Brie’s Comments (group member since Mar 04, 2015)

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

My font is larger...

But I keep seeing things about color changes and highlighted comments and I don't get any of that...

Everybody seems to be freaking out about this goodreads update but nothing looks any different on my computer........

Am I doing something wrong???

We didn't even have the goal at the time so you didn't even have to...I'm just glad I'm going through all the spreadsheet details now!

OH EM GEE GUYS...

So I'm going through the spreadsheet through each member's tab making sure that every book we each have read has been entered into either a goal or the goalless books section.

Well............GET THIS!

Natalie read Illuminae back at the end of November, but I was so focused on entering other books for goals at the time that I had completely missed it...

Well...........I FOUND IT. AND GUESS WHAT?!

IT FULFILLS THE TRILOGY GOAL!!!!! I can't stop laughing because I'm like...this is ridiculous.

Ok...I would rather listen to my audiobook of A Room of One's Own which was published on the 4th rather than read Seeing Redd.

I'VE AVOIDED IT AGAIN!

So, back to the original plan, boon trilogy goal?

Ok I'm gonna post the 5 goals we currently have and the members that are working on them, then we can figure out what we want to boon because, unfortunately, a boon cannot roll over into the following week so we have to use it by Saturday or else we lose it --

1. Read a book where a character is a mermaid -- Erin

2. Read a book with a number over 50 in the title (can be spelled out) -- Fatima

3. Read a book where the cover shows someone swimming -- Karen

4. Read a book where the edition you are reading was published on the 4th of the month -- ???

5. Read a book shelved (listed on the first page of the "top shelves" of the book) as trilogy - plurals and minor spelling variations are acceptable -- Brie (I guess...if I HAVE to)

::heavy le sigh:: Once again...like a cruel joke...Seeing Redd would fulfill the trilogy shelf goal...

I just discovered this...

You all know I've been avoiding this commitment for quite some time...

Ok. I veto boon-ing the "trilogy" goal as I think it is about damn time I sack up and read Seeing Redd. But I won't be able to get to it until next week...holidays are prime reading time!

Shall we boon "someone swimming on the cover" instead?

Berit wrote: "Delusional, perfect word for these parents!
And I'm sure we could all come up with a lot of unfavorable adjectives to describe Marilyn, selfish is the first to come to mind."

Oh Berit...I've missed you! :) Wheel-a-thon reuniooooon!

BOON UPDATE

It's that time again! We have to use up a boon by Saturday!!! Cast your votes :)

***I vote we use our boon on the goal:
Read a book shelved (listed on the first page of the "top shelves" of the book) as trilogy

I haven't found anything that works for it and none of our goalless books work either :(

Response from Sonia re: THE SNOWFLAKE GOAL

"The title has to have snowflake or falling snow (or snow falling), but it may have snow on the ground. Snow is a bunch of snowflakes together :)"

My lunch: Cheez-It crumbs being dumped straight into my mouth from the crumpled up plastic bag while I stay in bed and listen to the remainder of American Gods. I love my days off........

Dec 14 - Day 3 Discussion Questions Chapters 5-6

18. Hannah has made a promise that she will find out what happened to Lydia. Do you think she feels guilty for not speaking up about what she saw the night Lydia disappeared?

Definitely.

19. In Chapter 5 when the police stop to update the Lees, James seems embarrassed when Officer Fiske mentions Lydia's lack of friends, and Marilyn just talks about Lydia's school work and intelligence. Do you think this foreshadows something, or is this just fitting in with the theme of the book? Do you think the police are looking into Lydia's parents as suspects? Does their suspicion have merit?

I don't think they suspect Lydia's parents of doing anything except maybe being delusional. The police have spoken to everyone, including Jack...so I doubt that Jack was the only person that told them Lydia seemed overwhelmed/depressed/pressured etc. I think her parents' response fits in with the theme. That's all either of them could focus on when she was alive and that's still all they can focus on when she is dead.

20. Marilyn finds Lydia's hidden contraband. Do you think Lydia was really using these items, or were they placed there to gain attention?

I think Lydia knew her mother would find them, but I don't know if they were actually used...I don't think she and Jack were lovers...maybe she tried a couple cigarettes?

21. There seems to be some familial violence like Hannah being under the table when her parents are fighting and James slapping Nath when he asks about astronauts. Do you think this has always been this way, or only during stressful times like Lydia's death and Marilyn leaving? Do you think the violence plays a part in Lydia's death?

I think it's in stressful times. I think the majority of the abuse is mental, rather than physical. We don't hear of any other physical altercations between parent and child other than the James/Nathan slap, but we hear (and see the effects) of a looooot of mental scarring taking place.

22. Even Marilyn, who was studying to be a doctor thinks of a "man" when she hears the word doctor? I work in the ER as a nurse. The male nurses are still mistaken for doctors and our female doctors are mistaken for nurses. Is anyone else guilty of thinking this way?

I wonder if this assumption is a little more generational... I grew up in hospitals. My mother was an oncology nurse and my older sister is a doctor. I've never made the assumption but I don't know if it's because I always look at the scrubs first? I have no idea...

23. Marilyn finds out she's pregnant with Hannah so she gives up on her schooling again. Do you think Marilyn resents Hannah because of this? Do you think this is why Hannah seems to be ignored by the rest of the family?

Probably...I feel so bad for Hannah...even I forget about Hannah! I'm actually a little surprised Hannah is as kind and well-behaved as she is...you would think that kind of neglect would trigger negative behaviors.

24. During the scene where Nath pushes Lydia into the lake she seems to accept death and let herself drown. What do you think of this scene? Was she unhappy back at this point in her life?

