#Nick Bradley Book Review

[rosemaryhelenxo]

The Cat And The City by Nick Bradley Book Review + Other Book Recommendations | Press - Affiliate

I am thrilled to grow and evolve my exclusive influencer discounts, specially curated for my fellow beauty and lifestyle fans – with this, I am now an affiliate for Waterstones! With this new partnership it means I can bring you special content, a heads up on any amazing deals coming out and other exclusive goodies! As a bookworm myself, I am very very excited to begin this great…

[claireelizabethsblog]

~September & October's Books Reviewed~

So, as one might be able to guess, it's been two rather slow months of reading... or rather there was a period of slowness in the middle as in theory I read one book in September, had a moment and then read two very quickly at the end of October. Rather than having two very mini posts though, I felt it was better to have one at least vaguely substantial one! So yes, here is September and October combined!

Bewitched by Laura Thelssa

(443 pages)

Objectively, and subjectively, crap. I try not to unreasonably bash on books since I know that just because I didn't enjoy it doesn't mean others wouldn't, and vice versa. For example, I know that many of the books I love and have reread several times are objectively not that great, and similarly, having looked at this book on Goodreads I know lots of people love this book and the authors style. I, unfortunately, am not one of them. I really didn't enjoy any of the characters, nor their relationships, and the plot wasn't nearly engaging enough for me to forget about that. As such, I would easily say this was the worst book I've read in a long time (or certainly the least enjoyable reading experience I've had). That being said, if you're into supernatural romances and willing to look past some morally grey situations then you might enjoy this more than me. It is 100% an 18+ book (you have been warned), and also, I really struggled with the dubious consent throughout it in regards to the main relationship, just to also put that warning out there. I think based off this review it can be no surprise to anyone that...

I gave this book 1 star ⭐

Four Seasons in Japan by Nick Bradley

(326 pages - hardback)

I'm contrast to the previous book (which can maybe be blamed for my break in traditional literature for a hot minute there), I really really enjoyed this book! It was rather different from the usual books I'd pickup, but I'd seen it recommended everywhere and I have to say it was everything I was needing from a book in this grey autumnal time. It was really gentle and comforting and just all around gentle. I did find the ending a little sudden, and I was waiting for the two storylines to become a little more interwoven to be honest (or at least the two principal characters from the two storylines - although I understand that they realistically couldn't actually, I was just waiting for a bit of a plot twist in the reveal of the characters I think - I realise that isn't very clear but I don't want to spoil it for anyone!). However, like I said, I truly loved this book, I wish I had read it quicker, or at least all in one go rather than starting and then accidentally taking an extended break from it because then I think it could even have been in contention for a full five star rating! I would really recommend this book to the majority of people, I've recommended it already to both my mother and my flatmate, two people with very different tastes in books generally, so that should be testament to the overall easy feeling and gorgeous prose of this book that I think makes it very accessible and enjoyable to a large audience.

I gave this book 4 stars ⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️

Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang

(322 pages - hardback)

I finished this book and felt weirdly chilled and illeasy. It definitely freaked me out in a very subtle manner. It is incredibly well written and you have no way of knowing who to root for, or even what to believe at times. It raises so many important moral questions, especially around racism and xenophobia, as well as around ownership and intellectual property. I think that's in many ways why it left you feeling weirdly uncomfortable at points as it forced you to confront a lot of unfairness and the corrupt nature of society that is still so prevalent and ingrained. I also especially enjoyed it for its setting in the publishing world which is obviously my own industry. It was largely very accurate about a lot of the technical sides of the industry, however I am thankful to say that my experiences on the other side of the industry from Juniper have not been nearly as fraught or riddled with controversy!

I gave this book 4.5 stars ⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️🌗

[chillingcinemachronicles]

Best Animated Movies on Netflix for a Visual Feast

1. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Director: Joel Crawford

Cast: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Wagner Moura

Lights, camera, VPNaction! Elevate your movie nights with NordVPN. 🎥🔒secure your connection and Download NordVPN . Click now to unlock global cinematic thrills!

Sequels released over a decade after the first film are always a gamble, but Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was one of multiple films from 2022 (Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water) that actually improved upon its predecessor. Eleven years after the first Puss in Boots, the eponymous rascally cat has now burned through eight of his nine lives on his various adventures, reteaming with Kitty Softpaws in pursuit of the Last Wish, which would restore his lives. Along the way, he tries to outrun Goldilocks — hoping to attain the Last Wish for herself — and a menacing wolf who mysteriously stalks Puss. Like other DreamWorks films post-Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the blend of 2-D and 3-D is striking in its visual texture, particularly in action sequences, but its darkly authentic themes of anxiety and the value of friendship resonate most of all.

2. Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017)

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: David Soren

Cast: Kevin Hart, Ed Helms, Nick Kroll, Thomas Middleditch, Jordan Peele, Kristen Schaal

Lights, camera, VPNaction! Elevate your movie nights with NordVPN. 🎥🔒secure your connection and Download NordVPN . Click now to unlock global cinematic thrills!

The wildly popular Captain Underpants book series has kept kids entertained since 1997, but it wasn't until 20 years later that the tighty-whities-clad hero made it to the big screen. The First Epic Movie centers on George and Harold, fourth-grader best friends who create the Captain Underpants comic book and hypnotize their strict principal into becoming the superhero — who doesn't actually have superpowers. Kid-friendly without being too mind-numbing to their parents, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie has "charm to spare," praises EW's critic, noting it works "mostly because it never tries to be more or less than what it is." It also spawned a series on Netflix, The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants, which ran from 2018 to 2020.

3. The Angry Birds Movie (2016)

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly

Cast: Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Kate McKinnon, Sean Penn, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Bill Hader, Peter Dinklage

While it may be damning with faint praise to give credit to The Angry Birds Movie for not being a total disaster...it really could've been much worse. Based on the wildly popular app of the same name, the film follows Red (voiced by Jason Sudeikis), a talking bird who comes to suspect that his island's new pig inhabitants have malicious intent. Your mileage may vary depending on your tolerance for punny/juvenile humor, but as EW's review notes, the film "delivers a mildly diverting mix of winky meta-jokes and moral lessons, cannily aimed at both the next generation of tiny consumers and their more sophisticated parents.

4. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)

Director: Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson

Cast: Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Burn Gorman, Ron Perlman, John Turturro, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Tim Blake Nelson, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton

Codirectors Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson transport the classic story of Pinocchio to World War II-era Italy in this meticulously crafted stop-motion animated film. Following the death of his young son, carpenter Geppetto cuts down a tree and carves a wooden boy, who is subsequently brought to life and dubbed Pinocchio. As the boy ventures to the outside world, he is met with dark forces that attempt to use and corrupt him, all against the backdrop of Benito Mussolini's reign as leader of Fascist Italy. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is a darker take on the tale compared to the well-known Disney adaptation (which also received a far-inferior live-action remake in 2022). From the fraught setting to the detailed creature designs, del Toro and Gustafson create a distinct world while providing valuable life lessons to viewers of all ages. The film became the first Netflix production to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

5. The Sea Beast (2022)

Director: Chris Williams

Cast: Karl Urban, Zaris-Angel Hator, Jared Harris, Marianne Jean-Baptiste

Lights, camera, VPNaction! Elevate your movie nights with NordVPN. 🎥🔒secure your connection and Download NordVPN . Click now to unlock global cinematic thrills!

A brave orphan girl named Maisie stows away aboard a ship of sea monster hunters in The Sea Beast, helmed by Big Hero 6's co-director Chris Williams. The sailors are renowned for their hunting abilities, though their status is threatened by their society's admiral, who wishes to replace them. They go out on one last hunt to track down a powerful sea beast called the Red Bluster, but, as Maisie soon discovers, the creatures may not have the kind of malicious intent for which they've come to be known. With dazzling colors, fast-paced thrills, and classical storytelling, it's easy to see why The Sea Beast became Netflix's most watched animated original film as of October 2022, according to the streamer. The film also earned a Best Animated Feature nomination at the Oscars, following a wave of critical praise.

[xihe1874]

The first chapter of my IceMav "You've Got Mail" AU promised to you!

Tell me what you think! Like it? No? I want to hear everything!

Since I will be back to work tomorrow, I expect my updates to slow down a bit. But I will post as soon as I can.

--------

Pairing: Iceman/Maverick, Carole/Goose

Rating: T

Word Count: 1680

Completed: No

Additional Tags: Fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Lovers, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Competition, Texting, Falling In Love, Getting Together, Love Confessions, Mutual Pining, Alternate Universe - You've Got Mail Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Interior Designer Maverick, Interior Designer Iceman, Chatting & Messaging, Anonymity, Idiots in Love

-------

“Wallpaper?”

“Ready, Mav. Exactly the kind of pinkish blue-green you asked for, though I believe Ellen from the purchasing department is going to kill us.”

“She won’t, we are her bosses. Curtains?” 

Pete Mitchell, endearingly called by his close friends (or friend, honestly, who is walking beside him right now) as “Maverick”, takes the cup of iced black coffee from Nick Bradshow, or “Goose”, co-founder of M+G Design Ltd. 

“Done. But do you really think brocade will go with the style? Most people will choose linen if you ask me.”

Pete walks into the elevator and holds the door for Nick. “Well, what can I say?” He pulls down the aviator and winks at the moustached blonde, who rolls his eyes. “I am not most people. Most people can't start the number one interior design company in the state from scratch, either.”

“I admire your confidence, Mav, I always do, but…” The lift dings, and they strides towards their office, greeting employees on the way. “But someone may have something to say about the number one thing. Some Kazansky guy, to be specific.”

Pete dumps the tons of folders he is holding on his desk, randomly opens one and takes some glances, before drops it on top of the pile to his left. “I don’t know how many times I have told you, Goose, but trust me, that pompous dumbass can’t even hold a candle to us.”

“I don’t know, Mav…” Nick sits down and strokes his chin. His serious and deep-in-thought face triggers a string of uncontrollable giggles from Mav, and the brunette receives a smack with a scroll on the head. “That guy is good. Perfect grades, top-notch university, turned down several excellent PhD offers, ace at the Minimalist and Scandinavian… and so many famous projects. Remember the Jester’s house? Yeah, yeah,” Nick waves at Pete, “I know you can do that too.”

