A collection of thoughts - by Beth, 24

[ideologyofbeth]

QUEENBEE ARTICLE: ‘Be Appy’ Summer Issue

Title: slither.io

 Price: Free

Description: That old Nokia Snake game now has a modern update - meet slither.io! This highly addictive game places you in a room with many others, as you compete to eat the most "blobs" and become the biggest snake. Just don't run into anyone though, or you'll have to start again! You'll find this app comes in handy during those extra long TV ad    breaks, or even when you're simply waiting for the bus.

Title: Cocktail Flow

Price: Free (offers in-app purchases)

Description: Forget trawling through the internet for cocktail recipes. As with most recipe apps, Cocktail Flow combines all of the beloved drinks you know into one handy system, with smart accompanying graphics and easy step-by-step instructions. You can even tell the app what ingredients you have at hand, and then see what you can make from them! And it gets better: for the health fanatic, there is also a wide range of smoothie recipes! Why not kick-start your summer with this fruity app?

Title: Facetune

Price: £2.99

Description: Sure, you can get some decent filters on Instagram, but why not check out other editing apps? Facetune "helps you look your Hollywood best, even in photos taken on mobile phones." The app provides you with plenty of tools to help achieve the aesthetic you desire, from allowing you to smoothen your skin, to whitening your teeth! With rave reviews and a position on the top charts, you can forget Photoshop's hefty price tag and welcome Facetune into your life instead.

[ideologyofbeth]

QUEENBEE ARTICLE: Great Summer Reads

Book Title/Author: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Release Date: 2012 (out for a while)!

Description: While not exactly a new release, you'll find this small treasure of a book filling up the bestseller's charts in the coming months. This is all down to the highly anticipated film adaptation starring Emilia Clarke as Lou, an unambitious yet endearing woman who falls for a disabled man in her care. Naturally, the written counterpart of this tale contains a wealth of personal anecdotes and heartfelt realisations as both characters open up to one another. Expect plenty of laughter and tears with this emotionally rich tale.

Book Title/Author: The Vegas Diaries: Romance, Rolling the Dice and the Road to Reinvention by Holly Madison

Release Date: 2nd June

Description: It  hasn't been that long at all since the release of Holly's first autobiography Down the Rabbit Hole, and she's back again this summer with the follow-up. The Vegas Diaries documents Holly's life in Vegas after her years spent in the Playboy Mansion, and just like its predecessor, you can expect plenty of juicy stories mixed in with Holly's commentary on the path she chose in life. With the weather warming up, this would make the perfect read for a day in the garden - with a cocktail to hand, of course!

Book Title/Author: The Pier Falls by Mark Haddon

Release Date: Out now

Description: Mark Haddon received critical acclaim after his novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was released, and he's managed to pull it off again. The Pier Falls is his first collection of short stories, which range from light humour to having extremely dark undertones. Taking a small number of hypothetical scenarios and visualising them through the written word, Haddon manages to inspire and leave you lost in thought. You'll meet a thirty-stone man confined to his living room, along with a woman abandoned on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean (and many more)! Pick up this book for some bedtime reading - you won't regret it.

[ideologyofbeth]

QUEENBEE ARTICLE: ‘Be Appy’ Spring Issue

Name: Sleep Time

Price: Free

About: Almost 2 billion hours of sleep have now been recorded through this nifty little app! Sleep Time is perfect for those who wish to track their sleep patterns but can't justify buying a smart gadget for it. Simply download the app, place your phone next to you in bed before you drift off and check your sleep insights in the morning to work out how you could improve your sleeping routine. It also features an alarm which wakes you up during periods of light sleep!

 Name: Colorfy

Price: Free

About: With adult colouring books gaining immense popularity these days, it's easy to see why the idea has now turned digital. Colorfy gives you a range of backdrops to choose from - such as animals and famous artworks - and your job is to fill in the gaps with whichever colour you decide works best. If you ever need a quick stress-fix, this is your go-to app.

                                         Name: Snapseed

Price: Free

About: This is probably the best photo editor app going at the     minute. If you're looking for something a little more complex than Instagram's generic filters that's still easy to get to grips with, then give Snapseed a download - it is free, after all! Finely retouch any pictures in your library by enhancing certain details and adjusting them to what fits your style best.

