R5: Team #6 ~ Get My Book Fix Sixes

[Jodie]

Gosh, I'm coming across so blonde this week. Eeeek. All fixed. Thanks Sandra.

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

No worries Jodie :)

[Vivian]

Great review Jodie!

I actually did decide on Blood Will Tell. The soul-eating thing already seems a little gruesome after reading the first few pages. I think the idea seems different enough to be interesting.

[Vivian]

And I'm impressed with how quickly we all decided on a name :D

[Leah]

Vivian wrote: "Great review Jodie!

I actually did decide on Blood Will Tell. The soul-eating thing already seems a little gruesome after reading the first few pages. I think the idea seems different enough to b..."

That one does seem interesting....
sigh.
One more addition to my tbr. Just when I was getting it smaller!

[Steph, Serious series addict]

Jodie wrote: "Half-Blood (Covenant #1) by Jennifer L Armentrout
Book Shelf Bingo – Young Adult Paranormal
Date read – Sunday 17th to Monday 18th June 2012
Rating - **** 4 Stars

I know it’s been said before (man..."

Great review, Jodie! I like how you shared parallels between this book and VA, which I really liked. Now, to decide if I want to read a book that is so similar to a favorite or avoid it.

[Vivian]

Finished my book, here's my review. Sorry, got a little wordy.

Blood Will Tell
Read June 18
4 stars

My initial thoughts upon finishing is to rate the book a 4. It's probably not quite there, but I'm going to round up because I had a hard time putting the book down and I will most likely pick up the rest of the trilogy sooner than later. And it's more than worth the price of $0.00 I picked it up for.

As usual, not so much a coherent review, as much as random thoughts thrown together.

Eden is born into a family of soul-eaters and trying to fight the monster inside her. The hunger is awakening inside her, but Eden refuses to give in to what she believes is wrong. She may be a monster, but she also stands up for the weak by bullying the bullies, which is kind of satisfying to see. Eden is by no means a goody two-shoes and she entertains some pretty dark, revengeful thoughts. Don't know what that says about me but I like that about this girl.

Throughout the book, there are dark patches, including descriptions of tortured victims, abuse, and violence. But they are mixed in with light-hearted or funny moments, so it's not overly dark, but might not recommend to younger audiences.

I don't know much about Egyptian mythology, so I found the background of the soul-eaters and other humanoid species interesting to read about. There is some formulaic predictability to the plot, but there was enough uniqueness to the world and characters that it still felt fresh to me.

There are two people that Eden can count on in her life, her friend Noah and her brother Stellan. Guess which relationship reads more like a romantic one? It's not the friend. Although I'm pretty sure Noah turns into a love interest later on, it's nice to see a platonic friendship between opposite sexes.

The biggest downside for me is a slight case of if-only-I-told-you- fill-in-the-blank -we-wouldn't-have-ended-up-in-this-mess-itis, but I guess that's for the dramatic tension build-up. I'm just not a big fan of that kind of drama because it seems unnecessary.

As with some independently published stories, I noticed a couple grammatical errors towards the beginning, but the story was engrossing enough that I wasn't paying too much attention to it.

Spoiler and a bit of a cop-out:(view spoiler)[Stellan had embraced his soul-eating nature but tried to retain some humanity/goodness in spite of it. It would've been interesting to see if any changes occur with him in future books, and how his relationship with Eden would be affected with her new knowledge of who she is. But we'll never know because he's dead. (hide spoiler)]

Eta: one more thing. References to Beiber and The Vampire Diaries don't seem necessary. Super pop-culture references throw me out of the story even if they take place in the now. Of course, if I was a fan of either, I might feel differently.

Review here.

[Jodie]

Awesome Vivian! Well put.

The other 2 books were so much better than this one, imo, but I really love Samantha's writing.

Steph, you absolutely should read it, the similarities are much less in the second book (just completed today), and both are so entertaining. I do love me some hot kick ass warriors and heroines that are tough but also vulnerable, and the snark, there is definately some of that here. Well worth a read! I'm rating the second book 5* I think & so looking forward to Oct for number 3.

Happy reading days ladies. Free choice book Delirium for me tomorrow...

[~Leslie~]

Great reviews, Jodie and Vivian. I've never heard of either of these and they sound really interesting.

[Vivian]

Good to know Jodie, I do want to read the next two, hopefully they fit into another shelf during the game :)

[Leah]

My review is going to be a little bit later this week. I made the mistake of starting the 50 Shades of Grey series last weekend, and now I can't stop until I finish it.

Great reviews ladies!!

