Books Editor (673 KP) shared own list
Oct 2, 2017
At the start of the month dedicated to African American history, here’s The Guardian's rundown of what to read, including Paul Beatty and Octavia Butler.
The Woman Next Door
6.0
Rate It
Book
Hortensia James and Marion Agostino are neighbours. One is black, one white. Both are successful...
Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for the Real James Brown
Book
The definitive biography of the soul legend James Brown by National Book Award-winning novelist...
The Sellout
9.0
Rate It
Book
'Outrageous, hilarious and profound.' Simon Schama, Financial Times 'The longer you stare at...
The Hate u Give
8.4
Rate It
Book
A powerful and brave YA novel about what prejudice looks like in the 21st century. Sixteen-year-old...
Race police shooting black lives matter prejudice witness murder
Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin
Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton
Book
On February 26th 2012 seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin was walking home with a bag of Skittles and...
and 5 other items
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) shared Books Editor 's list
Oct 2, 2017
At the start of the month dedicated to African American history, here’s The Guardian's rundown of what to read, including Paul Beatty and Octavia Butler.
The Woman Next Door
6.0
Rate It
Book
Hortensia James and Marion Agostino are neighbours. One is black, one white. Both are successful...
Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for the Real James Brown
Book
The definitive biography of the soul legend James Brown by National Book Award-winning novelist...
The Sellout
9.0
Rate It
Book
'Outrageous, hilarious and profound.' Simon Schama, Financial Times 'The longer you stare at...
The Hate u Give
8.4
Rate It
Book
A powerful and brave YA novel about what prejudice looks like in the 21st century. Sixteen-year-old...
Race police shooting black lives matter prejudice witness murder
Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin
Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton
Book
On February 26th 2012 seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin was walking home with a bag of Skittles and...
and 5 other items
iwishiwasbraver (199 KP) rated The Ocean at the End of the Lane in Books
Oct 2, 2017
iwishiwasbraver (199 KP) rated Donnie Darko (2001) in Movies
Oct 2, 2017
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated NieR: Automata in Video Games
Oct 2, 2017 (Updated Oct 25, 2017)
This is one of the best games I have ever had the pleasure of playing through and it has pushed the boundaries of what I thought action RPG's could do. I had heard a lot of amazing things about this game before picking it up and I was sceptical that it was going to meet my expectations. I am happy to report that not only did it meet my expectations, but it greatly exceeded them.
The characters in this game are so well crafted. You will form an immediate opinion on each of the characters when you are first introduced to them, but be prepared to have your opinion changed multiple times. Initially likeable characters will commit despicable acts and the character you thought was a cold machine, will do something genuinely heart-warming. Even though these characters are prone to committing acts that don't necessarily match their character type, character motivations are always understandable, which is a mark of great writing.
The visuals in this game are incredible, not only in the graphical sense. The way that certain shots are framed, the way that lighting is implemented in certain environments, the fluid animations, the vast, lush natural environment; all of it is utterly stunning. Combat looks incredible, cutscenes are well timed and effective, character design is fantastic, all of this adds to the impressive visual flair of the game overall.
The audio is also significant during your playthrough, the soundtrack is so effective and well implemented. The tone is complimented by a different piece of music in each area of the game to the point that the music alone could tell you what area of the game that you are in without having to look at the screen.
The only negative feeling I have towards the game after finally completing it, was the exhaustion I felt towards the game's ending. Without spoiling anything, this game ends multiple times, each of them emotionally draining and leading to another even more complex layer of the game's overall story, to the point that finishing the entire thing feels like an endurance test and I'm not even anywhere near earning the platinum trophy! I didn't know exactly what I was getting into when I started the game and that is how I would recommend most players go into this game because you will truly be blown away, but you should know how much of your life this game is going to demand from you. If you don't have between 60-100 hours to spend, (depending on what completion rate you are aiming for,) then this will probably be too vast of an experience for you. And after finally completing the game in it's entirety, I feel exhausted and I'm not in any hurry right now to go back to the game to tackle the remaining sidequests. I feel that I have earned some time away from the game, at least for a few weeks. Normally I relish an epically long adventure, but even this pushed my limits of what a lengthy saga should be. This is the only thing that keeps me from scoring the game a perfect 10.
There is no denying that this game is very close to being a masterpiece and for those that do regard the game to be a perfect 10, I can see your point. There aren't any flaws within the game itself, mine is more of a personal problem and is proof to me at least, that you can have too much of a good thing. However, this doesn't disregard what I said previously in any way, this game does so many unique things and it does all of them impressively well. This is definitely Platinum's best game and I am glad that this fantastic experience is receiving the high level of praise that it deserves.
Books Editor (673 KP) shared own list
Oct 2, 2017
The best books of the past year are about China, language, microbes, hereditary power, inequality and medieval manuscripts.
The Glass Universe: The Hidden History of the Women Who Took the Measure of the Stars
Book
'A biographical orrery - intricate, complex and fascinating' The Observer 'A peerless intellectual...
Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body
Book
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE LONGLISTED FOR...
Patient HM: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets
Book
In 1953, a twenty-seven-year-old factory worker named Henry Molaison—who suffered from severe...
Science medicine biography
The Gene: An Intimate History
Book
Selected as a Book of the Year by The New York Times, The Economist, Independent, Observer and Mail...
I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life
9.0
Rate It
Book
This was selected as a New York Times Non-Fiction Book of the Year. It is also New York Times...
and 47 other items
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) shared Books Editor 's list
Oct 2, 2017
The best books of the past year are about China, language, microbes, hereditary power, inequality and medieval manuscripts.
The Glass Universe: The Hidden History of the Women Who Took the Measure of the Stars
Book
'A biographical orrery - intricate, complex and fascinating' The Observer 'A peerless intellectual...
Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body
Book
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE LONGLISTED FOR...
Patient HM: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets
Book
In 1953, a twenty-seven-year-old factory worker named Henry Molaison—who suffered from severe...
Science medicine biography
The Gene: An Intimate History
Book
Selected as a Book of the Year by The New York Times, The Economist, Independent, Observer and Mail...
I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life
9.0
Rate It
Book
This was selected as a New York Times Non-Fiction Book of the Year. It is also New York Times...
and 47 other items
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated An Inconvenient Beauty in Books
Oct 2, 2017
Isabella and Griffith were perfect together. They had the perfect chemistry, their intelligence was on par with each other and Isabella was exactly what Griffith needed. He was all about routine, and finding the answers to everything and being prepared. Isabella was exactly the opposite; she made him question his methods, and got him to realize not everything has an answer and sometimes just going with the flow helps brighten up life. The best part was although their romance didn’t start off as usual (love at first sight, etc) it was a gradual bond that lasted throughout the book.
What I didn’t really like was although the characters were great, and the comedy bits made the plot light and fun, it didn’t do much regarding the speed and pace of the plot. It dragged midway in the plot and it seemed to have slowed to a crawl and the change of pace changed considerably.
Aside from the slow pacing in the second half of the book, I enjoyed the characters. They were fun and likable, and the comedy provided some good light moments. Although this is part of a series, this book can be read as a stand alone as well.
