ClaireB’s Comments (group member since Jul 06, 2014)

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

Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "✿ Claire ✿ wrote: "I've read Stray this week and I really get why it was put on this list. The main character was simply insufferable. I could not stand her. And I didn't find the plo..."

I certainly hope she gets better. I own most of the series and I would feel bad not giving at least the second book a chance before deciding to get rid of it. But I almost did, haha

I've read Stray this week and I really get why it was put on this list. The main character was simply insufferable. I could not stand her. And I didn't find the plot so original, either, tbh. Meh!!

I've also tried to read I'll Give You the Sun but couldn't read more than 40 pages of it. That writing style is really not for me.

I just finished a suuuuper long fanfiction. I basically spend the whole day reading. But it was worth it. the fanfic was amazing and, of course, POINTS !!!!

Steven wrote: "Finished Ninth House. It was really, really good."

I'm so glad to hear that ! I bought it when it came out but I kept hearing mixed things about it, so my excitement kinda dwindled down.

Okay, so I just have to call dibs on Mr Darcy. I just have to!

So, if I understand correctly the whole title doesn't need to fit. Just the main word then? Or any word in the title works?

Judith wrote: "But to answer your first question, yes, the book with plaid in the title would work."

Good ! Maybe if we do a second round we can use that.

Would Behind the Plaid work for "what he wore"?

edit: nevermind, I found something better, Stuck-Up Suit

✿ Claire ✿ wrote: "Sammy wrote: "✿ Claire ✿ wrote: "Sammy wrote: "Judith wrote: "With half our team chipping away at the anthology Once Upon a Christmas Wedding, I'm half tempted to ask for a buddy read thread to be ..."

Just kidding. Your effort is very much appreciated! You are awesome !

Sammy wrote: "✿ Claire ✿ wrote: "Sammy wrote: "Judith wrote: "With half our team chipping away at the anthology Once Upon a Christmas Wedding, I'm half tempted to ask for a buddy read thread to be set up."

Ther..."

well.... you crazy !

Sammy wrote: "Judith wrote: "With half our team chipping away at the anthology Once Upon a Christmas Wedding, I'm half tempted to ask for a buddy read thread to be set up."

There's a lot of people from other te..."

That's putting so much pressure on the members who have started the book !

I wanted to start this week's reading with I'll Give You the Sun, but only 30 pages in and I can already tell I'm going to hate it. I'm really not into that writing style. I can see why it was on the "bad list".... I'm not going to continue. I'll just dnf it immediately and start something I might actually like.

I finally finished my reread of Outlander !! :D

I'm trying to finish my reread of Outlander today. I'm nearly there.

Sammy wrote: "I've got 10 books lined up from the bad books thread... May not read them all, but will definitely do the chunkier ones (outlander & tommyknockers)."

Lol, I just took out of my shelf any book I had that was listed. I now have two little piles of at least 10 books next to my bed.

Sammy wrote: "Judith wrote: "I may tackle Anna Karenina, but just not for week 5. I’ve heard it’s a dense read so I’ll likely need to spread it out."

It is, though I vastly preferred it to War and Peace!"

I second that. In fact, I didn't even manage to finish War and Peace. And I consider Anna Karenina as one of my favourite classics.

Judith wrote: "So, for the mini story, assuming the story is complete it works out to 4 points per book. An additional 5 if it is also a “Bad Book” read during week 5 (so 9 points if in a complete story).

I was ..."

seems like a good strategy to me

Elen wrote: "✿ Claire ✿ wrote: "Do you know if anybody from another team has read Little Women in 2019? My copy has a green cover, so it could be a sin bingo.
"
..."

Thanks Elen !

Yes, I saw it on the list. That's why I thought about reading it for this challenge. BUT if I want it to count for sin bingo (7 pts) it can't count for the mini (5 pts) as well. So I'm going to do a sin bingo ;) I want these 2 extra points !!!

Day 6- Chapters 34 to the end

22. In chapter 3 we get the first of the big reveals. Were you surprised by the actual dynamic between the twins? And were you as creeped out as I was by Ianthe's little speech about the place between life and death..."where the things are that eat us."?

I was very creeped out by Ianthe. *shudder*

23. There have been many types of necromancy and magic and science talked about and demonstrated in this story. In sci-fi and fantasy books, I often find myself wishing that some of the science or magic was real. Are there any aspects of this world that you wish was real, or that intrigues you?

I like the idea of necromancy. It'd be cool to be able to says skeletons, even though maybe morally it's not the greatest.

24. The second big reveal gave us the name of the big bad. I personally did not find clues to this littered throughout the story, so I was surprised. Did you find this reveal satisfying? Surprising? Did you enjoy the fight at the end?

I liked the fight, but I wasn't exactly surprised by the reveal.

25. Was anyone else waiting for a sex scene? Why use the term "lesbian necromancers" in the description? Who cares if they are heterosexual or gay if it really doesn't come into the story? Marketing? Or do you think it was an important story point that the main character liked girls?

I was surprised too. I think it's a marketing thing. Readers have been complaining that sapphic representation was never made explicit in description. Here they made sure people knew.

26. Will Gideon's and Camilla's bodies or selves be recovered? Will you read the next book to find out? Did you like the book?

Hopefully. Buuuuuut, I don't think I will read the next book. I was way too confused by this book to really enjoy it.

Day 5 - Chapters 27 - 33

First off, can I say that I did not expect, at 85% through, to still be as confused as I am right now!

Same, same...

18. We get a lot of thanalogical (??) science theory chat in the section, with the exchanges between Palamedes and Harrow, which seems to confuse them at least as much as it did me! Did you enjoy the science chat and reveals, or did it get in the way of the action?

I was glad to finally have some expansion on the magic of the world. Unfortunately I didn't understand jack of it. So there it goes... I must say I'm pretty disappointed in the world building, or lack thereof, of this book.

19. We see other sides to a couple of the Houses during this section: the Eighth, who had been reported as being super weird with the cavalier being effectively a vegetable, actually transpire to be super weird with the cavalier trying really hard to hold to whatever shred of his life he can claim as his own (Colum says: "I've got my sword. I've got my honour. Everything else is yours." "Your sword is mine also" said Silas. Silas is an ass of the highest order, btw)
Similarly, the Second become all noble and self-sacrificing in chapter 33, a change from the rule-bound nimrods they'd been up to that point.
Do you like the shifting understanding of the characters? Have your favourites / least despised changed over the course of the book?

I can't really say I have favourites. This book confuses me that much that I find it hard to care for anyone or anything.

20. Speaking of changes: MASSIVE emotional reveal between Harrow & Gideon. I loved the line "she wrapped her arms around Harrow Nonagesimus and held her long and hard, like a scream", which is just SO Ninth House. How does this information make you re-evaluate Harrow & Gideon's relationship?

It makes sense now why Harrow has been treating Gideon like that. I'm glad something finally makes sense.

21. Something a bit lighter: in the midst of the blood and death and bone-key making and such, there are still some moments that made me snigger. one that I particularly enjoyed was "Hm," said Camilla neutrally, and Gideon knew immediately that she organised Palamedes's and her socks by colour and genre."
The little blips of humour have definitely helped me whilst reading the book. Do they work for you?

Sometimes they do, other times they make me roll my eyes. It's been a bit hit or miss.