SOS: Serious Overload of Series discussion

Team #11
Captain: D.A. (Debbie)

Members:
D.A. (Debbie)
Mave
Alisa
Shan

Just a Hop, Skip & Click Away
Happy Reading!

Shelf Announcements ~ Check for the latest shelf announcement & review the requirements for each shelf
Free Space Rules ~ Where to look when pickin' your free space book
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 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)
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 (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 your own copy: BINGO card

...

Link to all the BINGO cards for all teams is https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
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✔FREE SPACE
Stamp Received: 4/22/2016

Alisa: The Beast by J.R. Ward, group shelves , ★★★★☆, 4/11/2016, review.
D.A.: Cast in Honor by Michelle Sagara, group shelves, ★★★☆☆, 4/4/2016, review.
Jackie: The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas, Best YA Fantasy listopia, ★★★★☆, 4/9/2016, review.
Shan: Elijah by Jacquelyn Frank, PNR listopia, ★★★★★, 4/19/2016, review.

           
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✔ALIENS Shelf
Stamp Received: 4/5/2016

Alisa: Dark Space by Lisa Henry, ★★★★★, 3/29/2016, review is here.
D.A.: Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre, ★★★★☆, 3/24/2016, review is here.
Mave: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout, ★★★★☆, 3/29/2016, review is here.
Shan: Cinder by Marissa Meyer, ★★★★★, 3/24/2016, review is here.

           
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✔GHOSTS Shelf
Stamp Received: 4/17/2016

Alisa: Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane, ★★★★☆, 4/6/2016, review is here.
D.A.: Trouble in Mudbug by Jana Deleon, ★★★½☆, 4/1/2016, review is here.
Jackie: Dead Beat by Jim Butcher, ★★★★☆, 4/2/2016, here
Shan: Eighth Grave After Dark by Darynda Jones, ★★★★★, 4/13/2016, review is here.

           
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✔GUILTY PLEASURES Shelf
Stamp Received: 5/3/2016

Alisa: Storm Front by Jim Butcher, ★★★★☆, 4/25/2016, review is here.
D.A.: The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead, ★★★☆☆, 4/7/2016, review is here.
Jackie: Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris, ★★★★☆, 4/22/2016, review is here.
Shan: The Deal by Elle Kennedy, ★★★★☆, 4/17/2016, review is here.

           
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✔STRONG HEROINE Shelf
Stamp Received: 5/3/2016

Alisa: Unholy Magic by Stacia Kane, 4/21/2016, ★★★★☆, review.
D.A.: Alanna by Tamora Pierce, ★★★★☆, 4/20/2016, review is here.
Jackie: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare, ★★★★☆, 4/28/2016, review is here.
Shan: Creed by Kristen Ashley, ★★★★☆, 4/20/2016, review is here.

           
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✔URBAN FANTASY Shelf
Stamp Received: 5/25/2016

Alisa: City of Ghosts by Stacia Kane, ★★★★☆, 4/26/2016, review is here.
D.A.: Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire, ★★★½☆, 4/23/2016, review is here.
Jackie: Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs, ★★★★☆, 5/6/2016, review is here.
Shan: The Dirt on Ninth Grave by Darynda Jones, ★★★★★, 5/1/2016, review is here.

           
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SCI-FI ROMANCE Shelf
Stamp Requested: mm/dd/yy; Received: mm/dd/yy

Alisa: Numbers by Laurann Dohner, ★★★½☆, 5/8/2016, review is here.
D.A.: Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh, ★★★★☆, 5/3/2016, review is here.
Jackie: Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb, ★★★★☆, 5/11/2016, review is here.
Shan: Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb

           

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HUNTER Shelf
Stamp Requested: mm/dd/yy; Received: mm/dd/yy

Alisa: Skinwalker by Faith Hunter, ★★★½☆, 5/17/2016, review is here.
D.A.: Archangel's Shadows by Nalini Singh, ★★★½☆, 5/5/2016, review is here.
Jackie: Curse of the Bane by Joseph Delaney
Shan: Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh, ★★★☆☆, 5/12/2016, review is here.

           

FAVORITE SERIES Shelf
Stamp Requested: 5/25/2016

Alisa: Sacrificial Magic by Stacia Kane, ★★★½☆, 5/17/2016, review is here.
D.A.: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maasm ★★½☆☆, 5/22/2016, review is here.
Jackie: The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan, ★★★☆☆, 5/21/2016, review is here.
Shan: Deacon by Kristen Ashley, ★★★★☆, 5/22/2016, review is here.

