PamB’s
Comments
(group member since Oct 20, 2017)
PamB’s
comments
from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.
Showing 1-20 of 26
On the Hunt for the Sound of MusicDuration: 4/1 - 4/30
Task: 5 easy words; no restrictions on song
Find specific items/ phrases in the title, author’s name, in the book or as images on the cover of the book.
Progress: 0/5
Easy Words:
(view spoiler)
I forgot I bought a paperback copy at a bargain discount store for $1.99 and purchased the Kindle version, which I will be returning. Also purchased it from Audible during a 2 for 1 sale. I have too many books, smh. On page 4 of 1448 in the paperback. Out of curiosity, I looked up the definition of a (view spoiler) and I learned something new.
I’m game to read along *fingers crossed that I keep up*
I’ll give it a try.Update: I hate to sound dense, but will the adjective be posted 10/28 and the theme 10/30 so the challenge starts 11/1 or will the adjective be posted 11/3 and the theme 11/5. Just want to make sure I don’t mess up starting out.
Mar 07, 2018 01:19AM
March 7&8 - Parts 4&5Golly! Where to even begin?! This section was crazy!
25. Were you surprised about the identity of Gerald Van Der Gans? And that he and HS Curie were once lovers?
Yes to both.
26. I was so sad for Volta, but completely understand why he felt driven to that point. Do you think Rowan did the right thing with Goddard & Co.?
I can’t say it was the “right” thing but I’m glad someone stopped Goddard and his minions.
27. Where there is a power vacuum it is always a bit concerning. Will someone much worse step into the space Goddard has left behind?
I hope not.
28. We get a new journal entry, but this time "from the collected works of H.S. Socrates". Do you think we will meet this person in the next book?
I think HS Socrates’ journal entry is to give insight.
29. Did you like Citra's choice of Scythe name? Did you think she was going to glean Rowan?
I didn’t like her choice of a name; however the reason for her choice is interesting. By going with that choice she is displaying a propensity to go against tradition. I didn’t think she was going to glean Rowan even though it appeared she was because she said she had an idea.
30. I found Rowan's character one of the most interesting as he was labelled a monster in school when he sat with the child being gleaned, and again is a monster for trying to break away from Goddard. Now as Scythe Lucifer.... Is this really a good thing? Do you think Farady would be helping him?
You make an interesting point about Rowan being labeled a monster. I guess the term in this instance is relative. I believe Scythe Lucifer is Rowan too but I was wrong about Faraday being dead, so who knows if it is really Rowan; it could be another Scythe who didn’t pass the final test. I don’t think Faraday is helping him since Faraday is off-the-grid living under his real name. I like the fact that someone is dealing with corrupt Scythes.
31. One of HS Curie's journal entries states "And if this experiment of ours fails, we have also embedded a way to escape". Theories on what this means?
I think she was talking about Scythes gleaning themselves as the escape or her and Faraday leaving the Scythedom by faking their gleaning.
32. Overall thoughts on the book? Are you going to read book 2?
I am going to read book 2.
Mar 05, 2018 04:36PM
I guess Audible is the way to go since you already have it :)https://openlibrary.org is world-wide because it is an internet archive and so is http://gutenberg.net.au/plusfifty.html
I like to occasionally browse to see what’s available.
Mar 05, 2018 04:07PM
Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Pamela wrote: "I did get the sequel from the library though LOL ..."haha
mine doesn't have it yet so I'm debating whether to buy the kindle version or use an audible credit ;)"
If you are in the United States, check if your library uses 3M Cloud library because Thunderhead is on it. You can also check the other libraries in your state
https://www.worldcat.org/title/thunde...
This site doesn’t have Thunderhead but it has tons of his other books. It’s free to register; similar to Project Gutenberg
https://openlibrary.org
Mar 05, 2018 03:15PM
March 5&6 - Part 317. HS Curie has never taken an apprentice before. Do you agree with her reasons for taking one now? I can't believe they still expect Rowan and Citra to be head-head despite now being with two different Scythes
HS Curie’s journal gives insight to some reasons Scythes take an apprentice. Maybe I need to reread but the reason she gave Citra was ambiguous.
