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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Jamaica in Tabletop Games
Sep 22, 2021
I have said before on several reviews that I just love the pirate theme in board games. I don’t really know why, exactly, but most piratey games just click with me. Is it the doubloons? Is it the booty? Yes, it’s probably everything. This time, however, the game is a race around the island, and it will do you well to get past the starting line.
Jamaica a dice-chucking, simultaneous action, hand management racing game set in the year 1708. Player assume the roles of pirate captains and crew traveling around the island of Jamaica deciding the best courses to take and the greatest booty to plunder and bring back across the finish line.
To setup, place the main board in the center of the table. Each player chooses a pirate captain and receives all components of that color. In addition each pirate will receive 3 doubloons, 3 food tokens, and 3 cards drawn to begin their journey. Consult the rulebook to setup the rest of the components, give the starting player the token and dice and the game may begin!
On a turn the starting player will roll the two action dice and places one on the morning action space and one on the evening action space. Each player then chooses a card from their hand of three to play. Once the starting player plays and resolves their card, each other player will do the same. Whatever number is on the morning action die corresponds to the resource or movement amount to be placed in hold or moved on the board. For example, if the dice values are 4 and 3 for morning and evening, respectively, then the players will gain 4 of whatever resource or movement is shown on the left side of their card and 3 of whatever is shown on the right side of their card. There are special rules for placing resources in holds and for landing on certain spots on the game board, which I will have you discover when you play your first game.
On occasion pirates will end their movement on a space already containing another pirate’s shipeeple and, as is customary, a battle ensues. This involves both players choosing the amount of gunpowder (resource) they wish to add to the roll of a combat die. For example, if Laura attacks Josh at the starting line (because one had moved backward and then forward again) and dedicates three gunpowder to the combat and rolls a 4 on the combat die her total is seven. Josh then dedicates his five gunpowder to the combat and rolls a 5 as well for a total of 10. Josh wins and can steal items in one hold space on her ship, steal a treasure card earned at pirate lairs, or give a cursed treasure card to Laura.
Play continues in this fashion until one player crosses the finish line at Port Royal. The round finishes and then players tally points. Points are earned for board space number where their shipeeple finished, doubloons in holds, and positive VP treasure cards. If any cursed treasures are held they are negative VP cards and will be deducted from the player’s total score. The player with the most VP at the end of the game is the winner of the race and thus has bragging rights until the next annual race is held.
Components. The components in Jamaica are stellar, and the art is incredible. Every single component in the box is just wonderful to behold and to handle during play. I especially enjoy the art style employed, even down to the graphic design of the rulebook. Every piece seems to have love and affection poured into them and that is partly why Jamaica is so highly regarded among many (currently ranked 494 on BGG in February 2021).
Another reason pirates dig this (haha see what I did there with the digging as if referencing the hiding of booty… nevermind) is because the gameplay is so smooth and enjoyable. Yes, I have been witness to a game where two players made it not three spaces from the start when the game ended. It was ridiculous and unforgettable. Yes, there are points in the game where you MUST travel backward in order to continue forward in the game. Yes, much of what happens in the game is a result of dice rolls, but choosing the best cards to use in order to maximize the dice results is the crux of the game. No pirates have special abilities, so it is an even playing field, and I love that.
The game is absolutely stunning on the table, easy to pick up and play, and offers so many wonderful memories to be made each time you play. Purple Phoenix Games emphatically gives this one a booty-ful 19 / 24. If you are looking for that niche pirate-themed racing game with treasure stealing and dice rolling, this is it. I have found the perfect game for that slot in your collection. If you are looking for a fun racing game that also includes battles and possibilities of incremental progression, this is it. I can’t speak highly enough about Jamaica, and the only reason it scores a 5 for me instead of a 6 is because I simply cannot play it enough to increase its score. It hits all the buttons for me, but I fear it does not have the wider interest in my group to reach my Top 10.
Jamaica a dice-chucking, simultaneous action, hand management racing game set in the year 1708. Player assume the roles of pirate captains and crew traveling around the island of Jamaica deciding the best courses to take and the greatest booty to plunder and bring back across the finish line.
