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The Miracle Sin
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
13 of 220
Kindle
The Miracle Sin
By Marcus Hawke
⭐️⭐️

Have you ever wondered if there’s more to life? If we are destined for something great, part of a divine plan rather than just subjects of random chaos? Mason Cole has wondered these things. And he has the answer… No. How could that be when his parents were killed in an earthquake that destroyed the city of Jerusalem, yet he alone survived? How could he be destined for great things when he’s stuck in a town-shaped reststop where nothing he does makes a difference? And why would God do this to him in the first place?

Then one day a stranger passes through town, bringing with him a unique explanation of his past, one he never could have imagined, and wishes he could forget. It sounds like something from one of his books, only this time it’s happening to him, and it becomes clear that not every miracle is a blessing. Now, with a red-haired devil hell bent on possessing him for his own sinister gains, Mason must discover the answers to these questions if he ever hopes to survive in a world where the dark no longer hides that which dwells within.

This started of so so well but it lost me in the middle and then the end just couldn’t get me back. It drifted off and was a bit slow going. Such a shame as the concept is really good.
  
All These Beautiful Strangers
All These Beautiful Strangers
Elizabeth Klehfoth | 2018 | Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Review can also be found on www.diaryofdifference.com

A beautiful story about families, love, betrayal, the difference between the rich and poor, and a girl that tries to discover what happened to her missing mother, while discovering herself.

Charlie Calloway has a life most people would kill for – a tight-knit family, a loyal set of friends, and top grades a privileged boarding school. But Charlie’s never been interested in what most people want. Like all Calloways, she’s been taught that she’s different, special – better. So when her school’s super-exclusive secret society extends a mysterious invitation, Charlie’s determination to get in is matched only by her conviction that she belongs there.

But their secrets go deeper than she knows.

Charlie finds herself thrust into the centre of a decades-old mystery – one that implicates her family in not one terrible crime, but two. Uncovering their past may destroy everything she knows – or give her the answer she’s always craved: Who or what was behind her mother’s disappearance ten years ago?

I haven’t heard about this book until I received it as a birthday gift from my sister. The cover is just – gorgeous! You can feel the raindrops on the cover, and the sides are painted black, and you can read out ”I KNOW”. They have been thinking of all the little details.

The story is a bit slow at the beginning. It took me a while to get into it, as they delay the plot for a while, but once you get past that little hill of boredom, it gets better and better. I could imagine myself climbing a mountain with my bike, struggling while climbing, just so I can enjoy the great fast downhill and wind in my face.

The story is told by many people’s perspective, and it changes after each chapter. The amazing thing was, the stories go back in the past as well, but the story keeps flowing in one direction, event by event, which I really enjoyed. If this was poorly made, the book would’ve been so confusing, but fortunately, it wasn’t.

Even though I didn’t expect, this turned out to be a great mystery-solving novel, with wonderful and unexpected plot-twists, and a cliffhanger until the end. Is the mother dead or alive?
Many of the topics covered are very relatable. The difference between children raised in rich families versus the children raised in not-s-rich families. Their thoughts and mindsets, their beliefs, and the people they hang out with. And when a girl like Charlie, who has a father from a rich family and a mother from a poor family, is on the cross-road, it is amazing to see this character develop and make choices for herself, that reflect on both her backgrounds.

A lovely read, fast-paced novel, with a beautiful cover and even more beautiful reading material, this is one of the stories that I would recommend for you to read on a rainy day, covered in a blanket, with a hot chocolate – despite the summer theme on the cover, this was a winter book for me.
  
    Spider ▻ Solitaire

    Spider ▻ Solitaire

    Games and Entertainment

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    Spider Solitaire is the #1 free card games solitaire! Discover the next evolution of the classic...

Smitty's Sheriff (Hope #3)
Smitty's Sheriff (Hope #3)
Cardeno C | 2017 | Romance
6
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Smitty's Sheriff (Hope #3) by Cardeno C.
Smitty's Sheriff is the third book in the Hope series, and this series is one where I never know what I'm going to get. McFarland's Farm was a 4-star, Jesse's Diner was a 5. Each story is completely individual, and that is always a good thing.

Now, first off, I need to say that this story is of the same high quality as all of Cardeno C.'s work. The pace is smooth, the characters believable, and certain scenes are steamy enough for anyone.

The reason for my 3-stars is that whilst I enjoyed their story, I couldn't actually get with the relationship between the main two characters. I found myself getting quite annoyed whenever Rich spoke to Todd like he was a child. I know there is an age difference between them, but to me, their relationship was more father/son with sexy bits, rather than boyfriends/lovers/whatever you want to call them.

NOW, that is just my opinion, and I know that some readers will devour this story and love every word. I'm just sorry that I'm not one of them, although I did enjoy it. As it is Cardeno C.'s work, I have no hesitation in recommending this book, even if I didn't like it 100%.

* 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!
  
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Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Smashbomb in Apps

Jun 4, 2019  
Smashbomb
Smashbomb
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Social Networking
10
8.9 (123 Ratings)
App Rating
Fun, easy to navigate UI (0 more)
Easy to stay in touch via the app!
Smashbomb is a review site with a difference. in fact, it's so 'alternative' it really fits in with my whole blog theme, so I thought I'd tell you a bit more about it. Think social network for reviews.

I rarely promote websites, but I feel this is great for not only book bloggers but authors too. Even though the range of what is on offer goes far beyond the book world, since you can rate anything from products and services to places, events and podcasts. If this is your (book) bag, then there's potential for most of you reading to get involved!

Smashbomb works on an encouraging reward system where you get points (Kudos points) for taking part in various different ways, like reviewing or making a list of your favourite things. You also get extra Kudos for just logging in each day, and as regular 'Smashbomber' you might even gain extra Kudos points from other members who like your stuff and follow your posts.

