Cat’s Comments (group member since Jan 28, 2015)

Cat’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

We've turned over the colour mini again - amazing work!

Do keep eyes open for Ws, which appear to be a bit elusive at the moment.

We are down to blue in text and white in text to turnover the colour mini!

Soooooo annoying!

Did you enjoy it regardless?

Love it!

though very disturbed at the random Dino-Island gift I got to win the day! (better than the underage love blanket, I guess?!)

Saar The Book owl wrote: "Cat wrote: "Saar The Book owl wrote: "I'm reading A Very Coco Christmas, but it's the Dutch translation and it's ot on Goodreads. What do I do?"

If you give us the links to the ed..."

Your link didn't work, but is it Een waanzinnige kerst met Coco?

DQ’s Day 7 - Chapters 37 - End

29. Something I found interesting in this last section was Percy's change from arguing with his sister that lashings were deserved, to running to her for comfort when he finds evidence of rape and torture in the shed. This is a three part question.

a. Do you think his sister's words the day before, were what triggered Percy to investigate the shed?

b. Does Percy's response to what he discovers in the shed make him a good person in your eyes, or do you think any good person would have quit the job like Robbie's uncle? According to your moral compass, where is the line between a good and bad person in this situation.

c. "Don't thank me. I didn't do nearly what I should have. I should have shot him first. I knew what he was deep down. I didn't want to believe the stories."

Did Percy's final words and actions redeem him in your eyes?

I think part of the point is that people can't survive on the moral right, and so find ways to justify their inactions. He needs the job, and future employment possibilities, in a way that he can't just walk out. His sister has money and so can take more of a stand. And Gloria's uncle has connections who can support him, which allowed him to leave on his own terms.
It needs a community to stand against institutional horrors, and Percy didn't have a community until his sister joined.

30. In a similar vein, we see both the worst and the best of humanity in this book, with torture and murder being the worst, and sacrificing your own well being to help others being the best. Were you surprised when Robbie went along with Blue's final part of the plan instead of continuing on? Did any of the sacrifices (big or small) made by other characters surprise you?

Robbie didn't have much choice - he wasn't going to escape without dealing with the Warden, after all. So this became the least bad option...

31. As Robbie watches Blue fly away, he thinks he wishes he could write a guide for other children to follow when dealing with haints. 'Haints will get you killed.'

Do you think Robbie's thoughts were too harsh, or were they justified? Do you think the ends justified the means? What are your final thoughts on Blue?

Blue wasn't anyone's best friend, given it was - understandably - all about him! I thought it was interesting - he veered from being a 7yo, with the stupid pranks, to having a longer (un)lived experience in his forward planning of revenge.

32. What are your final thoughts on the book? Was it what you expected? Were there any scenes or quotes in particular that will stay with you?

I think it was broadly what I expected, though I thought it was going to be a longer time frame than about 10 days / 2 weeks!

I finished a book!

new monster:

Jack Frost
1 200 to 299
2 Cold scene on cover
3 MC is a teenager
4 Set during winter (as appropriate for given hemisphere)
5 Character or author named a form of John (i.e. Jack, Hans, Jane, Ian, Giovanna etc.)

That sounds like art to me! creative, decorative = art :)

DQ'S DAY 2 ~ CHAPTERS 9-13

6. “Florida’s soil is soaked with so much blood, it’s a wonder the droplets don’t seep between your toes with every step.”
This quote (borrowed from section 1) gives a chilling image tying the land to the racism and violence of the time. How does this image of the land itself being haunted by violence deepen the atmosphere of the story? Do you see the land/soil as a metaphor for memory, history or something else more supernatural?

I've not spent anytime in the America South to have a view on whether parts of the country still hold the memories of the horrors, but I can believe that there is a folk memory tied to the land, which this is speaking to.

7. Gloria is determined to help and protect her brother. How do her efforts and determination evolve in this section? Do you see her choices as brave, reckless or both?

Both. She hadn't fully thought out the possibilities of hat she was asking. Interesting too, that we see the limitations of white power too. Lyle gets punished, Red - assuming he tried - is unsuccessful in preventing the whipping.

8. This novel blends supernatural elements with the brutal reality of Jim Crow Florida. How do the ghostly presences heighten the sense of dread compared to the human threats? Or do they have another purpose?

I think they are as much about the fact that human threats and behaviour leave a history of invisible damage that persists.

9. From what you have read so far, how do you see Robbie’s perspective begin to shift to one of survival? What small details show his growing awareness of the danger around him?

He's certainly jumping to negative outcomes a bit quicker - slowing down his reactions. And his attention to smaller details is heightened - listening to the footfalls in the dormitory

10. What do you think of the novel so far? What questions are you left with and how do they affect your expectations for the rest of the story?

