Alysa’s Comments (group member since Jun 27, 2015)

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

Completion Post


On spreadsheet

DQ Day 3- Chapters 8-10

9. Linus completed his first report for the DICOMY; what did you make of it? Did you think he reported anything that he should have left out? How about future reports – how do you think they will compare to this one?

He was pretty judicious, considering. His is not an easy line to walk at this moment. He may start hiding more information in future reports, but it depends what happens next.

10. Ms. Chapelwhite takes Linus on a hike through the forest to show him a raft that she wants reported but doesn’t want the children or Mr. Parnassus to know about. Linus was taken aback by the message sent on the raft. […] Did your opinion of Linus change when he suggested they send a message back? What did you think of his message?

I was pleasantly surprised by Linus’s contribution to the raft situation! I didn’t quite get why they wouldn’t tell Arthur though.

11. Linus seems a bit smitten with Arthur. Do you sense there is a mutual attraction between the two? Do you think anything will take root and blossom?

I get why Linus is drawn to Arthur, but it remains to be seen why Arthur would be drawn to Linus. Assuming they do get together, I’m curious to see how the author will make that happen.

12. That was quite the adventure that Lucy led. Were you surprised that Linus stepped up and began to join in on the story? What all did you learn about the children, about Linus, about Arthur and Zoe?

All three of the adults seem to be fair and well-balanced individuals, under their various prejudices (or lack thereof).
All the kids are awesome. I appreciate what Arthur is trying to do, allowing them to really enjoy childhood, and keeping them away from the world, at least for now.

13. As this chapter wraps up, Zoe and Phee are talking with Linus listening. He can relate to Phee’s comment that she likes the trees better than she likes most people. Do you think Linus learned anything from the “lesson” that Zoe gave him through Phee’s growing the flower for Linus and her explanation of the trees and root system?

A little heavy-handed, again, on the sociological implications, but Linus is starting to see his own culpability in a system that he’ll ultimately find objectionable.

Ugh I have so many books going at the same time! I need to try to finish something else tonight so that I won't feel bad also starting this one tomorrow right on BOM Day 1
:D

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "I'll start for cheeseboard today - Set in Wisconsin Biggest cheese producing State in the biggest cheese producing country .Take Me Home.

Here are..."

Hah, nice!
I visited Wisconsin in 2019 to spend time with some family there. We definitely ate a lot of local cheese, and even visited a couple of dairy farms and markets :D

DQ Day 2 - Chapters 5-7

The book is set in an unknown city and then onto Marsyas Island. Country Unknown. Do you think it is set in an alternate universe to our own eg UK or USA or a completely fantasy location? Does it matter or make you think differently about the storyline either way?

To me it seems like a fantasy city/region in a version of the real world that happens to have magical beings in it. Like the DC Comics universe has fictional cities (Gotham, Metropolis…) and super-powered people but it’s still supposed to be our world. What with the way the geography is described, I’d been thinking maybe New England or Nova Scotia, or maybe even the Pacific Northwest, but I guess the UK would work too.

6. First impressions of the house and Linus' reaction to it? What is your own reaction to it and how it is described?

So lovely! I would want to live there!

7. In Chapter 6 we are introduced to a colourful array of children and the enigmatic Mr Arthur Parnassus. Who is your favourite child and ability so far and what special talents do you think will be revealed about Arthur?

Sal is my favorite so far. I like the contrast between his human form and his animal form. He is a were-pomeranian, lol!
I like the others, though I can see Talia and Lucy maybe wearing on me as a reader. Talia is a little annoying, and Lucy’s dark comments were hilarious at first but already felt a little old by the end of the chapter.
Arthur is intriguing. Could be some sort of psychic, or else just super great at reading people. Maybe an empath? Or something I don’t see coming at all.

8. At the first dinner welcome for Linus the reader is bombarded with a plethora of notable pearls of wisdom from Arthur Parnassus which made me realize the allegorical themes of this story. [See various quotes.] What point do you think the author is trying to make through the world and characters he has imagined and what do you think these quotes hint about the story moving forward?

Heavy-handed, so I hope this is the only scene where the author states the book’s themes and goals so bluntly. Though, of course, they are admirable: understanding and respect for difference and diversity; taking care of others; found family… It’s clear that Linus, for all he believes that he believes in these things too, needs a wake-up call, and the story will most likely move towards his embrace of Arthur’s methods (and of Arthur, lol) and a good look at th consequences of his own life and work up to this point.

