Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Thank you, Judithe and Steph!!

Wow that new card has awesome placement for us for the shelves already called! :)

For Immortals I'm reading Phantom Shadows. I started it last night but didn't get a chance to post.

I finished Imitation in Death and I'll have my review up in a few minutes. I think that will be our first stamp!

by J.D. Robb
Shelf: Futuristic Romance
Date Finished: 3/14/18
Rating:****
Review:

I'm having an "it's not you it's me" moment with this series so I'm probably rating it slightly higher than my actual enjoyment level. Here's the issue, there's a lot I love about this series and this book has it in spades. Eve & Roarke and the found family that the create around them. The Eve/Peabody banter was especially good but Roarke and Eve had their moments too. All the regulars are here, sometimes in smaller roles, Mavis, Mira, I've even grown to love McNabb. All of that gets a really high rating in my book.

My problem is that both the crimes and the character's backstories are so dark. And that's just not a thing I'm looking for at the moment. I've always had to space out reading these books because Eve's history is just too much for me sometimes. Combined here with the depraved and misogynistic nature of the crimes, it's wasn't a story I could sink into and "enjoy". It was good, it was riveting, I loved the parts that weren't so dark, but I just wasn't what I was looking for at this moment. Given all that, I'm still rating it highly because of the parts and the characters that I do love.

And I've fixed the spreadsheet as well :)

Thanks, Sandra!

For Week #2's Shelf - Immortals - I will be reading:

by Rebecca Zanetti
Shelf: Free Space
Date Read: 3/15/18
Rating: 3 Stars
Review: I'm still enjoying this post apocalyptic world, but wasn't quite as thrilled with the hero and heroine of this particular book. I never felt that Raze and Vinnie's chemistry was quite right together. However, Jax and Lynne from the first book were still front and center in this story, which made me a bit happier. I also liked getting to know some of the other Vanguard members a little better. Although I wasn't so keen on the chemistry, the storyline kept me glued to the book. With conflict arising between the Mercs, the cult, and the President, there was plenty of action going on. Everyone is still in a race to find the "Bunker" which hopefully will contain a cure for them all! There is definitely much more to this story, so I will be continuing with the series to see how it all ends.

Angie � wrote: "Thank you, Judithe and Steph!!"

You're welcome. Thanks again for the catch!

Angie, could you fix your link to your review (/topic/show/...) on the captain's log? Thanks!

Steph wrote: "Angie, could you fix your link to your review (/topic/show/...) on the captain's log? Thanks!"

So sorry!!! I had 2 extra " in there. It's fixed now.

No worries! Thanks!

CONGRATULATIONS, Victorious Secret!
You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'futuristic romance' and 'free space'. 

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

Good Job!! :D

Congrats on the stamp Hidden Champions!

by Dianne Duvall
Shelf: Immortals
Date Read: 3/17/18
Rating: ****
Review:

It's been a while since I read book 2 so it took me a little while to get back into the world and what was going on. These are not your typical PNR vampires and with the immortals and gifted ones too, it's a world with a lot going on. Once I got my bearing again I think I liked this one the best of the 3 I've read. I really like Melanie and Bastian, it might have even helped that I read book 2 a while ago because Bastian's past interaction with the group wasn't positive (trying to avoid spoilers for the earlier books) but it wasn't fresh for me.

I really liked that Melanie wouldn't give up on Bastian, either their relationship or his relationship with the other Immortal Guardians. He could be a bit of an ass but not in a mean or cruel way so I still liked him too. As in the first books, the banter between all the guardians is a high point and a lot of fun. I love books with a found family aspect and that's the vibe here with the group.

I need to not take as long to pick up the 4th book in the series. I need to hit the lottery or something so I have enough time.

Completion Post

Shelf called: Immortals
Book: Switched
Author: Amanda Hocking
Date Read: 3/16
1-5� rating: ★★★★�

Review:
The book was entertaining and an easy read with a unique spin on the fae. The Trylle are a tribe of Trolls! Now, remember I said "unique spin" - this isn't your Saturday morning cartoon trolls; this is a complex society with a rather complex hierarchy. And changelings! I thought changelings were of the faries, but not here!

I enjoyed the book, despite the MC, Wendy being a bit of a rich brat. There is so much going on in this story. The underlying story reminds me of the "savior" that was a part of the Once Upon a Time TV Series. I'm interested to see what happens. I will continue the series.

KarenF wrote: " by Dianne Duvall
Shelf: Immortals
Date Read: 3/17/18
Rating: ****
Review:

It's been a while since I read book 2 so it took me a little while t..."

This is a favorite series of mine...thanks for reminding me that I need to get back into it again!

