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The Happiness Code: Ten Keys to Being the Best You Can be
Book
FRESH NEW COVER DESIGN! At some point or other, many of us feel like we're missing something, we...
Your Baby Week by Week: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for Your New Baby
Simone Cave and Caroline Fertleman
Book
Finding out what to expect during each week of pregnancy is easy; the shops are heaving with...
BA
Buenos Aires: The Biography of a City
Book
Buenos Aires, recognized for its European-style architecture and lively theatre scene, is a truly...
Figural Sculpture in Eleventh-Century Dalmatia and Croatia: Patronage, Architectural Context, History
Book
This is the first full-length, English-language study of eleventh-century figural sculpture produced...
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Venom (2018) in Movies
Feb 25, 2021
This is the worst kind of relatively big budget popcorn tease – the kind of film that knows its demographic will flood to it regardless of quality, so let’s not even bother trying to make it good. The first sign of this type is a script that is such gibberish you almost start to wonder if you are having a stroke, and Venom has that in spades! Just when you think you have a handle on it, off it goes on a tangent that has nothing to do with anything other than setting up the next CGI shot. Which is the second sign – CGI good enough to pass, but quite obviously not the cutting edge stuff we have already seen years ago in better films. Cheap and nasty. The third sign is a director that can bung a few thrills in the mix but has no care whatsoever for characterisation, pace, plot or sensible motivation. Well done Ruben Fleischer for being the first director to have two films included in my BMTBs, following Zombieland Double Tap – I really can’t split them. The only fun to be had here is watching Tom Hardy amuse himself with a comic book characature so far over the top it hurts. Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed are horribly wasted and should be ashamed. Just awful stuff!
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Mother, Mother in Books
Jan 6, 2021
Joint review with Sylvia Crabtree.
Well this isn't our usual book at all, we usually stick to romance, but when mum won it in the Goodreads First Reads/Giveaways we thought we'd give it a try. And surprisingly, we liked it.
We think it was the suspense, wondering what had happened that night at dinner that caused Violet to be sent to the mental hospital. Had she really been that out of it that she couldn't remember hurting her brother? And if so, why couldn't anyone else remember? And what of Rose, the eldest, how did she fit into the story?
Trying to piece together what had happened to lead up to that night by seeing viewpoints of the youngest child, William, and the middle child, Violet: one who doesn't get on with their mum and one who does anything for a bit of motherly affection.
We found ourselves being drawn into the story the more we read and we cant say we were expecting what happened to Rose.
Josephine, the mum, came across as crazy at times and we felt sorry for her children. She could be so cruel to them at timesif they did something she didn't agree with.
Like we mentioned previously this was not our usual read but we have to admit it was a nice change from the norm.
Well this isn't our usual book at all, we usually stick to romance, but when mum won it in the Goodreads First Reads/Giveaways we thought we'd give it a try. And surprisingly, we liked it.
We think it was the suspense, wondering what had happened that night at dinner that caused Violet to be sent to the mental hospital. Had she really been that out of it that she couldn't remember hurting her brother? And if so, why couldn't anyone else remember? And what of Rose, the eldest, how did she fit into the story?
Trying to piece together what had happened to lead up to that night by seeing viewpoints of the youngest child, William, and the middle child, Violet: one who doesn't get on with their mum and one who does anything for a bit of motherly affection.
We found ourselves being drawn into the story the more we read and we cant say we were expecting what happened to Rose.
Josephine, the mum, came across as crazy at times and we felt sorry for her children. She could be so cruel to them at timesif they did something she didn't agree with.
Like we mentioned previously this was not our usual read but we have to admit it was a nice change from the norm.
Lovely little short book that left me wanting more! I haven’t read A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, but I got the feeling from this prequel that it was the murder mystery dinner that ignited the passion in Pip to try and solve the murder that happened in her little town 5 years previously.
The murder mystery dinner was written so well that I felt like I was there and solving the “murder” with the characters. There was also the suspense of the environment around the dinner party with the weird noises and lights going out, which really made me wonder whether there was something sinister going on around them or if everything had a genuine explanation. I think it added to the suspense of the murder mystery part and made you more aware of little things, which I guess is why people like murder mystery parties!
