Search

Search only in certain items:

Round Up the Usual Peacocks
Round Up the Usual Peacocks
Donna Andrews | 2022 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Will Killers Crash the Wedding of the Century?
Meg’s brother is getting married and their mother is working on turning it into the wedding of the century. However, Meg’s nephew, Kevin, comes to her with a request for help. Kevin and a friend have started a true crime podcast focusing on cold cases, and they think one of their episodes hit too close to home since someone has tried to kill Kevin’s friend. Meg begins investigating the most likely cases. But can she figure out what is going on before the wedding?

Longtime fans of this series know this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Meg at weddings involving peacocks. However, this isn’t a retread in any way. And, if you are new to the series, you can jump in here and enjoy the antics. With three cases for Meg to consider, there is plenty to keep her hopping. I was hooked the entire way, even though I suspected where the stories were going. For the record, I was right on some things and wrong on others. The climax was a little weaker than I would have liked, but it was a minor issue. We have the usual large cast of characters, and it was fantastic to spend time with them. There may not be a laugh on every page here, but there are some classic moments that made me laugh. This is a delightful book that will please Meg’s fans old and new.
  
Isla Dorada
Isla Dorada
2010 | Adventure, Exploration
I have always wanted to be an explorer. Not that I ever really would: I hate sweating, I need at least daily showers, I’m allergic to all the poison plants, and honestly, walking all that way in boots seems like such a drag. BUT! I will play games about exploring and totally get into the themes and mythos. I love them! How does a 10 year old game about exploring hold up to today’s gaming standards? Read on, weary traveler.


Isla Dorada is a set collection, hand management, bidding, exploration, adventure card and board game from a team of designers including Bruno Faidutti and Alan R. Moon. The players are a cohesive exploration team which has crash landed on an island, and they seek the riches within. To do this, the players will be traveling around the island attempting to satisfy their Destinies and pick up treasures along the way. But not every player wants to go where the others want to go. What to do, what to do…
Follow the setup instructions in the rule book until you have a board with turn tracker discs and the players’ shared totem pawn upon the crash site. Each differently-backed card deck will be shuffled and each player will receive cards drawn from these decks as their starting collection. The youngest player will receive the first player marker and will start the game by placing the totem on a path heading away from the crash site where they would like to go and announce the amount of cards they are willing to bid (even zero cards) in order to convince the party to travel there. The game is now on!


Players will be collecting Adventure cards to be used as currency when bidding on party travel in order to fulfill goals on their personal Destiny cards. When traveling each turn, a turn marker disc will be placed on the location the party has visited in order to track the movements for said Destiny cards, which mostly have lists of areas to be visited. They will also be attempting to avoid certain areas of the island which will trigger their Curse card that awards negative points at the end of the game. During two turns of the game players will be able to draw and choose cards from the Treasure deck that will help award points at game end as well. The winner is the player who best collects a combination of completed Destiny cards, Treasures, money, and considerations for negative points from Curses.
Components. People, Isla Dorada boasts some of the best components in a game we have seen. The totem pawn and Bigfoot/Leviathan pawns are simply amazing. The art throughout the game is mesmerizing and gorgeous. So much attention to little details have gone into this production and the final product is a stunning game that you want to keep playing because the component are just so fabulous.

But the game play? It is awesome with the right game mates. If you can play this with your enthusiastic friends, each turn will be simply exciting and joyous to play. Getting friends and family members to shout at each other their bids to move the party toward Septris instead of Methritis because their Curse card is brutal is downright great entertainment. Watching paths being cut off by the Bigfoot and Leviathan and having people visibly create alternate pathways and tactics can be enjoyable as well.

So do I like this game? Yep! It has beautiful components, is somewhat easy to teach to players of all experience levels, and leaves you satisfied when the game is over. This is not a serial, “play every game night” sort of title, but with the right group and mood, this can be a dynamite experience. If you are looking for a high-energy adventure game with lots of player interaction, set out to find a copy. I do wish you good luck, though, as a copy may be hard to come by. Alas, Purple Phoenix Games gives Isla Dorada a totemic 15 / 18. At least we will always have Kilitiping…
  
40x40

Nicola Jane (6 KP) created a post

May 7, 2019 (Updated May 7, 2019)  
https://thegossipingmumsite.wordpress.com
        
4DX Cinema Experience Return of Zander Cage.

