Nancy’s Comments (group member since Dec 31, 2012)

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

Questions and Comments for Chapters 6 - 12

8) We learn some interesting facts about lighthouses. I never knew they gave out different bursts of light to let the ships know which lighthouse they are from a distance. Did you like this information?

Yes, I think the information is interesting.

9) I thought it was cute how Izzy went around naming things. She was making the place a home. Do you think this kind of shows a pattern between the two? He lets her do as she likes and she becomes attached to things too quickly? I think he'd do anything for her. It kind of reminded me a little of Eve with the apple. :)

I agree that Tom will do anything to keep Isabel happy. I think though being so isolated there that you have to do what you can to make it as comfortable and homey as possible.

10) Is anyone besides me a little confused about what happened to Tom's mom? It sounds like his parent got divorced, but what was the scene when he was eight and all those men swarmed the house? Is he confusing scenes from war with his childhood memories?

I am assuming also that she left/divorced. I don't recall the scene with the men swarming the house though. I know when he finally tracked his mom's address down he discovered that she had recently passed away.

11) There is a lot of emphasis being put on how meticulous a lighthouse keeper must be. Do you think the log book will ultimately be their downfall? They even included a picture of it in front and back of my book.

Not sure. Tom is being very meticulous though.

12) "You know Janus is where the word January comes from. It's named after the same god as this island. He's got two faces back to back."(...)
"What's he god of?"
"Doorways. Always looking both ways, torn between two ways of seeing things."

Could this accurately describe Tom or Izzy in regards to the baby situation? Is this their "Janus" Point (ie Crossroads)?

Well they are definitely at a crossroads. Isabel and Tom seem to see keeping the baby differently, although Tom wants to keep Isabel happy, so he's doing what she wants. I know everything seems to be too good to be true so something is bound to happen!

Questions for Part One-Chapter Five

1. This author definitely knows how to grab your attention. First thing, we have a boat with a dead man and a baby. Do you agree with what Isabel and Tom did by not reporting the incident immediately? What about the dead man and his family? I feel sorry for Isabel (with the miscarriages), but I feel she went to far. Thoughts?

I agree that she went too far. Tom was trying to do his job and he was forced to choose between his wife and their livelihood. But yes, definitely an attention-getting opener!

2. We get to see a picture of the carnage of war. What did you think about the gambling scene? Do you think being in a war makes it ok to do things of this nature to women? I understand that they go through a lot, but this seemed a bit much.

I was very put off by the gambling scene. Thank goodness Tom was there....can only imagine what would have happened to that poor girl. War or not, it doesn't give a man an excuse to treat a woman like that.

3. Mrs. Mewett is something else, and that dinner with the Harbormaster was interesting as well. What did you think of all the Point of Partageuse townspeople? Who stood out to you the most?

I loved the line, "Tom wondered whether there was a Mr. Mewett who had so endeared men to her." She's all business! So far none of the townspeople have stood out to me.

4. It sounds like Janus is a very lonely and isolated place. Would you be able to go and spend six months at a time by yourself, tending a lighthouse? Do you think this will help Tom deal with his war time problems or make them worse?

I don't think that I could be isolated like that for so long. With the way chapter five left off, and the opening of the book, Isabel joins him....just not sure when. I think having her there will help him more than being by himself.

5. What do you make of Isabel before getting married to Tom? What did you make of their romance and the cute little letter she wrote? How do you feel about her when you compare what you know she does in the future, with how she is before she is married?

Young Isabel seems very carefree and happy. I think the tolls of the miscarriages and maybe the isolation of Janus makes her desperate.

6. Do you think Tom's inability to share his past with Isabel is going to become a problem in their marriage? Are you surprised that Isabel is so forward? She doesn't really know that much about Tom.

Possibly, unless she's able to get him to open up more. There's not much to do at the lighthouse so hopefully they'll talk! I was a bit surprised at how forward Isabel is since she's so young.

7. What do you think so far of the book? How do you feel about the author's writing style? Do you like the way she sets up the book, giving us a glimpse at the key event and then going back and setting it up?

So far so good. I'm enjoying it enough to keep reading!

Finished today which fits #4, bright colors.

I just read this book a week or so ago! If you end up reading The Prophet I will definitely join in on that one!

I finished which fits #3 - animal on cover (dog).

I also finished which fits #7 - it's the first in the Remember Me series.

Thanks so much Lisa Kay for doing this! All of your hard work is really appreciated! :)

I have read and both which qualify for #5- strong female characters.

Finished for #2 -Time (diary writes about what happens tomorrow) and for #7 (1st in a series).

