Search

Search only in certain items:

Russian Railroads
Russian Railroads
2013 | Business / Industrial, Transportation
Russian Railroads
Russian Railroads is the train duo’s first major foray into the world of European game design. Set in Imperialist Russia at the end of the 19th century, the Tsar has ordained a major project: construction of the Trans-Siberia Railroad. To help usher Russia into the modern world, several lines on this railroad must be constructed. As these railroads progress, improvements are made, new industries arise, and brilliant engineers add their expertise, all helping the railroads to expand at an even greater rate. Russia will not be left out of the industrial revolution that is sweeping the world!

Reviewer: gschloesser
Read the full review here: https://opinionatedgamers.com/2014/07/14/russian-railroads/
  
Vincent the Vixen: A Story to Help Children Learn about Gender Identity
Vincent the Vixen: A Story to Help Children Learn about Gender Identity
Alice Reeves | 2018 | Children, Education
7
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Teachable moments (0 more)
Beautifully illustrated and a simple
This is a great start in explaining trans gendered to children, whither the feelings are theirs, or someone in their social group. It’s extremely simpleized, which I think is great for the age it’s geared towards. I do think there needs to be some explanation of what a “Vixen”. Vincent talks about his brothers and sisters, but they are always described as a fox. But the ending line is “Vincent grew up and lived happily as Vincent the Vixen” with no explanation of why that is important. The illustrations help greatly with the concept, but I think it needs to be in words as well.
  
40x40

Awix (3310 KP) rated Sailors, Beware! (1927) in Movies

Feb 24, 2019 (Updated Feb 25, 2019)  
Sailors, Beware! (1927)
Sailors, Beware! (1927)
1927 | Comedy
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Rather weird early Laurel and Hardy movie, another one from pre-bowler days when they were not yet officially a duo. Stan plays Chester Chaste, a cab driver who finds himself shanghaied onto a trans-Atlantic liner; Ollie plays the womanising Purser. Also on board are a female thief (Garvin) and her husband, a midget who disguises himself as a baby (Earle).

Has a manic, screwball sort of feeling to it, which sort of makes up for the fact there's probably a bit too much going on and Stan and Ollie don't spend enough time together on-screen. The various scenes of Laurel with Earle are quite good, though, and the film builds up to a decent climax. Bonkers enough to be good fun.
  
Tales of the City
Tales of the City
2019 | Drama
Great storylines, great tension (0 more)
It finished (0 more)
This was amazing, diverse, colourful, and beautifully done
Contains spoilers, click to show
This is a story of Anna, the owner of a big old house in San Francisco. Her lodger, or her family as she calls them, are primarily LGBTQI +. The story delves into their lives, their troubles and strifes but all in all, the story is brought back to Anna. The back story to Anna's life is great. Anna, it turns out, is a trans woman who has hidden her secret from her lodgers, not because she is ashamed, but because of the way she got the house in the first place. I liked the fact that the story could hold its own and not center too much around Ellen Page, whose character is equal to the others. This is an important Netflix show with an inclusive, well rounded story. I loved it so much.
  
40x40

Flynn (6 KP) rated Lizard Radio in Books

Sep 18, 2018  
LR
Lizard Radio
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<spoiler>Kind of disappointed there weren't actual lizard people, and we never learned what vaping actually was, or if blight was as bad as they made it out to be,</spoiler> so the book left me wanting a lot more answers to my questions in a fairly unsatisfying way. A lot of terms thrown at you to with no explanation, and the context makes it hard to actually figure out what stuff means.

Pretty good rep of non-binary and trans folk though and how confusing and hard it can be to be yourself in a strict binary world, but for people who haven't experienced anything really related to being gender non-conforming, it might be a bit hard to understand Kivali's perspective.

As a kid who legit thought they weren't human because they were different and wished I was picked up by my fellow aliens, having actual aliens get Kivali would've been a lot more satisfying than them not being real.
  
40x40

Nick Rhodes recommended Man-Machine by Kraftwerk in Music (curated)

