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R13: SS Team 3 - Shelf Indulgence
Selection Post Week #6 spot 42Crochet and Cauldrons Nancy Warren
3rd in The Vampire Knitting Club series234 Pages
Completion Post: Week 6 - Spot 43
Book: The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas
How it fits?: #4 in Lady Sherlock series
Date finished?: 2/26/2022
Rating: 4 Stars
Review:
The Art of Theft was a fantastic read featuring a scheme to infiltrate a Yuletide ball to steal a priceless work of art and the secrets hidden behind it.
As the renowned Sherlock Holmes, Charlotte Holmes has solved murders and found missing persons. But one thing she has never been asked to do is to steal a priceless work of art. But Mrs. Watson is desperate to help an old friend and Charlotte finds herself unable to sit on the sidelines. The plan? Infiltrate a Yuletide ball, steal the painting, and escape before anyone realizes it's missing. Joining Charlotte and Mrs. Watson are Charlotte's sister Livia, Livia's admirer Stephen Marbleton, and Charlotte's dear friend Lord Ingram. But upon arriving at the French chateau, the group quickly discovers that all is not as is seems and there's far more danger than they realized if anything goes wrong.
Upon learning The Art of Theft was essentially a Victorian era heist, I was incredibly excited to pick the book up. The book opens with Charlotte taking a meeting with a woman interested in Sherlock's skills only to change her mind after meeting with Charlotte. We then learn the woman is actually an old friend of Mrs. Watson and the pair approach the woman again to offer their services. From there the pair recruit the other members of their group and are off to France. After their arrival in France, the book picks up pace and doesn't let up until the end. The planning stages of the heist are very well done and I liked how everyone had their own part to play. The actual heist portion itself is fantastically done and I loved every minute of those scenes. There ended up being a few twists I didn't see coming that I thoroughly enjoyed. The ending was well done and I liked the set up for the next book in the series.
Charlotte continues to be an excellent main character. Her ability to puzzles things out and uncover information are extraordinary. With this case being more hands on, Charlotte gets to use her skills in a different way. Charlotte definitely takes a leadership position when it comes to planning the heist which I enjoyed. She's great at figuring out where the skills of the others would be best served. Everyone in the group works well together and I enjoyed the individual interactions they had with each other. Charlotte and Lord Ingram's friendship is on uneven ground in this book after the events of The Hollow of Fear. It was interesting watching them circle each other as they tried to figure out how to adjust their interactions based upon what transpired between them.
Overall The Art of Theft was a great read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Murder on Cold Street, soon. I highly recommend this series if you're looking for some great historical fiction mysteries.
Selection PostWeek 6, Spot 43
City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett
Pages: 466
#3 in The Divine Cities
Completion post week 6 - spot 34
Left To Hide
Blake Pierce
3/1/22
#3 Adele Sharp series
3 stars.
Review:
This book didn't hold my interest as much as his other books.I still enjoy this series and it was an easy read. I enjoyed the interplay between Adele and John. I was also glad to see that her relationship with her dad is healing.
Completion PostWeek 6, Spot 43
Under His Lover's Wing by Merry Farmer
241 pages / GR
How it Qualifies: #4 in series
Read: 1 Mar 2022
Rating: 4 Stars
Review: Merry Farmer's After the War series follows a group of friends as they find love after their service during the Napoleonic Wars. While each of these books can be read as a standalone, a few of the characters play a small role in each other’s stories.
The men in Under His Lovers Wing are definitely the most adorable pairing of the series, in my humble opinion. Spencer had my heart from the start, coping with his hearing loss back in the early 19th Century must have been awful. And Declan is so sweet and humble, they’re perfect together.
Merry Farmer builds a terrific romance between Spencer and Declan, and the whole mystery of the stolen sheep is nicely done. I'm still fuming over the prejudices of the townsfolk against Declan! What a bunch of narrow minded jerks. Thank goodness Spencer and his friends came along when they did.
COMPLETION POSTWeek 6 Spot #43
Crochet and Cauldrons - Nancy Warren
234 Pages
Read: 03/03/22
Rating: 🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶
How it fits: 3rd in series
REVIEW:
This series gets better and better with each book. Crochet and Cauldrons is the 3rd book in Nancy Warren’s Vampire Knitting Club Series and it kept me glued to my proverbial reading chair. Witches, Sexy Vampires, demons and humans! What’s not to love?
Lucy Swift inherited her grandmother’s knitting shop in Oxford, England at the beginning of the series. She quickly learned that she inherited a nest of vampires along with the shop; her grandmother being the newest vampire of the group.
