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Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated Spectre (Zoe Martinique #2) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
Hmm. <i>Spectre</i> feels less like a sequel to <i>Wraith</i> than a chapter two, if that makes any sense. Both books are full-sized novels, but they're so closely related that book two wouldn't make any sense without having read book 1 (and the novella in between). Unfortunately, <i>Spectre</i> ends on a cliff-hanger. I hate that.
At least I know (from her blog) that Weldon is working on the third book. I can only hope that it comes out soon and wraps up all the loose threads without introducing new ones that aren't left hanging again.
I do have to agree with another GR reviewer who mentioned that the main character carries on more like a 13-year-old kid than a 28-year-old woman. I have to agree. I understand that losing one parent early might, for some people, to a closer relationship with the surviving parent—but give me a break! Zoë apparently needs to move across the country to learn to live without Mommy. Or maybe Mommy should move?
At least I know (from her blog) that Weldon is working on the third book. I can only hope that it comes out soon and wraps up all the loose threads without introducing new ones that aren't left hanging again.
I do have to agree with another GR reviewer who mentioned that the main character carries on more like a 13-year-old kid than a 28-year-old woman. I have to agree. I understand that losing one parent early might, for some people, to a closer relationship with the surviving parent—but give me a break! Zoë apparently needs to move across the country to learn to live without Mommy. Or maybe Mommy should move?
Chelsea Harper (0 KP) rated Goodreads: Book Reviews in Apps
Mar 6, 2018
Great way to keep track of everything you’re reading (4 more)
Motivational and keeps you on track of your goals
SUPER ORGANISED (for nerds like me who like to categorise everything)
Great way to make friends with similar interests and meet new people
Book clubs and groups for every genre - a home for everyone
Goodreads - Great App
I could go on and on about Goodreads and how great it is. I have yet to find any kind of book related app/website that is as superior and easy to navigate. It’s an incredible app to use for anyone who likes to keep their reading organised and likes to set reading goals. My only qualm is that the app doesn’t have full access to all of the amazing things on Goodreads, some have to be accessed by the website - however that being said, you have access to the important parts which enable you to keep on top of your reading on the move!
Entertainment Editor (1988 KP) rated Xia: Legends of a Drift System in Tabletop Games
Mar 8, 2018
So Much Sand in Space
A board game billing itself as a ‘sandbox’ is always going to be a little bit clunky, and Xia Legends of a Drift System is no exception. There are plenty of different systems for new players to learn and you will have to be patient when teaching the game. Xia Legend sof a Drift System isn’t particularly heavy, but there are many moving parts. A smarter person than me might have been able to figure out a way of sanding down Xia’s rough edges to make a more elegant experience, but I can’t honestly recommend better ways to implement its systems.
Ultimately, Xia’s dice rolling and the inherent meanness of blowing up your rivals and disrupting their turns, will be deal breakers for some. But if you invite people into your sandbox that won’t take themselves too seriously, there are plenty of toys to go around. I highly recommend you pick up Xia Legends of a Drift System.
Original Score: 4.4/5
Reviewer: John Severn
Read the full review here: https://www.gamesquest.co.uk/blog/xialegendsofadriftsystem/
Ultimately, Xia’s dice rolling and the inherent meanness of blowing up your rivals and disrupting their turns, will be deal breakers for some. But if you invite people into your sandbox that won’t take themselves too seriously, there are plenty of toys to go around. I highly recommend you pick up Xia Legends of a Drift System.
Original Score: 4.4/5
Reviewer: John Severn
Read the full review here: https://www.gamesquest.co.uk/blog/xialegendsofadriftsystem/
KatieLouCreate (162 KP) rated Monopoly in Tabletop Games
Mar 9, 2018
Great game (2 more)
Time consumer
Educational
Time consumer (2 more)
Tears families apart
Hope you don't mind a prison sentence
Either a really good game, or a really bad game
I love this game. My family and I always used to play this in the school holidays so it always has a lovely memory attached to it. On the other hand, it has been the cause of a few arguments and sore losers as you can probably imagine. Nevertheless, when you can get through a game without arguing it is so fun to play.
It is a massively long game if you are playing in large groups though or people refuse to trade cards and help the game progress. We used to have to either play until an ungodly hour in the morning or put the game aside and continue playing the next night. So if you're after a quick game, Monopoly is a no-no.
Additionally, we used to play card games and use Monopoly money as currency. So there's that use too if you're not feeling up for a massive board game.
It is a massively long game if you are playing in large groups though or people refuse to trade cards and help the game progress. We used to have to either play until an ungodly hour in the morning or put the game aside and continue playing the next night. So if you're after a quick game, Monopoly is a no-no.
Additionally, we used to play card games and use Monopoly money as currency. So there's that use too if you're not feeling up for a massive board game.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2084 KP) rated 15th Affair in Books
Mar 9, 2018
SFPD detective Lindsay Boxer is called to a hotel where three people have been murdered in two rooms while the security cameras malfunctioned. It’s seeming like a fairly normal case until she begins to learn who the victims were. And until her husband Joe crosses the radar as a person of interest in the case. Only Joe has vanished. What is going on?
