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

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

Geri wrote: "I checked the spreadsheet. I can read a book for MC is a necromancer. And a book with a musical instrument on cover. I’ll have them done this week."

Added

Cilla wrote: "Completion Post

by Wolfgang Faust
Read: June 21, 2021
Pages: 138

1. MPG - Memoir"

Please add to TT shelf and a read date. :)

Cilla wrote: "Completion Post

Date read: June 20, 2021
Pages: 529
Word Count: 124,305

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan"

Please add a read date to your TT shelf :)

@Jammin Jenny can you add Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid: The Fraught and Fascinating Biology of Climate Change to your TT shelf

Prickly Business by Piper Vaughn
Date Read: 6/25
Pages: 287

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

Bingo - G8 - hedgehog on cover, Avery is a hedgehog shifter

DQs Day 1: (end: "'I want' he said firmly 'a very fast horse.'"19% / Page 52)

1. Mort is nothing if not determined. He refuses to give up on being a “prentice” until the last stoke of midnight. Then at the very last second, Death arrives for him. Do you think Mort was quick to take the apprenticeship perhaps from feeling humiliated at the days events or was it something that truly intrigued him? Would you have been willing to work for Death?

Mort wants to be useful, and I think being a “prentice” to Death intrigues him. There are certain people that are suited to helping other in their last moments and I commend them for it

2. Death has a sarcastic tone during this first section. What do you think of his fawning over Mort to ensure he gets new clothes and food and Death eating with him like a regular guy? Is he up to something sinister or does he just want to make Mort comfortable?

He obviously doesn’t have people skills and doing what he thinks is expected of him as an employer

3. Mort may be a bit gangly and lost in his own head at times, but he seems to have a lot of compassion. Upon realizing that he was talking to Death, he asked him to spare his Dad. Later he tries to intervene and warn the King that he was about to be killed and finally on that same trip he wanted to tell the King’s daughter not to trust the Duke. What did you think of all that? Are these normal reactions to someone who is the apprentice to Death? Do you think it will continue as Mort sees more and more of Death’s duty?

I think it’s something that is in us all, after all if you knew someone was going to die by another’s hand wouldn’t you forewarn them. I think Mort doesn’t get that Death’s duties is not to kill but to guide the passing of souls

4. What is up with the constant utterance of “Mort” every time someone calls our MC anything other than Mort or Mortimer after arriving at Death’s House and meeting Yasbell? Is there some significance to this or is it just rather annoying?! Lol!

He wants to be seen for himself and to remind everyone he is more than a just a boy

5. Mort, surprisingly, asked Death for an afternoon off. I think our dear Mort is growing up! He explains to Death that he wants to meet people for more than a few minutes. When he arrives in his own time and finds out where he is, he asks if he is near Sto Lat. He seems to have a plan when he says he wants a very fast horse. What do you think he intends? Will it work out like he plans?

He obviously wants to visit the princess/queen, maybe warn her of the duke. He established a brief connection with her at the moment of her father’s death. Does anything ever go as planned

I’m reading Blood Heir so can take rec from a different team

Completion Post

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli
Date Read: 6/18
Pgs: 448


Private Moscow: by James Patterson
Date Read: 6/21
Pgs: 432


Watered Down Death by Lucinda D. Davis
Date Read: 6/21
Pgs: 148


Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Date Read: 6/23
Pgs: 496

DQuestions Day 6

Day 1
Day 3
Day 5


Perfect Match by D B Thorne
Date Read: 6/23
Pgs: 400


The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Date Read: 6/23
Pgs: 522

Discussion Questions have been allocated for July BOM's. We got The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Date Chapters (end page) MPDQs
2 Jul Part 1, I - Part 1, XIII (p67) Lori (Granny)
3 Jul Part 1, XIV - Part 2, III (p129) Lexi (Oook)
4 Jul Part 2, IV - Part 3, I (p153) Tina (Carrot)
5 Jul Part 3, II - Part 3, XII (p253) Jessica (Cheery)
6 Jul Part 3, XIII - Part 4, XII (p318) Imke (Ridcully)
7 Jul Part 4, XIII - Part 5, VIII (p382) Angie (Moist)
8 Jul Part 5, IX - Part 6, VI (p447) Louise (Rob)
9 Jul Part 6, VII - Part 7, III (end) Ushashi (Sybil

I'm good with mine
:)

Yasmine wrote: "Hii 2 questions:

for the task "go to the cinema". do the people in the book have to go to the cinema? or is it a book that you could also go watch in the cinema?

And what's an example that would..."

Characters need to go to the cinema in the story, if you look at the picture for off let stamp on the bingo board it’s a postage stamp.
😀

I can cover on bingo
D5 the Great A'Tuin - With
G8 hedgehog - Prickly Business - hedgehog shifter

DQs Day 6 - Chapters 39 - 45

25. Wow there was a lot went on in these few chapters and we learn a lot about the various players. First off Grant Edwards, we suspected he was sleazy and had secrets but not a sexual predator. Should Daunis have followed him? What would you have done? Will Daunis open up about what he did to her or keep it inside?

26. The money in the joint account leads Daunis to break into her brothers room in search of clues. The scarf she finds in Levi’s room why do you think Levi kept it hidden after telling Daunis he would do anything for her.

27. Daunis finds the stash of meth in her wardrobe on her return from Levi’s it would seem that he is setting her up to take the fall. Is this something he is doing of his own back or is someone else pulling the strings.

28. Dana drugs and kidnaps Daunis. What is her involvement in this? Who else is involved?

29. Daunis wakes up to find Jamie has also been kidnapped and is being held with her. She works out that they are on Sugar Island. We are hoping for a rescue - who do you think will come to her aid?

Day 5 - Chapters 30 - 38

21. Levi has an answer for why there's more money than expected in the joint account. Do you believe him? Would you join in his business opportunity?

I’m not entirely sure, if it’s legit why is this the first time Daunis is finding out about it. I wouldn’t join in his business venture it would cause to many problems

22. Daunis calls Levi out on his double standards - protecting her from the other boys sexual appraisal but being willing to objectify other girls himself, but isn't willing to challenge Mrs Hancock on her Bigotry Bingo racist comment. Sure there are different interpersonal dynamics there, but why is she more willing to challenge sexist comments than racist ones? A reflection on her ambivalence about her own racial identity perhaps?

I think she finds it easier to challenge the sexist comments being female, the racial comments are more difficult for her as she has a foot in both cultures and doesn’t want to upset either side by favouring the other,m.

23. The relationship with Jamie is continuing to develop, with Daunis letting him into the secret about her hockey-ending issue. 22 v 19 isn't as bad as initially thought (and Jamie is BIA rather than FBI, so it might stack up). Would you trust Jamie?

I think Jamie can be trusted, he is trying to understand Daunis and seems to be searching for his own identity

24. Daunis has another flashback to Lily's murder, and (possibly) recovers more memory of it, leading to a big realisation, about the bad medicine. She's very much off-piste with the confidential informant role now, and doing her own investigation. Thoughts on the new insight? Predictions for the ending?

So she knows that mushrooms aren’t the source of the meth-x but that it has something to do with her tribal medicine. She keeps reliving the same smells too which could be key.

DQs Day 4: Chapters 24-29

16. Daunis talks a lot about keeping her various worlds separate so they don’t overlap. Hockey World/Real World, Fontaine/Firekeeper And now she has to add in being a Sneaky Squirrel. Have you ever felt like you live in different worlds, and do you agree with Daunis that it is easier to keep those separate?

I keep my work life separate from my personal life but that’s about it. Definitely easier

17. I love all of the interactions Daunis has with the Elders and how much she values their wisdom and guidance. What do you think of the role Elders have in the Ojibwe community? How does this compare to the role of senior citizens in your own community?

