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

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

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "Like your ending thoughts, Alysa. You were pretty close with who the mystery enabler was. And I agree, Lyle and his family were great. Bess landed on her feet there."

Lyle is everybody’s new Book Boyfriend.
I don’t think Bess will mind sharing him with all of us. 😁

Jessica wrote: "The book ended up being 4 stars for me solely because the ending felt WAY rushed and out of the blue. It seemed a bit..out of place how extremely happy the ending was. Not to say that they didn't d..."

This!

DQ Day 5 - Chapters 19-end

20. Charlotte has a very bad reaction to being returned. Do you think this is normal? Why do you think she reacted so extremely?

I don't think there is any one "normal" way to react to being put through such a crazy situation. But it does make sense to me that she would take badly to being cooped up again like a prisoner, and separated from her real mother, after experiencing plenty of good new things along with the bad.

21. Do you agree with Alexandra's decision to not pay Ned? Do you think she was right in doing this?

I agree with that decision in the context of his shady deal to sell out his sister and take Charlotte back. But later on down the line, after the end of the book (because he's only been sentenced to two months transportation, yeah?) it might be nice to see if Bess and Lyle giving him and his wife a bit of money would help him get back on the straight and narrow. He's not all bad, deep down; he's an addict, and sometimes addicts can recover if the right kind of help is given.

22. Alexandra seems to be very affected by the events that have happened. She seems less afraid, although maybe more reactive. She also manages to go outside for a short time. Do you think it will last? Will she improve? Why?

The OTT suddenness with which this book had Alexandra recover from her decades-long phobias leads me to believe her improvement will last. Soon she'll be performing arias in the opera house! See, that is about equally realistic! Hawhaw.

23. The two women come up with an interesting arrangement for Charlotte and came to understand each other better in the end. Do you think that this could have happened if Bess hadn't lied?

It's a really nice arrangement, and neither this nor any other arrangement could every have happened if Bess hadn't lied. I agree with Lyle's pointing out that Alexandra would never have let Bess in the door without Bess' original pretense and manipulation of Dr Mead.
(I'm still not quite sure I get how Bess and Dr Mead's conversation went down, though. Like "Oh, dear sweet Dr Mead, I once had a baby, and your hospital lost her, but I'd feel ever so much better if you found me a job as a nursemaid to that girl I just met in church who is the same age my baby would have been and has a shut-in for a mother. Can u pleez make 2 happen?")

24. The ending had lots of happy events. Did you like it? Do you think it was realistic?

It was all too perfect, to the point of being quite pat. That was annoying. It could still have been happy ending without being so pat. I don't need total realism, but I don't need treacle either.
I theorized in DQ Day 2 that "Maybe Ambrosia was a hospital patron and thought her widowed shut-in sister could do with a newborn baby, and had Bess followed home to find out her name and address"! So, I wasn't toooo far off there, except that I didn't clock that Ambrosia specifically knew that the baby in question was Daniel's, as opposed to just any newborn to fill poor Alexandra's empty life. Makes Ambrosia seem really underhanded though, because she learned enough about Bess to suspect that Bess might actually show up at Foundling Hospital to reclaim the baby someday. Maybe a better approach would have been to make contact with Bess and offer to sponsor Baby Clara, or to adopt and bring her up as Daniel's legitimate daughter in the first place? Just a thought.
I also got the impression that Dr Mead's dreamy opinion of Alexandra significantly deteriorated after that scene where she basically implied that she would rather see Bess in prison than admit to her own lies, should they end up in court over custody of the child. So I was perplexed when Dr Mead apparently forgot all about that and they ended up together.
I enjoyed this book but didn't love it, and that's largely down to these ending bits. I do love Lyle and his giant family, though! What a guy!

Jessi wrote: "Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "I've reserved the YA Book of the month from our Library but can't volunteer for DQ's because I don't know if I will get it in ..."

Same here, for both The Firekeeper's Daughter and The Midnight Library!
Audiobook of the former is available on Scribd though, if that helps anybody.

