The Challenge Factory discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
♦SS Archives♦
>
R4: 4ever Reading (4)
Hi everyone. Just your weekly update ;) We are only missing Samantha's review and as soon as that's in tonight/tomorrow I'll get our next roll done. Hoping for anything but a seven, honestly! *crosses fingers* Please not a seven, please not a seven...
Hi ladies! Samantha contacted me this morning. She's had some things come up and hasn't been able to keep up. She still wants to play and we have the holiday rolls coming up. I told her it was ok and she could have her spot back after things settle down. With the holiday schedule coming up and since I've said anyone that needs to be exempt from those rolls can be, I don't mind y'all just going ahead. So long story short lol y'all are free to roll.Meanwhile I haven't heard from Fairlee. I'm in need of a couple of new players and if y'all have any friends in mind let me know, thanks :)
Alright, will do. Thanks for letting us know, Jenne! I'll get the roll done now. I hope Samantha is alright!
Week FiveWhat We Rolled: 5
We Are On Spot: 35
What You Can Read:
- book #3 in a series
- book #5 in a series
- book #35 in a series
- a book by a "D" named author
Hilary- Giving Him Hell by Jamie Quaid :: #3 :: Review
Danielle- Waking Up With the Duke by Lorraine Heath :: #3 :: Review
Morgan- The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter :: #3 :: Review
Cait- Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell :: "D" Author :: Review
My book for the week is going to be
by Jaycee Dugard for the "D author" alternative.In way more exciting news, my very best friend who obviously loves me dearly because months ago she swore she'd never do reading challenges...is going to be joining our reading challenge. Morgan is going to be filling in Fairlee's spot and hopefully Samantha will be back soon and we will be back to a full group.
((Hi, Morgan. Ilu))
Y'all earned your free pass over the Thanksgiving break, congrats. (I'm just now getting to these last minute ones....)
I am going to read
, which is book #3.
Got it, Hilary! That looks like a really interesting series. How were the first two books?
Hi Hilary! Thanks for the welcome, and pfft Cait you are lucky that ilu. haha.I was told to pick a #3, a #5, or a D author.
Going with #3 in The White Rabbit Chronicles:
by Gena Showalter. I have something else to finish first, but it seems like it will go quickly: (
)I know you'll text me if I forgot anything. *hugs*
Nope, you got it all :) Every Friday I put up a post like the one that's up there, listing what we rolled and all the options that you have for reading. When you're done with your book just post your review (title/author, star rating, date finished, short review) in a new comment and I'll add the link next to your name in the masterpost. And that's it! Easy stuff.
Thanks for joiningggg you're the best and I love youuuu.
Also yay on us for earning the free pass! Always nice to have :D Good job, guys.
Welcome to the team Morgan!I am reading
this week. (book 3 in a series)
Great! That's everyone. ((I feel like a total weirdo being the only one not reading a #3!)) Enjoy your books, ladies :D
Cait wrote: "Got it, Hilary! That looks like a really interesting series. How were the first two books?"Well... I haven't actually read the first two! I won this from library thing and need to review it :)
Week Five:Read:
by Lorraine HeathDate Finished: 14th December
Rating: 3 Stars
Review:
This is actually the second book I have read in the last two weeks with this basic plot line so it was interesting to see the different takes on it. Overall I found it to be an about average regency era romance- nothing that will wind up on my favourites shelf but still a quite enjoyable read. The one annoyance I had with the book was how forgiving the main character was with one character's actions when she was so unforgiving with a different character as this seemed almost out of character.
Changing my book to
by Daniel Woodrell. D author still but this way I don't have to wait for the library to deliver my book.
Week Five
by Daniel WoodrellDate Finished: 12/16/2014
Rating: ★
I really wanted to like this. I'd been meaning to get to it for so long and I enjoyed the movie so I was expecting...better.
But good lord was it long winded for no reason at all. How many paragraphs do you need to explain how something is icy? It was icy. We get it. Ice. Lots of it. Okay. Cold things. Please stop.
I don't think I'll ever read anything by this author again. As much as I loved Ree as a character, she couldn't salvage how miserable of a read this was for me.
Week Five
The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter
Date Finished: 12/16/2014
Rating: ★★★
I feel like this one took me longer to get into than the other two in the series did?
But I kept at it because I wanted to know what happened to the group.
Most of what I want to say is spoilery, even if only vaguely, so I'll keep it short.
If you liked the characters and the basic formula in the first two books or enjoyed the world and "zombies" that Gena Showalter created here, you'll like this one too.
A good ending, but I think there are openings for revisiting the world.
Got it! Thanks, Morgan. And that's awesome, guys! That means we can roll bright and early on Friday. Yay us :) I love weeks like this lol
Just a reminder:Teams will roll on Friday (12/19) two times for two spots. No roll on 12/26. Both book's deadline will be 1/2 and then the game resumes it's normal schedule.
