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Debbiereadsbook (1524 KP) rated The Color of Summer in Books
May 30, 2019
bloody loved it!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Max returns home to open his tattoo studio and to be closer to his mum. On the way he gets stopped speeding, by his best friend's older brother, Tyler. While Max has immediate attraction to Tyler, Tyler is straight and tells him so. But there is . .something . . between them, and as the summer begins, the relationship grows. Can Tyler be a cop in a small town, who is gay?
I might gush about this book, just a heads up! Cos I bloody LOVED it!
Max returns to his home town after his mum has a stroke. He wants to be closer while she recovers. And he wants his own tattoo studio so combines the two plans into one. Meeting Tyler throws Max for a loop, cos he never really noticed Tyler before, you know? He was just Shane's big brother, is all. But now, the man did grow up good and proper and he pushes all of Max' buttons.
Tyler is just plodding along, bringing up his daughter with the help of his family. Catching up with Max was fun, and Tyler really needs a friend. But his long suppressed attraction to men, and to Max in particular begins to resurface, Tyler doesn't want Max as a friend, he WANTS Max. He has his daughter the think about, though, and his job as deputy, and his brother's reaction to finding out.
I really LOVED this, it fell on my kindle just when I needed it to and I devoured it. That's the only word I can find: devoured.
I went to bed to read a few chapters and the next thing I know, it was 1am and I had finished. It's not a short book, 230 odd pages, but it felt a lot less. A sign of a good, nay, GREAT book, that; that it doesn't seem as long as it really is!
Both Max and Tyler have a say, in the third. Both voices are clear and different and they tell their story incredibly well.
It has a good deal of angst/drama but they aren't really the right words for it. It's more soul searching, maybe? I dunno, hate not finding the right words. It has a LOT of emotion, both for Max and Tyler, from very different points of view. There is a huge family network too, who see, you know, they SEE what Max feels for Tyler, even if they haven't figured that out themselves yet!
It's not overly explicit, but I don't think it needs to be. It's hot and sexy though! The relationship between Max and Tyler moves along at a steady pace, both the emotional connection adn the physical one. I liked being made to wait a while!
I've only read one other book by Ms Martin, and that book didn't quite work for me but THIS one? I freaking loved it and it just goes to show, you can't love every book and just because one book by an author doesn't work for you, it doesn't mean they ALL won't.
So, because I loved it, because I read it in one sitting, just because its my review and I CAN . . .
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Max returns home to open his tattoo studio and to be closer to his mum. On the way he gets stopped speeding, by his best friend's older brother, Tyler. While Max has immediate attraction to Tyler, Tyler is straight and tells him so. But there is . .something . . between them, and as the summer begins, the relationship grows. Can Tyler be a cop in a small town, who is gay?
I might gush about this book, just a heads up! Cos I bloody LOVED it!
Max returns to his home town after his mum has a stroke. He wants to be closer while she recovers. And he wants his own tattoo studio so combines the two plans into one. Meeting Tyler throws Max for a loop, cos he never really noticed Tyler before, you know? He was just Shane's big brother, is all. But now, the man did grow up good and proper and he pushes all of Max' buttons.
Tyler is just plodding along, bringing up his daughter with the help of his family. Catching up with Max was fun, and Tyler really needs a friend. But his long suppressed attraction to men, and to Max in particular begins to resurface, Tyler doesn't want Max as a friend, he WANTS Max. He has his daughter the think about, though, and his job as deputy, and his brother's reaction to finding out.
I really LOVED this, it fell on my kindle just when I needed it to and I devoured it. That's the only word I can find: devoured.
I went to bed to read a few chapters and the next thing I know, it was 1am and I had finished. It's not a short book, 230 odd pages, but it felt a lot less. A sign of a good, nay, GREAT book, that; that it doesn't seem as long as it really is!
Both Max and Tyler have a say, in the third. Both voices are clear and different and they tell their story incredibly well.
It has a good deal of angst/drama but they aren't really the right words for it. It's more soul searching, maybe? I dunno, hate not finding the right words. It has a LOT of emotion, both for Max and Tyler, from very different points of view. There is a huge family network too, who see, you know, they SEE what Max feels for Tyler, even if they haven't figured that out themselves yet!
It's not overly explicit, but I don't think it needs to be. It's hot and sexy though! The relationship between Max and Tyler moves along at a steady pace, both the emotional connection adn the physical one. I liked being made to wait a while!
I've only read one other book by Ms Martin, and that book didn't quite work for me but THIS one? I freaking loved it and it just goes to show, you can't love every book and just because one book by an author doesn't work for you, it doesn't mean they ALL won't.
So, because I loved it, because I read it in one sitting, just because its my review and I CAN . . .
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Binding Song in Books
Mar 15, 2018
<b>Trigger warning:</b> this book contains descriptions of rape
There are very few psychological thrillers/ horrors set in the prison environment, so when I read the synopsis for this book, I was really excited to read it. This book is one youll find yourself racing through, its so quick and exciting youll be determined to not put it down.
Elodie Harper was the 2016 winner of Stephen Kings short story competition, and this is her debut full length novel (not of the same story). Im surprised to find this one is a debut because its so well put together and feels like the writing of someone more prolific and comfortable writing 300 page novels. There is no fault with Harpers writing, that I could find. This book is creepy and moody in tone throughout and is certainly the kind of book you want to read with the lights on!
