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R7: Team #12 ~ Naughty Nooners
message 51:
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~Leslie~
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Jun 02, 2013 10:09AM
Love your team name!!
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Thinking of you, Jackie. Thanks, Leslie. :)
Checking in. Finished my assassin book an hour of so ago and jumped right into my FS book. Stopped at the end of Chapter 10. Can't stay up all night.
LOL. Why not?????
Work? ;-) The one bright spot about the up coming furloughs is that I'll be able to stay up late Thursday nights and read all day Fridays. :-)
LOL!! Furloughs happening around here (base employees) too. Sorry to hear you're being hit, Christina, but happy you've found a bright spot. :)I finished both my ASSASSINS and FREE SPACE books. Reviews to follow. :D
Go, team, go!
BOOK: Blood Kin by M.J. Scott
SERIES: The Half-Light City #2
RATING: 3 stars
SHELF: Assassins
REVIEW:
Blood Kin focuses around Holly and Guy, Simon's brother. We first met Guy, Simon and Lily, his wraith fiancée, in Shadow Kin. Unlike Simon who is a master healer, Guy is a Templar Knight and uninterested in romance or relationship. All that changes when Holly, a half-fae spy, literally falls into his lap. Since the Blood Lord's death things have changed. Despite Lucius' vicious nature, during his reign as Blood Lord the Night World had some degree of stability. Now, the treaty that sets laws for Humans, Fae, Blood (vampires) and Beast (shifters) is on the verge of fracturing.
While on her quest for the answers her father demands, Holly meets Guy. As a spy, a Templar is the last person she wants to be involved with, but he is Simon's brother and this may prove useful. What starts off as a joint search for answers slowly turns into a mutual desire to protect each other at all costs.
MJ Scott has created an interesting world where these four races struggle to find balance. This installment is half historical-ish romance, half spy novel. Although this is not the first book in series, the author does a great job of blending the events of book 1, Shadow Kin, into this story, so those new to the series will not be lost.
BOOK: Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh
SERIES: Psy-Changelings #12
RATING: 5 stars
SHELF: Free Space
REVIEW:
How does one review a book such as this without giving away anything? Spoiler tags! I've broken my tags into parts. Each part reveals a bit more than the one before it. Fret not, I've noted before each tag just what you'll find when you open your pressie. Read those you wish and skip the others. But, whatever you do ... READ THIS BOOK!
Initial thoughts after finishing the book ~
Nalini has once again proven herself to be an amazing storyteller. Having no idea what or who the story would be about, I dove into the Heart of Obsidian anxious to explore its depths ... I had no idea the beauty I'd find there. Hang onto you hearts, P-C fans, you're about to be won over by an unexpected & surprisingly tender soul.
To read my spoilers, check out my full review here. :D
Fun Fact:
Just how many times was BLACK or OBSIDIAN used throughout the book?
(view spoiler)
Way to go, Steph!I'm taking a short break from HoO -- I'm typing this on my phone. I'll link everything after I finish the book. Starting chap 33. Less than 100 pages. :-)
Hey all just checking in. I was hoping to make some serious progress in my books today however my mechanic has decided my day off should be otherwise. Got some news yesterday that my car needs major repairs and to fix it would be waaaaay more than its worth so now we are just replacing it. Therefore the good news is I'm getting a new car! Bad news is I have to finance said new car :/ off to a day of test drives I go!
Test drives are fun!I should be done with my book sometime tomorrow.
I've updated Msg #15 (linked up Steph's reviews and prepped for mine). I don't think I've missed anything, but I've been wrong before. ;)Step said: "LOL!! Furloughs happening around here (base employees) too. Sorry to hear you're being hit, Christina, but happy you've found a bright spot. :)"
~ I try not to complain. I'm lucky to have a job, one I love, and I'm in a better financial situation than some. This command was "base-realigned" to Fort Knox -- some of those who made the move still own homes back in VA/MD/DC Area, St. Louis, or Indianapolis.
Re: Blood Kin: "Although this is not the first book in series, the author does a great job of blending the events of book 1, Shadow Kin, into this story, so those new to the series will not be lost."
~ This is good to know. I read the first book ( and enjoyed it) some time ago.
Going to work on my reviews. I think I'll tackle the Heart of Obsidian review first.
Hope you had fun test driving cars, Kari! Sorry to hear you'll have to buy a new one. That's always a fun, yet stressful adventure.Wow, Christina, that's crazy. Hang in there. Hope you're not out for too long.
