Bernadette’s Comments (group member since May 28, 2020)

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

He's back! Take a look at your books that haven't been used to see what may fit.....

Typhon



Typhon aka the Father of Monsters has been spotted on your lands. Very hard to kill and not known for showing mercy.

To vanquish this monster you must:
1.) Read a book between 500 and 650 pages (inclusive).
2.) Read a book that mentions a volcano
3.) Read a book with lightning on the cover
4.) Read a book where the title contains all the letters in ZEUS
5.) Read a book where a MC is a father

Alaina - looks like the following need to be added to your TT shelf:

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass
Malum: Part 1
Just Like That

I occasionally check the total on the official SS to your TT shelf total to make sure either of us haven't missed anything😉

Melissa - how should entries on our tracking SS somehow be marked if they are being used for the Trojan War so we don't use them for the Mini?

I’m with you all on being confused but I’ll read a book if you need me to. Just let me know!

DQs Day Three - 18 Jun
"There came a day in laste summer..."
"Angrboda agreed." 62%

11. I love how the myths surrounding Loki are casually mixed into this book. I'm a fan of Norse mythology, though I don't know a ton about it. Do you know or enjoy Norse mythology? Do you like how the author is incorporating it into her book?

I had no idea! I just looked it up and it's amazing how the stories are similar.

12. "Was I wrong to not tell them the world may not accept the the way they are?"
This is Angrboda's question after not only Loki's other wife, but Loki himself, refers to their children as monsters. How would you answer her question? Was she right to try and protect and hide them from the Nine Worlds? Should she have gone about it in a different manner?

She probably should have tried to explain that they are different, and the world has trouble accepting people who are different.

13. What an ending to Part One! Did you see what was to come? Did you already know the myths before or were you completely surprised? If you already knew the myth, did you like the author's interpretation of events? Were you as angry at the world as I was reading all that happened to Angrboda and her children, cause I was ready to fight!

I had no idea! I just looked it up and it's amazing how the stories are similar. I'm enjoying the book.

14. It seems that Angrboda's dreams can now transport her into other's thoughts. Do you think this is a one-off event because of how much stress she was under? If not, how do you think she'll use this skill from now on?

Her abilities seem to keep changing with each death.

15. So Angrboda has a new voice in her head. Who do you think the voice belongs to? Do you think it's connected to Angrboda's seeming inability to die? Do you think it's a friend or a foe?

I think it's a friend. No spoilers after :)

Paris wrote: "Does Great Britain count as an island…?

From wikipedia “Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe”"

I say yes. It is the largest island in Europe, and consists of England, Scotland, and Wales. Ireland is also an island.

I confirmed this on the captains chat.

Also, they said Manhattan also qualifies as an island.

DQs Day 2 — "He stayed with her as the days ..." to "... given her daughter a new obsession" - 40%

6. After Angrboda performs seid for the first time again, she starts having dreams where she hears someone calling to and beckoning her. Angrboda doesn't believe it to be Odin at first, but her suspicion changes over time. Who do you think it could be?

Probably Odin - he seems to be on her mind.

7. Skadi reappears in this section, having left her husband behind. Do you think he'll come back into the story later? Why do you think she chose a husband as recompense in the first place?

As a woman she is supposed to have a husband? Because she feels left out by Angrboda?

8. Hel was born with "dead" legs (or dead flesh on fully functioning legs? I'm honestly a little confused by it) and when she over exerts herself she starts turning blue. Angrboda attributes this to when she tried to save her daughter — but I'm not so sure. Do you have any theories on what the cause could be? Is it as simple as Angrboda believes, or do you think it's something bigger to be revealed later on?

She may have died in womb and been reborn but not completely.

9. There have been several mentions of a witch who birthed a race of wolves who chase the sun and moon so far in the story — and now Angrboda has given birth to a wolf. Do you think she is the Old one the stories reference? Or, if not, do you think we will meet that character later on?

Probably - I can't imagine there are many wolf=bearing women

10. Angrboda decides not to tell Loki about his and his family's involvement in her vision of the beginning of the end. What do you think of her decision? Do you think she made the right choice in not telling him?

Absolutely. He's not always there and not involved in their daily lives.

Alysa wrote: "3.) Read a book where a character engages in some sort of trickery (your interpretation).

I think either of the books I finished the other day would work for this, but especially Black Sheep:
Ant..."

Alysa - I got all of the task descriptions from Team Pandora and they have the monster marked a defeated so I am comfortable with them all.

DQs Day 1
Beginning to "... a promise she knew that she couldn't keep."

1.) What attracted you to this book? BOM points? That COVER? Because of the Norse Retelling angle to the story? Any expectations you'd like to share?

