Kerri’s Comments (group member since Sep 29, 2015)

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

Day 3 - DQs

14. Saved by Cock-Crow -> 18. Unwelcome visitors

11) “Since antiquity, the rooster has been, and still is, a sacred animal in some cultures and deeply embedded within various religious belief systems and religious worship….
In the sixth century, Pope Gregory declared the rooster the emblem of Christianity and in 9TH century the figure of the rooster was ordered to be placed on every church steeple. Also in Central European folk tales, the devil is believed to flee at the first crowing of a rooster.” (Source : Wikipedia)

Maybe it is just me, but I think there is something deeply symbolic about the fact that in the seemingly atheistic society a man is saved from black magic/the devil by a bird that is strongly connected to Christianity and is part of people’s inherent belief/superstitions. Do you think this was intentional on the author ‘s part and if so what possible message was he trying to pass on?

I definitely think it was intentional. The author often juxtaposes atheists with literal proof (in the book, at least) that there is a God. Or at least, there is a Satan! So I think showing that the rooster, a symbol of Christianity, really does scare away Satan's minions was intentional. This satire has layers and I like that.

12) Connected to the question above: were there any superstitions you were brought up with or were told about by your family/friends?

Ya know, nothing I can think of, really. My parents weren't very superstitious and they passed that on to me. I know of certain superstitions, like throwing a pinch of salt over your shoulder if you spill it, but there was nothing that I remember bringing from childhood.

13) While the plot mainly concentrates on the weird happenings in “modern” Moscow and only few chapters are devoted to Jerusalem, do you think any parallels can be drawn between the two cities or their people?

Drawing parallels would require me to know what the heck is going on 😂 I suppose they are similar in that writers are Going Through It in both timelines (thinking of you, Levi and Ivan).

14) One of the many memorable scenes was when people broke out in a “song and dance flashmob” despite their not wanting to (the evil workings of Korovyev, the “ex-choirmaster”, translator ad assistant of Woland). Have you ever participated in a flashmob or saw one performed in person? If not: have you ever been involved in a school play/choir/etc?

I've never been a part of or seen a flashmob, but I was in choir from, like, 2nd grade until I graduated from college. I love singing and kind of miss being in a choir now! I've also done school plays before, but I developed pretty intense stage fright in the 4th grade, so that stopped.

15) We already agreed that it is quite difficult to make sense of this book. Have you ever read a book that had similar effect on you? (fascination/bewilderment/what-am-I-just-reading? :)

House of Leaves had that effect on me! I'm still not 100% sure how I feel about that book, haha.

Woo, I'm excited to write some DQs! It helps that I'm really looking forward to reading The Witch's Heart.

@Vian - I'm sorry that you got Covid, that stinks. I hope you start feeling better soon.

@Stacey - Hope you have fun at the beach! I love being near the water so the beach is one of my happy places.

I'm good with my day :)

DQs Day 2
7. The Haunted Flat -> 13. Enter the Hero

6.) Berlioz kept having things disappear from his apartment. What would you of thought if stuff was randomly disappearing from your home? Blame it on the kids? Partner? Ghost? Thief? Do you think it's supposed to represent Stalin's infamous purges where people simply disappear?

I lose things all the time, so I probably wouldn't have thought much about that, haha. People, however... that would have made me move quickly. Ahh, that's a good point! I think it very well may be referring to that.

7.) What do you think of Woland's posse of 3? Would you want to be a part of that group? Of the 3, do you have a favorite character?

They are, quite literally, insane 😂 What is with the tall guy with the pince nez?! And the giant black cat that likes vodka?! They are both confusing and hilarious. I'm partial to the black cat, but mostly because I wish to remain on its good side because it STRAIGHT UP RIPPED SOME DUDE'S HEAD OFF. No thank you!

8.) Thoughts on Stavinsky? Would you want him treating a family member? Considering this is the 1930's and it's a mental asylum, was it what you'd expect? Or more modern?

