SA Book & Challenge Lovers discussion

For the next few Buddy Reads, Barbara and I will (probably) be reading books for the Deserted Island challenge. First up is one of Lu's choices, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Anyone who wants to join in is welcome! Lu, I hope you'll come and give us your thoughts too :)

Barbara, in reply to your comment in the MishMash thread, I hope you don't read this all in one day! Specifically because there's no way I'll be able to do the same, and I like to discuss books in sections as I go along :)

I'm looking forward to this as a bit of a break - I just read two really long, complex sf novels (I'm still busy with one actually) and I'm hoping this will be an easier read.

Don't worry, I won't. I was just kidding since I won't be starting any new books today other than this one and I just don't know what to do with myself when I am not reading a lot :)
I haven't yet picked up the book, at least not to read. I have looked inside and saw the book is divided up into 7 chapters or days (not counting the prologue and the epilogue). Maybe it is a good idea to stick to one day (or chapter) a day. That way we will be able to discuss the book without reading to much.
So for today I will be reading the Prologue and Chapter/Day 1.

Ok cool, I'll try and do the same :) Be warned that I might fall behind though!

I know, *sigh* most books you do :P
But somehow I doubt it with this one. I am only a couple of pages in and the book is drawing me in and it is a very easy read so far. That makes me think you'll be able to keep up just because you want to :)
And if not, I can always skip a day and wait for you to catch up.

Well, we can't all be such overachievers :)
If it's such an easy read, then yeah, I don't think there'll be a problem. I'm about to finish an easy read now, only 240 pages, and I would have read the whole thing yesterday if I'd started earlier.

I'll give my comments :)

Well I am done with the book, so will definately join in on the discussions!

Ok, I read the first chapter and the prologue.
There is a small mistake in the timeline in the beginning, but nothing too big.
I like it. It is a a typical high school setting with the main character being popular and a bully. And she is a sheep. I mean she feels bad at times for her bullying but she just followes the herd (a.k.a. the other kids). Nothing special happens, but we need a baseline for the other days. Even though nothing special happens I was still interested in her day. Maybe because you know what is coming, but still...

I have a confession to make - I read half the book already... It's an easy read and I stayed up quite late with it.

But will stick to day 1 for now and not read any of it today.

What is the timeline issue?

I like it too, although it's easy to see what the author is doing here. As you say, Sam is popular, a bully and a sheep. She also thinks that her behaviour is justified - that's just how life is, that's just how people treat each other, and you have to know what side is the best one to be on. If you've read the blurb, you know that the author is setting her up to see the error of her ways and realise how much she is hurting people for her own entertainment.

She seems to have forgotten how it feels to be unpopular, as she was for a long time, because she doesn't seem to have any empathy for the people that she and her friends make fun of. But then again when you go from a position of weakness to power it's all to easy to abuse that power.

I have to say it's a very American book. All schools have the popular and unpopular kids, I'm sure, but in America the whole clique thing is so much more pronounced and the bullying in general seems so much more cruel (plus people accept that cruelty as norm).

Oh, I also wanted to say, I like the writing - there are lots of little details that play into Sam, Lindsay and Rob's characters. I like that, even though most of the time it makes me hate them. On the downside, I find Elody and Ally's characters to be a bit indistinct. It's a bit difficult for me to picture them, although I know from later chapters that Ally's family is rich, like Lindsay's.

And Lindsay is an EPIC bitch.

Hehe glad it is going well so far :)

Where are you in the book exactly?

I have read day 2 and 3 to catch up a little.

The timeline issue is not that big of a deal. I just noticed it. In chemistry Sam has to sit next to Lauren, because she met up with Ally in the bathroom as she always does before fourth period. So that would mean that chemistry is fourth period. But two pages later she says that she has "life skills" for fourth period.
Like I said nothing mayor but just something that made me go: huh?

Well being on the receiving end of bullying, I must say I recognize a couple of things. Not the scene with Juliet at the party. That is fortunately way out of my scope of experience. But the taunts about not being picked for games during gym is very recognizable. The same things were said of and to me. I was the fat kid that wore glasses and braces and was also the smartest kid in class and I was friends with a boy who knitted his own sweaters. Fortunately that was all that was "wrong" with me or else my life would have been even worse.

That is why I can understand why Sam is a sheep. It's not just that it is justified but also fear that if she doesn't join in she will be on the receiving end againd. That is also I think why the "riddle" of "what is read and white all over.." keeps popping up as a sign of her fear. I can't relate however. Because later I became friends with the most popular girl in school and I still didn't bully other kids even though at that point I could have gotten away with it.

