Vi’s Comments (group member since Jun 04, 2011)

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

~Leslie~ wrote: "Great job, Team!! Hope everyone had good Monday.

Vi - I love Iris Johansen but I've never got into her Eve Duncan books. I've read a few of them. I love her other books, however. And I'm definitel..."

I'll be reading the next Duncan if only to see how the Triangle resolves. I've read that it does in the next book. Did I mention how much I *love* LTs?

Would you recommend a Johansen book for me?

Way to go Team!! We're still holding strong in first place.

I finished up just earlier. It was grittier, more thrillery and sort of darker than I was expecting. Maybe because the MC was called Eve which honestly kept reminding me of In Death's Eve. Anyway, the book was good and fast-paced. The only UGH! thing was it has a love triangle set up. I'll continue with the next book though but maybe not immediately.

How was everybody else's weekend? Did you have fun?

Leslie, I've read the first 3 books of the Otherworld ( ) though I haven't moved past book #3. I should get to the rest of the series. The first 3 books feature the same couple and those are good. The first is my absolute favorite though.

Moderators of Nothing but Reading Challenges (All the Mods) wrote: "Vi wrote: "She turns 30 within the first 25% of the book though (and it is a big deal). Can I count it for day 29?"

Yes. ☺"

Thanks, Mods!

I finished yesterday. It was really good - and mostly different from the 0.5 anthology. My rant was a little premature but it still applies for the most part. But I've got to say, the direction taken is the book was really lovely. I loved the world development; it was not what I expected. And the way fated-mate trope was played out was good. I'm a little on the fence about the whole trope - it's all in the author's hands on how it turns out and Eileen Wilks did it well.

But Leslie & Diane - is there any significance in the necklace shown in the cover? Did I miss something? . And I had to laugh when I saw this cover for the next book: - they copied the Mercy Thompson cover. :)

Also I finished - Man, Sarah Mayberry is still my favorite HQN author. She was able to cram a really difficult plot into a HQN length and she made it work exceptionally well. The only complaint I have is that I wanted to read more. And the next book is out which I'm definitely reading soon.

Lisa Kay wrote: " HP

Vi, I think it was because I'm also doing The Prophet and Master and Commander on audio. Too much audio! Found myself zoning out a few time. It isn't my..."

Ah, thought so. Too much audio would be a little tedious. How is Master and Commander, LK? It sounds very interesting.

I knew you'd like #5 least given the angsty HP - I get caught in it every single time. I had a couple of questions I wanted to ask once somebody had finished GoF (I think or was it OoP) but I'm half-asleep now. Will come back when I'm more awake.

I also have a Boredom Question (hope it's ok that I asked here?)

#29 - and holding. Read a book where the main character is about to turn 30.

I have a book where the MC is about to turn 30. She turns 30 within the first 25% of the book though (and it is a big deal). Can I count it for day 29?

That carrion beetle is creepy. As if somebody squashed if while it was forming.

Lisa Kay wrote: " HP

Okay. Status update: I finally finished tonight - which seemed to take awhile, but really I've only be..."

LK - why did it seem to take a while? Because it was long or the book is not your favorite?

I'm still listening to - only about 9 hours in.. About 15-16 hours to go. Jim Dale does excellent Umbridge, I'm happy to say. It made me want to smack her (and Harry at times too). Hermione is awesome in this book. And Luna is also introduced in this book. I just love the books progressively #3 on wards.

I started watching but stopped before halfway. I think we had to go out.

★ gwendolyn ★ wrote: "Jennifer I believe that the Trilogy counts only as 1 book even if you read 3 books cuz it only technically fills one slot. I maybe wrong but that what I got from the mods message about it. You may want to change that.
"

Gwen, hope you don't mind me interrupting but the nature of the task itself is that it has 3 books if you choose the option of doing 3X3X3 trilogy. If you do it twice, then it's 6 books. Adding the other option of (book about mathematical riddle), we can technically read 8 books for that task. It's one of my favorite days in that challenge. I hope I didn't misunderstand your post.