“All right, I admit he is not bad, OK? He knows his stuff, unlike all the others. BUT.” Pete slaps the table to emphasise the word. “He lacks creativity. It’s 2022 now, who still needs a one hundred percent by-the-book boring dork to design their homes?”

“Hmm, Beau Simpson? You know, that famous movie star who speaks of Kazansky like he has a huge crush on his interior designer.” Nick glances at his phone and puts it away. “We have a meeting at ten with the suppliers. ”

“Meeting with the suppliers.” Pete repeats. “Always the worst. And, Simpson probably does. That guy is not horrible to look at. What?” He flips Nick off at his suggestive smirk. “Just being objective. Relax, Goose, Kazansky Concept is no match for our ‘innovative boldness and pioneering unorthodoxy’, as I quote Penny from Design Review.”

“Annnd we both know why she said that.” Goose shrugs. “Mav, I just… The Viper project is no joke, OK? He is the most respected art critic in this country, and getting this assignment is gonna mean a hell lot for our company. For us. I just don't want to let Carole and Bradley down.”

Pete softens. He rises and goes to his best friend, offering him a half-hug. “We won't. I promise.”

They have been working almost two months on the proposal for Mike Metcalf's new villa, or as they refer to it, the Viper project. That old man is notorious for being extremely picky at the layout of his houses, and, unfortunately, he has profound influence in the industry. So all staff at M+G have been keeping their noses to the grindstone as the deadline of submitting the final pitch approaches. 

Rumors have that Kazansky Concept also eyes the project hungrily. Tom Kazansky, founder and CEO of that company, recently expressed his absolute self-assurance about getting the contract. “We have every confidence that Mr. Metcalf will choose Kazansky Concept for our scrupulous attention to detail and cautious professionalism.” The blonde flashed his perfect teeth at the camera (Did he bleach and spike his hair? Looks ridiculous.) “We are not some amateurs who casually and carelessly experiment with clients’ precious properties.”

Pete snorts at that smug face in the Youtube video, titled “Interior Designer WAR? Kazansky implicitly called Mitchell ‘an amateur’! ”. 

—-You know what’s worse than meetings with suppliers? This Kazansky idiot. 

Another day busy as a bee, and when they walk out of the building, night has drawn in. 

Pete waves goodbye to Nick who lives with his wife and child, and walks home by himself. He lives in a luxury flat two blocks away from the company, alone. Now, being single is not uncommon at the age of 32, plus he is happily married to the job. He has flings, sure, but he never finds someone who is worth settling down for. Maybe he just has to keep looking.

When he is about to turn the corner, Pete catches a glimpse of some posters on the wall. In the dim light, he can barely make out the words on it. 

“Anonymous chat… safe and private… find your soulmate… make relationships pure and simple again… one heart to another…”

Pete blinks and shakes his head dismissively. 

He takes two steps, and then stops. 

—-----------

Twenty minutes later, Pete is back at his dining room, eating Chinese takeaway. He takes out his phone and stares at the snap. Driven by some unknown forces, he inputs the website in the browser and hits enter. 

A mail emoji appears on the screen, followed by a short list of log-in questions.

“The website can use some designing…” Pete murmurs and looks at the quiz. “Choose your call sign? What is it, secret pilot program?” He hesitates for one second, before entering “Maverick”. There is no chance that Goose, a contentedly married man, will use this website, so he is safe.

He answers the remaining questions (“Gender… Male… Aged over 18? Of course…”) then sees a progress bar. When that ends, a message pops up reading “Congrats! You have found your soulmate!”

Pete rolls his eyes. 

He is matched by the website with some anonym called… Iceman? 

Pete tentatively types.

[Maverick: Hello?]

The response comes immediately.

[Iceman: Hi.]

[Maverick: I thought it would take longer for a… thing named Iceman to reply.]

[Iceman: A thing?]

[Maverick: I am still not sure whether or not you are a robot.]

[Iceman: I am the same species as you.]

[Maverick: What if I am a robot?]

The response slows down a bit. Pete can’t tell if the thing is amused or worried.

[Iceman: Sounds suitable for a thing named Maverick.]

Pete smiles.

[Maverick: Why are you calling yourself Iceman? You like being cold?]

[Iceman: I actually hate coldness. But that’s what my friends call me.]

[Maverick: You must be very calm then.]

[Iceman: You can say that.]

[Maverick: Calm people are the worst.]

[Iceman: Why?]

A certain blonde comes to Pete’s mind. He throws away the empty beer can and types.

[Maverick: They are often fakers. Upright on the surface but full of evil shit on the inside. 

I bet you are one of those people.]

[Iceman: Such a charmer.]

Pete huffs a laugh. Is this Iceman thing flirting with him?

[Maverick: I am competing with one of such bastards irl rn. 

It's the worst situation, if you believe me.]

[Iceman: Actually, I do, although mine is exactly the opposite as I am fighting the most reckless and impulsive dummy on this planet.

Blowing their own trumpet all the time.]

[Maverick: Is that why you are using this website? To let the stream out a bit?]

[Iceman: Yeah. That guy is brainless, but they are good at their job, if I am being completely honest. 

I have to work extremely hard.]

[Maverick: What a coincidence, huh? We are both stuck with some idiots.]

Pete washes and dries his face, casting sidelong glances at his phone the whole time. When no reply is coming, he grabs the device.

[Maverick: I am so fucking tired because of the current task.]

[Iceman: Me too. Everyone has such high expectations, so I have to put in extra effort and pretend to be relaxed.

Sometimes being too outstanding is hard.]

Pete sinks himself into the king-size bed. 

[Maverick: I am stunned by your humbleness.]

[Iceman: I only speak the truth.]

[Maverick: So, tell me, Iceman, what do you do irl?]

[Iceman: I create dreams.]

[Maverick: Now we are entering mythology. Should you change your call sign to Jesus?]

[Iceman: What about you? Your job?]

[Maverick: I create better dreams.]

There is no response for a long time. Pete turns and tosses and decides he is not going to fall asleep in a while.

[Maverick: Where are you?]

[Iceman: Missing me already, Maverick?]

Pete doesn’t want to acknowledge the funny somersaults his heart is doing. Really, this is so stupid, he is not feeling things just because some anonymous person he just met online is teasing him. He is not a teenager, come on.

[Maverick: In the dreams you create, maybe, Iceman.]

[Iceman: I was just getting ready for bed.]

Huh. So they seem to be in similar time zones. 

[Maverick: Is it OK if I ask where you come from? 

Doesn’t matter, I ask that already.]

[Iceman: My origins are kinda complicated, But now I work in California.]

[Maverick: OMG. ME TOO.]

[Iceman: What a coincidence.]

[Maverick: Do you think we will ever meet irl?]

Long silence.

[Iceman: I hope not.]

[Maverick: ... Why?]

[Iceman: My elegance will take your breath away.]

Pete giggles.

[Maverick: Should I learn to get used to your humbleness?]

[Iceman: You probably should.

Good night, Maverick. Good luck fighting your calm fool.]

[Maverick: And good luck defeating your careless idiot, Iceman.]

Pete bites his lower lip and sends the last message.

[Maverick: Will I see you again?

I mean online, of course.]

[Iceman: You can count on it. Night.]

Before he puts the phone away on the bedside table, he receives an email from Mike's secretary, inviting him to a party for shortlisted designers. Pete scrolls down and groans when he sees the guest list.

Kazansky is invited too. 

Fan-fucking-tastic. 

[calturnerreviews]

#BlogTour – #BookReview of #FourSeasonsInJapan by Nick Bradley @nasubijutsu @PenguinUKBooks @RandomTTours #RandomThingsTours 

I’m delighted to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for the unique and moving Four Seasons In Japan by Nick Bradley. Thank you to Anne Cater and Penguin Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this beautiful book. About the book: From the critically acclaimed author of BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick The Cat and The City comes a love-letter to Japanese culture, landscape, and…

[hammerbottoms]

Review of 2022 Season

Summary

A mixed season. Three games, against Bude, Arundel Grasshoppers and the Hermits were cancelled as the opposition were unable to raise a team and, for the first year in our history, the Hammer Bottoms also struggled on a few occasions to raise a full side. Andrew did a great job to recruit some younger players all of whom contributed with bat and ball. The early season tour, with the one cricket fixture against Bude being cancelled by them was a fun golf tour in Cornwall while the end of season tour to Copenhagen, while enjoyable, was something of a “Røvfuld” which, in Danish, means a Bottom Spanking! 

In total, we played ten matches. We Won two; Drew four; and Lost four. We have now played in a total of 19 countries, seven English counties and on 50 different grounds…

Lynchmere - Draw

A timed game at Lynchmere. We declared on 193 for five after 40 overs with thehighlight being a superb 113 runs from Dick White, surprisingly his first evercentury. Support came from Pacer Scholfield with 37 and Nick Colvin on 16. Lynchmere were 163 for six at the close of play with two wickets from each of Pacer and Freddie Saward and one each for Martin Waterhouse and Dick White.

Hambledon Invitational - Draw

A 60 over game at Lurgashall. Hambledon batted first and were all out for 184after 30 overs with a wicket each for Freddie Saward, Rishi Deb, Adam Saward, Pacer Scholfield, Dick White and Peter Doolen as well as three wickets for Chris Booth, a Bottoms debutant. (Our bowling also saw a season record breaking 24 runs scored off Peter Doolens’s first over.) In reply, we just survived our 30 overs thanks to solid batting at the end from James Blake and Dick White, ending on 140 for nine. Dick continued his run of form with 68 not out. Only others in double figures were Rishi Deb (14), Chris Booth (13) and Charlie Meade-King (12)

White Hunters - Won

A T20 game at Elsted. The White Hunters only had seven men so were lent Rishi Deb and Andrew Mackenzie for a nine a side game. Bottoms batted first and finished on 188 for four with four retired – Adam Saward (38), Spencer Dodd (33),Peter Doolen (30) and Otto Woolley (30) with useful runs also from Freddie Saward (27) and Dick White (18) (Against the Bottoms, Rishi Deb got two wickets.) The White Hunters finished their 20 overs on 143 for five with wickets for Adam Saward (2), Richard Reincke (1) and Peter Doolen(1). The score book is unclear as to which individuals were responsible but the Bottoms bowlers appear to have given away 18 wides!

