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

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

Jen wrote: "Hey guys, I've been a little MIA for a while. I didn't realized how tired I was until the end of the school year arrived. After sleeping and catching up on everything I had been putting off, I feel..."

Glad you're feeling more rested, Jen!

Pretty slow day at work, so just dropping by to check in. Currently reading Juniper & Thorn and The Ballad of Black Tom. Not sure if I'll be counting the latter towards TT since it's a novella and not worth many points, but I promised my daughter I'd read it with her this month. Having a good time, so far!

Saw that was have another challenge coming up as I was poking through the announcement post! Looks like it's gonna be an interesting one.

I hope everyone is having a good Sunday :)

Just throwing it out there, Fevered Star works for Charybdis tasks 3 and 5 (makes a hard choice and take a boat trip) and it's already read. I dunno if it's been used for another monster or not.

DQs - Day 5 - June 20th
"With Skadi gone, ..."

“The ending doesn’t matter. What matters is how we get there. To face what’s ahead with as much dignity as we can muster and make the most of the time we have left.”

21. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. It had a very hopeful feel to it, even though almost everyone ended up dying. Also I was so happy Boda and Skadi finally got together even if only for a little while. What did you think of the last parts of the book?

I enjoyed the last part of the book! I agree, it left it on such a hopeful note and it made all of Angrboda's sacrifices seem worthwhile. Of course, I'm sad that my faves didn't survive, but I didn't expect them to. It was the end of the world, after all. And, yes, I was so happy Angrboda and Skadi finally stopped dancing around their feelings for each other!

22. I mostly enjoyed the book overall, although it wasn’t quite what I expected. I have now moved Norse Mythology to the top of my TBR because this book made me realize how little I know on the subject and how much I want to learn. What did you think of the book? Glad you read it? Or just happy to get the points and move on?

I really enjoyed this book. More than I thought I was going to, actually! I loved how the book itself kind of read like a myth, but with a lot more of the actual feelings of the participants. I'm glad to get the points, but, mostly, I'm glad I gave this book a chance because I loved it.

23. So many interesting themes in this book. As a new mom, I was most drawn to the theme of mother’s love, but there were so many others: fate vs. free will, forgiveness, death/rebirth, friendship, sacrifice, etc etc. Did any of the themes resonate with you?

There were a lot of great themes in this book, but I was drawn to the mother/child relationship and themes of familial love, as well. I kept thinking about my own kids and what I would do in Angrboda's situation. It was heart-wrenching!

24. I really enjoyed reading about Boda’s children and their relationships with each other and their parents, for better or worse. Which character or relationship did you enjoy reading about the most?

I loved reading about Boda and Skadi's relationship, honestly. I wish we had gotten to see more of it, in the end, but they also wished they had more time. I liked what we got to see.

25. My very favorite part of the whole book was when Boda was finally reunited with her sons and got to say goodbye to them. Did you have a favorite quote or scene?

That was my favorite, too! And when she reconciled with Hel. Yes, Angrboda, banish those demons.

Hello again, team. Hope everyone is going to have a good weekend!

I finally finished Fevered Star, which was an excellent read! I probably would have finished forever ago if I had been in the right head space, haha. Still, it can fit quite a few monster tasks, so hopefully it'll help us defeat some monsters. I have it all updated on the spreadsheet.

I should also finally finish The Witch's Heart tonight and get that updated. Yay for BOM and DQ writing points!

As for this weekend, I have to work, but usually it's pretty slow on the weekends, so perhaps I can squeeze in some reading time.

Dropping by to check in! I'm sorry I haven't been has chatty on the thread lately. We've had a lot of stressful things drop into our lap all at once and, as a result, I've been a lot more tired as of late 😅 My stressed brain just wants to sleep so it can ignore all the sources of said stress.

Slowly working through my reads, though, and hopefully we can bank them for a monster or two. Especially all these stinkin' minotaurs!

DQ's Day 4 - 19th June
"Angrboda was redjusting her pack basket..."
"Angrboda couldn't argue with that." 81%

16. So in addition to her past life as Gullveig, Angrboda is also the Old One, Mother Witch, the wise old woman in the woods and a healer. I can understand wanting to forget about her time as Gullveig but why do you think she can't remember anything from the time before? Do you think she'll recover these memories at some point? She's recovered her power, with a little help from Freyja but still seems to be holding back. How powerful do you think she really is? Do you think she'll go all in and if so what do you think will happen?

