Cass☀️’s Comments (group member since May 09, 2014)

Cass☀️’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

What does MPG stand for? I was looking over the R2 Mini.

I’m done with The Boy in the Striped Pajamas! I’ll update the spreadsheet! ☺️

I should finish my other battle book tomorrow

I finished “The Searcher” and plan to start “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” today. It’s a long day of travel for me, so I’ll try to update the tracking sheet sometime today but it might be tomorrow morning.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day! ☺️

I will read both BOTM again next month. Is there going to be a back room one as well?

Good Morning! I was curious if I could count “The Hunger Games” as a book for round two. I started it on the last day of round one though, so I don’t know if I am allowed to count it for round two.

Cass - District 6

DQ's Day 4 Ch. 18-23

14. Lucy's winning streak comes to an end and she loses the riddle to Melanie. How do you think this is going to affect her and the way she is playing the game? Do you think she still has a chance to win? What do you think she is going to have to face as far as her fear?

I think this is going to make Lucy question herself. She seems to lack self-confidence or self-esteem at times. I hope she is able to recover though, because I am rooting for her. I do think she still had a chance to win. If I had to predict her fear, I think it is going to have to do with either her parents or sister, because she so openly discussed her anger and frustration with them to Jack.

15. Jack's riddle comes back again "Two men on an island and both blame the water...". We find out what it means in this section. How awful for him to see 'fan' letters that depict children going through such terrible things and how horrible for those poor children begging for help. Jack tried to help this girl and it ended with the worst possible outcome. Do you think Jack should have done something different? How would you have reacted if you were Jack?

My heart. I feel for Jack receiving those letters. To hear about so much sadness time and time again but feel helpless must have been so difficult for him. I couldn’t imagine all of those memories and feelings acting as a weight on one’s shoulders. For him to finally feel like he could actually help one of them and for this to be the outcome. It is not a wonder why he gave up writing and found a companion in alcohol. I think it’s difficult to say if I would or would not done what Jack did. He had an emotional response to an emotional situation.

16. We also learn why Jack started writing his Clock Island books and the life he faced as a child. Does this change your opinion on Jack in any way?

This does not change my opinion of Jack, but it does explain so much. His imagination for one, it’s heartbreaking to think about how his imagination of this beautiful children series stemmed from how he would distract himself from the horrors of his own childhood. His desire to help others, he had no one who protected him and he never wants to make anyone else experience that. I’ve read before how those that experience traumatic childhoods can be some of the most optimistic adults. They’ve experienced so much sadness that they focus on their own happiness and those around them.

17. Lucy learns that Christopher is going to be going to a new foster home and tries to leave the island but Hugo stops her. We also learn more about Lucy's past. Each person seems to have gone through some terrible event in their lives and these books have helped them through it. Do you believe books have that power? Are there any books as a child or an adult that have helped you through a tough time in your life?

I do believe books have power! There have been countless books that helped me through tough times in my life. Reading is a form of escapism and we are able to not only forget about our problems but learn how to overcome them. A few books that have gotten me through terrible times were “The Collect Regrets of Clover”, “Adelaide”, and “Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine”.

Cass - District 6

DQs Day 3:

10. We read something that moves us, touches us, speaks to us and it... it changes us?"

Do you agree with that quote? Are there any books that changed you personally?

I definitely agree with this quote! I have read so many books that have changed me personally. I have gained so much perspective that I would not have gained otherwise. If I had to name a few specific texts, I would say “The Truth About Forever” taught me that there is no wrong way to process grief, “Frankenstein” taught me that we should think about the consequences of our choices before we make them and that all are worthy of love and violence and ignorance only breeds more of the same.

11. We finally get the first riddle. Did you guess it before Lucy did?

I did not, but once she started to unravel it then it made sense. I went back and reread the original riddle he shared. So, I did not guess before Lucy. I look forward to the next riddle though for another chance!

12. What did you think of The City of Secondhand and of Markham showing up like that? Is he just a sleezy lawyer, or is there something more sinister going on?

The description of The City of Secondhand sounded like a passion project left unfinished. The amount of action to detail used in some places to then leave it unfinished illuminates Jack’s emotional response to this major event from 5 years ago. I did not like Markham for obvious reasons, but it made sense for Lucy to be tempted. It was an offer that would solve her current financial issues but at the cost of her love of reading and more specifically the clock island books. So it was a test of her morals which I think was chosen specifically for the readers to learn more of her character. Even though what she desires most in the world is to be Christopher’s mom, she is not willing to sacrifice every child’s ability to read this story. She doesn’t want to take away a potential child’s escape for her own selfish gain.

13. do you have to keep reminding yourself that the "contestants" are adults, not children?

I don’t, but now that you ask I do find it interesting that it seems to illustrate how the other three had initially lost their idealism or ‘child like’ approaches to riddles/life by approaching them like adults. Lucy was able to solve the first riddle because she thought like a child. Another thought was how Lucy seems to be able to think like a child but act like an adult whereas the others seem to find difficulty in thinking like a child but none whatsoever in acting like a children(tantrums, etc)

Cass - District 6
DQs Day 2 Chapter 6 - 11

6. Jack replied to Lucy's letter and Lucy decided to run away from home. What did you think of his letter and would you have done the same as Lucy?