Our main character, Janet, is a hard headed woman in the prison industry, with a fiery temper, but also a softer side we get to see often throughout the story. Normally I find these sort of characters get a little annoying and either too big for their boots, or become too soppy, but Janet stayed as a great lead throughout the book. I did have one issue with her character, to do with her relationship, at the end of the novel, but I will talk about that in a spoiler section at the bottom.
As for the other side characters, I thought they were very well developed. My only issue was with Steven, who 1) felt a little unneeded for the plot, and 2) a bit unbelievable, but I still enjoyed his character nonetheless.
The plot is certainly different to others and I really enjoyed this uniqueness. While I had my ideas as to what we happening, I still was non-the-wiser until it all came to light, so its great to have a book thats given me a shock twist. Each chapter in this book ends on a small cliffhanger, its so hard to ever out it down because you just want to know where the story is going next.
<b>I'm going to hide this next paragraph as a spoiler, but it is extremely minor. It does not ruin the mystery, twist or plot in any way.</b>
<spoiler>My one big issue with the whole book was the resolution of Janet and Aruns relationship. The fact that she didnt even have to think over getting back together with him after he cheated on her made my blood boil. After her being this strong lead all the way through, it seemed such a shame for her to go back to a man who cheated on her after 1 day of being on a break all because she wanted to keep her job. It was an arrogant and selfish thing of him to have done and Im not happy that she forgave him for it so easily.</spoiler>
Overall, I really enjoyed this book all the way through, despite there being one or two choices I would have made differently towards the end. Im certainly going to keep my eye out for more of Harpers work in the future as shes already proved to be a great story teller and character builder.
There are very few psychological thrillers/ horrors set in the prison environment, so when I read the synopsis for this book, I was really excited to read it. This book is one youll find yourself racing through, its so quick and exciting youll be determined to not put it down.
Elodie Harper was the 2016 winner of Stephen Kings short story competition, and this is her debut full length novel (not of the same story). Im surprised to find this one is a debut because its so well put together and feels like the writing of someone more prolific and comfortable writing 300 page novels. There is no fault with Harpers writing, that I could find. This book is creepy and moody in tone throughout and is certainly the kind of book you want to read with the lights on!
Our main character, Janet, is a hard headed woman in the prison industry, with a fiery temper, but also a softer side we get to see often throughout the story. Normally I find these sort of characters get a little annoying and either too big for their boots, or become too soppy, but Janet stayed as a great lead throughout the book. I did have one issue with her character, to do with her relationship, at the end of the novel, but I will talk about that in a spoiler section at the bottom.
As for the other side characters, I thought they were very well developed. My only issue was with Steven, who 1) felt a little unneeded for the plot, and 2) a bit unbelievable, but I still enjoyed his character nonetheless.
The plot is certainly different to others and I really enjoyed this uniqueness. While I had my ideas as to what we happening, I still was non-the-wiser until it all came to light, so its great to have a book thats given me a shock twist. Each chapter in this book ends on a small cliffhanger, its so hard to ever out it down because you just want to know where the story is going next.
<b>I'm going to hide this next paragraph as a spoiler, but it is extremely minor. It does not ruin the mystery, twist or plot in any way.</b>
<spoiler>My one big issue with the whole book was the resolution of Janet and Aruns relationship. The fact that she didnt even have to think over getting back together with him after he cheated on her made my blood boil. After her being this strong lead all the way through, it seemed such a shame for her to go back to a man who cheated on her after 1 day of being on a break all because she wanted to keep her job. It was an arrogant and selfish thing of him to have done and Im not happy that she forgave him for it so easily.</spoiler>
Overall, I really enjoyed this book all the way through, despite there being one or two choices I would have made differently towards the end. Im certainly going to keep my eye out for more of Harpers work in the future as shes already proved to be a great story teller and character builder.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Girl Made of Stars in Books
Jun 5, 2018
Gorgeous, powerful, heartbreaking novel
Owen and his twin sister, Mara, have been close for their entire life--bonded by their twinhood, joint storytelling, and love of the stars--particularly their "own" constellation. But that all changes when Mara's good friend, Hannah, accuses Owen of rape. Suddenly Mara finds herself torn between her friendships and her family. Even worse, she has no one to talk to, after breaking up with her girlfriend/best friend, Charlie. Everything feels unknown and confusing. How will Mara navigate this new world--and what will she do about Owen and Hannah?
This novel. Oh my goodness. It will break your heart and yet leave you speechless with wonder. It's so beautiful. It started off with a quote from Virginia Woolf (The Waves), so I knew it was going to be good. And it certainly was.
The book is so achingly gorgeous and real, with its realistic look at high school. It portrays how both amazing and awful kids can be at this age. Mara is such a lovely character. The Owen/Hannah situation leaves her conflicted and forces her to face something terrible in her own past. By placing Mara in such a difficult situation, Herring Blake also does a good job of showing how hard it is being the female in this situation and how so few people believe the girl. It's such a timely commentary (albeit a sad one). It may not always be easy to read, as we see how hard things are for Hannah (and Mara), but it's so well-done.
I mean, really, this book is just heartbreaking at times. And yet I was riveted. These kids, with their big problems, so many of them living other people's dreams. It was so poignant, so true to so many of my own experiences. And the relationships here--well, wow. I mean, for one thing, we get a truly bisexual character in Mara, which is so refreshing. And then Charlie is genderqueer/nonbinary. It was so wonderful to have these characters in this novel, as a positive representation for teens--living real lives, with real problems, but in no way serving as the villain or maligned character. I was incredibly impressed. I wish this novel was on the shelf of every high school (well, on the shelves everywhere, honestly).
