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R6: SSS BYOB (Bring Your Own Book) (4)
Spot 11Read:
Finished: 3/27/15
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Parker Fadley is this close to getting kicked out of high school. She used to have it all: cheerleading captain, honor roll with distinction, a perfect boyfriend. But something happened last year that completely destroyed “Perfect” Parker. We meet her as she’s trying to follow all the rules established by the school and her parents to graduate, after a period of heavy drinking and cutting classes. Even as she tries to alienate herself from everyone, Parker can’t seem to completely detach, especially with regards to a new kid named Jake, who is intrigued by her abrasive personality. While this was not my high school experience, the author creates a realistic, if gritty world that never falls too far into angst.
Roll 3 Spot 11Book:
1st in seriesFinished:3/27/2014
Rating:****
Review: I really liked this fast paced story.I was drawn in to the story from the first and look forward to more...
Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with a need for vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out.
Nicolai the Vampire is renowned for his virility, but in a cruel twist of fate “The Dark Seducer” has become a sex slave in the kingdom of Delfina—stripped of his precious timepiece and his memory. All that remains is a primal need for freedom, revenge—and the only woman who can help him.
When the wanton vampire summons Jane Parker, she is helpless to obey. She's drawn to his dark sexuality and into his magical realm. But for this human, all is not a fairy tale. For saving Nicolai could mean losing the only man she's ever craved...
Spot 11:
Read: 3/28/2015
Rating: 3.5 stars
Review. This was a quirky fun read for me. I've read all type of shifter books out there. This was a first for me about dogs! Omg the opening scene with Gus the bulldog was hilarious! It's almost like that commercial with the dog and the beggin strips. I found Lance and Tim quite okay. Both guys were good for each other in different ways. It was very instant love, but most shifter books are because of the mate thing. I do think it could have been longer once they were together. It definitely felt like one big beginning and middle with no end though.
We're just waiting on Sadie, but I'm headed to bed now. I'll message her, and hopefully she'll post in the next couple hours, so Mika can roll at midnight. I'll be back to check in tomorrow morning.
Mod
(#1 in series).Sadie, thanks for filling in for me! Are you joining us permanently? :)
Week 2: Roll 2Spot 16
Read a stand-alone, a #1 in a series, a #6 in a series, a #16 in a series, or a book with the word 'broom' in it
Team Choices
Denise: Along Came A Demon (#1) Denise's Review
Mika: I'm The Guy You Hate (Stand-Alone) Mika's Review
Sue: Kade's Dark Embrace (#1) Sue's Review
Theo: Archangel's Legion (#6) Theo's Review
Spot 16Read:
Finished: 4/1/15
Rating: 3 stars
Review: Raphael and Elena are back to being the center of things after having the last two novels focused on members of Raphael’s Seven. The novel begins with a catastrophe, angels falling from the sky, unconscious and unable to protect themselves from church spires, cars, and other dangers that wait on the ground below, leaving Raphael’s angelic defenses severely handicapped. And it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better for our dynamic duo. Elena continues to struggle with her feelings for her father, especially as she tries to protect her younger half-sister from his judgements. And on a hunt for a Guild Hunter gone rogue, she discovers a dead vampire infected with what appears to be some sort of disease capable of felling near-immortals. The Cascade, a time of evolution for archangels, is in full swing, and Raphael fears these disasters are being caused by an enemy who has obtained new powers. He is also concerned about his own evolution during this time and what it may mean for his sanity and his humanity. There’s something about these books that keeps me wanting to read, even though they aren’t my usual style, and this one doesn’t disappoint. I think it’s my favorite since the first book.
Spot 16:
Read: 3/29/2015
Rating: No stars
Review: I have a hate/hate relationship with this book. I went into this story blindly without any preconceived notions. This author was a first for me, and the writing wasn't the issue. It was solely the story and the characters in it. My main reason for picking this book was because of mental illness. Then they don't mention the type of illness just his symptoms. I am pissed about that. I'm not even mad at the sick one because he's sick. He needs all the help he can get. One thing about people though is you can't force them to get better. I'm confused on why no one in his entire life forced the issue on his suicide attempt. Everytime Johnny mentioned he would get mad. It's almost like he expected people to turn the other cheek. My biggest issue is Johnny, poor stupid Johnny. It may seem mean of me to not like him or understand why he put up with Mark. I don't get it, I don't understand the love he thought he had for Mark. Mark did everything mean to Johnny. I mean he was the biggest user in the world but Johnny just took it. I would have gladly DNF this book but it was a review book and I have to own up to myself for reading it.
