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Bearskin: A Novel
Book
“Bearskin is visceral, raw, and compelling—filled with sights, smells, and sounds truly...
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Unhinged (2020) in Movies
Jul 31, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
After a confrontation at a set of traffic lights, Rachel finds herself in a race for the survival of her family, friends and herself.
Russell Crowe plays a man who has had enough, imagine if a film like 'Falling Down' had continued (or had a sequel) where the main character had gone completely off the rails and you'd have Crowe's character. After being honked by Rachel at a set of traffic lights the Man decides to teach her what a bad day is really like. After terrorising Rachel as she drives around the Man moves on to attacking and killing her friends and family, blaming Rachel for her actions.
There is a lot driving in Unhinged, Rachel spends most of the time in her car either avoiding the man or trying to plan what to next and the man switches between chasing Rachel or terrorising her family.
The moral of the film is that road rage is everywhere, be polite to people because you don't know who you're talking to and that you can use 'Fortnight' tactics in real life.
Once it gets going, Unhinged doesn't give up, there's violence, torture and threat interspersed with car chases that also contain threat.
Unhinged also tries to comment on society, as the man kills one of Rachel's friends, people look on, film the event or walk away but no one tries to help, some people do call the police but no one tries to stop the man.
Unhinged is fast paced, and violent, I found it a bit predictable but still enjoyable.
Russell Crowe plays a man who has had enough, imagine if a film like 'Falling Down' had continued (or had a sequel) where the main character had gone completely off the rails and you'd have Crowe's character. After being honked by Rachel at a set of traffic lights the Man decides to teach her what a bad day is really like. After terrorising Rachel as she drives around the Man moves on to attacking and killing her friends and family, blaming Rachel for her actions.
There is a lot driving in Unhinged, Rachel spends most of the time in her car either avoiding the man or trying to plan what to next and the man switches between chasing Rachel or terrorising her family.
The moral of the film is that road rage is everywhere, be polite to people because you don't know who you're talking to and that you can use 'Fortnight' tactics in real life.
Once it gets going, Unhinged doesn't give up, there's violence, torture and threat interspersed with car chases that also contain threat.
Unhinged also tries to comment on society, as the man kills one of Rachel's friends, people look on, film the event or walk away but no one tries to help, some people do call the police but no one tries to stop the man.
Unhinged is fast paced, and violent, I found it a bit predictable but still enjoyable.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2460 KP) rated Keep Your Family Close in Books
Dec 9, 2023
Two Cases for Matthias Honeywell to Solve
Detective Matthias Honeywell is called to the scene of a man shot in an alley near a bar. Sounds like a mugging on the surface, especially since his wallet is missing. Is it that simple? Or is there more to it than that? If it is a mugging, will they ever figure out who did it? Meanwhile, he’s also working on the case of a waitress who vanished while walking home from work one night. Will he get a break in that case?
Plus, Honeywell’s friend, Emma Anderson, gets a new lead on where her missing sister might be. The lead is a week old; will it lead Emma to her sister?
With so many storylines, it isn’t a surprise that I found this book to be a page turning. There was always something happening to keep me engaged. The characters were strong, and that drew me in as well. There was one part of the solution that bothered me, but all my questions were answered. Meanwhile, those who enjoyed the first book will be happy to hear the sparks between Honeywell and Emma are as strong as ever. Plus, we get to see some interesting growth in them and meet some great new characters. Since this is a police procedural, it’s a little darker than my typical cozy, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. This is a great second book in a series that will keep you turning pages.
Plus, Honeywell’s friend, Emma Anderson, gets a new lead on where her missing sister might be. The lead is a week old; will it lead Emma to her sister?
With so many storylines, it isn’t a surprise that I found this book to be a page turning. There was always something happening to keep me engaged. The characters were strong, and that drew me in as well. There was one part of the solution that bothered me, but all my questions were answered. Meanwhile, those who enjoyed the first book will be happy to hear the sparks between Honeywell and Emma are as strong as ever. Plus, we get to see some interesting growth in them and meet some great new characters. Since this is a police procedural, it’s a little darker than my typical cozy, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. This is a great second book in a series that will keep you turning pages.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Girl Next Door in Books
May 22, 2019
One little lie just became deadly…
Perfect mother. Perfect wife. Jane Goodwin has spent years building her picture-perfect life in the quiet village of Ashdon. So when sixteen-year-old Clare Edwards is found murdered in Sorrow's Meadow, Jane knows she must first protect her family.
