Ashlee’s Comments (group member since May 10, 2016)

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

All finished with my last 2 books for round 2.

Day 5 - 20 to End

17. This last part had some big reveals. Did you predict the identity of the Horned Man? What about the Hollow Sisters and how they came to be? Share your thoughts.

I hadn't predicted it until they got into the Halfway and started exploring. Then it came to me. I was definitely surprised when I learned that Gabe had been right all along, these were not his children. I wish we would have learned more of their true identities. Maybe something along the lines of "Iris" researching another time in history that 3 sisters went missing.

18. What do you think about how Iris' relationships with her mother and with Grey ended up?

I guess if I were Cate, I would also want to hold onto any relationship that made me feel as though I was needed. She mentions that "Iris" has the same demeanor as her daughter, so she was able to begin forming a bond with her.

19. Do you think Iris and Vivi will find any trace of Tyler? What did you think of that way to end the story?

Ugh!!! I wanted more! I do think they will find Tyler in some form, but I wish there were details surrounding his reasoning for watching from a distance.

20. What did you rate the book and why? What was your very favorite thing about it, and what is the thing you disliked the most?

I rate this book as a 4. I enjoyed the element of surprise at the end with Gabe and finding out how the sisters came to be. As with most books, I just wish the ending held more detail and didn't feel so rushed.

I have added a nonfiction book into the final J. Unfortunately, that is the only letter it will fit, unless I can use one of the co-authors (Andrew Bourelle or Christopher Charles).

@Stacey, I also sent you a message about a spreadsheet move to fit House of Hollow in.

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'm really clueless at this point. I feel like whatever/whomever the sisters come in contact with becomes affected by them.

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?
Gah...this really got me thinking. Are these girls in fact his daughters returned from a kidnapping, or are they imposters. I do think their father was crazy, but who wouldn't be if your children were taken and then returned completely different.

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?
Could it be some sort of pheromones that they are giving off? Hmm...

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?
I think Tyler is going to join in on the search. Afterall, he feels that when Grey is found, his name will be cleared.

Stacey wrote: "Ashlee wrote: "Hello,

I will check the spreadsheet this evening and update. I plan to work my way through House of Hollows this evening. I am really enjoying it, but haven't had much time for read..."

I got all of my grading done this week for the end of our first quarter. Looking forward to not having those daunting stacks looking at me. :)

Hello,

I will check the spreadsheet this evening and update. I plan to work my way through House of Hollows this evening. I am really enjoying it, but haven't had much time for reading this past week. Thank the Lord it is Wednesday, I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend.

Day 1 - prologue - Chapter 5

1. What sort of stuff do you like in your horror books? Do you like the slow pacing here?

So far, I'm little bored by this book. The slow-pacing is not doing it for me. So far, I'm not picking up on the horror vibes and that is a bit disappointing.

2. What do you think of the sister's and their relationship with each other?

I do like this piece of the book. I enjoy that each sister has her own personality. I'm looking forward to seeing if each sister also has her own "special ability."

3. We are getting hints about the strangeness around the Hollow girls, and at what happened to them. What are your suspicions? Would you be like Cate with her daughters, and not push at the memories overtly or dig actively?

I would like to think that if I were Cate, I would also try to solve this on my own. I would not want my daughters to continue to dwell on this awful situation of the past.

So far, I don't feel as though I have enough info on who this "Minotaur Man" might be.

4. The descriptions (of Grey's clothing in particular!) is very atmospheric. Are you enjoying the descriptive language used?

Detailed descriptions are always great to help me picture what these characters actually look like. The cover photo is amazing!

I will definitely finish mine today. I am down to 20 pages. Then I'll move onto the BOM for Round 2.

I got behind in updating the spreadsheet. It's all updated now. I am going to attempt to finish my current read today, so that I can start the BOM.

Tammie wrote: "*****Check it out*****

BOM (Book of the Month) is a way we can accelarate our points. If you enjoy reading books that may be a stretch for you and/or writing or reviewing DQs (discussion questions..."

I just got this book today. I'll be ready to read it once the discussion starts.

Lately, I have also been reading more than I usually do. I could probably up mine 1 more book, as well. So 6/month, instead of 5.

