Lauri’s Comments (group member since Jan 23, 2016)

Lauri’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

For our Reindeer week I'll read Espresso Tales and Everything Is Illuminated for the obvious E. And some other surprises, too...



I'm almost done with this week's books. I probably won't get much reading done today, but I'm off tomorrow. Yaaayyy!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my USA teammies and happy Thursday to all those in other countries!

You will all be glad to know I finally watched Nightmare Before Christmas last night. My husband thinks I'm insane! (well, he's thought that for a long time now. He isn't wrong!) I must say I did like it. Oogie Boogie is such a villain, though! How did we end up on this team? Too funny. At least I catch all the references now...

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "Haha, Lauri guilty as charged, I'm definitely one of those middle aged women who have read and loved the Outlander books. (Although I was only a young woman when I started reading them. !) I liked ..."

No, Lisa, you're totally right! I devoured the early books. I even took The Fiery Cross in hardcover on a family trip to read on the plane in the early 2000s! I put a cover on it & told everyone I was reading the Bible! HA!
I am totally slogging through Echo. I did not like any of the Lord John books, although they do fill in some blank spots. I decided to finish the entire series & will stick with it.
Speaking of IT, I am stuck around page 620 of 1100+. Maybe by the end of the year. Sigh.

My method of reading is to keep stacks of library books on my upstairs landing with others in shopping bags. When I pass by them I grab a couple for the day. Sometimes I grab more than others... It all depends which titles 'speak' to me at a particular moment in time. Weird? Perhaps?..

M wrote: "Trying to decide if I should read another door stop for this round. A friend just gifted me with a copy of Outlander. While it counts for O and R only it is 850 pages.
Has any one else here read it?"

I loved Outlander! I'm on now. They are all doorstops! If you like historical fiction, you will love them. There's a great deal of historical fact. Her research is amazing. The first one has a lot of Scots & French history. I enjoy the attention to detail. There's a mystery element, romance, fantasy. If you like the idea of time travel & star crossed lovers, this is your series! On the down side, there's war & gore, graphic sex, some kink...
I know all sorts of people who enjoy these from an elderly Roman Catholic nun, to a gay dude & of course, lots of middle aged women :)

For our BROWN week I'll definitely be reading The Covenant B for author Beverly Lewis & I'm sure other letters will turn up. Also Precious and Grace for R - character Precious Ramotswe. I'll manage another book or two. I am working on Elizabeth Frankenstein for the BOM points, but I think I'll save it for next week....

Double completion post!

Scent to Her Grave
Author: India Ink
Finished 11/16/18
272 pages
4 stars!
Works for the following letters:
T - character Trevor
A - character Allison
V - character Persia Rose Vanderbilt
L - character Lydia


Killer Insight
Author: Victoria Laurie
Finished 11/16/18
Page count: 288
Works for the following letters:
R - character Dutch Rivers
A - character Abby Cooper
V - character Aunt Vivian
L- author Victoria Laurie



Could someone please add these to our spreadsheet for me?

Completion post!
The Great Alone
Author Kristin Hannah
Finished 11/15/18
Page count: 440
5 fabulous stars! Amazing...
Works for the following letters:
T - character Thelma
R - character Tica Rhodes
A - Cora Allbright
E - character Ernt Allbright
L - Leni Allbright



Could someone please add this to our spreadsheet, please?

Allison Ann wrote: "I've been trying to get hold of a copy of but no luck. I'm not going to pay that much money for YA (which I generally don't love). So..."

I'm picking it up from the library today! So excited. I still have And I Darken, which I am enjoying, but I keep putting it aside for challenge books...

No two people ever read the same book! Even non fiction. Each individual will take away different points. Same thing with movies.
I never listen to any critics. I will choose my own books and movies, thank you!
Sometimes friends & relatives don't agree with me & that's completely fine. My husband hates fantasy & Sci-fi. I still love him. I hate reality shows. He still loves me. I can't even tell him to read certain books. I have to cleverly leave them out around the house hoping he'll take the bait. I love it when he's impressed. 🤓

I love the snark -- it's one of my special talents... My favorite thing is that she named her boobs! Too funny!!

This week for TRAVEL I'll read The Great Alone which works for a bunch of letters and Scent to Her Grave... I'm sure I'll manage at least one or two more.... Having some fun now!! AND I managed to get ahold of The Nightmare Before Chistmas on DVD! So I'll be watching it this week to get myself up to speed...

Double completion post!

Oolong Dead by Laura Childs
Finished 11/9/18
Page count: 336
4 stars!
Works for the following letters:
C - author Laura Childs
A - character Abby Davis
L - character Linus Gillette
D - character Delaine Dish
O - title

Aunt Dimity: Snowbound by Nancy Atherton
Finished 11/9/189
Page count: 240
3 stars
Works for the following letters:
C - character Catchpole
A - title
L - character Lori Shepherd
D - character Dimity Westwood
R - character Rob Willis



Could someone please add these to our spreadsheet? Thanks!

Lexi wrote: "Lauri wrote: "Completion post!
An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris
Finished 11/8/18
Page count: 306
5 stars!
Works for the following letters:
C - author Charlaine Harr..."

Girl! You gotta try her! Her heroines are sassy, but lovable & her imagination is outstanding! This one is in a reimagined southwest/Mexico. It's dystopian, magical with good action sequences. So not quite a western, but with gunfighter elements. It's very different from her others, but still has her trademark snappy patter! Awesome!

Completion post!
An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris
Finished 11/8/18
Page count: 306
5 stars!
Works for the following letters:
C - author Charlaine Harris
A - character Trader Army
L - character Lizbeth "Gunnie" Rose
D - character Chauncey Donegan
R - character Candle Rose



Could someone please add it to our spreadsheet for me? Thanks!

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "I finished

This series gets better with every book. I loved this one so much - even a little tear at the end ;)
Worst part is that I only have 2 books left in..."

Well, dear, when you finish up with Roe you can move over to her new Gunnie Rose series! It's a total departure, but still a smartass female heroine we can love! What an imagination she possesses! Loving it thus far....🤓

Completion post!
If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell
Finished 11/6/18
Page count: 316
4 stars!

Works for the following letters:
C - character Caleb
A - character Matt Addax
L - character Luz Perez
R - character Robbie
N - character Nico



Could someone please add it to the spreadsheet for me? Thanks!

Eunice wrote: "Finishing One for the Money!

I ended up not reading any of the books I had planned."

My absolute favorite series!! Did you enjoy it? Now that I am caught up to #24, I only read the newest when I go on vacation -- like a special treat!

Suzanne wrote: "I'll add it right now.

Nice job Lauri. I keep thinking I should read that book."

It was weird -- totally freakier than the first book. Lots of arcane references to voodoo & other black magic. And all pretty accurate! (I went through an occult fascination when I was young...)
I don't know why it took me so long to read Koontz, but now that I've found Odd, I just love him!

Completion Post!
Forever Odd by Dean Koontz
Series: Odd Thomas #2
Finished 11/2/18
4 stars!
Love this series...
Works for O - character Odd Thomas. Odd is his legal 1st name! Also D - character Datura & Danny Makepeace



Could someone please add it to our spreadsheet for me? Thank you!

I'm almost done with my O book!!

For Cauldron week I will read Oolong Dead for an O & An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris for a C (author). That's it for now....