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R11: Team Spine Crackers (9)
message 101:
by
Angie Elle
(new)
Sep 20, 2019 06:25PM
Done. Holy smokes. That's the first time I've ever listened to a book on double speed, and I think I missed a lot. But I'm done. My apologies for the harrowing events leading up to this week's roll. LOL
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Mod
Week: 4
Dice roll: 6 & 6
Previous Spot: 25
Current Spot: 37
Bonus Points Earned: 1
Bonus Points Used:0
What to read:
# 3 in series
# 7 in series
# 37 in series
Alternate:Number in the Title (i.e. Third Grave Dead Ahead or Every Fifteen Minutes)
Donna The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa~~ completed
Leslie Ann Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling~~ completed
Jane The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace~~completed
Mandy Wickedly Powerful by Deborah Blake~~completed
Vicki Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones~~completed
BarbaraAnn Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh~~completed
Angie Elle Snowfall on Cedar Trail by Annie Rains~~completed
Don't forget about the bonus points! Please note any bonus in your completion post.
BONUS POINTS:
✸ One point can be earned for reading three or more books in a series.
✸ One point can be earned for reading a book with >500 pages.
✸ One point can be earned for starting and finishing a series. There must be at least 4 books in that series. Series + spin-off totalling ≥4 books also counts. For series with >9 books, point will be awarded for reading books 1-9. For still ongoing series, all books published to date (OR up to #9 in longer series) must be read.~ No re-reads on this one.
✸ One point can be earned for never picking a book from the alternate lists. This point is awarded when your team rolls past 90.
✸ Halloween Bonus: One point can be earned for reading a Horror/Paranormal/Urban Fantasy book for the roll on 10/25.
NOTE:
✸ Each point can only be earned once per team.
✸ The series-specific bonus points (3 or more books/ starting and finishing a series) must be two different series.
✸ Single book bonuses (>500 pages/ Halloween/ 2 in 1) may overlap with a series bonus.
Mod
Spot:37
book:The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
Qualification: # 3 in the Iron Fey
Date:9/23/19
Rating:5 star
Review: I absolutely loved the variety of creatures in this book. The different type of fae are varied and interesting. I really liked the gremlins.. too darn cute! I love Puck and Ash and how they are always bickering. The ending was sad and I hope there is a better resolution in the next book that makes more people happy. I definitely can't wait to read the next one and see what happens next.
Week for spot 37Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
# 3 in the Harry Potter series
9/21/2019
4 stars
I haven't read this is several years. Still really good. Love all the characters and the plot. The interplay between Harry , Ron and Hermione is priceless. They just never get old.
Week 4 Spot 37Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh
Qualification: Book #7 in the Psy-Changeling series
Finished: 9/25/19
Rating: ***
Review: Blaze of Memory is the story of Devraj Santos and Psy Katya.
The story starts when Dev an unconscious and unknown woman on his doorstep. When she wakes up, she doesn’t remember anything about her life or who she is. Choosing to call herself Katya, it’s soon discovered that she’s Ekaterina Haas, a friend of Ashaya, who everyone believed to have died.
I liked the story but not as much as some of the other books in the series. It was hard to connect with either Katya or Dev. Dev especially was back and forth - he thought Katya was a spy, then he thought she was a victim - he wanted her put in prison, he wanted to take care of her. it made my head hurt.
Week 4 - Spot: 37Book: Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones
Pages: 310
Qualification: 3rd in series
Review: 5 stars. I swear this series is written so the humor is the perfect fit for me. I do so love Charley's jokes. In the last installment, Charley and Reyes were left at a bit of an impasse, and in this one...they're still 'impassing,' but they're not very passive about it, if you know what I mean. It's typical now for there to always be a mystery or two in each installment with the overarching plot of Charley and Reyes, and I really enjoyed the mysteries in this one. I thought the twist was interesting, and really, not since I binge read the Kate Daniels series have I enjoyed a series so much. I love Garrett's character, and I'm a huge Cookie and Amber fan. Cookie living vicariously through Charley is fun as always, and I can't wait to pick up the next in the series. I've been going back and forth with print and audio for this series, and I love the narrator. Everytime she says "Dutch," almost giving that 'ch' an extra syllable of its own at the end gives me chills. I'll continue listening as much as I can!
