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Wool Omnibus (Wool #1-5 ; Silo #1), Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy BOM, Start Date October 2, 2014
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(last edited Oct 10, 2014 08:11PM)
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Chapter Breakdown
Date Chapters Pages PPDQs
2 Oct Part 1 Holston" 1-42 Karen
3 Oct Part 2 "Proper Gauge" 43-126 Sonia
4&5 Oct Part 3 "Casting Off" 127-217 Sonia
6 Oct Part 4 "The Unravelling" 218-281 Kelly
(chapters 31-41)
7 Oct Part 4 "The Unravelling" 282-343 Kelly
(chapters 42-52)
8 Oct Part 5 "The Stranded" 344-408 Amanda
(chapters 53-62)
9 Oct Part 5 "The Stranded" 409-470 Amanda
(chapters 63-62)
10 Oct Part 5 "The Stranded" 471-537 Kelly
(chapters 53-end)
Breakdown is based on this copy
of the book so your page numbers may be slightly different if using another version. Please note the part numbers and chapter numbers for this reason
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Do I need to notify anyone if I'm going to read this BOTM? I don't think I've read a BOTM with NBRC before...
Kimberly wrote: "Do I need to notify anyone if I'm going to read this BOTM? I don't think I've read a BOTM with NBRC before..."Nope. Just show up for the first set of questions. :)
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Please let us know if you'd like to volunteer to write any discussion questions
Purchased the book today.
Got my book on Overdrive and ready to go.
I have wanted to read this one, too. May I join?
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Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado
(last edited Oct 01, 2014 02:34PM)
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Still need to pick up my copy but really looking forward to reading this one :)
So we're reading all five books or just book 1??
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Part 1 - "Holston"
1. The dedication states "For those who dare to hope". How do you feel about that after reading this first part?
2. This book was originally released as ebooks and this omnibus is a combination of those 5 books. Have you read any of the parts before?
3. Thoughts on the writing style and the world that has been created?
4. If you lived in the Silo do you think you would watch "the cleaning"?
5.How about doing the cleaning...would you want to go outside and take your chances?
6.How did you feel about the ending of Part 1? Was it what you expected?
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we are reading the omnibus so it is the five books (parts in the omnibus)
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Yes I know Chris! It is one of the things I realy enjoyed about this book. The author has no fear (view spoiler)
Finished Part 1. I so did not expect that! (view spoiler)
1. The dedication states "For those who dare to hope". How do you feel about that after reading this first part?
(view spoiler)
2. This book was originally released as ebooks and this omnibus is a combination of those 5 books. Have you read any of the parts before?
No
4. If you lived in the Silo do you think you would watch "the cleaning"?
Probably. At least once. Maybe not after that...
5.How about doing the cleaning...would you want to go outside and take your chances?
I can't decide. I'm thinking on it. See response to Q1.
6.How did you feel about the ending of Part 1? Was it what you expected?
Heck no.
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haha - love your spoiler! I guess they do want people to go cleaning
1. Well described. It is a tough one
6. Still gives me goosebumps and I read the book over a year ago
1. The dedication doesn't seem to fit yet. I dare to hope that there are more twists in the tale. 2. I haven't read any of parts before but I had seen it around and been thinking of reading it sometime.
3. The writing style makes me feel like I'm looking on rather than part of the story. I don't feel as detached as I did when I read The Road.
4. I think I might watch once out of curiosity but I think I would go with the flow and do what everyone else did.
5. I'm not one to rock the boat or a major conspiracy theorist so I don't think I would want to clean or put myself in a position that I would become a cleaner.
6. Not what I was expecting. I like the twists.
October 2Part 1 - "Holston"
1. The dedication states "For those who dare to hope". How do you feel about that after reading this first part?
Well, it does not feel like there is much hope right now. Maybe future chapters will bring that into focus.
2. This book was originally released as ebooks and this omnibus is a combination of those 5 books. Have you read any of the parts before?
Nope, this is my first time.
