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

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

DQs Day 2
Part 2

5.) What do you think of Richard, past & present? Do you believe that he really loved Nell? If you were Nell could you of stayed with Richard or ever forgiven him?

Once Nell found out the truth about Richard it was too late, even if he had fallen in love with her. There was no way back from that sort of betrayal. He probably still carried a torch for Nell through the years and she seems to use this when it suited her. Not really a good basis for any sort of relationship even friendship.

6.) Do you like the set up of the book, flashing back and the current timeline? What about the Frank/Lal chapters with the Up/Downs, complicated friendship there. Do you find this effective or distracting?

Can't say I'm loving this book. I'm not fond of books with a plethora of dysfunctional characters and this book has a lot of them. The Up and Down chapters do provide a break from the current action and I think they are providing important backstory about Frank and Lall which may unlock the mystery by the end.

7.) "He used other people's bodies as weapons." Do you think Frank and Bridgit had the affair? If so do you think Lal knew/knows?

Nell's theory about Bridget being one of Frank's nude models thus they slept together provides possible new information. But contradicts Frank's thoughts in the last up and down. The truth coming out may be an important part of solving the mystery.

8.) Oisin got quite the reality check about his family. Poor dude, grandparents weren't always old and could of been very different people from who they are at 70. Do you think Frank and Lal did it? A setup, if you any guesses as to who?

Frank and Lall may be a red herring. I think there is going to be an almighty twist in the final chapters. It is that sort of book.

Melindam wrote: "Dear Fellow Monster-Hunters,

has anyone come across a book where a character went to an amusement park?

Thanks in advance. :)"

This list may help..

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...

Sophie wrote: "Just a suggestion but what about a list of monsters/villains from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel? There are A LOT to choose from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of......"

That's a great suggestion. I loved those shows back in the day. 😍

Eldarwen wrote: "Shall we say May? Right on the 1st or later in the month? (Starting preferably on a Saturday so I can actually spend some quality time with the book instead of work hehehe)"

Works for me.. ❤️

DQ'S DAY 1 PROLOGUE - PART 1

1. First up let's discuss the artwork on the cover. When this book first popped up on my Goodreads feed I was drawn to the intriguing combination of bones, keys and flowers. Pretty. How important are covers and cover art to you when choosing to pick up (or download) a book? Does the growing popularity of audio and eBooks lessen the importance of what the cover looks like?

2. The author's note and the prologue set the scene for a riveting tale. Have you ever heard of Kim Williams' Masquerade (I hadn't)? What differences do you think the digital and social media era would bring as compared to the original treasure hunt?

3. "What's mine is his and what's his is his". (Lall)
Frank - generous Patriarch, friend and benefactor or control freak? Discuss.

4. Finishing up Part 1 the story is a little different to what I thought it would be. I was thinking along the lines of an epic Grail quest and for me it's more a story of the family dynamics and egos. Not about the actual text of The Golden Bones but how it has affected the author, family, friends and the Bonehunter community. What's your thoughts on the novel so far and what's your prediction for what's to come?

Great ladies.. lets me off the hook, LOL.

I'll get Day 1 questions up a bit later on. Happy reading, hope we all enjoy it.

Thanks for this. I knew it was soon...

Anytime towards the end of April is good for me. I'll actually buy a copy of this one, too long to wait for the library copy.

I think I might re-read Book 1 just to refresh before.

There were 17 votes for this one.. so there may be a few more readers. If no one else wants to do DQ's I'm happy to do the first three sections if Cat wants to take the last two after break day.

No problem, I'll do mine then we'll see.

The Institution - Will she survive The Institution?

To beat them, she’ll have to join them…

On a locked ward in the world’s highest-security prison hospital for the criminally insane, a nurse has been murdered and her newborn baby kidnapped. A ransom must be paid, and the clock is ticking.

Forensic profiler Dr Connie Woolwine is renowned for her ability to get inside the mind of a murderer. Now she must go deep undercover among the most deranged and dangerous men on earth, and use her unique skills to find the baby – before it’s too late.

She has five days to catch the killer.

But with the walls of The Institution closing in on her, will her sanity last that long?

Yay, looking forward to reading this one.

