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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie in Music
Nov 2, 2017 (Updated Oct 26, 2018)
Ziggy Played Guitar...
Say what you want about David Bowie, whether you love him or hate him, it’s impossible to deny that there was no one else quite like him. A few have tried to emulate his genius over the years, such as Lady Gaga and Robert Smith, but no one will ever be as effortlessly unique and groundbreaking as Bowie. This album influenced so much that came after and while it wasn’t the first glam rock concept album, it is one of the best. It works as a concept album, as an overall complete piece of art and yet the songs also work on their own on an individual basis. This album truly sounds as if it was recorded in a technologically advanced studio in another solar system on the other side of a black hole by a higher being. If Stanley Kubrick ever made a glam rock record, this would be it. Yet it still has that air of raw emotion, as every vocal recording was completed in one take. There is a constant ominous atmosphere all through this album, even during the record’s more upbeat, joyous moments such as Starman. This threat is never clearly defined, rather it is felt through Bowie’s vocal performance and gives us a sense of some kind of upcoming impending doom, without clearly stating it, which in and of itself is a stroke of genius. There is also a juxtaposition present in the album, in that although the majority of the musical arrangements are odd and out of place for a rock ‘n roll album, giving a deliberate ‘alien,’ feel to the compositions present on the album, there is also an undeniable sense of humanity that is felt through Bowie’s voice and this oxymoron garnishes an already awesome sounding album with yet another emotion that is thrust at the listener. Although it is widely debated whether this record was intended to be a concept album, if you follow the narrative and fill in the blanks somewhat you can piece together the tale of a band that reached their prime and eventually blew up and committed rock ‘n roll suicide. This album was the genesis of so much genius to follow and it was all born from one man’s zany imagination.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Backyard Harvest in Books
Sep 8, 2017
An indispensable guide for the beginning gardener
Backyard Harvest is set up by months, which makes for a unique and absolutely essential (to me, a beginner) book. In every month, it tells you what you should be eating (provided you had planted it previously!), what you should be planting, what you should be pruning or transplanting or otherwise working on, and usually a few pages on a seasonal-appropriate subject. (A section on apples and apple trees in November, for example.) The layout is gorgeous, the instructions are easy to understand, and I feel like after a few years of following this book I’ll be eating from my garden every month of the year with ease.
For January, for example, if I had these things planted, harvested, or stored from last year, I should be eating pickles, stored root veggies, newly lifted Salsify, forced Belgian Endive, and winter radishes, among other tasty-looking things. I should be sowing (indoors, to transplant after the last frost) early-season leeks, summer onions, lettuce, broad beans, cut-and-come-again greens, and early peas and radishes. For tending, I should be amending my soil, keeping an eye on my stored fruits and veggies for signs of rot, pruning some of my fruit trees, and picking up fallen leaves from hardy winter brassicas so they don’t cause rot at the base of the plants. The feature for the month is building a seedbed, both raised and non. In January I should be harvesting celeriac, early broccoli, the aforementioned Belgian Endive, and spring greens. Another feature for the month is sprouting seeds for use in salads. Each of these categories gets its own two-page spread, the monthly features occasionally getting four or more.
It’s a lovely, really useful book, and one I HAD to own after getting it from the library. It will be getting heavy use in the coming months, I’m sure!
Whittingham has written or co-written three other books – Vegetable Gardening and Grow Vegetables before this book, and Simple Steps to Success: Fruit and Vegetables in Pots after. The latter appears to be a combination of the first two in a new format, but I could be wrong. So I’m not sure I’d recommend any of those three – I haven’t read them – but Backyard Harvest is awesome!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
For January, for example, if I had these things planted, harvested, or stored from last year, I should be eating pickles, stored root veggies, newly lifted Salsify, forced Belgian Endive, and winter radishes, among other tasty-looking things. I should be sowing (indoors, to transplant after the last frost) early-season leeks, summer onions, lettuce, broad beans, cut-and-come-again greens, and early peas and radishes. For tending, I should be amending my soil, keeping an eye on my stored fruits and veggies for signs of rot, pruning some of my fruit trees, and picking up fallen leaves from hardy winter brassicas so they don’t cause rot at the base of the plants. The feature for the month is building a seedbed, both raised and non. In January I should be harvesting celeriac, early broccoli, the aforementioned Belgian Endive, and spring greens. Another feature for the month is sprouting seeds for use in salads. Each of these categories gets its own two-page spread, the monthly features occasionally getting four or more.
