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Delitealex
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Mar 04, 2022 05:32PM
Reading
Love Lost 260 pages #3 in series
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I'm going to go with the alternate - three word title and read
, 244 pages
Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) wrote: "I'm going to go with the alternate - three word title and read , 244 pages"Well shoot this one won't work. The alternate listing shows "excludes articles like A, An, The".
Hopefully you have another title that works...
Meg wrote: "Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) wrote: "I'm going to go with the alternate - three word title and read , 244 pages"Well shoot this one won't work. The alternate..."
I didn't even realize! Sorry about that. I'll replace it with
Meg . . . a question. The list of alternatives seems to exclude "articles" in choosing an alternative such as #39. Is that so you don't have to count them in order to create, e.g. a two-word title, or an alphabet selection, or can you count it if you need it? I would like to choose The Third Option by Vince Flynn (toward my three in a series), but if I have to exclude the "The" then it wouldn't fit.
Jeanne, as far I know, your book wouldn't work because "The" can't part of the title. I'll post your question to Denise though, so we can be very sure. I hate that it messes with your three-in-a-series this week; it would have been perfect.
Okay, The Third Option is out for this week. So, I'm going to go with #39 and Rex Stout's Trio for Blunt Instruments. This will be a bit different as its an anthology, so if I understand the rules correctly, I have to review each of the three novellas contained in the book. I might just make this part of the "3 of a series" challenge that I have been looking for. But, Meg, I need to know if the same author must author every book in the series. In this case, Rex did "Trio" but Robert Goldsborough did "Bloodied Ivy" both of which were Nero Wolfe books.
I gotta apologize, Jeanne, for being such a space case. This pandemic has messed with my mental faculties so that my focus just hasn't been the same. (I keep pushing through it, tho, and am hoping to get back to how it used to be!)Hence, I didn't catch that your next choice was #39! I kept thinking it was still an alternate and it threw me. I'll get it added to the list.
Thanks, Denise, for the clarification. So appreciated.
Mod
The list of alternatives seems to exclude "articles" in choosing an alternative such as #39. Is that so you don't have to count them in order to create, e.g. a two-word title, or an alphabet selection, or can you count it if you need it?
Articles are always excluded, so The Third Option would count as a two word title.
if I understand the rules correctly, I have to review each of the three novellas contained in the book.
Yes, a review is required for each story in an anthology.
I need to know if the same author must author every book in the series.
No, as long as GR lists it as part of the same series you can use it for that bonus point.
Let me know if any further questions come up! :)
Week 7, Spot 39 - Alternate
Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie
Date Read: 3/5/22
How It Fits: Three word title
Pages: 352
Rating: ★★★
Review: This is not a romance. It’s a coming of age, self discovery story and I really liked that aspect about it. Ophelia is a very interesting and relatable main character and I enjoyed her and being in her head as she figures out and comes to terms with her sexuality. I liked her parents and their dynamics and how realistic it was. All of that was wonderful.
It was everything else that didn’t work for me but to be fair I am not the target audience for this book. There is a lot of fighting and love triangles and hexagons within Ophelia’s friend group and it wore me all the way out. So much miscommunication. Also, a lot of the writing and messages were really on the nose and felt like an after school special a lot of the times which made it come across as a bit cheesy to me. I don’t need everything explained and lectured to me and this book does that. I also found that I didn’t like any of Ophelia’s friends. Not enough depth or character to any of them.
I can see why younger readers would love this and get a lot out of it but for me it was just fine. A decent debut and I’m curious to see where Marie goes from here.
Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) wrote: "Week 7, Spot 39 - AlternateOphelia After All by Racquel Marie
Date Read: 3/5/22..."
So, so fast!!! I love it!
I’ll be reading City of Veils by Zoë Ferraris for the alternate option “three word title”. I wanted to finish it over the weekend so I started already, but I am not sure I will be able to as I was asked to sort out an important project at work. Hopefully, I’ll do my best to finish before Thursday so we can attempt to earn the free pass :)
I'm hoping that all of us can be in on getting that free pass! It would be good to have in case we need it.I'll be rooting for you, Bouchra!
