Karen ⊰✿’s Comments (group member since Sep 23, 2012)

Karen ⊰✿’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

MelanieJoy wrote: "you guys are making me want to just delete Red Rising from my TBR and not worry about it. But it's on my maybe shelf so I don't worry about those."

I honestly think it would have been much better if I’d read it in 2014. It would have been more unique back then

Lexi wrote: "Eldarwen wrote: "I'm in the definite minority with disliking this book, so my response would be "nope, not worth the wait" hehe."

I DNF'd Red Rising so glad I'm not the only one wh..."

I liked the beginning, but then the whole middle section was not that great. I also struggle with 16 year olds with dead wives that they can't get over (#sorrythatsoundsharsh). But it picked back up enough at the end. I haven't added book 2. I'm not sure I actually want to continue the series unless I needed it for a challenge some day

Cass☀️ wrote: "My friend stressed to me that I would be just fine speaking English in Denmark, but if I am going to be traveling with and staying with him and his kiddo..."

I remember Denmark like Chava... everyone wants to speak English! We had absolutely no problems getting around, catching trains etc. and that was in the days before smart phones :o

I also agree that people love it when you at least try their language. Especially those trickier ones

Cass☀️ wrote: "I have been studying for the last nine months and I only speak and write in Danish with my friend now. I definitely associate the language with him, but my school has a Danish foreign exchange student too and they love chatting with me and correcting my pronunciation!..."

That is so great to have someone to speak with and also practice writing the language. ⭐

Chava wrote: "I'd hear him on the toilet talking to a Spanish lady LOL, turned out to be Duolingo..."

lol!
That was super popular during lockdowns. I know a number of people that set about learning a new language using that app

Danish is such an interesting language! Great way to practice too 👍

I’ve attempted Spanish, French and Thai over the years. I find that if I don’t have the opportunity to use it then the words get lost. Going to Thailand last year was a good chance to try and practice again but it had been about 12 years since I had last been there so even numbers had me stuck sometimes!!

Welcome Jean, you'll have to post a photo one day of your views :)

Welcome Cass! Any second (or third) languages you can speak fluently? Or do you enjoy dabbling (I'm a dabbler!)

Chava wrote: "
oh yeah! Truly. I remember the first time I was introduced to space/fantasy/monsters smut..."

haha
there have been a few of those over the years!!

Ok, I have unashamedly sorted by "to read" shelf by page number and gone with the biggest book that is not a book 2/3 of a series. I want those points for book games AND bigger books mean more sections so more DQ writers... more chance for points.
It's true. So kill me.


A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon
In A Day of Fallen Night, Samantha Shannon sweeps readers back to the universe of Priory of the Orange Tree and into the lives of four women, showing us a course of events that shaped their world for generations to come.

Tunuva Melim is a sister of the Priory. For fifty years, she has trained to slay wyrms – but none have appeared since the Nameless One, and the younger generation is starting to question the Priory's purpose.

To the north, in the Queendom of Inys, Sabran the Ambitious has married the new King of Hróth, narrowly saving both realms from ruin. Their daughter, Glorian, trails in their shadow – exactly where she wants to be.

The dragons of the East have slept for centuries. Dumai has spent her life in a Seiikinese mountain temple, trying to wake the gods from their long slumber. Now someone from her mother's past is coming to upend her fate.

When the Dreadmount erupts, bringing with it an age of terror and violence, these women must find the strength to protect humankind from a devastating threat.

I think this is my worst ever performance. I know it is May and a break month, but I'm yet to even start. AH!

I'll put this on my list to start with Book Games. I just read so many small books with UNO that this went on the backburner with some others

This has been on my tbr since 2015 and my cleaning out the closet challenge for the last few years. Time really has been flying while I have been having fun and not reading it.
This is a big book so surely perfect for book games points? Lots of DQs to be set too as we will need a lot of sections.... ;)


Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher
In this extraordinary fantasy epic, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Dresden Files leads readers into a world where the fate of the realm rests on the shoulders of a boy with no power to call his own ...

For a thousand years, the people of Alera have united against the aggressive and threatening races that inhabit the world, using their unique bonds with the furies - elementals of earth, air, fire, water, wood, and metal. But in the remote Calderon Valley, the boy Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. At fifteen, he has no wind fury to help him fly, no fire fury to light the lamps. Yet as the Alerans' most savage enemy - the Marat horde - returns to the Valley, Tavi's courage and resourcefulness will be a power greater than any fury, one that could turn the tides of war ...

I guess it is the idea of time flying Christina, so hey why not

Chava wrote: "I will read anything to win..."


Said like a true NBRC challenge junkie 😂

Eldarwen wrote: "Ashley wrote: "If anyone is interested in volunteering to write Discussion Questions for the BOMs, you can find them here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group..."


I am going to preord..."

I'll be reading both, too. I have Malevolent Seven on reserve at the library to pick up this week and Salt & Broom I have on my kindle :)

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "My bestie and I are coming up to our 50th friend anniversary, I think we're going to try and do a Christmas Markets cruise in Europe to celebrate. Have the best time away..."

Amazing! Both the 50th and the cruise. I hope you can find a great one 😍

8/12 done


Not sure it was worth waiting 10 years for, but it wasn't bad 😄

woohoo! well done Charlie ;)

Ashley wrote: "Karen, I'm so jealous of your trip to Thailand! One of my good friends here is from Thailand and wants us to go visit with her. We need to go! All her family lives there (minus a brother who lives ..."

You should :)

I lived there in 2009. I was a volunteer English teacher living in a house with about 20 other volunteers in a rural area in southern Thailand. One of the people I met there was from Melbourne and we've stayed friends. So I am going for the first week with her for our 15 year friend anniversary :)
The rest of the trip is with my husband and kids. I am meeting them in Haoi

I was trying to think about the last time I did train travel (other than city trains!!) and I think it would have been in 2003 through China 😊 We did some overnight trains which I mostly remember from the toilets (we somehow managed to hold it all night rather than go there) and the torches in the face at night from authorities checking we were who we said we were (as your passports are given to the local auths at each stop). It was weird as I was only distrubed by the light and then just managed to go back to sleep right away (and freak out a little in the morning and ask our guide what that was all about haha).

I haven't been to Europe since about 2002 although we did go to Russia in 2011, but we flew from Moscow to St Petersburg and then again to London before heading home.

I'm just not travel fit anymore. The idea of flying more than 9 hours just isn't appealing ... I think our next long haul flight will be to the US but that may be a few years away yet.

Speaking of travel, I should mention I am away from June 15-21 in Bali for a conference. I'm not sure I will have much time for reading or checking in but will do my best.
I am then leaving for (southern) Thailand on June 28 for a week which will be a relaxing holiday so I will/should be able to read quite a bit. Then I fly into Vietnam and we are travelling through Vietnam and Cambodia for 2 weeks which will probably be all a bit crazy so I won't be on much I think between July 6 and 19, then we are back to Thailand (Bangkok) for a couple days before heading home.

So essentially I wil be here sporadically between June 15 and July 21 which is why E agreed to help me co-captain :)

Carrie wrote: "Hi all. I saw the SS that says I am part of this team but my name is not included as a team member up top. My name is on the tracking SS so I think I’m in the right place 😊

I live near Pittsburgh,..."

Sorry I think it was a copy and paste error. I’ll edit the post above 😊