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

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

I finished Moby-Dick or, the Whale yesterday, which was on my TBR since 2012. It wasn't worth the wait for me.
I'm currently reading 3 more books that I added in 2012, one of them is currently the oldest book on my TBR.
My aim has been to try and get as many read from 2012 as I could this year. There was 110 on there at the start. I've currently read 18 and including the ones I'm reading now I think I can finish at least another 18.
I'd be more than happy if I get it down to 70 book. Even more so if I get it down to less than that. I would have a good chance of getting all those books off my list in the next 2-3 years.
I'm feeling very inspired right now.

The one I will read will be the same as yours (as in by the correct author and not the one I had on my TBR all these years). I'll be listening to it as an audiobook so I'll be using the default version too, but I believe you are correct and the edition doesn't matter. That would be insane if we had to have the same version, impossible even.
I'm working on a couple of longer books first so you will probably finish it before me as I'm not likely to even start it until next week.

Nanci wrote: "Keely,
I'm not sure how to answer your question. I wonder if you could just edit the book on your shelf to the correct version and it would still put the date in the same as you originally had.

I ..."

Uncle Tom's Cabin This is the version I added, but it's by a completely different author. Looking at the reviews, many people may have made the same mistake.
I have a few other books to read/finish first so I'll focus on them for now. I will finish Moby Dick today and then read more of The Moonstone as I see we would like to use that for a task.

I was looking through my TBR and only just noticed after 10 years, I have the wrong version of Uncle Tom's Cabin on there. I was intending to use it for either a book a team member has read (from the Spreadsheet Nanci is reading it and will probably be done before me) or for on the TBR list longer than a year. Would we still be able to use it for the TBR one even if it doesn't show on GRs? I understand if not, I'm more frustrated about the wrong one being on there this whole time. I'll keep the 'imposter' one on there for now as my evidence that I had a book with that title on my TBR.

I was just thinking that if I somehow finished it first or Nanci decided not to finish it, I could use it for one of the TBR tasks.

I finished Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone which I started when I was in Norway, but left the book there so I finished it through my library app as an audiobook. I listed the mini tasks it works for (food and instrument) but I don't have access to the direct quotes or page numbers. Is that okay? If not I could try and find an ebook copy I could skim through for quotes.

I had a look at the mini as my bf is still sleeping so I had some time. I went through our books that everyone has read and I think I can cover 4 that would work for either another team member has read during this challenge or has been on my TBR list for longer than a year. If anyone knows if books they have read are available on Audible Plus, I can maybe help us out with a few of those.

I can definitely do a few for on my TBR list for more than a year as I was mostly planning on reading books from my TBR list anyway.

I could probably find something to fit any of those if we still need one by monday. I won't have time to sort anything out before then.

I will begin finishing books again soon. My bf returns home in Monday and then I will have a good 2 weeks to myself where I plan to get quite a bit of reading done. My mum leaves her job at the beginning of next month to prepare for moving so I will be busy with moving stuff towards the end of this challenge, but I dont think the actual move will happen before.
I did promise another 1,000ish page book and I still haven't had a chance to have a good look at this new mini, but I'll look on Monday and see what I can come up with.
Have a good weekend everyone!

Thank you both, my bf is feeling much better after resting a lot. Today is supposed to be the last day of the heatwave so it should be more bearable from tomorrow. I slept on the sofa last night as my room is a loft/attic room so not only does it get the heat from the sun on the roof, but it also gets the heat rise from the house. I let my bf have the spare bed, but it's only a single. I moved to my parents bed this morning once they had gone to work for a bit of comfort. I'll probably do the same tonight.
I hate the heat. I'd rather be cold and just wrap up.

I'm sorry I haven't been around much. I've been busy non-stop since I got back to the UK last wednesday. We went to my cousins wedding yesterday which was nice, but my boyfriend is ill so spent most of the time in the room we stayed in, but at least he made use of the room. Today and tomorrow will be the hottest it has ever been in the UK so we are all struggling with the heat. It is meant to get up to 40°c tomorrow, which I know is normal for some of you at certain times of the year, but we are not prepared for it. Most houses here do not have air conditioning so we are relying on whatever we have to keep cool.

In regards to reading... I haven't really done any. I'm not sure I will get much done this week either, but the following week I will have lots of free time so I can catch up then. I haven't had a close look at the new mini yet, but I do have a couple of books that could potentially give some good titles for us to use. I'll probably do one (maybe two) more long book before the end of the challenge too for big points.

I hope everyone had a good weekend!

The elf kidnapped was called Little Kip if that helps at all.

I'm flying home to the UK today so I'm probably not going to be able to get on here much.

A boy called christmas was 247 pages (I think) and Nikolas was a child under 18 for most of the book. An elf was also kidnapped, but I dont remember any prophecy.
I'm on my phone so I can't check much easily and I assume the book hasn't been used for anything. I dont think I had time to list anything it works for :(

In A Boy Called Christmas that I read, Nikolas/Father Christmas becomes wise when he is older and decides to give presents to children all over the world. I don't remember if he is described as wise in the book though. There was an elf that seemed pretty wise too, but I don't remember what his name was. I can try and find out if needed.

