Catsalive’s Comments (group member since Feb 05, 2022)

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

2023 Serious Readers Challenge, Level 2
Level 1: 1-100

101. The Final Hour by Tom Wood 5/4 3.5★
102. Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb 6/4 4★
103. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman 6/4 4★
104. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson 7/4 4★
105. Sheiks and Adders by Michael Innes 7/4 3★
106. An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten 8/4 3.5★
107. The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde 8/4 4.5★
108. The Inland Sea by Donald Richie 9/4 3.5★
109. The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 10/4 3.5★
110. So Many Books by Gabriel Zaid 10/4 3★
111. The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey 11/4 3★
112. Nerilka's Story & The Coelura by Anne McCaffrey 11/4 3★
113. Thornyhold by Mary Stewart 12/4 4★
114. Reflex by Dick Francis 12/4 4.5★
115. Sea Witch by Sarah Henning 13/4 1★
116. Death in Kew Gardens by Jennifer Ashley 14/4 4★
117. The Redgum River Retreat by Sandie Docker 15/4 3.5★
118. Dead on Dartmoor by Stephanie Austin 16/4 3★
119. The House at the End of the World by Dean Koontz 17/4 4★
120. Convergence by Sharon Green 18/4 4★
121. Competitions by Sharon Green 19/4 4★
122. Maggie Finds Her Muse by Dee Ernst 20/4 4★
123. Firewatching by Russ Thomas 21/4 3.5★
124. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie 21/4 5★
125. Rose Cottage by Mary Stewart 23/4 4★
126. Challenges by Sharon Green 23/4 4★
127. Betrayals by Sharon Green 24/4 3.5★
128. Blood Sport by Dick Francis 25/4 4★
129. Camp Leichhardt by Greg Barron 25/4 4★
130. The Fathomless Caves by Kate Forsyth 26/4 4★
131. Talk Of The Town by Rachael Johns 27/4 3★
132. Banker by Dick Francis 27/4 3.5★
133. You'd Be Mine by Erin Hahn 28/4 3★
134. The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan 28/4 4★
135. The Listerdale Mystery by Agatha Christie 29/4 4★
136. Hector and the Search for Happiness by François Lelord 30/4 4★
137. An Honorable Rogue by April Kihlstrom 30/4 3★
138. Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie 1/5 4★
139. The Reluctant Thief by April Kihlstrom 1/5 2★
140. Pet Rescue's Amazing Dog Stories by Saskia Adams 2/5 5★
141. Tell Me About It by Sacha Naspini 2/5 2★
142. The Reluctant Bride by Irene Saunders 3/5 2★
143. Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center 3/5 4★
144. Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern by Anne McCaffrey 4/5 3★
145. The Deep by Rivers Solomon 4/5 1★
146. The Case of the Lucky Legs by Erle Stanley Gardner 5/5 3★
147. Fourmile by Watt Key 6/5 3★
148. Dead in the Water by Carola Dunn 6/5 3★
149. Flying Finish by Dick Francis 7/5 4★
150. The Waterfall by Margaret Drabble 7/5 2★
151. Rat Race by Dick Francis 8/5 4★
152. A Secret Garden by Katie Fforde 9/5 2.5★
153. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card 9/5 4.5★
154. Dead Cert by Dick Francis 10/5 4★
155. Nothing to Lose by Lee Child 11/5 3.5★
156. One Enchanted Evening by Katie Fforde 12/5 4★
157. Marigold's Marriages by Sandra Heath 12/5 3★
158. Partnership by Anne McCaffrey, Margaret Ball 14/5 3★
159. Wish You Were Here by Karly Lane 14/5 4★
160. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon 14/5 4★
161. April Lady by Georgette Heyer 15/5 3.5★
162. The Blackhouse by Peter May 16/5 3★
163. Dragonsdawn by Anne McCaffrey 17/5 3.5★
164. Black Tide by Peter Temple 17/5 4.5★
165. Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb 18/5 3.5★
166. Bright Fire by Maya Hess 19/5 2★
167. Ice Cold Heart by P.J. Tracy 21/5 4★
168. The Affair by Lee Child 22/5 4★
169. The Ship Who Searched by Anne McCaffrey 22/5 3.5★
170. A Mutual Favor by Ann Jacobs 23/5 1.5★
171. No Place for Death by Sherry Lewis 23/5 3★
172. CSI Told You Lies by Meshel Laurie 24/5 4.5★
173. Prophecy by Sharon Green 25/5 3.5★
174. The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi 25/5 3.5★
