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

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

Nearly all Audible books have a .mobi file associated or attached to them. In Kindle you can go in and use the X-Ray function for people & places and their frequency. I don’t think it would be difficult to create a link to the .mobi x-ray function in an Audible file.

Day 3 DQ: Thursday and Friday

10: How do you think the baby mix up influenced how Adam turned out? Or was the mix up what was really supposed to happen in going with the theme of all actions and events being part of a divine plan?
Adam grew up in a very non- superstitious house. Nothing Occult at all, so anything demonic would be unfamiliar to him. I don’t think the mix up was supposed to happen in the divine scheme of things. It’s difficult to keep opinion answers about divine plans in a story from being influenced by my personal beliefs on divinity. The whole ‘things supposed to happen’ goes all the way back to the snake in the garden thing from earlier in the book.

11: Crowley and Aziraphale tried to shape the upbringing of the Anti Christ only to have the wrong kid. Do you think Adam would have discovered his powers earlier if they had been influencing him instead?
Yes. A push in the right direction would have made it so much easier to catch abnormalities.

12: Do you think Anathema knew that Adam might have special abilities when she met him? Was that why she gave him the reading material?
Yes. The lack of aura maybe meant he wasn’t human. If he’s not human, he’s got to be something associated with the occult. Maybe not specifically demonic, but some supernatural entity. She passed her books and magazines along because he asked so many questions and showed so much interest. Take that with the no aura thing, and she knew knowledge could only help him.

13: Like me, were you worried about what had happened to the 3rd baby? What did you think when you read the little size piece about Greasy?
The last thing we heard about the baby was that he was hanging out with the satanic spawn and his mom and dad who weren’t supposed to be. But I did feel so sorry for Greasy and the life he ended up leading. Tropical fish can only be fun for a minute. No wonder he’s a bully.

14: There are some secondary characters that seem to have no real purpose in the book yet: Raven, Newt and Shadwell for example. Do you have any theories as to the parts they will play in stopping or helping the impending Armageddon?
I’m hoping they are minor angels or demons who will be needed in the apocalypse, whether it happens or not. Hopefully their presence on Earth means they are there to help.

Day Two DQ: Wednesday

5. Aziraphale and Crowley discover that Warlock isn't the antichrist and are in search of the real antichrist; why do you think they didn't catch on to this earlier?
The Youngs! Mr Young and that ugly sweater and blond wife and child. That third baby they didn’t even think to take into consideration. Add the bumbling Nun to that equation as well.

6. The manor is just a little different than when the babies were born (hehe). How do you like Mary Hodges changes? Is the portrayal of corporate retreats accurately reflected?
Tadfield Manor to Tadfield Manor Conference and Management Training Center. Perfect marketing naming. And yes, corporate retreats can be overly ridiculous, but I’ve been to none as over the top as this. No Jacuzzis or anything.

7. Aziraphale is excited to have the very rare book of prophecies in his hands and treats it with utmost care; does his love of books endear him to you more (well, his upgrade of Anathema's bike also made me smile at him)?
Yes! I want his collection. I want to smell them. Old books have stories of their own.

8. War is on vacation; this scene is packed with nuances, but we get the sense of impending doom; what do you think the lords of hell add to the story, do you like it?
Not a fan. Over sexulization. And the sword and guns circling her – yeah impending doom. I could do without any of it.

9. Keeping Cat's theme going, what is your favorite quote from this section?
“Never trust a woman who gives funny names to means of transport.”
And the drive featuring JS Bach’s Mass in B Minor, vocals by F. Mercury.

Day One DQs: In the Beginning - Eleven Years Ago

1. What's prompted you to pick up the book (except BOM points!)? Is it a first time read, a reread, a rereread, because of the mini-series?
I added it to my TBR because of the mini-series. I don’t like to watch a show based on a book without having read the book.

2. I really enjoy the humour in the book, but am aware it's a very British sort of humour. Do you find it funny? Any stand out lines so far?
Love it. I have a very dry humor to begin with, so this is right up my ally. The bumbling Sister Mary Loquacious nun. The Pavlovian ducks at the St James park.

3. In the very first section the angel and demon discuss whether the two actions they took in the Garden of Eden (tempting of the apple and giving up the sword) are actually actions for the opposite team: is it good for humanity to have knowledge? Do you have a view?
Neither were done out of malice toward the other side. But makes the line between good and evil within the story seem blurred, just as it can be in real life.