The girls in this book are in a group called Empower, which stands up for females--how they are portrayed, the double standards they face, and more. They are so strong, despite all the hurdles they face on a daily basis. Honestly, despite so much sadness in this novel, there is so much hope. So much strength. I adored Mara. She is wonderful -- such a strong, amazing, and lovely character. I found myself rooting for her as if she was my own kid.
I loved this one. I don't even remember how or why I stumbled across it and requested it, but I'm so glad I did. This is a beautiful, powerful book about the strength of human existence. The girls in this novel will make you cry, make you laugh, and make you both despair for and have faith in humanity. I will be tracking down the rest of Herring Blake's books for sure.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
This novel. Oh my goodness. It will break your heart and yet leave you speechless with wonder. It's so beautiful. It started off with a quote from Virginia Woolf (The Waves), so I knew it was going to be good. And it certainly was.
The book is so achingly gorgeous and real, with its realistic look at high school. It portrays how both amazing and awful kids can be at this age. Mara is such a lovely character. The Owen/Hannah situation leaves her conflicted and forces her to face something terrible in her own past. By placing Mara in such a difficult situation, Herring Blake also does a good job of showing how hard it is being the female in this situation and how so few people believe the girl. It's such a timely commentary (albeit a sad one). It may not always be easy to read, as we see how hard things are for Hannah (and Mara), but it's so well-done.
I mean, really, this book is just heartbreaking at times. And yet I was riveted. These kids, with their big problems, so many of them living other people's dreams. It was so poignant, so true to so many of my own experiences. And the relationships here--well, wow. I mean, for one thing, we get a truly bisexual character in Mara, which is so refreshing. And then Charlie is genderqueer/nonbinary. It was so wonderful to have these characters in this novel, as a positive representation for teens--living real lives, with real problems, but in no way serving as the villain or maligned character. I was incredibly impressed. I wish this novel was on the shelf of every high school (well, on the shelves everywhere, honestly).
The girls in this book are in a group called Empower, which stands up for females--how they are portrayed, the double standards they face, and more. They are so strong, despite all the hurdles they face on a daily basis. Honestly, despite so much sadness in this novel, there is so much hope. So much strength. I adored Mara. She is wonderful -- such a strong, amazing, and lovely character. I found myself rooting for her as if she was my own kid.
I loved this one. I don't even remember how or why I stumbled across it and requested it, but I'm so glad I did. This is a beautiful, powerful book about the strength of human existence. The girls in this novel will make you cry, make you laugh, and make you both despair for and have faith in humanity. I will be tracking down the rest of Herring Blake's books for sure.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated Eight Days a Week in Books
Nov 5, 2018
A story about a manny who falls in love with his boss, Eight Days A Week captured my attention from the first time I read the summary. Never normally one for romances, I liked the unique spin it promised and tucked in with enthusiasm, hoping it would deliver so much more than your average boy meets girl romance. And boy did it. As you can see from the 5 star rating, I adored this book and have saved it firmly on my 'favourites' list on my kindle because, quite frankly, it was amazing, and here's why....
Firstly, I have to give credit to our author on the brilliance of the characters. Dee is amazing (and Don) and to see the way he grows throughout this book (no jokes about Don here please!) is just fantastic. Character development is always something I look out for in a book, and Johnson has done that splendidly here. It's believable, it's written with great skill and it really pulls you into the character and his story. Honestly, I could expect to bump into Dee on the street somewhere and he could be real, that's just how detailed and precise this book portrayed him to me. As a reader with limited time to give to different characters, it's great to see a character leap out the pages so well, even if it were to bring Don to visit me in my sleep!
I touched on it, but another thing that I adored about this book was the story line. It was different, fresh and told the story from a different perspective to what I usually encounter in this genre. I think this is in part due to how Dee tells the story himself, but it's so engaging I often found myself up late with eyes closing and smacking myself in the face with my kindle as I tried to read just another chapter. The 'Manny Log' was an excellent addition, and these frequently had me rolling with laughter at Dee and Don's commentary on things.
The book is full of these laugh out loud moments, but it's so much more than just comedy, and I think that is something that really made me enjoy this book that little bit more. The range of human emotions Johnson writes about in just one book is huge. But here's the best part, they're written with such excellent compassion, detail and, I'm harking back to it but it's important, believability that it's almost too much for me to describe. Sadness, love, raw need, sex, it's all there and it's all written so well that it draws you right in and you are compelled to keep reading. Without spoiling it, the ending was fantastic and left me teary eyed to the point I had to stop reading, but in such a good way!
Well, I can't recommend this book highly enough. I laughed, I cried, I cringed and I loved it. There's only two things I'd love right now:
1. Another sampling of Amber Johnson's writing
2. This book made into a movie so I can oggle Dee and Don in the flesh.
But don't take my word for it, pick up a copy and read it for yourselves!
