SOS: Serious Overload of Series discussion
Archive: Past Team Challenges
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R12: Team #13 ~ Baker's Dozen
Hi Team 13.I am going to read
Bloodfire by Helen Harper. I just seen that it is now free on Amazon.
This book has been collecting dust in my Nook for a while.
My book reviews will be coming in a bit slower from now on. Back to work on Monday :(
Great review of The Unleashing, Lisa. Both The Unleashing and Bloodfire are on my long TBR pile. I am trying to finish off some of my series in progress before I start any more new series.
The good news about The unleashing is that there is only one! I usually pick up a series after its almost wrapping up and there are a bunch to read. I prefer to read them in a row. If you like shifter books I am mid way through Lori handelon's (I don't think I spelled that right) night creature series. I'm hoping to fit one in the bingo game.
I could use a cat themed shifter book. I can always use the Psy-Changling books but would be nice to have a back up option. I've read some of the Lora Leigh books but I kind of lost interest in her Breed series. Maybe I will check that one out a gain.
What about the Jane Yellowrock series?? Beast is a big cat.
Ok finally getting a chance to sit down and do a review. Free Space
From the group bookshelf:
3 Stars
This one fell a little flat for me. I found it kind of boring and if I didn't have the audio, I probably would have dropped it for something else. Also it really bothered me that Rune was so obsessed with making over Carling. I mean, teaching her how to wear makeup? Come on, part of the appeal of romance novels is the unconditional love fantasy. Especially in a paranormal with a "mating" aspect. Why does he need to make her over? Made me not like our hero very much.
I am tired and going to bed. I'm almost finished with my stronge-heroine book. Had my kindle read it to me via the car speakers on my 35 min. drive to Hartford and then back again tonight. Glad I figured that little trick out using my handy dandy AUX plug. So I will finish that tomorrow and also start my Bloody Mess book.I'll also update my shelf thread with the finished books and the ones for the new shelf.
For the current shelf, I am reading
. I am very nearly finished with both this book and last week's.
Finished my Free Space book. Here is my review:
Shelf: Free Space
Book: Burn by Paula Weston (The Rephaim #4)
432 pages
finished 7-25-15
Rating: ★★★★☆
What a great series and what an impressive end to the series (though I am so sad that it has ended – I am going to miss my book friends).
Once I became involved in the world and came to love the characters of the Rephaim, I couldn’t get enough. I just had to know what was going to happen next and find out what really happened in Gaby and Jude’s forgotten years.
It is such an interesting premise, to have a big blank in your memory with all your friends knowing your past and your history with them. How having no memory and therefore no emotional baggage allowed Gaby to see her friends through different eyes and how she must reassess their relationship when she does remember. It really does give a whole new meaning to forgive and forget (or just forget in the case of Gaby and Jude).
This final book in the series does not disappoint and the conclusion wraps everything up nicely. There is plenty of action, emotional turmoil and OMG moments.
I loved the Australian references to the wildlife and scenery, and I have met Aussie blokes like Mick and been to places just like Pan Beach.
I loved the phenomenal world building, the interesting and believable characters (especially Rafa and Gaby) and the complex, intriguing plot.
If you love demons, demon hunters and archangels, with a side of romance and plot twists galore, then this is the book for you.
Great story, great characters, great world building = great series!
I never heard of this series Cheryl. It sounds good. Nice review. I'm adding it to my list.
Finally finished my Strong-Heroine book, review coming up shortly. I'm also a very good chunk into my Bloody Mess book and should finish in a day or two, depending on how much audiobook time I get.
Strong-Heroine
4 Stars
Ok one reason I docked this a star is because it was in 1st person and I much, much prefer 3rd person. But also because there were some points where I felt like I should have already known this world and like this wasn't a first book in the series. But I really liked Dina, Beast and her house and the whole premise of the book. Not sure if I'll go to the website and read the installments or just wait for the next one to be finished and published in one complete book.
OK here's a little team update: We are 1 review away from our Free Space stamp, 2 from our Strong Heroine Stamp and 4 from the Bloody Mess stamp.
It's ok that we are a tiny bit behind this early in the game. It will only be an issue if we are still behind when we get very close to having a Bingo.
