Jennifer C and Vi are going to read Dragonfly in Amber

[Shellbelle]

Jennifer C and Vi are going to read Dragonfly in Amber

[Vi]

Hi Jennifer, when would you like to start the book?

[Jennifer C.]

Hi Vi! I saw that you really wanted to read A Clash of Kings with Barbara and she can't wait until April. Do you want to push this to the end of March and read that with her first? It's totally cool with me if you do. We can keep this open if we are still reading at the beginning of April. I'm not in a huge rush or anything. Let me know. :-)

[Vi]

Ah, that would be good too! I'm of two minds continuing the series and I know for sure I wouldn't read if there is no incentive. Could we start this book around 20th of March? I'm hoping I'll finish ACoK by then. Thanks, Jennifer!

[Jennifer C.]

Sure! No problem. Are you doing the Word with GR Friends challenge? That always slows me down too. I usually end up reading a big book on the side and read another book every week for the challenge.

I've read the first four in the GoT series. Just be prepared, every other book is a build up. ACoK seems slow compared to the first one, but I think it's worth it. Some books just aren't meant to be read quickly. You have to be in the right mood and frame of mind for books like this. I hope you enjoy it!

[Vi]

Nope. I really wanted to but I couldn't. I'm the process of shifting right now and I won't be having internet access all the time. With this, I don't think I can commit to a book per week. :(

The first book I read over nearly two years ago and I had to take breaks in between reading. How do you like the series?

[Jennifer C.]

I really like it but I'm just bummed that he is taking so long to finish the series. He doesn't exactly look like the healthiest guy. I'm hoping he has an ending for this. I want to read A Dance With Dragons but then I know I have to just sit and wait for the last two. :-(

[Jennifer C.]

Hi Vi! How is A Clash of Kings coming? Do you think we'll start this one this month? Or next? I'm not rushing you... just wondering.

[Vi]

Hi Jennifer, sorry for the late reply! I had a family crisis last week and had to fly back home. As a result, I'm behind on my reading by a few days. Can we start the buddy read around 29? I should be done with ACoK by then.

[Jennifer C.]

Yeah, no problem. I hope everything is ok. Take your time. I'll ask them to leave this thread open through April.

[Vi]

Hi Jennifer, I'm almost done with ACoK. Can we start DiA tomorrow 29th March or 30th? I'm open either way. If you prefer a later date, that's fine by me too.

[Jennifer C.]

Yeah, that's fine. I'm reading Good Omens now but I have to finish it by Friday. I'll start DiA after that.

[Vi]

Ok then I'll start tomorrow, 30th March which should work out good. Thanks for waiting, Jennifer!

[Vi]

Hi Jennifer, hope you had a wonderful Easter. I haven't heard from you - so just checking.

[Jennifer C.]

Hi Vi! My Easter was good, how was yours? I still haven't started yet. Have you? I plan to finish my challenge book for the week and read some of this tonight.

[Vi]

Hi Jennifer, glad to hear that. I don't celebrate Easter but the long weekend was great. I caught up on my reading.

No. i was waiting for you so that we could read together :) I'll finish my current book by tonight and start this as well. That works?

[Vi]

I'm a little tired so I'm going to bed now. I'll start this first thing tomorrow morning. How do we do this?. Do we check in periodically?

[Jennifer C.]

Yeah. I was exhausted last night and didn't finish my other book like I had planned. Just drop in whenever there is something to discuss. Just use spoilers and be sure to let me know what point I need to be at to look at the spoiler. The beginning of this book should be much more exciting than the last one. I struggled through the first 200 pages of the first book.

[Vi]

Huh, I'm trying to remember the first one and I think I remember all the major plot points. Smaller ones are going to be an issue I suppose. Oh well. Yep, I remember those pages. It felt like the book would never get to its point. I'm going to bed now - I'll probably start it tomorrow morning. Have a great day, Jennifer!

[Jennifer C.]

Well, she finds out that she was pregnant at the very end. She thought that she was unable to have children.

[Vi]

Hi Jennifer - sorry, I meant to post yesterday but my Internet started acting up and I couldn't.

I'm right now at the halfway point - I remembered she being pregnant but I was caught totally unaware by the start. Have you started? I can't wait to discuss this. Really enjoying this one.

[Jennifer C.]

