Joanne’s Comments

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

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

About to start chapter 12

(view spoiler)[ I know what you mean about having to go back with the names. I’m reading the ebook but I took a picture of the page at the beginning with the characters listed and I’ve been referring to it occasionally.

Im still liking it but it’s sooooooo weird. For awhile it seemed like we would get different stories but I couldn’t figure out how they connected. Now that Wang is visiting Wenjie it makes more sense. I’m excited that the next chapter is about her experience at that classified base. (hide spoiler)]

Finished

(view spoiler)[The last couple books have a bit too much sappy love stuff for me. I got sick of reading their love scenes after awhile.

Was so sad when Katy's mother turned around and she saw the bright eyes. Such a horrible thing to see.

I'm glad Dee finally came around. I agree, that I loved her character earlier in the series but she was a bit annoying in this one.

I wish we had learned more about Luc and what its like to be an origin. I'm more interested in Ash and how fast she is developing, than any of the adults by the end. (hide spoiler)]

Just finished Chapter 2.

I'm liking it so far! I haven't read the book synopsis so I don't know where exactly the book will go, but I hope we learn more about (view spoiler)[Radar Peak. There is some funky stuff going on there that sounds interesting. (hide spoiler)]

Poor (view spoiler)[ Wenjie. Her mother publicly renounced her father, and her sister has turned against him too. And now she's in trouble with the government. It would have been so easy for her to sign that document and save herself, since her father is already dead and can't be hurt by it, but she did the right thing refusing to falsify the documents. Things will get tough for her now I'm sure. (hide spoiler)]

I just started. Finished Chapter 1. Not sure yet what to think. I have heard people say this one was a bit hard to read, so I'm glad to see you're wanting to keep reading Jenny. I can see it being a bit slow-going especially at first, since there seems to be a lot of Physics in the first chapter and because I'm not that familiar with the Cultural Revolution in China. Maybe I need to do a bit of research first.

That WOULD be more fun!

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Finished: 07/26
Pages: 368
Buddy Read: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

O, K, M - Characters: Simon, Nate, Bronwyn, Addy, Cooper, Jake, TJ, Eli, Kris

Jenny wrote: "Really, Joanne? Which aspect of Bronwyn? Did you fall for a beautiful perhaps dangerous motorcycle boy who has bad taste in movies?"

🤣🤣🤣 No I just meant I was that nerdy girl who was an overachiever.

Finished

(view spoiler)[I thought this was pretty good. Tore through the book really quickly. I didn't want to put it down.

I suspected Simon a bit, but also didn't really know and I usually don't try to figure out the culprit in these types of books anyway. Just go along for the ride.

I really enjoyed Addy's growth as a character, although Bronwyn was the character who reminded me the most of myself. (hide spoiler)]

Whoo! Hope you like this one Donna. I also liked Elias more than Laia, especially at first.

Read up to Part Three

(view spoiler)[
Well I was wrong about Addy, she is not pregnant but right about Cooper, his affair is with a boy, not a girl.

Interesting that on Simon’s page, Maeve found that Cooper’s post is dated later and there’s an encrypted file. Also the steroid rumor looks to be false as Cooper took a test. So something is fishy there. Someone switched out his real secret for a fake one. But who?

I still don’t feel like any of them did it but it looks like the most likely suspect is Cooper.

Loving Addy gaining some confidence now that she’s not with Jake (hide spoiler)]

Im currently reading two books that start with O.

Devann wrote: "i read chapters 1-7 today

pretty interesting so far, some random thoughts

addy [spoilers removed]

bronwyn and nate [spoilers removed]

simon [spoilers removed]

anyone else started yet? i'm hopi..."

(view spoiler)[I was also wondering if it could be Simon who set it all up to frame them, but then thought killing himself would be going a bit far for revenge. I am definitely suspicious that it's someone other than our 4 main characters though.

I'm up to Chapter 9 and it seems like in addition to the secrets that Simon was going to publish, they have additional secrets. I suspect that Addy got pregnant after her one-night stand with T.J, since she was drunk and may not have used protection. That is why she didn't want to admit she was in the nurse's office that day. Cooper is having an affair and I wonder if maybe it's with a boy instead of another girl, which could be why he is so worried about it getting out. I can't think of anything additional for Bronwyn or Nate though.

Glad to see that those who have finished it seemed to have liked it, judging by the stars that show up next to your names (hide spoiler)]

Wow, look at all those Es and Us!

Chapter 13

(view spoiler)[Can't believe that working with Daedalus and using Arum is currently the lesser of two evils. Never would have guessed, lol. (hide spoiler)]

I think I may have read the series too fast. Kind of sick of these books and they just seem to get more and more ridiculous. They're fun, but I'm glad this is the last one.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Finished: 07/25
Pages: 766
Buddy Read: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Characters: Dumbledore, Malfoy, Umbridge, Sirius, Ginny, Cho, Neville, Luna

Finished

(view spoiler)[All the feels. I remember reading this when I was younger and being more annoyed that Sirius kept acting recklessly, but now I really feel his pain. He wants to help and be useful so much and he's stuck in the house he hated growing up alone and made to feel he isn't doing his bit. He had such a hard life. It seems like, he, like Harry had a tough childhood and really came into his own at Hogwarts with his friends. It's tragic that things turned out so badly for him as an adult and I'm sorry he and Harry never got to deepen their relationship and spend more time together.

Harry may be the main character this book but Hermione was really the star. She had the idea and organized the DA, she got Harry's story out there with Rita Skeeter, she opposed Umbridge at every turn while keeping a cool head and staying out of detention, she tried to stop Harry from racing off to the Ministry by insisting he check on Sirius and when it seemed Harry was right, she was right next to him fighting. (hide spoiler)]

It's too bad buddy read points are done July 31. Been really focusing on those for extra points. Also wanted to finish Harry Potter before the challenge was over, but will only have time to finish #5. I'll be reading the other two anyway, just not for the extra points.

Here it is: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Jenny wrote: "I have to enter the fray here and pile more on Umbridge. She is the worst character in the Potter universe, I think. Voldemort is a caricature of evil. Snape is an ass, but with good qualities, and..."

Agreed! While I certainly have disliked Voldemort, Draco, Snape, I've never felt hatred and anger toward them like I always do toward Umbridge. I just read Chapter 33 and (view spoiler)[I was not sorry to see her taken away into the Forbidden Forest (hide spoiler)]

Just read a bit further and WHAT???(view spoiler)[Dee isn’t pretending? (hide spoiler)]