The Challenge Factory discussion

Captain: Lauren
Steph Ann
Cathy
Pat
Minttu

Dice Roll (2 dice on Fridays US Central Time)
Time Zone Converter
Post Your Spot
Spreadsheet

The alternates:
Each number corresponds with the spot on the board.
For colors: The cover has to be at least 50%
For locations: As long as the book takes part at all in the given location .
For Shelves: Any book on the given shelf
For Publication Years: I'll be using how GR has it's publication date listed.
For Authors Names: The first, middle, or last name of the author is ok.
For Titles: Only the first word of the title. A, An, And, and The do not count.
So if the letter is B: The Best Day would be ok. Dear Betty would not be ok.


1. Location: China
2. Author: K
3. Color: Green
4. 2005
5. Re-reads
6. Title: H
7. Location: Louisiana
8. Author: P
9. Color: White
10. 2010
11. Challenge
12. Title: B
13. Location: France
14. Author: E
15. Color: Blue
16. 2003
17. Owned-Ebook
18. Title: N
19. Location: New Mexico
20. Author: G
21. Color: Purple
22. 2012
23. 2-Stars
24. Title: W
25. Location: Kansas
26. Author: S
27. Color: Pink
28. 2004
29. May-Read
30. Title: C
31. Location: New York
32. Author: A
33. Color: Black
34. 2013
35. My-Bookcase
36. Title: D
37. Location: Italy
38. Author: R
39. Color: Yellow
40. 2007
41. Top-Books
42. Title: K
43. Location: Oregon
44. Author: L
45. Color: Red
46. 2009
47. purchased
48. Title: M
49. Location: England
50. Author: J
51. Color: Gray/Silver
52. 2002
53. Lol
54. Title: R
55. Location: Florida
56. Author: F
57. Color: Orange
58. 2008
59. Paperback
60. Title: P
61. Location: Massachusetts
62. Author: C
63. Color: Green
64. 2011
65. Modern
66. Title: E
67. Location: California
68. Author: T
69. Color: Red
70. 2014
71. Maybe
72. Title: S
73. Location: Texas
74. Author: W
75. Color: White
(view spoiler)[76.Color: Pink
77. Location: Texas
78. Title: K
79. Location: France
80. 2007
81. Location: Italy
82. Color: Red
83. Title: C
84. Title: D
85. Title: P
86. Location: New Mexico
87. Lol (hide spoiler)]

Minttu will also be joining y'all.

Jenne wrote: "Minttu will also be joining y'all."

Great! The more the merrier!

Hi Team #3!

I'm Lauren and this is one of my favorite challenges. Its great for whittling down that TBR!

This is my third time playing (first played SSS) and I'm willing to be captain if no one else wants it.

I live in Israel and its currently 18:50 PM so there is a bit of a time difference.

Since there are 5 of us, here are some 5 member names:
The Smokin' Quintent
Fab Five Readers
Five Book Assassins

Hi!

I'm Minttu, the newest recruit. This is my first time playing this game and I'm excited!

I'm from Finland but if the game will indeed stretch into the month of June, I'll be in Switzerland towards the end of the challenge. Doesn't affect my reading though. What better way to use my time in the plane and bus on my way there or the hours my boyfriend is at work? I can lounge by the Lago Lugano in the sun and read.

I like all the names, but Smokin' Quintet is my favorite :)

Hi Minttu!
We're in the same time zone, yay!

Hi, everyone!

I'm Steph Ann (feel free to just call me Steph). I'm from Illinois. I live there with my husband and our three cats. In September, we'll be joined by our first child. :)

I'm totally fine with Lauren being captain!

I'm also a fan of The Smokin' Quintet as a name. :)

Hi!

Congrats Steph :) Exciting times you're living. I also have three cats and two kids as well, but no husband just yet. Maybe one day I'll convince my boyfriend to marry me :D

Congratulations on the upcoming new addition, Steph Ann! Enjoy your sleep while you can :0)

I'm definitely enjoying my sleep, lol. That's one first trimester symptom (fatigue) that hasn't gone away in my second trimester. So I'm sleeping all the time. :)

Hi team!

