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Rob Halford recommended Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy in Music (curated)

 
Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy
Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy
1976 | Rock
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Phil Lynott. Genius. And a bass player as well. Have you noticed that most of the music normally comes from guitarists? But he was the driving force in this band. He was a skinny black guy, who was writing great songs and dealing with the consequences of racism in the UK at that time. He was always the main attraction to me. A real rock star and you'd feel that whenever he walked into a room. You can instantly recognise Phil's voice, and he had a really cool way of creating melody on songs like 'Jailbreak'. This album is distinctly Irish, and I'm not sure why I think that to be honest but it definitely makes it special. At the time they were about as unique as they could be. And it was quite successful in the charts, which, along with seeing bands like them on Top Of The Pops, was another important factor. After Phil died and Thin Lizzy came back a few years ago we took them out on tour but that's partly because the songs have held together so well even to this day. It was a real joy to do that and to be able to hear those songs played every night, and played so well. And to be honest I think that's enough, because the songs are really what matter. They're still playing together, but I think they're called Black Star Riders now. The last record was very good, but nothing compared to this."

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Death Be Told (Terra Vane #5)
Death Be Told (Terra Vane #5)
Katie Carys | 2021 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
97 of 250
Kindle
Death Be Told ( Terra Vane book 5)
By Katie Carys

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

My name is Terra, and I’m a Psychic. I have visions, but my gift is getting more dangerous and I’m starting to worry. Though the team are continuing the pursuit of the escapees, my own hunt has taken a different course now a psychopathic serial killer has taken an interest in me.

Obsessed with fairytales, he’s kidnapped a young woman, and I've seen what he intends to do. I can’t let it happen – I won’t let her go through that pain. But I need to address my own pain too, and that means confronting the hard truth of who I want to be with, face-to-face.

Right now, I feel like both the predator and the prey but one thing’s for certain, I won’t be letting the killer have his happy ending.


These books just get better and better! I think the characters and story are just so good.Karen is just all man! He’s finally getting his girl! Fingers crossed. I adore Terra too. This story was so good and creepy with one of their demon prisoners possessing the soul of a serial killer it was just so interesting watching her work with Grady and hopefully he will say yes to the job! He will definitely be an asset to the team. Plus for some reason I don’t think we have seen the last of Cole and his jealousy.
  
The Rite Of Spring by Igor Stravinsky
The Rite Of Spring by Igor Stravinsky
2012 | Classical
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I probably first encountered this when Neil Tennant sang [sings]: "I feel like taking all my clothes off / Dancing to The Rite Of Spring / When I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing" and I thought "ah, well if Neil Tennant wants to take all his clothes off and dance to The Rite Of Spring, I ought to as well". He's one of my idols also - I couldn't put any of the albums in, because they're not as good as the hit singles, but I do love the Pet Shop Boys. I do love Stravinsky as well, and The Rite Of Spring, if you were going to sum up the history of humans and music, this might be the thing that you end up showing off as the absolute zenith of achievement. I remember on the Walt Disney film Fantasia, they had a bit of this and they animated it with dinosaurs and volcanos, and although it was a bit silly, I kind of knew what they were driving at: this music sounded like it existed before humans and after humans! It's like the earth itself is kind of grumbling! He wrote it for a ballet about tribal rites, pre-history, people being human sacrifices, but it says even more than that to me - it's almost nightmarish, although it's got so much virility and astonishing, complex rhythms going on and some great, great tunes. And you can never beat the opening - it's actually a bassoon played up really, really high, going [hums melody] - it's like the eeriest thing I've ever heard!"

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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2273 KP) rated Death in the Stacks in Books

Sep 17, 2020 (Updated Sep 17, 2020)  
Death in the Stacks
Death in the Stacks
Jenn McKinlay | 2017 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Cameos and Murder
It’s time for the annual Dinner in the Stacks fundraiser at the Briar Creek Public Library, but this year, Lindsey Norris is facing an extra challenge in putting it on. Olive Boyle has just become president of the library’s board, and she is determined to make trouble, even threatening Lindsey’s job. Despite all of this, the fundraiser goes well, until Olive’s body is found in the fiction section just after the event ends. Even though Lindsey swore she’d stop investigating murders, she still finds herself drawn into this case. Olive made enemies everywhere she went. With so many suspects, can Lindsey figure out what happened?

