Vagabond Treehouse ~ [Fall 2025: World of Chains #1-3 (Wayward Bard) | The Perfect Run 1-3 (alternating)] Showing 351-400 of 2,526

[Monika]

To be honest didn't like Rand, slimy thing. Couldn't understand Charlie's mother from the start... She was like... Not living in the same reality, more kid than adult.

[Monika]

I think this supposed to be duology... Hmmm.. 🤔

[Soo]

Honk & Holler sounds way better in your summary than the impression I got from reading the blurb. Glad ya liked it!

Re Book of Night
(view spoiler)[Ooooo I think your twists are more fun than what may happen in the following books. (hide spoiler)]

[Soo]

Monika wrote: "To be honest didn't like Rand, slimy thing. Couldn't understand Charlie's mother from the start... She was like... Not living in the same reality, more kid than adult."

It was SO UNREALISTIC! I kept getting mad at all the out of character dialogue and actions.

Like, ok, say Charlie isn't the brightest bulb in the world. Her mom sucks. She can win one of the worst parent awards for decade+. Hypothetically, Charlie is average intelligence and has some hard knocks experience due to crap parents.

Sure.

Grifter/Thief since preteens and 27 yr old in current time line. How many let live and be dumb things would happen? Some sure. But it was a cascade of dumb things. Thoughts, actions, etc. Man, plot armor was getting a nice workout.

I was making stinky face at the poorly tangled 'unreliable narrative' voice.

Obviously, Charlie was above average smarts to do most of what she did, but that all seemed to happen off page. 🙄😤☠️

That intro with Rand was super sketch and I was mentally yelling at pooper mom.

[Monika]

My exact feeling Soo. Adult woman, mother and dumpest than... No comparison really. Charlie just went from bad to worst cause has no one to direct her, protect her...this girl could be someone I mean real Someone, but her childhood was just... I don't have/know word good enough to explain what I think...

[Soo]

What did you think about that scene where Charlie let her sister con her to see the guy about shadows?

The info dumps were cool, but I thought the whole thing was OOC.
Spill my secrets to a stranger. Ok
Have everything recorded and just 'trust' whatever dude says. Ok
Believe whatever college dude says as gospel. Ok

🤸‍♀️💩🤸‍♀️💩🤸‍♀️

🤣

I'm sad about Vince and Red is already a serial killer extraordinaire.

Oh man, wonder what bat crap crazy Adeline will do?

🗝 (view spoiler)[Ya'll marked the deal about ketamine right? (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Ack, I wish I remembered enough to follow y'all's conversation. It's almost jumpstarting my memory but not enough.

[Monika]

This whole scene was strange at least. I was surprised Charlie actually talked to this guy, but from other point of view I think she just wanted to talk to someone, anyone... Adeline is crazy, but ... Read to find out the rest 😁

[Soo]

🗝 (view spoiler)[Several times in the story, there were mentions of blackouts and how drugs can be used to empower shadows. Remy was drugged up in order to let Red have full access many times.

It wasn't said out loud but it was obvious that Adeline raped Red with 'sex games' and it was ok cause she's not having sex with Remy.

It's TOTALLY COOL to have sex with your 'nephew's shadow. 💩🙄

Charlie knew Adeline abused Red and wasn't willing to put Vince into Adeline's control. So that was a +1 for rational-ish Charlie.

Everyone knows that the shadow Salt used was Adeline's, right?
(hide spoiler)]

I'm betting Adeline didn't fall too far from crazy Dad tree. Definitely can see her being the human bad guy in next book.

[Monika]

She's perfect for bad guy agree here 😁

[Soo]

Let me know when ya'll want to read Lone Wolf #9. 😎 Audiobook released today. 🤸‍♀️

[Brian]

I’m ready!!

[Soo]

Wanna start today? 🔥

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

More things I lost in the fray somewhere, and forgot to include in my spreadsheet... they're definitely on my shortlist, tho...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

And now I get to deal with the Leave of Absence people all over again, because my Light Duty Accomodations were denied, which means I need to go on a 2nd connected Leave of Absence for the toe injury, instead of getting to work while sitting down for a few weeks...

