Audrey Jane’s Comments (group member since May 27, 2014)

Audrey Jane’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Eldarwen wrote: "What do you ladies think about potentially setting up Buddy Reads for next year for the Carcassonne trilogy?"

I own the hardcovers, they are still gathering dust in the corner so I'm in if you are. Keep me posted and I shall be there :)

Eldarwen wrote: "We have a library in the south of the country (which is like the next village over for you guys haha) who does a library bus for those who cannot go to the library themselves due to mobility issues. And we have the national library who does a book bus..."

I love this as well! I need my local libraries to implement these ideas asap.

It ends with chapter 15.

DQ Part 3 - Saturday

10. How do you feel about the ending of the book in the present? What are your thoughts on the past reveal? Was the cave in too Deus ex Machina?
I agree with all the previous answers. The cave in trope was believable however the rest was anticlimatic and I'm disappointed. I still don't understand Aina's purpose to be left behind with the baby as well as why the village wasn't investigated enough to find the bodies even if the ground is dangerous. I also have no idea how it was possible for Aina to survive as long and be in relative good health.

11. Were you surprised by how Max acted?
Yes, I thought his behaviour pretty random. I wasn't expecting him to act as he did, especially considering the situation which couldn't be any less romantic.

12. Did you feel sad for any of the character deaths? Past or present?
Yes, Brigitta, Elsa, and Emmy. They seem like good people and Brigitta was treated horribly, she was abused.

13. What are your thoughts on the epilogue? Was it necessary?
No, not really. There still a lot of questions. Especially regarding the purpose of the baby and why only Aina was to stay out of the cave.

Bonus: 14. Getting back to the mental health quote, do you think this book actually discussed the issue? Do you think Tone was portrayed realistically or sympathetically or just as a red herring?
Insert Marie and Cat's answers here. I feel like it's an opportinuty missed. It didn't explore the issue at all.
I don't know enough about Tone to form an opinion about her.

Lisa, what a great library ! I wish more libraries would provide the same service.

No idea it was a tv series either (and it has Sebastian Stan in it!). Carcassonne is lovely. It has been restored in the 19th century by the same person (Viollet-le-duc) that restored the Notre-Dame, Mont-Saint-Michel, castle of Pierrefonds etc. All gems of French patrimonium. My sister is a restoration & conservation major so I never hear the end of it haha

I'm starting the book tomorrow.

Same as Eldarwen. I have the paperback copy but no idea when I got it. I quickly checked and there's a price written in crayon inside the cover which tells me I likely bought it at the local secondhand bookstore which has a large English books section (thanks to English speaking expats in the area!). So my copy has already been read by a total stranger, I've just been procrastinating ;)

Glad you're joining as well, Karen. I will be curious to know how it compares.

DQs Set 2 - Thursday, Friday - 62% (p198)

6. Alice muses on the different perceptions of Elsa from her grandmother and Aina, and of course we are in her POV for the Then sections? What do you think about Elsa?
I like her. She does what she thinks is best as a mother. It's obvious she cares about her daughters and family. It must not be easy for her considering their financial situation. Also in the end she's the only one that still takes care of Brigitta.

7. Emmy and Alice have a big disagreement over Tone's injury and how to respond. Do you favour one side of the argument over the other? Was Emmy's decision to take off to get a call out justified?
I did think it was justified especially if you're going off the grid to a potentially dangerous location. In general my opinion is to let at least someone know where you are at all times especially when you might wander off alone. However I agree with Alice that Tone is an adult and can make decisions for herself but condering the situation I think Emmy did right. The argument was unwarranted.

8. Do you think Alice was right to keep Tone's secrets? Conversely, do you think Max was right to share both her secrets?
No and no. The situation is a bit delicate. I completely agree that it's up to Tone to tell the others. However when you leave with a small group and the situation might get out of hand (re: pills) wouldn't it be better for Tone and everyone involved to clear all speculations and nip potential gossip in the bud from the get go.

9. What the divvil is actually going on?! (In either timelines)
I think there are either still survivors lingering around or a member of the filming crew has ties with the pastor/followers.

