Vagabond Treehouse (2023) [Beware of Chicken 3 - December 4th] Showing 2,851-2,900 of 5,829

[Tonari no Emily]

Nirkatze wrote: "Choko wrote: "I just started St. Mary's #2... That was a horrible way to have your last, supposedly leisurely jump in time! What were the girls thinking??? I think this creature was [spoilers remov..."

Definitely agree with you here... Maybe it will come up again later though..
But I have for sure noticed some things that are a little plot-holey. I'm just gonna choose to ignore them for the most part :D

[Choko]

Emily, hahaha! I think this is the best attitude to take for the series:) This is exactly what I am doing!

Nirkatze, yep, everything connected with St. Mary's seems to be pretty crazy:)

[Tonari no Emily]

Started The Forever War since I needed a filler book last month on my Hoopla and it was on my recent to-read list...

And boy did this not age well... Basically a stellar war with an alien species far from Earth, smart elite men and women training for battle. At first I was like oh cool, women in Military SF from something written in the 70's... But then yikes. The men and women do the same work, but I think they're basically there to sleep with the men?? There's equal amount of the sexes and they "sack" with eachother?

And then after a brief training everyone who survives goes to a different base and then we get this unhinged quote:

"...then unleashed Stargate's eighteen sex-starved men on our women, compliant and promiscuous by military custom (and law), but desiring nothing so much as sleep..."

By law? really?

Anyway the concept was cool, but this aspect is very distracting to me...

[Nirkatze]

Emily wrote: "Dodo [spoilers removed]

Also, the author is a really big fan about ending some chapters with hints of things happening in the future.. I'm not really the biggest fan of this. End of chapter 9 (or ..."

I agree with all of this here--I LOVED the Dodos! They are so cute and ugly at the same time... makes me want to cry to think of what happened to them in real life... we need a St. Mary's. I would love to see that scene in film. And I loved how (view spoiler)[each team came up with some hilarious excuse/substitution, and the reveal of Mrs. P winning at the end! Like none of them noticed that the pod was closed up! (hide spoiler)]

re: Chapter 11 & 14--I agree with everything. I spent most of the book from that point on being confused. What exactly happened? Even the ending explanation didn't sit well with me, and I lost the logic for most of the plot points.

(view spoiler)[And yes please, ADULT CONVERSATION! Are we going to have this type of explosion in Max & Chief's relationship each book? Last time it was the whole blaming Max for her miscarriage thing, and now it's sinking Chief's car for his weird rejection thing... I mean, I liked them as a couple at the beginning, but now it's just getting uncomfortable... TALK AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER PLEASE. (hide spoiler)]

That said, those were my biggest beefs with the book--that I had a niggling sensation that things weren't done, and the foreshadowing didn't fulfill as much as I was expecting. I still had a lot of fun with the story!

[Nirkatze]

Emily wrote: "Started The Forever War since I needed a filler book last month on my Hoopla and it was on my recent to-read list...

And boy did this not age well... Basically a stellar war with an ..."

Ah eek. I've had that on my TBR due to classic status for a while, but yeah, that's not cool man.

[Nirkatze]

Timelord Iain wrote: "I still need to catch up on comments, but St. Mary's is one of those series where the rules matter until they don't... I mean... [spoilers removed]

Speaking of less important things, Max said ever..."

TY for all the clarifications, Iain! They definitely help much... glad you're joining us!

Middlegame sounds cool... I'd be down for that on a slow week. :)

@Choko & Emily--me down for the ride too!

[Tonari no Emily]

Nirkatze wrote: "Emily wrote: "Dodo [spoilers removed]

Also, the author is a really big fan about ending some chapters with hints of things happening in the future.. I'm not really the biggest fan of this. End of ..."


Yeah, I'm hoping if there's relationship drama that it actually makes sense lol

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

St. Mary's has an almost soap opera asthetic, maybe?... the relationship stuff is so dramatic... it has the comas, I think, just not all the evil twins and midgets...

[Choko]

Hahaha! It is frustrating, but still very addictive and entertaining. People are flawed, but our guys are at least flawed in a very human way, not made up or malicious... I don't mind:)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

There's a reason people like guilty pleasure shows and popcorn action movies... they're not looking to be mentally challenged, just entertained... that's definitely what I look for...

