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

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

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Alysa wrote: "BTW it looks like July BOMs have been chosen. They both have long holds at my library. I'm putting in requests now and we'll see what happens. They both have audio on Scribd too, but...."

Apparently there is one ebook copy of Addie LaRue available at one of my libraries right NOW, but that is waaaay to soon and of course when I do need it there will probably be a line again. Dammit!

Tina ❣ wrote: "In regards to tasks, Bingo and jackonary, I dedicate my weekend to updating them all. Tasks and Bingo are still a priority at the moment to complete as much as possible. We can start working on Jac..."

I feel like the super hard tasks & bingo remaining are high priority but the easier ones can wait until we do some Jackonaries. We are still less than 1/2 way through TT and there are not that many tasks & bingo left (especially it you don’t count the ones that are claimed but reading is still in progress).
Otherwise we are going to end up spending the entire final month writing Jackonaries, and a lot of them will be repetitive because of BOMs, and the people who read less won’t have had much of a crack at easy tasks & bingo before those of us who read more have taken everything.
Plus the people who read more can rush in to cover any remaining easy tasks near the end if needed, whereas it may be harder to cover if we need more books to complete Jackonaries, depending on what the stories need.

ETA: if it helps, I volunteer to remove a couple of my claims on “easy” tasks such as YA MPG and rec-from-a-different-team. I will still read the same books but they could be more useful in Jackonaries, and those empty “easy” spots can be held open for July!

And maybe for people who have trouble matching their Read books to a task or bingo, from now on those books automatically go in Jackonary?

Completion Post


details on spreadsheet

Alysa wrote: "Ugh I am DNFing The Knife's Edge
Not even Tim Gerard Reynolds' narration can save this book. And it is especially annoying because I actually own ebooks of the next two installments..."

I think I will go with the high fantasy one, but it may go best for #47 Sword on Cover, which is currently taken by Christina T. but she hasn’t been around in a while. @Caps and @Christina, is it okay if I take over that task? Christina if you finish your book after all, we could use it for something else, no?

ETA: Nevermind! Somebody mentions "meat pies" in Chapter 2, so I can use it for Bingo D8 ! 😀

BTW it looks like July BOMs have been chosen. They both have long holds at my library. I'm putting in requests now and we'll see what happens. They both have audio on Scribd too, but... yeah, we’ll see what happens.


@Caps do my eyes deceive me or does the first Sticky Post say we have a new teammate???

Ugh I am DNFing The Knife's Edge
Not even Tim Gerard Reynolds' narration can save this book. And it is especially annoying because I actually own ebooks of the next two installments as well, because I chipped in to a couple of Kickstarters. D:

I replaced it w/something else already, for the same task but not an audio.

For my next long audiobook, I am debating between a different high fantasy also narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds (he is never the problem, lol) and a biography of Jim Henson, which would be kind of fun for a Jackanory. "Jim Henson walked into ... a dark magical land... with wolves... and ate a sandwich..." XD

completion post


details on spreadsheet
including BOM info


details on spreadsheet

After finishing that second one, which I read aloud to my daughter, I talked her into letting me start reading her The Wee Free Men next. She became instantly obsessed! We've gotten through a pretty big chunk of it already! Cat will be pleased to know she's got at least one new Pratchett fan for sure.
:D :D :D

ETA: I've tentatively got The Wee Free Men down for Bingo H3 (second choice after Karen took "Crivens!" lol!) but @Caps please move it wherever you want on my alternate options, even if I haven't finished it yet. I dunno where it'll be most useful. I could be overestimating how many of other people's books have got sheep, for instance!

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "Thanks Tina for the update, pretty sure we can do all those tasks by the end of the challenge. 😊"

I have stuff ready for so many of them, just don't wanna claim too many, lol!

We're gonna have to start creating Jackanories pretty soon in any case. I think I mentioned somewhere that I don't think I'm very good at that sort of thing. We'll see what happens...

DQs - Day 5

21. Even though Nora loved her life with Ash and Molly she still returned to the library. Were you surprised that she didn’t stay? Did you want her to stay in that life?

Not surprised at all, because it's already been explained when Nora knows she is taking the life of a different "Nora" who really belongs there, and also because of how she reacted to what had changed for people like Leo etc. when she wasn't in her Root life. I did not want her to stay, even though it was indeed a nice life for her.

22. When Nora reconnects with her brother Joe she finds out that the reason he had been avoiding her was nothing to do with her decision not to continue with the band. I think that Nora’s experiences in her other lives helped her to accept that this was the truth. Her old self was so wrapped up in thoughts that she was responsible for other people’s happiness I feel she may have thought he was just trying to be kind due to her suicide attempt. What are your thoughts?

I thought Joe seemed genuine, and had been shaken into speech by Nora's suicide attempt.

23. Were you happy with the ending? Where would you like Nora’s story to go next?

The ending was nice, though extremely sentimental and completely expected. I have no particular desire for where Nora's story should go next.

24. Nora got to experience so many lives and possibilities - different careers, different relationships and the chance to live in places all over the world. If you were able to experience another life what would you want to experience?

