, as I do, not that far from Carrickfergus in Belfast I was aware of the siege of Carrickfergus, and (of course) of the Battle of the Boyne - it's impossible not to be, living here! With William's victory celebrated by a section of the community every 12th of July - although the subjects were never really taught at all in my school days; seemingly more concerned with the Norman conquest or with the English Civil War or World War 2 than with 'local' history. In retrospect, I think that might be because local history is (still) a touchy subject: what is one man's hero, for example, is another man's villain in this country!
Anyway, I've gone off topic: Blood's Campaign.
An interesting read, with Holcroft Blood still an unusual protagonist (hinted as being on the autistic spectrum?), with - even for someone born and raised in Northern Ireland - some fascinating history thrown in, although (I have to say), that this one didn't quite grip me as much as Angus Donald's 'Outlaw' (Robin Hood) series.
Which is where I live (well, in Northern Ireland).
Living, as I do, not that far from Carrickfergus in Belfast I was aware of the siege of Carrickfergus, and (of course) of the Battle of the Boyne - it's impossible not to be, living here! With William's victory celebrated by a section of the community every 12th of July - although the subjects were never really taught at all in my school days; seemingly more concerned with the Norman conquest or with the English Civil War or World War 2 than with 'local' history. In retrospect, I think that might be because local history is (still) a touchy subject: what is one man's hero, for example, is another man's villain in this country!
Anyway, I've gone off topic: Blood's Campaign.
An interesting read, with Holcroft Blood still an unusual protagonist (hinted as being on the autistic spectrum?), with - even for someone born and raised in Northern Ireland - some fascinating history thrown in, although (I have to say), that this one didn't quite grip me as much as Angus Donald's 'Outlaw' (Robin Hood) series.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Keep Him Close in Books
Mar 15, 2020
A slow-burner
From the author of a who-dunnit story with a difference, If I Die Before I Wake, comes a dark, family drama about the search for the truth behind the death of a young teenager.
Lou is dead ... did he fall, did he jump or was he pushed? His mother, Alice, wants to know why. The police think he was pushed and have arrested Kane. Kane's mother, Indigo, is convinced her son is innocent and so it begins.
This is a slow burner that delves into the psyche of a mother's love for her child. There is tension and heart-rending emotion as you would expect with the subject matter being as it is. The writing is easy to read, the language used is natural and the characters well developed and flawed making them believable.
As I said, this is a slow burner and I do admit to becoming a little impatient at times but I was pretty satisfied with how everything came together at the end.
Another successful book from this author and one which I look forward to reading more from and I want to thank, once again, Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
Lou is dead ... did he fall, did he jump or was he pushed? His mother, Alice, wants to know why. The police think he was pushed and have arrested Kane. Kane's mother, Indigo, is convinced her son is innocent and so it begins.
This is a slow burner that delves into the psyche of a mother's love for her child. There is tension and heart-rending emotion as you would expect with the subject matter being as it is. The writing is easy to read, the language used is natural and the characters well developed and flawed making them believable.
As I said, this is a slow burner and I do admit to becoming a little impatient at times but I was pretty satisfied with how everything came together at the end.
Another successful book from this author and one which I look forward to reading more from and I want to thank, once again, Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Shakespeare's Landlord (Lily Bard, #1) in Books
Mar 30, 2020
Welcome to Shakespeare, Arkansas. Lily Bard came to the small town of Shakespeare to escape her dark and violent past. Other than the day-to-day workings of her cleaning and errand-running service, she pays little attention to the town around her. So when she spots a dead body being dumped in the town green, she's inclined to stay well away. But she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and despite her best efforts, she's dragged into the murder case. Lily doesn't care who did it, but when the police and local community start pointing fingers in her direction, she realizes that proving her innocence will depend on finding the real killer in quiet, secretive Shakespeare.
Shakespeare's Landlord is the first book in Charlaine Harris's Lily Bard mysterious series.
I was sure what to make of it all at first but it was better than expected. Lately I've lost all hope in Charlaine Harris's books but Lily Bard was a much better character than the moaning useless sookie stackhouse. Lily has was a kick ass heroine with a traumatic past so hopefully she will continue in this series to be that kick ass character! Not a bad start to the series it was a quick read too.
