SOS: Serious Overload of Series discussion
Archive: Past Team Challenges
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R23: Team #7 ~ The Magnificent 7
Completion PostShelf 2-May Day
Cherry Picked by May Archer
Page count: 280/GR
How it Fits: Author's first name starts with M
Date Read: 5/10
Rating: 3 stars
Review: This was a bit silly, a bit funny, and a bit boring unfortunately. While I liked the two MCs ok, I just didn't get any sense of chemistry between them. I felt like there was more zing between Hawk and his best friend Crys instead of his love interest Jack. I really liked the scenes where Hawk was up on the mountain hiking and protesting, I would have liked to have that conflict between him and the developer expanded more, it was actually really interesting. Unfortunately, the author stuck to the contemporary romance formula and had her two MCs do the push/pull thing until they finally settled into their HEA. I hope this isn't the last May Archer story for me, but I gotta say, her writing style and her characters are starting to blur together since they are so similar. Hopefully her next book will be a bit different.
Selection PostShelf 3 ~ Cozy Mystery
Book/Author: Curse the Day by Annabel Chase
How it fits: p. 9 of list Cozy Mystery Books; tagged 75x as cozy mystery
Sorry team, I haven't chosen my cozy mystery book yet but will pop a post up as soon as I doedit: Also I requested our May day shelf stamp :-)
Selection PostShelf 3 ~ Cozy Mystery
Book/Author: Wisteria Witches by Angela Pepper
How it fits: Pg 23 of Cozy Mystery books
CONGRATULATIONS, Magnificent 7!You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'May Day'.
[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Good Job!! :D
Congratulations on the stamp Heroes!
Sandra wrote: "Congratulations on the stamp Heroes!"Thank you!!
Completion Post : Cozy MysteryThe Secret, Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams
Pages : 290
Date Read : 5/17/23
Rating : 3 Stars
There's small town where MC lives that people go to for a fresh start or to visit just for healing themselves physical or mental. It's usually pretty quiet and peaceful until there's a murder, or as the chief of police says suicide. The MC owns a book store and after talking with customers about their lives and struggles recommends books they may help them work through with whatever they're struggling with. She speaks with the victim shortly before his death and she has a feeling that things aren't as they appear. She meets three other women who had conversations with said victim that also believe that. They decide to get together and create The Secret, Book & Scone Society to try and solve his murder.
I've never been a big murder mystery fan. Things I did like about this book though was the character development. They all had things they struggled with from the past that they all eventually shared with each other as their friendship grew. They all needed each other and didn't know it. I enjoyed the love interest in the story as well. It was innocent and sweet. Things I didn't like was that it was sort of dull a lot of the time. Things really didn't start getting really good until the climax of the story. I listened to this book and one thing I HATED was that there was instrumental music playing in the background during a lot of the book. It made it difficult to pay attention. I found I kept turning up the volume so I could focus on the words better but the music just got louder. It made it hard to focus especially when the story was boring. I don't think Cozy Mysteries are the genre for me and I won't be reading anymore books in the series even though I did enjoy the characters.
Oh my gosh, I am so mad. I wrote out my completion post last night and just saw that I forgot to click the post button! I’ll have to do it again in the morning. 😤
Completion PostShelf 3 ~ Cozy Mystery
Book/Author: Curse the Day by Annabel Chase
Pages: 290
How it fits: p. 9 of list Cozy Mystery Books; tagged 75x as cozy mystery
Date Read: 5/17
Rating: 4
Review: This was really cute and fun, even though it really stretched the limits of credibility. The heroine gets trapped in this magical place Spellbound, where all the beings are supernaturals who are trapped there too. Apparently a curse was placed there preventing anyone from ever leaving. Emma gets accidentally trapped there too since she's a witch, which she didn't know until then. You would think this would cause severe anxiety and maybe a little hysteria, but nope. Emma just moves right along with it all, even as she's voluntold she's now the public defender for an accused thief, replacing the other public defender, a vampire who was recently staked. She's enrolled in witch school, since she now has "witchy powers", again with no real questions or emotional issues around the whole thing. The author *says* Emma has anxiety and all that, but there is no actual demonstration of that. Emma completely acts calm and accepting of everything, including her crush on the angel who accidentally trapped her there. All I could do was shake my head and read on since I was actually enjoying the story and I absolutely loved the secondary characters. I even liked Emma, I just wish she had been a little more three dimensional, with actual actions that demonstrated the emotions the author said she had. All in all, it was a cute, fluffy read, but I doubt I'll pick up any more in this series.
