R4: Team ~ Page Sizzling Sisters ~ Denver

[Paris]

Sorry guys. Life has been all over the place this week. Argh. The training I was supposed to have tomorrow and Friday was yesterday and today. And I've just been super busy outside of work. I will write up my review here tonight if I can get it done.

[Paris]

Camp and Pancake Week
Letter: P

- The Premonition Series by Amy A. Bartol
Rating: 2 Stars
Finished: 8/11/13

I really wanted to like this book. It had potential and a lot of people seem to love it, but finishing this book was absolutely painful. If it weren't for a challenge in one of my groups I probably would have DNF'd this book. The MC is pretty annoying and everyone's super in love with her. Russell, one of her possible love interests, is freaking ridiculously annoying and really...the attempt at a southern accent doesn't work at all. Just makes him sound like a moron. And I've never met a Southern boy who uses the word phat.

Then there's the MC's two female best friends Buns and Brownie (WTF with the character names). They use words like flossin'. And while the young group speaks in slang and crap that I've never heard people that age say (like copacetic and "this is gonna pop"), there's Reed, who is probably the most redeeming character in the book along with Zephyr, but he talks like an old man (view spoiler)[Probably because he's a beyond ancient angel. (hide spoiler)] Oh and "that could be gnar, what do you think?" Gnar? WTF is gnar?

There were many reasons I should have given this book a 1 star rating, but there were some interesting twists that I thought were slightly redeeming and the love triangle situation, while kind of annoying, was also nice because the MC's choice was pretty consistent, so it wasn't one of those long, drawn out annoying triangles that I am starting to not like very much.

Overall, I did not enjoy this book and it was super disappointing because I wanted to like it. I definitely don't think I'll be continuing on with the series. I've read enough of the reviews and spoilers for the next few books that I can just tell that it is not for me.

WotW Bonus: Camp: "'We've been chillin' together most of the summer, since we had to be here for trainin' camp.'" Location 418

Bonus Word: Pancake: "Russell says, pouring syrup on a gigantic, heaping stack of pancakes." Location 2092

[Paris]

Woohoo! Ladies we are the first to request points for this week!! Hopefully we can keep this up and be the first team the week the game ends!

[Regina]

Yes!! I think we can!

[Steph Ann]

We're doing great! :)

[Paris]

Alright ladies, we have a triple word week this week.

Week 5: Pork 4/4
Bonus Item: Barn
Triple Word Week

P: Regina - Paris - Come Away With Me by Kristen Proby - WotW Bonus: Y - Bonus Word: Y - Post 236
O: Steph Ann - Oxford Whispers by Marion Croslydon - WotW Bonus: Y - Bonus Word: Y - Post 241
R: Stacey - Saints in Limbo by River Jordan - WotW Bonus: Y - Bonus Word: Y - Post 240
K: Regina - Into the Hollow by Karina Halle - WotW Bonus: y - Bonus Word: Y - Post 268

[Paris]

So I can do P or K

Headed back to bed, be up again in a couple hours.

[Steph Ann]

I can do O, R or K.

[Stacey]

R or K work great for me! And I'm packing for vacation today so I'll check back soon and order the kindle book before I go. Thanks!

[Regina]

I can't find both words!!!

[Stacey]

I just found O and P books as well so any are ok.

[Regina]

Can you all message me your books? I am still looking and would love help.

[Stacey]

Regina wrote: "Can you all message me your books? I am still looking and would love help."

Sure Regina- I am an eclectic reader so theya are very different!

[Regina]

Thank you. I am too!!

[Regina]

I have R so far.

[Steph Ann]

I just sent you a message, Regina, with the O,R,K books I've found. :)

[Regina]

I also have P. So I can do P or R. I need to stop looking now and work! LOL. If those don't work and you all want me to do K or O, I can look at home some more. I know I have more books on my computer that I need to search.

I have an O at home that I am confident will have both pork and barn, but I won't be able to search it until I get home.

[Regina]

Than you Stacey and Steph Ann - those help!

[Regina]

I have a K book, a R book and an O book that I need to search at home because amazon won't let me search them and they are not loaded on my kindle or phone.

But I can do P or R definitely. Maybe/likely have K or O.

[Paris]

Okay so how does this sound...

Regina does P
Steph Ann does O
Stacey does R
I do K

Let me know if that doesn't work for y'all. I only have been able to find both words in one book, but it works for P or K. I can also search more O and R books now that I'm awake if you want me to.

