Keely’s Comments (group member since Aug 30, 2013)

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

Jackalopes is vanquished.

Up next is Polyphemus (Cyclops)!

Judy wrote: "I have a whole spreadsheet now where I calculated how much I have to read of each book on the rest of my list for this every day to actually finish on time 😅 55 pages per day seems so doable so I'm..."

A spreadsheet, you say? (totally not considering making a spreadsheet)

Shhh don’t spoil it :P

I’ll get more above the line this month, I promise!

Yay, I got just above the line!! I wasn't sure if I would make it or not.

I just span as I'm on my second break (I get more than one as I can split my break time however I want, so I take two shorter ones)

Carcer from Discworld is up next!

I hope I didn't break anything by using my phone for the spreadsheet 🫣

I keep forgetting about this one 😅

I just moved Natasha's Jonathan Strange book into the 159 monster and added a book that I finished a while ago with 690 pages. That means James Bond is done. I'm on my phone at work right now so if someone is around to do a spin, please do!

I'll try to check this challenge more, but a lot of books I've read lately haven't been that useful for our monsters.

194 pages
404 pages
336 pages
228 pages
184 pages
416 pages
264 pages
432 pages
307 pages
311 pages
488 pages
256 pages
436 pages

Current Total: 1,366,165

291 pages
48 pages
208 pages
192 pages
326 pages
323 pages
496 pages
203 pages
290 pages
147 pages
252 pages
1060 pages

Current Total: 1,361,909

Well done everyone! Thank you all for a fun game of Tower Teams. Special shout out to E for keeping everything together while I was busy getting married and the other stuff that kept me away from my computer at times. I hope to see you all again in future challenges!

Completion Post

A Dance With Dragons 2
Read: 17 Aug
Pages: 560

Spell it out
A/D - title
G/M - Author
Jon Snow
Cersei Lannister
Theon Greyjoy
Bran Stark

Many more but I'm too tired to think and I'm sure we had enough spaces left for one of those to fit

Completion Post

The Tainted Cup
Read: 16 Aug
Pages: 410 (I think)

Sorry, I'm in a bit of a rush before work. Audrey has the spell it out options on her post :)

I will finish two last books. I decided to give A Dance With Dragons part 2 a go. I should be able to get it finished tonight at work or at least be close enough that I can finish the last little bit after work but before the deadline.

I'm going to work on The Tainted Cup before I go to sleep today and try to finish it.

Cheese is complete!

We still have plenty of unused harder letters like V, X, Z.

DQ 3
Part III Chapters 13-20

9. Were on the move now and hearing more of the environment. Are you able to imagine the world and How do you feel about the mix of genres - fantasy, sci-fi, mystery?
I'm not always the best at imagining the worlds being discribed to me. I enjoy fantasy and mystery and sci-fi is sometimes good too so I don't mind it.

10. Were seeing Ana showcasing her skills and abilities more and seeing Ana and Din interact even more. Have your thoughts changed about them and what secrets do you think Ana and Din is hiding from one another if any?
They both seem to know a lot and I guess they are both just keeping things unsaid until the time is right.

11. Knowing this is book one and we probably wont get much how are you imagining the Leviathans so far? What is your closest comparison to what they may be/look like?
Some sort of water dragon looking things.

Day 2: Ch 6-12

5. In this world, many choose enhancements that facilitate their selected jobs - and it seems like most have some sort of Monkey’s Paw negative effect as well. On one hand, an enhancement like Din’s enables his perfect memory, so he never forgets anything. On the other hand, he CAN never forget anything, even if he wants to.
If you were to be augmented with a skill/ability, what would it be and why? Alternatively, what, for you, would be the worst or most dreaded skill/ability you could get?
I would love to be able to learn languages easily. Never forgetting anything sounds not so fun.

6. I thought it interesting that the leviathians are getting bigger every year, and that most of the special grafts and suffusions are from collected titian bits and bones. Do you have any theories about how this will come into play going forward?
I'm not sure at this point.

7. “...I no longer formed normal memories. For a memory is just a sketch a mind makes of one’s experiences, imperfect and interpretive; yet what my mind made, from that moment on, was perfect, absolute, and endless.” Do you think this robs Din of the ability to be fully human, from the standpoint that one’s subjective take on the world around her/him is what makes a person "human"?
In a way, yes. A big part of life is to make memories.

8. I’m enjoying the evolving relationship between Ana and Din, especially Ana’s humor. Despite Ana joking that Din had “lost his sense of humor in some tragic accident,” what is your take on the twosome? Do you think Din cheated somehow to pass his tests? Or do you think it's something else?
I like their relationship. I think it's probably something else.


Not a question - just a bonus:
This is the second BOM that has reminded me of Avatar: Ana blindfolds herself but the people around her tend to forget she can't see due to her acuity and presence, like when she asks Din a question and he nods his answer. Here’s a fun compilation of times when the earthbender Toph’s friends forget she is blind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9vZE...
😀
The video no longer works but I have seen similar videos. Those are some of my favourite bits from Avatar.

I'm now left with just 2 books until I reach my cap. One of those will definitely be The Tainted Cup BOM. I wanted to read the second part of A Dance with Dragons, but I think I'm going to run out of time. I have a few options with various lengths so it depends on how long The Tainted Cup takes me to finish. Hopefully I will get it done tonight and then I can listen to something at work Friday and Saturday night.

Completion Post


A Dance with Dragons 1: Dreams and Dust by George R.R. Martin
Read: 14 Aug
Pages: 690

Mini 3 - Dragon on cover

Completion Post


The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
Read: 14 Aug
Pages: 651

Mini 3 - Characters speak more than 1 language

My A Dance With Dragons book will work for at least one of the tasks, possibly even two. The Sword of Kaigen will work for character speaks 2 languages or part of a dynasty(?)

I've just been to the eye clinic where they've put eye drops in my eyes making everything really blurry. I can just about see enough to type (I hope) but I'll have to look at the spreadsheet a bit later when I can actually see properly again XD

DQs Day 1: Chapter 1 -5

1) Do you have any expectations going in? This book is one of the 6 novels up for the Hugo award for Best Novel this year: https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-hi.... Did you know that and do you try to read the Hugo books or winners or have no interactions with the awards?
I did not know that. I don't have any interations with the awards. Too many books on my TBR as it is.

2) What do you think of the world building so far? Are then any particular details that stand out and if this is a reread, is anything standing out more on your re-read this early in the story? (please use spoiler tags if applicable)
It's a bit difficult to follow sometimes, but I'm enjoying it so far.

3) So this runs right up to the edge/ crosses over into body horror between the murder scene and modifications to people? Do you read body horror or books with that theme in it? Do you have any favorites?
I haven't read many yet. I probably would read them.

4) Does your version have a map? If it does, did you look at before reading or at any point when reading this first section? Do you like maps in books? (Map under spoiler if you were audio only)
(view spoiler)
I'm reading via audiobook so no map. Honestly, I usually forget the maps are there so forget to look at them.