Tell Me Something Tuesday: Series books

Tell Me Something Tuesday, a meme started by CambriaHebert, but now hosted on Rainy Day Ramblings. It is a chance to get to know your fellow bloggers by sharing fun stuff, discussions and more. Grab the question and post your answer on your blog and link up at Rainy Day Ramblings! Have fun!

This weeks question:

To continue or not to continue.....let's talk about series! What are some of your favorite series that you continue to read? What would cause you to not continue a series?

First, I'll talk about what it takes for me to not continue a series. Usually something I'm totally opposed. I've read a book where rape was seen as "okay" and in fact there was no reason for the rape. I just couldn't continue with a story like that and found out that the other books in the series had the same theme. Nope, once was enough for me.

My other reason for not continuing with a series is usually time. I'll get to it, but it will take time to get back into the series. Usually I hate when that happens. :)

However there are SO many I'm addicted to and to list them all would be impossible. Okay, it would be possible, but this would be one long arse post! LOL

I'll start with those I just reviewed or are coming out soon...

Yesterday I reviewed Other Oceans by Andrea Jones (adult series). Loved it and the first book in the series is:

Hook and Jill
Hook and Jill Saga #1
by Andrea Jones

An ageless fable grows up... 

Wendy Darling learns. What appears to be good may prove otherwise, and what seems to be evil…is irresistible. 

In this startling new vision of a cultural classic, Wendy intends to live happily ever after with Peter Pan. But Time, like this tale, behaves in a most unsettling way. 

As Wendy mothers the Lost Boys in Neverland, they thrive on adventure. She struggles to keep her boys safe from the Island’s many hazards, but she finds a more subtle threat encroaching from an unexpected quarter.…The children are growing up, and only Peter knows the punishment.
Yet in the inky edges of the Island, the tales Wendy tells to the Lost Boys come true. Captain Hook is real, and even the Wonderful Boy can’t defend his Wendy against this menace. Hook is a master manipulator, devising vengeance for his maiming. Insidious and seductive, Hook has his reasons for tempting Wendy to grow up. 

Revenge is only the first. 

Deepening the characters so artfully sketched by J.M. Barrie, Hook & Jill reveals the dark side of innocence at which Barrie hinted in the figure of Peter Pan. It brings alive a daring Wendy who asks questions and seeks truth; it delves into the man, Hook, the iconic villain. Striding from fairy-tale and thrusting into reality, Captain Hook becomes a frightening force indeed.

The Mythos Academy is a YA series I enjoy. The novella Spartan Frost just came out and the next novel is set to come out at the end of July:

Midnight Frost
Mythos Academy #5
by Jennifer Estep

Here we go again …

Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can’t get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities — until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I’m still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.

As Nike’s Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I’m still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I’ve got to get my hands on the antidote fast — otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins — and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there…

...and speaking of Jennifer Estep, I am also addicted to her Elemental Assassin series as well. 

I would also like to issue a total love of UF series. Some (and I mean SOME) of these are:

Horngate Witches Series

Charlie Madigan Series

Arcadia Bell Series

...and on and on and on...

these are just a few of my faves and I apologize to those that I haven't mentioned. My brain can only handle so much goodness at a time. :)

So, are there reasons you quit a series and what series would you like to mention?

Other Oceans (Hook and Jill Saga #2) by Andrea Jones

2nd book in Hook and Jill series
640p.
Publisher: Reginetta Press
Source: Book from author for review

"Identify the weapon, and use it first." Such is the code of Captain James Hook, in this lyrical sequel to Hook & Jill. And this time, the turmoil begins not with 'The Boy' — but with a girl. 

Ten days out of Neverbay, Hook and Jill capture a ship's surgeon, pressing him to join the Roger. But Doctor Hanover is a gentleman, with a daughter to defend. When Red-Handed Jill shows him favor, his heart is taken prisoner, too. Hanover contrives to deliver Jill from the pirate king, and redeem her to society… as his wife. 

But Captain Hook is impossible to escape. Other rivals contend for Jill's red hand, and Hook fights for supremacy with his skill and brilliance. When the doctor's daughter draws Hook's eye, she emulates Jill, using feminine weapons to charm him. 

With no word of farewell, Hook vanishes, and Jill is a queen without a king. To hold Hook's power, she must come to terms with each of the dangerous men in her domain. When a challenger seizes command of the Roger — and over Jill — Hook and Jill's dominion will be overthrown unless, as Hook has taught Jill to do, she can identify the weapon…and wield it wickedly.

Other Oceans is an unabashed study in loyalty, vibrant with the dynamics of power. From the pen of a masterful crafter, Book Two of the Hook & Jill Saga delivers all the exhilaration that a clash of wills, hearts, and fortune can arouse.

I read and reviewed Hook and Jill, the first book in the saga and absolutely loved it. I've recommended the book to people several times as well. When I saw that this book was out, I read the blurb and became quite worried. What? Is she going to mess with my couple? No! Does Hook go off with someone? I just didn't know if I could take the separation of the two. Silly? Perhaps, but those of us who love characters just don't want them to be separated in a horrible way. Plus, the man on the cover isn't Hook! So, I admit I didn't ask for the book for review, but every time I saw the cover, I considered it. I just didn't think I would like it... until... the author contacted me about reviewing the book. I didn't hesitate and said yes... despite whatever the outcome would be... *sigh*

So, did I like it? Well, let me put it to you this way... about 200 pages in I knew that 600+ pages wouldn't be enough for me. I knew I'd want more. I was right. I was enthralled with this book. I can't say I didn't want to put it down. In fact, I did that... a lot. Why? Well, you know when you get upset with a character and just slam the book to take a second? Of course then I couldn't stop thinking about it and picked it up a couple of hours later (fine, in all honesty it was probably more like 5 minutes later). Also, with a good book, I want to make it last. I try to keep myself from reading too much all at once, but although it helped, the book still ended way too quickly for me. No cliffies... don't want to give that impression... I just wanted more of the saga after it was done.