           

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SERIES TO START Shelf
Stamp Requested: mm/dd/yy; Received: mm/dd/yy

Alisa: Captive Prince: Volume One by C.S. Pacat
D.A.: Shadowland by Meg Cabotm ★★½☆☆, 5/25/2016, review is here.
Jackie: Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson
Shan: Dangerous Highlander by Donna Grant, ★★★★☆, 5/22/2016, review is here.

           

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PARANORMAL SUSPENSE Shelf
Stamp Requested: mm/dd/yy; Received: mm/dd/yy

Alisa: Mind Game by Christine Feehan
D.A.: Eternal Hunter by Cynthia Eden, ★★★☆☆, 5/29/2016, review is here.
Jackie: Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
Shan: Forgotten Sins by Rebecca Zanetti, ★★★☆☆, 6/1/2016, review https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

           

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BOOK BOYFRIENDS or the we-throw-in-the-towel Shelf
Stamp Requested: mm/dd/yy; Received: mm/dd/yy

Alisa:
D.A.: Ninth Key by Meg Cabot
Jackie:
Shan:

cover         cover     cover

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Until space needed, some potentially useful dingbats to easily copy:

✔ ✘ ♥ ♡ ★ ☆ ☺

★★★★★
★★★★☆
★★★☆☆
★★☆☆☆
★☆☆☆☆

½ ¼ ¾

™ ¢ © ® ← → ↑ ↓ Ø

Hi everyone. I'm on a family vacation and won't have Internet access again till probably Weds so I'll check back then. I'm fine w any name. I'd rather not captain as last game was my first time playing and I don't know what I'm doing yet.

Nichole wrote: ""

Hullo to you, too, team 7 team 8 competitor.

LOL

Oops, my bad. I looked at signup sheet list where she was #7 instead of the team assignment list.

Hi,
I'm Veronica, It's my first time playing so I can't be captain!

Mave wrote: "Hi,
I'm Veronica, It's my first time playing so I can't be captain!"

You can if you want to, no rule against -- it's just that usually first time players prefer not to or team voting prefers them not to.

I'm voting for Debbie to be captain. You've played the most games plus know your way around the html stuff. LOL.

OK I've PMd Shan, hopefully she pops in soon.

Hello all. Either you guys are early risers, been up all night, or live in a different time zone. The only reason I am up right now is due to the fact I had to take my daughter to meet the bus (classmates and teachers also) that will be taking them on their trip to NOLA. The had to be there at 5am and left a few minutes after 5:30am.

Anyway, I am excited to be a part of this team and this game. I have no desire to be captain, and my brain hasn't woken up enough to think of team names, but I will give it some thought and try to come back here with a few before I go to work in a couple of hours.

I'm definitely in a different time zone. LOL.

Some of your team mates are in the US & Mave is in Italy.

I figured it was just a time zone thing. Or that everyone would be checking in much closer to the shelf call. (I'm now posting 10:53 am my time zone.). Maybe team name should have a play on time zone -- zoned out, time warped elvenses, ...

Comment that used to be message #6:

"Hi! I'm Debbie.

Played a few rounds, been team captain before (no burning desire to be captain or to not be captain -- happy to let whoever wants to be captain have the job unless no one else wants it or everyone else is brand new so unsure how to make the captain posts like stamp requests). No planned away-from-computer outages where I won't be playing and checking in."

Comment that used to be message 7: team name suggestions.

The only "11" related thing sticking in my brain is a pun on "Eleventy-Won" or "a rather curious number" from The Lord of the Rings opening "Bilbo was going to be eleventy-one, 111, a rather curious number, ..." -- not married to having"11" in team name.

Previous rounds played I did want to use "The High Incredible Brain Scratchers" or "They belonged on a library shelf" from One-Eyed, One-Horned, Flying Purple People Eater song quoted under spoiler tag (view spoiler)[

"In these days of flying saucers and Sputniks
You expect almost anything to happen
The Thing, The Fly, The Mole People, The Gamma People
The Indestructible Fossil Man, The Amazing Colossal Man
The Body Snatchers, The High Incredible Brain Scratchers      <---(hmm, ...)
I was a teenage werewolf, I was a 50 foot woman!
And other unidentifiable flying objects

I dismissed them all as being science fiction
They belonged on a library shelf
But here I am facing contradiction
'cause it happened to me myself...

...One eyed flying purple people eater
One horned flying purple people eater
One eyed, one horned flying purple people eater
Sure looks strange to me...

...I said, "Mister Purple People Eater, what's your line?"
He said, "eating purple people, and it sure is fine"..." full lyrics at http://www.songlyrics.com/judy-garlan...

