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Merissa (13298 KP) rated Untouchable (Creekside Valley #1) in Books
Oct 17, 2025 - 7:51 AM
UNTOUCHABLE is the first book in the Creekside Valley series, and the first book by this author I have read. Please take note of the trigger warnings!
We start with a trio of friends moving from Metro City to Creekside Valley, trying to find peace in a world where they have all been mistreated and abused to varying degrees. Rory is the main character here, and was abused in horrible ways by his father and uncle from the age of eight. He hates being touched in any way, suffers from horrendous nightmares, and can't sleep unless he has a lock on the door (understandably!) On his first night in the new place, he meets Denver at the local food shop, which sparks a connection neither of them was looking for or ready for.
This is a fast-paced story where I will admit some things didn't make much sense to me. I get how Rory is able to have Denver touch him (because of the dreams), but for it to be so quickly, with no outside (therapy) help? And to work in a crowded restaurant? How the hell is he supposed to do his job without someone accidentally bumping into him? Maybe I'm nitpicking, but this stood out to me.
This is a dark story with plenty of flashbacks, so please look after yourself first. If you are reading a book about a bear shifter omegaverse, then your reality is already suspended, which works well for this story! I did enjoy this story and look forward to reading more in this series. Definitely recommended by me.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 17, 2025
We start with a trio of friends moving from Metro City to Creekside Valley, trying to find peace in a world where they have all been mistreated and abused to varying degrees. Rory is the main character here, and was abused in horrible ways by his father and uncle from the age of eight. He hates being touched in any way, suffers from horrendous nightmares, and can't sleep unless he has a lock on the door (understandably!) On his first night in the new place, he meets Denver at the local food shop, which sparks a connection neither of them was looking for or ready for.
This is a fast-paced story where I will admit some things didn't make much sense to me. I get how Rory is able to have Denver touch him (because of the dreams), but for it to be so quickly, with no outside (therapy) help? And to work in a crowded restaurant? How the hell is he supposed to do his job without someone accidentally bumping into him? Maybe I'm nitpicking, but this stood out to me.
This is a dark story with plenty of flashbacks, so please look after yourself first. If you are reading a book about a bear shifter omegaverse, then your reality is already suspended, which works well for this story! I did enjoy this story and look forward to reading more in this series. Definitely recommended by me.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 17, 2025
Caribou recommended Spiritual Unity by Albert Ayler Trio in Music (curated)
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated The Trouble with Goodbye (Fairhope, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
This book caught me by surprise. I didn't really know what to expect when I started reading it and I fell in love quickly. I couldn't put this book down. It is the first book I've ever read by Sarra Cannon, and I will definitely be reading more of her books!
Leigh Anne was a character I could relate to. She was a character that was easy to like and easy to sympathize with. There were decisions that she made throughout the book and I found myself sitting there nodding in agreement and literally cheering out loud for her. I couldn't stand her parents as characters, but clearly Cannon wrote them so you wouldn't like them. In fact, the way Leigh Anne's parents behaved reminded me something my parents would do; which brought the story home even more for me.
Knox is an amazing character! He is probably my book boyfriend for the time being. He's a mans man but he's also a big teddy bear at the same time! He loves Leigh Anne, but he's willing to take their relationship on at her pace. He doesn't push or pressure her, and you can really see how much he cares about her by the way he acts towards and around her.
I was very pleased with the books ending, I absolutely love that Leigh Anne finally started to think for herself and do the right thing for her for once in her life. I understand why she didn't before, but it was time for her to grow up and think of others. I think that Cannon did a really good job taking the reader and Leigh Anne by the hand and showing them the right path to take.
The Trouble with Goodbye dealt with some pretty hard topics and I think that Sarra Cannon handled them beautifully! This is a fabulous book! I can't wait to read Cannon's other books! She definitely found a new fan in me!
Leigh Anne was a character I could relate to. She was a character that was easy to like and easy to sympathize with. There were decisions that she made throughout the book and I found myself sitting there nodding in agreement and literally cheering out loud for her. I couldn't stand her parents as characters, but clearly Cannon wrote them so you wouldn't like them. In fact, the way Leigh Anne's parents behaved reminded me something my parents would do; which brought the story home even more for me.
Knox is an amazing character! He is probably my book boyfriend for the time being. He's a mans man but he's also a big teddy bear at the same time! He loves Leigh Anne, but he's willing to take their relationship on at her pace. He doesn't push or pressure her, and you can really see how much he cares about her by the way he acts towards and around her.
