SOS: Serious Overload of Series discussion

Hope everything is OK now Barbara* ;)

Thanks Ladies. Everything is fine now. Nothing a little hot food wouldn't fix. ;)

Just came back from getting gas (been out since Wednesday) and food. Only a small part of my town actually has power so I had to drive 40 miles away to find places that were open.

But I'm back in business and getting ready to update GRs with all the books I read over the last 5 days - 2 Monday, 2 Tuesday, nothing Wednesday because I was actually able to get to work (then I ran out of gas), 3-1/2 on Thursday and 2-1/2 on Friday. So 10 books and each one works for SRC so I'm ahead of the challenge game at this point. Now to do all the updating which will take about 5 hours (gotta account for kittie kat interruptions which are many!)

Have a great weekend ladies and happy reading!

Whoa! That's some reading! I glad you are OK. Good weekend for you too

That's awesome Barbara at least you are productive. I'm glad everyone is doing ok. New shelf today!

Only about another hour and a half to go for the new shelf. I haven't been sleeping well this week so I have been laying in bed without a lot of productive reading getting done.

All right my lovely teammates! New shelf is called and it is 'dark-fantasy'. I will be reading for this week as I was supposed to have it read last month for one of my group's Mod BOM and since I am the mod I should probably read it.

This will give us another 4-in-a-row once the Free Space is marked. Not sure where you are at on it Dawn, but keep chugging along at it.

It looks as if the only team this will affect for us if one of our winning shelves is called is Team 10. If the 'psychic' shelf is called next then it is a race for time for us.

WEEK 8 UPDATE:

Free Space:
StephAnn Chasing Magic (group bookshelf) Sept 19, ★★★★★, Review
Mandy Naked Dragon (group bookshelf) Sept 21, ★★★★, Review
Dawn (Kat N Hat) Dragon Bound (Sept 2011 BOM)
★Meghan★ Unholy Ghosts (group bookshelf) Sept 21, ★★★★½, Review
Barbara Firelight (group bookshelf) Sept 24, ★★★★★, Review
Zanahoria (Taly) Outlander (group bookshelf) Sept 22, ★★★, Review


10/6/2012 Week 4: G1 Vampires
Steph Ann A Hidden Fire Oct 8, ★★★★, Review
Mandy Blood Song Oct 10, ★★★★, Review
Dawn (Kat N Hat) Breaking Dawn Oct 28, ★★★★★, Review
★Meghan★ Club Dead
Barbara Hard Bitten Oct 8, ★★★, Review
Zanahoria (Taly) Biting Cold Oct 24, ★★, Review


10/28/2012 Week 7: N4 Favorite Series
Steph Ann Mind Games Oct 31, ★★★★, Review
Mandy Bloodlines Nov 1, ★★★★★,Review
Dawn (Kat N Hat) Dragon Actually
★Meghan★ Divergent
Barbara Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia
Zanahoria (Taly) A Game of Thrones


11/4/2012 Week 8: O3 Dark Fantasy
Steph Ann Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Mandy Darkfever
Dawn (Kat N Hat)
★Meghan★ The Gunslinger
Barbara Dead to the World
Zanahoria (Taly)

I'd like to thank the 1 person who put on the dark fantasy shelf. I was really hoping to read it for whatever shelf was called and wasn't expecting it to be on this one. Yay for odd shelving choices! :)

Well, it does have a campy feel, but it is about a Grim Reaper *shrug*

I checked the link, and I have a ton of books that would do for this shelf, but I don't know what to go for yet. Game of Thrones has me drained. I'm feeling somewhat weary of the genre right now. I'll cleanse the palate with something cheerful and then pick.

★Meghan★ wrote: "All right my lovely teammates! New shelf is called and it is 'dark-fantasy'. I will be reading for this week as I was supposed to have it read last month for one ..."

I read it last month and hated it. IMHO boring as hell and pointless. Good luck!

For dark fantasy I will read Dead to the World though it seems to be mis-shelved (page 3), I'll take it.

I just realized that the book I choose for favorite series is #6 in the series so I changed to #2 which is also shown on this shelf. I will be reading this today. Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia

Alright for Dark Fantasy I will be reading I have a paperback that's been sitting on the shelf and I keep saying I want to read it but never do so this will be the push to start it. I don't know if it fits Dark Fantasy but it's on page 2 and shelved 21 times.

It does. And it's amazing Mandy.

It is really good Mandy!!! I need to read the next one in that series. At some point that is....

I will update this in a little bit. Watching one of my few shows.

