Lisa’s Comments (group member since May 01, 2022)

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

Char wrote: "Or sukhacha Shodh by V.S.Khandekar"

Does this count as English title? If it does, I would think it would be very hard for them to follow. Which would make it an excellent choice....unless it is too hard? If they can't find a book to continue the chain do we get stalled out and only have a couple of books for the battle instead of the full 10 (and thereby lose points overall)?

Oooh - they were clever! I did not think it was possible to find a book using just those three letters!

One of the rules is that books can be read in any language, but titles must be in English. Is N'Tsuk english? When I google it for a translation, nothing comes up. I'm not finding a very good book description, although I think it is about an Inuit woman who lives for 100 years. And so my guess is that N'Tsuk is her name? In which case I would think their nomination would stand and not be ruled out as being a different language.

So assuming it stands here is what I have found:

Sukkwan Island (just like Char). It is available to be purchased for kindle for 99 cents.

Suki's Heart: Pioneer Brides of the Oregon Trail - available on kindle unlimited

Suki - ? have to buy on kindle for $8?

Suki's Park - ? have to buy on kindle for $5?

SUKI - available on kindle unlimited

I'll keep looking. I don't have kindle unlimited and don't want to buy a book I don't really want. Do any of these books interest anyone?

Bernadette wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I reached out to Char and haven't heard back from her (but it's only been an hour), so I don't know how excited she is about her suggestion.

From a purely strategy point of view both ..."

I will gladly give it to you to read if you can get your hands on it!

I reached out to Char and haven't heard back from her (but it's only been an hour), so I don't know how excited she is about her suggestion.

From a purely strategy point of view both only use three letters, which is best. However, A Cyclist's Guide to Crime & Croissants seems better than Acyrologia to me as "nts" seems more difficult to find the next match than "gia". So my vote would be to go with A Cyclist's Guide...as we may force them to use more letters.

My impression was that neither of us seemed super excited about reading their choice (Char's because it is the 10th book in the series and me because cozy mysteries are not always my favorite), but it seems like we're both willing to take one for the team in this regard. So that is overall equal.

So if you all agree that A Cyclist's Guide to Crime & Croissants is the better book strategy-wise, I'd say go ahead and choose it. (Likewise if you think Acyrologia is better, go ahead and choose that).

I know we're pressed a bit for time to get all our book suggestions in and if the situation were reversed (and I was unable to answer immediately), I would want you to choose the book that seems best for the team.

I'm about to head out for work; hopefully it will be a quiet night, and I can keep an eye on this thread, but if not I wanted to get this message out before I get too busy.

That's good news. Now we have two viable options for this Battle round that only use three letters! Thanks for double checking :)

Ok, that wasn't in the rules so I thought it was acceptable. I apologize.

Does it?

It starts with the letter A..." A Cyclist's Guide...so it is three letters overlapping.

I found A Cyclist's Guide to Crime & Croissants as a possibility for our battle response. It is a cozy mystery with goodreads rating of 3.82 (although only a couple hundred people have rated it...).

I was able to get the audiobook from my library, so it is an option. I'm not a huge cozy mystery fan but am willing to read it if no one else wants to and we decide it is the best.

I like that it is only 3 letters overlap, since they're currently beating us in that regard!

hello - sorry to be chiming in late - I worked last night so was sleeping all day today.

I'm glad we made a decision on the first battle round - it is true I wasn't super eager to read my suggestion so glad it went this way! I'll keep watching as the other team responds and hopefully find/suggest a book I can read for the battle.

Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "I have a book that works called The Dirty Book Club and can take if no one else wants the first book selection. If you have a book that works and want to take this one, let me know...."

That looks like a good choice. I am not wedded to my suggestion above (it was more a book I would tolerate than one I really really wanted to read) and will find another one to help out on. I say go for it.

Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "As a note for the Battle, we cannot start planning the books until District 3 let's us know their first book choice from the word the mods spun to start it out

Once they let us know, we choose a b..."

Erin they have chosen - see message 495. They chose American Dirt

I see now that you can't even start the book until next week. So I was able to clarify that by re-reading instructions.

And also it looks like you want the smallest number of overlapped letters. So if they had to use the whole word SECRETS in their book, that would actually be good.

I'm trying to understand the Arena Battles and just read the post on the main page. If I'm understanding correctly we need to respond with a book that starts with the last letters of their book (the more letters the better). And I believe someone on our team needs to read the book we respond with (and not American Dirt which they started with) ?

If so, my suggestion is Dirty Little Secrets. I am not familiar with this series, but it seems to have a good rating and I am willing to read this book for the battle. If you guys go with this book, I think I wouldn't be able to start it (or at least finish it) until next week?

If you all have a better selection, please go with it! Strategy-wise, we'd get four points for reading this book (DIRT), but it might leave things open where they could use the whole word secrets as the start of their next book which would be seven points for them....so there may be better choices out there....

Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "@Lisa, are you going to finish The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out a Window and Disappeared this week?"

Yes

Checking In:

I am over 50% done with The Time in Between then will be focusing on The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared so I can finish both for the mini in time.

