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Autumn (3 KP) rated Breaking Beautiful in Books

Jan 19, 2018  
BB
Breaking Beautiful
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
this book wasn't what I was expecting. most YA novels aren't when I think about it. anyway, this was wonderful. I think of it as a story of a girl discovering who she is and what she needs.
thankfully I have about zero experience and only academic knowledge about abusive relationships. therefore my only complaint was that there was no explanation in how Allie got into this destructive relationship. from a moralistic standpoint this is probably one of the worst books to give a teenager in an abusive relationship. it demonstrates no means of prevention or plausible solutions of extracting oneself from such a situation. apparently your only means of escape are 1. getting the shit beat out of you until your partner thinks you're dead or 2. your partner dies. not terribly plausible.
points for self-actualization and having a character with CP; big WTF for not helping anyone.
  
7 Wonders
7 Wonders
2010 | Ancient, Card Game, City Building, Civilization
High Player Count (3 more)
Card Drafting Stratagy
Building your engine
Artwork
Card Drafting and Civilization building at it's finest, with a large player count which is so hard to find.
love this game, plus it's 2 player version 7 Wonders Duel. it's a really great light to medium weight game about how you choose to build your civilization. You start with a wonder, which gives you a starting power/resource, then you build from there by adding card to your tableau which in turn gives you the ability to buy more things. you can build your military and bully your neighbors, or focus on knowledge, or make sure your civilization is rich with resources and money, and trade with your neighbors... Each thing you do builds up to doing more. Great Game especially showcases what modern games can do and still good for relative beginners to the Board game world.
  
Orléans
Orléans
2014 | Medieval, Religious, Travel
The many different options on how to play (1 more)
I kinda like the old european art
The theme isn't great (0 more)
A multi dimensional multipath to victory game with bag building and worker placement.
This game is one of my wife's favorites too. So many different ways to win this game, and the special buildings are the key to different paths. I will warn you as a first time player, make sure you don't neglect the knowledge path (books) or the map, those are the key to the game, how you get those down are how you win. This game is all about how you find your personal efficiency, and use your strengths which you've built better than you neighbor. I've not yet played the expansions as we've played the central game only about 20 times so far, holding out on opening those up till after the base game gets stale.
  
The Gift (2015)
The Gift (2015)
2015 | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Contains spoilers, click to show
An engaging enough film, essentially making the point that things you do in the past can catch up with you. However, it frustrated me so much, if a bloke who I actually didn't know but was an old friend of my husband's kept turning up at my door uninvited and when my hubby was in work I would not be letting him in and spending time with him, if I suspected someone was entering my house without my knowledge I would be keeping all the doors locked, why would you leave your dog to roam around outside when it's unfamiliar with the area?.... Would you really want to divorce your husband whom I presume you have grown to know and love over the years because you find out he bullied a kid at school and sent an email about a work rival? I don't think so...
  
Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War
Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War
Mary Roach | 2017 | Humor & Comedy
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I own an Advanced Reader Copy of this book but I ended up listening to it on audiobook. The narrator (Abby Elvidge) did an really good job at pulling off the humor and snark that Mary Roach puts into her books. The book was fascinating and it is always fun to see how much research Mary Roach puts into her book. I'm never disappointed and I always leave her novels knowing more than I ever thought I could have learned.

Mary Roach has a way of making you want to gag and laugh at the same time. Her snark and humor is always fun and adds a lot when you start learning about decomposing shark flesh. I love reading/listening to her books because it delivers knowledge with a side of humor.

All in all, this was really fascinating. I would recommend reading this.
  
TP
The Penguin History of the USA
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A very concise and yet still strangely detailed history of one of the youngest super powers ever to exist. It is an effective and informative text that provides a complete history of the United States, although I must admit I was slightly let down by the lack of detail in later years, from Kennedy onwards. Brogan has a good degree of insight into the events and imparts this in a sometimes comical, but always fair way, never making assumptions unless he had solid foundations. All in all I found this an incredibly informative, if not slightly hard going due to the amount of fact covered, and one that deserves every attribute given to it by critics and ordinary readers alike. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is seriously interested in developing a more in depth knowledge about the history of this great country, scholars and casual readers alike.
  
Revision is a Process is a well-thought out, easy-to-read, informative book, that gives plenty of examples and descriptions on just how you can tighten up a manuscript. There is plenty of knowledge within the pages, plus shortcuts that the author is happy to share. In bite-sized chunks, you could either read it in one go, or focus on the particular chapter that will help you currently. Personally, I found it very helpful, and will certainly be putting into practice some of the recommended routines.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who is self-editing, and wants to know more about what they should do, and how they should do it.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
SB
Superman: Birthright
Mark Waid | 2005
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
It's funny, but while - like, I'm sure, most people out there - I may know (of) the origin of the Man of Steel, I've never actually seeing it written down anywhere.

Thinking about it, I think that knowledge comes from the Christopher Reeve Superman films, and the more recent TV series Smallville.

That TV series was still running when this graphic novel series was released.

This goes back to Superman's earliest days in Metropolis, with a brief flash-back to his high school Smallville days, to present a new take on the origin of the character - Jimmy Olsen? Check. Ma and Pa Kent? Check. Perry White? Check. Lois Lane? Check. Lex Luthor? Also check!

As such, I found this an interesting take on the character, with some dynamic action sequences and some stand-out visuals (Clark Kent soaring over a herd of stampeding Zebra's, for instance).
  
Dobble - Harry Potter version
Dobble - Harry Potter version
2019 | Card Game, Party Game
Simple (4 more)
Easy to pick up
Fun
Fast-paced
Addictive
Annoying 😂 (0 more)
Like advanced snap
I received this as part of a smashbomb competition!

The game has 5 different mini games which are all very fun. Each card has several different characters or objects on it and these have to be matched with various paired cards.

The game is very easy to pick up with simple instructions for all the mini games. It would suit all types of people/family members even those without prior Harry Potter knowledge. The different icons are depicted within the instructions with names.

We spent quite some time playing this game eventhough each game is fairly short. Its addictive and much harder than the description sounds.

Sometimes you have the flow of things and blast through several pairs. Other times you are stumped and cant pick out any difference between the cards.
  
    EGQ Past Simple I

    EGQ Past Simple I

    Education and Games

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    Quickly improve and test your Past Simple English Grammar Tense. An exciting and new challenging...