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

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

as an FYI, I'll be reading Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? which contains YAM and is also tagged Nigeria 22 times. so that's two trickier options with a possibility!

Also, the next BOM, The Spellshop is good for a double letter task (not checked for other options), or a prune - HOP in the word

Well, some of you may be excited to know that for rounds 2 - 4 we have a mini to help make our reading decisions!

well, I say "a mini".... I actually mean THREE minis! yikes! There's a lot of different tasks to choose from, which is good, but it does mean we'll need some guidance from you when you finish a book on where it will fit for best use.

You'll see the tasks range from very easy (word in text) to pretty niche (tagged Bangladesh). So I think the priorities will be to put books in:
- niche tasks
- tasks where we get a mini bonus
- tasks that finish of a set to allow a repeat

Feel free to claim up to three tasks at a time, but if you can preferentially claim tricky tasks over ones that will be straightforward, that'd be super-helpful.
Note, though, that the captains reserve the right to juggle your book into a different spot if that works best at the time. Don't worry - all books will be used (subject to caps)

A couple of points: books used for minis will also have to be used in the spell out; books can only be used for one mini

Full details of the minis can be found here
I'll add a list of all the tasks to one of my reserved posts shortly, and we'll get them all listed out on a tab in the tracker too (I think we'll have one tab, rather than three, but Danielle may have a better solution :) )

I've just snagged the "water on cover"

they are floating in water - surface visible at the top :)

Judy wrote: " I’m also extra annoyed by how the audiobook narrator insists on giving him a French accent when it very clearly says in the text the first time he’s introduced that he does not have an accent.."

They did have to read it with a straight face, so I guess if speaking wiz ze accent Francais helped keep them sane, let them have it?!

oh! have I put Crucible of Chaos in anywhere? would the team be OK with that as alliterative?

2 words, I think. alliterative is all or at least the majority being the same letter in my book

finished an author initials in RIOT, which polished off Findee Swing

spun in
Dungeon Dimensions
1 500 to 650
2 author initials found in THINGS
3 a book entirely without magic (your interpretation)
4 book with an alliterative title
5 the word 'wastelands' found in the text or title

Melindam wrote: "When people sit/lie on the bed with clean bedlinen with clothes they have been wearing all day (and using public transport and picking up all kinds of unseen stuff) - drives me mad. "

So Deb & Addie truly endeared themselves to you when they sat on the bed covered in dried blood, "mud", and leaking boob stains!

DQs Day 3: Then - Then 58%
first line "Marcus changes completely..."
last line "...serious chat about your future"

11. "The sound of teeth against a spoon when someone's eating soup, insects that scuttle, people who don't listen, RATS, and when uncle Terry says 'WOMEN!'" - what a random list of pet peeves (Are they even pet peeves? Rats?? And uncle Terry 'all on his own'???),,, What are some of yours?

12. Dylan's (and Marcus') trip through Europe has become much more than just that, ending up in Asia, trying to figure out what to do with his life when he's already been handed it all on a silver platter. His dad is a douche and clearly wants to dictate Dylan's life while Dylan just keeps running away from his problems. Lucky he has all this money (his dad's I would assume) to just throw away. Can you relate to him in any way? Do you feel bad for him?

I do sympathise with Dylan's lost-ness, not knowing what he wants to do with his life, beyond not what his dad wants, but he's also not exactly doing much to further it at all. So the sympathy only goes a very short distance before it hits on the self-indulgence.

13. "Nowadays we date, we shop around. If we really like someone we spend more time with them. Then we move in with them a few years down the line. Then, maybe, if we've lost the will to live or whatever it is that compells people to settle down we marry them. We don't rearrange our lives because of a good shag."

"Addie, she's not right for you (...) Stop that! Don't you see what you're doing? You're turning her into something she's not. You don't understand her. She's not your beautiful muse, Dylan. She's messy and dark. And raw. She's a disaster waiting to happen. She's got power. And she doesn't even know it yet you know. She's like,,, she's untapped. (...) She's not right for you. Okay?"

Did Marcus already know something we didn't at this point? Did something happen between Marcus and Addie back in France? And then the way Marcus took care of Dylan after getting too high, in the bathroom.... Do you think he (not so?) secretely has feelings for Dylan? Or is he just jealous?

I think he has feeling for Addie. He certainly has a point that moving into the family home after less than 6 months is a BAD idea, so I was on board with his points. And also that Dylan is massively idealising Addie

14. Rodney thinking Deb has drowned in the river and actually LOOKING FOR A BODY IN THE WATER!!! had me laugh out loud to be honest, but only because of how frickin ridiculous this book is. Definitely expected something more cutesie and wholesome for some reason. Being almost two thirds into the book now, how do you feel about it so far? Is it meeting your expectations?

