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

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

Eldarwen wrote: "Lauri wrote: "Completion Post!
Empress of All Seasons
Emiko Jean
Finished 5/31/22"


So what did you think of the book? :-)"

I enjoy practically anything Asian and mythical — but I felt it could’ve been so much more. If that even makes sense. I think Ms. Jean was trying to portray the characters in a godlike way, so that made them less relatable. You need to care about your characters in order to really love a book (or movie/show.)

Completion Post!
Empress of All Seasons
Emiko Jean
Finished 5/31/22
Page count: 384
May mini spellout E for title
Also works for the following letters:
M - MC Mari
T - character Taro
A - character Amira
H - character Hissa
Y - character Yuko



Could someone please add this to our spreadsheet for me! Thank you! And I’m done for May…

Completion Post!
Erotic Stories for Punjabi WidowsBalli Kaur Jaswal
Finished 5/30/22
Page count: 304
May mini spellout: E (title)
Also works for the following letters:
B, J - author
N - MC Nikki
M - character Mindi
S - character Sheena
O - character Sam O’Reilly
A - character Arvinder
T - character Tarampal
P - character Preetam



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

Completion Post!
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Helen Fielding
Finished 5/30/22
Page count: 352
May mini: MPG humor
Also fits the following spellout letters:
H, F - author
B, J - MC Bridget Jones
S - character Sharon
M - character Magda
D - character Mark Darcy
R - character Rebecca
W - character Wellington
T - character Tom



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

Completion Post!
Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride & Prejudice
Curtis Sittenfeld
Finished 5/30/22
Page count: 492

May spellout: E title

Also works for:
J - character Jane
M - character Mary
K - character Kitty
L - character Lydia
S - character Sally
H, R - character Hamilton Ryan
F, D - character Fitzwilliam Darcy
C, B - character Chip Bingley
G - character Georgie



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

Cool! You guys are the bestest! Plus I’m probably perpetually confused…. At least I’ll always have a good time & lots to think about.
Right now I’m happy to spend the day reading away & having a holiday from work. Yaaayyyy! Happy Memorial Day to all of those US teammies.

Dear Captains, where do we look to see if all our books have been posted? I’ve read 5 so far, but only see 3 listed. Am I missing something?

I definitely will finish all my books by tomorrow’s deadline…

Namita wrote: "Sammy wrote: "Teehee! I find I'm usually very good at sticking to my reading plans, but then throw in some extras here and there as needed :)"

I'm like a magpie!! I go...ooh shiny and there goes m..."

Exactly my problem, Namita! Magpies, that’s us!

Completion Post!
Curse on the Land
Faith Hunter
Finished 5/28/22
Page count: 328
Spellout possibilities:
F - author’s first name
H - author’s last name
N, I - MC Nell Ingram
R, L - Character Rick LaFleur
O - character Occam
P - character Paka



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

Completion Post!
The Color of Our Sky
Amita Trasi
Finished 5/28/22
Page count: 416
May mini: MPG historical fiction
Alternate spellout letters:
T - MC Tara
M - MC Mukta
A - character Asha
N - character Navi’s
R - character Rohan
S - character Sanjiv
E - character Elisa

Another 5-star read for me!



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

Completion Post!
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
Hiro Arikawa
Finished 2/25/22
Page count: 277
BOTM - Yes!
Please see my responses to DQs in the following messages: #198, 260, 298 & 317
(Sorry, I can’t do a link to save my life!)



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

Completion Post!
Honor
Thrity Umrigar
Finished 5/25/22
Page count: 326
Works for the following letters in the spellout:
S - MC Smita
M - character Meena
A - character Abru
P - character Pushpa Patel
N - character Nandini
G - character Govind
R - character Radha
T - author’s 1st name
U - author’s last name
Z - character Zenobia

Definitely a 5-star read for me!



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

Sammy wrote: "Do you get dizzy or nauseous at all for no apparent reason? That's how my migraines first started. In fact, it was more than 6 years before I started getting pain too! It was the main reason why it..."

Nope. Except for my diabetes & cancer (4 times!), I am shockingly healthy for an old broad. I have an exceedingly high pain threshold, too. I think I just grunted a couple times while giving birth... I just worry about forgetting things. If I ever lose the ability to read, I think I'll end it all!

I finished 2 -- finally! Will post tonight when I get home. I can't seem to settle down. I keep jumping from book to book! Adult ADD much?

I never have had a migraine, in fact, I rarely get headaches except when I'm sick...BUT I worry about early onset Alzheimer's and dementia! They say that names and proper nouns are the first things you 'lose.' This started at around age 40. My dream of being a Jeopardy contestant has died. I don't think I'll be fast enough with the signalling button, even when I know the answer. *sigh*

DQ May 19- How Noriko Learned to Love - End of Book

Do not read these if you haven't finished the book. Contains spoilers.

13. In this chapter we get to know Satoru’s Aunt Noriko better. What adjectives would you use to describe Noriko's personality? How did you feel about the way Noriko revealed Satoru’s birth story? Were you surprised to learn he was adopted?
I did like Aunt Noriko, but feel she was socially awkward. Asperger’s perhaps? Or somewhere on the spectrum? She was very straightforward and blunt, that’s for sure! I really wasn’t surprised to learn Satoru was adopted. I was thinking that Aunty had perhaps gotten pregnant at a young age and was, in fact, his actual biological mother!

14. Did you think Nana running off towards the end and living his former life as a stray was fitting for the story. Was it believable that he would come back and forth visiting Satoru in the hospital?
I wouldn’t have thought a stray cat would choose to live rough again after experiencing such love and care. I was surprised he ran away for home especially in the wintertime. It was very sweet for Nana to keep visiting Satoru in hospital.

15. Endings...they must be the second hardest thing to write for authors after beginnings. Did you like the ending? You may consider the Epilogue also when answering the question, if you like.
I did like the ending! I didn’t cry half as much as I thought I would. I loved the idea of Nana and Satoru being able to be together again. It’s like the Rainbow Bridge…

16. The author, Hiro Arikawa, has written other books, with very different genre. She has written books about Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). (I have to admit I know nothing about that!).
Would you read another book written by her? And lastly, would you recommend this book to others? If so, would you only recommend it to people who are cat lovers?
I will definitely read more of her work! I would especially recommend this one to cat- and animal-lovers, but also just in general.

Q: 18 May - Sugi and Chikako's Hotel for Pets & Between Friends

9) Considering Satoru seems to be quite perceptive overall, do you think he knew about Sugi’s less charitable feelings about him, both in the past and during this visit?
I believe Sugi knew and was deeply jealous of Satoru all along. I'm also guessing that Chikako probably knew how Satoru felt about her as well.

10) So far, the chapters have all been combining Satoru and Nana’s journey with Satoru’s past with several other people, as well as their backgrounds. How do you feel about this interlude (chapter 3.5) focused entirely on the man and his cat? What does it add to the story?
I loved Satoru's sensitivity and Nana's realism. They have a beautiful relationship.

11) For the first time, we got a hint of what’s going on with Satoru when the dog said “he smells like he isn’t going to make it” in chapter 3, and this came up again in chapter 3.5. So it sounds like Satoru is ill… was that your prediction for question 4?
I figured that he was ill from the moment he started looking for a new home for Nana. It's probably going to be cancer or something equally serious. I think Nana knows/already knew. He's not going to want to leave Satoru at all.

12) Squabbles between cats and dogs were really present in these sections. So: Are you a cat person or a dog person or both (or neither)? I'm both! I love furry animals -- no birds, reptiles or amphibians for me. I think I'm more of a dog person really.

DQ: 17 May - The Unsentimental Farmer

5) I really like reading the cat's thoughts. It can be quite funny. Do you think these are convincing cat thoughts?
I’ve often wondered what cats and other animals think. Cats are seemingly indifferent to us unless we have treats. They don’t fawn all over us the way dogs do. I think Nana is a bit more realistic and cynical because of being a stray for so long. I enjoy his thoughts & quite like his voice.

6) In this chapter we are introduced to Yoshimine, another potential owner for our cat. What do you think of him and his backstory?
Good backstory! It really goes a long way to explain his behavior. He’s so brusque and straightforward. Definitely more of a dog person, I think…

7) Do you think Yoshimine would have been a good owner for Nana ?
Definitely not. Nana didn’t like him immediately. I think Nana’s sensibilities would have been offended daily should he have ended up living there!

8) Yoshimine has already a kitten called Chatran, and Satoru makes fun of him for naming his cat with such a cliché name. What is for you the most cliché cat name(s)? In french it is quite common to call a cat Chaussette (meaning sock), Mistigri or Felix (actually a cat food brand).
Well, Kitty or plain old Cat are terrible! I had a tuxedo cat that we named Kitty when I was a child. In my defense, I was only 3 years old at the time & that was probably the best that I could come up with! We also had a tabby that my mom named Muffin. She was definitely NOT a Muffin! I think you should wait awhile to pick a suitable name…

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Sonia wrote: "4 places? What have we said about being overachiever?!

Fingers crossed for a nice and proper mend. And stay put to avoid more accidents."

haha I know
Funny they do wonder if 2 of th..."

Screws? Oh NO, Karen! Screws don’t belong in humans! That sounds horrible!

And Sammy, I can’t even begin to understand your story! Is healthcare free in the UK so that they put you at their mercy? Crazy! Here healthcare is very expensive, BUT if we’re not seen for something serious the very day (or next day with swelling) we scream bloody murder! At the ER, cardiac, bloody head wounds and respiratory episodes are triaged first. I once spent a whole day in ER because my doctor sent me there with abdominal pain. They were worried about my appendix or gall bladder. Turned out to be diverticulitis. I was introduced to some lovely morphine. Thought I was literally dying because the only people who usually get morphine are dying. Surprise!

I feel so badly for you both. Hope you get some decent pain meds at the very least…

DQs 16 May: Prologue - The Husband Without a Wife

1. How are you liking the way the story is written with its alternating POVs ? Is there a POV you prefer ?
I do like the way the POVs alternate, actually. And although I like Satoru’s generally laid back attitude, I much prefer Nana’s voice. Gotta love an opinionated cat!

2. Through the flashbacks we get to know Satoru's personality a bit more. What do you make of him so far ? What did you think about his way of helping his friend Kosuke?
Satoru is a good friend and a loyal one. He’s obviously an animal lover. I think his worldview in 6th grade was just too small for him to understand Kosuke’s dysfunctional family. He wanted to help him, but he just didn’t know how.

3. Talking about Kosuke, what's up with his parents ? It seemed to me that Kosuke was genuinely convinced that his father would agree to keep the cat (Hachi). What did you think about his backstory ?
Japanese culture is vastly different than Western culture. I’m sure it’s a bit more relaxed now, but back then? Daddy ruled the roost and his word was law. I think it was just wishful thinking on Kosuke’s part that he’d ever be allowed to keep Hachi. So sad.

4. Why do you think Satoru can't take care of Nana anymore ?
I’m guessing he’s terminally I’ll or perhaps mentally I’ll and planning to off himself. He wants to find a good home for Nana before he leaves this earth.

bookswithpaulette wrote: "..... The Chris Hemsworth effect its a real phenomenon 🤓

Shout out back to ........ when it all started! Do you know what show this pic is from??

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So adorable! **sigh**