PK the Bookeemonster: Friday ... huzzah

Friday, August 25, 2023

Friday ... huzzah

TGIF

Another week done; five more morning coffee vlogs and three live sprints in the books.

Spy vs Spy September books mentioned in vlogs. In today’s vlog:

·         Conflict of Intrigues by M.L. Yost
·         NERDS by Michael Buckley
·         The Moneypenny Diaries by Kate Westbrook
·         Tongue-Tied With Stomach Knots by Reginald Dipwipple
·         The Repurposed Spy by Oliver Dowson
·         Red Rover Red Rover by Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick
·         The Athena Protocol by Shamim Sarif
·         The Book of Spies by Gayle Lynds
·         Never Say Spy by Diane Henders
·         Napoleon’s Woman by Samantha Saxon

Books mentioned in previous vlogs:
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
The Secret History of Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig (and series)
Alias Emma by Ava Glass
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
Spy X Family Tatsuya Endo (manga)
SilverFin by Charlie Higson (Middle grade series)
The Spymaster's Lady by Joanna Bourne (series)
His Spanish Bride by Tracy Grant (series)
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
I Always Wanted to Be A Spy by Judith A Barrett
At Risk by Stella Rimington
The Little Drummer Girl by John Le Carre
Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews
Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
Mr. Churchill’s Secretary by Susan Elia Macneal
Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
The Unexpected Mrs. Polifax by Dorothy Gilman
A Sense of Danger by Jennifer Estep
Secret Service by Tom Bradby
I’d Tell You I Love, But Then I’d Have To Kill You by Ally Carter
And Only To Deceive by Tasha Alexander
The Missing Activist by Louise Burfitt Dons
City Spies by James Ponti
Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
Mac Undercover by Mac Barnett & Mike Lowery
Jada Sly, Artist & Spy by Sherri Winston
Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls by Beth McMullin
A Conspiracy of Violence by Susanna Gregory
Hawke by Ted Bell
Agent Zero by Jack Mars
Red Cell by Mark Henshaw

I finished THE FINE PRINT by Lauren Asher last night. 1st of romance trilogy. 2.5 stars. The first half was enjoyable - snarky humor, extremely-Gumpy/Sunshine trope, character growth. The last half... not so much. First, I don't mind spicy - I've read erotica- but sex isn't a plot. This book was 450 pages; not necessarily right for a strictly romance book. FLAWLESS by Elsie Silver was over 400 pages but kept the storyline, so it can be done. Fantasy romance books can do it because the fantasy quest holds the story and the romance is an added element. Second, this book fell apart for me at the 50% mark because the "love quest" story stopped. The guy got the girl and vice versa. Yes, there's misunderstandings blah blah blah after that but the initial reason for us to read yet another guy-gets-girl story is the HOW and how well the author tells that story. This book would have been better being 100 pages shorter. With such a good start, I'm disappointed.

Thousand Pages Read Challenge update:

8/20: 158

8/21: 178

8/22: 185

8/23:

8/24: 320 (Wednesday/Thursday totals)

8/25:

8/26:

Total: 841 To go: 159

A cold is trying to get me so I plan to do nothing but read, nap, catch up on YouTube vids, and walk Keo. I'm make a vat of my egg roll soup tonight. And that's it.