R14: Team #22 ~ Read Til You Drop

[Trinia]

Steph~ That's awesome that your enjoying this series! I've had it on my To Read List for a while now, and your review has me excited to read it!

[Steph Ann]

It's amazing! I had been putting off reading it because I was afraid it had been over-hyped, but book 1 completely hooked me early on and I didn't want to put it down!

[Laura]

I have read book 1 four times. I re-read the series every year before the new book comes out.

[Trinia]

Haha! Ok, I've moved it higher up on my list ladies :D

[Laura]

I'm being buried in a sea of almost due library books! I'm going to see if United as One works for Free Space or Hunters. I hope it does!

[Laura]

Well, it looks like it doesn't work for either. So I'll stick with what I already planned, but I'll be a little behind this week. That's not how I usually work, but I read a doorstopper this past week that took several days longer than anticipated, so it set me behind all around.

[Trinia]

Darn it Laura, sorry it couldn't fit for you. I'm sure you will be ahead of yourself in no time! No worries! ;)

[Steph Ann]

Hunters



Read: 1/22/17
Rating: 5 stars

Review

People are stupid. That's all I could think about as I was reading this book. And that's not meant to be a derogatory statement about the book at all! It's just my constant thought every time HFL supporters in the book would spout their nonsense. I actually talked out loud a lot to various characters while reading, prompting my husband to give me strange looks lol.

So suffice to say, I'm very drawn into the world that Bishop has created. I feel connected to every character, both main and secondary. I had an extremely hard time putting this one down and ended up staying up late to finish it, which, when you have two toddlers and are 30 weeks pregnant with baby #3, says quite a bit! Fans of urban fantasy definitely need to check out this series!

[Laura]

Steph Ann wrote: "Hunters



Read: 1/22/17
Rating: 5 stars

Review

People are stupid. That's all I could think about as I was reading this book. And that's not meant to be a der..."

I can't wait to read these again. But I'm waiting for February, because Vlad gives me a V name for the 7 cards in Uno over in The Perks of Being a Book Addict.

[Trinia]

I really have to start this series!!!!!

[Trinia]

Laura wrote: "Steph Ann wrote: "Hunters



Read: 1/22/17
Rating: 5 stars

Review

People are stupid. That's all I could think about as I was reading this book. And that's not..."

Yay UNO! Which team are you on? I'm on BONES.

I'll keep that in mind about the V ;)

[Laura]

I'm on Eve Dallas.

[Trinia]

Cool! I love having other peeps I know in the same game :) Good luck, looks like a lot of fun :)

[Trinia]

Guess who finished their free space book?!?! yep, I did! yay!

Free Space Shelf ~ Stand Alone List


Read: 1/24/2017
Rating ★★★★

Review:
I have been itching to get to this book for quite a while! I both listened to and read this book.
I think this is one of my favorite Neil Gaiman books, he touched the paranormal without getting too weird. Sometimes his books are too bizarre for me. He writes about a baby who grows up in a graveyard and is raised by ghosts and other paranormal "beings". Very imaginative and creative story, without getting too scary for your middle school aged kiddos.
The audiobook version was high class and sometimes made me jump from the excellent sound effects. Top of my list for NG

[Steph Ann]

I remember really enjoying The Graveyard Book, Trinia! I may have to reread it sometime soon, although I think my sister borrowed my copy and never gave it back, now that I think of it lol.

[Trinia]

Steph Ann wrote: "I remember really enjoying The Graveyard Book, Trinia! I may have to reread it sometime soon, although I think my sister borrowed my copy and never gave it back, now that I think of it lol."

It would make a good re-read... if sis ever returns it ;) lol

[Trinia]

YAY!

I chose , for my Paranormal Romance shelf book! Been wanting to read this one!!!!

[Trinia]

Vilda wrote: "Omggggg, BONES <3 Love that series. :D"

and his voice on the audiobook... yum!!!!
Ooh! i want to hear about Mistborn !

[Steph Ann]

Great choice, Trinia!

@Vilda, I love the Jane Yellowrock series!

I'm going with .

[Trinia]

Steph Ann wrote: "Great choice, Trinia!

@Vilda, I love the Jane Yellowrock series!

I'm going with ."

OOH! Another one on my list, I've already got both the audiobooks (1&2) This game may finally get me to clean up my "to-read" lists!!!! Did you enjoy the first one?

[Trinia]

and Graceling is on my list too :/ HA! At least we all have good tastes :D

[Steph Ann]

I practically inhaled the first one. I wasn't anticipating it being that addicting, and then I couldn't put it down! I reread it about a week or two ago, and the same thing happened. I had it read in about a day lol. I was really hoping book 2 would work for the shelf that was called this week. I'm very glad it worked out that way!

[Trinia]

SO MANY BOOKS! SO LITTLE TIME!!!!! ARRGGGGHHHH!

[Laura]

Okay, new plan for me:

Paranormal Romance:
A Hunger Like No Other

Hunters:
Tricky Twenty-Two

Free Space:
Furies of Calderon, which is on the group Read, Fantasy, First Book in Series, and Male Author shelves.

I should be caught up by the next call! :)

[Laura]

Trinia wrote: "SO MANY BOOKS! SO LITTLE TIME!!!!! ARRGGGGHHHH!"

This! Exactly!