If you feel you won't be able to manage either holiday's rolls that's ok. Just let your team know and you can skip those rolls without penalizing the team.
week 5
Finished: 12/18/14
3 Stars
Review:
This is the 3rd in the series, and while I was able to follow the story well enough, I know I did not fully appreciate everything that was going on since I did not read books 1 or 2. This story was definitely unique and imaginative. The writing was engaging, the main character was funny, sassy, and sarcastic. I did have a hard time understanding why she didn't just leave "the zone", though! I know I would have ;) Also, there had to have been no less than 20 named characters in this book... which is too many for me. It probably would have been easier to keep track if I had read books 1&2, but even then, it still seems like a lot. Even though there were a lot of very strange things in this book (moving dumpsters, blue blobs, demons from hell...) the story still worked for me to an extent. It was fast paced and the character's personalities were realistic.
@Hilary - Oh the pain of too many characters! It makes me crazy sometimes, especially if they are even remotely similar. I will perpetually have them mixed up. haha.At least it wasn't too confusing jumping in on #3. That always intimidates me (like when I find/get free books).
@Cait - TWO ROLLS. OMG. You will have so many options to tell me to pick books for. lol. You are the boss of me. Be gentle! ;) Or not.
Everyone's reviews are in so we are good to go for our rolls. I will get those posted right away in the morning.Morgan, I'll post two of the same style posts that I did for last week with all the options listed out for you. Hopefully we get two easy ones to fit :D
Week SixWhat We Rolled: 5
We Are On Spot: 40
What You Can Read:
- book #4 in a seris
- a stand alone novel
- a book with a title beginning with "B"
Hilary- Zoya by Danielle Steel :: Stand Alone :: Review
Danielle- Kissing in the Dark by Wendy Lindstrom :: #4 :: Review
Morgan- The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman :: Stand Alone :: Review
Cait- Been So Long by Adrienne Thompson :: "B" title :: Review
Week SevenWhat We Rolled: 6
We Are On Spot: 46
What You Can read:
- book #4 in a series
- book #6 in a series
- a book from the 3 star shelf (Make SURE you use the linked shelf that Jenne provided in the post, not just any 3 star shelf variation, it needs to come from that specific shelf. If the book is far back in page number, list where it can be found.)
Hilary- Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants by Louise Rennison :: #4 :: Review
Danielle- Reader and Raelynx by Sharon Shinn :: #4 :: Review
Morgan- The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead :: #4 :: Review
Cait- Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger :: 3 star shelf (p. 12) :: Review
For week six, I'm going to be doing the B title option and reading
by C.J. Box.For week seven, I'm going to do the 3 star shelf option and read
by Colleen Hoover, which you can find on page 4.
I can't do links on the app, but... I'll be reading:Week 6 :: Ocean at the End of the Lane -- Neil Gaiman (stand-alone option)
Week 7 :: The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4) -- Richelle Mead
Week Six- a stand alone novel:
Week Seven
- book #4 in a series:
Cait's Week Six Review
Adrienne Thompson Date Finished: 12/19/2014
Rating: ★★★
This was a super fast read. I think the whole thing took me maybe an hour at most. That being said, I think the reason it was so fast was because nothing important happened. It was a lot of drama packed in to a tiny space with no real character development or plot to speak of. Lots of fade to black sex scenes and romantic angst. And that was about it.
Quick story if you need a little brain scrubber but nothing I'd go out of the way for.
Week Six
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Date Finished: 12/19/14
Rating: ★★★★
Well, this was certainly a quick read!
It was better than I was expecting too with something about it that was definitively "Neil Gaiman". Some happy mish mash of fantastical, cozy, slightly terrifying, magical imagery that combines to create new fairytales.
I would disagree both with the categorizing of it as "Magical Realism" and "Adult Fiction".
While I think it is a book for a variety of ages, it might be better categorized as merely "fiction". It's more of a distillation of forgotten childhoods than anything "adult". Unless it's the lack that exists in adults when we forget what it's like to be children. (Heaven forbid that day ever comes for me.)
It's also not something like other "magical realism" books. This is more...actual magic than "magical realism". The line can be blurry, but that's more about finding the fantastical in the reality of every day life.
This felt more like a folktale or fairytale...cousin.
I am reading
for week 6 (book 4 in a series).
Week 7 #4 in a series
Finished 12/24/14
4 Stars
Review:
Another funny addition to the Georgia Nicholson series. This installment was more interesting than book 3 because more things happened. There was a trip to Paris, Christmas, a break up, boyfriends leaving the country... It was just as funny as the others as well. This book provides little, if any back story, so it is really important to read them in order. There are tons of little "inside" jokes that just will not be funny at all if you haven't read the other books. I am really enjoying this series because they are easy reads and quite humorous.
Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope you're all enjoying your holiday :D See you next week!
Cait's Week Seven Review
by Gail CarrigerDate Finished: 12/28/2014
Rating: ★★
Boring, boring, boring. How is everything I'm reading lately so painfully friggin boring?
The premise of this book sounded so interesting and WOULD have been so interesting, if the author had bothered to write the story she advertised in the summary. I was under the impression that we would actually see these girls go through the training at "Finishing School" to become assassins and that something exciting would occur after.
Neither of those things happened. The training was entirely glossed over (except for the eyelash fluttering which we had to hear about time and again.) and the spy portion of the plot was so childish, it was laughable. The entire thing was suited for younger girls, maybe thirteen at the most. I personally wouldn't have classified this as YA at all but whatever.
Huge disappointment, definitely won't be picking up the second one.
Read:
on the 29th (Book 4 in a series)Rating: 4 Stars
Review: I very much enjoyed dipping into this series even though it has been over a year since I read book 1 and 2 ( and I haven't read book 3) and didn't find it jarring to do so. I liked the characters and found it nice to have a plot that wasn't overdone. Overall an excellent read to relax with.
Danielle, is that for week seven or did you change books for week six?
Hey guys, this is just your standard reminder that all our reviews are due this Friday, January 2nd (preferably earlier so we can roll right away in the morning). Here is a list of what we are missing. If you cannot meet the deadline please get a hold of myself or Jenne so we know what's going on.Missing Week Six Reviews:
Hilary
Thanks all.
Still working on mine. Most likely will post late Thursday night:)
No problem! Thanks for letting me know :)
Sorry for the delay- Kissing in the Dark is for week 6.
Read:
on the 1st (book 4 in a series)Rating: 5 Stars
Review: This is a reread of my favourite Sharon Shinn series and this book also happens to be my 2nd favourite in the series. I love the characters and even without reading the others for a while I found it easy stepping back into the world. Overall an excellent read that I would recommend to fans of the genre.
Week Seven
The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4) by Richelle Mead
Date Finished: 1/1/15
Rating: ★★
I pushed through this one. I don't know if it is me or the book or what, but I could not be bothered to care at all.
Like your little sister is a bitch, your Dad is a psycho, don't be an idiot.
I want to shake Sydney. And everyone else involved in general.
Most of it was just...so repetitive it felt like. There were a few advances, but even they felt like they were way too long in coming. I don't know.
Plus, I got really annoyed when a drunk Moroi taking a few sips of blood from a drunk chick he'd made out with YEARS ago is equated with ACTUAL RAPE. Like, yes, consent is not really possible, but it's more of a no real harm situation compared to RAPE.
Rape only equates to rape. Just...don't.
Week 6Stand alone Novel
Finished 1/1/15
3 Stars
This was not my favorite book by Danielle Steel, I kind of felt a pattern going... Very rich, tragedy, very poor, meet a man, very rich, tragedy... etc etc etc. I did find the name dropping and the mentioning of historical events kind of annoying after a while. Also, I didn't like how we sped through a lot of Zoya's life at 90 miles an hour, and then would slow down for little moments here and there. With in a span of just a few paragraphs there was a marriage and divorce, or several years passing, etc. I did find it an easy read, and I did like the ending. I would have liked it better if we could have actually gone to Russia with Zoe and Zoya. I would love to see her reactions and thoughts after that much time had passed. Overall, 3 stars, I think.
Week EightWhat We Rolled: 8
We Are On Spot: 54
What You Can Read:
- book #5 in a series
- book #4 in a series
- a book with a title beginning with "F"
Hilary- Away Laughing on a Fast Camel by Louise Rennison :: #5 :: Review
Danielle- Heart Quest by Robin D. Owens :: #5 :: Review
Morgan- Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff :: "F" Title :: Review
Cait- Fast Forward by Juliet Madison :: "F" Title :: Review
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
The Challenge Factory
Books mentioned in this topic
Getting Worked Up (other topics)The Accidental Dragon (other topics)
Getting Worked Up (other topics)
The Accidental Dragon (other topics)
Getting Worked Up (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Dakota Cassidy (other topics)Erin Nicholas (other topics)
Louise Rennison (other topics)
Todd Strasser (other topics)
Todd Strasser (other topics)
More...
Finished 12/11/14
Rating: 3 stars
Review:
This book is 3rd in the series, and while the plot is not intricate by any means, the story will make much more sense if read in order. This book picks right up where #2 left off, and really provides almost no background or refresher, so it is also better to read the books all at once so you don't forget anything! My favorite aspect of this book and series is the humor. The main character is just a really funny person. There are "inside jokes" on basically every page. The ending was a cliff hanger... Overall this was a quick, fun, easy read.