Month: April 2019

4.45/5 Stars Avengers: Endgame – Spoiler Review

Julie Gilbert Uncategorized
Really cool picture showing movie posters/ promos for the other MCU movies.

*Will Contain Spoilers during discussion and esp after ads*

Summary:

This movie picks up where Avengers: Infinity War ended. That movie left people in a bad spot. With a snap of his fingers, Thanos sent half of the heroes and half of all living creatures into dust. The heroes are left to pick up the pieces and try to move on. They deal with Thanos, but get kicked again (no infinity stones).

Recap of who survived Infinity War (I think):

Black Widow (Natasha Romanova, played by Scarlett Johansson), Captain America (Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evans), Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers, played by Brie Larson), Iron Man (Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey, Jr., Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Bruce Banner, played by Mark Ruffalo), Hawkeye (Clint Barton, played by Jeremy Renner), Nebula (played by Karen Gillan, Ant-Man (Scott Lang, played by Paul Rudd), Rocket (voice by Bradley Cooper), War Machine (James Rhodes, played by Don Cheadle), Falcon (Sam Wilson, played by Anthony Mackie)

Additional Comments:

– Points of convenience: A rat sort of saves humanity by randomly brining back Ant-Man.

– They did a relatively good job of explaining time travel, but at its core, this is a time travel movie. If you love those, this will be cool. If you hate those, this might stink. If you are neutral, you’ll probably end up on the like side.

– Characters really die … for good … they mean it this time … Can you imagine being in on the meeting? Who should we write off?

– How the heck did they not know the price of the soul stone? Nebula knew for sure. You’d think she’d say something in the little pre-war powwow.

Epic Moments:

– When the hammer slams into Captain America’s hand.

– The beginning of the end battle. Where the yellow sparkly things show up and let in the armies of Wakanda and pretty much everybody else Hulk brought back.

– Watching the return of everybody Hulk snapped back into reality.

– The moment where the ladies of the MCU unit to lay the smackdown and clear the way for Captain Marvel to make it to the new “old” time machine.

– Thor’s new hairdo for battle.

– Capt’s speech before they enter their time heist.

– “Avengers assemble” – Captain America

– The relay race at the end was cool: Hawkeye happens to land near the gauntlet with the infinity stones after the freaking building collapsed thanks to Thanos’s triumphant return to the future. (I know, it’s weird.) He passes it off to Black Panther. When the king gets into trouble, he punts to Spiderman. Peter Parker fights hard but gets fire rained down from above, so he gives it to Captain Marvel.  

Conclusion:

Same as before, definitely worth watching in theaters. Worth rewatching a time or two. If you don’t think too hard, it’s a fun time with lots of fan service.

Aside:

It’s got the sort of cult following that will get tempers pretty heated. One lady in the theater we were at for round 2 about came to blows because somebody was laughing at a somber moment. It was equally amusing and scary.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

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

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

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

*Definite Specific Spoilers*

– Stupid Lines: Yeah, it had a few. This is just a sample. (paraphrased, hey, I only saw the movie twice)

            – It has to work because I don’t know what I’ll do if it doesn’t. – Capt America

            – I am inevitable. – Thanos (Yeah, I get it, every baddie needs a tagline, but even with his complete obsession with destiny, you’d think he could do better.)

– Funny Moments:

            – Rocket slapping Thor. “Get it together.”

            – Rocket (to Thor) “You look like melted ice cream.”

            – Black Widow: “I get emails from a raccoon. Nothing’s strange.”

            – Tony Stark (to Rocket) “Honestly, at this exact second, I thought you were a Build-A-Bear.”

            – Scott Lang’s first experimental time travel adventure.

            – Rocket treating Scott like he’s a puppy.

            – Past Hulk forced to take the stairs.

– Awwww moments:

            – Thor got to speak with his momma.

            – Morgan Stark extorting a popsicle from her dad because he said a bad word.

            – Tony ending his message with the same thing his daughter said to him as he tucked her in.

            – Hawkeye and Black Widow dueling to be the sacrifice.

– Mild disappointments: Black Widow shoulda had better lines during her epic exit.

– Head scratchers: During the end where they tied up each story …

– Who didn’t survive Endgame?

Black Widow – she died for the soul stone. What I don’t get is why they couldn’t just bring her back by going back in time. I mean, now they know the rule, somebody gotta give up something they care for. Pluck some unlucky fool and the thing/person they love. Haul ’em up the mountain and throw one off. Boom, soul stone. (I know that’s cold, but the point is … it’s technically doable.)

Iron Man – Fitting that the man who started the saga should end it. I love that he pre-recorded a “hey, in case of my death” letter to his family. If his suit had been working properly, could he have survived? I mean he had lightning from Thor soaring through that suit no problem.

