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Monthly Reads
dracoscrown
"You're just as sane as I am" -Luna Lovegood
Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis
7th Apr 2020 8th Apr 2020 SharLeave a comment
Series: Standalone
Author: Kat Ellis
Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller
Expected Publication: 25 August 2020
Source: Penguin Books NZ/Turning Pages NZ
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Goodreads Summary
A can't-put-down, creepy thriller about the daughter of a horror film director who's not afraid of anything–until she gets to Harrow Lake. Things I know about Harrow Lake:
1. It's where my father shot his most disturbing slasher film.
2. There's something not right about this town. Lola Nox is the daughter of a celebrated horror filmmaker–she thinks nothing can scare her. But when her father is brutally attacked in their New York apartment, she's quickly packed off to live with a grandmother she's never met in Harrow Lake, the eerie town where her father's most iconic horror movie was shot. The locals are weirdly obsessed with the film that put their town on the map–and there are strange disappearances, which the police seem determined to explain away. And there's someone–or something–stalking her every move. The more Lola discovers about the town, the more terrifying it becomes. Because Lola's got secrets of her own. And if she can't find a way out of Harrow Lake, they might just be the death of her.
Cover Design ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I received a proof copy of this book and I must say, it had such a creative concept and I absolutely loved it. It held the design of a VHS tape with a red cover and the book itself was the tape. I was beyond impressed.
Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lola Nox was the main character, as we follow in her first person perspective, and she also happened to be my favourite character. Despite being the daughter of fame, she didn't let it get to her head and kept her normalcy. She was curious but not so curious where it became stupidity. I felt myself connecting with her the greatest.
Nolan Nox, although he was not in much of the story, I felt he had a large influence on the story, also given the influence he had over Lola and her thoughts. He was a bit of a mystery, that man, even after the book finished, I would still have loved to see more of him.
Besides these two, the other characters were not as major in my opinion and they were a little bit lacking. Especially Lola's Grandmother, she didn't seem to have much personality to her besides the trauma she experienced. Beyond this, it is hard to distinguish who she was a person.
Plot ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The plot was what initially captured me to request a copy of this book and the plot did live up to my expectations. It was exciting, it kept me wanting to read more and more, and after reading half of it in the night I found it rather difficult to put it back down again. I flew through this book.
There were the odd plot holes every now and then, as well as a few things that are left unexplained that I would have liked to have known more, but other than that, it was enjoyable and creepy and mysterious and everything I wanted even if it wasn't perfect. However, I also think that the lack of explanation for certain things actually added to the emotions of the book.
Writing Style ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The writing style has nothing to fault. The incorporation of italics to emphasise certain things, I loved as it is also the way I write. It felt engaging and it was interesting to be inside the main character's thoughts at times.
The way the book begins and ends is very creative. It begins with an interview where parts are cut off, and are revealed at the end where things make sense. It was a great way to tie the overall story together.
Overall Summary⭐⭐⭐⭐
An atmospheric town with a creepy backstory which created a very unsettling novel. Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis has knocked itself to be amongst the best YA thrillers which I have read. While it definitely wasn't so scary your nights sleep will be disrupted, it certainly delivered with atmosphere, radiating with a certain mysterious endeavour that captivates throughout. Not to mention, the concept of the film the novel is surrounded around sounds amazing, I would love a Nightjar companion novel! It was also a breeze to read through, with a very engaging writing style which kept you engaged. If you dislike horror, I would stay clear of this one.
The Girl in Red by Christina Henry
25th Sep 2019 SharLeave a comment
Author: Christina Henry
Genres: Fantasy, Retelling, Horror
Date Published: June 18th 2019
Source: NewSouthBooks
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐
From the national bestselling author of Alice comes a postapocalyptic take on the perennial classic "Little Red Riding Hood"…about a woman who isn't as defenseless as she seems. It's not safe for anyone alone in the woods. There are predators that come out at night: critters and coyotes, snakes and wolves. But the woman in the red jacket has no choice. Not since the Crisis came, decimated the population, and sent those who survived fleeing into quarantine camps that serve as breeding grounds for death, destruction, and disease. She is just a woman trying not to get killed in a world that doesn't look anything like the one she grew up in, the one that was perfectly sane and normal and boring until three months ago. There are worse threats in the woods than the things that stalk their prey at night. Sometimes, there are men. Men with dark desires, weak wills, and evil intents. Men in uniform with classified information, deadly secrets, and unforgiving orders. And sometimes, just sometimes, there's something worse than all of the horrible people and vicious beasts combined. Red doesn't like to think of herself as a killer, but she isn't about to let herself get eaten up just because she is a woman alone in the woods….
Cover Design ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really loved the cover. I love how inspired it was by Red riding hood and I certainly love the other cover just as much.
Red; she was pretty much prepared for just about anything. Any possible outcome, she would have already thought of it. Any possible explanation, she would have researched it. She was ultimately a 'know-it-all' who seemed to look down upon those who weren't prepared. At times this could be incredibly irritating but overall, I didn't hate her character, I actually enjoyed myself being inside her mind. It was interesting and surprisingly chaotic at times.
The side characters were also well presented. Although some of them I found rather annoying, the ones I really did enjoy I couldn't get enough of.
Plot ⭐⭐⭐
As soon as the story started, you were thrown into a wild ride, it was fast-paced and I wasn't mad at it for being so. It definitely wasn't as gruesome as the prompt makes it out to be, but there are certainly parts where it does live up to some expectations.
The story itself, this was where my real issues lay and why I couldn't give it more. I wanted more. When I finished, all I thought was "is that it?". I wasn't satisfied by the ending. It felt unfinished and I needed that little extra to be content. Things I wanted to understand were left unexplained. Give me answers!
Writing Style ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I enjoyed the writing style. It wasn't too over descriptive and it captivated my attention. The narration was amongst my favourite parts of the book and is the reason why I kept reading on, I binged this book in a few days.
Overall Summary⭐⭐⭐
Overall, It was an average story with an average ending. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad. It was good. I am curious to read more from the author in the future, dark retellings are my kind of thing!
Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver
1st Sep 2019 SharLeave a comment
Author: Michelle Paver
Genres: Historical Fiction, Gothic
Date Published: 11 April 2019
Source: Harper Collins NZ
1906: A large manor house, Wake's End, sits on the edge of a bleak Fen, just outside the town of Wakenhyrst. It is the home of Edmund Stearn and his family – a historian, scholar and land-owner, he's an upstanding member of the local community. But all is not well at Wake's End. Edmund dominates his family tyrannically, in particular daughter Maud. When Maud's mother dies in childbirth and she's left alone with her strict, disciplinarian father, Maud's isolation drives her to her father's study, where she happens upon his diary. During a walk through the local church yard, Edmund spots an eye in the undergrowth. His terror is only briefly abated when he discovers its actually a painting, a 'doom', taken from the church. It's horrifying in its depiction of hell, and Edmund wants nothing more to do with it despite his historical significance. But the doom keeps returning to his mind. The stench of the Fen permeates the house, even with the windows closed. And when he lies awake at night, he hears a scratching sound – like claws on the wooden floor… Wakenhyrst is a terrifying ghost story, an atmospheric slice of gothic, a brilliant exploration of the boundaries between the real and the supernatural, and a descent into the mind of a psychopath.
I have nothing bad to say about the cover. It was interesting and it certainly fit the style of the tone and plot of the book. I loved the colour that was chosen as the background, a very off white paper which clearly had aged.
Characters ⭐⭐⭐
At times I enjoyed the characters and at other times I felt like they could have been more. The main characters, Maud and her father, were interesting but the side characters did not create that same intrigue.
The plot was intriguing and the mystery was so interesting and captivating, especially since the way it was being told the events had already happened. I was a little shocked at the misogyny presented in the book, while it was realistic in that particular era, I still found myself quite surprised about it. It made me think about how a century can change so many things and perspectives.
The plot progression felt a little slow, I wanted to know more about what was going on and I felt like I wasn't being given what I wanted to know at the right pace.
The ending for me was a bit of a let down, I felt like I still had so many questions and the overall ending was rather unsatisfying. I wanted more and I felt like there could have been much more things added to create a much more satisfying ending.
At the beginning, I was a little put off by the writing style but as the story progressed, I found myself rather enjoying the writing. I am not used to reading stories from a 1900's style era, so I needed my mind to adjust to the style. Once my mind adjusted, I found myself really loving it. The atmospheric and eerie tone really struck me and captivated me.
An atmospheric and eerie read that sparks curiosity. When the story hit its peak, I felt myself getting more into the story every page I turned. While I felt the story lacked in many things, it also held my interest throughout with an interesting mystery and plot which left me wanting more and more. Although the ending was a little underwhelming, it was enjoyable.
Kingsbane by Claire Legrand
30th Aug 2019 Shar2 Comments
"We are more than what's been done to us. We are more then our anger."
– Claire Legrand
Series: Empirium #2
Author: Claire Legrand
Date Published: 21 May 2019
Source: New South Books
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In this sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller Furyborn, two queens, separated by a thousand years, connected by secrets and lies, must continue their fight amid deadly plots and unthinkable betrayals that will test their strength—and their hearts. Rielle Dardenne has been anointed Sun Queen, but her trials are far from over. The Gate keeping the angels at bay is falling. To repair it, Rielle must collect the seven hidden castings of the saints. Meanwhile, to help her prince and love Audric protect Celdaria, Rielle must spy on the angel Corien—but his promises of freedom and power may prove too tempting to resist. Centuries later, Eliana Ferracora grapples with her new reality: She is the Sun Queen, humanity's long-awaited savior. But fear of corruption—fear of becoming another Rielle—keeps Eliana's power dangerous and unpredictable. Hunted by all, racing against time to save her dying friend Navi, Eliana must decide how to wear a crown she never wanted—by embracing her mother's power, or rejecting it forever.
What an epic sequel. This may even be the best sequel I have ever read. My expectations were high as I adored Furyborn, but this was so much more.
I appreciate the aesthetic of these covers. They are stunning and radiate personality in the book. The two books look absolutely amazing together and I can't wait to see the third cover added to my collection.
Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Because I want to keep this review spoiler free, I'm not going to go in depth in the characters. The character development I witnessed in this book was an experience itself, specifically Eliana and Rielle. I am so involved in their arcs that they are almost my children. Furyborn, I favoured one over the other, but in Kingsbane I was able to grasp a love towards both of them. Although we know the outcome of how their characters are ultimately going to go and what role they will play in the coming story, the journey is what makes it.
Alongside this, every single side character felt like they belonged in the story. I love them all even if not all of them a good.
Continuing on from Furyborn, the world felt alive. I want to go swimming in the world-building and I would be perfectly okay with drowning in it. The world of the Empirium is so enticing and I just want to keep learning about it.
I enjoyed the overall plot in this even more so than the first book. Something interesting was always happening and with the dual timeline, I was reading to different stories which coincided with one another fluently.
But the cliffhanger…. HOW COULD YOU?
The writing style stayed consistent with the last one. It was simple, yet effective.
Overall Summary⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What a way to continue a series! I am so interested to see how it will conclude and with this, my expectations are set to impossible standards.
Thank you to New South Books for sending me a copy. All opinions are my own.
Everything is F*cked by Mark Manson
24th Aug 2019 26th Aug 2019 SharLeave a comment
Author: Mark Manson
Genres: Non-fiction, Self Help, Psychology
Date Published: May 14th 2019
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
We live in an interesting time. Materially, everything is the best it's ever been—we are freer, healthier and wealthier than any people in human history. Yet, somehow everything seems to be irreparably and horribly f*cked—the planet is warming, governments are failing, economies are collapsing, and everyone is perpetually offended on Twitter. At this moment in history, when we have access to technology, education and communication our ancestors couldn't even dream of, so many of us come back to an overriding feeling of hopelessness.
Now, in Everthing Is F*cked, Manson turns his gaze from the inevitable flaws within each individual self to the endless calamities taking place in the world around us. Drawing from the pool of psychological research on these topics, as well as the timeless wisdom of philosophers such as Plato, Nietzsche, and Tom Waits, he dissects religion and politics and the uncomfortable ways they have come to resemble one another. He looks at our relationships with money, entertainment and the internet, and how too much of a good thing can psychologically eat us alive. He openly defies our definitions of faith, happiness, freedom—and even of hope itself.
With his usual mix of erudition and where-the-f*ck-did-that-come-from humor, Manson takes us by the collar and challenges us to be more honest with ourselves and connected with the world in ways we probably haven't considered before. It's another counterintuitive romp through the pain in our hearts and the stress of our soul. One of the great modern writers has produced another book that will set the agenda for years to come.
This was my very first splurge into the massive genre that is Non-fiction, and right into the depths I went. I'm not going to tell you what this book is about, because I think you should read it for yourself. I found myself thinking and wondering more than I had in a long while. Any book that does that is already successful in my eyes.
The writing style was amongst my favourite aspects of this book. If I were to describe it, I would say it be 'academic informal'. While it took a rather academic approach, subtle acts of humour was incorporated throughout which I wasn't mad at. It gave the book a more lighthearted feel despite the book consisting of some rather heavy topics.
