Lisa - (Aussie Girl)’s Comments (group member since Sep 26, 2012)

Lisa - (Aussie Girl)’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele have been banished to The Red Room and defeated!

New Vegi Monster is Alicanto.

I'll be away on holidays from 2-12 August so won't be available to volunteer for the DQ's for the Emily Henry book.

Day 8 : Ch 59-End
36. What did you make of the ‘Rapunzel’ story that Livira wrote and about the messages she intends?

Honestly, I have no idea. If someone wants to explain to me, feel free, LOL.

37. The Skeer show up in a story early on (The Insectoid Who Came to Tea by Celcha Arthran), but become real here. What is your reaction to the Skeer (and how were they kept from people's knowledge)?

They are the common enemy that destroys everything. The only way the humans and Canith will bond will be fighting the common enemy maybe

38. Time works differently in the library. At one point Livira states that she hasn’t written the first page of her book yet, but she needs to in order to make this part make sense. What do you make of the ability to move through time, even as a ghost? How does this fit into your idea of things being fated versus based on consequences of choices?

Interesting question. How much is destiny and how much dumb luck. Guess we'll never know

39. We learn about what happens with Malar, Livira and the assistants. How does this change your understanding of the story?

I did actually like this ending but for a large part of this story I just wasn't getting it to be honest.

40. This is the first book in a series and it leaves off with 3 of the characters moving off together to fight and find. Does it still feel like a complete ending or a cliffhanger? Will you read the 2nd book?

I found this a most frustrating read. Will I read on.... only if and when book 2 becomes BOM!

Bonus: Anything else you feel is important to note? I felt like these chapters were so full that it was hard to only ask 5 questions.

Chapters 50 - 58

31. Livira realises that the boy in the city that Evar and she visited was looking right at her. Arpix reminds her of the things she had told him, firstly, that Evar had said that the assistants could see ghosts as well, and secondly, about the two sets of children’s footprints that led from pools of assistant blood. By the end of this section, we have been given an explanation for all of this. What were your first thoughts when you read this bit and was it proved correct?

I'm pretty neutral about it really. For me, the storyline is too convoluted although I guess it made sense when what Yute and his wife really were was revealed. Does it make a difference to the overall plot? Not really, only to show the history and moving between times, yeah just way too cryptic and tangled.

32. “The library is many things from many angles. Both blessing and curse. A razor blade given to a baby; a rope thrown to a drowning man.”
Do you think this statement of Yute’s makes sense? What came to your mind when you read this?

Knowledge is power but also how it is used matters!

33. We have been given a whole of information in this section that casts all the previous sections in a new light. Have you changed any of your opinions from earlier in the book? What do think is going to happen next?

Mmmm.. as I seem to keep saying there is a good book in here somewhere, I get what the author is trying to say.. I think.. but gee it's a journey getting there!

34. ”It’s always the books you don’t have that call to you, you know that. Not the ones already on your shelf. They can wait.”
As somebody who has an incredibly large ever-growing TBR list, I find this statement applies to me perfectly. What do you think about it?

Says every reader on Goodreads.. lol. Book envy is a real thing. The saddest thing is there is no way to read every book you want to before falling off the perch!

35. (view spoiler) Why is nobody willing to believe it and what do think you think he meant by that last bit?

Is it that humans don't want to face their own mortality? All a bit too deep and meaningful really.

Bonus: My mind kept going back to books like Fahrenheit 451 and The Book Thief while reading this book with the discussions about the control of information. Did you find yourself also being reminded of any other books / movies etc? What were they and what was it that brought them to mind?

LISA'S POSTS FOR BOM TOKENS.

DAY 1 - DQ'S - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DAY 2 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DAY3 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DAY 4 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DAY 5 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DAY 6 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DAY 7 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DAY 8 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Day 6 Chapters 42 - 49

25. Lavira gets tired of searching for the Exchange and books that aren't in the library and realizes they must be held by the head librarian. She breaks in and steals a book, The Forest Between, and in the process she meets the 5th helper, Volente, a large dog. Were you surprised that the dog let her take the book?

Nothing surprises me in this book.. I'm continually trying to work it all out ..

26. Arpix is an ally to Lavira in her search for the Raven and the Exchange. He also helps her open the book. Out of all the companions from the initial table who would you have expected to be her confidant and companion?

Good question.. Don't really have an opinion, I knew she wouldn't be friends, with the pretty, high class girl though. I suppose when a group has grown up together there has to be some kind of relationships between them, some closer than others. Arpix seemed quick witted so that's probably why they were drawn to each other

27. Lavira learns that opening a portal is done with the White's blood in a circle. This matches with what Evar read and tried to do for years with his blood. Volente helps Arpix and Lavira find the Raven and the Raven's name so that they can get back into the chamber that is closed to them and access the fallen Assistants blood to open a portal. It feels like the Library is helping Lavira. Do you have a theory for why that is?

