Nanci’s Comments (group member since Jan 29, 2016)

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

I'll be back up for Bobbi on Team Rap. Fingers crossed the book comes in at my library very soon!

Suzanne,
I answered the last of my questions for today for the Haunted House book. I've only read to Chapter 22, so can't answer yours yet, but they are good questions and may answer them just for fun. Thanks for writing them for our team!

Suzanne wrote: "Just a heads up (although it doesn't affect us) - some of the other teams are getting a chance to get more bonus points by like - more color covers, cities, etc. I'm really glad the Mods are doing ..."

Oh that's good. Sometimes in these challenges if you fall behind at the beginning, you just know you don't stand any chance of catching up, let alone winning. I'm grateful our team has dedicated readers, who follow through with their books (as much as possible).

DQs Day 3; Chapters 16-22

10. Pupkin is,,, alive??? Okay, no big surprise there to be honest, but we did finally get some interesting background info from Louise and Mark's childhood, even if that's not how Louise remembers it. Do you think she really doesn't remember, has simply forgotten, due to trauma or it just having happened way too long ago, or does she remember but chooses not to acknoledge it? Or maybe Mark misremembers himself and it didn't even happen (that way at least)? They were both still very young after all, Mark especially. Is it possible to remember something that happened when you were only two years old?

My feeling is that Louise has repressed that event for so long, she no longer is sure of the truth and now she's fretting it might be real. Normally a two year old wouldn't have a detailed memory of all of what happened, but that memory of his sister looking back at him when he was drowning and just turning and walking away, I believe could stick. What was almost as concerning to me was the way the parents handled it. They both seemed to think Louise did it (especially the mom) in that they didn't trust her and then the mom started ignoring Louise, as if she wanted nothing else to do with her after she tried to kill her baby. So dysfunctional!

11. The second perspective adds a new layer, however it only got added halfway through the book. Were you surprised we got Mark's POV at all, and would you have preferred for it to be there from the beginning of the book? Also, has this last section changed your opinion on him in any way? He did save Louise from Pupkin after all....

I liked getting Mark's perspective. I feel like the author waited on purpose as if to say to us, "in this story things are not always as they appear to be". Yes, he was a stand up guy when he saved Louise from the evil Pupkin, and it did improve my feelings a little about him, but he still has lots of issues and is not trustworthy or likable.

12. To me, the last chapter feels a bit like a fever dream, definitely like they were on drugs. I personally don't remember which MPGs the book has and don't want to check in case of 'spoilers' now, but do you think there's a possibility the house, our main characters, the puppets, the dolls, Pupkin, everything- isn't actually haunted and none of it is actually happening?? What if it's just a dream (which would be the worst ending ngl), mental problems like Louise wants to believe, or mold in the house that's effecting them like this plus possible drug use from Mark when he was away?

That was such a weird chapter! I have no idea how it really fits into the story, other than the terrible show with the marionette dying and thus the connection to puppets being sinister or having lives of their own.

13. I can't help but wonder how the book is gonna end... If Pupkin is indeed an evil puppet come to life I only see one way it can be destroyed - fire. Do you think they'll end up burning down the entire house (although Hill House (in the show at least) wouldn't let itself be burned down either, so who knows if that would work), or will the dolls and puppets take over? What do you predict will happen in the rest of the book?

This story could go so many ways, I can't even begin to guess right now. Some people on my team who finished it have commented they didn't like it, so maybe it's a bad ending? I've never read this author before, so I have nothing to base a guess on how it might end. I am curious about the lock on the attic and why it's there and what is in the attic besides possibly squirrels. These puppets can get out of trash cans and enter locked houses, so I don't know how a lock on the attic can contain them. I do not think it will be a happy ending with the house selling for lots of money and Louise resuming her life with Poppy and her husband. They seem like a fairly messed up lot also. I wouldn't be surprised if the ending is one that leaves us hanging. This book has engrossed me more than I thought it would, so off to finish it to find out the answer!



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DQs Set 2: Chapters 8 - 15

6. Were you expecting those wills? Why do you think both parents were so unfair on the kids?
I thought something might be weird about the wills, but not the way they turned out. Louise was being so fair and generous when she thought she would get control, but then when the mom's will gives it all to Mark and he was so mean to his sister, it was hard not to believe that the mom set them up on purpose to have a huge fight. The wills seem to point to the dysfunctional way the parents communicated about their children throughout their childhoods. Also, odd that Louise would get all the art when her mom knew she wasn't interested in it and pretty much thought it was all terrible.

7. Yikes! killer stuffed squirrels! The first violent haunting here, was it effective?
I don't like horror and was concerned about the level of horror there might be in this book, but if that's the level, then I'm ok with it. The squirrel in Louise's shirt was a bit over the top, but mostly I found it to be silly, not scary. The dolls would bother me more the way they seem to move from one spot to another on their own.

8. Despite the various creepy things that Louise has experienced, she's refusing to let her aunt exorcise the house. Would you still be hanging onto rational reasons over accepting family help?
Absolutely not. I don't believe in ghosts or any of that, but I would take anyone's help, so that I could get that house on the market and return to my normal life.

9. We've had more insight into the childhood of Mark and Louise. Does this change your opinion of either of them?
Yes, it helps to have that perspective for understanding them, but I'm sure there's more that will come out about each of them.

