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

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

what?! I've been 2 days without spotting the SP UNO mini?! good grief, what is my book-challenge life coming to?!

Sophie wrote: "Hana Khan Carries On is finished. Doesn't meet the page count though so we'll still need a 350-450p to replace Hidden Figures."

did you enjoy? I quite like her books

I can put Ivan into the page count @432 pages, finished 7 Mar

Melindam wrote: "My Dangerous Liaison book fits the 350-450 count, but I will only finish it on 15 March to count for the UNO mini."

tell us more about the UNO mini?! should I be reading an epistolary novel? or one in translation?!

black cover, right?

tee hee random Latin martini! assuming none of us stumble onto a more liquid version prior to then, don't see why not!

In other news, I finished a FISH in title with a 50+ MC :)

I switched out my flower cover and finished off President Snow.

I was brave / foolish and spun an Urban Legend

Rolling Calf
1 500 to 650
2 Page number in ascending order
3 Char is undead/ghost
4 Black cover (>50%)
5 -ing word in title


Whilst the page number looks annoying, the one I switched out is over 500pages, and should be finished tomorrow, so I'm feeling OK ish about it! :D

512 pages

Current total: 387,396

DQ Day 4: Part Four

13. The relationship between Billie and Nell - do like like this relationship and how it's developed over the course of the book? How does it fit with the other parent-child relationships we see (explicit or implied, like with Frank and The Admiral)

14. Cora and Dom: did anyone expect that twist?! What do you think of this big reveal?

15. The Bonehunters: what do you think of the different Bonehunters? In day 1 Lisa asked about how digital / social changed the mechanics of the hunt. Have your thoughts been played out in the book? Given at the start we were all thinking about it as a hunt, and it's ended up being a relationship book, who has the move to digital for the Bonehunters affected their interactions, with each other, the world and the hunt?

16. Who's portrait are they actually hung up on, if it's not Bridget (given that Bridget was clear there was a portrait of her in the last part)?

DQs Day 3: Part 3

9. "Home was vomit and broken glass, and under Frank's hands she was a ripe peach splitting open, danger and solace merged in the act." - what compelling language! I had to re-read this line multiple times, and I'm still unsure if I received the author's intent. What was your interpretation? What are your thoughts on Frank and Bridget's affair as a whole?

That line struck me too, Though the solace is not for the peach/Bridget, but for Frank, surely? So Bridget is very ambivalent about the escapade.

10. Let's talk about some of the characters. In this section I grew to truly despise Frank, understand Cora and Dom a little more, but Bridget is the most interesting to me- I keep mulling over her desire to no longer be tied to Frank, divorce Lal, and get out, but seemingly choosing to stay for Rose; and shocked but intrigued by her actions on the phone at the end. Who stands out to you and why?

I agree that Bridget is interesting in this section, and that Frank is becoming increasingly caricature evil.

11. This section breathed new life into the book for me. It was refreshing to see one night of the story from multiple viewpoints, and it drew me in, knowing that it will be catalytic for the remainder of the book. Did part 3 increase, decrease, or have no effect on your enjoyment of the book and why?

I enjoyed the focus on the one evening as the pivotal point in the book and in their lives, was very effective and helped propel the story along.

12. Who do you think got into the car with Lal?

No idea!

DQs Day 2 - Part 2

5.) What do you think of Richard, past & present? Do you believe that he really loved Nell? If you were Nell could you of stayed with Richard or ever forgiven him?

He made some appalling decisions in favour of money. I think he did love her, but given she was stabbed because of the hunt, no, I don't think I'd forgive such a massive lie

6.) Do you like the set up of the book, flashing back and the current timeline? What about the Frank/Lal chapters with the Up/Downs, complicated friendship there. Do you find this effective or distracting?

I like it, but it's a slightly strange choice - we a very much under the control of the author and what they want to reveal, even whilst we end up knowing more than any of the individual characters. I think the Up/Down sections are effective at showing what a dick Frank is!

7.) "He used other people's bodies as weapons." Do you think Frank and Bridget had the affair? If so do you think Lal knew/knows?

I've read on, but at the time, yes I thought they had an affair, but that Lal doesn't know

8.) Oisin got quite the reality check about his family. Poor dude, grandparents weren't always old and could of been very different people from who they are at 70. Do you think Frank and Lal did it? A setup, if you any guesses as to who?

SO different! I wasn't guessing at this point, cos I needed to catchup, but Nell's hope for it to be externals was feeling pretty threadbare

DQ'S DAY 1 PROLOGUE - PART 1

1. First up let's discuss the artwork on the cover. When this book first popped up on my Goodreads feed I was drawn to the intriguing combination of bones, keys and flowers. Pretty. How important are covers and cover art to you when choosing to pick up (or download) a book? Does the growing popularity of audio and eBooks lessen the importance of what the cover looks like?

It's pretty for sure! I don't think that ebooks and audio have lessened the importance, but does mean that how a cover works on the different size and shape of audio has to be considered

2. The author's note and the prologue set the scene for a riveting tale. Have you ever heard of Kim Williams' Masquerade (I hadn't)? What differences do you think the digital and social media era would bring as compared to the original treasure hunt?

I'd heard of the treasure hunt book, though couldn't have named it!
I'd think that the digital / social impact would be significant in sharing of the information and solves

3. "What's mine is his and what's his is his". (Lal)
Frank - generous Patriarch, friend and benefactor or control freak? Discuss.

Generous provided he gets the kudos. Generally not a nice person, being massively self-centred

4. Finishing up Part 1 the story is a little different to what I thought it would be. I was thinking along the lines of an epic Grail quest and for me it's more a story of the family dynamics and egos. Not about the actual text of The Golden Bones but how it has affected the author, family, friends and the Bonehunter community. What's your thoughts on the novel so far and what's your prediction for what's to come?

Agreed, it's not exactly what I expected. I've read on, so can't predict

321 pages

Current total: 384,595

43 pages
61 pages

Current total: 338,219

Corrected total: 338,115

It's a good fall back position 👍

I'll be reading it, but am away this weekend for sister's and niblings' b'days so will have no reading time and can't guarantee to read for the earlier timeslots. Post break day I might be good...

40 pages

Current total: 323,748

150 pages

Current total: 318,517

176 pages
141 pages
286 pages

Current Total: 317,317

And that's a number to admire!