CiCi’s Comments (group member since Jun 25, 2018)

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

I'm in! just need to do a little planning & then I'll update my post.

It was a small goal, but it's done!

Original Post

I didn't complete, but am ready to try again.

Original Post

Alright, I'm ready to try this again!

TITLE: Author Alphabet
DATE: January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2020
COMPLETED: 18/26

A: Dear Edward, Ann Napolitano
B: The Empty Glass: A Novel, J.I. Baker
C: Life Will Be the Death of Me: . . . and You Too!, Chelsea Handler
D: Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
E: Summer of '69, Elin Hilderbrand
F: The Road Not Taken and Other Poems, Robert Frost
G: Magic for Liars, Sarah Gailey
H: Beach Read, Emily Henry
I:
J: Incumbent, Joanne Schwehm
K: In the Tall Grass, Stephen King
L: The Family Upstairs, Lisa Jewell
M:
N: Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng
O: There There, Tommy Orange
P:
Q: Black Obsidian, Victoria Quinn
R: The Lager Queen of Minnesota, J. Ryan Stradal
S: Wicked, Sara Shepard
T: An American Marriage, Tayari Jones
U:
V: Zoo Nebraska: The Dismantling of an American Dream, Carson Vaughan
W: The Turn of the Key, Ruth Ware
X:
Y:
Z: West of the Pecos, Zane Grey

I M P U X Y

I was sooo friggin close! Only missing 3 books, but I see that as a challenge to do this again in 2020!

Original Post

I was trying for ♔ King, but was only able to get ♔ Duke. However, this is still a victory in my book!

Completed Post

Great challenge everyone! Happy Holidays if you celebrate!

Ora - thanks for being such a great captain. I really appreciate all the extra work you did for checking us in & keeping spreadsheets accurate & updated.

Book: The Lost Brothers: A Family's Decades-Long Search
Author: Jack El-Hai
Date Read: 15 Dec 2019
Page Count: 112 pp
Sin: Greed
Sin Bingo (Yes or No): No
Justification: Yellow Cover
SS updated? (Yes or No): Yes

Book: Ninth House
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Date Read: 13 Dec 2019
Page Count: 458 pp
Sin: Vanity
Sin Bingo (Yes or No): No
Justification: Contemporary
SS updated? (Yes or No): Yes

BOM: December
DQ 1
DQ 2
DQ 3
DQ 4
DQ 5
DQ 6

DQs Day 6
Ch. 26 – end

23. We start off this section with Blake trying to kill Alex for revenge. Did you expect this and did you accept that he was also responsible for Tara’s murder? Or did you suspect there was still something more?
Also, were you surprised when Dawes came through to bash him in the head? I was not expecting that, but it was awesome.
This doesn't surprise me, but how did he know it was Alex that filmed him? Wasn't she using magic to make him comply? Since Dawes when in the house when Alex was being attacked, it's logical she heard the struggle & came to her aid, her involvement wasn't surprising.

24. We find out that girls had been killed over the years on dates that coincided with the formation of houses and that Dean Sandow knew about it. Did you immediately jump to the same conclusion as Alex, that Sandow killed Tara to form a nexus?
Absolutely! What I don't understand as what about those specific women being murdered results in a nexus. Women are murdered all the time, why aren't there nexuses everywhere?

25. What were your thoughts when Belbalm revealed herself? Were you surprised? Did you suspect the connection with North?
It makes sense to me the Belbalm had a stronger role in the story than initially portrayed, but I was not expecting that.
I agree that Belbalm played a bigger role, but I wasn't expecting her true identity. I guess it makes sense in the grand scheme of things, but how has she been able to go undetected for so long with all the magic & sensing going around?

26. Belbalm seems to have the same power as Alex and she was able to live so long by stealing the souls from other girls like them and that they’re drawn to New Haven. Do you think Alex will meet other girls with her powers in subsequent books that are drawn to Yale?
Maybe? I don't think Alex as drawn to Yale, she was picked purposefully. Her past life wasn't anywhere near getting her on track to Yale, so if Sandow hadn't intervened, I don't think she would have ended up there.

