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Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit in Books
Jun 11, 2019
This is a sweet, southern f/f romance. Set in Georgia, it deals with a lot of things young lesbians might have to deal with in the south - religion, bigotry, the stress of coming out or not coming out (or being forced back in the closet by a move to a small town)! It doesn't deal with any outright violence against our lesbian protagonists, and it just barely touches on drug use, eating disorders, and abusive relationships. Joanna has a mostly supportive family, even if they do ask her to hide her sexuality for her senior year in the new town. Jo reluctantly agrees to do so, but doesn't count on falling in love with a girl at her new school.
The book deals a LOT with religion and sexuality; Jo's father is a radio preacher, and she attends a baptist church in town with her stepmother and new grandparents. At one point - one of my favorite scenes in the book - she snaps, and calls out her classmates for thinking homosexuality is a sin, while they eat shellfish and have premarital sex.
I liked the book, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it. I grew up Christian; I'm familiar with all the concepts in the book, but rather than progress to a kinder, more loving version of Christianity, I left it behind altogether. I'm glad that some people can reconcile religion with progressive values, but I can't. So it might be a good book for some, but not for me.You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
The book deals a LOT with religion and sexuality; Jo's father is a radio preacher, and she attends a baptist church in town with her stepmother and new grandparents. At one point - one of my favorite scenes in the book - she snaps, and calls out her classmates for thinking homosexuality is a sin, while they eat shellfish and have premarital sex.
I liked the book, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it. I grew up Christian; I'm familiar with all the concepts in the book, but rather than progress to a kinder, more loving version of Christianity, I left it behind altogether. I'm glad that some people can reconcile religion with progressive values, but I can't. So it might be a good book for some, but not for me.You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Wolf's Red in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I was excited for this novel because I love adult retellings of fairytales. Unfortunately, it wasnt what I wanted. The description makes it sound steampunk with some fantasy, but it was difficult to place anything because there wasnt much description. All I got out of it was there was a forest. There is really no description of the settings beyond that.
The beginning was the worst part. The writing was mess. Everything seemed all over the place and the writing wasnt consistent at all. The author would write something, realize we dont have the background to understand what she was talking about, and then described past events to bring us up to speed. However, she wouldnt write the whole scenario, she would just give us bits and pieces. The author did this multiple times so the writing came off as choppy and confusing. Once the reading makes it past that, the writing becomes more clear since we now have the whole picture (we just have to piece it together ourselves.) I felt that I was missing a lot, that there should be an prequel that explains everything. Instead, we just have to read and hope we are giving the information to understand the plot.
The story does get better if you can make it past the beginning. It had a lot of potential to be great and is an interesting idea. I just wish the writing had been better. Plus I had a hard time getting past the fact that he essentially sexually abuses her in the beginning.
The beginning was the worst part. The writing was mess. Everything seemed all over the place and the writing wasnt consistent at all. The author would write something, realize we dont have the background to understand what she was talking about, and then described past events to bring us up to speed. However, she wouldnt write the whole scenario, she would just give us bits and pieces. The author did this multiple times so the writing came off as choppy and confusing. Once the reading makes it past that, the writing becomes more clear since we now have the whole picture (we just have to piece it together ourselves.) I felt that I was missing a lot, that there should be an prequel that explains everything. Instead, we just have to read and hope we are giving the information to understand the plot.
The story does get better if you can make it past the beginning. It had a lot of potential to be great and is an interesting idea. I just wish the writing had been better. Plus I had a hard time getting past the fact that he essentially sexually abuses her in the beginning.
Hayley Neale (6 KP) rated All We Know Of Heaven, All We Need Of Hell by PVRIS in Music
Jan 25, 2018 (Updated Jan 25, 2018)
Crazily catchy tracks (2 more)
Dark and mysterious vibe
Lyrics that inspire the inner songwriter in you
An Electropop-punk masterpiece
This album is beautifully dark. The intensity of each track pulls you deeper and deeper into the disturbed, yet intriguing world that Pvris have created in their second studio album. Every track is unique in its own way, whilst still maintaining that twisted vibe that secures this album in being my go to pick whenever I'm in the mood to release some bottled-up anger. I can stomp my feet to 'Mercy' or get hypnotised by the simple yet ingenious 'Separate'.
Every song is catchy as hell and I always find myself letting go, feeling the music and falling in love all over again with every listen. The female lead vocalist, Lynn Gunn has an extremely powerful voice that has a deliciously attractive raspiness to it. Her voice gives me chills, especially when she belts it out in 'Same Soul' so perfectly and her mellifluous high notes that are present in almost every song. The only issue is she mumbles a lot of her lyrics so best to look up the lyrics as you listen, makes the songs a lot more incredible when you know what she is singing:')
Overall this is one of the best electropop-punk albums I have ever listened to. With its eccentric lyrics, mind-blowing vocals and headbanging worthy beats, I'll never go a long distance journey without it in my music library again.