Steep - Lost

This was a new fixture, an evening T20, on the delightful Steep group with the Bottoms spectators buoyed by Janet Waterhouse’s Rose! Steep reached 145 for six in their allotted overs with one wicket for Freddie Saward, two for MartinWaterhouse and a wonderful bamboozling three for 25 from Charlie Meade-King.The wickets included two good catches from Chris Booth and Bottom debutant,Giles Cover. In reply, the youth in our team did much of the work with Giles Cover retired after a quick 30 and scores of 20 from Will Fry, 14 from Freddie Saward and 11 from Chris Booth. At the end, Martin Waterhouse was 23 not out and Adam Saward,11 not out; they had put on a useful partnership, only just falling short of the target, ending our innings on 138 for four.

Mad Hatters - Won

A 70 over game at Elsted. The ten men Hatters batted first and were all out for 172 runs after 29 overs. The bowling highlight was the terrific “fivefor”….five wickets from 19 runs off six overs from Pacer Scholfield. Other wicket takers were Dick White (2), Martin Waterhouse (1) and James “Bradders” Bradley, a Bottoms debutant recruited by Hattie Blake. In reply, Bottoms set off strongly. Highlights were the opening pair, Freddie Saward (29) and Adam Saward retired on 30, followed by Bradders scoring a quick 30. Joe Cuthbert, another Hattie recruit (!) also scored a creditable 16. We reached the target with the loss of five wickets with skipper James Blake (who recruited Hattie) not out on 12 and Martin Waterhouse not out on nine. In the 17 matches against the Mad Hatters since 2007, the series is now 5-5.

Harry Baldwins - Draw

A 70 over game at Lurgashall. Hammer Bottoms were put into bat and were all out for a very creditable 195 in the 35th over. Main contributors to our innings were Freddie Saward (56 not out), Martin Waterhouse (36), David Sewell (35) and Adam Saward (19). In reply, the Harry Baldwins were 162 for six after their 35 overs. Wickets for Adam Saward (20, Tom Twyford (2), Richard Reincke (2).Andrew took two catches (and dropped a sitter!) and Freddie took a brilliant catch at Mid Wicket.

West Meon - Draw

A 70 over game at Lurgashall. West Meon elected to bat and declared on 191 for five after 29 overs. Two wickets each for Chris Booth and Richard Livingston,(both 2022 recruits), and one wicket for Peter Doolen. The Bottoms were never really up to the run rate and were all out for 112 runs after 35 overs. Notable contributions to the scoreboard from Richard Livingston (31), David Sewell (24),Chris Booth (17) and Tom Twyford (13)

Bagdele ind Danmark / Bottoms in Denmark

A tour party of 27 visited Copenhagen for our 19th Bottoms tour to find a strong tradition of cricket in Denmark particularly amongst those over the age of 40. We played against two of the leading clubs in the “Old Boys” League and both teams included a number who had played for the Danish national team and one who had played for Namibia.

Glostrup Old Boys - Lost

A limited overs game played at Glostrup. Glostrup batted first and started aggressively with 14 runs off Pacer’s first over and kept up a brisk pace, scoring 214 for one wicket (from Dick White) off their 30 overs. Five of their players were retired on 30. In reply, Hammer Bottoms limped to 68 for nine, with James andAndrew not out at the end. Only Pacer Scholfield reached double figures, 14, before being run out trying for an ambitious third run. We were treated to a terrific BBQ after the game.

Danish Forty Club / Dansk XL - Lost

A limited overs game played at Svanholm Park. The Forty Club batted first and reached 158 for four after their 25 overs with four of their team retired on 20. A wicket each for Tom Twyford, Rishi Deb Dick White and Caspar Weston. In reply, the Bottoms were 94 for six after our 25 overs. Tom Twyford was retired on 22 and a higher team score was a struggle after three stumpings, for Dick White on 15 (his second stumping in two days), Pacer Scholfield and Caspar Weston. The other main contributor with the bat was Rishi Deb with 14. Another Røvfuld from the Danes.

Wimbledon Wombats - Lost

A 70 over game at Lurgashall. The Bottoms batted first and scored 168 for 3 after 35 overs. Useful contributions from Nick Colvin (33 not out), Joe Cuthbert (31 not out), Dick White (28), Tom Twyford (19 not out ),Pacer Scholfield (17 not out) and Extras scored 29, including 16 wides….but it never felt as if we had enough runs on the Board. The Wombats reached 172 within 27 overs and loss of just four wickets. It included 30 not out from Peter Doolen on loan to the Wombats from the Bottoms! Rishi Deb got two wickets with one wicket each for Martin Waterhouse and Joff Ring, another Bottoms debutant.

2023 Season Outlook

There is no doubt that we are not getting any younger and shall probably be looking to shrink our fixture list in 2023. Hopefully, we shall also be able to keepencouraging some younger players to join us. The Cornish Golf Tour is being repeated in April and we may try for a short game on the beautiful Bude pitch and it  would be nice to play cricket in a 20th country...currently that is a  C XI v D XI on Criccieth beach iin the middle of a short golf tour to North Wales in October 2023. 

2022 Seasons Awards:

Most Runs: Dick White (253)

Highest Innings: Dick White (113)

Highest Average (> 5 innings): Dick White (36.1)

Lowest Average (> 4 innings): Andrew Mackenzie (7.2)

Most Wickets: Pacer Scholfield (8)

Best Bowling Average: Adam Saward (20.6)

Most Expensive Over: Peter Doolen (24 runs)

Most Ducks: James Blake (2)

Clubman of the Year: Andrew Mackenzie

(Citation: Amazingly tenacious and patient in arranging the teams for each fixture,cajoling people to respond to emails, recruiting a number of youngsters to the Bottoms, great Umpiring…and generally injecting an enormous sense of fun into the Hammer Bottoms.)

[aion-rsa]

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 Episode 1 Review: Has the Story Outgrown the Limits of June’s Character?

https://ift.tt/3tW1MoN

This The Handmaid’s Tale review contains spoilers.

“Are you ready?” they asked June, holding a red hot cauteriser over her bleeding gunshot wound. “No,” she said, but they jabbed her anyway. Hard relate. The Handmaid’s Tale has been away for almost two years, and now it’s back, are we ready for the pain? Of course not, but it’s happening.

In any other show, episode one’s pain would have been been extreme. Esther’s story of a bloody act of revenge inspired by child sexual abuse would have been a rare depth plumbed, the culmination of a whole-series crime mystery, or a long-held simmering character secret. Here? It’s just another day in Gilead. Mrs Keyes (played with remarkable self-possession by 14-year-old actor McKenna Grace), is one awful story among thousands. 

Specifically, she’s the story June fears will become Hannah’s in the near future. In her numbed, feverish state, June conflated the two girls and called Esther by her daughter’s nickname in that final “I love you too, Banana,” scene.

Esther isn’t June’s only adoptive daughter, our lead is also the protector of Janine and all the other former Handmaids. Despite barely being able to walk, June insisted on approaching the safe house alone, signalling to them when it was safe to follow. When they were dancing like teenagers in the barn, she only looked on. She’s no longer one of them, but their leader – a resistance hero in command of an underground revolt. More than that, she’s become a celebrity in this world – a figurehead for everybody who wants to see Gilead burn. She’s Che Guevara, a symbol of revolution. If Gilead’s rebels could put her face on t-shirts, they would. 

A potential problem for season four is that symbols don’t make compelling characters. The transformation from person to icon can be fascinating, but once a character’s up on that pedestal, giving out rousing speeches and making the hard decisions, they’ve generally reached their climax. However supreme Elisabeth Moss remains in this role, there’s a sense that we may already have seen everything that June Osborne the character has to offer. How many times now have we watched June – as she did in this episode – suffer, collapse, and then rise up with a renewed sense of fight? Half a dozen? More? At some stage, a repeating pattern begins to lose impact.

Read more

TV

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 3 Recap: Baby Nichole, June’s Flight Plan and the Waterfords’ Fall

By Louisa Mellor

TV

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 Teaser Says Unite and Fight

By Louisa Mellor

That may not be fatal, because The Handmaid’s Tale is no longer June’s story. Not really. Thanks to her, it’s now the story of Gilead’s fall, starting with the loss of the children she saved. A highlight of this season opener was watching the Waterfords receive the news that not only were there now 86 new Baby Nicholes in Canada, but that June was behind it. The looks on their faces. That whole scene crackled with hostility, making the prospect of any return visit to those two tantalising. Fingers crossed their trial isn’t delayed much further.

Commander Lawrence’s trial came and went, without him, or us, and with a rug pull ending. All episode, he and the viewer had been led to believe that Lawrence was heading the way of Janine’s pig Mr Darcy and facing execution for his role in the mass break-out that happened under his nose. Not so. Nick’s retcon ascent to power must have shot him to such heights that he was able to argue the case for keeping Lawrence around for the war ahead. Given the choice between Bradley Whitford and no Bradley Whitford of course, any sane TV viewer would choose the former, even if his character’s survival stretches credulity in a world where arms are amputated and necks broken for much less.  

The episode denied us a glimpse at this season’s more compelling storyline – the fates of those children in the 19 days they’ve been on Canadian soil. While June was staggering around that farmstead getting her murderous groove back, it was hard not to let attention drift to the reunions and culture shock going on off-screen. How was Canada reacting to the bombshell arrival of those kids? Were Rita and Luke bonding? Did the sight of them bring back the Gilead trauma for Moira and Emily? Our investment in the stories of the ensemble is a credit to The Handmaid’s Tale’s thoughtful expansion of Margaret Atwood’s world.

