LaurLa’s Comments (group member since Nov 30, 2016)

LaurLa’s comments from the Pick-a-Shelf group.

Books read this month:



Book: Taking Shots
# Tags: 1

Review:
Not a strong love-hate relationship in this one but the male mc did take a while to convince the female mc he was seriously interested in her - she pretty much ignored him and dismissed him which caused angst and grief all around.
Challenges: n/a
Nomination: sports romance


Book: Out of Turn - 08.24 ★★★
# Tags: 3
Review:
This series has gone from fairly decent romantic suspense to pure triangle - not much happened in this book outside of the 3 protagonist admitting there is, in fact, a triangle going on with 2 brothers having feelings for the female. The love-hate happens between the female and the older brother who broke up with her in the last book. For most of the book the 2 have a contentious relationship as he tries to win her back after realizing how wrong he was about her. In the meantime, she starts to also have feelings for the brother. They have always had a close friendship and he has been a confidant and mentor to her - now both of their feelings deepen but she is not over the older brother either. Cliff hanger on the resolution, of course...
Challenges: n/a
Nomination: love triangle

Roll 23: Round 4
Due by: 09.13
Completed: 09.04
Rating: ★★★★

Roll: 2 + 3 => 5
Timestamp: 08.16; 8:02 am US ET
Square: P: Maer Alveron’s Estates
Task: author initial or title word first letters in place name
Book: The Soulmate Equation
How fits: title letters T-S-E in property name

Roll 22: Round 4
Due by: 09.13
Completed: 09.03
Rating: ★★★

Roll: 5 + 3 => 8
Timestamp: 08.16; 7:56 am US ET
Square: P: Draccus Stomping Grounds
Task: author initial or title word first letters in place name
Book: Restore Me
How fits: title letters R-M in property name

Let's Book It! (2021) -- COMPLETE
August - December 2021

My August Plan (msg 24)

Monthly Goal: 10 books
Plan: Completed plan

August Tasks:

🔹 🔹 🔹 🔹

1. Revisit - Read from any picked shelves for August
✔🔹summer-reads - The Soulmate Equation - 09.04 ★★★★
✔🔹recommendations - Fighting Silence - 08.13 ★★★★
✔🔹from-the-library - The Awakening- 08.15 ★★★★

2. Pick-a-Shelf 1 - Read for another PAS challenge
✔🔹Moving Mountain - The Reality of Everything - 10.05 ★★★★

3. Recommendation 3 - Go to Which Book and read one of the books listed/recommended
✔🔹happy - Family Trust - 11.03 ★★★

4. Last Month 2 - Read book/s from series you read last month
✔🔹Cantrelle Family - Embracing Elise - 09.12 ★★★
✔🔹Rainshadow - Rain Shadow - 10.26 ★★★
✔🔹Nordic Lights - Nordic Bound - 10.30 ★★★

5. Crossing Borders 1 - Read book/s set in continent/s away from the one you're living in
✔🔹Africa - Tropical Heat - 08.07 ★★★★
✔🔹United Kingdom - It's Just Turbulence - 08.08 ★★★

I'm a romance junkie so this shelf and trope work for me :-)


I have several that fall into the love-hate trope and are tagged as love-hate:

The Belle and the Beard
The Soulmate Equation
Tweet Cute
A Good Day for Chardonnay

But for some that are actually fully tagged 'love-hate-relationship' I have:
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me
Taking Shots
Hang Tough

Roll 21: Round 4
Due by: 09.06
Completed: 08.15
Rating: ★★★★★

Roll: 4 + 2 => 6
Timestamp: 08.09; 9:40 am US ET
Square: P: The University – The Artificery
Task: author initial or title word first letters in place name
Book: The Awakening
How fits: title letters T-A in property name

Roll 20: Round 4
Due by: 09.02
Completed: 08.08
Rating: ★★★

Roll: 5 + 4 => 9
Timestamp: 08.05; 4:14 pm US ET
Square: The Horns (Jail/Just Visiting)
Task: Read a book with word in title that is, at least, 3 syllables long
Book: It's Just Turbulence
How fits: turbulence is 3 syllables

I'm late as always!


Book: Pride and Prejudice - 07.16 ★★★★
# Tags: 100

Review:
This is a reread for me - maybe the 2nd time all the way through, though I've done it partially more than that.. No surprises! No changes... still the same. I'm sure I'll come back to it when I need a book to movie or a classic for a challenge.

