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BadgerMuffin (48 KP) rated Codenames: Deep Undercover in Tabletop Games
Jun 2, 2019
Cheap (1 more)
Easy To Pickup
For Your Eyes Only.
Codenames: Deep Undercover is the NSFW Adult Only team game.
This game is simple, Split into teams, and try to guess the words.
Your Spymasters role is to give you a single word and a number (ie. Ball 4)
As the agents your team must try to work out the 4 cards on the table that link to the word 'Ball', without picking any of the other teams words, or god forbid, The Assassin.
This game is simple to pick up and easy to play, however this game does require some aspect of thought. It's just as fun while drunk however it does make this game considerably more difficult.
Honestly, no game room is complete without some variation of this game. It's easy to set up, and games take from between 10-30 minutes.
A good way to start a night in (or even pre drinks for a night out).
The print quality is high, and game pieces are substantial enough to last a long time.
TL;DR
-Quick Games
-Easy to Learn
-Easiest sober, but possible drunk
-A must have
This game is simple, Split into teams, and try to guess the words.
Your Spymasters role is to give you a single word and a number (ie. Ball 4)
As the agents your team must try to work out the 4 cards on the table that link to the word 'Ball', without picking any of the other teams words, or god forbid, The Assassin.
This game is simple to pick up and easy to play, however this game does require some aspect of thought. It's just as fun while drunk however it does make this game considerably more difficult.
Honestly, no game room is complete without some variation of this game. It's easy to set up, and games take from between 10-30 minutes.
A good way to start a night in (or even pre drinks for a night out).
The print quality is high, and game pieces are substantial enough to last a long time.
TL;DR
-Quick Games
-Easy to Learn
-Easiest sober, but possible drunk
-A must have

Kyera (8 KP) rated The Upside of Unrequited in Books
Jan 31, 2018
The Upside of Unrequited follows Molly, a girl who has had 26 crushes (and counting). She’s never been brave enough to put herself out there, never told any of her crushes how she felt and has never been rejected. But will everything change with crush 27?
This book is great because it has diverse people represented and seems authentic to each of their individual personalities and struggles. It is nice to see such a well-developed collection of people introduced to readers because sometimes readers aren’t always able to find a character they can relate to in a book. I hope that this book is not one of them.
Although Molly thinks she might like two different boys at one time, this isn’t a book that revolves around a love triangle. Molly struggles with her changing relationship with her twin sister. Her sister explores her own romantic feelings. Her parents balance their lives with a new baby and a very happy occasion on the horizon.
This is a cute, quick read about crushes, first loves, family, friends, and life. Highly recommended to young adult/teen readers who enjoy happy contemporary books.
This book is great because it has diverse people represented and seems authentic to each of their individual personalities and struggles. It is nice to see such a well-developed collection of people introduced to readers because sometimes readers aren’t always able to find a character they can relate to in a book. I hope that this book is not one of them.
Although Molly thinks she might like two different boys at one time, this isn’t a book that revolves around a love triangle. Molly struggles with her changing relationship with her twin sister. Her sister explores her own romantic feelings. Her parents balance their lives with a new baby and a very happy occasion on the horizon.
This is a cute, quick read about crushes, first loves, family, friends, and life. Highly recommended to young adult/teen readers who enjoy happy contemporary books.

Kyera (8 KP) rated Black Moon (Zodiac, #3) in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Black Moon is the third book in the Zodiac series. I've enjoyed the series thus far, so I was intrigued to see where it would go. Sometimes it felt like the plot jumped around, but where the book really shines is in world building. The solar system is populated by 12 houses of people with many more planets and moons. Each house has its own personalities, physical attributes, and fascinating celestial bodies. She describes the various cities that Rho goes to with wonderful detail, building whole worlds in your mind. Each house is home to such varied peoples from the underwater dwelling Scorps with their pale skin and red eyes that allow them to see more in the dark, but cause discomfort in strong light to the tan Cancrians with their blonde hair. Each house embodies a specific attribute and we see that expressed in their people like the ever questioning Sagittarian or the balancing Libran. There's not much to say about the book itself as this is the third in the series, so anything would be spoilers. Highly recommended read for teen/young adult readers who are fans of fantasy, science fiction, and expansive world building.

