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PtP - Frozen In Fantasyland (5)
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Pam
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Sep 30, 2016 03:45PM
FYI--If you go to the main thread for theme posting rather than waiting for me, just be aware Jane is traveling so Fran is supervising and themes won't be posted at the top :)
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Week #4: Walt Disney died 15 December 1966 - read a book where its stated number of pages on GR repeats a number eg 112 pages, 200 pages or 303 pages etc.Bookcover/link: If It Drives
Page numbers: 222
How the book qualifies: page numbers repeat
Week #4: Walt Disney died 15 December 1966 - read a book where its stated number of pages on GR repeats a number eg 112 pages, 200 pages or 303 pages etc.Bookcover/link: If It Drives
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Cal is a chauffeur with a major crush on the boss. But James never looks at him twice. Instead, Cal is stuck driving him to the Market Garden once a month or so, and then driving the expensive rentboys home the next morning. James always seems more relaxed for a day or two after those trips, but he never seems *happy*. And more than anything, Cal wants him to be happy. One night James goes looking for a particular rentboy, and when he's not available, for the first time ever James leaves the Market Garden alone. He invites Cal in for a drink, and suddenly Cal's fantasy is coming true. In bed, the dynamic is flipped. James wants Cal to be in charge, way more in charge than he's ever been before, and it blows his mind how much he likes it. Likes giving James exactly what he wants. But the minute the sex is over, it gets confusing. James is still the boss. How far can Cal push it? How far does he want to push it? And does James want anything at all?
This was hot, like all the Market Garden stories are, even if none of the Market Garden guys were having sex on the page. The power dynamics were nebulous, which makes sense for the story, but it made it a little hard for me to get my feet under me as a reader. The story was told in third person from Cal's POV, and I really wanted a peek in James' head, too. I think it would have helped me feel balanced as a reader, even if the guys weren't balanced themselves yet. The ending was all right, but not quite enough to make me feel confident that James and Cal have it all worked out. More of a Happy For Now than Happily Ever After. We got a peek at a few other couples from earlier in the series in this one, mostly Nick and Spencer, so I'm hoping that James and Cal will pop up in the next couple of books so we can see how they're doing.
Wow, that was fast Becky! I thought I was doing good being about 25% in my book - I did have to wait until today to start though since it is also for an October challenge. And I still need to post my selection, though I figured it out yesterday.
Week 4: Walt Disney died 15 December 1966 - read a book where its stated number of pages on GR repeats a number eg 112 pages, 200 pages or 303 pages etc.Selection Post
Angel's Devil by Suzanne Enoch, 212 p. per GR#2 repeats in the page number of the paperback edition on GR.
MountainKat wrote: "Wow, that was fast Becky! I thought I was doing good being about 25% in my book - I did have to wait until today to start though since it is also for an October challenge. And I still need to post ..."Yeah, mine was a Meet-n-Greet selection, so I had to wait until today to start. But it wasn't terribly long, and I've been able to just chill out and read most of the day today, so I was able to zip right through it.
Completion PostWeek 4, Option 1
Waiting For Nick
★★★ 10/2/16
336 pgs
Review: Freddie is the daughter of a famous composer and now a lyricist.
She's fallen for Nick...a boy that was adopted as a tenn by her father/step-mom. Nick hasn't noticed Nick has grown up. She's worked at getting his attention...uses her family to influence...and worms her way to working together with him on music he's writing for another play.
Of course all of Nora's books end in happily ever after.
I didn't like this one as much as others in this series.
Week 4: Walt Disney died 15 December 1966 - read a book where its stated number of pages on GR repeats a number eg 112 pages, 200 pages or 303 pages etc. - SELECTION POST
Seduction and Surrender by Cali MacKay
Pages: 212
Week 4: Walt Disney died December 15, 1966. Read a book where its stated number of pages on GR repeats a number of pages.Bookcover/Link: The Book Thief
Pages: 552
Qualification: Numbers Repeat
Week 4: Walt Disney died 15 December 1966 - read a book where its stated number of pages on GR repeats a number Completion POST
Seduction and Surrender by Cali MacKay
Pages: 212
Completed: 10/3/16
Rating: 2 stars
Review: Emma Sparrow's lease on her restaurant is up, and she needs to renew it - things are going well and she doesn't want to move. Billionaire Quinn Ryker recently bought her building, has other plans for it and they aren't renewing the lease. Except once he meets Emma he offers to renew the lease if she'll date him. Quinn has to be one of the most obnoxious guys - he was determined to get Emma to like him, date him, sleep with him and kept offering her money or trying to blackmail her. I just wanted to smack him! Even with the author trying to show the good things about him, he was still a douche in my book, which made me not care for this story.