[ideologyofbeth]

QUEENBEE ARTICLE: Great Spring Reads

Title/Author: Cities I've Never Lived In by Sara Majka

Release Date: 16th February

About: Author Sara Majka puts together a small selection of interlinked stories which all feature a collective theme; distance. The stories, both fascinating and soaked in emotional depth, explore this word in all of its forms - whether that be through physical separation or the differentiation between past and present. Majka also examines the idea of belonging - why are we so attracted to places we've never been? Why do we always seek more?

 Title/Author: The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel

Release Date: Out now

About: You might have previously been acquainted with Martel's award winning novel  Life of Pi, and its utterly immersive magical realism has certainly been carried over to his latest offering, The High Mountains of Portugal. The story follows three separate men living in entirely different decades, tied together through a single quest for an extraordinary artifact in Portugal. Full of rich, descriptive prose and adventure filled pages, this is a book to pick up if you're looking for an inspiring read.

 Title/Author: Not Quite Nice by Celia Imrie

Release Date: Out Now

About: You might be already be familiar with actress Celia Imrie, and her debut novel Not Quite Nice shows that she is also passionate about other creative pursuits. The story follows Theresa, who makes an impulse decision to move to the south of France after a series of unfortunate circumstances.  Upon  leaving her old life behind and embracing a new sense of freedom, Theresa soon realises that things are not quite a nice as they first seemed. If it's a light read you're wanting before bed, this would be a great addition to your bookshelf.

[ideologyofbeth]

QUEENBEE ARTICLE: Handy Kitchen Gadgets

Need a helping hand in the kitchen? Here's our selection of useful gadgets that you'll become obsessed with!

 Kitchen Craft Vegetable Spiralizer

£25.00

This multifaceted spiral slicer will come in handy when making salad and stir fry. Featuring 3 blades designed to give you vegetable spirals of different thicknesses, you can say goodbye to chopping and hello to convenience!

Available at www.johnlewis.com

 Morphy Richards Soup Maker

£53.00

Save yourself the hassle of preparing soup and instead employ this practical gadget. This soup maker can hold a capacity of 1.6L and has 1000W heating power, so you can feed your entire family with ease! Featuring 4 different functions - blend, smooth, funky or juice - you'll be able to get just the consistency you want.

Available at www.tesco.com

 Magic Bullet 17 Piece Set

£59.50 (currently on offer at £44.50, not sure if this will still be around at time of print though)!

The ultimate kitchen gadget. This multipurpose 17 piece set gives you the power of chopping, grating, blending and grinding without any effort at all. Featuring a high speed mixing system you will be able to make anything from smoothies to sauces - it'll even grind coffee beans!

Available at www.tesco.com

 OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Potato Ricer

£30.00

Don't be fooled by the name - this gadget will assist you in a variety of cooking tasks! Its three separate settings are ideal for different elements of preparation, ranging from mashing potatoes to pressing water out of cooked greens. It's also great for making baby food too!

Available at www.johnlewis.com

 Joseph Joseph TriScale

£32.00

If space is an issue in your kitchen, this collapsible digital scale is just the thing you're looking for. It opens out to create a sturdy platform to weigh your food upon and will easily fit into your kitchen drawer when closed. It features an LCD display screen with touch sensitive controls along with a useful Add & Weigh function to help with your recipe preparation.

Available at www.josephjoseph.com

[ideologyofbeth]

QUEENBEE ARTICLE: Classic Cocktails

Remember, fresh ingredients are the key to making your cocktails have that extra kick!

 Bloody Mary

You will need:

Ice cubes, 50ml (double shot) chilled vodka, 125ml chilled tomato juice, 1/2 fresh lemon (juice only), 1tsp of Worchester sauce, 2-3 drops of Tabasco sauce, a pinch of salt and ground pepper

How to make:

1) Grab a tall glass and fill around 1/3 of it with ice cubes.

2) Add the double shot of vodka.

3) Add the tomato juice, lemon juice, Worchester sauce and Tabasco sauce.

4) Stir well while adding salt and pepper.

5) Serve with a stick of celery - chewing after each sip will enhance the flavour!

