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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated The Poet (Jack McEvoy, #1; Harry Bosch Universe, #5) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Crime reporter Jack McEnvoy’s world is turned upside down when his twin brother Sean, a cop, commits suicide. But when Jack goes to write a story on it, he discovers a disturbing pattern that will take him cross country and ultimately to the FBI. But will he learn the truth about what happened to his brother?
This book is praised as one of Connelly’s best, and I can see why. This book introduces an entire cast of characters, and they are all strong. The plot is ingenious, and I was on board for all the twists. Unfortunately, it is 20 years old, and the parts of the book that attempt to profile the villain and the scenes that are written from the villains point of view felt clichéd to me. Maybe it is because it has been done so often since this book. Whatever the reason, I found this the only flaw in an otherwise outstanding book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/12/book-review-poet-by-michael-connelly.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This book is praised as one of Connelly’s best, and I can see why. This book introduces an entire cast of characters, and they are all strong. The plot is ingenious, and I was on board for all the twists. Unfortunately, it is 20 years old, and the parts of the book that attempt to profile the villain and the scenes that are written from the villains point of view felt clichéd to me. Maybe it is because it has been done so often since this book. Whatever the reason, I found this the only flaw in an otherwise outstanding book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/12/book-review-poet-by-michael-connelly.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
KatieLouCreate (162 KP) rated Monopoly in Tabletop Games
Mar 9, 2018
Great game (2 more)
Time consumer
Educational
Time consumer (2 more)
Tears families apart
Hope you don't mind a prison sentence
Either a really good game, or a really bad game
I love this game. My family and I always used to play this in the school holidays so it always has a lovely memory attached to it. On the other hand, it has been the cause of a few arguments and sore losers as you can probably imagine. Nevertheless, when you can get through a game without arguing it is so fun to play.
It is a massively long game if you are playing in large groups though or people refuse to trade cards and help the game progress. We used to have to either play until an ungodly hour in the morning or put the game aside and continue playing the next night. So if you're after a quick game, Monopoly is a no-no.
Additionally, we used to play card games and use Monopoly money as currency. So there's that use too if you're not feeling up for a massive board game.
It is a massively long game if you are playing in large groups though or people refuse to trade cards and help the game progress. We used to have to either play until an ungodly hour in the morning or put the game aside and continue playing the next night. So if you're after a quick game, Monopoly is a no-no.
Additionally, we used to play card games and use Monopoly money as currency. So there's that use too if you're not feeling up for a massive board game.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated Stone Cold Case (A Rock Shop Mystery, #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
In an effort to learn more about local rocks and minerals, Morgan has been taking a class from the local college. While one a class field trip, she gets separated from everyone else and finds a mountain man guarding a skeleton. The discovery reopens an unsolved disappearance in this small Colorado town. But what happened all those years ago?
It had been a while since I read the first book in this series, but it didn’t take long before I was back on board with the characters again. They are wonderful, and I enjoyed seeing the growth in them. The book had too many sub-plots, which crowded out the mystery a little at the beginning, but as the book when on the mystery took over and came to a very strong climax that kept me turning the pages.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/09/book-review-stone-cold-case-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
It had been a while since I read the first book in this series, but it didn’t take long before I was back on board with the characters again. They are wonderful, and I enjoyed seeing the growth in them. The book had too many sub-plots, which crowded out the mystery a little at the beginning, but as the book when on the mystery took over and came to a very strong climax that kept me turning the pages.
NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/09/book-review-stone-cold-case-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated Out of Circulation (Cat in the Stacks, #4) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Charlie Harris has joined the Friends of the Library board in time for their annual Christmas fundraiser. Unfortunately, he’s walked into a feud that has been going on for years between the elderly Ducote sisters and Vera Cassity, who likes to think of herself as a bigger deal in town than she is. The night of the gala, Vera takes a tumble down the stairs and breaks her neck. With the sheriff looking at Azalea, Charlie’s housekeeper, he needs to figure out what really happened.
