Joanne’s Comments

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

Note: Joanne is not currently a member of this group.

Aaack! Why did I think this started tomorrow? I better get reading!

I need to work on finishing the two books I currently have in progress so I can start fresh with the challenge over the weekend! They're good books so that's not the problem. Maybe I'll prioritize that today.

I've had the worst luck with my last 2 laptops (including one that broke 2 days after the warranty expired) so I'm really hoping the third time is the charm to break that cycle. So far no issues. I am vigorously knocking on wood right now.

I don't do much with it, but I'm certainly comfortable with simpler tasks like verifying page counts and adding them.

You all are so chatty while I'm at work. I guess that's how it goes when most of you are Europe.

I'm going to have to take a look at what I want to read first. I'm not much of a planner either. I'll probably be a bit slow starting the challenge because I work over the weekend, and it's Thankgiving here so I'll have a dinner to attend. But I'm going to look for something quick to get into so I can make a good start.

I'm a goodreads librarian

Audrey Jane wrote: "Hi Joanne ! Agree with Crash Landing on You. I still need to watch Hometown Cha Cha Cha. My first drama was 'My Girl' (I had a soft spot for Lee jun ki at the time). Some of my favourites are 'Are you human too ?' (loved the story/lead actors in that one), Pinocchio, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Goblin, Sell your Haunted house, Healer (because Ji chang wook). Have you watched Descendants of the Sun, since you enjoyed Crash Landing you might enjoy that one as well. Honestly I watched too many..."

I haven't see Descendants of the Sun yet but it's on my list. I'm currently watching Vincenzo with the same lead. I wasn't sure about it at first but it's starting to grow on me. Healer is also on my list because I've heard SUCH good things about that one. Right now the only ones I'm watching are the ones available on Netflix so there are several that I haven't found an easy way to access yet. Other ones I've watched are Start-Up (which is where I started loving Kim Seon-ho), It's Okay to Not be Okay, which is so visually appealing, 100 Days My Prince, Move to Heaven, Squid Game, and currently watching The Crowned Clown.

I really really love that they are mostly one season so you get into it and then never have to wait to see if the story will resolve in a later season.

Here is my shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Audrey Jane wrote: "Hello team! My name is Audrey (my mother was a Audrey Hepburn fan). I'm living in France though I'm Belgian from Flanders (Dutch speaking region). I have two cats, Mowgli and Tara, and work for a l..."

A fellow Kdrama fan! What are some of your favourites? My first ever was Crash Landing on You and it's still probably my fave, but I'm currently obsessed with Hometown Cha Cha Cha. I'm in love with Kim Seon-ho.

Hi all, I'm Joanne from Canada (GMT-5) and glad to be back playing a reading challenge. I've done Wheel multiple times, as well as all the other hits from this group in the past (Tower Teams, Wobble, etc) but I've been in a major reading slump for... oh I dunno, about a year and a half now. I'm hoping for some motivation to get back into reading.

I've been mostly spending my free time watching TV (I've become a huge kdrama fan this past year) and playing video games (Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, Zelda).

Jillypenny wrote: "Thank you; I don't think I've ever received a newsletter. Is it possible that I asked to not receive it at some point?"

When I went to your profile, it says you're not accepting messages. Maybe you have to change your settings. You might have it set to receiving messages from friends only, or no one.

Thanks everyone for being a great team.

I will be working hard today to finish up my last book on the spreadsheet by the deadline.

DQ 4 Ch 23-31

16. This journey to make the dresses seems to be mirroring a journey that Edan took earlier, do you think that this means Maia may have more magic than just her scissors?

Maybe. Edan made a comment about Maia's grandmother, saying that enchanters rarely leave descendants, so he seems to think that she might have magic in her blood.

17. Are you enjoying the myths that are entwined within this story, do you think they play a greater role moving forward?

I don't really care or pay attention, since they don't seem essential to the story. I always tend to skim things like this (poems, songs, stories)

18. In this section we have declarations of love between Edan and Maia, do you think the story needed this romance, and do you enjoy romance in your fantasy novels?

I don't have any strong feelings either way. I like romance in adult fantasy, but somehow YA romance never interests me. Plus it's like the vampire romance trope, its a little weird to have a teenage girl and a centuries-old man falling in love.

19. Edan makes a deal with the demon to become guardian within the next year, and we learn that the demon was once Edan’s teacher…do you think Edan will be able to get out of this deal?

Probably not in this book. I'm sure eventually something will happen though to have a happy ending.

DQs Day 3 - Chapters 17-23

11. The second part of the book is set on a journey to obtain materials for the wedding dresses and is different from the first part, which was set in the palace. To me it seems that the author had to make both characters take this journey, so that she could make the romance between them work better.
Did you like the change of the setting? Or would you prefer if the plot had stayed in the palace and had more palace intrigues?

I'm enjoying this section more, but now I feel like the whole first part if fairly pointless. The book could have eliminated the competition, making her the master tailor right away (like she thought was going to happen) and started with her being given the impossible task of the three dresses. The only missing piece would be the set up with Edan, but I didn't really get much from that anyway. They could have easily just gotten to know each other on the trip.

12. Honestly, I don't believe that Lady Sarnai would be able to request such dresses for her wedding - her father and Khanujin had negotiated this marriage to ensure peace, so they wouldn't give her the power to try and delay or even to cancel the wedding. Do you think she would be able to request the dresses? Or would her father or the emperor interfere?

I'm not sure what is going on with the politics and why she is able to continuously delay the wedding. Either the Emperor has no power or her father doesn't really want the marriage to happen.

13. I was surprised to see Norbu again - I thought he had been executed. Do you think it was the last time we saw him? Or will he play a further role in the story?

Yes, there would be no point in re-introducing him if he didn't have some part to play.

14. I am not sure if I liked the chapters with Orksan and his people - Korin and Orksan immediately realising that Maia was a girl, everyone thinking Maia and Edan were a couple and demanding them to kiss, Vachir recognising Edan - it was all a bit too cliche. Did you like Orksan and Korin? Do you think it was the right choice to travel with them?

I liked them, although I agree with a previous poster that it is super weird for everyone to chant that an already married couple should kiss when it is not their wedding night. Like you have to assume they have been doing this all the time already.

15. I am sure that Edan will be freed from the emperor somehow. How do you think it will happen? Will Lady Sarnai play some role in this?

I don't know how, but I'm sure it will happen. In the next book I would assume.

DQ 2

6. Well that is some strange competition. Do you find it reasonable or just silly?

I thought it was ok until the end, where it all became a bit ridiculous when it obviously didn't matter at all how good the creation was. The whole thing kind of seemed pointless after that.

7. Well Lady Sarnai is definitely an interesting character. One moment she is strong and resilient and just a victim of court schemes, the next she is quite the arrogant, cold-hearted spoiled brat. It is hard to get a read on her. Do you think she is just acting the part or is she really going to be the villain in this story?

I thought she might be a more interesting character and might secretly have a soft heart but it seems that is not at all the case. I kind of don't know what to make of her. I find her behaviour inconsistent.

8. That was a lovely sabotage attempt. Kinda clumsy. Do you find it exaggerated? I mean, it is only clothing, it is possible to make a living even if they don't win, there will even be some fame for being one of the finalists. The victory is mostly just more fame and ego. Do you think it is worth the price? Injury or possible death for fame and status?

It seems like Maia doesn't feel she has any choices. She will never be a tailor in her own name so she thinks this is her one chance to save her family.

9. Oh boy. The moment of choice. And I feel like she made the wrong one. I would say let the royals rot in their war and petty squabbles. It is better for self-preservation to stay away from them all. Let the evil man get the position and enjoy apprentice status while you are still young enough to fool them you are a boy.Duh, logical. Do you agree with her reasons for staying? Or do you also feel she has made the wrong choice in not leaving?

I never even gave any thought as to whether I agree with her choices because this is a book so of course she will stay to try to win the competition.

10. Well... that went well. I am pretty sure I don't like any of them. The dungeon seems like a lovely place to be in. 40 seems an awful lot, but well... This book needed some blood to be even more mainstream YA Fantasy. Did you also have the "Ha, told ya it was a bad idea to stay" moment? One might assume the story would be over now, yet so many more pages left. Do you have any idea what else might possibly happen?

I though her pretending to be a boy and getting through the competition would be a bigger part of the book so I don't know what will happen next.

That sounds absolutely horrible Sunny and I'm sorry that happened to you! Please take care of yourself.

Day 1 DQs

1. In this world, women are not able to become tailors or inherit their father's business. It reminds me of the Victorian era in England (like Jane Austen times). Maia is a very talented tailor but cannot be that as a woman. Would you go to the lengths she did to hide her identity in order to fulfill her destiny? Can you think of any other women in history that had to do that?

I can't imagine the stress of trying to hide something like that.

2. I felt so bad for Maia when someone ruined her shawl, but I loved that the magic scissors brought it back to life. Who do you think ruined her shawl? What else do you think those scissors can do? Did you anticipate that happening?

I'm thinking Yindi is her main rival right now, but it could be one of the others pretending to be her friend. I feel like it's weird that scissors can do something other than cut, even magic scissors. I mean how exactly is that logistically possible. It should have been an enchanted needle or something.

3. There was a hawk that was following the carriage when Maia is taken to the palace, and that same hawk shows up outside Maia's window later on. Who do you think the hawk is? Is it the Lord Enchanter?

I was thinking the Enchanter, or maybe even the Emperor. I keep having a thought that the Enchanter is actually the Emperor and vice versa. Because every time the Emperor comes around, it's like everyone is under his spell. Is he supposed to be so magical?

4. Do you think the Lord Enchanter suspects that Maia is a girl and not a boy? I wonder because of his comment about her feet being so small and dainty.

He for sure suspects something is different about her. I think he suspects magic.

5. I love the world building that has gone on so far. It feels like a real place to me. What is your favorite aspect of the book so far?

Everything is really interesting so far and I'm finding it a very quick read. I love all the stuff about tailoring. It seems like a Project Runway type competition.

Rina wrote: "Chris, Joanne, are you still playing?"

Yes, I'm here, just finished a book. Sorry, it's been a bit of a week. I'll try to be around more.

So sorry for your loss Louise.