MelanieJoy’s Comments (group member since Apr 26, 2016)

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

Chapters 28-38 Questions

15:In this section we see ways Daisy took revenge on her sisters using the scissors. Were you surprised when you read her actions? Did the reasoning and the excuses make it less horrifying? What were your thoughts?

16: We are now introduced to a new character: Nana's agent. We see a flashback of him with the family and we also see that he visited Nana recently without punching out on the clock. Do you think this is a clue to something? What are your predictions with his involvement?

17: What I really want to know is what the doctor whispered to Nancy after Daisy's heart stopped the last time, which made Nancy break down into sobs. Do you have ideas what she was told? Do you think this played a role in Nancy's choice to bring up Daisy in isolation?

18: At this point, Seaglass to me seems more of a place of refuge than a spooky large house. What is your take on the setting now, having seen depictions of all of this time spent at Seaglass?

19: Ok so we're 80%done with the story. Any predictions to what happened that night after Lily kissed Conor? Who do you think is killing members of the Darker family?

DQs Day 3 Chapters 18-27

10. "Looking back, I think they might have done more to make life better for us than we sometimes remember." This quote almost knocked the air out me as both a daughter and a mother. Do you feel like you have a good picture of how your parents sacrificed to improve your life? Do you think your kids know what you do for them (if this applies to you)?
I just became a mom recently, and it's definitely opened my eyes to the sacrifices you choose to make for your child. I always thought my parents were amazing, but they were truly dedicated and consistent with our routines and loving us well. I'm blessed.

11. I couldn't decide whether to be slightly amused or completely outraged when it was revealed they'd drugged Trixie to get her to sleep. Your thoughts?
I was horrified too. I'm taking a training on abuse for my new childcare job and one of the signs is giving them a prescription drug that they don't need. So yeah, this isn't a good thing to do.

12. "You can get away with murder when everyone thinks you're dying." "...the real Daisy Darker was never quite as sweet or boken as everyone wated to believe. I have a secret of my own. And some secrets are worth killing to keep." It feels lazily obvious that these two quotes are leading to a reveal that Daisy is actually the killer, but who knows? Any theories on the killer's identity?

when I read those lines I started to think Daisy was the killer, especially when someone earlier in the discussion thought she may be an unreliable narrator. But it could also be misdirection. If it, I honestly have no idea who the killer is.

13. "Lily had as much rhythm as an arrhythmia." Hahahahaha! I love that line. I'm enjoying these small notes of humor sprinkled in. What quotes or scenes have you found humorous?

definitely some hilarious lines in there, but I've been laughing and continuing to read; I have been reading on Libby and not highlighting.

14. I haven't turned the page to chapter 29. What is the terrifying thing on the screen going to be???

my lips are also sealed ;)

(view spoiler)[As soon as I read the part about Trixie recognizing Conor's dad, my immediate thought was that's her father. It'll be interesting to see if we're right! (hide spoiler)]

Reading my section and then I'll post DQs! I'm loving this discussion so far!

I am always tempted to increase my goals to but my reading is soooo inconsistent! I will be so happy if I get my goal this year! It's about 1/3 of my total books read reading challenge for the year, so I'd say that's a fair portion.

I also went back and looked at books I've read and I'm like man, some of those were NOT worth it. So I went a deleted 8 more on my TBR that I'm like "I'll honestly never read this," and I want to read stuff that I'm not embarrassed to say I've read. So far this year I've done a good job. They're not all 5 stars but I'm not just reading to read...yet.

DQs Day 2 Chapters 10-17

Q6. The VHS tapes are a lil spooky. But we realise this is how we’re going to learn about the Darker’s family past. Do we like how VHS’ are used to give more background? I’d especially love to know what you thought about the two mice incidents? Eeekkk
Now that you mention it, both incidents do have mice with them. I definitely think Lily's cruelty stands out and it's hard to watch. I also wonder if the family seeing Lily's cruelty now changes how anyone feels about her. Rose obviously got upset, but Nancy explained it all away. The other interested thing to me is when Daisy first describes Lily when she comes on the scene, she's just described as selfish, not like actually cruel or heartless. But then these instances come out and it's like wow there's more evil to her than I originally thought.


Q7. What do you think of the dynamic of the three sisters? They’re pretty horrible to Daisy. Do you think it’s because they’re older than her or just cruel kids?
I definitely see some cruelty. I had a younger brother and a younger sister growing up and i can't imagine purposely putting them in a position to be miserable. I probably have wanted to get away from them and do things without them, but not at that cost.

