The Challenge Factory discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
♦SS Archives♦
>
R5: SS Seven Deadly Sins (7)

Thanks Lindy.

Necropolis by Jordan L. Hawk

Read: 4/20
Rating: ★★★★★
Oh this one was fun! Whyborne and Griffin are up to their usual tricks again only this time Christine is dragging them off to Egypt to face crazy necromancers and the return of one from the land of the dead. I think this might be one of my favorites of the series. It's action packed, and the little tidbits of Egyptian type lore were well incorporated.
I love the fact that Whyborne is getting more and more confident in himself. It was fun to see Griffin's insecurities showing. No matter how much Whyborne loves him, Griffin doesn't trust that he'll stay once he realizes his own strength. Of course Griffin's justifiable fears about Whyborne's uses of the archane aren't helping matters. I like that things are still developing between these two men even though it's clear how much they love each other.
The elements of the archane are really taken up a notch here. Whyborne's is playing with powers he really doesn't understand and doesn't even really fully believe in. He's still using the argument of scientific research to support his dabbling. Clearly there is more going on here then even yet we know.
I loved the Egyptian lore here and the Egyptian queen back from the dead to take what she's always wanted. While it wasn't too hard to figure out what was going to happen the details were still really great to read. The excavation of the site was really exciting to me with my background in ancient cultures and made Ival's translations so much more fun. I completely understood his excitement as he figured out more and more of the clues that had been left behind.
I really do enjoy this series and this book was no exception. I will definitely be reading the next book sooner rather than later. :)

Finished 4/22
Rating: 4
Review:
The latest novel by Amish fiction author Beverly Lewis places its youthful main character in a situation far beyond her years. It is set in summer of 1966 in an old order Amish communtiy in Pennsylvania. Marlena spending the summer with her Mennonite grandmother. Marlena provides for her lonely grandmother by helping in the garden and around the house, and offering her companionship to her recently widowed Mammi.
Marlena Wenger is not yet twenty-one, but when her sister, Louella falls gravely ill, she becomes the stand-in parent of her infant niece, Angela Rose. Shortly after arriving at her grandmother’s home several hours away from her own community, Marlena receives devastating news: her English (no longer Amish) sister Luella has been in a terrible car accident. Luella’s husband is in the military, stationed in Vietnam, and Marlena is asked to care for the couple’s infant daughter until the paternal grandparents can return from a foreign vacation and take the baby until Luella recovers.
For her Old Order Amish boyfriend, the sudden changes are too much and he ends the relationship. The breakup saddens and confuses Marlena, but she gains new friends and confidence when she meets a new circle of friends and a gently interested new beau.

Everyone is done now. I will be rolling Friday morning when I get up.


Spot 48

Finished: 2015/4/24
Rating: 5 Stars
Review: "Seeds of Iniquity" is the 4th book of "In the Company of Killers" series.
Izabel's "mom" Gina and Dorian's ex-wife is kidnapped. And the only link to them is Nora. This woman is lethal, kick-ass, manipulative. A woman without identity. A woman, who can became anyone, be anyone. She likes to play games and now her game is The Company. She wants to know every little secret. But why?


"I grip the edges of her sink while looking in the mirror." Chapter 4 pg 52 nook


With texted item just tell the chapter, page number and what media you are using to read, ie paperback, kindle, nook and then write the sentence it is used in.

ith texted item just tell the chapter, page number and what media you are using to read, ie paperback, kindle, nook and then write the sentence it is used in.

ith texted item just tell the chapter, page number and what media you are using to read, ie paperback, kindle, nook and then write the sentence..."
Any sentence that has sink. For my book, I chose the first sentence that has sink in it even though there were multiple sentences when I looked it up on my nook. To my knowledge it shouldn't matter how the word is used, ie noun, verb, however I will double check with Jenne.



Spot 48

Finished: 4/24/15
Rating: 4 stars
Review: You gotta love Greg. His life is forever a mess, but he always seems able to find some way of having fun or making the best of things in it. I like where he talks about the dog he has using his head as a launch pad. I've had something like this happen to me, but it was my cat using my head as a landing zone instead. Not the loveliest feeling in the world, so I know how he felt. It also made the scene a little funnier to imagine even as I felt the sympathy shock/pain in his experience. I do feel kind of sorry for Greg in how rough his life is. On the other hand, if his was a great one we wouldn't have a silly book to laugh at and see similarities in our own life in.


Holli did you start this one after Ora rolled? If so you're good to go.