I'm not sure I'd want to experience other lives the way that the "sliders" in this book do, but I wouldn't mind trying out living in different places, trying out different relationships etc., just for a day, without Root Life consequences. It's only that thinking about doing certain things differently, as the precipitating condition of trying those things, seems to me too much like dwelling on what-ifs or regrets. Like, "If I had/had not done X when I was in high school, my life would be completely different now."

25. Did you enjoy the book? Was there anything in the story that resonated with your own life? Is there a message you will take away with you?

I enjoyed it in a Hollywood RomCom sort of way. It wrapped up a little too neatly and over-explained how Life Is Full Of Possibilities. I appreciated the book's take on not letting regret eat you up, but I'm also a little more cynical and take the view that at some point, being an adult means realizing that you've already burned through a lot of your potential and it's unrealistic to think you could still do anything you set your mind to. That is just not so. It doesn't mean you have to regret your past, it just means facing the fact that certain doors are permanently closed.

Bonus: While reading the story certain parts reminded me of films and TV shows I’ve enjoyed. Films like ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ and ‘Sliding Doors’ or tv shows like ‘Sliders’ and ‘Quantum Leap’. Are there any films, shows or books that you were reminded of?

Definitely all the ones you mentioned, plus A Christmas Carol and its derivatives like Scrooged!

DQs - Day 4

6. What were your thoughts on the interview Nora did? Did she handle it well? What do you make of her thoughts on life in this interview compared to the speech she gave as a champion swimmer?

I thought she handled it very well. The context certainly made it easier to fake her way through it! Talking to a couple of podcast journalist dudes about music in your hotel room seems a lot less stressful than doing a $15k talk in front of a room full of people expecting a motivational speaker, anyway!

17. Nora tries for a simpler life working at animal shelter. Did you see this as a life for Nora at all during the book? Do you think she will incorporate this into her chosen life? If not, what will she take from this life if anything at all?

This one seemed a surprising choice, and led to some interesting lessons for Nora that I think she already incorporated into her approach to subsequent choices. Kindness, not taking over a life meant for a different "Nora," thinking outside the box of her more "extreme" regrets.

18. In 'The Many Lives of Nora Seed', we are given a large summary of all the other lives she tried. Did any stand out to you? Did you think any of these lives would have suited her? Do any relate to what you would want to experience or have thought about experiencing? I was amused by the life where she only ate toasts and like hearing about her lives abroad. Though was a bit concerned with all the lives she chokes on something.

I had actually been waiting for the book to do something like this, a list of brief snippets of random lives that all seemed equally likely or unlikely, and less "extreme" than Olympic Swimmer! or Famous Rockstar! and such. All the better to show Nora that there's no such thing as perfect, just a gazillion equally valid lives.

19. The life with RyanAsh was the one I was waiting for when reading. What do you make of it so far and what do you think will happen? I thought she would stay in this one and was intrigued about the family life she had built.

I like this one, as it's super close to her Root Life, basically showing Nora what things could have been like with basically a super small, relatively recent tweak. I think she won't want to steal this reality from it's version "Nora" but will use it to decide she wants to find the book where she simply did not decide to kill herself. Just to go back to that moment and decide she wants to live, and take different actions to improve her situation. Was "Ash" in the Root Life or the "Cat Died Under the Bed" Life mentioned as being single? If so, I assume she'll then ask him out eventually. Maybe after getting herself a new job or going back to school or something, just being more assertive.

20. What are your thoughts of Mrs Elm as her guide? Do you think she does a good job or could do something better? What advice would you give if you were in her position?

I think she does a good job. Great librarians help people learn to help themselves, and that's what this Mrs. Elm is doing.

@Karen -- I've had The Conductors from NetGalley for a while -- your 3 star rating makes me nervous!
I'm going to read it over the next few months, not sure whether it'll be during or after TT. Hopefully I'll like it more than you did.

Diane ~Firefly~ wrote: "Can someone confirm if there is a rodent on this cover? I'm not quite sure what animal is on the right side.

"


Weird! It looks like some kind of bird/rodent hybrid or something :/

@Rosina and @Tina --
A candy shop or a Tea shop! *loves*

DQs - Day 3

11. Regarding the system error, that occurred when Nora tried to return to the library after that speech. Do you think Nora could have trouble returning to the library from one of the next lives that she visits?

Maybe, but the metaphysics here are so fuzzy that I have no idea why she might or might not have trouble! At first I thought it was because she was closer to death in her Root reality, but later stuff makes it seem like that might not matter, because of the whole "frozen midnight" thing. IDK.

12. But you will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. (p. 151) Do you think Nora is going to "find the meaning of life", "be happy forever in a parallel life", or "will want to die and leave the library forever"?

The book seems to be headed for "Nora finds the meaning of life" by deciding she wants to live in her Root Life after all, having been saved and waking up in a hospital bed, and going on to try to make the most of things.

13. Are you surprised about Nora meeting Hugo, another Slider, as he calls people like them in the in-between?

Yes, that was interesting. Though extremely convenient that Hugo can somehow recognize other "sliders" by their vague behavior.

