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

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

Oh yay! That makes me happy!

Great! I THINK for each of us that reads for one or two of the books and answers questions we can substitute 2 customers. I was thinking it was 2 total customers - but then its 2 per member per BOM. So that could be nice.

I have access to the second book. I need to check about the first one. But they both look good!

Just a reminder (because the books of the month look pretty good in September)

BOOKS OF THE MONTH
For every team member that participates in a Book of the Month (BOM) (by joining the discussion and/or writing discussion questions) they will be able to swap out two assigned customers for others of their choice.

Limited to two customers for each team member per BOM. (i.e. you can't get the customer bonus for writing DQs AND participating. But if you join 2 BOMs in one month, you can get 4 bonuses).

It was really a fun experience. And huge shout out to Ushashi and Christina for all of their spreadsheet time and expertise. And organization and motivation. Thank you so much!

Also, wow all the team members - everyone kept participating and reading - that's so unusual and amazing!

No matter the final outcome - we were amazing!!

Wow that's absolutely amazing. Nice work!

I think for the entries it was only for the DQ lottery, so answering them will be great (and give us the points).

Oh interesting - and good to know! I have a kindle fire too - maybe I'll charge and take it!

Thanks Renata - that's amazing you had a substitute!

@Alisha - can you put Book Lovers on your tower teams shelf?

How fun going to Spain!! That's wonderful. I agree, I think it'll be fine - there aren't weekly check-ins, etc. and we can input books to the spreadsheet, even if we just know the title/author.

I'm going to be gone 8/30 to 9/6 and will likely just have my phone, but will do my best to report as well as I can (although I don't know how much I'll read except for the two travel days). I'm going to the Hugo awards at worldcon - I'm super excited - and as a sidenote will need to read non fantasy/sf stuff for awhile since I've worked hard to read through nominees before voting and that was a LOT of the genre at once :)

I finished the story.

Does anyone have any unfinished books that are claimed for a task and that you won't be able to finish by the deadline. If so, please let us know :)

This has been an amazing team, and so much fun!

No problem! I'm sure it won't be great, but it'll be done. And who knows, maybe I'll be visited by a comedy muse (fingers crossed).

I can finish up the comedy story. I have to run errands first, but I'll finish it up today using some of our eligible completed banked books.

I'll have my two finished - almost done with one and have time for the other.

Oops - looks like we have some already - team - you are awesome! I should have checked first :)

I have one I'll add. But if others have gowns and want to replace mine that's fine. I'll read that one last.

This time has certainly sped by!

I put in the food reference for Desolation.

I did read Eclipse the Moon (that CB is reading) earlier in the challenge - looks like we have that prompt covered - but just in case.

Day 5
2:00 AM - 7:00 AM

17. I love how the author describes how the party goes feral starting with that awful Vaughn Donovan. Have you ever been to a party where things spiraled out of control?
I'm an introvert, so even calm parties seem a bit wild to me sometimes :) But wow the destruction and waste in this party really bothered me. It sounded awful!

18. I fist pumped the air when Nina tells herself to stop being a doormat and goes to find her dad (or as she says, her "f&*(ing nothing"!!). That whole scene where she confronts him felt so cathartic. I loved the line "It would not be her that bent and broke anymore." How did you find it?
Nina's realization that it was ok to do things for herself was my very favorite part of the book. I really liked that she sent her husband and her father away.

19. There are always many sides to a story. Why do you think Mick came to the party? If he was your dad, would you have forgiven him? Would you have wanted to see him again after the party? I'm sure he was lonely but I don't think he deserved any sort of trust. I might have developed some kind of superficial relationship with him, but I don't know if I could really forgive him when his actions really don't seem to merit it.



20. The party changed the siblings in lots of different ways. How do you think their lives will be different now? I think it will be wonderful that Nina doesn't have to totally sacrifice her life and her wishes to others. I am excited that the brothers want to expand Kit's surfing career - I bet she'll be awesome! And I was so glad that Jay is quitting surfing.

21. Final thoughts on the book? Would you read more by the author? I liked it but didn't love it - but at the end the siblings and their close relationship won me over.

DAY 2 - 1959 "It was last December 1959"
41% 1981 "...in her arms, on her back."

5. 1959 - "It was last December, 1959" -
It sounds like a Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons song...Wow! What an explosive chapter. Your reaction? Mick was characterised as a sleezy womaniser, it was always going to happen or I didn't see that coming! And June's reaction? Sensitive woman with a huge heart or a doormat for putting up with what she suspected? I really don't like Mick - he's so weak and all those empty promises - although I suppose he means them at the time. As for June - hmmm - I like her a lot more. Although she shouldn't have taken him back (and she for sure should have gotten the child support she deserved) I think she's admirable in her love for the kids and the things she does (like the surfboards).

6. "He gave no thought to the idea that he might break his children like someone had broken him". "You're drunk and you're killing yourself with this stuff." Discuss Mick and June's parenting styles and how they have affected the siblings as children and adults. I really liked the surfboard story with June. I thought Mick's waking up his daughter to fly kites was adorable, but that just hurt her more when he left and I hate he didn't see that.

7. The title of the book is Malibu Rising and the author gives the reader a sense of the beach culture both in the past and the present time lines. What does it bring to the story and would it be as effective in another setting? I think the beach culture is a HUGE part of the story - I can't imagine it in another setting.

8. Already with the first set of questions there are varying opinions by the group about both Taylor Jenkins Reid as an author and how it compares to her other work. I loved Daisy Jones and the Six but I am finding this one as bit like Days of our Lives... but the author is skillful enough to make it into a page turner. Where do you sit, engaging tale well written or too much drama and as we are half way through do you see this ending in triumph or tragedy for the Riva siblings? I can't imagine a totally happy ending, but we'll see. This one is a bit too detached for me - but it does remind me a lot of the author's other books.