What few shows do you watch Meghan?

Meghan's Favorite Series Review
Divergent by Veronica Roth

Book Completed: 11/5/2012
Rating: ★★★★½
Continue Series? Yes

Review:
This book is an actual 4 ½ star book. I really did like/love this book. (It was almost right in between).

Chicago has become a world where it has split up into 5 different factions where each faction fits into a certain way of living. There is Abnegation (selfless), Dauntless (brave), Amity (kind), Candor (honest), and Erudite (intelligence). They are all living fairly peacefully in a society where everyone has their place on what they are supposed to do in the world. Beatrice is living within Abnegation, but has never felt like she really belonged within the faction. At 16, every teen is to take an aptitude test and select a faction. However, Beatrice's results are inconclusive and she really can fit within three different factions. This is considered being Divergent. It is highly dangerous to be Divergent. Beatrice decides to join the faction Dauntless and changes her name to Tris. After this, it is a crazy whirlwind of what she will do with her divergence.

This book is a crazy tornado and leads you through Tris learning more about herself as a person and who she wants to be. It also shows how corrupt society can be and no matter the person and the intentions of a person or people that you can't trust people because there is so much corruption within the world. No matter how much good there is, there will always be evil to counteract the good. It is a challenge and a test to see what you can do with what you know and who will be as a person.

Tris is a great character and is unique in her own way. However, she became a person that I wasn't sure how much I liked. She was a type of person that seemed like she was supposed to be naive and portray that and she would, but then she would all of a sudden change that to knowing exactly what she was doing and what she was into. Completely weird. Four was a great hero. I loved him as a character and he constantly portrayed the perfect person of Divergent. He was constantly his own person and never believed what the others thought he should believe in and had his own way of thinking through so many processes. The side characters were good. I actually wanted to more of some of their stories, especially Christina and Al.

What really gave this story the high 4 ½ star rating was the writing. Veronica Roth was amazing in the style and flow of her writing. The feel of how she wrote and how she smoothly transitioned from one scene to the next was great.

There are a couple of things that I would love more about this book. For instance, I would love more world building. How did the world become what it is? Why was it this way? What made Tris choose Dauntless out of any faction. Where exactly are all the factions set up in Chicago (maybe needed a map set up for the city and where each faction's boundaries were and where the general area where they all may work and "coincide" with one another.

Other than these little things, I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Mandy wrote: "What few shows do you watch Meghan?"

I like to watch music reality shows and a few feel good shows.

So You Think You Can Dance?
The Voice
X-Factor
American Idol (not sure how much longer on this show)
Pretty Little Liars (better than the books in my opinion especially the newer books)
Hart of Dixie (funny and quirky)

Other shows I love:
Gilmore Girls (absolutely hilarious and quirky plus Rory loves books)
One Tree Hill

There are a few other shows I like, but don't really watch diligently.

Barbara ★ wrote: "I just realized that the book I choose for favorite series is #6 in the series so I changed to #2 which is also shown on this shelf. I will be reading this today. Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia"

Change of plans again. When I picked up Prince Caspian, the series is listed on the first page and I realized that I had chosen The Magician's Nephew for a reason...because it's technically the first book in the series so I read that instead.



Shelf: favorite series
Read: 11/6/12
Rating: ★★

I enjoyed the first half of the book but got bored/disgusted when it morphed into a religious creation theme. I didn't really notice the religious aspect of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe but this book screams God. As an atheist I find this rather annoying. I only picked this up since I have to read this series as part of a reading challenge but this book has convinced me that that is a challenge I won't be completing.

I tried reading Narnia some time back and I had the same problem Barbara. I was very surprised and passed the book on, with absolutely no regrets!

I got stuck after I read Prince Caspian, for all those same reasons. I don't mind a bit of religious mixed in, but it got too egregious and bothersome.

I just finished A Game of Thrones, but I'll leave the review writing until I come back from some errands, since I have a lot to say, lol.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Shelf: Favorite Series
Book Completed: 11/07/2012
Rating: ★★★★
Continue Series?: Only if I have a lot of time to kill

I see many differing opinions on this epic. With some reserves, I liked it for the tapestry it is. Characters are little more that archetypes, unidimensional and swallow. Little paper figurines posed in a vast board. Nothing but cogs, really. But gather enough cogs, and arrange them well, and you can get some interesting ticking machines.

This is what A Game of Thrones felt like: the novelization of a complex game of TEG with gore. From the beginning we know we are in front of a giant, ticking bomb. Things have had an spoiled birth years before, and are coming to roost now, just in time for the winter.

