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BookInspector (124 KP) rated Buddies, Bullies, and Baseball in Books
Jan 26, 2021
The protagonist of this book is Jack, and the story is told from his perspective. Jack is a fifth-grade student, who has great friends and loves baseball. I liked Jack, he is a cute and very intelligent young boy. Jack shares his tricks in avoiding the bullies, and his general daily routine. This book is very simplistic and the whole plot can be quite relatable to any schoolboy out there. It discusses home works, friendships, and baseball. I didn’t see many adventures or twits and turns in this book, it is written in simple and easy to understand language, suitable for children. The chapters are pretty short, and the ending rounded up this story pretty nicely.
To conclude, it is an important book, and I do recommend it for children to read. As an adult, I found this book not very entertaining and quite boring. I think children would enjoy it more because they would see themselves in Jack and could relate on some level. I do see the marketing and pricing issues with this book and I highlighted that to the publisher. For now, it is free on Kindle Unlimited, so please offer it to your kids, it is quite educational and might help someone.
To conclude, it is an important book, and I do recommend it for children to read. As an adult, I found this book not very entertaining and quite boring. I think children would enjoy it more because they would see themselves in Jack and could relate on some level. I do see the marketing and pricing issues with this book and I highlighted that to the publisher. For now, it is free on Kindle Unlimited, so please offer it to your kids, it is quite educational and might help someone.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Festival in Books
Oct 1, 2020
173 of 200
Kindle
The Festival
by H P Lovecraft
The Festival" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft written in October 1923 and published in the January 1925 issue of Weird Tales.
The story is set at Christmas time: "It was the Yuletide, that men call Christmas though they know in their hearts it is older than Bethlehem and Babylon, older than Memphis and mankind." An unnamed narrator is making his first visit to Kingsport, Massachusetts, an "ancient sea town where my people had dwelt and kept festival in the elder time when festival was forbidden; where also they had commanded their sons to keep festival once every century, that the memory of primal secrets might not be forgotten."
I am still quite new to reading Lovecrafts work the things that strike me so much about him is his imagination and the way he translates what’s in his head to paper and does it so well! I’m really enjoying these little novellas!
I know not a huge review but I find myself getting bored with long winded explanations of how you should
Or shouldn't feel! With a classical author like this the work tends to speak for itself!
Kindle
The Festival
by H P Lovecraft
The Festival" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft written in October 1923 and published in the January 1925 issue of Weird Tales.
The story is set at Christmas time: "It was the Yuletide, that men call Christmas though they know in their hearts it is older than Bethlehem and Babylon, older than Memphis and mankind." An unnamed narrator is making his first visit to Kingsport, Massachusetts, an "ancient sea town where my people had dwelt and kept festival in the elder time when festival was forbidden; where also they had commanded their sons to keep festival once every century, that the memory of primal secrets might not be forgotten."
I am still quite new to reading Lovecrafts work the things that strike me so much about him is his imagination and the way he translates what’s in his head to paper and does it so well! I’m really enjoying these little novellas!
I know not a huge review but I find myself getting bored with long winded explanations of how you should
Or shouldn't feel! With a classical author like this the work tends to speak for itself!
Merissa (11938 KP) rated Three of a Kind in Books
Jun 7, 2023
Zane is a young man, still underage to drink, and has escaped from a short but damaging 'relationship'. He is beaten up, with no money, and a run-down truck, but he keeps going. He has to find something to live for. What finds him, or rather, WHO finds him is Butch. Butch is currently working two jobs but still finds the time to help someone stuck at the side of the road. Zane goes home with Butch and is introduced to Butch's partner, Randy.
The part that I enjoyed about this book is that all three characters are completely different from each other. With their own sets of foibles, these three find ways to complement each other, without it being hard work.
An easy-going, easy-flowing story, this isn't all fluffy and light as Zane's full story comes out. I am glad that he was able to work through things, with Butch and Randy's help. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, this is an enjoyable read. Definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 26, 2016
The part that I enjoyed about this book is that all three characters are completely different from each other. With their own sets of foibles, these three find ways to complement each other, without it being hard work.
An easy-going, easy-flowing story, this isn't all fluffy and light as Zane's full story comes out. I am glad that he was able to work through things, with Butch and Randy's help. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, this is an enjoyable read. Definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 26, 2016
Darren (1599 KP) rated Without a Paddle (2004) in Movies
Dec 21, 2019
Verdict: Enjoyable
Story: Without a Paddle starts as three best friends Tom (Shepard), Jerry (Lillard) and Dan (Green) return home after the sudden death of their fourth member Billy, spending time together they remember a promise they once made when they were children about searching for D.B. Cooper Bounty.