*This book was first reviewed on Lily Loves Indie as part of a blog tour, for which an ARC was received in return for an honest review*
Firstly, I have to give credit to our author on the brilliance of the characters. Dee is amazing (and Don) and to see the way he grows throughout this book (no jokes about Don here please!) is just fantastic. Character development is always something I look out for in a book, and Johnson has done that splendidly here. It's believable, it's written with great skill and it really pulls you into the character and his story. Honestly, I could expect to bump into Dee on the street somewhere and he could be real, that's just how detailed and precise this book portrayed him to me. As a reader with limited time to give to different characters, it's great to see a character leap out the pages so well, even if it were to bring Don to visit me in my sleep!
I touched on it, but another thing that I adored about this book was the story line. It was different, fresh and told the story from a different perspective to what I usually encounter in this genre. I think this is in part due to how Dee tells the story himself, but it's so engaging I often found myself up late with eyes closing and smacking myself in the face with my kindle as I tried to read just another chapter. The 'Manny Log' was an excellent addition, and these frequently had me rolling with laughter at Dee and Don's commentary on things.
The book is full of these laugh out loud moments, but it's so much more than just comedy, and I think that is something that really made me enjoy this book that little bit more. The range of human emotions Johnson writes about in just one book is huge. But here's the best part, they're written with such excellent compassion, detail and, I'm harking back to it but it's important, believability that it's almost too much for me to describe. Sadness, love, raw need, sex, it's all there and it's all written so well that it draws you right in and you are compelled to keep reading. Without spoiling it, the ending was fantastic and left me teary eyed to the point I had to stop reading, but in such a good way!
Well, I can't recommend this book highly enough. I laughed, I cried, I cringed and I loved it. There's only two things I'd love right now:
1. Another sampling of Amber Johnson's writing
2. This book made into a movie so I can oggle Dee and Don in the flesh.
But don't take my word for it, pick up a copy and read it for yourselves!
*This book was first reviewed on Lily Loves Indie as part of a blog tour, for which an ARC was received in return for an honest review*
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Earthfall in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
Left 4 Dead and its sequel Left 4 Dead 2 became must play games for fans who loved the four player co-op gameplay as players worked with one another to accomplish tasks and survive legions of undead and supernatural enemies.
The sequel came soon after the original and despite rumors and the best hopes of the gaming community; a new chapter in the series has yet to appear.
Thankfully Holospark have stepped up to offer gamers an enjoyable and intense gaming experience for fans who have grown weary of waiting for a new installment of Left 4 Dead. Set in the Pacific Northwest, Earthfall deals with the aftermath of an Alien invasion where four characters must work with one another to accomplish tasks, defeat wave after wave of enemies and survive.
Players can play with one another or play with A.I. controlled Bots whose ability level can be adjusted by players at the start of the level.
Weapons ranging from shotguns, pistols, bladed weapons, machine guns, and heavy weapons can be found along the way or printed at 3D Printers to help the odds of survival. There are also health kits, stations, ammo boxes, and Stimulant shots which will all have their place as the gameplay unfolds.
Teamwork is the key as the enemies are abundant and fast. While they may not have the best A.I. out there and rush straight at you; the fact that they are so abundant and attack from multiple directions at once really increases the challenge.
There are several types of enemies as well as boss Aliens who show up at various points of a level to throw a wrench into your strategy. Once a player is down, they can be revived by other players which often puts players in the difficult task of trying to stay alive or rushing into danger to try to save other players.
There are also devices such as auto and manned gun emplacements which can shred enemies, but overheat if continuous fire is used.
The game does offer various levels of difficulty so players can find one that best meets their gameplay style. Some may find the gameplay a bit dated but when you factor in the game was made by an Indie developer and has a list price for $30.00; it has some great things going for it. I have played the game well-over a year in early access phase and I have really enjoyed seeing the improvements to the game as it made its way to full release. The new maps are really good and there are more coming for gamers to enjoy as well. What is also really enjoyable to see is that Holospark seems very open to suggestions of the community and will continue to tweak the game going forward.
While some will likely say the graphics are a bit out of date and the dialogue is a bit standard, it is important to note that this is a game designed for fans of Left 4 Dead and is done by an smaller developer and not one of the mega-publishers, as such, I found the quality of the graphics and gameplay more than good enough for modern systems and at no time did I ever find it as a distraction to the gameplay as I was immersed from the get go.
If you are a fan of Left 4 Dead and want an affordably priced game that incorporates several of the best elements of the prior game, then you will not want to miss Earthfall.
http://sknr.net/2018/07/16/earthfall/
The sequel came soon after the original and despite rumors and the best hopes of the gaming community; a new chapter in the series has yet to appear.
Thankfully Holospark have stepped up to offer gamers an enjoyable and intense gaming experience for fans who have grown weary of waiting for a new installment of Left 4 Dead. Set in the Pacific Northwest, Earthfall deals with the aftermath of an Alien invasion where four characters must work with one another to accomplish tasks, defeat wave after wave of enemies and survive.
Players can play with one another or play with A.I. controlled Bots whose ability level can be adjusted by players at the start of the level.
Weapons ranging from shotguns, pistols, bladed weapons, machine guns, and heavy weapons can be found along the way or printed at 3D Printers to help the odds of survival. There are also health kits, stations, ammo boxes, and Stimulant shots which will all have their place as the gameplay unfolds.
Teamwork is the key as the enemies are abundant and fast. While they may not have the best A.I. out there and rush straight at you; the fact that they are so abundant and attack from multiple directions at once really increases the challenge.
