Rebekah’s Comments (group member since Jun 22, 2013)

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

2/13-- Day 2 Discussion Questions Chapters 3-4

9. Nathan has decided not to let anyone know about his suspicions about Jack. Has your opinion about Jack or his possible role in Lydia’s disappearance and death changed after Nathan confronted him and/or after he overheard the exchange between Jack and the police?

I think Jack tried really hard to befriend this family and they won't let him in.

10. James begins a new kind of relationship with his research assistant, Louisa Chen. What role, if any, do you think his daughter’s death/ funeral play in his moving toward this change? Do your opinions of James (as a dad, husband, character) change as a result of their relationship?

Yes, it is gross. I don't like cheaters and I don't like that he is in a position of power over her.

11. In the flashback to 1965 in chapter 4, we see some of the various pressures that Marilyn feels on her life and her decisions. Are there any areas in your own life where you feel competing pressures or expectations that influence your decisions?

If you are a smart successful woman even today you are going to get pressure and comments about settling down, the clock is ticking, etc.

12. When Jack and Nathan are at the pool, Nathan is teased by his peers. Jack remembers his own experiences with teasing. What did you think of the way that Jack handled the situation at the pool? How did Jack’s expectations for Nathan and Nathan's behavior contribute to the situation and how it went? Why doesn’t he tell Marilyn what happened?

I think Jack tried to help the situation. Kids get teased. I didn't think it was as big of a deal as the dad made it out to be.

13. In the summer of 1965, Marilyn leaves her family for a period of time. What did you think of that decision and how she did it? Did it change your thoughts about her as a mother, a wife, a character?

She just reached her wits' end. I wish she could have gone about it a better way. Telling her husband and her children how she felt instead of just disappearing.

14. Marilyn finds her mother’s old cookbook with advice about being a good housewife. What do you think they’d each say about being stay-at-home mothers? Do you think one is happier or more satisfied?

They both feel trapped. The grandmother felt she followed the rules and became a good cook, but her husband still left her to raise her daughter alone. She didn't want that to happen to her daughter. The daughter thought she could be educated and ended up also being a lonely stay at home mom.

15. Already, the novel says a lot about how people are influenced by their parents. How did your parents influence your childhood and teenage years? Do you think they understood their influence (and the limits of their influence) on you?

My parents definitely tried to influence me in some ways but have also always supported me in whatever I wanted to do. They don't insist I do things the way they did or that what they want will make me happy. They ultimately want me to be happy.

16. What do you think of the author’s use of flashbacks in this novel? Do you like this strategy? Does it work well here?

Flashbacks work well since we don't know what each generation is experiencing otherwise.

1. Do you like the book so far? Why did you decide to read it? Is this a genre you normally read?

I am really liking the book so far, it is interesting and beautifully written. It was highly-rated on a friend's shelf and then when it was chosen as BOM, I decided to read it now. I tend to prefer and read more literary fiction books

2. Lydia dies May 3rd, 1977 (first lines of the book so this isn't a spoiler) and Lydia's parents met in September 1957. What differences and similarities do you see in regards to race and gender relations between these two time frames in the book (or in history, if you looked it up)? What part does it play in the Lee family dynamics?

It is a fascinating idea. We basically get to see 3 different generations' perspectives, 1950's, 1970's and the readers'. In the 1950s, biracial marriages were illegal and it was literally dangerous. In the 1970s, the Lee children were probably the only biracial children in their town and community, so they were literally having to pave the way for their existence, in a way.

3. What do you think of Lydia's mother, Marilyn's description of her first born daughter's first steps and the line "...Lydia, still small enough to cradle, had secrets" ? How is Lydia different than her siblings?

I liked this line. I think it is more about the mother than the child. I think the author is commenting on the common misconception that a bond between a mother and child is somehow instantly perfect, mythical, and all-knowing. Many mothers do not feel this instant bond and such unrealistic expectations can lead to feelings of guilt and shame and even post-partum depression. Many mothers do not know how to soothe their infant and are frightened but do not know how to express this. I think the author is saying we are all ultimately mysteries to ourselves and no relationship, not even the closest ones, will ultimately know all of our secrets.

4. How does your high school experience compare with Lydia's? Why do you think Lydia doesn't have any "real" friends? What other things do you think Lydia is letting her parents believe are true to meet her parents' expectations?

It is sad. I attended a rural school in Kentucky in the late 90s/early 00s. I was friends with several Asian students. I was close friends with one, but another always commented that she felt left out that there were not more Korean students. They did sometimes experience racist comments.

