R4: Team Dublin

[Vi]

Oh, too bad for daughter, Leslie. Good Luck today!

[~Leslie~]

still waiting! And thanks for the good wishes. And I'm fine with you taking R. Have not heard from Marty yet. I will keep looking for an O book as well.

[~Leslie~]

Week 4: Camp
Bonus Word:Pancake

8/16/13 ***** stars
Review:I think this is my favorite in this absolutely wonderful series. I've been calling this Urban Fantasy for grownups and this was the most grown up book yet. We are back with Rule and Lily, who are in North Carolina to finish up the custody hearing for Toby. Lily then becomes involved in a murder mystery that eventually involves Rule and Toby. Through all of this, their relationship matures and grows even stronger. From the first page I was completely wrapped up in what was going on in this world. Well done!!

Camp: "camp out on the sidewalk" loc. 1888 (kindle)
Pancake: "I'm making pancakes" loc. 3352

[~Leslie~]

Hello Team! I posted for our points for Week 4 last night. We got 19 of 21 points. Great job!!
Since this is a triple bonus week it's very important that we read our books on time (and I am definitely talking to myself)!! I promise to have mine done much earlier. If we can try and make sure that all books have both WOW and BOW that will give us the maximum # of points.
Marta - how's the moving coming? Do you need help finding a book? O was a hard letter!

[Lala]

I'll be reading by Jodi Picoult and it has both WOW and BOW :)

[~Leslie~]

Great!! Thanks, Laura. Do you like Jodi Picoult? Her books are too sad for me, but my girls love them. I haven't heard of this one though.

[Marty]

Sorry, I've been packing all day. Heading to Baton Rouge for my new job tomorrow - doesn't start until August 26th but they have a new faculty orientation on Tuesday. I'll look for the O book now.

[Marty]

Found an O book - Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. It has both words.

[Lala]

Leslie wrote: "Great!! Thanks, Laura. Do you like Jodi Picoult? Her books are too sad for me, but my girls love them. I haven't heard of this one though."

I have read only one book from her before House Rules and yeah it was sad. This one I'm reading now is sad too, but for a change it's good :)

[~Leslie~]

Great job, Marty!! I was never able to find an O book with both words. I'm so glad you did.
So where will you be teaching? A ton of my friends were in Baton Rouge as their kids are starting at LSU on the 26th. I have a freshman as well, but she will be attending LSU-S this first year.

[~Leslie~]

Week 5: PORK
Bonus Word: Barn
Triple Points Week

P Laura The Storyteller(both WOW and BOW)Review
O Marty Orphan Train(both WOW and BOW)Review
R ViBlue Smoke(both WOW and BOW)Review
K LeslieSugar Daddy(both WOW and BOW)Review

[Marty]

Leslie wrote: "Great job, Marty!! I was never able to find an O book with both words. I'm so glad you did.
So where will you be teaching? A ton of my friends were in Baton Rouge as their kids are starting at LSU ..."

Thanks, Leslie - I was pretty unsure about finding a suitable O book myself!

I'll be working in the LSU main library as one of their subject specialists - Art & Design to be more specific. I can't move into my apartment until Friday, so I'm taking a 'mini-vacation' in a hotel until then. :) Plenty of time to read!

[Vi]

I couldn't find a O book too, Marty. The western books I found didn't have both the words. And congratulations on your new job!

I finished my R book - Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts. I'll write up a review later today/tomorrow.

Leslie, Sugar Daddy is one of my favorite Kleypas book. Hope you like it too!

[~Leslie~]

Vi, I love Sugar Daddy as well! Read it a while ago though so I'm excited to re-read. I picked it up on sale as an ebook recently. Perfect timing.
And hooray for finishing your book!! I think I read that one at some point.

Marty - enjoy your week before school starts. LSU is an awesome university. Both my mom and Dad attended. I lived very near campus and used to work concessions for LSU events. GEAUX TIGERS!!