And because it has to be complicated, I have to file a new claim, instead of extending the previous claim, since that claim technically ended when I returned to work on Light Duty (Pending) last week, and was transferred to the Accommodations department...

Fun Times all around...

My healing is coming along nicely, but it's not 100%, and I don't want to rush it, just to avoid annoying interactions with the claims people... if I have to go through this whole process again, I kind of just want to ride it out, and get the Short Term Disability pay, for 2 of the 3 weeks remaining on the doctor's instructions to wear Ortho Boot & sit down / limited walking, instead of hurrying things along, as discussed previously in this thread (where you guys said to do just that, and don't rush it)...

Even as I feel like I'm healing, the dull ache persists at the most surprising times, especially when I go a day without doing the 15-20 minute ice baths, and/or taking extra 8hr arthritis pain relievers during the day...

I'm definitely walking alot more normally, tho, with or without the ortho boot/sandal...

Hopefully I get some answers from the Claims people before my next scheduled work day (Friday), to feel more confident about the whole situation...

[Soo]

You should definitely make choices to let yourself have space to heal. 🤞 Got my fingers crossed for you to have clear answers and healthy solutions!

It's good to have some exercise. Gotta keep those muscles working and help blood flow. 🤸‍♀️

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

As I semi-expected, I got the initial claims packet in my email and I'm confused on whether they want me to take it in now and have nurses fill out slightly different documentation based on my doctor visit last week, or if it's intended for me to take with me to my follow-up in 3 weeks... it's due in 3.5 weeks on the day I specified as my return to work day, and is more focused on the Short Term Disability insurance payment qualifications, rather than the Leave of Absence aspects of the original claim... there's a disclaimer to that effect in the documentation, on the doctor data page ("this won't affect leave of absence request")... so I messaged the Examiner... hopefully they get back to me relatively quickly... last time I messaged them a bunch over the weekend, and it took a day or 2 to get a response...

[Soo]

如珠似玉 Like Pearl and Jade - Almost done! This one started out sedate and turned into imperial political shenanigans. 🥸

I wasn't familiar with one of the many folk sayings and looked it up.

Old Saying: Pregnant women shouldn't eat rabbit cause baby will end up with rabbit lips aka cleft lips or tongue.

[Narilka]

Timelord Iain wrote: "And now I get to deal with the Leave of Absence people all over again, because my Light Duty Accomodations were denied, which means I need to go on a 2nd connected Leave of Absence for the toe inju..."

That's sadly typical in corporate America. Good luck with your paperwork Iain.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

The paperwork, the repeated process, or the 2 day response time? Or all 3?...

The delayed response time was why I actually called the number yesterday, before starting a new claim, to find out what I needed to do, faster...

I'm glad I've had to do this so few times over the years...

1) Workers Comp in 2014 was entirely on the employer side... except for initial incident reporting...

2) During Covid I had to do this twice, but it was more of a rubber stamp process with no need for doctor visit...

3) These claims now, starting 1.5 weeks ago, all connected...

That covers my 15-20 year work career...

[Narilka]

Timelord Iain wrote: "The paperwork, the repeated process, or the 2 day response time? Or all 3?...

The delayed response time was why I actually called the number yesterday, before starting a new claim, to find out wha..."

All 3. I knew a guy who broke both legs and requested an accommodation to WFH while he healed enough to be able to drive again and it was declined because his job duties didn't require him to drive (he worked on a computer all day). How he got to the office was his own problem, not the company's. They used slightly more legal sounding language but that was the gist.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Lovely...

[Soo]

Dang! What a crappy line to draw on driving bit.

Lone Wolf - Started!

5% Intro makes me want to re-read the last book. 🤗

[Nirkatze]

Egads, all that sounds complicated... I really hope it comes through for you this time @Iain... makes my work's absence/leave request system sound super simple in comparison, for all that I have to do insane amount of prep to let a sub sit in my classroom... actually took a sick day for the first time in five years Monday... taking another Friday... but Tues-Weds are block days, and hell no am going to try to come up for 90 minutes of activities for students to do on their own... just go in to work with a mask and take lots of painkillers...

