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

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

DQs Day 1 (ends: "'That means you too, Sergeant' the captain added. 'Yessir.'" )

1. For the newbies: what did you expect before opening a police procedural written by Pterry? For re-readers, how does this sub-series line up in your order of preferences?
Honestly, this one hasn't captured yet as much as Equal Rites did, but of course I'll keep reading.

2. The first person we meet in this story is Vimes, meet collapsing, drunker, into the gutter... What does this mean for the story? For newbies: how do you feel about Vimes?
I'm sure there will be more than meets the eye with Vimes. Something funny, silly or wonderful will happen with him.

3. The Brethren (and I loved the elaborate exchange of codes!) have a disussion of the Lost King trope. Do you think the Supreme Grand Master will be able to find Ankh-Morpork's Lost King???
He probably will be able to find the Lost King, but there will be a lot of silly and unforseen things getting in the way first.

4. Carrot is our route to discovering Ankh-Morpork. Do you find this an effective way to understanding the city and its issues?
It was a more effective way than just having a long paragraph of information which some people might just skim over.

217 pages
430 pages
247 pages

Current Total: 839,358

I'm coming to the end of my busy time at work. I've got a full day tomorrow and then next week is shorter shifts. I've been trying to listen to audiobooks in my spare time, but as we are reaching the end of the challenge, I will add as I start them. I have a couple of shifts where I should be on my own at work and can listen to books so with luck I will be able to finish a few more including those BOMs.

Have a good weekend!

2021 Serious Readers Challenge
Level Two
Start: 12th July 2021
Finish: 31st December 2021

200/250

101. The Dalai Lama's Cat 14/7/21
102. Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox 14/7/21
103. A Wrinkle in Time 18/7/21
104. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue 22/7/21
105. Three Men in a Boat 23/7/21
106. Guards! Guards! 27/7/21
107. The House in the Cerulean Sea 30/7/21
108. The Art of Purring 31/7/21
109. Saga, Vol. 2 31/7/21
110. The Seven Deadly Sins, Vol. 1 7/8/21


111. Case Closed, Vol. 13 8/8/21
112. Ravaged 11/8/21
113. Belinda Goes to Bath 11/8/21
114. Finding Dory 15/8/21
115. Frozen: The Junior Novelization 17/8/21
116. Parasyte, Volume 1 21/8/21
117. Richard III 23/8/21
118. Parasyte, Volume 2 25/8/21
119. Shakespeare Tales: Twelfth Night 28/8/21
120. Last Seen 29/8/21


121. Bridget Jones's Diary 29/8/21
122.How to Be a Writer 4/9/21
123. Yorick and Bones 4/9/21
124. The Worst Witch 6/9/21
125. Dirty Fling 6/9/21
126. Nice And Rough 13/9/21
127. Berserk, Volume 41 16/9/21
128. Cosmo and the Great Witch Escape 17/9/21
129. The Sleepover Mystery 19/9/21
130. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 19/9/21


131. Ruby Finds a Worry 24/9/21
132What's Going On Inside My Head?: Starting conversations with your child about positive mental health 24/9/21
133. A Girl by the Sea, Vol 1 26/9/21
134. A Girl by the Sea, Vol 2 27/9/21
135. Daddy-Long-Legs 27/9/21
136. Agatha Raisin and the Christmas Crumble 1/10/21
137. 'The Chicken Gave It to Me' 1/10/21
138. The Girl in the Train: A Short Story 1/10/21
139. The Copycat 4/10/21
140. Hot! 4/10/21


141. Stuart Little 6/10/21
142. Winter Story 6/10/21
143. Together At Christmas 6/10/21
144. The Best Christmas Present in the World 6/10/21
145. Paddington and the Christmas Surprise 6/10/21
146. Pete the Cat: Talent Show Trouble 6/10/21
147. Pete the Cat's Groovy Imagination 6/10/21
148. Mog's Christmas 6/10/21
149. The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well 11/10/21
150. Along for the Ride 12/10/21


