Lauri’s Comments (group member since Jan 23, 2016)

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

maria helena wrote: "Lauri wrote: "Completion Post!
A Cold-Blooded Business
Dana Stabenow
Finished 7/26/23
Page Count: 231
Grey cover
Fits the following spellout letters:
D - AFN Dana
..."

Thank you!

Completion Post!
A Cold-Blooded Business
Dana Stabenow
Finished 7/26/23
Page Count: 231
Grey cover
Fits the following spellout letters:
D - AFN Dana
E - CFN Ekaterina
J - CFN Jerry
M - CFN Martin
S - MC LN Shugak



Could someone please add this to our spreadsheet for me? Thank you!

I’m still good for at least 3 more books this coming week! One has 500+ pages…

Completion post!
Hallelujah - my coup de grace!
The Sunne in Splendour
Finished (finally!) 7/22/23
Page count: 936
Cream cover
Fits the following letters for spellout:
A - Anne CFN
C - Cicely CFN
E - Elizabeth CFN
F - Francis CFN
G - George CFN
H - Henry CFN
I - Isabelle CFN
L - Lovell CLN
N - Neville CLN
R - Richard CFN
S - title
W - Woodville CLN



Could someone please add this to our spreadsheet for me? Thank you!

Trinia wrote: "Finished Dune, FINALLY! Not sure I want to continue on that series , may just opt to watch the movie.
So that's one more for the Wheel"

Congratulations, Trinia!! Don't feel bad! At least you finished the book! I have started it at least FIVE times over the years & still have never finished it. I think maybe because it seems so *ominous* ...

Steven wrote: "Lauri you are a reading fiend!"

SOME kind of fiend, anyway! No, I'm trying to finish up everything I've started thus far. Resistance is futile....

Completion Post!
Grave Consequences
Dana Cameron
Finished 7/16/23
Page count: 368
Blue cover fits the following letters for spellout:
A - CFN Andrew
B - CFN Brian
C - ALN
D - AFN
E - MC FN Emma
F - MC LN Fielding
G - CFN Greg
J - CFN Jane
M - CFN Morag
P - CFN Pooter
S - CFN Sabine
W - CLN Whiting



Could someone please add this to our spreadsheet for me? Thank you!

Completion Post!
One Italian Summer
Rebecca Serle
Finished 7/16/23
Page count: 255
Yellow cover
Fits the following letters for spellout:
A - CFN Adam
C - CFN Carol
E - CFN Eric
K - MC FN Katy
N - CFN Nika
O - title
R - AFN
S - ALN



Could someone please add this to our spreadsheet for me? Thank you!

Completion Post!
Backseat Saints
Joshilyn Jackson
Finished 7/15/23
Page count: 352
Green cover
Fits the following letters for spellout:
A - CFN Arlene
B - title
E - CFN Eugene
F - CLN Fancy
J - author
L - CFN Lilah
P - CFN Parker
R - MC FN Rose
T - CFN Thom



Could someone please add this to our spreadsheet for me? Thank you!

Completion Post!
Carrie Soto Is Back
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Finished 7/14/23
Page count: 384
BOM - yes!
STILL can’t do a link to save my own life, but my discussion answers are in the following messages: 80, 81, 150, 174 & 175.



Could someone add this to our spreadsheet for me, please? Thank you!

DQs Day 5 - Wimbledon 1995 & The 1995 US Open

18. Nature vs nurture. Carrie has her issues with tennis, but her real struggle is with relationships. How much of that do you think is due to who Carrie is innately as a person and how she was raised?
I think she would've been a totally different sort of person if she'd grown up with a mother. Javier was great, don't get me wrong, but a mother's love is all-important.

19. I don’t know much about tennis, but I found myself really enjoying the matches as they are described. I got so pumped up while Carrie was playing! Did you find all the tennis terms, both during and after matches, to be a hinderance or did you enjoy getting immersed in the sport through Carrie’s eyes?
I'm not into sports at all, so not so much. I liked the emotional aspect of it all & not so much the blow-by-blow.

20. Carrie Soto, the star of our novel, has been seen previously in a TJR novel where she was a minor character. TJR seems to enjoy connecting her books which makes me wonder… could her next book be about one of the minor characters we’ve come across in Carrie Soto is Back? And, if so, who do you think it would be?
I liked when she mentioned Carrie as reading celeb magazines to see the gossip. She was also planning to read Daisy Jones & the Six! I think Carrie could very well come up again in another book or ever Javier or Bowe!

