Vicki’s Comments (group member since May 01, 2018)

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

At one time you could click on the link & it would show who all tagged something. I’ve used it for that same reason so evidently they changed it. :(

I had two duplicated books, so now my two that needed to be on the shelf show up correctly. Sorry about that.

DQs - Day 3 - Chapter Nine - Twelve

10. We are about half way through the book now and I've been looking at the cover and trying to see how it fits with the story. The cover feels dark to me and so far I don't really feel that in the story. Do you feel like the cover fits the story?

One of my favorite things to do is guess about the title and cover of a book before reading it and then finding its significance as I read. Sometimes I'm spot on and other times I'm thrilled by what I discover. Then there are times when it totally baffles me. At that point in the book I couldn't see how the darkness of it fits the storyline.

11. So the old fashioned booksellers in charge might feel the need to remove Susan if they find out her father is one of the Ancients. It seems like Merrihew and Thurston are not greatly respected in the Booksellers realm. How do you feel about them? Do you think they might be involved in what is happening to Susan?

Honestly, I didn't care for either of them but I didn't necessarily get the sense that they're involved.

12. We keep getting all these references to books, musical groups, and other pop culture from the 80's. Take for example this quote: "The ground floor facing the street was all floor-to-ceiling high windows, with a wonderful display of Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose complete with a cardboard castle to the left of the central revolving door, and a selection of new release thrillers an mysteries built up in a series of pyramids in the window to the right, including John Le Carre's The Little Drummer Girl, Jeffery Archer's First Among Equals, and Ken Follett's On Wings of Eagles." That sentence is long and the following one is not much shorter. How do you feel about all of these references?

I have no problems with allusions in stories, and in fact I tend to enjoy them. What I don't like so much are lengthy sentences where you finally say, "Huh?"

13. In the last section Vivian gives Susan a steel knife and salt and tells her how to bind something to herself. Do you think she will have to bind something? Any idea who or what she will bind?

Of course I had an idea that Susan would have to bind something but I had no idea who, what, or why.

DQ's - Day 2 - CHAPTER 5 to CHAPTER 8

6. Merlin and Susan get pulled into the May Fair. "The happiness is unsettling, all the smiling and laughing". Was there a part of the fair that stuck out to you? And would YOU have noticed the colorless rose?

I guess what stuck out to me the most was the creepy description of the children. I'm sure whether I noticed the colorless rose would have been contingent on exactly where it was in juxtaposition to other things, but I'm guessing probably not.

7. Susan seems to have some sort of powers of command, which we see with the wolf at the end of the fair, and hear more about at the end of Chapter 8. What are your guesses about her heritage? Do you have any new guesses about her father?

I've finished the book already, but at that point in the book I kept thinking that because he seemed so powerful that he might be the King Fae.

8. My favorite part of these chapters was reading about the New Bookstore and its contents. If you could spend time in there, what would you want to check out?

I would definitely book checking out historical fiction (one of my favorite genres, the hard book covers because I am a cover freak, and I'd look for books by some of my favorite authors.

9. The grandmothers were interesting. Any thoughts about them? If I were one of the grandmothers, I'd totally be hanging out with my mastiff. What would you have keeping you company?

I'd most definitely want both of my dogs to hang out with. One is Jazzmine who is a small, 12 pound white Bichon Frise and Rocky who is about 75 pounds and is a border collie.

For tag bonuses to count there has to be a minimum of 10 tags, right?

DQ'S DAY 1 - PROLOGUE - CHAPTER 4


1. I nominated this book because titles with libraries or books naturally draw me in and I've wanted to read a Garth Nix book for ages. What are your reasons for reading.. long term Garth Nix aficionado or "It's only about the points, baby"?

Ha Ha! Cute question! First, I not only have never read Garth Nix, but I'd never heard of him until this BOM for this challenge. I JUST put him on my "currently reading" so I didn't even have him in my TBR list. Hopefully I'll find a new author I love. I alove LOVE books that are about books, have books in the title or on the cover, or are centered around a bookstore or library, etc. That being said, I'd never see this book until the BOM. Therefore, I would have to say at this point: It's only about the points, baby!

2. Wikipedia (The Oracle of quick searches about whatever and sometimes actually factual) defines a prologue as "Opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ties into the main one and other miscellaneous information." What have you learnt in this particular prologue that seems important to the story moving forward?

Sometimes prologues don't help me until after I'm really into the book, but a really good one draws me in and makes me curious, which this one did for me. I was a bit confused (but that's typical quite often) but it introduced us to Susan and her desire to know who her father is. The dreams she's having I believe are most definitely foreshadowing of things to come. Also, we learn that her mother is evasive when it comes to Susan's father and I think her mother is odd.

3. Chapter 1 introduces us to our main protagonists in a scene filled with murder, fashion descriptions and a giant louse! First impressions of Merlin and Susan and any sign if they will be friends or enemies or maybe even frenemies ?

I have a feeling they'll be friends for sure and possibly more but too soon to know for sure how I feel about that. I love Merlin's character and I think they're both quirky and are a good fit to be friends.

4. Right handed and left handed booksellers policing multi layered worlds and realities. Set in 1983 London but the language and environment heavily leans on the Victorian Age. Are you comfortable with the preliminary world building, do you find it interesting and unique or same old same old in the YA fantasy genre?

Honestly, I don't feel experienced enough to answer this question with any "expertise." I do, however, feel like the world building is atypical based on what I have read in the YA fantasy genre. I find it interesting and (for me at least) unique.

