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

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

Alysa wrote: "Also, my Kindle version of The Blood Guard has 291 pages on GR, but 322 on Amazon, in case you captains think it is worth having someone look into editing the page count. I don’t care too much vis-..."

FYI, I DNF'd The Blood Guard, which was down for letter E.
But I also finished First Year, which can be moved from R to E if needed (character names are on spreadsheet).

Finished #s 19 and 20:


The Wrong Girl seemed so promising, but unfortunately was not good.

First Year, on the other hand, was a lot of fun! I will definitely continue the series.

@Amber
I just read First Year -- that was so much fun!

Also, my Kindle version of The Blood Guard has 291 pages on GR, but 322 on Amazon, in case you captains think it is worth having someone look into editing the page count. I don’t care too much vis-a-vis Wheelathon because it’s not a significant point difference, but of course I do like it when GR listings are correct :)

I added The Blood Guard to the spreadsheet. Will add link to edition when I get back on my laptop.
It’s got MPG Childrens so I checked for verified word count (it is 63170 words so it’s fine) but I didn’t see any good place to note that on the spreadsheet so I am putting it here. :)

It turns out that Spinning Silver also has R and B characters but I guess it’s best to leave it for E ... very lucky, that :)

Anyway, I should be done with it (and My Vanishing Country) by the end of the weekend.

More like a landscape than a scene, IMO, but it depends how/whether you make that distinction. :)

Finished that Harry Potter book! Yay.

@Emeli ... I just happened to notice, it looks like your current book doesn't meet the 160 minimum page count for Wheel...

Geri wrote: "We are doing great with all those Qs and Us! We make a good team. 😁"

Yeah this team is so on top of hard letters so far!

Welcome, Becky! I hope you will have a great time with this group!

Day 5 DQs - 83%-End

22. At the beginning of this section Viv is kind of freaking out over what she did. She starts to call the police, then changes her mind. Then she hears a car pull up and footsteps coming toward where she is. What would you do in this situation?
No idea, but I would be hella scared! I would probably be standing behind the door with the knife, waiting to see who those footsteps belonged to!

23. When Viv and Marnie are taking care of Simon Hess, another car pulls up and it's Alma. Did you anticipate her reaction to what was going on? Why or why not?
I suspected that she helped with the cover-up on the police records end, but not directly with the body, so I was a little surprised. I would have thought she'd push for Viv to face charges rather than run away, considering she would probably not have had too harsh a punishment under the circumstances.

24. Carly is being followed by Callum McCray (sp?) and loses him by pulling into Alma's driveway. Why does Alma cringe or flinch when she hears Callum's name?
Alma knows who Callum is, obviously, but had been unaware of his interactions with Carly up to that point.
To me, the Callum thing is one of the weakest points in this novel -- there's a weird supposition that he's inherited some of his murderous grandfather's tendencies, and the novel never really explains how he knew so much about Carly and when she'd be in the library in the first place. The rest of the book would have worked just fine without the Callum character, or at least without him being related to Hess, if Callum is just supposed to represent a different but also valid type of gender-based danger.

25. One of my favorite scenes was near the end when a ghost in a suit comes in to the motel lobby to check in. Carly doesn't want to touch the ghost so she snatches a key from the case and passes it over the counter. The ghost says "Oh good 209. My old home." I got the shakes just hearing it. Did you anticipate that ghost making an appearance?
I vaguely anticipated that. The fake name "James March" was in the guest book that one time during one of Carly's night shifts at the motel, so I knew he was around somewhere (though originally I didn't know if he'd be alive or ghostly!), but the scene in question also associates him with the cigarette smoke, which I thought was just supposed to be Henry the Smoking Man, so the smoke reference there was a slight cheat for the sake of atmosphere. That scene was indeed super creepy. I guess all the ghosts are linked only in the sense that everyone who ever died (or was dumped) here since Betty has become a ghost? Ghost Henry and the little boy from the pool don't have much relevance; they're just around for the extra creepy factor. Which is fine. It works. :)