Kyera (8 KP) rated Queen Song (Red Queen, #0.1) in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Queen Song is a short novella detailing Coriane's life. It begins prior to her introduction to the Prince and shows a simpler life. Her elder cousin Jessamine wants her to be a proper lady and help restore the power/glory of their failing house. Coriane Jacos just wants to tinker and build things. It was nice to see that similarity to her future son, even though they never really knew one another.
You also get a taste of a second (future) queen in the young Elara, Maven's mother. She is just as pleasant as a young adult as she is in the series, which is to say she's a terror. Elara is manipulative and her power is incredibly strong. <spoiler> We even find out that it was, in fact, Elara that drove Coriane to end her life. Coriane even suspected that Elara was in her mind, but was unable to prove it. She thought she was able to sing well enough to find out if it was true, but Elara was able to resist her. The Queen even got help from someone who could suppress powers, to no avail. Elara drove her mad. </spoiler>
You also get a taste of a second (future) queen in the young Elara, Maven's mother. She is just as pleasant as a young adult as she is in the series, which is to say she's a terror. Elara is manipulative and her power is incredibly strong. <spoiler> We even find out that it was, in fact, Elara that drove Coriane to end her life. Coriane even suspected that Elara was in her mind, but was unable to prove it. She thought she was able to sing well enough to find out if it was true, but Elara was able to resist her. The Queen even got help from someone who could suppress powers, to no avail. Elara drove her mad. </spoiler>

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2277 KP) rated Color Me Murder in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Florrie Fox is delighted when her boss offers his carriage house as a place for her to live. It’s only a few blocks from the bookstore she manages. Her boss, Professor Maxwell, doesn’t want his nephew, Delbert, to move in, so it is perfect. Florrie begins to have her doubt when she meets Delbert, but the last thing she expects to find is his dead body. With Professor Maxwell arrested for the crime, Florrie needs to work fast to prove his innocence.
This is a delightful start to a new series. Florrie is a strong main character, and I love her friends and family as well. I already can’t wait to visit them again. The plot is complex with multiple twists and turns that surprised me. I did feel the climax was a bit weak, but it certainly did explain everything that had happened. Florrie also designs adult coloring books, and as an added bonus, the physical book features a front and back cover ready to be colored.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2018/02/book-review-color-me-murder-by-krista.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This is a delightful start to a new series. Florrie is a strong main character, and I love her friends and family as well. I already can’t wait to visit them again. The plot is complex with multiple twists and turns that surprised me. I did feel the climax was a bit weak, but it certainly did explain everything that had happened. Florrie also designs adult coloring books, and as an added bonus, the physical book features a front and back cover ready to be colored.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2018/02/book-review-color-me-murder-by-krista.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.

The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated Blueprints in Tabletop Games
Mar 14, 2018
Dice Drafting (3 more)
Simple and easy to pick up and play quickly
Good for kids
light strategy
A cute and simple game, good for kids, interesting enough for adults to play with them
This is a fun little light game. You roll some dice, and then go around the table selecting the one that works best for your blue print and your building as you are building it. It's a small box so it can easily travel in a purse and be played at a pub while having pints of beer. Or take to the nephews house and play while having adult conversations. It has enough light interesting strategic choices to be for adults, and yet this would be great for kids to take on strategic choices that aren't intimidating. The choice is picking a color and a number die, the colors interact with the building a get points different ways, and the number is not only the value, but also the level, so you can't put a bigger number on top of a smaller number. You can play a few rounds in a half hour.

Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Defy the Stars (Constellation, #1) in Books
Feb 19, 2018
I didn’t fully read the description of this one, and therefore didn’t know exactly what to expect when I started reading. What I found was a strong-willed, yet sympathetic protagonist with a bit of a chip on her shoulder, although not without reason, and an equally likable, and believable, android thrust together in an adventure spanning the galaxy.
Finding that as the only human around she is able to command Abel to do her bidding, Noemi orders him to help her find a piece of equipment that will aide her people in their was against Earth. Abel for his part would be happier to destroy Noemi, but his programming won’t allow it. There is some great character development as the two get to know each other and understand each others motivations. There is also more real science than I expected to get in a young adult scifi story, and that was a pleasant surprise.
This was my first encounter with author Claudia Gray, but if Goodreads is to be believed and there will be a sequel to Defy the Stars, then it will not be my last.
Finding that as the only human around she is able to command Abel to do her bidding, Noemi orders him to help her find a piece of equipment that will aide her people in their was against Earth. Abel for his part would be happier to destroy Noemi, but his programming won’t allow it. There is some great character development as the two get to know each other and understand each others motivations. There is also more real science than I expected to get in a young adult scifi story, and that was a pleasant surprise.
This was my first encounter with author Claudia Gray, but if Goodreads is to be believed and there will be a sequel to Defy the Stars, then it will not be my last.

