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    First Phrases HD Lite

    First Phrases HD Lite

    Education and Games

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    App

    This interactive, beautifully illustrated and animated app for the iPAD is perfect for the toddler...

Persona 5
Persona 5
2016 | Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
The game (0 more)
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Amazing JRPG that stole my heart!
I love the Shin Megami games, but as a surprise, I have not beaten many of them. They are these epic undertakings that require many hours per play through. This is the first one that I easily put 150+ hours into through 2 play through and got a platinum trophy, where I still long to play more.

The characters are well developed and amazing, I fell in love with everyone, and even loved to hate the villains. I am normally not a fan of mascots but even Morgana won me over throughout the game. The music is epic and memorable, and really sets the tone no matter what is happening.


No gem is perfect, there are mild problems I had with this;
Time management is not a strong suit I have in real life, so maintaining it on a game (even with the help of knowing what others did) felt overwhelming.
In the same vein of saving time I felt rushed to complete dungeons in one day so I could move onto the grinding of skills and confidants.


I'm not saying these ruined the game, but I felt like I wanted to have a little more time in dungeons sometimes as opposed to the social aspects, which, while fun, seemed very heavy at times.


I always feel every game is worth a certain amount of money, the game retails (at release) for $60 and I honestly think it's a fine price. When a game honestly offers a 100+ campaign on the first play through, that less then a dollar an hour and it was worth the whole ride!
  
The Room on Rue Amélie
The Room on Rue Amélie
Kristin Harmel | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
For those that know me, truly know me, know that one of my favorite genres to read, is historical fiction. More specifically, the WWII era. So, when I was browsing books at B&N one day, I came across this book. First, let me say, the cover is enough to hook me! It’s gorgeous. Second, once my dad surprised me with it, I devoured it. Or, rather, it devoured me and kept me hooked til the end.

This book is not full of fluff and rhyme. Yes, there is a bit of romance woven in, but the author is taking the reader on a journey of self discovery. The reader is on a journey with the characters, feeling the heartache of the war, the pain, and sacrifice that went with running from the Nazi’s and helping with the escape efforts of the pilots.

Each page turn, Harmel gives something more to the reader. She intricately weaves a story that you become a part of. Ruby, Charlotte and Thomas all make their way into the reader’s heart. The depth of emotions is felt wholly, the detail to the history is vivid and clear.

Harmel’s THE ROOM ON RUE AMELIE is a novel that all historical fiction lovers should grab. It will consume you and keep you until the last page is turned. If I could give this book a thousand stars I would. But, alas, I can give it 5 stars. This is a book that I won’t forget and will be sharing with my friends many times over.

*This book was purchased by myself. All opinions, negative or positive, are my own.*
  
Fade Out (Morganville Vampires #7)
Fade Out (Morganville Vampires #7)
Rachel Caine | 2010 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.4 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
Yet another good addition to the Morganville Vampires series, Fade Out is all about entertainment, but with a sinister twist. Eve wins a major part in the town's production of Tennessee Williams' A Street Car Named Desire and Claire's quirky boss, Myrnin, seems to have gained his sanity. But underneath this calm surface, rebellion is simmering while Amelie grieves, Ada-the-computer has it in for Claire, and the other goth chick in town, Kim, has less-than-honest designs for Morganville with a suspicious film project in the works.
Claire seems to have worked out a truce with her parents, which I liked since they just seem to get in the way. Her relationship with Shane is adorable and sweet, and I love their loyalty to each other even as they navigate the familiar territory of new romance. In contrast, Eve and Michael have hit a major bump in the road that I saw coming several books back - and I'm still a little annoyed that we don't get more details from Eve's perspective.
Myrnin has to be my favorite character in the series. Even as a sane individual, he is still incredibly unique - from his fashion sense, to the unexpected things he randomly spouts, to his mercurial behavior and unpredictable loyalties among the town's inhabitants. What develops with Ada's subplot in the book shows that beneath the vampire still lurks some humanity, and he obviously has many more secrets that have yet to be revealed.
Amelie grieves for the loss of Sam, and the way she randomly appears in Claire's day-to-day life during this period of stark vulnerability is equal parts mystifying and encouraging. While the downside of this is that the rebellious factions feel stronger, the upside is that the readers gets to see some of the characteristics typical only to humans show themselves in Amelie.
As for Claire herself, Shane makes an observation about her that I think sums her up quite nicely. Some people come to Morganville and disappear, but when Claire came to Morganville, she began to thrive.
Every time I pick up one of the books in this series, I simply can not stop reading until I've finished it - always the perfect blend of suspense, mystery, and supernatural elements to keep me hooked.
  
Obsessed: Meik and Sebastian
Obsessed: Meik and Sebastian
Quin Perin | 2018 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+
9
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
so bloody short!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I purchased my copy of this book.

SHORT!!! SO bloody short!

I did know that going in, that it was only some 70 odd pages, but those pages got eaten up so quickly, I blinked and the whole book was finished!

