Search
Search results
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Smashbomb in Apps
Jun 4, 2019
Easy to stay in touch via the app!
Smashbomb is a review site with a difference. in fact, it's so 'alternative' it really fits in with my whole blog theme, so I thought I'd tell you a bit more about it. Think social network for reviews.
I rarely promote websites, but I feel this is great for not only book bloggers but authors too. Even though the range of what is on offer goes far beyond the book world, since you can rate anything from products and services to places, events and podcasts. If this is your (book) bag, then there's potential for most of you reading to get involved!
Smashbomb works on an encouraging reward system where you get points (Kudos points) for taking part in various different ways, like reviewing or making a list of your favourite things. You also get extra Kudos for just logging in each day, and as regular 'Smashbomber' you might even gain extra Kudos points from other members who like your stuff and follow your posts.
I find the community is really friendly and the UI is easy to navigate. You can access the site online via your computer, and also keep in touch with what's going on by an app on your phone. If I were to compare this to anything I'd say it reminds me of a cross between Trip Advisor, and Facebook, only (dare I say it?) with less rules and more fun...
I rarely promote websites, but I feel this is great for not only book bloggers but authors too. Even though the range of what is on offer goes far beyond the book world, since you can rate anything from products and services to places, events and podcasts. If this is your (book) bag, then there's potential for most of you reading to get involved!
Smashbomb works on an encouraging reward system where you get points (Kudos points) for taking part in various different ways, like reviewing or making a list of your favourite things. You also get extra Kudos for just logging in each day, and as regular 'Smashbomber' you might even gain extra Kudos points from other members who like your stuff and follow your posts.
I find the community is really friendly and the UI is easy to navigate. You can access the site online via your computer, and also keep in touch with what's going on by an app on your phone. If I were to compare this to anything I'd say it reminds me of a cross between Trip Advisor, and Facebook, only (dare I say it?) with less rules and more fun...
Johnny Marr recommended Super Hits by The Four Tops in Music (curated)
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated The Vegetarian in Books
Nov 12, 2019
The Vegetarian
There is a dark irony in this novel where the person at the centre, who is dying due to her insanity is the one person who seems most at peace and dare I say happy in her beautiful ignorance. The others are playing their roles and thinking themselves resigned to a state of resignation walking forward with regret. There are also string themes of patriarchy and it's oppression of the females but written almost as if the men are unwilling partakers as if they feel they have no choice but to be oppressive due to their place in the world from birth. This book is so filled with pain the words scream at you. It is bitterness and darkness buying your mind. A very bleak but captivating read and worthy of its accolades
ClareR (5589 KP) rated How to Kill Your Family in Books
May 19, 2022
Imagine the injustice of being sentenced to life imprisonment for a murder you didn’t commit. Not that Grace Bernard is actually innocent. I mean, she HAS murdered six (or is it five? I lose count) members of her own estranged family. Not that they didn’t deserve it.
This was a dark, funny book, and I found myself laughing at the most inappropriate moments. Grace plans her murders meticulously: she finds out what each family member likes to do, where they live and who their contacts are. She’s calm, collected and seriously scary. Grace is a prime example of a psychopath. She has no real attachments, she’s calm and collected during her murders, and her life otherwise appears to be normal.
But if anyone had found the memoir she starts to write whilst jailed for the murder she didn’t commit, she would have had a much longer sentence.
As you probably know by now, I always seem to end up with a soft spot for the more unpleasant, dare I say, naughty, characters. If you count six murders as a bit naughty, then yes, Grace has been added to my list of favourite characters. She really is something special!
Thanks to The Borough Press for my copy of this book to read through NetGalley.
This was a dark, funny book, and I found myself laughing at the most inappropriate moments. Grace plans her murders meticulously: she finds out what each family member likes to do, where they live and who their contacts are. She’s calm, collected and seriously scary. Grace is a prime example of a psychopath. She has no real attachments, she’s calm and collected during her murders, and her life otherwise appears to be normal.
But if anyone had found the memoir she starts to write whilst jailed for the murder she didn’t commit, she would have had a much longer sentence.
As you probably know by now, I always seem to end up with a soft spot for the more unpleasant, dare I say, naughty, characters. If you count six murders as a bit naughty, then yes, Grace has been added to my list of favourite characters. She really is something special!
Thanks to The Borough Press for my copy of this book to read through NetGalley.
Rebecca Billcliff (2409 KP) rated Stranger Things in TV
Dec 7, 2019 (Updated Feb 11, 2020)
Epic Series
Three seasons in, and I am still enjoying it. There is a lot of intrigue around Eleven, and the Upside down. Though we are still waiting for season 2's side quest in the city to pay off, there are plenty of rewards for regular viewers.
With its great casting, epic cinematography, and all the 80s throwbacks, it's a great for all.
Just try and dislike those kids, I dare you.
It is tense, fun and witty, with some high stakes and great plot twists. Well worth a watch.
Thanks to a Smashbomb competition win, I now have a Demigorgan Funko Pop for my collection.
Almost as creepy as the real thing.
With its great casting, epic cinematography, and all the 80s throwbacks, it's a great for all.
Just try and dislike those kids, I dare you.
It is tense, fun and witty, with some high stakes and great plot twists. Well worth a watch.
Thanks to a Smashbomb competition win, I now have a Demigorgan Funko Pop for my collection.
Almost as creepy as the real thing.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Thirty and a Half Excuses (Rose Gardner Mystery, #3) in Books
Jul 16, 2020
I don't read all that many mystery/romantic suspense books anymore and Rose's small Southern town sounds like hell to live in. Everyone knows everyone's business. If you don't go to church, how dare you. If you've been thrown in jail for something you didn't do, the stigma sticks to you like glue. I really have no idea why Rose is still in Henryetta.
