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R4: SS Crazy 8's (8)
Wishing you a speedy recovery Amy! Thanks for stepping in Nan. Week 8: The Diva Wraps It Up by Krista Davis A Domestic Diva Mystery #8
Week 8: Space 58Suicide Watch - Black Cover
5 stars
WOW!!! I have had this book on my TBR list for a while and am asking why I waited so long to read it. If you aren't into books that are full on angst then this book is not for you.Once I started this book I couldn't out it down until I was finished.
Vince and Adam are emotionally damaged in their own way and Casper has Cancer . The three young people meet on a site called Suicide Watch which is for people contemplating suicide. This book was so amazing and it is a book that is definitely a keeper and I know it is a book I will read again in the future.
Week 8: The Diva Wraps It Up by Krista Davis A Domestic Diva Mystery #8 , Finished: (1/6/15), 4 starsI've loved this series ever since book number one. It's always well written and perfectly paced. Plus who wouldn't want to be Sophie's neighbor. She's always cooking gourmet meals and serving special cocktails at any given moment. This installment finds our favorite characters preparing for Christmas. There's lots of decorating, a cookie swap and of course a mysterious murder thrown right into the mix of things. There are quite a few new characters introduced in this book so it kept me guessing until the very end. I actually loved the cantankerous Edith Scroggins. I hope she makes appearances in future books. Mars drove me a bit nuts in this one. I'm not sure what direction Davis is going with his character, but I got tired of him complaining about Natasha. As always, there are recipes at the end of the book. What made this one different is Davis included favorite holiday treats that her readers submitted. They made an appearance throughout the book too. Fun reading about the origin of them all. Bring on book number nine!!
Week 8Spot 58 - Series #5
Book: Shift by Andrea Speed
Date read: 1/6/15
Rating: ★★★★½
Review
So this series is WAY WAY dark, but it's soooooo good. I just feel so bad for poor Roan and everything he's dealing with. As a virus child no one knows what to expect with him as he's lived longer than any other virus child ever. But his lion is mutating and Roan's not really sure how much control he really has over things anymore. He finally let himself be a little vulnerable with Dylan in this story and open up about how the lion coming out scares him. It was nice to see them really connecting and it felt like Roan was finally starting to move on from Paris a little bit. He'll always love him, but I felt like this was the first time that Roan might actually be ok with out him and Dylan wasn't just a poor substitute.
The mysteries in this book were on par with what I've come to expect from an Andrea Speed Infected book. Holden continues to intrigue me and he's starting to get a teensy tiny bit scary. He's just so bitter and has a vicious streak a mile wide. Seeing Dylan get so upset and almost loose it though when the neo-Nazi assholes attacked the house though was almost scarier. Holden's vicious and ever so controlled, Dylan wasn't at all. You could feel him hanging on to his humanity by a thread, which is frightening as he's not a shifter.
Altogether this was another wonderful step in this series. I love reading about Roan and really hope that somehow he gets his happily ever after without the disease killing him. I keep hoping he's somehow going to find a way to win out and control the lion inside him.
Amy ~Lover of Books~ - Are you still with us? We still need your review for Week 7 & 8 . We need to have both reviews before Friday night or we can't roll this week.
*Nan* wrote: "Amy ~Lover of Books~ - Are you still with us? We still need your review for Week 7 & 8 . We need to have both reviews before Friday night or we can't roll this week."It was a hard decision, but I think I'm going to back out for the remainder of the round. I've been distracted lately with other things.
Hey! I'm joining up with you guys since you're down two players. :)
Welcome Melissa! Glad to have you join us. I will roll the dice but it probably won't be until about 7est on Friday. If some one else would like to do it earlier that's fine and review post for this week is all ready to go
Hi Melissa!! Happy to have you joining us.
Week 9Current Space - 58
Rolled 9
New Space - 67
Read # 6 in a Series or # 7 in a Series.
Alternate - Read or Listen to a book on the Listened Shelf
Melissa I'm going to join you on that same exact read. :) I have to read Harry Potter this weekend for MMP anyway.
Hi ladies, happy to be able to join the team! I'll have a look at this week's book when I get home and let you all know :-)
Welcome Camilla! Happy to have you joining our team : )
Week 9Texas Fall - 01/12/15
Texas #6
3 stars
This book was a continuation of Jack and Riley's story.