Captain America – He goes back in time to put the stones back where they belong so they don’t screw over time. But then… he decides to stay with Peggy Carter, presumably back in 1945 ish. It shouldn’t mess with time, but it probably would. The future would still be the future for everybody else. Don’t care what they said about the future becoming the past for you. Might be true, but what if he had kids with Peggy? In one of the Capt America movies, he gets to meet her post thaw and she has grandkids. Awkward moment.

Book Reviews 4/5 stars: Magian High by Lia London

Julie Gilbert Fantasy, Writing, Young Adult , ,

Summary:

Kincaid Riley worked hard to get the schools desegregated, so those with and without magic could learn more about each other. Many agree with him, but some do not. And those who disagree have their own plans.

Additional Comments:

  • I won’t go into the magic system here because that would probably lead to spoilers. At first, I was skeptical about it and thought it kinda corny. But it worked in the end, so it’s all good.
  • I like how the book tackled the tensions between those who have magic and those who don’t. There’s no clear-cut, these are all the good people and these are all the bad people.
  • Kid-safe book. Recommended for teens and pre-teens.
  • World-building 4/5: I like that the nomers (those without magic) were broken into two categories, those that emphasized body/physical stuff and those that emphasized intellectual stuff.
  • Plot 4/5: Despite a fair amount of meandering, the plot thickened nicely at the end. Some of the side conversations ended up having great meaning, so that’s a nice touch.
  • Characters 4/5: Kincaid and Amity are pretty well fleshed out. Kincaid’s mother is kind of stock, but I don’t think she needs to be more here. I couldn’t pin down his sister. Sometimes, she acts young and other times she acts very, very young.
  • Nit that probably won’t bother anybody else in the world. The descriptions of chem class sort of bothered me. The assignments seemed very vague and random. I tried to suspend my disbelief, but I am a chem teacher, albeit at a perfectly normal, non-magical high school.

Conclusion:

If you’re looking for a kid-friendly, book that deals with racial tensions in a fun/fantasy way, this is a great choice.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

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

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

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

Is Avengers: Endgame Worth Seeing in theaters?

Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , , ,
Grabbed the image from google…general promo pic, no I don’t own the rights to it.

*Will attempt to keep this short assessment spoiler free, because it’s definitely more fun without spoilers.*

Summary:

The Avengers fight back after Infinity War …

Additional Details:

  • As with all Marvel movies, there’s a heck of a lot of action with some timely humor scattered about.
  • It’s quite the large cast.
  • The movie is probably worth seeing twice.
  • Part of the unholy length to the movie (3 hrs) deals with some deep character development. Ultimately, it will depend on how much you enjoy character development to decide whether you think that extra time is worth the payoff.
  • Side Note: I know a LOT of people who talk about just seeing a bootleg, pirated version. I feel like that’s not going to do it justice. Do yourself a favor and see it in an official movie theater. You can whine all you want about how expensive it is, but there are some movies (like this) where the big screen enhances the atmosphere.
  • I’ll follow this up with a spoiler review in the next day or so.

Conclusion:

Yes, it’s worth seeing in theaters.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

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

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

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

Movie Reviews 4/5 Stars: The Equalizer 2

Julie Gilbert Movie Reviews, mystery, thriller ,

Summary:

Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) is a Lufthansa driver and hard-handed do-gooder. He rights wrongs with violence and enjoys helping the helpless and down trodden. So, when a friend gets murdered, it’s logical that he goes on a revenge bender.

Additional Comments:

– Miles is a good side character. He could go either way in terms of being good or evil but McCall steers him right with typical bluntness.

– The twists and turns are predictable but still fun.

– They spend a fair amount of time on sidestuff that fleshes out his character. 

– The bad guys are more that just masked goons. 

– The events seem random but things work out. I often wonder where characters like that – McCall, Jack Reacher, etc- get the funds to wreck havoc day and night.

– Content warning: strong language and violence.

Conclusion:

If you don’t mind entire lines of dialogue being a string of curses (f-bombs), then you’ll be fine with this movie.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

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

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

FBI agent vs serial killer: Scratched Off

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

Audiobook Reviews: 3/5 Stars A Valentine to Cherish by Josie Riviera

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Christian, romance , ,

Narrated by Anthea Hallett-Ybarra

Summary:

Scarlett Evans would like to lose a few pounds and just got dumped by her fiancé. Enter handsome singer-songwriter, Joseph Slater, the end.

Additional Comments:

– The subtitle of A Sweet and Wholesome Christian Novella says it all. I’m going to preface with I am a Christian but I don’t particularly like the romance genre. That said, there are some excellent romantic suspense novels out there. Anyway, if this is sweet, I about got 8 cavities from it.

