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WEEK 7 - WOW: BABY / Bonus - Hotel/motelDOUBLE WORD WEEK
I have all the letters, and all have both WOW and bonus word.
Preference is for "B" (because that's the one that's due back at the library first)
... but I can also read "Y" or "A"
Oops .... Y book is due first! But I can still take a B or an A
Diana & Vicky .. what are your preferences?
Flag & Mask WeekRead
by Andrew O'HaganMy Letter: L
Finished: 8/29/13
Rating: 3.5 ★★★
My Review:
Maf is Marilyn Monroe's pet given to her by Frank Sinatra. And what a life they lived! Not only do you get a glimpse of Marilyn's personal life. But also, the ins and outs of Hollywood and some details of the Kennedy clan. All through the observations of this smart little dog. I give this book 3.5 stars***!
Bonus:
Mask
'A beautiful song about how we miss our homeland when we are far away,' said Madame Rupa, mixing a special mask for Marilyn out of Bayer aspirin. p.200
Flag
Bless her, though: the old lady loved my own great- greatfather Phiz, and was said to have feathered his basket with a red flag the day after Trotsky was attacked in that Mexican Villa. p.7
Oh ... just noticed that Week 7 is also DOUBLE word week. Oh, BABY!
Diana S wrote: "I'll be reading:
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp SendkerThe book has both words! :)"
Read it earlier this year ... I liked it.
I can take the B. I actually have books with both bonuses for all 4 letters this week and I will be back later with my review for the week. Only a little left of my book!
Vicky wrote: "I can take the B. I actually have books with both bonuses for all 4 letters this week and I will be back later with my review for the week. Only a little left of my book!"Great! I just finished the book I was reading for the Shelfari challenge and have both the Y and B books with me. Y it is!
I'll be reading
Flag & Mask WeekRead:
by Anthony RyanMy Letter: A(nthony)
Finished: 8/30/13
Rating: ★ ★ ★
My Review: This book came highly recommended because I really loved Name of the Wind. The author previously self-published, but was picked up by Penguin and published traditionally. It's quite good and it has a really well fleshed out world and characters but I think I'm a little burnt out on epic fantasy so it wasn't as enjoyable as I would have hoped. Maybe I should have taken a fantasy break before reading it! :s
Bonus Items:
I listened to the audio book and the Google book preview doesn't have pages, but the quotes do search on Google books!
Flag: "Defend the flag, he thought, smiling in wry amusement."
Mask: "He stopped, his expression switching back to the same emotionless mask."
Week 7: Baby/HotelLetter: B
Book: 4 Bodies and a Funeral - Stephanie Bond
Completed: 09/01
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Review: I like Carlotta. I even like most of the men she's involved with. I do not care for her brother. I'll continue to read this series because I want to see who Carlotta ends up with, but I really wish Wesley would grow up and get his act together. I have a family member kinda like him - minus the genius IQ, and I've pretty much written him off. Maybe Carlotta should do the same.
Bonus Words:
Baby - pg. 319 - She'd slept like a baby last night...
Hotel - pg. 158 - ...lifted from the scene of a hotel robbery.
WEEK 7 - DOUBLE word weekWoW: BABY / Bonus: hotel/motel
My Letter: Y
Read:
The Yard Dog (304 pg)Finished: 04 Sept 13
Rating: ★ ★ ★
Review:
Set in 1940s Oklahoma, this debut mystery is centered on Hook Runyon, a railroad detective – a/k/a yard dog. The book has some flaws – the women and bad guys are thinly drawn, and the ending is rushed. However, I found the plot interesting and I really like the central characters of Hook and Runt. I would read another in the series.
.
Bonus Items:
WoW: BABY - “… she ignored the baby who had screamed …” – pg 68
Bonus: hotel - “So, what hotel would you recommend, Amanda?” – pg 70
Points:
Y = 4 x 2 = 8
WoW = 1
Bonus = 1
Total Points: 10
Baby & Hotel/Motel WeekRead
by Jan-Philipp SendkerMy Letter: A
Rating: 3.5 stars ★ ★ ★
My Review
You got a fairytale, love story, and mystery all round-up in one novel. Julia travels to Burma in search of answers about her father. Once there she learned about "Mimi and Tin Win" and their love story from the villagers. How they helped each other, treasured each other, and how their love separated them. A "love with sacrifice" theme.
I did liked the author's writing style. It was smooth, almost poetic. What bother me was that Julia's father just left his family in America without a clue, or reason. He just left with a lie that he needed to go to Boston for a meeting. Where's the love?
Bonus:
Hotel
"Yes...my hotel," I said, desiring above all some place to hide, if only within the hotel room I had checked into that morning. p. 11
Baby
Some passengers' relatives were gazing at the black hull of the ship and waving, craning their necks like baby birds. p. 281
WEEK 8 - WOW: QUIT / Bonus: pieI can take "Q" or "U" - both books on hand, both books have the WOW and bonus words.
It took me a while to find a book. But I'll found one with both words.I'll be reading:
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
I'd prefer the U, I have a book on hand for that.
