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I've Got You
I've Got You
Becca Seymour | 2019 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
a stunning follow up!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is sort of the second book in the set, Let Me Show You is the first, and you really should read that one, I think, to give you the full picture of what Scott did to Carter in that book, and why he feels so bad about himself in this one. Not totally NECESSARY, but I think it would help a great deal.

Scott was awful to Carter, and then came out to him, which made what Scott did all the worse. When Scott kisses Davis, Tanner’s best friend, at Carter and Tanner’s party, Scott runs. It takes a great deal of Carter to bring Scott out of himself. Davis is profoundly affected by that kiss, and he knows what Scott did to Carter was bad, but when Davis sees Scott, really SEES deep into his eyes, Davis knows Scott is desperately unhappy with his lot. But can the newly outed vet be happy with the single dad? Can he be happy, at ALL?

Like I said, I think it would help a great deal to read Carter and Tanner’s book before this one. If only to give you the full picture of what Scott did to Carter, and why Tanner is reluctant to forgive Scott, even if Carter does, and just why Scott hates himself so much. You need that bigger picture, I think. Just my personal opinion, is all.

Scott is hurting. He knows what he did was wrong, and the fact that Carter has taken it upon himself to become Scott’s best friend shocks him but gives him hope. He doesn’t know if he will ever be truly happy with himself for that, but he has to try. Meeting Davis at Carter and Tanner’s party was a bit of a revelation. He doesn’t know why he kissed Davis, but he liked it, a lot. Getting to know Davis seems like a good idea, but a deeply scary one for Scott, especially since Davis has a baby daughter.

Davis is lovely! I loved his patience with Scott, he knows Scott is hurting, and he knows Scott is newly out, so he understands explaining stuff is hard work, but very quickly, very early on, Davis knows Scott is the man for him. He just has to bide his time while Scott gets himself sorted. When Scott comes to work in Davis’ coffee shop, it gives Davis the ideal opportunity to get close to Scott. And when Scott meets Libby?? Davis is smitten, deeply!

There is, for Scott, a great deal of soul-searching in this book. Davis is an open book here and Scott is not. It takes time for Scott to come out of himself, and for the relationship between Davis and Scott to develop and I loved that. In Carter and Tanner’s review, I said I loved being made to wait for the main event but here? I wasn’t even sure we would GET the main event! It’s a close thing, I tell ya. But it’s right and proper that these two take their time, and get to know each other properly, I think.

It has some sexy time, some deeply emotional time, some funny moments and some shocking ones. Both Davis and Scott have their say, in the first person. Both voices are very different, and each change is clearly headed at the beginning of a chapter.

It also has some very homophobic comments from a shocking source, where you don’t expect them, but once you know, you understand why Scott was in a bad place before.

We leave this little town, with Scott and Davis, and Carter and Tanner happily settling down to their new lives together. We also get to meet Scott’s sister. I’d like her to be happy too. She had it tough for a long time, and reconnecting with Scott gives her the courage to do something about her life. She deserves the kind of happiness her brother has found, too, please Ms Seymour!

Not quite as warm and fuzzies and too stinking cute as Let Me Some You, but it’s a very close thing! Still. . .

5 full and shiny stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
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Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) Jul 4, 2019

Interesting. I think I'll put this on my to read list

The Wizard of Lies (2017)
The Wizard of Lies (2017)
2017 | Drama
Captivating...
Bernie Madoff. What can you say? His Ponzi scheme was so complex, far-reaching and of epic proportions, it ruined many people's lives. Tore their life savings from them based on the betrayal of trust.


"Rain Man' director, Barry Levinson, successfully captures the intrigue, suspense, and also the interesting family dynamics in this compelling true story.


If the family dynamics are to be believed as his wife and sons did not know about any of the lies and fraudulent trading, they were either incredibly naive, incredibly stupid or just living the good life..


De Niro gives one of his most memorable recent performances and almost makes you sympathize with him. The actual reporter who wrote the book plays herself well in the film also.


Was Madoff a sociopath?

  
A Creature of Moonlight
A Creature of Moonlight
Rebecca Hahn | 2014 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book reads a lot like a fairy story, starring a girl who feels drawn into the magical world of the forest despite her attachments to the world outside. The writing style felt very lyrical, which seemed very appropriate for the story, and helped to pull me into it all the more effectively. Though it took me a couple of chapters to really get into the story, once I did I found that it was a quick read and kept me interested in the characters and what would happen next. If you're looking for an action packed fantasy story this might not be the book for you, but if you're looking for a magical story and beautiful writing this might be a good book for you to pick up.
  
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Jeremiah Zagar recommended Hopscotch (1980) in Movies (curated)

 
Hopscotch (1980)
Hopscotch (1980)
1980 | Action, Comedy, Mystery
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"I love Hopscotch and dream of making a movie like it. It’s just full of fun and double crosses. Ronald Neame is very unsung as a director, but he made the coolest movies. He worked a lot with David Lean, so I think it’s interesting to look at Lean, who did these giant epics, and Neame, who was way more experimental and wild in choosing the kinds of movies he was going to make. Hopscotch is basically a perfect film, and Walter Matthau is unreal in it. You watch him and you think, that’s what American actors should have been and should always be. Hopscotch has that heist-noir and cat-and-mouse thing going on, but it’s also bright and goofy and funny and hits a tone that’s so unique and clear."