To setup, place the main board in the center of the table. Each player chooses a pirate captain and receives all components of that color. In addition each pirate will receive 3 doubloons, 3 food tokens, and 3 cards drawn to begin their journey. Consult the rulebook to setup the rest of the components, give the starting player the token and dice and the game may begin!
On a turn the starting player will roll the two action dice and places one on the morning action space and one on the evening action space. Each player then chooses a card from their hand of three to play. Once the starting player plays and resolves their card, each other player will do the same. Whatever number is on the morning action die corresponds to the resource or movement amount to be placed in hold or moved on the board. For example, if the dice values are 4 and 3 for morning and evening, respectively, then the players will gain 4 of whatever resource or movement is shown on the left side of their card and 3 of whatever is shown on the right side of their card. There are special rules for placing resources in holds and for landing on certain spots on the game board, which I will have you discover when you play your first game.
On occasion pirates will end their movement on a space already containing another pirate’s shipeeple and, as is customary, a battle ensues. This involves both players choosing the amount of gunpowder (resource) they wish to add to the roll of a combat die. For example, if Laura attacks Josh at the starting line (because one had moved backward and then forward again) and dedicates three gunpowder to the combat and rolls a 4 on the combat die her total is seven. Josh then dedicates his five gunpowder to the combat and rolls a 5 as well for a total of 10. Josh wins and can steal items in one hold space on her ship, steal a treasure card earned at pirate lairs, or give a cursed treasure card to Laura.
Play continues in this fashion until one player crosses the finish line at Port Royal. The round finishes and then players tally points. Points are earned for board space number where their shipeeple finished, doubloons in holds, and positive VP treasure cards. If any cursed treasures are held they are negative VP cards and will be deducted from the player’s total score. The player with the most VP at the end of the game is the winner of the race and thus has bragging rights until the next annual race is held.
Components. The components in Jamaica are stellar, and the art is incredible. Every single component in the box is just wonderful to behold and to handle during play. I especially enjoy the art style employed, even down to the graphic design of the rulebook. Every piece seems to have love and affection poured into them and that is partly why Jamaica is so highly regarded among many (currently ranked 494 on BGG in February 2021).
Another reason pirates dig this (haha see what I did there with the digging as if referencing the hiding of booty… nevermind) is because the gameplay is so smooth and enjoyable. Yes, I have been witness to a game where two players made it not three spaces from the start when the game ended. It was ridiculous and unforgettable. Yes, there are points in the game where you MUST travel backward in order to continue forward in the game. Yes, much of what happens in the game is a result of dice rolls, but choosing the best cards to use in order to maximize the dice results is the crux of the game. No pirates have special abilities, so it is an even playing field, and I love that.
The game is absolutely stunning on the table, easy to pick up and play, and offers so many wonderful memories to be made each time you play. Purple Phoenix Games emphatically gives this one a booty-ful 19 / 24. If you are looking for that niche pirate-themed racing game with treasure stealing and dice rolling, this is it. I have found the perfect game for that slot in your collection. If you are looking for a fun racing game that also includes battles and possibilities of incremental progression, this is it. I can’t speak highly enough about Jamaica, and the only reason it scores a 5 for me instead of a 6 is because I simply cannot play it enough to increase its score. It hits all the buttons for me, but I fear it does not have the wider interest in my group to reach my Top 10.
Marc Riley recommended Hex Enduction Hour by The Fall in Music (curated)
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Evolution in Tabletop Games
Sep 12, 2019
I very much have a science-based mind. I like facts, figures, data, charts, timelines, etc. Yes, I can be a dreamer, too, but at the end of the day, I need verification to really believe in something. That’s why I’ve always been on Team Evolution vs. Team Creationism. It fascinates me how these huge beings like dinosaurs (oh yeah, I love dinosaurs a lot, too) could be preserved in time well past their deaths. But it leads to questions like, “What happened to them? Why couldn’t they make it in the end?” And the game Evolution by North Star Games attempts to answer those.
