Keli’s Comments (group member since Jun 23, 2016)

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

Hi all. I'm Keli (she/her). I live in Norwich, England and have for the last 19 years, but I still very much feel like a Texan. I will always prefer ice tea to hot tea, though I have learned to enjoy it. And I don't think my accent will ever disappear.
I will read anything but true crime. I often say I'm not a fan of biographies, but I just borrowed one by Mae West from the library. And I've almost always enjoyed the ones I've read. 🤷🏿‍♀️ My favourite genres are UF, sci-fi, paranormal romance, and fantasy.
I put down just four books for the month. I enjoy TT so much but I can't really do stress right now. Previously I had higher targets and I was forever reading, which is normally great, but would crush me right now. I will, however, try to get in a longer one each month too, since my average is just 1 book/week.
I participated in one of the Jan BOM and did DQs and answers. I'm not really sure how that all works. But if we can claim something, I did The Lost Man.

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

Judy wrote: "#7 done



While there was at times a little too much gore for my taste, this was overall a really cool story and I'm definitely considering picking up the s..."

I just bought that for my daughter. I'm glad to see the positive reviews,gore aside.

Still sitting in my physical pile waiting patiently for its turn.

I've managed another three so far in April.
a detective story set in New Orleans. Parts of this were really good. The author has a knack for making the setting a wonderful part of the story. The heat and the sweat were so vividly portrayed, I felt damp. Also, I think his focus on the colour of people's skin was interesting. I'm not sure if I liked it or not, but he has properly populated the city with an array of black people. Considering that's the majority demographic, I like that he kept the city true. Sadly, all the MCs were white. But what let the book down was the constant of the MC's beliefs. His political, social, economic, religious, philosophical and emotional beliefs were doled out in these pointless soliloquies that failed to relate to the actual plot in any way.
I also read the scifi classic . I debated a three or four star review on this one. Part of it were really good. And Crichton clearly did his homework. He was talking HD before it became a thing. I compared this with I, Robot, which I've also read recently and this one ages better. But there is just something about the end. It's all kinds of hard science craziness then it just becomes this blockbuster thriller with an ending akin to "it was all just a dream." The end let me down.
My last book was . This was my second attempt. I found it too much the first time. But i listened to the audio the second time and was successful in finishing. I thought it a beautiful and moving bit of writing. I really wished someone had written a letter like this to my brother, life might be so different.

Lexi wrote: "I got two more older ones off my list. I liked The Underground Railroad (rounded up to a 4). Some of the narrative choices weren't my favorite [spoilers removed] but overall, it had..."

I totally agree with you about Station Eleven. I liked aspects of it and I enjoyed her writing style but i didn't get what all the hype was about.
The Tuskegee thing, I sort of agree with you. Whitehead should probably have made up some other medical study but really the US has a long and ugly history with using black bodies without regard or care since slavery. Even today Princeton University uses remains, without consent, from the 1985 police bombing of the Move organisation in Philadelphia, which includes children's bones. Not only were American citizen's murdered by the police but the families weren't even given the bodies. This is in living memory, I think the course might still be going, and family of the dead are likely to still be alive, still grieving. I think that's unconscionable. So moving the Tuskegee experiment around in history doesn’t really seem that bad. And when it comes to hope, I'm not sure what there is to offer. Until 1865, every runaway slave would be constantly looking over their shoulder, and after that...? The slave got nothing but freedom (of a sort).

Yay, I've had this book out for ages from the library, so hopefully this will spur me on to actually read it

Kristine wrote: "Keli wrote: "For the first time ever I've completed it!!"
Incredible 🎉 Congratulations 🎉"

Thanks 😊. My first diamond coin.

My other spot

Level L-9 = 55 books.

2013
1
2
3

2014
1. Azagoth - 20/03/22
2. The Chase - 14/05/22
3. The Zig Zag Girl - 16/06/22
4. Horrorstör - 14/11/22

2015
1. November 9 - 05/03/22
2.Between the World and Me - 04/04/22
3. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - 17/04/22
4. The Stolen Queen - 21/09/22
5

2016
1. The Underground Railroad - 28/03/22
2. Things Fall Apart - 23/05/22
3
4
5
6

2017
1. The Night Visitor - 13/03/22
2. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - 06/05/22
3. The Unburied Dead - 11/05/22
4. The Turn of the Screw and Other Ghost Stories- 22/05/22
5. Sleeping Giants - 26/06/22
6. All Systems Red - 15/01/23
7

2018
1. The Travelling Cat Chronicles - 17/05/22
2. The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty - 14/07/22
3. Three Mages and a Margarita - 24/10/22
4
5
6
7
8

2019
1. I, Robot - 31/03/22
2. The Calculating Stars - 24/07/22
3. Kiwi Rules - 19/09/22
4. Wuthering Heights - 18/10/22
5.My Year of Rest and Relaxation - 20/10/22
6. The Flatshare - 25/11/22
7
8
9

2020
1. Transcendent Kingdom - 20/03/22
2. Betwixt - 26/03/22
3. The Only Good Indians - 30/04/22
4. Ashes of the Sun - 22/06/22
5. The Mountains Sing - 07/08/22
6. Grave War - 21/08/22
7
8
9
10

2021
1. The Ninth Metal - 24/04/22

2022
1. How High We Go in the Dark - 02/04/22
2. The Maid - 05/06/22

For the first time ever I've completed it!!

#3 down. Looks like 2019 is turning out to be a good year for adds. I just finished Where'd You Go, Bernadette. Loved the style, very easy and engaging.

