#S.K. Reviews

[sorchiadubois]

Bloodlines by Nelson DeMille-S.K. Reviews

Blood Lines (Scott Brodie & Maggie Taylor Series Book 2) The first in the Scott Brodie & Maggie Taylor Series, The Deserter, introduced us to Army Criminal Investigations Agents Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor and promptly plunged them into Venezuela, a country that was once a democracy but has been under authoritarian rule for over a decade. The chaos of such a system and the rugged terrain make…

[skhardwarevers1]

on a brighter note for some reason my dad has been complimenting my writing based on Letterboxd reviews I’ve written

[sffinsiders]

Review: A Reckless Courage by S.K. Putt — SFF Insiders

[dgspeaks]

Subservience – A Twisted Tech Thriller with Megan Fox at Her Creepiest

In Subservience, Megan Fox delivers a standout performance, in a film that feels like Stepford Wives, Terminator, and iRobot all blended into one. Directed by S.K. Dale, this sci-fi thriller doesn’t just lean into the genre—it grabs hold and drags you through a wild ride of suspense, tech paranoia, and disturbing obsession. The plot revolves around a struggling father, played by Michele Morrone…

[readatrix]

*****(5 out of 5 stars.)

I purchased A Socialite's Guide to Murder through Aardvark, a book of the month style service, and had an absolute blast! Evelyn is the daughter of a hotel owner, and the story takes place in the late 50s. She is spoiled and pampered, and carries her little dog (Presley) everywhere. She could be mistaken for a "Dumb Blonde," and in some ways she's naive, but she has hidden depth. She gives me a very Elle Woods/Paris Hilton/Marilyn Monroe vibe -- intelligent, but knows how to play dumb. Easily underestimated, but you really shouldn't. She explicitly emulates Monroe's style in the beginning. A nice, somewhat subtle, thing is when someone says she has no personality other than emulating Marilyn Monroe, and a few scenes later she changes her lipstick color and eventually considers becoming brunette. I think she's finding herself. She wonders how being called Miss Marple could be an insult. As a child, she found her mother's body -- and I bet that'll be explored -- and it left her with anxiety, agoraphobia, and PTSD, which her therapist calls shell shock as a reflection of the time period. She rarely leaves the hotel, and part of her growth is her tentative efforts to go places. I laughed A LOT and loved her love for her dog. I kissed Presley's wet nose. "Do you want to find the real thief, sweet boy? Come on, let's get you in Mommy's bag." "No. No." Mac was on his feet after a few more stretches. "We can't bring the dog." "And why not?" I already had Presley's purse open on the counter, his little tail wagging at the sight of it. "He's a helper!" "A helper?"Mac wiped his face with the palm on his hand, his stubble whispering at the connection. "Evelyn, we're going to break into a crime scene. You can't bring a dog into a crime scene." "I can." I put Presley in his bag, slid it onto my shoulder. "I am. Look, I can even put flashlights in there with him! He'll keep them safe." Mac opened his mouth, closed it again. "Safe from what? Evelyn, what if he barks? Or pees in the middle of the crime scene?" I gasped. "Presley would never. He's a good boy, Mac." Spoiler alert, they take Presley. Also: She has an exchange with a lift operator where she proclaims Presley her favorite. The lift operator seeks clarification, and asks if she means favorite dog. No, her favorite of anything in the whole world. Her love interest, an employee of the hotel with a somewhat shady past, good-naturedly aides and abets her investigations. He can pick locks. She also has a Hollywood star she pretends to date in order to help quell rumors around a confirmed bachelor. I won't go too much into the mystery beyond saying it worked well for me, and there were a lot of suspects. I did pick out the murderer, and I don't actively try to do that, preferring to let the story go where it will. I guess I'm saying it might be easy, but I've also been watching a lot of Columbo. LOL! Anyhow, it's 5 stars for me because I simply had a good time, and want to spend more time in this world. I appreciate that a mystery with a sleuth who owns a pet, and the pet has more than a cameo with a spot on the cover. More dog. Always more dog.