He seems okay? Like, he seems like a smart man and I liked how gentle he was with Ivan. I thought he was going to jump immediately into shock therapy or something like that. And the points he brought up were valid. He did seem a little more modern thinking.

9.) This section made me think about the housing/apartment situation in Stalin's Soviet Union. Maybe because I recently moved house, it made me grateful for the choices I have available about my living situation. Did this resonate at all with you? How so?

Beyond how difficult it can sometimes be to get an apartment in the Boston area, nothing else about that situation really resonated with me. I can't imagine how tough it was in Stalin's Soviet Union, though this gives us a tiny glimpse.

10.) I still have like no idea what's going on really. I feel like I'm just going to keep reading and hope it either starts making sense or the book ends. How are you enjoying the book so far?

Haha, that's basically my plan, as well. I love that we just met the Master in chapter 13 and he's one of the titular characters! I still haven't the faintest idea why Satan and his cronies would want to cause havoc in Russia and why everyone is so obsessed with Pontius Pilate. And who is the Master? Is the girl in his story Margarita? I have so many questions!

Day 1 DQs
Book 1- Chapters 1 (Never talk to strangers) - 6 (Schizophrenia)

1) Poetry and literature. Religion. Philosophy. Deep topics, deftly handled by a mad, funny writer. What do you think so far? Are you fans of Homeless (Ivan) and Belioz and their pretentious academic discussions? Are you intrigued? Confused?

I have no earthly clue what is going on 😂 I will say, the writing has had me laughing a couple of times and the audiobook narrator is a freakin' genius. I'm impressed what he can do with his voice! But I'm still massively confused as to what is happening. Curious and willing to continue, but confused!

2) So, you meet a stranger that that knows your name, and says that he just had breakfast with Immanuel Kant (who died over 100 years ago), and was there to see Jesus, then tells you how you are going to die.
Did you know who the Professor (W, foreigner, stranger, consultant, etc.) is from the synopsis, or when did you start to realize who this character really is?

Had to go and take a peek at the synopsis because I will freely admit to not reading it at all before jumping on this BOM bandwagon. Now that I know that, this makes a bit more sense! Not much, but a bit! I probably would have picked up on that much quicker if I had known the devil was involved in this book.

3) We move to Judea, in the story that the Professor is telling. Pilate and Yeshua discuss why he has been imprisoned. What did you think of their talk? Did the characters of Jesus and Pilate differ from how you imagined them? What do you think of the different philosophies of authority vs the kingdom of truth and justice, in the book or in life?
What do you think of Yeshua’s belief that all men are good?
(I Personally loved the comment of Yeshua that his disciple keeps recording his words wrong. Teehee)

I thought this was an interesting diversion from the original tale. I grew up Catholic, so the story is definitely familiar to me. I liked how this made it seem more real, I guess? Maybe what I mean is more accessible... it didn't read like the Bible and made Yeshua seem quite human. I also love that Yeshua is annoyed by his one disciple who he doesn't even want following him around, haha.

4) Well, Ivan’s life just took a turn. A dead friend, levitating men, a giant cat, a dip in a river resulting in missing clothing. Ever had a day like this? Do you think you would have given chase?

Haha, I don't think I've ever had a day quite as bad as Ivan's, but I've certainly had days where it felt like everything was going wrong. I suppose if I thought someone had murdered my friend, I would try and chase them. Actually... no, I wouldn't. I would get a thorough description and call the police because I'm not tryna die. Ivan is much braver than I!

5) I love the psychiatric hospital scene. It is so absurd. “Let him use the phone.” Teehee. I mean, poor Ivan. Do you think he will be there a while, or convince the doctor to let him go?

There are so many absurd scenes in this book, so far, but this is one of my favorites, as well! The other writer, I can't remember his name, he was so confused by the end of it all, haha. And poor Ivan! Just stating facts and he gets locked up for schizophrenia. Which, to be fair, makes sense from the doctor's perspective because the facts he's stating are pretty out there. I think if Ivan wants to get out of there any time soon, he's gonna have to pretend to have given up on the idea of tracking down this mysterious foreign consultant.

