C. (Comment, never msg).’s Comments (group member since Jan 30, 2014)

C. (Comment, never msg).’s comments from the Gentle SPECTRUMS group.

Thank you for appreciating my writing about our precious Son and honouring our sweet boy along with us, dear friend. Yes, McCartney trucked right on until almost 22! Kerri, you would have loved meeting Love, Spirit, Marigold, and McCartney. May Conan return for you to someday soon meet him and his Sisters, Petal & Angel.

Here is my first blog article. I am grateful for comments at my blog above all, which is much more personal. It is about anything I want to write, holds my master lists of reviews as a public database, and my membership predates Goodreads. Thank you so much for adding love and letting me know my words are seen. With love, your friend Carolyn. http://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2011/02...

Hey guys, I am happy to have your updates and dicuss the exciting elements freely. If you refer to dollars, please indicate which ones and it is understood for the rest of the day's communication. There are people who assume the USA is a standard among all the world dollars, which annoys Canadians. I hope you mean NZ. :)

Kerri looked forward to visiting her cousin for a day or two and it is nice they stayed longer. Six days is a long pause in a group discussion. It is good to know you will track your pages for us to see, if you do read on. There is a lot of chatting we can do no matter which chapter we hover at. However, impromptu long family visits are precious.

Your updates are wonderful. I'll dig in later. I hope everyone replies to what came before, that conversation pauses do not penalize earlier contributions into being discarded or hastily summarized. For example, it was sensitive for me to offer that I know it is hard to request outside help in stopping a family problem. I get Adam's mental anguish even if nowhere near as bad. Maybe Shirin will comment on this important subject now too.

If I missed anything you want to highlight, raise it. I saw my paragraph about Maggie getting things wrong with Noah and will discuss it with my reply to Kerri. I can't wait to talk about trees, with whom communication is real. "Intuitive communication" with them is similar to "animal communication"; both using our telepathic voices. Telepathy nullifies specificity of spoken languages but I don't mind buying into an author's invention. If I were picky, we would say their language is of the early native people there, unless the Welsh king's magic distributed his origins into the forest's ambiance.

Come on now, a week is a long time to wait for the joy of the cat scene to be echoed back to me. I'd be surprised if you guys didn't find it as enormously funny as I did. However, surely the gleeful mirth I conveyed in detail, came across strongly! I am looking forward to the re-enactment of my reaction to reward me by sharing it with you two!

Good to know you loved the flower scene, funny and sweet. Yes, that DNA quip was good and I love the feeling of laughing over something again and again. Even better is your quote about Guansey's shoes. I need help figuring out if Blue deems them a fashion faux-pas, which would be the funniest meaning, or if the boat shoes are expensive (doubtful) and she doesn't want to be reminded of his abundance.

Had you two heard of ley lines? I did and love the originality of a modern novel drawing from that subject. This is a good topic: this novel is relatable and funny because it is in 2012 times! It would not work the same if it weren't. Most of the joy comes from seeing that there is mystery and adventure questing for us to relish in, in our lifetime!

There are wildfires around the province of Alberta. Please pray for her people, animals, the homes of both, her trees, plants, and land. May the rain come and wind stop so the danger fizzles out. Sincerely, Carolyn and our worldwide communities.

Hi Shirin! This is my favourite entry you have written! It is expressive of your likes, dislikes, guesses, and hopes in detail; what makes reading books with you a profound pleasure! I am excited you will be back to discuss more; you are right about that. Kerri was with cousins this week and will be back soon. We see her briefly on her profile to update books, haha.

Also, Shirin, it so happens that your views echo mine precisely! Harmony with friends is a lovely feeling! Yes, that humour about Blue disliking the most popular English expression "Out of the blue" is a nice touch on giving her a personality.

My favourite part of what you wrote is: you are feeling exactly what I am, that these characters aren't descriptions on pages but LIVING their events and environments; I love that! I am going to reread short prequels of Maggie's to which I only gave three stars because of course, I could not grasp the contents. We will always remember these personages and they are realistically rounded with flaws, strengths, hopes, and the efforts we all make in between.

