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Alayna Rose (9 KP) rated Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns in Video Games
May 23, 2018
Characters (1 more)
Unique towns
This was an amazing game for the 20th anniversary of this series. The characters and variety of scenes were enjoyable. Lots of different goals in the game as well as crops and animals to add to your farm. The three towns to visit and increase the rank of were each unique. Also loved the part-time jobs for extra money and some variety at times.
Lindsay (1706 KP) rated Mia and Nattie One Great Team! in Books
Jan 2, 2021
I found a sweet book about a little girl and a baby lamb. This story is a sweet one. Though I think mostly about compassion and how being unique and special. What will happen to this baby sheep that is born and makes a connection with a little girl?
Will Mia find a special job that will help keep her on the farm? Will Grandma sell her as she thinks. Mia seems quite attached to Nattie. The story seems to show you that small and little that they can help when they find the right job or special thing they are good at.
The pictures are done well. They are cute. The pictures are what makes me turn the pages. They seem drawn well. Mia does some special care for Nattie. You will be surprised what Nattie's special magic or talent is.
This book shows what teamwork is or can be. It doesn't always have to be two kids or two people that do the teamwork. That was seen in this book.
This book is good for those that have children that love farm animals and or animals in general. It teaches and also shows that some animals can be calming and stress relievers without being with others. What a lovely story about a little girl and a baby sheep. What a good book to pick up. Children can learn about teamwork and caring for baby animals.
Will Mia find a special job that will help keep her on the farm? Will Grandma sell her as she thinks. Mia seems quite attached to Nattie. The story seems to show you that small and little that they can help when they find the right job or special thing they are good at.
The pictures are done well. They are cute. The pictures are what makes me turn the pages. They seem drawn well. Mia does some special care for Nattie. You will be surprised what Nattie's special magic or talent is.
This book shows what teamwork is or can be. It doesn't always have to be two kids or two people that do the teamwork. That was seen in this book.
This book is good for those that have children that love farm animals and or animals in general. It teaches and also shows that some animals can be calming and stress relievers without being with others. What a lovely story about a little girl and a baby sheep. What a good book to pick up. Children can learn about teamwork and caring for baby animals.
Becs (244 KP) rated Animal Farm in Books
Oct 2, 2019
I’ve always been a fan of the literary classics, especially ones that also have an underline meaning to do with the history of the world. George Orwell has always been a favorite of mine, I mean I have a lot of favorites but a true reader usually does! The reason why I finally picked up this book was for a job assignment. I will definitely say, I wasn’t disappointed.
Genre: Classic, Fantasy, Fiction, Science-Fiction, Literature, Dystopia
Audience: High School
Reading level: Advanced Fluent
Interests: Classics, Dystopia, Science-Fiction
Style: Advanced Fluent
Point of view: Third Person
Difficulty reading: It was only difficult in the spots that were lacking plot.
Promise: Promise of history related read, it delivers
Quality: Good.
Insights: Animal Farm is a very well-written book and if you like a history-related book along with any literary classic books, you’ll love this book! I, myself, have never really been a huge history buff so to me Animal Farm was lacking an interesting plot. If I broke the book down into two sections, there would be half of the book as interesting and half being monotonous.
Ah-Ha Moment: When the animals overtook the farm and the pigs started to act like the humans.
Favorite quote: “Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.” – I really like this because it’s a great representation of humans and earth. How we lack with caring for the planet we live on and that isn’t right.
Aesthetics: The copy that I received had an awesome cartoony cover of the animals which I found quite adorable.
“Four legs good, two legs bad.”
Genre: Classic, Fantasy, Fiction, Science-Fiction, Literature, Dystopia
Audience: High School
Reading level: Advanced Fluent
Interests: Classics, Dystopia, Science-Fiction
Style: Advanced Fluent
Point of view: Third Person
Difficulty reading: It was only difficult in the spots that were lacking plot.
Promise: Promise of history related read, it delivers
Quality: Good.
