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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated SYNK! in Tabletop Games
Apr 27, 2021
I like to think of myself as a somewhat intelligent person. I can occasionally ‘win’ a game of Jeopardy while watching on tv…..ok, so maybe it’s just during Kids Week, but that’s gotta count for something, right?! Anyway, word games and trivia have always entertained me. So when I heard about Synk! – a game that involves both of those elements – I knew I had to try it out. Does this party game really put your knowledge to the test, or does it sink to the bottom of the stack? Keep reading to find out!
Disclaimer: We were provided with a copy of SYNK! for the purposes of this review. The components you see pictured might not be the finalized version, and could change after a successful Kickstarter campaign. -L
SYNK! is a party card game in which players will be mixing their knowledge of wordplay with a bit of trivia. The game is played over a series of rounds until one player has earned a total of 3 cards to win. Here’s how you setup the game: put the deck of cards facedown within reach of all players. Yep, that’s it. How you play is a little more involved…
First thing first – pick a starting player. That person will draw a card from the deck. On said card there will be a secret word, as well as its definition. Next, the player will reveal the first letter of the secret word. All others will then think of any word that begins with that first letter. When someone thinks they’ve come up with a good option, they say, “I’ve got it!” and will take a moment to describe their word to the group – giving the definition, providing an example, relying on someone’s specific knowledge, etc. Once another player thinks they know what word is being described, they will shout out “Synk!” These two players will countdown from 3 and say their words together, in hopes that they match. If their words do indeed match, then the keeper of the secret word will reveal the next letter. The process starts again, but now players must think of words that begin with the first AND second letter of the secret word. The round continues in this fashion until a player manages to guess the secret word and Synk it with another player. They win the card, and become the next secret word keeper.
What happens if you don’t Synk with someone? Then the next letter is not revealed, and the process starts again with the same letter(s) as before. If ever the game reaches a standstill and nobody has any ideas, the secret word keeper must reveal the word’s definition. Once the definition has been read, any player can shout out “Synk!” and guess the word immediately – you only get one guess though, so make it count! That all seems great for the players, but what about the secret word keeper? There’s a twist in the game to keep them engaged too! At the end of a Synk countdown, the card keeper is allowed to guess the described word too. If their guess is correct, no new letters are revealed. And as an added bonus, if another player guesses the correct secret word, but doesn’t Synk it with someone else, the card keeper wins the round and keeps that card for themselves! Play keeps going as described until one player has collected a total of 3 cards, thus winning the game.
I know that sounds like kind of a lot, but I promise that the gameplay is pretty intuitive and simple once you get going. And actually, although the physical gameplay may be simple, Synk! stretches your brain quite a bit. At the beginning of a round, with only 1 or 2 letters revealed, coming up with words is a piece of cake! But as the round progresses and more letters are revealed, it becomes more challenging than you might think to come up with words that use those specific letters in that specific order. And remember, this is a game after all – so speed is of the essence! Think too slowly and you’ll get left in the dust. As the secret word keeper, you get off the hook a little bit, since you don’t have to come up with words. But the ability to guess another player’s word at the end of a countdown allows the card keeper to stay engaged throughout the entire game. A neat little twist that adds another layer of strategy to the game.
To touch on components – this game is literally a giant deck of cards. Again, I am not sure if this is a finalized version of the game, but the quality of the box and cards is pretty great. There really is no artwork, but this isn’t that type of game, so it doesn’t detract at all from the gameplay. The text is large and clear, making for quick reading and understanding. All in all, already a great quality game.
Where does Synk! sit on my list of party games? Well, it depends on the group of players. This game has a suggested age of 14+, and I think that’s appropriate. Players have to have some decent knowledge of words/spelling to play, but aren’t expected to have a MENSA-level IQ. Some people love wordplay, and others don’t. But with the right group of gamers, I would absolutely pull this out on occasion. Synk! is more of a ‘thinky’ party game, and I really have never played a party game like it before. It fills a hole in my collection, and it will definitely be played with the right group. If you’re into word games, but are looking for something a little more fast-paced, consider backing Synk! on Kickstarter! The campaign goes live on May 18th, 2021!
