Life and Things
Nice quiet week for the most part. Saw Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom again. Finally gave in and bought a PS4. Was waiting until the remake of Final Fantasy VII but saw Jurassic World: Evolution, and changed my mind. Ended up also getting ARK and Final Fantasy XIII. JWE is like a Sim City game with dinosaurs. It’s your job to build and manage not one, but eventually 5 island parks. You have to manage expedition teams, sending them to find fossils, incubate and hatch eggs, and keep an eye on your paddocks. If your dinos get sick or escape, you have to send ranger teams to tend or recapture them. You also have to keep reputation with your three main groups- Science, Entertainment, and Security. Right now I’m only on one island. And my ceratosaurs keep escaping because they are bored… Getting the hang of it, though, and really enjoying it. I almost have enough rep to unlock Isla Muerta. Not sure I wanna open a dino park on ‘Death Island’….
Enjoyable posts of the week from others
Hammock of Books- How Important is Diversity in Fantasy? Discussion
Bookidote/ Lashaan- The Nevers and Forevers of Readers
Graceling Accountant- 7 More Things You Might Not Know About Your Kindle, Part 2
Touch My Spine/ Dani- Tarot and Oracle Cards
Posts of the week ICYMT
alt.sherlock.holmes by Jamie Wyman, Gini Koch, and Glen Mehn
The Art of Lenormand Reading by Alexandre Musruck
Updated Posts
The Jersey Devil by Hunter Shea
Books read, reviewed, and posted/scheduled this past week
Thorn by Joshua Ingle, 3*
The Art of Lenormand Reading by Alexandre Musruck, 4*
The Dolphin by Craig Bennett Hallenstein, 4*
Jurassic Florida by Hunter Shea, 4*
Reiki Insights by Frans Stiene, 4*
Skeleton God by Eliot Pattison, 4*
Favourite Read(s) of the Week
‘FLORIDA. IT’S WHERE YOU GO TO DIE.
Welcome to Polo Springs, a sleepy little town on Florida’s Gulf Coast. It’s a great place to live—if you don’t mind the hurricanes. Or the flooding. Or the unusual wildlife . . .
IGUANAS. THEY’RE EVERYWHERE.
Maybe it’s the weather. But the whole town is overrun with the little green bastards this year. They’re causing a lot of damage. They’re eating everything in sight. And they’re just the babies . . .
HUMANS. THEY’RE WHAT’S FOR DINNER.
The mayor wants to address the iguana problem. But when Hurricane Ramona slams the coast, the town has a bigger problem on their hands. Bigger iguanas. Bigger than a double-wide. Unleashed by the storm, this razor-toothed horde of prehistoric predators rises up from the depths—and descends on the town like retirees at an early bird special. Except humans are on the menu. And it’s all you can eat . . .’
‘In Eliot Pattison’s Skeleton God, Shan Tao Yun, now the reluctant constable of a remote Tibetan town, has learned to expect the impossible at the roof of the world, but nothing has prepared him for his discovery when he investigates a report that a nun has been savagely assaulted by ghosts. In an ancient tomb by the old nun lies a gilded saint buried centuries earlier, flanked by the remains of a Chinese soldier killed fifty years before and an American man murdered only hours earlier. Shan is thrust into a maelstrom of intrigue and contradiction.
The Tibetans are terrified, the notorious Public Security Bureau wants nothing to do with the murders, and the army seems determined to just bury the dead again and Shan with them. No one wants to pursue the truth–except Shan, who finds himself in a violent collision between a heartbreaking, clandestine effort to reunite refugees from Tibet separated for decades and a covert corruption investigation that reaches to the top levels of the government in Beijing, China. The terrible secret Shan uncovers changes his town and his life forever.’
Current Read
‘A contemporary adventure based on Maya mythology from Rick Riordan Presents!
Zane has always enjoyed exploring the dormant volcano near his home in New Mexico, even though hiking it is challenging. He’d much rather hang out there with his dog, Rosie, than go to middle school, where kids call him Sir Limps a Lot, McGimpster, or Uno–for his one good leg. What Zane doesn’t know is that the volcano is a gateway to another world and he is at the center of a powerful prophecy. A new girl at school, Brooks, informs him that he’s destined to release an evil god from the ancient Maya relic he is imprisoned in–unless she can find and remove it first. Together they return to the volcano, where all kinds of crazy happens. Brooks turns into a hawk, a demon attacks them in a cave, and Rosie gives her all while trying to protect Zane. When Zane decides to save his dog no matter the cost, he is thrust into an adventure full of surprising discoveries, dangerous secrets, and an all-out war between the gods, one of whom happens to be his father. To survive, Zane will have to become the Storm Runner. But how can he run when he can’t even walk well without a cane?’
Next Up (maybe)
Building a Trade Empire by Paul E Horsman
High Merchant by Paul E Horsman
Fascinating New Yorkers by Clifford Browder
Hiding by Jenny Morton Potts
Everything Under the Sun by Jessica Redmerski
Dunn by Kay Jay
Book Haul
Yyyeeeesssss!!!!!!! Been waiting for this!
‘Ascending to the throne was only the beginning… Now Margaret George, the author of The Confessions of Young Nero, weaves a web of politics and passion, as ancient Rome’s most infamous emperor cements his place in history.
With the beautiful and cunning Poppaea at his side, Nero Augustus commands the Roman empire, ushering in an unprecedented era of artistic and cultural splendor. Although he has yet to produce an heir, his power is unquestioned.
But in the tenth year of his reign, a terrifying prophecy comes to pass and a fire engulfs Rome, reducing entire swaths of the city to rubble. Rumors of Nero’s complicity in the blaze start to sow unrest among the populace–and the politicians…
For better or worse, Nero knows that his fate is now tied to Rome’s–and he vows to rebuild it as a city that will stun the world. But there are those who find his rampant quest for glory dangerous. Throughout the empire, false friends and spies conspire against him, not understanding what drives him to undertake the impossible.
Nero will either survive and be the first in his family to escape the web of betrayals that is the Roman court, or be ensnared and remembered as the last radiance of the greatest dynasty the world had ever known.’
‘‘Wonderful and timely … Hugely recommended’ STEPHEN FRY
What do you and an ancient philosopher have in common? It turns out much more than you might think…
Aristotle was an extraordinary thinker, perhaps the greatest in history. Yet he was preoccupied by an ordinary question: how to be happy. His deepest belief was that we can all be happy in a meaningful, sustained way – and he led by example.
In this handbook to his timeless teachings, Professor Edith Hall shows how ancient thinking is precisely what we need today, even if you don’t know your Odyssey from your Iliad. In ten practical lessons we come to understand more about our own characters and how to make good decisions. We learn how to do well in an interview, how to choose a partner and life-long friends, and how to face death or bereavement.
Life deals the same challenges – in Ancient Greece or the modern world. Aristotle’s way is not to apply rules – it’s about engaging with the texture of existence, and striding purposefully towards a life well lived.
This is advice that won’t go out of fashion.’
‘The Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard trilogy may have concluded, but we haven’t heard the last of our favorite peeps from the Nine Worlds. Join Hearthstone, Blitzen, Samirah, Alex, Jack, T.J., Mallory, Halfborn, and more on a hilarious and unforgettable journey through Rick Riordan’s unique take on Norse mythology. While Magnus is off visiting his cousin, Annabeth, his friends find themselves in some sticky, hairy, and smelly situations as they try to outwit moronic giants, murderous creatures, and meddlesome gods. Can they stave off Ragnarok at least until Magnus gets back?’
Thanks so much for mentioning my post 💕
You are quite welcome!