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ClareR (6106 KP) rated The Devil You Know: Stories of Human Cruelty and Compassion in Books
Jun 22, 2021
The Devil You Know is a series of case studies of some of the patients that Dr Gwen Adshead has worked with in her role as a forensic psychiatrist. I don’t know quite what I expected from this: perhaps a dry, academic-type book. It was nothing at all like that. It’s a book full of compassion for the terrible mistakes, acts and choices that these people have made. And this is what’s made clear in this book: we (or rather, I) have always been led to believe that people who murder, stalk or destroy others lives are sub-human, have no empathy, no guilt or reasons for their actions. But there are those who have made terrible, unforgivable, life-changing decisions and must now live with those choices. Some are wracked with guilt, others aren’t.
It’s really interesting to read about this diverse group of people - they were in Broadmoor, secure prisons or units, and some had been released back into society and were experiencing the world again after serving their sentences.
If you’ve always wondered what motivates people to commit violent crimes, then this is, in part, the book for you. I found it quite reassuring to know that there are people like Dr Adshead out there who listen to perpetrators of crime, who want to learn what it is that causes them to make that fatal decision. I found the part about early childhood neglect and abuse and its impact on brain development particularly interesting (I work in Early Years), and the fact that it is potentially within society’s power to prevent crime before it has even been thought about was sobering.
I could go on, but I won’t. Just to say that I found this whole book fascinating - it’s such a well-written, accessible and interesting read.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this, and to Gwen Adshead and Eileen Horne for reading along with the Pigeons!
It’s really interesting to read about this diverse group of people - they were in Broadmoor, secure prisons or units, and some had been released back into society and were experiencing the world again after serving their sentences.
If you’ve always wondered what motivates people to commit violent crimes, then this is, in part, the book for you. I found it quite reassuring to know that there are people like Dr Adshead out there who listen to perpetrators of crime, who want to learn what it is that causes them to make that fatal decision. I found the part about early childhood neglect and abuse and its impact on brain development particularly interesting (I work in Early Years), and the fact that it is potentially within society’s power to prevent crime before it has even been thought about was sobering.
I could go on, but I won’t. Just to say that I found this whole book fascinating - it’s such a well-written, accessible and interesting read.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this, and to Gwen Adshead and Eileen Horne for reading along with the Pigeons!
Thimbleweed Park
Games and Entertainment
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A brand new adventure game from Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick, creators of the classics Monkey Island...
The Midwife's Child (WW2 Resistance Series #3)
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‘Save her,’ she begs, drawing her last, quavering breaths. ‘Save my baby. Find her father. And...
Merissa (13842 KP) rated One Step Sideways (Enhanced World Security #1) in Books
Mar 18, 2025
ONE STEP SIDEWAYS is the first book in the Enhanced World Security series, which itself is a spinoff of the Enhanced World H.E.R.O. series. I haven't read any of those, but I now want to! I don't feel as though my enjoyment was negatively impacted by not having read them, as enough details were given here that I understood what was going on.
Kane has had a terrible life. No two ways about it. My heart broke for him on so many occasions and when he first met Danny, I went full-on Mama Bear. Danny was a soldier who also had something terrible happen to him and his friends, which has left him with severe PTSD. He has a gorgeous service dog but immediately thought the worst of Kane in every possible situation when he thought Kane had hurt a dog in his past. He really was a judgemental pr!ck.
But then the story picked up, I became invested, and Danny and Kane worked things out and became the most important thing to each other, and I was okay with that.
This does have an overreaching arc so don't expect everything to be tied up in this edition, but it made for a fantastic read. Well-paced, with plenty of action, twists and turns, plus hooks dangling which left me wanting the next book immediately, it was already a 5-star read for me. But then Danny went above and beyond and had my eyes leaking for the last part of the book. That 5-star was never in doubt!!! An amazing story and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 18, 2025
Kane has had a terrible life. No two ways about it. My heart broke for him on so many occasions and when he first met Danny, I went full-on Mama Bear. Danny was a soldier who also had something terrible happen to him and his friends, which has left him with severe PTSD. He has a gorgeous service dog but immediately thought the worst of Kane in every possible situation when he thought Kane had hurt a dog in his past. He really was a judgemental pr!ck.