Insights: Animal Farm is a very well-written book and if you like a history-related book along with any literary classic books, you’ll love this book! I, myself, have never really been a huge history buff so to me Animal Farm was lacking an interesting plot. If I broke the book down into two sections, there would be half of the book as interesting and half being monotonous.
Ah-Ha Moment: When the animals overtook the farm and the pigs started to act like the humans.
Favorite quote: “Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.” – I really like this because it’s a great representation of humans and earth. How we lack with caring for the planet we live on and that isn’t right.
Aesthetics: The copy that I received had an awesome cartoony cover of the animals which I found quite adorable.
“Four legs good, two legs bad.”
Donna C (199 KP) rated Listening to the Animals - becoming the Supervet in Books
Jan 22, 2019
Autobiography of the “Supervet”
Didn’t we all want to be a vet when we were little? Well Noel Fitzpatrick held onto that dream and is now the well respected and amazing Supervet.
It was quite surprising to read how he was bullied relentlessly at secondary school. He grew up on the family farm where his passion for animals began, but this was quite an isolated start in life apart from his many siblings. He had to work hard on the farm.
Moving to secondary school meant meeting more worldly boys from the towns and he didn’t fit in. But he found ways to cope and threw himself into his studies which he still does even now.
His strong working life has come at a cost to a personal life but he does go into past relationships and regrets.
Noel Fitzpatrick has a vision for veterinary and human medicine to be able to work together and is determined to work towards that goal.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this autobiography.
It was quite surprising to read how he was bullied relentlessly at secondary school. He grew up on the family farm where his passion for animals began, but this was quite an isolated start in life apart from his many siblings. He had to work hard on the farm.
Moving to secondary school meant meeting more worldly boys from the towns and he didn’t fit in. But he found ways to cope and threw himself into his studies which he still does even now.
His strong working life has come at a cost to a personal life but he does go into past relationships and regrets.
Noel Fitzpatrick has a vision for veterinary and human medicine to be able to work together and is determined to work towards that goal.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this autobiography.
Nichole Knight (6 KP) rated Animal Circus in Books
Jan 25, 2020
Definitely Not a Children's Story and It's Worth the Read
The first thing I thought of when reading this was George Orwell's Animal Farm ... However Batchelor's story can not be compared to that. It's own uniquely written work on circus animals who wish to find peace and freedom.
Even though the cover is bright, quirky, and inviting this book is not for children.
For a short story, it's very depressing from start to finish. I honestly wish there was more to the middle. And, the end left me wanting to know more, though it was a twist that I was not expecting!
For a short to the point story it's worth the time in reading.
((I won an ebook copy in a giveaway on Goodreads.com and this is my honest opinion.))
Even though the cover is bright, quirky, and inviting this book is not for children.
For a short story, it's very depressing from start to finish. I honestly wish there was more to the middle. And, the end left me wanting to know more, though it was a twist that I was not expecting!
For a short to the point story it's worth the time in reading.
((I won an ebook copy in a giveaway on Goodreads.com and this is my honest opinion.))
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Farm Rescue in Tabletop Games
Nov 14, 2019
The Kids Table series from Purple Phoenix Games seeks to lightly explore games that are focused toward children and families. We will do our best to give some good insight, but not bog your down with the millions of rules…
Farm Rescue is a cute little memory game with pretty excellent components, especially for a kids game. Though the box says 4+ my 3 year old picked it up pretty quickly and is surprisingly good at it.
The game comes in a box with a really great insert where the components can really only go in one spot. This is so wonderful for parents of younger kids who enjoy setting up and tearing down games. So thank you for that consideration, Brain Games! Anyway, the idea behind the game is to setup a 5 x 5 grid of face-up farm animal squares inside the provided picket fence border tiles. Each player will roll the two dice (one is color and one is an animal) and flip over the corresponding tile – like green chicken or purple cow. If a purple cow is rolled again in the future you must remember which tile featured the purple cow and flip it back over. If correct, then the farmer mini is moved closer to catching the wolf mini. If incorrect, the wolf mini is moved closer to the fence entrance. The game ends when either all tiles are flipped to their backs, the farmer catches the wolf, or the wolf gets into the fence to gobble up the remaining animals.
