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

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

🏹 A bit about yourself: I'm Stacey (OH) or Stacey S, whichever is easier. I haven't met many other Stacey's, particularly those who spell their names the same, so it will be fun to be on a team with another. I'm from Ohio, hard to guess from how I'm listed. I'm married with 1 daughter and a dog and teach/do research in the biomedical word.

🏹 History with challenges...what do you love about them? Learned about UNO a few years ago and have been doing challenges ever since. I enjoy learning about new books from others and from some of the off the wall challenges.

🏹 When will you check in: I'll check the page most days (except for when I'm on vacation). Will add books as I go. Posting varies.

🏹 Any fish tales? We are district 4 after all!
Haven't fished since I was a kid with my grandparents. I enjoy the water and eating seafood though!

🏹 Have you read or watched the Hunger Games? Any favorites books in the series, characters, scenes, etc
Read the books then saw the movies. I enjoyed them, though it's been awhile.

🏹 Any advice or questions for the team?
No, just planning on having fun reading!

Oh, and my shelf: 2024 book games

Just finished a sweet book about a Japanese library (and librarian). I will try to finish another, but am will be able to.

It's been fun! Thanks for being a great team.

I just finished grading! I wish that meant I was done, but alas, there are still plenty of projects.

Luckily my husband pushes to get the tree up (and down). I'd never get it done right now.

I agree with all the books to read. Plus, I put holds on a bunch of books that were all supposed to be at least 2 months before I got a copy. Too many coming in at once, too quickly! But maybe I can get more reading done now that classes are over.

- What is your favorite non-pizza delivery meal? We do more pickup, and my favorite is my amazing local sushi restaurant.

-What is your favorite pizza topping(s)? tomatoes, spinach, artichokes. Beans are quite good too, but I only know 1 place that does that.

-Do you prefer macarons or macaroons? macaroons normally, since most macarons I've found aren't great. A really good one is a different story.

-Have you ever gone deer hunting or fishing? Fishing, yes. Never caught anything and never hunted.

-Do you have a green thumb? I've gone to native plants outside and lately I've been closer to a black thumb indoors

-What movie or series upcoming are you most looking forward to? Haven't really been paying attention.

-What did you ask Santa for Christmas? (Insert cultural/religious substitution here as needed.) Sleep.

-How crazy have you or your neighbors gone on holiday decorations? My neighbors do a pretty good job, my Jewish neighbors usually do some as well. My husband tends to do big but has been scaling down. (I care more about Halloween)

-If you could transform into an animal, what animal would you be?
cat

-If humanity was as advanced as we bloody well should be by now, and had a resort on the moon, would you go there on vacation? Depends. I'm more of an outdoor person, which you don't get there. But my curiosity would win. (trying hard not be make a joke about no atmosphere)

-Would you be a space explorer if you could? No, too claustrophobic.

-How about an undersea explorer? Better chance, but again, claustrophobia may be an issue.

-Have you ever tried a recipe you saw on Bake-Off or the like? No, haven't had much time for baking.

-Is there a thing that used to be around that you miss? (VCRs, leg-warmers, or whatever.) I'll have to think more about this one.

-Since A.S. Byatt just died, and I now need to reread Possession, and I read an obituary about her, am I the only one that didn't know that Margaret Drabble was her sister?
Feeling really sheltered as I don't know either of those people or the book!

-Have you seen the movie version of Possession? No

-Mittens or gloves? Gloves. Or best - fingerless gloves with the mitten cover.

-Vegetable soup or Chili? Chili

-And finally, any books that should be added to our TBR lists? Too many! From this challenge these two would be my recommendations: Margarettown I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself

It's extra quiet on here! Hope everyone is well, just busy. Or better yet, busy reading. Is anyone reading the BOM (or have you read it previously)? I'm debating trying to fit it in.

Barbara wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Here's a mini quiz that everyone can participate in while we wait for you, Jenny -

What's everyone's favorite Thanksgiving side dish? And if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, what's..."

Thanks for sharing, I think I need to try this one.

What do you think about this one? Tin eye is so close, but I think that it missed some black. I'm reading it either way, but hopefully it can get bonus points.

Are we able to read more than 10 items for bonus points this round? Just curious if I should look for more orange covers.