151. The Perfect Kitten 19/10/21
152. Middlemarch 21/10/21
153. House of Hollow 23/10/21
154. Full Metal Panic! Volume 1 24/10/21
155. The Turtle Boy 24/10/21
156. The Life and Death of King John 25/10/21
157. Case Closed, Vol. 14 28/10/21
158. Brideshead Revisited 29/10/21
159. Special A, Vol. 04 1/11/21
160. Pokémon Adventures (Ruby and Sapphire), Vol. 20 1/11/21


161. You Got This: A Tale of Courage 3/11/21
162. Rock My World 3/11/21
163. Great Expectations 3/11/21
164. Eragon 6/11/21
165. Night Critters Play 11/11/21
166. A Short History of Nearly Everything 12/11/21
167. Avatar: The Last Airbender: Toph Beifong's Metalbending Academy 15/11/21
168. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell 17/11/21
169. The Lost Girls 17/11/21
170. Make Me Wet 21/11/21


171. Behind Closed Doors 24/11/21
172. It's Raining Cats & Dogs 26/11/21
173. Special A, Vol. 5 26/11/21
174. Saga, Vol. 3 27/11/21
175. Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career 29/11/21
176. The Left-Handed Booksellers of London 1/12/21
177. The Impossible Women 2/12/21
178. Anna Karenina 3/12/21
179. Case Closed, Vol. 15 5/12/21
180. Roots 9/12/21


181. Tree Full of Wonder 10/12/21
182. Construction Site on Christmas Night 13/12/21
183. Little Dinos Don't Hit 13/12/21
184. Little Dinos Don't Push 13/12/21
185. Little Dinos Don't Bite 13/12/21
186. Mouse Says "Sorry" 13/12/21
187. Hippo Says "Excuse Me" 13/12/21
188. Pony Brushes His Teeth 13/12/21
189. Little Monkey Calms Down 13/12/21
190. Penguin Says "Please" 13/12/21


191. Zetta the Poinsettia 13/12/21
192. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 13/12/21
193. Xerxes 15/12/21
194. Santa's Story 18/12/21
195. This Book Wants to Make You Laugh 18/12/21
196. Takema and the Fennec Fox: A Tale of Listening and Being Heard 25/12/21
197. Saga, Vol. 4 27/12/21
198. Wet Perfection 27/12/21
199. Fever 30/12/21
200. Gone with the Wind 31/12/21

2021 Serious Readers Challenge
Leve Two
Start: 12th July 2021
Finish: 31st December 2021

200/250

101. The Dalai Lama's Cat 14/7/21
102. Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox 14/7/21
103. A Wrinkle in Time 18/7/21
104. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue 22/7/21
105. Three Men in a Boat 23/7/21
106. Guards! Guards! 27/7/21
107. The House in the Cerulean Sea 30/7/21
108. The Art of Purring 31/7/21
109. Saga, Vol. 2 31/7/21
110. The Seven Deadly Sins, Vol. 1 7/8/21


111. Case Closed, Vol. 13 8/8/21
112. Ravaged 11/8/21
113. Belinda Goes to Bath 11/8/21
114. Finding Dory 15/8/21
115. Frozen: The Junior Novelization 17/8/21
116. Parasyte, Volume 1 21/8/21
117. Richard III 23/8/21
118. Parasyte, Volume 2 25/8/21
119. Shakespeare Tales: Twelfth Night 28/8/21
120. Last Seen 29/8/21


121. Bridget Jones's Diary 29/8/21
122.How to Be a Writer 4/9/21
123. Yorick and Bones 4/9/21
124. The Worst Witch 6/9/21
125. Dirty Fling 6/9/21
126. Nice And Rough 13/9/21
127. Berserk, Volume 41 16/9/21
128. Cosmo and the Great Witch Escape 17/9/21
129. The Sleepover Mystery 19/9/21
130. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 19/9/21


