SOS: Serious Overload of Series discussion
Archive: Past Team Challenges
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R21: Team #6 ~ Six Degrees of Reading Celebration
Lady Jaye wrote: "Well, she's not doing it to the main characters, so you may not care, but I am positively livid."Alright, hit me with your thoughts, please!! :-)
Also, Shifter(s) stamp has now been requested! :-)
Eldarwen wrote: "Lady Jaye wrote: "Well, she's not doing it to the main characters, so you may not care, but I am positively livid."Alright, hit me with your thoughts, please!! :-)"
In this entire Mercy Thompson Universe world, I really only care about Samuel, so what she has done to his character over the books - essentially writing him out - has made me sad, but this epilogue made me livid. Is this the ONLY way or even the most plausible way Anna and Charles could have gotten a baby - by having Sam be a Deus ex Machina? Just popping in to further other people's plotlines. Also, given Samuel's character and backstory - HOOOOOWWWW does this fit into his character? And he didn't even get to name his own kid. Oh hell nah. (Yeah, I am still upset).
Minor characters - Asil, that lil wannabe rapist Ben, and even now Tad, have gotten a better treatment than Samuel. Bloody Leah and Bran! Ughhhh.
Additionally, she's been retconning characters as the books go by, and....just uggghhhhh.
(How's that for coherence and a well-thought-out argument..)
CONGRATULATIONS, Six Degrees!You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'shifter(s)'.
[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Good Job!! :D
Congratulations on the stamp 6°!
Lady Jaye wrote: "In this entire Mercy Thompson Universe world...."Aaaah, right, I see. I was a bit upset about that as well, and the fact that he's mostly disappeared from the Mercy books. BUT, I also think that this epilogue is a taster of what is to come. Because I have a hard time believing that they would leave Samuel to his own devices after this little stunt. So I'm thinking we're going to get something more soon. At least I hope so. I agree however that it was stupid for him not to be able to name his own child. Why the hell not? Even if he does have to give it away to keep it safe. He should still have been able to name his own child. His mate did it, since she gave the child a fae name, so why not him?!
And no, plausible it is not. If anyone is tracking Samuel, then they will know where the child ended up. Especially since Anna and Charles have not actively been looking at adopting yet - unless I misread or forgot a part again in the beginning of the book. Which is yet another reason why I think, there will be more! Shit is going to hit the fan because the fae will want that child, no matter what the cost.
Selection Post
Swoon-Worthy
Book: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Pages: 544
Shelved 8 times as swoon-worthy
Goodness - I just realized that I didn't post my last book review*facepalm*
Completion PostShelf: Shifter
Book: Crowbones by Anne Bishop
Date Finished: 3/11
Rating: 3 stars
Review:
I hate to give this one only 3 stars but this book was just plain… confusing. There were so many characters to keep track of, there were boring slice of life moments, and sometimes it felt like everyone was speaking in a secret code and I was the odd one out. I'm not sure how fitting the title is to the book. I'm also just still confused even after finishing. Four stars for this world. 2 stars for this story. 3 stars for this book.
Eldarwen wrote: "Completion Post
Urban Fantasy
Book: Heart of Venom by Jennifer Estep
How it fits: shelved 441 times as "urban fantasy"
Date Read: 15th March..."
I need to continue with this series. I think I stopped around book 5 or 6.
Selection PostShelf: Swoon-worthy
Book: Lick by Kylie Scott
Shelved 17x
I've had this book on my TBR FOREVER so I'm going for it!
Awww, Stage Dive! :-DI am very partial to Jimmy hehe.
Eldarwen wrote: "Thanks! :-)It makes me curious and yet weary to try her other series, wanting to see whether the style has varied some or not. Maybe once I'm done with this series I might dip a toe into a differe..."
Her Kill the Queen series has her actually using personal pronouns like a normal person/writer.
