R18: Team #2 ~ Getting Our Ducks in a Row

[Sam]

I'm an auto-buyer. Series that I enjoy, I buy the next book for kindle as soon as it is published. Most of my favorite series are pre-ordered so sometimes I get a surprise when I forget that a new book is due out and suddenly it's on my kindle.

[Tori]

I'm going to read The Wicked King by Holly Black! It's 322 pages and has been shelved 18 times.

[Sam]

Completion post
Shelf: Series
Book: Once Upon Stilettos- Shanna Swendson
Qualification: shelved 55 times
Pages: 320 pages in kindle edition
Date read: 5/9/19
Rating: 4 stars
Review: This is book 2 in the Enchanted Inc series. Katie is enjoying her new job as an magical immune working for Merlin and MSI. Owen discovers that there is a mole in the company and Merlin assigns Katie to determine the mole's identity. But something is happening to Katie and she is losing her magic immunity. Also her parents are coming to visit for Thanksgiving. How will she keep her parents unaware of magic, discover the mole and regain her immunity without disaster occurring? I really enjoyed this book. Katie is very independent, sometimes too independent. She is also a little oblivious. I did figure out the secret of the shoes and the loss of magic immunity; I was wrong about the mole. I am glad that there was some romance progress in this book. I look forward to reading the next one to see what adventures Katie, Owen and the gang will get into next.

[~Melissa~]

I think I'm going to go with by J.D. Robb 296 pgs/ GR
7 tags as next in series

Unless I find something else that also works for PtP's call which will be later today..................

[Eldarwen]

Completion Post
Series
Book: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

How it fits: tagged 517 times
Date Read: May 11th 2019
Rating: 3.5 stars
Review
I may have made the mistake of watching this too soon after seeing the movie and so I had a different story line in mind when I read this.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book. The concept of the moving castle with various doors it opens to is simply great! The characters were fun in their own way, Howl being a total drama queen, especially when dying of man-flu, and Calcifer I loved. Sophie was an interesting character and I liked how she tried to make the best out of situations even though it often ended making things worse, but the constant whine about how she's the eldest and doomed to fail got on my nerves really quickly.

The resolution to everything felt a little bit rushed towards the end after the many convoluted pieces of puzzle but it all fell nicely into place.

[Eldarwen]

Series stamp has been requested :-)

[Art (aka Whistler Reads)]

Tori wrote: "Eldarwen wrote: "Tori wrote: "Sam wrote: "Sorry I held us up. It's but I'll be playing catch up next... Also I swear I'm chugging away on the other two books, I should hopefully be done with them soon"

a lurker here...
I don't understand how you folks can read several books at once, yet still keep them separate in your minds ... keep things sorted for reviews ... puzzling for sure ... LOL

[Sam]

I can do it if the books I'm reading are not similar. I can't easily read two paranormal romances at the same time but can easily read a paranormal romance and a mystery. However, I prefer to read one book at a time, though there are times I will start a book and before I have time to finish it I realize that I'm going to be late on a finish date for a team challenge and I have to stop that book and read the other book before going back to finish the first book. It's rare but it happens.

[Tori]

Usually was happens for me is I have an audiobook, an ebook, and a physical book going at the same time. The situations where I can read them is different, so I always have something on hand.

[Eldarwen]

Like Sam, as long as the books aren't too similar, I have no issues with reading more than one book at a time.

And it's indeed also a matter of reading different books in different situations, like Tori. At work, I rarely do paperback (because my co-worker is a tattle-tale hehe) so digital works better but at home, I do not read on a screen. So different plots for different reading means.

[~Melissa~]

I (almost) always have an ebook and an audio going at the same time. I listen to audio on my commute. I read an ebook during breaks at work and at home before bed. Never noticed if I do same genre together or not. If I have multiple ebooks going and an audio then it can get kinda hairy but just two books - I'm good.

[~Melissa~]

Completion Post: Next in Series

by J.D. Robb 296 pgs/ GR
7 tags as next in series

Finished: 5/13/19
4 stars

Review: So fun to go back and do a re-read of a series I love. In the first book I didn't really remember anything about the mystery 'whodunit' aspect except for Roarke being involved and getting 'pissed' that Eve didn't believe in his innocence. This time around she has to deal with the death of a friend of the Commander's along with Roarke 'leaving' her as she won't commit to staying in his house. They are both miserable without the other. I remembered bits and pieces of this one that all fit together in the end. We got to meet Peabody as well. J D Robb makes for fun storytelling. Eve and Roarke just somehow fit even though it doesn't seem like they should. Just wow ~ the last couple of minutes of the book :)

[Steph, Serious series addict]

CONGRATULATIONS, Duckies!
You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'psychic abilities' and 'series'. 

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

Good Job!! :D

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Congrats on the stamps Duckies!

