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Team #13
Captain: Marisa

Members:
Marisa
Jackie
Victoria

Just a Hop, Skip & Click Away
Happy Reading!

Shelf Announcements ~ Check for the latest shelf announcement & review the requirements for each shelf
Captain's Log ~ Share team shelf stats prior to requesting a stamp
Stamp Me! ~ Request a stamp for your bingo card
Discussions ~ Throughout the game, head here to chat with other players & shelf chant til your heart's content
Bingo Rules ~ Rules of the game
Free Space Rules ~ Where to look when pickin' your free space book
Bingo FAQ ~ Don't hesitate! If you have a question, let us know.

Hiya, Team Caps! Thanks for volunteering to guide your team through a round of BookShelf Bingo!

Your job, should you choose to accept it, will require a few things:
1 ~ Be our go-to person should we have any questions about your team
2 ~ Organize your teammate's weekly reads for each shelf/category so that the BSB Ninjas can quickly and easily verify and approve your stamp request(s)
2a ~ Create a master list in a post (preferably on the first page of your team's thread) and update it weekly or as often as necessary
2b ~ Post your team's stats on the Captain's Log prior to requesting a stamp
3 ~ Encourage and motivate your team (you may also ask to borrow Judithe's whip whenever necessary)
4 ~ Post regularly to ensure your team is communicating and on track each week
4a ~ Send them a PM and friendly poke if they haven't posted at least once a week, noted their book choice, and/or appear to have dropped out of webspace
5 ~ Send us a PM (Steph, Sandra or Judithe) should you need us for any reason throughout the game

Link to print a copy of your bingo card:

...

Hi team!

Hello! My name is Marisa and I live in Spain, so expect different hours ;)

Gooooodmorning to you both :D
I live in Belgium, Marisa, so we're in the same timezone (CEST).

Does anyone want to be captain? If not, I'm always willing to do it (only if no one else wants to).

And hmm... what about names?

Hi Victoria, good to know it, I'm usually who is out of rhythm with the bingo ;)

I don't mind to be captain if nobody is interested, but nothing else.
And.. about name... sorry, very bad...

I'm in the US in North Carolina so I'm in a different time zone.

Also willing to be captain if necessary. I was on a #13 team a couple of Bingos ago and we used the name Baker's Dozen.

I like Baker's Dozen, really.

I'm not very creative when it comes to names. :)

Hmm, as it has been used a few rounds ago, maybe switch it up? (as not to cause confusion if the other members are also playing this time hihi)
I'll check for some names in an hour or so, but let's keep Baker's Dozen as a backup :)

Also, who will be the captain of the 2 of you? ;)

Okay, here's a couple:

Lucky Ladies
Not on My Watch

Oh I like those!!! What do you think Marisa?

I like both but more "Not on my Watch" (and Jackie, you're much more creative than me).

And, if you want, I can be the captain, it doesn't matter (as I've seen somebody stepping back ;) )

Free Space

Jackie:
Marisa: Ice Cold Heart by P.J. Tracy (03/05/2023 - 📚📚📚📚½) Review
Victoria: Archangel's Heart by Nalini Singh



Shelf 1: Detective (Stamped) (Week Summary)

Jackie: Cold Days by Jim Butcher (30/04/2023 - 📚📚📚📚) Review
Marisa: The Entity Game by Lisa Shearin (30/04/2023 - 📚📚📚📚½) Review
Victoria: Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire (29/04/2023 - 📚📚📚📚) Review

Shelf 2: May Day (Stamped) (Week Summary)

Jackie: Private by James Patterson (06/05/2023 - 📚📚📚) Review
Marisa: Tuesday's Child by Dale Mayer (06/05/2023 - 📚📚📚📚½) Review
Victoria: Frostbound Throne: Song of Night by May Sage (11/05/2023 - 📚📚📚📚) Review

Shelf 3: Cozy Mystery (Stamped) (Week Summary)

Jackie: Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano (17/05/2023 - 📚📚📚📚) Review
Marisa: Four Charming Spells by Lynn Cahoon (25/05/2023 - 📚📚📚📚) Review
Victoria: A Spell of Trouble by Leighann Dobbs (18/05/2023 - 📚📚📚) Review

Shelf 4: Fae (Stamped) (Week Summary)

Jackie: Skin Game by Jim Butcher (30/05/2023 - 📚📚📚📚) Review
Marisa: Of Shadow and Ash by Dana Marie Bell (28/05/2023 - 📚📚📚📚) Review
Victoria: Of Mist and Shadow by Jenna Wolfhart (29/05/2023 - 📚📚📚) Review

Shelf 5: Beware of Bears (Stamped) (Week Summary)

Jackie: Cursor's Fury by Jim Butcher (30/05/2023 - 📚📚📚📚) Review
Marisa: Bear Naked by Dana Marie Bell (01/06/2023 - 📚📚📚📚) Review
Victoria: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (06/06/2023 - 📚📚📚½) Review

Shelf 6: Magical Realism (Week Summary)

Jackie:
Marisa:
Victoria:

Reserved

Marisa wrote: "I like both but more "Not on my Watch" (and Jackie, you're much more creative than me).