[Soo]

Aww hope ya get well soon, Nirkatze!

What do ya teach?

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Agreed with Soo on get well soon...
And yea... insurance people / etc can be really heartless... I think half the point is that they don't know you and don't care... my bosses are much more accommodating than this 3rd party I have to deal with... the boss I originally went to on my first day back on Light Duty was 100% into accommodating me, and even says he knows I'm a hard worker and will try and contribute as much as possible...

And, to be clear about my workplace, absences are much simpler than Leaves of Absence... Leave of Absence kicks in when you're off for 2-3+ days in a row and/or need to be taken off the schedule without using Paid Time Off / etc... or don't have Paid Time Off to use... medical emergencies, mostly...

[Soo]

Lone Wolf 25%

This one has a nice juggle between WTH and hilarious.

Also, OMG, the dad aka sperm donor/spewer. 🤣🤣🤣

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I haven't started yet, but somehow the plots keep getting wilder...

The previous book was a big one, with the rich plutocrat that I believe (view spoiler)[Evan let live in the end... his underlings were the problem people, and Evan dismantled them... I think the rich guy even helped Evan a little bit, with staying invisible, in the end... but it caused new problems with the President? (hide spoiler)]

[Tonari no Emily]

That sounds like a nightmare Iain, hope you can get it sorted!

Hope you feel better soon Nirkatze! There's something going around my area too. Feeling awful today but we're so short staffed I didn't want to call in unless I had a fever...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Looking back, February 6th is proving to be a cursed day for me...

Logging into the Leave of Absence system after 2 years, I see that my last Covid Leave ended around February 3rd to 6th, 2022...

The water flooding my apartment and being in a hotel for a month, started February 5th/6th 2023...

And my medical Leave of Absence stuff started February 3rd/6th 2024, despite being an injury from early-to-mid-January...

[Brian]

Soo wrote: "Lone Wolf 25%

This one has a nice juggle between WTH and hilarious.

Also, OMG, the dad aka sperm donor/spewer. 🤣🤣🤣"

Yeah, dad was rough. Its nice being back in the Orphan X world

[Soo]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Looking back, February 6th is proving to be a cursed day for me...

Logging into the Leave of Absence system after 2 years, I see that my last Covid Leave ended around February 3rd to 6th, 2022...
..."

Dang! So you should take it easy mid to tail end of winters cause that's when you are more likely to get ill.

[Soo]

Ok I was dragging my read for Orphan X out, but I'm gonna roll to end.

Brian, share your thoughts!

[Brian]

Soo wrote: "Ok I was dragging my read for Orphan X out, but I'm gonna roll to end.

Brian, share your thoughts!"

I am liking it. Love the banter between Josephine and Evan. Pretty good story and Scott Brick is one of my favorite narrators for thriller action types. I like the addition of AI into the story since is so relevant in today's world.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Even when I think I understand how my work's claims system, I only understand it like 75-90%...

I got an email that seems to indicate they extended my previous claim from my return to work on 2/8/24 to today, to line up with my new claim that starts tomorrow...

I assume this is so the claims are chronologically linked without a gap, despite the fact I went to work for a week in between... but who knows...

I messaged my examiner to find out what's going on with that...

The claim was previously closed last Saturday, so when I saw a new claim approved and closed I knew something weird was going on, and got a bit worried, until I checked the case/claim #...

Bureaucracy is great, folks...

[Narilka]

Feel better soon Nirkatze!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Did you get sick because of that week you were without a heater, Nirkatze?...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I started Lone Wolf... I forgot about the dad stuff...

This sounds like a partial rehash/sequel to the book with the (view spoiler)[sentient nano robots that blew up Evan's apartment... that was the previous half-brother / mother book (hide spoiler)]

That scene with the octogenarian & the flyers: Evan was reminded of his own phrasing, but to me it sounded like Clint Eastwood / Dirty Harry...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Orphan X, 25% or so: this is awesome... I don't remember the last time an Orphan X action sequence has kept me so riveted... he likes to do that gimmick alot, and it killed some of the excitement for me a few books back (view spoiler)[playing out the fight in his head ahead of time, to show how badass he is (hide spoiler)]

This reminds me of my favorite Gray Man sequence... the France Hotel room, where he has to rescue a woman, and uses a dead body to escape out the window, many floors up...

