Pick-a-Shelf discussion

POTS Cycle #4 Theme: Halloween. Pick a book with a monster in it (werewolf, vampire, zombie, ghost, demon, etc.)

RULES

Candiss - pick-a-book shelf


D.G. - to read shelf


Lauren - to read shelf

Ladies - This is not a requirement for me but sort of a nice to have. If you can, can you please pick at least one book for that has been on my TBR since 2012 or older? (I'm trying to work on old books from the TBR instead of always picking the shiny new ones!) Obviously if you know of a good book that I MUST read right away that I just added yesterday, please feel free to pick it. ;)

Candiss


- fits the theme...a murdering ghost!
- the only book from your list I've read and one of my favorites EVA!
- Never read anything by this author but I've been meaning to try.
- highest rated book on your list.

Lauren

I've read all these books and enjoyed them all, gave them at least 4-stars. Several fit the theme but I tried to pick different genres. The first one is AWESOME in audio.

Thanks for opening up the thread D.G. :0)

I'll be back soon with picks!

Great picks as always, D.G.!

I'll definitely read - I've had it on my shelf for ages and I've heard such great things about as well.

For D.G.
1. Theme book:

2. - I love this series and enjoyed this book although I must confess that it isn't my favorite in the series. If you don't mind reading out of order then the next book is absolutely fantastic.

3. - this is a great book. Some really original world building as well. It might even still be free on Amazon.

4. - Absolutely loved the hero in this book. Be sure to have a box of tissues on hand if you choose this one.

For Candiss

1. Theme book: - its been a while since I read this (while waiting for the 5th Harry Potter book) - its not HP but it is fun.

2. - this book made me think.

3. - haven't read it but loved the movie!

4. - like the sound of this title :0)

I'm excited over this game! Thanks for getting this thread going, D.G.

I'll be back in a bit with my picks and my suggestions.

Thanks for the great picks, gals. I am leaning towards reading from D.G.'s suggestions, as #3 in the trilogy comes out this month so I need to get to #2, and from Lauren's suggestions, as I've heard many times that the book is even better than the film.

Maybe: As I only have 2 novels under 350 pages each and one novella queued up for October for group reads, I may try to fit in and , too. I've been meaning to read this particular Christie for years, and I am being forever nagged by my boyfriend for not reading The Golden Compass yet, even though I own a copy.

For D.G.


- (theme book, on shelf since 2012 or before) I had to choose this one, because every time I've seen it pop up around Goodreads the title has set me to giggling and made the related Elton John song stuck in my head all day. It also has very good reviews from people on my friends list.

- I read this earlier this year and enjoyed it a lot. It is easy to empathize with the protagonist, and the various threads of and hints to the mystery are juggled deftly by the author.

- This is a favorite of mine. Butler was definitely one of the greats, and the aliens in this book are truly alien. This book has everything - action, deep characterization, love, tension, a very strong female protagonist, gender and racial and cultural and war commentary...a very thoughtful and thought-provoking book.

- This is by a favorite author of mine, although I love another of her series more. I am not usually a romance reader at this time in my life, but the way romance and eros were woven into this deep and clever story was excellent, and the world-building was wonderful.

For Lauren

(theme book) - I haven't read this, but I was surprised to find that several people on my friends list (most of whom say they aren't romance readers and a couple of whom are male) really, really liked this, saying it was surprisingly-deep and really engaging. I'll keep it in mind for the next time I need a romance for a challenge, too.

- Ah, another exception to my "I don't read romance" (and "I don't usually read YA, for that matter) claims! I loved this one, with its interesting world politics and characters who aren't one-dimensional or merely black/white.

- This author is fairly beloved by many in my Dark Fiction group, and this book is rated very highly there. I've read only good things about this and should probably read it myself soon. It would probably fit the theme, too, albeit in a non-supernatural way.

- This is the book you've had on your To Read shelf the longest, so I thought I'd suggest you read it. ;)

OMG, I want to read them all! I won't be surprised if I do. :)

is the only one of the eight I own in audio so I'll definitely listen to that one. I will also read , (which is a book that has been on my TBR for YEARS and I need to get it moving). But I also want to read .

Gosh, this is difficult! I think I'll just start with one and move on the rest. Amazing picks ladies!

Thanks so much for the picks, Candiss.

Like D.G. I want to read them all!

I'm definitely going to try to get to - as you say, its been on my TBR for ages and ages :0)

Started my first book, Lover Mine. I don't know why Ward needs to have so many POVs! I usually have to read her books twice. First I read the parts with the main characters and skim the rest and when I'm done, I go back to read the whole book.

Now I'm around 23% in (reading everything)...

Finished . I'm glad I read it but I don't know if I'll continue the series. I guess I'll wait a while and see if I'm in the mood for it. :) Thanks for the push, Lauren. :)

Now I think I'll read . I also want to read but I so want the audio and need to wait until my credit rolls in before I get it.

Glad that you got to , D.G. I must admit that I gave up on the series after . I couldn't stand the one dimensional characters and the ridiculous villains, and the cheesy dialogue drove me round the bend. I must be one of the only people on the planet who doesn't think that J.R. Ward's writing is all that.

is SO much better!

That's a good call, Lauren. I think Ward liked to play with the gay thing from the beginning but didn't have the guts to write a m/m book with V and Butch as she should have and as such, the chemistry with their women was missing (those are books 4 & 5.) The gay vibe even continues after they get mated which is weird. I definitely don't want my man lusting after a guy after he shackles up with me!

And the dialogue gets worse. She seems to be so in love with her own writing that she messes up her story. This particularly book had two side stories that were ridiculously long and that's not counting the villains' POV plus the whole Blay and Qhinn saga.

I just wasn't interested enough in Butch and V's characters to continue. I only stuck with it as long as I did because everyone raved about Zsadist and Bella's book. It was the best of the ones I read but cannot say that it is a prime example of the genre.

Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunters in general and her earlier books in particular are much better written.

I understand why her books were groundbreaking. Before her, everybody pretty much portrayed vampires as opera loving, elegant men so the change to hip-hop thug-a-likes was new. But by now, the bloom is off that rose and she's gotten crazy with some of the language, using similes that are very strange and inappropriate.

Oh and the brand name dropping! (It gets worse in the following books.) That's so freaking tiresome. Like chick-lit meets PNR.

Oh and by the way...I'm loving Texas Destiny.

Finished and it was awesome! OMG that scene with the horses was one of the most romantic I've ever read (and different too!!)

I'll start once I get my hands on the audio. :)

I knew you would love it! Isn't Houston just the yummiest? :0)

Oh Gosh! He was so amazing!!

You all are such speedy readers!

I won't be able to get to my books until after the 1st, due to group reads, but I'll definitely post back here as I get into them. :)

Don't worry Candiss. I haven't started mine either. Will also probably get to them after Oct 1st.

Started - I'm listening to the audio, which is 20 hours long so its going to take me a while.

I am enjoying the writing style though.

Finished - 3.5 Stars.
An intense if predictable mystery, excellent characterization and an engrossing writing style (although it can get tedious at times due to the narrator's internal ramblings).

I'm in the middle (finally!) of two books recommended to me - and . Both fit another challenge I'm doing, so I started with them. When I've finished one (the Christie will surely be done first, as it's shorter and swifter) I'll dive into my copy of from Lauren's rec's.

I finished - 3.5 stars. I enjoyed it, as I have all the Christie I've read. However, I found a number of things to nitpick about (I'll put them over in the reporting thread) and ultimately didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I did or .

All of those are 5-stars for me but then I'm a HUGE Christie fan. Most of her books are at least 4 stars for one way or another. I've been doing a re-read of both of her main series in the last few years.

Sorry that I've been a bit lost. Looking for a job has been taking all my time lately and I've barely been reading!

Starting - will probably only finish in the beginning of November.

I'm mid-way through and I've been enjoying it a A LOT!

I'm mid-way through book #2 - - and am scrambling to finish in time!

I finished a third book and totally loved it! Great choice!

I and totally loved it! Thanks for the rec, Candiss! It was such a great audio and I loved the combination of humor and UF.

I finally finished The Golden Compass. It was a lot of fun. I really should have listened sooner to all the people suggesting I read it!