Disclaimer: We were provided with a copy of SYNK! for the purposes of this review. The components you see pictured might not be the finalized version, and could change after a successful Kickstarter campaign. -L
SYNK! is a party card game in which players will be mixing their knowledge of wordplay with a bit of trivia. The game is played over a series of rounds until one player has earned a total of 3 cards to win. Here’s how you setup the game: put the deck of cards facedown within reach of all players. Yep, that’s it. How you play is a little more involved…
First thing first – pick a starting player. That person will draw a card from the deck. On said card there will be a secret word, as well as its definition. Next, the player will reveal the first letter of the secret word. All others will then think of any word that begins with that first letter. When someone thinks they’ve come up with a good option, they say, “I’ve got it!” and will take a moment to describe their word to the group – giving the definition, providing an example, relying on someone’s specific knowledge, etc. Once another player thinks they know what word is being described, they will shout out “Synk!” These two players will countdown from 3 and say their words together, in hopes that they match. If their words do indeed match, then the keeper of the secret word will reveal the next letter. The process starts again, but now players must think of words that begin with the first AND second letter of the secret word. The round continues in this fashion until a player manages to guess the secret word and Synk it with another player. They win the card, and become the next secret word keeper.
What happens if you don’t Synk with someone? Then the next letter is not revealed, and the process starts again with the same letter(s) as before. If ever the game reaches a standstill and nobody has any ideas, the secret word keeper must reveal the word’s definition. Once the definition has been read, any player can shout out “Synk!” and guess the word immediately – you only get one guess though, so make it count! That all seems great for the players, but what about the secret word keeper? There’s a twist in the game to keep them engaged too! At the end of a Synk countdown, the card keeper is allowed to guess the described word too. If their guess is correct, no new letters are revealed. And as an added bonus, if another player guesses the correct secret word, but doesn’t Synk it with someone else, the card keeper wins the round and keeps that card for themselves! Play keeps going as described until one player has collected a total of 3 cards, thus winning the game.
I know that sounds like kind of a lot, but I promise that the gameplay is pretty intuitive and simple once you get going. And actually, although the physical gameplay may be simple, Synk! stretches your brain quite a bit. At the beginning of a round, with only 1 or 2 letters revealed, coming up with words is a piece of cake! But as the round progresses and more letters are revealed, it becomes more challenging than you might think to come up with words that use those specific letters in that specific order. And remember, this is a game after all – so speed is of the essence! Think too slowly and you’ll get left in the dust. As the secret word keeper, you get off the hook a little bit, since you don’t have to come up with words. But the ability to guess another player’s word at the end of a countdown allows the card keeper to stay engaged throughout the entire game. A neat little twist that adds another layer of strategy to the game.
To touch on components – this game is literally a giant deck of cards. Again, I am not sure if this is a finalized version of the game, but the quality of the box and cards is pretty great. There really is no artwork, but this isn’t that type of game, so it doesn’t detract at all from the gameplay. The text is large and clear, making for quick reading and understanding. All in all, already a great quality game.
Where does Synk! sit on my list of party games? Well, it depends on the group of players. This game has a suggested age of 14+, and I think that’s appropriate. Players have to have some decent knowledge of words/spelling to play, but aren’t expected to have a MENSA-level IQ. Some people love wordplay, and others don’t. But with the right group of gamers, I would absolutely pull this out on occasion. Synk! is more of a ‘thinky’ party game, and I really have never played a party game like it before. It fills a hole in my collection, and it will definitely be played with the right group. If you’re into word games, but are looking for something a little more fast-paced, consider backing Synk! on Kickstarter! The campaign goes live on May 18th, 2021!
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Demoni Vankil (Hobin Luckyfeller's Fieldguides, #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
Review also found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>.
I loved this book! I loved the intrigue and mystery...and it had a gnome!!!! I love gnomes!!!
Hobin Luckyfeller is a fishis (want to know what that is, then look it up in the book, lol). He comes across fourteen letters sent from a husband to his wife that talk about a major project that has to do with runes and how to trap the Dark Lord. Hobin must try to read in between the lines to figure out what everything means.
The title definitely suits the book! I won't say too much because of spoilers, but once you read the book, you'll definitely know why. It's a perfect title!!
