Stacey’s Comments (group member since Oct 31, 2019)

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

I can only handle so many challenges at a time. I'm impressed! But I do understand. I find fun books for some of these challenges and some crazy things too.

Hope everyone who celebrated had a good Thanksgiving. I got a lot of reading done (for me).

Have a great weekend everyone! Tammie, I hope it your weekend isn't too hectic.

I love psychological thrillers! I have to read something for another challenge then I can add 1-2 more thrillers before the end.

Nov 21 DQs Day 6
Chapter 22 to end

23) Well, Susan finally meets her father and learns what happened. Was that interaction what you were expecting? Were you hoping for more, that he would fight the evil with her?
I actually like this part. Not what I expected but maybe more real, minus him sending her away to get the cauldron on her own.

24) Susan finally got to use that trusty butterknife. Was her binding what you thought it would be or was it a bit of a let down that she wasn't able to control the bear and use it as a weapon?
I liked this too. It would have been too neat for it to work at first, then against an old being. I liked how she really used it with the bear.

25) And we get the final showdown with Holly, learn who he is, the connection with Susan, etc. What did you think of the final battle with him and his bouncing head?
That was odd, very odd. The whole thing. I liked the very end with the cauldron, well done.

26) Were you satisfied with the ending? What did you think of Jassmine's comments about Susan's father (it wasn't going to be a relationship that lasted), did that surprise you like it did Susan?
I liked some of the ending, some was a bit off. Not sure about Susan and her father, that didn't even stick with me. I will say I was unsurprised about Susan and Merlin but didn't really feel it.

That is a great list! Thanks!

Congrats on such a strong round! We are currently still in 4th place, but the first place team is really pulling ahead. They have just under 3800 page points for their 72 books this round. Doubt we will catch up, which is fine. 3rd place is only about 200 points ahead of us. Now off to find lots of books that fit for our Ps....

Ashlee, that sounds fun! Today my daughter's school hosts their annual holiday craft fair with tons of vendors and music performances by the different school groups. I haven't had time to make anything, maybe at the end of the semester.

I should have known there was a list! I still love recommendations. The Tenant looks like one I would love. I'm going to have to check out some of the others. I've heard good things about Radium Girls, not sure why I'm holding back.

Looks like we are in really good shape for this round!

Green text may be fun to find. I looked through my read shelves and found a few that I would recommend. I'd love if others post recommendations as well. I prefer to read new rather than reread.

- short award winner
- #3, but her books can be read as stand alone.
- feel good book that still makes me smile

On my TBR shelf:

Be careful, some of them are what I read but not the default.

I managed to finish the BOM, and updated the spreadsheet.

DQs Day 5: Chapters 17-21

18. There is certainly a lot of action in this book and lots of chances for Susan to be killed or taken over. One that stuck out to me was the road to Silvermere. Viven, Merlin, and Susan each chose different ways to ignore the siren song. What are your thoughts? Interesting? Funny? Distracting? or too much?

19. Merrihew is out to kill Susan. It appears to be for more reasons than just the fact of her father. Were you surprised? How involved do you think she was and do you think that there are others in the booksellers group involved as well?

20. We finally learn more about Holly. If he really an ancient, why do you think that no one seemed to realize? Or do you think that there was a bigger cover up?

21. Susan learns who her father was, but learns that he is essentially 'gone'. Do you believe this? Do you think that Susan will get to meet him?

22. I love the poem in the beginning of Chapter 21. 'Roses can be yellow, violets may be white; Hate might turn to liking, love could change to spite; Nothing is fixed forever, even stars will die; All that we can ever do, is ask the reason why.' What do you think? Is there a poem that speaks to you? Do you think that this is foreshadowing events, and if so, for whom?

DQ4: Chapters Thirteen - Sixteen

14. Each of the chapters has been headed with a poem or snippet of a poem, in varying styles. Do you scour these for meaning, and if so, what meaning have you wrung from them? Do you like them - as poems or as elements of the book structure? And critically: who is going to take on the challenge of writing one for review of the book? (Jenny's position as NBRC poet laureate is under strong challenge after Kaley's backroom haiku)
I like them. I try to figure it out but don't spend too much time on it. I look forward to seeing someone's poem, but I am not a poet.

15. Okay... theories on Reg Holly and what is up with him?!
Oh, he is definitely involved, probably with the folks trying to get rid of Susan. I don't trust him. Greene is more of an up in the air, but leaning toward trusting her.

16. The Fenris wolf and the well-spirit - what do you think of these additions to the Old World creatures we've met? Do you think Susan did the right thing by removing the sword?
Lots of new creatures, love it. I love the idea the fairy tales have elements of reality, even the magic parts. I think Susan did the right thing, and the water woman helped her a bit because of it.

17. We have another gender-swap in pop culture, with the characters from The Professionals being switched to female from male. Together with the political figures that have been gender-switched, and a comment earlier about how Britain took early steps to achieve equality, this is clearly an important part of Nix's world. Does the subtly of this work for you? Is there a deeper point to it than simply wanting gender equality? Why hasn't he gender-swapped any authors?
I agree it is important to the author. I don't notice all, but sometimes I forget it is supposed to the the 80s. I like the subtle, I'm ok with the less than as it isn't too too much. I think the authors were a nod to keeping fiction the same? I don't know.

Finished mine and updated the spreadsheet. Won't be able to finish anything else most likely.

