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

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

DQs Day 5 | Chapter 28 - end

17. What did you think about how the "black market Serbian violin debacle" turned out? Do you think it hurt Ray in terms of the competition?
I figure it had to be distracting and kept him from doing his best because how could you be singly focused with everything else going on.

18. Were you surprised at the outcome of the competition? I know I was rooting for him, but I instinctively assumed Mikhail would take first - perhaps solely for the plot. Do you think that was the case or did Mikhail genuinely win?
I think it would have been too much for him to win from a suspension of disbelief perspective but at the same point, he had a lot going on and didn’t have his instrument so realistically was not at his best.

19. When the missing papers are discovered in Ray's PopPops violin case, were you surprised at what they contained? Does the narrative they showcase further cement his family's provenance of the violin to you?
They were more detailed than I expected but really showed the level of cruelty and horror. It is clear then whose violin it belonged to.

20. It was [spoiler]! What did you think of her reasons for committing the crime. Do you feel any sympathy for her?
None at all and I did figure it was her fairly early since they relationship seemed fast and she really was the only one with opportunity.

BONUS - Author's Note
Brendan Slocumb reveals that the novel’s wedding scene and the Baton Rouge shakedown are based on his own experiences. How did this knowledge affect your experience of the book?
Similar to others, I'm very sad to hear that but not at all surprised. I have hard similar stories from teenagers and other students when to I went to college in Alabama.

Tracking
Day 1 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Day 3 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Day 5 - here

Day 3 Chapters 13-19

9. I don't know how I feel about the school basically milking Ray owning a Stradivarius and him having to do an interview without even getting asked to do so. I personally would have preferred to keep it private, at least for a while. What are your thoughts on the situation?

I thought it was opportunistic and he should have had someone on his side advising him since he is just a college student.


10. I can see where Ray's family is coming from wanting to sell the Stradivarius and divide the money, but they never showed any interest in the violin even though it had been in the family for a century, and Ray's grandmother gave Ray the fiddle for Christmas. He had to take care of everything surrounding it and his school/education himself, and he never even had much money to begin with. Would you be selling whatever in your life might turn out be worth this much money, and would you feel like your family was entitled to fair shares?

I had very little sympathy with family throughout since they are such vultures and focused on money. I understand that it is hard but they keep demanding money.

11. Another family claiming ownership of the violin - it was bound to happen. On one hand I'm surprised they're suing Ray for the Stradivarius since I doubt they can prove the fiddle was stolen in any way, but on the other hand the odds clearly are against Ray. And now his family is suing him for the violin as well?! Who do you think is the rightful owner of the Stradivarius?

I don’t think there is any doubt that it belongs to Ray.

12. We've been introduced to a lot of different people (whose names I don't even all remember) and they all (most of them anyway) seem to have different reasons to possibly want to steal Ray's Stradivarius - greed, jealousy, racism,... it's all there. Do you have any more guesses of who's behind it all?

I guessed relatively early in the book but enjoyed it anyways and did not guess all the details. However, I am done so I won’t comment anywhere.

DQs Day 1
Chapters 1 - 6

1. Can you even imagine losing a 10 million dollar anything?! Have you ever lost something and felt as Ray is portrayed in chapter 1...constantly retracing your steps over and over? What are your thoughts on other security precautions, if any, that should have been in place?
I think the sentimental value was the more important part since it was insured. I haven’t lost anything of great sentimental value but can imagine it would be devastating.

2. At this point in the book, when/where do you think the Stradivarius was taken?
The hotel room was the clear time point and I have finished the book but I guessed fairly early.

3. Money can be a keen motivator...the ransom note leads us to believe it's all about the money...do you think it's possible it's about something else?
I think it was personal plus money as there are other ways to get money.

4. It's alluded to that Ray is about to make history because of his race with the upcoming competition in Russia. His family sure doesn't seem to be proud or supportive. Should Ray be proud of this accomplishment or is putting the focus on race poor form by everyone concerned.

The story has done a great way of showing the complexity of his position and how much appearances and prejudices has played into making it that far. The family is awful except for his grandmother and later one aunt but they do have some complexity.

That would work fine.

Melanie wrote: "I wanted to check since it's not an option in the working spreadsheet, can we use a character's nickname?

I'm reading The Duchess and the Wolf and the FMC's name is Susannah but s..."

If she is regularly called that, then that is fine. Not if it just mentioned once or twice in passing.

The oldest and second longest book on my TBR list, though I want to read the 2023 translation.

The Brothers Karamazov: A New Translation by Michael R. Katz by Fyodor Dostoevsky
910 pages

Dostoevsky’s final, greatest novel, The Brothers Karamazov, paints a complex and richly detailed portrait of a family tormented by its extraordinarily cruel patriarch, Fyodor Pavlovich, whose callous decisions slowly decimate the lives of his sons—the eponymous brothers Karamazov—and lead to his violent murder. In the aftermath of the killing, the brothers contend with dilemmas of honor, faith, and reason as the community closes in on the murderer in their midst. Acclaimed translator Michael R. Katz renders this masterpiece’s nuanced and evocative storytelling in a vibrant, signature prose style that captures all the power of Dostoevsky’s original—the clever humor, the rich emotion, the passion and the turmoil—and that will captivate and unsettle a new generation of readers.

This translation has no audio yet but others run for 37 to 43 hours.

Happy Saturday, everyone.

Has anyone found any other good purple books or musician books that you think the team would like?

Also, time for a reread.

Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews

Nevada Baylor is faced with the most challenging case of her detective career—a suicide mission to bring in a suspect in a volatile case. Nevada isn't sure she has the chops. Her quarry is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, who can set anyone and anything on fire.