[quirkycatsfatstacks]

Review: The Socialite's Guide to Murder by S.K. Golden

Series: Pinnacle Hotel Mystery #1Author: S.K. GoldenPublisher: Crooked Lane BooksReleased: October 11, 2022Received: Own (Aardvark Books) Book Summary: The year is 1958, and Evelyn Elizabeth Grace Murphy is living her best life. Her father owns the Pinnacle Hotel, and that means Evelyn gets to live in the best room in the place. This is grand, as it means the whole hotel fits inside her comfort…

[lactating]

The wizard carries on in that way for some time, having been "so lost in the poetry zone. it was flowing out of me like a ballet". NG: so good luck - ; as a spell i cast to your pluck UP: Oh fuck yes, more spells for me? NG: "do whatever you want forever"; advice a true treasure UP: Okay, lest we get too giddy. You've started dreading the adventure ahead. You decide you ought to get it over with. UP: I bid you adieu; I've stuff to do. NG: til we meet again, friend ^_^ You, still smarting, stand and walk out to your railing and fix your vision far away. You look out over your hated Meat City. The unsightly skyline, filled with an lust of reverence to rebar and concrete. Each building full of working drones, sitting, standing, making small talk, eating a cold tuna sandwich by a buzzing florescent light. They raised the prices of tuna again. You've had to start eating half an ounce less each day. In the middle stands a vast and perpetually unfinished trunk of stone, praising you're-not-quite-sure which Ozymandias. It leaves you, at the end of your pondering, with one nagging question. Why? This is profoundly unscientific, even for contemporary equations. What actor or actant could possibly stand to benefit from this display? It towers, twice as high as every other crooked tooth. You fix your vision a bit closer. Not that the middle distance fares much better from the lust. The odd outlier, some hospital or over-eager office building breaks up the horrific monoculture of One-Fives. [4] These noble exercises of cost-optimization overpopulate these great and level valley floors. As much as you ideologically oppose the cogency and soundness of their construction, you admit that the top story of every single one is almost always lousy with blindspots, and railings that rattle whenever some busybody happens to walk nearby. You review your previously explored paths, making note of which ones have had their HEAT INDEX raised recently, and hypothesizing which ones will have their HEAT INDEX raised soon. Some of the paths stop, bortie'd to soon despite their promise. These paths have challenging PHYSICS-A! manipulations that have you stumped. Despite the robustness of biomechanics , some of them are simply too taxing on your physica; others too taxing on your robustness. You fix your vision a bit closer. You look down upon the street from your current One-FIve. Located eight thousand three hundred and seventy meters south and two thousand five hundred and four meters west from Ozymandias. Though you call it "Zero, Zero" internally. The street forms an unbroke, unmoving mass of cars, some parked, others allege to be in traffic from their occasional frenzy of honks. [6] Being without both car and phone, you prefer to travel by alternative means. You fix your vision a bit closer. You gaze upon your hands. You marvel a while at their callouses, miniature testaments to the fourier transform, lusty with their reverence to pain and repetition. Ah, the heart line, keeping watch over the bottom edge of your row of phalangial callousness. Ah, friction. Where would you be without it? At the bottom of each and every wall, unable to physica your way up it. You fix your vision a bit closer, and remember your efflorenscia has a 'scia called "Tome of S.K." Fuck, that's going to take a while to clear out of your queue. You break down the very first task, leaving your room, into its component steps.

#19: >

[richincolor]

[The images are book covers for each of the titles mentioned below and are described in more detail within the blog post on our site here http://richincolor.com/2023/04/muslim-voices-3/]

Muslim Voices 2023

Ramadan is a great time to pick up a book by a Muslim author. If you're on Twitter and/or Instagram, a few hashtags to watch for are #ramadanreads, #ramadanreadathon, and #muslimshelfspace. I'm including a video about the origin of #muslimshelfspace. That hashtag was instrumental in helping me find, read, and share titles by Muslim authors back in 2017.

If you would like to read books by Muslim authors during Ramadan or anytime this year, here are a few we'd recommend.

Queen of the Tiles by Hanna Alkaf Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers [Audrey's Review]

13 points noun: a person or thing that precipitates an event or change

When Najwa Bakri walks into her first Scrabble competition since her best friend’s death, it’s with the intention to heal and move on with her life. Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to choose the very same competition where said best friend, Trina Low, died. It might be even though Najwa’s trying to change, she’s not ready to give up Trina just yet.

But the same can’t be said for all the other competitors. With Trina, the Scrabble Queen herself, gone, the throne is empty, and her friends are eager to be the next reigning champion. All’s fair in love and Scrabble, but all bets are off when Trina’s formerly inactive Instagram starts posting again, with cryptic messages suggesting that maybe Trina’s death wasn’t as straightforward as everyone thought. And maybe someone at the competition had something to do with it.

