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

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

I will finish my two remaining listed books today and I'm hoping to squeeze one more in as the round doesn't end until late Monday for me. I should have quite a bit of time before the round ends so I can mess around trying to squeeze in as many meals with what we have left if needed.

354 pages
576 pages
464 pages
40 pages
40 pages
476 pages
783 pages
335 pages
277 pages
282 pages

Current Total: 1,545,184

DQs Day 3
Chapters 26 to 43

9.) Did Ella coming from that level of money surprise you? Does it change your opinion of her so far? I did like that she corrected Jesse about the fact that her mother is rich, not her.
I can't say I had any strong feelings abut finding out she came from that money. I am glad she took the initiative to get a part time job to earn her own money when she was still at school, even though it didn't really work out well for her.

10.) Some more 1999 flashbacks and Vince has popped into the story again. Anyone else remember Zima? Tried to make it seem classy to drink but some things are okay never coming back. Was Zima something y'all remember? Was there a drink you remember from your younger days that you thought was super klassy at the time but now makes you cringe?
I've never heard of Zima. I must be too young. I remember drinking Smirnoff Ice at my mums wedding when I was about 15. I had permission and I thought I was cool. It was basically lemonade though.

11.) And the plot thickens with the reveals about Jesse both her arrest and the situation with Chad from her previous school. Thoughts on where that plot thread may lead?
I want to say the thing with Chad was a set up to get both of them in trouble, but at the same time Jesse seems smart. I don't think she's the murderer though. But I have been wrong before.

12.) Well, we've reached the middle of the book. Liking it so far? Predictions on the killer? If Vince will pop back up and give Chris a hug? Will Ella reconnect with her first love that was in the pictures being used as a bookmark?
I am liking the book. I still dont think Vince was the killer in either case. I'm not sure who the killer is, but being at this point in the book, it is someone we know about.

I just found the countdown timer. It says the round ends 31st October 9pm UTC time

I'm under the impression it ends on the 31st, at the same time the challenge started and the last round ended/began.

It looks like Heather filled in the last 3. I still don't really understand how the bonuses will work at the end of this round, but we have full points for it now and we will find out soon.

I managed to fill in most of the Bonus words now. We only need 3 more now. Some of the ones I have are a bit of a stretch, but it does say be creative.

We also need 11 more things for the bonus.

The Mermaid's Daughter might have a couple we can use as the main character is a teenager.

I used a some of your words for 2 of your books that hadn't had any used, Melissa.

I will definitely finish 2 books. The Night Shift which I have already used all but one word from and The Mermaid's Daughter which I haven't listed yet but from the bit I've listened to already there will be plenty of food for us to use.
I would like to get another done after that and if I have the time, maybe even another too. It really depends on how the rest of my week goes.

Day 2 Chapters 13-25

5. Ella runs into a house under siege to protect the son of a person of interest. What do you think of her rise to badass agent? Will this interfere with her ability to do her job?
I think she was using her head and making a good decision.

6. I am really enjoying the Nirvana Travel Vlog. I think the author does a pretty good job of using script formation to explain the action in these scenes. What do you think? Is the mysterious vlogger Vince? Do you have a favorite vlog you follow?
I don't know it if is Vince or not, but it must come into play into the story somehow. I don't follow any vlogs.

7. The Secret Service having knowledge of Chris and Vince's father because of cigarette smuggling was unexpected. While I am familiar with some of the history of the Secret Service and their anti-counterfeit start, I did not think they would be involved in such matters. Do you like it when authors introduce these tidbits into their narratives?
I do like it as it helps me learn more about thinks I didn't know before.

8. The author has used the phrase "tap eyes" a couple of times so far. I think it means a quick glimpse at the other person, not that they are high fiving with their eyeballs or tapping their own eyeballs with their fingers in unison. I find this term odd. Have you seen it in other books or heard it somewhere else? Is this a new phrase for you as well?
I think it is a new phrase for me. I may have come across it in books before, but it is not one I would use.

I would say start a new fish and chips. I think one of the books I'm reading has enough to almost finish it.
If we end up with half finished stuff, we could probably add them to other meals at the end.

Chips came to me all of a sudden when I was getting out the bath and it reminded me to have a look haha. I'm sure there are more out there. Specific dishes maybe.

A few more for you

CHIPS
BERRY
BUNS
CLAM
CORN
COD
CRAB
CURRY
DILL
EGG
FLAX
FIG
FLAN
GRAVY
HASH
HERB(S)
JELLY
JAM
MINT
MILK
NUT
PASTRY
PLUM
PORK
RYE
SLAW
SPUDS
SYRUP
SOY
STEW
SHRIMP
TART
WHEY
YAM

Google helped me. I can't take all the credit.

Okay, I'll try and find a book with lots of characters for more letters.

Alicia, I'll have a think throughout the day, but for now all I can think of is

LAMB
SALT
THYME (got a Y though)

That's all I've got off the top of my head. I'll keep thinking and let you know of anymore I come up with later.

It's looking like I will finish maybe 4 more books before the end of this round. Maybe one or two more, but I'm not sure how busy I will be this week.
The one's I've started I will be doing scavenger for as I've found a lot of food items in them already. Do you guys think I should read a book that we'll use for a spell it out or just see what happens?

Day 5
(Ted - end, p261 - end)

18. When I read what Ted's mother did to him as a child I instantly thought of his mother being let go from the hospital. Did you ever suspect her of being the kidnapper and murderer? Dee had the idea that it had to be a male who took her sister, what do you think about this assumption?
It seems like I missed those hints, but makes sense as to why she lost her job now.

