Briana’s Comments (group member since Aug 15, 2018)

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

I finished The Case for Jamie last night and I'm about halfway through Royal Assassin I want to hit 2/3 done by tonight. I'm planning to start Pretties and finish The Obelisk Gate tonight as well.

I finished The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper yesterday and have added it to the spreadsheet.

I'm halfway through The Five and I'm planning to finish it tomorrow. and it's a holiday weekend for me this weekend so I should be able to knock out the other 4. I'll be prioritizing Royal Assassin and The Obelisk Gate since they are worth a good chunk of points each, but I definitely intend to have them all done by the deadline.

Sea Haven and Drake Sisters is why I decided to give her GhostWalkers series a chance and I think I only made it halfway through book 1 before the cringeworthy uber-alpha male sent me running from the hills. I don't remember the men being quite that bad in the other series. Kresley Cole's Immortals after Dark series is another personal favorite if you enjoy other supernatural creatures as well as witches starring in your paranormal romances.

I usually reread sign of seven at least once every couple years. something about that set of characters really just resonate with me. Three Sisters was my first Nora Roberts back when I was a teenager.

I keep meaning to read Practical Magic and Discovery of Witches. Maybe I'll finally manage it this year during teams.

The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy by Nora Roberts is one of my favorites. Have you read her Sign of Seven Trilogy or Three Sisters Island? The Three kind of make up my favorite trilogies by her.

9) Considering Satoru seems to be quite perceptive overall, do you think he knew about Sugi’s less charitable feelings about him, both in the past and during this visit?
He's perceptive but I think he's perceptive to a fault he can make out a lot of things but I think he was also a little blind to Sugi's feelings for Chikako and his hopes that she never learns of Satoru's feelings for her. I could see him sort of getting it after Sugi asked him to keep his feelings to himself a second time but I'm not sure that's true of Satoru in the past.

10) So far, the chapters have all been combining Satoru and Nana’s journey with Satoru’s past with several other people, as well as their backgrounds. How do you feel about this interlude (chapter 3.5) focused entirely on the man and his cat? What does it add to the story?
I loved this little interlude to see them in the present and interacting with each other. To see Satoru worried for Nana and Nana realizing just how much he means to Satoru that he would worry and scold him for disappearing into the tall grass. It adds a nice look into how close they are and why Nana keeps trying so hard to leave with Satoru with each friend they visit to try as his new home.

11) For the first time, we got a hint of what’s going on with Satoru when the dog said “he smells like he isn’t going to make it” in chapter 3, and this came up again in chapter 3.5. So it sounds like Satoru is ill… was that your prediction for question 4?
Yes, it was. I didn't like knowing I was right though.

12) Squabbles between cats and dogs were really present in these sections. So: Are you a cat person or a dog person or both (or neither)?
I'm a dog person had them all my life and can't imagine my life without them, but sometimes I think it'd be nice to have a cat too.

5) I really like reading the cat's thoughts. It can be quite funny. Do you think these are convincing cat thoughts?
Given cats are frequently described as fiercely independent yes Nana's thoughts feel very convincing for a cat.

6) In this chapter we are introduced to Yoshimine, another potential owner for our cat. What do you think of him and his backstory?
I liked Yoshimine, I liked how he was no-nonsense and even though Nana wasn't thrilled without he pulled him out of the carrier without permission seemed to respect Yoshimine easily. Even cared enough to teach the kitten how to care for itself to be a help to Yoshimine. His backstory though was sad but not super unsurprising especially after it was revealed that his parents were getting a divorce and that was why he was sent to live with his grandmother. It didn't break my heart the way Satoru's did but it still made me hurt for the character and be happy that he had such a good friend in Satoru.

7) Do you think Yoshimine would have been a good owner for Nana?
I think Nana and Yoshimine would have had a more ships passing in the night relationship than the symbiotic relationship Nana and Satoru had. Yoshimine would have allowed Nana to exercise his instincts again and hunt like he wants to, but in a way Nana was already to used to living the pet life and being cared for to really enjoy it long term again.

8) Yoshimine has already a kitten called Chatran, and Satoru makes fun of him for naming his cat with such a cliché name. What is for you the most cliché cat name(s)? In french it is quite common to call a cat Chaussette (meaning sock), Mistigri or Felix (actually a cat food brand).
Whiskers or Mittens, I've heard of a lot of cats with those names either in media or in real life over the years and it's nice to hear when a cat has a unique name sort of like a person's name rather than something that spoke to a physical attribute of the cat.

Shan ~A~ wrote: "I apologize. I thought I was going to be able to long in every night while I've been out of town for my daughter's commencement ceremonies, but we've been so busy that this is the first time I've h..."

Congratulations to your daughter.

1. How are you liking the way the story is written with its alternating POVs ? Is there a POV you prefer ?
I don't mind the alternating POVs so much, I do dislike when the cat interrupts the other POV just to add his thoughts. However, with that in mind, I find the cat's POV the most interesting it's just such a novel thing reading from the point of view of a cat instead of a person.

2. Through the flashbacks we get to know Satoru's personality a bit more. What do you make of him so far ? What did you think about his way of helping his friend Kosuke?
Satoru is such a strange fellow. And I kind of agree with Nana when he determined that Satoru wasn't that bright as a child. His heart seems to be in the right place with his plan to help Kousuke but how they actually went about acting on that plan wasn't the best idea ever.

3. Talking about Kosuke, what's up with his parents? It seemed to me that Kosuke was genuinely convinced that his father would agree to keep the cat (Hachi). What did you think about his backstory?
Kousuke's backstory makes me sad and I wish he'd been able to keep Hachi like he wanted, but his father seems to be a very overbearing and controlling and possibly abusive. And one of his ways to cope was to sort of inflate the good moments of his father which was how he sort of convinced himself that his father would allow him to keep Hachi after Satoru had to give him up.

4. Why do you think Satoru can't take care of Nana anymore ?
I think he's sick/dying. It just seems to make the most sense for his sudden need to find a good home for Nana.

Keely wrote: "I'm currently working on a wolf one and the one back home is of the northern lights. I've got another two the same size (60x90cm) in stock and some smaller cheaper ones. I've also started making my..."

I love those original pokemon starters they're so cute in diamonds. Did you get them from Homecraftology as well?

Sammy wrote: "Melissa wrote: "I am totally trying this out this summer. I just found a Snoopy Starry Night one that I love. Do you any of you have a particular website / store you use to purchase these?

I love ..."

Those are gorgeous I'm still working on an elephant one that was supposed to be a Christmas present for my mother last and I failed miserably at getting it finished an framed in time. But it was my first one with square drills and oh they are so much nicer than the round ones.

Also Melissa in the US there's a company called Diamond Dotz that has great beginner ones at affordable prices, and Michael's/JoAnne's usually has a 20%-50% off sale on them a couple of times a year to make room for new designs if you wanted to give it a try.

Hi. My name is Kit/Briana and I'm from Connecticut in the states. I'm a toddler teacher and Girl Scout leader which can make some weeks incredibly hectic. I participated in TT last year and it was a lot fun so naturally I said let's do it again this year.

I primarily read fantasy, romance, and mystery/thriller. And my shelf is all good.

Can't wait to read with you all.

200 pages

Current Total: 73,091

1/8/22 183 pages
1/8/22 168 pages

Total: 351 pages

Current Total: 28,921

Cleaning out the TBR Closet
Goal 40 books

Progress 15/40

2015
1. Pretties by Scott Westerfeld 5/31/2022
2. Specials by Scott Westerfeld July 2022
3. Extras by Scott Westerfeld
4. Blue Noon by Scott Westerfeld

2017
5. The Prophecy of Shadows by Michelle Madow
6. The Girl Who Dared to Think by Bella Forrest 1/16/22

2018
7. Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
8. The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
9. The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King
10. Mind Dimensions by Dima Zales
11. Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs 3/20/22
12. River Marked by Patricia Briggs 5/16/2022
13. Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs 7/3/22
14. Night Broken by Patricia Briggs 7/11/22
15. Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs 10/21/2022
16. Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs
17. Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs
18. Holidays Are Hell by Kim Harrison
19. White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison
20. Unbound by Kim Harrison

Series to continue/Finish
21. The King of Crows by Libba Bray3/20/22
22. All the Tides of Fate by Adalyn Grace 3/19/22
23. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells 1/8/22
24. A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab
25. A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle
26. The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro 2/5/22
27. The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson
28. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
29. Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
30. Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
31. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
32. Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine
33. The Secret by K.A. Applegate
34. City of Spells by Alexandra Christo
35. The Queen's Secret by Melissa de la Cruz
36. Sightwitch by Susan Dennard
37. Every Which Way But Dead by Kim Harrison 3/22/2022
38. Spring by Audrey Grey
39. Famine by Laura Thalassa 2/25/22
40. A Strange Hymn by Laura Thalassa 4/15/22

TBR Tackler 2022
January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022
Coathanger 8 books
Progress 2/8

1. #4 Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs 3/20/22
2. #58 The Turn: The Hollows Begins with Death by Kim Harrison
3. #69 The Summer King by O.R. Melling
4. #126 Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs
5. #152 Spark by Brigid Kemmerer
6. #259 The Best Lies by Sarah Lyu
7. #285 Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews
8. #298 The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold 5/27/22

New 2 You Authors Reading Challenge
Duration: January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022
Level: Fresh Face (5)
Progress: 5/5

1. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin ★★★★/5
2. A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham ★★★.5/5
3. The Awakening by Caroline Peckham ★★★/5
4. Vanishing Girls by Lisa Regan ★★★/5
5. The Girl Who Dared to Think by Bella Forrest ★★★/5

Completion Post

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
400 pages
July 31

1, 2, 3

Completion Post

Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
432 pages
July 31

1, 2, 3