I find the community is really friendly and the UI is easy to navigate. You can access the site online via your computer, and also keep in touch with what's going on by an app on your phone. If I were to compare this to anything I'd say it reminds me of a cross between Trip Advisor, and Facebook, only (dare I say it?) with less rules and more fun...
  
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
2012 | Comedy, Drama
10
7.8 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
A Favorite
In Safety Not Guaranteed, three reporters go on a wild goose chase to track down a man who put out a want-ad for a time travel partner. I want to keep this is as short as I can because, if you haven't seen it yet, I want you to go in knowing as little as I did. What starts out as a quirky adventure turns into a touching story as truth starts to unfold. Everyone can think of something they would go back in time and change, but Darius (Aubrey Plaza) secretly has a reason that would put ours to shame. Sometimes it's the little things that can make all the difference.

You'll come to love Darius within the first ten minutes of the movie. Plaza plays the role well with quirky quips that crack me up. Definitely an easy character to root for.

My only problem with the film was that it ended way too soon. At only 86 minutes, it's a quick watch that keeps you entertained the whole way through. There is more that I want to expand on outside of the fun, unique premise and the wonderful protagonist, but this is definitely one you should experience for yourself with as little to go on as possible. It finds a way into your heart and sticks with you. For that, not only am I giving it a 100, but it knocks off Spider-Man 2 to crack my All-Time Top Ten List. See it.
  
Google Home
Google Home
Smart Home
Understands most things even my god awful mumbling (3 more)
Tends to be pretty good at searching through websites for specific information
Works brilliantly as a speaker and connects through Spotify
Amazing for essay writing when you need quick and short answers and facts
Has a fair amount of things it’s unable to help with (3 more)
You often need to try different phrasing to get the answer you’re looking for
Absolutely dire at letting you know if your alarms are set or not
Privacy.... and google.... really bad mix........
Personally I have found this device extremely useful just for the element of the speakers and as someone who is not going to notice a difference between speaker qualities I don’t at all mind that it isn’t rated the highest for that in comparison to some other smart speaker devices on the market.

Other than for music I use it for quick facts be it for essays or for weather and cooking and or these it works fantastically. You can quickly get fast responses on fairly niche topics that I would not have expected it to be able to have dragged up from the bowls of the internet.

The other great thing about it is that it can be updated and it will have the ability to be improved as time goes on and given that there is a fairly small collection of products like this one currently out on the market I think you are pretty safe from making an awful choice in choosing this one... I like it anyway!
  
7UP - Single by Boy In Space
7UP - Single by Boy In Space
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Rating
Boy in Space is the artist moniker of Robin Lundbäck, a youngster who hails from Alingäs, Sweden. Not too long ago, he released an emo-pop tune, entitled, “7UP”.

“‘7UP’ is very simply about how love isn’t easy. The lyrics portray this feeling in the context of your everyday neighborhood house party. Sometimes, we can get so caught-up with being in love that we let someone hurt us.” – Boy In Space

‘7UP’ is a heartbreaking tune which feels incredibly personal and has searching qualities that will see you looking inwards and feeling all existential.

The likable tune contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and warm instrumentation scented with an emo-pop fragrance.

“It’s the courage to depart the familiar to a destination unknown. The ‘Space’ is the intensity of youth. The cold sting of heartbreak. The suffocation of betrayal. The Fiery passion of young love.” – Boy In Space describing aspects of his stage name

The ‘In Space’ aspect of Boy In Space’s name isn’t as cosmic as it sounds. Instead, it’s about the state of being ‘in-between’. It’s about being neither at the start nor being anywhere towards the end of a life journey.

Also, it’s about recognizing those who haven’t found their glove-like fit in a conventional sense, and recognizing difference as special.

Boy In Space’s musical influences include Blink 182, A$AP Rocky, Khalid, Post Malone, LAUV, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gorillaz, Outkast, The 1975, and The Weeknd.

https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/boy-in-space-7up/
  
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Otway93 (567 KP) rated When the Wind Blows (1986) in Movies

Dec 28, 2019 (Updated Dec 28, 2019)  
When the Wind Blows (1986)
When the Wind Blows (1986)
1986 | Animation, Drama
10
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Plot (3 more)
Animation
Soundtrack
Voice acting
A terrifying yet emotional masterpiece.
Contains spoilers, click to show
After many years of wanting to see this film, and building up my expectations, today I finally saw it, and was far from disappointed.

This Raymond Briggs' feature length animation tells the tale of an elderly couple (voiced by Sir John Mills and Dane Peggy Ashcroft) in the country trying to survive in the aftermath of a nuclear strike, with only the real life UK nuclear survival pamphlet "Protect and Survive" to help them.

This film is not for the faint of heart, and realistically should probably not have a PG rating, as the couples experiences with radiation sickness are rather graphic and are more than likely to upset younger audiences (it upset me, and I'm 26!).

The animation is beautiful, as it is with every Raymond Briggs' film, but with a difference as it does often mix stop-motion and classic animation to make something quite haunting and very special, with other "special sequences" reminiscent of Pink Floyd's The Wall.

And last but not least: the soundtrack. With a title track performed by David Bowie, you already know it's going to be good. But the score (written by Roger Waters of Pink Floyd) is also incredible, yet again very reminiscent of Pink Floyd's "Goodbye Blue Sky"...again from "The Wall". With additional music by Squeeze, Paul Hardcastle and Hugh Cornwell, this makes it a pleasure to listen to.

Overall, an aural, visual and emotional rollercoaster, but not for the faint hearted.

Remember those last few words, not for the faint hearted!