DQs Day Three - 18 Jun
"There came a day in laste summer..."
"Angrboda agreed." 62%

11. I love how the myths surrounding Loki are casually mixed into this book. I'm a fan of Norse mythology, though I don't know a ton about it. Do you know or enjoy Norse mythology? Do you like how the author is incorporating it into her book?
I am slowly learning more about Norse mythology, especially as my boyfriend is Scandinavian and I am planning on moving to Norway. It was interesting seeing the myths incorporated into the book.

12. "Was I wrong to not tell them the world may not accept the the way they are?"

This is Angrboda's question after not only Loki's other wife, but Loki himself, refers to their children as monsters. How would you answer her question? Was she right to try and protect and hide them from the Nine Worlds? Should she have gone about it in a different manner?
I understand why she didn't tell them. I'm not sure it would have made a difference if she had told them in the beginning.

13. What an ending to Part One! Did you see what was to come? Did you already know the myths before or were you completely surprised? If you already knew the myth, did you like the author's interpretation of events? Were you as angry at the world as I was reading all that happened to Angrboda and her children, cause I was ready to fight!
Some of it was familiar because of my knowledge of the mythology, but I still hated that they took them away like that.

14. It seems that Angrboda's dreams can now transport her into other's thoughts. Do you think this is a one-off event because of how much stress she was under? If not, how do you think she'll use this skill from now on?
I think it was something she was always able to do, she just didn't remember how.

15. So Angrboda has a new voice in her head. Who do you think the voice belongs to? Do you think it's connected to Angrboda's seeming inability to die? Do you think it's a friend or a foe?
I have finished the book, so I know the answers.

DQs Day 2 — "He stayed with her as the days ..." to "... given her daughter a new obsession" - 40%

6. After Angrboda performs seid for the first time again, she starts having dreams where she hears someone calling to and beckoning her. Angrboda doesn't believe it to be Odin at first, but her suspicion changes over time. Who do you think it could be?
I suspected it was Odin. I've already finished so I know who.

7. Skadi reappears in this section, having left her husband behind. Do you think he'll come back into the story later? Why do you think she chose a husband as recompense in the first place?
I'm still not really sure why she wanted a husband in the first place.

8. Hel was born with "dead" legs (or dead flesh on fully functioning legs? I'm honestly a little confused by it) and when she over exerts herself she starts turning blue. Angrboda attributes this to when she tried to save her daughter — but I'm not so sure. Do you have any theories on what the cause could be? Is it as simple as Angrboda believes, or do you think it's something bigger to be revealed later on?
Again, I have finished the book so I know more about the cause, but I suspected it was because Angrboda interfered with the pregnancy.

9. There have been several mentions of a witch who birthed a race of wolves who chase the sun and moon so far in the story — and now Angrboda has given birth to a wolf. Do you think she is the Old one the stories reference? Or, if not, do you think we will meet that character later on?
This one is hard to answer without spoilers.

10. Angrboda decides not to tell Loki about his and his family's involvement in her vision of the beginning of the end. What do you think of her decision? Do you think she made the right choice in not telling him?
I think she was right in not telling him. He would have tried to change things and maybe just make things worse.

DQs Day 1
Beginning to "... a promise she knew that she couldn't keep."

1.) What attracted you to this book? BOM points? That COVER? Because of the Norse Retelling angle to the story? Any expectations you'd like to share?
Honestly, BOM points made me read it now and not save it for several years. But it seemed like the sort of book I would enjoy.

2.) What did you think of Angrboda's first meeting with Loki? I mean he brought her heart back in his knapsack basically because he was bored. But he was so charming, I'm not sure I'd care either. Though it didn't hurt I kept picturing him as Tom Hiddleston. LOL
I always picture any telling of Loki as Tom Hiddleston. I don't know how well I would like this version of Loki though if I met him in real life. I value honesty and you can never been sure if Loki is telling the truth or not.

3.) Thoughts on Skadi? Why do you think she helped Angrboda in the first place? And to such an extent? If Skadi was male, how different do you think that interaction would of been?
I've finished the book so I know what happens. I like her from the beginning though.

4.) The quote from Skadi, "Time doesn't matter unless you are keeping track of it." Resonated with me. What do you think of this? Do you agree with the statement?
I think I worry too much about time. I'm generally happier when I don't have to keep track of time/dates.

5.) Loki's reaction to the pregnancy was, let's go with interesting. What type of father are you expecting him to be? Do you think he will be a functioning part of the child's life?
Again, I've finished the book so I'm not sure how much I can comment. He does seem to care about his children though.

Melissa wrote: "Keely wrote: "I am reading The Witch's Heart which people are using for the warships. If no one else wants to claim a spot for this round, then I can fill a space for us."

Do you want me to put yo..."

If no one else wants to claim anything, then yes put me down for it.

I am reading The Witch's Heart which people are using for the warships. If no one else wants to claim a spot for this round, then I can fill a space for us.

As I got to participate in the first round of the warships, I will let other people have a chance, but if needed I can try and cover something for it.

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