Laura's Questions for The Ram-End

47. What did you think of Ember? Is Quentin's anger justified? I guess there were many evil creatures and people in Fillory, why else would the water nymph give them a horn that calls forth The Beast?

I thought it was sad that the kids were kind of duped.....Ember was basically a prisoner, hiding out and they got drawn into the game. There were definitely evil creatures in Fillory!

48. WOW! I wasn't expecting Martin Chatwin to be The Beast. Is anyone else surprised? HE ATE PENNY'S HANDS!! Ugh!

Yes! Very surprised.

49. Alice dies the same way her brother did, but she manages to kill The Beast. Do you think her dying was the only way? Do you think we will somehow see her again in the sequel?

I was sad to see her die....but she ended up saving them all. I will not be reading the sequel but hope she comes back somehow.

50. The Retreat is interesting. The centaurs are kind of snobby. He was left by all his friends. I would have been depressed and it sounds like he was. Thoughts?

I think that after all the time and the prognosis of him not likely recovering that they were justified in leaving.

51. Quentin finds the questing beast and shoots it and then it gives him three wishes. Would you have asked for something different?

I agree with him and would have asked to go back home. I wouldn't want to be alone in Fillory! Not sure about the other two wishes though.

52. What did you think of Julia hooking up with the gang? Will we see Alice again in the next book? Are you going to read the next book in the series?

Was a bit surprised to see Julia with the gang. I'm sure there's a backstory that will be told in the next book. but I am not going to read it. There were bits and pieces of this book that I liked but it was just a bit over the top for me.

53. Overall thoughts on the book? What did you rate it?

I gave this 2 stars....it was just an okay read for me.

Laura's Questions for Humbledrum-Ember's Tomb

41. Humbledrum is a talking bear. It sounds like he is very confused. Do you think this has something to do with the Watcherwoman or just the overall state of Fillory? It seems like everything is chaos there, would you have been disappointed?

I don't know about being disappointed since I wasn't really sure what to expect. Umm, he's a bear....so I'm not sure I expect a lot from him???!!!

42. Were you surprised that Richard stayed behind at the inn? Do you think he is right? Are they all making a huge mistake?

I'm just confused on how he's going to get out, if they do....since they all have to be connected when touching the stone to go back and forth.....is he going to stay there?

43. What did you make of Fin and her thoughts about why they need them to become Kings and Queens? I don't know how I feel about Dint and Fin. Do they sound like they have a hidden agenda that might not be for the good of Fillory?

I"m not sure how I feel about them either. Once we met the talking bear this is where things got really weird again for me.

44. This is turning into a bloody book here at the end. Can you believe Anais is so into the fighting and Quentin is so against it, but then he fights inside the tomb? Do you think he had a choice? What do you make of all the bickering amongst the the group? Will this end badly?

Definitely looking to end badly. I feel like they're going to lose at least one of the group.

45. It sounds like Alice and Quentin may be patching things up. Alice makes some very good observations about Quentin. Do you think they will be back to being a couple by the end of the book? They apparently both still love each other.

I found her observations to be pretty insightful. She really did know him more than I thought. I hope they are able to be a couple again.

46. Any predictions on the end of the book?

No....just trying to finish it! I'm a little curious to see how this all ends but this is definitely not my type of read!

Sonia's Questions for Penny's Story-Fillory

33)Penny drop out? That was a surprise. Not as big as knowing he actually felt lonely. And Lovelady found something of power. I don't think Anything good would came out of it. What do you think about his strange connection to Penny?

Lovelady didn't seem to know what he had found but Penny knew immediately when he saw the stone. So, I'm not sure if Lovelady is up to no good or he was just trying to sell something to lonely Penny.

34)The buttons? The key to Fillory? Is that really that simple? Can Quentin finally find the missing part of his life?

I don't think it can be that simple....but I'm really hoping Quentin can find the missing part of his life.

35)Way to go Alice. Smacking him all right. Do you think he really needed to hurt Alice to finally have a change on his life? Or is Alice right and Quentin just hates himself so much that he doesn't know how to be happy with life?

I think the latter, that he hates himself. He seemed so happy at Brakebill, believing in the magic, and now he's moved on and doesn't know what to do with himself. I'm still bothered with him sleeping with Janet though. If he wanted a change of life he could have hooked up with any girl anywhere. Since he chose Janet he REALLY hurt Alice, knowing how much Alice disliked her.

36)Penny is really happy. I never saw him talking so much. I think I may underestimated him. Am I the only one?

Yes, he definitely seems happier now. And I underestimated him too! I was surprised that he was traveling back and forth to The Neitherlands and doing an independent study at school.