Vicky wrote: "I'd prefer the U, I have a book on hand for that."Okey dokey ... Q for me
Baby & Hotel WeekRead:
by Jim ButcherMy Letter: B(utcher)
Finished: 9/3/12
Rating: ★ ★ ★
My Review: I'm going to have to go with a resounding "meh" on this one, unfortunately.
The Dresden Files have been on my TBR radar for quite a while, it happened to fit for a challenge and be a $3 daily deal on Audible, so I snatched it up for a car ride listen.
It was a fun listen, I liked Harry Dresden and I think there is definitely some room for some interesting scenarios throughout the series as the world and characters get more fleshed out. But I don't really feel any sort of desire to continue with the series. I might one day, if I have nothing else to read, but for now I think I'll leave it at this.
Bonus Items:
Baby: "she's got Shirley Temple blond locks and baby blues.", Chapter 2
Hotel: "Madison Hotel on Tenth, seventh floor.", Chapter 1
WEEK 8 - WoW: QUIT / Bonus: pieMy Letter: Q (author’s last name)
Read: To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Q uinn (320 pg)
Finished: 07 Sept 13
Rating: ★ ★ ★
Review:
Book # 3 in the Chet and Bernie mystery series has our man-and-dog duo on the trail of a missing elephant trainer, and his elephant, Peanut, while also working a divorce case that hits a little too close to home. I’ve read the first three in the series in pretty close succession, and I’m really noticing a pattern / formula. I’m still entertained, however. And I just love "Chet the jet"!
.
Bonus Items:
WoW: QUIT - “He never bought cigarettes anymore, was trying to quit.” – pg 3
Bonus: pie - “Sweetie pie? Livia said.” – pg 191
Points:
Q = 10
WoW = 1
Bonus = 1
Total Points: 12
Week 8: Quit/PieLetter: T
Book: Twelve Sharp - Janet Evanovich
Completed: 09/09
Rating: ★★★★☆
Review: As much as I dislike love triangles, this one doesn't really bother me. Love me some Ranger. Morelli isn't bad either. Don't know who she ends up choosing - probably Morelli. But I bet she'll have some fun with both along the way.
Bonus Words:
Quit - pg. 225 - We had to quit early.
Pie - pg. 8 - ...and cream pies topped with rainbow sprinkles...
Don't forget to turn in your baby week points when you can :)
Quit & Pie WeekRead
by Ray BradburyMy Letter: I
Finished: 9/12/13
Rating: ★★★★
My Review:
Amazing Book! As the Illustrated man sleeps under a tree his tattoos become animated and begin to tell us their stories. We learned about each story through the eyes of the Traveler, whom the illustrated man met earlier in the day. This collection of stories are set in the future, traveling to Mars, Venus, and Earth. They were sad, creepy, with a warning of what the future could become. I felt sad for the Illustrated man after learning how he got his tattoos and the different ways he tried removing them with no effect. I remember seeing the movie on TV when I was little. It was good to finally read the book.
Bonus:
Pie
"He put a big piece of pie on his plate as if to see the texture." p.172
Quit
"All shoe shine boys quit their jobs today. p.56
This is our last week, right? So the book we pick should be a fast read and we should get our reviews in fast, right?
Week 9 - DOUBLE WORD WEEKWOW - WIDE
Bonus - lawyer
I'd like "D"
Yep, this is the last week. The team that finishes first with all bonuses wins.I'm taking E. I should finish my book today - it's only 176 pgs.
Yay for having a couple hours of uninterrupted reading time!Week 9: Wide/Lawyer
Letter: E
Book: Plum Lovin' - Janet Evanovich
Completed: 09/13
Rating: ★★★★☆
Review: This is a fun little "between-the-numbers" book. Stephanie gets to play matchmaker instead of bounty hunter.
Bonus Words:
Wide - pg. 23 - She wore a wide black leather belt...
Lawyer - pg. 20 - He's a lawyer .
Bah, I was hoping for not laywer! lol Had to do some looking because the ones I had with that combination were both 800+ pages.I'll take the I.
