R12: Team #12 ~ Double Dozen

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎]

Thanks. I couldn't believe that someone got the book before me. LOL

[Jennifer H]

Week One ~ Strong-Heroine



The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Finished: 7/18/15
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
# pages: 457
14 people shelved this book as Strong-Heroine

This was the kind of book that kept me up until 1 or 2 in the morning because I just kept saying "one more chapter. Okay. One more." I thought Yancey did a wonderful job switching points of view and still keeping me engaged in EVERY story. Oftentimes switching PoV just frustrates me because there's only one story I care about. Not so with this book. I cannot wait to read the sequel. I will also check out the movie when it comes out in January.

Sidenote ~ This book takes place at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio which is where I happen to live. I thought that was really cool :)

[Kim]

Shelf - Strong Heroine

Title: Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton
Rating: ★★½
Read: 07/18/15
# pages: 266
Review: I can honestly say this is the strangest book I have ever read. I didn't hate it but I can't say that I liked it either. I didn't feel that Anita had a connection with anyone in this book. Maybe it's just a little too dark for me. I may try reading the second book but it is definitely not a priority.

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎]

Week 1~Strong Heroine



Title City of Glass
Rating ★★★★★
Read7/19/15
# pages: 541
Found on page 2 of the Strong Heroine shelf.

Review: I think this was my favorite out of the series. There was so much that went on in this story including emotions. Clary had to go through so much just to find out the truth and to become who she is now but I can't wait to see what is to come in the future books. I recommend this series to anyone who hasn't read it, especially this one.

[Kim]

Shelf - Free Space

Title: Secret Life of a Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks
Rating: ★★★
Read: 07/19/15
# pages: 360
Review: I did not enjoy this book as much as I have the others. I feel that Jack's character development was weak. I never felt a connection with him as I have with the others. I'm hoping that this is not the beginning of a drawn out storyline as there are many books still left in the series.

[Sherri]

Been a busy week for me at work and home and I'm just getting home from an Intro to Programming class. I've managed to work my way through almost all of A Court of Thorns and Roses, which is a whopping 16 hours on audiobook.

Should be done later tonight and I will post my review tomorrow. Going to grab something to eat and then I'll do a team update. Looks like you guys have done amazing (compared to me.) :-)

[Kim]

Hi Ladies. Just a quick reminder that I will be leaving for Cancun tomorrow - before Shelf call :( From my understanding there is wi-fi in the resort lobby so I'm hoping to sneak down there to find out what shelf was called...lol. If I'm able to get online I'll let you guys know what I've picked to read - if not then I'll let you know either Sunday evening or Monday morning. :)

[Jennifer H]

Have a great time, Kim!

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Enjoy Kim!!

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎]

Have fun Kim!

[Sherri]

Have fun Kim!

[Jennifer H]

Shelf #2 ~ 22 July: A Bloody Mess
Read a book that features: 'blood' in title, series name, on the cover or a book featuring vampires

[Jennifer H]

I'll be reading... ...it has vampires in it

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎]

Shelf #2 ~ July 22nd: A Bloody Mess
Read a book that features: 'blood' in title, series name, on the cover or a book featuring vampires
Title: (vampire)
Rating: 4 ★
Read: 7/29/15
# pages: 534
Review: This book was full of so many different situations. With war coming and the choices to be made. It's just a full fun pack of information. I really enjoyed Phury and Cormia. Their relationship was a real challenge with Phury's deal issues and making the choice to be primate was also an issue. So much went on in this book that I didn't want it to end.

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎]

Sherri please don't forget to change my strong heroine book to City of Glass please. :)

[Sherri]

Thanks for grabbing this weeks shelf Jennifer! and thanks for the reminder Carmen!

I will be reading

[Sherri]

Got everyone's choices to here.

[Kim]

Hi Ladies! I got lucky. I brought The Vampire and the Virgin by Kerrelyn Sparks with me but hadn't started reading it yet. I'll use that for the "Bloody Mess" shelf - Vampires. I'll start on it tomorrow! I'll check back in when I get back!

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎]

I hope your enjoying yourself Kim.

[Jennifer H]

Week 2 ~ A Bloody Mess



The Shadows by JR Ward
Finished: 7/27/15
Rating: ♥♥♥♥
Page #: 592

As usual, the latest BDB book was filled with rough sex, fighting, and slang that I've never actually heard anybody use. Sometimes all that weird slang gets to me, but I look passed it because the characters and the stories themselves are great. Along with all the usual characteristic BDB stuff, this novel was...intense. I actually almost started crying towards the end. I knew it was coming, but it was still powerful when it happened. This book is a must-read for any BDB fan. Just...have some tissues ready.

