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

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

DQs Day 1
Ch 1 to 4

1.) Had you heard of this book before it was nominated for/was selected to be a BOM this month? Or read other books by the author? Any expectations going in?
I had a different book from the author on my want to read list but had not been previously interested in this one. I expected it to be high fantasy.

2.) How effective is the author at conveying the isolationist nature of Kaigen? And at the glimpses of what the rest of the world is really like? How do you think the Emperor has managed to do this so effectively?
Some of the technology did not entirely make sense with cell phones and TV and some of the Empire knowing this stuff and others not. It would have worked better if the technology level was set in the 1980s as that was much easier to have state run media. I was disappointed by the world building so far as I hoped for entirely new geography and cultures, but the map is just the world upside down with slightly different coastlines. Many of the stereotypes in the current world are just used here which is lazy writing.

3.) Misaki is an interesting character with a lot of repressed or hidden depths I think. I like that one of the main characters in an epic fantasy is not a 20 something who just happens to master everything in 5 pages. What are you most curious about her at the moment. Also, shout out to her friends, who seem like real women-friends. Yay!
I have read ahead but really like that she had female and supportive friends. I read a lot of fantasy these days with middle age women characters but recognize that is still more rare in high fantasty, which this really isn’t.

4.) Tekure (husband/father) has managed to make me hate him without even popping up on page yet. Go him. Do you think we'll get a scene where Misaki does her version of 'down with the patriarchy' before the end of the book?
I have read ahead.

5.) What do you think of the magic system so far?
It seems like Airbender and I have never even seen Airbender but you have nations and specific powers and bloodlines, and reverse historical slavery and racism is kind of weird as it is trying to use existing cultures without wanting to deal with real history.

Whichever makes you happy, but if you are asking on points, we get points for (page number divided by 10) plus 10 for normal books and another plus 20 for harder countries.

I will be one short of my cap because of two long books left, so I am adding a hard country novella as the most extra points for the number of pages.

For examples, two 300 page books are 40+40 or 80 points which is the same as one 700 page book. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Steven, I think you have 2 to go. You get 11 total for the round.

Great job, everyone. Just a reminder on book caps and that we don’t have to finish every task as there is no completion bonus. It may be better for some team members to read longer books than specific tasks for points as we near the end. We have been holding on to 2/3 place so far.

DQs Day 6 : Chapters 34 - end

22. Within this section, we learn more about the dappleglass. What about the dappleglass do you find realistic? What is unrealistic about this plant?
I don’t think it needs to be realistic but I think of it as modified bamboo as the only thing that grows that much faster than any other plant I know of here and you can impale people on it.

23. What did you think of the secrets Ana and Din told each other in the “darkest hour.”
The hints had been laced throughout but it was nice to see them trust each other and start a next step in their working relationship.

24. Were you expecting the answer to the mystery as Ana revealed it?
Yes, I always find it fun when the answer ends up being a Scooby-do type mystery. It was land price fixing as the underlying plot for most of those.

25. What were some of your favorite parts of the book? Was there anything you would have changed?
I liked the relationship between Ana and Din and how it evolved over the course of the book and the next book. I liked the leviathans and how bizarre and giant they were. I just really like this book.

26. How likely are you to read the next book in the series? If you have read the series, are there other books by Robert Bennett that you have read and would recommend?
I have read it already and I really want the next one. I also really liked the City of Stairs series and need to get back to Foundryside but was less pulled into that world.

Works for me on spelling of ax. Also just pick whatever wheel makes you happy today.

Day 2: Ch 6-12

5. In this world, many choose enhancements that facilitate their selected jobs - and it seems like most have some sort of Monkey’s Paw negative effect as well. On one hand, an enhancement like Din’s enables his perfect memory, so he never forgets anything. On the other hand, he CAN never forget anything, even if he wants to.
If you were to be augmented with a skill/ability, what would it be and why? Alternatively, what, for you, would be the worst or most dreaded skill/ability you could get?

