We're on a roll in my household -- watched "Insurgent," the second DVD in The Divergent Series last night. Some parts are reminiscent of the "Hunger Games" series but different twists. I love that both have strong heroines.
Tris, her brother, Caleb, and Four are hiding out with the Amity group until Jeanine sends searchers out to find them. They make their escape but Jeanine is determined to find Tris to help her unlock secrets from the past. However, the results are not what Jeanine expected and those results send Tris and Four on a different path. I'm ready to watch the last movie in the series! pazt
Friday, September 30, 2016
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
"Divergent"
"Divergent" - the DVD - No, I haven't read the book and because I have so many books to read, I think I'll just enjoy watching the movies. My daughter gave her dad the third movie for his birthday but suggested we watch the first two before watching it. So...we just watched the first movie, "Divergent."
This film is full of action from start to finish. Society in this future world is divided into groups - the peacekeepers, the food growers, the governing body,the smart ones, etc. but our heroine,Tris, discovers she is an anomaly - a Divergent -- and Divergents have to keep their secret because they threaten the "stability" of this world. When she trains to be a peacekeeper, she meets Four and a bond is formed. However, being Divergent means always being on your guard and not knowing who you can trust. I loved this movie and am ready to watch the next one! pazt
This film is full of action from start to finish. Society in this future world is divided into groups - the peacekeepers, the food growers, the governing body,the smart ones, etc. but our heroine,Tris, discovers she is an anomaly - a Divergent -- and Divergents have to keep their secret because they threaten the "stability" of this world. When she trains to be a peacekeeper, she meets Four and a bond is formed. However, being Divergent means always being on your guard and not knowing who you can trust. I loved this movie and am ready to watch the next one! pazt
Monday, September 26, 2016
"The Dramatist"
Ken Bruen's "The Dramatist" is his fourth novel in the Jack Taylor series. Jack, a former Garda, is off the booze, the pills, illegal drugs, and working on giving up cigarettes. One reason: his former drug dealer is in prison so he no longer has a source.
His life begins to get complicated again, though,when his former drug dealer asks him to visit him in prison and offers to pay him to discover who killed his younger sister, a university student. Reluctantly, Jack agrees and his investigation leads him to the similar death of another young woman.
In the meantime, he had coffee with a woman he still cares deeply for and discovered her husband had beat her. She didn't want him to take any action but, when she told her husband she'd met with Jack, her husband sought him out and beat him senseless. Five days in the hospital and a permanent limp later and Jack is back at work on his investigation but not before he has a run in with the Pikemen (a vigilante group that includes Garda) and they want him to join him.
Life is never easy for Jack and one investigation always seems to get sidetracked by other events. When he finally discovers who is behind the murders of the young women and why, he confronts his suspect who he has learned has a third victim in mind -- a murder Jack intends to prevent at any cost.
I don't find Bruen's books "riveting" and I sometimes have difficulty wading through his poetry and references to other books and music because that distracts me from the story but I always finish them and I always enjoy the mysteries and story plot twists. This one ends with a shocking twist that I'm glad I didn't miss. pazt
His life begins to get complicated again, though,when his former drug dealer asks him to visit him in prison and offers to pay him to discover who killed his younger sister, a university student. Reluctantly, Jack agrees and his investigation leads him to the similar death of another young woman.
In the meantime, he had coffee with a woman he still cares deeply for and discovered her husband had beat her. She didn't want him to take any action but, when she told her husband she'd met with Jack, her husband sought him out and beat him senseless. Five days in the hospital and a permanent limp later and Jack is back at work on his investigation but not before he has a run in with the Pikemen (a vigilante group that includes Garda) and they want him to join him.
Life is never easy for Jack and one investigation always seems to get sidetracked by other events. When he finally discovers who is behind the murders of the young women and why, he confronts his suspect who he has learned has a third victim in mind -- a murder Jack intends to prevent at any cost.
I don't find Bruen's books "riveting" and I sometimes have difficulty wading through his poetry and references to other books and music because that distracts me from the story but I always finish them and I always enjoy the mysteries and story plot twists. This one ends with a shocking twist that I'm glad I didn't miss. pazt
Sunday, September 18, 2016
"The Color Of Magic"
"The Color Of Magic (2 Part DVD) runs 197 minutes and is based on a Terry Pratchett book. I'm not sure I could read one of his books but I love the DVD's I've watched. Pratchett wrote kind of "off the wall" or very strange stuff but when a movie brings one of his books to life, I love it!