[Trinia]

Shelf:Paranormal Romance
Read: 1/27/2017
Rating: ★★★★

Review:
Loved it! Reminded me of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode however rated R (or X). Loved Kat, her snarky little personality won me over quickly. And that Bones, what a babe... and with an English accent on the audiobook version~YUM! Only negative thing for me is picturing Bones as Spike on Buffy. I'd like to imagine Bones as much more stout and sexier.
Great start to what I'm sure will be a fun series... action, paranormal characters, romance and humor. It's a perfect mix!

[Trinia]

Vilda wrote: "YAY you liked it! Bones is just... <3<3<3 LOL"

Yes! I was a big Buffy fan, so this was right up my alley! I'll definitely move on in this series. But I'll wait for just the right shelf ;)

[Steph Ann]

I finished my book. I'll probably wait til tomorrow to review it. I'm currently trying to figure out how to write a review that's not just one big spoiler lol.

[Trinia]

Yes please for no spoiler reveal ;)

[Trinia]

Great! Thanks :)

[Steph Ann]

Paranormal Romance



Read: 1/28/17
Rating: 5 stars

Review

This is going to be short and sweet because if I go into detail, I'll end up spoiling plot points for those who haven't read this one yet. Suffice to say, I was just as enthralled by this book as I was by the first, although I do think it started off a bit slowly, which had me worried for about the first 8 to 10 percent of the book. Once Rhys shows up though, things take off quickly, and I had a very hard time putting the book down. I did find myself getting sad the closer I got to the end because I didn't want it to be over (especially with Book 3 not being out yet). I'm eagerly awaiting the next book!

[Steph Ann]

Vilda, I have never regretted rereading a Kleypas book! It's actually been awhile since I've done so, so now I'm thinking I may need to go look through my collection and pick something out lol.

[Trinia]

Gee, Somehow my "to-Read" list just keeps growing and growing! lol

[Steph Ann]

Trinia wrote: "Gee, Somehow my "to-Read" list just keeps growing and growing! lol"

That always seems to happen to me during Bingo too lol.

[Laura]

I haven't read any of her historical stuff, but I enjoyed her Friday Harbor books.

[Trinia]

I've never read any of hers... suggestion for a starter of Kleypas???

[Trinia]

Thanks Vilda! I'll check them out :D

[Steph Ann]

I would second the Wallflower series recommendation! I've re-read that series a few times at this point lol.

[Laura]

I'm so sorry that I'm being *that* teammate. The one who holds everybody back. But I'm catching up! It was just a busy January. I've finally finished my first one! Thinking about a review, and I'll post it shortly.

(Also, my Hunters book will actually be Top Secret Twenty-One. Apparently I was trying to jump ahead of myself in the series.)

[Laura]

Paranormal Romance

A Hunger Like No Other
Date Read: 1/31
Rating: 2.5 stars

I was underwhelmed by this one. And unprepared for how erotic it was. I originally picked it up as BOTM in another group. And no one warned me! I like my romances cleaner/sweeter; I like my heroes nicer; and I like my heroines with more of a spine. Basically, my standards are set by Kate Daniels! While the characters are much improved by the end of the book, it wasn't enough to overcome the shortcomings from the beginning.

[Steph, Serious series addict]

CONGRATULATIONS, Read Til You Drop!
You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'PNR'. 

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

Good Job!! :D

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Congrats on the stamp Exhausted Readers!

[Trinia]

Lol, thanks Steph and Sandra !

[Steph Ann]

I was underwhelmed by that one too, Laura, but ended up really liking book 2!

[Trinia]

YAY!
For me , I'll read

by Neil Gaiman

[Steph Ann]

I'm going with .

[Laura]

I'm going with . Although the Stephanie Plum book is also tagged Guilty Pleasures, so we could switch them if we want to complete the older call first. I don't care which one we do it for.

[Laura]

Vilda wrote: "And you decide what feels best for you, Laura! You gotta read them all anyway, so technically I don't think it matters much :)

(Also: great choice!!)"

Just finished. I'm going to put it in for Hunters so we can get another stamp. :)

I think I already have a review written from one of the other times I read it. Let me go check and get that posted.

[Laura]

Hunters

Written in Red
Date Read: 2/3
Rating: 5 stars

I found this series shortly after this first book was written (thanks, Mom!). When the second book came out I felt the need to re-read this one before I read it. And that's become what I do every year. This year the 5th book in the series comes out. So that makes this the 5th time I've read it. And it gets better every time! Meg and Simon make these books the wonderful things that they are, but they couldn't, quite, get there on their own. They have an incredible supporting cast. And I love each of them, for different reasons. I really don't think Written is Red is quite like anything else that's out there. Maybe that's why I'm so happy to re-read the whole series every year.

[Trinia]

Whew!

Finished
Shelf: Guilty Pleasures
Read: 2/4/17
Rating: ★★★★

Review:
Whew! Finally got to this book, and now I feel like I need to read it again. I think one could read this book 100 times and get something out of it each time . I'm glad I own the eBooks and the audiobook version, because this will be a re-read for sure.

So, yes, I liked it... twisted, intense and deep. Gaiman at his best.
The main character Shadow ironically is likable and you will find yourself cheering for this ex-con. He is released from jail early when his wife dies in a car accident. From there he meets Mr. Wednesday who sets him on the biggest adventure of his life.
The characters in this book are numerous and detailed, interesting and sometimes devious. I did have trouble tying the stories and the characters together sometimes, and that is why I think a re-read in the future is necessary. Without all of those connections, I still enjoyed this imaginative story.