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Love, Death & Robots
Love, Death & Robots
2019 | Action, Animation, Comedy
CGI is amazing (1 more)
The Perfect Mix of Morbid Humour and Gore
The episodes are so short! (0 more)
A Masterpiece of the Weird and Fantastical
This is going to be a long one, I'm going to review each episode as they aren't linked or related in any way, but just know, they are all gorgeous works of art and you should totally go watch the whole thing ?.


Beyond the Aquila Rift - CGI was beautiful from the moment it started, I was like 'shiiiit this series is going to be everything I love'. This one is about a crew making a delivery in space, however nothing quite goes to plan. For me, it had a very 'Mass Effect' feel with the FTL travel. I was not expecting a full out sex scene in the first 6 minutes but then again the episodes are on average only 16 minutes long. It was rauncy yet somehow, still quite tasteful, but as with most animated stuff there was an excessive amount of topless boob shots. I won't spoil it, but it ended up as a horrific mind fuck that left a shiver down my spine ?.

Secret War - Again, CGI was epic and the story was the perfect mix of unsettling, gory, and tragic. It follows a platoon of Red Army soldiers who are hunting down mysterious 'monsters'. There's blood, there's guts, a guy has an arm off at one point - what more could you ask for?

Sonnie's Edge - Immediately feels hellishly grunge and rave. I absolutely adored the blacklight effects and a strong female styling, the fight is gorgeous, the monsters have almost a Kaju feel which really made me happy as I love Pacific Rim. Of course this epicness is immediately ruined by a sloppy scene (I won't spoil it) which cemented the fact in my mind this was written by a man (I checked later and found I was correct), it does save itself with a fantastic twist at the end though so it was still an amazing short.

Sucker of Souls - This had a great grungy cartooning that felt half Kill Bill, half 2003 TMNT. It ended up being a real bad day for an archaeological expedition. Gore injected with humour is always a favourite of mine and this ticked all those boxes, including a wisecracking explosives expert (looking at you Gary!) If we've learnt anything from Indiana Jones and Rick O'Connell it's, don't fuck with tombs. This time was no different.

Three Robots - There's something just so fucking fantastic about robots going on holiday and speculating about 'human' stuff. It's just the perfect injection of morbid humour and I love it. The twist at the end had me laughing harder than I had any right to ?.

Ice Age - I haven't seen Topher Grace since That 70's Show so I was like 'heeeey cool'. This was the first one that wasn't soley animation so that was really cool. They find a civilization in their freezer - yes, you read that right, their freezer - and the story is awesome ?. It's a neat reflection on humans and our place in the world.

The Witness - Set in a brightly coloured city the animation here feels very Borderlands-y, which is super cool because I fricking love that game ?. There's murder, full frontal nudity, erotic dancing, and an ending that will tear your head right off. Pretty neat all in all.

Suits - Great Googamooga, this is my absolutely favourite so far, a perfectly normal looking farm, complete with adorable hick accents, discovers a breach in their fence. This isn't just any breach, this is an alien style swarm complete with Mech Warrior suits and a woman named Mel, who I'm convinced is Tank Girl as an old lady. 17 minutes of utter badassery you do not want to miss. Utterly LOVED it, and would 10/10 watch this as its own series.

When the Yogurt Took Over - Ok so the name - I was like 'should I take this seriously? Oooor' ?. Weirdly serious - yet hysterical. A five minute journey into what happened when Yogurt became sentient. You will not be disaappointed ?.

Good Hunting - With animation that reminds me of The Last Airbender, it's a story of magic, friendship, and the industrial age. A beautiful and tragic story, with horrific overtones of what greed and 'progress' can do.

The Dump - The animation this reminds me of would be sorta like, if the people at Pixar got high with Tim Burton. There was one random thing - I found Pearly's dick swing in the wind much funnier than any sane person probably would ?. A great story about man's best friend and let me tell ya, everyone needs an Otto ❤.

Shape-Shifter - There's something so deeply interesting about putting the supernatural into regular life. Two men, who are not human, in the US marines. Insanely intense story for under 15 minutes. Gorgeous CGI work too.

Helping Hand - This had a great "Gravity" feel to it, when everything goes wrong you just keep going, give a little and then a little more and you achieve the impossible. Breathtaking space visuals is just an added bonus ?.

Fish Night - Telltale style animation, depicts a story of a father and son on the road. The car breaks down and something both magical and tragic happens. The ending left me reeling ?.

Lucky 13 - The CGI in this one was so good it took me half the time to figure out that it wasn't real. Lucky 13 was to Cutter like the Normandy was to Joker. Just - the best goddamn ship ❤.

Zima Blues - Animated in a style similiar to Archer, this was an interesting piece about art and how it effects us, we search for meaning through it sometimes it's about appreciating the little things ❤.

Blindspot - 90's animation and a rad story about robots. This is my second favourite after Suits, would 10/10 watch as its own movie ?.