Haha, there is no better introduction to your discussion offering than exclaiming "oh my gosh, there is so much action now"! I love it and feel the same! You see why I had to finish, laughing in bed beside Ron late, after the first visit to the amazing trees. I have two criticisms of the novel that I would like you girls to remind me of, please when we discuss the whole novel, both about Noah. However, I love every part of this book and you see why it is a paranormal mystery instead of fantasy. Of course communicating with trees, other nature, spirits is real.

Yes, we hope nothing happens to Richard Guansey or anyone else we have come to befriend and love. Maybe Blue will choose him or Adam as a mate (she is only 16 anyway), maybe not but as Kerri & I agree and perhaps you too; romance is in the background and we love the action and mystery solving as the priority. Yes, one of the mysteries is Blue's Dad.

I freaked out when we learned about Barry killing a school friend. When you both get to the specifics of that (you'll know what I mean), tell me so we can burst out our feelings about it. It wasn't a surprise but still, I was breathless with the turning of events and drama. THIS is how you write an adventure and mystery!!!! Feelings, action, beautiful descriptions, and connections all together make a wonderfully alive, vibrant story. Not one overpowers the other, therefore we have perfection. :) Even if everyone can find criticisms in 400 pages, our pleasure and how impressed we are with the whole world and premise can have five star heights.

I understand why you like Ronan and am impressed by the detail with which you are gleaning the nuances and meaning of novels in English, Shirin. Even though I speak French and Spanish fluently, I am nowhere near like a native speaker who knows many more words. I do well on what I know but even babies books show me several words to look up. You earned that PhD, girl! I think you are saying you would prefer someone angry looking like Ronan, who at least offers his true colours; except what he wants to keep private. You likely know the common way of saying that in English: "What you see is what you get".

Shirin, was it Richard Gansey or Adam who couldn't reach peace until finding his new friends? I remember the bee nightmare but don't remember Adam in it. My Brother outgrew bee allergies I think but he stays away from wasps just in case. However, Richard Guansey (which name do you prefer?) is only 18, still a boy but doing well in a grown-up living situation. Thankfully he has parents and a Sister to visit. Also thankfully, I am not allergic to stings or anything. About three years ago, wasps stung me many times that summer and fall, hiding at our back door!

I also understand and concur that Neeve keeps herself too neutral and secretive to like very much. She does not know Maura well but needs to open up and share questions and worries with family and friends; even if it is good to be independent. Usually I know what I want and need to do but both of you ladies saw that I came to you for advice. Confirming our conclusions is helpful and reassuring too. I want everyone to be safe and might slowly develop sympathy for Neeve. I am beginning to like Calla.

My favourite scenes are the wondrous, gorgeous forest. We won't solve that king mystery, Ronan's, or Blue's in one novel and I like that there is much more to enjoy and discover. Yes, there is lots to say and marvel at together. I can't wait until the next time you each write. Love, Carolyn.

P.S. The next beautiful birds to look-up are the female & male Rosebreasted Grosbeaks. The male scouts arrived yesterday! Goldfinches are here too and purple finches have been here while there was still some snow.

Shirin, did you know that I feed whitetailed deer nightly over winter and spring? This is the last week I am giving them rolled oats, with the grass nearly all green and the forest budding leaves. I sing a supper song to them that I made up and they come to eat. :)

Sometimes we see painted turtles and that is a special treat. Frogs awoke before the last snow melted. Toads will come out of hibernation and.... black bears. :) They are nice to see but we must keep the birdfeeders indoors at night, so they keep walking through.

They are gorgeous and their fur is so polished, healthy, and well kept. Their faces are amazing and their noses are precious. We look from a window. They are peaceful and do not attack normally but we must avoid Mothers hiding children nearby.

Yes, Shirin, I saw the male oriole as soon as I finished on the computer with you! Oh yes, they are a gorgeous electric orange. Orange is the colour of most of our babies. Now the hummingbirds take turns with them to drink but Ron & I place two birdfeeders of honey and water far apart.

Also, because I keep plants indoors every night it starts to get cold, they live all winter. We empty the soil into the flowerbed when they are done, or put them back out in the spring if plants are still going. This year, three flowerboxes are still green and are back outside; two of them are two years-old. For the first time, four of our plants are still blooming with flowers after living indoors all winter! The hummingbirds are pleasantly surprised to find flowers already in Manitoba to taste, not just the birdfeeder supply.

Hummingbirds can be in the city, if there is green space with trees. You only need to put out birdfeeders for them and you will see them through windows.

Yes, the thing about travelling is making sure you get a good deal, fair treatment, and no one assumes you are rich. I would bring you with me, or ask in advance what things should cost and hand servers that amount firmly, like I know what I am doing.

Too bad prices are good where we are not allowed to go but you can guess the theory on that. Old secret archives, natural magical places in these countries, which is why they fight and dissuade foreigners from visiting. Katherine Neville's "The Magic Circle" only discusses that mysterious region a little but it is intriguing.

Shirin, please don't finish the novel before sharing reactions again. This is the chance to give individual opinions in progress, instead of abbreviating a whole review. What did you think of the chapters and revelations you recently read? :)

Hi Shirin, I see you were writing your contribution as I was working on my second book conversation entry. Nice timing!

A correction about currencies. When someone says "the dollar", we specify which one. Canada has her own dollars. I think you mean American ones. I don't have their dollars anymore than you do and would covert the same as anyone. If the *Canadian* dollar is good in Iran, that is nice news! I would of course love to go. We are worth .75c compared to the USA right now but we often rise higher and have sometimes outweighed them. I am touched you deem me suited to archaeology and geology.

It is interesting you like Ronan best. My favourite is Adam but I like Richard Gansey a lot. Noah is a sweetheart too but hard to know directly. I dislike personalities reacting with anger but I know Ronan is kind and loyal. Of the women, I am contrary. I like Persephone least because it is annoying if authors keep describing someone as using "a quiet voice". Just speak up! Anyone with their abilities should be firm and confident. Calla is too bitchy and Neeve is too sly but they are fun.

I am glad you love the humour and could see it in the scenes I laughed about, Shirin! I did not wake Ron to tell about about the novel. He awoke from my laugher! He was glad to see me happy, as long as I didn't have the lamp on much longer. Also, our cat wanted to come in the covers but there was no room while I was reading. When I put the book away, finally she could rest under them with us.

I remember and enjoy the part you found funny too, how fast and smart these boys are, right? Thank you for reiterating that when Richard Gansay joked "No pets", Ronan retorted "Too bad about Noah"! :)

Shirin, I wonder if you were clear that Richard Gansey wrote the journal. Barry was just their school teacher of Latin, who was acting like an ass by listening to the boys' conversations. I love the way Blue liked Richard better after she learned that he was a passionate journal writer. It is easier to appreciate a person who shows sensitivity of emotions and great interest in whatever they love.

Until I know where you and Kerri have reached, I dare not tell you how right you are about things. You will love the discoveries you make! :) You said when we planned our reading that you have the second novel and I am glad you could obtain it easily. I have a few used places to check, otherwise Amazon.ca has it at a good price of $14.00 CDN.

Speaking of birds, two summer visitors have arrived and our winter guests have flown back south. Believe it or not, southeastern Manitoba equals "going south" for some northern birds. We hear the Baltimore Orioles but have not seen those pretty orange feathers yet! I see my first hummingbirds, with their lovely reds and greens. I melted honey and water for their birdfeeders and have seen the hummingbird enjoying it. I think I will see the orioles today. We often see ravens and crows. :)

I will contribute basic replies to Kerri's input as well as the hilarity above this message, so that she has the pleasure that comes from people answering whatever we share and muse. :)

Yes, I echo being glad Shirin suggested starting with "The Raven Boys". For loving it, maybe I will better tolerate "Shiver", which I did not know contains werewolves. I would not have continued past the ugly first Kay Scarpetta novel, if I hadn't tried Patricia Cornwell's smaller series opener. If neither of you expects to get "Lament" soon, I might read it this summer.