The reason you hate them is because you get to really know them and see how superficial they are and that they think the wrong things are important. But they are still kids and that is the way American high schools are.

Sometimes I don't even realise Ally and/or Elody are in the scene. But I gues they are the less important characters. Since it is all about Sam and Rob and Lindsay.
But that Ally is rich is obvious from the start. Well not the start but from the first chapter when they arrive at the party and they are amazed by the size of Kent's house and say it is almost as big as Ally's house. She wouldn't be living in a big house if she was poor.

What I wonder though and I don't know if that is going to be explained is if the suiceide of Juliet is something that happens because of the changes Sam made during the day or if it is something that would happen anyway or maybe if it is the thing Sam is meant to prevent. Well, I just have to read on and find out I guess.

I've read day 4.

I didn't notice the chemistry/life skills thing, but I did wonder why Sam is still copying Lauren's answers on days 3 and 4. By this point she should know the answers herself, but more importantly she has no reason to care about the test anymore (especially on day 4).
Which reminds me, I also wanted to slap her on day one for thinking that she was doing a good deed by accepting Lauren's pen, when in fact Lauren is doing her a favour.

Yeah, I was on the wrong side of the popularity fence all through school too. I was smart (never a good thing), I had absolutely no fashion sense, frizzy hair, and I was really shy. I was athletic, but that didn't make much difference. I can see why Sam's a sheep, and you make a good point about her being on the receiving end if she doesn't play along. If she shows any sympathy to someone (like when she asks Lindsay why she hates Juliett) she immediately gets accused of being friends with that person, which in their little world is a very bad thing. Still, if I imagine myself in her shoes, I still can't believe I'd be that cruel. Then again, in American schools, it seems to be a norm, which is perhaps why Sam doesn't try to be kind.

Until now I assumed Juliett's suicide is something that happens anyway, since on day 3, when we first learn of her suicide, the girls don't even go to the party, and it's Lindsay, not Sam, who arranges for the rose to be sent to Juliett, as she does every year. So it doesn't seem like it's directly related to Sam's actions, although that could be a twist.

What I really want to know is what happened between Juliett and Lindsay in primary school.

Well that is the popular thing. If she is nice to someone that person will become a teensy weensy bit more popular by association. So it is nice of her to talk to the lesser people. At least in her point of view.

Well there have been experiments to figure the sheep thing out. And it appears that most people will subject themselve to the group mentality even if they think it is wrong to do so. The experiments range from giving other people electric shocks because someone tells them to, to being thought superior because of hair colour to being "coerced" by the group into giving wrong answers to questions. Only about 1 in 6 people is able to withstand group pressure. I believe that is because these people are somehow outside the group. Either because they are so strong and at the top of the group if you look at popularity that they don't care what the rest thinks or they are at the bottom but not the very ottom. I mean the people who have been taunted but have bounced back and can empathise. Or they have placed themselves outside of the group altogether. But if you think the group is important then it is very difficult to defy the group.

Since they don't go on the party on day 3 Juliett doesn't have the opportunity to call them names. Ok she was also severly bullied on those days, but she at least got to speak her mind. Her being bullied was started by the girls and might have felt like that it proved her point and all this might have acted as a pressure valve on the other days and so prevented her suicide on the previous days. We don't know if something happened to Juliett at the party because the girls didn't go on day 3 and we don't know if she committed suicide on day 1 and 2, because by then Sam was dead.

I think that what happened between Julliett and Lindsay might be the key to the story and the reason why Lindsay is so much more prominent than Elody and Ally.

I will read day 4 later today, so we are at the same point again and then you can read this book again :)

I remember studying the electric shock and wrong answer experiments in Psychology. There's also that Zimbardo prison experiment, where the volunteers are divided up into prisoners and guards and kept in prison for a few days. I think the hypothesis was that people identify and play certain social roles. The experiment had to be ended early because the guards (or one of them) took it too far.

I thought about the possibility that Juliett might not have killed herself on the first two days, but surely being in a room full of people who go all Lord of the Flies on you, chanting "psycho" and pouring beer and vodka on you is worse than not having the chance to call your tormentors bitches? Unless there's more to the story, I find it hard to imagine that Juliett only kills herself if the party scene doesn't happen.

I also think the Lindsay/Juliett thing is very important, but I think that Lindsay is also more prominent simply because she's the 'leader'. She was ALWAYS popular (don't know/remember Elody and Ally's stories though), and she's in a position of power - she's prettier than the others, she drives the car they all use, she's the most sexually experienced (except perhaps for Elody) or at least claims to be, and in general she seems to be the best at playing the role of the most popular girl.

