Sophie’s Comments (group member since Apr 28, 2013)

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

Jamie Bamber!

Sammy, just think about the arms and the voice!

That was my thought!

Glad to hear the battle books are coming along ok. As with all things, if you don't think you'll finish by 9UTC on Saturday, please say and hopefully someone else will be able to pick it up.

Sammy wrote: "You were literally the one person I felt reasonably sure about how they'd vote this one 😆"

Glad to know I've been reliable for you!

And no surprises from my corner. Mr Ellis gets my vote

Yay! 5 battle books down and 5 to go! Only glitch is that the ones that are finished are primarily the later ones.

Can someone who has read The Wishing Game please fill in the resource categories for it? Once it is done for one we can copy and paste to the other 3 copies. Lauri, Suzanne, Teddie and Vicki - I'm looking at you all!

15. I personally haven't read Jane Eyre and therefore can't compare the two books which makes me feel a bit regretting, but then again so many of y'all don't seem to like this as a retelling. Do you think you'd feel differently about the book depending on whether you've read Jane Eyre or not, and do you want to pick up Jane Eyre now if you haven't yet? What if you hadn't been aware of this being a retelling and the characters had different names?

This isn't a retelling. It's a loosely inspired by, that would have been better if it had tried to stand on it's own merit rather than trusting to the popularity of a previous best seller.



16. I was secretly hoping that Agnes had romantic feelings for Antoinette and that she was more involved in the last part of the book, but alas it was Dr. Poole. No big surprise there. Has your opinion of him changed in any way after he "confessed" and tried to help Jane and Edward? And if you could bring someone back from the dead, would you do it? Theoretically you wouldnt be aware of any consequences, but logically I think we've learned that there's always consequences...

At least he tried to help... I wouldn't bring anyone back. Read too many things where that's gone wrong.


17. Jane came back for Edward and saved him of course, and now they're living happily ever after. How do you feel about them as a couple, and is there anything you would have changed about these last couple of chapters as the author or simply just a fan of the original work?

Superficial couple. Not as satisfying as the original and as Cat said, Bertha was a much better character and presence than Antoinette.


18. Was this your first book written by Sharon Lynn Fisher, and do you think you'll be reading more by the author? Were your original expectations met? Anything else you want to add?

Nope, no more for me thanks.


Bonus for everyone but especially those who have read Jane Eyre before: I challenge you to say at least one good thing about Salt & Broom - other than "it ended!!" lol :b

DQs – Day 3 Protective Impulses-Pert Thing

11. What do you think about the revelation in the garden/the haunting? Did you see it coming, and do you think there are others involved with the “curse”?

Certainly knew it would have something to do with Mrs Rochester - need to keep some small snippet of the original.

12. What do you think about Mr. Rochester sending away Jane and the staff? If you have read the original, how does this change Jane’s agency, and do you like the change? Either way, why do you think the author made it Mr. Rochester’s choice?

Because it was the only way to keep the characters vaguely consistent with who they were in this book, which is totally different to how they were in the original.

13. Have you ever visited an Apothecary’s Garden? Would you be interested in seeing one? Do you grow any herbs or are you interested in growing any?
I've been to the apothecary's Garden at Anwick Castle which I thought was fascinating and would have liked more time in. Rubbish at growing my own herbs though.

14. What do you think about the scene with Miss Ingram? What does this tell you about Mr. Rochester’s character and did that seem consistent with his character so far? Did his explanation make sense to you?

His explanation made enough sense. The reactions of them both were more like teenagers than actual adults with lives.

DQs - Day 1 - Prologue-Blackthorn

1. A paranormal retelling?? of Jane Eyre - this prompts the question about the original or let's call it the "source for inspiration". What is your relationship to Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë? Have you read it? Loved/liked/disliked it?

I've read it and enjoyed it. Not an all time favourite, but would reread without an issue.


2. What about Retellings? Is it a genre you like/avoid?

Variable to me depending on how it's been done. I tend to read mythical/fairy tale retellings rather than retellings based on literature from 1800/1900.


3. Jane Aire as a witch in a school for orphan witches? How do you like the setting of this alternative Victorian world where magic is at least tolerated?

I wasn't convinced it was a school for orphan witches in its entirety. The setting was ok I suppose.

4. What are your first impressions of Jane and Rochester?
I was underwhelmed by them both.

5. What do you think about the occurrences in Thornfield? Are they really caused by supernatural elements or is it human action?
Given the blurb I'm going with supernatural.

Teddie - I know exactly what you mean about the snowball effect of negativity with some of the aspects of some books we pick up as a group.

Lucy wrote: "Maybe they were looking for a way that hasn't been used before. I do think I haven't seen 'tunnel of commitment' used like that. Sometimes original doesn't always mean better..."

Definitely some times where things haven't been said/written before for a reason!

It's next on my tbr!

I would say that both men on the cover of this are wearing shoes, unless someone has a vehement disagreement.

Matt Boomer for me, but not a straightforward choice at all.

It's the only sex scene in the book so would have disappointed a lot of people.

This is in the final 5%, but the writing of the rest of it hasn't left me surprised that this is the way the author is writing the climax of the book.

Well my battle book is nearly done which is just as well...

"his erect reproductive muscle moved in and out of her tunnel of commitment." I don't need to read more prose like this ever.

Momoa

Thanks Mel. We had a wonderful time and the kids have had a great time playing with their cousins and charging about everywhere.

Thanks everyone! Find it helpful to know how you are thinking about things so we can plan and move things across in a way that makes sense to everyone. Will let you know what the captains decision is because we know it's not a straightforward choice.

Life has been keeping me v occupied this weekend! My sister, her husband and their son all have their birthday on 21st June so we spent yesterday at a family party and left much later than planned.

Then today we've had church, going to my dad's for lunch and a swim (yay the sun is finally here!) and then making cookies with my daughter. I will find time to read somehow!



In terms of planning for this round...
Given Suzanne's comment here (https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...) do any of you have opinions on how we split the resources?

Into 3 piles when we can protect them all and potentially miss out on the increase?
4 equal piles?
3 protected piles and a smaller unprotected so that the points change isn't so much if it drops, but we might still gain some?