Week 4: Walt Disney died 15 December 1966 - read a book where its stated number of pages on GR repeats a number eg 112 pages, 200 pages or 303 pages etc.Completion Post
Angel's Devil by Suzanne Enoch, 212 p. per GR#2 repeats in the page number of the paperback edition on GR.
*3+ Stars*
I enjoyed this. It wasn't great, but it was good. The exchanges between the MCs were often funny as were many of the other discussions and characters. I'm glad how everything worked out in the end though.
I listened to the audio of this and it was ok. I was warned by a friend about the narrator, so I think that helped me not dislike it so much because I was expecting worse. So it was ok for me to listen to.
Bad captain has caught us up. Runell and I need to finish our Week 3 books by Friday and our Week 4 books by next Friday. Everyone else is ready for the next week. I will be done with Week 3 book tomorrow. It's been a long week and awful at work. No students on Friday though.
Sorry you've been having a rough week Pam! The weekend is coming =)
I'm sorry to hear you've had a rotten week, Pam. Hopefully, next week will be much better!
I'm almost done with my week 4 book so I'll have my completion post up by tomorrow when I get off work if not by tonight. :)
Week 3 Completion Post
Completed 10/7/16
Rating *** 1/2
I suspect this would have been a 4 star read if I had been less preoccupied by work. Lydia finds out on her wedding day that her fiance is having an affair. She runs away and meets Vaughn Hewson, who appeared in the Stage Dive series. They fall into lust, some hilarity ensues until moving on to the HEA. I enjoyed the early Stage Dives more than the last one. This seems like it could be promising.
Week 4 Completion Post: Walt Disney died December 15, 1966. Read a book where its stated number of pages on GR repeats a number of pages.Title: The Book Thief
Author: Marcus Zusak
Rating: 5 ★
My Review:
I first read this book when I was in the seventh or eighth grade, and it instantly became a favorite. I am normally not one who rereads books, but I'm so very glad that I read this again after all the time that had passed.
I loved it as much as I did the first time, even if it didn't hit me quite the same, it still landed a few blows.
I also read, or rather listened, to a lot of this on audiobook (something else that I normally don't do), but again, I'm so glad I did because the audiobook was excellent (and I finally learned if I was pronouncing those German words right--mostly I hadn't been, hahaha).
If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it (and definitely suggest listening to the audiobook).
Week 5 Selection PostThe Rain in Portugal: New Poems
160 pages
How it fits: It was published on Oct. 4, 2016
Thinking of you Runell. Hope you are warm and dry.
Week 5: Read any book in OctoberBookcover/Link: A Madness So Discreet
Pages: 376
Qualification: Published October 6th
Aw, thank you, Pam, but I'm up in the mountains so all I'm getting is some heavy rain. :)
Week 5: Read a book published in OctoberSelection Post
Cole and Jillian by Jennifer Peel
143 pages
Published 10/4/16
Week #5: Read a book published in OctoberBookcover/link: Enjoy the Dance
Page numbers: 224
How the book qualifies: will be published Tues, Oct 11.
Week 5: Walt Disney started his company on 16 October 1923 - read a book published in October of any year.Selection Post
Ritual in Death by J.D. Robb, 160 p. per GREdition published October 11, 2012
Sorry about not posting my selection earlier. I know speed doesn't matter yet and I promise I will be on top of things when it does. =)
MountainKat wrote: "Sorry about not posting my selection earlier. I know speed doesn't matter yet and I promise I will be on top of things when it does. =)"That's 'ditto' for me as well. I need more time to figure out what I'm going to read for this one. Be in touch soon!