[~Leslie~]

I'll finish Dead Witch Walkingtoday and will probably start Soullesssometime tomorrow. All reading and reviews will be done by Friday. I got a little behind because I had 2 pulled (wisdom) yesterday. Anesthesia made me sooo sleepy!

[Jodie]

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Date Read: 20th/21st June 2012
Book Shelf Bingo: Free Choice
Rating: *** 3.5 Stars

What kind of cliff hanger ending was that? Arghhhhhh, gawd, I’m dying here. My fingers ache from clinging to the pages, my head is pounding from the adrenaline from that final chase and my heart is sore…for Alex.

It took me a good 180 pages to get into the story. I considered putting it down and picking something up a little more interesting. Something with a kick ass heroine, a sexy sarcastic hero and lots of sass, drama and action, but I didn’t. I figured that 45,353 odd people had rated it and with an average of 4.07 stars, the majority enjoyed it, I could at least finish it.

The beginning was slow. So slowwww. I felt that Lena was almost like a robot. She didn’t think for herself, was scared of thinking for herself. She was grey like her favorite colour. Nothing she thought, said or did was noticeable. She just blended in. I started to get into this dystopian world once she was bitten by a psycho flesh loving dog. It was enough to wake her up & smell the dog poop. Open her eyes to colour. Life in Portland was built on a lie. Everything she had thought she knew. Lie. Love a disease? Lie.

Enter Alex. Swoooon. With hair the colour of autumn leaves he swept Alex off her feel and opened her eyes to the weird ass community they lived survived in. He made her reconsider her fear of love and the pain it would bring. To me, Alex was fearless. Brave. And selfless.

A lot of the book was world building and I have mentioned before, sometimes it gets a little bit boring for me. I can only read so many adjectives sentence after sentence before my eyes start to glaze over. Fortunately the second half of the book redeemed it for me. I didn’t want to put it down, I wanted to know more about the new Lena, learn more about Alex and bask in that easy friendship that Lena & Hana shared. I wanted to hear Gracie talk & talk and talk. I wanted to find Lena’s mum and hug her and ease her pain, if only for a minute. I wanted so many things.

In the end…I got heartbreak, and a massive big stupid ending which makes me wanna cry. I know it’s probably not what everyone is thinking, but I also know that it is going to get a hell of a lot worse before it gets better. If you know what I mean. *Cough* for Alex *Cough*

I really want to go straight onto Pandemonium, but from the reviews I have scoured, I know that one ends on an even bigger cliffy and I just don’t think my heart could take that right now. So until February 2013…

“I love you. Remember. They can not take it.”

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Lovely review Jodie ;)

[Vivian]

Another great review Jodie! I have Delirium on my Kindle, and it sounds good, but cliffhangers and slow starts aren't high on my list right now. I'm trying to get myself to read Kushiel's Dart, but everyone keeps talking about the first 40 chapters (about 40%) being a slow start and it's really not motivating.

And ladies, it's the first week, so absolutely no hurry or stress to finish the books immediately. We've got plenty of time :)

[~Leslie~]

6/20/12 ***1/2 stars
Free Space Shelf

Review:
I've heard such amazing things about this series and I was really excited to start this. The beginning was slow and difficult to get into and Rachel Morgan was so annoying. She appeared to be a very immature character and I just couldn't get handle on her at all. Once I started thinking of this as YA, it got better. I also was confused by Ivy, was it a sexual thing with her or was she just hungry. Still not sure. All the characters are very complex and not easy to get a handle on. Except the pixie Jenks - he is a wonderful character! The world building however was quite amazing and the action really picks up towards the middle of the book. I do prefer to have some hint of romance, and this had very little - actually quite non-existent. But the intensity of all the relationships made up for it and I know this is normal for UF. I am definitely interested to read the next one in the series and see where the author goes with all this.

[Leah]

I totally agree with your review Leslie, that's exactly how I felt when I read Dead Witch Walking. The series does get better (romance plotlines are added in), but I can't say that Rachel really gets any less immature, at least not until late late in the series, like maybe book seven or so?
Having said that, the side characters are likable enough that I kept reading. I love Jenks too, I wish I had a pixy of my own ;)

[~Leslie~]

My problem with YA is that I live it and I've never been one to deal with whininess (sp?). I have 4 kids - 23,22, 19 and 17. Three of them girls. My mom style is definitely more of the "get over yourself" than the "oh you poor dear". And that's how I feel when I read angst filled characters. But I did like it enough to keep reading. Other people have said that it gets so much better. And I thought Jenks was the sexiest character in the book - so sad! Though I was sort of intrigued by Trent as well (I think I have a thing for bad boys!).