27. What are your overall thoughts on the novel? Will you read book 2?
It was a 2 star for me... I feel like there is really good potential, but I'd like more detail & depth from the characters & the magic surrounding Yale. For example, Belbalm is Daisy... that came out of left field for me, but it could be a good story to explore more.

I'll probably read a second book because of NBRC Neverending Series Challenge, but I won't go out of my way to get it. I got this as my BOTM pick because it sounded so great, but I am a little disappointed.

DQs Day 5
Chapters 21-25

18. Turner and Alex are working together now, trying to solve Tara's murder. How do you think, is it only a temporary truce or will they be able to become partners?
Their purpose in Lethe is to work together, so this will be a long term truce. They don't have to like each other, but work together.

19. Colin knew about Blake using Merity to rape the girls and didn't report it, hoping to use this opportunity for his society. Somehow I have the feeling that he is not the only one, who would act this way - most of the other members of his society (and probably other societies too) would do the same. What do you think?
It seems that there is always something at stake for the society members. What's clear is that self preservation is the priority for the members personally, then for their House. As far as I'm concerned, since Colin knew what the Merity was being used for & did nothing, he's trash.

20. Colin has an alibi for the night when Tara was murdered, as well as Dean Sandow. Do you believe these alibis or do you think one of them could still have killed Tara with the help of a portal (as Turner suggested)?
Right on Turner! If Lance could portal out of a high security place, then it would be easy for Sandow & Colin to do the same. There's a possibility that they do it all the time & no one is the wiser.

21. During the summoning Darlington (or the Hellbeast) said Murder. What murder do you think he meant? Were these the murders that Alex committed? Or the hellbeast eating him? Or some other murder?
There is murder surrounding everything about the summoning. I thought that spoken "Murder" was in reference to what happened to Darlington. The goal was to try to get him back, so it was personalized to him.

22. Do you think it is final that Darlington is dead? Or has he survived somehow?
With everything else that's happened or happening at Yale & Lethe, he probably is alive in some sort of way.

Day 4 DQs
Chapters 14-20

13. As disgusting as Alex's form of justice was on Blake, did you laugh and write it off as karma, or did she take it too far?
It's definitely karma, but she may have taken it to far. I don't know if it was really justice for all the women he abused & took advantage of. I think it would have been better justice to expose his terrible doings instead of embarrassing him that way.

14. At Rosenfeld Darlington felt the darkness of the "portal" before telling Alex that it wasn't a portal. I feel like there are still a lot of holes in the world building and the magic system, but do you have any idea what it could be if not a portal?
Why couldn't Alex feel the magic? If she's as special & strong in ways they've never seen, why wasn't she alerted to what he was feeling? If not a portal, a doorway to hell? Doorway through the Veil? Doorway to the future?

15. In that same scene we learned what happened when Darlington disappeared. Do you think Alex could've stopped it or was to blame? She seemed a little uncertain herself. And if he didn't disappear, do you think he would've turned Alex in for what he believed her to be?
Refer to my answers above. If he was honest with her about the door, they could have worked together. Even if he told Sandow about her, she would have to make the decision of telling them that she has let ghosts inside of her. That could elevate her immensely within Lethe as the most powerful Dante.

16. After discovering what happened with Hellie, Len and the others in LA, did it help you understand Alex more? Did it change how you felt about her?
Yes & no. I kind of assumed something similar to her truth happened to her anyway. I didn't suspect that her & Hellie killed everyone there, but it's a little disturbing at how she can hide it so well.

17. Lance seemed to be involved in more than just selling drugs, especially with the ability to portal! Why did he attack Alex as soon as he appeared? Did someone send him after her? But then going back to the scene in the morgue, if this was Lance, who did Alex see when she had the vision above Tara's body (you would think she would remember the face)? Anyone else thinking Glamours?
Oh yeah, some sort of big time magic could be the reason Tara saw Lance, or it truly was he who murdered her. If a townie can know enough magic to portal out of jail miles away & into Tara's apartment, the magical possibilities are endless for the Houses & the reason she was murdered.

