Chapter Adventure Reading Challenges discussion

This months key words are:

Library, Dark, Drown, Ex, Iron, Done, Love, Stranger⁠

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Which key word did you pick? What book did you read and what did you think of it?

Challenge Complete:
This months key words are: Library, Dark, Drown, Ex, Iron, Done, Love, Stranger⁠

Upon Dark Waters by Robert Radcliffe

The book is the story of two men, Stephen Tomlin, a midshipman aboard the corvette, the HMS Daisy, and, the Number Two officer, Michael Villiers, from Uruguay.

Given its title, one would think that the larger part of the story would be set at sea, but it’s the shorter part which takes place there. Set in their present, the two men are brought together by the war. Assigned to the corvette, they must fight for their lives against the “wolf pack,” the fleet of German U-boats that hound the convoy they protect.

The larger part of the book deals with Michael Villiers, and of his boyhood spent at the family ranch in Uruguay. But his life is upended by the sudden departure of his family to his father’s home in England. It is there that he grows to manhood. But though he feels that he’s Uruguayan, he’ll find that both countries have a hold on him.

It’s an excellent and lyrically written tale of love and loyalty; of finding oneself, and knowing who you are.

so excited to be starting with Iron Flame as I have been forcing myself to wait!!! also listening to The Drowning House as I will be traveling to Galveston later this year.

Challenge complete" The Twice-Drowned Saint by C.S.E. Cooney. Loved this novella with it's wildly imaginative World building.

Just finished this - really cute!

Rebecca wrote: "so excited to be starting with Iron Flame as I have been forcing myself to wait!!!"
Exactly the same here for me (the wait was excruciating), that book is my pick for this month as well.

Key Word:
Love

Book:
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Thoughts:
Initially, I was very excited to read every book in this trilogy. I saw many good reviews, and I’m also a big fan of the fake dating trope, so I had high hopes. However, I ended up giving this book two stars.

Besides the “got-old-real-quick” personalities from the MCs, I felt that there was no actual growth and chemistry between them at all. Comparing it to other fake dating pieces I’ve read in the past, I didn’t feel there was any underlying passion; not much internal fighting and confusion of wondering what’s real and what’s not. I also found the super short fake dates they went on for coffee boring, empty, and repetitive. Even the plot itself seemed to be lacking weight, as well as dragging at points, which probably would’ve been more captivating if there was, like I said, more passion.

I’m not gonna judge the fact that this was based off a Star Wars fanfic (especially cause I myself have read Star Wars fanfics in the past… what can I say, Anakin Skywalker is hot lmao), but I really don’t like Ali Hazelwood’s overall style of writing, which frightens me as I have heard all her books follow the same flow. Nonetheless, I’ll give the rest of the books in the trilogy a chance.

Coming in earlier than usual with keyword Done with Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage. This was an easy romance story to read. I wouldn’t say it was my favorite but it was not a tearjerker which I needed!

Challenge complete!
Key Word: Iron

I've been holding out to read Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros for this month's challenge - it's been eagerly anticipated and boy, it did not disappoint.
The length was almost triple what my books usually come at and I was afraid it would get bogged down in politics at some point or another. While yes, some parts were indeed tedious, most of the story line moved at a well-crafted pace ... until those moments that the story really picked up and barreled along at the speed of a runaway freight train. I found myself at the edge of my seat most of the time, completely immersed in the world.
With that ending, I'm now more than a little afraid for Violet and Xaden ... the 3rd one can't come out soon enough!

I’m reading Love Marriage by Monica Ali. I hope it’s better than Brick Lane.

Finally got around to reading Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Wow, can’t wait to see how they do this on screen! A wild ride for sure!
My review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Also started reading “Lady’s Chatterley’s Lover” by D H Lawrence. Will this count?

Keyword - Dark

And what a dark book Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell is! I had to buddy read another book, that was lighthearted in order to modulate the darkness this books pages leaves behind. I do recommend the book, but it is an emotionally hard book to get through.

Challenge Complete!
Key word: library
Read The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill.

I read Her Darkest Nightmare by Brenda Novak. It's a novella to start off her Evelyn Talbot 4 book series which is pretty good. I'm listening to the last book now.

• The Dark Half - Stephen King
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

For some reason I have this brain block that causes me to forget just how much I love Stephen King’s writing style shortly after I’ve put whatever book of his I’ve read back on the shelf. Then I’ll go long periods of time before reading anything else by him, and then when I do, I’m absolutely delighted all over again. It’s like a surprise every time, no matter how many times I repeat the cycle 😂
And since I have 1.25 shelves (that could easily fill 2 double row shelves if I didn’t stack them horizontally) dedicated to just his books, and I haven’t even read half of them, I can probably look forwards to being surprised many more times in the coming years 😅

I read the new Stephen King book for May - used word Darker for Dark......... "You Like It Darker"

Word: Love
I read Twisted Love by Ana Huang I really liked this, it was a quick read and really kept me wanting to read more.

key word: dark

I read In the Dark by Loreth Anne White.

This was a great little suspense thriller that gave Agatha Christie meets Lord of the Flies vibes. I really enjoyed the suspense, and there were even a few twists I didn't see coming. The ending felt a little lack luster, but most of the read was really enjoyable.

not quite going to make it...still listening to The DROWNing House and just started The Invisible LIBRARY (Genevieve Cogman, discovered this series in one of the other months) and Nine Perfect STRANGERS (Liane Moriarty but I just kept forgetting to order it) hasn't come in at the library yet. Did manage the others with IRON Flame (I was disappointed but I also had a lot going on), UnDONE (Karin Slaughter- creepy!!!), First Love (James Patterson, felt like a Nicholas Sparks), DARK Tort (Davidson maybe? fun little catering mystery), and The EX Talk (picked up literally because it had ex in the title and I loved it)!

Finished the book A Measure of Darkness by Jonathan Kellerman last night. I haven’t read his books yet, and it was quite suspenseful. I enjoyed it.

These are the books read in May with the following key words: Library, Dark, Drown, Ex, Iron, Done, Love, Stranger

Library- The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict; The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin; The Librarian of Crooked Lane by C.J. Archer


Dark-A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham; Dead Before Dark by Wendy Corsi Staub; Darkness, My Old Friend by Lisa Unger


Drown- Drowning by T.J. Newman


Ex- Not your Ex's Hexes by April Asher; The Ex-Husband by Karen Hamilton; The Dead Ex by Jane Corry


Iron- Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao; The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas


Done-After All I've Done by Mina Hardy


Love- The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood; The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas; A Greek Love by Zoé Valdés; Shopping for Love by Renee Carlino; Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood; Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood; She Loves me Not by Wendy Corsi Staub; A Ballad of Love and Glory by Reyna Grande; Love me Tender by Laurie Horowitz; Crazy Love You by Lisa Unger ; The Things we do for Love by Kristin Hannah; 96 Words for Love Rachel Roy; Lovely War by Julie Berry


Stranger- The Adventure of the Sinister Stranger by Agatha Christie; Strangers in the Night by Heather Webb; Strangers in Venice by A.W. Hartoin; A Strangeness in my mind by Orhan Pamuk

Keywords for my May reading:
LIBRARY- The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
LOVE- My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
DARK - Things We Do In The Dark by Jennifer Hillier

I loved reading all three books!!!

I read 'First Love, Last Rites' by Ian McEwan