With a unique voice, Manson explained and expressed his thoughts well. The chapters occasionally felt like they lacked connection with one another, especially with the chosen layout Mason decided to approach it with. However, the ideas flowed well and each one held importance of what it added to the book. I think there is something for anyone in this book, whether it be a small sentence or the entire argument at hand. Whether you enjoy Manson's work or not. The ideas and issues that are brought up in Everything is f*cked are heavy and explained well. The ending especially left me with something to think about for a long time.
The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver
7th Jul 2019 SharLeave a comment
Series: Colter Shaw #1
Author: Jeffery Deaver
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
From the bestselling and award-winning master of suspense, the first novel in a thrilling new series! Colter Shaw is an itinerate "reward-seeker," traveling the country to help police solve crimes and private citizens locate missing persons. When he learns of a reward for a missing college student in Silicon Valley, he takes the job. The investigation quickly thrusts him into the dark heart of Silicon Valley and the cutthroat billion-dollar video gaming industry–and then a second kidnapping happens…and this victim turns up dead. The clues soon point to one video game, The Never Game, in which the player has to survive after being left abandoned. Is a madman bringing that game to life? If so, Shaw has to stop him before he strikes again…and before he figures out that Shaw is on his trail.It's t
Cover Design ⭐⭐⭐
I've never been a fan of covers of thrillers and mystery novels and this one is no exception. I do love how bold and bright the title is, but that's about all I like. It's not a bad cover it's just not my personal taste.
Okay. SO, I loved every character in this book. There was not a single one I disliked. They all felt like they belonged in the story while still feeling 100% real outside of the story. I'm not going to go into any of the side characters but I will go into the main character, and the star of the book in my eyes.
I found myself invested in Colter Shaw from the very start. As the novel progresses, we see parts of who he is in both the past and the present which keeps you engaged with him and his journey throughout the story. His investigation skills are so interesting to read about, specifically the way he uses percentages which I found to be very unique. He really completed the story and brought it all together.
Plot ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The plot was executed with exceptional precision. I was mislead, I was tricked, I was curious. What more could you possibly ask for in a mystery thriller?
I enjoyed the incorporation of the gaming aspect in the book despite not being a gamer much myself. It gave an interesting tinge of character to the story. I loved the overall plot, and I loved the mystery.
Although the writing style was nothing out of the ordinary, it worked. And if it works, why change it? I was invested in the story from the beginning to the end, the writing flowed very well which made it easy to read. I, myself, read it in a day. It is written in third person perspective which I felt was very fitting to the kind of story being told.
While this most certainly was not my genre of choice, this book really opened my eyes to what the genre has to offer. With intricately developed characters, a captivating plot to entice you to the end and a beautiful writing style to keep you reading on, this book took me by surprise.
How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow
14th May 2019 SharLeave a comment
Author: Kathleen Glasgow
Date Published: April 9th 2019
It's the brightest day of summer and it's dark outside. It's dark in your house, dark in your room, and dark in your heart. You feel like the darkness is going to split you apart. Here is what happens when your mother dies. That's how it feels for Tiger. It's always been Tiger and her mother against the world. Then, on a day like any other, Tiger's mother dies. And now it's Tiger, alone. Here is how you learn to make friends with the dark.
I gave it an extra star because it is shimmery and shimmery covers always thrive. I do prefer the other cover not shown in this post better, however, this cover was also beautiful. It was intriguing enough to want to pick up and just really screamed out "READ ME" because of how mysterious it was.
I felt each character to be completely different from the next. There was a mystery and complexity to almost every character in the story, whether they played a major or minor part. There was only one true main character but there were a couple other I felt were important in the story.
Tiger was our main character. We see her journey through the grief of her losing her only family member she's ever known and we see her change in many ways.
The plot was what completed the book for me. The story was a work of art and even though I had never felt or had to experience what Tiger went through, I felt empathy towards her. I just kept wanting to read more and more no matter how tragic her story got. I loved the truth behind the story, it revealed a truth about grief that you never really get over it. It is no simple thing, grief is extremely complex and no two people will feel and grieve exactly alike.
It even brings to light what it's like to be a foster child, which I feel is not written about enough. There is little stories which I have read in my entire life that actually pushes on this topic.
This book was perfectly written for what it was expressing and I have nothing to fault about it. It was written in the first person perspective of 'Tiger' and had occasional insights of second person which I really loved.
I have never experienced the grief of losing someone I loved dearly, but through tiger's journey, I felt and I empathised. This book will break your heart over and over as you witness the journey of a sixteen year old losing her mother and only known family member. The plot moves so suddenly and which allowed me to realise how it really is to have a mother one moment, and losing her and becoming an orphan the next. We see a strong cast of characters who have both mystery and tragedy and there is so much to discover in this tragic story. A must read for anybody, whether they have experienced grief or not.
The Beauty of the Wolf by Wray Delaney
"For he is the beauty, and I be the beast."
– Nadine Brandes
Author: Wray Delaney
Genres: Fantasy, Retelling, Fiction
Date Published: February 21st
My rating: ⭐⭐.5
What some might call beauty, I find monstrous' In the age of the Faerie Queene, Elizabeth I, Lord Francis Rodermere starts to lay waste to a forest. Furious, the sorceress who dwells there scrawls a curse into the bark of the first oak he fells: A faerie boy will be born to you whose beauty will be your death. Ten years later, Lord Rodermere's son, Beau is born – and all who encounter him are struck by his great beauty. Meanwhile, many miles away in a London alchemist's cellar lives Randa – a beast deemed too monstrous to see the light of day. And so begins a timeless tale of love, tragedy and revenge… A stunning retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
The cover was undoubtedly beautiful however I felt it lacked personality and identification to what the story was about. The colours were also beautiful and the inclusion of trees and vines looked beautiful. I did find the title to hold little significance to the story and think it could have been so much better.
Characters ⭐⭐
The characters for me were a massive let down. I felt like they were flat and overall held little to no personality and complexity. The character development was almost non-existent to me.
Randa, the beast, came across as extremely repetitive about the fact she was a beast and nobody loved her and whatnot that she just didn't feel real.
Beau, the beauty, was a male who fell into his father's cruelty and believed that his beauty was 'monstrous'. Much like Randa, he was basically defined as being beautiful and there really wasn't much else to him.
Plot ⭐⭐
The plot was mostly based around the curse upon Beau's father, or I believe that is what it was meant to be. I'm not entirely sure because the plot was all over the place and too many thinks were happening at once that I could not follow it. It was an amazing concept but nothing more than that at this point. I was mostly bored or confused the entire book, I didn't find myself caring at all about the outcome or the characters, however, towards the end I did see an improvement to the plot where it all became a little more clear.
Writing Style ⭐⭐
I was very unsure and confused with the writing style. It definitely was a peculiar taste in writing and unfortunately it was not for me. I felt like the writer was more so wanting to use pretty and enticing words and in the process the entire story lost its spark. I found myself having to go back and reread many paragraphs again because I just couldn't follow it as I should have been able to. There was so much potential, if it had been written more clearly it could have been an amazing and enjoyable story.
There was odd perspective shifts, the book began in third person which I found to be very hard to understand and then gradually changed to a dual perspective style between the 'beauty' and the 'beast'. It was very off putting and it felt like the writer was unsure of which perspective to choose so instead of choosing, just decided on both. The sorceress was even thrown in at some points which was most certainly unnecessary and could have been incorporated in a much better manner. At times, some of the sentence didn't include commas where they were supposed to either which made it even more difficult to read.
Overall Summary⭐⭐
I was anticipating this read, the cover enticed me immediately but unfortunately the inside did not deliver. Every character fell flat to me and the plot seemed to be all over the place and I didn't know which part of it to actually follow. The writing style was the major let down. There was weird perspective changes which felt as though the author was more indecisive than strategically choosing a perspective. It went from third person to switching at random times between the beauty, beast and the sorceress. I wished I could have enjoyed this book and I really tried to, but it just didn't happen.
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
"It wasn't freedom she wanted. It was belief in something—a prize big enough to run for and to fight for and to keep on reaching toward no matter what."
– Susan Dennard
Series: The Witchlands #1
Author: Susan Dennard
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Date Published: January 5th 2016
Source: Own copy
In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands. Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home. Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she's a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden – lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult's true powers are hidden even from herself. In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls' heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.
Cover designs with artwork featuring one or more characters always pull me in, this one was no difference. I loved the colour choice and font which worked together and drew me in. It stayed very true to the book and fit with the theme well.
A strong set of characters was the highlight of this book for me, although the world building was also another. I felt myself rooting for every single character who we follow and each one held so much personality and I was able to resonate with each of them.
Safiya was a headstrong, bold and very self driven character. I loved the bond which her and Iseult had, you don't often see strong female friendships in YA in my experience.
Iseult was my favourite character in the book. I felt myself drawn to her the most, she had a very calm, reserved nature which seemed to go alongside Safi's bold and reckless nature.
Aeduan was a rather interesting one for me. I felt myself wanting to understand him and his powers, however, I feel like you need to read more of the series to really get an understanding. I love the development between him and Iseult, I would really love to see them bloom together.
Merik was loyal bound to his country and expressed so much dedication, I can't imagine who wouldn't admire him.
Although confusing some of the time, I adored the plot and world-building this book had to offer. For the first 100 or so pages I was overwhelmed by all the place names, people names, and types of witches, however, given it is a very complex world It didn't bother me too much and I knew I just needed to get a feel of the world for a bit.
I loved each little twist and turn in the story and loved learning about each witch type and what they are able to do. Although, I was a little underwhelmed with the plot in the first half of the book, it really picked itself up in the second half and I found myself anticipating the next thing.
I had no problem with the writing style. It fitted the story well and wasn't difficult to read.
Overall, it was an amazing and complex world with much to offer. I found each and every one of the characters to be interesting, and each one had a character development I really enjoyed reading about. The plot felt a little flat in the beginning but by the end of the book I was eating away at it and I just wanted more. I can't wait to pick up the next book when I can get my hands on it.
Romanov by Nadine Brandes
24th Mar 2019 SharLeave a comment
"The bond of our hearts spans miles, memory, and time."
Author: Nadine Brandes
Genres: Historical fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy
Date Published: Expected May 7th 2019
Source: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The history books say I died. They don't know the half of it. Anastasia "Nastya" Romanov was given a single mission: to smuggle an ancient spell into her suitcase on her way to exile in Siberia. It might be her family's only salvation. But the leader of the Bolshevik army is after them . . . and he's hunted Romanov before.
Nastya's only chances of survival are to either release the spell, and deal with the consequences, or enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn't act like the average Bolshevik. Nastya's never dabbled in magic before, but it doesn't frighten her as much as her growing attraction for Zash. She likes him. She thinks he might even like her . . .
That is, until she's on one side of a firing squad . . . and he's on the other.
The cover design was undoubtedly beautiful. It had a Russian undertone in the design and expressed a certain level of Royalty. It had a relevance to the story itself, however, you would not be able to establish that it was an Anastasia retelling just from the cover.
Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐N
Immediately, Nastya (Anastasia) is recognised as the main character in the story. She was a head-strong lady with a slight taste for mischief and a quick and well thought plan maker. I found an instant liking for her from the first chapter and that did not fall as I got deeper into the story.
I recognised Zash as another important character. I found him to be a little underdeveloped and maybe even a little bland. There wasn't much to his personality, however, his backstory was developed quite well. I found him to be quite representative of many soldiers which were in that era.
Although there were other minor characters I could go into, Alexei was the next most important in the story. I found him to be my favourite and loved the thought put into him. He was well-written and had such an adorable personality, especially with his age.
For me, the plot was the star of the novel. I loved how there was both an inclusion of real life events and fictional events taking place which really brought depth to the story. Occasionally the plot-twists seemed to be a little bizarre but overall, I really enjoyed the story and how it all played out. I was not familiar with the story beforehand and I am glad that this novel brought me a sense of familiarity to it.
I adored the magical aspect to it. I loved how it wasn't just touched lightly, we got a certain understanding on how the magic worked and what it was like but still leaving a certain mystery to it.
I don't have much to comment with the writing style. I loved it. It was relevant to the era and I did not find it too difficult to read. It was written in the first person view of Nastya which I think was perfect for this kind of story. I loved delving into her mind and the writing style amplified her beautifully.
My first time delving into the story of Anastasia I was not disappointed. This book was beautifully written in the perspective of Anastasia (Nastya) which was perfectly fitting and the writing style was great for the era it was associated with. The realism and historical aspect was balanced perfectly with the fictional side. Every character had something to offer to the story and I adored the incorporation of magic which enhanced this book and brought so much more mystery. The plot was well-done and I can't really fault it too much. Overall, I am happy I got to read this and would love to delve into the writing of Nadine Brandes again.
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Lover of books, cats, dogs and coffee.


