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R12: SS Team 5 - MI5
Completion postWeek 6 - Spot: 37
Book: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Qualification: Number in the Title
Date read: 10/29/20
Rating: 5 stars
Review:
My only issue with this book is how many years it took me to get around to reading it. I can certainly see why this classic is on so many necessary reading lists.
The premise is fairly simple - in a dystopian future (or alternative present these days) free thinking is deemed detrimental to happiness, so books are banned and everyone is force-fed mindless TV and radio 24/7. But it gets a lot deeper and more complicated than that. Exploring freedom of thought, intellectualism, knowledge, awareness, and what our lives and relationships could be like without those things.
It's a book that makes you think. Now please excuse me while I go hug my bookcases..
Sorry I'm an idiot, just realized that the book I read for SSS qualifies and I could have had my review in last night afterall...
Tamie-lee wrote: "Sorry I'm an idiot, just realized that the book I read for SSS qualifies and I could have had my review in last night afterall..."Haha! No worries!
Everyone read such interesting books this week. This one has been on my list for awhile. There was an HBO miniseries of it also that I want to watch after I get around to reading it.
Week 7Roll: 6
Previous Spot: 37
Current Spot: 43
Alternate: Published 2011-2012
☘Misericordia☘ ~ The Serendipity Aegis ~ wrote: "This is a Halloween week, so I'm planning to do a paranormal read for that bonus point."Woohoo! Thank you!
Selection PostWeek 7 Spot 43
The Last Coyote
Series: Harry Bosch #4
Pages: 400
Continuing my series for bonus points.
Completion post Week 7Spot: 43
Demon Magic and a Martini[~book:Demon Magic and a Martini|43834489]Book: Demon Magic and a Martini (The Guild Codex: Spellbound #4) by Annette Marie
✔️Halloween Bonus: One point can be earned for reading a Horror/Paranormal/Urban Fantasy book for the roll on 10/27.
Qualification: #4, Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
Date read: 11/01/20
Rating: 5 stars
Review:
The darker go at Tori the intrepid barwoman's adventures, fresh equipped with her shiny new Magical number thingy she got at the end of the previous installment.
Too bad Zak didn't make an appearance here. Well, at least we've got a bookful of Ezra. And Tori. And more Ezra - did I say how fascinating he is? Well, he's got a lot of demonic fun in him...
I love the turn the series seems to be taking: one can't have too much angst and my taste is bad enough to lap up all the magical fun happening around, what with all the demonic pendant artefacts.
Q:
Tori was about to humiliate someone again and they had front-row seats. I swear that’s why the tables nearest my station were always full. …
He wasn’t a person I should antagonize.
Keeping that firmly in mind, I stuck my tongue out at him. …
I knew Darren could mess me up if he wanted to, but sometimes, showing no fear was the best defense. (c)
Q:
The look on Ezra’s face when we walked in with the first load of pumpkins was only slightly less memorable than the look on Kai’s face when Aaron informed him we’d all be carving pumpkins before Halloween. (c)
Logan wrote: "Debbie and I both have met the 3-in-a-series bonus qualification but as we both plan to continue I wasn’t going to claim it until we reach a point where we know we aren’t going to continue. Does th..."BTW, I've also done the 3 books from 1 series thingy. I think we can follow the lead in not claiming that bonus point as I intend to finish the series anyway. We can claim them later whenever we need them or we have fulfilled both prompts.
Completion Post: Week 7 Spot 43
When the Grits Hit the Fan by Maddie Day
qualification: Book 3 in Country Store Mysteries series
pgs: 304
finished: 11/3/20
rating: 3 stars
review: Robbie and Lou find the body of someone Lou argued with the night before under the ice while snowshoeing. The victim was unpleasant with most people so too many suspects. Robbie looks into it to help Lou and Georgia out, but doesn't seem to catch a break until (view spoiler)
Completion Post qualification: Book 4 in Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery
Completed 11.5
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Inspector Gamache and his wife took a few days off to get away to one of their favorite places. It is also the Gamache's wedding anniversary. I really enjoyed the scenic atmosphere the author so eloquently included. I also liked getting to know Mrs. Gamache better. They make such a lovely couple, but I digress.
Of course, when Inspector Gamache is nearby, there is a murder for him to solve. The plot quickly develops, and there are twists and turns along the way. This series is getting more interesting with each installment.
I’m finishing up mine, hopefully tonight.