14. For Nora it's a library, for Hugo it's a video store. What do you imagine would your variant of the in-between be? (And obviously you are not allowed to say library now, because I'm guessing most of us would go with that answer. Be creative and let me know what else you would feel comfortable with.)

WHAT NO LIBRARIES?!?!? No fair, lol. But if not that, then perhaps a restaurant where tasting different foods would represent the different lives.

15. We finally get to see Nora's life as a rock star. In what direction do you think this will go? Is it going to be the life Nora is happiest with and stays the longest/forever? Or do you think that she's going to leave it rather soon again?

Well it seems good so far, but -- as with the Olympic Swimmer one -- there's a dark side peeking through, pretty blatantly. I mentioned somewhere for a previous DQ that some of these lives are unrealistically extreme. Like, not just an athlete but an Olympian; not just a musician but a Superstar! Maybe Nora could find a life that's less extreme, duh. Like one where she's a musician but not a huge global superstar. Like, would it have been that hard to imagine a life where she stayed in the band but drew some lines about subsequent choices?

DQs - Day 2

6. Were you surprised that Nora's second choice was related to her cat? What did you think of the outcome?

The cat thing was a bit weird, like it was only put there so the book could explain concepts to the reader as opposed to so that Nora could learn something, or the choice being in keeping with the character. Although for both the reader and for Nora it was interesting to show how some regrets are pointless if there's absolutely nothing you could have done differently that would have changed an eventual outcome.

7. How did the reality of Nora's Australia line up with what you imagined it would be like?

So different at first, but not so different when you think about it...

8. What did you think about the similarities between Nora's life in Australia versus her original life?

... Ah, that's exactly it. Nora's getting "stuck" when tragedy strikes is indeed keeping with her character in the Root Life. It's really not different at all, except for her friend being dead.

9. On the surface, Nora's life with a swimming career seems to be the most successful so far. Do you think the positives will outweigh the negatives this time around?

This is one of those things where the perspective seems a little off. The Olympian Nora who exists in that life probably thinks the positives outweigh the negatives (and is self-aware enough that she's in therapy, which will hopefully help her a bit), but the Nora we know can see that that's not necessarily the case. And the pos/neg things here seem really extreme! Especially since "our" Nora can barely relate. The author is being too didactic.

10. Any predictions for how Nora's speech will go in the next chapter?

I think she'll fade out, back to the Library, before she ends up embarrassing herself too badly.

Completion post


On spreadsheet

Well I guess some people think that Canada is like the Australia of the North!? 😆

I would so love to visit Australia someday
*sigh*

Tina ❣ wrote: "Alysa wrote: "@Caps - can you ask for a page count to be added to this edition?:
Winging It

Seems to be 300 pages (which is in line with the other editions on GR). More info here:..."

Yay, I just saw the new Kindle edition has been created! Thanks :)

In other news, I ended up starting Midnight Library last night after all. Just could not keep myself away from the shiny new object LOL

DQs - Day 1

1. Were you planning to read this book before it became a BOM? If so, what drew you to it?

Hah, see, it was on my radar for several months (I first heard of it via a library marketing campaign), and I had it in my "maybe" tabs for possibly requesting on NetGalley, and then I ruled it out. Too mainstream lit for me; with a fantasy aspect shaped for people who don't read fantasy. I read How to Stop Time a couple of years ago and that was my reaction.

2. What do you think of Matt Haig’s writing style (and those short chapters!) and how he has set the story up so far?

He's a good writer and he sets up the story well. I just wish he'd turn his talents in a different direction. It's like watching a Hollywood RomCom when you'd rather be watching, like, a François Ozon movie.

3. What are your thoughts on Nora? Are you attached to her yet?

I like that she's kind of realistically effed-up. Some of the details are a bit OTT (not just a swimmer but an Olympic hopeful! Not just a musician but Almost Famous!) but her depression, self-sabotage, and erasure for the sake of a man are actually quite solidly depicted, and even relatable.

4. If you were somehow able to, would you want to see all of the different outcomes that could have played out in your own life? Or would you rather just leave things as they are without ever knowing?

There are some that I would not mind seeing, like some relatively minor ones (I think they're minor anyway!) but I don't think I'd want to see any major ones! I already tend towards nostalgia in a way that makes me maudlin more often than not, and seeing alternate Roads Not Taken would probably exacerbate the tendency!

5. What did you think about Nora’s first glimpse at a road not taken? Were you surprised by which book she chose to open first or by how quickly it disappointed her?
You see, doing one thing differently is very often the same as doing everything differently.

I wasn't surprised by her first choice, since we've already been told that her feelings about the break-up with Dan are still so fresh and so mixed. (Maybe the next several book choices will flow straight backwards in time?) Hard to say whether her disappointment in "The Pub Life" felt too quick, since her perspective is already skewed. Like, if she were actually that reality's version of Nora, maybe she'd still have been happier? But given that she's the Nora that we know, so to speak, I get it. The pub thing was never really her dream in the first place, and Dan seems like kind of a #$@#.