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Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart
Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart
1969 | Experimental, Jazz, Rock
8
6.7 (7 Ratings)
Album Rating
It’s fucking nuts!!! (0 more)
It’s a hot mess of an album (0 more)
After deciding to embrace my inner hippy and introduce myself to new musical experiences I had started with Frank Zappa and the natural progression was Captain Beefheart.

After doing extensive research as to where to start, I was intrigued to read about Trout Mask Replica, especially when it was classed on several sites as unlistenable.

I like a challenge so I bought it. I have to say that it’s the weirdest album I’ve EVER listened to! Captain Beefy does a lot of bellowing and, to be honest, I found it hard to distinguish one song for the other. However! I don’t know if it’s cos I’m on the autistic spectrum and generally like weird things, but... I liked it! I think the key to enjoying it is not to overthink it while listening, just do with it. I concentrated more on the beat of the music (if you can call it that?????!!!) than the lyrics.

Normally I hate jazz but I did enjoy it. I think I’d have to listen to it more times to feel comfortable with it. I would say, if you’re a bit nervous of investing in this, listen to the whole album before you purchase - it’s not for everyone, you may decide it’s just a cacophonous mess
  
Fancy Blues & Rustique Novelties by Flipron
Fancy Blues & Rustique Novelties by Flipron
2004 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"The first thing I should say is that it's not necessarily in order of favouritism. It was purely just well, what can I put down, and then rifling through and changing my mind and then going on to something else. But Flipron are a band that when I had a recording studio they turned up and said something like we've got a hundred quid, how much time can we have. And I just really liked them and I really liked the songs that they'd got. So two years later they were in the studio and we became firm friends. I produced a couple of records for them as well. But it's a funny thing because I prefer the stuff I wasn't involved with, of which this album is one. My studio closed down and we all went off and did our own thing and then they turned up with their first two albums. And with this one I just really love the songs on it. Each one is kind of like a story."

Source
  
Do No Harm [Audiobook]
Do No Harm [Audiobook]
Jack Jordan | 2022 | Crime, Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
For me, I find the measure of a book is how memorable it is and I can safely say that this is one that I can clearly remember even though I finished listening to it a number of weeks ago.

I found this rather gripping and was disappointed when I had to stop listening when work and family life got in the way!

The story is intense and fast moving; the plot is engrossing with a number of twists and turns that had me taking a few sharp intakes of breath at times.

The three main characters of Anna, Margot and Rachel are all told by different narrators - this was genius and helped to differentiate between their 'parts' in the story. The narrators did an excellent job and helped keep the tension going from start to finish.

I haven't read or listened to anything by Jack Jordan before but I will certainly be keeping my eyes open in the future and I must thank Simon & Schuster UK Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to Do No Harm and share my thoughts.
  
TW
Those Who Wish Me Dead
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A patron came into the library on Tuesday to return this book and couldn't stop raving about and so I decided to check it out. Well now I can see what they meant when they said they couldn't put it down. It tells the story of a teenage boy who witnesses a vicious murder and is forced into hiding to avoid the pair of killers who are now chasing him. I won't say anything more for fear of giving away any plot points, but I will say this somewhat simple set-up winds up being more complex than it sounds, and leads to many tense and frightening moments. The duo of bad guys are particularly creepy and are used to great effect. The story moves along at breakneck pace and I felt the characters and their back stories were nicely fleshed out, particularly the lead. I was genuinely concerned for the well-being of these people, which is essential for this type of tale. While I was able to put the book down to get some sleep the first 2 nights, last night I wound up reading the entire 2nd half in one sitting; so riveted by the proceedings that I had no choice but to see what would happen next. This was a truly harrowing adventure, with some very frightening sequences, which I can easily recommend to anyone in the mood for a good thrill.
  
Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #3)
Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #3)
Laini Taylor | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
7.9 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
So I finished the third and final book in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series and I have to say, bravo! It really was such a good read, longer, which is more to my taste and such a lovely way to finish of such a good trilogy. Luckily for me I only read books 1 & 2 this year so unlike other readers the story was all still incredibly fresh in my mind. It picks up before the end of book 2 and explains some of the finer details to bring the story up to scratch. I won’t go into further details encase people haven’t read book 2 yet.

This is such a well-structured trilogy and you can see the authors develop as well as the characters, without it seeming to ‘after thought’ish, in this final edition to the series. I will say I was not overly keen on the edition of an unknown character as a narrator at this stage (which is surprising considering I read Game of Thrones). One of the only real dislikes I had was Eliza’s first few chapters I just couldn’t see how or why she fits into the grand scheme of things. Which she does in the end in such a brilliant way, I think a second reading at some point will allow a better appreciation of her chapters now.

