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

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

I'm reading #8 in the St Mary's series for a color card in March. I can easily move on to #9 in series after if no one has something on deck for that task.

I'm in on this one as well for DQs!

Cat wrote: "don't authors realise that a title like "In Five Years" is not very UNO-friendly?!

I think I've a copy languishing, so will confirm if I'm in for DQs later :)"

Do you wish it was In Seven years instead? So it could count for a 5 or 7 with the title? LOL

Edit: will clearly be in for DQs, I too need to find my copy. Hopefully it's an electronic one as that will be easier to find. hehe

Teresa wrote: "Q: Would you accept MPG High Fantasy for Epic Fantasy?"

Yes

Well, I don't feel like Cassandra Clare 800 pagers are like normal 800 pagers.

But I'll certainly be balancing it out with novellas when it finally comes in from the library hold.

Though maybe I should use it on the hydra. It can knock out most of those I think

Yep I green lit the large print. There’s no points involved and don’t want people discouraged or to avoid the 800 page tasks.

I’m just waiting on my hold to come in for our current doorstop task

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/...

DQs: Book IV to End of the Book

16. How do you feel about the ending? Does it feel satisfying?
Yes, I think so. The big bads got their comeuppance. Others went to go figure out how to live a life they weren't meant to have based on the plans their creators had in mind for them.

17. What do you think that Roger two most meaningful relationships outside Dodger being staged (parents, girlfriend of 7 years)?
Thank god he found Dodger. Also it was sad to not have a strong foundation of support to rely on when life gets rough.

18. I find it interesting with books that cover a long time if the tone of the age of the characters fits for the whole book. Do you think Rodger and Dodger seem like 30 by the end of the book?
I think they felt like adults by the end. But if I'd had to guess their age at the end I probably would of guessed them to be mid-to-late 20s and not in their 30s. As I type this answer though that seems like a weird line to be drawing. It's what my brain is thinking though.

19. If you could live in a place that is no more, where would you live?
Most of my initial thoughts are historic in nature like ancient Egypt. But I don't really want to live in a place without modern connivence, medicine, and gender rights. So I'm going to go with my grandmother's house where I spent a lot of summers. It was always a happy place for me and I miss being able to go there.

Book IV Complicate-Cost
I am a bit lost in this book. And calendar math is hard.

11. It's good that each book has its own time travel rules. These rules with the random scars has me confused. There are no alternate timelines? Or are there?
I don't think there was alternate timelines but they sometimes jump backwards to get a do-over. Or at least that was how I was organizing it in my head (to the extent that was possible. it was a bit confusing).

12. Sounds like everyone had a nice Thanksgiving (once they got it right). Have you done a Thanksgiving with friends?
No, Thanksgiving is a big deal in my family and I'm always been close enough to be able to travel to get to family for the holiday. Very lucky with that I know.

13. How important is biological relation? If you found a new relation through 23 and Me or one of the other DNA sites, would they become family?
It's important but not the be and end all. Though I think a lot of that closeness comes from being raised knowing each other which brings a closeness born of familiarity. I don't think they'd immediately become family. Relationships like that take time.

14. How much alike do two people look that it hurts?
I agree with Karen, maybe it's the hurting of the brain if they are identical and your brain is trying to process. Or if you look like a parent or someone that has passed away, that might be a bittersweet hurt?

15. Erin is Leigh's, so of course she is an assassin. Did you see this coming? Do you have any sympathy for Erin?
I wasn't surprised and she's one of the more complicated characters. I'm not sure sympathy is the right word but to a certain extent she's making the most out of the choices she's had. But I also don't think of her as a good person.

Well, not good that your internet was out, that’s annoying.

Glad you are back up and running

Oh good, I was getting a complex that my questions were so bad everyone abandoned the discussion 😂

DQs Day 2
Book II Home Again to Reset

6.) This section had a lot of Roger and Dodger breaking off contact and coming back together again for varied reasons. Have you ever broken off contact with someone for years only to come back together as friends? Anyone one you wish you could reconnect with?
We haven't lost touch completely, mainly thanks to social media and technology in general making it easier. But I miss face to face time with my core group from graduate school. We are literally scattered across the country and even a few are overseas so it's just hard. But a reunion would be epic.

