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

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

DQs: Day 3, Chap 12 - 18

10. I've noticed Carlota's perceptions are often described using non visual cues: she hears a lot, and even smells Montgomery behind her bedroom door but then dismisses the idea. After her attack, she finds herself noticing that "Her fingers, in the mirror, looked very long, the nails almost too sharp and the eyes...". Do you feel Carlota ever questions her own nature as a human/hybrid or is she too ingenuous to do so? Do you also feel the author is using alternate senses and, if so, as clues for the reader or red herrings?
I really loved this question because I may not have noticed it otherwise. But it totally supports my Carlota is a jaguar theory.

11. For much of this part, I felt Montgomery was conflicted regarding his feelings for Carlota. He "writes" to his wife using what I felt was a brotherly perspective only to realise, a few lines and drinks later, he could not resist kissing her if she were there in that moment. What did you make of this change of heart and do you find his various missteps bring something to the story?
He's definitely starting to lust after her. Probably why the story jumped six years :) It still seems a little weird because she is so innocent and young in the ways of the world.

12. We're already halfway through the story - Doctor Moreau and Montgomery are both complex characters. Am I alone in thinking Carlota and her hybrid friends deserve to be more thoroughly fleshed out and layered? Yes! I want to see so much more of them! I hated the part where Doctor Moreau is beating the hybrid - child abuse!

13. What did you make of the scene where Carlota loses her virginity by the cenote - did her reaction seem natural to you or did you find yourself questioning her fearlessness? In your opinion, if Carlota is herself a hybrid, what effect might that have on their progeny? That whole part felt pretty weird to me. I was kind of thinking that hybrids would be sterile.

14. There's a storm brewing as the hybrids plan to join Juan Cumux and Carlota attempts to retrieve her father's notes and formulas. Do you think the hybrids will remain subservient once they remove themselves from Doctor Moreau's influence or could the story turn dark? I HOPE it turns dark. I want to see a rebellion! I'm kind of hoping for more action.

@Keli and everyone: We can officially use the pastels (like the pink color above) as "bright" - applies to green, purple, etc. too

I will also ask about grey - I am pretty sure it has to be one of the 18 colors listed in the first huge rainbows. But I'm sure hoping we can count light versions like that pink above.

But if you put your brown book on a task where the task number has a purple background - we'll change it and label it brown :)

I'm going to ask for a few more rainbow towers. As Lisa said we can use any 10 of the colors in a rainbow. so if you don't see your books color on a task just choose a color and write down your color and we will get it sorted.

what a fun weekend Shannon!

Keli I'm pretty sure we can use it for pink but I'm going to verify in the captains group. We have the same issue with purple. I'll let you know soon!

I think Apoorv did it for me - I just had a note linking to that spreadsheet. Thanks so much Apoorv!! That was fantastic of you.

My other notes were basically "on my tbr". :)

I think your questions were fantastic!!

I'd agree that's a dark blue cover.

When I get home I'll look at that MD 23. I think I have a note somewhere.

Here is what the mods said when I asked:

Page counts, covers etc should all be the version you have read! Not sure we've explicitly stated it in the rules though.

They may add that to the Q&A, but whether or not they do, lets just keep going with that intention. We are doing SO well, and I know we will continue to rock it. (And see - you missed nothing!)

Thanks Kirsten - I don't think you missed anything - I couldn't find it in the rules anywhere! So I'm double checking in the captains group - maybe I'm assuming a rule that isn't there!

And for sure you are doing the right thing to have the one you read on your shelf :)

DQs: Day 2, Chap 6 – 11

6. As Sonia noted, we jump six years. Do the characters, especially Carlota, feel six years older? Do you like books that have time jumps or would you have preferred to see Montgomery get used to working in his new jobs? (Sonia already asked about the fallout but feel free to add that here).
Carlotta still seems pretty young to me, but I guess she IS still pretty young. I didn't really get a huge feel for the characters in part 1 as far as ages, but they don't seems to have changed much. Other than Montgomery has mellowed a little in his obsession over his ex.

7. Do you like the method of telling the same scene from both points of view? Is there one point of view you prefer? It's sometimes ok - I'd generally prefer not to repeat a scene, but I guess it was different enough that it didn't bug me.

8. And we have the start of a love triangle. What do you think of the two young men and Carlota’s reaction to them? First off - I HATE love triangles. I think Carlotta was mainly curious - I certainly didn't see much in them to be attracted. I also hate people who say "do you know who I am?"