21. ”But right now, in this moment, I love this drugstore cologne more than I love the smell of Wimbledon grass or California oranges or the rubber of a freshly popped can of tennis balls. This drugstore cologne is my home.”

I really loved this quote and it made me start thinking about some of my favorite smells. What are some scents that you love? What scent would be your home?
I don't really consider background scents that much, but I would like something fresh & clean. Love the smell of ecalyptus & mint from Bath & Body. I have body wash, air freshener, linen spray & lotion. My husband HATES it, though! I still use it anyway!

22. And, finally, how did you like this book? What was your rating? Would you consider reading more from this author if you haven't already?
I rated it 4 stars. I did love it, but not so much tennis, please! I think I would've liked it even more if it focused more on her life outside of tennis & just thrown in some training & competition peripherally...

DQs - Day 4 - The 1995 French Open (76%)

14. At the end of The French Open Section, can you feel any character development in Carrie? If yes, in what ways do you think she may have changed? Also has there been a change in your feelings towards her? Still dislike/like her or not any more?
I see a bit of change in her -- the way she views herself, her father & Bowe. I will always like her -- or at least admire her. She just needs to be more open & honest. She can be her own worst enemy. It's all in the interpretation.

15. There are some hard lessons for Carrie to take away from Paris and some vital discussions between her and her dad as well as between her and Bowe about parental expectations and expectations from one's own self. Do you think Carrie is ready to accept the different POVs and use them to her own advantage?
She's not ready yet, but she's getting there. She needs to see herself as worthy of love and happiness & not worry so much about winning every time. That way lies madness.

16. This is what Carrie Soto is thinking of her opponent Ingrid Cortez while playing against her in Paris: ... she has a burden I have never had. In order to keep getting paid, she has to keep looking beautiful on the court. I wonder, briefly, if it weighs on her. Or, if, conversely, it frees her from the pressure I live with, the pressure to win. Either way, it’s a prison. Both her beauty and my ability—they’ve both got an expiration date."
This reflection struck a chord with me. Building on what has been previously discussed about media pressure and also how men and women athletes were/are still treated differently, what are your thoughts on this issue?
It's hard to be female. We can do all sorts of things, but are still seen as being pretty or as sexual objects. Men don't have to deal with that. They simply are.

17. Do you have any other quotes that "spoke" to you (in any part of the book up to the 75% mark) or you made a note of for further reflection?
Not that I recall....

Completion Post!!!
Yaaaayyyyy!
11/22/63
Stephen King
Finished 7/11/23
Page count: 849
July BOM
Still can’t do a link to save my own life, but my DQs are in the following messages: 107, 193, 293, 305, 323, 327, 353, 354, 360, 366, 367 & 368.

This was an excellent story! 5 stars all the way!



Could someone please add this to our spreadsheet for me? Thank you!

Final DQs - Ch 30 through the End

42. It seems that the past likes to repeat itself over and over, and the people coming in and out of Jake’s life are no exception. This time, Jake ended up in the same motel room, his driver was remarkably similar, and the yellow-card man has been replaced by a green-card man wearing a lookalike outfit. It would appear that King is hinting that some things are inevitable, and that History wants what it wants. What’s your opinion on this theory? Do you think that some things are inevitable, and no matter what, would have similarities to all other timelines in those details (like people, places, etc)?
I have a terrible problem. In the duality of nature, I am half fatalist and half eternal optimist. So I am always hoping for the best while expecting the very worst. I think Jake knows what I mean! Can we really change the past? Can we affect change in the future?

43. The green card man’s card changes colors, and the nonsense he is spewing seems to be indicating that he’s much more aware of everything than any other humans. Almost like a Watchman of sorts, it would seem. And he explains that things aren’t really reset, just restrung into a new thread. Actions → Consequences. Did you expect this little twist? I remember on my first read of this book not trusting or understanding the “everything resets perfectly” bit and wondering what the catch was. Did you trust it or did you expect there to be a catch?
I really couldn’t believe in the ‘everything resets every time you go back’ thing. How the hell would THAT be possible? There is ALWAYS a catch!

