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

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

At some point tomorrow the Mods will post our next color. They had mentioned they might try to get it to us before the deadline, but who knows. I will be posting the spreadsheet link to the mods' weekly thread at 7 pm EST just to be safe. However, I can edit it up to 8:59 pm EST. Just remember, anything finished after 9 pm EST tomorrow will count towards Week 2.

Completed Read

A Single Man

S: title
C: Christopher Isherwood (author)
I: Isherwood, Christopher (author)

Love the post Savannah!! and Love EVEN MORE that you're feeling much better!!! I did get those books you read, SO WONDERFUL!

YOU'RE AMAZING.

DQs FOR MARCH 27 Out-The End 458-531

42. Why don't you think Werner escaped Saint-Malo with Marie-Laure? He could have easily changed clothes, discarded or burned his uniform, and fled with Marie-Laure without being recognized. Do you think it was atonement? Did he simply want to try to find Volkheimer? Why did he stay?

43. Marie-Laure gave Werner the key to her secret place on the beach. Did she want him to find the wooden house with the diamond? Did she actually leave the diamond in the house when she put it in the water? Was she testing Werner and his ability to resist temptation, or was she tempting fate and the curse?

44. We know that Werner went back to the secret beach cove and took Marie-Laure's little wooden house. However, later on he walks through a mine field and dies. IF Werner had the diamond, this means the curse would be broken, or never existed. The house was in his diffel bag. Did the diamond have to be ON you in order to keep you alive forever? Did he ever have it to begin with? And finally, WHY do you think he walked through that mine field? Was it suicide, or was he so ill it made him delusional?

45. Volkheimer's story ends with him alone, never married, sitting in front of an outdated television set. Eventually, he visits Jutta and her family to return Werner's belongings. What do you make of his story? Do you think he feels any remorse for the things he's done? Do you think he sees them as lives he's taken? Why do you think he was so nurturing to Max?

46. Finally, this beautiful book ends with Marie-Laure and her grandson. She's over 100 years old and still very active. Only one question: Do you think she kept the diamond and is the legend true?

47. Doerr concluded most of our main characters stories. Do you prefer that to an open-ending, where you can imagine the future you hope that character ends up with?

Have fun Tea!!!!!! Travel safely!!!!!

Princess, this is great!!!

Hey Sarah!!! I already sent you a friend request :) So excited for you to join our team!!! Tell us a little about yourself!

I did not. I don't count anything until it is officially read, JUST IN CASE something happens like...for example...you start Atonement and realize by page 15 that you just can't make that commitment right now and it bores you to tears and you want to claw your eyes out. cough cough ME TWO DAYS AGO cough cough

And my FINAL update (I promise I'll stop bombarding you with posts):

The L and the R on the Second Round are already filled up, so if you complete anything within the next day, PLEASE make sure it fulfills one of the other letters (S, O, N, I, C, S, I, V, E)

Just a reminder friendsies:

PLEASE remember to add the CORRECT edition of the book you have completed to your wheel-a-thon shelf. If you read an ebook, add the ebook. If you listened to the audio book, add the audio book etc.

Also remember to mark your books as completed AS SOON AS YOU COMPLETE THEM!!! Nobody wants a read book to be disqualified purely because of a technicality :( Boo hiss on that!

I am so impressed with the rate at which everyone has been cranking out these reads!!! We got a LOOONG color this time around and we have all been so stellar in accomplishing those letter goals! Kudos to all you guys, I got a kick-butt team!!! (I feel like I'm probably not allowed to curse, otherwise a different word would have replaced butt...)

Aw thank you!! :D you guys are too!!! This is so much fun!!!

I know, I've been checking everyone's page counts ;) don't worry!

I DID notice that Tea thank you so much!!!! My math skills are...abominable.

I DID notice that Tea thank you so much!!!! My math skills are...abominable.

I DID notice that Tea thank you so much!!!! My math skills are...abominable.

Savannah what is your challenge folder? What are the books you read and why? I need to add them to the spreadsheet when I get home from work.

DQ - March 24th The Rounds-East 241-326


25. Hauptmann, Vokheimer and Werner are doing some experiments with transceivers. Why do you think they are doing this? Are they going to be looking for something?

They will be tracking down foreign/enemy receivers.

26. We learn about Madame Manec's proposal for sabotage. If she approached you would you participate? How far do you think this group will go with this idea?

I don't think I would participate. I'm a protector, not a fighter. I would be far too worried about the safety of my family. I feel like this is going to start small and snowball into something huge.

27. Harold shows Marie and Madame Manec a secret kennel and gives Marie a key. Why do you think he does this? In a later chapter he disappears. Do you think this has to do with the kennel and the key?

He recognizes the same adventurous spirit in Marie that Etienne used to have before the first war. He wants to give her a place of her own to escape. I don't think it had to do with his disappearance. The Germans most likely rounded him up for labor.

28. Marie and Madame Manec talk about pseudonyms. Marie - The Whelk and Madame - The Blade. What would your pseudonym be?

THE LION.

29. We discover what happened to Frederick. What are your feelings regarding this whole situation? Do you think he will ever recover?

This broke me. Frederick was such a brave soul. I have hope that over time, he'll look at a bird and for a brief moment he'll feel happy.

30. We are introduced to the two Neumanns. What are your first impressions?

UUUUUUGH! OBNOXIOUS!!! Werner is officially in war alongside war-time soldiers. He's not safe.

Questions: The Wardrobe – Entropy

19. Poor Frederick. I don’t like this school Werner is in. The teaching methods are brutal. I think Werner is being used by making these calculations and working on that radio. What could they want from him, what is he making?

He is definitely making some kind of communication or tracking device that will help them in the field.

20. I think we have an answer now as to what happened to Marie-Laure’s father. Will he survive in the work camps?

I would like to hope so, but I don't think he will.

21.Back to 1944 again. I do like these flash forwards of sorts. What I keep wondering is what happened to Marie-Laure’s uncle and Madame Marec? How could they leave her in that house all alone, why couldn’t they take her with them? What do you think did they just forget her or is there a reason for her staying behind?

They love her! Of course they didn't forget her!

22. This section ends on a cliffhanger, Sergeant Major von Rumpel is entering Marie-Laure’s house. What do you think he is after and will he get it?

The diamond! And I certainly hope not.

23. Finally Marie-Laure gets to see the ocean. It seemed to have broken her out of the state she was in after her father left. What did you think of the letter her father send? Do you think she will believe a thing he wrote in there?

That letter broke my heart. His description is beyond heartbreaking because we all know the camps were the complete horrific opposite of what he described. Marie-Laure is very realistic. I don't think she believes it, but I think she needs to.

24. Things at that school are getting worse too especially for Frederick. I applauded him for the way he reacted when he didn’t throw the water. What did you think? I keep hoping Werner will stand up for his friend and he does a little bit to help Frederick, but is it enough?

I admire Frederick so much. He is everything Werner wants to be. It made me cry when I read that section. I think Werner is protecting himself and his family as best he can. He isn't ready to speak out yet.

This is so exciting!!!!

Which books??? What letters do they complete???