Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

I read only the 1st book. Won’t continue.

But I’m thinking this series will appeal to many young readers.

Throne of Glass is a high fantasy novel series by American author Sarah J. Maas, beginning with the entry of the same name, released in August 2012.

The story follows the journey of Celaena Sardothien, a teenage assassin in a corrupt kingdom with a tyrannical ruler …

Celaena is given the chance to leave the slave pits, and become the king’s personal assassin. She’d have to survive a contest with the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. …

This is the first book in a long series.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 – REVIEW

I listen to more audio than anyone else you know. 😀

Mostly audio books and podcasts. Mostly when I am on the move or exercising.

I cursed Steve Jobs thousands of times for not promoting wireless headphones.

Steve died too young in 2011 (aged 56) — RIP.

AirPods were launched 2016 alongside the iPhone 7.

My entire life was instantly 13% 😀 improved.

I’ve used the least expensive 1st generation AirPods until 2023 and have been very happy. Amazingly, I’ve only lost two individual AirPods and kept using the rest, often syncing one AirPod at a time.

Finally I upgraded to AirPods Pro 2 in 2023. Expensive. But worth it for me.

I somewhat appreciate the improved sound quality and noise cancellation capabilities, and extended battery life — but the main reason I’m endorsing the product are the volume adjusting gestures and better Find My tracking.

The original AirPods had no physical volume adjustment.

The case has an external speaker so you can more easily located it when lost between pillow cushions.

Pausing audio by clicking is far better than the old double tap.

Maximum volume is quite a bit higher in the Pros.

Another plus is faster connection via Bluetooth.

I don’t like AirPods switching automatically. The default. But it’s easy to turn that off. AirPods stay connected to the device of your choice — unless you tell them to switch.

Of course I got the case engraved with my email address in case I leave it somewhere. 🙏

The sound has more base. Not super important for me, but it does seem to make female voices richer in podcasts.

Click PLAY or watch Justine’s review on YouTube.

Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz has some of the most imaginative plots.

His story telling is terrific too. The drama is easy to follow. Moves quickly.

The dialogue funny and interesting.

Life Expectancy is a novel by suspense/horror writer Dean R. Koontz.

The plot centers on five pivotal moments in the life of a self-proclaimed “lummox” named James “Jimmy” Tock. …

Moments before his grandfather’s death, the old man makes 10 cryptic predictions: among them that his grandchild will be named James—but that everyone will call him Jimmy.

Josef also predicts five terrible days to come in his grandson’s life.  And announces those dates.

As the prophecies are fulfilled one by one, and he survives each, Jimmy learns many things.

A Man Called Otto – Tom Hanks

I like everything Tom Hanks does. And I really liked this film, as well.

A Man Called Ove is a novel by Swedish writer Fredrik Backman, first published in English 2013.

An odd book, it launched Backman’s career as a major novelist.

That said, I’ve tried to read it twice and got fed up both times.

The premise is enticing:

Ove is a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him ‘the bitter neighbour from hell.’ However, behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. …”

Age-59, Ove’s wife recently died. And he’s not handling it well.

The Swedish film adaptation looks more entertaining than the book.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Tom Hanks plays the role in the Hollywood adaptation. To mixed reviews. I thought it was excellent.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Cocaine Bear

I never would have watched this comedy horror movie unless I was trapped on a long distance international flight.

Cocaine Bear is loosely inspired by the true story of the “Cocaine Bear“, an American black bear that ingested nearly 75 lb (34 kg) of lost cocaine. …

The film opened to generally positive reviews from critics and grossed over $89 million against a production budget of $30–35 million.

I have to admit, I enjoyed this absurdism. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Charlie Chaplin’s Great Dictator speech

The Great Dictator is a 1940 American anti-war political satire black comedy film written, directed, produced, scored by, and starring British comedian Charlie Chaplin

Chaplin’s film advanced a stirring condemnation of the German and Italian dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, as well as fascismantisemitism, and the Nazis.

Mocking Hitler

At the time of its first release, the United States was still formally at peace with Nazi Germany and neutral during what were the early days of World War II.

Chaplin plays both leading roles: a ruthless fascist dictator and a persecuted Jewish barber.

It’s best remembered for this speech.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe is one of the better Hercule Poirot books.

Shorter. Fewer potential suspects.

Soon after he visits his dentist, Poirot is investigating the death of the dentist.

More people are dead, and the investigation widens, as Poirot slowly finds his way to the true stories behind the murders. …

A Canadian reviewer felt that “the pace is swift and talk – curse of the English detective story – is kept to a minimum”.

The title based on the olde English language nursery rhyme.

Of course there was at least one TV adaptation.

This is the final novel appearance of Chief Inspector Japp

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Like nearly everyone, I was a big fan of the Indiana Jones films:

Did we really need Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) ??

Or Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) ??

In fact, I loved the 5th and probably final instalment.

It was great to see Karen Allen again.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge is fantastic, as usual.

The technology making actors look younger was amazing.

I feel it’s a worthy addition to the franchise.

… On the other hand, it grossed $383 million worldwide; a box office bomb with an expensive overall budget resulting in a $100 million loss for Disney.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.