Indebted #1

 Indebted #1 well it was a bit of a mixed bad. I don't like it when a character says "I'm going to do this & that to you" and then don't. Storytelling was not bad.

A Litter of Bones

 A Litter of Bones  turned out to be a decent timepass. I liked it better because I listened to it and I love Scots accent. It is not bad but it is not a must read. Only if you are into the genre, or if you are thinking of getting the audiobook, if you are into Scots accent. 

The Initiation

 

The Initiation is yet another mindless romance. My biggest problem with it is that it puts the female lead in nasty situations but is also apologetic about it. I have no problem with silliness but at least own it man. And the erotica quotient is very limited if you are planning to get it for that. 

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

 

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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker   ok I was prepared not like this one, and it was predictably ridiculous at times but in the end I enjoyed it. Oh also it made me want to watch the SNL sketches of Adam Driver as Undercover Boss. 

Black Eyed Susans

 Black Eyed Susans it is a decent novel, it just was not suited to my taste. 

The Roommate

 

The Roommate is short and sweet. I liked it. 

Sweeter Than Wine

 

Sweeter Than Wine is a novel that is fluffier than cotton candy. It was strangely wholesome. And if you are after erotica there are only two scenes that are a bit heavier and the rest is even lighter than those old Mills and Boon novels. It just did not work for me, maybe because my expectations were different. 

The Amulet

 

The Amulet turned out to be a very different type of horror novel than I thought it would be but I liked it very much. The background of the story is late 60's small town in Alabama and you get to see many different sides of the people who inhabit, their differences and similarities. If that sounds interesting to you then go for it. The audiobook performance is amazing, I recommend that format. 

Love And Anarchy

 

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Love and Anarchy  is a lovely surprise. I enjoyed it so very much and loved the characters, the chemistry between the main leads and the message. I loved it. Actually I did not know any of the actors except one and saw her at a very different role. So probably it was easier to get into the whole thing. And first world problems are interesting. It was a good escape. 

Dororo

 

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Dororo is the type of anime I like. The visuals, the action, the plot and the characters were all to my taste. The ending was sweet and I hope they'll make more adventures of Dororo and Hyakkumaru.

The Terror Season 1

 

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The Terror Season 1 is very good. Atmospheric with a great cast and wonderful art direction. It creeped me out very much. 

A Kingdom of Dreams

 

A Kingdom of Dreams is a  delightful romance with a great female lead (I think they are the writer's strongest point). Of course it is a historical romance and I needed to tolerate some minor things but all in all, I highly recommend. Laughter is not first reaction to fiction (I'm a crier) but this novel made laugh out loud more than once in the beginning.

My Year Of Rest And Relaxation

 My Year of Rest And Relaxation was nice I suppose. I love this writer's prose and enjoyed it despite the subject matter not appealing to me at this time. Most probably because of the pandemic. I recommend the audiobook, Ms. Julia Whelan's reading is excellent. 

Sherlock Holmes

 

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Sherlock Holmes   I think I liked it better the first time I saw it (I think -but am not sure- it was in theater). Fell asleep and had to rewind during the fight scene before the last. 

Instant Family

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Instant Family  well probably due to pms but my tears were waterfalls during this one. 

The Fires of Vengeance

 The Fires of Vengeance is a great sequel. This time also I dropped everything else while listening to it. I'm looking forward to the next novel in the series. 

The Godfather

 

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The Godfather    no matter how many times I watch it, this one still feels fresh and fab. It is one of those films where everyone and everything on screen somehow clicked combined to perfection. Not a single weak scene. Not a single weak link. And Michael is such dangerous pyschopath that I still try to warn Kay to stay away. I really like this one a lot better than the second film. 

Alice In Borderland

 

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Alice in Borderland was a welcome surprise. I checked it out because of the freaky photo of a tattooed guy with a sword Netflix chose to entice me. It worked. However I loved the series despite hating the tattoo guy (who only showed up later in the story). I did not know about the anime but this show was very emotional, well acted with good art direction. I hope there will be a season two. 