Shakespeare's Landlord is the first book in Charlaine Harris's Lily Bard mysterious series.
I was sure what to make of it all at first but it was better than expected. Lately I've lost all hope in Charlaine Harris's books but Lily Bard was a much better character than the moaning useless sookie stackhouse. Lily has was a kick ass heroine with a traumatic past so hopefully she will continue in this series to be that kick ass character! Not a bad start to the series it was a quick read too.
AT (1676 KP) rated My Dark Vanessa in Books
Mar 31, 2020
Obviously, this is a difficult subject to read about. However, it was told in the girl's point of view, and it really brought to light how she comprehended the situation, even when she was being abused. I liked the fact that there were opposing sides in this situation represented in the story, without dragging either side through the mud. I also really appreciated the fact that the author didn't do a sudden turn ending, like saying it was a dream or something. I can't stand that. She held true to the actual story all the way through the novel. It's a story about a young woman that had a sexual affair with her teacher when she was 15, however, the things that happened, emotionally, are relatable to many other types of poisonous relationships. Not just a man with a minor. I appreciated all of that, because it was much easier to be inside the story that way. As difficult as the subject matter was, it is a smooth read, and if you've ever been in any sort of toxic relationship like this, you might be able to relate to a lot of the feelings. Even if you haven't, it's worth reading! It's a well-crafted story about a taboo subject.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Reign of Fire (2002) in Movies
Apr 13, 2020 (Updated Apr 13, 2020)
Better than you'd think
I remember watching this when it first came out and being fairly impressed. I havent seen it since so decided to give it a go and it's really not as bad as you'd expect.
Story wise it's a great idea for an apocalypse style scenario, definitely beats a zombie film any day. I'm surprised something like this hasn't made a resurgence after the popularity of the dragons in Game of Thrones. Christian Bale is always enjoyable as a lead character, although his London cockney accent does make me laugh. Matthew McConaughey has potentially been given a rather cliched character but he does have a lot of fun with it at least.
The effects and CGI are potentially a little dated at times, but that's to be expected with something that is now 18 years old. There are some cliched and cheesy lines and a few predictable and cheesy moments, but overall it's just a rather enjoyable bit of entertainment. The ending is a bit cheesy as well but I wouldnt have expected it to end any other way. It won't win any Oscars, but I feel like it's a film that's been fairly forgotten and underrated over time.
Story wise it's a great idea for an apocalypse style scenario, definitely beats a zombie film any day. I'm surprised something like this hasn't made a resurgence after the popularity of the dragons in Game of Thrones. Christian Bale is always enjoyable as a lead character, although his London cockney accent does make me laugh. Matthew McConaughey has potentially been given a rather cliched character but he does have a lot of fun with it at least.
The effects and CGI are potentially a little dated at times, but that's to be expected with something that is now 18 years old. There are some cliched and cheesy lines and a few predictable and cheesy moments, but overall it's just a rather enjoyable bit of entertainment. The ending is a bit cheesy as well but I wouldnt have expected it to end any other way. It won't win any Oscars, but I feel like it's a film that's been fairly forgotten and underrated over time.
Kelly Rettie (748 KP) rated Yesterday (2019) in Movies
Feb 16, 2020
Simple musical romance
So I was lucky enough to win this from Smashbomb to watch and review. First reading the description on the back is not something I would normally pick myself but stuck it on. The story being that a guy has a bike accident and when he comes round is the only person in the world to remember the Beatles. He uses this to his advantage and passes Beatles songs off as his own. The love story that goes along with this is pretty much the standard cliched romcom predictability which I was a bit bored with. All is going well until he meets a couple of folks who also remember the beatles but they are just happy to be hearing this music again. They then send him somewhere to speak to someone else that can help alleviate his guilt of ripping them off, this provided a surprise ending that even I was not expecting and would never have thought would happen....I wont spoilt it for anyone reading this. Ultimately, you dont need to be a beatles fan to enjoy this. The music is good, the story is simplistic and it's a good easy film to pass a couple of hours on a lazy sunday afternoon.
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