The cover is very ominous looking! I like the way it looks like it's made of leather. I think the cover suits the book because of the three runes on it which, the whole book mentions the runes throughout. I don't really get the yellow face on the cover though. That takes away from it a bit, but I kind of like the yellow face for some odd reason.
The pacing of this book was perfect! As I said, it's only a short story, and sometimes it's difficult to get the pacing right in short stories, however Mr. Buckley gets the pacing spot on! I found myself wanting to know more before I had even finished the chapter I was on!
The dialogue was easy to understand especially since there's a glossary type thing in the back of the book which helps with the pronunciation of words and what they mean as well as who people and places are in the book. I found this to be most useful because with some of the words, I had a difficult time pronouncing them!
I loved the character of Hobin Luckyfeller. I'm not just saying that because he's a gnome! I loved his thirst for knowledge and how he wanted to figure everything out. He wouldn't stop for anything. As for Eamon, the author of the letters, I felt so bad for him. I felt his pain at not being able to see his wife and children.
My favourite part of the book was after the end. No, not because the book was over, but because there was information on the authors. Yes, I said authors! It lists Hobin Luckyfeller as one of the authors along with Jaime Buckley. I found this to be quite humouress!
Jaime Buckley definitely has a way with words. I thought this story was very well written. It's definitely piqued my interest in the Wanted: Hero series that Jaime Buckley has written.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 15+ especially those who love fantasy, mystery, dwarves, goblins, etc.
I loved this book! I loved the intrigue and mystery...and it had a gnome!!!! I love gnomes!!!
Hobin Luckyfeller is a fishis (want to know what that is, then look it up in the book, lol). He comes across fourteen letters sent from a husband to his wife that talk about a major project that has to do with runes and how to trap the Dark Lord. Hobin must try to read in between the lines to figure out what everything means.
The title definitely suits the book! I won't say too much because of spoilers, but once you read the book, you'll definitely know why. It's a perfect title!!
The cover is very ominous looking! I like the way it looks like it's made of leather. I think the cover suits the book because of the three runes on it which, the whole book mentions the runes throughout. I don't really get the yellow face on the cover though. That takes away from it a bit, but I kind of like the yellow face for some odd reason.
The pacing of this book was perfect! As I said, it's only a short story, and sometimes it's difficult to get the pacing right in short stories, however Mr. Buckley gets the pacing spot on! I found myself wanting to know more before I had even finished the chapter I was on!
The dialogue was easy to understand especially since there's a glossary type thing in the back of the book which helps with the pronunciation of words and what they mean as well as who people and places are in the book. I found this to be most useful because with some of the words, I had a difficult time pronouncing them!
I loved the character of Hobin Luckyfeller. I'm not just saying that because he's a gnome! I loved his thirst for knowledge and how he wanted to figure everything out. He wouldn't stop for anything. As for Eamon, the author of the letters, I felt so bad for him. I felt his pain at not being able to see his wife and children.
My favourite part of the book was after the end. No, not because the book was over, but because there was information on the authors. Yes, I said authors! It lists Hobin Luckyfeller as one of the authors along with Jaime Buckley. I found this to be quite humouress!
Jaime Buckley definitely has a way with words. I thought this story was very well written. It's definitely piqued my interest in the Wanted: Hero series that Jaime Buckley has written.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 15+ especially those who love fantasy, mystery, dwarves, goblins, etc.
https://travelingwife4life.wordpress.com/2020/07/23/landing-in-my-present-lone-star-lit/
Landing in My Present by Mary Walker Clark got me hook, line, and sinker; and for someone who does not generally read biographies that is saying something. From the opening chapter, Mary Walker Clark drew me into her story and her journey to know her father better. I enjoyed the way she shared her journey; it was like a reading story full of learning, history, emotions, and some great life lessons. From finding old letters, listening to people who had known her dad, and traveling to where he had lived, Mary brought him to life before my eyes. I cannot even imagine how awesome and meaningful her adventure was for her and her family on a personal level.
“How do you broaden your relationship with someone who has been dead 50 years?”
This question stood out to me and was part of the challenge of Mary Walker Clark’s story. Can you truly know someone who died 50 years ago? Well, I think Mary Walker Clark got pretty darn close. From the start, Mary Walker Clark weaved in her childhood memories, historical details about the different planes her dad flew, personal letters from friends of her father… It made me feel like I was on the journey with her. Gleaning a little bit more knowledge of who her dad was. It was also interesting to see how her perspective of her father grew and changed over the course of the book; it was like watching something unfold before my eyes.
I think many people can relate to Mary Walker Clark’s family, from their early compartmentalization of feelings, their hard work ethics, and how they learned that life can pass much to quickly, leaving never enough time to feel like we truly know our family. They are so similar to the dynamics in my family and many others that I know of.
The research, emotions, and time that went into this book are amazing. I rarely find a book that makes me want to cry but Mary Walker Clark wrote with such forthrightness about her experiences that it caused me to think about how much history we are losing every day because we do not take the time to sit and listen to the people around us. I am so glad I read this book, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes WWII history. I learned so much about WWII that I did not know beforehand, and I learned the importance of writing down or passing down the history of your family.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars for the detailed WWII history, the way Mary Walker Clark drew a picture of her dad, and for the amazing journey that Mary Walker Clark took me on which involved me in every aspect of her journey.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Landing in My Present by Mary Walker Clark got me hook, line, and sinker; and for someone who does not generally read biographies that is saying something. From the opening chapter, Mary Walker Clark drew me into her story and her journey to know her father better. I enjoyed the way she shared her journey; it was like a reading story full of learning, history, emotions, and some great life lessons. From finding old letters, listening to people who had known her dad, and traveling to where he had lived, Mary brought him to life before my eyes. I cannot even imagine how awesome and meaningful her adventure was for her and her family on a personal level.
“How do you broaden your relationship with someone who has been dead 50 years?”
This question stood out to me and was part of the challenge of Mary Walker Clark’s story. Can you truly know someone who died 50 years ago? Well, I think Mary Walker Clark got pretty darn close. From the start, Mary Walker Clark weaved in her childhood memories, historical details about the different planes her dad flew, personal letters from friends of her father… It made me feel like I was on the journey with her. Gleaning a little bit more knowledge of who her dad was. It was also interesting to see how her perspective of her father grew and changed over the course of the book; it was like watching something unfold before my eyes.
I think many people can relate to Mary Walker Clark’s family, from their early compartmentalization of feelings, their hard work ethics, and how they learned that life can pass much to quickly, leaving never enough time to feel like we truly know our family. They are so similar to the dynamics in my family and many others that I know of.
The research, emotions, and time that went into this book are amazing. I rarely find a book that makes me want to cry but Mary Walker Clark wrote with such forthrightness about her experiences that it caused me to think about how much history we are losing every day because we do not take the time to sit and listen to the people around us. I am so glad I read this book, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes WWII history. I learned so much about WWII that I did not know beforehand, and I learned the importance of writing down or passing down the history of your family.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars for the detailed WWII history, the way Mary Walker Clark drew a picture of her dad, and for the amazing journey that Mary Walker Clark took me on which involved me in every aspect of her journey.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown in TV
Apr 18, 2018
Great fun
I’ll have to start off by saying i had the opportunity to watch them film this yesterday evening, and it is a hell of a lot of fun.
I’m not a huge fan of the original Countdown series, I’ll be honest I find it a little boring. However the humorous 8 Out of 10 Cats take on Countdown is hilarious. There’s obviously an emphasis more on humour than the gameplay itself, but this is actually much more fun. It’s good that it varies the teams and dictionary corner each episode, although it does often tend to be the usual suspects. Some of the humour can be a little oddball or risqué, and I’m not everything will appeal to everyone, but it’s such a fun programme and brings the letters and numbers game to a much wider audience.
For those of you that live in the UK, especially around the Manchester/North area, I’d highly recommend applying for tickets to watch this if it’s your kind of programme. Not only is it a highly entertaining day/night out, the tickets are entirely free! There’s obviously no guarantee you’ll get tickets, but it’s worth a punt. We got given tickets on a fairly last minute basis (found out Monday morning for Tuesday afternoon) and involved taking an afternoon off work, but it was such fun. We even got on the front row!
I’m not a huge fan of the original Countdown series, I’ll be honest I find it a little boring. However the humorous 8 Out of 10 Cats take on Countdown is hilarious. There’s obviously an emphasis more on humour than the gameplay itself, but this is actually much more fun. It’s good that it varies the teams and dictionary corner each episode, although it does often tend to be the usual suspects. Some of the humour can be a little oddball or risqué, and I’m not everything will appeal to everyone, but it’s such a fun programme and brings the letters and numbers game to a much wider audience.
For those of you that live in the UK, especially around the Manchester/North area, I’d highly recommend applying for tickets to watch this if it’s your kind of programme. Not only is it a highly entertaining day/night out, the tickets are entirely free! There’s obviously no guarantee you’ll get tickets, but it’s worth a punt. We got given tickets on a fairly last minute basis (found out Monday morning for Tuesday afternoon) and involved taking an afternoon off work, but it was such fun. We even got on the front row!
Kelly Jo (4 KP) rated That Part Was True in Books
Feb 16, 2018
SPOILER ALERT!!
That Part was True is the story of two middle aged divorcees, Eve and Jack. Eve is a single mother from England, who is unemployed. Jack is a single writer from New York. In fact, the thing that connects them is that Jack is one if Eve's favorite writers. They begin communicating through a string of letters, and short emails, when she writes him in regards to one of his books. Readers then learn through the two sides of the story that Jack struggles with being a bachelor and writing a new book, while Eve struggles with anxiety and the impending wedding of her only daughter, Izzy, and the arrival of her uninvolved ex-husband, Simon, and his family. During their hard times, they find one common bond that helps them get through life - food. The book continues to take readers on a journey through both their communication and their personal lives.
I loved some parts of this book, while I disliked others. I loved the development of the characters and discovering the ins and outs of the personal lives, especially Eve's anxiety disorder, something that hits close to home. I didn't like that Eve and Jack didn't end up meeting in the end like I had expected. Though I knew from the beginning that this wasn't a run-of-the-mill love story, I hoped for a little more with their friendship. I would have liked to have seen more closure.
That Part was True is the story of two middle aged divorcees, Eve and Jack. Eve is a single mother from England, who is unemployed. Jack is a single writer from New York. In fact, the thing that connects them is that Jack is one if Eve's favorite writers. They begin communicating through a string of letters, and short emails, when she writes him in regards to one of his books. Readers then learn through the two sides of the story that Jack struggles with being a bachelor and writing a new book, while Eve struggles with anxiety and the impending wedding of her only daughter, Izzy, and the arrival of her uninvolved ex-husband, Simon, and his family. During their hard times, they find one common bond that helps them get through life - food. The book continues to take readers on a journey through both their communication and their personal lives.
I loved some parts of this book, while I disliked others. I loved the development of the characters and discovering the ins and outs of the personal lives, especially Eve's anxiety disorder, something that hits close to home. I didn't like that Eve and Jack didn't end up meeting in the end like I had expected. Though I knew from the beginning that this wasn't a run-of-the-mill love story, I hoped for a little more with their friendship. I would have liked to have seen more closure.
I loved this edition of Dracula. Though I have not finished the novel itself, I have friends who have and they assured me that this does not leave much out.
The story itself was quite interesting. As one of the first full vampire novels, I can see how others have drawn inspiration from this book.
There were parts that I was not a fan of, that felt rushed, but as these are journal entries and letters, there would not be the drawn out narratives that would be there were it someone's novel.
The art was very well done. I loved the color uses and the playing with shadows to make it seem more foreboding. It was beautiful.
That being said, in this particular edition, some of the text was difficult to see. Because the artists were differentiating the writers by color and font, this made some of the combinations difficult to read. In particular, I found it difficult to read Mina's writing. Since it was pink on pink with a cursive type font, everything looked jumbled together and was just, in general, difficult to read.
That is the main reason I gave it two stars off, though I actually give this book a 3.5. I liked the story and I am excited to actually pick up and read the full novel, hopefully soon, to see if I can mark the differences between the two.
The story itself was quite interesting. As one of the first full vampire novels, I can see how others have drawn inspiration from this book.
