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Lowri Catryn (229 KP) rated Playstation 4 in Tech
Jan 23, 2020
Software (2 more)
Design
Easy to use
Controller battery charge is poor (2 more)
Overheat easily
Playstation Plus expensive
Sleek design, great software
The playstation 4 was not cheap when it first appeared on the shelves, but it was a must have for most people, including me. The fashionable sleek design with the black panels against the blue light and touchpad controllers made it look incredibly stylish for a games console. Playstation Plus membership is unfortunately quite expensive, and the memory is poor on the console... having to download the game software to be able to play it.. not many different games can be played, depending on your memory. Simple to navigate and also the choice of installing applications. The touchpad controllers made it much easier to navigate on a keyboard, with quicker typing. The playstation allows you to connect with fellow players all around the world, and make new friends. The fact that there is an option for headphones and microphones is both positive and negative. It's great to communicate with others, however can lead to verbal abuse which is quite unsettling when gaming with trolls. The playstation consoles have always been my favourite and never will I change to an XBox, which is lumpy, ugly etc. The use of other applications such as YouTube and netflix on the playstation is amazing for people who do not have smart TVs or access to streaming sticks. Recently Playstation allowed players to change their username (a long and very much awaited change for users! Breathing a sigh of relief to get rid of cringy usernames, or usernames that included their ex lovers). However again, Playstation want to make money however they can... if you messed up the opportunity with the game tag change, you were only allowed one free opportunity so you had to consider wisely. Otherwise Playstation would charge you to change your game tag once more (slightly unfair I think!) A year ago I bought the PS4 VR headset.. exciting at first but a lumpy headset which is connected via cable (would have been much more effective to have had this wireless! Such as the controllers).. at first there is motion sickness, but you soon get the hang of it. Again a great selection of games, however quite pricey!
ClareR (5674 KP) rated You Let Me In in Books
Mar 10, 2020
A satisfyingly dark read!
You Let Me In is unlike anything I’ve read before. I signed up to read this on The Pigeonhole based purely on the cover. I didn’t read anything about it, in fact I thought it was going to be a thriller. The cover though: I actually thought it was a hand showing someone then bird’, and I was half right. It’s a dead bird, and the main character, Cassandra Tipp, does seem to spend most of her life metaphorically giving everyone ‘the bird’ (ie. telling them to leave her alone).
There is a mystery at the start of this. Cassandra Tipp has disappeared, and her niece and nephew have been told that after a year they can have her worldly goods if they go to her house, find the manuscript she has left them and deduce a code word.
This book is that story.
It transpires that Cassie has been involved in the death of three people: her husband Tommy Tipp, her father and her brother. But how did she get away with it? Or more importantly: who did it if she didn’t? And who is Pepper Man?
Ok, I don’t want to give too much away, but fairies are involved from the beginning, and they’re unlike the fairies I’ve read about in the past. They come with a fascinating origin story, and I’d be interested to know if they were a construct of the authors imagination, or whether they’re a Norwegian version of the fairies I’ve learnt about with my Anglo-Irish background. Either way, they’re great characters.
There’s also a chance that child abuse is involved, either by humans or fairies, it all depends on what you read in to things that happen, whether or not you believe that Cassie is in fact sane. Some of the violence is pretty graphic too, and did put some Pigeonhole readers off.
It’s a puzzling book, a book where you’re never sure whether the narrator is reliable. And I loved it. So, if you like quirky, puzzling, violent(ish), dark books, with fairies (or perhaps not) and potentially with characters with mental health issues, then you’ll enjoy this book as much as I did. It was a satisfying, startling ten days with The Pigeonhole!
There is a mystery at the start of this. Cassandra Tipp has disappeared, and her niece and nephew have been told that after a year they can have her worldly goods if they go to her house, find the manuscript she has left them and deduce a code word.
This book is that story.
It transpires that Cassie has been involved in the death of three people: her husband Tommy Tipp, her father and her brother. But how did she get away with it? Or more importantly: who did it if she didn’t? And who is Pepper Man?
Ok, I don’t want to give too much away, but fairies are involved from the beginning, and they’re unlike the fairies I’ve read about in the past. They come with a fascinating origin story, and I’d be interested to know if they were a construct of the authors imagination, or whether they’re a Norwegian version of the fairies I’ve learnt about with my Anglo-Irish background. Either way, they’re great characters.