Week 7, roll 39
Fields' Guide to VoodooDate: 03/05
Pages: 250
How It Fits: #3 in series
Rating: 5*
Reviews: Poppy Fields is in lively New Orleans as an attendant in a high-end wedding, and is looking to have all kinds of fun before she takes off for operative training in a hush-hush organization. She had just started on cocktails with the bride-to-be when a two vehicles pull up before them and a shoot-out takes place. Before she knows it she's juggling chasing drug traffikers, pre-wedding festivities, and her-ex, who's flown to be her white knight whether she wants it or not. Add in another operative from the hush-hush organization, one she's secretly dubbed Thor and with whom something could maybe get started, and she's got more than enough to deal with.
I loved this third addition to the Poppy Fields series, which ranks as one of my favorites, along with the author's terrific Country Club series.
Week 7, Roll #39
Book: Trio for Blunt Instruments by Rex Stout (anthology)
Date: 3/7/2022
How it Fits: #39 in the Nero Wolfe mysteries
Rating: 5*
Review:
Kill Now, Pay Later - Pete was a bootblack who came three times a week to shine Wolfe's and Archie's shoes. Prior to coming, he shined shoes in the corporate offices of Mercer Bobbins for a Mr. Ashby. That day, Pete found Ashby's room empty and the window open. Looking out the window, Pete saw Mr. Ashby 10 stories below, sprawled on the concrete. The police tag Pete for the murder. Pete is then killed.
Pete's daughter hires Nero Wolfe to determine who killed her father. Wolfe stirs up a hornet's nest by having the daughter sue the principals of Mercer Bobbins and the police inspector for defamation.
Following the investigation, the usual party of suspects was assembled and the murdered identified.
Murder is Corney Wolfe had a standing order for sweet corn from a local farmer. Wolfe gave the farmer explicit instructions on where to pick the corn, when to pick it, and how and when to deliver it. The day came for the corn delivery and no corn arrived. Hours later the corn was delivered by the police inspector because the delivery driver had been bludgeoned to death with a steel pipe.
The delivery driver was sweet on the farmer's daughter, who was not enamored of him. Trying to force her to marry him, he told several people that she was pregnant and he was the father. Archie was a suspect in the murder, so Wolfe managed to pull the irons from the fire and identify the murderer.
Blood Will Tell Archie opens his mail one day and finds a letter with an engraved name and return address, a letter with the same name and address, and a tan necktie with thin chocolate stripes and a brown spot. The letter was addressed only to him.
Archie has the brown spot tested and it is determined to be human blood. Archie visits the stationery owner and, while there, a woman in the next floor down is found murdered. Of course, Wolfe and Archie investigate and present Inspector Cramer with the killer.
Friday is coming up fast once again! How is everyone else doing with their books?!
Please remember to post your reviews by Friday evening before the deadline.
Week 7, Spot 39
City of Veils by Zoë Ferraris
Date Read: 03/09
How it fits: Alternate — three word title
Pages: 393
Rating: ***
Review: I remember reading the first book in this series and being drawn to it as it was set in the city I lived in for 20 years in Saudi Arabia.
I remember some factual errors, but what I encountered in the first book was nowhere near the factual errors I’ve encountered in this book. I’m utterly disappointed that even though she claims to have been married to a Saudi and lived there for a few years, her description of Jeddah and the cultural and religious values of the people of this city are completely off.
I remember the time when getting to know people over Bluetooth was the rage. Out of curiosity, I would leave my phone’s Bluetooth on to see what sort of messages I would get — but I never engaged with anyone myself. I never head of Bluetooth niqabs (which is the correct term for what Zoë calls a burqa throughout the book — she claims in the book that it’s called a burqa in the Gulf, but that isn’t entirely true, in Jeddah, it’s actually called a ghatwa, a covering).
There’s a scene where a woman is harassed by the mutawa’een (religious police) for not covering her hair. This is entirely ridiculous. We had neighbors who were non-Muslim Arabs whose women didn’t cover their hair and they didn’t have any issues whatsoever. In fact, it used to be well-known that the mutawa’een were barely tolerated in Jeddah, and they weren’t allowed to patrol most of the malls — where people would usually go to hang out and go on dates, etc.