It's a mess.

DQs - Day 2 - 17 Oct - Then - Now 38%
first line "Can't the girl find..."
last line "shitshow of a strategy"

6. The author goes for the switching POVs and timelines method. How do you like these in general? And do you think it is a good fit for this book?

It can go brilliantly, it can be a bit rubbish. As far as this one goes, the Then / Now does build some dynamism but I'm sure there are other ways of getting the information across...

7. We get to meet some more characters along the way in the "THEN" section: Dylan's uncle Terry, his brother, the mysterious Grace and other friends whose dynamics to Dylan and Marcus should shed some more light on their characters and motivation. But do they? Do you feel like you are getting to know them better? Or understand them? (Or care?)

Bah. So don't care. Not really liking any of them. They don't feel like real people, nor do they feel like 21 year olds.

8. What do you think about Dylan's and Addie's past relationship in France? Do you like it/find it convincing? What about their sudden meeting in the present and the insta-lust after all the emotional baggage they seem to be dragging with them?

I get the summer holiday vibe leading to quick sex etc, but not buying it as a good foundation for a lasting relationship

9. I'm not really sure I'd call this book a "romance" though it certainly offers the trope of second-chance. Do you have any favourite romantic trope(s) or one that you especially dislike?

Obviously it's the "I can't possibly share this "secret" so I'll keep quiet and destroy the relationship" plot. Especially when said "secret" is just not a deal....

10. Any guesses what part Rodney may play in the plot or do you think he's just some kind of "filler" character?

Oh god. Rodney's the weird obsessive Dylan remembers, isn't he? with a thing for Cherry. The only one who was vaguely Ok and she had to make him be creepy and - at a guess - attempt a grand gesture at the wedding to get Cherry.

DQs Day 1: Now - Now last line "...reach out and touch her."

1.) Is this your first book by O'Leary? Only reading for points and that lovely 'O' letter for Wheel-a-thon or was it already on your tbr list?

I did read the Flat Share, which was fine.

2.) Road trips. Love them, hate them? If you've gone on a road trip before what are some must have for the journey?

I've done UK road trips, but nothing bigger.

3.) Deb's comment about never having a baby obviously proved untrue. Do we think the baby daddy is going to make an appearance in the story? Or do you think it's a no name person who isn't relevant to the book?

I think the baby is mostly a way to give Deb more than just being sex mad and flighty. If it ends up being Marcus' I'll be deeply unimpressed.

4.) The flagrant unconcern about money by half the characters is a bit gross. Do you think that's at the root of Dylan and Addie's split? Or do you think it's the mysterious Grace? Marcus especially seems to not know the whole breakup story. Any guesses to why Dylan didn't seem to tell him the truth?

I don't think it's money, but something utterly stupid where sitting down - or walking, cos it's easier sometimes to have a hard conversation whilst doing something else - would have resolved it all, especially given being on the road for approx 8hrs is going to resolve it....
Dylan probably didn't tell Marcus because it didn't reflect well on him

5.) Initial impressions of the cast of characters?

Loving Rodney, and Kevin. Deb has the potential to be interesting if the author hadn't decided to make her all about getting her end away. But basically all a bit one-note

that sounds miserable Sarah. fingers crossed your latest plumber does the trick.


In upbeat news: we've finished two spellouts :)

Sammy wrote: "Just finished a 292 page book with a guitar on the cover. I've left your book you said can be bumped where it is for now Cat, but if anyone has a book in an unfinished series before you get through..."

I've switched it out - Sophie's Epic Fantasy is also unfinished series :)

I finished a red cover, and switched spots with Domi's to finish off a monster.

Jake Barnes & Lady Brett Ashley (The Sun Also Rises)
1 100 to 175 - have put Domi's other claimed here, as I also finished a short & Humour MPG book, so filled those in
2 takes place in Spain
3 absinthe in text
4 orange cover
5 celestial body in title (sun, moon, etc)

Marie (UK) wrote: "I think I am going to brave next door's garage to retrieve some longer books"

good luck!

Also, you've marked Murder Mystery Book Club as read on the sheet, but the attempt to mark it read on GR hasn't stuck. Can you check & fix please? :)

I think this is sufficiently red?

Unclaimed Tasks

Armor or helmet on cover
Red cover (>50%)

200 to 299
yellow cover

MPG Humor
"nuclear" in text

someone who read the rules! be still my beating heart!

SO many people didn't read / didn't think :/

I've started posting our completed books into the official sheet - yay!

but am personally in a bit of a slump. Which is why I am reading an I book now, rather than saving for when we need an I book! #sorrynotsorry

How's everyone else getting on? Anyone else starting the BOM today?

it's all his! :)

Wheel prompting longer reads, after all!