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Jenny Houle (24 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) in Movies
Jan 13, 2018
I can't put into words how inspiring this movie felt to me. I feel like I have heard one of two reactions to the movie: "It's just another Star Wars movie at this point" and "OMG, didn't you love it? Didn't you feel like it was a reminder of hope? Didn't you feel like it was a reminder to resist?", and the reactions come from two very specific types of people.
Also, who can resist the little penguin-type animals? Really? Adorable.
Also, who can resist the little penguin-type animals? Really? Adorable.
Sarah Betts (103 KP) rated Loading Penguin Hugs: Heartwarming Comics from Chibird in Books
Dec 31, 2019
I'd like to thank Netgalley and Andrews McMeel for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This book is so adorably wholesome. I'd seen some of the art uncredited on social media so I'm thrilled to know who did it.
The book is very sweet and motivational and just wants the reader to be happy.
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There is an index at the end where you can find entries for things like "joy" and motivational penguin"
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This book is so adorably wholesome. I'd seen some of the art uncredited on social media so I'm thrilled to know who did it.
The book is very sweet and motivational and just wants the reader to be happy.
.
There is an index at the end where you can find entries for things like "joy" and motivational penguin"
.
Erika (17788 KP) rated The Department of Sensitive Crimes (Detective Varg #1) in Books
Jul 21, 2019
This is the first novel in the Detective Varg series by McCall Smith. It's lighthearted (as much as a mystery novel can be), and the polar-opposite of nordic noir. The novel is written as a series of short stories, and it was a very quick read. Half of me thinks that this was written purely as a satire of nordic noir, without grisly deaths and violence against women.
I received this book from the Penguin First to Read program (RIP).
I received this book from the Penguin First to Read program (RIP).
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Come A Little Closer in Books
Oct 12, 2019
Nope ... not for me ... hard to feel anything for any of the characters and hard to get into - sorry but I found it pretty boring and I can't bring myself to recommend it although there are plenty of very positive and 4 and 5 star reviews out there so obviously it appeals to others so don't take my word for it ... try it for yourself.
Thank you to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
Thank you to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
Erika (17788 KP) rated We Have Always Lived in the Castle in Books
Sep 22, 2018
I picked up this book a few years ago, solely because of the beautiful and creepy Penguin Deluxe Classic edition cover. I was not disappointed, the book was also creepy beautiful.
The town described in this book reminded me of the small village my grandmother lives in, to include the bizarre mob-mentality. The atmosphere invoked is creepy and intriguing. You're left wondering until the very end what exactly happened, and the things left unsaid are telling. Overall, a terrifyingly excellent book that I plan on rereading.
The town described in this book reminded me of the small village my grandmother lives in, to include the bizarre mob-mentality. The atmosphere invoked is creepy and intriguing. You're left wondering until the very end what exactly happened, and the things left unsaid are telling. Overall, a terrifyingly excellent book that I plan on rereading.
I am sad to say that I couldn't get into this at all and found my mind wandering to other things. I have read Your Closest Friend by Karen Perry and enjoyed it but this one just didn't do it for me unfortunately, however it won't put me off reading more from these authors. Not sure why it didn't grab me but sometimes it just doesn't happen.
Thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2084 KP) rated The Penguin Who Knew Too Much (Meg Langslow, #8) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Meg and Michael are finally ready to move into their new house. Unfortunately, Meg's dad finds a dead body while digging a pool for the penguins. Wait a minute. Penguins? Yep, it's another mad cap romp with Meg and her family. I found the book very funny and laughed the entire way through. Unfortunately, the ending was a tad weak for my tastes. But that was the only flaw in the book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-penguin-who-knew-too-much.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-penguin-who-knew-too-much.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This is the second book I've read by Jane Corry.
I liked the first one, My Husband’s Wife, and I liked this one just as much.
The story is told between two timelines, 2001 and 2016 which can be confusing sometimes but it worked really well in this case.
Fantastic characters, including Kitty and Alison, two sisters with very different personalities; Fascinating plot with unpredictable twists. Very engrossing story!
I am looking forward to Jane Corry’s next release.
Thanks NetGalley and Penguin UK – Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read and review this fantastic novel.
I liked the first one, My Husband’s Wife, and I liked this one just as much.
The story is told between two timelines, 2001 and 2016 which can be confusing sometimes but it worked really well in this case.
Fantastic characters, including Kitty and Alison, two sisters with very different personalities; Fascinating plot with unpredictable twists. Very engrossing story!