4. The best part about this section, imo, is the frenemies relationship between Aziraphale & Crowley. Do you enjoy it? Do you have a favourite of the two?
The frenemies thing is great, especially since they play off each other so well. They’ve known each other since forever. Of the two, I prefer Crawley, because all his tapes eventually turn to Queen and he just seems more fun. Dark humor of a demon and all. And we’ve gotten the most of his story so far.

Not gonna lie, I'm confused as well, but I haven't really looked into the rules as much as I want. I was going to wait until later in the week at Brown runs down. I do know I'm reading Lolita and have a copy waiting in Libby from the library. Oddly had two people in line in front of me on the hold.

Jenny wrote: "I have ratings issues on some books too, Christina. Sometimes I am too generous with stars, because a mediocre book was the perfect fit for my mood that day, and vice versa.
What's the Emerson quo..."

This is why I wait to leave ratings and reviews. At least a week.

I removed my zombie book from the spreadsheet for next week because my copy of Fall of Giants is available. It’s 900+ pages, so I don’t think I will have time for World War Z. But if it’s needed, I can try to get it in.

Alysa wrote: "Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "megan wrote: "It's been answered somewhere, but I can't find it on my phone. If a last name is von Something, does that count as a V or S?"

I googled this and it ..."

My von Something is a character. Example: Gregor von Ulrich. Would the letters G & U or G & V be used for spell it out? Or does that depend on the nationality of the author too? Confusion.

What has already been submitted into the official spreadsheet for the week? I might want to change my letter for This Shattered World to an O and use the next book in the series for the R in that BROWN

Alysa wrote: "Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "megan wrote: "It's been answered somewhere, but I can't find it on my phone. If a last name is von Something, does that count as a V or S?"

I googled this and it ..."

So for this challenge I it would be the V that counts for spell it out or the S that counts. I have a von U**** character that could help us a lot.

It's been answered somewhere, but I can't find it on my phone. If a last name is von Something, does that count as a V or S?

I'm sooooooooooo sick of reading fantasy. I would have preferred Middle Ages Non-fiction or Westerns Set Between 1765-1865 or Ming Dynasty Historical Fiction or even Epistolary.

Finished Dry and the first few days of questions.

Day Three

11. With the introduction of Henry we see a similar situation as the McCracken's, with Henry holding a stockpile of water and his neighbors in desperate need. Why do you think Henry's neighbors didn't attack or steal what they needed from him? He was only a teenager after all and he was alone.
I assumed it was because of how sick/weak they all were.

12. What did you make of Henry? Would you have allowed him to join your group? Do you think they would have made it as far as they have without him?
He’s sneaky and creepy. No thanks. Jacqui is more vital to the group than Henry. But, there is security in numbers, especially if there are two “men” in the group should they come up against another group who might want to cause them harm. And he’s another set of hands.

13. In times of crisis people will do just about anything out of desperation, which we see with Hali in the Target parking lot. How do you think you would handle something like this?
I don’t know how far I would go. If it’s just me it would be different, but if I’m with family the answer would be anything. I’d do anything. Dealing with the guy and the van is hard to answer. It’s been a long time since I was a teenager and remotely close to his target victim.

14. I was shocked to learn that Jacqui had left a bottle of the antibiotics for Herb and Daphne. Did this change your opinion of her?
My opinion of her was not bad to begin with. When she looked at the two bottles while in Herb and Daphne’s place, I was hoping she’d leave one.

15. We meet Water Angel's group, who are civilized and working together to survive. Henry compares it to communism and doesn't think it will last. Do you agree that it's only a short-term solution and that they will eventually turn on each other?
It will last until the water from washer fluid tanks is still available. With the amount of cars that seem to be on the road, it should hopefully last them. When I purchased my car, the dealer had put water in the washer fluid tank, so it’s very likely that this solution could last a while. No one is too desperate yet. But, as soon as desperation sets in, all hell breaks loose and the Water Angel’s group is chaos.

16. Trust is a big issue that comes up again and again. Do you think Jacqui and Henry have proven themselves to be trustworthy? What about Alyssa and Kelton (despite the past drone incident)?
Jacqui has my trust more than Henry. We know Henry is a real piece of work. I would have began questioning as soon as I found out about the jacket and the lying about who he was. I don’t think Alyssa should be worried about Kelton. That’s an easier one to forgive. It’s so far in the past, it’s nothing compared to what t hey are currently dealing with.