7.) Color seems to be an important theme in the book. As descriptors of people, places, things happening. Even as the balance between bright, colorful Dodger and colorblind bland Roger. Is this device helpful to you as you read the story?
I'm a color oriented person so it helps me to mentally set the mood for that part of the story. And I think it helps subtlety reinforce that Roger and Dodger are really two halves of one whole.

8.) Theories as to why it's so important for Roger and Dodger to be separate? Also, I find it interesting that their initials are R&D which is common shorthand for Research & Development considering they are basically Reed's experiments.
I want to say their initials are complete coincidence, but I'm not sure that happens with this author's writing. She's too meticulous with all her details for it to be an accident.
I really don't know why it's so important. To force some independence so they are more resilient? I've even read the next section and I'm still not sure.

9.) I thought Dodgers metaphor about prodigy kids being circus freaks/performers an apt one with adults and peers viewing them differently. Adults being amazed and peers ridiculing. Do you think it was an accurate description?
I do think it was a very good metaphor. Adults being amazed at the skill but still seeing her as other and not just one of the kids. And the children ridiculing because the recognize the difference but don't understand and therefore fear it on some level.

10.) Halfway through the book. Anything you are hoping gets explained/revealed in the second half? Any character you hope gets a comeuppance?
I hope Leigh gets a comeuppance of some sort and Reed or at least their dreams don't get realized. Otherwise I'm just along for the ride. This author tends to have satisfying conclusions to her books and I'll just trust in her.


Bonus: Hand of Glory makes an appearance. Creepy!! Darren's hand? gross, but not all that surprised I suppose after reading some of the Wayward Children series. Thoughts?
This was creepy and gross. Walking around with her brother's hand like it was a candle? ugh. no.

I noticed the S Birds were done, spun the Asian wheel for:

Tambuakar
200 to 299 pages
Waterbody in title
jellied or eel in text
Book set in the 1900s
Extinct animal mentioned

Sure, that’s fine. Normally the issue with large print books is the inflation of page points. With no points involved, I’ll accept it 🙂

And 8 in a row is rough!

Okay! Feel free to move mine to lost whenever someone else starts #6 in series. Or maybe someone finds another that works for lost in the mean time.

Beard with Me works for MC gets lost (Billy gets lost in the woods) if someone has a #6 in series

I've had Chain of Thorns on hold for a bit, it just came out on 1/31 so the hold list is finally moving. If the other 800+ spot is still open I can use this, it's 845 pages.

I know they wander around the Ministry of Magic looking for the prophecy and maybe a jaunt into the forbidden forest. Not sure if they are every lost though.

Movie HP and Book HP are a bit muddled because I haven't read the books in so long.

DQs Day 2
Book II Home Again to Reset

6.) This section had a lot of Roger and Dodger breaking off contact and coming back together again for varied reasons. Have you ever broken off contact with someone for years only to come back together as friends? Anyone one you wish you could reconnect with?

7.) Color seems to be an important theme in the book. As descriptors of people, places, things happening. Even as the balance between bright, colorful Dodger and colorblind bland Roger. Is this device helpful to you as you read the story?

8.) Theories as to why it's so important for Roger and Dodger to be separate? Also, I find it interesting that their initials are R&D which is common shorthand for Research & Development considering they are basically Reed's experiments.

9.) I thought Dodgers metaphor about prodigy kids being circus freaks/performers an apt one with adults and peers viewing them differently. Adults being amazed and peers ridiculing. Do you think it was an accurate description?

10.) Halfway through the book. Anything you are hoping gets explained/revealed in the second half? Any character you hope gets a comeuppance?


Bonus: Hand of Glory makes an appearance. Creepy!! Darren's hand? gross, but not all that surprised I suppose after reading some of the Wayward Children series. Thoughts?