I will try to wait until September to see the fruit our next book shopping trips yield but Amazon.ca (the Canadian warehouse) is priced okay on a new trade paperback of "The Dream Thieves". I think I have the third and looked in our library building for more of Maggies books, which has none. That means if there are copies behind the front books, they are likeliest to be in this office. I'll look. I did not used to have double stacks but it is better than towers on the floor.

Kerri, I love what you proposed: if a caring, fair Mom like Maura withheld details, there was a valid reason. That is intuitive and considerate of you. I always think we should know everything about our arrival into the world but perhaps trickier information is wisely eked out at the right intervals, starting at Blue's age. It seems like learning more than a little is reserved for the stories ahead.

Adam certainly had a terrible home life. I understand more than anyone need say in public how hard it is to involve authorities with loved-ones. In my family, you know there was a medical issue that was fixed and that the incident was unremembered. Adam's Dad is *an abusive person* who was not going to get better unless forced to learn a new way of thinking and reacting. Adam had the hard decision of giving-up his Mom along with home. She unfortunately not only did not think her husband deserved to be arrested but was unenlightened enough to think Adam was lacking a code of honour, if he reported Robert to make the abuse stop.

I don't think Ronan has a hard home life but is going through a hard thing, losing his Dad and according to Calla's intuition, knowing about a factor in the death. Ronan's freedom and guardianship is lax, shared by his best friend and Brother. Declan is understandably frustrated with him and his Mom too unwell at the moment to run their family. Yes, Ronan was a sweet caregiver despite drinking alcohol. It seems the uniqueness of him that Calla detected will be in the story of the next novel.

Ron has read some of our CS Lewis boxset but I have not. Yes, it is funny about being burdened with certain names. The most famous example is the song "A Boy Named Sue" by Johny Cash. Barrington is an asshole and when we learn his motive, it is no excuse. The past revelations adjacent to him will blow your minds, worse than nasty shit that occurs in our timeline. I can't imagine the stress of a family losing money to live well. That is more poignant than being rich and then working to get by like the average family. However, no motive was understandable to me.

You pleasantly surprised me by saying the same thing I noticed, Kerri. If a love triangle emerged, we like all the people enough not to mind and romance is kept way at the bottom of the focus. For once, an authoress is keeping the mystery and adventure first!

Hi Kerri & Shirin! I will delve more into whatever you add, after Shirin writes again. As highlights of my own, I will tell you what made me laugh so ecstatically the night before Ron went to work, hee hee. He reassured me in the morning that he was well rested, thank goodness. There is another funny part much later that does not give away information, therefore I am eager to share that too. What have you guys found funny? Maybe it is only my humour being delighted but let me know what you think.

Blue was outside with Calla, the most grumpy of the women. Blue spending time with her is what allowed me to like Calla. Up comes a delivery truck with an unusually chipper sign "Flowers By Ali!". Where else but North America would we would an exclamation point on our business name? Too cute, right? So I am grinning at this, when the funniest thing I have ever heard comes next. "Up the sidewalk came the world's smallest floral arrangement"!!!! It was ONE carnation with ONE baby's breath flower!!!!

Oh my gosh, that set me off crying with laughter for 20 minutes, because I reread it and kept thinking in detail about everything behind that flower order! Can you picture someone placing that humble order? "Hi, what is the minimum flower order that you can make?" I was aready roaring before Calla added "The delivery must have cost more than the flowers"! The poor guy wanted the smallest arragement possible just to send something. I went on to picture the open package and a brain wrapping around it containing ONE carnation and ONE baby's breath flower.

The other funny scene drove me into hysterics too but I didn't keep rereading it or picturing it as many times, so that these hysterics were kept more brief and less dramatic. Also, I had just cleaned my reading glasses, haha but I found this scene JUST as hilarious. Blue takes a phone message at her friends' apartment. This is already delighting me as the personal kind of segue that Kerri said she enjoys too but here is where I went crazy with laughter.

"She took closest piece of paper on Gansey's desk. It looked like calculus homework or something. However, he had already doodled a cat attacking a man on it, so she figured it was safe to use"! Hahaha! A cat attacking a man? That is too good for a lot of reasons.