Mod
Spot: 16
Read:
Along Came A Demon by Linda WelchFinished: 31 March 2015
Rating: ***
Review:
Part PNR and part mystery, this first book of the Whisperings series about Tiff Banks, a woman with the peculiar ability to see and talk to the departed, was an entertaining enough read but didn't exactly leave me with a pressing urge to read the next part. While I liked Tiff's character and didn't get bored at any point, the story just never really managed to pull me in.
Week 2, Roll 2Spot: 16
Read:
1st in seriesFinished:3/31/2015
Rating:****
Review: This book was recommendended for me to read and I sooooo glad I read it.....I loved the story and couldn't put it down.
After a series of girls are ritualistically murdered on the cold streets of Philadelphia, seasoned detective, Sydney Willows, is forced to work with sexy, alpha vampire, Kade Issacson. While working the case, Sydney finds herself inexplicably drawn to Kade, fighting the passion she feels towards him.
Kade, determined to solve the case and mete out justice, is captivated by the independent, fiery detective. As he attempts to protect her from a very real murderer, Kade grows concerned that the beautiful, but very human detective, could easily end up dead should she tangle with supernatural forces that are beyond her control.
The investigation leads them into a dark and dangerous world, deep in the heart of New Orleans, where together, they search for the perpetrators of the Voodoo ki/llings. Sydney soon becomes the target of the killer and ends up fighting for her life and love in the Big Easy. Will she eventually give into the intoxicating desire she feels for Kade if she makes it out alive?
Great job, team! We're all ready for the roll in a few hours. I'll be back in the morning.
Week 3: Roll 1Spot 20
Read a stand-alone, a #2 in a series, a #20 in a series, or a book shelved as Interesting
Team Choices
Denise: Kissed by Fire (#2) Denise's Review
Mika: Second Act (Stand-Alone) Mika's Review
Sue: The Arrivals (Stand-Alone) Sue's Review
Theo: Curse of the Spellmans (#2) Theo's Review
Spot 20Read:
Finished: 4/4/15
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Isabel Spellman has been arrested for the fourth time in two months (although she doesn’t count arrests number two and three). She’s also trying to solve mysteries involving pretty much everyone in her family and their new neighbor, who is just as attractive as he is suspicious. Izzy is the west coast cousin of Stephanie Plum and this second book in the Spellman series is just as zany and hilarious as the first.
Mod
Mod
. :)
Mod
Read:
Kissed by Fire by Shéa MacLeod (Sunwalker Saga #2)Finished: 04 April 2015
Rating: ****
Review:
The second part of the Sunwalker Saga takes Morgan and Kabita to London, where their investigation of the murder of Kabita's cousin Julia puts them on the trail of a species believed to have been extinct for centuries: dragons. Additionally, Kabita has to deal with her father while Morgan tries to come to terms with Jack's sudden backing off after discovering her royal Atlantean ancestry. Action, suspense, humour, romance and a bunch of further revelations and intriguing plot twists ensure that this book more than lives up to the promise of the series opener. More please!
Spot 20:
Read: 4/4/2015
Rating: 4 stars
Review: I enjoyed this story. I love that Kaje Harper's writing style is so realistic. She always writes the everyday situations. I loved both mc alot. I liked that Dion was amazing even though his age. He was resilient, he was kind and very supportive. Bryce seemed so much older than he was based on his experience. I honestly liked both.
Spot 20
stand-aloneFinished:4/4/2015
Rating:***
Review: I love this author but this book was very predictable and slow....But I did like the base story and characters...
The Arrivals is the second novel for adults by internationally bestselling author Melissa Marr.