There are several types of enemies as well as boss Aliens who show up at various points of a level to throw a wrench into your strategy. Once a player is down, they can be revived by other players which often puts players in the difficult task of trying to stay alive or rushing into danger to try to save other players.
There are also devices such as auto and manned gun emplacements which can shred enemies, but overheat if continuous fire is used.
The game does offer various levels of difficulty so players can find one that best meets their gameplay style. Some may find the gameplay a bit dated but when you factor in the game was made by an Indie developer and has a list price for $30.00; it has some great things going for it. I have played the game well-over a year in early access phase and I have really enjoyed seeing the improvements to the game as it made its way to full release. The new maps are really good and there are more coming for gamers to enjoy as well. What is also really enjoyable to see is that Holospark seems very open to suggestions of the community and will continue to tweak the game going forward.
While some will likely say the graphics are a bit out of date and the dialogue is a bit standard, it is important to note that this is a game designed for fans of Left 4 Dead and is done by an smaller developer and not one of the mega-publishers, as such, I found the quality of the graphics and gameplay more than good enough for modern systems and at no time did I ever find it as a distraction to the gameplay as I was immersed from the get go.
If you are a fan of Left 4 Dead and want an affordably priced game that incorporates several of the best elements of the prior game, then you will not want to miss Earthfall.
http://sknr.net/2018/07/16/earthfall/
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Everything, Everything in Books
Jan 23, 2020
I'm part of a reading challenge on this app called Habitica where I have to read a book turning into a movie this year, so <em>Everything, Everything</em> kind of got picked because of that. (I know it's problematic. The reading challenges are the only reasons why I chose to read the book.)
Anelise and I were also throwing out random books from our library for hours and this was the first that we both had a copy of or could borrow from the library, so here we are.
<b>
</b> <b>I was hoping to learn more from <i>Everything, Everything</i> than I actually did.</b> Madeline Whittier, aka Maddy, is someone who has SCID - an immune disorder where those affected basically have to be isolated from everything. <b>I learned virtually nothing but the bare bones definition of SCID</b> for the duration of the book:
<ul>
<li>You have to be isolated from the world</li>
<li>Anything, ANYTHING can trigger a reaction</li>
<li>It is basically a very miserable life</li>
</ul>
<div>Let's be honest: it's the dictionary definition.</div>
And <b>everything is so WHIT</b>E. White walls, white rooms, white bookshelves - I like the occasional white but ALL white is associated with hospitals. <b>I suppose hospital is the atmosphere Yoon is going for? </b>Still, though. Hospitals do have a splash of color somewhere? At least I'm pretty sure they do, but I'm that one kid who rarely went to the hospital.
So if you want the really quick version:<b> the romance is the plot</b>. I'm usually not a fan of contemporary romance, but I've been on a contemporary streak lately after reading some amazing books lately in the genre. <b>The romance between Mandy and Olly is adorable</b> - seeing their limited interactions, IMs, emails, etc. and even when they saw each other outside of those. <b>If you don't mind a cute romance or have a curiosity to know more about SCID, then <i>Everything, Everything</i> might be up your alley.</b> But I like learning things. This is why I'm still Ravenclaw and not Gryffindor, so Pottermore is wrong, I tell you. WRONG.
I thought<b> the layout was interesting and different, making the book seem quicker</b>. I also loved the illustrations - they complemented the story really well and felt like a nice addition.
Despite the cute romance, interesting layout, and amazing illustrations, <b>I am still disappointed with the ending.</b> It's one of those endings that might depend on the reader’s preferences, but I thought <b>it was a screwed up ending where some of the characters have HUGE issues</b>. I know I have my own issues of life, but this one is a really messy issue and I'm surprised no one got even a tiny bit suspicious for what? 16, 17 years?
I know there are some out there who will turn around and say that <i>Everything, Everything</i> is a fantastic novel. It is! But <b>the ending ruined everything, and I cannot add this to my collection of shove worthy books.</b>
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/everything-everything-by-nicola-yoon/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Anelise and I were also throwing out random books from our library for hours and this was the first that we both had a copy of or could borrow from the library, so here we are.
<b>
</b> <b>I was hoping to learn more from <i>Everything, Everything</i> than I actually did.</b> Madeline Whittier, aka Maddy, is someone who has SCID - an immune disorder where those affected basically have to be isolated from everything. <b>I learned virtually nothing but the bare bones definition of SCID</b> for the duration of the book:
<ul>
<li>You have to be isolated from the world</li>
<li>Anything, ANYTHING can trigger a reaction</li>
<li>It is basically a very miserable life</li>
</ul>
<div>Let's be honest: it's the dictionary definition.</div>
And <b>everything is so WHIT</b>E. White walls, white rooms, white bookshelves - I like the occasional white but ALL white is associated with hospitals. <b>I suppose hospital is the atmosphere Yoon is going for? </b>Still, though. Hospitals do have a splash of color somewhere? At least I'm pretty sure they do, but I'm that one kid who rarely went to the hospital.
So if you want the really quick version:<b> the romance is the plot</b>. I'm usually not a fan of contemporary romance, but I've been on a contemporary streak lately after reading some amazing books lately in the genre. <b>The romance between Mandy and Olly is adorable</b> - seeing their limited interactions, IMs, emails, etc. and even when they saw each other outside of those. <b>If you don't mind a cute romance or have a curiosity to know more about SCID, then <i>Everything, Everything</i> might be up your alley.</b> But I like learning things. This is why I'm still Ravenclaw and not Gryffindor, so Pottermore is wrong, I tell you. WRONG.
