Apoorv ’s
Comments
(group member since Mar 26, 2014)
Apoorv ’s
comments
from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.
Showing 321-340 of 1,276
Dec 02, 2018 10:00PM
Discussion QuestionsParts I & II
Midnights
1. Mags and Noel meet at a New Years Eve party and we read dialogue from 4 consecutive celebrations. To me, it’s pretty obvious Noel is interested in more than a ‘friendship’ relationship with Mags. What are your thoughts about why Mags is so reluctant?
I actually think it is the other way. Mags seems stuck with the notion of being with Noel more than just a friend. I don't think Noel has, through these four years, ever hinted at anything more than a deep friendship, so Mags reluctance to move on seems very unhealthy from her perspective.
2. Not sure, but Noel appears to have some experience with other girls…Natalie, Amy, Alicia…while Mags doesn’t interact with other boys. What’s keeping Mags from other boys and if Noel really likes Mags why is he kissing/dating other girls?
As I mentioned earlier, I don't think Noel realized his pent-up emotions for Mags all the while he was kissing all these other girls. He always looked at her as his closest friend, without realizing that she may not be thinking of him as just that.
3. It seems that Noel is really the one open to different things and specifically change vs Mags who appears likes things status quo. One quote ’everything was the same and everything was different’… what does this mean to you?
I think the quote holds a certain resonance within our everyday life too - especially when we come across people who we sort of lost touch along the way. The connection might be the same, but every person evolves with age and experience, so there is always a bit of misalignment that happens even with a person we think we know all too well.
----------------------------------------------------
The Lady and the Fox
This was my least favourite story of the lot so far. I absolutely didn't understand, relate, or like anything - so I am going to answer these questions very superficially.
4. The man (Fenny) is outside standing still…in the trees always at Christmas, always in the snow… What do you think about this man? He says he’s where he’s supposed to be…he’s only allowed to come when it shows…why do you think he’s supposed to be there?
I guess he is stuck or cursed or just likes standing there in the snow. But I also think that there is a certain motive behind that or a hope that somehow, someone would lift that curse.
5. Fenny gives Miranda the Fox Damask from his coat as a present and she fixes it so the fox is no longer chained and returns it to him one year later, again as a present. Is this ‘fox’ magic? Would he have been able to be free of the lady had this not occurred do you think?
I think its magic, but I wouldn't honestly be able to tell - because I did not understand the purpose of the story at all. :(
6. The fact that Miranda’s mother is in jail is one aspect of this story that requires ‘imagination’. What does her mother have in common with Finny (the man in the snow) and/or the lady? Do you think her mother is really in jail in Thailand?
No clue what so ever! I was so lost by this point, that this angle threw me completely out of the park.
7. The book was written in a ‘different’ style. If you were going to put a label on the style, what would you call it and why? Does Link’s style remind you on another author you’ve read…if so, who?
I don't think I have ever read anything like this (and sadly it is not a reverential critique). I found it extremely disjointed and lacking a cohesive narrative.
--------------------------------------------------
Vicky, the official spreadsheet is updated with everything we have so far. I am most likely not going to be around today at the deadline to capture the last-minute books. Would you be able to plug them in, if there are any more reads between now and then?
Laura wrote: "Apoorv, title of Kelli’s book starts with T."Stop it, Laura!
You are making me look stupid - AGAIN!
LOL! :P
Kelly wrote: "Managed to finish it!The Christmas Secret by Karen Swan
484 pages
S - Author"
Kelly, the letter S isn't part of our spell-out for PINETREE. Does the book fit any of those letters? I would hate to miss out on a book that was read. Thanks! :)
Tammie wrote: "Have we decided on 'candle'?"I'm going to say yes!
That seems like the easier of the option with 6 different letters to focus on, while we work those mini challenge tasks.
Alright, our spreadsheet fairy is busy working her magic on our tracking sheet - I am going to start adding tentative names of folks who are claiming tasks in the Mini Challenge tab. Do take a look at it before you spend time searching something for a task someone else has already claimed! Would save you some time, hopefully!Also, hold off on claiming too many tasks at a go, atleast till the time everyone gets a peek at the list. Once, we are in the thick of things, it will be a mad dash! OOOOH, I'm excited! :D
Tammie wrote: "Nanci or Apoorv...could you please check?I am going to read this book...it is more than 500 pgs and has green trees on the cover...would trees be considered an 'item'?
[bookcover:Texas Heat|189160..."
The way I read it, the task expects us to have the cover include something green either in the text or cover. Trees work just fine, I would say!
Also, a bunch of us are reading the Christmas BOM, so props on finding the tasks it works for - we can definitely have some of 4, 8, 24, 36, and 40 covered in those!