[Steph Ann]

I'm fine with O! :)

[Stacey]

Perfect- I will do A Rush Of Wings then... Looking forward to this one:)

[Paris]

Great. Thanks ladies.

Okay, Regina, just let me know if you'd rather have P or K.

[Regina]

Just checked my K and it doesn't have it. I will take P -- not my favorite book at all. But it has both words!

[Paris]

The sacrifices we make Regina. lol I hope you end up at least being able to get through the book without wanting to maim yourself. ;-)

I'm flying through my book, which is such a nice change from last week.

[Regina]

LOL. It is actually a book that friends have been pushing me to read for over a year, so it will be good I am sure!

Glad you are enjoying your book this week!

[Regina]

I finished my book and enjoyed it! I will post the review by Wednesday.

[Paris]

Glad you enjoyed your book Regina. I loved mine too. Finished it on Friday, but it's been a busy weekend. I'll probably post my review tomorrow.

[Stacey]

Oh no I had to abort the book!! Ugh! I'm sure I will finish at another time but while on vacation I have to enjoy what I'm reading on principal and I am simply not enjoying this- especially since it had the same title of the one I thought I was getting! Sigh. Wish me luck finishing a new one!

[Regina]

So Rush of Wings is not good? So sorry. I found a book and I can maybe share it with you depending on if you have a kindle or nook as it is loanable. It is where the eclectic in me comes out. I will message you.

[Jenne]

I liked Rush of wings. It's pretty dark though.

[Stacey]

Right Jenne but this is a different rush of wings!! Same title- different author.

[Jenne]

Oh I thought you meant this one

[Steph Ann]

My book is also not going well. I'll have it finished by Friday, but it'll probably take me a little longer than usual to finish it. I'm having to force myself to read, and that's never a good thing!

[Paris]

Oh no. Sorry Stacey and Steph Ann that you're having rough times with your books. I totally understand, after the fiasco that was last week for me. Let me know if you need a back-up option or something and I'll check my books.

[Paris]

Pork and Barn Week
Letter: K

by Kristen Proby
Rating: 5 Stars
Finished: 8/16/13

This book has been sitting on my TBR for a while and of course now that I’ve finished it, I’m mad at myself for not reading it sooner. I absolutely loved the way things developed between Natalie and Luke. They were so sweet together even after the ridiculous way they met. This book was pretty much pure romance, with very small problems getting in their way. There wasn’t any ridiculously long, drawn out dramatic moments which I found nice and refreshing. Both Natalie and Luke have their issues and it’s nice to watch them work through those issues together.

Luke is definitely awesome book boyfriend material. Holy cow is he swoon worthy. He cooks, he says the sweetest things, he loves to spoil his girl and he gives foot massages. I don’t even really like foot massages, but I would love one from Luke. I think that Luke’s issues are extremely understandable and I really understood his motivations and hang ups. I’m glad that it didn’t take Natalie long to understand them as well.

I really enjoyed the secondary characters in this series as well, which I guess is a good thing since they are the main characters in future books and I have all of the books currently out in the series. I cannot wait to read them. I have to say I’m especially excited about Jules’ story (Natalie’s best friend) because she cracked me up. I definitely won’t wait too long before jumping back into this series. I also have to say that I love that it’s set in Seattle. I always feel an extra bit of love for books set in my city.

WotW Bonus: Pork: "We're served two more courses of pork tenderloin and New York steak with Yukon gold potatoes, and, of course, the perfect wines to accompany them." Location 3786

Bonus Word: Barn: "My bed fram is simple, but the headboard is an old barn door that I nailed to the wall to give the room a rustic feel." Location 216

[Steph Ann]

I was able to finish my book this morning, although I haven't had any time to work on my review. I should be able to post the review either tonight or tomorrow morning. :)

[Paris]

Glad you were able to finish Steph Ann.

Stacey, were you able to find another book?

[Stacey]

Regina wrote: "So Rush of Wings is not good? So sorry. I found a book and I can maybe share it with you depending on if you have a kindle or nook as it is loanable. It is where the eclectic in me comes out. I wil..."

[Stacey]

Pork and Barn Week
Letter: R
I read Saints in Limbo
by River Jordan
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Finished: 8/22/13

This book was a desperate replacement for the one I chose and didn't like so I wasn't holding high expectations but ended up really liking it! I enjoyed the author's writing style which was a bit lyrical and flowing, allowing the reading to interpret through feelings at times I felt, connecting through emotion. I gave it 3.5 stars because of some questions I had on connections of characters and plot.