Points

2.) What did you think of Angrboda's first meeting with Loki? I mean he brought her heart back in his knapsack basically because he was bored. But he was so charming, I'm not sure I'd care either. Though it didn't hurt I kept picturing him as Tom Hiddleston. LOL

I like them together. I have no idea who Tom Hiddleston is.

3.) Thoughts on Skadi? Why do you think she helped Angrboda in the first place? And to such an extent? If Skadi was male, how different do you think that interaction would of been?

She is a character but could lean toward explosive.

4.) The quote from Skadi, "Time doesn't matter unless you are keeping track of it." Resonated with me. What do you think of this? Do you agree with the statement?

Time does seem to control our busy lives, but I try love one day at a time.

5.) Loki's reaction to the pregnancy was, let's go with interesting. What type of father are you expecting him to be? Do you think he will be a functioning part of the child's life?

He wants to be a good father but with another wife that may be difficult full-time.

Paris wrote: "when does the monster mini end?"

Monster Mini ends July 15th

Ashley wrote: "Could this work as an open plain, or no?

"

I think that would - Melissa??

Meet our new friends - we haven't seen these two yet...

Stymphalian Birds



Stymphalian Birds have been seen filling your orchards and causing delays in harvesting. They are hard to defeat because of their numbers. Music can soothe the savage beasts, may want to try metal bands.

To vanquish this monster you must:
1.) Read a book between 350 and 450 pages (inclusive).
2.) Read a book that is #6 in a series.
3.) Read a book with a musical instrument mentioned in the text.
4.) Read a book with something metal on the cover.
5.) Read a book that features a bird (bird shifter accepted

Polyphemus (Cyclops)



Polyphemus has been seen on your lands, searching for a new optometrist. Maybe he can be pacified with a good recommendation for an in-network doctor. Very hard to kill but can be distracted with sheep. He loves his sheep. Also, might distract him by discussing what a complete dink Ulysses really is despite his fame.

To vanquish this monster you must:
1.) Read a book between 500 and 650 pages (inclusive).
2.) Read a book that takes place on an island.
3.) Read a book where a character engages in some sort of trickery (your interpretation).
4.) Read a book with sheep AND people on the cover.
5.) Read a book whose MC is a farmer.

Ashley wrote: "Looks like we should have Medusa 2.0 and Charybdis done!"

We have. Let's hope the God's are kind to us😉

Alaina & Ashley - I was confused by the boxes already checked on the tracking SS for "used on Main SS" and used for Mini". I've been checking these boxes after I put them on the official SS and they weren't on there yet.

Alysa wrote: "I finished my 2 books and updated the spreadsheet, but it doesn't look like either of them fit the open Mini tasks anymore. Oh well!
I'll keep an eye out in case something else gets moved around, o..."

Battleship confuses even more than the maze! 😣🤪😵

Maybe I'll the hang of it after it starts. I got the maze - at that didn't take too long 😂

Alaina - where is the mirror in The Scarred Prince? Is the frame actually a mirror?

DQ Day 4
Book 2: 19. Margarita -> 23. Satan's Rout

16) Margarita dreams of the Master coming to her and she believes he is either dead and coming for her or alive and wants her to remember him. Have you ever had a dream about a loved one or about something that eventually came true?

I've had dreams about loved ones. Dreams about the past, not sure about dreams about the future.

17) Margarita rubs the cream all over her and turns into a young witch who becomes invisible and flies through the air on a broom. Her first act is to go to the critics house and destroy him but since he is not there she destroys his house instead. Do you think she really would have killed him if he was home?

I think she may hay have. She was certainly on a roll with damaging things.

18) This ball Woland hosts, what do you think it is meant to symbolize? Why are the women naked and what was the meaning of Margarita taking a few extra seconds with the woman who killed her baby?

An entrance to hell? Humiliation?

19) Do you think Margarita will remain with Woland after this night? She seems to be in over her head and this reunion is not at all what she expected.

She may not have a choice. I don't think she is in control of her future.

20) After reading Book 1 about the Master and a few chapters in Book 2, which are you enjoying more? Is one easier to read or understand than the other

This one is SO much easier to read so I am enjoying this one more. The Russian names are very difficult to follow in general. If really not enjoying the book though and I like magical realism.

Ashley wrote: "I just finished You by Caroline Kepnes and it works for Medusa and Lion for page numbers if we want to use it there. If not, it has other Monster uses. What should we do?"

This was a weird book. What other uses does it have? Or is it potential future uses?

Mamacita aka MawMaw wrote: "Does this look like a snake in the tattoo at the bottom of the eagle?



If so, I can read this one next. Or I can read one set in Egypt which is on the African Continent."

I don't see a snake.

Alaina wrote: "Bernadette wrote: "Alaina wrote: "Ashley wrote: "These 2 are needed for Nemean Lion, if you could find a single book (which I would think is doable... maybe, lol)

Read a book that takes place in A..."

No go from the captains on the open plain. They said it looked like a road
☹️