Annalisa’s Comments (group member since May 04, 2018)

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

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 liked that her meeting her father was not a big deal. He thanked her, helped, and then went to sleep. It seemed very fitting given who he was.

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 was glad that she didn't control the cauldron-born. I she knew her limits. Many characters don't.

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?

I was not that impressed. It was a kind of funny addition but it wasn't exactly new.

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 didn't find the ending all that satisfying. I also wasn't surprised that Jassmine didn't think the relationship would have lasted. Of course it wasn't going to work. I wonder if I would have felt similar about Sabriel if I read it now, but I remember the book fondly. Maybe it was more the setting and characters here but this book didn't surprise me or really grab me the way I hoped it would.

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 have really liked the little poems/rhyme at the start of each chapter. I wondered briefly if they were something take from other sources or if he wrote them. I checked the copy right page and it is only Garth Nix so it looks like they are his which explains how the fit with what comes in each chapter so well.

15. Okay... theories on Reg Holly and what is up with him?!

I really wanted to ask about Reg Holly in my section. He is pretty despicable. I think he is probably controlled by whoever made the cauldron-born and is controlling others. Maybe he just agreed with a little mind meddling because he seems pretty corrupt.

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?

I like the well-spirit and the Fenris wolf as additions to the story. I think that she needed to remove the sword. We don't know if the Fenris is working for the ancient or controlled by. I think the well-spirit mentioned binding so I'm guessing it isn't by choice.

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 hadn't noticed the gender swap with the political figures and I didn't know the TV show so that went over my head. There are a lot of pop culture references that do just go right over my head. For me that is actually taking away from the story and feels over done.

My day is going to be pretty busy tomorrow so I'm going to post tomorrows questions a little early.

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?
What stuck out to me about the fair was that someone called Susan Your Highness. I would have noticed the rose.

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?
It says her father is one of the very olds so I’m going to say maybe a king from somewhere because she was called Your Highness. The grandmothers confirmed this.

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’d look for my favorite books from childhood or maybe try and find the section they hid from mortals to see what was there to find.

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?
I liked the grandmothers. They were different and not as scary as I expected. If I was there I’d want my childhood lab mix to hangout with she was the sweetest dog.

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"?

I read Garth Nix when I was younger. The first three in the Abhorsen series. (I probably spelled that wrong.) They we’re some of my favorite books at the time.

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?

I think it gives us an understanding that while Susan thinks she is normal she isn’t. Without that opening I would have expected different things when she is introduced to the Old World.

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 ?

I suspect they will be friends and likely love interests. I don’t really have strong feelings about them yet. Merlin is amusing so I lean toward liking him.

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?

The world building is interesting so far. I don’t think it exactly the same but it doesn’t feel unique either.

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?

I have a feeling we have not met Susan’s father yet but he is clearly from the old world.

Discussion questions day 1

1. Just here for the points, or was this one on your radar already? Is horror a genre you usually read, or is this an opportunity for you to go outside your comfort zone?
I am here for the points. I read his first novel many years ago and found it to be not to my liking. This I'm afraid is going to fall into the same category. It took me two weeks to finish this section.
2. This book starts as I suspect it means to continue: Bleak, dark and with a hefty dollop of misery. Do you like it when a book starts in the middle of the action, or do you prefer a happy slice of life first before everything goes awry?
I really do not mind when a book starts in the middle. I do like to understand what is happening pretty quickly. I do not like to wallow in the life sucks and this book seems like it is going to be a wallow in everything that has gone wrong.
3. The elk. Were you intrigued about this straight away? Did you instinctively see this as a psychological or supernatural issue?
I don't know that I was seeing it as psychological or supernatural from the start but certainly by the living room scene I knew something was happening.
4. What do you think so far? Anything standing out that you really like or don’t like?
I know that the author is a good writer, I just don't care for the subject matter. It is odd to me that it feels similar to his first novel because that was one big trip and this is different, yet the same. I can see his progression as a writer and this is easier to follow than his first novel, but I'm just not connecting with it in anyway. Honestly if not for BOM points I would DNF. (Actually wouldn't have even started it.)

Ushashi wrote: "@ Annalisa, can you please add The Lost Girls: Dino Island to your shelf?"

added also updated with my questions to so we get BOM credit.

I'm good with my day.

I finished The Lost Girls. This is a Backroom BOM if anyone is interested. I wouldn't recommend it but I did enjoy just how bad it was. This is an extra BOM for November.

Hi team,
Here is the countdown for the end of the round. https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown...

I will probably not finish another book this round. I started reading the BOM, The Only Good Indians, and I'm not making much progress.

Finished

We are about to start November which is National Novel Writing Month. I will be participating so I might be a little quitter on the thread, since I'll be writing 50,000 words in 30 days.

Finished

@Mary, I looked at the two Sheets and I would go ahead and read it. We can always move things around if we need too.