There’s also a chance that child abuse is involved, either by humans or fairies, it all depends on what you read in to things that happen, whether or not you believe that Cassie is in fact sane. Some of the violence is pretty graphic too, and did put some Pigeonhole readers off.
It’s a puzzling book, a book where you’re never sure whether the narrator is reliable. And I loved it. So, if you like quirky, puzzling, violent(ish), dark books, with fairies (or perhaps not) and potentially with characters with mental health issues, then you’ll enjoy this book as much as I did. It was a satisfying, startling ten days with The Pigeonhole!
JT (287 KP) rated I'm Still Here (2010) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
This film, is it, was it real, or was it in effect a massive hoax concocted by Phoenix and Affleck? Well, it has been revealed that it was the latter, and to be fair after watching it you’d have to be a total fool to actually believe that one of Hollywood’s brightest talents would jack it all in to become a rapper.
As far as performances go this is one of Joaquin’s best, and all he had to do was grow a grizzly beard, smoke a lot and write some of the most ridiculous rap lyrics ever! But if this is genuine satire then he put his heart and sole into it!
When he was interviewed by David Letterman (who had no idea the whole thing was a hoax) Phoenix looked like a shadow of his former self
Chewing gum, and slopped in his chair he was totally unresponsive to the abuse he was getting, and back stage vented his anger. The more outrageous scenes are the ones that create the most hilarious and deliver the shocking impacts, such as sniffing coke from the bosom of a prostitute, to having his face shat on by a so called friend.
What is the most cringe-worthy to watch is Phoenix’s pitiful attempts at rapping, the bloke has about as much musical talent as Jedward and he gets his fair share of heckles, in each venue that he some how manages to get a gig for.
“I’ve got a million dollars in the bank, what have you got!?” comes Pheonix’s response, and then he proceeds to hurl himself into the crowd fists swinging, followed by violent vomiting.
To think that a man of P Diddy’s calibre would even consider letting some disheveled tramp off the street play him tracks from his demo is unbelievable in itself. Diddy’s eyes say it all as he asks Phoenix to skip on to the next one, continually starring down the camera in sheer disbelief!
There is not a lot to suggest that an actor such as this would just suddenly melt down, of course we don’t deny the pressures in Hollywood might cause few to sink to a lowest ebb, but Affleck succeeds in making this a shocking and truly hilarious stunt.
As far as performances go this is one of Joaquin’s best, and all he had to do was grow a grizzly beard, smoke a lot and write some of the most ridiculous rap lyrics ever! But if this is genuine satire then he put his heart and sole into it!
When he was interviewed by David Letterman (who had no idea the whole thing was a hoax) Phoenix looked like a shadow of his former self
Chewing gum, and slopped in his chair he was totally unresponsive to the abuse he was getting, and back stage vented his anger. The more outrageous scenes are the ones that create the most hilarious and deliver the shocking impacts, such as sniffing coke from the bosom of a prostitute, to having his face shat on by a so called friend.
What is the most cringe-worthy to watch is Phoenix’s pitiful attempts at rapping, the bloke has about as much musical talent as Jedward and he gets his fair share of heckles, in each venue that he some how manages to get a gig for.
“I’ve got a million dollars in the bank, what have you got!?” comes Pheonix’s response, and then he proceeds to hurl himself into the crowd fists swinging, followed by violent vomiting.
To think that a man of P Diddy’s calibre would even consider letting some disheveled tramp off the street play him tracks from his demo is unbelievable in itself. Diddy’s eyes say it all as he asks Phoenix to skip on to the next one, continually starring down the camera in sheer disbelief!
There is not a lot to suggest that an actor such as this would just suddenly melt down, of course we don’t deny the pressures in Hollywood might cause few to sink to a lowest ebb, but Affleck succeeds in making this a shocking and truly hilarious stunt.
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Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Unearthing the Fae King (Bramble's Edge Academy, #1) in Books
Jan 6, 2021
I got this one, too, as a freebie from Amazon a week or two ago for the UF/PR A-Z Challenge on Goodreads.
This starts with Ryker trying to escape from fellow fae who are trying to force him into going to the Bramble Edge Academy to start his training. He's resisting after his mum tells him tales of abuse and strange treatments but he ends up being captured and starting at the academy. A week or so later Maurelle is also captured after her powers manifest but her mum is killed in the process. Neither of them are happy at the academy but neither put up much of a fight against the strict headmistress and they don't understand why. Then they decide to investigate.
This had a different description which drew me in. Humans are in charge and fae are classed as a lower form of being, forced to live in squalor and in the edges of big cities. The academies are run by the humans and fae who leave the schools are only too happy to work under them. It was a puzzle to me just why that was.