And this sequence just keeps going and going, like a Jason Bourne movie...

Good stuff...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Halfway through Lone Wolf... (view spoiler)[I'm loving this book, and Evan's growing cadre of rich helpers in surprising places, from previous books...

Missing Mia & Peter tho... their relationship has been on rocky ground, since Evan failed to retire a few books ago, and I want to see that continue (or be definitively terminated I guess, but I hope it doesn't go that route)... (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Dittoing Soo, @Iain--take care of yourself next winter...

Thanks for the well-wishes folks... looking forward to sleeping all weekend... and reading, of course. Being vertical will help with sinuses. Entirely possible that week without heat contributed. Probably isn't healthy to be taking so many naps in front of my fireplace... but it just feels so nice... of course, schools are cesspools too, anyone can tell you... the smallest lapse of immune-guard and bam! sick... my teacher shielding must be running low...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

If I ever feel caught up on BRs, maybe I'll get back to ratings/reviews... I started 2024 so strong, then I hurt myself, and I've not touched them since...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

All finished with Lone Wolf: (view spoiler)[really good...

No answers on the Andre & dog front, in the end (unless I missed it)... sad to see that unresolved...

Was surprising how pitiful the CEO turned out to be, when he couldn't understand Evan... you'd think he'd have been scarier, considering he figured out his identity...

I also expected the AI sentience to be a bigger issue, but was more of a side exploration with it's own pseudo-solution...

That last page means the next book is going to be interesting... but, unless it's all an act, Tommy is falling apart and can't really be the villain of the next novel, just a moral quandary for Evan...

I loved the apartment building storyline... it seems a bit crazy to me, sometimes, how much the other residents rely on Evan to help in situations, considering how reclusive and stoic he is in every interaction... he even flees in his car at one point :D

I loved seeing him stick up for the front desk guy, on his own initiative...

I was surprised at the death hug thing... I expected a trick from the assassin... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

No Man's Land could see audio release in March... just got an email notification from Elliott Kay (Poor Man's Fight #6, which came out in ebook last October)...

Hot Restart audio is also in the works, with no firm date yet... that's one of the ones I went ahead and read as an ebook, back in 2022... shortly after we read Poor Man's Fight 1-5...

He's still working on Grand Theft Sorcery, a spinoff of the Good Intentions series, which is a paranormal harem series...

Hot Restart is the sci-fi harem series that's kind of a cross between Poor Man's Fight & Good Intentions...

[Nirkatze]

Timelord Iain wrote: "If I ever feel caught up on BRs, maybe I'll get back to ratings/reviews... I started 2024 so strong, then I hurt myself, and I've not touched them since..."

I feel the same... two weeks behind, trying to catch up over the weekend... we'll see... good luck to you!

[Narilka]

@Iain, I was checking out Drew Hayes' blog and he's planning to release the final Fred the Vampire Accountant book and Villain's Code #3 this year. Thought you'd find that interesting. Timing it TBD though it sounds like Villain's Code will release first.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

That's great and sad news... I feel like the villainy of Fred's sire has dragged on way too long... but also wouldn't have minded seeing the series continue past his demise...

[Nirkatze]

Hm... time to consider some Drew Hayes BRs?

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

They're on my to-do list for you guys... Super Powereds, Fred, 5 Minute Sherlock, Villains' Code, NPCs, some standalones... all good stuff...

Just try to limit how many series BRs I talk everyone into, in a given month/year...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

For a second, I thought I was catching up to you in the reading competiton, Nirkatze... then I checked your page and saw you were a week behind on page counts, and realized I wasn't...

I think I've caught up a bit, from all my Leave of Absence days off, but not all the way... I read 600 pages per day in January, and am up to 750 pages per day in February, for 660 pages per day for the year... you've managed 750 pages per day all year, and get ebook bonus points along the way that I don't...