[Sam]

Completion post
Shelf: Next in Series
Book: Storm Cursed- Patricia Briggs
Qualification: shelved 32 times
Pages: 384 pages in kindle edition
Date read: 5/14/19
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Mercy is at it again. After her declaration on the bridge, the wolves have becomes the go-to people for supernatural situations. When zombies start showing up, of course it is Mercy that is called. She discovers that a family of witches have come to the Tri Cities and they are determined to take control. The timing is really bad because the Fae and the government are starting negotiations. As Adam has been retained to be security for these negotiations, it is up to Mercy, with the help of a few friends, to try and deal with the witches. I enjoyed this book a lot. There is one character that I don't really remember, so I might have to go back and see where that character initially turned up. Otherwise, we meet old friends and discuss old enemies. There were some funny moments (miniature goat zombies!) and some sad ones as well. It is always enjoyable to visit the Tri-Cities and see our old friends again. I can't wait until next year when we get to have more adventures with Mercy, Adam and the pack.

[~Melissa~]

@Steph ~ thanks for the stamp 😊

[Eldarwen]

Thanks for the stamps, ladies :-)

[Tori]

Yay! Good job everyone =)

[Sam]

New shelf: Kindle Freebie

[Sam]

I'm going to read Treasures, Demons, and Other Black Magic by Meghan Ciana Doidge. It has 352 pages and has been shelved by one person as kindle freebie.

[~Melissa~]

I'm going with by Elin Peer
327 pgs/GR
Shelved 2x as kindle freebie

[Eldarwen]

Eurgh, this is the worst possible shelf for me this week .... :-((

I'm going on holiday tomorrow for a week and I only read kindle freebies on my browser since I don't actually own a kindle. And reading on the phone is just not an option, the tiny screen.. no..

Luckily, I found one book I own a physical copy of, a translation I was recently given by someone. Just not a book I really want to read right now. I'll see if I can scrounge up something else, one never knows!, otherwise, it will be this one:

The Year We Fell Down - 18 times

[Tori]

Soooo, none of the books on the shelf are on my TBR and none are catching my eye... I've been looking in the rules and we can do an alternative reader's choice options twice per round (one player per shelf), is that going to cause a problem if I do that?

[Eldarwen]

No, it's fine. If there's really nothing on the shelf, feel free to do that, Tori :-)

I've been told multiple times that A Hidden Fire - the very first book on the shelf - is really good. That's the one I wanted to read for this haha. Bad timing for shelf call ;-)

[Eldarwen]

Completion Post
Next in Series
Book: Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs

How it fits: tagged 18 times
Date Read: May 16th 2019
Rating: 4 stars
Review
As per usual, I enjoyed reading Anna's and Charles' adventures. It was nice to get to know a few more of the pack members and the mystery kept me wondering. I can't wait to see how this will continue in the next book, because things are clearly nowhere near resolved.

[Eldarwen]

Alright ladies, just as a heads-up: I'm on holiday from tomorrow until next Saturday, so I'll be scarce. I will however do updates, I just won't check GR as often as I usually do, and will check in for the next shelf call of course. I might even be able to borrow a tablet or laptop from a friend so I don't have to do it on my phone ;-)

[Sam]

Completion post
Shelf: kindle freebie
Book: Treasures, Demons, and Other Black Magic- Meghan Ciana Doidge
Qualification: shelved one time
Pages: 352 pages in kindle edition
Date read: 5/17/19
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Jade comes back from her time with the dragons to finally track down and deal with her sister, Sienna, who has turned to blood magic to increase her power. Jade thinks that she is ready, but is anyone ever really ready to fight with a person they love? Jade needs the help of her friends and they are up for the task. I like this new Jade, who has a little more confidence in herself and isn't as trivial as she had been previously. Now that this story arc is done, I can't wait to see what is next for Jade and her friends.

[~Melissa~]

Completion Post

by Elin Peer
327 pgs/GR
Shelved 2x as kindle freebie
Finished 5/18/19
Rating 4 stars

Review: this was a fun, funny, easy read. Imagine a world were men are few and women rule the world. Yes, you read that correctly :) except the Northlands formerly Alaska and Canada. The year is 2437. Christina Sanders is cleared to go up North to live with the N Men as they need an archeaologist for a library that was dug up. The NMen think a man named Christian is coming. The fact that there have been no women in the Northlands in just about forever and no NMen have been below their border made it interesting to watch this unfold. Everybody had preconceived notions. I'm looking forward to book 2. ( I listened to this for free as it was avail as audio through Hoopla)

[Tori]

Sorry y'all, I went out of town for the weekend and realised I forgot to pick a book! So I'm doing an alternative reader's option and I'm going to read After Atlas by Emma Newman (Blue cover)

[Eldarwen]

Oookay so for some reason, GR isn't wanting me to do edits etc on the browser version (I'm not even going to try to use the app for that). I'll borrow a laptop from a friend tomorrow to get us updated :-)

That'll also make my life easier for typing up a review haha, which I'm going to postpone until tomorrow as well then.

