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Wine in Words: Some Notes for Better Drinking
Book
Delectably brief essays that tell you only what you need to know to enjoy wine. There are wine...
ClareR (6238 KP) rated Mother Mother in Books
May 4, 2021
I have to admit to reading this book because I was curious. I’ve heard of Annie Mac on the radio, and I was intrigued. Oh, and I really liked the cover. This is often a reason why I choose a book: sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It definitely worked this time.
I was sucked in to this books world, and became really emotionally invested in this story. Mary and her brother have such a hard upbringing, that what comes later seems inevitable. Regardless of this, Mary becomes a good mother. She does that thing that so many mother do, and gives up her sense of self, and her life revolves around her son, TJ. She has a job she enjoys, but she is a solitary figure. When she stops seeing her friend Louise after she finds out that she’s pregnant with TJ, there isn’t any mention of anyone else. I couldn’t help but feel that she must have been so lonely.
Mary clings on to her family, even though her father and brother probably don’t deserve her attention and love, and TJ takes advantage of her unquestioning love - like a typical teenager.
There are some pretty heavy, emotional parts in this, and I read the last few chapters through tears. I can’t believe that this is a debut - it’s so well written. It’s an easy book to recommend, and a tough book to read.
I was sucked in to this books world, and became really emotionally invested in this story. Mary and her brother have such a hard upbringing, that what comes later seems inevitable. Regardless of this, Mary becomes a good mother. She does that thing that so many mother do, and gives up her sense of self, and her life revolves around her son, TJ. She has a job she enjoys, but she is a solitary figure. When she stops seeing her friend Louise after she finds out that she’s pregnant with TJ, there isn’t any mention of anyone else. I couldn’t help but feel that she must have been so lonely.
Mary clings on to her family, even though her father and brother probably don’t deserve her attention and love, and TJ takes advantage of her unquestioning love - like a typical teenager.
There are some pretty heavy, emotional parts in this, and I read the last few chapters through tears. I can’t believe that this is a debut - it’s so well written. It’s an easy book to recommend, and a tough book to read.
Exploding Kittens
Tabletop Game Watch
Exploding Kittens is a card game for people who are into kittens and explosions and laser beams and...
ClareR (6238 KP) rated Three Days in June in Books
May 28, 2026
I think of Anne Tyler books as being in my ‘Chatty’ genre. Three Days in June is like your friend telling you about how they’re getting on - and Gail isn’t having the best of days at the start. It looks as though she’s losing her job. And all at the beginning of the weekend where her daughter will be getting married. Or will she? Because it looks as though the wedding is hanging in the balance.
Gail and her ex-husband, Max, are staying together in Gail’s house, along with Max’s foster cat. A lot of the 165 pages are flashbacks to the early days of their marriage, their daughter’s childhood and the reason for the end of their marriage.
Nothing exciting happens. The story jogs along with us, the readers, getting the inside story of their lives and thoughts. I love this kind of book. Yes, I love an exciting Sci-Fi, Fantasy or Historical Fiction, but sometimes I just really like a story to be like real life should be - largely unexciting, with people who care about one another.
If that doesn’t sell this book, then I have no idea what will! The world is a crazy place at the moment, and it’s nice to think that there might be people just going about their daily lives, not thinking about the huge, scary things. Just normal, everyday drama is what I need sometimes, and Anne Tyler delivers so skilfully on that.
Gail and her ex-husband, Max, are staying together in Gail’s house, along with Max’s foster cat. A lot of the 165 pages are flashbacks to the early days of their marriage, their daughter’s childhood and the reason for the end of their marriage.
Nothing exciting happens. The story jogs along with us, the readers, getting the inside story of their lives and thoughts. I love this kind of book. Yes, I love an exciting Sci-Fi, Fantasy or Historical Fiction, but sometimes I just really like a story to be like real life should be - largely unexciting, with people who care about one another.
If that doesn’t sell this book, then I have no idea what will! The world is a crazy place at the moment, and it’s nice to think that there might be people just going about their daily lives, not thinking about the huge, scary things. Just normal, everyday drama is what I need sometimes, and Anne Tyler delivers so skilfully on that.
This was a powerful quick read that I couldn’t put down.
It was interesting that a book has been written about a video going viral on the internet that the person who’s in it is mortified and ashamed about and didn’t post it herself. It follows the fall out with her family and her own struggles to come to terms with what has happened whilst waiting it out abroad before returning home to Scotland.
