Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Team 4 - 4cing me to finish series

Captain: Melanie
Ariel
Celia
Shannon
Shan ~A~

(view spoiler)[
Used for the roll on 2/10 (hide spoiler)]

Bonus Points:
Earned: 1
Used: 0

Helpful Links:

Dice Roll: (2 dice on Fridays, US Central Time)
R14 SS Post Your Spot
R14 SS Discussion Thread

Time Zone Converter:

ALTERNATE LIST:
**titles exclude leading articles (a, an, the)

2. Published between 1950 and 1999
3. Title 'L'
4. Several authors
5. Cover: Green
6. Author 'Y'
7. Science Fiction
8. Title 'N'
9. Cover Item: Building
10. Author 'L'
11. Cover: Orange
12. Published 2020
13. Book with a funeral in it
14. New to You Author
15. MC travels by airplane
16. Title 'G'
17. MC has at least one child
18. Young Adult/New Adult
19. Europe
20. Author 'M'
21. Cover Item: Umbrella/Parasol
22. Non-Fiction
23. Number in the Title (Third Grave Dead Ahead or Every Fifteen Minutes)
24. Set on an island
25. Book to Movie/TV (must state how book qualifies: listopia, imdb, precis)
26. Africa
27. Title 'T'
28. Cover Item: Hands/Arms/Feet/Legs (no other body parts visible)
29. Author 'O'
30. Romance
31. Title 'Z'
32. Mystery/Thriller
33. Cover Item: Water
34. GR average rating >4.0
35. Set sometime before 1600 AD
36. MC is older than 60
37. Cover: Pink
38. Published 2001-2010
39. Set in a Fictional Location/Universe
40. Title 'E'
41. Cover: Black
42. Cover Item: Furniture
43. Published before 1950
44. Author 'D'
45. Cover Item: Mode of Transportation
46. Author 'H'
47. Title has a subtitle
48. Cover Item: Lamp/Candle
49. School/College/University
50. Author 'W'
51. Cover: Red
52. Award Winner (must state which/when)
53. South America
54. Cover Item: Dress
55. Cover: Brown
56. Re-read
57. Seasonal Theme (i.e Christmas, Halloween etc)
58. Author 'B'
59. Three Word Title (excludes articles like A, An, The) Behind Closed Doors or Etched in Bone
60. Published 2022
61. Set in a place you've visited
62. Cover Item: One person
63. Author 'R'
64. Title 'C'
65. Cover Item: Food/Drink
66. LGBTQ+
67. Cover: Blue
68. Author 'I'
69. Oceania
70. Four or More Words Title (excluding articles like A, An, The) The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet or Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
71. Favorite Author
72. Cover: Purple
73. Fantasy
74. Author 'F'
75. Title 'G'
76. Set in the future
77. Published 2011-2015
78. Cover Item: Weapon
79. Set anytime between 1600-1837
80. Published 2021
81. Cover: White
82. Cover Item: Sun/Moon
83. Author 'P'
84. Author uses their middle name/initial (e.g. Robert J. Sawyer, Rita Mae Brown)
85. Cover Item: Hat/Helmet/Other Headwear
86. Title 'J'
87. Originally published in a language other than English
88. Two Word Title (excluding articles like A, An, The) Deadly Silence, The Hunger Games
89. Cover Item: Book
90. Set anytime between 1837-1901
91. Asia
92. MC is in their 20's
93. Title 'V'
94. Cover Item: Animal
95. Book that a teammate rated 5 stars
96. Less than 100 ratings
97. Published the year you were born
98. Cover: Yellow/Gold
99. Author uses a pseudonym
100. Author 'S'
101. Title 'B'
102. North America
103. Debut Novel or Debut Author
104. Book with a wedding in it
105. Cover Item: Jewelry
106. MC has a pet
107. Set in space
108. Published 2016-2019
109. One Word Title (excluding articles like A, An, The) The Witness or Divergent
110. Title 'F'
111. MC travels by train
112. Cover Item: Two or more people

A couple of things to keep in mind:

� Communication is key. Please make sure to check in regularly with your team.

� Let your team know if it looks like you won't get your review posted by Thursday, 11:59pm. You do have all of Friday to submit your review, but it can be intensely frustrating for your captain if they don't know when or if they can expect your review before the deadline.