There are several experiments with several goals. But in all of them a secondary topic was to see how far people would go under peer pressure. Why didn't anyone say you guys this is going to far and intervened? It is weird what a group will do to you.

From my own experience I can say how important it is to speak up and confront your tormentors. No matter what they do to you afterwards. It is the fighting back that counts more than the bullying that ensues from that fighting back no matter how extreme. And I can tell you in some cases it has been extreme. When I was 6 or 7 I had 5 girls waiting for me after school to beat the crap out of me. After the fight I went straight to the pricipal and the girls were punished. I never felt so good about myself after fighting back both in the fight as in the fact of going to the principal, never mind that I was bullied by them in other ways, more subtle, more painfull and also less obvious and so less punishable.

We will just have to see what happens on the other days with Juliett before we can give a final verdict.

Lindsay might be the leader but that doesn't mean that she has to be more prominent. In a group of 4 people will pair up. Sam could have paired up with any of the other two girls, but she didn't. Of course she and Lindsay were the first members of the group. Maybe that is why Lindsay is the leader. She was already popular and befriended Sam so she became popular and then the other girls just joined in.

Wow, that's hectic what happened to you. Lots of people have been mean to me, but I've never been in a physical fight. I can imagine how good it felt to report that to the principal so that the girls were punished though.

You know, I've been spelling Juliet with two t's because for some reason I thought that that was how she spelt it, but then I went to check and it only has one t. I don't know where the hell that idea came from...

Anyway, let me know when you're don with day 4 and then I'll read on :)

Well, it wasn't the first or the last fight I was in and I did give as good as I got. I once even got hold of this girl's hair and ripped a handfull right out of her skull. All because I was different and wouldn't join in with stuff that I thought wasn't funny. So I know about bullying. I even gave an interview once on national radio about being bullied. It was a series of several interviews of kids that were different somehow and were bullied because of it. I was the fat and smart kid, but there were also kids with different religions or cultures, kids with handicaps etc.
It does give me a somewhat different view of the book than most people will have.
And it didn't leave any lasting harm. I do have some issues with self esteem but that is because of bullying that happens now and not that happened then. Although the bullying now is more hidden. Like when I walk into a MacDonalds (something I will never do alone and hardly ever do with friends) a lot of people will stare and comment since I am overweight why do I go to a MacDonalds etc. They say it very softly but I can still hear it. After a working day when everyone is waiting for the train to go home a lot of people will be eating something and thast is accepted, but when I eat something even when it is something healthy like an apple I will get comments and stares.
Don't ever think bullying is a children's thing. Adults are far better and vicious in bullying. A kid will do it openly, an adult will do it hidden.

I took your lead on Juliet. I wasn't sure how to spell it and you seem to be so confident so I thought you were right.

I just completed day 4 and wow. What happened! Well I can understand she getting fed up with reliving the same day over and over again even though it hasn't been that often yet and I can understand her taking risks but wow...

Are you planning to read untill you're done or just day 5? And are you doing it tonight or tomorrow?
If you are going on reading, I will read day 5 tonight and see where you are tomorrow morning before going on with day 6.

Oh I forgot.
That Rob is one major SOB.
I knew he was a jackass before but falling asleep when they're in the middle of having sex, well in the middle of foreplay but we knew were it was going.

Kent is sweet though.

I just finished day 5 and I won't read further untill I know you have read it too.
When I pick the book up again to read day 6, I will probably also read day 7 and the epilogue. Just wanted to give you a heads up about that.

Ok day 5.
Sam is quite selfish. She is trying to help Juliet and that is a good thing, but she does it because she believes that saving Juliet means saving herself and that is a bad thing. Although I do think later on she is getting more and more sincere.

Ok, we now now with Juliet on the first couple of days, which only makes it more clear that she plays an important role.

Is it me or is it strange that the police doesn't talk to Sam after the accident and that no one calls her parents?

Hi, will comment now, just here to say go ahead and read further! It's so quick, you can finish it today if you want :)

Day 4
Ahh, the hair ripping thing is making me squirm! But I have to say that you've had it rough.

I have to say, that throughout day 4 I was so worried that for some reason it wouldn't rewind again in the morning! Especially with the Mr Daimler incident and stealing her mom's credit card and then spending thousands of dollars on clothes and food! I'm glad she told Lindsay off though, and I also thought it was the fun day, up to a point. I mean, we'd probably all do something similarly extreme if we knew it wouldn't count, but you still have the memories.

You could see Rob was an asshole early on. Little things, like how he seems about to get angry when Sam does anything that suggests she might not have sex with him, and the big things, like passing out drunk and accusing her of cheating for no reason.