It’s not just the production team who’ve expanded that world of course. Since season three aired, Atwood published Booker Prize-winning sequel The Testaments, set 15 years after the end of her original novel. For TV viewers who’ve read it, the book offers an endpoint for the series that will be fascinating to see reached.  

The opener’s other highlight came courtesy of the indomitable Ann Dowd. Aunt Lydia appeared in front of the Sons of Jacob bearing signs of torture after 19 days of interrogation by the Eyes. The experience hadn’t softened her permanent fury, but it did appear to have pointed it in a new direction. She hissed with disdain for the Sons, her required humility in their presence accompanied by what seemed like visceral contempt. Her parting line about them doing their jobs and bringing June to her, was almost delivered as a threat. What an actor, and what potential in her trajectory ahead.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Episodes one to three of The Handmaid’s Tale season four are streaming now on Hulu. Season four will air on Channel 4 in the UK at a later date.

The post The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 Episode 1 Review: Has the Story Outgrown the Limits of June’s Character? appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3u1gryO

[savewritingnsw]

Save Writing NSW

An open letter to Create NSW and the NSW Minister for the Arts

We, as writers and active members of the literary community, were dismayed by Create NSW’s decision not to grant Writing NSW Multi-Year Organisations Funding in their latest round, despite the fact that Writing NSW was recommended for funding.

This decision demonstrates the ongoing devaluation of literature within the Australian arts funding landscape. We know literature is the most popular artform in the country, with 87% of Australian reading some form of literary work in any given year, yet in this round Create NSW offered only 5.7% of their ongoing funding to literature organisations.

The decision to defund Writing NSW carries a particular sting. Writing NSW is the leading organisation representing writers in a state with a long literary history and one that is home to many of Australia’s leading publishers, writers, literary agents and other core participants in the Australian literary industry.

Writing NSW is an important stepping-stone for writers at the beginning of their careers, providing high quality professional development programs, and it also employs emerging and established writers to deliver and lead these programs. For decades the organisation has provided high-quality courses, seminars, workshops, festivals, events, grants and literary prizes. In putting such programs at risk, Create NSW is jeopardising both an entry point and an ongoing support system for writers.

Macquarie University research shows that the average income of an Australian author from their practice is $12,900. The current economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic makes the situation of writers even more precarious. Writing NSW offers key employment opportunities to writers, through teaching, publication, speaking engagements and both curatorial and judging positions. The removal of these opportunities will mean many writers will not be able to maintain the other income streams that support their writing careers.

The removal of $175,000 from a single source would be catastrophic for any business – not-for-profit or otherwise. For a government funding body to enact such a blunt economic withdrawal in the midst of a global pandemic and without concern for the economic flow-on effect to hundreds of industry professionals is deeply distressing.

We call on Create NSW to reverse this decision and ask them to reveal their future strategies for arts funding and how they plan to rectify the disparity in funding between other funded artforms and literature.

As writers, we will never accept the loss of a vibrant, essential cultural network such as Writing NSW.

What you can do We invite anyone affected by Create NSW’s decision – writers, publishers, literary agents, illustrators, readers alike – to co-sign this letter. You can copy and customise this letter to draft a version from your own point of view on this matter to send to a Member of Parliament.

To co-sign this letter, add your name here: shorturl.at/dERX6

Signatories

Pip Smith, Writer, creative writing teacher Sam Twyford-Moore, Writer and arts administrator Fiona Wright, Writer, editor, critic, reader Gabrielle Tozer, Author, writer, editor Brigid Mullane, Editor Jules Faber, Author, Illustrator Dr Christopher Richardson, Author and academic Liz Ledden, Author, podcaster, book reviewer Kate Tracy Ashley Kalagian Blunt, Writer, reviewer, reader Julie Paine, Writer Nick Tapper, Editor Belinda Castles, Writer and academic Simon Veksner, Writer Amanda Ortlepp, Writer, reader, reviewer, High School English Teacher Bronwyn Birdsall, Writer, editor Robin Riedstra, Writer, reviewer, reader, English teacher Dr Delia Falconer, Writer, critic, academic Robert McDonald, Author, writer, creative writing teacher Dr Kathryn Heyman, Author Wai Chim, Author Kirsten Krauth, Writer, editor Tricia Dearborn, Poet, writer, editor Dr Mireille Juchau, Writer Gail Jones, Writer Dr Jeff Sparrow, Writer, editor, academic Linda Jaivin, Writer, editor, translator Adara Enthaler, Poet, editor, literary arts manager Keighley Bradford, Writer, editor, arts and festival administrator Nicole Priest, Reader and aspiring writer Shamin Fernando, Writer Andrew Pippos, Writer Bianca Nogrady, Writer and journalist James Bradley, Writer Ali Jane Smith, Writer Dr Eleanor Limprecht Idan Ben-Barak, Writer Jennifer Mills, Writer Nicole Hayes, Writer, podcaster Michelle Starr, Writer/journalist Phillipa McGuinness, Writer and publisher Vanessa Berry, Writer and academic Blake Ayshford, Screenwriter Emily Maguire, Writer Sarah Lambert, Screenwriter Anwen Crawford, Writer Sarah Bassiuoni, Screenwriter Jackson Ryan, Writer, journalist, academic Simon Thomsen, Journalist, editor, other wordy stuff Ivy Shih, Writer Miro Bilbrough, Writer, filmmaker, screenwriting teacher, script editor Graham Davidson, Writer, artist, festival director Christos Tsiolkas, Writer JZ Ting, Writer, lawyer Susan Francis, Writer, teacher Suneeta Peres da Costa, Writer Dr Harriet Cunningham, Writer, critic, journalist Adele Dumont, Writer, reader Sheree Strange, Writer, book reviewer, book seller Phil Robinson, Reader Ashleigh Meikle, Reader, writer, book blogger Naomi RIddle, Writer, editor Cathal Gwatkin-Higson, Writer, book seller Hannah Carroll Chapman, Screenwriter Angela Meyer, Writer, editor Steve Blunt, Reader, supporter Ambra Sancin, Writer, arts administrator Michelle Baddiley, Writer, reader, archive producer Dinuka McKenzie, Writer, reader Catherine C. Turner, Writer, reader, freelance editor and publisher, arts worker Hilary Davidson, Writer, poet, academic, reader Dr Eleanor Hogan, Writer Nicola Robinson, Commissioning Editor Kim Wilson, Screenwriter Jane Nicholls, Freelance writer and editor Lisa Kenway, Writer Virginia Peters, Writer Sarah Sasson, Physician-writer and reader Dr Joanna Nell, Writer Laura Clarke Author / Copywriter Nicole Reddy, Screenwriter Anna Downes, Writer Sharon Livingstone, Writer, editor, reader Lily Mulholland, Writer, screenwriter, technical editor Benjamin Dodds, Poet, reviewer, teacher Markus Zusak, Writer Alexandria Burnham, Writer, screenwriter Sam Coley, Writer Marian McGuinness, Writer Selina McGrath, Artist Adeline Teoh Natasha Rai, Writer Catherine Ferrari, Reader Jessica White, Writer & academic Zoe Downing, Writer, reader, creative writing student Amanda Tink, Writer, researcher, reader Lisa Nicol, Children's author, screenwriter, copywriter Aurora Scott, Writer Gillian Polack, Writer, academic Susan Lever, Critic and writer Denise Kirby, Writer Michele Seminara, Poet & editor Meredith Curnow, Publisher, Penguin Random House David Ryding, Arts Manager Catherine Hill Genevieve Buzo, Editor Hugo Wilcken DJ Daniels, Writer Linda Vergnani, Freelance journalist, writer and editor Tony Spencer-Smith, Author, writing trainer & editor Dr Viki Cramer, Freelance writer and editor Petronella McGovern, Author, freelance writer and editor Jacqui Stone, Writer and editor Talia Horwitz, Writer, reader & writing student Sophie Ambrose, Publisher, Penguin Random House Rebecca Starford, Publishing director, KYD; editor and writer David Blumenstein, Writer, artist Rashida Tayabali, Freelance writer Sheila Ngoc Pham, Writer, editor and producer Rosalind Gustafson, Writer Alan Vaarwerk, Editor, Kill Your Darlings Gillian Handley, Editor, journalist, writer Karina Machado Isabelle Yates, Commissioning Editor, Penguin Random House Michelle Barraclough, Writer Natalie Scerra, Writer Melanie Myers, Writer, editor and Creative Writing teacher Emily Lawrence, Aspiring Writer Nicola Aken, Screenwriter Jennifer Nash, Librarian, writer Clare Millar, Writer and editor Kathryn Knight, Editor, Penguin Random House Linda Funnell, Editor, reviewer, tutor, Newtown Review of Books Stacey Clair, Editor, writer, former events/projects producer at Queensland Writers Centre Virginia Muzik, Writer, copyeditor, proofreader, aspiring author Lisa Walker, Writer Sarah Morton, Copywriter, aspiring author, Member of Writing NSW Board Laura Russo, Writer and editor Vivienne Pearson, Freelance writer Justin Ractliffe, Publishing Director, Penguin Random House Australia James Ley, Contributing Editor, Sydney Review of Books Alison Urquhart, PublisherPenguin Random House Debra Adelaide, Author and associate professor of creative writing, University of Technology Sydney Magdalena Ball, Writer, Reviewer, Compulsive Reader Anna Spargo-Ryan, Writer, writing teacher, editor, reader Charlie Hester, Social media & project officer, Queensland Writers Centre Mandy Beaumont, Writer, researcher and reviewer Chloe Barber-Hancock, Writer, reader, pre-service teacher Dr Patrick Mullins, Academic and writer Wendy Hanna, Screenwriter Chloe Warren Dianne Masri, Social Media Consultant Jane Gibian, Writer, librarian, reader Dr Airlie Lawson, Academic and writer Karen Andrews, Writer, teacher, reader Tim Coronel, General manager, Small Press Network and Industry adjunct lecturer, University of Melbourne Tommy Murphy, Playwright and screenwriter Evlin DuBose, Editor, writer, screenwriter, director, poet, UTS's Vertigo Magazine Tony Maniaty, Writer Emma Ashmere, Writer, reader, teacher Alicia Gilmore, Writer Suzanne O'Sullivan, Publisher, Hachette Australia Jacqui DentWriter, Content Strategist Rachel Smith, Writer Intan Paramaditha, Writer Cassandra Wunsch, Director TasWriters (The Tasmanian Writers Centre) Meera Atkinson Eileen Chong, Poet, Writer, Educator Debra Tidball, Author, reviewer Beth Spencer, Author, poet, reader Lou Pollard, Comedy writer, blogger Bronwyn Stuart/Tilley, Author and program coordinator, Writers SA Gemma Patience, Writer, illustrator, reviewer Amarlie Foster, Writer, teacher Dr Felicity Plunkett, writer Angela Betzien Drew Rooke, Journalist and author Michael Mazengarb, Journalist RenewEconomy Katrina Roe, Children's author, broadcaster, audiobook narrator Liz Doran, Screenwriter Arnold Zable, Writer. Tom Langshaw, Editor, Penguin Random House Brooke Maddison Monica O'Brien, ProducerAmbience Entertainment Jacinta Dimase, Literary AgentJacinta Dimase Management Jane Novak, Literary AgentJane Novak Literary Agency Sarah Hollingsworth, Arts Organisation ManagerMarketing and Communications Manager, Writers Victoria Barbara Temperton, Writer Sandra van Doorn, Publisher Red Paper Kite Alex Eldridge, Writer Karen Beilharz, Writer, editor, comic creator Esther Rivers, Writer, editor, poet Jane Pochon, Board Member, lawyer and reader Zoe Walton, Publisher, Penguin Random House Eliza Twaddell Alison Green, CEO, Board Member, Pantera Press Emma Rafferty, Editor Sarah Swarbrick, Writer Dayne Kelly, Literary Agent, RGM Léa Antigny, Head of Publicity and Communications, Pantera Press Jenny Green, Finance, Pantera Press Sarah Begg, Writer Mark Harding, Writer, Brand Manager, Social Media and Content Specialist Shanulisa Prasad, Bookseller Katy McEwen, Rights Manager, Pantera Press Olivia Fricot, Content Writer/Bookseller, Booktopia Jack Peck, Writer, Open Genre Group Convenor, Writing NSW, Retired Kathy Skantzos, Writer, Editor Serene Conneeley, Author, Editor Kerry Littrich, Writer Merran Hughes, Creative Cassie Watson, Writer Lisa Seltzer, Copywriter, Social Media Manager and Marketing Consultant Gemma Noon, Writer and Librarian Tanya Tabone, Reader Laura Franks, Reader, Editor, Writer Dani Netherclift, Writer Who to contact We urge you to join us in advocating for Writing NSW and the state of funding for Australian literature, by contacting Create NSW, your NSW Member of Parliament, and the NSW Minister for the Arts.