� If you know beforehand that you won't be able to read and review a book during a certain week, you can request a pre-arranged absence from me, either by posting the request in the discussion thread or by sending me a pm. The request has to be submitted before the team rolls for the week in question, can only be approved by me as the mod in charge of running the game, and has to state a reason for the absence. (Reasons for pre-arranged absences can include e.g. going on vacation or work trips, planned hospital stays, exam period, etc.)

� If you do not have a pre-arranged absence and won't be able to finish your book in time for an unforeseen reason, please let your team know as soon as possible. If the team has earned the free pass, it can be used to cover the missing review. Without a free pass, the team has to sit out the next roll.

� We all know that real life gets in the way sometimes, be it through family emergencies, work emergencies, natural disasters, technical problems making it impossible to get online, or in other ways. That being said, please do keep in mind that this is a team challenge and your team relies on you to do your part unless an emergency occurs.

� If you find that the pressure of keeping up with the pace of the game gets too much for you or you wish to stop playing for any other reason, you can drop out of the challenge at any time. In that case, please let your team captain and/or me know that you wish to drop out rather than just disappearing without a word so your team won't be penalized when you fail to turn in your review. Thank you!


Captain's Handbook

� The team's captain is its chief organizer. This includes rolling the dice, posting the team's new spot to the team thread and the Post Your Spot thread, collecting links to team members' review posts in a single post to be linked in the Post Your Spot thread, doublechecking that books and review posts comply with requirements, reminding team members to post their reviews in time if necessary, etc.

� The captain may delegate some tasks, such as rolling and posting the new spot to the team thread, to another team member if they so choose. (Either a designated roller who fulfills this role every week, or whichever team member is online first once rolling is possible.) Collecting reviews into a single post and posting to the Post Your Spot thread should always be handled by the captain.

� Instead of having everything handled by a single team captain, teams can also choose two co-captains to handle the workload.

� Selection posts are not strictly required by the game's rules and I won't be checking for them. It's up to the team captain to decide whether they want them.

� If the team captain requests a pre-arranged absence, it's their responsibility to arrange for another team member to step in as temporary captain.

� The team captain is my primary point of contact for the team and should allow receiving private messages.

Hi everyone, checking in!

Hi everyone! I am super excited for this round of SS. This round starts on January 27th so we don't have much time but since we do need a captain or a pair of co-captains, I don't mind helping out.

Hello!! I would rather not captain because I'm afraid I'd be too unreliable right now. :p

I'm on GR throughout the day most days so I'm happy to captain since I'm usually around. I did it last year so I, for the most part, remember what's needed.

Hi team! Just checking in.

I'm cool with you being captain Melanie since you've done it before - if you need any help or need some sort of delegation throughout the round, just let me know because I don't mind helping. I'm usually on throughout the day as well.

Hi team. Checking in.

Any preferences on a team name or are we good with just being Team 4?

I am good with Team 4 unless someone is more creative than I am! LOL

4 the win
4 the love of books
4cing me to finish series

So many puns with that number alone, come on guys

Celia wrote: "4 the win
4 the love of books
4cing me to finish series

So many puns with that number alone, come on guys"

You are way more creative than I am.

"4cing me to finish series" made me laugh, I like that one.

haha thanks.

I also like 4cing me to finish series

Even though that still may not happen

Anyone else for something other than 4cing me to finish series?

Here's our first roll of the game.

Week: 1
Previous Spot: 0
Roll: 2 + 5 = 7
New Spot: 7

You can read any of the following:
- 7th book in a series
- Alternate task 7. Science Fiction

I vote for that one as well. It made me giggle and I needed that giggle this morning. Lol

Selection Week #1

Roll: 7
Book Chosen: Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner
Task: 7th in series (FBI Profiler #7)
Pages: 389

Love that name!

