Search
Search results
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Death in the Stacks in Books
Sep 17, 2020 (Updated Sep 17, 2020)
Cameos and Murder
It’s time for the annual Dinner in the Stacks fundraiser at the Briar Creek Public Library, but this year, Lindsey Norris is facing an extra challenge in putting it on. Olive Boyle has just become president of the library’s board, and she is determined to make trouble, even threatening Lindsey’s job. Despite all of this, the fundraiser goes well, until Olive’s body is found in the fiction section just after the event ends. Even though Lindsey swore she’d stop investigating murders, she still finds herself drawn into this case. Olive made enemies everywhere she went. With so many suspects, can Lindsey figure out what happened?
While the mystery has some good twists in it, I did feel the pacing was off overall. Instead, the character’s antics take over at times. As a fan of the series, I can’t complain too much about that, especially since I was laughing at those scenes. Plus, we got some character development that fans of the series will love. Fans of Jenn’s other two mystery series will have fun with the cameos those characters make in this book, although you won’t miss much of you aren’t up to date on those series. The usual assortment of extras at the end will give you something to enjoy after you’ve turned the last page. While the plot pacing does bother me, I was smiling so much while I was reading, it is hard to complain. Other fans of the series will love every page as well.
While the mystery has some good twists in it, I did feel the pacing was off overall. Instead, the character’s antics take over at times. As a fan of the series, I can’t complain too much about that, especially since I was laughing at those scenes. Plus, we got some character development that fans of the series will love. Fans of Jenn’s other two mystery series will have fun with the cameos those characters make in this book, although you won’t miss much of you aren’t up to date on those series. The usual assortment of extras at the end will give you something to enjoy after you’ve turned the last page. While the plot pacing does bother me, I was smiling so much while I was reading, it is hard to complain. Other fans of the series will love every page as well.
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Where U From - Single by Mia Ferrari in Music
Jun 25, 2019
Mia Ferrari is a London-based singer-songwriter and Instagram star from Portugal. Not too long ago, she released a lovely electro-pop tune, entitled, “Where U From”.
“Baby tell me where ya from. Can’t tell from ya accent. Bite my lips, tasting ya tongue. Still, don’t know what ya meant. Tryna translate when you text. Hope I don’t regret it. Got so much I wanna say. Not sure if you’ll get it.” – lyrics
Every time Mia meets someone, it doesn’t take too long for that someone to ask her, “Where you from? Because I can’t tell from your accent.”
Her “Where U From” single tells an interesting tale of a young woman who shares a special relationship with a foreign guy whose whispers melts her heart.
Apparently, even though his spelling is okay, he communicates better with his tongue, and his hands talk dirty.
In need of a trip, she finds out where he’s from on the map because she plans on vacationing there soon. Later that night, the guy takes her one thousand miles away, around the world, and now she sees where he comes from.
‘Where U From’ contains a dreamy storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and dance-friendly instrumentation flavored with an electro-pop aroma.
“Regardless of language, feelings emerge and we can only try our best to show them. ‘Where U From’ reflects thoughts and feelings during that time. Also, the choice of transitioning from talking within a language to talking with the body, hoping not to get lost in translation.” – Mia Ferrari
“Baby tell me where ya from. Can’t tell from ya accent. Bite my lips, tasting ya tongue. Still, don’t know what ya meant. Tryna translate when you text. Hope I don’t regret it. Got so much I wanna say. Not sure if you’ll get it.” – lyrics
Every time Mia meets someone, it doesn’t take too long for that someone to ask her, “Where you from? Because I can’t tell from your accent.”
Her “Where U From” single tells an interesting tale of a young woman who shares a special relationship with a foreign guy whose whispers melts her heart.
Apparently, even though his spelling is okay, he communicates better with his tongue, and his hands talk dirty.
In need of a trip, she finds out where he’s from on the map because she plans on vacationing there soon. Later that night, the guy takes her one thousand miles away, around the world, and now she sees where he comes from.