I unapologetically watch every Fast & Furious movie in theatres... I love the movies, while simultaneously knowing the stunts are ridiculously impossible... a car chase through a mine field... picking up cars with airplane magnets... rocketing a car into space... using a bridge rope to slingshot a car across a canyon... and all that is just in like 10 minutes of the 9th movie, for the most part :D (the space rocket happened near the end of the movie)...

[Choko]

Hahaha!!! See, this is hilarious! I remember my best friend and I were watching Abraham Lincoln, The Vampire Slayer, and we were totally fine with the premise, then something happened where the train rails were split or something, I don't even remember what it was, and the train jumped through space and landed back on the second half of the rails, and we were both just appalled that they would do something so impossible and unbelievable:))) But the vampires and monsters were totally reasonable, hahaha! It is so weird the things we accept in our entertainment:))

And Iain, I love those types of movies too:)))

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "Hahaha!!! See, this is hilarious! I remember my best friend and I were watching Abraham Lincoln, The Vampire Slayer, and we were totally fine with the premise, then something happened where the tra..."

I meant unapologetically... edited to fix... and yea... that totally happens in the movie... then relies on the coal engine to gain traction to continue up the broken bridge...

[Choko]

Exactly! Now that was unacceptable, but the monsters, totally normal:)))) Haha! I had to check myself at that point:)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Suspension of disbelief... like a Transformers movie... I was fine with the franchise until the one where they became space knights that turn into trucks :D

Anyway... speaking of TBR backlog, we STILL STILL haven't read Constance Verity #3... or Twisted Ones with Narilka... keep getting sidetracked (altho we did just vaguely say June for the Twisted Ones)... also keeps delaying Wandering Inn, and the next one is due out sometime next month...

[Choko]

Just say when, guys! I will be there:)))

[Narilka]

I'm in a good spot if you want to start Twisted Ones.

[Tonari no Emily]

Love popcorn movies! The space car thing in the latest Fast & Furious was fantastic 😂

Maybe CV 3 after Twisted Ones?

[Tonari no Emily]

Okay started St. Mary's #3 and boy do I have whiplash from the prologue to Chapter 1! (view spoiler)[ Prologue ending in disaster when they went to Troy because OF COURSE it's St. Mary's
And then beginning of Chapter 1 when they accidentally smurfed themselves.. I'm cackling over here 🤣 (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Looks like Charlie & Siobhan are continuing their St. Mary's BR over in the Last Minute BR thread... they've been BR-ing the series, when the mood strikes, for a bit over a year now... they're on #12, Another Time, Another Place...

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Narilka]

Sooo... I wasn't sure if you're all ready for The Twisted Ones? Maybe at the end of the week while you finish up St Mary's? I'm going to start a reread which I won't mind interrupting when you guys are ready in a day or two. Just let me know when.

[Choko]

I am cool with starting The Twisted Ones Thursday:)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I have time now-ish... depending on how much reading I get done on my next 2 days off (starting now)... for all I thought I was done with TV for a bit, I watched/rewatched the Good Place last week, and the Lincoln Lawyer show on Netflix... now I started Preacher...

EDIT: Thursday works, too...

[Narilka]

I'm good with Thursday too.

[Choko]

St. Mary's #3... The first jump to 1668 and Newton... I loved the old professor and I have no idea how they managed to screw up a simple jump like that:))) It was interesting, the idea of jumping to the end of time, and starting up a whole new Universe with a new Big Bang! Very unlikely, but an interesting variant...

[Choko]

Emily, the team Smurfing themselves is absolutely hilarious! And the butter solution is funny too:)))

[Choko]

Well, that first jump to Troy was way too perfect. Something really horrible must be coming soon then...

[Choko]

St. Mary's #3 ... After the second jump to Troy... Wow! One, the interpretation of the events was really interesting and quite believable. Very well penned, the whole war and post-war scene. But second, what happened with Chief!!!!! I didn't see that coming and it, as always everything Max, went from 0 to 100 in a second... Why would he ask her to do that, when he knows what the rules are??? There are so many other people they could have saved if there were no rules and responsibilities that come with the privilege of being able to jump in time... Why? I don't understand him. Yes, I know he is missing his two dead sons and he feels terrible he couldn't do anything to save them, but still... He knows the rules better than anyone! Why?!??!