Hi everyone! I'm Ashlee, and I live in PA about 1.5 hours south of our friend Punxsutawney Phil. :) I'm a middle school reading teacher, so most of my "adult" reading time is done on weekends.

I will read mostly anything, but I am a mystery and romance fan. Also, I tend to check-in daily.

I love to discuss books that we are reading, but that tends to add more to my TBR. :)

My shelf is
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Also signed up already! :)
Excited to start a new challenge.

Jackanory looks great!

I just added the last of my books and those that I forgot to put on. Super bummed that I did not finish any of the August BOMs, but life got a bit busy this month.

It was wonderful to be part of this team this summer!

FInished Mort

Day 3 Questions end: "Then Cutwell sighted carefully ... [spoiler removed]" (p151 / 58%)

Q11. Do you think Mort is physically changing? When it says, "The gargoyle looked up into his face and suddenly felt like a very frightened doorknocker indeed, Mort's eyes glowed like crucibles, his expression was a furnace, his voice held enough enough to melt iron. It didn't know what he could do, but felt that it would prefer not to find out." - it seems these may be actual physical manifestations. With the photo Mort sees soon after with the wizard Cutwell, do you think that was originally Death in the photo before a transformation?
Yes, it does seem like he's changing; physically and mentally. As for Death, no, I don't think it is him.

Q12. What do you think about the plot point where Keli is dead, but is not? Do you think this was a clever twist of the author or do you find it a confusing jumble? How will this affect the story and will Death find out what actually happened and react?
I do find it a bit confusing, I actually find this whole series a bit confusing. :)
I do believe that Death is not going to be happy when he finds out.

Q13. There suddenly seems to be sign that Death may be playing matchmaker of sorts with Mort and his 'daughter'. Are you surprised, and what do you think will happen with the relationship between him and Ysabel?
I enjoyed the banter between Mort and Ysabel. I did think that Death was trying to play matchmaker, however, I found this interesting since, I mean...he's Death, does he have matchmaker abilities? :P

Q14. Do you think that before Mort was chosen by Death, that he was a normal boy? Do you think he must have some wizard properties buried or are his "abilities" gathered from being Death's apprentice? What do you think about Mort attracting death's attention - what is so special about him?
I don't think Mort would ever have been a boy described as "normal." I picture him as the kid in the corner that is trying to figure out how something works.

Q15. Mort seems to be getting a bit homesick after his day off, and Death is changing his tune as well. What do you think about Death's new adventures to experience some human experiences, try to understand fun and how humans behave?
Is Death trying to find a different occupation? Has this one run its course?

Almost finished with Extremely Loud, so I will definitely get that in. I had really high hopes for that book, and it didn't live up to it.

I will also finish Mort by tomorrow. Going away for a long weekend, but hope to get some reading in while on the beach.

DQs Day 2 - start: "Five minutes later, Mort was lost"
end: "Sooner or later, everyone remembered the magic word (p98)


Q6 - Mort walked through the walls a few times but couldn't when he tried to get into the castle. Why do you think this happened?
I think it has to do with his focus. The first few times he did it, he didn't have to think about it. Now that he wants to do it, he has to focus.

Q7- What do you think of Ingneous Cutwell's character?
Umm...why don't I remember this character? oops...

Q8 - The Abbot has been reincarnated 53 times. The concept of reincarnation is an interesting one. If you were to be born again what life would you choose?
If I were reincarnated, I think I would want to go back to my late teens and start again from high school graduation.

Q9 - Death sent Mort to reap three souls. In light of how he performed do you think Mort was ready for the job?
I don't think Mort will ever be ready for the job. He reminds me of that child that will do anything to please the parent; so much so that he doesn't think before he acts.

Q10 - Mort found Ysabelle's handkerchief in the library. Why is she reading other people's life?
I imagine it is pretty boring to be in Death's home. What else can she do to pass the time?

DQs Day 4: Chapters 24-29

16. Daunis talks a lot about keeping her various worlds separate so they don’t overlap. Hockey World/Real World, Fontaine/Firekeeper And now she has to add in being a Sneaky Squirrel. Have you ever felt like you live in different worlds, and do you agree with Daunis that it is easier to keep those separate?

I guess I've always tried to keep my work life out of my home life. The stress of bringing work home oftentimes gets in the way of having a happy life at home.