My name is Cathy and I live in Michigan. I am married and we have a spoiled rotten labrador retriever.

Congrats Steph! I am in a far different situation from you - my only daughter is getting married in August.

Thanks for volunteering to be captain Lauren.

Welcome Cathy!

Congrats on the upcoming nuptials! I have a spoiled rotten Jack Russell with way too much energy!

Do you have a preference on team name?

Hi Team! I am Pat from Florida. I am married, with two grown daughters, and two handsome wonderful grandsons. I semi-retired last year, leaving an accounting job for a part time job in a local middle school. I am fortunate enough to spend half of my work time in the middle school media center, so I am always on the look-out for good teen and young adult books. However I love to read about anything, so am looking forward to shortening my tbr list.

I am new to this challenge, and I am happy that Lauren volunteered to be the captain. All the suggested names are great, and am happy to go along with the Smokin' Quintent.

I am sure I will have a ton of questions! Can't wait to get started!

Hi Pat! This challenge will definitely help with that TBR :0)

Now that we are all checked in, I'll notify Jenne that our team name in The Smokin' Quintet and I'm captain.

Looking forward to tomorrow!

So excited to get started! :)

Thanks for updating our team name, Jenne! Hooray for the Smokin' Quintet!!!

I'm so excited as well. Tomorrow can't come soon enough :)

Week #1: rolled a 2 and moved to spot 2

2nd in series or alternatively an author beginning with the letter K.

I will read the alternate:

by Kristen Callihan

I will be reading Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Not sure if I put the html in right. Just copy from the web address and paste?

#2 in Clifton Chronicles. Did the read-a-long with the first book and really enjoyed it.

Pat, you can add a book cover by using the link above the comment box that says "add book/author"
Click on the link and search for the book in the box that appears. When you see the book click "add" and makes sure the cover option is selected at the bottom of the box.

The Sins of the Father

Testing! Thanks Lauren!!!

Sure thing :0)

Oops not quite right. Let's try this.

I forgot to look for the cover option. Thanks again!

I'm going to read Mind Games by Kiersten White

I will read
It actually meets both criteria -couldn't do that again if I tried:)

I'm going to read , #2 in the Black Wings series.

Looks like we're all set and ready to go! Happy reading everyone.

Week #1: Spot 2 Reviews

✔ Lauren: Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan, April 20th, 4.5★, Review
✔ Steph Ann: Black Night by Christina Henry, April 19th, 4★, Review
✔ Cathy: Less Than a Gentleman by Kerrelyn Sparks, April 24th, 3★, Review
✔ Pat: The Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer, April 20th, 4★, Review
✔ Minttu: Mind Games by Kiersten White, April 24th, 3★, Review

I can already tell this is going to be a quick read. I got 30% of the way through the book just over my lunch hour. :)

Week 1
Spot: 2

(Book 2 in Black Wings series)

Read: 4/19/14
Rating: 4 stars

Review

This book hit the ground running and never let up the pace until the very last page. Full of action and humor, I felt it was a great follow-up to the first book, solidifying my desire to continue the series. I appreciated that Henry referred back to events of book one without completely rehashing everything. It was a nice refresher. I still absolutely adore Beezle, Maddy's talking gargoyle, and he is in great form here. The only complaint I have is that I still don't see the connection between Gabriel and Maddy. So far, I'm more of a J.B. girl, but we'll see if that changes. I'm very much looking forward to reading book 3!

Week 1
Spot:2

Read:4/20/14
Rating 4 stars

The Sins of the Father is the second book in the Clifton Chronicles, and just like the first book in the series, it's a page-turner with lots of twists in the plot. The book explores the lives and families of Harry Clifton and his good friend Giles Barrington. The second book deals with the time period of WWII primarily from the British stand-point and gives the reader a greater understanding of the traditions, politics and everyday life of a British citizen during this time period. This second installment leaves us with a cliff-hanger that makes one want to go out and get the third book as soon as possible!

Jeffrey Archer is a skilled author, with a story that is told by each of the main characters in succession, so that their individual perspectives and personalities develop throughout the course of the book. A great read, with surprise twists, I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading more of Mr. Archer's books.