Chris Keely Executive Director, Create NSW Email: chris.keely@create.nsw.gov.au

The Hon. Don Harwin, MLC Phone: (02) 8574 7200 Email: office@harwin.minister.nsw.gov.au

Who to else to contact

The Hon. (Walt) Walter Secord, MLC Shadow Minister for the Arts Phone: (02) 9230 2111 Email: walt.secord@parliament.nsw.gov.au Ms. Cate Faehrmann, MLC Greens representative for Arts, Music, Night-Time Economy and Culture Phone: (02) 9230 3771 Email: cate.faehrmann@parliament.nsw.gov.au A full list of names and contact details for NSW State MPs is available here.

[gadgetgirl71]

The Cat And The City  by Nick Bradley Book Review

This is such a charming, easy to read book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s built up with lots of short stories that actually intertwine with each other. Some of the characters also appear in the other stories. The book also has some of Japan’s modern day cultures in it, like the cat cafes. To old Japanese myths. If you are finding it hard to read and concentrate, this is a book for you as it’s easy to pick up and put down without forgetting what you’ve read.

The story is based in Tokyo and it’s preparation for the opening of the 2020 Olympics. Where we meet a homeless calico cat that meets different people on it’s journey around the city. While it finds food and somewhere safe to sleep.

The cat meets some very interesting characters on it’s journey:

A young girl with piercing green eyes, who gets a huge tattoo of Tokyo on her back. The tattooist who is doing her tattoo becomes obsessed with his work. She didn’t want any people on the map, so the tattooist decided to put a cat into the map on her back. Every time before he starts to work on her tattoo he spends ages looking for the cat as it appears to be moving around.

We also meet some homeless people most of them live in a local park. They have started to notice some of their friends are disappearing. There are roomers going around that the homeless are being rounded up, but they don’t know where they take them. The city officials are trying to tidy up the city for the Olympics, so Tokyo gives a good impression to the world.

We meet some taxi drivers and the people that they come into contact with. From a British woman who has become a translator for a company that also deals with all of the literature for the Olympics.

At one point the calico cat ends up hurt, a young boy and a hermit take care of it, and nurse it back to health. The hermit and the boy build an unlikely friendship during this time. Once the cat becomes well again though it leaves the hermits home and goes back to a life on the street. This part of the book has been produced in the style of a manga comic.

There are lots of other characters that intertwine with each other and the calico cat, which has some impact on the people it comes into contact with. In some instances making things better. The story is about humanity and how all our lives can in some way intertwine with others without us even knowing about it.

Like I’ve already said this is a charming book to read. We learn what its like for different types of people living in a modern day Tokyo. It’s well worth you taking the time to read it. I can’t believe that this is a debut novel and I look forward to seeing what this author writes next.

Pages: 272, Publication Date: 4 June 2020, My Rating: 5 Stars

[everythingmusicandfilm]

Oscars 2019

Yep it’s that time of year again, the 91st Annual Academy Awards is on the 24th Feb 2019. An interesting year for the oscars, after announcing there will be no host and that the awards for editing and cinematography won’t be aired lived before revoking that decision. It seems like the awards are up in the air and there were a lot of snubs. After a lot of debates, I have finally narrowed down (sort of) my oscar picks for the year. 

Writing

Adapted Screenplay

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

“BlacKkKlansman” Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee

“Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty

“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Barry Jenkins

“A Star Is Born,” Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters

I really loved The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and the six different stories however I struggled to see how they worked together, it very much felt like a broken up film. Can You Ever Forgive Me was a surprisingly intriguing story that uses McCarthy’s performance to keep it going. If Beale Street Could Talk is a beautiful story that focuses on young black lovers that rarely get represented in Hollywood. A Star is Born also a beautiful story that managed to differ from previous versions and provide a unique take on the story in the modern era. Best adapted screenplay for me however is BlacKkKlansman, a powerful and inspiring story that connects America’s past with present times to comment on the absurdity of today’s political climate.

Original Screenplay

“The Favourite,” Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara

“First Reformed,” Paul Schrader

“Green Book,” Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly

“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón

“Vice,” Adam McKay

This was a particularly tough category to choose from. Vice was not my favourite film and I found it rather messy. Green Book was a step up and I loved the character arc of Mortensen’s character. Roma, easily one of my favourite films of the year had a beautiful story and intriguing characters. I really really loved First Reformed. The importance of climate change along with the often contradicting worlds of science and religion and discussions of mental health, this film had an intriguing storyline that really got me thinking. I think however my favourite original screenplay out of these choices (and not just because of the pun) is The Favourite. It is a uniquely strange film that I have never seen anything like before. A comedy period film is a unique blend of genres that I can’t get enough of. With incredible performances from Olivia Coleman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, the interesting look at behind the scenes of the absurd royal family along with lesbian characters that are almost never shown in films of this time period. The Favourite is a fresh story that as sequels and franchises dominate the film industry today, seems extremely rare.

Technical

Cinematography

“Cold War,” Lukasz Zal

“The Favourite,” Robbie Ryan

“Never Look Away,” Caleb Deschanel

“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón

“A Star Is Born,” Matthew Libatique

Cold War had particularly stunning cinematography along with The Favourite and Never Look Away. I really loved the cinematography in A Star is Born also. The close proximity of the camera to the couple falling in love as well as on the stage makes this film so intimate. The lighting in this film is incredible and highlights the stunning blue and red colour palette. I think the oscar however should go to Roma cinematographer/director Alfonso Cuarón. I can’t remember the last time I watched a film so visually stunning. The monochrome tone is embraced with the latest digital technology to create a film so stunning it might just win the oscar.

Visual Effects

“Avengers: Infinity War”

“Christopher Robin”

“First Man”

“Ready Player One”

“Solo: A Star Wars Story”

Both Ready Player One and Solo: A Star Wars Story were disappointments for me and the visual effects were far from revolutionary. Christopher Robin was however a lovely film and the visual effects used to create Winnie the Pooh and his friends were impressive, creating a unique look between cartoon and reality. First Man, one of my favourite films of the year had some stunning visual effects both in heroic scenes and heartbreaking as the mission to the moon played out. My favourite use of visual effects in a film however has to go to Avengers: Infinity War. There can be a lot of stigma around superhero films however you have to be pretty ignorant to ignore what these films are doing. Only 3% of the shots in Infinity War did not use visual effects, entire characters are built around CGI including the incredible performance by Josh Brolin as Thanos. The film has created the entire world of Wakanda and features many space scenes. It is safe to say that the Marvel films are leading the way for visual effects and are definitely deserving of the oscar this year.

Production Design

“Black Panther,” Hannah Beachler

“First Man,” Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas

“The Favourite,” Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton

“Mary Poppins Returns,” John Myhre, Gordon Sim

“Roma,” Eugenio Caballero, Bárbara Enrı́quez

Again, a difficult category to choose from. Mary Poppins Returns was a visually stunning film to watch as the effects and costumes came to light. The Favourite also managed to bring the 17th century to light with its set. First Man was a highly underrated film this year and the production design was incredible as it reimagined the 1960s in a way I haven’t seen before. Roma was one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen and was a very close second along with First Man. The best production design however has to go to Black Panther. The amount of work that went into that film in order to create authenticity was obvious when watching the film. An almost entire African/African American crew and cast made the film authentic with African culture. The costuming/makeup along with the set design/colours and special effects created a visually stunning film that revolutionised the film industry and even shaped history.