I think something must have happened, some trauma, that made her forget her old self. Either that or she hid herself so deeply from Odin, knowing he would try to manipulate her if he knew she was Mother Witch, that she forgot herself. I think she is right to be wary of that deep power... it might not be as helpful as she thinks it could be. I do believe that she will try to access it to save those she loves and she may well lose herself in the process.

17. "There's no power in the cosmos that can escape what's coming". Angrboda, Odin, Skadi and a few others now know about Ragnorok and, with Loki killing Odin's son, his punishment and the start of the long winter it seems to be the beginning of the end. Do you think it's better to know what's coming like Angrboda and Odin or would you prefer, like Loki, not to know? Do you think knowing or not knowing will make any difference to what happens? Do you think there's anything Angrboda can do to change the outcome?

If there was no way I could change the future, I'm completely fine with not knowing what's to come. I would just stress myself out and probably never live my life it I could see every terrible thing that will happen to me throughout my life. And that was be awful! Now, if knowing the future also came with the ability to change it, then I'm all in! I honestly don't think there's anything Angrboda can do to change what is to come, though I think she may be able to change the fates of people she did not see in her vision.

18. "I'm the one who's done the most evil among the Aesir, and if nothing else, at least they'll remember my name. That's more than one can say for you." We know a lot more about Loki now, what do you think of him as a character? Why do you think he acts the way he does? Angrboda thinks Loki may have killed Baldur for his daughter's sake. Do you believe he genuinely cares about Hel? What about Angrboda and his sons, do you think he loves them or are they a means to an end? Will Angrboda forgive him despite all he's done?

I think Hel has always been Loki's favorite and I can see him killing Baldur so that she could have him. He noted how they interacted when Hel was young. His sons, however, I think he views as only a means to an end. He never seemed as attached to them, only viewing them through a useful lenses ("They can eat my enemies!"). I like Loki as a character, but, if I were in Angrboda's shoes, I would never forgive him. No matter what torment he went through, no matter if he killed the gods and offered me the heavens, that man would forever be on my s%&$ list. Angrboda seems to have a more forgiving heart, however, so I can see her begrudgingly letting him back into her good graces. Ugh.

19. It seems like Skadi and Angrboda are on the brink of becoming more than friends when Skadi announces that she's joining the giants in the fight against the gods. She wants to go down fighting for her people and to avenge her father. Were you surprised she wants to go out fighting rather than staying with Angrboda? Has this changed your mind about why Skadi accepted marriage in recompense for her father's death?

I'm not surprised at all. Skadi has no love for the gods. She's friendly with her husband, but that's about it. She's seen too much of how cruel they are, I'm not shocked that she wants to be a part of trying to take them down. I also wasn't convinced she was okay with the "compensation" she got for her father's death. She played the long game and now she's ready for some true vengeance.

20. We're moving on to the final section now. What do you think Angrboda will do now that she's alone again? Do you think she'll be reunited with her family? Loki? Any predictions for how it will all end?

I'm thinking that Skadi's going to go off to fight and Angrboda is going to follow. I don't think she'll want to sit alone in her cave while the worlds end. I think she'll try and protect the both of them with the power she's cultivating. Whether it works or not, who knows! As for her and Loki... I dunno? I don't think they'll be reconciling but I could be wrong!

DQs Day Three - 18 Jun
"There came a day in laste summer..."
"Angrboda agreed." 62%

11. I love how the myths surrounding Loki are casually mixed into this book. I'm a fan of Norse mythology, though I don't know a ton about it. Do you know or enjoy Norse mythology? Do you like how the author is incorporating it into her book?

12. "Was I wrong to not tell them the world may not accept the the way they are?"

This is Angrboda's question after not only Loki's other wife, but Loki himself, refers to their children as monsters. How would you answer her question? Was she right to try and protect and hide them from the Nine Worlds? Should she have gone about it in a different manner?

13. What an ending to Part One! Did you see what was to come? Did you already know the myths before or were you completely surprised? If you already knew the myth, did you like the author's interpretation of events? Were you as angry at the world as I was reading all that happened to Angrboda and her children, cause I was ready to fight!

14. It seems that Angrboda's dreams can now transport her into other's thoughts. Do you think this is a one-off event because of how much stress she was under? If not, how do you think she'll use this skill from now on?