This book has Lucy’s archeologist parents visiting her in Oxford. They unwittingly bring an unwelcome surprise along with them that puts Lucy’s life in grave danger. Lucy needs to rely on her new found magic along with her vampire friends, including sexy vampire Rafe, to stay alive and defeat the “curse”.
This book had more paranormal events than the first two and I thought that made it more interesting and fun. I will definitely continue reading this series.
COMPLETION POSTWeek 6 Spot #43
Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini
Read: 03/03/22
Rating: 4 stars
How it fits: Alt - 43. Set anytime between 1600-1837
Set 1685-1688
Review: Fun adventure story and likely my favorite by Sabatini. Easy read and lots of pirate adventures. Racist and even true when considering was written in 1922. Makes some parts hard to read but also interesting historical info on the reign of James II.n the reign of James II.
Completion post Week 3 spot 43
Game, S*x, Match by Ana Byrde
4th in # Love Wins series
318 pgs
Finished 4 march
This didnt work for me and the fact that it was one of the longer books in the series made it worse.
Aunt Rosy made yet another appearance but they seem to be getting a bit creepy now .
An 70/80yr old shouldnt be prying into the young lads sex lives and sending them sex toys , im really hoping shes not in the next book .
Review Posts: Week 6 - Spot 43Melanie: Post 154 - Lady Sherlock #4
- The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas
Leslie Ann: Post 156 - Adele Sharp #3
- Left To Hide by Blake Pierce
Janeylou: Post 160 - #Love Wins #4
- Game, S*x, Match by Ana Byrde
Lexi: Post 159 - Alternate: Set anytime between 1600-1837
- Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini
Trio: Post 157 - After the War #4
- Under His Lover's Wing by Merry Farmer
Shelly: Post 158 - Vampire Knitting Club #3
- Crochet and Cauldrons by Nancy Warren
Here's our roll for week 7.Week: 7
Previous Spot: 43
Roll: 6 + 4 = 10
New Spot: 53
You can read any of the following:
- 5th book in a series
- 3rd book in a series
- 53rd book in a series
- Alternate task 53. Cover: Purple
Great, im going to read bk 5 and finish the whole series so we can cross that of our list
These are the bonuses currently left to earn.✸ One point can be earned for reading three or more books in a series.
✸ One point can be earned for reading a book with >500 pages.
✸ One point can be earned for starting and finishing a series (≥4 books).
✸ One point can be earned for never picking a book from the alternate lists. This point is awarded when your team rolls past 90.
I am working on the reading 3+ books in a series. I've read one, am reading the second one this week, and once we're in the 60's then I'll read the last one. That will leave the 500+ page one and the no alternate one (which I will have covered but we can't claim until we hit 90).
I would rather not read a 500+ book .300 is usually my max , but if no one else is planni g to would somethhing like this work Love's Landscapes Anthology Volume 1 count
I could possibly spread them around
I've got one that will work for a space with a 2 if we get a roll that lands there for over 500 pages.
Lexi wrote: "I've got one that will work for a space with a 2 if we get a roll that lands there for over 500 pages."I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for a 2 then 😄
Selection post Week 7 spot 53
12 Days of Gay by Ana Byrde
251 pgs
#5 of Love Wins series .....and last one
I haven't picked anything yet, but I'm on it!
Completion Post: Week 7 - Spot 53
Book: Murder on Cold Street by Sherry Thomas
How it fits?: #5 in Lady Sherlock series
Date finished?: 3/6/2022
Rating: 4 Stars
Review:
Murder on Cold Street was an excellent read following Charlotte as she works to clear a friend's name in a double homicide.
Inspector Robert Treadles has been charged with murder after being found locked in a room with two dead men. As the urging of Mrs. Treadles, Charlotte Holmes as the renowned detective Sherlock Holmes takes up the case to uncover the truth. Both victims worked with Mrs. Treadles at the manufacturing enterprise she recently inherited and there were rumors she was more involved with one of the men. Complicating matters is the fact the Inspector refuses to speak on his own behalf despite the evidence against him. In a case full of lies and secrets, Charlotte will have her work cut out for her to uncover the truth.