Film Editing

“BlacKkKlansman,” Barry Alexander Brown

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Ottman

“Green Book,” Patrick J. Don Vito

“The Favourite,” Yorgos Mavropsaridis

“Vice,” Hank Corwin

I have already expressed my opinions on Vice and I think the editing is where the film went wrong so not entirely sure how it is in this category. Green Book again, a lovely film but not exactly revolutionary. Bohemian Rhapsody I have mixed feelings about, but there is no doubt that the editing to move between the music scenes and dialogue was very well done. The Favourite, again a unique film that uses editing to merge genres like we haven’t seen before. However the oscar for best editing has to go to BlacKkKlansman. The editing in this film is genius. The pacing allows the comedy to work and the politics to hit the audience in just the right moments. The use of split screens and merging images along with the use of the Charlottesville footage at the end allows this masterpiece of a film to bloom. It allows for the comedy and politics to play out at the right moments, a tactic I think Vice failed to do.

Makeup and Hairstyling

“Border”

“Mary Queen of Scots”

“Vice”

I think the makeup and hairstyling nomination only applies to Christian Bale in Vice, although an incredible transformation it was. And although there are some stunning transformations in Mary Queen of Scots, I think Border deserves to take home the oscar. Eva Melander and Eero Milonoff are virtually unrecognisable in this film as the makeup and hairstyling helps to make this film so special.

Costume Design

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Mary Zophres

“Black Panther,” Ruth E. Carter

“The Favourite,” Sandy Powell

“Mary Poppins Returns,” Sandy Powell

“Mary Queen of Scots,” Alexandra Byrne

Some great period costumes were shown in The Favourite, Mary Queen of Scots, Mary Poppins Returns and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. However the costume design in Black Panther was highly unique and revolutionary. The in depth detail and authenticity that went into the African warrior costumes as well as the Black Panther suit was extremely impressive. So much hard work went into making these costumes and it was refreshing to see African culture portrayed this way in a major Hollywood movie.

Sound

Original Score

“BlacKkKlansman,” Terence Blanchard

“Black Panther,” Ludwig Goransson

“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Nicholas Britell

“Isle of Dogs,” Alexandre Desplat

“Mary Poppins Returns,” Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

First of all I am absolutely astounded that First Man was not nominated for best score, did they even see the movie ??? Anyway, this category is still extremely difficult to pick. I ended up with a tie between Black Panther and Isle of Dogs. If you read my Mary Poppins Returns review then you’ll already know how obsessed I am with the music in this film. If Beale Street Could Talk also offers some extremely beautiful and emotional piano pieces. BlacKkKlansman was also one of my favourite film scores as the solo guitar melody along with smooth drums and lush strings creates an extremely unique score. Black Panther however had an extremely powerful score that was authentic to African culture. The African vocals and drums creates a powerful score for a powerful King. I also absolutely loved the Isle of Dogs soundtrack as I can never look past Alexandre Desplat. The plucked strings fits perfectly with Wes Anderson’s lively animation. But yeah, still mad about First Man.

Original Song

“All The Stars” from “Black Panther” by Kendrick Lamar, SZA

“I’ll Fight” from “RBG” by Diane Warren, Jennifer Hudson

“The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns” by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice

“When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

An easy one for me. I do love the Kendrick beat for Black Panther as well as anything Mary Poppins. “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” was surprisingly a very close second. If you would have told me a year ago that a song sung by Tim Nelson would be one of my favourite film songs I would have laughed. The oscar however absolutely has to go to “Shallow”. This song is so raw and unique and has so much power and emotion. Bradley and Lady Gaga’s chemistry and their vocals make this song an oscar worthy performance that I can’t wait to hear live on the day.

Sound Editing

“Black Panther,” Benjamin A. Burtt, Steve Boeddeker

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Warhurst

“First Man,” Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan

“A Quiet Place,” Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl

“Roma,” Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay

Yes, finally First Man is recognised for sound. I am happy that A Quiet Place got nominated as it proves that silence is just as important as music in films. The oscar does by far go to First Man though as the sound in this film is astonishing. The way it is editing really highlights the important parts of the movie and turns it into a intimate drama rather than a Hollywood blockbuster.

Sound Mixing

“Black Panther”

“Bohemian Rhapsody”

“First Man”

“Roma”

“A Star Is Born”

Again, same as above although each one of these nominations is deserving of the award. Sound mixing is slightly different as it is about how you hear the sound rather than what you hear. Two different but equally important parts of sound design. The sound mixing works with the sound editing in First Man to create a superb sonic film.

Animated Feature

“Incredibles 2,” Brad Bird

“Isle of Dogs,” Wes Anderson

“Mirai,” Mamoru Hosoda

“Ralph Breaks the Internet,” Rich Moore, Phil Johnston

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

Loved Incredibles 2, loved Isle of Dogs but my favourite animated feature by far was Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse. I have already written about how much I loved this film as it has completely revolutionized superhero and animated films. The story, the graphics, the sound really brought the comics to life to create a stunning, unique and important animated feature.  

Acting

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, “Green Book”

Adam Driver, “BlacKkKlansman”

Sam Elliott, “A Star Is Born”

Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

Sam Rockwell, “Vice”

I always love any role Sam Rockwell plays and I thought he made an incredible George Bush. Adam Driver was also impressive in BlacKkKlansman along with Sam Elliott’s legendary performance in A Star is Born. I can’t quite decide however between Mahershala Ali and Richard E. Grant. Ali is one of my favourite actors and he plays the reserved piano player role so well in Green Book, the reason why the film is getting so much attention. Grant also plays an impressive part in Can You Ever Forgive Me that for me actually overshadows McCarthy’s performance.

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, “Vice”

Marina de Tavira, “Roma”

Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk”

Emma Stone, “The Favourite”

Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”

Again, extremely hard to pick. I am a little confused that Amy Adams was nominated for this performance but not for her performance in Arrival??? Marina de Tavira also surprises audiences with her performance in Roma as she highlights the struggles of being a mother. Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz both play incredible roles in The Favourite, both characters that I don’t think I’ll be forgetting anytime soon. Regina King however absolutely shines in If Beale Street Could Talk especially considering she didn’t have that much screen time. She is a very talented actress and it would be incredible to see the award go to a woman of colour.

Best Lead Actor

Christian Bale, “Vice”

Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”

Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”

Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book”

Some incredible performances by actors this year including Viggo Mortensen who plays an Italian American surprisingly well. I was also very impressed by Willem Dafoe in At Eternity’s Gate who brings raw emotion to the character of Van Gogh. Christian Bale, one of my favourite actors did an extraordinary transformation to play the character of Dick Cheney and I won’t be surprised if he takes home the oscar. Rami Malek also had an incredible transformation to play Freddie Mercury and I think it’s safe to say that the oscar will likely go to him. My favourite performance however was by Bradley in A Star is Born. I’ve already talked about how much I love this film and Bradley absolutely shines in it. He plays the musician, the alcoholic and the lover extremely well as he brings so much emotion and this film definitely moved me the most because of his performance.

Best Lead Actress

Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma”

Glenn Close, “The Wife”

Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”

Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born”

Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

I’m sorry I’ve just given up now. There are so many incredible actresses out there and they all deserve the oscar. Yalitza was absolutely incredible in Roma, an outstanding performance that brings so much joy to Mexican people as she gets the praise she deserves. Olivia Colman played an unforgettable role in The Favourite and Melissa McCarthy really surprised me in Can You Ever Forgive Me. The tie for the favourites however (and I’m wondering if there will actually be a tie) is between Glenn Close and Lady Gaga. A Star is Born is one of my favourite films of 2018 and Lady Gaga’s performance was a big reason for this. I was blown away by her acting and never once doubted that Ally was new to the world of music and fame. Glenn Close also impressed me with her performance in The Wife, and as we’ve seen with multiple awards ceremonies already, she is clearly a favourite to win.

Best Director and Best Picture

Best Director

Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman”

Pawel Pawlikowski, “Cold War”

Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Favourite”

Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma”

Adam McKay, “Vice”

So many great contenders this year but where the hell are the women??? Although I assume the oscar will go to one of my all time favourite directors (so I’m not complaining) Alfonso Cuarón, I think Spike Lee deserves the award. I’m shocked that this is his first time nominated to be honest. He has such a unique vision and all of his films especially BlacKkKlansman manages to connect comedy with politics to create an outstanding film that makes you both laugh and think. He is an extraordinary director and he really deserves this award.

Best Picture

“Black Panther”

“BlacKkKlansman”

“Bohemian Rhapsody”

“The Favourite”

“Green Book”

“Roma”

“A Star Is Born”

“Vice”

Best picture for me has to BlacKkKlansman. I don’t really understand how Vice and Bohemian Rhapsody are even in this category and although I did like Green Book, it wasn’t exactly a favourite for me. The Favourite was an extremely unique film that merged genres and had powerful performances, stunning costumes and production design and an intriguing story. Roma, who has very high chances of taking home the award was a refreshingly stunning film that highlights a mexican family who often do not get to see themselves represented in Hollywood. The cinematography, production design and sound were particular highlights for me along with Yalitza’s performance. Black Panther, a highly revolutionary film that has literally shaped history, has an outstanding cast, spectacular production design and costumes and a powerful score is an incredible contender for best picture and I would absolutely love if it won the award. A Star is Born, one of my favourite films of the year had so much emotion that it moved and inspired me in a way that Hollywood films don’t really do anymore. The directing, performances, cinematography, editing and of course music makes this film an extremely worthy Best Picture nominee. In the end I chose BlacKkKlansman as my best picture. Spike Lee delivers a unique film based on a true story that manages to balance laughter with shock, fact with fiction to represent both the absurdity and danger of racism in America. It combines extraordinary acting, editing, sound, cinematography and directing to create an extremely moving film that successfully comments of the political climate of America in 2018 and inspires a change. This is something that few Hollywood movies actually succeed in doing, and it should therefore win best picture.

