SOS: Serious Overload of Series discussion
Archive: Past Team Challenges
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R6: Team #10 ~ Twisted Tentacles {Winning Team}
"A very unhappy Michelle... " I bet! Thanks. Yeah, I was hoping it'd be that way for me. I really liked Risa in RJ series, so I figured I'd like the spin-off. The first book was okay for me, but I think I went into it with real high expectations. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series. I noticed some of the same similarities.
Our new shelf has been posted and it is a personal shelf to favorite author so you can read any 200+ page book by one of your favorite authors.
I will be reading
by G.A. Aiken/Shelley Larenston (I got that right, right? Just had quite a few beers and not firing on all cylinders and now sitting in a very quiet movie theater waiting for our movie to start :D )
LOL! Enjoy the movie. Turn your phone off. ;)I've got quite a few choices. Need to pick one though. I'll be away from my computer today. Hope everyone has a good one!
For this shelf, any book (200+ pgs) by one of your favorite authors is allowed. Re-reads are okay. You don't have to have it on your GR bookshelf, just add it as currently reading and you're good to go. :)
Sorry for taking so long in reading my first BSB book. I've been reading extremely slowly this month (I've usually read 11 by the 2nd & I'm only at #7 in Sept.). Yeah, it has a lot to do with school & work biting chunks out of me, but forcing myself to read a shitty book doesn't help either. I'll try to get my books finished in an adequate amount of time in the future.Free SpaceRead:
Date Finished: September 22nd
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Review:
ABS is the story of Quinn, a woman in her late 20s who works in a lab in D.C. She lives with her brother Zach who she claims to adore so much but who in return treats with absentminded distance. The meaty part of ABS starts early in when both Quinn & Zach are sucked into an alternative D.C. through a sunbeam while looking for Zach's bestfriend, Lily, who they believe is missing.
ABS is mostly told through Quinn's eyes with the occasional POV of Arturo & Zach. Because of this, I learned a lot about her personality and I've got to say that she is one of the most idiotic bitches I've had the misfortune to read about. The parallel universe of D.C. (called Vamp City) is inhabited with vicious vampires who drink not only blood but feed on emotions (pain & fear so far). They treat the humans that stumble in (or are taken in) like the worse of slaves, feeding off of, torturing, raping & killing with thoughtless perversity. They think it's okay because they're able to erase the humans & Slavas (humans who've been in VC so long, they've become immortal) minds of the horrific things that are done to them.
Quinn of course immediately falls head over heels for the vamp that "saved" her, Arturo. I couldn't believe how attracted she was & turned on by him from the very beginning. I couldn't fathom how she could see how malicious & dangerous these vamps were (including Arturo) & still melted for him (and no, they couldn't erase Quinn's mind for spoilery reasons). Arturo IS a bad vampire. Maybe not as sadistic as the head vamp Cristoff (there's a lovely scene where he's raping a woman with barbwire wrapped around his penis O_o) but in some ways worse because he doesn't hesitate to smile in your face while stabbing you in the back. Arturo did not hide who & what he was from Quinn, or his unwavering loyalty to Cristoff, yet Quinn's still tingly in her lady-bits for him....and why? WHY? True, he said he'd protect her from other vamps but he also said he'd stand back & watch the worse vamp of all do whatever the fuck he wanted to her, so does the former really matter? ABS consists of Quinn looking for her brother & flirting with Arturo & I'm telling you, the latter did nothing for me. Maybe it would've worked for me if she'd developed feelings for Arturo later on after learning more about him but to feel arousal & attraction from the beginning KNOWING how vicious he & the other vamps are BECAUSE they've done horrible things to YOU and the humans around you? I....I can't even.
2 stars. I might pick up the 2nd book because of the cliffhanger at the end but then again, I might not. I don't give two shits about any main character in this series as of now.
I'm going to read
for Favorite Author. Probably not a good idea after the WTFery of ABS but I'm hoping the much adored Hill will remind me how wonderful a vampire anti-hero can be when he's written right. I've also started
for my Kick-ass Heroine shelf.
Thank you for the better description of the shelf Steph, I was on my phone, and I am awful at typing on it so I was keeping it short and sweet to avoid any major typos. I originally picked my other book because I thought I had it checked out from the library, but actually I bought that one from Amazon on the cheap and not really feeling up for reading about an angsty dragon this week, so instead I am going to read about a kidnapped Argeneau :D I am changing my book to
for Favorite Author, Lynsay Sands.
