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

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

Kerri's Cleaning Out the Closet Challenge

Duration: 13 April 2016 - 31 December 2016
Progress: 9/20

I decided to just do the first page of my TBR list after sorting by date.

1) - I added this one because it's a classic and I love the story. I'd like to read the original.

2) - This one was added because I adore the musical. It's still on here because the length is daunting...

3) - At one point, I used to have all of Jane Austen's works on here. This is the last one I have to read. I don't know why I saved it for last. I finally scratched that last Jane Austen book off of my list! It was enjoyable, as most Austen books are, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. 4/5 stars

4) - Another classic that I never read in high school and I felt like I should probably read at some point in my life. It's just always been on the back-burner (ha!)

5) - To be honest, I saw the movie and was so very "WTF..." that I just had to read the book. From what I hear, it's even more "WTF". Well, this was, indeed, a pretty "WTF" book, but I have to say that I enjoyed a lot more than the movie. The language was rough to get a handle on, at first, but I think it added to the novel. I'm glad I found a version with all 21 chapters, as well. 3/5 stars

6) - Another classic that I felt I should have read by this time in my life. Another one where the length kind of made me leave it alone until now. I have finished this book and I now feel justified in avoiding it for so long... Still, I'm glad I read it. 2/5 stars

7) - I love Stephen King, yet, for some reason, have never read this book. I've marked quite a few other Stephen King books off my list, but this one still lingers.

8) - I can't really remember why I added this book... Meh. This book was just... meh. 3/5 stars

9) - I've heard a lot about this book and I wanted to experience it for myself. Apparently not that much since it's been on my list since 2011... *shrugs* This book was a slog. It had it's moments, but definitely glad that I'm done with it for good. 2/5 stars

10) - So I realized the version of Sherlock Holmes I had added was, indeed, a single story. I've decided to replace it (and other single Sherlock Holmes stories I had on my TBR) with The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume I. I'm gonna leave it on the list because I've still been meaning to read Sherlock Holmes for forever!

11) - I thought the premise for this book was so interesting. It just got overshadowed by a bunch of other books in the interim.

12) - This is, surprisingly, one of the few Roald Dahl books I didn't read as a kid. I don't know how I missed this one! I've finally read it, and it was just as enjoyable as the Dahl books I enjoyed as a kid. 4/5 stars :)

13) - I think I added this after seeing the movie. I wanted to see what the original was really like.

14) - I added this because one of my best friends read it and told me it was amazing. I'm bad at following up on reading recommendations. This same friend had been telling me to read Tess of the d'Ubervilles since high school and I only read that a couple of years ago. For reference, I graduated high school in 2000...

15) - The same friend as above suggested this book around the same time frame. I'm the worst...

16) - I've always been intrigued by this series, I just haven't gotten around to starting it. I think it's because I have no friends that have read it and can give me a hint as to whether I'd like it or not. Eh, I'll give it a go. Quite enjoyable! 4/5 stars

17) - Another one of those classics situations. I don't know why it's taken me so long to pick this one up.

18) - Another Stephen King book that I just haven't read yet. The movie is the reason I'm scared of clowns sooooo... maybe that's why it's still on my list, heh.

19) - My friend is just going to stop suggesting books for me... At least this one was a more recent suggestion (as in 2011). I really enjoyed this book! I'm really going to have to start listening to my friend when she recommends books, heh. 4/5 stars

20) - Can't really remember why I added this one, either, but it sounds like it could be good! I thought this book was a cute retelling of the Cinderella tale. It was thoroughly enjoyable! 4/5 stars

Quite the list! But I have until the end of the year. I can do this!

I think I'm going to jump in on this. I was just looking at my TBR list the other day and marveling at how long some of the books have been there...

List to be compiled!

March 22 – Section 1: Thief at Sea

1) Gathering of Shadows is the 2nd book in a planned trilogy. Some say that 2nd books are just filler to get to the third, others say they are better than the first because not so much time is spent on world-building. Do you have any feelings one way or the other?

No real opinion one way or the other. I take each series one book at a time. If I enjoy the series, I tend to like each book for it's own reason. There are some series where the second book was much loved and some where it was just okay. We'll see how this one goes!