You could also see Kent getting set up as the good guy, but yeah, I like him too. I'm not a fan of long hair on guys, but anyway.

Day 5

This was a nice one. Izzy is one of my favourite characters too, and I like how, as Sam says, she braver than her older sister in that she's willing to be herself and not change to suit her peers. I would have preferred it if the author wrote all Izzy's speech with the list included. It wouldn't be that hard to read, and it's cute and funny.

Also a nice day because of Kent at the end, letting her stay over, etc. But yeah, it doesn't really make sense that they wouldn't call her parents, or that her parents wouldn't hear about the accident and then call her. I mean, if your best friends were in a car accident and you didn't come home your parents would be worried sick!

Oh, I was also glad to finally learn the full details of the accident. I thought it had a nice sense of poetic justice.

We can finish this book today if you want. I read 5 this morning and then the power went out so I started on 6.

Since you told me to go ahead and read on I have just finished the book.
It is funny though. When I said as a joke I was going to read the book in one day you got all panicky and wanted to slow me down and now here you are pushing us forward and wanting to finish the book as quick as you can.

Yeah I had it tough. You don't even know the half of it. But it helped make me the person who I am today and I am quite happy with that so lets just say it was necessary at some level.

Yeah it was obvious that Rob was a SOB or maybe just a typical spoilt highschool boy. But falling asleep while making out. Oh boy, I would have done some nasty thing to wake him up and then left him.

Well that would be me, worrying the day wouldn't reset and then I would have to live with the consequences. So it would take me a long time before I would go wild, if it ever happened to me that I had to relive the same day over and over.

It was a good thing she told of Lindsay but she could have done it more subtle.

I love Izzy and I agree with you about writing her speech as she pronounces it. I somethimes forget she pronounces words differently. I love it when authors write the speech as it is spoken like with Scottish people or indeed people with a slight speech impediment.

I would think it is one of the first thing the cops would do when there are underage children involved, call the parents. And Sam is the main witness, why is no one taking her statement? But that is not the point of the story.

On day 6 I like she is getting the point and trying to make it better. Although the way she does it is a little overboard here and there and if she would have thought about it I think she would have noticed that it wasn't the right way. But I guess you have to try and fail before you can get stuff right.

I won't talk yet about day 7 because that might ruin things if you read my comments before you erad the day itself but I have finished the book so feel free to say what you want when you post your next comment.

I'm done too. I have to say it was nice to have such an easy read that was well-written and interesting too, so I kept reading this one instead of my literary sf novel!

For me, this was a 4-star book. Up until day 7, with which I have some issues.

Firstly, Lindsay. I know Sam told her off on earlier days, and that Lindsay herself has gone through some difficulties, but she's still such a bitch. And she continues to be a bitch on day 7. But on day 7, perhaps because Sam has accepted her fate, she seems to excuse Lindsay's behaviour, because no matter how horrible she is, they're best friends and Lindsay still smiles at her and hugs her, etc. But by now Sam knows how Lindsay has fucked up poor Juliet's life. Why does Lindsay get off scot free here? I felt that, on this last day, Sam should have said something to Lindsay about how she has treated Juliet. The only thing that makes me feel better is that Lindsay might feel bad at having played a role in Sam's death. Juliet tries to commit suicide because of what Lindsay and her friends have done, then Sam tries to save her and dies instead.

I have to say though, I was surprised that Sam actually dies at the end. It's not a happy ending, but I admire the author for going with the sad ending.

Anyway, one other thing about Lindsay - one thing we learn about her is that she's often putting on an act, and in general, I assume that being popular involves putting on an act a lot of the time. You can't be seen behaving in ways that don't fit the popularity mould. Lindsay can't be popular without friends, so why doesn't it occur to Sam that Lindsay's friendship is, at least partly, an act too? On day 7 she keeps making statements about love and friendship, but how far does Lindsay's friendship extend?

Another issue is Juliet.
Why does she still want to kill herself after she gets a Cupid Day message that she actually finds pleasing/inspiring? Actually, I can accept that, but in the day 7 scenario, is it really a good thing for Sam to die saving her life? Juliet is at the very bottom of this school's social hierarchy. They already call her psycho. Having been saved from a suicide attempt, she'll have to go to therapy, and it looks like everyone is right about her. Meanwhile, the popular girl who everyone thinks is mean, will no doubt get remembered for this ultimate act of kindness, thereby transforming her into a near perfect figure - popular, pretty, and nice. I wanted Sam to save Juliet, but this way doesn't seem all that great.

And I felt really sorry for Kent.

Day 7 was also a bit cheesy for me. I think Oliver overdid it a tad on the emotional musing, so I didn't find the end particularly sad.

I am glad you liked it and that it was such an easy read for you. You could use one :)

Well of course Lindsay is still a bitch. She can't remember any of the previous days and conversations because only Sam can. So she can't be changed by them.
I do find it strange that Sam doesn't somehow confronts Lindsay and try to make it better for Juliet. The way it ends now all Juliet knows is that Sam somehow tried to help her but not how or why. Lindsay doesn't know and probably won't know since she doesn't talk with Juliet and won't get the details. All she will know is that one of her best friends died saving the freak of the school. I don't think that will do anything good for the way Lindsay sees and treats Juliet.
I can understand that Sam accepts Lindsay's behavious. I have that with my best friend. I have been friends with her for 23 years and I don't always agree with what she does and I will tell her that, but we never fight about it and I will always accept her and have her back no matter what she does. I think it is a part of friendship to accept the other flaws and all no matter what.

I think it is the only way for the book to end, with Sam dying. If she lived the book wouldn't have the impact it has and I personally would have felt cheated. So I never expected anything else than Sam dying in the end. It is the way in which it happens that I question.

That is something I have a problem with too. How can you be real friends if you can't be yourself with that person. Their friendship is based on keeping each others secreats and I don't think that is what friendship is about. It is about accepting each other no matter the faults and being there for each other because of the good things. But I guess that is the way American high schools work. You are friends on the basis of what you do or are. I mean are you pretty and popular, are you an athlete, are you a science nerd etc. Friendships aren't based on character. Again compare that with me and my best friend. She is tall and thin, I am short and fat, she likes sports, I hate them, I love to read books, she only read the books that were mandatory in school, her home has only the necessary furniture and nothing else or she feels crowded, I love to have stuff around me, etc. We are completely different, butr accept each other as we are. We had different friends in high school but we liked each other and still became friends. If we had been in an American high school she wouldn't have talked to me because she would have been the popular girl and I would have been the science nerd. That is what group pressure and perceived rules can do to you.

Thank you very much, my point exactly!
That the rose isn't helpful I can understand, because it might be too little too late. Also I think that by that time Juliet has already made up her mind to kill herself and I know it is then very hard to change that. If a person has finally decided to kill themself that is not a spur of the moment thing. A lot of thinking has been done before that decision is made and then it is near impossible to change that especially if a single rose is all that is offered.
I do think this will only increase her problems since Sam's friends and possible other kids will blame her. I mean why did Sam have to die to save her miserable life. At least that is what I think they will say.
Sam will be transformed into some sort of goddess for sacrificing her life for someone so unworthy.

Poor Kent! I think he will need some therapy too. If he goes over his memories of the day he will see the little hints in what Sam did and said like her saying that she didn't have much time. Also he will feel guilty about picking her up because if he hadn't then she wouldn't have been at the party and would still be alive.
Life will not be easy for him.

It did begin to feel a bit like a religious afternoon special movie or something. but then if you think about what happens to the people who stay behind the cheesyness goes away. Sam dropped so many hints that she wasn't going to make it through the day that people will remember it and they will start to feel guilty.

Having said all that, I still liked the book and I too gave it 4 stars. I just wish the author took a little bit more time to think through what people would do or how certain actions would influence them.

For a book we read in three days we did discuss it a lot and we did have a lot to say :)

Let me know when you are ready to read the next one and which one that will be :)

I'm so glad you guys didn't hate the book! And that there was lots to discuss :)

It was an enjoyable read, not a book I would bring with me to a deserted island, but if someone else brought it I would definitely read it (again).

Did you agree with any of our comments?

I didn't expect Lindsay to change, since of course she doesn't remember the previous days, but I really wanted Sam to say something to her about her behaviour, about how she shouldn't be so cruel or ruin people's lives for her own entertainment. One thing that really stood out for me was when Juliet said she didn't tell people the truth about Lindsay wetting her sleeping bag because Lindsay was her best friend and she was willing to make that sacrifice for her. That's an amazing thing to do, especially for a child. One of the themes of the book is doing difficult things for your friends, but Lindsay is one person who doesn't make those kinds of sacrifices. It's more like she just gives them the benefit of her popularity, and it's a gift she can take away if she wants.