Murder on Cold Street picks up right where The Art of Theft left off with Mrs. Treadles showing up at Charlotte's residence to ask for the assistance of Sherlock Holmes. It's clear from the first interview with Mrs. Treadles that she's holding back information and it doesn't take long for Charlotte to uncover what she was hiding. Operating under the assumption that the Inspector is innocent, Charlotte turns her attentions to Cousins Manufacturing as a possible motive for the murders. With the help of Mrs. Watson, Mrs. Treadles gets access to the company's financials to give them a starting point. It quickly becomes apparent that all was not as it seemed at the company and both men were keeping a lot of secrets from those around them. Each member of Charlotte's team is assigned a lead to follow and I enjoyed following each member as they dig into the victims' lives. The ending went in a direction I wasn't expecting but I thoroughly enjoyed.
Charlotte remains one of my favorite main characters in a mystery series. Her ability to discern information and puzzle things out are extraordinary. Without the help of the man they're trying to prove innocent, Charlotte and the team have to work without a firsthand account of what happened the night of the murders. I enjoyed watching the team follow various leads and I like that Charlotte recognizes everyone's strengths when assigning them their roles for the investigation. The scene where Charlotte reveals to everyone her theory of what happened was very well done and really showcases Charlotte's talents as an investigator. Charlotte and Lord Ingram's friendship continues to evolve and I'm loving watching these two build up to something more. I'm very interested to see where their relationship goes in future books.
Overall Murder on Cold Street was a fantastic read and I will be picking up the next book in the series, Miss Moriarty, I Presume?, soon. I highly recommend this series if you're looking for some great mysteries.
COMPLETION POST WEEK #7 Sot 53BOOK/AUTHOR: Book, Line and Sinker/Jenn McKinlay
DATED FINISHED: 03/06/22
RATING: 📕📗📘📙📒
HOW IT FITS: 3rd book in THE LIBRARY LOVER’S MYSTERY SERIES
REVIEW:
Absolutely 5 stars! Book, Line and Sinker is the 3rd Book in Jenn McKinlay’s Library Lover’s Mystery series.
Lindsey Norris has settled in as Briar Creek’s public library director and into the little town. She has new friends, has a wonderful love interest and has become a part of the community.
Pirate fever strikes the town when a salvage company comes to the Thumb Islands searching for a long rumored cache of the 15th century pirate, Billy the Kidd’s, buried treasure. Trudi Hargrave is the loud, obnoxious, greedy, narcissistic tourism director looking for fame, glory and a cut of the treasure. To top it off for Lindsey, her ex-fiancé shows up in town to win her back at the same time things have moved forward for her and Sully. The treasure is believed to be on Ruby Island where a terrible triple murder occurred more than 35 years ago. Then, Trudi’s body is found at the dig site. The story just keeps getting better. I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. There are a number of viable suspects which keeps things interesting.
I love this town and the characters that inhabit it. I would recommend this to Jenn McKinlay fans and cozy mystery lovers alike.
Love, love loved it!
Completion post Week 7 spot 53
12 Days of Gay by Ana Byrde
251 pgs
#5 of Love Wins series .....and last one
Finished 6 march
I will be totally honest and say that i probably wouldnt have read this if not for finishing the series .The series has progressively got more cringeworthy for me , its the aunt rosy parts that i didnt enjoy . If that element was removed id be ok..never mind, its done now
Melanie ..ive finished that complete series now 😊
Completion postSpot #53
Heir of Fire
Sarah J. Maas
Pages : 576
#3 in series
Bonus more than 500 pages
3/7/22
3 stars
Review:
I don't know exactly what it is with me and Sarah Maas. I appear to be in the minority with other readers. Her books are just okay to me. I did like the 1st one in this series. I have been listening to these books on audio, so perhaps that is it. With listening it is harder to skim boring parts. I really want to like these books but they are just okay. I am sorry fellow readers, perhaps I am missing something.
Leslie Ann wrote: "Completion postSpot #53
Heir of Fire
Sarah J. Maas
Pages : 576
#3 in series
Bonus more than 500 pages
3/7/22
3 stars
Review:
I do..."
Leslie Ann,
I don’t think you should ever be sorry for your honest review.
I have about forty minutes left in my book so I should be done by lunch break tomorrow.
Completion postSpot #53
Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence
Pages : 367
#3 in series
3.5 stars
Review: I finished but I am still a bit conflicted on my thoughts. I liked the ending and the whole resolution of the plot with the moon. I never felt very committed to the relationships and had a bit of an issue keeping some of the names straight so any emotional impact of that aspect of the plot was lost on me. I did not like the whole flashback to 3 years before part at the beginning as it just felt fragmented. For now, I am giving a 3.5 and rounding up, but I may change my mind.
