Camelot's Court: Inside the Kennedy White House
6.0
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Fifty years after John F. Kennedy's assassination, presidential historian Robert Dallek, whom The...
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Resistance Girl in Books
Mar 27, 2022
Following the lives of a small group of people in Norway during WWII, this is a compelling story of their bravery as part of the resistance movement.
With exceptionally strong characters and a powerful story, this is an important part of history that I was not familiar with and although this is historical fiction, it does weave actual events into the story which gives it a sense of realism and shows you what lengths 'normal' people will go to to protect freedom and whilst they have a strong regard for the danger they are putting themselves and, potentially, others in, the bigger picture is far more important. A poignant read given the current events in Ukraine.
The narrator told the story with ease and kept me engaged and enthralled from beginning to end; her voice was perfect.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys a great story of bravery, love and the importance of family, friends and freedom.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Forgotten Hero of Bunker Valentin: The Harry Callan Story
Book
In 1943, thirty-two Irish POWs refused a Gestapo request to work for Germany. They were sent to a...
Collection of Sand: Essays
Book
Italo Calvino in Collection of Sand claimed that 'the brain begins in the eye'. The essays collected...
ClareR (5955 KP) rated Babel: An Arcane History in Books
Feb 14, 2023
Robin Swift is brought to England by a mysterious Englishman after he is orphaned in Canton. The Englishman educates him, and then sends Robin to Babel to continue his studies. But is Babel everything that Robin wants or expects it to be?
This truly imaginative novel looks at colonialism, the power of language, resistance and sacrifice.
I loved the narration as well, it really added to the story, I felt, particularly the footnotes that were inserted into the rest of the dialogue explaining pronunciation and etymology (I really liked these parts, more than is normal or socially acceptable, probably! 🤭). I’ll admit that there were some mispronunciations of the Oxford colleges which would have been easy to avoid (I have to admit to mainly learning how to pronounce them by watching University Challenge 😆).
If you love language, languages (I do!), fantasy and an alternative history, then this will really appeal to you.
I do feel that I should have finished the book having learnt at least one more language though. Ah well 🤷🏼♀️
The Oxford Handbook of Maximus the Confessor
Bronwen Neil and Pauline Allen
Book
Maximus the Confessor (c.580-662) has become one of the most discussed figures in contemporary...
Creative Analysis: Art, Creativity and Clinical Process
Book
Creative Analysis: Art, Creativity and Clinical Process explores the dynamics of creativity in...
Screen Nazis: Cinema, History, and Democracy
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From the late 1930s to the early twenty-first century, European and American filmmakers have...
Photography and Africa
Book
Africa, a land comprising more than fifty nations and innumerable cultural variations, has long been...
EasterBunnyKiller (31 KP) rated The Resistance in Tabletop Games
Jul 31, 2019
The first time I played it, it didn't leave much of an impression. Felt like a more lightweight version of Werewolf.
After watching the Tabletop episode, I gave it another chance and had a much better time. Like a lot of lightweight party-style games, The Resistance lives and dies on the specific people playing it. If you have even just one or two players that have a little bit of buy-in, or what to really get into the scheming and accusations, it can be immensely fun.
However, sometimes you end up with a group of players that eschew the seat-of-the-pants gameplay implied by the quickness and lightweightedness of the game, and by the third mission, the game has become less about being sneaky and playing against people, and turns into a kind of logic puzzle.
Have had some real fun games, have had a few dull ones. Definitely worth a play if you're looking for something light and fast while you're waiting for the one guy in your gaming group to make heads or tails of the rulebook of the big box game he just bought.