The Darkest Secret

 

The Darkest Secret   is the third novel by this author that I read. And now she is a sure thing as far as I'm concerned. It was a bit of a rough start and once what happened was clear I solved the mystery before the end but I really enjoyed this. Unconvential and interesting and I recommend if you like your mystery with a difference. 

Selena: The Series S1

 

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Selena: The Series  I first heard about Selena when I watched the film starring Jennifer Lopez and fell for both the character and the actress. This series is not that bad an effort but somehow shows the father as a well intentioned, driven figure - rather than the control freak he is- and the mother his companion and helper - rather than the dependent enabler she is. Well I have found out that the father and the elder sister were both involved in the production so it should not be surprising. Still, so far, I liked the film better. 

Locas For El Cambio

 

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Locas Por El Cambio may not be for everyone's taste but I liked it. Tears flowed. 

John Wick, John Wick: Chapter Two, John Wick: Chapter Three - Parabellum

 

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John Wick   well I love this one (saw it three times already) and it does not get old. 

John Wick: Chapter 2  it is good and I love the fights.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum    they sure upped the ante and I loved the Indonesian fighters. The dogs were really good and Marc Dacascos was also very good and it is nice to see him for us middle aged martial art film lovers.  I have trouble with Halle Berry though. I mean I like her, but I don't think she is a good actress. 

Close Up

 

Close Up turned out to be more entertaining than I hoped. I like sensible lead characters.

Familiar Wife

 

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Familiar Wife   it turned out to be one of the very few time travel/live life over again tropes I enjoyed. 

A Lesson In Thorns

 

A Lesson In Thorns is a decent book. Slow burn erotica. 

Rythm of War

 

Rythm of War   well, here are a few opinions. First off, it is not a bad novel but because of the huge world building and upcoming events even turning to science fiction a little bit, I felt some distance towards it. Also my personal problem is the character pov type of storytelling in this one. Usually it is one of my favorite things but here I only like one character (Kaladin) and the rest, not so much. So to me the parts with Kaladin are interesting and exciting but the rest are kind of "very good" to "I don't care". 

Although one scene without Kaladin, and I saw what was coming, put me in tears (it might have been the hormones but I don't think so). It was good writing and excellent reading performance.

Well this book does not need any recommendation, if you have not read the other novels in the series, then you must read them first. If you have read them then you should have a fairly good idea of what to expect. 

Derry Girls

 

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Derry Girls  I really liked this sugar coated show. And the fact that I'm unfamiliar with the cast probably helped it. I also loved that they all looked like real people. 

Holidate

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Holidate  did not work for me. Emma Roberts is a decent actor and a pretty lady I suppose but somehow as a romantic lead, she did not satisfy (nowhere NEAR the charisma and lovability of her aunt). The male lead was handsome but kind of forgettable. 

Your House Will Pay

 

Your House Will Pay   well it did not lift me from my reading slump. It is an OK novel with heavy themes but easy reading. 

The Queen's Gambit

 

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The Queen's Gambit   well I gladly agree with the majority, I loved it. The cast, the costumes, the pacing and the story were all top notch. 

The Call

 

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The Call  ended up being a decent thriller/horror. It involves time management I suppose in a way and that is my least favorite sci fi trope. The actors were very good (as usual) and the special effects very nicely used within context.  I would prefer a different ending but it kind of made sense. 

The Americans

 

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The Americans   I expected to like it but I liked it more than I thought I would. I like Keri Russel and she has aged so nicely. Great chemistry with all the cast and a very good ending. 

The Portrait of A Lady

 The Portrait of A Lady  it took me so long to read this. Sometimes reader/writer chemistry is just not there. In theory I must love Henry James. I like his prose, his stories are interesting, a decent person vs. a despicable villain is something I like. I like period novels. However for some reason I do not like to read Henry James. This is the third novel I attempted to read. I liked Washington Square and DNFed The Golden Bowl and this one I have finished out of pure stubbornness. Everything is good but I can't get that flow you know. 

