R12: SS Team 6 - Series of Fortunate Events

[Meg]

Tara wrote: "Meg wrote: "I always love your enthusiasm! 😊 Can't wait for your review!"

I can't really say I was in a slump because I was finishing books, but I was also picking the wrong books for me. I'm making smarter choices now and have my reading mojo back :)..."

😊😊😊

[Tara]

Meg wrote: "I always love your enthusiasm! 😊 Can't wait for your review!"

UGH... you don't want to see my review...

[Tara]

Completion Post
Week 4: Spot 30


Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
How it Fits: Standalone
Pages: 256
Finished: 10/13/20

Review: This was just ... weird? Okay, so it's WORDY. Like, did I really need to know exactly every single item that they bought at the grocery store? No! Also.. there's this feeling of tension throughout the whole book. Like you're just sitting there waiting for IT to happen ... but then ... IT DOESN'T HAPPEN! I mean, I finished the book and was turning back trying to figure out what exactly I missed. Because I really feel like I missed something.
Disappointed, to say the least :(

[Meg]

Tara wrote: "Meg wrote: "I always love your enthusiasm! 😊 Can't wait for your review!"

UGH... you don't want to see my review..."

Oh oh...

[Paula]

Tara wrote: "Completion Post
Week 4: Spot 30


Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
How it Fits: Standalone
Pages: 256
Finished: 10/1..."

Noo! I'm sorry it was such a dissapointment

[Tara]

Paula wrote: Noo! I'm sorry it was such a dissapointment"."

::Sigh:: I think this book is a little over-hyped to be honest. It fell really flat for me. It wasn't BAD, but it certainly wasn't good. It kind of felt like it was just running in circles. The premise was interesting but the execution failed in my opinion. I wanted more... it was just vague. Nothing was explained, nothing was wrapped up. It just ended with no ending.

[Meg]

Completion Post
Week 4, Spot 30 (Oct 9)
Murder in an Irish Churchyard
How it fits: #3 in the Irish Village series
Pages: 304

Siobhan is now a garda, aka police officer, after two years of schooling. The night before her first official day of work there is a knock on the door early in the morning. The village priest leads her to the cemetery, where she makes a gruesome discovery. Her former boyfriend, Detective Sergeant Macdara Flannery, is called in from Dublin, and together they investigate an American family researching their family's roots, as well as an overblown filmmaker who is documenting said research, plus a couple of villagers.

It was an enjoyable read with a very good mystery, though it felt a little busy at times. Let me tell you, though, the constant jabs at Americans became extremely bothersome. Because, you know, we're not all that bad.

[Barbara]

I am changing my selection as my kindle reader wouldn't load the book I had originally selected. And, due to the tax deadline, I didn't have any time to read an actual book anyway, but I was able to listen to one on audio:

Completion Post - Week 4 - Spot 30
Book: Closer Than You Know by Brad Parks
Pages: 411 (kindle, but I listened to audio)
How it fits: Standalone (can be used for 0)
Date Read: 10/14/2020
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review:
This is technically a re-read for me. I got this as an e-book ARC a couple of years ago and loved the complexity of it. (see review). I saw it was available on audio, so I thought I'd give it a listen. And, I'm glad I did. Emily Rankin's narration adds an emotional immediacy that really enhances the book.

Melanie Barrick is a mother whose child is basically abducted by social services from his daycare based on a false drug charge. She is hell-bent on proving her innocence and reuniting with her son. Standing in her way is a overwrought and miserable social service system that serves to thwart her efforts at every turn, and a prosecutor who seems equally hell-bent on a conviction.

But Amy Kaye's fierce determination to prosecute Melanie is matched only by her deep sense of justice. It is that sense of justice that ultimately prevails in an intense courtroom confrontation.

I couldn't help but root for Melanie. Her situation was exactly what every parent fears. Standing by helplessly while your child is kept from you is the ultimate nightmare. But Amy, too, was an eminently relatable character. Her insistence on ferreting out the truth in Melanie's case and in solving another cold case despite immense pressure to let it go really hit home with me. Closer Than You Know is an intense and entertaining book.

[Meg]

Barbara wrote: "I am changing my selection as my kindle reader wouldn't load the book I had originally selected. And, due to the tax deadline, I didn't have any time to read an actual book anyway, but I was able t..."

Awesome review, Barbara!

[Jane]

I still have about 10% of my book so I will finish it in the afternoon and lost a review!

[Jane]

lost = post (sorry Im on my phone!)

[Meg]

Jane wrote: "lost = post (sorry Im on my phone!)"

😂 I hate posting from my phone!

[Jane]

Checking Goodreads on my phone is awesome! But posting is really a struggel haha.

Completion Post
Week 4: Spot 30


The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
How it Fits: Standalone
Pages: 229
Review:
„Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have.“

This is my 300th book read on Goodreads! A real milestone for me.
I am so happy that it is with this book, since this book was life-changing for me. It made me realize that I do not constantly have to torture myself with thoughts about my past and future, about pain that people caused me or that I caused to them. It taught me about the pain-body and how to deal with it. This was a real eye opener for me, and I am so happy that I read it.

„Not to be able to stop thinking is a dreadful affliction, but we don’t realize this because almost everybody is suffering from it, so it is considered normal.“

This book surely isn’t for everyone, but I think the most important part for me is, that it does no harm. If you worry about the past/future constantly, if you have harmful thoughts and doubts, if you are sad for no apparent reason, give it a try. It can do no harm; it just teaches you how to be present. And if that works for you, awesome! If not, well at least you gave it a try!
I am very thankful for this book and will make sure to read it again and again.

[Denise]

Completion post spot 30

Such a Fun Age
Read 10/15
310 pages
Standalone

I love how this book jumped from character to character, telling how one event affected their lives. It was written in a way that kept my attention from the first moment on. I think everyone who is interested in race relations should read the book.

[Tara]

Denise wrote: "Completion post spot 30

Such a Fun Age
Read 10/15
310 pages
Standalone

I love how this book jumped from character to character, telling how one event affected their lives. It was ..."

I read this one earlier this year and really enjoyed it!

[Barbara]

Am I wrong or were we supposed to get a new number so we could pick out books for next week?

[Tara]

Barbara wrote: "Am I wrong or were we supposed to get a new number so we could pick out books for next week?"

Looks like we’re still waiting on a review. It’s my understanding that we have until 11:59pm tonight to get that review in and a new roll or we’ll have to sit out a week since we haven’t earned a free pass.

[Barbara]

Tara wrote: "Barbara wrote: "Am I wrong or were we supposed to get a new number so we could pick out books for next week?"

Looks like we’re still waiting on a review. It’s my understanding that we have until 1..."

Oh, okay. Sorry. This is my first time playing, so apparently I don't know all of the rules. Thank you!

[Paula]

Hello! posting my review now.
We earned the free pass during week 2, just so you know ;)

[Paula]

Completion post - Week 4
Spot 30



Los Muchachos del Zinc by Svetlana Alexievich
How it fits: #3 in Voces de Utopía series
Pages: 336
Finished: October 16th
Review:

This is the third book I read from the author. Voices from Chernobyl is still my favorite, but I think this one was more hard hitting than Last Witnesses.
This is about a conflict I didn't know much about, so I had to look in the internet to learn a little before reading all the testimonies.
It is about the Soviet - Afghan war
It was as always very engaging and hard to read, I believe the most difficult to read, because they were so sad, were the stories told by the mothers of the soldiers who lost their lives.

I marked a LOT of passages from this book

[Paula]

Meg wrote: "Completion Post
Week 4, Spot 30 (Oct 9)
Murder in an Irish Churchyard
How it fits: #3 in the Irish Village series
Pages: 304

Siobh..."

Meg your book has a bird on cover, so you just earned the 2 in1 bonus =)

[Paula]

Week 5
Previous Spot: 30
Rolled: 4+2=6
New Spot: 36
Alternative: 36. GR average rating >4.0

Paula - Review
Barbara - Review
Meg - Review
Denise - Review
Tara - Review

[Meg]

Paula wrote: "Meg wrote: "Completion Post
Week 4, Spot 30 (Oct 9)
Murder in an Irish Churchyard
How it fits: #3 in the Irish Village series
Pages..."

Meg your book has a bird on cover, so you just earned the 2 in1 bonus =)

Oh, awesome! I forget to look at those...

[Meg]

Selection Post
Week 5, Spot 36
At Fault
How it fits: #3 in the Southern Fraud Thriller series

[Barbara]

Selection Post: Week 5, Spot 36

15 Minutes of Flame by Christin Brecher

How it fits: 3rd book in the Nantucket Candle Maker Mysteries
Current rating: 4.18

[Tara]

Paula wrote: "Hello! posting my review now.
We earned the free pass during week 2, just so you know ;)"

Oh cool! I did not know that!

[Tara]

Selection Post
Week 5: Spot 36


Murder at Monticello by Rita Mae Brown
How it Fits: Mrs. Murphy #3
Pages: 284

[Paula]

Selection Post - Week 5
Spot: 36
Book: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
How it fits: >4 rating on GR
Pages: 415

[Denise]

Completion Post - Week 5
Spot: 36
Book: Monday's Not Coming
How it fits: >4 rating on GR
Pages: 448
10/20/20

I read this last year, and I felt that it needed a reread. There were so many difficult topics in the book, but they all needed to be discussed. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone. Even though it was YA, it was very heavy.

[Meg]

Completion Post
Week 5, Spot 36 (Oct 16)
At Fault
How it fits: #3 in the Southern Fraud Thriller series
Pages: 254

It's been many years since I read the last installment in this series, but I had no problem falling back into the storyline and the characters. The MCs are special agents for the Georgia Dept. of Insurance, their jobs being to investigate insurance fraud. This particular book centered around fake or engineered auto crashes, created not just to collect from insurance companies due to the accident itself, but branching out to ripoff auto mechanics, medical practices, and lawyers, among others. It's a scary world out there.

Interwoven into the story is the relentless quest to find and have prosecuted the man that had assaulted the female mc's sister many years ago. Definitely a worthy pursuit! The repetition of some passages and thought processes, not to mention the r- word, got to be trying, however.

All in all a good continuation of the series, 3.5 rounded to 4.

[Jane]

Hey guys, Im so sorry but I have to drop out of the game. I had 12 hour work days lately and I just cannot concentrate on reading. I dont want to let you guys down by missing the deadline. Sorry for the inconvenience :(

[Paula]

Jane wrote: "Hey guys, Im so sorry but I have to drop out of the game. I had 12 hour work days lately and I just cannot concentrate on reading. I dont want to let you guys down by missing the deadline. Sorry fo..."

Oh Jane, I hope everything goes well at work and that you can rest soon. Thank you for letting us know.

[Meg]

Jane wrote: "Hey guys, Im so sorry but I have to drop out of the game. I had 12 hour work days lately and I just cannot concentrate on reading. I dont want to let you guys down by missing the deadline. Sorry fo..."

Wow, Jane, those are such long days! Take care and hope you can get to relax now and then.

[Tara]

Completion Post
Week 5: Spot 36


Murder at Monticello by Rita Mae Brown
How it Fits: Mrs. Murphy #3
Pages: 284
Finished: 10/23/20

Review: This was a fun book. I'm really interested in the years of the American founding so I really enjoyed the connection to Thomas Jefferson & Monticello. Some of the language in this one is not PC ... but at the same time, it made it feel more authentic to me. Probably not the book for everyone, but I liked it.

[Paula]

Completion post - Week 5
Spot 36



Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
How it fits: >4 rating on GR
Pages: 415 (listened to audio version)
Finished: October 23rd
Review:

I think this book is worth the hype, totally.
Getting to know the characters was such a journey, they were the most unreliable narrators I've ever read. The plot twist were super fun, as I didn't know anything from the story it was an excellent read.
And it made me feel so many emotions towards the characters ahahaha, I hated everyone, and pitied some others, and like them to at times, I felt everything.
It was a great story and mystery, I really enjoyed it.

[Barbara]

Looks like I needed the full time this time to get the review in. This week was really busy at work. On the upside, I enjoyed the book!