As secrets are revealed and the true colors of her friends are shown, it’s up to Najwa to find out who’s behind these mysterious posts—not just to save Trina’s memory, but to save herself.

Love from Mecca to Medina (and Love from A to Z) by S.K. Ali Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Adam and Zayneb. Perfectly matched. Painfully apart.

Adam is in Doha, Qatar, making a map of the Hijra, a historic migration from Mecca to Medina, and worried about where his next paycheck will come from. Zayneb is in Chicago, where school and extracurricular stresses are piling on top of a terrible frenemy situation, making her miserable.

Then a marvel occurs: Adam and Zayneb get the chance to spend Thanksgiving week on the Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, in Saudi Arabia. Adam is thrilled; it’s the reboot he needs and an opportunity to pray for a hijra in real life: to migrate to Zayneb in Chicago. Zayneb balks at the trip at first, having envisioned another kind of vacation, but then decides a spiritual reset is calling her name too. And they can’t wait to see each other—surely, this is just what they both need.

But the trip is nothing like what they expect, from the appearance of Adam’s former love interest in their traveling group to the anxiety gripping Zayneb when she’s supposed to be “spiritual.” As one wedge after another drives them apart while they make their way through rites in the holy city, Adam and Zayneb start to wonder: was their meeting just an oddity after all? Or can their love transcend everything else like the greatest marvels of the world?

Travelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix by Aminah Mae Safi Feiwel and Friends [Crystal's review]

Jerusalem, 1192. The Third Crusade rages on. Rahma al-Hud loyally followed her elder sister Zeena into the war over the Holy Land, but now that the Faranji invaders have gotten reinforcements from Richard the Lionheart, all she wants to do is get herself and her sister home alive.

But Zeena, a soldier of honor at heart, refuses to give up the fight while Jerusalem remains in danger of falling back into the hands of the false Queen Isabella. And so, Rahma has no choice but to take on one final mission with her sister.

On their journey to Jerusalem, Rahma and Zeena come across a motley collection of fellow travelers―including a softspoken Mongolian warrior, an eccentric Andalusian scientist, a frustratingly handsome spy with a connection to Rahma’s childhood, and an unfortunate English chaplain abandoned behind enemy lines. The teens all find solace, purpose and camaraderie―as well as a healthy bit of mischief―in each other’s company.

But their travels soon bring them into the orbit of Queen Isabella herself, whose plans to re-seize power in Jerusalem would only guarantee further war and strife in the Holy Land for years to come. And so it falls to the merry band of misfits to use every scrap of cunning and wit (and not a small amount of thievery) to foil the usurper queen and perhaps finally restore peace to the land.

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir Razorbill

Lahore, Pakistan. Then. Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Cloud’s Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start.

Juniper, California. Now. Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no one else does. Until The Fight, which destroys their bond with the swift fury of a star exploding.

Now, Sal scrambles to run the family motel as his mother Misbah’s health fails and his grieving father loses himself to alcoholism. Noor, meanwhile, walks a harrowing tightrope: working at her wrathful uncle’s liquor store while hiding the fact that she’s applying to college so she can escape him—and Juniper—forever.

When Sal’s attempts to save the motel spiral out of control, he and Noor must ask themselves what friendship is worth—and what it takes to defeat the monsters in their pasts and the ones in their midst.

From one of today’s most cherished and bestselling young adult authors comes a breathtaking novel of young love, old regrets, and forgiveness—one that’s both tragic and poignant in its tender ferocity.

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi & Dr. Yusef Salaam with illustrations by Omar T. Pasha -- Balzer + Bray [Our group discussion] [Interview with authors]

The story that I thought was my life didn’t start on the day I was born

Amal Shahid has always been an artist and a poet. But even in a diverse art school, he’s seen as disruptive and unmotivated by a biased system. Then one fateful night, an altercation in a gentrifying neighborhood escalates into tragedy. “Boys just being boys” turns out to be true only when those boys are white.

The story that I think will be my life starts today

Suddenly, at just sixteen years old, Amal’s bright future is upended: he is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to prison. Despair and rage almost sink him until he turns to the refuge of his words, his art. This never should have been his story. But can he change it?

With spellbinding lyricism, award-winning author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam tell a moving and deeply profound story about how one boy is able to maintain his humanity and fight for the truth, in a system designed to strip him of both.

If you have titles to add, please let us know in the comments.

[jaanusbooktalk]

Café con Lychee by Emery Lee - Book Review

6/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW: homophobia, racism, cultural appropriation, fear of being outed, toxic friendships, bullying

(TWs are ranked in order of severity, please take them seriously!)

