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BookInspector (124 KP) rated Bridget Jones's Baby: The Diaries in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Bridget Jones is back! With new story to tell us. It is impossible not to love this witty, silly, clumsy, unbelievable woman. I think the reason why she is a Global phenomenon is that she is very relatable. Confusion of which one to choose, fear of being single and wish of a family, there are many women and men who feel exactly the same. This book is continuation of previous Bridget Jones’s adventures, continuing war between Mark and Daniel and a nice ending filled with lots of pain and happiness. So if u expect something very new and exciting, I will have to disappoint you there.
This book is very easy to read and it is kind of one sitting read. I had a chance to see the movie based on this book as well and I was pleased to see that book and movie are quite different. That allows living same story twice, with different twists and turns. Let me tell you one thing, there is never enough of Ms Jones and her adventures (at least for me) . In conclusion all I want to say is if would like to have a great laugh with a bit of romance, grab this book and after that definitely see the film, and enjoy this great woman and her adventures twice.
This book is very easy to read and it is kind of one sitting read. I had a chance to see the movie based on this book as well and I was pleased to see that book and movie are quite different. That allows living same story twice, with different twists and turns. Let me tell you one thing, there is never enough of Ms Jones and her adventures (at least for me) . In conclusion all I want to say is if would like to have a great laugh with a bit of romance, grab this book and after that definitely see the film, and enjoy this great woman and her adventures twice.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Machines Like Me in Books
Sep 12, 2020
Great idea, just not well executed
The idea behind this book and the base plot is a really great idea. An alternate 80s Britain thats more technologically advanced than we are currently in 2020 is a fascinating idea and I really enjoyed the parts of the book that detailed all the differences - some of which (like Apan Turing still being alive) were actually rather emotive and almost made you wish real life had been like this.
Adam too is a fascinating character and any part of the book that featured him was a winner. The problem with this book is the two main characters Charlie and Miranda. They are completely unlikeable and self absorbed, and the way they treat Adam (and Mark in some respects) is absolutely awful. There's something Alan Turing says towards the end of the book that really sums up how much of a horrible person Charlie is. Whilst having unlikeable characters isn't necessarily a bad thing for some books, in this I just found them rather irritating and annoying. And Charlie's constant internal rambling monologuing got rather boring and really dragged on.
I really wanted to love this because the general idea is fantastic, and there are parts of this where I did love it. It's just a same it was let down by the characters.
Adam too is a fascinating character and any part of the book that featured him was a winner. The problem with this book is the two main characters Charlie and Miranda. They are completely unlikeable and self absorbed, and the way they treat Adam (and Mark in some respects) is absolutely awful. There's something Alan Turing says towards the end of the book that really sums up how much of a horrible person Charlie is. Whilst having unlikeable characters isn't necessarily a bad thing for some books, in this I just found them rather irritating and annoying. And Charlie's constant internal rambling monologuing got rather boring and really dragged on.
I really wanted to love this because the general idea is fantastic, and there are parts of this where I did love it. It's just a same it was let down by the characters.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) in Movies
Sep 19, 2020 (Updated Oct 12, 2020)
Completely fucked, 'from worse to even worse' filmmaking in vein of something like 𝘜𝘯𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘎𝘦𝘮𝘴. I think this is a terrific - even in many instances traumatizing - thriller with even more gobsmackingly terrific performances (particularly from Philip Seymour Hoffman in a straight up *brutal* role). It's very nasty and gritty but also very sophisticated, and looks wonderful while doing so, too. That all being said, sacrilege as this may be, is it too much to ask for one Sidney Lumet film to actually have some momentum? Good God, at least from the ones I've seen - still good as they are - they're absolutely killed from prestige greatness because of the dire sag in pacing. Scenes here drone on well past the point of no return for really no reason, granted at least in this one it's mostly salvaged by the clever asynchronous way the stories are all edited together - but still, it'd be nice for this to be a little snappier at times. That aside, it's a testament to all these mammoth performances and emotionally gripping writing that it was able to come out as solid as it was - and it is something that Lumet, into his 80s here, was able to end his career with such a stimulating, grimy drama. Legitimately jaw-dropping ending, nearly gave me whiplash.