Once again, though, Rose finds herself knee deep in an investigation after several older women in the town die of supposed natural causes, and some things just don't add up about it all.
I'll admit I wasn't the least bit suspicious about this person until very near the end so it was cleverly done and well thought out.
And as for the romance in this... I was never fully Team Joe, and after reading my review of the previous book it seems I liked Mason more then too.
I never really liked how Rose let everyone bully her into things and in this she actually started to stand up for herself more, so I did a little cheer about that.
This is definitely going to be the last of this series that I read, mainly because I don't read this subgenre anymore.
Once again, though, Rose finds herself knee deep in an investigation after several older women in the town die of supposed natural causes, and some things just don't add up about it all.
I'll admit I wasn't the least bit suspicious about this person until very near the end so it was cleverly done and well thought out.
And as for the romance in this... I was never fully Team Joe, and after reading my review of the previous book it seems I liked Mason more then too.
I never really liked how Rose let everyone bully her into things and in this she actually started to stand up for herself more, so I did a little cheer about that.
This is definitely going to be the last of this series that I read, mainly because I don't read this subgenre anymore.
*＊✿❀ Maki ❀✿＊* (7 KP) rated Wildwood (Wildwood Chronicles, #1) in Books
May 3, 2018
When I first started reading this book, I tried really hard not to compare it to Jim Henson's Labyrinth. Girl doesn't pay attention to her baby brother, he gets kidnapped, and she has to go into a dangerous, magical world to save him. But I figured I'd give it a chance.
...and then the talking coyotes in red jackets tried to light a fire.
All I could think of was the Fire Gang scene from Labyrinth. Coyote-bird monsters who play with fire. I dare you to tell me those things aren't half-coyotes!
To the book's credit, it gets better. Once you get past the premise, it really does become its own story.
You've got to question what kind of parent doesn't get suspicious when their 1-year-old doesn't make a sound all night, though. Prue's able to just slip out by wrapping up some blankets to look like a baby, and telling her parents that Mac is "really tired". So they don't go to kiss him goodnight? They don't check on him at some point before the morning? These have to be the worst parents ever. Which I guess kind of fits in with what you learn about them later, but it seemed weird when I first read it.
Going into this book, I'd heard that it was a somewhat tedious read. I didn't feel that at all. Sure, it occasionally slowed down when you had to switch between Prue and Curtis, but mainly it was a lot of exposition.
Anyway, if you can get past the parts that feel like you're reading a Labyrinth/Narnia hybrid, it's not a bad book. I look forward to the sequel, which I've heard good things about.
...and then the talking coyotes in red jackets tried to light a fire.
All I could think of was the Fire Gang scene from Labyrinth. Coyote-bird monsters who play with fire. I dare you to tell me those things aren't half-coyotes!
To the book's credit, it gets better. Once you get past the premise, it really does become its own story.
You've got to question what kind of parent doesn't get suspicious when their 1-year-old doesn't make a sound all night, though. Prue's able to just slip out by wrapping up some blankets to look like a baby, and telling her parents that Mac is "really tired". So they don't go to kiss him goodnight? They don't check on him at some point before the morning? These have to be the worst parents ever. Which I guess kind of fits in with what you learn about them later, but it seemed weird when I first read it.
Going into this book, I'd heard that it was a somewhat tedious read. I didn't feel that at all. Sure, it occasionally slowed down when you had to switch between Prue and Curtis, but mainly it was a lot of exposition.
Anyway, if you can get past the parts that feel like you're reading a Labyrinth/Narnia hybrid, it's not a bad book. I look forward to the sequel, which I've heard good things about.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated One More Light by Linkin Park in Music
May 3, 2018 (Updated May 3, 2018)
A beautiful final album for Chester
I know a lot of people will hate this album because it's not like the Linkin Park of old - it's not heavy and instead is verging on mainstream and poppy. But going more mainstream worked for Coldplay and Muse, and personally i think it works well for Linkin Park too, it's just a shame this will be the last time we get something quite like this.
I think this album is very poignant and beautiful, and has some fantastic songs. Title track One More Light is by far my favourite even if it is a little sad - I dare you to listen to this & not be moved. Listening to this after Chester's death is very bittersweet, to have such a good album and realise that this album along with the rest will never be performed by Linkin Park as they were.
Its a very fitting final album for Chester - albeit maybe a little too disturbingly fitting if you listen closely to some of the lyrics. Such a shame.
I think this album is very poignant and beautiful, and has some fantastic songs. Title track One More Light is by far my favourite even if it is a little sad - I dare you to listen to this & not be moved. Listening to this after Chester's death is very bittersweet, to have such a good album and realise that this album along with the rest will never be performed by Linkin Park as they were.
Its a very fitting final album for Chester - albeit maybe a little too disturbingly fitting if you listen closely to some of the lyrics. Such a shame.
Cumberland (1142 KP) created a post in The Smashbomb Book Club
May 27, 2019 (Updated May 29, 2019)
Dara Miller (0 KP) rated Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark, #1) in Books
Apr 29, 2018
Absolutely LOVE Pepper Winters!
I was first introduced to Tess through Pepper's other series, "Pennies", which I read through in only 4 days (which is no easy feat when you're a mom to 4 littles!). When I read a series that I love, I've never actually gone on to read the stories of other characters introduced along the storyline but after reading review after review I knew I had to at least TRY it. Tears of Tess sucked me in just like the Pennies series did. Not only is Pepper Winters my new favorite author, but her storylines and Characters have stuck with me and may even, dare I say, earned themselves a second read through by me (which literally NEVER happens!)