– I now understand what people mean when they say a Christian message is heavy-handed. Not sure why since clearly, with that subtitle, the vast majority of readers will be Christian.

– Every story has been told, so it’s up to the characters to make all the difference. They did all right, but nothing about them stands out. I finished the story two days ago and forgot the hero’s name. He’s a singer-songwriter who’s lost his muse until he meets the leading lady. Everything else in his life is peachy. He’s famous but not rich because he donates a lot to charity.

– We’re told the leading lady, Scarlett, is passionate about things she cares about, but aside from the kid she mentors, I’m not sure what the other things could be. I can’t even remember what this lady does for a living. I know she’s at something temporary because the last job ended when her fiancé moved.

– We do hear about her diet a lot, but I find it ironic that the woman on the cover doesn’t fit that description. I guess there’s a shortage of stock photos of women with normal curves.

Conclusion:

If you love romance books and don’t want to be washing your brain out, this is a sweet, uber-clean story.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

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

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

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

Guest Post: Hunter by Joanna White

Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Fantasy, Interviews , ,

Hi, Joanna. What is your new book about?

Hunter was the first fantasy novel I’d ever written. Before it I’d written Christian dramas as a fun hobby. Well, Hunter was just a fun hobby at the time too because writing wasn’t my career – not yet at least.

It’s a story about a young woman named Averella whose brother is really sick. She’s protective over him because she’s always had to be. They live in small huts, oppressed by a government who takes men and boys and throws them in a prison called Zagerah where they are never seen again. Her father was taken a few years ago so when Averella’s brother is taken, her brother falls into a deep depression.

Needless to say, Averella’s really reckless and almost a bit stupid. Her grand idea is to use her father’s old gear to make herself look like a man so she can be thrown into Zagerah to save her brother. It doesn’t really register with her that she won’t be escaping until later on; that even if she finds Gabriel, they’ll both be stuck here for the rest of their lives, however short they are.

Sounds interesting. What appealed to you about the story?

Not only do I love this as an idea because it tells a good story with plenty of room for drama, suspense, and really tense moments and intriguing dynamics with the other characters, but also because it shows that Averella, like all humans are, has flaws. She isn’t this perfect heroine who knows what she’s doing. Half the time she sort of makes up the plan as she goes along. Even once she gets inside Zagerah, her life is now revolved around desperately trying to survive with little to no time to even look for Gabriel.

Averella isn’t only flawed though. She’s strong because she’s had to be there for her sick brother and a broken mother who stopped caring about life after she lost her husband. Averella’s faced with impossible circumstances and has to learn to act tough around a bunch of men who have been locked inside this place, running for their lives for years. Many of them no longer have hope and the longer she’s around that, the more she starts to lose her hope too.

What challenges does the main character face?

Once inside Zagerah, not only does she have to pretend to be a man and not be discovered, but everywhere she and the other prisoners go, they’re being hunted… The Hunters are genetically enhanced assassins whose only jobs are to kill every prisoner inside Zagerah and no one evades them. Well, the only ones who do are the prisoners who have Hunter potential inside them. On top of that, Zagerah itself is dangerous and every area has biomes that will kill them if they’re not careful.

Averella has a lot to face and a lot to survive… if she can.

Is the book available yet?

You can pre-order Hunter here

Thanks for checking into my new book ..

I’m doing a giveaway of a free DVD with lots of exclusive bonus content about Hunter along with a poster and a magnet. Enter to win here.

To find out more about me or to subscribe to my newsletter for free book recommendations, please visit.

Thanks, Joanna.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

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

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

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

Movie Reviews 3.5/5 Hellboy

Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Movie Reviews, superhero , , ,

Summary:

Hellboy (David Harbour) goes to Mexico to bring his friend back into the fold. He ends up fighting him and hearing a few mutterings about him heralding the apocalypse. His father (Ian McShane) then summons him to talk to some British friends who are worried about anew old threat. A 5th century immortal sorceress (Milla Jovovich) would like to destroy the world.

Additional Comments:

– The movie definitely has all the hallmarks of being based off a comic book character.

– They earned their R rating. People’s faces are ripped off. There are a few impalings. I think one dude was ripped in half.

– There are some random fights that don’t add much to the plot, but they are cool. I am specifically thinking of the showdown with the giants.

– Alice (Sasha Lane) is a cool side character. I like how there is development in terms of her powers. She’s not just s useless sidekick.

– We get bits and pieces of Hellboy’s past here. I think they wove it in well. 

– The bad guy’s logic isn’t all that sound but I guess it makes sense if you measure from comic book logic. 

– I never saw the first two, but I have a friend who says the reboot is excellent in comparison.

