Nistha’s
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(group member since Apr 16, 2023)
Nistha’s
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from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.
Showing 81-100 of 348
Completion Post
Theft by Abdulrazak Gurnah
Pages: 304
Finished: 17 Jun
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(I think I have never given 3 books 5 stars back to back)
Mini 1 - Tanzania - author born
Characters
Karim
Badar
Fauzia
Raya
Haji
The summer dress sounds so elegant Keely! I visited Oslo and Copenhagen once and loved it. I thought the people were nice there. Its maybe good you are getting the legal stuff out of the way - almost like having 2 weddings haha
Congrats Keely! I can only imagine it might be so busy with all the preparations. You deserve that newly-wed time with your husband :)
Wohoo! All set for the middle month of reading ..I finally found a bit where a character travels to St. Petersburg - I am not sure why I was so obsessed with that task haha
Completion Post
Book:A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci
Date Read: 16th June
Pages: 528
Rating: 5 stars
So glad finished my last book of the round with 5 stars! I read Baldacci after a long long time and it was so different from his usuals
Doesn't fit any mini atm
Character
John Robert Lee
Desiree DuBose
Jerome Washington
Hilda Lee
Frank Lee
Lucy Lee
Pearl
Anne Randolph
Leslie Randolph
Edmund Battle
Ambrose
Christine Randolph
Sam Randolph
Eldarwen wrote: "Nistha wrote: "For the prompt in Russia -> character (dreams of) going to St. Petersburg, is it sufficient if the characters are in St petersburg or do they have to travel there / or dream of trave..."Ahh okay .. I had White Nights in my TBR, which was set there but I doubt anyone travels to St Petersburg in it
For the prompt in Russia -> character (dreams of) going to St. Petersburg, is it sufficient if the characters are in St petersburg or do they have to travel there / or dream of travelling to there?
Completion post
Strange Pictures by Uketsu
Date read 15 June
Pages 240
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐
(If anyone would like to read a different and good psychological thriller, give this one a try)
Mini 3 - character is an artist
Yuta Konno is an illustrator (artist) as well as art student. There are multiple other characters in this book who are also artists like Haruto
Characters
Tomoko Hagio
Shuhei Sasaki
Yuki
Naomi Konno
Yuta
Yoshiharu Miura
Haruto
Completion post
The End of October by Lawrence Wright
Date read 13 June
Pages 374
Rating 3 stars
Currently doesn't work for mini 1 - I thought it was majorly set in Saudi before reading the book. But after having read it, I can't say it is >50% there
Mini 3 - I - Bambang Idris
Characters
Henry Parsons
Jill Parsons
Nikolai Ustinov Majid
Matilda Nichinsky
Teddy Parsons
Vernon Dixon,
Maria Savona
Bambang Idris
Jürgen Stark
Tony Garcia
Marco Perella
Jane Bartlett
Annisa Novanto
Haha! We are already at 66... Well glad all the banked books got used upI hope R2 some minis also allow us some level of banking books
Completion PostThe Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid
Read: 11th June 2025
Pages: 192
Mini 2
First word "One"
1st line of story "One morning Anders, a white man, woke up to find he had turned a deep and undeniable brown”
Rating: 1 star, for such a powerful first line, this book sure was a disappointment. This book read very pretentious to me
I was so damn done with this book that I almost did not add it to the TT shelf. But suddenly read the first line and it started with One - well atleast it did count for a mini.
We are nearing R2.. I think I will try to hit my cap by reading smaller books this weekend so can utilize all of them and finish the chonkers for next month
I think I will read this one. I found Tender is the Flesh quite a unique horror. I love dark bleak stuff haha
How did you like this book Ashleigh? I have my eyes on this one 👀
Book: Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson
Date Read: june 10, 2025
Pages: 391
Rating: 3 stars
Mini 3 - letters BIER in title (any order)
Before She Knew Him
Characters
Hen (Henrietta)
Matthew Dolamore
Lloyd
Mira Dolamore
Dustin Miller
Paul Gardiner
Susan Gardiner
Wohoo new country!! Way to go guys
Eldarwen wrote: "Nistha wrote: "Completion PostBook: What the River Knows
Author:Isabel Ibañez
Date: 09 June
Pages: 416
Rating: 2.5 stars
But it was so weird by the end."
Yeeees!
I have like 12 pages left to g..."
Haha yes, wait till you get to the very end epilogue. (view spoiler)
Completion PostBook: What the River Knows
Author:Isabel Ibañez
Date: 09 June
Pages: 416
Rating: 2.5 stars
The second half did get better I think, because there was something actually happening because I had almost DNF'ed at 40%. But it was so weird by the end.
Mini 2
Read a book with a map (usually found in the front of the book)
Map at the front of the book
Characters
Inez Olivera
Whit Hayes
Tio Ricardo
Elvira
Abdullah
Jun 09, 2025 03:45PM
23. I’m having a hard time being impartial with questions, as I feel like the last part of the book descended into mayhem and confusion without a solid roadmap, simply to forward action, some random, some meaningful. Is this book magical reality - where did the magic bits go? Is it historical fiction - or did an exotic setting just get used as a backdrop for a romance? What are your thoughts about the last part of the book compared to the first parts? Umm, it was like reading an entirely different novel than the first. For whatever it is worth, I liked the last part more as it had something going on even if extremely whacky stuff. I felt like nothing was happening at all in first half except Inez missing her parents.
24. Do you think the characters stay true to themselves, or grow or change? Which characters do you find multifaceted vs 2-dimensional? Which characters are still too shrouded in mystery and secrets to know who they are?
I think the characters keep changing their colours and that's is becaue a lot is left to be revealed.
25. Let’s talk about Elvira. Do you find it plausible that she, another naïve girl traveling solo, was able to get to Egypt from Argentina to find Inez at the perfect time? And after just being betrayed by her mother - HER MOTHER - do you think it likely that Inez would let her cousin meet an unknown man alone? How did you react to Elvira’s fate, and do you think it was consistent with the tone of the book?
I felt everything went too well according to some weird plan with Elvira's coming. Like it fit too well into the story so I am suspicious
26. Any guesses as to where Inez’s father is, or thoughts on whether he’s still alive? Do you think he has the magical sheet Whit is searching for?
Alive I think. He might have the sheet or hid it somewhere.
27. How did you interpret the final cliffhanger dialog in the Epilogue? Has it been Porter or Whit - or both - Inez has been interacting with? Twins? Are you planning to read the next / final book?
Twins maybe. Wonder what they are playing at. I am kind of intrigued to know what is at play but I am not sure if I really have the bandwidth to read it as I felt the book was quite average
Good point.. might as well get into it and finish the book before any deadlines hit up and we get no points 🙆🏻♀️
