Vikki’s Comments (group member since Dec 11, 2011)

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

I'll have my last 2 finished by deadline

Judith wrote: "Yes, the book and questions just need to be done by Aug 2nd"

Great, thanks!

Can The Familiar be read and questions answered anytime this month?
Obviously if later in the month it would be for Round 3 rather than Round 2...

My battle book has just landed on my Kindle this morning so I'm starting it shortly.

Judith wrote: "It sounds like Sammy has a response book covered so I think we’ll go with Vikki’s.


I’m just on the app right now I’ll send it over to D1 later this evening"

No problem, I'll make a note of that

We have a week to read from 22nd June?

If so there's one out on 26th I could read:

Elsewhere

Judith wrote: "Well ILL makes for an easier match than EEP. If we want to keep it nice for now

What would people like to do?"

If we do something too nasty it could backfire on us....

I finished Starling House last night, all updated on spreadsheet. I've answered all the discussion questions - do I need to provide links or anything to make sure we get the points for that?

DQs Day 5
Chapters 27 - Epilogue

21. Wow what a ride! What were your initial thoughts and feelings after finishing the book?
I liked the book. The ending did feel a bit rushed compared to the rest of the book.

22. An integral part to the book is the way the story of Starling House is told through many different viewpoints, with truth and lies and rumors and heresay and opinions often woven together. Did you find that you learned more about Starling House through each story? Did this type of story building and layering work for you? Why or why not?
The story building and layering worked for me. It was good to hear the various stories about Starling House, see different points of view. It shows that there can be a lot of different interpretations and that people on the outside don't really know the truth. I'm glad we heard Eleanor's story at the end

23. In the ending battles, the MCs were fighting beasts of nightmares and of their own making, inside dreams. Do think it's hard for good dreams to win out against nightmares? Explain your thoughts.
It depends on the person and their life experiences. It can be easy for nightmares to dominate, to play on our minds and block out the good dreams.

24. A major theme in the book is wants and needs, and how they seemingly twist into each other if you want hard enough. In this theme exploration, what was the message you got from the author, and did it resonate with you?
I got the feeling it was linked to financial situations. People who were poor like Opal didn't have time to focus on wants, their focus has to be on what they need to survive - a roof over their head, food on a plate etc. Wants are nice, but difficult to obtain. Whereas for the rich, wants and needs merge much easier - they may feel they "need" things that would be a luxury for many other people e.g. a big house, fancy car etc.

25. Would you recommend this book? Explain
Yes, I would. It was a 4 star book for me. So I wouldn't be making a point of telling everyone it's a must read. But if someone was thinking about reading it and asked, I'd say yes, give it a go. I liked the concept.

I'm hoping to finish Starling House tonight. May squeeze another in before deadline but Starling House is the only 1 of mine remaining for the mini challenge

DQs Day 4: Chapters 20-26

16. I love Bev’s line ‘ How in hell is anybody supposed to help if you won’t ask?’ Are there any characters who don't need to hear this? Did it resonate with you?
It is a great line. But it's not always easy to ask for help - for various reasons.

17. Opal and Jasper finally reveal their secrets and talk. Were you surprised that they are both Graverly’s? How do you feel about the outcome regarding schools?
I thought Opal's father was a Gravely rather than her mother. At least the school issue is resolved but it would have been better if they'd discussed it earlier.

18. Elizabeth Baine seems to have an amazing connections and pull. Who do you think she works for? How do you think she figured out what the right leverage was?
I think there's more to it than the research company. Maybe they do indeed do research but I think it goes deeper than that. She works for a powerful organisation, but I imagine one that is on the fringes between legal and illegal.
Intuition and paying attention to what was going on - the ability to read people and situations

19. So much happened in these chapters, yet I really don’t feel like I learned much. How do you feel about the pacing/storyline?
I think the pacing and storyline is fine, there's nothing that has annoyed me about it. A few of these chapters were shorter, it's nice to have a bit of variety with chapter length. There will be always be parts of a book where we learn more than in other parts.

20. We learn that being a warden is a choice, although the house asks very vulnerable people. Do you think that the other wardens understood the price? How does Opal fit – she chose, but she isn’t a warden at this point.
The other wardens probably didn't understand the price. If they're vulnerable they have probably looked on the positives and how the house helped a need e.g. a roof over their head.
I'm not sure how Opal fits, especially as she's a Gravely. Perhaps I
l'll have a better feeling for this in the coming chapters. I wonder if she fits going way back to the start of it and Eleanor's relationship with the Gravelys...

Bonus cat question: Which name do you prefer – Baast or Hellcat?
I prefer Hellcat

DQs Day 3
Chapters 14-19

11. Starling House reminded me up to a point with some vibes of Beauty and the Beast, although lesser now as the story progresses. Is the book reminding you of any other stories you have read before?
I'd mentioned in previous answers that the house made me think of the film The House On Haunted Hill. But the further I get into the book, the house itself has a less evil feel,

12. Ch 14-19 have answered a lot of questions about Opal, the house, Arthur, the history of the place and what's going on. Has anything revealed in this section been surprising to you? Does the explanation so far of everything that has happened ring true?
I hadn't expected Jewell to be a Gravelly - I was expecting a Gravelly to be the father. And the house is becoming less evil than I expected.

