Heli’s Comments (group member since Jan 23, 2015)

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

Completion Post


Book: What Remains
Date read: 11/8/24
Pages: 592
Rating: 4 stars

Bonus:
400+ pages
Published July 16, 2015

Spell-Out:
T: AFN
R: Ch David Raker
A: April Clark
E: Calvin East
P: Paul Gray
S: Vic Smith

Completion Post


Book: Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors
Author: Sonali Dev
Dater Read: 11/6/24
Pages: 496
Rating: 3 stars

Bonus:
400+ pages
Published May 7, 2019.

Spell-Out:
S: AFN
P: Title
T, R: Ch Trisha Raje
A: Ch Ashna Raje
E: Ch Emma Caine
N: Ch Nisha Raje
Y: Ch Yash Raje

Feeding the Family Mini
India - tagged 53x

I'm also reading a book with 53 India tags.

Completion Post


Book: Deadly Decisions
Author: Kathy Reichs
Date Read: 11/5/24
Pages: 336
Rating: 3 stars

Bonus:
Published August 8, 2000.

Spell-Out:
R: ALN
T: Ch Temperance Brennan
A: Ch Andrew Ryan
L: Ch Luc Claudel
P: Ch Pierre LaManche
I: Ch Isabelle Caillé

Gardening Mini
#3 Temperance Brennan

Completion Post


Book: A Very Bad Thing
Author: J.T. Ellison
Pages: 446
Date read: 11/2/24
Rating: 4 stars

Bonus:
400+ pages

Spell-Out:
A: title
E: ALN
R: Ch Riley
S: Ch Knox Shepherd
O: Ch Oliver Mathers
L: Ch Liam Reeves

Gardening Mini:
The cover is 64% pink
Violin: loc. 2227: Someone has hooked up a speaker to a violin

Feeding the family Mini:
Banana: loc. 591: A lone banana that she grabbed from the airport
Salt: loc. 5519: The air smells of salt and fish and fog
Pepper: loc. 3631: salta-and-pepper hair
Sugar: loc. 4331: coffee laced with cream and sugar
Spice: loc. 5712: a strange chemical spice
Lobster: loc. 4850: There are lobster rolls downstairs

Completion Post:


Book: Tweet Cute
Author: Emma Lord
Pages: 381
Date read: 10/30/24
Rating: 3 stars

Bonus:
Published January 21, 2020

Spell-Out:
E,L: AFN, ALN
T: Title
P: Ch Pepper

Gardening Mini:
Weed: Title contains double E
pg. 233: piano classes for a month

Feeding the Family Mini:
Chicken: pg 334: Don't chicken out now.
Fish: pg 35: My parents are going to gut me like a f*cking fish.
Broccoli: pg. 155: broccoli with more gusto than necessary.
Squash: pg. 52: squash the part of me that takes it personally.
Tomato: pg. 113: tomato into her mouth.
Apple: pg. 73: apple jam, and honey mustard.
Banana: pg. 288: banana pudding
Salt: pg. 258: salt, cocoa powder, eggs
Pepper is the FMC's name
Sugar: pg 49: sugar and milk

Completion post:


Book: Happy Place
Author: Emily Henry
Date read: 10/28/24
Pages: 395
Rating: 3 stars

Spell-Out:
E: AFN
S: Ch Sabrina
P: Ch Parth

Feeding the family mini:
Bread - p. 249 bread we brought from home
Chicken - p. 66 chicken in the pool
Fish - p. 28 fish - and - chips wrapped in newspaper
Broccoli - p. 102 broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi-things
Carrot - p. 52 Wyn takes a hard chomp of carrot
Pumpkin - p 172 pumpkin pie towards us
Corn - p. 183 corn syrup
Onion - p. 384 onion to smear on their foreheads
Salt - p. 11 and salt-gnarled trees
Sugar - p. 200 sugar still clinging to his clothes
Lobster - p. 5 Here for the Lobster Festival?