I loved the writing style and how the notes were included as though you were reading them off the slip of paper that had been found, which doesn’t very often happen in books. I thought it was a nice addition and really gave you the feel of being a part of the dinner party. <br/>This has definitely made me want to read on and read the next instalment from Holly Jackson.
The murder mystery dinner was written so well that I felt like I was there and solving the “murder” with the characters. There was also the suspense of the environment around the dinner party with the weird noises and lights going out, which really made me wonder whether there was something sinister going on around them or if everything had a genuine explanation. I think it added to the suspense of the murder mystery part and made you more aware of little things, which I guess is why people like murder mystery parties!
I loved the writing style and how the notes were included as though you were reading them off the slip of paper that had been found, which doesn’t very often happen in books. I thought it was a nice addition and really gave you the feel of being a part of the dinner party. <br/>This has definitely made me want to read on and read the next instalment from Holly Jackson.
Tom Turner (388 KP) rated Skallagrigg in Books
Jun 15, 2021
I very rarely post about books while I'm still reading them, but for this book I had to, because I felt, and still feel it is criminal that this is book is not that well known. It should be in the pantheon of novels that get read my millions each year. However, I doubt given its obscurity that this is the case.
This story is so much more than its basics of being an exploration of disability. Though as someone with a disability it did bring home to me how much my life could have been different if I had been born in a different era - but also, how far society has yet to travel. It's as much a story about the human spirit and the importance of wholeness. To be honest, there are many levels one could read this book. If one has the tearducts strong enough, I am sure it's the kind of book that a reread would give even greater insight than the first read through. I first picked this up in the early 2000's, and for various reasons never finished a complete read through until now. But it was definitely one of those books that kept calling me back, and I'm so glad it did!
If you can get hold of a copy, it really is a must read!
This story is so much more than its basics of being an exploration of disability. Though as someone with a disability it did bring home to me how much my life could have been different if I had been born in a different era - but also, how far society has yet to travel. It's as much a story about the human spirit and the importance of wholeness. To be honest, there are many levels one could read this book. If one has the tearducts strong enough, I am sure it's the kind of book that a reread would give even greater insight than the first read through. I first picked this up in the early 2000's, and for various reasons never finished a complete read through until now. But it was definitely one of those books that kept calling me back, and I'm so glad it did!
If you can get hold of a copy, it really is a must read!
Woody Woodmansey recommended track Rock 'N' Roll Suicide by David Bowie in Platinum Collection by David Bowie in Music (curated)
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated High-Rise Invasion in TV
May 30, 2021
Contains spoilers, click to show
High-Risk Invasion is an anime that starts with with a very dark premises (and I guess should have a trigger warning here). A school girl (Yuri) finds herself in a world that exists entirely on the top floors and roofs of sky scrapers. She soon meets a figure in a strange mask who seems intent on driving her off the roof and to her death. Yuri soon find out that there are a number of these 'Masks' who's sole purpose is to try to drive the none masks to suicide.
After a few episodes, 'High-Rise Invasion' takes a strange turn, surviving the masks is part of a test to find some one who is worthy of becoming the new god.
High-Rise Invasion starts very dark and it's easy to see why it changed tones, it either had to change to something unexpected or become something like 'Alice in Borderland ' and a lot of the story is spent on world building and setting up the main premises.
Viewers need to be aware that 'High-Rise Invasion' contains suicide, violence, threat of rape as well as the anime standards of panty-shots and other clothes being ripped. If you are ok with these themes and a high level of violence then 'High-Rise Invasion' offers an interesting story and plenty of action.
After a few episodes, 'High-Rise Invasion' takes a strange turn, surviving the masks is part of a test to find some one who is worthy of becoming the new god.
High-Rise Invasion starts very dark and it's easy to see why it changed tones, it either had to change to something unexpected or become something like 'Alice in Borderland ' and a lot of the story is spent on world building and setting up the main premises.
Viewers need to be aware that 'High-Rise Invasion' contains suicide, violence, threat of rape as well as the anime standards of panty-shots and other clothes being ripped. If you are ok with these themes and a high level of violence then 'High-Rise Invasion' offers an interesting story and plenty of action.