Day 3 DQs: Chapters 9 - 13

9. Well, these chapters definitely get exciting! Alex is attacked by a gluma, which seems like a Gray on steroids. She later recalls that they are messengers sometime used by the houses. Book & Snake are the ones that can "create" these messengers, but that doesn't necessarily mean they were behind the attack. Who do you think is trying to have Alex killed? Do you think it's because of her investigation or for some other sinister purpose?
What kind of message would you possibly be sending that you send a gluma? As we know from previous chapters, Grays aren't supposed to be able to touch the living, so how would the person who sent the gluma know that it would? Clearly one of the houses or someone of power sent the gluma to get rid of Alex.

10. "But one thought returned again and again as he tossed and turned, fell in and out of dreams, morning light beginning its slow bleed through the high tower window: Alex Stern was not what she seemed."

We know that Alex is special because she can see Grays without the assistance of potions, but Darlington knows this, as well. What do you think that thought means? Is there something more to Alex that makes her "not what she seemed"? Why do you think she can see Grays in the first place?
What makes Darlington so perceptive to her potentially not being what she seems? If even Alex isn't what she seems, isn't that just human nature, we never truly know someone?

11. A lot has been happening to the Lethe House Dante and Virgil: Darlington gets purposely drugged at the Manuscript party, he subsequently goes missing, and now someone is trying to off Alex. Do you think that these incidents are connected? Do you think someone has it out for not only Alex, but Lethe House in general? Any other theories about what might be happening?
Clearly there is some bad doings going on. What I don't understand is how easy it is to harm a member of Lethe, knowing they are the overseers & responsible for their Houses continuance. It appears that the Houses can continue to go rogue & do what they want even with Lethe at parties.

12. After reading the chapter about Darlington's past, my immediate thought was, "Does Sandow do all of his recruiting in the hospital?" Do you think that he preys on vulnerable kids? Why would he do so when there are thousands of freshman at Yale they could recruit to be Dante?
By recruiting outsiders, I think it's a power move for Sandow. He's giving an opportunity of a lifetime to someone, but they answer to him. By reaching out to them at the hospital, they must feel like they've hit the bottom, so his opportunity is impossible to turn down.

Book: Little Men
Author: Louisa May Alcott
Date Read: 11 Dec 2019
Page Count: 329 pp
Sin: Wrath
Sin Bingo (Yes or No): No
Justification: Brown cover
SS updated? (Yes or No): Yes

Sending positive vibes to my TT team!

Melanie - I'm sorry for your loss.

Ora - I hope you son is on the road to a quick recovery.

Day 2 - Chapters 5-8

5. In chapter 5, we meet Professor Marguerite Belbalm who Alex has a meeting with. What do you make of their meeting? Why is she proving help for Alex? Do you think she's just being a helpful teacher or that she has a sinister reason, like wanting to use Alex for something? How do you think this will influence Alex's behaviours and choices in the book?
I don't understand the Professors motives or reasons for her behavior towards Alex. I understand that she's serving as a mentor, but it seems their relationship is on a weird personal level vs. a professor & student. I assume she has ulterior motives that will only play to her or Yale's advantage.

6. Whilst Alex is looking at the crime scene of Tara 'on the other side of the intersection', she has a sense of familiarity and then remembers Helllie and Len struggling in the apartment. Len asks her to let them out. What do think happened in that situation and why did she remember it? I feel like it is something important to the story. Do you think this memory will lead to a large reveal or is it just a small and not so important memory?
Hellie & Len play a big part in Alex's past & is responsible for making her who she is today, so I'd bet that their will be a reveal into those memories at some point. Since the author has already drawn a parallel between her past & present, I think it all be revealed as she continues her investigation.

7. In chapter 7 we get a glimpse into Alex's past and what she had to go through to deal with the ghosts. I honestly wasn't expecting us to find out about her past until past halfway mark. She mentions a lot of issues she had to deal with like no one believeing her, kids making fun of her and ostracising her, her parents, that awful bathroom scene, her illicit drug abuse... Why do you think the Lethe society didn't reach out and help her through all that if they were watching her?
The most disturbing thing about The Gray's that was revealed in these 4 chapters is the fact that they can touch Alex. Ghost stories are good at instilling the fear of the unknown, but when you can truly see & feel them, it takes it to a whole new level. It doesn't surprise me that she turned substances to calm the ghostly noise to numb her senses.

