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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Summer Secrets in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Cat is a journalist in London, divorced, and raising her daughter. Earlier, her mother had revealed a secret about Cat's past -- the identity of her true father. When Cat journeyed to Nantucket to meet him - and her two half sisters - something bad happened, and it traumatized her. Now she's a recovering alcoholic and wondering if she can right the wrongs from her long ago meeting with her estranged family.
This was an enjoyable read - the story goes back and forth with flashbacks, which helps build up the suspense. Some of the plot is a little outlandish, but it's a fast read and fun. It's a little painful to read sometimes; Cat can certainly be a frustrating character at times, and you just want to shake her. (Also, I don't recommend reading this if you're triggered by reading alcoholism scenes.) However, present day Cat is a relatable character, for the most part, and fun to root for. Her two half sisters, Julia and Ellie, are pieces of work in themselves, and the book presents a fairly realistic look at modern day family and sisterhood. Overall, probably 3.5 stars.
This was an enjoyable read - the story goes back and forth with flashbacks, which helps build up the suspense. Some of the plot is a little outlandish, but it's a fast read and fun. It's a little painful to read sometimes; Cat can certainly be a frustrating character at times, and you just want to shake her. (Also, I don't recommend reading this if you're triggered by reading alcoholism scenes.) However, present day Cat is a relatable character, for the most part, and fun to root for. Her two half sisters, Julia and Ellie, are pieces of work in themselves, and the book presents a fairly realistic look at modern day family and sisterhood. Overall, probably 3.5 stars.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Knack in Video Games
Mar 17, 2018
Promising yet very irritating
This game has a lot of promise, it has very good graphics for the time it came out and the storyline and characters are all pretty interesting and fun (to a point) to play. Knack's abilities too are pretty fun. It's a very long game too so gives lots of game play.
The main issue is that there are a lot irritating features that really start to get you down the longer you play. Regardless of what size Knack is, one or two hits from an enemy will kill you which pushes you back to a prior point within a level. Considering it is very difficult to avoid getting hit sometimes, this is a massive area of frustration for me. There's also no manual checkpoints and picking up health is really quite rare, especially when you need it. There's also very cheesy dialogue which can become a bit cringey after a while.
If it wasn't for the health and checkpoint issues, this would actually be a really good game. But at the moment it often makes me want to throw my controller at the screen...
The main issue is that there are a lot irritating features that really start to get you down the longer you play. Regardless of what size Knack is, one or two hits from an enemy will kill you which pushes you back to a prior point within a level. Considering it is very difficult to avoid getting hit sometimes, this is a massive area of frustration for me. There's also no manual checkpoints and picking up health is really quite rare, especially when you need it. There's also very cheesy dialogue which can become a bit cringey after a while.
If it wasn't for the health and checkpoint issues, this would actually be a really good game. But at the moment it often makes me want to throw my controller at the screen...
The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated Counterpart - Season 1 in TV
Mar 26, 2018
I love this show.... JK simmons is amazing
I watch this sho with my wife and my inlaws. It's great, and always has me considering possibilities. It reminds me a lot of the time I read Time Traveler's wife. The best moments in this show are when the 2 sides interact on a human level. The little moments between people when the mixing and matching of the sides takes place. I don't want to list them due to spoilers, but in the premise for the show imagine there was another version of you on the other side, and the differences could be minor, or they could be vast. imagine meeting that person, or imagine meeting your wife's other? how wild would that be? There is espionage too, but truthfully that doesn't hold a candle to the human moments. Worth watching and I believe when I watch it again I'm going to see plenty I missed the first time. The only complaint I have is that it's sometimes hard to hear, we have to turn the sound way up. But it's worth it.
<a href="https://awindowintobooks.wordpress.com">Full Review</a>
Rise and Shine: Better Breakfasts for Busy Mornings --with 75 recipes everyone will love by Katie Sullivan Morford is a great book on how to make breakfast a little easier in the morning. It is the cookbook everyone needs. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, this is not new knowledge. However, with busy lives and rushing around in the morning sometimes breakfast gets overlooked. This collection of 75 recipes are easy to make and healthy, but delicious at the time time.
Besides making delicious food that is throughout this book it is about substituting our go to foods and making them better and less processed. I wish there were more pictures of the finished recipes. This book is great for providing a lot of variations on old classics as well as creating new and interesting meals that everyone can enjoy. I especially loved the Boost It, Adapt It and Make Ahead tips at the bottom of the recipes. A great book that focuses solely on breakfast.
I received this book Roost Book via Netgalley in exchange from an honest review.
