Linda C’s Comments (group member since Aug 05, 2020)

Linda C’s comments from the Challenge Corner group.

Celia Buell wrote: "Linda C wrote: "Celia Buell wrote: "Got some Valentine's Day themed cozy mysteries I want to explore in late January or early February, before the holiday. They're all free on Amazon as of 1/19/21 ..."

That would be fine

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
BR: N/A
Pages: 272 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Holiday Karaoke!: Musical instrument on the cover
How it Fits: violin on cover

Celia Buell wrote: "Got some Valentine's Day themed cozy mysteries I want to explore in late January or early February, before the holiday. They're all free on Amazon as of 1/19/21 if anyone wants to ..."


I would be interested in the first 2 and if they can be done in Jan. How about the 25th and 27th?

I am reading the last open listing on our 2nd Round 1 so we can start the next Round 2. (although there looks to be several books by Aly and one by Cynthia that say reviewed on our spreadsheet but haven't shown up on our Review page. )

I was checking out our competition and see that they have mostly finished the 2nd Round 2. We seem to be either slower readers or they are doing a lot more BRs because their scores are substantially higher.

I have finished all the BRs that I signed up for so I'll have to see if there are any more I can figure out.

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
BR: N/A
Pages: 374 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...
Holiday Karaoke!: Book is tagged Music
How it Fits: tagged music 10 times

Everything I have signed up for is done and entered. Now looking for what is still available.

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
BR: N/A
Pages: 163 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Snowball Fight!: Letters S,N,O,W in series title (in any order)
How it Fits: Series: Twenty-sided Sorceress - N,W in Twenty & S, O in Sorceress

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
BR: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Pages: 335 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Ice Sculpting!: Letters I,C,E in title (in any order)
How it Fits: C, I in Civility and E in Rules

The end (view spoiler)[ Well what a lot of surprises in the last hundred pages!
Poor Wallace. As soon as he agreed to Katy's idea of buying his family Christmas presents before going to Spain, I knew he wouldn't be back.
Still do not like Eve or Anne, both too manipulative.
As for Tinker, his choices were terrible and I wasn't sorry that he got a comeuppance from Katy and Hank. However, I'm glad that Hank seemed to feel that his tie free life at the end made him happy.
And then there is Katy herself. She retains a bit of a moral compass, enough to keep her from making big mistakes. However she had a bit of Anne's manipulative style, Eve's party girl attitude, and Tinker's desire for the silver spoon. She was not a goody two shoes as some reviewers seemed to think.
All things considered this was not a winner for me. (hide spoiler)]

Still don't see where the 1969 date at the end of the prologue comes in. At the end of the book the epilogue goes back to the night of the photography exhibit in 1966 to tie everything up.

p. 222 Chapters 10-17 (view spoiler)[I like Wallace. So far the only winner in the book. I think I am supposed to be routing for Katy or sorry for her loss of Tinker, but I don't.
Chapter ten starts as a sort of pick up in pacing when Katy decides to change her life all be it with trickery. It was definitely more interesting. I liked the chapters with Wallace and Bitsy and her arrangement with Alley about the job competition. But then we get back to Eve and Tinker and their relationship with Katy and I'm turned off again.
So Eve's out of the picture and Tinker is calling Katy. I am hoping Katy sees through Tinker. He just hasn't the backbone to be the hero of this story, not that Katy is my idea of a heroine.
It's time to see how Tinker also leaves the picture since the prologue refers to him as a distant past connection. (hide spoiler)]

I'm off to finish.

also p. 121 Chapters 5-9 (view spoiler)[ I am not enjoying this as much as Gentleman in Moscow.

Just am not drawn to any of the characters. Don't like manipulative Eve. Kate, at times, seems to see her pretty clearly but still admires her. Then there is Kate herself, looking down on everyone she works with, Charlotte and Fran, yet she was perturbed when the girl at the Explorer Club gave her a condescending look. No one likes anyone else. All relationship seem to be surface only.

Sure hope this gets better. If I had read this before Gentleman in Moscow I don't know if I would have decided to read it. (hide spoiler)]

Also p.59 Chapters 1-4 (view spoiler)[ I stopped just after the accident. This will definitely change the dynamic of the trio. Terrible about the accident but I'm glad it didn't continue along its current trajectory. Characters were too Roaring 20s frivolous. Felt like a period movie setup. I'm hoping for more depth.

I loved Gentleman in Moscow and am hoping for more of a character piece like that. But it's still early and I'm sure we'll get more focus as we go.

Liked your comment on the music and today. Katie seems to have some thoughtfulness, such as needing to find alone time and it being available in churches.

Did you notice the discrepancy in the Prologue dates? first sentence - "On the night of October 4th, 1966, Val an I...attended the opening..." followed by viewing the photos and comments on Tinker. Then Val takes her arm and they leave. Followed by the place and date - New York City, 1969. Huh?? (hide spoiler)]

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
BR: N/A
Pages: 210 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Ice Sculpting!: Ice on cover
How it Fits: girl is covered in ice crystals

Ball on Cover is Ruthie

Alaina wrote: "Linda C wrote: "
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
BR: N/A
Pages: 336 https://www.goodreads.com/..."

What 2? I am reading Bitterburn and will finish soon but I think that is all for Round 2

I have taken the last needed spot in Round 2 of the first set, Ice on Cover.

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
BR: N/A
Pages: 336 https://www.goodreads.com/work/editio...
Round 2: Racing Time!: 'Time' in text (pg/% & quote)
How it Fits: p. 4 "I couldn't waste much time considering."

I don't want to open your spoiler until I get to a similar spot. However, I am reading the print book not my kindle and don't know percentages. Can you let me know page or chapter # for what you are covering?
thanks

I will be starting this tomorrow.

Alaina wrote: "Linda C wrote: "On our team SS Members sheet I am listed as having read 3 books in Round I when I read 4, not sure why. Also all our new players don't seem to be counting and Celia is not either. C..."

thanks