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

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

DQs Day 1
Foreward to Ch 10

1.) The book certainly begins in a unique way. Was the textbook like way it began effective to catch your interest in the story?

It was initially annoying, but I'm in the swing now and am enjoying it.

2.) Wow, what an intro to the school. I admire Cliff's roll with it attitude. How do you think you would of reacted in a similar situation?

I'd be freaked out, more so, I think! Not sure the induction is the best, to be honest!

3.) That was quite the escape attempt. Cliff is definitely a quick thinker, but maybe a bit too quick. Should he had waited a bit before trying to pull a runner?

I think waiting a bit would make more sense than immediately dashing off! No food, for a start, makes for bad decisions. Who's ever gone shopping when hungry and been so disappointed in what you end up with?!

4.) We certainly have and interesting cast of characters. The background on Gemma and Doria was helpful. Any favorites so far?

I like Gemma, and would like to see more of Doria

5.) The discussion around "I could never murder anyone. Except maybe . . ." was an interesting one. What are your thoughts on this statement and how true do you think it is?

I'm not sure I could plan a murder, but I can believe that anyone can kill given the right circumstances. Which also suggests that you can plan to kill too. I'm glad I haven't been put in a situation where either is even a remote possibility!

326 pages

Current total = 1,203 pages

Amazing that we got to 2million pages! High fives all round!

Closing this one now. The 202t challenge is open: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Fingers crossed we can do as well this year!

oh, and finished the skull book!

does someone else want to spin, rather than risking my peculiar genius?!

I was trying to think of any, and did a quick search to jog memory, and would add Daughter of Smoke & Bone, which has a good flavour of it before it goes bonkers portal fantasy fun.

Apparently A Perfect Spy is (partially) Prague set and good spy fodder

semi agree, but also immediately leapt onto UNO pre-register!

I'll be switching the skull book around - I've stalled on Company of Liars, but have one that I'll finish later that works.

Sophie wrote: "And I've added a load of kids books so target is officially met for the year!"

huzzah!

Sophie wrote: "Tagged heroine 5 times or more is frustrating. Slave to Sensation has tags for virgin-heroine, strong-heroine and kickass-heroine that meet the tag number."

we could go ask the hive mind if there's some flex there for the embedded to work, rather than the exact match?

I don't think it's cheating! and especially not when you've read the same book multiple times!

well, I realised that I could fill in the shortie space with the St Mary's Xmas story, so that has dispatched the Hungry Grass.

Coming up.....

Fermín Mundaca (Spain/Mexico) !
1 200 to 299
2 Takes place in Mexico or central America
3 Women (>1) on cover
4 A character is kidnapped or enslaved
5 Something empty on the cover (your interpretation)


All setting requirements are 50% +

And mine!
(sheet link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...)
60 again - seems to be the right level of challenge for me

Target: 60

2016
The Vanishing Witch
Winter Men
The Corrections
Silver Bay
Monsters in the Dark
The Taming of the Queen
A Perfect Spy
Spider Bones
Walk Into Silence

2017
My Name is Leon
Smiler's Fair
The Pigeon Tunnel
Love and War +
Barkskins

2018
The Russia House
A Glimmer of Hope
Time of Contempt++
The Winter Mantle
East West Street
Go Set a Watchman
Death's End
Bonfire
Merchant Adventurers
The Evolution of Mara Dyer
The Retribution of Mara Dyer
The Tethered Mage
Less
The Last of the Stanfields

2019
The Anarchy
Holly Banks Full of Angst
Paris
London
The Conviction of Cora Burns
The Country Girls Trilogy
The Waking Fire
The Wolf and the Watchman
Maybe in Another Life
Expectation
Bad Day at the Vulture Club
The Vine Witch
Crown of Feathers
Ross Poldark ++
Beloved Poison
The Sealwoman's Gift
Meat Market
The Kingdom
Hild
A Perfect Heritage
Into Temptation
Something Dangerous
No Angel
The City & the City
The Binding
The Farm
The Favourite
The Penguin History of the World
That Glimpse of Truth
Always Coming Home
Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful
The Wicked Deep
Wyntertide
Stars in His Eyes
The Court of Broken Knives ++
The Red Knight
Blackwing
Cold Iron
France
The Goldsmith's Wife ++
Spice and Smoke
Light in the Shadows
The Great Passage
The House by the River
About the Night
All This I Will Give to You
An American Princess
The Murmur of Bees
A Farewell to France
The Outcasts of Time
All These Beautiful Strangers
The Emaneska Series
The Twisted Tree
The Rival Queens
Here Be Dragons
From a Low and Quiet Sea
The Sympathiser
Bellevue Square
22 Mar The Difference Engine

