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

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

Dios is done.

New Monster - Hayreddin Barbarossa - Ottoman Empire.

Happy slaying.

Month 3 finally begins.

I can finish off a couple of books I've been slowly reading this week.

I had one read with a skull on the cover so I popped it in.

That will be great Richard. I’ve got one for tumeric as well. I’ll finish the St Petersburg one probably tomorrow , then get stuck into the food ones when round 3 starts.

I’ve got paella and naan as well. 😀

On one of my read books, disappeared of the spreadsheet.

So I put it back on -


336 pages finished 6 July

Thanks Karen.

I've got books ready for paella and naan. 😊 After I finish St Petersburg.

I love the names people come up with for these cheeses.

It's amazing that something so stinky doesn't make people sick!

Tina ❣ wrote: "Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "Character (dreams of ) going to St Petersburg.

Does this fit -

MC has to desperately get to St Petersburg to distant ..."

Oh Great. My library has it, I'll pop up and get it this morning.

I have only two books left for my quota, I'll read this one first so we can complete Russia before the end of the round.

Character (dreams of ) going to St Petersburg.

Does this fit -

MC has to desperately get to St Petersburg to distant relatives to escape the pograms of Kiev.

Insiyah wrote: "It's been fixed 👍🏼"

Great. Thank U. Don't want to miss out on those points. 😊

Hi Captains, just checking in to let you know that empanada is not showing the ten points for read in the food spreadsheet for my book which has been double ticked on the summary.

Insiyah wrote: "My religious convention is over, travel is briefly paused, and I now have Wifi again!

Anyone reading My Friends right now? I'm about 25% of the way through and have THOUGHTS"

I just finished it. Which ways are your thoughts going? Are you enjoying it?

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Nice - enjoy the time Lisa!

Yes … Empress Murders lives up to the critics of being completely wacky. It is one of the strangest books I’ve read for a while!!"

I just finished it. I liked how the ship piped up with it's witty personality but felt like a ping pong ball reading it. I had to keep flicking back making sure I was understanding what was going on.

After reading two very cerebral books in a row (this one and the Backman) I'm thinking I'll have to read some space smut very soon to balance everything out. 😁

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "HI all

Just checking in from the sunny Sunshine Coast in Qld.

We have been to Amaze World https://amazeworld.com.au/
and
did this free flight owl experience where you walk through the forest feed..."

Enjoy your lovely school holidays Karen. I have grandchildren fun next week for school holidays too. But nothing as exciting as your adventures I'm sure.

I'm reading The Empress Murders. It's not quite as I thought it would be, it's a bit all over the place I'm finding but I will continue on.

Last week of round 2, enjoy your reading everyone.

DQs Day 6, July 7
Chapter 53 - 59 88-100%

24. For most of the first half of the book, I kept picturing a lot of tragic endings for multiple characters. Did the book end happier than you figured? Are you happy with the way everyone's lives turned out and do you think it matches their upbringing and experiences?

The ending for Joar is very much different than I imagined. The author really led the reader in another direction. But his life was still pretty sad. And Ali's conclusion very tragic. Really although the book had the glimpses of the friendships that were uplifting it was really for me quite a depressing tale in lots of ways.

25. We now know the final fate of the painting. Do you agree with the choice? Did the result end up fitting the artist mentality and the magic of the friendship or was it illogical?

I think it did. Back in a museum where it could bring countless people joy.

26. Louisa starts the book and much of it is her journey, but Ted surprisingly takes over as a big main character as well. With the past history it mainly seems to be Joar's experiences that are told the most. Do you think the book has a main central character that stands out the most? Do you think some of the other characters are not mentioned enough equally?

We really get Ted and Joar's story the most. We only get Ali's POV third hand through the other characters. This must be the author's intention especially how the characters describe her in relation to the painting. Joar is the most poignant character, there was a lot of goodness inside him and he had a very sad life overall.

27. We learn what happens with Ali. Spoilers if you have not gotten to this part, so I'll get it general. It was stated in a way that there is also beauty in a sense of also going out a certain way while they mourn and talk about tragedy. Did you think Ali would walk in alive also, such as when the car with the woman pulled up?

We kind of knew that Ali wasn't in the picture anymore but to have her kind of fade out, by moving away and then coming to a mysterious end, sort of does fit in her role in the story.

28. If this is your first book by Fredrik Backman, are you planning to now read more? If you have read another book by this author, was the style of this one with the writing similar to the other(s) you have read?

This was my first Backman although I have seen bits of the movie, A Man called Otto with Tom Hanks based on his book. This is the sort of book where you know it is well written and has a lot to say. But as mentioned the dose of reality it offers kind of was depressing in lots of ways. The author wouldn't be my go to read but I would definitely read another one if it was a BOM.

LISA'S POSTS FOR TOKENS

DAY 1 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DAY 2 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DAY 3 DQ'S - 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/...

Christina
978 books | 180 friends
see comment historyDQs Day 5, July 6
Chapter 44 - 52 / 74-88%

20. Not gonna lie, I felt like this part in particular had some unexpected 'plot twists' for us. We ended Day 4 with Joar showing up at Ted's window being all bloody. Did you think he had finally killed his old man?? Also, anybody else sobbing over (believing) the old guy had killed the bird? Did you expect any of this to happen the way it did, or did you end up as surprised as me?

Yes, a complete surprise. I thought though that Joar and his father would get into a fight and kill each other. So quite a surprise that something left of field happened.

21. We finally find out The Artist's name and it happens in quite an anticlimactic way. I was kind of hoping we would never get his name, like his name wasn't the important part of the book, it's His Friends who matter most. Do you think it's important for him to have a name now? Moreover, why do you think the author chose this moment in particular to finally give him a name?

I though the C JAT reveal was a good one, but his actual name was sort of a anti climax. I guess the author planned it this way, an ordinary name for an extraordinary talent. The name didn't reallymatter.

22. As we're reading this book as our BOM I assume most of us are reading it in the daily parts. Every time I open the audiobook and hear the narrator's voice I immediately start to feel emotional. I have teared up so many times already, yet only seconds later someone (usually Joar) makes some silly remark and I can't stop myself smiling. As I've never read a Backman before I didn't anticipate such a blend of humor with deeply emotional topics. How does this balance make you feel, and are there any moments that stand out to you in particular?

Just as well there is humour and silliness between the heavy issues throughout the novel. Otherwise it would be unbearable. I actually found it quite a depressing read, even with the lovely friendship between the characters. It made it even more poignant.

23. I thought we all knew (including Louisa!) where the story was headed, but now we find out Joar is still alive, and Ted actually makes him continue on with his story. We are briefly led to believe that something happened to someone in Joar's house, but then we learn about Joar's old man's accident, and that his mother is actually okay. She'll still keep caring for her abusive but injured husband even though she would now have an "easy way out". Do you agree with this decision? And with only 12% to go how do you expect the last few chapters to go? Besides, what happened to Ali??

Yes, a totally unexpected ending. It's a bit of an anticlimax at this point, but I'll reserve judgement until the end of the book.

Amanda
8887 books | 350 friends
see comment historyDQ's Day 4; Chapter 31 - 43 55-74%

15. “She wishes he hadn’t said what he did about believing in her. That’s too much responsibility. All she can give him is disappointment.” Belief is a big theme of this book. How important do you think it is to have people that unequivocally believe in you? Have you ever had someone’s belief in you feel more like a burden than support?

Very important. Everyone deserves to have people who are always on their side giving them love and support. I guess it can feel very heavy when someone believes in you and you don't feel up to the job. People have to be kind to themselves as most of us are doing the best that we can with our own history and circumstances.


16. This book is, obviously, a lot about memories and the happy times we look back on when the people we cherish are gone. I thought the shopping/shopping cart scene was particularly vivid and one I could’ve seen me and friends doing something similar. Do you have any particularly memorable times with a group of friends from when you were a child/teen?

I'm so lucky to have the same best friend for 50 years and we have heaps of memories together, some very very silly but I wouldn't change them for the world.

17. We’ve come to the first(?) death from that summer, is it one you expected? It’s probably the most obvious one, but I still forgot it was a possibility.

Ted's father.. does give the reader some more insight into Ted's childhood. But the one that is teased and still hasn't been portrayed is Joars. This is going to be violent and tragic, hope I'm wrong but I don't think so.


18. While this is a story of friends, it’s also really a story of parents. From the bad ones, to the indifferent ones, to the kind loving ones. Did you expect for Ted and Louisa’s savior to be the mother? How important do you think parents are versus friends on your formative years?

I'm a parent and a grandparent. Just in my opinion I think it is really important to be a parent to your kids, not their best friend. Kids need unconditional love and guidance. Most of us do the best we can, with the tools we have.


19. Ted seems to think that any of the other friends would have been better to care for Louisa, do you agree?

Ted is the perfect friend for Louisa, she doesn't need a role model, someone like Ted with his anxieties and imperfections but big heart works for me.

How's everyone going?

Commander Waterford is defeated. New monster is Smaug (LOTR)

DAY 3 DQ'S CHAPTERS 20-30

10. "Art is coincidence. Love is Chaos."
"Art is a small break from human despair."

Do you agree? Discuss these quotes in relation to the book and real life in general.

11. We still don't know the artist's real name and now we find out he isn't even in the picture! What do you think is the author's intention in regards to the Artist's role throughout the novel? And how about the significance of the title of the picture, " The One of the Sea instead of the Artist's thoughts it should have been called, The Boys and Her?

12. Louise asks Ted, "Were you two a couple?" In light of how the relationship is written were you surprised by his answer?

13. This novel is full of big emotions, real life hardships, death and tragedy but connected and possibly redeemed by the beauty in meaningful and fragile human relationships. The Artist and his friends, Christian and the Artist, Ted and the Artist, Ali and Joar, Ted and Louisa, Fish and Louisa... Which relationship has made the most impression on you? Which one do you think is pivotal to the storyline?

14. Chapter 30 - Louisa leaves the picture then gets off the train when Ted is asleep. Did you see that happening, what do you think will happen next? Ted and Louisa reconnecting or big tragedy? (More tissues needed!)