Conclusion:

If you can handle gruesome and enjoy comic book characters and movies, this is a good one.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

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

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

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 Audiobooks: 4.45/5 stars Cast a Long Shadow by Kwen D Griffeth

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, mystery, thriller, Western , ,

Narrated by Paul J McSorley

Summary:

Bobby Trent takes on the task of investigating his father’s murder to clear the man’s good name. As the Sheriff of Lodge Pole, Bobby’s father had a great reputation until the very end when questions arose concerning a drug shipment discovered in the county.

Additional Comments:

– Bobby’s attitude is typical of a thriller star. He’s innately aligned good but willing to drink hard and play hard and take out the bad guys. In that sense, he’s a tad unrealistic. Most people’s fear of consequences have them walking more of the straight and narrow.

– The romance angle is secondary and sends up mixed signals for two different women, but that’s fine. It would lose a lot of the thriller aspects if the book focused on that side.

– There’s a fun, exotic atmosphere in the book for those used to suburban or city life rather than small town western life.

– The characters filling the world are fun and pretty well fleshed out.

– The book has a nice sense of closure. There’s clear to-be-continued vibes but at least the reader gets a feeling that this arc has been closed.

– It falls into that thriller trap of don’t get too attached to any characters, except maybe the hero boy.

– About the only tie-in to the title is the last few lines of the book.

Conclusion:

Excellent modern day western.   

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

FBI agent vs serial killer: Scratched Off

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

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

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

Audiobook Reviews: 4/5 Stars The Binding Witch and the Fortune Taker by Laura Rich

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Fantasy, Young Adult , , ,

Summary:

Kate Roark is a hedge witch, which means she doesn’t have powers herself. That is until a twist of fate or fortune or misfortune changes things for her.

Additional Comments:

– It’s a cute novella with good narration.

– Plot 4/5: simple but that’s understandable in that it’s meant to be a very short work. I’m surprised the two Binden (sorry, spelling could be off) girls ended up where they did given the culture they were/are being raised in.

– Narration 4/5: Enjoyable. Only one or two of the chosen voices are distractible.

– Characters 3.5/5: Kate and her Indian friend are probably the deepest characters in here. Her mother’s intriguing, but we don’t really learn much about her mother. I guess it’s one of those things that can be expanded upon later. Kate has both spunk and sass which can be fun reads, but I feel like so many YA heroines fall in that category.

– World-building 4/5: The notion of binding witches is interesting. People fear or are intrigued by magic.

– Closure 2/5: It’s clearly meant to run you into book 2. While this is an understandable tactic from a sell-books standpoint, I have never enjoyed it. Some people love cliffhangers and feeling like they need more. I usually just move on to a series that gives me more closure in each work.

Conclusion:

It’s a solid start to what could be a fun series.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

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

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

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 Movies: 4.5/5 Stars Shazam

Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, superhero , , ,

*mild spoilers possible in discussion, major spoilers after the ads*

Summary:

Billy Batson (Asher Angel) just wants to find his mother so he runs away from foster home after foster home until he lands in Philadelphia. Then, his life takes a turn for the weird. He stumbles upon a wizard who transfers his powers to him. To access his powers, he must say the wizard’s name: Shazam (Zachary Levi) and poof he turns into a well-muscled adult version of himself with superpowers.

Additional Comments:

– In some senses the movie follows hero tropes very closely. In a few other places, it deviates from the norm for the better.

– It’s a fun, popcorn flick.

– There’s a good bit of comedy mixed in just because you have this kid experimenting with his powers. He’s by no means the perfect super hero, but he’s definitely learning along the way. Those flaws make him more relatable.

– DC also manages to pay homage to several of its more notable iconic superheroes.

– Casting was fantastic.
Darla (Faithe Herman) is absolutely adorable.

– Music choices worked.

– It doesn’t get a perfect score from me because there were definitely a few slow points and some teen drama that got irksome. (To be fair, I think it was necessary for the story they wanted to tell, but that doesn’t detract from the annoyed feeling conjured.)

Conclusion:

Perhaps the best DC movie I’ve ever seen. Definitely more fun on a big screen. Funniest moments recap in spoiler section.

Associate links to follow…


Amazon Prime

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

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

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

Spoilers:
Funniest Moments Recap:
– The convenience store robbery.
– Eugene’s obsession with video games. When we first meet him, he’s playing something violent and there are about 3 empty soda bottles next to him. The foster guy was like “no soda after dark” and Eugene’s like “when did it get dark?”
– Them buying beer, sipping, spitting, Billy’s comment “that takes like actual vomit,” and the next scene with them with armloads of junkfood.
– The villain’s major speech happening while they’re like a half-mile apart. Billy’s like “what are you saying” and it keeps cutting back to Thaddeus’s speech about cutting down every one of the people he loves.
– When the adult versions of the kids are exploring their powers. Super Hero Darla (Meagan Good) was still adorable.