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Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Connor's Gambit in Books
Jun 5, 2019
Connor’s Gambit by Z. Gottlieb is the first book I’ve received to review that’s in audible format, so this is quite a new experience for me, just like it’s the lead character Brad Johnson’s first adventure with aliens. And what a trip this is!
After Brad sees an alien spaceship and it seems no one else did, he begins to doubt his sanity. But when his suspicions are confirmed and his wife, Shinny, reveals who and what she really is, his life not only changes forever, but so does everything he thought he knew about his life and the universe which surrounds him — aliens do exist — he should know, he’s married to one! And, boy, does the plot thicken after that.
In Z. Gottlieb’s fun world there were times that the space technology seemed so realistic I was wondering if the author had some sort of NASA experience. From alien creature descriptions, their lifestyles and their amazing high-tech technology, to Brad’s awakening and newfound belief in UFOs, and his acceptance to jump right in and help, whilst learning on the job; this book has a lot to offer any self-respecting science fiction fan and space cadet!
A few of my favourite things? There’s so many to choose from. I loved Brad (obviously!). Then there’s the scary Neslins, the Aneplè, the battle cruiser Zuonopy and all its features and Brad and Shinny’s son, Dane with his talking dragon Yeshawliq. I need a talking dragon, can you make one out of a 3D printer for me please?
The narrator’s voice was different to what I expected at first, however, Charlie Thurston pulled me into the action and kept me hooked right through to the satisfying end, which is slightly left open for more, whilst at the same time it’s also a fully completed standalone story with major plot threads all tied up nicely. I’m so pleased to have discovered Z. Gottleib’s space world and I cannot wait to read or even listen to the next instalment. I’m sure it will definitely be worth the wait!
Z. Gottlieb has captured the essence of space travel, alien life and the rules of their universe spectacularly. I really enjoy my time (all 13 hours of it) listening to this space opera, and the fact that I was listening (instead of reading) really made me feel like I was there, thrown in deep with the characters and their stories, part of their crew!
After Brad sees an alien spaceship and it seems no one else did, he begins to doubt his sanity. But when his suspicions are confirmed and his wife, Shinny, reveals who and what she really is, his life not only changes forever, but so does everything he thought he knew about his life and the universe which surrounds him — aliens do exist — he should know, he’s married to one! And, boy, does the plot thicken after that.
In Z. Gottlieb’s fun world there were times that the space technology seemed so realistic I was wondering if the author had some sort of NASA experience. From alien creature descriptions, their lifestyles and their amazing high-tech technology, to Brad’s awakening and newfound belief in UFOs, and his acceptance to jump right in and help, whilst learning on the job; this book has a lot to offer any self-respecting science fiction fan and space cadet!
A few of my favourite things? There’s so many to choose from. I loved Brad (obviously!). Then there’s the scary Neslins, the Aneplè, the battle cruiser Zuonopy and all its features and Brad and Shinny’s son, Dane with his talking dragon Yeshawliq. I need a talking dragon, can you make one out of a 3D printer for me please?
The narrator’s voice was different to what I expected at first, however, Charlie Thurston pulled me into the action and kept me hooked right through to the satisfying end, which is slightly left open for more, whilst at the same time it’s also a fully completed standalone story with major plot threads all tied up nicely. I’m so pleased to have discovered Z. Gottleib’s space world and I cannot wait to read or even listen to the next instalment. I’m sure it will definitely be worth the wait!
Z. Gottlieb has captured the essence of space travel, alien life and the rules of their universe spectacularly. I really enjoy my time (all 13 hours of it) listening to this space opera, and the fact that I was listening (instead of reading) really made me feel like I was there, thrown in deep with the characters and their stories, part of their crew!
Jonathan Higgs recommended Electro-Shock Blues by Eels in Music (curated)
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Justice League International, Vol. 1 in Books
Nov 30, 2020
I am a 50 year old comic reader. In this life, you should pick one hobby, stick with it, and make it your own. It's hard to do that when you have been reading "the funny pages" for pretty much most of your life. However, I am adapting, learning to leave the current Marvel and DC reboots and events be, as I am not the market they are aimed at. Instead, I have been content to re-read the old TPBs digitally, remembering what kept me interested in the comics.
I started re-reading JLI, as it was, and still is, one of my best memories of the late 80s-early 90s. The series was always sure to inspire me to laugh out loud, while reading what sort of crap Blue Beetle and Booster Gold would get themselves into. My strongest memories are of when then-unknown Adam Hughes took over the art, replacing Kevin Maguire. But, talking of that takes away from this particular Volume, where the magic, as it were, was to begin.