Volunteering from team Punk

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate. Hope everyone is enjoying their week.

Ok, picking my next books. Is this orange enough?

DQs Day 5 | Chapter 28 - end

17. What did you think about how the "black market Serbian violin debacle" turned out? Do you think it hurt Ray in terms of the competition?
I think the whole fiasco hurt Ray. I think it was a bit realistic in that there are lots of stolen items and it isn't always easy.

18. Were you surprised at the outcome of the competition? I know I was rooting for him, but I instinctively assumed Mikhail would take first - perhaps solely for the plot. Do you think that was the case or did Mikhail genuinely win?
No, it is hard to say. It was clear that Mikhail was a very good musician, with the expected resume, and without the distractions. I do also like Ray's attitude over winning.

19. When the missing papers are discovered in Ray's PopPops violin case, were you surprised at what they contained? Does the narrative they showcase further cement his family's provenance of the violin to you?
Yes and no. I expected that it would in some way prove ownership and/or bad things about the family. It was surprising to be writings from his grandmother at a young age. I don't know if I would have expected the violin to be gifted, but I also didn't expect it to be stolen.

20. It was (view spoiler)! What did you think of her reasons for committing the crime. Do you feel any sympathy for her?
I guessed her, but I didn't guess the right reasons. This felt like a better motive than mine though.

BONUS - Author's Note
Brendan Slocumb reveals that the novel’s wedding scene and the Baton Rouge shakedown are based on his own experiences. How did this knowledge affect your experience of the book?
Many of the scenes felt uncomfortably realistic.

DQs Day 4 ~ Chapters 20-27

13. We have learned that Janice is Ray’s mentor and he finds light in her. She is still by his side at the competition giving him encouragement and hope. Do you have a Janice in our life? Have you ever served as a Janice for someone else, lighting the way for others who lack the tools (or the hope) they need to thrive?
I love Janice. I had someone who took a chance on me, but not to the same extent.

14. After lots of talk about who owns the violin and multiple lawsuits, Ray offers his family a settlement. $100,000 each and a bonus of $500,000 to split between them for the Leon Marks papers, plus making them beneficiaries of the insurance policy (with conditions). That was quite the offer! Would you settle for that if you were part of his family? Why do you think he made this offer, especially against the advice of his lawyer?
He is clearly tired of dealing with the drama. If it worked, maybe, but it really was not a smart idea long term.

15. Ray has a idea/thought that he can’t shake. Could Mikhail Lezenkov (his rival at the competition) have had anything to do with the theft of his violin? Upon calling his lawyer with the possible person and motive, he learns there was a black market violin in Serbia. What do you think of this theory? Do you think there is any way that his farfetched theory could actually be true? Do you have another theory (or do you still stick to your original one)?
I think it is a valid theory, but I don't really believe it.

16. Throughout the novel, we learn about the pieces that have special significance to Ray. Did you make note of these pieces to explore later or did you make a playlist and listen as you read the novel?
No, but it is a good idea.

DQs Day 3
Chapters 13-19

9. I don't know how I feel about the school basically milking Ray owning a Stradivarius and him having to do an interview without even getting asked to do so. I personally would have preferred to keep it private, at least for a while. What are your thoughts on the situation?
I think it is pretty typical, and it gets him noticed. I think it probably helped his career even if folks thought it was just about the violin at first.

10. I can see where Ray's family is coming from wanting to sell the Stradivarius and divide the money, but they never showed any interest in the violin even though it had been in the family for a century, and Ray's grandmother gave Ray the fiddle for Christmas. He had to take care of everything surrounding it and his school/education himself, and he never even had much money to begin with. Would you be selling whatever in your life might turn out be worth this much money, and would you feel like your family was entitled to fair shares?
I think he has been more than fair. If they were interested in it maybe, and maybe giving them something but it was a gift.

11. Another family claiming ownership of the violin - it was bound to happen. On one hand I'm surprised they're suing Ray for the Stradivarius since I doubt they can prove the fiddle was stolen in any way, but on the other hand the odds clearly are against Ray. And now his family is suing him for the violin as well?! Who do you think is the rightful owner of the Stradivarius?
Rightful has so many meaning here. It is clear that the family owned it. The can't prove it was stolen but he can't prove it was a gift and slaves weren't usually gifted items of worth. I don't believe that they were looking for it though nor do I think they are deserving.

