Vanessa’s Comments (group member since Jun 15, 2017)

Vanessa’s comments from the Read, Reading, Planning to Read and More group.

My 2021 Book Covers:

I am doing Authors as my 1st A - Z challenge:

A- Andrews, Ilona, Blood Heir
B- Breene, K F, Magical Midlife Invasion
C- Chapman, Janet, Spellbound Falls
D- Dare, Tessa, How the Dukes Stole Christmas
E- Edwards, Hailey, Proof of Life
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H- Hunter Faith, Dirty Deeds
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K- Kingsolver, B.R., War Song, The Rift Chronicles 2
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M- McCormick, Scott, Rivals 2! More Frenemies Who Changed the World
N- Neill, Chloe, Wicked Hour
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R- Rodney, Carina, Hell Cats
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T- Thomas, Sherry, A Study in Scarlet Women
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V- Valpy, Fiona, The Dressmaker's Gift
W- Winspear, Jacqueline, Maisie Dobbs
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I am doing Titles as my 2nd A - Z challenge:

A- A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas
B- Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews
C- A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas
D- Dead Acre by Rhett C Bruno
E- The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax, by Dorothy Gilman
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G- Gators and Garters by Jana Deleon
H- How the Dukes Stole Christmas by Tessa Dare
I- An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear
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M- Magical Midlife Invasion by K F Breene
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P- Pirates! Scoundrels Who Shook the World by Scott McCormick
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R- Rivals 2! More Frenemies Who Changed the World by Scott McCormick
S- Secrets of the Sword II by Lindsay Buroker
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W- War Song, by B.R Kinsolver
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I am doing Names as my 3rd A - Z challenge:

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M- Maisie Dobbs, Maisie Dobbs
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I am doing Locations as my 4th A - Z challenge:

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I am doing Species as my 5th A - Z challenge:

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You decide the categories and the way you want to fill them in.
Also, if you want to show this years' book covers make a separate message right after your A-Z challenge.

Copy and paste the following template:

I am doing ......... as my A to Z challenge:

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reply | edit | delete | flag *

Sooo Weird! My comment posted twice.

I also wanted to mention a couple of Audible Originals that were rather amusing.
Rivals! Frenemies Who Changed the World
Rivals 2! More Frenemies Who Changed the World

Dead Acre Which is a western setting with a paranormal bend. The "hero" was a bad guy, determined that what his gang was doing was wrong, and decided to have a shootout with his "friends" to help a woman with a young child run away. He dies, but wakes to a new "life" and he is supposed to rid the world of supernatural, (demonic), influences who are preying on common folk. It's done in a self deprecating first person way. It's only a couple of hours long and sounds like they might make it a series. The reader, Roger Clark, has a deep voice almost a Sam Elliot sound. It was a fun quick listen.

Secrets of the Sword II by Lindsay Buroker just came out. It is free on KU. There will be Secrets.. III coming out in February and that is supposed to be the final book in the Death Before Dragons series. I have really enjoyed this series, I'll be sad to see it end.

TINNGG..."Some people would vapor lock if they ever read a real bodice ripper." Great Line and so true! :-)

Lisa... I agree. I do put the adaptations into a different frame of reference. I was just impressed that the cast was well done, Eloise is exactly like I pictured, pretty but trying to look plainer, and boyish in her frame. Penelope is well done, her sisters, and her mother are too. I know that Regency England was white but I like the diversity in the show, and yes Simon is beautiful. Enjoy!

I think that it is going to take me 2 weeks to try and enter all of my books for this year. Oh well better luck next year.

I'm going to add another A-Z for 2021. Good Luck Everyone!! :-)

Happy... I have been wondering about that series. I know that Armstrong's series has been mentioned here before. After the really long Otherworld series, and a few little tidbits about her werewolves, I was a bit burned out on her writing. (I didn't particularly like the way that she ended her Otherworld series). I recently read A Stitch in Time and the accompanying short story in Under a Winter Sky: A Midwinter Holiday Anthology and I think that I am ready for more of her writing.

Has anyone had a chance to see Bridgerton on Netflix? I liked it very much. Visually it is spectacular. Shonda Rhimes did a fantastic job recreating early 19th century England. The costumes and grandeur of the sets are remarkable. The story line is also quite good. I don't remember every aspect about the first Bridgerton book, but I think that the overall feel is there. The Bridgerton family casting and the Featherington family as far as I can tell is spot on. She must have had a monumental task to cast this show. I especially like that this is not just a one ethnicity cast it adds so much to the general atmosphere.
If I can complain about one thing, the revelation of a vital story mystery, (which took 4 books or more to reveal), was too soon in my humble opinion.

Kristi I do hope that you start to feel better soon. My friend who had Covid said that she had a lot of fatigue too, in fact it was her most prevalent symptom. I hope that your hubby is doing well, and I wish you both a wonderful and Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone is having a relaxing holiday weekend.

Thanks LAB for "The Other's" info. I was really starting to think that she was going to abandon that series for her other dark series. Everything that I read and see "discounted" on various sites has to do with the Black Jewels series.

Thanks everyone for the "Ton" info, it's kind of shocking the number of actual Dukes.

In all of my years of using Audible, I have returned only 2 books. One was written so poorly and read so badly that I couldn't take it. The second was a book that I got as an ARC and had cancelled the Audio version, but it still was charged to my account and delivered to my "library". I had to call them to have that one straightened out. It is appalling as to just how far corporations will go. It's simply amazing.