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Menacing new weapon in Star Wars: The Force Awakens gets name, description
By Julia Alexander Dec 2, 2015, 12:30pm EST
Via Rolling Stone
Share All sharing options for: Menacing new weapon in Star Wars: The Force Awakens gets name, description
Lightsabers and X-Wings are returning to the Star Wars universe in The Force Awakens, but there's also a ton of new weapons ready to be introduced to fans.
Although we still don't have too much information, thanks to a new Rolling Stone cover story, one of the biggest and newest weapons in the franchise has finally been revealed. For those trying to stay away from spoilers, turn away now.
According to the magazine, the weapon — which has been referred to by director J.J. Abrams and crew as the Sunsucker — is an "energy device" that sits on the ground of an undisclosed planet and "sends a massive, lavalike beam upward."
To date, we haven't seen the weapon in action directly, but if you've paid close attention to the past few trailers and teasers, you'll have noticed the large laser beam shooting through the night sky. In the last official trailer, the beam can be seen from the window of Kylo Ren's ship.
Based on the past few clips we've seen of the Sunsucker, it seems pretty obvious that this is a tool designed to create as much devastation as possible, developed by the First Order as a way to wipe out the opposing side.
Recently, we did get a closer look at how the tool would be used, thanks to an ad for Disney Infinity 3.0 and its Force Awakens level. In the photo that the studio tweeted out from the official account, the Sunsucker can be seen in action, directly attacking — and possibly destroying — a celestial body.
Check out the next @StarWars: #TheForceAwakens power disc coming to #DisneyInfinity 3.0. pic.twitter.com/IgWNPVUA7W
— Disney Infinity (@DisneyInfinity) November 12, 2015
The Rolling Stone piece couldn't offer much more information on the weapon, but the writer did describe it as "seriously scary." That shouldn't be too surprising, since Abrams has said in past interviews that the First Order, and Kylo Ren specifically, would be far more menacing than Darth Vader and his army ever were.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens on Dec. 18.
How to crack Wordle: 5-letter words to use first Strategies for making your first guess your best guess