26. Carly figures out what Viv did and gets to meet her aunt. Were you happy with the end of the story? If not, what would you have liked to see?
Like I expected in my previous DQ answers, I was 50% happy and 50% disappointed. I enjoyed this book overall, and am rounding my rating from 3.5 starts to 4, but I tend to find this sort of ending a little pat. I didn't buy the notion that no one in Fell ever recognized Viv when she moved back to town as Christine, not even her former roommate Jenny, and I didn't buy the thing with her hiding the notebook in the Candy machine only just when Carly came to town. (I mean, why? Besides the narrative opportunity to have Carly watch Nick tinkering with the candy machine, and planting a red herring that the Amenities room was particularly haunted? Okay...)
I liked where things ended for Carly and Nick, and I supposed I like that Viv "came out" as Viv after 35 years of hiding, though it would have been fine with me if she attempted to keep her cover as Christine. Given the actual outcome, I'd have liked a few more crumbs about Carly and Viv's relationship.

Finished The Sun Down Motel, updated on the BOM tab as well as the main planning tab :)

Challenge complete!
#12

Day 4 DQs - 64%-82% (ends "she plunged the knife back down")

17. Some of the major and minor questions developed throughout the story have been answered in this section: why young, pretty Helen was meeting with average Robert (Helen and her husband had planned to blackmail Robert); the connection of the girls' murders and their murderer (Simon Hess targetted women who were lonely); and why the murders had stopped after Viv had vanished (Simon was stabbed by Viv so he couldn't hurt any more girls). Did you see any of this coming? What clues gave it away?
I did wonder, after we learned that Simon had been missing since 1982 up until just before they found his body in his car, whether Viv had killed him and run away, or perhaps if they had killed each other in a final confrontation, though the latter would have involved either being in a hidden place, or having help. If Viv had killed him and run away, it would explain a lot (including why she left all her stuff and potentially what happened to Helen's blackmail money) though it would not completely explain, to my mind, why she didn't just stay and claim self defense. I guess she didn't think she would be missed, least of all by anyone in her family. Based on the whole thing with the barn pictures, I am also assuming that Marnie helped hide Simon's body, which would explain why Marnie has been so evasive.

18. Both Viv in 1982 and Carly in 2017 mentioned that Tracey might have been alive had her parents kept her in the house. This echoes the warnings that Fell parents have been giving their daughters: don't go jogging or don't work nights. What do you think of such advice? What else could Tracey, her parents, and her school have done to keep her safe from a predator?
Broadly speaking, these sorts of warnings don't do anyone any good. It's like victim blaming, or telling women never to go out anywhere at all because Big Bad Dangerous World of Men. I mean, it does pay to be cautious when there is an actual known serial murderer afoot and you might fit the victim profile, but that was not the situation in Fell as far as anyone besides Viv was concerned. I can also see why Tracy's parents and school did not take a random, anonymous, open-ended warning seriously, so I don't blame them for not acting. Hindsight is 20/20.

19. "The Sun Down Motel" has been tagged by 336 users as "Horror." What has been the most horrific scene for you so far? Is it a supernatural one or one connected to the murders?
Apart from the supernatural, this book is more suspense/thriller than horror, though of course I have always recognized that there are no clear lines between those things when it comes to genre in books or other media. Depending on how one defines horror, there are a number of scenes I could point to. Perhaps the scene where Viv, Nick, and Heather find Simon's body in the barn? It hits so many horror notes!

20. At the end of the last chapter set in 2017 in this section, Carly claims her aunt may have done something wrong (alluding to the stabbing of Simon). What do you think of Viv's actions? Do you think she was right or wrong, justified or unjustified in her actions?
It was self-defense at that point, really. Simon knew that Viv knew he was a serial killer, and would never have let her live. Was she right in her actions up to that point though? Following him around? I'd say that she was justified in her actions, in that the police would not help. One can debate the moral rectitude of vigilantism, but in this (fictional) case it was posited as the only way out.