This game is surprisingly good! When my son picked it out at our FLGS (as recommended by the attendant) I didn’t know what to expect. I honestly, and foolishly, don’t keep kids games on my radar. When we brought it home, and after his nap, we were able to get a play in right away with Gramps as our third player. Ultimately we allowed the wolf to gobble up the animals, but we had a great time rolling the dice and flipping the animals (no Midwest cow tipping jokes please). My son also showed us that young children have far better memory skills than middle-aged dads and slightly older (you’re welcome) grandfathers.
My son LOVES his new game and I am so sure we are going to be playing it often. He even invited the farmer and wolf minis to the dinner table with him. He also took the following action shots of the game (which he never really offers to do, so this is big for him). Farm Rescue is a hit with our family, and if you are looking for a memory game with some meat on the bones (I had to), then check it out for your family.
PS – I often make mention of games that rely on color recognition that also play well with colorblindness. Though nobody in my family is colorblind, each of the colors in Farm Rescue also has an associated graphic – red circles, blue stars, purple plus signs. This is very much appreciated, and another high-five to Brain Games for having more inclusive components. Good on you!
Farm Rescue is a cute little memory game with pretty excellent components, especially for a kids game. Though the box says 4+ my 3 year old picked it up pretty quickly and is surprisingly good at it.
The game comes in a box with a really great insert where the components can really only go in one spot. This is so wonderful for parents of younger kids who enjoy setting up and tearing down games. So thank you for that consideration, Brain Games! Anyway, the idea behind the game is to setup a 5 x 5 grid of face-up farm animal squares inside the provided picket fence border tiles. Each player will roll the two dice (one is color and one is an animal) and flip over the corresponding tile – like green chicken or purple cow. If a purple cow is rolled again in the future you must remember which tile featured the purple cow and flip it back over. If correct, then the farmer mini is moved closer to catching the wolf mini. If incorrect, the wolf mini is moved closer to the fence entrance. The game ends when either all tiles are flipped to their backs, the farmer catches the wolf, or the wolf gets into the fence to gobble up the remaining animals.
This game is surprisingly good! When my son picked it out at our FLGS (as recommended by the attendant) I didn’t know what to expect. I honestly, and foolishly, don’t keep kids games on my radar. When we brought it home, and after his nap, we were able to get a play in right away with Gramps as our third player. Ultimately we allowed the wolf to gobble up the animals, but we had a great time rolling the dice and flipping the animals (no Midwest cow tipping jokes please). My son also showed us that young children have far better memory skills than middle-aged dads and slightly older (you’re welcome) grandfathers.
My son LOVES his new game and I am so sure we are going to be playing it often. He even invited the farmer and wolf minis to the dinner table with him. He also took the following action shots of the game (which he never really offers to do, so this is big for him). Farm Rescue is a hit with our family, and if you are looking for a memory game with some meat on the bones (I had to), then check it out for your family.
PS – I often make mention of games that rely on color recognition that also play well with colorblindness. Though nobody in my family is colorblind, each of the colors in Farm Rescue also has an associated graphic – red circles, blue stars, purple plus signs. This is very much appreciated, and another high-five to Brain Games for having more inclusive components. Good on you!
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Dark Waters (2019) in Movies
Nov 28, 2019
Dark Waters, the screenplay developed from the New York Times Magazine article: The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare. The article tells of Robert Bilott (Mark Ruffalo), a corporate environmental lawyer, who headed the years long battle against DuPont in one of the landmark cases that held the company accountable for their actions.
Bilott, is visited by a farmer, Wilbur Tennant (Jim Azelvandre), who was an acquaintance of his Grandmother. As a child, he visited her home in West Virginia during the summers and had fond memories of that farm. Robert, having worked with DuPont on many cases, felt confident that he would be able to sort out the situation for Tennant. What he does not realize until he visits Wilbur’s farm is that the situation is more dire than he had known.