I has it's own agenda and Livira is part of that somehow.

28. Lavira and Evar meet again. Again Evar doesn't recognize her as for him only a few days have passed but years have passed for her. They go into a portal and focus on it being a time of peace. When they arrive there are hundreds of Assistance and they are walking away from two portals. Leaving the portals are two small sets of footprints. Who do you think they belong to?

Lavira and Evar in another time maybe.. or their children possibly

29. Question contains spoilers: (view spoiler)

30. Lavira returns to her world and Arpix has spent his time in the Exchange asking and collecting the books that they have been unable to find in the Library. Lavira is wounded and devastated. Do you think her opinion on the library and history will have her reconsider Yute's offer to try and stop the war now?

We already have worked out that Lavira is an intelligent, empathic person. After she gets over the initial shock of finding out the truth about Evar and the library, I'm thinking she will understand where Yute is coming from. Whether Sabber or Human war is bad for everyone and all endeavours should go towards understanding and peace for all.

Voodoo... In a WWII historical fiction, that's a first.

I'm still slogging my way through the BOM , The Book That Wouldn’t Burn. I should finish it today or tomorrow. I'm sure there's a compelling book in there somewhere, but a page turner it ain't! And I nominated it, so I'll console myself with the points, LOL.

Sammy wrote: "Lisa, definitely Planet of the Apes like.
Many little references, but most telling the bit where Livira is thinking about the phrase "we're not in Kansas anymore" and how it was forgotten what Kans..."

Doh, How did I miss the raven's name... Probably because my brain hurts trying to work everything out. I think you're probably right about the time! I'm going to just go with the flow and chill as I read the last quarter. 😁

Sammy wrote: "Ok, so I went back and looked at the chapter headers again, and it seems to me they are simply a not-so-subtle way to underline that the book is set on Earth many, many years into the future. Not t..."

So you're thinking like Planet of the Apes many years into the future and not a similar Earth or Earth like planet in a multiverse? And the literature is from people we know of now and has been corrupted because of the time factor? Interesting.

I've started my battle book also. So far, so good..

Angie ☯
7501 books | 542 friends
see comment historyDay 5 ~ Chapters 35 - 41

20. “Everything we see is seen through the lens of our expectations. Our prejudice provides a broad brush, imagination sprinkles detail, some of which may actually be there.” - Illusion by Copper Davidfield
This epigraph at the start of one of the chapters, stopped me for two reasons. One was due to whom it was credited. What do you make of this work/person? Did you have any thoughts or “lightbulbs” when reading this epigraph? How do you think it relates to the story or does it?

I think I've finally twigged to the epigrams - words of wisdom from famous people of our world with their names back to front or changed somehow. What does it mean? Maybe ties into the theme of the multiverse of the library, all worlds and times being part of the same fabric? I laughed at the Axel Rose one.

21. Livira finds a way to get through the portals again and she and Evar have a bit more time together. This time they explore some of the pools/portals and are have different reactions to where they go. Did this give you any more ideas on what the portals are for or why the two of them can use them at times?

The universe is pulling them together as fated souls.. sorry it's the romance reader in me, LOL.

22. Yute took Meelan and Livira before the king, all along to appoint Livira as junior librarian. (She had the complete wrong idea until he made the announcement to the king!) This was met with complete disapproval by the king and others. Yute was able to persuade the king to accept the appointment with prejudice. What do you think Yute’s ultimate goal is by this action or by his recruitment of Livira, even?
He's a subversive hiding in plain slight trying to shake up the status quo according to his beliefs.

23. This section is full of time jumps. That twice we are told that 3 years have passed in Livira’s world and we know that she is “striding toward her twentieth year”. Then boom she is a fully fledged Librarian, when it seems just a few chapters earlier that the king and his followers were going to try to remove her as junior librarian. What are your thoughts on Livira now that she has aged and is developing her opinion of her world?

She's going to be the world changer.. although this has been pretty evident from the start.

24. Since we are a little over half way through the book now, has your opinion of the story changed? Are you liking it more or less than you were before? Any predictions on what will happen in the story?

There is a great story somewhere in this book, but unfortunately for me it seems quite convoluted getting there. The writer in trying to be too clever in making his point and overdoing it in the world building. Trying to keep the different timelines and descriptions of the library straight detract from just enjoying the story. And the secondary characters such as Malar and Yute are more appealing than the main ones. I'll be glad to get to the end I'm sorry to say.

Sea Devils defeated.

