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Tom Jones recommended Back to Black by Amy Winehouse in Music (curated)

 
Back to Black by Amy Winehouse
Back to Black by Amy Winehouse
2006 | Rock
8.8 (8 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"When she did the video of 'Rehab', I thought 'Jesus, what is that?' - again, that initial thing... I thought, 'shit, she sounds tremendous, who is this kid?' And it looked great, and the arrangement was great and the whole package was great, and I had to get the album. So I got the CD and it just got better and better. You hear her getting into the ballad, 'Love Is A Losing Game' - that's like a standard, that comes from a jazz standard, something one of the old jazzers would have done, that's how good that is. She nails the shit out if it. The whole album is tremendous, and it's just a shame - making an album like that and then nothing. The band I take on the road with me is the same brass section that she used to use. So when she died, we were in France and I saw it on BBC news, and I came down to the bar that night and I said 'my God, how did that happen? She must have thought she was indestructible', and they said the opposite - she had loved living on the edge apparently, it was that thing of danger, that's what they felt. I wish I'd met her and had a chance to sing with her because she had a lot to offer, and she had a great spirit and what she sang was tremendous. I would have loved to duet. When you record something was somebody, it lasts forever, and if you haven't, it's a shame. It's a shame that it [drug addiction] happened to her so early. With Whitney Houston, she's left a wealth of material to listen to, but Amy Winehouse, I know she did an album before that, but Back To Black is tremendous, you just think 'shit!' Just waiting for the next, and now there is no next and it's a bloody shame. The drug thing, it never appealed to me. Sniffing cocaine, I know what it does. For singers, it's death - it gets on your vocal chords, it's bad news. Burns your bloody nose out. I've never taken any drugs. The only thing I took was at the beginning, purple hearts, because I was doing so many shows and I was getting tired. I think it was Viv Prince, who used to be a drummer with The Pretty Things, who said, 'try one of these, that'll keep you awake', but then I realised you couldn't go to sleep! So that was a short-lived thing. And I'll take a sleeping pill when I've got to go to sleep and I know I need to get up, but mild ones, nothing heavy, because I don't want anything to get in the way of what I do. And when I've gone a little too far drinking and I think 'oh shit, I've got to get up tomorrow', then you see it, and you think 'you fucking idiot! You stretched it too far last night'. So you do that enough times and you learn, but some people don't learn."

Source
  
Gaining Trust (Kiss of Leather #5)
Gaining Trust (Kiss of Leather #5)
Morticia Knight | 2017 | Erotica, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
5.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
straight back up to 5 stars
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

And just like that, back up to 5 stars!

This is book 5 in the Kiss of Leather series, and you really REALLY should read the previous books first. There is an ongoing story arc and you need to be able to follow what's going on with that. And they are 4 and 5 stars reads ?

Chuck has been undercover in another BDSM establishment, and has come to the conclusion he needs to be in this world. A world where these guys are so totally and utterly in love with each other, that he NEEDS that too. Master Jordan has been waiting to get his hands on Chuck, waiting for Chuck to admit what he wants to experience. Master Jordan knows that once he gets his hands on the handsome man, he might never be able to let go.

Master Jordan is, quite possibly, my most favourite of the Doms in this series. He is so laid back, any further and he would be horizontal! While very much a Dom, he is much more relaxed about it, calling Chuck things like babe, and sweetheart. He loves Chuck, right from the start and that shows in his careful handling of Chuck.

Chuck takes to Master Jordan very quickly, and I love watching these guys: Doms and subs alike, fall fast and fall HARD. Loving that it usually takes a major traumatic event to make the Doms see who they really want but not so much here.

I'm loving that each and every one of them from previous books play some part in future books. Loving the gentle introduction of the new guys. Loving the ongoing story arc that seems to be coming to a head. Loving that I have no idea when or where this is going to end!

I said in a previous review, that I'm loving the differences between the subs, but that all the Doms are these big guys and the subs are all younger and smaller. I still AM loving that, but I find myself thinking, what if?? What if there was a brand new Dom, who needs training with an older bigger sub?? Cos, you know, that would just bean amazing addition to this series!

Off to read book 6, trying really hard NOT to read them back to back but it's getting harder!!

5 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
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Joe Julians (221 KP) rated Artemis in Books

Feb 17, 2018  
Artemis
Artemis
Andy Weir | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
7.6 (35 Ratings)
Book Rating
The setting (2 more)
World building
Jazz (sometimes)
The plot (2 more)
Dialogue
Jazz (sometimes)
Following on from the excellent The Martian, Andy Weir delivers another space bound science fiction story, but this one sadly comes up short.

Artemis isn't a bad book and there's plenty of things to enjoy here. The moon based setting complete with it's changes in gravity and Kenyan set up make for an interesting read. There's a ton I want to know about Artemis and Weir does a great job in bringing this place to life. But it feels like there could have been more explored here and it's like the surface is only just being scratched.