It’s a lovely, really useful book, and one I HAD to own after getting it from the library. It will be getting heavy use in the coming months, I’m sure!
Whittingham has written or co-written three other books – Vegetable Gardening and Grow Vegetables before this book, and Simple Steps to Success: Fruit and Vegetables in Pots after. The latter appears to be a combination of the first two in a new format, but I could be wrong. So I’m not sure I’d recommend any of those three – I haven’t read them – but Backyard Harvest is awesome!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Get Your Bake On: Sweet and Savory Recipes from My Home to Yours in Books
Apr 27, 2018
I flipped through GYBO and wanted to jump up and down I was so excited about all the amazing recipes. Cheese and Chive soufflés? Blueberry Almond scones? Banana Tea bead, Tomato tart… So many cool things.
I feel like this book was made for me because one of the things Emmett said about his baking was he liked sweet items, but he also liked to take traditionally sweet things and make them savory: for example, the Savory Bacon Cheddar Chive scones sound awesome and are totally on my “to-bake” list (what, you don’t have a to-bake list? what’s wrong with you?) and Salted Peanut Cookies? Why didn’t I think of that?
The instructions are very reader friends and clear, and you don’t have to be an experienced baker to follow the directions (though you have to have serious patience and lots of time to make the traditional Croissants. Like seriously? Who ever thought that process up?).
The only reason this book isn’t 5 stars is because there are only a few pictures. in the middle of the book is a photo section where some of Emmett’s recipes are beautifully and colorfully photographed. And I totally understand how expensive and time consuming it would be to photograph ever. single. recipe. But I’m a visual person. I flip through photos and decide what to make on the photos, not the titles of the recipes.
However, even without every recipe being shown, they all sound great, and was really excited about using this book.
The recipe I tried was the Blueberry Almond scones. I didn’t have lemon juice for the glaze, so I made a vanilla-almond glaze with butter and cream, and I used gluten free flour (because I was making breakfast for a GF friend). I also miss-read the amount of almonds I was supposed to use, and ended up using double the amount. But they turned out phenomenal. Ugly, since I don’t have a rolling pin and I didn’t have any flour to dust the cutting board. Also I only have one cookie sheet so I used some muffin tins– they sort of turned into “drop scones”—but they were delish.
This book is totally on my favorite cookbook list and I will absolutely use more of these recipes.
I feel like this book was made for me because one of the things Emmett said about his baking was he liked sweet items, but he also liked to take traditionally sweet things and make them savory: for example, the Savory Bacon Cheddar Chive scones sound awesome and are totally on my “to-bake” list (what, you don’t have a to-bake list? what’s wrong with you?) and Salted Peanut Cookies? Why didn’t I think of that?
The instructions are very reader friends and clear, and you don’t have to be an experienced baker to follow the directions (though you have to have serious patience and lots of time to make the traditional Croissants. Like seriously? Who ever thought that process up?).
The only reason this book isn’t 5 stars is because there are only a few pictures. in the middle of the book is a photo section where some of Emmett’s recipes are beautifully and colorfully photographed. And I totally understand how expensive and time consuming it would be to photograph ever. single. recipe. But I’m a visual person. I flip through photos and decide what to make on the photos, not the titles of the recipes.
However, even without every recipe being shown, they all sound great, and was really excited about using this book.
The recipe I tried was the Blueberry Almond scones. I didn’t have lemon juice for the glaze, so I made a vanilla-almond glaze with butter and cream, and I used gluten free flour (because I was making breakfast for a GF friend). I also miss-read the amount of almonds I was supposed to use, and ended up using double the amount. But they turned out phenomenal. Ugly, since I don’t have a rolling pin and I didn’t have any flour to dust the cutting board. Also I only have one cookie sheet so I used some muffin tins– they sort of turned into “drop scones”—but they were delish.
