Jackie’s Comments (group member since Jul 10, 2011)

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

Completion Post

Title:
Author: Miranda James
Pages: 306
Date read: 6/16/20
Letters: A, C, L
Tag: No
Task: Read a book with stripes on the cover (Stripes on flag)

BOM: No

Updated SS

Discussion Questions Day 2: Parts 2 - 4

5. We get more flashbacks to Charlotte's early life in Paris, and start to get an understanding of why her family isn't close or communicative - she herself was brought up to repress feelings. Will her current crush on Paros blossom into a full relationship? How will her fascination with Paros help or hinder her main aim of this holiday - to reconnect her children?

I definitely can see why Charlotte is like she is and subsequently, her children. I think the saddest story for me is when she couldn't let Carl sleep with her when he was little and scared. Sometimes as parents we do silly things for misguided reasons not realizing how it affects our children. As far as Paros is concerned, it might turn into a romance but probably nothing lasting.

6. Cord: he jettisons a year and a half of sobriety very easily, though I did enjoy how the author then used his drunken ramble through the ship to show off some of the glorious absurdities of massive cruise ships. Will Cord be able to pull himself together over the cruise or is he going to self-sabotage any happiness he might have had? Do you think Charlotte would react badly to his coming out of the closet? Any guesses on how he gets outed?

I hope that Cord will pull himself together. I think that if he gets out of his head that he has the potential of being the most caring of the three children. I don't believe his homosexuality will be a problem for Charlotte. She probably already knows anyway. Definitely it seems that his sisters know.

7. Lee: We get confirmation that Winston did commit suicide, and chose to do it in her bathroom (what a $*!@$!). Why would Charlotte make her lie to her siblings about how he died? And why does noone call her out about her lies about her career?

I think Charlotte didn't want Cord and Regan to know that Winston committed suicide because she felt ashamed and guilty, natural reactions, I think, for the surviving spouse. As far as why Winston did it in Lee's bathroom, I'm sure there was a reason but this was a deeply troubled person so it's hard to understand. He was the closest to Lee of the three children so you would think he would want to spare her instead.

8. Regan: plotting murder! The plot thickens! What do you think the private detective has turned up? I assume it must be worse that infidelity, because you don't hire a PI unless you suspect infidelity, right? ('cos of course we have all thought about having our partners trailed rather than just, y'know, communicating with them!) Do you find the flashbacks to Matt rescuing Regan from the artist teacher (shades of Charlotte again!) make him more likeable?

I wish Regan would just go ahead and read the doggone report so we can find out what he's done. I don't think Matt is likeable at all. I wonder if Regan's rescue and their subsequent marriage was just a way for Matt to get back at Lee for leaving him. He seems really shallow and only concerned for himself.

Discussion Questions - Day 1

1) This is not a book I would’ve picked up on my own, and from the beginning I felt very strongly that I’m not the target (age) group, so I’m extra curious how I’m going to feel about this. Had you heard about this book before it was chosen as BOM? What were your expectations going in?

I had not heard about this book before and it's not one that I probably would have read otherwise. I'm not a big fan of Contemporary fiction as a rule so I probably wouldn't have found it except for this BOM. I decided that it would be good to branch out and see if reading with the group would make it more enjoyable.

2) I was surprised to see that the POVs rotates. Somehow the blurb made me think the whole book would be from Charlotte’s POV. Whose POV are you enjoying the most so far? Who is your favorite character?

I tend to like books that have different POVs so that was a pleasant surprise. So far, I'm not really fond of any of the characters though Charlotte is closer in age to me. They all have serious hang-ups so it will be interesting to see where they go with being together after so long of being apart.

3) While Charlotte is supposedly the closest to Regan out of all her kids, their POVs show that they actually resent each other the most out of any of our four main characters. I can understand where Regan’s coming from, but Charlotte’s dislike of Regan so far is quite a mystery to me. What do you think is at the core here?

It seems that Regan is the one that makes Charlotte feel the most vulnerable especially since they were so close after Winston's death. I think that Charlotte feels that Regan has seen her at a time in her life that she is not proud of and so that makes her feel insecure when they're together.

4) What do you think will happen on the trip? Will they even do the whole thing? Who will be the first to pack their bags and run back home? Which secrets will come out first?

I'm hopeful that they will all stick it out and that relationships can be mended and that they will learn to accept themselves and each other. Although if Matt fell overboard, I wouldn't be upset. He seems like a jerk and the cause of a lot of friction.

Completion Post

Title: The Eiger Sanction
Author: Trevanian
Pages: 336
Date read: 6/15
Letters: E, T, C, D
Tag: No
Task: Read a book set in mainland Europe (Set in Switzerland)

BOM: No

Planning sheet updated

Completion Post

Title:
Author: Molly Harper
Pages: 352
Date read: 6/14/20
Letters: N, A, C
Tag: No
Task: Read a book with a Winter scene on the cover

BOM: No

Planning sheet updated

I got my copy and will probably start reading and discussing tomorrow.