Completion post


Book: Maisie Dobbs
Author: Jacqueline Winspear
Date read: 10/28/24
Pages: 333
Rating: 2 stars

Bonus:
Published in July 1, 2003

Spell-Out:
S,L: Ch Simon Lynch
R: Ch Rowan Compton
P,E: Ch Pricilla Evernden
I: Ch Iris

Gardening Mini:
#1 in series
Plant: word Dobbs has exactly 5 letters
Weed: Double D

Feeding the family Mini:
Bread
Beef
Fish
Broccoli
Carrot
Apple
Sugar

Completion post:


Book: Goodnight Beautiful
Author: Aimee Molloy
Date Read: 10/27/24
Pages: 289
Rating: 4 stars

Bonus:
Published October 13, 2020

Gardening Mini
Water: contains and H and 2 Os

Spell-Out:
A: AFN
S: Ch Sam
P: Ch Annie Potter

My current read Goodnight Beautiful works for:

Gardening: weed, water, prune

Feeding the family: potato, bread, beef, chicken, onion, apple, grape, sugar.

I'm done for this round too.

Completion post:


Book: A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons
Author: Kate Khavari
Date read: 10/25/24
Pages: 265
Rating: 3 stars

Spell-Out:
S, E: Ch Saffron Everleigh
L: Ch Lawrence
C: Ch Cynthia
R: Ch Richard

Completion Post:


Book: Spider's Web
Author: Mike Omer
Date read: 10/24/24
Pages: 372
Rating: 3 stars

Bonus:
Published in 2016

Spell-Out:
S- title
O - ALN
L - ch Mitchell Lonnie
C - ch Jacob Cooper

Eldarwen wrote: "Heli wrote: "Completion Post:


Book: The Road Trip
Author: Beth O'Leary
Date read: 10/22/24
Pages: 400
Rating: 3 stars"


You h..."

The beginning was really bad, but it grew on me. In the end I think it was an okay read.

Completion Post:


Book: The Road Trip
Author: Beth O'Leary
Date read: 10/22/24
Pages: 400
Rating: 3 stars

Bonus:
Published in April 2021

Spell-Out:
O - ALN
T - ch Terry
C - ch Cherry
R - title
E - ch Etienne

DQs:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

DQs Day 3: Then - Then 58%
first line "Marcus changes completely..."
last line "...serious chat about your future"

11. "The sound of teeth against a spoon when someone's eating soup, insects that scuttle, people who don't listen, RATS, and when uncle Terry says 'WOMEN!'" - what a random list of pet peeves (Are they even pet peeves? Rats?? And uncle Terry 'all on his own'???),,, What are some of yours?
When people don't put things back in their proper places. Dirty dishes in the sink when the dishwasher is empty.

12. Dylan's (and Marcus') trip through Europe has become much more than just that, ending up in Asia, trying to figure out what to do with his life when he's already been handed it all on a silver platter. His dad is a douche and clearly wants to dictate Dylan's life while Dylan just keeps running away from his problems. Lucky he has all this money (his dad's I would assume) to just throw away. Can you relate to him in any way? Do you feel bad for him?
I can not relate to him in any way. I do feelbad for him, though. His dad is so mean to both his children.

13. "Nowadays we date, we shop around. If we really like someone we spend more time with them. Then we move in with them a few years down the line. Then, maybe, if we've lost the will to live or whatever it is that compells people to settle down we marry them. We don't rearrange our lives because of a good shag."

"Addie, she's not right for you (...) Stop that! Don't you see what you're doing? You're turning her into something she's not. You don't understand her. She's not your beautiful muse, Dylan. She's messy and dark. And raw. She's a disaster waiting to happen. She's got power. And she doesn't even know it yet you know. She's like,,, she's untapped. (...) She's not right for you. Okay?"