In another scene, Osama finds out his wife is hiding something important from him, and his first thought is — is she in love with another man and cheating on me. This is preposterous. For a Muslim man — no matter how religious he is — simply doubting his wife in such a way is a major sin. In fact, in Islam, if anyone accuses a woman of sleeping with someone, they are supposed to bring four witnesses who saw the actual intercourse happening, or swear by the name of Allah four times that he isn’t lying. In return, she can swear by the name of Allah four times that he is actually lying, and this would prompt him to either be quiet and acknowledge that he’s a liar, or invoke Allah’s curse upon himself. If he invokes Allah’s curse on himself and she still insists he is lying, she in return invokes Allah’s curse on herself. The conversation would go like this:
Accuser: I swear by Allah I saw her sleep with so-and-so.
Accused: I swear by Allah I did not sleep with so-and-so.
This repeats four times in total.
Accuser: I invoke the curse of Allah upon myself if I am lying about seeing Accused sleeping with so-and-so.
Accuser: I invoke the curse of Allah upon myself if I am lying about not sleeping with so-and-so.
You might ask, but what do you know about all of this? You’re a woman who lived in a society well-known for repressing women, how would you know anything about what really went on?
Well, my parents got divorced (my mom actually was the one who filed for divorce) in Saudi Arabia in 2007. Despite not having an official income, my mother won custody of myself and my sister. We lived with her for the next ten years. During that time, I attended court with her when she accused someone of slandering her honor. This accuser/accused conversation went on, to the point where she wouldn’t invoke the curse of Allah upon herself because she had half-made up the case — those who swore to her that this person had slandered her did not come forward to court to affirm it, so it was all hearsay, and she wasn’t ready to invoke the curse of Allah upon herself saying that she’d actually heard it with her own ears. You’d think that she’d be charged with defamation or something, because how dare a woman in such a society to accuse a man of something he didn’t do, right? Well, wrong. She got off the hook with a warning from the judge not to go around accusing people of slandering her without proof.
This is just one instance of my experience. I could write a book about how all these Westerners who go to live in Saudi Arabia and then leave write books trying to portray it as a place that is simply stifling for women. Wrong again.
In 2007, women could go out alone. There was no taxi service you’d call, you actually would walk out the building to the nearest main street and flag down a taxi, New York style.
Another point I wanted to mention from this book that was slightly more infuriating from the rest: no one actually believes the Quran was translated from Aramaic, the least of all the majority of Saudis. Majdi says this in the book like it’s a widely accepted fact when it actually is something that is completely unknown. But Zoë doesn’t stop there. She falsely claims that according to this older, more authentic Quran found in Yemen, a verse in the Quran mentioning houris actually says “ahwar” not “hour”, and apparently, this means that they’re male houris, not female houris.
I looked this up online because I’m pretty sure that such a controversial discovery would’ve sent the whole world into a frenzy, saying that the Quran promises men male sexual partners in Paradise. Funny thing, I found the sources that actually support the fact that this Quran may be more authentic, and none of them talk about this word actually being “ahwar”. In fact, what they all say is that in Aramaic, the word “hour” meant grapes, and in the context of the verses, if one were to read it with the interpretation of grapes, Allah was promising believers beautiful grapes that glisten like white pearls in Paradise.
Nothing to do with male sexual partners. I don’t know what Zoë’s experience of Saudi Arabia and Muslims is exactly, but it seems like she’s going a little out of her way to distort facts and create more controversy than necessary.
One last thing: women have traveled in and out of the Jeddah airport unaccompanied since the 1980s. They would go in and out as pleased. For non-Saudi women, they would need permission from their sponsor (but this applies to non-Saudi men too) to travel, and this was a piece of paper called an exit-reentry visa. For Saudi women, they needed a permission slip from their guardians. I personally traveled alone thrice (once when I was only 17 years old) from the Jeddah airport while I was still a resident of Saudi, and no one sent me to a room for “unaccompanied women” until someone came to the airport to claim me. I would simply collect my baggage and go through customs and enter the regular section of the airport and look around for whoever was supposed to pick me up, or hail a taxi and go home. No questions asked. I even traveled within Saudi Arabia by plane with my mother and sister (no men with us) over 10 times from 2007 onwards. No questions asked.
