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

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

Countdown TBA
(view spoiler)[
1 June 9pm BST London, UK

Link: https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown...

Other cities (use countdown above to double check):
Sydney, Australia - 2 June 2022 06:00
Athens, Greece - 1 June 2022 23:00
New York, NY, USA - 1 June 2022 16:00
San Francisco, CA, USA - 1 June 2022 13:00 (hide spoiler)]

Books of the Month
May
Theme: Animals - The Travelling Cat Chronicles
DQ start May 16: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Backroom (18+ ONLY): Wildfire
DQs: Starts May 22
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

June
Adult: The Book of Cold Cases
DQs Starts June 2: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Theme: Mythology: The Witch's Heart
DQs Starts June 16: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Mod Take Over: Ukraine: The Master and Margarita
DQs start June 8:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

July

Adult: Ariadne
DQs Starts July 2: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Theme: Sea - Malibu Rising
DQs Starts June 16: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

My spot for now
Edit: It is the 25th and I never filled this in so giving up for this month. I will be back in July.

Kristie wrote: "Lexi wrote: "Kristie wrote: "Apparently this is a month for adding more than reviewing for me. I just added two more:"

I've added two and reviewed two this month so I'm only breaking even so far."..."

I've got one more I hope to read so hopefully, even one less is progress.

Kristie wrote: "Apparently this is a month for adding more than reviewing for me. I just added two more:"

I've added two and reviewed two this month so I'm only breaking even so far.

Skipping this task: The Chariot (thank you for all your help anyways)

I even found a book and read 25%. I just can't convience myself to read anymore of it.
Direction: Title N-Z
S - Semiosis
K - Sing, Unburied, Sing - C: Kayla
I - The Expert System's Brother - C: Iblis
P - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - C: Ford Prefect

I may have to give King of Scars a try then, thank you

Sammy wrote: "I don't have that one yet, but I do have King of Scars and Rule of Wolves. Is there any particular order the series should be read in?"

I have a different question. I loved the Six of Crows duology and could not get through the first trilogy. Do I need it to read King of Scars?

I'll volunteer as well

DQs Set 3: Lucile and Stevland - Batholomew

9. Lucille is the embodiment of what the Pacifists stand for. What do you think about their attempt to "domesticate" the Glassmakers?

I knew it was going to go wrong. Though Sven’s inability to release an alarm of some kind seems like it should have been fixed earlier even without a voice. He was the main lookout for the city. Though, sitting through the attack from his point of view, was when he was the most “human” and actually, I both sympathized more with him but also he never felt that much like a plant intelligence.

10. The Glassmakers seemed to be inteligente. They had casts, had a language, knew how to set traps, etc. A few generations before (back when they founded the Rainbow City) they had better technology and we're more advanced than the Pacifists in the present time. So what exactly happen? Why do you think there were so few of them and they were so sick?
I assume when they left everything behind that they did not have a way to keep records of the technology, and when they had issues with food, that survival became the focus to the exclusion of all else. Also, even the Pacifists, lost all their technology and didn’t ever seem to have a plan to fix stuff when they came. (Also, no iron ore).

11. They end up getting ferociously attacked. Do you think Cedar was right all along and they should have prepared a better defense? Would it be possible for all the violence to be avoided?

I answered this partly is question one. Having a mute sentry seems unhelpful. I think they half committed to the idea. I can’t think of a way this would turn out well once it was clear that only some of them wanted to join the civilization.

12. Stevland started off as luring Sylvia to the Rainbow City because he was alone and suffering and thought he could "train new animals". We then get to see his transformation and it culminates in him seemingly caring for all the Pacifists and genuinely wanting them to succeed. Do you think that he started to feel connected to the Pacifists or it was just a means to an end type of situation? Like if all the Pacifists die, I won't survive?
I think he started feeling connected and part of the city. This was not a direction I was expecting the book to go in but while interesting, is partly why I am not that interested in the next book. It seems that the conflict with the planet is reduced, and the next conflict will be with other people from earth.

Links:
DQ1: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DQ2: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DQ3: This one

Sammy wrote: "I'm sure little brother will get to that one one of these Christmases, lol."

