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Darkwriter1408 (8 KP) rated The Incredibles (2004) in Movies
Jun 13, 2019
Family friendly (3 more)
Funny
Good fight scenes
Good use of superheroes
Brilliant family film that all will enjoy!!
So they live in a time where heroes are forbidden and Mr incredible is struggling to adjust. Disney have done a really good job in the scripting to show in his dialogue the problems he's facing. The animation as well is really impressive within his facial expressions.
After dismissing one of his fans from when he was a public hero, he receives an anonymous letter offering a heroes job. Now, for anyone else who shares my point of view. If I received a anonymous job offer worth thousands off of a stranger, I'd be speaking to my partner as that is creepy! Instead Disney took the approach of he is that desperate for the recognition of being a super he accepts without any thought or hesitation.
After dismissing the initial issue upon his first job, he begins a sort of partnership with this stranger only for it to be revealed as his childhood fan who he dismissed. The villain naming himself as syndrome has invented his own gadgets granting him powers like flight, zero gravity lasers and others.
Syndrome develops a robot that is essentially impenetrable. He holds a remote to dismantle it and has a genius master plan to get rid of all supers and essentially become the only super available. The rest of mr incredibles family get wind of what has happened and go to rescue him only to get caught as well and essentially be at syndromes disposle. Now let us just dismantle that one moment, a company as big as Disney has decided that this robot can be controlled by a remote, it has it's own computer processor so is aware of everything and is impenetrable. Am I the only one who sees the flaw that it can think for itself.? No? That's alright then.
The actors voice overs are really good and give the sense of urgency and emotion throughout there performces. This only adds to the big final battle. With a few funny moments in the film and bit of a slow moving middle filled with a sped up montage of mr incredibles training, I would say this film is definitely a very good family friendly film that will give a laugh and a very good evening with all the food on the table.
After dismissing one of his fans from when he was a public hero, he receives an anonymous letter offering a heroes job. Now, for anyone else who shares my point of view. If I received a anonymous job offer worth thousands off of a stranger, I'd be speaking to my partner as that is creepy! Instead Disney took the approach of he is that desperate for the recognition of being a super he accepts without any thought or hesitation.
After dismissing the initial issue upon his first job, he begins a sort of partnership with this stranger only for it to be revealed as his childhood fan who he dismissed. The villain naming himself as syndrome has invented his own gadgets granting him powers like flight, zero gravity lasers and others.
Syndrome develops a robot that is essentially impenetrable. He holds a remote to dismantle it and has a genius master plan to get rid of all supers and essentially become the only super available. The rest of mr incredibles family get wind of what has happened and go to rescue him only to get caught as well and essentially be at syndromes disposle. Now let us just dismantle that one moment, a company as big as Disney has decided that this robot can be controlled by a remote, it has it's own computer processor so is aware of everything and is impenetrable. Am I the only one who sees the flaw that it can think for itself.? No? That's alright then.
The actors voice overs are really good and give the sense of urgency and emotion throughout there performces. This only adds to the big final battle. With a few funny moments in the film and bit of a slow moving middle filled with a sped up montage of mr incredibles training, I would say this film is definitely a very good family friendly film that will give a laugh and a very good evening with all the food on the table.
Azia (0 KP) rated the Xbox 360 version of Assassin's Creed 2 in Video Games
Jan 23, 2018
A Beautiful Game
A definite step up from the last game and a well thought out storyline made Assassins Creed 2 intriguing and eventful. The characters, I felt, were written beautifully and acted accordingly to their personalities.
I do have a few problems however and I understand that no game is perfect so I found ways around these glitches.
Ezio often failed to follow my demands as when I tried to freerun around the buildings, he seemed to favour jumping off them instead of safely landing on the next one. It took more than a few attempts to complete some missions because of this. It might have been me not using the controller properly or the controller being out of sync but no matter what I did to try and combat this, he still seemed to enjoy leaping to his death.
I do have a lot of praise for this game though as it made me laugh on several occasions and finally completing it felt amazing. Avoiding spoilers, the final scene made my heart race and made me maybe a little too excited for the next game.