3. Thoughts on the writing style and the world that has been created?
The writing style is easy to read and flows smoothly.
I am really curious as to why they are in a silo.
4. If you lived in the Silo do you think you would watch "the cleaning"?
Hard to say, but I think I would. I would want to know if someone made it over the hill and if there was finally hope that they could go outside.
5.How about doing the cleaning...would you want to go outside and take your chances?
HA, no way!
6.How did you feel about the ending of Part 1? Was it what you expected?
Not really, I knew that the author wrote the first part as a stand alone and only continued because of requests. Also, after reading the Game of Thrones series, main characters dying seems like old news.
Renee wrote: " I don't feel as detached as I did when I read The Road. "I agree. I did not get emotionally involved in 'The Road' until the end. The emotion flowed a lot sooner for me in this book: There were tears down my cheek at the end of this section.
October 2Part 1 - "Holston"
1. The dedication states "For those who dare to hope". How do you feel about that after reading this first part?
I definitely did not think the dedication fit the first part of the book. I don't think they want to say that (view spoiler)
2. This book was originally released as ebooks and this omnibus is a combination of those 5 books. Have you read any of the parts before?
I have finished the omnibus, but did not read the book in bits as the smaller books came out. I read it all together. And thank goodness! I was mad (and shocked!) at how book 1 ended.
3. Thoughts on the writing style and the world that has been created?
I loved the opening line to the book! "The children were playing while Holston climbed to his death; he could hear them squealing as only happy children do." It definitely grabs your attention right away. I did like the writing style, yet it took me a little while to get into the book for some reason. I ended up really liking the book and the world it built. I plan to read the rest of the series at some point.
4. If you lived in the Silo do you think you would watch "the cleaning"?
I'm not sure. I might, but only if it was someone I knew and I'd probably cry the whole time. (view spoiler)
5.How about doing the cleaning...would you want to go outside and take your chances?
Nope. I'm more of a follow the crowd kind of a person. I'm definitely not a conspiracy buff.
6.How did you feel about the ending of Part 1? Was it what you expected?
I was shocked at the end. I really thought that (view spoiler)
@ Kimberly - You will definitely learn more about your cleaning spoiler as the book progresses! :)
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Isn't it amazing we can feel that emotion even though we've only known the character for about 40 pages. I think that takes very clever writing and goes straight to all humans desire for hope and achieving great things (which is where we thought Holston was going)
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Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado
(last edited Oct 02, 2014 09:37PM)
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1. haha, indeed that would not make a good dedication! I think the dedication he uses makes the end of part 1 even more surprising
3. true, that is a great opening line. I also want to read the next book. I have it on audio and just haven't gotten there yet. Maybe a buddy read will be in the works after we all finish this one!
6. I think because we all wanted to believe what Holston believed. Clever writing!
O.K. Let's get this party started - I begin... Now. But I hope maybe next time we can get
nominated. Didn't make it next month - so that leaves December. Fingers crossed.
1. It feels sarcastic after this first part, but it makes me believe that there will be some kind of breakthrough later on for the people who are still curious about the outside.2. Nope.
3. I love the writing. It's solid and not cheesy like dystopia can sometimes be.
5. I think Houston's situation is special because he's grieving and has nothing to lose. For the most part, no, I'd think people would want to stay inside. What reason would there be to leave?
6. Yes, it's what I expected. I was surprised when Houston got out there, but then it turned out the author was being tricky.
I loved this first part. Reading it right before bed was not my smartest move, but it was so engaging. It makes sense that these were published separately because Part I would've been an amazing short story.
reading this first part?- For those who dare to hope are in trouble. The ones who hope and are released from the Silo are doomed - or are they?
2. This book was originally released as ebooks and this omnibus is a combination of those 5 books. Have you read any of the parts before?
No
3. Thoughts on the writing style and the world that has been created?
I think this book is going to have really good world building, which gets completely put to the way side with some of the dystopian novels I have read, such as Divergent. The writing is better.
4. If you lived in the Silo do you think you would watch "the cleaning"?
Maybe at least once.