Hope you enjoy Blood Kin. I liked it more than I'd thought I would, but I still liked #1 more. I really liked Lily, the wraith in the first book.
Enjoy, Nikita, that's one of my favorites in the series. Jason ... *sigh* LOL!
SHELF SHELF SHELF >;)
Steph wrote: "Wow, Christina, that's crazy. Hang in there. Hope you're not out for too long. ..."The SecDefmanaged to cut the number of days from 22 to 11. So, instead of 1 furlough day a week for 22 weeks, it's 11. It doesn't start until 8 July.
FREE SPACE - Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh - ★★★★ - 6 Jun 13
Like the others have done so far, I'm going to avoid spoilers for this book, but there may be spoilers for the previous 11.
I had a bit of trouble deciding on a rating. Though by no means was this book a let-down for me, it also wasn't a favorite. I love the world Ms. Singh created and it held my attention to the end -- I did stay up past midnight to finish it (12:18, to be exact -- I had to look at my phone because I didn't know what time it was!) -- but it was missing some things that I liked from earlier books. I didn't rate it lower because I understood why all the focus was on the main couple (besides the fact it is a romance).
This couple's journey to their HEA was not going to be an easy one and the author had to show every step or run the risk of it being completely unconvincing. I think I would have been frustrated with the story had the focus shifted around more than it did.
I missed the humor and the camaraderie that was present in earlier books. There was some, but not to the same extent. With a hero so cold and remote, he makes Judd look bubbly in comparison, there wasn't going to be a lot of laughing and joking. And the Changelings weren't in the book long enough to pick up the slack.
One thing I did like seeing was that the groups still came together, when needed, to combat the Pure Psy: Nikita, Anthony, Krycheck and the Arrows, Lucas, Hawke and the other Changeling packs. Kycheck has the Arrows hunting down the new leader of the Pure Psy. Whenever they (Pure Psy) strike, Krycheck personally helps with the rescue/recovery efforts. Ming even makes an appearance, which nobody in their right mind would trust his motives for lending a helping hand.
Speaking of Ming, I'm guessing he won't be among the living much longer. A certain former Arrow and protective uncle has him in his sights.
I've never done a series re-read, but I'm seriously thinking about doing that sometime in the near future.
Daaaamn. That sucks.Great review! :D
I missed the humor and the camaraderie that was present in earlier books. There was some, but not to the same extent. With a hero so cold and remote, he makes Judd look bubbly in comparison, there wasn't going to be a lot of laughing and joking. And the Changelings weren't in the book long enough to pick up the slack.
Ditto. I so love the changelings and it was hard not having them mixed in the story. But, like you said, it was good that she wrote it so heavy on the book's couple b/c it was necessary to be believable.
Speaking of Ming, I'm guessing he won't be among the living much longer. A certain former Arrow and protective uncle has him in his sights.
You can run .... LOL!
Well ladies it was 2 days of lots of stress and number/budget crunching but I'm now the proud owner of a new Mazda. Maybe now that adventure is done I can settle down and do some serious reading
Congrats Kari!!!!What model and colour did you get?
It's a black Mazda 3. Its such a massive upgrade from my last car that I don't even know what to do!
Woohoo! Congrats, Kari! :D
B4 : Assassins - The Better Part of Darkness - ★★★★ - 4 Jun 13
The main character, Charlie Madigan, is a cop. She has a tendency to piss off the bad guys in her quest to keep Atlanta safe. Nine months previously, she was killed and brought back. She's been having nightmares and isn't sleeping well.
Her partner, Hank, is an "off-worlder". He's a siren from Elysia, which means he has to wear a special voice modifier because his natural voice has such an effect on people, they'd flock to him. Hank and Charlie have a strong bond and care about each other, but I didn't get the impression in this book that their relationship was headed in an intimate direction.
In fact, unlike most UF I've read, I couldn't confidently say, "This guy's going to be her lover at some point". Will, her ex-husband is trying to get back together with her -- which is very unlikely to happen, given the events of the book. There's a mage who helps Charlie but he's more interested in her sister. Being with Rex would be too awkward -- I don't see it as a possibility at all. And then there's Carreg. If he'd been in the book more, and interacted with Charlie more, I'd say he was the most likely candidate. He reminds me of the Ghost, from the Psy-Changeling series.
I thought the book moved pretty quick. There's a lot of action. Charlie has no problem going toe-to-toe with jinn bodyguards. Sometimes I think she's too reckless, but part of that I think stems from what was done to her when she was revived. Early in the book, she seriously considers taking a desk job, but she made a promise to someone and she can't go back on it.
I'm glad I finally read this book. I really like the world the author created. I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
Kari, Nikita, Jackie -- How's the reading coming along? Looks like Team 15 is the first to request a stamp for "assassins".
New car! What fun for you, Kari! Christina, sorry I'm clueless, but what ARE furlough days? I've heard some friends mention/complain about them, but not sure what they are...like a mandated day-off?
Judithe wrote: "New car! What fun for you, Kari! Christina, sorry I'm clueless, but what ARE furlough days? I've heard some friends mention/complain about them, but not sure what they are...like a mandated da..."
Yep. Non-paid days off. Since our pay periods are 14 calendar days, that's 20% less in pay per pay period. There will be one pay period that has only 1 furlough day, and only be 10%. The last pay period of FY 2013 is 21 September, so that's why it starts in July.
Book Sliver-Tongued Devil
Rating ★★★
Read 6/8/2013
For me this one was slow paced, but still good.
Sabina is trying to settle into a quiet and calm life when a couple of murders happen and she is assigned to help find the killer.
The storyline kind of fizzles out and she is then focused on helping her sister heal.
It was nice to see some of the people she met in the last book meet up with her again in this book as well.
The latter part of the book does pick up so that's a bonus.
The only reason I give this 3 stars is because it just wasn't as action packed as I would of liked it to be, overall a good read though and I look forward to reading the last book.
For Book Boyfriends I am going to read
I am trying to read books I already have on my Kindle.
Thanks for the explanation, Christina. Not such a happy sitch at all...
You're welcome, JuditheJackie - got it. :)
As for my pick...I was going to read
. But I've decided that will be the back up if my other pick doesn't work for me.I'll be reading
.
Christina (AKA Babbling) wrote: "You're welcome, JuditheJackie - got it. :)
As for my pick...I was going to read
. But I've decided that will be the back up if my other pick doesn't work fo..."I loved
Christina.I'll be reading either
or
. Depends on which one I can get to first.
For this shelf I think I will read
. Lots of options to start a new series, but, for now, I think I'll go with a new-in-series book I have been waiting for and recently got. I have had Better Part on my TBR shelf for quite awhile. I liked your review - sounds like one I should move up on the list.
Happy Reading, Naughty Nooners. May we all enjoy our time with our bookie boyfriends. :)
Updated Msg #76 for "book boyfriends".Nikata -- Since I'm half way through Shatter Me, it looks like I'll be reading the Julie James book next. I've been looking forward to reading it since meeting Kyle in the previous one. :)
Steph -- Thanks! :) I really liked the fact that there wasn't an obvious love interest or, you know, a love triangle.
Jackie M wrote: "For free space I am gong to read 
"Got it.
I10 : Book Boyfriends - Shatter Me - ★★★★ - 9 Jun 13
Despite the unusual writing techniques (strikeouts, overabundance of metaphors, etc.), it was an easy read for me and held my interest.
I am interested in seeing what happens next. Though I wouldn't classify the ending as a cliffhanger, it ended just when things were looking up for Juliette and Adam. I wanted to know more about the place they've found refuge in, and more about the others who live there. I also want to know why certain people are unaffected by Juliette's deadly touch.
(Takes a break, looks up the rest of the books)
Hmmm...Well, that was a mistake. Or not. Knowing what's in book 2, I've put it on my Paperback Swap wishlist instead of ordering it new.
I really like that series. I know the author's writing should be a major turn-off for me, but for some reason it's not. I'm a big Adam fan, so I was super surprised at how much I enjoyed Warner's story, Destroy Me.
Steph wrote: "I really like that series. I know the author's writing should be a major turn-off for me, but for some reason it's not. I'm a big Adam fan, so I was super surprised at how much I enjoyed Warner..."I agree about the writing. I wouldn't attempt to read two books, back-to-back, with the same style.
I thought Warner was the perfect villain for the series. When I took that break in writing, I was looking to see if the ss/novella should be read before the second book or could be skipped, I went intending to avoid spoilers. Well, some GR reviews are hardly subtle even when they avoid spoilers, and my Spidey senses started to tingle. I started reading the spoilers and had a severe knee-jerk reaction to what I was reading. The last time that happened, that stands out in my memory, was when I was reading reviews for Shadowflame. The difference in the two situations is that I LOVED the first Shadow World book -- I still have it and might even re-read it someday, but I knew I would not be able to read the 2nd book. I LIKED Shatter Me and was interested in seeing where it went, but I was not invested, emotionally, to the same extent. If I get the 2nd, it will be either free or from PBS (I'm #82 on the wishlist, it could be a long wait).