Jack is expanding his ranch and even thinking about putting a riding school for children with disabilities at the ranch. Riley is still working in the family business and kidnapped when he takes a trip over the boarder into Mexico. The security detail is all killed while Riley and his assistant Tom are kidnapped.Once the two men are rescued,Riley has problems dealing with what happened to them and the fact that he was forced to kill a man in self- defense. Jack tried to get Riley to open up about what is bothering him and Riley refuses. This almost destroys their relationship and yet they eventually find their way back to each other and the rest of their family and friends.
I liked this book but had a hard time getting into the story and feeling any connection with the characters.
Jenne (and the team), just to clarify, I only have to read the book for this week by Friday in order for us to roll, right?Or should I also read a book for week 7, and then we roll twice, or...?
You only need to read a book for this week and I'm not sure if you need to do that or can wait until we roll on Friday morning . If you can read a book by Friday morning then make a pick , if you don't think you can ask Jenne if you should wait until next roll
You're call Camilla :)If you can finish one and would like to by all means, if you'd rather start with the new roll on Friday that's perfectly ok too.
Great!I read Changes by Jim Butcher this week, which is on the Listened shelf, but I started it before I signed up (but after last Friday when it was called), so if that's OK for this week, that's great!
Otherwise, I would prefer to start reading after the next roll :)
P.S. Since I'm in Europe (CET timezone) then I'm happy to roll on Friday :)
It is ok to use or if you want to wait that's a ok too :)
Thanks, Jenne!Just to make it as easy for everyone as possible, I will just start reading with you all tomorrow when we do the next roll then :)
Will be glad to have you join us with tomorrow's roll. We cant roll until we get reviews from Kimberly, Shelby and Melissa
Finished up this afternoon. Here's my review:Week 9: The Sauvignon Secret by Ellen Crosby, A Wine Country Mystery #6, Finished: (1/15/15), 3 stars
I've enjoyed this series over the years and have put off reading this book for quite some time because I knew it was the final one. Lucie has always been a great character, insecure a lot of times, but overall smart and mature compared to other protagonist in cozy mysteries. I've loved the setting, learning little snippets about wine making and of course the hit and miss love interest with Quinn. With that said, I'm pretty dissappointed with how this one ended. The relationship aspect was very rushed, certain things were too easily forgiven and not everything was explained on Quinn's part. The only reason I gave this one three stars is because the mystery part was really intriguing. Lucie was trying to solve something that happened many years earlier and that isn't always easy to keep interesting for a reader especially when it doesn't invlove any of the usual characters! What I really liked in this addition, was the fact that a good chunk of it took place in San Franscico. I enjoyed reading about some familiar spots and learning about some new interesting ones. I really want to try one of those coffees from the Buena Vista now. It's always dissappointing when something doesn't end so great. Happy to finally cross this one off my list just wish it would have gone out with a bigger bang.
Week 9 from listened shelf [book:Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone|3Five stars
Ok so I've read this book more times than I can count. It is the literary equivalent of chicken soup. Goes down easy, fills you up, leaves you satisfied , heals you and leaves you wanting more. Every time I read this book I discover something new. This time I wondered how Charlie's friends were so easily able to fly to Hogwarts without being noticed. I'm left to guess that Dumbledore who knows everything that goes on there msde it easy for them. Either way I can't wait to read the next book.
Just sent Shelby a PM since we need her review. If I don't hear from her by this afternoon I will use our free pas if that's okay with everyone else.
Week 9Spot 67 - Shelf: Listened
Book: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Date read: 1/14/15
Rating: ★★★★★
Review
This book was just as fun the second time around. I'd forgotten a lot of the details and yet still remembered the salient points. I love the magic of this world and the friendships being built. I had completely forgotten that Harry and Ron really didn't like Hermione in the beginning. It was interesting to read this with the movie imagery now in my head. A lot of the scenes that tie closest to the book were much more vivid as I could picture the characters and scenic elements from the movie. Still I love the adventures these kids get up to and reading this 10 years or so later for the second time is well worth it.
Current Space - 67Rolled 1+3
New Space - 71
Read #1 or #7 in a series
Alternate Task - Book that takes place in Australia
Hi ladies,I will be reading Scorpion Shards by Neal Shusterman, which is the first in a series (Star Shards Chronicles)
Week 10: The Assassin's Curse first in seriesFinished: 1/19/15
3 and half stars
I randomly chose this book among my huge pile of owned ebooks that I have yet to read. Since, I was doing lots of cleaning/laundry today I figured I'd set up the text to speech setting on my reading app on my phone.
I really enjoyed this book. I think had I been reading it rather than listening to it it might have been slower than I would have liked. She did a really good job of world building without boring you with overly done details. I loved the complexity of the characters and in a way it reminds of the Lord of the Rings books (in that the first book sets them up for their huge journey so does this one). This one really focused on the two main characters getting to know each other. That doesn't mean there wasn't any action. There was plenty of it. I look forward to reading the next book.
Week 10Spot 71 - Series #1
Book: Black Dog Blues by Rhys Ford
Date read: 1/17/15
Rating: ★★★★★
Review
Holy crap I just plain loved this story! Part of it is I just love Urban Fantasy, but I love the dark elements that are put in this story and Kai is just plain awesome! Yes, I'm using lots of exclamation points, but this story was fantastic. Love it! I can't wait until for more stories in this insane world. Living in SoCal I love knowing the area too, especially since it's twisted it all to hell and back. ;) Kai is such a f-you world badass all bitter twisted pain and anger in this package that you just want to cuddle and make him feel all better. Sooooooo so happy with this book. Great adventure and twisty turns to keep you guessing where things are going.
Week 10:Shadowboxer - Tapped Out #1Finished 1/19/15 - 4 stars
It's been quite a while since I have read M/F books but after reading this book I will definitely read more. I loved the story and Felt the connection between Mia And Fox.I also liked that both MC we in MMA and had their personal reasons for getting started with fighting. I was drawn intho this book and hated to see it end.
Week 10:Melissa - The Assassin's Curse - Review
Shelby - Black Dog Blues - Review
Nan - Shadowboxer - Review
Kimberly - Death Is Like a Box of Chocolates = Review
Camilla - Scorpion Shards - Review
Finished up this afternoon. Here's my review:Week 10: Death Is Like a Box of Chocolates by Kathy Aarons A Chocolate Covered Mystery #1, Finished: (1/21/15), 4 stars
This was a wonderful debut to a fun new cozy series. A chocolate shop and a bookstore combined, yes please! It included a well paced mystery that kept me intrigued and guessing for quite some time. The characters were great. I've seen several reviews complaining about the amount of characters. Yes, there are a lot of introductions, but that's common for any new series. I had no problem following along and keeping everyone straight. I like that the main cast didn't come off as ditzy or naive, they seem very realistic, smart and educated. I look forward to future books and watching several character developments. There does seem to be a possibility for a love triangle with Michelle. As of right now, I'm on Team Bean, lol. This one definitley leaves you constantly craving a chocolate treat as well as the next book in the series.
Hi ladies, apologies, I actually finished my book on Tuesday, but I completely forgot to post :)Week 10: Scorpion Shards by Neal Shusterman
Finished: 19/01/2015
Rating: 4 stars
I really love everything I have read by Neal Shusterman - so much so that he has become one of my all-time favourite authors! And this (his oldest and first book) while clearly being an early book without some of his later "sophistication", was very good and just as original as his later stories.
Shusterman somehow manages to write stories and characters that are familiar without being cliches, and always has such a unique story-line, which I promise is unlike anything you've ever read before!
I highly recommend his "Skinjacker" series and of course his most famous book, "Unwind" :)
Week 11:Current space 71
Rolled 4
New Space 75
Read # 5 in a series or # 7 in a Series.
Alternate Task - Title that starts with S.
Week 11:Solitude - Alternate Task - Title Sfinished 1/26/15
3 stars
I was really looking forward to this book since I have read other books by this author recently and enjoyed them.
I had a tough time getting into this story and was very tempted to DNF it. I found the beginning really slow and did get into the story more as I read it but I could only give it 3 stars.
I have a huge favor to ask for next week. I am going out of town on Thursday and not returning until Sunday evening. Can someone please act as captain and do the week 11 reviews and then roll the dice on Friday and post our moves and reviews on the other thread.
*Nan* wrote: "I have a huge favor to ask for next week. I am going out of town on Thursday and not returning until Sunday evening. Can someone please act as captain and do the week 11 reviews and then roll the d..."I wish I could do it but Friday mornings are a nightmare for me.
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The Challenge Factory
Books mentioned in this topic
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (other topics)A Broth of Betrayal (other topics)
Snow White Red-Handed (other topics)
Snow White Red-Handed (other topics)
Solitude (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
J.K. Rowling (other topics)Connie Archer (other topics)
Maia Chance (other topics)
Maia Chance (other topics)
Neal Shusterman (other topics)
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Suicide Watch - Black Cover