Karen ⊰✿’s Comments (group member since Sep 23, 2012)

Karen ⊰✿’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Hello! wow here we are... wheel 10. Doesn't feel like that long ago we started the first one :o

🌍 Where are you journeying from?

Sydney, Australia. Currently into Spring and heading into Summer. Both my favourite times of year :)

💖 A book, author, or genre that’s always “preciousss” to you?
Anna Karenina and Wuthering Heights were always my precious ones.
More contemporary preciousss would be Jonathan Strange

🍫 Optional snack check: if you were bringing second breakfast for the road, what’s in your pack?

Dark chocolate. And diet coke. 😂


🧿“Who is your favourite villain… and why is it obviously Me, Sauron?”

lol. I don't know actually. I am a bit of a pollyanna and get uncomfortable with villains. lol! Did make me think of Vicious though. I like anti-heroes

💍 Which unread book on your shelf whispers to you most like the Ring?

All the Terry Pratchett Discworld books I am yet to read!

🌋Which books/characters did you feel like throwing into Mount Doom?

I have a whole shelf of "gave up on", but the one that comes to mind is Jamie from Outlander

🥾What’s your favourite real-life walk… and why is it clearly the Road to Mordor?

We have bushland near us that we walk though to get to the kids school and the local train station. It was a well-trodden path in lockdowns thats for sure!!

🎒 Would you survive the Tongariro Alpine Crossing carrying Sam’s cookware set and Frodo’s the Mighty Lord Sauron's Ring?

Probably not. I don't even know I could do the crossing full stop. haha

⚔️ If you needed rescuing, which literary character(s) would you choose would you choose the Nazgûls, the Balrog or the Orcs?

The Nazgûls always scared the crap out of me. So did the Orcs. So I guess it is Balrog 😁🤐

MelanieJoy wrote: "I need to hit 3 each month if I want to make it"

you can do it!

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❅ Mel travelling-on-wheels-25 Read Currently Reading Comments
❅ Karen wheelathon10 Read Currently Reading Comments
❅ Julia challenge-wheeling-around-the-world Read Currently Reading Comments
❅ christene_littlelibrary z-wheel-a-thon-10 Read Currently Reading Comments
❅ Elisabeth wheels25 Read Currently Reading Comments
❅ Claire wheel-10 Read Currently Reading Comments
❅ VNerd wheelathon-2025 Read Currently Reading Comments
❅ Claire Challenge-Wheel-World Read Currently Reading Comments
❅ Sophie Wheelaround Read Currently Reading Comments
❅ Alysa wheel-a-thon-2025 Read Currently Reading Comments
❅ Rebecca Wheel-X Read Currently Reading Comments

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "Fantastic Mods. Can't wait to start.

What's everyone's first book for the challenge. I've been holding off for this one..."

Oh I didn't even realise it was out (living under a rock lol)

But I need to get to for my closet challenge

Kelly (Maybedog) wrote: "I wish those promoting AI so much would read a few dystopian novels and other science fiction."

Unfortunately many dystopian novels are not so dystopian anymore

Kelly (Maybedog) wrote: "Sounds like it. The only caveat in regards to units is that the members own the property. They can have renters but it's the owners that belong. So only the owner of an entire apartment complex is ..."

For us, units can be renters or owner occupiers. We don’t differentiate between apartments and condos like in North America. We just call them all units or apartments. They are all one and the same.
So your strata fees go to the overall upkeep with gardens, lifts etc. And then there are specific strata laws although each building (or complex of its a bunch of homes) can vote on their own separate by-laws. So it does sound very much like the HOA. Ours are run by companies and then the owners can choose to attend meetings and they are the ones who appoint the company to manage it

Jenny wrote: "They are just that! Some of them are adorable, some of them are a bit more simple. There are a few in front of houses near me that look like castles or Tudor houses. There is one that is built from..."

Another new term 🤭 I think HOA is like strata council here (when you live in units or a complex of duplexes/ houses?)

I’m a member of five libraries because I live on the border of 3 council areas so easy to get to the physical libraries and the other two allow free membership for ebooks and audiobooks. There are probably more here in NSW I can join remotely but the ones I have mostly do :)

I was doing so well but now just hanging in there. Need to get to 2 this month

Jenny wrote: "Something I started doing is to use the "little libraries" as a way to cull my bookshelves. There are a bunch of them set up in or near my neighborhood, so, when the Christmas lights go up, I load ..."

We call them street libraries (I think as it sounds like the same thing). Anyone can build one at their house and also lots of churches and sometimes councils also put them up in parks and things. They are like a big letter box with the top half where you can put books.( They are usually full!) and people colour and paint them so they look super cute as you drive around.

Sammy wrote: "WOOHOO! This one is made for me right now! Can't guarantee the quality, but can guarantee a good few audible originals 😆

..."



Haha so true
I read Kill Your Brother the other week and recommend it as a quick thriller!
I also happened to listen to two other audible originals this month 🤦‍♀️🤭 now I need to dig out what else is on my shelf for October!

I'll be back to update

Start of Month
Total audiobooks to read:
Audiobooks in monthly category to read:

Books in category:

FINISHED


End of Month
Total audiobooks read this year:
Audiobooks in monthly category read:

MY MONTHLY RECOMMENDATION (and why):

Oh, and I *loved* the authors note at the end and explanation on why she chose the names. So clever

SET 2

6. There's a quote from Bear "maybe freedom is just about choosing the life you want"
Do you think this is true? And do you think it's a revelation that all three versions came to?

I think it is true in many ways, although a bit simplistic to account for things like disadvantage and discrimination.
It was an important theme in the book, though

7. Julian's life seemed the hardest for him and Maia to find happiness. Do you think this is due to the lack of Cora in their story?

I really like how in each of the three stories everything was so topsy turvy. Not growing up with a mother - especially in how she was taken - would impact your life, for sure. I really felt for him when he was so worried about his genetic material leading him down a path. And I absolutely loved it when they were back together after lock downs.

8. Did you expect the resolution of Gordon's journey?

I didn't, and I thought it was exceptionally well done. It did bother me that in that story Cora was left by her kids - especially Maia tbh as she knew better and was a health care worker. I couldn't have been happier with how he got her out.

9. We don't see much of Gordon Snr at all, until the Epilogue. Did the end of his story satisfy you? Do you think that his life would have been different if he was Hugh, as hinted?
Makes you wonder, doesn't it. I actually finished this book a few days ago and have been pondering ever since. I'm glad we didn't get much of him because I don't think I would have liked the author trying to have me give him any kind of understanding or empathy. He was the worst kind of human.

10. Overall thoughts about this book? Did the conceit work well?
I have enjoyed it more in the pondering, I think. I now think I would actually read it again (perhaps skimming the DV parts) as this novel has so many layers and complexities. I've decided to give it 5 stars which is pretty rare for me. But the writing was great, characters well written and any book that has me still thinking about it days later gets that extra star.

1. This was my pick because it had such an interesting premise. Does your given name affect the path of your life? Do people make assumptions about you, your personality even your ethnicity/cultural background because of your name. What do you think?

I saw a review in the paper when it was published and thought it sounded interesting and it was also chosen for one of my RL Bookclubs this month. I’m surprised we don’t have more participants as it seems to be very popular! Or may that is just in Aus? Good publicist here? Anyhow..
I think names can have an impact especially non traditional names like Bear.
Since “Karen” became a meme I have to say that is irritating (due to the sexist nature of it) but also people now often ask me how I feel about it. At the end of the day I’ve had the name for almost 50 years so I can’t do much about it or care about the latest meme / Gen Z slang! But it is also used by some to silence me (and other women) from having an alternative opinion to them or speaking out and that’s not cool

2. Now that I have started (now finished) the book it actually is more a book about sliding doors. Three different names, three different pathways. Bear, Julian, Gordon - what do you think will happen to these three boys?
I’ve been surprised and fascinated to see how this, so far, seems to be more about how the name impacted Cora.
Yes, Bear/Julian/Gordon, Mia and others were also impacted but the main catalyst seemed to be how Cora felt about the name. Bear gave her courage. Julian optimism and Gordon depression and begrudging acceptance.

3. What are the initial similarities/differences between the three stories? Were you shocked that all of the three stories involve murder and abuse no matter what the boy's name is?
omg the DV has been so hard to read. So amazing that the writer has been able to write three stories like this and I can only hope it gives someone impacted by DV some insight and hope: but oh boy.
Like you’d think the Bear storyline is the “good” one but then it resulted in an innocent bystanders death.
Or Julian may have a chance but then she is killed while the kids silently witness.
Or Gordon who is turning out as a brute and she has been subjected to more and more control…. Thank goodness for that vet (so far).

4. Do you think the sibling relationship between Maia and Bear/Jordan/Gordan play out differently in the three stories? Is it the name of the brother or other factors that cause any differences between them?
so differently! And I think that is again down to Cora’s influence and what happens to the family based on the name choice. I have to say I was so disappointed in the kids in the Gordon storyline that they knew about the ongoing abuse and - even as adults - ignored it.

5. Handing down family names is very common in many cultures. "Maybe consenting to live in the shadow of his father and his father's father is only perpetuating the likeness...Perhaps calling their child something different would be a liberation" Agree/disagree with this statement.
depending on the family it could bring expectations or could also just be a sign of respect. In this case the grandfather is a right bastard so you can see where the quote comes from given the father also!!
Whereas I’ve given my kids family names (as middle names) as a sign of respect and explained to them why they have those names

Sorry, I just started.
My book before I accidently bought the audible dramatised version and I couldn't follow it and finished having no idea what had happened. So I returned it and bought the regular version :o Meant it took me 3 weeks to read that book. lol

Anyway, I was not expecting the DV. Maybe I don't read synopsises very well! I was getting quite uncomfortable with reading it, but then we just moved forward 7 years so I am hopeful.....
So far I do really like the idea of the 3 names and how they actually make Cora a completely different person whereas I was move expecting the book to focus on him and his life and how it changed. Quite fascinating.
Anyway, I'll come back once I am further to read your DQs and respond

Finished


Love this writer and I really should have picked up this book 3 seven years ago! I had to use the robot to give me an update of the series so far and then I bought the dramatised audible version by accident. I couldn't follow it and got to the end and had no idea what had happened. So I returned it and started again on the regular version! Really enjoyed it and now have promised myself to get to book 4 really quickly :o