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Jessica Cashen (1 KP) rated Tarnished in Books
May 16, 2018
Fantastic read. Well written, with a great plot and characters. It is a bit slow going at first, then a lot of action starts happening and you can't put it down. I was engrossed from start to finish. Tarnished starts were Pefected left off. Ella spends about one week in a Canadian safe house before watching Penn’s suffering on the news and cannot just sit by. Ella plans an escape and the last person she ever expected help from shows up as Ella is escaping. Thank goodness for her unlikely companion (Missy) she helps Ella navigate the darker black market where pets can be bought, sold, or paid very little for jobs. The more Ella discovers about the inhumane conditions these human pets are made to live in, and mutilated, dead bodies of pets are turning up. Which is kept quiet by bribed police departments, the more determined Ella becomes to do something about it.
Don’t miss the trilogy’s conclusion, ‘Unraveled’ available on April 3rd! I know i can't wait to read it! I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley.
Don’t miss the trilogy’s conclusion, ‘Unraveled’ available on April 3rd! I know i can't wait to read it! I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley.
Jessica Cashen (1 KP) rated Unraveled in Books
May 16, 2018
Fantastic read. Well written, with a great plot and characters. This book is fast paced, with a lot of twists and turns. I was engrossed from start to finish. Unraveled is the conclusion of the Perfected series, which picks up a shortly after the conclusion of the second book. Ella and Penn are now a part of the resistance, Missy is in the hands of Penn's father, the Congressman. Ella is determined not only to save Missy, but also to shut down NuPet for good. The resistance has a traitor among them, foiling them at every turn. Ella and Penn are being framed for bombings. Things are not as easy for Ella and her friends in this book, and they will really have to fight for their freedom and what is right. Ella is even more courageous and ballsy in this book, as she dedicates herself to her mission. Ella still makes some very foolish decisions, but she is able to work her way through them towards her goals. The storylines from earlier books are wrapped up well in this conclusion. If you enjoyed the first two books, you will definitely want to read this finale.
Akward (448 KP) rated Coup in Tabletop Games
May 25, 2018
Inexpensive (2 more)
Easy to teach new players
Quick
Fun, Quick, Easy to Learn
Coup is one of my favorite games to teach non-boardgamers. It is quick to learn, and people can beat veteran players within their first few games. Not to mention that a game can be played in less than 15 minutes, so even if players get a bad set of cards, they can start over quickly.
The classes are balanced incredibly well. The only class that is a little weak (the Ambassador), gets fixed by the expansion (Reformation).
Overall, this game has a lot of replayability, and I would highly recommend it for players both new and experienced in social deduction. You will not find a better game for the price (since it usually runs less than $10).
I would also highly recommend purchasing the expansion, Coup: Reformation, which can also be picked up for less than $10. It improves upon the base game in every way, allows for 10 players (up from 6), and allows for teams, which are very fun.
The classes are balanced incredibly well. The only class that is a little weak (the Ambassador), gets fixed by the expansion (Reformation).
Overall, this game has a lot of replayability, and I would highly recommend it for players both new and experienced in social deduction. You will not find a better game for the price (since it usually runs less than $10).
I would also highly recommend purchasing the expansion, Coup: Reformation, which can also be picked up for less than $10. It improves upon the base game in every way, allows for 10 players (up from 6), and allows for teams, which are very fun.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Dead Man's Shoes (2006) in Movies
Feb 3, 2019
Brilliantly savage
Finally managed to get a hold of this after borrowing it on DVD from my brother, I’ve been wanting to watch it again for a long time and it’s still a fantastic hard hitting film.
This is a darkly savage and fairly brutal story of revenge that makes for a powerful watch. The plot is straight forward and simple, but it just goes to show that you don’t need a massive budget or fancy Hollywood effects to make an outstanding film. From the effective story telling (colour current day scenes vs black and white flashbacks), to a clever script, bleak, creepy and almost gruesome scenes and some great performances. Paddy Considine is a fantastic actor, and probably deserves a lot more accolades, and Toby Kebbell has an outstanding yet fairly small and moving breakthrough performance as Anthony. The final twist at the end too is one of the few film endings that has always stuck with me. And I will admit to having a bit of a soft spot for films that are set in or around my local area, and Derbyshire isn’t too far away....
This is a darkly savage and fairly brutal story of revenge that makes for a powerful watch. The plot is straight forward and simple, but it just goes to show that you don’t need a massive budget or fancy Hollywood effects to make an outstanding film. From the effective story telling (colour current day scenes vs black and white flashbacks), to a clever script, bleak, creepy and almost gruesome scenes and some great performances. Paddy Considine is a fantastic actor, and probably deserves a lot more accolades, and Toby Kebbell has an outstanding yet fairly small and moving breakthrough performance as Anthony. The final twist at the end too is one of the few film endings that has always stuck with me. And I will admit to having a bit of a soft spot for films that are set in or around my local area, and Derbyshire isn’t too far away....
Awix (3310 KP) rated Queen Kong (1976) in Movies
Feb 8, 2019
Low-budget cash-in spoof of de Laurentiis's King Kong remake; there's a lot of uneven comedy and some dreadful monster suits, so you can see why Dino felt impinged upon. Tough female film-maker (Lenska) despairs of finding a man with the guts to star in her new movie; she kidnaps petty thief Ray Fay (Asquith) and takes him off to a remote African country with a large gorilla population (only one gorilla, but it is very large). You can probably guess the rest.
You turn up to a film like Queen Kong with subterraneanly low expectations, but there are actually some not-bad jokes here, along with other bits which are so weird they are actually entertaining (title song includes the lyric 'When I'm feeling kinda spunky I want to do it with my funky monkey', which I didn't anticipate). There's also a rather peculiar feminist subtext and it's not entirely clear whether the movie is taking the mick out of Woman's Lib or if it's sincerely intended. A definite oddity; the production is primitive, but it has just enough ideas to be interesting.
You turn up to a film like Queen Kong with subterraneanly low expectations, but there are actually some not-bad jokes here, along with other bits which are so weird they are actually entertaining (title song includes the lyric 'When I'm feeling kinda spunky I want to do it with my funky monkey', which I didn't anticipate). There's also a rather peculiar feminist subtext and it's not entirely clear whether the movie is taking the mick out of Woman's Lib or if it's sincerely intended. A definite oddity; the production is primitive, but it has just enough ideas to be interesting.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson, #3) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Iron Kissed was just as good as the previous books in the Mercy Thompson series, if not better. Since I've been reading a lot of urban fantasy-type books lately, I have to admit to a bit of confusion at the beginning in remembering this world and the characters. Luckily most of it came back and I was able clear everything up. I was worried going into Iron Kissed, with the love triangle and was so happy when Mercy finally chose someone, as opposed to dilly-dallying for the next few books. I don't mind the romance angle, but I can get sick of everyone falling in love/lust/or whatever with the main character (even if Mercy kicks-major-youknowwhat!) in this genre of book(s). If only I could be so lucky. LoL Only in fiction. Anyways, the ending did disturb me and turn my stomach, which is a credit to the author, but it really added an element of realism to the book and especially to Mercy's character. I hope to see Mercy stronger than ever in the next book. Can't wait for it!
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Curse of the Kissing Cousins (A "Where Are They Now" Mystery, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Originally titled WITHOUT MERCY, CURSE OF THE KISSING COUSINS is a good start to the series, even with some flaws. The main character/sleuth/nostalgic reporter, Tilda, is smart and likable, funny and realistic - basically, a solid lead (no pun intended, originally :P). The plot is interesting and for the most part, flowed smoothly; the same could be said about the additional characters. My favorites were fanboy Vincent and the kinda-sorta-cliche gay friend/co-worker, Cooper, who both added a lot to the book. Actually, none of the characters were unnecessary or overdone, from the less-than-perfect roommate to the back-stabber at <i>Entertain Me!</i> to the the lecherous computer geek, all contributed to the book as a whole. However, with all the good the book had, there was just something missing, besides Mercy. I can't quite put my finger on it, but even though I really did enjoy the book, there was just something off. The idea behind this series is really cool and I hope it gets better as it goes along. I look forward to WHO KILLED THE PIN-UP QUEEN?
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
Erika (17788 KP) rated Cold Pursuit (2019) in Movies
Feb 23, 2019
I am so torn on how to review/rate this film. This film is a remake of a Norwegian film, and the setting is moved to Colorado. The director of this film is also Norwegian, and it is apparent that this is the case from the beautiful shots of scenery.
Basically, Liam Neeson's character is taking out a drug network after they OD his son. It is amusing when he's committing the crimes, which is a very weird thing to say.
I don't know if it's funny enough to be considered a black comedy, but there are amusing/awkwardly funny parts. Midway through the movie, another drug network is brought into the picture, and I'm not sure it was strictly necessary.
I have to give a shout out to Tom Bateman, who plays Viking. After I got over the weird/pretentious American accent he was rocking, he reminded me of a lot of the people I know with his... interesting... viewpoints and parenting habits. I can't figure out if I liked this film or not. I think the further removed I get from seeing it, the more I like it.
Basically, Liam Neeson's character is taking out a drug network after they OD his son. It is amusing when he's committing the crimes, which is a very weird thing to say.
I don't know if it's funny enough to be considered a black comedy, but there are amusing/awkwardly funny parts. Midway through the movie, another drug network is brought into the picture, and I'm not sure it was strictly necessary.
I have to give a shout out to Tom Bateman, who plays Viking. After I got over the weird/pretentious American accent he was rocking, he reminded me of a lot of the people I know with his... interesting... viewpoints and parenting habits. I can't figure out if I liked this film or not. I think the further removed I get from seeing it, the more I like it.
Mothergamer (1536 KP) rated Riverdale in TV
Mar 2, 2019
Good, But Not Great
I feel the show had a really great first season and the second season was equally good. Cole Sprouse is great as Jughead Jones. The rest of the cast is good too. There is a lot of interesting mystery and drama with the show. The show has its issues however such as the character of Archie Andrews. Whoever is writing him has made Archie incredibly thoughtless whereas in the comics Archie was fairly smart. I don't understand why they have written him as incredibly foolish for the show. It's also quite odd that there are only two good parents on the show and the rest of the parents are horrible. The current season I feel is a mix of good and bad. The current mystery and intrigue is pretty good, but there are issues again with plot holes especially with the character of Hiram Lodge. No one in their right minds would let Hiram get away with as much as he has. I like the show and it's good, but it's not great because of some of the writing issues.
Sam (74 KP) rated The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events #6) in Books
Mar 27, 2019
Jerome is a lovely man who has the Baudelaires best interests in mind. Esmé, on the other hand, has the orphans for a style purpose and nothing more. To her, the orphans are expendable items, just something else she will get rid of within an instant if it goes out of fashion.
The Ersatz Elevator is the most unpredictable book in the series so far. Unlike the other books, the title isn’t as relevant so it’s harder to tell what’s going to happen. Without going into too much detail and spoiling it, there are also a lot of different plot twists, a few of them are massive towards the future plot of the series.
As good as the plot twists were, it definitely wasn’t one of the best books in the series. Count Olaf’s appearance was expected, like in every other book, and I just find that it’s getting a bit too same-y how Olaf is always close to whoever is the Baudelaires’ guardian at the time and the guardian never believes them. I feel like a change is probably on the way in the books because I can’t see this theme carrying on throughout the whole series.
The Ersatz Elevator is the most unpredictable book in the series so far. Unlike the other books, the title isn’t as relevant so it’s harder to tell what’s going to happen. Without going into too much detail and spoiling it, there are also a lot of different plot twists, a few of them are massive towards the future plot of the series.
As good as the plot twists were, it definitely wasn’t one of the best books in the series. Count Olaf’s appearance was expected, like in every other book, and I just find that it’s getting a bit too same-y how Olaf is always close to whoever is the Baudelaires’ guardian at the time and the guardian never believes them. I feel like a change is probably on the way in the books because I can’t see this theme carrying on throughout the whole series.