Search
Search results
Merissa (13159 KP) rated One to Die For (Les Petites Morts) in Books
Jun 2, 2023
In this short erotic paranormal story, we meet Russell; he's a self-published author with enough money to pay for a clever marketing campaign and to donate to his favourite causes. He lives in a mansion with his childhood friend and makes use of the stories told about him to get what he wants!
This is not a romance story, but it is compelling reading! There is murder, an obsessed crazy woman, journalists, and of course, a vampire. All of this is packed into a steamy bundle of fun.
Well-written, fast-paced, and steamy! Definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 16, 2016
This is not a romance story, but it is compelling reading! There is murder, an obsessed crazy woman, journalists, and of course, a vampire. All of this is packed into a steamy bundle of fun.
Well-written, fast-paced, and steamy! Definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 16, 2016
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Crazier Eights: Olympus in Tabletop Games
Feb 25, 2020
War. Old Maid. Go Fish. Crazy Eights. These are classic card games we probably all grew up playing. There have been many re-themes and new difficulty layers spread upon them to make them even more interesting. While UNO certainly has cornered the market on the Crazy Eights base, we have a new contender: Crazier Eights. Recoculous has published several versions of this card game with different themes: Camelot, Avalon, One Thousand & One Nights, and Shahrzad. Today we are taking a preview of Crazier Eights: Olympus.
You HAVE played Crazy Eights right? The card game where you attempt to be the first to exhaust your hand of cards, but you can only play down if you can match the suit or number on top of the discard pile? And if you can’t, you throw down an 8 as a wild and call the color to be played next? Well there you have the easy rules. Crazier Eights: Olympus (which I will from here call C8O) holds basically the same rule-set with a few new mechanics and a theme. The win condition is still the same: be the first to exhaust your hand of cards, but to win you will need to play your hand strategically against your opponents.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game. You are invited to back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or purchase it through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, shuffle the large deck of cards and place the deck in the middle of the table. Flip the top card to begin the discard pile and dictate the first card play. Deal each player seven cards and you are ready to begin!
The turn structure is familiar: check for any “start of turn” effects and apply them, draw a card, play and/or discard a card, then resolve any “end of turn” effects. The deck is comprised of Events and Assets in different colors (suits) and numbers like in a typical deck of playing cards. After checking and resolving start of turn effects on Asset cards in your personal tableau, you must draw a card from the deck. This is where C8O strays from OG Crazy Eights a bit. You may play a card from your hand (Assets and Events) and discard a card to the discard pile (matching the suit/number/or an Eight), or simply play a card from your hand without discarding. Cards played from your hand can be Event cards that are played, resolved, and then discarded to the bottom of the discard pile, or an Asset card that is played to your tableau that cause chain reactions or other abilities on future turns. Next, resolve any end of turn effects from Assets in your tableau before the next player begins their turn.
Play continues in this fashion until one player has rid themselves of their hand and is crowned the Master of Olympus! Or at least, the winner of the game.
Components. This game is a box full of cards. Again, as I do not know if these components will be altered at all, I will comment on what we were provided. The cards are fine. The layout makes sense, and the art on the faces of the cards remind me of very classic art depicting ancient Grecian scenes. I am no art historian, so I do not know if they are existing art pieces or new ones crafted for this game, but either way, they are a joy to behold… if you can spend the time appreciating the art instead of tracking what cards you need to play and what effects you can chain together (that was me). Extra points to the Recoculous team for associating symbols with the different suit colors for our colorblind friends. This is something that unfortunately goes unaddressed far too often.
This implementation is the first Crazier Eights we have had the chance to try, and I can say that we really enjoyed our plays of it. The game comes with many interesting and varied effects to craft an ingenious strategy, and the art is stellar. Beware of playing with AP-prone gamers, as there is a lot going on and it is more than just a skinned Crazy Eights. However, now having played this several times, I can say that it is my favorite Crazy Eights derivative and certainly worthy of a look. If your game collection is sorely lacking in ancient Greek-themed card games, or if you want a hybrid game of old school rules with interesting twists, then do consider backing this one or purchasing one of its predecessors.
PS – Don’t worry if, while you are playing, you have all your Assets stolen or destroyed. I have won the game with zero Assets in front of me while opponents have had eight, ironically. Assets are great, but you still need to shed your hand.
You HAVE played Crazy Eights right? The card game where you attempt to be the first to exhaust your hand of cards, but you can only play down if you can match the suit or number on top of the discard pile? And if you can’t, you throw down an 8 as a wild and call the color to be played next? Well there you have the easy rules. Crazier Eights: Olympus (which I will from here call C8O) holds basically the same rule-set with a few new mechanics and a theme. The win condition is still the same: be the first to exhaust your hand of cards, but to win you will need to play your hand strategically against your opponents.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game. You are invited to back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or purchase it through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, shuffle the large deck of cards and place the deck in the middle of the table. Flip the top card to begin the discard pile and dictate the first card play. Deal each player seven cards and you are ready to begin!
The turn structure is familiar: check for any “start of turn” effects and apply them, draw a card, play and/or discard a card, then resolve any “end of turn” effects. The deck is comprised of Events and Assets in different colors (suits) and numbers like in a typical deck of playing cards. After checking and resolving start of turn effects on Asset cards in your personal tableau, you must draw a card from the deck. This is where C8O strays from OG Crazy Eights a bit. You may play a card from your hand (Assets and Events) and discard a card to the discard pile (matching the suit/number/or an Eight), or simply play a card from your hand without discarding. Cards played from your hand can be Event cards that are played, resolved, and then discarded to the bottom of the discard pile, or an Asset card that is played to your tableau that cause chain reactions or other abilities on future turns. Next, resolve any end of turn effects from Assets in your tableau before the next player begins their turn.
Play continues in this fashion until one player has rid themselves of their hand and is crowned the Master of Olympus! Or at least, the winner of the game.
Components. This game is a box full of cards. Again, as I do not know if these components will be altered at all, I will comment on what we were provided. The cards are fine. The layout makes sense, and the art on the faces of the cards remind me of very classic art depicting ancient Grecian scenes. I am no art historian, so I do not know if they are existing art pieces or new ones crafted for this game, but either way, they are a joy to behold… if you can spend the time appreciating the art instead of tracking what cards you need to play and what effects you can chain together (that was me). Extra points to the Recoculous team for associating symbols with the different suit colors for our colorblind friends. This is something that unfortunately goes unaddressed far too often.
This implementation is the first Crazier Eights we have had the chance to try, and I can say that we really enjoyed our plays of it. The game comes with many interesting and varied effects to craft an ingenious strategy, and the art is stellar. Beware of playing with AP-prone gamers, as there is a lot going on and it is more than just a skinned Crazy Eights. However, now having played this several times, I can say that it is my favorite Crazy Eights derivative and certainly worthy of a look. If your game collection is sorely lacking in ancient Greek-themed card games, or if you want a hybrid game of old school rules with interesting twists, then do consider backing this one or purchasing one of its predecessors.
PS – Don’t worry if, while you are playing, you have all your Assets stolen or destroyed. I have won the game with zero Assets in front of me while opponents have had eight, ironically. Assets are great, but you still need to shed your hand.
Erika (17789 KP) rated Lorena in TV
Feb 16, 2019
Warning: I am a true crime fiend and thought that this was so well done. I've also included something explicit at the end because it was really relevant.
Even if you don't know her by name, Lorena Bobbitt is the wife that cut off her abusive husband's man part. Even I remember it, and I was a kid at the time. The media painted her as a crazy, jealous woman.
Originally, that's what I thought too, until I watched a 20/20 special, in response to this special being shown at Sundance. They interviewed the husband, and I'm not even going to dignify this dude by using his name. I absolutely have nothing nice to say about this skeezball, so I won't say anything at all.
This special showed the testimony of Lorena, and various witnesses that testified to the violence/abuse that she received at the hands of her husband. The dude said all along that she was lying, and that she was just crazy. She did end up being not guilty for reason of insanity.
While I might have originally thought she was making it up (I'm a cynic), actually hearing the testimonies, and not just interpretations of it, made me believe her. I have to admit, I cried during some of it.
This is definitely a mature documentary, it shows pictures of the severed dude part, and there was also a barrage of photos of abused women.
The documentary also tackles the fact that women and men reacted very differently to this case.
(Explicit):
One of the quotes from a prostitute interviewed sums it up (how I remember it): Thousands of girls in Africa get their clits cut off, but one guy gets his penis cut off and the media loses its mind.
Now that's the truth.
Even if you don't know her by name, Lorena Bobbitt is the wife that cut off her abusive husband's man part. Even I remember it, and I was a kid at the time. The media painted her as a crazy, jealous woman.
Originally, that's what I thought too, until I watched a 20/20 special, in response to this special being shown at Sundance. They interviewed the husband, and I'm not even going to dignify this dude by using his name. I absolutely have nothing nice to say about this skeezball, so I won't say anything at all.
This special showed the testimony of Lorena, and various witnesses that testified to the violence/abuse that she received at the hands of her husband. The dude said all along that she was lying, and that she was just crazy. She did end up being not guilty for reason of insanity.
While I might have originally thought she was making it up (I'm a cynic), actually hearing the testimonies, and not just interpretations of it, made me believe her. I have to admit, I cried during some of it.
This is definitely a mature documentary, it shows pictures of the severed dude part, and there was also a barrage of photos of abused women.
The documentary also tackles the fact that women and men reacted very differently to this case.
(Explicit):
One of the quotes from a prostitute interviewed sums it up (how I remember it): Thousands of girls in Africa get their clits cut off, but one guy gets his penis cut off and the media loses its mind.
Now that's the truth.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Crazy Mountain Kiss (Sean Stranahan, #4) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
***NOTE: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
Crazy Mountain Kiss takes place in the Crazy Mountains of Montana. The corpse of a young girl who went missing months earlier has been found in the chimney of a rental cabin. The sheriff and her team, along with Sean Stranahan, a private detective, investigate to discover where the girl has been since her disappearance, and the events that lead to her death.
There are almost as many people trying to impede the investigation in some way as there are individuals trying to locate Cinderella's trail. A mix of law enforcement, ranch people, and other colorful (and at times unsavory) characters keep the story interesting. The author does a good job of casting suspicion first one way and then another, keeping me guessing all the way through. I like mystery novels that manage to keep me from figuring out who the culprit is too soon in the story, but that haven't kept some important detail hidden up to the end. This novel is like that. You are privy to every detail Sean Stranahan uncovers as he questions Cinderella's family and acquaintances and searches for clues.
I did feel a little confused at the main characters relationships near the beginning, but since this is the fourth book in a series (but the first one I have read) that isn't too surprising. The author does let you in on what is going on with the main characters, but I think I might have liked the story more and the characters might have mattered a little more to me if I had started at the beginning and had more backstory for them.
Crazy Mountain Kiss takes place in the Crazy Mountains of Montana. The corpse of a young girl who went missing months earlier has been found in the chimney of a rental cabin. The sheriff and her team, along with Sean Stranahan, a private detective, investigate to discover where the girl has been since her disappearance, and the events that lead to her death.
There are almost as many people trying to impede the investigation in some way as there are individuals trying to locate Cinderella's trail. A mix of law enforcement, ranch people, and other colorful (and at times unsavory) characters keep the story interesting. The author does a good job of casting suspicion first one way and then another, keeping me guessing all the way through. I like mystery novels that manage to keep me from figuring out who the culprit is too soon in the story, but that haven't kept some important detail hidden up to the end. This novel is like that. You are privy to every detail Sean Stranahan uncovers as he questions Cinderella's family and acquaintances and searches for clues.
I did feel a little confused at the main characters relationships near the beginning, but since this is the fourth book in a series (but the first one I have read) that isn't too surprising. The author does let you in on what is going on with the main characters, but I think I might have liked the story more and the characters might have mattered a little more to me if I had started at the beginning and had more backstory for them.
Louise (64 KP) rated The Actual One: How I Tried, and Failed, to Remain Twenty-Something for Ever in Books
Jul 2, 2018
So Isy Suttie is the Comedian who plays Dobby in the peep show alongside David Mitchell and Robert Webb, Which is a pretty popular show. Before appearing as Dobby, Isy has been a live stand up, comedy musician and writer.
This book is Isy in her thirties trying to live like a twenty something year old and not grow up and become responsible, whilst her friends around her are settling down into relationships and starting a family. She goes through a list of her partners and why they wasn't the 'actual one'. There is also a lot of Isy reminiscing about the old days, when she started up as a stand up and how difficult it can be.
The book was very easy to read, humorous as expected and a lot of rambling. There were on slight occasions when I did get a bit bored and put this book down and then came back to it. This woman though get's herself into some really crazy situations and I would think that some of it may not be believable until I met someone exactly like this and understand that some people are clumsy and bad shit just happens to them all the time.
The funniest moment for me was when she went skiing with friends and practically rolled down (Laughing as remembering) and when she went down the slopes on a table....drunk obviously. Who on earth would use parcel tape to hold their breasts up in a dress? Crazy but very funny lady.
I found this book to be very nostalgic, as Isy was reminiscing her younger days with, Mix-tapes, New Kids on the Block, Take That, Crystal Maze and more
I recommend to anyone that is a fan of Isy Suttie, comedy or even just Dobby.
Overall I rated this 3.5 stars out of 5.
This book is Isy in her thirties trying to live like a twenty something year old and not grow up and become responsible, whilst her friends around her are settling down into relationships and starting a family. She goes through a list of her partners and why they wasn't the 'actual one'. There is also a lot of Isy reminiscing about the old days, when she started up as a stand up and how difficult it can be.
The book was very easy to read, humorous as expected and a lot of rambling. There were on slight occasions when I did get a bit bored and put this book down and then came back to it. This woman though get's herself into some really crazy situations and I would think that some of it may not be believable until I met someone exactly like this and understand that some people are clumsy and bad shit just happens to them all the time.
The funniest moment for me was when she went skiing with friends and practically rolled down (Laughing as remembering) and when she went down the slopes on a table....drunk obviously. Who on earth would use parcel tape to hold their breasts up in a dress? Crazy but very funny lady.
I found this book to be very nostalgic, as Isy was reminiscing her younger days with, Mix-tapes, New Kids on the Block, Take That, Crystal Maze and more
I recommend to anyone that is a fan of Isy Suttie, comedy or even just Dobby.
Overall I rated this 3.5 stars out of 5.
Fred (860 KP) rated Rocketman (2019) in Movies
Aug 16, 2019
Burning out my fuse up here alone.
The comparisons to Bohemian Rhapsody are gonna happen. A bio-pic about a famous gay rock singer? Gotta happen. But these films are so different, there really is no comparison. Where B.R. tried to bring us a realistic (but filled with a lot of B.S.) film, Rocketman is more of a musical in every sense. Rami Malek lip-syncs the entire movie, where Taron Egerton actually sings everything. True, Egerton is nowhere near as good a singer as Elton John is (or myself for that matter.) but he does well enough.
The movie reminded me a lot of "Across the Universe", which used songs from The Beatles to tell a story. Although the story itself had nothing to do with the Beatles. This movie uses Elton's songs to tell the story of Elton John himself. Sure, some of the songs are played way before they actually existed, but this was done on purpose, rather than being an actual blooper, like when the same "mistake" was done in B.R. If you're not a fan of Elton John (they exist?), you may not have known how many hit songs he actually had. And if you are an Elton John fan, you'll realize that if they used all of his hits, the movie would be about 6 hours long.
So what is the movie like? Well, it's crazy. Picture Elton's crazy "Pinball Wizard" scene from the Who's "Tommy" film. It's pretty much like that, but even crazier. I found myself smiling & even laughing joyfully at a few scenes. While watching, my wife said that she liked it better than B.R. & I agree with her. In my review of B.R., I mention thatI would probably never watch it again. But I would definitely watch Rocketman again. Such a fun, entertaining film.
The movie reminded me a lot of "Across the Universe", which used songs from The Beatles to tell a story. Although the story itself had nothing to do with the Beatles. This movie uses Elton's songs to tell the story of Elton John himself. Sure, some of the songs are played way before they actually existed, but this was done on purpose, rather than being an actual blooper, like when the same "mistake" was done in B.R. If you're not a fan of Elton John (they exist?), you may not have known how many hit songs he actually had. And if you are an Elton John fan, you'll realize that if they used all of his hits, the movie would be about 6 hours long.
So what is the movie like? Well, it's crazy. Picture Elton's crazy "Pinball Wizard" scene from the Who's "Tommy" film. It's pretty much like that, but even crazier. I found myself smiling & even laughing joyfully at a few scenes. While watching, my wife said that she liked it better than B.R. & I agree with her. In my review of B.R., I mention thatI would probably never watch it again. But I would definitely watch Rocketman again. Such a fun, entertaining film.
Scrappy Little Nobody
8.0
Rate It
Book
'Fearsome wit' Elle 'Charming' Buzzfeed 'Ridiculously entertaining' Associated Press 'Endearingly...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Too Good To Be True in Books
Mar 4, 2021
A compelling and twisty thriller
Skye Starling is beautiful, wealthy, and smart. She has a good job and a group of close friends. But she's never found lasting love thanks to her horrible OCD, which she's suffered from since her mother's death when she was young. But when Skye meets Burke Michaels, that all changes. Yes, he's older, but Skye can't help falling for this handsome man who wants her. However, Burke has a secret of his own: he's married, and he's using Skye for her family's money.
"All I'm saying is that if he seems too good to be true, he probably is."
This is one of those fun, twisty thrillers that keeps you reading and guessing. It's filled with wild characters and if you're willing to slightly suspend disbelief while reading, it's a great ride. Skye is a sympathetic yet enjoyable protagonist, and Burke is complex in his own way. The book is told from Skye's point of view and interspersed with letters from Burke to his therapist. We also get the perspective of Heather, a young woman, speaking from her past, who knew Burke when they were kids.
The result is quite compelling, and I blew through this one in a couple of days. The first half is probably a bit stronger than the second, though the last half certainly unveils some crazy surprises. Some you can work out; others caught me off guard.
Overall, I went into this one looking for a fun thriller, and it delivered. It also has a bit of romance thrown in, too. It's crazy and twisty and an excellent distraction. 4 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in return for an unbiased review. It releases on March 2nd.
"All I'm saying is that if he seems too good to be true, he probably is."
This is one of those fun, twisty thrillers that keeps you reading and guessing. It's filled with wild characters and if you're willing to slightly suspend disbelief while reading, it's a great ride. Skye is a sympathetic yet enjoyable protagonist, and Burke is complex in his own way. The book is told from Skye's point of view and interspersed with letters from Burke to his therapist. We also get the perspective of Heather, a young woman, speaking from her past, who knew Burke when they were kids.
The result is quite compelling, and I blew through this one in a couple of days. The first half is probably a bit stronger than the second, though the last half certainly unveils some crazy surprises. Some you can work out; others caught me off guard.
Overall, I went into this one looking for a fun thriller, and it delivered. It also has a bit of romance thrown in, too. It's crazy and twisty and an excellent distraction. 4 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in return for an unbiased review. It releases on March 2nd.
Kristina (502 KP) rated Nocte (The Nocte Trilogy, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2020
Courtney Cole, what have you done to me?! I just finished Nocte and I can't even... I kept putting it off because everyone is so hush-hush about the story, it's difficult for me to find too much interest when I have no clue what I'll be reading about. But now I know why and all I can say is holy freaking cow! I was sucked in from the very beginning, because things like death, dark and crazy catch my attention. It didn't take long and I was reading to see where Finn's thoughts would lead me. Then I kept reading, in addition to Finn's point of view, to figure out what Calla's connection with Dare could be. THEN, I just had to find out what Finn and Dare were hiding from Calla. I was so confused and held captivated by the mystery, I read Nocte in one whole sitting. There was no way I could take a break! Things went from messy to crazy, then fell straight into psychotic. Even though I understood what was happening, I didn't know what would happen hext and I felt like I'd landed inside a tornado, surrounded by scenarios that got even more bizarre by the page. Honestly, it's laughable to look back at some of the theories I came up with. Absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing, could have prepared me for the complete truth. I feel like I might need to see a therapist after reading this - but in the most amazingly, wonderful way. Of course, maybe not too wonderful, considering I was left with a cliff-hanger and I'm desperate to see what happens next. Nocte is definitely a new favorite of mine, that's for sure! I can't wait to read the next two books of the trilogy and quench my curiosity once and for all!
Pony Style Box - Dress up your horses
Entertainment and Education
App
Pony Style Box is an incredibly fun and creative app to dress-up and style your very own pony in...