How awsesome does anyone's humour or bored creativity have to be, to think of that as a subject? I can picture a crudely drawn man going "Ahh!" with outflung arms and a cute simple cat hanging from his chest. It also shows that Gansey is just a boy, no matter how refined and mature. Maybe I am too, come to think of it, to be in stitiches over such simple things.

It gets even funnier a few pages later, when Blue hands over the phone message! Oh man, after quite some drastic happenings as Kerri put it well, it felt great to burst out with laughter. "This guy called, Blue said. She held up the piece of paper where she'd jotted his name. The place she had written it made it look like the doodled cat was calling it out"! Can't you picture a dialogue bubble like in the comics and the cat announce a phonecaller by name?

Oh, this imagination was so good! Oh my gosh, that was even more hilarious to me. Once again, I stopped myself from guffawing and tearing up too hysterically, to keep my glasses clean and my reading pace going. But I reread this several times as it was. I hope the two of you see the humour that tickled me so awesomely. :-) Your friend, Carolyn.

Hi Shirin! Kerri visited me in the "Music" thread where I was sadly talking about the passing of Gordon Lightfoot, whom you might know if you like Leonard Cohen. She ran out of time to discuss the book before bedtime. I wish she had said which chapter she was in but will tell us when it is evening in our countries.

I apologize for mentioning a part you had not reached. Thankfully, there is nothing so far except Ronan finding a raven and caring for her. He did not say where or why but like me, probably could not find a safe way to return her to a nest. Thank you, Shirin. I cried about my failures to help those babies but learned a little better each time.

Adam lives in his family's house and we read those hints early that his Dad hit him. Yes, they are low income but I think through three jobs, Adam sends himself to the private school. Is this author actually available in Farsi? It is neat to know which language you use each time. I know other languages but seldom read books in them since school. It is hard to absorb the numerous nuances and vocabulary words outside our native language, even if we are fluent, isn't it!

Noah is the third boy living with Dick Gansey and Ronan and we don't know whence he comes yet. I don't think he goes to school with them in Aglionby.

Yes, Shirin, in old Middle Eastern stories I think your homeland is magical, except these stories are less well known to us. I hope to find them. However, if you can, read the long novel "The Magic Circle" by Katherine Neville. She is the only author I know of who researches multiple cultures as deeply as Andrew Davidson of "The Gargoyle". Oh my gosh, the important places that are suppose to be around Iran are crazy, makes me want to fly and explore those mountains with you now!

Oh, I love the story of treasure hunting with your Cousins, Shirin! Is there a book, legend, or show that sparked your interest? You were very creative too, with you map! You would have loved the movie "Goonies" as a child, like all of us did in the 1980s.

Did I tell you, if I did not love writing and reading; I think my other calling might be to be an archaeologist or geologist? I love stones, I love artifacts and history preserved in time, and I love touching and seeing the physical trials of living beings from the past. I was also born with an ease of language. My parents said I started earlier than any baby we have heard of, even to this day. The ancient sites and geological formations you could show me around Iran would be a dream come true. Someday when it is safe from warring, take me there, okay?

Wow, Shirin, I was just guessing the same thing about Blue's Father! I think he is going to become more important than the hints that were made! I wondered if he was the Irish Dad of Ronan, Declan, and the other because Ronan is different. When Maura and Neeva say they are looking for someone, he must be alive and of course Maura knows him.

That bitter school teacher, Barry is interesting. He used to be a raven boy but his parents financially crashed. Now he is there as a teacher and wanted a psychic reading from Maura, Clara, and Persephone. But they were shaken-up whatever they detected in him and asked him to leave. They would not do that if he was related in any way to Blue's Dad. What happened on his boyhood quest for the Virginia ley lines that was bad?

Hm, I am thinking about Blue's Dad. He might be someone of influence who is not giving money to his family. However, I doubt he lives in Henrietta. It would be wrong to not let Blue acquaint him and Maura would not need to search for him. Another good question is, why she is searching now that their Daughter is about 16 years-old?