This book is totally on my favorite cookbook list and I will absolutely use more of these recipes.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Murder of King Tut in Books
Apr 27, 2018
THE MURDER OF KING TUT—THE PLOT TO KILL THE CHILD KING (Audio Book) by James Patterson and Martin Dugard, read by Joe Barrett
Genre: non-fiction thriller
Rating: 4.5/5
Summary: James Patterson tells a story in three parts—one part, the mysterious death of King Tut, the second part the discovery of his tomb by Carter, and the third part his writing, own exploration, research, and discovery of the elusive history of the boy king.
Thoughts: This is one of the best James Patterson books I’ve ever read (listened too). JP has taken an age old mystery and solved it. Yes, it appears as though the mystery of Tut is mystery no more. This book is very alive, even though the plot revolves around a murder. I felt like I was standing right there, watching it all take place. At times, I felt like the characters themselves. This was an amazing escape from reality.
Characters (5/5): Characters should be relatable for a book to be enjoyable, and the characters in Tut’s world were wonderful. They were highly developed right away, and were the kind that either you routed for or hated with a passion.
Writing (4/5/5): James is an awesome writer. I always love reading his work because it’s so lyric. His words flow smoothly and he doesn’t overuse too many phrases (though several “waves” of various things did “wash over” many people).
Content (4/5): There was barely any language in this book, which was a nice change of JP’s work. It wasn’t necessary, either. It just goes to show that the point can be made—and made well—without filthy language. There was a little bit of sex but it wasn’t too graphic, nor was it frequent.
Reader (4/5): I really liked the voice of the reader for this book. I’ve heard some pretty awful ones before, I’ll say that much right now! But Joe’s voice was perfect for this book. The only thing I didn’t like were the voices he put with the characters—the accents were pretty lousy, and when he put on a “fake” voice for the child characters, it just sounded a little silly. I was glad when Tut got old enough that he didn’t have to do that anymore!
Recommendation: Ages 16+ to lovers of fiction, history, nonfiction, thrillers, mystery, or to any James-Patterson-addict.
Genre: non-fiction thriller
Rating: 4.5/5
Summary: James Patterson tells a story in three parts—one part, the mysterious death of King Tut, the second part the discovery of his tomb by Carter, and the third part his writing, own exploration, research, and discovery of the elusive history of the boy king.
Thoughts: This is one of the best James Patterson books I’ve ever read (listened too). JP has taken an age old mystery and solved it. Yes, it appears as though the mystery of Tut is mystery no more. This book is very alive, even though the plot revolves around a murder. I felt like I was standing right there, watching it all take place. At times, I felt like the characters themselves. This was an amazing escape from reality.
Characters (5/5): Characters should be relatable for a book to be enjoyable, and the characters in Tut’s world were wonderful. They were highly developed right away, and were the kind that either you routed for or hated with a passion.
Writing (4/5/5): James is an awesome writer. I always love reading his work because it’s so lyric. His words flow smoothly and he doesn’t overuse too many phrases (though several “waves” of various things did “wash over” many people).
Content (4/5): There was barely any language in this book, which was a nice change of JP’s work. It wasn’t necessary, either. It just goes to show that the point can be made—and made well—without filthy language. There was a little bit of sex but it wasn’t too graphic, nor was it frequent.
Reader (4/5): I really liked the voice of the reader for this book. I’ve heard some pretty awful ones before, I’ll say that much right now! But Joe’s voice was perfect for this book. The only thing I didn’t like were the voices he put with the characters—the accents were pretty lousy, and when he put on a “fake” voice for the child characters, it just sounded a little silly. I was glad when Tut got old enough that he didn’t have to do that anymore!
Recommendation: Ages 16+ to lovers of fiction, history, nonfiction, thrillers, mystery, or to any James-Patterson-addict.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Yarn Bombing—the art of crochet and knit graffiti by Mandy Moore and Leanne Prain
Genre: craft/art
Rating: 4/5
Yarn Bombing is an extremely inspirational and creative book. It got my knitting juices flowing and made my hands itch for the needles when I saw pictures of colorful yarn knit into… beautiful graffiti?
