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graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated All About Evie (Chameleon Chronicles, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Not totally romance, not exactly chick-lit, not altogether a mystery, so what is it? A bit of all of the above really. ALL ABOUT EVIE is a fluffy read that's fairly quick and utterly harmless. Evie, at 41, is a nice change from the 23-year-olds that run rampant in lighter fiction. Yes, her age does come into play since she's an old geezer in the world of show business, but it never became overbearing or unnecessary and added another dimension to her character. Evie narrates in first person, while when it cuts to another character it is written in third person, a bit jarring at first, but I didn't have any problems with it. The plot was fine, as was the pace, there's not much to rave or quibble about, the book was just nice. I think the most irritating thing about the book was the excessive mentioning of Evie's TMJ (temporomandibular joint, which should actually really be called TMD - temporomandibular joint disorder/dysfunction), I really got sick of her bringing it up and then confusing it with lockjaw. We got it, you have a problem with your jaw, move on. But on the whole, I wouldn't say there was anything earth-shattering about the book but it's a perfectly good beach read. One thing, this is the first of three books (not sure if they'll be more), so it's not a standalone, which was unfortunate for me. At this time I'm not sure if I'll be on the look-out for the other two.
Debbiereadsbook (1166 KP) rated His Temptation (Unexpected Love #1) in Books
Apr 11, 2020
good, but not one for me!
Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book.
*insert sigh*
I can't decide whether I actually liked this book, or not, and it's annoying me cos I can't figure out WHY!
The plot isn't a particularly original one, and you can see what's gonna happen coming at you like a freaking train wreck and you can't stop it. But I actually liked that, that I could see it all coming at me, for the most part, anyway.
Both guys have a say, in the first person. Each voice is very different, and clear, given their ages and upbringings. I liked that, again, for the most part. First person isn't my first choice of narrative though. However, I did feel more of a connection to Ryan, who is Cason's best friend and Emery's son, than to the two main characters!
It's hot and steamy in places, and sweet and funny and emotional in others. Everything comes across nicely, and is well written.
It just . . didn't float my boat! As to why? I can't pinpoint that fact and you all know how much that stresses me so, not being about to voice my book feelings!
Its GOOD, don't get me wrong, because it kept me engaged enough to finish, and trust me when I say, I would've dumped it if it hadn't. Just not one for me, I'm afraid.
3 good, but not brilliant, stars.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
*insert sigh*
I can't decide whether I actually liked this book, or not, and it's annoying me cos I can't figure out WHY!
The plot isn't a particularly original one, and you can see what's gonna happen coming at you like a freaking train wreck and you can't stop it. But I actually liked that, that I could see it all coming at me, for the most part, anyway.
Both guys have a say, in the first person. Each voice is very different, and clear, given their ages and upbringings. I liked that, again, for the most part. First person isn't my first choice of narrative though. However, I did feel more of a connection to Ryan, who is Cason's best friend and Emery's son, than to the two main characters!
It's hot and steamy in places, and sweet and funny and emotional in others. Everything comes across nicely, and is well written.
It just . . didn't float my boat! As to why? I can't pinpoint that fact and you all know how much that stresses me so, not being about to voice my book feelings!
Its GOOD, don't get me wrong, because it kept me engaged enough to finish, and trust me when I say, I would've dumped it if it hadn't. Just not one for me, I'm afraid.
3 good, but not brilliant, stars.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Umbrella Academy - Season 2 in TV
Aug 2, 2020
As good as the first
There's always a sense of great apprehension when a new series of a TV show is released, especially when the original first series was so good. However I'm pleased to say that the second series of The Umbrella Academy is just as good as the first.
This second series feels a lot more cohesive and together than the first series, possibly because it's characters and a storyline we now know quite well. The plot itself is great- sticking with what we know and trying to prevent another apocalypse. At first I was sceptical that they'd split the siblings up, but actually this works really well as it gives each of them an interesting separate story. The formula of this series is pretty much the same as the first, but that isn't a problem because it works really well. It has a killer soundtrack and the script is very witty and at times hilarious. There are some brilliantly humorous lines in this that had me laughing out loud on many occasions.
Again, there are some characters that excel over others - Five, Klaus and Diego are by far my favourites and they get some absolutely brilliant lines and scenes. That said, the rest of the characters are likeable and good. Even Vanya won me over this time now she's no longer the whiny person she was at the start of the first series. The Swedes too are wonderfully wacky.
The whole series is just fantastic. From the impressive fight scenes to the gore and special effects and the fitting soundtrack (even managing to fit in the Backstreet Boys - genius), I enjoyed this from start to finish. The ending definitely sets this up (quite funnily so) for another series and I really can't wait to see it.
