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BookInspector (124 KP) rated A Nearly Normal Family in Books
Sep 24, 2020
As it is said in the blurb, this book is told from three different perspectives: father, daughter, and mother, all three are sharing their sides to this story. The father’s part was the least interesting to me, he sounds quite boring and not very eventful. We do find out some interesting aspects of their life, but otherwise, he mainly seems lost and confused. The daughter’s part was the most interesting to me, we have the chance to see what the accused murderer is actually thinking, and what was her take on the life she is living. This part shines a different light on her father and other very important events. The mother’s part was the most logical one, I believe. She is a lawyer, so she knows how to deal with evidence. I liked her side of the story and the thoughts she shared from her life. The characters are well developed and intriguing, but sometimes some of their thoughts about “I need to save my daughter, it wasn’t her” felt repetitive and overused.
The narrative of this book keeps changing, depending on the characters views, and that was what got me going throughout the book. We do find out some spicy and interesting details throughout each part, that makes this book deeper and more personal. If you ever have read Nordic Noir, most probably you noticed, that this genre has a specific feeling about it. It normally involves exotic names, woods and coldness. This book for some reason managed to avoid that feeling. It is a Scandi Noir and it does have those exotic names of the places, but this book feels modern and doesn’t have this gloominess surrounding it.
The narrative of this book keeps changing, depending on the characters views, and that was what got me going throughout the book. We do find out some spicy and interesting details throughout each part, that makes this book deeper and more personal. If you ever have read Nordic Noir, most probably you noticed, that this genre has a specific feeling about it. It normally involves exotic names, woods and coldness. This book for some reason managed to avoid that feeling. It is a Scandi Noir and it does have those exotic names of the places, but this book feels modern and doesn’t have this gloominess surrounding it.
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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Beasty Bar in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
When I say ‘nightclub,’ I know what you’re thinking – strobe lights, loud music, and dancing. What you DON’T think of is the fact that getting into the club in the first place probably means you had to wait in line outside. Some people take their clubbing very seriously, and the entrance line can become a cut-throat battlefield of subtle tricks or blatant line-jumping to get you ahead (literally) of the other patrons!
Welcome to Beasty Bar – the hottest nightclub in the animal kingdom! The house is jumpin’ and the line is out the door! All of the animals are dressed to the nines and are vying for an opportunity to get into the club. But unfortunately, only a certain number of animals will be granted access. So, naturally, it’s time to get sly! Each animal has a different tactic, but if they’re not careful, they could get booted out of the line completely!
In Beasty Bar, a game of hand management with a sprinkle of ‘take that,’ players are trying to get the most animals from their hand into the club. All players receive an identical deck of cards, which are then shuffled, and draw 4 cards into their hand. On their turn, players will play one card from their hand into the line, perform the corresponding action, address any on-going abilities, and draw another card from their deck. Each animal card has a special ability, either immediate or on-going, that can be used to alter its place in the line. Choose your cards wisely – all players have the same pool of cards, and a power you used to your benefit could later be used against you! Once all cards have been played, the game ends – the player with the most animals in the club is the winner!
I generally do not like ‘Take That’ games – I can be pretty competitive and this mechanic can sometimes turn confrontational for me. That being said, I actually like Beasty Bar. Since it has such a small play area (only 5 cards at a time), the line-up is always changing. And that requires some fast and strategic thinking that negates the ‘Take That’ aspect for me – I am more focused on getting my animals ahead in line than I am in booting my opponents out of the way out of spite. You really have to think about what animal abilities you want to use and when, depending on the current line-up. Yes, cards will inevitably be kicked out of the line, but for me it doesn’t feel as vengeful in this game.
I really like that this game is easy to learn and fast to play. The concept and gameplay are simple enough, they only need to be explained once. And the game plays relatively quickly, so you can either play it multiple times in a row or use it as a filler between some heavier/longer games. All of the animal abilities are outlined in the rulebook, but if you’re ever unsure of an animal’s power, it is illustrated right at the bottom of the card for you! Gone are the days of referring back to the rulebook every turn to double-check, or having to reveal a card in your hand because you have to ask for clarification again.
