Review

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

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

Director:

Roland Emmerich

Starring:

Jeff Goldblum

Liam Hemsworth

Bill Pulman

Plot:

Two decades after the first Independence Day invasion, Earth is faced with a new extra-Solar threat. But will mankind’s new space defenses be enough?

Review:

Wow, just wow. This movie was just a string of clichés and tropes, there was no build up it was from the get go the aliens are trying to kill us, here feel something for these people. Nope, not going to happen. Here watch a woman sacrifice herself for a new mother and newborn. Watch this father give his life for his child. Watch this dork say things that get the girl to like him. This movie was seriously horrible, but not in a way that made it good. This movie was never good, never. They took an interesting premise, a good piece of source material to build from, and made a joke.

1/5

Pecan Pies and Homicides (Charmed Pie Shoppe #3) By: Ellery Adams

Pecan Pies and Homicides (Charmed Pie Shoppe Mysteries #3) By: Ellery Adams

Plot:

Owning the Charmed Pie Shoppe and serving enchanted treats in the magical town of Havenwood, Georgia, seemed like a little slice of heaven for Ella Mae LeFaye. But now her hopes for both a lasting romance with Hugh Dylan and business success are starting to seem like pie in the sky, and Ella’s left wondering: Where has the magic gone?   When an enchanted grove is set ablaze, Ella realizes she has more grave problems. With her magic waning, she’s going to have to sleuth from scratch to stop an arsonist who has no respect for sacred ground—or human life…
Review:

Still liking this series a lot. The world was further developed, as were relationships, and goals created in the previous book. I actually really like that one of her major goals was accomplished and not dragged out. Unfortunately, there’s still no relationship resolution with Hugh.

Ella Mae is learning to use her powers and learning about the world around her, most of that seems to be happening off screen, but that’s fine. I really like the combination Adams has made of paranormal and cozy, it’s pretty much half and half, neither dominates, which makes things interesting. I like it.

As a character Ella Mae is kind of growing on me, still not someone I care too much about, but not quite as boring as before. Really looking forward to the next book and hoping for some Hugh resolution.

4/5