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R2: Smokin' Quintet (3)
message 51:
by
Lauren
(new)
Apr 25, 2014 07:34AM
I'll also go with the white cover
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I'm also going with the white cover.
Looks like fun!
I love that series, Pat! I hope you enjoy it! :)
Pat wrote: "I'm also going with the white cover. Looks like fun!"
Charley is such fun! Great choice.
Week #2: Spot 9 Reviews✔ Lauren: Waking Nightmare by Kylie Brant, April 26th, 4.5★, Review
✔ Steph Ann: Alien in the House by Gini Koch, April 28th, 4★, Review
✔ Cathy: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, May 2nd, 4★, Review
✔ Pat: First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones, May 1st, 4★, Review
✔ Minttu: The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto, May 2nd, 5★, Review
Steph Ann wrote: "I love that series, Pat! I hope you enjoy it! :)"Well if the rest of the book is anything like the first chapter I am addicted already! Yay for finding a great book!
Week #2: White Cover
by Kylie BrantRead: April 26th
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Review:
A serial rapist is terrorizing Savannah and the police call in private profiler, Abbie Phillips, for assistance on the case. Abbie clashes both personally and professionally with the lead investigator, Ryne Robel, and the two must develop a workable relationship if they are to stop the sadistic monster before he strikes closer to home.
Brant’s writing style is reminiscent of Cynthia Eden’s Deadly Fear and Die for Me books. The plot is well-constructed with some exciting twists and turns, fast-paced action scenes and an intense climax.
Abbie and Ryne are a compelling couple and the development of their romance from resentment to respect to attraction and then commitment is believable and engaging. Both are appealing characters coping with traumatic pasts although Abbie’s background as a profiler and he work for Adam Raiker could have been more detailed.
The villain’s identity comes as a surprise, but that isn’t to say the clues aren’t there rather they are cleverly interwoven into the storyline so it is easy to miss them. This gives the book bonus points as I am usually able to guess the killer quite quickly.
All in all, an entertaining romantic thriller that is not to heavy on the gritty and gruesome descriptions.
Week 2Spot: 9
, Alternate: white coverRead: 4/28/14
Rating: 4 stars
Review
I really wanted to give this one 5 stars like I have so many others in this series, but for some reason, something just felt like it was missing here, and I can't put my finger on what it was. That's not to imply that the book isn't good; it's still very entertaining, just as all the other books in the series are, and there are many laugh out loud moments. As usual, there are a lot of things going on, and it's up to Kitty and the rest of the ACs to figure out how everything is connected. I was glad to see Reader appear more often in this book than he did the last one. I love his and Kitty's chemistry, and it's always great to see them interact. While I may not have loved this one as much as previous books, I'm still very much looking forward to the next one!
Week 2
Spot 9
Read:5/01/14
Rating: 4 Stars
Meet Charley Davidson. She's a smart, witty, private eye- oh, and did I mention she is also the Grim Reaper? Poor Charley can't catch a break. Those who don't "cross over" when they die seek her out, at the most embarrassing times. As if this didn't present enough problems, Charley is also being romanced by a mysterious Romeo in her dreams - but her dreams seem to be spilling over into her waking life. This book is a fun read, and the first installment in a five book series.
I love a book that makes me laugh as this one does. The characters are the kind of people you want to get to know. The conversations are clever, the action believable, and a paranormal romance keeps you turning the pages. Although not a deep book, this one is worth reading for pure entertainment.
Lauren wrote: "How's it going, ladies?"Great!! Just finished my book...wanted to get it in today so I am ready for our new book tomorrow! I love the challenge as it keeps me on track!
Two more reviews and then I can roll! Need something new to read :0)
I have a chapter left. Coffee in hand I shall head outside to finish it now.
Week 2
Spot 9 - white cover
Read 2nd May 2014
Rating: 5 stars
Let me start by saying that Banana Yoshimoto is one of my all time favorite authors and I was really looking forward to reading this book and had very high hopes for it. And it did not disappoint.