 Cosmopolitan

You will need:

50ml (double shot) chilled vodka, 15ml Cointreau, 15ml cranberry juice, 15ml pink grapefruit juice, 15ml lime juice, twist of orange peel (to garnish), cocktail shaker

How to make:

1)  Pour the ice, vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice, pink grapefruit juice, lime juice into the cocktail shaker.

2) To mix well, shake the cocktail shaker vigorously for around 20-30 seconds.

3) Strain the mix into a martini glass.

4) Hold the twist of orange peel over the glass and using a match, warm it for around 20 seconds until it flames.

5) While still flaming, place the orange peel into the glass to garnish.

6) Serve.

 Mojito

You will need:

Crushed ice cubes, 50ml (double shot) white rum, a splash of soda water, 2 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar, 1 lime (juice only) 6 fresh mint leaves, 1 mint sprig

How to make:

1) Add the lime juice into the glass.

2) Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves in the lime juice.

3) Add the mint leaves (but don't stir at this point)!

4) Fill 1/3 of the glass with the crushed ice cubes.

5) Stir until the mint leaves start to break.

6) Add the white rum and mix in with the ice.

7) Top up with soda water and serve with a mint sprig on top.

 Margarita

You will need:

Ice cubes, 35ml tequila, 20ml Cointreau, 35ml fresh lime juice, 1 lime wedge, salt, cocktail shaker

How to make:

1) Pour the ice, tequila, Cointreau and lime juice into the cocktail shaker.

2) To mix well, shake the cocktail shaker vigorously for around 20-30 seconds.

3) Dampen the rim of a martini glass with water and then sprinkle with salt.

4) Strain the cocktail mix into the glass and serve with the lime wedge on the rim of the glass.

 Daiquiri

You will need:

50ml (double shot) white rum, 35ml fresh lime juice, 20ml sugar syrup, 1 lime wedge, cocktail shaker

How to make:

1) Pour the white rum, lime juice and sugar syrup into the cocktail shaker.

2) To mix well, shake the cocktail shaker vigorously for around 20-30 seconds.

3) Strain the mix into a martini glass and serve with the lime wedge on the rim of the glass.

 Manhattan

You will need:

Ice cubes, 50ml (double shot) bourbon (or rye whiskey), 25ml sweet red vermouth, a dash of angostura bitters, 1 maraschino cherry

How to make:

1) Pour the ice, bourbon, sweet red vermouth and angostura bitters into a mixing glass and stir well.

2) Strain the mix into a martini glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

3) Serve.

[ideologyofbeth]

Firewatch (PS4) Review (contains spoilers)

Unfortunately, my PS4 doesn’t have many games on it. I’m not really accustomed to playing first person shooters or engaging in repetitive combat and sadly, games of this sort are entirely over-saturated in today’s market. I’ve previously written a review on Journey, by far my favourite game for this console, and I’ve been seeking a similar experience since. 

After scouring a plethora of articles about upcoming PS4 games over the past few months, one game in particular caught my eye - this being Firewatch. From what I read before playing it, the game was short and focused heavily upon its artistic style and characterisation. Ultimately, the thing that triggered me into actually going through with the purchase was when someone called it an “experience” rather than a game - a phrase I constantly see affiliated with Journey. 

Of course, Firewatch does follow a linear story. We are given a brief glimpse into the life of “Henry”, a thirty-something year old man who has reached a dead end in his life. The first ten minutes of the game are text-based and set us up with the necessary backstory in order to understand his motivations for the present story. In this small segment, we discover that his wife Julia was diagnosed with early onset dementia at the age of 41, leaving Henry’s life in tatters as he struggles to care for her. After time passes, his relationship with her and the other people in his life deteriorate and he is left with nothing to live for. This brings us to 1989 - the year Firewatch is set in - where Henry takes up a summer job as a fire lookout in Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming. 