There were parts that I was not a fan of, that felt rushed, but as these are journal entries and letters, there would not be the drawn out narratives that would be there were it someone's novel.
The art was very well done. I loved the color uses and the playing with shadows to make it seem more foreboding. It was beautiful.
That being said, in this particular edition, some of the text was difficult to see. Because the artists were differentiating the writers by color and font, this made some of the combinations difficult to read. In particular, I found it difficult to read Mina's writing. Since it was pink on pink with a cursive type font, everything looked jumbled together and was just, in general, difficult to read.
That is the main reason I gave it two stars off, though I actually give this book a 3.5. I liked the story and I am excited to actually pick up and read the full novel, hopefully soon, to see if I can mark the differences between the two.
LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated By the Rivers of Water: A Nineteenth-Century Atlantic Odyssey in Books
Nov 5, 2018
I was highly intrigued by this book when I first read about it as I have a minor obsession with everything and anything to do with the American Civil War. Admittedly, this is pre-war and gives an insight into the efforts of missionary do-gooders in trying to relocate the African American population back to their 'native' home.
I was expecting a more fictional style of writing, and was pleasantly surprised to see that it is written in more of a recount style of the lives of the main family, namely Leighton Wilson. The detail and attention paid to the research shone through in every page and was highly informative to read. However, at times this book did have a tendency to drag, and I suspect it is due to the overwhelming attention to small detail. Fabulous if you're using the book as a research project, not so if you're reading out of curiosity into this era of history. In addition, it also occasionally lacked the fine balance between informative on the religious aspect of the missions and preaching through the pages. As a not so religious person, this did become annoying at times, but I could understand why Clarke had this tone in the book.
Overall, an enjoyable, if not very long, book that was incredibly informative and rather enjoyable. The addition of the photographs and personal snippets from letters added a very personal and enjoyable aspect to the tale of the Wilson's.
I was expecting a more fictional style of writing, and was pleasantly surprised to see that it is written in more of a recount style of the lives of the main family, namely Leighton Wilson. The detail and attention paid to the research shone through in every page and was highly informative to read. However, at times this book did have a tendency to drag, and I suspect it is due to the overwhelming attention to small detail. Fabulous if you're using the book as a research project, not so if you're reading out of curiosity into this era of history. In addition, it also occasionally lacked the fine balance between informative on the religious aspect of the missions and preaching through the pages. As a not so religious person, this did become annoying at times, but I could understand why Clarke had this tone in the book.
Overall, an enjoyable, if not very long, book that was incredibly informative and rather enjoyable. The addition of the photographs and personal snippets from letters added a very personal and enjoyable aspect to the tale of the Wilson's.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated To All the Boys I've Loved Before in Books
Dec 20, 2018
I picked this up mostly because the trailer for the Netflix adaptation looked AMAZING. It's the first book in a trilogy, and I really want to read the other two now! Lara Jean is the middle daughter in a house of three daughters, being raised by their widower father. The relationships between the four of them play a large part in the book, as they are all adjusting to the eldest daughter being away at college. Everyone's roles are changing, and in the middle of that, Lara Jean's private love letters get mailed to the boys she wrote them to, throwing her love life into chaos as well.
I loved almost every character in this book - even Lara's troublemaking best friend has a good heart. I definitely need to watch the Netflix show now, because I really want to see how Chris - aforementioned best friend - is represented!
The family scenes around Christmas really tugged at my heart - Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, and the author absolutely NAILED the nostalgic, slightly dreamy, loving holiday atmosphere.
To All The Boys I've Loved Before was a cute, sweet read, and really my only negative thing to say about it is the ending left me hanging! Which is part of why I really need to read the other two books, so I suppose it was a good strategy. But man I hate cliffhangers!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
I loved almost every character in this book - even Lara's troublemaking best friend has a good heart. I definitely need to watch the Netflix show now, because I really want to see how Chris - aforementioned best friend - is represented!
The family scenes around Christmas really tugged at my heart - Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, and the author absolutely NAILED the nostalgic, slightly dreamy, loving holiday atmosphere.
