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R6: SSS BYOB (Bring Your Own Book) (4)
Spot 34:
Read:4/12/2015
Rating: 3.5 stars
Review: This is third in Men of Manhattan series. I liked Slater ever since he was introduced in book two. He's so sweet, resilient and down right positive. He's an Army Ranger who's been in lust with Casper since meeting him.
Casper was hesitant from the beginning, because of his first love dying three years ago. As usual, I don't direct SGD writing to be my usual, I read her stories for the enjoyment. While this one was predictable as per her usual I do like the introductions to the next guys in the series. I like how they finally come together. Slater never gives up and Casper learns to open his heart.
Mod
Spot: 34
Read:
White Knight by Kelly Meade (Cornerstone Run Trilogy #3)Finished: 13 April 2015
Rating: ****
Review:
Gripping, emotional and action-packed from start to finish, the conclusion of the Cornerstone Run Trilogy was everything I'd hoped for and more. Out of all the great characters populating the small town of Cornerstone, Knight and Shay were my favourites since book 1, so I'd been eagerly awaiting their story as well as the resolution of the conflict with the hybrids and Archimedes Atwood. A thrilling read and as perfect an ending as anyone could wish for! Can't wait to see what this immensely talented author comes up with next - whatever it is, it'll go straight to my TBR.
Week 4, Roll 2Spot: 34
Read:
3rd in seriesFinished:4/13/2015
Rating:****
Review:I wasn't sure I would like this spin-off series.... But I really am getting so involved in the story line...
Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets--and human lives.
In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.
Great job everyone, we're all set for our next role. Too bad we have to wait over 24 hours!
About time we rolled a 6, Spot 40!
Mod
I'll go with a #4,
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Week 5: Roll 1Spot 40
Read a stand alone, a #4 in a series, or a book with the word 'envelope' in it
Team Choices
Denise: St. Peter's Fair (#4) Denise's Review
Mika: Mountain Prey (stand alone) Mika's Review
Sue: The Fiery Heart (#4) Sue's Review
Theo: Wonder (stand alone) Theo's Review
Spot 40Read:
Finished: 4/18/15
Rating: 4 stars
Review: After losing the genetic lottery (involving severe cranial-facial anomalies), August Pullman has lived a fairly sheltered life. But this year, things are changing. After years of homeschooling, Auggie is going to attend a middle school not too far from his home. Told from multiple perspectives, including Auggie, his sister, and their friends, this novel deals not only with the struggles Auggie will face as he branches out from his comfort zone and starts to grow up, but also the difficulties inherent in being a part of Auggie's life. I'm sure it's been said a lot, but it's definitely a heartwarming tale.
Spot 40:
Read: 4/17/15
Rating: 2.75 stars
Review: I wanted to like this so bad. It just missed the mark for me. It had funny moments, and that's what I liked. I really liked Stunt, and I believed Alex wasn't a bad man. I just didn't feel anything between them romantically. Yes I know they have the same kinks, and they might like the same things, that doesn't mean they will work out together. Alex was on this crusade to avenge his deceased brother. How did this come to play? I mean he's fresh out of prison right, where is he getting any resources for this little adventure. Stunt really, it's like you gave up during your little captivity session. Honestly my favorite part was where Elijah made them have a shot gun wedding! I was floored by that part, and Elijah's determination to make Stunt the wife. I really liked that part.
Mod
Spot: 40
Read:
St. Peter's Fair by Ellis Peters(Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #4)Finished: 18 April 2015
Rating: ****
Review:
A temporary break in the civil war allows the country a reprieve, and the town of Shrewsbury prepares for St. Peter's Fair, an annual event bringing much needed trade to the town. The murder of a wealthy merchant on the eve of the fair casts a shadow over the proceedings, and brother Cadfael's investigative skills are once again needed to identify a killer. The series continues to offer highly enjoyable reads for any fan of historical mysteries.
Week 5: Roll 1Spot 40
Read:
Finished:4/18/2015
Rating:****
Review: I love this fast pace series....The story line is so real and draws you in... Can't wait to read the next one.
Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives.
In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .
But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure — and re-education — looms larger than ever.
Pulses will race throughout this smoldering fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.
Great job, as usual! Another roll done, and a new one coming in a few hours.
Mod
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Week 5: Roll 2Spot 42
Read a #2 in a series, a #4 in a series, or a book with a brown cover
Team Choices
Denise: Decrypted (#2) Denise's Review
Mika: Play (#2) Mika's Review
Sue: Kick the Candle (#2) Sue's Review
Theo: On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God (#2) Theo's Review
Mod
(also a #2). I'm still living out of boxes and cannot for the life of me find which of the ten or so boxes labeled "books" contains
. XD
Spot 42Read:
Finished: 4/22/15
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Sort of a teenage Bridget Jones's Diary, Georgia Nicolson's confessions are as hilarious as they are mortifying. This second installment finds Georgia trying to learn the ways of getting and keeping a Sex God for a boyfriend, which includes reading her mother's copy of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. While Georgia may not be the most likeable protagonist (she tends be very self-centered), you can't help but laugh at her biting sarcasm and grimace at her humiliation. There's not much plot in this tale, but what's there is fun!