Yes, yarn graffiti. Yarn Bombing is a rather large thing in big cities and even other countries where knitting is prominent, especially Sweden (see links below).
Yarn Bombing has many fantastic pictures, ideas for bombing, some basics for getting started, points and tips, advice on what to say if you get caught in the act (either by passer-bys or police), interviews with yarn bombers, and some patterns.
Here is my favorite pattern:
this pattern is for chain-link fence weave:
1. Cast On 12.
2. Open a bottle of wine.
3. Knit every row until sober.
4. Bind off
5. Repeat 1-4 seven more times…
I find this hilarious, though some people who aren’t knitters may not. By the way, the real pattern for the chain link fence weave is written in the book right under that ;)
There are patterns in the book for knitting items for yourself, such as arm warmers, hoods that cover your whole face except your eyes (so you can be a ninja-yarn-bomber!) sweaters, and some other stuff. Some of the bombing patterns include treesweaters, knit tulips and mushrooms, Knit sneakers to hang over wires, Bolo balls, Elf Stockings, and more.
I give it a 4/5 because, considering that graffiti is illegal and I’m perusing Criminology… let’s just say that I’m being gracious.(and I’m actually considering giving this a try… I’ll keep you posted on that one ;). Also, it was laid out a little odd and it was a bit hard to find some things. Lastly it didn’t have quite as many patterns as I expected. But, all in all, it was an awesome craft book!
Recommendation: knitters and Crocheters of any age, anyone interested in graffiti or contemporary art.
Here are some links to some yarn-bombers that you should check out, there are tons more! Follow the links you find on their blogs and explore the yarn-bombing community.
Genre: craft/art
Rating: 4/5
Yarn Bombing is an extremely inspirational and creative book. It got my knitting juices flowing and made my hands itch for the needles when I saw pictures of colorful yarn knit into… beautiful graffiti?
Yes, yarn graffiti. Yarn Bombing is a rather large thing in big cities and even other countries where knitting is prominent, especially Sweden (see links below).
Yarn Bombing has many fantastic pictures, ideas for bombing, some basics for getting started, points and tips, advice on what to say if you get caught in the act (either by passer-bys or police), interviews with yarn bombers, and some patterns.
Here is my favorite pattern:
this pattern is for chain-link fence weave:
1. Cast On 12.
2. Open a bottle of wine.
3. Knit every row until sober.
4. Bind off
5. Repeat 1-4 seven more times…
I find this hilarious, though some people who aren’t knitters may not. By the way, the real pattern for the chain link fence weave is written in the book right under that ;)
There are patterns in the book for knitting items for yourself, such as arm warmers, hoods that cover your whole face except your eyes (so you can be a ninja-yarn-bomber!) sweaters, and some other stuff. Some of the bombing patterns include treesweaters, knit tulips and mushrooms, Knit sneakers to hang over wires, Bolo balls, Elf Stockings, and more.
I give it a 4/5 because, considering that graffiti is illegal and I’m perusing Criminology… let’s just say that I’m being gracious.(and I’m actually considering giving this a try… I’ll keep you posted on that one ;). Also, it was laid out a little odd and it was a bit hard to find some things. Lastly it didn’t have quite as many patterns as I expected. But, all in all, it was an awesome craft book!
Recommendation: knitters and Crocheters of any age, anyone interested in graffiti or contemporary art.
Here are some links to some yarn-bombers that you should check out, there are tons more! Follow the links you find on their blogs and explore the yarn-bombing community.
*＊✿❀ Maki ❀✿＊* (7 KP) rated Othello in Books
May 3, 2018
I'm not going to lie - the main reason I like Othello so much is circumstantial.
See, when I was seventeen, my brothers and I had to move to a completely different state. I was going into my senior year, and my new school didn't offer a real Honors English class for seniors - the only option available to me would have been to go into AP English which, in that particular school, would have ONLY prepared me to take the AP exam. It wasn't actually an English class.
