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Natacha (374 KP) rated The Well of Ascension (Mistborn, #2) in Books
Feb 23, 2019 (Updated Feb 23, 2019)
Is was a great book with even more twists and turns than the first one. The only reason why I’m not giving this book full marks is the following:
1) The first two third of the book was more focused on political games. And although we were kept guessing all the way about what was happening and I had many moments of “I didn't see that coming” in my personal liking ⅔ of the book were a tiny bit more than what I would have liked.
2) Again, to my personal liking, I little bit too much self-doubting from Vin about who she is and if she should be with the man she loves or not.
Having said tha, holy moly did the last part of the book did make up for the above. I couldn't put the book down. Full of twist, battle and amazing moments! Now I can wait to read the final book in the series.
1) The first two third of the book was more focused on political games. And although we were kept guessing all the way about what was happening and I had many moments of “I didn't see that coming” in my personal liking ⅔ of the book were a tiny bit more than what I would have liked.
2) Again, to my personal liking, I little bit too much self-doubting from Vin about who she is and if she should be with the man she loves or not.
Having said tha, holy moly did the last part of the book did make up for the above. I couldn't put the book down. Full of twist, battle and amazing moments! Now I can wait to read the final book in the series.
David McK (3372 KP) rated The Rebel Killer in Books
Mar 21, 2019
The latest (at the time of reviewing) of Paul Fraser Collard's Jack Lark series, which I see is still being advertised as 'Sharpe meets The Talented Mt Ripley': while that may have been true of the early novels, I feel - now - that Jack Lark has more of his own identity.
Which is, perhaps, ironic in a series where the central conceit is the main character is an imposter.
In this one Jack is not the only imposter: without giving away too much, he sets himself on a trail of revenge whilst wearing the uniform of a Confederate Officer (as opposed to that of a Union officer he wore in the last novel) during the American Civil War. I say wearing, as that is all it really is to him: simply a means towards an end.
Culminating in the battle of Shiloh, Jack definitely seems to have a knack for finding himself caught up in all the great military happenings of his time!
Which is, perhaps, ironic in a series where the central conceit is the main character is an imposter.
In this one Jack is not the only imposter: without giving away too much, he sets himself on a trail of revenge whilst wearing the uniform of a Confederate Officer (as opposed to that of a Union officer he wore in the last novel) during the American Civil War. I say wearing, as that is all it really is to him: simply a means towards an end.
Culminating in the battle of Shiloh, Jack definitely seems to have a knack for finding himself caught up in all the great military happenings of his time!
Auburn (57 KP) rated Lovestruck in Books
Apr 10, 2019
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book.
When I looked this book up it immediately knew it would be perfect for me. Greek gods, love arrows, and a girl who just can't figure out what she wants. Sign me up! I loved the relations to the big gods but also the fact the author threw in some minor gods and focused on them. It wasn't about Zues and that made it all the better. Instead we see a group of friends willing to do anything to help a girl out of a tough situation. A guy who will do anything for her and one collosal misunderstanding.
My only problem with this book, it's long. So long that in the middle I wondered what was going to take it so long. But I pushed through and the ending is worth it.
Perfect for fans of Olympian Challenger and other Greek God stories.
When I looked this book up it immediately knew it would be perfect for me. Greek gods, love arrows, and a girl who just can't figure out what she wants. Sign me up! I loved the relations to the big gods but also the fact the author threw in some minor gods and focused on them. It wasn't about Zues and that made it all the better. Instead we see a group of friends willing to do anything to help a girl out of a tough situation. A guy who will do anything for her and one collosal misunderstanding.
My only problem with this book, it's long. So long that in the middle I wondered what was going to take it so long. But I pushed through and the ending is worth it.
Perfect for fans of Olympian Challenger and other Greek God stories.
KittyMiku (138 KP) rated The Former World in Books
Apr 27, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Was truly amazing. I loved the characters and how every time you think you might know what is going on, it flips everything you think you know on its head. I found this to have some particularly good points about being a young girl and how relationships worked. I also enjoyed the scenery, which you can't help but admire while reading. Even with the perspective being from the main character's eyes, I found myself thrilled at every word and page. I did find it started off a little slow, but once I finished chapter 2, I was hooked and couldn't put it down. I was glad to see it didn't focus too much o side details or rants, though it had that potential. I thought it moved smoothly through the story without giving too much away. Makes me excited to pick the rest of the 5 book series.
Rickey A. Mossow Jr. (689 KP) rated Fighting with My Family (2019) in Movies
May 26, 2019
Characters are full and detailed. (1 more)
Story is heartfelt and relatable.
Great wrestling movie.
Been looking forward to this one and I wasn't disappointed. Granted, I have to say I'm a bit biased as a wrestling diehard. But, this movie is great. Paige and her family are full, detailed characters. You can relate from the onset. Sure, the story is a bit corny and many details and events are glossed over, but it's a story about family and the dream of being a professional wrestler. It fits perfectly with the subject matter. Like wrestling, we don't need all the deep details. You just tell a great story and get the audience to feel something. Which is what this movie does. Is it the next Best Picture Oscar winner? No. But it truly is a glorious tale of the importance of family and never giving up on your dreams.
David McK (3372 KP) rated Avengers: Endgame (2019) in Movies
May 26, 2019
"We're in the Endgame now ..."
The culmination of over a decade of Marvel movies and a direct continuation of Infinity War, this is the film that wraps up what will more than likely become known as The Infinity Stones saga.