I love the way Banana Yoshimoto writes. I think her style is not for everyone, because it is very discriptive and the story moves in kind of an odd manner. The pace is relaxed and slow and at the same time intense in emotion and has this darkness and mystery. You keep on waiting for something bad to happen. I almost felt like I was living in Chihiro's thoughs because the story moved from one scene to another in a way the thoughts move from one to another without necessarily having any logic connection. To me Banana's novels are their own kind of poetry. I dive into them and live fully in their world until the book ends.
We glimpse into the lives of her characters in a moment when they are going through difficult times in their lives. Chihiro's mother has just died and she kind of accidentally tumbles into a relationship with Nakajima, a mysterious and troubled man who lives across the street from her. He has a dark past. Something horrible has happened that has broken him maybe forever.
The themes in this book were very close to me and my recent life events. My mother has not died, but my boyfriend's close friend and kind of a father figure died last year and I was there for him and saw how lost he was afterwards. The beginning of a new relationship and the feelings that it brings up, getting to know this new person you have all these strong feelings for but don't really know much about. Being close to a person whose past is very troubled and who still is living partly in that past, wanting to help them and not really knowing how and eventually realizing, you can't really help at all beyond from just being there with them in life. It all was so familiar and so beautifully written into this story.
I don't want to write too much about the plot, because the story builds up slowly, layer by layer and to know what is going to happen before you are meant to know it as a reader would spoil part of the tension and mystery. Essentially it is a love story where the dark past comes to haunt the present.
I loved this book and the more I think about it, the more I love it. The feeling keeps on growing. This is my experience with Yoshimoto's books. They leave me wanting more. I think about the characters and story for days afterwards. They get better with each time I read them. I keep on returning to them and every time I find a new nuance I didn't notice the previous time. So I am sure this was simply my first visit into the world of Chihiro and Nakajima.
Like I said Yoshimoto is not an author everyone will enjoy. But if you like Murakami, then I think you'll like Yoshimoto as well. I personally love Japanese fiction and wish I knew japanese so that I could read the books in the original language. I think a lot is lost in the translation.
Lauren wrote: "Two more reviews and then I can roll! Need something new to read :0)"I need something new to read too. I finished
over my lunch hour yesterday, and I'm starting to go into withdrawal from not having started anything else yet, lol. :)
I'm having withdrawal too, Steph Ann. Love Gin and company!Cathy has been in touch and she's working on her book now. Will hopefully be able to roll soon :0)
I think it's going to be a little difficult to jump into a new book after The Lake. I feel like I need a good murder mystery or brainless chick-lit to balance out that serious fiction.
Minttu wrote: "I think it's going to be a little difficult to jump into a new book after The Lake. I feel like I need a good murder mystery or brainless chick-lit to balance out that serious fiction."I often need to read something brainless after a book like that, Minttu!
Lauren, Gin and company definitely don't disappoint in this one! It made me very anxious to read the next and see where things go from here!
Minttu wrote: "I think it's going to be a little difficult to jump into a new book after The Lake. I feel like I need a good murder mystery or brainless chick-lit to balance out that serious fiction."Yes, something light to cleanse the brain
Steph Ann wrote: "Minttu wrote: "I think it's going to be a little difficult to jump into a new book after The Lake. I feel like I need a good murder mystery or brainless chick-lit to balance out that serious fictio..."Good to know.
is up next for me.
OMG! What is going on? I have been trying to get on here for hours!Week 2
Spot 9
Read:5/02/14
Rating: 4 Stars
Review: This was very creepy! It is a look into the future with everyone the product of genetic tampering and behavioral conditioning. It's also kind of scary because some of the rationalizing done by the head alpha sounds a lot like politicians we have now. I didn't particularly care for the end, but it also isn't my typical read.
I know! The site's been down forever!It's been a long time since I've read that one, Cathy. I remember really liking it though.
OMG! TG Goodreads is back!Going to roll now!
Yay! GoodReads is back :D I was hitting refresh gazillion times last night and getting all worried.
Goodreads went down again 2 seconds after I said I would roll :0(I've rolled now though and ...
Week #3: rolled an 8 and moved to spot 17
1st or 7th in a series or alternatively a book from the Owned-Ebook shelf.
I'm going with Divergent :) 1st in the series option.
I am going with Gone - also first in a series. Was going to read it over the summer but this is a great opportunity to get started on the series. 
