This is a book about revenge and retribution with damaged characters trying to find ways to cope. The main character, Timothy “Moth” Warner is a PhD student and a recovering alcoholic whose sponsor is his uncle, Dr. Edward Warner, a psychiatrist. Warner, a veteran alcoholic himself who was nearly 7,000 days sober (more or less) is found dead. Cause of death is ruled a suicide, the final conclusion based on evidence. But Moth doesn’t believe it because he knows his uncle would never desert him; he was not suicidal and he had too much good in his life to live for. And so, the search for the truth begins . . . Continue reading
Reviews – book & movie reviews
K. Pinella’s movie & book reviews
Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter (a movie review)
This movie may be considered a fantasy/fairy tale set against a realistic and contemporary setting. The elements of fantasy/fairy tale apply more to the theme and the story rather than special effects or costume. In some ways, it is also absurdist and funny; just not the laugh out kind. It’s funny as in marvelously original and ridiculously funny. Continue reading
Good Kill (a movie review)
This is a look at the frustrated and conflicted life of a pilot, played by Ethan Hawke, who sits thousands of miles from war in a station in the Las Vegas desert. He works out of an over-sized metal box which inside looks like a cockpit. He works with a co-pilot and their job is to control drones that target selected sites, persons, or groups, depending what their intel tells them to do. A good kill is when they hit efficiently and quickly strike the enemy. Continue reading
The Tournament by Matthew Reilly (a book review)
The Tournament is a historical fiction. This is a departure from the other books I’ve read by Matthew Reilly, who has written a series of pulse pounding fiction books. He proves what a versatile and excellent writer he is with this gem of a novel. The story is a fictionalized account in first person of young Queen Elizabeth I’s experience when she travels to Constantinople to witness a chess tournament, and her witness to other events that supposedly shape her views as a woman and a ruler. Continue reading
Just Before I Go (a movie review)
I didn’t pay attention to the credits until after the movie is over; only then did I see that Courtney Cox of Friends’ fame is the director. Her former husband, David Arquette, plays a small role here as a father of five children and a husband to a woman, who temporarily loses herself with the movie’s main character, Ted Morgan, played by Seann William Scott. Continue reading
Love & Mercy (a movie review)
This is one of the better biopics I’ve seen. I’ve always enjoyed the Beach Boys’ tunes, but I didn’t realize how Brian Wilson’s genius was an important influencing factor for much of the music industry’s ingenuity for late ‘60s and early ‘70s rock and roll. In fact, there’s a strong case to be made that Brian Wilson’s greatness is right up there alongside John and Sir Paul of the Beatles. Uh-oh. I will now step back to talking about the film, Love & Mercy. Well edited and well produced. You get a good feel for how Brian Wilson spirals down and tries to make sense of what’s going on in his head. Continue reading
Dark Places (a movie review)
This movie is based on a book written by Gillian Flynn, who wrote Gone Girl. Similar to the movie, Gone Girl, not everything is what it seems in Dark Places. The movie starts 25 years earlier when the movie’s heroine, Libby Day, is seven years old and runs out of her house late at night to escape the slaughter of her mother and two older sisters. Cut to present when she is older and still traumatized, the now older heroine, played by Charlize Theron, is broke and looking for cash. Since the murders, she had been living off the sympathy cash she’s been receiving from the general public and the now dwindling royalties from the book about her experience. Over the years, the public’s memory and interest fade since there are always new murders of children that catch the public’s attention. Continue reading
The Stranger by Harlan Coben (a book review)
This story observes suburban life pretty well. It’s about a seemingly happy family whose life gets disrupted after a stranger tells the husband something he didn’t know his wife did two years before. After confronting her about the revelation, the story starts taking different twists. It is suspenseful and engrossing, especially in the middle of the book when things start to become “curiouser and curiouser,” as Alice in Wonderland would say. Continue reading
Cinderella (a movie review)
This take on the fairy tale classic is directed by Kenneth Branagh, with Cate Blanchett as the evil stepmother. Although there have been so many versions of Cinderella out there, this additional Disney-produced film is still wonderful. I like fairy tales in general. I’ve read practically all of them, including those retold in various ways from different countries. They do say something about our human nature, the universal need to romanticize a good story, and — at least for a little while — escape from reality. Continue reading
Furious7 (a movie review)
Call me Johnny-Come-Lately, but it’s better now than never. I finally watched the movie that’s been a blockbuster since it came out but I took my time. When something gets talked up a lot, I feel as if I’ve already seen the movie. This seventh sequel to a movie franchise that started 14 years ago is the best compared to the others, but also the saddest since we know what happened to Paul Walker–he died from a car accident during the filming of this movie, which is well-edited and produced. Renowned horror film director, James Wan, directs this movie and he succeeds in making your pulse race, as well as creating a beautiful ending that pays tribute to Walker. Continue reading
Karina Pinella 
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