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

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

Discussion Questions - Set 5

1. So much to my dismay, Mae ended up returning to Francis. After having filmed her without permission previously and then posting to to the cloud, I would have thought she would be reluctant to do anything with him again. Do you think since she has gone transparent she is now less concerned that people may see her in sexual situations than she once was.

Yes, I think she doesn't really care anymore, now that she's transparent. I was disappointed that she went back to him.

2. Annie found out that the results of PastPerfect created difficulties in her life and that of her family. People are judging and reacting to her negatively based on the actions of her ancestors - something she had no control over. Do you think that people finding out every detail about the transgressions of your ancestors could be detrimental to your reputation?

Yes. Even though you have no control over it, once people know something, I think it tends to sway their opinion about things, whether they are cognizant of it or not.

3. I was so sad when Mercer decided to take his own life during Mae's pursuit of him from Circle HQ. What do you think was his motivation for doing so?

I think he realized that it was his only way to escape the Circle. The only thing that they had no control over.

4. I really found the airing of the aquarium merger between the shark, octopus and seahorse perplexing, as there didn't seem to be any reason why this was done and for what purpose it was aired. It only appeared to be Stenton that expected to see what ended up happening, and the shark's actions seemed to come as a shock to Bailey. If Bailey wasn't thinking this would be the outcome, what did he think was important enough about placing a couple of different species into an aquarium, that it needed all three of the founders and millions of people to watch it? Aquariums with multiple animals living together are a dime a dozen after all and are not in themselves anything out of the ordinary. What do you think the purpose was in airing the event?

I thought it was an analogy to the Circle. They were the shark and were basically going to take over the world.

5. I quite liked the ending to The Circle as I think it was a realistic reaction that someone as brainwashed as Mae would have to Ty's revelations and request. What were your thoughts on the ending?

I HATED the end of the book. It was so disappointing. I really had faith that Mae would see the negatives but she just became brainwashed.

6. I really liked the premise of The Circle and I did like the gradual brainwashing of Mae to become the biggest proponent of what the organisation had to offer, however, I really wasn't a fan of the writing. I found the dialogue incredibly cheesy and I thought there were several plot points that seemed pointless. For instance, why bother with the scene where Francis filmed Mae and posted it to the cloud, when nothing ended up coming of it and it was never mentioned again? I thought that the book could have been a really good thriller but just didn't hit the mark with me and I ended up giving the book 2 stars. What was your rating and what did you like and dislike about the book?

I rated the book 3 stars. I was really enjoying the whole thing until the end. Mae lost everything - her family and friends and still believed in the benefits of the Circle. I thought she'd have a change of heart and was disappointed in the direction the author took.

Just finished book #2, Into the Water by Paula Hawkins.....was not a fan of this one!

I started A Gentleman in Moscow for the BOM read and I Found You by Lisa Jewell.

Sorry about your bad week Erin, Megan and MelanieJoy! Hope the weekend is better! I've had a crazy busy week and very little reading time. Hoping for some better reading time this weekend!

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
date read: 5/11/17
pages; 386
BOM: no
rating: 3 stars

Alissa wrote: "I'm going to be working on these for the rest of the week hoping to stay ahead of the library deadlines The Perks of Being a WallflowerCaptivated by You[book:Thirtee..."

Alissa, you have a lot of great upcoming reads! I really liked Thirteen Reasons Why and Everything Everything. I read The Perks....so long ago but only thought it was okay when I read it.

I also enjoyed The Circle up to the ending. I plan on seeing the movie, but will wait for it to come out on DVD!

I'm going to finish Into the Water because I'm half-way through and I'm curious to see where it's going. If I'm going to give up on a book, I usually do by the 50 page mark!

So I finally finished The Circle, my first read for Tower Teams! However, like some of you, I thought the ending stunk! Only gave it 3 stars.

Making a dent in Into the Water. I'm halfway through and not enjoying it at all!

Read: May 8, 2017
Pages: 493
BOM: Yes
Link to Discussion here . Posts #52, 67, 111, 133
Rating: 3 stars

Discussion Questions for May 6
(Start - Book II; Ends - "when I got back tonight. We can try it.")

1. Mae is now fully transparent. I found it hard to believe that anyone would care what one ordinary person was doing 24/7, even if she works at arguably the most important company in the world. What do you think is the appeal? Do you believe that full transparency would help bring an end to crime as we know it?

I'm not sure what the appeal is, I don't think watching any one person 24 hours is interesting. Maybe viewers like to see the inner workings of The Circle and the campus, which she provides. I don't think full transparency will ever happen. There are too many people, like Mercer, against it.

2. "THINK COMPLETION". "COMPLETE THE CIRCLE". "THE CIRCLE MUST BE WHOLE". All thoroughly creepy slogans, yet most everyone seems to be pushing for that goal. What do you think will happen when the circle is complete? With as pervasive as this company is, do you think it's too late to even try and stop that from happening?

I'm think completion is when they can track every aspect of life. Although they may get completion, it won't be for everyone.

3. Kalden calls Mae and sounds very concerned. He starts to warn her about Completion and telling her that it would be a very bad thing if it were to happen... and she hangs up on him. Do you think that Mae is fully within the Circle's grasp? Or do you think she hung up before the audio kicked back in and Kalden could be exposed, even if it was just his voice? Do you think he can convince her to help him?

I'm really hoping that he can convince her to help. I think she's gotten herself too into The Circle's cult-like existence.

4. So not everyone is drinking the Kool-aid. Mae's parents and Mercer are both, in varying degrees, resisting having their whole lives wrapped in the Circle. Mercer has gone completely off grid. Do you think they'll be able to hold out against all this advancement? Or do you think, as Mae does, that they'll cave in eventually?

I think that they will be able to live off the grid, but not easily. I don't think that the Circle will make it easy for those who don't comply.

5. In this section, they introduce the concept of YouthRank, a system to academically rank every student in America and, eventually, the world. Of course, this information would be available to anyone. It's touted as a way to get an idea about your child's chances at going to a good college and is even incorporated with TruYouth, the child tracking system developed by Francis. Do you think this would be a good idea or a bad idea?

As a parent, I like the idea of seeing how your child stands against everyone else in the country. However, it's just too invasive. There's one test and the results, but being able to see every quiz, every action is just too much.

6. Annie and Mae seem to be on equal footing, now, and Annie does not seem pleased. Do you think Mae's new position within the company will further affect their friendship? Mae says that they are peers now but Annie can't accept that. What do you think Mae is going to do to make Annie accept her?

Yes, Annie does not seem happy with their equal status. Annie's been there much longer and invested so much more of her time and efforts, so I can see why she's a little annoyed that people are asking her to get close to Mae. I would hope Mae would understand Annie's side. I'm not sure what she plans to do, but I'm sure it will be big!

Haven't gotten much reading time in so far this weekend. Hoping to finish up The Circle for my first finished book.

Having a hard time getting into the new Paula Hawkins book.

Discussion Questions ( Set 3) for May 5~ ~Laura
Start - "And then his hands were ..." 196-294
Ends - "...would be going transparent immediately"

1. What are your thoughts about Mae, Francis and the video? Do you think The Circle will see the video? Is Mae through with Francis now that he has hit the strike two mark?

I think she's finished with him. I couldn't believe he videotaped that! I think it noted that it went up and couldn't be deleted. Not sure if anyone actually saw it though.

2. Congresswoman Santos goes transparent. Nothing is private or secret. every conversation, every meeting, every part of your day will be broadcast . What are your thoughts on our elected leaders going transparent. Yay or nay?

I think it's good but I don't think it has to be done 24/7. Maybe important meetings.

3. Mae and Mercer are involved in another argument. There are always two sides to an argument. Whose argument bears more weight? Are you more partial to Mercer or Mae's side?

I am more partial to Mercer. I understand his reasoning. If he wanted to be social media famous and have his work made public he could do it himself or ask Mae. He specifically asked Mae not to and she did anyway.

4. Anyone else find it extremely ironic that Mae gets caught stealing a kayak by one of Marion's cameras, which we find out is a SeeChange camera from Mae's workplace? As a result of Mae's actions she is reprimanded at work and forced to be transparent. What do you think about what just happened?

I don't like that she had to become transparent. I do understand all the possible repercussions of her actions and think she was pretty selfish in taking the kayak.