[~Leslie~]

Week 5: Pork (triple points)
Bonus Word: Barn

8/20/13 ***** stars
Review:
2nd time around and I think I loved it even more. I'd forgotten what a wonderful story this is and how much I enjoy all the characters. I am not crazy about first person but Lisa Kleypas makes it work in this one. There is something so soothing as you listen to Liberty tell the story of her life starting when she first meets Hardy - her first love. It's a beautiful love story, beautifully told.

Pork: "armadillos taste like pork" p. 115
Barn: "we rode back to the barn" p.335

[Marty]

Book: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
Date: 8/22/13
Rating Five stars
Review
This is the second orphan train based novel I've read and it's a good one as well. Molly is a serial foster care child who is nearing her 18th birthday. She has been moved around from home to home, some good, some terrible but all were not real homes. She gets in trouble for stealing a copy of Jane Eyre, an act out of character, but she wanted the book so badly for reasons she can barely articulate. Forced to do community service to avoid a juvenile criminal record, she is offered the opportunity to help elderly Vivian clean out her attic full of memories.

As they empty box after box, Molly begins to piece together Vivian's own past as an Orphan Train child. In the 1920's, 9-year-old Niamh Power lost all of her family in a tenement fire. She is turned over first to a convent home for orphans, then sent west on the infamous Orphan train. The youngest children are 'adopted' first, and so are the oldest because they, as Niamh's new friend Dutchy tells her, they are free 'slave labor' for farmers. Niamh is not chosen until late in the trip, taken by a couple in Minnesota to exploit as a seamstress in their clothing business. When the stock market crashes and the business folds, Niamh - renamed Dorothy - is sent to live with the Grotes, a poor and unhappily married couple with far too many children they apparently care little about. Although they send her to school, they too exploit her as a housekeeper and caretaker.

After a harrowing attack by the husband, Mrs. Grote throws her out of the house. Niamh flees to the school where she is briefly taken in by her school teacher. Her luck turns when the next family adopts her to work in their store. Here she finds a measure of security and peace, as well as a new name: Vivian, the name of the daughter the Nielsen's lost child. She is reunited with Dutchy, now called Luke. Her life appears to be on a happily-ever-after course, but nothing comes easy for Vivian in this world.

Molly because engrossed in Vivian's story. She also learns to trust and love the old woman. She begins to look into people from Vivian's past - her baby sister Maisie, who supposedly died in the fire, as well as Vivian's daughter, May, whom she gave up for adoption after Luke died in WW II. Vivian, in turn, learns to trust Molly, to the point of letting Molly stay with her when Molly's current self-righteous foster mother demands that Molly be sent back to the foster care system for daring to stand up for herself.

The book flips back and forth between the present and Vivian's past. It is a much sadder story than Moriarty's "The Chaperone" but it is also more realistic. Definitely a to-read.

BOW and WOW (Amazon)
Pork: "I looked at her, then at Mr. Nielsen, who lifts his fork and knife and begins cutting his pork chop into small pieces." page 201
Barn: "…probably a hell of a lot better than being sent to live in a barn with animals, eating only pig slops, or getting carried off by Indians." page 35

[~Leslie~]

Great review, Marty!! Sounds like a really interesting book. I saw this on my library's website recently - I will be putting it on my TBR!
Hope you are settling in okay in BR!

[~Leslie~]

How are we doing Team? It's really important that we finish on time this week in order to get the triple points!! Check in and let us know where you are in your reading.

[Marty]

Have the new words been posted anywhere yet?

[~Leslie~]

New words for what? We will get the new weekly WOW tomorrow morning. Is that what you mean?

[Marty]

Oh God, I'm am so off schedule! I kept thinking today was Friday! Ignore me until tomorrow. :)

[Vi]

Sorry I'm late with my review.