I liked the Kill The Queen seeks better. It still had Jenniferisms like constantly repeating the same thing. In Gin Blanco it was constantly describing her eyes, with Everleigh it’s constantly talking about smelling jalapeños. Out of context, it sounds weird but if you read it you will know what I mean lol
Changing my selection for swoon-worthy - need something different for a challenge ;-)Selection Post
Swoon-Worthy
Book: Eon by Alison Goodman
Pages: 531
Shelved 3 times as swoon-worthy
Completion PostShelf: Swoon-Worthy
Book: Lick by Kylie Scott
Date Finished: 3/20
Rating: 3.5 stars
Review:
This was a quintessential rock star romance. It had:
1. Nearly virginal early 20s female lead who doesn’t know him or listen to his music
2. Rock star male lead with a tortured past and terrible communication skills
3. Band mates chiming in
4. Family hates male lead
5. Other woman/past relationship interference
6. Moderate gesture to make up for wrongdoings
I liked it and will continue reading the series. If you want a prime example of a rockstar romance, this is very much it.
Great review, Danielle. I laughed out loud at "Rock star male lead with a tortured past and terrible communication skills." perfect description!
Lady Jaye wrote: "Great review, Danielle. I laughed out loud at "Rock star male lead with a tortured past and terrible communication skills." perfect description!"And so utterly true for David. Seriously, haha.
Btw, Lady Jaye, have you made a selection yet for Swoon Worthy? Or are you waiting until you're done with your Urban Fantasy book? :-)
I haven't. I'm trying to finish the UF book, but I looked through the shelves and am still searching for one I want to read. No luck so far
Don't forget you can use the Alternate List, Lady Jaye.Alternative Reader's Choice Options
(Only 2 allowed per person, per round; 1 teammate per shelf)
~ "Hail Mary" (inspired by Valerie ~Val Hall~) ~ players may read a book that should have been shelved on one of the called shelves, but wasn't found there
~ Third book in a series
~ Book by an Author with F, M or T in first or last name
Right!With this shelf call, we will have four shelves in a row, which means we have a potential chance of next week getting a winning shelf call - Finished Series. Already o.O
There are a few other teams 1 away from Bingo, so you never know what next week brings hehe.
Yikes. That means I gotta bring my A-game
Wading my way through the SOS discussion thread about freebies in hopes that there is something in there where I have a physical book hehe.I don't own a kindle and I've stopped downloading freebies to read via the cloudreader a long time ago because it's just not a way I like to read (on a screen, I mean).
So will see what I can find.
If I don't find anything, would you ladies be alright with me using the alternative for this shelf? :-)
Completion Post
Swoon Worthy
Book: Eon by Alison Goodman
Date Read: 25th March
Pages: 531
How it fits: shelved 3 times as "swoon-worthy"
Rating: 4.5 stars
Review:
This was such a good surprise! I've had this book on my TBR list since 2014 but never actually owned a physical copy. When I went through my list deleting some old additions a few months ago, I decided to get myself a physical copy of this and I do not regret it! Just look at that gorgeous cover!!
Cover aside, I enjoyed the book a lot. There isn't much new about the idea of a girl pretending to be a boy in order to be able to do what she really wants to, but there is a lot of political manoeuvring in this, too, and there is more to come in the second book. Besides, the idea of the dragons was great. There is a lot still to learn for the reader in this area, but I like not having everything spelt out for me.
In short: good times! And I'm looking forward to the final book in this duology.
Selection Post
Kindle Freebie
Book: Shadowed Threads by Shannon Mayer
Pages: 288
How it fits: Alternative Reader's Choice Options
~ Book by an Author with F, M or T in first or last name
--> the author's last name starts with M
Oh goodness lol I sat around thinking hmmm I feel like I’m forgetting something. It was a shelf call haha!
Going through to pick now!
Hahaha! How can you forget shelf call?? Best day of the week ;-))
I know right?! AND I have a reminder but I had a work call in the evening last Wednesday and that must have been what threw me off!
Such a nuisance when work or other real life stuff gets in the way of more important bookish things! ;-)
Shelf: Urban Fantasy Title: Tangled Threads, by Jennifer Estep
Date finished: 29 Mar 2022
Series: Elemental Assassin #4
Rating: ★★★
Review: This is the fourth installment of the Chronicles of the Life and Times of Gin Blanco, semi-retired elemental assassin and restaurant owner. So much has happened, it's amazing to realize it's apparently only two months after we first met Gin. Things happen in this book. At the end of it, Gin and Mab are still alive, the assassin Mab sent after Gin is dead. As usual.