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Direction of use As a dietary supplement, Administer entire contents (6 g) as one dose or as professionally directed.
Administer entire contents (6 g) as one dose or as professionally directed.
(CUL-60); L. acidophilus (CUL-21); Bifidobacterium bifidum (CUL-20); B.
acid (calcium/magnesium butyrate) 2.5 g (†), L-Glutamine 2 g (†).


We've mentioned before that in the world of mobile, especially in the world of tablets, content is king. Having great services can take you pretty far as Google has proven with Android, but having a great content library makes that road a lot easier to travel, as Apple has proven, and Amazon is expected to prove with the Kindle Fire. Google has never been a content company, and hasn't had a lot of luck with selling things to users, but the company is pushing hard to change that.
The newest rumor in that regards is that Google may be very close to launching a music store. The New York Times is reporting that a number of record executives have said that Google is aiming to launch its music store in the next few weeks, and that Google really wants to launch before Apple's new iTunes Match service rolls out sometime towards the end of this month. Google has been negotiating with music companies to allow users to have a "smart locker" which would let you connect your music collection (and likely Google Music Beta) to a central database. The word is that the negotiations haven't been going well because record companies are worried that the service will promote piracy.
Of course, Apple's iTunes Match will be charging a "storage fee" which some have said is merely a tax on pirated music, because you can easily add pirated music to your iCloud collection. Likelihood is that Google doesn't want to charge users, which may be causing the friction. Still, we hope Google can get it worked out, because it would be nice to get a service that doesn't include uploading our collection to Google.
Wow, google is just pumping out all kinds of exciting hings tonight. MMS support, Conversation Mode, and now this? ...Admittedly,I'm not sure what this is. It sounds cool, but... how does it work? I have 20GB of storage space through Amazon Drive, but this doesn't sound like that. What is this?
The analog to Amazon Drive is Google Music Beta which allows you to store up to 20,000 tracks in cloud, but you have to upload music to the storage. This would be a proper store to allow you to buy music which will be made available in Music Beta, like Amazon's service, but also possibly will allow a matching type of service like iTunes Match, which will scan your music and link it to a central database, so you don't have to upload anything.
If you see the io where the cloud music Idea was.Introduced like that, but my guess to. Avoid problems with the companyes google decided it would be a better idea to do it the other way while They worked Things out.
See, I always wondered why they didn't do it like that in the first place. The benefits are just amazing: The music, being controlled by one source, will all be the same bitrate, sound quality, and volume. More uniform listening. The company doesn't have to store each individual's copy of "Telephone" by Lady Gaga, several hundred thousand times, which likely cuts down on storage servers necessary. Far less hassle for people with massive and uploading. If google can just get tis service together and completely replace the music app with it... we might just get somewhere with this whole integraton thing.
Google didn't do it first because it couldn't get the deals done with the record companies. Simple as that. Record companies are still too scared of technology to realize that so-called "pirates" tend to spend far more money on music than anyone else.
If Google can pull this off it will be great! On a side note, I wanted to let you and other PA journalist to know that I think it's great that you guys comment and answer reader's questions as much as you do. Keep up the good work.
Hmm. Yay! I would definitely become a Google Music customer if they introduced such a service. As of right now I'm sticking with physical CDs and Amazon MP3.


Matthew J. Bellizzi, M.D., Ph.D.
Bellizzi MJ, Geathers JS, Allan KC, Gelbard HA. "Platelet-Activating Factor Receptors Mediate Excitatory Postsynaptic Hippocampal Injury in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis." The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 2016 Jan 27; 36(4):1336-46.
Bundle MW, Ernst CL, Bellizzi MJ, Wright S, Weyand PG. "A metabolic basis for impaired muscle force production and neuromuscular compensation during sprint cycling." American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology.. 2006 Nov 0; 291(5):R1457-64. Epub 2006 Jul 13.
Bellizzi MJ, Lu SM, Gelbard HA. "Protecting the synapse: evidence for a rational strategy to treat HIV-1 associated neurologic disease." Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology.. 2006 Mar 0; 1(1):20-31.


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Valentina Marghinotti
Soprano. Born in Cagliari, Italy, she studied Classics before turning to music. She is a graduate of the Palestrina Conservatory in Cagliari and the Hochschule für Musik in Basle. She won the 7th Prince Francesco Maria Ruspoli International Baroque Music Competition and the 4th Young Singers Competition in Sardinia. She has sung in such works as Orff's Carmina burana, Massenet's La Vierge, Bach's Christmas Oratorio (with Camerata Artemisia) and Haydn's oratorio Jephtha (at the Tonhalle in Zurich with the Capriccio Barockorchester, cond. Joachim Krause). On the operatic stage, she has performed in such works as Pergolesi's La serva padrona (with the Chamber Academy Basel), as Gilda in Rigoletto (in Cagliari), as the titular Mirra in Domenico Alaleona's opera (in Cagliari and Bergamo), in Verdi's La forza del destino and in Paul Dukas's Ariane et Barbe-Bleue. During the 2015/16 season, she belonged to the company of Theater Basel, where she made her debut as Papagena in Die Zauberflöte (dir. Julia Hölscher, cond. Christoph Altstaedt) and in Verdi's Macbeth (dir. Olivier Py, cond. Erik Nielsen), and she has also sung the role of Dido in the stage collage Dido without Aeneas, a collaboration with Theater Basel. She has sung in São Paulo, in the European Day of Early Music in Copenhagen (2016) and in the Esteban Salas Early Music Festival in Havana. 2014 saw the release of a disc on which she recorded works by Fux and Caldara with the Aziel Ensemble.


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Valorant (стилізовано як VALORANT) — безкоштовний інтелектуальний шутер від першої особи, розроблений компанією Riot Games для Microsoft Windows. Вперше представлений під кодовою назвою Project A () у жовтні 2019 року. Гра розпочала закрите бета-тестування з обмеженим доступом 7 квітня 2020 року, після чого 2 червня 2020 року відбувся офіційний випуск. Розробка гри почалася в 2014 році. Valorant черпає натхнення із серії тактичних шутерів Counter-Strike.

Ігровий процес
Valorant — це командний інтелектуальний шутер від першої особи, який розгортається в найближчому майбутньому. Гравці грають за одного з набору агентів, персонажів, розроблених на основі кількох країн і культур по всьому світу. У режимі основної гри гравці призначаються або до атакуючої, або до команди, що захищається, причому кожна команда має п'ять гравців. Агенти мають унікальні здібності, кожна з яких вимагає зарядів, а також унікальну кінцеву здатність, яка вимагає заряджання через вбивства, смерть, кулі або цілі. Кожен гравець починає кожен раунд з «класичним» пістолетом і одним або кількома зарядами «підписних здібностей». Іншу зброю та заряди здібностей можна придбати за допомогою внутрішньоігрової економічної системи, яка присуджує гроші на основі результатів попереднього раунду, будь-яких вбивств, за які несе відповідальність гравець, і виконання будь-яких цілей. У грі є асортимент зброї, включаючи вторинну зброю, як-от стрілецьку зброю, і основну зброю, як-от пістолети-кулемети, дробовики, кулемети, штурмові гвинтівки та снайперські гвинтівки. Існує автоматична та напівавтоматична зброя, кожна з яких має унікальну схему стрільби, якою гравець повинен керувати, щоб мати можливість точно стріляти. Різні агенти дозволяють гравцям знаходити більше способів насадити Спайк і стиль на ворогів за допомогою скребків, стратегів і мисливців будь-якого виду. Наразі він пропонує на вибір 20 агентів. Це Brimstone, Viper, Omen, Cypher, Sova, Sage, Phoenix, Jett, Raze, Breach, Reyna, Killjoy, Skye, Yoru, Astra, KAY/O, Chamber, Neon, Fade та Harbor.

Нерейтинговий режим
У стандартному нерейтинговому режимі матч грається як найкращий із 25 – перемагає команда, яка першою виграє 13 раундів. Команда атаки має пристрій типу бомби під назвою «Спайк». Вони повинні доставити та активувати Спайк в одному з кількох зазначених місць (місць для бомб). Якщо атакуюча команда успішно захищає активований Спайк протягом 45 секунд, він вибухає, руйнуючи все в певній області, і вони отримують очко. Якщо команда, що захищається, може деактивувати Спайк, або 100-секундний таймер раунду закінчується, а атакуюча команда не встановить Спайк, команда, що захищається, отримує очко. Якщо всі члени команди вибувають до активації Спайка, або якщо всі члени команди, що захищається, вибувають після встановлення Спайка, команда суперника отримує очко. Якщо обидві команди виграють 12 раундів, настає раптова смерть, при якій команда-переможець цього раунду виграє матч, що відрізняється від овертайму для змагальних матчів. Крім того, якщо після 4 раундів команда бажає програти цей матч, вона може попросити проголосувати за капітуляцію. Якщо рішення буде одностайним, команда-переможець отримує всі зарахування за перемогу в кожному раунді, необхідну для досягнення 13-ти раундів, а команда, яка програла, отримує програш. Команда має лише два шанси здатися: один як нападники, а інший як захисник.

Квапливий Спайк
У режимі «Квапливий Спайк» матч проходить як найкращий із 7 раундів – перемагає команда, яка першою виграє 4 раунди. Гравці починають раунд із повністю зарядженими всіма здібностями, крім ультимейту, що заряджається вдвічі швидше, ніж у стандартних іграх. Усі гравці атакуючої команди мають Спайк, але за раунд можна активувати лише один. Зброя обирається випадковим чином у кожному раунді, і кожен гравець отримує однакову зброю. Кулі для ультимейту, як в стандартній грі присутні, але натомість є кілька куль для посилення.

Змагальні матчі
Змагальні матчі такі ж, як і нерейтингові з додаванням системи рейтингу на основі перемог, яка призначає ранг кожному гравцю після 5 зіграних ігор. Перш ніж ви зможете грати в змагальні ігри, вам потрібно буде отримати 20 рівень облікового запису. У липні 2020 року Riot ввів умову «перемога з двома» для змагальних матчів, коли замість того, щоб грати в один раунд раптової смерті за рахунком 12-12, команди чергуватимуть раунди нападу та захисту в овертаймі, поки команда не здобуде перемогу, забезпечивши перевага в двох матчах. Кожен раунд додаткового часу дає гравцям однакову суму грошей на придбання зброї та здібностей, а також приблизно половину їх максимального заряду здібностей. Після кожної групи з двох раундів гравці можуть проголосувати, щоб завершити гру внічию, при цьому потрібно, щоб 6 гравців після першого сету, 3 після другого, а потім лише 1 гравець погодився на нічию. Конкурентна система рейтингу коливається від Iron до Radiant. Кожен ранг, крім Radiant, має 3 рівні. Immortal & Radiant зарезервовано для 500 найкращих гравців, у яких є число, пов'язане з їхнім рангом, що дозволяє гравцям із топ-500 мати показник, за яким вони можуть порівняти свій рейтинг з іншими на їхньому рівні.

Бій на смерть
Режим Бій на смерть був введений 5 серпня 2020 року. 14 гравців беруть участь у 9-хвилинному вільному матчі, і той, хто першим досягає 40 вбивств, або гравець, який має найбільше вбивств після закінчення часу, перемагає. Гравці з'являються з випадковим агентом, і всі здібності відключаються під час матчу, що забезпечує чисту перестрілку. Зелені набори здоров'я випадають при кожному вбивстві, завдяки чому гравець отримує максимальне здоров'я, броню та боєприпаси, якщо тільки гравець не використовує кулемет, що дає гравцеві лише 30 додаткових куль.

Ескалація
Ігровий режим ескалація був представлений 17 лютого 2021 року і подібний до концепції «gungame» в Counter-Strike та Call of Duty: Black Ops, хоча це командний режим, а не вільний для всіх з 5 гравцями на кожному. команда. Гра має випадковий вибір з 12 видів зброї для проходження. Як і в інших версіях зброї, команді потрібно вбити певну кількість, щоб перейти до наступної зброї, і зброя стає все гірше, коли команда проходить через неї. Є дві умови перемоги, якщо одна команда успішно пройде всі 12 рівнів, або якщо одна команда перебуває на вищому рівні за команду суперника протягом 10 хвилин. Так само, як і бої на смерть, гравці з'являються як випадковий агент, не в змозі використовувати здібності, оскільки режим гри налаштований на суто бійки. Присутні також такі здібності, як дрони Sova, бот Raze і ракетна установка, є здібностями, які кожен може використовувати як зброю. Після вбивства випадають зелені набори здоров'я, які максимально поповнюють здоров'я, броню та боєприпаси гравця. У ігровому режимі також увімкнено автоматичне відродження, відродження гравців у випадкових місцях на карті.

Реплікація
Ігровий режим реплікація почав працювати 11 травня 2021 року. Під час вибору агента гравці голосують за того, за якого агента вони хотіли б грати. Після закінчення часу або після того, як усі проголосували, гра випадковим чином вибирає один із голосів гравця. Тоді вся команда буде грати за цього агента, навіть якщо один із гравців не розблокував цього агента. Формат режиму — найкращий з дев'яти, коли гравці міняються сторонами після четвертого раунду. Гравці можуть купувати зброю та щити за попередньо встановлену кількість кредитів. Здібності попередньо купуються. Зброя та щити скидаються кожен раунд.

Гра в сніжки
Ігровий режим «Гра в сніжки» був випущений 15 грудня 2020 року. Це режим гри у форматі «командний бій на смерть», у якому потрібно вбити 50 осіб. Здібності не можна використовувати, і гравці з'являються як випадковий агент. Єдина доступна зброя - це пускова установка для сніжок, яка миттєво вбиває, але повільно, і використовує дугу на основі снаряда. Є нескінченна кількість патронів. Протягом усієї гри створюватиметься «портал», доставляючи подарунки, кожен із яких містить випадкове збільшення потужности.

Агенти
У грі є велика різноманітність ігрових персонажів з різних країн світу. Агенти поділяються на 4 ролі: дуелянти, вартові, ініціатори та контролери. Кожен агент має різну роль, яка вказує на те, як зазвичай виконується агент.

Дуелянти
Дуелянти спеціалізуються на атаці та проникненні на місце бомби для команди. Офіційне визначення дуелянтів у Riot — «самодостатні вбивці». Дуелянти в основному створюють простір для своєї команди, виходячи на точку для Спайка, надаючи своїм товаришам інформацію та полегшуючи дорогу до місця для встановлення Спайка. Їхні здібності, як правило, складаються із спалахів, які засліплюють ворогів, і здібностей, заснованих на рухах, які дозволяють їм долати великі відстані швидше, ніж інші агенти. Цей тип набору здібностей дозволяє дуелянтам сяяти якнайкраще, коли вони можуть застати гравців зненацька і отримати ударні осколки.

У атаці дуелянти найчастіше йдуть вперед, ведучи атаку. Очікується, що вони будуть перед усіма, щоб отримати перші вибори з ворогами, оскільки їхні здібності часто дають їм конкурентну перевагу під час бою з ворогом, проте на практиці це не завжди так тому, що вони залишаються позаду своєї команди, даючи їм можливість справитись самотужки і після смерті усіх союзників вони продовжують своє полювання на ворогів.

У обороні дуелянти будуть тримати задушливі точки, де вороги намагаються проникнути в об'єкти. Завдяки мобільності в їх комплектах, вони можуть отримати вибір і змінити позицію, надаючи своїй команді перевагу в чисельності.

Серед дуелянтів Jett, Pheonix, Raze, Reyna, Yoru та Neon.

Jett
Jett — корейський агент.

 Updraft дозволяє Jett стрибати високо в повітрі й ширити, однак, поки вона летить, її ціль значно зменшується.
 Tailwind дозволяє Jett мчатися вперед на коротку відстань за частки секунди, але її все ще видно.
 Cloudburst дозволяє Jett перешкоджати огляду на шляху, кидаючи короткочасну хмару. Проте її можна прострелити.
 Bladestorm, найкращий варіант Jett, дозволяє Jett спорядити п'ять метальних ножів, які вона може кинути з точністю, після вбивства вона отримує всі п'ять ножів назад.

Pheonix
Phoenix — британський агент.

 Curveball дозволяє Phoenix кидати м'яч за кут. Кулька вибухне, і коли це станеться, кожен, хто подивиться на нього, на мить осліпне.
 Hotthands дозволяє Phoenix кидати вогненну кулю, коли він приземлиться, м'яч завдасть шкоди тому, хто стане нього, якщо по ньому ходити протягом короткого періоду часу, проте Phoenix воно збільшує здоров'я.
 Blaze дозволяє Phoenix кидати «лінію полум'я», яка заважає огляду та завдає шкоди, коли через проходить неї, крім самого Phoenix, адже вона, як і Hotthands, додає йому здоров'я. Через кілька секунд стіна зникне.
 Run It Back — це найкращий варіант для Phoenix, який дозволяє йому розмістити маркер там, де він його активує. Якщо він помре, або таймер закінчиться, він знову з'явиться біля маркера.

Вартові
Вартові — це оборонна лінія, яка спеціалізується на блокуванні місць для Спайку і захисту товаришів по команді від ворогів. Їхні здібності в основному складаються зі статичних «об'єктів», які є перешкодами для ворогів. Ці об'єкти можуть дати команді цінну інформацію та/або завдати шкоди.

Під час атаки вартові можуть використовувати свої здібності, щоб відрізати певні частини карти або встановлювати «об'єкти», які можуть гарантувати, що противник не зможе обійти, будучи непоміченим.

У обороні вартові можуть використовувати свої здібності, щоб уповільнити доступ ворогів до місця, або вони використовують свою зброю, щоб повністю зупинити атаку ворога (беруть на себе роль дуелянта та пушать знищувати ворога). Це дає дорогоцінний час для членів команди вартових, щоб прийти і надати оборонну підтримку.

До вартових належать Chamber, Cypher, Killjoy і Sage.

Sage
Sage — китайський агент.

 Slow Orb дозволяє Sage спорядити сферу. Після того, як куля буде кинута, область, в якій вона приземлилася, сповільнить будь-яких гравців, які по ній йдуть.
 Healing Orb дозволяє Sage зцілювати своїх товаришів по команді або себе один раз. Здатність перезаряджається через 45 секунд.
 Barrier Orb дозволяє Sage розмістити тверду стіну в бажаному місці. Стіну неможливо прострілити або пройти, але її можна постріляти достатньо разів, щоб зламати.
 Воскресіння, ультимейт Sage дозволяє їй оживити побратима по команді після його смерти.

Ініціатори
Ініціатори планують наступальні поштовхи. Ініціатори спеціалізуються на прориві оборонних позицій противника. Здібності ініціаторів можуть складатися з спалахів, а також здібностей, які можуть виявити розташування ворогів. Ця інформація дозволяє зловмисникам знати, де знаходяться вороги, і полегшує захоплення сайту.

У захисті ініціатори можуть використовувати свої здібності, щоб допомогти своїм товаришам по команді повернути втрачений бік.

До ініціаторів включають Breach, KAY/O, Skye, Sova, Fade і Gekko.

Sova
Sova — російський агент.

 Shock Bolt дозволяє Sova екіпірувати лук та стріли. Коли стріла приземляється, вона завдає шкоди всім у радіусі дії стріли.
 Recon Bolt дозволяє Sova спорядити лук і стріли, коли стріла приземлиться, вона покаже всіх ворогів, які знаходяться в радіусі стріли. Вона не покаже ворогів, які перебувають за стіною.
 Owl Drone дозволяє Sova знімати з безпілотника з обмеженою батареєю для розвідки попереду.
 Hunter's Fury — це ультимейт Sova, і під час активації Sova споряджає лук, який завдає 80 шкоди і може стріляти крізь стіни, однак він має лише 3 заряди.

Контролери
Контролери спеціалізуються на «розрізанні небезпечної території, щоб налаштувати свою команду на успіх». Вони використовують свої здібності для створення покриття або очищення простору за допомогою стримування натовпу.

Щоб допомогти своїй команді проникнути на територію ворога, їх здібності можуть складатися з диму, сповільнення, оглушення та спалаху. Завдяки своїм димам контролери можуть контролювати лінії огляду на карті, що робить його безпечнішим переміщатися картою, не будучи помітним.

У нападі контролери можуть задимлювати певні напрямків і використовувати свій контроль натовпу на загальних оборонних місцях, щоб змусити ворогів відкритися.

