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

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

Completed

The Girl on the Train
Read: 13 May 2017
Pages: 325
Rating: ★★★★

@Teddie - I want to see that movie so bad! I've heard great things from all my friends who have gone. Have fun on Sunday!

@Ivy - That sounds awesome! Have a great trip :)

As for me, this weekend is probably just going to be filled with reading since my husband is on call. I just finished The Girl on the Train and it was as good as everyone had been telling me. I'm glad I finally picked it up! I've started A Gentleman in Moscow and I finally got A Conjuring of Light from the library, so I'm gonna dig into that, as well.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

I'm totally in for this! I'd like to volunteer for DQs, as well. Team Millennium Falcon.

Welcome on board, Emily!

Day 1 Discussion Questions
Section: June 5, 1922 - An Assembly pages: 1 - 76

1. Do you have much previous knowledge of Russian history and politics in the early 1900s? How does that affect how you feel at the start of the book?
(Note: Wikipedia states there was a Russian civil war in 1917 followed immediately by a Revolution from 1917 to October 1922 - which is the year our book starts.)

I really don't much about Russian history in any time period besides the basics. I suppose it lets me go into this book with an open mind about politics and such. It does make me eager to look things up, too.

2. I got a bit of a "Little Princess" vibe when the count was banished to the attic of the hotel. And there is a great section on saying goodbye to people vs. saying goodbye to possessions. "We carry them from place to place, often at considerable expense and inconvenience;...all the while allowing memories to invest them with greater and greater importance....But, of course, a thing is just a thing." What do you think of the possessions he elected to take with him to the attic? If you were in a similar situation, what is one thing you would for sure take with you?

I liked the fact that he took as much as was reasonably possible because I would have done the same thing! Also, I think the things he decided to take reflect on who he is. He has an attachment to the past, though he is still capable of living in the present. And there was a practical reason for a few of his choices beyond sentimentality (the desk with it's hidden gold) and he strikes me as a practical man. I would have definitely brought books, though I don't think I would have brought along quite so much furniture. I can make due with the bare minimum.

3. What do you think about the Count and his reading habits? Specifically - how he is struggling with the Essays and how he likes to tilt back his chair. Can you relate to either or both of those?

I'm with him on the essays... they sound dull as heck. I remember vividly forcing my way through some books like that in college. Booooring. I liked his chair tilting quirk. I feel like everyone has a preferred reading posture/place and this was his. I like to have my legs tucked under me in my armchair. I also used to get in trouble all the time as a kid for tilting my chair like that, lol.

4. The Count has to decide how he will handle his confinement. He thinks of favorite literary characters, and finally decides he will commit to practicalities. What do you think that means, and is there anything he does in this early stage that you particularly admire?

I'm not 100% sure what he means by practicalities. I suppose he had planned on filling his days with practical task, like getting his cut or having dinner at a certain time. That seems like it would get tedious fast, though, and he seemed pretty bored before he ran into Nina. I don't think there's one particular thing that he does that I admire, but I must say that I'm liking the Count overall as a person and a character.

5. Why do you think it is called "A Gentleman in Moscow" instead of "A Count in Moscow"? Just because it sounds better, or do you think there is a reason? Do you find him an appealing character so far?

I think because, first and foremost, he is a gentleman. He even agrees to having the staff stop using the customary honorifics. I think the fact that he is a gentleman defines him more than the fact that he is a count. As I said above, I'm really enjoying his character so far.

6. Nina (the little girl in yellow) seems to be an important distraction. What is your impression of her so far? Do you think she will be an important character?

Nina seems very grown up for being all of nine years old! But I think she's important for him. I think he would have gone crazy if she wasn't around to ask him questions and drag him off on adventures. I do think she will be an important character.

@Genma - Have fun on your trip! Safe travels :)

@Camilla - Ohhh, I'd love to Greece. And the adult-only hotel sounds fabulous, too!

Ivy wrote: "I am currently reading Hunted by Meagan Spooner in addition to A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab.
I really like fairytale retellings, so Hunted isn't my first walk in the park. It is written in a..."

So are you liking A Conjuring of Light, so far? I'm still waiting on someone to return it to the library, haha.

Camilla wrote: "Oh, by the way, has everybody seen the summer campaign of Audiobooksync? You get to upload two audiobooks for free every week. It's geared towards teens, but no age limit, LOL!

I've taken advantag..."

I downloaded The Picture of Dorian Grey through that website :) I keep forgetting to go back and check what the downloads are for the week!

Just finished Daughter of Smoke & Bone. That book was way better than I thought it was going to be! Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Oh, and it looks like you got picked to do DQs for our next BOM, Teddie. Team Millennium Falcon is raking in all the extra points :D

Completed

Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Read: 8 May 2017
Pages: 422
Rating: ★★★★

So I was at the library, returning our last BOM read, and spotted A Gentleman in Moscow. I figured, why not? It's extra points and it's exposing me to a genre I don't typically read. Win-win!

