megan’s
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(group member since Jun 26, 2015)
megan’s
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from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.
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Nanci wrote: "Hi team!I have not been reading as much as usual. Our 6 kids and 6 grandkids are keeping us busy at the beach. Working on a few books, but I'm going to have to remove some from the SS, I'm afraid...."
I'm going to get 3ish extra books done this time around just because they are short. Hopefully that helps a bit.
Jessi wrote: "@megan, will you please add The Other Bennet Sister to your wheel shelf for me please."done. sorry, i didn't click any of the shelves it belongs on.
Nanci wrote: "Jessi and team,A heads up that I will be leaving for the beach for a week starting Saturday. It's our annual family beach week. We have been concerned with Corona rates going up they might shut th..."
We are heading to Florida the day the challenge ends. - Going to Disney and some beaches on the east coast. Everyone in my family had anti-bodies when we were just tested. We'll be COVID tested again before we go. My mom's a nurse and has tested positive three different times (negative another 2), but was only sick the first time, when we all are.
For now, we are all just waiting for the virus to mutate enough that we have actual symptoms when we come in contact with it again.
Biggest bumble of the weekend: instead of butt-dialing, my phone butt-returned my library book as I chased my dog at the park. Waited 8 weeks for that. Poo.
Heads up for planners like me:Our word for Round 5 is SANDCASTLE
Our tags are:
grass
tree
forest
Ireland
hiking
Nanci wrote: "megan wrote: "Do we still get extra points for reading The Travelling Cat Chronicles? Mine library finally has a copy available."Megan, we do not get extra points for reading The ..."
Finished The Traveling Cat Chronicles last night. It's so cute. Sad. But sweet is a great word to describe it.
I’ve been tested three times now and it never gets easier.
Nanci wrote: "megan wrote: "Do we still get extra points for reading The Travelling Cat Chronicles? Mine library finally has a copy available."Megan, we do not get extra points for reading The ..."
I'm surprised that its not a bonus. It's just the kind of thing the Chipmunks would come up with.
Do we still get extra points for reading The Travelling Cat Chronicles? Mine library finally has a copy available.
Jessi wrote: "Hey guys,I've had a bad couple weeks. I'm very sorry for not reading much. My husband and I separated and he moved out and two days ago it was my birthday. I'm working on getting stuff updated. H..."
Don't worry about it. Please. Life comes before NBRC.
Day 3: Chapters 15-1812. In chapter 16 we see Justyce have dinner with Manny's parents to commemorate Garret Tison's indictment. What do you think of Justyce being invited over and what they talk about? Did you have any thoughts about Manny's parents giving Justyce the watch and his reaction to it?
Justyce was like a second son to them. Having him in their home is like having that bit of Manny saved only for his friends, back in the home. Of course they gave him Manny’s watch – more for Justyce than for themselves. They love Justyce in a way all our closest friend’s parents love us.
13. Justyce sees Quan at the Fulton Regional Youth Detention Centre and a lot is said between them. What do you make of Quan's upbringing and his view on life now? Is there anything that stands out between what is said between them? Quan not saying that he killed the cop or the advice that he gives to Justyce? Do you think that Quan's advice will have a positive or negative effect on Justyce?
Quan’s view on life is exactly what you’d expect. His family situation, location, lack of resources. He reacts exactly as he needs to in order to preserve himself. It’s how he’s been taught to respond as a member of a gang.
14. We see a few media releases in this part:
"Transcript from evening news... More on this story as it continues to develop"
"Tison Indictment... A trial date has yet to be announced."
The news report in chapter 18 with the photo released of Justyce in his Thug Life costume.
We also see the reporters mobbing the funeral party at Manny's funeral:
"Mr. McAllister, how's it feel to be the Boy Who Survived?
Justyce, do you think there will be justice?
What's it like knowing it could've been YOU in that casket?"
What do you think of the coverage of the event by the media? Are they siding with the police officer more than Justyce? Are they reporting the story correctly or making things worse? Do you think the author's portrayal of the media is similar to real life? Will the media ruin his chance at going to Yale?
The author is playing into stereotypes. That’s a driving factor of the story. Depending on where you live, the portrayal by the media can be drastically skewed. Rural areas will play it up as self-defense. In a large city, the police will be in question. History shows us that they default to believing the officer. A guilty until proven innocent on part of the black teens.
15. Chapter 18 goes through a lot. We see Justyce spending time with Doc to avoid making the call to Trey and the gang and isn't writing to Martin anymore SJ speaking to him again and she apologises. She also calls Jarod about the release of the photo. What are your thoughts on all these and the character development of the teens?
If he were younger and not yet aware of his educational potential, I think he would have joined the gang. He’s lost everything he feels is family – from Manny, to Manny’s family, to anything with SJ. A gang can replace that. I wish there was more mature development of the characters and more focus on the parents actually parenting .
Our Round 4 info is up. Here are the details if anyone wants to start planning or are have books on hold at the library.Spell-it-Out:
ROCKY MOUNTAINS
Color:
Rose
Tags:
Petal
Love
Asia
Music
Art
I’m starting the next book I have, which is Beach Read. Let me know if I should finish it for this week or wait until next round.
DQ - Day 2: Chapters 7 - 147. Let's start with Sarah-Jane. Justyce and her definitely had feelings for each other, and they didnt shy away from closeness until Jus was about to kiss her after the debate (lbr which was bad timing). Why did SJ suddenly give Justyce the cold shoulder, what are your thoughts? What's going through her head?
I think the cold shoulder is because she's seen the way Justyce and Moni keep breaking up and getting back together. He can't make up his mind and can't seem to just stay single. I don't blame her for trying to keep him at a distance. He could easily break her heart and SJ is wise to keep her space.
8. It sucks that it took being drunk for Justyce to call out Manny but it's finally done! "They're my friends" was the dumbest excuse ever, but at least Manny finally woke up shortly after Blake's party and the fight Justyce and the guys had.
It's hard sometimes to stand up for what's right. It might not be safe, depending on where you are or who you're surrounded by. Do you judge Manny for not being able to stand up for himself and everybody else his 'friends' made fun of sooner? Was there ever anything you needed to work on first in order to be able to stand up for it?
Manny might come from money, but he's still black. His parents are well aware of what that means and would have had multiple conversations with Manny about this very thing as soon as he hit puberty. These are educated people, but they aren't stupid. Money hasn't made them not black. Allowing Manny to let his friends dismiss his blackness under the guise of "not seeing color" is a failure on his partents part. Manny just wants to fit in and keep his friends from fighting.
9. It seems like Manny didn't only call Dr. Dray to check on Justyce after the fight, but also his mama and Mela. It confused me a little since he doesn't like Mel and how she treats Jus. And it hasn't even been mentioned again (so far). What did you make of this? Do you think Mela will end up playing a big part in the rest of the book? And did you ever have a teacher who was as involved in his students lives as Doc is?
Mela was likely called because Manny didn't know if she and Justyce were on or off again. And the chance of having another set of eyes on him in his drunken state was a good friend call on Mannys part. I had a college professor or two who fit into this mold.
10. Manny's dad tried to keep all signs of racism and how he could be mistreated from him for as long as he could whereas Justyce's mama has prepared him ever since he was little. They also grew up in two completely different neighbourhoods and surroundings. What are your thoughts on the parents' different ways of bringing up their sons? Do you think there's a right way to go about this?
Keeping the world from a boy who would be considered a man is reckless. The right way is to not paint the world in rose colors. Mannys parents were well aware of the world when they were teenagers, money on their part doesn't change the outside world.
11. 😳 that's one way to end today's chapters! My heart is still racing. What do you think happened, who got shot? And be honest, did you keep reading or take a peek just to find out what happened? (I'll be honest I did take a quick peek :x)
I knew what was coming because my sister is mean and didn't give a spoiler warning. I would have liked more than just dialogue from Justyce.
Chapters 1 - 61. We meet Justyce when he's trying to do a good deed by helping is drunk ex-girlfriend. This scene sets quite the mood for the upcoming chapters and (I assume) the rest of the book. Do you like our main character so far? Do you like his inner monologue, portrayed in the letters to Martin?
I like Justyce so far. Though his character seems a bit naive. He’s such a great scholars, but doesn’t come off that way. We should be getting John Green character level intelligence out of him. We only really get it from SJ.
2. Let's talk about the girls - Melo and Sarah-Jane. The ex-girlfriend (sort of?) and the debate partner. Let's also factor in the other important female in Justyce's life, namely his mother. What do you make of each of them? And what to you make of their interactions with Justyce? And more importantly, what are we supposed to make of Justyce's interactions with them in light of his mother's statement not to bring a white girl home?
Melo seems to be your average 17 year old girl who comes from money and gets to be an airhead. She gets to string Justyce along because she’s a teenage girl. SJ is the exact opposite. That his mother would rather have him be with Melo than SJ, means Mama’s gotta take a look at her own racial judgments.
3. Jared is our token white boy who thinks all is right with the world when clearly it isn't. The equality discussion was interesting, I found, because Jared's logic is sound. And yet at the same time, it isn't at all. What example would you give Jared, where you speaking in SJ's stead, to show how wrong he is?
This shouldn’t be SJs job. Their teacher should have stepped in and brought parents into the discussion. There are reasons token white kids think the way they do. In today’s age, not even straight up facts are going to get you anywhere with some people.
4. The Equality Brigade was quite the spectacle! Literally. Disguised as a klansman to portray equality. I can't help but wonder if Blake is an idiot of epic proportions or if there was a message he would have liked to show the world including his friends, especially considering the fact that the "costume" was the genuine thing. What did you think of this brain child of Jared's?
Again, parenting. He didn’t go to the thrift store and get the thing. That he thought it was okay to wear in the first place goes way beyond the kid being an idiot.
5. Justyce as well as his best friend Manny are black boys stuck in a rich white school. They each have their own issues to deal with in regards to this situation. Manny, the rich black guy, who is considered one of them, and Justyce, the poor black guy, who is more and more often questioning his place in this world, the place he is trying to carve for himself. Do you think Manny should have acted differently in the lounge scene when he was peer pressured into drinking to equality? Knowing full well what happened to his best friend not too long ago?
Of course he drank to equality, he’s the kind of person that doesn’t want to stir things. He also doesn’t see the big deal in it because he’s had the privilege of growing up with money that’s put him on a more level playing field. It’s easy for him to forget that is blackness has meaning.
6. Short mention of Trey and his friends needs to be made. The Black Jihad gang, one of whose members shot Officer Castillo. Personally, I can't help but wonder if someone shot him to take revenge on the crap he's probably pulled for quite a while - Justyce certainly wasn't the only one - or if it was a shooting gone wrong. That thought aside, Trey makes Justyce (and maybe also Manny) feel like he's turning his back on his own people. Do you think he is right in telling Justyce this? Is Justyce right in questioning the things Trey tells him and wondering whether there may not be a grain of truth in it? Should Justyce have stayed at the party regardless or was it better to leave (with the others) when he did?
Justyce is in the position that he needs to think as if he’s on each side, like he would in a debate. Without a scholarship, Justyce would be right there with him. He’s be angry at the guy in Justyce’s current position too. Justyce walks a thin line between his two words and the only way to stay balanced is to remember where he is and who he wants to become.
My recommendations are all Fredrik Backman A Man Called Ove
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry
Beartown (and sequel Us Against You)
Brittany wrote: "Finished 
by Marissa Meyerpages: 288
Date Read: Jul 11th
Characters: Levana Blackburn
Channary Blackburn
Evret Ha..."
I love the color of this cover!
And this is one of those series that so deserves to be turned into a series by a streaming platform.
Lots and lots of E's. I think we just need to make sure we have our handful of X's and I's, then go for those E's.
I’m done with everything I commented to and ended up doing 10 books for the 4 weeks/2 rounds. I committed to 9. With the craziness of COVID19, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to have to question the amount of books I’d be reading based on totally different reasons than normal. At least we have reading as a constant.
