Shannon’s Comments (group member since May 21, 2018)

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

I can do DQs, Team Ashara

I can do DQs!

Team Ashara

Hi Team! I am also a co-captain for this team and I am so excited to start this challenge with you guys!

I am a senior at Penn State University so I will be finishing up the semester when this challenge starts, but I will still be active as I only have one final! Some things I like to do are hang out with my friends, do gymnastics, and dance! Obviously, I love to read, and I (like Lisa) love Excel!

I'm so excited to get started!
Here is my shelf link: ttx

April 2023

Goal: Get feedback ratio back to 70% (it's been a rough year with college)
Feedback Ratio: 53%
Approved: 16 | Feedback Sent: 8

Shelf:




Past Due:

Finished:

Review

Finished my book. Started one more I hope to finish

Ive been reading. Just at a lot slower pace. My life has become a bit hectic. Had to move out of my apartment the other day, working long hours, volunteering at an animal rescue. Im hoping to finish the book im reading within max of 2 days

I finished at 12:24 am on the 23rd so i dont think itll be usable

I finished a horror book yesterday. The Book of Cold Cases Im not sure if this is useable though since I finished it yesterday? Like would that be considered banked?

Finished Added it to the spreadsheet and posted it in the completed books for Battleship

Thanks lisa!!!

Would anyone like to take my DQ spot for Malibu Rising. Im on vacation rn and have no access to a library

When do we have to have read them by?

Ah ok! Ill finish it. It just wont count as the BOM then. I have to get the ebook from the library sonce were on vacation now. Its on hold.

Anyone know if theres a limit on when you can count a book of the month. I feel like its the second the month after the book is read but I cant find anything about that in the rules...

Im trying to finish the Book of Cold Cases today and was hoping I could count it. I already finished the DQs

DQs Day 3: Chap 20-29

10. Beth's house has seemed important from the beginning of the story and there have been a lot of descriptions of the "Frankenstein ugly" house. During one of Shea's interviews Beth told her to go upstairs and see her childhood bedroom and then she said, "Not all of the answers you want so desperately are going to come from me. Some of them are going to come from this house." What do you think Shea learned from the house when she perused Beth's room?

She obviously learned about Lily in this scene. I think she learned the background that Beth wasn't willing to admit, maybe she is scared or something to say it out loud since it seems like Lily is haunting her.

11. We now have a better insight into the note that was left at the murder scene that said, in part, Am I bitter or am I sweet? In this section we got a lot of details about how this "bitter/sweet" was played out in the house with Mariana and the two girls. Lily also told Beth that everything was her fault and she could have stopped it. What do you think the note will reveal about the murderer and how do you think Beth could've stopped it or could she have?

I think this was about Beth inviting Lily to her house. Lily also said that Mariana was "hers" and not Julian's. Beth's thoughts to when Lily asked what she wanted was originally "that she wanted Lily to leave." Maybe Lily realized this and used it against her for years. She could've kicked Lily out instead of allowing her to shoot her father.

12. Julian's treatment of Lily is rather atrocious, especially considering how young she is when she first visits them. Why do you think he hates her so much and who do you suspect Lily's father is? (I have only read through chapter 29 for my questions, so I don't even know if that is revealed. Just curious what others are thinking about the situation.)

I think the issue is is that it's not Julian's child. She must've had an affair while they were married and maybe Julian is disgusted towards Mariana and takes it out on Lily whenever he sees her because it's a reminder of Mariana's betrayal.

13. Lily told Beth she wanted a lot of things, including the house. Beth told Lily she hated the house to which Lily said, "That's because you don't understand it...It's an abomination that shouldn't exist...It's exactly like me." What do you think she meant by this?

I think that this quote was sad. I think she is saying that she wasn't Julian's and was born out of wedlock so she shouldn't be recognized as a "real" person. I'm pretty sure that children born out of wedlock during this time period were shunned or treated differently, but I may be wrong.

14. Lily appears to have more power in the relationship between her and Beth, but based on Beth's current day ability to manipulate others, do you think Lily really is the more powerful one in their relationship? Why or why not?

I do think that Lily has more power because she is the one teaching Beth to be manipulative. Beth wouldn't have known how to control people if it weren't for Lily.

I think yes

DQs Day 2: Chap 12-19

5. Shea is trying to explain the taps being turned on and the cupboards being opened by themselves through telekinesis. If you had experienced what she did, do you think you would have tried to explain things logically or do you think you would have believed it was ghosts and left it at that?.

I'm trying really hard, but struggling to put myself in Shea's shoes because I would never interview a murderer. I understand that she is assuming that Beth is trying to manipulate her, but I don't think that even manipulation can explain everything that happened to her that day. I think I would've been very spooked.

6. After getting a cat, Shea calls on Michael to ask for advice on how to care for it, through the conversation she thinks about wanting to meet him. Do you think they will end up together or perhaps just remain as friends? Could Michael be interested as well?

I'm a little worried about Michael just because Shea has pointed out time and time again that she knows nothing about him. I know that he could just be a normal guy and that she has trust issues, but I don't know, he could be a murderer! (Now I sound like Shea haha)

7. Mr. Greer’s former secretary tells Shea Mrs. Greer wasn’t competent and that she was "sent away somewhere when she was eighteen". Do you think she was crazy or do you have any other theories?

I think that a lot of people struggle with mental issues and during this time period they were just more on the hush. I don't think we should call her crazy though. It could have just been something like anxiety or depression, but during that time period, that was seen as being incompetent or insane, etc.

8. While listening to the recording of Beth’s interview Shea hears a voice in the background whispering “I am still here” and poor Winston gets spooked. Did you find this scary? Do you think cats/animals have a feel for the supernatural? If it were you, would you come back to the house after hearing that?

I got goosebumps at this. I do believe that dogs can sense things that we can't. I would not be going back to that house after that.

9. Finally, in order to get in the mood for more scary stuff. Have you or someone you know have any scary/ghostly experiences you might like to share?

The closest thing I've got was after having a really rough day and taking a nap I woke up to hearing the voice of a little girl whispering "It'll get better" in my ear. Obviously there was no one there and it was probably my subconscious.It didnt freak me out though, it actually calmed me down a bit.

Hey guys! Sorry Ive been a bit MIA recently. Work took off and Ive been coming home exhausted. I go on vacation in three days so hoping to get more time to read then :)

DQs Day 1: Chap 1-11
1. Have you read the The Sun Down Motel by this author? If so, does it change your expectation for this book? Either way, what are your expectations for this book?

I have not read the Sun Down Motel or any other books by this author so I dont know what to expect from this book. It seems to have good ratings and be my normal sort of read though so I am excited!

2. The MC writes about cold cases and is in her late 20s and divorced. I have read quite a few horror/thriller/mystery books recently where the MC is a recently divorced, usually a bit older, woman. Have you experienced this as well? Why do you think authors might make this choice? Why do you think the choice was made for this book?

I have read quite a few mysteries and thrillers about murder cases. Most I've read are about girls in their teens or 20s/30s. Im not sure why its not usually about men. Maybe the author figures the audience is moreso girls.

3. This section includes the start of the interview. Did it go the way you expected? Any one comment really stick out to you?

I thought the interview went exactly the way I expected it. Although I wasnt expecting her to get the dectectives to talk to the main character. I did think she would swing the interview in her favor a little which she seems to have done or maybe she is innocent.

4. What do you think about the ghostly occurrences in this section? How do they add to the story (or maybe detract)?

I think the ghostly occurences may not be actually occurring. Maybe Beth has some PTSD still from her father being shot (by my assumption: her mother since her mother was begging for forgiveness of her). I think the ghostly occurences are intended to make Beth an unreliable narrator.

Sixty wrote: "Would the tether on the cover of count as a rope on the cover?"

I would consider that a rope