This second series feels a lot more cohesive and together than the first series, possibly because it's characters and a storyline we now know quite well. The plot itself is great- sticking with what we know and trying to prevent another apocalypse. At first I was sceptical that they'd split the siblings up, but actually this works really well as it gives each of them an interesting separate story. The formula of this series is pretty much the same as the first, but that isn't a problem because it works really well. It has a killer soundtrack and the script is very witty and at times hilarious. There are some brilliantly humorous lines in this that had me laughing out loud on many occasions.
Again, there are some characters that excel over others - Five, Klaus and Diego are by far my favourites and they get some absolutely brilliant lines and scenes. That said, the rest of the characters are likeable and good. Even Vanya won me over this time now she's no longer the whiny person she was at the start of the first series. The Swedes too are wonderfully wacky.
The whole series is just fantastic. From the impressive fight scenes to the gore and special effects and the fitting soundtrack (even managing to fit in the Backstreet Boys - genius), I enjoyed this from start to finish. The ending definitely sets this up (quite funnily so) for another series and I really can't wait to see it.
Complete Outdoors Encyclopedia: Camping, Fishing, Hunting, Boating, Wilderness Survival, First Aid
Book
This latest (fifth) edition of the award-winning Complete Outdoors Encyclopedia will once again...
Jarvis Cocker recommended Death of a Ladies' Man by Leonard Cohen in Music (curated)
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated the Xbox 360 version of Doom in Video Games
Mar 20, 2020
Kick Some Ass
Doom- such a classic to all, I personally didnt play doom until the 360. Yes you read that right, i didnt play this game until the 360. So lets talk about it.
The gameplay:
Doom is a first-person shooter presented with early 3D graphics. The player controls an unnamed space marineâlater termed the Doomguyâthrough a series of levels set in military bases on the moons of Mars and in Hell. To finish a level, the player must traverse through the area to reach a marked exit room. Levels are grouped together into named episodes, with the final level focusing on a boss fight with a particularly difficult enemy.
While traversing the levels, the player must fight a variety of enemies, including demons and possessed undead humans, while managing supplies of ammunition, health, and armor. Enemies often appear in large groups, and the game features five difficulty levels which increase the quantity and damage done by enemies, with enemies respawning upon death and moving faster than normal on the hardest difficulty setting.
Levels can also include pits of toxic waste, ceilings that lower and crush anything below them, and locked doors which require a keycard, skull-shaped key device, or a remote switch to be opened.
The plot:
Doom is divided into three episodes: "Knee-Deep in the Dead", "The Shores of Hell", and "Inferno". A fourth episode, "Thy Flesh Consumed", was added in an expanded version of the game, The Ultimate Doom. The game itself contains very few plot elements, with the minimal story instead given in the instruction manual and short text segues between episodes.
In the future, the player character (an unnamed space marine) has been punitively posted to Mars after assaulting a superior officer, who ordered his unit to fire on civilians. Players assume the role of a space marine, popularly known as "Doomguy", fighting his way through hordes of invading demons from Hell.
The Impact/Legacy:
Doom helped define the FPS genre and inspired numerous similar games, known as "Doom clones". It is one of the most significant games in video game history, and is frequently cited as one of the greatest games of all time. It pioneered online distribution and technologies including 3D graphics, networked multiplayer gaming, and support for customized modifications via packaged files (WADs). However, its graphic violence and hellish imagery also made it a subject of controversy.
Doom was influential and dozens of new first-person shooter titles appeared following Doom's release, and they were often referred to as "Doom clones" rather than "first-person shooters". The term "Doom clone" was used to describe the style of gameplay in Doom-style games. While the term was initially popular, it was, after 1996, gradually replaced by "first-person shooter", and the phrase "first-person shooter" had firmly superseded "Doom clone" around 1998. Some of these were certainly "clones", hastily assembled and quickly forgotten, while others explored new grounds of the genre and were highly acclaimed. Many of the games closely imitated features in Doom such as the selection of weapons and cheat codes.
Devoted players have spent years creating speedruns for Doom, competing for the quickest completion times and sharing knowledge about routes through the levels and how to exploit bugs in the Doom engine for shortcuts. Achievements include the completion of both Doom and Doom II on the "Ultra-Violence" difficulty setting in less than 30 minutes each. In addition, a few players have also managed to complete Doom II in a single run on the difficulty setting "Nightmare!", on which monsters are more aggressive, launch faster projectiles (or, in the case of the Pinky Demon, simply move faster), and respawn roughly 30 seconds after they have been killed (level designer John Romero characterized the idea of such a run as "[just having to be] impossible").
So overall Doom is a epic game, and started the first person shooter genre, started speedrunning and started the franchise as we know today. So thank you id software and John Ramero for this game.