19. Mental health is a key theme of this book. There is a lot happening within Ted. He tried to get help for himself but unfortunately for him his psychiatrist seemed more interested in writing a book and turning a profit than helping him. What do you think the book tells us about coping with traumas that are secret?
Sometimes, trauma isn't dealt it. People are expected to just carry on, but if you don't acknowledge and make sense of the trauma, it can have devastating affects like we saw with Ted.

20. I thought that the afterword was helpful in helping me understand a bit more about DID, and I am planning to read more about it. Had you heard of the condition before and are you planning to read a bit more about it?
I have heard of it before. I've met a few people who have been diagnosed with it. I would be interested in learning a bit more about it though.

21. I liked the book and have a few friends I would recommend it to, but I have mixed feelings about how I would describe it to them. Did you like it? If so how would you explain this book without giving any spoilers? If you didn’t like the book why not?
All the way through reading it, I didn't feel right. Usually it's the sort of books I would like reading. Maybe my mood just wasn't right for the book.

22. After reading this, I am thinking about picking up another of her books. Have you read any of Catriona Ward’s other books before?
I have not, and I would be interested in reading more of her books, when my mood is right.

Day 4 p193 - 260
- starts "I keep trying to record my thoughts,..."
- ends "I know that, today, it will be my own."

13. Lauren tells Olivia her story, which is horrifying. Did you think she was telling the truth? We later find out she was lying (or distorting the facts) to get Olivia to stab Ted, which hurts them as well. Why do you think she does this? Are Lauren and Olivia and Ted (and Night-time!) actually separate entities paranormally stuck together or is it dissociative identity disorder?
I really don't know what it going on. It seems like paranormal stuff, but maybe it is DID.

14. Olivia sees the rug change color from orange to blue. I had noticed these two colors of rugs mentioned before but I just assumed they were rugs in different places. What do you think this color change means? Could it actually be a physical transformation? Or does it signify something about the narrator’s state of mind?
I think it is the state of mind.

15. Olivia and Lauren badly hurt each other. Lauren initiates this. Do you think it indicates something else about her character and intentions or is she just desperate and lashing out?
It seems like she is desperate.

16. The psychiatrist claims that he knows Ted is evil but just wants to use him to profit by using his case as a subject for his book. How do you feel about this? Do you think he is being honest here or could he have ulterior motives? What do you think the consequences of Ted’s altercation with him will be?
I'd like to think he just said that to try and understand Ted better, but I don't know if that was the case.

17. Lauren talks to Dee, who ignores her and proceeds to try to kill Ted. Do you think Lauren has anything to do with LuLu? And what does it say about Dee that she doesn’t stop to consider it?
I suspsect Lauren is Lulu, but she died a long time ago and it is her ghost (or spirit). I could be wrong though.

Day 3 p129-192
Day 3 starts "I was at the window,..."
Day 3 ends "Oh God, he's coming n-"


9. The bulldozers come to put in new rest areas to attract tourists. Ted freaks out and goes to unbury the gods. There are several of them, but they all fit into a single bag. What is your theory? Are these trophies from his kills? Personal artifacts from his own history? Something else?
I think they might be trophies from his kills.

10. Lauren is a piece of work. 13-year-old girls can be a handful, I understand, but she seems so much younger than that. I don't understand where she is when she is not with Ted. I am starting to have an idea, but I'm not sure yet. What are your theories about where Lauren goes when she is not allowed to come back for six months?
I don't know where she goes. I'm not sure I want to know.

11. Dee seems even more unsettled in this section. She is so dedicated to finding her sister but can't follow Ted because of a fear of possible snakes. Then she lies to the investigator (Karen) about where she is and what she is doing. Could there be more motivating Dee's activities than just missing her sister?
There could be, but it could just be her missing sister driving her.

12. There was a bit of repetitive actions in this section. The music box and the nesting dolls were broken by Olivia and years earlier by Ted. A lot of talk about the color blue: dresses, clothing, rugs, etc. Is this just to keep the reader as confused as Ted or is there a deeper meaning to all of these duplications?
I think time is portrayed differently. I want to say the stuff that happens with Lauren actually happened in the past, years ago.

DAY 2 - PAGES 63-128

5. So Dee is on the case but like all the characters and situations in this story I'm feeling there is more to her than meets the eye. Emotionally damaged by the loss of her sister or something else. Thoughts?
I think she never got over her sister going missing. She was made to feel it was her fault, which would be traumatic for anyone, let alone a child.

6. Interesting that the author uses Wuthering Heights as the one book Dee obsesses over because IMHO it has some of the most beautifully emotionally written passages ever written in English literature. Gush over.. back to this novel..
."the hammer falls to the floor. She kneels and comes face to face with it, the child, its silver-white flesh dappled in the moonlight, its mouth a black cherry, eyes gleaming like lamps, filled with the light of death, scalp stripped and wounded where the birds have plucked the hair from her skull."
How does language such as the above paragraph contribute to the overall feeling and tone of the novel?
It is all very dark. Not just in tone but the colours used as well.

7. In all the scenes with Ted and the Bug Man I find myself scrutinizing every sentence for clues. Have you picked up any insights into Ted's character that may shine light on what is actually happening?
Ted is definitely giving away more than he intends, but it is still cryptic.

8. Okay, here's a few theories. Ted is a harmless man with mental illness and Olivia and Lauren are delusions of his illness. He had nothing to do with Lulu's disappearance and is innocent. Or Ted is a raving psychopath, has murdered countless people and they are buried in the woods. Or somewhere in between. What's your theory on who Olivia and Lauren really are? Are you enjoying puzzling this out or is it altogether to cryptic and weird for your tastes?
I think this book is a little dark for my mood right now. But I'll keep going. Might as well find out what it's all about at this point. I really don't know what the deal is with any of these characters.

I hope you all have a good weekend!

I added some more meals. I just finished Ulysses which completed a few meals and I am going to try and finish Needless Street today.