The three head off into the wilderness following a map that Billy left them, on an adventure they couldn’t imagine, search for a treasure and learning the importance of life.
Thoughts on Without a Paddle
Characters – Jerry has become a businessman, he isn’t enjoying this career choice, he likes to surf and isn’t the most committed in remember important dates in his relationship, he must bring the guys back together for the funeral, he is on the edge of a mid-life crisis, which will get the focus of his decision making process on this adventure. Tom is the lose cannon of the friends, he has always got a story from what he has been doing in his life, while most seem to be tall tales, which often get them in trouble. Dan has become a doctor that is nervous in life, he keeps everything safe and this adventure is completely against his lifestyle, where he spends most of his time worried about what happens.
Performances – Matthew Lillard, Seth Green and Dax Shepard are the three friends, they do have great chemistry, they play into their comedy strengths and make this movie more enjoyable with their performances.
Story – The story follows three friends that go on an adventure in the woods in search for D.B. Cooper’s treasure in memory of their friend who passed away. This is a story that is about finding themselves, learning to overcome their fears in life, learn their place in life and making the most of the life they are given. While some of what happens is silly and plays into parodies of many films, it is an enjoyable story that shows the strength of friendship through the good times and the bad.
Adventure/Comedy – The adventure shows us how friends will need that moment in life where the can be together even through the adult struggles in life. The comedy can be silly at times, which does take away from the serious time of the story.
Settings – The film is set in the wilderness, which sees how the different locations from the river rapids to the cannabis farm they stumble along, it plays into the fears of going into the wild.
Scene of the Movie – The treehouse of memories.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Some of the comedy.
Final Thoughts – This is a fun adventure about finding yourself in life, the cast has a great chemistry only for the comedy to come off slightly short at times.
Overall: Fun Adventure.
Story: Without a Paddle starts as three best friends Tom (Shepard), Jerry (Lillard) and Dan (Green) return home after the sudden death of their fourth member Billy, spending time together they remember a promise they once made when they were children about searching for D.B. Cooper Bounty.
The three head off into the wilderness following a map that Billy left them, on an adventure they couldn’t imagine, search for a treasure and learning the importance of life.
Thoughts on Without a Paddle
Characters – Jerry has become a businessman, he isn’t enjoying this career choice, he likes to surf and isn’t the most committed in remember important dates in his relationship, he must bring the guys back together for the funeral, he is on the edge of a mid-life crisis, which will get the focus of his decision making process on this adventure. Tom is the lose cannon of the friends, he has always got a story from what he has been doing in his life, while most seem to be tall tales, which often get them in trouble. Dan has become a doctor that is nervous in life, he keeps everything safe and this adventure is completely against his lifestyle, where he spends most of his time worried about what happens.
Performances – Matthew Lillard, Seth Green and Dax Shepard are the three friends, they do have great chemistry, they play into their comedy strengths and make this movie more enjoyable with their performances.
Story – The story follows three friends that go on an adventure in the woods in search for D.B. Cooper’s treasure in memory of their friend who passed away. This is a story that is about finding themselves, learning to overcome their fears in life, learn their place in life and making the most of the life they are given. While some of what happens is silly and plays into parodies of many films, it is an enjoyable story that shows the strength of friendship through the good times and the bad.
Adventure/Comedy – The adventure shows us how friends will need that moment in life where the can be together even through the adult struggles in life. The comedy can be silly at times, which does take away from the serious time of the story.
Settings – The film is set in the wilderness, which sees how the different locations from the river rapids to the cannabis farm they stumble along, it plays into the fears of going into the wild.
Scene of the Movie – The treehouse of memories.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Some of the comedy.
Final Thoughts – This is a fun adventure about finding yourself in life, the cast has a great chemistry only for the comedy to come off slightly short at times.
Overall: Fun Adventure.
Otway93 (567 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Assassin's Creed: Origins in Video Games
May 17, 2020
Fighting (4 more)
Choice of weapons
Less limited climbing
Choice of horse/camel...and chariot.
Skill tree
Story (2 more)
Story length
Amount of side missions
One of the most fun to play, shame about the story.
For starters, a lot of thing change in this game. The fighting style takes a little bit of getting used to if you play it straight after Syndicate. It quickly gets easier though, so don't panic!
As for the weapons, the choice of weapons is huge compared to previous games. Available on this game, and regularly picked up, you have:
- Regular swords.
- Curved swords.
- Spears.
- Sceptres.
- Battle axes.
- Giant hammers.
- Dual Wield swords.
- Bows (with flaming arrows, controllable arrows, poison arrows etc.
- And of course the classic sleep darts and smoke bombs which kill instantly when you get powerful enough (as this game you level up!)