This is where the game really begins. We escort Henry up to his watch tower and not long after, a voice comes through on his radio. This is Delilah, his supervisor, and our only contact throughout the entire game. As their initial conversation progresses, we are given options to choose Henry’s dialogue in response. It is these options that are the essential foundation of this game - how we choose to respond is effectively how the game responds to us. The relationship between the player and Delilah is arguably the main driving point of Firewatch. Some players may speak to her at every moment possible i.e reporting anything and everything they come across, while others may choose to not even respond to her at all. The magic of this is that Delilah retaliates accordingly, either building a close relationship with the player or serving only to provide important plot details with no warmth. 

Firewatch is particularly synonymous with Journey on this aspect. We never see Delilah, we are never given any indication as to how she looks. The relationship is built on communication alone, much like how players in Journey help each other out along the way without any prior knowledge - a spiritual accomplice, if you will. The only glimpse into Delilah’s physicality we do get is her cabin, which can be see far off into the distance (as seen in the picture above). 

(rest coming soon)

[ideologyofbeth]

QueenBee Winter Issue #3 Published Articles

[ideologyofbeth]

QueenBee Article: ‘Be Appy’ Winter Issue

App Name: MySupermarket - Grocery Shopping List

Price: Free!

Description: Gone are the days of having to write out your shopping list every week! With MySupermarket, search for what you need through an enormous database and find new items along the way. This app allows you to create manageable lists which you can then categorise and edit to suit your exact shopping style. If that's not enough to win you over, MySupermarket also sets you up with suggestions for saving, access to a variety of useful coupons and a barcode scanner which you can use to add new items to your list. Make your shopping an easier task today!

*

App Name: Ontrees Personal Finance

Price: Free!

Description: It can be quite a chore to keep track of your spending habits and work out a better solution for saving money. Ontrees minimises these efforts by storing all of your finances in one handy app and allowing you to see exactly where your money is going and offering better ways to budget it. The information is presented to you through a simple graph system to give you the best understanding of your current finances. You needn't worry about the app's security either, as it works as a 'read only' tool - meaning no money transfers or withdrawals can be made through it.  

 *

App Name: Magic Jigsaw Puzzles

Price: Free!

Description: Not so much an app to ease your routine, but more an app for those breaks in routine when you're getting some well deserved R&R. You can probably guess what the app is all about from its title, however it's a lot more fun than it sounds! Spend hours making your way through jigsaws of beautiful scenery and specially themed pictures, with the ability to alter the difficulty level if you fancy a bit of a challenge. I've listed this puzzle app above others of its kind as the inevitable feeling of frustration you get when playing Candy Crush Saga is completely eradicated here!  

[ideologyofbeth]

QueenBee Article: Great Winter Reads

Book Title: The Lake House (out now, new release)

Author: Kate Morton

Genre: Fiction/Mystery

Description: If you're seeking a great book to get lost in the pages of for a few hours, Kate Morton's latest release promises just that. The Lake House is a thrilling story where Morton expertly weaves the past and present together to uncover the secrets of an unsolved mystery in the early twentieth century. When young writer Alice Edevane's baby brother goes missing after a party in 1933, she finds herself broken  and ridden with guilt over the course of the next few decades. Later on in 2003, when detective Sadie Sparrow stumbles across the withered remains of the Edevane home, Alice is thrust back into the discomfort of the unknown in the pursuit of finding out the truth of what happened all those years ago.  With many layers and revelations to work through, The Lake House is certainly a novel that will keep you guessing and most importantly, will still manage to surprise you.

*

Book Title: A Brief History of Seven Killings (out now)

Author: Marlon James

Genre: Fiction/Historical

Description: Although released at the end of last year, this stunning novel has been rightfully taking 2015's literary awards by storm, as proven by its recent winning of the Man Booker Prize. In its pages we are taken back to December 1976, when seven gunmen stormed into Bob Marley's home just two days before he was to perform a free concert to ease political tensions. Fortunately, Marley survived and this novel serves as an exploration of the assassination attempt, covering several decades and continents to bring to life a troubled period in Jamaican history. James masterfully recreates characters and believably fictionalises new ones in this captivating journey to the past, ultimately succeeding in demonstrating his point that "history is always shaping everything."  

