Lexi’s
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(group member since Jul 27, 2016)
Lexi’s
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from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.
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Since we had 2 veggies, 1 Dr Who and 1 Bad Romance, I got us a new Overly Specific Literary MonsterThe Enemy / Woman in White (The City We Became)
250-300
Woman wearing white on cover
"avatar" in text
"City" in title or series title
Book from: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
New one from plant monsters Mandrake
500 to 650
MC experiences increased heart rate, hallucinations, dizziness, or vomiting
MPG Romance
Fertility important to plot (your interpretation)
Purple cover (>50%)
Attempts to get under 15 by the end of 2024 are not doing great, and I have in fact gone up again to 30. I want to be down under 30 by the end of the month. Goal for 2024 as set in Jan: I want to get some of the older books cleared and to be under 15 by the end of 2024.
May NetGalley Challenge
Beginning of month
Books on shelf: 30
Feedback ratio: 84%
2020:
2021:
2022:
2023:
2024:
To Be Published:
Stacie wrote: "Oh yay, gives me the push I need to read Starling House"Same for me. I wasn't that fond of The Ten Thousand Doors of January but wanted to give the author a second try, especially as I grew up in KY.
July BOM are chosen and posting early, in case you need to go get in line at a library or find a random person to borrow the books from:
Here is my first run at ear worms. This clearly is mostly relevant to my rather odd music taste/upbringing/background, and I only picked songs with English lyrics. Under spoiler since the list is 35 songs long. I need to try to shorten it. Also, have fun on Youtube but note some are not for playing at work or around small children (probably). (view spoiler)
Sorry all, I got the date wrong for when the poll for June closes. It is tonight at midnight PST if you still want to vote here: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/3...
New one from Dr. WhoRaxacoricofallapatorian
350 to 450
Large family in story
MC involved with politics (your interpretation)
Green cover (>50%)
"calcium" in text
I forgot one. There is a new option. Hunger Game Buddy Reads
Informal buddy reads will be held for the original trilogy of the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. One informal buddy read for each month of the challenge.
Informal buddy reads means there will not be formal discussion questions as with our groups BOMs.
However, in order to earn the 20 points for participation, players need to post at least 3 posts that provide a reasonable contribution to the discussion of the book. You do not need to provide a school worthy book report, but the posts need to be more than "Katniss is awesome" or "I love this book" to count for participation points.
The Buddy Reads for each book will run as follows:
The Hunger Games: May 15th to June 15th - here
Catching Fire: June 15th to July 15th
Mockingjay: July 15th to August 15th
Krissy wrote: "Just want to verify something. If we read a BOM book we have to comment in the corresponding book thread in order to receive the "extra points"?"Yes, the points are for the discussion. Also, the comments must be posted within a month of the start date. The book can be read ahead of time as long as the book is started after May 15th at the start time. Rereads, including BOMs, cannot have been within 6 months.
Finally, there are two BOMs for the rest of May. Writing a day's worth of discussion questions = 40 points
Participating in a current BOM (participating in discussion) = 20 points.
Starting May 16th is The Malevolent Seven, and it is Judith's nomination so we are guaranteed a DQs set (See above for yay on more points). The thread for the discussion is here.
Starting May 25th is Salt & Broom. Please volunteer for DQs if you want, and the team can help if you are new to writing DQs. The more who enter from the team, the better odds we have of getting a set (as that is how probability works). The thread for the discussion is here.
Please ask any questions if anything is unclear.
Next, feel free to nominate a book for the July BOM. Nominations are open until May 20th evening UK time. The general Adult book thread is here.
The Theme is Time Flies When You're Having Fun and the thread is here.
First things first, if you want to go vote in the polls for BOM for June, it closes May 8th at midnight: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/3...I nominated
for the Games theme BOM if you don't know what to vote for, as the team would be given the first day of questions if it won (points). For the other BOM, I nominated
and Judith nominated
. In both cases, feel free to vote for whatever book you would most like to read.
DQs Day 23 - Ch 15 to Ch 21 9) Ok, we have avoided this question long enough. :)
So what was your reaction to all that math, physics, molecular biology, etc. stuff?
A - Cool. I understood every aspect Ryland Grace (and later Rocky) discussed, though I spotted several errors in their calculus.
B - Cool. I could follow almost all aspects and they made sense.
C - Cool, though most of the time I had no idea what it was all supposed to mean and anyway, I was battling the frightful and long-subdued demons of my maths education that suddenly woke up.
D -Ssssh - I skipped those parts.
E - your answer
I’m A plus B. I don’t do physics and only got through two semesters of calc based physics and they are playing with some more nuanced things but could probably google enough to understand if I wanted. I have done virology and do quite a bit of lab work in general. I think there needs to be more lichen in space. It is one of the only if not only earth organism that can surive extended periods with no shielding or assistance. Lichens are awesome.