Lisa... Have you caught up on the BDB yet? I have the novella but I haven't taken the time to read it yet. I am still amazed how much they can charge for the BDB books/novellas.

Noooooo. The ending of Forged Now I have to wait a whole year. :-(

I picked up an historical Christmas anthology How the Dukes Stole Christmas for $1.99 U.S. I wonder where they find all of those Dukes?
There must be more Dukes than peasants! LOL! ;-}

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NVMQBC3?...

Here's the Netflix link for the Bridgerton series trailer...

https://www.netflix.com/title/8023239...

For the fans of Molly Harper's Mystic Bayou series, book, 4.5 just came out on Tuesday, One Fine Fae. This is an Audible Original, (not sure if it is print yet) and is part of the Audible Plus catalog. I'm with you Melindeeloo, I miss Audible Escape. I hardly ever find something I am willing to listen to these days. Except of course the books that require a full credit.

Carol... I am liking this new Verus, and I gotta admit I am missing her too. She was a very good voice of reason and seemed to genuinely love him. He is really going for what he wants rather than responding to threats this time. I have a few chapters to read yet, and I am psyched for the next book already.
On a personal note, how's things? I sure miss going to the city and visiting. When we can safely travel, I plan on taking the train to visit my sister and would love to make a stop for lunch again.

HappyBookWorm... Whining with you! :-(

Frisco wrote: "I am re-reading all the Fortune books by Jana DeLeon... need the humor. I forgot some of the earlier books and this just makes me smile. I love the pet gator being fed chicken casserole .... nope I..."

Frisco... Funny that you are re-reading about the Miss Fortune crew. This was an e-mail I recently received...

"On December 17th, I will be doing a virtual talk with Jacques Lamarre at the Mark Twain House & Museum. We'll chat for an hour about all things Miss Fortune and Louisiana. Cost to attend the virtual event is $5 and helps keep the museum open for business."

This museum is a treasure that is kind of local to me. I am really fascinated that Jana DeLeon decided to team up virtually with the Mark Twain House. I visited it w/my friend this past July. We were masked up and you have to make reservations, but it was fun none the less.

I am listening to Forged I am going to be really sorry when this series ends.

I just bought a new kindle Paperwhite for my hubby. I don't want to link it to all of my library, but want to be able to send books to his kindle. He doesn't read anything that I read and I don't read his books. Can I set up a "family" library type situation? I won't activate the sync option, I do that for another of my kindles, but I wanted to be able to block out my books. (I have literally hundreds, and he has like 3, LOL).

HappyBookWorm... I does sound like she is modelling Ophelia after herself. Julia Quinn is good friends with her and she once said that Eloisa throws herself whole heartedly into her research and characters, maybe this time it is literally, (pun intended)! ;-)

Lisa... what do you think about the Hope character? She's almost too much! But the actress, she's good keeping you always on the precipice of too much/just enough energy. I loved the line where Mel told her that she got "Hoped".

TINNGG... What can I say that is officially the worst rendition of O Holy Night that I have ever heard. LOL!! My cat was in a panic to leave, (I might have turned it up loud when he came in). Thanks for the laugh!

Lisa I am so glad that you think that the characters of Mel and Jack match, I do too!! The scenery is just so perfect. I have been to California but never to northern CA. I think that the Preacher actor is a good fit, and the Netflix man is a little more extroverted. I don't like the changes like Lizzie's age and the "drug" being distributed. I like/hate the Charmaine role and can't wait for the "dramatic conclusion" of her character. Doc is younger than I imagined and the Paige/Preacher story is better in the books.
I felt like season 2 was just getting somewhere when it was ended. With 21 books and loads of characters to pick from, the pace of the second season had a lot of fluff, (Doc's love life for example). I wanted to get into the meat of the second book, but it was barely hit on.

Thanks Waverly for the Lady Hardcastle reminder. These are free on KU and if you, (like me), do these in audio, the audio version is just $1.99, but you have to click on the kindle unlimited edition first.

Lulu... I can't wait for the Ravenels' latest adventure.

Is anyone else excited that Julia Quinns' Bridgerton series is coming to Netflix originals on Christmas day? I hope that they do a good job of it.
I watched the second season of Virgin River on Netflix and they are sort of sticking to the book plots of the first few books. There are a couple of blatant changes and they sort of irk me, but I like the series and will look forward to season 3.

Carol.... I didn't know that the Alex Verus series is ending. I didn't know what to think when I started it, but very soon I was hooked. Benedict Jacka is a great author, I wonder where he will go next.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

In Under a Winter Sky The Kelley Armstrong story is related to her A Stitch in Time novel.

Doug... I don't feel so bad that I didn't notice the Chase book, apparently Netgalley just put that book into my shelf without informing me. It must have been the same for you too.

Demetra... I could go for another Asil date story too!
Thanks for the cliffhanger warning. I might just be waiting for the trilogy to be complete before I jump in. I do those on audio, so it's hard to read through a refresher in an audio book.

Lisa... The second book, Dark Tides just came out on Tuesday. Are you waiting for the MMP to arrive or do you read those on kindle?

Is it bad that I am far behind in both of the Nalini Singh series? I just can't scrape up enough enthusiasm for either series. I used to love her books, I even met the Doug's Harpies group for a meet and greet with her in NYC.