Week 5: PORK
Letter: R
Bonus Word: barn


Book: Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts
Date: 17 August
Rating:★★★☆☆
Review:
This was one of my leftover books from a NR Read-a-thon I did earlier this month. I like the premise of the book - the female lead becomes a arson investigator and fire is a major theme in the book. The obsession by the villain and in a way by Reena also. The romance portion was okay - I'm totally not a fan of insta-love. While I liked how it was built up, they actual love part was done very quickly. The family stuff as always is done well by NR. All-in-all, a typical NR book.

WoW & BW
Pork: (Amazon, Pg 90) up the place but some really ancient sweet-and-sour pork..
Barn: (Amazon, Pg 445).. to pull the laboring car up to what looked like a big barn of a general store

[Lala]

Week 5

by Jodi Picoult

5 Stars 23.08

Pork - page 322 - Pork roast...
Barn - page 250 -...until I found a barn.

When I was reading this story I had a thought that some people actually have lived through these thing described in here or maybe even worse things. As much as I like this book I have to say it's so sad and devastating story. It just made me feel sad and I wanted to cry. If you decide to pick it up remember it's a really serious read, but a great one.

[Vi]

Week 6:Flag
Bonus:Mask

I can do L or G. The A book I have doesn't have flag.

[~Leslie~]

Good morning Team!! Thanks for posting the reviews - I will submit for points soon.

I have an A book with both words as long as we can do recent re-reads.

I have an F book that has both words.

I have a G book with both words that is my preference to read.
And I have an L book with both words that is another of my top preferences.

[Vi]

I've been really, really behind on my reading this week so I can't seem to find a F/A book that has both words. Sorry. :( I found a book that works for both F and A. It's not my preferred book but I can read it if nobody else can find a book.

In summary, I prefer L or G but I do have F and A which I can read too.

[~Leslie~]

Vi, I prefer G, can you take L? And then we'll wait to hear from Marty and Laura.

[Vi]

Yes, I can take L. Thankfully, I postponed it till today.

[~Leslie~]

Okay, unless I hear that Marty and Laura can't find a book for the other two letters, you and I have L and G. Thanks, Vi!

[Lala]

I'll take F if it's okay with everyone

[~Leslie~]

Sounds great, Laura! Let's hope Marty can find an A book, but if not - I have one I can read.

[Marty]

I'll see what I can find for A. I spent today moving into my apartment. I'm pretty worn out.

[Lala]

I'll be reading by Gaelen Foley and there is both words

[~Leslie~]

No worries, Marty! I know you are crazy busy. My son is moving into his new townhouse today as well. Let me know if you need any help finding anything or if we need to give you a pass this week. I can read for you.

[~Leslie~]

Thanks, Laura! Looks good.

[Marty]

I presume the A can be in the author's name, yes? If so, I have a book that will work: Diary of a Djinn by Gino Alhadeff.

[Jenne]

That works Marty!

[Vi]

Great that you were able to find a book, Marty! Sometimes those vowels are just difficult to find.

[~Leslie~]

Great work, Marty! Enjoy your first day with students!! GEAUX TIGERS!!

[~Leslie~]

Week 6: FLAG
Bonus Word: Mask

F LauraOne Night of Sin(both WOW and BOW)Review
L Vi (both WOW and BOW)Review
A MartyDiary of a Djinn: A Novel(both WOW and BOW)Review
G Leslie Untraceable(Laura Griffin)(both WOW and BOW)

[Marty]

Book: Diary of a Djinn
Date: August 27, 2013
Rating: Two stars
Review:

The title is a bit of misnomer. Very little of it is about the djinn. It is mostly about the random experiences of the unnamed main character whom the djinn supposedly inhabits.

The story rambles a lot about the main character's experience in Milan and New York, the strangely named (or unnamed) individuals she meets, befriends and/or falls in love with to varying degrees. After a while I got weary of all the flat attempts at humor and drama. In the end, I was left with a feeling of "so what?" It was just an okay book.

[Marty]

Oops forgot the words.

WOW: "...on my chest, if he could have, he would have planted a flag." p. 97
BOW: ""To dress, as in 'to season,' 'to truss' or 'to mask.'" p.17

[~Leslie~]

So sorry it wasn't very good, Marty. But thanks for getting it done in the midst of your new job starting.

