SOS: Serious Overload of Series discussion

It's all the challenge's fault ;-)
Otherwise it'd be no trouble at all to keep up!

I read Bloody Bones by Laurell Hamilton today. This is a good book, but creepy. Seraphina is a very scary vampire. I bet waking up in a coffin is terrifying. No wonder in the later books Anita has so much trouble with nightmares. And she learns a new skill in this book. Larry begins to realize that things aren't as black and white as he always believed. Anita begins to realize the Jean-Claude isn't really that bad. And Jason starts to take his role as a stronger supporting character.

Timeline: I didn't see an actual month, but it seems to be fall and Zebrowski is still out on medical leave (this concerns me because the last book took place in December, so either we went backwards in time, we are in a snowless January, or we are a year ahead of where I thought we were).

I'm finally going to read Lunatic Cafe!!
Didn't think it would take me this long to finally get to it :-/

A most excellent series. But beware. If you've checked other discussions, you'll note a morphing to a much more "adult" theming approaching porn soon. Enjoy (up to your limits).

LOLOL Sorry for the warning, I'ld not gone to the top of the thread yet. However, you folks have inspired me to go all the way back to the beginning. My first few volumes were falling apart years ago (and some replaced more than once but still falling apart), long before my retirement, as I had the habit then of rereading a series (to reestablish milieu). Many bookshelves of volumes were lost when I retired and was forced to consolidate into a Kindle. This project will help me rebuild.

Armi wrote: "Uhh, I'm finally starting this, but on a positive note, I should be done quickly since it's short.

I was wondering if anyone wanted to speed things up a little and start the next one, [book:The La..."
And as I am a late starter, I'l forge on...

Armi wrote: "I started this yesterday and even if I only got five or so chapters in, I can tell I'm going to like this more. It doesn't feel as slow-paced as the first book.

Feels funny saying this, considerin..."

Point you have to remember is at this point in the series, emerging author, etc. etc. . . .
as explained Ten years after first pub, see "after note" provided in kindle(and first hardback)

Eldarwen wrote: "I'm almost at the end of this book and while Anita's language is actually bugging me a lot at times, I'm happily reading along. I can barely r..."

Eldarwen, have you been reading the "Afterword" provided at the end of the Kindle editions? They were added with the ten year later hardback re-release, and provide a 23yr (for us) window to look back.

I'm actually reading them in paperback. They aren't falling apart yet hehe.

Has it really been that long already since the first one was published?! Wow, time flies! I read them 10 years ago, I think.

Eldarwen, I'd forgotten the child in the graveyard. . .and who he turned out to be.

I'm sorry I don't have access to my loose paged old copies. It's worth it tho each early book is more expensive for "K" than when I got them 25yr ago!

So I finished "Lunatic" today, and I guess I'm caught up...wondering how I'll manage to pause after "Bones"...(beginning difficult mental prep)...(view spoiler)[here was where/when Anita was forced to begin accepting her own otherness. (hide spoiler)] better stated by Hamilton in her Afterword.

Bought and starting "Bones"...slowly...slowly...

Sam wrote: "I read Bloody Bones by Laurell Hamilton today."

You mentioned the timeline...at the beginning of chapter two she mentions St. Patrick's day and spring weather that lasts two days, a phenomenon to which I can attest, having lived and worked near Branson where this story is set.

So, a few mos. after Xmas shopping...

Art wrote: "Sam wrote: "I read Bloody Bones by Laurell Hamilton today."

You mentioned the timeline...at the beginning of chapter two she mentions St. Patrick's day and spring weather that lasts t..."

Thanks for that, Art. I must have missed it on my read through. I think I was looking for a month and that's why I missed the early spring comment.

Reached chapter 39, as usual, at least two storylines interwoven, so much s**t happening, I gotta go finish..........................................

Oh! I forgot to mention that I finished it last weekend!

I was surprised about the powers as well. I couldn't remember that it started out the way it did in this book.

Jean-Claude being more aggressive in certain aspects is really quite interesting but I wanted to bang my head against the wall because Anita lets herself be bullied into so many odd decisions that it's just not very believable.

Another thing that took me by surprise was Anita's very open caring attitude towards Zerbrowski. I mean, sure, the teasing and bickering is mostly just playing around, but I couldn't remember her being so upset about him getting hurt.

More weres is definitely making things more interesting! I had a scene in mind with Raina but I guess that will happen in book 5. I kept waiting for it and then suddenly the book was over haha.

The books are interesting and I still enjoy them, but after reading some other really good series since I first started this series, I have to admit that Anita is far from being a favourite character of mine. Even Jean-Claude doesn't hold the same sway anymore.

As for Bloody Bones, maybe I can pick it up after I'm finished with my current paperback. So maybe some time by the end of the week. It all depends on Wobble. But I'm hoping to be able to get to it soon!

Mmhh you're definitely right about it being an excuse, especially with Richard giving away more and more of his were-side. And still he's squeamish about killing - that's something I always found sort of fascinating about him. Powerful alpha male and he shies back from killing someone who threatened and killed those he considers his own, or those under his protection.

It isn't as though Anita didn't admit that she loves Jean-Claude, so it was definitely a good excuse for her to figure out what more there could potentially be (have been, as she puts it, if he were not a monster) without the decision reeeeally being her own so she can reserve all rights to complain about it afterwards. It's probably that more than anything that annoys me, her sometimes "holier than thou" attitude. She's just as much non-human as the two guys she's now dating and partially rejecting because of their non-human-ness and their monster-ness.

But that'll be changing a little soon at least. Maybe I'll like her more again in the following books when she slowly starts falling off her high horse.

Each installment reveals growth in several areas, including self awareness and recognition of monsters as "persons and worthy of care" too, world knowledge of more supernatural types (Earthshaker even hints at homo erectus), and Anita keeps picking up greater abilities as she resists stronger opponents.

As for Zerbrowski, he did get cut open in her support...

Armi wrote: "All right, Bloody Bones reading is scheduled for 9/20-10/17."

Alright, it's time to admit my complete newby how-it-works ignorance. Armi, will you be editing the *message # one* title to reflect added volume/reading schedule?

Or will you pause to see who catches up/continues?
Either way is good, I've got lots of "unread" to gobble...

I'm trying to participate more frequently, keeping up-to-date on a PNR ẃhat-are-you-reading thread somewhere, that I don't have as much trouble returning to as this one. Y'all probly have a lot goin' on, too...

I'm fine with doing it either way. I'll try to get to Bloody Bones soon, so I'm not getting all too far behind.

December as resting period or putting the end date on 12/31 - either works for me, so whatever the majority decides :-)

Burnt Offerings is my favorite so I would really like to read it in December if everyone else is agreeable.

That's two more, one per month...right?
(Suggests a new-to-me way to read series...pick several, read one novel/episode from each in rotation...it might prevent burnout in one author's style...but the ensuing memory challenges/intermixed world builds...hhmmmmmm...nope, probly not...but MAYbe,..)
Uuhhh...O.K. Armi, Eldarwen, Sam, its the discussions/comments about each book's developements I'm looking forward to.

Uuuhhhh.....off topic.....sorry, guys aand gals.....

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!!!

.....We now return to scheduled reading.....

I finished The Killing Dance. I remembered that this was the book with Gabriel, Raina and Marcus, and I remembered that this was where they came into their power as a triumverate, but I had completely forgotten (view spoiler)[ that it was Dominic, Cassandra, and Sabin that taught them about the triumverate in the first place (hide spoiler)]. That was fun to re-read. Also reading this now, and knowing how they turn out in the future, it was really as if (view spoiler)[ Richard was trying to spoil things. He kept insisting that he has to change before they could advance their relationship but when she asked him to change, he kept putting it off. Then at the worst time, while lying on top of her after killing Marcus, he finally changes and then eats Marcus. Of course she's going to flip out, covered in that icky stuff. (hide spoiler)] I think she was right when she said that she didn't think he wanted her to accept him because if she did, then she was a monster and he didn't want to love a monster. I had also forgotten that this was the book that put Anita into Edward's debt and led to the trip out west later in the series.

Timeline: We are now in May, almost one year after Guilty Pleasures (which was June). And we have confirmation that the events of Bloody Bones take place in March.

Next up is Burnt Offerings, which is my favorite of this series.

Oooh, so behind. I still haven't even started Bloody Bones yet! Might be the next book I'm picking up. Not quite sure yet :-)

I read The Killing Dance over night, fantastic imagery, plot advances along several lines. Noted "the return of the marks" and some for Richard too. Death of Robert shows return of healthy Zerbrowski. Still resisting (sortta) loving 2 at once. We know it'll grow to a whole lot more...

I read Burnt Offerings today. Still my favorite book in the series. Anita is finally becoming a power player. The Vampire Council has come to town and is causing all kinds of havoc. There is kidnapping, hostage ransoming, healing, ghost invasion, possession, and good old fashion torture in this book. Anita's list of protected people is growing by the minute and she has cemented her friendship with Rafael. For me, this was the peak of the series, I think.

Timeline: This book takes place 2 months after Killing Dance, which puts us into July. We have now experienced Anita's life for 1 year and it took 7 books to do so.

Went ahead and read Burnt Offerings today. I especially liked the afterword supplied by Ms Hamilton at the end of the Kindle edition.
Anita's contact with her humanity seems to be maintained through her participation with RPIT. I enjoyed the "penguin on every desk" episode. Her "protected people" are evolving to "family".

I've been considering doing that more and more as well since I grew increasingly frustrated with Anita and in the long-run, rereads aren't for me even if it has been a while since I read the books. I keep trying but .. yeah not working so well.

I'll see if I can finally read Bloody Bones as I've been meaning to for a while but without guarantee. I may have to bow out of this, too. Sorry.

Sam, Eldarwen, Armi, you've gotten me hooked on readalongs...
Tho this one's apparently petered out, I see we're opponents in round 14...so, may the best team win!!!

Good luck, Art. Sorry this buddy read ended.

Sam wrote: "Good luck, Art. Sorry this buddy read ended."

Maybe I'll go on, using some for round 14, BSB. I'm on team 21...

Did anyone end up getting caught with this series? If not what book are you on?