175. The Earth Witch by Louise Lawrence 26/5 3★
176. The War Nurses by Anthea Hodgson 26/5 4.5★
177. The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer 27/5 4★
178. Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames 28/5 3.5★
179. Valentine Kisses by Donna Bell,Catherine Blair,Lynn Collum 29/5 2.5★
180. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling 29/5 3.5★
181. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling 30/5 3.5★
182. Odds Against by Dick Francis 31/5 4★
183. Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson 1/6 3.5★
184. Undead and Unappreciated by MaryJanice Davidson 1/6 3★
185. Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer 2/6 3★
186. Vengeance in Death by J.D. Robb 3/6 3★
187. Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts 4/6 3★
188. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling 4/6 3.5★
189. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling 5/6 3★
190. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling 6/6 2★
191. Buttons and Bones by Monica Ferris 7/6 3★
192. Barrenjoey Road by Neil Mercer,Ruby Jones 8/6 3.5★
193. You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry 7/6 3★
194. Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris 9/6 3.5★
195. The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty 10/6 2★
196. Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor 11/6 5★
197. Book Lovers by Emily Henry 12/6 2.5★
198. Salonika Burning by Gail Jones 12/6 3★
199. Seven Sisters by Katherine Kovacic 13/6 4.5★
200. The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer 14/6 3.5★
201. Even Money by Dick Francis, Felix Francis 15/6 3★
202. Money from Holme by Michael Innes 15/6 2.5★
203. The Rake's Retreat by Nancy Butler 16/6 3★
204. The Comfort Book by Matt Haig 16/6 3.5 ★
205. Retribution by Sarah Barrie 17/6 4★
206. Jemima J by Jane Green 18/6 3★
207. Watchers in the Night by Jenna Black 18/6 3★
208. Judi Dench: With A Crack in Her Voice by John Miller 19/6 4★
209. Holiday in Death by J.D. Robb 20/6 3.5★
210. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling 22/6 3★
211. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling 24/6 3★
212. The Laughing Policeman by Maj Sjöwall,Per Wahlöö 25/6 4★
213. Six Feet Under by Dorothy Simpson 26/6 3★
214. A Stone’s Throw Away by Karly Lane 27/6 3.5★
215. An Alluring Deceit by Melissa Lynn Jones 29/6 2★
216. The Skeptical Heart by Teresa DesJardien 29/6 2★
217. Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer 30/6 5★
218. Old Gang of Mine by Richard F. West 1/7 3.5★
219. The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery 2/7 2★
220. Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon 3/7 3★
221. Eat Move Sleep by Tom Rath 3/7 1★
222. Duck à l'Orange for Breakfast by Karina May 4/7 3.5★
223. The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson 5/7 3.5★
224. Cotillion by Georgette Heyer 6/7 5★
225. Book Lust by Nancy Pearl 7/7 3★
226. All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata 7/7 3★
227. Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out by Ryan Love 8/7 3★
228. The Barrakee Mystery by Arthur W. Upfield 9/7 3.5★
229. The Jilting of Baron Pelham by June Calvin 9/7 2★
230. Bloodtree River 10/7 4★
231. Summer of Hopes and Dreams 11/7 3.5★
232. The Road to Little Dribbling 13/7 4★
233. Your Obedient Servant 14/7 1.5★
234. Time After Time 15/7 3.5★
235. Carrie Soto Is Back 16/7 3.5★
236. Trip of a Lifetime 17/7 3.5★
237. The Wagered Heart 17/7 2★
238. And a Dog Called Fig 18/7 3.5★
239. The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle 18/7 4.5★
240. Sleeping Murder 20/7 4★
241. The Summer Seekers 20/7 4★
242. Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel 21/7 2.5★
243. The Lemon Tree Café 22/7 2★
244. Murder in Galway 23/7 2.5★
245. Cat Tales 23/7 4★
246. You Again 24/7 2.5★
247. The Gallant Lord Ives 25/7 2★
248. A Christmas Kiss 29/7 3★
249. The Oysterville Sewing Circle 1/8 2.5★
250. Smokescreen 2/8 4★

Completed at msg 47.

Melindam wrote: "What do we associate number 10 with? "

decades
counting in base-10 (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)
symbolizes the completion of a cycle
decimal currency
decimation
10 digits
everything multiplied by 10 ends in zero

by Muriel Barbery 13/3 1.5★ 160p
by Jacqueline Yallop 13/3 2★ 270p
by Nancy Atherton 15/3 3.5★ 290p
by Jennifer Ryan 16/3 3.5★ 416p
by Josephine Moon 18/3 3.5★ 384p
by Keri Arthur 19/3 3.5★ 244p
by Lisa Ireland 20/3 4★ 400p
by Robert Thorogood 21/3 3.5★ 384p
by Lucy Foley 21/3 3.5★ 458p
by Emmeline Duncan 22/3 2.5★ 240p
by Rachel Caine 22/3 3★ 410p
by Rachel Caine 23/3 2.5★ 411p
by Fleur McDonald 24/3 2.5★ 330p
by Janice Hallett 25/3 2★ 384p
by Helen Dunmore 26/3 3.5★ 272p
by Julia Holden 27/3 2.5★ 308p
by Patricia Reilly Giff 27/3 3★ 160p
by John Dunning 28/3 3★ 513p
by A.R. Torre 29/3 3.5★ 344p
by R.A. Dick 29/3 5★ 192p

total: 6570

Current total: 549,770

Celebrating Shakespeare
April 1-30
Playwright: 15+ books
17/17
(title, author, series, character, narrator, translator)

T- The Final Hour by Tom Wood 5/4 3.5★
H- Holloway - Death in Kew Gardens by Jennifer Ashley 14/4 4★
E- Erikson - A Gift in December by Jenny Gladwell 1/4 3.5★

C- The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 10/4 3.5★
O- Just an Ordinary Family by Fiona Lowe 2/4 4★
M- Sheiks and Adders by Michael Innes 7/4 3★
E- An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten 8/4 3.5★
D- The Inland Sea by Donald Richie 9/4 3.5★
Y- Curtain Call at the Seaview Hotel by Glenda Young 4/4 3★

O- The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman 6/4 4★
F- Reflex by Dick Francis 12/4 4.5★

E- Evie - Sea Witch by Sarah Henning 13/4 1★
R- The Orchard Murders by Robert Gott 3/4 3★
R- Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb 6/4 4★
O- The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde 8/4 4.5★
R- Ruth - The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey 11/4 3★
S- Stephen - A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson 7/4 4★

April Anzac Day
Duration: 1 April to 30 April
Level: Warrant Officer
15/13

Option 1: Author
Read books written by authors from Australia or New Zealand.
Just an Ordinary Family by Fiona Lowe 2/4 4★
The Redgum River Retreat by Sandie Docker 15/4 3.5★

Option 2: Setting
Read books set in Australia or New Zealand.
The Orchard Murders by Robert Gott 3/4 3★

Option 3: Spell it out
Choose one or more state or city names from Australia or New Zealand (see resource list below), then for each letter in the title read books with titles, series names, authors (first or last name), characters (first or last name), that begin with letters that correspond to letters of the word you choose. You may ignore the indefinite and definite articles (a, an, the, etc).
C- Curtain Call at the Seaview Hotel by Glenda Young 4/4 3★
A- The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde 8/4 4.5★
N- The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman 6/4 4★
B- A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson 7/4 4★
E- An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten 8/4 3.5★
R- Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb 6/4 4★
R- Ruth - The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey 11/4 3★
A- Nerilka's Story & The Coelura by Anne McCaffrey 11/4 3★

P- Poirot - The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 10/4 3.5★
E- Evie - Sea Witch by Sarah Henning 13/4 1★
R- The Inland Sea by Donald Richie 9/4 3.5★
T- The Final Hour by Tom Wood 5/4 3.5★
H- Holloway - Death in Kew Gardens by Jennifer Ashley 14/4 4★

Option 4: Military
Read books that are set during a war or have a military theme.
A Gift in December by Jenny Gladwell 1/4 3.5★ - WWII

by Jasper Fforde 1/3 4★ 374p
by J.D. Robb 2/3 3★ 408p
by Dianne Freeman 3/3 2★ 288p
by John Barlow 4/3 3.5★ 336p
by Ted Hughes 4/3 4★ 68p
by Claire Keegan 4/3 4★ 128p
by Fiona McArthur 6/3 3.5★ 262p
by Deanna Raybourn 6/3 3.5★ 353p
by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz 7/3 3.5★ 435p
by Landry Q. Walker,George R.R. Martin 8/3 1★ 192p
by Landry Q. Walker,George R.R. Martin 9/3 1★ 192p
by David Eddings 10/3/23 4★ 840p
by Kevin J. Anderson,Neil Peart 11/3 1★ 176p
by Emma Straub 12/3 4★ 400p

Pages: 4452

Total: 483,727

DQ tracking:

Day1 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Day2 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Day3 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Day4 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Day5 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

A note regarding an annoying abbreviation... I don't think using a TLA like PSA is wise. To me, PSA is a prostate-specific antigen test (a very odd thing to put in a book about peri-menopausal women), so this threw me right out of the book before I realised she probably meant a public service announcement.