According to my 6-year old son our first ever 4DX Cinema experience was epic, and he loved the water and that is simply the end of the blog…. Of course I couldn’t really write about the best ever cinema experience we both have had in one simple line; but in the eyes of a six-year old it really is that simple.

I have taken my child to the cinema on numerous occasions and each time we have visited we have barely watched any of the films. I have tried many genres from animation, comedy and action but each film has been a wasted expense, and we have spent most of the time going back and forth to the lobby or for a toilet break, and using the theatre as a gymnasium has been more entertaining than actually watching the film or sitting still for any length of time. Needless to say when I became aware of 4DX cinema I hoped that this might offer my family a new way of being able to watch a film in the cinema from start to finish; and to actually enjoy it.

So what is 4DX Cinema?

The best way I can explain this new and exciting episode of cinema is to take you through my experience, and how it proved without fail to make my fidgety 6-year old enjoy; no let me get this right; ABSOLUTELY fall in love with cinema!

Cineword in Cardiff is the host to the first ever 4DX experience in Wales after its release in England and Scotland. Originating in South Korea it has now been integrated into cinemas across the world.

Screen 7 at Cineworld in Cardiff has been specially adapted for a 4DX cinema experience and features all the multi-sensory equipment from hydraulic chairs, wind turbines, smoke machines, water, smell machines and strobes. You are greeted by a massive 4DX neon sign with a list of special precautions and warnings; it almost fools you into believing you are about to step onto the Oblivion Roller Coaster at Alton Towers; its time to ride….

We grabbed our Popcorn and made our way to the auditorium settling ourself into the special seats. I had done a little research before our visit and I began our experience by pointing out all the special adjustments to the theatre and what might happen and I could feel his excitement starting to grow. The seats in the theatre felt almost akin to a fairground attraction with special platforms for your feet, and were very wide and comfortable; much better than your average seat. As the previews began you were reminded on two occasions of some rules and guidelines that needed to be followed from not standing on the lower platform and remaining seated unless the rest room was required; was I about to watch a film in its entirety without trying to keep my child in his seat?

I had decided that we were going to get our first experience of 4DX cinema by watching the film ‘XXX Return of Xander Cage’ which is probably not everyone’s go to film but for my action mad son it seemed the perfect choice. As the starting credits began you could feel a hydraulic brake release in the chair and it began to lean ever so slightly left, right, back and forward as it followed the opening credits which were stylised in the form of a long lit bomb fuse waiting to explode. One lean-to the left ‘BANG’ a title appeared, a lean-to the right navigated by a lean back ‘BANG’ a title appeared; 4DX in 3D was definitely an experience we should have tried earlier.

As the film begins ‘Vin Diesel’ appears strangely on top of a Satellite Ariel on Ski’s which he jumps from and free falls through the air and as he lands he continues to ski down through a forest on loose ground. This is where 4DX begins to kick in as your seat begins to lean and arch following his movements. Every crash to the floor you can feel a force inside of your seat that gravitates its way into your back (It does not hurt by the way), a rumbling vibration in the seat pad heightens your senses as he goes over stones on the ground, and the wind turbines make you feel the speed as he is skiing downhill. 4DX is one of the most immersive cinema experiences I have ever had, and it gets you starting to feel like you have just been given the magic ticket from the ‘Last Action Hero’ when the young Austin O’Brien who played Danny in the film actually became part of the film in real life; was my Cineworld Cardiff ticket starting to shine….?


REPORT THIS AD

I am not going to make this a review of ‘XXX Return of Xander Cage’ as this is not my intention and well there will be no spoilers here! The truth is I am going to jump to some key points where 4DX really did get our Adrenalin flowing, and for us the fight scenes really did work especially for my 6-year old son as 4DX really did feel like you were involved in the fight. Every kick you could feel a force inside your chair towards your back, every punch you could feel in the seat pad towards your legs, every shot bursts of air came flying through your hair as if the bullets were shooting passed your head. We were that immersed into the film that at one point my boy got carried away and had a mini fight with his seat as if it were one of the bad guys from XXX. Onwards into the film Xander Cage takes on a Jet Ski and as he lands onto the water bursts of water spray you in the face, and as he jumps and crashes back onto the waves a squirt of water is directed upwards and it lands onto you from above as if you had been splashed by the landing. Now I am not saying you are going to need a rain mac at this point because we are only talking water droplets and mist but it really does get you into the action of the film, and my boy absolutely loved it. Light strobes then go off as someone is crashed into a computer screen which pushes you further into the film followed by a speeding van driving across a gravel road. At this point in the film we almost jump out of our seats as something hits the back of our legs. It felt like the gravel hitting our ankles and you could feel a rumble through your seat pad as if you were experiencing every bump of the tarmac and each pot hole.