Wilbur had arrived with multiple VHS tapes recording the various issues that were happening to his farm animals. Bilott witnesses the mass graves that littered Tennant’s farm from his herd that had died from various illnesses. Wilbur is convinced that the reason is the dump that DuPont has created next to his property.
Mark Ruffalo’s portrayal of Bilott is an exercise in subtlety. He becomes more purpose driven once his investigation and research in the information that DuPont had sent due to discovery. Anne Hathaway plays Sarah Bilott, Robert’s wife and steadfast partner. Over the years, Sarah had been supportive, however as the case drags on and Rob’s pay gets cut repeatedly, the strain begins to show.
This film has a stellar cast. From Tim Robbins, as Tom Terp, the managing partner at the firm, Victor Garber as DuPont’s in-house counsel. Mare Winningham as Darlene Kiger, a lead plaintiff in the class action suit and Bill Pullman as Harry Dietzler, lead counsel for the plaintiffs.
This movie has the quality that awards season loves. It is a David vs. Goliath, under dog wins story. Mark Ruffalo does a great portrayal of a man who initially does not want to pursue the case, then shifts to the defender of the people.
This movie is along the lines of Erin Brockovich and Norma Rae.
4.5 out of 5 Stars
Bilott, is visited by a farmer, Wilbur Tennant (Jim Azelvandre), who was an acquaintance of his Grandmother. As a child, he visited her home in West Virginia during the summers and had fond memories of that farm. Robert, having worked with DuPont on many cases, felt confident that he would be able to sort out the situation for Tennant. What he does not realize until he visits Wilbur’s farm is that the situation is more dire than he had known.
Wilbur had arrived with multiple VHS tapes recording the various issues that were happening to his farm animals. Bilott witnesses the mass graves that littered Tennant’s farm from his herd that had died from various illnesses. Wilbur is convinced that the reason is the dump that DuPont has created next to his property.
Mark Ruffalo’s portrayal of Bilott is an exercise in subtlety. He becomes more purpose driven once his investigation and research in the information that DuPont had sent due to discovery. Anne Hathaway plays Sarah Bilott, Robert’s wife and steadfast partner. Over the years, Sarah had been supportive, however as the case drags on and Rob’s pay gets cut repeatedly, the strain begins to show.
This film has a stellar cast. From Tim Robbins, as Tom Terp, the managing partner at the firm, Victor Garber as DuPont’s in-house counsel. Mare Winningham as Darlene Kiger, a lead plaintiff in the class action suit and Bill Pullman as Harry Dietzler, lead counsel for the plaintiffs.
This movie has the quality that awards season loves. It is a David vs. Goliath, under dog wins story. Mark Ruffalo does a great portrayal of a man who initially does not want to pursue the case, then shifts to the defender of the people.
This movie is along the lines of Erin Brockovich and Norma Rae.
4.5 out of 5 Stars
ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Four Winds in Books
Feb 28, 2021
The Four Winds is about one woman’s determination to keep her family safe in extremely difficult circumstances. It was a tough, emotional read - and I couldn’t put it down.
It’s a period of history that I know little about. I mean, I’ve watched films set in this period where people live on ramshackle farms, or in shanty-type towns, and I knew that it was something to do with the Great Depression. This book describes the side of the story of a family of farmers who lived in the Dust Bowl of Texas.
Elsa lives with her husband, children and his parents on a farm in Texas. Two children later and with the farm failing, Elsa’s husband leaves them to pursue a better life - on his own. Elsa struggles on with her in-laws and children, determined to give Loreda and Ant (her children) a home where they feel loved. But when Ant nearly dies from dust pneumonia, and the farm fails completely, they make plans to leave for California. Elsa reluctantly leaves her in-laws behind (they refuse to leave their farm), because it’s the only way to save Ant.
California isn’t the promised land of milk and honey. They arrive with little money, nowhere to stay, and Californians don’t want to help them. In fact they believe ‘Okeys’ are feckless, lazy, dirty; they refuse to house or employ them. Elsa’s only choice is to live in a tent in an encampment where poverty and typhoid are rife.
I admired Elsa’s tenacity - she works tirelessly for little money to feed her children. It’s a story of one woman’s survival and her need to protect her family.
