Leslie Ann’s Comments (group member since Mar 24, 2016)

Leslie Ann’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Is anyone else having this problem : In order to read the latest post I have to click the last page (in this case page 5) and then scroll down to the bottom. I use to be able to sort all the comments latest first??? Tired of scrolling? Or is it just me? There is also a question mark next to the date, I pretty sure there is a coding error.

My book Words of radiance has a palace in it, but it is a rather large so it may take a while to finish.

Started
Words of Radiance
1088 pages

Discussion Questions Day 3

10. As we reach the halfway point I am seeing more and more similarities to the Amelia Peabody series. Is anyone else finding this. Does this affect your impression of the book?

Well they both take place in Egypt and are mystery books other than that I don’t see any similarities



11. We have been introduced to a number of Characters is there anyone that particularly stands out

Of course the uncle seems sleazy

12. We have been introduced to Isadora and her Father. Why do you think he doesn’t let her out of his sight?
It could be he is just an overprotective father

13. Inez seems to be attuned to Cleopatra and sees some of her memories. If you could choose to see one memory of a historical figure whose memory would it be

Maybe Van Gogh

Just noticed What the river knows is published in October. I can’t seem to add it to the travel tab?

I pretty much gave up on claiming anything. I am going to try to read the BOM and answer questions. I also will just read for page points.

Discussion Questions Day 2
Part One, Chapter 6 - Part One, Chapter 12

6. In this part Inez spends some time with Mr. Hayes. What did you think of their afternoon in Cairo? Did you enjoy their banter?

I enjoyed the afternoon in Cairo and the back and forth was fun.

7. After sensing familiar magic from an old trinket, Inez buys it and later has a vision of Cleopatra. What do you think this vision means? Do you believe Cleopatra’s burial site can only be found with Inez’s help?
I think that Inez will be integral in finding Cleopatra’s tomb.

8. Every now and then, the point of view shifts briefly to Mr. Hayes. Do you enjoy these moments from his perspective, or would you prefer the story to stay entirely with Inez?

I actually prefer Mr. Hayes point of view. I haven’t yet been drawn to the character of Inez

9. Inez finds a letter from her mother, in which she suspects that Tío Ricardo is involved in illegal activities. Does this letter, along with the boat conversation Inez overhears, make you suspicious of Tío Ricardo? Or do you think he’s not responsible for Inez’s parents’ murder?

Currently , I am suspicious of just about everyone. Ricardo is top of the suspicious list.

Discussion Questions Day 1
Prologue - Part 1 Ch 5

1. The first line is “A letter changed my life.” Would you say this was a good start, cheesy start, or are you indifferent?

It is an interesting start

2. Why do you think Tio Roberto wanted to immediately send Inez back to Egypt without even seeing her? Do you think he’s hiding something? Or do you think it’s just typical of men at that time to dismiss young women and enforce them being chaperoned and taken care of?
Typical of the times,young women need to be chaperoned

3. The ring scene with Thomas Sterling was definitely outrageous; I felt Inez's outrage and all of her shock. Do you expect to see the ring later in the story? Any guesses to its significance

I am listening to this book on audible. The voice of Inez is so child like, I can not feel any outrage.

No guesses yet about the ring

4. What do you think of the writing style and the pacing so far? Are you enjoying the lyrical, rich descriptions or do you prefer a more fast paced story?

I am not enjoying all the flowery descriptions .

5. In Ch. 5 we see politics at play, and we can tell this is just the beginning. How do you think this will affect your enjoyment of the book? Will it enhance the story for you or will you feel bogged down by the details?

I would enjoy the politics.

I will be flying back on Sunday. Glad to get started.

@Jenny my girls tried the wine you suggested, they seemed not to like it. They gave it a 0 out of ten 😂 it might be an acquired taste.

I am having a great time in Greece . The food is so good!!! Why do our tomatoes and peppers have no flavor. I have been ruined with hummus and Greek salad …. Our hummus does not taste this good!!!

I am open to whatever approach we take but I can’t help myself I will do my best to earn points 😀

I am here. I am currently in Greece on vacation. I will return to Colorado on the 18th. I have a new furball Charlie an Aussie shepard, 7 months old. He is a cutie. Looking forward to being on this fun team.

Kelly (Maybedog) wrote: "Mine is really bad. I've tried lactase and it doesn't do much. I need Gas-X, too, and Tylenol and ... :) I actually haven't tried lactase with cheese. I should. Cheese isn't as bad as milk or ice c..."

Kelly … I am the same. I miss ice cream too, lactose free ice cream is not good. I miss my burrata ! Hard cheeses have little lactose Parmesan and cheddar.