While the mystery has some good twists in it, I did feel the pacing was off overall. Instead, the character’s antics take over at times. As a fan of the series, I can’t complain too much about that, especially since I was laughing at those scenes. Plus, we got some character development that fans of the series will love. Fans of Jenn’s other two mystery series will have fun with the cameos those characters make in this book, although you won’t miss much of you aren’t up to date on those series. The usual assortment of extras at the end will give you something to enjoy after you’ve turned the last page. While the plot pacing does bother me, I was smiling so much while I was reading, it is hard to complain. Other fans of the series will love every page as well.
  
Reginald Bones (Reginald Bones #1)
Reginald Bones (Reginald Bones #1)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I've always wanted to read from a character with split personalities. I have only found one series dealing with this issue, but it was from another character's point of view, so I didn't get to experience the aspect of someone with *multiple personality disorder*. It was definitely interesting and even more entertaining, as morbid as that may sound. Lucian Bane pretty much created my fantasy book. I gave Reginald Bones 3 stars, but if I'm honest, it's not a solid 3. I felt like the book was better than a 2.5, but not necessarily worthy of a 3.5, so I went with the middle rating. While the story as a whole was intruiging, there were moments when it lagged and I felt almost bored. Then there were many times when I felt confused, which makes sense, considering Bones doesn't remember certain things, but it was a confusion that went beyond Bones' lack of knowledge. Also, the intervals between the switching perspectives was hard to keep up with. One thing I didn't like was when I would be reading from Reginald's point of view, then it would quickly switch to Bones' and it took me a few sentences to realize it. I feel like if the separation of their perspectives had been a little more defined, the reading would have went much smoother. All-in-all, it was a good read and, if I'm being honest, I do look forward to reading the second installment - I'm very interested in Bones' past.
  
Dear Brave Friend
Dear Brave Friend
Leigh Ann Gerk | 2019 | Children
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I enjoyed this book called “Dear Brave Friend”. It was good. It is based on the fact of a dog passing away but does it through a letter from the dog to the boy. It explains the feeling of how the boy may feel after losing a pet. Any pet lover can use this for any pet, not just a dog.

The book shows the compassion of how to deal with losing a pet and it is okay. You can put your cat in where the dog is being interpreted. The book does a wonderful job of going through the feeling you or your child may go through with losing a pet.

The pictures are well done. I enjoyed them. I can see many pet lovers using this book. It helps with explaining the feeling and emotions of losing a pet. It also talks about what you can do to remember your pet. There are some blank pages in the back of the book that will let you write and draw your lost pet if you choose to do so.

I was captured by the pictures in the book. They are my favorite. They were beautifully done. I can not say that enough. The story is done well. It hit the meaning of losing a pet without getting too complicated. It was written well. I just can not believe this is a self-help book for children and middle-grade kids. It feels more than that when you read it. Any pet lover will enjoy this book.
  
With Visions of Red, Book One
With Visions of Red, Book One
Trisha Wolfe | 2015 | Erotica, Romance, Thriller
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I don't even know what to say. I love watching Law & Order: SVU, more so than any of the other Law & Orders (if that tells you how messed up I am), so reading With Visions of Red felt like an episode wrapped up into a book. I kind of love that fact - I have yet to experience L&O through my favorite form of consumption: literature. I chose to download the free version offered through Amazon because I assumed it had to do with BDSM, which can be just as good a romance story as any other. Obviously I was way, way wrong. I don't feel a need to complain though. Despite this book being so different from what I usually read, I really enjoyed it... I guess that's sick and twisted, but whatever. I have, thankfully, never experienced the horrors and terrors that Sadie has. I couldn't even begin to imagine the darkness that tries to claw its way to the surface, considering her line of work. It's interesting to see how she thinks and feels, how she deals with her past and reigns it in before it can obscure her present. For me, like I said before, a book of this nature is a first, so it was refreshing in a dark and twisted way. Honestly, I look forward to reading the whole series to discover not only who the unsub is or what happened to Colton in the past, but to see if two broken and destroyed souls can come together and become whole.
  