 *

Book Title: Thirteen Ways of Looking (out now, new release)

Author: Colum McCann

Genre: Fiction, Short Story Collection

Description: This aptly titled collection of stories by award winning author McCann gives us the gift of perception, gracing us with an immersive, thoughtful and extremely poetic glance into the lives of others. Taking its name from Wallace Stevens' iconic poem "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird", McCann's newest release explores the personal hardships of a number of characters and their differing points of view. Undoubtedly the most memorable is the story of an old man during the last hours of his life, which is narrated through a variety of perspectives, including those of the detectives investigating his death and the unrelated assumptions they make about it. If there was ever a need to look at something in a different light, this unforgettable book gives you a reason to.  

[ideologyofbeth]

Life is Strange: Why its cliché ending was actually the most satisfactory

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS

This article refers to the ‘Sacrifice Chloe’ ending.

In the first episode of Life is Strange, the importance of spirit animals in Native American culture was emphasised. While this particular plot point was never spoken of again in the remaining episodes, its theme was intricately woven throughout. Rachel’s spirit appears as the curious doe who leads Max and Chloe to her final resting place. The symbol of the deer fits in very well with the story’s challenges - I have listed its meanings below (taken from this site):

Gentleness

Ability to move through life and obstacles with grace

Being in touch with inner child, innocence

Being sensitive and intuitive

Vigilance, ability to change directions quickly

Magical ability to regenerate, being in touch with life’s mysteries

Clearly, a lot of these points relate to the struggles Max must overcome throughout Life is Strange, in particular the very last point. Many have thought that Rachel had the same powers that Max had due to various hints and cues within the narrative, and the symbol of the doe only heightens this. The doe appears in a variety of situations throughout the game, usually on the brink of a discovery, and it can be thought  that it [Rachel] is guiding Max to use her power and instinct to find the truth.

It could be said that the owl represents impending danger and the secretive, unruly side of Mr Jefferson, appearing before Max uncovers his underground lair and once again before he subdues her in the junkyard. Interestingly, the owl is a symbol of education (Jefferson is a teacher) and wisdom (Jefferson is the key to uncovering the secrets of Arcadia Bay).

Then of course, we have the blue butterfly. It makes its first appearance in the bathroom just before Chloe is shot by Nathan, which as we know results in Max gaining her powers. It makes a number of appearances though drawings and such in the following episodes but it is not until the final 'Sacrifice Chloe' sequence we see it again in its true form, fluttering over to and landing on Chloe’s coffin at her funeral. It’s most obvious representation is of the butterfly effect, the theory which the entire game’s narrative draws upon. However, it could also represent Chloe’s spirit and essence, with the colour blue being a primary comparison.

Life is Strange is arguably centered around Chloe. The game is set into motion when Max saves her for the first time, and each following event is focused upon their adventures and consequent discoveries. The storm we see in the first episode acts as the endgame, and as we find out, it has been caused by Max’s creation of alternate timelines in her efforts to keep saving Chloe. 

Chloe’s death was the most consistent foreshadowing the game put forth. This becomes most apparent in Episode 4 in the first major alternate reality when the wheelchair-bound Chloe asks Max to end her life. Here, the player is given the choice to increase the dose on the IV or simply refuse, which turns out to be a strong parallel to the game’s final choice between sacrificing Chloe or sacrificing Arcadia Bay. Chloe faces death in each and every episode; an eerie reflection of Final Destination and the inevitability of fate. It was predictable from early on that in order to restore all of these faults Chloe would have to die.

The issue that many people are having with the final episode and choice is the fact that their previous choices didn’t matter. I’ve seen a lot of people suggest that Max was given her powers in the first place to protect Chloe, as proven by the course of events the game follows. Unfortunately, I don’t think this is what the developers Dontnod intended at all. I say “unfortunately” as after everything the player has gone through, it would have been sweet to see a happy ending but from the get go, we are never presented with this option. It’s immediately clear in the very first episode that this is not a happy game, per se. It’s a game about coming of age, discovery and overcoming hardships. In essence, it’s everything that the doe symbolises. It’s the reason why a short portion of the game is focused upon the “Everyday Heroes” contest - Life is Strange shows us that heroism comes from inquisitiveness and wanting to guide yourself and others to the best possible choice. In spite of consequence, a good intention still shows good character. Max was granted the power of hindsight to come to terms with this and realise that we can’t change the future, only what we do in the present.  

