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A Man Called Ove
A Man Called Ove
Fredrik Backman | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
9
8.8 (28 Ratings)
Book Rating
I cried my eyes out in the mid of the night. All these emotions that pinched my heart, I can barely breathe. I don''t even know what to write down here. This is a book has to be experienced, it has no logical explanation.
Is there somebody that doesn't know Ove? With his colorful expressions, he made me giggle in the middle of my lectures in university (and made my Architecture lecturer wonder what the funny thing is). From the first page I knew that I would love this curmudgeon Ove.
Ove is one of these people, that don't like anything. Nobody do nothing in the right way. Always complanes from the new generation, who cant even change the flat tyre on their own car. The story goes trough two different times: now- after Sonja death and before - what the life of young Ove looks like. The flashback shows us a kind, hard-working young men, truly honest man. The bureaucracy and the series of misfortune events, that follows him through his own life, leaded to all his negativism rooted deep in his heart. And after he finally used to live with all world letting him down, his only cherish in this grumpy world, the only person who understand him and love him, betrayed him as well. After Sonja death he can't find a reason to stay alive. All he wants is to die and be together with his wife again. His sunlight has gone and after her its only darkness. Gray-colored everyday routine. Whitout her. So he decided that he has to die and be with her again.
Going throug a series of funny series, he became too busy to die today or tomorrow. Then Parvaneh showed up with her crazy family and frustrated all his suicidal plans. She bring the hope back to him. He realized that the life without Sonja is worse, but since he has 3 children, who he didn't even know 2 weeks ago, but they do love him like he is their biological granddad, the life is actually not that bad.
Although Ove is an old curmudgeon, I can assure you that he has the biggest heart you have ever saw.
  
GH
Gilt Hollow
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I am so SO new to reading mystery/suspense books. I like to feel warm and fuzzy rather than creeped out and paranoid. But I AM trying to branch out more...and while Gilt Hollow IS an excellent story and talks a lot about forgiveness...there was not a lot of faith woven into the story in my opinion.

The writing was smooth and flowed nicely. And even though most of the book itself has little action, it was never dull or slow. Always something new to uncover, always one more piece falling into place right where it needed to be.

Although I can not relate directly to the circumstances surrounding Willow and Ashton, I can relate to the panic attacks (thankfully mine have gotten MUCH better in recent months) and to miscommunication. How many arguments, how much confusion, could we save by communicating efficiently?

As the story begins to take shape we start wondering "who done it?" and as I kept reading I really didn't know how it was going to end. I read this one super fast because it just sucks you in and page after page, chapter after chapter...you just NEED to know more!

The characters possessed age appropriate personalities due to the circumstances they landed in. And while the kisses (and yes...closets are involved...those are ranked among my favorite!) emit a good dose of passion, I believe the author kept it clean and appropriate for Young Adults.

If you haven't read mystery/suspense books yet but are wanting to get your feet wet in the genre, I do recommend Gilt Hollow. There are moments of pure creepiness and some gory descriptions...just as a heads up, but all in all a VERY well written book.

I received a complimentary copy of Gilt Hollow from the publishers. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
Roll Player
Roll Player
2016 | Dice Game, Fantasy
Dice manipulation (4 more)
Many different end game bonuses
Cards change priorities
Colors of the dice matter
Variable player values
I adore this game, roll the dice then change them. Create a character.
So this game is really about efficiency. Take the rolls. Change them using your powers. Make your priorities and later maybe change them. I love the negative traights turned positive. Don’t need intelligence? Go after the foolish traight. Also are you a sociopath. Don’t be too good then. Or if you are a Hermit. Stay in the middle. I love this aspect as well. You make the dice fit your starting situation. Even your race; orc, dragon, human, elf makes a difference. So much to pay attention to. You’ll probably miss something and catch it halfway through. Laugh at yourself and figure it out. I love that it’s not over until the last die is placed. You can always tweak it. Plus. I’ve met the designer who is a nice guy. Which doesn’t surprise me. But does make me like it slightly more. I always want to celebrate great people in the world.

My last play: Dragonkin Sociopathic Ranger who is Dedicated, Devoted, Foolish, Honest, & Envious.

That even plays into some story telling aspects. Which a fun way to think about the game afterward. Tell a story about your charectures.

There’s an expansion for it. But I haven’t tried it yet.
  
Show all 4 comments.
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Beetle Rider (341 KP) Apr 16, 2018

I’ve only played this once but I liked it a lot. Like segrada but more to it.

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Lumos (380 KP) Apr 17, 2018

Absolutely! It is very similar to Segrada but Roll Player has what that game is missing with the market element and the ability to play to different strategies.

