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

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

Judy wrote: "Kristel wrote: "Ora wrote: "What do you think about using it for pink cover? ..."

I don't know. The more I look at it the more purple it looks.."

I think I'd ..."

Ditto! I have this book personally & it looks purple in person.

Sammy wrote: "CiCi wrote: "I read Black Beauty for stop 1. It was surprisingly good.

The book I read for stop 3 - Dial P for Poison is currently free on Amazon. It was a cozy little murder mystery.

Also, I'm c..."

I wasn't impressed with this one either! But if fit the challenge, so I had to read it :P

I read Black Beauty for stop 1. It was surprisingly good.

The book I read for stop 3 - Dial P for Poison is currently free on Amazon. It was a cozy little murder mystery.

Also, I'm completely absorbed in TTs so I've been neglecting this team. Sorry!

DQ Day 5 Chapter 20 to the end

20- Early in chapter 29, Hetty thinks to herself, “For a year and a half we’ve been as safe as we could ask for. The fence, regular supplies. Welch and the Headmistress to hold us together. A year and a half, and in a week I’ve torn it apart.” Do you agree? Do you think the events at the end are Hetty’s fault?
I think the fall was going to happen regardless. Hetty's actions may have speed it up however. She is in no way responsible for Welch ending her own life, but by not closing the gate & allowing the bear in set off sheer panic & their downfall.

21- The chaos of chapter 20 is nuts. A bear, poison, evil people who think they have a better right to life than the others. The thing I found most disturbing in this part was that the extra girls, the remaining girls, the ones we know almost nothing about, seemed truly extra to the story. I felt nothing for them, and that bothered me. How did you all feel about this chaotic part of the book; the taking of Reese, the poison room, etc.?
It definitely was a whirlwind of information packed in to one chapter. I think it proves that people will sacrifice anything and anyone for self preservation.

22- The reveal of the cause of the Tox, (view spoiler) was a good story point, I thought. Would you have liked to get more info on this? Did you have any inkling that this was the cause, or what did you think it was? Do you think that the CDC (or whoever found this stuff) released it on the island, or was it found there in the girls?
I wasn't expecting it to be tied to Global Warming. My suspicion was that it was biological warfare or a alien-like anomaly. My guess is that it was already on the island & originated there. I think the CDC was trying to find a cure, while learning everything they could about it's mystery.

23- What happens next? Do they reach the mainland? Does Byatt recover, or is her essence gone? Why? Will there be a sequel, and will you read it if there is?
I think they will find land, but awaits them is a mystery. If their is a sequel, I would think it would go further in depth to explaining the quarantine island & how their experiences with the Tox relates to the rest of the world. I may or may not read the sequel if there were one, I wasn't a very big fan of this story.

Book: Wilder Girls
Author: Rory Power
Date Read: 22 Oct 2019
Page Count: 368 pp
Sin: Envy
Sin Bingo (Yes or No): Yes
Justification: Green cover, YA, Read by Team Ira
SS updated? (Yes or No): Yes

BOM: October
DQ 1
DQ 2
DQ 3
DQ 4
DQ 5

Book: Save the Date
Author: Annabeth Albert
Date Read: 21 Oct 2019
Page Count: 153 pp
Sin: Vanity
Sin Bingo (Yes or No): No
Justification: LGBTQ
SS updated? (Yes or No): Yes

BOM: October
DQ 1
DQ 2
DQ 3
DQ 4
DQ 5

DQ Day 4 Chapters 14-19

16. I felt so bad for Reese to be able to see her father again and so different. Mr. Harker changed in ways none of the girls have. Why do you think the Tox is more aggressive with men? Is it just hormones or something else? Was Reese’s reaction to Hetty killing her father a normal reaction? Do you think Reese has lost hope now?
What I don't understand, I may have missed it earlier in the book, but how & why is Reese's father still on the island? It does appear that the Tox hurts males in more fierce ways then females, but is that also true for male animals? I'd say Reese's reaction was normal, but only because she is naïve in thinking that she actually had her father back. When she helped Hetty by stabbing him, I think it was a reflection that she's realized he's not truly her father anymore. Instead of dealing with those emotions, she just blames Hetty because it's easier.