Not the story, just THIS part of it.

Meik is, by his own words, bored. Bored of his day to day life; of the endless supply of secretaries (both male and female) willing to get down on their knees under his desk for the chance of a pay rise. Wandering the streets, a few guitar notes pull him in, and Meik is obsessed with Sebastian. It really is the only word that fits!!

After a blow job in the alley, Meik wants more of Sebastian, but he can't find him, and the longer Meik can't find him, the more he MUST find him.

I'm gonna be incredibly frustrated with these books, I know I am. Here's why: if they keep coming in these short bursts, I'm gonna be so bloody impatient waiting for the next one, and I don't do patience when it comes to my books!

I loved this, it pushes all my buttons and then some. It's super sexy and super hot!

BUT!!!

It does only come from Meik's point of view and this is the ONLY reason I can't quite stretch to 5 full stars: single person point of view. Because of COURSE I wanted to hear from Sebastian! I need to know what was going through his head in the alley, and later, when Meik takes him home. I NEEDED to hear that, and I don't.

At this moment, this is NOT a romance. This is simply about Meik first obsessing over, and then possessing, Sebastian. Whether that will change, I have no idea, I really don't care, to be honest. Meik is nothing if not honest about what, or rather, WHO he wants. But I have a feeling he might surprise us, maybe even himself.

Can't wait to see what these two get up to!

SO, because only Meik has a say, and even though its so bloody short...

4.5 stars (rounded up to 5 for the blog)

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
    RocketRoute FlightPlan

    RocketRoute FlightPlan

    Weather and Navigation

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    App

    RocketRoute combines Worldwide Flight Planning and In-Flight Navigation in one amazing iPad and...

WC
What Curiosity Kills (The Turning, #1)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Turning: What Curiosity Kills by Helen Ellis
Genre: YA, paranormal, romance

Rating: 4

Mary Richards always knew she didn't fit in exactly with everyone else, but she always attributed that to the fact that she and her sister were adopted. But when her long time crush suddenly starts showing interest in her, she randomly starts sleeping and purring in class, and she starts to turn into a cat, she knows things are never going to be the same.

I was instantly pulled into The Turning. The story starts and progresses quickly, and I read the whole thing in one day, almost fully in one sitting. It's the kind of book that you don't realize you've gotten to the next page, or the next chapter, and before you know it, you're done… but the adventure was so engaging, you forgot who you were for a while, because you were living solely in the character's shoes.

The writing was casual, but good. I rarely felt out of place or confused by what had just occurred. One of the only things that really bothered me about this book was the fact that Nick and Mary's relationship was very fast, and seemingly out of nowhere but lust. The ending, also, didn't quite have enough closure on the relationship aspect, nor on the actual story. It directly after the final exciting scene, with no smooth curve down. My heart was still racing when I got to the last page, and I felt like it should have lasted a little longer. Lastly, I wasn't sure if this book was for pre-teens, ages 12-14, or older. It would probably appeal to both age groups.

My favorite part was watching the characters show themselves for who they were. Yoon being more than what meets the eye, Octavia confessing her secrets and being willing, for love, to face her fears, and all the others, too. They were all very unique. I loved the characters and their interaction and dialogue.

Overall, I enjoyed The Turning, and look forward to the rest of the series.

Content: Some language, no sex

Recommendation: Ages 14-18, or if offended by language 16+
  
Big Lies in a Small Town
Big Lies in a Small Town
Diane Chamberlain | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Morgan Christopher is shocked when she's plucked from prison and told she will be released early, as long as she perform a certain task: restore an old mural from the 1940s. Morgan, an art school dropout, has no restoration skills, but she is desperate to leave prison, where she is imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit. Once released, she finds herself captivated by the mural and what she finds underneath the layers of grime. Meanwhile, in 1940, young Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey wins a contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. She travels there to learn more about the town that she needs to capture. But once there, Anna is confronted both by kindness and deep-set prejudice.

I've never read a book by Diane Chamberlain before, and I really enjoyed this one. It's oddly captivating for centering on a painting from the 1940s. The point-of-view switches between Morgan and Anna and each are compelling narrators in their own right. This was one of those books where I found myself desperately wishing I could read faster, as I wanted to find out what happened to Anna (we're told early on she "went crazy").

I applaud Chamberlain for her original plot. It's odd, but not in a bad way, as it had me interested the entire time. She does a wonderful job of creating two completely different worlds: Anna's in the 40s and Morgan's in near present-day. She deftly weaves in art aspects; Morgan's drunk driving conviction and her past in prison; Anna's possible mental illness; and Morgan's benefactor, so to speak, Lisa, who springs her out of prison to fulfill the wishes of her late father, Jesse, a famous artist.

While this novel is mainly fiction, there are some great twists and turns, especially as we learn what happened to Anna. Chamberlain delves into race relations, as Anna confronts the prejudices of the south in the 1940s. Her writing style is easy, making you want to keep reading, and overall, I quite enjoyed this one. 4 stars.