I thought his letter was very sweet and full of the same magic, mischief, and hope that he fills his books with so of course Lucy took it to heart. Lucy was a child who loved the clock island books and she idolized Jack. She also was essentially looking for a reason to runaway and/or finally obtain her parents attention. If I were in Lucy’s shoes, I would have also done exactly what Lucy did.

7. We get more insights on Clock Island. Every 'hour' is its own section like for example a beach. Would you like to visit the island? Do you find the idea of it fascinating or could you not care less?

I would love to visit the island. I find the setting fascinating and so full of imagination! I actually like how the different landmarks are based on each section of the island.

8. Every part starts with a quote from Jack's book. Do you think these parts are important for the story? Just showing off Jack's work? Something else?

I do find these parts important for the story. I believe these scenes serve a purpose whether it’s to foreshadow, provide context, or back ground information. I feel like it’s allowed me to get to know all of the characters better too.

9. It seems like there will be a deeper connection between Lucy and Hugo. Do you agree? And would you approve of it given that Hugo had first met her when she was still a child?

I do agree as well, but I don’t know if I’m reading too much into it or I just always root from the grump to find happiness! I would approve of it because it is clear that there was no connection like this from his perspective when she first visited. He seems to grow fonder of her the more he gets to know this adult Lucy.

Cass - District 6
Discussion Questions : Day 1 (Prologue - Chapter 5)

1. We have been introduced to a few important characters - Lucy, Christopher, and Hugo. Plus the off-page persona of Jack. What do you think of the characters so far?

I really enjoyed all of them so far. I think my favorite is Hugo. I love grumpy characters! I don’t know why I feel such an emotional tug towards them because I am the complete opposite. I think my favorite character relationship is Lucy and Christopher so far. I’m looking forward to seeing how this develops.

2. We get a riddle right away in the Prologue:

"Two men on an island and both blame the water
for the loss of a wife and the death of a daughter
but neither ever married, and neither's a father.
What is the secret of the girls and the water?"

Then Hugo thinks to himself that "Five years ago, it [the ocean] had brought low the small, strange kingdom of Clock Island." Do you think the riddle is related to what happened five years ago? Any speculations on what it all means, assuming you haven't read ahead?

Sidenote: I absolutely love riddles. I don’t know if it’s from reading books like “The Westing Game” as a child or my recent experience reading the Hawthorne series, but I am so excited for another book that uses riddles!

Now, yes, I definitely believe this riddle has to do with what happened 5 years ago. The significance of the riddle being shared and then immediately Hugo’s thoughts about this ‘ambiguous event’ illustrates this connection.

From the riddle, we know two men are involved (one can assume one of those men is Hugo) as well as a woman or two women. I also want to believe that this ‘water’ caused the “wife” and “daughter” to be lost by one or both of the men. The way it’s worded, it makes me feel like these men lacked the ability to be a good husband and good father. It isn’t clear why they weren’t though.

3. At the beginning of Chapter Two, Hugo says that he used to dream about living in Greenwich Village, but now that he can actually afford it, it doesn't hold the same appeal. He basically says that success kills motivation. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

I agree with this statement to a degree, because I connected this to the whole ‘grass is greener’ or ‘wanting what you don’t have’ that can be rampant in our own mind. It could also just be a connection to how our own dreams and goals change as we mature and learn more about ourselves. If the argument is solely that success kills motivation, I do not agree. I believe as you find success that you just become more motivated.

4. What do you think of the wishing game Lucy plays with Christopher? Do you think this game and mindset are healthy? Do you agree with Lucy that it gives them hope, or do you agree with the social worker that it just gets their hopes up?

I think the wishing game was so sweet. Lucy might not be able to grant all of Christopher's wishes, but she is able to instill hope and encourage his imagination. I do believe this game and mindset are healthy. I whole-heartedly agree with Lucy and not the social worker.


5. Why do you think Jack finally started writing again? And what might be his motive in holding a contest for the only copy of the new book?

You give up your passion when you go through something heart-breaking. So maybe he had processed his emotions from the reason he stopped writing? They aren’t calling the book 'the last clock island book' so I don't think he is dying or giving the island away.

I’m traveling at the moment but I swear I will update round 2 spreadsheet once I make it to my brother’s house tomorrow evening!

My options are:

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Boy, Snow, Bird
The Boys in the Boat
The Boy Next Door
Boyfriend Bargain
The Boyfriend Candidate
The Boyfriend League

I have these options:

The American roommate Experiment
American Queen
The Game Plan

I could read one of these!

The Searcher
The Sea of Monsters
Sea of Tranquility
Seafire
Seasons of the Storm
Searching for Sylvie Lee
The Seat Filler
Sealed
Seams Like Murder

They would have ghosts and hosts to work with for sure

I have “The Warm Hands of Ghosts” by Katherine Arden that could be an option too

Oh, okay I get it now. I thought I just had to use ‘ome’ in the first word.

Eldarwen wrote: "ROUND 1 - Ending soon

Alright, we have 2 hours and ~20 minutes left on the clock!

If there is anything you're trying to finish, it is now! If not, take your time and finish the book for round 2 w..."

Yeah, I didn't make it! Lol, but I will finish it and then read Catching Fire this month and participate! :)

Ashley wrote: "
Battle Book Options

Lets try to make a decision in the next few hours...

Omega Dog
(The) Omega's Heart
(A) Home in the Sun
Home Fire
Omega
Omega Found

Here's what has been suggested so far."

Would "Someone Else's Bucket List" work?

@ Ashley I added resources now!