17. Byatt’s section was pretty intense. This is the first time that we see the Tox attacking someone and how horrific it is. By the end she seems pretty resigned and ready to die when Paretta tells her that they are evacuating and there will be no more help for Roxton. Do you think Byatt understood that she was condemned everyone to death by breaking quarantine?
I don't know if Byatt is has correlated her actions with condemning Roxton. She has to know there would be some consequence, but evacuation is the far right, she probably wasn't expecting. Especially, since she didn't even know about Teddy, Paretta & the rest of the people who've been keeping her.

18. Welch and the Headmistress are really upset about quarantine being broken. Do you believe they know who did it? What do you think about Welch telling the truth to the Boat Shift girls on the dock before she kills herself? Do they believe her or are just to overwhelm to really process everything?
Welch is a role model for many of the girls, so I think they believe her, but are muddily processing her committing suicide to really analyze what she said. Does it really matter who broke quarantine? Everyone is in danger, so what good would it do to punish the person they suspect or know who did it. I think Welch was telling the truth in a confessional, clear your conscience way.

19. Hetty was right when she said Welch held everything and everyone together (paraphrasing). The first night she is gone things start to fall apart. Hetty not locking the gate when they got back. Gun Shift girls falling asleep on duty. Both reasons caused Lindsey to die. Do you think Hetty will step up to lead to the girls to make sure things do not dissolve any further into chaos or let her guilt of not locking the gate overwhelm her?
Since she's been in the center of the story, I hope she emerges as the heroine. Admit your mistake, move on & make the world a better place by learning from those mistakes.

DQs Day Three: Hetty (Chapters 9) - 13

11. After all the tension in the beginning between Hetty and Reese, and now that they only have each other without Byatt as the middleman, they admit their true feelings toward one another. I felt like we didn't get much of a buildup to it so did you feel the chemistry between them? Did you think this turn in their relationship was believable? Forced? Necessary, or something to give the reader hope?
It definitely feels like it was brought up to give us hope. I understand that they are teenage girls, but if Byatt wasn't missing, would Reese not revealed her feelings about Hetty to her? I don't know if I feel the specific chemistry between these two. It's obvious that Hetty has feelings for both girls, but it feels like a level playing field.

12. I didn't stop to consider how everyone's symptoms were so varied until Byatt started listing them for Teddy. Why do you think it reacted so differently with everyone it infected?
DNA? That's what is so interesting about the Tox for me. What is it really that it effects everyone is such different ways.

13. We learned a lot more about Byatt which made me rethink the previous interactions she had with her friends. Did Hetty and Reese really know the real Byatt? And is Byatt reliable as a narrator knowing that she's a compulsive liar?
I'm not a fan of Byatt. It feels like she has ulterior motives, but that could just be her compulsive lying. There are so many unanswered questions about the Tox & their situation, it's hard for me to see any of Byatt's interactions as normal.

14. Byatt manipulated poor Teddy into removing his mask and kissing him. Why do you think she did this? To infect him, just because she could, or because she really believed it only affected girls (though come on, Mr. Harker!)?
Byatt is on a power trip. There is something enigmatic about her in the fact that she got Teddy to remove his mask. As for the kiss, she's a teenager & he's the first male she's seen in how long? I feel that if he could get infected, she wouldn't think twice about it. If she has to suffer, why shouldn't everyone else.

