
Little Ray Of Sunshine (41 KP) rated Beside Myself in Books
Jan 11, 2019 (Updated Feb 10, 2019)
Beside Myself is about Helen and Ellie who are identical twins. Helen is the leader and Ellie is the follower. Ellie was born after Helen she had problems when she was born she had her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck so this caused Ellie communication and functional skills.
I started to hate the character, Helen
because she was awful to Ellie she bullied her and pulled pranks. I felt sorry for Ellie as she doesn't get the attention from their mother. Helen and Ellie as gone through a traumatic event in their life as their biological father took his own life so their mother couldn't cope and started neglecting them. I didn't like how their mother always spoiled Helen over Ellie and Helen always got the best of everything.
The story is all about that one day when Helen and Ellie were out playing and Helen thought it would be fun to swap places and fool everyone around them. But Helen thought it would only last for one day and everything will go back to normal the next day. But Ellie grabbed the chance as she was getting the attention she needs. So Helen life turns upside down and she starts to live Ellie life and she is shocked how Ellie is treated. Helen did try to tell their mother but she didn't believe her and so you follow Helen's nightmare through her school life, home life and through her adult life.
Helen doesn't get the support from home so she starts to rebel and go down the wrong path. You really feel for her and you experience what she is going through as the author writes in the first person.
This book touches on Mental Health and the writing is so true and beautiful as Helen is suffering from Bipolar Disorder. The book gripped me as I wanted to know how Helen's life will end. I keep wanting her mother to realize that she is the real 'Helen'. I won't say anymore as I would like you to read it for yourself.

Merissa (13169 KP) rated Blue Jay (London Stories #3) in Books
Oct 28, 2019
Oh my. Seriously!!! This is an amazing book and a brilliant addition to the series. Alex is most definitely a gentle giant who has made mistakes and has no intention of repeating them. Once you have a place in his heart, that's it. You're there for life. And Chris finds himself there, he just doesn't understand how. Their relationship is smooth and gentle, which considering their pasts is absolutely the way to go. The most obvious thing is it shows just how much Chris thinks of Alex, even if he won't admit it. Alex is a rock though, and isn't willing to let Chris push him away.
There are a whole host of characters in this book that you will either love or loathe. I loved Dex, but Alex's family grated on me until towards the end. The same with Chris' mum, Annette. I won't tell you how big the smile was on my face with one of the last scenes between her and Chris. You'll just have to read it for yourself, and figure out why I was smiling!
I loved how Chris' pronouns changed dependent upon their mood, and I ADORED that Alex accepted it all - no judgements, only questions to try and help him understand. This was written as first person, present tense, which isn't my favourite way of reading. It does help with getting into the mind of the character, but sometimes I wasn't ready for it to change. Even so, it was a fantastic book that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I have no hesitation in recommending it or the series as a whole. Perfect for those who like their romance a little darker.
* 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!

Dillon Jacoby-Rankin (202 KP) rated Sid Meier's Civilization: A New Dawn in Tabletop Games
Jan 18, 2020
Ages: 14+
Play Time: 60-120 minutes :(
Components: The game is very nice and the board is good quality as well as the cards. The pieces are all cardboard and plastic and the colors are very nice.
Simple Turns: Easy to take turns. Easy to learn and play. Harder to strategize. You can only pick between 5 options on your turn, but depending on where they are in the line up changes everything. For example, if something is at the end of the line up, it is much more useful then being at the beginning of the line up. Everytime you use a card/action, the line up will shift down. Essentially you want to always use cards further in the line up to keep the line moving but you also need to use the right cards at the right time for your specific strategy.
Strategy: I've oh played this once but I found it hard to make a plan that would work well for me. Maybe experience would make it easier which brings me to my next topic.
Hard to get to the table: Just hearing the title makes my friends turn and run. They know the name associated with the game and that it can be a lot. Big time frame and lots of strategy. I find it hard with everyone's schedule and preferences to actually play this game. Which is why I've played it once.
Play Time: I've played a two player game and that was my only game I've played. We spent longer on the set up than actually playing. We couldn't figure out which way the board was supposed to fit together. Granted you can build it however you want really but the rules said to use that layout for the first game to make it the easiest setup. Anyways we ended the game early when other friends showed up to play something else but we could tell from where we were at and the goals we needed to achieve that it was going to be a much longer game than we had intended for the day and that was just two players.

Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated Dead Shack (2017) in Movies
Jan 29, 2020
Side note. Tubi has over 1000 horror movies on it... So this was after careful deliber... Oh who the fuck am I kidding... I closed my eyes, flicked thee mouse wheel... And this is what I landed on... So much to my surprise... It was actually good for once.
The story starts out with 3 kids and a pair of parents... Even though one parent is a mich younger mail order asian bride... She's still a parent... Sort of... Ish... Anywhore... They are headed out for a week long getaway to a cabin in the woods( yeah... I went there)...
With out spoiling it... The film gets going in the first 15 minutes... Which is what you want in a good horror film.
I have yet to figure put what exactly the antagonist creatures in this film are though... Undead... Sorta dead... Not dead and just crazy... But in all honesty... Who the fuck cares.
The kids talk like kids do... Using swear words out of context... Blaming their folks... Bringing up pop culture references... It was honestly one of the best teenage speak films i have seen in a long time... With the exception of IT Chapter 1... Those kids were on fucking point.
The best part of the movie... And this made me laugh my proverbial ass off... Was the kids are confronting the big bad near the climax of the film... Big bad asks"What are you going to do about it?".
14 year old responds with,"We're gonna tell on you,".
His two friends just stop what they are doing and give him the best WTF look I have seen since my daughter gave me one when she was 5... And I missed a chair when going to sit down... I was sober... *hangs head in shame*
If you want to have a genuine good time... And like a few laughs mixed in with your blood soaked insanity... Then this is a flick for you...
I mean fuck, what do you have to lose?? Besides 1hr and 44 minutes of your life...

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Mr. Holmes (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
We first see Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellan) in a train voyage with a package, and we don’t know to or from where he’s going or why.
The entire movie is full of flash backs and multiple time frames of the same mans life, as he tries to piece together memories that seem to lie just beyond his ability to recollect
Holmes has retired from his detective business and is cared for by widowed housekeeper Mrs. Munro (Laura Linney) and her young son Roger (Milo Parker).
Roger is quick witted and interested in anything Holmes might be able to teach him, and throughout the movie their relationship moves from one of strained and grumpy acceptance (on the part of Holmes) to one of grandfatherly love. It is a beautiful relationship that develops between the two, and makes the near -disaster that occurs at the end of the film even more heart wrenching.
It is of utmost importance to Holmes that he remember the details of his last case, 30 years prior, that apparently caused him to close up shop as a detective and retire to the coast. The trip we see him on in the opening scene turns out to be a trip to Japan to meet with Mr. Umezaki (Hiroyuki Sanada) who helped him search for, and ultimately find, a plant (prickly ash) said to have curative powers for memory problems.
Holmes plays both the role of his younger self and as the 93 year old man with advancing Alzheimer’s very very well. I believed the character as a 60 year old and just as much as a 93 year old.
The film felt a little bit long, and there were a few slow spots but overall it flowed very well despite all the jumping around in time & place, and it wove together the stories past & present to tell a cohesive and interesting tale. It built relationships between the main characters and I could see the bond between Holmes and Roger, and even the somewhat prickly Mrs. Munro growing throughout the film.
I would give this film 4 out of 5 stars.

Antivirus Adventure
Education and Games
App
Simple and fun with a little learning! NEW from Muso Labs. Ever wanted to shrink a friend and pop...

BandDings: A Musical Adventure
Education and Games
App
Inspired by the Grimm fairytale “Town Musicians of Bremen,” BandDings whisks even the youngest...

Trout Fisherman Magazine: The world of fly fishing
Magazines & Newspapers and Lifestyle
App
Trout Fisherman is the magazine that helps you hone your fly fishing skills. Perfect for those...

Susan Sontag: The Complete Rolling Stone Interview
Book
Published in its entirety for the first time, a candid conversation with Susan Sontag at the height...