Picture this. If we are to call the blue butterfly Chloe’s spirit, this spirit would encompass all of Chloe’s forms in all realities. It would possess the same knowledge Max does at the end of the game. With its appearance just before Chloe’s first (and final) death, it could be argued that it was the one to grant Max her powers - not to continuously protect Chloe, but to give both characters comfort in a week of adversity. The best farewell gift each could have hoped for. Even though the Chloe that dies on the bathroom floor knows nothing of Max’s appreciation for her or the fate of Rachel, her other form - the blue butterfly - is fully aware and acts as the link between all events in the game. Even when the original Chloe is laid to rest, the butterfly makes an appearance at her funeral to prove to Max that all is not lost. 

Essentially, the main point I am getting at here is that even though the ending might have seemed predictable and cliché, it still does not lessen its narrative strength. While it may seem that none of the player’s actions mattered in the end, they really did. In each episode Dontnod were trying to show that messing with the course of fate would only worsen things and that intentions, no matter how good, could never predict consequences. Each and every choice we make throughout Life is Strange strengthens this. In the end, Max still has the experience of it all along with the lessons she learned along the way. The reason the power was granted to her was so she had the ability to come this far and understand that everything is not how it first appears. And who better a person to gift this to her than Chloe? She may have died, but she continues to live in another reality and of course, Max’s memory. 

[ideologyofbeth]

The fine line between excusing mental illness and using it as an excuse

This year saw the release of two very prominent “choice and consequence” games, those being Life is Strange and Until Dawn. With the official final canon for both now out, its been interesting to read through fandom comments on how each story both developed and culminated. Unsurprisingly (for Tumblr, that is) there has been a lot of conversation about two characters in particular: Nathan Prescott (Life is Strange) and Josh Washington (Until Dawn). Both men are depicted to be severely mentally ill, with this affecting both their judgement and actions throughout their respective stories. It’s also this mental illness that triggers major events in each game - Nathan shoots (and kills) Chloe in the first episode of Life is Strange which sets the game’s time travel mechanism into motion, while Josh invites all of his friends back to a cursed mountain to pull a horrific prank on them in Until Dawn. 

Nathan Prescott

Josh Washington

In the end, things don’t end up well for either character. Nathan ends up either (presumably) dead, or condemned for his shooting of Chloe. Josh is either killed by his now-Wendigo sister or dragged off by her to ultimately become a Wendigo himself. As you can see, the choices the player makes in each game do not work out in favour for neither character. And fandoms are raging. The most common post I come across is “....... deserved better”, which has been consistently used in reference to both Nathan and Josh. Don’t get me wrong, I understand where these posts are coming from: to include a mentally ill character in a game and give them no happy resolution is a kick in the teeth for a lot of people. 

However, when a ‘mentally disturbed rich white boy’ is involved in a school shooting in reality, he is not put up on a pedestal. People can understand that his actions were wrong, regardless of his personal struggles. That is not an excuse for taking a gun into school and using it to take the life of another. Some may argue that in the case of Nathan Prescott, he had been “used” by an official [Mark Jefferson] at the school, who recruited him to help with his sordid photo opportunities. But let’s be clear here - Nathan was still the one to administer the overdose to Rachel who consequently died. Nathan still brought the gun to school while at the same time thinking “I could blow this school up.” All I’m saying is that if Nathan were a real person and not just a video game character, he certainly would not be getting the same doses of affection from the community that he is now.

The same goes for Josh Washington. If one of your closest friends put you through a Saw style experience where you actually believed you were going to die, you wouldn’t be very forgiving at all. In fact, you probably wouldn’t consider this person a “friend” anymore for having put you through that. Yes, Josh was disturbed by the death of his sisters and this, in his mind, was his way of avenging them. Yes, he was in therapy and extremely psychologically damaged. This in no way excuses his actions though. Morally, he is in the wrong. 

As various internet communities have proven, there is a very fine line between excusing mental illness and using it as an excuse. Sadly, this line appears to fall between reality and fiction. Of course Nathan and Josh didn’t deserve their fatal endings, but a happy ending wouldn’t have been suitable either - they still did awful things which can’t be excused by their respective illnesses. As Life is Strange put it: “actions will have consequences.”