I can understand Sam accepting some of Lindsay's behaviour, especially when she learns more about her, like the fact that she was scared of what Juliet knew about her. But she was still largely responsible for Juliet committing suicide and she does a lot of horrible things. Her cruelty just goes too far, and I thought that Sam should have told her that. I don't like it that Lindsay basically has a normal day with nothing to disrupt her life until the very end. And you're right, Lindsay might not even change after Sam's death, because no one will understand Sam's actions and it will look like everything is just Juliet's fault. On day 3, Lindsay seems upset but not remorseful about Juliet's suicide.

About Sam's and Lindsay's friendship: the one positive way I can look at this is to try and see Sam's perspective - she's going to die in a few hours, so the happiest way to end it is to look at you life in a positive way. So she goes on about how much she loves her friends, and how the nice things they do makes up for the bad things, etc.
But I still feel that this is a bit disingenuous. How is that Sam totally changed her mind from day 4? I don't think that learning about Lindsay's insecurities was enough. And let's not forget that Sam dies partly because of Lindsay's driving, and partly because they've tortured Juliet to the point where she throws herself in front of a car.
I just feel like day 7 involves Sam lying to herself, enjoying time with Kent (that will most likely break his heart later) and then becoming Juliet's guardian angel. It was a letdown for me. I can't say exactly how I would have preferred the author to handle it, but an in-depth discussion with Lindsay, and perhaps Kent would definitely be on my list of improvements.

Also maybe some more action with Kent.

Oh, and giving the MC Escher book to Katie - what the hell? She stole a book from her dad to give to this chick who will think it's totally insane and random?

Now that I think about it, if she was going to do all these things that people will later interpret as her knowing she was going to die, why not say a proper goodbye to her parents in the morning? They don't remember the I love you's and hugs from the previous days.

Lu (The Muggle) wrote: "I'm so glad you guys didn't hate the book! And that there was lots to discuss :)"

Lol, I also worry people will hate my choices :)

But this is a great book to discuss, lots of details to muse over! As I write here I think of little things that I noticed while I was reading, like on the first day Izzy comes running to Sam with her gloves because she forgot them, and Sam just tells her not to touch her stuff. I thought she was such a bitch right then! And I already loved Izzy because she said she likes the way she talks while Sam is a sheep.

For the next book - let's start mid-July. I have a lot of review books to catch up on.

How about The Night Circus?

I don't have much more to add, since I agree with you on most things.

Sam changes her mind from day 4, because that is the day she spends away from her friends and sees the world and her own group from the perspective of the other people. She gets certain insights. It isn't mentioned that way in the book, but that is why I think she had that totally different day to get a differnt view point which makes it possible for her to change.

I beleive the M.C. Escher book is given to Anna. But yeah the book was strange. Mostly because there was no context. Just: here you go, a book for you. She should have said more or explained more. Now it feels like an empty gesture. It almost feels as if Anna will throw it in the next bin she sees, because it is so weird.

More action with kent would have only fucked him up more later on in life.

I think Sam got as close to a proper goodbye as she god get withoutr her parents freaking out. i know that my mum would freak out if all of a sudden I would say I loved her out of the blue. I had a lot of trouble saying it as a kid and we developed our own way of saying it. So if I actually used the proper words it would freak her out. And you see the same with Sam's mum on previous days. Not so much that she freaks out but that she does think it strange. I also think that had Sam not left the house when she did her parents would have called her back and sat her down to talk to her about giving her necklace to Izzy, because she would not normally do that.

I think Sam not wanting Izzy to touch her stuff is a typical older sister younger sister dynamic. They are always afraid the younger sister will break stuff or do things with it they don't like.

I am also afraid people will hate my choices. Mostly because I am afraid they will think me weird for liking those books. But it is nice to read great books that normally you wouldn't pick up or in my case also reread a book to see if I missed something that makes it great (I mean the rereading of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe).

Ah, the other day I saw a quote about Anna Carjullo (perhaps from Lu's review?), and I thought, who the hell is Anna? In my edition, that character is named Katie. An odd difference - Katie sounds better suited to a character considered to be white trash and a skank, in my opinion.

Also, in my edition, the graffiti Lindsay wrote in the girls' bathrooms went "KT=WT" - Katie is white trash. What graffiti did they use with Anna's name?

Another thing about the book - it's not jsut an empty gesture but a potential prank. The kids in the school are always suspicious when Sam deigns to talk to one of them. They're wondering if she's about to humiliate them. Katie/Anna could easily assume that Sam is setting her up as a thief.

Ja, shame, poor Kent, but I thought he was cute. The action is more for me than him, lol.

Hmm, fair point about the goodbyes. And yeah, you have to take into account that Sam has lived this day over so many times.

I'm already under the impression that some people think I'm weird because of my taste in books, so I don't mind that so much :) But it does sting a little when people hate books you love. Lukewarm reactions are fine, but one-star ratings are like having someone kick your pet.

Maybe they changed the name because the graffiti now rhymes and thus sounds better. In my edition the graffiti is AC=WT.

Hence the throwing it in the bin. She wouldn't trust it and would throw it away. If Sam had said something she would have trusted it and kept it. Now it is just weird and as you said a potential prank and I do think she would have trown it in the bin. At least I would.

I you need more action talk to Yaseen :) And if you want to live vicariously I know some great romance novels with some great action and if you're done with those I think Lauren F will know some more :)

Yeah she has seen what works and not in the previous days and acts accordingly.

I am also under the impression that people think I am weird but that is because I read everything. I mean most people have a favorite genre: Crusader likes SF, Lauren F likes romance novels, Lu like YA, my aunt likes mysteries and I read everything. I don't have a favorite genre. I like a book or author not a genre and people find that weird, but than again I am weird and loving it :P

Yeah one-star ratings for books I love always make me think if maybe I missed something, but if I give one star and other people give 5 stars, it makes me feel the same way.
And kicking my pet is reason for being trown out of my house. It is something I simple will not tolerate. Slapping is another thing. Cicero likes it when you slap her hip like she is a big dog. Don't know why, just know she likes it. Silly cat!

Hmm, I wonder when they made the Katie/Anna change.

Lol, well Yaseen and I have been together for almost 9 years, so he lacks that 'new boy' appeal. For vicariously living, I think I'll stick to stumbling across romance and racier things in the occasional novel in case it starts to make me nauseous :)

I know ratings are all subjective, but when a book I love gets a bad rating, it's like seeing something I love get hurt. Then again, I don't generally feel bad giving books I hated one-star ratings, because if I'm willing to give it one star I think it bloody well deserves it.

Lol, I've also always thought that if someone ever kicks my cat or dog it's an immediate "Get the fuck out of my house asshole!" I've never thrown anyone out of my house, but that would be a good reason. I met this Ethiopian guy who asked if I'd kick my cat out on the street in a few years when she stopped being cute, (apparently that's normal here, wtf?) and I was horrified. If he ever comes to my house I'd watch him very carefully...

Yeah I was wondering too when or why they changed the name to Katie.

Well if you ever change your mind I know some nice books.

WTF????
Cats never stop being cute, they acquire a whole new kind of cuteness when they get older. They are living beings not some object you throw away when it is broken. I can't stand people who think like that. I believe that people who think like that are missing some mental faculties (to put it mildly).
But then again there were a couple of people who thought em strange when I started to carry my cat up and down the stairs. She was used to sleeping in my bedroom with me and I thought she was getting too old (in fact she was too sick) to walk the stairs, because she fell off them two times in a week. I didn't want her to feel left out and so I carried her up the stairs every night and down the stairs every morning so she could be with me and the other cats. It meant an extra trip, because I also had to take my own stuff up and downstairs, but she was my cat and I never gave it a second thought.
Since I live in my parents house I don't always have the "authority" to ban people from the house, but there have been times when I locked my cats in my bedroom, because there would be people woming to visit my parents, that I didn't want near my cats.

I know, I think it's disgusting. He actually laughed saying that there were all these stray animals on the streets of Addis, longing for human affection. I wanted to a) burst into tears and b) punch him. This guy is a friend of a friend and otherwise a decent person, but I'll never forget that he said that so he''ll always be a bit of an asshole, in my opinion.

It's not strange carrying your cat upstairs - she'd be lonely otherwise! I often do little things like that for Maia - get her toy when it rolls under the couch, or pick her up to put her on the windowsill so she can look outside (the windowsills are narrow, a tad high, and the curtain makes it difficult for her to jump on).

I remember this one time when my dad and I were looking for one of Cicero's favorite toys. We were on all fours on the ground moving furniture and my mum was standing in the middle of the room giving us directions and tips where we should look, when all of a sudden I saw Cicero. She was sitting right next to me looking under the couch where I was also looking with this inquisitive look on her face. Almost as if she was asking: "What are you doing?" And I just burst out laughing. Here were these three reasonable and intelligent adults on their hands and knees entertaining a cat! But in the end we did find the toy.

I know I always do things for my cats too. Like yesterday we had a stornm and Cicero is afraid of thunder and lightning but I know that sitting in the plastic bag, where the toilet paper rolls are in when you buy them, relaxes her. So I got one out of the bathroom and put it in the hallway so she could ride the storm out in her bag just so she wouldn't be too afraid.