Rise and Shine: Better Breakfasts for Busy Mornings --with 75 recipes everyone will love by Katie Sullivan Morford is a great book on how to make breakfast a little easier in the morning. It is the cookbook everyone needs. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, this is not new knowledge. However, with busy lives and rushing around in the morning sometimes breakfast gets overlooked. This collection of 75 recipes are easy to make and healthy, but delicious at the time time.
Besides making delicious food that is throughout this book it is about substituting our go to foods and making them better and less processed. I wish there were more pictures of the finished recipes. This book is great for providing a lot of variations on old classics as well as creating new and interesting meals that everyone can enjoy. I especially loved the Boost It, Adapt It and Make Ahead tips at the bottom of the recipes. A great book that focuses solely on breakfast.
I received this book Roost Book via Netgalley in exchange from an honest review.
Suzanne is a fictionalized biography of the author's grandmother. Anais Barbeau-Lavalette's grandmother, the eponymous Suzanne, abandoned Barbeau-Lavalette's mother and uncle at a young age and went on to live on the fringes of important artistic and political movements throughout most of her lifetime.
From the first line, I was hooked. Barbeau-Lavalette's writing is beautiful and poetic. Suzanne is written in the second person and the reader is invited to empathize with a mother who left her children, a woman who alienates herself from family while searching for her place in society.
This book is more the author's way of learning to love her estranged grandmother than a straightforward biography. Many feelings are evoked for Suzanne, empathy, anger, disgust, and admiration to name a few. But in some ways, along with the author, we start to understand Suzanne and maybe forgive her.
I really enjoyed Suzanne and found it hard to put down. Suzanne Meloche is a very interesting figure who I loved learning about. Reading this book gave me some insight into history but mostly an insight into parts of the human experience that are sometimes difficult to understand.
From the first line, I was hooked. Barbeau-Lavalette's writing is beautiful and poetic. Suzanne is written in the second person and the reader is invited to empathize with a mother who left her children, a woman who alienates herself from family while searching for her place in society.
This book is more the author's way of learning to love her estranged grandmother than a straightforward biography. Many feelings are evoked for Suzanne, empathy, anger, disgust, and admiration to name a few. But in some ways, along with the author, we start to understand Suzanne and maybe forgive her.
I really enjoyed Suzanne and found it hard to put down. Suzanne Meloche is a very interesting figure who I loved learning about. Reading this book gave me some insight into history but mostly an insight into parts of the human experience that are sometimes difficult to understand.
Much like Weir's first book, I absolutely devoured this one. I haven't read a book this fast in a while. His style of writing makes for easy and relatable reading and despite having a lot of scientific concepts it doesn't make the reader feel dumb, nor catered to. It's a style few seem to manage.
Jazz's inner monologues were interesting and funny. The only thing that bothered me sometimes was the repeated 'she's a total genius' moments all the way through. That gave it a bit of a YA novel vibe when they came up. Especially at one point where she monologues something about having an amazing memory. The comment just felt unnecessary and was just chucking it on the laundry list of feats she is capable of.
I see other reviews taking great umbrage with his portrayal of a female character but I didn't have any issues with that. Anyone expecting a woman to act or think in a certain way is missing the point a little bit. There is no one way for a woman to be. Everyone is different. This is Jazz Bashara.
Jazz's inner monologues were interesting and funny. The only thing that bothered me sometimes was the repeated 'she's a total genius' moments all the way through. That gave it a bit of a YA novel vibe when they came up. Especially at one point where she monologues something about having an amazing memory. The comment just felt unnecessary and was just chucking it on the laundry list of feats she is capable of.
I see other reviews taking great umbrage with his portrayal of a female character but I didn't have any issues with that. Anyone expecting a woman to act or think in a certain way is missing the point a little bit. There is no one way for a woman to be. Everyone is different. This is Jazz Bashara.
BobbiesDustyPages (1259 KP) rated IMDb Movies & TV in Apps
Aug 11, 2018
Has pretty much every movie (1 more)
Love being able to look up actors and actresses
I don't have to kill myself trying to figure out who that one actor is.
Imdb has been a freaking Lifesaver all these years have you ever been watching a movie you see an actor or actress and you know you seen them on something else and you just can't figure out what it is and then it just slowly drives you insane for days on in... Well IMDB it was a solution to this problem and I couldn't be more grateful as a movie watcher it always gets on my nerves when I can't figure out when someone is from something.
I can honestly say the app is one of my most used ones that I have on my phone and I can never see myself getting rid of it.