Unfortunately though, it was taking a long time to get where it was going. I think if the plot had sped up a little or had a little more excitement going for it, I would have been very into this. As I mentioned above, it did have a promising premise but it was failing to grab me. I got to a point where I didn't want to pick this up anymore.
As for the writing. Well, it felt a little stilted at times. They may be fae but what teen talks like they were doing in this? Their actions were more teenager like than their words most of the time. The sentences didn't always read the best, either:
"They turned down another street and she was surprised to see a number of Fae out and about still this late at night."
"The moment she noticed he blended with the shadows that ended and reality came back."
I'm sure some people will love this but I like a good bit of action in my paranormal books and there hadn't been any in those first 36%. I was a little disappointed.
This starts with Ryker trying to escape from fellow fae who are trying to force him into going to the Bramble Edge Academy to start his training. He's resisting after his mum tells him tales of abuse and strange treatments but he ends up being captured and starting at the academy. A week or so later Maurelle is also captured after her powers manifest but her mum is killed in the process. Neither of them are happy at the academy but neither put up much of a fight against the strict headmistress and they don't understand why. Then they decide to investigate.
This had a different description which drew me in. Humans are in charge and fae are classed as a lower form of being, forced to live in squalor and in the edges of big cities. The academies are run by the humans and fae who leave the schools are only too happy to work under them. It was a puzzle to me just why that was.
Unfortunately though, it was taking a long time to get where it was going. I think if the plot had sped up a little or had a little more excitement going for it, I would have been very into this. As I mentioned above, it did have a promising premise but it was failing to grab me. I got to a point where I didn't want to pick this up anymore.
As for the writing. Well, it felt a little stilted at times. They may be fae but what teen talks like they were doing in this? Their actions were more teenager like than their words most of the time. The sentences didn't always read the best, either:
"They turned down another street and she was surprised to see a number of Fae out and about still this late at night."
"The moment she noticed he blended with the shadows that ended and reality came back."
I'm sure some people will love this but I like a good bit of action in my paranormal books and there hadn't been any in those first 36%. I was a little disappointed.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Flatshare in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The protagonists of this story are Tiffy and Leon. Tiffy works in publishing is an absolute extrovert who needs people in her life even to help with simple decisions, and she is coming to terms that her ex-boyfriend was an emotional abuser. Leon is a night nurse in the hospice, an absolute introvert, who needs money to help his wrongly imprisoned brother. So, yes, this book seems to be a cute rom-com, but it carries way deeper issues within itself. The book is told from a dual perspective, and I loved to find out more about each and every character. I really loved all the characters in this book, they are unique, very realistic and truly charming. Author picked the protagonists very well as well, everyone can relate either to Tiffy or Leon, and I am definitely a house Leon, I really liked his personality and his determination.
The plot of this novel is very unique and original. The whole flat-sharing thing is very intriguing, and I was dying to know when and how are the characters going to meet. There are a lot of things going on in this novel, it has rich but at the same time an easy-going story to tell. I was simply glued to this book because I needed to know how the story will end. The topics discussed in this book were property crisis, failed justice system, emotional abuse in the relationships, friendships, personal development, Love and many more.
The writing style of this book is very masterful, the author took serious topics, and covered it in funny, enjoyable, and easy to digest coating. The language used was easy to read and understandable. The chapters are short and sweet, and I didn’t even notice how the pages flew by. The ending rounded up this book perfectly and left me very satisfied with the outcome.
So, to conclude, this book deserves all the praise it gets, it is witty, enjoyable but at the same time has a punch to it. I loved the diverse and well-developed characters and the unique narrative, and I strongly recommend it to everyone. Please do give this book a go, and I hope you will like it as much as I did. Can’t wait for more books from this author.
The plot of this novel is very unique and original. The whole flat-sharing thing is very intriguing, and I was dying to know when and how are the characters going to meet. There are a lot of things going on in this novel, it has rich but at the same time an easy-going story to tell. I was simply glued to this book because I needed to know how the story will end. The topics discussed in this book were property crisis, failed justice system, emotional abuse in the relationships, friendships, personal development, Love and many more.
The writing style of this book is very masterful, the author took serious topics, and covered it in funny, enjoyable, and easy to digest coating. The language used was easy to read and understandable. The chapters are short and sweet, and I didn’t even notice how the pages flew by. The ending rounded up this book perfectly and left me very satisfied with the outcome.