5.How about doing the cleaning...would you want to go outside and take your chances?
I don't know. If I thought there was something better, but if I believed it was toxic and only death was out there, that my only chance of survival was in the Silo, then I would stay.
6.How did you feel about the ending of Part 1? Was it what you expected?
Yes and no. I could go either way. I feel like something had to happen to the environment to have the need for the Silo in the first place. But I have a feeling there is more than meets the eye.
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7. If the toxins are that harmful that they "eat" the suits, shouldn't they affect also the structure of the silo?
8. What do you think about the Major comparing to part 1? Did her human side surprised you?
9. Did you like the way the author chose to show us how the silo is structured?
10. So, the IT guy went ahead and invited the candidate he saw fit. Not only that, but he's against the mayor's choice. That sounds like a power play taking place, or maybe the beginning of another uprising?
11. What do you will happen next? Will Jules continue to be Sheriff? Or will Bernard take over?
Zonnah wrote: "Renee wrote: " I don't feel as detached as I did when I read The Road. "I agree. I did not get emotionally involved in 'The Road' until the end. The emotion flowed a lot sooner for me in this boo..."
The emotion grabbed me in The Road fairly quickly. I don't think I have ever read a book that has captured that parent love/worry/protective/tender whatever you feel for your child so strong for me even though the writing was so sparce. It still haunts me. This book is more descriptive, yes, has my attention because I want to know what happens, but has not pulled on my heart strings at all, yet...
Kimberly wrote: "Finished Part 1. I so did not expect that! [spoilers removed]
Well from what I understood the Silo didn't show a mirage, it was the accurate landscape, his helmet had a mirage in it.
Kaitlin wrote: "1. It feels sarcastic after this first part, but it makes me believe that there will be some kind of breakthrough later on for the people who are still curious about the outside.2. Nope.
3. I lo..."
O.K. I did think "You have got to be kidding me" when Allison says to her husband "You have got to be kidding me." So cheesy - I mean that was just too 2014.
Oh....I have so much to say, but I've already finished the book, so I will wait for everyone else to read it before I really comment on anything. It is really difficult to answer questions for this book without giving anything away. There are twists and turns and interesting details that are so much better if you read them without any hint that they are coming. I can't wait to see what everyone thinks of it.
Questions and Comments for Part 2 "Proper Gauge"7. If the toxins are that harmful that they "eat" the suits, shouldn't they affect also the structure of the silo?
I got the impression that the toxins didn't eat through the suits and kill people but that the cleaners actually suffocated inside the suit. Most of the silo is underground so better protected. I wonder what the toxins are and what originally happen. I hope we get an explanation.
8. What do you think about the Major comparing to part 1? Did her human side surprised you?
Part one I felt I was looking on and only saw her from the outside. Part two I felt like I was walking with the characters and got to know them on a more personal level.
Zonnah commented before about reading Game of Thrones had prepared her for the possibility of main characters getting killed off. GoT was also full of characters that you initially didn't like until you were shown their human side.
9. Did you like the way the author chose to show us how the silo is structured?
I do. I like the balance of world building and character building. I want more background.
10. So, the IT guy went ahead and invited the candidate he saw fit. Not only that, but he's against the mayor's choice. That sounds like a power play taking place, or maybe the beginning of another uprising?
Big power play by IT guy. (view spoiler)
11. What do you will happen next? Will Jules continue to be Sheriff? Or will Bernard take over?
I think Jules will be sheriff but not sure who will be deputy or mayor.
October 2Part 1 - "Holston"
1. The dedication states "For those who dare to hope". How do you feel about that after reading this first part?
Well. I suppose a lot of people have died doing things for the betterment of lots of people. And I guess he wasn't really living much the past 3 years. The book really liked to jerk you around though.
2. This book was originally released as ebooks and this omnibus is a combination of those 5 books. Have you read any of the parts before?
I have not. I had part 1 since it was a free download but I hadn't gotten to it yet.