[Vivian]

I've never thought of this book as YA, but I haven't read it so not sure if it gives off that vibe. Is it just because Rachel is immature?

[Leah]

I didn't think of them as YA when I read them, but Rachel is definitely an immature character....

[~Leslie~]

I don't think it is YA, but that's how I thought of it in order to deal with her "voice". She just drove me crazy. First person is not my favorite and so much UF uses it. I struggle with it, sometimes. I would recommend you read it, Vivian. It definitely has merit and is quite enjoyable.

[Leah]

Finished my ya-paranormal book! :) Review below:


Book: White Cat by Holly Black
Date Read: 21-Jun-12
Rating: ****

Loved this young adult read, the world that Holly Black has built really grabbed my attention. Basically, there are people in the world known as curse-workers, who can manipulate your feelings or luck, or hurt you or transform you, just by making skin to skin contact. Our hero, Cassel, comes from a family of con-artist workers who primarily work for the mob.

Cassel has spent his life regretting and reliving one terrible day when he killed his best friend Lila. He doesn't remember why he did it, just that he did.

This book was filled with twists and turns. You get the impression throughout the book that nobody is to be trusted. I enjoyed Cassel's viewpoint, although I have to say he didn't have a ton of character. He was a little bit of a generic young-adult voice.

Having said that, I felt like the interesting plotline and the creative worldbuilding really made up for it. I was always invested in the plot, and I found the idea of magical con artists very fascinating.

I will try out the next one in this series!

[~Leslie~]

Nice review, Leah! A good friend of mine is obsessed with Holly Black and really wants me to read her. Maybe I'll start with this.

[Vivian]

It's only week one and so many books I want to read. I do have the Harrison book somewhere, but it never makes it to the top of the pile. I've actually started it twice but never gotten past the first couple chapters. One day, I keep telling myself.

White Cat sounds good. I've never read Holly Black either, but know she has fans around here.

[Debbie's Spurts (D.A.)]

Leslie wrote: "Dead Witch Walking...
I've heard such amazing things about this series and I was really excited to start this. The beginning was slow and di..."

A Team 16 person here trolling around to find more books for TBR pile...read all of series published to date and want to add that there is lots more Jenx, more Trent, and more romance later in series. The Ivy sex vs. hunger resolves. And more worldbuilding with more about races inhabiting, including the vampires, pixies, witches and other paranormalsI don't remember first book dealing much with.

Not at all a YA series; but, writing as Dawn Cook, Harrison has some very good YA series firmly in the traditional Fantasy genre so could explain why her books on shelf (but not explaining 50 shades or Anita Blake volumes....)

[Leah]

Thanks for the info Debbie! I've read all the Hollows series too and I enjoy them.

White Cat was a good read, I'd definitely recommend it. A very quick read too, I finished it in one night, no problem.

[~Leslie~]

YA Paranormal Shelf 6/22/12 **** stars

The first time I started this book I DNF and I'm not sure why. I have now finished it and I have to say that I loved it. What a wonderfully creative, impressive world the author has created. Alexia Tarabotti is such a wonderfully different type of heroine. And Maccon, Earl of Woolsey is a wonderfully different hero. The action is brisk and well described, the characters are intriguing and very well developed. From the opening scene, where she kills a rogue vampire with her hatpin, we learn that Alexia is a force to be reckoned with. Lord Maccon, a werewolf who is also in charge of the agency overseeing all supernatural affairs, doesn't know quite what to make of her. He is both fascinated and annoyed. As the storyline progresses - rogue werewolves and vampires are disapearing - so does their relationship. My only complaint is that after investing so much time in the two of them, we are eventually locked out of the bedroom. This is annoying. But other than that, this is a wonderful steam punk adventure, full of all the gadgets and alternate explanations that make this genre so much fun. I'm so glad I revisited this book!

[Leah]

I went back and forth on liking and disliking Soulless when I read it. I tend to have more trouble connecting with characters in the steam punk genre. I think maybe this is because the writing tends to be a bit more formal?

Glad you finished it up this time though! :-)

[~Leslie~]

Leah wrote: "I went back and forth on liking and disliking Soulless when I read it. I tend to have more trouble connecting with characters in the steam punk genre. I think maybe this is because the writing tend..."

I usually love steampunk. I think I had problems with it because there was a lot of dialogue. I have problems with books do that. I think that's why I'm not crazy about chick lit. And there were things about Soulless that bugged me, but much better this time around!

