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

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

Q for Day 2
Chapters 11-20

6. Picking up on the previous grief question to turn it around towards Willowdean and her mother. Will seems to think (I'm paraphrasing here) that her mother is a heartless cow and wants to use Lucy's room all to herself without any consideration whatsoever for anyone else. I can't help but wonder though if the mother isn't somehow trying to be close to Lucy - her own sister - by setting up a craft room in Lucy's space. Everyone deals with grief in their own way, and while yes, I agree with her (unlike Will) that the dusty old things will eventually need to go, I feel like she's trying to find a way to cope at the same time.
I think that because she was so close to Aunt Lucy, Will can't bear the thought of her mom changing everything and getting rid of her things. She should have discussed it with her & done it more gradually so it wasn't such a shock. It could very well be that she wanted to b close to her sister in her own way.

7. Will and Bo. Thoughts? More particularly, Will's reaction to finding out that Bo will start going to the same school?
Will was holding her special secret love close to her heart. She wasn't sharing with her co-workers, Ellen or even mama! Now it's going to be out in front of the whole world! She's going to have competition from all those pretty pageant types. I think her reaction was a bit dramatic.

8. The more I read, the more I wonder how Ellen and Will are (still) friends with the way they talk to each other. According to Will, they are drifting apart because Ellen is having sex and because of Callie (she doesn't quite say it but it is definitely there). Their interactions however do make me wonder, a lot. I feel like they're friends more because it's a habit than anything else. They're both dependent on each other - Will because she doesn't seem to have other friends and can't stay in the pool alone? Ellen because she needs a back-up when she goes to pick up her pay check?) What do you make of their friendship now that we know more. Irreparable rift? Habit? Undying friendship?
Their bond started out with Dolly. It's pretty Unbreakable thus far, but all these outside influences are conspiring to separate them. How many of us are still friends with their high school BFF?

9. And this inevitably brings me to Will's interactions with Callie. It seems like Callie is at least trying, even though there is the fat-girl-issue, but she isn't completely ignoring Will, unlike Will herself, who barely manages to be civil to the girl. Sure, I completely understand the jealousy of thinking that someone is stealing your (best) friend from you, but it isn't helping Will's case that she is basically being a douche to the girl.
Yup. She definitely needs to be nicer to people. That's why big girls need nice personalities. Sad, but true. I was medium-sized in high school, but was never mean to anyone.

10. Did anyone else have that moment of "oh shit, something really terrible is going to happen on the date" when Ellen and Tim tell Will that Patrick Thomas is Mitch's best friend. Or is it just me who thinks that there is a very obvious lack of mobbing and finger-pointing? Not that this is a bad thing, on the contrary! Though I do find it odd since Will has A LOT of issues and basically hates people who are not Ellen (and Bo.)
You have to wonder WHY Mitch is friends with Patrick in the first place! ? Is this going to be a deal breaker in this potential relationship? Mitch seems so nice! Will can use more friends, even if there is no romantic spark...

M wrote: "So, I have been doing this all day on every social media I am on.

I'M AN AUNTIE!!!!!!! WOOO HOOO!!!!!
A little boy 8 lb and 6 oz
Everyone is happy and healthy.
His name is Cameron Alexander and I..."

Congratulations! Is he your 1st nephew?

Could I go ahead and claim #41 - yellow cover? I have Mulch Ado About Nothing which should be a quick read...

Completion post!
Mission Impawsible
Krista Davis
Finished 5/22/21
Page count: 304
Works for:
#225 1st person POV

could we switch out my last book The Russian Cage for this? I think that one fits #211 better. It has a golden key on the cover. See my post, msg #150, please

It also works for #119 makes a new friend. MC Holly meets John, Sky & Nessie and becomes friends with all of them

It also works for the WOOF space in Bingo (I think it's G3)



Could someone please add this to the spreadsheet for me? Thank you very kindly!

DQs - Day 1

1. If you are new or relatively new to Discworld, what do you think of Pratchett’s world and writing style so far? For more experienced Pratchett readers, what are your favorite things about his writing style or Discworld in general?
I confess that I had/am having a hard time getting into this! I should like it, I want to like it, but I'm having a hard time! That being said, I've found myself laughing out loud several times, so maybe it'll grow on me!