18.About her history HS Curie says to Citra "you thought wrong". Do you think there is some back story here that Citra will uncover in this book?
People tend to ascribe motives to people that seem right to them. HS Curie seems extremely private; it appears she gives out information on a need-to-know basis. It’s possible as they spend more time together, she will open up but even if she doesn’t Citra can look in Thunderhead and read her journals to get insight and possibly some back story.
19. Citra admits what she actually did that was her "worst thing" to HS Curie. Do you think in a society where people can't be killed this would happen quite a bit as there are no consequences?
I think it depends. Some people get angry and immediately act on it while some count to ten and walk away; the same holds true with or without consequences.
20. How did you feel about Rowan being "branded". It is kind of interesting that they have chosen to feel pain. Is HS Goddard starting his own kind of cult? (he does call his younger Scythes "Disciples")
I hated what they did to Rowan. I think HS Goddard is a megalomaniac. His motto is, “out with the old; in with the new.” He thinks he is starting a “new world order” so to speak.
21. The Tonists "worship wavelengths and vibrations that are beyond the limits of human sight." and it can free them from being "stagnant". Is this just coincidence that it is the word that HS Curie uses?
I don’t think it is a coincidence because HS Curie is intentional.
22. When Citra explains how the Thunderhead would intrude when searching saying something like "I see you are searching for a gift. May I ask for whom...". It made me laugh because we are already so close to that with online advertising. It drives me batty when all the ads I see are for things I have been google searching recently. How about you?
Funny how sometimes art imitates life. I’m old school and hate shopping online.
23. So we learn more about Esme and the hold Goddard has over Xenocrates. What is Goddard's long game here? Just to steal power?
I think HS Goddard likes controlling people and situations. I believe he thinks he can get his way by doing that.
24. Now we are getting into the last part of the book, any prediction for the end? Or if you already finished - what did you hope would happen
No predictions but I already borrowed the sequel from the library LOL.
Mar 03, 2018 05:19PM
Karen ⊰✿ wrote: some of their ways seem quite vicious though. I do wonder why they didn’t agree from the start to use humane methods"I think while vicious, they’re humane; that sounds crazy, so let me explain LOL. It seems most of the methods used to
This is turning into a book club discussion; I love it!
Mar 03, 2018 05:04PM
Mar 03, 2018 07:17AM
DQ March 3&4 - Part 29. What would you choose if offered a Scythe apprenticeship?
I’d be afraid to refuse but I wouldn’t want it. I’d be worried if I refused an apprenticeship, the Scythe would glean my whole family because nobody refuses a Scythe.
10. Scythe Faraday chooses the method of gleaning. Do you think that is right, or do you think the person being killed (oops, gleaned) should have the choice of method?
I think it’s right the Scythe has the option to choose the method. On any job you are given rules and guidelines but have to figure out the best way to get the job done. The gleanee is not given advance notice and if given a choice of how to die, I’d stall or choose not to LOL.
11. Do you like the snippets we get of the gleaning journal of H.S. Curie and H.S. Goddard?
I like the journal entries. It gives insight into the Scythes’ thought process and food for thought
12. The Scythe ten commandments are meant to keep them honourable, but it seems that there are Scythes that "enjoy" their role a little bit much. These mass gleanings are crazy! What role do you think Esme may play?
I not sure how a 9 year old could be important, but I’m thinking she is related to Scythe Goddard (her mother but not her father is mentioned) or I think Esme was spared because she hid so well.
13. Rowan's task of choosing the next person to glean seemed much harder than Citra's.! Do you think you could be logical about having to make that choice, or do you just make it random?
I think the tasks were given because of their personalities. Rowan is compassionate, quiet and keeps his feelings close to his chest while Citra is outspoken, impatient and lets her feelings be known. Rowan’s task was designed to teach him not to let his compassion rule him and Citra’s task was teaching her to be quiet and patient. I think Scythe Faraday used the tasks to show them that gleaning is a tool for population control and not personal.
Even with facts, Rowan struggled making a choice. I would do it randomly.