На захисті контролери можуть задимлювати та/або використовувати контроль натовпу на під'їздах, щоб затримати або перешкодити ворожій команді рухатися вперед.

Контролерами є Astra, Brimstone, Omen, Viper i Harbor

Brimstone
Brimstone — американський агент.

 Incendiary дозволяє Brimstone оснастити гранатомет з одним коктейлем Молотова. Коли він приземлиться, коктейль пошкодить підлогу навколо нього, якщо по ньому ходити протягом короткого періоду часу.
 Sky Smoke дозволяє Brimstone перешкоджати огляду в будь-якому місці, запускаючи з неба димові гранати.
 Stim Beacon робить потужний імпульс, який збільшує його вогневу міць
 Orbital Strike дозволяє Brimstone проводити орбітальний удар. У вибраній області для ворогів буде коротше попередження, будь-хто в цьому районі помре.

Viper
Viper- американський агент.

 Toxic Screen дозволяє Viper розгортати довгу лінію газу яка проходить через стіни.Також стіну можна використовувати повторно.
 Snake Bite дозволяє Viper кидати колбу токсину  яка розбивається при ударі  від підлоги розливається на 4.5 метра та наносить шкоду.
 Poison Cloud дозволяє кидати Viper кидати маленький ромбоподіної форми коробочку з якої витікає газ також можна підібрати та використати повторно.
 Viper's Pit це обсолютний навик Viper який дозволяє їй створювати велику наземну хмару токсичного диму та наносить урон противника які задуть в зону хмари

Крамниця
Крамниця складається з двох розділів: Рекомендовані та Пропозиції. В обох розділах гравці можуть купувати скини зброї, використовуючи очки Valorant, які змінюють зовнішній вигляд їхньої зброї в грі. Очки Valorant (VP) — це внутрішньоігрова валюта, яку можна придбати лише за реальну валюту в ігровому клієнті. Розділ пропозицій крамниця дає гравцям можливість купувати чотири невідомі скіни, і чотири пропоновані скіни змінюються випадковим чином кожні 24 години. Рекомендований розділ магазину змінюється кожні два тижні. Здебільшого в розділі з пропозиціями будуть доступні нові скини від Riot, що дасть гравцям обмежену можливість купувати їх, не чекаючи, поки вони з'являться в розділі пропозицій.

Розробка
Valorant був розроблений і випущений Riot Games, студією, що стоїть за League of Legends. Розробка розпочалася в 2014 році в рамках їхнього відділу досліджень і розробок. Джо Зіглер, ігровий директор Valorant, приписується початковій ідеї Valorant під час формулювання потенційних ігор разом з іншими розробниками Riot. Девід Ноттінгем є креативним директором Valorant. Тревор Ромлескі, колишній дизайнер League of Legends, і Сальваторе Ґароццо, колишній професійний гравець і дизайнер карт для Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, є ігровими дизайнерами Valorant. Мобі Франке, колишній розробник Valve, який був художником і дизайнером персонажів для Half-Life 2 і Team Fortress 2, є артдиректором.

Valorant був розроблений з двома основними фокусами: зробити тактичні шутери та кіберспорт доступнішими для нових гравців, а також створити гру, яка б залучила велику конкурентну сцену, одночасно вирішивши багато критики, яку висловлюють професійні гравці з ігор у цьому жанрі. Ігри, орієнтовані на великі активні спільноти та бази гравців, як правило, безкоштовні ігри, такі як Fortnite або власна League of Legends від Riot, як правило, акцентують увагу на ширшому наборі покращень системної продуктивності та стабільності гри, а не на новітніх технологіях чи графіку, як спосіб переконатися, що вони максимально доступні. В інтерв'ю, що передували запуску гри, ігровий директор Джо Зіглер і продюсер Анна Донлон сказали, що Valorant створено для людей, які грають у свій перший тактичний шутер так само, як і для професійних гравців, і що доступність гри була великим пріоритетом.

Riot вирішив розробити Valorant за допомогою Unreal Engine 4, який, за словами команди розробників, дозволить зосередитися на ігровому процесі та оптимізації, а не витрачати час на основні системи. Щоб досягти мети нижчого бар'єру продуктивності, щоб більше людей могли грати у Valorant, команда встановила дуже низькі мінімальні та рекомендовані вимоги до обладнання для гри. Щоб досягти 30 кадрів в секунду на цих невеликих вимогах, команді інженерів гри на чолі з Маркусом Рідом, який раніше працював над Gears of War 4, довелося внести кілька модифікацій в движок. Ці модифікації включали редагування рендерера з використанням мобільного шляху візуалізації движка як базового або переробку системи освітлення гри, щоб відповідати статичному освітленню, яке часто потрібно тактичним шутерам, щоб не заважати ігровому процесу. Сучасні основи Unreal також допомогли вирішити багато проблем, які Riot збирався вирішити в інших іграх цього жанру, а додаткові модифікації допомогли досягти іншої мети гри — створити відповідне конкурентне середовище, зокрема оптимізувати продуктивність сервера шляхом відключення анімації персонажів у небойових ситуацій та видалення непотрібних оцінок у процесі реєстрації влучень. Під час розробки Riot Games пообіцяли працювати над пінгом менше 35 мілісекунд для щонайменше 70% гравців гри. Щоб досягти цього, Riot пообіцяв 128-тикові сервери в більшості великих міст світу або поблизу них, а також співпрацювати з постачальниками інтернет-послуг для встановлення виділених підключень до цих серверів. Через збільшення інтернет-трафіку під час пандемії COVID-19 у Riot виникли проблеми з оптимізацією з'єднань та ping до обіцяного рівня.

Випуск
У жовтні 2019 року Valorant дражнили під умовною назвою «Проєкт Ей». Про це було оголошено 1 березня 2020 року з ігровим відео на YouTube під назвою «The Round». Закрите бета-тестування гри було запущено 7 квітня 2020 року. Щоб отримати ключ доступу до бета-версії, гравці повинні були зареєструвати облікові записи як у Riot Games, так і на потоковій платформі Twitch, а також дивитися пов'язані потоки. Ця бета-версія завершилася 28 травня 2020 року, а повністю випущена гра 2 червня 2020 року.

Сприйняття
Valorant порівнюють з Counter-Strike: Global Offensive від Valve, в обох іграх дві команди по п'ять гравців намагаються закласти бомбу, а також із класовим шутером Overwatch від Blizzard Entertainment чи Paladins: Champions of the Realm від Evil Mojo Games, оскільки в обох іграх є кілька класів і персонажів, які відповідають різним стилям гри.

Остін Ґослін з Polygon похвалив бета-версію Valorant, описавши її як вишукану та «одну з найцікавіших тактичних шутерів, у яких я грав». У перший день запуску бета-версії Valorant отримав друге місце за кількістю одночасних глядачів для будь-якої гри на Twitch: 1,73 мільйона глядачів налаштувалися на десятки потоків. Лише інша назва від Riot Games, League of Legends, мала більше одночасних глядачів, коли 1,74 мільйона дивилися фінал чемпіонату світу 2019 року.

Valorant's зазнала критики за свою токсичну систему голосового зв'язку, в якій домінують чоловіки. «Емілі Ренд з ESPN розповіла про свій негативний досвід гри в командах, які використовують функцію голосового зв'язку як жінка. Ренд «відмовляється від використання», коли вона не грає зі своїми друзями. Джордон Оломан із The Guardian пояснює, як «погані яблука серед гравців Valorant очікують абсурдного рівня досконалости, а критика голосового чату, що виникає в результаті, навряд чи є конструктивною».

На The Game Awards 2020 вона була номінована на найкращу кіберспортивну гру, найкращу багатокористувацьку гру та найкращу підтримку спільноти.

Програмне забезпечення для захисту від читів
Гра піддалася критиці за програмне забезпечення для захисту від читів Vanguard, оскільки було виявлено, що вона працює на драйвері ядра, що дозволяє отримати доступ до комп'ютерної системи. OSNews висловив стурбованість тим, що Riot Games і її власник, китайський технологічний конгломерат Tencent, можуть шпигувати за гравцями, а драйвер ядра потенційно може використовуватися третіми сторонами. Однак Riot Games заявили, що драйвер не надсилає їм жодної інформації, і запустили Bug Bounty, щоб запропонувати винагороду за звіти, які демонструють вразливості програмного забезпечення.

Valorant не працюватиме в Windows 11, якщо в системі не ввімкнено (або він узагалі відсутній) криптопроцесор, сумісний із Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0, як того вимагають мінімальні системні вимоги Microsoft для операційної системи.

Кіберспорт

Valorant, як і багато інших змагальних шутерів, почав активно працювати кіберспорті. Riot Games вирішила створити перший турнір під назвою «First Strike», щоб створити основу для кіберспортивної сцени, яка буде створена за допомогою гри. У листопаді 2020 року Riot Games оголосила про серію турнірів під назвою VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), що є річним змаганням, яке складається з трьох рівнів:

 VALORANT Challengers — регіональні змагання, які є відбірковими до Masters
 VALORANT Masters — міжнародні змагання в середині сезону, розділені на багато етапів
 VALORANT Champions — чемпіонат світу року.

Команди отримають пряму кваліфікацію до чемпіонів, вигравши 3 етап VALORANT Masters або зайнявши найвищі місця в турнірній таблиці Circuit Point у своєму регіоні за результатами Challengers і Masters. Команди, які посідають середні місця в турнірній таблиці Circuit Point, отримають ще один шанс кваліфікуватися до чемпіонів, вигравши відбіркові турніри останнього шансу (Північна Америка, EMEA, Південна Америка, Азіатсько-Тихоокеанський регіон).