[Sam]

New shelf: Favorite Series

[~Melissa~]

Selection Post ~ Favorite Series


Ravensong by T.J. Klune
400pgs/GR
Tagged 12 times as Favorite Series

[~Melissa~]

I'll be on vacation next week. I'll try to finish and post for my book before I go - otherwise if I can't post while out of town I'll post the following Monday when I'm back in town.

[Sam]

I think I'm going to read Fire Me Up by Katie MacAlister. It has 372 pages and is shelved 4 times as favorite series.

[Tori]

Completion post!
Shelf: Kindle Freebie (Which I'm Replacing with Alternative Reader's Option: Blue Cover)
Book: After Atlas by Emma Newman
Qualification: It has a blue cover
Pages: 369 Pages, Paperback
Date read: 5/22/19
Rating: 4 stars
Review: What a follow up to Planetfall. I thought it was interesting to see how Earth had coped with its advancements in this universe, especially since the Atlas ship left. Carlos was an interesting character who had it rough, and teasing out bits of information about his background as he revealed them was a good puzzle to put together. And that ending... Oof. Overall a good read, and I'm excited to tackle the third one.

[Tori]

For favorite series I'm going to read Mort by Terry Pratchett, it's 257 pages and has been tagged 7 times!

[Eldarwen]

Completion Post
Kindle Freebie
Book: Bevor wir fallen by Sarina Bowen

How it fits: tagged 18 times
Date Read: May 21st 2019
Rating: 4 stars
Review
Slightly predictable story but with likeable characters who all had their own package to carry that was interesting in its own right. I would have enjoyed it if there was a bit more of a twist or complexity to the story but it was an enjoyable and quick read.

[Eldarwen]

Kindle Freebie stamp has been requested!

[Eldarwen]

Crazy that with so many teams being just one call away from Bingo, this week's call still wasn't a winning shelf call haha.

It's past midnight and it's been a long week, so I'll decide on a book for this week's call tomorrow.

[Sam]

Completion post
Shelf: Favorite Series
Book: Fire Me Up- Katie MacAlister
Qualification: shelved 4 times
Pages: 372 pages in kindle edition
Date read: 5/25/19
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Aisling has signed up for a Otherworld convention in order to try and gain a mentor to teach her about the guardian stuff. Unfortunately Guardians are being killed and it seems to happen after they have met with Aisling, so of course she becomes a suspect and has to clear her name by finding the real killer. She also has to deal with a dragon peace summit that doesn't go as planned. Her dealings with Drake start off better but of course go downhill. Jim is still a delightful character. I look forward to reading more about Aisling's new mentor as well. I do wonder if there is more to Rene than meets the eye. I will be continuing this series.

[Eldarwen]

For Favorite Series, I'm going to read - tagged 30 times.

[Steph, Serious series addict]

CONGRATULATIONS, Duckies!
You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'kindle freebie'. 

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

Good Job!! :D

[~Melissa~]

Completion Post ~ Favorite Series


Ravensong by T.J. Klune
400pgs/GR
Tagged 12 times as Favorite Series
Finished 5/26/19
Rating: 4 stars

Review: so much happening in this one. Gordo was one of my favorites from book 1 so I was looking forward to his book. I was not disappointed. Told entirely from Gordo's POV switching from past to present. The road for Gordo and Mark is filled with hard. Everything is just so hard, hard, hard for these two. I love this group of characters. Interesting what happens in the present that pushes the story forward. Looking forward to the next book .....*sad face* not out til end of Sept :(

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Congrats on the stamp Duckies!

[~Melissa~]

Thanks for the stamp :)

[Eldarwen]

Thanks ladies :-)

[Tori]

Completion post!
Shelf: Next in Series
Book: The Wicked King by Holly Black
Qualification: Tagged 18 times
Pages: 322
Date read: 5/24/19
Rating: 5 stars
Review: Holly Black writes fairies so well. I probably should have re-read The Cruel Prince before reading this, but oh well, it was still excellent. It's so interesting trying to keep up with Jude and all her machinations, as well as all the goings on of the Fairy Court. I'm so curious how she's going to pull back in the third back, since the ending of this one was Not Great for her. (Also, I loved the reference to one of my favorite anime at the end, that was delightful.)

[Eldarwen]

Next in Series stamp has been requested!


Also, today miiiight be a Bingo call. I'm hoping not, but there are only 2 shelves it seems that won't give anyone Bingo, so chances are limited, unfortunately :-)

[Sam]

New shelf: Urban Fantasy

[Sam]

So according to my update, this is going to be a winning week.

Team 3 can bingo and they are current on shelves
Team 6 can bingo and they are one shelf behind
Team 7 can bingo and they are one shelf behind
Team 12 can bingo and they are three shelves behind
Team 16 can bingo and they are one shelf behind