Nicole R

says

Susan T says

Yes, it absolutely fits the friendship tag. :-)

posted 3 weeks ago. ( send a note )

Candy Van Dyke says

Hi I am a first time author of a book called "Adventures of a Baseball Fan" which captures the journey to every major league baseball park. It isn't just about the baseball though! There is a face book page at www.facebook.com/CandyLVanDyke and a website at www.adventuresofabaseballfan.com. Always looking for followers and people to follow!

posted 3 weeks ago. ( send a note )

Regina L says

You are so funny. I would have never taken it as rude, but I knew that's what you were doing ;-). I didn't want to keep you guessing about your weekend schedule. Sunday is a better day for us. We are flexible. So, you tell us what time is best in terms of crowds, etc. Look forward to seeing you.

posted 1 month ago. ( send a note )

Regina L says

Hey, I know you saw my posts about being sick. In case you were wondering, I got the all clear yesterday and I can travel. So, I'm still going to be in D.C.

posted 1 month ago. ( send a note )

Susan T says

Sorry?

posted 2 months ago. ( send a note )

Regina L says

Sounds good. Staying at the Westin Alexandria but coming into the city for all the tourism stuff. I love going to a local's favorite!

posted 2 months ago. ( send a note )

Regina L says

OH! I haven't done brunch in forever! Let's shoot for that!

posted 2 months ago. ( send a note )

Regina L says

Mainly, work....but, I'm bringing a really good friend that has always wanted to go to DC. So, I convinced her to go up with me and we'd go early. My work stuff doesn't start until Sunday afternoon. BUt, even then, I'd be free for dinner. I'm looking forward to seeing DC again through a tourists eyes ;-)

posted 2 months ago. ( send a note )

Regina L says

Hey there, wanted to let you know I'll be back in DC Arpil 11-17th in case you were up for grabbign a bite.

posted 2 months ago. ( send a note )

Stuart Wilson says

Hey! Just a quick note to introduce myself as the author of Kyle vs Leila - Battle for the Cyberdomes. Hopefully my YouTube reading will convince you it's worth a look :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id24IXgUsGA

posted 3 months ago. ( send a note )

Rachel H says

Oops looks like I missed the note to follow you and Anita. I'm the team spokesperson for team 3 so could you please follow me so i can send you a personal note with our reading order. Thanks

posted 3 months ago. ( send a note )

JoLene R says

Hello Nicole, I'm going to be the liaison for Team 8 and one of the posts indicated that we should "friend" you and Anita. I think following is the same thing...
Great idea for the relay!.

posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )

Sushicat says

The tag is Christianity. I was struggling through pages on the tag to find something I would like to read and all I Found was either too short or way too long. Now Judith told me how to combine a private tag on my shelf with the public ones. It's so much easier for me now to find books I'd love to read.

Silence just grabbed my fancy. It has great reviews and it seems is not yet on PBT's shelf. But if it's too short I'll read The Handmaid's Tale.

posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )

Sushicat says

Hi Nicole

Here's the book I was considering for the game:
http://www.shelfari.com/books/21632/Silence

Looks like "my" edition is the only one under 250 pages...

posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )

Susan T says

Hey Nicole,

So, yeah, I know Jeremy socially, and I've read a couple of his novels. The phrase that comes to mind is "over-the-top." For him, realistic science takes a back seat to action, plot, and pacing. That said, if you just go along for the ride, they can be fun.

This book is on my radar, too. It got a GREAT review in PW the other day, comparing the novel to no less than H.G. Wells, Michael Crichton, and Warren Fahy! Jeremy and I had a twitter exchange about the review. Ones like that don't come around every day!

Anyway, his publicist at St. Martins sent me a review copy of the last one. I'm fairly confident I'll be reading this one, too, and can give you the scoop. FWIW, here's the review I wrote of the last one:

SecondWorld
by Jeremy Robinson

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
"Nazis. Can you believe it?", June 25, 2012

Jeremy Robinson has a staggering imagination. He has a wild, inventive imagination that should be the envy of all writers. No, Mr. Robinson's challenge seems not to be in coming up with stories, but with reining them in. I would definitely consider his latest novel, SecondWorld, to be over-the-top, but the author is clearly having so much fun with this tale it's hard to fault him for it.

After several brief, frightening prologues, SecondWorld opens beneath the Atlantic Ocean, about nine miles off the coast of Key Largo. Workaholic NCIS special agent Lincoln Miller has been given a puffball assignment: "His skills were better suited to tracking down navy criminals on the lam, or hunting seafaring terrorists. As a former Navy SEAL, now special agent, his skills seemed a gross overkill in the battle against glorified litterbugs. It wasn't until he arrived on-site that he realized the true nature of his assignment--a vacation." Miller is to spend two weeks at the undersea research station Aquarius doing dive patrols for polluters.

When he stops receiving transmissions from the surface, Miller doesn't think twice about it. He's enjoying the solitude and silence when something thunks against the side of the station. It's a large grouper, and looking out the window, all Miller sees is dead marine life. There are red flakes falling down from the surface that appear to have poisoned everything in sight. Miller heads topside to investigate, and suddenly HE'S the fish out of water. He can't breathe. There are red flakes falling from the sky and no oxygen in the atmosphere! Miller is suddenly in an epic struggle for survival, and the opening chapters of the novel document his route to safety, and who and what he encounters along the way. By the time it's over, he's earned the nickname "Survivor."

Now, if you ask me, that's a whole novel right there, but that's merely the first act of Jeremy Robinson's epic adventure. You won't even believe where things go from there! In the words of the President of the United States, "Nazis. It's just too much." And for some readers, this exuberant tale will be too much. There's nothing realistic about it--although I appreciated the science the Robinson integrated into the plot. (For me, the outlandish always goes down better with a little bit of scientific justification, and while Robinson's no Michael Crichton, I could at least swallow his science.) I would suggest that if you're the sort of reader who can have a good chuckle when an evil Nazi says, "Germany did not lose the war, we merely pretended to," you'll do fine with this book. Because, seriously, who doesn't love to hate Nazis?

Where the book fell down for me, in part, was with the characters--well, with one character. Obviously, I don't come to a thriller like this looking for a subtle character study, so that wasn't the problem. Mostly, it was that I never really connected with protagonist Miller. He was so square-jawed and all-American. Loved little kids and puppies, too, I'm sure. But somehow he never became a flesh and blood person to me. The same could be argued of Elizabeth Adler, the novel's female protagonist, but in her case, I think Robinson was far more effective with this opacity. He kept me guessing throughout the entire book about any hidden agendas she might be masking. And he did a fine job with some of the major secondary characters, none more so that Milos "Cowboy" Vesely, a lunatic Czech conspiracy theorist. I think I'm in love with him.

I opened this review suggesting that Robinson might want to rein in his tales a bit. I think toning things down just a smidge would help readers who struggle with willing suspension of disbelief. Further. I think a somewhat less over-the-top tale might have broader appeal. But you know what? This book will appeal to plenty, exactly as it is. I've suggested this to readers of thrillers before: Come to this book with the right mind-set. It's ridiculous; just accept that. And then hang on for a wild ride, because Jeremy Robinson has crafted a novel of non-stop action and adventure. The pace is breakneck, the plotting is inventive, the premise is original, and the author kept me guessing until the very end. I read this book in less than a day, and had a darn good time while doing it. SecondWorld was, first and foremost, entertaining. Jeremy, I want some more Cowboy!

posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )

Steven Nedelton says

Hi Nicole. Please join us at a new Shelfari.com group: Good Reads Café
http://www.shelfari.com/groups/100744/members

This is a Readers’ and Writers’ group. Open discussions, debates, critiques and self-promotions…
The group is for all readers with some understanding of literature and for all good authors. All book genres are welcome, thriller genre books are preferred
Steven
www.snedelton.com

posted 5 months ago. ( send a note )

Susan T says

Hey, Nicole, I'm going to keep this brief, because I'm typing on a phone. I'm sorry it was only a 3-star read. I sort of agree with everything you said, but I sort of blamed myself as a reader because graphic novels are NOT my medium. I don't understand stories told in pics well.

Maybe more thoughts on this and/or my own review later. Haven't seen your review yet. Very behind reading the PBT board. bad Internet at my folks place.

posted 6 months ago. ( send a note )

Book Worm says

Hi Nicole, no problem at all I understand your reasoning behind taking it down.

posted 6 months ago. ( send a note )

Tenia F says

I'm trying to revive the Challenges group. Be on the look out

posted 6 months ago. ( send a note )