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

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

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

The Marrying Game by Kate Saunders
Date Read: 6/13
Pages: 384



Bone Rattler: A Mystery of Colonial America by Eliot Pattison
Date Read: 6/15
Pages: 512


Loyalty in Death by J.D. Robb
Date Read: 6/16
Pages: 355


The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri
Date Read: 6/16
Pages: 256

DQs Day 1 Chapters 1 to 8

1) Was this book on your TBR before it was announced as a BOM and were you hypnotized by the beautiful cover art? Were you familiar with Ojibwe culture prior to reading this book?
This only made my TBR because of BOM points. 🤭 I wasn’t aware of the Ojibwe culture prior to reading this.


2) Several social issues have been touched on so far including racism (including within race (skin tone) and within families for biracial children), enrolled v. descendant tribe membership, substance abuse, illegitimacy, and mental health. Does the author seem to be pulling this off so far or does it seem like too much to have it work for the story?

I think the author is doing a good job of pulling this off, yes there are lots of elements but the backstory is needed to get a fuller understanding of the issues individuals are facing.

3) Characters. Any favorites so far? Does anyone else want to be adopted by Granny June, or is that just me?

I really like Granny June

4) The author weaves tribal culture into the story and makes it an important aspect of Daunis's life. Including having her work in the tribal language into her interactions with the kids. Language is such an important part of culture, loosing a language means more than just a loss of vocabulary words. Are you enjoying this aspect of the story?

Yes, language is important. I am a fluent welsh speaker living in a predominantly English speaking area. Losing the language is a loss of culture

5) The quote "when someone dies everything becomes past tense, except for the grief. Grief stays in the present." really hit home. How did you react to this statement, did is resonate with you as well?

As someone who for the past year has been going through this I couldn’t agree more

We’ve had confirmation from the MODs regarding task 17 - book set in South Africa.

Needs to be set in the Country of South Africa and not sub-Saharan Africa.
If anyone has anything that fits let us know.

Geri wrote: "I can claim #201 - Onomatopoeia in title with the book The Echo Killing. I had to look up a list of words that would work for this! 🙂"

I had nothing on my upcoming reads that would work for this. I checked google too 😂

Yasmine wrote: "Louise wrote: "I’ve got a book for South Africa The Full Cupboard of Life set in Botswana"

Is the country south africa meant, or the continent africa? I'm not sure if this counts.... ..."

The task is a book set in South Africa which is made up of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

I have a book to read for SRC on the against discrimination list

I’ve got a book for South Africa The Full Cupboard of Life set in Botswana

Task 55 correction should be
The Movie Was Better Than The Book