‘Where U From’ contains a dreamy storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and dance-friendly instrumentation flavored with an electro-pop aroma.
“Regardless of language, feelings emerge and we can only try our best to show them. ‘Where U From’ reflects thoughts and feelings during that time. Also, the choice of transitioning from talking within a language to talking with the body, hoping not to get lost in translation.” – Mia Ferrari
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated In My Shoes - Single by Keyra in Music
Jun 25, 2019
Mia Ferrari is a London-based singer-songwriter and Instagram star from Portugal. Not too long ago, she released a lovely electro-pop tune, entitled, “Where U From”.
“Baby tell me where ya from. Can’t tell from ya accent. Bite my lips, tasting ya tongue. Still, don’t know what ya meant. Tryna translate when you text. Hope I don’t regret it. Got so much I wanna say. Not sure if you’ll get it.” – lyrics
Every time Mia meets someone, it doesn’t take too long for that someone to ask her, “Where you from? Because I can’t tell from your accent.”
Her “Where U From” single tells an interesting tale of a young woman who shares a special relationship with a foreign guy whose whispers melts her heart.
Apparently, even though his spelling is okay, he communicates better with his tongue, and his hands talk dirty.
In need of a trip, she finds out where he’s from on the map because she plans on vacationing there soon. Later that night, the guy takes her one thousand miles away, around the world, and now she sees where he comes from.
‘Where U From’ contains a dreamy storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and dance-friendly instrumentation flavored with an electro-pop aroma.
“Regardless of language, feelings emerge and we can only try our best to show them. ‘Where U From’ reflects thoughts and feelings during that time. Also, the choice of transitioning from talking within a language to talking with the body, hoping not to get lost in translation.” – Mia Ferrari
“Baby tell me where ya from. Can’t tell from ya accent. Bite my lips, tasting ya tongue. Still, don’t know what ya meant. Tryna translate when you text. Hope I don’t regret it. Got so much I wanna say. Not sure if you’ll get it.” – lyrics
Every time Mia meets someone, it doesn’t take too long for that someone to ask her, “Where you from? Because I can’t tell from your accent.”
Her “Where U From” single tells an interesting tale of a young woman who shares a special relationship with a foreign guy whose whispers melts her heart.
Apparently, even though his spelling is okay, he communicates better with his tongue, and his hands talk dirty.
In need of a trip, she finds out where he’s from on the map because she plans on vacationing there soon. Later that night, the guy takes her one thousand miles away, around the world, and now she sees where he comes from.
‘Where U From’ contains a dreamy storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and dance-friendly instrumentation flavored with an electro-pop aroma.
“Regardless of language, feelings emerge and we can only try our best to show them. ‘Where U From’ reflects thoughts and feelings during that time. Also, the choice of transitioning from talking within a language to talking with the body, hoping not to get lost in translation.” – Mia Ferrari
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated All The Time - Single by Zara Larsson in Music
Jun 25, 2019
Mia Ferrari is a London-based singer-songwriter and Instagram star from Portugal. Not too long ago, she released a lovely electro-pop tune, entitled, “Where U From”.
“Baby tell me where ya from. Can’t tell from ya accent. Bite my lips, tasting ya tongue. Still, don’t know what ya meant. Tryna translate when you text. Hope I don’t regret it. Got so much I wanna say. Not sure if you’ll get it.” – lyrics
Every time Mia meets someone, it doesn’t take too long for that someone to ask her, “Where you from? Because I can’t tell from your accent.”
Her “Where U From” single tells an interesting tale of a young woman who shares a special relationship with a foreign guy whose whispers melts her heart.
Apparently, even though his spelling is okay, he communicates better with his tongue, and his hands talk dirty.
In need of a trip, she finds out where he’s from on the map because she plans on vacationing there soon. Later that night, the guy takes her one thousand miles away, around the world, and now she sees where he comes from.
‘Where U From’ contains a dreamy storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and dance-friendly instrumentation flavored with an electro-pop aroma.