[~Leslie~]

Week 6: Flag
Bonus Word: Mask

8/29/13 *** stars
Review:
Decent romantic suspense. Fast read and a decent mystery. The main problem is with the main character. Alex is a PI with a side business of helping people disappear. When one of her clients she helped "disappear" returns to Austin and then turns up missing, Alex immediately suspects foul play. She enlists Nathan Devereaux, an Austin detective to help her locate the woman, whom she is convinced is dead. The problem is, she never really accepts his help, she gets angry at him for doing his job, she rejects him for no reason and is completely cold and not really likeable. Nathan is very likeable, however and you just want him to go find someone better. The romance part gets very tedious which makes the book rather tedious in the long run.

Flag: "...sent up a red flag." p.94
Mask: "...maybe a Mardi Gras mask..."p. 218

[Vi]

Week 6: FLAG
Letter: L
Bonus Word: mask


Book: The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold
Date: 25 August
Rating:★★★★☆
Review:
I feel like I'm gushing over this book everywhere I post. It's one of the best series I've ever read. In the starting chapter of the book, there's this conversation:

Cecil flashed a grin. "Quite. Plus your irritating habit of treating your superior offices as your, ah..." Cecil paused, apparently groping for the right word again.
"Equals?" Miles hazarded.
"Cattle," Cecil corrected judiciously. "To be driven to your will. You're a manipulator par excellence, Vorkosigan"....

That part told me I was in for quite a ride. As always with Miles. So Miles just finished his military training and his post is somewhere in god-forsaken place in some post where he didn't even have much experience in the first place. How he deals with a difficult superior and his adventures following the posting is the basis of the book. Of course, his adventures took a turn that I never really predicted.

This book might well be my favorite until now. It depicts so beautifully MIles' relationship with his father, Aral Vorkosigan and mother, Cordelia. Cordelia is still the same kick-ass female as in her book. As always, watching other people deal with Miles is fun in its own way.

I'm reading this a BR with two other people and they've loved the books too. We haven't given any of the 4 books we've read less than 4 stars. That's how good this series is. So, very highly recommended.

WoW & BW
Flag: (Google, Pg 168) ..used to favor his own Peregrine as flag..
Mask: (Google, Pg 126) Miles tried to put a casual mask on his next words by punching up two coffees.

[Lala]

by Gaelen Foley

30.08 5 stars

Flag -page 148 -...ancient flag...
Mask - page 107 -..wearing a mask...

This book was just amazing :) I loved the main characters, the story and how steamy it was :P It's the first book I'm reading in this series and it's the 6th one. I was a little afraid that I wouldn't like it because of that (It has happened to me before), but this book was great.

There was passion, adventure and sad parts. I think in this book everyone can find something that they like :)

[Vi]

Week 7: Baby
Bonus: hotel/motel

Double word week

[~Leslie~]

Great job, Team!!! And Laura, I'll be adding that one to my TBR. Love historical romance!!

And Vi, I'm going to have to check out this series. I've heard such good things about it.

I am traveling today, so I'll be on and off this morning as I pack. But I will go ahead and post for points now. Way to go Team!!

[Jenne]

Laura wrote: " by Gaelen Foley

30.08 5 stars

Flag -page 148 -...ancient flag...
Barn - page 101 -...end of the barn...

This book was just amazing :) I loved the main charact..."


Lol you put barn for your bonus. Just checked Amazon and it does have mask, here's the quote

Page 120 …turned away from the window and shook his head, wearing a mask…

[~Leslie~]

Laura, I was in such a hurry to get this done, that I just now noticed that you looked for Barn as the bonus word. It's actually Mask. I looked the book up on Amazon and it does have it - p. 120 "wearing a mask of brotherly concern"" Can you make the change on your review? Thanks!!

And Vi, you wrote down Barn as the bonus word in your review - but looked for Mask.