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That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
2018 | Action, Adventure, Animation
7
7.0 (2 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime is a 2018 anime series animated by 8-Bit with the light novel written by Fuse. It was directed by Yasuhito Kikuchi, with Atsushi Nakayama as assistant director. Kazuyuki Fudeyasu handled music composition with Ryouma Ebata designing the characters and Takahiro Kishida providing monster designs. The series was Simulcast by both Crunchyroll and Funimation.


Minami Satoru was a 37-year old manga loving, corporate worker until one day his life ended in tragedy. While meeting up with a friend for dinner, he sees a man with a knife run up and shoves his friend out of the way, but is fatally injured and dies. When Satoru regains consciousness, he discovers he has been reborn as a "slime", a famously weak character from video games and now in a different world. Blind, deaf, and weak, things are pretty grim initially but he finds he has some new abilities which he uses to gain both friends and enemies in a whole new world.


This anime is pretty cool. It's an "isekai" anime which means it's set in a different world; and is also a genre of anime that I enjoy. It has a fantasy element too and a variety of different races of characters. This series has quite a bit of "fan service" so it might not be for everyone. Also the main character is pretty "op" (over-powered), so you might not find it as compelling as other anime. I felt that they were able to make the conflict that arises work very well with the storyline and with the introduction of new characters. One thing that I didn't think I was going to like, was how he has abilities similar to a character in a video game and learns more over the series. This wound up being really cool in the way they show him use it and develop his abilities as he uses them against enemies. I really liked the animation and designs of the characters and monsters too.
  
The Blue Cloak (True Colors)
The Blue Cloak (True Colors)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Where to start on a book that sucks you in and doesn’t let go…

     The Blue Cloak by Shannon McNear summed up in one word is: STUNNING. When I started reading this book I could not stop thinking about the characters and their plights, Shannon McNear brought their thoughts and feeling to life in an almost tangible way that made me feel like I was right there experiencing the haunting twists and realizations with the characters. She weaved in such a thread of hope and light amidst all that happened for her characters that were a true reflection of the hope we need to pray for in our fallen world.

I was captivated from the first chapter of this true-crime story in a way that I do not think I have ever been by a book before. The historical detail and research that went into the writing of this book were phenomenal, it made the story even more eye-opening for me. I loved how Shannon McNear took the time at the end (in the author’s note) to explain several different aspects of the story and the historical documentation to back them up.

I truly loved the setting, the plot, and the three main characters in this book. When combined I think they made a truly stunning and captivating story that weaves a tale of faith, perseverance, trust, and hope amid unknowable tragedy. Shannon McNear did a great job portraying the darkness in our world but expressing the hope that we have in Jesus’ name.

I give this book a resounding 5 out of 5 stars for the amazing storyline, the historical details, and the great characters. I highly recommend reading this book and I am personally ordering a physical copy for my book collection.

*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest opinion. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
  
Collecting Death (Haunted Collection #1)
Collecting Death (Haunted Collection #1)
Ron Ripley | 2021 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
33 of 250
Kindle
Collecting Death (Haunted Collection book 1)
By Ron Ripley

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

 
Rolf the teddy bear looks sweet and warm. But in the dark, its eyes glow with a murderous gleam…

Stefan Korzh’s parents built a life around collecting possessed items, in the throes of a peculiar game with the dead. Antique porcelain dolls, beautifully crafted teapots and an eerie teddy bear, all seemingly innocuous objects that encompass unimaginable evil, and malignant spirits who wish to inflict pain on the living.

His parents’ obsession ruined Stefan’s life, and he dreams of punishing the rest of the world for his poor luck of the draw. Dreams become reality when he sends the collectibles to unsuspecting customers. One by one, he eagerly watches the chaos that unfolds.

Victor Daniels, a historian exhausted by yet another academic conference, wants nothing more than to go home and see his wife. But tragedy cuts his hopes of comfort short. Seeking answers, he teams up with a paranormal expert by the name of Jeremy Rhinehart. The two discover a tangled web of haunted collectibles gleefully painting the town red with the blood of their new owners.

