Maddie’s Comments (group member since Aug 06, 2013)

Maddie’s comments from the Word Nibblers group.

I'm loving this book so far, about halfway through.

But my favorite part so far has been the sperm whale and the bowl of petunias:

"And wow! Hey! What's this thing suddenly coming toward me very fast?...ground! I wonder if it will be friends with me? And the rest, after a sudden wet thud, was silence. Curiously enough, the only thing that went through the mind of the bowl of petunias as it fell was Oh no, not again." (Chap 18)

Cracked me up.

No One Is Here Except All Of Us by Ramona Ausubel

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

post book suggestions here!

What inconsistencies did you notice?

I haven't read much Neil Gaiman (though after this, I intend to read more), but he does sometimes seem to write vaguely, my guess is to leave meaning open to interpretation.

There were also points in the story I started to wonder if the story was just a child trying to make sense of normal things happening in his life? Like a mean babysitter comes to live with his family and he creates this make-believe story that she's really a monster in order to justify his not liking her? I started to wonder if his imagination just went so unchecked that it became his reality and maybe in his adult life he remembers how it really happened, until he visits the pond/ocean and his childhood interpretations come flooding back? But that could just be me thinking about it too much...

I did, and it kind of reminded me how many people remember their childhoods. Sometimes I get so nostalgic that I remember my childhood like it was some long, forgotten time, instead of only 10+ years ago.

But I think it was also the subject matter; usually when magic is involved it takes place somewhere otherworldly or in the past, before people began learning how the world worked. I really loved the magical realism in this piece, though.

Way to go, Ty.

In my writing class, we're reading a collection of short stories by Haruki Murakami. I've liked them all so far, but I just read "Barn Burning" and my mind was kind of blown when I got to the end.

If you read it, please tell me your interpretation of the ending!

Below is a PDF link to the whole collection of short stories if you want to read any. (I highly suggest reading "Sleep," but it's a little longer). If you just want to read "Barn Burning," jump to page 81.

http://ptchanculto.binhoster.com/book...

A short story (6 pages) written by Kurt Vonnegut. Really enjoyed it, kinda reminded me of Fahrenheit 451. Quick read. Highly recommend.

http://www.tnellen.com/westside/harri...

Then watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1eHkb...

Personal favorite quote:

"Dear Girls Above Me,
'Well if you still have diarrhea tomorrow we need to get you some of that ex-lax stuff.' Putting out the fire with gasoline, huh?"

About a year ago I discovered this website: http://www.deargirlsaboveme.com/ featuring a collection of tweets by Charlie McDowell to two girls living in the apartment above him. When I heard he was writing a book, I instantly put it in my amazon wish-list.


I highly recommend this book if you want a quick read and a few laughs; I rarely laugh out loud when reading, but did several times while reading. It's basically about an average guy who learns to live a single life after a break-up with the unknowing help of the girls above him. I liked it because it was incredibly honest; I was able to read the thought process of an actual person instead of a sugar-coated narrative with little personality.

It was an interesting read because it wasn't really ABOUT anything (except for him learning to get over his ex). It was a book comprised of a series of life events, but the way Charlie tells them is hilarious.