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

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

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”.

DQs Set 1: Octavo - Higgins and the Bamboo

1. What do you think of the Pax Charter and how the founders and their ancestors interact with it both in relation to the planet itself and through the generations?
It seems kind of tacked on and not entirely addressed. They attempt to be peaceful but failed at that very, very early. I think the author wanted to deal more with the discoveries and the strange plants.

2. We are hopping through the generations. Do you like this approach, seeing the colony develop through time at the expense of getting to know the wider characters?

I like generation hoping in general and it can be a good way to show change over time esp in sci-fi but it usually requires a strong narrative voice and distinction between characters and I feel like we don’t always get that with this book.

3. Speaking of which: what do you think of the characters? Do you have a favourite so far?

I liked how each understand more and more about where they are but haven’t really felt attached to any in this section. I liked the next one best.

4. We've had a lot of violence and death. How does the control shown by the plant (poison, attacking thorns, addictive fruit!) compare to the control shown by the humans (control of information, intimation, sexual choice issues)?
I think some of my issue with the book so far but also maybe the entire point (I am not done yet) is that the plants (esp the bamboo) does not entirely feel like a different intelligent lifeform. It seems very “human” if you will in its sense of self and desires. I think the comparisons between the snow vines and the parents are purposeful showing how they really were unable to change their mindsets from Earth and how they limited their options to fit with their preconceived notion and thus fit with the snow vines.

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Suzanne wrote: "I checked and he narrates the whole series - I wish I had known. He's really fantastic - his voices, just everything - so so good."

I started the first Narnia book today and it is ..."

In my library version, Patrick Stewart only narrates The Last Battle, much more limited.

Steven wrote: "Sophie, I know that UF book I posted has a Heirophant in it. Well, I recall one. It has been a few years since I read it."

The series has an Heirophant in it and the third one is out the year. I enjoy the series.

Thank you, my day works well for me

Melindam wrote: "Hands of the Emperor is not available on audio, but it sounds really right up my alley, so I will give it a try.

I can recommend The Goblin Emperor audiobook, I found the narrator to be really good."

Only note I would add is that it is self-published so if you can't read books with typos or the occasional grammar error, it may not be for you.

Laurie B wrote: "And there's a frustrating "let's not talk to each other about anything" trope in the second one. "

That would be one of if not my least favorite trope so yes, that's likely why I dropped it one star.

Eldarwen wrote: "Completed #10.


The Archived by Victoria Schwab
Date Read: 12th April
Rating: 3 stars

This took me forever to read. Once I sat down and actually ..."

I gave the first four stars and the second three if that helps at all. I think it annoyed me more. This is apparently a third that will eventually or not be published.

Also, Sammy, I consider The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue my by far least favorite book by V.E. Schwab. Have you read Vicious or A Darker Shade of Magic

I am in the 500+ pages is long group, yet every year I end up reading one of the giant ones, i.e Wandering Inn, the giant holiday romance collection, which was awful. Cat found my favorite read for the page numbers one with The Hands of the Emperor.