“Regardless of language, feelings emerge and we can only try our best to show them. ‘Where U From’ reflects thoughts and feelings during that time. Also, the choice of transitioning from talking within a language to talking with the body, hoping not to get lost in translation.” – Mia Ferrari
“Baby tell me where ya from. Can’t tell from ya accent. Bite my lips, tasting ya tongue. Still, don’t know what ya meant. Tryna translate when you text. Hope I don’t regret it. Got so much I wanna say. Not sure if you’ll get it.” – lyrics
Every time Mia meets someone, it doesn’t take too long for that someone to ask her, “Where you from? Because I can’t tell from your accent.”
Her “Where U From” single tells an interesting tale of a young woman who shares a special relationship with a foreign guy whose whispers melts her heart.
Apparently, even though his spelling is okay, he communicates better with his tongue, and his hands talk dirty.
In need of a trip, she finds out where he’s from on the map because she plans on vacationing there soon. Later that night, the guy takes her one thousand miles away, around the world, and now she sees where he comes from.
‘Where U From’ contains a dreamy storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and dance-friendly instrumentation flavored with an electro-pop aroma.
“Regardless of language, feelings emerge and we can only try our best to show them. ‘Where U From’ reflects thoughts and feelings during that time. Also, the choice of transitioning from talking within a language to talking with the body, hoping not to get lost in translation.” – Mia Ferrari
Draw Something Classic
Games and Entertainment
5.0
Rate It
App
"Draw Something is the coolest social drawing game around! Draw and Guess everything from doodles to...
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020) in Movies
May 28, 2020
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released the latest Animated DC film with the impressive Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. The film brings a very impressive cast who voice a large collection of DC heroes and villains in an R-rated film that is gripping and engaging.
When Darkseid (Tony Todd) Threatens the Earth; the Justice League must rally to save the day. What really makes the film shine is not only the very large cast; but the fact that so many heroes and villains from the DC universe come into play and at times take actions that viewers would not normally expect from the characters.
There is a complexity to the movie that one would not usually expect as the characters show their flaws and this is not a collection of pristine heroes vs scenery chewing bad guys.
Characters have baggage as well as strong motivations and even doubt which is very refreshing. The story also can be enjoyed by fans who are well versed in the mythos as well as more casual viewers who may not be as up to date on the actions leading up to the film as well as some of the characters.
The story is dark and mature which is reflected in the R-rating which for me is a great thing as Warner has been doing more and more R-rated animated content which is very appealing as there are far fewer restrictions on story content.
The animation is first-rate and the very impressive cast makes this one that fans will not want to miss.
When Darkseid (Tony Todd) Threatens the Earth; the Justice League must rally to save the day. What really makes the film shine is not only the very large cast; but the fact that so many heroes and villains from the DC universe come into play and at times take actions that viewers would not normally expect from the characters.
There is a complexity to the movie that one would not usually expect as the characters show their flaws and this is not a collection of pristine heroes vs scenery chewing bad guys.
Characters have baggage as well as strong motivations and even doubt which is very refreshing. The story also can be enjoyed by fans who are well versed in the mythos as well as more casual viewers who may not be as up to date on the actions leading up to the film as well as some of the characters.
The story is dark and mature which is reflected in the R-rating which for me is a great thing as Warner has been doing more and more R-rated animated content which is very appealing as there are far fewer restrictions on story content.
The animation is first-rate and the very impressive cast makes this one that fans will not want to miss.
Draw Something
Games and Entertainment
9.0
Rate It
App
"Draw Something is the coolest social drawing game around! Draw and Guess everything from doodles to...
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated The Secret Bridesmaid in Books
Jan 21, 2022
Sometimes you just need a feel good, light read and that is exactly what this is. I read this book in one sitting and I hardly realised that I’d been sat reading for hours until I had finally finished it. I would definitely give it a 4.5 stars overall.
