Kiss Me, I'm Irish Read-along: Chapters 21-25 + Epilogue

  Sadly, this is the last week of discussion for the Kiss Me, I'm Irish Read-along.  Kiss Me, I'm Irish is a read-along of HOUNDED by Kevin Hearne, and hosted by awesome bloggers Felicia of Geeky Blogger's Book Blog, Amanda of On a Book Bender, Ash of Smash Attack Reads!, Jen of In the Closet with a Bibliophile and Missie the Unread Reader. Today we are discussing the last chapters and the epilogue. Head over to Missie's blog to participate in today's questions!

1. In a moment of anger, Atticus reveals something about himself that he usually keeps very secret, for his own benefit. Has something similar ever happened to you? Have you ever spilled a closely guarded secret in a moment of excitement or anger or absent-mindedness?

I can't say that I've spilled any secrets in anger, but I have mentioned past grudges to make a 'point' which almost always back fires or just refuels the fires more. 


2. Atticus tells Mrs. MacDonagh, "the universe is exactly the size that your soul can encompass. Some people live in extremely small worlds, and some live in a world of infinite possibility." Then he asks her what she is going to do with the new information she has discovered. What would you do if you found out that other beings were among us? Would you deny it or embrace it?

I would embrace it. Mind you, I will be honest and say that I'll be scared about it. I'd like they are nice and not like those zillions of sci-fi movies where they try to take over the planet. I always wondered why we, humans, think we're so superior and that it's always us against them.


 

3. So far, Atticus has revealed a few of his powers and has even shared some power by putting bindings on Granuaile. What do you think has been his coolest or most helpful power so far?

I love that his power is nature-bound and that he can refuel by absorbing those powers. I've finally got a hero who's got superhero powers without any scientific experiments gone wrong!


4. Atticus gets pretty pissed when he finds out that Aenghus Óg is drawing power from the Earth and, in turn, killing it. That's when Atticus decides he must fight the old Fae for committing such a heinous offense. What is something you would fight for, even if it meant you might die trying?

Besides family and my loved ones, I'm trying to defeat illiteracy and censorship daily. Sometimes it's a struggle, but it's incredibly important to me. 


5. What did you think of the final showdown between Atticus and Aenghus Óg? Did it go down the way you expected? Was there anything about their battle that surprised you?

I know this may sound bad, but I appreciated the fact that Atticus went down quickly. It goes to show that he is vulnerable and despite his awesome powers, he does have to struggle to fight. I'm so glad that Aenghus Óg was defeated, talk about a huge jerk.


6. What was your favorite/least favorite part of Hounded? Who was your favorite/least favorite character?

Favorite part of Hounded: All the dialogue! I totally didn't expect Hounded to be so funny. I was going into thinking since it's got a male lead character, it's going to be serious and all about the action.

Least favorite: The secret behind Granuaile was revealed too quickly. I would have liked to have a lead up to that part.

 Favorite characters: Mrs. MacDonagh (that lady made me laugh so hard, I could barely read the page!), Oberon (best sidekick ever), Leif and Hal (love the bromance with Atticus), Laksha (I'm excited to see what plans she has up her sleeves).

Least favorite characters: Morrigan- this woman scares the crap out of me and I have no idea where her 'relationship' with Atticus will go.

7. What do you think is coming up next for Atticus? Will you continue reading this series, and if so, what do you hope to see happen in the next book?     

Well, I've only read the first two books, but I'm curious to see how and if Atticus will go after Thor. I would love to know more about Leif and Hal too. 

Read More

Kiss Me, I'm Irish Read-along: Chapters 16-20

  Kiss Me, I'm Irish is a read-along of HOUNDED by Kevin Hearne, and hosted by awesome bloggers Felicia of Geeky Blogger's Book Blog, Amanda of On a Book Bender, Ash of Smash Attack Reads!, Jen of In the Closet with a Bibliophile and Missie the Unread Reader. For more information on how to join, click here. Today we are discussing Chapters 16-20.

Chapters 16-20

1.  Just after Atticus is shot, Oberon has to "ninja" his way out of the shop and into Hal's Beamer (with the icky air freshener). Have you ever been in a situation where you had to "ninja" your way out and try not to be discovered? If so, what happened?

When you have a large family and four other siblings, it's hard to go or do anything unawares. ;)

2. Atticus's main goal through a large portion of the book is not only protecting Oberon, but also protecting the sword. You are now living in a paranormal world and you need a weapon! What weapon do you choose and what can it do? 

I have to fan-girly once again, but I'd pick Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth. The Lasso was forged by Hephaestus. It's unbreakable, and is capable of confining even beings as physically powerful as Superman. Empowered by the Fires of Hestia, the Lasso forces anyone held by it to tell the absolute truth. The fires are said to even be able to cure insanity, as they did in the case of Ares, God of War, when he attempted to incite World War III, but renounced his plan when the Lasso showed him that such a war would destroy all life on Earth, including any potential worshipers he sought to gain from it. (Source: Superhero Database).

3. To recharge and heal after being shot, Atticus sleeps naked, tattoos to the earth, in a patch of grass near the Civic Center in downtown Scottsdale. Where is the weirdest place you have ever slept? 

 I can't think of any place. I had a professor in college who had the worst monotone voice ever. It took will power and large amounts of caffeine to stay awake in his class. I still remember a guy sitting in the front row who would fall asleep and snore very loudly within the first 10 minutes of class (I'd actually timed it after the third time). The class was very small, about 15 kids and there was no where to hide and sleep. I wondered if that guy ever passed that class. 

4. We finally find out some very interesting information about Granuaile and I don't know about you, but I certainly wasn't expecting to find that she's sharing her head with someone else. What about you, did you expect anything along those lines? If not, what were you expecting concerning Granuaile?  

 I really like Granuaile and think she will become an interesting character as the series progresses. I had a hint about her, but I thought she was just another supernatural character. While I wasn't disappointed to know that she's pretty normal besides the dual personality, I kinda wished there was more of a development leading up to the discovery. It seemed to kind of come out of nowhere. Now that I look back, I actually like how she's kinda like the 'normal' version of Atticus and serves as a great contrast to him.

 

5.  Laksha is a witch, a truly evil one at that for many of the things she's done in the past. However, she's supposedly seen the error of her ways. Do you think she really has? Would you be willing to trust her? Do you think Atticus is smart to have decided to trust her to help him with the "other" witches?

 I love Laksha only because I don't know what she has been planning and there's something spontaneous about her. I love the fact that she is Southeast Asian and not the stereotypical woman who is passive and quiet. I'm really curious about her background and hope to get more of her back story. I don't think she has seen the errors of her ways. Not at all. She got her butt kicked and now she's looking to dust herself off and get back in the fight. If I was Atticus, I would definitely keep my eye on her.

Read More

Kiss Me, I'm Irish Read-along: Chapters 6-10 + 11-15

  


  Kiss Me, I'm Irish is a read-along of HOUNDED by Kevin Hearne, and hosted by awesome bloggers Felicia of Geeky Blogger's Book Blog, Amanda of On a Book Bender, Ash of Smash Attack Reads!, Jen of In the Closet with a Bibliophile and Missie the Unread Reader. This post will contain answers for last week and this week. Hope that's okay with you ladies!

Chapters 6-10

1. In Chapter 6, Atticus goes hunting with Oberon and Flidais. What was supposed to be a fun hunting trip turned rather disastrous. Were you expecting something like this to happen or did it catch you by surprise? Have you ever had something that should have been fun turn disastrous or nearly disastrous?

I expected something to go wrong and crank up the action in the book, but I didn't think it would be so disastrous. I've had lots of great plans and expectations to do things that I thought were fun like a part or a movie night only to find people back out at the last minute, which is why I stopped planning for things. It just seems counterproductive.

 

2. We are only briefly introduced to the witches (or, a witch) in chapter 7. What are your first impressions? How much would you trust the witches? Why?

 After reading lots of paranormal/urban fantasy books, I've learned quickly to never trust anyone who has super powers. I don't trust the witches at all, because they always seem to back out of their deals and twist things around to favor themselves just like the fey.

3. Oberon says, “With dogs you just go up and smell their asses and you know where you stand. It’s so much easier. Why can’t humans do that?” Do you ever wish there was an easier way to find out where you stand with someone (besides Oberon’s suggestion, of course)? In what cases would it be easier or better to hide your true feelings?

Of course! There were lots of times where I wished I had a radar like Cinder does in Marissa Meyer's book where she has a light that goes off when she suspects someone and if they are not telling the truth. I think it would be easier to hide your true feelings in a life or death situation or when you have the potential to really hurt someone. 

 

4. Chapter 9 makes Atticus’ life much more difficult: the witches are in some way working with Aeghus Og, Bres comes after Atticus, and more trouble appears at the end of the chapter. Have you made sense of what has happened thus far? Any predictions for what might happen?

 I had an idea of what would happen next, but since I already the book and knows what happens I'm going to avoid this question.

 

5. Atticus has had plenty of time to cultivate attitudes and ethics that would allow him to live a very long time. What do you think it is about Atticus that has allowed him to live for as long as he has?

 Well, he is smart and keeps thing in check.  He has a very small circle of people who can trust and help him when in need. Plus, you know, he's a druid so magic spells are also a big help. :)

Chapters 11-15

1. I love Leif Helgarson, Viking Vampire, Esq. I have to say that combo makes a pretty cool attorney. If you could have a paranormal/mythical beastie (or combo) covering your tuckus in court, what would you choose and why?

You're making me think on a Friday morning? Hrm..well, I guess I would have to go with Jim, the were-jaguar who is head of security, from the Kate Daniel series. Jim is a non-sense guy who doesn't hide around the bushes. He's super smart and a sleuth so he would have no difficulty in finding evidence and using those to my benefit.

2. The police show up to question Atticus about his Irish Wolfhound, Oberon. If you could own any dog breed, what would it be and why? (P.S. Oberon is going on my list of favorite sidekicks!)

 I honestly don't know. I don't own a dog or know much about them. 

 

3. Malina Sokolowski and the other Sisters of the Three Auroras coven have my antennae up. What is your opinion of them?

I don't like them at all. They're are sneaky and can't be trusted.  I'm pretty sure they have an ulterior motive too.

4. Brighid, goddess of poetry, fire and the forge, gave Atticus the power of Cold Iron, which can be used to fight off that nasty lilttle hellspawn. If you could wield one magical power, what would it be and why?

I know it's a cop-out but I would love to have Rogue's power from the X-men who is able to absorb other people's abilities by a touch. If that's not possible than Professor X's talent of memory manipulation. If you can't already tell, I'm a huge Xmen fan. :D

5. The cops show up at Atticus’ shop to search for poor Oberon, who remains magically hidden throughout the ordeal. What is the one thing you would do if you could remain hidden from sight? I want to hear some good answers for this one!

 Not sure to be honest. Being voyeuristic just sounds so ... creepy.

Read More

Kiss Me, I'm Irish Read-along: Chapters 1-5

Kiss Me, I'm Irish is a read-along of HOUNDED by Kevin Hearne, and hosted by Felicia of Geeky Blogger's Book Blog, Amanda of On a Book Bender, Ash of Smash Attack Reads!, Jen of In the Closet with a Bibliophile and Missie the Unread Reader. Today we are discussing Chapters 1-5.

1.  Kevin Hearne had the most perfect beginning for this book:  "There are many perks to living for twenty-one centuries, and foremost among them is bearing witness to the rare birth of genius."  If you were to live for centuries what do you think you would be excited to see?  

