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

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

Truitt_T wrote: "I may have one: the World Kitesurfing Championship.

As far as I can tell, it’s a fictional version of several very real kitesurfing championships.

I just wasn’t sure if a fictional name - presuma..."

Is the book you found between 100-125 pages? One of the books needs to be that length and the other categories have been claimed by longer books or we need to move books around so that one is between 100-125 pages.

Truitt_T wrote: "Vaidehi wrote: "These monsters are really monsters,...
I want to read a book but doesn't fit to the list, and the list doesn't fit to my TBR... Urrgghhhh...."

I know what you mean. I had planned t..."


I fixed the formatting. I had not applied it to enough columns so you should be good now and anyone else who adds a book.

That’s great. Thank you

Countdown for the Moster Mini: https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown...

Books can be started now but must be finished afterward the end of the countdown

Also, we can bank books so if you have a book you finish after the 15th that does not work for a current monster, we can save it. Please record it on the Book Bank tab (here:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...) I added two of my planned books, and Judith added one of her books to give an example of how but please feel free to ask questions.

Preeti wrote: "Lexi, thank you so much for reminding me about the DQs. I had them all written up and ready to add to the DQ page but then got caught up first with some continuing family stuff and then my mum's bi..."

Wonderful, thank you and I hope your mum has a great birthday

Truitt, please put His Consort on your TT shelf.

Also, good job everyone, I just updated the main SS and we are at 95% of books allowed have been read (for where we are in the challenge) so we have room for some smaller books for the mini and also the large books as well to not go over the book cap

Gunit Kaur wrote: "Truitt_T wrote: "For the first monster - Polyphemus - I've got everything covered except for the farmer MC. I have a book that would definitely work, but it's short, and I hate to use it given that..."

Just a reminder that the prompt is main character is a farmer. Your book may still work, I have not read it.

Edited: I looked up some reviews and looks fine. It follows Truitt's question about if someone who starts as a farmer counts, and I say yes.

Gunit Kaur wrote: "Will The Time Traveller's Wife work for sandals on the cover?

"

I would call those shoes and not sandals. Sandals usu have the toe open.

Any island will do so UK, Japan etc are fine

Daniel wrote: "What does “inclusive” mean in this context?"

For 500-650 pages, you can read a book that is 500, 501-649 or 650 pages so the numbers on both ends are included. (aka 500 < x < 650)

If anyone is looking for a good audio or just good book, works for most of our first monster depending on your version - except for page number.

DQ DAY 5 (Chapter Thirty-Nine - Forty-Eight)
19. Beth's relationship with Lily is extremely important to the story, obviously but Shea also has an older sister? What do you think the point of having both main characters have sisters? Do you think it's a purposeful connection the author made?

Yes, I think it shows the contrast of what having a supportive sibling can do when the parental relationship does not work out.

20. Why do you think Lily always kept the house the way it was decades ago? Was it just a way to torment her sister or do you think there's something more to it then that?

Control and maybe keeping it as she knew it when she was alive.

21. Shea was almost murdered by Lily because she went to Beth's mansion while she was away. Do you think Beth knew her sister would try and kill Shea?

It never says. I think Beth thought Lilly would terrorize her but not necessarily kill her.

22. How did you like the ending? Did any of the reveals surprise you? Did the conclusion for the characters feel satisfying to you?
I like this less than the Sundown motel. The relied a lot more on the ghost aspect and I didn’t like the entire sister/foster care angle. I wanted more for Shea as well.

DQs Day 3
10. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room?

I have finished reading by now so I will answer as I read which a lot about the dysfunctional relationships in the past.

11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have?

I didn’t like the entire foster care angle leads to serial killer. I always figured she was a real person and then the ghost because this author likes ghosts.

12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)

I have finished the book. It was never that important but did tell more about the mother.

13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this?
The house is unhappy and doesn’t really belong as well. It is divided between the orginal form and renovations.

14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not?

I think Lily is manipulative and cares less which gives her more power but Beth seemed even at this point like the kind of person who gets the final word.

Lory, could you please add all 4 of your books to your TT shelf (maybe even a 5th book) and add a read date to The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax. Thank you

Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

A dazzling epic of betrayal, love, and fate that spans five generations of an Indigenous Chicano family in the American West, from the author of the National Book Award Finalist Sabrina & Corina

"There is one every generation--a seer who keeps the stories."

Luz "Little Light" Lopez, a tea leaf reader and laundress, is left to fend for herself after her older brother, Diego, a snake charmer and factory worker, is run out of town by a violent white mob. As Luz navigates 1930's Denver on her own, she begins to have visions that transport her to her Indigenous homeland in the nearby Lost Territory. Luz recollects her ancestors' origins, how her family flourished and how they were threatened. She bears witness to the sinister forces that have devastated her people and their homelands for generations. In the end, it is up to Luz to save her family stories from disappearing into oblivion.

Written in Kali Fajardo-Anstine's singular voice, the wildly entertaining and complex lives of the Lopez family fill the pages of this multigenerational western saga. Woman of Light is a transfixing novel about survival, family secrets, and love, filled with an unforgettable cast of characters, all of whom are just as special, memorable, and complicated as our beloved heroine, Luz.

The Boy from the Mish by Gary Lonesborough
AKA

Ready When You Are

A remarkable YA love story between two Aboriginal boys -- one who doesn’t want to accept he’s gay, and the boy who comes to live in his house who makes him realize who he is.

It's a hot summer, and life's going all right for Jackson and his family on the Mish. It's almost Christmas, school's out, and he's hanging with his mates, teasing the visiting tourists, avoiding the racist boys in town. Just like every year, Jackson's Aunty and annoying little cousins visit from the city -- but this time a mysterious boy with a troubled past comes with them. As their friendship evolves, Jackson must confront the changing shapes of his relationships with his friends, family and community. And he must face his darkest secret -- a secret he thought he'd locked away for good.

Thoughts for Adult books include:

I still really liked it as a book but good point. Thank you

Judith wrote: "Lexi wrote: "Book nominations are also open if we have ideas. The theme is Friendship with the note that August 9 is International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples so our theme for August will..."

I think you should go for it now before someone else does

Book nominations are also open if we have ideas. The theme is Friendship with the note that August 9 is International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples so our theme for August will be FRIENDSHIP. You aren't required to nominate a book by or about Indigenous people, but we'd love it if there are some nominations in that bracket too!

I will nominate one from an Indigenous author.


Link for Adult (counts for TT): https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Link for theme (NOT TT): https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...