We follow Sophie Breeze, a professional bridesmaid which is like a wedding planner but doesn’t take over and instead makes sure the bride is completely involved with all of the decisions but has a supportive bridesmaid to lean on. Sophie set this up as a business after her and her ex-boyfriend broke up after 8 years together, completely surprising Sophie.
Sophie is extremely likeable, and I found that I had so much in common with her - she is my age, has different things in common with me and looks at life the same way. Which made it a delight to read. She was also very down to earth and very funny, meaning that sometimes I actually properly laughed at some of the situations that she was in (running down the street in a Chewbacca outfit was my personal favourite!) and I think that’s what made it so enjoyable.
I find Katy Birchall’s writing very similar to Beth O’Leary’s, so if you’re a fan of her I would definitely give this book a try! I can’t believe that this is her first adult novel, it’s not obvious at all from the writing. I will be on the lookout for her future work.
We follow Sophie Breeze, a professional bridesmaid which is like a wedding planner but doesn’t take over and instead makes sure the bride is completely involved with all of the decisions but has a supportive bridesmaid to lean on. Sophie set this up as a business after her and her ex-boyfriend broke up after 8 years together, completely surprising Sophie.
Sophie is extremely likeable, and I found that I had so much in common with her - she is my age, has different things in common with me and looks at life the same way. Which made it a delight to read. She was also very down to earth and very funny, meaning that sometimes I actually properly laughed at some of the situations that she was in (running down the street in a Chewbacca outfit was my personal favourite!) and I think that’s what made it so enjoyable.
I find Katy Birchall’s writing very similar to Beth O’Leary’s, so if you’re a fan of her I would definitely give this book a try! I can’t believe that this is her first adult novel, it’s not obvious at all from the writing. I will be on the lookout for her future work.
Merissa (11950 KP) rated Blooded in Books
Sep 30, 2021 (Updated Jul 14, 2023)
BLOODED is a standalone novel that I would love to see made into a series. I'm really not ready to say goodbye to these characters yet.
It is a story of two parts, one longer than the other. We start off in school, with Nick and his friends preparing to graduate. Then we move forward ten years and see how their reality (and they themselves) has changed.
I would love to know more about their magic, and how it works. As I've said, I'm not ready for farewells! Their Mentor-of-the-Month was brilliant and it showed how they were resourceful and prepared to take the grey path in order to achieve the greater good. The relationships between all of them were interesting and showed how close they were. They had had good times and bad, and it reflected this.
Nick and Byron themselves were HOT. I thought it very well written how these two slowly transitioned from student-teacher to being on a level, with many adjustments having to be made on both sides. I loved how they were together and, I'll say this just once again, I still need more! This is a series begging to be written!
A wonderful story that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.
** 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!
Sep 30, 2021
It is a story of two parts, one longer than the other. We start off in school, with Nick and his friends preparing to graduate. Then we move forward ten years and see how their reality (and they themselves) has changed.
I would love to know more about their magic, and how it works. As I've said, I'm not ready for farewells! Their Mentor-of-the-Month was brilliant and it showed how they were resourceful and prepared to take the grey path in order to achieve the greater good. The relationships between all of them were interesting and showed how close they were. They had had good times and bad, and it reflected this.
Nick and Byron themselves were HOT. I thought it very well written how these two slowly transitioned from student-teacher to being on a level, with many adjustments having to be made on both sides. I loved how they were together and, I'll say this just once again, I still need more! This is a series begging to be written!
A wonderful story that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.
** 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!
Sep 30, 2021
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Princess of Thorns in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<i>Princess of Thorns</i> isn't even a retelling – it's <b>just a fairy tale (pun may be intended) where the original characters are quite dead (poisoned, murdered, suicidal, etc.) and the spawn of Aurora 1.0 and Stephen is cursed in exchange for her fairy blessings.</b>
That particular spawn, who I'm calling Aurora 2.0 (simply because <i>THE</i> Sleeping Beauty was born as Aurora but Stacey Jay calls her Rose), apparently has a brother who gets captured by the ogre queen and she decides to pose as said brother to raise an army to overthrow the ogre queen. Early on in her journey – the beginning of the book, in actuality – Aurora meets Prince Niklaas, son of the immortal king of Kanvasola and wait for it...