Shelf #2 Sept 23rd: Favorite Author 6/6 Complete!Heather ~ Marceline - The Lady is a Vamp 4★ 9/24 review
StephB - Archangel's Storm 5★ 9/30 review
LethalLovely - Death's Mistress 5★ 10/3 review
Amanda A - Tangled Threads 4★ 10/7 review
Regina - Dust & Decay 5★ 10/3 review
Michelle - Nexus 5★ 9/25 review
I've heard from a few people that A Blood Sedution was disappointing, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it. I have it on my tbr to read one day.I am going to read
for Favourite Author, I just read the second one in the trilogy and it catapulted CL right up the ranks. I need to know how the trilogy ends :)
Lethal I am sorry your choice was so painful to get through, I hope you like your next pick better. Nothing worse than being busy and you can't even escape into a good book!My choice for favorite author shelf is
Thank you very much for the sympathy ladies. Seraphina is a much better read in comparison to A Blood Seduction. Then again, I think the freaking Dictionary would be an improvement over that hot mess.
I finished The Lady is a Vamp on 9/24/12 and give it 4 stars. I don't have a lot to write about this one. I never am too much of a review writer, sorry ladies. I enjoyed the book. This series is always a fun read, always a bit predictable, but in a wonderful way. You know you can count on thoroughly enjoying the story, love the characters and how they fall in love. This book lived up to all of that and was one of my favorites until the end. Parts of the end dragged on a bit for me or I might have given it a higher rating. Jeane Louise, the immortal, is kidnapped by Paul, the mortal, in hopes of saving his five year old daughter with terminal cancer. He hopes Jeane Louise will turn his daughter, but does not realize each immortal only gets one turn. A plan is made, but of course said plan hits a snag. Besides this bit of frustration, this was a great book and I continue to love this series.
Favourite Author
5★ 25/9CL has firmly installed herself amongst my favourite authors with this installment which is set 21 yrs after the end of Cataclysm. It was nice to catch up with everyone again.
This book had everything I love in a book from a kick ass heroine to a sexy hunk. The plot held me right to the end and I was kept guessing as to who a certain someone was and their motives. It had a bittersweet ending though, have some tissues handy!
I am sorry to see the trilogy end but I can't wait to find out what CL has in store for us next, it's been an awesome journey and CL has grew as a writer throughout these books, I hope she continues to master her craft. I'll certainly be buying her next book.
Shelf: kick ass heroine
Finished 9/24
4★
Overall, I enjoyed this book and it was another solid addition to the Horngate Witches series. The first half seemed to move along too slowly for my taste but the action picked up in the second half. The story was also a little confusing with the alternating POVs between Max and Alexander in separate adventures. After being taken by Scooter at the end of Crimson Wind, Max finds herself in Chadare helping him to survive. Meanwhile, Alexander is in Horngate dealing with the birth of a Fury. I was happy to see Alexander step up as Prime in Max's absence. I was also glad that Max and Alexander finally took their relationship to the next level. I enjoyed the development of Giselle's character and it will be interesting to see where her relationship with Max is headed now that they are no longer bonded together. I have enjoyed each book in this series and will continue with it to see what adventure is next for Max and the gang.
Hi team! Sorry I have been such a slacker lately. I promise to pick up the pace going forward.I plan to read
for the free space (from the SOS bookshelf). For favorite author, I plan to read
.
My free space shelf book is
Shelf 1 Complete!Shelf #1 Sept 16th: Kick-Ass-Heroine 6/6
Heather ~ Marceline -Kiss of Snow 4.5★ 9/16 review
StephB -Haunted 4★ 9/18 review
LethalLovely- Seraphina 4★ 9/25 review
Amanda A- Shadow City 4★ 9/24 review
Regina -Easy 4.5★ 9/16 review
Michelle -Gunmetal Magic 4★ 9/17 review
Kick Ass Heroine Read:
Date Finished: September 25th
Rating: ★★★★☆
Review:
Seraphina is a young adult fantasy novel told from the POV of the heroine....Seraphina (titlefail). Seraphina harbors a dangerous & stressful secret: she is part Dragon. Where she lives, in the kingdom of Gorredi (or something like that) Dragons & humans made an agreement to be peaceful & it has lasted for 40 years. Still, lots of humans are prejudiced & disgusted towards Dragons-& the feeling is mutual. So Seraphina, our 16-year-old protagonist, gets a job as a musician's assistant at the castle & finds herself rubbing elbows with royalty. She becomes good friends with the Princess, Glisselda & the bastard Prince, Kiggs who is also Captain of the Guard. She doesn't want to lie to them about her parentage but she knows that if she tells them, she not only endangers her own life but the life of her father & his family.