Mary, I think that we are 1 review away from our Strong Heroine stamp. My review for Refuge is up at Message 44. I am 20% into my Bloody Mess book and should have it finished in the next few days. I DNF
- I could not get into it, so I changed my Bloody Mess choice to
and am enjoying it. Love a good vampire book!
OK I guess I missed that. I'll update it now. Thanks for noticing. Enjoy your 2nd choice.
I think this is the quietest team I have ever been on before. How's everyone doing? I'm going to try to finish my Bloody Mess audiobook tonight.
I'm hoping we'll be able to get a stamp or two in the upcoming week.
New shelf! Happy Birthday! Read a book published in 2015. So maybe we can try and get a stamp this week by finishing up one of the previously called shelves?
Not sure what I'm going to read for the shelf yet. I don't think I have much for 2015 books. Probably this one:
Excellent choice! I love the Charley Davidson series. Darynda Jones could make a shopping list interesting reading! For the Happy Birthday shelf, I am going to read
. I'm so glad this shelf came up as the book only just came out and I am itching to read it.I am 70% done with my Bloody Mess book,
and loving it. I should have it finished by tomorrow.
I just looked at the game-wide spreadsheet and there are other teams with no stamps yet.
We're close to getting two stamps and halfway to the third. Maybe we can just get them all at once!
Yes, we can plan a sneak attack. Look like we are falling far behind and all of a sudden get a bunch of stamps.
Hi ladies. Just a quick pop in before work ( I'm late of course..). I have my bloody mess book finished an will post review today. I keep changing my mind about happy birthday. I need to just pick the first one that is already in my reader. CU later.
I should finish my Bloody Mess book today as well. Only have a couple hours left of the audiobook. I read a few pages of my 2015 book before bed last night but didn't make much of a dent yet.
I have finished my Bloody Mess book and will post my review later today.
Shelf: Bloody Mess
Book: Bloodfire
by: Helen Harper
246 pages
Rating: ***
Finished 7-28-15
This is the story of Mack Smith. She is a human who was raised in a shifter pack. She is hiding from the Brethren, a policing group of shifters lead by Corrigan. He is the Alpha of all the shifter packs.
A sad tragedy brings the Brethren to Mack’s door to investigate. This is where the game of Cat and Mouse (or hamster) begins. The story starts to feel like a water down Kate Daniels novel. Mack is cocky and a bit immature. She doesn’t know anything real about her past and she is fighting to keep her distance from “Lord Shifty”. Everyone believes that the pack will be punished for disclosing their secret existence to a human.
I enjoyed the book. It was a pit patchy but I’m interested. I want to find out more about Mack’s past and see how things develop with Corrigan. I actually couldn’t wait and I’m mid-way through the second book.
For the Happy Birthday shelf I might read Burned by Karen Moning I'll decide for sure tonight. For now, I can't keep my eyes open. SO glad the week is over
Shelf: Bloody Mess
Book: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
485 pages
Rating: ★★★★★
Finished 7-30-15
Why didn’t I read this sooner?
This was very different to what I expected. I expected a dark, depressing tale about evil vampires preying on desperate humans. Though it is dark at times, and there are some evil vampires, it is a gripping, emotional story about Allie’s struggle for survival.
Allie must come to terms with what she is and what she must do to survive and protect those that she loves. I immediately connected with Allie and became totally engrossed in her life. The other characters are just as engaging, deep and real. Zeke is loyal, generous, trusting and brave – he sees the best in everyone and struggles when his ‘black and white’ beliefs are challenged. Kanin is a tortured soul with past mistakes that he is trying to redeem. He doesn’t sugar coat the truth and does his best to prepare Allie for her new life. I hope that he features more in the next book.
It is beautifully written with incredible world building and amazing characters – it is a book that I will read more than once.
I'm adding The Immortal Rules to my Read Next list.
I finished my Bloody Mess book. Review to come soon.
So at this point we just need Hannah to finish and review some books and we'll have all our stamps but the latest.
Bloody Mess
5 stars
This book of the Angel/vampire series turned out to be pretty much all about the vamps this time, so perfect for this shelf. I liked this one a lot better than the previous. I was kind of meh about the war of angels. It was nice to just have a paranormal murder mystery for this one. Looking forward to the next book.
Hi ladies. I'm changing my Happy Birthday shelf book to be Deadly Spells by Jaye Wells. Published Feb 2015.
