Preeti’s Comments (group member since Sep 26, 2021)

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

DQ 2: 17 May - The Unsentimental Farmer

5. I really like reading the cat's thoughts. It can be quite funny. Do you think these are convincing cat thoughts?

Nana has become one of my favourite animal characters. While I have never had a cat, to me these are exactly what I would expect of a cat like Nana.

6. In this chapter we are introduced to Yoshimine, another potential owner for our cat. What do you think of him and his backstory?

I was so glad to read that Satoru found a friend in Yoshimine after having to leave Kosuke. After reading more of Yoshimine’s backstory, I felt that it was good that these two lonely boys managed to find friends who could each understand what the other was going through and be there for each other. I felt so bad reading about Youshimine’s parents, they and Kosuke’s father only reminded me that not all people were meant to be parents. Having said that, I was glad that Yoshimine had his grandmother who clearly loved him very much and by extension gave even Satoru the feeling of family for the duration he was with them.

7. Do you think Yoshimine would have been a good owner for Nana?

While I liked Yoshimine and appreciated that he grew into a fine man despite the rejection he had to endure from his parents, I don’t think he would have made a good owner for Nana. I think Nana has more of a cerebral personality and is better suited to somebody calm like Satoru.

8. Yoshimine has already a kitten called Chatran, and Satoru makes fun of him for naming his cat with such a cliché name. What is for you the most cliché cat name(s)? In french it is quite common to call a cat Chaussette (meaning sock), Mistigri or Felix (actually a cat food brand).

There are a few names like Ginger, Socks, Mittens, Garfield etc. but interestingly I have yet to meet a cat with any typical names. Most of the cats I have met have had quite unique names including one who was named “Dog”. Why this name, I have absolutely no clue.

DQ 1: 16 May: Prologue - The Husband Without a Wife

1. How are you liking the way the story is written with its alternating POVs ? Is there a POV you prefer ?

I enjoyed reading both POVs equally. Initially, I thought I would get them confused as I was listening to the audiobook but I found that the author has managed to give each character a very distinct personality allowing me to appreciate each person’s experience even more. I like that their voices compliment each other, one gets to understand their thoughts and motives from different angles.

2. Through the flashbacks we get to know Satoru's personality a bit more. What do you make of him so far ? What did you think about his way of helping his friend Kosuke?

Reading about Satoru’s childhood made me like him even more. He did what he could to help his friend in the only way he knew to do so and I think the author managed to convey the simple and charming thought process of these young boys very well.

3. Talking about Kosuke, what's up with his parents ? It seemed to me that Kosuke was genuinely convinced that his father would agree to keep the cat (Hachi). What did you think about his backstory ?

I did not like Kosuke’s father at all but then I have a great hatred towards all tyrants. I think Kosuke’s backstory explains so much about the man he has grown into. Being cowed down by his father has caused him to develop an inferiority complex which is something he realises after meeting Satoru again and talking to hm.

4. Why do you think Satoru can't take care of Nana anymore ?

I am not sure but I have this horrible feeling it is going to turn out to be something tragic. A part of me is very curious to find out, but mostly, I think that something very sad is coming up and I am already so invested in Satoru, Nana, and their relationship that I know a lot of tissues are going to be required by the end of this book.

Melindam wrote: "Funny about the crawling-thing. Thanks, Jenny.

I remembered another one. We are not supposed to give knives or scissors as presents as they csn cut good relations/friendships. :)"

My mother will not accept a pair of scissors or a knife from anybody nor hand it to them. She always tells us to place them on a surface where she can take them from and the reverse when she is giving them to anybody. My grandmother used to do the same thing and would tell us that a part of the reason was probably that in the olden days, houses were not very well lit and it was quite easy to cut oneself accidentally while handling these sharp objects.

Apparently, with gifts it is fixed if the person being given the knives or scissors gives the gifter some money, not a large sum but a token amount. I learnt that many years ago when a friend gave me the craft scissors I had been wanting for my birthday and told me to give her the smallest coin in my purse in exchange.

This brings me to one of the only superstitions I do follow. 😊
It is considered bad luck to gift somebody an empty wallet/purse as it brings them the bad luck of always running out of money. One is supposed to give it with some money in it and then it attracts more.

Judith wrote: "Preeti,

Have you answered 3 sets of BOM questions for Cat Chronicles? I don't want to miss giving you the points.

If not, no worries, you have until June 16th to do it."

Not yet but will get it done in the next two days. I got caught up with some family stuff.

Gunit Kaur wrote: "Preeti wrote: "Gunit Kaur wrote: "Preeti wrote: "Gunit Kaur wrote: "Kindred is turning out to be super fun though! What a wonderful read!"

The graphic novel is also superb."

You mea..."

You are very welcome.
I recently started reading graphic novels and have found so many awesome adaptations of books I have read and enjoyed. So far this one and To Kill a Mockingbird: a graphic novel have been my favourites.

Gunit Kaur wrote: "Preeti wrote: "Gunit Kaur wrote: "Kindred is turning out to be super fun though! What a wonderful read!"