Snubs:

If Beale Street Could Talk / Best Picture

Eighth Grade / Literally every single award

First Man / Best Score

Bradley Cooper / Best Director

Michael B. Jordan / Best Supporting Actor

All of the women directors

[cathygeha]

More or Less a Countess by Anna Bradley

The Somerset Sister #2

 Awkward, tone deaf, klutzy, brilliant Violet Somerset has given up on marriage after her first year on the marriage market. Instead her dream is to write and illustrate a book and with that in mind she is willing to risk life and limb to go to sometimes unsavory places to get her sketches. Nobody really understands her quest to write the book of her dreams but her sisters Iris and Hyacinth support her as they can.

 One night Lord Dare, Nicholas or Nick to his friends, shows up for an evening event at his friend’s home…a friend that Violet had a crush on until HER friend ended up married to Lord Derrick crushing Violet’s dreams. Lord Dare, in need of an heir, thinks Hyacinth might be suitable with her ability to play Haydn on the pianoforte with such ease and beauty. Well, Violet is not willing to let her sister be courted by a roguish rake so when Nick mistakes Violet for Hyacinth she does not open his eyes and tell him who she really is.

 No matter who tells Violet she is playing with fire by keeping the fake name of her sister she won’t listen. No, she uses Lord Dare for her own reasons to get…sketches. And, the house of cards she builds thinking, nobody will be hurt, does eventually come tumbling down at about midway through the book. With both Nick and Violet keeping secrets and hiding how they really feel it takes quite a bit of time for them to work out a way to be happy together but in the end…it is oh so very worth the pain they go through to get there.

 I loved the interactions between Nick and Violet whether funny or steamy. The fact that Nick was not turned off by a bluestocking but intrigued instead said a lot. The issues from his childhood and hers from her year in society worked against them both. Their jumps to conclusions without communicating with one another were also a problem they needed to learn to surmount. I really enjoyed this book and the way it all came together. I wanted to smack one or the other a time or two but only to make them see sense.

 Did I like this book? Definitely

Do I want to read Hyacinth’s story? Without a doubt

Is there anything I didn’t like in the book? Can’t think of anything.

 Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books – Lyrical Press for the ARC ~ this is my honest review.

 5 Stars

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37678674-more-or-less-a-countess

[caitlynlynch]

This is the second book I’ve read in the Somerset Sisters (after More Or Less A Marchioness) and I really, really liked Violet, the heroine. Violet is a bluestocking, and proud of it. She refuses to simper or make mindless conversation, and consequently most of the shallow young men of London have shunned her. Not that she cares; she’s far too busy writing her book, a guide for young ladies coming to London. Hilariously, she wants to include chapters on history and is determined to thoroughly research some of the more gruesome parts of it, an enormous problem given her very strict and proper grandmother’s rules for behaviour.

When Nicholas, Earl of Dare mistakes her for her shyer sister Hyacinth, Violet decides to take advantage of his offer to take her driving and makes him take her to a cemetery. In need of a well-bred wife, Nick is rather intrigued despite himself by Violet’s eccentricities. His willingness to escort her to places no lady could ever go alone offers Violet something too exciting to resist - freedom. She knows she should tell him the truth, but she can’t quite bring herself to do it.

Of course, things eventually come crashing down on Violet at the worst possible moment and in the worst possible way. She finds herself married to a very, very angry Nick, who in my opinion behaves like an utter hypocrite at this point. He started courting Violet with the full intention of wooing her into a loveless marriage, getting her pregnant and abandoning her while he returned to Italy to live with his mistress. Being angry with her because she misled him to what her first name was seems pretty pathetic. He then manages to compound the disaster by having a fit of jealousy on their wedding night and telling her about his plan to return to Italy and his mistress, which is definitely a case of the pot calling the kettle back, especially considering Violet’s innocence.

It wouldn’t be a romance without a happy ending, of course, and it’s a good one. Nick gets over himself and apologises properly, Violet accepts him for who he is even though there are a few more misunderstandings along the way. I really liked the way it was all resolved, with a proper understanding reached between the pair.

Anna Bradley really knows her stuff historically and there were some great (and hilarious!) facts deftly woven into the story, many of them obscure but tempting the reader to further research. Despite many years in London, I’d never heard of the Hunterian Museum, for example, now the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons.

Despite the hero being an utter hypocrite on several occasions during the story, the properly epic level of suffering he achieved and the suitable grovel at the end made me forgive him entirely, and I was very satisfied that Nick and Violet would get their HEA. This was superbly written with lots of conflict, historical detail and great characters growing into each other’s best match. Five stars for a thoroughly entertaining - and educational! - read.

More Or Less A Countess is available now in all major ebook stores.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.

[adrianmorinnewcastle]

DOWNLOAD FREE [PDF]] The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley

√UYgPsxo> D0WNL0AD The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley [PDF EBOOK EPUB KINDLE]

Download Read Online Free Now The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing

Download Full Book Here

https://fastestlibrarymedia.blogspot.com/media49.php?asin=0756615194

Size: 11,359 KB D0wnl0ad URL => https://fastestlibrarymedia.blogspot.com/media98.php?asin=0756615194 - D0WNL0AD PDF Ebook Textbook The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley

Last access: 20398 user

Last server checked: 15 Minutes ago!

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley [PDF EBOOK EPUB MOBI Kindle]

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley pdf d0wnl0ad

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley read online

Nick Bradley by The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing epub

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley vk

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley pdf d0wnl0ad free

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley d0wnl0ad ebook

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing pdf

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley amazon

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley free d0wnl0ad pdf

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley pdf free

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley pdf

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley epub d0wnl0ad

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley online

Nick Bradley by The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing epub d0wnl0ad

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley epub vk

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley mobi

d0wnl0ad The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing PDF - KINDLE - EPUB - MOBI

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing d0wnl0ad ebook PDF EPUB, book in english language

[d0wnl0ad] book The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing in format PDF

[PDF] [EPUB] The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley d0wnl0ad

synopsis of The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley

review online The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley pdf download

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley read online

Nick Bradley The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing epub

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley vk

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley amazon

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley free download pdf

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley pdf free

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing pdf Nick Bradley

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley epub download

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley online

Nick Bradley The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing epub download

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley epub vk

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley mobi

download The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing PDF - KINDLE - EPUB - MOBI

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing download ebook PDF EPUB, book in english language

[download] book The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing in format PDF

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing download free of book in format

Nick Bradley The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing epub vk

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley PDF

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley ePub

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley DOC

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley RTF

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley WORD

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley PPT

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley TXT

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley Ebook

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley iBooks

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley Kindle

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley Rar

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley Zip

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley Mobipocket

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley Mobi Online

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley Audiobook Online

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley Review Online

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley Read Online

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing Nick Bradley Download Online

D0WNL0AD PDF Ebook Textbook The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing by Nick Bradley

D0wnl0ad URL -> https://fastestlibrarymedia.blogspot.com/media72.php?asin=0756615194

[recentanimenews]

The Manga Revue, 6/4/18

Do you remember that moment in your manga-reading journey when you discovered that there was a manga about golf? Or pachinko? Or train station bento boxes? I do: I’d just read an entry in Shaenon Garrity’s Overlooked Manga Festival series, and was astonished to discover that someone had written histories of Cup Noodle and 7-Eleven in manga form. I hadn’t been curious about the origins of either instant ramen or convenience stores, but the possibility of learning about them from manga was so irresistible that I tracked down copies. Neither Project X manga were good, exactly, but I found them oddly compelling, both for their sincerity and their attention to small but interesting details.

I had a similar experience with Heaven’s Design Team, a new edu-manga in the Kodansha Comics catalog that explains how different animal species are uniquely adapted to their environments. Its creative team has taken a bolder approach to their subject than Project X‘s, opting for humor over straightforward dramatization. The basic mode of storytelling, however, reminded me of Cup Noodle and 7-Eleven, relying heavily on talking heads to impart information.

Heaven’s Design Team, Vol. 1 Written by Hebi-Zou and Tsuta Suzuki, Art by Tarako Translated by Kodansha Comics, 142 pp. Rated E, for Everyone

Heaven’s Design Team has a faintly blasphemous premise: God is so busy running the world that He’s outsourced the creation of new animal and plant species to a crack team of designers. God still has a hand in deciding whether unicorns go into production or not, but He’s largely an invisible presence in the story, while the motley crew of consultants take center stage. Each designer has a signature animal — a horse, a cow, a snake, a bird — that he or she is trying to improve, and one well-defined personality trait — say, a fondness for lethal predators — that puts him or her into conflict with other team members.

That’s an imaginative strategy for teaching readers about the quirks of animal anatomy, but Heaven’s Design Team never quite finds its groove. Part of the problem lies with the authors’ dogged adherence to formula; at the beginning of every story, the design team fields an order from the Big Guy for an “adorably uncute animal” or “an animal that can eat tall plants,” then bickers their way to creating an actual species like the common egg snake, the giraffe, the armadillo, or the narwhal. Their design process yields nuggets of information about the creatures they’re envisioning that, at chapter’s end, turn out to be real attributes of real animals. So many of these factual tidbits are related through talking-head panels, however, that the manga often feels more like a PowerPoint presentation than a story, despite the authors’ attempts to make these info-dump conversations more animated with facial close-ups and dramatic poses.

From time to time, however, Heaven’s Design Team drops a joke that’s so weird or so well executed it earns a real laugh. In one scene, for example, two unicorns accidentally bump into one another, prompting a terse exchange straight out of Goodfellas. In another sight gag, Shimoda, the team’s most straight-laced member, visits the Insect Department, a division populated entirely by drones young men with identical haircuts and glasses. These fleeting moment last only a panel or two, but they hint at what the series might have been if the authors hadn’t suffered the same repetition compulsion as their characters. Your milage may vary. 

