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

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

DQs: Day 4 Ch 19-25

15. Welcome to the penultimate set of chapters! A lot of revelations came to light in this set of chapters: did any of them surprise you? If so, which ones?
No, not really. Maybe a little that Carlota started transforming more into an animal. Everything else was what I was expecting.

16. Montgomery and Carlota finally seem like they are going to make love but Montgomery stops this from happening. Do you think he made the right choice? Why or why not? Also do you think they’ll still get together in the end?
Yes, with the age difference and the initial role he played in her life it just comes across as icky. I'm not sure why their relationship can't just stay platonic. Hopefully it does if they are both alive by the end.

17. It looks like Dr. Moreau is going to die by the end of the book. In the original novel and adaptations Dr. Moreau is a villainous figure. Do you think he is portrayed as a villain in this book or do you think he has redeeming qualities?
Hmm. Villain, yes I think so. Almost the worst sort because he doesn't see himself as a villain and thinks his horrible actions are completely justified in the pursuit of science and his own end goals.

18. Carlota is given a key to the laboratory. What do you think she will find there? Also any predictions for the end of the book?
I honestly don't know. Maybe how he actually makes the hybrids? Or maybe her family history on her father's side? I guess there's going to be a showdown with the Lizdales? I'm pretty ambivalent at this point about what happens to these characters.

Whatever method works for you is fine with me :)

April wrote: "I am still in. Just been super busy. I have read several books. Hope to put them on spreadsheet this weekend. I run in home daycare so children can be needy sometimes haha."

Needy and exhausting, I'm sure. Glad you are still with us :)

I hope your books have been good ones that help you relax!

I’m enjoying it fine but probably would like it more if it wasn’t a BOM. Sometimes the questions make me think more than I aught on some aspects

No worries Tricia! It’s happens to all of us :)

DQs: Day 3, Chap 12 - 18

1. I've noticed Carlota's perceptions are often described using non visual cues: she hears a lot, and even smells Montgomery behind her bedroom door but then dismisses the idea. After her attack, she finds herself noticing that "Her fingers, in the mirror, looked very long, the nails almost too sharp and the eyes...". Do you feel Carlota ever questions her own nature as a human/hybrid or is she too ingenuous to do so? Do you also feel the author is using alternate senses and, if so, as clues for the reader or red herrings?
I'm not sure she questions, really thinking on it, I'm not sure why she would. Being so isolated her differences wouldn't be as apparent to her as it would be for outsiders. And I do think the author is using those as clues to a formal reveal later in the book.

2. For much of this part, I felt Montgomery was conflicted regarding his feelings for Carlota. He "writes" to his wife using what I felt was a brotherly perspective only to realise, a few lines and drinks later, he could not resist kissing her if she were there in that moment. What did you make of this change of heart and do you find his various missteps bring something to the story?
I think Montgomery needs some good therapy and a therapist would have a field day with the number of issues that need unpacking with this man.

3. We're already halfway through the story - Doctor Moreau and Montgomery are both complex characters. Am I alone in thinking Carlota and her hybrid friends deserve to be more thoroughly fleshed out and layered?
No, you aren't alone in this. I'm finding this to be a disappointment so far with the story.

4. What did you make of the scene where Carlota loses her virginity by the cenote - did her reaction seem natural to you or did you find yourself questioning her fearlessness? In your opinion, if Carlota is herself a hybrid, what effect might that have on their progeny?
Honestly it reinforced my feelings that she's a hybrid. For someone as sheltered as her with almost zero nonfamilial human male interaction, her reactions and willingness for sex was unexpected.

5. There's a storm brewing as the hybrids plan to join Juan Cumux and Carlota attempts to retrieve her father's notes and formulas. Do you think the hybrids will remain subservient once they remove themselves from Doctor Moreau's influence or could the story turn dark?
I think the story is going to turn darker and I don't think the subservience will remain. Which would be inline with the storyline from the source material.

Tricia,

when you get a chance can you add I Was Born for This to your TT shelf?

Thank you!

DQs: Day 2, Chap 6 – 11

6. As Sonia noted, we jump six years. Do the characters, especially Carlota, feel six years older? Do you like books that have time jumps or would you have preferred to see Montgomery get used to working in his new jobs? (Sonia already asked about the fallout but feel free to add that here).
I'm okay with the time jump but I agree with Lexi that it would of been nice to have a few more chapters, maybe with shorter jumps of a few months to develop the relationship between Montgomery and Carlota. Though Monty seems to be having some impure thoughts in this section so maybe the author didn't want to have a more niece/uncle type relationship turn gross?

7. Do you like the method of telling the same scene from both points of view? Is there one point of view you prefer?
I like multiple POVs as they give the reader more information and more insight into the characters. As long as the author doesn't go bonkers with too many POVs and are able to keep each voice distinct so you don't forgot which character's POV you are reading. I find Carlota annoying so Montgomery.

8. And we have the start of a love triangle. What do you think of the two young men and Carlota’s reaction to them?
I hate love triangles in most cases and I'm a bit worried this might turn into a love pyramid. I'm sure Carlota's hormones are going haywire. Too bad Are You There God? It's Me Margaret wasn't written in 1870. I think it would of helped Carlota work some things out on her own.

I found the whole swimming thing very strange. And honestly I'm not even sure in what universe in the 1870s that even Montgomery would be seen as a suitable chaperone for her. Let alone why she thought she could go on her own with 2 unrelated males she barely knows the names of. Especially to go swimming. Seriously? Very weird.

