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

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

Enjoy, I like 2 and 5 the best.

Mary wrote: "Sarah-- I was excited to see you added the Murderbot Diaries books to the spread sheet. I love them! I've been trying to read them all but they have a huge wait at my library."

They are my favorite series ever (or tied to be fair). Does you library have access to Hoopla? All the audios are on there.

Cordelia wrote: "Can someone add A Study in Drowning to the spreadsheet for me?

I finished it today."

Added

Ok, I checked it out from the library

I also found Estate of Mind but the pig book has better reviews

I'll read either. How mean do we want to be?

I found that my library has:
Estuary

Which has the added bonus of being a deeply obnoxious ending.

There are a lot of options for Esther at the library, including
Esther the Wonder Pig, which would be a lot nicer and not get us stuck in an estuary loop.

For anyone planning on getting points for the first The Hunger Games buddy read,

"To earn BR discussion points for The Hunger Games the book must be finished and at least three posts of actual discussion need to be made during Round 1," so the book must be read and comments made by June 15 at the end of the round. The countdown to help with time zones is on the first page of the planning spreadsheet.

Sarah wrote: "If that's okay with everyone that is."

That works great. I am sorry for being confusing. I meant I found one if either of you (Sarah or Mary) could not finish your Idaho book, but I was not planning on reading it unless one of you had an issue since you already started your books. Hope that makes more sense. Thanks

Sounds good, I found a short cozy if you need any help on the Idaho one.

I can also go find a new short Idaho book if needed.

Also, if both of you want to finish your Idaho books, I’ll DNF mine. It relies very heavily on knowledge of horror films and I’ve seen parts of two in my entire life so not a great fit. I’ll wait until I hear confirmation from you both.

For everyone, yes, you have to start and finish the book in one week. Not everyone will be able to do that and there are plenty of other tasks and minis to participate in. I may have to sit out some later, as my internet gets inconsistent when I’m traveling. There are many ways to support the team.

Sofie, when you have time can you remember to answer one more day of DQs for Salt & Broom so you get your points. It is due by 25 June.

Logan, yes each BOM has a 30 day deadline for when the book needs to be read from when the discussion starts. These dates are on the BOM sheet on the planning spreadsheet.

The Malevolent Seven must be read and have questions answered by 16 June.
Salt & Broom must be read and have questions answered by 25 June.

I'll be back with official links when they are up, but the 2 BOMs for July have been chosen. They are The Familiar and The Book That Wouldn’t Burn.

There is still time to volunteer for the DQs for The Wishing Game HERE if you would like.

Also, The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is starting in the Backroom Group on June 10th, and I gave it five stars. It does have explicit parts (hence backroom and 18+) but also has a fun plot and smugglers.

DQs Day 2 - Chapters 8 - 13

6) The narration is using dual POVs: 1st person for Opal, 3rd person for Arthur. Does it work for you? Do you think this suits the story?
I would prefer both be third-person limited but I am glad we get the two. It works well so far but Arthur’s is rather limited so far but I expect more later. He does add to the suspense.

7) Opal goes to the Library to find out more about Starling House and finds her mother's phone number among the Gravely family's documents. What implications can it have? Do you think it could be a hint about Opal's parentage?
I also got hints of paternity especially since he apparently already knew about her and maybe the truck driving father was a misdirection.

8) After Bev's story about the relationship between Eleanor Starling and the Gravely brothers, we get a totally different perspective from what Nathaniel Boone went through. What do you think about the Gravely family and their "hold" over the town of Eden? What do you think Nathaniel may have discovered in the dark?
Clearly Nathaniel is who originally found/made the door to the Underworld and the role of the current monsters. Mist keeps playing a role too. It made it personal versus corporate faceless greed. Also, most of the bad luck stuff is what happens when you have a coal plant and coal mine in the same county. KY still has the highest lung cancer rate of any state and that has a strong geographic and socioeconomic bias. Anyway, that whole scene with the drug just seemed odd to me. I kind of wish more was done with the story and Nathaniel as it is an important part of history to include but seems a bit of a check in the box and move on at this point to focus on the brooding romance unless it loops around a bit.

9) Finally we learn some more about about Arthur's role and his connection to the House. What do you think about their "relationship? What is your opinion about Starling House as a sentient being? Could it be good or evil?
I think the house was built to control the evil underground but at the same time, it is a prison because someone must stay there and the house may be selfish in putting the warden job before the person.