Let's jump into the art, since we were talking about that just a moment ago. Here, it is reminiscent of the 80s. Bright colors, fun attitude, new costumes. All of that was here, drawn perfectly by Kevin Maguire, with inks by Terry Austin (for issue 1) and Al Gordon thereafter. Everything about the series' art was a testament to the new direction the team was going, and it definitely worked!
The writing was okay. I remember the series as being funnier, but the first volume was necessary, as it was needed for the setting up, introducing the members and what their dynamic would be. The stories are not required reading, as I am just starting the third volume, and I feel you could skip this volume. Most notable, this was the first time we see Batman layout that misogynist of a GL, Guy Gardner. That alone is worth the price of admission indeed!
Look, there is nothing wrong with this Volume, other than the inside material overall was good, but not as great as I wanted to remember. Sure, the team was written in a fun way (something missing in the books today), but overall, I wanted to get to the bigger "Bwa-hahaha" that lay ahead.
So, final conclusion? It's up to you. I would say "Sure, give it a shot". There's a helluva lot worse graphic novels/TPBs you could be spending your hard earned cash on!
I started re-reading JLI, as it was, and still is, one of my best memories of the late 80s-early 90s. The series was always sure to inspire me to laugh out loud, while reading what sort of crap Blue Beetle and Booster Gold would get themselves into. My strongest memories are of when then-unknown Adam Hughes took over the art, replacing Kevin Maguire. But, talking of that takes away from this particular Volume, where the magic, as it were, was to begin.
Let's jump into the art, since we were talking about that just a moment ago. Here, it is reminiscent of the 80s. Bright colors, fun attitude, new costumes. All of that was here, drawn perfectly by Kevin Maguire, with inks by Terry Austin (for issue 1) and Al Gordon thereafter. Everything about the series' art was a testament to the new direction the team was going, and it definitely worked!
The writing was okay. I remember the series as being funnier, but the first volume was necessary, as it was needed for the setting up, introducing the members and what their dynamic would be. The stories are not required reading, as I am just starting the third volume, and I feel you could skip this volume. Most notable, this was the first time we see Batman layout that misogynist of a GL, Guy Gardner. That alone is worth the price of admission indeed!
Look, there is nothing wrong with this Volume, other than the inside material overall was good, but not as great as I wanted to remember. Sure, the team was written in a fun way (something missing in the books today), but overall, I wanted to get to the bigger "Bwa-hahaha" that lay ahead.
So, final conclusion? It's up to you. I would say "Sure, give it a shot". There's a helluva lot worse graphic novels/TPBs you could be spending your hard earned cash on!
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Butter in Books
Jun 24, 2019
I remember my friend talking about this book a while ago, but I didn't know anything about it. But then I saw it on Goodreads and decided to check it out of my library.
'Butter' is big. Like, 423 pounds big. He has no friends, unless you count Doc Bean or the Professor.
Despite spending many summers at FitFab - a summer camp for the slightly -ahem- larger population of kids - he just can't seem to shed the excess weight. In fact, all he ever seems to do is gain more.
Butter also has a crush. But he knows he doesn't have a shot with the gorgeously skinny Anna, so he talks to her anonymously via the internet. Under the handle "SaxMan" and with the alias of JP, Butter promises Anna that they'll get to meet each other on New Year's Eve. Little does she know, Butter has a more deadly plan ready for the last day of the year.
After launching ButtersLastMeal.com, Butter is swamped with new friends, asking what's on the menu for Butter's last night on earth. The popular kids are suddenly inviting him to parties every weekend, and even Anna is talking to him in real life.
But as the deadline draws closer, Butter can't decide whether to go through with his plan or not. Is he really ready to leave this life behind? Is he really willing to stay?
This novel is written in a very accurate teenage voice. As an incredibly obese teenager, Butter suffers in the social department. A lot of his problems are relatable to those of us who aren't quite society's idea of perfect. I can't say I know much about this, but I'm sure there are lost of people who could also relate to his weight and dieting issues.
Butter's real name isn't revealed until the last page, which I thought was a great touch. I didn't even notice at first; he was just Butter. But it makes a big point about how he decides to shed his old identity and move on, making a positive change to his lifestyle.
This could be a bit triggering to some people, with mentions of weight problems, dieting, eating disorders, and suicide. I did find it a bit hard to read at times because of these aspects, but none of it was talked about too much.
I raced through this, reading half of it just this morning. It's a really good read, and although it hasn't quite made its way into my favourites, I think Butter deserves 4.5 stars.
BookMarked
'Butter' is big. Like, 423 pounds big. He has no friends, unless you count Doc Bean or the Professor.
Despite spending many summers at FitFab - a summer camp for the slightly -ahem- larger population of kids - he just can't seem to shed the excess weight. In fact, all he ever seems to do is gain more.