A quick comment that I probably won't be so fast next week! Having a three day weekend helped!!

Week #1: Alternate Author - K

by Kristen Callihan
Read: April 20th
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Review:

As regulators for the SOS (Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals), Jack Talent and Mary Chase are tasked with keeping the existence of supernatural beings from the general public. Unfortunately, someone is killing their kind in very gruesome and very public ways. Forced into a partnership despite their shared animosity, Mary and Jack must work together to defeat a diabolical enemy whose nefarious plans may well result in their deaths.

This installment of Kristen Callihan’s Darkest London series has so many of my favorite elements: An intense love/hate relationship, an intensely tortured hero with a heart-wrenching past who doesn’t think himself worthy of being loved, a fierce and independent heroine not willing to put up with the hero’s BS, an incredibly smarmy villain who gets his just deserts not to mention detailed world building, a nerve-wracking plot and solid secondary characters.

My one small caveat is that Jack and Mary’s emotional tug of war went on a tad too long but the ultimate resolution to their relationship is exceedingly satisfying.

All in all, a fantastic addition to an entertaining series and the next book featuring Will Thorne and Holly Evernight is shaping into a real doozy.

I really need to get back to reading that series, Lauren. I've read the first two books and really liked them, but haven't gotten around to reading book 3 yet.

Steph Ann wrote: "I really need to get back to reading that series, Lauren. I've read the first two books and really liked them, but haven't gotten around to reading book 3 yet."

I enjoyed book #3 overall although I did have some issues with the plot. Book #4 is much better and I'm really looking forward to the next one.

Week #1 - Alternate Author - K


by Kiersten White
Read: 24th April
Rating: 3 stars

Review:
I had picked this book up to read ages ago and in truth didn't really remember much of the premise besides that this is a young adult book. It is a story about sisters Fia and Annie who lose their parents at a young age and both feel like they need to take care of the other one and protect them at all cost.

Fia has flawless instincts and Annie is blind but can see visions of the future. After the death of their parents the sisters find themselves in a school for girls with special gifts. This school uses their extraordinary powers for bad things and they are forced to do things they don't want to. Annie is held as sort of an hostage so the teachers can make Fia comply with their wishes. Fia ultimately decides to go against their wishes and that is when the real adventure begins.

I did like the storyline, but I kept wishing the author had chosen one of the girls as the main character who tells the story. It jumps back and forth in time and with two narrators, for me that was just a bit too confusing and needlessly so. The author could've easily told the same story from just one point of view. Everything was told from both angles all the time and I kind of felt the other point of view could always have been edited out. The story could have moved forward a lot faster. There were entire chapters that I would've just left out.

It also took me a while to not be annoyed by the way Fia told the story. I did like the fact that she sounded like an angry teenager that she was, but it took me a moment to get into that place without reading it as a parent does :)

Nevertheless I wanted to keep on reading to find out what happens to the girls and if they can find a way out of their awful situation. But due to the structure of the book, the two narrators and the shifts in time, the book left me feeling a bit blah. I didn't get as into it as I kept hoping I would. That's why only 3 stars.

Sorry this is taking me so long. I will finish and post later today.

Cathy wrote: "Sorry this is taking me so long. I will finish and post later today."

No worries - there is still time :0)

Week 1
Spot: 2



Read: 4/24/14
Rating: 3 stars

Review: I liked this book, but I didn't love it. The attempts at humor were mostly over done and ended up being silly instead of funny. I liked the basic plot but the conversation between the main characters was too far from historically accurate, full of double entendre, and repetitious as well. It took me much longer to read than normal, for a fun light historical romance. I think the author does a better job with contemporary (paranormal) romance.

All our reviews are in - Great work, ladies!

I'm off to roll the dice - be back in a jiffy!

Week #2: rolled a 7 and moved to spot 9

9th in series or alternatively a book with a white cover.

I'm going to read The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto. The white cover option :)

I'm going with the white cover also.

I'm also going with the white cover option. :)

I'll be reading .

Congrats y'all earned your free pass and it's there if you need it.

Jenne wrote: "Congrats y'all earned your free pass and it's there if you need it."

Thanks Jenne!