Although my spouse and I have watched this one before some time ago, he checked it out from the library and we had a post-dinner, all evening viewing to see it in one session. (We did stop for ice cream between the 2 parts!). If you're looking for something light and don't mind a little quirkiness, check this out! pazt
Although my spouse and I have watched this one before some time ago, he checked it out from the library and we had a post-dinner, all evening viewing to see it in one session. (We did stop for ice cream between the 2 parts!). If you're looking for something light and don't mind a little quirkiness, check this out! pazt
Saturday, September 17, 2016
"Stone Cold"
"Stone Cold" by Robert B. Parker is his 4th Jesse Stone novel. Jesse is Chief of Police in the small town of Paradise, Massachusetts but his police background was in California. He left California after his drinking (and continued love for his ex-wife) became an issue. Paradise may not be the big city but it has its share of crime and having a police chief who is adept at solving crimes has its benefits.
Leaving California did not solve his ex-wife problems, though, because she has followed him to Massachusetts. She may not live in Paradise but is close enough to be a constant reminder of how much he still loves her.
"Stone Cold" has Jesse solving two cases - one is fairly easy but the murders of random people with no seeming ties or motives by two serial killers working together has the town on edge and the lack of clues has Stone stymied. He and his department call on state resources for help and eventually Jesse thinks he has identified suspects but has no way to prove they are the killers -- until they appear to target him! Great police work by Jesse, the state, and his department finally help him to an arrest but not before tragedy strikes the Paradise police department.
The "easy" case involves a young high school girl who is gang raped by three male students who blackmail her into silence with the threat of showing pictures around that they took of their crime. The girl's mother doesn't want the case pursued because she doesn't want her daughter's name to come out but, working with the young woman and her father, Jesse is able to identify and arrest the assailants thanks to a wise woman in his department and "Suitcase" Simpson.
Jesse Stone cases may tend to be gruesome but the caring of Chief Stone shows through when he is working a case and the glimpses into his personal life struggles make him very real. I look forward to the next book in the series, "Sea Change." pazt
Leaving California did not solve his ex-wife problems, though, because she has followed him to Massachusetts. She may not live in Paradise but is close enough to be a constant reminder of how much he still loves her.
"Stone Cold" has Jesse solving two cases - one is fairly easy but the murders of random people with no seeming ties or motives by two serial killers working together has the town on edge and the lack of clues has Stone stymied. He and his department call on state resources for help and eventually Jesse thinks he has identified suspects but has no way to prove they are the killers -- until they appear to target him! Great police work by Jesse, the state, and his department finally help him to an arrest but not before tragedy strikes the Paradise police department.
The "easy" case involves a young high school girl who is gang raped by three male students who blackmail her into silence with the threat of showing pictures around that they took of their crime. The girl's mother doesn't want the case pursued because she doesn't want her daughter's name to come out but, working with the young woman and her father, Jesse is able to identify and arrest the assailants thanks to a wise woman in his department and "Suitcase" Simpson.
Jesse Stone cases may tend to be gruesome but the caring of Chief Stone shows through when he is working a case and the glimpses into his personal life struggles make him very real. I look forward to the next book in the series, "Sea Change." pazt
Thursday, September 8, 2016
"The Other Woman"
"The Other Woman" Hank Phillippi Ryan immediately caught and held my attention. Ryan is an investigative reporter in Boston and has won 27 Emmys and 10 Edward R. Murrow awards for her reporting. She's also the bestselling author of four mystery novels and has won the Agatha,Anthony, and Macavity awards. She serves on the national board of directors of Mystery Writers of America as well as Sisters In Crime. You can visit her on the Web at www.hankphillippiryan.com.
Ryan's heroine in "The Other Woman" is a disgraced TV reporter, Jane Ryland, Jane has found a job on a local newspaper and has been assigned the task of finding out why a current candidate's wife is not making public appearances.
In the meantime Detective Jake Brogan who she'd love to be romantically involved with (and he reciprocates the feeling but it would complicate both their jobs) is investigating a series of murders of women found by bridges in Boston. The media thinks there is a serial "bridge" killer on the loose but Brogan doesn't think the murders are connected but how to prove that to his boss and the media?!
As the two work their investigations separately, information begins to throw them together making them both wonder what is going on?! When a woman who was Jane's unnamed source in a story that cost her the TV reporter job, becomes one of the murder victims, Brogan begins to worry for Jane's safety. I stayed up till 2 a.m. to finish the book and I'm ready for her next one! pazt
Ryan's heroine in "The Other Woman" is a disgraced TV reporter, Jane Ryland, Jane has found a job on a local newspaper and has been assigned the task of finding out why a current candidate's wife is not making public appearances.
In the meantime Detective Jake Brogan who she'd love to be romantically involved with (and he reciprocates the feeling but it would complicate both their jobs) is investigating a series of murders of women found by bridges in Boston. The media thinks there is a serial "bridge" killer on the loose but Brogan doesn't think the murders are connected but how to prove that to his boss and the media?!
As the two work their investigations separately, information begins to throw them together making them both wonder what is going on?! When a woman who was Jane's unnamed source in a story that cost her the TV reporter job, becomes one of the murder victims, Brogan begins to worry for Jane's safety. I stayed up till 2 a.m. to finish the book and I'm ready for her next one! pazt
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