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Merissa (11779 KP) rated Lay Me Down (Reveler #2) in Books

May 8, 2021 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)  
Lay Me Down (Reveler #2)
Lay Me Down (Reveler #2)
Erin Kellison | 2014 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
We met Maisie during her sister's story and to be fair, she comes across as very light-hearted, whimsical, carefree, almost to the point of being irresponsible. However, as you read through her story you realise there is a lot more to Maisie than meets the eye. She is a wonderful character to read about and you will soon by smiling at the comments she makes or actions she takes. The provoking and prodding banter between her and Steve Coll as they get to know more about each other is very witty and warm to read. It soon moves from warm to hot though as they take things to the next level.

Without giving away any of the story, I will just say that this book manages to tell Maisie and Steve's story, continues with Jordan and Michael's as well as laying the way for the next books in the series. Pretty impressive for a novella!

An excellent continuation of the series and I would definitely recommend you read book 1, Darkness Falls, first as although it's not imperative, it will help you to understand certain levels of the story easier. Looking forward to more on this imaginative and unusual series.
 
* 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!
  
Gray Wolf Island
Gray Wolf Island
Tracey Neithercott | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
9
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Written by Tracey Neithercott, this book follows Ruby as she ventures out of her comfort zone to full fill her sisters dying wish – that she goes on a treasure hunt.

I really liked this book, and I didn’t think that I would. If you have ever read A Prayer for Owen Meany, this writing style reminds me of that. And I wonder if one character wasn’t inspired by that book.

This book isn’t a realism book, this is a bit whimsical in the background of the characters. One girl doesn’t sleep. Literally. Ever.

Kids, don’t try to do that. But it works for this book.

There is also death that is dealt with, and it’s done in a such a way that I think this would be a great book to analysis as a high school or college novel, but it might be a little tough for the young kids. Middle schoolers could enjoy this, but parents I would recommend reading this with your kids. Scroll to the bottom section underneath the spoilers to see why.

The writing is just beautiful, and the characters have such depth and reflect real life so much. This is a book that shows both the typical teenager, and what makes each person unique. And, I enjoy that all of the girls were a little odd. And I enjoyed the two character story telling. I guess part of the ending, but the other part did startle me. Completely.

Fans of mystery, adventure, growth, and just a good book will enjoy this novel.
  
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James Bagshaw recommended track Rainbow Chaser by Nirvana UK in All of Us by Nirvana UK in Music (curated)

 
All of Us by Nirvana UK
All of Us by Nirvana UK
1968 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

Rainbow Chaser by Nirvana UK

(0 Ratings)

Track

"This is another one that really stuck out when I got into psychedelic music. It’s got all the elements. It’s got the distorted, orchestral thing, you’ve got flangers, tape phase and various other production techniques. Again, the vocal is just slightly twee and whimsical, but the rhythm section is like hip-hop. It’s got all of these weird elements, even though, being the late ‘60s, it was way before all of that. There’s stuff in the ‘50s that has phasing and flanging unintentionally, with tape speeds and certainly when they started multi-tracking there was definitely some cases of accidental phasing. But there’s a lot of talk about ‘Rainbow Chaser’ being one of the first examples of a phaser being intentionally used throughout a song. I don’t think there’s a definitive answer to that though. As much as I like this song, I didn’t delve too far down the rabbit hole with Nirvana. It’s very hard with stuff that’s on compilations, because you will go down avenues, but you can’t go down all of them, especially if you’ve got a boxset like the Rubble one, where you’ve got something like six CDs with twenty-odd tracks. I don’t have enough time in the day to do it, and some of it you just can’t get hold of. There probably are pressings of that single with a B-side, or maybe they didn’t do an album that was released. Because, believe it or not, not everything is on Spotify or Apple Music!"

