Search
Search results
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Girl with a Clock for a Heart in Books
Apr 15, 2023
46 of 235
Book
The Girl with a Clock for a Heart
By Peter Swanson
⭐️⭐️⭐️
George Foss never thought he'd see her again, but on a late-August night in Boston, there she is, in his local bar, Jack's Tavern. When George first met her, she was an eighteen-year-old college freshman from Sweetgum, Florida. She and George became inseparable in their first fall semester, so George was devastated when he got the news that she had committed suicide over Christmas break. But, as he stood in the living room of the girl's grieving parents, he realized the girl in the photo on their mantelpiece - the one who had committed suicide - was not his girlfriend. Later, he discovered the true identity of the girl he had loved - and of the things she may have done to escape her past.Now, twenty years later, she's back, and she's telling George that he's the only one who can help her...In his electrifying debut, Peter Swanson evokes the spirit of Body Heat and Double Indemnity, in a thriller about love, loss and those memories we hold closest to our hearts.'...it was like I had a secretdisease, or there was this clock inside of me, ticking like a heart,and at any moment an alarm would go off ...'
So I’ve been looking forward to this read and I was really enjoying it the deviousness of This woman and the stupidity of George I suppose some will go to all lengths to help that first love. BUT and it’s really stressed me out and annoyed me so much and that was the ending I mean really????
Book
The Girl with a Clock for a Heart
By Peter Swanson
⭐️⭐️⭐️
George Foss never thought he'd see her again, but on a late-August night in Boston, there she is, in his local bar, Jack's Tavern. When George first met her, she was an eighteen-year-old college freshman from Sweetgum, Florida. She and George became inseparable in their first fall semester, so George was devastated when he got the news that she had committed suicide over Christmas break. But, as he stood in the living room of the girl's grieving parents, he realized the girl in the photo on their mantelpiece - the one who had committed suicide - was not his girlfriend. Later, he discovered the true identity of the girl he had loved - and of the things she may have done to escape her past.Now, twenty years later, she's back, and she's telling George that he's the only one who can help her...In his electrifying debut, Peter Swanson evokes the spirit of Body Heat and Double Indemnity, in a thriller about love, loss and those memories we hold closest to our hearts.'...it was like I had a secretdisease, or there was this clock inside of me, ticking like a heart,and at any moment an alarm would go off ...'
So I’ve been looking forward to this read and I was really enjoying it the deviousness of This woman and the stupidity of George I suppose some will go to all lengths to help that first love. BUT and it’s really stressed me out and annoyed me so much and that was the ending I mean really????
Merissa (11950 KP) rated A Little Christmas! Matty's Secret in Books
Dec 12, 2023
MATTY'S SECRET is part of the multi-author A Little Christmas: Season 2 series. We have met Matty before as he is Gaines' best friend. It's finally time for him to get his own Daddy. The romance between Matty and Weston was so smooth, it was divine. The pitfalls that happen aren't anything to do with them, but with Matty's ex, a thoroughly loathsome toad by the name of Putrid Peter. Trust me, it fits!
I absolutely adored how we got Matty and Weston's story, while also catching up with Warner and Terrance, and Austin and Gaines. There were other names I'm not familiar with, so I'll be on the lookout for those, but I'm REALLY hoping Arlo and Lewis are somewhere on JP Sayle's list of books to write. 😍
Another thing I loved was how Matty loves his foxes, and they were incorporated into everyday life for him by Weston. I loved Mr Tod and those plates were a magic touch.
I stopped reading for a minute in a couple of places, usually when the exercises were being described. This was nothing to do with the author and everything to do with me having aphantasia. I simply had no idea what they were doing! LOL It sounded good though.
A sweet, cheeky, sweaty, and heartstopping story full of goodness. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 7, 2023
I absolutely adored how we got Matty and Weston's story, while also catching up with Warner and Terrance, and Austin and Gaines. There were other names I'm not familiar with, so I'll be on the lookout for those, but I'm REALLY hoping Arlo and Lewis are somewhere on JP Sayle's list of books to write. 😍
Another thing I loved was how Matty loves his foxes, and they were incorporated into everyday life for him by Weston. I loved Mr Tod and those plates were a magic touch.
I stopped reading for a minute in a couple of places, usually when the exercises were being described. This was nothing to do with the author and everything to do with me having aphantasia. I simply had no idea what they were doing! LOL It sounded good though.