Selection PostShelf 4 ~ Fae
Book/Author: A Court of Honey and Ash by Shannon Mayer
Pages: 420
How it fits: p.3 of list Fae Books
Completion PostShelf 3 ~ Cozy Mystery
Book/Author:
Wisteria Witches by Angela PepperPages: 313
How it fits: p. 13 of list Cozy Mystery Books;
Date Read: 5/21
Rating: 3 stars
Review: The reviews I read described this as a paranormal Gilmore Girls so i thought I would give it go and over found this a fun but exhausting read. Whilst i mostly enjoyed it, I felt like the author was trying to do and cover too much in this book as we seemed to be constantly be going in a number of different directions and story threads at once. Even at the end there were two or more chapters more than what would seem like a natural ending with various other threads introduced and not really tied. I also wasn't a huge fan of the foreshadowing at the end. That being said, it was a lot of fun and I did like the interaction between the main character and her daughter. All in all, I did mostly enjoy the book though still not sure if I will continue on with the series or not.
Selection PostShelf 4 ~ Fae
Book/Author: Spellbinder by Thea Harrison
Pages: 326
How it fits: p.12 of list Fae Books
Completion PostShelf 4 ~ Fae
Book/Author: A Court of Honey and Ash by Shannon Mayer
Pages: 420
How it fits: p.3 of list Fae Books
Date Read: 5/21
Rating: 5 stars
Review: I loved this! From the very first page I was transported to Underhill and rooting for Alli to pass her training. Her path takes a lot of twists and turns after she passes, leading the reader on an adventure that doesn't let up for a second. I loved her adventurous spirit, her dedication and loyalty to her friends, and her fierceness. Even when she's facing certain death, she doesn't give up or give in to her tormenters. Of course the ending left me on tenterhooks and needing the next book in the series right away! Thankfully it's available on KU so I can get my fix.
I’ve been really busy this weekend so I haven’t had much time to read my book but I’m currently reading and hopefully will have it done by Thursday before the next shelf announcement
Cheri wrote: "I’ve been really busy this weekend so I haven’t had much time to read my book but I’m currently reading and hopefully will have it done by Thursday before the next shelf announcement"I hope it's a good one!
Cheri wrote: "I’ve been really busy this weekend so I haven’t had much time to read my book but I’m currently reading and hopefully will have it done by Thursday before the next shelf announcement"No problem. I am still working on my book also.
Just quietly though, I requested the cozy mystery stamp yesterday which means if magic realism gets called on Thursday, we could be reading for the win ;-P
Nikki the Sapphired Book Dragon wrote: "Cheri wrote: "I’ve been really busy this weekend so I haven’t had much time to read my book but I’m currently reading and hopefully will have it done by Thursday before the next shelf announcement"..."Woohoo!
CONGRATULATIONS, The Magnificent!You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'cozy mystery'.
[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Good Job!! :D
Steph wrote: "CONGRATULATIONS, The Magnificent!You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'cozy mystery'.
[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Good Job!! :D"
thanks Steph!
Congratulations on the stamp Heroes!
Shelf #5 ~ 25 May: Beware of BearsDIRECT LINK(s): character who is a bear shifter; “Beware” or "Bear" in title; author's first or last name beginning with B
I’m on vacation this week so I won’t be able to post until I come home but I’ve finished my fae book and started on my bear book and will be finished by the time we come home next Friday. I’ll post on both then and I’ll have the next shelf book picked out and have started on that. Hope this is okay!
Cheri wrote: "I’m on vacation this week so I won’t be able to post until I come home but I’ve finished my fae book and started on my bear book and will be finished by the time we come home next Friday. I’ll post..."That's fine - i still need to post my fae completion and start on my bear book.
Selection PostShelf 5 ~ Beware of Bears
Author's first or last name starts with B
The Virgin Game Plan by Lauren Blakely
Pages: 362
How it fits: Author's last name starts with B
Completion Post-Shelf 5 ~ Beware of Bears
Author's first or last name starts with B
The Virgin Game Plan by Lauren Blakely
Page Count 362 pgs
How it Fits Author's last name is Blakely
Date Read 5/27
Rating 4 stars
Review This was a refreshing romance that I really enjoyed. I really liked both characters, they were honest people who really liked each other as well as having serious chemistry together. Reese, the heroine, is a career-minded woman who is passionate about her work, but not to the point that she doesn't have relationships or care about anything else. I loved that she took the opportunity to go out of the country and work instead of giving it up to pursue a possible romance. It gave the story that extra touch of reality that made it more interesting to me. The hero , Holden, was pretty awesome too. He had integrity and really cared about how he treated people and being honest. There were some sex scenes in the book, but not to the point where it overtook everything else. I also loved that the author included scenes of Holden actually playing baseball with his team, that was pretty great. I'm looking forward to seeing who ends up in the next book in the series.
I’m done with both of my books but I don’t have a computer cuz we’re at the lake so I’ll have to write them when I get home this weekend. Hope that’s okay!
Gah - I am halfway through my B book and have just realized it is only 180 pages :-( - Need to find a new B book :-(
Y’all… new shelf and it’s magical realism. I’m starting my book now
We’re going home tomorrow so I’ll write my review for the two books I finished up here and hopefully by the end of this weekend I’ll have the magical realism book done.
Selection PostShelf 6 ~ Magical Realism
Book/Author: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
How it fits: p. 1 of list Magical Realism Books; tagged 1090 times as magical-realism
Completion PostShelf 4 ~ Fae
Book/Author: Spellbinder by Thea Harrison
Pages: 326
How it fits: p.12 of list Fae Books
Date Read: 5/23
Rating: 5 stars
Review: I think I liked this book better than the first Moonshadow book. I went in expecting to dislike Morgan after the first book but surprisingly really liked the pairing of Morgan and Sidonie. I also loved being once again immersed in the Elder Races world and all that entailed. This book kept me hooked all the way through and I immediately wated to pick up book 3 as soon as I was finished.
Completion Post-Shelf 5 ~ Beware of Bears
Author's first or last name starts with B
by Patricia BriggsSoul Taken
Page Count 352 pgs
How it Fits Author's last name is Briggs
Date Read 2 June 2023
Rating 4 stars
Review
It's been a while since i last read any books from the Mercy Thompson series so it took a little to get back into it and remember all that had happened in the previous 12 books but the Patricia Briggs writing style drew right into the story and I started to remember all the reasons why I love this series so much. This particular instalment was a culmination of a number of different storylines which made it a little confusing in parts but once i got to the end, it had all made itself clear. I really love this series and hope it continues on
Completion Post-Shelf 6 ~ Magical Realism
by Neil GaimanNeverwhere
Page Count 467 pgs
How it Fits Page 2 of Magic Realism shelf (shelved 371 times as magical-realism)
Date Read 2 June 2023
Rating 4 stars
Review: I am still not quite sure what to think about this read. It was both not what I expected and exactly what I expected from a Neil Gaiman book. I liked that for most of the book I had absolutely no idea where it was going though also sometimes there seemed to be too much going on that I couldn't always keep up. I found the whole world of the underside so well imagined and interesting and the horror of Richard losing his whole life above. The conclusion whilst expected and making sense for the character though it left menot quite knowing ow I fet about the ending. Overall i foud this an intriguing read and I am glad i finally got around to reading it
Completion Post : FaeBurn bySuzanne Wright
344 Pages
Date Read : 05/29/23
Found on Pg 2 of SOS Fae Shelf
Rating: 4 stars
I really liked the world building of this book. There were lots of fae creatures in the book but they were classified in the world as demons instead of fae. Sphinx, banshies, imps, etc. I really like the MC. She was smart, fierce, feisty, and could stand her ground against opponents. I didn't care for the male lead though. He was way to dominant, egotistical, rude, and list goes on. His one redeeming quality is that he truly cares for the MC. I HATED the sex scenes. It was just too much. Too much I AM ALPHA AND YOU WILL SUBMIT TO ME. Personally I would hate a man like that so it was hard for me to read and enjoy. I get that's some people's thing but not me. Overall I did enjoy the book and will be reading more in the series once BSB is over.
Selection Post : Beware of BearsThe Air He Breathes by Brittainy C. Cherry
How it fits : Author's first name starts with B
Completion Post : Beware of BearsThe Air He Breathes by Brittainy C. Cherry
308 Pages
Date Read : 5/30/23
How it fits : Author's first name starts with a B
Rating : 5 Stars
This is the first book since BSB started that I absolutely fell in love with. The author created such dynamic characters with such complicated back stories who lives slowly get intertwined. I couldn't put it down. I was on vacation with my husband and I just had to tell him... I'm loving this book and have to finish it. Luckily he's pretty good at entertaining himself so he sat by while I had my earbuds in and ignored him for hours. I can not wait to read the other books in this series and many more by this author. This book has been on my want to read list for years and I'm so glad due to this game I finally had a reason to read it.
Selection Post : Magical RealismThe Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Found on the first page of the magical realism shelf
Completion Post : Magical RealismThe Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
400 Pages
Date Read : 06/03/23
Found on Page one of the Magical Realism Shelf
Rating : 2 Stars
I don't even know where to begin except by saying that getting through this book was a chore. The only reason I'm giving it two stars is because it was very lyrically written and had beautiful descriptions that were too wordy. I HATED the story though. The constant bouncing back between timelines. The side characters that weren't pertinent to the story at all. The fact that the love aspect of the story left a lot to be desired. Things didn't start picking up until the last part of the book and the way it ended left so many plot holes. I finished thinking... that's it?? This is how she chose to end this story? I feel like I just wasted hours of my life. The only reason I finished the book was for this game. If it wouldn't have been for this it would have been a DNF for me.
No we didn’t - team 2 finished their last shelf last night but very well done to us! We came so close! :-)
Damn! I was so close to finishing my book! Sorry guys 🙁But I had a great time playing, I always get to read new books and/or genres, it’s awesome. I had a great time playing with you both! I’m sure we’ll see each other around GR 😊
I had a great time too and I think is the closest I ever got to winning. So thank you both for being great team mates
My mom’s team won dang it!!!! She’s got bragging rights forever now!!! Y’all have been the best team I’ve ever played with and also the closest I’ve ever come to winning. Thank you guys for making this a great experience!!!
Don't forget if you read all the shelves, you'll get a badge. I think you might be only missing Alicia's Magical Realism review?So Nikki, please post stamp requests for the one's Cheri's read :)
Oh wow, I forgot about that. I’ll post mine anyway then. Thanks Sandra!
Good, good :)
SOS: Serious Overload of Series
Books mentioned in this topic
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (other topics)The Night Circus (other topics)
The Air He Breathes (other topics)
The Night Circus (other topics)
The Night Circus (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
V.E. Schwab (other topics)Brittainy C. Cherry (other topics)
Erin Morgenstern (other topics)
Erin Morgenstern (other topics)
Erin Morgenstern (other topics)
More...
DIRECT LINK(s) ~ Cozy Mystery/ SOS' Mystery & Suspense