Bonus question) Anyone familiar with Stalin’s Russia? How does what you know relate to the book so far? Does the fact that this book was written during Stalin’s Russia make a difference to how you are understanding the book?

I know next to nothing about Stalin's Russia so it has no real bearing on how I'm interacting with this story. Gonna be honest, I would probably still be confused as hell 😂

Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "Kerri wrote: "I finished The Book of Cold Cases! It was alright... an interesting thriller, but there were several moments where I found myself getting kind of bored. Still, it was ..."

I do still want to give The Sun Down Motel a try. Maybe I'll enjoy that one more!

DQ DAY 5 (Chapter Thirty-Nine - Forty-Eight)

19. Beth's relationship with Lily is extremely important to the story, obviously but Shea also has an older sister? What do you think the point of having both main characters have sisters? Do you think it's a purposeful connection the author made?

I think it was so Shea could empathize with both Beth and Lily. She has an older sister who is, admittedly, way less awful than Lily, but she knows what that connection is like. I also think it's used as a juxtaposition to the relationship between Beth and Lily.

20. Why do you think Lily always kept the house the way it was decades ago? Was it just a way to torment her sister or do you think there's something more to it then that?

Because it's her house and she refuses to let anyone change it unless it's her. I also think she did it to torment Beth because that's just the kind of person she was. Can't imagine her ghost would be any different.

21. Shea was almost murdered by Lily because she went to Beth's mansion while she was away. Do you think Beth knew her sister would try and kill Shea?

Oh I'm sure she suspected that was a possibility. Lily murdered two random men just because Beth told her 'no'. I think Beth knew she wouldn't hesitate to hurt Shea since she's been poking around.

22. How did you like the ending? Did any of the reveals surprise you? Did the conclusion for the characters feel satisfying to you?

I had pretty much figured out most of the twists halfway through the book. The ending was... okay? Even though everything turned out how I thought it would, I still didn't feel satisfied. The ending just kind of fell flat for me. I was happy that Michael turned out to be a good guy, though! Shea deserved some happiness.

I finished The Book of Cold Cases! It was alright... an interesting thriller, but there were several moments where I found myself getting kind of bored. Still, it was a fast read and I ended up enjoying it.

@Erin - I haven't heard great things about The Guest List. I keep waffling on whether or not I want to read it because the premise sounds interesting, but I've had a number of people say the same thing you did.

DQs Day 4 - Chapters 30-38

15. In this section, we see Beth really open up in the interview and describe two different Christmas flashbacks. The first, when Beth was 14, Lily was bruised and had been clearly abused by her foster family. We also (at least according to Beth) see the beginnings of Lily as a serial killer. Do you feel any sympathy for Lily? Do you agree with Beth that Beth could have stopped her?

I do feel somewhat bad for Lily. She was born into a terrible situation, cast off as soon as she was out of the womb. Who knows what her foster homes were like when she was a child, but it doesn't seem as if they were happy when we get to know her. Of course, that could be entirely because of Lily. I feel bad for her but it doesn't change the fact that she is manipulative, greedy, and a killer. And I don't think anything that Lily did could have been prevented by Beth.

16. What did you think of the interview with the lawyer Ransom Wells? Why do you think he and Beth never told the police about Lily, even after the murders?

Wells is definitely a guy that is used to getting what he wants and controlling the narrative. It was an interesting interview that made him look like a tough guy standing up to this possible serial killer. It makes me wonder if he couldn't have done more to stop Lily... but I feel like he was hesitant because what evidence was there, really?

17. Beth gets a wonderful shopping trip with her mom that immediately gets ruined when they return home and Lily is there. Lily is clearly the favorite. Why do you think that is?

I think Lily is the favorite purely because of guilt. Mariana felt terrible about giving her up as a baby and is trying to overcompensate.

