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

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

Laura wrote: "Ooh what a find!! I found this today:

https://mybookcave.com/judging-the-be...

See any covers you like?"

If you look at the comments on this blog, most people thought all these covers were ugly. If I were an intellectual and artistic person that could recognize the process of making these books covers, I would be more intrigued. But because I like books mased on their stories, none of these looks like books I would choose except for the one about a book store, #16. Interesting thoughts, lol.

Alanna wrote: "Definitely still interested, but yes, I would need until at least the 20th of this month or later."

Sounds good! Let's go July 25th for now; we can change it later.

Yay for DQs again! I did not think I'd get picked but I can get the book from the library today so I threw my name in last second. Fingers crossed the book is still at the library when I go at lunch!

As for Rachel Caine, I read and it was very interesting, but I hadn't planned to continue the series because it was just pretty good, and a lot of reviews for weren't raving about it. Do we get extra points for reading any of her books? How does that work?

Atul wrote: "The Silmarillion. Anyone?"

I'm down if you still want to. Alanna, are you still interested in this one? Maybe later, like august or something?

I can grab this book from the library too so I'll volunteer for DQs - team Han Solo.

Thanks Brooke! I never read her shopaholic series. But I see what you mean about the MC.

I'm reading Missing per Laura's recommendation, and I'm going to try The Gunslinger since I have it from the library and it's a BOM. I might give up because King's writing makes me feel un-smart, haha.

I also have from the library! YAY! So I'll try that soon and probably finish it before Towers is over. I've been waiting to read it for over a year now. Good things come to those who wait! Haha!

Discussion Questions Day 5 (July 7)
Chapters 22-28

25. Ch 22 is where the action starts. Before now, the pace seemed slow but steady. In this section, things heat up considerably. Are you satisfied with the pace before and during this section? Why or why not?

26. In chapter 23, Lo tries to solve the mystery, trying to figure out who is the murderer, and, equally important, who had died that night. During this chapter (before Lo figures it out), who did you think was the murderer, and who had died? Share your reasoning.

27. While Lo tries to solve the murder, answers all her questions, and talk to the girl, she has fewer panic attacks. However, there’s a nasty negative voice in her head trying to convince her she’ll die and continuing to give her hopeless thoughts. Do you think the change is realistic? Is it a side effect of the withdrawals from her anti-depressants?

28. Lo’s plan to get the girl on her side seems to have backfired, and she’s stuck for over several hours or more without food, entertainment, or even human interaction. How would you pass the time, and how long do you think it would take for you to go crazy?

29. Judah receives word that traces of Lo’s clothes were found. Do you think he believes she’s really dead? Do you?

30. At the end of this section, Lo thinks Richard Bullmer is the murderer. If this is true (I honestly don’t know, I haven’t read ahead yet), there are still unanswered questions about Ben. Do you think he is an accomplice? Why or why not?

by Ruth Ware
Finished July 6, 2017
pages: 340
BOM: yes: Posts 127, 132, 145, 146
rating: 3 stars

6 July Discussion Questions
Chapters 18-21

20. Lo sees a picture on Cole's camera of who she thinks is the woman in cabin 10. Cole's camera then ends up in the hot tub. Who do you think knocked it into the water? Do you think it was an accident, like Cole claims, or was it done on purpose?
It was definitely done on purpose! It could have been any of the guests in the water. I doubt it was Cole because of the value of the pictures to him, so maybe Lars?

21. Lo and Ben encounter Alexander in the hallway and he mentions that he saw a woman exiting Ben's cabin the night of the murder/disappearance. Do you think it was our missing woman? Or perhaps Alexander is just trying to create drama?
It definitely could have been the missing woman if it was before the time she was murdered. I can't keep the times straight in my head! But yeah, who else would it be?

22. Richard Bullmer finally hears Lo's account of what's going on and seems to be taking her seriously. Do you think he's actually going to help Lo or do you think he might be in on the plot?
Because he never committed to doing anything specific, I can't tell. I would like to believe he's going to help Lo, but the fact that she disappeared and is missing according to the article and web forum, there's still the possibility that he won't. But as I was reading that part I had the same sense of relief, finally someone to help Lo! mixed with wariness.

23. And now Lo's phone is missing! I'm assuming someone stole it because they're going to be in a port soon and will probably have internet access. But then I thought that wouldn't much matter since she was planning on going to talk to the police and there would presumably be a way for her to contact people in Trondheim. Why do you think her phone was stolen? Is it to keep her from contacting anyone or just to scare her?
I'm pretty sure someone doesn't want her to contact the authorities. The STOP DIGGING was the scare tactic, and it didn't work, so the murderer is going to take stronger measures now.

24. Well, they are almost to Trondheim. What do you think is going to happen once they reach the port?
My initial thought was she's going to get off the boat and try to go to the authorities, but someone or multiple people (the murderer?) will stop her from both.