The volume, while covering an arch in a way, is just the set up. If you are looking to a self contained volume this is not it. Not exactly ending on a cliff-hanger, either you are in for the long haul, or give up on knowing how practically anything resolves. That pissed me somewhat. The thing is doorstop material, and it ended and told me "this is a demo, for the whole game, read the other 5 volumes". Like an interesting guy that takes you on a 10 hours first date (that you wanted to bail at from hour 6) and proposes at the end. I wasn't looking for such a long commitment.

So the short is: excellent world building, vivid and of an immense, ambitious scope. Plot is a machine built from the character-cogs so (barring new variables) you can get where everything is going if you pay attention, meaning not many surprises there. Except for the violence, did I mention the violence? And in a very realistic fashion, good is not the same as wise, and does not equate to victorious, so don't expect a stroll in the garden either.

Gruesome, complex, long, violent book. I'm not sure it's a 4 stars. I liked it well enough, but three quarters in I started growing weary of so many pages of unraveling descent. The world building and the scope push it slightly up though.

Sorry for the delay, power cuts have been driving me spare.

For the Dark Fantasy Shelf I'll be reading Good Omens. Barbara's review raised my interest even more :D

Shelf: Dark Fantasy
Date Read: 11/8/12
Rating: 4.5 stars

Review:

After having the week from hell last week, I was really wanting to read something that would make me laugh. This book definitely delivered on that!

After reading this, I can see why someone might shelve this as "dark fantasy," as this book does have some darker elements than previous books in the series. Charley is dealing with PTSD after the events of Book 3, and she's also working on a case that involves PTSD. This lends a bit more "realism" (as real as a book about a grim reaper can be anyway) to the book since anyone is bound to have issues after (view spoiler)[being tortured in your own apartment (hide spoiler)].

There were plenty of light moments too though. I continue to get a kick out of the fact that Charley has names for all of her body parts and possessions. She's currently trying to figure out a name for her sofa, and this is responsible for injecting some unexpected lightheartedness in some of the more serious scenes. I also continue to love the t-shirt and bumper sticker sayings at the beginning of every chapter, my favorite this time around being "Your existence gives me a headache. Go stand over there."

I don't really have anything bad to say about this book, but for some reason, it's not quite a 5-star read for me. It's still great though, and I'm very much looking forward to Book 5.

Love the review Zanahoria!

Thanks Sandra! :D

Has anyone heard from Dawn? Or seen her in another group?

It has been a crazy week at work and with a nasty cold so I just noticed that she hasn't dropped by with her book for this week.

I am here, I thought I posted it. I am reading .

I should have a couple reviews to post before the next item is posted.

Hi Dawn! Just wanted to make sure you were still okay. Didn't really want to lose a teammate.

I will probably update here soon or just wait until tomorrow when I update all the posts. The Gunslinger is going really slow for me I know what you mean Barbara...I just want for something to happen already.

★Meghan★ wrote: "I will probably update here soon or just wait until tomorrow when I update all the posts. The Gunslinger is going really slow for me I know what you mean Barbara...I just want for something to hap..."

Don't get your hopes up...NOTHING happens throughout the entire book. The scary thing is that it's the first in a series. I can't even imagine (nor do I want to) what the rest could possibly be about.

I'll be reading my dark fantasy selection tonight/tomorrow. I had a problem with the ebook - my Nook didn't like the file so I had to redownload it. Seems to be working now so as soon as I finish the book I'm reading now (only 25 pages to go), I'll start Dead to the World. Either way it will be done tomorrow just in time for the next book.

Shelf was called, and it's '2012'

Thi is a Goodreads shelf, and shelved books will be published on 2012 or read by the tagger during 2012.

I picking Under the Never Sky

Barbara ★ wrote: "★Meghan★ wrote: "I will probably update here soon or just wait until tomorrow when I update all the posts. The Gunslinger is going really slow for me I know what you mean Barbara...I just want for..."

I read the second install without knowing it was part of a series. My first novel in english, actually. It dragged on, and on, and on, and seemed somewhat pointless. I still enjoyed King's style and the way he peaks into disturbing people's minds, but it was very, very slow and dreary. Knowing it's touted, and hearing all the hype around, I still have never gotten the courage to tackle it. I do not think it gets easier to read through.

For the 2012 shelf, I'm going to read .

I've read the whole Dark Tower series by King, and there are definitely books that drag throughout the series. There are a couple that are excellent, but it's sad the whole series couldn't be great.

