Jen’s Comments (group member since Jul 20, 2014)

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

Hey everyone! I really, really enjoyed completing this challenge with you all. I had a lot of big changes in my life during the course of the challenge. Being able to read more often and stop in to read comments was very grounding for me! During this challenge, I rekindled my love of reading. Thank all of you for helping me find that again.

DQs Day 3 ~ Eight - Ten (p195)

9. Linus completed his first report for the DICOMY; what did you make of it? Did you think he reported anything that he should have left out? How about future reports – how do you think they will compare to this one?
His report is what I expected it to be. He was fairly to the point and didn't leave things out. I think that is why he was selected for this assignment. I did suspect when reading that he may (view spoiler)[ alter his reports to either only include good things or lie to cover up something big. (hide spoiler)]


10. Ms. Chapelwhite takes Linus on a hike through the forest to show him a raft that she wants reported but doesn’t want the children or Mr. Parnassus to know about. Linus was taken aback by the message sent on the raft. (view spoiler) Did your opinion of Linus change when he suggested they send a message back? What did you think of his message?

I liked his message back. I was surprised that he sent a message though because it seems like a risk and he doesn't strike me as a character that does things unexpected.

11. Linus seems a bit smitten with Arthur. Do you sense there is a mutual attraction between the two? Do you think anything will take root and blossom?
At this point in the book I (view spoiler)[ feels conflicted because on one hand it was shelved on Goodreads and male/male romance; however, I also thought act maybe Arthur was using him or trying to manipulate the report.

12. That was quite the adventure that Lucy led. Were you surprised that Linus stepped up and began to join in on the story? What all did you learn about the children, about Linus, about Arthur and Zoe?
I learned that Linus takes more risks than I expected. I like that Arthur can step up or step back depending on the situation.

13. As this chapter wraps up, Zoe and Phee are talking with Linus listening. He can relate to Phee’s comment that she likes the trees better than she likes most people. Do you think Linus learned anything from the “lesson” that Zoe gave him through Phee’s growing the flower for Linus and her explanation of the trees and root system?
I honestly completely forgot about this part of the book; however, upon reading other's comments it became to came back to me. Now I want to re-read for other deep moments. There was a lot of symbolism in the book, often something said by a child. I wonder if part of the message is that children understand these ideas easily. As in, hate and prejudice are put on them from adults. (hide spoiler)]

5. The book is set in an unknown city and then onto Marsyas Island. Country Unknown. Do you think it is set in an alternate universe to our own eg UK or USA or a completely fantasy location? Does it matter or make you think differently about the storyline either way?
I was picturing a beach town somewhere in the UK. I've never been to the UK but I was just imaging something like Bristol but just because I recently watched Broadchurch.

6. First impressions of the house and Linus' reaction to it? What is your own reaction to it and how it is described?
I had to re-read a little bit to understand the house. When we got the the parts about (view spoiler)[ the children's rooms (hide spoiler)] I was really interested. This was very unexpected.

7. In Chapter 6 we are introduced to a colourful array of children and the enigmatic Mr Arthur Parnassus. Who is your favourite child and ability so far and what special talents do you think will be revealed about Arthur?
So, I've actually finished the book. But, at different times I was more into a different child. Overall, I think Talia was my favorite.

8. At the first dinner welcome for Linus the reader is bombarded with a plethora of notable pearls of wisdom from Arthur Parnassus which made me realize the allegorical themes of this story.
"Sometimes our prejudices color our thoughts when we least expect them to. If we can recognize that, learn from it we can become better people."
"Because even the bravest of us can still be afraid sometimes as long as we don't let our fear become all we know."
"There are things in this world that defy the imagination."
"He'd never be a bellhop because what Hotel would hire one such as him, people fear what they don't understand."

I really think prejudice is the main theme. I like that the relationship was (view spoiler)[ subtle (hide spoiler)] which I think can make it more approachable for people who are predudice to specific types of relationships. I also enjoyed how it was approached with kids being different and being able to accept people as children.
What point do you think the author is trying to make through the world and characters he has imagined and what do you think these quotes hint about the story moving forward?

DQ Day 1 - One to Four (p62)

1. What drew you to this BOM? Was it the fantastic reviews it’s been getting? Or the cute cover? Or something else?
A friend was recommended to read this book. She doesn't read a lot of fiction so she passed the recommendation along to me. Then, I kept seeing it on TikTok and decided to read it.

2. What do you think of the writing style so far? I didn’t expect it to be so funny. I laughed out loud a few times at the terrible office Linus works in and at the rude neighbour. I love the way she is so rude about Linus but then keeps trying to set him up with her grandson.
I agree that the writing is both funny and endearing. I thought it would be a little more formal or whimsical, but the middle of the road with a hint of humor is perfect for me.

3. What do you think about Linus as the main character? So far, he seems to be quite frightened of the world. How do you think he will cope in the strange situation he has been put in?
I LOVE him as the main character. I love that most other characters have these neat powers but then he is just a typical (and totally relatable) person.

