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

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

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "Quick question Captains.. does Character goes to carnaval have to be in Brazil? Can they go in another country eg Carnaval in Venice? Thanks."

Because this one is spec..."

Okey, dokey.. I've got nothing. A very tricky task, anyone got something?

Quick question Captains.. does Character goes to carnaval have to be in Brazil? Can they go in another country eg Carnaval in Venice? Thanks.

Insiyah wrote: "New task for Mini 2:

82 Read a book tagged "Time Travel" at least 10x"

My current read will cover this tagged 84 times. .

Glad to have you back Chava. Hope you find some answers so it doesn't happen again.

I'm reading for AZTEC, I'll be finished tomorrow.

Done. Such a fascinating family!

Elisabeth wrote: "Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "Insiyah wrote: "Elisabeth wrote: "The worst books list isn’t as bad as it sounds😀 I’ve read lots and some were 5 stars from me. Two or three are on my TBR and I own a f..."

Exactly.

Oh dear Chava. That sounds serious. Hope you are feeling better soon.

Insiyah wrote: "Elisabeth wrote: "The worst books list isn’t as bad as it sounds😀 I’ve read lots and some were 5 stars from me. Two or three are on my TBR and I own a few as well. I have a few other books coming f..."

I guess reading is in the eye of the beholder, LOL.

I absolutely hated reading Anna Karenina, and it's a classic. But I totally agree about Little Women. How could anybody hate that book.

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "Is that the same Toby Schmitz who was on Black Sails, as Jack Rackham, the pirate? If it was he was great in that."

Yes that’s him.
He did years with Bell Shakespeare
..."

Some people have so much talent! I'm going to put a hold on his book at my library. Thanks for the rec.

I've got one that's been on my TBR for ages to finish off Mexico - Letters of Aztec in title - . My library has it. I'll go get it tomorrow.

Is that the same Toby Schmitz who was on Black Sails, as Jack Rackham, the pirate? If it was he was great in that.

Message 83

LISA'S POSTS FOR BOOK TOKENS.

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DAY 2 DQ'S - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
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DQs Day 5
Chapters Fourteen - Seventeen


20. Well, I think we all knew that we were going to end up with Norma turning out to really be the lost girl and her being reunited with her biological family. Do you have any thoughts you'd like to share on that reunion? Or a comparison you'd like to venture between what we know of both of Norma's families?

We knew it was coming but not ashamed to say I shed a tear. The last chapters were beautifully written. Such loss and the ramifications of it but fortunately she was reunited. Stories of stolen generations in many countries does not work out as well.

[Personally, I find the fact that Norma had never laughed so much in her life a sad testament to the life she'd been leading under Lenore's thumb and the piled upon guilt. Laughing is so important (and let's face it, if you haven't snorted juice out of your nose, you're missing out) and it's a shame she never had that, not even with friends during all those years. Lenore's shadow seems enormous.]

21. Aunt June stays true to her word. She promised to help find Norma's real family and she managed to find the article that would bring this family reunion about. Do you think the conflict between the two women was well handled? From the moment Norma gave in to her anger and yelled at June to the moment where June told her that going to meet her family was not something for her to intrude upon.

June was really in a sticky situation. Caught between the love for her sister, doing the right thing, and her later love for Norma. Easy to judge, I think her also being in a relationship with Alice which wasn't really confirmed till the end of the book also played a part. She was good at keeping secrets.

23. All in all, were you satisfied with the book? The story - did you enjoy following along Norma's and Joe's lives? The writing - did you enjoy the way the words flowed over the page, painting a world and its landscapes without however overusing words? Or maybe that's just my opinion - that it flowed nicely and pulled the reader along like a boat gently rocking on water.

I love the way you describe the writing. I totally agree, it lulled you along with some really terrible things but didn't scream at the reader. It let the reader think about what was happening and come to their own conclusions.

24. Would you read another book by this author? Do you maybe have recommendations for Native American literature that you'd like to share with the group?

Yes, i quite enjoyed it, not my usual read. I would pick up another book by Amanda Peters, especially if it was a BOM. 😉

Volunteering for DQ's for Team Sky and I'll add a token too.

Elisabeth wrote: "Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "Elisabeth wrote: "I just watched Joanna Lumley on the Danube on the ABC (Aussies). She’s following the river from start to finish and went to Vienna in this first episo..."