[Leah]

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Week 2: favorite-series


Lisa - Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris - Review (June 26) - ★★★
Leslie - Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh - Review (June 27) - ★★★★★
Vivian - Grimspace by Ann Aguirre - Review (July 6) - ★★★★
Jodie - Anew by Chelsea Fine - Review (June 26) - ★★★★★
Leah - Red Glove by Holly Black - Review (June 27) - ★★★ and a half



Date Stamp Awarded: July 7

--------------------------------------------------

[Leah]

New shelf ladies, I posted the link above! Keep in mind even though this shelf is called favorite-series, you have to pick a book from the shelf linked above (you can't just choose one of your favorite series if it's not listed on the shelf).

I am off for the night, which means I will probably decide which book I am going to read tomorrow!!

Happy Reading Everyone!!

[Vivian]

I'm going to attempt Kushiel's Dart. I've heard it's slow going in the beginning, so will probably take me a while to get through it.

[Lisa]

Hi team six. Sorry for the silence all week but It's been busy. Good news is I got both of my books finished. Bad news is that I just typed out one of my reviews and then there was an error while posting it and it's gone. So - I'll try again in the morning because I'm ready to chuck this thing off of my deck!

PS.. reviews have been great. Lots of new books to be added to my list.

[~Leslie~]

I'll be reading for this shelf.

[Vivian]

Oh no Lisa! It's so frustrating to type up a review/post and it disappears with an error. Yay for finishing both books though, can't wait to hear your thoughts :)

Leslie, have fun with the psy-changlings! That's another series I keep meaning to continue. I've only read the first one, but really liked it.

[Jodie]

I can't decide. Tossing up between or or . They all look awesome. Will decide today hopefully.

Ps Am enjoying these reviews ladies!

[Leah]

I've tried none of those Jodie so I can't help you out with a recommendation ;-)

Awesome shelf call for me though - I'm going to move right on from White Cat to the next book in the Curse Workers series, Red Glove. I hope it's as good as the last one!

Awesome reviews ladies!!!!!

[~Leslie~]

Jodie - Surrender by Pamela Clare is very good. I'm reading the second one in the series this month. And Vivian - the Psy Changeling series is one of my favorites! I love Nalini Singh and her worldbuilding.

[Vivian]

I agree Leslie. I was really impressed by the psy-changeling world.

[Jodie]

Hello ladies!

I just checked out Surrender by Pamela Clare and starting that this week, but for this weeks shelf, I have decided on .

I can't wait to share my review with you :)

Happy reading!

[Jodie]

Bookshelf Bingo: Favorite-series
Date Read: 26th June 2012
Rating: ***** 5 Shiny Stars!

I don’t know how to get across how much I loved this book. It was made of pure awesome with a side of awesomesauce. I just don’t know where to start. I have so many words…

I loved everything about it. It had mystery, romance, drama and the snarky witty banter – my favorite ingredient. I am not going to go into the details of the book, as I'm sure plenty of reviews already have, I am only going to tell you it was fantastic!

This book had me spluttering and laughing out loud right from the first page and held my interest right until the very last page and beyond. The paranormal aspect different to all the rest. There were no weres, no vamps and no fae. The love triangle was different to the rest – so well done and interesting, and the characters were brilliant and funny. With real personalities.

“She reached for her sunglasses – a universally accepted form of disguise-and started her engine.”

I think it was the relationships that breathed so much life into the story. May it be the relationship between Heather and Scarlet or between Gabriel and Tristan. They were fun and funny and I wanted to be friends with them.

“It’s not a shirt, it’s a curtain. You look like a bad set of drapes from the 70s. But, no worries! Tomorrow, I will make sure you look stunning. Now,” Heather began with a crooked smile, “let’s go watch grown-ups run laps and pass the baton of saliva.”
Wonderful.
Let the retching begin.

At first I laughed so frequently at Scarlet’s thoughts and wittiness and settled in thinking that it was going to be a fun fluffy read, and it was, but it was so much more as well. I adored Ms Fine’s voice. It was funny and fresh and she didn’t use big words that I had to dig out the dictionary to get. The characters were exactly how I was when I was in high school. All w-t-h & b-t-w. Awesome.

“What’s the point of life is you live only to die? If I have no past, and I probably won’t have a future, then I have no real…meaning. Right? What’s the point of all that?”
Tristan was silent for a few moments, looking at the leaves before them. “Life isn’t about the past and the future. It’s about today.” He paused. “It’s about five minutes from now and two seconds ago. It’s about moments, you know? Not years. Years aren’t what define us.”

Nawwwww, anyways, if you are looking for a fun read with sexy love interests, witty banter coming out the ying yang and a bit of mystery you need to pick up this book. It is going on by bestest-ever shelf & I only wish I could give it 6 shiny gold stars!

