Ricky Pine's Blog, page 129

Review: Across the Universe

Across the Universe by Beth Revis
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This book isn't really all that bad - after all, it has its fair share of thrills and chills, especially in the early parts when things start going wrong for Amy's cryogenic voyage. But said thrills and chills really don't add up to much, if at all, and eventually they get replaced by new plot threads that seem thrown in more for shock value than anything else - the Season, anyone?

So, in the end, I've found myself forced to just give...

Batman v Superman: Snyder's Super-Anti-Heroes

If there's one thing we know about Zack Snyder, it's that his movies are filled with top-notch CGI, tons of slow-mo, IMAX camera work, and are supremely dark, sometimes just for the sake of darkness.

Mr. Snyder's latest, Batman v Superman, is no exception. It appears, based on the largely negative response from the critics, that people in some circles are growing tired of his continued insistence on delving into the grimdark side of what comic book movies can be - and I don't quite blame them....

Review: Their Fractured Light

Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The final novel in this trilogy brings everything full-circle with all the rifts and hyperspace and dreadful stuff that Monsieur LaRoux has been doing because he's a futuristic Corrupt Corporate Executive. And, helping conclude this adventure is another pair of young lovers - although this time they're less star-crossed and more ass-kicking, which I liked. (Not as much as Tarver and Lilac, but better than Flynn and Jubilee.) I al...

Review: Orphan X

Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

After two attempts to get into this book - which looks so promising based on the sheer number of pop-cultural badasses name-checked in the dedication - I think I have to conclude Orphan X just isn't meant for me. Once again, DNF. For now.

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SupergirlXTheFlash: More Crossovers, Pretty Please?

***SPOILER ALERT***
Even before Supergirl started airing, I wanted to see it as an official part of the Arrowverse. Now, that day has come, after many months of waiting, with the long-time-coming crossover with The Flash.

SHIP!
I'm happy to report that this episode delivered in every possible way - and that, even more cool, it echoed my own Spidey & Speedy fanfic trilogy in a lot of ways. Namely, the presence of multiple villains for multiple heroes - in this case, one of SG's most...

Review: Lady Midnight

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



It's finally here.

OFFICIAL LADY MIDNIGHT PLAYLIST:

"You're the only friend I need
Sharing beds like little kids
Laughing till our ribs get tough
But that will never be enough..."
-Lorde

"When I counted up my demons
Saw there was one for every day
With the good ones on my shoulders
I drove the other ones away..."
-Coldplay, "Everything's Not Lost"

"These words are knives and often leave scars."
-Panic! At The Disco, "This Is Gospel"

"It's the lightni...

Review: The Passenger

The Passenger by Lisa Lutz
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I only wanted to read this one because Lisa Lutz's name was attached to it, and I've spent the last couple of years or so in serious Spellman withdrawal. (The new Rae Spellman spinoff cannot come soon enough!) So I tried to push past the dust jacket's built-in Gone Girl comparison - normally an automatic deal-breaker for me, 'cause I hated that book so much. Thankfully, The Passenger proves to have very little in common with Gillian Flynn's...

Review: Riders

Riders by Veronica Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I remember being so disappointed with Rossi's previous work, the Under the Never Sky trilogy, because it felt like there just wasn't enough in that series (particularly its sequels, although I remember I liked the first book) to set it apart from the dystopian pack. So when I first heard of this book, I was scared to even attempt to read it...but hey, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? I hadn't seen a decent YA take on this particular mythology...

We The People Will Save This Country

Oh my God, why is my country actually trying to drop-kick itself into the deepest pits of Hell?

Today started out as a good day, as days tend to do, normally. But then this evening, across the country from me...this happened. The governor of North Carolina went and signed a law that prevents transgender people from using public single-sex bathrooms. In the words of one of my favorite authors:

One step forward....a hundred steps back. #transrights— Uncle Zac (@unclezacbrewer) March 24, 2016

I ho...

Review: A Gathering of Shadows

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the last year or so, this series has become the most-hyped Schwab creation by far, according to the internet. While the Archived series remains my favorite, this series is becoming my second-favorite for its unending inventiveness. After all, it's not every day you read a book where people from four alternative Londons mix together with sometimes less-than-pretty results.

Kell, Rhy, and Lila are still as cool to have around as...