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Withdrawals by Tom MacDonald
Withdrawals by Tom MacDonald
2021 | Rap
melody (3 more)
production
flow
video
A Beautiful, Sobering Song (Pun Intended)
Tom MacDonald is known for being controversial. And while I'm not a huge rap fan (because I don't like to hear about drugs, violences, or "hoes"), I tend to like most of his songs.

But his newest song "Withdrawals" transcends everything else he has done. It is an honest, sobering, haunting song about going through withdrawals from alcohol or drugs, and you can tell that Tom has really lived through it.

Combining fantastic rap bars with a melodic hook, the song manages to stretch across genres and speak to anyone who has experienced the pain and trauma of trying to kick a bad habit.

The hook/chorus shows the duality present in an addict's mind where he really wants to stop making bad choices, but at the same time he really enjoys using chemicals to numb his mind:

"Deleted all the numbers from my phone, I'm staying home
Really wish that I was drunk with all my friends
I'll either beat it or I won't, and overdose
Really wish that I was high with all my friends."

What a great song, with a powerful message to help others overcome addiction. I love it.
  
Police (Harry Hole #10) (Oslo Sequence #8)
Police (Harry Hole #10) (Oslo Sequence #8)
Jo Nesbo | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
9
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A gripping thriller
I've really messed up the reading order of the Harry Hole books. I first read this 5 years ago, and it was only earlier this year that I read the following sequel book 11 (The Thirst) and then after that the previous book 9 Phantom. Aside from my idiocy at messing up the order of these books, I really enjoyed reading this again now i finally understand better what's going on thanks to Phantom.

This is a thrilling read. I could barely put it down and just wanted to get to the end to find out how it all ended (as I couldn't remember from the first time round). The plot is complicated but not so far-fetched that it gets ridiculous and there's lots of twists and turns to keep you hooked. I like the Harry in this book a lot more than in previous books, although there is still some of the old good character we know and love still there. After reading so many of Jo Nesbo's books recently I've noticed he really does like his tropes and cliffhangers a lot and this can get a bit predictable after a while. However this is still one of the best books in the series - definitely on par with The Snowman.
  
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Erika (17789 KP) Sep 6, 2020

I wish the Hole series had ended with this book, it was one of my favorites... I got The Thirst and read a spoiler and it ticked me off so much, I never read it because I was so pissed off at Harry. Ridiculous because he's fictitious, but still.

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Sarah (7800 KP) Sep 7, 2020

I have to admit I don't think The Thirst was terrible, but I know what you mean. Have you read the synopsis for the following book Knife? I haven't until now and that sounds like it's ruined everything!

The Stone of Destiny: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure
The Stone of Destiny: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure
Richard T. Ryan | 2017 | Crime, Mystery
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fans of Sherlock Holmes, fans of mystery, fans of adventure and suspense - this might be your next favorite book! Now, I have never read a Sherlock Holmes book before, so I can’t compare this book to the original books from Arthur Conan Doyle. But, what I will do for you is tell you all I thought about this book!

The story begins when during the funeral of Queen Victoria, a group of Irish separatists steal the Coronation Stone, on which every royal has been crowned. To retrieve this important object, the royals will hire Sherlock Holmes to solve the mystery. Holmes and his friend Watson travel to Ireland and try to infiltrate the Irish Republican Brotherhood, a group they think is responsible for all that happened.

Even though this is a Sherlock Holmes book, we actually unravel the story through a Watson-first-person point of view. He, to me, is a very interesting character, even though he follows Holmes like a puppy and doesn’t seem to have a personal opinion.

As for Sherlock Holmes, even though I really like the mysterious aura about him, and how smart he can be - I also see him as one of the rude aristocrats that refuse to speak to other people that seem to be lower in the hierarchy to them. This is of course, not presented in the book in any way - but I simply had that impression.

I loved the beginning, and I loved the mystery and suspense throughout the whole book. I was never ahead of the book, and my assumptions were never correct. I loved how the author kept us in the dark right until the end.

The small things I didn’t like though, were the slow pace - I have to admit, the pace was really slow for me, and I couldn’t wait until a chapter is finished to see if there would be more action. Then, even the action scenes weren’t as thrilling as I would expect them to be. And finally, there were no big plot twists, which I think we might have used in the book.

But - we did have a lovely mystery solving story, and we had a lot of history information floating around. We also had another book with Sherlock Holmes, that for you - lovers of the Sherlock Holmes books will of course be something you enjoy.

I greatly recommend it to you if you love the good old Sherlock Holmes adventures!

Many thanks to the author, Richard T. Ryan, for sending me an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
  
Full disclosure: I don't like birds. They terrify me.

Hummingbirds being the exception, and even more so now that I've devoured this book.
(I've read it three times in the past year!)

Fastest Things on Wings is a rare glimpse into this hidden wonderland of the lives of hummingbirds, and a California woman's heroic efforts to rescue and rehabilitate them. The care, compassion and love Terry has for these almost mythical creatures is astounding, and my heart is ten times bigger after reading of some of these stories, including that of Garbriel, a male rescued in the middle of Rodeo Drive, and female hummingbird Pepper, who was injured on a movie set. You come to admire these tiny little birds stories of tenacity and strength, mixed in with dash of science, a whole lot of heart and honestly, a bit of magic.