The combat is designed well and fits with the style of the game. Although I found it difficult to get my head around, mastering fighting techniques took little effort and killing soldiers became easier the more I practiced. The health of Ezio and the soldiers was equally balanced and left you would a good and perhaps difficult at times fight but always one you could win with the right skills.
The graphics in this game are stunning and standing on a viewpoint to watch over it all reminds me how beautiful it is. The detail in the buildings and the general design are accurate.
The NPCs could get rather annoying at times with musicians running up to me in the squares and getting in my way tested my patience. The basket carriers were even worse. Soldiers would get angry with me if I knocked one over which would happen often as they liked to walk into my path.
Overall, a stunning game with a developed and intriguing storyline. While it took time to get around a few problems, this game is one of the only games I want to complete 100%. And if I can find all those feathers, I eventually will!
I do have a few problems however and I understand that no game is perfect so I found ways around these glitches.
Ezio often failed to follow my demands as when I tried to freerun around the buildings, he seemed to favour jumping off them instead of safely landing on the next one. It took more than a few attempts to complete some missions because of this. It might have been me not using the controller properly or the controller being out of sync but no matter what I did to try and combat this, he still seemed to enjoy leaping to his death.
I do have a lot of praise for this game though as it made me laugh on several occasions and finally completing it felt amazing. Avoiding spoilers, the final scene made my heart race and made me maybe a little too excited for the next game.
The combat is designed well and fits with the style of the game. Although I found it difficult to get my head around, mastering fighting techniques took little effort and killing soldiers became easier the more I practiced. The health of Ezio and the soldiers was equally balanced and left you would a good and perhaps difficult at times fight but always one you could win with the right skills.
The graphics in this game are stunning and standing on a viewpoint to watch over it all reminds me how beautiful it is. The detail in the buildings and the general design are accurate.
The NPCs could get rather annoying at times with musicians running up to me in the squares and getting in my way tested my patience. The basket carriers were even worse. Soldiers would get angry with me if I knocked one over which would happen often as they liked to walk into my path.
Overall, a stunning game with a developed and intriguing storyline. While it took time to get around a few problems, this game is one of the only games I want to complete 100%. And if I can find all those feathers, I eventually will!
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Space Between in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Harper Isabelle has a pretty good life: she's beautiful, smart, and popular. Her first year in high school is going quite well, thanks in part to the protective shadow cast by her sister, Bronte, the most popular girl in school. For Sarah Jamieson, however, things aren't exactly as smooth. While Sarah's twin brother Tyler has always been in the in crowd at school, Sarah has not. Between her stutter and style of dress, she's not only on the fringes, she's mocked by other students at school. So imagine Sarah's surprise when Harper shows an interest in her-- and when Sarah herself feels drawn to Harper. Is Harper only interested in Sarah because she wants to date Tyler? Why do the two girls feel so close, as if being drawn together by a magnet?
Overall, this is a dynamo of a book, which I sped through rapidly. It actually builds its storyline rather slowly, as Harper and Sarah deal with their feelings for each other, but I found it that a nice antidote to the usual YA where the characters seem to fall in love overnight. This was similar to some of my own experiences coming out. Harper and Sarah are well-drawn characters who pop on the page -- they are complicated, sweet, and beautiful as they work through the multitude of emotions that comes with falling in love in high school. There is definitely a cheesy element to some of the writing but it really doesn't take away from the experience of watching these girls struggle to find each other. Perhaps the only thing that takes away from the story is a little of the weirdness factor in that Harper also dates Sarah's brother; it manages to work with the story, but it does occasionally give you pause.
Honestly, I was very touched by this book and found it to be a sweet coming of age/coming out story. I wish there had been more of these around when I was going through a similar experience. It does an excellent job of showing some of the difficulty teens still face in dealing with their sexuality in high school (and with their families) today. You'll find yourself quite invested in Harper and Sarah's story. Definitely a worthwhile read.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley (thanks!); it's available everywhere.