Chava wrote: "I still haven't recovered from a Towers where I took one for the team and read alien smut.... yuck"

Haha, space smut is about the only smut I read. It's so ridiculous and over the top, it's kind of relaxing between serious reads. If we're ever on the same team again I'm more than happy to take the pain for you, Chava. 😊

ilovebakedgoods (Teresa) wrote: "Took about a 7 year hiatus from Goodreads until recently. This thread popped up in my notifications ;)

So fun to read all these comments and think back on the crazy (FUN) challenges in this group!"

Good to have you back. Wow, how did you stay off Goodreads for 7 years.. I can't stay off it for 7 minutes, LOL. Hope you enjoy your time back.

Lisa's Comments for Tracking.

DAY 1 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
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 5 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

DQ Set 5: Chapters 34 - Historical Note

19. Her relationship with Bernard goes through a real rollercoaster here, from "companionable rapport" to her rejection of his passionate final pleas. What do you think about these changes, and the relationship overall?

After Bernard's disappointing behaviour to put it mildly after Belle's pregnancy it's quite amazing she went back to him. Although it was totally on her terms so in a way she was taking back her power after the previous heartbreaking situation.

20. There's an important scene with her father, discussing race and how she should continue to navigate her life. Did you expect her father to say she should continue to pass? What do you think, having finished, about the different views about being authentic? Which - if any - characters felt truly authentic to you?
Maybe on his own life's journey her father could see that the world wasn't ready for equality so he wanted the best for his daughter. Being "authentic" probably means different things to different people and people are of their time in many ways. So this is hard to say for me in regards to the characters. Maybe a different way of seeing things is to be true to yourself. And Belle certainly grew to be that.

21. Having spent her life looking after documents, Belle chooses to destroy her personal papers. What do you think about this decision, especially within the context of her struggles with her identity?

Belle doing this shows how deeply ingrained her secrets were in her persona. It's amazing it didn't come out in her own time, someone else mentioned and I was wondering how about the people her brothers and sisters married and even her neices and nephews? Did they all share the secret? I don't think it mentioned when it became common knowledge about Belle. She has left an amazing legacy and the secret of her background also contributes to this.

22. The Historical Note gives some context about the choices the authors made in writing the book. What do you think of this, and did it change how you perceived the book?

That was really interesting. Having authors of both races definitely enhanced the depth of feeling in the story so the reader could get perspective from both sides. I really enjoyed reading and looking up the actual historical story as well.

Tom and Daisy have gone to The Great Gatsby in the Sky!

More bad romance monsters - Alaska - Looking for Alaska. (Another one I'll have to look up, LOL)

DAY 4 DQ'S - CHAPTERS 24-33

15. "No matter how close I feel to Bernard, how connected to him intellectually and emotionally, I will never divulge my secret."

So after their weeks of passion and declaring their undying love, Belle admits she will never reveal her secret. And Bernard shows jealously about her relationship with J P Morgan. Trouble in Paradise! Do you think the fact that Belle won't share her deepest secret with Bernard (and he doesn't see to be able to share his with her) lessens the significance of their relationship? And why do you think the two men are possessive of Belle in different ways?

16. Wow, Chapters 25 and 26 are just poignantly sad. It seems Belle's hesitation to tell Bernard all was the right one. Was there any alternative for Belle other than the action that she took in London?

17. Chapter 28 - What a powerful chapter. I had no idea of this small window in time in which equality looked so promising. And the US is not the only country that has to confront its past, Australia also has a lot of issues to work through as well. How are these confronting themes of racism, inequality and sexism affecting you as you follow along with Belle's story?

18. At last Belle has the Caxton Le Morte Darthur secured for Mr Morgan. But what ramifications! How do you see their relationship? Does it confirm the adage that men and women can never be just friends?

11. Mr. Morgan and his increasing neediness are raising red flags all over my brain. What do you make of the relationship Morgan and Belle share? His possessiveness is somewhat extreme, to the point where he even requests her to attend personal family events even though the rest of the family do not necessarily want her there, but - supposedly - because he cannot be without her at all anymore? And what do you make of his condition for her travel arrangements? Is it truly only the fact that Bernard was a Jew before converting or is he jealous of Bernard being able to do what he himself cannot let himself do?