What to Read in June

The review team at Adventures in Poor Taste (AiPT!) shares their favorite long-running manga, from Hunter x Hunter to Vinland Saga, while Anime News Network‘s critics compile a Spring 2018 Manga Guide. Over at the B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog, Brigid Alverson offers her picks for June’s best new manga.

New and Noteworthy

Cells at Work!, Vol. 1 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Comics Worth Reading)

Devilman: The Classic Collection, Vol. 1 (Sean Gaffney, A Case Suitable for Treatment)

Devilman: The Classic Collection, Vol. 1 (Publisher’s Weekly)

Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Edition, Vol. 1 (Brittany Vincent, Otaku USA)

Juana and the Dragonewts’ Seven Kingdoms, Vol. 1 (Faith Orcino, Anime Ushi)

Juana and the Dragonewts’ Seven Kingdoms, Vol. 1 (Thea Srinivasan, Comic Bastards)

Kenka Bancho Otome: Love’s Battle Royale, Vol. 1 (Liz, The Outerhaven)

Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 1 (Kory Cerjak, The Fandom Post)

Perfect World, Vol. 1 (Thea Srinivasan, Comic Bastards)*

RWBY: Official Manga Anthology, Vol. 1 (darkstorm, Anime UK News)

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 1 (Helen and Krystallina, The OASG)

Satan’s Secretary, Vol. 1 (Sean Gaffney, A Case Suitable for Treatment)

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle (Justin, The OASG)

Sorry for My Familiar, Vol. 1 (Jason Bradley Thompson, Otaku USA)

Star Wars: Lost Wars, Vol. 1 (J. Caleb Mozzocco, Good Comics for Kids)

Takane & Hana, Vol. 1 (Helen, The OASG)

Unmagical Girl, Vol. 1 (Faith Orcino, Anime Ushi)

Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 1 (Pluto Burns, YouTube)

Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs, Vol. 1 (Rebecca Silverman, Anime News Network)

Ongoing Series

7th Garden, Vol. 6 (Leroy Douresseaux, Comic Book Bin)

Again!!, Vol. 2 (Katherine Dacey, The Manga Critic)

Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 7 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)

Cells at Work!, Vol. 2 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Comics Worth Reading)

The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 1 (Leroy Douresseaux, Comic Book Bin)

Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 30 (Leroy Douresseaux, Comic Book Bin)

Magi, Vol. 29 (Kory Cerjak, The Fandom Post)

Murcielago, Vol. 6 (Erica Friedman, Okazu)

My Hero Academia, Vol. 8 (Eric Cline, AiPT!)

My Monster Secret, Vol. 9 (Nick Creamer, Anime News Network)

One-Punch Man, Vol. 12 (Julie, Manga Maniac Cafe)

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 3 (Gabe Peralta, The Fandom Post)

Silver Spoon, Vol. 3 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)

From the Vault

Bakuman, Vol. 9 (Julie, Manga Maniac Cafe)

Honey so Sweet, Vol. 6 (Julie, Manga Maniac Cafe)

Princess Knight, Vols. 1-2 (SKJAM, SKJAM! Reviews)

Sugar Princess, Vol. 1 (Sakura Eries, The Fandom Post)

* Denotes a digital-first or digital-only release

By: Katherine Dacey

[thelonesomequeen]

Hamm at the Movies: Avengers: Infinity War

Review time!

"Avengers: Infinity War"- Don't worry folks, I'll start off by saying that I will keep this as spoiler free as possible. I'll give basic plot and you might mentally film in some gaps, but hey, you've been warned.  That being said: here we are. 10 years in the making and we have arrived at what can only be called the culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), at least, up to this point cos there are always more movies coming, but I digress!  We have finally arrived to the Marvel cinematic event that was teased back in 2008 when fans who stayed after the credits (which wasn't really a thing in 08; it happened, but it wasn't commonplace) got to see Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) stroll into the light of Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr) oceanside family room and state that he wanted to talk about the Avenger Initiative. We got a taste of the big baddy in the first Avengers film and comic book fans lost our collective shit at the sight of Thanos, while the non-comic book fans were like, "..............what?"  Oh, how times changed! Marvel has done the impossible, bringing non-mainstream characters into the spotlight, giving them pretty strong films, and making them part of pop culture history. I mean, did comic fans really think we'd see the Guardians on the big screen? A talking Raccoon and talking Tree? Really? Well, holy shit, it worked.  So, looking back through time, the idea of cinematic universe that would eventually create overlapping films, storylines, and themes that would end with two films that bring together dozens of characters, seemed crazy in 2008. And, now, as I drink my slightly watered down soda from my Infinity Gauntlet mug I got at the movies, I have to say that the end has come, and it is incredibly, INCREDIBLY, fulfilling as a film.

The film opens immediately following the events of "Thor: Ragnarok" as Thanos (Josh Brolin) confronts Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Heimdell (Idris Elba) about the location of the space stone (also known as the tesserract).  This then leads to Thanos starting a mission to track down all 6 of the Infinity Stones, which leads to multiple run-ins with the Avengers. These events lead to an all-out war between the forces of good and evil, which takes the film to locations around the world and beyond.  And you know what, that's all the plot I'm going to say. Yup, you read that right. Go see the flick. To give any more info is to spoil elements of the film and with this being 10 years in the making, I literally feel bad about giving details. If you've put 10 years, 18 movies and a crapload of hours into this, don't read spoilers. Just go see the damn thing.

But I will get into other parts of the film, of course. I really liked the performances in this one, especially from Hemsworth's Thor. He really is the driving force behind the film, going after Thanos and wanting to kill the mad Titan. Hemsworth does a great job, carrying the guilt and sadness of the previous films events (Thank God, cos If I got one more quip, I was going to scream) and as a man with nothing to lose, he's pretty much fearless and willing to do whatever it takes to meet Thanos head on in battle.  He won't be alone though: he's at first joined by the Guardians of the Galaxy (Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Pom Klementieff w/ the voice talents of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper).  And of course, we get the non-galactic Avengers too: Iron Man, War Machine/Rhodes (Don Cheadle), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Vision (Paul Bettany), Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), T'challa (Chadwick Boseman) and, you know, there's a lot of folks. I think I got most of them though. They're all here and are willing to jump into battle to help defeat, or at least, try to defeat Thanos from coming into possession of the Infinity Stones. The performances are strong all around with most of the actors knowing their characters well enough that you'll know what to expect from them. My personal standouts were Hemsworth, RDJ, and Saldana as their own stories weave into the film and create a bulk of the storyline.  It's interesting too that in a sprawling film such as this, you get smaller stories that bring heart and emotion that anchor the film and create some gravitas and staying power, something that I've argued that the MCU tends to put aside for more light hearted fare. But IW kicks that to the curb and we get mayhem and death. Lots of it. And it can be pretty brutal/intense. But it also feels earned and not out of place. You're not getting random kills for shock value; these have a point and purpose to the plot. They help drive things forward and put things in motion and that's what they need to do. One surprising highlight of the film for me is Thanos.  His motivation for his mission is far different than we see in the comics, but it's actually an interesting take on the Titan. He's not really courting Death or using Death as his muse like he did in the comics; he's actually doing this for an actual purpose. It pushed Thanos from a plain villain to a surprisingly complex one; what he's doing is wrong to others, but to him, it makes perfect sense. It's almost.....merciful, in a way. It's a good way to do him, especially as Marvel has been pretty slim on when it comes to good baddies in their franchises.

The action sequences are predictably great with lots of excitement, thrills, etc.  This film also brings tragic results to those battles, and that's all I'll say on that. hehe   And as much as I liked the film, it does have a few issues, which will probably vary on how it hurts your view of the film, if at all.  There is a lot going on at times;  A LOT.  And we jump around quite a bit to location to character and so forth. It can be a bit jarring and can feel disjointed. But, to me, it never took away from the film as these pieces are moving to the epic finale. It definitely feels like that buildup is coming and when it does, it's really satisfying.  I found myself (along with an entire theater of folks), cheering at certain moments when heroes arrive to fight. Also, being such a huge film with so many characters, we also see some characters getting more screentime than others. Some folks might be upset that X gets more to do than Y and I definitely felt that a bit. Why didn't Z get to do more whereas Q did this and that, etc. It's a balancing act that won't make everybody happy, but what I think what is crucial to remember is that this part I. Part II drops this time next year and I'm definitely hoping that things end strong. Another problem I had is one I've had with Marvel for a while now: to a certain extent, we can figure out who might live and who might die.  It's easy to look at upcoming Marvel movies, see who has a sequel lined up and that could take away from the danger factor in these films.  Sadly, it's just a product of the times we live in where we know who has so many movies in their contract, who has a sequel coming, who has talked about staying in the films, and so forth.  I do wish, and it's a futile wish, that we could just go see a movie and not know ANYTHING about the franchise, contracts, or whatnot. It does take away from the magic of films and can feel problematic.  

This definitely feels like the first act of a two act film as it ends on a MASSIVE cliffhanger, which had one patron a few rows behind me, scream, "Ah, screw you!!!" to much laughter.  I'm curious to see how things end and who, if anybody, makes it out alive.  While the film does have its share of problems, to me, they didn't take away from the scope and power of the film.  It brings together so much in terms of the MCU and does a wonderful job of weaving around and creating a strong story with great performances, lots of emotion, terrific action, and lots of surprises along the way.  It may have taken time, but Marvel films finally have some teeth. And that's something to behold. Rating- ***1/2 out of ****

[monsterfucker-lisa-swallows]

The reviews come in and Ruby has friends over for Halloween.

Book 3 of As Heaven is Wide

Chapter 1

...

"I love Halloween," Ruby said. "I don't know why it's not more popular here. It's such a safe holiday."

"Not traditionally," Bradley laughed.

"It is for people like me," she said. "People like us, I guess. We can dress up and be anyone we like. Up until I moved here, I never felt more myself than when I was in some costume. Though people where I'm from didn't celebrate either."

"Guess that's why you do theatre," Selwyn said. "It's just another way to get outside yourself in a way you can control. I get that. I do theatre because it's the only world I can control. It's not like the world out here where there are no rules and things just happen."

"The stage is a safe place," Chell said.

"Unless you're Spiderman," Nick joked.