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

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

Thanks for the birthday wishes. It wasn't too early on the East coast!

I decided to start a compilation book, Hilariously Ever After I'm on the first book, Truth or Beard by Penny Reid. I've read her before and I know that some here have read this particular series. There are 9 books, of which I've already read one of them. This was a BookBub deal some time back.

Happy... I haven't read any Burrowes in a long time. I might have to give her a try again.

TINNGG... You always make me laugh, I have found myself in the same exact place. Where the hell did I get this book from? When I used to purchase DTB's I thought that some exasperated parent might have thrown the books that their precious darlings had ripped of the shelves in passing into my carriage while I was eyeball deep into perusing.

On audio, I am into Historical cleansing mode myself. I tried to get into Advent but it wasn't catching me. In fact the info dump at the beginning was pushing me out of the story.
I'm listening to a rare stand alone by Lisa Kleypas, Suddenly You Some of the reviewers say that it has too much sex, not enough story, we'll see.
I finished The Governess Game and I really enjoyed the banter between the main characters. It was actually quite good.
On kindle I'm not sure what to read, I have to catch up on a couple of series, so maybe Treoir Dragon Hoard The only other person on this thread that I know reads this series is CarolB. There was a free novella that the author wrote for her newsletter fans, Evalle and Storm that you could download before it was published, and that comes after Treoir Dragon Hoard.
The Belador series, was originally written by both Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love. They collaborated on the first four books and then Dianna Love continued to write them herself. I didn't notice any real difference in the writing style once Love took over so maybe Kenyon was just helping with the editing or the storyline. I wonder what Love thinks about all of the Kenyon "tramagety", (to quote my friend Jim who used the term about his teenage girls he was raising as a single parent).

edited for clarity

Wow, reading the article about Kenyon itself is almost chaotic. That is so sad. I still love some of the books in the DH series, and they will always be on my proverbial "keeper" shelf. Sadly, we'll probably never get the story about some of her best known characters. I don't think that she has it in her. I always thought that her books decline was because she had spread herself so thin, Dream Hunters, Dark Hunters, etc.

I finished Wyvern's Lair I thought that the action was non-stop and the twists were pretty good. The last book of the series, Emperor's Throne (Desert Cursed series book six) should be a great one.

melindeeloo... I really like the Roanhorse novels on audio. It is really nice to hear the Navajo language pronounced correctly. I thought that the first book had the MC, Maggie, kind of raw and in the second she seems to develop more as a character and as a friend. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

I have been catching up on series and read the latest books.

Tarian Traitor this was the last of the lion prides and had a bit of an overlap of some of the previous characters from other shifter crews.

T.S. Joyce started an entirely new series with Swim Deeper. This was unusual where the shifter is an alligator. There is no cuddling up to the animal and I thought that she did a pretty good job of portraying a feel for the swamps of Texas. I was surprised at how engaged that I was in this new series. The next book comes out soon.

On audio I listened to Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues. Molly Harper tossed this little novella out and I thought that it was a welcome addition to her Mystic Bayou series. It was short, sweet, and to the point, just what you want in a novella.
A Christmas Code This is listed as book 2 in the Code Breakers series, but it most definitely is a novella. These are historicals with a slight twist, all of the females are code breakers and the males are spies for the British Empire. I like these very much and they are from the Audible Escape package.

Call of Darkness The MC in the first book had to join forces with a Vampire to try to discover why the Society killed her father and lied about it. In the end of the last book her alliance was discovered and she has been an outcast, a "sightless", one who is forced into a life of servitude until she rehabilitates. This book is quite brutal, accused of having a sexual relationship with a "Sea Shadow", (Vampire), she is brutalized by her one time mentor. These are not the best written, but they are thought provoking and engaging enough that I want to read more in this series.

I also listened to That Ain’t Witchcraft the latest in the InCriptid series. This time, Annie, (Antimony), Price and her friends end up in Gravesend, Maine and have a crossroads entity to contend with. I like the development of Annie and Sam's relationship. Ever pursued by the St George's heir apparent, Leonard, Annie has to pull out all of the stops to save the world from the "crossroads" where all bargains are awful. There is a new addition to her band of friends, a sorceror, James Smith, who is just trying to get his best friend back from the crossroads. Apparently I missed the 7th novel, Tricks for Free but I don't think that I really missed out on much. Her bargain with the crossroads was mentioned numerous times in the latest book.

I also finished an ARC that I received from NetGalley, Kingdom of Exiles. This was an unusual mix of unique main characters and various creatures, (kind of a magical beasts take-off). A hit has been bargained for on the MC Leena, a Charmer, and the Crucor, an undead, (not vampire), and literal shadow organization have been given the binding contract. Add in the attraction between Leena and the leader of the Crucor, Noc, who is cursed to see everyone that he cares for to die, a couple of other Crucor "Shadows" and a journey and you have the makings of a good collective series. I would give this first book 4*'s. I would definitely read the next book in this series.

Doug.... We feel you!

Paula... I thought that the Desert Cursed series was going to be 3 books, now we are on book 5 and I think that there is just one more. I do like this series. It has a little YA feel, but that's because the characters are pretty much all inexperienced in real feelings. I like the unpredictability of her world and characters. I will see this series to the end.

I'm in Maine, one of my favorite places in the states. I hope to catch my good reads account up while I am up here relaxing. I am so behind, I do wish that GoodReads would capture my audio books, like it does my e-books. I have been checking this forum out on my phone and the phone app doesn't provide a way to add books, stupid app!!

Has there been and "book specials" on Prime days? Like a KU discount?

Thanks for the reminder Sharon Lee re: the Wyvern's Lair book. I like this series very much. I believe that there is only 1 more book in the series after this one.

Diane... I do admit that I do pick a novel on the basis of whatever criteria it fits. Sometimes I get a really pleasant surprise and another author to read.

I have been really awful at filling in my categories for the last 2 months. I have too many things going on in real life to take the time. Vacation is coming up soon, I hope to catch up a bit then.

Good Luck Everyone! :-}

Surprisingly, I have The Rook in my kindle TBR.

Hi KSM, good to see you popping in.

Doug, I hope that real life eases for you.

Dave, Welcome to the group!

I have watched the first 2 episodes of The Rook, and I think that it is quite good. I'm just as confused as the main character Myfanwy, (rhymes with Tiffany). All of the characters at this point are suspect.

Carol wrote: "Vanessa - Enjoyed Pierce Brown's Red Rising series. Haven't started book 4 "Iron Gold". I thought the story was completed with book 3... hope it doesn't get ruined with the extra books. Has anyone ..."
Carol... I was disappointed a bit by the second book, Golden Son. I thought that a tad too many "bad" things happened to Darrow and the ""crew", also the deception in the end was quite cruel. I felt like there was no real good and pretty much all bad. I understand that this is a bridge book, but I wasn't thrilled by it. I hope that the next book Morning Star, gives me a little something to grasp a hold of. I thought that this was supposed to be a trilogy when I got the first book. I see that the 5th book, Dark Age, at 800 pages, is due to be released on July 30th. I'm not sure I really care about Lysander. I like the series, but he does pack an incredible amount of stuff into his stories.

I listened to a KU book, Sea of Darkness. It wasn't bad, a tad bit YA feeling, but a different take on vampires, vampire slayers, pirates, and witches. It was amusing and good for the free Audible Escape price. I will probably look up the second book in the series.

Shannon... I'm not sure if the verified license is mandatory quite yet. I know that CT has had it as an option for quite a few years. I thought that I had read something about 2020. Perhaps it was just that certain states' licenses weren't going to be accepted in 2020 for air travel unless they changed over to the other licenses.

I started listening to the second book in Pierce Brown's Red Rising series, Golden Son. This is a very good fantasy series. Darrow is a "red", the lowest of all of the castes. Through many transformations, he has become one of the elite "golds". The first book is very much an introduction to this world with a "hunger games-esque" sequence. The second book has the rise and fall of Darrow and appears to be the formation of the rise of the lower classes. This is actually very well written, many of the characters from the first book, Red Rising make an appearance in the second one.

Thanks for posting about the Dannika Dark books Doug. I have been toying with reading that series for some time.

LAB... Did you finish Kingdom of Exiles? I'm still reading it, I've had almost no time to sit and read. I like it so far, but I'm only half way through.

Shannon wrote: "Melindeeloo wrote: "Wow, no new posts today? I spent my morning at the DMV, they are swamped now since CA driver licenses didn't meet federal standards or such and everyone has to get a new one if ..."

Shannon... If you can listen to the Roanhorse books, I think that your experience will be a lot better. The Navajo words are complicated, but at the same time the meaning follows after the words or phrases. The MC, Maggie is so used to being alone and despised, that she is awkward and rough around the edges. I think that you will enjoy them.

CT has been "encouraging" everyone to go to the trouble of a "verified" license. I think that it is mandatory by 2020. A CT license, a birth certificate, (a passport will do for one of those), a utility bill, or a credit card statement in your full name with your complete address on it is all you need. Add incredibly ridiculously long lines, and you had better bring a big book and a picnic lunch. Because I have a CDL, I can only go to certain DMV offices to renew. Last July, I was there for nearly 7 1/2 hours. Good thing I went early, I would hate to think that I might have had to spend my whole day there.

The best thing I've done for myself was to get the TSA verification for air travel. $85.00 for 5 years, $17.00 per year, so worth it to go through the "other" line no shoe removal required.

I've been listening to quite a few books lately.
In Places Hidden This was a turn of the 20th century period piece. A college educated young woman, Camri Coulter, arrives on the train to San Francisco with 2 other young ladies. Each is traveling there for their own reasons. Camri is there to find her missing brother who is a lawyer. San Fransisco is rife with political corruption. It wasn't a bad read, a bit predictable, but kind of sweet.

I listened to the first 2 books in the Walker Series, Wings of the Walker and Heart of the Walker . Sadly none of the next books are on audio. This world is different, there is an elite class and "walker" class. Ashleigh is a walker raised by an elite family, serving her masters and in love with the golden son. Throw in an X plague, of which Ashleigh is naturally immune, and the elite can buy the vaccination. This is supposed to be a reverse harem series, but so far there is nothing but attraction and 2 little kisses. That is OK with me, I'm not usually into that sort of thing anyway. It's a dystopian kind of society.

I listened to Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues. I like this new town, Mystic Bayou. This was a quick novella with a tree nymph, Ingrid, and a human member of the League, Rob. It was short, sweet, and a nice little visit with the previous characters.

Shadow's Edge was a toss up for me. I spent the better part of the book thinking that the MC, Jenna, was a bitch. Granted, she spent the whole of her life running from some unknown enemy, but when she gets the opportunity to find out more, she just lashes out. In the end I did like this story, but I didn't love it.

Set in a castle in Ireland, The Darkling Bride is a murder mystery with a touch of the paranormal. Hired to catalogue the Gallagher family library, Carragh Ryan, is the only person who wasn't present when the parents of the current Viscount, Aiden, were brutally murdered in 1992. In the unsolved murder file, their case has been reopened and assigned to a recently promoted detective.
This story has basically three parts, the Victorian era romance between Lady Jenny Gallagher and her popular writer husband who never publishes again after her untimely death. The relationship between the murdered couple and the possible suspects, and the current relationships and dysfunctional family. The castle itself seems to be sentient, and has a role itself. It has shades of older Gothic novels. I liked the writing and the characters were fairly well fleshed out. I would read more in this world.

LAB... I'm so glad that you are coming down to the "Sun". I know that you probably are going to drive, but there are buses that run from the Boston area to Mohegan Sun every day. Also, there are lots of rooms there if you feel like staying. Driving down during the day is easy, returning home is harder. I am really looking forward to meeting you and your husband. It should be a lot of fun. :-)

Ilona Andrews posted this. New York, Massachusetts, and any other nearby book friends, this is literally right down the street from me. It would be nice to meet up with you folks.