A sweet, cheeky, sweaty, and heartstopping story full of goodness. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 7, 2023
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Visitor in Books
Oct 5, 2020
An interesting and complex piece of work that covers memory loss and family love tightly together. A short read, but also a missed opportunity of what could be a lovely novel, if developed in a better way.
It is Christmas Eve, but the furnace has gone out, the breaker needs to be reset and the cupboards are empty. In her cold house, Mrs. Langstrum is waiting for her husband to arrive from his quick trip to the store. As a snowstorm is approaching, Mrs. Langstrum gets worried. But just as she decides to get help, someone knocks on her door. A visitor. A stranger. But before she can tell him to go, he says he has news about her husband.
The blurb was the main reason I picked up this book. You sort of get the idea of what this book might be about. A mystery person arrives, and he has a story. The woman has a story, and the setting makes you curious about how this will continue to unravel.
The plot is complex, and even though it’s a very short book, the story went incredibly slow. The plot twist happened at the begging, and knowing this, I expected another one, as the beginning was obvious. In the end, when no other plot twists happen, and the book ends exactly how you thought it would end at the beginning, you are felt disappointed and unsatisfied.
I really loved the idea of the woman who has a memory loss, and a person that reveals information bit by bit. Going from other perspectives and back in time, it was a nice concept. I also really enjoyed the family relationships captured, and all the challenges openly discussed. We have some big taboo subjects here, and not many people are brave enough to openly talk about this.
However, this whole concept, and idea, was not delivered as it should’ve been, as it had the capacity to. There was room for more development, more work, and more plot twists.
Some parts are confusing, and it was nice that the story was so short and you could go back to it and re-read it, but is that really a good thing? Would we go back and re-read a 300-page book if it was confusing? I wouldn’t.
It is Christmas Eve, but the furnace has gone out, the breaker needs to be reset and the cupboards are empty. In her cold house, Mrs. Langstrum is waiting for her husband to arrive from his quick trip to the store. As a snowstorm is approaching, Mrs. Langstrum gets worried. But just as she decides to get help, someone knocks on her door. A visitor. A stranger. But before she can tell him to go, he says he has news about her husband.
The blurb was the main reason I picked up this book. You sort of get the idea of what this book might be about. A mystery person arrives, and he has a story. The woman has a story, and the setting makes you curious about how this will continue to unravel.
The plot is complex, and even though it’s a very short book, the story went incredibly slow. The plot twist happened at the begging, and knowing this, I expected another one, as the beginning was obvious. In the end, when no other plot twists happen, and the book ends exactly how you thought it would end at the beginning, you are felt disappointed and unsatisfied.
I really loved the idea of the woman who has a memory loss, and a person that reveals information bit by bit. Going from other perspectives and back in time, it was a nice concept. I also really enjoyed the family relationships captured, and all the challenges openly discussed. We have some big taboo subjects here, and not many people are brave enough to openly talk about this.
However, this whole concept, and idea, was not delivered as it should’ve been, as it had the capacity to. There was room for more development, more work, and more plot twists.
Some parts are confusing, and it was nice that the story was so short and you could go back to it and re-read it, but is that really a good thing? Would we go back and re-read a 300-page book if it was confusing? I wouldn’t.
Mothergamer (1536 KP) rated Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp in Apps
Apr 3, 2019
I don't really play a lot of games on my phone. I did play Pokemon Go for a while, but got a little burned out on it. The only other games I really play on my phone are Words With Friends, Crosswords With Friends, and Neko Atsume. That last one is a game with cats so of course it's on my phone since I am a cat lover.
When I heard Nintendo was working on Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp a game for mobile devices and that it would be free to play, I was excited. I love the Animal Crossing games because they are cheerful and fun with activities you could do such as fishing, redecorating your house in various themes, or interacting with the animal villagers in town.
With Pocket Camp there isn't a town. Instead, you have your own RV and your own campsite which you can decorate any way you wish. You can make friends with various animal characters and receive gifts and crafting materials for them when you trade them things they want such as certain types of seashells. They can also visit your campsite as well as your human friends via invitation or at random. There are different recreational areas you can visit on the world map such as a beach where you can fish or a little island where you can collect insects. There's even an area for mining, but you need the help of five people on your friends list or pay a certain amount of microtransaction currency known as leaf tickets. You can also visit a place called OK Motors where you can upgrade your RV, add an upstairs to it, or paint it in interesting patterns and colors.