The one thing that I was left wanting more of was the ‘Smell-O-Vision’ as I wanted to smell the Chicken cooking in the kitchen at one point in the film, and well maybe that is one customer recommendation a bit too far. 4DX lives up to all expectations in both mine and my fidgety 6-year old sons books for not only was this the first film he sat through but he experienced so much more.

His words were as we came out of the film when I asked him to rate his experience out of 10 he said “No mum its 100 out of 100….”!

4DX has to be experienced and is worth every penny; your immersive experience is waiting for you don’t make it wait too long.
     
How to Walk Away
How to Walk Away
Katherine Center | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.6 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
The kind of book you're enjoying so much that you can't wait to finish it but at the same time will hate to see it end, author Katherine Center managed to such a feat in How to Walk Away.

While as a disabled individual, I'm often disappointed by the way that popular culture portrays disabled characters as either saintly, pitiable, or evil, I was impressed by the way that Center creates a fully three dimensional heroine who goes through a wide range of emotions after surviving a horrific plane crash.

And although on the surface, the thought of adding a romantic comedy subplot to the novel seemed way out of left field, because Center kept the protagonist so firmly grounded in reality, it wound up working really well.

The second recent upbeat romance involving a disabled lead to be chosen as an official selection by Book of the Month alongside Helen Hoang's sexier title The Kiss Quotient, while some of the contrivances in How to Walk Away's final fifty or so pages move it into cliched romcom territory, it's such a sweet, well-earned finale that it's easy to forgive.

A terrific disabled centric beach read, this one will walk away with your heart.
  
A Little Class on Murder
A Little Class on Murder
Carolyn Hart | 1989 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Annie Finds Murder in College
When Annie is asked to teach a class on The Three Grand Dame of the Mystery for the journalism department at the college in Chastain, she quickly warms to the idea. Her enthusiasm is only dimmed slightly when she sees the tension in her fellow faculty members and who decides to crash her class. However, when the student paper starts printing stories that lead to deaths, Annie and her new husband, Max, begin to investigate. Can they figure out what is going on?

This is the book where the series seems to finally be finding the right mix. There is plenty of humor, and I laughed quite a bit. The characters are still on the thin side, but they work to keep us engaged and entertained. We get plenty of references to other writers and characters, mostly the three authors Annie is teaching in her class (Christie, Sayers, and Rinehart), but they never overwhelm or feel like a list dropped into the story. And the mystery weaves all around, keeping us guessing until the end. There is still more foul language than in a typical cozy, but as long as you know this, you’ll be fine. I hope this mix continues as the series goes forward.
  
65 (2023)
65 (2023)
2023 | Sci-Fi
6
6.8 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Driver is Heads and Shoulders above this material
Whoever decided to cast Adam Driver as an alien spaceperson (who looks and acts suspiciously like a 21st Century American) who crash-lands on prehistoric Earth and has to battle Dinosaurs equipped with only his alien technology (including his laser-blaster) is a GENIUS for Driver is EXTREMELY watchable in this film - the best thing (by far) in this so-so sci-fi/dinosaur mash-up.

The rest of the movie? Not so much.

Basically Jurassic Park with a spaceman twist, 65 (so named for the spaceman that crash lands on Earth at around 65 million years B.C. - just before the “dinosaur killing” asteroid hits the Earth) tells the tale of said Spaceman, MIlls (Driver) who crashes on Earth and (along with another survivor, Koa played by Ariana Greenblatt) must make their way across unfriendly, hungry Dinosaur territory to their escape ship and get off the planet before the asteroid hits.

You’ve seen the humans vs. dinosaur action before in all of the Jurassic Park films - so there’s nothing new here. Writer/Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods put together a fairly standard “man vs. beast” action flick. It felt like that these two were playing with their Jurassic Park and Astronaut toys in their bedroom and this was the adventure they came up with.

The differentiator in this film is the performance of Driver who puts his all into his portrayal of Mills as he (mostly) silently, but professionally, makes his way across hostile territory to gain access to rescue. Driver (who I don’t think has ever given a bad performance) is head and shoulders above the material here and he, alone, is worth spending an hour and a 1/2 of your time on this film.

