The Challenge Factory discussion

Jennifer C. & The ButterflyEffect - Storm Front

Hi! I think I'll be reading this the week of the 17th because it's pretty much the only week I don't already have a buddy reads! Is that okay with you?

Sounds good. I'll start then too.

Hi Jennifer! I would really enjoy reading this book with you if you don't mind.

Of course! We're planning on starting around the 17th. Does that work for you?

That works great :)

Hi! Just checking in. Have you started this yet? If you need to wait, I'm fine with that. I'm in the middle of three books right now. I'd like to at least finish one of them before I start this one. But if you want to start right away, just let me know and I'll fit it in.

Ahaha I'm actually trying to finish before I start this one so feel free to wait until like tomorrow I think I'll be ready to start it then

OMG I can't wait to read that. I bought it the day it came out, but I haven't been able to fit it in yet. I'm hoping for next month. Sounds good. I should be able to finish one of these tonight.

Oh, and just make sure you post with spoilers even if we're at the same point cause I know Jennifer PP is reading a brick of a book right now, but I'm sure she'll catch up eventually.

Yep! I will!

I plan on starting tomorrow. I'm going to be listening and I have lots of errands to run so I'll listen in the car.

I still have to start .

Yes, you do. That series is amazing! How's Outlander coming?

I haven't been able to put it down. I should be done by Wednesday at this rate.

Just so you know I did in fact start it yesterday. I'm only about a chapter in though

I also started yesterday. I'm a little past the beginning of chapter 4.

I'm starting tonight. How are you liking it so far?

It's still a little too early for me to tell. However, I have one complaint about the audio (narrator), you can really hear when he takes a breath or sniffs. It is kind of distracting.

I heard that it's Spike from Buffy. Do you know who I mean?

Yes! It is James Marsters but he doesn't sound at all like Spike. Which is probably a good thing because it would be way to distracting. It is kinda weird because my son and I just got done watching all the old Angel reruns on Netflix and Spike is in the last season.

I don't think breathing and sniffling has much to do with him. I think it is just the way they recorded him. I heard him narrate for the book Carnival of Souls and he sounded just fine in that.

So I have 7 chapters left. So far I've really enjoyed it, though I did find the beginning to be a bit on the slow side. Most first books are though.

It's very crime-y. Which is not a genre I really read. Like ever.

I finished up this morning. I agree that it was a little slow at the beginning but as Butterfly said most first books are. However, the rest is action packed and an exciting read.

I've also finished it I gave it 4/5 stars. It was definitely an interesting read. And a little bit of a step away from what I normally read.

I quite enjoyed it

I did start this, but I haven't gotten very far. I should be able to read a lot of it today. I'm only on Chapter 4. I really like Harry so far though.

I think his relationship with Murphy is interesting too. I like how he tries to be chivalrous but she hates it. It's probably hard for her to get people to take her seriously as a woman cop. I would think that would be a very hard profession for women. It's such a male dominated environment.

When Marcone picked him up and offered him money to not investigate the murders I just automatically assumed that he was responsible, when apparently that is not the case at all. He wants to hunt down who is responsible and "take care of it" on his own. I think the whole eye contact thing is interesting too. No one will make eye contact and then the one person who does, does it to take advantage of being able to see into who he really is as a person. He spends a lot of time around humans who won't look into his eyes because of that very reason and I guess he wasn't thinking about being vulnerable to that himself.

It really makes sense to me now that I've started it that Spike would narrate. It's very fitting as this reminds me a lot of Buffy.

Another reason that it is probably hard for Murphy to be taken seriously is that she tends to take the "weird" case and then she consults with wizard.

I think Harry reminds me more of Angel.

Yeah, he kinda reminds me of Angel. I just meant the story and the characters remind me of the show Buffy.

I just finished chapter 8. Sorry I'm taking so long with this one. I have three books that I need to finish this week and I'm reading all of them simultaneously and I figure since you're both already done with it, I'll just comment as I go.

I really like the secondary characters. Toot the fairy was funny and Bob the skull is even funnier. When Harry was at the lake house, didn't he find a film canister outside? I thought he took it, but then he never mentioned it again. I don't even think he opened it. I thought that was strange. I have a feeling that the two potions are still going to get mixed up even though he labeled them. :)

Yes, Toot and Bob were very funny. Who knew fairies liked pizza.

LOL, yeah. Who knew?

Now I just finished Chapter 11. He mentioned the film canister again, but I still don't think he's looked at it. I wonder who was looking through the window and taking pictures. That's even more creepy than the orgy that was going on inside. Harry should be a lot more nervous about the fact that everyone and their brother seems to think that he murdered those people from the beginning. I'm assuming that the group of people at the lake house are going to be somehow responsible or at least involved in the murder case. I'm just not sure how someone who has just started to get into magic would have enough power to pull that off.

Oh, and the guy at the police station that was high on Three Eye, or whatever that drug is called, was so strange. So now Harry is thinking that the drug actually works, but humans that are taking it don't know how to control access to their "third eye" and it's making them crazy. That's interesting.

I'm really liking this so far. I don't really think it's slow at all. I'm surprised you guys didn't have any comments when you read this.

To be honest I've never really done a buddy read before. So, I'm not sure of the protocol. I was part of another one awhile ago but I was the only one who ended up reading the book.

Now, I just don't want to give anything away :)

I got the same feeling about the people having the orgy. I just knew they had to be involved somehow.

I usually just read at my normal pace and check in every once in a while and post what chapter I just finished and use spoilers. I haven't been using them in this thread because I know you're both done. I just got to the part where the woman he was supposed to go on a date with is at his house and the demon or whatever showed up. I think that Linda set him up because she never showed up but the demon did.

You were right about mixing up the two potions except he wasn't the one who mixed them up she was. I didn't realize at first that she did it. I think it slipped my mind that the love potion still existed.

I thought it was hilarious when Bob negotiated his temporary freedom to help Harry out of his demon situation.

I sort of overbooked myself (literally) so for every book I read I had to sort of go through it as quick as possible. So that's my excuse for not commenting.

Well, I didn't expect Linda to be dead. Didn't see that one coming. It was funny when she took the wrong potion. And he was naked that whole time?!? Awkward!

I finally finished this one the other day. It was good. I think they'll get better as they go on. There were a lot of characters introduced in this one and that is always hard to fit into the story. Now that the characters are set up, the next one should flow better. I liked it enough to keep going with the series.