Judith’s Comments (group member since Apr 15, 2015)

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

Laura..devouring books like crumpets wrote: "ok So i was advised By Mod

Any book that meets the requirements of the challenge and completed during Round 2 on may be used for the challenge.

that was the 25th of october to the 8th of november..."

Yes, that's the time period for Round 2

Steven, those titles for the story.

hehehe!

I’ve been meaning to read that one too, but I don’t think it’ll be this round

Denise, I removed The Unraveling of Julia from the task for highway.

The task is: Word highway, road, avenue or street in the title. (Plurals are acceptable.)

So just in the text doesn't work. I moved it to task R37.

Rebecca Thorne by Rebecca Thorne

Two women wanted to open a cosy bookshop. They discovered a world of adventure.

Reyna and Kianthe dream of opening a friendly book shop together, serving the very best tea and cakes. Worn wooden floors, plants on every table, firelight drifting between the rafters – all complemented by love and good company. But Reyna is an elite bodyguard to a vengeful queen, and Kianthe is the most powerful mage in existence. Leaving their lives behind seems . . . impossible. Yet they flee to Tawney, a town nestled in the icy peaks of dragon country. There, they open the bookstore they'd always wanted.

What follows is a tale of mishaps, mysteries, dragons, and a murderous queen throwing the realm’s biggest temper tantrum. Through it, these two women will discover what they mean to each other – and their world.

Reason: sparkly gold on cover!

My new nominate until I read it anyway or it wins :P



The Best Way to Bury Your Husband by Alexia Casale

A dark comedy about four women coming together to heal the damage their husbands have done––and hide their bodies once they’ve killed them

When Sally kills her husband with a cast-iron skillet, she’s more fearful of losing her kids than of disposing of a fresh corpse. That just wouldn’t be fair—not after twenty years of marriage to a truly terrible man. But Sally isn’t the only woman in town reaching the brink. Soon, Sally finds herself leading an extremely unusual self-help group, and among them there are four bodies to hide. Can they all figure out the perfect way to bury their husbands . . . and get away with it?

First to join is former nurse, Ruth, who met her husband as a single mom. Now her son is grown and her husband’s violence builds by the day until an attack on the stairs leads to a fatal accident—for him. A few doors down, Samira’s last straw comes when she discovers her husband is planning a campaign of violence against her eldest daughter, who has just come out. Janey, Sally’s best friend, has just had her first child at forty-two. Sleep-deprived Janey needs a hero to slay the monster in the fairy tales she whispers to her daughter each night . . . and as her husband’s violence escalates, it might just be her.

Together, fueled by righteous anger but tempered by a moral core, the four women must help each other work out a plan to get rid of their husbands for good. Along the way, Sally, Ruth, Samira and Janey rediscover old joys and embark on new passions in work, education, and life. Friendship and laughter really are the best medicine—and so is getting away with murder.

Denise, I moved a few of your books to the story in Mini 4. I think they go well with some of the others and would be easy enough to work into the story text.

You aren’t imagining it, it used to be an MPG and now it’s not. So we switched that one to tagged, and 32 is plenty of tags!

Judith' BOM Tracking

Day 1: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Day 2: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Day 3: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Day 4: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Day 5: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

DQ set 5 chapter 25 to end

18. That was an unexpected reunion with Òdòdó’s mother. Did you expect that resolution to their relationship? Do you agree more with Òdòdó or her mother's view of which life gives the most freedom?
No, not really. Though part of that was because it was pitched as a Persephone retelling. So I was assuming a more Demeter type resolution to their relationship. Hmm. Both paths have different shackles. I think it all depends on the tradeoffs you are willing to make.

19. Aremo fails pretty badly on all accounts! And yet Òdòdó seems to love him regardless. Do you believe in this love? Do you think it would have lasted, on either side?
No, I don't think it is love. I think it's a messed up relationship, that's what.

20. This is a riff on the Persephone myth. Do you think it was successful? Do you like the changes made or not? Why?
Yes and no. I think this story tried too hard to include too many things. I think some parts were more successful than others. I think the least successful for me was her relationship with her mother.

21. The Yoruba culture was very strong. Do you want to read more authentic stories? The afterword talks about bringing Yoruba tales to life. Do you think that worked?
I try to and I tend to enjoy them when well done. I think this was a bit of a mixed bag that for me lost the plot a bit somewhere along the way. Though I think this author would be one to watch and I can see improving the more she writes.