Week 6
Spot 48

Text item sink: "If we haul it on board, we will sink." on page 50 in poem called "Anchored"
Finished: 4/25/15
Rating: 4 stars
Review: This book was banned? Why? I read this book when I was a kid and it never encouraged me to break dishes to get out of washing them or anything else it was supposedly banned for that I know of. Although, with some of the poems in it, I can see where someone might be inspired to do whatever caused it to be slapped with the "banned" label. Though it's a very big might.
I think one of my favorite poems is Superstitious. My mom told me her mother was very superstitious. To the point Mom wrote her thesis in college about superstitions. I never knew Mom's mom, as she died when I was quite young, but the poem immediately made me think of her. I love the Ation and Anteater poems. The last line of both made me crack up laughing. Poemsicle, I think, was one of the best as it just got entirely ridiculous. While some of the poems weren't as good as the others, overall the book is fun and a delight to read. Some of them though are a little dark, but the silly ones help balance them out. I forgot how good it was and how much I enjoyed it when I first read it.

"I grip the edges of her sink while looking in the mirror." Chapter 4 pg 52 nook

April 24, 2015 5 stars
Wow, this is an incredible book. Firs the real confessions that were put into the book as inspiration for the art Owen produced. Even though anonymous, it still must have been difficult to write something so personal that could destroy your life or admit how horrible life is.
Auburn is such a strong and determined young woman. At fifteen she fell in love with Adam, who wound up dying at of a terminal illness at 16. Several weeks after his death she found out that she was pregnant. Adam’s mother, Lydia, talked Auburn into signing over parental rights to her so it would be easier for insurance.
This is a very compelling story. Auburn moves to Texas to fight to get her son. Lydia and older brother, Trey both use AJ to manipulate Auburn’s behavior. The more I think about the book, I realize Trey is more like his mother than I first realized. He just shows his anger physically, while Lydia just refuses to allow Auburn to see AJ.
Owen and Auburn are connected, even though she isn’t aware of it. She stumbles upon on his “studio” and he sees it as fate, especially since he didn’t think he would ever see her again. There is an instant awareness for both of them. As fate usually is a bitch, circumstances do not allow them to be together. Trey really hates Owen and does what he needs to in order to destroy Owen’s life and ability to be in Auburn’s life. On the surface, Trey appears to be a really good person. Slowly he starts to show his true colors with threats, no matter how nicely said. Then eventually he starts to physically hurt Auburn and set Owen up to go to prison for a long time.
I think at the end of the book, Trey was becoming desperate because he knew Auburn doesn’t feel the same way he did. He was definitely an ass and maybe a bit delusional. I was surprised when everything seemed to work out in the end. Auburn finally learned how to play dirty and blackmail Lydia into giving Auburn her parental rights back and have Owen in her life.

Play Me, I'm Yours by Madison Parker

pg. 210 - "Lucas ran over to the SINK and turned on the faucet, hoping to convince her that he was in fact using the bathroom."
Read: 4/25
Rating: ★★★★
I don't know what I was expecting going into this story, but this wasn't it. This had such a more realistic feel to it than most YA fiction. I really felt like these characters and the lives they were living were not only possible but incredibly plausible. The growing pains everyone here was experiencing were realistically portrayed, and while sure there is the fiction per-requisite happily ever after of a romance novel, the growing up wasn't easy.
Lucas is exactly the sort of effeminate gay boy that gets taunted and tormented endlessly in high school. The kids in this story are just as mean as you could expect, though I did appreciate that the author didn't take this to the level of Lucas being suicidal. His life is miserable though and his parents don't help. His mother is too supportive and happy go lucky, if you just put in more effort I'm sure they'd all love you. His father doesn't know how to relate to his son and instead ignores him for the most part. He's loved, he knows that, but it doesn't help him deal with the things the other kids put him through, especially when he doesn't really understand why the do. His brother is embarrassed for him and by him, and Mason is too young and scared to stand up for his brother. He doesn't want to become the outcast that Lucas is. Lucas' only solace is his music. His love for it sustains him even as it is incomprehensible to most people, his parents included.
I loved how this book used his music to bring people into Lucas' orbit that would be supportive and wonderful for him. Trish was awesome! I loved how she just scooped Lucas up and took him off with her whirlwind of energy. She's exactly the sort of friend he needed to start gaining a little confidence in himself without making him really focus on what was going. She pushed and prodded, but really did care.
Alex was awesome! Just the sort of kid that exists in every school. The guy that tries to see past the stereotypes on people, but also the guy so daring that everyone respects him. He's popular because he doesn't care what others think, but doesn't take that so too far overboard because he's comfortable with who he is. He's nice to everyone, and genuinely doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.
Donovan is of course in some ways Lucas' polar opposite and in others exactly like him. His life is lead from fear and he'll do anything to be accepted. He takes his brash nature too far and can't find the balance to be the guy that Alex is without trying. Donovan has the "don't ever let them see your pain attitude" and he's going to hurt you first before you can hurt him. His confidence is all a cover for the pain underneath. The parts of himself he sees in Lucas make it difficult for him to be nice.
Then of course there is Zach. He's the adorable boon to all of Lucas' trials. I loved how sweet and shy he was about what he wanted even though he has buckets more confidence than Lucas does. How Lucas sees him really matters to him. Together they are very sweet and the best parts of young love. His romantic poet soul is a wonderful complement to Lucas' musical nature. He really does help Lucas to find his own balance and start to love the person that he is.
This is a really sweet coming of age story. Lucas is learning to love himself and be confident in who he is. He's finally coming into his own as a person, with his family, and with his friends. He's never going to be brash and outgoing but he doesn't feel the need to hide from the world either.
I definitely enjoyed my read and would look for more by this author. The authentic feeling of this story was really wonderful.


Finished 4/30
Rating: 4.5
sink: For some reason however, it didn't sink in.
Review:
set in the 13th century. Damon Le Mark's niece Daria de Fortescue is kidnapped on the way to her wedding: the
kidnapper, Edmond of Clare, demands her dowry or he will rape her. Roland, a landless knight, poses as a priest to gain entrance to Clare's castle. Daria knocks Edmond out cold when he tries to ravish her, and Roland smuggles her out. He rides with her to Wales and falls il along the way. They have sex while he is delerious and she is pregnant
but he doens't believe it is his kid. He thinks the Earl of Clare must have raped her while he held her captive.
When he recovers he goes to the king and queen of England and they urge him. He doeesn't remember having sex with her. After all she is a heiress and he will get his castle.


I hoped to hear the fading rumble of thunder. (Chapter 1, page 6 of epub version)


Text Item Thunder: I hoped to hear the fading rumble of thunder. (Chapter 1, page 6 of epub version)
Finished: 5/1/15
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Mr. Koontz has such a way with words. It makes for an entertaining and fun read, even when he gets really creepy. To read one of his books though, one usually needs a dictionary as he seems to enjoy using words that will bring one to a confused, screeching halt. Odd Thomas is a great character and even in the wealth of creepiness all around him, one can't help following along with him to see what happens to him. The fact one spends a great deal of time laughing at how Odd explains things makes it a delight. It makes for a good but weird balance. This book wasn't as spooky as I found the first one, but it still gave me chills more than once. I love Odd, and will definitely continue with this series to see what he will do and face next.

..stole Dean's thunder by having his party on Saturday. Chapter 19 pg 147 nook

May 2, 2015 4 1/2 stars
I was surprised I liked this one as much as I did. I love all of the books I have read for Elle Kennedy, so I really shouldn’t be surprised. This is a book where love sneaks up on them. Hannah is only tutoring Garrett so another guy will notice her, while Garrett is in desperate need of raising his grade so he can continue to play hockey.
Both have issue that they need to work through. Hannah is a rape survivor and desperately wants to be able to have a normal relationship with a guy. She slowly starts to open up to Garrett and he agrees to help her out. While this is happening he doesn’t’ realize that he is starting to develop feelings for her and has to face the truth of it when he finds out that another guy has asked her out.
After they officially start a relationship, Garrett has to contend with his father. He is controlling and abusive. He winds up manipulating Hannah into leaving Garrett so he can concentrate on hockey. He has plans for Garrett and having a girlfriend isn’t one of them.
When Garrett finally finds out why she broke up with him, he explains a few things that his father wasn’t aware until Garrett brought it to his attention and finds out that he can no longer control Garrett by threatening to cut him off.

Spot 56

Finished: 2015/5/4
Rating: 5 Stars
Review: It’s the last book of Marked Men.
Asa is trying to be good. After the coma and almost being in jail, he is trying stay away from trouble. But how will he stay away from it, if he is Trouble.
Royal thinks that she is the blame of her partner getting shot. That’s why she is trying to punish herself. She acts not like herself, she goes to bar, gets drunk... She is looking for trouble....


Author/Title: Carr, Robyn Wanderer bk 1 Thunder Point Series
Finished 5/6
Rating: 4.5
Review: Thunder Point is small, so small there is a constable but no other law
enforcement. Ity id on the Oregon coast in a small town of rocky beaches and rugged
charm. Locals love the land’s unspoiled beauty. Developers see it as a potential gold
mine. When newcomer Hank Cooper learns he’s been left his old friend Ben Bailey's
entire beachfront property, he finds himself with a community’s destiny in his hands.
Cooper has never been a man to settle in one place, and Thunder Point was supposed to
be just another quick stop. But Cooper finds himself getting involved with the town.
And with Sarah Dupre, a woman as complicated as she is beautiful. And he is even more
involved with her son Landon Dupre a rising football star.
With the whole town watching for his next move, Cooper has to choose between his old
life and a place full of new possibilities. A place that just might be home.