In this game, you start with a basic camel as well, which you can keep, but collect others as well, including faster, rarer camels, as well as horses and chariots (which honestly are quite infuriating in tighter areas like towns and villages).
Climbing is also greatly improved, as you are less limited. You can climb any realistically climbable surface including any almost any cliff faces, buildings etc.
As seen in Syndicate, for better or worse there is levelling up and a skill tree. Leveling up isn't too bad, but to complete the skill tree it took me until about level 53 (two levels below max), and every other point giving activity. So the tree is a bit excessive, but has some pretty fun abilities, such as animal taming (lions, crocodiles etc.).
Now with the negatives. Unfortunately I have to start with the main story, which felt incredibly short and unimaginative. The whole story is a revenge story.
Though there are more main assassinations (possibly 13?), most if these are condense into one or two slightly longer than usual missions. So it does shorten the game significantly. S
This is made up for by the seemingly unending side missions. These side missions can be interesting, but for the most part they aren't. Each mission is either a rescue mission, an escort mission, an assassination mission, or a bit of all three. Mostly they are rescue and escort missions.
As for the DLC, I would probably not bother. "The Hidden Ones", which I have just completed, is easily forgettable, to the point I already can't remember what the point of it was. And "The Curse of the Pharaohs", which I have no progressed far in, is already showing desperation and dipping into the supernatural again, including various egyptian legends, which honestly aren't that interesting.
Where the previous games have focused a lot on history, this one touches on well-known egyptian history, but mainly focuses on it's own disappointing story.
As for the weapons, the choice of weapons is huge compared to previous games. Available on this game, and regularly picked up, you have:
- Regular swords.
- Curved swords.
- Spears.
- Sceptres.
- Battle axes.
- Giant hammers.
- Dual Wield swords.
- Bows (with flaming arrows, controllable arrows, poison arrows etc.
- And of course the classic sleep darts and smoke bombs which kill instantly when you get powerful enough (as this game you level up!)
In this game, you start with a basic camel as well, which you can keep, but collect others as well, including faster, rarer camels, as well as horses and chariots (which honestly are quite infuriating in tighter areas like towns and villages).
Climbing is also greatly improved, as you are less limited. You can climb any realistically climbable surface including any almost any cliff faces, buildings etc.
As seen in Syndicate, for better or worse there is levelling up and a skill tree. Leveling up isn't too bad, but to complete the skill tree it took me until about level 53 (two levels below max), and every other point giving activity. So the tree is a bit excessive, but has some pretty fun abilities, such as animal taming (lions, crocodiles etc.).
Now with the negatives. Unfortunately I have to start with the main story, which felt incredibly short and unimaginative. The whole story is a revenge story.
Though there are more main assassinations (possibly 13?), most if these are condense into one or two slightly longer than usual missions. So it does shorten the game significantly. S
This is made up for by the seemingly unending side missions. These side missions can be interesting, but for the most part they aren't. Each mission is either a rescue mission, an escort mission, an assassination mission, or a bit of all three. Mostly they are rescue and escort missions.
As for the DLC, I would probably not bother. "The Hidden Ones", which I have just completed, is easily forgettable, to the point I already can't remember what the point of it was. And "The Curse of the Pharaohs", which I have no progressed far in, is already showing desperation and dipping into the supernatural again, including various egyptian legends, which honestly aren't that interesting.
Where the previous games have focused a lot on history, this one touches on well-known egyptian history, but mainly focuses on it's own disappointing story.
LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated The Food Critic in Books
Nov 5, 2018
I can't express how excited I was when this delightfully paced little gem arrived in my inbox. I've devoured everything Ms Hargrave has ever offered me and I have to say that this beauty was no different. Characters, plot, sex, it was all spot on. And considering it's a short book, it certainly packs a very sexy punch.
The lead characters are thoroughly engaging and have you rooting for them from the very start of the book. Serena the consumate professional, until that moment on the table. Stuart, a master of so many different trades. Together they sing from the pages. They both hook you into their own separate worlds and you devour the book in a similar way to how you would a very delectable treat.
The sensuality in this book is hinted at throughout, but the food porn is truly out of this world. It was so well written it had my mouth watering for the tastes described with such finesse and details, and Ms Hargrave had my appetite thoroughly whetted for not only food, but a good many other things too! To hook someone into a story so completely, and have them wanting to recreate certain scenes is definitely a sign of skill!
As far as epilogues, this is one of the best I've read. It was a real happily ever after and it left me with a serious case of the warm fuzzies. I love it when a book leaves me with happy feels, and this one certainly didn't disappoint. As I said, for a short book it was fabulous, it had everything I wanted, it was very enjoyable and is a book I would highly recommend for anyone who's looking for a short burst of sexy escapism.