Completion postWeek 7 spot 53
Deke by Eden Finley
310 pages / GR
How it Qualifies: #3 in Series
Read: 11 Mar
Rating: 4 Stars
Review: Sweet and clever romance, with a great meet-cute. Loads of goofy side characters, mostly Ollie's unique family, and their mutual friend Jet. There's a lot going on in this fast moving story, and the pace is sped up with Alexander Cendese and Iggy Toma's narration. Cendese didn't win any extra points from me with his Bostonian accent, but I haven't heard an audiobook narrator yet who could pull it off.
I will check us in shortly, just need to finish up something for work first.
Review Posts: Week 7 - Spot 53Melanie: Post 174 - Lady Sherlock #5
- Murder on Cold Street by Sherry Thomas
Leslie Ann: Post 178 - Throne of Glass #3 - Bonus: 500+ pages
- Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Janeylou: Post 176 - #Love Wins #5 - Bonus: Start & Finish a Series (Post 74, Post 98, Post 144, Post 160 & Post 176)
- 12 Days of Gay by Ana Byrde
Lexi: Post 182 - Book of the Ancestor #3
- Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence
Trio: Post 183 - Fake Boyfriend #3
- Deke by Eden Finley
Shelly: Post 175 - Library Lover's Mystery #3
- Book, Line and Sinker by Jenn McKinlay
Melanie wrote: "Review Posts: Week 7 - Spot 53Melanie: Post 174 - Lady Sherlock #5
- Murder on Cold Street by Sherry Thomas
Leslie Ann: Post 178 - Throne of Glass #3 - Bonus: 500..."
Thank you Melanie.
Here's our roll for week 8.Week: 8
Previous Spot: 53
Roll: 4 + 3 = 7
New Spot: 60
You can read any of the following:
- 6th book in a series
- Standalone
- 60th book in a series
- Alternate task 60. Cover: Brown
Great job team, we earned two bonuses last week (thank you Leslie Ann and Janeylou)!I will be reading a book this week that will finish the 3+ books in a series bonus. That means we'll have earned every bonus except for the no alternate one (which we can't get until we roll past 90).
So then we just need to decide when to redeem our bonuses. At first I save them in case we ever hit a double number like 77 or something, but that hasn't come up yet.
Perfect timing! I just finished the book I was reading about 2 hours ago!Week 8 Spot #60
I have 3 books in the running but since I’ve needed an “H” for the last letter in a challenge for months, I’ve decided on 🥁 🥁🥁
Fashion, Rosé & Foul Play by Gemma Halliday
Book #6 in the Wine & Dine Mystery series.
I’ll post the number of pages when I find it in my ever growing pile-o-books! 😆 GR doesn’t list the number of pages 🤨
The kindle version shows 253 pages.
haha of course I'm reading a #6 in the series right now 😅I'll probably go easy and pick a standalone.
Selection Post, Week 8Spot 60
Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi
320 pages / GR
How it Qualifies: standalone
Completion post Week 8
Spot 60
Standalone
Truth in the Dark by Amy Lane
145 pgs ..book is standalone
13th march
Loved this so much , a re take on beauty and the beast.
Aerie smith has cursednhis island because he stole a kiss from an elf
..everyone including himself have had their bidies turned into animal while still keeping their minds .
He needs someone 'pure of heart' to save then .
But he falls in love with Naef instead .
Fortunately with most fairytales there is a lovely HEA 😍
Completion post Week 8
Spot 60
6th in a series
Fashion, Rosé & Foul Play - Gemma Halliday
03/14/22
🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷
247 pages
REVIEW:
In the 6th adventure with Oak Valley Vineyard’s Emmy Oak and her friends, we have a high stakes jewel heist and the murder of a beautiful 23 year old model.
Emmy’s best friend, Ava Barnett, has designed and created beautiful original jewelry pieces for a charity fashion show being held at The Links Golf Club. The finale piece is a stunning necklace with a $100,000 emerald in the center. Ava hopes this necklace will put her jewelry on the map. When the model, Gia, has not returned the necklace to Ava at the end of the show, Emmy goes looking for her. She finds Gia strangled with the chain from the necklace and the Emerald missing. Ava had taken out a loan to buy the jewel hoping the necklace would sell quickly to the “ladies who lunch” set from the exclusive club allowing Ava to repay the loan and expand Silver Girl. Without the emerald Ava and Silver Girl will be destroyed. Emma and Ava, having Charlie’s Angels daydreams, go looking for the jewel thief/possible murderer.
