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

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

Completion Post!!

Finished Paper Towns
Read 5/29/16
Shelved as 2008
5 stars!!
Loved this book!

Happiness!

Meet the Spartans Unrated Pit of Death. I can't believe I actually paid money to see this...

Can't wait for Wobble to begin! I'm hoping for a supportive, chatty team! My first group challenge was Around the World. The ladies were so helpful and patient with all my (mostly stupid) questions that I stayed on for another trip! Some teammates stayed, some moved on, but it's a great experience! It's always good to make new friends...
And yes, Karsyn is awesome!

How did the RaT go for you? Did you meet any goals?
I enjoyed my read-a-thon, especially reading the questions/answers & recommendations... I just wish it were longer than 4 days. A week, maybe?? I managed to finish 2 books -- 1 of which I was working on since January!

How many books did you complete? I finished 2 and started 2 new ones. Poetic justice!

What one book read during the RaT would you recommend? The Mamo Murders because it's really a slice of vintage Hawaii life on a range circa 1950-something. The author did a good job portraying all the different ethnicities.

Did the RaT help pass the time before WOBBLE? It did, but it's still a long ways off! Hope there'll be lots more buzz leading up to the game...
No questions as of yet.... Just can't wait!!

My theme? Marvelous mysteries!!

One for the Money the one that started it all...
Fudge Cupcake Murder
The Flaming Luau of Death simply hysterical!
Absolution by Murder girl power!
Murder on a Girls' Night Out

These are some of my all-time favorites!!

Karsyn wrote: "**Day 4 Questions**


1: What book(s) have you finished for the read-a-thon and what do you think of them? What book is on the agenda for this last day?
I have been a horrible slacky-slacker person..."

Hey Karsyn! Sorry to hear about your lack of dining options. And here I was complaining. We have Pizza Hut about 2 blocks from our house, but never go because my husband *gasp!* does not like pizza! The nearest Chili's is about half an hour away. However I think it would be waay cool just to be able to shout, "This is SPARTA!" :)

1) What books have you finished for the Read-a-Thon and what did you think of them? What book is on the agenda for this last day?
I finished The Mamo Murders and The Poet Prince. Today's project was Struck

2) Did you add any of the recommendations to your TBR?
Not yet, but I'm having fun reading them all!

3) What is it like where you live? Tell us a little about your town/city? I live in Kaneohe, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, USA. It's a small-ish town, more like a sprawling suburb, really. We're about 13 miles away from the capital of Honolulu. We have only one nice restaurant, about 5 other eat-in places and lots of fast food. We have a sad mall, quite a few mini-malls and 2 theaters -- not much else. We have a beautiful view of the majestic Koolau Mountains and ocean view of Kaneohe Bay. I have lived here my entire life, so I tend to take it for granted. It really is spectacular...

4) What is your favorite restaurant? What foods do you like most? Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? Don't laugh, but my favorite restaurant is Olive Garden! That's because we don't have one here. I also love Koa House right down the street. They have the best eggs benedict and banana pancakes...
My favorite food would probably be pizza. I love Italian & Mexican food. Can't resist pasta or chocolate. Life is uncertain, eat dessert first.

Here's the easiest recipe in the world!

Grease a 6 quart Crockpot. Place a 3-4 lb. beef chuck roast inside. In a large bowl, mix the following together until well-blended: 1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix, 1 package of Good Seasons Italian dressing mix and 1 package of brown gravy mix (any brand) along with 3/4 cup of water. Pour over meat and turn to coat. Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 1 hour. Turn down to low and cook for 7 hrs. more. The meat is fall apart tender, perfectly seasoned and delicious!

I've been a member since 2014, BUT I've listed books back to 2008. I'm going with that year, cuz I like to share!!

2008 The Poisonwood Bible

2009 The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

2010 A House at the Edge of Tears

2011 Bitter in the Mouth

2012 Serving Crazy with Curry

2013 The Concubine's Daughter

2014 The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey

2015 Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good

2016 Our Souls at Night

Day 3 Questions

1) How long have you been a member of GoodReads?
Since 2014 -- but I only became really active this year.

2) How many books are on your TBR shelf? 2493 books!!
How many books have you marked as read? 1089

3) What are your favorite TV shows or movies?
I'm into The Walking Dead, Hunters, Stitchers, The Big Bang Theory, Jeopardy, The Goldbergs, Wynonna Earp...
Top 5 Movies: A Christmas Story, Dangerous Liaisons, Out of Africa, Braveheart, Twister.

4) do you have any pets? What are your favorite animals? What animals do you not like?
Sadly, no pets right now because our building does not allow them. If I could, I'd have a couple of cats and dogs. My favorite animals are zebras and tigers because of their gorgeous markings. I've always thought it would be cool to have (or at least see) a sparkly pink & lavender unicorn. I do not like lizards or reptiles. I will run screaming from the room if I see even a tiny gecko. They just creep me out. My motto is ' the only good reptile is a dead reptile.'

A Spool of Blue Thread
Looking for Alaska
The Valley of Amazement
The Sleeping Dictionary
The Yellow House

All are 5-star reads for me!