I wasn't very enthusiastic about that fact, so I was put into a tiny 11th grade Honors English class instead. (There were ten of us - eight girls, and two boys.)
Things went fairly well, considering, until we came to the Shakespeare semester. The play the teacher chose was [b:Hamlet|1420|Hamlet|William Shakespeare|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351051208s/1420.jpg|1885548].
I'd spent a semester and a half on Hamlet when I was in 11th grade, so I was already weary when the choice was made. After the first few days of reading the play aloud in class resulted in an entire five lines of Hamlet being covered, I was desperate. For the first time ever, I was ready to bash my head into my desk in an English class in order to relieve the boredom.
I approached my English teacher, and explained that I'd already done Hamlet, and the slow pace the class was taking wasn't really working for me. I offered to read another Shakespeare play in place of Hamlet, and said that I'd even still take the Hamlet test at the end of the semester to prove that I was serious. Because he was an awesome English teacher, he agreed, and told me to just get back to him to let him know which play I was going to read on my own.
Guess which one I picked?
Compared to retreading Hamlet for the seventh time, Othello was a breath of fresh air. Othello saved my brain that semester.
In light of that, I absolutely adored Othello.
*shrugs*
Like I said, completely circumstantial. I'll have to reread it at some point, to see how it holds up when it isn't the only thing standing between me and three months of mind-numbing boredom.
See, when I was seventeen, my brothers and I had to move to a completely different state. I was going into my senior year, and my new school didn't offer a real Honors English class for seniors - the only option available to me would have been to go into AP English which, in that particular school, would have ONLY prepared me to take the AP exam. It wasn't actually an English class.
I wasn't very enthusiastic about that fact, so I was put into a tiny 11th grade Honors English class instead. (There were ten of us - eight girls, and two boys.)
Things went fairly well, considering, until we came to the Shakespeare semester. The play the teacher chose was [b:Hamlet|1420|Hamlet|William Shakespeare|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351051208s/1420.jpg|1885548].
I'd spent a semester and a half on Hamlet when I was in 11th grade, so I was already weary when the choice was made. After the first few days of reading the play aloud in class resulted in an entire five lines of Hamlet being covered, I was desperate. For the first time ever, I was ready to bash my head into my desk in an English class in order to relieve the boredom.
I approached my English teacher, and explained that I'd already done Hamlet, and the slow pace the class was taking wasn't really working for me. I offered to read another Shakespeare play in place of Hamlet, and said that I'd even still take the Hamlet test at the end of the semester to prove that I was serious. Because he was an awesome English teacher, he agreed, and told me to just get back to him to let him know which play I was going to read on my own.
Guess which one I picked?
Compared to retreading Hamlet for the seventh time, Othello was a breath of fresh air. Othello saved my brain that semester.
In light of that, I absolutely adored Othello.
*shrugs*
Like I said, completely circumstantial. I'll have to reread it at some point, to see how it holds up when it isn't the only thing standing between me and three months of mind-numbing boredom.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Tempests and Slaughter: the Numair Chronicles Book 1 in Books
Apr 5, 2018
Tamora's excellent writing (2 more)
Awesome worldbuilding
ENZI
A new Tamora Pierce book! About the origins of Numair! YES! I waited SO ANXIOUSLY for this book to make its way through the line of holds at my library and get in my grabby hands, and I was rewarded. Tempests is classic Tamora Pierce. It's set in Carthak, not Tortall, but the themes and feel are exactly what I was expecting. I love diving back into my favorite fantasy worlds, and Tortall ranks right near the top. (It might be the top, I haven't sat down and attempted to rank them - that would probably be a futile effort!)
My only issue with the book, really, is that it feels like an introduction. I know it's the first part of a trilogy, but the rest isn't OUT YET! So I feel like I've read the first third of a story and now I have to wait. Tempests introduces a LOT of story threads, and resolves exactly none of them. It managed to do so without leaving us on a cliffhanger, though, so there's that, at least. I'm probably going to go re-read the books around Numair's adult life to tide me over until the rest of this trilogy comes out!
I think my favorite character overall was Enzi - he was hilarious and obstinate and I'm looking forward to the rest of his storyline.