18. Can Shea trust Michael? He seems almost too good to be true.

I'm really hoping so. I want Michael to be exactly what we see on the surface: a nice guy trying to help Shea. This is a thriller, though, so I probably won't get what I want 😂

Celia wrote: "I feel bad that I haven't been able to add anything to the maze yet."

Don't feel bad, Celia! I haven't contributed to the maze either, but I figured that might be the case. I'm a slower reader. I'm keeping an eye on the threads, though, just in case!

DQs Day 3: Chap 20-29

10. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room?

I think she learned that the house is basically frozen in time. It's like it's stuck back in the eighties or whenever. Or perhaps it's a cage for Beth? I'm gonna be honest, beyond the spooky stuff, I don't really see how the house plays a part in this story. It's more the malevolent spirit of her half-sister, if it's anything supernatural at all.

11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have?

I'm thinking Lily wanted more from Beth than Beth was willing to forgive. Lily seems like the type that would go on a murder spree to prove or make a point. I don't think Beth could have actually stopped it, I think Lily is just being manipulative and gaslighty.

12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)

Pretty sure he hates her because she's evidence that Mariana had a life before him. That she had been in love with someone else. His behavior towards her is awful, but he's also a pretty terrible husband and father, so I'm not at all surprised. I haven't a clue who might be Lily's father.

13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this?

I'm sure Lily has been called all kinds of things because she was born outside of wedlock. She's probably felt unwanted and unloved all her life, so she relates to this unloved house.

14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not?

I think Beth 100% learned all her manipulative tactics from Lily. I think still holds sway over Beth, so she's definitely the more powerful of the two.

I'll have to take a look through my bigger books to see what I might be able to squeeze in. I'm currently reading Daughter of the Moon Goddess and really enjoying it! The audiobook is fantastic. I'm working this weekend, so I've been enjoying the audiobook while I'm working. It certainly makes the day go faster.

Now I'm off to go catch up on The Book of Cold Cases before D&D tonight. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

@Louise - I'm glad you're having a good time :)

@Robin - I hope you feel better from the new meds soon!

DQs Day 2: Chap 12-19

5. Shea is trying to explain the taps being turned on and the cupboards being opened by themselves through telekinesis. If you had experienced what she did, do you think you would have tried to explain things logically or do you think you would have believed it was ghosts and left it at that?

If it had just been the cupboards, I probably would have come up with some rational way to explain what was happening. Add in the taps and I still wouldn't immediately jump to the supernatural. But seeing the blood coming out of the tap? I'm leaving that house and never coming back 😂 Of course, that could have been a hallucination, but why take chances?

6. After getting a cat, Shea calls on Michael to ask for advice on how to care for it, through the conversation she thinks about wanting to meet him. Do you think they will end up together or perhaps just remain as friends? Could Michael be interested as well?

Michael certainly seems like he would love to meet Shea in person. I feel like a relationship is brewing, but I'm kind of hoping that's not what happens. I would rather we just focus on what's going on with Beth and her weird house. And whatever Shea is hiding from her past.

7. Mr. Greer’s former secretary tells Shea Mrs. Greer wasn’t competent and that she was "sent away somewhere when she was eighteen". Do you think she was crazy or do you have any other theories?

I think Mr. Greer's former secretary is a mean-spirited, nosy person. If Beth's mother was sent away somewhere, it doesn't necessarily mean it was because she was mentally ill. And even if she was sent away because her mental health was poor, that's none of her business! And it doesn't automatically make her a person worthy of that woman's scorn. If you can't tell, I super disliked Former Secretary (I can't even remember her name and I just read this section).

8. While listening to the recording of Beth’s interview Shea hears a voice in the background whispering “I am still here” and poor Winston gets spooked. Did you find this scary? Do you think cats/animals have a feel for the supernatural? If it were you, would you come back to the house after hearing that?