Whilst I thoroughly loved and enjoyed this book I do have to say that towards the end it felt almost like and ‘opps we haven’t really said what’s going on with these characters or this area’. I think the book would have been perfect finished at around 94% the last 6% did feel a bit padded.

I would like to finish by adding that Zuzana is such a bright star of a character in a story that could get pulled down with seriousness. She is right there with such quick funny lines that at times I did laugh out loud. I could hear her sarcastic little voice and I loved getting to her chapters. I also wonder if at some point Laini Taylor may revisit this world as I can almost feel the rest of the story unfolding in my own head.
  
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    LineLearner

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The Black Dagger Brotherhood Novels 1-4
The Black Dagger Brotherhood Novels 1-4
J.R. Ward | 2011
9
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I absolutely adore the Black Dagger brotherhood books I have all of them up to the recent one I just got that's a lot of books and I just adore them and I reread them whenever I get the chance to I ha (0 more)
There is nothing bad I can say about these books because if there was I wouldn't be reading them they are amazing books for me (0 more)
Love love love Black Dagger brotherhood
For me the Black Dagger brotherhood books have literally saved my life because I read all of them and during the pandemic and the quarantine and the lockdowns these books have kept me sane a. J r ward has the unique ability to get into her characters heads and that's what makes her book so good she flushes out the characters and weighs a lot of authors don't and I just love her
  
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Year Old Girl</a>).


I remember reading the child friendly version of this book to my son last year. However, I wasn't made aware of the adult version of this book until the film came out and when my cousin told me I should read the book because it was really good. I really wanted to see the movie, so I thought I'd read the book first. All I can say about this book is WOW! It was very touching and such a great read!

I like the title. It has such a child like innocence about it which is fitting since it's about a little boy visiting Heaven.

I love the cover with the photo of little Colton. He was such an adorable little boy! I would've liked to see a drawing of Heaven or something behind him, but the cover, on its own, does work quite well.

I thought the way that Todd Burpo (Colton's father) sets up the scenes was done quite well. It was easy to picture everything happening in my mind. I could even picture Heaven in my mind with Colton's descriptions although I know Heaven will be much better then what I can actually imagine.

The pacing throughout this book is fantastic. In fact, I would've read the book in one setting, but I had a husband and a 10 year old to look after, so I had to stop. However, the next day, when everyone was at school and work, I finished it then. I couldn't wait to see what little Colton had to say next about Heaven. It was just astounding!

This book just blew my mind. It was so amazing to be getting a glimpse into Heaven thanks to Colton. The things he described whilst in Heaven were just breath taking. I believe that Colton did see what he described. Saying that, there were times I was thinking that maybe Colton could've been exaggerating especially when he would say things two years later. Perhaps he was telling the whole truth though. We'll never know until we reach Heaven. But I do believe that most of what Colton saw whilst in Heaven was and is true.

There's no violence in this book, no sex and no swearing especially as this is a Christian non-fiction book. There is a near death experience though.

I'd recommend this book to everyone, young and old. You will be amazed with what Colton has seen and heard. I know I was.
  
Austin (Learning to Love #4) by Con Riley
Austin (Learning to Love #4) by Con Riley
Con Riley | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
emotional, but beautifully written!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 4 in the Learning To Love series but can be read as a stand-alone. I do, however, recommend all three books before this: Charles, Sol and Luke, but especially Luke. Austin pops up a lot in that book and I think you need to see that side of him, before you get to this side, you know?

And two very different sides to Austin they are, too! But once you get into his mind, and you see why he is like that, you can understand. Because Austin is in a lot of pain about something, and that something takes time to come out, the whole story isn't made clear til right near, so you are left putting a picture together of the clues, and the one I made was so very wrong.

But Dom, too, is in some pain, just a very different sort. And Austin helps him in ways he never knew he needed. Not just with Maisie, his daughter, but with his heart too.

I loved Dom, and Austin, both together and apart. Austin does some serious soul searching here and he makes amends with some people (not saying who though!) He has his "light bulb" moment right near the end, though, and really does his best to return home, or rather, home comes to him.

It's heavy on the emotions, this one, but light on the smexy times, and I loved that.

Again, only Austin has a say. I would have, ordinarily, said I needed to hear from Dom, but Dom has a lot to say, without words, and I heard him just fine. That's not to say I didn't WANT to hear from Dom, because I'm greedy, just that I felt I didn't NEED to hear from him, you know?

We caught up with Charles and Luke and Sol, and also with Sol's nephew Cameron. I think Cameron's part here was very much needed for both him and Austin, given their history. And the gift giving thing was awesome!

But, as much as I loved Austin and Dom, I have to say I think little Maisie stole the show here! She loved Austin Russell right from the start, it took her daddy time to catch her up!

Emotional, but wonderfully written and told.

5 stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere