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

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

Well, I have learned all sorts of new options this morning. I think I’ll still stick with pockets. I was familiar with bank cards but Cat, coins…

It is probably a good thing I was not picked to write questions because my number one question is did people actually keep their phone in their bra? Even when I had a flip phone, I can’t remember anyone doing this. There were runners on my high school cross-country team who stuck their inhaler under a strap, but I can’t think of anyone storing a phone. Otherwise, answering the actual questions below.

DQs Day 1 - Chaps 1 - 10

1. What do you think of Willowdean? Does she feel like a sufficiently real person?

I think she seems real and has the balance of confidence and shame that is common in high schoolers.

2. What you you think about her relationship with Ellen? They are starting to keep secrets from each other now - do you think that this is the start of a drifting apart or will they stay close?

I hope they make it through but also, it is a time when sometimes you learn that you can have friends who you do not have to share everything with and hopefully Ellen learns that her co-worker is not so good at keeping quiet.

3. Bo is interesting - the opposite of Will in terms of being reserved in comparison to her chattiness, but with something lurking in his backstory. Do you want to have a guess at what's up with him? Would anyone NOT have done the same as Will and followed him to the abandoned school in the hopes of more making out?!

Nope, I would not have followed him to an empty school because of a boy. However, the standard teenager in these boys seems to leave their brain behind whenever a crush is involved.

4. Will claims ownership of "fat" when she introduces herself to Bo. How successful do you think she is in her aim to stop it from being an insult?

I think she wants to get there and has good days and bad days. Also, she is teenager so everything is still in process.

5. Lucy has clearly been a big influence in both Will and Ellen's lives, and yet they haven't been talking about her at all since her death. Do you think this is a normal reaction to a sudden death? Would you be like Will's mother, and get rid of everything, or keep it?

I think Ellen saying she missed her too will help with Will’s burden as she felt alone and she does not seem to have a very good relationship with her mother. A lot of this reminds me of Spoiler Alert with an older MC whose has similar issues and also a hot, fit male. (To be fair, it is a much newer book so likely influenced by this or just similar issues. Also, are there books where the male gets to be fat too or instead?).

Visiting from Team Ook *waves* to say thank you to Christina for the book recommendation - Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space. I read it in a single sitting last night, and it was an interesting mix of personal and essay. Thank you

Also, you seemed interested in the book I recommended for the July BOM, so I add that it is the same author as Cemetery Boys, which I recommend.

Christina wrote: "Hi from Team Nanny Ogg *waves*

So many familiar faces in here, especially Lexi who I just met through uno :)

Anyway, I just wanted to say, REDSHIRT!! Love your name! :D (and I hope you're feeling..."

*waves back* I just got the book you recommended from the library - Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space

July BOM Nominations are up:

July YA

July Adult

Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas

When children go missing in the small coastal town of Astoria, people look to Wendy for answers.

It's been five years since Wendy and her two brothers went missing in the woods, but when the town’s children start to disappear, the questions surrounding her brothers’ mysterious circumstances are brought back into light. Attempting to flee her past, Wendy almost runs over an unconscious boy lying in the middle of the road, and gets pulled into the mystery haunting the town.

Peter, a boy she thought lived only in her stories, claims that if they don't do something, the missing children will meet the same fate as her brothers. In order to find them and rescue the missing kids, Wendy must confront what's waiting for her in the woods.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission--and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that's been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it's up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.

Part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian--while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.

I need to get back to working on papers and job hunting this weekend. I have been using reading to avoid real life, which is great for our team, less great for real life.

Also, added the date, Redshirt, and I have migraines; they are not fun. Hope you feel better soon.

Truitt_T wrote: "I’m so sorry, Lexi! It’s added now - and I’m double checking the others."

No worries, easy to miss one and thank you

Truitt, can you please add Relationship Material to you TT shelf? Thank you

DQ Day 5: Chapters 19-end

20. Charlotte has a very bad reaction to being returned. Do you think this is normal? Why do you think she reacted so extremely?

Charlotte had a lot of stress over the last few days and had not had any experience up to that point with which to teach her to account for adversity. Also, while highly closeted, she was somewhat spoiled so not entirely used to not getting her way.

21. Do you agree with Alexandra's decision to not pay Ned? Do you think she was right in doing this?

I agree. Also, he really should have demanded half up front so that was dumb on his part.

22. Alexandra seems to be very affected by the events that have happened. She seems less afraid, although maybe more reactive. She also manages to go outside for a short time. Do you think it will last? Will she improve? Why?