2) The first chapter opens with Lila stranded on a small leaky boat. However, by the end of the first chapter you realize that this was all a ploy and she single-handedly takes over a ship. Did you see that coming? I have to admit, I thought it was one of the best opening chapters I’ve read in a long time.

At first I thought her attitude had landed her in that position, but I started to catch on when she was picked up by the pirates. I thought it was pretty clever!

3) While Lila is taking down the ship, she is humming a song about sarows, a phantom said to haunt wayward ships. We found out that some of the men on the Night Spire actually call her that. Why do you think that the men call her that?

Well, we find out later that she killed one of the crew (which how she managed to become a crew member) and had quite a few fights with the crew, so I'm sure they have learned to be wary of her. She's also a really good thief, to boot, and I'm sure that's added to her mystique.

4) Alucard Emery is the captain of the Night Spire, the ship that Lila has been travelling on. What are your first impressions of the captain? Do you think that this might be a possible new love interest for Lila?

Alucard seems interesting. I like him, so far. I really could not care less if he turns into a love interest or not *shrug* I do hope he plays a role in the upcoming story. Like I said, he's interesting.

5) We learn how Lila ends up on the Night Spire. She kills one of the crew members when he comes after her for stealing his purse. Lila doesn’t speak much Arnesian but manages to convince the Alucard that she will replace his “best thief”. Did this scene change your impression of Lila?

Not especially. She's proven herself to be quick-witted and smart and it's not like she hasn't killed people before. She's always been cocky (to a fault...), so her bravado in this scenario wasn't any surprise.

6) Why do you think that the voice in her head keeps telling Lila to leave or run?

She's not used to being settled, even if it's on a ship sailing the seas. She's getting comfortable, even if she won't admit it to herself, and her inner self doesn't like it.

7) Her room on the ship is described as small, “but it is the only place on the ship where she could be truly alone, and the weight of her persona slid from her shoulders like a coat as she closed the door”. What do you think this means?

She can just be Lila. Not the usual, tough as nails, wisecracking, always looking over her shoulder Lila. She can relax and be herself. And I think she likes to practice her magic and discover more about herself in private.

8) Lila still has the box that Kell gave her and has been practicing magic. Any thoughts on how her developing magic will play into this story. Do you think she wants to impress Kell with what she’s learned?

I'm sure it will play a big role. What role that would be, I couldn't guess. I think she wants to show him that he has underestimated her from day one. And maybe impress him a little ;)

9) Now that we’re caught up on Lila, who the character that you most want to hear about next?

Kell! I didn't really care for Lila's character in the first book. I liked her enough but Kell is definitely more interesting to me.

Ink and Bone Discussion Questions
Chapters: 13 – End pages 325-410
March 18, 2016

Q32. What did you think about Jess’s journal with the alchemy and that whole situation?

I KNEW something was going on with those journals! I thought it was more nefarious... as in, I thought it had been going on since the invention of personal journals and not as a reaction to Scholar Wolfe's "heresy". I felt really bad for Jess. They had all been taught from a young age that those journals were private, even Jess as the child of a smuggler, and it had to be one of the biggest betrayals to find out that the Library has been reading them. The fact that it betrayed the woman he loves just made it that much worse. Though I feel like his father must have suspected something since he told his kids never to write about the business...

Q33. Morgan was caught and locked up, did you see this coming? Will she forgive Jess?

Yeah, I called that one, which is rare for me. I mean, it is the first book in a series and Morgan remaining free would have left no tension for the next book, really. Unless, of course, Jess had run with her. That would have been interesting, too. I think she's already somewhat forgiven him. Will she trust him as much as she did before? Probably not.

Q34. Urgh! Those dang journals and the Library! Thomas is dead, your thoughts?

I'm real pissed off. Once I saw he had drawn the diagrams in his journal, though, it seemed inevitable. That ephemera containing his interrogation was heartbreaking... You could almost pinpoint the moment when he realized that Jess had been right about the Library. Ugh.

Q35. Jess has been placed away from the library and demoted, how do you feel about this?