The gameplay:
Doom is a first-person shooter presented with early 3D graphics. The player controls an unnamed space marineâlater termed the Doomguyâthrough a series of levels set in military bases on the moons of Mars and in Hell. To finish a level, the player must traverse through the area to reach a marked exit room. Levels are grouped together into named episodes, with the final level focusing on a boss fight with a particularly difficult enemy.
While traversing the levels, the player must fight a variety of enemies, including demons and possessed undead humans, while managing supplies of ammunition, health, and armor. Enemies often appear in large groups, and the game features five difficulty levels which increase the quantity and damage done by enemies, with enemies respawning upon death and moving faster than normal on the hardest difficulty setting.
Levels can also include pits of toxic waste, ceilings that lower and crush anything below them, and locked doors which require a keycard, skull-shaped key device, or a remote switch to be opened.
The plot:
Doom is divided into three episodes: "Knee-Deep in the Dead", "The Shores of Hell", and "Inferno". A fourth episode, "Thy Flesh Consumed", was added in an expanded version of the game, The Ultimate Doom. The game itself contains very few plot elements, with the minimal story instead given in the instruction manual and short text segues between episodes.
In the future, the player character (an unnamed space marine) has been punitively posted to Mars after assaulting a superior officer, who ordered his unit to fire on civilians. Players assume the role of a space marine, popularly known as "Doomguy", fighting his way through hordes of invading demons from Hell.
The Impact/Legacy:
Doom helped define the FPS genre and inspired numerous similar games, known as "Doom clones". It is one of the most significant games in video game history, and is frequently cited as one of the greatest games of all time. It pioneered online distribution and technologies including 3D graphics, networked multiplayer gaming, and support for customized modifications via packaged files (WADs). However, its graphic violence and hellish imagery also made it a subject of controversy.
Doom was influential and dozens of new first-person shooter titles appeared following Doom's release, and they were often referred to as "Doom clones" rather than "first-person shooters". The term "Doom clone" was used to describe the style of gameplay in Doom-style games. While the term was initially popular, it was, after 1996, gradually replaced by "first-person shooter", and the phrase "first-person shooter" had firmly superseded "Doom clone" around 1998. Some of these were certainly "clones", hastily assembled and quickly forgotten, while others explored new grounds of the genre and were highly acclaimed. Many of the games closely imitated features in Doom such as the selection of weapons and cheat codes.
Devoted players have spent years creating speedruns for Doom, competing for the quickest completion times and sharing knowledge about routes through the levels and how to exploit bugs in the Doom engine for shortcuts. Achievements include the completion of both Doom and Doom II on the "Ultra-Violence" difficulty setting in less than 30 minutes each. In addition, a few players have also managed to complete Doom II in a single run on the difficulty setting "Nightmare!", on which monsters are more aggressive, launch faster projectiles (or, in the case of the Pinky Demon, simply move faster), and respawn roughly 30 seconds after they have been killed (level designer John Romero characterized the idea of such a run as "[just having to be] impossible").
So overall Doom is a epic game, and started the first person shooter genre, started speedrunning and started the franchise as we know today. So thank you id software and John Ramero for this game.
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated The Perfect Mother in Books
Aug 24, 2018
Slow built up suspense with a great ending
Donât be overwhelmed by the substantial amount of characters in this book. Some are just stand by, youâll want to focus on: Francie, Colette, Nell, and Winnie. (Maybe Token on the side but heâs more a supportive role) it may seem haphazard and all over the place which is why itâs best to just focus on these four moms.
The chapters switch from different points of view and thereâs that one lone chapter thatâs presented in first person. Itâs a mystery as to who that is until much later, but it certainly does keep you guessing on who that person could be. It may seem obvious at first and during the reading you feel so sure you know who that is and whatâs behind the entire story but the blind side moment comes fast in the last few chapters and youâre left with a shock.
The plot slowly builds to a good mystery and suspense. The thrilling bits get you at the end. Itâs a satisfying read, the characters grate on you (Francie and Nell are the ones I disliked the most), but itâs the suspense and the âkeeping you guessingâ bits that get the reading going.
So although it may seem like itâs all over the place, give the book a chance and read. Itâs well worth it with the superb ending.
The chapters switch from different points of view and thereâs that one lone chapter thatâs presented in first person. Itâs a mystery as to who that is until much later, but it certainly does keep you guessing on who that person could be. It may seem obvious at first and during the reading you feel so sure you know who that is and whatâs behind the entire story but the blind side moment comes fast in the last few chapters and youâre left with a shock.
The plot slowly builds to a good mystery and suspense. The thrilling bits get you at the end. Itâs a satisfying read, the characters grate on you (Francie and Nell are the ones I disliked the most), but itâs the suspense and the âkeeping you guessingâ bits that get the reading going.
So although it may seem like itâs all over the place, give the book a chance and read. Itâs well worth it with the superb ending.