Colt Express
Colt Express
2014 | American West, Fighting, Transportation
The planning and execution don't always line up. (3 more)
Options are good without being overly abundant
can always waste a turn to get more options
Getting shot only means to have a chance at less options
can be slightly frustrating when plans go awry. (1 more)
sometimes hard to move the pieces on the cardboard train.
Really a fun light-hearted game of train robbing
the consequences are light in this game of take that and a race to steal the most valuables from the train. There isn't even the conscience of worry about who you are robbing, they've take that out of the equation. they are just tokens laying on the ground, and you have to go and pick them up. But people can punch and shoot you or send the Marshall after you which will foil your plans and move you against your will. Also each character has a special power, so each game is slightly different when you play the different robbers. Also the changing of the order and the different round options with tunnels and other consequences make it more interesting. Great with kids due to the theme. just enough light strategy though to engage their brains. And it's even good with adults having adult beverages. Overall I'm glad I have it in my collection and it's one of the few 6 player games that works for everyone. (There is also a great app for it as well if you want to try before you buy.)
  
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Otway93 (580 KP) rated Doctor Who in TV

Oct 28, 2019  
Doctor Who
Doctor Who
1963 | Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi
Stories (3 more)
Educational
Casting
Imagination
Some Casting Choices (1 more)
Can rely too much on nostalgia
All round fun, from the newest to the oldest bubblewrap monsters!
Doctor Who will always be my favourite show of all time, but it has had its ups and downs, just like every show.

The original run of Doctor Who from 1963-1989 was 95% brilliant, an almost constant flow of imagination from some incredibly talents writers. From the more you educational episodes of the first two series to the somewhat difficult days of the late 80s, fun was always there, but at the same time teaching morality and kindness. The show also created some of the most notorious villains in science fiction history, with such enemies as the Daleks, the Cybermen and not forgetting one of the greatest nemesis of all time, The Master! The older stories, family fun for all!

Then in 2005 after a 16 year hiatus it returned to a new audience and its original audience. With shorter stories and fewer episodes, the show continues to attract fans worldwide and keep (most of) the original fans happy.

The only real downsides I can think of are some poor writing in Season 22 and 24 of the original run, and 8 and 11 of the new run, and a few poor casting choices, mainly being Bonnie Langford in the original run, and Tosin Cole in the most recent series, but plenty of other perfect casting choices to make up for it!
  
Let’s Fake a Deal
Let’s Fake a Deal
Sherry Harris | 2019 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
My Enthusiasm for This Book Is Not Fake
Sarah Winston’s latest garage sale turns into a disaster when the police show up just after she has opened. It turns out Sarah is selling stolen goods, and the people who hired her have vanished without a trace, making it look even more like she is guilty. That night, Sarah meets up with her friend Michelle at a local bar. Michelle, who is up for a promotion in the Air Force, is facing a bogus discrimination complaint. The next morning, one of the men Michelle thinks is behind her complaint is found dead in her car. Can Sarah clear her friend while keeping herself out of jail?

With two strong mysteries, I’m sure it is no surprise to say that this is a fast-paced book. Sarah is always working on one case or the other, and author Sherry Harris balances them perfectly, so we can easily follow what is happening in both cases. I had a hard time putting the book down, which is standard for this series, and I was satisfied when I reached the ending. The characters are great as always; I’m especially enjoying getting to know Sarah’s brother Luke. This book highlights another issue that career military people face without forgetting that it is a mystery novel first, something I especially enjoy about this series. Now comes the wait for the next time I get to visit Sarah.
  
Please Send Help (I Hate Everyone But You #2)
Please Send Help (I Hate Everyone But You #2)
Gaby Dunn, Allison Raskin | 2019 | Contemporary, Young Adult (YA)
7
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sequel to I Hate Everyone But You
‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

The story of Ava and Gen continues. In I Hate Everyone But You, the friends are in high school. Please Send Help follows the girls and their friendship after they graduate. They move on with their lives but remain committed to always being there for each other.

The authors, Gaby Dunn & Allison Raskin, "perfectly capture the voice of young adults looking to find their place in the world, proving no matter how desperate things seem, your best friend is always there to reboot your life and send help." This quote might sound familiar because it is the description used to promote the book. It describes the book perfectly and, if you read my reviews, know I do not like to copy and paste. In this case, it did not make sense to reinvent the wheel.

The format of the book is similar to reading a play. However, there are no stage directions or aside descriptions, The book relies completely on the dialogue and is written as an email conversation between the two friends. I hope to see Ava and Gen's friendship to continue in future books.

FYI, if you listen to the audiobook, the authors are also the narrators.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 8/01/19.
  
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