The graphic novel is also superb."

You mean Kindred has a graphic novel vers..."

Yes. Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation
I borrowed it through British Library a while back but forgot to update GR after completing it. I have to try and borrow it again soon.


By the way, the audiobook is also excellent.

Gunit Kaur wrote: "Kindred is turning out to be super fun though! What a wonderful read!"

The graphic novel is also superb.

Judith wrote: "Well, we secured DQs for all the June BOMs! Go us

It’s raining BOM points!"

Congrats, Judith! Well done.

Lexi wrote: "There are 4 people who already volunteered for DQs for if two more people would like to volunteer. Having six people maximizes our chance of getting a ..."

I have added my name to the list so Vaidehi and I make it 6.
I have had this book on my TBR for much too long.

Volunteering as a backup for Team Pandora.

NBRC - Serious Readers Challenge 2022 - Level 2 - Part 1

Level 1: 1 - 100 books
Completed: Part 1: 50/50 & Part 2: 50/50

Completed: 150/150



101. A Bone to Pixie (Newborn Pixie Cozy Mystery #2) by Willow Mason - Jun 3
102. Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan - Jun 3
103. A Lover's Discourse by Xiaolu Guo - Jun 5
104. The Speed of Light by Elissa Grossell Dickey - Jun 6
105. Whisper to the Blood (Kate Shugak #16) by Dana Stabenow - Jun 6
106. Blood, Sand, and Fire by Gage Spear - Jun 9
107. Pixie-lated (Newborn Pixie Cozy Mystery #3) by Willow Mason - Jun 10
108. The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Priory of the Orange Tree #1) by Samantha Shannon - Jun 11
109. Sweet Southern Magic (Sweet Tea Witch Mysteries #1-3) by Amy Boyles - Jun 11
110. Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell - Jun 14



111. Malice in Maggody (Arly Hanks #1) by Joan Hess - Jun 15
112. Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries #2) by Martha Wells - Jun 16
113. Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries #3) by Martha Wells - Jun 16
114. Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries #4) by Martha Wells - Jun 16
115. Murder at the Lakeside Library (Lakeside Library Mystery #1) by Holly Danvers - Jun 17
116. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas - Jun 19
117. They Called Us Enemy - Expanded Edition by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, Harmony Becker - Jun 19
118. Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries #5) by Martha Wells - Jun 21
119. The Vanderbeekers Make A Wish (The Vanderbeekers #5) by Karina Yan Glaser (48475 words) - Jun 21
120. The Pisces by Melissa Broder - Jun 22



121. Bunny by Mona Awad - Jun 23
122. The Handmaid's Tale (The Handmaid's Tale #1) by Margaret Atwood - Jun 25
123. Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly - Jun 25
124. An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1) by Sabaa Tahir - Jun 26
125. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton - Jun 28
126. The Yorkshire Shepherdess by Amanda Owen - Jul 1
127. Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie - Jul 2
128. The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories by Martin Edwards (Ed.) - Jul 3
129. Capital Crimes: London Mysteries by Martin Edwards (Ed.) - Jul 3
130. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen - Jul 4



131. Deep Waters: Mysteries on the Waves by Martin Edwards (Ed.) - Jul 5
132. Mirror Mirror by Cara Delevingne & Rowan Coleman - Jul 5
133. Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries #6) by Martha Wells - Jul 6
134. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov - Jul 7
135. Wilder Girls (Wilder Girls) by Rory Power - Jul 14
136. Five Little Pigs (Hercule Poirot #22) by Agatha Christie - Jul 14
137. Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank - Jul 16
138. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot #3) by Agatha Christie - Jul 18
139. Inés of My Soul by Isabel Allende - Jul 19
140. I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb - Jul 23



141. Excellent Intentions by Richard Hull - Jul 23
142. The Summer that Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel - Jul 24
143. The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand - Jul 26
144. Liar's Bench by Kim Michele Richardson - Jul 29
145. An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde - Jul 29
146. The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea - Aug 2
147. The Camel Club (Camel Club #1) by David Baldacci - Aug 3
148. The Alienist (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler #1) by Caleb Carr - Aug 7
149. Murder in Mesopotamia (Hercule Poirot #13) by Agatha Christie - Aug 8
150. It Started with a Duke: Fortune's Brides, the Beginning (Fortune's Brides #1,2,7) by Regina Scott - Aug 10



151. Dying For Christmas by Tammy Cohen - Aug 10
152. No Good Tea Goes Unpunished (Seaside Café Mystery #2) by Bree Baker - Aug 13
153. Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell - Aug 14
154. Cruel Candy (Cozy Corgi Mysteries #1) by Mildred Abbott - Aug 15
155. Traitorous Toys (Cozy Corgi Mysteries #2) by Mildred Abbott - Aug 16
156. Bickering Birds (Cozy Corgi Mysteries #3) by Mildred Abbott - Aug 16
157. Aloha Alibi (Charlotte Gibson Mysteries #1) by Jasmine Webb - Aug 18
158. Maui Murder (Charlotte Gibson Mysteries #2) by Jasmine Webb - Aug 18
159. Beachside Bullet (Charlotte Gibson Mysteries #3) by Jasmine Webb - Aug 19
160. Pina Colada Poison (Charlotte Gibson Mysteries #4) by Jasmine Webb - Aug 19