David McK (3369 KP) rated The Time Machine in Books
Jan 28, 2019
Classic HG Wells science fiction, which (I have read) is often credited with popularizing the phrase of a 'Time Machine'.
Presented in the first person, this is told mainly as that first person retelling the story as it was told to him (and several of his companions) by the (un-named) Time Traveller over dinner, with that Traveller claiming to have traveled several millenia into the future, to the year 802,701 (to be precise).
Once there, he finds that mankind has degenerated into two distinct species: the ephemeral child-like Eloi (who have a complete lack of curiosity) and the underground dwelling malicious Morlocks. Initially finding himself trapped when his mode of transportation disappears/is stolen and locked away by the Morlocks, the bulk of the novel deals with the Time Travellers (in the end successful) attempt to regain said machine in order to travel back to his own time, albeit with a brief excursion into the even-further future.
You know how time travel is often shown of TV/in the movies? With a clock hand whizzing around a face, or with day and night and seasons flickering past? The latter is almost exactly how the process is described in this - I think it may be a fair bet to say that, without this story, we would have movies the likes of (say) Back to the Future!
Presented in the first person, this is told mainly as that first person retelling the story as it was told to him (and several of his companions) by the (un-named) Time Traveller over dinner, with that Traveller claiming to have traveled several millenia into the future, to the year 802,701 (to be precise).
Once there, he finds that mankind has degenerated into two distinct species: the ephemeral child-like Eloi (who have a complete lack of curiosity) and the underground dwelling malicious Morlocks. Initially finding himself trapped when his mode of transportation disappears/is stolen and locked away by the Morlocks, the bulk of the novel deals with the Time Travellers (in the end successful) attempt to regain said machine in order to travel back to his own time, albeit with a brief excursion into the even-further future.
You know how time travel is often shown of TV/in the movies? With a clock hand whizzing around a face, or with day and night and seasons flickering past? The latter is almost exactly how the process is described in this - I think it may be a fair bet to say that, without this story, we would have movies the likes of (say) Back to the Future!
BookblogbyCari (345 KP) rated The Mister in Books
May 19, 2019
It lacks the shock and drama of Fifty Shades. (1 more)
It's too slow.
Not as good as the author's Fifty Shades trilogy
There are probably a great many women hoping for another "Fifty Shades" book direct from the same author - but they will all be disappointed, for the reasons above.
Additionally although the book is written from the POV of both the male and the female central characters, the male part is written from the first person, while the female part is written in the third person. And the erotic scenes take place from the male POV. So, it's written more for fans of "Fifty Shades as Told By Grey", rather than "Fifty Shades" per se.
The central female character got on my nerves, lacking in confidence where she ought to have it in spades.
I got half way through the book and stopped. I was mildly curious about the background story but not enough to persevere with such a slow book.
Additionally although the book is written from the POV of both the male and the female central characters, the male part is written from the first person, while the female part is written in the third person. And the erotic scenes take place from the male POV. So, it's written more for fans of "Fifty Shades as Told By Grey", rather than "Fifty Shades" per se.
The central female character got on my nerves, lacking in confidence where she ought to have it in spades.
I got half way through the book and stopped. I was mildly curious about the background story but not enough to persevere with such a slow book.
Cori June (3033 KP) rated The Thief's Gamble (The Tales of Einarinn #1) in Books
Dec 3, 2018
Revenge isnât all itâs cracked up to be, thatâs what Livark is learning. Blackmailed she turns thief for a wizard and lands herself in a plot that threatens the existence of the known world.
Livark is a gambler basically a grifter. She is the main character and her story is told in 1st person pov. There are other povs involved that are third person? Which include but are not limited to Casuel a wizard that is so easy to hate. That sorry sycophant. And Planir the Black Archmage.
You also meet Shiv another wizard that partners with Livark (blackmails really) he is also the first character that I had ever read that was openly gay. Or how did he put it. âDoesnât cross the dance floor to find his partner.â Maybe not a direct quote but close. Also, Darni and Rashad warriors as well as a few other characters. If you want excitement danger and magic, this is a book for you. Edited: It is also very violent, blunt, and graphic in its content.
Livark is a gambler basically a grifter. She is the main character and her story is told in 1st person pov. There are other povs involved that are third person? Which include but are not limited to Casuel a wizard that is so easy to hate. That sorry sycophant. And Planir the Black Archmage.
You also meet Shiv another wizard that partners with Livark (blackmails really) he is also the first character that I had ever read that was openly gay. Or how did he put it. âDoesnât cross the dance floor to find his partner.â Maybe not a direct quote but close. Also, Darni and Rashad warriors as well as a few other characters. If you want excitement danger and magic, this is a book for you. Edited: It is also very violent, blunt, and graphic in its content.