131. Ruby Finds a Worry 24/9/21
132What's Going On Inside My Head?: Starting conversations with your child about positive mental health 24/9/21
133. A Girl by the Sea, Vol 1 26/9/21
134. A Girl by the Sea, Vol 2 27/9/21
135. Daddy-Long-Legs 27/9/21
136. Agatha Raisin and the Christmas Crumble 1/10/21
137. 'The Chicken Gave It to Me' 1/10/21
138. The Girl in the Train: A Short Story 1/10/21
139. The Copycat 4/10/21
140. Hot! 4/10/21


141. Stuart Little 6/10/21
142. Winter Story 6/10/21
143. Together At Christmas 6/10/21
144. The Best Christmas Present in the World 6/10/21
145. Paddington and the Christmas Surprise 6/10/21
146. Pete the Cat: Talent Show Trouble 6/10/21
147. Pete the Cat's Groovy Imagination 6/10/21
148. Mog's Christmas 6/10/21
149. The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well 11/10/21
150. Along for the Ride 12/10/21


151. The Perfect Kitten 19/10/21
152. Middlemarch 21/10/21
153. House of Hollow 23/10/21
154. Full Metal Panic! Volume 1 24/10/21
155. The Turtle Boy 24/10/21
156. The Life and Death of King John 25/10/21
157. Case Closed, Vol. 14 28/10/21
158. Brideshead Revisited 29/10/21
159. Special A, Vol. 04 1/11/21
160. Pokémon Adventures (Ruby and Sapphire), Vol. 20 1/11/21


161. You Got This: A Tale of Courage 3/11/21
162. Rock My World 3/11/21
163. Great Expectations 3/11/21
164. Eragon 6/11/21
165. Night Critters Play 11/11/21
166. A Short History of Nearly Everything 12/11/21
167. Avatar: The Last Airbender: Toph Beifong's Metalbending Academy 15/11/21
168. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell 17/11/21
169. The Lost Girls 17/11/21
170. Make Me Wet 21/11/21


171. Behind Closed Doors 24/11/21
172. It's Raining Cats & Dogs 26/11/21
173. Special A, Vol. 5 26/11/21
174. Saga, Vol. 3 27/11/21
175. Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career 29/11/21
176. The Left-Handed Booksellers of London 1/12/21
177. The Impossible Women 2/12/21
178. Anna Karenina 3/12/21
179. Case Closed, Vol. 15 5/12/21
180. Roots 9/12/21


181. Tree Full of Wonder 10/12/21
182. Construction Site on Christmas Night 13/12/21
183. Little Dinos Don't Hit 13/12/21
184. Little Dinos Don't Push 13/12/21
185. Little Dinos Don't Bite 13/12/21
186. Mouse Says "Sorry" 13/12/21
187. Hippo Says "Excuse Me" 13/12/21
188. Pony Brushes His Teeth 13/12/21
189. Little Monkey Calms Down 13/12/21
190. Penguin Says "Please" 13/12/21


191. Zetta the Poinsettia 13/12/21
192. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 13/12/21
193. Xerxes 15/12/21
194. Santa's Story 18/12/21
195. This Book Wants to Make You Laugh 18/12/21
196. Takema and the Fennec Fox: A Tale of Listening and Being Heard 25/12/21
197. Saga, Vol. 4 27/12/21
198. Wet Perfection 27/12/21
199. Fever 30/12/21
200. Gone with the Wind 31/12/21

Things have been pretty busy for me this week. I've been doing full days at work in preparation for the big summer sale starting on Saturday. I was able to listen to quite a bit of Addie LaRue on Tuesday as I was alone in the stockroom, but then my manager appeared and put really loud music on so I wasn't able to listen to anymore.
I have lots of work scheduled for the rest of July, but I will definitely finish my books already on the list and hopefully a couple more audiobooks too. I plan to use my next Audible credit for The House in the Cerulean Sea and I will read Guards! Guards! too for the BOM points.

I hope everyone is well.

Jen wrote: "I have a bookish question for everyone. Does anyone here annotate their books in any way (highlighting, writing, book darks, tabs, anything). If yes, could you share your system and how you got sta..."