Butter also has a crush. But he knows he doesn't have a shot with the gorgeously skinny Anna, so he talks to her anonymously via the internet. Under the handle "SaxMan" and with the alias of JP, Butter promises Anna that they'll get to meet each other on New Year's Eve. Little does she know, Butter has a more deadly plan ready for the last day of the year.
After launching ButtersLastMeal.com, Butter is swamped with new friends, asking what's on the menu for Butter's last night on earth. The popular kids are suddenly inviting him to parties every weekend, and even Anna is talking to him in real life.
But as the deadline draws closer, Butter can't decide whether to go through with his plan or not. Is he really ready to leave this life behind? Is he really willing to stay?
This novel is written in a very accurate teenage voice. As an incredibly obese teenager, Butter suffers in the social department. A lot of his problems are relatable to those of us who aren't quite society's idea of perfect. I can't say I know much about this, but I'm sure there are lost of people who could also relate to his weight and dieting issues.
Butter's real name isn't revealed until the last page, which I thought was a great touch. I didn't even notice at first; he was just Butter. But it makes a big point about how he decides to shed his old identity and move on, making a positive change to his lifestyle.
This could be a bit triggering to some people, with mentions of weight problems, dieting, eating disorders, and suicide. I did find it a bit hard to read at times because of these aspects, but none of it was talked about too much.
I raced through this, reading half of it just this morning. It's a really good read, and although it hasn't quite made its way into my favourites, I think Butter deserves 4.5 stars.
BookMarked
Darren (1599 KP) rated Jasper Jones (2016) in Movies
Sep 13, 2019
Characters – Charlie Bucktin is the teenager that is in the middle of the mystery about the death of the girl in the town. He befriends the one person everyone thinks it is as he must see the prejudice that the non-locals deal with being in the town. Ruth is Charlie’s mother that is always worrying about Charlie when he keeps breaking the curfew. Eliza is the sister of the dead girl, she becomes friends with Charlie as she needs someone to keep her feeling the right mind set during the wait. Jasper Jones is the outcast of the town who is easily the suspect the town will blame for the murder.
Performances – Levi Miller is good in the leading role, we have seen him in other movies and he has been making a reputation with this type of role. Toni Collette shines as we know she always will, she is such an incredible actress. Angourie Rice after The Nice Guys is an actress we want to see where she went next, here she is good and shows her potential. The rest of the stars are good for what they need to do.
Story – The story follows the mystery surrounding the death of a young woman and the mystery about who was the one responsible. We get secrets which help with the mystery as well as dealing with racial behaviour of the town’s people towards the ones that aren’t Australian. We do touch on other important subjects which come from the ending of the film, so won’t be spoiling them. This feels like a story that should have such a big impact though we don’t get enough time to process each moment to its full effect, this only disappoints because you do need to process large parts of this film.
Mystery – The mystery in this film comes from just wondering who was behind the death of the girl, even though this isn’t the only major talking point in the film as we end up seeing other subjects getting dealt with.
Settings – The small town setting in one that works for the film, it shows you could never know everything about your neighbours and you will need to be friends when things go wrong.
Scene of the Movie – The truth about the body.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – So many serious subjects, not enough time to process.
Final Thoughts – This does feel like a massively powerful movie that just doesn’t give us the time to process all the major talking points within the movie, this needed to be longer or a television show.
Overall: Too much to process at times.
Performances – Levi Miller is good in the leading role, we have seen him in other movies and he has been making a reputation with this type of role. Toni Collette shines as we know she always will, she is such an incredible actress. Angourie Rice after The Nice Guys is an actress we want to see where she went next, here she is good and shows her potential. The rest of the stars are good for what they need to do.
Story – The story follows the mystery surrounding the death of a young woman and the mystery about who was the one responsible. We get secrets which help with the mystery as well as dealing with racial behaviour of the town’s people towards the ones that aren’t Australian. We do touch on other important subjects which come from the ending of the film, so won’t be spoiling them. This feels like a story that should have such a big impact though we don’t get enough time to process each moment to its full effect, this only disappoints because you do need to process large parts of this film.
Mystery – The mystery in this film comes from just wondering who was behind the death of the girl, even though this isn’t the only major talking point in the film as we end up seeing other subjects getting dealt with.
Settings – The small town setting in one that works for the film, it shows you could never know everything about your neighbours and you will need to be friends when things go wrong.
Scene of the Movie – The truth about the body.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – So many serious subjects, not enough time to process.
Final Thoughts – This does feel like a massively powerful movie that just doesn’t give us the time to process all the major talking points within the movie, this needed to be longer or a television show.
Overall: Too much to process at times.
Mix Tape: The Art of Cassette Culture
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Stop. Fast-forward. Pause. Rewind. It has become part of our vocabulary when talking about the...
