A Certain Slant of Light (Light #1) by Laura Whitcomb - MMC GBR - Starting August 13th 2017

[Sarah Elizabeth]

In the class of the high school English teacher she has been haunting, Helen feels them: for the first time in 130 years, human eyes are looking at her. They belong to a boy, a boy who has not seemed remarkable until now. And Helen--terrified, but intrigued--is drawn to him. The fact that he is in a body and she is not presents this unlikely couple with their first challenge. But as the lovers struggle to find a way to be together, they begin to discover the secrets of their former lives and of the young people they come to possess.

[Sarah Elizabeth]

A Certain Slant of Light (Light #1) by Laura Whitcomb will be our 4th GBR for August 2017.

Please read at your own pace, and hide any spoilers ☺ You are welcome to join at any time during the month ☺

Happy Reading Everybody!

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Pre-Reading Questions -

Anybody got any thoughts on this one before we start?

Has anyone read anything similar to this before?

Anybody read anything else by this author previously?

[Abi]

Sarah wrote: "Pre-Reading Questions -

Anybody got any thoughts on this one before we start?
It looks interesting. "The young people they come to possess" - literally?
Has anyone read anything similar to this before?
I read a book about a girl whose family inherited a manor in Scotland and fell in love with a ghost.
Anybody read anything else by this author previously?"
Nope.

[Natalie]

Will be starting this shortly c:

[Maddie]

Oh my gosh stop XD

[Natalie]

Whyyyyy :P

[Maddie]

because I was trying to keep up with these, assuming people woild read them at all different times and I could keep pace... And then you go and read them all at once, massively throwing me off xD

[Natalie]

Sorry XD

To be fair, I seem to be the only one doing this - there's bound to be a bunch of other people reading them more slowly c: I just know I wanted to read all the GBRs so if I get them out of the way first then I can see what letters/descriptions remain for the Reading Bee and Bookish Blocks to make things a bit easier for myself c:

[Maddie]

Yeah fair enough :)

[Natalie]

Glad you think so XD I was pretty slack in organising BRs for this month so I really need to work out what the heck I'm doing to be honest .-.

--

Ch1 (view spoiler)[Okay, couple of confusing terms of phrase: 'the Quick' and 'Light', not sure what that refers to... ghosts and the living? Where did the phrases come from? Were they borne from the mind of our narrator of were they already in existence as a way to describe the phenomena in this world?

Really intriguing first chapter. I honestly have very little idea on what is truly going on but despite that it's great :| (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Haha I, as usual, have too many.

[Natalie]

I had too many last month (and didn't manage to finish them all) so I figured I probably shouldn't organise too many for this month. As a result I organised next to none :P

Ch2 (view spoiler)[Huh, so the boy who can see her is also a 'Light' (ghost?), just one who has inhabited the body of a boy who what... was brain dead?

And what is the 'evil' that James is talking about? A demon? Or something else, maybe a 'Light' who has gone dark side due to being without a corporeal form and unable to affect 'reality' for too long? (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Don't you catch up on ones you missed from last month?

I'm intimidated by this one. The font's tiny.

[Natalie]

Not yet to be honest, but I'm getting there XD Luckily a lot were ones that I'd just planned on joining in with, rather than officially joining from the get-go, if that makes sense.

I'm reading this on my phone so luckily the font size isn't an issue for me. If you have an eReader or something along those lines you can see if there's a library you can borrow ebooks off? I do that quite a bit c:

[Maddie]

Yeah haha I do too. but they don't have this one :(

[Maddie]

Might pick this one up in a few minutes, and try and keep up :p You going to finish it tomorrow?

[Maddie]

Natalie wrote: "Glad you think so XD I was pretty slack in organising BRs for this month so I really need to work out what the heck I'm doing to be honest .-.

--

Ch1 Okay, couple of confusing terms of phrase: '..."

(view spoiler)[Yeah I'm confused as well!

I wonder how she knows those terms, as she's never met anyone like her before. And how did she die? And how did she know she was dead? And how did she get a host? (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Natalie wrote: "I had too many last month (and didn't manage to finish them all) so I figured I probably shouldn't organise too many for this month. As a result I organised next to none :P

Ch2 Huh, so the boy who..."

(view spoiler)[I think a Light is a ghost who hasn't possessed a body.
And his body wasn't brain-dead, but I think he took so many drugs he just shut down? But his body didn't? So yeah I suppose he was, in a way, brain dead. Seems weird though, how he's like 85 years old and is suddenly in this boy's body, living this new life.

No idea about the evil bit. Too confusing. Hoping it'll be explained soon.
(hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

I'll try finishing it today c: depends how busy I get though... we'll see? XD

How are you finding reading it? The words aren't too small I hope? c:

[Maddie]

Na they're alright. Hope the book starts making a little more sense soon.

[Natalie]

Yeah, it definitely starts off pretty confusing @_@

Just finished posting my books finished from over the weekend into their appropriate threads, should be able to read some more of this soon! c:

[Maddie]

Take your time :p

[Natalie]

Finally started a second book simultaneously (Ash and Quill) because I really need to start on something other than a GBR :P

But for this one...

