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A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger August 2022 Themed BOM - Friendship (starts 16 August)
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15. To get to earth, Oli and friends must go up to then fall to earth. This is further emphasized in the title and the chapter name. Why do you think the author made the choice that the path to Earth is by falling?
Hmmmm..... interesting. A link to Alice in Wonderland, falling down the rabbit hole? Something about how Earth has moved away from living close to nature pulling to connection point away from ground level?
16. We meet the Mockingbird again in this section. What do you think of her role so far as a character and as a trickster character?
It's good that not all the characters we meet in the reflected world are cheery engaging people, and a good reminder that you can be a bit annoying and still care very much for your friends.
As a trickster character she's kinda fun, though unlike some of the other trickster characters, her fun is purely about entertaining herself, not necessarily about getting out of work or such like.
17. What are thoughts on Own Dave and what was shown about him in the give away scene? Do you think Nina is overly trusting that this will work out?
Ugh! That was not great. I have deep mistrust about the video working out...
18. If you had the ability to have an animal form, what would you choose? (You may want to consider the potential tradeoffs like wing ears).
Not a mini-beast! Probably a cat of some description.
There's a fond family story about my sister, who once when she was young (sub-10) announced that she would like to come back as a sheep. Why?! we all asked, to the immortal response that sheep get to spend all day eating and pooing. Needless to say her kids love this story too!
Jenny wrote: "The sample size is too small for really good science, but I have noted that no one yet has chosen the Dung Beetle as a preferred animal form. Huh."Curious, indeed 🤔 Though I have to say, if I was going miniscule, I'd probably go with a praying mantis. Oh! Or maybe a tardigrade. Can you imagine being microscopic??
DQs Day 5: Cottonmouth Remembers Flowers ---> One Year Later19. What an action-packed ending! What was your favorite part about how this all resolved? What do you think happened to Paul? Do you think Nina and her Grandma will be safe after everything that occurred?
20. I love how this book casually talks about big issues, like climate change. Did you enjoy how that was woven into the story? Do you think the author should have done more to highlight the issue? Do you generally enjoy fantasy books that weave in real world issues?
21. What do you think happened between the Mockingbird and Thou Own Dave? Do you think he truly turned over a new leaf?
22. I really enjoyed the concept of the St0ryte11er app! Does it sound like something you would enjoy or use? What do you think the author's own feelings on social media might be after reading her portrayal of this app?
24. Lastly, the obligatory question... how did you like the book?? What was your favorite and least favorite part? What did you end up rating the book? And would you read from this author again?
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Dung beetles are actually pretty cool insects. I however would not like to have my home built of of poo.
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Curious, indeed 🤔 Though I have to..."
That's intriguing and would likely blow my mind. but it's something I think I'd like as a day trip but not my permanent animal.
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19. What an action-packed ending! What was your favorite part about how this all resolved? What do you think happened to Paul? Do you think Nina and her Grandma will be safe after everything that occurred?
I liked the team work aspect and how Rosita's story wove into the end. May Paul be found one day in Oz underneath a house. I hope they will be and that the animal people keep coming to the book store.
20. I love how this book casually talks about big issues, like climate change. Did you enjoy how that was woven into the story? Do you think the author should have done more to highlight the issue? Do you generally enjoy fantasy books that weave in real world issues?
I do, I like it when things are taken as a given. I think it helps normalize things so they hopefully become less debatable. I like that the author wove in non-hetro relationships into Rosita's story. Fearless was female and she casually mentions her wife at one point in the story as almost a throwaway comment. Because the fact that she married another female isn't the important part and it's just normal to marry who you love.
And I do enjoy when fantasy books do this as long as they do it well. Mainly for the reason stated above, it helps normalize it without shoving it in people's faces.
21. What do you think happened between the Mockingbird and Thou Own Dave? Do you think he truly turned over a new leaf?
I think that was Mockingbird as TOD and she signed all those contracts in public so there will be jack crap he can do about it later besides watch all his money go *poof*.
22. I really enjoyed the concept of the St0ryte11er app! Does it sound like something you would enjoy or use? What do you think the author's own feelings on social media might be after reading her portrayal of this app?
I like the concept, but I would probably watch more than I would create anything. I think her thoughts may be similar to mine. It can be a fun outlet, connect people, raise awareness, but there is a dark side. A very dark side and people can be taken advantage of. And of course ALWAYS read the fine print.