With his central character, Jazz, we basically have another version of the lead from The Martian. The same wise cracks are there, but whereas with Mark Watney the wise cracking feels natural- here it feels forced. It doesn't help that Weir decided to write this from the perspective of Jazz, a Muslim woman. Some of the worst aspects of the book are based on that decision. Some of the dialogue here is appalling- embarrassing even. There were many moments I just groaned at how childish some of the things he makes Jazz say are. This doesn't feel like a woman talking. Instead it feels like what it is- a man trying to write as a woman but failing. Which is a shame as Jazz is an interesting character and one I could at times enjoy spending time with- other times though I couldn't stand her. Characters are a problem across the whole story really. Side characters feel under developed and there wasn't really anyone that I could single out as a highlight- none of them felt natural.


There's issues with the story itself too. This is essentially a heist story, but the heist is actually the least interesting part of Artemis. Rarely did I find myself invested in what was going on and this actually got worse as things went on. The first half of Artemis did a good job at setting things up, it's just a shame that as the story started building towards a climax- it lost momentum at the exact moment it should be gaining it.


Also, the science talk. Weir loves science, that's obvious. But here it at times feels like he is showing off to prove how much he knows. I don't actually think he was, but I quickly started to faze out when he went into details about how something works as it came so hot on the heels of a previous explanation of something else. I'm also so bored of welding now that I don't want to ever hear the word again.


I feel like I'm being a tad harsh here by focusing on the negatives. I do want to stress this book isn't bad. I may have got bored and frustrated on occasion I did however for the most part enjoy it. As I said Artemis is a great place and the city is one that I would love to have him explore in future installments. And while Jazz and a lot of the things she said did irritate me, there were flashes of brilliance with the character. I think personally I would like a second book to focus on someone new, but if Weir could sort the dialogue and some of her more annoying traits out- I'd happily spend more time with her.
  
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
J.K. Rowling | 2014 | Children
10
9.3 (217 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was probably one of the last people in my generation to read this book! (just kidding lol) But I think I picked this series up a couple years back and devoured ever book like it was candy! I was super nervous that I wouldn't follow the ideas and characters and I was scared I would hate it and a whole generation would hate me for hating it! But I ended up falling in love with everything about this book! So glad I read it later in life because I think I appreciated the concepts more as an adult.
  
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
2011 | Action, Adventure
Plot is easy to follow (1 more)
Humour throughout
A waste of a major villain (0 more)
Contains spoilers, click to show
As a self-confessed DC lover, I was surprised just how much I loved this film. The characters are believable, relatable and on the whole likable. Over the course of the movie you develop a kind of bond with the main characters, which adds tragedy to the end of the main story arch. The one complaint I have would be that Red Skull is Captain America's equivalent to Batman's Joker and to remove him from any following story arch seems like a waste of good material.
  
DOOM
DOOM
2016 | Action, Horror, Shooter
Big Guns (2 more)
Awesome enemies
Violent executions
An blend of old fashioned fun and the modern FPS
This is definitely one of the best shooters that I’ve played in a long time. The pace is swift and the action is intense, the classic gore and horror elements are present but not too in your face like Doom 3 and the whole thing just drips with badassery. Don’t go in deserving a masterclass in storytelling or you will be disappointed, but if all you want is responsive, fun FPS gameplay and a quick fix of adrenaline then this was made for you.
  
Good Me, Bad Me
Good Me, Bad Me
Ali Land | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
9
8.0 (21 Ratings)
Book Rating
Reading this literally made my skin crawl and stomach churn
I think my heart pounded the entire time I read this book. It's extremely dark, and the level of underlying violence and abuse at times is gratuitous. No doubt it's gripping but you have to keep a strong stomach because it feels like watching a train crash. While it's noticeable by the mid-point that there is something fishy about the protagonist's story, you do want to continue just to find out what happens. I can't say much more without ruining the plot, but hold on to your seat.
  
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Nikki G. (48 KP) rated Caramelo in Books

Sep 4, 2017  
Caramelo
Caramelo
Sandra Cisneros | 2003 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I loved The House on Mango Street when I read it years ago. I was excited to discover a new book by Sandra Cisneros.

This is the story of the Reyes family and their adventures, traveling from Mexico to Chicago and places in between. Lala, the youngest, narrates the tale, jumping backwards (to the beginnings of the Awful Grandmother) and forwards in time. So much drama, just like a telenovela.

I think I might have been the only one in our book club who truly enjoyed it. The flow was a little choppy, but I felt that it worked for the story.
  
Ravenhill - Hidden Mystery
Ravenhill - Hidden Mystery
Games
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
App Rating
It is quite good, the story line is quite interesting, there are lots of games out there like this where you have to find objects in various scenes to build a collection and progress through the story. It is very similar to another one but the good thing about this is that is is not just hidden object but mixes it up with puzzle levels too. It is quite easy though because I have managed to progress through the game and now on level 14 without losing a life. I will keep playing it though to see where it goes.
  
7 Wonders Duel
7 Wonders Duel
2015 | Ancient, Card Game, City Building, Civilization
Great Two Player Game (0 more)
Aww man, I have to plan ahead (0 more)
Great two player adaptation
My wife and I like this game for its smaller table footprint, speedy turn play and the play time is not extensive. This game is about creating your own ancient civilization. There are multiple paths to victory, and it is important that you think out your goal based on the cards laid before you and observing what your opponent is doing. You can achieve victory through military might, having a strong economy to get lots of money, or just building the best buildings and getting your wonders made.
  
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The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) Mar 25, 2019

keep em coming! Love the board gamers.... they get my Kudos.