I feel like Wolfe has a very good reason for Jess' assignment and it will keep Jess away from Wolfe so he'll be less likely to betray him. Although, the Artifex seemed like he would punish Jess just as badly for *no* information as for *false* information. That guy is a giant bag of dicks...

Q36. The note to Jess from Thomas, what will come of the plans Thomas left for Jess?

Maybe Jess will find a way to disseminate them to the public? There has to be people not affiliated with the Library who would be able to build presses from Thomas' detailed diagrams.

Q37. Did you enjoy the book? Who is your favorite character? Will you read book 2 of the series, Paper and Fire when it's released?

I enjoyed this book immensely!! It was fun and energetic and action-packed and just awesome! As for favorite character, I'm probably leaning towards Wolfe right now. The guy is complex and I like that. Paper and Fire will definitely be on my TBR list.

Discussion Questions 17 March 2016. Chapters 9-12


26. Poor Morgan, seeing her father and he is trying to “save” her by killing her. Do you think the Burners got to him? Or is he insane?

I think he has lost it. He knows his daughter is in some serious danger, his home is under siege, and now there's riots and death all around him. I think he sees the Burners as the only way out for both himself and his daughter.

27. Jess tells Morgan to ask his father for help if she is able to escape the library in London. Do you think his father would help her? From what I’ve read so far about Callum Brightwell I don’t think he will.

I think he would help her if there was some sort of profit in it for him. Or he might sell her out to the Library to keep himself in "good standing", so to speak. He wouldn't risk his life to save his own flesh and blood (Liam), he's not going to risk his life for Morgan.

28. Wow Santi and Wolfe. Did you suspect they are more than just friends?

Totally called that one! From the moment mentioned the Library threatening his "lover" and seeing how they were so close. I'll admit, I squealed a little.

29. There is so much going on in this book. The war between the Welsh and the English (we still don’t know what that’s all about), Burners attacking the library, a lot of intrigue from the leaders of the library. I’m starting to have some trouble keeping it all straight. How about you? Do you like many storylines or do you like to focus on one thing?

I'm not finding it that hard to follow the multiple storylines. I'm not sure why the Welsh and English are fighting, either, but wars happen all too frequently for terrible reasons. I'm enjoying all the different aspects of this story.

30. The library must really want Morgan and Wolfe, they blow up their own train to get to them by way of the Burners. I didn’t see that one coming. Did you expect the library to use Burners to do their dirty work? With who else are they working?

I'm not entirely sure why they want Wolfe so badly. I'm beginning to suspect his family relation is the Obscurist Magnus. I can't remember if that was ever outright mentioned or not. I'm not too surprised they used Burners to do their dirty work, The Library doesn't seem too big of a fan of getting their hands dirty, I'm surprised they were willing to sacrifice all those postulants to get what they wanted. Probably shouldn't be, though. I'm sure they have their hands in every organization.

31. This book is really action packed. Today’s section had me on the edge of my seat and I’m hoping for a nice relaxing chapter. Do you like all this constant action or would you like to have some quiet moments?

I'm liking the action. We had our quieter (in comparison) moments at the beginning of the book. We're near the end and that's usually when the action cranks up. I'm ok with it. I love action! Quieter moments are nice every now and then. They had their rest at the Welsh encampment and on the train for a little while. I think it'll be pretty action packed from here on out.

March 15
DQ’s: Chapter 6-8

20. The Translation Chamber – that was a very intense moment in the book. What do you think caused the different reactions in each Postulant? Why were some able to stand the transition seemingly fine and others not at all?

Probably something to do with individual physical and mental ability. Maybe the ones that were damaged didn't concentrate hard enough. Not too sure.

21. Wolfe seems to be developing as a character. We find out more details about him as the book moves forward. Do you still feel the same about him as you did in the beginning of the book? Has your opinion on him changed at all?

I never disliked him. I thought he was a tough instructor teaching the postulants to do a tough job. Now, though, I'm really starting to like the guy. He obviously doesn't agree with some Library policies and he's trying to do his best to protect his class while still teaching them how to do their jobs. He's making them think outside the box. He's protecting Morgan's secret and now, apparently, Jess' secret, as well. He seems like a genuinely good guy.