Chloe walks into a bar and blows five years of sobriety. When she wakes, she finds herself in an unfamiliar world, The Wasteland. She discovers people from all times and places have also arrived there: Kitty and Jack, a brother and sister from the Wild West; Edgar, a prohibition bootlegger; Francis, a one-time hippie; Melody, a mentally unbalanced 1950s housewife; and Hector, a former carnival artist.
None know why they arrived there--or if there is way out of a world populated by monsters and filled with corruption.
Just as she did in Graveminder, Marr has created a vivid fantasy world that will enthrall. Melissa Marr's The Arrivals is a thoroughly original and wildly imagined tale about making choices in a life where death is unpredictable and often temporary.
Great job everyone! We're all set for tonight's roll.
Woo hoo!! Rolled a 6.Spot 26!
Spot 26:
Sixth in a series.
Mod
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Week 3: Roll 2Spot 26
Read a #2 in a series, a #6 in a series, a #26 in a series, or a book with an Orange cover
Team Choices
Denise: Gray Bishop (#2) Denise's Review
Mika: Hoarfrost (#6) Mika's Review
Sue: Instinct (#6) Sue's Review
Theo: Speaker for the Dead (#2) Theo's Review
Spot 26Read:
Finished: 4/8/15
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Thousands of years after Ender Wiggin defeated the Buggers, he's now living as Andrew Wiggin, Speaker for the Dead, who travels from planet to planet to speak the truth of lives that have been lost, as he did so long ago in the Hive Queen and the Hegemon. When a request for the Speaker comes from a colony on the planet Lusitania, where the first intelligent life since the Buggers has been found, Ender sees a chance to redeem himself and maybe even save some lives in the process. More theoretical than the action-packed Ender's Game, I found it much more satisfying.
Spot 26Read:
6th in seriesFinished:4/5/2015
Rating:*****
Review: I love this series but this is by my favorite author... Wish the next one was here...
Zombies, demons, vampires, shapeshifters— another day in the life of Nick Gautier– and those are just his friends. But now that he’s accepted the demon that lives inside him, he must learn to control it and temper the very emotions that threaten the lives of everyone he cares for. Something that’s hard to do while trying to stay off the menus of those who want his head on a platter. And no one wants him more than the dark gods who created his race. Now that they know where he is, they will stop at nothing to reclaim him. And without knowing it, Nick has just embraced the one person he should never have trusted. The one person who will hand him over to his enemies to get back the life they lost.
Nick has finally accepted his fate, now he must learn to defy his destiny, and the dark, deadly forces that will stop at nothing to destroy everyone he loves so that they can again return to the world of man and own it.
Spot 26:
Read:4/5/2015
Rating:5 stars
Review: Another wonderful edition of Whyborne and Griffin. JLH continues to write such a beautiful and consistent duo. I love these two. This picks up right where book 5 ended. The love that these two have for each other is really good. This book is Griffin influenced heavy, he's wrapped up in his family strife. I liked how Whyborne was always there to comfort him. Christine as usual makes her presence known. I truly like her and Iskander more and more.
Mod
Spot: 26
Read:
Gray Bishop by Kelly Meade (Cornerstone Run Trilogy #2)Finished: 08 April 2015
Rating: ****
Review:
The second book in the Cornerstone Run trilogy focuses on Bishop, the oldest of the McQueen brothers and future Alpha, and Jillian Reynolds, future Alpha female of her own run and the woman Bishop finds himself desperately attracted to but knows he can never have a future with due to both of their positions. Their attraction to each other is not all they have to battle, however, as the hybrids are still out there and won't rest until they get what they want. Tragedy strikes for both Bishop and Jillian as her home of Springwell becomes the target of the next attack, leaving hundreds dead, the survivors deeply shaken and their futures even more uncertain.
Another thrilling, fast-paced emotional roller coaster of a read that was every bit as great as the first book. Can't wait to read the conclusion of the series!
Another spot down! Now it's just waiting until midnight (or tomorrow morning for some of us).
Mod
Let's see, what else do I have in my pile of #2 books..? I think I'll go with
.