24. Lastly, the obligatory question... how did you like the book?? What was your favorite and least favorite part? What did you end up rating the book? And would you read from this author again?
I really enjoyed it and gave it 5 stars. It's a really unique story. I think my favorite was how the two worlds wove together and how the humans just went with it. My least favorite was Paul probably, I'm not sure the Nightmare King thing was fully fleshed out.
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DQs Day 5: Cottonmouth Remembers Flowers ---> One Year Later19. What an action-packed ending! What was your favorite part about how this all resolved? What do you think happened to Paul? Do you think Nina and her Grandma will be safe after everything that occurred?
I think my favorite part was how Mockingbird was involved in getting the money from Thou Own Dave, although I would have really liked to learn more about her true motivations. I'm not entirely sure what happened to Paul, but I can't imagine it would be anything good if he released a tornado right in his face. I think that Nina and her family would probably be visited by the Nightmare or his followers with that much world-shaping going on, but I'm also not an expert at measuring how much is too much.
20. I love how this book casually talks about big issues, like climate change. Did you enjoy how that was woven into the story? Do you think the author should have done more to highlight the issue? Do you generally enjoy fantasy books that weave in real world issues?
I liked that it was a part of the story, but I felt like it was just kind of tossed in. I think that it should have been woven in a little bit more, especially in the beginning of the story if that was meant to be such a big issue during the climax of the story.
21. What do you think happened between the Mockingbird and Thou Own Dave? Do you think he truly turned over a new leaf?
I 100% don't believe that Dave turned over a new leaf. I'm sure that Mockingbird just somehow had him occupied while she acted as him for the speech, especially since "he" made a statement about getting cold feet and needing his followers to keep him accountable.
22. I really enjoyed the concept of the St0ryte11er app! Does it sound like something you would enjoy or use? What do you think the author's own feelings on social media might be after reading her portrayal of this app?
I think Nina's use of the app was interesting, but from our view of Thou Own Dave, I can't help but think that many of the users would be similar to influencers on other apps. I feel like the author might have a pretty balanced view of social media, since it can be used to both spread good and spread bad depending on the users.
24. Lastly, the obligatory question... how did you like the book?? What was your favorite and least favorite part? What did you end up rating the book? And would you read from this author again?
I enjoyed it, but it wasn't a favorite. I ended up rating it 3/5 stars, which is my "I enjoyed it but nothing too special" rating. My favorite parts were definitely getting to read about Oli's life in the Reflecting World. My least favorite part was probably the fact that some stuff was left half-resolved at the end (Mockingbird's intentions and full story, Paul disappearing after the tornado, the identity of the King, Oli's siblings, etc.). If the author was to continue this story with a sequel, I would give it a go. Overall, I was expecting a lot more from this book, but it was still enjoyable. (Did anyone else think that Oli would have something to do with translating Rosita's story, since he's so good at understanding languages? Or that the monster's warning about Oli's siblings would play a bigger role in the story?)
DQs Day 5: Cottonmouth Remembers Flowers ---> One Year Later19. What an action-packed ending! What was your favorite part about how this all resolved? What do you think happened to Paul? Do you think Nina and her Grandma will be safe after everything that occurred?
My favorite part was that the family got to go to the reflecting world. Oh, and the tornado in a nesting doll.
I am of two minds about Paul. If there was to be a sequel, he lived somehow, but if this book is a one off, then he was eaten by coyotes.
20. I love how this book casually talks about big issues, like climate change. Did you enjoy how that was woven into the story? Do you think the author should have done more to highlight the issue? Do you generally enjoy fantasy books that weave in real world issues?
I love it when it is done well. I have read a few books that were just too preachy, and the story is overrun by the message, but this one was lovely. It pointed out the horrible fact of extinction, and in this case offered a solution.
21. What do you think happened between the Mockingbird and Thou Own Dave? Do you think he truly turned over a new leaf?
Probably not. But, at least for publicity purposes he is doing some good, so yay.
22. I really enjoyed the concept of the St0ryte11er app! Does it sound like something you would enjoy or use? What do you think the author's own feelings on social media might be after reading her portrayal of this app?
I am not good at oral storytelling, so I wouldn't use it, but I might watch it, sure.
24. Lastly, the obligatory question... how did you like the book?? What was your favorite and least favorite part? What did you end up rating the book? And would you read from this author again?