[Sherri]

Hi all-

FYI, I'm dealing with a family emergency. My dad was admitted to hospital over the weekend and will probably be there for a couple of more days. So not sure how much reading I will get done. But I will try to check in as I can. I know I will not be able to post shelf on Wednesday, so if you see it go live can someone repost to group?

[Sherri]

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Rating:★★★☆☆
Read: 7/17-7/24
# pages: 416 pages
Review: Overall I enjoyed this retelling of Beauty and the Beast and will be checking out the next installment of the series. I particularly liked the worldbuilding and action sequences in the book which were very well written. The middle of the book dragged a bit and I was anxious for Feyra to get to the good part. I also curious about Rhysand as his character was shrouded in mystery and his motives/actions near the end of the book are “very” interesting.
Also, I was told this was a YA book, but I would classify it more as NA due to the sexual and violent situations.

[Sherri]

Also, requested our Strong Heroine stamp!

[Jennifer H]

Sherri, I hope your father gets well soon. I would be happy to post the shelf on Wednesday :)

WTG Team on getting our Strong Heroine stamp!!

[Steph, Serious series addict]

CONGRATULATIONS, Double Dozen!
You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'strong heroine'. 

[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]

Good Job!! :D

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Congrats on the stamp DD!

Sherri hope your dad gets better asap.

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎]

Yah! Stamp :)

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎]

Sherri wrote: "Hi all-

FYI, I'm dealing with a family emergency. My dad was admitted to hospital over the weekend and will probably be there for a couple of more days. So not sure how much reading I will get don..."

I hope your dad gets better soon.

[Kim]

Hi everyone! Back from Cancun. Had a wonderful trip - it's beautiful down there. So sorry to hear about your dad, Sherri. I hope he gets better soon.

[Kim]

Shelf - Bloody Mess

Title: The Vampire and the Virgin by Kerrelyn Sparks
Rating: ★★★★½
Read: 07/26/15
# pages: 345
Review: So much better than the last book!! This is Robby MacKay's story. After being held captive and tortured by the Malcontents Robby is consumed with his need for revenge. Robby is ordered to go to Patmos for some R&R for 4 months. With 1 month left of his forced vacation he meets Olivia who is also there for some needed R&R. Both are strong characters who are battling inner demons. With Olivia by his side, Robby is able to move beyond his quest for vengeance. I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to the next book.

[Jennifer H]

Welcome back, Kim! Glad you had a great trip and that you read a great book while you were on it :)

[Kim]

Thank you, Jennifer. It was a wonderful trip but still glad to be back home.

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎]

Shelf #3 ~ 29 July: Happy Birthday!
Read a book: published in 2015 (any month) 

[Jennifer H]

I'll be reading

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎]

I'm going to go with

[Kim]

I'm going to read

[Sherri]

Hi All! Thanks for all the get well wishes for my father. Looks like he will be in the hospital until at least Monday. So I will try and pop in as I can. Tonight, trying to catch up with everything now that I am home for a couple of hours. :-)

I'm going to change my Week 2 book to which I managed to listen to this week and had vampires in it. I will type up a short review tomorrow.

I'll also look for something to read for Week 3 now that I know what to look for.

[Kim]

Hi Ladies ~ sorry to be a pain but I need to change my book for the Happy Birthday shelf.

It has been so long since I read the other books in the Guardians of Eternity series that while looking at past reviews to refresh my memory I realized that so much has happened throughout the series and it has all been leading up to this final book. So I've decided to do a re-read of the whole series before I read When Darkness Ends so I can enjoy it to its fullest. I love, love, love this series and I hate that this is the last book. The series reminds me of the Immortals After Dark series because there are so many different sups that were once enemies but coming together against the ultimate evil. Obviously if you haven't read either series I highly recommend them!

So I'm changing my book to The Originals: The Rise by Julie Plec. I didn't realize that a trilogy had been written and these hunky vamps are my TV weakness. The Rise is set in 1722 when the Original vampire siblings Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah Mikaelson first come to New Orleans.

Per Goodreads: Paperback, 352 pages
Published January 27th 2015 by HQN Books (first published January 1st 2015)

[Sherri]

I'll be reading Boundary Crossed for the new shelf.

