Karen D’s Comments (group member since Aug 25, 2015)

Karen D’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

VI-VII

34. At the beginning of this section Holland says that hope, faith and change are fragile and need to be nurtured. Do you agree or disagree with that statement?
Definitely hope and faith, but I don't know about change. Maybe if he means change that you make happen, but random change happens all the time with no nurturing necessary.

35. Were you surprised that Alucard had a family in red London? A royal family no less!
Yes, a lot about Alucard surprised me in this section! We knew he had some sort of secret, but I didnt expect that, he certainly gave the impression he was more of a criminal than a high-born member of society. Although I guess those two aren't mutually exclusive.

36. Ahhh. We found out what Alucard was running away from. Do you think that relationship problems were his only problems in red London or will there be more revealed?
I didnt' get the impression that Alucard was the one running away. Or at least not because of relationship problems. Based on Kell's comments, his leaving caused the problems, not other way around.

37. Lila is a puzzle to me. At times she seems to be almost good and then she can flip right back over into some shady reasoning. She is a very complex character and I appreciate that about the characters in this series. Do you have a favorite character? and why?
Definitely not Lila. She annoys me. Her refusal to get close to anyone and instead push everyone away seems unnecessary and excessive. My favorite is probably Rhy, he certainly seems more complex and interesting in this book than he was in the previous one.

38. She seems to be working hard to develop the language in this book. She keeps having the characters use it. I get that it helps develop the world, but the expose on the many meanings of the word party was a little much for me. How do you feel about the use of the made up language?
I'm curious how she knows that much about each word. Maybe the word "party" has come up on the ship already, but it seems unlikely she would have been able to learn all the other different meanings of the word without some sort of dictionary.

39. Why do you think Alucard was willing to help Lila steal an identity? And what does the tournament winner get? Did I miss that because how is she going to claim her prize? And if it's just for glory well she can't claim that either. It seems like she could have found a better way to enter the tournament.
Yeah, similar to everything she does, not particularly logical or well-thought-out. I imagine she wants to participate just for a test for herself, not to prove to anyone else, but to know what she can do.

40. How sad to hear that white London has no animals! Do you think Holland will be able to give him another Antera's body? Poor Holland - I don't know what to think about him. What do you think about him?
I'm guessing this is how Red London and White London get tied back together again, Holland is going to try to bind him to Kell.

Depositing 18 coins!

Leprechaun role-playing game: 14 coins

The Blue that Soothes
✔Read a book with 1 word in the title for the shortest string. Shiver
✔Read a book with 2 words in the title for the next string. - Secret Daughter
✔Read a book with 3 words in the title for the next string - If I Stay
✔Read a book with 4 words in the title for the next string. The Things They Carried
✔Read a book with 5 words in the title for the longest string. Notes from a Small Island

For soothing the leprechauns, receive 8 experience, a blue shard and 14 Leprechaun Coins.

Road to St. Patrick's: 4 coins
Day 4: read Hounded, from Tea's list

Discussion Questions
March 26th - Royal Welcome

27. Alucard tries to seduce Lila so that she'll tell him her secrets. I was surprised she almost fell for it. Why do you think this was? Do you think she's attracted to him, lonely, drunk or something else? How do you think Alucard really feels about her? Why is he so desperate to know her secret?
That surprised me too, there seemed to be a lot more passion in that kiss than there was in the one with Kell (which I'd completely forgotten about already). I think Alucard really is attracted to her, but hiding his feelings behind his desire for information, which is basically what Lila would have done anyway, hide any hint of feelings from everyone.

28. Lenos tells Lila he thinks she's aven (blessed, chosen, other, cursed), that she's there for an important reason and that he's scared of why she is not what or who? Do you think she's aven and is it the same kind of aven as Kell? Any guesses as to what her purpose is?
Yeah, it seems that she'll end up having that revealed, especially after she was able to control the sea, which should have been impossible.

29. Kell thinks Master Tieren is avoiding him. Do you think he is and if so why?
Maybe he's scared of what will happen to him in the games and doesn't want to have to face that.

30. The Royals from Vesk and Faro have arrived. What do you think of them? Kell seems especially worried about Cora but most are concerned about Lord Sol-in-air. Who do you think poses the biggest threat? I'm wondering if the gifts and different beliefs will be important. What do you think?
This reminds me so much of the Tri-Wizard tournament in Harry Potter. But Sol-in-air seems too obvious, I think Cora will end up being the bigger problem for them.

31. Alucard Emery. We've learned a lot more about him and his history as a pirate but I can't make my mind up about him. What do you think of his character? A lot seems to be an act and he's very secretive so I'm not sure we've seen the real him. Have we? Is the pirate thing how he ended up on the wrong side of Kell or is there more to it?
I agree, a lot seems to be an act. They keep referencing the time that Rhy was kidnapped, I think that's what this will end up going back to.

32. Lila is back in London at last and goes to see Calla immediately. Why is this? Is it just to settle a debt, is she attached to her or is it her link to Kell?
That seemed odd to me, how attached she was to Calla after only knowing her for essentially a day. That felt a bit forced, and was only really a plot element to bring back Kell and Lila.

33. I can't believe Kell just missed Lila at the market. I'm so excited for their reunion. How do you think it will go?
Of course that's how it happened, so dramatic. I think Lila will be upset by it, one more person that could make her vulnerable.

Discussion questions 25th March 2016 IV Londons Calling

22. Rhy is definitely not the lighthearted party prince we met in the first book. What do you think of him and the way he sees his future as king? He seems to have some issues with how Kell saved his life and that they are now connected. What do you think of his feelings? Where do you think the voices he hears come from, are they an effect of Kell’s magic or are they leftover magic from when he was taken over by one of the Dane twins in the previous book?
I mentioned this before, and I still feel this way. The voices annoy me. It's not just Rhy and Kell because Lila hears voices too, and it just seems so unnecessary. Anyway, it sounds like Rhy will make a great king, that he is not focused on the glamor of the position but the biggest responsibilities he will have.

23. Again we get a clue that something happened between Alucard Emery and Rhy or Kell, I am curious to see what it is. What about you? What do you think of the relationship between Rhy and Tieren it seems more than a mentor-student relationship?
I don't know, it seems to me like how a normal mentor-student relationship develops as people grow up. He was a mentor for so long, and has seen Rhy and Kell grow, so he is able to be closer to them than others may be.

24. Kell is going to compete in the Essen Tasch as Kamerov Loste. Do you think this is a good idea? I did like the bit when Kell’s coat changed to a new coat before Kell saw the helmet Rhy gave him. Seems the coat can sense what Kell needs and has a mind of its own, what do you think?
Nope, this does not seem like a good idea. It reminds me of Robin Hood dressing up to enter the archery contest in the Disney version of the movie. Something will go wrong, he'll get found out, or there will end up being some sort of trap for him.

25. Why do you think Alucard and Lila left London? Did they leave to escape something or did they really want to see the world?
Freedom, probably escape from something, I'm sure we'll find out more about Alucard's reasoning soon enough.

26. We now know what happened to Holland after Kell pushed him into Black London dying. Did you suspect that this would have happened to Holland? How do you feel about this deal he made with Osaron?
This part was super creepy. And certainly ominous for the rest of the book. I like the way this is playing out, with this as the side plot but will almost certainly overtake things soon enough.

Depositing 17 coins

Read-a-thon: 10 coins
10 coins for answering all of today's questions here

BOM: 5 coins
3 days participation in A Gathering of Shadows - here, and here

Road to St. Patrick's: 2 coins
Day 13: Notes from a Small Island, recommended by my parents

Discussion Questions
March 24, 2016
Section III - Changing Tides

16. The King sends Kell on an errand to visit King George in Grey London and he finds that King George is dead, Prince Regent being the new king. Why do you think New King George (Prince Regent) is constantly inquiring about magic? What do you think it was that he wanted Kell to smuggle for him?
I can't even begin to guess what he wanted smuggled, but I'm guessing that his interest is more ominous than Kell seems to think it is so far.