Haven't decided yet but will probably go with
or
both #7 in a series.
I'm going to read Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs. It's #7 in the Mercy Thompson series. :)
A quick read! I work in a middle school library and wanted to read this so that I would know what the kids are reading. Just finished it (although I did start it Saturday).
Week 3
Spot 17
Read: May 5, 1914
4 stars
Morgan is your typical teen-age girl. Recently having moved, and in a new school she finds herself frustrated with the world, and specifically her parents who just don't understand her. So, she decides to run away. This starts a journey that ends up changing her life. Much like Alice down the rabbit-hole, Alice finds herself in what appears to be a parallel universe, where life if governed by how much and what you eat as well as your weight. Think any health program on steroids! How will our heroine get home?
I enjoyed this teen book. It is definitely written for a young teen in mind, and is a quick easy read. Despite the simplistic writing style, the story content was surprisingly good, tackling many social problems that young people find themselves in. The added twist of government controlling the nations weight smacks of today's headlines, and is intriguing subject matter. This is the first book in the series, and I look forward to reading the next installment.
Week #3: Spot 17 Reviews✔ Lauren: Chains of Fire by Christina Dodd, May 5th, 3.5★, Review
✔ Steph Ann: Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs, May 5th, 4★, Review
✔ Cathy: Letting Go by Maya Banks, May 4th, 4★,Review
✔ Pat: Gone by Michael Grant, May 5th, 4★, Review
✔ Minttu: Divergent by Veronica Roth May 8th, 4★, Review
Week 3Spot 17
by Maya BanksRead: May 4, 1914
4 stars
Review:Joss has been a widow for three years and is finally ready to move on with her life. She has decided that she would like to try dom/sub life style. Before she can jump in at the local club, her dead husband's best friend (who is a dom) confides that he has been in love with her for years and wants her to enter the lifestyle with him.
I felt that things moved too quickly from "friend" to "lover" for her and that his abrupt change toward the end didn't fit with all his declarations. However, I did enjoy the book. It was fast, light, and fun to read.
Week 3Spot: 17
, #7 in Mercy Thompson seriesRead: 5/5/14
Rating: 4 stars
Review
This has always been a series that I like, but I don't love it as much as a lot of people seem to. This installment was no different in that respect. The book started off quickly and, while the pace did slow a bit around the halfway mark, the plot always remained intriguing. I liked getting to see some of the pack members (and Stefan) again after their absence in the last book. There are some lighter moments interspersed with the darker scenes, which I thought kept a nice balance. I'm looking forward to reading the next one!
Steph Ann wrote: "Week 3Spot: 17
, #7 in Mercy Thompson seriesRead: 5/5/14
Rating: 4 stars
Review
This has always been a series that I like, but I don't love it as much as a lo..."
I'm with you, Steph Ann. While I enjoy the series, it isn't a favorite and there are several aspects that really rub me the wrong way.
Week #3: Owned eBook
by Christina DoddRead: May 5th
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Review:
Stranded together after an avalanche in the Swiss Alps, Isabelle Mason and Samuel Faa are forced to reconcile their differences or die in the attempt.
While Chains of Fire is a solid installment in the series, it doesn’t quite live up to expectations.
The main conflict concerns Samuel and Isabelle’s rocky past. Although their love/hate relationship makes for some witty dialogue and steamy scenes, it feels forced and unrealistic. Yes, there is sufficient build up and background on their characters’ history together, but their interactions in the present are lacking that extra something that makes a romance truly captivating.
In terms of plot, there is no real development in the ongoing struggle between the Chosen Ones and the Others. The assassination storyline comes out of nowhere and the villain behind it is so forgettable that it took me a while to remember who he is. The final confrontation is also anti-climactic and the resolution too easy.
That said, the lead in into the next and final book in the series is seamless and compelling. Aleksander and Charisma seem an uniquely couple so it will be interested to see whether Dodd manages to pull it off.
Lauren wrote: "I'm with you, Steph Ann. While I enjoy the series, it isn't a favorite and there are several aspects that really rub me the wrong way."I'm glad I'm not alone in my feelings! :)
I'll be reviewing Divergent later tonight. I had my doubts because of all the hype, but I've been pleasantly surprised throughout the book. I actually like it more than Hunger Games.
