Tina ❣’s Comments (group member since Mar 09, 2016)

Tina ❣’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

I volunteer to write DQ for Motocycle Diaries. If someone else from my team volunteers, then I'll be back up

DQs Day 2: 21% to 42%

6.) This section opens with some spooky stuff going on. If you saw literal ghosts in the creepy place you worked, would you split right away? Would you of left with sketchy-past Nick? Would you go back to work or think the overnight creep factor was making you see things that weren't really there?

I'd leave. Or come back with someone who can cleanse the place like priest.


7.) Viv listens to guests' phone conversations. There is the saying 'people who eavesdrop are seldom happy with what they hear'. Or something close to that anyway. Do you think she may over hear something that results in her disappearance? Would you listen in if you were Viv?

For some reason I don't think she will. I wouldn't be working in the middle of the night so no.


8.) There really have been several deaths of young women in Fell, especially factoring in the size of the town. Do you think they are all connected? Connected to Viv's disappearance? Do you buy into the police stance of no connection between any of them?

I think they're all connected to each other. I feel like the police don't care enough as to what's going on.


9.) What do you think of the complete laxness of management and staff at The Sun Down Motel? Anyone else wonder how the heck that place is still open? And more importantly, why?

Yeah I'm wondering how it's still open and why. What's the point, honestly. But the owner probably doesn't know what else to do. I wouldn't know.


10.) Any thoughts on the candy machine? It keeps popping up in both timelines. Maybe nothing, but in this type of story, who knows.

Oh I don't know. It is the only food source in the building so maybe that's why.


11.) Marnie and Callum are interesting additions to the character line-up, thoughts? Did you think it was strange that Marnie won't talk with Carly? Callum local nice boy-helper dude or creeper?

Yes I think it's weird she won't talk. For Callum, I'm not sure yet.

Day 1 DQ's: 0-21% (ends "he opened the door.")

1. The Sundown Motel...what a perfect name for a motel! Have you ever stayed at a motel before...something like the Sundown? What was the name of the motel...Any interesting experiences come of that?

Yes I have! When travelling in Thailand, I stayed at a few with a friend of mine. My favourite was the Mad Monkey.


2. Viv is young and working alone. I don't think I would tolerate my daughter doing anything of the sort. What were you thinking from the 1st few pages? Viv comments..."Being with people was easy, but being alone was hard. Especially along in the dark. The person who could be truly alone, in the company of no one but oneself and one's own thought--that person was stronger than anyone else. More ready. More prepared."

I can be alone but I still prefer people with me. Otherwise I think there's a ghost or something out for me. Sigh. Or that I'll choke to death and no one will save me. The dark I am wary of so I can understand why she said that. Those who don't fear it and can be alone in it, do well with it.


3. What do you think the significance of the door to number 103 banging open/shut is?

A ghost!


4. So far Carly's mom's reaction to seeing the newspaper clipping..."Vivian is dead" has really bothered me. What's your take? Have you already solved the case? Is Vivian dead?

I think she's dead. Have no idea what's going on though.


5. What did you think about the dual timeline between Viv and Carly? In what ways are Viv and Carly very similar? How are they different?

They both feel okay being in Fell and at the Sun Down Motel. They're both the same age but I think Viv has something more to her than Carly does. I'm not sure what yet.

BOTM

July
Dear Martin - I was selected to write day 3 DQ which will give us extra points

August
Spin the Dawn thread
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Pachinko thread
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

*** updated to here!

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "Trinia wrote: "Tina ❣ wrote: "Just finished the for BOM points. It was a meh book."

I thought the same Tina. Nothing spectacular, just a little entertaining... ..."

Yep I agree with you an Trinia! It could have been better but I think it was just messy with the character resolutions and plot

Ah well. I know Sun Down will make up for it!

Just finished the for BOM points. It was a meh book.

Discussion Questions Day 5 - Part 10 to End

17.) Anyone else find Giovanni's thoughts on Cord (his a 36 year old adult) to be a refreshing bit of grow up, you're an adult, figure out a way to handle your crap? Did Regan's revelations to Giovanni change your opinion of her?

Yes it was nice to hear. It felt like she was able to think critically at that point and not focus on just issue which I appreciated.