Looks like June BOMs have been chosen...

LOL they're both books that I have waffled on for a while but ultimately decided not to add to my TBR. I guess I shall have to reverse that decision!

Completion Post!

Finished The Lost Orphan last night.
Details on spreadsheet.

I didn't look for several task options, just put it on the first likely candidate, but it does work for at least one BINGO :)

DQ Day 4 - Chapters 14-18

15. Knowing how Alexandra's parents died and seeing her state of mind after being surprised by Dr. Mead, Eliza, and Charlotte in masks, has your perception of Alexandra changed in any way?

An explanation is not the same as an excuse. What happened to her was terrible and it's not a stretch that her trauma would manifest as PTSD or a kind of severe agorophobia. But she's a huge snob on top of it, and the way she's raised Charlotte is pretty bad too. What's more, she's aware of it it but can't bring herself to change anything. A lot of wealthy girls back then would have been brought up pampered and sheltered but this obviously goes well beyond any norm.

16. What do you think of Bess running away with Charlotte? Looking at her reasons do you think she is being selfish or doing what is best for Charlotte?

This is a tricky one, because it's hard to know if Bess truly thinks that Alexandra -- during a violent fit that for all Bess knows is common -- is a clear and present danger to Charlotte, or has just decided to tell herself so. I don't think she's being selfish per se, but neither is she doing what's best for Charlotte.

17. What do you think of Lyle and his willingness to help Bess escape with her daughter? Do you think he will remain in Bess's life?

Lyle is great! Bess really found herself a good'un. I hope he is exactly what he seems, and they live happily ever after, growing tomatoes.

18. Was anyone surprised by Ned's theft of Eliza's money or subsequent betrayal of Bess? What kind of deal do you think he made for himself in exchange for information about Bess?

Not surprised at all. Only surprised that Ned hadn't stolen all of the money years ago. I think he got himself promises of reward money (though whether he'll actually get any money remains to be seen). What a jackhole.

19. Charlotte certainly went through a lot in a short time during this section. How well do you think she handled the reality of being on the run with Bess? What do you think her reaction will be to being returned to Alexandra?

Six year old kids are pretty adaptable. I think she'll carry the experience inside her little memory bank, but will be happy to go back to Alexandra -- at least for a little while, until she gets tired all over again of being locked up in the house. But she won't talk about any of it, as Alexandra does not exactly invite confidences.

Judith wrote: "He doesn't seem like that horrid of a person and a bit man-dumb. "

Hahaha, man-dumb!

DQ Day 3 - Chapters 11-13

11. Do you think the author has been able to give Bess and Alexandra individual voices? Do you like books with multiple points of view?

I do think the author has given the two women distinctive voices. When the book first switched to Alexandra's POV, I was a little taken aback because I just hadn't realized the book wouldn't be purely from Bess' POV, and also because there had clearly been a brief time jump or a missing scene wherein Bess and Dr Mean concocted the plan to get Bess into Alexandra's house (still assuming that "Eliza" is Bess, hahaha).
My liking of books with multiple POVs depends on the book, really! It can work really well when done by a good writer and/or in service of a particular story. But in the wrong hands it can be awful, confusing, corny, or pointless.

12. What do you think ‘Eliza’ and Agnes were talking about in the kitchen? Do you think either Agnes or Maria know that Charlotte came from the Foundling home?

I think Eliza was trying to talk to Agnes about Alexandra's strangeness or about how she's parenting Charlotte -- though Agnes might not have said much. Agnes and Maria have been working for Alexandra at least a decade at this point, and seem pretty loyal (at least Alexandra thinks they are!). They must know that Charlotte was adopted, but perhaps not the details. Unless it was one of them involved in the scheme to pose as the baby's mother! IDK with this book XD

13. I think that Alexandra will get much worse re her fears of the outside after the mask prank. Do you think her thoughts about ‘Eliza’ will suffer because of it?

She's already so afraid. I'm not sure it can get much worse! I guess she could start insisting that nobody ever leave the house, not even for church anymore. She may try to fire Eliza again.