Day 4 DQs: Chapters 17-24

14. So. Fever dreams. Òdòdó’s dream of the òrìsàs feast made me wonder. First of all, in the story, how real are the gods that are worshipped, and why did she dream of these specifically? Second, for our real lives, how many of us have had fever dreams? Have you ever had a dream that seemed like it was divine inspiration/intervention? Or, did you become part of the cast of a beloved movie or a character in a beloved book?
I guess they are real? There seems to be some actual god-power things happening? I don't really know, I think that's left deliberately vague.

15. Walking up on your own funeral has got to be an odd experience.Then being treated like you are crazy. Why do you think that she is not being believed about Kolo?
Because silly! A woman couldn't of planned all that under the noses of all these big strong men. And if she was believed, that's what they would have to admit happened.

16. How do you feel about Òdòdó and Àrèmo’s relationship, and Àrèmo generally this far into the book? Do you think he is worth falling in love with? Would you like to have a pet giraffe?
It is a messed up one, mainly due to senses of entitlement and are bad power dynamic. I think he's not the man he believes himself to be and that's not someone I'd want to have as a life partner. And sure, as long as I could probably house and care for it.

17. Well, we finally find out about Okóbí. What did you think of that scene in the shop? Did you agree with either side?
How do you think this will affect her decision to marry?
It went less poorly than I expected but I didn't expect their first meeting to be in secret. I'm guessing she's going to get married?

Bonus question, answer or don’t, but if you can answer cogently, I will appreciate it. And, you might win a Nobel Prize.
The history of men and women is a fraught one. Very often men do not trust women to do anything important, or to even be trusted. The bit about the eunuchs guarding the womenfolk made me think of this, and the patriarchal society in the story.
So my question is, why the hell are men so afraid of women? And why does their fear of women so often end up hurting women in order to protect men?
I don't know. But it's exhausting.

Day 3 DQs: Chapters 11-16

9. Let's talk about the twins, because I think they are stealing the show! The Twins, Taiwo and Kehinde, share names rooted in Yoruba tradition, where Taiwo is the "taster of the world" and Kehinde is the true elder soul. How might this cultural symbolism influence how we interpret their role in the palace and their relationship with Òdòdó?
I hadn't really thought much about it aside from them giving her the ability to skirt around propriety a bit and work on her metal. And just as general agents of chaos, like all children are.

10. In this section, Kòlò steps in and covers for Odòdó in a critical moment. What does this gesture reveal about her character and the relationship with Odòdó? Is it protective, controlling, self-serving, or some mix? Does this add to or change you option of Kòlò?
I think it is a mix, but after how this section ended, mostly self-serving. I'm a bit disappointed as it would be nice for Ododo to have a real friend in the palace.

11. The "General Roundtable" plays a big role in power dynamics in these chapters. What does it reveal about how authority is negotiated in this world: who speaks, who is silenced, who wields influence behind the scenes? What does Òdòdó’s building "influence" tell us, despite her being not only a woman, but also labeled a "witch"?
Eh, those with the true ear of the person in ultimate power have a lot of power themselves. As that get recognized more and more, her power would grow accordingly.

12. There is a riot in the capital during these chapters. How does Sangoyomi portray public anger versus elite maneuvering? What does the riot tell us about the fragility of the system in Ṣàngótè?
Power based on force and fear only lasts until the force starts to lessen. Then it breaks and falls to pieces. It's a tale repeated over and over through history.

13. For FUN: If the palace characters were in The Hunger Games, who would you cast in which district or role? Bonus: what kind of clever (or chaotic) strategies do you think Taiwo and Kehinde would use to survive the arena?
I think the twins would use misdirection.

Day 2: Chapter 6 - 10

5. It’s always interesting to watch a naive MC try to find authentic connections in a sea of people more practiced at hiding motives and personal feelings. Of those Òdòdó has met so far, who do you think will become allies? Or turn out to be enemies? Why?
maybe the griot/advisor? I'm hoping Kolo is a real friend (or will become one). Also maybe Igben (the tailor?) Everyone else though? Hard pass I think.