I’ve been wanting the women in this series to work on a big case again, which they do here. Unfortunately, Yuki is lucky to get a cameo, and Clair and Cindy provide a clue each and are sidelined for the rest of the book. To make matters worse, Lindsay blows everything with Joe out of proportion and comes off looking very immature and childish as a result. The cliffhanger from the previous book is ignored while this book stops with another cliffhanger. And I do use the word stop on purpose. At least the mystery was decent.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/05/book-review-15th-affair-by-james.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I’ve been wanting the women in this series to work on a big case again, which they do here. Unfortunately, Yuki is lucky to get a cameo, and Clair and Cindy provide a clue each and are sidelined for the rest of the book. To make matters worse, Lindsay blows everything with Joe out of proportion and comes off looking very immature and childish as a result. The cliffhanger from the previous book is ignored while this book stops with another cliffhanger. And I do use the word stop on purpose. At least the mystery was decent.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/05/book-review-15th-affair-by-james.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2084 KP) rated Shunned and Dangerous (An Amish Mystery, #3) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
While exploring a corn maze, Claire Weatherly stumbles upon the body of Harley Zook. This Amish man was very kind; in fact, he was one of the few who has stood up for detective Jakob Fisher after Jakob left the Amish community to become a detective, which lead to Jakob being shunned. With the evidence pointing to Jakob’s father, Claire will have to once again act as an intermediary to find the killer.
As I’ve come to expect with this series, the characters are strong and so compelling that they really pull you into the story. The plot is good with some nice twists before the end. I am growing a little tired of Claire and how upset she is by how Jakob is treating. While I agree with her that it isn’t right, it is who they are, and getting mad and raising her voice to people isn’t going to change anything. Still, I am enjoying this series.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/08/book-review-shunned-and-dangerous-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
As I’ve come to expect with this series, the characters are strong and so compelling that they really pull you into the story. The plot is good with some nice twists before the end. I am growing a little tired of Claire and how upset she is by how Jakob is treating. While I agree with her that it isn’t right, it is who they are, and getting mad and raising her voice to people isn’t going to change anything. Still, I am enjoying this series.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/08/book-review-shunned-and-dangerous-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Nineteen Minutes in Books
Feb 13, 2018
I know a lot of people call Picoult formulaic, but I can't help it -- call me a fan of the formula. This book is reminiscent of such Picoult classics as <i>The Pact</i> and <i>Salem Falls</i> in that it features a classic courtroom drama with a big surprise at the end.
And sure, maybe you can guess the surprise, maybe you know what's coming, but, to me, it doesn't stop the joy of reading along to find out whether you're right or not. I couldn't put this one down.
Story centers around a small town high school -- a student regularly bullied and victimized by his peers brings a gun to school and kills and injures a number of his classmates. The story is told from a variety of perspectives, including the shooter, his mother, the town judge, the judge's daughter (a high school student), and the detective on the case. Picoult does a find job of weaving all their stories together as the book comes to its inevitable shocking conclusion.
And sure, maybe you can guess the surprise, maybe you know what's coming, but, to me, it doesn't stop the joy of reading along to find out whether you're right or not. I couldn't put this one down.
Story centers around a small town high school -- a student regularly bullied and victimized by his peers brings a gun to school and kills and injures a number of his classmates. The story is told from a variety of perspectives, including the shooter, his mother, the town judge, the judge's daughter (a high school student), and the detective on the case. Picoult does a find job of weaving all their stories together as the book comes to its inevitable shocking conclusion.
Dana (24 KP) rated Heir of Fire in Books
Mar 23, 2018
Okay, I know this took me forever to finish reading, but it was so good!!! I just kept having things come up so I couldn't read it. Darn that actual life that is outside of books!!
The characters just keep getting deeper. I really enjoyed how we got to see three or four main different stories that kept intersecting. It added to more of the variation in the story that made the 562 pages go by at a great pace. The story line did not fall flat at all. The differences in the way each character told their part of the story was very well done as well!
As I have said for the other books in this series, I highly recommend this book to people who like fantasy. It is also a pretty good series to read if you are just starting out with fantasy. It integrates the fantastical aspects in a way that feels natural and allows the readers to get a grasp on what is going on.
The characters just keep getting deeper. I really enjoyed how we got to see three or four main different stories that kept intersecting. It added to more of the variation in the story that made the 562 pages go by at a great pace. The story line did not fall flat at all. The differences in the way each character told their part of the story was very well done as well!
As I have said for the other books in this series, I highly recommend this book to people who like fantasy. It is also a pretty good series to read if you are just starting out with fantasy. It integrates the fantastical aspects in a way that feels natural and allows the readers to get a grasp on what is going on.
Dana (24 KP) rated Magonia (Magonia, #1) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
Oh my goodness! This is a mix of magic, pirates, and sadness. Trust me, you will need some goddamn tissues near you when you are reading this book. It was so good! The characters are very realistic, the relationships are drawn very well, and the plot goes by very smoothly. There were only a few slow parts, but even those were good. The only thing I wished for was a little more world building. I wish we could have known more about the non main character's backgrounds and a little about the magical world and how it all works. I really recommend this book to people who like magical, piratey books. But really, if you haven't picked this book up yet, do it now. I mean, just by looking at the cover you should want to read it!! If you want to know more about the book, go to: <a href=" video</a> to watch a brief explanatory video from Epic Reads!
Dana (24 KP) rated The Marrow of Tradition in Books
Mar 23, 2018
This book was an interesting read and another book I had to read for one of my classes. It was full of historical events that were easily pointed out. The Plessy versus Ferguson case, the Wilmington Massacre, and the obvious ties to the racial tensions in the newspapers of the South at the time. It was interesting to get the viewpoints of so many different characters in this novel. It gave a lot of insight into the minds of the people at the time this was written and throughout the period after the Civil War. There are a few points that are slow, but that is to be expected of any book published so long ago. There are some heavy dialect aspects to the book that, at first, can be more difficult to read, but as you go along, you get used to it and it will go by much faster. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about what went on around the late 1800s and early 1900s in the South.