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R12: SS Team 7 - Too Busy Reading ***Winning Team***
message 51:
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Lexi
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Sep 24, 2020 02:08PM
I like "Too Busy Reading" and we will know what it stands for
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Cute name. I will vote for that. :)There's no way I can stay up until midnight, so I'll see you all in the morning to see what our roll is. Have a good night.
Night, I'm off to read a book on Goat farming. Whenever my current job gets too much I entertain the backup idea of opening a B&B and goat dairy. (I like to bake and I grew up with goats and sheep so not completely unfounded. Guests may be an issue…). I’ll most likely not do it until I retire but you never know…
Week 1Previous Space: Start
Roll: 4 + 6 = 10
New Space: 10
Can read a Series #1, #10 or a Standalone - Alternate: 10. Set in a place you've visited
Annika Murder al Dente Review
Allison Ann At Wick's End Review
Danielle Gypsy Soul The Druid Stone Review
Lexi Heroine Complex Review
Sunshine Road of No Return: Hounds of Valhalla MC Review
Nikk the Sapphired Book Dragon Chain of Gold
**Free Pass as all books finished before Thursday 11:59 pm
** Bonus Point - 2 in 1: Danielle's has been where the book is set and and it the series number
** Bonus Point - reading a book with >500 pages. - Chain of Gold has 672 pages
Week 2Previous Space:10
Roll: 2 + 2 = 4
New Space: 14
Can read a Series #1, #14 or a Standalone - Alternate: 14. Cover Item: Jewelry
Annika Fake Out review
Allison Ann Never Kissed Goodnight Review
Danielle Gypsy Soul Seven Years Review
Lexi The Bone Shard Daughter Review
Sunshine The Morning Star Review
Nikk the Sapphired Book Dragon Moody And The Beast Review
Selection Post
Never Kissed Goodnight by Edie Claire - 260 pagesHow it fits: Leigh Koslow Mystery #4
Lexi wrote: "Night, I'm off to read a book on Goat farming. Whenever my current job gets too much I entertain the backup idea of opening a B&B and goat dairy. (I like to bake and I grew up with goats and sheep ..."Oh Lexi, I have a similar dream, although I already rent cabins and own a bakery, so I dream of getting rid of that part and just having a hobby farm. Right now beekeeping and mushrooms are in the planning stages. :D I grow and sell herbs. But I'd love goats and a cow and laying hens and some ducks. First I need an enormous fence to keep the bears and wolves and deer and rabbits and wild dogs out.
Allison,Not to take over the thread but I love your idea. You likely already know this, but hobby farms are very hard to make self-sufficient. They can break even but unless you are running fairly large scale, you need a second income or someone working off farm with a significant income source. I had 30 chickens through high school and they laid enough eggs to feed the family and break even on feed and housing and such. That sounds amazing. I live in the densest zip code in Massachusetts for my PhD and I am so sick of living in a city (pandemic not helping). Just understand that if have animals, you never get a vacation unless you can find a good farm sitter, which can be hard to come by. Dairy animals especially are very hard work. If you ever want books on the topic, feel free to ask. You may have to go with the cattle and not goats with predators, but there should be some way to make it work. We had a Great Pyrenees for coyotes as we have the eastern coyotes which are a pain and locked the goats up every night. I wish you the best of luck if you are serious.
We don't seem to be talking much about our books, so I don't suppose anyone will care too much if we talk farming. :DI live in the middle of nowhere, on the Canadian Shield (no dirt, nothing but rocks and trees and lakes) NW Ontario, Canada. I can barely stand to go to "town" which is 15,000 people. I understand city stress. Anyway, we are a seasonal area, we make our living with multiple tourism businesses now. I work a minimum of 12 hours a day, I haven't had a vacation since 2005 and I haven't had a day off since the beginning of March. This is my normal life. Though I am always trying to add some extra income streams. Herbs and mushrooms don't need daily care and feeding. I just need to win the lottery to build that fence and some outbuildings.
What's your PhD in? And your current job? Not goat related I'm guessing. :D
I grew up on a farm in Kentucky but am in Boston now working on my PhD in zoonotic diseases, so indirectly related to goats. (I spent some time in India last summer for field work and that was directly related to goats). You might find a dairy relaxing then with your current work schedule. I just always make that clear as some people have no idea of the physical labor and time involved in livestock. Fences are always the issue: the lottery or a lot of free time with a post digger or a relative, preferably a teenager, with lots of free time and a post digger. Growing up, I always made my younger brother help. (He used to get sent to help a friend’s farm with hay when he would get in trouble over the summer).