9. So far these feels very much like a historical fiction book with relationships being forwarded over the science and hybrids. Do you agree, and were you expecting that? I agree. I'd like to see more of the fantasy elements and I hope we do - but they seem pretty hidden so far.

Bonus: If you were part critter, and didn’t have the health concerns, what species would you prefer?
A raptor because I'd like to fly.

@Kirsten - I just wanted to check - for Fox's Earth, did you read the pink paperback or the one on your shelf? To use as a color cover it has to be the edition you read. But if you read the other, that's fine - we can use it as a spell-out :)

@Keli - I think we will end up ok with the 500-599 page books - I think it's ok to stick with what you've planned - and it sounds like an excellent lineup of books. Thanks for checking on that! It is just fine to finish your mod reads next month.

@Kerri - so glad you popped in!

It's good to hear about Lessons in Chemistry - it is on my radar! And Vi I'm glad you asked about Elektra - it'll work well for that!

Nanci - I'm glad your book arrived. That reminds me I need to answer the daily questions for today!

Janeylou thanks for the great checkin! And Leslie - thanks for the recommendation - I added that book to my "to read" list! I liked his other series a lot.

Vi - that is a great book for Vetinari.

For Electra - of course anything to do with mythology. Also, any book where someone saves a person's life, someone gets revenge on a person, someone has a terrible mother. I hope that helps!

Nicole B wrote: "Check in: Still struggling to read but finished another book at least - Because of you. I mucked up my list so I have to read a different book because carrying on and I still need to read Pod so we..."

That's great you finished a book Nicole - thank you for helping us out. I hope all goes well.

DQs: Day 1, Chap 1 - 5

1. Have you read the original Island of Dr Moreau book? Or watched any of the films? I only saw the 1996 movie, so, in my head, I keep seeing Dr Moreau as Marlon Brando, Val Killer as Montgomery and Fairuza Balk as Carlota.
I have heard the premise of Dr Moreau but that's it. Hmm...I kind of want to check out that movie now though.

2. In the movie, Fairuza was one of the hybrids, although here, she only has "treatments" with jaguar genetic code. Do you think it's just a ruse from the doctor and she is actually the first hybrid? I suspect that she IS the first hybrid because of the treatments - I'm so glad you asked this question because that means I'm not the only one wondering.

3. Montgomery's past was a sad one. And he looks like just a drunk with some natural instincts to protect the innocent. Were you surprised he was considering not to accept the job, and then when the incident happens and he needs to kill the hybrid he decides to stay? I was indeed surprised that the incident made him decide to stay. I felt bad for Montgomery - how his wife made him feel so inadequate and left him. And I like the letters he composes in his head - I often do that too.

4. I'm a bit disappointed that he didn't explain exactly how his studies came to be. In a scientific point of view, how is it even possible? We're in the 1870s... way before in vitro fertilization or genetic advances... and he manages to separate and mix genomes, or as called in the book gemmules? Not to mention that the original story was written way before cloning was a thing.... Good point! I guess that is what puts it into science fiction.

5. So, hybrids are dangerous. Specially when they're still developing, and their animal instincts are overpowering the human ones (in theory, since we had no idea what the level of brain maturity the developing hybrid was). Back in the movie, there is a rebellion and it doesn't end well for humans. Do you think it will be the case here? It might? The one the broke out seemed scary - even how it looked. And pretty mindless. I'm very curious to see what will happen.

And a bonus, Am I the only one that is sad that we're jumping 6 years? I wanted to see the fall out from the incident. I wanted more information too! But I guess he said something about how they take 7 years to develop so maybe that's why?

Yes it sure would. That's great Keli. Sounds like an interesting book too!

Wow - so many books read this week already! Awesome!

Just a note while I'm thinking about it: if you have a book with an assassin character, a benevolent dictator, someone who allows or establishes unions (guilds), or someone who is stealthy then it could be used for Winners Lord Vetinari.

Wow - that's fantastic with so many reading the King book! (And of course the competitive devil on my shoulder rubs her hands in glee and thinks "So many points!"

Nanci - I loved Project Hail Mary - but I do enjoy science fiction. I actually read it, and then listened to it with my husband (who also enjoyed it). I hope you at least enjoy it! And I'm sure your son-in-law will appreciate your effort!