I am looking forward to Jane Corry’s next release.
Thanks NetGalley and Penguin UK – Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read and review this fantastic novel.
Joelene Marie (28 KP) rated The Invisible Library in Books
Oct 1, 2018
The first in a new series, the invisible library is one I couldn't put down. I loved that it was a mystery surrounding the acquisition of my favorite thing in the world...books. I would have liked a little more backstory about the library itself in the beginning but it wasn't any real hindrance to the story. The action starts from the very beginning and the adventure continues until the end. I can't wait to read the next book and immerse myself back into this wonderful world. Highly recommended! Thanks to Penguin and First to Read for the ARC!
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated ICECOOL in Tabletop Games
Jun 25, 2019 (Updated Aug 13, 2020)
Moving components around the board/play area is a staple of most board games. As board games have evolved, that mechanic has maintained an integral role in many games. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Well just because it’s not broken, doesn’t mean it can’t use a little innovation….and that’s where ICECOOL comes into play.
You and your Penguin buddies are so hungry that you decide to skip out on class early to go grab some snacks. But you’ve forgotten about the Hall Monitor! Their mission is to catch any unauthorized hall wanderers and send them back to class. Can you outmaneuver the Hall Monitor, or will you be caught and forced to go hungry until the end of class?
Disclaimer: I do not intend to rehash the rulebook in its entirety in this review, but rather provide a general overview of the rules and gameplay. To read the rules more in-depth, grab a copy of the game from your FLGS! -L
ICECOOL is a dexterity game in which players are trying to amass the most points over a number of rounds. Here’s how a round plays out. Select one player to be the Hall Monitor (called the Catcher) for the first round, and place their Penguin pawn in the kitchen box. All other players, aka the Runners, take their 3 colored fish tokens and attach them to the three corresponding doorways, and begin with their Penguin pawns in the classroom box. As a Runner, your goal is to collect your 3 fish tokens from their doorways. How do you do that? Flick your Penguin through a fish doorway to collect your snack. Yes, you read that right – flick. In this game, all movement is achieved by literally flicking your pieces throughout the boxes. To collect a fish, you must pass through the corresponding doorway completely in one single flick. Each time you collect a fish, draw the top card from the fish deck and keep it hidden from your opponents. Your other goal? Avoid the Catcher. If at any point, your Penguin comes into contact with the Catcher, you must forfeit your Hall Pass to the Catcher.
As the Catcher, your goal is to collect the Hall Pass of every other player. You achieve this goal by flicking your Penguin into any of the Runners. Turn order is as follows: Runners-Catcher, Runners-Catcher, etc., until the end of the round is triggered. The round is over when the Catcher has collected Hall Passes from every other player, or any Runner has collected all 3 of their fish. At the end of the round, each player collects 1 fish card per Hall Pass in their possession. So if you were caught by the Catcher, you’re outta luck! For the next round a new player is selected to be the Catcher, and play continues as above. The game ends once every player has taken a turn as the Catcher. Count up the points from your collected fish cards, and the player with the most points wins!
So a game of flicking Penguins around some boxes – sounds pretty simple, right? Yes and no. ICECOOL admittedly does not really require any serious strategy. Yes, you are trying to collect all 3 of your fish, but you’re mainly playing keep-away from the Catcher. And as the Catcher, you’re “It” in this quasi-game of Tag. So strategic, this is not. On the other hand, mastering the art of flicking your Penguin is a long and arduous process. Ok, it’s not arduous, but it is tricky to master! ICECOOL really puts your dexterity to the test to see if you have the proper form and control to move your Penguin to exactly where you want it to go. Half of the fun of this game is all the whiffed flicks and the comically accidental misdirections. The rulebook offers some flicking techniques to try out before your first game, and they are actually pretty helpful. I’ve not yet been able to achieve the jumping flick, but maybe one day I will rise to that level.
One other super neat thing about ICECOOL is the game setup. You’re playing with boxes of varying sizes. But here’s the kicker: they all nest into each other!!! So for storing, it looks like you just have one box. But in reality, there are 4 other boxes hidden inside. This concept is not one I’ve seen before in any other game, so that just makes ICECOOL a little bit more unique and interesting for me. Since I’m talking about the boxes, let me touch on components. The boxes are all of great quality, and are sturdy enough to hold up to clashing penguins. The Penguins themselves are good solid plastic, and I know they will last forever. Be careful though, flicking too hard might hurt your fingers! The deck of fish cards are a standard card quality. The artwork of the game is cute and thematic, and overall it’s a fun, immersive experience.