Spot 42Read:
Finished:4/21/2015
Rating****
Review: I really like this fast pace story and look forward to the next book....
Commitment phobic, Grateful Knight has her hands full. While she struggles to understand her new role as Monk's Hill Witch, evil isn't waiting for her to come up to speed. Not only is there an increase in supernatural activity in her ward, she’s being evicted from her home, breaking in a snarky new familiar, and trying to sort out her feelings for her metaphysically connected and immortal boyfriend, Rick.
When Grateful foils a murder at a fae bordello, she uncovers a plot by a local vampire coven to obtain a secret weapon with the power to control both the living and the dead. History is threatening to repeat itself. And if Grateful doesn't give herself over to her role completely, it could cost her everything.
Spot 42:
Read:4/20/15
Rating:4 stars
Review: I really like Mal. He's amazing, I liked his spirit and personality. What I disliked is Anne, ugh I'm so over m/f writers, writing these weak and doormat women. How could you be a woman writer and constantly write about weak women. I hated her, and I tried to sympathize with her because of what she went through. In what point of her life does she decide enough is enough.
Mod
Spot: 42
Read:
Decrypted by Lindsay Buroker (Encrypted #2)Finished: 22 April 2015
Rating: *****
Review:
That bringing former Turgonian Fleet Admiral Federias Starcrest home to meet her parents might be just a little problematic, Tikaya was well aware of. Still, she would have liked a somewhat warmer welcome for the man she loves. But getting her family to accept him is far from their biggest problem: The government of the Kyatt Islands is far from pleased to have a formerly high ranking military officer from a hated enemy nation they were at war with not too long ago on their soil. Suspecting Rias of being a spy and Tikaya either his willing collaborator or brainwashed by him, they keep a close eye on both of them. But it's not until Rias begins to build a submarine for exploration purposes that things get truly dangerous, as it seems there's something hidden on the bottom of the ocean that the Kyatt authorities are willing to use any means necessary to keep a secret...
Lots of fun, lots of action and great characters - Lindsay Buroker never fails to deliver wonderful entertainment. An immensely satisfying (and thankfully only temporary) conclusion to Rias and Tikaya's adventures.
All done, once again. New roll in a couple hours!
Going with a 4th in a series.
Mod
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Week 6: Roll 1Spot 47
Read a #4 in a series, a #7 in a series, or a book whose author's first, middle, or last name starts with I
Team Choices
Denise: Darkness Haunts (Author I) Denise's Review
Mika: Cherish & Blessed (#4) Mika's Review
Sue: Shattered (#7) Sue's Review
Theo: The Necromancer (#4) Theo's Review
Spot 47Read:
Finished: 4/25/15
Rating: 3 stars
Review: The Alchemyst, Nicholas Flamel, has finally been reunited with his Sorceress wife, Perenelle, but there's not a lot of time for celebrations because, while the Magician, John Dee, may have failed to capture the twins and now has a price on his head, he still plans to wreak havoc. Scatty and Joan of Arc are still lost in time, Alcatraz is still full of monsters, and some new shady characters are on the scene. This novel continues weaving in people and places from history and mythology, creating a well-constructed universe and while the story only takes place across a couple of days, it takes you around the world, through time and multiple dimensions. A solid addition to the series.
Mod
"that's what I did too :D
Spot 47:
Read:4/23/2015
Rating: 3 stars
Review: Ugh I just wanted Matt & Evan. I really like them as a couple and I totally did them as the underdogs. I read Cherish the first edition, but reading this again make me realize why I really like them. I love Matt's attitude about things, he's so easily adjusted now years later. I hated Miranda's attitude, I don't fault her for feeling like this. She was acting 15 instead of 22. I think she needed a good lashing if it was me. I really liked that Evan wouldn't cave about Matt, it's about damn time. We moved on to Blessed and this is where everything changed and shifted for me. I liked Jim & Griffin in their book, I personally don't need to read about them again in this one, and the upcoming one. I was bored out of my mind my this one. I think it was just a filler story until book 6 comes out.
Spot:47
Finished:4/24/2015
Rating:****
Review: I like this series and even liked this book but it is starting to feel like the series has come to the end...
For nearly two thousand years, only one Druid has walked the Earth—Atticus O’Sullivan, the Iron Druid, whose sharp wit and sharp sword have kept him alive as he’s been pursued by a pantheon of hostile deities. Now he’s got company.
Atticus’s apprentice Granuaile is at last a full Druid herself. What’s more, Atticus has defrosted an archdruid long ago frozen in time, a father figure (of sorts) who now goes by the modern equivalent of his old Irish name: Owen Kennedy.
And Owen has some catching up to do.
Atticus takes pleasure in the role reversal, as the student is now the teacher. Between busting Atticus’s chops and trying to fathom a cell phone, Owen must also learn English. For Atticus, the jury’s still out on whether the wily old coot will be an asset in the epic battle with Norse god Loki—or merely a pain in the arse.