9. So far these feels very much like a historical fiction book with relationships being forwarded over the science and hybrids. Do you agree, and were you expecting that?
I was hoping for less kissy face and more science. Or at least more science while kissy-facing. Maybe that will change moving forward?

Bonus: If you were part critter, and didn’t have the health concerns, what species would you prefer?
While I've always loved the big cats, something that can fly and swim is appealing to me so Mandarin Duck.

Tricia wrote: "I noticed a bunch of the teams got new members. Will we?"

No, those teams had people disappear (or withdraw with notice) or never appear after signing up. So reserve players were assigned to help keep the teams even to the extent possible.

FYI - for anyone with Kindle Unlimited, City of Brass is available that way (at least in the US).

DQs: Day 1, Chap 1 - 5

1. Have you read the original Island of Dr Moreau book? Or watched any of the films? I only saw the 1996 movie, so, in my head, I keep seeing Dr Moreau as Marlon Brando, Val Killer as Montgomery and Fairuza Balk as Carlota.
I've read the book, I went on a kick at one point and read a whole bunch of classic novels. This happened to be one of them. I also saw the 1996 movie, my brother and I went for my birthday I think. We were the only people in the theater.

2. In the movie, Fairuza was one of the hybrids, although here, she only has "treatments" with jaguar genetic code. Do you think it's just a ruse from the doctor and she is actually the first hybrid?
I'm thinking she's a hybrid or at least I won't be at all surprised if she turns out to be one.

3. Montgomery's past was a sad one. And he looks like just a drunk with some natural instincts to protect the innocent. Were you surprised he was considering not to accept the job, and then when the incident happens and he needs to kill the hybrid he decides to stay?
No, partly though because if he didn't stay having him be one of the POVs would be weird. But the reasoning or push for him to make the decision to stay wasn't what I was expecting it to be.

4. I'm a bit disappointed that he didn't explain exactly how his studies came to be. In a scientific point of view, how is it even possible? We're in the 1870s... way before in vitro fertilization or genetic advances... and he manages to separate and mix genomes, or as called in the book gemmules? Not to mention that the original story was written way before cloning was a thing....
I'm hoping more of the science side of things is discussed in the book at some point. The original book goes into this more and involves some vivisection, grafting and some other graphically gross things.

5. So, hybrids are dangerous. Specially when they're still developing, and their animal instincts are overpowering the human ones (in theory, since we had no idea what the level of brain maturity the developing hybrid was). Back in the movie, there is a rebellion and it doesn't end well for humans. Do you think it will be the case here?
Is it wrong that I sort of hope so? Sometimes I wish we humans would just leave well enough alone. Also, I think that was a razorback hybrid. Those things are no joke but I guess neither is a jaguar. But what do I know?

And a bonus, Am I the only one that is sad that we're jumping 6 years? I wanted to see the fall out from the incident.
I'm guessing it might come up later or at least be alluded too. I'm guessing the jump happens so any *luv* angle that happens with Carlota isn't gross so they needed her to be older. But her youth was important for Montgomery's intro I guess.

I'm in for DQs - Team Neeznáá

I'm in for DQs - Team Neeznáá

Angie ☯ wrote: ""Author name starts with letter in TROUT" - is this full name (both initials) or either name (F or L initial)?"

Either name

It’s okay, no one stress out! Part of the reason I was asking was it’ll affect my book selections for the rest of the month.

We’ll have 10 new 600+ page books for June, so if I can save them for next month (or July) I’d like too as I don’t have many that length.

Tricia wrote: "I will definitely finish the larger books I have on the ss, as I'll prioritize those over the smaller ones that can be done next month.

Just to confirm, we don't have to complete the Mod Tower or..."

Correct, we have the full 3 months to chip away at the various towers.

The only thing that has to be finished in May is our month's tower of 223 books. As of this morning we had 145 books read so in good shape there. Just trying to make sure we aren't short in some of the ranges.

I think we'll be okay though.

I wanted to check in with everyone now that we are at the mid-point of Month 1 for TT.

Any Questions? Favorite books read so far? Books you've hated and want to warn people away from?

Also for books in the 600+ and 500-599 ranges on the tracking sheet, are people planning to read those by the end of May? I'm trying to make sure we hit the tower targets for those ranges. I'm not as worried about the 400-499 range (and we've hit the minimum targets for the 100, 200, and 300 ranges already).

But the 600+ and 500-599 ranges are hard to add books too last minute.

Happy Reading everyone!

We started doing that last TT so people only had to enter information in one spot instead of having to enter things on multiple tabs.

It worked out okay so we've kept doing it. It is a bit confusing when you first start but now I love it as it's a lot less work moving things around. And when we transfer stuff to the main spreadsheet.

Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames

Live fast, die young.

Tam Hashford is tired of working at her local pub, slinging drinks for world-famous mercenaries and listening to the bards sing of adventure and glory in the world beyond her sleepy hometown.

When the biggest mercenary band of all rolls into town, led by the infamous Bloody Rose, Tam jumps at the chance to sign on as their bard. It's adventure she wants - and adventure she gets as the crew embark on a quest that will end in one of two ways: glory or death.

It's time to take a walk on the wyld side.

Connection to War: mercenary bands fighting the good fight! Sequel/companion book to Kings of the Wyld

Yes, anything over 50. And you can add % together for shades of the same base color