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    My family doesn't do happy endings. We do sad endings or frustrating endings or no endings at all....

Plague Arcanist (Frith Chronicles #4)
Plague Arcanist (Frith Chronicles #4)
Shami Stovall | 2020 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Plague Arcanist is the fourth book in the Frith Chronicles and you really do need to read them in order. The question should be "Why wouldn't you?" This is an amazing fantasy series with amazing characters and abilities, set in a world that will take your breath away!

I'm not giving out any spoilers when I say Volke is infected with the plague. Not only does this happen at the end of book three but the very title sort of gives it away! 😉 Volke feels he has no choice but to go it alone as he is terrified of infecting one of his friends. Only trouble is, Adelgis isn't prepared to let him, even with the risks to himself, and Fain is immune and won't let him either. So Volke is stuck with both of them and I honestly believe he wouldn't have made it to the end of the book without them.

I was a bit sad that we didn't find out what the others have been up to whilst Volke has his adventures but I am sure we will find out in due course. What I loved was finding out about Everett and Lynus. I loved these parts and thought they were brilliantly done. There are new characters to enjoy too who really help to set the scenes.

I can't say I was surprised at the ending as I felt there were hints throughout the book. It wasn't a disappointment though as the writing, as always, was superb and really made you feel part of what was going on. Can I just add - that cloak! The description of the new versus the old brought tears to my eyes!!!

All in all, this is an amazing addition to the series that I have thoroughly enjoyed. I really can't wait for the next one - World Serpent Arcanist. Bring it on.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Come to Where I'm From by Joseph Arthur
Come to Where I'm From by Joseph Arthur
2003 | Alternative, Indie
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

In The Sun by Joseph Arthur

(0 Ratings)

Track

"This song is really important. I fell in love with it when it was released about ten years ago and we played it at our wedding. It’s really bittersweet, about wishing someone you’ve left high and dry the best of luck, wondering what went wrong and hoping that wherever they are, they’re going to find a path and be OK. There’s a lot of question marks in the song and it’s absolutely beautiful. I think I heard it on a radio station in Los Angeles, it didn’t get Top 40 radio play but one of the public access stations, KCRW plays a lot of new music. It struck me as a beautifully well-crafted song and again it’s a song I wish I’d written. He hit the nail on the head, there’s a lot of questioning going on, regret and searching within yourself, trying to reconcile what happened and trying to move forward. We did play a few upbeat songs at the wedding post the ceremony itself at the reception, but my wife and I also wanted to play some songs that meant something to us. Some of those songs are dark and sad, but sometimes those kind of songs make me feel good. We played ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ as we came up to the altar, it was in a park, so it wasn’t really an altar, it was a non-religious wedding. We left the spot where we got married and played this as we walked up to the reception, with these outdoor tables for us and our friends to hang out. Some people might have thought it was an odd choice, but I was deeply moved by it and still am when I hear that song. This song moves me to tears every time I hear it, I swear to God. It’s probably in my top ten songs of all time. I have a list on my Mac that I call my ‘bummer songs’, because when I listen to bummer songs they make me feel good for some reason and this is the first song on the list."

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40x40

Ian McCulloch recommended Berlin by Lou Reed in Music (curated)

 
Berlin by Lou Reed
Berlin by Lou Reed
1973 | Rock
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I don’t know what concept it was. Whatever the concept was that came out of his addled mind, to me, he’s just got a cob-on with someone and she’s probably shagging around, and obviously he’s set it in Berlin, where he’d probably never have been, and just gets stuck into the misery of it. I remember in an interview with Nick Kent in the NME Lou slagged it off and then changed his mind and said it was absolutely brilliant. At the time everything I played was always in the dark – and I’d tell my mum not to come out of the living room door, and I’d be upstairs and I could sense the light coming from downstairs and it would spoil my vibe. Playing that was just, “woah.” ‘Caroline Says II’, is like, “jeez…” - turning the tables on old Caroline, in a nasty way. I just loved the production. The atmosphere was so dense and the concept is just that the songs ran into each other and this gave it a sense of order. What he was singing about made me think, “hang on, am I really being allowed into this?” It was a bit weird. It’s like a psychopath’s night in, and it got me. Whenever I play that, it’s got a very German, emotive feel. And any emotional German, it’s going to be heavy emotions, bad ones. They’re not renowned for their joie de vivre. Obviously Hitler had emotions, but fuckin’ hell… So it does capture that weird European coldness. It’s weird because you don’t know if Lou really cares, he’s not exactly Sinatra or Lanza, you don’t know if he’s taking the piss. He probably thinks halfway through a song, this isn’t any good, I better sing it weirdly. “She looked like Mary Queen of Scots seemed very regal to me, just shows how wrong you can be". Pure Lou Reed that was. I couldn’t do that because I don’t do sinister. That’s someone who has a different kind of relationship – it’s not just sad, it’s weird. Big favourite with Jimmy Savile at the time, I heard."

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Transformist of the Heart and Soul
Transformist of the Heart and Soul
Melinda George | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Unique design and compact. (0 more)
Needs more/better prompts (0 more)
Wonderful Self-help poetry journa
Transformist of the Heart and Soul by Melinda George is a self help journal mixed with a poetry book.

 Follow one woman, possibly yourself through a discovery of self-love. Find acceptance and move on from damaging relationships with the aid of twelve heartfelt poems from someone who appears to have felt the same pain.

 Once you feel ready the journal side of the book asks readers to write their thoughts in the form of poetry and to create daily mantras. For those wanting more you can create a 24 day gratitude list and write love letters to yourself. For the final aspect of the journal readers (or should I say writers) can glue or tape in images or since the squares are black use a white colored pencil to draw in ideas.

 The poems are touching and probably relatable for a large number of people, as sad as that is. I also enjoyed how compact the book is, it is small enough to fin in a purse, backpack, or suitcase without taking up too much room. This book is more of a journal than an actual book. Only twelve poems are found in the 79 page book. The back of the book dose say it is a self-empowerment journal inspired by poem, but I wish there were more poems in it. It also would have been nice if the journal had some more specific writing prompts in it.

 This book is directed mostly towards women. Specifically it seems to focus on someone leaving or recovering from a bad relationship. Readers should be prepared to or have a need to expose their hear and soul at least to themselves, which can be a painful process. I rate this book 3 out of 4. Over all the book/journal is very nice. I just with it had more poems and better/more specific writing prompts. The size of the book is nice for people on the go so they can write whenever they feel the inspiration.

Transformist of the Heart and Soul | Book| Austin Macauley Publishers USA