What a wonderful trip. I'm hoping to get to Prague and Czechia next year. My bestie wants to do the Christmas Markets and I'm tagging along, and I've requested those stops on the itinerary. My current read is set in Cesky Krumlov, one of the Hapsburg castle towns.

Elisabeth wrote: "I just watched Joanna Lumley on the Danube on the ABC (Aussies). She’s following the river from start to finish and went to Vienna in this first episode. To my surprise she went to the Habsburg’s C..."

I love Johanna! I went to her show last October when she was touring Australia. I tuned in eagerly because I just completed the Danube Cruise, from Budapest to Bucharest in May. I did the first half of the cruise Amsterdam to Budapest in 2017. And I went to the Crypt then, it was amazing. Very unique.

Good find, Karen!

LISA'S POSTS FOR BOOK TOKENS.

DAY 1 -https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DAY 2 DQ'S - 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 Day 4 Chp. 11-13

16. While Joe has pretty much run away from home life, He gets a job and buys a truck. He runs into a woman who didn't feel necessary to give her name. Do you think this is Norma (Ruthie)? Do you think Joe would recognize her if it was?

No, I didn't think it was Ruthie/Norma. I didn't think her timeline where she was would fit and it wasn't mentioned in the narrative of her life. I think the mystery woman was put into the story to show what sort of life Joe could have had in a parallel universe. If he had worked through his issues.

17. Joe is gone over 8 years when he finds out he has a kid. Did you think he would actually go home to be with his family? Why do you think he can't/won't?

No, his issues were too ingrained and his feelings of guilt and worthlessness too deep.

18. When Norma misses that her mother is getting older and forgetful, did you judge her for not moving in and taking care of her mother?

I never judge anybody's decisions as you don't know what is going on in their head. Especially family matters which can be oh so complex.

19. Was you losing faith that Norma would find out the truth before the end of the book? How did you think she would find out? Was hearing the truth from her Aunt a surprise?

I thought she would find out, and probably Aunty June would be the one, although not forced upon her as what unfolded.

I've got one for WW185 - eats Mexican Food - .

Kaley (friend)
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see comment historyDQs Day 3

12. When Norma tells her mother she's pregnant, Norma notices fear in her other's eyes. What do you think that fear was about? Do you think she was remembering her own past experiences and worrying about Norma, or was she fearing that this would lead to Norma finding out the truth somehow? (Thinking to all of the bloodwork and stuff that comes from this, though admittedly not sure in the time frame if that was as much of a concern.)

Pretty sure the thinking would be if a new baby would somehow expose her own secret. The colour of the baby's skin or features, if she couldn't explain it away by the Italian ancestor. Or yes if any kinds of tests revealed something. Hopefully after her own experiences there was some thought about Norma's health as well.

13. Ruthie was from Nova Scotia and went missing in Maine, yet Norma and Ben ran into each other in Boston of all places — somewhere his family would not be expecting her. Later, when they need some time away, Norma's husband takes her to Nova Scotia, where she feels some familiarity and connection to the land. Are these crossovers just coincidences, or do you think that in the grand scheme of the story, something more (fate, a higher power, etc.) is leading them to each other?

It does seem serendipity that Norma and Ben should be at the same place at the same time, but maybe the universe was drawing them together. Stranger things have happened and it does make for an important scene in the book. There is definitely something in Norma feeling so comfortable in Nova Scotia. A feeling of she belongs there, her memories must be quite close to the surface there.

14. We get the backstory in this section on why Joe didn't know he had a daughter at first. Knowing what we know now do you agree with his family's decision to keep him in the dark? Have your opinions on Joe changed with this piece of backstory revealed?

It's a tricky one. Are people ever better off when being denied the truth. But I can see why the family felt at that time it was better to keep the secret. It's interesting how different people react to tragic circumstances. Some people can rise to the occasion while others fall apart like Joe. I definitely feel empathy for Joe, but also feel sometimes you have to pick yourself up and move forward. His actions are affecting so many others.

15. "I would learn to love the little one." What a strange thing for Lenore to say when broaching the topic of adoption — especially considering Norma's circumstances. What did you think when you read that — especially seeing how Lenore treated Norma growing up?

I think she was reflecting on her circumstances, as she did learn to love Norma in her very strange way. She wanted a child desperately but didn't have the tools to be a caring and supportive mother because of her own mental health.

I'm wondering if we will find out the exact details of how Ruthie became Norma? Did they go through some sort of channels to "adopt" her legally and get another birth certificate? Or was it all illegal. You wouldn't be able to get away with it today.