Week 4 Spot 37 Book
Pages 293
Qualification 3 in Series
Completed 9/26/19
Rating: 5
Review:
I actually own all these books in paperback now because I couldn't find the paperback for the challenges lol. I finished number two and went right onto number three it was kind of perfect. This is the third installment we are introduced to Bella but unlike her sisters, her Chudo Yudo is actually a dragon in the form of a giant cat. Bella has her own mission to find out who is starting fires as well as looking into the missing riders. I really Bella she's sweet very well maybe my favorite of the trio but they are all each so unique it's hard to pick just one. I ended up read this one over a couple of days as it's been busy this week. I really love that the author has picked the Baba Yaga concept it's one you don't see every day. The story is beautifully written and the characters are easy to connect with. We've got sone new characters that have been added to Bellas world like Sam the new love interest as well as adding in Jazz to her life. I honestly loved every moment and can't wait to check out the spin off series about the riders and hope for more Baba Yaga stories.
Week 4 Spot 37 Selection & Completion Post
Book: Second Grave on the Left
Qualification: Number in title
Pages: 307
Read: 9/24/19
Rating: 4 stars
Review:
OMG! When will I ever learn to copy my posts before posting them!!! :(
Okay, now I don't have the desire to redo my review. But I will say that Charley is my favorite grim reaper ever. I love her character. She's funny, snarky, competent, and just makes you laugh. Although I don't think this book was quite as funny as book 1.
Charley has a few cases to manage this time and at the same time her man needs her because he's in a dangerous situation. I love the reverse of "damsel in distress" because we all know that a good woman (princess) can do to save her man (prince charming). Hey, even men need saving.
I loved the character of the hot hot hot Reyes Farrow, and those shower scenes *fans self* but personally I'd never ask for photos of him in the shower. Wrapped in a towel...more my style *sighs*
I think with a fun bumbling female grim reaper, hot sexy man/men, and a lot of humor that Charley in particular brings to the table will make you enjoy this book should you decided to read it.
Mod
Thanks, Donna. Just so busy & I messed up recently. So...hopefully I won’t again!
My choice: Week 4
Spot: 37 (Number in the Title)
Book: The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace
Qualification: Number in the Title
Finished: 26 Sep
Pages: 156p
★Rating: ★★★
Review:
after all,
you were the one
who always burned
the brightest.
I should actually give this two stars, since I gave Milk and Honey three stars and I liked it more. But the part that I consider the best one, the only one that really touched me, was the second part "II. the damsel". This part was just too good. So I could not bring myself to give it two stars. The rest was kind of meh. Felt like she didn't even try for a lot of the poems. I still enjoyed it, it was a quick read. I might read her other poetry books as well.
Post 106 updated with my selection and completion for week 4, Number in Title.
Mod
Dang...I forgot to mention the motorcycle club in my review! Ah well. Next time.
Mod
Week:5
Dice roll: 1 & 5
Previous Spot: 37
Current Spot: 43
Bonus Points Earned: 1
Bonus Points Used:0
What to read:
# 3 in series
# 4 in series
# 43 in series
Alternate: LGBTQ+
Donna A Smile in Time by Bess McBride~~completed
Leslie Ann Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews~~ completed
Jane Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli~~ completed
Mandy The Musician by Leslie Johnson~~ completed
Vicki Defending Harlow by Susan Stoker~~ completed
BarbaraAnn Love Means... No Fear by Andrew Grey~~completed
Angie Elle Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory~~completed
Don't forget about the bonus points! Please note any bonus in your completion post.
BONUS POINTS:
✸ One point can be earned for reading three or more books in a series.
✸ One point can be earned for reading a book with >500 pages.
✸ One point can be earned for starting and finishing a series. There must be at least 4 books in that series. Series + spin-off totalling ≥4 books also counts. For series with >9 books, point will be awarded for reading books 1-9. For still ongoing series, all books published to date (OR up to #9 in longer series) must be read.~ No re-reads on this one.