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Oh that’s why I know the author’s name! 🤦‍♀️ I kept forgetting to look her up.
I read the first book and I agree it was better in that regard but I still found it not terribly engaging and didn’t f..."

I read the first of her Lady Julia Grey series & didn't go back mainly because it seemed to go on forever.

DQs 6 March chapters 33-end

17. This whole book I was conflicted as the main characters are professional killers that have killed over and over again for 40 years. I don’t buy the whole “but we only kill bad people” thing as a reason to therefore not be a bad person yourself. So I struggled to connect with the characters and care if they were successful. Were you able to just go with the flow?
I was happy to go with the flow but we really knew so little about them. They never freelanced & only killed who they were told to kill, they also never questioned anything being handed down to them. Collectively, they didn't seem to think much at all, they remained ciphers to the end.

18. The whole Museum concept is also a bit interesting. Do you believe that an organisation like that can work for “good”?
Yes, but there'd have to be plenty of checks & balances because ideals are so easily corrupted.

19. Taverner came back but then left abruptly again. Do you think he and Billie will find each other and retire together?
He'll hit that beach with Billie. Now he's a widower & his children have lives of their own he's at a bit of a loose end. If there's to be a series - there's room left for it - Billie will need a love interest.

20. Thoughts on the whole “mystery” and how it got resolved? Any surprises?
No surprises. Ambition & revenge. We knew Billie wasn't fooled by the Tollemache ruse.

21. How would you sum up the book? (Did Sammy’s BOM curse strike again or has it been broken? 😆)
I enjoyed it but it didn't live up to my expectations. Good but not great. I thought it would be more fun but the humour was limp - the premise was ripe with possibilities but I don't think Raybourn is good enough to turn these to account. Not enough character development either, the women mostly remain ciphers: tough cookie, widow, lesbian, man-eater - ask me in a week which one is which & I doubt I'll be able to tell you.

Good, solid read but not brilliant. 7/10

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

DQs Day 4 Ch 22 to 32

13) I was wondering why Billie still hadn't confronted Helen and why she hadn't said anything to any of the others about Jackson Square incident. Her explanation of yips (who knew there was a term?) sort of answers those questions. Do you think she's right?

Yips (I do know this sporting term) or not, I think they still should have spoken to her about it. If she did freeze, for one reason or another, it might have made her feel better to talk about it. If she chose not to shoot, they could have talked about that too. It's a bit wishy washy.

14) Anyone else mildly disturbed by the ease of making 'tobacco tea'?

Anyone read Christie's Three Act Tragedy? That was my the first nicotine poisoning. I can't imagine it's terribly hard to distil but I suppose you'd need a lot of cigarettes.

15) What did you think of the first 2 take downs? Do you think their odds of success have gone up or do you think it's going to send Vance into a tailspin of paranoia making it that much harder to get to him?

It's not paranoia if someone is really stalking you... The women have been pretty lucky so far but Vance will be a tough target. There's been quite a few handy serendipitous discoveries to help them along so I imagine a few more will crop up.

16) Vance, Vance, Vance. It all seems to go back to that guys and he seems to have it out for Billie. I'm assuming he's the big bad in all of their current problems. Do you think them being selected as scapegoats is more personal than convenient at this point? Any expectations for the final showdown?

Hmm! Has all that art really been repatriated, I wonder. Has Vance been a very naughty boy or is it someone else in the organisation hiding their tracks? Who have we got so far? The curators, Naomi & Martin, & Vance's if he's got a new one.

Seems pretty personal but maybe it's just convenient because they're retiring.

DQs Day 3: Chapters 13 - 21

9. So, the meet with Sweeney went about as well as expected. But... What's up with Helen?
Who can believe that only one of them would have a safehouse & escape plan. Tsk!

Grief seems to have knocked Helen about quite badly, but I can't believe Billie wouldn't have confronted her about it straight away. After all, she could be a turncoat, however improbable that may be.