Vicky ...in case you didn't notice ... message #125 Jenne asked for our BABY/HOTEL points (and may as well post our QUIT/PIE at the same time)
I did see, but I was running out of the house for the day and wanted to make sure to grab a letter since I knew I wouldn't be back to a computer until late. Dropping in now to put in my review for Quit/Pie week and tomorrow is going to be my "catch-up with GR" day so I'll post both weeks then. Quit & Pie Week
Read:
by Tiffany TrentMy Letter: U(nnaturalists)
Finished: 9/13/13
Rating: ★ ★ ★
My Review: I'm giving this three stars for now, but I just finished and am still chewing on it. The book combines steampunk and mythological creatures in a way I've never seen before and I loved it. But, the amount of information given to the reader about the world was a little unbalanced and I felt a bit overwhelmed being tossed into the world like I was. It took a while to get going and the two storylines didn't converge enough for me to feel like they were both necessary to the story outside of giving a full view of the world. Hmmm. I might come back with more comments tomorrow after I stew on this one a bit. :)
Bonus Words:
Quit: "My bath boy just quit yesterday.” - Page 213
Pie: "But Syrus had managed, hiding behind the enormous pie safe." - Page 178
Wide & Attorney/Lawyer WeekRead
by Meg Waite ClaytonFinished: 9/14/13
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
My Review:
I loved getting to know Frankie, Linda, Kath, Ally and Brett; members of the Wednesday Sisters Writing Society. Housewives and mothers of the late sixties, they were brought together by their love of books and writing. They were bonded together through their friendship,which helped carry them through their trail-tested experiences of life. Not only did we get to know them personally, but how they felt about some of the historical events happening during that time. Cool Book! Groovy! :D
Bonus:
Attorney/Lawyer
"Ally told us her Jim was a lawyer at a new law firm called Wilson, Mosher & Martin." p.18
Wide
"You can see why she doesn't have a friend in this whole wide world except me, bless her cold, black heart." p.8
Wide & Lawyer WeekRead:
(The Iron Druid Chronicles, #1) by Kevin HearneMy Letter: I(ron)
Finished: 9/15/13
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
My Review: I was a little concerned going into this because I've heard it compared to The Dresden Files and I was a bit let down when I read the first Dresden book a few weeks back. This was so much better!
I'm a huge fan of mythology, so I loved how The Iron Druid pulls on the Irish myths of the Tuatha De Danann. The world isn't just inhabited by the Irish Gods though, Thor and the Christian God have several mentions and there are Werewolves, Vampires and Witches. It seems like an awful lot of crazy to fit into one world, but it all comes together very well.
The side character of Oberon, an Irish Wolfhound who speaks telepathically with Atticus, is hilarious. Unlike most animal sidekicks, Oberon act like a dog, he can't contain his excitement whenever he sees Atticus and he's constantly taking about steak or French Poodles. Likewise is the widow MacDonagh hilarious, she's probably one of my favorite old ladies I've read. The book has a ton geek humor in the book - everything from Monty Python to Battlestar Galactica - which I also appreciated.
Definitely looking forward to the next one!
Bonus Words:
Wide: "I slipped out the door and opened it wide so Oberon could follow me..." - Page 79
Lawyer: "You are telling me that your lawyer is a bloodsucking vampire?" - Page 46
I love the Iron Druid books! One of my fave series. Oberon is the best so many lol moments :)
Whew! We made it! It seemed like a long 9 weeks. Right? I think we read some really good books this go-around. Some of those bonus words were really tricky. It was really nice reading with all of you! :D I think we did a Great Job! (Hand Clap,Hand Clap,Hand Clap) Hope to see your names on the next go around! Diana :D
Y'all did do a great job! I figured pancake and pork were going to stump a lot of people but almost everyone kept a perfect score throughout :)
WEEK 9 - DOUBLE word weekWoW: WIDE / Bonus: lawyer
My Letter: D (author name)
Read: Under Orders by D ick Francis (308 pg)
Finished: 16 Sept 13
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½
Review:
Sadly, death at the races is not uncommon. However, three in a single afternoon was sufficiently unusual to raise more than an eyebrow. That only one of the deaths was of a horse was more than enough to bring the local constabulary hotfoot to the track.
Sid Halley is a former steeplechase jockey turned detective after an accident which cost him his left hand. He and his former father-in-law are at the track as guests of Lord Enstone but the events of the day draw him into an investigation that involves race-fixing and big-stakes gambling.
I have had Dick Francis on my radar for ages, but just never got around to reading any of his books. I was under the impression that they were all stand-alone novels, but this one is #4 in the Sid Halley series, and I couldn’t help but feel that I may be missing some of the background story. Still, this is a great ride! I’ll definitely read more from this author.
.
Bonus Items:
WoW: wide - “…staring at me with wide eyes.” – pg 111
Bonus: lawyer - “Their lawyers will have made sure…” – pg 37
Points:
D = 2 x 2 = 4
WoW = 1
Bonus = 1
Total Points: 6
Got up early to finish the book! Sorry for the delay ... my mom was hospitalized and I've been somewhat distracted this weekend. She's much better, and should go home today. I sure had fun doing this. We had a good team - perfect score! Special thanks to Diana S for telling me about it - she was so enthusiastic I just had to check it out. I'll definitely play again in the future.
Sorry about your mom BC! I hope she gets to go home today. Great job Chicago! Perfect score :)
So Sorry to hear about your Mom, BC :( I hope she's feeling better soon! :) I'm glad to got to play this round. It was fun! Wow! I didn't realized we had a perfect score! That's really Cool! :)
The Challenge Factory
Books mentioned in this topic
Under Orders (other topics)Hounded (other topics)
The Wednesday Sisters (other topics)
The Unnaturalists (other topics)
Plum Lovin' (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Kevin Hearne (other topics)Tiffany Trent (other topics)
Jim Butcher (other topics)
Anthony Ryan (other topics)
Margaret Atwood (other topics)
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Hope everything is okay, Vicky. I can't always manage a second book, but this week I could do "A" for you if you needed me to. (I've already started it for a challenge over on Shelfari and it just happens to have both WOW and Bonus for this week.)