Boxing News - The World's Best Fight Magazine – Ringside reports, big-fight previews, exclusive interviews and much more
Sports and Magazines & Newspapers
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Recognised as the leading magazine in our genre, Boxing News provides stories and features that...
KatieLouCreate (162 KP) rated Goodreads: Book Reviews in Apps
Jan 10, 2018
Although I hear many people talking great things about Goodreads, I feel there isn't as much to offer as much as others suggest. I have Goodreads and I have been using it for nearly three years now but the only thing I use it for is tracking what books I read in the year. You can create a reading challenge where you set yourself a target of how many books you want to read in the year and Goodreads will track it and let you know whether you are in schedule or not.
As useful as that is, I can't say I use Goodreads for much else. I have a few friends on there who recommended it to me in the first place and a few Facebook friends. But that's it. No one really adds me and I don't really know how to find other people.
There a supposedly groups that you can join but my app will not let me do it. I have tried reinstalling the app and contacting Goodreads about the issue but they never got back to me.
It is also different on the internet as it is in the app so it would be wise getting the app if you want the full benefit off Goodreads.
As useful as that is, I can't say I use Goodreads for much else. I have a few friends on there who recommended it to me in the first place and a few Facebook friends. But that's it. No one really adds me and I don't really know how to find other people.
There a supposedly groups that you can join but my app will not let me do it. I have tried reinstalling the app and contacting Goodreads about the issue but they never got back to me.
It is also different on the internet as it is in the app so it would be wise getting the app if you want the full benefit off Goodreads.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Viper in Books
Jan 15, 2018
This book was engaging from the very first page. I was left guessing right up to the very end! Some books in the crime/suspense genre leave a bitter taste in your mouth when you finish, but this one did not.
I was intrigued from page one because right off the bat one of the main characters is in the hospital in a semi-coma. Fredrik is lying there & his detective partner is talking to him while his wife looks on. Then suddenly they are in the middle of the investigation into a billionaire's death. The plot bounces back & forth between the present time & the past few months when the investigation was taking place. It wasn't hard to follow at all despite the jumps in time frame. In fact, I think that part was a big reason why the book was so engaging.
There was also plenty of blood & gore, but it wasn't to the point that I was grossed out. It fit seamlessly in with the plot. The characters are well written & believable, not too out in left field. The plot was suspenseful & there was a lot of great police work mixed in with a healthy dose of luck, just like a real investigation. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
I was intrigued from page one because right off the bat one of the main characters is in the hospital in a semi-coma. Fredrik is lying there & his detective partner is talking to him while his wife looks on. Then suddenly they are in the middle of the investigation into a billionaire's death. The plot bounces back & forth between the present time & the past few months when the investigation was taking place. It wasn't hard to follow at all despite the jumps in time frame. In fact, I think that part was a big reason why the book was so engaging.
There was also plenty of blood & gore, but it wasn't to the point that I was grossed out. It fit seamlessly in with the plot. The characters are well written & believable, not too out in left field. The plot was suspenseful & there was a lot of great police work mixed in with a healthy dose of luck, just like a real investigation. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Single Girl's Guide to Meeting European Men in Books
Apr 27, 2018
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from The Single Girl's Guide. At first I thought it was a memoir, then a novel, then a collection of stories. Turns out it is actually a guide book for meeting European men! Yes ladies, there is hope for all of you American women who are tired of American men and want someone foreign.
Because I wasn't quite sure what to expect from TSGG, I can't really say it met or fell below my expectations. It was interesting (some of the stories were pretty funny!), There was definitely some good advice… but keep in mind that I'm certainly not the dating professional to ask (It's me remember?… the one who is having her father arrange her marriage? yes, I'm serious.) so I can't really tell you how well the advice will work. I will say that most of the "attention grabbers" are somewhat familiar to what has happened to me in the past, and I will say that through reading the stories, Cahoon seems like she knows what she's talking about.
This book is also a great travel guide. There are places to go, hours and phone numbers, and specific people's names mentioned to enhance your European adventure.
Because I wasn't quite sure what to expect from TSGG, I can't really say it met or fell below my expectations. It was interesting (some of the stories were pretty funny!), There was definitely some good advice… but keep in mind that I'm certainly not the dating professional to ask (It's me remember?… the one who is having her father arrange her marriage? yes, I'm serious.) so I can't really tell you how well the advice will work. I will say that most of the "attention grabbers" are somewhat familiar to what has happened to me in the past, and I will say that through reading the stories, Cahoon seems like she knows what she's talking about.
This book is also a great travel guide. There are places to go, hours and phone numbers, and specific people's names mentioned to enhance your European adventure.