[ideologyofbeth]

My first articles for QueenBee in all of their published glory!

[ideologyofbeth]

QueenBee Article: Great Autumn Reads

Title/Author of Book: The Seed Collectors by Scarlett Thomas (New release, out now)

Genre: Contemporary

Description: Sometimes it's great to delve into an incredibly thought-provoking novel, which is exactly what The Seed Collectors offers. Following the death of Great Aunt Oleander, her remaining relatives discover that she has left each of them a seed pod; their purpose to be uncovered in time as the recipients go through their own stages of growth. With praise from both Neil Gaiman and William Gibson, the story is built through a multitude of characters and their own unique narrative voices, culminating in a rich and intellectual story that will stay with you long after you've finished reading it.

 *

Title/Author of Book: Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny by Holly Madison (New release, available on eBook)

Genre: Autobiography

Description: You've probably seen excerpts from this tell-all book in the Daily Mail already, but in no way do they compare to the entirety of Madison's deeply personal account of her Playboy days! Wasting no time in jumping from revelation to revelation about Hugh Hefner and his Playboy mansion, Down the Rabbit Hole delivers a surprisingly interesting and outrageous read. For those who love the world of showbiz, this is a must have for your collection.

 *

Title/Author of Book: Dream a Little Dream by Giovanna Fletcher (New release, out now)

Genre: Romance

Description: The wife of McBusted's Tom Fletcher has long proved her worth in the realm of literature, and her latest novel only serves to validate this. Dream a Little Dream focuses on Sarah, a long-time singleton who finds her life to be just okay - not terrible, but certainly not anything to shout about. When the man of her dreams suddenly comes into the equation, things start to get exciting, but is she sure this is what she really wants?  Fletcher delivers a funny, insightful and charming story that will be sure to have you hooked from the first page.

[ideologyofbeth]

QueenBee Article: 3 apps for women

App Name: ShopSavvy

Price: Free!

Description: Need the perfect shopping guide? Look no further! ShopSavvy allows you to browse through a variety of retailers to find exactly the product you need at a bargain price. From electronics to fashion, this app will give you a comprehensive list of prices so you can secure yourself a good deal. You can even scan the barcode of a product to instantly find the lowest prices and save a few pounds!

 *

App Name: Allthecooks

Price: Free!

Description: Can't decide on what to cook? Running out of ideas for delicious meals? Give Allthecooks a go - this highly acclaimed app will instantly become your go-to recipe guide as you make your way through all the inventive, crowd sourced dishes it has to offer. There's even a great selection of appetisers and desserts, so forget about your pile of old cook books and join up - any food that takes your fancy will certainly be found in this app.

 *

App Name: 7 Minute Workout

Price: Free!

Description: This has been rated the #1 fitness app in a huge amount of countries for a reason - it really does work! Utilise any quick bursts of energy you may have during the day through a generous selection of exercises, which range from jumping jacks to step ups on a chair. There's also no need to worry if you're doing it wrong; each exercise is accompanied by a video tutorial and photo guide. The app is perfect for use in your living room or garden and is incredibly effective in getting your heart racing and  blood pumping (in short 7 minute spurts, of course)!

[ideologyofbeth]

`Until Dawn’ Review

ABOUT THE GAME

As a huge fan of horror movies and choice and consequence games, I was inevitably excited for the new PS4 exclusive Until Dawn to come out. The game is presented in a cinematic style and uses motion capture to make it appear as realistic as possible, upping the immersion for players and ultimately adding to the creepy tone of the experience.

Until Dawn follows the story of ten friends who, as horror cliche would dictate, are staying at an isolated lodge in the woods. Naturally, it’s winter and the landscape is completely frozen over which would make any needed rescue attempts futile. Perfect setting, right? However, it does make for some absolutely breathtaking scenery, as pointed out by jacksepticeye in his playthrough; “Look how fucking bad-ass that is!”: 

The first fifteen minutes of the game are set in February 2014 while the rest takes place a year later. It’s in this beginning chapter we learn the backdrop for the main story and why things are perhaps going a little awry for the characters in the future. We become acquainted with twin sisters Hannah and Beth who run off into the forest after a horrible prank is played by the remaining characters at Hannah’s expense. This section also serves to get the player used to the controls and the collectible totems (which show a possible future event, ranging from fortune to death). We also come across our first (seemingly) major decision in the game here, in which Beth and Hannah are dangling over the cliff side after running away from an unknown threat - do we make Beth let go of Hannah’s hand, or do we let both of them go? Well, notice how I said seemingly major decision. They both fall anyway. Where would the story be without our missing twins? 