Week 3: 1st in a series
by Veronica Roth
Read: May 8th 2014
Rating: 4 stars
Review:
I was hesitant to read Divergent, because there has been so many dystopian young adult books and so much hype with the release of the movie and all. I knew I wanted to read it nevertheless, but I had a lot of doubts.
I was pleasantly surprised. The first comparison comes with The Hunger Games, which is similar in many ways. I loved how the world of Divergent was more thought out and explained. It was more complex. From the very first pages you just got a very clear idea of how divided the society is because of the factions and how differently the people live. I found this setting of the dystopian society in the different factions interesting and something different from other similar books I've read.
So this is the story of Beatrice Prior, who lives in a dystopian society divided into factions Candor (honesty), Dauntless (bravery), Amity (peacefulness), Erudite (intelligence) and her own faction Abnegation (selflessness). At 16 years of age everyone needs to take a simulation test that should tell which faction they belong to. On appointment day the young people choose their future faction. In Beatrice's case the test is inconclusive, she is a divergent, a person who doesn't belong to just one faction but has characteristics that could put her in several different factions. She knows she doesn't belong in Abnegation, but it is how she has grown up and being from the selfless faction, she feels her choice for the future should be selfless as well. But on the appointment day she makes a different choice that has huge consequences.
I liked how the focus is on the way we all are inside versus how we are raised up. Sometimes indeed we feel like we are not cut from the same wood as our families. I think this was a very interesting way to play up this personality versus upbringing battle we all go through to some extent. I think a lot of young people will relate to the struggle of finding your own identity at this age. Of course in Tris's world this is all even more extreme, but the same problems apply. Do you choose what you want or what makes your family happy? For me the journey Tris goes through in this sense was the most intriguing. How to fit in but not lose the sight of who you are.
I personally didn't really care for the love story in the book. It was bit of cliche to be honest. I wish it had been a little less obvious where the author wanted to take Tris and her love interest. This is the one thing I found better in the Hunger Games. I really liked that the love story was not the main focus. Not all stories need romance and I think since this is a series, it would've been better to keep the tension going way into the second book at least.
I often find myself wishing to spend more time in different parts of the story when it comes to young adult books. I don't know if this need to move forward fast with the action is because this is what young people want. I just think the authors should give the reader these slower paced chapters to really get into the story and digest everything they've read. This book was no exception. I would've loved to have more of the Abnegation world in the beginning and a little more of everything. More description of the factions, the rooms, the clothing, the people. Little more of the stuff inbetween all the action action action. And a little less simulations as tests. I think it is kind of an easy route in scifi to "simulate" your worst fears or whatever. I want real tests of courage and character. Not something that in the end is not real.
Four stars though for an enjoyable read. I will definitely check out the second book.
Week #4: rolled an 8 and moved to spot 252nd or 5th in a series or alternatively a book set in Kansas
Oh dear.. that's going to be a tricky one to find and choose :D
Well this one was fairly easy for me...Second Grave on the Left! Loved the first book, and looking forward to the second....
Yay, I was really hoping to have 5 as an option! I'll be reading
, #5 in the Jane Yellowrock series.
Steph Ann wrote: "Yay, I was really hoping to have 5 as an option! I'll be reading , #5 in the Jane Yellowrock series."I have this one on audio. Looking forward to your review.
I'll probably read
- book #5 in a series.
Week #4: Spot 25 Reviews✔ Lauren: The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt, May 14th, 5★, Review
✔ Steph Ann: Death's Rival by Faith Hunter, May 12th, 4★, Review
✔ Cathy: Highlander in Disguise by Julia London, May 12th, 3★, Review
✔ Pat: Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones, May 13th, 4★, Review
✔ Minttu: The Preacher by Camilla Lackberg, May 16th, 5★, Review
Would this work for 2nd in series option? 
The Preacher by Camilla Läckberg
It's #2 in the Patrick Hedström/ Fjällbacka series although each book is kind of a stand alone story. You know how detective stories go.
If this doesn't work, I'll read:
by Jodi Picoult. This one is set in Kansas.
As long as it is classified as 2nd in a series on Goodreads then it is ok
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