And, if you want, I can be the captain, it doesn't matter (as I've seen somebody stepping back ;) )"

Not me, I found it online. :)

Thanks for being captain, Marisa.

Thanks Marisa for taking on the role!! :D
Not on my Watch it is then!!
Soo looking forward to this round with you both, happy reading!

Team name added, and I've let Steph know you're the Captain, Marisa.

Shelf #1 ~27 April: Detective
DIRECT LINK(s) ~ a character who is a detective or police officer; series or title contains “Detective�� -or- Paranormal Detective/Detectives

Jackie, they are 2 different links not the same one. Detective & Detectives. Just so you're aware, as they have some different books.

Sandra wrote: "Jackie, they are 2 different links not the same one. Detective & Detectives. Just so you're aware, as they have some different books."

Thanks, Sandra! I missed that.

You're welcome.

Sandra wrote: "Team name added, and I've let Steph know you're the Captain, Marisa."

Thank you, Sandra.

Shelf 1: Detective

Jackie: Cold Days by Jim Butcher (30/04/2023 - 📚📚📚📚) Review
Marisa: The Entity Game by Lisa Shearin (30/04/2023 - 📚📚📚📚½) Review
Victoria: Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire (29/04/2023 - 📚📚📚📚) Review



Summary Post

Just a comment: I don't usually do selection post... as I usually in the end never read the book I've selected..... :( And for this week theme, the options already in my book are a lot... as I love romantic suspense.

Selection post ~ week 1 ~ Detective
Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
346 pages

Selection post ~ week 0 ~ Free Space
Archangel's Heart by Nalini Singh
381 pages
How it fits: nr 8 on the PNR list

Selection Post
Shelf #1 ~27 April: Detective

Book: Cold Days
Author: Jim Butcher
Pages: 515
How it fits: On Paranormal Detective list

Completion Post
Shelf 1: Detective
Book: The Entity Game by Lisa Shearin
Pages: 239
How it fits: The main character is a psychometric detective
Read: 30/04/2023
Rating: ★★★★½



Review

Thank you for getting this book out of my TBR! As the pile morphs in a K8, books have problem to go out of it. This book has been there for a long time, but this shelf threw it out. I've really enjoyed: almost a spy book, although with some humorous touchs (talk, dark and limb) as you can expect from Lisa Shearin. Interesting plot, with some red herrings, you have totally suspend the rationality, but it's totally worth of it. And I've gone to her blog and she's writing the second one!

Completion Post ~ week 1 ~ Detective

Book: Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
Pages: 346
Read: 29/04/2023
Rating: ★★★★

Review: (sorry it's kinda long lol)

I've had this book on my tbr pile for 4 years, and I've finally managed to read it, yay :D
It's been a looooong time since I've read a real, honest to god, urban fantasy, and it actually makes me want to reread Dresden as well :D
So many books, so little time...

Worldbuilding:
The book's prologue really sets the tone for the story, and we're thrown right into the action.
Apart from some flashbacks here and there, we remain in present-day San Fransisco with the occasional hop into Faerie. There is a lot of information in this first book of the series, no surprise there. Still, there wasn't any dreaded information dump but rather a more continuous information gathering.
The scenes and settings were well-written en detailed enough.

Character development:
October 'Toby' Daye is a changeling. Her mother is fae, and her father is a human. She was a P.I. and a knight in the service of her liege before unfortunate events (I'm not spoiling!) caused her to turn her back on the fae world. Unfortunately, the fae are not done with Toby yet, and she is set with the task of solving the murder of a friend.
While she may not like the fae overly much (some exceptions, of course), I do feel that a 'normal' life was never in the cards for her (I mean, working in the 7/11 aint all that).
She has a good head on her shoulders, quickly feels responsible for those she cares about, and doesn't give up (even if it would be so much easier just to let go). I look forward to seeing her grow and finding her place in the rest of the series!
Devin, her old lover. She grew up at his feet, became his lover, and left him for a human in the end. Now he is back at her side, wanting to pick up where they left off and help her solve the mystery of her friend's murder.
Tybalt, the King of the Cait Sidhe. I really liked Tybalt, and if there was any romance in the series, I hope he is the guy/fae/cat Toby goes for. At the start of the book, however, they have a whole distrust/hate thing going on... so it might take a while :D
Sylvester, Luna, Lilly, Connor, Dare, Manuel, Quentin,... I could go on and on about all the characters that we encounter (and I hope we will read about them a lot more), but I'd be here for hours more :D But I can say this: all characters feel alive, with hopes and dreams, machinations and motives. Some are good, some are absolutely not, and most are still in the grey zone where they stand in the grand scheme of things (will we ever know, though?). They have genuine depth to them. Superb writing!