21. With only 18% of the book left to go, what do you think will happen? Do you have an idea of what happened to Viv after she stabbed Simon? Do you think Marnie and Alma know what truly happened to Viv? Do you think Carly will find out what happened to Viv?
It is likely that Viv ran away with Helen's blackmail money and started a new life under an assumed name. I think Marnie helped with Simon's body, and Alma knows at least enough to have helped with a police cover-up (e.g. misplacing the phone records). I think Carly will find out what happened, and eventually find her living Aunt Viv, who will be like, "Wow, I didn't know my family would ever care about me!" If this is indeed how the book ends, I will be 50% happy, and 50% annoyed.

Day 3 DQs - 42%-64% (ends "'I'll take it' she said.")

13. Thoughts on Viv telling Mrs. White that her husband cheats on her. Do you think this is what gets her into trouble?
Seemed like it was just added for random color. If it ends up being what led to Viv's disappearance, that would be an interesting twist. Like, if it turns out that for all Viv's interest in linking those earlier murders together, her own was the unrelated result of one of the Whites being mad at her or something! I don't think I would like it if that's the case though. It seems too... out of left field, to the point where I'd be waaaay disappointed in the whole book.

14. We have another encounter with the angry man ( this makes at least 3) Who is he? Why is he important to the story?
Does this refer to Henry, the smoking man??? The ghost who calls Viv a bitch? Well we know he died in the office, some months after the boy drowned in the motel pool... Beyond that we don't yet know his significance. No idea why he cursed at Viv, if it was even Viv specifically that his anger was directed at.

15. Which story line (Carly or Viv's ) are you enjoying more? Why?
I like both equally. Both have good atmosphere, interesting interactions, and effective amateur investigations!

16. The ending of this section just raises more questions for me. If Viv buys a knife, didn't she get a chance to use it?
Where is the knife? Was it mentioned in the police reports? What do you think?
No idea but I'm assuming that she didn't get a chance to use it. Or she had it on her when she disappeared, but since she was never found, neither was the knife. Also, we now know that there was something hinky with the police investigation, e.g. checking phone records... so maybe there was some sort of big evidence cover-up. We'll see!

Day 2 DQs - 21% to 42% (ends "'Can we look at your pictures now?'")

6.) This section opens with some spooky stuff going on. If you saw literal ghosts in the creepy place you worked, would you split right away? Would you of left with sketchy-past Nick? Would you go back to work or think the overnight creep factor was making you see things that weren't really there?
I'd like to think I'd stick around and investigate, but in all likelihood I would be out of there super fast, only coming back -- in daylight and with some other people -- just to get my stuff.

7.) Viv listens to guests' phone conversations. There is the saying 'people who eavesdrop are seldom happy with what they hear'. Or something close to that anyway. Do you think she may over hear something that results in her disappearance? Would you listen in if you were Viv?
I would not listen in. I am a believer in privacy and ethics! I can see why she was tempted though, since she was so bored at night and one could argue that the people didn't seem real to her, but like characters in some weird TV drama apart from her. As for Viv overhearing something that results in her disappearance, I guess that is possible.

8.) There really have been several deaths of young women in Fell, especially factoring in the size of the town. Do you think they are all connected? Connected to Viv's disappearance? Do you buy into the police stance of no connection between any of them?
Seems like they are connected, yes. Or at least some of them. The police stance seems lazy to me, even for (or especially for?) a time before modern tech.

9.) What do you think of the complete laxness of management and staff at The Sun Down Motel? Anyone else wonder how the heck that place is still open? And more importantly, why?
So bizarre. In the Viv 1982 sections it just seems like laziness and apathy, but in the Carly 2017 sections it seems like there is more fear mixed in there. After all, the 2017 owner -- son of the 1982 owner, must have experienced decades of creepiness.