I've watched too many ghost hunting shows for something like that to spook me. As soon as Winston freaked out while she was listening to the recording, I figured it was gonna be something like that. I definitely think cats and other animals can sense things that we can't, be they supernatural or not. And hell no would I go back to that house! Beth would just have to meet me somewhere else for the interviews.

9. Finally, in order to get in the mood for more scary stuff. Have you or someone you know have any scary/ghostly experiences you might like to share?

When I was growing up, my family lived in Germany for about four years. We would visit old castles all the time. At one point, my brother and I had an ghost friend that "followed us home" from one of the castles, as we put it. His name was George and he would open doors around our apartment and push our Cabbage Patch Kids baby carriage around. In retrospect, I'm sure it was a draft or uneven floors, but we were convinced we had our very own ghost 😂

Cindy wrote: "I’m hoping to get a couple books in over the next week, I tested positive for Covid a couple days ago so I have time off work so hopefully I’ll get some reading in. Hoping/Trying not to pass it on ..."

That sucks, Cindy. I hope you feel better soon and that the rest of your family manage to avoid it!

DQs Day 1: Chap 1-11

1. Have you read the The Sun Down Motel by this author? If so, does it change your expectation for this book? Either way, what are your expectations for this book?

I have not, though I do own it! It was the first book of hers that caught my interest. I'm looking forward to a thriller that has a bit of a supernatural element because I've heard that's kinda this author's thing. We shall see!

2. The MC writes about cold cases and is in her late 20s and divorced. I have read quite a few horror/thriller/mystery books recently where the MC is a recently divorced, usually a bit older, woman. Have you experienced this as well? Why do you think authors might make this choice? Why do you think the choice was made for this book?

I haven't really noticed this trend but I also haven't read a ton of more recent thrillers lately. Fantasy is my fave and has kinda taken over my reading life lately. I think the choice to have her be divorced is so that she's isolated and alone. She might be more likely to feel attached to Beth if she's feeling lonely or make maybe not great choices. I think it helps set the tone for the novel, as well.

3. This section includes the start of the interview. Did it go the way you expected? Any one comment really stick out to you?

I think Shea asked some interesting questions, which was smart. Not the same old, same old that Beth has heard a thousand times over. I also think Shea might have bitten off more than she can chew. I do wonder what Shea is keeping from Beth about what happened to her after the Incident, though.

4. What do you think about the ghostly occurrences in this section? How do they add to the story (or maybe detract)?

Oh, no, that's what I'm here for! I love when possible supernatural shenanigans are sprinkled into a thriller. I only have my horror movie loving heart to blame, haha. I also think it's adds an extra element to the puzzle. Are there actually ghosts involved? Or are we just dealing with two very damaged women? Gotta keep reading to find out!

I'm in! I'll volunteer for DQs, as well :) Team Circe!

Just checking in on my last day of vacation! I was off for two weeks while my parents were in town visiting and it has been a blast. Busy, but so much fun. Now I have to get back into the work mindset tomorrow and I wish I had another week of vacation just to chill, haha.

I did finish up another book, though! Finished reading The Merciless Ones, which was one of my most anticipated books of 2022. Thankfully, it lived up to expectations! It didn't blow me away like the first book in the series, but I still loved it. Now I'm waiting til tomorrow to start anything just in case it might work for the Maze. I'll definitely be picking up The Book of Cold Cases and perhaps Fevered Star, my other most anticipated book of the year.

Hope everyone is having a good week so far!

I'd like to volunteer for DQs! (Team Circe)

I've finally finished The Atlas Six! Was a good read, but it was a bit denser than I was anticipating. In that there was a lot of rambling bits that I probably should have just skimmed 😂 Still, an overall enjoyable read! I'll get it updated right now.

Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "Stacey wrote: "Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "The polls are up for the July BOM's. I nominated books for both of them for the first time :)"

What did you nominate? If they look interesting it w..."

I voted for Old Man's War because I've had that on my TBR for ages. Fingers crossed it's chosen!