Part 2
Part 3

May



Book: A Grave Denied (Kate Shugak #13) by Dana Stabenow - May 1
No. Of Pages: 352

Book: A Rumored Fortune by Joanna Davidson Politano - May 3
No. Of Pages: 416

Book: Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer - May 6
No. Of Pages: 400



Book: Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall - May 7
No. Of Pages: 416

Book: All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells - May 8
No. Of Pages: 144

Book: The Birds of Pandemonium by Michele Raffin - May 10
No. Of Pages: 240



Book: Child of God by Cormac McCarthy - May 11
No. Of Pages: 197

Book: Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars #1) by Elizabeth Lim - May 13
No. Of Pages: 392

Book: Murder by the Book: Mysteries for Bibliophiles by Martin Edwards (Ed.) - May 15
No. Of Pages: 304



Book: The Tea Dragon Society (Tea Dragon #1) by Kay O'Neill - May 16
No. Of Pages: 72

Book: The Tea Dragon Festival (Tea Dragon #2) by Kay O'Neill - May 16
No. Of Pages: 135

Book: The Tea Dragon Tapestry (Tea Dragon #3) by Kay O'Neill - May 16
No. Of Pages: 137



Book: Princess Princess Ever After by Kay O'Neill - May 16
No. Of Pages: 58

Book: A Taint in the Blood (Kate Shugak #14) by Dana Stabenow - May 17
No. Of Pages: 497

Book: The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - May 19
No. Of Pages: 688



Book: A Deeper Sleep (Kate Shugak #15) by Dana Stabenow - May 20
No. Of Pages: 271

Book: Long Bright River by Liz Moore - May 21
No. Of Pages: 464

Book: If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha - May 24
No. Of Pages: 288



Book: Frozen Ground (Stormwatch #1) by Debra Webb - May 25
No. Of Pages: 175

Book: Moby Dick by Herman Melville - May 26
No. Of Pages: 1354

Book: Innocence by Roald Dahl - May 27
No. Of Pages: 274



Book: Standoff by Sandra Brown - May 28
No. Of Pages: 261

Book: Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories (Hercule Poirot) by Agatha Christie - May 29
No. Of Pages: 1279

Book: The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa - May 30
No. Of Pages: 288

My May Total: 9102

Running Total: 851,237

New Group Total: = 860,339

I have updated my last book completion for May on the spreadsheet.

Judith wrote: "No, at least 3 sets need to be answered by June 16th (one month from start date) for the bonus points.

The only thing that matters for the mini challenge points is the book is read."

Excellent. I finished the book but am going to be busy for the rest of today and tomorrow. I will add the answers to the DQs on the 1st or 2nd.

Judith wrote: "We have just over a day left to finish books for the Muse May Mini. There are 7 books left based on what's claimed on our tracking sheet. Here's what I have:

-Colleen Drum: 1 book
-Gunit Kaur: 2 b..."

I am going to update my last book after dinner. Do I have to answer the DQs by tomorrow as well?

Lexi wrote: "Thank you all for nominating. Someone else nominated the one I was going to so glad that we have some nominations in there. I will add it to the BOM list.

Edited: I added one since Mods vote, so t..."

I am so glad you nominated A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian. I couldn't for the life of me remember the name of the book while looking for a book to nominate. I kept thinking of the "tractor" book..☺️

I have nominated a book - The Last Green Valley
by Mark T. Sullivan.

Gunit, I am sorry, I didn't realise that you read it very recently. Having said that, your having given it 5 stars makes me want to read it all the more now.

I would like to nominate The Last Green Valley by Mark T. Sullivan



From the author of the #1 bestseller Beneath a Scarlet Sky comes a new historical novel inspired by one family’s incredible story of daring, survival, and triumph.

In late March 1944, as Stalin’s forces push into Ukraine, young Emil and Adeline Martel must make a terrible decision: Do they wait for the Soviet bear’s intrusion and risk being sent to Siberia? Or do they reluctantly follow the wolves—murderous Nazi officers who have pledged to protect “pure-blood” Germans?

The Martels are one of many families of German heritage whose ancestors have farmed in Ukraine for more than a century. But after already living under Stalin’s horrifying regime, Emil and Adeline decide they must run in retreat from their land with the wolves they despise to escape the Soviets and go in search of freedom.

Caught between two warring forces and overcoming horrific trials to pursue their hope of immigrating to the West, the Martels’ story is a brutal, complex, and ultimately triumphant tale that illuminates the extraordinary power of love, faith, and one family’s incredible will to survive and see their dreams realized.

Team Pandora

Hi. I have a doubt. I know we can't use books we started in May for the maze but is it ok to use them for the regular books if started after May 16th?

Jenny wrote: "Take two minutes to get some serious eye candy...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sg8T...

Sonia, if you happen to be here, you need to see this."