Month: October 2018

Audiobook Reviews 4/5 Stars: Written in Blood by Rebecca Deel

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, contemporary, romance, suspense, women's fiction , , ,

 

 

Typical Romantic Suspense

(I’ll try to keep this relatively spoiler free.)

Narration provided by Kristina Fuller Yuen

Summary:

Megan Cahill is a news editor who happens to be in the dark park to meet her friend when that friend is murdered. The killer knocks her cold, giving the lady nightmares. So, of course, she provokes him at every turn, daring him to capture or kill her. I know it’s fiction, but the way the murder went down isn’t very realistic. It would have been more realistic if the killer had tried to off Megan in the beginning and simply failed instead of letting her live.

Additional Comments:

– It’s a 3 star story with nice narration. The characters are distinguishable. The editing’s pretty smooth.
– Plot 3.5/5: There are some events that have nothing to do with the murder mystery, which I appreciated. Despite the lack of a true twist and an end sequence worthy of a low budget movie, complete with cheesy confrontation between the villain(s) and our heroes, it’s a satisfying story. Happily ever after is achieved. There is a good amount of action along the way.
– Writing Style 4/5: There’s decent flow to the work.

Main Characters 3.5/5: I like that the author tried to give the police guy a backstory that was deep and full of tragedy, but it felt forced. Megan’s spitfireness got annoying too. There’s usually a line between aggressive, bold, and stupid. I could totally see her being dumb, but then owning it and being contrite.
– Side Characters 4/5: I got a tad confused about who each of the side characters were, but they were fleshed out enough to make them feel realistic.

  • Not sure the title makes much sense to me. Or the book cover, but they fit the genre well enough.

Side note: The whole “she’s an identical triplet” thing was mentioned several times, but never really meant much. The main character confesses to being worried for her sisters, but it would have been nice if they were in it a little more. I have not read the others in the series, so I don’t really know them well enough for cameos to be sufficient.

Favorite side character: the old lady Megan hires to do some part time writing.
– It’s formula writing, but the formula works. She’s in danger. He protects her. They’re in danger. They protect each other. He’s got a painful past. She’s stubborn. They overlook each others’ flaws and fall in love. The end. Who’s ready for the next?
– Would I read/listen to another story by the same author? Sure.
– Would I listen to the same narrator? Certainly.

Second side note: If you liked this story, then you would probably like Choices Veil of Secrets (It’s an app with “free” stories, though to make all choices you’d have to buy game currency). I’ll write more about those later.
– Who would I recommend the book to? Fans of the genre. If you like romantic suspense, then you’re not going to be surprised by anything in here, but it’s a relatively fleshed out world with varied characters.

Conclusion:

Romantic suspense fans should be pleased with this. You might get the most out of the series if you actually start from the beginning, but it’s perfectly understandable jumping right in here.

*I received a copy of the audiobook, and I chose to review it.

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)

Amazon Prime

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.


OR

Awesome Movie Reviews: 5/5 Stars Hunter Killer

Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Military, Movie Reviews, thriller , , , , ,
I own nothing of the image. It’s one of the promo posters they made for the movie.

***Any spoiler comments will be after the ads***

5/5 Review of Hunter Killer Surprisingly Suspenseful

Summary:

The trailer isn’t completely honest about everything in here, but it’s good enough to warrant a look. I was totally expecting Olympus has Fallen and London has Fallen, but it’s more like Enigma Code crossed with Independence Day (sans aliens) and The Hunt for Red October. There’s quite a bit of suspense.

 

Additional Comments:

– The story follows two main halves and a third subplot. The USS Arkansas and the Special Forces team are the main arcs. I found the weaving together of the two pretty seamless. A few points might have dragged, but overall, the screentime for these sections worked. The third thread in the tale involved the admiral and NSA agent overseeing everything.

– You don’t really get to know most of the characters’ names. There’s just too many of them that aren’t mentioned more than once. And there are a lot of extras because it’s a submarine.