Getting around on the map is easy. Click on a place and go.
Fishing is one of the recreational activities you can do.
Crafting is another big thing in Pocket Camp. You can gather materials such as cotton and wood for crafting furniture by fulfilling requests for your animal friends like gifting them with types of fruit or seashells they want. This not only levels up your friendship with them, they will gift you with crafting materials and sometimes outfits. They will also hang out at your campsite when you invite them. The maximum amount of animals you can host at your campsite is ten. You can also send animals home via the user menu so that you can invite new animals to your campsite.
Host animals at your campsite, do favors, receive gifts.
If you're in the mood to do a little shopping, there is a marketplace you can travel to on the map. You can buy outfits and accessories from the Able sisters or you can buy furniture from Timmy and Tommy Nook, Tom Nook's twin sons. You can also sell furniture and outfits from your inventory to the Nook twins.
Doing a little shopping at the marketplace.
Personally, I liked decorating my RV and adding a second floor. Crafting the furniture and items for my little traveling home was fun and I enjoyed decorating it the way I wanted. I liked decorating the campsite as well especially after I expanded it so I could add more items for visitors to enjoy.
Decorating your RV is fun!
There are daily goals and stretch goals you can do that offer crafting materials, leaf tickets, or bells (the name of the money used in the game) as rewards. You can also visit your friends campsites to see how they decorate theirs and give them kudos when you visit. I thought it was very cool seeing how much variety there is in each of the campsites I visited and showed the uniqueness and style of each of my friends.
Visit your friends campsites. It's fun!
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is relaxing fun. There's no pressure or time limits. You can just enjoy yourself doing what you wish whether it's fishing or hanging out with your animal and human friends at your campsite. It's cute and colorful with a variety of things to craft and outfits to collect. Some may think it's a bit repetitive, but I don't mind that part of it. It's nice to log in and get my daily bonus, do a few things I like, and see what changes my friends have made to their campsites.
With it being the holiday season, Nintendo did a Christmas update for the game. You can now craft Christmas items, a Santa Claus outfit, and Christmas gifts. It has been fun decorating my campsite for Christmas and seeing all the Christmas cheer at my friends' campsites. I'm looking forward to the next seasonal event items they do. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the Christmas items and the entire game itself.
When I heard Nintendo was working on Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp a game for mobile devices and that it would be free to play, I was excited. I love the Animal Crossing games because they are cheerful and fun with activities you could do such as fishing, redecorating your house in various themes, or interacting with the animal villagers in town.
With Pocket Camp there isn't a town. Instead, you have your own RV and your own campsite which you can decorate any way you wish. You can make friends with various animal characters and receive gifts and crafting materials for them when you trade them things they want such as certain types of seashells. They can also visit your campsite as well as your human friends via invitation or at random. There are different recreational areas you can visit on the world map such as a beach where you can fish or a little island where you can collect insects. There's even an area for mining, but you need the help of five people on your friends list or pay a certain amount of microtransaction currency known as leaf tickets. You can also visit a place called OK Motors where you can upgrade your RV, add an upstairs to it, or paint it in interesting patterns and colors.
Getting around on the map is easy. Click on a place and go.
Fishing is one of the recreational activities you can do.
Crafting is another big thing in Pocket Camp. You can gather materials such as cotton and wood for crafting furniture by fulfilling requests for your animal friends like gifting them with types of fruit or seashells they want. This not only levels up your friendship with them, they will gift you with crafting materials and sometimes outfits. They will also hang out at your campsite when you invite them. The maximum amount of animals you can host at your campsite is ten. You can also send animals home via the user menu so that you can invite new animals to your campsite.
Host animals at your campsite, do favors, receive gifts.
If you're in the mood to do a little shopping, there is a marketplace you can travel to on the map. You can buy outfits and accessories from the Able sisters or you can buy furniture from Timmy and Tommy Nook, Tom Nook's twin sons. You can also sell furniture and outfits from your inventory to the Nook twins.
Doing a little shopping at the marketplace.
Personally, I liked decorating my RV and adding a second floor. Crafting the furniture and items for my little traveling home was fun and I enjoyed decorating it the way I wanted. I liked decorating the campsite as well especially after I expanded it so I could add more items for visitors to enjoy.