Challenges: July Let's Book It
Nomination: all-time-favorites

Roll 19: Round 3
Due by: 08.30
Completed: 08.05
Rating: ★★★★

Roll: 5 + 4 => 9
Timestamp: 08.02; 10:19 am US ET
Square: P: Bast’s Rooms
Task: author initial or title word first letters in place name
Book: All I Want Is You
How fits: author initials TB in property name

Roll 18: Round 3
Due by: 08.25
Completed: 07.30
Rating: ★★★

Roll: 5 + 3 => 8
Timestamp: 07.30; 10:20 am US ET
Square: P: Vashet’s Quarters
Task: author initial or title word first letters in place name
Book: Her Dying Breath
How fits: author initials RH in property name

Roll 17: Round 3
Due by: 08.25
Completed:
Rating:

Roll: 3 + 1 => 4
Timestamp: 07.28; 8:33 am US ET
Square: P: Draccus Stomping Grounds
Task: author initial or title word first letters in place name
Book: Fighting Silence
How fits: author initials AM in property name

Roll 16: Round 3
Due by: 08.25
Completed:
Rating:

Roll: 3 + 5 => 8
Timestamp: 07.28; 8:27 am US ET
Square: The Open Road (free parking)
Task: Read a "Random" book from your Bookopoly Shelf
Book: The Royal Treatment
How fits: 3rd position

Roll 15: Round 3
Due by: 08.25
Completed: 07.30
Rating: ★★★★

Roll: 4 + 4 => 8
Timestamp: 07.28; 8:16 am US ET
Square: P: The University – The Mews
Task: author initial or title word first letters in place name
Book: Up in Smoke
How fits: title letters U i S in property name

Seriously Serial '21 -- Round 2
July - December 2021

My Seriously Serial '21 Challenge -- Round 2 (msg 71)

🔹1: Betrayed #1 - 30 Pieces of Silver
- 10.09 ★★★★

🔹2: Anita Blake #2 - The Laughing Corpse
- 07.25 ★★★

🔹3: Maine Sullivans #3 - When You Kiss Me
- 12.07 ★★★★

🔹4: New York Sullivans #4 - Every Time We Fall In Love
- 12.04 ★★★★

🔹5: Krewe of Hunters #5 - The Unseen
- 12.14 ★★★★

🔹6: Return to Redemption #6 - Don't Break My Heart
- 09.28 ★★★

🔹7: River City #7 - Campaign
- 07.13 ★★★

🔹8: Pride #8 - Wolf with Benefits
- 09.30 ★★★★

🔹9: Guardians of Eternity #9 - Fear the Darkness - 10.30 ★★★★


🔹10: Guardians of Eternity #10 - Darkness Avenged - 11.23 ★★★★


🔹11: Black Dagger Brotherhood #11 - Lover at Last - 07.05 ★★★★


🔹12: Dark Protectors #12 - Guardian's Grace - 08.19 ★★★★


🔹13: Dark Protectors #13 - Rebel's Karma - 12.22 ★★★★


🔹14: #12 + #2:
Chicagoland Vampires #12 - Midnight Marked - 11.30 ★★★★
Klaus Brothers #2 - Sweet Magik - 07.17 ★★★


🔹15: #7 + #8
Alphabet Series #7 - The Questioning Miss Quinton - 12.25 ★★★
Blacktop Cowboys #8 - Hang Tough - 11.05 ★★★★


🔹16: #47 [4+7=11] + #5
In Death #47 - Leverage in Death - 10.11 ★★★★
Miracle Interrupted #5 - Mo's Heart - 07.20 ★★★


🔹17: #11 + #6
Argeneau #11 - The Immortal Hunter - 11.28 ★★★★
Wildstone #6 - The Forever Girl - 11.14 ★★★★


🔹18: #12 + #6
Shadow's Claim #12 - Shadow's Claim - 08.23 ★★★★
Lone Star Cowboys #6 - Behind a Texas Badge - 12.22 ★★★


🔹19: #12 + #7
Sarah Booth Delaney #12 - Bonefire of the Vanities - 09.09 ★★★★
Neighbor from Hell #7 - Christmas from Hell - 12.18 ★★★★


🔹20: #13 + #7
Sarah Booth Delaney #13 - Smarty Bones - 11.27 ★★★★
Escape to New Zealand #7 - Just Once More - 07.22 ★★★★


🔹21: #11 + #5 + #5
Chicagoland Vampires #11 - Dark Debt - 10.31 ★★★★
Fight & Glory #5 - The Reality of Everything - 10.05 ★★★★
Bayview Heights #5 - If You Were Mine - 11.20 ★★★★

Finally updating - finished June!!
Updated post: My Seriously Serial '21 Challenge (msg 27)

Going for round 2 next!!

