Amy’s Comments (group member since Nov 02, 2015)

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

That's awesome, Mollie!

I'm curious about how we should post our read books, too! Do we have to list a certain amount of things (book title, author, pages, etc?)

I was in the minority and didn't like the first in the series that much. I weirdly still read the second and ended up loving it so much!

I can't wait to read that one, Stephanie!! You'll have to let me know how it is!

Lol, I thought the same thing when I looked at it! I had to triple-check and then finally realized the time was going up. Whew!

Judith wrote: "Crap, it actually doesn't start until noon. Stop reading for 35 minutes.

First Captain fail of the game. SO SORRY. Apparently I can't count. Or tell time . . ."

I'm confused! When I look at the countdown timer, it says we're 30 minutes into the challenge now.

Yay!! Happy reading!

Less than an hour and a half left!! I'm just sitting here staring at my books while I wait... :)

I typically read a few at a time. Right now I have Gilded Cage that I have to start to return to the library in time, same with Wintersong

I will also slowly be reading Words of Radiance. Can't wait to start reading with you all :)

I agree with you all, holding off reading is not fun! I planned to finish my last book tonight, before the challenge starts, but I already finished it this morning and don't know what to do with myself. :-P

I'm glad you got the The Circle in, Mollie!! I just checked my status at the library, and I'm currently second in line. I figured I should say something here in case that brings me good luck. :)

Joanne - is from Canada wrote: "Has anyone read The Others series by Anne Bishop?

I read the first one a little while ago and now I'm reading . I'm seriousl..."

I've never heard of this series before, but reading the description and seeing how many 5-star reviews it has, I'm definitely putting it on my to-read list!

I'm on a wait list for all three of next month's BOMs, so I'm hoping to get them in time! I probably won't volunteer for questions in case I don't get them, but I'll definitely be participating! :)

Yay!! Is it May 4th yet?! I can't wait to start the challenge with you all!! :) I'm looking forward to getting some new to-read ideas from everyone, too!!

Suzanne wrote: "I'm so glad we have such a good mix of people new to challenges and veterans! And SO glad everyone is checking in - yay!

Amy - I'm definitely a Star Wars fan - it's one of those things like Disney..."

I hear you! I feel the same way about childhood memories. I was always watching/reading whatever my brothers were interested in when I was growing up since I wanted to be just like them. Now it's just a true love of everything sci-fi, fantasy, magical, etc. :)

Hello all!!

I am so excited to be on Team Palpatine! :D Is anyone else here a Star Wars fan?

I've done a couple Tower Teams challenges before and loved them! I'm looking forward for this one to start. Currently my favorite genres are fantasy, historical fiction, YA, and some romance. I also love a good mystery/thriller novel every so often.

My tower teams bookshelf: tower-teams-2017

I was so psyched when I signed onto Goodreads today to see that I'm on team Palpatine, and this Tower Teams challenge is Star Wars themed. :D Can't wait for May 4th!

DQs Caraval Day 1

1. Why did you decide to read this book?
I saw that this had great reviews from people that I follow, and the description sounded interesting to me.

2. Scarlett and Tella's Father punishes the sister that did nothing wrong. Do you think this is an effective way to keep the sisters from misbehaving?
While I think his form of punishment is a million times too harsh, I do think it's been effective. If I were in their position, I'd be more likely to behave well knowing it wasn't me that would have to suffer the consequences (although I would suffer inside watching my sister get punished).

3. What do you think happened to Scarlett and Tella's Mother?
I'm really not sure, but I'm disappointed that she would leave her girls behind, although it sounds like their dad didn't turn into a monster until after she left. I'm wondering if she went to the Caraval and somehow is stuck there. Maybe we'll see her later? I really don't know.

4. Scarlett hopes her arranged marriage will bring a better life for her and her sister. What do you think?
I don't think the count with be anything like she fantasizes him to be like.

5. Tella tells Scarlett, "There's more to life than staying safe.". What do you think Tella means by this?
I think she means that sometimes you need to be brave and break away from what's controlling your every move (in this case, their father) and do what will actually make you happy.

6. Tella makes it appear as though the sisters have been kidnapped so their Father won't punish them when they get back. Do you think this will work?
If anything, I could see their father putting on a show for others that he believes they were kidnapped, but in closed quarters, I feel like they will be punished severely if they do come back.

7. An attraction seems to be developing between Scarlett and Julian. Did this surprise you? Do you like them together?
It did surprise me because I never like when a character starts off interested in one girl (even if it's just making out) and then all of a sudden there's chemistry between him and someone else... It just doesn't make me like him all that much. I also have a hard time deciding if Julian is really a good guy or not. He seems to go back and forth with how he treats Scarlett, and there's obviously a lot we don't know about his motives, but I'm just not convinced yet that I like their storyline.

8. Julian has revealed that he wanted another chance at Caraval. Why do you think he wants another chance at Caraval?
I'm really not sure about this. There's so much he's hiding, and I'm still feeling fishy about how many time he says they'll find Tella later, but it definitely seems to be more of a way to get Scarlett to calm down. I think he knows more about that than he's letting on, and I wonder if he's working with Tella or someone else. I have no idea what his plan is.

30. In Chapter 19, we learn that Jack is half-mortal. But Severin shares a special glance with Jack's mother, and she later suggests there is one more heir to the throne. Do you think Jack really is the Alderking's son, despite Eolanthe claiming that she bore him with a mortal father? She could have been lying to protect him from the evil Alderking and his hatred of his own children. Do you think Severin has accepted him as "legitimate" in the epilogue?
I thought he could be the Alderking's son after that part of the book. I was surprised by it, but it didn't seem to really get answered by the end. I'm interested to go back and read others' thoughts on this.

31. Hazel and Ben's parents continue to astound me. There is more and more evidence of their poor parenting, despite the claim that they have gotten better more recently. Were you surprised that they didn't argue about Ben's decision to stay in Faerieland? Do you think they should have fought the decision like Jack's parents would have fought to protect him?
As the baby in my family, I could tell my parents were more lenient with me and realized that no matter what they said or did to get any of us kids to do what they thought was best, we didn't often listen. A part of me saw this as Ben's parents realizing nothing they said would make him stay and realizing he was old enough to make this kind of decision, but at the same time, I would have thought there would have been more to it than just accepting and moving on.

32. What is your impression of Hazel's night self? She spent a lot of time trying to tell her day self the truth, yet also yearned to protect her. Was she right to wait as long as she did to leave clues? What do you think about the melding of her night and day self?
If it were me, I would think I would try and get the truth to my day self sooner than Hazel did. It's hard to imagine the situation, though.

33. Were you surprised at Hazel's hiding place for Heartsworn? Were you able to guess where she had hidden it?
I wasn't all that surprised by it, but at the same time, I didn't guess where she had hidden it. I just didn't get excited about that part of the story.

34. The Alderking curses Hazel to remember everything, from her night self and from her infancy. But do you think the rediscovered knowledge is really a curse?
I think he meant it to be a curse, but I don't think it ended up that way in the end. Hazel is strong enough to learn from it all instead of be buried by it.

35. Any guesses as to who is in the glass coffin now?
I thought it was the Alderking as they said something about keeping him locked away now (I don't remember it exactly).

36. What is your final impression of the book? Is there one section or character that stands out above other sections/characters of the book or above other books in this genre?
I gave this a 3-star rating overall. I liked parts of it but really wasn't a huge fan of Hazel. I think my favorite characters turned out to be Ben and Severin. I liked their story towards the end. I was hoping I would get some "ah-ha!" moments, but they just didn't happen for me.

Discussion Questions Day 4
Chapters 15-18

21. In chapter 15 Severin tells a Ben a story about his sister and father. Do you think Ben will be able to relay the info to Hazel?
I think it will come out eventually since they seem to have a good relationship but are both keeping secrets.

22. Severin mentions faerie love and Sorrel's love for her husband. Do you think it is very different from human love?
I think it's probably similar. I think humans can be just as intensely hurt over something like that but don't have the abilities to do what faeries can do when they're hurt.

23. Were you surprised to find out that Sorrel is Sorrow?
I definitely wasn't expecting it to be that, but I think it was interesting!

24. The Alderking trapped Severin in the crystal coffin for disobeying him and not backing down. Do you think he overreacted or that maybe there is more to the story?
I think there's more to the story there.

25. Why do you think Hazel decided to tell Jack about what the Alderking asked her to do (bringing him the prince)?
I think Jack earned her trust and it probably felt good to tell someone what was on her mind that wouldn't judge her and be able to possibly help her.

26. Jack's mother told him not to come home until she specified, How did you feel about this at first? After finding out about the town meeting do you think it was the right decision?
I was so mad at her when she told him to leave, but I understood her when I realized why she did what she did. I wish the town meeting hadn't been at their house, but I'm glad her heart was in the right place.

27. I was glad that Jack's human parents stood up for him regardless of his decision to leave. How did you feel about the situation?
I was so happy when his dad said they would save him over the town. I think that was the right answer, even if Jack isn't their biological son.

28. The Sorrow fight scene was pretty intense! Luckily Ben was there, do you think using his musical abilities was instinct?
I don't know if it was really instinct more than a reluctance to try it to see if it worked. He didn't seem to automatically do it but realized the fight wasn't going their way and he had to try something.

29. Do you think Ben really helped Sorrow with her grieving or was it just a temporary solution?
I hope it really helped her.