So, to conclude, this book deserves all the praise it gets, it is witty, enjoyable but at the same time has a punch to it. I loved the diverse and well-developed characters and the unique narrative, and I strongly recommend it to everyone. Please do give this book a go, and I hope you will like it as much as I did. Can’t wait for more books from this author.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated My Sister Is Missing in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This book is told from multiple perspectives, but Jess was the one trying to investigate and find her sister. I really liked this approach to the book, it allowed to see different events happening and how they interconnect between the characters in this story. There were a lot of characters in this novel, but they lacked some spirit in them. I could not understand Jess’s relationship with her boyfriend, and some of her thoughts sound quite feeble. I liked this ghostly vibe which the author used in this novel, it felt quite creepy sometimes. 🙂
The narrative of this book was quite interesting. I liked the way the author was throwing in false information, she actually tricked me a couple of times. 🙂 I did enjoy Jess’s investigation process, but I was quite disappointed with her findings. I was expecting something sinister and mind blowing but I didn’t get that. 😦 The topics discussed in this novel were postnatal psychosis, difficult mother-child relationships, child abuse, mental health, etc. The narrative does have several threads going on, with different issues discussed, but the second part of the book looks less than a thriller and more like a book about treatment and life in general, and I do like my thrillers to grip me till the last page of the book. I can see that the author utilised her knowledge of hospitals and Sheffield in this novel, and it is always interesting to see how authors are connected to their books. 🙂
The writing style of this book was pleasant to read and the language used easy to understand. I liked the different settings and places used in this novel, it gave more edge to the book. The chapters had a decent length and didn’t drag to me. The ending of this book rounded the story nicely but started way too early in my opinion.
So, to conclude, this book has to offer an interesting story and how sometimes our mind can play tricks on us at the worst possible time. I enjoyed this book and the mental health issues it supports. If you are looking for a light thriller, this book is for you. I hope you will give this book a go, and I hope you will enjoy it.
The narrative of this book was quite interesting. I liked the way the author was throwing in false information, she actually tricked me a couple of times. 🙂 I did enjoy Jess’s investigation process, but I was quite disappointed with her findings. I was expecting something sinister and mind blowing but I didn’t get that. 😦 The topics discussed in this novel were postnatal psychosis, difficult mother-child relationships, child abuse, mental health, etc. The narrative does have several threads going on, with different issues discussed, but the second part of the book looks less than a thriller and more like a book about treatment and life in general, and I do like my thrillers to grip me till the last page of the book. I can see that the author utilised her knowledge of hospitals and Sheffield in this novel, and it is always interesting to see how authors are connected to their books. 🙂
The writing style of this book was pleasant to read and the language used easy to understand. I liked the different settings and places used in this novel, it gave more edge to the book. The chapters had a decent length and didn’t drag to me. The ending of this book rounded the story nicely but started way too early in my opinion.
So, to conclude, this book has to offer an interesting story and how sometimes our mind can play tricks on us at the worst possible time. I enjoyed this book and the mental health issues it supports. If you are looking for a light thriller, this book is for you. I hope you will give this book a go, and I hope you will enjoy it.
ClareR (5674 KP) rated The Last Thing To Burn in Books
Jan 12, 2021
The Last Thing to Burn is the first of Will Dean’s books that I’ve read, and it most definitely won’t be my last. I had to keep reminding myself to breathe throughout this book - ‘suspense’ is not a strong enough word! If I could have read through my hands covering my eyes, I would have, because you could see what was coming next , and you just couldn’t stop it from coming! And then it would be even more horrific than I thought it was going to be. I mean, Will Dean seems to be such a nice person on Twitter, his St Bernard, Bernie, is gorgeous - how can things like this even come out of his head and on to paper?!
My dad lives in Lincolnshire, and to get to where he lives (Boston), we have to drive through what seems to be miles and miles of flat farmland (filled mainly with cruciferous vegetables, if my nose remembers correctly!), so it was easy to see how hard it would be for Jane to escape. You can see for a long way - uninterrupted by hills, or indeed anything else at all! This was such a good choice of location. It was that feeling of being trapped by your environment, even though Jane wasn’t exactly locked away. Jane’s every move is monitored on CCTV when her ‘husband’ isn’t there. And if she breaks any of his rules, she is punished. Not physically - instead he takes one of her very few belongings, and burns it whilst she watches.