Source
  
Puppeteer
Puppeteer
Platform
I was perusing games on Amazon when the game Puppeteer was suggested to me. I was intrigued by the cover and looked at the game description to see what it was about. It sounded interesting and it was on sale so I purchased it. I started playing the game and I was blown away by it because it's not like any game I've played before. The whimsical aspect of it is charming and it made me think of Little Big Planet which is also a fun and whimsical game. If you're a fan of Little Big Planet like I am, you will enjoy Puppeteer.
 Puppeteer is a side scrolling platform game and you play as a boy turned into an animated puppet who loses his head named Kutaro. Kutaro gains a variety of puppet heads to replace his own throughout the game. You have three puppet heads and when you lose a head, you have thirty seconds to grab the head and put it back on or you lose it forever. Your heads are basically like lives so when you lose all three heads/lives it's game over.
 The story takes place in a fantasy world representing Earth's moon which is inhabited by a myriad of folklore style characters and they are all puppets as well. The game is set up to look like a faux stage with red curtains and you can hear an audience reacting to the events that happen in the story along with commentary from the narrator. It adds to the charm of Puppeteer, making it feel like a complete theater experience while playing a video game. The first half of the game is on the dark side of the moon while the second half is on the Earth side. When Kutaro's story begins, the narrator explains that the Moon Goddess was overthrown by by her servant Little Bear who then seized her black moonstone and the scissors called Calibrus and dubbed himself the Moon Bear King.


Kutaro exploring the first level of the game.

The Moon Bear King is the main villain, but there are several villains you have to battle before you get to him; twelve of his generals based on the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Each of them has a piece of the Goddess' white moonstone which Kutaro must get from them. Kutaro does get tools that can help him and eventually he does get Calibrus which are essentially a weapon for him. There are creative ways in which they are used besides as a weapon such as jumping to cut clouds to get to a high ledge or cutting seams to move faster while battling an enemy. They are also used to free the other animated children like Kutaro by cutting the puppet strings so they can return home.
 There are other tools that are used as well such as ninja bombs which can open pathways for you and a pirate hook which can hook items or secret doors. They are smartly and creatively used with simple puzzles in various levels of the game which makes the game play entertaining and interesting.


Talking with Ezma Potts, one of the many characters in Puppeteer.

The environments in Puppeteer are bright, colorful, and filled with beautifully done imaginative things. They're fun to explore and you can go back and play previously beaten levels because there are so many puppet heads and bonus items to collect. A couple of levels were my favorites such as the pirate one and the Halloween one because they put a smile on my face while playing and the Halloween one gave a Nightmare Before Christmas vibe that I loved. There are a few moments of frustration here and there with a couple of the boss battles and depth perception issues in a couple of levels, but it's not a huge deal because the execution of how the game plays and how well the story flows makes Puppeteer worth playing.



Avast! Hanging out with pirates.

 The game is about nine or ten hours of story and if you really want to explore to get every single puppet head out there, all the trophies, and bonus stages that can add a little more extra time and keep you pretty busy. The voice acting and music for the game is superb and there are even moments of humor that will cause you to laugh. It's quite clear that the developers of Puppeteer loved this game and enjoyed designing it and their imaginations really shine throughout the entire game; making Puppeteer a wonderful gem for gamers like myself who appreciate the fun and whimsy.
 While some of the art can be dark and spooky like the Halloween level, there's plenty of light and fun levels making the game enjoyable for people of all ages. Overall, Puppeteer is a delightfully charming game and so much fun to play. It is worth buying and playing more than once because it doesn't take itself seriously, celebrates all things whimsical and fun, and is a terrific game.
  
Recorded Live in Concert at Metropolis Studios, London by The Zombies
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

Care Of Cell 44 by The Zombies

(0 Ratings)

Track

"When I got into psychedelic music in my late teens and early twenties this was one of those songs that left a big impression on me. It’s not a song that would have been on a Nuggets collection or anything, it was quite a big song. It wasn’t a rare find or an unusual one-hit wonder, but the melody in it still blows me away. “It’s very, very British-sounding. There’s something very whimsical about it and there’s a little darkness in there but it’s incredibly uplifting - just the chords, the way it’s played and everything about it. It’s definitely been an inspiration when it comes to writing chord changes for me. “The Zombies have an incredible collection of songs so it’s very hard to choose just one, but apart from ‘Time of the Season’ this is a track where I would’ve been “Wait, how do I know this song?” There’s no pretentiousness to ‘Care of Cell 44’. or any of their songs in fact. There’s something very honest about it. Even though they’re very musically-minded and clever, it’s not distracting to listen to. It leaves you intrigued, more than bewildered. “Some bands get too clever with their chord changes, to the point where they’re not memorable, all of the sections of this song work so well together, but it’s not straight-up. It’s a pop song but there’s definitely some underlying eeriness to it. I don’t know whether it’s just the chords or the way it’s recorded. Maybe it’s something in the reverbs as well - the chambers, they just sound so good"

Source
  
The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019)
The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019)
2019 | Classics, Comedy, Drama
This retelling of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield takes us from his birth, through his adolescence and adulthood. With the tempo set like a whirling dervish from the moment David (Dev Patel) takes us with him to witness his birth and travel along through his pivotal life moments as he tells his story.