Decorating your RV is fun!
There are daily goals and stretch goals you can do that offer crafting materials, leaf tickets, or bells (the name of the money used in the game) as rewards. You can also visit your friends campsites to see how they decorate theirs and give them kudos when you visit. I thought it was very cool seeing how much variety there is in each of the campsites I visited and showed the uniqueness and style of each of my friends.
Visit your friends campsites. It's fun!
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is relaxing fun. There's no pressure or time limits. You can just enjoy yourself doing what you wish whether it's fishing or hanging out with your animal and human friends at your campsite. It's cute and colorful with a variety of things to craft and outfits to collect. Some may think it's a bit repetitive, but I don't mind that part of it. It's nice to log in and get my daily bonus, do a few things I like, and see what changes my friends have made to their campsites.
With it being the holiday season, Nintendo did a Christmas update for the game. You can now craft Christmas items, a Santa Claus outfit, and Christmas gifts. It has been fun decorating my campsite for Christmas and seeing all the Christmas cheer at my friends' campsites. I'm looking forward to the next seasonal event items they do. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the Christmas items and the entire game itself.
Louise (64 KP) rated Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories in Books
Jul 2, 2018
I picked this up around Halloween time wanting some scary reads to get me in the mood. When I saw they were by Roald Dahl himself, I thought I was in for a treat. I was sadly disappointed, reading the introduction I found that this was not the case, however I continued on as I thought it would be interesting to read some different authors.
The book consisted of 14 short stories, some longer than others and some quiet spooky whilst the others were just a bit dark.
Here is a list of the stories in the book:
W.S by L.P.Hartley
Harry by Rosemary Timperley
The Corner shop by Cynthia Asquith
In the Tube by E.F.Benson
Christmas meeting by Rosemary Timperley
Elias and the Draug by Jonas Lie
Playmates by A.M. Burrage
Ringing the changes by Robert Aickman
The Telephone by Mary Treadgold
The Ghost of a Hand by J.Sheridan Le Fanu
The Sweeper by A.M Burrage
On the Brighton Road by Richard Middleton
Afterward by Edith Warton
The Upper Berth by Marion Crawford
The scariest one for me was the Ghost of a hand, that could be because I was reading it at 1am in the morning with everyone asleep, the sounds of the house creaking and the wind outside added to the spookiness.
My top three are The Ghost of a Hand, Harry and Ringing the Changes,however they weren't great. I felt really let down by this selection of short stories, they didn't seem to have very satisfying ends and they were somewhat predictable.
Also there is an introduction from Roald Dahl himself stating that he read over 700 short stories trying to find the best, I seriously can't believe these were the best ones he found and then he was rambling on about women being better at writing ghost stories and men being better at general fiction which I felt was irrelevant but I suppose he had a certain amount of words to fulfil.
Maybe I am being a little harsh, seeing as the book is 30 years old and the stories are even older than that.
Let me know if you have read this book, and what you thought.
Overall I gave this 3 out of 5 stars
The book consisted of 14 short stories, some longer than others and some quiet spooky whilst the others were just a bit dark.
Here is a list of the stories in the book:
W.S by L.P.Hartley
Harry by Rosemary Timperley
The Corner shop by Cynthia Asquith
In the Tube by E.F.Benson
Christmas meeting by Rosemary Timperley
Elias and the Draug by Jonas Lie
Playmates by A.M. Burrage
Ringing the changes by Robert Aickman
The Telephone by Mary Treadgold
The Ghost of a Hand by J.Sheridan Le Fanu
The Sweeper by A.M Burrage
On the Brighton Road by Richard Middleton
Afterward by Edith Warton
The Upper Berth by Marion Crawford
The scariest one for me was the Ghost of a hand, that could be because I was reading it at 1am in the morning with everyone asleep, the sounds of the house creaking and the wind outside added to the spookiness.
My top three are The Ghost of a Hand, Harry and Ringing the Changes,however they weren't great. I felt really let down by this selection of short stories, they didn't seem to have very satisfying ends and they were somewhat predictable.
Also there is an introduction from Roald Dahl himself stating that he read over 700 short stories trying to find the best, I seriously can't believe these were the best ones he found and then he was rambling on about women being better at writing ghost stories and men being better at general fiction which I felt was irrelevant but I suppose he had a certain amount of words to fulfil.
