Lexi’s Comments (group member since Jul 27, 2016)

Lexi’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible.

Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears--quite literally, in this case, as among Ana’s quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times, and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home.

Din is most perplexed by Ana’s ravenous appetite for information and her mind’s frenzied leaps—not to mention her cheerful disregard for propriety and the apparent joy she takes in scandalizing her young counterpart. Yet as the case unfolds and Ana makes one startling deduction after the next, he finds it hard to deny that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

Featuring an unforgettable Holmes-and-Watson style pairing, a gloriously labyrinthine plot, and a haunting and wholly original fantasy world, The Tainted Cup brilliantly reinvents the classic mystery tale.

As far as I know, I'm not traveling in April so I can take a day for DQs for this one too

I'm good for the first day

Cat wrote: "I'm sad that you are meh about Vanished Birds, as I've been looking forward to it. Have you read Spear by Jimenez? and if so, what were your thoughts on that.

Aurora Rising was so MEH. I got massively irked by the attempt at diversity, which was just SO bad (IMO)"

I liked The Spear Cuts Through Water more than The Vanished Birds. I felt the buildup to the ending made it worth it while I just didn't find this one that interesting. Spear also had more unique world building while corporate overlords in space has been done before.

Aurora Rising was so juvenile and sloppy in writing to me. Everyone was a walking cliche.

Getting mildly stranded on a trip apparently is very good for reading so I am up to #7 (another 5 books)

and - 3- Average and likely not worth the wait
- 4- Good and I wanted to finish the series, but maybe it was too long since I read the first two but it did not have much emotional resonance as the first two
- 4 - fun and great escapism. I am going to try the 2nd one
- cute middle grade and gave it 4 since I am not the age range but no interest in the rest of the series

Thank you. I have deleted and edited my post. The poll section was struggling on my phone. I’m phone only with poor connection right now.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi

From the New York Times bestselling author of Starter Villain comes an entirely serious take on a distinctly unserious subject: what would really happen if suddenly the moon were replaced by a giant wheel of cheese.

It's a whole new moooooon.

One day soon, suddenly and without explanation, the moon as we know it is replaced with an orb of cheese with the exact same mass. Through the length of an entire lunar cycle, from new moon to a spectacular and possibly final solar eclipse, we follow multiple characters -- schoolkids and scientists, billionaires and workers, preachers and politicians -- as they confront the strange new world they live in, and the absurd, impossible moon that now hangs above all their lives.

My #2 is also Austen related but was only another 3. Just never really connected with the plot or characters.

I finished one if someone wants to spin for a new one when you have time

My book was a bit weird and only three stars but I’m on the board at least

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Lexi wrote: "Well, having read no books, I appear to not even be on the list yet"

We don’t include the 0%s, sorry!"

Oh, I know; I just started one that will count so I can continue to fail miserably while at least being on the board

I'll join the discussion if I can but can't do questions.

How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue

We should have known the end was near. So begins Imbolo Mbue’s powerful second novel, How Beautiful We Were.

Set in the fictional African village of Kosawa, it tells of a people living in fear amid environmental degradation wrought by an American oil company. Pipeline spills have rendered farmlands infertile. Children are dying from drinking toxic water. Promises of cleanup and financial reparations to the villagers are made—and ignored. The country’s government, led by a brazen dictator, exists to serve its own interests. Left with few choices, the people of Kosawa decide to fight back. Their struggle will last for decades and come at a steep price.

Told from the perspective of a generation of children and the family of a girl named Thula who grows up to become a revolutionary, How Beautiful We Were is a masterful exploration of what happens when the reckless drive for profit, coupled with the ghost of colonialism, comes up against one community’s determination to hold on to its ancestral land and a young woman’s willingness to sacrifice everything for the sake of her people’s freedom.

Well, having read no books, I appear to not even be on the list yet

Got us a new hard one:

Pulgasari
500 to 650
Tagged Korea (at least 8 times)
"bear," "elephant," "rhino," "tiger," or "bull" in text
Fire important to the plot
Weapon on cover

We have two tasks left from last year if someone has a book that fits:
1. author initial EB or BE
2. a unit of measurement in the title

No more Pumpkins and back to the world

Hayreddin Barbarossa (Ottoman Empire)
200 to 299
Takes place in a country ruled by the Ottoman Empire in the 1400s (Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia - see map - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...)
MPG Pirate
character has red hair
person with facial hair on cover

Melindam wrote: "#10

2 stars

This series took me literally decades to read. When I first read book 1 (after the movie came out), I was unimpressed, but after some years I m..."

I know I read one and two as a child but I have absolutely no memory if I ever read three. I also didn't like the second that much.

DQs Day 4

13. What do you think about Emily’s plan to wake the trapped King? Aside from for plot purposes, do you think it is consistent with her character that she would make this choice?

14. We see a lot more faeries in this section. Would you like to be part of an ice court? Did you have any particularly favorite visual element from the book as a whole?

15. Do you think Emily has grown as a person over this book and did your view of her change at all across the book?

16. Did you like how the ending was told or were you expecting more details or have other suggestions?

Bonus. If your version comes with an extra story at the end, what are your thoughts on a gown with added hedgehogs and pomaded chickens? If you did not read this story, you are missing a lot of hedgehogs.

DQs Day 3

9.) Emily seems to have a bad habit of wandering off by herself to deal with faerie problems. I'm all for independence and what not, but sometimes help is very much warranted. She got a bit lucky her first trip into faerie worked out, do you think she'll be as lucky in getting away from the King?
I think she is going to need help but I also think it makes sense she has to get used to counting on someone other than herself and she keeps telling herself that it is logical. At least she left a note.

10.) I chuckled a bit when I realized that Wendell wrote in her journal. Did you enjoy this snippet from his POV?
I really liked that part and I enjoyed the shift in voice. Someone indicated that was it for this book but I wonder if he gets more pages in later books.

11.) Wendell bemoaned a bit the lack of sword fighting in the mortal world. Thoughts on being able to settle work problems with a sword fight in the parking lot (or whatever is appropriate for your workplace)?
Nope, seems to lead to the Hamilton problem with duels.

12.) The changeling problem has been solved (at least it appears so). Was this a satisfactory conclusion for you?
It weaved well together and I don't want this to be a 500 page epic so some things will need to be easier than others.