Okay, I want to reassure you, my friends, to read as far as you want; even finish the novel if you are excited to do it. I woke Ron in bed last night, for laughing so hard about how funny one scene was and stayed up late! I hope you aren't disappointed that I reached chapter 25. I didn't discuss anything here. Shirin, I am having a lot of fun with the nice, long conversation you have us this morning! Replying to it was enough of an entry from me until you both proceed more.

I probably won't be able to help finishing this novel tonight, so feel free to do likewise! I have at least one other volume but of course, we will read them in sequence. I will relate the funny part later. I actually laughed so hard, tears wet my face, pillow, and I had to clean my glasses. I laughed so long, I awoke Ron and took a good 20 minutes to stop laughing and rereading that part! I am enjoying myself thoroughly. I dislike Barry the teacher but his chapters are short. Everything else is a treat. Your friend, Carolyn.

My dear Kerri, thank you for honouring a great person, Dad, wife, artist, animal lover, nature, and Canadian with me.

Did you see message #15, my original post? I mention that I got extra invested in Gordon recently, more than before, while working on the music project for you? I don't know which greatest hits you have but let me know. You have had 53 songs waiting to be sent to you with your memory stick! :-) I am glad you already like him.

It is good you heard of Gordon Lightfoot. I wonder where you saw the news about him? He is a big Canadian deal and I guess people didn't connect him with me, nor did I expect to feel shattered. I have been preparing all music I have on hand for you, including downloading all of his album covers. You will love it and I certainly know the studio albums I want to buy. I hope you do download a YouTube file converter, which are easy to use and send me whatever you download.

Then I suddenly saw Gordon's book months later at that sale and was thrilled to sit down to his TV special. I didn't wonder why they aired it on May 3, two days after sad news. My family & I drove past Orillia, Ontario in 2009. :) Thank you for answering a heartfelt post, Kerri. I needed to share this with someone. Love, Carolyn.

One of the best songwriters in the world is honoured today in his home town, Orillia, Ontario. Here is an example: "If You Could Read My Mind", 1970.

If you could read my mind, love
What a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old time movie
About a ghost from a wishing well
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
With chains upon my feet
You know that ghost is me
And I will never be set free
As long as I am a ghost, you can't see.

If I could read your mind, love
What a tale your thoughts could tell
Just like a paperback novel
The kind the drugstore sells
When you reach the part where the heartaches come
The hero would be me
But heroes often fail
And you won't read that book again
Because the ending's just too hard to take.

I'd walk away like a movie star
Who gets burned in a three way script
Enter number two, a movie queen to play the scene
Of bringing all the good things out in me
But for now, love, let's be real
I never thought I could act this way
And I have to say that I just don't get it
I don't know where we went wrong
But the feeling's gone and I just can't get it back.

If you could read my mind, love
What a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old time movie
About a ghost from a wishing well
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
With chains upon my feet
But stories always end
And if you read between the lines
You'll know that I'm just trying to understand
The feelings that you lack
I never thought I could feel this way
And I have to say that I just don't get it
I don't know where we went wrong
But the feeling's gone
And I just can't get it back.

How wonderful and typical at once. I read in the Orillia, Ontario obiturary that Gordon Meredith Lightfoot is being celebrated and laid to rest in his home town. What is more, the public is invited to pay their respects there. It is right now, from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM Ontario time. https://www.orilliamatters.com/obitua...

In comments, he is endearingly being called "Gordie" and "Gordy" as any old neighbour, by the many local people who had plenty of years to know him. This is wonderful to see. We salute you, Gord! Sincerely, Carolyn & family in friendly Manitoba.

In a separate paragraph, I want to revel in Maggie's great writing. It isn't descriptively poetic. She very keenly conveys regular situations with phrases we don't expect but immediately relate to as surprisingly apt. For example, in Kerri's example of Ronan outing Declan as a slut, it is an awkward moment.

In the narration, we can actually hear a fly buzzing overhead. Then, Ashley's mouth goes into a sideways D instead of an O. What the hell is that? I've tried to do it with my mouth. It sounds hilarious and I guess she was unamused!