Every song is catchy as hell and I always find myself letting go, feeling the music and falling in love all over again with every listen. The female lead vocalist, Lynn Gunn has an extremely powerful voice that has a deliciously attractive raspiness to it. Her voice gives me chills, especially when she belts it out in 'Same Soul' so perfectly and her mellifluous high notes that are present in almost every song. The only issue is she mumbles a lot of her lyrics so best to look up the lyrics as you listen, makes the songs a lot more incredible when you know what she is singing:')
Overall this is one of the best electropop-punk albums I have ever listened to. With its eccentric lyrics, mind-blowing vocals and headbanging worthy beats, I'll never go a long distance journey without it in my music library again.
Alex Trybus (79 KP) rated Pokémon GO in Apps
Jan 26, 2018
It is very organized (page for Pokemon, page for items, map, etc.) (2 more)
LOVE the idea of traveling and walking around in real life and having that change what happens in the app
The new feature that makes the weather of where you live change your pokemon is amazing
I won't be fully satisfied with the app until you can start "friending" people (1 more)
There are still a lot of glitches that need to be worked out
Good app with a lot of potential
I have been using this gaming app since it first came out almost two years ago. I spent the entire summer running around the neighborhood gathering up an army of Pokemon just like everyone else was doing at the time. I adored it- it was so much fun! Eventually the glitter wore off, just like any new game, and I stopped opening it every single day like I used to. But then, upon hearing of all the new changes to it this year (like raids, battles, etc.) I decided to download it again. I love the new weather feature, and how you can create a little "group" of your favorite Pokemon. I like the app now, and I think it's very enjoyable, but I think it still has MUCH more potential. I won't be fully satisfied with it until you're able to friend people, see their stats, talk to them, and maybe even begin trading Pokemon and items. That being said, should you ever see me in a gym or in a raid battle, my user tag is @alexthegloom !!!
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Loney in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Also find my review here: http://bit.ly/25IFVT7
<b><i>’”It’s funny, int it?” he said. “How you church people can have more faith in something that can’t be proved than something that's standing right in front of you? I suppose it comes down to seeing what you want to see, dunt it?”’</i></b>
<b>3.5 stars!</b>
I had really high hopes for this book, more because I’d been wanting to read it since before it came out than due to others reviews, so I really didn’t want it to let me down, and I can’t seem to make up my mind as to whether it did or not.
Let’s just put it this way, <b>there was a lot left unsaid.</b>
This book classes itself as a horror, but I don’t see it that way myself, though I’m not sure what genre I would place it in. There were parts of the book that did in fact freak me out and I had to stop reading it at 2am in the pitch black because I was just a tad scared but in the end there was not a lot to be scared of. Just things to be curious about.
I’ve actually found it quite difficult to write a review for this <i>(hence the very short review)</i> because I’m not sure what there is to talk about. I loved the writing of this book, the characters and the setting but I’m not sure how to feel about the plot.
<b><i>’”It’s funny, int it?” he said. “How you church people can have more faith in something that can’t be proved than something that's standing right in front of you? I suppose it comes down to seeing what you want to see, dunt it?”’</i></b>
<b>3.5 stars!</b>
I had really high hopes for this book, more because I’d been wanting to read it since before it came out than due to others reviews, so I really didn’t want it to let me down, and I can’t seem to make up my mind as to whether it did or not.
Let’s just put it this way, <b>there was a lot left unsaid.</b>
This book classes itself as a horror, but I don’t see it that way myself, though I’m not sure what genre I would place it in. There were parts of the book that did in fact freak me out and I had to stop reading it at 2am in the pitch black because I was just a tad scared but in the end there was not a lot to be scared of. Just things to be curious about.
I’ve actually found it quite difficult to write a review for this <i>(hence the very short review)</i> because I’m not sure what there is to talk about. I loved the writing of this book, the characters and the setting but I’m not sure how to feel about the plot.
Connie (244 KP) rated Betrayal at House on the Hill in Tabletop Games
Jun 4, 2018
High replayability (3 more)
Large number of haunts
Traitor isn't always the one who triggers the haunt
Hidden rules for each "team"
Lots of rules (1 more)
Hard to explain without actually playing
This should be a standard party staple!
This is one of my favorite games, honestly. I love playing it at parties or casually with friends, and am always game to teach a new person how to actually play it. Good luck explaining it to others, though--it's hard to encapsulate all the information a newbie might need without going overboard!
This game has high replayablity value, which I always look for in games. I haven't managed to play all the haunts yet, but there are character-specific haunts, haunts with hidden traitors, no traitors (everyone for themselves or everyone against NPC) single traitors or even traitors that switch based on certain criteria. There are 50 original haunts, while the expansion adds 50 more, which is a heck of a lot of content for a board game!
There are a LOT of rules, especially when the haunt starts, but that's not too much of an issue. If the rules don't cover it explicitly, my gaming group agrees on one as it comes up, though you could probably Google them. I still consult the rules of games like Monopoly and Life, so looking back to the rules doesn't bother me. And I LOVE that each team has different rules/conditions for winning!
I would advise having someone who knows how to play joining you at first, to smooth over any confusion, but it's not really necessary.
This game has high replayablity value, which I always look for in games. I haven't managed to play all the haunts yet, but there are character-specific haunts, haunts with hidden traitors, no traitors (everyone for themselves or everyone against NPC) single traitors or even traitors that switch based on certain criteria. There are 50 original haunts, while the expansion adds 50 more, which is a heck of a lot of content for a board game!
There are a LOT of rules, especially when the haunt starts, but that's not too much of an issue. If the rules don't cover it explicitly, my gaming group agrees on one as it comes up, though you could probably Google them. I still consult the rules of games like Monopoly and Life, so looking back to the rules doesn't bother me. And I LOVE that each team has different rules/conditions for winning!
I would advise having someone who knows how to play joining you at first, to smooth over any confusion, but it's not really necessary.
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated Tin Man in Books
May 29, 2018
I wanted to love this so much - and I did, in a way. The story is so sad to me. Wishing we knew now what we knew then, and how far we still have to go. This is like a love triangle that works, but it doesn't. And I can't help but think how often unsaid things, create such chasms between friends, and lovers. So unnecessary, and so sad.
Ellis, Annie and Michael have such an exquisite love story - and so many unanswered questions between them. This story is short, but powerful, and a lot of those questions are answered as we go through it. Sadly, there is so much love, but also so much loss. It's heartbreaking what they all endure.
I loved getting into Dora's story in the beginning - she was such an interesting character - but after that I struggled to get into it - finally really feeling like I was engaged in the story mid-way with Michael. But I coulnd't follow the writing style very well.... like they were these snippets of thoughts, run of mouth words, memories, flashes... I had trouble connecting the timelines and often found myself re-reading to stay engaged.
I love the descriptiveness of surroundings, and feelings, and characters (the sunflowers a character alone! and there was a lot of swimming.... I wonder what that signifies?), and the ending was so beautifully poetic. I just really wanted more story, more things happening.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
Ellis, Annie and Michael have such an exquisite love story - and so many unanswered questions between them. This story is short, but powerful, and a lot of those questions are answered as we go through it. Sadly, there is so much love, but also so much loss. It's heartbreaking what they all endure.
I loved getting into Dora's story in the beginning - she was such an interesting character - but after that I struggled to get into it - finally really feeling like I was engaged in the story mid-way with Michael. But I coulnd't follow the writing style very well.... like they were these snippets of thoughts, run of mouth words, memories, flashes... I had trouble connecting the timelines and often found myself re-reading to stay engaged.
I love the descriptiveness of surroundings, and feelings, and characters (the sunflowers a character alone! and there was a lot of swimming.... I wonder what that signifies?), and the ending was so beautifully poetic. I just really wanted more story, more things happening.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Fifty Shades of Grey in Books
Jul 10, 2018
I thought this book was an entertaining read. I started hearing about these books a couple weeks ago and I thought I would give them a try. This is one of those guilty pleasure reads. The basic premise of this book is that a rich man wants to make a non rich virgin his submissive. It is something that many women fantasize about but in real life would be terrifying. The rich man (Christian) is a stalker, but because he has money then it is fine.
The characters are easy to relate to. I found that the main character (Ana) held a lot of insecurities that many of us are scared to admit. With that said, I quickly became tired of "Oh My..." and "My inner goddess" being repeated over and over and over.
A lot of people are dwelling on the fact that the Ana was scared of Christian. But in all honesty, if someone new into the lifestyle is not scared than they do not know the full weight of what is involved in BDSM.
I think that this book has eased the reader into the world of BDSM. It is very witty and I found at times that I was laughing.
The writing skills were not extremely good. It felt that the author kept looking up words in the thesaurus and it did not seem to flow extremely well.
All in all, the book was entertaining and witty. I will continue on in the series.
The characters are easy to relate to. I found that the main character (Ana) held a lot of insecurities that many of us are scared to admit. With that said, I quickly became tired of "Oh My..." and "My inner goddess" being repeated over and over and over.
A lot of people are dwelling on the fact that the Ana was scared of Christian. But in all honesty, if someone new into the lifestyle is not scared than they do not know the full weight of what is involved in BDSM.
