SOS: Serious Overload of Series discussion

LOL! I will definitely be reading your full review once I've read it, LL. :D

LethalLovely~Kiss Me Hard Before You Go wrote: "Thanks Sandra & Steph! And thanks for the compliments on my review! It was more fan-girling than anything. I'm surprised you can even read it, it was was so incoherent."

If you're fan-girling I know it must be good. LOL. !!!

How are everyone's reads coming?

I am about 11% in to for the vampires shelf but so far, lol, no vamps! Which is fine by me. I am really liking it so far. Steph this seems like a series your husband would like.

I haven't started mine, I'm more than halfway through Forbidden by Jacki Frank then I will start it.

Cool. Thanks, Regina. I'll tell him about it. We've seen several in the series at the library, but never grabbed them.

I'm LOVIN' . The only thing I don't like is that I can't sit still long enough to read it. If I could'a, I would'a read it in one sitting. It makes up for the three year wait between releases. I'm about 30% into it.

Vampires Read:
Date Finished: October 9th
Rating: ★★★★☆
Review:

Unspoken's protagonist is Kami Glass, a 17-year-old resident of "Sorry-in-the-Vale" who's been regarded as eccentric for a long as she can remember for having an imaginary friend she talks to in her head. In the beginning of Unspoken, Kami (who's grandmother is Japanese, yay!) has gotten permission to start a school paper. Shortly afterwards, she meets Jared Lynburn. The infamous Lynburns are the founders of Sorry-in-the-Vale who have been absent until recently when twin sisters Rosalind & Lillian Lynburn take their families & move back to SITV from America. It turns out that Kami is not as crazy as everyone-and sometimes she herself-thinks because that imaginary guy she's shared everything with since birth? He's an actual real person and he's an Lynburn.

Unspoken is a mystery first and foremost. There are weird things going on in SITV, including animal mutilations & Kami & her friends Angela, Holly, Ash & Jared are determined to find out why and who. There's also the bigger mystery of what exactly are the notorious Lynburns. Unspoken is a very dark story full of angst and foreboding. What made it work so I wasn't drowning in apprehension was Brennan's sense of humor. This book was literally funny & scary at the same time. Yeah, the characters were sometimes flippant they should've been serious but it is my humble opinion that there was more than enough creepy, horrible WTFery in Unspoken, so the humor was a welcome respite.

There were a few things that Kami & company did that made my eyes twitch but for the most part I adored Unspoken. I warn you THERE IS A MASSIVE CLIFFHANGER. Some things at the end turned out how I expected them to but others were like Brennan's fist came through the book, punched me in the face & screamed "How you like dem apples, BIOTCH!" I don't like those apples at all, Brennan. I wish 2013 would hurry up & get here. *tear*

Shelf #4 Oct 7th: Vampires  6/6 Complete!
Heather ~ Marceline - Biting Cold 4★ 10/12 review
StephB - Fury's Kiss 5★ 10/12 review
LethalLovely - Unspoken 4★ 10/9 review
Amanda A - Atlantis Unmasked 3★ 10/13 review
Regina - Sandman Slim 4★ 10/13 review
Michelle - Provoked 4.5★ 10/12 review

Loved the review, LL. I've added it b/c of your comment, "This book was literally funny & scary at the same time." Love those kinda reads.

Heather, I'm definitely reading FK for my vamp book. I've got about 25% left to go. LOVING this book!

Thanks, Steph! I'd advise you to read this closer to the release of Untold because as I previously stated, there's a big freaking cliffhanger.

I'll never be a reviewer for NYT and the like because if I think a book sucks, I'm gonna say it. And because I curse too much. And I scream too much. And live life too much. And I (view spoiler)[play with my toes too much. (hide spoiler)] Ah well.

ROFL

LMAO! Thanks, LL. :)

Sorry Steph, I put those on back on Sunday and forgot to remove them when I copied and pasted last night. I saw that you were reading it the other day :) I will remove that when I get on my laptop next.

I am 11% into my book and loving it, hopefully I'llget it finished tonight or tomorrow.