Beth (Ducky) wrote: "I haven't been to the library in ages since I work at Barnes & Noble now but I may have to do it again for this challenge!"

Would you believe that all the bookstores on my island (Oahu) have been closed except for 1 B&N about 15 miles away? I'm lucky to get there once or twice a year! I really miss having a bookstore in our mall (only 2 blocks from my house). I used to spend hours in there! Then we had Bookoffs for awhile. All gone now :(
I really rely on the library.

368 pgs. 213 pgs. 275 pgs. 369 pgs. 394 pgs.

5/21/16

Total 1,011,359

Day Two Questions
1) What books have you started/finished for the RaT and what do you think of them so far?
I finished The Mamo Murders this morning. I loved the twisted tale of suspense and superstition set in old Hawaii. The Rue Morgue Press has resurrected all the great old mysteries and they're fabulous! I started Vaclav and Lena for another challenge. I'm liking it so far. I also started In the Shadow of the Banyan which is about Cambodia. I'm mesmerized so far! The language is so lyrical!




2) Will WOBBLE be your first challenge, if not how many have you done before? What have been your favorites?
No, it's not my first rodeo, although I've only become active this year. I really enjoy all forms of BINGO. Around the World was my first challenge. I was lucky to have a great team -- very helpful and chatty & fun! I liked it so much, I decided to do a 2nd round. Some players stayed, some left, but it's great to meet new friends!

3) What are your hobbies outside of reading?
I love going to the beach. I love watching movies--Netflix is amazing! I enjoy trying new recipes and am meal planning obsessed!

4) Tell us 4 more random facts about you.
I work at a mental hospital.
In my younger days, I saw Rocky Horror 378 times (usually dressed as Magenta!)
I will usually watch 'Twister' any time it's on TV...
I've been married most happily for 26 years now.

My Spot!

Friday, May 20 - Read for 2-1/2 hrs.

Saturday, May 21 - Read for 4 hrs.
Finished The Mamo Murders
Started: Vaclav and Lena and In the Shadow of the Banyan

Sunday, May 22 - Read for 3-1/2 hrs.
Finished The Poet Prince
Started: Lucky

Monday, May 23 - Read for 2 hrs.
Kept wishing there was more time!

W - Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! well, because it's Fannie Flagg -- you just gotta love it!
O - One for the Money This is the one that started it all! The Stephanie Plum series is my favorite!
B - Blood Rights I'm actually reading this right now and really liking it! It's a different take on a vampire story about a separate race of beings that serve and guard them, but at what price?
B - Big Trouble It's by Dave Barry, so you know you will be laughing out loud
L- The Land of Painted Caves the long-awaited book in Jean Auel's Earth's Children series and one of my favorites
E - The Expected One A different kind of religious cover up exploring the theory that Jesus was married to the Magdalene and that she was his greatest disciple. Much better than that other one...

Day One Questions
1) Where in the world are you reading today?
Hawaii, USA

2) What books are you hoping to finish during this read-a-thon?
The Poet Prince, Living Reed: A Novel of Korea, Midnight Crossroad, Blood Rights, Torment and The Japanese Lover. There are more, but aren't there always?



3) What WOBBLE challenge are you most looking forward to? Now that's a hard one because they all sound pretty great!

4) Tell us 4 random fun facts about you...

I love to sing! I wanted to be a professional singer until reality set in.

I read between 5-12 books at once. I don't know why, but it's always been this way. I jump from book to book even in a single day. I have no problem remembering the story line. Everyone else thinks I'm weird.

I speak in song and movie quotes. My husband and son do the movie thing, too. Some friends and co-workers get it, most do not. Sometimes I'll explain, other times I'll just say, "It's from a movie..." and walk away.

I love Disneyland! I've been there 9 times (once as an adult staying for 14 straight days!) I just love the way it makes me feel to be there. Giddy, carefree like a small child. Love the rides, atmosphere, food -- everything. Living in Hawaii the airfare alone is prohibitive, but if I ever move to California, I'm getting a annual pass and going at least once a week!! Naturally I'm dreaming of Disneyworld before I get too old to enjoy it...

Delitealex wrote: "**Day 1 Questions**
1: Where in the world are your reading today?
United States
2: What book(s) do you hope to finish during this read-a-thon?
[bookcover:Finding ..."

No more vampires? I'm still in love with the Sookie Stackhouse books and a mob season 2 to Trueblood... :)

I'm in another challenge with another group that seems similar to WOBBLE. Because I don't buy books or use an reader, I get all my books from the public library near my home. There's no limit on the amount of books you can check out, thankfully. So right now I have 108 books borrowed! In almost every circumstance, whether it was for a spell-out, genre, picture on cover -- I'd have it covered by browsing thru my book shopping bags. I think I only had to dash down to the library twice to search for something quickly. I plan to employ the same strategy here. I just tell the librarians I'm an incurable insomniac with ADD...

Duh! So sorry, Cait. I saw it and it's beautiful! You're probably going to have to explain it more than I few times, though...