Finally got my list posted - msg 98. only 4 more to go!

I need a book made into a movie for another challenge this month, so that works out for Pride and Prejudice - for the 3rd time :-) Well maybe more like 2 and a half.

For something new, I haven't read The Law of Moses even though it seems like everyone else has. And I think I'll give Tweet Cute a try.

I was very tempted to go back to Judy Blume... but something tells me the books that I loved as a young adult myself won't feel the same, so I'll just continue to remember them fondly.

Let's Book It! (2021) -- COMPLETE
July - December 2021

My July Plan (msg 44)

Monthly Goal: 10 books
Plan: Completed plan

July Tasks:

🔹 🔹 🔹 🔹

1. Revisit - Read from any picked shelves for July
✔🔹realistic-fiction - Tweet Cute - 08.29 ★★★★
✔🔹alternative-history - Blameless - 07.11 ★★★★
✔🔹movies - Pride and Prejudice - 07.16 ★★★★

2. Last Month 1 - Read book/s from author/s you read last month
✔🔹Harkness, Deborah - The Book of Life - 07.29 ★★★

3. TBR 1 - Read random pick from your TBR
✔🔹Wreck Me - 09.03 ★★★

4. Recommendation 2 -Read one of the books recommended to you by a GR friend
✔🔹Kai - The Royal Treatment - 11.22 ★★★

5. Owned - Read book/s you owned (physically or digitally) by June 30, 2021
✔🔹Needing Nicole - 07.24★★★
✔🔹Lover at Last - 07.05 ★★★★
✔🔹30 Pieces of Silver - 10.09 ★★★★
✔🔹Just Once More - 07.22 ★★★★

Let's Book It! (2021)
February 2021 - completed 06.11

My February Plan (msg 31)

Monthly Goal: 10 books
Plan: Completed plan

February Tasks:

🔹 🔹 🔹 🔹

1. Revisit - Read from any picked shelves for February
✔🔹series - Always Been Mine - 03.02 ★★★
✔🔹fantasy - The Darkest King - 02.07 ★★★★
✔🔹series - Bound By Darkness - 02.12 ★★★★

2. Crossing Borders 1 - Read book/s set in continent/s away from the one you're living in
✔🔹europe - Secret Nights - 02.03 ★★★★
✔🔹europe - Secret Seduction - 02.13 ★★★
✔🔹europe - R Is for Rebel - 02.28 ★★★

3. Recommendation 1 - Read a book listed/recommended "Based on Your Currently Reading Shelf"
✔🔹from currently reading shelf - The Hookup - 02.28 ★★★★

4. TBR 2 - Read a book from your total To Read pages dived by 2
✔🔹current TBR pg 8 - Rain Shadow - 02.13 ★★★
✔🔹current TBR pg 8 - A Cold Dark Place - 06.11 ★★★★

5. Pick-a-Shelf 2 - Read a book found on the PAS bookshelf
✔🔹added 10/23/2020 - On the Edge - 04.04 ★★★★

I read a few page-turning books in June :-)



Book: Blood Bound - 06.07 ★★★★
# Tags: 1
Review:
I feel like the last person in the world who hasn't read this series! I enjoyed this second installment - I understand Mercy's reluctance to get involved with Adam, that she doesn't trust her feelings are real and not a product of his alpha-ness. The whole demon-vampire dynamic is a little scary too!
Challenges: June Let's Book It
Nomination: shifter(s)


Book: The Phantom of the Opera - 06.30 ★★★
# Tags: 2
Review:
I read this for a specifically for a challenge where I needed a book translated FROM another language to English. I was surprised at the readability, I expected stilted language but it was fairly modern. The story was a good mystery - I had to push out of my mind the musical and the bits of movies I've seen to really appreciate the written story. Luckily it's been years since I've seen either. Classics aren't usually my cuppa, but I enjoyed this one.
Challenges: n/a
Nomination: Classics


Book: Darkfever - 06.20 ★★★★
# Tags: 16
Review:
Another series where I feel everyone has read but me! I liked this - not as dark as I expected (probably because of the title). I like Mac, not sure I trust Jericho. I am looking forward to reading more.
Challenges: n/a
Nomination: fae


Book: Shadow of Night - 06.28 ★★★
# Tags: 10
Review:
I felt like this 2nd book was too long and drawn out for the lack of story advancement. I'm a romance reader so did I enjoy the further development of Diana and Matthew's relationship, yes, but there were still large parts of the book that I felt were unnecessary to both the overall story arc and that relationship development. I'm hoping book three is more focused!
Challenges: n/a
Nomination: time travel