Чемпіонат 2021 Valorant Champions проходив 1-12 грудня в Берліні. Acend переміг Gambit Esports з рахунком 3-2 у фіналі і став першим чемпіоном світу з кіберспорту Valorant.

Чемпіонат 2022 Valorant Champions проходив з 31 серпня по 18 вересня у Стамбулі. У фіналі команда LOUD обіграла OpTic Gaming з рахунком 3:1 і стала 2-м чемпіоном світу з кіберспорту за версією Valorant.

Мобільний спін-офф
2 червня 2021 року Riot Games оголосила про свої плани розробити мобільну версію Valorant, яка, як повідомляється, стане першим кроком, який вона має намір зробити для розширення всесвіту гри. Оголошення було зроблено на честь першого року гри, до цього моменту з моменту її запуску кількість активних гравців досягла понад 14 мільйонів щомісяця.

Примітки

Посилання

Ігри для Windows
Відеоігри, розроблені в США
Багатоосібні відеоігри
Шутери від першої особи
Ігри Epic Games

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Mediaalpha.com is 7 years, 5 months & 24 days old. It has global traffic rank #13,159. Its domain having .com extension. Its Pagerank is 0/10. It is Not listed on Dmoz.Some threats were reported so it may not considered SAFER to browse.Mediaalpha.com has estimated worth of $ 91,097 and have a daily income of around $ 50.


At William Bellamy Primary School, we recognise that Literacy skills underpin every other element of the school curriculum.
We strive to provide a stimulating curriculum of a very high standard which aims to develop each learner's phonic, reading and writing abilities to the best of their individual needs on which they are then, further encouraged, to apply to all real life encounters, both within the school and the wider community.
Children and staff at William Bellamy had a marvellous time dressing up as their favourite book characters for World Book Day! We had a super day filled with creative learning based around our favourite books! Check out the pictures below.
Valerie Bloom visits William Bellamy!
We were so honoured to have famous author and poet Valerie Bloom visit our school. She ran exciting workshops for each year group and children were lucky enough to get a book signed! What a super day!
We wanted to give children the opportunity to sample an alternative brand, so we gave each child who signed the petition a new pen to trial for a week.
Check out the trial pens in action!
Thank you Year 6 for bringing your concerns to our attention. Because of the mature and proactive initiative you demonstrated, you have made a positive change to all pupils at William Bellamy. Well done!
We sent David Almond (author of Skellig) a tweet to show him Year 6's fantastic Skellig learning and he tweeted us back!! Wow Year 6…we are so proud. What an exciting day! Check out the photos of the tweet below!
We showcased some excellent examples of our English learning at a Power of Reading event and everyone who attended was very impressed with the high standard from the children at William Bellamy Primary School. We have amazing, creative learning happening in our classrooms and we loved showing it off! Well done to all children at William Bellamy for your fantastic English learning! Check out the pictures below.
At William Bellamy Primary School we aim for all children to read with confidence, fluency and understanding. We strive for all children to be motivated, independent readers, who truly enjoy reading for a range of purposes. Children are exposed to a wide range of genres and multi-media texts during guided reading, whole class reciprocal reading, English lessons and home reading. We use high quality texts that have been recommended by 'The Power of Reading' which emphasise the importance of books and literature in enabling children to become confident, happy and enthusiastic readers and writers, with all the benefits this brings.
with this in mind we have created some inspirational reading environments for our pupils which we have entitled our "Book Nooks"! Come and have a look... Which one is your favourite?
At William Bellamy Primary School we aim for all children to write with confidence, creativity and pride. We strive for all children to be motivated, independent writers, who truly enjoy writing for a range of purposes. We have a 'talk for writing' approach where all EYFS and KS1 staff are trained as Every Child a Talker (ECAT) to further develop children's receptive and expressive language. Across KS1 and 2, we have a 'no pens days' at the start of each genre, in order to give children opportunities to creatively immerse themselves in a genre through Speaking and Listening activities.
We understand the importance of exposing children to a rich variety of high quality texts, therefore, planning is based on a text which covers all relevant genres. At William Bellamy Primary School, we use the principles of Writing Mastery in order to influence our planning. This enables children to experience a rich, engaging and authentic approach to prepare them for their writing.


A huge well done to all of yesterday's Extreme Warrior runners. The photos look fantastic and we hope you all had a fabulously muddy run. From 5km to 10km, the event itself held by Katherine House Hospice are fast approaching their £40,000 target so a huge well done to all those who've got involved, raised sponsorship and donated towards the day.
Next PostThe key ingredient for success?


text:
Q: Can I stream multiple GoPro 3 cameras to a Linux computer? I didn't know whether this was a camera question, a linux question, or a networking question. Please feel free to move or request to move this question as necessary.
I want to capture the video footage from multiple GoPro Hero 3's and record them to an HDD. Using the HDMI out is apparently not an option as most computers lack HDMI in. I could thus use the Wifi option of the GoPro. My question is, therefore, this:
Is it possible to record the wireless footage from 2 or more GoPros simultaneously. Specifically I want to know the bandwidth used by each GoPro (ie. how many can I run on a Wireless 802.11 N) and whether it is possible to distinguish and capture different GoPro signals.
EDIT
I will be recording the footage at 1080p at 30 fps. I believe it uses the .mp4 format. and the H.264 compression algorithm (source).

A: The old Hero3 could easily be streamed to a linux computer by accessing the web interface at
 http://10.5.5.9:8080/live/amba.m3u8

The new Hero4 requires the following steps:
Open this URL: http://10.5.5.9/gp/gpExec?p1=gpStreamA9&c1=restart
In VLC/FFplay/other open the udp port: udp://:8554
Make sure the media player is configured as mpeg streaming.

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"Plato's Laws: Force and Truth in Politics" by Eric Sanday, Gregory Recco et al.
Sara Brill is a contributing author, 'A Soul Superlatively Natural': Psychic Excess in Laws 10, pp. 189-214.
Book description: Readers of Plato have often neglected the Laws because of its length and density. In this set of interpretive essays, notable scholars of the Laws from the fields of classics, history, philosophy, and political science offer a collective close reading of the dialogue "book by book" and reflect on the work as a whole. In their introduction, editors Gregory Recco and Eric Sanday explore the connections among the essays and the dramatic and productive exchanges between the contributors. This volume fills a major gap in studies on Plato's dialogues by addressing the cultural and historical context of the Laws and highlighting their importance to contemporary scholarship.
Brill, Sara (2013) . 'A Soul Superlatively Natural': Psychic Excess in Laws 10, in Plato's Laws: Force and Truth in Politics Ed. Eric Sanday and Gregory Recco, Indiana University Press, 2013, 189-214.
Sanday, Eric; Recco, Gregory; and Brill, Sara, "Plato's Laws: Force and Truth in Politics" (2013). Philosophy Faculty Book Gallery. 34.


text:
Her Best-Kept Secret
Why Women Drink-And How They Can Regain Control
Gabrielle Glaser
"Glaser has written an engaging account of women and drink, citing fascinating studies about modern stressors…and evidence that some problem drinkers can learn moderation….Bound to stir controversy" (People).
In Her Best-Kept Secret, journalist Gabrielle Glaser uncovers a hidden-in-plain-sight drinking epidemic. Using "investigative rigor and thoughtful analysis" (The Boston Globe), Glaser is the first to document that American women are drinking more often than ever and in ever-larger quantities in this "substantial book, interested in hard facts and nuance rather than hand-wringing" (The New York Times Book Review). She shows that contrary to the impression offered on reality TV, young women alone aren't driving these statistics—their moms and grandmothers are, too. But Glaser doesn't wag a finger. Instead, in a funny and tender voice, Glaser looks at the roots of the problem, explores the strange history of women and alcohol in America, drills into the emerging and counterintuitive science about that relationship, and asks: Are women getting the help they need? Is it possible to return from beyond the sipping point and develop a healthy relationship with the bottle?
Glaser reveals that, for many women, joining Alcoholics Anonymous is not the answer—it is part of the problem. She shows that as scientists and health professionals learn more about women's particular reactions to alcohol, they are coming up with new and more effective approaches to excessive drinking. In that sense, Glaser offers modern solutions to a very modern problem.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY MAY 6, 2013
Over the past century, American women have progressed from sipping in seclusion to enjoying the occasional cocktail in public following WWII, to downing wine today like characters from Sex and the City. In fact, from 1992 to 2007, the number of middle-aged women who sought help getting sober in various treatment programs almost tripled. Journalist Glaser (Strangers to the Tribe) traces the increasingly besotted history of women's relationship with alcohol (focusing mostly on middle-class women), but she becomes particularly insightful and provocative as she argues against the efficacy of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) for women. Rather than guiding women down a healing path of humility and acceptance, AA and its Twelve Steps, Glaser argues, have failed to protect women from predatory men, thereby consigning many already insecure and anxious women to failure. In lieu of AA, Glaser investigates new majority-female programs, as well as a seldom-prescribed medication called naltrexone, which is similar to Chantix. Conversational and persuasive as if Vicki Iovine had written a Girlfriend's Guide to getting sober this quick read is full of encouraging and informative advice, and it's sure to ignite renewed discussion about one-size-fits-all treatment options. 8-page b&w photo insert.
SIMON AND SCHUSTER DIGITAL SALES INC
Luvswine , 08/20/2013
Enjoyed this modern viewpoint on women and alcohol. Very eye opening information on general history and AA. I recommended book to several friends.
Scandia , 10/01/2019
Has some cool facts
But did not really offer what I expected it to explain. Was really just a history lesson on alcohol in the US and AA. Then bashing AA- I'm not for or against AA but this was ridiculous. She sounds so biased and recommends a doctor by name in California who prescribes recovering addicts klonopin?? And then basically goes on a rant about how drinking is not that bad. I truly hope nobody who needs help reads this.
Jacqueline How'd , 09/07/2013
I was completely disappointed. Was so not looking for a history lesson (for the entire book) on alcohol. It bashed AA pretty good as well. Not a fan of AA but less of a fan of bashing. I didn't take one thing that I needed or was looking for away from this book.
More Books by Gabrielle Glaser