This is a story of abuse, imprisonment and survival. No matter how much he seeks to control her, “Jane” is free to think and remember what it was like to be free. Whilst I was reading this, that’s all I wanted for her - freedom.
I don’t know whether the phrase “I loved every minute of this book” reflects all that well on me. I mean, it’s pretty horrific. But love it I did. I’d recommend this book to anyone - and then rub my hands together, whilst cackling evilly... Ok, that is a bit weird. But really. Just read the book.
Many thanks to the Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.
My dad lives in Lincolnshire, and to get to where he lives (Boston), we have to drive through what seems to be miles and miles of flat farmland (filled mainly with cruciferous vegetables, if my nose remembers correctly!), so it was easy to see how hard it would be for Jane to escape. You can see for a long way - uninterrupted by hills, or indeed anything else at all! This was such a good choice of location. It was that feeling of being trapped by your environment, even though Jane wasn’t exactly locked away. Jane’s every move is monitored on CCTV when her ‘husband’ isn’t there. And if she breaks any of his rules, she is punished. Not physically - instead he takes one of her very few belongings, and burns it whilst she watches.
This is a story of abuse, imprisonment and survival. No matter how much he seeks to control her, “Jane” is free to think and remember what it was like to be free. Whilst I was reading this, that’s all I wanted for her - freedom.
I don’t know whether the phrase “I loved every minute of this book” reflects all that well on me. I mean, it’s pretty horrific. But love it I did. I’d recommend this book to anyone - and then rub my hands together, whilst cackling evilly... Ok, that is a bit weird. But really. Just read the book.
Many thanks to the Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Shadow Friend in Books
Jan 26, 2021
The protagonist of this story is Paul. He has to come back to a miserable town where he grew up after he found out that his mother is about to die. Paul hates that town for so many reasons, but mainly because of what happened when he was young. This book is told from a dual perspective. Another character sharing details is Amanda, she is a detective, investigating a murder, that looks exactly like the one that happened many many years ago. Amanda has her own issues, and she is kind of a background character in this book. I liked Paul as a character, he was a good kid, he is awkward, but a nice guy. All the characters chosen in this novel are quite mysterious, and the whole book has a very depressing and gloomy atmosphere, that works very well in Alex North’s books.
The narrative of this novel is exceptionally well written. The author used a dual timeline, we have the events happening now, and the events that happened when Paul was young. My favourite was the ones from the past, of course. It absolutely absorbed me, I was so eager to find out what happened all those years ago. The parts from the present were quieter and more self-reflecting, sharing the inner struggles, but creepy nevertheless. This book is very twisty, and some of the turns really left me gobsmacked and surprised. The topics discussed in this novel were lucid dreaming, bullying, wish to belong, abusive parents, mental abuse, dementia and its effects, parent-child relationships, the influence of the internet and many, many more.
I really love Alex North’s writing style. He is amazing in creating suspense, and all the mind manipulation of the reader was truly amazing. 🙂 The chapters are quite short, I was engrossed in this novel, so the pages just flew by, for me. The ending was shocking and very unexpected, but I did like the way this novel ended. I hope someone will adopt this novel to a film, I am pretty sure it would be wickedly good. 🙂
So, to conclude, I really liked this horror psychological thriller. The characters are very mysterious and the plot is absorbing, layered and complex. This book left me emotionally shaken in the best possible way, and I really recommend to those, who would like something creepy.
The narrative of this novel is exceptionally well written. The author used a dual timeline, we have the events happening now, and the events that happened when Paul was young. My favourite was the ones from the past, of course. It absolutely absorbed me, I was so eager to find out what happened all those years ago. The parts from the present were quieter and more self-reflecting, sharing the inner struggles, but creepy nevertheless. This book is very twisty, and some of the turns really left me gobsmacked and surprised. The topics discussed in this novel were lucid dreaming, bullying, wish to belong, abusive parents, mental abuse, dementia and its effects, parent-child relationships, the influence of the internet and many, many more.
I really love Alex North’s writing style. He is amazing in creating suspense, and all the mind manipulation of the reader was truly amazing. 🙂 The chapters are quite short, I was engrossed in this novel, so the pages just flew by, for me. The ending was shocking and very unexpected, but I did like the way this novel ended. I hope someone will adopt this novel to a film, I am pretty sure it would be wickedly good. 🙂
So, to conclude, I really liked this horror psychological thriller. The characters are very mysterious and the plot is absorbing, layered and complex. This book left me emotionally shaken in the best possible way, and I really recommend to those, who would like something creepy.