Shelf: urban fantasy
Finished 10/11
5★

Magic Strikes was definitely my favorite book of the series so far. Since I am probably the only person who has not read these books yet, I won't summarize the plot. This book was an action-packed thrill ride that left me wanting more. This world Ilona Andrews has created is amazing. The romantic tension between Andrea and Raphael was hilarious as was the romance (or lack thereof) between Kate and Curran. The relationship between Kate and Curran is one of my favorites in any series and I love their banter and interactions. I enjoyed learning more about Kate's past and can't wait to see what happens next for her.

I am halfway through listening to Atlantis Unmasked. I will finish it tomorrow. I am liking it, but not loving it just yet.

I have requested our Urban Fantasy stamp!

Also, I'm almost done with Biting Cold, only about 50 pages to go. I have been taking my time reading it for two reasons. One, to take my time and really enjoy it since this is one of my favorite series, but also, because I buy these in pb to share with my mom and sister so it isn't quite as convenient to take with me wherever I go as my kindle so it takes a bit longer :)

Vampires



Read: 12/10
Rated: 4.5 Stars

My Review:

We rejoin the Kayrs brothers four years after the events in Consumed.

Kane is the midddle Kayrs brother and he's always seemed very straight laced, he's a scientist and if he can't measure something in a lab then it doesn't exist. However he is a Kayrs afterall and that means he is a trained warrior, his idea of fun is to hunt down werewolves. When Kane is charged with finding the Demon Destroyer there is a lot at stake. His baby brother, Jase was captured by the demons almost four years prior and has been tortured daily, they have no idea if they will find him alive or if his mind will survive. They need the Demon Destroyer's help to save him from captivity. When Kane finally tracks the Demon Destroyer down she is nothing like what he expected.

Amber is nearing the end of her shift at the bar when she feels someone watching her, she fels an instant attraction to the stranger but when he opens his mouth and starts talking about vampires and demons she thinks he belongs in the loony bin.

Can Kane win Amber's trust? Can the fiesty Amber get Kane to loosen up an believe in the unmeasurable?

I thorughly enjoyed this book, I loved seeing Kane so out of sorts when faced with Amber. She was perfect for him. My heart broke for Jase, he's been the Kayrs brother that has intrigued me from the start, I can't wait to get to know him better. The triangle between Janie, Kalin & Zane is really starting to get interesting. Now that Janie isn't a litte girl anymore. Their story is what the whole series is building for and it's going to be epic

Sorry ladies, somehow I missed all of these updates! I am loving my vamp read. Funny, vamps are only mentioned in passing. I should finish today.

No worries, Heather, just wanted to make sure ya knew. I've got to make time to gather my thoughts and write a review for it. Wouldn't do if I only said, "I f'in loved it!", yah? LOL!

Good review, Michelle. That's another one I've never read. Scientist + warrior? Sounds hot. ;)

Glad you're liking it, Regina. Hubby bought it, but hasn't started reading it yet.

CONGRATULATIONS, Twisted Tentacles!
We now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'urban-fantasy'. 

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

Good Job!! :D

Congrats on the stamp Twisteds!

I finished Biting Cold on 10/12 and give it 4 stars. I was really angry after reading Hard Bitten and frustrated and confused after Drink Deep. Parts of me feel the series made great strides redeeming itself and other parts are still waiting to see where this continues to go. Merit is a great lead. She is sassy, strong willed, a great fighter and willing to stand up for the entire city of Chicago. All of these make for great stories, but also spell trouble for the Cadogan House of vampires. With the GP watching them, being in the spotlight is not necessarily the best thing for the house.

I don't know how to hide spoilers, so for those of you that have read Hard Bitten and not Drink Deep, this limits my review, so I will avoid that topic completely. This book resolved some ongoing series issues. We finally found out what the former mayor Seth Tate was. Mallory dealt with her fallout from the previous book. We see what Merit's grandfather's crew is doing now that the new mayor has done away with their special team. I loved really taking my time reading this book. My only disappointment was that in Drink Deep, Merit spent a great deal of time getting to know her partner in the Royal Guard, and then suddenly in this book, he was almost completely absent, it was a bit jarring. She spent the entire book with her house members, and members of her grandfather's team. I felt there should have been more explanation for this change, I know there was an obvious reason, but I think the character should have dealt with it a bit more. Either way, I greatly enjoyed this book and look forward to more books!