plus 2020 - 2023 books unlisted
3 Jan The Twelve Clues of Christmas
6 Jan Company of Liars
11 Jan A Reaper at the Gates
21 Jan How Much of These Hills Is Gold
29 Jan End of Summer
4 Feb Geneva
5 Feb Dead of Winter
13 Feb Rites of Spring
15 Feb The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us
15 Feb Seven Empty Houses
16 Feb The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina
17 Feb The Dutch House
17 Feb Happily Ever Ninja
19 Feb Last Tang Standing
8 Mar Edges
9 Mar Under Heaven
17 Mar Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes: The Official Biography
19 Mar The Singularity Trap
5 May Breathless
11 May The Constant Rabbit
15 May Temptation Ridge
17 May Berlin Game
24 May Black Moses
26 May Small Country
29 May Playing for Freedom: The Journey of a Young Afghan Girl
21 Jun How Beautiful We Were
21 Jun Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night
23 Jun Black Teacher
19 Aug A Desolation Called Peace
8 Sep Joan

========
READ: 31/60

and it's done!

New new Dr Who monster:

Sea Devils
1 200 to 299
2 Set on the ocean, coast, or on an island
3 "Sea" or "Devil(s)" in title
4 Tagged Pirates (at least 10 times)
5 Ship (incl. space) on cover

having let this languish for a couple of months, I pulled my finger out, double checked my reading, and found the necessary books to hit my target!

amazing! love how we are ticking through these tasks.

I started my tagged Jewish today; it's a quick one so will probably be done tonight

You too, Sammy! enjoy the family time :)

Day 4: Chapter 23 - end

All the reveals!

13. First up: what did you think of the Ethan & Holly relationship?

14. Project Scrooge running a long-con on Holly! How did you like this twist? Do you think Holly will stick the landing of her changed viewpoint?

15. What about the happy ending that doesn't rely on a relationship?

16. Enjoy the book? Do you have a favourite character or thought arising from the book?

Guards! Guards! covers off task 2, 4 & 5. but no Cheery so no trans character. and we'll need a page count, please, Sammy ;-)

ETA: unless we are classing the Dragon as trans = ends up as female but has been identified throughout as male ?

Nope, still in progress. Later this arvo , so plug it in!

Day 1 Chapters 1-6

1. In the first chapter, we are introduced to Holly Chase, the most recent failed Scrooge. How do you feel about there being the chance that a Scrooge might not change for the better?

I mean, it's more realistic than an overnight personality transplant based on some dodgy cheese-induced dreams, right?!

2. We find out that there is a company dedicated to The Christmas Carol and trying to change people identified as a Scrooge for the better. What are your thoughts on it actually being an entire company and not just a Charles Dickens story in this book?

eh... I mean it's weird. and Boz is weird.

3. Holly seems to be really bilious and hates Christmas, even 5 years after becoming the Ghost of Christmas Past. Do you think that there are any signs of her regretting not changing?

I don't think she's regretting not changing (yet), but is certainly grumpy that she's stuck doing a job she completely doesn't buy into! and $100/month for food and transport and ents is .... not much

4. The new Scrooge, Ethan, is close to Holly’s age and she has deemed him eye candy. Do you believe that she is so affected by him being “hot” simply because she hasn’t really been around anyone her age since joining Project Scrooge?

I'm not sure how old the geeky pair are. I suspect it's more that there are strong commonalities in their lives (as well as the hotness), and that as she's found more about him - early death of a parent - she can buy into him in a way that oldsters don't resonate.
I strongly suspect the Christmas Future guy of picking him in order to a spot of salvation of Holly as a side benefit.

Sammy wrote: "Definitely! I'll be a couple of days with the Expanse book still, and who knows, we may be able to use the pagecount the way your spinning goes Cat! 😂"

You were so accurate....


Humbert Humbert (Lolita)
1 650+
2 relationship with large age gap
3 author's first and last initial are the same letter
4 MC in a relationship under false pretenses
5 white cover