*This book was first reviewed on Lily Loves Indie as part of a blog tour, for which an ARC was received in return for an honest review*
The lead characters are thoroughly engaging and have you rooting for them from the very start of the book. Serena the consumate professional, until that moment on the table. Stuart, a master of so many different trades. Together they sing from the pages. They both hook you into their own separate worlds and you devour the book in a similar way to how you would a very delectable treat.
The sensuality in this book is hinted at throughout, but the food porn is truly out of this world. It was so well written it had my mouth watering for the tastes described with such finesse and details, and Ms Hargrave had my appetite thoroughly whetted for not only food, but a good many other things too! To hook someone into a story so completely, and have them wanting to recreate certain scenes is definitely a sign of skill!
As far as epilogues, this is one of the best I've read. It was a real happily ever after and it left me with a serious case of the warm fuzzies. I love it when a book leaves me with happy feels, and this one certainly didn't disappoint. As I said, for a short book it was fabulous, it had everything I wanted, it was very enjoyable and is a book I would highly recommend for anyone who's looking for a short burst of sexy escapism.
*This book was first reviewed on Lily Loves Indie as part of a blog tour, for which an ARC was received in return for an honest review*
The Diary of a Madman, The Government Inspector and Selected Stories
Book
Nikolai Gogol's short fiction, collected here as The Diary of a Madman, The Government Inspector and...
Paige (428 KP) rated Basquiat (1996) in Movies
Jul 28, 2017
A little known must-see.
Biopic about the graffiti artist turned art superstar Jean-Michel Basquiat, and directed by his real life friend and fellow artist Julian Schnabel.
Basquiat was sort of an artist's artist- if you talk to anyone in fine arts they generally love his work- but not so well loved by those outside this world. That said, his life story is amazing for even those who don't actually like the work.
This movie is star-studded, especially for an indie film- and even the lesser known actors (at the time...some have gotten really famous after this movie) are really powerful.
The visuals are wonderful, as befits a painter-turned -director. (And Mr.Schnabel is a real renaissance man, anyway)
Superfantastic!
Basquiat was sort of an artist's artist- if you talk to anyone in fine arts they generally love his work- but not so well loved by those outside this world. That said, his life story is amazing for even those who don't actually like the work.
This movie is star-studded, especially for an indie film- and even the lesser known actors (at the time...some have gotten really famous after this movie) are really powerful.
The visuals are wonderful, as befits a painter-turned -director. (And Mr.Schnabel is a real renaissance man, anyway)
Superfantastic!
Frog Ledge’s Groundhog Day celebration is cut short when the town historical, elderly Helga Oliver, is found dead at the bottom of the Historical Museum stairs. But when whispers that it was murder reach Stan’s ears, she begins to dig in and see if she can find the truth.
There are many plot threads introduced early that slow down the pacing of the story a little, but as the book progresses, we see how everything ties together. There are some good twists and a creative climax. The characters are great, and we even get to see a different side to a couple of them, which I really appreciated.
NOTE: I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/03/book-review-icing-on-corpse-by-liz.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
There are many plot threads introduced early that slow down the pacing of the story a little, but as the book progresses, we see how everything ties together. There are some good twists and a creative climax. The characters are great, and we even get to see a different side to a couple of them, which I really appreciated.
NOTE: I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/03/book-review-icing-on-corpse-by-liz.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Dana (24 KP) rated The Too-Clever Fox (Grisha Verse, #2.5) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
One thing I love about Leigh Bardugo is that she goes so in depth in the world she created! I absolutely love basically anything Leigh Bardugo will ever write, these short stories included!
This story, like the others, gives the female characters so much agency and power!!
There are spoilers in the rest of the review from here, so be warned!
We, as both the readers and as the Fox, don't suspect this seemingly weak character to be able to do anything, but boy does she surprise us!! I loved how the fox was so trusting in this girl because how could a girl be dangerous? Right? WRONG!!!
This is just another beautiful addition to Leigh Bardugo's already amazing collection of works!1
Please just read all of the folk tales she releases from this series/world!! It adds so much depth to the already fantastic world she created!
This story, like the others, gives the female characters so much agency and power!!
There are spoilers in the rest of the review from here, so be warned!
We, as both the readers and as the Fox, don't suspect this seemingly weak character to be able to do anything, but boy does she surprise us!! I loved how the fox was so trusting in this girl because how could a girl be dangerous? Right? WRONG!!!
This is just another beautiful addition to Leigh Bardugo's already amazing collection of works!1
Please just read all of the folk tales she releases from this series/world!! It adds so much depth to the already fantastic world she created!