17. I love all of the interactions Daunis has with the Elders and how much she values their wisdom and guidance. What do you think of the role Elders have in the Ojibwe community? How does this compare to the role of senior citizens in your own community?

I think the difference between Elders and Senior Citizens is that the Elders are those that have been chosen to represent and make decisions for the community. Like senior citizens, they do have the life experiences that the younger generation lacks, but all senior citizens aren't necessarily making those big decisions.

18. Also - which elder’s coming of age story would you most want to read?

Jonsy seems like an interesting fellow.

19. This book has a lot of major themes (identity, community, racism, grief, justice, women standing up for other women, etc). Which theme stands out to you most or resonates with you most?

I find it interesting that Daunis has learned how to fight for all of these themes. I tend to live by several of these: identify, community, and women taking a stand.

20. Lots of unexpected events and suspicious characters in this section. Who are you most suspicious of at this point in the story? 👀

I'm not sure that I trust Ron, and let's be real, Call-Me-Grant is just downright creepy.

DQs Day 2 Chapters 9 to 15

6. I thought that the opening scene with Daunis and the gun would show up again towards the end of the book. That’s usually what happens when authors use this kind of device. Were you surprised that it happens not even a quarter of the way in?

No, I wasn't surprised. I was actually glad to see that the story was starting to take a attention-grabbing turn.

7. We knew there would be a murder but were you surprised that it was Lily who was killed? Did you suspect something bad would happen between her and Travis?

Definitely surprised (and sad) that it was Lily, but I guess all signs pointed to serious trouble with Travis.

8. The synopsis also hinted that Jamie was not all he seemed. I thought he would be something to do with the murder but not that he would be an undercover agent. What did you think it was that Jamie was hiding?

Completely shocked!!! I'm interested to see how this relationship with Daunis develops.

9. If you were Daunis would you have agreed to be a confidential informant? I’m not sure I would be brave enough.

I'm not sure that I would be brave enough, either. However, I do think that it was the right decision. I think it is going to be a way for her to find closure for her uncle. I also suspect that it may bring her grandma out of the "light bulb off" phase.

10. Being a confidential informant seems to be very complicated with Daunis being expected to really investigate what is happening rather than just let them know if she comes across anything suspicious. How well do you think Daunis will be able to do this as it’s her own community and perhaps members of her own family that she will be investigating?

I think she will put her all into it, but I think this is a lot to put on her plate. Maybe a bit too much responsibility for a civilian.

DQs Day 1 Chapters 1 to 8

1) Was this book on your TBR before it was announced as a BOM and were you hypnotized by the beautiful cover art? Were you familiar with Ojibwe culture prior to reading this book?

I did have this on my TBR and actually chosen for 1 of the Towers tasks before it was announced as BOM. I tend to follow the Reese Witherspoon Book Club and this was one of her picks.

I do absolutely love the beautiful cover. It's interesting to learn about the Ojibwe culture. I just wish that there was a glossary for some of the terms that aren't defined.

2) Several social issues have been touched on so far including racism (including within race (skin tone) and within families for biracial children), enrolled v. descendant tribe membership, substance abuse, illegitimacy, and mental health. Does the author seem to be pulling this off so far or does it seem like too much to have it work for the story?

I think the author is trying to cover a vast number of social issues that have come to the forefront of modern culture. I hope that she is able to effectively cover them without it taking away from the story itself.

3) Characters. Any favorites so far? Does anyone else want to be adopted by Granny June, or is that just me?

I'm really loving the dynamic between Daunis and Jamie. I hope that this continues. I also would love to be the granddaughter of Granny June. :)

4) The author weaves tribal culture into the story and makes it an important aspect of Daunis' life. Including having her work in the tribal language into her interactions with the kids. Language is such an important part of culture, loosing a language means more than just a loss of vocabulary words. Are you enjoying this aspect of the story?

Yes, Daunis is very proud of her culture and she is doing a great job of continuing with her legacy.

5) The quote "when someone dies everything becomes past tense, except for the grief. Grief stays in the present." really hit home. How did you react to this statement, did is resonate with you as well?

I don't completely agree with this statement. When someone dies his/her physical body becomes past tense, however his/her spirit and the memories of him/her lives on. The grief remains a deep ache.