Overall, this is a dynamo of a book, which I sped through rapidly. It actually builds its storyline rather slowly, as Harper and Sarah deal with their feelings for each other, but I found it that a nice antidote to the usual YA where the characters seem to fall in love overnight. This was similar to some of my own experiences coming out. Harper and Sarah are well-drawn characters who pop on the page -- they are complicated, sweet, and beautiful as they work through the multitude of emotions that comes with falling in love in high school. There is definitely a cheesy element to some of the writing but it really doesn't take away from the experience of watching these girls struggle to find each other. Perhaps the only thing that takes away from the story is a little of the weirdness factor in that Harper also dates Sarah's brother; it manages to work with the story, but it does occasionally give you pause.
Honestly, I was very touched by this book and found it to be a sweet coming of age/coming out story. I wish there had been more of these around when I was going through a similar experience. It does an excellent job of showing some of the difficulty teens still face in dealing with their sexuality in high school (and with their families) today. You'll find yourself quite invested in Harper and Sarah's story. Definitely a worthwhile read.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley (thanks!); it's available everywhere.
Bethany Fletcher (17 KP) rated Children of Blood and Bone: Book 1 in Books
Jun 24, 2018 (Updated Jun 25, 2018)
While buddy reading this with a friend we realised it was a plain copy of Avatar the Last Airbender. There is the king attacking magicians which is basically the fire nation attacking the air nomads. There is a secret temple that worships the magical gods and the protectors are there to help the chosen one. Basically the fire temple on the crescent island that is there to worship the Avatar and help Aang.
The characters were cardboard copies of Avatar. Zelie is a mix of Aang and Katara. There is Zelie’s brother, Tzain, who is the only one who doesn’t get magic because screw you Sokka you are not a Bender! They are being chased around by the Prince Inan who wants to impress his daddy but has mixed moral feelings. Hi there Zuko nice to see you again!
The plot was super confusing. There were parts that weren’t explained at all. So Inanas powers are control over someone’s mind right, so he can take someone into his ‘dreamscape’ (basically the Bone Season by Samantha Shannon). Anyway, he takes Zelie into his dreamscape and she hates him as he is a royal and hunting her down BUT she strips off naked and skinny dips? Why? There is no reason and it made zero sense for someone who is terrified of Inan to make themselves that vulnerable.
Zelie gets over her hatred for Inan pretty quick and soon they are lusting after each other. She doesn’t seem to care about the previous hatred and Inan is the only one who struggles morally. Here’s the thing, did they actually have sex? They had sex in Inan’s dreamscape while there physical bodies were actually no where near each other. Zelie was with her brother. So did their minds have sex? Did they share a dream where they both got it on? After Zelie is super awkward about it but it’s like, you didn’t actually do anything, did you? Not explained very well.
I could go on all day but I shan’t. It wasn’t even written well. It just read like the author didn’t know what to write so copied something they knew was succesful. If these things will annoy you as much as they did me then I would suggest skipping this book.
The characters were cardboard copies of Avatar. Zelie is a mix of Aang and Katara. There is Zelie’s brother, Tzain, who is the only one who doesn’t get magic because screw you Sokka you are not a Bender! They are being chased around by the Prince Inan who wants to impress his daddy but has mixed moral feelings. Hi there Zuko nice to see you again!
The plot was super confusing. There were parts that weren’t explained at all. So Inanas powers are control over someone’s mind right, so he can take someone into his ‘dreamscape’ (basically the Bone Season by Samantha Shannon). Anyway, he takes Zelie into his dreamscape and she hates him as he is a royal and hunting her down BUT she strips off naked and skinny dips? Why? There is no reason and it made zero sense for someone who is terrified of Inan to make themselves that vulnerable.
Zelie gets over her hatred for Inan pretty quick and soon they are lusting after each other. She doesn’t seem to care about the previous hatred and Inan is the only one who struggles morally. Here’s the thing, did they actually have sex? They had sex in Inan’s dreamscape while there physical bodies were actually no where near each other. Zelie was with her brother. So did their minds have sex? Did they share a dream where they both got it on? After Zelie is super awkward about it but it’s like, you didn’t actually do anything, did you? Not explained very well.
I could go on all day but I shan’t. It wasn’t even written well. It just read like the author didn’t know what to write so copied something they knew was succesful. If these things will annoy you as much as they did me then I would suggest skipping this book.
BookblogbyCari (345 KP) rated Origin in Books
Aug 14, 2018
Book Review by Cari Mayhew.
This is arguably the best Dan Brown book yet! I had been a big Dan Brown fan up until I read The Lost Symbol, which is his most tedious Robert Langdon book. But The Origin has made me a fan once again!
In the prologue, an accomplished computer scientist and atheist secretly meets up with 3 religious leaders, and there are 100 pages of build up before the scientist makes his announcement public – only to be assassinated a moment before his discovery is announced.
Central character Robert Langdon and his companion, the future queen of Spain, set out to unravel the mystery and make it public. But, halfway through the book, conspiracy theorists go wild - Robert is made out to be a kidnapper and becomes a wanted man.
As you might imagine, Dan Brown enabled the scientist’s message to be revealed, and this involved a science lesson for the reader. It was 2 chapters long, and to be honest I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Dan Brown’s Robert Landon books usually contain a profound, revelatory lesson, but in this book, the message didn’t feel particularly revelatory, and the nature of it could well be guessed at during the early stages of the book. (No spoilers!)
Right at the very end, however, was a disturbing twist when the identity of the individual leaking info to conspiracy.net is finally revealed. (Again no spoilers!)
I like how Dan Brown tells his tales through the minds of several of his characters in turn. It really adds depth to the story, giving insight into the bad characters as well as the good.
This time around, the best elements of the story were told in the personal sides of the events, rather than the main thread of the story, for example in the relationships between the prince and his father and the prince and his fiancé.
Sometimes Dan Brown’s scenes are done an injustice by being described in words, when the architectural pieces really belong on the big screen. Whilst I don’t find fault in the descriptions as such, I found it hard to picture the details.
Although the book has just over 100 chapters, these chapters are very brief, and you’ll likely read them in quick succession. If you decide to give the book a try, please stick it out to the end!
For more of my reviews, check out www.bookblogbycari.com
This is arguably the best Dan Brown book yet! I had been a big Dan Brown fan up until I read The Lost Symbol, which is his most tedious Robert Langdon book. But The Origin has made me a fan once again!
In the prologue, an accomplished computer scientist and atheist secretly meets up with 3 religious leaders, and there are 100 pages of build up before the scientist makes his announcement public – only to be assassinated a moment before his discovery is announced.
Central character Robert Langdon and his companion, the future queen of Spain, set out to unravel the mystery and make it public. But, halfway through the book, conspiracy theorists go wild - Robert is made out to be a kidnapper and becomes a wanted man.
As you might imagine, Dan Brown enabled the scientist’s message to be revealed, and this involved a science lesson for the reader. It was 2 chapters long, and to be honest I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Dan Brown’s Robert Landon books usually contain a profound, revelatory lesson, but in this book, the message didn’t feel particularly revelatory, and the nature of it could well be guessed at during the early stages of the book. (No spoilers!)
Right at the very end, however, was a disturbing twist when the identity of the individual leaking info to conspiracy.net is finally revealed. (Again no spoilers!)
I like how Dan Brown tells his tales through the minds of several of his characters in turn. It really adds depth to the story, giving insight into the bad characters as well as the good.
This time around, the best elements of the story were told in the personal sides of the events, rather than the main thread of the story, for example in the relationships between the prince and his father and the prince and his fiancé.
Sometimes Dan Brown’s scenes are done an injustice by being described in words, when the architectural pieces really belong on the big screen. Whilst I don’t find fault in the descriptions as such, I found it hard to picture the details.
Although the book has just over 100 chapters, these chapters are very brief, and you’ll likely read them in quick succession. If you decide to give the book a try, please stick it out to the end!
For more of my reviews, check out www.bookblogbycari.com
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
For professional Bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds), life is good. As an elite member of his craft, he is well paid and lives a very good life keeping high-profile targets safe the world over. When things unexpectedly take a turn we find Michael two years on having hit the skids and struggling to claw his way back to prominence in the new film “The Hitman’s Bodyguard”.