Did Marcus already know something we didn't at this point? Did something happen between Marcus and Addie back in France? And then the way Marcus took care of Dylan after getting too high, in the bathroom.... Do you think he (not so?) secretely has feelings for Dylan? Or is he just jealous?
I think Marcus is afraid of losing his friend. Marcus and Dylan have been so close for a long time.

14. Rodney thinking Deb has drowned in the river and actually LOOKING FOR A BODY IN THE WATER!!! had me laugh out loud to be honest, but only because of how frickin ridiculous this book is. Definitely expected something more cutesie and wholesome for some reason. Being almost two thirds into the book now, how do you feel about it so far? Is it meeting your expectations?
At first I did not like it at all. But it's slowly growing on me.

DQs - Day 2 - 17 Oct
Then - Now 38%
first line "Can't the girl find..."
last line "shitshow of a strategy"

6. The author goes for the switching POVs and timelines method. How do you like these in general? And do you think it is a good fit for this book?
I actually like both methods. It adds interest to the story. I think it's rather a good fit for this book.

7. We get to meet some more characters along the way in the "THEN" section: Dylan's uncle Terry, his brother, the mysterious Grace and other friends whose dynamics to Dylan and Marcus should shed some more light on their characters and motivation. But do they? Do you feel like you are getting to know them better? Or understand them? (Or care?)
We only learn some vague snippets about the supporting characters. They are all rather one dimensional and seem to be used as filler.

8. What do you think about Dylan's and Addie's past relationship in France? Do you like it/find it convincing? What about their sudden meeting in the present and the insta-lust after all the emotional baggage they seem to be dragging with them?
Insta-lust is a good word for it ;-) It felt like a typical summer fling.

9. I'm not really sure I'd call this book a "romance" though it certainly offers the trope of second-chance. Do you have any favourite romantic trope(s) or one that you especially dislike?
My favorite romances are slow burn and friends to lovers. Insta-love (and insta-lust) is an immediate no no.

10. Any guesses what part Rodney may play in the plot or do you think he's just some kind of "filler" character?
I think he's supposed to be the comic relief.

Completion Post:


Book: Kuhala ja puhelu kiusaajalta
Author: Markku Ropponen
Date read: 10/22/24
Pages: 261
Rating: 3 stars

Bonus:
Published in 2007

Spell-Out:
O - Ch Otto Kuhala
R - ALN Ropponen

DQs Day 1
Now - Now last line "...reach out and touch her."

1.) Is this your first book by O'Leary? Only reading for points and that lovely 'O' letter for Wheel-a-thon or was it already on your tbr list?
I've read The Flatshare and The Switch, but had no intention to read The Road Trip. I've read many negative reviews. I'm only reading it for BOM points and the lovely O's.

2.) Road trips. Love them, hate them? If you've gone on a road trip before what are some must have for the journey?
I'm not a big fan of road trips. Sitting in a car is just not for me. But one cannot always avoid them, so I've been on a few.

3.) Deb's comment about never having a baby obviously proved untrue. Do we think the baby daddy is going to make an appearance in the story? Or do you think it's a no name person who isn't relevant to the book?
I think we will find out who the father is. I admit being curious, but I don't know if it's relevance concerning the overall story.

4.) The flagrant unconcern about money by half the characters is a bit gross. Do you think that's at the root of Dylan and Addie's split? Or do you think it's the mysterious Grace? Marcus especially seems to not know the whole breakup story. Any guesses to why Dylan didn't seem to tell him the truth?
There are a lot of unanswered questions right now. I have no inkling as to what clue is important and even if everyone is being truthful.

5.) Initial impressions of the cast of characters?
Debbie is my favorite. I actually do not like any of the others. That may change, though.

Completion Post:


Book: Want You Dead
Author: Peter James
Date read: 10/20/24
Pages: 513
Rating: 4 stars

Bonus:
400+ pages
Published in 2014

Spell-Out:
R - Ch Roy Grace
C - Ch Cleo Morley
L - Ch Bryce Laurent
N - Ch Norman Potting
S - Ch Sandy Grace