ICECOOL is not a game that I pull off the shelf at every game night. But it is one that is light enough, and entertaining enough, that it certainly gets a good amount of gameplay from my collection. Whether you are using it as a nice, short filler game, or you’re playing with some young’uns, it makes for a happy atmosphere full of energy and happiness. And that’s why Purple Phoenix Games gives ICECOOL a brrrrrrrrrilliant 18 / 24.
You and your Penguin buddies are so hungry that you decide to skip out on class early to go grab some snacks. But you’ve forgotten about the Hall Monitor! Their mission is to catch any unauthorized hall wanderers and send them back to class. Can you outmaneuver the Hall Monitor, or will you be caught and forced to go hungry until the end of class?
Disclaimer: I do not intend to rehash the rulebook in its entirety in this review, but rather provide a general overview of the rules and gameplay. To read the rules more in-depth, grab a copy of the game from your FLGS! -L
ICECOOL is a dexterity game in which players are trying to amass the most points over a number of rounds. Here’s how a round plays out. Select one player to be the Hall Monitor (called the Catcher) for the first round, and place their Penguin pawn in the kitchen box. All other players, aka the Runners, take their 3 colored fish tokens and attach them to the three corresponding doorways, and begin with their Penguin pawns in the classroom box. As a Runner, your goal is to collect your 3 fish tokens from their doorways. How do you do that? Flick your Penguin through a fish doorway to collect your snack. Yes, you read that right – flick. In this game, all movement is achieved by literally flicking your pieces throughout the boxes. To collect a fish, you must pass through the corresponding doorway completely in one single flick. Each time you collect a fish, draw the top card from the fish deck and keep it hidden from your opponents. Your other goal? Avoid the Catcher. If at any point, your Penguin comes into contact with the Catcher, you must forfeit your Hall Pass to the Catcher.
As the Catcher, your goal is to collect the Hall Pass of every other player. You achieve this goal by flicking your Penguin into any of the Runners. Turn order is as follows: Runners-Catcher, Runners-Catcher, etc., until the end of the round is triggered. The round is over when the Catcher has collected Hall Passes from every other player, or any Runner has collected all 3 of their fish. At the end of the round, each player collects 1 fish card per Hall Pass in their possession. So if you were caught by the Catcher, you’re outta luck! For the next round a new player is selected to be the Catcher, and play continues as above. The game ends once every player has taken a turn as the Catcher. Count up the points from your collected fish cards, and the player with the most points wins!
So a game of flicking Penguins around some boxes – sounds pretty simple, right? Yes and no. ICECOOL admittedly does not really require any serious strategy. Yes, you are trying to collect all 3 of your fish, but you’re mainly playing keep-away from the Catcher. And as the Catcher, you’re “It” in this quasi-game of Tag. So strategic, this is not. On the other hand, mastering the art of flicking your Penguin is a long and arduous process. Ok, it’s not arduous, but it is tricky to master! ICECOOL really puts your dexterity to the test to see if you have the proper form and control to move your Penguin to exactly where you want it to go. Half of the fun of this game is all the whiffed flicks and the comically accidental misdirections. The rulebook offers some flicking techniques to try out before your first game, and they are actually pretty helpful. I’ve not yet been able to achieve the jumping flick, but maybe one day I will rise to that level.
One other super neat thing about ICECOOL is the game setup. You’re playing with boxes of varying sizes. But here’s the kicker: they all nest into each other!!! So for storing, it looks like you just have one box. But in reality, there are 4 other boxes hidden inside. This concept is not one I’ve seen before in any other game, so that just makes ICECOOL a little bit more unique and interesting for me. Since I’m talking about the boxes, let me touch on components. The boxes are all of great quality, and are sturdy enough to hold up to clashing penguins. The Penguins themselves are good solid plastic, and I know they will last forever. Be careful though, flicking too hard might hurt your fingers! The deck of fish cards are a standard card quality. The artwork of the game is cute and thematic, and overall it’s a fun, immersive experience.
ICECOOL is not a game that I pull off the shelf at every game night. But it is one that is light enough, and entertaining enough, that it certainly gets a good amount of gameplay from my collection. Whether you are using it as a nice, short filler game, or you’re playing with some young’uns, it makes for a happy atmosphere full of energy and happiness. And that’s why Purple Phoenix Games gives ICECOOL a brrrrrrrrrilliant 18 / 24.