DQ Day 1 - Chapters 1-4

1. What drew you to this BOM? Was it the fantastic reviews it’s been getting? Or the cute cover? Or something else?

I was attracted by the description, but was a little hesitant because I did not like the one other book I’d read by this author (Withered + Sere). If not for the BOM, I probably would have kept it on the back burner until more of my GR friends gave it a try first.
I think I was put off the scent by how many people have shelved this as YA when it's clearly not. That often means, for adult fiction, that people found the writing facile. But in this case (lucky for me?), it seems only to be an indicator that there are a number of younger characters in the book, to which younger readers might gravitate.

2. What do you think of the writing style so far? I didn’t expect it to be so funny. I laughed out loud a few times at the terrible office Linus works in and at the rude neighbour. I love the way she is so rude about Linus but then keeps trying to set him up with her grandson.

I like the writing better than I thought, so far, and since my expectations were very low it's been a pleasant surprise. Especially the somewhat dark workplace humor.

3. What do you think about Linus as the main character? So far, he seems to be quite frightened of the world. How do you think he will cope in the strange situation he has been put in?

He's that uptight character type that's about to have the foundations of his world shaken. There are hints at a deeper drive or deeper intelligence there, so I look forward to seeing how the situation digs them out.

4. I was surprised that one of the children on the island is supposed to be the Anti-Christ. Heart warming stories don’t tend to feature someone like that. What powers do you think he will have?

Hmmm… Mind control? Piercing eyes? Extreme sarcasm?
I wonder if he'll a Good Omens sort of antichrist. Like, actually a good kid with little interest in antichristing.

Completion post



On spreadsheet (including BOM tab) but no details for Jackanory. I'll let Tina figure that out. This book was a hot mess, but at least it has a huge mish-mash of stuff that could go in our story...

Round 2 complete!
message #30

Back to finish up…

DQ Day 8 - Part 6, VII - Part 7, III (end)

33. I kept wondering about the significance of the seven freckles and how that became Addie's signature identification in so many arts. Do you think there's any hidden meaning behind the number or shape? Addie was born with those freckles. What do you think could have been her way of leaving her mark if she didn't have something so distinctive?

The seven freckles thing was a little weird, kind of hard to picture. Like, usually you would either have a “freckle face” with an uncountable number, or the few you have are more like moles than freckles… Anyway, the freckles felt extremely contrived, mainly due to their needing to be a marker in the art that Addie inspired. Not sure there was anything else that could have served the exact same purpose. But me =/= a creative writer.
In terms of their being seven of them… Well that’s supposed to be a number with a lot of mystical weight, so I guess Schwab is merely playing into that, without feeling like she has to explain about it.

34. Henry's goodbyes were really touching and it was a hard part to read. What did you think about how Henry handled his presumably last days?

He handled his presumed end with all the grace he could muster. I liked how he didn’t want his friends to know that anything was wrong.

35. Addie called Luc out early on about being lonely and seeking company. Do you agree with Addie that Luc doesn't really love her? Or do you think he does indeed care about Addie in his own way?

He loves her in his own way, which is not a healthy or sustainable way, but he’s not capable of any other kind of love. I don’t necessarily agree that he was lonely, but rather that he seeks to possess the one person who seemed to be thwarting him.
I actually got hints of S6 Buffy/Spike in this relationship at times, what with Addy turning to Luc, sexually, because she was in despair and questioning her own humanity. However, at least Spike had enough sense to realize that he was the problem, and do something to make a change (Buffy/Spike 4ever!).
With Luc, it was also as if Addie had a kind of Stockholm Syndrome. But it was also clear that the sex was excellent. Can’t entirely fault the gal for sticking around so long, for that!

36. What did you think of the ending? Do you think Addie will succeed in her resolve to make Luc hate her?

The “This whole time, we have been reading Henry’s book!” ending was a bit twee for me. Could have done without that detail. Though I didn’t mind the idea of Henry writing a book about Addie, more generally, in order for her name to be known and remembered.
Addie is pretty damn stubborn, and has learned a lot about how deals work, so it’s quite possible that her plan to make Luc hate her will succeed, but I also wish that the book had left that scene out. It seemed like it was pasted on after beta readers thought Addie’s ending up with Luc was too dark or something.

