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

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

DQs - Day 1: Chapters 1-8 (pages 1 -71)

1. The book has the MPG Dark Fantasy. Do you like this genre in general? If so, do you have any favourite authors or books?
I tend to gravitate towards regular fantasy vs. dark fantasy, but I do like the few dark(er) fantasy books I've read (I just wouldn't consider all of them super dark fantasy). I remember really liking the Nevernight Chronicle series by Jay Kristoff which I think was considered dark fantasy. Other than that, I loved what's been released of the Bloodsworn Saga although I'm not sure that's considered dark fantasy or not.

Picture a wizard. Go ahead, close your eyes. There he is, see? Skinny old guy with a long straggly beard. No doubt he's wearing iridescent silk robes that couldn't protect his frail body from a light breeze. The hat's a must, too, right? Big, floppy thing, covered in esoteric symbols that would instantly show every other mage where this one gets his magic?

2. The book starts with the quote above. Is this your mental image of a wizard, too? Or something different? :)
I for sure think of what the book describes in the beginning when I think of a wizard.

3. And the author lands us in the middle of a siege (ideal for the Book Games, right? ;) with 2 of the main characters Cade Ombra and Corrigan Blight. Cade is narrating what is happening and offering us his views on good and evil, the part they are playing and how they "win" this particular siege.
Do you think it's a strong start to the book? Has it got you intrigued?
Admittedly I felt quite lost with how quickly the book threw us into battle and started talking about the magic system like I should just know what the heck it all means. I don't mind finding out as we go along, but it felt like information overload and took me a while to get comfortable in the story. I started to enjoy the story more when the battle was over and we got to learn a bit more about some of the characters and history of what's going on, but I still don't understand the magic system all that well.

4. As an extra incentive & entertainment, the Ascendant Lucien offers young girls and boys (sublimes) to the wanderists after the siege. We get introduced to Fiddick and Galass and learn that Cade decided to kill Lucien. We can actually start putting some pieces of Cade's character together. What do you think about him at this point?
I feel really icky about the whole "sublimes" thing, and it made it hard for me to stomach reading the beginning of the book so far. I do like Cade's character so far, although it reminds me of other characters I've read (maybe even from the other series by this author that I loved?) where the hero isn't really all good but is better than the bad guys. I like his back-and-forth with Corrigan the most out of his interactions or thought process so far.

5. Some demonic highlights to this introductory part: Tenebris the demon, with whom Cade as an "infernalist" mage trades with to get his spells.
What were your impressions of Tenebris? How do you find the "religious/magical" system of the Infernals and the Celestines?
Some of the demon/infernal/auroral stuff is still going over my head a little bit, but I did find Tenebris interesting as a character. He seems to have an interesting sense of humor, and I hope it wasn't the last we hear from him in this first section of the book.

I'm going to start first I think. I've heard good things about it, so I hope it's a fast read for me! I also am picking up the BOM tomorrow and will start that!

Hi District 5 team! I'm thrilled to join this challenge with you all, and I can't wait to start the battle. A bit about me - my biggest hobby is reading (surprise), and I tend to gravitate towards fantasy, romance, mystery, or general fiction. I do have a two-year-old daughter which means I read a little bit less than I used to, but my job is very flexible, so I always find time to read every day. I also love to cook and bake (although I can't say my food is anything to write home about), and I really enjoy quiet time outside or going on walks with my dog.

I've mainly participated in the Tower Teams challenges here, although I know I've missed some here and there. I absolutely love doing the challenges with bigger groups! It's fun finding new books to add to my ever-growing pile. I do have a soft spot for the Hunger Games because I feel like it was a big part of my young adult life and my love of reading growing up. It's been quite a while since I've read or watched anything Hunger Games related, although I did try to read the prequel and wasn't personally a fan.

It's so hard to pick just one favorite read for this year so far, but I really loved The Will of the Many, and although I read it really early this year, I'm still thinking about the plot and wishing I had the second book in my hands already. It's a slower-paced novel, but it really held my attention all the way through, and I loved the unique storyline. Annalisa, I saw that you mentioned The Tainted Cup and wanted to second that one as a favorite because it was SO good!

I'm REALLY looking forward to The Wishing Game being a BOM next month as that's on my list to get from my library ASAP. I've heard really good things about that one, so I'll be participating in that conversation for sure!

Lastly, if I could choose a superpower, I've always leaned towards wanting the ability to heal. I think it's a power that would definitely come with its own hardships, but I would love to be able to help others.

Link to bookshelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

DQ Day 3 Chapters 14-20

10. So we are half way through the book. Thoughts and feelings? Loving it? Hating it? Ambivalent?
Absolutely loving it. I feel like it's fresh (to me) and doesn't leave me feeling overwhelmed with the information we're given at any time but also isn't stagnant.

11. Jeremiah gets killed pretty quickly as his signet shows. Do you agree that power can't be allowed?
I can understand the reasoning, but I do feel like there needs to be a consideration of another way of handling people with those abilities. I don't have the answers on how that could be done, but it does seem pretty depressing.

11. What's the deal with Andarna? Why do you think 2 dragons have bonded with Violet?
All I will say here is Andarna is adorable, and I want to meet her.

12. If you coul choose a Signet what would it be? https://www.julesbuono.com/fourth-win...
Mending or summoning probably.

13. Were you surprised about Amber's betrayal? How about when Xanden completely believed Violet but Dain didn't?
I wasn't really surprsied but didn't really think much of Amber to begin with. I loved that Xaden was unquestionably on Violet's side, and I felt so frustrated for her when Dain was being a dick about it.