I didn’t know anything about the Dust Bowl before I read this. I’d heard the term, but I didn’t know about the dust storms, animals dying after being filled up with dust, and people dying from dust pneumonia. This sounds like an exaggerated story, doesn’t it? But it’s not. None of this was unusual.
The Four Winds is a hard, yet compelling read. This is only the third Kristin Hannah book I’ve read, and it won’t be my last!
Many thanks to St Martin’s Press for my e-copy.
It’s a period of history that I know little about. I mean, I’ve watched films set in this period where people live on ramshackle farms, or in shanty-type towns, and I knew that it was something to do with the Great Depression. This book describes the side of the story of a family of farmers who lived in the Dust Bowl of Texas.
Elsa lives with her husband, children and his parents on a farm in Texas. Two children later and with the farm failing, Elsa’s husband leaves them to pursue a better life - on his own. Elsa struggles on with her in-laws and children, determined to give Loreda and Ant (her children) a home where they feel loved. But when Ant nearly dies from dust pneumonia, and the farm fails completely, they make plans to leave for California. Elsa reluctantly leaves her in-laws behind (they refuse to leave their farm), because it’s the only way to save Ant.
California isn’t the promised land of milk and honey. They arrive with little money, nowhere to stay, and Californians don’t want to help them. In fact they believe ‘Okeys’ are feckless, lazy, dirty; they refuse to house or employ them. Elsa’s only choice is to live in a tent in an encampment where poverty and typhoid are rife.
I admired Elsa’s tenacity - she works tirelessly for little money to feed her children. It’s a story of one woman’s survival and her need to protect her family.
I didn’t know anything about the Dust Bowl before I read this. I’d heard the term, but I didn’t know about the dust storms, animals dying after being filled up with dust, and people dying from dust pneumonia. This sounds like an exaggerated story, doesn’t it? But it’s not. None of this was unusual.
The Four Winds is a hard, yet compelling read. This is only the third Kristin Hannah book I’ve read, and it won’t be my last!
Many thanks to St Martin’s Press for my e-copy.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015) in Movies
Nov 18, 2019
The gang is all here
I love this movie, i have seen it about five times. The animation is fantasic, the story is excellent, the charcters look great. Everything about this movie is excellent.
The plot: All is well at Mossy Bottom Farm, except for the fact that the animals will do anything to get out of work. So, Shaun the sheep and his scheming friends devise a plan to put their master to sleep. However, the ruse backfires when the poor farmer finds himself transported to the big city, having lost his memory. Now, it's up to Sean, Timmy the lamb, Shirley the ewe and the rest of the gang to travel to the metropolis and get him back, while not landing in even more trouble themselves.
Its really funny, adventurious, has a message, and overall a phenomenal movie and cant wait until the sequel.
A must watch movie.
The plot: All is well at Mossy Bottom Farm, except for the fact that the animals will do anything to get out of work. So, Shaun the sheep and his scheming friends devise a plan to put their master to sleep. However, the ruse backfires when the poor farmer finds himself transported to the big city, having lost his memory. Now, it's up to Sean, Timmy the lamb, Shirley the ewe and the rest of the gang to travel to the metropolis and get him back, while not landing in even more trouble themselves.
Its really funny, adventurious, has a message, and overall a phenomenal movie and cant wait until the sequel.
A must watch movie.
Mothergamer (1521 KP) rated Verdant Skies in Video Games
Feb 23, 2020
Great And Relaxing Game
In Verdant Skies you are playing as a colonist on another planet. You have to plant crops, forage, fish, and help build a colony. Think Stardew Valley in space. If you like games like Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon you will enjoy this game. There is a lot of exploration, building, and of course building friendships and romances with your fellow colonists. You can take your time with the game. There's a very relaxed vibe and you can do tasks for others, farm, clone animals like space cows, and help to build and grow your colony. There is wonderful diversity and representation among the characters and it is easy to see how much love, thought, and care went into this game. It is a lot of fun to play and there is a lot to do in it as well.