Disclaimer: There are several expansions to this game, but we are not reviewing them at this time. Should we review them in the future we will either update this review or post a link to the new material here. Furthermore, I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rule book, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy from the publisher directly or from your FLGS. – B
You start the game in control of one species of animal. One non-descript, traitless species that you will slowly (or maybe quickly) build up to be something bigger and better. You evolve it. (Huh.) You’ll start each round by contributing plant food to the watering hole. Each card in your hand is worth a certain amount of plant food. Once that food is in the watering hole, it’s fair game for anyone to eat. Depending on your strategy, you may want a lot of food in that watering hole, or you may want to starve your opponents out (some cards are even worth negative food!). Once all the food is in the watering hole, it’s time to evolve your critters. The cards in your hand have unique traits on them. To imbue your species with that trait, simply place the card next to your species’ gameboard and voila! You now have horns, or intelligence, or the ability to forage, or many other possibilities. You may also take this opportunity to evolve your creature into a carnivore (more on that later). At this point in the game, you may also discard cards in order to increase the population of your species, or to increase the body size of your cute little guys. This will be important later. You can also discard a card to create a whole new species. There’s no limit to how many species you can have, but there is a limit to the available food, so be wise with the number of species you create.
After everyone has evolved, it’s time to feed! You’ll take turns taking plant food from the watering hole. Yummy! You want to eat enough food to sustain your whole population size (1 piece of food per population). If not, your population size will decrease, meaning your species is dying. If you are unable to sustain the last remaining member of your species, that species will become extinct for eternity. Sad face. But don’t worry. You’ll get a new species for free at the beginning of your next turn. Once everyone is fed and happy, the round is over and you start a new round. The winner of the game goes to whoever has eaten the most food because, just like in real life, the success of your population is based on its ability to sustain itself, which, in this case, means eating the proper amount of food.
It SOUNDS simple, but I haven’t told you about all the curveballs yet. As stated before, you may choose to make your species a carnivore, which means that you will no longer take plant food from the watering hole. In order to eat, you have to attack another species! You can only attack other species who have smaller body sizes than you (I told you body size would be important. It’s your first means of defense against predators!). But some of those smaller species might have evolved some defensive traits, like a hard shell or the ability to burrow underground or to climb trees and taunt their predators from on high. This is the beauty of the game. How well can you evolve your herbivore creature in order to keep it well-fed and also free from predators? If you’re a carnivore, how well can you adapt to your surroundings and your ever-evolving prey before you can no longer feed on them? (I should also mention that you may find yourself in the truly depressing situation where all of your opponents have out-evolved your carnivores and the only other option left to feed them is to attack one of YOUR other species. The rules clearly state that every species MUST feed if able to, so you may have to sacrifice your other friends. VERY sad face.)
Components: Evolution comes in a standard cardboard box containing lots of high-quality trait cards, plant and meat food tokens and a large watering hole token (on which you put the plant food tokens). It also comes with cardboard food screens so you can conceal how much food your little (or maybe not so little) critters have eaten. You’ll get a stack of thick, double-sided species boards for you to keep track of your body size and population. I love that they’re double-sided because it gives you the flexibility to change their orientation (portrait or landscape) to save on table space. Body size and population are tracked using little brown and green cubes, which fit nicely in little holes on your species board. And to top it all off, the first player token is a a very large dinosaur-shaped meeple. Adorbs. The cards do tell you how to use them, but the rulebook has extra clarification for each card in case you need it. The cards are even color-coded so you’ll know if the trait is used for defense or eating, or maybe only usable by carnivores. Everything is very top-notch quality and the artwork is quite beautiful, creating new creatures and using bright, vivid colors. The artwork alone drew me to the box in the first place.
I really love this game. The theme is very on-brand for me, but I also really like that it’ll take a bit of luck (by hopefully drawing usable cards) and a ton of strategy to try to outwit your opponents. It’ll never be played the same way twice. Evolution is so spot-on, in fact, that it’s actually been used in the evolutionary biology department of the University of Oxford, so come on. It’s fun AND educational. I’ve also downloaded and quickly become obsessed with the mobile version, which is available on Google Play, in the App Store and on Steam. As of this writing, there are two expansions available: Flight and Climate, but there’s also a Climate stand-alone game, and an Evolution: The Beginning game, which is suitable for our younger friends. I own the Flight expansion but have yet to play it and I can’t wait to change that! Give this game a go. You’ll be happy you did. In the words of esteemed Dr. Ian Malcolm, “Life, uh, finds a way.” Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a (r)evolutionary 13 / 18.