[Choko]

St. Mary's #3... After the continent crossing jump... This was a nice interlude, and she at least somewhat understood Chief's motivation... Thank goodness for Peterson! I guess, it can become too much at times, if you are human and have to endure watching so many people just dying around you...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

some of that should probably be in spoiler tags, Choko... even if a bit discrete with the biggest details, there :D

I did my #2 re-read today... will go back and read comments later, and respond a bit, and my thoughts... tomorrow morning... and catch up with #3, so I can do other reads like Twisted Ones, the day after...

[Choko]

Sorry... I am on the stupid mobile app and I suck... Sorry again!

Big thing happened that was very dramatic! Max really has issues dealing with her feelings and emotions...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

If that ain't Max and Leon in a nutshell... they're all over the place... considering how they react in #2 vs #3, for basically the same scenario (view spoiler)[not in the mood for sex after a coma and psychotherapy VS "are you breaking up with me?" (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

Hahaha! You are so right!!! This is the most bipolar relationship on page of a wonderful series ever! Notice all the qualifiers - there are plenty of those in horrible books, but these are not them:)

I just finished#3 and wow! That ending! It is awesome, but I hate that it is a cliffhanger and I have to stop myself from reaching for the next book!!! Loved this one, all the craziness included! I can't wait to see what you guys think...

[Tonari no Emily]

Choko wrote: "St. Mary's #3... The first jump to 1668 and Newton... I loved the old professor and I have no idea how they managed to screw up a simple jump like that:))) It was interesting, the idea of jumping t..."

The answer to all of these types of questions is "It's St. Mary's, so of course it gets screwy" :D

[Tonari no Emily]

Max and Leon are so frustrating! Their reactions to things are so not logical for two pretty intelligent people... I guess their emotional intelligence is a big zero :D But Max (view spoiler)[ was so hypocritical in her trying to save the early humans crossing! Like her saving even one more person wouldn't have implications for all of history vs bringing a boy back who most likely died shortly after the fall of Troy.. Also I'm not sure why it didn't occur to them that brining things back that had no future could apply to people too...

But yeah I feel like the author is trying to create drama between the two.. and it's just barely believable for me.. and only because of their reactions to past relationship drama (hide spoiler)]

[Tonari no Emily]

When Chief (view spoiler)[ dies of a heart attack I knew it wasn't over because of the title of the book... he had to be coming back somehow.. (hide spoiler)]

Also this book definitely had my head spinning with the circular logic of time travel.. (view spoiler)[ Max goes to St. Mary's because of a book given by Chief who gave that book because Max brought Chief out of a crisis, etc. (hide spoiler)]

[Tonari no Emily]

Choko wrote: "Hahaha! You are so right!!! This is the most bipolar relationship on page of a wonderful series ever! Notice all the qualifiers - there are plenty of those in horrible books, but these are not them..."

I very much liked this one Choko! Not only is their relationship bipolar but the whole series in terms of plot and somewhat tone! The doom prologue followed by the smurf incident in Chapter 1 .. Then also We have the hilarious cheese rolling followed by (view spoiler)[ Max getting kidnapped! Then a rather spicy scene between Max and past (future?) Leon.. (hide spoiler)]

Also I knew (view spoiler)[ alternate timelines would feature here somehow... Also if you had a similar opportunity to be with someone you lost (but not quite the same person... would you take it? When is an alternate self considered a different person?? (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

If I had the opportunity, I would take it in a heartbeat! I lost The love of my life 16 years ago and although I have loved and lost since, nothing compares to that love and that loss .. If I had the chance, in similar situation, I would dive in head first!!!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Emily wrote: "Choko wrote: "..."

Have you watched The Good Place?... Chidi has alot of philosophical discussions about Self in seasons 2-4, after all the (view spoiler)[Afterlife Memory Wipes started happening, and then later being relearned about... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "If I had the opportunity, I would take it in a heartbeat! I lost The love of my life 16 years ago and although I have loved and lost since, nothing compares to that love and that loss .. If I had t..."