Fashion, Rosé & Foul Play is the 6th release in Gemma Halliday’s Wine & Dine series. I really enjoyed reading it. Emma and Ava get themselves in all sorts of precarious and sometimes dangerous situations. Gia was universally disliked so there are a plethora of suspects with just as many motives. Was this a jewelry theft gone wrong or was Gia the intended target? Also, things might finally be heating up with hunky Detective Christopher Grant and Emmy. One can only hope!
Yes, I will definitely be continuing on with this series!
Selection post Week 8 spot #60
The Last Time I Lied
Riley Sager
Pages 384
Stand alone
3/15/22
4 stars
review:
I enjoyed this book. Emma is a very likable character as she tries to solve the disappearance of her childhood friends from camp. I like all the twist and turns. The ending although not surprising was a nice twist.
Completion Post, Week 8Spot 60
Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi
320 pages / GR
How it Qualifies: standalone
Read: 16 Mar
Rating: 4 Stars
Adorable!
Growing up in Los Angeles is definitely a challenge, and Aminah Mae Safi gives us a deep and insightful view into two young women’s lives in her novel, Tell Me How You Really Feel.
There’s some intriguing family drama, and some of the usual high school shenanigans, but on the whole both ladies have pretty solid support systems. The interesting part is when these total opposites come together, and figure out they’ve got more in common than they’d have guessed!
I listened to Tell Me How You Really Feel in audio, and that’s the real treat because the author is the narrator. Aminah Mae Safi has an absolutely delightful voice, and it’s easy to tell she’s getting a real kick out of reading her story to us. I hope she continues with this trend, and I’d gladly listen to her perform again.
Completion Post, Week 8Spot 60
Noor by Nnedi Okorafor
How it Qualifies: standalone
Read: 16 Mar
Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 220
Review: I generally enjoy books by Nnedi Okorafor and while this was a four-star read, it was not my favorite by this author. I enjoyed the world building and the big bad was the monopolistic supplier of consumer goods (think Amazon). It missed some of the nuance of other books. Still, even with that, it was a great adventure. I adored learning about the herders and their cattle. I recommend to fans of Nnedi Okorafor but suggesting starting elsewhere if you are new to this author.
Completion Post: Week 8 - Spot 60
Book: Miss Moriarty, I Presume? by Sherry Thomas
How it fits?: #6 in Lady Sherlock series
Date finished?: 3/17/2022
Rating: 4 Stars
Bonus: Read three or more books in a series
Review:
Miss Moriarty, I Presume? was a fantastic read following Charlotte as she finds herself working for the enemy.
Charlotte Holmes has taken on all manner of clients in her work as the renowned detective Sherlock Holmes. But when her newest client appears on her doorstep, Charlotte will have to watch her every move as the client is Moriarty himself. Moriarty is worried something has happened to his daughter who resides in a remote community with ties to the occult. Tasked with gaining entrance to the community and ascertaining Miss Moriarty's well being, Charlotte will have her work cut out for her if she's to complete this job without alerting Moriarty to her past endeavors against his organization.
Miss Moriarty, I Presume? picks up a few months after the events of Murder on Cold Street. The book opens with a series of letters Charlotte has written and received including one where she talks about receiving a request for an appointment from one of Moriarty's men. The tension at the start of the book is very well done as we don't know what Moriarty wants with Charlotte or if he's learned of how she's thwarted him in the past. After Charlotte, Mrs. Watson, and Lord Ingram arrive at the Garden of Hermopolis we quickly learn that not all is as it seems with Miss Moriarty. The investigation goes into several directions I didn't see coming and the presence of Moriarty in the background causes quite a bit of tension for our characters as they work to resolve the case to his satisfaction while not endangering themselves in the process. The ending was a complete surprise and I'm looking forward to seeing the implications of what happened in future books.
Charlotte continues to be a fantastic main character with an incredible ability to puzzle out information. The way she manages to connect all of the small clues we get throughout the book and resolve the case is simply remarkable. Charlotte primarily works with Mrs. Watson and Lord Ingram on this job with her sister Livia working almost parallel in her own investigation into clues left by Mr. Marbleton. At this point in the series the group works together flawlessly and I love how much they trust each other to get the job done. Charlotte clearly has a unique gift but were it not for the help of her friends, she wouldn't be able to use that gift the way she does. Charlotte and Lord Ingram's relationship has continued to develop and I'm loving watching these two enjoy each other.
Overall Miss Moriarty, I Presume? was an excellent addition to the series and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, A Tempest at Sea, when it releases later this year.
The Challenge Factory
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Week 6, Spot 43
Under His Lover's Wing by Merry Farmer
241 pages / GR
How it Qualifies: #4 in series