15. So Angrboda has a new voice in her head. Who do you think the voice belongs to? Do you think it's connected to Angrboda's seeming inability to die? Do you think it's a friend or a foe?

DQs Day 2 — "He stayed with her as the days ..." to "... given her daughter a new obsession" - 40%

6. After Angrboda performs seid for the first time again, she starts having dreams where she hears someone calling to and beckoning her. Angrboda doesn't believe it to be Odin at first, but her suspicion changes over time. Who do you think it could be?

I'm inclined to agree that it's Odin trying to trick and force Angrboda into giving him the knowledge he seeks. It seems like an Odin thing to do.

7. Skadi reappears in this section, having left her husband behind. Do you think he'll come back into the story later? Why do you think she chose a husband as recompense in the first place?

Well, I think she was tricked there. She was hoping to choose Baldur, so maybe she had fallen for him and they knew it, so they devised the "you have to pick him by his feet" thing. And I think Skadi is pretty done with her husband and he with her. It seemed like it was a mutual and amicable split.

8. Hel was born with "dead" legs (or dead flesh on fully functioning legs? I'm honestly a little confused by it) and when she over exerts herself she starts turning blue. Angrboda attributes this to when she tried to save her daughter — but I'm not so sure. Do you have any theories on what the cause could be? Is it as simple as Angrboda believes, or do you think it's something bigger to be revealed later on?

Well, I know the part Hel plays in Norse mythology, so her dead legs totally make sense. I think it could have been caused by Angrboda snatching her soul back from death while she was in the womb. It makes sense (as much as it can, haha) to me!

9. There have been several mentions of a witch who birthed a race of wolves who chase the sun and moon so far in the story — and now Angrboda has given birth to a wolf. Do you think she is the Old one the stories reference? Or, if not, do you think we will meet that character later on?

I think she very well might be. She can't remember her previous life before becoming Gullvig, so who's to say that she's not the Old witch? Giving birth to yet another wolf just seems to confirm it.

10. Angrboda decides not to tell Loki about his and his family's involvement in her vision of the beginning of the end. What do you think of her decision? Do you think she made the right choice in not telling him?

I think she's trying very hard to convince herself that her children are not the ones she saw in the vision. Therefore, she's kind of denying the whole vision entirely. And I think part of her is worried that, if she tells Loki, it will somehow get back to Odin. Loki has also expressed that he would rather not know the future. All in all, I think she's making the best choice, if not necessarily the right choice.

DQs Day 1
Beginning to "... a promise she knew that she couldn't keep."

1.) What attracted you to this book? BOM points? That COVER? Because of the Norse Retelling angle to the story? Any expectations you'd like to share?

All of the above, lol! Admittedly, this was on my TBR before it was BOM and that was mostly because of the cover 😍 Then I found out Loki was heavily involved and I was all in!

2.) What did you think of Angrboda's first meeting with Loki? I mean he brought her heart back in his knapsack basically because he was bored. But he was so charming, I'm not sure I'd care either. Though it didn't hurt I kept picturing him as Tom Hiddleston. LOL

I thought it was very typical Loki. I think the author is doing a great job of showing the many different sides of the trickster god. I also think he was curious about Angrboda and used the heart as an excuse to get to talk to her.

3.) Thoughts on Skadi? Why do you think she helped Angrboda in the first place? And to such an extent? If Skadi was male, how different do you think that interaction would of been?

Skadi is the giantess best friend all witches need, haha. I like her a lot! I think she helped Angrboda because she felt bad for her, out in the wilderness with barely enough to survive on. I think she also saw them dolla signs when she heard she could make potions. It was a business transaction, but also her being nice. If Skadi was male, I think he would have definitely taken advantage of the situation.

4.) The quote from Skadi, "Time doesn't matter unless you are keeping track of it." Resonated with me. What do you think of this? Do you agree with the statement?

I think it's very true. Back in the three years that was 2020, I barely knew what day it was because time became such a blur. It's really a concept that you only really notice when you're paying attention to it. Kinda like how a minute goes by in the blink of an eye when you're not thinking about it, but when you are waiting for something, it takes forevvvvver.

5.) Loki's reaction to the pregnancy was, let's go with interesting. What type of father are you expecting him to be? Do you think he will be a functioning part of the child's life?

Loki definitely strikes me as the absent father type, but I'm willing to be proven wrong!