As a fan of the Southern Ladies series, I was quite anxious to read the book that introduced the Ducote sisters. They are as much fun here as they are in their own series. We get to see a different side of a couple of series regulars as well, which I really enjoyed. The plot was strong and kept me going until the surprising yet logical conclusion.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/05/book-review-out-of-circulation-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
As a fan of the Southern Ladies series, I was quite anxious to read the book that introduced the Ducote sisters. They are as much fun here as they are in their own series. We get to see a different side of a couple of series regulars as well, which I really enjoyed. The plot was strong and kept me going until the surprising yet logical conclusion.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/05/book-review-out-of-circulation-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated Circus Maximus in Tabletop Games
Mar 29, 2018
The idea of the game (1 more)
The Theme "Chariot Racing"
A really retro game, but still a good game.
I used to pay this when I was a kid in the 80's, watch Ben Hur and I want to play again immediately. The choice to play to win the race or to play to kill everyone else is a very real one and you find a way to balance the two is probably best. You can do damage to the chariots and the horses, and run them into the walls. Flip them over, Use he whip on them, etc. It's a race game at heart but the interaction between the racers is where the fun comes in. plus there are lots of people who find awesome mini's and create coliseums instead of the board it comes with, and they play at conventions. See some of the pictures I've added. This game is a old school treasure ahead of its time, but could use updating. I'd love to see a modern publisher get a hold of this and re-make it.
The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated Kingsburg in Tabletop Games
Aug 24, 2018
Simple and easy to understand game (1 more)
Mitigating your dice and figuring out how to use them is the fun part
Dice allocation for the good of the kingdom.... and yourself.
The game is about defending the kingdom from invading armies that get progressively stronger every winter. so the other three seasons are about building up your kingdom by building buildings that are defensive or make you stronger in other ways. Some defenses are better against goblins, or maybe Zombies, build a church and get a bonus against demons... The game lasts about an hour and a half depending on how quickly people take their turns. There's not much analysis paralysis, there is a clever mechanism of choosing how to use your three dice.... lets say you roll a 1, 3, 6: You can place it on the total number, a combo of the two of them or a single die value, and each number on the board gives you different returns. Not nearly as difficult as Castles of Burgundy, this is a good entry point into dice allocation games. I like it.
Melika Jeddi (1145 KP) rated Boss Monster 2: The Next Level in Tabletop Games
Nov 7, 2019
It's quick to learn (4 more)
Each round only lasts about 15 minutes
There's a good amount of skill involved as well as just luck of the draw
The artwork is cute and simple
The game mechanics work well together
Simple But Fun
Boss Monster 2 is a really fun introduction to board games for people who want to expand beyond mainstream games like Uno or Scrabble, but don't want to commit to hour long games with complicated rules.
This is an improvement on the original, in my opinion, as it allows for more interaction between cards, and the new additions to the deck are really clever.
Building your own dungeon involves having to make tactical decisions, and although you're limited by which cards you draw, the main decider of the game is the order in which you play them.
This game is as fun with 2 players as it is with 4. I'd highly recommend it.
This is an improvement on the original, in my opinion, as it allows for more interaction between cards, and the new additions to the deck are really clever.
Building your own dungeon involves having to make tactical decisions, and although you're limited by which cards you draw, the main decider of the game is the order in which you play them.
This game is as fun with 2 players as it is with 4. I'd highly recommend it.
EmersonRose (320 KP) rated Betrayal at House on the Hill in Tabletop Games
Nov 13, 2019
This game is a lot of fun! The idea is that you pick from a set of characters with different attributes to form your party and then together you built the haunted house. You take turns drawing tiles that have different rooms on them, creating a multi-story, very spooky house. There are a few ways to do so but eventually, you start the haunt. At this point, depending on how the haunt started, you pull out a guide that tells you what is haunting the house. Sometimes its the party against the game and sometimes one of the players is turned and they get a special set of rules to try and help the game beat the party. There are a lot of different haunting options, so the game feels fresh and exciting even after you have played it several times. The game is complex but after you play once you get the idea and it is easier upon replays. Definitely a great choice for board game lovers!
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