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R15: Team #10 ~ Nerd Herd
message 201:
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Nichole
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Sep 20, 2017 05:14PM
I think it's time I get back to IAD, so I'm going to read (listen) to
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Sandra wrote: " I'll wait to see if the price comes down. The writing doesn't justify over $5 for me. The covers are excellent though :D"Agreed :)
I love Nell, too, Nichole. :D I'm impatiently waiting for #3 due out in Dec.
I've got that one TBR, Elaine; glad you enjoyed it!
I'm reading
for demons. Wifi/cell service sucks where we're currently parked, so I'll be offline more than usual until early/mid next week.
Series: Dorothy Must Die #1
Shelf: spin-off
Read: 18 September
Rating: ✮✮✮✮
Oz is no longer the place you know and love. If you have a problem with that, do not read this series. It's not your typical fairy-tale type retelling. It's a retelling with a huge post-apocalyptic twist. There were moments in the story when I felt sad about the destruction of a legend, but then I remembered...this is a different story, a different world. The legend still lives. If you have a problem with the direction Paige has taken Oz, think of it as a "what if" not a "it is"...they're both fantasies anyway, right?
Off to request our Stamp!!Week 6: Spin Off ~
✔StephB- Broken Compass by Jaymin Eve| 9/16/17| 3 stars| Review
✔Katharine- Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige| 9/18/17| 4 stars| Review
✔Nichole- Blood of the Earth by Faith Hunter| 9/18/17| 4.5 Stars| Review
✔Elaine- Croc's Return by Eve Langlais| 9/19/17| 3.5 Stars| Review
Sounds interesting, Katharine! Added :)
I've been meaning to start that series, Katharine. Glad you enjoyed it!Yay, stamp! I'll try to get those done ASAP. We were in a no wifi/cell signal spot for a couple of days. Back to reality. :p
I finished my 'demons' book, just need to write up my review.
Welcome back :PI finished my book too and will have my review done tonight.
Series: Charley Davidson #2
Shelf: Demons
Date finished: 23 September
Rating: ✮✮✮✮
I really like this series, which isn't much of surprise considering how many people on GoodReads rate the books at least 4 stars. I enjoy seeing what kind of trouble Charley will get herself into and how she wiggles her way out. Charley's relationships with Ubie and Cookie are a dependable source of laughs for me.
I think I enjoyed the first book just a smidge better but only because, after careful analysis, everything was new in Book 1. The sparkly newness of everything has worn off but yet nothing is old, as I've sometimes experienced between books 1 & 2. If the series continues like this, I'm in this series to stay! (I've already purchased books 3 & 4 from Better World Books...an awesome and inexpensive online bookseller, if you haven't checked them out. For every item you buy, they donate a book to a literacy program around the world.)
Week 7: Demons
Book: Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole
Date Read: 9/23/17
Rating: 4 stars
I was a little hesitant to read this one because so many of my friends didn't like it. I could kick myself for waiting!
Jo has been raising her little brother on her own since she was 8 years old. She doesn't remember what happened to her parents or anything before that. She's been covering their needs and they've been doing alright so far, even if they are stealing everything. But when she crosses a known thug and he fills her with bullets, things change for them both.
Rune the Baneblood is a Møriør assassin sent to kill Nix. He's seductive, ruthless and poisonous. When he meets Jo and she blows him off after tasting his blood, he can't seem to get her out of his head. And the chase begins!
I really enjoyed both characters. Sure, Rune was an arrogant jerk because that's how this series goes but Jo made him work for it! The battle of wills between the 2 of them was great. She wanted love and would accept nothing less and he didn't stand a chance.
You can always count on Charlie for some laughs!
I ❤️ Charlie! And, IAD is a fantastic series, as well.
I recently read the latest Immortal Guardians book by Dianne Duvall and if you aren't already reading it, I highly recommend that series. Especially if you're a fan of Ward's BDB or really any other vampire "brotherhood" series. She has a unique take on vampire lore and her writing is so enthralling.
The Liberator by Victoria Scott
Series: Dante Walker #2
Shelf: Demons
Read: 23 Sept
Rating: ✮✮✮☆☆
Review:
A month has passed since the events in The Collector and Dante is now working for the Big Guy. While he's thrilled about the change, he's not excited about his new assignment, which will take him away from his girl, Charlie. He must venture to Denver to liberate Aspen.