(hide spoiler)] -- but it's hardly a "rah rah rah" rally the troops fighting term smack talk suggestion.

Exploring goodreads quotes brings up a kajillion quotes from same handful of books with "eleven" in title, things about "eleven year olds" and these possibilities:

"Eleven on Top" been used before?

"Eleven inherent metaphoric parallels" from Firefly where River decides to "fix" Shepherd's bible?

"On a scale from one to ten" from "On a scale from one to ten, the Pack was eleven and everything else a one.” in Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews?

ETA: Judithe's spreadsheet of previous team names: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

I have been on a road trip since Sat with three kids 10 and under so my brain is FRIED right now. We just got in late last night. I promise I'll wake up and be interactive after I drink a gallon of coffee and dig my way out from under the pile of dirty laundry. :)

I like Eleven on Top and On a Scale from 1-10 for names. Both of those are cute.

D.A. (Debbie) wrote: " You can if you want to, no rule against -- it's just that usually first time players prefer not to or team voting..."

Thanks but I'm voting for you to be captain

Ooooohhhh!!!! Ooooohhhh!!!! Ooooohhhh!!!! ...less than two hours to probable shelf announcement time ...

Shelf was just announced — "aliens" at https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

Oh that's a tough start for me. I've never read any of the series on this list. Hhmm.....I'll be back in a bit once I make a decision.

Alisa wrote: "Oh that's a tough start for me. I've never read any of the series on this list. Hhmm.....I'll be back in a bit once I make a decision."

Quite a few "demon" books get shelved as aliens if that helps.

Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre is my choice for "Aliens" shelf. Actually was reading this series with a neighbor who moved and not positive where we stopped. If sounding too familiar, I'll move onto next in series which is also on aliens shelf.

Browsing that shelf almost makes me want to re-read "Little Fuzzy" or "Stranger in a Strange Land."

I will read by Marissa Meyer. Works out great since I need it for another challenge.

Cool. I was glad to see that series on the shelf.

I'll be reading Cast in Honor for the free space from group bookshelves.

Has everyone seen the shelf announcement?

Where are we on team name selection? Suggestions? Votes?

Out of the names suggested I say 11 on top.

I'm back to work and on my phone so I'll have to do links tonight but for this week's shelf, Aliens, I'll be reading Dark Space by Lisa Henry.

For my free space I'm going to read the first book in the Downside Ghosts series

Alisa wrote: "I'm back to work and on my phone so I'll have to do links tonight but for this week's shelf, ..."

Gotcha. And no time pressure (well not until we're one shelf call away from winning at least) where you have to use phones or do at work or ...

Aliens Shelf
Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre
Finished: March 24, 2016
Series: Sirantha Jax, #3
Rating: ★★★★☆
Number of pages: 315

Review: This series still thrills me, a wild ride. I loved this one. I still love being in Jax's head and seeing everything from her perspective (a good thing because it is a 1st person narrative where story unfolds only as she knows it).

Since the first book, we've known everything was headed to war. On a scale that even not-known-for-civic-duty or responsibility Jax can ignore. This one takes a slight turn away from just her and her team. The "bug" alien bounty hunter, Vel (stalking her in first book and now turned team member), has made Jax, while the most wildly inappropriate person to be held responsible for diplomatic finesse, the bug expert and the first human envoy to be invited back to the bug world in centuries.

And it's not a good fit. But it is a damn good read and fun seeing her thrown into that situation. I love all the alien contact stories and humans trying to figure out alien cultures without anthropomorphizing them. This does a very good job (not the best) of keeping it alien even while understanding grows.

Excellent for me balance of the wild ride action expected from series and beloved SF bits. Not a shocking ending, having some political parties for/against in both races and having a betrayal because someone was paid more by mom's syndicate but a helluva story. Unique work with an individual voice and orginally heroine—yet it really made me feel an air of Silent Running, Nor Crystal Tears, Firefly, Decision on Doona, Unholy Ghosts, Foreigner, ... heck, even a wee bit of Buck Rogers, Flandry, Bladerunner (the Nourse Sector General ones, not the android movie with Harrison Ford) and Terra Tarkington.

For "alien" shelf I'm reading Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
For my free space I'll be reading Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning. I love Scotland and time travel story so I can't wait to read it

I've been curious about both. I've liked some by Armentrout but other of her series fizzled for me after really great starts.

Any team name suggestions or votes?

Any more team name suggestions or votes?

Alisa liked "Eleven on Top" from my suggestions.

I of course liked all the ones I suggested. So I guess technically that's two votes for "Eleven on Top" if no other suggestions are forthcoming.

