Anne with an E

Anne with an E

Network:

Netflix & CBC Television

Starring:

Amybeth McNulty

Geraldine James

R.H. Thomson

Plot:

The adventures of a young orphaned girl living in the late 19th century. Follow Anne as she learns to navigate her new life on Prince Edward Island, in this new take on L.M. Montgomery’s classic novels.

Review:

So back in the day I watched the CBC miniseries Anne of Green Gables, then Anne of Avonlea, and freaking loved them. I read the books, liked them not as much but still a lot. So when I saw that there was going to be a new series I was super excited.

This is nothing like the miniseries starring Megan Follows, but I’m fine with that. In fact I’m glad that they did their own thing and stuck more to the source material, it meant that after the first half hour or so I stopped trying to compare the two. It has been a while since I read the books so I could be wrong on that though.

Anne was just as odd as ever. I thought that the actors that played Marilla and Matthew were perfect and it was so easy to see how great an impact Anne made on their lives for the better. It was less obvious, even by the end, the impact they were making on Anne but I’m hoping that will show up in later seasons.

That’s honestly my major concern right now, will it be picked up for more seasons. I hope so, I want to see this story continue through this new lense and with these new actors.

4/5

Shadow Flare (Ruby Calloway #2) By: D.N. Erikson

Shadow Flare (Ruby Calloway #2) By: D.N. Erikson

Plot:

Magical cults are better left alone. Especially when they’ve got friends in high places.

When twenty-three bodies are discovered on the edge of the Fallout Zone, the FBI calls in Ruby Callaway and Colton Roark to investigate. From the powerful dark magic branded into the bodies, Ruby quickly determines those responsible: the Crusaders of Paradisum. Which is impossible, considering Ruby killed their Crusading Prophet, scattering the cult to the wind over a century ago.

But some people just don’t know when to stay dead – especially when they’ve made new friends in powerful places. And that’s a problem Ruby needs to fix.

Before it kills her first.

Review:

It took me a while to get into this book. Part of that is that I had two library books I had to read before I could read this and since they were cozy mysteries it took me a little while to shift gears. Part of it was also because it used a plot device I’m not overly fond of, it started off with an action scene and then flashed back twenty-four hours. Hawaii Five-0 does that a lot and it’s started to annoy me.

Anyway, by fifty-five percent into the book I was invested and interested again. I wish there was a bit more world building and a bit more detail. There was also a lot going on, with multiple life and death plots which made it slightly hard to keep up with what was going on and what action had to do with which plot.

All in all, it wasn’t as good as the first book, but I’m still invested in the series and looking forward to the third and final book.

3/5

Central Intelligence (2016)

Central Intelligence (2016)

Director:

Rawson Marshall Thurber

Starring:

Dwayne Johnson

Kevin Hart

Danielle Nicolet

Plot:

After he reconnects with an awkward pal from high school through Facebook, a mild-mannered accountant is lured into the world of international espionage.

Review:

I was looking for just a dumb comedy and I happen to like Dwayne Johnson so figured why not. I was happy that there weren’t any short jokes for Kevin Hart, instead they just did more physical jokes on that side of things. It was an improvement.

However, in all honestly, I didn’t laugh until the very end of the movie with the end credits bloopers. It was an amusing movie, but nothing really remarkable about it.

3/5

Silicon Valley Season 1 (2014-?)

Silicon Valley Season 1 (2014-?)

Network:

HBO

Creator:

Mike Judge

John Altshuler

Dave Krinsky

Starring:

Thomas Middleditch

T.J. Miller

Josh Brener

Plot:

Follows the struggle of Richard Hendricks, a silicon valley engineer trying to build his own company called Pied Piper

Review:

I’ve wanted to watch this show for a while, but have a hard time paying for a premium channel for only a handful of shows that I only kind of want to watch. Using Amazons free 7 day trial though I was finally able to watch and I’m pretty sure we’re going to end up paying for at least one month of the service.

Anyway, watching this with my husband he and I both kept saying just how true to life everything was. Neither of us has worked in Silicon Valley, but we’ve both worked in and for tech companies. I’ve never met programmers quiet as awkward as Richard, Thomas Middleditch, most of the ones I knew were total douche bags, but I could see pieces of him in a collection of men so it’s not unrealistic.

From the very beginning I just knew he was going to be taken advantage of and I was screaming at the screen for him not to do things, my mothering instinct is very strong lol, but I was pleasantly surprised by the ending of the first season. Things didn’t work out perfectly, but they did work out. I like that, I like having hope, and not just a constant dumping ground of everything going wrong.

Also, this show is freaking hilarious, that last episode especially. Looking forward to watching the rest of the seasons available.

4/5

Lemon Pies and Little White Lies (Charmed Pie Shoppe Mysteries #4) By: Ellery Adams

Lemon Pies and Little White Lies (Charmed Pie Shoppe Mysteries #4) By: Ellery Adams

Plot:

Ella Mae LeFaye’s Charmed Pie Shoppe has become a phenomenon beyond her wildest dreams, providing the enchanted town of Havenwood, Georgia, with spellbinding desserts and magical pies. Her personal life is also heating up as she takes on the responsibilities of leadership within her magical community. In fact, the only thing weighing her down is the fact that handsome Hugh Dylan won’t return her calls…

Still, when Havenwood is rocked by a series of mysterious deaths, Ella Mae must put romantic longings aside—especially when she realizes that the mystical symbols left at each crime scene are dangerously personal. Now she will have to whip up all her supernatural skills to uncover a killer out to settle an ancient score—before the murderer devastates everything Ella Mae is determined to protect…

Review:

I’m not sure what I feel after finishing this book. A ton happened and it was definitely more on the paranormal side than cozy side of things, and I’m just not sure.

First, I guess, I didn’t like Ella Mae in this book. I haven’t been much of a fan through the series but she was just too perfect in this. She magically knew exactly what to do and she was forgiving and pure and so self-sacrificing. It was just too much for me since I already wasn’t fond of her.

Second, love triangle. You know what I think about them, however, with the Hugh thing seeming to go nowhere it didn’t bother me as much as normal. Honestly, though, I feel sorry for the new guy since she’s spent the last three books talking about how Hugh is the love of her life. It seems a bit cruel.

Last, the ending. Man, I’m just not sure about it. I won’t give anything away, but the main story arc is resolved. One of the issues that was resolved was literally done in a sentence. Maybe two, can’t remember, it was kind of abrupt. Like oh yeah, here’s the answer to that problem that’s been plaguing your kind for hundreds of years. That part of things felt rushed and the rest just left me feeling kind of empty, but not in a good way. Not like I’d been through an emotional roller-coaster sort of way, more like a eh sort of way. Kind of sad.

I plan on reading the next book in the series and because I really liked the previous books I’m not giving this as low a rating as I normally would. I think, I’m going to take a break before I continue on, though.

3/5