Cat’s Comments (group member since Jan 28, 2015)

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

I'm in favour of All Hot Colonel options!

a what now?!

what's this book, Sammy?! enquiring minds want to know :)

I'm very much in, yes :)

you are allowed to be done with music books! we are almost done with the music mini!

We need the following people to finish their books and we have all the tasks done! Given we have more than a week till the end of this round, I'm not worried:

Franzi - Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Franzi - Leviathan Wakes
Vikki - This Christmas in Paris
Danielle - Russian Roulette
Cat - Soul Music

I'd agree it's teal :)

finished 3 Shades of Blue, picked up Soul Music - about Discworld's first professional rock musicians ETA although it is also MPG High Fantasy

Not got a short one right now, but I do have a vampire in the go

EXCURSION UPDATES!

I thought it would be helpful to do an update on where we are with the Minis. I've also hidden the completed tasks on the planning sheet.


TIME LIMITED ROUND 4 ONLY! - Music theme
Instruments in text
Franzi reading for Mandolin

Musical Locations
Vikki's reading for Paris

Music Genres in text
Franzi's reading for bhangra
Danielle's reading for salsa

By or About Musicians
we need ONE more new book by or about musicians (Cat's reading one)

Challenge Long Minis
Mini 1 - Genres #2
G41 Nonfiction
G43 Fantasy
G46 Epic/High Fantasy
G51 Crime
G55 Memoir
G59 Science Fiction / Sci-Fi
G60 Young Adult
G64 Travel
G66 Horror
G67 Art
G72 Suspense
G78 Time Travel

Mini 2 - Colours #2
C53 Orange Cover
C73 Teal Cover
C74 Teal Text on Cover
C78 Brown Text on Cover
C82 Black Text on Cover
C83 Black in text
C94 Grey Text on Cover

Mini 4 - Brown
B28-30 3 books to make up a story (see below)

Brown Mini Story
Titles so far:
(The) Travelling Cat Chronicles
My Friends
(The) Hounding
Everything is Illuminated
Never Let Me Go
Full Tilt
Karma

beat you!

just finished for an I series :)

oh, amazing! I had a quick look, didn't see a Y and was going to squeeze out a quick one, but if it's already there :) <3

it sped up! I'm finished now :)

I'm trying hard to finish one more this round, but it'll likely be right up against the clock....

we aren't complete monsters!

surely we are all grabbing a Sydney, Aus book next week?!

Sammy wrote: "Cat wrote: "finished The Mercy of Gods, which I enjoyed, Sammy."

Good to know! I probably should finish off the last couple of books of the Expanse first, but, you know... new shiny... 😂"

I know! I got to #6, so I've 3 left in the Expanse series, but I think that's where it jumps, right, which is why I've been ok cheating on it!

getting around to checking my TBR for Sammy (and Marie)'s Nemesis Mini!

I have 3 Shades of Blue: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and the Lost Empire of Cool about three musicians, J & K, so that's one of the books ticked off :) possibly Soul Music might need a reread...

I've have another peruse for musical instruments on cover

finished The Mercy of Gods, which I enjoyed, Sammy.

All good Marie!

I finished the diary entry one!

DQs Day 3: to 37%
start: start of Part II
end: "...while she died there in the mud."

11. Part II opens with a really grim sonnet, though very apposite when considering the content with hindsight. Did you have any thoughts on the sonnet epigram? Do you / are you now interrogating the epigrams at the start of the parts for clues?

I read it and assumed there was going to be grimness, but didn't quite expect what we got! I do read the epigrams and look at the images and try to see how they fit with what we already know, and what might be signified.

12. Part II - the history of Juan through the eyes of Dr Bradford was a different sort of horror, with the visceral descriptions of the surgeries. Why do you feel that Enriquez included this section in the book?

I think it's an interrogation of another sort of abuse of power, or enjoyment of power - the surgeon over life and death. I found the descriptions, and the sexual energy (hope it's not just me!) that Bradford was feeling during surgeries were particularly revolting. The ways that people enjoy control, power, dominance never fail to disgust.

13. We meet Gaspar as an older child. Did you like the start of Part III, with what seemed like a normal childhood? What seeds of doubt did you pick up about his life (I'm thinking of up to about 30% in - before the dog Diana goes missing)

I did like the change of pace - a palate cleanser after the children tunnel and then the bad surgeon! but am very afraid of where we will end up by the end of this section - I can't imagine all the children will end up whole and healthy....
There were definitely hints that all is still not well (the before Diana section - afterwards it is very clear that stuff is going down!) - like Adela's arm - that's been taken by the Darkness, right? and her family are part of the Order, watching Juan and Gaspar. It does feel like Gaspar's still broadly sealed away from his magic, though surely making him feel dried eyelids (EWWWW!) isn't helpful in keeping him safe and normal?!

14. After Diana goes missing things get a bit weirder! How do you feel about Gaspar and Juan's relationship now?

I was so let down! At first it seemed pretty healthy between them, but then we get let into the knowledge that no, it's not healthy, and Juan keeps failing hard at being a good dad. I guess from his point of view is winning at keeping Gaspar safe from being turned into the next medium, but that's at the cost of a happy healthy relationship....

15. Omaira, in the Columbian disaster. It's a small story, but I wonder why Enriquez decided to include it. Any thoughts on how it links to wider themes and ideas in the book?

I've not got anything insightful here - waiting on Teddie, no pressure! - but suspect it's the first of several bad things to happen to kids - Pablo, poor Pablo trying to get to grips with his sexuality, seems mostly likely to come to an untimely end, with Adela a close second. Really hope not!
There's also a complicity thing going on here - no-one can help save her nor intervene to put her out of her misery, nor even intervene to stop the ghoulish spectacle she's been made into. What are our responsibilities to be good citizens and neighbours to make sure others are given dignity and respect?