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

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

Have a good trip, Karsyn! It's the little things in life :)

That's awesome, Victoria! We've been getting pretty lucky with the DQs.

Discussion Questions December 6
Chapters 8-9

16. Mr Ibis speaks about independent funeral parlours being taken over or replaced by big chains. This seemed to me to be reminiscent of what is happening with the old gods being replaced with newer ones. Ones that are often consumer driven or by items that are soulless or have no real personality. What do you think about Gaiman's idea of what happens to gods like Odin? Do you think he is right that TV, etc have somewhat taken the place of gods?

I think he is right if we're talking about what people idolize. Most people nowadays wouldn't be able to function without their smart phone. I think that is a form of "worship", though not how you imagine it when talking about gods like Odin. And the idea that the old gods die when people stop believing kind of makes me think of Tinkerbell in Peter Pan, lol. Clap if you believe!

17. Were you surprised at Mad Sweeney's death? Do you think that the alcohol and cold were what killed him?

I was not expecting that! I don't think it was the alcohol/cold. I think people stopped believing in leprechauns (or whatever the actual name for him was) and now he's gone.

18. Do you think Sweeney was telling the truth about the coin and was it Wednesday that he was so afraid of?

I can't really figure that whole bit out. Shadow has been with Wednesday this whole time and I feel like he would have inquired about the coin if it was truly that important. Why would he make Sweeney go beg for it back? Unless he was teaching him some sort of lesson. That doesn't seem like something he would do, though. I think there's more to that story.

19. We have the old gods and the new gods but where does the buffalo man fit in seeing as he said "this is not a land for gods"?

I have no idea, lol. He seems more reminiscent of Native American lore, so maybe he is a creature of that folklore?

My husband uninstalled Win 10 from his gaming computer. He absolutely hated it. It's on my computer and I don't mind it, but I really just use my computer to play around on the internet.

Good luck to everyone who is taking finals! I remember those... those were no fun.

I posted my discussion questions for the American Gods BOM. Here's the link:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

It's message 200. I'm really enjoying the book so far!

Discussion Questions Dec 8
Chapter 12-13

26. Chapter 12 started out with some interesting stuff! What are your thoughts on the "backstage" portion of the story? Do you think that will be showing back up?

27. We met some new characters/gods in these chapters. Who is your favorite, so far? Do you find yourself relating more to the old gods or the new?

28. Sam is back! I thought she was a transient character, but it looks like she's going to playing a bigger role in the story. What role do you think that will be?

29. We lost one of our main characters. Do you think this person is really gone or will be showing back up later on?

30. Laura makes another appearance. What do you think she means when she tells Shadow that he's not really alive? Do you think she's right? How do you think Shadow has grown as a character or do you think he's grown at all?

Finished up The Road for the "modern" goal. Hope everyone is having a good weekend :)

Discussion Questions for December 4, 2015
Chapters 6-7

11. Once on the carousel ride, Shadow now can see who Wednesday/Odin, Mr. Nancy/Anansi, Mr. Czernobog/Bielebog. Did you see this coming or know these men were gods?

Yup! I knew Mr. Wednesday was Odin! I had figured the other two were gods, but I hadn't quite figured out who they were yet. I figured Mr. Nancy out when they were travelling on the carousel and Shadow saw him as a giant spider. Still not sure who Bielebog is... I'll have to look that one up.

12. Wednesday gave a speech about the new gods, did you see the kids that bound Shadow up as the new gods of credit card, freeway, internet, etc. Does this give you an idea of what will come between the old gods and new gods?

I thought that was an interesting concept, the new gods being things like technology and material possessions. I wonder if iPhones would fall under technology or have their own separate god... Anyways, it seems like it's leading up to a battle of the sacred versus the secular. Not sure how that's gonna go down.

13. Laura came to save the day for Shadow. Did you see this one coming (lol the guard in the cell alone with his magazine)? Do you think Shadow will find a way to make Laura alive again?

I did not see that coming. I still don't completely trust her, but good on her for getting Shadow out of that situation. Of course, now he's probably wanted as a mass murderer, but you can't win them all. As for helping her to be actually alive again? I mean... the guy hangs out with gods.

14. Should Shadow take Lucille Ball/Technology/new gods offer and switch sides?

NO! The new gods come off as skeazy and awful and, like Mama-ji said, they are, when put into perspective, temporary. No one worships railroads anymore, remember? Also, I just don't like the new gods, lol.