Disclaimer: There are several expansions to this game, but we are not reviewing them at this time. Should we review them in the future we will either update this review or post a link to the new material here. Furthermore, I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rule book, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy from the publisher directly or from your FLGS. – B
You start the game in control of one species of animal. One non-descript, traitless species that you will slowly (or maybe quickly) build up to be something bigger and better. You evolve it. (Huh.) You’ll start each round by contributing plant food to the watering hole. Each card in your hand is worth a certain amount of plant food. Once that food is in the watering hole, it’s fair game for anyone to eat. Depending on your strategy, you may want a lot of food in that watering hole, or you may want to starve your opponents out (some cards are even worth negative food!). Once all the food is in the watering hole, it’s time to evolve your critters. The cards in your hand have unique traits on them. To imbue your species with that trait, simply place the card next to your species’ gameboard and voila! You now have horns, or intelligence, or the ability to forage, or many other possibilities. You may also take this opportunity to evolve your creature into a carnivore (more on that later). At this point in the game, you may also discard cards in order to increase the population of your species, or to increase the body size of your cute little guys. This will be important later. You can also discard a card to create a whole new species. There’s no limit to how many species you can have, but there is a limit to the available food, so be wise with the number of species you create.
After everyone has evolved, it’s time to feed! You’ll take turns taking plant food from the watering hole. Yummy! You want to eat enough food to sustain your whole population size (1 piece of food per population). If not, your population size will decrease, meaning your species is dying. If you are unable to sustain the last remaining member of your species, that species will become extinct for eternity. Sad face. But don’t worry. You’ll get a new species for free at the beginning of your next turn. Once everyone is fed and happy, the round is over and you start a new round. The winner of the game goes to whoever has eaten the most food because, just like in real life, the success of your population is based on its ability to sustain itself, which, in this case, means eating the proper amount of food.
It SOUNDS simple, but I haven’t told you about all the curveballs yet. As stated before, you may choose to make your species a carnivore, which means that you will no longer take plant food from the watering hole. In order to eat, you have to attack another species! You can only attack other species who have smaller body sizes than you (I told you body size would be important. It’s your first means of defense against predators!). But some of those smaller species might have evolved some defensive traits, like a hard shell or the ability to burrow underground or to climb trees and taunt their predators from on high. This is the beauty of the game. How well can you evolve your herbivore creature in order to keep it well-fed and also free from predators? If you’re a carnivore, how well can you adapt to your surroundings and your ever-evolving prey before you can no longer feed on them? (I should also mention that you may find yourself in the truly depressing situation where all of your opponents have out-evolved your carnivores and the only other option left to feed them is to attack one of YOUR other species. The rules clearly state that every species MUST feed if able to, so you may have to sacrifice your other friends. VERY sad face.)
Components: Evolution comes in a standard cardboard box containing lots of high-quality trait cards, plant and meat food tokens and a large watering hole token (on which you put the plant food tokens). It also comes with cardboard food screens so you can conceal how much food your little (or maybe not so little) critters have eaten. You’ll get a stack of thick, double-sided species boards for you to keep track of your body size and population. I love that they’re double-sided because it gives you the flexibility to change their orientation (portrait or landscape) to save on table space. Body size and population are tracked using little brown and green cubes, which fit nicely in little holes on your species board. And to top it all off, the first player token is a a very large dinosaur-shaped meeple. Adorbs. The cards do tell you how to use them, but the rulebook has extra clarification for each card in case you need it. The cards are even color-coded so you’ll know if the trait is used for defense or eating, or maybe only usable by carnivores. Everything is very top-notch quality and the artwork is quite beautiful, creating new creatures and using bright, vivid colors. The artwork alone drew me to the box in the first place.