JP Morgan's behaviour is consistent with what I would expect of a super rich, super privileged man of his time (and of all times really) He has come from wealth and social standing and has accumulated more and no one says no to him. He finds Belle a bit of an enigma so he wants her all to himself. Maybe he keeps their relationship as it is because the challenge of what he wants but doesn't have is a new sensation for him. They are sort of equals on an intellectual level and he doesn't want to diminish it with a sexual relationship. (Although in some of my reading it says they did have a sexual relationship, so who knows the truth)

12. We previously discussed Belle's boldness when it comes to business transactions, but she is only now realising what kind of portrait she paints of herself by behaving the way she does at society events. Do you have any thoughts or predictions on how this might continue?

It doesn't seem to have any repercussions from what I can tell in my other reading. The New York scene coming into the Roaring 20's was quite a bit more out there than the rest of the country. So her unusual behaviour for a woman wasn't really called to account. Her skills were acknowledged and praised. Makes a refreshing change really. Although it did come at a personal cost for her having to hide her true identity for her entire life.

13. "Haven't I sacrificed enough at the altar of whiteness? That sentence struck an enormous chord with me, especially in light of what has been done and discussed in the novel so far. I cannot help but wonder if Belle is going to overstep some boundaries she herself and her mother have set - and I don't just mean her increasing drinking at parties and the way she acts like a clown/pet for the rich and famous. Are there any other words that gave you pause?

Not individual words no, but the whole concept of having to hide your race because of societal judgement is totally abhorrent. Till I read this book I didn't really know this was a thing.

14. Bernard Berenson is not who he claims to be. I'm not sure Russian Jew, as Belle thinks, is the case, but I'm not quite ready to venture an educated guess. Aaaaand I can't help but wonder if he knows Belle's secret because he has a different lookout on certain situations in life than the wealthy people she usually deals with, who let themselves be blinded by flashy dresses and silly flirtations. What is your take on this? How do you think the Italian trip is going to continue and what will the repercussions be? Also, were you expecting a sex scene in this novel? I sure wasn't.

Hiding in plain sight seems to be what both Belle and Bernard are doing, so no wonder they are drawn together. Plus with intellect and love of culture and art ( and an "understanding" wife) it is a match made in heaven. It will be interesting to see if they become so close that they share their secrets with each other. The sex scene was pretty tame and not gratuitous at all, the authors probably included it to show the depth of feeling between them.

DQs Day 2, Ch 8 - 15

6. I had to break away from the book to learn more about Anne Morgan. Now I’m fascinated by her. She was the first American woman appointed a commander of the French Legion of Honor, among many other impressive accomplishments. Has there been any person, location, or other topic that caught your curiosity to research further?

I admit.. after all the talk about the family hiding their ancestry and passing as white I did google a picture of Belle. A handsome woman who could be of Portuguese heritage. I'm wondering if her actual heritage was revealed in her lifetime or only after her death. I hope the book lets us know by the end and if there were any ramifications because of the family's deception. I also googled JP Morgan too.

7. “Leaving the auction midway is not the usual protocol, but I want everyone to understand that the Pierpont Morgan Library and its librarian are singular.” Who else giggled and woo-hooed at this? I continue to be in awe of Belle’s self-assurance. What about her background that we know so far do you think contributed to this characteristic? Or do you think it was more innate than acquired?

They all were an intelligent and well educated family with strong values and a sense of self. I think this contributed to Belle's self confidence. There was also a thread of desperation in their actions as well. They really felt they had a lot to lose. And they did.

8. I couldn’t help but be shocked at the description of the family moving from the whites train car to the other. The lack of upholstery and tables, as well as the description of the bathroom facilities, really hit home as a dividing line. What else from the narrative demonstrated the delineation between any of the groups depicted (white and POC, mega rich and “have nots,” men and women, etc.)?

The whole book really is about just this. The unfairness and stupidity of many of society's "rules", prejudices and inequalities. It still happens everyday somewhere in the world. When you read it in a recreation of someone's life story it brings these matters into sharp focus.

9. Who else was holding their breath about Morgan’s anger toward Belle and the newspaper article? I knew it had to be ok because, in real life, she did work for him for many years. But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t incredibly nervous for her!

I'm wondering if the truth will out by the end of the book or it is only discovered after Belle's death.

10. I love how her ploy for acquiring the Caxtons from Lord Amherst worked out! Do you think she will ever acquire Le Morte Darthur?

Surely she will, it will be the piece de resistance of her life's work and the story.

Glad you picked this book, Judith. It's really a different read for me and I'm enjoying it. 😊