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

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

I added a countdown clock to the top of the books tab. Only books completed after this clock runs down can be used for the June/Chipmunk mini

I always find these useful :)

I just finished one of my 600+, so we are down to 2

I've read and enjoyed it for those who enjoy this genre and has a lobster on the cover.

Tricia wrote: "Oh, one more question. Now that we've reached our max number of free choice books, what should we do with completed books? Do we just keep listing them as free choice?

What happens to all the ext..."

The numbers in each category are minimums to still be eligible to win TTX. So we can have as many as we want in any given category.

What we put in free choice matters less in May than it does in June. Only Free Choice books can be used for the June mini so we need to be a bit more thoughtful there.

But any book read that meets the TT requirements can be logged for book points if nothing else. Nothing goes to waste!

Bobbi,

Can you add a read date to the Album of Dr Moreau? It's showing as read and on your TT shelf but there's no date. My guess is GR glitched.

Thank you!

Bobbi wrote: "I was thinking about this last night. For those of us that add our books upon or near completion, maybe it would be helpful to our captains if we post which of the mini-challenges it *may* work for..."

that would be helpful, yes! Also because of the ability to use banked books, which ever captain logs books will post the new tasks in the thread. If a book you've read fits the task, give a shout in the thread and we'll use if for an open task. Not all books will be obvious that they fit a given task.

Example. You read Love in the Afternoon on June 5th. It doesn't get used for an open chipmunk task so it goes in the banked books. On June 10th the task {note this is a made up task} "Read a book where a character has a pet hedgehog" appears. The book works for this task but the captains won't know that unless they've read the book as you can't tell from the book blurb on GR.



Hopefully my answers and examples have helped some. I think things will fall into place once we get going with this mini challenge in June.

When in doubt, just keep reading and adding books to the spreadsheet. Lexi, Jax and I will find home for books and will post in the thread as tasks come up.

Do we focus on this new mini challenge or on the spell it outs first?
If you book is longer, especially 500 or higher, spell outs/towers mini. For less than 400 either grab one of the 10 chipmunk tasks or leave the mini blank. Those in the 400 range could go either way as most will probably be needed for the page tower, but depending on the specificity of the task, may be put to better use on the chipmunk.

We can 'bank' books for the chipmunk mini. Example: you finish a book on June 5th and it doesn't work for any of the known 10 chipmunk tasks. A new task is revealed on June 10th that it works for, we can use it for that tasks and get a new one immediately.

Do we sign up for specific tasks for the June mini challenge? Or is it just first come first served?
You can sign up for them but please don't sign up for more than one at a time and only for books you are going to be finishing soon. Unless the task is really specific.

Also, please don't be surprised or upset if captains shift books around to move through the tasks. This team seems to be okay with that and not overly attached to tasks, which is great as we are all working towards the same end goal. But you'd be surprised at how I've seen players react if books get moved from 'their spot'.

Hello everyone! I wasn't really around this weekend and Lexi and Jax were waiting for me to be back before answering questions about the June mini.

Answers will be coming soon!

I'd like to use an extra entry as well for Team Neez!

Judith's 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/...

DQs Day 5 (Chapters 26 -End)

19. Earlier, Eduardo seemed like a fine person to me despite Montgomery's reservations. In these last chapters, he had a stark change in character or his true nature came out. Did you expect him to turn out like this? Do you think he might have been a good husband to Carlota if she were not a hybrid?
Not at all surprised and no I don't think he would make a good husband to anyone. Fidelity is not something he remotely considers to be something a husband should have as a characteristic and he's very self centered.

20. Dr. Moreau was not a great father throughout the book but his last moment touched my heart. Do you find his love for Carlota redeeming enough for his character? Or would you categorize him as a villain?
If villains are written as real people they likely have some redeeming acts or characteristics. He loves Carlota but his also not a good person. And under the right circumstances I think he'd sell her out.

21. Carlota became more jaguar-like as the story drew near its end, and she finally embraced that part of her in the climactic scene. I somehow expected her physical changes to be more lasting and prominent afterward and maybe have a lifestyle closer to a jaguar which evidently didn't happen. Anyone else had an odd expectation like this or something else that you expected to happen?
The ending was weird and convenient. I was a bit let down by this actually.

22. How do you feel about the relatively open-ended epilogue? Do think Carlota would be reunited with the other hybrids? Will Montgomery come back into her life at some point? Do you think Moreno-Garcia kept the option for a sequel open?
Hopefully it's left open ended for the reader to fill in the what if's with our brains. I really hope a sequel is not part of her grand plan. I'd like to think every one gets back together at some point in the future as they are only safe to be their true selves around each other.

Asian? It’s the monster I took out

I finished off a monster but won’t be on a computer until Monday if someone wants to spin for a new one

It’ll be okay, that’s too long of a book to power through

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.