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

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

1. Upon starting the novel an illustration of Ellingham and a copy of a letter sent on 8 April 1936 are the first things the reader sees before they start the text. Why do you think the author starts with these and how important will the setting of Ellingham be in the novel?

I liked the letter and the design of it on the first two pages of the book. I think that it added to the story in a way. Maybe the author added it to foreshadow. I think the setting of Ellingham with help the story in the way that it is a very desolate area. The wifi is spotty and its far from anything. This will most likely add suspense and make it more difficult if something happens to get help.

2. We are firstly introduced to an intriguing character called Dottie who it seems unfortunately is not long for this world. It is just a case of wrong place, wrong time or do you think this scene will play a more important part in the resolution of the mystery?

I think that Dottie was not a case of a wrong place wrong time scenario. I think the killer or kidnapper (whatever that guy is) had been watching her for weeks and noticed she slipped away to her hiding place to read every so often. Maybe thats why she was targeted. Because that guy definitely seemed to know she was going up there. I also have a feeling the guy is related to the Ellinghams in a way because he mentioned a game which we all have come to realize Albert loves games. (I don't think it was Albert though because Dottie would've recognized him).

3. There appears to be a dual timeline in the novel detailing past and present. Why has the author written it this way? Does it add to the present storyline getting a perspective on the events in the past?

I think the author chose the dual timeline to add suspense. So while adding details from the past to inform us about what the author is talking about, she doesnt have to give away too much of the backstory. I think it definitely adds to the present story because the present characters were talking about Flora and then we got a pat section about Flora.

4. First impressions of the present day characters? How do you think they will interact in solving the crimes both past and possibly present?

I like Janelle and Nate but the rest strike me as spoiled. I think one of them is going to get kidnapped or murdered or something and then Stevie is going to lead an investigation to save them or find them.

5. In the past time line, Flora has secret information about Iris. Any ideas of the significance of the hidden compact in light of Iris and Alice's disappearance?

My only thought is maybe she's in on it in some sort of way? Or helped?

Chapters XIX - XXI

16. Telegonos ventures out into the world for the first time. Not quite the adventure he imagined - how do you think the incident with Odysseus and the knowledge that the world is different from what he imagined is going to affect him for the coming years?

I think killing his father is going to scar him quite a bit. I feel that would scar anyone. But I don't see him turning bitter which is what I would've expected.

17. Telemachus' story doesn't quite sound like the Odysseus that was depicted in previous chapters, even if Circe seems to recognise a lot of the traits. I never thought he'd be this paranoid. In light of the boy's disappointment in his own father, do you agree with Circe that Telemachus was honest when he said he wasn't out for revenge? What about Penelope though?

I don't think Telemachus is out for revenge. I think Odysseus was a hard man to get along with, with all his years at war. Penelope I don't trust. Maybe just because her and Circe's conversation was pretty short.

18. More than halfway through the book: do you enjoy the book? Do you (still/finally) like Circe?

Honestly I am slightly disappointed by this book. I was expecting it to be as exciting as The Song of Achilles but I have been getting much excitement. Maybe because Circe hasn't left the island. Idk. But I do like Circe still. Even though she is trying to keep people she loves on the island I think she is justified as she is trying to protect them

Day 5 DQ - Chapters XVI - XVIII

13. What do you make of Odysseus himself? And of Circe's relationship with him?

I originally really liked Odysseus. I found him to be the perfect match for Circe. I thought they were very cute together because they were both in a way "messed up" in a way (in my opinion). Then as I read of Odysseus changing I began to dislike him. I think he became bitter during his last days alive.

14. This one is for the more mythology knowledgeable ones among us: Have you read The Iliad? For those less knowledgeable in actual myths: or have you seen the movie Troy? In how far do Odysseus' stories and accounts reflect what has been written by Homer?

I haven't read or seen either.

15. Witch pregnancies do not strike me as particularly easy... But neither is the aftermath it seems! What do you make of Athena's appearance and her attempts at killing Circe's son? What do you think is the real reason she wants to see him dead? What is he going to do? (If you know your mythology and there is an actual background to this, I'm curious!)

I think Athena was afraid that Circe's son would turn out to be a powerful witch and kill someone important or something. She came across as scared of him to me. Maybe he would end up killing an Olympian but that is just a prediction

DQs for Chapters 9 through 15

9. Circe's character goes through quite a few developments in personality in these chapters, both positively and negatively. How do you think the time in Aiaia has changed her?

I think Aiaia has made her more dependent upon herself and more confident in a way. She has learned how to make a bunch more potions or spells and she is happy for herself because of that. I do worry that she is trusting people too much especially in that one part with that man who used her.

10. "But in solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the Earth" (chapter 11) - when I read this quote, I felt sorrow and sympathy for Circe, for all her life, she has been dealt the bad hand. What did you feel? Do you think Circe felt any real connection with Daedelus or do you think she is attracted to anyone who treats her a little differently from her family?

