Louise’s Comments (group member since Aug 29, 2015)

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

DQs - Day 1 - Prologue-Blackthorn

1. A paranormal retelling?? of Jane Eyre - this prompts the question about the original or let's call it the "source for inspiration". What is your relationship to Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë? Have you read it? Loved/liked/disliked it?

I have read Jane Eyre many moons ago and enjoyed it, it’s not my favorite classic novel but it is enjoyable

2. What about Retellings? Is it a genre you like/avoid?

I do like retellings and have read quite a few

3. Jane Aire as a witch in a school for orphan witches? How do you like the setting of this alternative Victorian world where magic is at least tolerated?

I read quite a few Victorian/ steampunk novels and Magic/paranormal novels, so this worked for me

4. What are your first impressions of Jane and Rochester?
I like Jane although Rochester needs to be a little more airlines befitting a Victorian gentleman

5. What do you think about the occurrences in Thornfield? Are they really caused by supernatural elements or is it human action?
As it is a paranormal book I would think there is an element of the supernatural behind them

Trinia wrote: "Louise wrote: "Trinia wrote: "Hey gang, just checking in. We’ve been without power since the storms blew through 2 days ago. So I’m limited with the internet , etc.
I added a book to my shelf but a..."

If you add the details in here one of us can grab it and move it for you

Trinia wrote: "Hey gang, just checking in. We’ve been without power since the storms blew through 2 days ago. So I’m limited with the internet , etc.
I added a book to my shelf but am sure I didn’t get it to the ..."

For text in book we would need the page/location if possible and short sentence . For other items, take a look at some of the examples on the sheet and in "msg 5 of this thread

Mrs Pollifax isn’t on the tracking

@Diane


For 3 different food items on cover:
Can it be different types of the same thing - for example apple pie, chocolate pie and pumpkin pie?

Yes it can

Diane ~Firefly~ wrote: "two questions about the mini:

Does this count for letters of CORNUPIA (requires sub-title)
[book:You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and Their Impact on a Generation|6..."

Cornupia Yes, I’ll check the other and come back

@Trisha please add The Voice Inside to your shelf

Day 5: Chapters 40 - 56

20. Cade goes to each of the other travellers and has final words with them. Do you think he learned any new information about his travellers? Or did he learn something about himself?

I think he understood them better

21. The journey to The Seven Brothers is full of many challenges. Did this journey remind you of any other quest you've read?

It is very similar to the LOTR and The Hobbit

22. We now find out about the Pandorals, how they were using The Seven Brothers as vessels. Quite interesting how this was accomplished. Did this surprise you how they were formed ? What did you think of why they came to acquire the red soil?

i finished this yesterday and I don’t remember red soil 🤦‍♀️

23. It was determined that Cade be the one to use the apparatus. What attunement do you think he chose?

I really don’t know and am not invested enough to find out

24. What was your overall impression of this story? What was your favorite part of the story? Will you read the next in the series or try one of the authors other series?

There were some funny parts but I wasn’t overly keen. Unless the next in the series is a BOM I won’t be reading it

Books used in the mini are also used in the main challenge for points

I’ve added the mini tasks to our tracking sheet for claiming tasks

Race to the Cornucopia Mini




Make sure you get yourself the best resources possible at the start of the Games by getting bonus points for each of the tasks you fill. Each task can be repeated a maximum of five times. Each food item in text can be repeated once.

This mini challenge runs from June 1st to June 15 9am UTC

• 1 point tasks
- Read a book with a orange cover
- "harvest" (plural OK, no other variants) in text
- Author initials in HERACLES
- Word in title is hiding a different smaller word (of at least four letters) inside it (not the singular form or verb tense differences) - examples LimonCELLO; THINg; wereWOLF (or indeed WEREwolf); HUNGer but NOT GAMEs (as that's the singular/plural)
- One of the following food words in text (plural OK, no other variants): corn, grape, ham, bread, cheese, apple, fish, chicken, bread, rice, tomato, pepper, salt, honey, lobster

3 point tasks
- Horn on cover (instrument or animal equally OK. but not antlers please)
- Book set in Crete
- Book set in Idaho
- Author's name has a diacritic (Cornucopia was a concert tour for Björk. yes, it's tenuous, but go with it anyway!)
- "abundant" or "abundance" in text
- Takes place on a farm (farm meaning somewhere raising plants or animals to be sold for food)

5 point tasks
- Title (including subtitle) includes all the letters CORNUPIA (no need to duplicate C and O)
- The cover has at least 3 different food items
- Set in Peru, Panama, Colombia or Venezuela (or combination of them to reach the 50%)


General Notes
Locations must represent 50% or more of the setting
Colour cover must be 50% the colour (use of common sense, please)

Welcome Dawn, at the minute just read, we do have a mini starting on June 1st, see below.