Is Beasty Bar my favorite game? Absolutely not. But it’s one that I don’t mind playing when I am crunched for time or need to take a breather from a more complicated game. It’s made its way into my collection, and I think it’s going to stay. Purple Phoenix Games gives Beasty Bar a 7 / 12 (Bryan and Josh have not played it yet).
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/01/18/beasty-bar-review/
Welcome to Beasty Bar – the hottest nightclub in the animal kingdom! The house is jumpin’ and the line is out the door! All of the animals are dressed to the nines and are vying for an opportunity to get into the club. But unfortunately, only a certain number of animals will be granted access. So, naturally, it’s time to get sly! Each animal has a different tactic, but if they’re not careful, they could get booted out of the line completely!
In Beasty Bar, a game of hand management with a sprinkle of ‘take that,’ players are trying to get the most animals from their hand into the club. All players receive an identical deck of cards, which are then shuffled, and draw 4 cards into their hand. On their turn, players will play one card from their hand into the line, perform the corresponding action, address any on-going abilities, and draw another card from their deck. Each animal card has a special ability, either immediate or on-going, that can be used to alter its place in the line. Choose your cards wisely – all players have the same pool of cards, and a power you used to your benefit could later be used against you! Once all cards have been played, the game ends – the player with the most animals in the club is the winner!
I generally do not like ‘Take That’ games – I can be pretty competitive and this mechanic can sometimes turn confrontational for me. That being said, I actually like Beasty Bar. Since it has such a small play area (only 5 cards at a time), the line-up is always changing. And that requires some fast and strategic thinking that negates the ‘Take That’ aspect for me – I am more focused on getting my animals ahead in line than I am in booting my opponents out of the way out of spite. You really have to think about what animal abilities you want to use and when, depending on the current line-up. Yes, cards will inevitably be kicked out of the line, but for me it doesn’t feel as vengeful in this game.
I really like that this game is easy to learn and fast to play. The concept and gameplay are simple enough, they only need to be explained once. And the game plays relatively quickly, so you can either play it multiple times in a row or use it as a filler between some heavier/longer games. All of the animal abilities are outlined in the rulebook, but if you’re ever unsure of an animal’s power, it is illustrated right at the bottom of the card for you! Gone are the days of referring back to the rulebook every turn to double-check, or having to reveal a card in your hand because you have to ask for clarification again.
Is Beasty Bar my favorite game? Absolutely not. But it’s one that I don’t mind playing when I am crunched for time or need to take a breather from a more complicated game. It’s made its way into my collection, and I think it’s going to stay. Purple Phoenix Games gives Beasty Bar a 7 / 12 (Bryan and Josh have not played it yet).
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/01/18/beasty-bar-review/
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Ticket to Ride in Tabletop Games
Jan 9, 2020
I am one of the remaining few who reviewers who haven’t put in their two cents on Ticket to Ride. Why? Is it bad? No. Am I lazy? No. It’s really because I don’t think I have anything new to say about it that hasn’t already been said a hundred times. So this review on this game will be a little different from me. Instead of going over the rules and such (however truncated they typically are from me) I will question how well this game has aged for me.
Ticket to Ride is one of those games that has really hit it big in the mass market. You can find it all over in big box stores, in FLGS, online, secondary market, just everywhere. But why? And for this long? Ticket to Ride (TTR) came out in 2004. A mere 15 years ago. While that doesn’t really sound like a long time, in contrast to today’s game industry it is an eternity. With thousands upon thousands of games being released into the market through direct publish, Kickstarter/crowd funding, and big releases at conventions it’s hard to believe that you can still find this hanging with the exciting, fresh new games.
What I truly believe is magical about this game is its simplicity. “You have two main options: take some cards or play some cards.” When you can start a teach of a game by saying that, your players are invested right away because they know you aren’t going to bog them down with rules upon rules. “If you decide to take cards you can take these colored train cards or you can take new route ticket cards.” So now players have two choices from gaining cards. “If you decide to play cards you need to play cards of a color and number matching whichever route between two connecting cities on the map you like.” Done. The game is explained. Yeah, you can fight me about the endgame scoring stuff like longest route and whatnot, but for new gamers, you have explained this classic in three sentences. It’s so beautiful when a game allows you to teach it so quickly.