13. Jasper and Opal are clearly close, although he is sometimes moody and surly. He seems resentful at times of Opal going out so far on a limb to take care of him and get him out of Eden. What do you think of the character now that he has more fleshed-out scenes and more has been revealed about him and their relationship?
Jasper isn't one of my favourite characters. But he does come across as a "typical" moody teenager. Perhaps some of his attitude is due to Opal not being open and honest with him. He did show character when he went to talk to Arthur though,

14. Arthur and Opal have heated a few things up. Do you think they fit each other well with these developments?
I can't say I'm surprised, I think it's been hinted at. But I don't think it was an essential development for the book.

15. There is humor in the book that is overshadowed by genuinely creepy horror like tales, What do you think about Underland "beasts" revealed so far?
I'm curious and want to learn more about them.

DQs Day 2 - Chapters 8 - 13

6) The narration is using dual POVs: 1st person for Opal, 3rd person for Arthur. Does it work for you? Do you think this suits the story?
It's working for me so far. It's clear which POV it is and I think it adds to the story to hear from 2 different perspectives. The 1st & 3rd person narrative isn't confusing for me. In general I don't have a strong preference for 1st or 3rd person.

7) Opal goes to the Library to find out more about Starling House and finds her mother's phone number among the Gravely family's documents. What implications can it have? Do you think it could be a hint about Opal's parentage?
Yes - that was the first thought that came to my mind!

8) After Bev's story about the relationship between Eleanor Starling and the Gravely brothers, we get a totally different perspective from what Nathaniel Boone went through. What do you think about the Gravely family and their "hold" over the town of Eden? What do you think Nathaniel may have discovered in the dark?
I think Nathaniel may have discovered hell, or an entrance to hell. Some kind of gateway or portal perhaps. Certainly nothing good or welcoming.
The Gravely hold over the town makes me feel uncomfortable. Like they want to have control, limit opportunities for townsfolk unless it serves their interests. Maybe there's also something a bit unnatural about this.

9) Finally we learn some more about about Arthur's role (warden) and his connection to the House. What do you think about their "relationship"? What is your opinion about Starling House as a sentient being? Could it be good or evil?
I get more of an evil feeling, and that the wardens are trying to manage/control the house. The house as a sentient being makes me think a bit of the film House On Haunted Hill. Something creepy, even scary about that. A house should feel like a safe place, but I doubt anyone would get that feeling in Starling House.

10) On "characters not communicating"
In Chapter 12 we find out that Opal has not told Jasper about the fact that she arranged for him to go to a different school and she actually managed to put together the fee for the 1st year already. Opal doesn't tell his brother about her working in Starling House and she doesn't tell Arthur about her spying on the House for Elizabeth Baine and getting more and more demands.
What do you think of all this?
I think Opal should be honest with Jasper. Perhaps there was a reason to not mention the school if she wasn't sure she could pay for it, but that problem has been solved, so why not discuss it with him. And I don't see why she doesn't tell him about working at Starling House - it shouldn't need to be some big secret.
I guess she did mention the Elizabeth Baine situation to some extent. But she's uncomfortable with the situation so perhaps if she discussed this with Arthur there may be a way to deal with it. I do think she should have told Baine no but perhaps given her background it's not as easy as it seems.

1.) Have you read other books by Alix E Harrow? Was this on your tbr list before it was a BOM selection? Any expectations going in?
No, this is my first book by Alix E Harrow. I also have The Once & Future Witches in my to-read pile. Starling House was a Christmas present so I've been interested in reading it for a while. This seemed like the perfect opportunity! I wasn't sure what to expect.

2.) Did you read the footnotes as you went along? Find them helpful? Annoying?
Yes, I have been reading the footnotes. They were actually in the last book I finished (Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia Of Faeries). I've found them interesting so far.

3.) The discussion of E.Starling's book being too scary for children reminded me of some interviews with M.Sendalk when the Where the Wild Things movie came out several years ago about books, etc that scare children (when children are the target audience). His response was basically children should be scared sometimes and there's nothing wrong with that. And has further said, it's better to have a book full of fears than one pretending there's nothing to be afraid of. What are your thoughts on this topic?
I think there should be a balance. If it's going to traumatise a child, then it's too much. But in reality there are bad things in the world, and I don't think there's any harm in being aware of that as a child. It depends on the content of the book and the parents have a responsibility to judge what is suitable for their child - different children will react differently.

4.) What are your thoughts so far on Eden and Starling House? Has the author done a good job so far of creating an atmosphere and setting for a good gothic story?
I'm intrigued by Starling House and looking forward to discovering more about it. Eden doesn't sound like a town I'd want to live in. It sounds like a depressing place. I think the author has done a good job of creating a good atmosphere so far and I think Starling House will be a great setting.

5.) Any favourites so far in our motley cast of characters? Opal, Arthur, Jasper, Bev, and Starling House
I like Opal - she seems like a determined and resilient character even though she hasn't had an easy life. I'm intrigued to find out more about Arthur.

Thanks Judith - I just wanted to check incase it was any earlier than 15th June. I'll definitely have it read by then.

Is there a deadline for reading & joining discussion for Starling House?

Would this count for 3 foods - the mushrooms, the raspberry and the other type of berry (redcurrant, cranberry?? in bottom right)

Welcome to District 8 Kim!

Stacie wrote: "Oh yay, gives me the push I need to read Starling House"

Same for me too

Good luck with your exams Sofie!