Oh, and I really liked Adam, too. :)
I couldn't read them back-to-back either. No way!Yeah, I completely understand. I pushed through and have read up to book 2, including the short between the two. So, I'll keep on going with it. Maybe by the time your called up on PBS you'll wanna read it, maybe not. I see why some would stop after reading some spoilers (hate when that happens!).
:D
BTW - I finished my BB book and loved it! I'll be posting my review as soon as I can. Go, team, go!
I've finished my Book Boyfriends book Hard Evidence, I've got my uni exams this week so I'll have my review up sometime during the weekened.
Good luck w/your exams, Nikita!
Hello, team! Some notes from your captain:1. Moved the BB info from MSG #76 to MSG #15. Steph -- I already added the stars, since I saw your rating in the updates feed.
2. I've added a link to Judithe's lovely spreadsheets (also in MSG #15, at the top of the post). Already, Mr. Randomizer is showing some favoritism. ;)
3. A little worried that Kari may have been eaten alive by A Game of Thrones. Or maybe it's that new car. ;)
4. Good Luck, Nikita! :D
5. Steph, I've got to read Binding the Shadows. Oh, and the novella (keep forgetting I have it). :D
Hey all. Sorry I wasn't eaten alive, weekends are rough around here as I work in retail so I essentially never get weekends off. I'm currently plugging away at clash of kings (900 pages takes awhile!) but I'm almost there! I will pick a book boyfriends book soon.
Thanks, Cap, for all your hard work keeping us organized and on track!I definitely recommend the series, it's quickly become one of my favorites. :) Review up next.
LOL Kari! 900 pages -- ick!
Binding the Shadows by Jenn Bennett
Series: Arcadia Bell #3
Shelf: Book Boyfriends
Read: 11 Jun 2013
Rating: ★★★★★
Review:
I love the part of the blurb that says, Renegade mage and bartender Cady Bell has had a rough year, but now the door to her already unstable world is coming completely unhinged, because it's so damned fitting.
In Binding the Shadows, Cady faces many different challenges in all areas of her life. Professionally, her bar gets robbed by some Earthbounds with tricked out abilities and she's had it with Dare's (the head of the Hellfire Club) demands. Personally, she's about to face the in-laws (Lon's former mother-in-law and sister-in-law), her Moonchild abilities are strengthening (which excites and scares her), and her relationship with Lon and Jupe is closer than ever.
"Show me what's wrong and we will fix it."This series gets better and better with each book. The family unit Jenn has created between Cady, Lon and Jupe is one to be envied. The action throughout each book is interesting (without a doubt), but it's the relationships that keep me coming back and wanting more.
"Sometimes you do stupid things for people you love."Everything changes in Binding the Shadows. There's a major cliffhanger ending, but it fit. It didn't feel forced or intentionally cruel. That doesn't make it any less painful though, especially when we have another 11 months to wait before book 4, Crossing the Æthyr is due out.
Oh no, I didn't want to hear there is a cliffhanger :(
Yeah, the closer to the end of the book I got, the more obvious it became that there was a big cliff up ahead. LOL! DO NOT read my "notes to self" in my full review before reading the book. Serious spoilers throughout. Hope you still read it in July b/c I wanna chat about it. :) Sucks the next one isn't out until middle of 2014. Bleh!
Kari said: "Hey all. Sorry I wasn't eaten alive, weekends are rough around here as I work in retail so I essentially never get weekends off. I'm currently plugging away at clash of kings (900 pages takes awhile!) but I'm almost there! I will pick a book boyfriends book soon.~ I didn't know if you got much reading time in when you were dealing with your car troubles and I knew they were big books. :D I figured that you had your nose stuck in a book and that's why you hadn't been around the last few days (aka, 'eaten alive').
Good to know that about your schedule... I'll keep that in mind and not worry if you don't check in on the weekend. I have to keep reminding myself that you are NOT the team member in New Zealand. That would be Nikita. :)
Btw, are you near/in the path of the fires? Just saw a headline on CNN. 55 squares and 9,000 people evacuated.
---
Steph - It's a favorite of mine, too. :)
SOS: Serious Overload of Series
Books mentioned in this topic
Kiss of Midnight (other topics)The Darkest Craving (other topics)
The Darkest Touch (other topics)
Lord of the Abyss (other topics)
The Darkest Craving (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
J.D. Robb (other topics)Samantha Young (other topics)
Philippa Carr (other topics)
Jeaniene Frost (other topics)
Nalini Singh (other topics)
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