They are also all trading off sterility and shorter life spans for these changes so it is not something everyone can have or you wouldn't have any more population. I would likely do something with numbers or memory as that tends to be my strong suit already.

6. I thought it interesting that the leviathians are getting bigger every year, and that most of the special grafts and suffusions are from collected titian bits and bones. Do you have any theories about how this will come into play going forward?
This is a re-read for me.

7. “...I no longer formed normal memories. For a memory is just a sketch a mind makes of one’s experiences, imperfect and interpretive; yet what my mind made, from that moment on, was perfect, absolute, and endless.” Do you think this robs Din of the ability to be fully human, from the standpoint that one’s subjective take on the world around her/him is what makes a person "human"?
I think it is still subjective but just without missing pieces. He is still processing what he sees when not just repeating it. It is very different though.

8. I’m enjoying the evolving relationship between Ana and Din, especially Ana’s humor. Despite Ana joking that Din had “lost his sense of humor in some tragic accident,” what is your take on the twosome? Do you think Din cheated somehow to pass his tests? Or do you think it's something else?

Their give and take is great fun. I enjoy their relationship and its development over this and the next book. Also, this is a re-read so I won't guess on the other part.

Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi

Set in a wonderfully reimagined 15th century West Africa, Masquerade is a dazzling, lyrical tale exploring the true cost of one woman’s fight for freedom and self-discovery, and the lengths she’ll go to secure her future.

Òdòdó’s hometown of Timbuktu has been conquered by the the warrior king of Yorùbáland. Already shunned as social pariahs, living conditions for Òdòdó and the other women in her blacksmith guild grow even worse under Yorùbá rule.

Then Òdòdó is abducted. She is whisked across the Sahara to the capital city of Ṣàngótẹ̀, where she is shocked to discover that her kidnapper is none other than the vagrant who had visited her guild just days prior. But now that he is swathed in riches rather than rags, Òdòdó realizes he is not a vagrant at all; he is the warrior king, and he has chosen her to be his wife.

In a sudden change of fortune, Òdòdó soars to the very heights of society. But after a lifetime of subjugation, the power that saturates this world of battle and political savvy becomes too enticing to resist. As tensions with rival states grow, revealing elaborate schemes and enemies hidden in plain sight, Òdòdó must defy the cruel king she has been forced to wed by re-forging the shaky loyalties of the court in her favor, or risk losing everything—including her life.

Loosely based on the myth of Persephone, O.O. Sangoyomi’s Masquerade takes you on a journey of epic power struggles and political intrigue that turn an entire region on its head.

New nominee:

The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis

Two parents and their recently-bitten-werewolf daughter try to fit into a privileged New England society of magic aristocracy. But deadly terrors await them – ancient prophecies, remorseless magical trials, hidden conspiracies and the PTA bake sale.

When Vivian’s kindergartner, Aria, gets bitten by a werewolf, she is rapidly inducted into the hidden community of magical schools. Reeling from their sudden move, Vivian finds herself having to pick the right sacrificial dagger for Aria, keep stocked up on chew toys and play PTA politics with sirens and chthonic nymphs and people who literally can set her hair on fire.

As Vivian careens from hellhounds in the school corridors and demons at the talent show, she races to keep up with all the arcane secrets of her new society – shops only accessible by magic portal, the brutal Trials to enter high school, and the eternal inferno that is the parents’ WhatsApp group.

And looming over everything is a prophecy of doom that sounds suspiciously like it’s about Aria. Vivian might be facing the end of days, just as soon as she can get her daughter dressed and out of the door…

Erin, it is all yours as mine is quite short but just wanted to let you know in case you wanted options. I also wanted to tell people about a book with haka in it.

I read it May of this year so I can't reread it but Chocolate Cake for Breakfast has the word haka in it ("and the haka began" 30%).

It is written by a large animal vet, and I really enjoyed it because the vet side is immensely accurate and a bit graphic (just a warning), which is really fun in an otherwise standard romance.