Week 5 Completion Post
Finished 10/9
**** 1/2
Billy Collins is one of my favorite poets. (Is it pathetic that I have favorite poets?) I was lucky enough to attend a reading he did on Sept. 28 as part of George Mason University's Fall for the Book. I love him because his poetry is incredibly accessible. He is a former Poet Laureate of the US and as Poet Laureate wrote a poem for the first 9/11 memorial called "The Names" which is heartbreakingly elegant. I actually used this with my self-contained English class this year, who were babies at the time of the attack. One of my all-time favorites is called "Introduction to Poetry" which talks about all the ways we kill poetry for children.
So I'm still working on my week 4 book The Curse of Tenth Grave. I am listening to it and had planned to finish it on my drive to Connecticut this weekend for my 40th high school reunion. Then my son decided to go along to visit with old college roommates and I could not listen to it with him in the car. I'm not quite up to sharing Reyes sex scenes with my adult youngest child. Will finish this week though. It's spirit week at school so lighter work load for everyone!
I've updated my selection post to add my book for week #5 in msg 124
Pam wrote: "I'm not quite up to sharing Reyes sex scenes with my adult youngest child."Why ever not?! JK, I completely understand! I always try to find something that isn't going to be too steamy when my hubby is in the car, even though he jokes that he only wants to hear the sex scenes. If he could just listen without the commentary, I would play them for him! But, I'm listening to the whole book, so I want to actually hear the story.
And no, you're not pathetic for having a favorite poet. Might be a nicer world if more people did - not sure that I do, but I do enjoy some poetry. Maybe Maya Angelou, I especially like hers when she read them!
Im totally taking the easy route here...weeks been too daunting readingwise to do anything else...
Week 5, Option 2
Never Never: Part Two, Colleen Hoover
156 pgs
From Sandy's Shelf she read Never Never on 7/16/16 ★★★★
Completion Post:Week 5, Option 2
Never Never: Part Two, Colleen Hoover
★★★★ finished 10/8
I actually read part 2 and 3 this week...finishing the series.
Book 2 was the best in my view. MCs make progress on their 'stuck in time' situation. The ups and downs are just right. Story turned in to more of a love story with book 2.
Book three ended disappointing...disappointment reminded me of how I felt at the end of book 3 of Hunger Games trilogy. Chalked it up to YA format.
Week 5: Read a book published in OctoberCompletion Post
Cole and Jillian by Jennifer Peel
143 pages
Published 10/4/16
Rating: 4 stars
Review: After divorcing her cheating, addict musician husband, Jillian Jones never wants to get near another celebrity. Then she ends up seated next to country music star Cole Pendleton on her flight and he takes an interest in her. He keeps her entertained during their flight (she's afraid of flying) and they share and earth shattering kiss - then he tells her he'll be in touch when the time is right. She's adamant she's not doing the star thing again, and is reluctant when he starts pursuing her ten months later. This was a short and sweet book with likable characters including a man who does believe in love at first sight!
Week #5- Read a book published in OctoberBookcover/link: Enjoy the Dance by Heidi Cullinan
Rating: 2 stars
Review: This was a very crowded story- racism, immigration reform, healthcare reform, marriage equality, the foster care system, homeless LGBT youth, workplace protections for LGBT individuals, a living wage. Ed and Laurie from Dance With Me play a significant role in this one, as well as Oliver Thompson and Ed's parents, who aren't as primary, but are there enough to have on-page conversations with the main characters. Marcus from Let It Snow makes an appearance (although this story happens pre-LIS, so it's a heartbroken Marcus, getting ready to leave the city and move back to Logan), and his friends Arthur and Paul, who got their own stories is Sleigh Ride and Winter Wonderland, make cameos, too.
There's also a foster teen, a mother, father, sister, an adoptive mother, a biological mother, a social worker/center director, and a threatening elementary school principal who all have significant scenes, most of them multiple significant scenes, in the story.
With all of that, there wasn't much time for the MCs, Spencer and Tomas, to develop a romance. It felt way to early when (view spoiler). Up to that point, other people spent more time imagining a grand future for the two of them than either of them did for themselves.
