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

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

DQs - Day 3 - Chapter Nine - Twelve

10. We are about half way through the book now and I've been looking at the cover and trying to see how it fits with the story. The cover feels dark to me and so far I don't really feel that in the story. Do you feel like the cover fits the story?

I read the ebook so I am not even sure what the cover looks like mind a vague sense of what color it is. This story never seemed that high of stakes even with the zombies. I did just go look at it and there are clear scenes later in the book that match the different items.

11. So the old fashioned booksellers in charge might feel the need to remove Susan if they find out her father is one of the Ancients. It seems like Merrihew and Thurston are not greatly respected in the Booksellers realm. How do you feel about them? Do you think they might be involved in what is happening to Susan?

I think they had incompetent/evil flashed over their heads from day one, but Garth Nix is not usually sneaky with his antagonists. Also, I have finished the book.

12. We keep getting all these references to books, musical groups, and other pop culture from the 80's. Take for example this quote: "The ground floor facing the street was all floor-to-ceiling high windows, with a wonderful display of Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose complete with a cardboard castle to the left of the central revolving door, and a selection of new release thrillers an mysteries built up in a series of pyramids in the window to the right, including John Le Carre's The Little Drummer Girl, Jeffery Archer's First Among Equals, and Ken Follett's On Wings of Eagles." That sentence is long and the following one is not much shorter. How do you feel about all of these references?

They get a bit long. We get that bookstores have books but also fun, as I have read some but not all.

13. In the last section Vivian gives Susan a steel knife and salt and tells her how to bind something to herself. Do you think she will have to bind something? Any idea who or what she will bind?

I thought she would have to use it since Vivian seems generally competent and it finds with the worldbuilding. As for guesses, I have finished the book.

Maddy wrote: "Do we have a countdown yet?"

Not yet but round is over 9 PM UK time on Sat again

Maddy wrote: "Wait, we got cut down?"

For next round, yes, we need fewer tags but still 10 for this round

Also, update, "Books with that tag (at least 5, not including those of your team members) used in your spell out can earn your team bonus points."

You only need 5 tags this time and not 10.

Karen, thank you, I just started Abhorsen today.

Tina wrote: "

I crossed another one off my list, which brings me that much closer to the goal. I thought the Paper Magician was pretty okay, it reminded me a lot of Howl'..."

I read that book. It had a very confused view of human anatomy that I could not get past.

Maddy wrote: "Okay.

Also, yellow text. Is it enough if title is in let's say white, but author name is yellow? Or only titles yellow counts?"

Author is fine too. Mostly just try for whatever has a lot of yellow letters and no multicolored letters count.

I's are great. We only need 5 yellow texts and I think we already have 5 on the SS but a few extra never hurt. Also, since gold is yellow, I don't think we are going to have a hard time as compared to other colors.

We will take any book that you have read on the SS and will switch out the smaller page numbers.

DQ's - Day 2 - CHAPTER 5 to CHAPTER 8

6. Merlin and Susan get pulled into the May Fair. "The happiness is unsettling, all the smiling and laughing". Was there a part of the fair that stuck out to you? And would YOU have noticed the colorless rose?
I’ve very good at noticing movement so I might have it the flower seller was walking. I was kind of hoping for something more fun but what stuck out to me was the way they reacted to being pushed. It really set the fakeness of it all.

7. Susan seems to have some sort of powers of command, which we see with the wolf at the end of the fair, and hear more about at the end of Chapter 8. What are your guesses about her heritage? Do you have any new guesses about her father?
I have finished the book but I did not guess whom her dad was. I was leaning towards a character of legend more so.

8. My favorite part of these chapters was reading about the New Bookstore and its contents. If you could spend time in there, what would you want to check out?
Classic children’s fantasy sounds great fun (albeit with an occasional side of cringingly causal racism)

9. The grandmothers were interesting. Any thoughts about them? If I were one of the grandmothers, I'd totally be hanging out with my mastiff. What would you have keeping you company?
I want a Irish wolf hound. They sadly don’t live that long and can have major health issues but a ghost one would be great. Otherwise, I think my cats would follow just because they are already hard to say no to and assume they rule the world. I liked the grandmothers a lot and how each had their own dog. They were fun.

It is ok if it just the title.

Also, this is our shortest word yet so just a reminder to please put letter options on the SS and we will need a lot of I's

Sophie wrote: "

I'm seeing yellow text, it works for letters and the page count is impressive. First book for the next round is chosen."

Yay, hope you love it as much as I did. I want to read the 2nd but only 350 pages

If anyone is interested, my favorite book I've this round is over 900 pages, The Hands of the Emperor. I loved it and am holding off on the second one as it drops to 350 pages. I'll start moving books around as needed to drop the smaller ones. We have no books under 200 so far. I'll start dropping the low 220s next of which we have a few.

DQ'S DAY 1 - PROLOGUE - CHAPTER 4

1. I nominated this book because titles with libraries or books naturally draw me in and I've wanted to read a Garth Nix book for ages. What are your reasons for reading.. long term Garth Nix affectionado or "It's only about the points, baby"?

I like the first two of the Abhorsen series (I still need to get to book 3), and I enjoy the world building, which does seems to be given as you go and not very complex but complete. I DNF one of his later books (something with the word Princes in the title) and have been meaning to red Angel Mage at some point.

2. Wikipedia (The Oracle of quick searches about whatever and sometimes actually factual) defines a prologue as "Opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ties into the main one and other miscellaneous information." What have you learnt in this particular prologue that seems important to the story moving forward?

Dad is important, Susan has inherited it, and mum has some issues, which may or may not be magical, as forgetting seems common


3. Chapter 1 introduces us to our main protagonists in a scene filled with murder, fashion descriptions and a giant louse! First impressions of Merlin and Susan and any sign if they will be friends or enemies or maybe even frenemies ?

I have finished the book so no spoilers, but I liked the introduction on Merlin and the escape.

4. Right-handed and left-handed booksellers policing multi layered worlds and realities. Set in 1983 London but the language and environment heavily leans on the Victorian Age. Are you comfortable with the preliminary world building, do you find it interesting and unique or same old same old in the YA fantasy genre?

It was fun, but the time-period felt a bit off in a few places and continues to do so through the book. The actual left-handed / right-handed thing is a bit odd with the eventual even handed (ambidextrous) thrown in later. It is a fun world but one I tried not to think too hard about as there were a few inconsistencies.

5. It seems someone is after Susan, probably because of her mysterious missing father. Who do you think he is and what maybe is his significance in this alternate world and to the plot in general?

I have finished the book but lots of mayhem and all powerful missing fathers is the general requirements for these type of books.

Thank you, both Maddy and Lisa

That would work if you don’t mind reading it

We could probably use a white cover book if anyone has one planned. I have one but want to finish my two X books first.

Quiet weekend here, I got some work and reading done so both good. First snow of the season; only an inch or so stuck.

I am trying to focus on this again. Read and whoever suggested the audio book, thank you. It was great.