I was surprised but pleased to see a gay couple as side characters - and that it wasn't mentioned the character was gay until his husband arrived on the scene. It wasn't a defining point of his character, his spouse just happened to be male. I've said it before, but I love seeing the change in fantasy - it's gone from "that's strange or scandalous" to "absolutely no big deal, people have differently-gendered partners." It will be even lovelier once real society reaches that point!
Final verdict: Tempests and Slaughter was an excellent addition to Tortall, but if you like books that resolve their storylines, you might want to wait until the rest of the trilogy is published. If you can't wait, just expect that you won't get many answers from this first book!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
My only issue with the book, really, is that it feels like an introduction. I know it's the first part of a trilogy, but the rest isn't OUT YET! So I feel like I've read the first third of a story and now I have to wait. Tempests introduces a LOT of story threads, and resolves exactly none of them. It managed to do so without leaving us on a cliffhanger, though, so there's that, at least. I'm probably going to go re-read the books around Numair's adult life to tide me over until the rest of this trilogy comes out!
I think my favorite character overall was Enzi - he was hilarious and obstinate and I'm looking forward to the rest of his storyline.
I was surprised but pleased to see a gay couple as side characters - and that it wasn't mentioned the character was gay until his husband arrived on the scene. It wasn't a defining point of his character, his spouse just happened to be male. I've said it before, but I love seeing the change in fantasy - it's gone from "that's strange or scandalous" to "absolutely no big deal, people have differently-gendered partners." It will be even lovelier once real society reaches that point!
Final verdict: Tempests and Slaughter was an excellent addition to Tortall, but if you like books that resolve their storylines, you might want to wait until the rest of the trilogy is published. If you can't wait, just expect that you won't get many answers from this first book!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Vegan Cooking for Dummies in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Background:
Over the fourteen years I've been a (ovo-lacto) vegetarian, I've often thought of becoming a vegan, but usually discarded it because it seemed like it would be too difficult, and really, how could I give up cheese? Especially my favorite comfort food, macaroni and cheese. Sure, there's soy cheese but it has been harder to find, not to mention, more expensive. However, I've recently discovered what rennet is and cannot stomach ever eating cheese again. This comes years after I'd already stopped eating gelatin when I found out where that came from. So, slowly but surely, I've been taking one step at a time towards becoming vegan. Now, I don't know if I'll ever become fully vegan, but that's where books like this one can help.
The Book:
I can't tell you how awesome this book is. For the first one-hundred pages, it explains what veganism is, what certain foods are (tofu, which gets a bad rap, tempeh, soy, etc.) and how to properly prepare them, where to get nutrition, what to stock in the pantry, adapting non-vegan recipes to become vegan, and a heck of a lot more helpful information. The recipes make up the bulk of the book and have all the usual categories: breakfast, condiments, desserts, entrees, etc. The introduction page of each category includes what recipes are actually in that chapter, which is a nice feature. All the directions are clearly explained, most are easy to prepare, and don't contain too many 'odd' ingredients that are difficult to find (meaning most of the recipes aren't gourmet and are more on the simple side, which makes me happy). They also contain nutritional information per serving, how much prep time, and tips and variations. I've been very impressed with the page layout of the recipe section, which features a border that separates it from the information section, so even when closed you can clearly see where this portion starts and that makes it easier to find the recipes. In the last chapter, there's even is a list of emergency snacks for vegans on the road or otherwise stuck without their own pantry, which could be very helpful for newbies. From beginning to end, this is a well-organized book chockful of useful tidbits and interesting recipes that I'll be sure to go back to again and again. Highly recommended.
Over the fourteen years I've been a (ovo-lacto) vegetarian, I've often thought of becoming a vegan, but usually discarded it because it seemed like it would be too difficult, and really, how could I give up cheese? Especially my favorite comfort food, macaroni and cheese. Sure, there's soy cheese but it has been harder to find, not to mention, more expensive. However, I've recently discovered what rennet is and cannot stomach ever eating cheese again. This comes years after I'd already stopped eating gelatin when I found out where that came from. So, slowly but surely, I've been taking one step at a time towards becoming vegan. Now, I don't know if I'll ever become fully vegan, but that's where books like this one can help.