DQs Day 3
Chapters 15 to 22

10) I think most of us guessed correctly about the Jenna incident. Any guesses as to why she was looking for Cameron after all these years? Thoughts on Xander's reaction to hearing the story compared to the older men?

I thought she'd be coming back to confront him. To tell him he didn't ruin her life. Or that she had a baby and he owes a ton of back child support.

11) Anyone else get the feeling Cameron is a bit of a wanker? Like a person who wants things so others can't have them, not necessarily because he actually wants them himself. And has a vindictive streak?

Yes. Since, I've already read the book. I can't remember when things were revealed but he came across a someone who is nice if you don't look to hard.

12) What do you make of Lo's comment at the dinner table? What do you think the secret is? What does Cameron want Ilse's forgiveness for (re: the card Nathan found)?
I had no idea what Cam was looking for or what the big secret was. I thought maybe the card was a forgive me for cheating, rather than forgive me for killing myself, kind of card.

13). We are halfway through now. Thoughts on the book? Predictions? Who do you think is involved?
I really enjoyed this book. I liked how things were revealed. It reminded me of an Agatha Christie. The red herrings and the introductions of the characters, who appear sinister or questionable, but as the story goes on reasons are revealed for their behaviour. It's good.

Audrey Jane wrote: "Keli wrote: "Thanks, i will check them out. I love books that teach me a little something or get me to go down Wikipedia rabbit holes."

Haha, Wikipedia rabbit holes are the bane of my existence. O..."

I've got Sworn to Silence tagged at my local library. It's going in my Feb reading pile 😁

Audrey Jane wrote: "Keli wrote: "Eldarwen wrote: "Her other book - The Dry - is also like that. It moves at its own pace and it just pulls you in. It's slow but never boring. I almost felt myself sweating alongside th..."

Thanks, i will check them out. I love books that teach me a little something or get me to go down Wikipedia rabbit holes.

Finished #2 Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow. It was okay. Not worth the wait but it was very 90s quirky.

DQ Day 2
Chapters 8 - 14

6. The plot thickens! Or not quite so much yet. There is definitely a lot of secretiveness going on however. Xander is keeping his eyes and ears open, and it's maybe helpful that he is more of a city boy because he notices things that Nathan wouldn't have, such as Harry knowing exactly where to go. In and of itself, Nathan may be right, that Harry knows the land like the back of his own hand because he's lived there for many years, and yet. Do you think the man has something to hide? Does Harry know more than he lets on?
I had to go back and relisten to that section where Harry turns before being told because I hadn't noticed. I thought it was very strange that he knew. But I think Harry knows way more than he is letting on. But I don’t get the feeling he is involved in Cam's death.

7. Why do you think Bub is pissing on his father's grave from time to time? Just because the man wasn't fond of his sons, especially the youngest, and known to be a bit of an ass? Or is there more to it?
There is definitely more to it than we've been teased with thus far. Either Bub is s psychopath (which could be the case) or he really dislikes his dad. Would someone on pee on grave if it was only mild dislike? I don’t think so.

8. What do you make of Nathan's history with the community? Most of which is all somehow related to his ex-wife's father, Keith. Nathan broke one of the cardinal rules of the outback but do you think he still deserves to suffer this punishment over a decade later?
This kind of frustrates me. I get he committed a cardinal sin but come on. Ten years people are still being a-holes to him. There were extenuating circumstances and he did go back, so yeah I think they're harsh. But I will refer to one of my questions, I think the kind of people who live in the Outback are likely harsh. There is a passage later in the book where Nathan is commenting on Xander, he says Xander's emotions haven't been "chipped away and sanded down to a hard callous." That's what the Outback does.

9. Jenna Moore. Now I do wonder what was going on there. All shall probably be revealed in the next chapter. What do you think happened? She and Cam seemed to have a good time, flirted, kissed, had sex, all seemed well - except for the fact she had a boyfriend whom she cheated on - so what do you think went wrong?
Honestly, I had no idea but this is one of the first times we really get more of a sense of Cam, that maybe he's not the perfect man.

Eldarwen wrote: "Her other book - The Dry - is also like that. It moves at its own pace and it just pulls you in. It's slow but never boring. I almost felt myself sweating alongside the main character haha."

As both you and Judith liked it, I'm going to have to read The Dry.

Also Audrey Jane, what is/are the favourite mystery series you refer to? I'm really hit or miss with mystery. Often I don't like them but when I do they are four or five star reads, like this one. So I'm always keen to find others.

Eldarwen wrote: "DQs Day 1 - Prologue - Chapter 7

1. How amazing and hard is the outback. Did you find yourself thinking why do people live in such inhospitable environments? What kind of people choose to live the..."

Languid is the perfect word for it. I've not read any of her other books, so i don't know if this is just how she writes or if it's just this book. But I felt it fit the setting so perfectly. There was a spareness to it but it still conveyed a lot on emotion or intrigue. It pulled me in, and though it moved at its own pace, I wasn't bored for a second.

DQs Day 1 - Prologue - Chapter 7

1. How amazing and hard is the outback.  Did you find yourself thinking why do people live in such inhospitable environments? What kind of people choose to live there? Would you visit, let alone live there?

2. Why do you think Cam left his vehicle? Suicide? Did he take to long searching for something?

3. As we are only just beginning to get to know all of the characters and some of their actions and/or behaviours, is there anyone who really stands out to you as questionable or shady? Anyone you particularly like?

4. Do you think the story of the Stockman is significant to Cam's death?

5. How are you enjoying the writing style?

Judith wrote: "Keli wrote: "Yay, I've got my questions all ready to go. Clearly, someone else in Norfolk is also in this Goodreads group because the same books are always being requested. So i had to read it and ..."

I'm so sorry. I totally forgot.