OK, I finally just started this today. I am just as confused as you are. I'm assuming that she either came back pregnant, or came back with her daughter, but what happened to Jamie??? The daughter is obviously Jamies and Frank is dead. I really hope that she gets back to Jamie. The good news is that I'll have all week to read just this. I finished my challenge book for the week already. :)

[Vi]

I finished it yesterday night (Sunday) - couldn't put it down. Sorry, Jennifer!

When I started this for the first time, I thought Claire had come back to the present. Obviously, she and Jamie were together ALL the time. Imagine my surprise when they were not! And looks like Bree and Roger might end together, don't you think so?

[Jennifer C.]

Wow! That was really fast. I'll post as I go. hopefully I get through a lot before Friday. I haven't had much free time lately.

[Vi]

Hehe, yes. I'm reading a chunky/tome a week now with shorter books rotating around this. This week it's and next week . Anyway, take your time - we'll discuss as you read.

[Jennifer C.]

It actually seems like there will be a triangle between Roger, Fiona, and Brianna. I thought it was funny how uncomfortable he got when she tried to clean up the spill on his lap. LOL. Who would do that?!? Fiona seems like she is trying to impress Roger. He is definitely more interested in Brianna though.

[Jennifer C.]

OK, I'm still not very far. Only about 70 pages. I'm still in the first part. Roger was working in the garage with Brianna and she found the box marked Randall and he kept the journal out and is reading it.

I just think it's really interesting how everything ties back to the first book. In the first book at the very beginning Claire went to visit Roger's adoptive father and came across Roger's family tree. His father said that his own lineage wasn't much to speak of, but he wanted to make sure that Roger remembered where he came from. He had changed his name from MacKenzie to Wakefield. Which means... dun dun dun... he's probably going to be related to Brianna. Boo!!

Oh, and when Roger was reading his father's journals, it seems like Claire told Frank everything. I guess she had to tell him something, since she was pregnant and had to explain that. I wonder how he took that, because he was very adamant that he wanted his own child and didn't even want to adopt when she brought it up. They never had a child of their own. It seems like he did accept Brianna. I guess if your wife goes missing for years and shows up pregnant and tells you that she time traveled and you can accept that, you can accept anything. I mean really??? I hope we get to experience that part. That had to be a strange conversation.

I'm really liking it so far. I pick it up every second I get, even if I only get to read a page or two. I just don't have ANY time! I'll keep going and posting. Sorry it's taking me so long.

[Vi]

Hi Jennifer! Sorry, I meant to comment earlier but I must have forgotten.

Regarding the love triangle - huh, I never got the vibe about the Fiona and Roger part of the triangle being serious. I don't think Fiona will get much attention by Roger.

Aha! I didn't remember that part about Claire & the Reverend talking - though now that you mention it, it comes back to me vaguely. Hmm, interesting complication there, right? But, so neat that you remembered that!

Oh yeah, Frank was a bit of an ass reg that. From what Brianna mentions later on (soon-ish for you, I suppose), she and Frank had a great relationship. I would love to have that conversation too - because Frank had to have opened his mind to accept her. I don't imagine Frank and Claire had a very loving relationship either.

Jennifer - keep going. I know RL can be a PITA - I'll just keep posting and don't worry about the time. Just let me know till what chapter you're at so that I don't accidentally spoil you.

[Vi]

Hi Jennifer - how's it going?

[Jennifer C.]

Hi Vi! Sorry this is taking me so long. My one challenge is almost over and I should be able to catch up with my buddy reads. I'm only up to page 136 on the nook version. She is with Jamie. :-D His cousin is leaving him in charge but he hasn't left yet. And she caused a huge scene when the ship came in with sick people on it.

[Vi]

Argh! Sorry I didn't reply earlier. I was not thinking!

Take your time, Jennifer :)

[Jennifer C.]

OK, so now all my challenges are over and my second job is winding down this week. I'll definitely be finishing this in the next couple weeks. Thanks for being so patient. My life is finally getting back to normal warp speed. :)

[Vi]

No problem, Jennifer. I'll still be here :)

[Jennifer C.]

OK... I'm finally getting a chance to read this more. I'm up to chapter 11. Claire has just met Mary. Claire was worried when she first heard about Mary because she was supposed ro marry Jon Randall, but since he is dead she is arranged to marry some other horrific man. This gives Jamie hope that they really can change things though. It just worries Claire that this means that Frank will not exist. I'm enjoying it so far, but there isn't a whole lot happening yet. I'm sure it will pick up. I'll keep posting as I go.