The only times I annotated my books was when I was in education. I studied English Literature in my A levels (the UK equivalent of college) and I made a lot of annotations in the books I needed to study for my exams. At the time it was mostly quotes for themes that could come up in the exams.
When I got to uni and studied history, I didn't really annotate the books. Most of them were borrowed from the library so I would have a word document for quotes that I could use later and analyse for my essays.

I don't really do anything now with the books I read. I mostly just enjoy reading them. The most I do now is maybe put tabs into books that are more difficult to read (mostly my history books) but I use that as more of a goal to read to those points in a certain time frame otherwise I would forget about the books and they would just sit there staring at me.

DQ Day 3 - Part 2, IV - Part 3, I (p 153)

10. In these parts the darkness comes and checks up on her a few times. What do you make of those conversations - what the darkness says and Adeline's reactions? Who or what do you think Luc is? Do you think something romantic could happen between Luc and Addie?
I don't think anything romantic will happen between Luc and Addie. I think he may become attached to her as she has been around for a long time now, but I predict she will finally be ready to end her endless life and maybe he will allow her to grow old or maybe he will just take her soul.

11. Addie and Henry meet up for coffee which seems to go well. What do you think will come of this relationship? Will it last? Will it be fulfilling for the both of them?
I hope the relationship goes well, however there will be an issue when he grows old and she doesn't look a day older than when they met. I do hope that he doesn't just forget her one day like everyone else.

12. Will it be significant considering Henry could utter Addie's name? Would it be possible that Henry made a deal with Luc thus enabling Addie's and Henry's relationship? Do you think they have met or will meet in the story?
I did consider the possibility that Henry had also made a deal. But the deal must have been different otherwise surely Henry would have picked up on her behaviour by now. Maybe Luc felt sorry for Addie and allowed her this one person. Either that or he is planning on being really mean and let them get really close then have Henry forget. I hope it's the first.

13. If you had a lifetime to do as you pleased, what would you do? Where would you go and what would you see?
I've always regretted not spending more time and effort learning languages. So I would learn languages then visit places where they speak them, or go to those places to learn the languages. I would definitely travel.

DQ Day 2 - Part 1, XIV - Part 2, III (p129)

5. At about a fourth of the way through the book, how do you like Addie LaRue as a narrator/person?
I like her as a character. I feel like she has behaved in a similar way to how I would in the situation.

6. Are you more interested in Addie’s past or present life (or both)? Why?
A bit of both. As a history graduate, I am always interested in anything historical although the 1700's is a bit earlier than I usually study. But it is interesting to see how she has addapted to more modern times.

7. How do you think she handled the start of her "curse"?
I think she handled it just about as well as anyone might. She seems capable of adapting quickly.

8. Addie seems to have serial one-night stands with the same person. Why do you think she does this, and do you have any concerns with the potential for manipulating the other party? (I am still thinking on this as a power imbalance).
Maybe she just wants that sense of familiarity. She knows how it will be with this person.

9. In this section, we meet Henry. What is your initial reaction to Henry and his ability to remember her?
I've read a bit ahead, but I am still curious about why Henry can remember. He seems like a good person.

DQ Day 1 - Part 1, I - Part 1, XIII (p67)

1. Other than BOM points what attracted you to this book? The rave reviews? The cover? The blurb?
I hadn't heard of this book until it was nominated, but the blurb interested me. The cover looks nice too.

2. Have you read any other books by V.E. Schwab/Victoria Schwab? If so, how does this book compare? If not, what do you think of the book so far?
Again, I hadn't heard of this author until this book, but I am enjoying the book. I think this is the sort of book I enjoy.

3. What are your thoughts on Addie and the bargain she made?
She was very hasty to just agree, but we all do silly things in moments of panic or high emotion.

4. Obviously, selling your soul is going too far but if you were able to get a wish granted what would it be?
At this moment, I would wish to finally be living with my boyfriend in what will be my new country and for us to be happy. Due to the pandemic, I've been stuck at home waiting for things to get better so I can travel.