Then she's kidnapped by Connor "Mad" Rogan—a darkly tempting billionaire with equally devastating powers. Torn between wanting to run or surrender to their overwhelming attraction, Nevada must join forces with Rogan to stay alive.

Rogan's after the same target, so he needs Nevada. But she's getting under his skin, making him care about someone other than himself for a change. And, as Rogan has learned, love can be as perilous as death, especially in the magic world.

Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

For fans of Richard Osman and Anthony Horowitz, a fiendishly fun locked room murder mystery from the author of the indie darling Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone —this time set on a train full of mystery writers, agents, editors, and fans.

Ernest Cunningham returns in a deliciously witty locked room (train) mystery.

When the Australian Mystery Writers’ Society invited me to their crime-writing festival aboard the Ghan, the famous train between Darwin and Adelaide, I was hoping for some inspiration for my second book. Fiction, this time: I needed a break from real people killing each other. Obviously, that didn’t pan out.

The program is a who’s who of crime writing royalty:

the debut writer (me!)

the forensic science writer

the blockbuster writer

the legal thriller writer

the literary writer

the psychological suspense writer

But when one of us is murdered, the remaining authors quickly turn into five detectives. Together, we should know how to solve a crime.

Of course, we should also know how to commit one.

How can you find a killer when all the suspects know how to get away with murder?

Hi all, we have no limits on extra mini points this round. Go forth and find all the purple covers and/or musicians

Tier 2: no colour cover caps, no limits on books written by, or about, musicians

Got us another human monster but not a new one for us:

Bob (Twin Peaks)
200 to 299
Set in at the Pacific Northwest
Two of something on the cover
Main antagonist is sneaky
MC is in law enforcement or equivalent

Sounds good. Thank you for telling us

I'm done as well for this round

Final Day DQs:

17. Charlie definitely came a long way towards leaning into the supervillain vibe before it was cruelly snatched away again. How about you? How would you decorate your supervillain lair?
I figured this was not Charlie’s end occupation that he had to go back to “normal” life. I didn’t see if being take apart as much as I thought it would go to someone else, probably Mathilda.

18. How did you feel about the ending? Right? Too convoluted? Predictable? Needs more cowbell?
I guessed some but not all and that is the best kind of mix. I loved what the cats did at the end and the pub. That was brilliant.

19. If this was your first Scalzi, will you go back for more? If not your first, where would you rank this one compared to others you read?
I've read a few others and this is one of my favorites, likely for the cats and dolphins.

20. And finally... Cats. Do you have any? Are you under the delusion you own them, rather than the other way around? If you don't have cats, is that because you're wise to the fact they they are indeed evil supervillains intent on taking over the world, or some more mundane reason?
Yes, I have two and they are both spoiled rotten and very cuddly. I just got back from being gone for almost three weeks, so it is good to see them again. One is still sulking, and the other is being very clingy.

Tracking
Day 1 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Day 3 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Final - here

DQs: Day 3 ~ Chapters 12 – 17

9. It seems like the whole book is a test of Charlie’s character. Hera’s conversation with Charlie is one example. Charlie suddenly asks if Hera and Persephone like him. She says they were sent to watch him, but they like him because Charlie chose to take them in and treated them well. Do you think the book is portraying a series of tests from his uncle? What do you think it means?

I think clearly something is going on in the background and I had some suspicions but I have finished the book, so I won’t say more.

10. “Business is business. It’s different from respect and friendship.” What did you think of this statement? Do you agree with it or do you think these things can’t be separated?

I agree with friends but not respect. It can be hard to go into business with friends as feelings can get hurt but respect is important in all occasions.

11. Charlie was quick to pick up clues on the Lombardy Convocation members. What did you think of his assessment? Did it change your opinion of him?

It showed him in good light and showed that he could figure out people and wasn’t going to be passive. Also agree with others on loving the cats in this scene.

12. There has been a lot of great banter in the book so far. I have to say I think both parts with the dolphins were my favorites. What has been your favorite line/quote, or your favorite part of the book so far?

I enjoyed the labor disputes and the foul mouther dolphins.

Qs: Day 1, Chap 1 - 6

1. I'm so excited to be reading another John Scalzi book with you all. He has quickly become one of my "always read" authors. Is this your first Scalzi book? What are your expectations?
I have read quite a few books by Scalzi and enjoy his comic books the most, so I was greatly looking forward to this one. It also has a cat on the cover, so what is not to love.

2. What are your first impressions of Charlie? Do you think he is using his sad life events as an excuse to coast through life easier as his siblings and attorney seem to imply? Do you relate to him so far?
I think the family dynamic is a bit of a mess, but he also seems to be stuck. That can happen and is often where book characters begin so the reader can cheer for their growth.

3. “When people name cats, they usually do it in one of three categories: food, physical characteristics or mythology,” Morrison explained. What do you think Mathilda imagines Charlie's choice of "the goddess route" says about him? What sort of name would you choose and what do you think that could tell someone about you?
I tend to have very random pet names so cats not falling in those three categories. I have one named after a musical and one after a biome.

4. What would your reaction be if a rich, but estranged family member left you a huge inheritance?
Excited, as clearly I did not know this person so not too sad but I could pay my students loans.

I would aIso add if anyone likes romance, as it has a purple cover, Z author and MC are musicians

I spun us a new one as we were down to 4 from the Dr. Who list:

The Nucleus of the Swarm
350 to 450
9 in page number
MC has a pet
"shrimp" or “prawn" in text
Series or title starts with K

I’ll volunteer for Team Jazz with an extra entry as well. Thank you

I’m done as well