M’s Comments (group member since Jun 23, 2014)

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

Well done everyone

Went to my chemo treatment today and hammered out a chonk of a book. 779 pages. Celebrating with pudding and cat cuddles.

Hello Apoorv, and welcome. Nice to be on a team with you again

Sharon wrote: "Ugh I’ve been trying all day to select the “notify me” box on this thread but goodreads is glitching and won’t let me. I’m going to have to remember to manually check in to this thread until it’s f..."

I have also been trying. Adding a sticky note to my monitor to check every day

Hello everyone, I am M from Vancouver, Canada. I live here with too many books and my handsome house panther. His meowjesty also says hello. I mainly read fantasy, science fiction, mysteries, and historical fiction.
Here is the link to my shelf: Wheel 2025

What’s a book that made you want to pack a bag and travel somewhere new?
I read The Name of the Rose in high school, because of that, and my love of history I traveled to Italy quite a few times when I was younger

You’re walking part of the real Camino de Santiago: which book character would you want as your walking companion?
Samwise Gamgee, interesting conversation, and I love a good potato.

Do you prefer to read about far-off adventures or cozy, close-to-home stories?
I love far-off adventures. I traveled a lot in my 20s, someday I would love to again.

What’s a country or culture you’ve learned about through a book that really stuck with you?
The Sami culture. It is in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula in Russia.

If you could read in any scenic spot in the world, where would you set up your reading chair?
I would go back to England and set up my chair in my friend's back garden with their beautiful plum trees and their pet rabbit Hugo.

Great job team! This was so much fun. I hope to see you all again in another challenge.

Melissa wrote: "@M - I gotcha - just put it in.

Those books must have incredible world building. They are so long, and there are so many of them. What do you think of them?"

I love them. It is amazing worldbuilding, I feel like I am in the book instead of reading it. I can't wait to dive into the next one

I finished The Witch of Webs, but I don't have access to my desktop to add it to the spreadsheet. Could someone please mark it as read on the sheet with today's date. Thank you so much

Melissa wrote: "M, I am interested in what you think of Ninefox Gambit - I thought it was really interesting - although I can't claim I understood all of it!"

I love the series. This is my second time reading it. My book club chose Ninefox Gambit for our December book

I have been nose-deep in The Titan of Baleros all morning. I should have this chonk of a book done by tomorrow. I also pulled How to Sell a Haunted House off my shelf. Excited to start that one.

I went to a local book convention yesterday. It was amazing! I met several local authors and picked up a bag of new books. Now to find room on my shelves for them.

Melissa wrote: "Shannon wrote: "I'm 59% finished reading How to Sell a Haunted House . Im really liking it so far. It's not what I was expecting! I thought it would just be ghosts and hauntings, bu..."

I have been wanting to read this one for a while. If two of you have enjoyed it, then it will be added to my TBR pile.

I completed my colossal book and found grapes in the text on page 1079. Added it to the mini page.

Christine wrote: "M wrote: "Insiyah wrote: "M wrote: "I am a little behind, but I am reading the BOM. I will have the first groups of questions posted by tonight. Do I need to add a link to my post on the spreadshee..."

Thank you so much!!!

Insiyah wrote: "M wrote: "I am a little behind, but I am reading the BOM. I will have the first groups of questions posted by tonight. Do I need to add a link to my post on the spreadsheet or just what number the ..."

I am sorry, but I am having trouble figuring out how to attach the link to the questions I answered.

DQs- Day 1, Chapters 1-7

1. The book opens with quite a tough scene: a Great Library is set on fire and Kiela has already packed crates of books to rescue. And she asks herself the question "if she were stranded on a desert island, which books would she most want to have with her?"
Now I'm putting you the same question limiting your possibilities to
- 1 complete works of an author
- 2 book series
- 3 standalone books from different genres, 1 must be non-fiction
1. Everything by Tolkien
2. Discworld by Terry Pratchett or the complete works of the Warhammer 40k universe.
3. (Stand Alone) The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. (non-fiction) Shaking Hands with Death by Terry Pratchett

2. While it's only explained sketchily, a little politics, history (?)
of the Empire is mentioned, alongside some curious species, flora & fauna (winged kitties, anyone?) What do you think of the world-building so far?
The world-building is very slow. I like this better than pages upon pages of background information, or even worse, having to flip to an appendix to see what is being referred to.

3. It's mentioned several times how Kiela keeps herself to herself in the Library (apart from Caz's company). Do you think such an almost complete isolation described here is possible even in such a vast Library?
This is pretty accurate. When I am doing my research, I sometimes don’t even notice when the library is closing or when people are coming and going.

4. I found it a bit disturbing that Kiela doesn't tell anyone on the island that she came away because a revolution has broken out in the capital (I understand her keeping silent about the books). It IS supposed to be a big deal after all and one would think they will learn about it eventually. A bit later some excuses are offered. Do you think they are sufficient or it's just a usual plot-driving tool?
It is probably plot-driven. I think Kiela is also processing what has happened. Not knowing whom to trust and just finding her way now that the library is gone.

5. I really liked the idea of Kiela & Caz sectioning the garden and naming them after book genres. Which genres would you name parts of your real or hypothetical garden?
I find this interesting, and I would love to see what the garden would be like. I mainly grow herbs and other things to make teas. I now want to know what a genre-based tea garden would taste like—maybe high fantasy tea or a cozy mystery tea.

I finished the first 1000 page chonk last night and should have the next one done by tomorrow. Have a good weekend everyone!

I am going to post the first group of question for the BOM tonight. My main issue is that I am not enjoying the book at all. if it wasn't for the reading challenge I would DNF it.

Christine wrote: "Melissa wrote: "M - I found in The Winter Knight "Rice building with its dress of scaffolding insensate to the ...." but it doesn't have a page number. By any chance did you read this on a Kindle? ..."

That is correct. It is in the second paragraph of page 159

Melissa wrote: "M - I found in The Winter Knight "Rice building with its dress of scaffolding insensate to the ...." but it doesn't have a page number. By any chance did you read this on a Kindle? If so, could you..."

That is one of the few that I have the physical book. I will flip through and see if I can find the page