10.) Any thoughts on the candy machine? It keeps popping up in both timelines. Maybe nothing, but in this type of story, who knows.
HAUNTED CANDY MACHINE! LOL. I think it's partly the electronics always being icky because ghosts, and partly because of some bad stuff that may have happened in that Amenities room.

11.) Marnie and Callum are interesting additions to the character line-up, thoughts? Did you think it was strange that Marnie won't talk with Carly? Callum local nice boy-helper dude or creeper?
I liked the introduction of both characters (as well as another appearance by Alma Trent). No idea why Marnie would be hiding her Viv memories from Carly, but I am intrigued. Callum... I have not decided yet. I'm leaning towards local nice boy helper dude, but one never knows.

I remember reading somewhere a while ago that it's okay to use The Sun Down Motel for the task "Set in a Hotel" -- yes? Motel/Hotel/Inn are being treated as equivalent here?

I have finally show up for this partay! Usually I like to read through other people's comments but I'm coming in blind this time, so I can avoid spoilers :D

Day 1 DQs: 0-21% (ends "he opened the door.")

1. The Sundown Motel...what a perfect name for a motel! Have you ever stayed at a motel before...something like the Sundown? What was the name of the motel...Any interesting experiences come of that?

I grew up mainly in the Catskills region of upstate New York, so I can actually relate somewhat to the book. I can't recall actually sleeping in a motel like the Sun Down but I knew kids whose families owned or operated motels/hotels in the 1980s, when things in the area were well on their way to being run-down. My father (a musician) sometimes played gigs in the hotels. I would sometimes hang out in these places on weekends, after being invited to come use the pool or whatever, and it could be pretty creepy sometimes when the places were largely empty. But creepy more in the way of The Shining than of the Sun Down!

2. Viv is young and working alone. I don't think I would tolerate my daughter doing anything of the sort. What were you thinking from the 1st few pages? Viv comments..."Being with people was easy, but being alone was hard. Especially along in the dark. The person who could be truly alone, in the company of no one but oneself and one's own thought--that person was stronger than anyone else. More ready. More prepared."

Well, in some ways the early 1980s were a more innocent time in terms of younger people's odd jobs. I mean, obviously bad stuff happened all the time; but people were more naive about it, or at least more in denial! I think Viv was really trying to prove -- if only to herself -- that she could be a strong, independent woman. This is an admirable goal, though... maybe she should have just gone to NYC after all...

3. What do you think the significance of the door to number 103 banging open/shut is?

GHOSTS? Dunno enough yet. I guess there could be, like, live invisible people messing with her, but I don't think it's that kind of book, lol.

4. So far Carly's mom's reaction to seeing the newspaper clipping..."Vivian is dead" has really bothered me. What's your take? Have you already solved the case? Is Vivian dead?

She is probably dead, though I guess it's still possible that she just fled or was taken, and has a new life somewhere. Maybe it's like The Watcher in the Woods and she was trapped in another dimension or something. But again, probably not that kind of book!

5. What did you think about the dual timeline between Viv and Carly? In what ways are Viv and Carly very similar? How are they different?

I like the dual timeline. I think it's working pretty well here. Viv and Carly seem extremely similar so far, though Carly is perhaps a little more worldly. Which makes sense, given they are both products of their times.

Laura wrote: "If any one is interested for Round 3, at least the first Harry Potter is tagged Freedom, and has a Q character."

HP #s 2, 4, and 7 (at least!) are tagged Winter:
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

I've been reading #4 (Goblet of Fire) since Wheel started but without a known finish date because I'm reading it out loud to my daughter.
I saw the tag when researching for Round 2, but knew it would not be finished in time. Now I'm hoping extra hard that it'll be finished during Round 3!
Should be doable. Currently have 2/3 finished and it's been almost 4 weeks, so the last 3rd could conceivably be finished within 2 more weeks... :D