Just checking in! It's been a busy week at work, but I'm making steady progress with Fevered Star. Unfortunately, my daughter just tested positive for Covid. She's feeling pretty ick, sore throat, headache, and exhausted. So far, no one else in the family is feeling sick, so I'm hoping we can keep it contained! Tomorrow is the start of her summer break, too, poor kid.

I'm hoping to get a lot reading done this weekend to help slay these monsters!

DQ - Day 6 - Covers 28. The Final Adventure of Koroviev and Behemoth -> end

26) Out of all the people in the city, why do you think the Devil decided to help the Master and Margarita? Or did he really even help them?

Well, it seems as though he was asked to by Michael Levi and Yeshua, or perhaps I'm completely misinterpreting that part. Which is a distinct possibility 😅 I also think he was rewarding Margarita more for helping with the party (or at least standing around and greeting people). And he seems to be a fan of The Master's manuscript. I dunno, nothing in this book makes sense!

27) What do you think are some of the things the author was trying to convey with this book?

That writers are crazy? That the Devil is real? That the Devil isn't real? Honestly, this book was mostly vibes for me because there was no point where I truly understood what was going on, lol.

28) All through the Devil seems to insist to others that Jesus really exists. Why do you think that is?

Well, seems to me if he can convince people that Jesus is real, then they might have to admit that Satan is real, as well. Basically affirming his own existence, I suppose.

29) (Thanks Google! - I thought this was interesting) The title to Chapter 30 (It’s Time! It’s Time!) references this poem by Alexander Pushkin:
It's time, my friend, it's time! The peace is craved by hearts...
Days flow after days -- each hour departs
A bit of life -- and both, you and I,
Plan a long life, but could abruptly die.
The world hasn't happiness, but there is freedom, peace.
And long have I daydreamed the life of bliss --
And long have planned, a tired slave, the flight
To the removed abode of labor and delight.
Now the question:
It seemed to me that peace (as described in the poem) was a pretty great reward for the Master. But why do you think/ what did in mean that the Master " earned peace but not light?"

I assumed it to mean that he was a decent person, but not good enough to get into heaven. I mean, he was an adulterer. That's a big no-no. And perhaps through writing his Pontius Pilate book, he earned some favor with God and his lot?

30). What did you rate the book and why?

I gave this one three stars because I enjoyed my time with it, but I was thoroughly confused throughout. Like I said, this was a vibes book for me. The humor was up my alley but the deeper meaning, if there is one (I'm assuming there is one), was completely lost on me.

DQ Day 5
24. The Master is Released -> 27. The Last of Flat No. 50

21) All's well that ends well for the Master and his Margarita! Or is that just another illusion created by Woland? So far at least, it seems like the two of them got what they want - or rather Margarita got what she wanted and the Master is forced to go along and we're of course hoping that it will all turn out for the best. How do you think their story is going to end?

The Master seems less than enthused to be out of the asylum. I mean, he seems happy to be with Margarita again, but he couldn't care less about his manuscript anymore. On the other hand, Margarita seems almost obsessed with it! I don't think it's going to end well with those two.

22) I would not want to be part of the police force in those days, trying to clear up all those messes that the devil and his posse have created while they were playing in Moscow. Lots of people seem to be returning and they all want a padded cell "for their safety" - or would that be sanity? What are your predictions for all these people? Will Ivan realise that he is not actually mad? Will Rimski regain his composure? Will the signing bank personnel believe it was mass hypnosis and all go back to normal? It seems like there is just too much to cover it all up or make it all go away again, or not?

I suppose Woland could probably erase everyone's memory, but he does want people to believe he exists, so I don't see that happening. I'm sure it will somehow all get swept under the rug and everyone will return to life as usual. Except for the ones that have ended up behind bars or in the asylum!

23) Why do you think Margarita is the only person we have encountered in this novel (so far) who seems to think that there was nothing particularly amiss with meeting Woland. She even took the supernatural element in stride. For her, there is nothing to worry and everything seems to be as it should be. What makes her special? Why is it that she is the only one not to question her sanity?