It's also quite hard ton discuss without giving anything away: while we all knew that time travel would be a part of the movie (especially given the introduction of the Time Stone in Dr Strange), that did not play out exactly as I thought it would.
Personally, I also thought it spent too long dealing with the effects of Thanos' snap: yes, wiping out half of life would have a profound impact on those left behind, but did we need to go through them all one-by-one? All that served to do, really (IMO) is make an already long film even longer!
A good film, yes, but - for me, at least - it never quite hits the height of the preceding Infinity War.
The culmination of over a decade of Marvel movies and a direct continuation of Infinity War, this is the film that wraps up what will more than likely become known as The Infinity Stones saga.
It's also quite hard ton discuss without giving anything away: while we all knew that time travel would be a part of the movie (especially given the introduction of the Time Stone in Dr Strange), that did not play out exactly as I thought it would.
Personally, I also thought it spent too long dealing with the effects of Thanos' snap: yes, wiping out half of life would have a profound impact on those left behind, but did we need to go through them all one-by-one? All that served to do, really (IMO) is make an already long film even longer!
A good film, yes, but - for me, at least - it never quite hits the height of the preceding Infinity War.
Jennifer Daniell (108 KP) rated The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek in Books
Jun 9, 2019
I LOVED this book.
Nicknamed Bluet due to her blue skin, Cussy Mary has been an outcast her whole life. Deep in Kentucky, Blue skinned people are looked down upon as tainted, unholy, second class citizens. Now 19, her coal mining father wants nothing more for her than to settle down with a husband and have a family like a decent woman should but she has found her place - as a Book Woman, riding the trails delivering books to the Hill folk, who can't or won't get an education otherwise. Through the books and magazines she delivers she is making a difference in the lives of her patrons, and they are making a difference in hers, giving her a sense of pride an income, and a community. But not everyone is accepting of her as a Blue, and she is increasingly more threatened by the local Preacher, who is determined to "save" her.
Lilyn G - Sci-Fi & Scary (91 KP) rated Homescapes in Apps
Feb 3, 2018
The storyline gives it a slight edge on other matching games.
I've been playing Homescapes for a few months at this point. (I'm somewhere in the 200s level-wise, but can't recall exactly which one offhand.) The storyline is really what sets Homescapes apart from the other match-gem games. I've played the original game, Gardenscapes, and it just couldn't hold my attention. However, with this one they seem to have hit upon the perfect mix of silly and interesting to keep me playing along.
I especially like (and simultaneously hate) how every so often you have a chance to get an hour or so of unlimited lives while playing. Because, naturally, this happens at the worst possible time for me! This game is responsible for me staying up until 1 or 2 am on several occasions because of this.
Better than some of the other matching games out there. Worth giving it a shot.
I especially like (and simultaneously hate) how every so often you have a chance to get an hour or so of unlimited lives while playing. Because, naturally, this happens at the worst possible time for me! This game is responsible for me staying up until 1 or 2 am on several occasions because of this.
Better than some of the other matching games out there. Worth giving it a shot.
Entertainment Editor (1988 KP) rated Terraforming Mars in Tabletop Games
Mar 7, 2018
Terraforming Mars review: Turn the “Red Planet” green with this amazing board game
But to find the fun, you have to give Terraforming Mars a chance—and the game does itself few favors when it comes to table appeal.
The game's icons look like vector clip art from the early 2000s, all glittering gold surfaces and apparent depth. The player mats are thin cardboard that provide just enough space to track the game's essential production levels using cubes; because they have no linen finish, the mats are also smooth. Even tiny bumps can dislodge these core gameplay elements, so you need to be extremely careful while playing. Speaking of cubes, those used for counting resources come coated in metallic paint, which has already begun to chip off some of the corners, giving them a slightly sad faux-luxury look.
Critic: Nate Anderson
Read the full review here: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/10/terraforming-mars-review/
The game's icons look like vector clip art from the early 2000s, all glittering gold surfaces and apparent depth. The player mats are thin cardboard that provide just enough space to track the game's essential production levels using cubes; because they have no linen finish, the mats are also smooth. Even tiny bumps can dislodge these core gameplay elements, so you need to be extremely careful while playing. Speaking of cubes, those used for counting resources come coated in metallic paint, which has already begun to chip off some of the corners, giving them a slightly sad faux-luxury look.
Critic: Nate Anderson
Read the full review here: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/10/terraforming-mars-review/
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2171 KP) rated Days of Wine and Roquefort (A Cheese Shop Mystery, #5) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
With her life slow for a few weeks, Charlotte has agreed to let Matthew’s friend Noelle stay with her until Noelle’s new rental is ready to move into. Noelle has just moved to town to work for a winery in the area, but the day before she starts her new job, she turns up murdered. Who could she have angered that much in the little time she’d been in town?
Overall, I found the plot much better than in the previous book of the series. It stayed on track and kept giving us new clues to the identity of the killer. I do wish Charlotte would show more respect to the police chief, especially when he gets on her for investigating, but overall I love the characters as well.
You can read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/11/book-review-days-of-wine-and-roquefort.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Overall, I found the plot much better than in the previous book of the series. It stayed on track and kept giving us new clues to the identity of the killer. I do wish Charlotte would show more respect to the police chief, especially when he gets on her for investigating, but overall I love the characters as well.
You can read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/11/book-review-days-of-wine-and-roquefort.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.