Sending hugs Natasha, hope all goes well

@Sam please add Amari and the Great Game to your shelf please

Me too

Day 2 DQs
Ch 9 to 18

6.) Did Galass turning into a blood mage and Fidick being the cause of Lucian's death (I assume that's what the black cloud that left the tent did) surprise you? Or were you expecting their bit in the story to be over and just a footnote about Cade's character?

I can’t say I was surprised, I expected there to be death but wasn’t sure who it would be

7.) We learn about more magic types and there's pretty much any type of magic you can dream up. What type of magic you like to have or what animal would you like an affinity with?

I would prefer a healing magic. I would choose a Panther

8.) Is anyone else's favorite character Mr. Bones? Just me? mkay.

I don’t have a favorite at the moment

9.) At this point I think it's clear Cade is a fallen Glorian of some sort, likely a Justicar. Do others agree with my guess here or do you have other thoughts?

I think so too but could be completely wrong

10.) Assuming my guess in Q9 is right, why do you think Cade got the heave ho from the Glorians?

probably pissed someone off or did something that was a little bit “grey”

I finished this a couple of days ago and it is still a 5* read for me. Again there were parts I’ld forgotten especially towards the end. I would love to read Haymitch’s story. I do believe that his drinking is a result of his own experience in the games and him having to relieve them as a mentor every year. Can’t wait to read the next one, going to finish the other BOM’s first though.

I have just finished part 2 of this which has a lot going on. Thoroughly enjoying the reread of this, we see more of Katniss’ strength of character and her loyalty to protect those she takes under her wing. Although I’ve watched the film, may have to rewatch it to compare, the fact that we hear Katniss’ thoughts gives more depth to the story.

Melissa wrote: "@Sam - The Seven Year Slip is on your shelf but shows that you began reading on May 10. If this is the case then we won't be able to use it since the game didn't begin until May 15...."

Done, I need to remember to do that

I’ve finished part 1 of this and although it’s been several years since I read it, I am finding it enjoyable. On re-reading it I forgot some parts of it that aren’t picked up in the film, as far as I’m aware. We get more of a sense of where Katniss’ strength of character comes from, something she sees as a weakness due to the guilt she feels about not being able to help as much as she wants to.

I love the character and world building in this, you’re given just enough to imagine them without being overwhelmed

DQs - Day 1: Chapters 1-8 (pages 1 -71)

1. The book has the MPG Dark Fantasy. Do you like this genre in general? If so, do you have any favourite authors or books?

I don’t normally read dark fantasy, I tend to lean towards the paranormal, urban fantasy genres but I’m not averse to it especially if I can get team points

Picture a wizard. Go ahead, close your eyes. There he is, see? Skinny old guy with a long straggly beard. No doubt he's wearing iridescent silk robes that couldn't protect his frail body from a light breeze. The hat's a must, too, right? Big, floppy thing, covered in esoteric symbols that would instantly show every other mage where this one gets his magic?

2. The book starts with the quote above. Is this your mental image of a wizard, too? Or something different? :)

I have to admit that my mental image of a wizard is exactly that, years of watching movies with wizards portrayed in this way as well as my favorite wizard “Gandalf” is portrayed in this way

3. And the author lands us in the middle of a siege (ideal for the Book Games, right? ;) with 2 of the main characters Cade Ombra and Corrigan Blight. Cade is narrating what is happening and offering us his views on good and evil, the part they are playing and how they "win" this particular siege.
Do you think it's a strong start to the book? Has it got you intrigued?

Landing us right in the the thick of it is a strong start, but I have to admit I was a little confused

4. As an extra incentive & entertainment, the Ascendant Lucien offers young girls and boys (sublimes) to the wanderists after the siege. We get introduced to Fiddick and Galass and learn that Cade decided to kill Lucien. We can actually start putting some pieces of Cade's character together. What do you think about him at this point?

I think he has a certain image to uphold but is in essence a decent guy

5. Some demonic highlights to this introductory part: Tenebris the demon, with whom Cade as an "infernalist" mage trades with to get his spells.
What were your impressions of Tenebris? How do you find the "religious/magical" system of the Infernals and the Celestines?

I have to admit I’m very confused

@Christina please add Wood You Be Mine to your shelf