[Jennifer C.]

Oh my god. Claire explaining waxing to Jamie was so funny. I love when they explain their different cultures to each other. It's really like they are from different planets sometimes.

[Vi]

That's so funny. I had almost the same conversation with my husband just few days earlier when I had mine done. It felt like deja vu. ;)

[Jennifer C.]

I thought the dog at the hospital was interesting too. I liked the medical parts at the beginning of the first book too.

Oh and I just got to the part where Jamie introduced Claire to the child pick pocket that he hired.

I feel like there are a lot of interesting small things that are happening but not much in the overall storyline. There hasn't been much progress on the Jacobite front.

[Jennifer C.]

I felt so bad for Fergus. He's just a child and to have such a horrible life. He was devastated with the though of Jamie throwing him out. He would rather die. So sad.

But the part where Jamie gets cornered by Bouton was so funny. He just talked to that little dog like he was a person. So cute!

[Vi]

So true. I agree. Until the last moment, I was not sure where things are heading. I mean I knew Claire had to go back pregnant but not sure why.

Keep going :)

[Jennifer C.]

I just finished the second part. I would have been so pissed. Just watching is one thing, but obviously he did a lot more than just watch. I don't feel like he explained himself at all either. She just accepted it so easily. I don't get that. I would also be pissed that he compared what they have to the feelings he felt towards a whore. Really?!? I hated everything about that scene.

[Jennifer C.]

I just finished the third part. I can't believe that Jack Randall is still alive. It's a really weird coincidence that Dougal just showed up when he did. I can't believe that she actually talked Jamie into waiting a year to kill Jack so that Frank can exist.

[Jennifer C.]

I'm just at the beginning of the fourth part. I'm starting to think that the only thing that will make her go back is if something is wrong with the pregnancy and the only way to save the baby is to go back. She has started bleeding and is only five months along, so I'm thinking that'll probably be it. I still have a long way to go though so a lot could happen.

[Vi]

I couldn't believe the fact that Claire was soo concerned about Frank. It makes sense but it must have been nightmarish for her.

[Jennifer C.]

I know. I agree. She chose not to go back so I figured she wouldn't be as concerned. I think I feel that way because there was so little of him in the first book. I don't really feel connected to him like I do with Jamie. His point of view was interesting when he explained why he would wait a year. So that Claire will have someone to go to who loves her if anything would happen to him.

[Jennifer C.]

Well, now I'm completely lost. She lost the baby??? So, what... she gets pregnant again before she goes back? And she really thought that Jamie had left for Spain without seeing her? Does that sound like something he would do? And Randall is still alive, Jamie's in prison, and she is trying to sneak out of Louise's country house. God knows what she thinks she's going to do though. I need to keep going, I know.

[Vi]

Yep, you need to keep going. And don't try to predict. That was what I was trying to do and ended up nowhere. Then I just went with the flow. But when she actually goes back, it's like it just snuck up on you from nowhere. And that is all the clue I'm going to give.

[Jennifer C.]

I just finished part 4. That was an eerie ending of that part. They found that couple who died when the cave entrance collapsed and they were holding each other when they suffocated to death.

Why doesn't Claire see that Randall needs to die??? How many people is she going to let him scar for life just so that Frank can live? I understand that she feels as if killing him would be killing innocent people, but I think killing him would probably save a lot of people. He is a monster. That scene where Fergus tells Claire what happened made me so sick. I just don't understand how she can live with knowing he is still out there hurting people. I know Jamie may have taken care of that and now Frank may not exist anyway, but the man needs to die!!! End of story. I can't take it if he lives.

[Jennifer C.]

I just finished chapter 37. That was so weird. Colum is dead. But everyone is just so blah about it. Maybe because he's been sick so long and they were just waiting for it to happen. It was still weird though. I haven't checked in for a while. I should be done this weekend sometime. I only have about 200 pages. Final stretch!!

[Jennifer C.]

I'm up to the point where they are visiting Jamie's grandfather. He's a real treat, isn't he?

[Vi]

Ah, you're bringing back everything to me. Reaction to Colum's death was so weird to me. Nobody basically cared.

The Grandfather and the family were fun to read. I couldn't believe Jamie didn't meet them before and even more, I couldn't believe he would do that for the king.