Week 1 Selection Post
Roll: 2 + 5 = 7
New Spot: 7


Alpha Rush by Sue Brown
Pages: 180
Qualification: JT's Bar #7

[*book:Alpha Rush|55445467]

Week 1 ~ Selection Post
Roll: 7
New Spot: 7
Task: 7th book in a series
Book/Author: The Darkest Secret by Gena Showalter
Pages: 410
How it fits: 7th in Lords of the Underworld series

I posted the name change request in the discussion thread. I'll be reading for this week - science fiction (tagged 32x) or maybe (MPG)

Let me know if you'd prefer your team name capitalized. :)

Week 1 Completion Post
Roll: 2 + 5 = 7
New Spot: 7


Alpha Rush by Sue Brown
Pages: 180
Qualification: JT's Bar #7
Read: 1/29/23
Rating: ★★�

This one just didn't do it for me. I liked the general story enough but it probably would have helped if I'd read them in order. I didn't have a clue who any of these people were. That said, I couldn't make it though the others if they were all written with 8th graders as the MCs. I swear these guys were just ridiculous. Can't say I'm ever going to go back and read the others. Too little time, too many books!

[*book:Alpha Rush|55445467]

Week 1 Completion Post
Roll: 2 + 5 = 7
New Spot: 7

Book: by Michael Campling
Date read: 1/29/23
Pages: 225
How it fits: MPG science fiction

Rating: 2.5 stars (2 for goodreads)

Review:
Dial G for Gravity: A Brent Bolster Mystery was the first book I read in 2023 that I really didn't like. Brent is an asshole, the other characters fall flat, and they never confront the mystery head-on.

Parts of this reminded me of Hitchhiker's Guide, except written poorly. Certainly the fish and the attacks by hostile alien forces and those less so were very familiar. Brent, Maisie and Rawlgeeb seemed almost direct tie-ins to Arthur, Trillian, and Ford as well. But the thing was, while Hitchhiker's Guide was funny and never took itself seriously, Dial G for Gravity seemed to be going for dark humor exclusively, with Michael Campling not knowing how to write the genre.

Completion Post: Week 1 - Spot 7



Book: Hard Shot by J.B. Turner
How it fits?: #7 in Jon Reznick series
Date finished?: 2/1/2023
Rating: 4 Stars

Review:
Hard Shot was another amazing installment in the Jon Reznick series following Jon as he searches for a shooter targeting the NYPD.

For the Fourth of July holiday Jon Reznick visits his daughter Lauren in New York City with plans to take in a baseball game. But before the game can start, gunmen open fire on the cops outside the stadium. Jon manages to track and kill two of the shooters but the last member of the group is still at large. Believing the gunman will kill again, Jon works with the FBI to track him down before more members of the NYPD are killed. But Jon's unorthodox tactics have landed him in hot water for potentially the last time and he'll need to work fast before he's taken off this case.

The plot in Hard Shot hits the ground running and doesn't let up until the very end. The book opens with Jon and Lauren making their way to Yankees Stadium on the Fourth. Before they can fully make it inside, two snipers begin shooting at the cops stationed outside causing mass panic. Jon manages to get Lauren to safety before he tracks the men down and stops them from hurting anyone else. From there, Jon meets up with the FBI and learns the pair were part of a Neo Nazi group with this shooting likely to be only the tip of the iceberg. The plot moves quickly from there and we see Jon as he follows up on several leads to try and find the missing third man. This book takes place over the course of one day so there's very little down time which I appreciated. The ending is action-packed with just the right amount of tension to keep you guessing. I enjoyed Lauren's role in how things were wrapped up and thought the ending was well done.

Jon is a great character to follow and this book was no exception. He's good at what he does and he has no qualms about doing the hard parts that no one else wants to do. His methods have caused him issues in the past and that definitely had some affect on how this book played out. The higher ups are worried about the way Jon does things which has them questioning their whole association with him. Even Meyerstein found herself questioning the way Jon breaks the rules and how her letting him get away with it for so long has changed how she sees herself and the job. Lauren has a bigger role in this book and I liked how she reacted to everything going on. After the ending, I'm interested to see where she goes from here and I imagine we'll be seeing more of her. We only got a small scene with Jon's hacker friend which was a shame as I enjoy the pair's friendship.

Overall Hard Shot was a fantastic read and I'm looking forward to picking up the next book in the series, Hard Target, soon.

Completion Post: Week 1: Spot 7

Book: Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner
Qualification: #7 FBI Profilers
Rating: 4 stars
Date Finished: 2/1/2023
Review:

As the 7th book in the series, I love this one just as much as I loved the other ones I have read. One of the the aspects of this novel that I really enjoyed was the back and forth with the different points of views. I think it really helped moved the mystery along to see how the different people involved in the investigation were viewing and reacting to the storyline.