Pacing and flow:
It took me a while to get into the story, but as soon as I did, it gripped me and wouldn't let me go until the end... kinda like the curse Toby got stuck with (less lethal, though, lol).
Outstanding balance between all the conversations and action.

The book:
The book was well written with no (noticeable) errors. There is a tad of romance and a little sexual tension, but no sex described in the book (if that is important to you).
The book has 346 pages, but that is with a prequel novella "Strangers in Court" included. The story itself is 264 pages long, spread over 27 chapters, and is told from Toby's point of view.

Final thoughts:
This was the first book I've read by the author, and I was pleasantly surprised! As I said at the start of the review, it's been a long time since I've read a pure urban fantasy novel, and it reminded me why I love this genre so much. The magic, the mystery, and all that in our present-day lives... I mean... what if, you know?
I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

Completion Post
Shelf #1 ~27 April: Detective

Book: Cold Days
Author: Jim Butcher
Pages: 515
How it fits: On Paranormal Detective list
Date read: 4/30/23
Rating: 4 stars

Review: This was another enjoyable book in the Dresden Files series. After making a deal that restores him to life and health and adds some supernatural abilities, Harry is sent by Mab on his first mission - to kill an immortal. Not an easy task, huh? After being presumed dead and away from his friends for months, Harry returns to the world and reunites with them. As always, they're willing to risk their lives to help Harry. At the same time, Harry learns of a threat to the area that would potentially kill millions. So he and his friends have their hands full. I love the fact that all the old characters are in this story and really enjoyed the book.

Well, we have requested our first stamp :)

CONGRATULATIONS, Not on My Watch!
You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'detective'. 

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

Good Job!! :D

Thank you, Steph!

Welcome!

Congratulations Watchers!

Thank you, Sandra!

Shelf #2 ~ 4 May: May Day
DIRECT LINK(s) ~ book released in May of any year; character, title or series name contains "May"; author first or last name begins with M or D

Shelf 2: May Day

Jackie: Private by James Patterson (06/05/2023 - 📚📚📚) Review
Marisa: Tuesday's Child by Dale Mayer (06/05/2023 - 📚📚📚📚½) Review
Victoria: Frostbound Throne: Song of Night by May Sage (11/05/2023 - 📚📚📚📚) Review



Summary Post

Selection post ~ week 2 ~ May Day

Frostbound Throne: Song of Night by May Sage
266 pages
How it fits: author's first name begins with M

Selection Post
Shelf #2 ~ 4 May: May Day

Book: Private
Author: James Patterson
Pages: 385
How it fits: First published May 27, 2010

Completion Post
Shelf 2: May Day
Book: Tuesday's Child by Dale Mayer
Pages: 326
How it fits: Author's first name begins with D and author's last name begins with M
Read: 06/05/2023
Rating: ★★★★½



Review

This is another book which has sat in my pile for a loong time. It's a bit gory that other books, and the psychic side is totally scary, but I've liked the story and the relationship between the characters (and the heroine with her surroundings and neighbors). The culprit was unexpecte for me, and it hardly appears (with name in the book). I've enjoyed a lot the book and I'll keep on reading the series.

Completion Post
Free Space
Book: Ice Cold Heart by P.J. Tracy
Pages: 330
Option: 2 (A book within a series found on one of SOS' member-generated BEST OF lists: audiobook series)
Read: 03/05/2023
Rating: ★★★★½



Review

I've really enjoyed this book, the way to tie different ribbons and how the mystery evolves. Characters have changed a lot since I read the first book in Spanish, long years ago, but this growth has sat well on them, I think. The plot and the mystery are gory/hard, as usual, but it's interesting and well developed. It's the last published book in the series but there are previous one I've got to read, so I'll enjoy it ;)

Well, summaries updated and pending review posted, so I'm goog to go till any other review appears in the thread ;) Congrats to the mothers today (Mother's Day at Spain)

Hope you had a great Mother's Day yesterday Marisa! :D

Just a quick heads-up, I'm moving this weekend so it's all pretty hectic at the moment. Will manage to read the May Day book, but I might be a bit later with the review.

Enjoy your day!

I finished my book and will do my review later tonight or tomorrow.

Happy belated Mother's Day, Marisa!

Thank you, Victoria! Thank you, Jackie! And good luck with your move, Victoria.