18.) What did you like about the revelation Lee (or really Jason via the credit card) paid for the trip, pretending Charlotte won the contest? Why do you think the author did this?

I wasn't expecting that from Lee. But I took it as though she wanted something nice for her mother and something for her self as well. I don't know why else the author was doing this.


19.) A lot happened at the final stop. Charlotte had the 'big O' and fixed by the magical penis. Regan got back in touch with her artist self and her kids randomly appeared in a foreign country (how did they get passports? both parents must be present at the time of application in the US for children to be issued passports), Cord and Giovanni worked things out, Lee had her breakdown and started healing. Did anyone else think this was abrupt and when they were all together (including Regan's kids) thinking WTH is going on?

Haha yeah. I think she just tied up the story very quickly and didn't care about all the little details. I hate books that do that and think of it as poor writing and them not giving a fudge.


20.) Final Thoughts on the book? Rating? Any idea what point the author was trying to make with this book?

It was okay. 2 stars for me. I took from it that abuse messes you up for life and that the healthy was to deal with it is not to deal with it.

No honestly. I don't understand what the book was about. Get help, deal with your issues and don't be afraid is what they should have done. I feel like Regan was the one with any courage out of them all

Discussion Questions Day 4 - Part 7 - 9

13: The characters have each made some defining decisions on the vacation. Which decision or resolution stuck out to you the most? Example - Mine was when Charlotte pretended not to see Cord at the end of part 9. It broke my heart to see her have so much difficulty loving her son!)

When Charlotte actively avoids anything real with her family and avoids them. Not a fan.


14: Why do you think Charlotte took on and passed on the traits of her mother that she didn’t appreciate? What might have been different in her interactions with her children if she intentionally shook those off? Example traits are her mother’s inability to communicate, and her disapproval turning into a lack of love)

It happens. You don't want to be like her parents but you end up like them in some ways. They'd be a more open and loving family I think.


15: The characters each have a flaw in that they hold back a piece of themselves from their family and the ones they love. Which character is the hardest to read about and why?

Hardest is ... Oh I'm not sure. Probably Lee because she thinks of herself as the protector of her family and thinks she resembles Winston more than the others.


16: This was my first time reading this author. Do you think you’d read something else by Amanda Eyre Ward? Why or why not?

No I don't think so. I'm well below her target audience. Maybe in a few decades.

Discussion Questions - Day 3 - Parts 5 & 6

9. Structure: "The Jetsetters" is divided into nine parts with an average of five different chapters (other than Part 1, which had nine chapters) in each part. Each chapter has, as yet, indicated a point of view change. What do you think the different parts are designating, if anything? How is it affecting your reading of the book, if at all?

I wasn't paying attention to that so am not sure


10. Setting: So far, the Perkins have visited, in some capacity, Athens, Rhodes, and, most recently, Malta. How has the Mediterranian setting impacted both the story and the characters, if at all? And how do you think the story and characters would have been affected if the cruise was traveling through a different setting (say the Perkins boarded an Alaskan cruise line), if there would be any?

I think the more they travel, the more they accept how their lives are and being to move on


11. Minor Character (Paros): As a follow up to question eight (since I am biasedly refusing to discuss Matt at any great length if I can help it), Paros has positively influenced both Charlotte (in feeling seen and admired) and Lee (in reconnecting with her family after coming to some big personal realizations). Why do you think Paros (and not Charlotte's recently deceased friend Minnie or Lee's one-time therapist) has been able to make these positive influences? Do you think this will continue and Paros will positively influence Regan and Cord in some way? If so, how?

Travelling opens you up to new experiences, people and a way of thinking. It stops you being in a rut. I think Paros will help Charlotte and not so much her children


12. Minor Character (Kiko): Kiko's character has been used to further characterize the children indirectly: signifying Regan's meticulous mind (a mind that is plotting a murder, ha!), Lee's reformed ways rejecting the advances of men, and Cord's attraction towards men. Is Charlotte's character also indirectly characterized via Kiko? If so, how? (Also, I was so dismayed because Cord was my favorite character and his engagement to Giovonni was so cute and yet many of you predicted that Cord would be outted by being caught in a compromising situation by his family! gasp! So I ask you...) Was Cord's flirting with Kiko harmless, or was it a foreshadowing of a similar situation to come later in the novel?

Discussion Questions Day 2: Parts 2 - 4

5. We get more flashbacks to Charlotte's early life in Paris, and start to get an understanding of why her family isn't close or communicative - she herself was brought up to repress feelings. Will her current crush on Paros blossom into a full relationship? How will her fascination with Paros help or hinder her main aim of this holiday - to reconnect her children?

At this point I thought that it might and that it would help her in get over things


6. Cord: he jettisons a year and a half of sobriety very easily, though I did enjoy how the author then used his drunken ramble through the ship to show off some of the glorious absurdities of massive cruise ships. Will Cord be able to pull himself together over the cruise or is he going to self-sabotage any happiness he might have had? Do you think Charlotte would react badly to his coming out of the closet? Any guesses on how he gets outed?

Oh I thought he'd do both. His thoughts seem like a rollercoaster. No I didn't think she'd react badly and I was hoping that he would just tell them and get it over with. But that'd take a lot of courage for him


7. Lee: We get confirmation that Winston did commit suicide, and chose to do it in her bathroom (what a $*!@$!). Why would Charlotte make her lie to her siblings about how he died? And why does noone call her out about her lies about her career?

I didn't know why she'd do that to her daughter. Leaving her to bear the truth on her own without her siblings support and understanding. From what they're all thinking, they don't want to hurt each other and therefore don't tell the truth. Recovering from abuse isn't easy and they clearly haven't got the support they need to move forward with their life.


8. Regan: plotting murder! The plot thickens! What do you think the private detective has turned up? I assume it must be worse that infidelity, because you don't hire a PI unless you suspect infidelity, right? ('cos of course we have all thought about having our partners trailed rather than just, y'know, communicating with them!) Do you find the flashbacks to Matt rescuing Regan from the artist teacher (shades of Charlotte again!) make him more likeable?

I thought it was infidelity as well. No I don't like Matt

Discussion Questions - Day 1


1) This is not a book I would’ve picked up on my own, and from the beginning I felt very strongly that I’m not the target (age) group, so I’m extra curious how I’m going to feel about this. Had you heard about this book before it was chosen as BOM? What were your expectations going in?

No I hadn't heard of this book. I wouldn't have picked it up to read either. My expectation was for it to be worth my time :P


2) I was surprised to see that the POVs rotates. Somehow the blurb made me think the whole book would be from Charlotte’s POV. Whose POV are you enjoying the most so far? Who is your favorite character?

I thought that as well but I didn't mind the multiple POVs. Honestly, no one was my favourite at this point


3) While Charlotte is supposedly the closest to Regan out of all her kids, their POVs show that they actually resent each other the most out of any of our four main characters. I can understand where Regan’s coming from, but Charlotte’s dislike of Regan so far is quite a mystery to me. What do you think is at the core here?

So many issues. I feel like the family never talks about how they are, what's going on and what's bothering them.


4) What do you think will happen on the trip? Will they even do the whole thing? Who will be the first to pack their bags and run back home? Which secrets will come out first?

I thought there would be this huge explosion of repressed feelings

Diane ~Firefly~ wrote: "Completion Post

7/8/20
spreadsheet updated

a disappointment after such a good first book in the series"

That tends to be the case with most books, I find. Will you read the 3rd?

*** Updated to here

Lauri, you haven't rated A Longer Fall (Gunnie Rose, #2) and The White Tiger (:

Completion


9 July

On SS

Leslie Ann wrote: "I should finish my books tomorrow. I have a couple Isaac Asimov books to read and they fit the space tag."

Sounds good Leslie. Hope they're good reads

*** updated up to here :)

August BOTM

For adult BOTM, Pachinko won and Spin the Dawn won for YA

and

My library has a copy of Pachinko but not for Spin the Dawn.

The thread for the books aren't up yet nor the dates but we'll let you know when we know

Tati wrote: "I'm alive! lol

I got some rough news the last week, so I've been processing them...

I am reading, slowly but surely, and I hope to finish a book for this week"

Hope you're okay Tati! Warm wishes to your and your family!

*** Updated to here

Also, kudos to Lisa and Trinia for reading a book with 500+ pages!
Lisa - 721 and Trinia 912