It takes a lot of time, energy and strength to rehabilitate any animal. There are some very sad losses, but some delightful, and charming wins throughout this book and you relish in the fact that this type of job actually exists, and how quickly you are pulled in and charmed by it's tight knit community.
I learned so much about the migration, mating, and eating habits of these creatures, and it has me hungry to learn more about this splendid, beautiful bird that enamors so many.

5 Stars - without a doubt.
  
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Lindsay (1786 KP) rated Anchor in the Storm (Waves of Freedom, #2) in Books

Aug 30, 2018 (Updated Apr 9, 2019)  
Anchor in the Storm (Waves of Freedom, #2)
Anchor in the Storm (Waves of Freedom, #2)
Sarah Sundin | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Anchor in the Storm is sweet and lovely read. I felt like I was in the story and I felt bad for Lillian and Arch. What will they endure together?

Sarah Sundin put you through the emotions with all her stories, but this one had me with my emotions after a chapter. Lillian finds out her brother is missing after an attack on his Navy ship "Atwood".

Are you a fan of Historical Fiction or do you enjoy reading about World War Two? This book has that feel to it. I enjoy learning about how we got into World War 2.

Lillian wants to be a druggist and a female one at that. In an era that is still new to the world with female having jobs. We are at the beginning of World War Two. The story starts out December 7, 1942, or around that time.

Arch is on leave time from the Navy. He has to deal with his troubles. Will they find love together and find out they need to open up and trust god first.

Arch seems to annoy Lillian and Lillian needs to prove herself. When they get to Boston something is up with her new job. They're a lot of perceptions for sedatives. Could there be a drug ring? Arch is dealing with it though the Navy's end for he sees it going on with his men. Is there a romance in the air?
  
Kwaan
Kwaan
Platform
This game reminds me an awful lot of proteus. Very little is told to you. Wandering around a pixelated island trying to sort things out. The point and click mechanics might make you nostalgic. A peppy atmosphere and creative out lets might have you coming back to see what the community has done to the trees and chalk boards.

The game is in early access and it does show. Platforming is going to take a long while to get used to. You get around by shooting a string and pulling yourself up to a point where he can swing to get to the platform sometimes this can be very frustrating. This could be fixed by letting you slide down on the string but that has yet to be seen.

Appearance I genuinely liked the sprite animation, seems like something you might see in say a late Nintendo to early super Nintendo. Intricate works of player art can be found here and there. The over world if bright and colorful during the day.

Quest systems and leveling are something I didn’t quite get here. The story is told in the back ground and you have to go hunting for it. I got caught up in the bright atmosphere and exploring that I really did not get around to that part of the game. There is quite a bit to explore if you have the time and patience.

Ambient music is here and it does suite the mood. I do feel like it’s on an endless loop. Not to mention in the version I’m playing on there is no option menu at all. So either mute all sounds or mute it in the volume mixer. Small problem I know but several small issues can culminate into a bit one.

Velocity is another challenge, you can find yourself making a gap sometimes. Other times you will not be so lucky. Getting your string to attach to a flock of seagulls or a school of fish can feel almost impossible. Spikes and death traps are abound. When you overcome these obstacles for say a treasure chest it can be a bit underwhelming.

The mystery to it all feels very cryptic. I for the life of me could not find anything out. Admittedly I’m terrible at these kind of puzzles. Some clues would be much appreciated. End of the world is coming is about the only thing I could figure out.

The intention of the game feels good. I can see a lot of love and time went into crafting this world. Even with all its color, ambiance and charm I can see the flaws. Early accesses is a phrase I think is more than apt here. However this could be something very special with just a few tweaks.

In the end I could only recommend this game to those willing to support a modern point and click platformer. If you grew up with platformers like Mario and castlevania this might just be a bit to different. Unless you’re willing to look past the controls and or love retro sprites.

http://sknr.net/2015/04/10/kwaan-a-point-and-click-adventure/
  
FP
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
When Jake and Alyssa's virtual affair peaks while his band tours Europe, Alyssa decides it's Jake that she wants for her 18th birthday. She surprises everyone, including Jake, with a planned trip to London. After three years apart will it be everything they've both dreamed of? Alyssa is soon thrown into Jake's stardom, delicate family matters and a potential repeat of the past. I wanted to see them get back together and read how they continued to love each other no matter how hard everybody else was trying to keep them apart.
Though these two are older and mature. They seem to make some bad choices. Aly is able to make the decision to find Jake and renew their connection after three years of separation. The emotions are high and the love intense. This couple comes clashing together with so many emotions and ups and downs that your world spins. Aly may have grown but Jake hasn’t he is still so immature and dishonest. This story just gives us an update on how things are going with our couple. With them being separated. I don’t like Jake in this story he seems to love Aly strongly but doesn’t give her what she deserves.
Don’t come looking for a cute love story in this series. It will leave you hurting and wanting more. This is a preview of Broken Notes. It gives us something to look forward to while we wait for the next book. If you haven’t picked up any of these books you're missing out. The author gives so much in this series and I enjoyed every moment.