"If I had a soul," I say. "I'd give it to you."Fans of the first book will be happy to know that the addition of another female does NOT mean a love triangle, which tends to be a very common ingredient in YA paranormal novels these days. The downside for me was that all the growth we saw in Dante in book one stalled a bit in this one. I'm still very interested in his story and I look forward to seeing how these new additions (good and bad guys) affect the finale, The Warrior.
CONGRATULATIONS, Nerd Herd!We now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'spin-off'.
[Our updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Yay!! :D
Completion Post: Demons
Book: The Darkest Pleasure by Gena Showalter
Date: 9-26-17
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Keeping this short and sweet--Everyone is after Danika, nobody knows who they can trust, and Reyes is AMAZING!!! Hosting the demon of pain was intriguing to me and watching that in action throughout this book was fascinating. I am really enjoying this series and hope they continue to entertain!
Congrats on the stamp Nerdies!
Thanks Steph and Sandra!Off to request our next one! Woohoo!
Week 7: Demons ~
✔StephB- The Liberator by Victoria Scott| 9/23/17| 3 stars| Review
✔Katharine- Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones| 9/23/17| 4 stars| Review
✔Nichole- Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole| 9/23/17| 4 stars| Review
✔Elaine- The Darkest Pleasure by Gena Showalter| 9/26/17| 4 stars| Review
Shelf #8 ~ 9/27/17: Reader's ChoiceReader's Choice ~ must be a book within a series
I'll be reading
!
Woohoo another stamp (to come)!I’ll be reading
We are kicking butt and taking names, ladies! WTG!For Reader's Choice, I'm going to go with one that's been on my TBR for longer than Goodreads has been around and keeps getting pushed away...
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Woohoo :DMiss Katharine, how's your ankle? Healing well, I hope. And, how's it a your new place and job? How are you enjoying both?
I finished my book and will post my review shortly.
Archangel's Viper by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #10
Shelf: Reader's Choice
Read: 30 Sept
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮
Review:
First and foremost, I want to simply urge those who haven't yet started this series to START IT NOW! The series is a paranormal romantic urban fantasy. Nalini's superb storytelling gets ya hooked with Elena (a guild hunter) and Raphael (an archangel) with tales and tidbits about his powerful Seven and vampire/angel politics. She then slowly weaves in PNR installments featuring different members of Raphael's Seven and/or friends of the (what I'll call) Alpha pair, who are never far off and woven back in with additional stories of their own. And, as much as I miss the pair when a story veers off of them onto another, the end result is always a happy me with more knowledge about and love for these amazingly intriguing side characters. Not to mention another HEA for characters she's injected into your reader-verse.
Now, some of my favorite quotes and a quick gush about Venom and Holly's story:
He thought she was a spitting baby. She thought he was a conceited ass. That was the extent of their relationship.That's how this pair began ... teasing each other with sniping and name-calling.
"Stop calling me kitty and Hollyberry and I'll stop calling you Viper Face and Poison."Yet, underneath all of that, you could tell Venom would not only allow her to explore her otherness, but also expected her to do so because how else would she learn what she's capable of and how to control it. She may not like having Venom as her newest babysitter, but having spent the past couple of years under close watch, she's aware of this, too.
His chuckle sent ripples down her spine, made her breath catch in a way that shocked. "But, kitty," he said, the ice no longer in evidence, "I don't think that's a bargain I want to make."
"She's a wild thing. Not built for a cage."As the youngest member of Raphael's Seven, I've been interested in learning more about Venom since Elena first met him. How could you not? A Made vampire/not-vampire with bright green, snake-like, slitted eyes and a poisonous bite. And, to be honest, I'd forgotten about Holly but quickly remembered her and her trauma. Who better to pair with his unique man than another who was turned into something very much other.
He was sinuous, a cobra snaking its way through unfamiliar territory with silent ease. She was a creature of the night, a bat with silent wings.One of my favorite scenes was the impromptu race through Manhattan - Venom and Holly in his acid green Bucati, Dmitri and Honor in his red Ferrari and Illium flying on the wing. Loved it!
For those of you who have started the series, but haven't yet started this installment ... I know Venom’s birth name and you don't! Nanny nanny boo boo, I know more than you do! >;)
"You're not a vampire, not an angel. You're like Naasir, like me. One of a kind."
CONGRATULATIONS, Nerd Herd!We now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'demons'.