Day 3 Questions
Chapters 11 - 14

14. What did you think of the story of the baby? How do think this story and the story of his origins would have affected him growing up? Knowing about Jack's childhood, do you think his "adoptive" mother was right in keeping him from the folk and raising him?
I thought that was an interesting look into how well the townspeople know what to do when things like this happen. It seems like it's easy for people in the town to blame Jack for weird things going on since no one really trusts him. I think it would be hard being Jack and wanting to gain others' trust but also still not being able to rid himself of the connection to his "real" family. I thought it was a brave thing for the human mother to take Jack and not give him back. I'm sure she knew he wouldn't be as easily accepted into normal human life, but she wanted to give him the best chance she could.

15. "One wore a face familiar enough that it seemed to him that this must be a dream." Pg 139 Do you think Jack may have known about Hazel's double life this whole time and just not been able to tell?
I guess I don't think so, but I haven't given that much thought!

16. Why do you think the school was attacked? Was it random because the beast after the prince is loose or was it chasing the sword and prince? Could it have been after Hazel?
I've read ahead at this point, so I kind of know more about this already.

17. Leonie told a story about how Jack had given away he was not human and Hazel wonders if there are other times his mask has slipped. Do you think Hazel's crush on Jack has made her blind to see this?
I think it's probably the other way around and Jack controls his mask more around Hazel since he seems to want her respect more than he cares about others if that makes sense.

18. What did you think of Hazel's decision to join the revel? Do you think what she learned outweighed the danger? Do you think there will be any consequences for Jack?
I thought it was dangerous, and I kind of wanted her to look for the horned prince more than anything, but it was a good decision in the end. She found out a lot about herself. I'm not sure if there will be consequences for Jack, but his faerie mother didn't seem thrilled with him.

19. Were you surprised to find out that Hazel has already been paying her bargain off since she first made the ? Does this mean that what's happened with the prince being released at this time is just a coincidence? Or do you think there might be some connection
I was surprised it had been going on for so long already and she had no idea. I would think Ben or her parents may have noticed in the last couple years. I think there has to be some connection between her going out each night for the Alderking and her releasing the prince. I'm thinking she released the prince for reasons we'll hopefully find out that had to do with good intentions. I'm really itching to find out!

20. It seems that Hazel dream about hunting with the folk might actually be a memory from her subconscious and night time 'Sir Hazel' seems very different from her usual self. Why do you think this might be so?
I think her nighttime self is more confident in herself and knows she is capable of wielding a sword again and defeating "monsters." I think daytime Hazel is still wary and thinks she's no good because of the first time she tried defeating faerie on her own.

Chapters 6 - 10

7. Ben breaks his hand on purpose so that he can't play after his music teacher is killed when he plays when he is upset. I get him being upset, but this seems like an over reaction, when he could just learn to be more careful with his gift. What did you think about that? Also is that why he could no longer play the music?
I don't remember his teacher actually dying, but I may have just misunderstood. I thought the teacher was close to dying because of him, but either way, I do think he could try and learn how to be careful with it instead of giving it up altogether. It's hard to put myself in that position, but I would want to try and learn as much about it as possible in case a situation came up where it could be helpful. If he feels it's uncontrollable for him, though, it would be hard to try and learn knowing it could have the opposite effect of what he wants.

8. Hazel mentions spaghetti, meatballs and peas as a common childhood meal that is comfort food for her. Do you have a meal like that that you associate with comfort from your childhood?
My comfort food when I was a child was probably frozen single-serve pizza from Schwann's. That was an easy go-to meal for us since my parents didn't cook often, so seeing those brings me back to my childhood for sure. Chocolate/peanut butter ice cream also brings me back!

9. Why do you think the prince was awakened and released now?
This is a question I can't wait to have more answers to. I think Hazel's forgotten memories of that night will reveal a lot. I'm hoping he was released by her for good reasons - like she found out how to release him and knew he could help defeat evil faeries. He doesn't seem like a "bad guy" to me yet, but there's too many unanswered questions to be sure.

10. I was surprised that Ben has not been to college to study music yet, but the fairies can collect on their seven year agreement. Am I misunderstanding something here? Is the time in Philadelphia the school that Hazel bargained for, or is it college?
I thought it was just the Philadelphia school and not college.

11. I was surprised by how much Severin knows about the desires of Ben and Hazel. Is that part of his magic? Do you think he knows everyone's desires?
I think he knows theirs because they visited him so often and talked to him. It sounds like they both went there separately without each other, so I'm sure they both revealed a lot about themselves out loud thinking he could never hear them. I think he knows desires about others as well that talked to him when he was "asleep," but I'm hoping it's another thing we find out more about.

12. When Hazel is thinking about her family she thinks "Normal was a lot more tempting when it was out of reach." Do you agree or disagree?
I think it's easy to believe the grass will be greener on the other side, but it doesn't always hold true.

13. Are you enjoying the story so far? Any favorite characters?
I am enjoying it, although I feel like my expectations of Hazel's personality were higher than they should have been. She has moments where she seems mature and I enjoy her story, but the whole teenager kissing, flirting, etc, just isn't what I see her as in my head, so those moments I don't like her as much. My favorite character is probably Jack because he's so mysterious and doesn't seem like a villain (that I can tell).