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Lowri Catryn (229 KP) rated Everyday Life by Coldplay in Music
May 7, 2020
Violin (5 more)
Adventurist metaphors
Spiritual
Equality
Reality
Vocals
Adventurous album taking on the uplifting but also brutality of reality and it's every day themes.
A new (different) album from Coldplay, which is definitely revealing their experimentation. The band take on heavy themes of love, war, racism, faith, gun control, friendship, climate change, police brutality and other every day themes in life. It is a double album consisting of 'Sunrise' and 'Sunset', which reveals the difference between the every day highs and lows of the above mentioned themes.
The opening of 'Sunrise' is set beautifully with string arrangements, with the lead violinist doing an excellent job of playing uplifting but also emotional tones to set the mood for the themes. Good versus bad, happy versus sad.
Coldplay never venture far from meeting with Eastern and Western sounds to encourage the acceptance of different religions and ethnicities.
'Sunset' is accompanied with loungey rhythm and blues tones which compliment the themes and meaningful lyrics.
However I can't help but note that I feel some depth is missing to convey their messages.
The opening of 'Sunrise' is set beautifully with string arrangements, with the lead violinist doing an excellent job of playing uplifting but also emotional tones to set the mood for the themes. Good versus bad, happy versus sad.
Coldplay never venture far from meeting with Eastern and Western sounds to encourage the acceptance of different religions and ethnicities.
'Sunset' is accompanied with loungey rhythm and blues tones which compliment the themes and meaningful lyrics.
However I can't help but note that I feel some depth is missing to convey their messages.
Dyed in the Wool
8.5
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Book
For fans of Ian Rankin, Ed McBain and Stuart MacBride, Dyed in the Wool sees the return of Detective...
Shades of Justice (Detective Madison Knight series Book 9)
7.0
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Book
The line between good and evil isn’t always clear… Detective Madison Knight has risked her...
Mystery crime police procedural series fiction murder
ClareR (6256 KP) rated Daughter of the Mists in Books
Nov 23, 2025
Daughter of the Mists is an enjoyable historical fiction novel with a slip in time. In the modern day, Hanna has returned home from China to live on a farm in Norfolk, and Brea is an Iceni girl enslaved by the Romans.
I’ve read and really enjoyed a couple of Barbara Erskine novels, and Daughter of the Mists is very much in that style.
Hanna has dreamt of a girl, a slave, since she was a teenager, and when she returns to Norfolk these dreams become much more vivid. I really enjoyed how the narrative seemed to slip naturally from one time to the other. I wasn’t left wondering what was going on, or where I was in time. I found the Roman/ Iceni timeline fascinating, and there were some uncomfortable descriptions of what life was like under the Roman rule. It was also good to see that the Iceni’s had a much more liberated view of the role of women than the Romans did!
This is an ideal book for those who enjoy historical fiction, romance and a bit of time slippage!
I’ve read and really enjoyed a couple of Barbara Erskine novels, and Daughter of the Mists is very much in that style.
Hanna has dreamt of a girl, a slave, since she was a teenager, and when she returns to Norfolk these dreams become much more vivid. I really enjoyed how the narrative seemed to slip naturally from one time to the other. I wasn’t left wondering what was going on, or where I was in time. I found the Roman/ Iceni timeline fascinating, and there were some uncomfortable descriptions of what life was like under the Roman rule. It was also good to see that the Iceni’s had a much more liberated view of the role of women than the Romans did!
This is an ideal book for those who enjoy historical fiction, romance and a bit of time slippage!
Merissa (14160 KP) rated The Bond (The Secret Tales #1) in Books
Jun 2, 2023
THE BOND is the first book in The Secret Tales and the first secret, Rosamund's, is certainly not a nice one - to be polite!
This is a long book, with plenty of trauma and angst to keep you company. It takes you from their present, with quick flashbacks to the past, moving with them to their future as they try to have a secure life together. I did feel as though it could have been shortened just a little, as there were parts I didn't fully grasp the relevance of so, to me, they had little bearing on the story.
This is a slow burn with little physical intimacy (completely understandable) but plenty of affection between the two main characters.
A great start to the series and I can't wait for the next book! Definitely 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!
Jun 2, 2023
This is a long book, with plenty of trauma and angst to keep you company. It takes you from their present, with quick flashbacks to the past, moving with them to their future as they try to have a secure life together. I did feel as though it could have been shortened just a little, as there were parts I didn't fully grasp the relevance of so, to me, they had little bearing on the story.
This is a slow burn with little physical intimacy (completely understandable) but plenty of affection between the two main characters.
A great start to the series and I can't wait for the next book! Definitely 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!
Jun 2, 2023
David McK (3883 KP) rated Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Belonging to the 'old' no-longer-considered-Canon selection of Star Wars stories (now contained under the banner of Star Wars Legends), this novel is mainly set roughly a month or so after the events of 'Revenge of the Sith' when Vader is new to the suit, and to his new life as Vader (as opposed to whiny emo Anakin Skywalker).