Time is running out, and they must stop Stefan from spreading further mayhem. But Jeremy and Victor are in over their heads, and the hellish objects’ spirits will not rest until their pursuers join the ranks of the dead…




Well he took being pissed at his parents way to far! I’d have loved to learn more about Anne and Rolfe as well as a few other characters! It was super eerie especially if you have a fear of haunted kids toys! Reading in the dark made this that little bit better. Really Interesting read. I’d love to know what else was unleashed on the unsuspecting people buying these haunted items. Found the ending slightly rushed too! But overall a good read.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Nov 3, 2020  
Do you love a good mystery thriller? If so, stop by my blog, and read the first chapter from STRONG FROM THE HEART by Jon Land. If you like what you read, enter the GIVEAWAY to win a signed copy of the book (five winners total)!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2020/11/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-strong-from.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Caitlin Strong wages her own personal war on drugs against the true power behind the illicit opioid trade in Strong from the Heart, the blistering and relentless 11th installment in Jon Land's award-winning series.

The drug crisis hits home for fifth generation Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong when the son of her outlaw lover Cort Wesley Masters nearly dies from an opioid overdose. On top of that, she’s dealing with the inexplicable tragedy of a small Texas town where all the residents died in a single night.

When Caitlin realizes that these two pursuits are intrinsically connected, she finds herself following a trail that will take her to the truth behind the crisis that claimed 75,000 lives last year. Just in time, since the same force that has taken over the opiate trade has even more deadly intentions in mind, specifically the murder of tens of millions in pursuit of their even more nefarious goals.

The power base she’s up against―comprised of politicians and Big Pharma, along with corrupt doctors and drug distributors―has successfully beaten back all threats in the past. But they’ve never had to deal with the likes of Caitlin Strong before and have no idea what’s in store when the guns of Texas come calling.

At the root of the conspiracy lies a cabal nestled within the highest corridors of power that’s determined to destroy all threats posed to them. Caitlin and Cort Wesley may have finally met their match, finding themselves isolated and ostracized with nowhere to turn, even as they strive to remain strong from the heart.
     
The Way Back (2020)
The Way Back (2020)
2020 | Drama, Sport
Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck) is a man whose life has not unfolded as it should have. A former start Basketball players for a Catholic High School; Jack had an offer to play College ball for Kansas as a highly regarded recruit.

Things unfolded badly for Jack as a personal tragedy and his demons cost him his marriage and now see Jack toiling away in construction when he is not abusing alcohol.
Jack is offered a chance to coach the losing team at his old school and despite every inclination he has to refuse the job; he eventually takes the job and works to mold an undersized and under-skilled team into a competitive unit.

Jack’s abrupt style and frequent profanity do not sit well with his employers who urge him to tone things down with his courtside behavior and verbal admonishments of the officials and his team during games.

Undaunted Jack presses on and the team starts to turn themselves around but Jack’s deep turmoil threatens to undo everything that has happened.

“The Way Back” is an enjoyable film that features a very strong performance from Affleck as well as the supporting cast. This is not some formulaic sports film where everything is all nice and tidy at the end. The film is about redemption but also accepting what has come before and finding a new way forward no matter how difficult.

What really made the film stand out aside from the performances were the relatable stories as they were ones that were easy to relate to. Many town have stories of star athletes who never achieved their stardom for whatever reason and whose lives have become ordinary to mundane as opposed to the stardom and riches envisioned for them.
In many ways “The Way Back” flew under the radar this year but is one of the best films of the year and one not to miss.

4 stars out of 5
  
Tender Buttons by Broadcast
Tender Buttons by Broadcast
2005 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Even just thinking about this song, I can feel the beginning of tears in the backs of my eyes. It's such an astonishing piece of lyric writing. It's like that Linton Kwesi Johnson track - the narrator of the song, and their emotions, are so believable. Both songs are about letters, funnily enough. “The imagery is so gentle but it's still significant and it's recognisable of a different world; just the idea of a typing pool now is absurd - it's something that belongs to a different decade. And then the imagery of the paper and the ink drying and there's a confession, but we don't know what the truth is. She's talking about telling the truth in this letter she's written, but we don't know whether she's confessing to something she's done or to the way she truly feels. “Either way, it's definitely a story about the end. 99.999% of people who've loved in their lives will know how that feels, what it's like when love ends and this is one of those songs that just gently captures the hugeness of that kind of situation. It's sung and worded very softly, but what it's describing is incomprehensibly massive. It's communicated with that image of the page being wiped clean, while the landscape remains unchanged. Absolutely astonishing. “Trish Keenan’s death is a story of tragedy in itself, because she was so unique. I know you shouldn't try to relate the personal story of the performer to the piece of music, or the writing, or the play, but you can't help but do it in this case because so many Broadcast songs are in that vein. When you communicate emotion in a song the reason it works is because, as a listener, you recognise something you've experienced before, and so Trish's writing doesn't just remind you of loss - it reminds you of the loss of her.”"

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