We see his birth where his mother, Clara Copperfield (Morfydd Clark, playing a double role, later as Dora Spenlow) a slight, fantastical woman, and the steadfast housekeeper, Peggotty (Daisy May Cooper) go through the hectic confusion while people mill about, entering and exiting during the process of birth. His Aunt, Betsy (Tilda Swinton) goes about, adding to the calamity insistent that the child of her late brother would be a girl, who would carry her legacy as a Trotwood. Her eccentricity noted immediately as she storms out once learning the child is a boy.

The film progresses, with the same quick tempo, through his brief, idyllic childhood with his mother, then his trip to Yarmouth summering with Peggotty’s family where his imagination begins its bloom in the house that is a boat, by the sea. Once David returns home, he is informed that his mother had married, and his stepfather sends him to London. He is sent to live with Mr. & Mrs. Micawber (Peter Capaldi and Bronagh Gallagher) while he works at the bottle factory.

David’s life goes from famine to feast, bear to bull. However, he has learned resilience through his encounters with people of all classes and situations. As Copperfield makes his way through life, the tempo slows down, and the frenzy subsides.

Yes, it’s a remake, the film is beautifully made, the cast is an incredibly talented international group. Hugh Laurie and Tilda Swinton provide an endearing portrait of eclectic personalities. The film is just a charming and whimsical piece of storytelling.
  
Goth Girl: and the Ghost of a Mouse
Goth Girl: and the Ghost of a Mouse
Chris Riddell | 2014 | Children
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ada Goth lives in Ghastly-Gorm Hall with her father, servants and a few ghosts. Ada’s father likes to keep himself to himself even when it comes to his daughter, he makes her wear clumpy shoes so he can hear her coming. Ada is very much alone in this huge mansion style house until one evening she meets a ghost in the form of a Mouse called Ishmael. Ishmael informs Ada that he was killed by a Mouse trap and that he is to roam the hall for all eternity. Together they go and investigate the rooms in which Ishmael was killed when they come upon some strange things and other denizens.

The book had a lot of characters in it, all shapes and sizes all very whimsical but none have much depth to them, you don’t get to find out an awful lot. I wish Ishmael could have been in the book a bit more than he was. He was introduced in chapter 1 and then didn’t have much involvement. The story is very slow to start off with and only really starts to get going in the second half.

This book definitely had its quirks, I loved the use of the footnotes that were written by ‘The foot’ which made me chuckle. There is also literary references such as Von Hellsung and Hebe Poppins. The Comic book at the back was an added bonus! I didn’t realise this was included when I picked it up.

This book is beautiful, it has a purple ribbon and metallic page edges, inside the cover is decorated in a silver/gold foil and also there is an additional pocket with a miniature comic book called ‘Memoirs of Mouse’. Not only did Chris Riddell Illustrate this book but he also wrote it. I love his artwork, it’s so detailed and definitely stunning to look at all in black and white. Everything was on point regarding presentation.

Overall I rated this 3.5 stars out of 5.
  
TW
The Witch of Duva (Grisha Verse, #0.5)
8
9.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
There will 100% be spoilers in this review, so read at your own caution.

Um. I did not see that ending coming. Not by a long shot.

Okay, Leigh Bardugo is a master wordsmith. This story was so creepy and foreboding, I just can't keep up with her. The writing style was kind of mystical and whimsical, but it a really dark way. I have no idea how she does it, but holy crap, she does it so freaking well!

I love how the ending was such a twist. I thought, in trying to "out-trick" Ms. Bardugo, that it was going to be Nadya who was the monster because that would be something weird, right? WRONG!! Wrong on every thought I had about that.