17. At the Black Market, Lila comes across a strange mirror. In it, she sees herself with Kell's coat on and two black eyes. The merchant tells her that one side of the mirror shows you what you want, the other side shows you how to get it. What do you think Lila's reflection meant? Is she wanting to be as powerful as Kell (or more)?
Yes, she wants magic and power and to be unique and special. I would be the other side shows her something about how what she wants is already in her, but she just has to bring it out.

18. Both Lila's and Kell's mind is telling them to "Run", "Leave", etc. Will they end up listening to the voices in their heads? Where would they go if they did leave/run? Do you think they will run back to each other?
I don't know but this is starting to get annoying. It's one thing to talk about a gut feeling or a sense of unease, but I'm tired of hearing about voices in their heads.

19. I can't believe Ned really waited for Kell this whole time! Ned has been practicing his magic and demonstrates for Kell. Afterward, Ned tells him that he has a gift for him, but Kell leaves before the gift is revealed. What was it that Ned had for Kell?
No idea, I dont remember a whole lot about Ned from the first book.


20. All this magic talk in Grey London. Will this lead to magic being brought back into the magic-free city?
It definitely seems like it. Lila had some powers, and now Ned is able to do a little, and with the interest of the new King, I'm sure it'll be a bigger thing going forward.

21. The Element Games. Interesting. How do you think the outcome of the Games will play into the story? Will the winner be rewarded with something else along with the gold?
I think the Element Games are going to get Lila in trouble. Like, she'll enter and then her hidden Antari side gets revealed and she's bound to service and no longer has the freedom she desires.

March 23 – Section 2: Prince at Large


10. Kell and Rhy are back! :) I just love the dynamic between those two. They are typical brothers who love each other but still know just how to get under each other’s skin. In the last book Kell saved Rhy’s life by binding them together. This seems to have affected their relationship and not in a good way. Do you think this will get worse before it gets better?
Probably, there's definitely some tension. I don't think I realized that Rhy can't die, I thought it worked both ways, but that was interesting to learn.

11. Rhy seems to be purposely looking for danger. Do you think this is his way of getting back at Kell for saving him and binding them together? Or is it just him flaunting the fact that he cannot die as easy as before?
I think it's his way of getting back at his life overall. That he resents having rules and restrictions and just wants to rebel from everything.

12. Kell and Rhy seem to have a history with Alucard Emery and not a very good one. Any ideas as to what this could be about? Do you think Emery has something to do with the kidnapping of the prince mentioned in the first book? Or something completely different?
Ohhh i hadn't even thought of that, yes that sounds possible. Otherwise I have no idea.

13. Kell’s dream about Lila – that they were together and she was pulling him towards freedom – how would you interpret that?
He's jealous of her freedom, he feels trapped in his position and his life. That everyone thinks he's a monster by just looking at his eyes and he can never be truly anonymous like she can.

14. White London is back!!! This is going to get interesting! Holland is creating Antari. Do you believe he is creating them or is just simply pulling forth the magic that was hidden inside the Antari?
You can create Antari?? i'm confused. I thought they had to be born.

15. Are you excited for Holland to be back? Do you think he and Kell will continue their battle or will he be grateful to Kell for saving him from the Danes? Why?
I'm realizing how much I've forgotten from the first book. I'm going to have to go back and read the Q&A from that to remember all of this. So I'm still a bit confused about what is happening. We thought Holland died....but I forget how that happened, so it's hard to know how surprised I should be.