22. What did you think about the letters between Artifex Magnus and Scholar Wolfe? Do you believe Guillaume was really a burner spy? How do you think they found out? Do you think this was the real reason Artifex Magnus wanted them to go through the Translation Chamber to begin with?

Scholar Wolfe is maaaaaaad. I have a hard time believing that Guillaume was a spy. I think they *suspected* him of being a spy and that may have been enough for them to want to get rid of him. Which is disgusting. I really dislike Artifex Magnus and I certainly wouldn't put it past him to make them suffer through that to get rid of one postulant. Although, it seems like it was the fastest way to get where they needed to be.

23. They are on the front lines of the war. What purpose do you think the war has in the book? It seems strange to have the war on books and then the war between the Welsh and the English. How will this be tied into the rest of the plot?

I'm not entirely sure what purpose the war serves beyond adding additional tension. I'm sure it will continue to be a factor in the plot. It might even make it impossible for them to immediately return to Alexandria. Time for some field training!

24. In this section we find out that Wolfe does in fact know about Jess’s family and his past. Why do you think Wolfe is helping both Jess and Morgan? Do you think he will eventually betray them or use them to his advantage (such as a revolution)?

I think Wolfe is helping them because his faith in the Library and it's rules has been shaken. I think Wolfe is beginning to see what a power hungry and dangerous organization the Library has become and he does not approve. I don't know if he's going for an all out rebellion, but I don't think he's going to make it easy for them to make people suffer anymore.

25. We are about half way through the book. Any predictions for the end? Anything you would like to see happen? How are you enjoying the world the author has created? I personally am still confused and wish there was more of a description of it. Does anyone else feel that way?

I'm not good with predictions. This is the first book in a trilogy, no less, so who knows how this one will end. I would like to see them all escape, but there's no way that is going to happen. I feel like Morgan will be taken, which would, conveniently, leave only six postulants for the six open spots. Maybe they will try to rescue her from within? I'm enjoying the book and the world it has built so far! I find it interesting, though more details certainly couldn't hurt.

March 14
Discussion Questions: Chap 4 - 5

14. Wolfe tells Jess that he isn't an Obscurist. Do you believe that? Or do you think Wolfe is covering it up and keeping it from him for some reason?

I believe him. I don't think Jess is an Obscurist, either, but he can withstand their alchemy better than most. I'm sure that will be important later on and not just to send books to the Archive.

15. Thomas is working on something that he says will make the Codex obsolete. What do you think this could be? And will we learn more about Thomas' invention?

It's definitely a printing press. It's been mentioned more than once (the original and Scholar Wolfe's invention) and it would be just so perfect if a German postulant built one. Besides, he said something about making Obscurists obsolete, which is also something Wolfe mentioned in one of the ephmera. I hope we learn more, though I fear for Thomas.

16. Wolfe's "tests" are a little on the extreme side, in my opinion. He's put the postulants lives at risk many times now. Do you agree with his tactics and teaching methods?

I think he puts them at a calculated risk, especially now that they are down to the last nine. The raid of the Burner's shop could have been much worse, but they had lowered the possibility of serious damage already. The tests are extreme, yes, but not overly so, in my opinion.

17. We find out Morgan is an Obscurist and that Wolfe knows about it, but hasn't turned her in. What do you think his purpose for that is? And if you were Jess, would you turn her in?

I don't think that Wolfe is as firmly in the Library's camp as I assumed when his character was first introduced. He has been dealt a pretty raw hand by them simply because he thought of a more efficient way to spread knowledge. I think he's sparing Morgan because he knows there is a better way and doesn't understand why the Obscurists must be locked away for life when that way is a real possibility that the Library just won't let happen. I wouldn't have turned her in, especially in Jess' situation. He has no right to rat someone else out when he is there as a spy, himself.

18. Morgan confides in Jess and tells him that she was training while on the run. When Jess asks her who she was training with, she told him that some things were best kept secret. Who do you think Morgan was training with?

I have no idea. I can't think of a single person that I would suspect as Morgan's secret trainer.