Seraphina was really good. It wasn't nonstop action which worked in it's favor IMO. Seraphina spent this book trying to unveil the mystery of who is trying to assassinate members of the royal family. She also discovers more about her deceased mother & her dragon half. Along the way she has help from her dragon uncle Orma (LOVED HIM!), Kiggs & unlikely friends related to her dragon gifts. There's also some romance going on but it didn't eclipse the story like so many YA's are prone too & the end result was extremely plausible, which I am grateful for. The ending of Seraphina wraps up nicely. There weren't any cliffhangers but the possibility of more discoveries, fun & intrigue is more than enough to have me salivating, waiting for Dracomachia.
I have requested our stamp for Shelf #1
WOOHOO! Go, team, go! Oh, wait, I'm laggin' behind. LOL @ my-pathetic-self. ;) I am swamped with finals, but here's that status of my reads. And, YAY on our forthcoming stamp! Free space book: Girl of Nightmares; READ 3.5★; review to come shortly.
Favorite Author book: Archangel's Storm; currently reading.
WTG, Team!
Yay team! Steph good luck with your tests.
CONGRATULATIONS, TTs! <--- hehe TTs ;)We now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'kick-ass-heroine'.
[Our updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Good Job!! :D
Regina wrote: "Yay team! Steph good luck with your tests."Go, team, go! :)
Thanks, Regina!
Congrats on the stamp Twisteds!
So my free space book is suprrisingly good. I am not sure why this author does't get more attention:
Thanks, Sandra!I've heard that before, Regina. I've moved that one up on my list, but still haven't gotten to it. Looking forward to your review.
I've added it to the TBR, as well as fixing the covers ;D
Yay for our first stamp, team!I'm looking forward to your review of GoN, Steph. I adored ADIB but I keep hearing that GoN suffers from SequelFail. =(
Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake
Series: Anna #2 (final book in duology?)
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Read: 25 Sept 2012
Shelf: Free Space
Located @: SOS bookshelf
Review:
Six months after Anna's sacrifice [in Anna Dressed in Blood] to save his life, Cas still can't let her go. It doesn't help any that he's still seeing her - only this time she's the Girl of Nightmares. She appears to him while he's sleeping and awake and each time he sees her being tortured. That can't be right though ... can it? He has to rescue her. Others aren't so certain, I mean think of all the people she killed.
"Tell me again why you're going through all this ... Why all this trouble, for a dead girl?"
"That dead girl saved our lives."
Cas is having a hard time and refuses to let it go. No one can convince him that Anna is where she is supposed to be. His continued obsession with Anna is throwing off his ghost-hunting game. He is still a bit leery of the athame, but that doesn't stop him from heading out of town when Daisy, one of Cas' tipsters, calls about a ghost killing bums in an abandoned factory.
His skin is black as a struck match, cracked and oozing liquid metal heat, like he's covered by a cooling layer of lava. The eyes stand out bright white. I can't make out from this distance whether they're just white or if they have corneas. God I hope they have corneas. I hate that creepy weird-eye shit.
Kendare Blake writing brings the spooky to life. The Suicide Forest scene was deliciously eerie. Anna is one of my favorite characters, so it was hard not having her be a bigger part of the story. However, we did get lots of answers. Answers to those burning questions that formed while reading Anna Dressed in Blood. And, we get to meet the infamous Gideon when the party travels to London. It was there that the book really became a fun read for me. Pre-London - Cas is moping, school is letting out for the summer, Thomas and Carmel are trying to snap Cas out of his funk, and here and there we get some wicked visions of Anna. Post-London - the group meets up with Jestine, who is like the female version of Cas, they get their game faces on, and the party really starts.
I would have liked a more evenly paced read, but I thoroughly enjoyed this spooky, romantic, dark-humor-filled duology and will recommend it to anyone interested in a good ghost story. And,I look forward to reading future books by Kendare Blake.
I'm only 15% into my book for 'Favorite Author', but I'm enjoying it so far. Hope everyone's having a great week! How's the reading going? Ready for the next shelf? Which one will Mr. R pick?
Steph wrote: " I can't make out from this distance whether they're just white or if they have corneas. God I hope they have corneas. I hate that creepy weird-eye shit."I'm killing myself here, tears are dripping. ROFLMAO!!!
I am so ready for the next shelf! Trying to read a few challenge books just now to catch up a little. I have a ton of review books to do though so I should really read them instead.Good luck with your finals, Steph.
I am pretty relaxed today, I left the kids with my Dad yesterday and Mum and I went for a facial and a hot stone body massage. It was heaven!