DQs - Day 3 - Chapter Nine - Twelve

10. We are about half way through the book now and I've been looking at the cover and trying to see how it fits with the story. The cover feels dark to me and so far I don't really feel that in the story. Do you feel like the cover fits the story?
Maybe. There are dark forces at work with the cauldron born. But the cover doesn't feel as fantasy as the book itself.

11. So the old fashioned booksellers in charge might feel the need to remove Susan if they find out her father is one of the Ancients. It seems like Merrihew and Thurston are not greatly respected in the Booksellers realm. How do you feel about them? Do you think they might be involved in what is happening to Susan?
I hope that they aren't involved. They seem the epitome of folks who stay in one role too long. It's a bit strange. There is respect of the grandmothers, but it still feels like the whole 'youth knows more than their elders', which is why it is probably good YA.

12. We keep getting all these references to books, musical groups, and other pop culture from the 80's. Take for example this quote: "The ground floor facing the street was all floor-to-ceiling high windows, with a wonderful display of Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose complete with a cardboard castle to the left of the central revolving door, and a selection of new release thrillers an mysteries built up in a series of pyramids in the window to the right, including John Le Carre's The Little Drummer Girl, Jeffery Archer's First Among Equals, and Ken Follett's On Wings of Eagles." That sentence is long and the following one is not much shorter. How do you feel about all of these references?
I love books and remember much about the 80s, but I haven't gotten many of the references. They are interesting to a point but a bit much.

13. In the last section Vivian gives Susan a steel knife and salt and tells her how to bind something to herself. Do you think she will have to bind something? Any idea who or what she will bind?
Yes, I think she will need to use it but I have no idea how.

bamaace83 wrote: "Okay, I added the 3 little books, and added the 3 books that I will definitely finish before the deadline. One of them, I'm almost done with and the other two should be fast books so I may actually..."

Thanks! Can you add them to your wheel shelf? I can see that you read them so we are probably ok, but just in case.

Cordelia wrote: "https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Does this having the names of the reviewers written in green text count?

So many books on my tbr have yellow text, so close yet so far."
Probably not. It definitely works for yellow, so close.

DQ's - Day 2 - CHAPTER 5 to CHAPTER 8

6. Merlin and Susan get pulled into the May Fair. "The happiness is unsettling, all the smiling and laughing". Was there a part of the fair that stuck out to you? And would YOU have noticed the colorless rose?
The talk about the color and the scary too happy folks was memorable. I probably wouldn't have noticed.

7. Susan seems to have some sort of powers of command, which we see with the wolf at the end of the fair, and hear more about at the end of Chapter 8. What are your guesses about her heritage? Do you have any new guesses about her father?
He seems to be from an old lineage, other than that no. I'm not really up on all my mythical beings and which are good with dogs.

8. My favorite part of these chapters was reading about the New Bookstore and its contents. If you could spend time in there, what would you want to check out?
I love books! I definitely like old fairy tales. The originals are quite gruesome and interesting. I'd also like to just find old interesting books that were new to me.

9. The grandmothers were interesting. Any thoughts about them? If I were one of the grandmothers, I'd totally be hanging out with my mastiff. What would you have keeping you company
The description that they are 'ghostlike' seems about right. They are interesting. Love the dog companions. I'd have a medium sized mutt with me.

Tammie wrote: "Round 4 announcements have been made

Our word - Pecan Pie
Genre - Psychological Thriller
Color - Green

Keep any out out for the possibilities :) We're approaching a yummy round ahead!

Still ..."

Please note, the color is for TEXT on the cover, not the cover color itself.

DQ'S DAY 1 - PROLOGUE - CHAPTER 4

1. I nominated this book because titles with libraries or books naturally draw me in and I've wanted to read a Garth Nix book for ages. What are your reasons for reading.. long term Garth Nix affectionado or "It's only about the points, baby"?
Well, it is about the points. Like others, I don't read a lot of YA but a book about books/libraries, etc is a plus.

2. Wikipedia (The Oracle of quick searches about whatever and sometimes actually factual) defines a prologue as "Opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ties into the main one and other miscellaneous information." What have you learnt in this particular prologue that seems important to the story moving forward?
That this is going to be interesting. A dream sequence (is it?), an intro to the MC, and we know she is looking for her dad.

3. Chapter 1 introduces us to our main protagonists in a scene filled with murder, fashion descriptions and a giant louse! First impressions of Merlin and Susan and any sign if they will be friends or enemies or maybe even frenemies ?
So strange, and yes, very descriptive. Susan and Merlin will definitely be friends.

4. Right handed and left handed booksellers policing multi layered worlds and realities. Set in 1983 London but the language and environment heavily leans on the Victorian Age. Are you comfortable with the preliminary world building, do you find it interesting and unique or same old same old in the YA fantasy genre?
This doesn't feel the same, at least from what I am familiar with. Yes, some similar themes, but definitely unique. I am a bit confused but intrigued.

5. It seems someone is after Susan, probably because of her mysterious missing father. Who do you think he is and what maybe is his significance in this alternate world and to the plot in general?
He has to be one of the non-mortals (could her mom be too?). Her mom would take her to Trafalgar Square every year for her birthday and have her sit in the same spot. Has to be related. What/who he is, no idea. Guessing he is important (in a good or bad way, who knows).

I added one that I will finish soon and will read 1 more by the end of the week.

I was surprised when the Dec book won, so many folks had read it. I haven't and I'm looking forward to it. I really like horror but need a break.