While the story wasn't necessarily fast paced, it was definitely engaging which made for a quick read. Lisa Gardner did a great job with characterization and does an excellent job with the twists that she incorporated into the plot line.

Week 1 ~ Completion Post
Roll: 7
New Spot: 7
Task: 7th book in a series
Book/Author: The Darkest Secret by Gena Showalter
Pages: 410
How it fits: 7th in Lords of the Underworld series
Finished: 02/02
Rating: 5 stars
Review: This one just sucked me right in from the first page. I had been highly anticipating Amun's story and I was not disappointed.

I was surprised that Haidee didn't end up with Strider from their interactions from the previous book, because I was thinking that it would turn into an enemies to lover relationship between those two, but boy I'm glad I was wrong.

Amun and Haidee were perfect for one another. The balance each other out. Gena Showalter did a good job of redeeming Haidee in my eyes, even before I found out her truth. And she continues to do an amazing job of building this weird and keeping me engaged with the other characters so that I'm left wanting more.

Week 1 Reviews: Spot 7

Melanie: Jon Reznick #7
/topic/show/...

Ariel: FBI Profilers #7
/topic/show/...

Celia: Alternate - Science Fiction
/topic/show/...

Shannon: J.T.'s Bar #7
/topic/show/...

Shan ~A~: Lords of the Underworld #7
/topic/show/...

Here's our roll.

Week: 2
Previous Spot: 7
Roll: 2 + 6 = 8
New Spot: 15

You can read any of the following:
- Standalone
- 1st book in a series
- 5th book in a series
- 15th book in a series
- Alternate task 15. MC travels by airplane

Week 2 ~ Selection Post
Roll: 8
New Spot: 15
Task: 5th book in a series
Book/Author: Timeless by Devney Perry
Pages: 184
How it fits: 5th in Lark Cove series

Week 2 Selection Post
Previous Spot: 7
Roll: 2 + 6 = 8
New Spot: 15


Boyfriend Goals by Riley Hart
Pages: 261
Qualification: Standalone

[*book:Boyfriend Goals|60527961]

Week 2 Selection Post
Previous Spot: 7
Roll: 2 + 6 = 8
New Spot: 15
Book Choice: Bait and Witch by Angela M. Sanders
Qualification: #1 in Witch Way Librarian Mysteries

Have we claimed the 2-in-1 yet? If not, my book works - selection post week 2: by Maile Meloy - book 1 and character flies in airplane

Week 2 completion post
Roll: 8
New spot: 15
Book: by Maile Meloy
Date read: 2/4/23
How it fits: Two-in-one bonus - Janie flies in an airplane to England AND #1 in The Apothecary series

Rating: 4.5 stars (5 for Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ)

Review: Here's another favorite from middle school that I never actually reread, at least not in recent years. I'm happy to say it's still a hit for me. I think sometimes later middle grade to early YA fantasy just hits different. This is the third time in the last few months that I've completely fallen into an old favorite middle grade fantasy. There's something about that genre, more than any other, that just takes me out of reality for a while.

I'm definitely going to read the second one The Apprentices soon, and then hopefully I can finally read The After-Room while it's still fresh in my mind.

Completion Post: Week 2 - Spot 15



Book: K-9 Patrol by Julie Miller
How it fits?: #1 in Kansas City Crime Lab series
Date finished?: 2/5/2023
Rating: 3.5 Stars

Review:
K-9 Patrol was a great read featuring a romance between a criminalist and the K-9 officer determined to keep her safe.

KCPD criminalist Lexi Callahan's first day as a supervisor did not go as planned. After arriving at a crime scene that's eerily similar to another she visited days earlier, Lexi begins processing only to be attacked while alone in the room. K-9 officer Aiden Murphy and his dog Blue arrive right after the attack and Aiden vows to keep Lexi safe from further harm. But as Aiden's protection brings the pair into close proximity, the feelings he has for her find their way to the surface. With Lexi's attacker still at large, Lexi and Aiden must work together to find him before it's too late.

The premise of K-9 Patrol intrigued me as while I've read a lot of suspense stories, I can't recall following a criminalist before so I was excited to see a different side of the investigations. Lexi is great at her job and I liked the scenes where we followed her processing the crime scenes or the evidence back in the lab. I also enjoyed getting to see her work with others who had other different specialties in the lab. The murders themselves were interesting and I was surprised by who the killer ended up being. The ending was well done with some great tense moments and I was happy with how everything was resolved.