6. Having been so steeped in western traditions where blacksmiths are always big, burly men, I’m loving the whole concept of a female sisterhood of blacksmiths, thought to be witches because of their connection to the Earth. Understanding that they were forced to join due to transgressing the female norms of the time, what is your impression of the blacksmiths? What do you suppose is going on with all the disappearing blacksmiths? Do you think Òdòdó’s mother is with the other blacksmiths or looking for Òdòdó?
I think they are hard women who have made hard choices and struggle to survive so there just isn't much space left for compassion. I think maybe Ododo's mother heard she was taken and started some kind of shenanigans in retaliation for kidnapping her daughter? I don't really know.

7. “After all what is love but a choice?” This quote from chapter 4 keeps popping into my head, so I’m curious what you all think: Is this true for general love only? Can it really be true for romantic love? Putting aside the retelling aspect for now, what do you think about the growing relationship between Òdòdó and Aremo? Do you think Aremo had an ulterior motive seeking out a blacksmith girl when they first met? (Yes, yes - I’ve gotten a touch cynical and suspicious in my old age.)
I like love is always a choice, love of any kind. At least choice has to be a part of it. You have to choose to be open to it, to not be selfish, to honor and have respect for the person. There's generally more to it as well. But it has to start there.

8. I’m finding Kolo to be more and more interesting as the story progresses. In the vein of “History is written by the victors,” what is your take on Kolo’s reaction to Gassire’s version of how Sangot came to be? What do you think about her tribal scars that opened when she saved Òdòdó? Are you hoping (like I am) that she secretly trained with the Ahosi warriors?
I'm not sure if the scar thing is some sort of mystic woo-woo that's going on? There are threads of that throughout the story so not really sure. And I do think she was a warrior and her version of that story would be very different from Gassire's.

Sure!

Day 1 DQs: Chap 1 to 5

1. What do you think of the choice of location for the book? Did the location effect your decision to read the book?
I'm mainly reading this because it is the themed BOM for October. But it sounded interesting and I enjoy reading books set in different locations I am less familiar with. More to learn.

2. There is a lot of information dropped in this first section. Are you finding it awkward to read or well-integrated? Are there questions you still have on the setting?
I read a bunch of fantasy where you can't even count on physics to be the same so this is fine. There are a lot of names but the important ones are being repeated so it's not too bad. I don't have the best handle on the overall politics yet. Like we know that there are different tribes and that he's conquered multiple countries/territories. But I don't know about the hierarchy of said tribes or people from those conquered places within his palace, etc.

3. We meet the blacksmiths at the start of the book including Òdòdó’s mother. How do you think her relationship with her mother characterizes her as a character and her request for her mother to join her? If you have not read ahead, do you think asking for her mum to be kidnapped was a good idea?
I can see why she'd want her mom. I'd want my mom at nineteen in a strange city full of strange people. She's coping well enough, maybe Ododo's is just in shock. But I have a feeling her mother is going to be less than thrilled at the situation. Even setting aside that this is supposed to be a Persephone retelling.

4. We have met two new important characters Aremo and his first wife. Do you think he is as vapid as he appears? Do you like stories with a forced/political marriage theme?
I never thought him as vapid. People with that much military success generally aren't as they don't live through enough battles to be that successful. I'm guessing he's a great chameleon, being who he needs or wants to be at any given time. And can flip a switch and be someone else as needs be.

As for the forced marriage trope. I guess it depends on whether abuse is part of it or not, if it is then hard pass. Arranged marriage is something very different. Though the theme of woo is men, women are forced to marry men without a choice is a bit annoying to me as it forces contemporary views on generally non-contemporary circumstances. And it just doesn't track. It's one of the things I really liked about Radiance. It was an arranged marriage between royals because that's how it worked for people of their class. So they were mature about it like sensible people.

I’m in for DQs plus I’d like to use an extra entry.

Team Garden :)

We are happy to help or log books for people on the spreadsheet as needed. Some of us live in spreadsheets and I'm the one that put these spreadsheets together in the first place. So if they are confusing to some, it's my fault :)

Never feel bad about asking for spreadsheet help, that one of the things the captains are here to help with!

I think Christmas is where the team landed

And we are an hour in to Round 2 everyone!

Great job on Round 1!

I was thinking that was a good spot for the title.

I feel like Cat is going to get me back in some future challenge 😂