Chava’s Comments (group member since Dec 19, 2013)

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

Finished . Can one of the (co-) captains check I updated the tracking spreadsheet correctly?

Day 2 Discussion Questions
ch 13-22

5. The list of characters continues to grow. Although, I do think we are getting more views of the family. Have you been able to form opinions about the family members, yet? Do you have any favorites?
I am a bit annoyed by Stan & Joy. Stan is too aloof for me and Joy is too in your face. Savannah intrigues me and I truly hope we're not going to be presented with her having some kind of serious mental health disorder. As a mental health clinician, I detest it when mental health is portrayed as dangerous or something to be afraid of.

6. The scenes with the brownies struck me as strange. The family all seem to know that the brownies are important to Amy, but Stan is weird and seems to be making it into a competition. Everyone else seems to be trying to avoid the show down. As a family that has been competitive for so long, is it weird that they seem to shy away from it?
I was completely confused by this. I was stuck with the description of how Savannah ate the brownie, crumb by crumb. There is more going on with this family and it's slowly being revealed

7. Savannah continues to stay just out of focus for me. I don't know what to think about her. Any thoughts on who she is or why she is working so hard to ingratiate herself with Joy and Stan?
I mentioned before, she seems mentally unwell and this disappoints me. I truly hope the author isn't again dragging mental illness in as the boogey man as many authors do. There is something very wrong here though

8. "Why not rewrite the memory and remember it as a perfect day? What was the actual benefit of accuracy when it came to memories?" (p157) I like this quote. It gives a bit of insight into the collective memories of the family. I think it offers a bit of unreliability to all of our narrators. What do you think about this view of memories?
This quote isn't a memory, it's turning it into something it wasn't. That's not a memory. It's a way to reduce the upset about events, but you can't change a memory. You can change how you feel about a memory

I am reading the large print version of Apples never fall. Do I use that version or do I use the standard version for page numbers as there is a large difference (721 pages for large print vs 467 pages in regular book).

1. Traditional 1st BOM question! What has led you to join in?
Is Liane Moriarty one of your must read authors or are you more like me, where I'm happy to read her books as I get round to them.
I have liked a few earlier books by Lane Moriarty & wanted to give this one a try. Of the two BOMs, it looked like the one I could easy myself back into book reading after a hiatus of about 2 yrs

2. I'm finding this difficult to sink into. 2 different timelines and multiple points of view. So far we've had the prologue, the waitress, Joy, the beautician, Barb, Brooke's physiotherapy patient, Brooke, the Uber driver, the police officer and Logan. I feel like I've missed someone as well! Do you think we'll circle back to anyone other than the family?
I agree, I quite struggled with the different POVs and timelines. I felt like I was constantly missing something. I'm not sure yet what's going on. It feels messy

3. Savannah has just appeared at the house. Do you think she has more of a link to the family than she is saying? I feel like the house choice isn't entirely random but I can't put my finger on why (other than reading too much and trying to see patterns). What are your feelings about Joy and Stan taking her in?
It feels very strange to me. I felt it strange how they not just take her in, but house her overnight. Who does that?! SOunds unsafe to me to bring a random stranger in! Something suss is going on.

4. There's a lot of hints towards Joy and Stan's relationship being less than picture perfect. Do you think he's responsible for Joy's disappearance or has she really taken herself off grid? With the comments in her section about memory loss, is this actually a case of a lady with relatively early onset dementia getting lost?
I am quite confused by the early onset dementia and how it fits in. Are we being led down the wrong path here? I feel there's another character who we haven't met yet involved, some plot twist somewhere. I don't think Stan had anything to do with it but I think he's quite happy with it. She sounds full on, poor woman.

Melindam wrote: "Thank you Chava. It was a rather terrifying ordeal (before vaccines became available) and recovery took months, but I managed. :)"

Sounds horrendous! I'm glad you're ok

Melindam wrote: "Silje wrote: "Still home on sick-leave due to covid, hopefully I will have some energy to read. I'm starting Cress, as I've just reread the first two in the series. And as it happen..."