Sorry for the extremely long review, so many things in this book got on my nerves *hides*
Bouchra wrote: "Sorry for the extremely long review, so many things in this book got on my nerves *hides*"Really interesting!
Week 7, Spot 39
Lilly
Date Read: 10/03
How it fits: #3 in the series
Pages: 178
Rating: 4
Review:
So in this one, we finally meet Rhyndor. He is mentioned in both books one and two but mostly in hook two where Steffan wants to kill Rhyndor bc he killed his previous mates. We finally found out what is with him what happened to him and what kind of person is he. Heck, he doesn't want to even fight at beginning of the story but the more is he with Lilly the more protective he is. Callum is Nathan's cousin and bonded to Rhydhor they meet and he saves Rhyndor. He is a jokester and is kind have fast personally. Do thing before he tinks. Lilly is new to all dragon things and has this boyfriend in the human world. Disclaimer he is toxic and a jackass. Like, come on. He always wants them to be on brakes so that he can hook up with other girls. When he found out she sleep with Callum and Rhyndor both he called her slut bc of that. Like really you sleep with more people than she is. I did like how they match but I think how this book could have been a little longer but at the same time, I think it shouldn't. We found out some stuff about Lilly and her sister and how adoptions happen. The other thing I don't like is how in all three books till now one of them end up running away and the other chase them to get them.
I have some grammatical errors. Will fix tomorrow on computer
Sounds good, Darkness; I'll go ahead and add the review to our master list, but feel free to fix the review when you're ready.
Week 7, Spot 39Book:
Love LostDate Read: 3/11/22
How It Fits: #3 in series
Pages: 260
Rating: 4 stars
Review:
It's been a long time since I started this series so I only vaguely remember things. Bethany Ann and crew are trying to take down the Forsaken. They are vampires who think humans are only meant to be food. Bethany Ann has other bigger goals that will be very important in the future so she setting things up with like minded people. I enjoyed this and laughed many times. When harsh decisions needed to be made Bethany Ann was up to the task. I'm glad I picked up this series again and am looking forward to the next book.
Thanks, Alex; the book sounds good. My WL is growing like crazy!
New roll: 7 - 46, This week's no: 46Read #4, 6, 46 (!)
Alternate 46 = Cover: Yellow/Gold
Go, Team 13!!!
Master List - Week 8 - Roll 46Meg - Murder, Plainly Read, Isabella Alan review 4*
Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) - The Murder of Roger Akroyd, Agatha Christie review 4*
Bouchra - Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, Cal Newport review 5*
Darkness - Gwen, Skye Jones review 4*
Jeanne - Silver Spire, Robert Goldsborough review 5* bonus point earned
Delitealex - Last Sacrifice, Richelle Mead review 4*
Bonus point earned, three books from the same series
. Book 4 in the Bourbon Brothers series, 224 pages.
Meg, would you take a look at the "Silver Spire" by Robert Goldsborough and see if it is yellow enough? If yes, that should work for the alternate and would be my third book in the Nero Wolfe series.
Jeanne, the Kindle/ebook editions look nice and gold to me (the alternate specifies yellow/gold).I'll add it to our list! If you change your mind just let me know.
I'm going to read Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World as it has quite a yellow cover.
Super, team, I believe our list is filled up!
Changing my book. I'm going to instead read
, book 4 in the Hercule Poirot, 288 pages.
Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) wrote: "Changing my book. I'm going to instead read , book 4 in the Hercule Poirot, 288 pages."Love Agatha Christie. I enjoyed this one.
Reposting something from Denise:Please note, Daylight Saving Time started in the US today. As deadlines are based on US Central Time, this means the deadline may have shifted for players outside the US.