[Our updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Yay!! :D
Completion Post: Reader's Choice
Book: Bound by Thorns by Sean Michael (Dragon Soul #3)
Date: 9-28-17
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Awesome! I have enjoyed all three stories out so far about the Betaforoce brothers and the soul mates they have found. This entry, however, was my favorite! Seeing Luke find Greyson who is so lost and hurting (to the point of being resigned to quietly fading away for good in the snowy north woods) and bringing him back to life was beautiful. Sean Michael writes sexy stories and this was no exception. Unlike some stories though, the amount of sex didn't detract from the story but rather added to it. I really enjoyed this one!
Congrats on the stamp Nerdies!
Steph, I kept calling him Viper in my review too! LOL. I had to go back in twice to fix it. I think its because of the title plus Holly calling him ViperFace.
LOL! I’ve fixed that damn thing several times and I think I finally got um all. Just need to fix it here. It was b/c of her little nickname. ;)
LOL yep, me too :)
How are things going? I updated the tracking post and I should have my book finished by tomorrow! Haven't had as much reading time this last week :(
Steph wrote: "Woohoo :DMiss Katharine, how's your ankle? Healing well, I hope. And, how's it a your new place and job? How are you enjoying both?
I finished my book and will post my review shortly."
Ankle is healing slowly....so slowly. Still can't walk on it, probably for another week and then very limited walking. Haven't been to work since it happened, so new job is waiting for me, thankfully. New house is beautiful but empty because I broke this gosh darn ankle before I was finished purging and packing. So, I am very anxious to get back on my feet and hope to finish packing after about a week and actually move close to the end of the month.
Magical realism! One of my faves. I am going to read
Week 8: Reader's Choice
Book: Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
Date Read: 10/3/17
Rating: 3 stars
First, I have to say that I absolutely love this series. Daughter of the Forest blew me away and remains one of my top 5 favorite books. In fact, I've loved them all so far and each one has gotten 5 stars and added to my favorites, until now....
Sibeal is training to become a druid and is visiting her sisters before taking the final step. When a freak storm destroys a ship that only leaves 3 survivors, her life is forever changed. She rescues Felix from the ocean as he battles to survive. He's lost his memory and doesn't even remember his name. As things start to come back to him and their feelings start to grow for one another, she begins to question herself.
This was still a good story filled with visions, sea monsters, magical creatures and a very slow burn romance. It was just very slow and didn't have the same magic the others had. Also, they changed narrators again and she was a little bit choppy, which is weird because she was the same narrator for Book 1 and I loved it. Although, I do remember that it took me a bit to get used to her. I'm always eager to hear what's going on with the other characters of the series- Johnny and the painted men, Ciaran, Clodagh, Calhal, etc. If it weren't for Calhal and his daddy issues and the last few chapters of adventure... I just don't know. Sorry Sibeal and Felix but you were a little boring.
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Series: His Dark Materials #1
Shelf: Reader's Choice
Read: 29 September
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮
Review:
There are so many comparisons drawn between this series and The Chronicles of Narnia and, yes, I see them, but despite this, I love this series so much more! Maybe because it isn't so preachy or blatantly obvious (at least to me). I thoroughly enjoyed the fantasy world Pullman created and inhaled this book in less than a day. I can't give much more of a review than that without spoiling the book/series. Book #2 on my TBR.
I know that's driving you crazy! Not being able to do anything when you have a new job and house just waiting for you.I'll get us updated and request our stamp! Woohoo!
Btw, I'll be reading
for magical realism. Thank you to the 1 person that tagged it:)
Week 8: Reader's Choice ~✔StephB- Archangel's Viper by Nalini Singh| 9/30/17| 5 stars| Review
✔Katharine-The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman| 9/29/17| 5 stars| Review
✔Nichole- Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier| 10/3/17| 3 stars| Review
✔Elaine- Bound by Thorns by Sean Michael| 9/28/17| 4 stars| Review
Man, I hadn't thought about that, Katharine, but yeah *duh, Steph* life got put on hold for ya right as things were gettin' exciting. Glad to hear your new job is still waiting for ya once you're healed. And, as someone who has moved - packed and re-packed - more than 15 times in the past 25 years, I can absolutely understand that a pause between arriving and unpacking must be as painful as that break. My OCDemoness would be howling looking at all those unpacked boxes. So sorry, hun. Hopefully you'll be all healed up and dancing again in no time!We're arrived in VA (birthplace of me and hubby) and are visiting with family and friends, so I'm reading less (boo!). Magical Realism, huh? Well, I think I'm gonna raid my nephew's bookshelf. He's bound to have something over 200 pgs that'll be on that shelf. I'll get back to ya with my choice.
Yay stamp! Will get those done ASAP.
CONGRATULATIONS, Nerd Herd!We now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'reader's choice'.
[Our updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Yay!! :D
Congrats on the stamp Nerdies!And wow Katherine, I'd be climbing the walls not being able to complete the move and staring at all the boxes!!! And so glad they are keeping your job open for you :)
Hope the ankle heals just right and you keep your sanity!!
Thanks, Miss Sandra! :)Ladies, I'm going to read
for our 'magical realism' shelf.
Hope everyone's been having a good week. Mine has been so chaotic, but not in a bad way. Biggest negative has been slim to no reading time. 😩I'm gonna try to get my review posted now.
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
Shelf: Magical Realism
Read: 8 Oct 201 7
Rating: ✮✮✮½
Review:
"Red, you don't make wishes happen. You're the place where wishes go."In this world Katherine has created, trees can talk. They just choose not to talk to humans. They are, however, quite chatty with the animals that live in (their hollows) and around them. This story is told by a two hundred and sixteen rings old northern red oak situated near an elementary school and neighborhood.
My friends call me Red, and you can, too. But for a long time people in the neighborhood have called me the “wishtree.”On the first day of May, Red is adorned with "... with scraps of paper, tags, bits of fabric, snippets of yarn, and the occasional gym sock. Each offering represents a dream, a desire, a longing." Prior to this year's May Day, two things happen ... a girl, Red's nightly visitor, tearfully whispers a wish and a boy hatefully carves a message. These two actions spark change in Red's life and those living around the mighty oak.
Having read two other books written by Katherine Applegate, I knew there would be a chance of tearing up at some point in this story. I can report that the forecast was accurate, yet it wasn't until near the end that I began to well up. I almost made it. While this wasn't as heart wrenching as those others, the story told is (unfortunately) relevant and topical. Young hearts should never have to deal with such things, but similar to Red, we are all a part of it.
Cutesy animal naming:
CROWS: "Sometimes crows adopt human names ... Sometimes they name themselves after things that catch their fancy ... Many crows opt for sounds they’re fond of making"
SKUNKS: "All skunks name themselves after pleasant scents."
BARN OWLS: "Barn owls give themselves sensible, no-fuss names."
OPOSSUMS: "Opossums name themselves after things they fear."
SQUIRRELS: "All squirrel names begin with the letters S-Q-U."
Week 9: Magical Realism
Book: The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon
Date Read: 10/6/17
Rating: 4.5 stars
I have been trying for days to write a review for this book and I still can't find the words which is ironic because that's what this book is about. The power of words. There are other lessons to be learned as well but it all comes back to Lark's power with words.
I'm a big fan of Amy Harmon. Her writing is beautiful. It's like reading a song. Lyrical. Poetic.
"Swallow Daughter, pull them in, those words that sit upon your lips. Lock them deep inside your soul, hide them 'til they've time to grow. Close your mouth upon the power, curse not, cure not, 'til the hour. You won't speak and you won't tell, you won't call on heav'n or hell. You will learn and you will thrive. Silence, daughter. Stay alive.”
“The words had risen from his skin even when he wasn’t speaking, and I had called them to me, collecting them like falling leaves, pressing them between the heavy pages of my memory so I could keep them.”
I haven't LOVED every single book of hers because sometimes they feel a little preachy but that was not the case in this one. You will also need some Kleenex close by with her books! This reminded me so much of the movie Ladyhawk and I loved that. I'm happy that she was able to pull off this new genre for her and I'm looking forward to more!
Recommended:
I've been out of town visiting the in-laws for the last few days. Had a good time and we did some target shooting. I'm ready to take on the zombies now! Well, as long as they move real slow and I have time to aim, lol.
LOL Zombies you better watch out, Nichole's got your number :)
Thanks ladies for commiserating with me. I have been losing my mind...and there wasn't much left to begin with! Today I should find out from my doc I can finally start walking. Beyond excited. Should be able to post my review later today or sometime tomorrow.
Thanks for the recs, Nichole. I ❤️ Ladyhawke!! Zombies! Love it!Yay!! That's great, Katharine! I know you'll be thrilled to be up and about again.
Katherine, my fingers are crossed for you!!!
SOS: Serious Overload of Series
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