I thought<b> the layout was interesting and different, making the book seem quicker</b>. I also loved the illustrations - they complemented the story really well and felt like a nice addition.
Despite the cute romance, interesting layout, and amazing illustrations, <b>I am still disappointed with the ending.</b> It's one of those endings that might depend on the reader’s preferences, but I thought <b>it was a screwed up ending where some of the characters have HUGE issues</b>. I know I have my own issues of life, but this one is a really messy issue and I'm surprised no one got even a tiny bit suspicious for what? 16, 17 years?
I know there are some out there who will turn around and say that <i>Everything, Everything</i> is a fantastic novel. It is! But <b>the ending ruined everything, and I cannot add this to my collection of shove worthy books.</b>
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/everything-everything-by-nicola-yoon/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Steam Park: Play Dirty in Tabletop Games
Aug 20, 2021
In the expansion review series, we take a look at a game expansion to discuss whether it is a necessary purchase/addition to one’s collection.
This breakdown is for the action dice-rolling and them park-building game Steam Park’s modular expansion, Play Dirty (as in dirt, not as in adult themes). Play Dirty is a modular expansion, so some modules may be added or left out depending on comfort level and enjoyment of each module.
One major module added to this expansion is the addition of a fifth player to Steam Park. As if Steam Park wasn’t frantic enough with four, go ahead and throw in a fifth set of hands going crazy at the table! Also included are gray “Stingy Visitors,” which act as wild visitor types for color, but provide one less Danari (currency in Steam Park) but create NO DIRT. Excellent! Play Dirty also includes a new set of five stands for robots to do business: Fountain, Hall of Mirrors, Office, Shooting Gallery, and Incinerator. Along with these new stands are a set of stand reference tiles to remind players what each stand actually does in the game. Very handy.
The biggest difference-makers in the expansion box are the Ride Extensions, Park Directors, and Espionage Dice. Ride Extensions do just that – extend existing rides in one’s park, but the two different colored extensions (golden and rusty) have their own rules that are triggered depending on colors of robots upon them. The Park Directors module adds a new twist that changes the rules for an aspect of the base game for all players throughout the entire game. These are very powerful changes, and one Park Director is chosen to be used at the beginning of each game. Espionage Dice are very special in that one is added to each player’s white dice and rolled as normal throughout the game. However, the Espionage Dice cost 4 Danari to activate after the Roll Phase. The power here is that the player using the die pays one Danari less to use it when matching the face of white dice in their opponent’s pig sitting to their right. For example, to use a Build Stand face on Espionage Die will cost four Danari normally. However, should the opponent on the right have four Build Stand symbols showing on their white dice, the Espionage Die activates for free!
Must you own the Play Dirty expansion to truly enjoy your plays of Steam Park? Not at all. I do very much enjoy several of the modules in the box though. I really enjoy the powerful Park Directors because it freshens up a rule from the base game or modifies it in interesting ways. I like the new Stands that come in the box as well for additional options during play, but you MUST use the reference tiles, especially if combining all 10 Stands. The other modules are fine, but I would have been happy with just the ones I mentioned here.
Official recommendation: I remember my first play of Steam Park and falling in love with it right away. I have never felt stagnation in my future plays, but adding Play Dirty certainly is a game-changer in every sense of the term. I say definitely pick it up if you are feeling the base game no longer gives you the excitement and frenzy it once did.
This breakdown is for the action dice-rolling and them park-building game Steam Park’s modular expansion, Play Dirty (as in dirt, not as in adult themes). Play Dirty is a modular expansion, so some modules may be added or left out depending on comfort level and enjoyment of each module.
One major module added to this expansion is the addition of a fifth player to Steam Park. As if Steam Park wasn’t frantic enough with four, go ahead and throw in a fifth set of hands going crazy at the table! Also included are gray “Stingy Visitors,” which act as wild visitor types for color, but provide one less Danari (currency in Steam Park) but create NO DIRT. Excellent! Play Dirty also includes a new set of five stands for robots to do business: Fountain, Hall of Mirrors, Office, Shooting Gallery, and Incinerator. Along with these new stands are a set of stand reference tiles to remind players what each stand actually does in the game. Very handy.
The biggest difference-makers in the expansion box are the Ride Extensions, Park Directors, and Espionage Dice. Ride Extensions do just that – extend existing rides in one’s park, but the two different colored extensions (golden and rusty) have their own rules that are triggered depending on colors of robots upon them. The Park Directors module adds a new twist that changes the rules for an aspect of the base game for all players throughout the entire game. These are very powerful changes, and one Park Director is chosen to be used at the beginning of each game. Espionage Dice are very special in that one is added to each player’s white dice and rolled as normal throughout the game. However, the Espionage Dice cost 4 Danari to activate after the Roll Phase. The power here is that the player using the die pays one Danari less to use it when matching the face of white dice in their opponent’s pig sitting to their right. For example, to use a Build Stand face on Espionage Die will cost four Danari normally. However, should the opponent on the right have four Build Stand symbols showing on their white dice, the Espionage Die activates for free!
Must you own the Play Dirty expansion to truly enjoy your plays of Steam Park? Not at all. I do very much enjoy several of the modules in the box though. I really enjoy the powerful Park Directors because it freshens up a rule from the base game or modifies it in interesting ways. I like the new Stands that come in the box as well for additional options during play, but you MUST use the reference tiles, especially if combining all 10 Stands. The other modules are fine, but I would have been happy with just the ones I mentioned here.