1: What did you think of the read-a-thon? Did you have fun?
I did have fun! I always love challenges, and one to get me to read more is great.
2: How many books did you start and/or finish? I finished 9 books and started an additional 2.
3: How did you like the interaction of the read-a-thon?
These were interesting, but there were a lot of days that I just didn't have time to go back and the other answers.
4: How did you like the Recommendations of the read-a-thon?
Loved these! I especially had fun digging back through old books I've read, remembering ones I've forgotten.
5: Did you have any goals? If so, did you meet them?
My goal was to try to stay consistent and I mostly met that, with the exception of the last day.
6: Would you participate in other read-a-thons in the future?
Definitely!
7: Can you suggest anything to make a read-a-thon even better?
Hm, I'm not sure, this is the first one I've ever done, so this is really all I have to base it on.
8: List your final book/page stats.
Pages read: 3435
Books finished:


Started but not yet finished:

Finally got my copy from the library!

March 22 – Section 1: Thief at Sea

1) Gathering of Shadows is the 2nd book in a planned trilogy. Some say that 2nd books are just filler to get to the third, others say they are better than the first because not so much time is spent on world-building. Do you have any feelings one way or the other?
So far I've found second books to be fillers also, but I'm optimistic about this one!

2) The first chapter opens with Lila stranded on a small leaky boat. However, by the end of the first chapter you realize that this was all a ploy and she single-handedly takes over a ship. Did you see that coming? I have to admit, I thought it was one of the best opening chapters I’ve read in a long time.
Nope, I totally thought she'd been the one that had been captured and abandoned. that was quite clever, although risky, that was close!

3) While Lila is taking down the ship, she is humming a song about sarows, a phantom said to haunt wayward ships. We found out that some of the men on the Night Spire actually call her that. Why do you think that the men call her that?
I would think they call her that because she hums the song. And maybe she hums the song because it's always been her goal to be a pirate so the song inspires her?

4) Alucard Emery is the captain of the Night Spire, the ship that Lila has been travelling on. What are your first impressions of the captain? Do you think that this might be a possible new love interest for Lila?
Not any more than Kell was in the first book. Love doesn't seem to be on the horizons for Lila and I kinda like that about this. It can get so cliched, having a male and female main character, you know exactly how its going to end.

5) We learn how Lila ends up on the Night Spire. She kills one of the crew members when he comes after her for stealing his purse. Lila doesn’t speak much Arnesian but manages to convince the Alucard that she will replace his “best thief”. Did this scene change your impression of Lila?
No, that seemed pretty par for the course for her. I mean maybe she should have anticipated a bit more trouble early on, but she got her way onto the ship which was her primary goal.

6) Why do you think that the voice in her head keeps telling Lila to leave or run?
I don't know! That is intriguing, especially if it turns out to be something she regrets ignoring.

7) Her room on the ship is described as small, “but it is the only place on the ship where she could be truly alone, and the weight of her persona slid from her shoulders like a coat as she closed the door”. What do you think this means?
She's playing a part constantly, trying to speak a language she doenst know well, act like a boy, keep everyone under control. So this is the only time she can truly relax.

8) Lila still has the box that Kell gave her and has been practicing magic. Any thoughts on how her developing magic will play into this story. Do you think she wants to impress Kell with what she’s learned?
No, I think she wants to impress herself, or rather see what she's capable of. She wants to find out that she's special and not just the poor street urchin she's been for so long.

9) Now that we’re caught up on Lila, who the character that you most want to hear about next?
kell and Rhy!

Depositing: 42 coins

The Wishing Well: 33 coins
Wish 1 - 11 coins
Wish 2 = 11 coins
Wish 3 = 11 coins

Read-a-thon: 7 coins
Answering all Daily questions (with only one answer, that was hard on the ice cream question!) - here

Road to St Patrick's: 2 coins
14 Mar: Read a book with a colored beverage on the cover.

I pour my heart out through Ink and Bone and send Notes from a Small Island to friends visiting the magical wishing well. I hope that, among The Things They Carried, my wish will be delivered and I will be rescued from my isolation. I know that upon my wish being granted, the firsts I hope to hear are: You Deserve a Drink: Boozy Misadventures and Tales of Debauchery

Ink and Bone: finished 3/19
Notes from a Small Island: finished 3/22
The Things They Carried: finished 3/8
You Deserve a Drink: finished 3/23

Total: 11 coins

Although my family has Splintered, and I have to keep hidden my Secret Daughter, I wish upon the great (albeit lesser-known) Leprechaun Ethan Frome to restore us to our former glory and home in Slade House.