But then the story picked up, I became invested, and Danny and Kane worked things out and became the most important thing to each other, and I was okay with that.
This does have an overreaching arc so don't expect everything to be tied up in this edition, but it made for a fantastic read. Well-paced, with plenty of action, twists and turns, plus hooks dangling which left me wanting the next book immediately, it was already a 5-star read for me. But then Danny went above and beyond and had my eyes leaking for the last part of the book. That 5-star was never in doubt!!! An amazing story and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 18, 2025
Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated Graduation Day (1981) in Movies
Jun 21, 2017
Horrible acting (2 more)
Terrible ending
Shitty special effects
Stay in School kids, so you don't end up in a shitty movie like this
Midvale High, 1981.
Point form version. Track star wins the race. Track star drops dead
Sister comes for funeral
Students drop dead
The coach is a suspect
More students drop dead
Coach gets killed by real killer
Real killer digs up and poses dead girl in grad gown
Real killer gets bumped out a window with girl corpse on top of him
THIS MOVIE STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN!!!! Only reason it got two bombs is Vanna White was in it. And the always reliable Linnea Quigley makes an appearance...
Horrible script, even more horrible acting and a shitty ending made this movie the worst thing I've ever seen... Next to the Brittany Spears movie, Crossroads... And the Spice Girls flick... Which both stunk up the place... But this movie, from a genre I love, ranks down there amongst the shittiest of the shitty.
Point form version. Track star wins the race. Track star drops dead
Sister comes for funeral
Students drop dead
The coach is a suspect
More students drop dead
Coach gets killed by real killer
Real killer digs up and poses dead girl in grad gown
Real killer gets bumped out a window with girl corpse on top of him
THIS MOVIE STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN!!!! Only reason it got two bombs is Vanna White was in it. And the always reliable Linnea Quigley makes an appearance...
Horrible script, even more horrible acting and a shitty ending made this movie the worst thing I've ever seen... Next to the Brittany Spears movie, Crossroads... And the Spice Girls flick... Which both stunk up the place... But this movie, from a genre I love, ranks down there amongst the shittiest of the shitty.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated BioShock The Collection in Video Games
Jul 24, 2017
A collection of one of the greatest gaming series of our time
The first Bioshock is still my favourite by far. The story, atmosphere and voice acting all still hold up today. Although the graphics and mechanics feel fairly dated by today's standards, they sort of add to the aesthetic and charm of the game. The final boss fight is still terrible though.
The second Bioshock is the worst out of the three, but is still a decent ride and if it hadn't been a part of this particular series, it would probably have faired a lot better critically.
When I first played through the third game, I felt it was extremely overrated and while I still feel that it is, the game is more enjoyable now with no hype surrounding it. I actually appreciated this game more in a vacuum than I did at the time whilst it was being bombarded with critical praise.
The second Bioshock is the worst out of the three, but is still a decent ride and if it hadn't been a part of this particular series, it would probably have faired a lot better critically.
When I first played through the third game, I felt it was extremely overrated and while I still feel that it is, the game is more enjoyable now with no hype surrounding it. I actually appreciated this game more in a vacuum than I did at the time whilst it was being bombarded with critical praise.
Easy to use (2 more)
Set and forget
Does the work for you
User friendly!
I love using this app. I'm terrible with saving money but with this, I am able to set aside money without really even noticing it's not in my account. I have created several goals for myself that each have different rules regarding how money will be distributed into them. It definitely cane in handy this summer when I was off work (teacher) and needed some money. A quick transfer from my savings was all I needed! It does take a few days for money to be taken out of your bank and sent to Qapital and the other way around, but for me, that stops me from taking money from my savings for impulse buys... I need to think about it I really need what I'm moving money for.