I just picked this book up from the library, so I think I'll join in on this discussion :) Already have a DQ volunteer from my team (Millennium Falcon), but I wouldn't mind being a back up!

Discussion Questions - Set 5

1. So much to my dismay, Mae ended up returning to Francis. After having filmed her without permission previously and then posting to to the cloud, I would have thought she would be reluctant to do anything with him again. Do you think since she has gone transparent she is now less concerned that people may see her in sexual situations than she once was.

I think Mae just needs to be acknowledged, all the time, by anyone. She even mentioned at one point that she went to Francis because he was accessible, whereas Kalden was not. It's disturbing that she would so easily forgive him just because she needs to feel wanted. Also, she mentioned enjoying the power she had over him and that was even more disturbing. I don't know if she's more comfortable with the idea of being filmed in intimate situations (she is allowed to turn her camera off after hours), but she's certainly moving in that direction.

2. Annie found out that the results of PastPerfect created difficulties in her life and that of her family. People are judging and reacting to her negatively based on the actions of her ancestors - something she had no control over. Do you think that people finding out every detail about the transgressions of your ancestors could be detrimental to your reputation?

The eternal optimist in me says, outside the world of this novel, of course not! But then the realist in me says that, though it may not be monumentally detrimental like it is for Annie, that would probably be some adverse side effects. Someone might treat you poorly knowing your family once owned slaves, even though that has nothing to do with you. I think the worse one was the way Annie's parents just watched a man drown and did nothing. I think that kind of information would have more of a lasting effect on how people viewed you, even if you weren't involved in the slightest.

3. I was so sad when Mercer decided to take his own life during Mae's pursuit of him from Circle HQ. What do you think was his motivation for doing so?

I saw it coming. As soon as he jumped in his truck and sped away, I thought he was going to die. At first, I thought it would be an accident (he was going rather fast on a twisty, mountain road). Then, we he couldn't lose them and they started, for lack of a better word, heckling him on the bridge, I was like, "Here we go..." I think his motivation was two-fold. A) He didn't want to live in the world that the Circle was creating and B) it was kind of a big eff you to Mae. No more letters, just his final hurrah off a bridge. He was going to show her that, no matter how much the world insisted he conform, he wasn't going to.

4. I really found the airing of the aquarium merger between the shark, octopus and seahorse perplexing, as there didn't seem to be any reason why this was done and for what purpose it was aired. It only appeared to be Stenton that expected to see what ended up happening, and the shark's actions seemed to come as a shock to Bailey. If Bailey wasn't thinking this would be the outcome, what did he think was important enough about placing a couple of different species into an aquarium, that it needed all three of the founders and millions of people to watch it? Aquariums with multiple animals living together are a dime a dozen after all and are not in themselves anything out of the ordinary. What do you think the purpose was in airing the event?

I thought this part was heavy on the symbolism. Like, to the point that it was a little much. I got the feeling that the three different species were meant to represent the three different founders: the seahorse that created thousands of things but preferred the shadows (Ty), the octopus that wanted to touch and know everything but in a kind of innocent way (Bailey), and then the shark that just wanted to devour everything (Stenton). I think that little stunt was a power play on Stenton's part, trying to intimidate the other two founders for some reason or another. Still, I felt really bad for the poor octopus and seahorses...

5. I quite liked the ending to The Circle as I think it was a realistic reaction that someone as brainwashed as Mae would have to Ty's revelations and request. What were your thoughts on the ending?

I would have liked it more if I hadn't seen it coming a mile away. But I did enjoy the fact that there wasn't a "happy ending". It did feel more realistic and true to the story that she would turn Ty in and continue on course. Mae was just too far gone by the end. It would have taken a lot more than just some quick words underground to sway her to revolt.

6. I really liked the premise of The Circle and I did like the gradual brainwashing of Mae to become the biggest proponent of what the organisation had to offer, however, I really wasn't a fan of the writing. I found the dialogue incredibly cheesy and I thought there were several plot points that seemed pointless. For instance, why bother with the scene where Francis filmed Mae and posted it to the cloud, when nothing ended up coming of it and it was never mentioned again? I thought that the book could have been a really good thriller but just didn't hit the mark with me and I ended up giving the book 2 stars. What was your rating and what did you like and dislike about the book?

I gave it three stars because I liked the overall premise and I enjoyed most of the writing. I did not, however, enjoy the characters or the pacing of the plot. I felt like too much time was spent just introducing us to the Circle and Mae's new career and we sped through all the interesting stuff. And Mae was completely insufferable. Completely. I liked Kalden/Ty, but he was barely in the book. I feel like it could have been a great story, but it wasn't executed as well as it could have been. Still, I enjoyed it.

@Grace - Glad to hear you're feeling better!

@Teddie - I was thinking the same thing! I just couldn't mesh my idea of Mae with Emma Watson. I'd be interested to see her portrayal. Also, I've heard good things about Black Mirror, but I haven't watched it yet. I'll have to give it try!