Day 3 Questions end: "Then Cutwell sighted carefully ... [spoiler removed]" (p151 / 58%)

Q11. Do you think Mort is physically changing? When it says, "The gargoyle looked up into his face and suddenly felt like a very frightened doorknocker indeed, Mort's eyes glowed like crucibles, his expression was a furnace, his voice held enough enough to melt iron. It didn't know what he could do, but felt that it would prefer not to find out." - it seems these may be actual physical manifestations. With the photo Mort sees soon after with the wizard Cutwell, do you think that was originally Death in the photo before a transformation?
Yes, Mort is changing to look more like Death. Maybe the mystery of the photo will be revealed.

Q12. What do you think about the plot point where Keli is dead, but is not? Do you think this was a clever twist of the author or do you find it a confusing jumble? How will this affect the story and will Death find out what actually happened and react?
I think it was a good twist. Something had to happen because of Mort's earlier actions.

Q13. There suddenly seems to be sign that Death may be playing matchmaker of sorts with Mort and his 'daughter'. Are you surprised, and what do you think will happen with the relationship between him and Ysabel?
I saw it coming but I'm not sure if the relationship will develop past more than friendship.

Q14. Do you think that before Mort was chosen by Death, that he was a normal boy? Do you think he must have some wizard properties buried or are his "abilities" gathered from being Death's apprentice? What do you think about Mort attracting death's attention - what is so special about him?
He seemed normal. Maybe it was just him being that last one that attracted Death's attention. Maybe he wanted someone that was unseen.

Q15. Mort seems to be getting a bit homesick after his day off, and Death is changing his tune as well. What do you think about Death's new adventures to experience some human experiences, try to understand fun and how humans behave?
Maybe Mort had reminded Death of how things used to feel. Or maybe Death just hadn't really looked at humans enjoying themselves properly before.

Kellie wrote: "My goal for this year is 15 books overall (due to mental health, I feel I’d struggle with anything too big at the moment). But I never even thought about aiming to read “old” things added to my TBR..."

In previous years, I mostly just focused on books I had access to that were on my TBR. This year I decided to list my books by year I added them so I could see how many in each year I had left to read and I chose a few from each year. I discovered I had only 7 books left that I added in 2017 so I focused on those and now I have one left to read.
When I joined GR in 2012 I added basically every book I had heard of to my TBR which meant a lot of classics. Since I have deleted a few I am not interested in, but it still meant I was left with around 200 added in 2012. That is why I focus on reading my older added books because that makes up a bulk of my TBR.

It feels nice to read the oldest added book on your TBR, but this challenge is about getting any books off your TBR so there is no pressure about when you added them or how "old" they are.

Haha, that's great!


I now have all my physical books on GR. Most I added when I joined or added as I got them, but there were some that didn't make it onto my TBR on here until the beginning of this year when I had a good sort out.
My kindle is another story though. I definitely don't have all those books on my TBR list yet. That's a job for a day when I really bored.
*edit* Nevermind, I found the setting that allows you to see books you added to your Amazon account... so now I have about another 20 books added to my TBR... Yay.

DQs Day 2 - start: "Five minutes later, Mort was lost"
end: "Sooner or later, everyone remembered the magic word (p98)

Q6 - Mort walked through the walls a few times but couldn't when he tried to get into the castle. Why do you think this happened?
I think he was trying too hard.

Q7- What do you think of Ingneous Cutwell's character?
He seemed an interesting character, but we haven't seen much of him yet.

Q8 - The Abbot has been reincarnated 53 times. The concept of reincarnation is an interesting one. If you were to be born again what life would you choose?
I would love to be a cat.

Q9 - Death sent Mort to reap three souls. In light of how he performed do you think Mort was ready for the job?
Mort was definitely not ready for the job.

Q10 - Mort found Ysabelle's handkerchief in the library. Why is she reading other people's life?
Curiosity? Boredom?