This is the second book from this author that I have read, and I will read the next one too. I loved it. I loved the characters. I loved rooting for the characters. I didn't mind that the evil was mainly off page and not very developed because the story wasn't about that.
I gave it 5 stars.
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19. What an action-packed ending! What was your favorite part about how this all resolved? What do you think happened to Paul? Do you think Nina and her Grandma will be safe after everything that occurred?
I mean, it's not all resolved though - there's an assumption that the healer sorted Grandma and that Ami will be OK now Dave is pumping money to environmental causes, but that's guessing, really.
I think Paul was exploded when he opened the matryoshka tornado doll, but we don't know who the Nightmare King is, and Grandma's land will be a target still, surely. Space for a sequel / companion story?
But, I don't mind that there are dangling threads - it just makes you linger more on the story. So if there isn't a sequel that's fine
20. I love how this book casually talks about big issues, like climate change. Did you enjoy how that was woven into the story? Do you think the author should have done more to highlight the issue? Do you generally enjoy fantasy books that weave in real world issues?
I did enjoy it. I liked the assumption that obviously climate change is a deal (and honestly, this year has proven it just about everywhere I think, with even the Yangtze river drying up to the point that they hydro electric generation is impacted - not good news in power hungry China that will just turn to burning coal).
I think that the best fantasy and SF books are those that use their premise to hold a mirror to our issues, whether that be climate, gender or whatever else. Whether that be by modelling good ways of living (all those that normalise same sex marriage and parent hood, or gender fluidity) or by taking things to an extreme.
21. What do you think happened between the Mockingbird and Thou Own Dave? Do you think he truly turned over a new leaf?
The Dave that signed away his money was defo MockingDave, but Mockingbird was sneaky clever enough to lock him down with the legal. That's a difference to the traditional Anansi Spider type trickster - Mockingbird seems too get away with her pranks without any payback on herself.
22. I really enjoyed the concept of the St0ryte11er app! Does it sound like something you would enjoy or use? What do you think the author's own feelings on social media might be after reading her portrayal of this app?
Not for me!
The general vibe on social media form the book seems to be that it can be used for good causes, powerfully, but that it also comes with risks. or, that's what I feel so that's what I took from it, anyway!
24. Lastly, the obligatory question... how did you like the book?? What was your favorite and least favorite part? What did you end up rating the book? And would you read from this author again?
I liked it! I'd read Little Badger again. I like the characters very much, and how much everyone took the arrival of the animal people in their stride. Grandma giving Oli a rubber snake as a gift was adorable!
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DQs Day 5: Cottonmouth Remembers Flowers ---> One Year Later 19. What an action-packed ending! What was your favorite part about how this all resolved? What do you think happened to Paul? Do you think Nina and her Grandma will be safe after everything that occurred?
I like that it keeps on going. Some things are resolved but many things are not. You get a sense of that with the locket story mid-text, but I read from one Native author (not to generalize) that many stories do not end the way more Eurocentric stories do, but there is a sense that you stopped in for a part of a life but that the story and the life keep going.
20. I love how this book casually talks about big issues, like climate change. Did you enjoy how that was woven into the story? Do you think the author should have done more to highlight the issue? Do you generally enjoy fantasy books that weave in real world issues?
I liked that it was just a part of life in Texas, and it did not even need to be that much further in the future considering what Texas is already dealing with on a regular basis. I think it was stronger making it so day to day because it was normal to them. I like when it is done well such as here but I feel some times authors think that if they don’t shout the message that a reader will miss it and that gets a bit old.
21. What do you think happened between the Mockingbird and Thou Own Dave? Do you think he truly turned over a new leaf?
That was definitely Mockingbird and she did well for closing legal loopholes. I think he will be in for a surprise.
22. I really enjoyed the concept of the St0ryte11er app! Does it sound like something you would enjoy or use? What do you think the author's own feelings on social media might be after reading her portrayal of this app?
Not for me, too public and still room for predatory activities. I think the author showed a balanced approach that it could be both good or bad.
24. Lastly, the obligatory question... how did you like the book?? What was your favorite and least favorite part? What did you end up rating the book? And would you read from this author again?
I loved Elatsoe and I enjoyed this one as well. I will read whatever Little Badger writes next. I gave it five stars and I liked the stories in the reflected world the best.
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or any other mini-beast either.