I wanted to edit my form, but I can’t seem to. I would like if possible be on a team with Trinia,Suzanne, Alaina, Diane Firefly , Cathy M

Denise wrote: "Leslie Ann wrote: "I will be flying back from Greece on the 17 th !!! Just in time. How do I edit my submission?"

If you need a restaurant recommendation in Greece, my favorite was Athinaikon in A..."

Thanks!

I will be flying back from Greece on the 17 th !!! Just in time. How do I edit my submission?

Thanks Angie & Jenny you were great captains. Wish I could of read more.

DQs Day 3 - Parts IV & V

10. When Alice gave birth to her second child, she had a mantra. "I will love this new baby." I found it very odd. What do you think about that? Do you find any deeper meaning in it?

Yes, she was having mixed feelings about this child because of Bear.

11. What do you think about Bear showing up? Could it be real? Just a vision/hallucination.
hallucination.

12. Do you think Barbara was "just" a name for Peter? Or could there be something he hides?
Seems like everyone in this family has secrets

13. Louise got brutally beaten up. Toxic/abusive relationships seem to be a big factor in this book. Do you think that will have anything to do with the rest of the story and the reveal of the mystery?

I do think they are important to the rest of the story and the ending.

Day 2 - 3 Dec
Parts II & III

6. The story is told through multiple characters and constant time jumps. Do you think it's working for the plot? If not, what would you change? Is it easy for you to keep track of the plot and characters? Is it impacting on your reading?

I am very confused, the writing is good so I will push forward to try and figure things out


7. We're introduced to the Van Laar family. What do you think of the mother (or the lack of her appearance so far) and the two Peter's? Do you think the grandfather or the father have a role in Bear's disappearance?

The Peter’s are very sketchy. They had something to do with Bear’s disappearance.


8. We're also introduced to Delphine who says to Alice that "that one is free to do what one wishes in life, expectations be damned”, that Alice can do more and that she is smart. What do you make of Alice's reaction to this? Do you think Alice will end up standing up for herself and speaking up?

I love this quote. There are so many women who are in abusive relationships is this story. I do hope Alice will speak up, but I have my doubts.



9. I've noticed that the author has reduced the voice for a few characters. We see it with Alice from when she's 18 years old and with Tracey. Even with Louise as she's being asked questions by the Senior Investigator. Why do you think the author did this, especially with Alice and Tracey? Do you think Louise is like Alice and Tracey or very different? Have you noticed any other similarities between any of the characters?I kind of think she wants them to fade a bit in our mind and then bring them back for something important OR something they have already shared is important, but the author wants us to forget it for a shock.


So many women in abusive relationships… I feel bad for all of them . Unfornately it is a reflection of our society.

Day 1- Part I

1.) Have you read any Liz Moore books before? Or, did you buy it to find out what the big drip of pink paint on the cover means?
I haven’t read any Liz Moore before. I decided to read this for the wheel challenge

2.) Have you ever gone to (or been a counselor at) a summer camp or the like as a kid? Did you like it?
Is the setting of this book descriptive (or nostalgic) enough to bring you into the story?

I always wanted to go to camp but I was never lucky enough to go to one.


3.) So far we have been introduced to just a few characters; a couple of campers, a couple of counselors, a couple of useless parents, and a boogey man. What do you think of them so far?

I am a bit confused on who is who, but I am intrigued by the boogey man.

4.) How did you react to Louise not being very truthful about the night Barbara disappeared? How will it come back to haunt her (if it does)?
I think she is just scared and young , not knowing what to do. Not sure if if will haunt her.

5.) If you have not read ahead, do you have any wild guesses about what happened to Barbara?
If you have read ahead, how do you like the way the story is unfolding

I have read ahead. I love how the story is continuing. Love the surprises….

Day 4 DQs

14) What were your thoughts when Kiela was teaching Eadie, Bryn, and Ulina how to make the pine cones? Particularly the way she tried to disguise that it's actually a spell?

Nice try, but they weren’t fooled

15) Well these chapters were a whirlwind. What were your thoughts throughout the twists and turns?

I can’t remember exactly, I listened on audio. I enjoyed it though.

16) I loved loved loved the scene where Caz and Meep were threatening Radane. It made me laugh so much that the spider plant was being so much more aggressive than the actual human. If you had been in that scene, would you be more like Kiela (the good cap) or Caz (the bad cop)?

I loved the spider plant! My favorite character

17) Radane confisticated Kiela's family cookbook. What family heirloom do you value so much to keep protected?

I don’t have any heirlooms, we were dirt poor.

18) What are your thoughts on the Cozy Mystery genre that this book is a part of? How often do you find yourself reaching for a cozy book?

I use to read cozy mysteries often. Now I only really read them for challenges. I gave this book 3 stars.