Indian goats, what an interesting trip that must have been! I am jealous.Growing up in the family resort business we dug septic lines instead of fence posts when we were in trouble. Not so deep, but definitely smellier. :D
Completion postWeek 2; spot 14
Fake Out'
Read: 26 september
Rating: 3 stars
290 pages / 6 hrs, 36 min
This was a lot better than I thought it would be, a lot of it was probably due to the narration by both Iggy Toma and Alexander Cendese and that I was in the mood for an easy, no effort needed read. Arguably there were a bit too much mis/non-communication but I didn't mind too much. It all worked somehow, as did the snark and banter - oh and I loved the pranks. I was a bit sceptic when I first started out, but now I need to listen to the rest of the series.
Completion PostWeek 2: Spot 14
Seven Years
Read: 9/26/20
Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 332
Review: I liked that the shifter world was a bit different then the typical shifter characters. The characters weren't integrated with their shifters so they when they shifted their animal had control and most didn't remember what happened. That's unique and I liked that. I liked Austin's brothers. I never completely wrapped my mind around why Austin had to be gone for 7 years. How was that protecting them? It was weird.
Lexi drove me crazy! Why is that every guy who was interested in her ended up being so aggressive like almost raping her aggressive and yet she never did anything about it. She was a "damsel in distress" for 90% of the book - just once I wanted her to rescue herself.
(view spoiler)
The setup for this book took a really long time so I was bored and kept waiting for something to happen.
Also why in the world did Charlie leave everything to Lexi? It says several times she has no business sense and it's not like they had a close relationship. As far as I could tell they were just boss and employee.
Completion Post Week 2: Spot 14 
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
Read: 9/28/20
Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 416
How it fits: #1 in series
Review: I really enjoyed the bone daughter but have to say that the title and blurb are really misleading. This is the story of not just the emperor’s daughter but three other point of view characters. My favorite POV hands down were Jovis and his magical weasel companion. How this did not make the blurb confuses me. The two main stories only really connect and the end with the smaller point of view characters adding perspective along the way. There is a nice side perspective that deals with complacency and privilege but it got resolved way too quickly and I think that level of privilege would be something that the couple will need to deal with over and over again as it is not easily put off after one day. This society has many issues with power and corruption but accepts gay and lesbian couples as part of society, which is nice to see, as it is a fantasy world. I like the floating islands and look for more questions being answered in the second book.
Completion PostWeek 2, Spot 14
Never Kissed Goodnight by Edie ClairePages: 260
Date Read: 9/29/20
How it Fits: Leigh Koslow Mystery #4
Rating: 3 stars
Review: A series that I enjoy more as it continues. The MC Leigh has been toned down from her book 1 personality to human levels. The mystery was an odd one, with everyone fairly cavalier about murder, attempted kidnapping, child abandonment, extortion and bank robbery, but wrapped up with a neat bow at the end.
Completion PostWeek 2, Spot 14
The Morning Star by M. ChandlerPages: 179
Date Read: 10/1/20
Fit: #1 in series
Resting: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: It took me a while to get into, but once I did I love it. Lots of smile and chuckles in this one. Looking forward to read more in the series.
Bonus points
2 in 1: One point can be earned for reading a book that fits both the series number and the alternate for the spot you are on.