Sorry I haven’t posted in a while! I just started senior year and everything’s been moving kinda fast, but I have gotten the chance to read a lot!

Most recently, I’ve read:

On a Sunbeam (graphic novel by Tillie Walden)

Rainbow in the Dark by Sean McGinty

Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun by Jonny Garza Villa

Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali

Lobizona by Romina Garber

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma

I’m currently reading Crying in H-Mart by Michelle Zauner 🍜

^me and my college applications rn😭

Summary:

“Sometimes bitter rivalries can brew something sweet.

Theo Mori wants to escape. Leaving Vermont for college means getting away from working at his parents’ Asian American café and dealing with their archrivals’ hopeless son Gabi who’s lost the soccer team more games than Theo can count.

Gabi Moreno is miserably stuck in the closet. Forced to play soccer to hide his love for dance and iced out by Theo, the only openly gay guy at school, Gabi’s only reprieve is his parents’ Puerto Rican bakery and his plans to take over after graduation.

But the town’s new fusion café changes everything. Between the Mori’s struggling shop and the Moreno’s plan to sell their bakery in the face of the competition, both boys find their dreams in jeopardy. Then Theo has an idea—sell photo-worthy food covertly at school to offset their losses. When he sprains his wrist and Gabi gets roped in to help, they realize they need to work together to save their parents’ shops but will the new feelings rising between them be enough to send their future plans up in smoke?”

Representation:

This will be an own voices review since I’m coming from an Asian American & queer perspective, but we are not a monolith and not everyone will agree with my interpretation.

To be honest, I had really high expectations for this book. It had been in my TBR ever since I heard it was coming out, and I was super excited to read about two queer PoC falling in love (not to mention the enemies to lovers and food!!) but it ended up falling short in a lot of ways.

For representation, Theo Mori is Japanese and Chinese (if I remember correctly) and Gabi Moreno is Puerto Rican. While Theo is gay and out, Gabi is very much in the closet and struggles with his father’s machismo expectations.

I will say that while this is the author’s own experience growing up in these cultures, the book’s impact depended on the readers. For white readers, the book would appear to reinforce negative stereotypes like Asian parents pushing for perfect grades, and Latinx parents being machismo and sexist.

It’s one of those things that for Asian kids, we know that sometimes our parents can be strict, but it’s not something that applies to all Asian parents. I would have liked to see some of those stereotypes challenged in this book instead of reinforced.

That being said, the book did a really good job of showing the struggles of being in the closet, especially with a homophobic family.

What I Liked:

I liked the plot and how it flowed - nothing seemed choppy or didn’t make sense. There was always a reason the characters were doing what they did, and even if you didn’t agree with it you understood their motivations.

I needed a good beach read when I picked this up, and it did not disappoint. I also love love love when romance books have switching perspectives - it adds a lot of dimension to the characters.

Why I couldn’t give it a 10:

Sadly, this book ended up falling into a lot of unfortunate stereotypes that I felt readers from other backgrounds wouldn’t recognize as such. I discussed this a bit already, but it was to the extent that I had to put the book down at times. I also didn’t really like how the “enemies to lovers” aspect was basic - they genuinely had little reason to hate each other and it was mostly one sided. This is later acknowledged so that they can have a romance, but it fell flat for me. I prefer when characters have complex motivations, especially for a plot line that propels so much of the book.

Ultimately, I’m grateful for the representation this book brings to the table and I hope it can make people feel seen, I just didn’t enjoy the writing as much as I wanted to. For a debut novel, it’s not bad!

I can’t think of any recommendations like this book at the moment (because this is a months-old draft) but I’ll keep an eye out!

Thanks for reading!

[storytime-reviews]

November 2022 Wrap Up

I’m still doing @bookbandit‘s tbrbusterchallenge2022 to get through as many books on my TBR as possible!

Things of mine to check out: quotes, currently reading and just finished book pics!

READ & REVIEWED:

★★★ ½ The No-Show by Beth O’Leary [REVIEW]

★★★★★ The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn (Bridgertons #2) [REVIEW]

You can check out my Goodreads here!