(although *sigh* "The High Incredible Brain Scratchers" one day, one day I will find a way to use that)

I'm good with Eleven on Top, although I like the other also if you change it to Highly.

Looks like the mods BINGO ninjas saw three of four votes so officially made us "Eleven on Top" ("Highly" wasn't in the song lyrics...).

*snicker*

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
March 24th
Rating: ★★★★★
Review:
I love retellings of classic fairy-tales and I think this is one of the most inventive that I have ever read. Cinder was amazing and I had a hard time putting it down, even though I wasn't surprised by the revelation of who Cinder is. I remember stopping at one point in excitement and asking my daughter (after explaining what was going on) did she agree with what I thought was happening. We were both right. I will definitely be reading the rest of this series.

Glad you liked it!

Free Space
From PNR series list
by Jacquelyn Frank
# 3 in the Nightwalker series

Shelf One..........Aliens

Dark Space
rating: 5 stars
pgs: 216
read 3/18/16

I loved this book. I'm generally not a fan of sci fi books but this was SO good. Brady is a young soldier who works in the medical bay. A pod is found and to their shock it contains the in stasis body of a famous soldier who was captured and taken by The Faceless years before. Somehow during their attempt to get Cameron out of the pod it telepathically connects the two men. Brady can not leave Cameron's side or Cameron's heart stops beating. Brady is scared going into this situation as he hates being in space. All of a sudden he's a part of the memories and nightmares of what happened to Cameron while he was gone. Quickly Brady realizes that Cameron's coming back wasn't accidental. It's simply the first part of The Faceless returning. Also it soon becomes apparent the head alien guy Kai-Ren can talk to Brady through Cameron's mind. This made for some seriously scary scenes.

This book scared the crap out of me. I read it at night and had to turn the lights on at one point. The scary parts are subtle and based on the growing terror Brady feels. You can't help being scared right along with him. I have now added aliens to my list of irrational fears (along w/man hole covers, clowns & raccoons).

Mave wrote: "For "alien" shelf I'm reading Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
For my free space I'll be reading [bookcover:Beyond the Highland Mi..."

Sorry I'm creeping! I really like the Beyond the Highland Mist series! The main characters are so great and their story is sweet. Every book is about a different man, and they're all good. I listened to them, and the voice actor does a Scottish Brogue perfectly! Yummm.

No worries Cheri, very early days yet.

@Alisa, tiny tweak to your review -- if you could just add a date read.

Anyone else spotting any issues with our review posts or the summary I'll be using for stamp requests back in message #6? Broken links? Missing anything? Any idea where my favorite corkscrew went?

I'll be back online tomorrow -- shelf announcement day unless I mixed up,time zones again.

I'm kinda at my limit for goodreads' new " visual design changes" -- this font and background glare/contrast still horrid.

*headdesk* over on booklikes a reviewer posts that an author tried to get them to change star rating of one of author's books by offering others for free. Not even a bad rating at that just not a 5-star. Author contacting them was okay because had already been communicating in a read-for-review group.

Ummmm...if I didn't like one of your books why would I be eager to read others? Any chance you are risking a reviewer now avoiding reviewing or reading your books by asking anything other than an honest opinion? Any chance it might have worked out differently if author had said nothing, just said "thanks fir the feedback" or even instead asked "Sorry you were disappointed. I hope you will still consider reading my other books. If still interested in giving my books a chance, could I send you a no-strings attached review copy of [title] which I consider my best work?"

*rant over* see y'all tomorrow.

Shelf one Aliens
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Date March 29th
Rating ****

It 's a very engaging romance, once you start it's hard to put it down. Very funny the bickering between the two protagonists.
Katy and her mother have moved from Florida to West Virginia. She misses the sun and the sea of Florida. Her mother advises her to make friends with their neighbors who should have her age. They are twins, Dee and Deamon. She is a very sweet girl who is dying to make friends with her while Daemon tries to stop her. He's so crabby that is hate at first sight. They are both so strange and mysterious, which secret they hide?
Katy is a simple and reserved girl who loves to read. She prefers to stay in front of a computer writing a blog to making new friends. But during the story she changes and becomes stronger and resourceful, the perfect heroine. Daemon is really sexy but he has a difficult character,in certain moments you love him a lot and immediately after changes mood and would like to kill. Together they make a perfect couple with a magical chemistry.
The plot is good and quite intriguing, the style is simple, the pace is fast enough. It's a very enjoyable read.

@Cheri Thanks :-) After your description I can't wait to read the whole series...