Tome Thursday: The Broken Sands

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome to what's probably going to make my top 5 list of books for 2024, because, SERIOUSLY.

 

I mean, I know BookSirens is a hub for amazing authors and whatnot, and I've definitely stumbled across more than one fantastic read since joining, but every once in a while I also latch onto positive GEMS of books, tonight's choice being one of them.

 

There's only so many ways to tell the story of people in the desert, but Iren Adams managed to do so.

 

To think, I sat on the book for ages because I didn't have the time to read it.

 

HA.

 

Well, I made time very recently, and I think I gobbled it up in one or two sittings. There's just no way to put it down once you begin and realize that it's going to be absolutely stunning.

 

So without further ado, let's stop with my babbling and get right to it, shall we? The desert sun waits for no one, especially not in The Broken Sands.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Armageddon

"The dreams of an entire planet are focused tonight on those fourteen brave souls traveling into the heavens."

Hello everyone!

So yesterday I was debating which movie I should review on here when I walked down into our living room and there was my mother, turning the TV on, telling me that there was a movie we all love somewhere on one of the channels.

Naturally it turned out to be probably my favourite disaster movie of all time.

We kind of missed out on most of the prep time for the story itself - aka what happens BEFORE they get all the action going - but considering we clocked in right around the time they were going to be slingshot-ing around the moon, I think we pretty much nailed it.

If you haven't figured out what I'm talking about from that Road Runner reference alone, let me enlighten you.

It has Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler, along with pretty much what you'd call a stellar all-star cast nowadays, it features a big ass rock trying to destroy the Earth, and if you've ever seen Aerosmith's most viewed music video, you also know that you don't wanna miss a thing.

Figured it out yet?

The Bible, and Michael Bay, call it Armageddon.

Tome Thursday: Morrighan

Hello everyone!

I'm reviewing something different this week, and something that I'm a little late to reading to begin with, based on the publication date. 

And while I'm still sitting on The Sinner from J. R. Ward (I'm getting there, I just ... I have to make myself do it, first), I picked up this novella at random because I'm OCD enough that if there's a book that's said to be happening BEFORE a main series, then I want to read it in chronological, not publication order.

From what I've managed to gather, a lot of people seem to think this novella should be read between some of the main books, but it's so short that I won't really have an issue picking it up again if need arises.

For the time being, I was just happy to be able to dive into a completely new world.

Mary E. Pearson is an author I haven't had the chance to read much of yet, but her Remnant Chronicles have been popping up on reviews from some of the Booktubers I follow, and it felt like sort of a sign.

If everyone else is talking about it, it deserves at least a look-see, right?

So here we go. Listen to the wind, everyone, and let's follow the Morrighan.

Talkie Tuesday: Geostorm

"Someone has weaponized Dutch Boy."

Hello everyone!

My movie section is once again looking up as I'm finally moving into slightly newer movies as opposed to flicks that are two or three years old (or more at that!). 

It also doesn't help that I keep getting distracted, like with Without a Trace or Unforgettable.

I know, I have issues.

But every once in a while I will also stumble upon newer, recent movies that I really feel like watching, and of course you'll be able to find a disaster one among them. Because let's face it, ain't nothing better for the crowd than going to see the world travelling to hell in a hand basket.

This was also very true about the movie chosen for tonight's blog.

I'm talking about Gerard Butler's survival flick, Geostorm.

Talkie Tuesday: The Martian

"In the face of overwhelming odds, I'm left with only one option:
I'm gonna have to science the shit out of this."

Hello everyone!

Back with another movie review, and this time I picked one that I honestly wasn't expecting to like as much as I did in the end. I mean, I try not to go into any movie prejudiced, but sometimes it's hard because you have preconceptions, or you've read the books the movies are based off of, or you've seen the trailer and it doesn't look like something you'd enjoy. 

Of course in a lot of the above-mentioned cases, you end up going in the totally opposite direction of what you expected to feel or think when you sat down to watch the chosen movie.

This was what happened to me.

I didn't see a trailer though, or hear about it from a friend, or even read the book. I didn't actually know what it was all about until I got my hands on a copy and sat through the whole thing. I noticed it mostly because the internet kept blowing up with news about it, Matt Damon seemed to be making some kind of a come-back akin to his Jason Bourne movies, and I swear every single one of the Youtube vloggers I subscribe to dedicated at least one video (if not more) to it.

I'm talking about The Martian.

Talkie Tuesday: Edge of Tomorrow

"We should just reset."

Hello everyone!

So tonight's blog post is probably not going to be one of those sterling, praise-waxing I usually post. Then again, I usually kind of like the movies I watch, but every once in a while I run into one that I could have done without.

I'm not saying that's a bad thing. Obviously, tastes differ and some things just aren't for everyone, especially not with as many people as the world has on the surface.

But this surprised me because before I watched the movie the initial reviews and response was positive, largely so, although I will admit I haven't gone back to check whether or not it changed at all after I returned from my summer vacation (yes, this is still one of those from way back when, and hey look, it's almost Christmas too!)

Maybe I should have known it for what it was, but a good friend of mine raved about it and so I kept my hopes up. But Edge of Tomorrow absolutely failed to deliver in my opinion.

Talkie Tuesday: San Andreas

"Now we rebuild."

Hello everyone!

Back with a movie review, and I just realized I absolutely have to get back on track with watching movies, as I seem to be running low on them. Not like there's never enough, obviously, but it looks as though, like I said way back when, I've had enough to last me until Christmas ... now it's time to start hoarding them again! 

The movie I'm talking about tonight is certainly one that I'm probably going to buy on DVD once I get around to going to the shop itself, because really, it's one of those that are sort of believable, which makes them scary, but then they go and be unbelievable, which makes them hilarious.

It's also one of those love them or hate them movies, and no in between, which is sad because if you judge it only by IMDB ratings, you might miss out on one you would actually enjoy otherwise.

Take it from me. I would have bypassed some movies completely if I'd only been looking at the IMDB ratings (like Age of Ultron, for one), and yet the movies were actually enjoyable as far as I was concerned and I liked them.

San Andreas is one of those.