Can read a Series #1, #14 or a Standalone - Alternate: 14. Cover Item: Jewelry
Completion PostWeek 2, Spot 14
Moody And The Beast by Kristen PainterPages: 233
Date Read: 9/28/20
Fit: #4 in series
Resting: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review:
I am really enjoying this series. In this instalment we meet former Goblin King Robin whom we had heard about briefly in previous books but never really met. As evident from the title, this is a kind of Beauty and the Beast retelling in that goblin Thodora comes ton Shadowvale in place of her father who has recently had a 20 year debt come due. While I did like the way the story came together and how Theo and Robin get to know each other, it did still more than a ilittle instalovey. That being said however Ms Painter always weaves a well paced and interesting tale and I zoomed through this book very very quickly even if the ending seemed a tiny bit anticlimactic. I a huge fan of all Kristen Painter's books and this was no exception. I give this book 4 stars
Week 3Previous Space:14
Roll: 5 + 4 = 9
New Space: 23
Can read a Series #2, #3, #23 - Alternate: 23. Female Author
Annika Murder à la Flambé review
Allison Ann Snuffed Out review
Danielle Gypsy Soul Better Than Friends review
Lexi Harrow the Ninth review
Sunshine bThe Devil's Ride: Coffin Nails MC review
Nikk the Sapphired Book Dragon Ghostly Echoes review
Completion postSpot 23
Murder à la Flambé
Read: October 3
Rating: 3 stars
How it fits: Southern Pasta Shop #2
Jennifer L Harts' series tend to start out strong, you feel for the characters and they interest you. But she also has a tendency to go overboard as the series progress. I mean there is a thing as too much drama - well I have a low tolerance for it to begin with, but still. Does every single character need to have a messy family, and by that I don't mean the small squabbles, and fights that comes with the territory. No, I mean the abandoned, teenage pregnancies, suicides, long lost parents suddenly popping up - and married to your nemesis kind. It's too much for me already and that's only scraping the surface.
The narration however I'm a huge fan of and probably why I do continue listening to the books.
Completion Post Spot 23
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Rating: 3 stars
How it fits: Locked Tomb #2
Review: Somehow, I keep reading this series even though I find them somewhat frustrating and confusing, and I will likely finish it. The first 300 pages dragged on and were someone confusing. I really think that could have been shortened then the next 150 were great and then the last 50 were really confusing again. Everyone just stood around in a room and explained their plots like somehow that made up for the rest of the book. Still, I will likely read the last one. I just hope it is shorter than 500+ pages.
Completion PostWeek 3, Spot 23
Snuffed Out by Tim MyersPages: 182
Date Read: 10/03/20
How it Fits: Candlemaking Mystery #2
Rating: 3 stars
Review: A good book, but not a great mystery. Of course the murderer is the person who wasn't mentioned at all in the first book, but is now presented as having been around all along. :D I still like the setting and the characters and a little bit of learning about candles.
Completion PostWeek 3: Spot 23
Better Than Friends by Lane Hayes
Pages: 216
Date Read: 10/3/20
Rating: 3 Stars
Review: The entire book was one big lack of communication. I understand in the beginning as the relationship was new and no one wants to be that person saying "define the relationship" that early on but at some point a conversation would have been appropriate. Instead Curt assumes it's just a friends with benefits relationship and Jack is out of his league. So he is also dating Paul through most of the time he's in a relationship with Jack. It's obvious pretty early that Jack really likes Curt and he's jealous of Paul. All of Curt's friends pick up on this but Curt won't believe it so he continues to basically flaunt his relationship with Paul to Jack assuming he doesn't care (when again its obvious he does). Curt wasn't one of my favorite characters - his melt downs when things weren't going his way was just a bit immature. There were things I really did enjoy and I loved Jack. But this was probably my least favorite in the series so far.
Completion PostWeek 3: Spot 23
The Devil's Ride: Coffin Nails MC by K.A. Merikan
Pages: 363
Date Read: 10/9/20
Fit: #2 in the series
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: I loved the romance build between Tooth & Luci. Sweet Tooth and his standards and discipline. The story itself is a bit predictable not so much a mystery, just a wait and see.
Completion PostWeek 3, Spot 23
Ghostly Echoes by William RitterPages: 352
Date Read: 10/8/20
Fit: #3 in series
Resting: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review:
In this instalment Jackaby and Abigail investigate their ghostly housemate's murder. I struggled a little bit with parts of the first half really having to push myself to continue listening/reading however the second half of the book had me more invested as the author weaved through more plot threads.
I liked that we learnt a bit more about Jackaby and his past in this instalment and how he came to be the way he is. I liked the way the threads all intersected and fitted together and the blend of historical and paranormal the author manages to bring together.
I felt like the series plotlines really took a lot of the forefront in this instalment and I looking forward to seeing how this will play out in later books. Can't wait to keep on reading on in this series.