Later, Blue is very plausibly handed Gansey's journal by her boss. He left the restaurant quickly to stop the fight. It is a wonderful way to learn more about what he is doing and for her to gain knowledge of and interest in it. I don't want that bitter teacher's perspective and hope his chapters are short. I like quests without rivalry but perhaps people will work together.

The cause of magnificent modern writing when Blue opens the journal thrilled me! She said that the journal did not open to any dominant page. With all of it equally used, it settled in the middle and deferred to gravity instead. How wonderful!

Now there is a newborn raven that I hope the boys learn how to care for well. I have tried helping baby mice (pinkies) and birds (fledgelings) and it takes a little knowlege. I wish I had posessed it for those little guys at the time and can be glad they felt my love and protection in the time they live. All infants want a grown-up to take care of them. At that age, they don't mind which species we are, so long as we help and baby them with the love they deserve.

Whew, with all of us leaving thoughs and replying to each other secondarily, now we have great fodder for conversation! All right! First, I am happy we are all loving these books! Darn it, Shirin, I am going to have to order the next one and am hoping not too many mysteries or quests are left in a cliffhanger. If this book gets any more exciting or keeps up the mysterious intrigue it already is in spades, we're going to want to blow through it. Therefore, it is lovely that we are writing these notes daily so we may go as fast as we want.

Yes, hearing your voice converse with someone and knowing you had not said anything would be eerie. There is a difference between hoping to record a spirit and wondering why your soul or "higher self" was motivated to speak audibly to someone!

I hope a juvenile, friendship straining triangle is not made. We thought Blue would be naturally interested Gansey. Did Adam intervene or is it a twist that they are a good couple instead? I care not about romance, the one sidetrip youth reading makes that I find needless. Adventure and friendships are enough for me. But if romance is in it, no stupid triangles please, only a twist.

One other "drat" note is that I NEVER believe in parents not telling their kids exactly where they come from and why. They owe that to them the sooner the better. Now Blue is 16, isn't she? She is certainly mature, balanced, and intelligent. Probably it will be a mystical series reveal explaining her ability but authors should stop it because few in real life would hide parentage and it is a groaner trope.

Besides not putting an "S" on towards (and I fear my worst misophonia type trigger of backwards without an "S" might be committed), I love Maggie's writing. I put my hands over occurrences of towards without "S" and pray that's all there is.

I am very interested in the triangular symbols related to ley lines! I have heard of these, have you? I couldn't be more excited to be adventuring on this subject!

Three boys live at the factory. I guess its origins depending how old, will be about ley lines and Welsh kings too. See? We can have ancient royal mysteries, made more old and incredible by encountering them in modern times! It makes me feel like I could work on something like this, don't you! :) From what I read in Katherine Neville's "The Magic Circle", Iran is in the middle of all kinds of mystical wonders; maybe Shirin can go into the mountains and look for it! She knows those rocks well!

The three Lynch brothers for some awful reason of their Dad's, were ousted from their home to inherit money. I don't know where Declan and the other brother live but Ronan certainly has his Mom's permission to have a room in the warehouse. Yes, Gansey has his Dad's blessing to buy a building rather than waste money on renting a dorm room.

It is your guardian's say rather than the school's as it should be. They are close enough to the school, either walking or driving and were staying away from home anyway. I think Adam lives with his family. It is suggested that he gets hit for sneaking out.

Shirin, I hope the prediction is incorrect or that a way is found to stop death as it looked. Weather can come out differently than it was forecast. Fate is only one trajectory. The point of life is that we can step off of negative ones and take up positive directions.

Shirin & Kerri, I wholeheartedly agree with both of you that it is a pleasure to enjoy both groups equally. Because I can't tell which genres Maggie might include in her work being unfamiliar with her, I don't know if Noah joked about being dead. We need to know whence he comes. She might add fantasy but I like it well enough that we are in the real world, exeriencing wonderment. When we do encounter spiritual or mystical surprises, it is much more exciting this way. Far more so than normalising a world in which dragons are flying around and stuff.