15. We are now a little past the quarter of the book. Are you enjoying the book? Is it what you thought it would be? Are you enjoying the humor in the book? Do you like the little side stories between some of the chapters?

I am enjoying this book! Now that I've adapted to the writing style, I'm really getting into the characters and where this crazy ride is taking them. I don't think I had any real idea what to expect, so I guess it's not what I thought it would be? Or it is. The humor is pretty good, dry and witty and I'm really digging the side stories.

Discussion Questions 03 December 2015 Chapters 4-5

6. We meet the three sisters and Czernobog. Is Wednesday collecting the people for this meeting himself or is Czernobog the only one because he is difficult? Shadow is already making himself useful, do you think it was a smart move playing that checkers game?

I feel like Wednesday invited a lot of folks, but he isn't, physically collecting them. I think he made a personal visit to Czernobog because, as stated, he is being difficult. I think that was pretty slick of Shadow, though he is now in danger of getting his head bashed in by an old "man".

7. I like that the gods and godesses and mythological beings mentioned in this book so far are based on real stories , this is what I’ve found on Czernobog, and the the Zorya’s although there seem to be only two sisters and is the third sister added by the author. What do you think of the group we have met? Are we going to see the sisters again?

I found them interesting, if very, very odd. I think they might pop back up, but I'm not really sure.

8. In the “Coming to America” part of chapter 4 we learn something about Cornish mythological beings and how they came to be in America. Do you think we will meet some in the chapters to come?

I'm fairly certain we already met one (view spoiler)[Mr. Sweeney, the "leprechaun" (hide spoiler)]. If not, I'm sure they'll come into play or else why have that entire portion of the book?


9. What did you think of Shadow’s Fortune ”Every ending is a new beginning. Your lucky number is none. Your lucky color is dead. Motto: Like father like son.” Does it mean something, is it a prediction of how the story will turn out? The House on Rock is a strange place, what did you think of it’s attractions? I’m curious what is going to happen with the carousel, what about you?

I'm sure it is a predictor for what is going to happen in the book. I couldn't even begin to guess what that possibly may be, but I'm eager to find out. Reading this part of the story made me want to visit The House of Rock, lol. I would totally want to ride the giant carousel.


10. What do you think of the writing style of this book? I feel like I’m constantly distracted and need to focus, but it is the writing style. I like the way that the story is told and you get to know new characters quickly. Is the book what you expected it to be when you started reading?

I find myself getting used to the writing style. I like it, but it's different from what I'm used to. I'm not entirely sure what I expected going into this book, but I feel like it's still surprised me. In a good way!

I can pick up the "modern" goal if no one else has a book that will fit. The Road has it on it's top shelves and it's been on my TBR pile for a minute. It's pretty short, too, so I can have it done in a day or so.

J?

Discussion Questions December 2

Chapters 1-3

1. Why did you decide to read this book? Have you read other books by Neil Gaiman? Did someone recommend it to you?

This book has been recommended to me numerous times and has been on my TBR shelf for quite awhile. One of my best friends has been trying to get me to read this book for the past 5 years or so. She was pretty excited when she saw I finally picked it up. I've read Coraline and I really enjoyed it, so I'm looking forward to this book.

2. In the first chapter we're introduced to some of Shadow's fellow prison inmates - Low Key Lyesmith, the Iceman, and Sam Fetisher. Do you think any of these characters will play a part in the rest of the book or were they just background flair?

I definitely think some of them will be re-introduced, whether they actually show up or through Shadow's introspection. I didn't even think about the possible (view spoiler)[Low-Key = Loki scenario! (hide spoiler)] You guys are way more clever than I.

3. What do you think of Mr. Wednesday? I think I caught a few hints about who he really is - anyone else have an idea?

Mr. Wednesday is an interesting guy, though I'm not his biggest fan. He kind of rubs me the wrong way as he clearly does with Shadow, as well. As for his possible identity (view spoiler)[I definitely think he's Odin. The eye thing, the raven, the gray-ness... there's a lot of little hints in there. I would be surprised if he doesn't turn out to be Odin. (hide spoiler)]

4. What are you thoughts on Laura, her infidelity and her return from the dead to protect Shadow? Do you think she is one of Shadow's crazy dreams that he's been getting?