ClareR (6054 KP) rated Antiemetic for Homesickness in Books
Nov 28, 2020
I don’t often review poetry, because I just don’t have the experience to do so effectively, I think. But I do like to read poetry, and listen to it being read. This book of poems centres around the poets lived experience - leaving the Philippines as an older teenager and coming to live in the UK with her mother, a nurse in the NHS, and the rest of her family. As it says in the title of the book, there is a real feeling of homesickness and guilt of having left family behind. The wish to hold on to her heritage comes across strongly as well. At the same time, Ante’s life and work as a nurse in the NHS is in many of these poems - the hard work, the racism she encounters and the care she takes of her patients.
I really enjoyed the glimpses into life in the Philippines, and I made good use of the ‘Boodle Fight of Words and Terminologies’, the notes and Google translate (it’s the linguist in me 🤷🏼♀️) It sounds like hard work, doesn’t it - but it wasn’t. This will be a book that goes on my poetry shelf (yes, I have one!) that I will revisit often, I think.
Thank you to Vintage Books for sending me this book - it’s always worth entering the competition because sometimes I do win!!
I really enjoyed the glimpses into life in the Philippines, and I made good use of the ‘Boodle Fight of Words and Terminologies’, the notes and Google translate (it’s the linguist in me 🤷🏼♀️) It sounds like hard work, doesn’t it - but it wasn’t. This will be a book that goes on my poetry shelf (yes, I have one!) that I will revisit often, I think.
Thank you to Vintage Books for sending me this book - it’s always worth entering the competition because sometimes I do win!!
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Tremors (1990) in Movies
Jan 15, 2021
As far as practical effects driven monster movies go, you can't get much better than Tremors.
It has a wonderful cast for a start - lead by Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, and featuring the likes of Finn Carter, Michael Gross, and Reba McEntire, every character is likable (apart from that little shit Melvin) and you want them all to survive their ordeal, usually a rarity in this genre!
The chemistry between all of the actors is great, and makes for a frequently funny adventure. It has its fair share of bloodier moments that push into horror territory, and in that regards, the mostly daylit Nevada desert setting is something different to enjoy. The practical effects are extremely B-Movie, but it works so well with the overall tone.
The narrative takes a little while to set everything up, but when things get moving, it doesn't stop, moving from set piece to set piece, that are all memorable as hell, from pole vaulting from boulder to boulder, to fishing with homemade bombs, to a over the top l, laughable amount of guns being fired when a Graboid breaches an underground bunker.
Tremors is fucking great and deserves so much praise for what it is - it's own little pocket of comedy horror, with its own rules. Long live Tremors.
It has a wonderful cast for a start - lead by Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, and featuring the likes of Finn Carter, Michael Gross, and Reba McEntire, every character is likable (apart from that little shit Melvin) and you want them all to survive their ordeal, usually a rarity in this genre!
The chemistry between all of the actors is great, and makes for a frequently funny adventure. It has its fair share of bloodier moments that push into horror territory, and in that regards, the mostly daylit Nevada desert setting is something different to enjoy. The practical effects are extremely B-Movie, but it works so well with the overall tone.
The narrative takes a little while to set everything up, but when things get moving, it doesn't stop, moving from set piece to set piece, that are all memorable as hell, from pole vaulting from boulder to boulder, to fishing with homemade bombs, to a over the top l, laughable amount of guns being fired when a Graboid breaches an underground bunker.
Tremors is fucking great and deserves so much praise for what it is - it's own little pocket of comedy horror, with its own rules. Long live Tremors.
David Baldacci recommended Spying on the South: An Odyssey Across the American Divide in Books (curated)
Danny Boyle recommended Eureka (1983) in Movies (curated)
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Spiral in Books
Dec 20, 2020
If there is one thing I really don't like, it's not finishing a book. Luckily, it doesn't happen very often but, unfortunately, I was unable to finish The Spiral.
Why? Well, I read to escape; I have enough complication in my work life so I tend not to read anything that takes too many brain cells as there aren't that many left after a day at work but this book just had me totally bemused almost from the very beginning and I just didn't have the stamina to continue.
