Tag: drama

Book of the Month, Book Reviews

19-Years-Later & Still Magical | Review of ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ (Harry Potter #8)

By Cynthia Ayala

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany
Arthur A. Levine Books

The Eighth Story. Nineteen Years Later.

With Voldemort dead and gone, Harry Potter’s life hasn’t gotten any easier. As an overworked employee of the Ministry and a father of three, his life is as hard as ever. But not only for him. The past is creeping on the Potter’s, especially on his son Albus, and on their journeys, they must each come face to face with the darkness around them.

Published on July 31, 2016, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a work compiled by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany. It is a special version of the story written by J.K. Rowling and adapted for the stage continues the story in a beautiful way that shows the challenges of parenthood and living up to your parents.
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Movie Reviews

Strong Cast, Weak Characters | Review of ‘The Girl on the Train’ (Film)

By Cynthia Ayala

The Girl on the Train starring Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett & Rebecca Ferguson Universal Pictures
The Girl on the Train starring Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett & Rebecca Ferguson
Universal Pictures

A divorcee becomes entangled in a missing persons investigation that promises to send shockwaves throughout her life.

­—IMDB

Based on the New York Times bestseller of the same name, this film captures a high-intensity struggle of an alcoholic woman who is struggling to remember what happened the day she came home bruised and bloody on the same night someone goes missing.

I heard much about the novel, both good and bad, and as for the bad, I’m beginning to understand why those people I know felt the way they did. But I went into this film thinking it looked good, and when you add Emily Blunt in the film, I thought “now there’s a lot of potential to save a story.” Continue reading “Strong Cast, Weak Characters | Review of ‘The Girl on the Train’ (Film)”

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Entertainment & News, Reading List

Weekly Reading List #62

By Cynthia Ayala

Hey there avid readers! My fiancé is leaving back to Florida in a few days. Sad panda. We’ve been having such a great time lately and tomorrow, the goal is Salem! We weren’t able to go last year because I got horribly sick but rain or shine I am going to Salem for Halloween! Anyway, I hope everyone has some wonderful plans for Halloween, don’t let the fact that it’s on a Monday bum you out. Anyway, check out this week’s reading list. Happy reading! Continue reading “Weekly Reading List #62”

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Movie Reviews

Strong & Thoughtful | Review of ‘The Legend of Tarzan’

By Cynthia Ayala

The Legend of Tarzan starring Alexander Skarsgård, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson & Margot Robbie
Warner Bros. Pictures
Image Credit: IMDB

“Tarzan, having acclimated to life in London, is called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment.”

—IMDB

I have to say this film touches on some tough subjects regarding racism and slavery. It’s not a terribly unique plot device, but it is one that still matters today. Why? Because the past always matters. Otherwise, no one would learn anything from it.
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Book of the Month

Book of the Month – July 2016

The votes are in and (surprise, surprise) the winner of the July Book of the Month Poll is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child! Woo! Now this was my vote because I’m a Harry Potter super fan (proud Slytherin and Thunderbird) and for many of you this was your choice. Now if you didn’t vote for your book or promote it enough, let me know if you still want me to review a particular novel and I’ll add it on my to-read shelf. As for everyone else who voted for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
I will try to have the review up as soon as possible.
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Movie Reviews

A Beautiful Heartfelt Film | Review of ‘Me Before You’

By Cynthia Ayala

Me Before You starring Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin
New Line Cinema
Image Credit: IMDB

A girl in a small town forms an unlikely bond with a recently-paralyzed man she’s taking care of.

—IMDB

I know that there is some controversy about the film but what viewers have to understand, or know, is that Jojo Moyes didn’t just make this up, she was inspired by something she read in the news about a man who had this message to give the world: to life to the fullest. That is the message of the film and audiences need to see that beauty in it and need to see that not everything is black or white.
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Entertainment & News

Book of the Month Poll – July 2016

By Cynthia Ayala

Hey there avid readers and book lovers, another month means another book of the month poll where you get to vote on what novel you believe should be the book of the month for July. If you want your favorite to win, remember to share and encourage others to vote. You can leave your vote in the comments section with just the title of the vote, likes on the comment will not count, but replies mentioning which novel you would like to win do. You can also head on over to Pollcaster by clicking the link here or on the picture below. Here are the selections for this month:
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Movie Reviews

A Bitter Disappointment | Review of ‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’

By Cynthia Ayala

The Huntsman: Winter’s War starring Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain
Universal PictureS
Image Credit: IMDB

As a war between rival queen sisters Ravenna and Freya escalates, Eric and fellow warrior Sara, members of the Huntsmen army raised to protect Freya, try to conceal their forbidden love as they combat Ravenna’s wicked intentions.

    —IMDB

This movie had so much potential, but all of it went down the drain. At first look, it seems like a great move for Universal to distance itself from Stewart and the director Rupert Sanders of the previous film because some bad press is bad press. That scandal hurt sales, everyone knows it, and it did not receive many great reviews, probably the biggest fault in the previous was the story which wasn’t praised. This film, while written by different people, suffers that same problem.
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Book Reviews

A Thrilling Whodunit | Review of ‘Mystic River’

By Cynthia Ayala

‘Mystic River’ by Dennis Lehane
William Morrow Paperbacks
Image Credit: Goodreads

As children, Sean, Jimmy, and Dave were friends until one fateful night when a car pulled up to their street and left with one of them in the car. An event that ended their friendship and forever changed their lives.

Years later, Sean is a homicide detective, Jimmy is an ex-con with a store and Dave is married, trying to keep the demons away, demons that imprinted themselves on him and whisper terrible things in his head. And when Jimmy’s daughter is found murdered on the same night Dave returns home covered in blood. Did he have anything to do with the death of his daughter? Or was he hunting the demons that haunt him? And if he didn’t kill her, who did?
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