Mulan  (2020)
Mulan (2020)
2020 | Action, Adventure, Family
Acting (1 more)
Fight scenes
Plot (1 more)
Liu Yifei
More like...Meh-lan
I have to admit, I am one of those people who doesn't really get why they are remaking animated Disney movies and not just...animating them again. Live action is fine, but animation, especially American animation, is just much more expressive. Mulan falls victim to this problem. If they didn't try to follow the original somewhat, it wouldn't be true to the source material & if they didn't try something new, it would just be a rehash. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed quite a bit of this movie, but the finished product didn't really feel like it had a purpose.

My biggest issue is that every new idea they added never felt like it went anywhere. "Here's another woman who is a powerful fighter like Mulan...oh wait she let's gone." "Mulan has a sister! She adds nothing to the plot." Nothing new is ever followed through in an interesting way and just seems half-heartedly thrown in. This basically just leaves the rehashed parts of Mulan which, outside of more serious fight scenes...isn't all that interesting

Is it worth watching once? Sure. Is it something worth watching over and over again like the original Mulan, or heck, even the straight to DVD sequel? Well, that's obviously up to you, but I likely won't be watching this again anytime soon.

Also, replacing hard-work, dedication, and a good old fashioned dose of pig-headedness with chi is a lazy way to try and separate a remake from it's source.
  
Exiles & Empire (The Immortals #3)
Exiles & Empire (The Immortals #3)
Cheryl S. Mackey | 2019 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Exiles & Empire (The Immortals #3) by Cheryl Mackey
Exiles & Empire is the third book in The Immortals series. This is a prequel series that leads onto The Destiny series, the first book of which is already available.

We reunite with our main four characters in the midst of a battle. Old acquaintances are there, but you are unsure if they are friend to foe to start with. Time is running out for our characters as Rodon appears to get stronger with every meeting. By contrast, Emaranthe appears more fragile and small, although still very strong. The mystery deepens around Emaranthe, and Ivo is desperately worried about the woman he loves. As for Jaeger, he allows himself to feel again - just slightly - although this doesn't have a happy outcome.

An exciting story that is once again packed full of action, intrigue, dilemmas, and suspense. The writing is descriptive and on point. There were no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed. The creativity of Ms. Mackey knows no bounds, and this book continues the story along nicely, whilst still leaving you wanting more.

For an epic fantasy that is full of action, I have no hesitation in recommending this book, although you will need to start at the beginning of the series for it to make sense!

* 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!
  
The Confessions of Frannie Langton
The Confessions of Frannie Langton
Sara Collins | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics, Mystery
9
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
“My trial starts the way my life did: a squall of elbows and shoving and spit.”

Sometimes a book just grabs you from the beginning, something tells you that treasure lies here. I felt that within a few paragraphs of The Confessions of Frannie Langton. Sara Collins prefaced the novel with an explanation of her enjoyment of stories from Georgian/Victorian era but also her disappoint that she didn’t feel represented in the literature from that time. Her love of literature and that lack of inclusion drove her to write a novel that filled a gap, filled a need for women like Frances Langton to have a voice.

And what a voice! The author embodies Frannie so well. The first thing that struck me was that Frannie’s voice shone through immediately. She sounds so authentic, within a few lines you are engaged and intrigued. So much of the prose is beautiful and evocative, truly poetic. Sara Collins describes the people and places so deftly, you sense the weight of a sultry Jamaican plantation and the drabness of a grey London suburb. You can almost taste the boiling sugar cane and fall under the sway of the delicious, devilish ‘Black Drop’. It’s difficult to read this book without imagining a BBC period drama, it really would make a good screen adaptation. There is no doubt that Collins is a gifted and accomplished writer, a weaver of words both seductive and threatening. I really enjoyed this novel and would like to read anything new from Sara Collins.