14. Do you believe that Dr Mead was telling the truth about not knowing about what happened to Alexandra’s parents? Why has he lied about who ‘Eliza’ is?

I do think he was telling the truth about not knowing the story of Alexandra's parents. They murder happened 30 years ago, far outside of London, and I don't know if that's something Daniel would have wanted to tell his old friend about his strange wife. Perhaps even Daniel did not know the entirety of the story.
In the "missing scene" that must have occured between the shift from Bess' to Alexandra's POV, Bess could have confided in Dr Mead her suspicion that Charlotte is Baby Clara, and the reasons why. He then may have wanted to help her get close to Charlotte but without upsetting Alexandra, with whom he seems a little bit infatuated.
And none of this conflicts with the possibility that Charlotte is not actually Clara. Having been out of town when Daniel died and maybe for some time after, Dr Mead wouldn't have known one way or another whether Alexandra ever bore a baby of her own. If Charlotte had been adopted from the Foundling Hospital, he could have found that out in the interim, but we just don't know enough yet.

*sees Tina call Merlin a tv series from her childhood*

*checks air dates: 2008-2012*

*feels extremely old*

Well we did see a red-headed "Ned" turn up to talk to Eliza by Alexandra's back garden, and a woman strongly implied to be Kez waiting for her outside. So it'd be a pretty deep con on the part of the author if Eliza is not Bess...

Jessi wrote: "Finished Interview with the Vampire.

I'm thinking Anne Rice just isn't for me. This is my second book by her and I didn't really enjoy this one at all."

Ah see, your mistake is not being 12 years old when first reading Anne Rice.

Completion Post

The Russian Cage

Details on spreadsheet (assuming from a previous post that you don't need them all here as well ;D)

I will also go through the BINGO list again tonight and try to add some options for that too!
ETA: eh, nevermind, I don't think there's anything good for BINGO.

DQ Day 2 - Chapters 6-10

6. Were you surprised to find out Daniel had a wife? I personally was super surprised as I originally believed him when he said he was single. What do you think of the way Daniel died?

I was somewhat surprised, yes! But I guess I shouldn't have been, considering how Bess met him and all. I think he died a little oddly. His medical history as given so far seems really weird. Maybe he was being poisoned or something!

7. How do you think Alexandra Callard knew about Bess and her daughter?

I'm not entirely convinced she did, or at least not in detail. Maybe Ambrosia was a hospital patron and thought her widowed shut-in sister could do with a newborn baby, and had Bess followed home to find out her name and address, and it's just fate that the baby happened to be Daniel's, all still unbeknownst to Ambrosia and Alexandra. It would not be the first huge coincidence in this book (e.g., Bess meeting Alexandra and Charlotte at the chapel on her first outting with Dr Mead).

8. What do you think of the way Alexandra and Charlotte live? Do you think Alexandra keeps Charlotte home to stop her from being recognized or because she is truly scared of the real world?

I think Alexandra is extremely neurotic, due to some as-yet-unexplained trauma in her past. She was already living like that long before Charlotte was born. It's a little surprising that Ambrosia hasn't insisted upon Charlotte being let out of the house more often though, or just taken a bit of a firmer hand with Alexandra's issues insofar as they most directly affect Charlotte.

9. "Eliza" has been fired on her first day. What do you think of Alexandra's reasoning for firing her? Do you think part of Alexandra knows that she is Charlotte's real mom?

Again, I think Alexandra is just extremely neurotic, and also quite insecure about her own lack of warmth and maternal instincts. She is looking for an excuse to take back her agreement to employ "Eliza" in her home. I don't think Alexandra suspects anything about her being Charlotte's real mother (if she even is, and there's no huge twist coming).

10. Do you think Bess will find a way to still see her daughter? How?

I haven't read ahead so I'm actually thinking that Alexandra will walk it back the firing in the morning, and let "Eliza" stay on. Otherwise, this book would be a lot shorter...