4. I was surprised that one of the children on the island is supposed to be the Anti-Christ. Heart warming stories don’t tend to feature someone like that. What powers do you think he will have?
At this point I was expecting him to be able to mind control and to have previously killed another kid.

I love the story!! Great job Lexi. Thank you for taking the time to be creative and make it so well written!

I finished the first day of my move. After 12 hours of driving, I'm finally checking into a hotel for the night. I listened to one audiobook and started two others. I have both on kindle too, so I'll get polishing off a few chapters tonight and finishing both tomorrow!

I'm hoping to read a couple books this week. I've been really busy with packing for my move the last couple of weeks so I had to slow down on my reading.

On Sunday, I will be starting my move. I'll be driving about 10-12 hours for 4 days so plenty of time to polish off a few audiobooks!

I can do the book set in South Africa. I just stumbled upon Damon Galgut and he is from South Africa. Many of his novels take place there and four are available at my libraries.

DQ Day 2 - Part 1, XIV - Part 2, III (p129)

5. At about a fourth of the way through the book, how do you like Addie LaRue as a narrator/person?
I think she is an interesting narrator, I like her more in as a person in the present day but as a narrator in the past. I like how confident she is in the present, but it seems like since the past isn't about developing other characters there are more details in the setting and descriptions which I found interesting.

6. Are you more interested in Addie’s past or present life (or both)? Why?
I like the writing more in the past but the concept of selling a soul interesting. So both are really nice. I think it was a good choice for the author to explore both!

7. How do you think she handled the start of her "curse"?
I think she did extremely well! She had not gone on many adventures or seen much of the world. So, not only was everything completely new but she also couldn't rely on any information she may have already known.

8. Addie seems to have serial one-night stands with the same person. Why do you think she does this, and do you have any concerns with the potential for manipulating the other party? (I am still thinking on this as a power imbalance).
From her point of view, I think it makes sense that she would want to be with someone she knows makes her feel comfortable or has fun with. If I were her, I would probably want consistently too. Since she knows things about them, she can bring up little details that will make them seem like they have chemistry and give her that sense that someone knows who she is. From the other person's point of view it seems like an invasion of privacy. Of course, they don't know what is happening, but still. It doesn't exactly sit well.

9. In this section, we meet Henry. What is your initial reaction to Henry and his ability to remember her?
It was interesting that he remembered her. I thought it was funny that she couldn't play her usual games.

DQ Day 1 - Part 1, I - Part 1, XIII (p67)

1. Other than BOM points what attracted you to this book? The rave reviews? The cover? The blurb?
So, when I read the blurb, I wasn't sure if I would like it. However, I downloaded TikTok and saw dozens of people recommending the book.

2. Have you read any other books by V.E. Schwab/Victoria Schwab? If so, how does this book compare? If not, what do you think of the book so far?
I have not read any other books of hers. I am looking forward to going and seeing what other people commented because I would love to check out more of her work. I found her characters to be interesting and the plot to be unique.

3. What are your thoughts on Addie and the bargain she made?
She was facing something that she really did not want to do. So, I think the bargain is completely understandable. Also, she was in a fight or flight moment so I don't think it would be unrealistic to agree to something without giving the thought about what negative sides that the bargain may have.

4. Obviously, selling your soul is going too far but if you were able to get a wish granted what would it be?
Wow, this is such a fun question!! I think I would wish for more courage in general. Maybe once a day I can take some kind of a risk with the guarantee that nothing extremely bad would happen.

DAY 4 Part 3, II - Part 3, XII (p253)

14. Why do you think Addie puts herself through interactions like she had with Remi? It must be hard to see "lovers" grow old without you and not remember.
I think she still had some hope that maybe things would be different. Even if deep down she knows it won't be, in the moment she could be lying to herself. Also, if it makes her happy in the moment maybe it was not that bad after all.

15. Do you like Addie or Henry more so far? Why? Are you finding their stories interesting?
I like Addie's story more, but I think it's because we know more about what is going on with her. Henry becomes someone I like more as the book progresses.

16. So Addie is going to tell Henry the truth! How do you think this will go? Do you think he will still accept her or even believe her?
So, I already read this part. However, when I was reading, I didn't believe that Addie was actually going to tell him. So, my prediction was that she would back out or something would happen to prevent her from telling him.

17. We're halfway through the story. Do you have any fun predictions or guesses about what will happen in the second half?
Again, I already finished, so I can't say but the book was such an immersive read that I only spent a little bit of time thinking about what I thought before rushing to pick the book up again!

I have a bookish question for everyone. Does anyone here annotate their books in any way (highlighting, writing, book darks, tabs, anything). If yes, could you share your system and how you got started.

I'm wrapping things up at my current job and getting ready to start a new job. I'm super excited because I'll be moving from NC back to Oregon (where I'm from). Due to COVID, I haven't seen my family in a year and a half.