I just finished The Circle. Not sure how I feel about it. I liked it, overall, but the ending was bleh. And the main character was kind of insufferable. It does make me want to see the movie, though!

Now I'm going to start Daughter of Smoke & Bone and try and decide whether I want to join in with the next BOM.

Completed

The Circle
Read: 6 May 2017
Pages: 493
BOM: My input
Rating: ★★★

Ivy wrote: "I finished A Gathering of Shadows and am now starting A Conjuring of Light. Wish me luck.

@ Kerri If you still want to read it together, feel free to join in with me. =)
I am going to be slower w..."

I have it on hold at the library, but, alas, it's not back yet. Let me know if it's worth the wait!

Discussion Questions for May 6
(Start - Book II; Ends - "when I got back tonight. We can try it.")

1. Mae is now fully transparent. I found it hard to believe that anyone would care what one ordinary person was doing 24/7, even if she works at arguably the most important company in the world. What do you think is the appeal? Do you believe that full transparency would help bring an end to crime as we know it?

2. "THINK COMPLETION". "COMPLETE THE CIRCLE". "THE CIRCLE MUST BE WHOLE". All thoroughly creepy slogans, yet most everyone seems to be pushing for that goal. What do you think will happen when the circle is complete? With as pervasive as this company is, do you think it's too late to even try and stop that from happening?

3. Kalden calls Mae and sounds very concerned. He starts to warn her about Completion and telling her that it would be a very bad thing if it were to happen... and she hangs up on him. Do you think that Mae is fully within the Circle's grasp? Or do you think she hung up before the audio kicked back in and Kalden could be exposed, even if it was just his voice? Do you think he can convince her to help him?

4. So not everyone is drinking the Kool-aid. Mae's parents and Mercer are both, in varying degrees, resisting having their whole lives wrapped in the Circle. Mercer has gone completely off grid. Do you think they'll be able to hold out against all this advancement? Or do you think, as Mae does, that they'll cave in eventually?

5. In this section, they introduce the concept of YouthRank, a system to academically rank every student in America and, eventually, the world. Of course, this information would be available to anyone. It's touted as a way to get an idea about your child's chances at going to a good college and is even incorporated with TruYouth, the child tracking system developed by Francis. Do you think this would be a good idea or a bad idea?

6. Annie and Mae seem to be on equal footing, now, and Annie does not seem pleased. Do you think Mae's new position within the company will further affect their friendship? Mae says that they are peers now but Annie can't accept that. What do you think Mae is going to do to make Annie accept her?

Discussion Questions ( Set 3) for May 5~ ~Laura
Start - "And then his hands were ..." 196-294
Ends - "...would be going transparent immediately"

1. What are your thoughts about Mae, Francis and the video? Do you think The Circle will see the video? Is Mae through with Francis now that he has hit the strike two mark?

I thought that was awful. Mae was way less upset than I would have been! I figure it's out in the cloud, so I'm sure someone will see it eventually, as much as he insists no one would know. If it's out there, someone will find it. And, no, I don't think she is done with Francis. She has this weird attraction to him that makes absolutely no sense to me...


2. Congresswoman Santos goes transparent. Nothing is private or secret. Every conversation, every meeting, every part of your day will be broadcast . What are your thoughts on our elected leaders going transparent. Yay or nay?

While I can see why it would be seen as a good thing, it just seems like too much. It would certainly stop back room meetings and probably make lobbyists a little less sleazy, but I dunno. That level of transparency just makes me uncomfortable.

3. Mae and Mercer are involved in another argument. There are always two sides to an argument. Whose argument bears more weight? Are you more partial to Mercer or Mae's side?

Though Mercer was an a-- about it, I'm on his side in that confrontation. He was obviously uncomfortable with what Mae had done and was continuing to do and she just completely disregarded his feelings. It was insensitive and rude. Not to mention the fact that she was ignoring him and her parents to talk to a bunch of strangers online. I can understand the urge to post a picture of something you find beautiful, but if the person who made it request that you take it down or not post it at all, you need to respect their wishes. Mae was being a petulant brat in this section.

4. Anyone else find it extremely ironic that Mae gets caught stealing a kayak by one of Marion's cameras, which we find out is a SeeChange camera from Mae's workplace? As a result of Mae's actions she is reprimanded at work and forced to be transparent. What do you think about what just happened?

I don't think she was really forced into being transparent so much as coerced. Bailey talked her around in circles until she thought it was her idea. I think it's slightly insane. Who would want the entire world in their personal lives 24/7? It sounds awful... Still, it wasn't very smart of her to take that kayak. Sure it's a kiosk on a beach, but even not taking SeeChange into account, a lot of businesses have security cameras. And what if she had had an accident while out in the kayak? Or got it back, but it was damaged beyond repair? Just not a good move on Mae's part.