Su-Jin was adopted from Korea by a family in Scotland, who then found out that they were pregnant after years of trying not long after. We find out that Su-Jin struggled to find her place a lot of the time and wished that she wasn’t different to her family, and tried to make her parents proud by following all of the rules set out for her.
It is definitely thought provoking, the topics dealt with are racism, revenge porn and the most relevant at the moment is spiking drinks. It points out exactly how easy it is to accept a drink from a stranger in a bar, even when you know you shouldn’t, and the implications it can have.
It was sometimes quite predictable and sometimes a bit confusing with the timelines jumping in some chapters without it being explained or obvious.
A very interesting read about something that could happen to any of us at any point.
It was interesting that a book has been written about a video going viral on the internet that the person who’s in it is mortified and ashamed about and didn’t post it herself. It follows the fall out with her family and her own struggles to come to terms with what has happened whilst waiting it out abroad before returning home to Scotland.
Su-Jin was adopted from Korea by a family in Scotland, who then found out that they were pregnant after years of trying not long after. We find out that Su-Jin struggled to find her place a lot of the time and wished that she wasn’t different to her family, and tried to make her parents proud by following all of the rules set out for her.
It is definitely thought provoking, the topics dealt with are racism, revenge porn and the most relevant at the moment is spiking drinks. It points out exactly how easy it is to accept a drink from a stranger in a bar, even when you know you shouldn’t, and the implications it can have.
It was sometimes quite predictable and sometimes a bit confusing with the timelines jumping in some chapters without it being explained or obvious.
A very interesting read about something that could happen to any of us at any point.
Natasha Khan recommended Covers Record by Cat Power in Music (curated)
MisterK (8 KP) rated Nightbringers by The Black Dahlia Murder in Music
Nov 25, 2017
TBDM's Most Progressive Album to Date (2 more)
Dark, Poetic, Violent Lyrics
Aggressive, Frantic Pace
The Black Dahlia Murder have always been at the forefront of American melodeath. Their lyrics are dark and horrifying, albeit poetic, their pace is crushing and their songs are oddly catchy. This new album has been a step forward since their relatively safer ventures in Ritual and Everblack, turning to a choral bent with some new themes to explore. Their track "Nightbringers" is a remarkably violent foray into the mind of a vampire who hates the church and the lyrics are as always violent and sometimes vile. Other standout tracks include "Matriarch," "Widowmaker" and "Catacomb Hecatomb."
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Empires Fall (MidKnight Blue #2) in Books
Dec 29, 2017
Hancock continues the saga of Midnight and the F.O.R.S. gang as they try to take down one of the biggest cartel men. As usual the characters are deep and the plot flows with ease. You begin to see the fatal flaws of our hero's. I loved that we learned more about Joe Sinclair. Hancock creates a family within her chracters and sometimes you just want to reach into the book and smack some sense into them but I guess that is what makes them such strong personalities on paper. Not everyone can develop a person with words but Sherryl D. Hancock soes it with ease. I look forward to more of her books.
John Garrett (27 KP) rated Wonder Woman (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2017
Gal Gadot (2 more)
Chris Pine
The story
Who knew DC could make a movie like this???
The finally done it. DC made a movie which was engaging, enjoyable and had a solid performance from its lead. Wonder Women has succeeded where man of steel and BvS fell short. The story of Dianna was not to watch, mainly due to the performances from the leads Gal Gadot and Chris Pine. There felt like there was real stakes in this movie which superhero movies sometimes lack. Where the movie falls short is the disposable villain .....it never really feels like Aries was a prominent plot point and was added in. All in all I found wonder women a please surprise.
Dion Duckworth (4 KP) rated Oxenfree in Video Games
Jan 12, 2018
Amazing characters (2 more)
Nice story progression
The art and sound design were beautiful
The game sometimes had minor bugs (1 more)
Not very replayable
OxenFree
I want to start this by saying that I love OxenFree, I experienced it the first time over a year ago and again recently and that’s what it was an experience. The characters are well written and the story flows seemlesly and my only qualms with the game come with the replay, after the second time you play it through nothing but your choices are different and the game starts to drag but this is very minor and has no impact on the enjoyment unless you are hunting for all the endings and/or achievements







