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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2426 KP) rated Banana Cream Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen, #21) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
The latest murder in Lake Eden doesn’t even wait for Hannah to return from her honeymoon. In fact, Hannah’s mom discovers the body when she hears screaming and gun shots from her neighbor’s condo. Tori, the mayor’s sister, was a Broadway actress before she retired to Lake Eden. She doesn’t have many friends in the area, but she doesn’t have many enemies either. Hannah can’t seem to find anyone with a motive to kill the woman. What is she missing?
Fans of the series will be delighted to find that this book is more of the same. All the characters we love are back. Food talk slows down the mystery early on, but the plot gains momentum as we go along. In fact, I thought it was one of the better mysteries of recent books in the series. Of course, there are lots of recipes. The ending left me intrigued for the next in the series but also very fearful that what I’ve feared for a couple of books now is about to happen.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/05/book-review-banana-cream-pie-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Fans of the series will be delighted to find that this book is more of the same. All the characters we love are back. Food talk slows down the mystery early on, but the plot gains momentum as we go along. In fact, I thought it was one of the better mysteries of recent books in the series. Of course, there are lots of recipes. The ending left me intrigued for the next in the series but also very fearful that what I’ve feared for a couple of books now is about to happen.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/05/book-review-banana-cream-pie-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2426 KP) rated Rogue Lawyer in Books
Aug 11, 2018
Character Study that Left Me Cold
This book introduces us to Sebastian Rudd, a lawyer who handles the clients no one else wants to take on. We’re talking about an older teen accused of a horrible crime and convicted by the people of his town. Or a mobster on death row. With enemies from the ranks of the police and the clients he hasn’t been able to get off, can Sebastian navigate his life?
The book is really more of a character study with several cases taking the foreground at various points. It reads like these stories were originally published separately and brought together for this book, although I haven’t researched to know if that is true or not. The ending definitely leaves things open for more books. My issue is that I had a hard time liking many of the characters and found myself actively rooting for Sebastian to lose some of his cases. The fact that all the cops were over the top corrupt didn’t help any at all. Plus Sebastian came across as a knock off of Michael Connelly’s Mickey Haller character, and that certainly didn’t help matters at all since I love Mickey.
The book is really more of a character study with several cases taking the foreground at various points. It reads like these stories were originally published separately and brought together for this book, although I haven’t researched to know if that is true or not. The ending definitely leaves things open for more books. My issue is that I had a hard time liking many of the characters and found myself actively rooting for Sebastian to lose some of his cases. The fact that all the cops were over the top corrupt didn’t help any at all. Plus Sebastian came across as a knock off of Michael Connelly’s Mickey Haller character, and that certainly didn’t help matters at all since I love Mickey.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Moonlight Masquerade (London Encounters, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
In times of war people have been known to go to drastic measures. Where will loyalties lie when the truth comes out?
Mr. McKinnon, or rather Rees Phillips, has been sent as a butler, a spy, into the house of Lady Céline Wexham. Céline is a French émigré who is most likely a spy herself. Although as he gets to know her his loyalty to his homeland falters. It is 1813 and word has it that Bonaparte will soon be conquered. The royalists long to reestablish the monarchy in France, however Lady Wexham is in favor of the republic. She has made enemies of the French and the British. Will Rees follow his country, his heart, or God’s call?
Moonlight Masquerade is an exquisite tale of love in regency England. Intrigue, espionage, masquerades and highwaymen fill the pages of this book from beginning to end. It is a very moving story filled with sorrow and joy. Ruth Axtell did a wonderful job detailing where our true loyalties must lie. First and foremost to God. Our path will become clear, if not easy, as long as we rely on Him to guide us.
Mr. McKinnon, or rather Rees Phillips, has been sent as a butler, a spy, into the house of Lady Céline Wexham. Céline is a French émigré who is most likely a spy herself. Although as he gets to know her his loyalty to his homeland falters. It is 1813 and word has it that Bonaparte will soon be conquered. The royalists long to reestablish the monarchy in France, however Lady Wexham is in favor of the republic. She has made enemies of the French and the British. Will Rees follow his country, his heart, or God’s call?
Moonlight Masquerade is an exquisite tale of love in regency England. Intrigue, espionage, masquerades and highwaymen fill the pages of this book from beginning to end. It is a very moving story filled with sorrow and joy. Ruth Axtell did a wonderful job detailing where our true loyalties must lie. First and foremost to God. Our path will become clear, if not easy, as long as we rely on Him to guide us.
Sam Hill (23 KP) rated Loony Quest in Tabletop Games
Jun 21, 2019
Looney Quest is an odd game. You, and the other players, look at a game level, hen have a timed period to scribble a possible route onto a piece of acetate hitting trying to hit good things and miss traps/bombs/enemies. After he timed period you put your acetate over the level map and tot up your score.
Now the ideal market for this is younger kids, who want to participate and like scribbling on acetate, but the sheer quantity of token types and variety of effects is staggering and the kid young enough to like the scribbling is less keen on understanding what all these status effects mean.
Those of us old enough to click with all the token types, aree also going to find trying to draw what you remember to be a safe route achieving your targets dull.
Meanwhile the components are...ok, the tokens are nice thick card, but the acetate is a pain and (like most acetate screens) doesn't clean as easily as would be ideal, but the level maps are quite flimsy. If you try and replay it more than a couple of times they're going to get worn out fast.
Now the ideal market for this is younger kids, who want to participate and like scribbling on acetate, but the sheer quantity of token types and variety of effects is staggering and the kid young enough to like the scribbling is less keen on understanding what all these status effects mean.
Those of us old enough to click with all the token types, aree also going to find trying to draw what you remember to be a safe route achieving your targets dull.
Meanwhile the components are...ok, the tokens are nice thick card, but the acetate is a pain and (like most acetate screens) doesn't clean as easily as would be ideal, but the level maps are quite flimsy. If you try and replay it more than a couple of times they're going to get worn out fast.
Michael Packner (32 KP) rated Metroid in Video Games
Jun 21, 2019
The music (6 more)
The variety of worlds to explore
The variety of weapons and upgrades to obtain
The innovative morphing ball ability of Samus
Finding out the hero was actually a heroine
A variety of unique enemies and bosses
Free roaming
A super redundant map (1 more)
Beyond extremely difficult
Nostalgia wants me to rate this game an 8 and the quality of the games that came after it in the series try to convince me to rate it even higher but I won't be tempted. The original Metroid deserves no higher than a 6. It had so many more positives than negatives but the negatives are pretty strong. This game paved the way for the beautiful thing the series became but If we're being completely honest, the original is a 6 at best and that's just facts. The map is horribly redundant and extremely difficult would be a massive understatement. I have to wonder if anyone actually ever beat this game without using the JUSTIN BAILEY code, and even with the code I still have to wonder if anyone really beat it. I surmise this game led to many broken controllers.
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