Completion Post

Shelf called: Immortals
Book: Changeling
Author: Yasmine Galenorn
Date Read: 3/18/18
rating: ★★★★

Review:
I read the first book in the series awhile ago and thought it was an ok light read. The second book built on the overriding arc of the first book and I liked this one a lot better. Part of this was that I loved Delilah. She grew throughout the book and came into her own. I'll be interested to see Menolly's book next.

by Donna Grant

Shelf: Immortals
Date Read: 3/19/18
Rating: 3 Stars
Review: I had high hopes for this book because of the high rating, and the fact that it contained not just one, but three sexy immortal Highlander brothers. How could it possibly disappoint? Well it wasn't nearly as good as it should have been. The story could have been so much more than it was. The concept was great...druids, magic, dungeons, demon gods, highland warriors, castles, transformations, action, swordplay, romance, etc. The characterization was just blah. The brothers had such an intriguing history, but their characters were not fully developed. All we ever really learned about the hero Lucan is that he has a demon god inside him, hasn't left his castle for 200 years, and thinks about sex all the time. I think he and Cara had sex in just about every room of the castle. I enjoy a good sex romp scene as much as the next, but not over and over at the sacrifice of the story. There were a couple of exciting battle scenes, but they were too few and far between. I felt that most of the history and magic was just "told" to us....not much was actually "shown" to us. The ending was abrupt and felt unfinished as well (and not in an exciting cliffhanger kind of way). I'm still up in the air about whether I will give the second book in the series a try.

CONGRATULATIONS, Victorious Secret!
You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'immortals'. 

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

Good Job!! :D

Great job, all!!

And tomorrow is a new shelf!

Congrats on the stamp Hidden Champions!

New Shelf!

Shelf #3 ~ 3/21/18 ~ Part of a Series

For Shelf #3 - Part of a Series, I will be reading:

For shelf 3 - part of a series, I'm reading

For Part of a Series I'm going to read

Karen, have you read the Morganville Vampire series? Just wondering if I should read the Chicagoland Vampires series...You must like it, if you are on #13!

The Chicagoland series is good Karen. I went back and forth between that and the Love at Stake series for the Part of a Series Shelf. But I think I am going with
by Kerrelyn Sparks

It took me a while...I was so tired when I got off work last night I literally fell asleep staring at my computer looking at books to choose, lol!

Angie � wrote: "Karen, have you read the Morganville Vampire series? Just wondering if I should read the Chicagoland Vampires series...You must like it, if you are on #13!"

Ha! I do like it, it's had it's ups and downs but more ups than downs for me. And this is the last book so I have to see how it wraps up. Although there's a spin off series in the works.

I haven't read Morganville Vampires but I probably should because I've liked other Rachel Caine books.

Lisa P wrote: "The Chicagoland series is good Karen. I went back and forth between that and the Love at Stake series for the Part of a Series Shelf. But I think I am going with
[bookcover:The Vampire With the Dr..."

Love at Stake is such a good series for when you're too tired to think. :)

Completion Post

Shelf called: Shelf #3 ~ 3/21/18 ~ Part of a Series
Book: Poison Promise
Author: Jennifer Estep
Page Count: 417
Date Read: 3/22
1-5� rating: ★★★★�

Review:
Gotta love Gin! Well....not everyone, I'm sure. But I do! She and her gang are like old friends that you look forward to spending time with!

The was another fun read in the series. We got a few new things in this one - a new darker, not so nice side of Bria and a big reveal (or several small reveals, depending how you look at it) on a character that's been in the shadows for several books now. Should be very interesting for the Pork Pit Gang! Looking forward to see where this arc goes.

Guess I need to add both the Chicagoland Vampires and Love at Stake to my list - like I don't have enough on there already! :-)

by Chloe Neill
Shelf: Part of a Series
Date Read: 3/24/18
Rating; ****
Review:

This should go without saying with the 13th and final book of the series but, don't start here. The first 100 pages or so is mostly preparing for and then having Ethan and Merit's wedding. For someone who's been with the series for a while, it's a fun break. I've always loved Merit's relationship with Mallory and the other women she made friends with a Cadogan House. There's a lot of silliness and some inside jokes that will be lost on people who don't know the history of these character. For all that I enjoyed it, there's not a lot of movement in the plot in that beginning.

Once the plot gets going, it's fallout from the previous book that drives a lot of the action. Merit, Ethan and the gang have to work together to stop the destruction of Chicago. Along the way Merit also needs to pass the "test" that Gabriel had mentioned that will lead to (view spoiler)[the first vampire child (hide spoiler)]. It's got all the things I enjoy in this series, the relationships, the different kinds of magic, Merit kicking ass and a lot of snarky vampire dialogue.

I maybe wish we had gotten a glimpse into the time between the end of the story and the epilogue. But I think it does set up the spin off nicely and I'm looking forward to that when it comes out.

ompletion Post

Shelf called: Shelf #3 ~ 3/21/18 ~ Part of a Series
Book: Fit to be Tied
Author: Mary Calmes
Page Count: 228
Date Read: 3/25/18
1-5� rating: ****

Review: I always have mixed feelings about Mary Calmes. On the one hand, I love the characters for this series. I also love that it's based in the Chicagoland area, which means I'm familiar with most of the locations mentioned, which is fun. The writing always seems a bit over the time, but the love wins out so I'll definitely read the next book. I'm hoping that some of the side characters take center stage at some point.

