Elen’s Comments (group member since Mar 07, 2018)

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

@Erin - I read To Kill a Kingdom, it's about sirens and it was good - not my favorite, but most people liked it more than I did. You can try it out.

PART ONE - Day 1 & 2

1. Assuming most of you read The Girl on the Train or at least heard about it, what did you expect going into Into The Water? Have your expectations been met so far?

I really liked The Girl on the Train, so my expectations were higher than I usually go into the book. This book is much chaotic and slower, but I really hope it will pick its speed soon.

2. When Jules was first told about Nel, she was relieved for a moment, because it was no one she 'cared about'. Then she was angry. What do you think happened between the sisters that drove them apart so badly that Jules doesn't even properly know her niece? How has this introduction formed your first opinion of Jules?

I like Jules, she is all over the place, but pretty likable. I think some unsolved childhood problems and misunderstandings - these things happen between sisters/brothers really often.

3. Katie's sudden death understandably was very hard on her family. Her mum took pills upon pills to numb the pain, but "after a while, she came to grasp that the horror of rediscovering her daughter's absence, over and over again, was not worth the hours of oblivion." What are your thoughts on this quote? And where do you think Louise vanishes to in the middle of the night?

Maybe she vanishes just to get out of the house, there are all the memories of her daughter, which is really hard to overcome.

4. Into The Water is told from quite a lot of different perspectives. Do you think this adds to the story, or does it make things more complicated? Does it affect your reading flow?

I like it. I have recently read so many books with multiple POV's so I am already used to it and I have always found it really easy to follow, bc I recognize all the POV's, bc every story is so different and the tone of the chapters are too.

5. Nickie Sage claims to be a psychic and sees or at least feels things that others don't. Why do you think has the author, Paula Hawkins, included this character? Do you think she actually is important to the story, or could it be told without Nickie? Do you personally believe in the occult like tarot readings and seances?

I think adding her into the story make it creepier and interesting. Right now she is not important, but who knows what happen further in the book.
I don't believe in this stuff, but I don't mind reading about it if it's not the most important feature in the book.

6. Nel was working on a book on the Drowning Pool before she passed away. Do you get her obsession with the river, and is this the only reason so many people from Beckford seem to have disliked her? Would you personally choose to read a book like hers?

I don't really think that her book or obsession over the river is the cause, but her past. I wouldn't read a book like that, only if I am from that area then yes.

7. Finally, it's time for theories. It seems to be very likely that Katie's and Nel's deaths are connected in one way or another. What do you think happened, who are your prime suspects?

My primary suspect is Mark, but don't trust anyone - all of them have dirty secrets.

@Steven - I will read it!

I was already planning to read Into the Drowning Deep in September or October before Halloween :)

Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant already become my new favorite author :D

Read a book with "Trial" in the title

Will "Trials" work?

@Lauri - Same. I am too slow to participate in the reading for Maze. So, better for us and me I just read for tasks :)

COMPLETION POST:

Book Title: Tehanu (Earthsea Cycle, #4)
Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Pages: 320
Date read: 6 August 2018
BOM/BR: No
Character Names: Tenar = Goha, Ged, Ogion, Therru, Lebannen
Letters: T E U L G O L

TWT task:
BK 4: Read a book with a Dragon in the book - someone claimed the spot.
BK 4: Read a book with your favorite romance hero(es)/heroine(s) or your favorite pair (Pair has to be a romantic couple in the book, not just a love interest) - Ged and Tenar (They become a couple and then married only in this book) Will this work as this task??
BK 5: Read a book where someone dies - Already done.
BK 6: Read a book where someone tries to protect someone
BK 7: Read a book with a funeral
BK 7: Read a book with lots of people staying in one home
BK 7: Read a book where the main character "goes home again" - (view spoiler)[Ged lost his magical power and went back to his homeland, but he didn't stay bc he was "lost", but he returns and stays (hide spoiler)]


I didn't put this book anywhere, bc wasn't sure which book and the task would be most beneficial.

Kristina wrote: "I have these books on my To Read List that could work for similar covers.


They are on my..."

They are definitely really similar, so I think they work perfectly.

I would say go and read them. :) Only make sure that they are over 100 pages

Cecily wrote: "I have taken 5, 93, 110, and 124 of the triwizard. (Filled in the spreadsheet).

I have been away for a couple days and I am not sure how to see anything else (the maze or anything else there migh..."


I would say keep doing tasks. :)

Sarah wrote: "Actually what do you think about these two? I have both of these and desperately need to read them as I won them as giveaways.

"


I would wait to see what Steven says.
I think they have a similar theme, but not really similar, but I don't know how Mods/captains are thinking for this task.

- 208 pages (22.07.2018)

- 368 pages (23.07.2018)

- 284 pages (25.07.2018)

- 734 pages (27.07.2018)

- 251 pages (27.07.2018)

- 352 pages (29.07.2018)

- 668 pages (30.07.2018)

- 256 pages (31.07.2018)

- 224 pages (02.08.2018)

- 240 pages (04.08.2018)

- 128 pages (04.08.2018)

Current total: 1,005,450

Just started reading I am happy to see our old friend again: Tenar, Ged, Ogion(view spoiler)[who died in this one. (hide spoiler)] and yes, we even have dragon representation :)

Therru - It's very sad what happened to her. She didn't deserve that, but I really want to know why they did it (her parents). Maybe they thought that she is some sort of bad magic?!..

We still need: Read 2 books with similar covers

Is anyone has ideas or is going to read a series where 2 books in a row are similar?

Kristina wrote: "Unfortunately, the Dragon is a ship not a mythical creature. I don't think it would work for that.

The Dragon and the Raven, or, The Days of King Alfred does have a "rescue" mission ..."


I will put your book to Bk5, Task 4 for right now. So you could read for other tasks which are still available :)

COMPLETION POST:

Book Title: A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet #1)
Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Pages: 240
Date read: 4 August 2018
BOM/BR: No
Character Names: Margaret “Meg” Murry, Charles Wallace Murry, Calvin O'Keefe, Dr. Kate Murry, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, Jenkins, Dennys, Sandy
Letters: A W T M L M C O K J D S

TWT task:
Read a book with "Time" in the title
Read a book with time travel
Read a book with a car on the cover

Kristina wrote: "I have just finished with a predominately green cover. Unless someone already completed it, I'll go for something else."

Does it work for some other tasks too?
For example - Dragons task etc :)

COMPLETION POST:

Book Title: The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Author: J.K. Rowling
Pages: 128
Date read: 4 August 2018
BOM/BR: No

TWT task: Read a book with a cauldron on the cover

Cool, I will read it tomorrow then. :)

Can we use as task cauldron on the cover?

Why am I asking? Bc this book is "shortish", but has more than 100 pages and is not listed as children book. But I want to be on the save side and not get neg. points by mods saying this wouldn't count.

Title relay would be an extra task to do for extra points.

Yes, Sarah! It's should be like that. :)

Lauri wrote: "I have a quick book that's green! It could go for Sorcerer's Stone Task 4 - Escape Devil's Snare.... It's A is for Alibi.

Is is green enough? Actually I should finish all my books by ..."


Tineye says it's:
58.4 %Pigment Green (Green)
13.8 %Crusoe (Green)
1.4 %Acapulco (Green)
1.1 %Padua (Green)
1.0 %Edgewater (Green)

So definitely a green cover