10. We have a flashback to Taverner and Billie meeting. Do you believe in that sort of lust at first sight ? Are we going to meet him again?
Sure, I believe in lust at first sight. I think we'll see more about Taverner, weren't they just talking about paths not taken, things given up? Taverner is probably related to that.

11. They have finally got a handle on what's going on (or have they?) and are heading to the UK to do some proper planning of vengeance. Are they going to succeed? Will the Museum still be standing afterwards?
It does sound a bit simplistic to decide to kill the Board - how many other people would they have to go through? - but they'll succeed eventually. The Museum will probably survive in some form or other, with a new board or swallowed up into another organisation. The cynic in me wonders if it's all an elaborate plan just to get them to kill the Board.

12. I enjoyed the chat about how squeamish men are over Wimmin's Troubles, and Minka's taking advantage of that to create a communication app. In general are you enjoying the feminist bits? (See also the speech in chap 19 "Guilt is our birthright...")
I do like the app, very amusing. I'm enjoying the little digs for the most part, even if it is a little exaggerated. Persnickety is a term I've mostly seen used for men so she's a bit off course there. Now, if she'd said nagging...

Re guilt, certainly men don't seem to feel it the way women do, we are wired differently. People indoctrinated in certain religions seem to be overloaded with the emotion, particularly women who are blamed for everything - eating apples, tempting men, etc. This sort of training is hard to overcome, no doubt. We are supposed to be in control of our own reactions as adults - psychologists earn a lot of money trying to teach people how to manage reaction to external stressors.

DQs: Day 2 , Chap 7-12

5. What did you think about all the escape plan/journey? The fires, the sailing, all the different plane rides, a road trip and finally a car ditch. Overkill? Or not enough?
Great fun. But why wouldn't they all have emergency escape plans?

6. After talking about the museum structure they decide to call Sweeney. Do you think they can trust him? After all, he says they were supposed to be dead. And asking him to come to their hiding city/place.. is that wise?
I think he knows an awful lot given that it's only just happened. He must be in the know, although he's probably still trustworthy.

7. What can possibly be the reason for termination? After all, Sweeney got retired. And he was partnered with one of the museum big honchos. If it was about knowing too much, he would be a target too, right?
Something very specific that only those 4 know, only the sphinx team knows.

8. What did you think about Constance strategy back in the past? Having Billy to get angry enough that she let herself find her talent... And how on earth could she possibly have guessed it was hand to hand combat?
I can't understand why they weren't all taught hand-to-hand to begin with, any decent training would. This sounds a bit forced to me, a way to make Billie stand out. I actually felt it made her seem less reliable, less likeable. Dropped my enjoyment level, anyway, because it's rubbish.

Diamond: Decades


Serious Readers L1
Serious Readers L2
Serious Readers L3

Tourmaline: Bookless


2022 Relay
2023 Relay

Ruby: BOTM


Mar 2023: Killers of a Certain Age
May 2023: Kings of the Wyld
Jun 2023: The City of Brass
Jul 2023: Carrie Soto is Back

DQs: Day 1 , Chap 1-6

1. This book uses a lot of flashback so far. How do you like them for introducing the characters and backgrounds?
I do like to know the origins of my characters so they're quite good as far as Billie & the organisation goes.

2. Do you have a favorite character so far? Am I the only one who can’t tell them apart?
They're still a bit mixed up for me. Billie we know a bit, I think Nat is the earthy one, Mary Alice is recently married & Helen is a grieving widow. I don't think I have a favourite yet.

3. What do you think of the setting and have you ever been on a cruise (large or small)?
Never cruised. It's a nice contained environment.

4. What do you think about the structure of the Museum so far? Do you think they actually hold up to these ideals? Either when the women started or in the current day?
Well, they are in the business of restoring art... I imagine they started out with good ideals but I bet they've been corrupted somewhere. The speedball on a liner carrying 200 people may indicate they aren't so choosy about collateral damage as once they were. Also, one suspects who the intended targets are, so retirement is off the agendum. It's very likely that our MCs' ideals may not fit with the current organisation's plans. Something's rotten in the State of Denmark - DA DA DA DAAAA!

Completed at msg 29.

by Phaedra Patrick 23/2 4★ 272p
by Christine Andreae 24/2 3.5★ 253p
by Miranda Bliss 24/2 1.5★ 256p
by Kate Forsyth 25/2 4★ 467p
by Nora Roberts 26/2 2★ 197p
by Kate Forsyth 27/2 4★ 420p
by Ben Aaronovitch 27/2 4★ 136p

Pages: 2001

Current total: 383,015