megan’s Comments (group member since Jun 26, 2015)

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

My shelf is wheelx. Tried to link it by I’m on the mobile website and it wouldnt preview. Sorry.

I'm megan.
I live in Indianapolis with a pitbull, Eleanor, and an 18 year old cat named Dixie Cup. By day, I'm an engineer in the aviation industry. I'm really not a picky reader, though I don't know how much European WW2 novels I can handle any more. I do read a lot of non-fiction. It really limits options with the spell-it-out rules. But if any tasks require NF, I'll gladly take it.
I think I've done all the Wheel-a-thons since I joined the group in 2015.

Should I be focusing on finding location books or specific letters we are having problems with??

Added my Airplane book. Might be too late. But I finished it early this morning and the Google Sheets app took to long to open and I fell asleep.

Wonder who the Bishop was that has the honor of having a cheese named after him.

Do we have any grace period with this? Finished by book yesterday but didn’t remember to put it in the spreadsheet until this morning.

Discussion Questions Day 3

10. As we reach the halfway point I am seeing more and more similarities to the Amelia Peabody series. Is anyone else finding this. Does this affect your impression of the book?
I haven’t heard of or read the Amelia Peabody series, so I have nothing to compare it to. If it’s too much alike, I’d be annoyed.

11. We have been introduced to a number of Characters, is there anyone that particularly stands out?
I liked Inez’s cousins back in Argentina. I don’t trust anyone she’s met while on her journey and finally in Egypt. Sterling put a bad taste in my mouth. Don’t know about Whit, but I was really hoping her uncle would be someone Inez could trust.

12. We have been introduced to Isadora and her Father. Why do you think he doesn’t let her out of his sight?
Her father seems like security and knows what’s up. I wouldn’t let my children out of my site in that situation either. Maybe she can do the magic thing like Inez? These questions just lead me to more questions and ‘what if’s.

13. Inez seems to be attuned to Cleopatra and sees some of her memories. If you could choose to see one memory of a historical figure whose memory would it be?
Sally Ride and the moment she first felt weightlessness at the edge of space.

Day 1
Prologue - Part 1 Ch 5

1. The first line is “A letter changed my life.” Would you say this was a good start, cheesy start, or are you indifferent?
Indifferent. I would have used different wording while saying the same thing.

2. Why do you think Tio Roberto wanted to immediately send Inez back to Egypt without even seeing her? Do you think he’s hiding something? Or do you think it’s just typical of men at that time to dismiss young women and enforce them being chaperoned and taken care of?
She’s a young woman and he assumes she’s a lot of work. He doesn’t have time for worrying about the care and entertainment of an upper class teenager. I don’t know if it’s girls in general, but those who are used to being waited on and not having to lift a finger.

3. The ring scene with Thomas Sterling was definitely outrageous; I felt Inez's outrage and all of her shock. Do you expect to see the ring later in the story? Any guesses to its significance?
Guy was creepy. Stranger danger Inez! Her father wouldn’t have sent it if it wasn’t important and if he didn’t want to get it as far from Egypt as he possibly could.

4. What do you think of the writing style and the pacing so far? Are you enjoying the lyrical, rich descriptions or do you prefer a more fast paced story?
I prefer world building over story building.

5. In Ch. 5 we see politics at play, and we can tell this is just the beginning. How do you think this will affect your enjoyment of the book? Will it enhance the story for you or will you feel bogged down by the details?
Can’t pretend politics are never at play. Most conflict is based on politics and politicking. Being a historical fiction book, we know the state of the world and British Empire at the time.

Day 2
Part One, Chapter 6 - Part One, Chapter 12

6. In this part Inez spends some time with Mr. Hayes. What did you think of their afternoon in Cairo? Did you enjoy their banter?
A reminder how naïve Inez is suppose to be.

7. After sensing familiar magic from an old trinket, Inez buys it and later has a vision of Cleopatra. What do you think this vision means? Do you believe Cleopatra’s burial site can only be found with Inez’s help?
I assumed the trinket came from the Cleopatra dig. If it doesn’t already have a tie to Cleopatra, is it Inez who is the link to Cleopatra? Did either of her parents experience Cleopatra magic?

8. Every now and then, the point of view shifts briefly to Mr. Hayes. Do you enjoy these moments from his perspective, or would you prefer the story to stay entirely with Inez?
I prefer 3rd person point of view, but 1st person reads faster. If the POV jumps too much, I forget who is talking. As long as there is enough contrast between the characters, I don’t mind it.

9. Inez finds a letter from her mother, in which she suspects that Tío Ricardo is involved in illegal activities. Does this letter, along with the boat conversation Inez overhears, make you suspicious of Tío Ricardo? Or do you think he’s not responsible for Inez’s parents’ murder?
It does now. I’m not trusting anyone here. Not even Inez.

I don't think I will get to the BOM What the River Knows in time. Libby says there is still a two week wait.

I’d like to stay the same.

Any a see about my coral reef book?

Rebecca wrote: "Also I searched my TBR and The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club works for AZTEC. I will put it on hold at the library, but letting the group know if anyone would be in..."
Great book! not too heavy.

Amanda wrote: "That one I’m not sure about so will double check"
This is the coral reef book. It's written based on the experience of the author.
Life on the Rocks: Building a Future for Coral Reefs

I have a book for coral reefs, but it’s NF so there are no characters. Will it still count?

NF books I have or can get quick based on location:

Guests of the Ayatollah: The First Battle in America's War with Militant Islam - Iran
Aid State: Elite Panic, Disaster Capitalism, and the Battle to Control Haiti - Haiti
Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives - Congo
Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan - Japan
The Faithful Executioner: Life and Death, Honor and Shame in the Turbulent Sixteenth Century - Germany
House of Lilies: The Dynasty That Made Medieval France - France
Victory in Tripoli: How America's War with the Barbary Pirates Established the U.S. Navy and Shaped a Nation - Libya
Argo: How the CIA & Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History - Iran again
Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age - Egypt

I don't remember what I put on the submission form and I didn't make one at the time, so here's a new one

Sorry I didn't post earlier. I don't have a PC at home and didn't feel like fighting with the app to respond.
I'm megan.
I've been doing Towers Teams since 2016ish. I get them mixed up with Wheel-a-thon in the timeline of my head.
My favorite place I've visited is Rome. I was last there over Christmas 2019.
A bucket list item would be transiting the Panama Canal.

I read a lot of non-fiction, so hopefully NF will be able to cover prompts.

Christina wrote: ""

I saw the notification and made a bet with myself that it was actually an announcement and not Christina nudging the mods again. Yay! No nudges needed. I can get a full sugar Coke instead of a Diet Coke as my reward for guessing correctly.

I’m just going to keep reading Os and if they fit one of the task, then yay.

Starting my U book. It’s non-fiction and the U is the only thing that works for this round. Any idea when Round 4’s word will be chosen? I might save it if there’s a J or K.