'favorite-series'- Finished 11/10/12


by Gena Showalter 4 stars

***Re-read November 1 to November 10***
actually a re-listen. I did not like the narrator. I probably won't re-listen to any more of the series since the same guy does them all. I had forgotten the ending so it was a really good story all over again. Very much like visiting old friends since I have read all of the series and seing the characters again before you get in thier heads fully was cool.

I will be reading for my 2012 shelf. Although I will probably be reading a lot of The Gunslinger this week and I need to catch up on some other books also so I may not get to this book for awhile.

I will have to do the update tomorrow. I have to get ready for work.

'Free Space'- Finished 11/10/12


by Thea Harrison 4 stars

My personal schedule really made this book take longer than necessary to read, but when I got a chance really read I enjoyed it alot. I liked the characters and was surprised (view spoiler)[ by the peanut. (hide spoiler)] It was a great mix of interesting people and a new fantasy world being set up. I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Meghan I thought I posted the change to my Favorite series book too. GR must have been eating posts tht day. Anyway my review is up.

I will be reading for 2012.

Zanahoria (Taly) wrote: "The Gunslinger is going really slow for me I know what you mean Barbara...

I read the second install without knowing it was part of a series. My first novel in english, actually. It dragged on, and on, and on, and seemed somewhat pointless. I still enjoyed King's style and the way he peaks into disturbing people's minds, but it was very, very slow and dreary. Knowing it's touted, and hearing all the hype around, I still have never gotten the courage to tackle it. I do not think it gets easier to read through."

I hated Gunslinger so much that I couldn't be bothered with reading any farther into the series.

Shelf: dark fantasy
Read: 11/10/12
Rating: ★★★★★

I absolutely loved this book! Eric is by far my favorite character and he was center stage in this installment though admittedly not himself. Poor Sookie doesn't have it easy. Her brother Jason is her only family - a womanizer who disappears in this one. Her boss Sam, a dog shifter has the hots for her. Vampire Eric Northman who she secretly has the hots for. Bill Compton, her vampire ex-boyfriend heads off to Peru before all the action starts. Werewolf Alcide, whom she likes but he has a girlfriend, a werewolf whose tried to kill her. And a were-panther who wants a broodmare to put new life in the family gene pool. Oh an let's not forget the evil witches that have come to town to take over the vampire businesses. A whole lot going on and of course, Sookie is in the middle of everything as usual.

This is action packed from page one until the last page. The mystery of her brothers disappearance is interesting and keeps the reader guessing. The mystery of what the heck the witches want is enough to keep the pages turning. And Eric's bizarre behavior is fun to "watch". Poor Sookie, she just can't catch a break.

I'm going to read for 2012

Shelf: Dark Fantasy
Date Read: 11/11/12
Rating: 5 stars

Review
For MacKayla (Mac) Lane hanging out by the pool, doing her nails, and working on her tan is all she has planned for the summer until she receives news that her older sister Aline has been brutally murdered while studying abroad. The local Dublin police can't find a suspect, and end up moving the case to the unsolved cases group. Mac wants to know the truth about her sister's murder, armed with a voice mail from before her sister died she sets out on a journey that will change her life forever.

Mac arrives in Dublin staying at a bed and breakfast just down the way from her sister's apartment as well as where her sister was found murdered. Her first night she finds herself in a pub seeing her first fey a beautiful man who is sucking the life from a woman but at second glace she can see who he really is a grey leprous monster. She's warned by an old woman to get away before she draws attention to herself, and betrays her own kind. Mac flees back to her room for the night but ventures out again in search of answers learning nothing new from the police because the detective on sister's case is on off. She wanders the streets for some time stumbling into a bookstore where she finds more then she bargained for.

The bookstores owner Jericho Barrons is dark mysterious and knows more then he's letting on but he also is the only who can help Mac on her journey. Her sister left her a message to find the Sinsar Dubh before he can get a hold of it so now Mac is on a mission to find it. Thankfully Mac isn't your normal human and she has a few gifts of her own in her bag of tricks. Armed with the knowledge that she can kill the fey and she has to save the humans she sets out to find her sisters killer as well as the Sinsar Dubh.