Happy reading everyone. :)
That does sound good Michelle!!
I just love Kendare's cover art. I think they are the best covers out there. Great review Steph. I have been busy with heavy stuff at work and damnit - - haven't been able to listen to my audio book which is how I am reading the favorite author shelf. Tomorrow I have a long drive, so I think I will get some listening in tomorrow and I should be done with this shelf by Monday. I am almost done with my free space and really liking it! It is funny, interesting and funny!
Steph I cannot wait for the next shelf call! Which is silly since I am still finishing up my free space and favorite author. ;) What will it be? What will it be?!! LOL, I love the anticipation. :)
I finished my free space shelf book. It was good!ShelfFree Space
BookDisappearing Nightly
Rating3.5 stars
Date9/28/12
Review
I really enjoyed this book! Lately, urban fantasy is hit or miss with me. This book held my interest through the entire book and that is saying a lot. The dialogue is witty, the characters are well developed, and the world is more urban than fantasy -- but still fun.
The setting is NYC among actors and various types of performers. The feel of the book is funny crime fiction that intersects with the magic world. The set up and scenes are funny and then the interactions with the characters is funny. The characters are slowly introduced with time to get to know each one. And nothing happens too easily or swiftly.
For romance lovers there is a hint of attraction and romance, but no true satisfaction is had. This is a fun, quick read and I just don't understand why this series and author do not receive more attention.
Steph wrote: "Girl of Nightmares by Kendare BlakeSeries: Anna #2 (final book in duology?)
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Read: 25 Sept 2012
Shelf: Free Space
Located @: SOS bookshelf
Review:
Six months after Anna's..."
Great review, Steph! It appears GoN wasn't as awesomesauce as ADIB but at least it wasn't an epic fail.
I know the shelf hasn't been called yet but I am hoping I can work one of these in:
Shelf was called (Steph I hope you are okay???), Urban fantasy: http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/u...
Regina wrote: "Shelf was called (Steph I hope you are okay???), Urban fantasy: http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/u..."I second that!
I really want to read
so I checked and one person has shelved it as urban fantay - yipee! I almost started it earlier but Hubby surprised me by taking me out for dinner :)
Hi, teamies! All safe. No power (24 hrs and counting), which blows, but otherwise fine. About 2-3 chapters left in my fave author read and then I'll pick for the UF shelf. Phone's about to die so I'll be offline till powers back. Happy reading, everyone!
I am reading
for the urban fantasy shelf.
Ooooh, Regina! I am SO jealous you got your hands on an ARC of TSD. Ah, the good days when I was a blogger for BABR & enjoyed the goodies that came with it. ^_^I'm changing my Favorite Author book. Vampire Mistress is nowhere close to being a bad book but I'm just not feeling it right now. I'm going to reread
instead since the much anticipated Fury's Kiss comes out Oct. 2nd. For Urban Fantasy I'm reading
. It's about ZOMBIES. ERMAHGERD! *fangirl squee*
Lethal, looking forward to what you think of your book this week. I have been wanting to try a zombie book, but I rarely come across one that sounds good. It was the only book that I never read on the Serial Addict Challenge this year, and I know there are good ones out there, just not sure what one to try.Team... I show we are only missing one book on the Free Space and four on our Favorite Author shelf. If I have missed anyone's reviews please let me know, there is a lot to keep up on. Hope everyone is enjoying your books!
Heather ~ Marceline wrote: "Lethal, looking forward to what you think of your book this week. I have been wanting to try a zombie book, but I rarely come across one that sounds good. It was the only book that I never read o..."Thanks, Heather! I ♥ zombies, whether they're on TV, in movies or books. I even have a GR shelf titled "I Lob Teh Zombehs". Out of the ones I've read, I'd recommend Feed, Warm Bodies & Nightshifted.
I absolutely loved This is not a Test! That is a good book. I imagined it taking place in my highschool the entire time.There are definite perks to blogging. I feel guilty because I am not loving The Shattered Dark so far, hopefully it picks up.
SOS: Serious Overload of Series
Books mentioned in this topic
The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf (other topics)Dragon Actually (other topics)
About a Dragon (other topics)
Wolf's Glory (other topics)
Mate Claimed (other topics)
More...
I'm really sorry you read it out of order, I really hate that. It happened to me a couple of weeks ago and I got really annoyed that it was on purpose! The stupid publisher released book 5 after book 2 - doesn't that make sense?! So I sat down to read an arc of book 3 only to get really confused because all the characters suddenly had partners, there was reference to things I had no clue about...
A very unhappy Michelle...