Discussion Questions for 5.03.17
Start -"Hi. I'm Gina. Dan said..." 97-195
Ends-.."The line of it, how it bends in like some kind of bow"

1. What are your first impressions of Gina? How do you feel about her session with Mae? This session really bothered me. I wasn't sure if they actually wanted Mae to work, or post on social media all day. "For a company that thrives on order and efficiency, the Circle also seems to endorse—require, even—loose and extravagant socializing. What do these two seemingly opposite values say about what working for them entails? How does Mae’s value set evolve to accommodate these expectations?" (http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guid...)

I didn't like Gina. She seemed very stand-offish. That's what floors me so far about this workplace. They have so much work that they are supposed to do, yet post all the time on social media.....how is this possible?!!

2. Mae gets pulled into Dan's office for failing to RSVP to Alister's event. What do you think about this conflict between Mae, Alistar and how Dan mediated? [The whole time I was reading this section I was thinking to myself "Are you kidding me? What a baby!"] Do you think The Circlers are forcing new employees to participate in events by singling them out when they don't attend?

The number of social events that the The Circle has is ridiculous. And then finding out how Mae even got invited in the first place to this event was mind-blowing! I couldn't take Alister's reaction seriously and couldn't believe Dan was even entertaining the meeting!

3. Mae and Mercer get into an argument regarding their communication. Mae cannot even sit and listen to what Mercer is saying because he "talks so slow". Mercer is frustrated with Mae because she gets all her information from social media instead of speaking directly to him. "Every time I see or hear from you, it's through this filter. You send me inks, you quote someone talking about me, you say you saw a picture of me on someone's wall...It's always a third-party assault. Even when I'm talking to you face to face you're telling me what some stranger thinks of me. It becomes like we're never along. Every time I see you, there's a hundred other people in the room. You're always looking at me through a hundred other people's eyes." How do you think social media has affected the way we communicate with others? How has technology changed our relationships (the quality of our relationships) with other human beings?

I can understand Mercer's feelings. With social media, I feel like there's not a lot of need to communicate in person. You look at someone's Facebook/Instagram and you know almost everything going on without needing to "talk" or see each other face-to-face.

4. Mae enjoys kayaking and stops at Marion's kayak rental business on her way home from her parents. She seems very at peace when she's paddling in the bay. When and where do you find solitude? What types of technology are you comfortable invading that space? Josiah and Denise find out May kayaks but doesn't document anything and are appalled. They are even further disgusted when they find out Mae uses a paper pamphlet. They even go as far as questioning her self-esteem. [I found it ironic that they questioned her self-esteem and in turn she felt even worse about herself. "Goddamnit, Mae, give a shit! Be a person of some value to the world."]Are we now expected to document everything we do instead of being in the moment? Is our self worth now dependent on what we "share" with the rest of the world?

I find solitude curled up on a couch reading a book. It's my only quality alone time!! I don't like having technology around. I have to put my phone face-down so I'm not distracted by social media notifications! And I don't even like to use e-readers. I think unfortunately that yes, our self-worth is dependent on social media posting. As many people post or point out though, people pretend to have these perfect lives on social media when in reality they're not.

5. How do you feel about the medical bracelet the circlers are required to wear? "To Heal We Must Know. To Know We Must Share" is posted in the clinic, do you agree with this motto? Would you wear one of those monitoring bracelets? (I feel like it's a double edge sword.) How much privacy would you be willing to give up for those amazing health care benefits?

I see the health benefits but I think this is a major invasion of privacy. The weekly check-ins and individualized wellness plans seem nice but again, how are they supposed to fit this in to their already busy lives?!!

6. Mae spots Kalden at the circus event. What do you think of their relationship? I find it odd that Mae cannot find any information on Kalden, given all the resources she has access to. Why do you think Mae is not more zealous on her pursuit of Kalden? Kalden seems to be very secretive. He avoids personal questions, Mae cannot get in touch with him, what do you think he is hiding?

I think Kalden is a spy/mole and trying to get information about The Circle.

I'm behind and just started reading this one last night!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS SET 1

1. ALTHOUGH THIS BOOK WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN OCTOBER 2013 I WAS AMAZED WITH THE OPENING PAGES DESCRIBING THE CIRCLE'S CAMPUS IN LIGHT OF NEWS REPORTS THIS WEEK OF THE OPENING OF APPLE'S AMAZING NEW HEADQUARTERS! WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS IN REGARDS TO THIS BOOK AND HOW MUCH OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE REAL LIFE TECH WORLD DO YOU THINK WILL INFLUENCE THE PLOT LINE OF THE STORY?

As I read the description of the Circle campus, the Google campus came to mind. It seems realistic, but there's so much going on, it's like it's own community, not just a work place.

2. INITIAL IMPRESSIONS OF THE MAJOR CHARACTERS MAE AND ANNIE? DO YOU GET THE FEELING THAT THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS NOT AN EQUITABLE ONE AND HOW DO YOU THINK IT MAY CHANGE AS THE STORY PROGRESSES?

I like Mae so far. I'm not so sure about Annie. It doesn't feel like an equitable relationship and as of now it feels like Mae is in debt to Annie for getting her the job.

3. DO YOU LIKE THE CONTINUING FORMAT OF THE NOVEL AND THE LACK OF DEFINED CHAPTERS? WHY TO YOU THINK DAVE EGGERS HAS WRITTEN THE BOOK THIS WAY?

No! It makes it hard to read and find a good stopping place!! I'm not sure why Eggers has written the book this way, but I'm curious after answering these questions to see what others think!

4. MAE AND FRANK? WHAT DO YOU THINK FRANK'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE STORY LINE WILL BE? DO YOU SEE ANY RELATIONSHIP EVOLVING BETWEEN THEM?

I think there's possibly a chance for a relationship between the two but it's too early to tell as of now. I think his child abduction project will have a larger role later in the story.

5. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR AND IF SOMETHING IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE IT PROBABLY IS ARE TWO SAYINGS THAT IMMEDIATELY SPRING TO MIND WHEN READING THIS BOOK. AT THIS EARLY STAGE WHERE ARE YOU IMAGINING THE STORY IS HEADING?

I have a feeling that all this technology and projects are going to have a disasterous outcome.....everything seems too controlled and Big Brotherish.

6. DOES THIS BOOK REMIND YOU OF ANY OTHERS YOU HAVE READ OR ARE YOU FINDING THE STORY FRESH AND ORIGINAL?

I don't read a lot of science fiction, so it doesn't remind me of anything I've read before.

Brooke wrote: "MelanieJoy wrote: "Brooke, 5/12 works perfectly for me. Actually, I may start 5/15 since that's Mother's Day weekend and I won't read anything that weekend..."

As long as Alissa is cool with a 5/1..."

I wish I could join you guys! Salt to Sea is on my to read list.....but my books out and ready to read pile is gigantic plus with the BOMs there's just not enough time!

Romina wrote: "Yeah I heard about the movie yesterday and I can't wait to see it after I read the book!
I have "Into the Water" available to read, maybe I'll do it this month and we can talk about it?"

I can't do a buddy read, unless you want to start Thursday! As I mentioned in a recent post it's a library book and due back in two weeks. But we can definitely discuss!

Laura wrote: "Nancy,
Chevy Stevens book was good. I just recently read that!!"

Good to hear! I've read a couple of her earlier books and really enjoyed them. Looking forward to this one!

Romina wrote: "Brooke wrote: "Nancy - you got lucky at your library!

Romina & Nancy - I also have . Let me know when you are going to read it and I'll join in on the discussion..."

Sorry guys, but I'm going to have to start Into the Water Thursday. It's a new release/library book and I only have two weeks to read it. I want to make sure I get it read before it has to go back! You guys can buddy read and I can just add my comments in when you discuss!

I'm starting with and then also going to read and I just picked up from the library yesterday as well!

Romina wrote: "I am enjoying it, finding it more interesting than I expected."

Me too Romina! I probably wouldn't have picked this one up on my own. But just started and I'm enjoying it as well. Just found out that it was just released as a movie with Tom Hanks and Emma Watson! More encouragement to read it first!

For some reason I thought that Towers started tomorrow! When I realized that it didn't start until the 4th, I started a new book last night It's a suspense book that I'll be able to finish reading before Thursday!

I picked up the Circle from the library last week. Although I put all the BOMs on hold, that's the only one that came in. I probably won't do questions, but I can hopefully get us participation points!

Brooke wrote: "Nancy, I own Lilac Girls (it is sitting right below A Gentleman in Moscow) and plan to read it next month! I met the author several weeks ago and had to tell her I hadn't read it ye..."

That's awesome that you got to meet the author. If you enjoy historical fiction, I highly recommend this one!! Even though I've read so many books that take place during this time period, I still learned new things reading this book!