Completion Post - Week 5 - Spot 36

Book: 15 Minutes of Flame by Christin Brecher
Pages: 304 (kindle)
How it fits: Book 3 in the Nantucket Candle Maker Mysteries
Date Read: 10/22/2020
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review:

It didn’t take me a single minute to realize that 15 Minute of Flame, the third installment of the Nantucket Candle Maker Mysteries, is another red-hot winner for author Christin Brecher. From the opening pages, this double-barrel murder mystery grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let go.

Stella Wright, proprietress of the Wick and Flame candle store is helping local girl scouts put on a haunted house fundraiser when she discovers an old chandlery on the property. An ancient sign for “Coopers Candles” catches her attention, but when she removes it, she is in for an unpleasant surprise – hidden behind the mantle is the 100-year old skeleton of a missing local girl, Patience Cooper. That discovery leads to another, and before she knows it, Stella is immersed in not one, but two, cold case murders. When one of the historical investigators is murdered, Stella must use all her wits to find the connection and solve the murders.

By the third book, these characters feel like family. Stella is strong and smart, with a quick wit and a very healthy curiosity. Her reporter-boyfriend Peter plays less of a role in this story, yet by the end, his presence is definitely felt. Her connection to police officer (and longtime friend) Andy, too, was strengthened, and it was fun to see her helping him on the case. I’m not sure if a triangle is forming, but the potential is there. The Halloween theme and setting, too, were an unexpected plus. The haunted house and old candle store were appropriately spooky, and intricate weaving of the modern day and cold case murders was masterful.

And don’t worry if you haven’t read the first two books in the series (although I do recommend you do so), 15 Minutes of Flame is great as a standalone novel as well. I’ll definitely be picking up a copy of the next book in this intriguing series.

Note: I received an ARC of 15 Minutes of Flame from NetGalley and Kensington Books. The above is my honest review.

[Paula]

Week 6
Previous Spot: 36
Rolled: 5+4=9
New Spot: 45
Alternative: 45. LGBTQ+

Paula -Review
Barbara - Review
Meg - Review
Denise - Free Pass
Tara - Review

[Barbara]

Selection Post: Week 6 - Spot 45

This is an easy one for me. Next on my ARC pile is Paw and Order by V.M. Burns. It is the fourth book in the Dog Club Mystery series.

[Meg]

Barbara wrote: "Looks like I needed the full time this time to get the review in. This week was really busy at work. On the upside, I enjoyed the book!

Completion Post - Week 5 - Spot 36
[bookcover:15 Minutes of ..."

I have the first one on the tbr, and your review has me nudging it closer to the top. 😊 It may not get there until the beginning of next year, but it gives me something to look forward to. BTW, fun fact: I bought the Kindle book on Jan 1, 2020!

[Meg]

Good roll,...I had the below on my October reading list, set for Monday!

Completion Post
Week 6, Spot 45
Mistaken Identity Crisis
How it fits: 4th in the Braxton Campus series

[Tara]

Question about the alternate this week: LGBTQ+ ... does it have to match that exactly? I've got my eye on which has a tag of LGBT ... does it have to match the LGBTQ+ exactly, or does the LGBT suffice?

If not... I've got a #5 ready to go, but I'd prefer to read this book instead.

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

It'll work. Anything that fits under the LGBTQ+ umbrella, including tags like LGBT or any variation thereof, M/M, F/F, etc is fine.

[Barbara]

Meg wrote: "Barbara wrote: "Looks like I needed the full time this time to get the review in. This week was really busy at work. On the upside, I enjoyed the book!

Completion Post - Week 5 - Spot 36
[bookcove..."

I really enjoyed the first book as well. In my opinion, books 1 and 3 are slightly better than book 2, but I have liked them all.

[Tara]

Denise wrote: "It'll work. Anything that fits under the LGBTQ+ umbrella, including tags like LGBT or any variation thereof, M/M, F/F, etc is fine."

Awesome! Thanks!