Ugh... what else can I say? This is hard. I want to discuss characters so badly, but I'm afraid I'd spoil things and this book is too much fun to do that. I will say that even when you are sure of someone's loyalty, you end up questioning it. Usually you know, but it wasn't always so clear cut for me as the reader. I loved that. I did question some of Jill's attraction to some of the men. But she is young yet and perhaps that is why she is attracted to some things she should question more fully with herself. Still, Jill did not disappoint me in the end and I loved how she out maneuvered most of the men in her company. I could go on and even want to point out some things that I have thought about from a psychological point of view, but then again, I think it could spoil things if not for this book, but for those that have not read the first book.

I give this book a 5. This is not a children's story, but an adult retelling. This series is to be read in order. I wouldn't have you miss the first one anyway. That was fun and this one was an adventure from cover to cover. Btw, is Other Islands out yet? ;) (Psst... no date has been set, but I want already!)

Winners!

The winner for:

is...

Carl S.!

(confirmed)

and I thought I'd announce the winner at Candace's blog for my post (for Spartan Frost):

is...

Aman!

(confirmed)

Congraties!!

Exposed (Tracers #7) by Laura Griffin

7th in Tracers series
400p.
Publisher: Pocket Books
Available Now
Source: Publisher and Edelweiss for review

The seventh thrilling novel in the Tracers series from an author who “excels at detailing the mystery and the chase” (Publishers Weekly) features a forensic photographer and an FBI agent who form an uneasy partnership to find a vicious criminal.

With the click of her camera, Maddie Callahan inadvertently added herself to the hit list of a criminal mastermind the FBI’s been investigating for months. Agent Brian Beckmann is determined to protect the sexy photographer, but she may be his only lead. 

As a forensic photographer, Maddie is used to seeing violence up close, but she’s never before been a target. When a freelance photo shoot goes awry, she realizes she may have seen, and perhaps photographed, the kidnapping of a key witness in a federal probe. And although her camera was stolen, Maddie has something that could be even more valuable to investigators. With the help of her colleagues at the Tracers crime lab, Maddie uncovers DNA evidence that provides a desperately needed break in the case. 

Although Brian is reluctant to involve Maddie, she’s determined to help with the investigation and the two set out to track a vicious criminal known as The Doctor, whose far-reaching violence has led to multiple deaths. But as the task force gets closer to catching the deadly Doctor, Maddie is in more danger than ever...

My thoughts:
 Yes, this is #7 in the series, but all of the books in this series are also standalones. I have only read #3 (Unforgivable) and have another in my tbr. I knew from reading #3 I would be safe from reading out of order. All revolve around the CSI kind of mystery. One where there is lots of action, murder, and crime solving. That is what connects these stories, not characters.

In this book we have Maddie who is a CSI photographer and has become quite good at her job. She gets targeted by a group of kidnappers for something she "may" have seen. This draws in Brian who is trying desperately to solve this case and put the bad guys behind bars. The "kingpin" of the group he knows about but cannot get evidence to put him away. He is intrigued with Maggie's work ethic, her brain and her body (duh! lol). Only problem is she seems to be the one woman on the planet who simultaneously wants to be with him and wants to push him away. It drives him crazy but he is determined to not give up.

I did enjoy this story and I also loved the twists the book provided in solving the case. I did not find this as strong as  Unforgiveable, but I still enjoyed the story line. While I did understand why Maggie did a push/pull with Brian, I still did get frustrated with her myself. I would have liked a bit more epiphany that we could grasp in the end when she finally did decide what she wanted. Either that or less pushing away. Still, I did enjoy the fact that Brian refused to give up.

I give this book 4 stars. I recommend it to those that love romantic suspense with lots of action. Fans of CSI, NCIS and those type of crime shows would also love this series.

Throwback Thursday: Rotters

Meme hosted by Melissa My World in Words and Pages. It's about books that are already on the shelves and are waiting to be read. Go to her website to join in!

My submission this week:

Rotters
by Daniel Kraus
Narrator: Kirby Heyborne

Grave-robbing. What kind of monster would do such a thing? It's true that Leonardo da Vinci did it, Shakespeare wrote about it, and the resurrection men of nineteenth-century Scotland practically made it an art. But none of this matters to Joey Crouch, a sixteen-year-old straight-A student living in Chicago with his single mom. For the most part, Joey's life is about playing the trumpet and avoiding the daily humiliations of high school. 

Everything changes when Joey's mother dies in a tragic accident and he is sent to rural Iowa to live with the father he has never known, a strange, solitary man with unimaginable secrets. At first, Joey's father wants nothing to do with him, but once father and son come to terms with each other, Joey's life takes a turn both macabre and exhilarating. 

Daniel Kraus's masterful plotting and unforgettable characters makeRotters a moving, terrifying, and unconventional epic about fathers and sons, complex family ties, taboos, and the ever-present specter of mortality.

Yep, another audio free from SYNC (if it's not up right away then just wait, it should be soon)! I've been wanting to read this one for a while and was so happy it was free starting today! Just so to the SYNC website to get it. This one seems to be only open to those in US and Can.

Any good zombie audios on your tbr?

Note: Nope, I'm not affiliated in any way with SYNC or the publisher or the author... just like freebies and telling ya about them. :D