So this brings us to 2015 and the setting for the rest of the game. The title makes it clear that the objective is to survive until dawn. However, in this time we must also learn about each of the eight characters we get to control and what exactly it is they are up against. This is where the chapters come into play - the night is split into ten different parts, all of which should take an hour or so to complete. Think of it like a horror TV show, if you will, and these are individual episodes (proven more so by the ‘Previously On’ clips at the beginning of each chapter). The first three chapters are mainly about building the tone and setting events into motion before the real scares begin, which is great, because if you’re anything like me you’ll need a little time to fully get into the spirit of things! 

The interactivity in the game mainly consists of decisions, these being related to both dialogue and actions. Typically you are given an option of two choices, with whichever one you choose affecting your story either immediately or later on. Obviously, some decisions are more important than others and these are labelled with a ‘butterfly effect’ and can be viewed at any point in the game, their consequences sometimes appearing much later. This is why you need to keep a steady head and stay alert; you never quite know when something is going to happen or when an important decision is going to come along. Another type of decision falls into play in the quick time events in which the player must quickly react to stimuli on screen by pressing the corresponding buttons that appear. This is detrimental to progression in the game and like a variety of other decision making exercises, can cost you your character’s life. 

The game itself is relatively short; I was able to complete my first run through in about 8 or so hours. The game initially boasts that it has extensive replay value (in order to find all clues and collectibles), however I personally did not find this to be true - if your play style is anything like mine, you will have at least attempted to fully explore each environment and locate everything on that first run through, meaning a second will be quite boring. I suppose that the replay value really alludes to the choices that the game forces you to make - a second run through allows you to alter these and see how the consequences affect your story. (I found it a lot less time consuming to simply look up other people’s LPs on YouTube for this). 

MY PERSONAL OPINION (SPOILERS)

Well, I played it in one whole sitting, I think that speaks for itself. However, like I said before, I found there not to be a lot of replay value so personally, I would recommend this game to someone for renting at the weekend rather than as a full purchase. You can really get most of the story out in the first go and anything you miss can just be found online - it’s really not worth having to sit through all the cinematic scenes and lengthy dialogue again. I find that it’s also more intriguing to see who survives by your own gut decision making. If scary games aren’t really your thing, I’ve seen people on reddit who played with their friends by assigning each other a different character and controlling only that person - I think this would be a really fun way to go about it; less scary of course, but I can imagine it being hilarious if you accidentally get one of your friend’s characters killed! 

As for the story itself, I found the first half to be very Saw-esque while the remainder heavily reminded me of The Descent. I think I differ from others slightly here (according to reddit, anyway) as I was really enjoying the first half and having to make life or death decisions for the characters stuck in traps etc. I’m an absolute sucker for realism so once all the supernatural/monster elements started kicking in I found myself enjoying it a little less. 

One thing I really have to praise though are the mysteries the game presents. There are three separate mysteries that are all interconnected, yet the game starts with the player not knowing these connections. We initially know that the twins have been missing/presumed dead for a year and that a man with fire was seen on the night of their disappearance. From here, we assume that this man is the same psycho who is torturing the characters in the present day. We also assume he has connections to the mines and the miners we later discover were trapped in 1952. Yet, these are all distinct stories for the player to piece together with whatever clues they come across and their connections to each other only become apparent later in the game. I found this to be extremely clever and it certainly drives the story along with ongoing suspense, something which I find the horror genre is often lacking. 

So all in all, Until Dawn makes for a great evening of entertainment and continues to define a new genre of horror games of which PS3′s Heavy Rain paved the way for. I can only hope that developers carry on this trend and more games of this style come our way soon!

Rating: 8/10

[ideologyofbeth]

Television at its best.