Maybe I am being a little harsh, seeing as the book is 30 years old and the stories are even older than that.
Let me know if you have read this book, and what you thought.
Overall I gave this 3 out of 5 stars
Amy Christmas (170 KP) rated Let it Snow in Books
Dec 28, 2018
The last story was quite shoddy (4/10) (1 more)
The patron saint of pigs
A mixed bag of stories.
Contains spoilers, click to show
I had to read this at Christmas time, there is no other way, and at first I really quite enjoyed it, the first story The Jubilee Express was really quite something, I loved jubilee's character and her situation with her parents in prison and being shipped off to Florida. At this point Jeb who she meets on the train seems like a really 2D character (and will co time to be for the entire book) I was dissapointed in Jeb's character as there was a lot more potential there but no purpose from the 3 authors. However Jubilee I loved her motives and personality was great and the way that the story flowed from the train into the waffle house and meeting Stuart was great. The Jubilee Express was filled with weird and wonderful characters and a beautiful ending.
It goes down hill from here.
I've never read anything by John Green but I was dissapointed by his segment. The love between Tobin and The Duke is rushed and fake as hell. It didn't feel realistic in any sense of the word, the love in Twilight was better written. The adventure we follow with Tobin is good and enjoyable but the love aspect is not at all. I wanted this segment over with ASAP.
Then the patron saint of pigs, god. I despised Addie. I get that this short story was meant to be a moral story on being selfless etc etc but I got to the end of the story and again was drowned in superficial love that holds no weight or realism. In the end Addie is just forgiven for all that she has done in the past but we see no real change in her thinking. By the end she still constantly acts in her own interests, she only picks up the pig to prove to her friends that she isn't selfish and self absorbed. However the atmosphere of this last story was nice seeing all the stories fully converge.
However I only truly loved The Jubilee Express.
The rest felt heartless and 2D.
It goes down hill from here.
I've never read anything by John Green but I was dissapointed by his segment. The love between Tobin and The Duke is rushed and fake as hell. It didn't feel realistic in any sense of the word, the love in Twilight was better written. The adventure we follow with Tobin is good and enjoyable but the love aspect is not at all. I wanted this segment over with ASAP.
Then the patron saint of pigs, god. I despised Addie. I get that this short story was meant to be a moral story on being selfless etc etc but I got to the end of the story and again was drowned in superficial love that holds no weight or realism. In the end Addie is just forgiven for all that she has done in the past but we see no real change in her thinking. By the end she still constantly acts in her own interests, she only picks up the pig to prove to her friends that she isn't selfish and self absorbed. However the atmosphere of this last story was nice seeing all the stories fully converge.
However I only truly loved The Jubilee Express.
The rest felt heartless and 2D.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Apple Cider Slaying in Books
Nov 3, 2019
Death of a Neighbor Complicates Winnie’s Plans
The apple orchard that Winnie Montgomery calls home, along with her Granny, is having financial issues, and she is looking for ideas to save it. The idea she is most excited about is turning a barn on the property into a cider shop. She just needs a loan from the bank to be able to do the renovations. However, the meeting with the loan officers doesn’t turn out well when they find the body of Nadine during their tour of the facilities. The police are looking at Granny as their prime suspect since she and Nadine fought on a regular basis. With Granny’s freedom and the fate of the family orchard on the line, can Winnie figure out what really happened?
I always pick up the debut in a new series with hopes for a great read. I had more of a mixed reaction to this book. The plot was uneven, with what should have been sub-plots taking over for pages at a time and leaving me wondering when we’d get back to the mystery. The mystery was driven more by events than Winnie uncovering clues, but those events did draw me into the book, especially since I had come to care for the characters. I loved Winnie, Granny, and the rest of the cast. This was really driven home to me in the second half when an event made me gasp and read a little longer than I had intended that day. The timeline was fuzzy, which always bugs me. However, the book is set during the beginning of the Christmas season, and I loved how that season added to the coziness of the book. The four recipes at the end sound delicious, and yes, one of them is for cider. Julie Anne Lindsey also writes under the names Jacqueline Frost and Bree Baker, and I know she has a large fan base under all of those names. While I find this book uneven, I think this fantastic case of new characters will draw in many readers to this series.