I have another book by the same author but no haka in it. (Though I can read for NZ author, Erin, if you don't like your book).

Maria Jo wrote: "I'm so disappointed, I've had My Friends on hold at my library since it was announced as the BOM for July, and I've watched my hold count creep steadily closer and closer, but not close enough to g..."

That is a bummer, sorry. I just got the questions answered today so right at the deadline.

Day 6, July 7
Chapter 53 - 59 88-100%

24. For most of the first half of the book, I kept picturing a lot of tragic endings for multiple characters. Did the book end happier than you figured? Are you happy with the way everyone's lives turned out and do you think it matches their upbringing and experiences?

I found that most of the plot was by withholding info from the reader which was a bit much. It was happier than I figured but without committing to real happiness. Everyone had not moved on really from that summer and Ali seemed a bit odd how she was added late and then just died off scene.

25. We now know the final fate of the painting. Do you agree with the choice? Did the result end up fitting the artist mentality and the magic of the friendship or was it illogical?

That was the best part of the evening and how the auctioneer was in on it.

26. Louisa starts the book and much of it is her journey, but Ted surprisingly takes over as a big main character as well. With the past history it mainly seems to be Joar's experiences that are told the most. Do you think the book has a main central character that stands out the most? Do you think some of the other characters are not mentioned enough equally?

I found a lot of the author’s choices a bit odd such as leaving Ali out and then having Joar be assumed dead and then just was at home. I liked Ted but found the conductor part just wedged in as if the author didn’t want all the relationships to be tragic (they still were).

27. We learn what happens with Ali. Spoilers if you have not gotten to this part, so I'll get it general. It was stated in a way that there is also beauty in a sense of also going out a certain way while they mourn and talk about tragedy. Did you think Ali would walk in alive also, such as when the car with the woman pulled up?

I agree with others that Ali felt like an afterthought and her death was entirely off page.

28. If this is your first book by Fredrik Backman, are you planning to now read more? If you have read another book by this author, was the style of this one with the writing similar to the other(s) you have read?

I am now planning to be done with this author, and I have not liked his most recent books. I liked the humor more and not everyone just suffering. Also, I disliked that there was no sense of place. Issues were lightly touched on but not committed to, such as immigration on the Scandinavian countries, but everything was just vague. I real Girl, Women, Other at the same time and there was a very stark difference to me in sense of the characters being real and having a place.

DAY 3 DQ'S CHAPTERS 20-30

10. "Art is coincidence. Love is Chaos."
"Art is a small break from human despair."

Do you agree? Discuss these quotes in relation to the book and real life in general.
Love can also be stability and being there. You see that in this book for the parents who are not there and consistent. I also think art takes practice and that is seen in this book. It is a good sound bite I guess.

11. We still don't know the artist's real name and now we find out he isn't even in the picture! What do you think is the author's intention in regards to the Artist's role throughout the novel? And how about the significance of the title of the picture, " The One of the Sea instead of the Artist's thoughts it should have been called, The Boys and Her?
I thought they should have given him a name earlier. The artist got a little annoying to read over and over. I think it made him into more of a idea than a person and kind of this tragic figure especially as everyone was in love with someone and being tragic about it for life despite being 15.

12. Louise asks Ted, "Were you two a couple?" In light of how the relationship is written were you surprised by his answer?
No, I wasn't. See above on the whole tragic, loving someone who did not love them really got on my nerves.

13. This novel is full of big emotions, real life hardships, death and tragedy but connected and possibly redeemed by the beauty in meaningful and fragile human relationships. The Artist and his friends, Christian and the Artist, Ted and the Artist, Ali and Joar, Ted and Louisa, Fish and Louisa... Which relationship has made the most impression on you? Which one do you think is pivotal to the storyline?
I wasn’t that invested in most of the relationships. I was just kind of over this book for most of it.