After reading her blow up scene about the Lethe knowing about her & not intervening or helping, I was silently applauding her in my head. Go get 'em girl! If they knew how beneficial she could be to them, I can't figure out why they wouldn't bring her to Yale as soon as they could. The Lethe seems like they are willing to go extremes for things that are advantageous to them.

8. I'm interested in what you guys think of the writing style so far. We have a chapter written in the present tense with Alex and a snippit of passages from books. Then we get Darlington's POV in the past. Are you in favour of this? What do you think of the snippits and are you paying much attention to what they say?
At this point, I'm not even sure if I like this book yet. It seems like there are very complex things going on, but so very little of it is explained in great detail. However, I do think that is the purpose of the past snippets, but I feel there is just an element of humanism missing in relation to Alex's situation. Her roommates honestly don't question her odd behavior & weird hours she keeps? Maybe that's the way it is at this fictional Yale (or the honest portrayal), everyone is so self-absorbed in their studies & future that they don't even notice other's struggles or issues.

Book: Sonnets
Author: William Shakespeare
Date Read:5 Dec 2019
Page Count: 313 pp
Sin: Vanity (Mini-challenge)
Sin Bingo (Yes or No): No
Justification: Favorite book recommendation
SS updated? (Yes or No): Yes

Day 1 Questions

*** To my fellow Audiobook Listeners - I recommend you download the sample ebook version as well. There is a map of Yale and of course the spelling of names and places is helpful.

1. Our book starts out with a Prologue that leaves me understandably a bit lost and confused but wanting more, giving us minimal clues to our forthcoming story.
How do you feel about Prologues? Do you ever go back and Re-read them after you finish the book?
I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought the Prologue was confusing. I figured it would work it's self out later on, but I'm finding it hard to get past the first chapter. Depending on how much I enjoyed the book, I may go back & reread the Prologue.

2. The setting of our story is the prestigious Ivy League school of Yale. The history runs deep and gives a gothic and dark feel to the book. Why else do you think the author may have chosen Yale as the setting?
I assume she chose Yale because that's where she went to college so she's very familiar with it (Nerd Alert - I typically read up on the author if I've never read anything by them before). There's always been a cloud of mystery over the secret societies & underground doings there. Insert the movie with Joshua Jackson about bloodlines & Ivy League schools. As a child of a Freemason, I find the secret societies/cultures extremely fascinating.

3. In Chapter 1 our Main Character, Alex Stern, is running late for the Prognostication. By definition Prognostication is the action of foretelling or prophesying future events. I'm curious as to what the Bonesmen final goal is by performing these ceremonies. Although it is still early in the book are there any guesses as to what the Bonesmen are seeking? Are they after glory ? Time travel? Immortality?
I understood them to be reading the internal organs for financial gain. The prognostication (which I had to look up) gives the stock market futures, what to buy/sell - which leads to the long bloodlines of rich families.

4. The Grays ! I love ghost stories and cannot wait to learn more about the Grays. Alex not only has the ability to see the Grays but is also able to see them in color. This is important and seems to be a key feature that got her this opportunity at the school. Darlington appears to be jealous of this ability of Alex because he needs to take an elixir at a great risk to do the same. How do you see the relationship between Alex and Darlington? Will they become friends, enemies or lovers?
So far, I'd rather know more about the past lives of the Grays & why they are drawn to the University. Were they past prognostication victims? It's obvious Darlington is jealous, but he has a duty to train Alex, so you can see the confliction he's trying to overcome. I don't see them becoming lovers, maybe not friends, but they are bound together forever because of their duty to the Lethe.

I'll meet my minimum, but will try for 4.

I have the current BOM, so I'm trying to get caught up to participate & get us some extra points.

Book: Body Of Proof
Author: Darrell Brown, Sophie Ellis
Date Read: 3 Dec 2019
Page Count: 100 pp
Sin: Wrath
Sin Bingo (Yes or No): No
Justification: Enraging story & corrupt justice system
SS updated? (Yes or No): Yes