The Book:
I can't tell you how awesome this book is. For the first one-hundred pages, it explains what veganism is, what certain foods are (tofu, which gets a bad rap, tempeh, soy, etc.) and how to properly prepare them, where to get nutrition, what to stock in the pantry, adapting non-vegan recipes to become vegan, and a heck of a lot more helpful information. The recipes make up the bulk of the book and have all the usual categories: breakfast, condiments, desserts, entrees, etc. The introduction page of each category includes what recipes are actually in that chapter, which is a nice feature. All the directions are clearly explained, most are easy to prepare, and don't contain too many 'odd' ingredients that are difficult to find (meaning most of the recipes aren't gourmet and are more on the simple side, which makes me happy). They also contain nutritional information per serving, how much prep time, and tips and variations. I've been very impressed with the page layout of the recipe section, which features a border that separates it from the information section, so even when closed you can clearly see where this portion starts and that makes it easier to find the recipes. In the last chapter, there's even is a list of emergency snacks for vegans on the road or otherwise stuck without their own pantry, which could be very helpful for newbies. From beginning to end, this is a well-organized book chockful of useful tidbits and interesting recipes that I'll be sure to go back to again and again. Highly recommended.
Larry Eisner (2082 KP) rated Bohemian Rhapsody - The Soundtrack by Queen in Music
Feb 28, 2019
Freddie Freaking Mercury (2 more)
Live Tracks
Excellent Audio Quality
No dialogue tracks or pre-tracks (1 more)
Doing All Right is very meh
Fantastic Album; Mediocre Soundtrack
Preface: I received a copy through the Smashbomb giveaway contest. That said, I’m not going to hold back...
So, Queen...How could anyone ever go wrong with a Queen album? Ever... Truth is you cannot. This album is fantastic and sits proudly alongside the greatest hits albums I already owned. It’s a great compilation of their best studio tracks alongside some rarely released live tracks including nearly the entire Live Aid set.
But what is lacking, most of all, and what I want in a film soundtrack is something I cannot get anywhere else...dialogue snippets from the film that place the tracks with the film itself. The film was a smash success, earring Rami Malek the Best Actor Oscar and rightly so. However, this album is simply that, a Queen album. We don’t get the Rami/Freddy mixes used in the film, we don’t get the sound bytes that tie a song to a moment in the film. So while it’s an awesome album and one I will rock out with in my car often, it’s not any different than a Queen compilation album tied around the film loosely. It may not be a drawback to you, but to me, it’s not worth calling it a soundtrack. It could just as easily been one of those “songs inspired by the film: Bohemian Rhapsody” instead of Official Soundtrack.
Now all that said, it’s a fantastic compilation album. The live tracks especially, are excellently mixed, and through listening, we are once again reminded why Queen and Mercury himself were so amazing... the live tracks demonstrate that despite his crazy moves on stage, the heat of the lights and all, Queen always sounded great. Unlike many modern bands, their live tracks are nearly identical in quality to the studio versions. Even though I knew this going in, I was still amazed.
And no track demonstrated this fact more than the We Will Rock You (Movie Mix) track that seamlessly blended the studio version into the live version used in the film.
Queen’s sound was and is iconic and unique to this day, and this album highlights why so perfectly. I’m just disappointed that the soundtrack didn’t have more throwback to the film itself.
So, Queen...How could anyone ever go wrong with a Queen album? Ever... Truth is you cannot. This album is fantastic and sits proudly alongside the greatest hits albums I already owned. It’s a great compilation of their best studio tracks alongside some rarely released live tracks including nearly the entire Live Aid set.
But what is lacking, most of all, and what I want in a film soundtrack is something I cannot get anywhere else...dialogue snippets from the film that place the tracks with the film itself. The film was a smash success, earring Rami Malek the Best Actor Oscar and rightly so. However, this album is simply that, a Queen album. We don’t get the Rami/Freddy mixes used in the film, we don’t get the sound bytes that tie a song to a moment in the film. So while it’s an awesome album and one I will rock out with in my car often, it’s not any different than a Queen compilation album tied around the film loosely. It may not be a drawback to you, but to me, it’s not worth calling it a soundtrack. It could just as easily been one of those “songs inspired by the film: Bohemian Rhapsody” instead of Official Soundtrack.