** Although I put a lot of content out recently, I am especially hopeful people will read and comment on the "Music" news, to the point that I am directing you. It is big departing news for a Canadian legend that has hit me hard and don't want to grieve alone. With both of you already enjoying some of our music before we met, I figured you'd be interested.

Onto our wonderful book conversation too, which I hope you always write about even if I am not there first. It is fun to see someone else's views, isn't it. :) **

I truly hope people see and contribute reactions to these posts, about our much loved chanteur and composer, Gordon Meredith Lightfoot. Our new King George deserves his day in the sun on his coronation. However, I am hit hard by our huge cultural and musical loss, worried that the news might not reach the world as strongly as it should because it is not British or American and because the coronation might eclipse the timing of this humble departure.

If you have enjoyed Gordon Lightfoot or are aware of him around the world, remember him with me. I look forward to playing a whole lot of his music, even if I don't currently have room for plugging in a record player. Rest in peace, dear Gord!

I learned lovely things in this week's television special and will in his 2017 biography that I am keen to start. Gord feels bad for the times he did the wrong things and pained anyone and enthuses that he is blessed by the years he got. That is what matters. He pushed himself to tour until age 83 to support his 6 children and young wife.

He quit drinking in the 1970s and was true to his music about ships and great lakes. Gord sailed and canoed avidly, loved the Canadian wilderness, and had a heart for the survival of wild animals. I most certainly admire all of this.

Is no one going to budge unless I post first? I hope we three lead equally, so that I can be surprised by revelations and ideas and have questions to answer too. :) I am just entering chapter 4. The happy, simple truth is that I love this novel!

I must have read one Maggie Stiefvater synopsis to have bought several of her books used but did not reread any of those descriptions. I had no idea about werewolves in "Shiver", Kerri, which has never interested me. My taste has changed among things I used to be willing to read, so I thought I might be reading vampire type fantasy that I would hopefully enjoy a little. I full expected to be pushing outside of my natural, comfortable element.

I thought the "Raven boys" were magical creatures with whom characters intermittently fell in love or fought; something stupid like that. I am astonished to find they are human high school boys and we instantly like the ones we meet, at least Gansey and Adam.

Even Blue delights me by being non magical and having a normal family, struggling with money like most people, except that she powers the clairvoyant abilities of her families. The second best part for me of what I am reading is that she has no struggles in her family, nor resentment about not being magical with an obvious gift. Here for a nice change, we have the story of a girl who enjoys her family and who is confident of her place in the world. The only stress might derive from having to solve a mystery or problem. How wonderful and refreshing this is!

You saw that I said "second best" thing to something that is pretty spectacular. The best thing is the premise that is revealing itself. Gansey, Adam, and their friend are better than being normal school boys. They are interested in the paranormal! They are exploring the things Blue's family sees, in a serious modern investigation! I guess the plot is for them to collaborate to understand strange phenomena and I love that.

Finally, Maggie did not fall into the fake historical fiction pit and left these novels wholly modern! No one needs to tell me that many people like fake historical fiction. That's the problem - there is too much of it. Modern adventure fiction is the rare gift. How much fun it is, to see cars and Walmart being mentioned; things with which their audience can relate right here, today! I am having a ball with this. Instead of forcing pages to turn in a less interesting genre, I have found a style and subjects that are exactly right for me! Woo hoo!

I am glad to hear it. It sounded like it was going to be a walk in the park. Is the sale in New Zealand? I didn't know about a movie but am glad we can look to the book for much more than two hour content.

Internet at home? Good! I think you will read Agatha Christie's direct but intelligent language fine from 1928. When you read in English with us before, Jules Verne or Robert Louis Stevenson, it was tricky 1800s vocabulary with run on sentences!

Thank you for showing your review, Shirin!

I replied a bit there because we all like the reward of comments at our reviews. But if you prefer, we could converse in more detail here. It is fun to know your opinions.

The shorter PDF "Shipwreck" really is my second favourite. Thanks to the nice ten star chart summarizing Maureen's book grades at your review, I see that it is your third favourite. I love your summaries, a great idea to see everything without searching the slow Goodreads book pages, whose new organization hardly works for me.