DQ Day 2: Chap 7- 13

6. This section starts with two scenes with each of the male love/lust interests. The comparison of them continues very clearly. Do you like Xaden or Dain better or neither?
Dain gets a bit on my nerves with how overprotective he is, and I would say Xaden has that bad boy energy that is a little bit hard not to like.

7. Violet uses alternative methods to survive the fighting challenges. Do you think that counts as cheating or using the resources available? Do you think she is aware that she only has this information because she comes from a privileged background and her sister count sneak in it? Do you think one of the professors should have noticed after 5 rounds?
I think it's being smart and using what you have to your advantage, especially when she has a lot of other things stacked against her. I think she is aware that she is lucky to get that extra information but she is also unlucky in the sense that she prepared for a different life so it kind of balances out.

8. The obstacle course is straight out of American Ninja warrior (and other similar TV shows) including ending with the giant ramp. Did you enjoy this section and how Violet figured out working with her height limitations? Have they told us how tall she is? (Though in real life, the shortest person to make it up the wall has only been 5’1” – I just Googled it).
I loved seeing Violet be innovative and find new ways to work with what she's got. I don't remember if they've said how tall she is, but I imagine her pretty short compared to everyone else, I just can't envision actual heights very well lol.

9. Finally, we meet the dragons. Was it all you were hoping for? Did anyone guess the black one when it was first introduced in this section? (Also, I am not taking the fall seriously at the end of my section since we still have 2/3 of the book to go).
I honestly didn't give a second thought to the black dragon for some reason, but I did like meeting the dragons. I felt like the whole ordeal of them choosing riders is unique.

Bonus: If you could have a dragon from any book or movie, which one would you want?
I'm piggybacking on what others have said and going with Toothless!

DQs Day 1, Chapters 1 - 6

1. As someone who grew up with the Pern books, I love diving back into a world with dragons and dragon riders. And this one has extra bonus Gryphons, apparently!
Do you have any first impressions of the main characters (Violet, Dain, Rhiannon, Xader) and the world building? Do you want to know more?
My first impression of Violet was that she seemed really friendly and pretty much the opposite of her mother. I loved Rhiannon from the very beginning and think she adds a nice spunk. My first impression of Dain was that he was kind of annoying with how overprotective he seemed to be, but I also liked that Violet would have someone watching her back.

2. What do you think of Violet’s mother and sister? Any idea about why her mother chose to order her to the Rider Quadrant instead of the Scribe Quadrant?
I wasn't a fan of Violet's mother and how unmotherly she seems towards Violet, but I liked Mira. I liked that Mira and Violet are different but you can tell they have a good bond. I'm not sure about the second question - I think there's some history there we need to learn more about.

3. The brutality of the selection process and the casual acceptance of murder is something else. What do you think the purpose of it is? (If there is one beyond societal norms.)
Would you have given your boot to a stranger?
I have some thoughts on this but will hold off until the book is finished to voice them. I don't think there's any way in hell I would give my boot to a stranger, but I think it shows a really interesting aspect of Violet's personality right off the bat.

4. So this is a world at war, but at the battle briefings at least, they don’t seem to know why the outer provinces are currently attacking the borders. Any ideas about why this is happening?
No, I felt like there was more to the story though.

5. Do you think that Violet will survive and get chosen by a dragon? If so, any predictions on what kind?
My initial thought is that the dragon she bonds with would be small but agile like her.

I'm reading Cloud Cuckoo Land which will count for a 600+ one! I don't think I've added it to the sheet yet so wanted to mention it here.

I have the book that I may read yet this month, but I'm wondering if it would work for any of the colors we still need? Since it has multiple colors on it, I'm not sure if it would count?

I'm listening to The Doughnut Fix which should work for a baker cake in the text! I'm hoping to finish it by tomorrow.

I have a book I can read for the gymnast chipmunk task if no one is reading one for that yet?

Thanks to whoever linked my Christmas book for me that I finished yesterday in the spreadsheet!

Yeah, that's a good point! I'm confused since the task mentions the cover having a Thanksgiving feast or set in Diwali but then for the books read says winter holidays. if Christmas books end up working, I can listen to a couple audiobooks to help fit :)

For the task set #3, can the books be Christmas related or only Thanksgiving/Diwali?

I've already read both of the BOMs earlier this year and really enjoyed them both. Fourth Wing in particular is one I can't recommend enough! I can't wait for that discussion!

I'm not sure what happened to the one I added on the 18th, but I'll fix it tomorrow when I'm at my computer -- I also have to add a link for one I finished tonight, so those will both be fixed first thing in the morning!

If I've already read the upcoming BOMs for July, am I able to get points for participating in the discussions even if I'm not reading the books at the same time as everyone else? I did read Fourth Wing during this challenge, but I read Carrie Soto Is Back a while ago, so I'm just curious if I could help get points for either or both of these when discussions happen?

I finished The Moonglow Sisters yesterday! It has 3 people on the cover, but I can't recall if someone is already reading a book for that task or not? It also has friends to lovers, but I know Nistha may already have that one covered!

Good morning ☀️

I just wanted to check in! I'm reading multiple books right now but haven't added them to the spreadsheet yet. Hopefully I can kick this cold that I've got and get to finishing some of my books before the weekend!

Hi team!! I can't believe our first month is already almost over. I have two more books I hope to finish tonight and a stack of books ready to start for June! I finished Fourth Wing yesterday and have to say it was my favorite book in a long time. Have any of you read that one yet or plan to?

I've been listening to The Villa on audiobook, and before I finish reading it, I wanted to get clarity on how I add this to my ttx shelf. I used the default edition pages on Goodreads for the tracking sheet, but do I use the audiobook edition when shelving it when I'm finished? Or do I use the default so it matches up?