I did not see that her freaking father would be that weird!! Ugh. That was pretty gruesome to read, to be completely honest. There were only two points in this story that my stomach actually turned: when she got her freaking fingers chopped off and baked into a ginger-child and when her father ate the ginger-child and basically exploded all over the floor. Just thinking about it makes me shudder.

Bardugo loves drawing the attention one way then ripping the carped out from under everyone. Kinda like something Kaz would do. She's a trickster like that.

Again, with this story, Leigh Bardugo is creating a more immersive world that not only draws me in to the story more, but also creates a deeper world for the characters to live in. I could see a little Nina or Alina sitting by the fireplace being told these stories as little girls to keep them from being reckless. I just freaking love this so much.

If you haven't read the rest of her folk-tales, stop reading this review (it's almost over anyway) and go read them right now!!!

Lastly, I just want to say a big thank you to Leigh for writing these folk-tales. I have always loved any kind of folk-tale but coming from a world that I already love and know a lot about, this made me really happy!!
  
Fragments of Fear
Fragments of Fear
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
From award-winning author Carrie Stuart Parks comes a new novel with danger that reaches from a New Mexico Anasazi archaeological dig to micro- and nano-chip technology.



Evelyn Yvonne McTavish-Tavish to her friends-had her almost perfect world in Albuquerque, New Mexico, come to a crashing end with the suicide of her fiancé. As she struggles to put her life back together and make a living from her art, she’s given the news that her dog is about to be destroyed at the dog pound. Except she doesn’t own a dog. The shelter is adamant that the microchip embedded in the canine-with her name and address-makes it hers. Tavish recognizes the dog as one owned by an archaeologist named Pat Caron because she did a commissioned drawing of the two of them months earlier. The simple solution is to return the dog to his owner, but she arrives only to discover Caron’s murdered body. After meeting undercover FBI agent Sawyer Price the mystery deepens as more people start disappearing and Tavish becomes a target as well. Her only solution is to find the links between microchip technology, an Anasazi site in the desert, her fiancé’s death, a late-night radio show, and the dog. And the clock is ticking.



My Thoughts: This is an interesting suspense mystery novel. The author has a whimsical way of writing, that puts a little humor into the storyline. When the story begins, we have a young woman at the funeral of her fiance, then finds herself with a dog she doesn't really want and then discovers that it's the owner has been murdered. No wonder Tavish had so many panic attacks. I really enjoyed this novel. It kept my attention from the beginning and did not disappoint me throughout the story.


I enjoyed this novel, the one point I did like about this novel, is that the main character does come to Christ, and learns to overcome her fears by leaning on God.


I look forward to more from Carrie Stuart Parks.


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A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
2019 | Drama
Nice enough
A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood follows the story of a friendship between a journalist (Matthew Rhys) and tv presenter/personality Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks). And I’ll start off by saying that going into this film, I didn’t have a clue who Mr Rogers was, so this was all rather unknown for me. The only reason I decided to watch it was because of Tom Hanks, although overall I did find this to be a nice film.

Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers is rather disturbing, but in a good way as he puts in a stellar performance. Matthew Rhys’ Lloyd Vogel starts off with a huge amount of cynicism and wariness of Rogers, and that’s exactly how this film made me feel at the beginning. Hanks as Rogers is rather creepy and comes across as very strange. However throughout the course of the film as Lloyd discovers more about Rogers, so did I and it really helped me enjoy this film more. And whilst I don’t know who Fred Rogers is, Hanks’ performance was spot on as an old school kids tv presenter. Matthew Rhys as well puts in a great turn as the hardened journalist who does have a heart after all, and I think he’s such an underrated actor.

The styling of this film too is very good. The use of the toys and miniature cities and buildings is a genius move, and brings such a fun and magical feel to the entire film. To begin with I worried it would be out of place, but there’s enough whimsical and childlike aspects in this so that it all fits together perfectly.

However, despite the rather fun side and the great performances, for me I found the story a little lacking. It’s almost too cutesy and sweet at times, even considering the serious parts of the family drama. I also found it dragged as well in parts and I got a little bored with the Rogers based show scenes. This is still a good film, I just think I’m not particularly sold on the whole Fred Rogers thing especially as this has only told me a limited amount about who he really is!