I think it’s a culture that we could learn a lot from. I’ve always been brought up to respect my elders. Unfortunately in the UK the way senior citizens are viewed leaves a lot to be desired


18. Also - which elder’s coming of age story would you most want to read?

GrannyJune

19. This book has a lot of major themes (identity, community, racism, grief, justice, women standing up for other women, etc). Which theme stands out to you most or resonates with you most?

Grief and addiction,

20. Lots of unexpected events and suspicious characters in this section. Who are you most suspicious of at this point in the story? 👀
Call-me-grant and Mike

DQs Day 3 Chapters 16 - 23

11. Gramma Pearl shared many wonderful legacy stories with Daunis. I loved the reference Daunis makes regarding the storm and the thunderbirds bringing loved ones from the other world to check on them. As a result, Daunis has happy memories about storms versus being afraid and she consistently refers to Gramma Pearl when deciding what to do. Do you have any advice, stories or traditions passed down from family that you often think about? Something that you would share with your legacy...if so, share if you are comfortable.

Not a legacy as such but when baking I often think of my Nanna, she taught me how to bake

12. "The FBI is interested in learning what caused the group hallucination. I want to know if the kids are okay." Daunis obviously thinks the FBI isn't investigating for the right reasons. I observe all the time that young people have a different view on things than more experienced/older people. Who's right? What do we learn from situations such as this? Other thoughts?

I think both are right, there is a need to find out the cause but also to follow up on those affected

13. Heather is clearly not liked amongst the girls at the beach party...why do you think Heather approaches Daunis about buying drugs? Do you think this has something to do with why she turns up dead, washed up at Duck Island?

I think Heather saw it as an opportunity and there was no thought there. Her going missing and turning up at Duck island is obviously drug related.

14. In chapter 20, Jamie asks Daunis about the meaning of 'Firekeeper's Daughter'. It's her job to lift up the sun every day. What do you think about this explanation? Do you find additional meaning in this as it relates to Daunis and her role in the plot of this story?

I liked this explanation, everything seems better when it’s sunny and the assumption is there that Daunis will continue to do what is needed even when everything is against her

15. Daunis finds Heather during her mushroom sleuthing on Duck Island. During her thinking she has an 'ah-ha' moment regarding her Uncle's journals. When she goes to look for them, she's quick to assume that they don't exist because of the connection to the FBI and the confidentiality required...do you think she's right...thoughts?

I think her Uncle would have kept some sort of written evidence but has put them someplace secret. Quite possibly disguised as something else

DQ Day 2 Chapters 9 to 15

6. I thought that the opening scene with Daunis and the gun would show up again towards the end of the book. That’s usually what happens when authors use this kind of device. Were you surprised that it happens not even a quarter of the way in?

I was a little surprised to be honest

7. We knew there would be a murder but we’re you surprised that it was Lily who was killed? Did you suspect something bad would happen between her and Travis?

Confession time - I rarely read the blurb of a book so I didn’t know there would be a murder. I did however suspect that something bad would happen between Lily and Travis, just not quite so final

8. The synopsis also hinted that Jamie was not all he seemed. I thought he would be something to do with the murder but not that he would be an undercover agent. What did you think it was that Jamie was hiding?

Again I generally don’t read the synopsis of a book I’m using for challenges. I suspected that Jamie was hiding an identity to do with his past not that he was undercover

9. If you were Daunis would you have agreed to be a confidential informant? I’m not sure I would be brave enough.

I wouldn’t, I couldn’t keep the pretence up

10. Being a confidential informant seems to be very complicated with Daunis being expected to really investigate what is happening rather than just let them know if she comes across anything suspicious. How well do you think Daunis will be able to do this as it’s her own community and perhaps members of her own family that she will be investigating?

I think she will struggle with the conflicting emotions she will encounter. I also think she may confide in her grandmother, as during her light on stage she will understand but will not be able to share the secret