Completion PostWeek 7 Spot 43
The Last Coyote
Series: Harry Bosch #4
Pages: 400
Date Finished: 11/6/20
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Harry is dealing with some major stressors in this installment. His house is condemned after an earthquake, his girlfriend is gone, and life is not great. After he assaults a fellow officer, he is put on leave and forced into therapy. He also gets pulled into his mother’s cold case and decides he is going to solve it. This one didn’t have as many exciting scenes as the last one but it was very emotionally raw. I really liked Jazz and hope we see her again.
Are we going to get to roll today?
Completion Post
Week 7 Spot 43
Book: Seven, Eight... Gonna Stay Up Late
Author: Willow Rose
Series:Rebekka Franck #4
Pages: 304
Date Finished: 11/6/20
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Serial Killer vs. Reporter investigator. Fourteen year-old Amalie and Camille sneak off to attend the Roskilde Festival. (This is one of the largest music festival in Europe. I had to look it up.) A stranger gives a drunk Amalie some pills that she later takes with alcohol. The stranger turns out to be a serial killer and Amalie is not a random victim. Reporter Rebekka Franck and her photographer/significant other Sune come across Camille handing out missing flyers and try to help find the girl. There are several mysteries to figure out. Who is Amalie's father? Amalie constantly refers to her rich, powerful, feared father. Camille doesn't go to the police because of the publicity it will generate. What is the connection between Amalie and Allan, the several killer? This was the first Rebekka Franck story I've read, but it was interesting enough to make me want to go back and read a few more.
Diane ~Firefly~ wrote: "Are we going to get to roll today?"We have our free pass so if all the reviews aren’t in by cutoff time we can use that.
I’ve got our tracking updated and am watching the thread.
We have just over an hour to cutoff and I don’t want to miss our chance to roll so I’m going ahead with the Free Pass for Tamie-lee this week. I will be back in a minute with the roll.
Week 8: Roll: 2+1= 3
Previous Spot: 43
Current Spot: 46
Alternate: Cover: Green
Ugh, crappy roll. Sorry friends.
Mod
✸ If the player whose review the free pass is covering for has already previously missed a deadline, they must submit the missing review within one day after the deadline if they wish to retain their place on the team.
I'm assuming noone's been able to reach Tamie-lee via pm? She's been AWOL on SSS as well and missed the Thursday deadline there, noone's heard anything.
I haven’t heard from her. I hope everything is okay. :(
Logan wrote: "I haven’t heard from her. I hope everything is okay. :(" -Looks like Tamie hasn't logged in for some time. Gosh, hope she's OK. Logan wrote: "Week 8:
Roll: 2+1= 3
Previous Spot: 43
Current Spot: 46
Alternate: Cover: Green
Ugh, crappy roll. Sorry friends." Nahhh, I like that roll. Want to read both a 4 and a 6 :) Too bad can't do both simultaneously.
Mod
Mod
Mod
Spot: 46
Book: Fair Game
Series: Alpha & Omega #4
Pages: 336
Oops. Fair Game is #3 in the series. I'll find something else.
Selection Post: Week 8
Spot: 46
Book: Talking to Dragons
Series: Enchanted Forest Chronicles #4
Pages: 272
Mod
Thank you :D
Lanelle wrote: "I understand you all need a replacement player. I'm excited to join your team!" Fantastic! Welcome Lanelle!
Mod
☘Misericordia☘ ~ The Serendipity Aegis ~ wrote: "Welcome Lanelle!"
Thanks :)
Mod
Thank you, Logan :)
Mod
Week: 8
Spot: 46
Book: Talking to Dragons
Author: Patricia C. Wrede
Pages: 272
Date Read: 11/9/2020
How it fits: it is the 4th book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles
This is a wonderful series. Although it is the 4th book in the series, it was actually the first book written. The author does a great job keeping the reader as confused as the hero. Lots of interesting characters in the story. I feel that there could even be another story if the author was inclined to write one.
Completion Post: Week 8 - Spot 46
Biscuits and Slashed Browns by Maddie Day
pgs: 302
finished: 11/11/20
how it fits: book 4 of Country Store Mystery series
rating: 3 stars
review: This one didn't do it for me. Robbie just seemed to go around and annoy people until they told her their secrets which she immediately texted to the police and came off as a tattletale trying to solve the murder of a visiting professor that no one liked.
Completion post Spot: 46
The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Psychological Trauma[~book:The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Psychological Trauma|36407946]Book: The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Psychological Trauma (Writers Helping Writers Series #6) by by Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi
Qualification: #6
Date read: 11/12/20
Rating: 4 stars
Review:
An instructive edition for writers on how to get one's writing the emotions up to shape. The approach is innovative (if jarring a bit): we got all the bells and whistles borrowed from regular psychology, remade to fit our current discussion about fantasctical characters.
We got a lot on emotional sensitivities, tying up the character history and development, tha arc for the good guys and the villains, past influences, jadedness, embedding fancy triggers and twists, denied emotions, acting out defensively.
There's even a lot of canned fomulas for setting the emotional journey our: ie., for instance, dysfunctional childhood can lead to marital issues in adults, growing up in a cult makes one be scared of one's kids being drawn into a cult, etc. Lots of these formulaically staged prompts in there (quite a lot of what one sees around in lit and, sadly, in RL, occasionally).
I say that emotional development of the characters is outlined in this one quite well.
Diane ~Firefly~ wrote: "Robbie just seemed to go around and annoy people until they told her their secrets" LOL!I love your summary :) That sounds like an innovative strategy :)
Completion Post Spot 46
Book 4 in the series
Completed 11/12
4 Stars
Review:
I have enjoyed this series and haven’t gotten back to it in a long time. Although this is the 4th installment, the series could easily be a stand-alone read. I found all of the characters to be believable and likeable, especially Piper. Piper had to grow up fast due to the death of her parents. She practically raised her two siblings. Now, that both have flown the coop, she can begin to live her own life. There are some obstacles in her way that she must either overcome or adjust. Her siblings also return both with their own issues and secrets.
This was a quick and fun read.
Completion Post Week 8Spot 46
[*book:Scandal in Spring|6621307]
Series: Wallflowers #4
Pages: 384 Kindle 1st ed
Date Read: 11/12/20
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Lovely end to the series. The Bowmans are always entertaining and I loved the suitor with a secret. Matthew was so adorable and I loved them together. Was it all a little easy? Sure. Was it a little convenient that our hero has eluded his secret for 20 years and only now must face his reckoning? Absolutely. But the characters all feel like old friends and it was such a joy to go on this journey with them.
Tracking updated to here. One more review and we're ready to roll!
I’ll message Shelley. It doesn’t look like she’s been online since the 8th.
Completion Post
Week 8 Spot 46
Book: Mourning After
Author: Stephanie Damore
Series: The Funeral Fakers Book 4
Pages: 212
Date Finished: 11/13/20
Rating: 4 stars
Review: This was the 4th in the series, but that didn't make it less enjoyable. What's not to like? You have out-of-work actress, Maven Mackenzie, hired by Funeral Fakers to be a Professional Mourner. Interview question - Can you cry on cue?" Funeral crashers who attend to pick up men. Favorite line -"Everyone's looking for a little pick-me-up after the funeral services." A romance or two. Add the murder of someone with a truly unlikeable disposition (thus the need for a Professional Mourner) and the victim's astrologer, and you have a humorous murder mystery. This is a quick, easy read. Even though it is the 4th in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone. I got this series as a freebie. After reading this one, I'll definitely be reading the first three! I recommend it if you need a mental break.
Logan,I would upload for you, but you will need to add Shelley's review. I'm not sure if we can have two separate uploads.
Shelley wrote: "Sorry, I lost a day this week!"Not a problem!
I’ll add it now. Glad everything is okay! Debbie did you roll or should I?
Okay I went ahead and rolled and will post our spot. I ran out of character space in my tracking post so I made a new one in Msg 18 and linked both posts in the other. Hope that makes sense!Week 9:
Roll: 6
Previous Spot: 46
Current Spot: 52
Alternate: Cover Item: Water
Logan wrote: "I’ll add it now. Glad everything is okay! Debbie did you roll or should I?"
Sorry, I didn't think I was allowed to roll until the link was posted. I'll know next time!
Debbie (Doc) wrote: "Logan wrote: "I’ll add it now. Glad everything is okay! Debbie did you roll or should I?"
Sorry, I didn't think I was allowed to roll until the link was posted. I'll know next time!"
I think we can roll as soon as the last review comes in. But I can double check.
Mod
Yes, for future reference: you're good to go as soon as all reviews are in. It's fine if you take care of the tracking post etc. later.
The Challenge Factory
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Taylor Longford (other topics)
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We do not have power due to the hurricane. I’m not able to link my book." Wow, Debbie! That's totally a force majeur. Hope you and your close ones are all right. Stay safe!