Roll your eyes at the Dinosaur action, marvel at the Adam Driver performance.

Letter Grade: C+ (Driver “A”, the rest of the film “D”)

6 stars (out of 10) - and that’s being generous - and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
  
Dear Edward
Dear Edward
Ann Napolitano | 2020 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
10
9.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
<a href="https://amzn.to/2Wi7amb">Wishlist</a>; | <a
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;

<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Book-Review-Banner-28.png"/>;
 
<b><i>Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano is one of the few books that instantly captures your heart, then shatters it into hundred pieces and teaches you many life lessons at the same time.</i></b>

"A reporter holds up a copy of The New York Times to a camera, to show a huge block headline, the kind normally reserved for presidential elections and moonwalks. It reads: 

191 DIE IN PLANE CRASH; 1 SURVIVOR

The relatives have only one question when the press briefing comes to close; they all lean toward it like a window in a dark room:

"How is the boy?"</i>

Dear Edward features a boy called Edward, who is flying with his family to move across states. This is their chance of a new life, a brand new start. When the plane crashes, he is the only survivor.

The author tells the story through two different timelines; during the flight and after the plane crash. We follow Edward's life and how he is coping with the loss of everything he knew. We also see how he is struggling to cope with the unwanted celebrity title he has now.

I have always been intrigued by planes and plane crashes. I used to watch every single episode of the documentary on Discovery Channel back in the days. And today, I like to listen to the Plane Crash Podcast by Michael Bauer. I have had some bad experiences while flying, and have always wanted to understand what exactly happens when a plane crashes, and what aviation does to prevent this from happening in the future. This book contains amazing details about the crash, and my hidden mystery person inside me was deeply satisfied by all those pilot dialogues and explanations.

Edward's grief and growing up journey is so painful. He survived, but everyone he loved and cared about in his life died. He is lucky to have survived, but why does he then feel guilty? Why did he swap places with his brother on the flight? If they didn't - his brother would still be alive now. The brother relationship was written so perfectly. The love and the bond they shared for each other was so strong.

Despite the fact that Edward is the main character in this story, we also get to meet so many other characters, the people who lost their lives in the crash. Through flashbacks and "during flight" scenes, as well as encounters from their families, we get to see all the wishes that will never come through, all the hopes and dreams buried under the plane ash.

And that is why Edward's journey is so difficult. He doesn't have to only carry to guilt for his own family, but all those other lives as well. Edward receives letters from the families asking him to do all these things that these people would do. He is asked to become a musician, a doctor, a teacher, to travel around the world, learn knitting, etc, and Edward feels obligated to do all of these things, to give peace to the families.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B5QrV56gmZi/">View this post on Instagram</a>
<img src="https://scontent.flhr4-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/78070730_2837573906254210_1110262175731023872_o.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_ohc=i_DJ97h122QAQkKa2ZjxLPKo29PJKCSylYSTgWVXCvjS6YCTQzZ35Wt8g&_nc_ht=scontent.flhr4-1.fna&oh=baa75c6360fd9a085bce261040b8a027&oe=5E836DB6"/>;

<b><i>I knew this book would stay with me forever from the moment I started reading the first few pages. It is so harshly real and painful, but what it does it remind us how every day is special and we should be thankful for it! We may not get a tomorrow, but that's why we have today. Let's make the best of it!</i></b>

Thank you to the team at Penguin Random House for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Also thank you to the team at LoveReading UK, for allowing me to be their Super Ambassador of this book for the month of November.

<a href="https://amzn.to/2Wi7amb">Wishlist</a>; | <a
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
  