I think that her going outside and getting stronger is realistic. The romance angle really annoyed me. It is as if the author thought everyone must be paired off to end the book. I could see her going to see the doctor’s house but the entire kiss was way out of character, and too fast for her as a person or the time period

23. The two women come up with an interesting arrangement for Charlotte and came to understand each other better in the end. Do you think that this could have happened if Bess hadn't lied?

Not at all, Bess would have been turned away at the door and maybe had the watch called.

24. The ending had lots of happy events. Did you like it? Do you think it was realistic?

I think it was unrealistic and kind of rushed but still nice. It is a book so not everything has to be as miserable as real life. However, the romance for everyone angle seemed a bit forced and annoyed me (see comments above).

DQ Day 3: Ch. 11-13

11. Do you think the author has been able to give Bess and Alexandra individual voices? Do you like books with multiple points of view?

Yes I the author did well making both of them have different voices and backgrounds. I like two or three point of views but some authors get carried away with the number of POVs.

12. What do you think ‘Eliza’ and Agnes were talking about in the kitchen? Do you think either Agnes or Maria know that Charlotte came from the Foundling home?

I kept reading, but I figured it was the household gossip. Servants tend to know everything and if not specifics, they would have known if she was pregnant.

13. I think that Alexandra will get much worse re her fears of the outside after the mask prank. Do you think her thoughts about ‘Eliza’ will suffer because of it?

I thought Alexandra would have a relapse and that she may blame others for it or may just shut down completely.

14. Do you believe that Dr Mead was telling the truth about not knowing about what happened to Alexandra’s parents? Why has he lied about who ‘Eliza’ is?

I find him to kind of a haphazard character, more of a narrative convenience than a character. When something needs doing or saying to move the plot forward or provide information, the doctor does it even when out of character.

Wonderful, glad you are enjoying your books.

Thank you, Snowtulip and Redshirt.

Snowtulip, I have the day before my defense for DQs so I may be feeling great or really stressed so great to have a back up

First, you all are an awesome team. While this is not a sprint and it is only the start of May, we are in the top three teams, and while not all teams update their points regularly, I just wanted to tell everyone how great we are doing so far.

BOM Update:

Here are all the links for the BOMs if you want to start planning for June. Also, if anyone still wants to join for The Foundling, you can answer questions until June 2 ( 1 month after the BOM started).

Books of the Month

BOM by Month
May:
Adult: The Foundling (AKA The Lost Orphan - Discussion Thread – May 2)
YA: Dumplin' (Discussion Thread - May 16)
Discworld: Equal Rites ( Discussion Thread - starts May 22)

June BOM
Adult - The Midnight Library (Discussion Thread - June 2)
Backroom (18+) - Prickly Business (Discussion Thread - June 9)
YA - Firekeeper's Daughter (Discussion Thread - June 16)
Discworld - Mort (Discussion Thread - June 22)

Happy Monday everyone,

There is a now BOM for June (starting June 9th). It is Prickly Business and is the backroom BOM. Discussion link here Judith has already mentioned the backroom but since the book contains explicit material it requires everyone to be over 18 to join the backroom group. (I don't think we have any minors). Also, I expect it to not be for everyone, but the discussions can be a lot of fun, and someone who has read the book says it has something resembling a plot. The book is free on Kindle Unlimited, and last time I looked, you could get a free two months if you has a US address (sorry non-US people). Please feel free to ask any questions, and we still have the normal three books for June. I will add all the links to the post at the top of the thread.

Hi from Team Oook:
Jenny, in order to get to Going Postal, I would reccomend at least meeting the city first. That would be Guards! Guards! and the Men at Arms series. (I can see you really liking Vimes). However, Going Postal is not an awful place to start, you just may not quite appreciate Lord Vetinari, the Lord Patrician, as much before hand. You have to read Going Postal before Making Money. I consider Raising Steam not worth reading unless you have already read most every other discworld book.

Jenny, in order to get to Going Postal, I would reccomend at least meeting the city first. That would be Guards! Guards! and the Men at Arms series. (I can see you really liking Vimes). However, Going Postal is not an awful place to start, you just may not quite appreciate Lord Vetinari, the Lord Patrician, as much before hand. You have to read Going Postal before Making Money. I consider Raising Steam not worth reading unless you have already read most every other discworld book. (I will go cross-post this in your thread too).

Cat, not to add to your TBR list but I recommend the entire trilogy for Ninefox Gambit.

Redshirt wrote: "Judith wrote: ""BOMs are up for June.

Adult BOM (June 2 start): The Midnight Library
YA BOM (June 16 start): [book:Firekeeper's Daught..."

That makes sense to me! I'll join and pr..."

Redshirt, can you post here that you will be backup for our team: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Thank you