To All The Boys I've Loved Before was a cute, sweet read, and really my only negative thing to say about it is the ending left me hanging! Which is part of why I really need to read the other two books, so I suppose it was a good strategy. But man I hate cliffhangers!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Stillhouse Lake in Books
Oct 8, 2019
Really good
Contains spoilers, click to show
Gina Royal is the definition of average—a shy Midwestern housewife with a happy marriage and two adorable children. But when a car accident reveals her husband’s secret life as a serial killer, she must remake herself as Gwen Proctor—the ultimate warrior mom.
With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. Though still the target of stalkers and Internet trolls who think she had something to do with her husband’s crimes, Gwen dares to think her kids can finally grow up in peace.
But just when she’s starting to feel at ease in her new identity, a body turns up in the lake—and threatening letters start arriving from an all-too-familiar address. Gwen Proctor must keep friends close and enemies at bay to avoid being exposed—or watch her kids fall victim to a killer who takes pleasure in tormenting her. One thing is certain: she’s learned how to fight evil. And she’ll never stop.
<strong>Brilliant</strong>
This was a little something different from Rachel came and I loved it! If Bihar one small but bare was how much she kept repeatedly saying she was in hiding and some bits I thought were unnecessary. But saying that it was a really good book.
I was genuinely sickened by her husband and enjoyed the suspension. Although I did call Sam's role!
With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. Though still the target of stalkers and Internet trolls who think she had something to do with her husband’s crimes, Gwen dares to think her kids can finally grow up in peace.
But just when she’s starting to feel at ease in her new identity, a body turns up in the lake—and threatening letters start arriving from an all-too-familiar address. Gwen Proctor must keep friends close and enemies at bay to avoid being exposed—or watch her kids fall victim to a killer who takes pleasure in tormenting her. One thing is certain: she’s learned how to fight evil. And she’ll never stop.
<strong>Brilliant</strong>
This was a little something different from Rachel came and I loved it! If Bihar one small but bare was how much she kept repeatedly saying she was in hiding and some bits I thought were unnecessary. But saying that it was a really good book.
I was genuinely sickened by her husband and enjoyed the suspension. Although I did call Sam's role!
ClareR (5603 KP) rated Love Orange in Books
Jan 23, 2023
Love Orange is a scathing look at the state of society in the modern age. Technology rules all. Jenny and Hanks Smart House is in charge of everyone in the house, and listens in to everything. Jenny’s children are obsessed with video games, and internet porn makes an appearance as well.
I can see why Jenny becomes increasingly frustrated with Hank - from his constant references to his Viking heritage, to his Mindfulness - he has little time for her.
Jenny hates her job, and decides to do something meaningful by writing to a prison inmate. She looks forward to receiving his letters that smell of oranges and taste rather too nice when she licks them. To be fair, it seems reasonable to lick an envelope (yes, I know how this sounds!) if it helps her though the daily drudgery and having to put up with in-laws who clearly dislike her.
Jenny’s life may look perfect on the outside, but it’s anything but that.
There’s a rather sizeable reference to the opioid crisis in the US that I found interesting, but what I found MOST interesting was how Jenny appeared to be completely hollowed out by her boring life, the lack of attention and care she gets from her husband and children, and what’s expected of her from society. I’d want to escape her life too.
There’s some seriously dark humour in this, and it does come across as bleak. But I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I can see why Jenny becomes increasingly frustrated with Hank - from his constant references to his Viking heritage, to his Mindfulness - he has little time for her.
Jenny hates her job, and decides to do something meaningful by writing to a prison inmate. She looks forward to receiving his letters that smell of oranges and taste rather too nice when she licks them. To be fair, it seems reasonable to lick an envelope (yes, I know how this sounds!) if it helps her though the daily drudgery and having to put up with in-laws who clearly dislike her.
Jenny’s life may look perfect on the outside, but it’s anything but that.
There’s a rather sizeable reference to the opioid crisis in the US that I found interesting, but what I found MOST interesting was how Jenny appeared to be completely hollowed out by her boring life, the lack of attention and care she gets from her husband and children, and what’s expected of her from society. I’d want to escape her life too.
There’s some seriously dark humour in this, and it does come across as bleak. But I thoroughly enjoyed it.