I really love this game. The theme is very on-brand for me, but I also really like that it’ll take a bit of luck (by hopefully drawing usable cards) and a ton of strategy to try to outwit your opponents. It’ll never be played the same way twice. Evolution is so spot-on, in fact, that it’s actually been used in the evolutionary biology department of the University of Oxford, so come on. It’s fun AND educational. I’ve also downloaded and quickly become obsessed with the mobile version, which is available on Google Play, in the App Store and on Steam. As of this writing, there are two expansions available: Flight and Climate, but there’s also a Climate stand-alone game, and an Evolution: The Beginning game, which is suitable for our younger friends. I own the Flight expansion but have yet to play it and I can’t wait to change that! Give this game a go. You’ll be happy you did. In the words of esteemed Dr. Ian Malcolm, “Life, uh, finds a way.” Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a (r)evolutionary 13 / 18.
Carma (21 KP) rated Beauty and the Greek Billionaire in Books
Jun 17, 2019
Marianna is crossing things off her bucket list and one of those things is to lose her virginity finally. While in Greece with her brother she thinks now is the perfect time to explore the possibility. She makes up a fake name and goes in search of a one night stand. Never would she imagine her ideal man would be a purse snatcher (of sorts).
Nico has his eye on the beautiful sister of the man trying to lure him into investing in his company. She was leaving the café with her brother when a purse thief grabbed at her bag. Nico leaned in to help and got a nose full of her fist, in the scuffle she realized she had struck the wrong man and invited him for drinks. Introducing herself in a different name than hed known her by he wondered what her game was. Did her brother send her in to spy on him?
Marianna has no idea Nico knows exactly who she is but she sleeps with him all the same. When he kicks her out of his house at the end of a beautiful day she is more confused than ever. She goes back to Australia broken but not beaten until about 2 months later when she fails a test.
Nico doesnt let anyone in, not into his life, heart or house and yet somehow Marianna got into all 3 quickly. He feels bad for sending her away and when she returns he thinks it is a sign to try and make it work for the sake of parenting anyway. He is a jerk, cold, stubborn and rude but he takes care of what he feels he should without question.
Marianna and Nico struggle through getting to know one another while trying to make their brief relationship look lengthy. Nico does not bend to the give and take relationships take however and fights every step forward Marianna tries to take. In the end she leaves him because he doesnt trust her. Nico has to make the ultimate choice of what means more to him, Marianna and his future or the past and their mistakes.
I enjoyed the traveling porcelain cat and what it symbolized. I received a copy without expectation for review, any and all opinions expressed are my own. While this didn't grab me fully, I still enjoyed the bones of the story. 3 3/4 stars for this read.
Nico has his eye on the beautiful sister of the man trying to lure him into investing in his company. She was leaving the café with her brother when a purse thief grabbed at her bag. Nico leaned in to help and got a nose full of her fist, in the scuffle she realized she had struck the wrong man and invited him for drinks. Introducing herself in a different name than hed known her by he wondered what her game was. Did her brother send her in to spy on him?
Marianna has no idea Nico knows exactly who she is but she sleeps with him all the same. When he kicks her out of his house at the end of a beautiful day she is more confused than ever. She goes back to Australia broken but not beaten until about 2 months later when she fails a test.
Nico doesnt let anyone in, not into his life, heart or house and yet somehow Marianna got into all 3 quickly. He feels bad for sending her away and when she returns he thinks it is a sign to try and make it work for the sake of parenting anyway. He is a jerk, cold, stubborn and rude but he takes care of what he feels he should without question.
Marianna and Nico struggle through getting to know one another while trying to make their brief relationship look lengthy. Nico does not bend to the give and take relationships take however and fights every step forward Marianna tries to take. In the end she leaves him because he doesnt trust her. Nico has to make the ultimate choice of what means more to him, Marianna and his future or the past and their mistakes.
I enjoyed the traveling porcelain cat and what it symbolized. I received a copy without expectation for review, any and all opinions expressed are my own. While this didn't grab me fully, I still enjoyed the bones of the story. 3 3/4 stars for this read.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Woman in Black (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
“During afternoon tea, there’s a shift in the air. A bone-trembling chill that tells you she’s there. There are those who believe the whole town is cursed. But the house in the marsh is by far the worst. What she wants is unknown, but she always comes back. The specter of darkness, the Woman in Black.”
Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliff) is a young lawyer who lost his wife during the birth of his son. He is a hardworking man who will do anything to take care of his family. Duty calls when he is ordered to go to the home of a recently diseased woman who lives in a remote marsh. When the local town catches wind that Mr. Kipps will be working at the remote house they start to fear what he might uncover while he works within the walls of the creepy home. He soon starts hearing noises and seeing shadows of an old woman in black. The town seems to think that it is somehow cursed as children keep dying unexpectedly and in bizarre circumstances. Is this the result of a woman scorned or is it just a superstition? Without the help from the town Mr. Kipps races to find out what the secret of the Woman in Black is.
Daniel Radcliff picked the perfect project to stray away from the Harry Potter series and I am glad he did. Now don’t get me wrong; the Harry Potter series is pretty awesome but the fact of the matter is most child actors don’t go very far within their acting careers. Take Shirley Temple for instance, she ended up not getting any major roles after growing out of her child faze. In any case it was a perfect decision on his part to take the chance on this character and just proves that we will be seeing much more of him throughout the coming years.
If you enjoy a good ghost story from time to time, The Woman in Black is such a treat to watch. Finally a really good ghost story that is not filmed like a home movie or a documentary but encompasses what a good ghost story should. The movie also has tidbits of British humor which I am a big fan of. Really good ghost stories like this one will chill you to the bone and startle your senses. Not an award winning movie but an excellent spine tingling story without the gore and special effects we have all become anesthetized to. Don’t miss this one in theaters I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliff) is a young lawyer who lost his wife during the birth of his son. He is a hardworking man who will do anything to take care of his family. Duty calls when he is ordered to go to the home of a recently diseased woman who lives in a remote marsh. When the local town catches wind that Mr. Kipps will be working at the remote house they start to fear what he might uncover while he works within the walls of the creepy home. He soon starts hearing noises and seeing shadows of an old woman in black. The town seems to think that it is somehow cursed as children keep dying unexpectedly and in bizarre circumstances. Is this the result of a woman scorned or is it just a superstition? Without the help from the town Mr. Kipps races to find out what the secret of the Woman in Black is.
Daniel Radcliff picked the perfect project to stray away from the Harry Potter series and I am glad he did. Now don’t get me wrong; the Harry Potter series is pretty awesome but the fact of the matter is most child actors don’t go very far within their acting careers. Take Shirley Temple for instance, she ended up not getting any major roles after growing out of her child faze. In any case it was a perfect decision on his part to take the chance on this character and just proves that we will be seeing much more of him throughout the coming years.
If you enjoy a good ghost story from time to time, The Woman in Black is such a treat to watch. Finally a really good ghost story that is not filmed like a home movie or a documentary but encompasses what a good ghost story should. The movie also has tidbits of British humor which I am a big fan of. Really good ghost stories like this one will chill you to the bone and startle your senses. Not an award winning movie but an excellent spine tingling story without the gore and special effects we have all become anesthetized to. Don’t miss this one in theaters I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Dominicana
8.0
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SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2020 'A story for now, an important story . . ....
Historical Fiction New York Literary Fiction Adult Fiction The Dominican Republic Coming of Age
Connor Sheffield (293 KP) rated Evil Never Dies by Lesbian Bed Death in Music
Jul 24, 2017
New vocals are powerful (2 more)
Awesome Rock
More classic horror references\songs
New Vocals, same great Rock!
Sienna Venom is absolutely awesome as the new vocals for Lesbian Bed Death. I was introduced to this band at the time of Kittie Racchea being the vocalist and was saddened to hear she was departing from the band, but also couldn't wait to hear someone new take over and bring us the new era of LBD music. Myself, like many fans were not disappointed.