Nashville (1975)
Nashville (1975)
1975 | Classics, Drama, Musical
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
A landmark film
Nashville is a very difficult film to pin down. It refuses to be pigeonholed into a genre. (IMDB has it listed as a comedy, Google as Drama/Political Drama, and Wikipedia labels the film a Musical Comedy-Drama. In my opinion, Nashville is all of those things and maybe some more. It would be more beneficial to talk about Nashville, not in terms of how similar it is to any other film, but instead, explore how it is unique and entirely different from almost everything that came before it. Robert Altman attempted to subvert audience expectations in ways never before seen in Hollywood. Where most films try and limit the number of main characters the audience has to follow, Altman instead chose to populate his country music narrative with over 20 different protagonists. Each of these protagonists has their own story to tell and all of these stories are only loosely connected together. This may sound familiar to contemporary audiences who have seen films like Crash, Babel, and Magnolia fresh on their minds, but to a 1975 audience, this was all but unheard of. Altman furthers this sense of chaos by constantly overlapping dialogue tracks throughout the film. This tactic forces viewers to engage more closely to what they can hear during the scenes because it’s not always obvious what you should be listening to. Sometimes that choice is even quite subjective as in most cases there is no clear plot line that stands out as primary. One of the joys of this film comes from the choice you have as a spectator to focus on whatever interests you most. To a certain extent, this film lends itself to multiple viewings that could produce slightly different results each time. Something that might have slipped your attention the first time might stand out upon repeated viewings and that has the possibility to add to the story in interesting and unique ways. In dealing with over 20 characters Altman runs the risk of underdeveloped characters and unsatisfying conclusions to their stories. Not everyone has a satisfying payoff but some characters will surprise you during the final few scenes. Henry Gibson’s Haven rises above what was previously a one-note character of a person and responds to the climax in a surprisingly moving way. All in all, Nashville is an important piece of American cinema history. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea so it’s best to temper your expectations going into a viewing, but if you can keep your eyes and ears intently listening for the full two and a half hour film you will not be disappointed in the humanity you spot in each of these stories. This is a film that rewards an invested viewing.
  
Before the Fall
Before the Fall
Noah Hawley | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.4 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
For more reviews please visit https://bbookinspector.wordpress.com

This book was on my Kindle for quite a while, and after reading another book about a plane crash, I thought to finally finish this one as well. Unfortunately, it did not impress me.

The book starts with seven passengers and three crew members boarding the plane. After eighteen minutes, the plane crashes into the water, where only Scott Burroughs and Millionaire’s four-year-old son, JJ, survives. The base of this book is the life stories of all the people who boarded the plane, entangled with the present story of Scott. I really liked the stories of the passenger’s lives, I think they were intriguing and it gave a great understanding of the characters and the reasons why they were on that plane. However, I found Scott’s present story quite boring, and I couldn’t wait for it to be over.

The narrative of this book was flowing pretty smoothly, I didn’t find any strong turns or twists in this story and it kind of just plodded along. I really liked the insight into flight crew people’s lives, and what challenges they are facing. It was really intriguing to me. The narrative was told from different perspectives and I think that was really necessary for this novel, it gave better insight into different characters, and made it a little bit less of a yawner for me, as a reader.

The writing style of this novel is easy to read, and the language used was not difficult. The chapters quite long, but they were divided into smaller subchapters, so it did not drag. The ending of this book concluded the whole story nicely, and it was quite unexpected. However there are some unanswered questions left and I would like to know, what happened to the security personnel. So, to conclude, there were some parts which I really liked, but overall I wasn’t very impressed with this book. But it is just my humble opinion, so please, do give it a try, and I hope you will enjoy it.
Was given this book by publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.
  
If I Were A Weapon (All These Gifts #1)
If I Were A Weapon (All These Gifts #1)
Skye Kilaen | 2022 | LGBTQ+, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
IF I WERE A WEAPON is the first book in the All These Gifts series, and we find ourselves in an Earth of the not-too-distant future where alien ships crash-landed to Earth, killing or displacing the inhabitants. For those that survived, for the lucky majority, life continued as normal but, for some, their lives were irrevocably changed.

Deneve and Jolie are some that changed. Deneve has the ability to predict the future in certain circumstances, with the nanites ramping up until she acts to change whatever it was she saw. Jolie has the ability to play with fire. Both are hiding from people who might use them and neither wants anything long-term. When Deneve has a vision about Jolie being in danger though, she has to stay to make sure Jolie is safe, even though they don't know each other.

This was really well-written, with plenty of backstory and build-up to move the story along. Deneve and Jolie don't know each other, and their relationship reflects that, although it will change as the series progresses. For now, they share a kiss and that's it. For the most part, it is stilted formality between them, which somehow works and lets you see more into their personalities than if they had been best buds from the outset.

Set in Austin, Texas, you get a story rich in detail, where the differences between those that are 'normal' and those that are not are highlighted in simple and subtle ways. This is a series so don't expect to have all the answers given to you in book one, because you will surely be disappointed.

As for me, I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to continuing with the series to see where it takes me next. Absolutely recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

 Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!