We have 12 books left for our goal for the round as well. You can read over or under for your personal goal as long as we as a team are close to the goal.

Rebound two begins on the 23rd at 4pm EST New York time. Probably not most of your time zones but hopefully that helps a little since I can’t find a countdown timer for the start of the next round.

DAY 4 - CHAPTERS 15-19

13. Getting closer to the end now where all will be revealed. Does the character of Agnes Young and hearing the story of Tyler's near drowning shed any more light on the sister's story?
I think knowing Tyler's story does explain a few things about the sisters verse someone who died and is brought back. Agnes also shares more about the halfway and I thought that was interesting.

14. I enjoyed reading the research Iris did into the masked man. Who do you think he is and what is his agenda regarding the three sisters?
This one I can't answer since I finished the book and I know.

15. "Outside Edinburgh was steeped in predawn darkness. We headed toward Saint Giles' Cathedral...We walked, shivering through the Old Town's warren of narrow lanes.."
" The ruins of the chapel sat on a squat hill overlooking a small loch in Holyrood Park... The ruins were two stories tall; only the corner of the chapel remained now the walls tendered in rough stone in some century long passed. "
How does the setting in Edinburgh's Old Town contribute to the spookiness of the tale? Would the story work equally as well in a more modern city or urbanised area?
I don't think the story would work as well in a modern setting/large metropolitan area. I did not find the story be be very spooky. Not sure why that was but it wasn't really.

16. Finally Iris and Tyler make a break through entering the strange place through the doorway.
"The Halfway.
It's putrid. It's a slowly rotting canker somewhere between the realms of life and death."
Your first impressions of this place? Is the story following the path you expected and how does the language contribute to your feelings of The Halfway and what happens there?
I really like the language. I didn't care for the Halfway, but it was an interesting place. So very different from a similar idea in The Midnight Library. Similar in that they are both a bit of an in between. Always interesting to see the way one similar idea between life and death can have such different outcomes in a story.

Got the BOM on the sheet and questions for day 1-3. I was surprised that I liked this book. It didn't really feel like horror to me though which was a good since I'm not a big fan of horror.

Day 3: Chapters 11-15
I finished the book so will do my best to answer with my feelings from that point in the story.

9.Let’s talk about Cate. What could Grey have possibly said to her to make a mother hate her child? (If she is her child.) What do you think of Cate and Iris’ relationship?
Grey seemed like she didn’t care about anyone besides herself and her sisters so didn’t know but was pretty sure it was something about what happened in the past.

10. What do you think causes the sisters to have the power of suggestion, or the power of the kiss, or whatever you call it?
At the time I thought it was the fact that they left and then returned.

11. How do you feel about Grey's actions in the hospital and during the escape?
I felt like she was a bit over the top at first with the killing but then I felt less that way as the scene went on.

12. The girl says “It is in me…In her…In you.” What is in them? And, may I say, yuck. This story seems very myth-laden. Has anyone recognized the myth yet, or do you think this is an original one? Are you enjoying the story so far? (Is anyone else having a flashback to the creepy video in season one of True Detective, or is it just me?)
The place is in them is what I took that to mean. I haven’t watched True Detective so no flash backs. I did enjoy the story a lot more than I expected to. I did not recognize the myth is there was one.

And, just out of curiosity, has anyone done a Google search on the flowers yet?
I guess I’m not that curious because I didn’t.

Day 2: Chapters 6-10

5. Grey leaves her sisters a note that reveals the creepy guy is really a very bad person...that she's in peril. She provides a key and sends them to a super creepy apartment...'The missing sister, the dead body, the burned apartment, the gunshot wound, the armful of stolen artifacts. Even harder: the man in the skull, the flowers growing rampant in all the soft parts of a corpse.' What is your conclusion so far?
I finished the book, but at this point I was starting to think there was something about doors, because of them showing up a lot.

6. Vivi and Iris find a diary from their father...his notes supporting the Vogue article with all kinds of rumors about the girls. What do you think about their father? Was he crazy? Are his girls dead?
I didn’t think he was crazy. Even Iris wonders about the past.

7. What is with the flowers and vegetation found in the girls and around the girls? This organic, smelly stuff keeps showing up? What do you think is behind it?
I thought the flowers were part of were they came from.

8. Tyler shows up at the end of this section of our reading. There's an article referenced with mention of a disappearance. Someone else came back. What do you think is next? What will Tyler's role be...hero, bad guy, or is his appearance a cameo/distraction?
Tyler was an nice addition to the story I thought. I was hoping at this point he would be a bigger part of the story.

Marry, read what you want to read. I looked it over yesterday and I think we are good.

I also finished a W book yesterday. (Not updated yet since I need to write Netgalley review.)

I read the BOM today. It was much more engaging than I expected.