– Who is this movie for? Fans of Clive Cussler books and military fiction will probably enjoy this story.

– Even though you could probably predict the story start to finish, they manage to throw in a few surprises, which I appreciated.

– Suspenseful: It’s stuffed full of moments where you’re not sure which way things are going to go, but you’re sort of just waiting for the whole world to burn down.

 

Conclusion:

It’s worth watching once or twice on a big screen. I’m not sure if it’s a own-forever-because-it’s-the-best-movie-ever type, but I enjoyed it a lot. Seeing it from the comforts of your home is fine, but I think it’s the type where the big screen of an actual theater will make everything seem larger than life.

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)

Amazon Prime

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.


OR

 

Spoiler Section:

– Almost cried early on this one. I forget which part.

– I liked that the seal team/ spec ops guys were fairly realistic (for a movie). You hardly knew their names, and they understood their role well. They’re ghosts. Well-armed ghosts.

– P.S. This is a version of history where Clinton won the presidency. They pretty much couldn’t be more obvious about that right down to the hairstyle.

– For one of these crazy scenario type movies, it’s terrifyingly plausible. There are probably a lot more checks and balances in place to keep things from spiraling out of control. Still, one has to wonder what really goes on behind closed doors. What are the missions the Special Forces guys never get to tell their grandchildren? On that note, sleep well, folks.

– I loved the admiral’s reaction to the other guy at the end. He totally  hesitated on shaking that warmonger’s hand.

Movie Reviews 3/5: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Fantasy, Movie Reviews , , , , ,
I don’t own the poster, but it’s pretty.

3/5 King Arthur: Legend of the Sword – mild spoilers possible

Summary:

A new twist on an old tale. A brother rises up against his brother to steal the throne. His quest for power leads him to corruption, power, and ultimately doom.

Additional Comments:

– beginnings reminds me of LOTR with the elephants

– nice use of magic. Weird music.

– bridge fight like Thor.

– dude who plays Littlefinger is in this.

– civil war? Jude Law’s character. Sacrifice… ouch.

– dude who played Bolton is also in it, Jack.

– dude from orphan black in here too. Donnie I think.

– all the slow motion stuff is tedious.

– Art becomes a fugitive.

– very public execution. The mage and rebels save him.

– the sword keeps kicking his behind.

– chase scene is disorienting.

– plot is standard yet still effective. Capture his friends.

– it’s like a very strange video game.

Conclusion:

If you like strange takes on medieval tales, like A Knight’s Tale, then the music choices won’t throw you. If you’re looking for a faithful rendition of King Arthur’s rise to power, then you might be a tad disappointed. It’s entertaining but in a weird way.

 

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)

Amazon Prime

 

Audible – If you’d like some free codes, please email me at [email protected] with requests for any of my works.

Try Awakening. Or The Golden City Captives.


OR


Movie Reviews 4/5 Stars: Bad Times at the El Royale

Julie Gilbert Movie Reviews, suspense, thriller , , , , ,
I don’t own the pretty pic. I’m assuming it’s a generic promo pic.

*Relatively spoiler free until after the ads.*

Summary:

5-7 strangers end up at a run down hotel along the border of California and Nevada. Over the course of the movie, you get to know them better, but their given profession is probably how you’ll get to know them. There’s the vacuum cleaner sales man, the singer, the other girl with an attitude, the hotel staff kid, and the priest. That’s who you know from the beginning, a couple of others show up over time, including Chris Hemsworth’s character. I don’t consider that a spoiler because he’s clearly in the trailers. Keep in mind that as their backstories unfold, your perception of these characters might change.

Additional Comments:

– Overall assessment:

As usual, I had no expectations, but I found it a surprisingly satisfying movie reminiscent of a murder mystery theater thing. It has the feel of the type of story that unfolds while you eat fancy food all dressed up around white linen tables while the actors mill about around you.

– It relies pretty heavily on the surprise scare. Mostly, those worked here.