3. Thoughts on the writing style and the world that has been created?
I like the writing style. It feels very much like The Maze Runner mixed with The City of Ember with a little Divergent thrown in.
4. If you lived in the Silo do you think you would watch "the cleaning"?
No. Feels a little like watching a public execution or something, though I think those used to be common for lots of people to watch long ago.
5.How about doing the cleaning...would you want to go outside and take your chances?
Depends who I had on the inside. If I had a husband and kids I wouldn't. If it was just me, I might.
6.How did you feel about the ending of Part 1? Was it what you expected?
No, not what I expected. Seems crazy to make this whole world in a helmet just to trick people into cleaning the things. Why can't they get robots or something to do it? Or have people come back in if they didn't trick them. Wouldn't it be easier to keep order if people knew the world was dead?
Part 2Not finished with the whole section yet, but I am really enjoying being sucked into this underground world. It is weird to kill off a main character like that at the beginning, but I don't know if it was to get any conspiracy out of the way of the outside world, that yes it is actually toxic and bad and not habitable, and then to be drawn into this world in the Silo. We will see. Maybe there will be enough politics and conspiracies within the Silo to keep the machine running or collapse this society. We will see, but I am looking forward to finding out what unfolds.
Questions and Comments for Part 2 "Proper Gauge"7. If the toxins are that harmful that they "eat" the suits, shouldn't they affect also the structure of the silo?
Not sure. Maybe cement is immune. ;) Renee thought it was a lack of air. Now I need to reread that part.
8. What do you think about the Major comparing to part 1? Did her human side surprised you?
9. Did you like the way the author chose to show us how the silo is structured?
10. So, the IT guy went ahead and invited the candidate he saw fit. Not only that, but he's against the mayor's choice. That sounds like a power play taking place, or maybe the beginning of another uprising?
That is what it sounds like to me as well.
11. What do you will happen next? Will Jules continue to be Sheriff? Or will Bernard take over?
I will not answer this because I have already read the book but am interested in hearing other's guesses.
Renee wrote: "GoT was also full of characters that you initially didn't like until you were shown their human side."I experienced this about a different character in this book. (view spoiler)
GRR Martin is the master of character development - and plot development... And sub plot development, and world building. My God - if he could just finish the series already - geez!
I am usually really good at keeping pace with the BOM, occasionally lagging and then catching up, but this book has sucked me in. I have finished part 3 and I don't think I can wait for the questions....c a n ' t p u t b o o k d o w n . . . .
Sarah wrote: "GRR Martin is the master of character development - and plot development... And sub plot development, and world building. My God - if he could just finish the series already - geez!"I Know! And Kill Cersei Already!
I wonder if there will be any love to hate characters in this book?
My conspiracy theories are coming out already.... (view spoiler)
Sarah wrote: "Kaitlin wrote: "1. It feels sarcastic after this first part, but it makes me believe that there will be some kind of breakthrough later on for the people who are still curious about the outside.2..."
Yeah, that didn't bother me. Doesn't it make sense that futuristic people would still use some of their ancestors' lingo? Of course nobody's perfect, but overall I find this very literary :-)
7. I'm not good at thinking through things like that. I usually just let the story take me where it will, as long as the writing's good. I thought the silo was all underground, though.8. I liked the mayor. I could really feel for her. I didn't expect her to be such an empathetic figure because I expected this to be much more of a Big Brother situation.
9. A little, but I'm still not quite sure how it works. I'm wondering how many people live in there.
10. Definitely the beginning of an uprising, given how Part II ended!! That shocked me.
11. I think Jules is going to be the next great leader and bring her people out of the dark.
I like the name Jules for someone who's keeping the power on :) It's close to Joule
Questions and Comments for Part 2 "Proper Gauge"7. If the toxins are that harmful that they "eat" the suits, shouldn't they affect also the structure of the silo?
I don't know. I'm so confused about why they have to kill people to clean things and they have this super crazy IT department and then run down terrible technology everywhere else. Why can't people come back in after they clean? He had time to wander over a hill.