I think I would be excited to see all the technological advancements in the future. I curious to see what the "it" technology we would have years from now. I'm still waiting for a remote control to pause time or a cyborg/robot ala Rosie the Robot from The Jetsons to be created so I don't have to do the dreaded house chores. Wouldn't that be nice?

2. In the 2nd chapter we learn about the amulet and its protection powers!  Do you think having met the Morrigan and heard about Aenghus Og that it will be enough to protect Atticus?  I mean the Morrigan has a point about hot chicks coming after him and his defenses might be down! He is very male! 

Although Morrigan really freaks me out, it is smart of Atticus to have have a god on his side. I'm curious to see how their relationship progresses as the series continues. Though he is male, he doesn't strike me as someone who will lower his defenses when being seduced or tempted. Surviving two millenniums seem to be evident of that.  

3. The literary world's coolest dog is introduced in this chapter!  Did you love Oberon immediately?  Show me a picture or describe the type of animal you would love to have as a talking companion! (Cat, Dog, Mouse, Sloth, Horse---what is your pick--pictures please)?

I'm guessing were-creatures don't count? *Pouts* Well, I always thought Jack the monkey in the Pirates movies was cute. As long as he's not under the curse. 

 

4. In this chapter Flidais asked Atticus what his name is and then precedes to ask if anyone actually believes he is Greek?  He says nobody pays attention to names here.  Do you know what your name means and where it comes from?  Or do you have a name you wish had?  Let's talk names!

My first name is derived from the Arabic word rumman, which means pomegranate. I loved pomegranates long before finding out that's what my name means. Weird, huh?

 5.  We learn about Atticus' lawyers in this chapter, a rather unique combo!  Without jumping ahead, would you hire a lawyer combination of two supernaturals who on the surface would appear to be natural enemies or at the very least two very Alpha attitudes? What would be the positives and negatives of that decision.

 Absolutely! The lawyers would know everything about keeping my secret under control, especially with themselves being supernatural. While they both may have alpha attitudes, they would work different shifts- one during the day and the other during the night. It would also be nice to have some what you would call 'normal' friends where you can put your facade on hold once in a while. 

Read More

Kiss Me, I'm Irish Read-Along!

 I had an incredible time hosting and participating in my first read-along, Tempting Tuesdays, and now I'm thrilled to participate in another fantastic read-along, Kiss Me, I'm Irish which features Hounded, the first book in the Iron Druid Chronicles series by Kevin Hearne. I really enjoyed Hounded and I can't wait to discuss the book with others. The Kiss me, I'm Irish Read-Along is hosted by Felicia the Geeky Blogger, Amanda at On a Book Bender, Ash at Smash Attack Reads!, Jen at In the Closet with a Bibliophile, and Missie at The Unread Reader.

Hounded Discussion Schedule:

March 02nd: Chapters 1-5 hosted by Geeky Blogger's Book Blog
March 09th: Chapters 6-10 hosted by On a Book Bender
March 16th: Chapters 11-15 hosted by Smash Attack Reads!
March 23rd: Chapters 16-20 hosted by In the Closet With a Bibliophile
March 30th: Chapters 21-25 + epilogue hosted by The Unread Reader
April 06th: Special interview with Kevin Hearne & announcement of winners!

Prizes!  

Everyone who signs up for the read-along and participates each week will be entered for a chance to win one of three prizes. Best part: there will one winner per prize! The first name drawn will get first choice and so on. Wondering what's up for grabs? A Third Eye Tote Bag, a Sausage Fest Pint Glass, and a personalized, signed copy of any book in the Iron Druid Chronicles.The prizes are also open to international readers as long as The Book Depository delivers to your country, though the prize is limited to any book in the Iron Druid Chronicles (not signed).

Visit Felicia at Geeky Blogger's Book Blog to sign up and to grab the first set of discussion questions for week one! 

Read More