Alternate Histories - Did not stop laughing the entire time. Utter gold. I will recommend one thing - pause it at the blue screen bit, you won't be disappointed ?.

The only thing I'm sad about is there wasn't more of this to watch, it was incredible ?.
  
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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) Apr 22, 2019

Really enjoyed reading through your individual reviews, agree with you 1000% about Sonnie's Edge

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#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3099410597">The Princess Plan</a> - ★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3361072334">A Royal Kiss and Tell</a> - TBR

<img src="https://i0.wp.com/diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Book-Review-Banner-85.png?resize=768%2C432&ssl=1"/>;

I received The Princess Plan by Julia London from the amazing team at Mills & Boon. This is the first book in the series A Royal Wedding.

Historical romances are a hit or miss for me, and this one didn’t really hit the mark like I wanted it to. Prince Sebastian of Alucia is on his visit in London, when his personal secretary is murdered.

And a murder such as this one creates a very big buzz in London’s high society. When a scandal like this occurs, it’s all anyone talks about, including Eliza Trickelbank, who happens to own a gossip gazette.

When her gazette receives an anonymous tip off about this crime, Prince Sebastian has no choice, but to work with her in order to solve the mystery of his friend’s murder.

With a trade deal on the line and a pressure to find a noble bride, there is nothing more dangerous than a prince socialising with a commoner. They can’t seem to agree on anything, and find each other frustrating, but the temptation between them becomes harder and harder to be ignored.

<b><i>My Thoughts:</i></b>

I loved the Cinderella vibe around this book, and the trope of prince meets commoner. I also enjoyed the trope of enemies becoming lovers. Even though, in this case, it was more of a forbidden temptation meets annoyance that turns into affection.

I liked Sebastian as much as I disliked Eliza. Everything that annoyed me about her, he somehow managed to compensate for. She was trying very hard to be independent, but instead, she gave up a vibe that was almost unbearable and very insecure. With Sebastian I loved the dilemma between country vs heart, which I assume many nobles, especially during that time in England felt. I am sure that many of them sacrificed their love just to do right by their country.

I found the gazette excerpts quite funny at times, and very enlightening. They take you into a whole new world, where you feel as if you’re there, getting ready for a ball, or reading about the latest gossip of the nobles. The writing style matches the time setting perfectly. I think Julia London did an amazing job when it comes to that. Here is an excerpt that really made me giggle:

<b><i>“New information suggests that if a lady wishes to enjoy a romp without consequence, trotting a horse briskly the day after the romp should remove said consequence.”</i></b>

To conclude, I enjoyed The Princess Plan, but it wasn’t a favorite. The writing was beautiful and I am sure this will be a favorite for people that love historical romances. The only reason I didn’t love it is because of Eliza’s character and the tropes that I have already seen before.
  
Rust Never Sleeps by Neil Young &amp; Crazy Horse
Rust Never Sleeps by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I remember when I was in high school someone signed my yearbook - this guy Guy Blakeslee who's now in the band The Entrance - amazing guitarist and he told me how to play the A minor chord. He signed my yearbook, "Hey hey, my my, rock and roll will never die", and I remember thinking, oh my god this guy's a genius, and then I found out it was the genius Neil Young. A genius steal. He probably thought I should have known it, but anyway I think I got the album after I found that out and it became one of those albums that feel like they're your own secret album. My mum listened to Harvest a lot so I knew the 'Heart Of Gold' era, which I also love. Rust Never Sleeps became my personal Neil Young treasure. It has such a raw sound, I guess because it was recorded live. I didn't even know there were overdubs on it. Actually a lot of the albums I chose were those live albums that are what is live, what isn't live?. But on one song on the musical we were stuck on the opening and I went back to Rust Never Sleeps and pretty much ripped off the song 'Thrasher' - the opening to that song. That was 'Fathers And Brothers' - it's just a stupid little simple [thing], we were just going for something really simple and I remember we worked on it all night, trying to get this arpeggiated thing working and we just went for the straight strum in the end, and the engineer/mixer guy came back and said, "Thank god you you went for the simple thing". 'Powderfinger', 'Pocahontas', they're all great. Young is somehow able to pull off these songs all about the plight of American man that would just seem so cheesy nowadays, but I think there was this experimentation with subject matter in 70s songwriting that was kind of innocent and is not really done today. I enjoy the storytelling of Neil Young, the simplicity of it all, and just that voice [that] can sing just about anything and make it sound good."

Source
  
An Amish Christmas Wedding: Four Stories
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<a href="https://travelingwife4life.wordpress.com/2020/11/21/an-amish-christmas-celebrate-lit/">Travelers Wife 4 Life</a>
This was such a good collection of stories to get me in the Christmas spirit! I had the privilege of reading last Christmas’s book (<a href="https://travelingwife4life.wordpress.com/2019/12/16/amish-christmas-bakery-celebration-lit/">An Amish Christmas Bakery</a>) by this collection of authors (Vanetta Chapman is new though) and truly fell in love with each author’s unique writing style. While not interconnected each story brings hope and warmth into my mind and I hope you will like them too!

<b>Evergreen Love</b> by Amy Clipston – I so enjoyed this story filled with mishaps, love, and second chances. Ryan and Lorene both show growth as characters and a sweet desire to learn from their previous experiences. They were fun to get to know and they showed a great look at forgiveness and the importance of communication!

<b>Holiday of Hope</b> by Kelly Irvin – This story was adorably sweet and heartfelt. I loved Henry’s journey, his special patience with his nephew (especially how he took it all in seamless stride not trying to force things), and his dedication to his first wife and subsequent openness to second chances. Leesa was also a very interesting character whom I rooted for from the beginning. I loved her courage, strength, and willingness to help others; even when it was outside her comfort zone. Overall, I loved the sweet romance in this book and enjoyed Kelly Irvin’s descriptions of deep snow Montana life.

<b>Wreathed in Joy</b> by Kathleen Fuller – I loved this friends to more gone awry story! Definitely one of my favorite sub-genres and Kathleen Fuller nails it. Mary and Jakob are sweet and the best of friends until a sad misunderstanding changes everything. But I enjoyed watching them banter and rekindle their friendship. It was full of sweet moments, memories, and the courage to try again. A great reminder to always give people second chances. Such a sweet story and I loved the ending.

<b>A Christmas Prayer </b> by Vannetta Chapman – Ever had the feeling that life is not going where you planned? Well, Rachel and Micah’s story is definitely one you will like. It was like ‘watching Rachel bloom’ as Micah so eloquently put it. I loved Micah’s caring nature, his use of Cloe (a Beautiful lab
  
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Merissa (12995 KP) rated Wounded Soul in Books

May 10, 2019  
Wounded Soul
Wounded Soul
Annabelle Jacobs | 2019 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Wounded Soul by Annabelle Jacobs
Wounded Soul involves a human unaware of vampires, and a vampire smitten with insta-lust for said human. Of course, if it was left like that, it would be too easy, so throw into the a mix a psychotic vampire, a best friend working for the human/vampire police, another best friend terrified of the thought of vampires, and a coven leader you respect and don't want to insult. Sounding good yet?

This book a really good read, from the first steamy hot meeting, to the intensity of the psychotic, to the nerve-jangling will he/won't he live (and that's not the 'he' you're thinking of!) Annabelle Jacobs is one of my favourite paranormal romance writers, if only for the fact they are not automatically based in America. I loved her Regent's Park series, and I loved this one just as much. I would love to read more about the characters mentioned in this story, but I have no idea if there is a sequel or series planned.

Either way, this was really well-written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed. The pacing was good, and the connection between the characters was intense. And don't forget the bad guy you love to hate. Definitely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Betrayal at House on the Hill
Betrayal at House on the Hill
2004 | Adventure, Exploration, Horror, Miniatures
High replayability (3 more)
Large number of haunts
Traitor isn't always the one who triggers the haunt
Hidden rules for each "team"
Lots of rules (1 more)
Hard to explain without actually playing
This should be a standard party staple!
This is one of my favorite games, honestly. I love playing it at parties or casually with friends, and am always game to teach a new person how to actually play it. Good luck explaining it to others, though--it's hard to encapsulate all the information a newbie might need without going overboard!

This game has high replayablity value, which I always look for in games. I haven't managed to play all the haunts yet, but there are character-specific haunts, haunts with hidden traitors, no traitors (everyone for themselves or everyone against NPC) single traitors or even traitors that switch based on certain criteria. There are 50 original haunts, while the expansion adds 50 more, which is a heck of a lot of content for a board game!

There are a LOT of rules, especially when the haunt starts, but that's not too much of an issue. If the rules don't cover it explicitly, my gaming group agrees on one as it comes up, though you could probably Google them. I still consult the rules of games like Monopoly and Life, so looking back to the rules doesn't bother me. And I LOVE that each team has different rules/conditions for winning!

I would advise having someone who knows how to play joining you at first, to smooth over any confusion, but it's not really necessary.
  
TC
The Captain's Daughter
8
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ms. Delamere has a new fan in me! I am really glad I took the chance on this book (I almost passed it up as I wasn't sure if I would like it or not!). Ms. Delamere has a wonderful talent for quickly capturing her readers' hearts and her attention to historical detail in London was beautifully done.

From the start, I was wrapped up in Rosalyn's story. I was on the streets of London with her, feeling her feelings as if they were my own. The life on stage was vibrantly created and I loved the way the book blossomed into a play itself before my eyes. When Nate was introduced, my heart swooned for him! I loved his character! When he and Rosalyn interacted, I was rooting for them the whole way through the book!

I highly recommend this 4 star book. It's a story of finding where you belong, a story of hope and faith, and God's guiding light. If you want a book that will capture you, wrap you up in a wonderful adventure of theater and falling in love, then grab a copy of this book! <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/litfuse-blog-tour-review-the-captains-daughter-by-jennifer-delamere/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
  
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