Also cursed.
I won't complain too much about <i>Princess of Thorns</i> – it's a neat idea and there's really not much you can do with a retelling of a princess who sleeps a hundred years and gets woken up by a kiss from a prince who goes through thorns and fights a green-fire breathing dragon witch known as Maleficent. I pretty much applaud authors who toy around with Sleeping Beauty – it's interesting to see what comes out of it.
But <b>the book is <i>sooo</i> confusing</b>. From the beginning, Jay quite literally throws us in a world where Aurora is aware of what's going on around her, but <b>I have no clue what's going on.</b> Aurora thinks she's seeing a hottie who she thinks is a "Golden God" – great! But what in the world is going on? All I know is she's been with the fey for ten years and she may or may not be with them right at that time, and whatever was going on for fifteen pages certainly doesn't sound very fey-like. I also know that her mother, the original Sleeping Beauty, is dead.
There were also <b>a few things that just seemed really ridiculous.</b>
The <b>names are just not as creative</b> as Stacey Jay might be aiming them to be. Niklaas, Haanah, Ekeeta, and the name that almost made me bawl in laughter? Nippa. It's almost as though <b>in an effort to "foreignize" the names, Jay either "drawls" out a letter or it justs sounds like another word in the English language (sometimes, it's not even pleasant).</b> In that case, I'll be Sofeeyah.
<b>The entire concept of Aurora dressing up as her brother without anyone being aware was also a bit suspicious.</b> Aurora slips up A LOT in front of Niklaas throughout the journey, and <b>I'm a bit peeved he doesn't even question it THE ENTIRE TIME.</b> If her brother were younger than fourteen and disguised Aurora slipped up a few times, then maybe it would have worked better. But Aurora's captured brother is <i>fourteen</i> – I doubt fourteen-year-old boys sound like high-pitched girls. As much as I applaud Aurora for having the guts to venture out in the world on her own to take down an ogre queen, <b>I just don't buy her manliness.</b>
In all honesty, though, <b>Aurora as a Jor was a lot better than Aurora as a girl</b> – she's desperate as Niklaas gets closer to his eighteenth birthday. It's quite literally, "Dude, come on! Marry me already!" And Niklaas is all mopey. "All is lost. No princess loves me, so dear God and all that is Holy, END THIS AND TURN ME INTO A SWAN ALREADY SO I CAN SWAN THE REST OF MY LIFE AWAY WITH MY SWANNING BROS."
Aurora's approaching meeting with the ogre queen seemed <b>really weird, abrupt, and cheesy</b> – I felt like I just wrote a story in sixth grade where the bad guy goes all, "Oh, I'm so sorry! Let me just accept my punishment and go to flaming Hell." while being completely solemn. And obviously, the story becomes all happily ever after.
The entire explanation makes sense, but <b>the execution just seemed weird and quick</b> and somewhere in the process, the author realized, "Oh, wait. This is going on 400 hundred pages. I better wrap this up and wrap it up quickly, or I'll end up boring the crap out of my readers if I throw in deception and go on 600 or more pages!"
Disclaimer: I'm not making fun of the author. I'm quite literally saying I felt as though I was in sixth grade, writing a story with an actual limited number of pages and I <i>had</i> to wrap it up, so I did it abruptly. That was actually a true story. I did get a decent grade, so I must have done something right, right?
Also, at the time of writing this review, I was feeling more sarcastic than usual (though Lupe and Rundus would probably say I'm sarcastic 24/7). <b><i>Princess of Thorns</i> had a decent idea, but there were quite a bit of bumps and mucho ridiculousness throughout that made the story fall rather than burst out feathers and fly (see what I did there?).</b>
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-princess-of-thorns-by-stacey-jay/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
That particular spawn, who I'm calling Aurora 2.0 (simply because <i>THE</i> Sleeping Beauty was born as Aurora but Stacey Jay calls her Rose), apparently has a brother who gets captured by the ogre queen and she decides to pose as said brother to raise an army to overthrow the ogre queen. Early on in her journey – the beginning of the book, in actuality – Aurora meets Prince Niklaas, son of the immortal king of Kanvasola and wait for it...