My little brother is who gave me Who We're Reading When We're Reading Murakami, but only to borrow

DQs Set 2: Tatiana - Nye

5. What do you think about Tatiana thoughts on lying and the necessity of keeping secrets in a small community? There are more people now, but they are very close and related. Would you want to live in such a small community?
I think there would have been ways to warn people without undermining the investigation but also understand that this was all very new to Tatiana.
I’ve lived for a bit in a very small town, and it can be hard on kids if parents hold a well-known job or can be very hard to break out of certain assumptions and patterns (See the phrase the apple never falls far from the tree).

6. How do you think the resolution of the pacificist’s first murder case is handled? Do you think the parasites sufficiently explain the aberrant thoughts and behavior or are they being used as a cop out?
I was asking as much on the author’s end. Letting her die and calling it parasites seemed a bit of the easy way out as it did not require the author to deal with mental illness or even just having a murderer who does it for fun. This is a bit of the downside of the episodic form in that things need to be wrapped up nicely and move on.

7. Sven gets much greater control and demonstrates more of his powers in Tatiana’s section. What do you think about the choice that the pacifists make to vote him co-leader, and do you think there will be later repercussions?
I have finished by now, but when I wrote the questions, I really was expecting more Little Shop of Horrors type plant or something. I keep expecting it to go bad.

8. We finally meet the Glassmakers. Are they what you expected? How does using Nye as the point of view help with the emotional/plot arc of this section?
You can see my feelings from the question here. Nye was such a difference from Tatiana and really was so naïve, but that naivety continues in the next section. I expected them to be different than what everyone pictured but not quite so one dimensionally brutal at this point.

Bonus. Why are these children not deeply inbred if at least half of them have Higgins as a dad?

I think this was the comment on having good genes. It really depends on what recessive genes are hanging about for direct effects, see Darwin's children or the KY Blue Fugates. The longer-term issues from bottlenecks, see cheetahs, tends to effect sterility and immune system function and are more long term.

Cat wrote: "Eni wrote: "Sorry for the delay.

Also will anyone else interested in reading the sequel?"

no worries Eni!

I'm kinda interested, though I'm not sure it needs the sequel? @Jenny - have you read th..."

I am unlikely to read the sequel as I did not feel like it needed one and for a lot of the books, the interest to me is the setting up a new planet or society.

Sammy wrote: "Lexi wrote: "I'm not planning to read that one, but I did read Who We're Reading When We're Reading Murakami and it is very interesting and well written. (I do need to read The Wind-Up Bird Chronic..."

I have always liked After Dark.

#11 -
I enjoyed it but likely won't read the second. I liked it as much for the novelty.

Also, Sing, Unburied, Sing - While only from 2020 on GRs, it is one I owned, and one I accidently slept through the book club's first meeting (they had comfy chairs) and then stopped going, so good to finally read.

(I also DNF'd another physical book - Three Dark Crowns so that is two for the little free library tomorrow).

Sammy wrote: "Judy wrote: "#6 done!

- this was the second oldest book on my TBR (the oldest I finished a couple months ago) so this is a huge moment! I liked it overall, but th..."

I'm not planning to read that one, but I did read Who We're Reading When We're Reading Murakami and it is very interesting and well written. (I do need to read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle one of these days).

Jenny wrote: "I am happy to look, but I don't know what you mean by "the chariot". What am I looking for?"

Others got it for me so I am good, but I needed "the chariot" as a phrase versus "a chariot" or "her chariot" etc.

So many good options, thank you everyone. My kindle only has a few books on it right now (need to fix before leaving for Senegal), so not a lot to search.

DQs Set 2: Tatiana - Nye

5. What do you think about Tatiana thoughts on lying and the necessity of keeping secrets in a small community? There are more people now, but they are very close and related. Would you want to live in such a small community?

6. How do you think the resolution of the pacificist’s first murder case is handled? Do you think the parasites sufficiently explain the aberrant thoughts and behavior or are they being used as a cop out?

7. Sven gets much greater control and demonstrates more of his powers in Tatiana’s section. What do you think about the choice that the pacifists make to vote him co-leader, and do you think there will be later repercussions?

7. We finally meet the Glassmakers. Are they what you expected? How does using Nye as the point of view help with the emotional/plot arc of this section?


Bonus. Why are these children not deeply inbred if at least half of them have Higgins as a dad?

Does anyone with a kindle have any good suggestions for "The chariot?" Title needs to be N-Z. I found it in a B title book only on mine. Otherwise, they are all “a chariot”.