I always pick up the debut in a new series with hopes for a great read. I had more of a mixed reaction to this book. The plot was uneven, with what should have been sub-plots taking over for pages at a time and leaving me wondering when we’d get back to the mystery. The mystery was driven more by events than Winnie uncovering clues, but those events did draw me into the book, especially since I had come to care for the characters. I loved Winnie, Granny, and the rest of the cast. This was really driven home to me in the second half when an event made me gasp and read a little longer than I had intended that day. The timeline was fuzzy, which always bugs me. However, the book is set during the beginning of the Christmas season, and I loved how that season added to the coziness of the book. The four recipes at the end sound delicious, and yes, one of them is for cider. Julie Anne Lindsey also writes under the names Jacqueline Frost and Bree Baker, and I know she has a large fan base under all of those names. While I find this book uneven, I think this fantastic case of new characters will draw in many readers to this series.
MoMoBookDiary (20 KP) rated One Day in December: A Christmas Love Story in Books
Oct 1, 2018
I loved the idea of this book and it sounded just my perfect romance read. However it was so much more than I could have hoped for! I read it in one sitting and found the lovely sunny day had gone dark and wet by the time I moved from the sofa - but oh! what a day I had in the world of this amazingly beautiful love story!
The story is told over a ten year period, beginning in December 2008 which is where the Christmas part comes in. The story is told in sort of diary form from the characters perspectives and jumps many months at a time so you get the good bits whilst the story unfolds.
It sounded like it could be yet another love triangle with the obvious difficulties however it is so unlike anything I have read before. It is a book for all ages – no nasty double crossing, no detailed erotic sex scenes or nasty, bitchy comments we are so used to being part of daily lives – however, there are many tear-worthy moments in this absolutely wonderful true love story.
The author has found a way of telling a story in today’s times without having all the drama that we are so used to seeing in these types of situations. Everyone deals with events in a very mature way and forgiving way which ensures that whilst reading you can live in a feel-good bubble. I did plenty of bubbling while reading and many sharp intakes of breath at times too. It is a story of love, heartache, friendship and the unbreakable bonds.
I can honestly say I will be recommending this to everyone I speak to in person, on twitter, Facebook and anywhere else that I can. It’s amazingly beautiful – you really should go read it!
Thanks to Josie Silver, NetGalley and Penguin for giving me the opportunity to read and review prior to the paperback release in October 2018.
The story is told over a ten year period, beginning in December 2008 which is where the Christmas part comes in. The story is told in sort of diary form from the characters perspectives and jumps many months at a time so you get the good bits whilst the story unfolds.
It sounded like it could be yet another love triangle with the obvious difficulties however it is so unlike anything I have read before. It is a book for all ages – no nasty double crossing, no detailed erotic sex scenes or nasty, bitchy comments we are so used to being part of daily lives – however, there are many tear-worthy moments in this absolutely wonderful true love story.
The author has found a way of telling a story in today’s times without having all the drama that we are so used to seeing in these types of situations. Everyone deals with events in a very mature way and forgiving way which ensures that whilst reading you can live in a feel-good bubble. I did plenty of bubbling while reading and many sharp intakes of breath at times too. It is a story of love, heartache, friendship and the unbreakable bonds.
I can honestly say I will be recommending this to everyone I speak to in person, on twitter, Facebook and anywhere else that I can. It’s amazingly beautiful – you really should go read it!
Thanks to Josie Silver, NetGalley and Penguin for giving me the opportunity to read and review prior to the paperback release in October 2018.
Kelly (279 KP) rated 221B Baker Street: The Master Detective Game in Tabletop Games
Jan 2, 2019
Challenging clues (1 more)
Red Herrings
For those who find Cluedo too easy
We purchased this game for my 14 year old son for Christmas, as he is a huge fan of Cluedo. The game was recommended as the skills base that is needed is very similar, you go around the board searching for clues in order to solve a crime, whilst using logic to rule out possible suspects e.t.c.
Unlike Cluedo, however, the game relies upon written clues, some being simple statements, some riddles and some designed to throw the player completely off course. The game itself is significantly more challenging than Cluedo and requires a lot more thought into solving the case- I use the word case, as each murder requires different information to be found, for example the first case requires the murderer, weapon and motive, later cases require more information than this.