– Content warnings:

A fair amount of cursing, including a few strong curse words.

– I’m not sure there are any morally good characters to root for in here, except perhaps the singer. That said, once you know their backstories, most people will sympathize with the hotel kid, the girl with a chip on her shoulder, and the priest. One thing I like about the movie is how easily it points out that everybody’s got a deeper story. What they show the world is shaped by past events in many cases traumatic events.
– I’ll discuss which themes I think are in here during the spoiler section.

Conclusion:

This isn’t a genre I gravitate to, but I think they pulled it off very well. In the end, it’s a satisfying story that I’d watch again, maybe not in theaters, but as a rental in a few years. There’s enough depth to the character reveals that I think a second viewing would be fun. Try to go into it spoiler-free the first time though.

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)

Amazon Prime

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.


OR

 

Spoiler Section:

– I almost cried at the end as the hotel was burning and the kid was dying.
– In part or in whole, sometimes only obliquely this story talks about child abuse, protecting family, cults, post traumatic stress disorder, keeping secrets, robbery, prison, and Alzheimers. That’s a heck of a lot of heavy hitting topics.
– My sympathy lies with the girl trying to protect her sister and the hotel worker kid. I believe her name was Emily. Rose, the sister, was brainwashed essentially by Chris Hemsworth’s character, Billy Lee. The hotel worker, Miles Miller, is haunted by his past as a soldier.

Movie Reviews 3.5/5: London has Fallen

Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, London, Movie Reviews, thriller , ,
Promo pic which I do not own.

 

Spoilers possible

Summary:

A terrorist lost some family in a drone strike and now has a major chip on his shoulder. He’s also an arms dealer, so he can hire a huge army of nameless mercenaries. Typical action flick. You can sort of tell from the cover what you’re in for.

 

Additional Comments:

  • Content Warnings: Lots of language. Lots of violence.
  • The violence is on par with what you’d get in any video game. Some sequences have distinct video game feel to them.
  • Plot’s kind of simple: good guys are trying to survive. Bad guys are trying to kill them.
  • Characters are okay. You barely get to know their names before they’re dead in most cases. They did nicely name the world leaders though. That helped.

Conclusion:

It’s a terrifying movie in that it’s sort of realistic. I can’t believe I just said that about a movie like this. Any city is vulnerable to attacks like this. Bridges are pretty easy to block. It’s not like a Rambo movie set overseas in a jungle somewhere, it’s set in a modern first world city.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

 

Audible – If you’d like some free codes, please email me at [email protected] with requests for any of my works.

Try The Dark Side of Science.

 


OR


Movie Reviews 4.5/5: Hacksaw Ridge

Julie Gilbert historical, Movie Reviews , , ,
Don’t own the poster. But I gather it was a general promo one.

Summary:

Anybody who reads even the titles of most of my reviews can probably tell that I have pretty strange taste in movies. But occasionally, I have bouts of normality. I’m going to count Hacksaw Ridge as one of those moments. This is Desmond Doss’s story. He was a conscientious objector who joined the war effort to save people.

Additional Comments:

– The training sessions reminds me of early Captain America.

– The bullying is kind of stupid as usual, but probably accurate. There is always at least one jerk like that.

– Poor kid got the crappy end of the stick. Army treated him pretty poorly. They wanted him to voluntarily quit.

– His old man came to bat for him. I like that there was decent character development. People weren’t always good or always bad. They struggled.

– The ridge they want to take looks crazy. Probably better to be one of the navy guys blasting it from miles away.

– Flamethrower… yikes. Pretty powerful weapon. Also, does crazy-horrible things to flesh.

– It’s well-acted.

Conclusion:

Gritty but feel-good in the end. It’s a story that should be shared. Unwavering beliefs in the face of opposition can be very powerful to witness.

 

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)

Amazon Prime

 

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.


OR

TV Reviews 4/5: Game of Thrones Season 7

Julie Gilbert dragons, Fantasy, TV reviews , , , ,
Don’t own the pic. I assume it’s a general Season 7 promo pic.

Spoilers ahead…

Summary:

Starts off pretty epic with Arya getting her revenge on the Frays. I like her more each season. Some of the training stuff got tedious but I suppose such a long, drawn out training would be necessary to make her a formidable fighter instead of a kid. She’s still a kid, just scary now. Seems one has to be scary to live around here.

Additional Comments:

– Sansa is ticking me off so far this season. That’s not unusual for her, but I have high hopes for her later.

– You get to see some shreds of decency from Legain.  Sorry about spelling, never read the books. And there are too many names around here.

– Dany’s homecoming is solemn and significant.

– Lots of shifts in alliances. Civil war for the iron islands.

– Jon Snow finally meets Dany. That’s probably going to be significant later.

– The red woman admits her mistakes. She has a strange conversation with Spider in the 3rd episode.

– Dany has a heck of a list of titles. Takes like 2 minutes to run through it

– Conversation with Dany includes a lot of posturing. But she does admit that her father was a madman. Jon tries to convince Dany of the Northern threat.

– Dany’s faith is in herself. Her allies are mostly captured. Though that is an improvement over the dead I thought them.

  • Euron Greyjoy gets a promotion.

– Cersi gets her revenge. Though at this point, don’t remember upon whom. Probably the Tyrells.

– Tyrion and Jon have a heart to heart.

– Jon and Dany’s second meeting is cool.

– Littlefinger is still being manipulative… big surprise. Somebody please kill him.

– Sansa gets a happy reunion. Bran says he can’t be lord of wintefell. He is the three eyed raven.

– Jorah gets his miracle thanks to Sam.

– Lannister army is on the move

– Olena has a heart to heart with Jaime. She kind of has the last word.

– Sam’s kin are Lannister lackeys. Shocking. No, not really. Sad though.

– Arya finds home not quite what it seems. She gets to meet Sansa. Interesting mtg. She also gets to see Bran. He’s still weird. But he gives her a gift I think will be significant later. Ep 4 largely calm compared to others.

– Jon gets to use ancient pictures to tell Dany a story. She promises to help if he bends the knee.

– Ayra is quite the swords woman now.

– Whole season should be called reunions. Jon meets Theon.

– Dany takes to the field. The battle is awesome… though they worked very hard to make sure all the key people survive for once.

– Dany has a fine speech… but the dragon roar fixes most of that. Dickson and Tandall get a lovely sendoff.

– Jon gets to pet a dragon.

– Gendry is back in the game.

– Ep 6 Arya confronts Sansa about the really old letter. Jon and the rest are hunting dead… kind of boring if u ask me into they get into a tight spot

– fire swords. Yay.

– Dany has an interesting conversation with Tyrion.

– can somebody please kill Littlefinger. Pretty please?

– And Sansa being stupid. Again. Oh, there’s a big surprise.

– Dany snow outfit is awesome. Jon gets stupid again. Sad.

– Arya proves she is a very scary person.

Conclusion:

Episode 7 has quite the parlay. Short season. Dany’s entrance is stylish . Truce? Intriguing. End awesome. Finally!!!!  Cersi is well, herself. Jaime at least has honor. The whole winter is here thing finally makes sense.

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)

Amazon Prime

 

Audible – If you’d like some free codes, please email me at [email protected] with requests for any of my works.

Try The Golden City Captives. Narrated by Reuben Corbett.


OR



Movie Reviews 4/5: Sing

Julie Gilbert Movie Reviews, music , , , ,
I don’t own the pic.

Summary:

A producer struggles to create a show that will save his crumbling theater. His grand plan is a talent show. As typical of these types of movies, the events spiral downward until they hit rock bottom and the characters have to fight back for what they believe in (redemptive power of music.)