Tayla (27 KP) rated Girl Walks Out of a Bar: A Memoir in Books
Jun 17, 2018
Character (2 more)
Rawness emotion
Taboo Topic Insight
Everyone Should Read This Book
Girl Walks Out of a Bar is an amazing book that I recommend to everyone. The raw emotion and insight to a taboo topic are absolutely stunning. I found it impossible to put the book down. As I read Lisa Smith's story I was captivated by her addiction. I felt sadness and sorrow with every negative event and joy with each success. I couldn't help but cheer her on through her road to sobriety.
For someone who has not dealt firsthand with such an addiction, this book was a real eye-opener. It is not often we have the opportunity to peek into the head of an addict and understand what day to day life is like for them. Girl Walk Out of a Bar really helped me gain a better understanding of life for an addict and in return open my eyes to others situations.
I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to read this book and recommend it to every adult who would like to better understand those around us.
For someone who has not dealt firsthand with such an addiction, this book was a real eye-opener. It is not often we have the opportunity to peek into the head of an addict and understand what day to day life is like for them. Girl Walk Out of a Bar really helped me gain a better understanding of life for an addict and in return open my eyes to others situations.
I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to read this book and recommend it to every adult who would like to better understand those around us.

Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated With Malice in Books
Jun 18, 2018
<a href="https://awindowintobooks.wordpress.com">Full Review</a>
With Malice by Eileen Cook is a Young Adult (YA) thriller that is enjoyable to read. The story is about an 18-year old named Jill, who wakes up in the hospital but the twist is that she has no memory of the previous six weeks of her life. She is told that she spent part of that time in Italy with her best friend but was involved in a fatal car accident. Two Jill the car accident does seem to be so accidental based on what she is being told.
The main character is unreliable yet it add a level of suspense and creativity, which kept me interested in the story. Jill's narration was spot on yet it allowed me to form my own ideas and theories regarding the mystery.
There are different points of view and clues from investigators to reporters to followers. Overall, I enjoyed the story very much. I found it interesting and a good breathe of fresh wait to the YA genre.
I received this book from the published via NetGalley for an honest review.
With Malice by Eileen Cook is a Young Adult (YA) thriller that is enjoyable to read. The story is about an 18-year old named Jill, who wakes up in the hospital but the twist is that she has no memory of the previous six weeks of her life. She is told that she spent part of that time in Italy with her best friend but was involved in a fatal car accident. Two Jill the car accident does seem to be so accidental based on what she is being told.
The main character is unreliable yet it add a level of suspense and creativity, which kept me interested in the story. Jill's narration was spot on yet it allowed me to form my own ideas and theories regarding the mystery.
There are different points of view and clues from investigators to reporters to followers. Overall, I enjoyed the story very much. I found it interesting and a good breathe of fresh wait to the YA genre.
I received this book from the published via NetGalley for an honest review.

Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated The Fellowship of the Ring in Books
Jul 10, 2018
I switched off from audiobook to book & back with this book and I enjoyed it for the most part. The narrator was good but slow just like the book.
I have consistently been told that I need to read "The Fellowship of the Ring" and I am happy to say that I finally finished it. Fellowship of the Ring is more of an adult novel compared to "The Hobbit" which I was happy about. Honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of "The Hobbit" and I found it slow & drawn out. I would still say that "The Fellowship of the Ring" was slow & drawn out but I found it more entertaining.
I love fantasy but I also want a book that is fast paced and I felt that this book moved just as fast as molasses. The writing was beautiful which is what kept me engaged. Honestly, I feel that about 200 pages could have been removed and we still would have had the epic fantasy that "The Lord of the Rings" is.
All in all, it was good but not a must read for me.
I have consistently been told that I need to read "The Fellowship of the Ring" and I am happy to say that I finally finished it. Fellowship of the Ring is more of an adult novel compared to "The Hobbit" which I was happy about. Honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of "The Hobbit" and I found it slow & drawn out. I would still say that "The Fellowship of the Ring" was slow & drawn out but I found it more entertaining.
I love fantasy but I also want a book that is fast paced and I felt that this book moved just as fast as molasses. The writing was beautiful which is what kept me engaged. Honestly, I feel that about 200 pages could have been removed and we still would have had the epic fantasy that "The Lord of the Rings" is.
All in all, it was good but not a must read for me.