The Challenge Factory discussion

Kay (Brigidsmomma), Sherri & Tiffany - Kay Scarpetta Series

ok, I now have both the book and audio, in case I can't read then I can listen. This is my first time so how does this work? Do we read X amount of Chapters or Pages per day and discuss at designated days/times? Or we just read whenever or by a certain date, then discuss? or Discuss or make comments whenever something hits us throughout the reading process?

Sherri wrote: "ok, I now have both the book and audio, in case I can't read then I can listen. This is my first time so how does this work? Do we read X amount of Chapters or Pages per day and discuss at designat..."
I think that's what we need to decide for ourselves in this thread. I read really fast and a LOT, so you all set the pace, and I will go with what you want to do. I have a bunch of stuff on my reading list for this month, but that doesn't matter. AS for this series, I have these in ppbk, so that means I can read a bit and set it aside a lot easier than I can with the Kindle, where I tend to read until the book ends so that I can hurryupandreadanother... :)

Since 1st is a Sunday AND I have book & audio, I can get through Point of Origin pretty quickly too. (BTW, I don't think I read particularly fast, in comparison to others, & amount of reading time varies so how quick I can get through can depend on that & if I have audio, which I have more time for b/c sev. days I'm in car a lot or listening while doing house chores or PT or if a migraine & can't read.) So, we can leave timing up to Tiffany. Then I have other things to read & listen to for this Grp & Challenge and others and a couple due back at libr. or expiring on eAudio (Hoopla, OverDrive or OneClickdigital). Then I could read others in this series. Did you already read all the books before this one in the series? PoO is #9; I have read 3 others in the series--#1, #14 & one other but not sure until I try to read it again (since it's been a little while & my old brain is forgetting its name)-- so I would like to check out some of the earlier ones, too.

I've read the rest prior to this one, as well as a couple of the later ones that I got when I could find them cheap. We can start this one as soon as you all want to, and how fast is up to you all. Tiffany looks like timing is up to you... just let me know. I can/will work around everyone else's schedule!

Hi guys, don't mean to be a pain, but I started 12 pgs today of Point of Origin and all of it is referencing people and events that were significant in Kay's and other key characters past. Particularly, Gault and his twin sister, Carrie, who were covered in 2 previous books). I can't read more b/c it's bugging that crap out of me plus it gives me too much info to enjoy those 2 later if I tried to push on now SO here are the options that are up to you guys...

BTW, Tiffany: Are you still with us? I haven't seen any postings from you here or the "In Death" group.

So back to options:

#1) You guys can continue on reading Point of Origin (#9) without me now. (Don't worry, you won't hurt my feelings if this is want you want.)

#2) I (and Tiffany, if she wants to also) can read The Body Farm (#5) and From Potter's Field (#6) first and then we can all read PoO together. (FYI, I can pick both up tomorrow & I can try to get through both in a week. It doesn't look like there's audio so it wouldn't be quicker.)

#3) We all go on to the next book in sequence (that appears to be a new case), which is #10 Black Notice. (Again, I can pick up the book tomorrow & actually can access eAudio for this one later today.)

Go ahead and read the other 2 first and then let me know when you are ready to start PoO. I have all kinds of stuff to read, so I can wait til you are ready.

I'm almost ready...I started #5 Body Farm & it referred to Temple Gault from previous book & checked reviews & saw same thing so got #4 too. So, I'm finished #4 "Clear & Unusual" (Gault first appears), #5 "The Body Farm" (Gault back & Carrie first appears), & halfway through #6 "From Potter's Field" (Gault back & taunting KS; Carrie ? maybe). I will probably start #9 Point of Origin really late Sun or very early Mon. and I have book and audio for it so I will probably finish Tues, or Wed at latest.

Do want to comment Mon. night on what we've read so far (& whatever relevant from previous books) or just wait til Tues. night?

I don't care. I will get started on it today and see how far I get. I have a DR's Appt tomorrow that will take a few hours of time that I can spend reading while I wait my turn, so that should get me thru some of it too...

Cool. I just finished From Potter's Field, it was so good that after 3 books (& a few years of chasing Temple Gault) it appears it was ended & Carrie caught too. Now, re-reading the first 5 pages, after reading the first 12 last week, has a whole different and more intense meaning that it didn't have last week before reading #4, 5 & 6. I'm guessing much wasn't said about them in #7 & 8? My library system actually has audio for both 7 & 8 so I will pick them & books up tomorrow. I saw you read 8 (Unnatural Exposure) but not 7 (Cause of Death), do you not have access to it? If you do, we can do that one before finishing or after #9.

I read Cause of Death a while back. This is one series that I have not been so up on reading in order. It's about the only one I can handle out of order, but each book is so complete, it's mainly only the timeline with her relationship with Wesley that seems to matter in the order thing... Haven't gotten started on PoO yet, but I head to the Dr's appt in a little bit, and this is a Neurologist who really spends time with each patient, so I expect a couple of hour wait to get in to see her, so I am planning to spend that time reading...

I read Cause of Death a while back. This is one series that I have not been so up on reading in order. It's about the only one I can handle out of order, but each book is so complete, it's mainly only the timeline with her relationship with Wesley that seems to matter in the order thing... Haven't gotten started on PoO yet, but I head to the Dr's appt in a little bit, and this is a Neurologist who really spends time with each patient, so I expect a couple of hour wait to get in to see her, so I am planning to spend that time reading...

Ah ok (re: #7) So re: #9 PoO I read through Ch 10 (which is abt halfway). I don't want to say too much b/c I'm not sure how far u r, even though ur prob past me...plus I'm fighting a headache. Plus I did pick up #7 & 8 and started listening to 7 mostly in car today.

So it starts right off w/Carrie's letter which was creepy after way they went through. Actually for them it was 5 years earlier but for me it was just hours & days since I just read #4, 5 & 6 (lol). Oh side note: Cornwell does do a pretty good job summing up things that happened in 4, 5 & 6 generally for ppl that haven't read all them to be able to follow this book BUT glad I read them b/c it wouldn't have been enough for me. BUT even more impt, this book gives too much away that are unknown in those 3 books that if I read those later, it wouldn't have had the same effect & I would have been frustrated or annoyed or something.

It is a lil weird that she's just coming up for trial now, 5 yrs later. Constitutional rights say we get a speedy trial, which these days (& apparently 20 yrs ago when this book was set) many jurisdictions are backlogged and trials can take a while BUT usually more like 1-3 yrs not 5+ yrs. Oh well. So the main case is based around a major fire and that's new for this series so there is new technical language & so far not as much medical/autopsy (but still some) & not as much advanced computer technical stuff (yea! some of that in the last couple books was making my head spin b/c so advanced & so much of it was old).

And now almost all of them work somewhere else--that's part of why I wanted to check out 7 & 8 to see what I missed about all the career changes & to see if Gault & Carrie mentioned even as background--so Wesley ret'd (that I was prob most surprised, even though he dips his toes back in). It is a lil weird that KS & Marino do every side job together--both were affiliated w/FBI not both w/ATF, but they are still approved for FBI but neither have been called for anything in a year. I can't believe she doesn't get paid for her consultation work though; it was mentioned in #6 (I think) & was very surprised. But now Lucy is no longer w/FBI and w/this new team, and just happens to be flying the helicopter that takes KS & Marino to scene. There is a lot about her & issues w/the diff orgs, which at first I wasn't getting so much BUT then I keep forgetting 20 yrs ago & military/govt was big on revealing sexuality prefs & the whole "don't ask; don't tell" thing; times have changed so much & frequently I would forget abt time diff while reading until KS menions "American Online" not even AOL...which seems like forever ago! Ahhh writer's licensing to do anything. lol So far I haven't heard Lucy's age mentioned to see how off that it is, but they did mention something from back when she was 19 & I did think she was a different age actually. Her age was really off in correlation w/time that passed in #4, 5 & 6 and it really bugs me when series authors do that & don't think readers will have a clue...esp. when reading yrs behind & reading them back to back. I'm really looking forward to reading the new books for technology things & just to see how writing & characters have changed. I did read one in the 2000's & liked then new neat technology they were using & they all moved & have their own org or company. I was thankful for that b/c I didn't care so much for the storyline or how it was written or something (it was a several months ago so I forget exactly why but don't forget that I wasn't thrilled with it b/c I gave it 3 stars LOL).

OK, I'll check later tomorrow evening. Will both prob be further along, closer to end or even finished. What do ppl usually talk abt? I haven't ever done a formal Buddy Read; only w/a GR friend that I talk to regularly & we just talk about anything & everything we wanted. But wasn't sure if it is more like what we like and don't like OR only about the particular case at hand and trying to solve it or comment on it?

I actually got about 5 pages in while waiting for my appt and realized that this is the last one I read. SO I'm done with this one. I need to look back over it as it's been several months since I read it, so I need to refresh my memory. Yesterday was kind of a waste, reading wise... I only got 5 pages before they called me to see the Dr. Really GREAT news however - my main neurological disease, Idiopathic Intercranial Hypertension, is in remission! This is really good news in that this means that I can cut back on one of my meds that actually is fairly harmful in some other ways - it increases my likelihood for kidney stones, and I am from a family with a history of chronic kidney stones anyway, which means I am constantly fighting them.
The bad part is that between the frequent kidney stones and the knee/hip/back issues, I have been basically bedridden for months now, so the little bit of getting out that I did yesterday really added up quickly, and when I came home it was time for muscle relaxers and pain killers which mean sleep and not much else. I do feel better today, but doubt that I am going to be up and about town again so soon. Still have shopping I need to do, and a stop at the library and bank... but they will have to wait for another day or so. I also need to see the regular GP as I need a refill on the pain killers as well. Bummer. I get a 30 day supply but make it last usually 4-5 months, and this time it's not even been a full 3 months. The KS have been really bad and frequent lately.

I guess I need to start the next one as well. AS for what we talk about, we can discuss the books but I don't mind talking about other stuff as well (as you can see from this last post). It's kind of nice to have someone to talk to about all sorts of things, and with me being homebound much of the time, it's a contact I won't get otherwise.

I know all too well about kidney stones. They run in my family too, although I have only a few small ones that broke up on their own & left remnants or residue when my daughter checked. However, my daughter, who will be 20 next months, has had & continues to have, numerous stones since she was 16. She has have several shock procedures & nephrosis (or whatever its called) b/c they get lodged & kidney swells & doesn't function until she gets a stent put in. My brother & aunt also have kidney disease, my aunt lost one of her kidneys when she was 25 & my brother was 21 when 30-50% of one of kidney was destroyed. Then there's my uncle, who is 65, and been on kidney transplant list for a year or so, but since they still function about 25% it hasn't been done & family donors aren't options & the one friend fell through 6 months into the transplant process. He won't get moved up on list until it is under 10%.

I am about mid 70% down with #7 & 9 and hopefully finish very late tonight since I have another appt still left & a couple things to take care of. After that I will be putting the series on hold for about a week b/c I haven't read any of the books that made it to the Semifinals in the main Fiction category. So I picked 4 that I most likely with like (2 books & 2 audio) and will read about 100-150 pgs of each & narrow down to the 2 best and finish and then vote. Several of my picks in other 3 or 4 categories (sev categories I don't vote, b/c don't care for or don't read much from them to choose anything) didn't make semifinals but at least I read one that is available.

PoO probably could be a little intense in mid portion b/c it appears that Benton dies in fire, but since I have read books later in series, I knew that wasn't the case. The spoils of not reading them in order.

Yeah, I've read some of the later ones as well, so I knew he hadn't died as well. Still, it WAS intense, and some of that for me, was the constant Carrie issue hanging fire over everything. Stalking really just gives me the willies.

I will wait to move on to the next one then until you are ready again. Scarpetta is intense, and it's hard for me to read her back to back.