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

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

Judith wrote: "Before some sort of demented chaos of ideas exploded from this question. . . .

NO. It is NOT the Lord of the Rings."

Lol!
And in my head we already did LOTR. I’m clearly losing my mind 🤪

Eldarwen wrote: "Finally finished #2.


Book: Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
Date Read: 19th March
Rating: 4 stars

It's been a while since I read the first one but m..."

Ah you just made me remember that I haven't read book 3 :o

You May find it isn’t too far away…

I'm staying on track with a book per month *phew*

Finished


So glad to have kept this on my list... I always skip the bigger books because of challenges (which is why my challenge this year has so many!). But it was great, classic Sanderson. Wish there was a sequel

haha

Lexi wrote: "#5 -

Comedy of manners with very light fantasy. it just got to be too much of a soap opera mess by the end and the vindictive female cousin was overdone and..."

That's a shame. The cover is lovely

Sammy wrote: "Well, that is one of Sanderson's smaller books! lol..."

True! Only 25 hours of audio ;)

wow so many books being read for March!

I am aiming to finish for this challenge this month. Which is hard because I am also trying to read smaller books for Uno. lol

lol
I have really enjoyed the new TV series. I think he would have a lovely voice for the audio, actually!

DQ tracking
Day 1: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Day 2: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Day 3: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Day 4: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Day 5: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Catsalive wrote: "A note regarding an annoying abbreviation... I don't think using a TLA like PSA is wise. To me, PSA is a prostate-specific antigen test (a very odd thing to put in a book about peri-menopausal wome..."

haha fair point

Oh that’s why I know the author’s name! 🤦‍♀️ I kept forgetting to look her up.
I read the first book and I agree it was better in that regard but I still found it not terribly engaging and didn’t finish the series.
I guess this author is just not for me!

Judith wrote: "I was a bit surprised at what started it all but not completely. It actually was a bizarrely sensible plan and I could see someone like Vance taking advantage for his own power grab and to settle old scores...."

I felt there could have been more explored here.
If Naomi was tracking and watching Martin for years. Couldn't she have been the one to drop hints/information in the hope he would pick it up and run with it... Then she gives just enough information to Billie that she goes after the board, and ultimately Martin.. and so Naomi gets to run the show?
It's all very silly and convoluted anyhow I'm not even sure why I'm thinking of other potential plot twists. haha

Catsalive wrote: "Good but not great. I thought it would be more fun but the humour was limp - the premise was ripe with possibilities but I don't think Raybourn is good enough to turn these to account. Not enough character development either, the women mostly remain ciphers:..."

That sums up my thoughts pretty well!

In many ways I think if there is a great screenwriter out there to turn this into a TV show it could make a great Netflix series

Dqs
6 March chapters 33-end

17. This whole book I was conflicted as the main characters are professional killers that have killed over and over again for 40 years. I don’t buy the whole “but we only kill bad people” thing as a reason to therefore not be a bad person yourself. So I struggled to connect with the characters and care if they were successful. Were you able to just go with the flow?

18. The whole Museum concept is also a bit interesting. Do you believe that an organisation like that can work for “good”?

19. Taverner came back but then left abruptly again. Do you think he and Billie will find each other and retire together?

20. Thoughts on the whole “mystery” and how it got resolved? Any surprises?

21. How would you sum up the book? (Did Sammy’s BOM curse strike again or has it been broken? 😆)

Mod
DQs Day 4 Ch 22 to 32

13) I was wondering why Billie still hadn't confronted Helen and why she hadn't said anything to any of the others about Jackson Square incident. Her explanation of yips (who knew there was a term?) sort of answers those questions. Do you think she's right?

This was a bit light on for me and I feel it is a bit convenient. Given their jobs I would have thought that they would be more suspicious and confront Helen.

14) Anyone else mildly disturbed by the ease of making 'tobacco tea'?

Haha yes!! Although it didn’t actually kill him in the end

15) What did you think of the first 2 take downs? Do you think their odds of success have gone up or do you think it's going to send Vance into a tailspin of paranoia making it that much harder to get to him?