Mods, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Leslie - the doc appoint went very well. Everything's fine :)

Chris - I couldn't help laughing as well. Which book were you intending to read? Maya Banks doesn't always work for me as well. The two I finished we just ok.

Leslie wrote: "I didn't know anything about the anthology - I'm so sorry. I think I have it in my tbr because of the Christine Feehan book. I scrolled down and found one reviewer that mentioned that this short wa..."

I just looked at the review you mentioned. I was at the library when I noticed this book and I went all *Ooh New series. Shiny new series*. And when I saw the 0.5 book, I was very happy. After Patricia Briggs' Charles & Anna series, I've been diligent in getting the 0.5 read. It shouldn't be this hard to start a new series - I mean, I shouldn't have to do research to find out which is actually the first book in the series. And this applies to both the Lupi & Briggs' series.

Anyway, I started today morning while I was at the doc. About 30% in (I had a lot of waiting time) and I'm liking it. There are some obvious re-used paras and events but I'm trying to ignore them. But I have to say, the book has advantage over the novella - it's more fleshed out and more enjoyable.

I just finished it too. I couldn't wait. The ending was a little flat for me though. Will wait to discuss.

LK, we should schedule a BR in Oct to read the next in series.

Ugh. Leslie, I read the 0.5 in the anthology Lover Beware since I saw it in the library and it looks like book #1 is the expanded version of .5. Now, I'm a little annoyed about the whole thing. Nowhere in the reviews or the blurb did I see that info at all.

Questions for Chapters 16 - 24

25. As I suspected, Isabel seems to have heard about Amelia before. Do you think it was just from Devlin or did she know about her via other people? Who do you think she was talking on the phone to?

26. The plot thickens. Do you think Gerrity is involved with Fremont's/Mariama's death?

27. I'm getting more suspicious of Layla. Do you think she's involved in whatever's going on? Or is she just too protective of Dr. Shaw?

28. "If I disappear, don't come looking for me" Did Devlin really come to warn off Amelia? Or was he trying to tell her something?

29. "Shani was her tie to Devlin" Why is Mariama insistent on haunting Devlin? Any theories? I really want to know more about Mariama.

30. Do you think Temple knows more about Devlin and Mariama than she's let Amelia known?

31. Rupert Shaw trying to protect himself is very interesting. Is it against Darius and whatever he's planning? Gerrity seems to be involved himself in it too.

32. Where/How did Amelia's father learn all those things he taught Amelia? Was he taught by somebody?

33. Fremont said he has limitations. Then why is he able to appear before twilight? Why then, the connection to Amelia?

34. "She has killed or will kill in the very near future" Seems very prophetic from Fremont. Do you think she's the killer? Comments.

Once again, what a break-point, Lisa Kay!

Since I'm discovering new books/series: how's ? Leslie, Diane?

Judy wrote: "Vi- the HQN Presents was OK- I gave it 3 stars- it started out well but I thought the ending was too rushed

I do the same thing as you with the currently-reading section of the home page- I don't ..."

The search for good HQN Presents continues. Is it just me or is the Presents line getting stale? It's like the same tropes getting recycled and there's nothing different/interesting in the way it's told.

Yeah, it's one of my secrets to GR - a true Tried and Tested way to get books off.

Catherine wrote: "Yes...2 that I know of.....Jean Plaidy and Philppa Carr. Plaidy is stirctly hitorical. I only read 1 Carr book..and it was a mystery/thriller "

Oh, I've heard of Plaidy (I think). The only Carr I know is Robyn Carr. Sorry, Catherine! :) If I like Holt's books, then I should start on glomming her books. Was the Carr book good? I seem to be in a contemporary-suspense/thriller kick lately.

That's the diff between you and me, Catherine. If I put the book aside, it's very difficult for me to pick it back. I have had 7 such books that I created a seperate shelf for it - Started-but-not Finished - in the hope that I'll get to it someday. So far, it hasn't happened.