It seems like since her mother's return, Lydia has equated intelligence and success with love. If you answer the question correctly, I will reward you with my affection. That cannot be an easy burden to bear! Lydia probably welcomed the feeling of weightless nothingness over the weight of her mother's happiness on her shoulders.

12/13-- Day 2 Discussion Questions Chapters 3-4

9. Nathan has decided not to let anyone know about his suspicions about Jack. Has your opinion about Jack or his possible role in Lydia’s disappearance and death changed after Nathan confronted him and/or after he overheard the exchange between Jack and the police?

I now think Jack is totally innocent. More and more, I'm starting to agree with the theories that Lydia killed herself. Listening to the book, I'm finding myself tensing up and becoming uncomfortably stressed, so I can only imagine what poor Lydia felt LIVING it.

10. James begins a new kind of relationship with his research assistant, Louisa Chen. What role, if any, do you think his daughter’s death/ funeral play in his moving toward this change? Do your opinions of James (as a dad, husband, character) change as a result of their relationship?

James is grieving...many people seek physical, sometimes sexual, comfort when grieving. Does my opinion of him change? Yes. But honestly, I think this infidelity was a long time coming. Marilyn hurt him DEEPLY when she disappeared...that's not something you simply brush off and move on from. He and Marilyn have had a broken relationship for a very long time.

11. In the flashback to 1965 in chapter 4, we see some of the various pressures that Marilyn feels on her life and her decisions. Are there any areas in your own life where you feel competing pressures or expectations that influence your decisions?

I am very lucky in that my family (parents or siblings) have never placed any sort of pressure on me to be any particular way. I am my own harshest critic, so any pressure or perfectionism I feel stems from my own self.

12. When Jack and Nathan are at the pool, Nathan is teased by his peers. Jack remembers his own experiences with teasing. What did you think of the way that Jack handled the situation at the pool? How did Jack’s expectations for Nathan and Nathan's behavior contribute to the situation and how it went? Why doesn’t he tell Marilyn what happened?

James is so full of self-loathing, and he sees himself more and more in Nathan, that he could do nothing in that situation but, once again, desperately try to blend in. I think he didn't tell Marilyn because he was ashamed of the entire situation. He was ashamed of his reaction, he was ashamed of Nathan's reaction, he was ashamed of the fact that neither of them can do anything about their race and these situations will most likely continue to occur.

13. In the summer of 1965, Marilyn leaves her family for a period of time. What did you think of that decision and how she did it? Did it change your thoughts about her as a mother, a wife, a character?

I think Marilyn is horribly selfish. This enraged me. I know she felt trapped. I know she felt inadequate. Screw that. Get over it. Take care of your children. The minute you have a child, your life is NO LONGER ABOUT YOU. She did not get pregnant on accident. Every time you have sex, you know you run the risk of getting pregnant. That's just the way it is. Birth control pills have been around since 1960, latex condoms since 1920, diaphragms since the late 1800's! If you are that worried about having a kid, if your life will be ruined if you do, DON'T HAVE SEX! Zero sympathy for Marilyn, sorry 'bout it.

14. Marilyn finds her mother’s old cookbook with advice about being a good housewife. What do you think they’d each say about being stay-at-home mothers? Do you think one is happier or more satisfied?

This is a debate (that really shouldn't even be one) that is still going on today. Every woman wants different things. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a working mother; there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a housewife. Both of these titles require hard work of different sorts. Both of these titles should be worn with pride.

15. Already, the novel says a lot about how people are influenced by their parents. How did your parents influence your childhood and teenage years? Do you think they understood their influence (and the limits of their influence) on you?

My parents have and continue to influence me every day. I am constantly learning from them and using their successes/mistakes/advice etc. to shape my own behaviors and choices. I am still my own person and have qualities that are uniquely my own, but I know my parents have had some small hand in that.

16. What do you think of the author’s use of flashbacks in this novel? Do you like this strategy? Does it work well here?

I love the flashbacks, they are truly tying things together and causing me to say things like, "Oooooh! THAT'S why she does that! That makes total sense!"

Megan L wrote: "Brie wrote: "Megan L wrote: "Brie wrote: "SPREADSHEET UPDATE

Hey guys! We're going in to Week 6 of the challenge!!! I want to remind you all that our spreadsheet is connected directly to each one ..."

Thank yeeeeeeew!!!!!

Erin (Paperbackstash) wrote: "Speaking of books and Christmas, my best friend got me the neatest presents the other day -

Book candles!


Narnia Woods (Smells great), Nevermore (Smells good, hard to place), Fairy Dust, and Old..."

THAT IS SO AWESOOOOOOOME!!!!!!!

Oh my gosh, Erin...we've missed you :)

I've also been pretty absent guys and I apologize. I've had to crank out a massive baby blanket (that is pretty much the size of an adult afghan) in under a week. My poor little hands are in permanent "knitting claws"...now onto the baby sweater! But with two days off comes audiobooks!!!

Karen, I will ask about the "Snow" in the title. The goal specifically mentions 'snowflakes' and 'snow falling' which both imply active snow, if you will haha I don't know if stationary snow will count but I will check.

HOLIDAY CHALLENGE UPDATE

DECEMBER 14
Read a book that has snowflakes or snow falling on the cover or in title (10 pts)

Megan L wrote: "Brie wrote: "SPREADSHEET UPDATE

Hey guys! We're going in to Week 6 of the challenge!!! I want to remind you all that our spreadsheet is connected directly to each one of our Tower Teams shelves. I..."

WAIT! DON'T DISAPPEAR! Please do this for the Sequence Three too!!! You just posted it but I need the three separate books!!!

Natalie wrote: "Book: The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

Pages: 529 pages
Date Finished: 12/13/2015
Goals: none"

This can work for the Holiday Challenge goal "Read a book where a character goes shopping"