Stacey’s Comments (group member since Oct 26, 2014)

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

Has anyone read American Gods? Did you like it? Not? I'm picking it up from the library today to try for BOM, but its a long book (for me) and will take some time, so I don't want to try it if its not worth it.

Megan wrote: "Reading this gem for 10 points:

Yup, those are heart cookies."

Wow. That looks..Ummm...interesting. Is it as bad as it sounds?

I'm in, but I have no idea how I'm going to keep track of the words I'm looking for! :)

Level: Bon Bons 41-60
Option 1: Freestyle

My Words: 45/41

Cutting Loose 12/5
Beauty,celebrate, comfort, family, network

Sweet Inspiration 12/10
snow, spices, children, candy canes, stockings, nutmeg, mistletoe, chocolate, vanilla, gifts, chimney, vacation, North POle, Santa Claus, elves, sleigh, gingerbread, reindeer, tinkling, angel, stockings, miracle, fireplace, Saint Nicholas, spirit

Mrs. Saint Nick 12/15
child, nativity, pageant, Christmas Eve, joy, jolly, faith, memories, sled, Scrooge, bells, sleigh bells, Grinch, holiday, holly

I third Kaz's gloves!

I working on but finding it a bit of a slog. I have lots of purple covers, so maybe I'll pick one of those up to take a break.

Grace, I would love to know how Blood Kiss is when you finish it. She's lost me with recent BDB books, but that one sounds like it might have promise.

Also, my book points are showing up on the spreadsheet, but it doesn't look like the points for BOM or doing DQs have been added yet.

Grace wrote: "Karen That is great unfortunately we already used the longitude book for a goal, the title with 8 or more of the same consonant

Stcey you cab hold off on the reread if you want although I am sure..."

Okay! I hadn't re started yet anyway. :)

Abbie wrote: "Re-Reads are 6 months.

I will be starting Bone Season hopfully sometime in December."

I'll do a reread then. Thanks!

Bone Season is interesting, but I'm having trouble really getting into it, so its taking me a while.

I found a book that has 125 p, but it will be a re-read. I finished it last Feb, is that long enough ago? I can't remember if it's 6 mos or a year.

FINALLY finished Six of Crows! It seemed like it took forever with how spaced out my reading time this week was. I updated my post in the Books Read thread.

I'll check for neighbors, cubed numbers and something to learn in my pile. I am also trying to finish The Bone Season at some point.

26. Wow, this was an exciting section! Kaz shows up after his encounter with Pekka Rollins covered in blood and lies to the group about finding him. Any new thoughts on what you think happened between Kaz and Pekka in that cell? I'm guessing there was a scuffle that got interrupted by the alarms. I also think that Pekka probably got away to torture Kaz in the next 2 books. :)


27. When Matthias showed up outside of Nina's cell with Brum, he totally had me thinking that he had betrayed the team! Did he fool you too? He was convincing, but I figured he was just playing along to help her out.


28. Brum reveals that his people have been experimenting on the Grisha for at least 15 years. So apparently the Grisha are worth keeping alive only if they use their abilities under the control and direction of the Fjerda. Now that Matthias knows the truth about what his people have been doing, do you think he'll still return home after he gets his pardon (if the team is successful)? I would guess if he does, it will be to make changes in their society. But I'm thinking he's going to be with the group, or Nina, for a while.

29. Wow, those Tidemakers were scary! We've now seen Squallers and Tidemakers fight our team. Will they face Inferni? What would an attack from jarda-parem-taking Inferni look like? I'm sure I wouldn't want to be in the way!


30. The team's plans keep getting thwarted, and now with Inej captured, do you think the whole team will make it out alive? I'm a little sad I went into this knowing it was going to be a trilogy. If it was a standalone, I would be more worried we would lose someone. But we have 2 more books to go so I think its more likely that they all make it.

I should be done tonight or tomorrow sometime. Don't know where everyone else is.

All the Six of Crows covers have the same art, they just have different colors for the Title and several of us will finish that soon (or already have). Can that count, or does it have to be all the same?

Nov 27 Chapters 21-26, Pages 255-317

21. We have gotten a report on the audio version, but to those reading the book, how are you finding reading so many POVs? Do you feel the book is flowing well, or do you find it disjointed and hard to follow?

22. I am having an issue with the ages of the characters (I find them inevitably at least 18 in my head). It seems like the author has written a LOT of backstory and responsibility for a group of characters all under the age of 18. Is this a situation where the ages are dictated by the "YA" category, or do you think the author made the characters this young for a purpose?

23. The group has entered the prison. Do you think they will be successful in their mission? Do you think Bo Yul-Bayour is in the prison? Or do you think the whole job is a wild goose chase?

24. We find out two interesting tidbits about Jesper in his chapter. Did you find either one of these surprising? Do you think either will play a part in the story, or is it just to help us better understand his character?

25. We finally find out the rest of Kaz's backstory and why he wears the gloves. At the end of the section, Kaz has completely gone off mission and has Pekka right where he wants him. Do you think he will kill him? And how do you think the rest of the group will react when they find out what he is really doing?

I'm going to try this one, but still working on what books for what song and trying to fit it in with TT, so I will list as I finish.

Duration: 12/1/15-12/31/15
Moderate: 5-8 books

1. Song: Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley
Book: The Bone Season
Connection: Blue Cover

2. Song: Winter Wonderland
Book: Winter
Connection: Winter in the titles

3. Song: White Christmas by Bing Crosby
Book:
Connection:

4. Song: Sleigh Ride
Book: Mrs. Saint Nick 12/15
Connection: There is a sleigh on the front cover

Chapters 10-17


11. With new developments in some of our characters back stories, which one did you find the most interesting and why? Did it change the way you viewed them? And how?
I'm still the most interested in Kaz, I think because I haven't gotten a real feel for what happened to him yet. I think with all of their backstories it makes you understand how then ended up doing what they are doing and how they got into the position they are in.