Completion Post

Title: Twilight
Author: Meg Cabot
Pages: 312
Date read: 6/13
Letters: T,C,S,D,A
Tag: No
Task: Read #6 in a series

BOM: No

Planning sheet updated

Completion Post

Title: Fast Money
Author: Colleen Helme
Pages: 275
Date read: 6/13
Letters: C,S,N
Tag: No
Task: Read a book with a single person on the cover

BOM: No

Planning sheet updated

For now, I'm only planning to read some short stories/novellas that I've been wanting to read. Got my first books for Wheel planned and ready to go when starting time arrives!

Thanks, Judy!

When we post our books, do we use the edition we read or the default edition?

Annalisa wrote: "Jackie wrote: "I was able to get Five Feet Apart from my library."

I thought we might be part of the same online lending library being in NC, but maybe not since you were able to get it and I have..."

It's part of NC Digital Library but I've found that the books available vary from individual libraries within the system.

I was able to get Five Feet Apart from my library.

Some of my favorites read in 2020:

Hello, everyone! I'm also from North Carolina. Good to see neighbors here, Ora and Annalisa. I'm retired so I can read as much as I want as a rule. My favorite genres are mystery, fantasy, and historical fiction but I'll read just about anything. Agatha Christie is one of my favorite authors so this team name is just about perfect for me.

I have played Wheel a couple of times before and am looking forward to playing with you all. I also am still waiting for that letter from Hogwarts.

My shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Finished Cookies/Brownies. Doing Dairy now.

Ice cream
I The Interrupted Tale by Maryrose Wood - 5/14/20
C The Camelot Code by Mari Mancusi - 5/11/20
E Exile by R.A. Salvatore - 5/10/20

C Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare - 5/12/20
R Purity in Death by J.D. Robb - 5/9/20
E The Devil's Novice by Ellis Peters - 5/15/20
A Acqua Alta by Donna Leon - 5/8/20
M The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō - 5/3/20

Gelato
G The Ghosts of Tullybrae House by Veronica Bale - 5/17/20
E The Excursion Train by Edward Marston - 5/25/20
L The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery - 5/16/20
A The Door in the Alley by Adrienne Kress - 5/14/20
T Theft of Magic by Martha Carr - 5/5/20
O On the Wrong Track by Steve Hockensmith - 5/25/20

Custard
C Mai Tais and Murder: A Tiki Mystery by Andrew Culver - 5/19/20
U The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman - 7/9/20
S The Secret by Kathi Daley - 5/4/20
T The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart - 5/7/20
A Secrets of Hallstead House by Amy M. Reade - 5/26/20
R Spells à La Carte by Rose Pressey - 5/16/20
D The Scorch Trials by James Dashner - 5/4/20

Pudding
P Golden Son by Pierce Brown - 5/26/20
U The Real Boy by Anne Ursu - 8/4/20
D The Missing Chums #4 by Franklin W. Dixon - 5/18/20
D Death by Diamonds by Annette Blair - 5/19/20
I Jar City by Arnaldur Indriðason - 6/8/20
N Reflections by Nora Roberts - 5/7/20
G The Last American Vampire by Seth Grahame-Smith - 5/23/20

Whipping cream
W The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige - 5/18/20
H The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan - 5/20/20
I Ironhand by Charlie Fletcher - 6/28/20
P Along Came a Spider by James Patterson - 6/2/20
P Plain Jane by Marion Chesney - 6/5/20
I The Secret Vanguard by Michael Innes - 7/16/20
N Monster in My Closet by R.L. Naquin - 6/4/20
G Lirael by Garth Nix - 6/26/20

C The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene - 6/1/20
R Reckless by Cornelia Funke - 5/27/20
E The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer - 5/28/20
A Kneel or Die by Michael Anderle - 6/2/20
M My Sister Marilyn: A Memoir of Marilyn Monroe by Berniece Baker Miracle - 5/13/20

This was fun and I enjoyed playing with you all! Thanks to Paula and Annalisa for captaining.

Completion Post

Book: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Pages: 294
Date: 12/15/19
Rating: 4 stars
Fits: Envy - tagged Young Adult
Vanity - tagged Contemporary

BOM: No

Vanity mini: No

Completion Post

Book: Penguins and Mortal Peril by Ruby Loren
Pages: 206
Date: 12/14/19
Rating: 3 stars
Fits: Envy - Green cover

BOM: No

Vanity mini: No

Completion Post

Book: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Pages: 336
Date: 12/14/19
Rating: 3 stars
Fits: Wrath - brown cover

BOM: No

Vanity mini: No