15. When Mona told Byatt that "They'll ruin it," who do you think she was referring to and what do you think she meant by it? Mona then asks if Byatt would keep the disfigurements caused by the Tox even if there was a cure. What did you make of this? Why do you think they would want to keep them?
I think Mona was referring to the girls infected by the Tox. It makes me think that they have a cure or are well on their way to one, but the girls curiosity will get the better of them & make this epidemic worse. Keeping a disfigurement is similar to the analog of a scar being a badge of honor or sign of strength after conquering adversity.

Question... I'm going to be done with Wilder Girls soon & am participating in the DQs. I know that the dates for BOM are over, but will it still count towards TT if I finish before the end of the month? The points would just be added to week 3?

DQ’s Day Two: Chapters 4-8

5. The Boat Shift segment was intense! The description of the changes to the island were very evocative (and reminiscent of Annihilation, as Frankie mentioned). Are you going to be able to walk in the woods the same again? How effective are you finding the fungal horrors?
I think the woods' silence alone is horrifying. I can't imagine what it must feel like to know that you are stranded on an island & the only thing that separates you from the outside world is a fence. What I don't understand is why they didn't prepare Hetty better for what she was going to see & do on the Boat Shift. But maybe the less they know, the better?

6. Welch. First, during the Boat Shift segment; Did you believe/agree with Welch at the first reading? And by the end of this section, looking back, do you still agree? Would you have done what Hetty did, and complied with the rule of silence? Then we discover Welch is communicating with someone (with a familiar voice....) about receipt, replacement and returns. By the end of this section we can guess at "receipt", but who / what is being returned?? Were you surprised by the reveal of Welch being in on "it"?
I'm not surprised at all that Welch is playing a bigger part in things. She seems to be the glue that holds the girls together. She clearly knows more about the big picture then she's admitted thus far. I think her being overheard is going to be the next turning point in the story.

7. Hetty has a big revelation about Reese "I've spent my every day since I met her telling myself the wrong thing. Telling myself over and over that she was cold, when maybe she was burning the whole time" I actually judged Hetty a lot at this point, for being so blinkered and oblivious, but I did like the adjustment she made during the conversation. How do you feel about Hetty, Reese and Byatt? Are they becoming more credible characters yet?
I'm still confused on their relationship as a whole. I understand they are friends, but I can't figure out which one may love more than the other & which one that makes jealous.

8. We have a switch in POV to Byatt. What do you think of this choice by the author?
The switch is keeping me interested in what is going to happen next. I don't think without Byatt's POV, we wouldn't be able to understand the medical scene as well if it was explained by an observer/Hetty.

9. The Byatt segment shows medical stuff happening. What do you make of that? Are they curing or creating?
Both curing & creating? It feels like an apocalypse of some sort. The person attending her is only 19 himself & recently sent there. There seems to be a short supply of everything & the people are not fully aware & educated on their tasks.

10. "Just before a flare-up, there's a moment. Hard to describe, hard to pin down, but for me it almost makes it worth it. The pain and the loss, all of it a fair price for this. This strength, this power, this eagerness to bare my teeth>" What do you think this quote means? Does it hint at reasons for the Tox? At future developments in the story line?
I'm struggling with trying to find an underlying or general meaning or reasoning for the Tox. It must be awful to have that moment before knowing that a flare-up is coming. I wonder if it's like the feeling I get before I have a panic attack. You can feel something coming, but feel helpless in stopping it.

Book: The Sleeping Beauty Proposal
Author: Sarah Strohmeyer
Date Read: 20 Oct 2019
Page Count: 320 pp
Sin: Vanity
Sin Bingo (Yes or No): Yes
Justification: Purple cover, Contemporary, shiny jeweled crown on cover
SS updated? (Yes or No): Yes

DQ’s Day One: Chapters 1-3

1. It’s interesting to see the dynamic between the main girls (Hetty, Byatt, Reese). They can fist fight over food one minute, but still be best friends the next. Reminds me of my sister & I. LOL. Have you ever had this kind of relationship with someone?
I definitely see my relationship with my sisters in these 3 as well. I'm definitely Byatt, the peacekeeper.