12. We've been introduced to a lot of different people (whose names I don't even all remember) and they all (most of them anyway) seem to have different reasons to possibly want to steal Ray's Stradivarius - greed, jealousy, racism,... it's all there. Do you have any more guesses of who's behind it all?
I could be any of them. His mom made it seem like the family could be involved, but at this point they can't easily sell it. I almost wonder if Nicole did it to get him out of all of the crazy.

Happy Birthday Barbara! Have a great trip.

DQs Day 2
Chapters 7 - 12

5.His mother and Aunt Joyce had gone to the store - ostensibly because they needed more collard greens, but in reality because one of the biggest family traditions was to keep Aunt Joyce out of the kitchen. Do you have any unusual family traditions, Thanksgiving if it applies, or Christmas, if it's not too early, or any other significant cultural event that revolves around a convoluted family meal?

No, its so hard to get together that we aren't able to. But I loved that part of the story.

6. When Grandma gifts PopPop's fiddle to Ray, his mother's immediate reaction is that he can't keep it and she even scolds her own mother, Mama .... what are you thinking?
What do you think motivates Ray's mother's resistance to his pursuit of music?
Is it purely because she wants his focus to be on earning money for the family, or does she anticipate the racism and resistance he could face and is trying to protect him from heartbreak?

Mostly money as it is told. The racism part probably means she doesn't think he can make money other ways. His mother clearly doesn't appreciate music.

7. Ray's meeting with Dr. Janice Stevens seems a pivotal moment, giving him access to the connections that sustain the close-knit classical music world
Do you feel there is a message here that hard work and talent may not be enough to overcome barriers to success, or is Ray's progress and recognition simply a result of his dedication?

I think hard work is important. You cannot do it without it, but sometimes you need more.

8. So... PopPop's old fiddle might be a Stradivarius, but before the appraisal Rowland offers to buy it for $25,000 dollars. Ray refuses, declaring I'm not selling it. Ever.
What do you think is behind Ray's attachment to the instrument at this point, the rarity of it and the legitimacy it will give him in pursuing his dreams, or the link to his family's history, back to slavery, or something else?

I think it is because of his grandmother. She is the one who believed in him and cared about his passions.

Yeah, I have a few I've bought and haven't gotten around to reading because I own them and can read later. I need to start the stack again soon. There are some good ones on there.

Tati wrote: "not me, again, seeing the nominees for the Goodreads Choice Awards, and thinking how many books have been nominated that I've never heard of in categories I think I read a lot of..."

Yes! And I'm not sure if I should put them on my TBR shelf or not. I think books go there to die.

Behind on answering, but here goes

-What is your favorite book genre? horror or sci fi usually, but most of my favorite books are from other genres

-What is your favorite movie genre? Same

-Give me your top 5 (or so) books that you want to recommend that you read recently. (There have been way too few recommendations on this team so far.)


-What are your top 3 most recent movies? Where you in the theater or were you at home?
I don't watch a lot. The last fun one was an Indian crime movie in the genre of Clue (that I don't remember the name of)

-What is the weather like where you are? Rainy today and getting colder. It's been beautiful fall weather recently.

-If you went to your high school dances, were there group dances? If so, what were they? The Time Warp? The Macarena?
Time Warp was fun.
-Have you ever taken a helicopter ride? Yes, in Hawaii
-Have you gone sky diving? Parasailing? No, but I want to
-How many US states have you been to? 27
-How many countries? 10
-Do you prefer chocolate chip cookies or oatmeal raisin? (Do I even have to ask?) Chocolate chip
-Have you ever owned a weird pet? My sister had a rat,
-Can I get more random thoughts going through my head: Of course. Did you know nutmeg is a hallucinogen? (In large quantities of course)

Angie ☯ wrote: "I have Baroque in one of mine.

Are there 3 people reading Violin Conspiracy next round, if so, I will fiinish mine this round for the bonus and cover color."

I will NOT finish for round 3. I'm sure it has one of the words in it. I'm listening, so if any of you find one and have a page #, that would be great!

I was saving this in case of an X, but maybe it works for orange. Thoughts? Tin eye says different colors depending on how much of the cover it sees.