I was very pleased with the books ending, I absolutely love that Leigh Anne finally started to think for herself and do the right thing for her for once in her life. I understand why she didn't before, but it was time for her to grow up and think of others. I think that Cannon did a really good job taking the reader and Leigh Anne by the hand and showing them the right path to take.
The Trouble with Goodbye dealt with some pretty hard topics and I think that Sarra Cannon handled them beautifully! This is a fabulous book! I can't wait to read Cannon's other books! She definitely found a new fan in me!
Merissa (13298 KP) rated Bad Moon Rising (The Crown's Wolves #1) in Books
Nov 8, 2021 (Updated Jul 10, 2023)
BAD MOON RISING is the first book in The Crown's Wolves series, and let's start with the fact that the Crown is a complete douche with (probably) criminal ties to a syndicate.
Okay, moving on. Nova wakes with no memory of who or what she is. She just has a name tattooed on her wrist, plus a mobile that keeps giving her instructions. She follows the instructions (possibly the only time in the book) and finds Roman. Then the story really gets going as people blow up and we enter a world of lycanthropes and magic.
Now, stick with me here because this may not sound good, but this was a confusing book. There is SO much going on and the reader has no idea about any of it. This is normal though for the first book in the series. There is always a lot of world-building to do, but there is a LOT in here. Bad Moon Rising hosts a number of characters, some dead, that you will learn about, plus lifestyles, weaknesses, etc.
Don't think you will walk away knowing what's going on though. Oh, no! This is not a book for those who like everything tied with a neat bow at the end. This series is only just getting started and you will be left with more questions than answers.
A great book though with an individual storyline and take on the paranormal world, and one I can't wait to continue.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
Nov 8, 2021
Okay, moving on. Nova wakes with no memory of who or what she is. She just has a name tattooed on her wrist, plus a mobile that keeps giving her instructions. She follows the instructions (possibly the only time in the book) and finds Roman. Then the story really gets going as people blow up and we enter a world of lycanthropes and magic.
Now, stick with me here because this may not sound good, but this was a confusing book. There is SO much going on and the reader has no idea about any of it. This is normal though for the first book in the series. There is always a lot of world-building to do, but there is a LOT in here. Bad Moon Rising hosts a number of characters, some dead, that you will learn about, plus lifestyles, weaknesses, etc.
Don't think you will walk away knowing what's going on though. Oh, no! This is not a book for those who like everything tied with a neat bow at the end. This series is only just getting started and you will be left with more questions than answers.
A great book though with an individual storyline and take on the paranormal world, and one I can't wait to continue.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
Nov 8, 2021
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Rocketman (2019) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
Is it a musical? Is it a biopic? Does anyone actually know? I think one of the descriptions I saw called it a fantasy, and that is true for a couple of moments but it's a bit of a push. I had a good time watching this and there are definitely things about it that work well, I do however feel that this was rather confused. You've got the story parts mixed with the songs, but only occasionally are those songs what I'd call proper musical numbers. The occasional fantasy moments are a little
The costumes design was wonderful, as you'd expect when you're dressing "Elton". Everything looked just right, all the outfits were inspired by originals that he wore on stage. Just one was almost a direct copy, the baseball uniform that Elton wore was made of sequins and the Rocketman version was made of Swarovski crystals. I also loved the way they adapted the devil costume as the story progressed, very imaginative.
There are a few scenes with fantasy elements in them, one didn't feel like it fit into the whole movie, but I liked the way it landed. I did however love the scene where young Reggie conducts an orchestra, it was a beautiful scene that blended in seamlessly with the regular action.
Good on Taron Egerton for doing the singing for Rocketman, it's no small challenge, but it didn't do it for me. Listening to Elton songs gives me a buzz, there's a vibrancy to his voice and I just didn't feel that in the songs.
Overall, in fact, there were only two points where I really felt moved by what was going on. The first was a moment we actually see in the trailer where Eton and his audience take to the air. When that scene happens in the film it gave me goosebumps, it was perfectly timed and... uplifting... sorry. The second scene was during the conclusion which I won't go into because of spoilers.
While the acting was fine in Rocketman I was drawn much more to it artistically. The costumes, the sets, how the elements all flowed well together, absolutely stunning.
I think if I'd connected better with the songs I could have forgiven the fact that they were haphazardly combining genres, but as it was I felt it didn't fully deliver. As an addition to the recent trend of movies based on music I'm not completely sold, but it does take a bold step in portraying gay relationships, and abusive ones, on the screen which I think should be applauded.