4. Why do you think Lydia's siblings, Nath and Hannah, do not tell their parents about Lydia's friendship with Jack? Do you think Jack is involved in Lydia's disappearance and/or death?

I don't know, I feel like maybe Lydia's parents want her to be the "model minority" and maybe do not want her dating or doing typical teenager things. So the siblings do not tell them. I do not think Jack was involved in her death, but I do think he maybe knows her better than her family does.

5. Who do you think Hannah saw/heard on Wednesday at 2AM?

Lydia and Jack?

6. What do you think of Lydia's body being found at a lake when Lydia could not swim?

It is sad. I hope foul play did not happen to her.

7. What do you think of the first lines of Chapter 2, "How did it begin? Like everything: with mothers and fathers... Because more than anything, her mother had wanted to stand out; because more than anything, her father wanted to blend in. Because those things had been impossible" ? Where are you on the personality spectrum of wanting to stand out versus wanting to blend in?

It is a beautiful line. A lot of us think we have "free will" but societal and family expectations shape us a lot more than we know.

I am a mixture. I am introverted and don't like being the center of attention, so I do try to blend in. But I also do not ever go along with a crowd, particularly if that crowd is being mean or sexist or racist, so in that way, I will stand up for a cause or vulnerable people.

8. What do you think of Marilyn and James' courtship and marriage? What do you think happened in 1966 that made Marilyn disappear for a few days and do you think it is related to Lydia's disappearance and death?

It seemed kind of weird and forced to me honestly. I think Marilyn is not happy with her marriage and being a mother.

Title:
The Wrath and the Dawn
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Date Read: 12/11/15
Pages: 416
Goal: NA

Characters: Khalid, Shahrzad
Number of chapters: 33
GRs Rating: 4.23
Genre: fantasy, fantasy-fairy-tales, fantasy-magic, fiction, historical, historical-fiction, retellings, romance, young-adult, young-adult-young-adult-fantasy,
Cover: red, shapes, girl, face, arm, cut-out, purple dress
Date Published: 5/12/15
Misc Info: love story, 1001 Nights, killer, caliph, bride, teen characters, revenge, murder, king

Oooh good to know! Thanks!

How far out do we still get BOM points? I just got Pretty Girls from the library but that was last month's BOM.

I didn't find any on our goalless books but some common words are "beauty" and "queen" and "quiet"

I didn't find any on our goalless books but some common words are "beauty" and "queen" and "quiet"

I am not sure I understand that three vowels goal. A word with three vowels in a row in the title?

If that is what it means, here is a list of words:

http://www.sanjeev.net/scrabble/words...

No worries! I like your shelf with our goalless books! I might not read as much as other people, but I have become very skilled at making books work for challenges! :). Let me know if you ever need help

The Secret of Shadow Ranch is #3639
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Barbara ★ wrote: "NEW GOAL
86. Read a book that is in the "Best Crime & Mystery Books" Listopia List

We've already read a few books on page 1 of this list but we've already used them for goals and they can't be cha..."

Does it have to be page 1 of the list? I can look at our goalless books and see if any of them are on it. (There are some 5000 books on it, so I bet there is!)

I would like to volunteer for DQ - Team Lir

I volunteer for DQ - team Lir

Reading BOMs helps a lot too!! We should try to read as many of those as we can

I'm starting to think the mods of this group are sadists! :D

This might help with that "tautogram" list.

Oh my, our goals keep being really hard!!

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...

Title: Go Set a Watchman
Author: Harper Lee
Date Read: 12/05/15
Pages: 288 pp
Goal: NA

Characters: Scout Finch, Atticus Finch, Aunt Alexandra
Number of chapters: 19
Setting: Maycomb, Alabama (United States)
GRs Rating: 3.34
Genre: adult, adult-fiction, book-club, classics, fiction, historical, historical-fiction, literary-fiction, literature, novels
Cover: blue, train, train track, tree, yellow leaves
Date Published: 7/14/15
Misc Info: Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction, civil rights, South (United States), homecoming, family, childhood, small town, values, mid-1950s, sequel, classic, politics

Hell is an interjection and someone read a book called "temping is hell"

I can start reading Different Seasons this week, but like I said, it might take me a while to finish it.

A lot of us read "Six of Crows" for BOM and they busted multiple people out of multiple prisons. Does that count?

I am going to read Different Seasons - inspiration for "the shawshank redemption" but not likely until January...I have 8 other books I need to try to fit in December!