LavenderLane’s Comments (group member since Oct 11, 2023)

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

I was going to dedicate this weekend to finishing my last book (which I’ve been struggling with) but then my brother and sister in-law unexpectedly came to town, so a lot of my reading time has been consumed with family time. They leave after lunch today, so hoping I can get it done, but not sure how I will go.

5. In this world, many choose enhancements that facilitate their selected jobs - and it seems like most have some sort of Monkey’s Paw negative effect as well. On one hand, an enhancement like Din’s enables his perfect memory, so he never forgets anything. On the other hand, he CAN never forget anything, even if he wants to.
If you were to be augmented with a skill/ability, what would it be and why? Alternatively, what, for you, would be the worst or most dreaded skill/ability you could get?
I actually would want perfect memory, as someone with a terrible memory, it sounds good to me! I’m not sure skill I would dread.

6. I thought it interesting that the leviathians are getting bigger every year, and that most of the special grafts and suffusions are from collected titian bits and bones. Do you have any theories about how this will come into play going forward?
Ooh, good question. Maybe the smaller ones have been mostly destroyed, which has left a bigger version of the species from further away to take over.

7. “...I no longer formed normal memories. For a memory is just a sketch a mind makes of one’s experiences, imperfect and interpretive; yet what my mind made, from that moment on, was perfect, absolute, and endless.” Do you think this robs Din of the ability to be fully human, from the standpoint that one’s subjective take on the world around her/him is what makes a person "human"? I’m not sure, there are people that already have that type of memory in real life, but I have only seen it portrayed as something useful, not something harmful. Even with a perfect memory though, you can still interpret an event differently than someone else, so I don’t think it robs him of the ability to be human.

8. I’m enjoying the evolving relationship between Ana and Din, especially Ana’s humor. Despite Ana joking that Din had “lost his sense of humor in some tragic accident,” what is your take on the twosome? Do you think Din cheated somehow to pass his tests? Or do you think it's something else? I love the two of them together, it’s a great dynamic and Ana’s humour brings some lightness to a dark storyline. I feel like Din retains a sense of humour but it is very dry.

1) Do you have any expectations going in? This book is one of the 6 novels up for the Hugo award for Best Novel this year: https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-hi.... Did you know that and do you try to read the Hugo books or winners or have no interactions with the awards?
I wasn’t aware it was a nominee, but it’s not something I follow. I have high expectations because the reviews I’ve seen are all good.

2) What do you think of the world building so far? Are then any particular details that stand out and if this is a reread, is anything standing out more on your re-read this early in the story? (please use spoiler tags if applicable)
It’s certainly an interesting world and the way nature is so important: loved the idea of mushrooms providing air conditioning.

3) So this runs right up to the edge/ crosses over into body horror between the murder scene and modifications to people? Do you read body horror or books with that theme in it? Do you have any favorites?
I haven’t read a lot of body horror but don’t mind it when it does come up in a book. The book seems to be a little genre bending, with elements of fantasy, horror and murder mystery combined together.

4) Does your version have a map? If it does, did you look at before reading or at any point when reading this first section? Do you like maps in books? (Map under spoiler if you were audio only)
(view spoiler)
Yes, it turns out it does, but I didn’t even notice until this question came up. Since I didn’t realise there was one I haven’t referred to it. I did notice and have referred to the hierarchy of ranks on the following page though.

I’ve had The Tainted Cup on my e-book tbr for ages now, this might be my impetus to read it!

Insiyah wrote: "Are the points on the main spreadsheet correct? The link is in Message 1"

Oh yes! I didn’t realise it was a different spreadsheet. Looks like it’s just the tracking one that is wrong.

I’ve just noticed that the points assigned against me seem to be wrong, although the number of books read is correct.

Taking away the two books that haven’t been ticked yet, It looks like the number is short by over 100 points. I’m not sure if books need to be ticked before registering points on the front page of the spreadsheet, but if they don’t need to be, then it’s out by over 200.

Edit: I’m guessing this is the same for everyone though, and it’s just a SS glitch.

I’m going away next week, so won’t be able to check in, but am hoping to finish a couple of the clunkers I’m currently working my way through. Hoping for some good reading time over the next couple of weeks to up my reading stats a bit!

Oh interesting. Sounds like Napoleon, apparently he did similar incessant letter writing with Josephine when he was on the war front, although I believe his were quite steamy.

For audiobooks, does everything apply to the default book, such as cover and title?

I’m reading Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng as the default edition which fulfils the AZTEC task.. However my audiobook uses a different edition, which is just Bat Eater , which fulfils the Red, White & Green task, but not the AZTEC task.

Babel maybe a bit of a stretch for the world domination task, so happy to use it for something else.

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "New tasks

Read a book with a character who desires world domination
Read a book that is in the Foreign Lands List: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/5...

edit- and
Read a book wit..."

I’m about to finish Babel, which has plenty of characters that want to help expand the British Empire, could that count for the world domination task?

LavenderLane wrote: "Wow, so many cheeses done! Can books we’ve previously read and used for a mini task still be used for a cheese?"

Edit: just seen my completed books have been used, so my question is answered 🙂

I’ve started my book for the Holy See but it’s over 600 pages so won’t be a quick read, although nothing planned for the long weekend, so am hoping to make a decent dent in it.

Unfortunately the first few of weeks have been slow going for me due to crazy work/life schedule, but things are slowing down a bit now so I hope to make up for it in the coming weeks.

Wow, so many cheeses done! Can books we’ve previously read and used for a mini task still be used for a cheese?

‘smells strongly of hay and a barn’
Mmmmnn… appetising 😂

Catsalive wrote: "Chava wrote: "I'm sorry for the lack of posting, I can barely keep up with you all :)
I'm still here, slugging away at my books."

Same here."

Me too!

Insiyah wrote: "Finished the giant doorstopper that is Words of Radiance 🎉🙌🥳"

Wow, well done!

I didn’t get to finish The Way of Kings before TT started, so instead of starting book 2 in the series I’m starting with A Long Petal of the Sea

I think the easy level books will get more restricted over time given we can only use a country twice across all itineraries.

I can do a mid-level (Chile) and a hard (Holy See) with my current reading plans