Sigh. You wouldn't realize it from my review(s), but I actually do like this series. I kinda like Gin (when she isn't having a God-complex and blaming herself for everything), I like many of the other side characters, and most of all, I like the world.
This book: middling. The characters: meh (Gin has self-esteem issues re this assassin thing, so I don't get why she doesn't stop. There's no point incessantly whining about all the blood you've spilled and how you know you're a terrible person when you *don't* need to spill said blood. Just unlook the criminal underworld and go on working your day job). Plot: passable (I don't know how Gin never got exposed if shes just gonna be traipsing around doing pro bono assassinations and telling her identity to every Tom, Dick, and Harry she saves for free. Also, Bria and a good deal of the side characters are not smart, and it irks me. You'd think one would have to be smart to live and work in/around the underworld of a city ruled by a wicked and capricious archvillain. They're self-righteous too. Nasty).
What I CANNOT FATHOM is WHYYYYYY Ms. Estep doesn't know how to use personal pronouns and how her editors let this slide! Was it a word count issue?! Because if you REMOVE every single mention of "the goth dwarf", "the fire elemental", "the other assassin Elektra LaFleur", "the other woman", my foster brother", "my sister Bria", "the air elemental"...and replace is with 'he' or 'she', you would only have enough for a novella, not a full length novel. That is how egregious it is. It drives me NUTS and takes me out of the story - and since it occurs so much, that's pretty much every page.
Why I keep doing this to myself...I dunno. Mebbe I'm a glutton for punishment? And yes, I will complain about this for as long as I read the novels. Ugghhh. If I never hear the words "fire elemental" again, it will be too soon. KMT.
There's also "air elemental" to remove a little of the "fire elemental" vibe ;-)))
Urban Fantasy stamp has been requested!
For the Kindle Freebie shelf, I think I will read Glimmer of The Other, posted on the SOS Freebie page on March 25. 
I'm still thinking over the swoonworthy shelf. i might just go ahead and use my second freebie
Lady Jaye wrote: "For the Kindle Freebie shelf, I think I will read Glimmer of The Other, posted on the SOS Freebie page on March 25. "That one is unfortunately too short, sorry!
Needs to be 200+ pages.
Sigh. In that case, I will read Heartless for the swoonworthy shelf 453 pages
Shelved 4x as swoonworthy
Hi ladies. good evening. Hope the week has been good so far. I think I am going to change my swoonworthy read to The Ippos King (My previous pick is still on hold at the library, but i own an ebook of The Ippos King, so might as well read that)Shelved 1x as swoon-worthy
437 pages
And this is unfortunately a winning shelf call for two teams so chances are that this was our last shelf call and that Bingo is already over :-((
Selection Post
Paranormal Romance
Book: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Pages: 416
shelved 454 times as paranormal romance
It's been sitting on my shelves for long enough and I'll use the chance to read it for this shelf and move on with the series. I can't even quite remember what happened in that first book... oops!
CONGRATULATIONS, Six Degrees!You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'UF'.
[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Good Job!! :D
Congratulations on the stamp 6°!
Well… we have it a good effort!
SOS: Serious Overload of Series
Books mentioned in this topic
Shadowed Threads (other topics)Linger (other topics)
Linger (other topics)
The Ippos King (other topics)
The Ippos King (other topics)
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Shifter(s)
Book: Wild Sign by Patricia Briggs
How it fits: shelved 35 times as "shifter"
Date Read: 15th March
Pages: 340
Rating: 4 stars
Review:
This was a bit of a wild ride. An odd book, too. I never thought to get so much background on Leah, and yet, there is still so much missing that the reader has not been told though I would not be surprised if a little more was forthcoming in future books. Then there were quite a few delicate topics thrown into the mix and some of this left me with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Despite that, I enjoyed the read, and my love for Charles keeps growing. And yay, Asil made a teeny tiny appearance haha.