What you should do
It's definitely sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll, so if those things aren't for you then I'd try something different, but for the sheer spectacle, it was worth watching.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
My own costume designer? But someone with a little less dramatic flare.
The costumes design was wonderful, as you'd expect when you're dressing "Elton". Everything looked just right, all the outfits were inspired by originals that he wore on stage. Just one was almost a direct copy, the baseball uniform that Elton wore was made of sequins and the Rocketman version was made of Swarovski crystals. I also loved the way they adapted the devil costume as the story progressed, very imaginative.
There are a few scenes with fantasy elements in them, one didn't feel like it fit into the whole movie, but I liked the way it landed. I did however love the scene where young Reggie conducts an orchestra, it was a beautiful scene that blended in seamlessly with the regular action.
Good on Taron Egerton for doing the singing for Rocketman, it's no small challenge, but it didn't do it for me. Listening to Elton songs gives me a buzz, there's a vibrancy to his voice and I just didn't feel that in the songs.
Overall, in fact, there were only two points where I really felt moved by what was going on. The first was a moment we actually see in the trailer where Eton and his audience take to the air. When that scene happens in the film it gave me goosebumps, it was perfectly timed and... uplifting... sorry. The second scene was during the conclusion which I won't go into because of spoilers.
While the acting was fine in Rocketman I was drawn much more to it artistically. The costumes, the sets, how the elements all flowed well together, absolutely stunning.
I think if I'd connected better with the songs I could have forgiven the fact that they were haphazardly combining genres, but as it was I felt it didn't fully deliver. As an addition to the recent trend of movies based on music I'm not completely sold, but it does take a bold step in portraying gay relationships, and abusive ones, on the screen which I think should be applauded.
What you should do
It's definitely sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll, so if those things aren't for you then I'd try something different, but for the sheer spectacle, it was worth watching.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
My own costume designer? But someone with a little less dramatic flare.
Alanna Davies (20 KP) rated How It Ends (2018) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
How it ends. I don't know, you don't tell me!
Contains spoilers, click to show
How it ends.
I watched this after having it in my netflix list for a couple of weeks. The trailer looked good and who doesn't like a good disaster movie right? But this was not a good disaster movie.
They put emphasis on seemingly important plot points only never to come back to them or explain them. What actually caused this "end of the world" scenario? Who are the people in the burning town? What derailed the military train? Why would you only take two cans of gas from a butt load of supplies? Who are the people guarding the bridge? What happened to the girl who was travelling with them? And finally, how does it bloody end?
I was left so frustrated and just thinking 'was that it". It genuinely felt like the writers had either given up or run out of time and just gone, yeah kill the creepy guy, take your girl and drive away from the giant smoke cloud.
Not a satisfying watch, just dont bother.
I watched this after having it in my netflix list for a couple of weeks. The trailer looked good and who doesn't like a good disaster movie right? But this was not a good disaster movie.
They put emphasis on seemingly important plot points only never to come back to them or explain them. What actually caused this "end of the world" scenario? Who are the people in the burning town? What derailed the military train? Why would you only take two cans of gas from a butt load of supplies? Who are the people guarding the bridge? What happened to the girl who was travelling with them? And finally, how does it bloody end?
I was left so frustrated and just thinking 'was that it". It genuinely felt like the writers had either given up or run out of time and just gone, yeah kill the creepy guy, take your girl and drive away from the giant smoke cloud.
Not a satisfying watch, just dont bother.
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Sarah (7800 KP) rated Samsung Galaxy S8 in Tech
May 11, 2018
Stunning phone
I absolutely love this phone. I upgraded last year from the Galaxy S6 and I’m so glad I did.
It is such a beautiful looking phone. I have mine in a flip case, but I often take it out just to admire it as the body is so sleek and just feels great to hold. The infinity display too is fantastic. The camera is much better than any of my previous phones and takes some pretty good looking photos. I was dubious about the missing home button but it actually works very well and I think this is partly why the phone looks so slick. The fingerprint sensor on the back is a little unusual and it does take a while to get used to, but you come to realise that it is actually useful to have it on the back. The phone itself runs very quickly, I’ve never had any concerns over speed and the Android interface itself is still much better than Apple’s and allows a lot more personalisation and customisation.
My only criticism of this phone is the predictive text/autocorrect. It is so clunky and so unintelligent that it drives me up the wall on a daily basis. It changes real actual words for no reason and then never seems able to learn words that I type regularly. Although strangely it does seem quick to pick up things I’ve misspelt and then constantly correct the right word to a misspelt version that I’ve used once... very frustrating.