Sienna Venom is strong and sexy and that comes across in her vocals. Songs like Book of the Dead, Drag Me To Hell and Son of a Thousand Maniacs show her strong dominating attitude whilst songs like Evil Never Dies, and Make Your Wish, bring out the sexiness that comes with having a female as the lead vocalist. That's not to say that Male vocalist's can't sound sexy to certain audiences, but I am simply stating that this band has always been lead by female vocals and that those vocals have always shown strength, beauty and sexiness, and Sienna Venom is carrying on that tradition in her own new way.
Book of the Dead is a song about the Necronomicon from Evil Dead, and Son of a Thousand Maniacs, (Watch the music video) is inspired by and certainly has aspects of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The horror movie connections have always been something I love about this band, and the lyrics are always brilliantly written and performed to a rocking beat, that'll easily get stuck on repeat in your head.
If you haven't listened to this album yet, then what are you waiting for? Watch the music video's above, and listen to the rest of the album. They're awesome and so is their music!
Sienna Venom is strong and sexy and that comes across in her vocals. Songs like Book of the Dead, Drag Me To Hell and Son of a Thousand Maniacs show her strong dominating attitude whilst songs like Evil Never Dies, and Make Your Wish, bring out the sexiness that comes with having a female as the lead vocalist. That's not to say that Male vocalist's can't sound sexy to certain audiences, but I am simply stating that this band has always been lead by female vocals and that those vocals have always shown strength, beauty and sexiness, and Sienna Venom is carrying on that tradition in her own new way.
Book of the Dead is a song about the Necronomicon from Evil Dead, and Son of a Thousand Maniacs, (Watch the music video) is inspired by and certainly has aspects of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The horror movie connections have always been something I love about this band, and the lyrics are always brilliantly written and performed to a rocking beat, that'll easily get stuck on repeat in your head.
If you haven't listened to this album yet, then what are you waiting for? Watch the music video's above, and listen to the rest of the album. They're awesome and so is their music!
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Lie to Me in Books
May 10, 2018
On the outside, Ethan and Sutton Montclair seem like the perfect couple. They are both writers and are crazy about each other. But they have secrets in their past that will soon surface. Sutton has disappeared and told her husband she didn't want to be found. Her friends are convinced, that Ethan has done something to hurt her, but the police are not convinced. When bodies turn up and secrets are revealed, will Ethan be able to maintain his innocence?
I gave this book 4.5 stars(why won't GR let us to halves). This was quite a thrilling story that kept me on the edge of my seat. But I figured out early on who the culprit was although I didn't see all the twists and turns that were coming along with it.
Ethan Montclair was the more famous of the two, but Sutton didn't mind that at all. They had agreed when they got married, that their lives were too busy and complicated for a child so they wouldn't have them, but when Ethan switches out her birth control pills and Sutton gets pregnant anyway, at first she hates him, but when their son is born, all of that changes. Not too long after though, he dies and their whole world comes crashing down. Ethan can no longer write and he spends his time bothering Sutton while she tries to. They have a few altercations and then Sutton decides she can't take it anymore and leaves. Or does she? Has she really just picked up and left without a trace? Not taking any of her belongings with her? Or has Ethan done something to her as her friends suspect? You have to read the book to find out.
I gave this book 4.5 stars(why won't GR let us to halves). This was quite a thrilling story that kept me on the edge of my seat. But I figured out early on who the culprit was although I didn't see all the twists and turns that were coming along with it.
Ethan Montclair was the more famous of the two, but Sutton didn't mind that at all. They had agreed when they got married, that their lives were too busy and complicated for a child so they wouldn't have them, but when Ethan switches out her birth control pills and Sutton gets pregnant anyway, at first she hates him, but when their son is born, all of that changes. Not too long after though, he dies and their whole world comes crashing down. Ethan can no longer write and he spends his time bothering Sutton while she tries to. They have a few altercations and then Sutton decides she can't take it anymore and leaves. Or does she? Has she really just picked up and left without a trace? Not taking any of her belongings with her? Or has Ethan done something to her as her friends suspect? You have to read the book to find out.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Chalk Man in Books
May 16, 2018
It’s hard to believe that The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor is a debut; it’s even harder to believe that it’s not considered horror. Though the book focuses primarily on a whodunnit sort of plot, it borrows heavily from my favorite genre. Certain elements of The Chalk Man are downright grisly, which is a welcoming change from many of the mystery books I tend to read. Then again, I love gore and that’s no secret.