I struggled to get into the story, develop any feelings for the characters either way and I just ended up being completed baffled by the whole thing so much so that I just had to give up in order to remain sane!
As I said, I don't like not finishing a book and I really try to keep going but I just couldn't with this and I therefore have to apologise to the author. I am acutely aware that this book will definitely appeal to lots of people but it just wasn't for me.
I would like to thank Zaffre Books / Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for my advance copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
The Spiral is due to be published on 31st December 2020 and I wish it good luck.
Why? Well, I read to escape; I have enough complication in my work life so I tend not to read anything that takes too many brain cells as there aren't that many left after a day at work but this book just had me totally bemused almost from the very beginning and I just didn't have the stamina to continue.
I struggled to get into the story, develop any feelings for the characters either way and I just ended up being completed baffled by the whole thing so much so that I just had to give up in order to remain sane!
As I said, I don't like not finishing a book and I really try to keep going but I just couldn't with this and I therefore have to apologise to the author. I am acutely aware that this book will definitely appeal to lots of people but it just wasn't for me.
I would like to thank Zaffre Books / Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for my advance copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
The Spiral is due to be published on 31st December 2020 and I wish it good luck.
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated Ad Astra (2019) in Movies
Sep 27, 2019
Space, its deep man!
356. Ad Astra. BRAAAD PIIITTTT'S INNNN SPPPAAACCCCEEEEE. Anyone? Anyone? I'm old. Anyways, so a pretty awesome space adventure flick, that's not really about a space adventure. There's messages in there man, like if humans start living in space, it will eventually be covered in billboards and fought over for resources just like home, and of course the overall message of... Well you have to see it. Back to the space adventure part. The future, man has ventured out into the solar system, and now that solar system is being smacked upside the head with a surge of energy causing all kinds of death and destruction, and it looks like its all stemming from the Lima project, headed by Clifford McBride, who's way out there in the outer solar system searching for life. So the people in charge send his son Roy McBride, another genius astronaut to find out what happened out there. On the way to set up a long distance call to his dad from Mars, Roy fights space pirates on the moon, starved baboons on a abandoned research facility, even secretly stows away aboard a spaceship to commander it to go save daddy!! And in the end, Roy may find some answers he was looking for! Definitely worth a watch in IMAX!! Filmbufftim on FB.
Daft and quintessentially northern
I didn’t really fancy this show, as I’m not particularly a big fan of Michelle Keegan. However the trailer full of silly escapades and northern accents kept tempting me in and in the end, I’m rather glad I watched it.
This comes across as a rather silly farcical comedy with a few crude jokes and in some parts it is, but it’s actually so much more than this and a much more sensitive and heartwarming side. Yes it’s funny, mainly thanks to Joseph Gilgun and his rather inept gang of petty thieves, and his entirely inappropriate GP played wonderfully by Dominic West. Being northern myself, this is part of the reason why I found this series so enjoyable. You can almost imagine things like that happening in certain parts of the world up here. But despite the humour, this has a deeper story which works in well amongst all of the wacky exploits and chaos, and it provides a nice balance.
Unfortunately I’m still not a fan of Michelle Keegan even after watching this, and I’m afraid I found her part in the story and episodes the weakest and most boring of everything. But fortunately this didn’t ruin the rest of the show too much and it was still a rather fun and entertaining series.
This comes across as a rather silly farcical comedy with a few crude jokes and in some parts it is, but it’s actually so much more than this and a much more sensitive and heartwarming side. Yes it’s funny, mainly thanks to Joseph Gilgun and his rather inept gang of petty thieves, and his entirely inappropriate GP played wonderfully by Dominic West. Being northern myself, this is part of the reason why I found this series so enjoyable. You can almost imagine things like that happening in certain parts of the world up here. But despite the humour, this has a deeper story which works in well amongst all of the wacky exploits and chaos, and it provides a nice balance.
Unfortunately I’m still not a fan of Michelle Keegan even after watching this, and I’m afraid I found her part in the story and episodes the weakest and most boring of everything. But fortunately this didn’t ruin the rest of the show too much and it was still a rather fun and entertaining series.