I felt bad for Circe too. I think she had real feelings for Glaucos even though she was super naive back then. I also think she had feelings for Daedalus and I think those were less naive of her. I think he was actually a genuine guy and I was really sad when he died. I think she is drawn to people who treat her differently than her family treated her.

11. Every chapter in this section explored her relationship with a different character - Daedelus, Madea, Pasiphae in Crete and we get a sneak peek at her relationship with Odysseus. Each experience affects her adversely, sometimes positively, most times negatively. Which character did you like/ dislike the most and why? How do you think that character changed Circe?

My favorite character this far has been Daedalus because he just seemed the most genuine to me. My least favorite was Pasiphae because while she had her points, she didn't have to be that cruel to her sister. I think I just in general hate Circe's family

12. Circe's trust in mortals is shattered after her traumatic experience with a man. How do you think this will affect the rest of the story? Do you think she'll come to change her opinion?

I think that she will have her guards up for at least some time if not the entire story. I think Odessyus helped her a little bit with her trust issues even though I don't think she entirely trusts him. But maybe he will help her more than he already has

Im planning on finishing Circe by tomorrow so we can use it for the customer switch thing

I did it for you :)

Day 1 DQs Chapters 1 - 4 (for October 2nd)
1. Our setting for this book is the world of Greek mythology. What is your background with Greek mythology? How do you think your knowledge and opinions of Greek mythology will influence your reading of this book?
I have read Greek myths as a child and both the Iliad and the Odyssey, and I really like retellings that reclaim stories and retell the problematic aspects. I had read Miller's first book before this one but was glad for a story where you did not already know the ending. This is a reread for me.

I know a bit about greek mythology as it is interesting to me, but I don't know all the gods, Demi gods, etc names. I can recognize the big popular gods and understand some of the feuds though (but not many).

2. In the first few chapters, we are introduced to Circe's family. I found myself having many different feelings about the characters presented. Which relationship has caused you the most emotion? What is it about that relationship that causes those emotions?
I always find it odd books that make the Greek gods good parents or nice people. They are awful in the original myths and this fit. I felt worst for her first love and how bad it turned out.

I think the relationships that caused me the most emotion were Aeetes and Glaucos. Aeetes, Circe raised, but he still acts stuck up claiming that Circe is wrong a bunch of times and that he is more powerful than her. Glaucos, while I did expect him to turn on Circe like he did, I felt really bad for her nonetheless.

3. Why does Circe approach Prometheus? How do you think this will affect her later in the book?
Something new but she is also different and wants to understand more. I think it is why she first starts to approach mortals.

I think Circe approached Prometheus because she has a human quality in her, sympathy. The rest of the characters in this book seem to lack it and they are usually rude. Circe felt bad for Prometheus and brought him a drink of nectar. I think maybe Prometheus will help Circe out in the future or something.

4. How does Glaucos's position affect what he sees in Circe? If Gaucos was invited to a family reunion of Circe's, how do you think he would compare her to others in her family?
This answer of a comparison is answered in this section, but from the beginning, it is clear that he is in for what he wants for himself. This chapter goes through Chapter 8 but the questions go only though Chapter 4.

Glaucos seemed very weak in the beginning but I did sense bits of greed on him when he said he won't be returning until there's fish in the water and told Circe that she cant do anything to help him. After I saw the same greed, but also an unlikeable amount of arrogance. If Glaucos was at a family reunion I could see him degrading Circe (and I hate him for that).

My bad! I fixed it by removing my ingredients there

ok jk. i messed up again! Looked at the wrong line. Idk whats wrong with me lol! Im sure I got a book with a noun in the title out of the library nw :)

I have gotten my next book from the library. Very excited as it has high ratings and looks super interesting.. Im gonna be reading The Screaming Staircase

DQ Set 2: Chapters 5 - Days Past, Paris 1900

6. Following the daylight attack, and the greenhouse scene, it's clear that there's a tension between the older generation and the younger. Will even makes the point that it's just like what he experienced as a young man, but doesn't seem able to fix the problem. What do you think about the politics of the Shadowhunters that we've seen so far? Does this strand work for you?

I think generations always have differing views because things change and sometimes people don't realize the changes. I think this might be what is going on in this situation. For example, back in the older generation there was a lot more demons and they were "better trained" because they were always fighting them. Now theyre worrying about their kids because there's less, but that also means less danger. (at the moment at least)

7. We see development in some of the characters over these chapters (Alistair becomes a bit more interesting in the final flashback; Cordelia comes out of her shell), but there are still a lot of unfleshed characters there (imo). Do you think the author can make all these characters "real"? Which character do you most want to find out more about? or just hang out with ;-P

I don't think the author will get around to giving all the characters a big backstory. Im assuming she will only do the important ones and leave a few as supporting characters. If all of them had backstories I think that would be confusing. I like Jesse and James the best. James I like because of his shadow world thing and I want to figure out why he can go there. Jesse I like just because he seems mysterious to me and I want to learn about his past life and how he died (I forget if that was already mentioned lol)

8. We find out more about Grace and James - have your opinions of this relationship changed during this section? Do you want to venture any predictions? James does his shadow walking thing a couple of times here. Is Jem right - is this a skill he should master or is it a dangerous curse?

