Amanda’s Comments (group member since Mar 13, 2022)

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

Judith wrote: "Amanda, that would be great if wanted to write the last set!"

Yes! I have them all ready to go for tomorrow. My goal this year is to do more buddy reads and BOTM so I'm so glad this first one worked out so well

Judith, if you want me to try my hand at the final set of DQs let me know. I can do a quick refresher on that last section and come up with something :)

DQs Day 2

6. This book is about how to murder your employer and a school of helping those perfect it. Would you watch a series or movie if made on the storyline? Why/why not?
I definitely would. I actually have described this book to multiple people as being Mel Brooks-esque. I think a semi-slapstick dark comedy version of this would be amazing.

7. The ethics of the book could be questioned but have you learned anything new that all media in the world has to offer?
I think it's interesting how there are still some ethics involved. You can't just delete whomever you want, and there's a reason certain students get chosen.

8. What was your favorite scene in these chapters?
I'm 2 days and 3 other books out so I do not remember exactly what happens in this stretch. Was the back and forth record player pranks in here? I did enjoy those

9. We are getting a mix of media from storyline, rulebook, reports, and pictures. Are you reading this physically, electronic, or audio?
I listened to the audio (amazing, definitely recommend) but when Judith pointed out there were pictures I also flipped through to get a sense of what I was missing!

10. What do you think of each of their Hunting game? Did you think their names were mixed up
I said this in another thread where we're all discussing, but I thought it was a little confusing at times. I actually had to grab my ebook to read along to figure out what I was missing.

I'm gonna try to answer with just the information everyone else has but I've finished it so if I might be spoilery I'll add some spoiler tags

1.) The book certainly begins in a unique way. Was the textbook like way it began effective to catch your interest in the story?
I really enjoyed the textbook format. It was surprisingly well done, even in audiobook.

2.) Wow, what an intro to the school. I admire Cliff's roll with it attitude. How do you think you would of reacted in a similar situation?
Lol, not good. I am not what you would ever describe as a go with the flow person so I would be panicking.

3.) That was quite the escape attempt. Cliff is definitely a quick thinker, but maybe a bit too quick. Should he had waited a bit before trying to pull a runner?
I think waiting would have probably just resulted in him not pulling a runner, when he would inevitably realize it was futile. I figured the ice cream truck was too convenient, but wasn't expecting the whole elaborate setup

4.) We certainly have and interesting cast of characters. The background on Gemma and Doria was helpful. Any favorites so far?
I really like Cliff! He remained my favorite the entire time.

5.) The discussion around "I could never murder anyone. Except maybe . . ." was an interesting one. What are your thoughts on this statement and how true do you think it is
I think it can be true, when you take out the personal (I don't remember the exact discussion). But saying "I could never murder anyone. Except maybe Hitler" does not seem like a farfetched thought.

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne

Lenny Marks is excellent at not having a life.

She bikes home from work at exactly 4pm each day, buys the same groceries for the same meals every week, and owns thirty-six copies of The Hobbit (currently arranged by height). The closest thing she has to a friendship is playing Scrabble against an imaginary Monica Gellar while watching Friends reruns.

And Lenny Marks is very, very good at not remembering what happened the day her mother and stepfather disappeared when she was still a child. The day a voice in the back of her mind started whispering, You did this.

Until a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail—and when her desperate attempts to ignore it fail, Lenny starts to unravel. As long-buried memories come to the surface, Lenny’s careful routines fall apart. For the first time, she finds herself forced to connect with the community around her, and unexpected new relationships begin to bloom. Lenny Marks may finally get a life—but what if her past catches up to her first?

Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, Kerryn Mayne’s stunning debut is an irresistible novel about truth, secrets, vengeance, and family lost and found, with a heroine who's simply unforgettable.

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See


Set on the Korean island of Jeju, The Island of Sea Women follows Mi-ja and Young-sook, two girls from very different backgrounds, as they begin working in the sea with their village’s all-female diving collective. Over many decades—through the Japanese colonialism of the 1930s and 1940s, World War II, the Korean War, and the era of cellphones and wet suits for the women divers—Mi-ja and Young-sook develop the closest of bonds. Nevertheless, their differences are impossible to ignore: Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaborator, forever marking her, and Young-sook was born into a long line of haenyeo and will inherit her mother’s position leading the divers. After hundreds of dives and years of friendship, forces outside their control will push their relationship to the breaking point.

This beautiful, thoughtful novel illuminates a unique and unforgettable culture, one where the women are in charge, engaging in dangerous physical work, and the men take care of the children. A classic Lisa See story—one of women’s friendships and the larger forces that shape them—The Island of Sea Women introduces readers to the fierce female divers of Jeju Island and the dramatic history that shaped their lives.

Yes it was a great challenge! Thank you all for being a great team :)

Some shelf stuff

-Janine: Your 12/4-12/6 books are missing
-Kirsten: I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Ready
-Lisa: Rebel & Dante

Kirsten wrote: "Amanda, if you add this cover to If the Fates Allow, I can use it!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/400..."

All set!

So I reread and it looks like there IS a completion bonus for the relax mini so we're going to want to finish if we can! If any books you have planned elsewhere fit in one of these spots we can move it in:

-with a character who is neurodivergent
-tagged puzzle at least 5 times
-with author initials found in ENVIRONMENT
-with a character who drives an electric vehicle (can be futuristic so long as it's obviously not fueled by gas)

@Lisa, Magic Burning is in L but I don't see the qualification. Can you update? Otherwise I'm not sure where to put it!

@Kirsten, The Boys of Summer is currently on the sheet for E, but I am not sure if it has an E. Can you let me know? Probably my mistake!

Edit: I moved it so nevermind!

Jackie wrote: "Lisa, I tried to use G73 from the new Garden mini and the book didn't transfer over."

I fixed it :)

Looks like we need 2 Es and 3 Is for the words we've currently started!

Denise wrote: "I finished Under the Maui Sky. For the minis, it can be used for banana, Hawaii, or outside my comfort zone (tagged Christian fiction and some of it got preachy and made me a little uncomfortable)...."

Lets go with outside your comfort zone and then we'll move around later if we need!

Denise wrote: "Amanda wrote: "Denise wrote: "Hamlet appears in many sources as being 30,200 words, but I don’t see word counts on AR. If there is an acceptable source that verifies this I can add it, I started it..."

Sounds great!

Janeylou wrote: "Shall i put my book in Bookclub x 10
Or Japan x 5

Im thinking the former as an easier lot of tasks to complete ??"

I think either is fine since there's no "completion" bonus and we're unlikely to repeat family again (we can't repeat the new mini)

Happy birthday to both of you!

Janeylou wrote: "For the minis do we get extra points for actually completing ( actually focusing our attention on specifics groups) or doesnt it matter"

Nope so just try to fit it in with a mini and especially if you can get a bonus word

Kirsten wrote: "And I thought we had 2 weeks, but we have 3, I guess.

My line 34, Just a Little Bit Dirty, isn't copying over the A25 "tagged office" to the admin mini. I copied and pasted it from round 3, so tha..."

I got it over, but it does have to be "office" not "office romance" so don't think the book will work unfortunately.