Mekkin B. (122 KP) rated Sorcerer to the Crown (Sorcerer Royal #1) in Books
Sep 13, 2017
Fabulous Magical Regency Romp
Sorcerer to the Crown is a Regency era fantasy novel packed with romance, mystery, and adventure. Fans of historial fiction and gaslamp fantasy like Jonathan Strange & Mister Norell, the Chrestomanci series, or A Great and Terrible Beauty will enjoy this romantic romp through an alternative London where magic is a gentleman's sport and issues of race, class, and gender are as worrying as the general decline of magic in England.
Zacharias Wythe charms as the stoic Sorcerer Royal and Prunella Gentleman, the snarky orphan with a troubling amount of magical talent, is easily his match. The relationship between the two has a Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet quality that still manages to feel fresh and unique.
Cho has crafted a wonderful fantasy world replete with interesting characters and intriguing mysteries, it's easy to see why this book gained a nomination for 2016's Locus Award for Best First Novel.
Zacharias Wythe charms as the stoic Sorcerer Royal and Prunella Gentleman, the snarky orphan with a troubling amount of magical talent, is easily his match. The relationship between the two has a Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet quality that still manages to feel fresh and unique.
Cho has crafted a wonderful fantasy world replete with interesting characters and intriguing mysteries, it's easy to see why this book gained a nomination for 2016's Locus Award for Best First Novel.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated When Lightning Strikes (1-800-Where-R-You, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
I hate Meg Cabot. she is a terrible writer. she doesn't write sentinces, she writes fragments and then puts more fragments at the end to clear up what was perfectly clear in the first place. she leaves out things that are important. she doesn't describe stuff. her prose stinks. how on EARTH she became a best selling and popular author, i have no idea.
<b>but. </b>
i read the first book of her series here, "When Lightning Strikes," and seriously had to read the others. i still haven't read the last book, my library doesn't have it in right now, but this book got me hooked to a story that was written by (excuse me) a sucky writer. it was wild, weird, crazy, funny, and had some very creative twists in it. great story.
now if only she could learn to write. sentinces, i mean. (<-- example of what she does. i swear i don't write like that normally.)
<b>but. </b>
i read the first book of her series here, "When Lightning Strikes," and seriously had to read the others. i still haven't read the last book, my library doesn't have it in right now, but this book got me hooked to a story that was written by (excuse me) a sucky writer. it was wild, weird, crazy, funny, and had some very creative twists in it. great story.
now if only she could learn to write. sentinces, i mean. (<-- example of what she does. i swear i don't write like that normally.)
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Heart of the Matter in Books
May 10, 2018
Does anyone have the "perfect" marriage? Everyone looking at Tessa and Nick think so.
Nick is a pediatric surgeon and Tessa has recently quit her teaching job to be a stay-at-home mom. They have two children, Frank and Ruby. They are out for their anniversary dinner when Nick get an emergency phone call. A little boy has fallen into a fire.
Valerie, is the mother to that little boy, Charlie. He was at his very first sleep over when this terrible accident happened.
Nick does his best to make sure that Charlie and Valerie are taken care of. He is a wonderful doctor.
You never realize how small your town is until something like this, brings the whole community into your business.
Even though Tessa and Valerie have never met, their worlds collide in more than one way when this accident occurs.
This book makes you examine your relationships and find out how strong your love really is!
Nick is a pediatric surgeon and Tessa has recently quit her teaching job to be a stay-at-home mom. They have two children, Frank and Ruby. They are out for their anniversary dinner when Nick get an emergency phone call. A little boy has fallen into a fire.
Valerie, is the mother to that little boy, Charlie. He was at his very first sleep over when this terrible accident happened.
Nick does his best to make sure that Charlie and Valerie are taken care of. He is a wonderful doctor.
You never realize how small your town is until something like this, brings the whole community into your business.
Even though Tessa and Valerie have never met, their worlds collide in more than one way when this accident occurs.
This book makes you examine your relationships and find out how strong your love really is!