5. It seems someone is after Susan, probably because of her mysterious missing father. Who do you think he is and what maybe is his significance in this alternate world and to the plot in general?

I don't have a clue at this point, but I'm hoping he just might have a lead/clue to her father.

That's awesome! We are a fantastic team!

Shelby wrote: "Guys I'm going through and doing my big update now. I do have to work in the morning as well so I'll do my last check a little before 9am. If you think you'll have another book to add after that po..."

I will be adding Paper and Fire to the SS shortly.

Shelby wrote: "I've got it on your shelf so you're good Vicki. Not sure what Silje wasn't seeing, but it's there now. :)"

OK, thanks :)

Silje wrote: "Vicki, can you check Puddle Jumping? I can't find it on your shelf, or a recent read date=)"

I don't know why my read date didn't show. I got this when I checked:

November 19, 2021 – Shelved as: wheels-6
November 17, 2021 – Finished Reading
November 17, 2021 – Started Reading
January 10, 2015 – Finished Reading
January 10, 2015 –
100.0%
January 10, 2015 –
53.0%
January 10, 2015 – Started Reading
December 8, 2014 – Shelved as: to-read
December 7, 2014 – Shelved

I also wrote a review for it with the current read date. Can you please check again. I don't have any duplicate books so that wasn't the cause.

Shelby wrote: "Vicki - Can you please add The Dating Dare to your Wheel shelf so that it can be counted please? :)

Linda - Can you please add Eleanor & Park to your Wheel shelf so..."

Sorry, I added it and it is an orange cover too.

Omg that’s funny!

I will be posting 21st Birthday so I assume the title could be letter T for twenty-one?

Also, on line 6 for some reason when I added the book and went to another column to add something the BOOK box turned salmon. I tried to change it to white but couldn't.

Thanks, Shelby! I’ll get mine posted on time this time.

Thanks, Joyce :)

When does the next round begin/when do we have to have our last books posted for the SPIDER round?

Shelby, for a tag does it have to be MPG or just tagged?

Day 3: Chapters 11-15

9.Let’s talk about Cate. What could Grey have possibly said to her to make a mother hate her child? (If she is her child.) What do you think of Cate and Iris’ relationship?

First of all, no matter whether or not Cate is biologically her mother or not doesn't make a difference. Children should be loved no matter. Cate's and Iris's relationship is an odd, strange, and sad one.

10. What do you think causes the sisters to have the power of suggestion, or the power of the kiss, or whatever you call it?

It's an odd power to have for sure. I assume they have gifts/powers simply because they were given it possibly after passing through another dimension.

11. How do you feel about Grey's actions in the hospital and during the escape?

I think she's the oldest of the three girls so she's going to do whatever she can to fight for all of them. She's a leader by her placement of birth. I don't think it matters to her at this point what consequences she might have.


12. The girl says “It is in me…In her…In you.” What is in them? And, may I say, yuck. This story seems very myth-laden. Has anyone recognized the myth yet, or do you think this is an original one? Are you enjoying the story so far? (Is anyone else having a flashback to the creepy video in season one of True Detective, or is it just me?)

I definitely think it is something that was given to them from another world or another dimension, etc. I do like it so far but man do I want to know what's really going on!

And, just out of curiosity, has anyone done a Google search on the flowers yet?

No, I am not that interested. Because I taught Romeo and Juliet to freshmen, I can't forget the line where Romeo is so depressed that he's been banned from hometown and he can't believe that even "carrion flies" can look upon her but the won't be able to...poor Romeo. So I know about Carrion flowers and that they are symbolic of death and rotten and that they have a smelly odor as it is carrion insects that pollinate them. Weird, huh? I think they symbolize death and that's why they were growing out of a corpse.

Day 2: Chapters 6-10

5. Grey leaves her sisters a note that reveals the creepy guy is really a very bad person...that she's in peril. She provides a key and sends them to a super creepy apartment...'The missing sister, the dead body, the burned apartment, the gunshot wound, the armful of stolen artifacts. Even harder: the man in the skull, the flowers growing rampant in all the soft parts of a corpse.' What is your conclusion so far?

That's a really good question and one that I don't know the answer to! I must say that I loved the description in these chapters and it got super creepy. I don't think it is fae now, but I'm not sure what is going on.

6. Vivi and Iris find a diary from their father...his notes supporting the Vogue article with all kinds of rumors about the girls. What do you think about their father? Was he crazy? Are his girls dead?

No, I don't think their dad is crazy, but he obviously recognized something different about them physically and mentally, so I don't blame him for inquiring. Something strange has changed them but I still don't know what. I believe that there's a portal that is involved but to where? Who knows.

7. What is with the flowers and vegetation found in the girls and around the girls? This organic, smelly stuff keeps showing up? What do you think is behind it?

The flowers are what always make me think fae, but I just don't believe that's it. So I am just not sure until I get more information what or who is behind it.

8. Tyler shows up at the end of this section of our reading. There's an article referenced with mention of a disappearance. Someone else came back. What do you think is next? What will Tyler's role be...hero, bad guy, or is his appearance a cameo/distraction?

I have a feeling that Tyler is a good guy, not a bad one. He seems to know things that the girls didn't so at the very least he'll help move the plot along and (I think) help them find answers.

Oh, and I will also be reading more "larger" books. I don't know who all is doing Turf Wars but I always read a lot of smaller page books when doing that challenge, which naturally conflicts with a lot of other challenges where I want to read larger page counts. Oh well, just gotta remember it is just for fun...but I am still competitive! lol