"MRS. PARTRIDGE"... where is Kleo when you need her?... or was it DeWinter?... I forget... and don't know which Fate she's supposed to be, anyway...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "I just started St. Mary's #2... That was a horrible way to have your last, supposedly leisurely jump in time! What were the girls thinking??? I think this creature was [spoilers removed]"

Pantsers, in a nutshell... fun plot idea over... moving on... I think JT has tried to create a world where she can basically do anything she wants, and it kinda works?...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Emily wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "Emily wrote: "@Nirkatze and Choko

I also really liked St. Mary's 1! The title is honestly perfect for that book bc dang, it really was One Damned Thing After the Other...

Time tr..."

That's one of my favorite aspects of time travel & alt-history... the thought experiment nature of "what would happen to the world if this one thing changed?"

First 15 Lives of Harry August does it with that guy in the 1600s, and it plays out to an apocalypse in the 1950s I think? Rewinder does it with an important letter to George Washington during the Revolutionary War, before doing it a bunch more times all the way back to Genghis Khan... tons of historical supernatural series do it, like Hard Magic... etc...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "I am only up to after the Dodo episode, which was absolutely awesome!!! But, Max went in the future, about a 100 years ahead, to safe Chief from Ronan kidnapping him. There, he and bitch-face Barkl..."

I knew the Dodos were coming, back when the idea was first tossed about late in the first book... had to keep quiet :D

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Emily wrote: "Definitely agree with you on relationship points!..."

Max and Leon are frustrating...

I love the titles for this series, in general...

I don't feel like the series even needs Ronan, half the time... could just have random rogue time travelers accidentally bungling up history... or visiting fun historical events, but ending up in the wrong place/time... like happens half the time, anyway...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Nirkatze wrote: "Emily wrote: "Dodo [spoilers removed]

Also, the author is a really big fan about ending some chapters with hints of things happening in the future.. I'm not really the biggest fan of this. End of ..."

Dramatic irony is a term I only fully learned, when I got tired of foreshadowing, and knowing things ahead of the characters... some books like to do it every other paragraph, it seems like...

2nd half of book explanation: timey-wimey stuff happened ;)

Simple answer: (view spoiler)[Ronan tried to change history to use a paradox to save Annie... Max fixed it by locking the horny rapey dude in a room with the Queen to get history back on course... feeling bad about THAT makes more sense than Bitch-face Barkley, honestly... (hide spoiler)]

And that whole sequence with the car, was just a very uncomfortable to read temper tantrum... Max is in her 30s now, right?... I mean, she started pretty young, training lasted 5 years, and each mission is months of planning and execution...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

St. Mary's #3: Solomon's Baby: (view spoiler)[ I can't remember how much of a foreshadow this is, but it's a great bit of detail... Markham is smarter than Max/everyone thinks... because what else is a man to do, when he's constantly on bed rest after being injured, but read? :D (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

Hahahaha! Timey-wimey horny rapey dude!!! Hahahaha! You made my evening:))) I agree, she should totally feel worse about that, and to be fair, she does feel bad, just not as bad as for Bitch-face Barkley... And yes, she is in her 30's... She should know better, but I have to say, the way adults have been behaving in the US as of late, you would think our whole country is in kindergarten and has behavior issues with anger control problems... So this sounds very realistic at this point...

[Choko]

Markham is awesome! Honestly, all of the St. Mary's characters are pretty brilliant!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Started the Twisted Ones: first couple pages, and I’m hit with the idea of a sexy cribbage player :D

About 35% in, (view spoiler)[and it’s mostly just been creepy so far… which isn’t bad… not looking for true horror, usually… definitely getting similar vibes to Hollow Places… almost wonder if they’re connected… (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

A sexy cribbage player? That sounds hilarious. I'll be starting tonight.

[Tonari no Emily]

The Twisted Ones was very creepy for me.. Some of the imagery is still stuck in my head. Wish I owned it, but I got it from the library last time and now there's a long wait so I can't reread with y'all...