The Chalk Man bounces flawlessly between past and present as the story of an unfortunate girl’s murder unravels. Normally, I find back and forth plots confusing. Tudor approaches this not by labeling each shift as a new chapter, but by naming the chapters with the year they take place. This weaving of the plot creates a sense of urgency, with each chapter ending on the cusp of a new discovery. When all the cards are on the table, nothing is as it seems. The popular, snarky definition of the word “assume” definitely plays a heavy-handed role in this book and Tudor pulls it off well.
Creating complex characters appears to be another forte of Tudor’s. By complex, I mean that his cast, much like the plot, has as several layers to it. In some cases, this can make a story difficult to comprehend, but Tudor exercises some caution in giving any of his characters too many traits.
The Chalk Man is a quick, entertaining read which is always a plus. The constant action kept the book from becoming a chore and thus I was able to devour it in a few days. I’d like to thank Penguin’s First to Read program for providing me with a free copy of this book. This review reflects my own opinion.
The Chalk Man bounces flawlessly between past and present as the story of an unfortunate girl’s murder unravels. Normally, I find back and forth plots confusing. Tudor approaches this not by labeling each shift as a new chapter, but by naming the chapters with the year they take place. This weaving of the plot creates a sense of urgency, with each chapter ending on the cusp of a new discovery. When all the cards are on the table, nothing is as it seems. The popular, snarky definition of the word “assume” definitely plays a heavy-handed role in this book and Tudor pulls it off well.
Creating complex characters appears to be another forte of Tudor’s. By complex, I mean that his cast, much like the plot, has as several layers to it. In some cases, this can make a story difficult to comprehend, but Tudor exercises some caution in giving any of his characters too many traits.
The Chalk Man is a quick, entertaining read which is always a plus. The constant action kept the book from becoming a chore and thus I was able to devour it in a few days. I’d like to thank Penguin’s First to Read program for providing me with a free copy of this book. This review reflects my own opinion.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated A Land More Kind Than Home in Books
May 10, 2018
In a small town in North Carolina, there is a small church by the river. The windows are covered with newspaper so no one can see what is going on inside. But what is going on in that church? Too many people in town refuse to question it and one person in particular has decided to remove herself from the church and take all of the children with her.
So how is it that Christopher Hall is now dead after going to the church? This was the very reason children were not supposed to be there in the first place.
Christopher is a mute and has been all his life. His brother Jess and he are always together. One day when they are playing around the house, they break the waterspout going into the rain barrel. They were trying to spy on their parents, but their mother has always told them that spying was wrong. After running from "the scene of the crime," Jess discovers that it's not his father that was in there making the strange noises with his mother. After this discovery, Jess is concerned when Christopher is called to go to church for healing.
Wiley Cash has written an amazing story that makes you question humanity and religion in America. Some people will believe just about anything in order to belong. The things you read in this book will have your mind reeling. Even though it took me a couple of weeks to read this book, if I hadn't been so busy I would have gotten it done faster. I read the last 100 pages in one night.
I look forward to reading what else Mr. Cash has to offer.
So how is it that Christopher Hall is now dead after going to the church? This was the very reason children were not supposed to be there in the first place.
Christopher is a mute and has been all his life. His brother Jess and he are always together. One day when they are playing around the house, they break the waterspout going into the rain barrel. They were trying to spy on their parents, but their mother has always told them that spying was wrong. After running from "the scene of the crime," Jess discovers that it's not his father that was in there making the strange noises with his mother. After this discovery, Jess is concerned when Christopher is called to go to church for healing.
Wiley Cash has written an amazing story that makes you question humanity and religion in America. Some people will believe just about anything in order to belong. The things you read in this book will have your mind reeling. Even though it took me a couple of weeks to read this book, if I hadn't been so busy I would have gotten it done faster. I read the last 100 pages in one night.
I look forward to reading what else Mr. Cash has to offer.