Laurie wrote: "The key is to only add one Discworld book to your TBR at a time to keep the numbers down, lol. 😂"

Yeah, but then I wouldn't be able to use them for this challenge in future years :P

And I'm less likely to forget about them if they are all staring at me on my TBR.

I ended up added the rest of the Discworld books to my TBR plus a few others and now my TBR is over 50 more than it was at the beginning of the year... and that is after reading around the same amount from my TBR. Oh well, at least I won't run out of books to read if I keep this up.
I have been good at reading some of the earlier books I added and I plan to read a couple this month.
I also have quite a few short books that have been on my TBR for a few years, so once TT is over I will be reading some of those.
I'm determined to get my TBR lower than what it was at the beginning of the year!

I found a book set in South Africa but it's on loan until the 15th. I have reserved it and it'll give me a chance to finish up my other books. If someone else finds a book that can cover it before I do, then that's great, but if not I've can cover it.

The book is An Elephant in My Kitchen.

DQs Day 1: (end: "'I want' he said firmly 'a very fast horse.'"19% / Page 52)

1. Mort is nothing if not determined. He refuses to give up on being a “prentice” until the last stoke of midnight. Then at the very last second, Death arrives for him. Do you think Mort was quick to take the apprenticeship perhaps from feeling humiliated at the days events or was it something that truly intrigued him? Would you have been willing to work for Death?
I think it was partly curiousity, partly because he felt like he had to. I don't know if I could work for Death.

2. Death has a sarcastic tone during this first section. What do you think of his fawning over Mort to ensure he gets new clothes and food and Death eating with him like a regular guy? Is he up to something sinister or does he just want to make Mort comfortable?
I'm not sure what Death is up to yet. Maybe he is just trying to make Mort feel more at ease, or maybe he is plotting something.

3. Mort may be a bit gangly and lost in his own head at times, but he seems to have a lot of compassion. Upon realizing that he was talking to Death, he asked him to spare his Dad. Later he tries to intervene and warn the King that he was about to be killed and finally on that same trip he wanted to tell the King’s daughter not to trust the Duke. What did you think of all that? Are these normal reactions to someone who is the apprentice to Death? Do you think it will continue as Mort sees more and more of Death’s duty?
I think Mort will come to realise that everything must die eventually, but I'm not sure that will necessarily change how he is.

4. What is up with the constant utterance of “Mort” every time someone calls our MC anything other than Mort or Mortimer after arriving at Death’s House and meeting Yasbell? Is there some significance to this or is it just rather annoying?! Lol!
Mort just wants to be known by his name. Having an uncommon name, I know what it's like to have people get it wrong all the time. The most annoying one was a former boss of mine used to pronouce my name 'Kayleigh', so everytime I told a story involving someone talking about be, I would use my name and pronounce it correctly or if someone asked my name I would say it loudly. This didn't work though. Although I think part of the problem may have just been the way he spoke, which is why I mostly just lived with it. It was only a short part time job anyway.

5. Mort, surprisingly, asked Death for an afternoon off. I think our dear Mort is growing up! He explains to Death that he wants to meet people for more than a few minutes. When he arrives in his own time and finds out where he is, he asks if he is near Sto Lat. He seems to have a plan when he says he wants a very fast horse. What do you think he intends? Will it work out like he plans?
I doubt things will go as intended. I've only read a couple of these books now, but I already know that things never go to plan.

336 pages
277 pages
185 pages
304 pages
287 pages
185 pages
185 pages
185 pages

Current Total: 790,878

That sounds like a good wedding to me! Got to be comfortable. 14 years is a big gap, but it doesn't matter if you get on well. I'm glad you are close to your sister.

It's been rather wet but warm here in the UK. We had a few weeks of hot, dry weather but now it's just hot-ish and wet. We usually get a heat wave sometime in July, August or September but nothing as bad as what some of you seem to be having!

My doctor's appointment went well. I've got to go have some tests done, but in the meantime I've been given some pills until we can figure out the root cause.

Stay safe (and cool) everyone!