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I’m on the waitlist at my library for Starter Villian

Leslie Ann wrote: "I will take Paris-
Murder on the Left Bank"

Sounds like an exciting book with a great cover!

I read a book about Elon Musk awhile back. I learned a lot about him and his family and some of what makes him tick. It gave me a different perspective on him and overall I found it to be pretty good.

Suzanne,
I am planning on reading Our Man in Havana, so please mark me down for Havana, Cuba.
Thanks!

We finished Round 1 in 2nd place! Woo Hoo! Heavy Metal team got first place, but we were only 99pts behind, so it was very close!

We're already getting a strong start on Round 2 with many of the cities already being claimed and we'll also get some more points for the BOM this round. Every little bit helps and every reader is valuable! Hope you all are having fun!

If you want to chime in with your favorite book from Round 1, please do.
Mine was Horse. If you love horses and historical fiction, you'll want to put this on your TBR. Also, Geraldine Brooks is a fabulous writer and a Pulitzer Prize winner.

My second favorite was a book very different from Horse that was a real page turner, Look Closer. I had never read David Ellis before, but I will again! Twisty, turny with a well -developed plot and a main character who takes you for an exciting ride.

That will work great for round 2. Yay for the X!

Way to go, Janine! We finished our spell out and Suzanne has them all recorded. You are such a fast reader! Do a celebration dance for yourself!

Fabulous job on Round 1, team! I was adding to the SS and Suzanne is now finishing up placing a few more books. It looks like we will get that extra final spell out complete if the last few books are read in time. If not, we still got off to a great start!

Suzanne wrote: "Amanda wrote: "I have all month to read How To Sell a Haunted House and answer questions right? I just got it from my library and have a couple other books first!"

You have to finish and answer qu..."

Thanks for the clarification, Suzanne. I sometimes forget all the nuances of the game. :)

Leslie Ann wrote: "Nanci wrote: "Leslie Ann wrote: "Finished my last 2 books"

Wonderful! Could you please add Absent Pity to your shelf when you get a sec? Thanks!"

Done"
Thanks, Leslie Ann! I've got it recorded on the SS.

Leslie Ann wrote: "Finished my last 2 books"

Wonderful! Could you please add Absent Pity to your shelf when you get a sec? Thanks!

Amanda wrote: "I have all month to read How To Sell a Haunted House and answer questions right? I just got it from my library and have a couple other books first!"

Yes. The book finishes on Oct 31. We'd love to have you join us in the read, Amanda. Anyone else is also welcome. It's a good way to get some extra points. I think your 3 mandatory discussion questions also have to be entered by Oct 31. Please correct me if I'm wrong, Suzanne.

Janeylou wrote: "Nanci wrote: "Janine,
Could you please add your book, "I've Got This" to your shelf.
Thanks!"

Nanci, i put the completion post by the wrong book🙄🙄...sorted it . Im reading Ive got this tomorrow"

No problem! Thanks so much!

DQs Day 1
Ch 1 to Ch 7

1.) What are your first impressions of the family and of Louise and Mark? How pivotal do you think their relationship (or lack thereof) will play in the story.
Aside: I plan to steal and use the phrase "Terminal Assholism" in future. Thank you Hendrix!
Mark is coming off as a real jerk. It was awful that he didn't tell his sister for 48 hours that their parents had been killed and then the way he told her the details! So thoughtless. People can fixate on those facts in an accident and it just sticks in your brain forever. Absolutely, no reason to traumatize Louise like that. He seems very immature and callous.

2.) The book is organized into sections following the 5 stages of grief. Does this impact your expectations of the book at all?
I'm listening to it and if the narrator read those section words out loud, I must have missed it. I have the print book too and just looked at it and see them clear as day. I'm going to listen more carefully to see if they're on the audio too. As a retired counselor I think having those five stages are a great way to order the book. Louise is certainly in Denial in the beginning, which is perfectly normal of course.

3.) Okay. Life size dolls named after her children. Weird, creepy? Would you be excited to have them as part of your inheritance?
They sound so creepy to me, but what is more concerning is that the mother seemed to think of them as her own real life children. I'm guessing she's going to turn out to be a little "off".

4.) Have you ever experienced a family post-death squabble/fight like the one Louise and Mark had in front of the junk clean out guys?
Not like the one in the book, but in my experience and most of my friends experiences there has been difficulty with that one person in the family who is selfish and wants to grab the most valuable items. Judith, interesting that your husband is a funeral director. Learned something new about you. I'm sure some of his stories would be very entertaining.

5.) Did anyone else google Fellowship of Christian Puppeteers? If so, were you surprised to find they were a real organization? Has anyone interacted with them before or a similar organization for other religious beliefs? [note: please keep responses respectful to people's beliefs, this is a safe space

No, I did not Google it. I am very active in our church and we don't have puppets or dabble in puppetry. In my work as a counselor with young children, I did use some puppets at times, which could be helpful, and little children are drawn to them for entertainment, but I had no idea such an organization existed.

We are doing so great on"synthesizer"! We should be able to get our 10th word complete (we only need Y, T, S which are claimed) to finish it. Then, we will have most of our 11th spell out done, if everyone reads what they've signed up for. So proud of you all!