Things become complicated for Michael as a despotic tyrant named Dukhovich (Gary Oldman) is on trial for war crimes and countless atrocities, and is about to go free due to removing all those who would be able to testify against him with credible evidence. That is with the exception of one Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson). Darius is incarcerated but makes a deal to testify in exchange for his wife (Selma Hayek), being granted freedom. Darius knows he is a marked man but takes the chance and under the watch of Interpol Agent Roussel (Elodie Yung), they set off.
Naturally things do not go as planned and the two find themselves fleeing for their lives with numerous deadly assassins hot on their heels. Unsure who she can trust, Roussel calls in Michael even though they have some seriously unresolved issues about one another that destroyed their previous relationship. Further complicating matters is the history Michael and Darius share which makes them naturally hostile to one another.
Nevertheless, Michael and Darius set off to reach the courtroom but the imposed deadline and face numerous dangers and hilarious situations along the way.
Jackson and Reynolds work very well with one another and their banter and chiding comes across as very natural. The jokes come more often than I expected but the film is very much an action film, and the sequences are intense, funny, and gripping, especially and extended chase and fight sequence along the canals and shopping district of Amsterdam.
While some may say that the film is just a variation on the Buddy Cop genre of old, the strong cast and the winning mix of jokes and action make the film a very pleasant surprise and one of my more enjoyable films of 2017. It was a highly-enjoyable thrill ride and one of the best films this summer.
If you are a fan of action, comedies, and the pairing of Jackson and Reynolds, do not miss this film.
http://sknr.net/2017/08/17/the-hitmans-bodyguard/
Things become complicated for Michael as a despotic tyrant named Dukhovich (Gary Oldman) is on trial for war crimes and countless atrocities, and is about to go free due to removing all those who would be able to testify against him with credible evidence. That is with the exception of one Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson). Darius is incarcerated but makes a deal to testify in exchange for his wife (Selma Hayek), being granted freedom. Darius knows he is a marked man but takes the chance and under the watch of Interpol Agent Roussel (Elodie Yung), they set off.
Naturally things do not go as planned and the two find themselves fleeing for their lives with numerous deadly assassins hot on their heels. Unsure who she can trust, Roussel calls in Michael even though they have some seriously unresolved issues about one another that destroyed their previous relationship. Further complicating matters is the history Michael and Darius share which makes them naturally hostile to one another.
Nevertheless, Michael and Darius set off to reach the courtroom but the imposed deadline and face numerous dangers and hilarious situations along the way.
Jackson and Reynolds work very well with one another and their banter and chiding comes across as very natural. The jokes come more often than I expected but the film is very much an action film, and the sequences are intense, funny, and gripping, especially and extended chase and fight sequence along the canals and shopping district of Amsterdam.
While some may say that the film is just a variation on the Buddy Cop genre of old, the strong cast and the winning mix of jokes and action make the film a very pleasant surprise and one of my more enjoyable films of 2017. It was a highly-enjoyable thrill ride and one of the best films this summer.
If you are a fan of action, comedies, and the pairing of Jackson and Reynolds, do not miss this film.
http://sknr.net/2017/08/17/the-hitmans-bodyguard/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Tammy (2014) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Life for Tammy (Melissa McCarthy) is a struggle in frustration. She is an outspoken individual who is not shy about speaking her mind and acting out which is often as trouble seems to follow her everywhere.
Following one particularly bad morning, Tammy decides to move away from Illinois once and for all and when her mother offers her no real encouragement, Tammy takes to the road with her grandmother (Susan Sarandon).
Despite her health issues and love for the bottle, Tammy is happy to have the company as she admires the free spirit of her grandmother who wants to have an adventure and live life to the fullest at all times.
Of course trouble seems to find Tammy and before long she has to deal with a slew of problems as well as the increasingly self destructive behavior of her grandmother.
Complications arise when a farmer named Bobby (Mark Duplass), and his father Earl (Gary Cole), enter into the picture to provide distractions to the ladies and to make them start to see the consequences of their action.