2. So we have our plucky heroine Esk and her witchy mentor Granny Weatherwax. What do you think of our two main characters and their relationship with each other?
I like both of them. Granny is kind of tongue in cheek & Esk is a force of nature!

3. A major theme is witch magic vs. wizard magic (and women vs. men), and I can’t wait to learn more about these different magical theories and world views. What do you think of this dynamic, and which type of magic are you more drawn to?
Wise women have long been respected in every culture. They've also been reviled in our own culture. The cow's milk has dried up? There's a famine? Must be that weird old lady down the road. Let's kill her! It's a very comforting thought to be able to wield power over nature and other people. I often imagined becoming a witch...


4. Oh dear. Esk went a bit too far with the borrowing. What do you think is going to happen next? And what will Granny say or do?
The eagle borrowing was very disconcerting! She was lucky Granny was able to bring her back. Esk is very young and headstrong. Add the staff into the mix & who knows what could happen? Granny is right to get her somewhere where she can learn control. Granny is a bit of a loose cannon.

Bonus: I am really enjoying Pratchett’s wit so far. What is your favorite quote from this first bit? Mine is:
“What’s an elephant?”
“A kind of badger,” said Granny. She hadn’t maintained forest-credibility for forty years by ever admitting ignorance.

I like that one too, but I think my favorite was the bit about brothers being noise in trousers....

DQs Day 1 - Chaps 1 - 10

1. What do you think of Willowdean? Does she feel like a sufficiently real person?
I think she is terrific! She is incredibly put together for a big girl. This is hugely because of her aunt Lucy. I confess to having watched the movie years ago. I always say that the book is better...

2. What you you think about her relationship with Ellen? They are starting to keep secrets from each other now - do you think that this is the start of a drifting apart or will they stay close?
I hope that the always will be close! Too many times men get in the way of women's friendships! We need our own version of 'bros before ho's!'

3. Bo is interesting - the opposite of Will in terms of being reserved in comparison to her chattiness, but with something lurking in his backstory. Do you want to have a guess at what's up with him? Would anyone NOT have done the same as Will and followed him to the abandoned school in the hopes of more making out?!
Bo seems to be a sensitive and caring young man. He's experienced loss in his life. I'm hoping that he can see Willowdean as more than a friend......

4. Will claims ownership of "fat" when she introduces herself to Bo. How successful do you think she is in her aim to stop it from being an insult?
It's a pure fact. She's fat. I can own that and do, because I am fat. It would've been totally hard to admit that during high school though! It only became my reality later in life. It is impossible to hide, though, so you may as well own it. I think Will does a pretty awesome job of it.

5. Lucy has clearly been a big influence in both Will and Ellen's lives, and yet they haven't been talking about her at all since her death. Do you think this is a normal reaction to a sudden death? Would you be like Will's mother, and get rid of everything, or keep it?
I think it's a normal reaction to ignore unpleasant thoughts/experiences. You'd think though, that these two would talk about anything and everything together. Maybe it's just too new and raw... I'd probably keep all of my aunt's things and turn her room into a shrine! At least for a few years. I have very little left from my mom because my dad quickly gave all her stuff away. ☹️

Could I also claim #46 - Mummy in text?
I have Crocodile on the Sandbank with mummy on page 105



Thank you!

Completion post!
The Russian Cage
Charlaine Harris
Finished 5/19/21
Page count: 304
Works for #211 - something gold or silver on cover
How it fits: actually the whole cover is golden, but there's a metallic gold key in the center

Also works for #146 R in the TRUTH spellout

#225 - written in 1st person POV



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

Diana wrote: "Lauri wrote: "So...How is everyone doing? Hope we're all having a great time! I'm reading all over the place! I can't seem to settle down! I finished the first 2 of the three books I claimed, but t..."
I have an aversion to all math-related things! I did pick up The Beekeeper of Aleppo yesterday though. So I'll be reading it at some point...

Becky wrote: "Lauri wrote: "If I may, I'd like to go ahead and claim 2 more, please.