Now all that said, it’s a fantastic compilation album. The live tracks especially, are excellently mixed, and through listening, we are once again reminded why Queen and Mercury himself were so amazing... the live tracks demonstrate that despite his crazy moves on stage, the heat of the lights and all, Queen always sounded great. Unlike many modern bands, their live tracks are nearly identical in quality to the studio versions. Even though I knew this going in, I was still amazed.
And no track demonstrated this fact more than the We Will Rock You (Movie Mix) track that seamlessly blended the studio version into the live version used in the film.
Queen’s sound was and is iconic and unique to this day, and this album highlights why so perfectly. I’m just disappointed that the soundtrack didn’t have more throwback to the film itself.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Craftsman in Books
Mar 12, 2019
Complex, compelling, and complicated tale
The year is 1999 and Assistant Commissioner Florence Lovelady returns to Lancashire for the funeral of Larry Glassbrook, a murderer she arrested 30 years ago. Larry killed three children, burying them alive in caskets he made himself. He also kidnapped and tortured Florence while she was investigating his case. Thirty years ago, Florence made a name for herself with the Glassbrook case, which changed her life forever. Clay effigies were found with each of the children's bodies, suggesting an element of witchcraft. Now, when Florence returns for the funeral, she finds a fourth: of herself. Does this means Florence is in danger? And what does the message Larry sent her from prison mean? Is there still a killer out there?
"I wonder what words his headstone might carry: Loving husband, devoted father, merciless killer."
I'm a huge Sharon Bolton fan, so I was excited to read this one. I hadn't really read the description in a while, so I didn't realize so much of the narrative took place in the late 1960s. I'm usually more of a modern fiction fan, but I found the 1960s portion--narrated by Florence--to be surprisingly engaging and enjoyable. It offered a really detailed look at how women were treated, especially on the police force, and was a true testament to Florence's strength. She was a fascinating, nuanced character who drew me in from the beginning. The book really revolves around her, but she makes it worth it.
The novel is certainly creepy--definitely a good spooky read for the month of October. It can be dark and gruesome. There's a witchcraft portion that sometimes seems a little unbelievable, but I thought it worked well within the confines of the story. There's even some funny moments--made even better by what a great heroine Florence is.
There's an excellent mystery here, which will keep you guessing from the start. The story skips between 1969 and 1999, and the two portions work together seamlessly. I found the tale to be complex, complicated, and just really compelling. There's something about this book that simply keeps you reading. Florence is an awesome character, the story is fascinating and different, and it's just a really enjoyable (if somewhat dark) read. Definitely recommend.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
"I wonder what words his headstone might carry: Loving husband, devoted father, merciless killer."
I'm a huge Sharon Bolton fan, so I was excited to read this one. I hadn't really read the description in a while, so I didn't realize so much of the narrative took place in the late 1960s. I'm usually more of a modern fiction fan, but I found the 1960s portion--narrated by Florence--to be surprisingly engaging and enjoyable. It offered a really detailed look at how women were treated, especially on the police force, and was a true testament to Florence's strength. She was a fascinating, nuanced character who drew me in from the beginning. The book really revolves around her, but she makes it worth it.
The novel is certainly creepy--definitely a good spooky read for the month of October. It can be dark and gruesome. There's a witchcraft portion that sometimes seems a little unbelievable, but I thought it worked well within the confines of the story. There's even some funny moments--made even better by what a great heroine Florence is.
There's an excellent mystery here, which will keep you guessing from the start. The story skips between 1969 and 1999, and the two portions work together seamlessly. I found the tale to be complex, complicated, and just really compelling. There's something about this book that simply keeps you reading. Florence is an awesome character, the story is fascinating and different, and it's just a really enjoyable (if somewhat dark) read. Definitely recommend.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).