2. Byatt sneaks out of the room when she thinks Hetty is sleeping, then crawls up in Reese’s bunk when she returns. Where do you think she snuck off to? & what did she mean when she said to Reese, ”If you know something...”? Reese shuts down & kicks her out of her bunk. Wonder what their secret is?
It seems that both Byatt & Reese know something they don't want Hetty to know, but I don't know what yet. I find it funny that they whisper in the bunk above Hetty... really, of course she's awake & listening. Every teen girl learned this trick, it's sleepover 101. Since it's so early in the book, my guess is that Byatt may be apart of something bigger with the teachers that could change their lives together on the island.

3. Hetty says, “And I’ve wanted boys, and I’ve wanted girls, but I’ve never wanted anyone enough to miss them, enough to pluck them from the slideshow of my old life and bring them here.”
People have different ways of handling emotional stuff like this. Some people (like Hetty) believe thinking or talking about your loved ones or past life would only make the situation harder to deal with emotionally. Put yourself in this situation. How do you think you’d cope with missing your old life/family? Would you be like Hetty & shut down emotionally to prevent more pain? Or would you be like the other girls, laughing & sharing stories of your old life?
I'd like to think that I would be laughing & sharing stories, but in reality, I would take Hetty's approach. If I lost everyone I knew & loved, I would consider myself a survivor & would guard my memories & feelings as a way to keep myself alive.

4. Personally, I’m really enjoying the book already! I love the writing style, the world building, & the characters. I know we’re only a few chapters in, but how are you liking it so far? What aspect of the book do you like best at this point (writing, world building, characters, etc.)?
So far so good. I am however, completely annoyed by Reese. The fit that she threw by attacking Hetty had spoiled little princess who isn't used to getting her way, written all over it.

I hope we get more history about the island. I'm having a hard time picturing all the buildings & what the view may be like looking through the fence, but it we are only 3 chapters in, so I'll try to be patient.

10/15/19 (179 pp) 10/17/19 (330 pp)

Subtotal: 509
Current Total: 1,314,360

Book: The Looking Glass Goddess
Author: Amanda Hughes
Date Read: 17 Oct 2019
Page Count: 330 pp
Sin: Lust
Sin Bingo (Yes or No): No
Justification: Red cover
SS updated? (Yes or No): Yes

I plan to read 3 & will finish my 2nd tonight. I may be able to crank out another quick book this weekend for a total of 4.

@Abir - That looks blue to me!

@Megan - I think it has to be read & answered in the time frame allowed for it to count. Others?

Ora wrote: "Anyone starting Wilder Girls?"

I couldn't get a library copy in time - it sounds like it'll be a good read though.

Book: Heartburn
Author: Nora Ephron
Date Read: 15 Oct 2019
Page Count: 179 pp
Sin: Gluttony
Sin Bingo (Yes or No): No
Justification: Pink cover
SS updated? (Yes or No): Yes

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

1932, Minnesota—the Lincoln School is a pitiless place where hundreds of Native American children, forcibly separated from their parents, are sent to be educated. It is also home to an orphan named Odie O’Banion, a lively boy whose exploits earn him the superintendent’s wrath. Forced to flee, he and his brother Albert, their best friend Mose, and a brokenhearted little girl named Emmy steal away in a canoe, heading for the mighty Mississippi and a place to call their own.

Over the course of one unforgettable summer, these four orphans will journey into the unknown and cross paths with others who are adrift, from struggling farmers and traveling faith healers to displaced families and lost souls of all kinds. With the feel of a modern classic, This Tender Land is an en­thralling, big-hearted epic that shows how the magnificent American landscape connects us all, haunts our dreams, and makes us whole.

10/5/19 (238 pp) 10/6/19 (425 pp) 10/10/19 (368 pp)
10/12/19 (321 pp) 10/13/19 (240 pp)

Subtotal: 1,592
Current Total: 1,300,612