I'm not reading it b/c of possible spoilers. But, yay on the rating! Promise to get my review up soon. Off to bed with me so I can get up in 6 or so hrs to see which shelf Mr. R has chosen for us this week.

WTG on our latest stamp!! Hope everyone has a nice day/night! :D

Lol Steph! It's actually an ARC of the next book in the same series as Consumed. I did enjoy it :)

I need to buy the new Dorina, you're all making me want to read it!

Shelf: vampires
Finished 10/13
3★

Atlantis Unmasked is a mediocre addition to the Warriors of Poseidon series. I had a little trouble getting into this book, mainly because it felt so disjointed. For some reason, Grace and Alexios did not resonate with me as much as the previous couples in earlier books. Grace is the leader of a rebellion against vampires after a pack of vamps killed her brother. Alexios, a tortured Warrior of Poseidon helps her with the task of stealing the Vampire's Bane. The Fae make an appearance which adds to the discord. To me, the romance between Alexios and Grace was rushed and the storyline was predictable. I plan to continue with the series and hope this book was just an anomaly. It seemed like the author used this book to set up for later books. I am most excited to read Alaric and Quinn's story coming out later this year.

I finished my vamp book!

Shelf Vampires
Date 10/13/12
Rating 4 stars (maybe 4.5)
Book Sandman Slim
Review


This book just completely blew me away! This is urban fantasy that I like -- completely different, completely new and with the exception of one small reveal at the very end -- completely original from start to finish. This is a book with an attitude and it comes with a lot of commentary and judgment - and not much romance. So beware.

Woo hoo, go team go! Based on Steph's earlier comment, I believe she is done with her Vamp book too, so it looks like we will be all caught up on shelf announcement day, yeah! Hope everyone is doing well. I'm home with a sick child, though, luckily he seems to be on the mend, but I had to miss the soccer game of my daughter because of it. Bright side was that I "had" to miss the errands we were running after the game. Because my hubby is her coach he had to be the one to go to the game. Instead, I am home, cleaning, and waiting for the shelf to be called so I can stop reading this horrible book I started last night...

I hope he feels better soon!

What book are you reading?

Ah Heather. I hope he feels better.

Shelf was called -- series catch up. Now I need to narrow down which series to catch up on, lol.

I need to think on this a little too!

With vamps and then series catch ups we just have a bunch of rows with 2. :) Game is still young though.

Okay, here is what I am thinking on:



Would this count? I am reading it for a book club, it is a memoir, but the author returns to sequel her first memoir:

Yes, Regina that would count.

Great! Thanks Sandra, two birds with one stone and all that (book club meets Thursday). So that is my pick:

Michelle, I was trying to read Simply Irrisistible by Rachel Gibson. I have been enjoying romances with sports leads or series about families where some of the sibilings are athletes, but not so sure about this one. I love the Kowalski series, the Play by Play series is pretty good, and have been enjoying the Sullivan series lately, even though they are a little short. I will revisit this one again soon, but the start was a little rocky. The lead female is a bit much to take, maybe I will warm up to her down the road :)

I will be reading for Series Catch-Up. I have been putting off reading this one, but since is coming out in March and this is finally out in pb I figure this is a good time to read this.

Yay for the new stamp & shelf! I'm going to read for Series Catch Up. I hope you enjoy your books, ladies!

Enjoy the book Lethal, I loved getting to read Jason's story!

I think I will go with Deliver me From Temptation by Tes Hilaire.

Heather, I haven't read that one. I liked the first Play by Play & Kowalski books though, I have the next ones in they series to read. I hope you find a better read for the shelf!

Regina wrote: "With vamps and then series catch ups we just have a bunch of rows with 2. :) Game is still young though."

Will we not have a 3 in a row when we get all our stamps? Or maybe I was dreaming :)

Michelle wrote: "Regina wrote: "With vamps and then series catch ups we just have a bunch of rows with 2. :) Game is still young though."

Will we not have a 3 in a row when we get all our stamps? Or maybe I was ..."

I see three in a row once we get series catch-up...

