"Flesh and Spirit" by Carol Berg (BR)

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

This is the buddy read for Carol Berg's Flesh and Spirit. The dates were kind of loose - so anyone who wants to join jump in as you can.

Please be sure to mark spoilers and chapters and/or page numbers to mark where you're at so we don't inadvertently spoil anything for ourselves.

[Michelle]

I'm going to join.

Edit: Probably by Wednesday.

[Michelle]

Sarah, I finished reading my current book, so I can start this tonight.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

did you both buy it? I'm having a hard time finding it through my normal services

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

I had to get it from interlibrary loan. I ordered it but it will still take a couple days to come in. If I can’t start this week - Saturday for sure.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

I don’t know if this is helpful to you Allison: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/flesh-a...

Thrift books seems to have a couple copies. Less than $5 though I’m not sure how much shipping is for one book.

I’ve ordered from them in the past and so far the books have been decent quality (though they are used) and shipped pretty quickly.

[Michelle]

I have the kindle version and the trade paperbacks, but I've had them both since it was first published :) It's very rare for me to be prepared like this for a buddy read.

[AliciaJ]

Can I join too? This is one of my very favorite books by Carol Berg and I'd love to read it with a group 😊

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Absolutely Alicia! The more the merrier!

[Michelle]

AliciaJ wrote: "Can I join too? This is one of my very favorite books by Carol Berg and I'd love to read it with a group 😊"

Me too, Alicia! I'm glad that you're joining in!

[Michelle]

I haven't had as much reading time, so I'm only on Ch. 7.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

i caved. downloaded a WHOLE 'NOTHER APP and bought it. diving in!

[Michelle]

Oh? What app?

Edit: I'm asking for my own selfish reasons :). I may want to download it.

[Michelle]

And good!!

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Kobo. i don't use that one very often but I'm trying it!

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

You found a way to beat the system! Go Allison!

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I have capitalismed my very best! haha

[Michelle]

I'm about to start chapter 10, but I think Alicia is the only one who has also read this before. I'll be vague then.

I love the characterization in this book! Valen, the different monks especially Brother Robierre and Jullian. I love the whole monastery setting.

The thing I always liked most about Valen is his zest for life. He seems to relish it.

[AliciaJ]

Michelle wrote: "Me too, Alicia! I'm glad that you're joining in!"

Sarah wrote: "Absolutely Alicia! The more the merrier!"

Thanks Sarah and Michelle! I'm excited to join in, I've never really done a group read like this before. 😊

[Michelle]

Alicia, I've been on goodreads 11 years, and this is only my third buddy read 😮

[AliciaJ]

Michelle wrote: "Alicia, I've been on goodreads 11 years, and this is only my third buddy read 😮"

Well, I saw this one and just had to join, this book is one of my all time favorites! 😊

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Sorry for the delay! I picked up my copy today (busy week for me). Excited to jump in!

Alicia feel free to chime in wherever - No pressure. No thought is too small. If you need help with the spoiler tags or anything let us know!

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Through Chapter Five:

I’m intrigued so far! I do like Velan’s character, and those of the monks.

(view spoiler)[He’s sort of an anti-hero? Lacks some traditionally heroic qualities I think but not an outwardly bad or disagreeable sort.

I am curious about his history and hoping we get to learn more. I can’t tell if his magic is just very weak or if he chose to forsake it because he resented it and his family.
(hide spoiler)]

[Michelle]

I love the style of her writing. This sentence is from Chapter 29:

"Then his clear gaze slid past the eyehole of my mask, met my own eyes, and as a nervous sparrow finds a branch to its liking, stayed a while."

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

I agree Michelle- Berg has an excellent way with words.

[AliciaJ]

Sarah wrote: "I agree Michelle- Berg has an excellent way with words."

Her writing style is one of the reasons why I've read and collected all of her books. She's masterful. I love how she immediately pulls you into the action from the very first chapter. And I agree, Valen is an amazing character.

[Michelle]

Me, too, Alicia! I have everything she's written, and she's one of my auto-buy authors.

[AliciaJ]

Michelle wrote: "Me, too, Alicia! I have everything she's written, and she's one of my auto-buy authors."

Same here. It just seems like forever since she's had anything new out there.

[Eva]

She now writes as Cate Glass :-)

[Michelle]

I tried the Cate Glass series but it had a different feel. But I guess that's the idea :)

[Michelle]

Alicia, one of these days we should reread Song of the Beast!