At the beginning of play, the case is read out, players have access to the case throughout play and can read it whenever they like - this is particularly useful, and I found myself reading over many times to familiarise with the clues and characters. As individuals or small teams, you go around the board to different places to collect clues (which are stored in the clue book that comes with the game). It is up to the player as to where they go first to seek out clues, although strategically it makes sense to visit a location connected to the case. Players are provided with a sheet to record thoughts and findings, before going back to 221b Baker Street to declare their theory. The creators of the game have deliberately placed red herrings into the clues, designed to mislead and throw us off course.
An element of logical thinking is required in order to solve the mystery, which I found particularly enjoyable. I found that this game certainly requires a good hour or more to complete, and was not a game that could be completed quickly, however did get us together as a family spending quality time together.
Unlike Cluedo, however, the game relies upon written clues, some being simple statements, some riddles and some designed to throw the player completely off course. The game itself is significantly more challenging than Cluedo and requires a lot more thought into solving the case- I use the word case, as each murder requires different information to be found, for example the first case requires the murderer, weapon and motive, later cases require more information than this.
At the beginning of play, the case is read out, players have access to the case throughout play and can read it whenever they like - this is particularly useful, and I found myself reading over many times to familiarise with the clues and characters. As individuals or small teams, you go around the board to different places to collect clues (which are stored in the clue book that comes with the game). It is up to the player as to where they go first to seek out clues, although strategically it makes sense to visit a location connected to the case. Players are provided with a sheet to record thoughts and findings, before going back to 221b Baker Street to declare their theory. The creators of the game have deliberately placed red herrings into the clues, designed to mislead and throw us off course.
An element of logical thinking is required in order to solve the mystery, which I found particularly enjoyable. I found that this game certainly requires a good hour or more to complete, and was not a game that could be completed quickly, however did get us together as a family spending quality time together.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Awaken Online: Dominion in Books
Nov 29, 2019
Another excellent tale in the world of AO
This the 4th "full-length" (though the side quests aren't exactly novellas!) story in the LitRPG series starts of with Jason in his new incarnation as a "Keeper". He has a new set of tools, necromancy spells and abilities to get to grips with, and a new threat to overcome.
For once, the in-game story is split between characters, as we see Jason and Riley take on new training regimes (Jason has finally realised he can't always cower in the background letting his zombies and skeletons do all the work and he has to become better at combat himself), Frank goes on tour to secure the outlying towns of their growing empire, and the baddie Alex plots to get some revenge on Jason for publicly besting him. We also spend time in the real world as a senatorial hearing is opened to look into allegations that Awaken Online may not be safe for its users.
All of the characters develop notably in this book, none more than Jason who has to do some soul-searching, change his in-game role, and also make peace with what the game technology may be doing to his mind and body.
The story is strong, though with a smaller scale in its problem solving than before - the focus is more on Jason and Riley's personal challenges rather than larger quests. It is a little heavy on the admin at times but given how complicated games like this would be that adds to the immersive feel of the book.
The only main gripe for me is the use of the word "tendril" on almost every page, and the occasional use of "overtop" which very much jars when read.
Otherwise, another superb, gripping tome in this online fantasy world.
Next up is Frank's side-quest, hopefully before Christmas (I can't seem to keep up with Bagwell's output and am always at least 2 books behind!).
For once, the in-game story is split between characters, as we see Jason and Riley take on new training regimes (Jason has finally realised he can't always cower in the background letting his zombies and skeletons do all the work and he has to become better at combat himself), Frank goes on tour to secure the outlying towns of their growing empire, and the baddie Alex plots to get some revenge on Jason for publicly besting him. We also spend time in the real world as a senatorial hearing is opened to look into allegations that Awaken Online may not be safe for its users.
All of the characters develop notably in this book, none more than Jason who has to do some soul-searching, change his in-game role, and also make peace with what the game technology may be doing to his mind and body.
The story is strong, though with a smaller scale in its problem solving than before - the focus is more on Jason and Riley's personal challenges rather than larger quests. It is a little heavy on the admin at times but given how complicated games like this would be that adds to the immersive feel of the book.
The only main gripe for me is the use of the word "tendril" on almost every page, and the occasional use of "overtop" which very much jars when read.
Otherwise, another superb, gripping tome in this online fantasy world.
Next up is Frank's side-quest, hopefully before Christmas (I can't seem to keep up with Bagwell's output and am always at least 2 books behind!).