10) On "characters not communicating"
In Chapter 12 we find out that Opal has not told Jasper about the fact that she arranged for him to go to a different school and she actually managed to put together the fee for the 1st year already. Opal doesn't tell his brother about her working in Starling House and she doesn't tell Arthur about her spying on the House for Elizabeth Baine and getting more and more demands.
What do you think of all this?
I was also surprised and really annoyed at Opal's not telling her brother about the school. It makes me wonder if it is an online fake and the money will just be gone. The is no reason not to ask him what he wants or to look at other schools too that might be closer. The whole thing seems like not communicating for plot purposes which is my least favorite plot trope. Also, how old is he supposed to be if he is applying to the power company but still in high school? Also, Opal not telling Arthur and them working together. That would be a better book.

DQs Day 1
Ch 1 to 7

1.) Have you read other books by Alix E Harrow? Was this on your tbr list before it was a BOM selection? Any expectations going in?

Yes, I read Door of January. I did not like it, but I was willing to try this one since I like haunted houses and the KY author for a KY book interested me. I was hoping to like it more than her first book and for it to be less YA.

2.) Did you read the footnotes as you went along? Find them helpful? Annoying?

I actively hate them. A whole star will likely be removed for the footnotes. I am listening to the audio, so I have no choice but to have them intrude. They over simplify what might be more nuanced in the plot, like the reader is too stupid to get it sometimes if it not spelled out. They started funny (sort of) but then got condescending. They also got some history wrong, but most people are probably not that up to date on KY history.

3.) The discussion of E.Starling's book being too scary for children reminded me of some interviews with M.Sendalk when the Where the Wild Things movie came out several years ago about books, etc that scare children (when children are the target audience). His response was basically children should be scared sometimes and there's nothing wrong with that. And has further said, it's better to have a book full of fears than one pretending there's nothing to be afraid of. What are your thoughts on this topic?
I never found Where the Wild Things Were scary as child but some level of scariness appropriate to the age of the child (i.e. no Saw movies as said) is important because life will have scary things in it and denying that helps no one.

4.) What are your thoughts so far on Eden and Starling House? Has the author done a good job so far of creating an atmosphere and setting for a good gothic story?
I like that it is set in W KY as most horror tends to go for the mountains. Though the geography confused me at first as there is an Eden, KY in W KY but not in Mulenburg so the author took a real place name and moved it over a few counties and made it a fake place. Hence, confusing. I like the place and the house is creepy, fun, but you need to be a decent size city to get a Tractor Supply – think 3,000 to 3,500 people, and I think this place is smaller than that. Central City also has a Burger King so maybe it is supposed to be Central City but renamed after a census designated area nearby? Ok, I went and found the Wikipedia page for Central City named after a coal company, and this is definitely based off Central City.

5.) Any favorites so far in our motley cast of characters? Opal, Arthur, Jasper, Bev, and Starling House.

I’m up to part two but I like the house and the Hellcat. I think Jasper is an plot device and not a real person so far. Opal and Arthur are fine if a little expected and Bev and the librarian are a fun side (maybe lesbian) characters.

After the Forest by Kell Woods
Fruit on cover (berries)

Ginger. Honey. Cinnamon. Flour. A drop of blood to bind its power.

1650: The Black Forest, Wurttemberg.

Fifteen years after the witch in the gingerbread house, Greta and Hans are struggling to get by. Their mother and stepmother are long dead, Hans is deeply in debt from gambling, and the countryside lies in ruin, its people recovering in the aftermath of a brutal war. Greta has a secret, the witch's grimoire, secreted away and whispering in her ear, and the recipe inside that makes the most sinfully delicious - and addictive - gingerbread.

As long as she can bake, Greta can keep her small family afloat. But in a village full of superstition, Greta and her intoxicating gingerbread is a source of ever-growing suspicion and vicious gossip.

And now, dark magic is returning to the woods and Greta's own powers - magic she is still trying to understand - may be the only thing that can save her ... If it doesn't kill her first.

A stunning meld of love story, fairytale, magic and history, by an exciting debut Australian voice - perfect for fans of Naomi Novik, Bridget Collins and Kate Forsyth

I'm back as well.


The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

From the bestselling author of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water comes an inventive, high-concept murder mystery: an ingenious puzzle, an extraordinary backdrop, and an audacious solution.

Solve the murder to save what's left of the world.

Outside the island there is nothing: the world was destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched.

On the island: it is idyllic. One hundred and twenty-two villagers and three scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they're told by the scientists.

Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And then they learn that the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn't solved within 107 hours, the fog will smother the island—and everyone on it.

But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer—and they don't even know it.

And the clock is ticking.