Allison Ann’s Comments (group member since Oct 19, 2014)

Allison Ann’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

I'd like to volunteer for DQs - team Ira.

Posted probably my last two books for this week. Think I'll spend the rest of today's reading time with a couple of chunky books for next week.

I was surprised how much is marked Contemporary. They did luck out.

I know it's impossible to balance, but we really did get the short end of the colour and genre sticks. Fortunately our specification is easy. Black or gray covers would have been awesome.

I'll have more time coming up in Week 2, so hopefully I'll be able to find more longer books.

The biggest problem with Space Opera is finding longer books. And brown covers are quite frankly a nightmare. :)

I'm glad we aren't YA, because I dislike most YA very much. But comparing Space Opera to YA isn't quite fair. I wonder why they didn't just use Sci-Fi? Same with Dark Fantasy.

I was just rereading the Sin Specifications and realized that Wrath allows for a hateful character. Now I can pretty much find a hateful character in any book I read, so do we want to aim for high numbers of Wrath books (especially since I can't seem to get coloured covers for anything)?

Day 4 - Chapters 21-26

14. More deaths! Do you have any theories on why the Fourth were killed? Why Gideon was spared? Who do you think is committing these murders?

No idea why Gideon was spared, can't wait to find out actually. No idea who is committing the murders unless there are monsters we haven't met yet. The Fourth were killed because they were superfluous.

15. The Third House (maybe Ianthe) seem to be lurking in the background of this book, all sneaky and suspicious. Coronabeth seems like the nicer one out of the Twins. But do you think this is the case? Do you think Coronabeth has something up her sleeves?

You can generally assume anyone nice and helpful is suspicious and I tend to assume blood is thicker than water and twinship will win over any other relationship.

16. Gideon had a weird encounter with the Eighth house. What did you make of the comment, 'because you grew up servant to a murderer, in a tribe of murderers. You are, more than anything, a victim of the Ninth House'. Do you think Gideon will accept their invitation?

I need to finish this book because I'm lost and can't answer this question. I do think she'll accept the invitation because I think Gideon will try anything once.

17. (This is a bit of a silly question). Over the course of the book, Gideon has been getting closer to Harrow, Dulcinea and Coronabeth (although it seems she wishes she could get closer to the latter). Put yourself in Gideon's shoes. Harrow, Dulcinea and Coronabeth - Kiss, Marry, Kill.. Explain your reasoning haha!

Kiss Dulcinea, because I think she wants to. Kill Coronabeth (maybe kiss her first too, again because she wants to) because I think she's going to turn on the Ninth. Marry Harrow because love her or hate her, they need each other.

Day 3 - Chapter 14- 20

10. Thoughts on the deaths, did you care to lose these two or are you just waiting for the body count to increase?

I was sorry to lose them, Magnus seemed like an honestly decent person and those are certainly few and far between in this book.

11. I like the electric toothbrush detail. What do you think of the room they found? Are there any details from the room that you think are going to be important later?

The electric toothbrush just confirmed that we are far, far in the future. I doubt the room is a throwaway, everything will be important eventually.

12. The letter clearly has Gideon’s name in it (see below) but we get no comment from Gideon as the narrator on her reaction to this. What do you think of this as an author’s choice and what do you think the letter means?
" ut we all know the sad + trying realit
is that this will remain incomplete t
the last. He can’t fix my deficiencies her
ease give Gideon my congratulations, howev"

I'm assuming Gideon's mother came from that room, that she is the P of G and P, and Gideon was her partner. So the mother was shouting for her Gideon and the Ninth assumed she was naming the baby.

13. This quote feel like somewhat heavy handed foreshadowing , though I may be wrong.
“You’re all right. Gideon, Gideon … you’re so young. Don’t give yourself away. Do you know, it’s not worth it … none of this is worth it, at all. It’s cruel. It’s so cruel. You are so young—and vital—and alive. Gideon, you’re all right … remember this, and don’t let anyone do it to you ever again. I’m sorry. We take so much. I’m so sorry.”
She would remember each word later, loud and clear. It seems to imply this is Dulcinea’s voice and does this impact your opinion of her?

I still think Dulcinea is a good person and is truly sorry for what they have to do to Gideon to succeed at this challenge.

Bonus Question: The skulls on top of the chapters belong to each house but I have been unable to find any pattern or meaning to their order. Anyone think there is a purpose or pattern? Did I miss something obvious?

Huh? :D I never look at chapter headings, so I have no idea.

DQ’s Day Two: October 7, 2019
Chapters 8-13

6. I think we all had a feeling (including Gideon) that Harrow wanted her ring - & of course, she got it. What do you think was her purpose of stealing the ring from Gideon?

Harrows had no intention of working with Gideon, she's always intended to become a Lyctor (am I remembering the spelling right) by herself. So of course, Gideon can't have any part of the solution.

7. Gideon has never seen modern technologies such as a sink with running water, or a toilet. She didn’t even know the difference between night & day... nor had she ever had a hot beverage before. This, in itself, tells us more about the Ninth than we knew before, but could also leave room for speculation. Would you consider this book to be speculative fiction? If so, what are some of the different things you could speculate from this or other parts of the story?

To me this is a dystopian novel far in the future. Paper and wood are obsolete. A sink is ancient technology. Gideon's world probably used to be our world, just forever ago.

8. Somehow the Third twin knew Gideon was hiding in the stairwell eavesdropping, even though she couldn’t physically see her, & told her that isn’t the way to start things off. Will this encounter affect Gideon & the Twins in the future? Is it a sign of what’s to come?

I honestly have trouble remember which ones are the necromancers and which ones are the cavaliers, but I think the twins are the necromancers and they all seem to have different powers. Also, they are creepy as hell.

9. What do you think Dulcinea’s motive is when talking to Gideon? She seems to be the only one really “intrigued” by Gideon, to the point of wanting to be around her a lot. Is this just normal, friendly interest? Or is there something bigger at play here?

I am hoping that we are supposed to be suspicious of Dulcinea and then be surprised when she is as seems. Someone has be decent in this whole mess.

Hi team. I have a book finished last night and I'm about 25 pages from finishing the BOM, which will put me at 4. My other 3 books will be shorter, but I can add another 300 pager (maybe 2) if anyone is going to be short this week. I've had Monday as the day for this challenge in my head for so long, that the actual Sunday deadline for us North Americans keeps screwing me up.

Absolutely. I picked it up because it is obviously blue (to me) in real life, but when I went looking on GR, this was the closest I could come to the cover. I will put it for Gluttony (over 600 pages).

is the closest cover I can find to what I'm reading. My physical cover looks more blue, but this picture looks green to me. So can we get a ruling on what I should mark it as. Should be done tonight. :)

Alysa wrote: "I'm nearly done with a short book that I originally thought I could squeeze in for Lava but my Interlibrary Loan quite didn't arrive in time.


Anyone else ever heard o..."

I like Southern Gothic, I'll have to add them to my TBR.

My opinion - yes on enough blue, no on enough pink. :D

I'm starting a little behind and honestly, I'm not loving the book so far. The "humour" mainly falls flat for me and it's just too dark. I have hopes for the next section though.

Day 1: Chapters 1-7

1. I love the world building this author does for her universe. I find it helpful in epic fantasies when authors give a little narrative upfront about the main characters in the story and their interrelationships. The world is very grey where Gideon lives - even her porridge is grey. Her arrival in this house as a baby from a woman that fell into the world was very auspicious. Gideon attempted to run away when she was four, and tried 86 times to run away by the time she was 18. What were your initial impressions of this world?

Honestly I felt as if I started mid-book. I do appreciate the background we are given, but I still have too many questions.

2. Harrow tricked Gideon when she talked about her offer of freedom. Gideon seemed to have the upper hand, but then Harrow won the fight through her earlier planning and planting that day. What do you think that says about their relationship?

As of now I dislike both characters so much that I don't care about their relationship or lack there of. There's obviously history and only romantic betrayal engenders that much hatred in fiction.

3. So Harrow wants Gideon to be her guardian as she travels to the other houses. Seems like a good opportunity to get off the Ninth, and become a Cohort. Gideon does take the position. Do you think that was a good choice for her?

Might not be a good choice, but it seems her best choice. The Ninth seems a place very difficult to escape from and at least leaving gives her the thought of possibilities.

4. I liked when Gideon’s sword instructor said “anyone can learn to fight, not anyone can learn to think”. Do you think that Gideon needs to do more thinking than fighting?

Absolutely, she reacts instead of acting.

5. What do you think about the House of the First? The world seems like the exact opposite of the ninth in terms of light and sky, rather than everything grey. All the houses are there - do you think Gideon is going to get into trouble or save Harrow from trouble?

Probably both in the long run, at least I hope so for balance.

I'm probably worse than the site that cannot be named, but honestly none of those covers look 50% of any valid colour to me. This is why I usually go with another option. :D

Same Jessi. I'm reading a bunch of big books and I'll probably finish them all on the same day this weekend. But I will finish my 6-7 books I promise. :D

Had to read a little book for another challenge, added it to the spreadsheet for a puny few points. :D

Got through almost half of last night and now it's almost lunch time, so I can get some more reading done. I really didn't like the first 100 pages or so, but it has improved. I don't think I'm going to love the book as much as most people, but I will definitely finish it at least. :D

I'll be reading Two Can Keep a Secret and I'll volunteer for DQs. I will read The Chestnut Man too, if I can find a free copy by November. I'm not a big fan of Nordic Noir (and my library agrees with me) so it's not a book I'm willing to spend money on. :D

I have absolutely no family thing today :D so if I'd just get up and get my work done now, I'll be able to start reading in about 4 hours.

M wrote: "I am going to start with these
"

Oh Dune! How I loved that book. Apparently 441 people think it is a space opera and I can pretty much guarantee something about it is going to annoy you. :) But it's a love it or hate it book for sure.