14. Chapter 30 - Louisa leaves the picture then gets off the train when Ted is asleep. Did you see that happening, what do you think will happen next? Ted and Louisa reconnecting or big tragedy? (More tissues needed!)
I we had to have more drama than them just riding the train to the end of the line. That they would get back together was obvious since that was the framing structure for the story being told.

Day 1, Chapters 1-11 (1-18%)

1. Warm-up question: have you read any other books by Fredrik Backman before? If yes, what do you like/dislike about his themes/style, etc?
I liked his older books (Ove, Grandmother) but not Anxious people or this one. I like the humor but found the last ones a little overdone.

2. In the first chapter we are introduced to quite a memorable auction scene with super-rich people who all want to possess THE PAINTING, though their intentions are questionable. Did this make you think of some similar events happening in the world right now?
I know people use paintings for money trafficking or at least it is used as plot device in books and it makes sense as not trackable as much as cash. The lack of sense of place I think was a detriment to this book as it always seemed to start commenting on a topic without committing.

3. "Artists vs Normal People" - another aspect of these first chapters is the great divide between true artists and normal people. Backman seems to suggest that most people don't/cannot get true art and artists are so much more different (possibly better people?). Do you agree with this? Or is it a generalisation?
I found most of the art part an overgeneralization and a lot of “us” and finding one and only comparing it to the rich types and not other types of creation and passion.

4. In a sequence of weird events, Louisa ends up in possession of The Painting.
Any guesses what may happen to her and to it?
I have finished reading so no guesses.

Bonus Q: do you have a favourite artist or a favourite piece of painting/sculpture?
I have a particular fondest for Mesopotamian votive statues that have the giant eyes and Indus cattle statues. If I was really rich and had real art, I would want a tiny cow.

DQs Day 1: Chapter 1 -5
1) Do you have any expectations going in? This book is one of the 6 novels up for the Hugo award for Best Novel this year: https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-hi.... Did you know that and do you try to read the Hugo books or winners or have no interactions with the awards?
I have read three of the 6, including this one. I plan to read 2 more and there is one I am not interested in. I usually follow each year to see who won and will often try to novel and novella winner if I have not already read it.

2) What do you think of the world building so far? Are then any particular details that stand out and if this is a reread, is anything standing out more on your re-read this early in the story? (please use spoiler tags if applicable)
It has been fun on the reread to see how it is introduced and how it isn't a large info dump but gradually introduced. I also have seen some clues I missed on the first read as I didn't know the "solution" then to the mystery.

3) So this runs right up to the edge/ crosses over into body horror between the murder scene and modifications to people? Do you read body horror or books with that theme in it? Do you have any favorites?
I really like What Moves the Dead and The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher, which has mild body horror. It is the type I am mostly likely to read of horror, where strange things are happening and can include some dismemberment.

4) Does your version have a map? If it does, did you look at before reading or at any point when reading this first section? Do you like maps in books? (Map under spoiler if you were audio only)
(view spoiler)

I am reading the ebook so I did look at the map this second time. It is a ring based map so very easy to read and it was fun to find the second book's location on the map.

DQs Day 1: Chapter 1 -5

1) Do you have any expectations going in? This book is one of the 6 novels up for the Hugo award for Best Novel this year: https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-hi.... Did you know that and do you try to read the Hugo books or winners or have no interactions with the awards?

2) What do you think of the world building so far? Are then any particular details that stand out and if this is a reread, is anything standing out more on your re-read this early in the story? (please use spoiler tags if applicable)

3) So this runs right up to the edge/ crosses over into body horror between the murder scene and modifications to people? Do you read body horror or books with that theme in it? Do you have any favorites?

4) Does your version have a map? If it does, did you look at before reading or at any point when reading this first section? Do you like maps in books? (Map under spoiler if you were audio only)
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

Thanks for taking one for the team, Melanie

I found a book that works for X and Day of the Dead. If someone has one that works for either of those, I’ll add it to the other task.

Intinerary eight is done. Books can now be finished for the next itinerary. Happy reading