I'm not really thinking forward - doing so suggests no sort of uplifting win for everyone, given the power imbalances. Hoping for Gloria & Robert to escape to the North, I guess....

EXCURSION UPDATES!

I thought it would be helpful to do an update on where we are with the Minis. I've also hidden the completed tasks on the planning sheet.

Time Limited - ROUND 5 ONLY
Gardening Chores
A07 Title is 6+ letters long

Challenge Long Minis
Mini 1 - Genres #3
G81 Nonfiction
G82 Romance
G83 Fantasy
G85 Urban Fantasy
G94 Biography
G99 Science Fiction / Sci-Fi
G100 Young Adult
G101 Middle Grade
G106 Horror
G107 Art
G109 Contemporary
G112 Suspense
G113 Coming of Age
G115 Paranormal
G116 LGBT (and variations) / Queer
G120 Spiritual / Spirituality (Sarah)

Mini 2 - Colours #3
C115 Blue in text
C135 White in text

Mini 4 - Brown
B29-30 2 books to make up a story (see below)

Brown Mini Story
Titles so far:
(The) Travelling Cat Chronicles
My Friends
(The) Hounding
Everything is Illuminated
Never Let Me Go
Full Tilt
Karma
Rebecca

@Trio, Zonked in Zucchini's isn't on your shelf, and doesn't have a read date. Can you do the traditional wrestle-with-GRs to fix it please?

Saar The Book owl wrote: "I'm reading A Very Coco Christmas, but it's the Dutch translation and it's ot on Goodreads. What do I do?"

If you give us the links to the edition you have we can ask a librarian to add it for you :)

DQ'S DAY 1 - CHAPTERS 1-8

1." A gripping, page-turning novel set in Jim Crow Florida that follows Robert Stephens Jr. as he’s sent to a segregated reform school that is a chamber of terrors where he sees the horrors of racism and injustice, for the living, and the dead."

MPG's for this book include horror, historical fiction and thriller. Given the above blurb and the MPG's, what are you expecting from this book? Thoughts on what the balance will be between the real life horror of living in this time and place, the supernatural elements of the story and how this will shape the tone of the novel?

I feel like the supernatural parts will enable us to understand more of the lived history than Robert or Gloria's viewpoint would allow.

2. The Jim Crow Era of Florida in the mid 20th century - being an Australian I only have a basic knowledge of what this actually was and means. What is your understanding of the time - if you are an American did you learn about this in school?

I didn't learn about it in school, at all (UK). but that's changing - my niblings are learning about Rosa Parks and all those campaigns, which is good progress. Having read a lot of books, I have some understanding of Jim Crow, but this is a newer viewpoint for me.

3. In the opening chapters, the author paints a picture of sad circumstances - the loss of a mother, an absent father and systematic racism. But there is a real feeling of warmth between Robert and his sister Gloria and Lottie their Guardian. Thoughts on Robert and Gloria's character, and how does the circumstances shape their relationship?

I like their relationship, though it's hard to see how Gloria's been forced to grow up and take on responsibilities that shouldn't be hers to deal with. They are both good characters that show the link to their shared history but with clear differences in personality.

4. Mr David Loehmann seems like a kind man despite the fact that he holds back on doing more for Robert initially. Why do you think the author includes the line "then he pretended to sneeze, saying " A Jew" where his sneeze should be" (A deputy) Do you have any empathy for Loehmann who knows he should do more, but doesn't?

I can understand - it's difficult to be a lone voice - and dangerous in that particular time and place.

5. First impressions of The Reformatory? Why do you think only the children can see the haints?

Oh my word, horrific. I suspect only they can see them because they are more open, plus it is haints (from the Black cultural tradition) rather than "ghosts", so not entirely surprising that white racists can't see the results of their actions.

Incidentally, this is purple cover, right?

it was very grim at a time when I need light reading - work stress indicated that the various horrors in that book wasn't the best choice!

I was enjoying it before work imploded on me, and I am sure I will when I get the headspace again (gotta be in the next week, for all the BOM points!)

I'm still aoviding / reading Our Share of Night, whcih is in that realm iirc

I've finished my last for this round!

@Trio, can you pop Holiday Boyfriend on your read shelf please? 😉

We are at the just over a day left in this round point, so a quick shout out of which books / how many more you'll finish before the end of the round would be great!

And do say when you turn in your last for the round too, as it really helps smooth the final tetris-ing :)

I'm still hoping to finish Our Share of Night this round, but I'll confirm tomorrow morning - depends how much I can get done this evening :)

just finished and marked, so once Danielle's checked you'll be good to finish :)

Sammy wrote: "I'm currently reading a Grimdark. I can hold off finishing until tomorrow, but I need it for another challenge by the end of the day.

Challenge Gods are not aligning things nicely for me right now 😆"

I'll be finishing a Time Travel by 4pm, so if you finish Grimdark after that we'll be golden!