14. The conclave was interesting. Given a choice, with the Scythes we have met so far, who would you prefer to be an apprentice to? Is that different to the Scythe you would choose to do your "gleaning"?
I would choose to apprentice with Scythe Faraday. He seems to be a respected, honorable, compassionate man, not prone to politics, or bias. I would also choose him to glean me because he is honorable and compassionate.
15.Sythe Goddard has now taken over a mansion. It is technically not against the 10 commandments though. Do you think this is where the Scythdom is headed? To take power? Will the Thunderhead intervene?
I’m disgusted with Scythe Goddard. He manipulates rules and situations and walks a fine line between what is allowed and what will get him disciplined. He is not breaking any rules, but he is seriously bending them.
Scythe Faraday pointed out that the majority will only allow certain things through. The Head Blade is a little corrupt but I don’t believe Goddard and his cronies will come to power.
The Thunderhead won’t intervene because it has no interest in Scythe activity.
16. Whoa. Ok, what really just happened at the end?! Surely Faraday would not have done that. any theories?
Scythe Faraday having two apprentices caused the situation; he was trying to rectify it.
Questions I have and things I’ve been thinking about:
(view spoiler)
Mar 03, 2018 05:41AM
Karen said, “From what period are his stats? Go back to the 1800s and the reasons for death were quite different from today.....”That’s a good point. I think he’s using statistics from right before immortality became the norm because of the explanation of why he gleaned Cole.
Sanja said, “He took it as some kind of test, maybe to show the family that he is just that, a tool, not a killer. ”
I like that analogy.
Tahmina said, “(I mean there's a kid who is experimenting on throwing himself off a buildings and the impact it has on the floor -- not much appreciation for life) ”
You don't want someone that will be taking bribes and killing for gain in a position like his.
That’s an interesting perspective. I thought the kid was a thrill seeker. The way he described free-fall, I would liken to the feeling of going down a hill on a rollercoaster.
That could make a Scythe hitman, even scarier.
Mar 02, 2018 03:07PM
Mar 02, 2018 05:00AM
Found this on the book’s question page from Stuart Turton: “Hi there, sorry - I didn't realise this page existed! Yes, 'Seven Deaths' and '7 1/2 Deaths' are exactly the same. We had a clash in the US and had to change the title there, hence 7 1/2. Don't worry, you're getting exactly the same amount of murder for your money, though.”
https://www.goodreads.com/questions/1...
I’ve only recorded books that I’ve read. Do audiobooks count?
Mar 01, 2018 09:15AM
Scythe DQs Chapter 1-51. Why did you want to read this BOM?
Dystopian novels are one of my favorites genres.
2. Do you think Scythe Faraday really used Citra’s family knife to kill their neighbor, considering they heard nothing and Citra saw no blood on Faraday? Faraday gives Citra back the knife and tells her it’s because they all share in the gleaning. What other reason could Faraday have given Citra back the knife? Could it have been a test?
I don’t think Faraday used the knife to kill the neighbor because he wasn’t threatening or menacing. He went out of his way to make Citra and her family feel at ease. Besides, Scythe Faraday could’ve easily used the one of the neighbor’s knives. He might have returned the knife because he took it without asking and Scythes don’t have a reason to steal. It could have been a test to see if anyone would inquire about the knife in the neighbor’s death.
3. Why do you think everyone at Rowan’s school blamed Rowan for Cole’s death? Do you think the fact that Cole was a star athlete had anything to do with it? Or would they have reacted like this for just anybody?
I think Rowan was blamed for Cole’s death because nobody wants to be around Scythes and for Rowan to be seen with one and to go with one during a gleaning is suspicious. Cole being a star athlete also had a lot to do with Rowan being blamed because people didn’t know the reason why the Scythe chose Cole. I don’t think an average Joe student’s death would’ve caused such outrage.
4. Gleaning is done to avoid the problems associated with overpopulation. But the book also suggests there are other reasons to do this. Does death help us to appreciate life more? Does it give us more creativity, purpose or a sense of urgency?
The death of a person causes people to reflect on and celebrate the deceased’s life and it makes those left behind appreciative of life.