Official recommendation: I remember my first play of Steam Park and falling in love with it right away. I have never felt stagnation in my future plays, but adding Play Dirty certainly is a game-changer in every sense of the term. I say definitely pick it up if you are feeling the base game no longer gives you the excitement and frenzy it once did.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Hourglass (Hourglass, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Let me just say right now that I'm glad I didn't judge this book by its cover, because I never would have requested it. The cover doesn't particularly appeal to me; for that matter, the title didn't make me curious either. Even after I read the back cover I wasn't convinced. I like to be intrigued and the cover/summary fooled me. But I saw a good review for it somewhere, so I snatched it up. I'm very happy I did.
Time travel has been done poorly so many times, but Hourglass was fantastic. It was original and creative, and it met every requirement for a perfect book: it had tension, awesome characters, a well thought out and multi-layered plot, and good writing.
There was tension in every sentence of ever paragraph of every chapter. It was nearly impossible to put down. I completely lost track of time while I read it. (haha, lost track of…get it?…. it's a time travel book…never mind.) I was forced to put it down to do things like work and chores and food, but except for things like that, it kept me reading, and there were no empty scenes.
The characters were amazing. Can I just say that I want to marry Michael right now? omigoodness. He's going on my list. Any author who can write a character like that is going on my favorites list right now. Emerson is strong-willed, kick-ass, and has to remind herself that she's short because her personality is the opposite. She was the perfect heroine because she was real and fragile and head over heels in love with someone she wasn't supposed to love. Michael was the brave proud chivalrous attractive protagonist who has a major hero complex, and of course is trying not to be in love with Em (and failing miserably). Both of them together had humorous conversations and explosive chemistry. (like, things short circuit when they touch, and light bulbs break when they kiss.)
The plot kept me guessing all the way to the end, and the last quarter of the book threw so many twists and turns at me that I found myself thinking, "Ok wait, what? are you serious?" But it wasn't overdone, there was no overkill, and it worked perfectly in the end. (I'll keep it spoiler free, but I'll just say don't worry, it does work out. Don't get mad and throw the book against the wall like I did.)
And of course, the writing. I find that many young adult novels have mediocre writing. McEntire is a good writer in the sense that she can keep the tension real and controlling, she has good descriptions and great pacing, and there are no dead words.
Hourglass was fast-paced, exciting, unique, and completely enthralling. I anxiously await more from McEntire hope for more of Michael and Emerson's story in the future.
Content/recommendation: some mild language, no sex. Ages 16+
Time travel has been done poorly so many times, but Hourglass was fantastic. It was original and creative, and it met every requirement for a perfect book: it had tension, awesome characters, a well thought out and multi-layered plot, and good writing.
There was tension in every sentence of ever paragraph of every chapter. It was nearly impossible to put down. I completely lost track of time while I read it. (haha, lost track of…get it?…. it's a time travel book…never mind.) I was forced to put it down to do things like work and chores and food, but except for things like that, it kept me reading, and there were no empty scenes.
The characters were amazing. Can I just say that I want to marry Michael right now? omigoodness. He's going on my list. Any author who can write a character like that is going on my favorites list right now. Emerson is strong-willed, kick-ass, and has to remind herself that she's short because her personality is the opposite. She was the perfect heroine because she was real and fragile and head over heels in love with someone she wasn't supposed to love. Michael was the brave proud chivalrous attractive protagonist who has a major hero complex, and of course is trying not to be in love with Em (and failing miserably). Both of them together had humorous conversations and explosive chemistry. (like, things short circuit when they touch, and light bulbs break when they kiss.)
The plot kept me guessing all the way to the end, and the last quarter of the book threw so many twists and turns at me that I found myself thinking, "Ok wait, what? are you serious?" But it wasn't overdone, there was no overkill, and it worked perfectly in the end. (I'll keep it spoiler free, but I'll just say don't worry, it does work out. Don't get mad and throw the book against the wall like I did.)
And of course, the writing. I find that many young adult novels have mediocre writing. McEntire is a good writer in the sense that she can keep the tension real and controlling, she has good descriptions and great pacing, and there are no dead words.
Hourglass was fast-paced, exciting, unique, and completely enthralling. I anxiously await more from McEntire hope for more of Michael and Emerson's story in the future.
Content/recommendation: some mild language, no sex. Ages 16+
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Mentor, The in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Oh, Im so sad I can only give this book a 3 star review. I really wanted to love this one! The synopsis sounds so dark, intense and creepy, but it let me down in that department
almost completely!
The first 40% of this book was definitely enthralling, at times silly and over the top, but still exciting to read. The characters were interesting, the story was moving along nicely and the writing was simple, but not bad. It was about when I got to 50% that I realised I was getting a little bit bored by this novel.
Characters in this one werent so bad. They were well developed and even though there were a fair few number of them, we did get to know them individually, quite well. My problem was that they were pretty unbelievable and I didnt really like any of them. Im not sure if Kyle was meant to come across as an anti-hero, but thats kind of what he felt like although for me, it was mostly anti, less hero. I really didnt like the introduction to the character as being a semi-graphic description of the sex he had with his girlfriend.