8. What do you think about the Major comparing to part 1? Did her human side surprised you?
I think a lot of Mayors want to do good for their cities. It does seem like maybe she's been mayor too long if she's so focused on paperwork and no one's opposed her in a long time.
9. Did you like the way the author chose to show us how the silo is structured?
It boggles my mind that you could have a place that goes deep enough to need 4 days of walking up stairs. I'm not sure how that would work. Plus, why can't you have some form of elevator? Is it just a power use thing?
10. So, the IT guy went ahead and invited the candidate he saw fit. Not only that, but he's against the mayor's choice. That sounds like a power play taking place, or maybe the beginning of another uprising?
The IT department seems to be a big player in the Silo. I wonder why though. It's not like they really need to see the dead world outside. It sounds like they do measure the toxin levels which is good but hardly the more important than food.
11. What do you will happen next? Will Jules continue to be Sheriff? Or will Bernard take over?
Hrm. I think he may want to be mayor and they'll fight each other on it. I wonder if it's like the supreme court where the president nominates them but then once they're in office they can't be taken out by the president. Sort of checks and balances style.
Kelly wrote: "I like the name Jules for someone who's keeping the power on :) It's close to Joule"Good connection.
Finished Part 2 and am somewhere in Part 3. I'm listening to the audiobook - which is not divided into parts so I'm not sure how much more I have to go. I think I'm a little behind schedule, yeah? For me, Part 2 paled in comparison to Part 1. It was interesting to see the Major's perspective but I didn't care about her as much as I did Holsten and his wife. Someone said this already, but it's a true testament to the writing that the reader could be compelled to care so deeply about characters we'd only just met.
7. If the toxins are that harmful that they "eat" the suits, shouldn't they affect also the structure of the silo?
Not necessarily. Humans cannot breathe everything - but that doesn't make it toxic. Perhaps the suits aren't really being "eaten" - but rather it just looks that way to the people within?
On another note - but along the same vein as my previous query, I'm wondering if the bodies on the hillside are the "mirage". I might need to go back and listen to the end of Part 1 again to see what perspective the story is being told from...
8. What do you think about the Major comparing to part 1? Did her human side surprise you?
It did. In books, a purported 'villain' tends to be consistently so. I like that the author is giving us all sorts of different angles, so to speak.
9. Did you like the way the author chose to show us how the silo is structured?
Yes. It's much bigger than I had expected. I think of a silo as a little skinny structure. Without the explanation, I would have been confused.
11. What do you think will happen next? Will Jules continue to be Sheriff? Or will Bernard take over?
I imagine Bernard will take over everything - he seems set on a mission.
Kimberly wrote: "On another note - but along the same vein as my previous query, I'm wondering if the bodies on the hillside are the "mirage". I might need to go back and listen to the end of Part 1 again to see what perspective the story is being told from... "I got the impression they're real (I haven't started part 3 yet so I may be proven wrong). Since Holston went out and laid down next to his wife's suit after he took the helmet off.
Kelly wrote: "I got the impression they're real (I haven't started part 3 yet so I may be proven wrong). Since Holston went out and laid down next to his wife's suit after he took the helmet off. "Yes - but is that what it **looked** like he did? Or is that what he did? :)
Kimberly wrote: "Kelly wrote: "I got the impression they're real (I haven't started part 3 yet so I may be proven wrong). Since Holston went out and laid down next to his wife's suit after he took the helmet off. "..."Arg. After reading part 3 I'm not even sure the author knew what the truth was until he wrote it.
Nothing But Reading Challenges
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This thread is to discuss Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey. Be prepared for spoilers.
Synopsis:
This Omnibus Edition collects the five Wool books into a single volume. It is for those who arrived late to the party and who wish to save a dollar or two while picking up the same stories in a single package.
The first Wool story was released as a standalone short in July of 2011. Due to reviewer demand, the rest of the story was released over the next six months. My thanks go out to those reviewers who clamored for more. Without you, none of this would exist. Your demand created this as much as I did.
This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside