Shan ~A~’s Comments (group member since May 14, 2015)

Shan ~A~’s comments from the SOS: Serious Overload of Series group.

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Shelf #9 ~ 23 Apr: A - Anniversary / Alpha Male
* For Anniversary: Read a book published in your birthday month or featuring a character or written by an author whose name contains 'Ann'
Book/Author: Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
Pages: 158
How it fits: Published August 7, 2018 (My Birthday is in August)

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Shelf #8 ~ XOXO/eXcited or Zealous/Z
XOXO/eXcited or Zealous/Z
* For XOXO, read a book an author or character whose name contains an X or O, series or title containing X or O, or a book in a series you love

Book/Author: Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver
Pages: 416
How it fits: Character has an O in their name: Fionn & Rose (also series with O: Ruinous Love)
Finished: 04/18
Rating: 4 stars
Review: I liked this overall. Rose and Fionn had great chemistry, and I liked that she was pretty fearless. They were both battling demons of a different nature and found what most would say are unhealthy ways of dealing with it. Well, that actually accounts for Rose, but Fionn dealt with his by hiding.

The only part that I found lacking was Rose not being good at her chosen "profession" outside of the circus. I would understand if she was sloppy the first time, but if you are going to continue, shouldn't there have been more planning so as to avoid being caught?

By the end everything was wrapped up for all the characters in this trilogy, with someone else sticking their head up to have their story told.

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Shelf #8 ~ XOXO/eXcited or Zealous/Z
XOXO/eXcited or Zealous/Z
* For XOXO, read a book an author or character whose name contains an X or O, series or title containing X or O, or a book in a series you love

Book/Author: Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver
Pages: 416
How it fits: Character has an O in their name: Fionn & Rose (also series with O: Ruinous Love)

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Shelf #7 ~ 9 Apr: Q - quirky / queen
* For queen, read a book on the following shelf: GR queen
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

Book/Author: Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
Pages: 243
How it fits: On page 4 of above list
Finished: 04/16
Rating: 5 stars
Review: I loved every moment of this book. It has to be one of the best dark fairy tales I've ever read. In this world we have all the makings a great fairytale, princess, a prince, a knight, fairy godmothers, witches. Titles we recognize, but nothing is as expected.

Marra is my hero, and I love that she is the hero of this story instead of a damsel in distress.

I think I loved Marra so much because I can see myself in her when it comes to my sister. I can have fights with her, but no one is going to hurt or even worse like this asshat of a prince, Vorling, did to not one, but both of her sisters. Marra loved both Damia & Kania even if she didn't think Kania really liked her.

Once she realizes what's going on and no one is going to do anything about it, she sets out on a quest to fix things herself. Along the way she meets friends who ends up helping her: the grave witch, the rescued knight, and the possibly inept fairy godmother. The three form an unlikely friendship with a bit of romance between a couple characters thrown in for good measure.

I'll be done with shelf 7 today. Fingers crossed that we get Y

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Shelf #7 ~ 9 Apr: Q - quirky / queen
* For queen, read a book on the following shelf: GR queen
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

Book/Author: Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
Pages: 243
How it fits: On page 4 of above list

Shelf #7 ~ 9 Apr: Q - quirky / queen
Requirement: Choose a book using one of the following options ...

*For Quirky, read a book featuring a quirky or eccentric character (wears unique clothing, having a strange habit or strong sense of humor, etc), a book with non-linear narrative (jumps between timelines or perspectives) or 'Q' in the author's name, title or series

* For queen, read a book on the following shelf: GR queen
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

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Shelf #6 ~ Mate/Made Me Cry
* For Mate, read a book with mate in the title or series name, a book featuring shifters, or a book set in Australia

Book/Author: Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
Pages: 320
How it fits: There is a shapeshifter, werewolves, etc...
Finished: 04/03
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Sookie is healing after the Fae war and so is Bill who was poison by silver. Amelia is leaving Bon Temps and the shifters and weres are still dealing with the aftermath of coming out.

Our dear Sookie never catches a break. I think the only time of peace she had, and that was barely, was the night she kept Hunter.

Claude has come to stay, and she finds out that another Fae has been lurking around the woods. On top of that a fresh dead body is in her yard and Eric's maker arrives with a new "brother" in tow.

Nothing good can come of all of that in the same pot.

I don't remember how I felt about this when I read it years ago, but I just kept thinking this time that I wish Sookie would kick Eric's ass to the curb. These vampires seem to have toxic relationships with their makers. I think the healthiest one I've seen is between Eric and Pam.

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Shelf #6 ~ Mate/Made Me Cry
* For Mate, read a book with mate in the title or series name, a book featuring shifters, or a book set in Australia

Book/Author: Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
Pages: 320
How it fits: There is a shapeshifter, werewolves, etc...

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Shelf #5 ~ Galentine/Guilty Pleasure
* For Galentine, read a book with a female only on the cover, written by a female author or with a fantasy Sapphic subgenre

Book/Author: Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
Pages: 320
How it fits: Female author
Finished: 03/28
Rating: 5 stars
Review: This was a reread from several years ago. I didn't change the rating from that time since it was still good this time around. There was a lot going on in this book, things I didn't even remember. The weres/shapeshifter go public, and you can just imagine how "well" that went for some.

The whole things starts with the patrons of Merlotte's watching on the news, and after the announcement Sam lets everyone in the bar know that he's a shifter. Arlene and her buddies are outraged and she quits. Good riddance!

Then Sam gets the call that his mother was shot by her husband, and the book doesn't slow down at all from there.

Not only do we have the regular everyday life actions keeping things going, but a shifter is left dead outside Merlottes and a Fairy War is brewing. Add to that the marriage Sookie is forced into for her wellbeing.

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Shelf #5 ~ Galentine/Guilty Pleasure
* For Galentine, read a book with a female only on the cover, written by a female author or with a fantasy Sapphic subgenre

Book/Author: Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
Pages: 320
How it fits: Female author

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Shelf #4 ~ One & Only/Owned
*For One & Only, read a series finale, book #1 or a book with ‘one’ in the title or series name

Book/Author: Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis
Pages: 295
How it fits: #1 in Animal Magnetism series
Finished: 03/21
Rating: 4 stars
Review: I don't know why I liked more than anything that Lilah started out not wanting a relationship and Brady was the first to start doubting what he wanted, after saying that he wanted the same. Probably because it's usually the other way around.

That eventually changes and it makes since considering Lilah's background, so she does get attached, but she doesn't get clingy. Plus, it was very clear that Brady felt the same about her. He just needed to work through some things to get his head on straight.

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Shelf #4 ~ One & Only/Owned
*For One & Only, read a series finale, book #1 or a book with ‘one’ in the title or series name

Book/Author: Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis
Pages: 295
How it fits: #1 in Animal Magnetism series

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Shelf #2 ~ Key/Kindle Unlimited
* For Kindle Unlimited, read a book on the following shelf: GR Kindle Unlimited
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

Book/Author: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Pages: 336
How it fits: On page 5 of above listFinished: 03/17
Rating: 4 stars
Review: I immediately called my daughter after finishing this because I had to tell someone about it. Talk about unreliable narrators. I was going along thinking it was nice that Theo wanted to help Alicia, but the more the story went along my suspicious mind started to wonder why. The truth was definitely not what I expected.

On another note, I felt so sad for Alicia because she had no one in her life who really treated her well. Still, I spent some of the book wondering how reliable of a narrator she was from her diary entries. Still, it pissed me off that the people in her seemed to all want something from her, but didn't take the time to actually see her and definitely didn't listen to her when she told them something was wrong. We didn't get much info about Gabriel, but from the little we did get he was an ass, and I wish she'd had the strength to leave him before things went this far. The signs of him being an ass were there, but I think she wanted so desperately to have someone love her. That's one of the things that she and Theo had in common.

☘KathyD☘ wrote: "i'll get tracking and my shelf 3 selection up in the next day or so...sorry for the delay!"

No need to apologize. I thought I was the only one behind.

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Shelf #3 ~ Boyfriend/Booktok
* For Boyfriend, read a book featuring a book boyfriend, featuring a solo male on the cover or ‘boy’ in the title or series name

Book/Author: Crave by Piper Lawson
Pages: 308
How it fits:
Finished: 03/15
Rating: 3
Review: I debated how to rate this. I was completely on the fence. On the one hand it annoyed me that Olivia sacrificed her own happiness due to her parents and the fact that I'm still not sure if she is really happy in her chosen major. I also didn't like that she didn't speak up when she was named the leader when she had just been thinking that another particular person should be the leader. And last, I'm sick of catty females. Give me a book with more girl power, please.

All that being said, there was very real growth when it came to Olivia. She became more confident when it came to the project and a bit more outspoken when dealing with her parents. And even though there was a particular female who was catty, her friends had her back and exhibited the girl power I want more of.

Then there was Sawyer, who was sweet to her after she finally done with her boyfriend. They have a connection, and he then turns out to be her professor. He's a bit mysterious, but he opens up to Olivia on a personal level, while not revealing other things. That choice bites him in the ass when a revelation is made at the end. Is it true? Well, we don't find out yet since it ends in a cliffhanger.

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Shelf #3 ~ Boyfriend/Booktok
* For Boyfriend, read a book featuring a book boyfriend, featuring a solo male on the cover or ‘boy’ in the title or series name

Book/Author: Crave by Piper Lawson
Pages: 308
How it fits:

Completion Post
Shelf: Free Space
(2) Any book within a series found on one of SOS' member-generated BEST OF lists: PNR Series
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Book/Author: Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward
Pages: 527
How it fits: Black Dagger Brotherhood series
Finished: 03/15
Rating: 4 stars
Review: I love how these two are on complete opposite sides of the innocent vs. bad spectrum. Not that Rehv is bad, but it's more about the things they do in their life, so I guess it makes him more anti-hero.

I think next to Z, this is the character I was wanting to read about the most, up to this point anyway, because this book definitely piqued my interest about what's to come.

As always there's an ongoing story surrounding the main couple and we get multiple POVs to help tie everything together.

The world building and character development is top notch.

I'm so behind. It seems like the shelves are coming so fast. I'm going to get caught up by the weekend.

I had some books I needed to get to that are due back at the library and it's neither of the one's I've chosen. 🤦🏽‍♀️

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Shelf #2 ~ Key/Kindle Unlimited
* For Kindle Unlimited, read a book on the following shelf: GR Kindle Unlimited
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

Book/Author: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Pages: 336
How it fits: On page 5 of above list