37)Are Quentin's fears so illogical? They learned that magic should not be used to harm or they can be consumed by it? Are they all so drunk with Fillory that they are just ignoring the risks?

No, he mentioned something about dark magic and I see something like this getting them into trouble.

38)Am I the only one worried about this whole Quentin-Alice thing? People made stupid decisions or mistakes when hurt or angry. I think they are a time bomb disaster waiting to happen.

I think they're both not over each other. Now that she's slept with Penny she's gotten Quentin really mad. So I think he's the time bomb!

39)The weird reaction of Janet to the Netherlands is bothering me. What could that mean?

I'm not sure......

40)"None so cursed" That was a not so good premonition. Or was it just a statement. Insects shooting arrows. Walking trees. Fillory has a lot of promises. Thoughts so far?

It's all very weird to me! I wasn't really paying much attention when the books were being mentioned and now I'm very confused here in Fillory.

I finished . Don't think it fits into any of the March Challenge categories though. I'm still working on and .

Laura's Questions for Emily Greenstreet - Manhattan

27. Poor Emily Greenstreet and poor Alice! I never expected to find out the story of Alice's brother in this way. Do you think Jane knew about Alice's brother or do you think Alice is overreacting?

I didn't see Jane as a "mean" girl but the way Alice described what she was doing made her seem that way. I was surprised at how Alice's brother died and was not expecting that!

28. What did you think of Alice's parents? I don't know about you but I would love to be able to change the interior of my house all the time! Am I the only one that finds something wrong with Quentin and Alice's relationship?

Umm they're a bit weird!! I love the idea of being able to change your whole house to whatever you feel like! I was really rooting for the two of them, but don't seem them being together at the end.

29. The whole Daemon scene was just a bit much for me! Did anyone else feel like maybe this was not a good thing? The whole thing felt weird. Would you have thought it was cool or scary?

?? don't remember this scene off the top of my head....is this the tattoo scene?

30. Dean Fogg thinks that all magicians are unhappy and that is what makes them magicians. It sure seems that way. Thoughts? Do you think they have a chance at being happy or do you think this book is going to have a sad, miserable ending?

I hope it doesn't have a sad, miserable ending. I'm rooting for Quentin. All the other magicians seem sad and unhappy but I feel like Quentin became happy and alive when he got to Brakebill. Like Alice mentioned to him, he believes in the magic so I think he's different than the others.

31. So they all go to Manhattan. Do you think Quentin is going to snap out of his stupor anytime soon? Are you surprised that he hooked up with Janet? Is this the end of Alice and Quentin?

Very surprised that he hooked up with Janet. That's going to get him in trouble! Yes, think the end of Alice and Quentin is coming near. They were already becoming distant.....this might be the final straw.

32. Any predictions on why Penny is so happy? What do you think his story is going to be?

Something good must have happened.....have no idea though!

Laura's Questions for Lovelady-Alice

19. Josh kind of goes a bit loopy. First with the black hole and then after his meeting with Lovelady. Do you think Brakebills is that difficult or do you think it is just the type of kid that gets accepted there. Most geniuses are a bit different.

I think not all of the kids are super smart, just have magic ability....possibly him being one of them. Just like children have different learning styles, these kids have different disciplines. So maybe he's just not booksmart. Maybe he will possibly do better at the new Brakebills since it's not all about memorizing, it's execution???

20. What did you think of Lovelady? He seems awfully sinister. Do you think he tries to bully kids into buying from him? Is he more than just a peddler?

Possibly. Maybe we'll be seeing more of him. But from what was described, it sounds like he's ripping kids off!

21. So the fourth years go on a quest to the Antartic. What did you think of them turning into geese? Do you think you would have enjoyed being a bird? What did you think of Professor Mayakovsky?

OMG, I had the same reaction as Cathie! I was ready to stop reading thinking this has seriously gotten really weird. After I kept reading on it did get better though.

22. The whole artic fox scene was interesting. Do you think that the professor knew what was going to happen? What do you think the point of them changing into all of these different animals is?

Maybe to show them what their magic is capable of? The fox scene was definitely interesting....the kids definitely got primal!

23. Their exam is a journey to the south pole on foot 500 plus miles long!! Would you have done it? Do you think that their journey makes them the only two that truly learned the lesson they were to learn at Brakebills South?

It sounds daunting, but if I've been properly trained to survive then I might....I mean, I do love a good challenge!

24. So Julia really was at the Brakebills entrance exam! Were you surprised? I felt very sorry for her. Do you think we will see her again? Would you go and talk to Dean Fogg or just pretend it never happened and hope it went away?