I think that this book has eased the reader into the world of BDSM. It is very witty and I found at times that I was laughing.
The writing skills were not extremely good. It felt that the author kept looking up words in the thesaurus and it did not seem to flow extremely well.
All in all, the book was entertaining and witty. I will continue on in the series.
Steve Fearon (84 KP) rated Noroi: The Curse (2005) in Movies
Oct 3, 2018
Creepy Japanese Mockumentary hits the right notes
My word, the Japanese just do great horror huh?
A lot of my favourite Horrors are Japanese, from the classy Ringu, Kairo and Ju-On films to the trashier 'One Missed Call', but they all sure a singular understanding of tension, and most of all dread.
These movies revelled in slow horror, in knowing that the threat is inescapable, and like Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees (In the good films) it needn't rush.
Noroi: The Curse continues this theme, with a slow burning documentary style movie about some curious supernatural phenomena, that leads an investigator down a jagged and twisting path to discover the origins of the titular curse.
Whilst the movie is slow paced, the feeling of unease kicks in very early...there is something lurking on the edge of the screen, threatening to show you something horrifying at all times, but remaining patient until the tension is built to an almost unbearable level.
The story moves between a few pivotal characters, all of whom are able to provide a very genuine performance, that helps keep the viewer in the moment and suspending disbelief enough to enjoy the movie as it was meant to be enjoyed.
I really enjoyed this one, and to be fair it ticked a lot of the boxes for me:
Found Footage
Documentary Style
J-Horror Style
Creepy Mythos
Dread over Jump Scared
highly recommend this, check it out!
A lot of my favourite Horrors are Japanese, from the classy Ringu, Kairo and Ju-On films to the trashier 'One Missed Call', but they all sure a singular understanding of tension, and most of all dread.
These movies revelled in slow horror, in knowing that the threat is inescapable, and like Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees (In the good films) it needn't rush.
Noroi: The Curse continues this theme, with a slow burning documentary style movie about some curious supernatural phenomena, that leads an investigator down a jagged and twisting path to discover the origins of the titular curse.
Whilst the movie is slow paced, the feeling of unease kicks in very early...there is something lurking on the edge of the screen, threatening to show you something horrifying at all times, but remaining patient until the tension is built to an almost unbearable level.
The story moves between a few pivotal characters, all of whom are able to provide a very genuine performance, that helps keep the viewer in the moment and suspending disbelief enough to enjoy the movie as it was meant to be enjoyed.
I really enjoyed this one, and to be fair it ticked a lot of the boxes for me:
Found Footage
Documentary Style
J-Horror Style
Creepy Mythos
Dread over Jump Scared
highly recommend this, check it out!
Merissa (11935 KP) rated Dracula in Books
Dec 17, 2018
The one that is credited with starting them all - this was, and remains, a classic. I am possibly in the minority in that I love the vampire genre, both film and book, but have never seen Bram Stoker's Dracula on the screen. So this book was completely new to me.
This is taking the vampire back to basics. There is no "glory" in being bitten, it is hurtful and raw and will not leave you feeling aroused to pleasured; it will leave you feeling weak, lethargic and near to death. The vampires in this aren't uncommonly handsome although they do possess charisma in bucketloads. This version is written in 1800's English so at times it can be a bit hard to follow although, on the whole, it is an easy enough read. It is also written completely in diary format although the diary could be one of 6/7 characters. There is a lot of detail given in the surroundings, the ambiance, the feelings and you will definitely be reading a lot about how sweet a woman Mina Harker is! A compliment given to her in the book is that she has a woman's heart but a man's brain!
The whole book builds up to the characters meeting up with Dracula and the struggle and fight that will commence once they do. However, the book itself seems to wrap everything up within a couple of pages and so has the feeling of being incredibly rushed at the end.
A classic.
This is taking the vampire back to basics. There is no "glory" in being bitten, it is hurtful and raw and will not leave you feeling aroused to pleasured; it will leave you feeling weak, lethargic and near to death. The vampires in this aren't uncommonly handsome although they do possess charisma in bucketloads. This version is written in 1800's English so at times it can be a bit hard to follow although, on the whole, it is an easy enough read. It is also written completely in diary format although the diary could be one of 6/7 characters. There is a lot of detail given in the surroundings, the ambiance, the feelings and you will definitely be reading a lot about how sweet a woman Mina Harker is! A compliment given to her in the book is that she has a woman's heart but a man's brain!
The whole book builds up to the characters meeting up with Dracula and the struggle and fight that will commence once they do. However, the book itself seems to wrap everything up within a couple of pages and so has the feeling of being incredibly rushed at the end.
A classic.