The start of the novel, in fact, actually takes place during the events of Revenge of the Sith, through the period in which Order 66 is exacted, with the Jedi who are the main characters of this novel surviving that purge. Like any good master/learner relationship, the newly-minted Emperor gives Vader a task -to hunt down those Jedi - to further pull him into the Dark Side of the Force, and to cement his place in the New Order.
The result is a pretty fast-paced novel that also takes in key characters from the original trilogy (and some from the inferior prequels), laying the foundations for the Rebellion that is to come and explainuing just how the Wookie came to be an enslaved species (although that part of the novel reminded me a fair bit of the The Force Unleashed video games!).
The start of the novel, in fact, actually takes place during the events of Revenge of the Sith, through the period in which Order 66 is exacted, with the Jedi who are the main characters of this novel surviving that purge. Like any good master/learner relationship, the newly-minted Emperor gives Vader a task -to hunt down those Jedi - to further pull him into the Dark Side of the Force, and to cement his place in the New Order.
The result is a pretty fast-paced novel that also takes in key characters from the original trilogy (and some from the inferior prequels), laying the foundations for the Rebellion that is to come and explainuing just how the Wookie came to be an enslaved species (although that part of the novel reminded me a fair bit of the The Force Unleashed video games!).
Super Food Family Classics
Book
Freshen up your family favourites and expand your recipe repertoire to make your weekly menu...
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated You Are Not Alone (2014) in Movies
Sep 19, 2020
Something my friends and I would have rented from the video store in 2011 on a Friday night after school and loved - and much to my delight this is actually pretty good stuff. One half reasonably fun "day in the life" with a perfect rural small town feel and really likable characters, one half most easily avoidable horror movie situation ever with one creepy motherfucking killer played out at enticing length. Doesn't really get all it can get out of the first-person gimmick but it's done well overall, at times feels like you're watching yourself get stuck in this situation and there's nothing you can do about it - which of course I was fully on board for. Genuinely shocked how stellar the acting is, how many good songs are on the soundtrack, and how little the budget shows all for a Kickstarter film. Has a few damn scary moments but sometimes this can feel a little *too* calculated - a loud, cued score and over-obvious slowed motions where silence and more natural movements would succeed. But I can't complain too much, it looks great and doesn't mess around with any stupidly obvious whodunit twists or predictable jump scares or whatever - routinely wrings the fear out of something as simple as looking around a corner. The biggest reason this isn't rated any higher is because I desperately wanted more of it.
Luxuries of Lust (Passing Through Cafe #3)
8.5
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Book
When it came to love, Rusty had resigned himself to never being enough, and Gem knew he would always...
LGBTQ+ Urban Fantasy Erotica Romance
Lindsay (1812 KP) rated The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks in Books
Nov 21, 2021
The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks is another excellent book to have for your child or children's bookshelves during the holiday season. Suppose you are looking for another good Thanksgiving book. This one is good.
This one somewhat brings in the fact of Sister's feelings about Thanksgiving dinner and a turkey. Have you had to distract a child from worrying and giving them something else to do? Well, this book shows that with Sister Bear and her worry about a turkey named Plymouth. Mama seems to come up with a suggestion that Sister can write a play about Thanksgiving or the Pilgrims Bears and their journey over to the new land. How we have our Thanksgiving feast and how it came about.
This book teaches several different life lessons and some meaningful things we should be thankful for. Children should be able to describe what Thanksgiving is at your house by their feelings or senses. What could they all be?
Some things children can do as they wait for the dinner on Thanksgiving occur act out or write a Thanksgiving story or what they think the Thanksgiving story is. You may be surprised what Thanksgiving means for them or your family.
Parents and grandparents might want to add this to your child's bookshelves, for they will want to read and reread it. It is terrific to read before the holiday.
This one somewhat brings in the fact of Sister's feelings about Thanksgiving dinner and a turkey. Have you had to distract a child from worrying and giving them something else to do? Well, this book shows that with Sister Bear and her worry about a turkey named Plymouth. Mama seems to come up with a suggestion that Sister can write a play about Thanksgiving or the Pilgrims Bears and their journey over to the new land. How we have our Thanksgiving feast and how it came about.
This book teaches several different life lessons and some meaningful things we should be thankful for. Children should be able to describe what Thanksgiving is at your house by their feelings or senses. What could they all be?
Some things children can do as they wait for the dinner on Thanksgiving occur act out or write a Thanksgiving story or what they think the Thanksgiving story is. You may be surprised what Thanksgiving means for them or your family.
Parents and grandparents might want to add this to your child's bookshelves, for they will want to read and reread it. It is terrific to read before the holiday.