Q8. We know they can’t call anyone due to mobiles having no network and Nana having no landline, but now the boat is gone, how would you feel being truly trapped on this island? Any ideas of how to escape?
I think I wouldn't be scared unless I figured out someone was trying to kill everyone there one by one. Like they're family and they hate each other, but hatred you can survive unless you think your life is at risk.

Q9. “We all get broken sometimes and if you can help someone, you should always try.” Nana was full of nuggets of wisdom. Is there a character you relate to the most? // Any other quotes that jumped out?
Quote: Our family seems like a sandcastle to me now, quick and relatively effortless to build, and even faster to wash away, as though it never exited. (I thought there were better quotes in the first section but this one was thought provoking. I don't feel like I relate to any character because they all seem so heartless and selfish, or so broken. I guess I know that when things bother me, I keep them inside and don't confront, like Daisy. I think I relate to Nana's outrage at finding Daisy locked under the stairs, but that's about it.

DQ'S DAY 1 Chapters 1-9

1. I was sure I had read a previous book by Alice Feeney but no when I checked it was Lucy Foley I was thinking of. My bad.. So my first by this author although the re-visiting of the Gothic house party theme a la Daphne du Maurier or Agatha Christie seems to be back in vogue. Have you read this author before and what's your thoughts on the modern gothic novel? Does the prologue note set the mood for a modern gothic tale?

I don't read much of this genre; I looked up the definition for this question. I think it definitely a creepy, atmospheric mystery but it's going to have a lot of other twists and turns. But her writing! Some of those lines are super moving!

2. Chapters 1-2 introduces our heroine Daisy Darker and setting, "Seaglass". First impressions of Daisy and how important do you think the house with be to the story?

It's clear that the house being separate from everything due to the tide is a big feature, and it's definitely creepy but home-y at the same time, kinda weird. I'm not sure if it will have any other meaning.

3. "The future is a promise we can still choose to keep. The past is a promise we've already broken." What do you think of Nana's will, fair, unfair or too early to tell?

I thought for sure Nana would leave the mansion to Daisy, but the poem about how much hope she had for her granddaughters definitely told a tale. I didn't expect the will part to into play as a possible motive for murder but I should have. Not sure about fairness, but it's a novel, there wouldn't be a story if it was fair. It plays into the dysfunctionality of the family.

4. Enter the mysterious Connor. As the only non family member what do you think his role with be?

He'll definitely play a role as the romantic interest, not sure what else. It felt like jerky timing when he was introduced but I think that was the intent - for us to be surprised.

5. As per the fortune teller's warning, Nana is dead on her 80th Birthday. What clues do you think the two poems give as to whodunnit? What could Daisy Darker's Little Secret be?

I don't see any clues in the poems, I think they just are an add on about the murders and the family and they are written by someone who wants the truth to come out. Not sure about Daisy's secret, my first thought was she was witness to a death and they think she's the cause of it. It's something she regrets and she is blamed for, so some type of either murder or sharing confidential information that led to something catastrophic, no idea.

I'm above the line too! First time ever! Hopefully I can keep up the momentum.

I think I did one quidditch match in a wheels or a TT? That's probably all I handle.

I skipped cutthroat altogether because I knew I couldn't hang.

I'm with you Shelby! I was so intrigued! But yeah looks like WOBBLE won't return, hahaha.

But I have no desire for control and I just like helping out the team with a few books.

WOBBLE was my first ever challenge, I had just joined goodreads and started reading more. It was a neat experience but man I'm glad I wasn't captain! I've done a few challenges later but my reading got really sporadic. It's back up now, so I'm looking forward to seeing what the next team challenge is!

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Melindam wrote: ":D

Lexi, you reminded me that I need to read the last book in this series."

Me too 😬"
Personally i loved those books. I think I read the first one multiple times and the last ones just once but the second time around they hit better. (I don't think "hit better" is a real phrase but "hit different" didn't quite mean what I wanted it to mean there so I made that up).

Eldarwen wrote: "No, no, you better ride away from Sonia's council, or we are all doomed ;-)))"

nice play on words I love it!

Also yes I would LOVE a Lord of the Rings themed challenge. Or what about ancient monarchs from history theme? we've got shows like Reign, and the Crown, and Borgias, so we could definitely do some type of historical thing?

Also - Jane Austen theme? Heck yeah! Colonel Brandon is the SWOON factor for me.

Keli wrote: "I've got to read a book by an Australian, New Zealand or Canadian author. Any recs for fiction? I saw some of the non-fic recs but my eyeballs also hiurt when reading non-fiction. I don't have Inga..."