"We are not going on tour for SAPPHIRE FLAMES. There was a tour plan, but it would eat up a big chunk of September, so we bargained with Avon, our publisher, and a deal was reached. We are going to go to Murder By The Book in Houston for the release and we will be attending two Kisscons. Kisscons are conventions sponsored by Avon. The first one will take place in Uncasville, CT, at Mohegan Sun Cabaret Theater on October 26, 2019. More information and an awesome lineup of authors here."

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kisscon-...

How many tickets will be sold for this event?
There are 350 General Admission tickets available and 70 VIP tickets available for this event.

I purchased 2 tickets.

melindeeloo... Not me, not on vacation, real life has been so busy.

LAB... I'm reading Kingdom of Exiles also. I had a bit of a problem with the text sizing at first, I hope that you don't, or that they have fixed that glitch. I'm merrily reading along and the next page is in giant text, I check my kindle, nope, not my fault. I fix it and a couple of pages later, same thing. I am really enjoying this unusual world. I just don't have a lot of time to sit and read it.

I just pre-ordered Sweep of the Blade . No matter how many times I read the serial, it's always nice to read the final rendition.

Julia Quinn just announced that Julie Andrews will be the voice of Lady Whistledown in the Netflix "Bridgerton's" series. I'm very excited for her, I enjoy her novels.

Hi Everyone!!

I just finished the second book in Native American Rebecca Roanhorse's The Sixth World series, Storm of Locusts.
This book did not suffer from the sophomore slump. I would actually call it better written than the first book, Trail of Lightning.
Where the first book was raw, and brutal, this book expanded on the characters and the MC Maggie, is proving to be more than her clan powers of speed and death. I listen to these and the narration is a smooth blend of the Navajo words and their translation. I'm loving these characters, the Native legends, and their dystopian world. This was a 5* read for me. Excellent!

LAB... I have an ARC for Kingdom of Exiles too.

I have been listening to the Highland Isles series, they seemed to improved as they went along. The writing was pretty good, and the women were adventurous.

The Beast of Aros Castle

The Rogue of Islay Isle

The Wolf of Kisimul Castle

The Devil of Dunakin Castle

And because it finally came out in audio, I started Fortune Furlough

Melindeeloo... Great news about your parents home. I found it most unusual that you went with your heart regarding the new owners, we did the same with my parents home after my Mother died and my Father moved away. I guess that it was tradition for that house, the previous owner did the same when she sold to my parents.

On to books.

I listened to a stand alone Blood of Ambrose.
It was a so/so book about a very naive teen who is by rights king, but is under the "protection" of an evil man. Throw in a very long lived "Grandmother" who is the estranged child of "the" Merlin and her brother. At first, I wasn't sure that I was going to finish it, but I did and it turned out to be better in the end. The boy king was terribly shy and couldn't ever get anything out of his mouth, and the adults were constantly making plans for the boy like he wasn't even there. It wasn't such bad writing but it proved to be a bit predictable.

I listened to a different sort of alien/human story. In this book, the human women are kidnapped by aliens, the spaceship develops trouble of some sort and lands on a cold, barren planet. The inhabitants live in a caveman sort of existence with a weird twist.
Ice Planet Barbarians Again, this is free on The Romance Package.

I have been listening to a couple of books that are free on Audible's Romance package. They are just want you need when you want to listen to an historical with Highlanders. It's the Highland Isles series by Heather McCollum. The men are strong typical Highlanders, and the women are clever and outspoken. The first 2 books are free on RP, but I want to know the stories of some of the other characters.

The Beast of Aros Castle

The Rogue of Islay Isle

I am currently reading The Wolf of Kisimul Castle. This story is about the sister of the "Beast" of the first book who has been kidnapped in retaliation for actions taken by her deceased husband. Their attraction and banter is easy and fun to read.

For the audiophiles who listen to Jana DeLeon's The Miss Fortune Mystery series, Fortune Furlough will be out, (finally), tomorrow. Her books are always at least 2-3 months behind the kindle publication date, sometimes longer. This is one of the series that I only listen to. I love the crazy voices.