But that surely means that this is an easy game, right? With so few rules and such. Well, no. It’s not really “easy” at all. While your main rules are light, the strategy and tactics during play can cause feelings of joy and delight as well as frustration and concern as you see someone claim the route you need to connect to two cities on the map. Of course, you can’t explain that to your new players right away. You want them to experience these feelings organically and fully. It’s what makes TTR a really great game: having your well-laid plans just shot to smithereens by the guy who can’t tell the difference between the white train cars and the wild rainbow train cars.
DISCLAIMER: I play with the 1910 expansion, which is a MUST. The larger cards are way easier to play with. See photo below with comparisons from base game on bottom with the larger 1910 cards above. YMMV, but I will always play using this expansion. -T
Components. Let’s compare components to some current or newer games. The game board is laid out really well, and the artwork is sparse and not over-busy on the board. This is a HUGE plus for me. I like nothing more than for the board to offer thematic elements and feeling without pelting my eyes with too much distraction. The cards were a bad choice. Not because the art or the quality on them is bad – because that’s not what I am saying. The size of the cards was a poor choice. I did purchase the 1910 expansion and simply will not play my copy without it. I recently played TTR for GenCan’t 2019 at my FLGS with OG base cards and found myself dreaming of the 1910 cards. The score tracker discs are of industry-standard quality for scoring discs. The plastic train car pieces are still just as wonderful to handle and play with as are many other more modern components. Seriously just as good. TTR components (and really, most of the time Days of Wonder components in general) are really great.
So do I still enjoy playing it? You betcha, don’tcha know. I still love seeing the board in front of me, agonizing over the route tickets I am dealt, and trying to decide if I should go for the New York to Los Angeles, or keep it simple with multiple routes along the Mississippi River. I still love the panic that ensues when I see people hoarding train cards, just knowing that they will soon be on the attack and their train car collection will dwindle to almost endgame levels in too few rounds for me to complete my masterpiece. I guess I still really love it.
Is Ticket to Ride my favorite game? No. But I’ll tell you what. I hadn’t played it in a couple years, and after this weekend’s play, it has moved up on my list by several spaces. It still holds a special place in my heart, and also the hearts of my team. That’s why Purple Phoenix Games gives Ticket to Ride a retrospective 20 / 24. It’s still great!
Ticket to Ride is one of those games that has really hit it big in the mass market. You can find it all over in big box stores, in FLGS, online, secondary market, just everywhere. But why? And for this long? Ticket to Ride (TTR) came out in 2004. A mere 15 years ago. While that doesn’t really sound like a long time, in contrast to today’s game industry it is an eternity. With thousands upon thousands of games being released into the market through direct publish, Kickstarter/crowd funding, and big releases at conventions it’s hard to believe that you can still find this hanging with the exciting, fresh new games.
What I truly believe is magical about this game is its simplicity. “You have two main options: take some cards or play some cards.” When you can start a teach of a game by saying that, your players are invested right away because they know you aren’t going to bog them down with rules upon rules. “If you decide to take cards you can take these colored train cards or you can take new route ticket cards.” So now players have two choices from gaining cards. “If you decide to play cards you need to play cards of a color and number matching whichever route between two connecting cities on the map you like.” Done. The game is explained. Yeah, you can fight me about the endgame scoring stuff like longest route and whatnot, but for new gamers, you have explained this classic in three sentences. It’s so beautiful when a game allows you to teach it so quickly.
But that surely means that this is an easy game, right? With so few rules and such. Well, no. It’s not really “easy” at all. While your main rules are light, the strategy and tactics during play can cause feelings of joy and delight as well as frustration and concern as you see someone claim the route you need to connect to two cities on the map. Of course, you can’t explain that to your new players right away. You want them to experience these feelings organically and fully. It’s what makes TTR a really great game: having your well-laid plans just shot to smithereens by the guy who can’t tell the difference between the white train cars and the wild rainbow train cars.