My only real problem is that there are a lot of delays while searching stuff in the app or sometimes even though you spelled out almost the whole name it still won't register until you finish filling it out.
I can honestly say the app is one of my most used ones that I have on my phone and I can never see myself getting rid of it.
My only real problem is that there are a lot of delays while searching stuff in the app or sometimes even though you spelled out almost the whole name it still won't register until you finish filling it out.
Lexi (8 KP) rated Pokémon GO in Apps
Sep 3, 2018
Great for anxiety (2 more)
Good exercise motivator
Friendship elements
Great for anxiety
Pokemon Go is one of my biggest assets when it comes to battling my anxiety. There are some days I would not push myself to get out the house but Pokemon Go has really helped with that. It gives me small daily goals to get me out the house when I would otherwise hide in and it's introduced me to a whole load of great friends I wouldn't have met otherwise.
It has a very good way of motivating you to walk just that little bit further. Whether it's a pokemon you haven't caught or just to reach another pokestop, before you know it you've walked a few miles a day. Great for social anxiety and for fitness/weight loss goals.
Love the new friends feature which rewards you for playing with friends. There are special bonuses for certain group activities such as trading and baking in gyms.
It's generally just really fun. I've been playing since its launch in 2016. The game has currently only reached generation three so there's still so much to achieve!
It has a very good way of motivating you to walk just that little bit further. Whether it's a pokemon you haven't caught or just to reach another pokestop, before you know it you've walked a few miles a day. Great for social anxiety and for fitness/weight loss goals.
Love the new friends feature which rewards you for playing with friends. There are special bonuses for certain group activities such as trading and baking in gyms.
It's generally just really fun. I've been playing since its launch in 2016. The game has currently only reached generation three so there's still so much to achieve!
Moodyhydra (3 KP) rated Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) in Movies
Oct 4, 2018 (Updated Oct 4, 2018)
Good family fun
My oldest daughter is a huge marvel fan. Anything marvel and we have to watch it. Ant Man and The Wasp was no exception. I went into this movie with a feeling of mehhhhh another marvel film. I was pleasantly surprised. Ant Man and The Wasp was good fun. There are many laugh moments in this film and most of it comes from Ant Man himself and his mishaps with his suit. Ant Man is a loveable rogue type character who is can sometimes seem a bit selfish.
He has selfish moments but he is trying to do the right thing and keep his daughter safe and stay out of prison so he can see her. The relationship between them is lovely. I didn't find the love interest relationship between him and wasp that believable and the movie could do without it. I liked the fact the Ghost was a character we start of disliking but by the end of the movie we want it to be ok for her. Overall This was a nice, easy, fun sit and watch movie with all the family
He has selfish moments but he is trying to do the right thing and keep his daughter safe and stay out of prison so he can see her. The relationship between them is lovely. I didn't find the love interest relationship between him and wasp that believable and the movie could do without it. I liked the fact the Ghost was a character we start of disliking but by the end of the movie we want it to be ok for her. Overall This was a nice, easy, fun sit and watch movie with all the family
Jarom Solar Norris (186 KP) rated A Star Is Born (2018) in Movies
Oct 9, 2018
I'm Very Conflicted
I'm having a really hard time judging this movie. Minor spoilers below.
Most of the movie was amazing. It moved kind of fast but told a really good story about two messy people putting their lives in front of each other and the world. The songs had great lyrics that made you think. And the dialogue made you think too: about careers, about relationships, about the responsibility that comes with talent and the choices we make.
The ending threw all of that away. I'm really opposed to the point of view that a sad ending makes a movie bad. But this movie's ending had no purpose. It didn't make some grand message, or underline the other messages the movie had already made. It didn't add anything to the film other than a sad ending. It just made me mad and upset, and sure, sometimes art does that, but not without purpose.
How do you give a score to a movie that made you feel so much and think about so many things and then decided it wanted you to walk away feeling empty instead of thoughtful?
Most of the movie was amazing. It moved kind of fast but told a really good story about two messy people putting their lives in front of each other and the world. The songs had great lyrics that made you think. And the dialogue made you think too: about careers, about relationships, about the responsibility that comes with talent and the choices we make.
The ending threw all of that away. I'm really opposed to the point of view that a sad ending makes a movie bad. But this movie's ending had no purpose. It didn't make some grand message, or underline the other messages the movie had already made. It didn't add anything to the film other than a sad ending. It just made me mad and upset, and sure, sometimes art does that, but not without purpose.
How do you give a score to a movie that made you feel so much and think about so many things and then decided it wanted you to walk away feeling empty instead of thoughtful?