I read Homecoming last year by Kate Morton who is from South Australia. It's a longer fiction book but it's good. Anything by her would probably be really good.

i honestly probably wouldn't have read it if my library had had tuesdays with morrie and i was able to read that one instead. I would have just been done with it and moved it off my list.

That said, I LOVED The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto so Albom is not always a miss, and I do want to read Tuesdays with Morrie.

Just read

I feel like had I read this when I was younger, it would have wowed me and made me think thought provokingly and I would have loved it.

But I was just kind of like meh. Good story, good thoughts, well written. Not my cup of tea.
But it's been on my TBR for 8 years so...

I'm in and volunteering for DQs!

Eldarwen wrote: "I read Armentrout's Lux series a few years ago and somehow got dragged along with the series even though I never reallllly liked the characters. In hindsight, I think I rated most of them too high,..."

I read Armentrout Lux and I remember rating it high but also being annoyed with the characters too. I don't think I finished it, I think I DNFed the last book? Or just skimmed through it to be done? NEver read Richelle Mead so I couldn't speak to the siilarities but Armentrout's writing if I remember correctly was pretty stale.

And I'm with all of you about the romantasy genre. I read that name when I got back on Goodreads in september and I was like ewww... I've read a few in that category but they got old to me after a while.

And yes I do appreciate people sharing what NOT to read so I can either be glad I didn't put it on my TBR or move it to my maybe shelf or just untag altogether.

I nominate: Now You See Us by Balli Kaur Jaswal


The wildly entertaining, sharply observed story of three women who work in the homes of Singapore’s elite and band together to solve a murder mystery involving one of their own

The wealthy island nation of Singapore seems like an oasis of luxury and order, but it owes everything to the immigrant women no one sees. Corazon, Donita, and Angel are Filipina domestic workers—part of the wave of women sent to Singapore to be cleaners, maids, and caregivers in its decadent homes.

A veteran domestic worker, Corazon had retired back to the Philippines for good, but she has returned to Singapore under mysterious circumstances. Now she’s keeping a secret from her wealthy employer, who is planning an extravagant wedding for her socialite daughter.

Barely out of her teens, this is Donita’s first time in Singapore, and she’s had the bad luck to be hired by the notoriously fussy Mrs. Fann. Brazen and exuberant, Donita’s thrown herself into a love affair with an Indian construction worker and started a lively social media account that says more than it should.

Working as an in-home caregiver for an elderly employer, Angel is feeling blue after a recent breakup with the woman she loves. She’s alarmed when her employer’s son suddenly brings in a new Filipina nurse who may be a valuable ally, or who may be meant to replace her.

Then an explosive news story shatters Singapore’s famous tranquility—and sends a chill down the spine of every domestic worker: Flordeliza Martinez, a Filipina maid, has been arrested for murdering her female employer. The three women don’t know the accused well, but she could be any of them; every worker knows stories of women who were scapegoated or even executed for crimes they didn’t commit.

Shocked into action, Donita, Corazon, and Angel will use their considerable moxie and insight to piece together the mystery of what really happened on the day Flordeliza’s employer was murdered. After all, no one knows the secrets of Singapore’s elite like the women who work in their homes.

I nominate: The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

Vivid and compelling in its portrait of one woman’s struggle for fulfillment in a society pivoting between the traditional and the modern, The Henna Artist opens a door into a world that is at once lush and fascinating, stark and cruel.

Escaping from an abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist—and confidante—to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own…

Known for her original designs and sage advice, Lakshmi must tread carefully to avoid the jealous gossips who could ruin her reputation and her livelihood. As she pursues her dream of an independent life, she is startled one day when she is confronted by her husband, who has tracked her down these many years later with a high-spirited young girl in tow—a sister Lakshmi never knew she had. Suddenly the caution that she has carefully cultivated as protection is threatened. Still she perseveres, applying her talents and lifting up those that surround her as she does.

I just finished this book today. I would have loved to read it with you guys had I been on GR in 2022! Your observations about Haberson and Humphrey being in the original Cartographers group were insightful - I didn't see any of it coming! I did devour the story and loved it. I thought the ending fell flat honestly; I would have loved to know WHERE Nell moved Agloe to. Someone wrote that the romance felt forced; I kind of thought that when it was first introduced but by the end of it I was sold. I felt glad that Nell had Felix as an ally in the end.
Anyway, I know this was a while back but I thought I would add my thoughts in just for fun.