I do not like Laura. I liked her fine at the beginning and then things starting piling up. You cheated on your husband with your best friend's spouse while he was in prison for something that you apparently convinced him to do? Yeah, go die in a fire. Unfortunately, she only died in a car wreck so she can now be a zombie and continue to try and ruin Shadow's life. I definitely don't think she's come back to "protect" him, as she claims.

I also don't think it was a dream. It seemed too vivid and too real for it to have been a dream. And, hey, a LOT of strange things have been happening to Shadow. Why is his dead wife coming back from the dead outside of the realm of possibility?

5. There seems to be a lot of interesting things being set up even in these early chapters, what have you found most intriguing in the opening scenes of the book?

I really like the flashbacks to the past and I'm really curious about Shadow's dreams. I'm already wrapped up in this guy's story and his future and it's only been 69 pages!

Went to check our status...

We're in first place! Great job, team :)

I'm good with using the boon for that.

Good morning, everyone!

I don't think I have anything for onomatopoeia, either.

Happy birthday, Jen!

It's over and I'm kinda sad! Last set of questions.

30. Who ended up being you favorite character and why?

I grew attached to everyone, a little bit, but if I had to choose a favorite, I'd probably go with Inej. I just love her integrity and her spirit. I was also very happy that she didn't just fall into Kaz's arms at the end. She told him what she needed from him to be able to be with him and she refused to settle for less. That's my kind of female lead!


31. On page 392, Matthias tells Nina that Kuwei is "one of us" Who do you think he is referring to as "us"?

I think the "us" was meant to refer to the innocents who have been caught up in all this prejudice and struggle through no real fault of their own.


32. Kaz has the thought that: survive, survive, survive is how he has lived his life. Do you see this as in sync with his character? Do you see him as a character that survives through caluculated plans or luck?

He has definitely survived, survived, survived. This kid has known nothing but struggle ever since he and his brother were conned. I think he survives with a good mixture of well thought-out plans and luck. He's smart, but he definitely gets lucky, at times.


33. Do you have a favorite quote from this book?

I think when Inej said, "I will either have you without your armor or not at all." Tell him how it is, Inej! Probably not the exact words (I don't have my book in front of me), but I loved it.


34. What lesson or lessons do you think the author was trying to teach us through this story?

That no matter how capable you may be, at times, everyone needs help. Also about loyalty and prejudices and the grey mess that life can be.

35. Were you satisfied with the ending? Will you read on in this series?

I don't tend to like cliffhangers, but I went into this book knowing it was part of a series, so I was kind of expecting it. I will definitely be continuing the series!

Yay! Extra points for the team :D

Good morning, guys! Hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was slow and relaxing and it was awesome.

Discussion Questions for Nov. 28, 2015
Chapters 27-36


26. Wow, this was an exciting section! Kaz shows up after his encounter with Pekka Rollins covered in blood and lies to the group about finding him. Any new thoughts on what you think happened between Kaz and Pekka in that cell?

I still think he murdered his face hard. I guess we will see, though.


27. When Matthias showed up outside of Nina's cell with Brum, he totally had me thinking that he had betrayed the team! Did he fool you too?

Completely! That man is driven by honor, for the most part, and I thought being back home and seeing his former mentor had finally pushed him to betray the others and go back to the Fjerdans. I'm glad to see that he's finally beginning to realize that they are, for the most part, horrible people. Especially Brum. Ugh with that guy.


28. Brum reveals that his people have been experimenting on the Grisha for at least 15 years. So apparently the Grisha are worth keeping alive only if they use their abilities under the control and direction of the Fjerda. Now that Matthias knows the truth about what his people have been doing, do you think he'll still return home after he gets his pardon (if the team is successful)?

I don't think so. I think he's seen too much from his people that makes his stomach turn for him to willing go back to being a witchhunter. And I think the attraction to Nina will be too strong now that he realizes she may have been right all along.

29. Wow, those Tidemakers were scary! We've now seen Squallers and Tidemakers fight our team. Will they face Inferni? What would an attack from jarda-parem-taking Inferni look like?

I dunno, though I'm sure that scene would be intense. I just imagines flames everywhere and people spontaneously combusting.

30. The team's plans keep getting thwarted, and now with Inej captured, do you think the whole team will make it out alive?

I don't know. The eternal optimist in me says that they will all make it out, though there will be some injuries (probably severe ones). The rational side of me thinks someone is bound to die. Everything is just going so wrong. I hope the optimist side is right...

Nov 27 Chapters 21-26, Pages 255-317

21. We have gotten a report on the audio version, but to those reading the book, how are you finding reading so many POVs? Do you feel the book is flowing well, or do you find it disjointed and hard to follow?