[Paula]

Selection Post - Week 6
Spot: 45
Book: La Loba de Francia by Maurice Druon
How it fits: #5 in The Accursed Kings series
Pages: 344

[Tara]

Completion Post
Week 6: Spot 45


The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes by Elissa R. Sloan
How it Fits: LGBT tag
Pages: 448
Finished: 10/29/20

Review: I was not expecting to get so caught up in this book! I literally tore through it. The entire time I was reminiscing about the bands I followed as a teenager - and their eventual break ups. This book really hits on the dark side of fame - something I personally am glad NOT to have! This would make an awesome book club read - there's so much heavy topics to talk about, but the book itself did not feel heavy. I'd definitely recommend this one! Great book!.

[Meg]

Wow time got away from me...I read the book very early this week but look at me posting the review so late. My apologies, I hope we haven't missed the deadline! Here it is;

Completion Post
Week 6, Spot 45 (Oct 24)
Mistaken Identity Crisis
How it fits: 4th in the Braxton Campus series
Pages: 261

I've somehow been reading this series out of order, but really enjoying it anyway. It's set on an East Coast college campus and centers around a professor, Kellan, and his family, which includes the awesome Nana D, aka grandma, now the town mayor. This particular installment had a lot going for it, including murder and attempted extortion, and a surprising and satisfying ending.

[Denise]

I'm here. I'll post mine soon. Crazy week.

[Barbara]

Like Meg, I finished my book a few days ago, but just got around to the review now. As it was an ARC, I had to do a full review.

Completion Post - Week 6 - Spot 45

Book: Paw and Order by V.M. Burns
Pages: 168 (kindle)
How it fits: Book 4 in the Dog Club Mystery series
Date Read: 10/27/2020
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review:

I just love this series! Paw and Order, the fourth book in V.M. Burns’ Dog Club Mystery series, is a fun, quick, and entertaining story that is perfect for a lazy afternoon. At only 168 (kindle) pages, it is nonetheless full of fast-paced action, wit, humor, friendship, cute dogs, and yes . . . murder! Ms. Burns makes every word count in this delightful cozy mystery.

Lilly Ann Echosby and her best friend Dixie Jefferson are hosting a fundraiser on behalf of the Eastern Tennessee Poodle Rescue Association at the Chattanooga Museum when one of the charity’s most generous benefactors, Archibald Lowry, is murdered, leaving behind a toy poodle with an unpronounceable name. Lilly is prevailed upon to foster the abandoned dog (who she renames “Rex” as in Rex Stout), however, she gets more trouble than she bargains for. In quick succession, Lowry’s distant relatives offer an absurd amount of money for Rex, a second murder takes place, and there is an attempted dognapping. Lilly and her boyfriend, TBI officer Rex Olson, must find the perpetrator before anyone else gets hurt.

What I love most about this book are the characters. Lilly and her best friend, Dixie, are as close as sisters. Lilly’s daughter Stephanie is a multi-faceted person with real-world problems. Red is suave and charming, and the perfect counterpart for Lilly. And of course, the dogs! Aggie, Rex, Chyna, Leia, Lucky, and Turbo are so precious! It’s really a plus that Ms. Burns is able to weave so many different themes – ranging from trusts and estates law to dog agility --into the story.

Fast-paced and well-written, Paw and Order is a gem of a story. If you love dogs and deftly-plotted cozy mysteries, this is the book for you!

Note: I received an ARC of Paw and Order from NetGalley and Kensington Books. The above is my honest review.

[Paula]

Completion post - Week 6
Spot 45



La Loba de Francia by Maurice Druon
How it fits: #5 in The Accursed Kings series
Pages: 344
Finished: October 30th
Review:

I was really dissapointed when I started this book. I was hoping to follow Felipe V's of France reign and I realised that we jumped that part of history and went right to the next king in line: his brother Carlos IV (who was so useless!! and vain!)
BUT, I remembered how much I wanted to know Isabel's (their sister) story, who gives this book its name. And we get to know her story in here!
I'm loving this series, I love how the author filled the blank spaces in history with drama and some great characters (and some terrible ones to) I tend to get angry really often towards those characters and when a book or series engages you that much is awesome. I plan to finish the Accursed Kings series by december =)