I've been getting some reading done, but will be able to go a little quicker in the next couple of weeks!

Redshirt wrote: "Could someone put 6/18 for me by The Spitfire Girls?"

Done!

Qs Day 5 - The Game - end

21. Even though Nora loved her life with Ash and Molly she still returned to the library. Were you surprised that she didn’t stay? Did you want her to stay in that life?
I kept going back and forth about if she would stay or not. I think the fact that she was trying to tell herself it was a good life showed that she may not stay. Went she felt her surgery scar and was sad that she missed that moment, I thought she might go. I kind of suspect that she will still get with Ash and have a child with him in her life now.

22. When Nora reconnects with her brother Joe she finds out that the reason he had been avoiding her was nothing to do with her decision not to continue with the band. I think that Nora’s experiences in her other lives helped her to accept that this was the truth. Her old self was so wrapped up in thoughts that she was responsible for other people’s happiness I feel she may have thought he was just trying to be kind due to her suicide attempt. What are your thoughts?

I thought the piece with her brother was interesting and I wished it had been explored more. I would love be interested to see a life where they were best friends or whatever. I do think it was nice that he called after the voicemail and was ultimately there for her.

23. Were you happy with the ending? Where would you like Nora’s story to go next?
I liked it, although it wasn't exactly left open or everything finished. I would have liked it to just end with her getting help OR to see a little more into the life she ultimately leads. This kind of felt in-between.

24. Nora got to experience so many lives and possibilities - different careers, different relationships and the chance to live in places all over the world. If you were able to experience another life what would you want to experience?
I would be interested in seeing what my life had been like had I gone to a different high school because that changed a lot of friendships. Though, I love the idea of seeing different lives with different careers.

25. Did you enjoy the book? Was there anything in the story that resonated with your own life? Is there a message you will take away with you?
I really, really enjoyed it. I like the idea that ultimately our lives are open and we can do anything but it's all about the choices we make.

BOM Day 2 Day 2: The Penultimate Update - Peppermint Tea (39%)

6. Were you surprised that Nora's second choice was related to her cat? What did you think of the outcome?
I wasn’t surprised. The cats death was really recent to her ending her life. So, I expected it to come up. I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

7. How did the reality of Nora's Australia line up with what you imagined it would be like?
I thought she would be either a third wheel with her bestie in another relationship or fighting with her best/resenting her for moving across the world. It’s crazy to think how one decision can have such a big impact.

8. What did you think about the similarities between Nora's life in Australia versus her original life?
It was interesting that she was doing a similar type job and was single. Maybe where she lives doesn’t have as big of an impact on who she is as she thought it did.

9. On the surface, Nora's life with a swimming career seems to be the most successful so far. Do you think the positives will outweigh the negatives this time around?
I don’t think the positives will outweigh the negatives because a) it’s still early in the book and b) this is our first glimpse at a life where she made a lot of decisions differently and c) I expect to see a life where she decides to have kids even if it isn’t the one she decides to stay in. I have a theory that she will (view spoiler)[ stay in the life she left behind except without the choice to end her life. (hide spoiler)]

10. Any predictions for how Nora's speech will go in the next chapter?
I think she will do something philosophical or say something true to herself but that doesn’t resonant with the crowd because it’s not true to herself in this life.

BOM Day 1

1. Were you planning to read this book before it became a BOM? If so, what drew you to it?
I had it on my TBR list for a while and requested at the library. I got lucky that it happened to be available for the BOM. Everyone on TikTok and Instagram seems to be talking about this book, so I figured I should read it.

2. What do you think of Matt Haig’s writing style (and those short chapters!) and how he has set the story up so far?
I love his writing style!! I totally thought the author was female based on how well I think the main character is written. I was pleasantly surprised to see it is a male.

3. What are your thoughts on Nora? Are you attached to her yet?
I feel attached to her. I relate to a lot of her feelings. The idea that making a choice not to do something is hard is sometime that resonates with me. I also tend to find my value in being needed by other, especially when feeling depressed. I guess I just get her and find her extremely relatable and believable.

4. If you were somehow able to, would you want to see all of the different outcomes that could have played out in your own life? Or would you rather just leave things as they are without ever knowing?
Yes. I would love to.

5. What did you think about Nora’s first glimpse at a road not taken? Were you surprised by which book she chose to open first or by how quickly it disappointed her?
I was surprised at how quickly it disappointed her. It was interesting how the reasons they had problems in the relationship came back to her as time went. Maybe she will discover that not all her decisions had been rash after all.

I will do mini skirt now.
I plan to read The House in the Cerulean Sea which was recommended by another team.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and The House in the Cerulean Sea were both recommended by Team Carrot. So, we can use those reads for the recommendation tasks.

I read Addie LaRue recently but will try to get The House in the Cerulean Sea.

Lexi, maybe I will get better at juggling them then! You have given me hope!!

I am going to read Hunted for the fairy tale genre task when I finish my science genre book!