I once read a terrible self-published romance novel to it’s end just because the main character was so lovable. Characters make and break a story for me even more than the plot. In any book, the most important aspect to me is the characters. Even things you didn’t think were going to be important come back. There is not one plot hole in the entire series. That alone deserves it’s own praise right now, in a time when a lot of books and movies and musicals are “based on” other media. I am honestly blown away by the elegance and grace with which Stephanie Garber writes. They are everything I have ever wanted in a series. Review: These books are my absolute favorite. But most importantly, we read to find out: will they all get their true endings? We know the stakes are high because the fates are released, but what Stephanie Garber has in store for her readers is in a whole other dimension! There is so much we need to find out that there is a new surprise on every page. We begin the story with Legend pretending to be Elantine’s lost heir and is beginning to celebrate his coronation. Paloma is still unconscious, Elantine is dead, and Jacks is still a very dangerous scoundrel. Please be advised that while I will not include spoilers for this book, there will be spoilers for the series thus far, as it is inevitable.īook 3 picks up where book 2 leaves off: the Fates are free, Tella and Legend are at odds with each other and Julian and Scarlett are on thin ice. Finale by Stephanie Garber is the final(e) book of the Caraval trilogy.
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She's now dating a real estate mogul named Michael Wolfmann, but there's trouble in paradise: Wolfmann’s wife and her boyfriend want Fay’s help in committing Wolfmann to a mental institution to make off with his money. There’s a quest, of sorts, resembling the concept of a '40s noir: In 1970, private investigator Larry “Doc” Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) is visited by his tall, tanned California ex-flame Shasta Fay (Katherine Waterston, a femme fatale in an orange high-necked minidress). Considering all this, the stakes were always going to be too high for this film.īut at its most basic level, Inherent Vice, in book and film forms, isn't asking for probing inquiry: It's about a pothead bumbling around L.A. It’s directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the rare Hollywood creative who can produce enigmatic films of epic lengths within the studio system, the last of which, The Master, showed his unaccommodating art at its peak. The movie’s based on the 2009 novel by Thomas Pynchon, the notoriously camera-shy author considered a paradigmatic postmodernist. This is the blessing and the curse facing Inherent Vice, the rare stoner comedy that will receive more critical attention than it should. When a celebrated director helms the first-ever adaptation of a book by a notoriously cerebral author, the natural impulse is to overanalyze. Tiffany and Vid and their tween daughter, Dakota, are Erika and Oliver’s neighbors and invite Erika and Oliver over for a BBQ. When we jump ahead in time we learn how the traumatic event has affected each of the people involved and their relationships with each other. Each time we flash back we get a little closer to learning what the traumatic event was. The day of the BBQ, two months later, the day of the BBQ, two months later, and so on and so forth. We learn early on that something horrible happened that put a strain on the relationship between best friends Clementine and Erika, but we don’t know what. In “Truly Madly Guilty” we follow 6 adults and 3 children back and forth in time. We not only look into how it affected their friendships, but also their marriages. Imagine you experience a traumatic event with a group of people, does that event bring you closer together or push you apart? Liane Moriarty explores the relationship of 3 couples after an event that rocked all of their worlds. “Sunset Boulevard” symbolizes in its style the transition from the already decaying old glamour of the movie capital to a more cynical and world-wise “New Hollywood.” Indeed, at once bitter and satirucal, the film provides a fascinating look at the Hollywood film industry at a crucial time of its history. With this film, Wilder mixes a psychological melodrama with a dark comedy for the first time. Produced by Charles Brackett and co-written by Billy Wilder and Brackett, “Sunset Boulevard” was nominated for several Oscar Awards, but the big winner in 1950 was Joseph Mankiewicz’s “All About Eve,” which also offers a biting look at showbusiness, this time the Broadway theater. Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard is one of his three or four masterpieces, a seminal Hollywood black comedy-satire, which unlike most films keeps improving with the passage of time.īenfiting from a glorious and iconic cast, the film concerns a faded silent film star, played by Gloria Swanson (in a variation of her own onscreen persona), who lives in the past with her butler (and former husband), while sheltering a young hack screenwriter as a kept lover. □ Back in the day the treadmill was used to punish prisoners sentenced to hard labor. 2/3 of American women are afraid to walk their neighborhood at night. Restrictions and risk of physical abuse has limited women’s access roaming freely. □ Walking has been much more accessible to men than women. Most of his philosophy was born during his long walks. □ Rousseau believed that the original man wandered the forests in solitude, living a simplistic life. □ About the car mentality of modern day America: “People seem to have a mental radius on how far they are willing to walk, and it’s shrinking.” Notes and Highlights from Wanderlust: A History of Walking It sounds kind of dry and boring but for some reason (and I can’t really put my finger on why), it kept my interest all the way through. Just to mention a few of the topics covered. In Wanderlust: A History of Walking, Rebecca Solnit, explores walking’s influence on philosophizing/writing/thinking, women’s rights to roam freely, the “walking gardens” of leisure class, political marches and the automobilization of public spaces. Walking and it’s influence on the world and human thought The book is better described as a collection of musings and digressions around the subject of walking in the context of cultural history. Wanderlust tagline, A History of Walking, is a bit misleading because it feels very superficial as a history book. Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit But I still wasn’t satisfied when I finished reading it. To be fair, Robards does a fantastic job giving Bianca some internal conflict, and FD stroked my romantic feathers (oh, boy, did it!). I wish these books would deliver what they promise, namely a deep dive into Bianca’s character and her relationships. But on the other hand, I hate being teased. On one hand, I freaking love it, because it’s clever, fast-paced action with vivid description and likable characters. I’ve decided to have a love-hate relationship with this series. I read Moscow Deception (MD) and Fifth Doctrine (FD) back to back, so this is kinda-sorta a review for both. I would like to thank Karen Robards, Harlequin/Mira, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Got a love-hate relationship with this series Alliances, betrayal, assassination, gory battles, torture, and cruelty mark this blood-soaked historical, and Napier describes it all vividly and with sword-pounding impact. It is a story of two men - Attila the Hun and Aetius the Roman. The hitch: Aëtius and Attila are old friends from their exile days. And his name is Attila - 'the Scourge of God'.Thus begins a saga of warfare, lust and power, which brought the whole of the Christian world to its knees, and was only ended in blood on the fields of France. Napier also smartly tells of events on the Roman side as conspiracies and rivalries split the Roman empire, and Aëtius, an out-of-favor Roman general, is tasked with saving Rome from the Hun invaders. Attila, bitter and full of hatred for Rome (and pretty much everybody else), is determined to destroy the Roman and Chinese empires, and the book is rife with Attila's bloody machinations as he murders his rivals, slaughters enemy armies, and uses guile and deception to amass allies. as Attila returns to claim the Hun throne after 30 years in exile. The colorful story is told by a Roman scribe, Priscus of Panium, and begins in 441 A.D. The pseudonymous Napier continues his excellent portrayal of Attila's turbulent life in this second installment to his trilogy (after Attila There is a card for each animal as well as the mitten, Nicki, and Baba. On the right, kids can see what animal is coming up next.Īfterward, show them the character cards. On the left, kids can follow Nicki on his adventure. Notice the mitten illustrations in the sidebar on each page. Be sure to share the pictures as you read so they can follow along. Your preschoolers will love the story, and Jan Brett’s illustrations add an additional level of engagement throughout the entire book. A series of animals discover the mitten and snuggle in to stay warm. As he goes out to play in the snow, he drops one. In Jan Brett’s The Mitten, Nicki wants his Baba to make him a pair of white mittens. With several different activities included in this story sequencing activity for preschoolers, your little ones can practice story sequencing, retelling with character cards, and ordinal number practice.Īll you’ll need to do is print, laminate, cut, and go! This low-prep activity will be ready for use in no time. This free printable set includes sequencing discs, mat, and character cards. Young learners will practice ordering events with this set of The Mitten story sequence activities. With haunting, poetic writing and breathtaking art, she examines the strength of family, the importance of identity, and the meaning of home. Despite how impossible it seems to take on the simultaneous roles of both parent and child, Bui pushes through. At the heart of Bui's story is a universal struggle: While adjusting to life as a first-time mother, she ultimately discovers what it means to be a parent-the endless sacrifices, the unnoticed gestures, and the depths of unspoken love. Exploring the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family, Bui documents the story of her family's daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s, and the difficulties they faced building new lives for themselves. This beautifully illustrated and emotional story is an evocative memoir about the search for a better future and a longing for the past. About the Author Henry Horenstein is a widely published and exhibited professional photographer and the author of more than two dozen books, including the classic texts Black and White Photography and Beyond Basic Photography, and monographs such as Honky Tonk, Animalia, Show and Close Relations. The first digital textbook by legendary photography teacher Henry Horenstein, Digital Photography is the best guide yet for aspiring digital photographers, essential both for photographers transitioning from film to digital and those learning the art of photography for the first time. Topics covered include essential information for both film and digital photography, such as exposure controls and shutter speed, as well as digital-specific information on image editing, printing methods, and even file storage. All concepts are fully illustrated with sample work by internationally renowned professionals, representing editorial work, photojournalism, and everything in between. Book Synopsis This thorough, concise, and easy-to-use guide to capturing digital photographs provides an entire step-by-step course for budding digital photographers. About the Book This thorough, concise, and easy-to-use guide to capturing digital photographs provides an entire step-by-step course for budding digital photographers. |