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Ones and Zeroes
Ones and Zeroes
Dan Wells | 2017 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Binary is cool!
This is the sequel to Bluescreen and it definitely adresses some of my qualms with the first. There is a lot more action in the game in this sequel, the Cherry Dogs get into a tourny and it is the main focus of the novel. I love the group effort that present throughout this book, unlike many dystopian society novels where the main character can barely trust anyone and they feel like they have to save the world all by themselves and keep secrets and feel personally responsible for every death their stupid plan caused, this is a breath of fresh air. Everyone plays a part and Marisa definitely couldn’t have done it alone.
  
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CKD (37 KP) rated The Lake House in Books

Dec 7, 2018  
TL
The Lake House
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I really enjoyed this book. It was a light read in the sense that there was not a lot of drama. Oh, there was some drama but it wasn't hard-core. The book is based in a community called Nagog in Massachusetts. This fictional town is loosely based on the town of Acton, MA, which has a community called Nagog Woods. It tells the story of Heather, who buys a house in a "retirement" community and the bonds she forges with 2 of the residents there, along with the grandson of another resident. Victoria, one of the ladies Heather bonds with, also tells her story in parallel to Heather's story. Great read!
  
The Revenant (2015)
The Revenant (2015)
2015 | Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Bleh
I'm not a big DeCaprio fan and this movie didn't change that(though he eas barely recognizable in this film). It was a decent enough story but so slow moving it was hard to stay awake throughout. I don't think it would've mattered who the star was, though. This movie was just weakly made. It included a lot of unnecessary material that really didn't do much for the overall tale. It tried to be "deep" with the music but the characters were just very two dimensional. I think the story could've been told so much better with some better directing/ editing/writing. The cinematography was pretty good but overall this one is not worth a watch.
  
35 Knitted Animals and Other Creatures
35 Knitted Animals and Other Creatures
Donna Wilson | 2009 | Home & Garden
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
clear patterns with lots of pictures (0 more)
Quirky
Well these are not your traditional idea of toys.

Some are frankly a bit odd looking. When looking though the book I sometimes thought "That looks like someone has made a toy pattern from a kids picture." They are often quite weird looking, and yet strangely appealing.

If you like slightly odd toys... this is definitely the book for you.

The patterns themselves are clearly written, with lots of colourful pictures and full colour charts where needed.

So far I have made a black Rill Raccoon as my 10 yr old fell in love with the idea of a Ninja raccoon... and I will be making a LOT more
  
The Secret Teachers of the Western World
The Secret Teachers of the Western World
Gary Lachman | 2015 | Mind, Body & Spiritual
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I really wanted to like this book and really did for the most part. There is a lot of information in this book, and it is all fascinating to me. Only I came across a problem when the author was discussing the Fox sisters, who held the first séances in the late 1800's. But one thing the Author did not mention was that the girls later admitted to faking the 'rappings' that were supposed to be the spirits. The lack of this information itself is not horrible as it wasn't really necessary in the context, but it made me put into question if there was any other information that had been left out, possibly on purpose.
  
Citadels
Citadels
2000 | Bluff, Card Game, City Building, Fantasy, Medieval
Variable player roles (1 more)
Easy to learn
Class drafting can be slow (0 more)
Citadels is a great game, if you have friends that move quickly. In that case, you can get a game in in about 45 minutes. If you have a few slow players, the card drafting will result in a lot of downtime and a 2 hour game.

Every round, players draft a new role for that round, which keeps the gameplay fresh. The roles have vastly different playstyles, and there are quite a few of them in the base game.

The game supports 8 people, but I will say that it is best with 4. Once you start adding more players, you end up having more downtime.
  
Hunted (Talented Saga, #3)
Hunted (Talented Saga, #3)
Sophie Davis | 2012 | Dystopia, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the third book in the series.

The book is very good, it answers some questions but definitely poses a lot more. It is possible to start to see some of the direction the series may take and who the key players are. Also to begin to make your own predictions and hopes.

It is good to see Talia and Erik continue to grow as people and their relationship evolving. They are both having to face the real world and the decisions they are making. They are also questioning what they are doing and why. The naivety of the previous books is gone.


I have really enjoyed this series and recommend it if you enjoy dystopia.
  
Room (2015)
Room (2015)
2015 | Drama
Somber
This movie is in Netflix right now. It's a very moving movie about a girl who was held captive by a man for seven years. While in captivity she had a child. Just after he turned 5 they managed to escape. The movie is about their training from that captivity to being out in the world. The cinematography was good. The acting and storyline are really well done. The young boy "narrates" quite a bit if the movie, which it makes it even more moving. This movie will evoke a lot of emotion and questions but surprises with how engaged it keeps you. Nothing to graphic. I definitely recommend it. Worth a watch.
  
Halloween II (1981)
Halloween II (1981)
1981 | Horror
8
7.4 (23 Ratings)
Movie Rating
From suspense to slasher, but still delivers
After the original Halloween film paying ground with a lot of modern horror elements, the 2nd film really felt like a continuation since it begins simultaneously when the first film ends.

This one is more gruesome with more elaborate and bloody death kills, but those who are watching are expecting this to happen.

The film moves from the neighborhood from film one to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital where Laurie Strode is transported to tend to her injuries. Michael of course follows her there leaving a trail of bodies behind him.

Just as entertaining as the film film without some of the suspense in favor of gore instead.

  
Johnny English Strikes Again (2018)
Johnny English Strikes Again (2018)
2018 | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Kids will love it, parents will tolerate it
I took my daughter and 8 of her friends to see this for her birthday "treat". They all loved it. Having seen very little of Mr Bean etc, I guess they had never really seen anything like this. Pure slapstick. Rowan Atkinson's rubber face and totally cringeworthy dancing.
The storyline is fairly basic Connery-era Bond, with a few funny moments, and simple enough to keep children engaged and not too daft to annoy adults.
While this was far from a great film, I have seen a lot worse recently, and the kids all enjoyed it. (their rating = 8/10, mine = 5/10, generous average = 7/10)