Week 4Previous Space:23
Roll: 6 + 6 = 12
New Space: 35
Can read a Series #3, #5, #35 - Alternate: 35. Author 'O'r
Annika Murder Al Fresco Review
Allison Ann Death Waxed Over Review
Danielle Gypsy Soul Making It Work Review
Lexi The Burning Page Review
Sunshine Stripped Raw: Coffin Nails MC California Review
Nikk the Sapphired Book Dragon Curse a Brew Streak Review
Nice roll Nikk. We are zooming through the list. :DSelection Post
Death Waxed Over by Tim Myers - 240 pagesHow it fits: Candlemaking Mystery #3
Completion PostWeek 4, Spot 35
Death Waxed Over by Tim MyersPages: 240
Date Read: 10/10/20
How it Fits: Candlemaking Mystery #3
Rating: 4 stars
Review: I liked this book from the series. The author writes classic mysteries. I can figure out whodunit, but I'm not always sure how he's going to get to the end. Keeps me reading and interested. Still enjoy the setting and the characters. Seems like everyone has a mystery in their past or present. Only one more book, so I doubt all my questions are going to be answered. Too bad, but I'm still looking forward to the read.
Completion Post - Week 4, Spot 35 
The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman
Pages: 368
Date: 10/11/20
How it Fits: Invisible Library #3
Review: It has been 2 years since I read the 2nd one but I remembered all the characters fairly quickly. There is a bit of a love triangle but it is backgrounded to a much bigger plot. It felt like the end of a trilogy but apparently there are seven of them. I'll be mildly annoyed if they undo the ending of this book.
Completion post Week 4 Spot: 35
Book:Curse a Brew Streak by Lily Harper Hart
Qualification: #3 in supernatural speakeasy series
Date read: 10/15/20
Rating:3 1/2 stars
Review:
While I enjoy this series I always seem to struggle through the books through this one I seemed to read quicker than the previous instalments. I like that we are getting to know some of the characters more now and find out more about them. The mystery itself was somewhat interesting though the solution wasn't much of a surprise and seemed somewhat anticlimactic but it was still a relatively enjoyable read and I will continue on with the series
Spot: 35
Book: Making It Work by Sean Michael
Qualification: #5 in Mannies Incorporated
Date Read: 10/13
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Review: I liked that this one was about two very opposite mannies falling for each other. Two widowed fathers fall in love and combine their 8 kids into one family. Actually the most interesting part was how the two families merged into one. The two fathers were not my favorite characters and I didn't really like them much although they did improve towards the end. But I suppose if they weren't "checked out" on the kids through a good chunk of the book it wouldn't be centered on the mannies so it almost had to be written that way. I liked ready about how the mannies and kids all learned to compromise and become a family. Making it Work is definitely the perfect title for this one.
Completion PostSpot 35
Murder Al Fresco
Read: October 12
Rating: 3 stars
Southern Pasta Shop #3
Bonus: 3 books read in the same series
Review:
This instalment offers a few new twists for the residents in Beaverton. Jones finds out he has a son, a son he's subsequently accused of kidnapping - and is arrested for said crime. During which Andrea agrees to host a new cooking show, hoping to redeem herself from the accidental food poisoning from her last TV performance.
Even the best laid plans has a tendency to go awry . The town is overrun by the TV crew, one of the judges ends up dead and a malicious blogger stirrs up even more trouble.
As usual a lot happens in this small town, and while it's entertaining for the momen, I'm also glad to leave it. Though I do want to listen to many more of Suzanne Ceretas narration in the future - I am partial to her Aussie accents.
Completion Post - Week 4, Spot 35 
Book: Stripped Raw: Coffin Nails MC California by Miss Merikan
Pages: 225
Date: 10/16/20
How it Fits: 3rd book in series
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: so far the best book in the series. I was planning to stop reading this series, but the writing got better. I’ll see in the next book if it continues.
Sunshine wrote: "Completion Post - Week 4, Spot 35 Book: Stripped Raw: Coffin Nails MC California by Miss Merikan
Pag..."
HI Sunshine, your review does not appear to be showing.
Can you please edit to include?
Thanks :-)
Week 4Previous Space:35
Roll: 5 + 2 = 7
New Space: 42
Can read a Series #4, #2, #42 - Alternate: 42. Cover Item: Weapon
Annika Inferno Review
Allison Ann A Flicker of Doubt Review
Danielle Gypsy Soul Take the Key and Lock Her Up Review
Lexi A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor Review
Sunshine
Nikk the Sapphired Book Dragon Caffeinated Calamity Review
Completion postSpot 42
Inferno
Flashpoint #4
Read: October 17
Rating: 3 stars
This was a fast-paced romantic suspense and kind of typical for the genre. It didn't offer any surprising or new - well part from the setting; Djibouti, which was a nice change of pace. The minus however you never really felt like you were there. Based on the descriptions (or lack there of) and a complete lack of sense of place this book could be set anywhere.
On the plus side it was narrated by the one and only Greg Tremblay so it wasn't a complete loss.
Selection PostSpot 42
Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Lena Diaz
Pages: 378
How it Fits: #4 in Deadly Games
Completion PostWeek 5, Spot 42
A Flicker of Doubt by Tim MyersPages: 240
Date Read: 10/20/20
How it Fits: Candlemaking Mystery #4
Rating: 4 stars
Review: I'm sorry this is the last book of the series, I enjoyed my time at River's Edge. I liked Harrison's commitment to his friends and his community. He's a good guy who isn't brilliant or filthy rich or unbelievably handsome, just dogged. The mysteries weren't particularly interesting or clever, but I read on for the background. Which is the opposite or most cozies, so a fun change. I have a couple more series by the author, so I think I will move those a little higher up the TBR chain.
Good for bonus point - 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. - Read all four book in the series (and a bonus story that isn't long enough to count). :D
Completion Post - Week 5, Spot 42 
A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green
Date: 10/21
Pages: 464
How it fits: The Carls #2
Rating: 4 stars
Review: A wonderful ending to the duology. Full of adventure and lots of plotting. I loved the monkey. I also found it vaguely stressful at times how it represented isolating society in collapse/recession since it mirrors real life but with aliens and not a pandemic.
Completion Post - Week 5, Spot 42
Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Lena Diaz
Read Date: 10/20
Pages: 378
How it Fits: Deadly Games #4
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Review: This one had a lot of potential but it was a bit too instant with the love connection and the characters made some really dumb choices! I had a hard time buying Emily as a respected and proficient detective with some of her decisions and her lack of being able to respond appropriately under stress. Although she readily admitted to this I still struggled with it. Devlin is a very complex and dark character and again he made some questionable decisions. (view spoiler)
I also struggled a lot with figuring out the motives of the villains. Even when given - which was very very light - it made no sense to me. (view spoiler)
There were quite a few twists and turns - some I saw coming and others I did not. For me the action was so quick that I felt like character depth and motivation was overlooked so the plot could flow the way the author wanted it to. Not sure I will read the EXIT books as I can't imagine wanting to read about the company (view spoiler)
Completion post Week 5Spot: 42
Book: Caffeinated Calamity by Amanda M. Lee
Qualification: (A Two Broomsticks Gas & Grill Witch Cozy Mystery #2)
Date read: 10/19/20
Rating:4 1/2 stars
Review:
I absolutely adored this instalment. It helped that it had characters from one of my favourite Amanda M Lee series crossing over I this instalment. I think I enjoyed the witch thread more than the mystery thread though I am starting to warm to the main characters of this series and I liked the way the mystery thread revolved around the witchy thread as Stormy starts to manifest some powers.
This book had me smiling or chuckling all the way through and was an amazingly quick read. I cant wait for book 3 as I want to keep readiing
Completion post Week 5Spot: 42
Book: No Matter What: Coffin Nails MC by K.A. Merikan
Qualification: 4th book in the series
Date read: 10/20/20
Rating: 3 stars
Review:
I like some of the story, like how Ghost & Lucas/Zara met, online and in person. The rest was a bit too sweet for me. This series feels more like a group of bad guys. I want more umph bad asses in my motorcycle clubs.
I think it is 3 AM where Nikk is, should one of us roll?
Week 5Previous Space: 42
Roll: 6 + 3
New Space: 51
Can read a Series #1, #5 or Published 2017-2018
Annika Inferno Review
Allison A Flicker of Doubt Review
Danielle Gypsy Soul Take the Key and Lock Her Up Review
Lexi A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor Review
Sunshine No Matter What: Coffin Nails MC Review
Nikk the Sapphired Book Dragon Caffeinated Calamity Review
+1 Bonus Point: Allison's book was the last in a series - she read all four books in this series for this challenge.
I will check us in and I rolled.
Danielle Gypsy Soul wrote: "I will check us in and I rolled."Thank you
The Challenge Factory
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