I DONT like Grace. I think she's pushy and I find it weird that James started liking her after getting the bracelet. Like if you have someone go out of their way to get a bracelet for you why would you just give it away. She said it was a special bracelet to her or something. I personally would find somewhere in the big house to hide. Surely there must be somewhere! I think James could master the shadow walking skill but he definitely has to be careful. He did it successfully recently when he found Cordelia in the greenhouse and that went alright that time. Even proved to be helpful.

9. The last section sheds some light on Alistair's hidden (or developing) personality - moving him from the simple bully from school to (maybe) someone more interesting. Do you have any thoughts on how Alistair will be important to the story?

I hope Alistair will start growing on people. I think the characters are going off of his past personality and being weary of him. Although I don't find him to be much of a bully anymore in the present so hopefully they will begin to like him

What is the latest you can read a BOM book and still have it count. I just recently got my hands on Chain of Gold and was hoping I could count it still

DQ Set 1: Days 1 &2
Chapters 1 through 4

1) Have you read other Cassandra Clare novels or are you new to the Shadowhunter world? What made you decide to take the plunge and read this BOM? Was it the beautiful cover, did it entice you? Not for nothing, the woman on the cover might want to adjust that sword grip in case she needs to use it.

The only book I've read from the shadow hunter world is City of Bones which I read back in 7th grade. I really liked the book and planned to read the rest of the series but I suppose it slipped my mind. I really like the cover of this book so that might've helped me want to read it but I also just remembered the shadow hunter book I read previously.

2) Quite a long cast of characters and POVs, sometimes I wonder why it was necessary. Though I have only read the Mortal Instruments series, so maybe it would be less overwhelming character roster if I'd read everything published prior to this book. Any current favorite characters? Any you are wary of already? I'm also afraid of multiple love triangles and possibly some sort of awful love polygon (number of sides to be determined). Thoughts on that?

I like James a lot. He seems like a troubled soul with his shadow world thing going on but I feel like that will turn out to be super helpful in the long run. I also like Jesse just because he strikes me as unusual. I don't really like Grace that much because I feel like she might be hiding something.

3) Holy literary references! Clare uses quotes often at the beginning of sections or chapters, so that wasn't surprising to me. But there are little literary nuggets dropped randomly in conversations. Are you enjoying them? Are you seeing parallels in this story to Great Expectations (Clare has stated this series is a GE retelling)?

I never read Great Expectations so I didn't understand any of the parallels, but I do like the quotes in the beginning of the chapters

4) Are you liking the flashbacks? Do you think they add to the story and/or characters?

Yes I always love flashbacks. They help the reader become more acquainted to the characters and help tell the story (sometimes it explains something the author left out in the present telling of the story)

5) James seems to act very strange in Grace's presence and for all of their attraction and previous kissing, the kiss by the lake seemed to make James repulsed. Do you think this is tied to the demonic presence somehow? Do you think that silver bracelet causes Grace to have some sort of influence over James?

Maybe. I don't really trust Grace. I think she might be hiding something.

Just to make sure. As long as theres like 1 chapter left to read of the book its ok for the next round... right?? Lol that book was just too good i couldnt put it down. But i stopped before the last chapter lol

It looked like a lot of people ran out of food tho so i think we will be alright

Ohhh that makes sense!!

Ya im slightly confused as to how they capped us at 148 but we had 160 customers... idk doesnt exactly make sense to me lol

I gave out all the meals. We can adjust if we want but I focused on giving the adults the alcoholic beverages first (since they were the only ones that could drink them). And then went to the next category that included adults and teenagers. And so on.

We sold out of all our menu items so thats good but we did leave 12 people hungry. So next round I think we just need to focus on making more menu items. The diversity of the menu was very good tho I think.. I didn't struggle to find food for any person

I might be wrong but im pretty sure I got it right

So in the excel sheet on the Shop Front page theres a list of all the customers we have (160 total :O ) and we just have to go through and try to make sure we give the most items to people who can eat the items which are listed on the same page as well.

Also we should probably prioritize the adults since they can tip

Tammie wrote: "Once this round ends tomorrow afternoon, we'll have 2 days to wait on customers. Does anyone want to be involved with this step? We should probably have just one or 2 people do it...at least for th..."

I can help with waiting on customers. Only thing is I won't be available until after 12 tomorrow. After that I'm free until Monday afternoon. I just am not entirely sure of what to do for this part tho