Vikki’s Comments (group member since May 25, 2014)

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

We only crate her if we know maintenance is going to stop by the apartment when we are gone. Or if she is sick or we have to leave food out. We did the crate when we first got her but we both have jobs where we could be gone 10+ hours and it felt cruel to leave her in the crate when we were gone for so long especially since she is a large dog. And her whining from the crate was annoying our neighbors. My husband and I work different shifts now so she is usually not alone for more than 2-3 hours.

Good morning everyone

Karsyn-- glad you got some sleep! I am a cat person myself but my husband wanted a dog so we got a chocolate lab from the shelter. I feel like it was sort of a practice run for having kids at first. Dogs are definitely more work than cats but I feel like I have a closer relationship with my dog than the cats now. I still miss being able to being gone all day and not worry about the possible surprise waiting for me when I get home.

M-- I woke up with the sick last Saturday and sleeping most of the weekend helped. Hope you feel better.

Michelle-- a few of us have signed up to do BOM questions so if you volunteer for some too, maybe Anubis will have a better chance of getting chosen. It would also be nice to have a backup person if one of us gets chosen and then they get sick, family emergency, etc.

Discussion Questions - ch 17-19 (pages 399-465) 19th Nov

34. A big part of the story has been who can the sisters trust. In these chapters a lot has been revealed about who is involved in the murders and who isn't. However, it's still not clear where Captain Mayhew fits in. Do you think he was in on the crimes or is he more like Nolan?

Not sure

35. Did you guess that Sam didn't commit suicide and that in fact Paul was responsible for his death?

No

36. What do you think of Helen's decision not to tell her daughters about the tape found at Sam's apartment or the fact that it was known for certain that Julia was dead?

I think it was unbearable for Helen to admit to herself that Julia was dead, not to mention how she died. If I were her, I would not even know how to start that conversation with my children.

37. Do you think that Claire will be able to rescue Lydia?

Maybe...

Hamlet has the sentence "Worms are the emperor of all diets." Not sure if this would count for the emperor goal.

Pretty Girls has the phrase "devil's advocate" on p149 and 191.

Discussion Questions November 18 Chapters 13-16

28.What was your reaction when Claire confirmed the masked man was Paul? Were you surprised?

Was not surprised.

29. We learn that Claire's dad did not like Paul. What questions do you think Claire's dad wanted to ask him? (end of chapter VI in my version--the mini chapter before chapter 15)

I think he wanted to see if Paul was in on his father's crimes and wanted to know if Paul knew anything about Julie.

30. Do you think Rick will become involved or take Dee and run?

Take Dee and run

31. What is your opinion of Claire at this point?

I still do not like her.

32. Will Lydia and Claire get out of this "nightmare" (for lack of a better word) alive?

I think at least Claire will

33. Your thoughts on chapter 16?

Not surprised that Paul is so screwed up. I was surprised on the amount of graphic details the author put in this book.

Welcome to the team Michelle!

Holiday theme goal is complete.

"This" goal is complete

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Chapters 10 - 12 DAY 6

23. Did Claire actually fall in love with Paul or was she just so afraid of being alone? She cheated on him multiple times, is that "being in love?" She took care of him in the hospital, but was that guttural fear just because she can't be alone?

I think Paul and Claire are obsessed with each other but I do not think it is love.

24. Do you think Lydia really forgives Claire for choosing Paul over her? Do you think Claire forgives herself?

No and no

25. Do you find yourself yelling at the book? Things like GET OUT OF THE HOUSE or CALL THE FBI AND STOP STRAGGLING! What do you find yourself saying or thinking?

What the hell are you doing going to that house by yourself and staying there? Have you not seen a horror movie?

26. Do you think Paul's father started this or do you think this started long before him? Do you think it goes so deep as to include politicians and law enforcement?

Not sure if it started before Paul's dad. Yes

27. SO MUCH WAS REVEALED IN THIS SECTION! Questions were answered, loose ends were tied up. Did you expect Paul to be alive? Is he telling the truth about being purely a distributor?

Yes and no, he is a very good liar.

I'll read (audiobook) the Christmas Carol for the holiday theme after I am done with The Good Soldier which will probably be today.

Sounds good to me.

Who has the Sr/Jr goal? Or

Has anyone started reading a book with golf in it? If not, can we use the boon for golf goal. If someone is reading a book with golf in it right now, then let's use it for the aggregate goal. The only book I found aggregate in is Moby Dick (5 times aggregate is used) which is a 21 hour audiobook. I am currently reading it but only a chapter a day and there is 135 chapters.

They are both on my reading list but I was getting a little tired of classics but I started The Good Soldier audiobook and it is very different from what I thought it would be like so I am actually liking it so far. Hopefully I will be finishing it tomorrow or the day after.

But I don't have the audiobook and it is 400 pages. If any one wants to read Unearthly for the "This" goal let me know. Otherwise I am going to be starting The Good Soldier audiobook shortly which is under 200 pages.

I only track the title, author and pages of the books I read but I have been doing that since freshman year in high school so like 16 years.

I would rather read Unearthly than The Good Soldier

Yay for sleep! Glad the puppy is doing better and life is starting to get back to normal for you.

By the way, you will have to use the override for the BOM for me too.

Well, I did not read Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte in school. I actually ended up reading them as an adult for book clubs or just on my own. I actually like Jane Eyre better than the 2 Jane Austen books I read, Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. I felt the story line was easier to follow and more interesting than Pride and Prejudice or Persuasion and I cared about the characters more. I could not relate and was bored with the characters in Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion and it took me longer and sometimes several tries to read them just because I did not care about the characters. I didn't care if they got the guy or got married or ruined their reputation because I did not connect with any of the characters. I read Jane Erye within a few days on the first try and loved it. I ended up re-reading it right after. I am going to re-read again with this discussion. I definitely felt more of a connection with Jane and was worried about her. It was probably the way the book was written in first person. I also think the mystery part of the book helped the story read faster for me but I am not sure if anyone had gotten to that part yet.

Discussion Questions for Chapters 8-iv

18. Claire's crime is now known. Were you surprised? Does it seem in character?

I was not surprised and Claire seems unpredictable so maybe thsi is in character.

19. Paul now seems to be a terrible character - serial rapist, stalker, hard core pornographer, bigamist, kidnapper? murderer? Do you think someone with that much to hide could really have kept everything from his wife? Is Claire going to start having A-ha moments as she researches his life?

I guess he was really smart and I think Claire is already having those A-ha moments.

20. I haven't read a lot of Slaughter novels, but those that I have read always seem to have dirty cops. How careful do you think the author has to be navigating Atlanta? Does she get arrested daily by angry cops? :D Sorry, my original question was almost exactly like #15. :D

I read the back cover on the author and she lives in Atlanta so it may be researched but I have not been to Atlanta so I don't know. It seems like the media and public have a bad opinion about cops so I guess that it fits in with the culture right now.

21. Anna Kilpatrick - she was killed and dumped. Why weren't the other women, Julia included, found in the same way?

Not sure. Maybe the killing ritual did not go as planned or got interrupted.

22. Ben Carver - involved in Julia's case or just a red herring? And did I miss something or is the quote in the Dr. Seuss book not explained yet.

I am not sure either. I don't remember the Dr. Seuss book being mentioned either.


I actually finished the book today. I feel like it did get slower as the book progressed. I think the author revealed too much too soon.