I am off to start Awry and am super dooper excited…I’m coming Tristan :D

Ps I think I know who’s a baddie!

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Wow Jodie, it sounds really good :)

[Jodie]

It was Sandra, it wasn't really deep or thick with mystery, it was just a really quick, easy, fun read with characters who make you laugh. I really enjoyed it. I had to go quite a few pages in to find it on the shelf, but it was so worth it...

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Sounds like I better check it out. LOL.

[Lisa]

Hi Team Six. Sorry for the delay. We enjoyed a Summer storm on Sunday and we are just getting our power back. It's been a long haul. I'm going to work on my reviews now... Don't get too excited! My reviews will pale in comparison. Your reviews have been great. Jodie, I can't wait to read Anew. My New Years Resolution was to read at least 15 "Classics" that I should have read in school but didn't. After a big dry read - I like a light and funny book.

My choice for this week Favorite Series was:
Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris

[Lisa]

Bookshelf Bingo: YA Paranormal
Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Laini Taylor

So listen, I LOVED THIS BOOK. All caps because I mean it. I didn't want to read another YA book but so glad that I did. Had I read it when I was younger..lets say 15 or 17 I would have begged my mom to dye my hair blue and I'd be wearing a wish bone right now. (I may have checked EBay) I would have read and reread this book until I could perform it (Hello, Outsiders anyone? Showing my age?).

Here is what I loved. I loved that it was set in a place not often used as a romantic setting. I loved that the writing was vivid. It was descripive without being tedious. I loved that the characters were whole and not just casually mentioned. Each character had a quality that you could identify with. It was Charming. A modern fairy tale. A tale about identity, family, first love, wishes, goulash and teeth.

Here is what I hated. I hated the end. Not that I need a tidy happy ending but I feel like my Dad just walked in and turned the TV off saying "Movies over. Time for bed." For me it just sorta stopped instead of ended. Perhaps it is because I could have kept reading for days. I was so relieved to find out that the second book is due out soon.

I give it 4 big blue tatoo stars!

[Lisa]

Bookshelf Bingo: Free Space
Hexed
Kevin Hearne

Somehow I missed book two while reading this series. I never like to read out of order. I'm also one of those people who finishes one thing at a time on her plate before starting another. Needless to say it pained me to read book two after the last (4 or 5?). While this wasnt my favorite in the series it was still well worth the time.

One of the many things about this series that I really like is the dialogue. Super funny, smart and sarcastic. I give the author great credit for breaking down and thinking like a dog. I work with a few people from overseas and sometimes the conversations with the dog reminds me of some of the miscommunications we have about our US ways. Fantastic and fun. I almost can't get enough of those moments. Although, I thank god (any of them mentioned in this book) that my dog can not communicate what is happening around here.

Secondly, I like that the books are chock full of all sorts of lore. It's a riot to imagine the different types of gods and monsters hanging around and eating fish and chips and drinking smoothies together. I especially love the moments where we bump into Jesus or Mary.

Lastly, I like that the books are not romantically driven. There is some attractions and some sex but it comes second or third to the plot. They are mostly about our hero keeping his butt in one piece while trying to maintain harmony. Lots of action - a little cartoony in the formula but still great. I can say that as the series progresses the action scenes get so much better.

All in all , I give Hexed 3 strong Sausage flavored stars!

[Lisa]

Bookshelf Bingo: Favorite Series
Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse)
Charlaine Harris

Although I see that this book got lots of negative feedback and it apprears that this series is not beloved among the serious PR and Fantasy readers - I liked it.

I won't deny being a bit glad that some of the fearie business seems to have come to an end. I do appreciate that we have a concrete end and that we have not been allowed to presume what has happened. I just hate that. I think that so many writers are afraid to kill off or do something unpopular to a popular character. Not this author. She has a story and she's telling it.

I have really liked all the sookie novels and this one stood up with the best of them but I will agree that it seems to be a set up novel. In this book, lots of things and people have come to an end or a final cross road and I think things are becoming a bit more black and white for Sookie. I believe that she has finally made some good decisions. I can't wait for the next book.

I give Deadlocked 3 twinkly fearie lit stars.

[Leah]

Way to go ladies, I requested our first stamp!

I'm just working on my favourite-series book. I'll get around to my Free Space book too, but no pressure here until at least the fourth week.

Love your reviews Lisa, especially your rating descriptions ;-)

[Steph, Serious series addict]

CONGRATULATIONS, GMBF6!
You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'young-adult-paranormal'.

[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]

Good Job!! :D