37. What is your overall take on the book? Any favorite characters or moments? Will you read other books by V.E. Schwab?

Eh, I dunno. It wasn’t amazing but wasn’t bad either. I didn’t like how the romance aspects were handled, and that was a huge part of the book. I have had very mixed experiences with Schwab’s books. I will probably read more of them. I have yet to get past #1 in any of her series, which in some cases is because I thought #1 was meh and in other cases because I just never got around to it.

Big cats are cats. Totally counts, IMO 🙂

@whoever has a book for semaphore signals, please go ahead. I'm still not sure when I might be able to get to mine.

Oh yay! My nom won!
(Thanks for the heads up, Cat 😘)

I will take Day 1, if that's cool!

Completion Post

and

Both finished 7/12.
On spreadsheet.


I also started that Jim Henson biography. I've had it on my Kindle for AGES but I'm listening to a public library audiobook so that I can be sure to finish it even while also reading all my other claimed stuff.
Too bad the default edition has a lower page count than the Kindle version lol!

DQ Day 7 - Part 5, IX - Part 6, VI (p447)

28. Addie has taken Luc’s words “Ideas are wilder than memories” and become a muse for renowned artists and goes to visit “her” paintings. Why do you think she does this Would you visit art knowing that you inspired the work.

She, like most people, wants to see herself represented in images in some way — and for her this is especially meaningful because she normally cannot be captured in images at all. That being said, she is also a bit of a self-obsessed person, partly by nature and partly out of necessity and habit. So it’s fitting.
My younger self would have liked to inspire art and visit the work, but I don’t know about my current self. Since I don’t have Addie’s curse, I have more important things to worry about.

29. We learn a lot in this section about the relationship between Luc and Addie, where they seem to be reliant on each other. What are your thoughts on this?

Meh. I don’t think we learned anything new, only had a few things confirmed. And the writing of their relationship has shown itself, IMO, to be one of the weaker points of the book.

30. On their night out Addie seems to have an brief emotional breakdown when Toby sings the song that they created. Why does Addie react so much to this?

Perhaps I will take Addie at face value that she was upset because she still has feelings for Toby to some extent. But it’s also partly that being with Henry and getting a taste of what a real relationship is like makes her feel extra weird to be confronted with the results of the “simulated” relationship she had with Toby.

31. Addie and Henry declare their love for each other. In light of Henry’s curse and Addie’s relationship with Luc, is this true love or is it a dream that they wish to be true?

They only wish it were true. Addie and Henry are both settling, in a way, for the one person who can get past their respective curses. If it weren’t for that, I don’t think they would particularly well together.

32. It would seem Henry’s curse has a time limit. How long did Luc give him? What effect will this have on Addie?

So I guess this was supposed to be some big twist but I wasn’t surprised at all. In fact I was so unsurprised that I’m half-convinced the book mentioned Henry’s one-year time limit early on somewhere. Assuming there are not any other big twists, or bargains made, and Henry really does die and Addie’s curse remains the same, I think Addie will be pretty devastated by losing her taste of normalcy.

FYI I have a couple of books that work for Semophore Signals in BINGO. (Including another Discworld book, though we still have the final BOM upcoming). Now that it's already mid-July I just need to determine how many more things I can read, lol. Gimme a couple of days to fill in that slot (or declare if I can't)... 🙃

DQ Day 6 - Part 4, XIII - Part 5, VIII (p382)

23. Henry wanted to be loved; he wanted to be whatever they wanted; he wants to be enough. He gave up a lot to get what he wanted. Why do you think he is rejecting the offers of love? Why does he want to know why they love him?

He’s understood quite quickly that none of it is real if it’s not him, himself, that they actually love.

24. How does the jumping back and forth between times work for you? Can you easily tell when Addie is telling a story from her past or do you get lost just for a minute in where she is and with whom?

It works pretty well, and I haven’t gotten lost at all.

25. When Addie is with Luc she tries to pretend that she is good with her circumstances. His taunts about how disappointed Estelle would have been with her making a deal, pushes Addie to the brink and she slaps him. Luc retaliates with pain and suffering and still she refuses to give in and tells him to “Go to Hell.” Who will break first? Do you think Luc treats Addie differently than the other people he has made deals with? Why or why not?

Obviously we don’t know what other deals Luc has made with anyone besides Addie and Henry, but perhaps if none of them involve ostensible immortality, he’s actually known Addie longer than he has ever known another human (or even another being, period), and this has made him fond of her, in his own way. As to who will break first, that depends on how one ultimately defines “break” in the context of the book. I have some ideas, but they are probably still wrong, so.