New Shelf!

Shelf #4 ~ 3/28/18 ~ Detective

by Kerrelyn Sparks

Shelf: Part of a Series
Date Read: 3/27/18
Rating: 3 Stars
Review: So this wasn't my favorite book of the series, but still a fun read. Every time I pick up one of the Love at Stake books, I am reminded of why I like them so much. The author has such a quirky sense of humor that I find so amusing. I always find myself chuckling out loud while reading them. These books are just light and fun when you need to escape for a bit. In this book we learn a lot about Dougal Kincaid's life before he became a vampire (a Scot who can also speak Chinese...who knew). There was a lot of science in this one as well, with Dougal's new love interest (geneticist Dr. Leah Chin). Also lots of action with new friends battling old enemies in a foreign land. I also love that these books never let us forget any of the old characters, bringing them back in future books. This one in particular had quite a few in it. It's fun to get updates into their lives. Just an all around fun series!

Detective is not my favorite genre...hoping to find something I might like.

Hmm, Detective was a little rough going for me but I'm going to read

For Detective I will read

This is a hard shelf - it's not that I don't like detective books, but most of them are shelved as something else - ex detective-paranormal; etc. I did find one though

I will be reading Four to Score, provided I can get it from the library, otherwise, I will pick another.

Updated to change to

CONGRATULATIONS, Victorious Secret!
You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'part of a series'. 

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

Good Job!! :D

Congrats on the stamp Hidden Champions!

by Jasper Fforde
Shelf: Detective
Date Read: 3/31/18
Rating: ****
Review:

As with the Thursday Next series, I'm not sure these books are for everyone (humor is so subjective) but if they are for you, they're quite enjoyable. DCI Jack Spratt (yep, that one) is on the case again. This time involving Goldilocks, bears (of course), competitive cucumber growing, and the menacing criminal the Gingerbread Man (you can run as fast as you can, etc.). If that set up plus puns, wordplay and literary references on every page sound like your thing then go for it.

Personally, I love these books. I'd give a slight edge to Thursday Next but the Nursery Crimes books are good as well. This is the first one I've read in book form in stead of audio and I think I may have enjoyed it a little more. The wordplay and puns can be so rapid fire that I think I missed them in audio, whereas in book form I could re-read. The sad part is that I'm all caught up on both series and Fforde hasn't released anything in a while from what I can tell. It might be time for a re-read then.

Completion post
Shelf: Detective
Bookcover/link
Date read: 4/2/18
Rating: ****

Review: I've never been a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, so as much as I love mysteries, I wasn't sure I'd like this. Sherlock Holmes is one of the main characters. The book is based later in life for Sherlock after he has officially retired. One morning he meets a teenage girl named Mary Russell, who has much in common with Sherlock. Like him, she's very intelligent and able to deduce a story through small clues that most people would miss. She's also can be very abrasive and has little patience for those around her who are not quite as observant. Sherlock takes Mary under his wing as a non-official pupil and she becomes his assistant.

Overall, i really liked this book. I thought the mysteries in the story (there were several different cases were well-plotted. I also liked the hints that Sherlock wasn't nearly as retired as he seemed to be. Mary's adventures at school were also fun, and matched her personality. I'll keep on with the next book.

Completion Post

Shelf called: Detective
Book: The Face of Deception
Author: Iris Johansen
Date Read: 4/2
1-5� rating: ★★★★�

Review:
I don't know why I haven't picked up this book before now! It was a enjoyable read. The characters are quirky and entertaining. Eve's "interaction" with her daughter is a nice touch and helps the reader get to know Eve's back story. The story was easy to follow and the mystery wasn't obvious. Overall a very good book! I will continue to read the series.

Angie � wrote: "Completion Post

Shelf called: Detective
Book: The Face of Deception

I read several books in this series 10 - 15 years ago and it's on my list "of books i want to revisit"

Shelf: Detective
Date Read: 4/3/18
Rating: 4 Stars
Review: I wasn't sure about this book in the beginning...there is a lot going on. It feels a bit like the expression "everything but the kitchen sink" because of all the elements it contains (alternate worlds, magic, fae, dragons, vampires, werewolves, mechanical centipedes, zeppelins, etc...and I could go on and on). However, the world building worked and the story flowed very well. I found myself drawn into this strange world and enjoyed the journey. The journey revolves around a mysterious library and a librarian, Irene, who goes on missions to retrieve books from alternate worlds. Irene is a very strong, capable heroine, who always seems to somehow get the job done. This particular book takes her to an alternate London where she meets up with a man named Vale. Vale definitely has a Sherlock Holmes vibe to him and becomes very helpful in assisting Irene with her mission. I also enjoyed sidekick librarian in training, Kai, who definitely has mysteries of his own to reveal. This was a fast-paced, action-packed, fun book and I look forward to reading the next in the series.

Stamp requested for this week! Great job, everyone!!

CONGRATULATIONS, Victorious Secret!
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

New Shelf!

Shelf #5 ~ 4/04/18 ~ Demons