44. Jake’s return to 2011 is a shock. Everything is different… and not better. It appears saving Kennedy didn’t bring about the paradise that Al was expecting. What did you find most shocking about the “new world” created by the harmonies Jake’s changes made? For me, I was stunned to find that Maine was part of Canada, how hateful everyone seemed to be, and… the physical changes to people.
I was shocked at the nuclear fallout & disease. No wonder people are so horrible! The earthquakes are pretty scary, too.

45. I was happy to see that King chose to use Harry to be Jake’s connection to learn about the new reality. I really loved him earlier in the book, and it pains me to see him so broken. Was there anyone else you’d have wanted to see?
I liked Harry, too. I would’ve liked Al to have been mysteriously resurrected and Sadie, of course.

46. Another IT reference here near the end: “The past is obdurate for the same reason a turtle’s shell is obdurate” Did you catch that one? The little reference to the magic space turtle? Jeez, King writes some odd stuff, doesn’t he?
I did NOT catch that! Good call. He is a scary MF, that’s for sure!

47. So not a happy ending for the Sadie-Jake romance, but one that ended being good for Sadie and the world in the long run. Were you happy with the ending? As much as I was rooting for them, I had a feeling that King wasn’t going to be able to make it work without tearing the world apart.
I was totally expecting them to be together forever, somehow, someway! See? Eternal optimist. They could have selfishly kept going back to be young & in love forever & screw the world! Silly, I know, but if you’re going to have fantastical happenings, why the hell not? I did like the ending, however. At least Sadie was still alive & they had a last dance together…

June 26th - DQs Day 11 (Chapters 28-29)
38. That was a stressful chapter 28! Did you have any doubts that Jake wouldn't succeed after all?
I thought we was going to be detained, or killed himself. I never dreamed it would be Sadie!

39. Do you think this will be the last time we see Sadie? If not, any predictions on how they'll meet again or maybe even get together? Because this can't be it for them after what they've gone through. (Yes, I'm in denial)
Me too!! I thought he'd go through it all again so they could be together forever!

40. What did you think of the government's reaction to Jake's role in the whole disaster? I thought that he got off more lightly than I expected, but maybe all the American espionage media has made me think worse of them.
I thought they might rough him up a little or at least throw him in jail for more intense interrogation!

41. We all know that changing the past never ends well. I'd say it's practically been foreshadowed since the beginning. Would you agree that a future (or present depending on your perspective) with JFK alive is likely to be worse or do you have a different opinion?
I'm sure it would've been better. Just think how horrible it was after JFK was assassinated! Nothing is ever perfect, but I think a youngblood would've been good for this country.

DQs Day 10
Ch 25-27 / 84%

38. Did anyone else see Jake impersonating a CIA agent coming too close that window of uncertainty? I knew he had to do something but that was a ballsy move. Do you think he sold it well? Better yet do you think the evidence he received from de Mohrenschildt adequately closed the window of uncertainty for him taking action when it comes to saving Kennedy?
I thought he did an excellent job all around! We knew he was a risk-taker, but *damn!* what balls! The information de Mohrenschildt gave him really helped to firm up his deal there.

39. Well as last bets go it wasn't Jake's most profitable but it did help some in terms of expenses. For all of Jake's talk about the past harmonizing with itself and the future did you see the beating coming? Did the way Wanda called for her dad when Jake came to collect tip you off that the past was about to finally make known what Jake escaped when he left Tampa in a hurry because he didn't like the way Gutierrez was talking about him?
I knew something was going to happen. Call it what you like, but there are no real coincidences. I just didn't think it would be related or that brutal.

40. Speaking of the beating Jake took that was intense. I'm more surprised that he lived given how strongly time was resisting Jake's efforts to stop Lee Harvey Oswald this time. Between the damage done to his body, the head trauma, and the obdurate past are you surprised that Jake recovered any memory at all of why he was there in Texas in 1963? What did you make of all the little clues he found while he was searching for them with Sadie?
It was all pretty incredible, but they say that's really the way amnesia works. When you're not trying to force it, your memory comes back. Sometimes just little bits at a time, sometimes all at once! I was very surprised he lived at all. I was thinking that he'd go forward in time again & have a big do-over.

41. Chapter 27 had a slight shift in format. Suddenly each subsection is tied directly to a date leading up to JFK's assissantion as Jake plans how he is first going to stop it and second manage to be there without putting Sadie in danger. What did you think of the almost diary style of the chapter? Was it too much of a divergences from previous chapters or would you have preferred the book was more solidly dated all along?
I actually liked it. I felt it was leading up to the big event, so Mr. King wanted to make it more substantial.