DISCLAIMER: I play with the 1910 expansion, which is a MUST. The larger cards are way easier to play with. See photo below with comparisons from base game on bottom with the larger 1910 cards above. YMMV, but I will always play using this expansion. -T
Components. Let’s compare components to some current or newer games. The game board is laid out really well, and the artwork is sparse and not over-busy on the board. This is a HUGE plus for me. I like nothing more than for the board to offer thematic elements and feeling without pelting my eyes with too much distraction. The cards were a bad choice. Not because the art or the quality on them is bad – because that’s not what I am saying. The size of the cards was a poor choice. I did purchase the 1910 expansion and simply will not play my copy without it. I recently played TTR for GenCan’t 2019 at my FLGS with OG base cards and found myself dreaming of the 1910 cards. The score tracker discs are of industry-standard quality for scoring discs. The plastic train car pieces are still just as wonderful to handle and play with as are many other more modern components. Seriously just as good. TTR components (and really, most of the time Days of Wonder components in general) are really great.
So do I still enjoy playing it? You betcha, don’tcha know. I still love seeing the board in front of me, agonizing over the route tickets I am dealt, and trying to decide if I should go for the New York to Los Angeles, or keep it simple with multiple routes along the Mississippi River. I still love the panic that ensues when I see people hoarding train cards, just knowing that they will soon be on the attack and their train car collection will dwindle to almost endgame levels in too few rounds for me to complete my masterpiece. I guess I still really love it.
Is Ticket to Ride my favorite game? No. But I’ll tell you what. I hadn’t played it in a couple years, and after this weekend’s play, it has moved up on my list by several spaces. It still holds a special place in my heart, and also the hearts of my team. That’s why Purple Phoenix Games gives Ticket to Ride a retrospective 20 / 24. It’s still great!
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2173 KP) rated Mulled to Death in Books
Oct 21, 2021
Parker’s Valentine’s Getaway Hits a Murderous Snag
Parker Valentine and her boyfriend Reid are planning a romantic Valentine’s weekend trip to a ski resort. Parker is hoping to take a few minutes to sell the resort on her mulled wine, and is star struck when the owner, Olympic gold medalist Annmarie Bauer, sits in on the meeting. But the next morning, Parker is nearby when Annmarie has a deadly skiing accident. Parker saw some things that make her question whether it was an accident or not, and as she begins poking around, strange things happen to her. Can she figure out what is really going on?
Having enjoyed the first two books in this series, I was looking forward to checking in with Parker again. I did feel that Parker’s motive for looking into this as much as she did was weak until late in the book and the plot relied a bit too much on events over investigation, but overall, this was a good mystery that kept me guessing until the end. Parker and Reid are joined by another couple, Parker’s brother Liam and her best friend Sage, who have recently started dating. These four characters are the core of the series to me, and I loved seeing how they developed here. As always, the books are written in first person present tense. I love how the author works in tidbits about wine making as metaphors for what Parker is going through. We get three delicious sounding recipes and suggested wine pairings at the end. Fans of the series will have fun with the newest in this series.
Having enjoyed the first two books in this series, I was looking forward to checking in with Parker again. I did feel that Parker’s motive for looking into this as much as she did was weak until late in the book and the plot relied a bit too much on events over investigation, but overall, this was a good mystery that kept me guessing until the end. Parker and Reid are joined by another couple, Parker’s brother Liam and her best friend Sage, who have recently started dating. These four characters are the core of the series to me, and I loved seeing how they developed here. As always, the books are written in first person present tense. I love how the author works in tidbits about wine making as metaphors for what Parker is going through. We get three delicious sounding recipes and suggested wine pairings at the end. Fans of the series will have fun with the newest in this series.
Merissa (11961 KP) rated Rogue (Relentless #3) in Books
Jun 8, 2023
This book starts with just a small gap from the ending of the last one. Sara has 'escaped' from her home, leaving Nikolas, Tristan, and her shadows behind. Of course, she's not allowed to escape by herself, Jordan has blackmailed Sara into letting her come along. I don't think that Jordan was expecting the escape to take the route it did, although it gave me plenty of laughs to start off this rollercoaster of a book.
