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

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

Melanie, NES is a good ending but since we are only up to Tuesday and most of the way through the battle planning. I am going to leave this open in case someone, especially Krissy, wants to volunteer a book since not everyone is on the computer as often

Yes, you also get a month for the backroom BOM to answer three sets of questions and finish the book.

Cordelia wrote: "Yes, I just checked it out on Libby! I can get started now."

Don't start now! No battle books can be started before June 22nd. I will add a countdown later.

OUR is very easy and Cordelia, you don't have a battle book yet. Are you able to get a copy and read it in one week? If so, I will go ahead and log it.

Sky is very easy too if you'd rather go with Stacie's book.

Angie ☯ wrote: "Just going to say that TCH isn't too bad and I have a book that works for it....which you would hate us using. 😉 ION isn't bad either."

Is it this one -

The next buddy read for Catching Fire has started here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Comments must be made by July 15.

Discussion Questions : Day 1 (Prologue - Chapter 5)

1. We have been introduced to a few important characters - Lucy, Christopher, and Hugo. Plus the off-page persona of Jack. What do you think of the characters so far?
This is MPG Romance, which I was sad to see when I was checking page numbers, so I assume Hugo is the male love interest for Lucy. The foster care plot line is not my favorite so far as it seems very dismissive of the off-page foster family. Lucy seems very young.

2. We get a riddle right away in the Prologue:

"Two men on an island and both blame the water
for the loss of a wife and the death of a daughter
but neither ever married, and neither's a father.
What is the secret of the girls and the water?"

Then Hugo thinks to himself that "Five years ago, it [the ocean] had brought low the small, strange kingdom of Clock Island." Do you think the riddle is related to what happened five years ago? Any speculations on what it all means, assuming you haven't read ahead?
I figured it was connected because otherwise it would not be in the prologue, but I don’t have any guesses.

3. At the beginning of Chapter Two, Hugo says that he used to dream about living in Greenwich Village, but now that he can actually afford it, it doesn't hold the same appeal. He basically says that success kills motivation. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? I think that once obtainable what was nice about it was that it was a goal and not the place itself. I think success can kill motivation if they only motivation was to keep a roof over one’s read and not starve but not if other motivation is involved.

4. What do you think of the wishing game Lucy plays with Christopher? Do you think this game and mindset are healthy? Do you agree with Lucy that it gives them hope, or do you agree with the social worker that it just gets their hopes up? I think it is kind of dumb as wishes are fun but not like this which is very much focused on money and can be crushing. Especially to a child of seven.

5. Why do you think Jack finally started writing again? And what might be his motive in holding a contest for the only copy of the new book? If this is going to be a Willy Wonka retelling, preferably without being utterly horrible, then likely he is giving away his fortune or whatever. I am so far not appreciative of the Willy Wonka vibes.

Stacie wrote: "I'll make my books links in the morning when I sign on to work"

I was checking books so I added them, no problem

Since we are trying to be nice to each other, the ending options from Stacie's and Melanie's books are:

ION - possible nicest as can split over words so I only, I once etc.
EYS - not nice as words don't seem to start with EYS
TCH - this one is mean too, unless you want to read about Tchaikovsky

Also, since we are not in a rush, does anyone who does not have a book yet for the battle, want to try this one? Lots of choices with Honorable/Honest or Honey. (Also honk and Honduras but a bit less common).

Lucked out today and got the skip-the-line copy for The Wishing Game from my library today because I forgot to place a hold earlier. Anyone else planning to join? (Sadly, I was first runner up for DQs).

Judith wrote: "It sounds like Sammy has a response book covered so I think we’ll go with Vikki’s.


I’m just on the app right now I’ll send it over to D1 later this evening"

I posted it.

If this battle is too much, feel free to go Elsewhere. Also, yes, everyone's mind has apparently gone there for ERE.

I clearly had unresolved issues with my email that day

That was my typo, sorry

I got my last day of DQs done for Starling House

Tracking Post
Day 1 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Day 2 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Day 5 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

DQs Day 5
Chapters 27 - Epilogue

21. Wow what a ride! What were your initial thoughts and feelings after finishing the book?
I put the book down at least three times during the last dream sequence. It seemed to drag and then the ending seemed a bit abrupt and there wasn’t really any follow-up on the characters. I think the book either needed to end abruptly or not have the somewhat meandering ending.

22. An integral part to the book is the way the story of Starling House is told through many different viewpoints, with truth and lies and rumors and heresay and opinions often woven together. Did you find that you learned more about Starling House through each story? Did this type of story building and layering work for you? Why or why not?
It was interesting but a little fragmented. I think it tried too many themes with the different stories and could have focused more on one. Also, there really was absolutely nothing redeeming about the town which made it a bit flat.

23. In the ending battles, the MCs were fighting beasts of nightmares and of their own making, inside dreams. Do think it's hard for good dreams to win out against nightmares? Explain your thoughts.
I don’t exactly follow this question. Do you mean dream like hopes and aspirations or like things that happen when you sleep?

24. A major theme in the book is wants and needs, and how they seemingly twist into each other if you want hard enough. In this theme exploration, what was the message you got from the author, and did it resonate with you?
Not really, I didn’t think it had a strong message except for creepy men and coal companies are bad.

25. Would you recommend this book? Explain.
It was more YA than I expected. The characters were supposed to be older but still read a teens, and the brother never felt like a real character. I thought he was going to do more once he broke into Starling House, but he went back to being entirely flat and a plot contrivance that just gets sent away at the end. That felt too smooth with how much money was sent and the whole classism thing with the other school just gets dropped as a theme. I felt that on quite a few themes where the book just mentioned and moved on for several issues.

Kim, do you want to read it? You don't have a battle book yet. No pressure if you don't or can't read a book in a week.

Mary wrote: "Vengeful is on my to read list and I have a copy"

Can start reading after 22nd June at 9 UTC and finish it within the week? If so, one of the captains or I can add it to the spreadsheet.

Also lots of books starting with venom, vengeance or vengeful if anyone has one they would be able to read in one week.