Sonia’s Comments (group member since Feb 10, 2012)

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

Cat wrote: "Sonia wrote: "Lexi wrote: "I almost suggested The Daughter of Doctor Moreau but I figured we needed a list with more than one author"

I totally forgot about that one, otherwise, I ..."

Okay, going to change it then. If it wins, Lexi and I both have to grab a spot *giggles*

Lexi wrote: "I almost suggested The Daughter of Doctor Moreau but I figured we needed a list with more than one author"

I totally forgot about that one, otherwise, I would have nominated it instead... oh well, there's always next month.

Laughter at the Academy by Seanan McGuire

From fairy tale forest to gloomy gothic moor, from gleaming epidemiologist’s lab to the sandy shores of Neverland, Seanan McGuire’s short fiction has been surprising, delighting, confusing, and transporting her readers since 2009. Now, for the first time, that fiction has been gathered together in one place, ready to be enjoyed one twisting, tangled tale at a time. Her work crosses genres and subverts expectations.

Meet the mad scientists of “Laughter at the Academy” and “The Tolling of Pavlov’s Bells.” Glory in the potential of a Halloween that never ends. Follow two very different alphabets in “Frontier ABCs” and “From A to Z in the Book of Changes.” Get “Lost,” dress yourself “In Skeleton Leaves,” and remember how to fly. All this and more is waiting for you within the pages of this decade-spanning collection, including several pieces that have never before been reprinted. Stories about mermaids, robots, dolls, and Deep Ones are all here, ready for you to dive in.

This is a box of strange surprises dredged up from the depths of the sea, each one polished and prepared for your enjoyment. So take a chance, and allow yourself to be surprised.

I thought this one had been a BOM for sure, bbut it wasn't on the list, so maybe I'm just thinking the author, not the book :o)

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

[Edit] Edited to change nomination, cause Cat said I could!!!!

So, new one:


The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

A lavish historical drama reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico.

Carlota Moreau: a young woman, growing up in a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of either a genius, or a madman.

Montgomery Laughton: a melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his scientific experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers.

The hybrids: the fruits of the Doctor’s labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities.

All of them living in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Doctor Moreau’s patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction.

For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and in the sweltering heat of the jungle, passions may ignite.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is both a dazzling historical novel and a daring science fiction journey.

Sammy wrote: "Sonia wrote: "Sammy wrote: "I'm reading along because Sonia told me to. "

This is the reason it will be different.

Have I ever let anyone down when it comes to books?! Uhm?"

Ahem... lol."

WHAT?!

Sammy wrote: "I'm reading along because Sonia told me to. "

This is the reason it will be different.

Have I ever let anyone down when it comes to books?! Uhm?

I can't shake the image of Grandma Duck holding a cake and suddenly producing a big darn knife from said cake and putting her game face on.

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

Welcome to Charon's Crossing.
The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through.

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead.

And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead.

But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson

#1 New York Times Bestseller

In Furiously Happy, a humor memoir tinged with just enough tragedy and pathos to make it worthwhile, Jenny Lawson examines her own experience with severe depression and a host of other conditions, and explains how it has led her to live life to the fullest:

"I've often thought that people with severe depression have developed such a well for experiencing extreme emotion that they might be able to experience extreme joy in a way that ‘normal people' also might never understand. And that's what Furiously Happy is all about."

Jenny’s readings are standing room only, with fans lining up to have Jenny sign their bottles of Xanax or Prozac as often as they are to have her sign their books. Furiously Happy appeals to Jenny's core fan base but also transcends it. There are so many people out there struggling with depression and mental illness, either themselves or someone in their family—and in Furiously Happy they will find a member of their tribe offering up an uplifting message (via a taxidermied roadkill raccoon). Let's Pretend This Never Happened ostensibly was about embracing your own weirdness, but deep down it was about family. Furiously Happy is about depression and mental illness, but deep down it's about joy—and who doesn't want a bit more of that?

Sammy wrote: "I've yet to read past the prologue :D :D"

you and me both

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that's their secret weapon.

They've spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they're sixty years old, four women friends can't just retire - it's kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller.

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills.

When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they've been marked for death.

Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They're about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman--and a killer--of a certain age.

Think of a Number by John Verdon


An extraordinary fiction debut, Think of a Number is an exquisitely plotted novel of suspense that grows relentlessly darker and more frightening as its pace accelerates, forcing its deeply troubled characters to moments of startling self-revelation.

Arriving in the mail over a period of weeks are taunting letters that end with a simple declaration, “Think of any number…picture it…now see how well I know your secrets.” Amazingly, those who comply find that the letter writer has predicted their random choice exactly. For Dave Gurney, just retired as the NYPD’s top homicide investigator and forging a new life with his wife, Madeleine, in upstate New York, the letters are oddities that begin as a diverting puzzle but quickly ignite a massive serial murder investigation.

What police are confronted with is a completely baffling killer, one who is fond of rhymes filled with threats and warnings, whose attention to detail is unprecedented, and who has an uncanny knack for disappearing into thin air. Even more disturbing, the scale of his ambition seems to widen as events unfold.

Brought in as an investigative consultant, Dave Gurney soon accomplishes deductive breakthroughs that leave local police in awe. Yet, even as he matches wits with his seemingly clairvoyant opponent, Gurney’s tragedy-marred past rises up to haunt him, his marriage approaches a dangerous precipice, and finally, a dark, cold fear builds that he’s met an adversary who can’t be stopped.

In the end, fighting to keep his bearings amid a whirlwind of menace and destruction, Gurney sees the truth of what he’s become – what we all become when guilty memories fester – and how his wife Madeleine’s clear-eyed advice may be the only answer that makes sense.

A work that defies easy labels -- at once a propulsive masterpiece of suspense and an absorbing immersion in the lives of characters so real we seem to hear their heartbeats – Think of a Number is a novel you’ll not soon forget

Jenny wrote: "The "cover" on the audio isn't as pretty as the "cover" on the kindle, so I may just spend the 2.99 as well.
How's that for making a thoughtful decision?"

Sounds like a perfectly valid justification for me :o)

I got the kindle. I might have it on my library.. but that would mean reading in portuguese... and sometimes we have the nasty habit of splitting books into shorter ones like with Game of Thrones or Mists of Avalon.

uhmmm... I'm tempted to join... if not for the slightly issue with self imposed readings...

*looks at kindle store*

It's only 2.99... uhmmm decisions, decisions...

Another team challenge completed!!!

It was fun team, thank you so much for being here!


And I still didn't read our name sake... I guess I have one goal for 2023 already :o)

Happy readings, and Merry Christmas!

Apoorv wrote: "Sonia wrote: "Hey team. So, I have this thing happening this weekend with no internet access. I'll be back on monday, with tim e to spare to do the rounds last call.

Happy readings"

Got you cover..."

Thanks!

It was a worthy experience!

Hey team. So, I have this thing happening this weekend with no internet access. I'll be back on monday, with tim e to spare to do the rounds last call.

Happy readings

Vian wrote: "How is it that December is so busy? Isn't there supposed to be something about holiday spirit and enjoying it?

I kinda fell off reading last week, but I'm hopeful this week is better."

We would think so, yes. But I'm starting to realize that doesn't apply to adults.

Meh

Tati wrote: "yikes, I could swear the minimum was 150 pages, sorry about that"

No problem. As long as it wasn't read on purpose or a bad reading, that would have sucked.

I was doing MRR at the same time, and that one has a *very* low limit, so, I kinda stuck with the 300 page range, just to be sure I wouldn't mix both... I swear I'm in a perpetual in dire need of time off state.