Every marriage has a few white lies and hers is no exception. Jane's worked hard to cover up her dark secret from all those years ago - and she'll do anything to keep it hidden..
Appearances can be deceptive, can't they?
This story is told from multiple points of view and are taken on the journey of what happened on the fateful day and also the aftermath.
This story has so many secrets that are revealed throughout. The village setting is so perfect but is it really all it seems?
The pace and plot were just perfect for this story. Great characters and the suspicions just keep mounting.
The ending has such a shock twist and revelation that will leave you stunned.
Perfect suspense throughout!!
Highly recommend reading!
I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review
Perfect mother. Perfect wife. Jane Goodwin has spent years building her picture-perfect life in the quiet village of Ashdon. So when sixteen-year-old Clare Edwards is found murdered in Sorrow's Meadow, Jane knows she must first protect her family.
Every marriage has a few white lies and hers is no exception. Jane's worked hard to cover up her dark secret from all those years ago - and she'll do anything to keep it hidden..
Appearances can be deceptive, can't they?
This story is told from multiple points of view and are taken on the journey of what happened on the fateful day and also the aftermath.
This story has so many secrets that are revealed throughout. The village setting is so perfect but is it really all it seems?
The pace and plot were just perfect for this story. Great characters and the suspicions just keep mounting.
The ending has such a shock twist and revelation that will leave you stunned.
Perfect suspense throughout!!
Highly recommend reading!
I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review
NCLEX Stanford Review
Medical and Education
App
Pass NCLEX after 1 day of study! Guaranteed! NCLEX Stanford Review , by Linda Stanford, RN, MSN, is...
The Roanoke Girls
8.0
Rate It
Book
Underneath the Roanoke Girls' perfect exterior lies a chilling secret...'Utterly addictive' LISA...
Donna C (199 KP) rated London's No.1 Dog-Walking Agency in Books
Mar 25, 2021
Who doesn't love dogs??!!
This book is non-fiction but at times you would think some of the people were made up characters. There are some strange people out there :)
This is Kate MacDougall's account of setting up a dog walking service in London, before anyone else was doing it. She leaves her office job at Sotheby's after knocking over one too many valuable objects and starts off walking one dog.
As the number of dogs increases, she has to bring in other walkers. We hear about some of the dogs, some of the strange owners, the successes and failures of the walkers, and the stages of Kate's life over a period of about ten years.
I found it entertaining, sometimes funny and there is a bit of sadness of course as dogs don't go on forever. Kate's mum is a bit of a hoot with her expectations of how life should go, and Kate's life is chaotically not living up to that.
The dogs are lovely despite some of their issues, the owners are trying their best for their dogs (although some shouldn't have them as they have no clue!), and it is an enjoyable and quick read.
This is Kate MacDougall's account of setting up a dog walking service in London, before anyone else was doing it. She leaves her office job at Sotheby's after knocking over one too many valuable objects and starts off walking one dog.
As the number of dogs increases, she has to bring in other walkers. We hear about some of the dogs, some of the strange owners, the successes and failures of the walkers, and the stages of Kate's life over a period of about ten years.
I found it entertaining, sometimes funny and there is a bit of sadness of course as dogs don't go on forever. Kate's mum is a bit of a hoot with her expectations of how life should go, and Kate's life is chaotically not living up to that.
The dogs are lovely despite some of their issues, the owners are trying their best for their dogs (although some shouldn't have them as they have no clue!), and it is an enjoyable and quick read.
Iyan 3D - Animator's Professional Edition
Productivity and Entertainment
App
User Reviews: "BEST ANIMATION TOOL I HAVE FOUND ON THE APP STORE!!!!" "Excelent! - Perfect! It's a...
David McK (3649 KP) rated The Return of Sherlock Holmes in Books
Feb 25, 2024
Sherlock Holmes DIDN'T die at The Reichenbach Falls.
That's despite his creator (Arthur Conan Doyle) getting fed up with writing about him, and (supposedly) killing him off at that location during The Adventure of the Final Problem - a Sherlock Holmes Short Story.
You do have to wonder, however, just how dedicated to that decision he was as he left himself an 'out' ("Holmes body was never found"), finally succumbing to public demand - and a boat load of money - to resurrect the character roughly 10 years after he had been killed off (with the earlier-set The Hound of the Baskervilles being released in the interim period).