26. Henry loathes repeating things; he wants everything to be something new for both himself and Addie. Why do you think this is so important to him?

Henry seems to feel in some ways like his life is a ticking clock (though this doesn’t necessarily bear out when one looks at his stagnation in other ways), but I suspect that he just doesn’t want to waste his time with Addie, specifically, in that he wants them to experience new things together, and not feel like he is just a part of her repetitions. So that would explain why he gets upset about her having already seen the Hitchcock movie, for example, but not about his own having already experienced the sound effect in Grand Central. This tendency is actually kind of annoying, like it’s always Henry dictating what they do together, when Addie would also quite clearly be fine with repeating certain places, movies, etc. that she has enjoyed. Like a normal person, really!

27. Luc words to Addie long ago – “Ideas are wilder than memories” – comes back to her and she thinks she should have seen it then as a clue or a key that she could use. She sees that she can leave her mark on the world when Matteo shows her his sketch. Do you think anything will come of this? Do you think she will find a way to use “ideas” to her advantage?

Difficult to say, because Luc could try to find a way to close the loophole, so to speak, if he realizes that she is exploiting it.

Noted during this section:
So it turns out that Addie first got to another country via Magic Luc Transport! Haha. Maybe this is how she gets across international borders all the time. No need to stowaway, or have a passport!

Also noted during this section:
Is “saved her from gang rape” seriously supposed to be a turning point in how Addie sees Luc? Because that… really pisses me off and makes me like the book less. Not that I want anybody to get raped, of course. Just gross if that’s the best way the author could think of to soften Luc’s image in Addie’s eyes up to that point. Ugh.

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Alysa - I’m reading Addie at the moment so when I’m done it can be used for eraser. You’re right, I just did a search of the ebook and there are a number of times she refers to herself being erased 👍😉"

Excellent!

Completion post


On spreadsheet

@captains
At some point in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, there was a line about a blackboard or chalkboard or slate being erased. (Sorry I can't remember where, it just occurred to me later! I can try to look...) It was in reference to people not remembering Addie, probably...
Maybe that fits better for the missing blackboard-eraser BINGO task? If so, maybe you should move my (or someone else's) Addie LaRue to that BINGO square and free up one of the easier tasks/squares?

Kimber~☆♡Love of Books♡☆ wrote: "What do u all think about this book for task #5 (camera on cover)?



Just let me know. If yes ill buy it on my kindle."


Definitely a camera she's holding!
I've been curious to read that for a long time. Let us know how it is 🙂

DQ Day 5 - Part 3, XIII - Part 4, XII (p318)

18. We learn more about Henry. What do you make of his "broken heart"? What about the way the author described it?

Oh boo hoo, he’s boring and his girlfriend dumped him. It sucks to be rejected and feel like your time has been wasted on a failed relationship, but it was definitely nothing special. Definitely not huge enough to make a deal over (though Henry’s not believing it was real had a lot to do with his agreement on the deal).

19. Now we know why Henry isn't affected by Addie's curse. Did Luc make a mistake like Addie thinks?

I’m still not quite sure I understand why Henry can remember Addie, but in any case, we still haven’t really learned more about Luc in this section so I have no new theory as to whether he’s made a mistake, or masterminded something.

20. What do you make of Henry's "curse" where everyone loves/admires him? Is this the kind of love Henry is after? Do you think the same happens as with Addie, that when they don't see him anymore they are out of love with him?

I thought it was a little strange earlier in the book how so many people seemed to be into Henry, but honestly I thought it was still supposed to be positively representing an average Brooklyn Hipster Dude sort of thing! Henry’s curse is pretty bad though, since the love is so obviously bespelled. People don’t see him for him, and he wants something real. Not sure if a similar thing happens as with Addie, where the effect wears off entirely when people are far enough away from Henry, but I guess it must at least lessen or else Henry would be literally beating admirers off with a stick.

21. We have a few side characters, any favorites among them or one you might want to get to know better?

I like Henry’s friends. His family, less so.

22. A small interlude in where Addie and Henry visit The Artfact. And Addie still gets surprised after 300 years. Do you have a favorite museum or art you like to go see?

I tend to be more interested in temporary exhibitions, no matter where they are installed, than in permanent museum collections. Just try to keep my eyes/ears open for new stuff. It’s hard with a kid sometimes, since we rarely agree on what sounds interesting… or how much time to spend on each visit… 😂