I got sidetracked reading the next book in my blood mess series. I think I can probably get through deadly spells quicker then Burn. It's been so long since Iced I may want to go back and re read a bit of it.
No problem Lisa. I've had to go back and start series over before because I took too long of a break.
I sent a message to Hannah yesterday morning asking her to check in and give us an update. I'm a little behind on my Happy Birthday book. I didn't have much sit and read time. But I'm 17% done according to my Kindle. I'll try to have it read to me more often. Was hoping the audio copy would become available from my library but it hasn't yet.
I'm about 60% done with my Happy Birthday book. It should definitely be finished by Thursday which will tie in well with next week's shelf book.
I got another good chunk of mine done today by having my kindle read it to me in the car on my way to go kayaking and back.
Hi ladies! Due to a lack of response from Hannah, she is being replaced by Sarah. Sarah will stop by to check in shortly. I've mentioned this to her, but so that everyone is aware - she may use books that fit a previously announced shelf if she started the book after the shelf was announced. If none of the books she's read since the start of the game fit that criteria, she'll need to read to catch up.
I was going to ask if she could do that, use a book read in the right time frame if it happened to fit with the shelves called.
Oh, bummed to see Hannah go but welcome Sarah! Glad you could join us.
Mary, I don't have a kindle. I have always had a nook. And now an iPad with the kindle app. When you say your kindle reads to you, is it an audio book? My aunt said something like that to me but I though she was confused. Is it a setting for any book?
One more from me.. I'm about 40 % done with happy birthday. I think I will be done by wed.
I have an old Kindle Touch and it has the text-to-speech option. Not all Kindles have this and I think the Touch was the last one with this feature. Although my Fire, also an old one, will do it on some books. My car has an AUX jack and I can turn on the text to speech and play it through my car stereo. It's not as good as an audiobook because it's a computerized voice. But it's not bad and helpful when you have expiring library e-books.
I feel bad about replacing Hannah but she isn't checking in and hasn't finished a single book. The longer we waited, the more books a replacement player would have to make up to help us catch up. At this point we are the only team left with no stamps at all and it's only Hannah's books that we were missing on all but the most recent. She was sent messages and just didn't respond despite having been on goodreads. I think maybe she was overwhelmed with just joining goodreads and the group and maybe embarrassed to say something? But since she didn't respond or post an update, we don't really know.
That's ok Mary. I wasn't questioning your decision. I agree. That is a cool feature for kindle. I would use it. I like to read on the morning when drying my hair before work ( I know that sounds crazy). Sometimes I can't put my book down. It would be awesome to finish up in the car.
Hello ladies! I'm very excited to be joining all of you! I am going to go over the shelves that have been called and see if I have anything that fits. I'll update you as soon as I've done that.
SOS: Serious Overload of Series
Books mentioned in this topic
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Shelf: Free Space
Book: The Unleashing by Shelly Laurenston
373 pages
Rating: ***1/2
This was the first book in Call of Crows series. It is the story of Kera Watson and her transition from life as a marine home from the Middle East to her second life as part of the Crows. The Crows are an elite team of "Cleaners" (in the Pulp Fiction sense) who are tasked at doing the dirty work for a Norse deity.
Like any first book, the beginning was a bit slow going and a little confusing. There are a lot of characters to meet and the POV switches and can be misleading. However, it quickly straightens out and you get to know everybody. I think it is because you are immediately immersed in the group and there isn't a lot of backstory. Thit makes the beginning a little chaotic. You meet the players just as Kera would.
The Norse mythology is new to me so it was interesting (although I don't know how accurate-but who cares!). Also, It has a sort of different romantic story. Kera's love interest is actually interested from the start. No crazy triangle, or playing hard to get. Just a sweet start to hopefully a continued relationship with a big, scary Viking. There are a couple steamy encounters. The love story plays second to Kera's relationship to her fellow Crows. It is interesting to see her try to fit in with a group of diverse women. It is no easy task.
This book has been praised for its multicultural cast of players. I didn't feel it. Maybe it would be a stronger message in a movie or TV Show. There are mentions of brown skin and Philipino roots and mixed heritages. That didn't resonate with me. It may be that no matter the book or character, in my mind, every leading lady eventually becomes me. I think that is the good thing about reading. Unless of course I am reading true crime (ok, even then).