It is such a beautiful looking phone. I have mine in a flip case, but I often take it out just to admire it as the body is so sleek and just feels great to hold. The infinity display too is fantastic. The camera is much better than any of my previous phones and takes some pretty good looking photos. I was dubious about the missing home button but it actually works very well and I think this is partly why the phone looks so slick. The fingerprint sensor on the back is a little unusual and it does take a while to get used to, but you come to realise that it is actually useful to have it on the back. The phone itself runs very quickly, I’ve never had any concerns over speed and the Android interface itself is still much better than Apple’s and allows a lot more personalisation and customisation.
My only criticism of this phone is the predictive text/autocorrect. It is so clunky and so unintelligent that it drives me up the wall on a daily basis. It changes real actual words for no reason and then never seems able to learn words that I type regularly. Although strangely it does seem quick to pick up things I’ve misspelt and then constantly correct the right word to a misspelt version that I’ve used once... very frustrating.
Excellent psychological thriller
Excellent from start to finish!
A topical and relevant storyline told in a very sensitive but authentic way. There are sections that I found difficult to read due to the subject matter but they were all necessary and although I don't have any experience in this area (thank goodness), it came across as being an accurate reflection on just how easy it can be for some despicable people to seek out, manipulate and take advantage of the most vulnerable children in our society.
There are characters that you'll love and characters that you'll love to hate but all believable; my personal favourite was Wendy which might seem a little strange given how she is introduced to us but give her time, she will definitely grow on you! The setting felt right for the story and I was pleased that it didn't take place in a city; it helped to add an even more sinister feel as it felt more "normal" somehow.
There are twists and turns that had me on edge and I went through all manner of emotions during the course of this book ... sadness, disgust, anger, frustration, anticipation ... that I didn't want to stop reading.
Overall, a disturbing and chilling read but thrilling and gripping and although the subject matter is distasteful and difficult to stomach at times, this book certainly isn't and I highly recommend it to any psychological thriller fans.
My thanks go to the publisher, Avon Books UK, via NetGalley, for my copy in return for an honest review.
A topical and relevant storyline told in a very sensitive but authentic way. There are sections that I found difficult to read due to the subject matter but they were all necessary and although I don't have any experience in this area (thank goodness), it came across as being an accurate reflection on just how easy it can be for some despicable people to seek out, manipulate and take advantage of the most vulnerable children in our society.
There are characters that you'll love and characters that you'll love to hate but all believable; my personal favourite was Wendy which might seem a little strange given how she is introduced to us but give her time, she will definitely grow on you! The setting felt right for the story and I was pleased that it didn't take place in a city; it helped to add an even more sinister feel as it felt more "normal" somehow.
There are twists and turns that had me on edge and I went through all manner of emotions during the course of this book ... sadness, disgust, anger, frustration, anticipation ... that I didn't want to stop reading.
Overall, a disturbing and chilling read but thrilling and gripping and although the subject matter is distasteful and difficult to stomach at times, this book certainly isn't and I highly recommend it to any psychological thriller fans.
My thanks go to the publisher, Avon Books UK, via NetGalley, for my copy in return for an honest review.
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated Snowpiercer (2013) in Movies
Nov 2, 2019
All Aboard!!
Old Movie Revisited: Snowpiercer. One of those awesome apocalyptic films that makes you wanna ride a train. It reminded me of a bunch of other stuff thrown in there... Battlestar Galactica directed by Terry Gilliam on a train heading Beyond Thunderdome, there was even a scene where I felt Resident Evilish as well. (Our heroes go into a train car and encounter all these dudes with black masks on and giant axes, I instantly thought that Alice was about to come in and wipe them out.) So whats its about you ask, instead of looking it up your damn self? Its about a self-sustaining train that loops the world after global warming has sent us into another ice age. The train in seperated by class, workers way in the back, rich folk up front. And its all about a revolution to take over the train led by Captain America, Billy Elliot, and Kane from the Nostromo, to bust to the head of the train, and take over, I guess. Tilda Swinton gets to be called by her real name, because she's awesome, once again, and even Ed Harris pops up in there! "Nice." The best line is delivered by Captain America:"You know what I hate about myself? I know what people taste like. I know babies taste the best." However I can't really picture Chris Evans doing that, he looks to nice, The Capt America image has gone too far. Anyways, its a cool movie and definitely needs to be watched!! Filmbufftim on FB