✸ One point can be earned for never picking a book from the alternate lists. This point is awarded when your team rolls past 90.
✸ Halloween Bonus: One point can be earned for reading a Horror/Paranormal/Urban Fantasy book for the roll on 10/25.
NOTE:
✸ Each point can only be earned once per team.
✸ The series-specific bonus points (3 or more books/ starting and finishing a series) must be two different series.
✸ Single book bonuses (>500 pages/ Halloween/ 2 in 1) may overlap with a series bonus.
Mod
Spot:43
book:A Smile in Time byBess McBride
Qualification: A Train Through Time #3
Date:10/2/19
Rating:5 star
Review: There is just something so intriguing about this series. I just can't decide exactly what it is. I am drawn in every time. I love that there are previous characters that pop up in each book. The guy on the train really makes me smile. That poor guy keeps losing girls on the train...LOL! I can't wait to read the next book.
Week 5Spot:43
Book: Defending Harlow
Qualification: #4 in series
Pages: 312
Date: 10/03/19
Rating: 5 stars
Review:
I love this series! There’s one more coming out in December. I’m so excited!
In this book, Lowell falls for Harlow. No brainer. They go out but “aren’t dating” until they realize how the feel about each other.
As of this book in the series there are now four couples that have fallen in love. At least one has been proposed to in this book and at least one is pregnant in this book. And I personally love how we get introduced to the next character in the last few pages of the book. So the next book is defending Everly. And I know a little bit about her background now after reading the last few pages of this book.
The ending is really intense because Nolan, a really bad dude, does something to try to force the sale of the building that’s a shelter for women & children.
I can’t wait to meet Everly & her blind sister Elise in the 5th book in this series.
Week 5Spot 43
Sweep of the Blade
4th in the Innkeeper series
10/3/2019
4 stars
A great follow up on the inn keeper series. I love all the characters, even the vampires! I enjoyed these books much more than the Kate saga.
Week 5 Spot 43 - I'm changing my choiceBook: Love Means... No Fear by Andrew Grey
Qualification: #4 in the Farm series
Pages: 210
Read: 10/1/19
Rating: ***
Review: I liked this book, but not as much as the previous books. This seemed very similar to the first book of the series and I thought Raine and Jonah's relationship seems too fast and unrealistic. I'll still move forward in the series as they're sweet easy reads.
Week 5 - Spot: 43Book: Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory
Pages: 304
Qualification: 4th in series
Review: 3.5 stars Jasmine Guillory is back with Royal Holiday to spoil readers with a fun Christmassy read. This is the fourth book in her The Wedding Date series, and while this does include a main character from a past book, you could read this one on its own. I’ll be honest; after The Wedding Date, which was a lukewarm read for me, I wasn’t sure I’d pick up another Jasmine Guillory book. But then The Proposal came out, and I couldn’t resist a copy. Same with The Wedding Party. Neither of which I’ve read yet. But at the end of the day, I found The Wedding Date so compulsively readable that I felt like I’d be missing out if I wrote this author off. And I am so glad I didn’t. I enjoyed Royal Holiday so much! This book was fairly slow pacing-wise, but I thought it served the plot well. Some might call it slow burn, but I found there wasn’t really a burn at all, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. This book was more sweet than anything. And I’ll attribute the fact that the slow pace makes sense to Vivian and Malcolm being older than your typical romance pair. They spend a lot of time reflecting – on the situations they’re in as well as themselves, and that’s something I would expect with the amount of life experience they each have.
When Vivian accompanies her daughter, Maddie, to England for the holidays, she finds herself with a bit of time on her hands while Maddie is hard at work styling a duchess. She quickly charms the entire staff at the ‘cottage’ they’re staying in, and it’s not long before Malcolm, the queen’s personal assistant makes an appearance and charms her. Vivian and Malcolm had chemistry from the get-go; they genuinely enjoyed being with each other, and they were on the same wavelength when it came to almost everything. Malcolm loved showing Vivian his favorite parts of England, and she loved the new experiences. I really enjoyed the progression of their relationship, and even though the time frame was short, it felt like they really took their time to get to know each other. I loved the Christmas setting and the events surrounding it, and I loved their banter about the differences in what words meant in their respective countries. All in all, I thought everything about them was enjoyable. My one gripe about this book, ironically, is my favorite thing about this book. Their story was simple – that I loved. Their wasn’t a lot of drama, and I really didn’t feel like there needed to be. They were a mature couple who had learned from their mistakes. But, unfortunately they were simple as well. At least, they felt like it. They were constantly laughing at things most people wouldn’t laugh at, and I couldn’t figure out why. It almost felt like the author didn’t know how to write older people’s personalities. (I use the term ‘older’ loosely, as they were in their 50’s, if I recall correctly.) The laughter felt incredibly forced and out of place, and it often left me confused. But having said that, I still enjoyed this story, and loved seeing an older couple getting their happily ever afters. Also, like I mentioned before, Maddie makes an appearance here, and there are mentions of Theo. Maddie is the heroine from a previous novel in the series, and her character here felt like the catalyst in getting her mother to England. She didn’t feel gratuitous or like she didn’t belong here; her part in this book was perfect, and I think fans will be happy to see her.
If you’re looking for a sweet holiday read that, like the first book in this series, is compulsively readable, you can’t go wrong with Royal Holiday.
Week 5 - Spot 43Book: The Musician
Pages: 226
Qualification: 3rd in series.
Rating ★★★
Review
Fiona has spent so much time sucked into her work that she's forgotten she's turning 30. So when her friend takes her out to celebrate at a concert she never suspected that she would get the attention of the musician performing. Fiona doesn't meet the typical type that Nicholas would go after but when she wears the red wig she's just his type. Little did she know when she went to his room that he had a thing for older redheads, or that they have met in the past. When Fiona left the next morning she had no idea that it wouldn't be the last time she saw Nicolas. Something has changed and he's determined to see her again.
I'm not a huge fan of instant lust but the author did a good job of showing that Nicolas has some redeeming qualities. I liked Fiona she's sweet and she has this connection to Nicholas which is sizzling. This is my first book by the author she had a smooth writing style which I enjoyed. While I liked the characters I just didn't love them but maybe I just didn't connect with them as I had hoped. I picked it up as a kindle freebie and hope to check out more books by the author.
My choice: Week 5
Spot: 43 (LGBTQ+)
Book: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Qualification: LGBTQ+
Finished: 03Oct
Pages: 303p
★Rating: ★★★
b>Review:
This was a nice quick read, but a little bit underwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is a really good YA book and it certainly is a good idea to read this book when you are a “young adult”. I guess with my 27 years I just could not find anything really interesting in it. Everybody says it’s funny, but sadly this wasn’t my kind of humour. I rushed through this book but was left unimpressed. Still not a bad book though, just not for me.
Post 118 has been updated for my completion post.
I"ll have my book done tomorrow. I'm sorry
Mod
No need to apologize. I was just checking in on you. I learned to do that on my SSS team. I checked on one of them (way later) and she had actually forgotten so she was happy to get the reminder. Good thing she had enough time to read it. I decided to start checking on people earlier.
Normally I'm on my A-game but finding a book was a little more of a challenge this week and by the time I did it has been dragging so it's been a long busy week with a slow book. I'm posting it now.