Ch5: (view spoiler)[Yeah, because beating your little brother will definitely stop him using :|
--
The trouble is,” he said, choosing words carefully, “I find that my feelings for you are changing.” Although the people sitting below could not hear him, he lowered his voice. “It’s hard to have you with me but not be able to take your hand or kiss you.”
I'm sorry, where the hell did that come from? WHAT? I mean I realise they have some kind of "connection" being both Light, or ghosts or whatever but REALLY? That sudden change in tone makes no sense to me whatsoever. There's little to no build up to it just BAM! "I want to kiss you". (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Oh no another 50pg of this one I need to read!

[Natalie]

Ch7: (view spoiler)[Okay seriously, what was the "evil thing" inside the 30-year-old woman, and what exactly makes someone empty? I thought it was brain dead or something, but Jenny is definitely not considering she's walking and talking etc. Is it that their "soul" has become so damaged that it's fled and they're just some shell now? A vessel to be possessed by a Light or an "Evil"? What's going on with this novellll ;u; (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

...Oops? XD;; I tend to try for 20% minimum per book per day when I'm reading multiple at one time. I'll probably read Ch8 because that'll bring me to 44% and then read more tomorrow to give you a bit of time to catch up. Will that help at all?

[Natalie]

Ch8 (view spoiler)[ and she's in a body! Not sure how that's going to go down... I really want things to be explained too ;u; (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Yes it would! So around 20% a day would work perfectly! If that's alright with you, that is?

[Natalie]

That's absolutely fine c: I really don't mind reading multiple at once if you want to be able to keep up - I know I sometimes go through books pretty quickly XD;;

[Maddie]

Yes I do want to keep up with this one :p It's probably the most intimidating to me.

[Natalie]

Completely fair c:

It's definitely interesting... but to be honest I'm pretty lost with it so far ._.

[Maddie]

Oh no.

[Natalie]

I'm still pretty hopeful for it though - I follow Laini Taylor on Goodreads as she's one of my favourite new authors and she gave this novel 5 stars. Hoping there's some twist that will explain everything XD;;

[Maddie]

I'm considering not reading this one actually. I'm just not sure.

[Natalie]

Well let me know. If you decide against reading it I'll power through and finish it myself ;D

[Maddie]

You go for it :) Don't let me hold you up. I don't think I'll read it. Hasn't hooked me yet and the small amount of team points isn't worth the hassle. Don't think I'll read Cruel Summer either.

[Natalie]

Completely fair c: I'm just enjoying going through the GBRs because a lot of them are ones I wouldn't really choose for myself - good to try new things after all ;D

[Maddie]

Haha that's true, but I do like books I choose for myself :p

[Natalie]

Well so do I but sometimes I like to try something different :P

[Natalie]

Ch9
(view spoiler)[They had sex?! Okay, considering they've both essentially possessed someone else's 'empty vessel' I am so not okay with this :|

And on top of that they're really REALLY rushing into things, jeez. There really seems to be no true reason for any of their actions except that they can suddenly so things so LETS DO ALL THE THINGS. Not impressed. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Ch13
(view spoiler)[Okay, so I understand why James was a 'Light'. He felt that he'd caused the death of his entire regimen during a skirmish of WWII and wouldn't let himself move on as a result but... now he's somehow managed to communicate with one of his fallen brethren and he's good now? Maybe? Does that mean he'll be leaving 'the plane' of reality that he's currently in, and leaving Billy's body too?
--
Accessory to rape? Is that because he and Helen slept together or is there some Billy thing that happened previously?
(hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Finished! (view spoiler)[Okay, I have to admit that I really really love the ending of this novel despite how confused I was for the majority. We learned why Helen and James had both stayed behind and, through their possessions of the bodies of two lost souls they somehow managed to heal those people and give them hope - and a reason to come back to their bodies and back to life after all. That was pretty neat ❤️ (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

chapter 1 (view spoiler)[ I am so confused. what the heck is going on? I didn't understand the stuff about her 'quick' or being made of light, and then all that stuff about the different people she had haunted? so confused. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

chapter 2 (view spoiler)[ "It was my familiar pulling at me from one side and my mystery from the other."
What does that mean? (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Natalie wrote: "Finally started a second book simultaneously (Ash and Quill) because I really need to start on something other than a GBR :P

But for this one...

Ch5: ."

(view spoiler)[ the sudden 'we're supposed to be together' was a bit weird. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

chapter 9 (view spoiler)[ I cannot believe they had sex, talk about going from 0 to 60 in 10 seconds flat! and did they use protection? I'm guessing not! and then she tells her mother he's a gentleman?! When only a few hours ago he deflowered her in the auditorium?! and what about the fact that they're possessing other people's bodies to do this? really weird. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Natalie wrote: "Ch9


(view spoiler)[ really rushing into things! (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

chapter 11 (view spoiler)[ and now they're getting married?! Jenny's parents aren't going to let that happen! (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

chapter 12 (view spoiler)[ I thought it since she first smelled gardenias on his shirt, but her father is definitely having an affair. (hide spoiler)]