Week 8; Roll 46 Book Read: Silver Spire by Robert GoldsBorough
Pages: 180
Rating *****
How it Fits: Yellow/Gold cover; third book read in a series. The Bloodied Ivy; Trio for Blunt Instruments, Silver Spire All Nero Wolfe Mysteries
Review: In this book, set probably in the late 50s or 60s, Staten Island would be unremarkable were it not for the Tabernacle of the Silver Spire, where thousands of worshipers came every Sunday to hear the sermons of the televangelist, Barnabas Bay. Millions tuned in on television, giving the good Reverend international fame, and a chance to spread the gospel from New York City to Antarctica. However, threatening notes appeared in the collection bag directed at Barnabas Bay. Bay’s executive assistant consults Nero Wolfe, thinking Bay may be in danger. Nero Wolfe, believing that organized religion is nothing more than a fraud perpetrated on the public, refuses to take the case and directs the assistant to veteran investigator, Fred Durkin. Durkin and Meade, a member of Bay’s inner council, have harsh words; Meade ends up dead; and Durkin is tagged as the number one suspect. Wolfe and Archie undertake to clear Durkin’s name and the rest, as they say, is history.
I always enjoy these mysteries, and this is no exception. They are not long; can be read in a short period of time; and are difficult to come up with the solution.
Well, shoot, now I really do need to catch up with the Nero Wolfe series. I have one on my tbr list for April, but may have to double up.Nice about the bonus point earned!
Okay, Team 13, its time to hussle a bit. We must be about the only team that has not finished all reviews by Thursday night to qualify for the "Free Pass." So between Week 8 and Week 9, let's try to make the extra effort to get that Pass. What do ya say????(and so ends my cheerleading for the week)
Jeanne wrote: "Okay, Team 13, its time to hussle a bit. We must be about the only team that has not finished all reviews by Thursday night to qualify for the "Free Pass." So between Week 8 and Week 9, let's try t..."I like it!!!
Come on team, we can do it this time, reviews in by Thursday night.
Week 8, roll 46
Murder, Plainly ReadDate: 03/12
Pages: 368
How It Fits: #4 in series
Rating: 4
Review: Angie has gotten more involved in her quaint community, and this time she is asked to help organize the library's book sale. As that weekend also coincides with her friend's pie factory grand opening, she is conflicted until it's agreed that the sale be held on the factory's grounds. Planning has barely begun when a victim is found in the bookmobile, and it's impounded. The accused implores Angie to help find out who really did it and why, and she's off and running. Luckily for her, she has good help to keep her quilt shop staffed, and an expert organizer mother who takes over the book sale.
This was another enjoyable read in the series, providing great insight into the lives and traditions of the "English" townspeople and their Amish neighbors. The pets in the story provided comic relief, and the baked goods at gatherings had me dying to run to the nearest bakery (I managed to hold back but barely). The author has another Amish series that I've started and can't wait to get back to.
Week 8, Spot 46
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Date Read: 3/16/22
How It Fits: Book #4 in the Hercule Poirot series
Pages: 288
Rating: ★★★★
Review: My favorite Agatha Christie novel that I’ve read thus far. It was enjoyable from beginning to end. The set up, the mystery, the reveal, it was all so well done. Especially that reveal. Blew my mind honestly and I did not see it coming. There’s an interesting cast of characters and I liked that we get so many different stories and events from everyone. I loved how everything intertwined and just how complex and layered this was. Such a fun read and I definitely see why this one is so beloved in the series.
Week 8, roll 46
Gwen
Date: 16/3
Pages: 173
How It Fits: #4 in series
Rating: 4
Review:
Gwen, we meet in the last book. She is free-spirited and doesn't leave in the clan but in the human world she wants to be free but of course, she ends up meeting her mates. Let's see almost all book which is kinda getting annoyed somebody don't have to be mated but what to be free. At some point, there is Celina witch who controlled Rhyndor who was one of mc in previous book .
Thanks for the reviews! Just two more to go!
Week 8, Spot 46
Last Sacrifice byRichelle MeadDate Read: 3/16/22
How It Fits: #6 in series
Pages: 608
Rating: 4 stars
Review:
Rose, Lissa and friends have their hands full solving a mystery to clear Rose's name. They also are trying to make people open to change in the Vampire Court. There were so many secrets to uncover and figuring out who to trust. I was definitely surprised many times. I really enjoyed this conclusion and am looking forward to reading the spinoff Bloodlines.
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