Suzanne’s Comments (group member since Aug 13, 2015)

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

DQ Day 2: Chap 7- 13

6. This section starts with two scenes with each of the male love/lust interests. The comparison of them continues very clearly. Do you like Xaden or Dain better or neither?
I like Xaden a lot more than Dain. Dain doesn't really love Violet or care about her goals. He's constantly pushing her to be less. Xaden is pushing her to be more, and we only know that he's bad and hates her because Violet tells us every ... single...time. But I would like to know a lot more about him.

7. Violet uses alternative methods to survive the fighting challenges. Do you think that counts as cheating or using the resources available? Do you think she is aware that she only has this information because she comes from a privileged background and her sister count sneak in it? Do you think one of the professors should have noticed after 5 rounds? I agree - how in the world did the professors not notice!? Violet must know she's cheating, but I guess at least she has to think and work for it.

8. The obstacle course is straight out of American Ninja warrior (and other similar TV shows) including ending with the giant ramp. Did you enjoy this section and how Violet figured out working with her height limitations? Have they told us how tall she is? (Though in real life, the shortest person to make it up the wall has only been 5’1” – I just Googled it). Yes! Totally Ninja warrior! I thought Violet's solution was super clever, especially since she couldn't practice ahead of time.

9. Finally, we meet the dragons. Was it all you were hoping for? Did anyone guess the black one when it was first introduced in this section? (Also, I am not taking the fall seriously at the end of my section since we still have 2/3 of the book to go).
I 100% percent knew Violet would get the black dragon as soon as they mentioned it.

Bonus: If you could have a dragon from any book or movie, which one would you want? Hmm...I actually loved this black dragon a lot - I'd choose him!

DQs Day 1, Chapters 1 - 6

1. As someone who grew up with the Pern books, I love diving back into a world with dragons and dragon riders. And this one has extra bonus Gryphons, apparently!
Do you have any first impressions of the main characters (Violet, Dain, Rhiannon, Xader) and the world building? Do you want to know more?
My first impressions: Violet is annoying to me just because she seems so mostly focused on the looks of Xader and Dain. Dain seems off to me - so protective, and they seem to be friends but ??? I love Rhiannon and she seems like she'll be a good friend. (I liked the guy who fell off the parapet too.) And Xader, well he's clearly gonna be the bad boy who gets the girl. Very trope.

2. What do you think of Violet’s mother and sister? Any idea about why her mother chose to order her to the Rider Quadrant instead of the Scribe Quadrant? I like Violet's sister a lot - she risked herself to come back and to help Violet. I really dislike her mother - she totally disregards Violet's wishes, dismisses her accomplishments, and seems to be setting her up to die. I have no idea what her motives could be.

3. The brutality of the selection process and the casual acceptance of murder is something else. What do you think the purpose of it is? (If there is one beyond societal norms.)
Would you have given your boot to a stranger? I'd love to think I'd give my boot to a stranger, and I do love that Violet did that. The selection process seems so overly deadly - I suppose that it makes sense if you have to be tough to ride a dragon. But it seems like such a waste of lives.

4. So this is a world at war, but at the battle briefings at least, they don’t seem to know why the outer provinces are currently attacking the borders. Any ideas about why this is happening? I figure that maybe the dragons were weakening or something and couldn't hold the wards.

5. Do you think that Violet will survive and get chosen by a dragon? If so, any predictions on what kind? I'm 100% sure that Violet will survive and get a dragon. I'd guess I'll be the biggest, baddest dragon.

Aw :) Same with you guys :)

Oh and they came over and fixed it - pretty great service (they had said tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. which wasn't bad). So I still can update tonight - yay!

I'm sure sorry you guys!

So our cable modem is down. I won't be able to get on til Saturday. So I can't do a full update or more Wheels etc. Thank goodness for great co captains! I'll check in on the app and try to read lots!

I like your strategy too of mixing it up Kirsten.

New spin: Quidditch
Read a book with the letters SEEKER in the title and/or author name
Read a book with the letters KEEPER in the title and/or author name
Read a book with the letters BEATER in the title and/or author name
Read a book with the letters CHASER in the title and/or author name

Requesting a new spin now (unless someone already has). I'll try to do a full update tonight, before I'm out of town for 3 days. We are currently in 3rd place but I think that's because they updated more recently :)

Janeylou wrote: "I know you've properly said but is it more beneficial to complete the wheels tasks rather than the others"

Up to a point it's better to do Wheel since we can keep on spinning til end of challenge. But we do need to finish the page count tower, and we can't count Wheel books for that. So it's a balancing act! We just need the longer books there.

I'd suggest that those who enjoy reading shorter books focus on Wheel, and those who enjoy (or at least tolerate) the longer books, focus on the pages tower (and hopefully use your books for one of the other minis too). When we finish the pages towers, we can re-assess.

But, of course, other opinions are welcome!

Keli, are you still ok to read your post-colonial book? If not, I'll grab one and listen while I'm doing house jobs :)

Thanks a bunch!

It'd actually be nice if you can read something for stationery (if that's ok). But if a different task calls to you, then I'll read that one.

Oh nice Apoorv - you saved the day again! Merriam-Webster definition:
materials (such as paper, pens, and ink) for writing or typing

So yes Janeylou, your pencil and pen would work. I'm sorry I was confused. I had a very narrow mental definition, and the first time I googled, it didn't help.

There isn't - but here is what team Ti used:
. Given that - I think my paper folded into a paper-airplane might work. Especially since it was a letter that the naughty kid folded (you can tell from the book description).

Definition: writing paper, especially with matching envelopes.

I'm going to see if anyone has asked about it in captains chat.

I think it needs the actual paper. Does it have that too?

Here are the only books I found that might possibly fit stationery. I can read any of them, but the first is probably the only one I could read today, and it's a piece of paper that was a letter folded into a paper airplane so ??? not sure if that (or any of them) would work. I'd love your opinions. And if someone else has a stationery book, feel free to take over!



Do you think any of these would work for stationery?

New Spin! Discworld Tasks:
Read a book featuring a witch or wizard
Read a book with MPG Crime
Read a book with the letters MOIST in the title
Read a book featuring DEATH or the Grim Reaper or equivalent

I just got onto the computer and will post those muses and get another roll. It looks like we are super close on the other two as well! I think someone had a post-colonial book they could read sometime soon? I'll look to see if I have stationery on the cover - lol that's an unusual prompt :)

Being aware of the longer books we need will help for sure. I think what I will do: today I'll finish the two books I have marked for wheel I will focus on the longer books, which will go well with my upcoming family reunion and camping trip :)