New Monster is Edward Rochester and Jane Eyre - Bad Romance.. but is it really. I love Jane Eyre!

BOM POSTS for

DAY 2 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DAY 3 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DAY 4 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Day 4 - Chapters 26 - 34

15. We get to see what happened to Clovis before she went into the Mechanism. We already had a pretty good sense of what happened. Why do you think the author included this scene?

To confirm the first hand account of what Clovis went through. And maybe to solidify in the reader's mind the idea of all the times and places happening at the same time within the library.

16. Speaking of authors, did you notice the quote at the start of Chapter 28 is from one of Lawrence's books? He chose it just as Livira tells Arpix that Yute suggested they read and write fiction. Arpix is shocked and wonders what would be the point. What do you think society would be like without any creative writing?

Horrible. Creative writing enables people to escape from the every day. It's needed for everyone's mental health!

17. What did you make of how the Assistant and Soldier appeared in Clovis' past? They know about the lost children in the Mechanism and can see Evar. Are they controlling this world? And are they friends or foe?

Maybe they are like the Guardians of Time, I'm not sure they are controlling what is happening more like being the security so certain people are protected.

18. Livira once again jumps in to save lives without hesitating. And Malar thinks this is Algar's second attempt to kill Livira. Do you think she is really being targeted? Why is she so dangerous to the status quo?

It certainly looks that way. As an independent thinker she is probably a danger to the status quo. So someone wants to dispose of the threat.

19. Why do you think Evar and Livira have such different experiences of the Exchange and even within the portals?

Different times and places, different people. Truth is often perception, isn't it.

Happy for Keri to pick one of hers for this battle round.

Would this one be easier?

All of You

Day 3 - Chapters 17-25

11. We learn a lot more about the library in this section, for example that new head librarians create new systems to secure their power and make themselves indispensable. I know we have a few librarians in this group… how do you feel about that? 😅 If you’re not a librarian –what would you do if the library you use just changed systems whenever it felt like it?

We learned that. I obviously wasn't paying enough attention. Too busy with the actual characters. Sounds confusing and annoying.. a bit like this story.

12. We also finally had our stories converging, albeit briefly. Livira and Evar were exploring new places in consecutive chapters, both of them marking their origin/path (Livira with books, Evar with a knife) and then their journeys culminate in them meeting in what Livira identifies as an “in-between place”. Were you expecting them to meet so soon? What was your impression of their brief time together – and why did the meeting end so abruptly?

It seems some mysterious power is manipulating them for its own interests. They were only supposed to meet to serve some unknown at this time purpose. It was unusual I thought once they met they would be together to solve the mystery of the library.

13. In her time in the library, Livira acquired a companion in the raven: is he an ally or guide? Or something sinister? Do you think it’s actually “just” a (magical) animal or maybe even a character we know already?

That's an interesting theory. I think an ally maybe the guy who saw the potential in her and let her progress into the library?

14. I can’t help but constantly think of the Book of the Ancestor as I’m reading this – the young girl protagonist who’s an outsider, the school setting, navigating friendships and political machinations while also learning about whatever type of magic there is… Have you read anything else by Mark Lawrence?

No, and if this is indicative of his work I don't think he's my kind of author. I'm finding this a tad laborious unfortunately.

Beth
1741 books | 21 friends
see comment historyDQs Day 2 Chapters 8 - 16

6. How are you enjoying the book so far? How's the pacing for you?

Mmmm.. the jury's still out on this one. I'm enjoying some aspects of it but there is a lot of information on how it all works. I'm fine with working out plots etc but it does seem a bit plodding with the world building. It feels like the author is trying to fit so much in that it overwhelms the reader. But I still have an open mind and hope it comes together as we read on.

7. What are your favorite characters, situations, quotes so far?
I still like the premise despite my reservations. The library sounds like an amazing place although slightly on the evil side. I hope we see the character of Malar again, I enjoyed his interactions with Livira.

8. What are your fondest memories of a library?

My Mum introduced by sister and I to our local library when we were really young. It was a branch library and in the basement with a hall on upper levels with a ballet studio. So often you'd be in this cave like building surrounded by books and the ceiling would literally bounce. I still remember grabbing Interview with the Vampire off the shelves it was one of my first adult reads and thus began my love of all things paranormal.

Going to the British Library and into the public room with all the famous books was pretty special too.

9. Library as prison... does that ring true for you?

No for me, but anything can become a prison I guess. I really feel for people who can't get into reading, it's their great loss!

10. If you could have one natural ability relating to books (view spoiler), what would it be?

Remembering all the important points of previous books when I read the newest book in a series! I guess that's what re-reads are for.

Mercy Snow

Confirming my library book is available to pick up so all good for battle.