This, then, is another collection of short stories, with the collection I read including:
"The Adventure of the Empty House"
"The Adventure of the Norwood Builder"
"The Adventure of the Dancing Men"
"The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist"
"The Adventure of the Priory School"
"The Adventure of Black Peter"
"The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton"
"The Adventure of the Six Napoleons"
"The Adventure of the Three Students"
"The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez"
"The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter"
"The Adventure of the Abbey Grange"
"The Adventure of the Second Stain"
As before, thoroughly enjoyable all!
That's despite his creator (Arthur Conan Doyle) getting fed up with writing about him, and (supposedly) killing him off at that location during The Adventure of the Final Problem - a Sherlock Holmes Short Story.
You do have to wonder, however, just how dedicated to that decision he was as he left himself an 'out' ("Holmes body was never found"), finally succumbing to public demand - and a boat load of money - to resurrect the character roughly 10 years after he had been killed off (with the earlier-set The Hound of the Baskervilles being released in the interim period).
This, then, is another collection of short stories, with the collection I read including:
"The Adventure of the Empty House"
"The Adventure of the Norwood Builder"
"The Adventure of the Dancing Men"
"The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist"
"The Adventure of the Priory School"
"The Adventure of Black Peter"
"The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton"
"The Adventure of the Six Napoleons"
"The Adventure of the Three Students"
"The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez"
"The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter"
"The Adventure of the Abbey Grange"
"The Adventure of the Second Stain"
As before, thoroughly enjoyable all!
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Cooking Customers in Tabletop Games
Feb 4, 2020
Raise your hand if you have ever worked in the food industry. Okay, I see a few hands. Now raise your hand if you have ever been so torqued by a customer that you wanted to cook them in a pie. Oh, thanks for your hand Mrs. Lovett. Good to know. Well this game is an experience of getting your money and getting out. Fastest one to do so will win, and if you have to stew a few eyeballs in the process, more power to you.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. This is a retail copy of the game, so what you see in these photos is exactly what would be received in your box. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rulebook, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T
Cooking Customers is a card and dice game where the first player to amass $20 in “tips” will be crowned the winner. Players earn tips by serving enough meals to customers at each table. Players can receive meals by rolling them on dice, or by card manipulation. Let me explain.
To setup, place the meals (black discs) in the middle of the table for all to reach. Similarly, place all the dice nearby. These dice have three sides: FIRED, MEAL, and a blank side. Shuffle the mighty deck of cards and deal five to each player, placing the rest of the deck in the middle of the table. Finally, shuffle the Table cards and place somewhere near the other components. Players are now ready to begin!
On a player’s turn, they will first draw the topmost Table card to be placed in front of themselves. This card will show how many meals need to be served to it to be satisfied and earn tips. The Table cards will mostly just sit there in front of players collecting meal discs for the game’s duration. Once a Table card is drawn (and only one Table per player, please) the active player may then play cards from hand. A player may play one or two cards, but only one card may be played to the active player’s tableau, and only one card may be played on an opponent. Should a player not wish to play a card to anyone’s tableau, they must discard a card to the middle of the table. Then the active player will draw back to the hand size of five cards.
Cards played to other players are usually bad, Munchkin-esque cards that halt progression or just cause mayhem for their designs. I will not go into detail on these, as half the fun of this game is the Take-That of these cards. Cards played to a player’s own tableau can be a myriad choices: Cooks, Helpers, Kitchen Supplies, etc. The most important are the Cook cards. A player will need to have a Cook “hired” in front of them in order to participate in the next phase of the game: rolling dice. Players can have Helper cards (sous chefs) and Kitchen Supplies active without a Cook, but the player may not roll dice or serve meals without a Cook. Cooks and Helpers will dictate how many dice are rolled in the next phase of a turn, and rolling more dice is always better.
Once all cards have been played on a player’s turn, they may now roll the dice (though for a game with such a dark theme I say we use the “Roll Them Bones” colloquialism). When the dice are rolled, players are hoping for MEAL to show up on all dice. This is how a meal can be collected and served to the Table cards. However, if at any time all dice read FIRED then the player’s Cook is fired and they may not continue rolling dice. The Cook is discarded and play is forfeited to the next player. #cheflife amirite?
Once a Table card has all the meals it needs to be satisfied, the player may score it by flipping it over to reveal the amount in tips they have earned. Play continues in this fashion until one player has earned $20 in tips. They can then taunt the other players with their superiority.