Also this edition (a Turkish edition) has problems. The font is too big so the novel is 750 pages (not that the page count is relevant as far as I'm concerned) and it was distracting to read a font larger than any I'm used to in a paperback. In addition to that, there were a lot of typos but again these have not affected my core reading pleasure (or non pleasure in this case) they were just additional annoyances. 

Three stars but I did not enjoy it. 

His House

 

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His House is decent film. The scariest part of the story is what the refugees have to go through. The cast is all good but my fave is the female lead, Ms. Wunmi Mosaku. 

Bir Başkadır

 

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Bir Başkadır  melodram olarak fena değildi ancak Yiğit Karaahmet'in eleştirilerine katılıyorum www.ekranella.com

The Crown Season 4

 

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The Crown Season Four affected me just as I expected having been a child when Diana and Charles got married (and having actually watched the wedding on a black and white tv with a lot of people at a small Turkish summer tourist town).  I love Diana, God rest her soul in peace, always had and I have cried many times during some of the episodes. Looking forward to Season 5.

The Stranger You Know

 

The Stranger You Know  it is surprising but I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. Rather than the mystery itself I liked the main character and her thoughts and interactions with the people around her. There is a certain, well integrated romance aspect to it that delighted me. This is not the first novel in the series but I enjoyed it just fine and hope to continue further. 

Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim (Season 2)

 

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Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim Season 2 is not as good as season one (which was much better written). However I kind of got into it halfway through and finished in tears (as expected). I'm a medical drama lover and I liked the male lead Ahn Hyo Seop (of course by that I mean the male lead other than the titular Doctor who once again is excellently portrayed by Han Suk Kyu)

Raze

 

Raze  it did not work for me. I just was not able to suspend the disbelief and the characters and their actions made no sense to me. 

Web of Eyes

 

Web of Eyes   well it was not for me. Maybe more suitable to a young reader who is not very familiar with this type of fantasy. 

The audiobook is one of the few that made me want to check out a higher speed than 1 (I didn't) not because of the reader who was really trying but direction choices. This made me appreciate better directed productions. 

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

 

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Buffy The Vampire Slayer   I remember liking this show years ago and when I got the chance to watch it again I started and it immediately consumed me until I finished all 7 seasons. I like it even more now that I'm old. Almost perfect. 

The Weight of Ink

 

The Weight of Ink is a good novel and I liked it. I think it is better suited to be read at another medium than audio if possible. Nothing to do with the performance of the reader which was very good. However I thought I would get more out of it with a regular reading.

The Perfect Rake

 

The Perfect Rake turned out to be very entertaining. Not many intimate scenes. 

The Night Stalker

 

The Night Stalker is good. Not much character detail but lots of action, short chapters and the pace does not slack. I liked it better than the first novel. 

Stardust

 

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Stardust  is actually very entertaining (to me). The cast is very good, the events interesting and I had a ball with it. 

The Red Hunter

 

The Red Hunter is just not my tyoe of novel. It was not the plot holes but rather the Karenish attitude at some places. 

Promise of Blood

 

Promise of Blood  yet again this one did not work for me, there is nothing wrong with it. It is just one of those times when I couldn't connect with neither the characters nor the plot. 

Unsouled

 Unsouled  turned out to be not really my thing. Despite the Japanese and Chinese influence in the world building and action scenes I just couldn't get into it. 

Delta of Venus

 

Delta of Venus is collection of erotic short stories. The first ones almost made me stop (taboo subjects indeed), but I stuck with it since the prose was interesting/different for this genre and I was intrigued and very glad that I did since the later stories turned out to be very good subject matter wise. 

The edition I have read has noticeable spelling mistakes and could have used a good proof reader. 

 A Ladder To The Sky  is the story of a literary parasite (of sorts I suppose) and his victims (two have their own pov) This author has a knack for making vile characters entertaining and I like how honest and vulnerable some of them are. He writes good characters very well too but that certain viciousness of his tendered with a sense of humour is very good.

The plot may not be all perfect but I liked this one very much and will not hesitate to recommend. The audiobook is fantastic. If you can't decide on the format get it on audio.