Sara is determined to stand on her own, to prove that she isn't helpless or hopeless! With Jordan, Peter, and Roland's help, she has physical support. With the friendship of David and Kelvan, she has IT on her side too. She proves that she kicks ass whilst also showing her caring and empathetic side.
Sara's character grows with leaps and bounds in this book, as she harnesses both her Fae and her Mori sides. I will just add here that although I love Nikolas, I was ready to whomp him upside the head when he kept saying it was too dangerous for Sara and not listening to her. I couldn't wait for her to pull the rug out from under his feet! Of course, I still love his character, but still!
Packed full of emotion and action, this is a thrilling climax to the trilogy. What a journey this group of characters have taken me on. This is most definitely a 5-star series - there is not a book that lets it down. Absolutely loved it and highly recommended!
* Verified Purchase on Amazon *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 7, 2016
Sara is determined to stand on her own, to prove that she isn't helpless or hopeless! With Jordan, Peter, and Roland's help, she has physical support. With the friendship of David and Kelvan, she has IT on her side too. She proves that she kicks ass whilst also showing her caring and empathetic side.
Sara's character grows with leaps and bounds in this book, as she harnesses both her Fae and her Mori sides. I will just add here that although I love Nikolas, I was ready to whomp him upside the head when he kept saying it was too dangerous for Sara and not listening to her. I couldn't wait for her to pull the rug out from under his feet! Of course, I still love his character, but still!
Packed full of emotion and action, this is a thrilling climax to the trilogy. What a journey this group of characters have taken me on. This is most definitely a 5-star series - there is not a book that lets it down. Absolutely loved it and highly recommended!
* Verified Purchase on Amazon *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 7, 2016
Natasha Khan recommended Selected Ambient Works 85-92 by Aphex Twin in Music (curated)
Merissa (11961 KP) rated Pepper's Journey Home (Grey River #9) in Books
Oct 6, 2017
Pepper's Journey Home (Grey River #9) by Maia Dylan
Pepper's Journey Home is the ninth book in the Grey River series, and we get to know Pepper in more detail. We met her briefly in Melaina's book, but this one quite rightly focuses on her. She is a very strong psychic, but with a strong sacrificial streak. She feels that she is broken after all she has been put through. Her mates just have to prove to her that she isn't.
Once again, this book is simply amazing. I love the interaction with the 'ladies' of the pack, and the conversation about buttercream filling had me laughing out loud. I also love when sarcasm flows straight off the page, which it did in this. Absolutely perfect. Those t-shirts that Faith makes... a small additional detail that makes each book great.
One thing I will say is that I didn't take to Tomas as much as I did Diego. And I don't know why. I liked him, don't get me wrong, but I guess Diego pushed more of my buttons! And I did feel slightly sorry for him (although he didn't seem concerned at the time) that Tomas got to get both 'firsts'. Seemed a bit greedy to me ;)
Anyway, that is by the by. To get technical now, there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and this pace was smooth. With plenty of sexy bits, there is also a lot of character growth. Humour galore, action, sincerity - it's all here. Definitely recommended by me.
* 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!
Once again, this book is simply amazing. I love the interaction with the 'ladies' of the pack, and the conversation about buttercream filling had me laughing out loud. I also love when sarcasm flows straight off the page, which it did in this. Absolutely perfect. Those t-shirts that Faith makes... a small additional detail that makes each book great.
One thing I will say is that I didn't take to Tomas as much as I did Diego. And I don't know why. I liked him, don't get me wrong, but I guess Diego pushed more of my buttons! And I did feel slightly sorry for him (although he didn't seem concerned at the time) that Tomas got to get both 'firsts'. Seemed a bit greedy to me ;)
Anyway, that is by the by. To get technical now, there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and this pace was smooth. With plenty of sexy bits, there is also a lot of character growth. Humour galore, action, sincerity - it's all here. Definitely recommended by me.
* 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!