Varla Fiona’s Comments (group member since Mar 26, 2012)

Varla Fiona’s comments from the SA Book & Challenge Lovers group.

Theme Park: +2 = 5/25
Read the Moon: +3 = 5/25
The Serial Killer: +2 = 4/25
Group Favourites: +0 = 0/25
Blogrollin': +1 = 1/25
Total = 15/125

I must admit, I never cast the characters in books. I prefer the book over the movie every single time as my imagination does not have a budget limitation.

Which is your favourite character in the Fowl books? I adore Beckett, but Mulch is also one I always enjoy.

Lauren wrote: "Janice wrote: "Ha! Love the subtle reference to such a typical Nando's advert."

Where was it? I totally missed that."

Me too...

Got it! Now, to finish a couple of other current reads so I can start it. First I need to have a nap though, left work at 1:30 this morning and was back by 8. on days like this I see the benefit of a desk based job over my active one.

I have read a bunch of his books so will join in on the discussion when it gets going.

Janice wrote: "Are there school buses in Cape Town?! The kids go to school on a school bus in this book. As far as I know, this very American thing does not happen in South Africa, ever.

Besides that disconcerti..."

In PE a large number of children use the public bus system to get to and from school. I suspect this is the kind of thing the author intended, rather than a school specific bus.

Busy with chapter 9

1. So, what are your first impressions?
Love it. The style really draws me in.

2. Have you ever lived on a busy street or in a noisy apartment building? What do you think of the way sounds features in the novel (from the neighbours, the street, the wind)?
I lived in a block of flats as a student and didn't hear as much as they describe, but that might be because the guys who lived above me played hockey on their tiled floor most hours of the day and that is about all you can hear. I am still deciding if I like all the descriptions of the noise. Sometimes they are great, other times I am irritated cos they distract from the story.

3. Devilskein and Dearlove is a retelling of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Have you read that novel? If so, what do you think of this one as a retelling?
I love the Secret Garden and can see the parallels. Dickon was always my favourite in that so I really like Kelwyn.

4. Who is your favourite character so far?
Zhou, it's always the animal I there is one...

So, I ordered from EB online and was given an expected delivery date of 21 Nov. Checking their website on 21 Nov had a note POTENTIALLY DELAYED. Sent them email and got a reply yesterday that their supplier ran out of stock and they need to source from a new supplier. I should have it by the end of the week... Guess that means it is selling well, which is great for Dave. I have plenty to keep me busy until then anyway!

Oh, great. I just started that but haven't got to the cricket yet...

That sounds like an interesting book...

Character Name: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, the Hope and Heir to the Tribe of the Hairy Hooligans (from the books, not the movies…)
Character Portrait:

Character Hair Color: Red
Character Eye Color: Green
Character Race: Human
Character Class: Viking
Character Sex: Male
Character Deity: Odin, Thor and company
Character Background & Info: Hiccup is the young son of Stoick the Vast, Chief of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe and Valhallarama, adventurer. Unlike most Vikings he is not physically big, and is highly intelligent. He has a hunting dragon, Toothless and a riding dragon, Windwalker. His best friend, Fishlegs, has a vegetarian hunting dragon, HorrorCow. He is actually the heir of Grimbeard the Ghastly, last King of the WilderWest, but to prove this he needs all 8 of the King’s lost things; a dragon with no teeth, an arrow from a land that does not exist, Grimbeard's second-best sword, a ticking-thing, a rectangular shield, a throne, a crown, and the Dragon Jewel. He found 6 of them, but they were stolen by his arch nemesis, Alvin the Treacherous.
Character Skills:
Gather information
Handle animal
Survival
Knowledge
Speak language
Character Items: 98 gp used
Large Longsword – 30 gp
1 medium arrow – 1 gp
Wooden Guardian shield – 26 gp
Utility harness – 10 gp
Smugglers locket – 25 gp
2 cups Elf Bean Coffee – 6 gp
Character Profession/Occupation: Viking Hero, Warrior Chief-in-training
Character Alignment: Good
Character Language proficiency: Brilliant (only Viking who can speak Dragonese)
Character Armor proficiency: Best left handed swordsman in the archipelago
Character Weapon of choice: Sword (specifically Grimbeard’s second best swrod)
Character Quirks: Left-handed, speaks dragonese, runt-like appearance, high intelligence.
Character Fav Book: A Hero’s Guide to Deadly Dragons by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock II
Character Fav Color: Yellow

Yeah, I prefer Lauren's suggestion.

0/5

1 Read a book with the word "Fairy" or a derivative thereof in the title The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There

2 Read a fairy book that forms part of a series. Elder Druid

3 Read a book where somebody discovers she is a fairy The Iron King

4 Read a book where fairy royalty is part of the cast of characters - fairy queen, princess etc Age of Druids

5 Read a book where fairies are not the only supernatural creatures in the story Splintered

5/5

✔1 Read a book with an airship on the cover. Changeless

DONE 2 Read a book that involves a substantial journey on an airship so that most of the book takes place on the airship. Etiquette & Espionage

✔3 Read a steampunk novel. Soulless

✔4 Read a book where an airship is one mode of transportation. There should be at least two more modes of transportation (excluding walking) used in the book. Waistcoats & Weaponry

✔5 Read a book that uses a mode of air travel that does not involve a combustion engine (so planes and helicopters are excluded). Blameless

And titles & covers are the same I assume? even if they are for example part 3 in a series?

Theme Park: +3 = 3/25
Read the Moon: +2 = 2/25
The Serial Killer: +2 = 2/25
Group Favourites: +0 = 0/25
Blogrollin': +0 = 0/25
Total = 7/125

Group favourites: If I choose one that was nominated as a favourite book, can I read another book by that author, or just the specific one that was nominated?

The Lies Dragons Tell
Blue Remembered Earth
Clockwork Lies: Iron Wind
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists
Clockwork Secrets: Heavy Fire

There's some to start with...

No worries, I was just wondering! Hope exam went well and crisis is sorted.

Do we have specific tasks related to this challenge or is it just read 5 books with that theme?