Week 4: Roll 1Spot 29
Read a #2 in a series, a #9 in a series, or a book whose title starts with the letter T
Team Choices
Denise: The Lion and the Rose (#2) Denise's Review
Mika: Breakable (#2) Mika's Review
Sue: The Lost Night (#9) Sue's Review
Theo: True Believer (#2) Theo's Review
Spot 29Read:
Finished: 4/11/15
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Like Make Lemonade before it, this novel is told in a free-verse style, thought the author doesn't seem to like the 'verse novel' distinction. LaVaughn is now 15 years old and facing more challenges, the growing distance with her friends who have joined a very strict Christian club, a crush on a recently returned childhood friend that may not be reciprocated, and a man who may try to usurp her father's memory with her mother. On top of all this, school is getting tougher as the reality of following her college dream out of the projects becomes more urgent. Beautifully written and sensitively told.
I will read
but under series it is Harmony #9 also
Mod
Spot: 29
Read:
The Lion and the Rose by Kate Quinn (The Borgias #2)Finished: 10 April 2015
Rating: ****
Review:
Picking up where The Serpent and the Pearl left off, Kate Quinn's second book set at the papal court of Pope Alexander VI sees the three protagonists Giulia, Carmelina and Leonello returned to the Vatican after their release from captivity. But their lives are no less in danger amidst the intrigue and betrayals of the Borgias than they were as prisoners of the French army. Giulia's position as the pope's mistress is a golden cage that cannot keep her out of harm's way at all times. Carmelina's secret past continues to haunt her, but it is someone else's secret she becomes privy to that threatens her life. Leonello, finally, exacts revenge on the man who murdered his friend Anna and several others, but that is only the beginning of a darker path his life takes.
Enjoyable historical fiction with a well-executed portrayal of life at the Borgia court.
Week 4, Roll 1Spot: 29
Read:
and 9th harmony series under seriesFinished:4/10/2015
Rating:****
Review: I am really liking this fast paced series...I can't wait till I can read the next one...
Even the mysterious world of Harmony has people who don't quite fit in. They're drawn to places like Rainshadow Island, a beautiful sanctuary where anyone can feel safe—and where secrets are closely guarded.
Schooled in an exotic form of martial arts, and with the ability to detect auras of dangerous psychic criminals, Rachel Blake and her dust bunny companion have found peace and quiet on Rainshadow Island, operating a bookstore and café.
But her tranquil new life is thrown into chaos when Harry Sebastian, the descendant of a notorious pirate, arrives to investigate strange developments in the privately owned woods know as the Preserve.
Immediately drawn to the amber-eyes woman, Harry must tread carefully. While Rachel's special talents can help him track down dangerous rogues who have violated the Preserve, they can also sense the heart of darkness within him. But desire can weaken the toughest of defenses—and leave even the strongest man wanting more.
Spot 29:
Read: 4/10/2015
Rating: 4 stars
Review: On one hand I hate that I read this, and on the other hand I'm glad I did. I absolutely loved the scenes with Landon. I think they were beautifully done. He went through so much. It showed him changing over the years. I couldn't be more happier than the time with Heller and him in the kitchen. It signified someone caring for him. Thinking of his well being and was his future should entail. I felt so bad for his father, but I was angry at him because out of all that grief it's like he forgot that Landon witnessed his mother's death. His dad didn't take the time out and offer Landon any type of support. I'm super happy that his grandfather was in his life. He engaged Landon and I think it chipped away something in him.
On the Lucas side of things I regret reading kinda of. In this book he was someone irritating, by the amount of pining he did over Jacqueline. I didn't think it could get bad, but I got tired of his parts really quick. It was too much angst involved for me. I feel like it lost some of it's appeal from Easy. I will say I'm looking for to Boyce & Pearl's story, I definitely want to know what's up with them.
And we're done (for a couple of hours anyway)!
Rolled a 5Spot 34!
Mod
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Week 4: Roll 2Spot 34
Read a #3 in a series, a #4 in a series, or a book with a red cover
Team Choices
Denise: White Knight (#3) Denise's Review
Mika: A Fighting Man (#3) Mika's Review
Sue: The Indigo Spell (#3) Sue's Review
Theo: Revenge of the Spellmans (#3) Theo's Review
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The Challenge Factory
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