12. Kaz comes a little unglued... What's your take on that? Is he truly heartless and self seeking like he likes to be seen? What did you think of what he did to Oomen, and do you think that revealed anything? I'm a romantic sap at heart, so I feel like this was a reflection on the depth of his feeling for Inej. I think he has had to become hard, but there is always a little bit of the boy he was trying to break through.

13. We get to see the history between Matthias and Nina! Who's side are you on? And who do you think Matthias will choose in the end? I think they both have a valid argument and have both been wronged by the other because of their backgrounds. I'm not that attached to either of them since I think they are still both being a little unyielding in their views.

14. There are a lot of references that translate to today or modern history: street gangs, slavery & ships, human trafficking (brothels), and underground arenas for entertainment. Do you find their hard circumstances justify their criminal ways, or just make you care for them despite them? I feel like they are doing what they have to to survive. And so far, actually, I haven't really seen any thing that I feel is a truly terrible or heinous crime--maybe I have low standards on my characters!

15. Lastly! what's with kaz's gloves?! Hands stained by blood? Too sensitive to touch? Any theories out there? I almost think at this point its just his thing. Maybe it started out for a reason, but now he just keeps them to add to the mystery. I'll be interested to find out--assuming we ever will.

Discussion Questions November 23

Chapters 5-9, pages 69-133

6. Putting the plot and characters aside for a moment, what do you think of Leigh Bardugo’s writing? If you regularly read YA how does it compare in quality. If this is your first YA book, is the quality of the writing what you expected? It's strange, in the other book by her I've read, I would have said her writing was about the same level as other YA authors. But this book is really much better. I am loving the dialogue and the pace at which the action is moving.

7. In Part Two, we meet Matthias Helvar. Nina said, “Helvar is driven by honor and only honor. You can’t bribe or bully that.” Do you think that statement is accurate based on what we learn about him during his rescue? I think he is VERY driven by his duty,but I think he has feelings for Nina that could drive him to choose against his honor if he had to.

8. I enjoy world building that has enough connection to the real world that I can picture what’s going on because of this relationship, but the scenes are still original and creative. I think Bardugo does a good job with this concept. My favorite scene like this so far has been (the spoiler is my favorite) (view spoiler). What connections have you thought were particularly well imagined? I felt like the parley at the beginning was very well described, and I loved the scene of them all sitting around after Matthias's rescue discussing how they were going to do the job.

9. Since Wylan turns out to be Van Eck’s son, how do you think his role with the gang will play out? I think he's going to end up being a bigger player than they think and really become valuable to the team.

10. Now that we have met all six members of the gang, do you have a favorite? I'm a sucker for a not so nice leading man, so I have to go with Kaz. But I'm excited to get to everyone's backstory, and Jesper cracks me up.

Discussion Questions November 22

Chapters 1-4

1. Do you like the book so far? Why did you decide to read it? Is this a genre you normally read? I'm enjoying it so far. The characters are interesting even if I'm a little confused by the world. I do read a lot of YA so I will probably be comparing this to a lot of other books I've read.

2. During the parley in chapter two, Kaz tells rival gang member Geels: "A secret's not like coin. It doesn't keep its value in spending." What does Kaz mean by this? Do you agree with him? I think he means if he exposes or shares a secret he has, it loses its value to him since someone else now knows. He can no longer use it to his advantage.

3. Inez seems to have led a very interesting life so far. What do you think her relationship with Kaz is? Does she have romantic feelings towards him? Is Inez someone you would trust? Is Kaz trustworthy? I like Inez. I don't know that she has romantic feelings towards Kaz, I'm not sure Kaz would permit that, but I think she is grateful and loyal to him. I think Inez would be trustworthy once you won her loyalty. I think that Kaz could always be counted on to do what was best for him, so if you know him, you could trust what his actions would be.

4. If you could have a magical talent like the Grisha, what would you want your talent to be? Which category of Grisha types (listed in post 102) do you think would be most helpful to us in the real world? I would love to be a healer, but I think in today's world that would quickly become overwhelming.

5. Have you read any of Leigh Bardugo's other books? If so, would you recommend reading her Grisha trilogy before reading Six of Crows? I read the first book in the Grisha series. I was not really a fan and at the end of the book realized that my favorite character was the "bad" guy. I never read farther. This book I find much more interesting.

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Grace wrote: " Our current Open Goals

°Read a book with the name of the tarot card "Temperance" in the text or title
°Read a book that is in the "Best Crime & Mystery Books" Listopia List (https://www.goodr..."

You could probably use Darkfever for the "surprising and unexpected talent" as Mac has no idea she is able to see the Fae and freeze them when she arrives in Dublin.

Grace wrote: "Stacey I am not getting Darkfever showing up for you either. Bound is there but not Darkfever."

I was just checking that. I think it was because the "date read" wasn't there. I fixed it so maybe it show up now.

Ugh, Hated Bound. I should have thought to ask if we could DNF and still get credit. I resorted to skimming the last 100 or so pages cause I didn't want to waste any more time.

I liked Darkfever enough to continue. I did it on audio, which I think helped some because the reader did a nice job making Mac sound southern and Barrons sound Irish, so it was more entertaining than just reading it in my head would have been if that makes sense. But if I hear one more thing about Mac's "cute little sandals and matching skirt", I may be done. At least she finally put some jeans and a tshirt on near the end!