WATCHED & REVIEWED:

Till Death (2021) dir. S.K. Dale [REVIEW]

The Watcher Series Review [REVIEW]

[filmsnobreviews]

Review: Subservience

Title: Subservience MPA Rating: R Director: S.K. Dale Starring: Megan Fox, Michele Morrone, Madeline Zima Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins Continue reading Review: Subservience

[sorchiadubois]

S.K. Reviews A Circle of Uncommon Witches by Paige Crutcher

I was probably in a snarky mood because the setup did not captivate me at first—A witch generationally cursed never to find true love sets out to break the spell cast on her family and must team up with the last person who wants to help her – the witch who set the curse in the first place. But, snarkiness aside, I am always in the mood for witches and curses, plus we are going to Scotland in this…

[jenmedsbookreviews]

The Assistant by S.K. Tremayne

Today I am sharing a very long overdue review of The Assistant by S.K. Tremayne. You'll never think of Alexa in the same way again ... #sktremayne @harpercollinsuk #books #bookreview #theassistant #bookstagram #thrillersofinstagram

It’s time to take a look at The Assistant by S.K. Tremyane, a book I’ve had on the kindle for far too many years. My thanks to publisher HarperCollins who originally supplied the copy for review. Here’s what it’s all about: Source; NetgalleyRelease Date: 29 November 2019Publisher: HarperCollins Continue reading The Assistant by S.K. Tremayne

[bicyclebrakesindia]

How to Choose the Right Disc Brake System for Your Bike

It is impossible to exaggerate the significance of trustworthy braking when cycling. Whether you're riding on tough trails or commuting through congested streets, having the proper disc brake system is essential for performance and safety. This guide aims to provide guidance on selecting the best bicycle disc brakes in Ludhiana, the center for top bicycle brake manufacturers in India.

Understanding Bicycle Disc Brakes

Disc brakes on bicycles are intended to offer more stopping force than rim brakes. They provide superior modulation, are more effective on steep descents, and are less impacted by weather. Think about things like your budget, the kind of bike you own, and your riding style when choosing the best system.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Disc Brakes

1. Riding Style

Mountain Biking: For superior modulation and stopping power, search for hydraulic disc brakes if you enjoy mountain biking.

Road Cycling: Lightweight models with fast response times work well for road cycles.

Commuting: When commuting, take into account all-weather brakes, which function effectively under a range of circumstances.

2. Brake Type: Mechanical vs. Hydraulic

Mechanical Disc Brakes: For casual cyclists, mechanical disc brakes are a wonderful option because they are easier to tune and maintain.

Hydraulic Disc Brakes: The self-adjusting hydraulic disc brakes provide more power, making them ideal for cyclists that prioritize performance.

3. Compatibility with Your Bike

Make that the brake system works with the fork and frame of your bike. Certain bikes need special disc brake mounts.

4. Quality and Brand Reputation

Think about reputable companies when looking for bicycle disc brakes in India. Some of the top producers of bicycle brakes are based in Ludhiana, where you may find a variety of excellent choices.

The Best Bicycle Brakes Manufacturers in Ludhiana

Being the home of some of the greatest bicycle components produced in India, Ludhiana is a major hub for bicycle production. Think about the following leading manufacturers when selecting your disc brake system:

S.K. Aggarwal & Co: Known for their innovative designs and quality products, S.K. Aggarwal & Co offers a variety of disc brake options suitable for different types of bicycles. Their commitment to quality ensures that cyclists can rely on their products for optimal performance.

Other Notable Brands: Look for additional respected manufacturers in Ludhiana that offer full warranties and support. Understanding client happiness and product performance can also be gained by reading reviews.

Conclusion

Selecting the appropriate disc braking system for your bicycle is crucial to improving your riding. With so many alternatives available, particularly from the best bicycle brakes manufacturers in Ludhiana, you may choose a system that works for both your demands and your budget. To make an informed choice, take into account your riding style, brake type, compatibility, and brand reputation.

High-quality bicycle disc brakes in India may be found at S.K. Aggarwal & Co., a reliable choice. Put the proper brake system on your bike and ride with assurance!

Please contact S.K. Aggarwal & Co.at 9814744450, 9872856196 if you need help selecting the ideal disc brakes for your bike or if you have any questions. Happy riding!

[moviereviews101web]

Subservience (2024) Movie Review

Subservience – Movie Review Director: S.K. Dale Writer: Will Honley, April Maguire (Screenplay) Cast Megan Fox (Till Death) Michele Morrone (365 Days) Madeline Zima (Bombshell) Matilda Firth (Disenchanted) Plot: Follows a struggling father who purchases a domestic SIM to help care for his house and family, unaware she will gain awareness and turn deadly. Runtime: 1 Hour 44…