Additional Comments:

  • Good show overall.
  • Star studded cast.
  • I liked the credits with the squid lighting up, but it would have been cooler to see which character went with which voice.
  • Cute but not exactly a kid’s movie.
  • Characters 4/5: The koala was a tad annoying, but the mouse takes the prize for most annoying character. I know that’s what they wanted, but still, there’s always a fine line between creating a great antagonist and creating a jerk everybody hates just because.
  • Not sure exactly what moral messages the movie carries. Believe in yourself; just sing; music can make a community come together.

Conclusion:

Worth watching once.

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)

Amazon Prime

 

Try Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts.


OR



Audiobook Reviews 4/5 Wendigo Fever by Kevin Hardman

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Horror, Paranormal , , , , , ,

 

Summary:

Errol Magnus, a deputy Warden for lack of a better title, sort of inherits responsibility for the region when his older brother, Tom, goes missing. Something big and scary is out there taking down people.

Additional Comments:

– Not sure why this book isn’t just called the Wendigo. It’s not really about the Wendigo Fever, that’s just sort of a sidenote. The cover confuses this issue even more as it makes it seem like WARDEN is the title and Wendigo Fever the subtitle.

– The worldbuilding is decent for such a short story. I think if I remember correctly, it’s one of those post-apocalyptic, set so far in the future we’ve come full circle to the past sorts of settings.

– The book is surprisingly lighthearted for being a horror story of the creepy things that go bump in the night variety.

– Errol’s fairly fleshed out as a character, but pretty much everybody else isn’t. Gail had potential, but she does little more than give Errol somebody to talk to while he explains stuff the reader needs to know.

– I can’t really talk about my favorite side character because that would be a spoiler, but suffice to say that there are a lot of colorful characters in this world.

Conclusion:

Interesting, short horror story.

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)

Amazon Prime

 

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Movie Reviews 4.5/5: Venom

Julie Gilbert Horror, Movie Reviews, Paranormal, scifi, superhero , , ,
Movie poster

4.5/5 Venom; Surprisingly Good Comic Book Movie

*mild spoilers possible*

Summary:

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) has it all: a great job as an investigative reporter, a beautiful fiancée, and a really nice apartment. One mistake/ moral choice costs him all of that. Six months later, he’s broke, living in a run-down apartment, job hunting, and very single.  Meanwhile, Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) is a very wealthy business owner trying to save mankind by getting alien and human biology to be symbiotic to each other.

Additional Comments:

  • One of my friends said he overheard some young teens chatting afterwards, saying they were bored by the first half of the movie. I am grateful there was some setup involved. You got to see the rise and fall of Eddie Brock. This same friend also mentioned that since Tom Hardy played Eddie and voiced Venom, it was basically him talking to himself the whole movie.
  • CGI and special effects worked well enough. Venom’s not exactly going to be the poster child for hero, nor it is the best comic book movie I’ve ever seen. The general vibe of the movie goes toward action/horror.
  • Humor: There’s some. Not as much as most Marvel movies, but there are some well-timed funny lines. Venom can be sentimental and deadly.
  • So why the high rating: I found it entertaining. It’s not a deep-thinker, twisty movie. A guy picks up an alien and a lot goes down soon thereafter. There’s a certain amount of logic to the plot. Sure, there are quite a few predictable things, but it should hit the fandom-pleaser mark.
  • A note about expectations: The source material for this movie is a comic book series. You have to expect a certain amount of campy split from reality.
  • Parental Warning: Not exactly family fun. This movie does come with quite a few curses and at least one f-bomb.
  • Action movie: There’s a nice motorcycle/car chase and quite a few smaller fight scenes. The two larger fight scenes near the end didn’t have much suspense but they still scored.
  • I guess you could go into the ethical debates about progress vs human life, but generally, it’s recommended you leave it as an afternoon entertainment piece.

Conclusion:

Worth watching on a big screen. Going to the movies is expensive, but if you’re going to watch something like Venom where it’s pretty much about the fights, a giant screen is recommended.

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)

Amazon Prime

 

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live. Some of the crazy scientists in Venom reminded me of these people.