Throw in short but solid supporting work from Kathy Bates and Dan Aykroyd, and this film should have been a laugh filled riot. Instead it stays in the bittersweet range far more than it does comedy, as many of the best jokes in the film were shown in the trailer.
I credit McCarthy, who along with Ben Falcone wrote the film, for trying to move beyond the manic comedies that she has done prior. The film is marketed as more of the same but it is not. The film drags in places as you keep waiting for the laughs to come and when they do it is very sporadic. Instead the focus in on emotions, life, and being accountable as well as other heady topics it is just a shame that McCarthy keeps having to play the lovable loser parts as to be honest they are starting to get old. I joked to my wife that a prison in the film looked much like the one in “Identity Thief”.
The film attempts to combine a buddy road trip with some deeper human issues but this is not “Thelma and Louise”, and it does seem that despite the best efforts of all involved, we have seen this trip many times before and it is one that did not need to be taken again.
http://sknr.net/2014/07/02/tammy/
Following one particularly bad morning, Tammy decides to move away from Illinois once and for all and when her mother offers her no real encouragement, Tammy takes to the road with her grandmother (Susan Sarandon).
Despite her health issues and love for the bottle, Tammy is happy to have the company as she admires the free spirit of her grandmother who wants to have an adventure and live life to the fullest at all times.
Of course trouble seems to find Tammy and before long she has to deal with a slew of problems as well as the increasingly self destructive behavior of her grandmother.
Complications arise when a farmer named Bobby (Mark Duplass), and his father Earl (Gary Cole), enter into the picture to provide distractions to the ladies and to make them start to see the consequences of their action.
Throw in short but solid supporting work from Kathy Bates and Dan Aykroyd, and this film should have been a laugh filled riot. Instead it stays in the bittersweet range far more than it does comedy, as many of the best jokes in the film were shown in the trailer.
I credit McCarthy, who along with Ben Falcone wrote the film, for trying to move beyond the manic comedies that she has done prior. The film is marketed as more of the same but it is not. The film drags in places as you keep waiting for the laughs to come and when they do it is very sporadic. Instead the focus in on emotions, life, and being accountable as well as other heady topics it is just a shame that McCarthy keeps having to play the lovable loser parts as to be honest they are starting to get old. I joked to my wife that a prison in the film looked much like the one in “Identity Thief”.
The film attempts to combine a buddy road trip with some deeper human issues but this is not “Thelma and Louise”, and it does seem that despite the best efforts of all involved, we have seen this trip many times before and it is one that did not need to be taken again.
http://sknr.net/2014/07/02/tammy/
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Love Unexpected (Beacons of Hope, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Lighthouses are a thing of beauty. Yet they are also to be feared and respected. The dangers of being a lightkeeper are known all too well to Patrick Garraty.
Emma Chambers has longed for nothing more than to settle down and have a home and a family. When her and her brother Ryan are stranded in Burnham's Landing, a little fishing village on Lake Huron, her dream becomes reality. Patrick Garraty, the head keeper at the Presque Isle Lighthouse, has recently lost his wife and is need of someone to help run the lighthouse as well as raise his son Josiah. Circumstances couldn't have worked out better, except when Patrick's past literally comes knocking at the door. Will his past crimes and sins destroy all that Emma has come to love? Will she be able to forgive him for his mistakes? Will they ever be able to cherish the unexpected love that has come into their lives?
Jody Hedlund has done it again! She sucked me into this story until all I could think about was what was going to happen next? I have to admit I was quite anxious the whole time I was reading Love Unexpected. Not only because I was constantly hoping that Emma and Patrick would be able to work things out, but because of the realness of the past coming back to haunt us. I believe that a lot of people have things in their past that they would prefer to be left forgotten. But as Jody touched on so accurately, when we ask the Lord's forgiveness he forgives, and forgets. Tossing our sins into the swirling waves of grace where they are dissolved and never brought back up. The only thing left for us to do is forgive ourselves and walk forward. Trusting in Him and letting Him lead our steps. Then, if our past does try to resurface, we can rest in God. Knowing that that is no longer who we are or what we do. We have been forgiven, cleansed and are His holy children. I look forward to the release of the second book in Beacons of Hope series Hearts Made Whole.
As part of their Blogger Review Program I received a free digital copy of Love Unexpected from Bethany House Publishers through Net Galley.
Check out the prequel to Love Unexpected for free! Out of the Storm
Emma Chambers has longed for nothing more than to settle down and have a home and a family. When her and her brother Ryan are stranded in Burnham's Landing, a little fishing village on Lake Huron, her dream becomes reality. Patrick Garraty, the head keeper at the Presque Isle Lighthouse, has recently lost his wife and is need of someone to help run the lighthouse as well as raise his son Josiah. Circumstances couldn't have worked out better, except when Patrick's past literally comes knocking at the door. Will his past crimes and sins destroy all that Emma has come to love? Will she be able to forgive him for his mistakes? Will they ever be able to cherish the unexpected love that has come into their lives?
Jody Hedlund has done it again! She sucked me into this story until all I could think about was what was going to happen next? I have to admit I was quite anxious the whole time I was reading Love Unexpected. Not only because I was constantly hoping that Emma and Patrick would be able to work things out, but because of the realness of the past coming back to haunt us. I believe that a lot of people have things in their past that they would prefer to be left forgotten. But as Jody touched on so accurately, when we ask the Lord's forgiveness he forgives, and forgets. Tossing our sins into the swirling waves of grace where they are dissolved and never brought back up. The only thing left for us to do is forgive ourselves and walk forward. Trusting in Him and letting Him lead our steps. Then, if our past does try to resurface, we can rest in God. Knowing that that is no longer who we are or what we do. We have been forgiven, cleansed and are His holy children. I look forward to the release of the second book in Beacons of Hope series Hearts Made Whole.
As part of their Blogger Review Program I received a free digital copy of Love Unexpected from Bethany House Publishers through Net Galley.
Check out the prequel to Love Unexpected for free! Out of the Storm
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Hearts of Stone in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
Simon Scarrow brings to life the horrors of World War II in his latest novel <i>Hearts of Stone</i>. In 2013, Anna Thesskoudiss, a history teacher is contacted by a German research student, Dieter Muller who is interested in talking to her grandmother Eleni. He explains that he is the grandson of Peter Muller who was friends with her grandmother whilst staying on the Greek island of Lefkas until the war made them enemies.
Dieter Muller’s introduction implies that the story is going to be about the relationship between Eleni and Peter, which gets destroyed when Peter returns to the island as an enemy intelligence officer. The blurb for <i>Hearts of Stone</i> also implies this. However, the majority of the book focuses on their friend Andreas’ experience of the Navy and his role in the resistance. Scarrow goes into detail of every dangerous situation Andreas finds himself in, but this is not what the reader was expecting to learn about. Eventually the final chapters turn to Peter’s role in the war and the reason Eleni and he could no longer consider themselves friends.
Despite being full of action and war horrors, it gets a little boring reading about Andreas’ life. Although this narrative leads to what happens with Peter, it occasionally felt unnecessary, as it was the final stages that appeared to be the most important.
From an historical point of view it is refreshing to read a war story that is not focused on either Britain or Germany. <i>Hearts of Stone</i> reveals how Greece was affected even though they were not one of the main fighting bodies. It is shocking how many innocent people were killed purely for the Nazi’s to invoke fear in the hopes the natives would submit to their rule.
Hopefully the vast amount of mistakes and grammatical errors would have been corrected before the final – I read an uncorrected proof – publication. Admittedly <i>Hearts of Stone</i> was a bit of a disappointment as it was not exactly what it appeared to be. However it has educational value as well as entertainment for readers who enjoy war stories. Scarrow has also included maps of the Greek island of Lefkas and the Mediterranean during WWII as well as a character list to benefit readers as they take in the story.
Simon Scarrow brings to life the horrors of World War II in his latest novel <i>Hearts of Stone</i>. In 2013, Anna Thesskoudiss, a history teacher is contacted by a German research student, Dieter Muller who is interested in talking to her grandmother Eleni. He explains that he is the grandson of Peter Muller who was friends with her grandmother whilst staying on the Greek island of Lefkas until the war made them enemies.