19. Honestly, if I was Jess, I don't believe I would have told Morgan, or anyone for that matter, about my past. Would you have confided in Morgan? Do you think she's trustworthy?

I wouldn't have told her a thing. He stumbled upon her secret. She didn't give it up freely. I don't know why he felt such a compulsion to share his secret with her. I get he wanted to feel a relief from it for just a moment, but that was stupid. Morgan seems trustworthy enough, but even a trustworthy person might let something accidentally slip.

Questions March 13th
Chapters 2 & 3

9) At the beginning of chapter 2 Jess realizes he went from being one of the best of his group to being simply average (or lower) than most. How do you think this realization will impact his behavior? Or do you think he'll take it in stride?

I think it will make him try his hardest. He doesn't seem like the type to be shaken by the fact that he isn't top dog anymore. Unlike Dario... Ugh, that guy.

10) What do you think of the Doctrine of Mirroring and the Doctrine of Ownership? Good or bad for society?

The Doctrine of Mirroring seems awesome. To be able to access any book from anywhere? How cool would that be? The Doctrine of Ownership, however, is troublesome. No one group or person should have sole access to all the original books/knowledge in the world. Who knows what people aren't able to see because it's being censored by the Library?

11) Do you think the Iron Tower/Obscurists will end up being an important plot thread? Any guesses as to how or why?

Of course. Scholar Wolfe had way too big of reaction when they were mentioned to have the Obscurists not be one of the major plot points. I'm not sure how they are going to figure in, but I'm excited to see it.

12) How much of Jess's family history/activities do you think Wolfe knows? Do you think he knows about Jess's recent nocturnal activities?

I don't know... I feel like he keeps alluding to things and making random remarks that make it seem like he knows about Jess' past and family. Maybe it's a trap of some sort to catch the whole family? They seem to be one of the big smuggling families, so it'd be kind of like the FBI going after a mob boss or something. They're being sneaky about it. I have no real idea, though.

13) I guess we now know what Jess's specialty is. Any thoughts on why Wolfe didn't want him talking about how the testing in the office went with the other students? Others don't need to be secret squirrel about their specialties? Why do you think this talent is so special or hush-hush?

Maybe it's a big deal that he isn't affected as strongly as most people by the Obscurists' alchemy. Maybe he could fight the Library with that kind of skill.

Discussion Questions:
March 12 – Prologue – Chap 1


1) Have you read anything by Rachel Caine? Why did you decide to read Ink and Bone?

I haven't read anything by this author. In fact, I had never heard of this author before this BOM popped up. I decided to read Ink and Bone because the premise sounded unique and promising. I'm looking forward to it!

2) The chapters seem to each start with an ephemera. I’ve never heard the term so I looked it up.

According to Wikipedia: Ephemera (singular: ephemeron) is any transitory written or printed matter not meant to be retained or preserved. The word derives from the Greek, meaning things lasting no more than a day.

Do you think these serve a purpose to the story?

I do think they serve a purpose. I think they are there to give us hints as to the type of organization the Great Library has become over the years. It's also interesting to see famous people from history mentioned in these ephemera. It's giving us backstory into the Great Library without dedicated a massive chunk of the book to it.

3) In the prologue, we are introduced to Jess, his Da, whose name is Callum, Liam his deceased brother, and learn that Jess doesn’t want to get caught by the Garda and he is running through streets avoiding steam carriages. But the last sentence of the prologue places us in London (mentioned earlier) in 2025 --- was anyone else thrown off by this? I initially thought for sure they were in Ireland somewhere, back in the late 1800’s.

I was more thrown off by the mention of the date than the location. I hadn't really placed them anywhere in particular besides a city setting. I was a little confused by it being 2025 and they only had steam carriages. Reading the last ephemera (the one with the writings of Thomas Paine) made it seem as though the Great Library only doles out what knowledge they deem fit for the masses. In that regard, it's not terribly surprising that people hadn't advanced past steam carriages. I feel like inventiveness has been kind of stamped out or labeled dangerous.

4) Jess’s family business is “running books”. What was your reaction when Jess delivered the book and the toff (rich upper-crust guy) ripped the page out and started eating it? Would you have tried to stop him?

I physically shuddered. In our day and age where books are mass produced, the idea of someone eating a book is weird but not unsettling. But, still, if someone had a book that rare in their hands and started not only ripping pages out of it, but eating them, I think I would have had the exact same reaction as Jess. I think it's especially worse in the setting of the story because books aren't readily available to everyone. All books are rare and that one especially so. Ugh... I probably would have acted the exact same way Jess did. What was this little ten year old boy going to be able to do?

5) Jess seems to have a dysfunctional family. His mom is checked out, his father is prone to violence and he doesn’t seem to get along well with his twin brother. Do you think Jess is using books to escape from this difficult situation?

I think Jess has a deep love for books and knowledge that the rest of his family just doesn't understand. He might have started using books as an escape, but I think the love was always there.

6) I found it interesting that access to books and the knowledge they contain seems to be limited, yet each person was encouraged to write their own book which would be placed in the library. Do you think that the journals are used for nefarious purposes?

I feel kind of sketchy about the journals. They seem to be just paper, unlike the Codex, but I feel like the Great Library might be using them to monitor people.

7) Taking a train to get to school somehow seems familiar. :-D Do you think that the other students (Khalila, Glain and Thomas) that Jess meets on the train will be friends or foes? Will they all make it through the training?

I think Thomas and Jess will become friends. Khalia, probably, though it will take her longer to get to that point, I think. Glain is a wild card. I definitely don't see them being friends any time soon. I do think the three new faces mentioned will make it through training. Why else would the author take the time to give them any sort of substance?

8) When I’m reading a physical book, I like to “inspect it” --- at the end of the book, there is a list of songs that the author listened to while writing the book. Did you notice that and will you look up any of the songs?

I did not notice that, but now I'm going to go look at it! I find that interesting, though I'm not sure if I'll look up any of the songs.

Discussion Questions 25 February 2016: Escape – The Evitable conflict.

16. This is the first story in this book that felt like science fiction. I liked the description of the space ship. Too bad for Powell and Donavan that it didn’t have a shower. What did you think of this story?

I enjoyed this story a lot. It was one of the more enjoyable ones. I did feel bad for Powell and Donovan. They always seem to get the short end of the stick...

17. What do you think of the price Consolidated said they would pay U.S. Robot (100000 for no solution or 200000 + construction costs for the solution)? Do you think Consolidated got a steal or is U.S Robot better off with this deal?

I don't know. It doesn't seem like a substantial amount of money when it comes to creating a working hyperdrive. Ah well, they obviously didn't stick around because they are never mentioned again and U.S. Robot is obviously still in business.

18. What do you think of Brain? I thought it was more of a supercomputer than a robot. And what about its sense of humor?

I thought it was interesting that the Brain had the mentality of a child. I guess it's like those really smart people who lack all common sense. Or, as Dr. Calvin said, an idiot savant. I did, however, enjoy his/her sense of humor. Beans and milk for days!

19. Stephen Byerly, robot or human, what do you think he is? Do you think it matters? Do you agree with Dr Calvin that robots are better civil executives because of the Laws of Robotics?

In that story, I thought he was a robot, but after reading the last story, I'm leaning more towards human. I do agree with Dr. Calvin because the First Law of Robotics makes them incapable of harming their constituents with idiotic laws or by failing to enact good laws.

20. What did you think of this chapter? It was more of an ethical problem than a life or death conflict?

I really liked this chapter. It may have been my favorite. I liked the ethical and moral questions that it brought up. And I liked when Stephen punched that guy in the face (even if it was a set up).

21. In the final chapter we see what the world looks like in the future according to Asimov. What stood out for you?

That it was managed by so few people. I also found the way they split all the regions to be very weird...

22. Do you think we humans could use the help of machines to keep the peace?

I don't know. We use machines now to try and keep the peace by blowing shit up and it doesn't seem to be working out that well. Maybe if we had robots like the ones seen in this book it would be a different story.

23. What did you think of this book and what was your rating? Where there any lessons learned? And finally has you favorite story changed?

