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

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

Mod tower still completely covered

In June, order for books is:
1. Chipmunk if it fits
2. Rainbow if color cover that works
3. Winners
4. Spell-it-out

It is just the number without a letter in front. I did it for one of Judith's books as an example.

One of us will get the color drop down. It makes sure one of the captains check the color cover.

Tricia wrote: "I'm confused about the movement off the WT and MT pages. Aren't those tasks harder to complete than a rainbow? Particularly the Mod Tower, which is really a limited number of potential titles that ..."

It is a work in progress, I am in the process of moving other books to cover Mods so more of those should be covered by the time I am done. Second, I don't think the winners have been that hard. You all have been great at finding connections. If a mod or winner seems hard to fill, we can move things back. Only the Chipmunk tasks are fixed and unmovable.

Brittany wrote: "I'm not really sure how to claim for Mini when people keep posting in different places and we have to finish tasks to get new ones"

Brittany, you can do it the same way you seem to be currently doing. When you finish a book, see if it fits a task, and if not, fit it somewhere else - rainbow, spell-it-out etc. We still need all the page number books next month as well, so books will find a home somewhere. If you want to plan a book, you can put it on the spreadsheet and write the code, same as before. Just try to finish that book within the week, which is not a real concern for you. The tasks are on the Chipmunk tab, and I’ll post the tasks here so people can start planning. Does that help?

In June, order for books is:
1. Chipmunk if it fits
2. Rainbow if color cover that works
3. Mods or Winners
4. Spell-it-out

Thank you, Jax. The reason we are moving books is the rainbow towers are the only one with unlimited points, as long as we don't have more than 1 incomplete tower.

Tricia wrote: "What other creatures have 10 legs? it would be helpful to have a list of everything. I might do a little research."

Jax provided the technical answer but in terms of images on book covers, lobsters and crabs are likely to be your best bet.

If anyone wants to read Murderbot, the first - All Systems Red is on the Best of 2017 at #103. I read them this month or I would. The books are also good audios.

Also, if anyone is feeling in the mood for a cozy mystery, may I suggest some with lobsters on the covers as possibilities.
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

The June Mini Challenge has been announced.

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Tracking Sheet link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Important Notes:

1. The book must have been started after TT started and finished after June 1st, 9am UTC

2. Books for this mini can NOT count towards our main page towers OR the tower mini. We probably want to use shorter (100-399 page) books for these tasks, and especially not to use those over 500. Please keep reading the longer books as we need them for the book count each month.

3. Books we use for this mini are LOCKED IN and cannot be moved to page towers or the mini towers.

4. As a book is marked as read by Judith, Jax or me on the official spreadsheet, the next task will be shown on our tracking sheet. If you log your books more infrequently on the spreadsheet, please at least post in the thread when you are done so one of us can mark it done and keep the tasks moving.

June Backroom BOM Poll ends at midnight tonight PST. Also, I'm not sure everyone knows, but you can change your vote if you want depending on where other people voted. (I just did on mine).

April wrote: "Ok I have put all my books in that I have read so far. I dont put on my TT shelf until I put on spreadsheet so I know what I have put. Getting old I forget 90 percent of the time. HAHA"

April, you missed your most recent one - Coach - on your TT shelf; could you please add it? Thank you

Volunteering for DQs under protest- Team Neeznáá

Volunteering for DQs for Team Neeznáá

DQs: Day 3, Chap 12 - 18

10. I've noticed Carlota's perceptions are often described using non visual cues: she hears a lot, and even smells Montgomery behind her bedroom door but then dismisses the idea. After her attack, she finds herself noticing that "Her fingers, in the mirror, looked very long, the nails almost too sharp and the eyes...". Do you feel Carlota ever questions her own nature as a human/hybrid or is she too ingenuous to do so? Do you also feel the author is using alternate senses and, if so, as clues for the reader or red herrings?
If anything, it seems somewhat heavy handed. It is one of those times when I get annoyed at the MC for missing the obvious but then again, she has no reason so far to doubt her father.

11. For much of this part, I felt Montgomery was conflicted regarding his feelings for Carlota. He "writes" to his wife using what I felt was a brotherly perspective only to realise, a few lines and drinks later, he could not resist kissing her if she were there in that moment. What did you make of this change of heart, and do you find his various missteps bring something to the story?
No, I'm over the waffling. It is not cute waffling. I am also not sure he should be attracted since he's known her since she was 14.

12. We're already halfway through the story - Doctor Moreau and Montgomery are both complex characters. Am I alone in thinking Carlota and her hybrid friends deserve to be more thoroughly fleshed out and layered?
You are not alone; I am bored. The hybrids esp are very underutilized so far.

13. What did you make of the scene where Carlota loses her virginity by the cenote - did her reaction seem natural to you or did you find yourself questioning her fearlessness? In your opinion, if Carlota is herself a hybrid, what effect might that have on their progeny?
I figure youth plus hormones can lead to very poor life decisions. Well, I would guess hybrids would be sterile like a mule but otherwise, pregnancy with a little hybrid would certainly mess things up.

14. There's a storm brewing as the hybrids plan to join Juan Cumux and Carlota attempts to retrieve her father's notes and formulas. Do you think the hybrids will remain subservient once they remove themselves from Doctor Moreau's influence or could the story turn dark?
I don’t think they will remain subservient esp if the two younger ones lead the older ones who seem more settled. I am still hoping for the horror tag to show up.

Bobbi wrote: "How is everyone enjoying The Daughter of Doctor Moreau? This may be my favorite by this author yet!"

It is fine but I am at 60% and am mostly bored.

DQs: Day 2, Chap 6 – 11

6. As Sonia noted, we jump six years. Do the characters, especially Carlota, feel six years older? Do you like books that have time jumps or would you have preferred to see Montgomery get used to working in his new jobs? (Sonia already asked about the fallout but feel free to add that here).
So I wrote this question, and she doesn’t feel that sounds that different at 14 than 20. I would imagine some level of maturity even if highly sheltered. I don’t mind time jumps otherwise this would be a very boring book, but I do mind jumps more after two characters first meet because I feel like you miss people getting to know each other and whatever their relationship is you just must take it as presented.

7. Do you like the method of telling the same scene from both points of view? Is there one point of view you prefer?
I get annoyed with how childish one is and the level of reputation of past sins of the other so not really enjoying both right now. Also, I do not like retelling scenes from the other point of view. It is either repetitive or reads like a summary. I find it an annoying way to drag out a book. This would have been fine as a novella, or the author could have chosen one view per scene without repeating.

8. And we have the start of a love triangle. What do you think of the two young men and Carlota’s reaction to them?
I think they are overused and makes this book feel even more like a YA book, though I seem to be the only one who thinks that since it is MPG Adult. Maybe it gets more adult-ish as it goes.


9. So far these feels very much like a historical fiction book with relationships being forwarded over the science and hybrids. Do you agree, and were you expecting that?
I was hoping for more science and gore and monsters but we are only at 40%, there is still hope. Still such a slow start despite the one attack scene.

Bonus: If you were part critter, and didn’t have the health concerns, what species would you prefer?
I would want something that was dexterous and could climb, kinkajou would be interesting since they are a arboreal procyonid.

Brittany, how did you like In the Lives of Puppets? I am at 70% but my ebook copy returned to the library so I have to wait 6 weeks to get it back.

Tricia wrote: "I noticed a bunch of the teams got new members. Will we?"

Those are replacement players, and they have been allocated by a combination of who is missing players/books and how teams are performing so far. We thankfully have everyone here, and no one has wandered off or quit.

Also, for anyone in the NBRC Backroom, the poll is up for the June backroom BOM - now without dinosaurs.
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...
Poll Ends at: May 20, 2023 11:59PM PDT
Please note you must be 18 or older to join.

My nomination was Sword Dance.

Hi all,

I have BOM info for June. If you are at all willing to write questions, please volunteer, as that gets more entries for the team as a whole. Team members who volunteer can be backup for each other in case real life gets in the way, which does happen.


Adult Book:
Starts June 2
Discussion link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
(Also, yes, it is a YA book if that affects your decision to read it, as it was sneaky and got in the Adult category).

Theme Book: LONG -
Starts June 16
Discussion link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

DQs: Day 1, Chap 1 - 5

1. Have you read the original Island of Dr Moreau book? Or watched any of the films? I only saw the 1996 movie, so, in my head, I keep seeing Dr Moreau as Marlon Brando, Val Killer as Montgomery and Fairuza Balk as Carlota.

I have and I can think of two retellings that I have read as well. So far, this is my least favorite of the three retellings, but I am willing to give it the rest of the book to see if I like it. I have seen none of the films.

2. In the movie, Fairuza was one of the hybrids, although here, she only has "treatments" with jaguar genetic code. Do you think it's just a ruse from the doctor and she is actually the first hybrid?
I think she is a lot more of a hybrid that the doctor admits. He says he got it perfect once and I assume he is referring to his “daughter.”

3. Montgomery's past was a sad one. And he looks like just a drunk with some natural instincts to protect the innocent. Were you surprised he was considering not to accept the job, and then when the incident happens and he needs to kill the hybrid he decides to stay?
I think the author had to get him to join someway. I think he saw that there was a role that would allow him to be needed.

4. I'm a bit disappointed that he didn't explain exactly how his studies came to be. In a scientific point of view, how is it even possible? We're in the 1870s... way before in vitro fertilization or genetic advances... and he manages to separate and mix genomes, or as called in the book gemmules? Not to mention that the original story was written way before cloning was a thing....

The original tried to explain the science using what was known at the time. I think with current science there is no way for science to get to this point in the 1870s unless you establish a secret society with a lot of past research as some do, so I imagine that it will be skipped over. However, that leaves the book feeling a bit superficial on that point.

5. So, hybrids are dangerous. Specially when they're still developing, and their animal instincts are overpowering the human ones (in theory, since we had no idea what the level of brain maturity the developing hybrid was). Back in the movie, there is a rebellion and it doesn't end well for humans. Do you think it will be the case here?
I don’t know why that one was dangerous when done of the other carnivores appear to be though boars are just obnoxiously aggressive in real life too. It may be as you suggest that the human side is not developed yet. This is MPG Horror so I hope we get a revolt or odd cult by the hybrids of something of the sort. This is kind of boring so far.

And a bonus, Am I the only one that is sad that we're jumping 6 years? I wanted to see the fall out from the incident

I tend to dislike when we introduce a new character or have an event and then time jump. It seems like lazy writing where the author wants the set up and the action but then just keeps moving.