[Jennifer H]

Week 3 ~ Happy Birthday



Ensnared by AG Howard
Finished: 8/1/15-3♥
Rating: ♥♥♥
# of Pages: 420
Published 1/6/15

So when I first started reading this book series I was captured by the characters and I fell in love with the writing all the way. But as the series continued on I just fell out of love with the writing, everything seemed rushed and it just lost its flare. The characters that I once loved and were captivated started to get annoying and I stopped enjoying the book and I just read the rest of the book just to get it over with. Overall the book was semi decent.

[Kim]

Shelf - Happy Birthday

Title: The Originals: The Rise by Julie Plec
Rating: ★★★★★
Read: 08/01/15
# pages: 352
First Published 1/1/15
Review:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Julie Plec is the creator and executive producer of The Originals TV series. The story is set in 1731 and Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah have been in New Orleans for 9 years. The witches had agreed to let them stay so long as they promised not to make any new vampires.
The story begins at an elaborate party where the engagement of Vivianne Lescheres and Armand Navarro will be announced. A peace treaty between the Navarro werewolf clan and the witches. The alliance will be finalized with the marriage of Vivianne and Armand. Vivianne was born part witch and part werewolf (though she had never activated her werewolf side) and is represented as the "bridge" between the witches and the werewolves. However before the engagement is announced she catches Klaus Mikaelson's eye and he is instantly smitten....and if Klaus wants something he will do anything to get it.
The story was a wonderful look into the pasts of the Original siblings. Klaus and Rebekah's first loves - and losses...and Elijah, always self-sacrificing to keep his family safe and together. If you like the series, you will definitely like the book.

[Sherri]

Thanks Jennifer and Kim. Got your reviews posted.

[Kim]

Hi Sherri! I hope your father is doing much better. Thank you for posting my review but I switched books so it should be The Originals: The Rise by Julie Plec. Could you please update that? Sorry to be such a pain :)

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎]

Hi ladies. I'll be away tomorrow but I'll be back late Thursday night. I'll check the new shelf pick then. I'm currently finishing up with both the free and happy birthday books. I'll post them when I return and start the next book.

[Sherri]

WEEK 2 – A Bloody Mess
July 22nd - July 29th


Title: Dead Spots (vampires)
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Read: July 26th – July 29th
# pages: 293

Review: Dead Spots is my first introduction to Melissa F. Olson. I admit to curiosity with her work since I have seen many readers that I follow reading and liking this series. For me though, Dead Spots was OK but not a breakaway winner. So what did I like? I thoroughly enjoyed the new spin on the paranormal world. However, I just did not enjoy Scarlett’s job/role in the world, as well as the moral implications that role ignored. I guess I like my heroines bright and shiny. Jesse Cruz, a human detective that discovers her secret, was the bright spot in this novel for me. I liked the chemistry between Scarlett and Jesse and thoroughly enjoyed how he challenged her perceptions of the “Old World.”

[Sherri]

WEEK 3 – Happy Birthday
July 22nd – August 5th


Title: Boundary Crossed
Rating: ★★★★☆
Read: July 31st – August 1st
# pages: 302

Review: Having just finished Dead Spots by Melissa F. Olson, I was curious about Boundary Crossed which is the first book in a new series. Ironically, Boundary Crossed is more of “jump the shark” book that is related to the world of Dead Spots but told from another viewpoint. Allison “Lex” Luther is a US Army Veteran who accidentally ends up being thrust into a world she was never aware of, after being “killed” during her 18 month old niece’s failed kidnapping attempt. There is a varied cast of supporting characters and already the setup for a romance between Lex and the super mysterious Quinn has me looking to the next installment.

[Sherri]

I think I am up to date as of now. Fixed Kim's Happy Birthday Book and posted my reviews for Weeks 2 and 3.

I'm still working on my Free Spot book, I'm about 1/2 way through it. Dad is still in hospital in the ICU but slowly improving.

[Danielle]

That book sounds good

[Kim]

Unless I'm looking at it wrong we should be able to request our Bloody Mess Stamp now. Carmen did her review on Lover Enshrined on 7/22. I don't know how to link all these things...lol.
So glad to hear that your dad is improving, Sherri!!

[Jennifer H]

Shelf #4 ~ 4 Aug: Series Catch-up
Read a book: in a series you've already started ~ book #2+