I gave it three stars. I liked it, but it didn't do anything special for me. Some of the stories were a downright struggle to get through, to be honest. As for lessons learned, the one that comes to mind is technology can be great, but take it with a grain of salt. Favorite story? Probably Evidence, though Robbie is a close second.

I think I'll give this one a go!

I'm definitely in for this one! Very excited :)

February 23-24:
Daily Questions for Part 4: Catch that Rabbit to Part 6: Little Lost Robot

10. Part 4: Catch that Rabbit... What did you think of this chapter? Did you find it plausible that Dave couldn't figure out why he has the fugue states? What did you think of Powell's diagnosis?

I suppose I can find that plausible. If you over-stress any machine, it tends to malfunction, so it kind of makes sense. It seemed like it took awhile for them to think of monitoring the robots to see what the possible trigger was... And the way they went about proving their theory was pretty idiotic, but I guess it worked in the end. This section was a bit blah, for me, as it didn't feel like much of anything actually happened.

11. Part 5: Liar!... Why is Herbie a math whiz with Calvin and Lanning, but not with Bogert? After all, both Bogert and Lanning are both mathematicians. ???

Since Herbie can read minds, I think he presents himself to each human he interacts with as what they already assume. Bogert assumed that no machine would be able to disprove his equations, so that's how Herbie acted. Lanning believed Bogert's equations were off and that no machine could out-think him, so that's what Herbie presented. He was adapting to whatever ego with which he was dealing.

12. Do you agree with Dr. Calvin's decision to scrap Herbie? What do you think of how she went about it? Would you have done the same in her place?

I don't know if Herbie needed to be scraped, per se. There was probably someway they could have fixed him to be truthful instead of trying to preserve people's feelings. She went about it in a rather cruel way, though. Of course, in her position, having just been thoroughly humiliated and hurt, I'm not sure I would have acted any differently.

13. Part 6: Little Lost Robot... This story is, for me, the best so far. It and the first story are the only two where the tension was high and the outcome was truly unknowable as to whether all humans involved would survive. What did you think of it? Did you expect Nestor 10 to be found?

I really enjoyed this story, as well. This one had suspense and mystery. It was a fun ride reading about the different techniques Dr. Calvin tried to work out which robot was Nestor 10. I expected Nestor 10 to be found since most of these stories resolves themselves in the favor of the people (with possibly Cutie as the exception), but I didn't expect Nestor 10 to attack Dr. Calvin! That added a new level of tension.

14. We've read six of Dr. Calvin's reminisces so far. Are you enjoying this book? Do you know what to make of it? Do you have a favorite story so far?

I am enjoying this book. Some of the stories I can do without, but most of them are pretty interesting. The last story with Nestor 10 has become my favorite, I think, though Robbie is still up there. Its' interesting to see the advancement in the robots and how they seem to be becoming more and more menacing as they become more and more advanced.

15. None of the robots have been fully described. Am I alone in finding this rather curious? I mean, this is a work of science fiction by a science fiction writer. Does it feel like science fiction to you?

I think the author is leaving the physical details to our imagination because he is more focused on the psychological aspect of his robots. This definitely reads like science fiction to me.

Questions Day 1 Feb 22
Intro-3
Pages ix to 67

Q1. Have you read any of Isaac Asimov’s books/stories before or is this your first? Have you seen the movie ‘I, Robot’?

I haven't yet read any Asimov. I'm enjoying myself, so far! I didn't see I, Robot, either.

Q2. In the introduction we learn of Dr. Calvin. She was born in 1982, bachelor’s degree at Columbia in 2003, grad work in cybernetics. 2008 she earned her Ph.D and became a Robopsychologist. She worked with robots for 50 year, most likely making it 2058. She is one of the pioneers of robotics. This book was published in 1950. We are not accurately at this timeline for robotics but what do you think about Asimov’s timeline of progression? Is he far off? Do you think there is more to come? What do you see in our pop culture that shows we might be on our way to having robots in our daily lives?

I really know nothing about robotics and the science involved. Seeming as it's 2016 and we have *none* of the stuff Asimov guessed at, I would have to assume that the timeline outlined in the book is WAY off, haha. Of course, I think we're moving in that direction. Robots or, at least, technology coming rather close to robots is already a part of our lives. We have smartphones, we have Roombas, and smarter, more realistic robots are being developed all the time. I don't think we'll be seeing a "Cutie" in our lifetime, though.

