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Ian Anderson recommended Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf in Music (curated)

 
Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf
Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf
1977 | Rock

"Ever since I’d been aware of Mr Meat I’d not been a fan at all. I thought he was bombastic, loud, churlish, arrogant – there was nothing about him that appealed to me, including his overtly showbizzy operatic voice. I’d never been a fan, until I was desperate for a track for some radio show I was doing where I needed to find an example of storytelling. I was looking for examples of people who told authentic observational tales, and I was stuck. Then my wife called to me from the other side of the office saying, ""life is a lemon and I want my money back”. I said I was terribly sorry to hear this, and she said, “no, the Meat Loaf song, ‘Life Is A Lemon (And I Want My Money Back)’,” although Jim Steinman actually wrote the song. So I found the song and became, if not a Meat Loaf addict, at least someone who had established a degree of reverence for both Meat Loaf at his best and the lyrical and musical writing of Jim Steinman. I think it’s a great song, and it just happens to be on this album. I’m not saying I enjoy the whole album or most of Meat Loaf’s work, but that is a very good track. As soon as I heard it I told my wife, “damn, I wish I’d written that,” which is probably the biggest compliment anyone in my position can pay to somebody else. In fact, I think that should be the epitaph on my gravestone."

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The Good Sister
The Good Sister
Sally Hepworth | 2021 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences
9
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth is the first book I read of hers, but it will not be the last.

It appeared Fern and Rose are as close as twin sisters can be. In reality, their relationship is much different. Rose is the responsible, pragmatic sister who always looks out for Fern. Fern is the quirky one who always sees the good in everyone. People do not realize Rose looks out for Fern because of her publicly perfect mother, who in secret is a sociopath, and because of what Fern did when she was younger.

The book is much more than I thought it would be. It is a psychological thriller that explores how people with high-functioning autism are treated and how they view everyday occurrences. It is also a family drama, a dysfunctional family, but a family nonetheless.

Hepworth builds the main characters and the people surrounding them well. She describes their world well enough to be in their world but without too much detail slowing down the story. Her storytelling and the story made Sally Hepworth an author. I want to read more of her work.

On Goodreads, Hepworth is the #1 most followed author in Australia.

This 200-word review will be published on Philomathinphila.com.
  
Magic Lessons: The Prequel to Practical Magic
Magic Lessons: The Prequel to Practical Magic
Alice Hoffman | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics, Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
27 of 230
Book
Magic Lessons (practical Magic book 1 )
By Alice Hoffman

In this “ bewitching” (The New York Times Book Review) novel that traces a centuries-old curse to its source, beloved author Alice Hoffman unveils the story of Maria Owens, accused of witchcraft in Salem, and matriarch of a line of the amazing Owens women and men featured in Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic.

Where does the story of the Owens bloodline begin? With Maria Owens, in the 1600s, when she’s abandoned in a snowy field in rural England as a baby. Under the care of Hannah Owens, Maria learns about the “Nameless Arts.” Hannah recognizes that Maria has a gift and she teaches the girl all she knows. It is here that she learns her first important lesson: Always love someone who will love you back.

When Maria is abandoned by the man who has declared his love for her, she follows him to Salem, Massachusetts. Here she invokes the curse that will haunt her family. And it’s here that she learns the rules of magic and the lesson that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. Love is the only thing that matters.

Magic Lessons is a “heartbreaking and heart-healing” (BookPage) celebration of life and love and a showcase of Alice Hoffman’s masterful storytelling.

It was ok. I struggled to keep my focus in some parts as it didn’t seem necessary but I ploughed through. Hopefully I’ll enjoy Practical magic more as I loved the film.
  
    Destinies

    Destinies

    10.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

    Tabletop Game

    Destinies is a competitive, story-driven, game of adventure and exploration, mixing an app and a...