Components. Cooking Customers is a BUNCH of cards, some painted wooden discs, and some embossed dice. The cards are good quality, the discs are good as well, and the dice are great. All the components are pretty darn good. The art, though gross at times, is really well-done (see what I did there) and kept us laughing throughout our plays.
I do have one qualm about this game: the rulebook. Though only six pages long and with lots of illustrations throughout, I found that reading it made me more confused than it should have. I did take the rulebook’s advice to go to the publisher’s website, goodenoughgames.com, and watch the rules explanation and playthrough. That helped immensely to clear up what the rulebook did to my brain.
All in all, we had a great time playing this one. We all like Munchkin, and though it is NOT Munchkin, Cooking Customers delivers a take-that dice and card game that really is worth checking out. If you are looking for something with a new theme that plays quickly and has some meat on its bones (and there), then we certainly recommend Cooking Customers. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a hearty (food puns are too easy) 13 / 18. You can purchase a copy at goodenoughgames.com currently. While you’re there please watch the video.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. This is a retail copy of the game, so what you see in these photos is exactly what would be received in your box. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rulebook, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T
Cooking Customers is a card and dice game where the first player to amass $20 in “tips” will be crowned the winner. Players earn tips by serving enough meals to customers at each table. Players can receive meals by rolling them on dice, or by card manipulation. Let me explain.
To setup, place the meals (black discs) in the middle of the table for all to reach. Similarly, place all the dice nearby. These dice have three sides: FIRED, MEAL, and a blank side. Shuffle the mighty deck of cards and deal five to each player, placing the rest of the deck in the middle of the table. Finally, shuffle the Table cards and place somewhere near the other components. Players are now ready to begin!
On a player’s turn, they will first draw the topmost Table card to be placed in front of themselves. This card will show how many meals need to be served to it to be satisfied and earn tips. The Table cards will mostly just sit there in front of players collecting meal discs for the game’s duration. Once a Table card is drawn (and only one Table per player, please) the active player may then play cards from hand. A player may play one or two cards, but only one card may be played to the active player’s tableau, and only one card may be played on an opponent. Should a player not wish to play a card to anyone’s tableau, they must discard a card to the middle of the table. Then the active player will draw back to the hand size of five cards.
Cards played to other players are usually bad, Munchkin-esque cards that halt progression or just cause mayhem for their designs. I will not go into detail on these, as half the fun of this game is the Take-That of these cards. Cards played to a player’s own tableau can be a myriad choices: Cooks, Helpers, Kitchen Supplies, etc. The most important are the Cook cards. A player will need to have a Cook “hired” in front of them in order to participate in the next phase of the game: rolling dice. Players can have Helper cards (sous chefs) and Kitchen Supplies active without a Cook, but the player may not roll dice or serve meals without a Cook. Cooks and Helpers will dictate how many dice are rolled in the next phase of a turn, and rolling more dice is always better.
Once all cards have been played on a player’s turn, they may now roll the dice (though for a game with such a dark theme I say we use the “Roll Them Bones” colloquialism). When the dice are rolled, players are hoping for MEAL to show up on all dice. This is how a meal can be collected and served to the Table cards. However, if at any time all dice read FIRED then the player’s Cook is fired and they may not continue rolling dice. The Cook is discarded and play is forfeited to the next player. #cheflife amirite?
Once a Table card has all the meals it needs to be satisfied, the player may score it by flipping it over to reveal the amount in tips they have earned. Play continues in this fashion until one player has earned $20 in tips. They can then taunt the other players with their superiority.
Components. Cooking Customers is a BUNCH of cards, some painted wooden discs, and some embossed dice. The cards are good quality, the discs are good as well, and the dice are great. All the components are pretty darn good. The art, though gross at times, is really well-done (see what I did there) and kept us laughing throughout our plays.
I do have one qualm about this game: the rulebook. Though only six pages long and with lots of illustrations throughout, I found that reading it made me more confused than it should have. I did take the rulebook’s advice to go to the publisher’s website, goodenoughgames.com, and watch the rules explanation and playthrough. That helped immensely to clear up what the rulebook did to my brain.
All in all, we had a great time playing this one. We all like Munchkin, and though it is NOT Munchkin, Cooking Customers delivers a take-that dice and card game that really is worth checking out. If you are looking for something with a new theme that plays quickly and has some meat on its bones (and there), then we certainly recommend Cooking Customers. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a hearty (food puns are too easy) 13 / 18. You can purchase a copy at goodenoughgames.com currently. While you’re there please watch the video.