Q3. With the robots being made Dr. Calvin said, “Of course, that was when robots could not talk. Afterward, they became more human and opposition began. The labor unions, of course naturally opposed robot competition for human jobs, and various segments of religious opinion had their superstitious objections. “ If we had robots living among us like in I, Robot, how do you think our society would handle these issues? What problems do you see happening? Would you like it?

Oh, that wouldn't go over well, at all. Some people can't even handle other humans that are different from them in the most minuscule of ways. Robots that come anywhere close to "lifelike" would probably be treated as second-class citizens (kind of like in this book) or worse. Of course, I think most people would be able to integrate with the robots, but the vocal minority would be there to cause trouble. I feel like I would like it to an extent, but I like to be able to do certain things myself and I certainly enjoy having a job, so I wouldn't want robots to completely wipe that aspect of life out.

Q4. Robbie was made and sold in 1996 as a nursemaid to 8 year old Gloria. When they were playing hide and seek by the tree and Gloria said he was peeking when he wasn’t, he was “hurt at the unjust accusation”. Can a robot feel emotion? Is he programmed to mimic it or do you think artificial intelligence helped him with this emotion?

Even though he was an early model, I think Robbie's artificial intelligence helped him to experience that emotion. I would say he probably doesn't have as complex a range of emotion as Cutie, but I'm sure he could experience some.

Q5. In the story Robbie, which is the saddest story to me, the year 1998 is in which the story took place. We see the connection between Gloria and Robbie. We see the prejudices of Mrs. Weston and why she doesn’t want Robbie around. Did you like this story? Did it bring up anything you’d like to talk about?

I think this was my favorite story, so far, because, in the end, Mrs. Weston had to eat it and deal with being completely wrong about Robbie. I'm not a fan of prejudices against any group of people because it's an assumption you make without even getting to *know* a person or, in this case, robot. Robbie gave Mrs. Weston no reason to dislike him, yet she treated him like garbage. I'm glad Gloria and Robbie found each other again. Though, if I were Mr. Weston, the idiotic idea of getting rid of him in the first place would have been squashed from the get go.

Q6. Do you like the style of the transitions from the stories?

I'm enjoying the transitions. It helps with the cohesiveness of the whole book even though they are individual stories.

Q7. The second story takes place in 2015 with Donovan and Powell with the 6 big robots and Speedy the robot. Speedy’s equilibrium is off because of the laws of 2 and 3 which is making him acting drunk, which causes the problems the characters face in this story. Do you like the discussion and reasoning between Donovan and Powell about the laws applied to the robots? Does anything come to mind for you about this story?

I did like the reasoning and final decision. I don't know if that's how it would really work, but the explanation made sense in the book. I liked the back and forth of that part, as well. I feel like there has to be a loophole, though. Rules are never air-tight.

Q8. In the third story Powell and Donovan are at the space station. Cutie is very interesting. I find this story funny and scary; the humans debating with the robot. Cutie was laughing at them because he feels he is superior to them. How would you deal with Cutie saying he is the Master's prophet and manipulating the other robots to follow him?

I don't deal with hyper-religious people very well and I'm sure the same would hold true for a hyper-religious robot. That whole story just made me uncomfortable. Blind faith is just... weird to me. If I were stuck up there with Cutie, I would definitely plan some way to turn him off. Religious zealots... no thank you.

Q9. Out of the three stories (Robbie, Runaround, Reason) which one is your favorite so far?

Definitely Robbie, for reasons mentioned above.

I'm definitely in :)

Workout

Congrats to the all the winners! This was my first team challenge and now I can't wait for the next one! Thanks for a fun time :)

Thanks, everybody! Definitely can't wait til TTV :)

WOOHOO! Congratulations, team! This was a lot of fun and really upped my reading game :) I'm gonna miss this challenge. Great job, everyone!

Title : Frankenstein
Author : Mary Shelley
Date completed: 24 January 2016
Number of pages : 273 pages
Goals : None

Points : 20 (pages)