Lexi and Aiden's relationship is slower to develop as the pair knew each other growing up and are hesitant to change things. I liked seeing them work through their changing feelings and that they didn't jump straight into being together. But when their romantic relationship does finally develop, it's very well done and I really enjoyed the scenes. There were a few moments where Aiden got a little too overprotective for my liking but I liked that he acknowledged when he did that and apologized for his actions.

Overall K-9 Patrol was an enjoyable read and I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series, Decoding the Truth, soon.

Just checking in, Shan ~A~, Shannon, & Ariel: how are your books coming?

Seeing your comment has reminded me to post my reselection post since I decided to switch my book.

Reselection: Week 2

Previous Spot: 7
Roll: 2 + 6 = 8
New Spot: 15
Book: Ghosting: A Love Story
Author: Tash Skilton
Qualification: Standalone.

Completion Post: Week 2

Book: Ghosting: A Love Story
Author: Tash Skilton
Qualification: Standalone
Date Finished: 2/8
Rating: 5 stars
Review:

This was such a unique take on a modern day romantic comedy. I absolutely adored both of the main characters and find Zoey and Miles such a sweet match.

I think one of the aspects of the novel that I enjoyed the most was that the authors did a good job at setting up characters to root for while also acknowledging that everyone has flaws. The main characters were quirky and weren't perfect which was endearing to read through their story of figuring their loves out. The story was a little slow but I kind of enjoyed the way that it a bit to build up to the romance reveal and such.

Zoey and Miles are both ghostwriters for a romance match company (which was an intriguing job in and of itself). I think that shows they both believe in this love while also knowing their own lives are up in flames. The story goes through them figuring that out while also learning that life is very unpredictable - which in 2023 is very relatable.

Week 2 ~ Completion Post
Roll: 8
New Spot: 15
Task: 5th book in a series
Book/Author: Timeless by Devney Perry
Pages: 184
How it fits: 5th in Lark Cove series
Rating: 3 stars
Review: I have to confess that I didn't read what the book was about before I decided to read it. I saw Devney Perry and Lark Cove, so I was sold.

With that being said, I read the prologue and made an assumption about who the story was going to be about and got super excited only to be let down (just a little) when I realized I was wrong. My fault, not Devney Perry's.

Anyway, I thought the story was a good edition to this series. Not the best, but definitely worth the read.

I couldn't exactly relate to Aubrey on the financial scale, but I completely understood her distrust in people's motives, especially after she'd been put through so much for people trying to use her for either her money, family connections, or both.

I liked Landon, and his subtle approach to allowing Aubrey to get comfortable with him, but I must say it was kinda boring.

Overall, it was a nice venture back into this series and I'm hoping that ending is leading somewhere.

I messaged Shannon a few hours ago but haven't heard back yet. But we still have 6 hours until the deadline to check in and roll, so there's still time.

If for whatever reason she doesn't check in, we can use our free pass so we can still roll. I'll wait until around 15 minutes before deadline before I do that.

Melanie wrote: "I messaged Shannon a few hours ago but haven't heard back yet. But we still have 6 hours until the deadline to check in and roll, so there's still time.

If for whatever reason she doesn't check in..."

ðŸ·ß🾶

Week 2 Reviews: Spot 15

Melanie: Kansas City Crime Lab #1
/topic/show/...

Ariel: Standalone
/topic/show/...

Celia: The Apothecary #1 - Bonus: 2 in 1 - MC travels by airplane
/topic/show/...

Shannon: N/A
No review, using Free Pass to cover.

Shan ~A~: Lark Cove #5
/topic/show/...

Here's our roll.

Week: 3
Previous Spot: 15
Roll: 2 + 4 = 6
New Spot: 21

You can read any of the following:
- Standalone
- 1st book in a series
- 2nd book in a series
- 21st book in a series
- Alternate task 21. Cover Item: Umbrella/Parasol

Selection Post: Week 3

Previous Spot: 15
Roll: 2 + 4 = 6
New Spot: 21
Book: Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller
Author: Meredith Ireland
Qualification: Standalone