Laura’s Comments (group member since Nov 04, 2015)

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

For anyone still reading Catching Fire and/or The Wishing Game: The deadline for participating in the discussion for those is July 15 & July 16, respectively.

ETA: The end for The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen also is fast approaching. July 10 for that one.

Keely wrote: "Feel free to swap out my The Familiar book with something. I have fallen behind on reading so I may end up leaving that book until Round 3. I've got two other books to get through ..."

Let me see what we've got. I'm updating right now.

Kamaria wrote: "My reading is going to be a bit slow because I'm preparing for a new job in a few days and I'm currently in an area which is considered a war zone so we're in a no-fight and flight mode... And we'r..."

Stay safe!!!!

Day 3 DQ's Chapter 24 - 33

9. We keep hearing how people smell. Luzia of orange blossoms, Perez of plums and amber. Why do you think the author keeps mentioning this? Do the smells mean more than just an odor?

I think the smells are generated with the magic.

10. We are over halfway through the book. What has been your favorite part/scene/person/line so far?

I think I like Santangel the most, but the little girl is a cool character.

11. Valentina and Marius seem to be rekindling their marriage, finding love where there wasn't before. Why do you think the author is adding that part of the story when she could have left it out?

I think it shows they are learning to think of others, and this might be important for Luzia later.

12. Now we are over halfway and know more of Luzia, the competition and this world. Why do you think the publisher and possibly the author chose this cover over any other possibilities? If you could remake the cover, what would you want it to look like?

The scorpion relates to Santangel. I like it. Without knowing the ending of the book, I wouldn't even have a thought about how I might change the cover.

We had one of Kari's books that wasn't used and only worked for Romance, so I moved a Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen (not sure which reader I moved) to Historical Fiction.

And for Carrie's book, which only works for Horror I moved Claire's Haunting Adeline to Thriller.

If you read a book that only works for 1 spot, and that spot isn't available, please say something. We have books that can be moved!

Preeti wrote: "Hi. I removed one of the books that I was reading for MPG Historical Fiction and replaced it with a Literary Fiction book. I started reading Roots and found my attention wandering all over the plac..."

One of our reads of The Familiar is placed on Fantasy right now. We could move it to Historical Fiction, if Fantasy is easier.

It looks like 2 of our Horror books can be moved. I’ll see if I can fit your book in as soon as I finish my current book.

DQs Day 2 Chapter 13 - 24

5. Luzia’s refranes combine elements from diverse cultural traditions, creating a powerful form of magic tied to her Jewish heritage. Does the portrayal of Luzia’s magic suggest that blending different cultural traditions enhances personal power and resistance, or does it emphasize the delicate balance and possible loss of identity in such a blend?

I think it's more about how similar we all are than how different we are all.

6. Characters like Valentina and Hualit demonstrate varying levels of ambition and moral compromise on their paths to security and success. Is pursuit of personal safety and financial security a justifiable reason for ethical compromises, or should ambition be tempered with moral integrity?

For Hualit I think it began as survival, and along the way she began helping others outside the country as a way to assuage her guilt. For Valentina I think her whole life has been about working up the social/power structure ladder.

7. Have you done other reading set in late-16th-century Spain? If not, are you having any problems following the political intrigues and social mores? What’s your favorite time period to read for historical fiction?

I read The Spirit Ring which, while set in Italy, is remarkably similar. I haven't read much in late 16th century Spain, but I have studied history and read a lot of stuff set in England in that time period, so I've seen the Spanish politics from the other side. I don't think I have a favorite historical time period for my HF.

8. What do you make of Santángel? At one point we get the line, “And Santángel would be free.” Free from what, do you think?

Somehow the magic that gave him immortality also tied him to Victor's family.

Nosy bonus question. Are you reading this book for historical fiction, for fantasy, for romance, and/or for DQ points for your BG team? 😉

This is my first Bardugo book. I don't know that I ever would have picked it up except for the BOM points for BG.

Day 1 DQ’s
1- Although Valentia feels shame in her actions to confront Luzia and her magic she still threatens her to use it at her dinner party. What were your thoughts and do you feel bad for Valentia and her desperation?

I felt bad for her at the description of her wedding night. But I think she needs to take some responsibility for her life and bettering it.


2-Valentia did not want Luzia to leave the house and gave her extra chores. Why do you think Valentia did not want Luzia to leave the house?

I think she suspected that Luzia would be getting job offers and she wanted to keep that from being able to happen.


3-How did using music and song to make Luzia magic work make you feel or think of.

I think I've read so much fantasy, all with different magic systems, that it's just one more. I've seen magic systems use music/song before, but I honestly don't remember which ones do so, so it doesn't bring any other books to mind.


4- Don Victor(De Paredes) shows up at Casa Ordobos to make sure Luzia has a room with and even hints at having her join him if not. Why do you think having Luzia in her own room benefits either of them?

I think this will give her an opportunity to practice in secrecy.

Mystery by itself.

Thanks, Kari!


I finished my first book for the mini today. In hindsight, I wish I had started with one of the others. I was not in a good frame of mind for a description of life in Auschwitz this morning.

@Kari - Can you please put Trusting the Elements on your Book Games shelf? Thanks!

Keely wrote: "I'm about 60% through The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and I'm really enjoying it. I had to stop to make dinner and my boyfriend is off work tomorrow so I'm not sure I will be abl..."

If I remember correctly, it just keeps getting more and more intense from that point.

I'm curious to know your opinion after you read it if you think Lucy Gray is Katniss' great-aunt. I've heard that opinion, mostly based on the Hanging Tree song.

MelanieJoy wrote: "I'm working on Only If You're Lucky which is MPG Mystery or Thriller.
Also can read The Unbound Empire which is book 3 for one of the walls. I can probably get one m..."

I'm going to put The Unbound Empire down for MPG Young Adult right now, with a note that it also works for #3 for the walls. I'll add Only If You're Lucky as a Mystery.

Yasmine wrote: "Laura wrote: "Yasmine wrote: "If I time it right I can finish Starling House on July 1st or 2nd and then we have a horror book down :) I usually don't read this genre so I wouldn't ..."

I got you. I found it on the first team I looked. at District 1. Angie read it on June 4 and it was placed on the Shelter pile!

If anyone else is interested/willing, H is for Hawk is included in an Audible membership and is MPG Nature. That's the one I think is going to be hard!

ETA: I have found a few books I am willing to listen to. :)

@lexie - your book Arheologija sedanjosti doesn't have any MP genres, so it can't be used for the genre portion of the challenge.

Because it's a standalone, I don't think it works anywhere in this mini-challenge. But it still works for our regular resource piles and page points!

I have been wanting to re-listing to the Vorkosigan series for awhile now. I think this is my excuse. They should all be MPG Science Fiction, and the series goes up to beyond 10 books. And I believe there is at least one in-between book in there, too.

Please note that the genre portion of the mini-challenge does require the genre to be on the Main Page. So a new book with not a lot of reviews might not have any MPGs, so even though it is the correct genre, it still doesn't work for the challenge.

And for anyone worried about the nonfiction genre, with it's special survival element requirement, I love to listen to historical nonfiction audiobooks! I've got a WWII era concentration camp one out from the library right now and just got To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918 on Audible. So I'm perfectly happy to listen to as many of these as I need to cover. :)

Yasmine wrote: "If I time it right I can finish Starling House on July 1st or 2nd and then we have a horror book down :) I usually don't read this genre so I wouldn't be able to support that task o..."

Because it's BOM I bet we can find another team that has put it on their shelter pile. There are keys on the front cover, which any good door needs! Not to mention HOUSE in title, and houses have doors.