I can finally pick up this book and make it work for another reading challenge :)

DQ Day 1-2 : beginning to 32% (p101)

1. What attracted you to this book? Do you tend to read a lot of horror/thriller/suspense novels (or not), and what are your expectations for them?
I wasn't planning to read it (didn't even added it) until it got nominated as BOM. Before I was a avid Urban fantasy reader but now I mainly read mysteries/crime investigations. I love when they keep me guessing until the end but still leave the possibility for me to guess right (preferably nothing too random).

2. Poor doomed Silvertjärn was a "Company Town" where the company shut down. Do you think the 1950s sections do a good job of describing what it was like for the townspeople at that time?
Yes, kind of. We don't get a lot of information but enough that I can picture it in my head. I definitely prefer the 'then' timeline.

3. The relationships in the modern day sections are interesting. Things seem complex and messy, especially between the female characters. Alice is the only one who knows about Tone's real connection to Silvertjärn. The bad blood between Alice and Emmy causes a lot of tension. The possible romantic entanglements are unclear. What are your thoughts about these relationships? What do you think of Alice's reasons for bringing Max, Tone, Emmy, and Robert onto this film project?
Except for Emmy and Alice they don't seem very close. Most of them don't know each other for long. It's just a ragtag film crew. Alice's reaction towards Emmy seems to be romantic in nature but that could be just a notion for me.

4. We're getting hints that Pastor Mattias was at the center of a weird religious sect. Do you think this will turn out to be true, or just a red herring?
No, I believe he's well on his way to create a sect.

5. Before the "official" DQs kicked off, our lovely mod Cat mentioned being struck by the timeliness of reading "a book about how society views women suffering from mental illness." How do you think the book has handled this topic so far?
I don't know yet. It seems to me that we've come a long way to diagnose mental illnesses and have various medical terms for them however our approach/views as a society towards those afflicted have stayed the same.

Works for me as well :)

This will be my first Kate Mosse book. Will have to try her other books too since I own them as well.

@Eldarwen: It has been reaning all day and so cold! I like how you put summer between brackets; I do the same with this year's "spring". Seems like none of the seasons want to do their job.

Woohoo, Eldarwen! Hopefully it's a good one. It seems a perfect read for this rainy summer we're having haha.

The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell

As the age of the photograph dawns in Victorian Bath, silhouette artist Agnes is struggling to keep her business afloat. Still recovering from a serious illness herself, making enough money to support her elderly mother and her orphaned nephew Cedric has never been easy, but then one of her clients is murdered shortly after sitting for Agnes, and then another, and another... Why is the killer seemingly targeting her business?

Desperately seeking an answer, Agnes approaches Pearl, a child spirit medium lodging in Bath with her older half-sister and her ailing father, hoping that if Pearl can make contact with those who died, they might reveal who killed them.

But Agnes and Pearl quickly discover that instead they may have opened the door to something that they can never put back...

Curious for this one ! Will write a set of DQs. Any day works for me.

This book has been on my nightstand for months just because I kept prioritizing other books. I'm in for DQs!

Sammy wrote: "Audrey Jane wrote: "I would like to add
Team Speaking loudly on their cell phone on public transportation"

I was just about to say that! :D"

Great minds think alike ;)

Hahaha, these are all so good ! This just made my day :)

I would like to add
Team Speaking loudly on their cell phone on public transportation
Team Bosses with last minute requests when you're about to leave for home
Team Relating your life story at the bakery when there's a gigantic line waiting

Cat wrote: "I just started reading the foreword to this, and was struck by the timeliness of reading it:
"a book about how society view women suffering from mental illness"
considering all the flack Simone Bi..."

Same with Naomi Osaka. Props to them to bring such an important topic to light. This has piqued my curiosity in the book.
I will join a bit later in the month. Looking forward to it.

Thank you team and captains, I had a great TT ! And glad I discovered Discworld during this challenge as well.
See you around GR and other challenges :) Have a lovely Sunday everyone.

Completion Post

Book: Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher
Date Read: 31rd of July
Pages: 400

Task :
#165 - Rodent on cover

I concur with Colleen. Based on the Jackanory stories, there are lots of hidden talents in the group.