Margarita seems the type that already believed such things (the devil, becoming a witch) were possible, so it's not surprising she's taking everything in stride. Woland and company keep calling her 'my queen', as well... I wonder if that has something to do with it. Perhaps she's a reincarnation of the devil's companion? Who knows! With this book, anything is possible 😂

24) The Jesus chapters seem to have come to an end - what do you think their relation is to the story line set in Moscow in light of what has happened in the chapters in Book 2? At first I thought there was more to them, but now I'm beginning to wonder if they aren't merely bits and pieces from the Master's novel thrown into the mix. What do you think their purpose is?

I'm thinking that they are just pieces of the Master's novel thrown into the main story. If they have a connection, my addled brain has not been able to make it. At this point, I'm just here for vibes and a laugh! I will admit I enjoy the Pontius Pilate chapters. The audiobook narrator does such a great job with them that I find them really compelling!

25) Any predictions on the last craziness of the devil gang? What are they going to get up to now that they've set flat No. 50 on fire and have flown out the window?

Hahahaha, who knows. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to burn down all of Moscow! No, I think they've proven whatever point they were trying to make, they've had their fun, and now they'll head back to Hell where they belong. Though I'm sure they'll cause some mischief on their way out.

DQ Day 4
Book 2: 19. Margarita -> 23. Satan's Rout

16) Margarita dreams of the Master coming to her and she believes he is either dead and coming for her or alive and wants her to remember him. Have you ever had a dream about a loved one or about something that eventually came true?

I dream about loved ones all the time, but my dreams tend to be absolutely nonsensical. Like my entire family somehow gaining superpowers or me rescuing my husband from the mafia. Stuff that will legitimately never happen in real life, haha.

17) Margarita rubs the cream all over her and turns into a young witch who becomes invisible and flies through the air on a broom. Her first act is to go to the critics house and destroy him but since he is not there she destroys his house instead. Do you think she really would have killed him if he was home?

I don't think she would have killed him, but I do think she would have hurt him. Margarita doesn't seem like a cruel person (she was nice to that little boy who couldn't find his family) she's just incredibly upset about her lover going missing. She probably would have smacked him a couple of times with her broom and moved on.

18) This ball Woland hosts, what do you think it is meant to symbolize? Why are the women naked and what was the meaning of Margarita taking a few extra seconds with the woman who killed her baby?

Whenever Woland gets on the scene, I know things are about to get wild 😂 I'm thinking the people at that ball were lost souls in Hell? Because Margarita makes a point of mentioning that the one guy (whose blood she eventually drinks...) isn't dead. That makes me think everyone else might be? But honestly that entire chapter read like a fever dream, so I have no idea! I especially can't fathom why she had to pay special attention to that one woman.

19) Do you think Margarita will remain with Woland after this night? She seems to be in over her head and this reunion is not at all what she expected.

I think, after drinking that one man's blood, she's bound to Woland. She's handling all this much better than I would, though. She clearly didn't realize what she was dealing with at first, but I think she knows now. I just wonder if it isn't too late for her.

20) After reading Book 1 about the Master and a few chapters in Book 2, which are you enjoying more? Is one easier to read or understand than the other?

Both of them make no sense, but I'm liking Margarita's tale more 😂 Mostly because we actually get to see Margarita at the very beginning instead of waiting 13 chapters to meet her! And, what can I say, I thoroughly enjoyed her witchy apartment-trashing escapade. I do hope she gets reunited with the Master, though.

I'll be reading Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun in the next few days, which should work for Lamia T25 and maybe T24, but it's a new release and isn't on the ARBookFind site yet (that I can find). I have to read it since I owe the publisher a review, but should I just not count it towards TT?

I'll also be reading Fevered Star, which can work for the Minotaur T3 and T5! I'll see if there are books that could work to cover more tasks for the monsters.

Looks like our mod takeover BOM will work for a couple of prompts for the lion, which is awesome! This mini challenge seems like it's gonna be a lot of fun.

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

I've been dying to read this one! Volunteering for DQs (Team Circe)

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Kerri wrote: "I wish to remain on its good side because it STRAIGHT UP RIPPED SOME DUDE'S HEAD OFF. No thank you!..."

But then it put it back on again. My favourite part of that section. Just so c..."

Fair, I have to give the cat that 😂 Of course, he promptly ended up in the asylum because he thought his head was missing. This book is just a jumble of strangeness and I kind of love it.

Jenny wrote: "My issue with House of Leaves was that the book was heavy, and I kept having to turn it on its side or upside down. It was a workout!"

Lol, that is very true! I had a nice, floppy paperback, but it was still heavy af.