10) What have been your impressions about Stratt, the other "main character" of this story? Why do you think she chose to involve Grace in the whole process?
What characterization? Every character mind the MC is a walking stereotype whose broken English and use of articles is far from consistent if they don’t speak English as a first language. She is given more depth as she reflects on backlash against her but that goes out the window after the explosion happens and she is back to being unfeeling. I have complained about this the whole time and I assume it because the author can only write one character type and that is single, goofy male.
11) What did you think about Rocky's and Ryland's common discovery about the "antidote" to astrophagus-reproduction? Did you find it interesting? Plausible?
I did like the idea of a predator. I am still unclear on how it is getting to other stars in the first place if it only travels towards or away from CO2 and light. There is something about how far it can go before dying but still not buying it.
12) "What could go wrong"? Famous last words and all that. Did you anticipate that things would go awry?
There needed more plot, so fires and ammonia issue felt called for. I am tempted to add this to my imaginary shelf called “we invented a spaceship but don’t know what a drone is" for the entire silly chain sequence. I am pretty sure that Grace should be blind. Ammonia is incredibly damaging to corneas. That is your public safety announcement for today.
Tracking
Day 1 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Day 2 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Day 3 - this one
DQs Day 2 ~ Ch 7 to Ch 14 5.) If honest for real alien life if right in front of you for the first time, what would your do? Be excited? Freak out? Ignore it until it goes away?
I agree with Angie that I first would have to believe it was real, but if already out in space, 12 light years from home, I would likely accept it was real and be excited.
6.) Did you enjoy the communication with aliens and how that developed over this section? Especially the initial contacts with the models/objects. Do you think you would of figured it out. let alone in a couple hours?
I was annoyed at how quickly the language worked out as that assumed some very similar grammer and other things that just don’t work with a sound recorded and an Excel spreadsheet. I am perfectly fine with magic technology handwaving in SF (see Babelfish) but seem to get annoyed when an author insists its real science but it can’t be or this would be a very boring book or trying to figure out if the language. Just consider the difference between Austronesian and Indo-European languages. Exhibit A: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symmetr...
7.) What do you think about Rocky? He seems like a cool bloke.
Children of Time is still my favorite spiders in space but there is always more room for space spiders, so I approve.
8.) Stratt and the the global politics/legality of it all. Do you think this is a realistic portrayal of how things would unfold? What are your thoughts on destroying much of Earth in order to save it.
It would be a mess and no way that cooperative but that didn’t bother me too much as alien threat is often used as how the world unites. I also got kind of mad at how all of North Africa was paved over and painted as corrupt. That was very rude and imperialistic for having no one even from Nigeria involved.
Day 1 DQs; Chapter 1-6 1. Have you seen The Martian or read any books by this author? If so, does that effect why you wanted to read the book and any expectations?
I have read The Martian and saw the movie. I don’t remember which first and I liked them. However, I did not hear good things about this book from the biology perspective, so I kept putting it off. However, I had an ARC, so I was eventually going to read it. I nominated it figuring group pressure would make me eventually read it.
2. Opening the book with an amnesia scene, love it or hate it? Did the opening scene catch you attention and make you want to read more?
I wrote this question and clearly am over amnesia as a plot point or a way to open a book. Be more creative.
3. What do you think of the MC so far and their history with academia and current role as a science teacher? Are you having any issues with suspending disbelief on how he gets involved with the Astrophage?
If it was that non-status quo, how did it get peer reviewed and published as it kept being treated like it was peer reviewed and not self-published. You won’t get funding and then get stuck teaching non-majors Intro to Bio on a non-livable wage without benefits in obscurity is the usual way to leave academia. Anyway, I wasn’t buying this and as much as the book tried to treat the flashbacks a team science, it really was white, male does science by himself and solves everything for much of the book. I get enough of that from real life to want it in a book.
4. Do you have a favorite first contact movie or book? What do you expect from this ship?
I am now going to go read Becky Chambers again after this one. I like her To Be Taught, If Fortunate and many others. Also, The Galaxy, and the Ground Within has a fun play with ammonia breathing life form as well.
Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "That’s one of my fave pictures"That is a deeply inefficient way to grow crops.
Eldarwen wrote: "I'm in the definite minority with disliking this book, so my response would be "nope, not worth the wait" hehe."I DNF'd Red Rising so glad I'm not the only one who didn't like it
Welcome, Sofie and good luck on your exams
Day 1 DQs; Chapter 1-6 1. Have you seen The Martian or read any books by this author? If so, does that effect why you wanted to read the book and any expectations?
2. Opening the book with an amnesia scene, love it or hate it? Did the opening scene catch you attention and make you want to read more?
3. What do you think of the MC so far and their history with academia and current role as a science teacher? Are you having any issues with suspending disbelief on how he gets involved with the Astrophage?
4. Do you have a favorite first contact movie or book? What do you expect from this ship?