I'll also be reading Water for Elephants for another challenge this week. I think if i finish it on Sunday it will count for round 2 here, but it is a buddy read so I might need to finish it sooner in which case I suppose it would help to bolster our resources overall as I don't believe it will work for any of the open mini tasks.

I plan on doing Catching Fire and The Book that Wouldn't Burn as far as buddy reads for next month.

DQs – Day 3 Protective Impulses-Pert Thing

11. What do you think about the revelation in the garden/the haunting? Did you see it coming, and do you think there are others involved with the “curse”?

I didn’t expect it – I thought there would be some human action as the cause of the curse, not something paranormal. I’m not sure if others will be involved in the curse or not…maybe Dr. Poole?

12. What do you think about Mr. Rochester sending away Jane and the staff? If you have read the original, how does this change Jane’s agency, and do you like the change? Either way, why do you think the author made it Mr. Rochester’s choice?

I was against Mr. Rochester sending everyone away (I haven’t read Jane Eyre), although I think I understand why he did it. He thinks he can keep everyone safe. I would have liked Jane to have more time in understanding what was wrong and give her a chance to fix it. Maybe there is more to Mr. Rochester’s reasons than we realize, though, maybe there’s something there that he doesn’t want us to discover and sending everyone away also keeps him safe from judgment.

13. Have you ever visited an Apothecary’s Garden? Would you be interested in seeing one? Do you grow any herbs or are you interested in growing any?
I have not, but I think it could make for an interesting walking tour. I don’t grow any herbs….

14. What do you think about the scene with Miss Ingram? What does this tell you about Mr. Rochester’s character and did that seem consistent with his character so far? Did his explanation make sense to you?

It was a bit cruel of him, although I can understand his desire to better understand/confirm his understanding of Miss Ingram’s character. I suppose his explanation did make sense. Still not very nice of him to not think of it through Jane’s point of view

Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "@Char,

with the Mini for Food in text they cannot be the same food in the dropdown that was used in another book. Apple was already reserved in another book. Does Secret Garden at Yanagi INN have..."

I think my book was the first that claimed "Apple" but "salt" is also in that book, so I can change mine.

Hunger Games Part 3 Discussion Post

I remembered more of the last part of the book than I expected, particularly about (view spoiler)[ the part where Katniss had to pretend to love Peeta within the games to get the sponsor’s gifts. I had forgotten the last scene in the arena where the mutations came out, although I remembered there was some sort of twist at the end of the games for both of them to survive/win (the threatened double suicide pact). I didn’t remember at all what happened after the games were finished and that Katniss had to continue to pretend to love Peeta convincingly. My heart broke for Peeta at the end where she conveyed to him that she was only pretending. (hide spoiler)]

I think Cinna is my favorite supporting character. He always seems to know exactly what to say to Katniss to get through to her and he seems to have her best interests at heart. He seems to genuinely care for her and she for him. I hope he appears in the last two books.

The ending felt abrupt to me, although I suppose that’s not surprising for the first book in a trilogy. I had been wanting to see what Katniss was going to say to her mother, Prim, and Gale when they first got back home. I really don’t remember the second book at all, except at some point I think we get more insight into Haymitch’s character as I remember understanding and liking him better in the end. I’m looking forward to reading the next book and am considering watching the first movie too!

DQs Day 2 - Baneful-"My Own Wee Thing”

6. Jane gives Rochester a black-coloured thumb-sized stone to keep with him as a protective talisman. Do you believe in talismans? Please tell us about an object that you keep with you as a talisman?

I don’t know that I have one….I never even had a “lucky” rabbit’s foot when they were popular when I was a kid….

7. Between some of the chapters narrated from Jane’s point of view, we get chapters from Rochester’s point of view. What do you think of these “interludes”? Do they help or distract?

I like them - (view spoiler)[ especially the one where we learn that he knew Jane was following him to his family’s cemetery! It gives us a little bit more knowledge about the events occurring in the book. (hide spoiler)]

8. We are introduced to Dr. Poole. What did you think of this character particularly with regards to Jane meeting him in the poison garden? Were there any changes in your opinion after reading Agnes’ conversation with Jane about the late Mrs. Rochester?

He seemed nice enough when we first met him, but now I’m suspicious of him. (view spoiler)[ It does seem like he might have had the thought “if I can’t have her, nobody will have her! (hide spoiler)]

9. We have been told several times about a curse on Thornfield. Then Jane follows Rochester to the graveyard where his family members are buried. At this point Jane says “This was a story of heartache. Everyone in Mr. Rochester’s family had died before their time, especially the females. Then his wife had done the same.” Do you think there is a connection between the curse and the early deaths?

Yes; either it is the curse, or more likely, someone is hiding their actions under the veil of the curse.

10. We have been given information about Jane and her origin? What do you think of this twist in the tale?

I was not expecting this at all! But it is fun and I’m excited to see where it goes.

Bonus: The author has used several of the same names as those of characters from Jane Eyre. Other than Jane, Rochester, we have Brocklehurst, Maria Temple, Mrs. Fairfax, Poole etc. What do you think about authors using the same names in retellings?

I suppose it helps the reader out to know who we’re supposed to think of related to the original book. Since I haven’t read Jane Eyre, I don’t have any strong feelings about it related to this book.