Source
  
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Beth Ditto recommended Singles Going Steady by Buzzcocks in Music (curated)

 
Singles Going Steady by Buzzcocks
Singles Going Steady by Buzzcocks
1979 | Punk
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Look, I'm a hits only person. When I go see a show, I don't want filler. Unless you're Sonic Youth or Tori Amos, I don't want your B-sides. Hits only. It's so self-indulgent. I picked Buzzcocks Singles Going Steady because I like that it's a little campy and gay. And the harmonies are good. It's that simple. I think with music sometimes it is that simple. It was pop punk, not pop punk as it is now, but it was poppy. I got into punk late because what I thought punk was did not appeal to me at all. I was like I couldn't care less about [whispers conspiratorially] Sex Pistols. But Buzzcocks, Gang Of Four, Wire, that's my jam. Melodic and smart and put together and catchy and the rest of it? I don't care. It's self-indulgent, like you say you don't care what we think of you but, yes you do. Singles Going Steady doesn't take itself too seriously, and it's gay. It's so gay. I think it's cool to think about being gay in the punk scene, I don't think it could have been too easy but to me that's ultimately not giving a fuck. It must be easy to be some straight, white dude and be anti-establishment. Well you're part of the problem, get out of here. You're anti what? What are you talking about? We were so lucky to come along in the 90s, because it was really a turning point for pop culture. Look at Riot Grrl, it made punk a safer place for women, and then Queercore came along and made it a safer place for queers. I think, there is a refuge in punk rock now, but that's the thing why I think the Buzzcocks was more punk than punk, because I don't necessarily think there was a refuge then. I think it probably felt pretty lonely, because you weren't disco, you weren't pop, that's where queer culture, or the gay scene really was, and to be a punk then? I don't think you could seek refuge in that. "

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Wreck Raiders
Wreck Raiders
2019 | Dice Game, Nautical
“X marks the spot.” But what happens after the pirates sail off with the treasure? Usually the next time we see it, it’s in a shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean. How did it get there? I’m not exactly sure. But your job as a Wreck Raider is to get that treasure out of the water, onto land, and into museums to start earning you some serious cash!

Wreck Raiders is a dice rolling game of worker placement and set collection in which you are trying to collect sunken treasures for museum exhibits and build extravagant aquariums that will earn you a fortune once opened to the public. Players take turns claiming dice, moving Divers to underwater wrecks, collecting treasures for museum exhibits, and safely collecting exotic sea creatures for display in aquariums. Can you find the rarest and most desired underwater treasures, or will your competitors take all the goods and leave unimpressive baubles for you?

DISCLAIMER: There are a few mini-expansions for this game, and we do have them. We are reviewing only the base game for now. Should we decide to review the mini expansions, we will either update this post or link to the new post here. -T

I don’t own a lot of worker placement games. I don’t usually enjoy ‘take that’ type actions, and in most worker placement games, when one player monopolizes a single spot on the board (either to amass those resources or block their opponents), it can certainly escalate the tension of the game. Wreck Raiders is a worker placement game, but with a twist. When you place one of your Divers at a wreck, any players in the adjacent spots also receive the benefit of your placement. If a dive site is full, you have the ability to bump your opponents to the beach, where they will also collect that resource. Nobody can truly be blocked in this game, and that makes it feel like a friendlier game. Don’t get me wrong, you’re still competing for the most end-game points, it just doesn’t feel as cutthroat because you know that you can still have access to the resources you need.

With that said, Wreck Raiders requires a whole lot more strategy than meets the eye. All collected treasures are public information – you know what your opponents have gathered, and they know what you have. Since your worker placement could benefit Divers in adjacent spaces, you really have to think about what resources you need, and what resources you are willing to hand to your opponents, free of charge. If you have enough Divers at a site, you could multiply your own collection, but if your opponent holds the majority, you could be handing them end-game points if you decide to place your Diver there. It’s a game of give-and-take, and a single placement decision could inadvertently affect the entire outcome of the game. Another aspect of this game that I really like, regarding strategy, is that there are several ways to earn points. You can earn points for completing museum exhibits, collecting matching sets of artifacts for your personal vault, and building as many aquariums as possible. There’s no single path to victory, and the options provided make for a different game every play. Make sure you keep an eye on your opponents, though. How can you inhibit their strategy while maximizing yours? I guess you’ll just have to play to find out for yourself!

Wreck Raiders looks like a daunting game with a lot of moving parts, but it really is quite simple to learn and to play. That is a huge positive for me because I am not the greatest board game teacher (yet!), so if a game is pretty intuitive, it makes it easier for me to teach. The gameplay itself is not too complicated, and that makes it fun and fast to play. Yes, you’ve got to be constantly strategizing, but there aren’t so many options that you feel overwhelmed and unsure of what moves to make. This game is a great balance of strategy and ease of play and I will never turn down an opportunity to play it.

Wreck Raiders is a game that I Kickstarted, and I am so glad that I did. The artwork is neat, the components are high-quality, and the game itself plays extremely well. There are so many strategic paths open to you, every game is going to be different. Wreck Raiders is one hidden treasure that I am happy to have discovered! Purple Phoenix Games gives it a seaworthy 10 / 12.

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