Day 2

6. The power plant vignettes at the beginning of part two are intriguing. We have the activist assuming the water is destined for the wealthy, the water guy just trying to do his job, and the plant manager trying to keep the power on and take care of his workers. With which side did you sympathize?
I sympathize the most with the guy trying to hold everything together while still trying to keep the power on. As soon as the power goes off, all hell will break loose. No water and no electricity in 100 degree weather is as close to the apocalypse as the average American is going to get.

7. Why do think the author has both of Alyssa and Garrett's parents go to the water desalination center at the beach? Do you think the events on the beach are realistic or over the top?
I think A&G’s Dad doesn’t trust his wife going alone and with two people, more water can be carried back to their home. The machine failure is realistic, but I think there would be more physical destruction. More than just the machines burning. More police or authority present to deter anyone from even approaching the area. They must know that those lost to the desalination disaster will have people come looking for them. What happened to the bodies? Were there people arrested? If people ran from the beach coughing from the tear gas, some would have made it further away and would have left some sort of trail. It’s odd.

8. Kelton states, "Things are gonna fall apart pretty quickly now... Critical services shutting down, unreliable communication--any minute now it'll all give way to urban Darwinism." Do you think the view is too pessimistic, too optimistic, or on track? Why?
I think he’s right on track. Survival mechanisms in the brain override any moral or ethical notions. I imagine it would be like the Hurricane Katrina levee failure chaos or the mass chaos after Hurricane Maria, when help didn’t come.

9. Jacqui comes into the story in this section as a new main character. What do you think of the addition of her character? Have you changed your opinion of either Alyssa or Kelton now that we have reached the halfway point?
Jacqui adds more depth to the trio. Her experiences change the conversation. There’s so much to learn about her. It seems she’s been surviving on her own for a while, so she had skills the rest of the kids don’t but they are street smart skills.

10. I have a few problems with the mob scene and the events as they play out at Kelton's house at the end of the section. Did the sequence of events seems reasonable to you? Why or why not?
I don’t think Kelton would have allowed the mob in without defending the house. Yes, he’s a kid, but he has survival instincts his father drilled into him over and over. Part of him would have seen the bigger picture. When it comes to Mr Kelton, it seemed like the house and the stash was more important to him than his younger song and wife, yet he pulls a 180 when it comes to his older son. The mod is the reason he shot his son, I think he would have gone mad and used the gun further. Picking off sh The mob all seemed to know where they were going and what they were doing. There should have been hysteria inside the house as well as outside. It should have been more difficult for Alyssa and Garret and Jacqui to remove Kelton from the riot inside the house.

Day One - Finally got my copy of Dry from the library

1. Living in southwest United States, I'm very familiar with droughts and water rights, so this hits close to home! Do you enjoy dystopia novels that have an element of truth to them or do you prefer pure fiction? Why or why not?
I prefer all fiction to have an element of non-fiction in them. Stories based on true events, real locations, real people. I’m not a big fan of science fiction or dystopian novels that aren’t at all relatable.

2. Kelton discusses three types of people, sheep, wolves, and herders; do you believe humans truly fall into these roles during challenging times?
People are broken down into these three general categories even when we aren’t in challenging times.

3. What do you think of Kelton and Alyssa as the MCs of this story so far?
Both annoy me. I tend to dislike stereotypical teenage characters in YA. I believe teens are more complex than most authors write them as.

4. Near the end of this section, Kelton's dad tells a neighbor, "as if your lack of foresight is my fault", how do you feel about this, do you agree?
I agree. This disaster didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s been a gradual build up for years. If an infant is involved, they should have acted as soon as the water shut off. Even sooner.

5. I'm enjoying how the vignettes add a little something different to the story, the reporter and the family at the airport offer a different lens about the events, what are your thoughts?
I really like the snapshots. They are my favorite part of the story. They break up the children’s side of the story with a more reliable narrative from an adult. They are also more relatable, as the thought process and problem solving of an experienced adult is similar to what mine would be. And it’s nice to see how others are treating the situation and reacting.

My copy of Dry is available. I can still read it for pound this week, right?

Jenny wrote: "Megan, have you read it before?"

Nope.so many people have suggested I read it, that when I do read it I want to get it all and not worry about taking my time.

That’s exactly why I’m not reading Dune this week.

I finished This is How It Always Is this morning because I forced myself to actually take a break. I'll have The Angels' Share this afternoon.