Also cursed.
I won't complain too much about <i>Princess of Thorns</i> – it's a neat idea and there's really not much you can do with a retelling of a princess who sleeps a hundred years and gets woken up by a kiss from a prince who goes through thorns and fights a green-fire breathing dragon witch known as Maleficent. I pretty much applaud authors who toy around with Sleeping Beauty – it's interesting to see what comes out of it.
But <b>the book is <i>sooo</i> confusing</b>. From the beginning, Jay quite literally throws us in a world where Aurora is aware of what's going on around her, but <b>I have no clue what's going on.</b> Aurora thinks she's seeing a hottie who she thinks is a "Golden God" – great! But what in the world is going on? All I know is she's been with the fey for ten years and she may or may not be with them right at that time, and whatever was going on for fifteen pages certainly doesn't sound very fey-like. I also know that her mother, the original Sleeping Beauty, is dead.
There were also <b>a few things that just seemed really ridiculous.</b>
The <b>names are just not as creative</b> as Stacey Jay might be aiming them to be. Niklaas, Haanah, Ekeeta, and the name that almost made me bawl in laughter? Nippa. It's almost as though <b>in an effort to "foreignize" the names, Jay either "drawls" out a letter or it justs sounds like another word in the English language (sometimes, it's not even pleasant).</b> In that case, I'll be Sofeeyah.
<b>The entire concept of Aurora dressing up as her brother without anyone being aware was also a bit suspicious.</b> Aurora slips up A LOT in front of Niklaas throughout the journey, and <b>I'm a bit peeved he doesn't even question it THE ENTIRE TIME.</b> If her brother were younger than fourteen and disguised Aurora slipped up a few times, then maybe it would have worked better. But Aurora's captured brother is <i>fourteen</i> – I doubt fourteen-year-old boys sound like high-pitched girls. As much as I applaud Aurora for having the guts to venture out in the world on her own to take down an ogre queen, <b>I just don't buy her manliness.</b>
In all honesty, though, <b>Aurora as a Jor was a lot better than Aurora as a girl</b> – she's desperate as Niklaas gets closer to his eighteenth birthday. It's quite literally, "Dude, come on! Marry me already!" And Niklaas is all mopey. "All is lost. No princess loves me, so dear God and all that is Holy, END THIS AND TURN ME INTO A SWAN ALREADY SO I CAN SWAN THE REST OF MY LIFE AWAY WITH MY SWANNING BROS."
Aurora's approaching meeting with the ogre queen seemed <b>really weird, abrupt, and cheesy</b> – I felt like I just wrote a story in sixth grade where the bad guy goes all, "Oh, I'm so sorry! Let me just accept my punishment and go to flaming Hell." while being completely solemn. And obviously, the story becomes all happily ever after.
The entire explanation makes sense, but <b>the execution just seemed weird and quick</b> and somewhere in the process, the author realized, "Oh, wait. This is going on 400 hundred pages. I better wrap this up and wrap it up quickly, or I'll end up boring the crap out of my readers if I throw in deception and go on 600 or more pages!"
Disclaimer: I'm not making fun of the author. I'm quite literally saying I felt as though I was in sixth grade, writing a story with an actual limited number of pages and I <i>had</i> to wrap it up, so I did it abruptly. That was actually a true story. I did get a decent grade, so I must have done something right, right?
Also, at the time of writing this review, I was feeling more sarcastic than usual (though Lupe and Rundus would probably say I'm sarcastic 24/7). <b><i>Princess of Thorns</i> had a decent idea, but there were quite a bit of bumps and mucho ridiculousness throughout that made the story fall rather than burst out feathers and fly (see what I did there?).</b>
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-princess-of-thorns-by-stacey-jay/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>