For Series Catch-up, I plan to read

Heather ~ Marceline wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Regina wrote: "With vamps and then series catch ups we just have a bunch of rows with 2. :) Game is still young though."

Will we not have a 3 in a row when we get all our stamps..."

Oh good -- sorry!

I am changing my series catch up book -- I will be reading

Regina wrote: "Heather ~ Marceline wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Regina wrote: "With vamps and then series catch ups we just have a bunch of rows with 2. :) Game is still young though."

Will we not have a 3 in a ro..."

No need! I was half sleeping this morning and on my phone, just wasn't sure :)

:D

I'm reading for 'Series Catch-up'. Hope everyone's enjoying their books and having a good week/end!

Fury's Kiss by Karen Chance

Series: Dorina Basarab #3
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Shelf: Vampires
Read: 12 Oct 2012
Review:
Fury's Kiss reunites fans of the series with Dory after a long, 2½ year wait. Dorina "Dory" Basarab is very unique. Not only is she dhampir, ½human, ½vampire, but she has also lived for five hundred years. The latter is especially unique because dhampirs are considered an abomination and they typically have a very short life expectancy. This is not only due to their mixed heritage, but also because they are prone to uncontrollable rages. Despite all of that, she's managed to live a long time while leading a very dangerous life as a mercenary for hire. Most of her life has been spent killing vampires. She's certainly never considered dating one, not until Louis-Cesare.

She notes, "... dhampirs don't have relationships. Dhampirs have the occasional one-night stand in between bouts of madness, in which they hope their partner doesn't piss them off and they end up eating his face. I think my max 'relationship' had lasted five days, and that had been an aberration. And this one had already lasted longer than that, if relationship was the term for two people who spent most of their time arguing and trying to kill each other."

Events that occurred in Death's Mistress changed things for them both. However, that doesn't stop her, in a murderous rage, from trying to kill him when he comes to rescue her after she's taken captive while on a mission for Mircea. During her debriefing, Marlowe demands answers. How did they lose a skilled vampire and how is it possible that "Eleven masters and one dhampir went out, and only the dhampir returned"? Only she cannot explain or answer any of his questions because she cannot remember. During Mircea's attempts to find the answers in her mind she discovers a great deal more than expected.

Ray, who we first met as a headless vampire in Death's Mistress, is back and he's stickin' close to Dory. He's whole once again and although he's scared outta his mind, he trusts Dory and is knowledgeable about smuggling and ley lines. Each of which is needed in this new threat they face.

The North American Senate has suffered losses during the war and now has seats to fill. Masters are gathering to watch and battle for those seats. Those chosen to fill them, in the end, is a surprise to everyone.

Ray was, once again, an absolute riot. As funny as he is, he's also stronger than many and braver than most. He's a wonderful addition to Dory's growing circle of friends. The relationship/tug-of-war between Dory and Louis-Cesare is a joy to read. They share some incredibly touching moments in FURY'S KISS. His willingness to show his vulnerabilities may be just what's needed to fully win her heart.

As with all of Chance's stories, FURY'S KISS is chock full of action. The books are much like a rickety roller-coaster - you're anxious to ride, but know once you get on you're at the mercy of the conductor and can do nothing but hold on tight until it's over. [I had so many favorite quotes and tried to share most of them as I was reading. They can be found in my status updates.] While this book answered many questions, it was a tease when it came to exploring all of Dory. (view spoiler)[I SO very much wanted to see more interaction between Dory and Dorina. The discovery of the Great Wall of D in her mind was fascinating. I'm intrigued by the possibilities and was hoping for some seriously wicked and badass wondertwin powers during battles once Dory had made the discovery. I'm hoping more will be revealed and explored along these lines in future books. The lack of further interaction did cause me to drop a ½★, but I'd already settled on a rating well above 5 so it didn't impact my overall GR rating. (hide spoiler)] I have HIGH hopes for book #4. Here's hoping the wait isn't nearly as long.

I have requested our Vampire stamp over on the thread. Steph, I am always sure to put our full name for your viewing pleasure :D Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Back to work tomorrow, ugghhh!

CONGRATULATIONS, Twisted Tentacles!
We now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'vampires'. 

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

Good Job!! :D