I feel sorry for Julia too. It stinks that her memory wasn't erased and now she's pretty obsessed with Brakebill. I don't think I'd talk to Dean Fogg though because she was already tested. If they wanted her they would have chosen her when she took the the test. I guess I'd hope that it/she went away!

25. Alice and Quentin are an item now. Do you think they will stay that way? Does he truly love her? Thoughts?

It seemed pretty inevitable that the two would get together. I think they'll stay together and yes I think he really does love Alice. It just took him awhile to realize it.

26. Yet another thing that Quentin seems to be in the dark about. What did you think of dragons being added into the story? Do you think we will meet one later on?

Seriously?!!! Dragons, now??? I feel like this book keeps getting weirder and weirder and I'm not sure in a good way! Who knows if we'll meet a dragon? Probably at the rate it's going.

✔ How many books you read in 2012.

174

✔ How many books you plan to read 2013

175

✔ If you were in Round I, the percentage of goal reached would be appreciated, if you know it.

16%

✔ Would you be willing to be a Team Captain?

No

I just finished today which will fit in for #5 in the March challenge. I really enjoyed this one and don't know why I never read it before now! I've just started and not sure if it will fit into any of the categories for this month.

Yes, thank you Lisa Kay! I've only been here for part of the color challenge so far but having so much fun with these mini challenges!

@Robin - What a great March challenge! Looking forward to it!

Questions for Snow- The Beast

Snow
10. Wow! Quentin, Penny, and Alice get to skip half of their first year! Does it seem odd that Quentin is getting to move up even though he seems to be having all of these problems with magic?

Yes, that surprised me a bit because Quentin seemed to be having difficulty. Alice I could understand.

11. So Eliot is homosexual and plays games with his "lovers". So creepy. Surprised? I know I was. What did you think of Quentin's reaction?

I was surprised! I agree with Cathie that it adds depth to his character.

12. Alice didn't get invited to Brakebills. What did you think of her story? Any predictions on what happened to her brother? Do you think we will find out?

Her story made me kind of sad. Not sure what happened to the brother....something at the school. I think we'll find out though.

The Missing Boy
13.What did you think of Welters? It reminded me a bit of Alice and Wonderland for some reason.

Yeah, definitely an interesting game. How did everyone else know about it though and not Quentin?!!

14. Penny went a bit crazy. Were you shocked? Do you think we will see any more of Penny after this?

I think we'll see him. He wasn't expelled or anything and after they talked it out Quentin and him seemed okay.

15. We meet the paramedic again. Do you think she took the book? Do you think she is an important part of the story?

Not sure. She didn't seem surprised that he didn't have the book anymore. Yes, I think she'll be important to the story.

The Physical Kids
16. The Physical Kids are interesting. Do you have one of them that you would like to see more of? What did you think of the way they had to get into the Cottage? Which discipline would you want to have?

I think that they're all kind of interesting and want to learn more about them all. It was kind of cool that they had to find a way to get in. I'm glad Quentin and Alice didn't give up and figured it out. I think I'd probably best fit in knowledge although the physical discipline sounds pretty cool!

The Beast
17. The Beast was interesting. What did you think of the fact that none of the teachers could do anything about the beast? It must have been really powerful.

Yeah, it's pretty scary that everyone's powerless.

18. Amanda Orloff died. I was shocked when I read this at the end of the chapter. Do you think this is going to become a part of the story? How will this affect Quentin?

Definitely a cliff hanger of a way to end the chapter! I think Quentin is going to feel really guilty.

Jex's Questions for Chapter Brooklyn - Magic

Brookyn
1) A dead body! Do you think we'll see the strange attractive doctor that gave Quentin the envelope again? She was mentioned later as some sort of recruiter-ish person for the school.

I think so....they mentioned something of her being an independent contractor type.

2) What did you expect to be in the envelope? Do you think Quentin will ever see the book that was in there again?

I wasn't sure....some recommendation letters or something?!! LOL. Yes, I think Quentin will see the book.

Brakebill
3)Do you think James would have taken the exam had he taken his envelope? Was that part of the test?

Hmm, good question. Maybe....since Quentin thought he saw someone who looks like Julia at the test. But then again, James and Julia weren't into magic like Quentin was, so maybe not.

4)Bam! Quentin can do magic! Surprised? He had an awful lot of control for his first time. Is he that good? Or was it purely emotional?

I think at this point it was emotional.

Eliot
5) Quentin seems to have bonded with Eliot (well at least from his side). Do you think he's intimidated by him or simply looks up to him? or something completely different?