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Rental space is available at the Northeast Multi-Service Center for public meetings, receptions, workshops, banquets, seminars, etc. For further information regarding rental fees and space availability, please contact Candy Arzu 832-395-0472 or 832-395-0473.
Monday— Friday 8:00 a.m.— 3:00 p.m.
Monday—Friday 7:00 a.m.— 6:00 p.m.
indoors/outdoor in a safe setting.
*Monday 9:00 a.m.— 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday—**Friday 8:00 a.m.— 5:00 p.m.
2nd Saturday 7:00 a.m.— 4:00 p.m.
children under five who have nutrition health-related problems. For more information contact the WIC Office.
Provides homelessness prevention and assistance to households who would otherwise become homeless. This program also provides assistance to rapid re-house persons who are homeless.
Provides information and referral services to clients, and offers educational opportunities in various life skill building topics.
Super Neighborhood # 47 mission is to create economic revitalization and self sufficient healthy families by encouraging residents to work together to identify, prioritize and address the needs and concerns of the community. For more information on the Super Neighborhood contact Ivory May Horn (713) 541-9776.
Super Neighborhood # 48 mission is to create economic revitalization and self sufficient healthy families by encouraging residents to work together to identify, prioritize and address the needs and concerns of the community. For more information on the Super Neighborhood contact Johnny Gant at 713-542-9363.
This program provides Medicaid, Chip Assistance and Immunizations services. For more information, call Janis Lawson (713) 491-5500.


text:
Макс Булла (; род. 26 сентября 1905 года в Вене, Австро-Венгрия — ум. 1 марта 1990 года в Питтене, Австрия) — австрийский шоссейный велогонщик, выступавший с 1926 по 1949 год. Чемпион Австрии 1926 и 1927 годов в групповой шоссейной гонке. Победитель Тура Швейцарии-1933.

После победы на 2-ом этапе Тур де Франс 1931 года стал единственным велогонщиком-туристом в истории Тур де Франс, который завоевал жёлтую майку лидера. По состоянию на 2019 год является единственным австрийским велогонщиком, возглавлявшим когда-либо генеральную классификацию Тур де Франс.

Достижения

 1926
1-й  Чемпионат Австрии
 1927
1-й  Чемпионат Австрии
 1928
6-й Чемпионат мира – профессионалы
 1929
2-й Тур Венгрии
8-й Чемпионат мира – профессионалы
 1930
3-й Чемпионат Цюриха
10-й Чемпионат мира – профессионалы
 1931
1-й Чемпионат Цюриха
1-й Тур дю Лак Леман
1-й Марсель — Лион
1-й — Этапы 2, 12 и 17 Тур де Франс
1-й — Этап 15 Тур Германии
5-й Чемпионат мира – профессионалы
 1933
1-й Тур Швейцарии
1-й — Этапы 2 и 3
2-й Тур Воклюза
 1934
1-й — Этап 5 Тур Швейцарии
 1935
3-й Генуя — Ницца
5-й Вуэльта Испании
1-й — Этапы 8 и 10
 1936
1-й — Этап 7 Тур Швейцарии
3-й Париж — Рен

Статистика выступлений

Гранд-туры

Примечания

Ссылки
 Булла, Макс на FirstCycling

Велогонщики Австрии


text:
About SDF
Funding Windows
Home » Member States » sri lanka
Sri Lanka Emblem
Sri Lanka Flag
Introduction - Sri Lanka
The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (...More
The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. The coastal areas of the island were controlled by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century. The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was formally united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire in February 2002 with Norway brokering peace negotiations. Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006, but the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007. By May 2009, the government announced that its military had defeated the remnants of the LTTE. Since the end of the conflict, the government has resettled tens of thousands of internally displaced persons and has undertaken a number of massive infrastructure projects to reconstruct its economy.
Geography - Sri Lanka
Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
7 00 N, 81 00 E
Map references:
total: 65,610 sq km
country comparison to the world: 122
water: 980 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
Coastline:
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m
limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower
arable land: 13.96%
permanent crops: 15.24%
other: 70.8% (2005)
Irrigated land:
5,700 sq km (2008)
People - Sri Lanka
21,283,913 (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.9% (male 2,705,953/female 2,599,717)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 6,993,668/female 7,313,440)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 720,219/female 950,916) (2011 est.)
total: 30.8 years
Population growth rate:
0.934% (2011 est.)
Birth rate:
17.42 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Death rate:
5.92 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
Net migration rate:
-2.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Government - Sri Lanka
Country name:
conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
conventional short form: Sri Lanka
local long form: Shri Lamka Prajatantrika Samajaya di Janarajaya/Ilankai Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachu
local short form: Shri Lamka/Ilankai
former: Serendib, Ceylon
Capital:
name: Colombo
geographic coordinates: 6 56 N, 79 51 E
time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital)
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces; Central, Eastern, North Central, Northern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western
Independence:
4 February 1948 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 February (1948)
Constitution:
adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 August 1978; amended 20 December 2001
Economy - Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is engaging in large-scale reconstruction and development projects following the end of the 26-year conflict with the LTTE, including increasing electricity access and rebuilding its road and rail network. Additionally, Sri Lanka seeks to reduce poverty by using a combination of state directed policies and private investment promotion to spur growth in disadvantaged areas, develop small and medium enterprises, and promote increased agriculture. High levels of government funding may be difficult, as the government already is faced with high debt interest payments, a bloated civil service, and historically high budget deficits. The 2008-09 global financial crisis and recession exposed Sri Lanka's economic vulnerabilities and nearly caused a balance of payments crisis, which was alleviated by a $2.6 billion IMF standby agreement in July 2009. The end of the civil war and the IMF loan, however, have largely restored investors' confidence, reflected in part by the Sri Lankan stock market's recognition as one of the best performing markets in the world. Sri Lankan growth rates averaged nearly 5% in during the war, but increased government spending on development and fighting the LTTE in the final years spurred GDP growth to around 6-7% per year in 2006-08. After experiencing 3.5% growth in 2009, Sri Lanka's economy is poised to achieve high growth rates in the postwar period.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$106.5 billion (2010 est.)
$97.6 billion (2009 est.)
$94.02 billion (2008 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
GDP - real growth rate:
9.1% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
6% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,000 (2010 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 12.6%
Communication - Sri Lanka
Telephones - main lines in use:
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Telephone system:
general assessment: telephone services have improved significantly and are available in most parts of the country
domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area and fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition is strong in mobile cellular systems and mobile cellular subscribership is increasing
international: country code - 94; the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cables provide connectivity to Asia, Australia, Middle East, Europe, US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Broadcast media:
government operates 2 television channels and a radio network; multi-channel satellite and cable TV subscription services are obtainable; 8 private TV stations and about a dozen private radio stations in operation (2008)
Internet country code:
Internet hosts:
Internet users:
Transportation - Sri Lanka
Airports - with paved runways:
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
Airports - with unpaved runways:
914 to 1,523 m: 1
Railways:
total: 1,449 km
broad gauge: 1,449 km 1.676-m gauge (2010)
Roadways:
total: 91,907 km (2008)
Waterways:
160 km (primarily on rivers in southwest) (2008)
Merchant marine:
by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 14, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 3
foreign-owned: 5 (Germany 5) (2010)
SDF Projects
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Tel: +9752-321152/53
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text:
People in the Lebanon community have made it pretty clear that you (we) want a bookshop. It's important to us. But, exactly what that looks like really varies from person to person. Most people are pretty excited about what we have to offer. Some people are really disappointed. A lot of people are comfortable with it; but when we make a tweak or a change, they say, "Yeah! That's something I'd have never thought of... but, I really like it!"
Lots is changing in the bookshop. Mind you, it changes slow. We don't have a whole lot of cash, nor a whole lot of time, just like everybody else. We have to dream, then scale down our dreams into practical steps, then act on them one by one.
Here's where we're headed:
We want the space to be more compartmentalized. When people come into a bookshop, their not looking for "books." They're looking for "that book." They don't want to get mentally attacked by all the ideas that they're not looking for. They want to camp out in the space that speaks to them. We've been working on creating a design that compartmentalizes the store in a way that still feels comfortable and roomy, but allows you to turn your back on the things that don't interest you. We think we've come up with a plan. I'm really excited about it. Wendy says, "you can start after Christmas."
We want the store to offer something fresh. The store that we bought was, essentially, a thrift store (a fixed garage sale) that specialized in books. That's good for some people. But, we understand that the community really wants something more. We've partnered with Ingram, a wholesaler with a distribution warehouse in Roseburg, to supply us with new books (not just used). Our goal is to maintain an inventory with 30% new and 70% used books. This isn't as easy as it may sound. First, it's a lot of money; but we'll also have to figure out how to manage our buy-back/in-store credit policy in a way that doesn't sink us financially. We've agreed to give credit, and honor the credit with the previous owner, for lots of books that we're pretty sure are never going to sell. So, we have to figure out a way to honor our commitment to those people without taking too much of a loss when we sell the new stock we have coming in.
I'm also in negotiations with a number of vendors to bring in unique, hand crafted locally made items to add to our shelves. 40% of sales in successful bookstores come from selling stuff other than books. That's disheartening to some hard-core readers; but, if you think about the fact that it usually takes most people a week or two to read a book, it's important for us to supplement our primary business with more items that will keep people coming in, even though their shelves are full.