Melindam’s Comments (group member since May 02, 2017)

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

True! I forgot. 😆

Sammy wrote: "The Argentina book annoyed me. There was some (perhaps understandable, but I think unneccesary)) dumbing down of stuff for their child audience. Fair enough.

But since when were the Falkland Islan..."


Since Scotland is in England? 🤭

🥰

Grabbed Time Travel

Domi's listening to his Oz book day by day, he'll finish in a few days. :)

I can claim 1 & 2 but will wait to finish after 15 March as it is a book from the Alien shelf. 🤭

#18

3,5 stars rounded up to 4

I love Ilona Andrews, but I have not started -as usual- with the KD books, but with Innkeeper and Hidden Legacy (and they are among my favourite series), then reading The Edge books before finally making myself pick up the KD series.

While I usually end up enjoying each book (well, NOT the first!) it always takes me ages to pick up one after the other. I read book 5 in 2021, before that book 4 in 2018.

Somehow I just don't click with them very strongly. Probably too much gore and relationship drama (meh!) for me.

That said, I have the rest of the series on audio and intend to read them all eventually.

Queen of the Elves

1 200-299
2 Author's initials in MORRIS DANCING
3 UNICORN mentioned in text
4 silver text on cover
5 set in a country with a monarchy

I nominate Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau

Almost Famous meets Daisy Jones and the Six in this funny, wise, and tender novel about a fourteen-year-old girl’s coming of age in 1970s Baltimore, caught between her straight-laced family and the progressive family she nannies for—who happen to be secretly hiding a famous rock star and his movie star wife for the summer.

In 1970s Baltimore, fourteen-year-old Mary Jane loves cooking with her mother, singing in her church choir, and enjoying her family’s subscription to the Broadway Showtunes of the Month record club. Shy, quiet, and bookish, she’s glad when she lands a summer job as a nanny for the daughter of a local doctor. A respectable job, Mary Jane’s mother says. In a respectable house.

The house may look respectable on the outside, but inside it’s a literal and figurative mess: clutter on every surface, Impeachment: Now More Than Ever bumper stickers on the doors, cereal and takeout for dinner. And even more troublesome (were Mary Jane’s mother to know, which she does not): the doctor is a psychiatrist who has cleared his summer for one important job—helping a famous rock star dry out. A week after Mary Jane starts, the rock star and his movie star wife move in.

Over the course of the summer, Mary Jane introduces her new household to crisply ironed clothes and a family dinner schedule, and has a front-row seat to a liberal world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll (not to mention group therapy). Caught between the lifestyle she’s always known and the future she’s only just realized is possible, Mary Jane will arrive at September with a new idea about what she wants out of life, and what kind of person she’s going to be.

I'm with you, Sophie.

Thanks. :)

Would this be OK for vine-like object?

Maybe the reason I'm unwilling to finish KD 6 is b/c I've developed a spin-phobia. 🤭

🤣

Lexi wrote: "My #2 is also Austen related but was only another 3. Just never really connected with the plot or characters.
"

I really wanted to like this book, but just couldn't. The only reason I finished was b/c I listened to the audiobook narrated by Richard Armitage.

#17

3,7 stars rounded up to 4

Added this to my TBR in 2018. The author Emily Eden was an admirer of Jane Austen and was clearly influenced by her. A very light, enjoyable comedy of manners but without Austen's layers/depth.

I haven't seen the movie yet.

The narration arrangement did a nice red herring with the voice of Dawsey (view spoiler)[the narrator sounded like a much older man than 40ish to my ears and it seemed like a deliberate decision to make the unsuspecting listener think that Juliet would end up with Sydney. I thought so for quite a while and felt a bit disappointed b/c I loved Sydney even though I started suspecting that he may be gay.
Also Dawsey's actual age is only revealed real late in the book. (hide spoiler)]

#16
10 stars
One of the loveliest books I have read.

I must have added this to my TBR 5-6 years ago, but it was only recently that I discovered that at some point GR transferred it to my "read" shelf (it wasn't me for sure!).
And I have also forgotten that I had the kindle edition for some time and I purchased the "full cast" audiobook edition. Which was a good thing b/c the narration of the letters by the different characters was delightful and gave them more depth.

The book made me smile and cry. I love it!

Sophie wrote: " is one of hers I've read and enjoyed (thanks Cat) and has another good Uno cover."

So if I add this one to my TBR, must make a note to blame it on Sophie. 🤭

Cat wrote: "I very much enjoy Jalaluddin's books. Like you say, not perfect but happy spaces."

Yeah, you sent me down a slippery slope I'm afraid. 😅

Will definitely check out more of her books, just trying hard not to rush in an add more to my TBR for a little while. Let's see how long I'll last. 😉