I think he looks up to him but now that the other kids are back he's being ignored by him. So wondering if their friendship is going to go any further.

6)Do you think a lot of the students came to school knowing magic like Alice? Or that more are in the same boat as Quentin, completely lost?

I think most of the students came like Quentin and were completely lost, found by one of the recruiters and taught the craft.

7) What do you think is the purpose of the perfectly arranged squares that Quentin found?

Not sure!

General Questions
8) Are you hooked yet? Do you like the book style? the characters? etc?

Yes, I'm definitely interested in what's going to happen next.

9) Any crazy predictions yet?

None yet.....

Questions and Comments for Freedom Fields

34) Wow, a lot happening in this chapter. We lost two characters. For a while I was wondering if we'd get something like in the movies The Last of The Mohicans. Did you like the escape? What about the swan dive by Epona?

I did like the escape. Very action-packed! I thought Epona's death was honorable and was glad that Saba was the one to end her pain rather than be caught by the Tontons.

35) The King was alive. Gah! I have to admit I agreed with what Nancy said about if it was her and the situation was real I don't think I'd stick around to check vitals on a guy who looks dead. I'd get the heck out of there. For a while I started to think he was unstoppable. What did you make of what seemed to be his ability to not be killed? It was like the guy was a cat or something with 9 lives. Do you think the death sacrifices attributed to it?

I don't think the death sacrifices had to do with it....I think he was just lucky. I guess someone should have checked to make sure he was dead though! That would have made things easier for them later! Who knew?!!!

36) Did you like how Saba grew as a person in the book? She became stronger and her relationship with her sister became stronger as well.

Yes, I liked how she kind of grew into her own.

37) I wish the author hadn't killed off Ike. I wonder who exactly Mary Pratt is? Will the next book be from Jack's prospective since he has the heartstone now?

Yeah, I was a little sad to see Ike go. I would have liked to know more about him. Hmmm, never thought about the next book being from Jack's perspective.....interesting thought.

38) So we still don't know what Saba's Pa meant. Did that bother you?

Not really. Enough happened in the story to keep me interested and not fixated on that.

39) Did you like the loyalty Saba seemed to inspire from those around her? I found it rather interesting that while she wanted to do everything on her own she kept finding more and more people to follow her and help her.

I did like the loyalty she seemed to inspire. I was suprised that Epona and Ash would put their lives at risk to help her though. Was life so bad then that people were willing to risk everything in hopes of something better?

40) Were you surprised Jack didn't want Saba to go with him?

A little. But I'm pretty sure they will reconnect at another time.

41) I wonder what the Tontons saw in her that made they abandon the king? Could they see the future? Perhaps they could read the stars as well?

I thought it was more of the DeMarco (???) Tonton guy. I didn't think that the others abandoned the king. He ran off on his own.

42) What did you think of the book overall? Any clues as to what you'll rate it?

Again, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book....definitely something I wouldn't have picked up on my own to read! I gave it 5 stars.

43) Anyone interested in reading the next in the series?

Yes....am interested in seeing what will happen next. My only "complaint" since joining this group and the reads are that my to be read pile is growing immensely....especially with series! I've got the next in the Graveyard series to read and now this one.....And I am so bad about finishing up a series.....

Questions and Comments for the second half of The Black Mountains

34) The journey to get Saba's brother seems more and more like some sort of quest where you have to prove yourself worthy. First the river, then the hellwurms. The hellwurms reminded me a little of the Movie Tremors. What did you think of the walking creatures with claws?

I've never seen Tremors so not sure about that. All I can say is good thing that Jack was with Saba or she would have never made it through any of this! His knowledge and resourcefulness definitely helped. The walking creatures with claws....and no eyes, definitely freaked me out a little bit!

35) I laughed when Saba said, "What a stupid song. I mean, what kinda fool 'ud put up with a woman that troublesome." I guess that would be Jack. lol

Uh, yeah, she doesn't see the coincidence?!!!

36) The flash backs with Saba's Pa kind of make me wonder if he was preparing her for something. We still don't know what he meant when he said it was starting. I hope we find out what he was talking about. I'm still holding out hope about a prophecy. What do you make of her flash back dreams?

37) What did you think of Jack's motto, "Move fast, travel light an never tell 'em yer real name."? Seems like he's acting pretty possessive of Saba for someone who wouldn't ever settle down.

I liked his idea that if you save someone's life 2....or 3 times you are basically indebted to them. I'm surprised at how possessive he seems of Saba when she treats him so badly!

38) First impressions of Ike? Seems like Jack has interesting friends.

Yeah, but once you get the back story it makes sense.