Stitch by Eli Easton

pg. 23 - "A bolt of lightning struck very close, and the THUNDER was loud enough to shake the building."
Read: 5/7
Rating: ★★★★
This book was really interesting. I loved the premise of these stories, their gothic nature really carried. The idea of falling in love with a "creature," something not human, something taboo, was handled really well and as I reader I found I identified with the characters in all the stories. There was a lot of good about everyone of these stories.
The Golem of Mala Lubovnya by Kim Fielding ★★★★★
Oh man, for a monster story this was sooooooo unbelievably sweet. Golem has been created to protect the village from the threat of religious persecution. He's been hidden away, watching out one small window at the people of the village, and listening in awe as they come to sing their daily prayers. When his presence is finally revealed he's feared for his strength, yet Jakob takes him in to help build his home. Jakob understand what it means to be different, to question his place in the world and under God's love. He's gay, and that is something condemned under the strictures of his religious beliefs. Yet the pure honest love that develops between these two was so touching and sweet that they both can do nothing but acknowledge it. The ending, was painful and rejuvenating at the same time. This may have been my favorite of the entire book.
Watchworks by Jamie Fessenden ★★★★
I think the thing I appreciated about this steampunk style novel is that the acceptance of Luke isn't easy for Harlan. He's in parts enthralled by the mechanisms that support Luke and appalled by lifelike/thinking nature of him as a simulacrum. The details of the mechanics were fascinating and I really did feel I was along for the ride with Harlan as he came to grips with how he was feeling. The ending was heart wrenching as he discovered what happened to Luke. I enjoyed so much about the details of Harlan's skills as a watchmaker and what it gave him as far as abilities to fix the inner workings of Luke's mechanics.
Reparation by Eli Easton ★★★★★
I really LOVED this story! I think a large part of that is I love sci-fi and the world building here, especially for a short story, was super well done. The isolation Edward suffers as a spore farmer was profound and impact-full. His desperation after the loses he suffered was believable and the circumstances that pushed him into turning to Knox made sense. I adored Knox as a character. I struggled along with him as the memories buried in the brain implanted into the body of a different recon rattled around and started to spring loose. Whatever made him different from other recons, whether it was his strength when he was alive or something they messed up in the process of combining his brain with the bodies from others only made him more fascinating. The twists this story took were unexpected and really brought these two men closer together. So creative and fun.
Made For Aaron by Sue Brown ★★★½
Ok so here's my deal with this one. I enjoyed it, but really I loved the concept more than the final story. If this had been a full length novel I think I could have gotten into it more, but because this whole story is really about one man's struggle to deal with a loss, to move on, to function I really missed out on the romance aspect here. Damon and Aaron are married already, desperately in love, and Damon's disappearance completely destroys Aaron. His past and time spent in an asylum makes the world difficult for him to deal with. Damon was his anchor and losing that really set Aaron adrift. All of this I liked. I felt for Aaron and was with him in his struggle to understand. Where this story lost me was in the slight unbelievability of the premise (view spoiler) and that it's only in the last few pages that we get to see how much Damon and Aaron really mean to each other. It's a lovely moment and there was a lot of power behind it. But it was then over too quickly for me. I would love to see this world developed into a longer novel, especially if it was from the point of view of a madder. For instance I would LOVE to see how PC Collins felt and the experience he went through as he discovered that his feelings were not what he was programed to be. That journey would be incredibly fascinating to me.
All in all though this book was incredibly lovely and I'm so glad I read it. Nothing like what I expected, but was truly wonderful.["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

Peterson, Tracie Taming the Wind published 2012

Same here. :)
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Books mentioned in this topic
Tom Clancy Presents: Act of Valor (other topics)Tom Clancy Presents: Act of Valor (other topics)
Tom Clancy Presents: Act of Valor (other topics)
Bone Crossed (other topics)
Bone Crossed (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Heidi Cullinan (other topics)Eli Easton (other topics)
Charlie Cochet (other topics)
Amy Lane (other topics)
Eli Easton (other topics)
More...
April 17,2015 5 stars
Miranda has dealt with unrequited love towards he best friend’s older brother. Turner realizes that she is a woman now, however is fighting his feelings towards her. Having just lost his wife who only brought him torment, he has a hard time trusting his gut or feelings for that matter. Throughout the book he winds up giving Miranda mixed signals and makes her feel like she is an afterthought or duty. I really thought that he would admit that he loved her after finding out that she was pregnant and had to chase her all the way to Scotland. Even after her miscarriage, he demanded that they still marry, he couldn’t admit his love. Over time, all it did was make Miranda more at a loss and depressed and put a strain on their marriage. Turner finally realized he loved her after laying eyes on their little girl. Even though he was an idiot for most of the book, it was hard not to like him.