Velma, who lost her husband a year prior, lives alone just outside of Echo Florida, is grieving the loss of her life partner and worrying about her only son who has not turned out the man he had the potential to be. She has become phobic since his death, only leaving her porch as long as she is tethered to it by threads.
On her birthday a mysterious man, who is a stranger who knows her soul, appears on her porch and gives her a rock which has the ability to transport her through time, allowing her to 'visit' with her deceased husband and see events of her life from a different perspective. She will not be able to change the past but, if she uses the gift given to her, will be able to use the experiences to help guide the future. Letting go of her fear and regrets is the key to moving on.
The story follows her through these experiences, drawing in her friends, family, and a young girl who has also been guided by mysterious forces to find her in Echo. There are also dark, evil beings who want the 'piece of heaven' she has been given.
WotW Bonus: Pork: 'A pork chop, she decided.' Kindle location 623

Bonus Word: Barn: 'Their old barn made new again' kindle location 230

[Steph Ann]

Pork and Barn Week
My letter: O



Read: 8/21/13
Rating: 2 stars

Review

I thought this book had a promising premise, but it just did not end up meeting my expectations. The characters were very one dimensional, and I couldn't bring myself to really care about any of them. There are a lot of instances where the reader is told rather than shown something. For example, chapters would end abruptly, and the next chapter would take place a few days later, with the narrator telling the reader what happened rather than letting us see for ourselves. Another example is in the character of Ollie. Madison mentions repeatedly how great a friend he is, but we barely see him in the book, and when we do, he doesn't really do much. There's one point where Madison says Ollie seems to have lost a bit of his quirky personality, and I literally said out loud "if you say so." There were also parts of the story that just seemed random and thrown in to increase tension/drama.

In looking at the book's Goodreads page, it looks like I could be in the minority with my opinion, but this book was just not for me. As much as I like to read 2 books in a series before making a decision, I don't think I'll be reading book 2.

Items

Barn - "We have an indoor pool in one of the converted barns" (Kindle Loc. 809)

Pork - ...the yummiest pork ribs. (Kindle Loc. 1953)

[Regina]

Hey everyone, my kindle found pork in my book on Friday -- but now it isn't! I am going to search again when I get home, but please send me your P books again and I will read one tonight.

[Stacey]

Oh no what was your book??
James Patterson The 5th Horseman (women's murder club) has them and you should fly thru it:)
Good luck!

[Regina]

I had gotten sick of that series (used to be a favorite), but maybe I could read that one. Thank you.

I will take any other ideas too!



I swear it had pork in it!!

Paris, did you have a book when you offered me P or K?

[Regina]

A friend gave me two suggestions -- so I am off to buy those and read read read!

[Paris]

Oh no. That sucks Regina. My book that I read is good for P too and it was a quick easy read.

[Regina]

Okay - I will add K to my search if that is okay and let you know.

[Paris]

Absolutely. I can switch and I know of a book that worked for K

by K.I. Lynn I believe had both words.

Nevermind it doesn't have barn. Grrrr. I'll keep looking though if you want.

[Paris]

Okay ladies, just want to give y'all an update on my trip. I am leaving on the 30th (next Friday), but I'll be able to get up and post the words and pick a letter. I'll try my damndest to finish the book and post a review before I get on the ship on the 31st. After that I might not have any opportunities to get on the internet.

After tomorrows words are called, I'll go through my books for the remaining possible word combinations and let you know what I have. That way when the word is called on the 6th, you'll know what letters I'll be able to cover. Just pick around me in that case and tell me what letter I get. I'll be back online on the 7th while I'm waiting around in airports so I should be able to start my book then.

[Paris]

Week 6: Flag 4/4
Bonus Item: Mask

F: Paris - Undeclared by Jen Frederick - WotW Bonus: Y - Bonus Word: Y - Post 276
L: Stacey - A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb - WotW Bonus: Y - Bonus Word: Y - Post 274
A: Regina - MaddAddam: A Novel by Margaret Atwood - WotW Bonus: Y - Bonus Word: Y - Post 292
G: Steph Ann - Shiver of Fear Guardian Angelinos series by Roxanne St. Claire - WotW Bonus: Y - Bonus Word: Y - Post 273