#211 -- something gold or silver on cover with The Russian Cage and

#214 -- dog on cover with [book:Mission ..."

Doesn't matter to me -- as long as it counts! I really don't get the bingo squares! I haven't even considered them really...

If I may, I'd like to go ahead and claim 2 more, please.

#211 -- something gold or silver on cover with The Russian Cage and

#214 -- dog on cover with Mission Impawsible

So...How is everyone doing? Hope we're all having a great time! I'm reading all over the place! I can't seem to settle down! I finished the first 2 of the three books I claimed, but the third one Half of a Yellow Sun is a bit slow going and depressing! I'm halfway through, but it's about the genocide in Nigeria during the 60's. I can only handle small doses at a time!

I've also started 2 of the BOMs -- Equal Rites and Dumplin' which are much better!



I'd love to hear how everybody else is doing. Which books are great, which are not so hot...

Completion post!
Death by Dumpling
Vivien Chien
Finished 5/15/21
Page count: 328
Fits #229 - MPG mystery

Also fits the following:
#4 - 1st in series
#160 - KIDBY spellout- D
#225 - 1st person POV



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

Completion post!
Green Angel
Alice Hoffman
Finished 5/9/21
Page count: 116
Works for the following tasks:
#15 - all words in the title are the same length

#42 - H in eight spellout

#73 - less than 200 pages

#164 - MPG YA

#167 - adjective in title (green)

#224 - single person on cover

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

Becky wrote: "Lauri wrote: "Completion post!
The House in the Cerulean Sea
T.J. Klune
Finished 5/7/21
Page count: 398
#198 recommended by Team Carrot Ironfoundersson
Also works f..."
Loved it! I read a lot at work (in the morning and at lunchtime) & found it hard to go back to work after reading! I just didn't want it to end! Lucy just cracked me up!

Completion post!
The House in the Cerulean Sea
T.J. Klune
Finished 5/7/21
Page count: 398
#198 recommended by Team Carrot Ironfoundersson
Also works for the following:
#6 - Cover with green, yellow and purple

#14 - features a protest
How it fits: the people of the village protest the magical youth from the orphanage as being dangerous

#28 - H in eight spellout

#50 - features demons or Devils
How it fits: Lucy is the son of Satan

#51 - MC has an office job
How it fits: MC Linus is a caseworker in a large office

#116 - character pretends to something they're not
How it fits: Arthur pretends to be human, but is actually a Phoenix



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

Completion post!
Well Met
Jen DeLuca
Finished 5/5/21
Page count: 319
#21 - MPG Romance
How it fits: Emily & Simon fall in love

#52 - MC has to obey someone else's commands
How it fits: Emily has to do what Simon says as the dude in charge of the local renaissance faire

#56 - go to the cinema
How it fits: Emily & Simon take in a movie together

#61 - someone changes jobs
How it fits: Emily leaves her job in a bar to manage a bookstore

#67 - focused on siblings
How it fits: Simon takes over the renaissance faire in his dead brother's memory (obsessively)

#105 - Poem in text
How it fits: Shakespeare's Sonnet 29 on pg. 263

#119 - Makes a new friend
How it fits: Emily finds a good friend in Stacey

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

Completion post!
Always
Sarah Jio
Finished 5/4/21
Page count: 500
Task #150 - MC is a journalist
MC Kailey is a journalist
Also works for the following tasks:
#88 - set in a large city (Seattle, Washington)

#68 - travels requiring a passport
MC travels to Mexico and France

#113 - CLAY Spellout (A)

#210 - Seasonal celebration (large New Year's Eve party)

#232 - Goes on holiday (Mexico)

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

I'd like to go ahead and claim my 1st 3 tasks!

#21 MPG Romance - Well Met
#58 Set in Nigeria - Half of a Yellow Sun
#229 MPG Mystery - Death by Dumpling



I think I'm most looking forward to reading The Midnight Library for this challenge. I ordered it from the library back in DECEMBER and am still waiting for it. I'm up to #9 on the wait list so here's hoping!

I plan on reading Dumplin' and Equal Rites

Here are my ten!
The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner
Honolulu by Alan Brennert
Spring Moon: A Novel of China by Bette Bao Lord
The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry