Mary’s Comments (group member since Jan 29, 2017)

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

6.) This section opens with some spooky stuff going on. If you saw literal ghosts in the creepy place you worked, would you split right away? Would you of left with sketchy-past Nick? Would you go back to work or think the overnight creep factor was making you see things that weren't really there?

Umm, I would be out of there by myself and never turn around. No matter how much information I wanted I would not be brave enough to handle all that.

7.) Viv listens to guests' phone conversations. There is the saying 'people who eavesdrop are seldom happy with what they hear'. Or something close to that anyway. Do you think she may over hear something that results in her disappearance? Would you listen in if you were Viv?

There is a possibility that Viv over hears something that gets her in trouble, but I do not think that is the reason. I am not sure I would listen, but you can say that and then not do what you were going to say. I guess it would depend on the situation.

8.) There really have been several deaths of young women in Fell, especially factoring in the size of the town. Do you think they are all connected? Connected to Viv's disappearance? Do you buy into the police stance of no connection between any of them?

I believe that they are connected so I do not believe the police stance and I truly believe that it is connected to Viv's disappearance, especially with how much she has been looking into it. Someone did not like her looking into all these murders. It is just curious that no one has ever found her body.

9.) What do you think of the complete laxness of management and staff at The Sun Down Motel? Anyone else wonder how the heck that place is still open? And more importantly, why?

I cannot believe the complete laxness of the management at the Sun Down Motel. With all of that I cannot understand how they are still open and where they get the money to stay open. What's the point honestly? The why is the important part.

10.) Any thoughts on the candy machine? It keeps popping up in both timelines. Maybe nothing, but in this type of story, who knows.

I found it curious that the prices haven't changed in either timeline. It makes me wonder how old that candy really is...

11.) Marnie and Callum are interesting additions to the character line-up, thoughts? Did you think it was strange that Marnie won't talk with Carly? Callum local nice boy-helper dude or creeper?

I think Marnie is worried Carly is going to end up the same way as Viv because she is digging into these disappearances. And I feel that Callum is a creeper...I am not sold yet but I do not like him.

Day 1 DQ's: 0-21% (ends "he opened the door.")

1. The Sundown Motel...what a perfect name for a motel! Have you ever stayed at a motel before...something like the Sundown? What was the name of the motel...Any interesting experiences come of that?

I cannot remember the name of the motel but one time my sister and I stayed at a motel and we were truly terrified. We felt like hotel california. Our trailer lights had stopped working so we had to stop in a small town in Missouri and the room was so weird. To say the least we left quite early the next day.

2. Viv is young and working alone. I don't think I would tolerate my daughter doing anything of the sort. What were you thinking from the 1st few pages? Viv comments..."Being with people was easy, but being alone was hard. Especially along in the dark. The person who could be truly alone, in the company of no one but oneself and one's own thought--that person was stronger than anyone else. More ready. More prepared."

Being alone is always difficult for me. You tend to hear things not there and it is terrifying. Plus I do not do dark well. People who can handle the quiet and dark are a lot stronger than me.

3. What do you think the significance of the door to number 103 banging open/shut is?

I am note sure yet. Especially since for Carly its the rooms in the 200s that are doing that. I'll be curious to know why that is important.

4. So far Carly's mom's reaction to seeing the newspaper clipping..."Vivian is dead" has really bothered me. What's your take? Have you already solved the case? Is Vivian dead?

Usually with books like this I can figure out pretty quickly what happened. But not this one and to be honest it is stressing me out.

5. What did you think about the dual timeline between Viv and Carly? In what ways are Viv and Carly very similar? How are they different?

I am not sure how I feel about the timeline. I am hoping nothing comes to hurt Carly but dual timelines tend to have side by side effects like that. They are similar in that they both did not mean to end up in Fell yet there they are. Carly I feel is a little more brave and transparent about why she decided to stay.

The Sun Down Motel is probably going to give me nightmares. I want to start binge reading it but I’d rather sleep tonight. Haha

Laura wrote: "Great job on the tags M. Does anyone else have any books planned that will work for our tags this round?

I'll put a countdown clock up early next week

Hats off to all the teamies that read BOM b..."

I am currently working on The Sun Down Motel but it is taking me a bit to get into. I'm about done with day 1 so I can answer some discussion questions.

Day 3 Questions
chapters 10 - 15

10) I can't imagine the stress of trying to balance the knowledge of a fairly terminal prognosis with trying to be hopeful to live. I mean, we all know our days are numbered, but when you have an idea of what the number might be, you can either try to suck the marrow out of every day or curl up and try not to care enough to let anything hurt you more. Who do you think will have a bigger effect on the other, Will or Stella, and what do you hope will be the outcome, from a personal growth aspect?
I personally hope they both grow together into getting the most out of each day and really enjoying their lives; even though, it seems that they cannot be together.

11) Maybe I'm too cynical, but I kept feeling like Abby was used as the personification of the idea that "See, you never know how long you have to live, so..." and not flawed enough to be a real person. Did anyone else feel that way or am I being a meanie?
There was definitely not enough character development for Abby and I feel she could have contributed a lot to the story if she hadn’t passed away.

12) I loved Barb's parental takedown. Do you think the shift in Stella's parents will last?
I do. Sometimes all it takes is one person calling you out to realize the mistakes you’ve made.

13) Reflecting on Barb's story of Amy and Trevor: would you choose a much shorter but immediately fuller life, or a longer lifespan though it may be less vibrant?
I personally would choose a shorter but immediately fuller life if it meant my happiness.

14) Poe says "It's my sickness...it's my problem." While it's admirable to strive for self-sufficiency, a main message of the book seems to be about how it's imperative to open up and do the work to nurture healthy, supportive relationships. What is your take on this? When in crisis, do you distance yourself or reach out?
When in a crisis I am terrible and I distance myself. I do not want others to help if it’s something that I can worry about myself. Why get everyone else worked up when there is no need.

Day 2 Questions

6 . 'I wonder how many strings she had to pull and how much money she had to throw away to get me into this trial'
This quote caught my attention because in the UK we don't have to pay for treatment, even in a clinical trial in the UK. Did it catch anyone else's notice?

Being from the US this is the norm. And treatment is not cheap by the least bit. It is a little bit ridiculous.


7. Are you surprised at how quickly Stella has become attached to Will? I wasn't expecting this strength of reaction to him not taking his treatment seriously. Did you think it was in character?

I was a little surprised since she is such a strict character about her treatment, but opposites do attract so maybe that has something to do with it.

8. Wow Will's mum is controlling. I'm not surprised he's ended up rebelling from taking his treatments. Do you think you'd react like Stella (perfectionist, controlling about treatment and planning for the future) or Will (fed up, rebellious and living for the moment) to being in this type of situation?

I personally would be controlling about the treatment and planning for the future, but that is just who I am,.


9. Masks, lots of hand washing, staying 6 feet (or roughly 2m) apart, limited places you can go… The recent pandemic is giving me more insight into some of what this must be like than I'd had before. How are you coping with the changes?

Honestly it was difficult at first, but I’ve grown into a enjoying the being at home. I also have grown to really enjoy working from home. I feel that I am much more productive.

Discussion Questions - Day 1

1) From what I know, this book is the novelization of the movie. While this doesn’t happen too often, I’ve read a couple books before that were only written after a movie/series (e.g. The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet). Have you ever read a book like this? What did you think? Was it successful? Did this experience influence your expectations of this book?
I rarely read a book before seeing the movie. However, I loved it. It was near impossible for me to put down and I really enjoyed the writing style. I went in having to expectations due to my rule of no movies before reading the book.


2) Stella and Will, wearing face masks & using copious amounts of hand sanitizer before it was cool. All jokes aside, this is an oddly timely reminder that face masks do make a difference to prevent the spreading of diseases. I knew next to nothing about CF before starting this book and I’ve seen very mixed reactions to the representation of CF so I was wondering… do you have any experience with CF and therefore expectations? (If you don’t feel comfortable answering, feel free to just skip this question!)
I do not have any experience with CF so I really did not know what to expect.


3) "If I’m going to die, I’d like to actually live first.“ This quote from Will’s POV reminded me of the countless bucket list stories and made me wonder whether this will go in that direction. Yet while Will takes more of a Devil-May-care attitude, Stella is very cautious to follow the rules. Do you think Will’s attitude is going to influence Stella as they got closer (literally?!). Will she also take more (dangerous) risks?ey
I think they are going to wear off on each other. Will is going to become more cautious and Stella is going to start breaking some rules.


4) Stella is a "tech nerd", even programming her own app. Most MCs in YA books have artsy, "girly" hobbies (sorry for using that terrible gendered stereotype), if they have any prominent hobbies at all. Books about artsy people are among my favorites and I’m always on the hunt for more. While I like traditional hobbies, some of my favorite books (e.g. With the Fire on High) have non-mainstream hobbies and I am actually quite excited to learn more about this aspect of Stella’s story. Have you read any other books where the main character had a prominent hobby that wasn’t drawing/painting/writing/theater/an instrument?
I have not really read any books where there were other prominent hobbies that the usual. I really like that about this book. It represents that girls can do anything if they put their mind to it.


5) Stella’s parents are recently divorced, in what she calls the “most ridiculous divorce of all time”, and she worries a lot about them. It both breaks my heart and confuses me slightly why it is so far being kept from us what happened - we only know that Stella believes both parents are unhappy after the separation. So… what do you think happened?
Something in the family caused the two to separate. Tests of families with illnesses as such really tend to pull people apart.

Completion Post

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
read: June 28
pages: 288

works for :
Author - Rachael
Character Poe

Tasks:
199 Read a book with a blue cover

Sorry that I have been absent the past couple of days. There was a positive case of covid at my kids daycare. So we've decided to quarantine for 14 days and we've been working on getting into a new routine. I hopefully should be back on and posting.

About to add my completion post for five feet apart and then go answer the discussion questions shortly after. :)

Went and picked up the July BOMs yesterday from Barnes and Noble. I’ll start those once I finish Five Feet Apart. Is it too late to get the BOM points for five feet apart as long as I still answer some discussion questions?

Completion Post

Toward the Sea of Freedom by Sarah Lark
Read: 6/25/20
Pages: 560

works for:
T: Toward the Sea of Freedom
E: character Elizabeth

Task: 9 Read a book set in New Zealand

Completion Post

Book: Zodiac Academy: Shadow Princess by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
Date: 6/24/2020
Pages: 733

D - Darius
P - Peckham

Task: 22 Read a book with a black cover

Completion Post


The Jetsetters
352 pages

T - The Jetsetters (title)
A - Amanda (author)
E - Eyre (author)
P - Perkins Family (characters)

No tags

Task
48 MPG Contemporary

BOM discussion.

Does a book have to match a task or is it just okay to match a letter in our word?

COMPLETION POST
book: Untamed
author: Glennon Doyle
pages: 352
read: 6.17


U: title
D: author
A: character, Abby

task:
135 Read a book with a one word title

Aiswrya wrote: "Also, I started reading Jetsetters. For the life of me, I can’t get into it! I’m going to try reading a few more chapters, but I might end up giving up on it. Sorry guys!"

It took me longer than I would have liked to get into, but it picked up for me.

Trina wrote: "Navi wrote: "Trina wrote: "My kindle died on me!!!!! :'( :'( its soooooo mean to me!!!! Guess I'll see if I can get the library app to work on my laptop lol then I can start to listen to [book:Five..."

I plug in my kids when I am reading so that when I kill mine and they are asleep I steal theirs...

Discussion Questions - Day 3 - Parts 5 & 6

9. Structure: "The Jetsetters" is divided into nine parts with an average of five different chapters (other than Part 1, which had nine chapters) in each part. Each chapter has, as yet, indicated a point of view change. What do you think the different parts are designating, if anything? How is it affecting your reading of the book, if at all?

Sometimes if I get really into a POV I forget and miss the switch over and then am kind of confused. I wish that the POV sections were a bit longer, so there could be more character development.

10. Setting: So far, the Perkins have visited, in some capacity, Athens, Rhodes, and, most recently, Malta. How has the Mediterranian setting impacted both the story and the characters, if at all? And how do you think the story and characters would have been affected if the cruise was traveling through a different setting (say the Perkins boarded an Alaskan cruise line), if there would be any?

I do not feel that there would be much difference to be honest. Each one is wrapped up in the own world and not truly paying much attention to the world around them.

11. Minor Character (Paros): As a follow up to question eight (since I am biasedly refusing to discuss Matt at any great length if I can help it), Paros has positively influenced both Charlotte (in feeling seen and admired) and Lee (in reconnecting with her family after coming to some big personal realizations). Why do you think Paros (and not Charlotte's recently deceased friend Minnie or Lee's one-time therapist) has been able to make these positive influences? Do you think this will continue and Paros will positively influence Regan and Cord in some way? If so, how?

I think he seems like a loving father figure and that is what is attracting these characters to him. He’s helpful and understanding. He continues to try to understand and follow through on feelings like Charlotte being worried about her daughter. I am hoping he can influence Cord that it is okay to come out to his family and that Regan can leave her awful husband, Matt.

12. Minor Character (Kiko): Kiko's character has been used to further characterize the children indirectly: signifying Regan's meticulous mind (a mind that is plotting a murder, ha!), Lee's reformed ways rejecting the advances of men, and Cord's attraction towards men. Is Charlotte's character also indirectly characterized via Kiko? If so, how? (Also, I was so dismayed because Cord was my favorite character and his engagement to Giovonni was so cute and yet many of you predicted that Cord would be outted by being caught in a compromising situation by his family! gasp! So I ask you...) Was Cord's flirting with Kiko harmless, or was it a foreshadowing of a similar situation to come later in the novel?

Cord really needs to stop and figure out his life. He is kind of all over the place. He just PROPOSED for goodness sake. I understand some harmless flirting, but that’s sometimes where it all starts especially when there is alcohol involved. I really hope that he doesn’t sabotage himself by not being true to his happiness and feelings about Giovanni. I think eventually it will come out to his family that he is gay I am just not sure when this is going to happen.

Discussion Questions Day 2: Parts 2 - 4
5. We get more flashbacks to Charlotte's early life in Paris, and start to get an understanding of why her family isn't close or communicative - she herself was brought up to repress feelings. Will her current crush on Paros blossom into a full relationship? How will her fascination with Paros help or hinder her main aim of this holiday - to reconnect her children?

I am hoping something comes from the Paros crush. I think Charlotte deserves a little happiness in her life. It will however hinder some of her main aim of reconnecting with her children because her attention will be elsewhere.

6. Cord: he jettisons a year and a half of sobriety very easily, though I did enjoy how the author then used his drunken ramble through the ship to show off some of the glorious absurdities of massive cruise ships. Will Cord be able to pull himself together over the cruise or is he going to self-sabotage any happiness he might have had? Do you think Charlotte would react badly to his coming out of the closet? Any guesses on how he gets outed?

I think Cord has a long way to go to actually find happiness. I think the happiness he currently has it manipulated into a world that he wants it to be. I truly feel that Charlotte is not going to react badly to his coming out. I think the siblings are going to start fighting and it is going to get spilled.

7. Lee: We get confirmation that Winston did commit suicide, and chose to do it in her bathroom (what a $*!@$!). Why would Charlotte make her lie to her siblings about how he died? And why does noone call her out about her lies about her career?

I think Charlotte is trying to protect them from the tragedy of it all. She could not protect Lee, but she could protect the others. I think no one has called her out because they know she’s been struggling and there’s only so much negativity someone with regrets can handle when their world starts coming down.

8. Regan: plotting murder! The plot thickens! What do you think the private detective has turned up? I assume it must be worse that infidelity, because you don't hire a PI unless you suspect infidelity, right? ('cos of course we have all thought about having our partners trailed rather than just, y'know, communicating with them!) Do you find the flashbacks to Matt rescuing Regan from the artist teacher (shades of Charlotte again!) make him more likeable?

Matt is by far one of the worst characters. I cannot relate to him and nothing he has done has made him more likeable. Yes, he rescued Regan from her art teacher but people change and he’s not that person at this point in time. I cannot even assume what the PI found, but I am super curious to know, especially since Cord is getting involved.

Discussion Questions - Day 1


1) This is not a book I would’ve picked up on my own, and from the beginning I felt very strongly that I’m not the target (age) group, so I’m extra curious how I’m going to feel about this. Had you heard about this book before it was chosen as BOM? What were your expectations going in?

I had heard of this book before because of the Hello Sunshine book club. I had not gotten a chance to pick it up yet so I was thrilled to get an opportunity to pick it up. I did not really have any expectations going in expect it was not something I would usually pick up.


2) I was surprised to see that the POVs rotates. Somehow the blurb made me think the whole book would be from Charlotte’s POV. Whose POV are you enjoying the most so far? Who is your favorite character?

I think Regan is my favorite character so far. It is probably because she is a mom like myself. I really hope she grows as a person more throughout the book.


3) While Charlotte is supposedly the closest to Regan out of all her kids, their POVs show that they actually resent each other the most out of any of our four main characters. I can understand where Regan’s coming from, but Charlotte’s dislike of Regan so far is quite a mystery to me. What do you think is at the core here?

I think Charlotte feels that Regan may be the reason her family is on the outs with the whole Matt thing.

4) What do you think will happen on the trip? Will they even do the whole thing? Who will be the first to pack their bags and run back home? Which secrets will come out first?

I think secrets will be coming out. I think they will all make it through the trip. There is going to be a lot of tension the first few days though.