But Atticus isn’t the only one with daddy issues. Granuaile faces a great challenge: to exorcise a sorcerer’s spirit that is possessing her father in India. Even with the help of the witch Laksha, Granuaile may be facing a crushing defeat.
As the trio of Druids deals with pestilence-spreading demons, bacon-loving yeti, fierce flying foxes, and frenzied Fae, they’re hoping that this time, three’s a charm.
Mod
Spot: 47
Read:
Darkness Haunts by Susan Illene (Alternate: Author I)Finished: 25 April 2015
Rating: ****
Review:
One can never read too many "Urban Fantasy with kickass heroine"-type books. Darkness Haunts is the first in a series about army veteran Melena Sanders whose abilities of sensing supernatual creatures and immunity to magic make her a target most supernatural creatures would love to see dead. After doing her best to avoid sups, as she calls them, all her life, the disappearance of her best friend Aniya in Fairbanks, Alaska, brings her to a haven for supernatural beings - and her whole life is about to change as a result.
Solid, action-packed UF that kept me entertained all the way through. I really liked Melena for the most part (though her attitude towards animals made me want to slap some sense into her), and the diverse assortment of supporting characters promises good things for the next installments of the series. Looking forward to more!
Going with a first in the series!
Mod
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Week 6: Roll 2Spot 51
Read a #1 in a series, a #5 in a series, or a book published in 2002
Team Choices
Denise: The Leper of Saint Giles (#5) Denise's Review
Mika: One Week Girlfriend (#1) Mika's Review
Sue: Vampire in Denial (#1) Sue's Review
Theo: Three Times Lucky (#1) Theo's Review
Spot 51Read:
Finished: 4/29/15
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Mo (short for Moses) has lived with Miss Lana and the Colonel since she was fished out of the water during a hurricane as a newborn. She has spent her entire life searching for her birth mother, who she calls her ‘upstream’ mother. But trying to solve the mystery of her past takes a backseat when a member of her rural North Carolina community, Tupelo Landing, is murdered. She and her best friend, Dale form a detective agency and are determined to solve the crime before the police. Filled with quirky Southern humor and mystery, this middle-grade read was excellent.
Spot 51:
Read: 4/26
Ratings:5 stars
Review: This is probably my 3rd reread of this story. It was one of my first NA books ever. I absolutely loved this because of Fable's strength. Monica Murphy didn't disappoint me in this one, instead of the always needs, and vulnerable women she switched genders. Drew was very vulnerable, holding onto a shame he's felt for a long time. It was hard reading it again knowing what I know. I still he could have done something. Fable is use to be the "adult" in her household. I liked that she wouldn't change herself for the week of payment living with the rich people. She stuck up for herself. As always the tears came when they used the term Marshmallow their special code word that I love.
Mod
Spot: 51
Read:
The Leper of Saint Giles by Ellis Peters (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #5)Finished: 28 April 2015
Rating: ****
Review:
Shrewsbury Abbey is to be the site of a noble wedding - one in which the young bride seems most unwilling. But before her guardians can deliver her to the altar and a much older groom, a savage murder puts a halt to the proceedings. Suspicion falls heavily on a young man deeply in love with the prospective bride and the sheriff starts a massive manhunt for him. While he takes refuge hiding among the lepers at the nearby hospital of St. Giles, Brother Cadfael searches for the real killer.
One of the best in the series so far IMO.
Spot 51Read:
1st in seriesFinished :4/29/2015
Rating:***
Review: I liked this book but it didn't grab my attention and not let go...It was pretty predictable...
Like being a sixteen-year-old vampire isn't hard enough, Tessa's throwback human genes make her an outcast among her relatives. But try as she might, she can't get a handle on the vampire lifestyle and all the...blood.
Turning her back on the vamp world, she embraces the human teenage lifestyle—high school, peer pressure and finding a boyfriend. Jared manages to stir something in her blood. He's smart and fun and oh, so cute. But Tessa's dream of a having the perfect boyfriend turns into a nightmare when vampires attack the movie theatre and kidnap her date.
Once again, Tessa finds herself torn between the human world and the vampire one. Will blood own out? Can she make peace with who she is as well as what?
Great job guys! I cut it a bit close this week. I'm going to be tired at work tomorrow!
Mod
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The Challenge Factory
Books mentioned in this topic
The Vow on the Heron (other topics)Imaginary Girls (other topics)
Imaginary Girls (other topics)
Winter Kill (other topics)
The Vow on the Heron (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jean Plaidy (other topics)Ellis Peters (other topics)
Trudi Canavan (other topics)
Ellis Peters (other topics)
Holly Black (other topics)
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Read:
Finished: 4/14/15
Rating: 4 stars
Review: After her disastrous experience with John Brown in the previous Spellman adventure, Izzy is in court-ordered therapy and doubting her credibility as a private investigator. She’s begun bartending, while on a break from the family business, but even her new boss is trying to push her back. He offers her services to a friend who’s afraid his wife is cheating on him, but what Izzy finds is much more interesting, and might be just what she needs to get her head back in the game. It’s full of all the craziness and humor that has come to be expected in the series.