Donna, I’m always happy to get a reminder!! Lol Especially while on vacation! Nothing like reading by the ocean! I love checking books of other readers...so nosy!!! Lol One man was laying on his stomach on a reclining pool chair hanging his head & arms over the end of the chair with his book on the ground. Lol He was reading Basket Case. I actually took a picture lol Another woman was reading Nora Roberts. I love seeing people read! Am I weird? Lol (Maybe you shouldn’t answer that!) lol
Mod
Week:6
Dice roll: 3 & 4
Previous Spot: 43
Current Spot: 50
Bonus Points Earned: 1
Bonus Points Used:0
What to read:
# 0 in series
✸ Standalone books can be used for a 1 or a 0
# 5 in series
# 50 in series
Alternate: 50. Cover: Blue
*earned our free pass ; )
Donna The Fifth Realm by Michael Chatfield~~completed ✸ One point can be earned for reading a book with >500 pages
Leslie Ann We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas~~completed
Jane Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage~~completed
Mandy After Wimbledon by Jennifer Gilby Roberts~~completed
Vicki Lock Every Door by Riley Sager~~completed
BarbaraAnn Is It Over Yet? by L.A. Witt~~completed
Angie Elle Lock Every Door by Riley Sager~~completed
Don't forget about the bonus points! Please note any bonus in your completion post.
BONUS POINTS:
✸ One point can be earned for reading three or more books in a series.
✸ One point can be earned for reading a book with >500 pages.
✸ One point can be earned for starting and finishing a series. There must be at least 4 books in that series. Series + spin-off totalling ≥4 books also counts. For series with >9 books, point will be awarded for reading books 1-9. For still ongoing series, all books published to date (OR up to #9 in longer series) must be read.~ No re-reads on this one.
✸ One point can be earned for never picking a book from the alternate lists. This point is awarded when your team rolls past 90.
✸ Halloween Bonus: One point can be earned for reading a Horror/Paranormal/Urban Fantasy book for the roll on 10/25.
NOTE:
✸ Each point can only be earned once per team.
✸ The series-specific bonus points (3 or more books/ starting and finishing a series) must be two different series.
✸ Single book bonuses (>500 pages/ Halloween/ 2 in 1) may overlap with a series bonus.
Week 6 Spot 50Book: Is It Over Yet? by L.A. Witt
Qualification: Standalone book
Pages: 176
Read: 10/7/19
Rating: ****
Review: Overall, I had mixed feelings about this book. The plot was simple - A married couple was in the middle of a divorce started by one spouse cheating on the other. Their daughter is getting married and they decide to avoid telling anyone about the divorce until after the wedding. There was a lot of drama and no surprise, the secret didn't last long. I thought the emotions felt real about the sex scene on the trip to the wedding felt very forced and wrong to me.
Week 6 - Spot: 50Book: Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
Pages: 384
Qualification: Stand Alone
Review: 4 Stars - Lock Every Door was a wonderful thriller, and it's very fitting for this time of the year. This book gripped me from the very beginning. It was so ominous, and you just knew Jules was in for a rough ride. I loved the introduction to Ingrid's character, and eventually Dylan's, and the way it came at you in a backward manner. My only critique of this book is that I felt the end, while interesting and a bit predictable, went on for a bit too long. But still a great read. ARC from the publisher.
Mod
Book: Small Change by Roan Parrish
Qualification: #1 in the Small Change series
Pages: 285
Read:
Rating:
Review:"
A #1 book won't work for this spot! 0 requires a standalone book (or a 0.5 if it fits the page requirement).
Denise wrote: "BarbaraAnn wrote: "Week 6 Spot 50Book: Small Change by Roan Parrish
Qualification: #1 in the Small Change series
Pages: 285
Read:
Rating:
Review:"
A #1 book w..."
Sorry. I saw standalone books could be used for 1or 0 and my brain reversed the sequence. I'll switch to something else.
Can someone please tell me what the page count requirement is for this challenge? I had one book picked out in another group & it had 196 pages (thinking of Turf Wars Lol) but it required 200 pages. Lol If I find a standalone with a blue cover for this week’s task we’d get a bonus point, right? Just need to know exactly what I’m doing when I get on a computer later because 30 minutes goes so fast, especially when you’re on a different device & Google wants to send a code but when you get the code (if you get it) it takes forever and I’ve had to get a resend every time because the internet is so slow!
Thanks for having my back!
Mod
Each bonus point can only be earned once per team, and your team already got the one for reading a book that fits both series number (in this case, a standalone) and alternate. That's why Donna has that one crossed out in the list above. :)
Denise wrote: "Vicki wrote: "If I find a standalone with a blue cover for this week’s task we’d get a bonus point, right?"Each bonus point can only be earned once per team, and your team already got the one for..."