Nearly done with first book! If I fall asleep tonight before finishing it, I'll finish tomorrow by lunch.

My family's school and work schedules (including mine, consequently) are just now changing dramatically and one of the bright sides is that I'll be getting some big chunks of my solo commute back. Boo for trains, but yay for extra weekday reading time :)

DQ Day 1 - Chapters 1-5

1. How are you liking the writing style ? Are you enjoying the story so far?

I like the style, and I'm enjoying the story so far. I don't read a ton of non-fantasy Historical Fiction, so when I do it'd better paint a vivid enough picture for me to get into the setting and feel something for the characters. So far this does fit the bill.

2. After reading that opening scene, what do you think of the practice of the Hospital taking babies based on a lottery (the coloured balls in the bag)?

'Twould be awful to be among those whose babies were not taken in by the Foundling Hospital, but at least the lottery is meant to be as fair a system as possible -- IF you take certain constraints (available space and resources) as a given. Could they just take all the babies if they installed more beds, or if their donors give more financial support, etc? Maybe! Are they actively trying to maintain an air of exclusivity? Maybe!

3. At some point Bess says that "knowing she [Clara] could be anywhere instead of nowhere at all was torture even more exquisite." Implying that not knowing where her child is is worse than knowing she's dead. What's your opinion ? Or would you rather not know?

OMG that's a terrifying question as a mother, but I know myself pretty well and I would definitely want to know. I hate not knowing. Even when something is not knowable, the continuing process of looking for an answer can be a comfort in itself for me, rather than just giving up.

4. What do you make of the child's father, Daniel Callard ? Everyone keeps asking Bess if he's really dead. Do you suspect there's more to Daniel than we've been told so far?

Daniel just seemed kind of typical, honestly. Maybe rather less callous than your average merchant-class boy slummin' it with a lower-class girl whom he intends to never see again, but certainly not someone who would have, like, dropped everything and married Bess if he'd known she was pregnant. People keep asking Bess if he's really dead, but besides Kez aren't they all like "The father''s dead, right???" because Bess still hasn't told anyone else in her circle who the father even was. At least that was my understanding.

5. Time for your theories ! Who do you think claimed Clara on the 28th of November 1747, the day after Bess gave up her baby?

Probably totally wrong, but I think Ned made a deal. I think Ned brought Catherine (or some other girlfriend of his at the time) to the hospital to claim the baby - for free, most likely, since it had only been a day! -- because he knew of someone who specifically wanted a newborn and would pay cash money for one. Ned would have known Bess's token, and gave the true name and address just as a nod towards honesty and because he's not especially creative. Or maybe this book has a surprise!unreliable narrator scheme and it really was Bess herself and she is nuts and can't remember?! I don't actually think it's that kind of book though, haha.

Sally906 wrote: "I am going to start with Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett"

Nice! If I do decide to re-read that for the BOM, I will wait until closer to when the DQs start, so it’s fresh as fresh can be in my mind. Same reason I’m not starting The Lost Orphan until tomorrow night 🙂

I’ve started tonight with The Russian Cage, which is pretty good so far.

Christina T wrote: "I am also excited to see the starting time as my Friday 7pm although I won't be able to start reading until much later as I have plans with family during that time."

My partner was just saying maybe we can watch a particular movie tomorrow night, and I was like “How DARE you, sir?!?!?!”


Karen wrote: "It hardly ever works as a good time in Australia, but we are used to being the problem children when it comes to timezones. haha"

Or you’re good, and it’s the rest of the world that’s the problem? 😆

Cat wrote: "There's a lovely article here, about TP: https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/ch..."


Aw, that IS lovely!
I think I might have so start my daughter on these books soon 🥰

Tina ❣ wrote: "I forgot to mention that if anyone wants a tab on the SS to track their own books for this challenge, then feel free to add a tab for yourself and organise as you would like. Otherwise I can create..."

I'll probably grab a tab soon. I usually track various tidbits and ideas in my own private documents too so it'll be nice to have things in one spot!