Daily Questions - Day 3
Chapters 13-17

15. Do you think the head of security has something to do with the missing mascara? If not, do you have any gut feelings about who may have?
I definitely thought Nilsson had something to do with it at this point.

16. Given what he told Nilsson about Lo's past I'm surprised that she has once again confided in Ben, this time about what she think she saw from the balcony of cabin 10. I don't trust him at this stage, do you think Ben is trustworthy?
I can't tell. I keep going back and forth. He's a very good manipulator so I probably wouldn't trust him just because of that, but I see how she was desperate for someone to be on her side.

17. Flash forwards of news reports have confirmed that Lo definitely goes missing from the cruise ship. Have you found knowing this has increased or lessened the tension of the current storyline?
For me this increased the tension since the build-up seems slow. It's effective thought and it keeps me reading.

18. When Lo found that writing on the shower it confirmed that something has definitely happened to the girl in cabin 10. It seems like a scary situation for her to be in, especially not knowing who to trust. What do you think you would do if you were in Lo's position?
Honestly I see myself in Lo, not the drinking or panic attacks, but all of the reactions and emotions she instantly felt each time anything were to happen would be things I would probably feel or relate to. I think I would shut up and do the same thing - wait to see if I could find someone I trust to help me go to the authorities. And I would not give up either.

19. Future newspaper reports indicate a body has been found and it seems pretty obvious to me that it would be that of the girl. Do you think the author is trying to suggest to the reader that it is Lo? If so do you think she has succeeded in sowing enough of a seed to get the reader to consider it might be her?
I definitely think the reader is trying to create doubt that it is the girl, but I'm not sure how successful she was. Later on in the story, with more missing reports, my doubt grew, but I still have this notion that the MC will stay alive through the book.

Brooke, I saw you read . What did you think of it? I read it for a challenge earlier this year and I thought it was cute. It was such an easy read It only took me 2 days.

Day 2 DQ's

July 3 Discussion questions & comments
Chapters 7-12

8. Lo wonders about Rowan's experience of going to luxury places to report about them. She wonders "How can she stand it, these regular glimpses into a life no regular person would ever be able to afford?". Do you agree with this? Would you like to travel to luxury places for your work?
I would love to travel to luxury destinations for work. I'm an optimistic person and I would purely be grateful that I had that kind of opportunity at all. I may however be a little judgmental and skeptical of the people who vacation like that on a regular basis.

9. Tina is looking at Lo in a speculatively way, while they are waiting before they can go to the dinner room. Why do you think she looks at Lo that way? Did she overhear Lo talking about her?
I doubt she overheard, but there's no way of knowing. And even if she did, Lo made a joke and apologized for it; she didn't fully accuse Tina of what she had implied. The skeptical look could be for a number of reasons; it builds the suspense that we don't know which was the cause.

10. Jo is panicked and is thinking of Judah, then she says “I imagined burying my face in Judah’s shoulder and for a second I nearly burst into tears, but I clenched my teeth and swallowed them back down. Judah was not the answer to all". Why do you think she says this? Does she really have second thought about breaking up with Judah?
It's unclear whether or not she broke up with Judah. Her words implied it but it was never said, and I doubt she meant to do so. But the conflict is still unresolved so it's natural that her thoughts would go to him amidst the turmoil. However, she does have a job to do, and while Judah travels she has to be more independent, so she's trying to balance leaning on him versus relying on herself. I definitely think her heart is torn about wanting to make things work with him and being tired of being alone while he travels, as well as not sure whether or not her career is moving forward while his is.

11. When Ben and Lo are alone, she tells him all about the burglary. Why do you think she can tell Ben and not Judah all details and how it made her feel? What does this say about Lo's feelings towards Ben and Judah?
I honestly doubt it says anything. Ben was around when Lo broke down. They have a history, enough to where she felt comfortable sharing something. I also think that with Judah she's trying to convey the message that she's fine while he's away and that she can take care of herself. She has no such reservations with Ben and is definitely not trying to impress him in any way.

12. Why do you think Judah is so worried about Jo? He asks all her friends if they heard from her. Do you think he is overreacting?
I can't tell if he's overreacting or not because we haven't know Lo long enough to know her communication style. We also don't know what he wrote on Monday so I can't tell if he's expecting an important response and not getting one and is nervous because things are unresolved, or because it's really out of character for Lo to not be in touch. No one else has heard from her so I can understand his reaction, but no one else is anxious about it either.

13. Lo hears a scream and thinks she sees a woman in the sea. Do you think she imagined it? After all, she is a bit drunk and is possibly suffering from anxiety and PTSD. How do you think the staff handles the situation? Should they have done anything else?
The staff to me seems to have handled it expertly. They treated Lo's explanation as truth, while they also had questions and reservations. They allowed her to thoroughly get to know the staff to figure out who might be missing. However, they're at sea, and with no registered guest in that cabin there is nothing else they can do at this point.

14. I think it is strange the schedule of the order of the ports is changed. Do you believe the reason they give to Lo?
No I don't believe the reason, but I believe the staff believe it and were told that reason. I think the change goes higher up. No idea why else it would change though.

July 2 Discussion questions & comments
Chapters 1 -6

1. Have you read anything by Ruth Ware before? Why did you decide to join this read?
This is my first read by Ruth Ware. I honestly joined because I wanted the BOM points for Tower Teams. I've read this genre before thought and I've enjoyed it so I was interested in giving it a try.

2. I have the impression that Lo suffered panic attacks and slight claustrophobia even before the break-in. Do you think there's much more to her past than we've been told so far?
I definitely think there's more to Lo's past, which we'll obviously be given in pieces as the plot thickens. The idea that she suffered panic attacks could have caused her to start or continue drinking heavily?

3. Theories on the break-in? Does a burglar wear latex gloves and lock the occupant of the house in their bedroom while ransacking the place? How would he know she didn't have a phone in her room? Seems there's more going on here than a simple burglary.
Latex gloves is a interesting choice IMO. Usually burglars wear inconspicuous black gloves to guard fingerprints, correct? However I definitely saw locking her in her room as feasible to make sure he had time to do what he wanted and get away. But the fact that he knew her door swung open towards the hallway and took her phone from her purse, (which he could have recognized?) almost suggests having known or met her before... I'm not sold on that yet though. It's too early

4. I can't quite imagine the boat. She said it isn't much bigger than a yacht and yet the descriptions make it sound quite large. Your thoughts?
I'm not a very good visualizer with settings in books, so I just try to go with it. Also I've never been on a large boat or cruise ship. I can't speak into this thought

5. Ok stupid question, but would you borrow mascara from someone?! (What a way to get an eye infection!) And also on this very expensive ship full of rich people the lady gives her Maybelline mascara which is a realtively cheap brand. A clue she doesn't belong there perhaps?
I definitely wouldn't borrow mascara from a random stranger on a boat. I didn't think of the Maybelline thing either but it does sound out of place. (My grandma isn't wealthy but she cares about her products and usually buys things of higher quality than Walmart brands).

6. Have you ever been so overly tired but not able to sleep? Do you think Lo is paranoid due to her lack of sleep and anxiety or is there someone watching her?
I have been overly tired but it doesn't take me too long to get to sleep, usually. And that last question is definitely the main one!! Since it's a thriller, I definitely think someone is watching her.

7. Do you like the writing style? Is it an effective way to build suspense by using the emails to give us a glimpse in the future before going back to present day?
It's definitely an effective way to build suspense in my opinion. I kind of like the writing style, but I may change my mind as the story goes on.

Have a blast Nancy! Happy 4th of July weekend everyone!

I get off work early today so that's nice.

Also, I finally got that darn library book back from my ex and turned it in! I also posted on instagram a picture of the book by the return kiosk because he doesn't have instagram, hehe. My caption was "It's finally over. #iforgiveyou #nobadbloodinheaven." Victory feels so good!

Hope everyone has a good weekend! Any good plans?

I got DQs! YAY!!! Fingers crossed I can keep up with the reading and post Day 5 DQs on time! I should probably start today...

It is interesting! I definitely was thinking along the same vein as you when we read and it neither of our favorite that year, haha.

Interesting thoughts. I was pre-disposed to like it because I had liked the first one and I really wanted to be involved with Kendra. Honestly her inner dialogue helped make her believable for me. When I can't understand the mindset of some characters, they feel less realistic and believable. I understood Kendra; didn't always agree with her but I understood her. And the book kept bringing new evidence which made me go back and forth between who I thought committed the murder. (view spoiler)[ I had a feeling from early on that it was a woman, especially for the face disfigurement. (hide spoiler)] All in all, I honestly really enjoyed it. Sorry you didn't!

Honestly I can't decide which I like better. I like both and I've had both. I think cats are easier to take care of and the most recent two I had were very lovable. Their names are Todd and Copper :). I had to give them away, but one of my best friend's has them now, so when I visit her I get to see them. I got to hang out with them a lot this weekend, so it was great!
My roommates and I will probably get a dog in the future. I prefer mutts; they're way more mellow and often I think they're prettier. Some pure breeds don't look like dogs to me, haha.

Well he and I both blocked each other on our cell phones so I can't just text him and say give me the book back. I'm having to go through friends to try and remind him to bring it to an event they'll be at. but he's been forgetting. If he keeps doing it I won't be able to renew the book, then I'll accrue fines and won't be able to check books out until he gives it back to me so I can get it to the library!

Ok friends. Listen to me and listen good. Don't ever. EVER. Under ANY circumstances. Lend a library book to your ex-boyfriend. DO NOT do it. Even if he's a great or reliable guy. It's not worth the risk.

Lol.

Trying to decide what book to start next... I have several options...