Apoorv wrote: "50-Pointers
➽ Read a book with only shoes or boots on cover.."
I am grabbing this task for starters with
You Remind Me of Me
It is CANDLE for me, for exactly the reason you mentioned above! I would love to see us get options and not fixate on a letter, which will give us the leeway to focus on the mini challenge.
Laura wrote: "Not that I'm pushing for Candycane, but the only difference between that and Candle is the L/Y. So the decision really comes down to if we want to focus on C/D/A or P/R/E. We'll have Ns either way, and S/T is easy. If it was upto me, I would push for CANDYCANE, because it gives me the dreaded Y-book I need to complete my alphabet challenge for the year. :P
But, barring that, I would not want us to be burned out with P/R/E, since that is exactly what we have been reading this week and C/D/A would give us some newer challenges. If that is not a biggie for anyone, we can go for PRESENTS.
At this point, I care for the mini challenge and those 40, 50-pointers more. We are so close to finish at a high, and I don't want us to miss that.
Laura wrote: "Does this mean that we can't use the books from the first spell-out for the mini-challenge, since we get a bonus for that first spelling? If so, we should go with the shortest word! .."No. AFAIK, this applies only to the 4 bonuses, word on cover, word in title, word in text, and word as genre.
But, I agree with a smaller word, since we can focus on the mini challenge instead of searching for harder alphabets.
MINI CHALLENGE
List of Tasks!
50-Pointers
➽ Read a book of 501 pages or more with green writing or a green item on the cover.40-Pointers
➽ Read a book where Hanukkah is celebrated
➽ Read a book with a green or gold item or writing on the cover which is set in summer
➽ Read a book where the page numbers countdown by one. (i.e. 987, 876, 765, 654, 543, 432, 321 or 210)
➽ Read a book where a dog is a main character
➽ Read a book that has one or more of these words - Noël, Nativity, Xmas, or Yule found in the text. ( no variations excepted; word(s) must be exact),
➽ Read a book with gloves on the cover
➽ Read a book with only shoes or boots on cover
➽ Read a book with a star on the cover.
➽ Read a book with “carrot” in the text.
➽ Read a book with a brown cover that is between 301 and 500 pages.
➽ Read a book with "four" in the title.
➽ Read a book with a body of water on the cover (e.g. pool, lake, ocean etc.)
➽ Read a book with the name of at least 4 articles of clothing within the text
➽ Read a book where a main character has a name that is in the top 20 dog names in Australia as per this website. No alterations to spelling.
(view spoiler)
➽ Read a book that has a birth
➽ Read a book with a belt on the cover.
➽ Read a book with angels or devils (or both).
➽ Read a book with a Christmas lights on the cover.
➽ Read a book with a scarf on the cover.
I want to opt for CANDYCANE, but given the tasks at hand, and the fact that we have to double up the books with those tasks and the spell-out, I would certainly suggest going for a relatively easier word that gives us more options (less repeat letters) - which from the three would be CANDLE!Plus, I certainly would suggest us to focus on the 40 and 50-pointers first, and then worry about the 10 and 20 ones! Last week, it's now or never!
Laura wrote: "Well, CANDYCANE is the only option with a difficult letter in it. And we’ve been rocking that category so far."I like this logic!
Especially when this week, the team at #2 had more chances at pushing past us - this can help!
To make things a little more interesting in the last week - we have 40 more tasks, and a lot of points up for grabs! This will change the game! Are you guys ready?Final Week Mini Challenge
What do you guys like the most? Choose ONE!CANDYCANE
CANDLE
PRESENTS
Tammie wrote: "Need a rulingI am going to be reading this for another challenge this week...need cover check to see if it works for pinetree on cover...looking for other possibilities."
I always get confused between Pines and Fir, but based on the leaf structure, I would say its Pine!
The two BOMs for December are My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories and Mr. Dickens and His Carol. The first begins Dec. 4th, and the latter on Dec. 16th.I am definitely reading the first one, not sure if the second one will be included in this challenge since we'd be done by the 8th!
At the end of Week 4 with 5690 points, we are strongly placed at No. 5 on the leaderboard, with about 1225 points behind the No.1 team!And, we did a great job this week - jumping from No. 6 to No. 5 from last week! So, way to go, Barrel-ers! :D
Also, WE ARE NO. 1 in the toughest letter category!
OMG! We are killing those pesky letters, and how!?
Yaaay! :D
Off to the EEEEEs now...
Laura wrote: "Looks like we'll be short one Z. If that's the case, don't use my Unexpected book, since it's worth the least points. It won't bug me. :)"Yeah! Hate missing out on books but had to do that!
Thanks for being okay about it, Laura! :)