I'm quite alright with the changing POVs. Having read all of the Song of Ice and Fire books, it's a device I've grown to enjoy. I think the story flows very well in this book, even with the constant POV changes.

22. I am having an issue with the ages of the characters (I find them inevitably at least 18 in my head). It seems like the author has written a LOT of backstory and responsibility for a group of characters all under the age of 18. Is this a situation where the ages are dictated by the "YA" category, or do you think the author made the characters this young for a purpose?

I've been kind of struggling with their actual ages, as well. I don't think they are aged the way they are necessarily to fulfill some YA requirement, but it does take some getting used to. As people have mentioned, I can kind of believe their attitudes and behaviors when you consider how they grew up and what they've had to deal with in their young lives.

23. The group has entered the prison. Do you think they will be successful in their mission? Do you think Bo Yul-Bayour is in the prison? Or do you think the whole job is a wild goose chase?

Ohhh, successful, maybe, but not in any kind of simple way. This is going to be one big mess, I imagine, and I don't think Bo Yul-Bayur is going to be what they expect him to be.

24. We find out two interesting tidbits about Jesper in his chapter. Did you find either one of these surprising? Do you think either will play a part in the story, or is it just to help us better understand his character?

I found them both surprising! (view spoiler)[His being attracted to guys was much less shocking than the fact that he is a Grisha. (hide spoiler)] He definitely hid the latter much better than the former. I think his abilities will have a big role in the further development of this story, but I think it will help us to understand his motivations, as well.

25. We finally find out the rest of Kaz's backstory and why he wears the gloves. At the end of the section, Kaz has completely gone off mission and has Pekka right where he wants him. Do you think he will kill him? And how do you think the rest of the group will react when they find out what he is really doing?

I think he's going to kill him. I think he's so caught up in the moment and finally having him right where he wants him that he won't be able to resist. The rest of the group is going to be pissed, though.

Discussion Questions November 25
Chapters 18-20, pages 202-254

16. We get a glimpse of Kaz feelings for Inez. Were you surprised? How do you think their story will evolve?

I was more disappointed than surprised. *Of course* he's in love with Inej... sigh... But, even if it's a tad cliché, it's still an interesting story. It's interesting to see how much he hates having developed feelings for someone in any capacity. I'm thinking they may eventually become an item, but I don't think it will be happening in this book.

17. Kaz shares a bit of his backstory with Inez, and considerably more with us. We are introduced to Jordie, the Hertzoons and an innocent, dependent Kaz. What were your thoughts reading about it?

I loved it, but it also made me sad as I was reading it because I knew where it was going. When they get back to the coffee shop and find it boarded up, my heart broke for them. It explains some of why Kaz is the way he is.

18. They finally landed on Fjerda. The heist plan is revealed. Matthias has a plan of his own and implies that Nina might have one too. Will they make it? At what cost? Is the gang going to break apart before the end?

I don't think the plan is going to go off without a hitch. It's far too complicated and there are way too many variables. I'm beginning to think that Matthias and Nina will attempt to get rid of Yul-Bayur rather than chance him giving up the secrets he knows. Neither one of them wants to see that drug being produced anymore than it already has been. Of course, that is going to cause a major rift in the group, but who knows if that will be while they are still in the Ice Court or once they escape. If they escape...

19. We learn more about Nina and Matthias backstory. Now, their characters are better shaped. Did it change your opinion for either of them? Can you see them escape their prejudices? How do you think their story will evolve?

My opinions stayed about the same. The main thing was that Nina explained why she betrayed Matthias, but it seemed like a weak reason to me. I'm still more on her side than Matthias, but I think there is a real chance for both of them to grow past their prejudices. I think they will become close, maybe even give in and kiss since they obviously want to so very badly.

20. The company is attacked by a drug-empowered Grisha. The competition is getting tighter. Is their mission as clean as they were led to believe? What role Bo Yul-Bayur will play if he gets his freedom?

Hahahahahaha, no. Of course it's not! It's going to get even worse as they get closer to their target, I would imagine. I'm not sure what to expect from Bo Yul-Bayur, but I certainly don't think it will be black and white. I'm excited to see what happens.

I'm almost done with . I should be finished by tomorrow, I think. Reading the BOM, as well, as slowed me down! Both are great books, though.

I hope you feel better soon, Michelle!