[AliciaJ]

Michelle wrote: "Alicia, one of these days we should reread Song of the Beast!"

Oh man, it’s been years since I’ve read that one. I’d love to do a reread!

[Michelle]

I finished this and I'm on to Breath and Bone. I'll wait to post anything more until everyone is caught up.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Michelle feel free to post whatever whenever! I might not be able to respond for a couple days but I will catch up!

To spoiler tag something it goes like this:

(view spoiler)[ here is where you write the spoiler (hide spoiler)]

Just remove the spaces between the word spoiler and this symbol >

[Anna]

How to use spoiler tags:

(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

Click on "(some html is ok)" in the top right corner of the text box (on desktop version) as you're typing your post to copy/paste the code. Or go to the html help page if you're not on the desktop version.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Anna wrote: "How to use spoiler tags:

[spoilers removed]

Click on "(some html is ok)" in the top right corner of the text box (on desktop version) as you're typing your post to copy/paste the code. Or go to t..."

Thank you Anna. Apparently just putting spaces between the symbols isn’t enough to get the text to show up. SMH.

[Michelle]

I can't remember which chapter it began, but I thought it was amusing that when Valen left the abbey (view spoiler)[he still judged the time by Matins, etc when those bells irritated him when he stayed there! (hide spoiler)]

[AliciaJ]

Just starting ch 15, things are starting to heat up!

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I have done a bad job economising...gotta read a library book quick quick, taking a break after like 2 chapters. But I'm interested! Except I don't love "pureblood" as a type of person...

[Olga]

Finally got through my voluntarily self-inflicted Atlas Shrugged marathon and ready to plunge back into group reads. This one sounds nice, so I think I'll start with it before I convince myself to try Nettle & Bone )))

[Michelle]

Olga wrote: "Finally got through my voluntarily self-inflicted Atlas Shrugged marathon and ready to plunge back into group reads. This one sounds nice, so I think I'll start with it before I convince myself to ..."

Oh good, Olga!

[Olga]

Does anyone listen to the audiobook? How does it go for you? I've listened to Chapter 7, but have only vague idea of what's been happening. The intonations and general tone of the narrator makes it extremely difficult for me to stay tuned to the story somehow. It's such a bummer, as I really don't want to switch to eye read (a - can't find an ebook; b - it will take twice as long, as I don't have much time for eye reading).

[Michelle]

No, I'm sorry- I'm eye-reading it!

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Sorry Olga - I’m also eye reading!

[AliciaJ]

So I finished it today-oh my gosh, sooo good! I was wondering if we're going to read the next one together too?

[Michelle]

AliciaJ wrote: "So I finished it today-oh my gosh, sooo good! I was wondering if we're going to read the next one together too?"

I already have been, but I'm only halfway through!

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Sorry! I am slow. I am making my way through- almost to the halfway point.

Enjoying it so far. I do think it’s much slower paced than I originally expected, but I do enjoy Valen’s character and I’m curious about some of the secrets being hinted at.

I might be able to continue? It looks like my library does have a copy of book two but I want to see how this one goes first.

[AliciaJ]

Sarah wrote: "Sorry! I am slow. I am making my way through- almost to the halfway point.

Enjoying it so far. I do think it’s much slower paced than I originally expected, but I do enjoy Valen’s character and I’..."

It does start out a little slow, but it was about at the halfway point that things started picking up and before I knew it I was at 96% on my kindle.

[Olga]

I found another narration and things got much better for me, but I'm also a bit slow on this (partially because I squeezed Nettle & Bone in for tomorrow's VBC).
So far it does feel a bit slow and I can't see the general direction, but I think that the mentionings of a particular Lighthouse will lead to something big eventually.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

I’m just getting to chapter 19.
(view spoiler)[ I realized while I was reading this last chapter that it just doesn’t feel like there’s enough conflict in the book to keep carrying it. I’m 200 pages in and there are vague mentions of a prophecy and the end of the world but without knowing the whole story and Valen’s non-chalance towards it, almost seeming to think it’s silly it’s been difficult to care about.

Now that his sister has shown up I’m hoping the conflict picks up and things get interesting!

I love the idea of the book of maps and finding these hidden places but we haven’t seen much of that either - hoping for more. (hide spoiler)]