Okay, I didn't see that! Being on my phone 99% of the time while in Mexico and the computer only 1% is difficult so thanks for letting me know!
Mod
Spot:50
book:The Fifth Realm by Michael Chatfield
Qualification: Ten Realms # 5
Date: 10/7/19
Rating: 5 star
Review:
I love this book. The characters are likable and fun. Davin was a nice new addition. I hope he gets more time in the next book. I think he could become one of my favorites. Egbert is still on my top favorites. I did miss Rugrat stealing his leg. I was waiting for it and sadly it never came. I can't wait for the next book to come out.
✸ One point can be earned for reading a book with >500 pages.
Completion Week 6Spot 50
We Are Not Ourselves
10/8/2019
Stand alone
Rating: 3 stars
Review:
This book was quite boring for 3/4 of the book. The plot was confusing at times. The author would spend some time on a minor detail and then bam something major would happen. This happened several times during the book. It was like having whiplash! I kept rereading parts because I would think I missed something .
Week 6 - Spot: 50
Book: Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
Pages: 384
Qualification: #0 Stand Alone
Week 6 Spot 50 Completion Post
Book: Lock Every Door
Qualification: #0 Standalone
Pages: 384
Read: 10/06/19
Rating: 5 stars
Review:
Spoilers I was hooked from page 1. I liked how the story began almost at the end, meaning that it starts when the MC Jules Larsen is in a hospital and she's had a serious injury or something. Then the next section goes to 6 days prior. The suspense is really intense and makes you want to keep reading to find out what the heck happened. It keeps going back to previous days (6, 5, 4, etc.) and present when she's being attended by a doctor. The ending drove me nuts at first, but then I just went with it and I ended up actually being quite satisfied.
My choice: Week 6
Spot: 50 (Standalone)
Book: Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
Qualification: Standalone
Finished: 07Oct
Pages: 304p
★Rating: ★★★★
Review:
One of the worst nightmares a mother can have: What if my child hates me?
This book was such a page turner, I was hooked for the two days it took me to finish it. The story switches back and forth from the perspective of the daughter, Hanna, and her mother, Suzette. This made it very interesting for me. I never got bored and always wanted to know what Hanna would plan next and how Suzette would try to stop her. I do like the title “Baby Teeth”, it is catchy, but it feels kind of random, since it has no role in the story. Hanna does say/think once that she wants to keep her baby teeth and doesn’t want grown up teeth. But after this it never gets mentioned again. I like the UK title much better, which is “Bad apple”.
The story has some flaws, like “why doesn’t she just film her daughter?”, but I still enjoyed it. It could keep my interest and never got boring; this makes a good thriller for me.
Week 6 Spot 50Book:
Qualification: Blue Cover
Pages: 266
Read:
Rating:
Review:
reply | flag *
Donna, just double checking if my week 6 book is okay & I didn’t mess up! Lol
Mod
Thanks, Donna, now I can relax in Cabo. LOL (For this challenge that is.)
Completion Post Week 6 Spot 50
Book: After Wimbledon byAfter Wimbledon Jennifer Gilby Roberts
Qualification: Blue Cover
Pages: 266Rating 4 Sfar
Finished 10/10/19
Review
I've had this one on my TBR for years and picked it up on kindle years ago. I don't know a lot about Tennis but I do know what Wimbledon is. I wasn't very good at it as a kid so I never got into it. I can only imagine what it's like growing up the only child of two tennis pros. Lucy follows in their footsteps but hits the point when she's ready to retire. She starts re-evaluating her life and what she wants to do with herself. She has a love interest in Sam that she's been crushing after for over 10 years. I really like both Lucy and Sam they have this connection that just works. This is my first book by the author but I enjoyed it. Finding Lucy's story captivating and ahrd to put down. I'm looking forward to checking out more books by the author.
The Challenge Factory
Books mentioned in this topic
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The Bloodwood Academy Shifter: Semester One (other topics)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (other topics)
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Melissa Grey (other topics)
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