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

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

Paris wrote: "Just finished The Shadow of the Wind, took me a while!

It does fit some of the mini tasks but it looks like most of the relevant ones are filled now, hopefully it can fit somewhere"

Paris - the one we can use #24 - Read a book that features a sorceress.

Can you provide a justification for it?

We will defeat another monster with this!

We are still alive after defeating Charbydis and received another monster - we have another Scylla.

Scylla



Scylla has been spotted close to your shores and endangering ships heading for the harbor. Very hard to defeat and best to avoid if possible, is very touchy when Circe is mentioned.

To vanquish this monster you must:
1.) Read a book between 500 and 650 pages (inclusive).
2.) Read a book with a body of water on the cover.
3.) Read a book that features a sacrifice of some type (your interpretation).
4.) Read a book that features a sorceress.
5.) Read a book whose title contains the word "FIRE".

I've updated the SS. Add the books may fit that haven't already been used.

Kimber~☆♡Love of Books♡☆ wrote: "finished
by Nora Roberts

and

by Stieg Larsson

Captains pls add to ss if u can use ..."

Every book is needed Kimber - I added your books to the SS.

I always like to search (snoop?) other teams lists when looking to complete a tough task - snoop away! 😂🤣🧐

Ashley wrote: "I went ahead and bought (it's free on amazon) this book, because it has a deaf character : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...

I ..."

I think Mama is working on a deaf character book....see message 472

Alaina wrote: "Would "water sprouting from a volcano and creating tiny rainbows in the sunshine" count? If so, it's in Darling Girl on PG. 272."

That works!

For the Minotar 4.) character described as "bull-headed" or "hard-headed" is up for grabs again. Mama's justification isn't going to fit. See clarification from the captain's chat room:

ALERT!!
Whilst we welcome creativity in tasks, please note that for tasks that have phrases in quotes (e.g. the Minotaur task 4, a character described as "hard-headed" or "bull-headed") we expect to see that phrase in the text (slight variations acceptable - such as hyphenation)

Ashley wrote: "I'm certain that the MC is going to become a father and it will be mentioned in the Epilogue of the book I'm reading. Is that enough to meet the task, or does the main contents of the book need to ..."

Ashley, # 1 & 5 have already been covered and added to the tracking sheet.

Team - I've updated the SS for our new monster. Take a look at the books you've already finished since the start of the mini to see if they fit any of the new tasks. We are allowed to look back at books we've already finished.

And here is our new friendly looking monster.....

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

We have chased the Harpies far away! I've requested another monster to defeat!

Mamacita aka MawMaw wrote: "I just realized that T5 applies in one of the books I finished reading on June 15. Master Bits & Mercenary Bites: The Secret Recipes of Topped the word Mermaid is at Loc 1875

"To m..."

Mama - unfortunately, the SS and your TT shelf show that the book was finished on 6/12 - before the start of this mini.

DQs Day 3: Chap 20-29

10. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room?

Nothing has changed in years and the house has a life of its own.

11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have?

You can't control crazy

12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)

No idea who the father is. Maybe he doesn't like her because it is part of his wife's life before him?

13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this?

Lily was unwanted & different, the house is different, Maybe the feel each other's pain?

14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not?

Lily certainly seems to have had power in the past, but is Lily still alive? She still seems to be controlling Beth's life.

DQs Day 2: Chap 12-19

5. Shea is trying to explain the taps being turned on and the cupboards being opened by themselves through telekinesis. If you had experienced what she did, do you think you would have tried to explain things logically or do you think you would have believed it was ghosts and left it at that?.

I would have left it at ghosts. There was too much of it at the same time for telekinesis, in my opinion.

6. After getting a cat, Shea calls on Michael to ask for advice on how to care for it, through the conversation she thinks about wanting to meet him. Do you think they will end up together or perhaps just remain as friends? Could Michael be interested as well?

Hopefully based on how chapter 19 ended. It seems like they like each other.

7. Mr. Greer’s former secretary tells Shea Mrs. Greer wasn’t competent and that she was "sent away somewhere when she was eighteen". Do you think she was crazy or do you have any other theories?

The secretary or Mrs. Greer? The secretary seems like she is an angry woman. Was Mrs. Greer crazy? She may have had mental problems or just a sad life.

8. While listening to the recording of Beth’s interview Shea hears a voice in the background whispering “I am still here” and poor Winston gets spooked. Did you find this scary? Do you think cats/animals have a feel for the supernatural? If it were you, would you come back to the house after hearing that?

I don't know if animals can feel the supernatural, but they certainly have a different hearing sense. I wouldn't go back but I think Shea will.

9. Finally, in order to get in the mood for more scary stuff. Have you or someone you know have any scary/ghostly experiences you might like to share?

none

Alaina, checking to see how your pup (and you😉) are doing.....

DQs Day 1: Chap 1-11

1. Have you read the The Sun Down Motel by this author? If so, does it change your expectation for this book? Either way, what are your expectations for this book?

I have read the Sun Down Motel. My expectation is for a very good book.

2. The MC writes about cold cases and is in her late 20s and divorced. I have read quite a few horror/thriller/mystery books recently where the MC is a recently divorced, usually a bit older, woman. Have you experienced this as well? Why do you think authors might make this choice? Why do you think the choice was made for this book?

I don't know if I have noticed that the women are divorced or not, not taken much notice of their age that is has made an impression. But not married makes sense for relationship possibilities.

3. This section includes the start of the interview. Did it go the way you expected? Any one comment really stick out to you?

No expectations. They seem to begin by interviewing each other.

4. What do you think about the ghostly occurrences in this section? How do they add to the story (or maybe detract)?

The ghostly distractions are laying the groundwork for Beth's history to be revealed and what may happen later in the book.

Kimber~☆♡Love of Books♡☆ wrote: "Finished:)
Scylla
Read a book with a body of water on the cover.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Please add to ss. Thank you ..."

Added👍

Yasmine wrote: "I finally finished A Court of Mist and Fury and just continued with A Court of Wings and Ruin to complete the trio reread :)

I might also pick up A Storm of Swords..."

Yasmine, can you provide the justification for T23?

Long audiobooks can be difficult at times.

Ashley wrote: "Just finished The Empress and added to tracker. It meets the following tasks:

Scylla: T24
Charybdis: T12, T15
Harpies: T9

I'll let you put them where you'd like and if you have ju..."

Ashley - I just need the justification for T15.

Mamacita - can you please add Master Bits & Mercenary Bites: The Secret Recipes of Topped to your TT shelf?