Dieter Muller’s introduction implies that the story is going to be about the relationship between Eleni and Peter, which gets destroyed when Peter returns to the island as an enemy intelligence officer. The blurb for <i>Hearts of Stone</i> also implies this. However, the majority of the book focuses on their friend Andreas’ experience of the Navy and his role in the resistance. Scarrow goes into detail of every dangerous situation Andreas finds himself in, but this is not what the reader was expecting to learn about. Eventually the final chapters turn to Peter’s role in the war and the reason Eleni and he could no longer consider themselves friends.
Despite being full of action and war horrors, it gets a little boring reading about Andreas’ life. Although this narrative leads to what happens with Peter, it occasionally felt unnecessary, as it was the final stages that appeared to be the most important.
From an historical point of view it is refreshing to read a war story that is not focused on either Britain or Germany. <i>Hearts of Stone</i> reveals how Greece was affected even though they were not one of the main fighting bodies. It is shocking how many innocent people were killed purely for the Nazi’s to invoke fear in the hopes the natives would submit to their rule.
Hopefully the vast amount of mistakes and grammatical errors would have been corrected before the final – I read an uncorrected proof – publication. Admittedly <i>Hearts of Stone</i> was a bit of a disappointment as it was not exactly what it appeared to be. However it has educational value as well as entertainment for readers who enjoy war stories. Scarrow has also included maps of the Greek island of Lefkas and the Mediterranean during WWII as well as a character list to benefit readers as they take in the story.
Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Dragon Age Inquisition in Video Games
Jan 28, 2019
Incredible characters (4 more)
Writing and dialogue well written
Beautiful and varied locations
A great tactical mode
Fun party banter
A couple of glitches (1 more)
I spent too long in the first area
1 of the best games of tnis generation
This is by far my favourite Dragon Age so far. The first game had the amazing story, the 2nd had the fun combat and this i felt combined the 2. The combat is fun and fast paced but a welcome addition was the tactical mode where you can just put a pause on everything and analyse your surroundings, tell companions where to go and what to do and then watch your work unfold.
It has a beautiful score but the environments are breathtaking. Every location felt unique and the size of each was insane. With so much to do and see, you can easily spend over 100 hours in this game. I did. The only problem i had with a location was the Hinterlands. It contains so many fetch quests and grew boring over time but what the game doesnt tell you is this is basically a tutorial location for you to practice. You should leave when you can. You wont regret it. I did keep going back because i am a completionest but thats just me.
The characters are so well written and fun and great partybanter when your out travelling. My favourites by far are sera, iron bull and cassandra and their interations with each other made me laugh. To this day i have played this game 4 times to listen to the various combinations of companions and i have not gotten bored once.
Once i started following the story, i found i was just being pulled in and blown away. There is so much humour and shocks that i would play this for hours and hours each day. There are a few glitches here and there but since i played it they have been fixed but i have to judge this on when i played it. This is a typical bioware game and thats a great thing. You have the usual pick your own path and romance who you want and that is what keeps you invested and makes you fall in love with this world and with these characters.
It has a beautiful score but the environments are breathtaking. Every location felt unique and the size of each was insane. With so much to do and see, you can easily spend over 100 hours in this game. I did. The only problem i had with a location was the Hinterlands. It contains so many fetch quests and grew boring over time but what the game doesnt tell you is this is basically a tutorial location for you to practice. You should leave when you can. You wont regret it. I did keep going back because i am a completionest but thats just me.
The characters are so well written and fun and great partybanter when your out travelling. My favourites by far are sera, iron bull and cassandra and their interations with each other made me laugh. To this day i have played this game 4 times to listen to the various combinations of companions and i have not gotten bored once.
Once i started following the story, i found i was just being pulled in and blown away. There is so much humour and shocks that i would play this for hours and hours each day. There are a few glitches here and there but since i played it they have been fixed but i have to judge this on when i played it. This is a typical bioware game and thats a great thing. You have the usual pick your own path and romance who you want and that is what keeps you invested and makes you fall in love with this world and with these characters.