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

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

good grief woman! what are you doing to us?! don't you know it's UNO and we are generally avoiding massive tomes!

I've just finished Geneva, and sad to say, but writing is not Richard's forte :(
but it does fit poisoned char, so that's a win!

I'll do DQs too

Lightseekers by Lightseekers

A Nigerian psychologist travels to a remote southern border town to uncover the truth about the murder of three university students in this "original and fast-paced thriller" (Lauren Wilkinson, author of American Spy ).

When Dr. Philip Taiwo is called on by a powerful Nigerian politician to investigate the public torture and murder of three university students in remote Port Harcourt, he has no idea that he’s about to be enveloped by a perilous case that is far from cold.

Philip is not a detective. He’s an investigative psychologist, an academic more interested in figuring out the why of a crime than actually solving it . But when he steps off the plane and into the dizzying frenzy of the provincial airport, he soon realizes that the murder of the Okriki Three isn’t as straightforward as he thought. With the help of his loyal and streetwise personal driver, Chika, Philip must work against those actively conspiring against him to parse together the truth of what happened to these students.

A thrilling and atmospheric mystery, and an unforgettable portrait of the contemporary Nigerian sociopolitical landscape, Lightseekers is a wrenching novel tackling the porousness between the first and third worlds, the enduring strength of tribalism and homeland identity, and the human need for connection in the face of isolation.

Barkskins by Annie Proulx

In the late seventeenth century two penniless young Frenchmen, René Sel and Charles Duquet, arrive in New France. Bound to a feudal lord, a “seigneur,” for three years in exchange for land, they become wood-cutters—barkskins. René suffers extraordinary hardship, oppressed by the forest he is charged with clearing. He is forced to marry a Mi’kmaw woman and their descendants live trapped between two inimical cultures. But Duquet, crafty and ruthless, runs away from the seigneur, becomes a fur trader, then sets up a timber business. Proulx tells the stories of the descendants of Sel and Duquet over three hundred years—their travels across North America, to Europe, China, and New Zealand, under stunningly brutal conditions—the revenge of rivals, accidents, pestilence, Indian attacks, and cultural annihilation. Over and over again, they seize what they can of a presumed infinite resource, leaving the modern-day characters face to face with possible ecological collapse.

Cleared off the cloak, got us a new one, and a new spot for Domi's Hobbit , which is at least two, surely? (I'd assume dragon tagging), and possibly 3 with a page count :)

Basilisk (HP)
1 250-300
2 Hidden passageway/door/room in book
3 "Tagged ""dragon"" (5 or more times)"
4 ROOSTER in the title (all -- multiple O and R required!)
5 Author initials (all) are in PETRIFIED

I've grabbed France :)

spun, generally. god bless English & its regular predictableness!

and the spinner, which has a mind of its own! :(

OK, I'll pick up after I finish How Much of These Hills Is Gold

There's some epic billowing of cape/cloak. plus handy shortness - my alternative option was

I've got three of the Deep-Downers covered with current books :)

I should finish those claims this evening, so will look at what cape options I might have..

hurrah! :)

That pesky "SEA or DEVIL(S) in title" task is starting to annoy though!

the travel one also has dictionary :)

271 pages
288 pages
288 pages
234 pages

reporting 1081 pages

Current total: 61,939 pages

368 pages

Current total: 40,055

377 pages

Current total: 35,441

Leaves of the Banyan Tree by Albert Wendt

An epic spanning three generations, Leaves of the Banyan Tree tells the story of a family and community in Western Samoa, exploring on a grand scale such universal themes as greed, corruption, colonialism, exploitation, and revenge. Winner of the 1980 New Zealand Wattie Book of the Year Award, it is considered a classic work of Pacific literature.

@Judith, happy to finally have read the book?

Overall, I enjoyed it as a very silly romp

185 pages
272 pages
352 pages
416 pages
592 pages

reporting 1817 pages

Current total: 18,226

DQ Set 3: Chapter 22 - 42

11. We've left the campus! But first, a couple of points: there's an area of debate around the Dean v Assistant Dean approaches (wide v narrow curricula, focus on quality v focus on quantity). What side do you come down on? Did you expect Jud's outcome?

12. Cliff has put into practice an extremely complex plan. What do you think of the plan?

13. Doria's plan isn't as complex, but her target - whilst obnoxious - seems less worthy of deletion, being very much male abusing his power. Do you have thoughts on Doria's strand?

14. Gemma is having to free-style, given Adele is not handily falling into line with the plan. Do you think Gemma will be successful in her attempt to kill Adele?

DQs Day 2
Chp 11 – 21
6. This book is about how to murder your employer and a school of helping those perfect it. Would you watch a series or movie if made on the storyline? Why/why not?

I might, but generally I don't really watch adaptations of books I already know. Partly because I'd rather have a new experience, and partly to avoid being pulled out of the story due to differences or disagreement over casting!


7. The ethics of the book could be questioned but have you learned anything new that all media in the world has to offer?

If you go with the basic idea, then like Amanda and Judith say, there is a set of principles that make sense. I can see that the school will struggle to maintain them in the face of modernisation, with Jud as the example of lack entry criteria

8. What was your favorite scene in these chapters?

Hmmmm...I'm not sure that any particularly stuck with me. By contrast, I found Cliffs response to seeing Gemma come out of the sex classroom annoying , and I'm sad we don't really have more time with Dulcie

9. We are getting a mix of media from storyline, rulebook, reports, and pictures. Are you reading this physically, electronic, or audio?

Reading with my eyes. I'm liking the mix of routes to tell the story

10. What do you think of each of their Hunting game? Did you think their names were mixed up?

I had thought shenanigans, but the reveal was too much!

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!