Basically, it was just too much. I know in real life problems don't conveniently show up one at a time in manageable bites. But I'm skeptical that people with this much on their plates would find time for romance, too. I mean, Spencer is a brand new, single foster father, and Tomas is working three jobs. They were good characters, and I think if they were buried under a little less stuff the story would have worked better for me. This wasn't a bad book, but it's a problem when the romance takes a backseat in a romance novel.
Week 5: Walt Disney started his company on 16 October 1923 - read a book published in October of any year.Completion Post
Ritual in Death by J.D. Robb, 160 p. per GREdition published October 11, 2012
Completed 10.11.16 *4- Stars*
Good, but probably simpler than even the other novellas. But it was Roarke and Eve and everyone else, narrated wonderfully by Susan Ericksen - so it was enjoyable to me.
Week #6: Read a book from the nerds/geeks listsBookcover/link: Aliens, Smith and Jones by Blaine D. Arden
Page numbers: 200 pages
How the book qualifies: #257 on the Best Gay Romance with Bookish/Nerdy/Geeky Characters list
Week 6 Selection:
MacKenzie's Pleasure, Linda Howard
360 pgs
Qualification: Brainy/Genius Romantic Heroes List #168
Week 4 Completion Post
*** 1/2
I enjoy listening to the continuing story of Charlie Davidson and Reyes and it left us on another the cliffhanger. The subplot involving a dead woman and her wrongly accused fiance was interesting and there were a couple of surprises, not of them happy, on the major storyline. Charlie is really coming into her own.
Week 6 - Read a book from the nerds/geeks listSelection Post
Bodyguards of Pleasure by Melody Snow Monroe
183 pages
#81 on Nerdy Geeky Heroine's of Romance Novels
I'm still trying to find a book for this week. This category isn't fitting well with my on deck books. But I think the biggest obstacle is that I've been super busy and when I'm home I'm just too tired to focus so I'm struggling with the lists. I'll get there...
MountainKat wrote: "I'm still trying to find a book for this week. This category isn't fitting well with my on deck books. But I think the biggest obstacle is that I've been super busy and when I'm home I'm just too t..."I took a look at your "to read asap" list, and I can give you option 2 for How to Wish Upon a Star directly, and The Year We Fell Down through the series rule (The Fifteenth Minute) if that would help.
Thanks Becky! I think I'm going with The Year We Fell Down thanks to you! The lists kept making my eyes cross and I hadn't done much searching on the team's shelves yet. I appreciate you taking the time to look! =)
Week 3: Set on a beach, is a great beach read, set in a Disney park.Title: Scarlet
Author: Marissa Meyer
Rating: 4 ★
My Review:
I was not at all the biggest fan of Cinder, but I knew that I wanted to read this book more than any of them as I just had this feeling that I would love it, and I did.
Scarlet never got annoying, she was smart, she was funny, and she was tough. Wolf was tender, sweet, and hot . . .
The only downfall was that I hated being away from Scarlet and Wolf as I had no interest whatsoever in Cinder's side of the story; I still really just don't care for her story too much at all.
MountainKat wrote: "Thanks Becky! I think I'm going with The Year We Fell Down thanks to you! The lists kept making my eyes cross and I hadn't done much searching on the team's shelves yet. I appreciat..."Sure thing! It's a fantastic series- I hope you enjoy it!
Week 6 - Read a book from the nerds/geeks listCompletion Post
Bodyguards of Pleasure by Melody Snow Monroe
183 pages
#81 on Nerdy Geeky Heroine's of Romance Novels
Completed 10/17/16
2 Stars
Review: Brooke is a big, fun gal who owns a computer shop. She witnesses a murder and Gavin and Riley, hot former military snipers and new to town, elect to be her bodyguards. This book had me rolling my eyes from the start. Brooke talks about her sweating, stinky pits - yeah, that's attractive!! She starts calling Gavin "Master" even though she's never been in the BDSM lifestyle. Both Gavin and Riley have monster c***s. They say the word "impale" more than once - that's really sexy! Not!! Sorry, I recommend a pass on this one!
Week 6: Disney was a shy, self-deprecating and insecure man in private - read a book from the nerds/geeks lists.Selection Post
The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen, 270 p. per GROption 2: #1 in series, #5 in series on Becky's Read Shelf, read 7.18.16, rated 5 stars
Romance Readers Reading Challenges
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