The plot for this book sounded amazing! An English professor writes a depraved book that sounds like an unsolved murder case from years ago? Is it just a coincidence or is it something more sinister? Doesnt that sounds amazing? Well, it isnt, I hate to say! Yes, this professor does write a depraved, and terribly written, book about kidnapping a girl but it doesnt allude to the fact it might be about a cold case until around the 60% mark, which is ridiculous!
At 336 pages, this isnt a long novel, but it definitely could have been cut down! Most of this novel was a very repetitive back and forth between Kyle and his mad professor. Repetition like this in books is something I absolutely despise and with each new chapter, I could feel myself losing the will to read this book.
That was my first issue with the writing, and then my annoyance moved on to the number of spelling, grammatical and sentence structure errors. Considering this novel was about an editor, you would have thought the real editor would have caught the vast number of cock ups in this book!
I got very irritated by this novel towards the end. The story was convoluted, silly and unrealistic. I got to the point of skimming pages in the ending chapters, yes, it was that disappointing. Not to mention this wasnt creepy or tense at all. It was pretty predictable all the way through and the ending was a cheap way out.
Overall, I wouldnt recommend this novel. It gets 3 stars because I did enjoy the first 40% or so, but the story became silly and I couldnt get over the number of errors in the writing.
The first 40% of this book was definitely enthralling, at times silly and over the top, but still exciting to read. The characters were interesting, the story was moving along nicely and the writing was simple, but not bad. It was about when I got to 50% that I realised I was getting a little bit bored by this novel.
Characters in this one werent so bad. They were well developed and even though there were a fair few number of them, we did get to know them individually, quite well. My problem was that they were pretty unbelievable and I didnt really like any of them. Im not sure if Kyle was meant to come across as an anti-hero, but thats kind of what he felt like although for me, it was mostly anti, less hero. I really didnt like the introduction to the character as being a semi-graphic description of the sex he had with his girlfriend.
The plot for this book sounded amazing! An English professor writes a depraved book that sounds like an unsolved murder case from years ago? Is it just a coincidence or is it something more sinister? Doesnt that sounds amazing? Well, it isnt, I hate to say! Yes, this professor does write a depraved, and terribly written, book about kidnapping a girl but it doesnt allude to the fact it might be about a cold case until around the 60% mark, which is ridiculous!
At 336 pages, this isnt a long novel, but it definitely could have been cut down! Most of this novel was a very repetitive back and forth between Kyle and his mad professor. Repetition like this in books is something I absolutely despise and with each new chapter, I could feel myself losing the will to read this book.
That was my first issue with the writing, and then my annoyance moved on to the number of spelling, grammatical and sentence structure errors. Considering this novel was about an editor, you would have thought the real editor would have caught the vast number of cock ups in this book!
I got very irritated by this novel towards the end. The story was convoluted, silly and unrealistic. I got to the point of skimming pages in the ending chapters, yes, it was that disappointing. Not to mention this wasnt creepy or tense at all. It was pretty predictable all the way through and the ending was a cheap way out.
Overall, I wouldnt recommend this novel. It gets 3 stars because I did enjoy the first 40% or so, but the story became silly and I couldnt get over the number of errors in the writing.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The Addams Family (2019) in Movies
Nov 1, 2019 (Updated Nov 1, 2019)
Everyone knows pink is a gateway colour
addams family attempts to bring the classic family into modern day and while not a bad little film it doesnt do nearly enough to make them as memorable for a new generation of kids/teens as it did for people my age growing up. I must say I quite admire this film for trying to differentiate its self from the constant barrage of animated features weve had this year. Its colour pallet is mostly drab, cold and dark colours which I enjoyed and fit well with the gothic/spooky vibe of the film. Theres also a lot of cool halloween things to look at in the scenes that are set inside the familys house and humor at times can be incredibly gross or darkly adult too which really made me giggle (most of which children are thankfuly to young to understand). Animation while not overly detailed was nice to look at also be it the warts on an old hags nose, spiders crawling the walls or the way the bottom of Morticias dress squirms around the floor as she walks are just some of the neat little attentions to detail making this world a little more strange and alive. Plot and story wise its a little dull and while I found some clever ideas implemented here they really are not executed very interestingly. I did find some of the ideas fun however like the way the movie pokes fun at current trends eg all the girls at the school wednesday goes to have those hidious duck lips, all look identical to one another and obsess over instagram. Everyone in the town also has odd habbits of thier own and the seemingly nicest person also has a much darker side to her, not to mention the entire town is filled with hatred for anything diffrent, easily influenced by social media, full of fake happiness and coated in hidiously garish colour choices which makes you question who the 'ugly' and 'strange' ones really are here. Subtle themes of child abuse, belonging, acceptance, being yourself, death, honour, pressure, loneliness as well as other heavy subjects strangely fit well here making the film a little darker than I expected too. Sadly theres not much here for kids who will undoubtedly be bored quick because big spectacle set pieces are few and far between/not very exciting either and what I found enjoyable ie the subbtle violence, gross adult humour, adult themes and gothic visuals wont likely intrest them either. Oscar isaac and Charlize theron voice work for Morticia and Gomez I found very enjoyable and the score at times really stood out to me a lot at times creating a nice eerie atmosphere. Not nearly as bad as people make out Adams Family may be a tad forgettable, have an extreamly rushed third act, story arcs that go nowhere its creepy, kooky, spooky, and enjoyable enough to warrent seeing at the cinema for sure.