42. Because of the head trauma Jake is plagued by random bouts of sleep. Do you think this is going to play a role at all in his attempt to prevent Oswald from assassinating Kennedy or will it magically disappear and lessen in effect the closer he gets to zero hour like the stomach bug did on his first attempt to save Harry Dunning and his family from Frank Dunning?
The past is obdurate. This was a little more serious than a stomach bug or the runs, though. I never dreamed that Sadie would go with him. I thought he'd just sit it out & let the events happen as they really did. Surprise!

DQs Day 9 Chapters 23&24
1. Something I enjoy about this book is the detail of everyday life in 1963. I was taken aback by the primitive quality of the hospitals at that time. Is there anything about the time period that surprises you?
I was actually born in 1963. My Mom drank coffee, whiskey & smoked during her entire pregnancy! (Which probably explains a lot about me...) Nothing much surprises me here.

2. Do you feel that Sadie is growing as a character, or is she more of a foil for Jake’s character development?
I LIKE Sadie's character. I'm thinking maybe he was destined to meet her & everything else is secondary.

3. Whenever Jake bets, it makes me nervous. Would you have relied on betting in tight circumstances, or would you have tried something else?
I wouldn't have placed such large, noticeable bets with mob ties, perhaps. But I guess those were the only sure things & the way to get the big bucks!

4. What do you think Sadie’s role will be on 11/22/63?
Not sure yet, really. I just hope they're both safe!

DQs Day 3 - The Australian Open (58%)

9. Gwen sends Carrie a gift the start day of the Australian Open…a Discman! The first song it plays is ‘The Bitch is Back’…I love this album. I immediately went to play me some Elton John tunes😊 Do you have a song or routine that gets you revved up…sets a tone to put you in the right state of mind?
When I used to train for tae kwon do, I always loved working out and/or sparring to AC/DC -- particularly Back in Black. for running, Iove Journey or the Eagles.

10. Reflections--
Carrie thinks…I inhabit the silence of this moment with my father, when we are still asking questions and do not yet have to live with the answers. What do you think she means at this moment in time with that comment?
"Te quiero mucho, pichona," he says.
I open up my eyes, "I know. I love you too."
Javier and Carrie both have many reflective moments throughout these matches… Is this a premonition of what’s to come with the open or even more in the future?
I still think it's a bad idea for any parent to coach their own child (even on a non-professional level!) I think that he was a great player back in the day & has many things to share with Carrie. There are many layers and ghosts in their lives & problems to contend with. But there is a lot of love, too.

12. We hear from the media in various forms throughout. What are your thoughts about some of their comments so far? Do you believe any of them have affected Carrie or the game? I was thinking about this especially when Gwen indicates Elite Gold was pulling back some of their ads prior to the French Open. Gwen has a role in her job with managing all of this…what are your thoughts about the impact of media and advertising with sport?
The media can afect a player's psyche in all sorts of ways, mostly terrible. No matter how often or how hard we say it doesn't mean anything, it will always be there. Once the statement is made, you can't unhear/unread it. I think Elite Gold pulling the ads had a profoundly negative on her. Gwen was just trying to protect her, inasmuch as she could.

13. Carrie’s been doing some very smart training thanks to her father. She’s been practicing in recent weeks with Bowe on clay and Bowe has challenged her, calling her a ‘quitter’. And here at the end of this segment, she’s just had a challenge from Nikki Chan. Is she going to win? Is Nikki? What do you anticipate happening in Paris?
I think Nikki will win, but Carrie will prevail in the end. She has to.

Completion Post!
A Nice Cup of Tea
Celia Imrie
Finished 7/8/23
Page count: 381
Blue or green cover
Fits the following letters for spellout:
C - CFN Carol
E - C Nickname Eggy
I - ALN
M - CFN Marcel
N - title
O - CFN Odile
T - CFN Theresa
W - CFN William

Could someone please add this to our spreadsheet for me? Thank you!

Completion Post!
Hitting the Books
Jenn McKinlay
Finished 7/8/23
Page count: 277
Blue cover
Fits the following spellout letters:
B - CFN Beth
H - title
I - CFN Ian
J - AFN Jenn
L - CFN Lindsey
M - ALN McKinlay
N - MCs LN Norris
S - CFN Sully
P - CLN Peyton
V - CFN Violet



Could someone please add this to our spreadsheet for me, please? Thank you!