 
Man-Machine by Kraftwerk
Man-Machine by Kraftwerk
1978 | Dance
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Kraftwerk were a major influence on me musically and stylistically. They were really the first truly electronic band I'd heard. Afterwards, of course, I listened to all the other German things like NEU! and Can. I'd listen to The Human League and whatever came out of England in that time period. But, Kraftwerk were right at the centre of it. The first album I heard in its entirety was Trans-Europe Express, which I almost picked for this because I do love that album. But, I think Kraftwerk’s absolute masterpiece is The Man-Machine - be it visually, song-wise, arrangements or sounds. It is as close to a perfect record as I feel has been made in that genre. There is nothing that touches it. When I used to DJ at the Rum Runner club - I was 16 or 17 and starting out - I used to play a lot of tracks from The Man-Machine because almost everything on that album you can play. Funnily enough, I'd never seen Kraftwerk until recently when they played the Tate Modern. I went to three shows - The Man-Machine, Trans-Europe Express and Computer World - because I felt as they had had such an impact on me I should go and see a whole load of the shows. They weren't a letdown, the 3D effect was extraordinary and it was such a joy to hear those songs loud through a system like that. You don't tend to get to hear synthesisers that loud unless you go to a club and listen to some horrible remix. Kraftwerk had great taste and a lot of music is about taste. They didn't make so many albums over a period of time but everything has been impeccable - every sound, every delay, every vocoder. They really paid attention to detail and that's something I have a complete obsession with. I can fiddle with something for ages and ages that I feel changes the whole track and nobody else will hear what I'm doing. Kraftwerk had a great ability for that. They made really impeccable records."

Source
  
Wayward Stripper
Wayward Stripper
J.B. Buell | 2023 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A great story that left me wanting more!
WAYWARD STRIPPER is a short novella about a trans man on the run from his abusive ex, who lands a trial run at an Omega (Ladies) Club. The Head Dancer, Tristan, is on hand to help in any way and the sparks are instantaneous.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, but I wanted so much more! I would love for this to be a full-length novel, so I can get all the background information I want - the ex-relationship, Jake's escape, and more between Jake and Tristan. As a novella, it is fast-paced, but I would have loved more of the nitty-gritty that gives the story some depth. For me, it was a little too fast, with chunks either missed out or skipped over.

A great story that left me wanting! I would still recommend it though!

** 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!
Aug 30, 2023
  
The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror
The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror
Mallory Ortberg | 2018 | Gender Studies, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
5.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
So this JUST came out. I'd had my eye on it for a few months, and put a request in as soon as my library ordered it. The author recently came out as trans, so it's also part of my effort to read more inclusively. Ortberg definitely played with gender and sexuality in several of these tales; in one of them people decided whether to be the husband or the wife, independent of their gender, in their marriage. (One party to the marriage in the story stated "I've been trained for both roles.") In another all of a man's daughters used male pronouns and that was never explored further. That was slightly odd.

These were dark, twisted versions of these stories. "Our Friend Mr. Toad," for example, involved gaslighting and psychologically torturing poor Mr. Toad. I found that one particularly disturbing. I enjoyed the title story, Ortberg's version of Beauty and the Beast, which has a very different ending from expected. I also really liked "The Daughter Cells", inspired by The Little Mermaid. I LOVED "Fear Not: An Incident Log."

I think this was a great, albeit strange, little book. It's unique, for sure, and a quick read. If you're looking for a fairy tale collection that is VERY different, try this one.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
  
40x40

Merissa (11622 KP) rated Second Wind in Books

Nov 4, 2022  
Second Wind
Second Wind
A.L. Lester | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
SECOND WIND is a standalone novella set in Llanbaruc, with some of the crew of Theatre Fawr too. Gethin (I love that name) is a bi-divorcee, being pushed into being social by his older sister. Martin is trans with a daughter. They meet at orchestra practice and follow on from there.

This is a novella and, as such, I don't usually give them 5-stars. This one, though, I have no choice BUT to do so. It has so much to it, you get the full story. Yes, it could be fleshed out in parts but if there's no need, why do it?

I loved how Martin and Gethin communicated from the start, their relationship built on openness and trust. You see it grow and change as things happen between them.

Fading to black doesn't take away any of the intensity between these two. And I loved how Luke showed up (from another standalone in the same world). I am loving this world and am always drawn in by A.L. Lester's writing style.

Absolutely loved it and highly recommend it. And grab Out of Focus too, while you're at it!

* 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!
  
40x40

Merissa (11622 KP) rated Grayality in Books

Oct 4, 2022  
Grayality
Grayality
Carey PW | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A story full of emotions, both good and bad
GRAYALITY is a book full of emotions, both good and bad. Pate is a trans-man who likes the on-and-off again girlfriend of the local bully, and Oakley, his best friend, thinks he is straight until he meets Sadie at a drag-queen show. Their new start in a small country town just got more complicated.

There are words of wisdom in here, spoken between the two best friends, or their new friends. However, there is also a lot of country stereotypical behaviour that may or may not be exaggerated.

I loved seeing Pate and Oak go through their relationships, although I can honestly say I couldn't stand Maybelle from the beginning. Oak is the one who had to change his thinking the most and is also the one who suffered the most, I would say. Pate is the one who physically paid for being who he is.

This was a great story that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is emotional and almost tangible in what our young friends go through. A brilliant read that I highly recommend.

** 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!