There needs to be paranoia otherwise the rest of the book is a bit too easy for them

16) Vance, Vance, Vance. It all seems to go back to that guys and he seems to have it out for Billie. I'm assuming he's the big bad in all of their current problems. Do you think them being selected as scapegoats is more personal than convenient at this point? Any expectations for the final showdown?

It could be both? Although I am expecting a twist and would be surprised to not have one!!

Catsalive wrote: "The cynic in me wonders if it's all an elaborate plan just to get them to kill the Board..."

I had the same thought. This is like the ultimate kill order.
And I still have suspicions around Helen being behind it

DQs Day 3: Chapters 13 - 21

9. So, the meet with Sweeney went about as well as expected. But... What's up with Helen?
That was super weird. Does it mean she is actually working for the "baddies". Why wouldn't Billie confront her?!

10. We have a flashback to Taverner and Billie meeting. Do you believe in that sort of lust at first sight ? Are we going to meet him again?
Lust... sure. I'm assuming we will otherwise I'm not sure the point of the flashback

11. They have finally got a handle on what's going on (or have they?) and are heading to the UK to do some proper planning of vengeance. Are they going to succeed? Will the Museum still be standing afterwards?
It seems a bit easy to just say you are going to assassinate the board and then go back to your normal lives. Surely the Museum is set up with all sorts of layers and different people that would survive and keep those 'kill orders' long after the board members

12. I enjoyed the chat about how squeamish men are over Wimmin's Troubles, and Minka's taking advantage of that to create a communication app. In general are you enjoying the feminist bits? (See also the speech in chap 19 "Guilt is our birthright...")
I like the ageism & feminism bits and I appreciate that we are trying to highlight sexism, but some of it seems a tad eye rolling.

DQs: Day 2 , Chap 7-12

5. What did you think about all the escape plan/journey? The fires, the sailing, all the different plane rides, a road trip and finally a car ditch. Overkill? Or not enough?
It showed what a great team they are and how much they trust each other. I was surpised that Billie would be the only one to have had some secret stuff/contacts. After 40 years it seems weird that no-one else would have thought about a plan B

6. After talking about the museum structure they decide to call Sweeney. Do you think they can trust him? After all, he says they were supposed to be dead. And asking him to come to their hiding city/place.. is that wise?
I thought it was really odd he agreed to meet them! And I dont think anyone can be trusted right now

7. What can possibly be the reason for termination? After all, Sweeney got retired. And he was partnered with one of the museum big honchos. If it was about knowing too much, he would be a target too, right?
b>No idea. I hope Cat is wrong and it isn't just "let's kill the women" as that feels like lazy writing. Let's see...!

8. What did you think about Constance strategy back in the past? Having Billy to get angry enough that she let herself find her talent... And how on earth could she possibly have guessed it was hand to hand combat?
haha. yeah this is all a bit... well... I'm fighting with myself to just go with the story and not consider logic and realism too much....

DQs: Day 1 , Chap 1-6

1. This book uses a lot of flashback so far. How do you like them for introducing the characters and backgrounds?
I think the flashbacks are important to understand how they got started and their line of work. But so far it is not really developing the characters too much

2. Do you have a favorite character so far? Am I the only one who can’t tell them apart?
They don't have indvidual voices so far. Perhaps Billie more so as she is mostly giving her POV

3. What do you think of the setting and have you ever been on a cruise (large or small)?
I went on cruises pre covid and loved it. I'm not so keen these days! haha
I could image four "old" ladies taking a retirement cruise, though. It seemed realistic

4. What do you think about the structure of the Museum so far? Do you think they actually hold up to these ideals? Either when the women started or in the current day?
It is such a leap of logic and I'm not sold on it. So many questions about how an organisation like that could start, and continue to be funded for such a long time. Let alone the ethical questions about who has the right to decide who is "good" and "bad" (and I just finished How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question which really puts this in mind!!