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

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

Tower Teams??? YES, please!

Thank you so much to our awesome Captains! And thank you for putting up with me. I honestly just enjoyed the reading & I was able to read for some other challenges & still have the books work for TT. I'm also glad to have gotten some old books off my TBR as well as some chunktsters!
Great game everyone! I had so much fun!!

And the last
Completion Post!
The Burning God
R.F. Kuang
Finished 8/14/22
Page count: 622
Added to my TBR 10/16/20

Completion Post!
The Incas
Daniel J. Peters
Finished 8/14/22
Page count: 1057 baby!!
Added to my TBR 2/4/16

And yes, I am extremely proud of this one AND it was excellent!

Eldarwen wrote: "Lauri wrote: "Completion Post!
Coming Home
Rosamunde Pilcher
Finished 8/13/22
Page count: 728!!
Added to my TBR 5/31/16
And yes, I am rather proud of this one!!"

Ooops! Sorry! It’s there now.


Can..."

Completion Post!
Coming Home
Rosamunde Pilcher
Finished 8/13/22
Page count: 728!!
Added to my TBR 5/31/16
And yes, I am rather proud of this one!!

Completion Post!
Malibu Rising
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Finished 8/12/22
Page count: 369
BOM? Yes! (July)
DQs in Messages 162, 259, 260, 261 & 262
(I still can’t do a darn link!)

Completion post!
Kitty Kitty Bang Bang
Sparkle Abbey
Finished: 8/9/22
Page count: 281

Day 5
20 Jul 2:00 AM - 7:00 AM

17. I love how the author describes how the party goes feral starting with that awful Vaughn Donovan. Have you ever been to a party where things spiralled out of control?
I went to manycrazy parties in my misspent youth! It was always a raging success if yo could totally drunk/high and make it out of there before the cops came…

18. I fist pumped the air when Nina tells herself to stop being a doormat and goes to find her dad (or as she says, her "f&*(ing nothing"!!). That whole scene where she confronts him felt so cathartic. I loved the line "It would not be her that bent and broke anymore." How did you find it?
I totally loved that part! too. I was waiting for her to stand up for herself finally. I wish I has a friend like Tarine, too.

19. There are always many sides to a story. Why do you think Mick came to the party? If he was your dad, would you have forgiven him? Would you have wanted to see him again after the party?
Family relationships are insane and no one’s is ever perfect. But Mick was sooo egotistical and phony! It’s like he expected the kids to actually be grateful he finally showed up! We need to take a look at Freud here, I think! I not only would not have forgiven him, I would have had him forcibly ejected from my property! End of that story.

20. The party changed the siblings in lots of different ways. How do you think their lives will be different now?
I think that pre-party each sibling behaved in a certain way, sticking to their assigned roles. Now, everything is out there for the world to see. They will each take on new roles and hopefully share more and be candid with each other,

21. Final thoughts on the book? Would you read more by the author?
I am hoping for not only a sequel to this one, but maybe spin-offs on each individual Riva! I’ve already been looking for more by this author. I’ve loved everything I’ve read so far!

Day 4

59% 11:00 PM
80% 01:00 AM

13. From the four siblings, I was surprised to find out that Kit had been sending the party invitations to his father for the last few years. I would have expected it from Nina and Hud first. Was it a surprise for you too? What do you think the future relationship (if any) will look like between Mick and his children? I feel he is quite an unredeemable character so it could go towards many different directions.
I was definitely surprised to learn Kit was sending party invitations to Mick! Maybe Hud, but not Kit. Unless she just wanted to see what would happen?? I even wondered if maybe Jay would hurt Mick or even kill him…

14. Now that we know the story between Brandon and Nina and her reaction to his mistress' appearance, I can finally see the fire awakening in Nina. She has a chance to not commit the same mistakes as her mom. Do you think that she will finally stand up to herself and what she wants or will she fall into old habits? We haven't seen the last from Brandon, what do you think he will do to try to get Nina back?
I am sooo hoping that Nina will kick Brandon to the curb once & for all! What a total ASS! I think he’ll just go have a pity party (read bender) because no one wants him now.

15. Nina has taken very well the situation with Casey. How do you think the others will react to the news?
Nina was very sweet and supportive of Casey. Don’t know if I could’ve been as nice. They should make her take a paternity test. I know she says she doesn’t want money or anything, but c’mon. Seriously? I expect Kit to be jealous, Jay to be suspicious & Hud to be nice.

16. I am worried about the fate of some characters. Now that we are getting closer to the end, do you think everyone will have a HEA or the story is leading toward some heartbreak and bittersweet ending?
There can be no happily ever after here. Too many characters with too many possible endings!

Day 3

41% 5:00 PM
59% 10:00 PM

9. The Riva house on the beach and Nina's husband's place on a cliff are described several times in the book as the most important settings. Do you find the houses and Malibu as appealing places?
What would your own dreamplace be like? And where would it be?
Malibu has always appealed to me, BUT with all the fires and rich white people, it’s definitely a no go. I’m born & raised in Hawaii & still live in a smallish town on Oahu. It’s now starting to get crowded, the rents & housing prices are absurd. I think I’d like an oceanfront (but not cliffside) home maybe on Kauai where it’s nice and quiet!
10. As we are moving forward in the story, the siblings characters may be getting fleshed out a bit more. What do you think of Nina? Does it seem like she's following in her mother's footsteps in her choices?
Definitely. She doesn’t want to be like June in quite that little woman way, but I believe that your parents are either a shining example OR a horrible reminder. Nina is definitely in the prime caretaker role.
11. Connecting to the previous question about Nina: while TJR is handing out information concerning her husband and their marriage rather sparingly, how do you see Nina's choice and their relationship? Any impressions on what Brandon is like?
Nina seemed almost grateful for Brandon’s attention and care. Maybe she was hoping for a helpmate with her siblings & relief from worrying about money & life all the time…

12. What do you think about the relationship between Jay and Hud? How do you think Jay will react when he learns about Hud's betrayal especially as he seems to have found a real love interest?
I really like Hud! Maybe more than the other Rivas. He shouldn’t have to live in Jay’s shadow all the time. I know it’s bros before hos, but the heart wants what it wants. Maybe Ashley is not the best choice for a life partner, but there it is.

I’m working on these, just FYI…
Coming Home, The Incas, Malibu Rising & The Burning God. I promise to finish ALL of these before the end. There may be a few surprises as well!

You know, I tried reading the Galbraith series, but it really fell flat for me! Nothing will ever come close to Harry for me! It was just so magical! I remember reading the first four books aloud to my son when he was in elementary school….. Good memories!

DAY 2 - 1959 "It was last December 1959"
41% 1981 "...in her arms, on her back."

5. 1959 - "It was last December, 1959" -
It sounds like a Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons song...Wow! What an explosive chapter. Your reaction? Mick was characterised as a sleezy womaniser, it was always going to happen or I didn't see that coming! And June's reaction? Sensitive woman with a huge heart or a doormat for putting up with what she suspected?
It was definitely always going to happen! He has such an over inflated ego & got too much attention. He should never have gotten married or had children. I think - - poor June! He was, ver unfortunately, the love of her life & she couldn’t stop herself. It was also the time they lived in.

6. "He gave no thought to the idea that he might break his children like someone had broken him". "You're drunk and you're killing yourself with this stuff." Discuss Mick and June's parenting styles and how they have affected the siblings as children and adults.
Nina & Hud have June’s caretaker thing going on, while Jay is an extrovert who loves the attention. Kit is confused. Maybe latent lesbian or bi-sexual afraid to come out? Hud is about to blow the lid off everything once he makes his announcement…

7. The title of the book is Malibu Rising and the author gives the reader a sense of the beach culture both in the past and the present time lines. What does it bring to the story and would it be as effective in another setting?
Nope. Beach culture is unique. Each area is unique within itself. I was born & raised on Oahu in Hawaii. I don’t surf myself, but my husband does. There are places even most locals don’t go & places just for tourists. I learned to swim by age 2 and spent my entire life in the ocean.

8. Already with the first set of questions there are varying opinions by the group about both Taylor Jenkins Reid as an author and how it compares to her other work. I loved Daisy Jones and the Six but I am finding this one as bit like Days of our Lives... but the author is skillful enough to make it into a page turner. Where do you sit, engaging tale well written or too much drama and as we are half way through do you see this ending in triumph or tragedy for the Riva siblings?
I am greatly enjoying this one. The Riva kids had fame thrust upon them. The outcome could go either way. Right now they love each other and are sticking together as a family. I hope it stays that way.

Completion Post!
Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake
Alexis Hall
Finished 8/7/22
Page count: 435
Series: Winner Bakes All #1
Food: page 396 “And I Think an apple pudding in the shape of an apple is just fun.”

Completion Post!
Boyfriend Material
Alexis Hall
Finished 8/6/22
Page count: 427
Food stuff: Pg. 227 - “A lovely quiche… Carmelized red onion, cream and Stilton.”

Me four! Loved Wheel — now the libraries are OPEN and I also use Libby….

Pretty pleeeezzee???

So… I was home sick all this week…Thankfully just a cold & NOT Covid. And I was kind of like reading like a maniac. If you want me to stop — please let me know, ok?

Right now I’m about to finish 3 more by tomorrow, and I have 2 big books (500+ pages) and one ginormous one (1000 pages) that I will definitely finish before we end this.

Any guidance or wisdom for me?

Completion Post!
The Dark Wind
Tony Hillerman
Finished 8/5/22
Page count: 304
#5 in the Leaphorn & Chee series
Added to my TBR 5/27/20

Completion Post!
Raven Cursed
Faith Hunter
Finished: 8/4/22
Page count: 353
#4 in the Jane Yellowrock series
Added to my TBR 6/6/17