5. Scythe Faraday tells Citra and Rowan that, “Those who wish to have the job, should not have it. And those that most refuse to kill, are the only ones that should.” Why do you think he said this? Do you agree?
Serial killers or psychopaths would like to be Scythes. I think Scythe Faraday understands that life is valuable and people who kill for the joy of it don’t value life.
6. At the beginning of chapter 5, the journal entry tells us that, “Thunderhead” replaced government. It was given the responsibility to decide everything except who would die. Do you think an artificial intelligence like thunderhead can create a utopian society? Do you think it was wise to make gleaning the responsibility of the scythes?
I don’t think AI can create a utopian society because humans play a part in designing AI; humans write the code for algorithms. AI doesn’t have the capacity for empathy. I believe empathy and compassion need to be part of some decisions not just cold, hard facts and mathematical equations.
7. Faraday uses death statistics from the past to help determine who will die. Why do you think he does this?
I think H.S. Faraday uses statistics to make sure that his gleanings are in line with natural deaths that would’ve occurred during the Age of Mortality so there’s a factual basis for his gleanings instead of an emotional one, like he doesn’t like someone’s attitude or hair color.
8. What are your thoughts on this book so far? Any topic I haven’t covered that you want to talk about?
I’m enjoying Scythe so far. It’s interesting that this YA book deals with immortality versus death’s impact on society. This isin’t a typical YA topic: dystopian societies, yes; grim reapers/death, no. I don’t have any questions, just musings.
(view spoiler)
Feb 27, 2018 05:37PM
I read that it’s The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle in the UK and will be 7/12 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle when it’s released in the US on 9/18.The synopsis for both are the similar but the publishers are different: Bloomsbury in the UK and Sourcebook Landmark in the US.
Blurb from UK book:
One of Stylist Magazine's 20 Must-Read Books of 2018 One of Harper's Bazaar's 10 Must-Read Books of 2018 One of Marie Claire, Australia's 10 Books You Absolutely Have to Read in 2018
Evelyn Hardcastle, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed. But Evelyn will not die just once. Until Aiden - one of the guests summoned to Blackheath for the party - can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again.
But each time the day begins again, Aiden wakes in the body of a different guest. And someone is determined to prevent him ever escaping Blackheath...
Blurb from US book:
One of Stylist Magazine's 20 Must-Read Books of 2018
One of Harper's Bazaar's 10 Must-Read Books of 2018
One of Marie Claire, Australia's 10 Books You Absolutely Have to Read in 2018
The Rules of Blackheath
Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered at 11:00 p.m.
There are eight days, and eight witnesses for you to inhabit.
We will only let you escape once you tell us the name of the killer.
Understood? Then let's begin...
Feb 07, 2018 08:45PM
DQ 6&7 FebChapters 12-end
12. Is Artemis a place you would want to visit as a tourist? Or live as a resident?
I would like to visit but would be afraid to get on a spaceship.
13. Weir loves to add in nerdy scientific detail. Some people love it, and others... well not so much. What are your thoughts?
I’m not a fan of long scientific details. I had to force myself not to skip the long ones in the story even as my eyes glazed over. The brief ones like, “I’d forgotten to account for the other explosive in there: the hydrogen fuel-cell battery. All that hydrogen had met oxygen at high temperature and they’d had a brief chat” were entertaining and made me feel smart because I could understand them LOL.
14. Some people have criticized this book, saying he wrote it more with a film adaptation in mind, rather than as a novel. Did you feel that way?
Yes, because there’s more dialogue than inner monologue and I can picture Jazz speaking some lines into the camera like in House of Cards or Ferris Buller’s Day Off.
15. Did you like the ending? Was it a "page turner" for you?
I never like books to end *sigh*. Yes, it was a “page turner”; I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen.
16. Would you recommend this book to others? Why/why not?
I would recommend this book to people who like sci-fi because it was nominated on Goodreads Best of Sci-Fi in 2017; it was a good book.
Feb 07, 2018 01:32PM
I wanted to join this read but the US hardcover release date is 9/18/18. The other option is order it from England when it releases on 2/8/18, and the shipping cost for that is prohibitive.