Wow, that sounds intense, Melindam! I'm glad you recovered.

Silje wrote: "Still home on sick-leave due to covid, hopefully I will have some energy to read. I'm starting Cress, as I've just reread the first two in the series. And as it happens, it is tagge..."

I'm sorry to hear you have COVID. I hope it's not hitting you too hard.

yey!!!! I've started reading Apples Never Fall I have it on my Kindle and as an audiobook so I don't have to miss a thing all day. I even cleared my day for it :)

Hey Tina
I hope you're feeling better now. I'm in Melbourne too! I hope you didn't flood with the insane rain that came down overnight.

Ok, I've put mine in the spreadsheet just in case. If needed, we can move it to the second time we read the word if required. I can always read another book first if the team would prefer

Melindam wrote: "


COUNTDOWN TO CHALLENGE
https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown...

ROUND 1
: from 14 Nov to 21 Nov
Spellout Phrase: ..."

Question about the bonus points, does the book need both shelf and colour to get the bonus points or is one of the two criteria enough? For instance, I am planning to read Apples never fall. This is over 50% grey, but does not have space opera as a shelf. Would we still get bonus points?
Thanks

Michelle, we had a big trip to the US planned and then Covid hit. We used those savings and kept adding to it. Now we have a deposit after 3 years to buy our first home. We are building and hope to move in 12 months

hi all!

I'm Chava, I live in Melbourne, Australia where we're starting to see the beginnings of summer. I am a wife (13 yr anniversary was last week) and mum of 4 kids (ages 12, 11, 9 and 7). I work as a mental health social worker & psychotherapist in private practice and senior clinician at a national youth mental health service.

This is my first challenge for 2022 after what feels like living under a rock for the last 2 years. I've done wheels before in previous years, but it's been a while so I'll need to refresh myself on the rules. My favourite genres are mystery/thriller, but I can be tempted to read whatever is needed to win the game! (I am competitive LOL).

It's funny that the phrase is Apples never fall, because that's the title of the book I was planning to read first for the challenge. It's ready & waiting on my Kindle.

Sophie wrote: "Chava wrote: "Cat wrote: "Chava wrote: "when's the next big team challenge, mods?"

After UNO, so no sooner than May"

Has UNO started already?"

UNO is over in Perks of being a Book Addict and sta..."

I just found them so deleted the post. Thanks for following it up regardless!

when's the next big team challenge, mods?

Slow & Steady
01/01/2022 - 12/31/2026

The Twelve Towers
12 books that you've acquired most recently (from start date)
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10
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12)

11 books that you never find time to get around to or that have been on your shelves the longest (pre-choose these)
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5.
6.
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11.


10 books you randomly select from your shelves (such as by using random.org -- as you go or pre-choose)
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8)
9)
10)

9 sequels, series continuations, or spin-offs

8 novellas or short-stories - they can be part of anthologies, you don't have to read the whole book in this case.

7 books that everyone seems to have read but you

6 anticipated releases (release dates after your start date)

5 books that were recommended to you via Goodreads

4 books that you started but never finished

3 books that you've already read before

2 books with covers that you don't think fit the storyline or that you don't like the covers of but everyone raves about the books

1 book that intimidates you

Thank you all!!

Cinthia wrote: "Jenn, Lexi, Thea and Chava, do you want to continue just the 4 of you? Honestly, I wonder if it would be a better idea for you to split up and join other teams. On the hitchhiker's thread one team ..."

I'm fine either way. Happy to get 2 more hitchers and keep playing with just the 4 until they join, but open to any suggestion.

Looks like 1 more stop

Lexi wrote: "I still didn't finish my boring book. I don't think I will"

all the spots on the spreadsheet have been filled, so I think you could abandon the book if you wanted to.
I hate having to push through in a boring book! Out of curiousity, which book is it?