I purchased Darkfever years ago but I've never gotten around to reading it. I thought it sounded really interesting but it kept getting pushed to the back corner, then last week I decided it was time to read it for the Dark Fantasy shelf in the bingo game I'm part of. It was so much better than I expected I wish I'd started the series all those years ago because now I'm hooked and can't wait to read the rest of them. I really liked Mac as a character she's just so sweet and innocent not you're typical kick ass-heroine but she has so much potential to grow as a character which I really like. I found Mac easy to relate to, her character reminds me of a girl next door type, she's pretty but she's not a stuck up girl which I really liked makes her more real. I found the book very well written, the characters are well developed, and the story flows smoothly. I really liked the concept of the story, the whole world creation is great and it's a action packed story that I had a hard time putting down I just really loved Mac as a character.

For 2012 I'm going to read shelved 119 times page 8 I have a arc of it.

Mandy wrote: "
Shelf: Dark Fantasy
Date Read: 11/11/12
Rating: 5 stars

Review
For MacKayla (Mac) Lane hanging out by the pool, doing her nails, and working on her tan is all she ha..."

Ha! Welcome to the dark side Mandy!. You'll never get over the addiction, lol. Loved the review.

I decided that I wanted to change my 2012 book to . It will be for another challenge that ends on Saturday so I will try to read a bit of both books.

Now time for the update :)

WEEK 9 UPDATE:

Free Space:
StephAnn Chasing Magic (group bookshelf) Sept 19, ★★★★★, Review
Mandy Naked Dragon (group bookshelf) Sept 21, ★★★★, Review
Dawn (Kat N Hat) Dragon Bound (Sept 2011 BOM) Nov 11, ★★★★, Review
★Meghan★ Unholy Ghosts (group bookshelf) Sept 21, ★★★★½, Review
Barbara Firelight (group bookshelf) Sept 24, ★★★★★, Review
Zanahoria (Taly) Outlander (group bookshelf) Sept 22, ★★★, Review


10/6/2012 Week 4: G1 Vampires
Steph Ann A Hidden Fire Oct 8, ★★★★, Review
Mandy Blood Song Oct 10, ★★★★, Review
Dawn (Kat N Hat) Breaking Dawn Oct 28, ★★★★★, Review
★Meghan★ Club Dead
Barbara Hard Bitten Oct 8, ★★★, Review
Zanahoria (Taly) Biting Cold Oct 24, ★★, Review


10/28/2012 Week 7: N4 Favorite Series
Steph Ann Mind Games Oct 31, ★★★★, Review
Mandy Bloodlines Nov 1, ★★★★★,Review
Dawn (Kat N Hat) The Darkest Night Nov 10, ★★★★, Review
★Meghan★ Divergent Nov 5, ★★★★½, Review
Barbara The Magician's Nephew Nov 6, ★★, Review
Zanahoria (Taly) A Game of Thrones Nov 7, ★★★★, Review


11/4/2012 Week 8: O3 Dark Fantasy
Steph Ann Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet Nov 8, ★★★★½, Review
Mandy Darkfever Nov 11, ★★★★★, Review
Dawn (Kat N Hat) The Ghost Hunter
★Meghan★ The Gunslinger
Barbara Dead to the World Nov 10, ★★★★★, Review
Zanahoria (Taly) Good Omens Nov 14, ★★★★★,Review


11/11/2012 Week 9: I5 2012
Steph Ann Iced
Mandy Undeadly
Dawn (Kat N Hat) Beast Behaving Badly
★Meghan★Sweet Evil
Barbara Enchanted, Inc.
Zanahoria (Taly) Under the Never Sky

FOR FREE SPACE AND FAVORITE SERIES SHELVES:
Free Space:
StephAnn Chasing Magic (group bookshelf) Sept 19, ★★★★★, Review
Mandy Naked Dragon (group bookshelf) Sept 21, ★★★★, Review
Dawn (Kat N Hat) Dragon Bound (Sept 2011 BOM) Nov 11, ★★★★, Review
★Meghan★ Unholy Ghosts (group bookshelf) Sept 21, ★★★★½, Review
Barbara Firelight (group bookshelf) Sept 24, ★★★★★, Review
Zanahoria (Taly) Outlander (group bookshelf) Sept 22, ★★★, Review


10/28/2012 Week 7: N4 Favorite Series
Steph Ann Mind Games Oct 31, ★★★★, Review
Mandy Bloodlines Nov 1, ★★★★★,Review
Dawn (Kat N Hat) The Darkest Night Nov 10, ★★★★, Review
★Meghan★ Divergent Nov 5, ★★★★½, Review
Barbara The Magician's Nephew Nov 6, ★★, Review
Zanahoria (Taly) A Game of Thrones Nov 7, ★★★★, Review

CONGRATULATIONS, Cloud Nine Assassins!
You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'Free Space' and 'favorite-series'. 

[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]

Good Job!! :D