Splintered: finished 12 March
Secret daughter: finished 19 Mar
Ethan Frome: finished 5 March
Slade House: finished 15 Mar

Total: 11 coins

With a Shiver, and my trusty pet The Goldfinch, I approach the Red Queen and wish for peace and understanding, that those who have turned against me could know simply that I mean no harm, but It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War.

Shiver: Finished 21 march
The Goldfinch: Finished 13 March
Red Queen: Finished 4 March
It's What I Do: finished 9 March

Total: 11 coins

Really enjoyed

More than I expected to!

1: ..... your favorite food? Burgers. Like a really good burger from a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, not McDonalds
2: ..... your favorite drink? Diet Coke. Trying to cut down.
3: ..... your favorite color? Red
4: ..... your favorite restaurant? Red Lobster!
5: ..... your favorite season? Summer
6: ..... your favorite ice cream? Moose Tracks
7: ..... your favorite candy? Take 5
8: ..... your favorite musician? Jim Morrison
9: ..... your favorite book quote? Honor is the presence of God in a man. The Lords of Discipline

Depositing 6 coins

Read-a-Thon Daily Questions
Day 12 posted here
Day 13 posted here
3 coins each

I will try to not repeat previous recommendations, but the spell-it-out for Nothing But Reading Challenges used up a lot of books, and I can't remember exactly which ones I used or what day it was (and dont particularly feel like digging through to find all of them)

- I just finished this, so pretty sure I havent recommended it yet. It's about a girl who was adopted and she's trying to figure out who she is and where she came from, as well as the struggles both her birth parents and adoptive parents deal with as part of the adoption process

- this is one of the funnier books I've ever read, and also really important in how it deals with depression and mental health issues

- Historical fiction of London during WWII, absolutely loved this, and the twist at the end caught me completely by surprise

- chick lit, Alice falls off her bike in spinning and hits her head and loses her memory of recent few years. So in her mind she's newly married and pregnant with her first child, whereas in reality she's got three kids and beginning divorce proceedings. It was light and easy to read but really touching, showing how a relationship you think is so solid (not only with her husband but also with her sister) can slowly unravel to the point you dont' know how to go back.

- just loved this, and sobbed through about half of it. So much better than the movie

1: Besides GoodReads, what are some of your favorite sites to go online?
Twitter and google news to follow current events, Amazon.com because I'm always thinking of something random that I need to buy right then, wtso.com to buy cheap wine :)
2: Do you spend a lot of time online, or very little?
Depends on the day and how busy work is. Sometimes I'll end up killing a lot of time online, other days I might check my email once or twice and that's it.
3: What is one site (non book related) would you recommend most to others?
WTSO is probably the most unique site I have to offer. Wine flash sales, it's really fun.
4: What (besides GoodReads) are the first 3 sites you visit daily?
Gmail, then my calendar then google news to figure out what the day is going to look like. I'll also usually do a quick scan of instagram and facebook but usually through the apps, not the websites.

1: Are you a TV or Movie person?
TV. I don't have the patience to sit through an entire show or movie, so I'm much better off if I'm at home and can do other things at the same time.
2: What are some of your favorite current TV shows?
Dancing with the Stars, Quantico, Modern Family
3: What are some of your favorite TV shows no longer on?
I loved How I Met Your Mother! And re-runs of 90210 are the best, at least the early years.
4: What are some of your favorite movies?
I like horror movies - The Shining, Poltergeist, Insidious, Paranormal Activity
5: Any (other) sports fans? :) What's your sport?
College basketball. Go Duke!

Depositing 4 coins

Road to St Patrick's: 2 coins
8 Mar: Read a book that features a castle, has Castle in the title or has a castle on the cover.Notes from a Small Island - includes several visits to castles

Leprechaun read-a-thon: 2 coins
Read a book with a Yellow (or Gold) Cover. -