Maybe you should look into making a sort of stairs for Maia. I don't know how the windowsills are, but it could be as simple as a plank of wood that you put diagonally against the windowsills. Maybe with some with smaller pieces of wood over the breadth of the plank so she doesn't slip down. That way she can get up and down there on her own.

Barbara wrote: "I know that sitting in the plastic bag, where the toilet paper rolls are in when you buy them, relaxes her."

That's so cute! I thought my cat was a little strange with her love of plastic bags, but now I know she's not the only one. She'll crawl into shopping bags and sleep in them all day and sometimes she lets me carry her around in them, which looks really funny and has me laughing each time.

Cats chuck their toys in under the couch on purpose just to see their human's crawling around on all fours! I'm sure it amuses them.

You wouldn't call it cute if you saw her, because she gets this mean look on her face, when she is in the bag :) But she feels safe in there.
She likes all kinds of bags and my mum once went to do her shopping and she will alwyas first get her shopping bag, throw it on the floor, then put her coat on, get her purse and the shopping bag and leave. One day she was already halfway down the stairs when I called her back and asked if she would mind leaving my cat at home because Cicero had crawled into the shopping bag while my mum was putting on her coat and she never noticed it. it was so funny.
Cicero also loves cardboard boxes. No matter how small or big, if she can get her butt in there, she will. No matter if there is still other stuff in there, she will squeeze her butt in and thinks it is the best place in the world to be and she will be so happy with herself when she does that.

Oh I agree. Nothing is as funny for a cat as watching it's owner crawling on all fours to get their toy.

Lol, imagine your mom only finding out about the cat at the shop or something!

My cat likes crawling into shopping bags too, not to mention boxes and suitcases. Sometimes I have to watch her though, because if she crawls into a bag on the table, she sometimes falls off because she's wriggling around in the bag and can't see what she'd doing. She likes to scratch around in Yaseen's work bag too. He yells at her, but she just stares at him and waits for him to stop talking because she knows he's probably too lazy to get up and chase her away. Afterwards he has to check that she hasn't stolen his access card or something :)

Barbara, do you want to start with The Night Circus this weekend?

I am up for it and I have the book so yes!
Does this weekend mean Friday, Saturday or Sunday?

Hmm, I'd like to say Friday, but I have at least one other book I want to read this week, and I have two reviews to write. So for now I'll say lets start on Saturday. Yaseen's really busy and will be working on the weekend, as will some of the other people we often hang out with so it looks like I'll be free to read :)

Were you planning on reading either of the two BoMs? I've read Gone Girl already, and I want to read Infernal Devices too.

No, I don't have the books and my budget for buying books is all spent. Besides that I have so many other books wanting to be read by me that I just can't disappoint them :)
Seriously, I am concentrating on finishing a couple of challenges. So I will first be reading all the books for the Mishmash Challenge (only 9 more to go and the bonusbook). Then I will be reading to finish the A-Z book and author challenges. The location and character A-Z I have already finished. I have 3 more books to go for the book one. I still need a book with an X, so if you know anything please let me know, because right know I am contemplating reading either X-men or Xena the warrior princess. Help! And I only have 6 more to go for the author ones. Also still looking for an X author. But all the books I find are very expensive or at least more than I would like to pay right now. When I have done that I have at least 20 books I have been dying to read on my to read next pile :)
Normally I only read BoM's if I have the book already. Besides my budget issues, it can take a long time to order a book. Delivery time can take anywhere from 1-4 weeks and by that time we have a new BoM. I hardly ever buy a book in a store anymore. BD is just so much cheaper that the waiting makes it worthwhile

Well if you are free to read, does that mean we will do this book in one weekend? :P Just drop me a line when you start and I will join in.

That X book is such a pain in the arse.
For the 2009 or 2010 challenge, Lu allowed me to use a book from a series starting with X, so I've kind of taken that as a general allowance for the challenge. In which case you can use Dawn, which is the first novel in Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis trilogy.

I also found these two lists, with X, Y, and Z titles. Very few X's, but there are a few more options:
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/17...
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/21...

For my X author, I've got a novel by Xiaolu Guo. You can read one of her novels or check out other Chinese authors, who are more likely to have X's in their names.

Oh, and depending on how the book goes for me, yeah, we could finish it over the weekend :)

Oh, found an entire list of X titles: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/69...

Thanks for the tips!
I saw most of the lists, because the listopia feature on goodreads is one of the first things I go to in times of trouble.
However the x-books they list are either not sold anymore or totally not something I want to read or number 3 in a series. So that is a problem. Going with the Octavia butler option is also a problem, because if I start a series I want to buy all of them at once. So that is a lot of money. But I think I might go for XVI by Julia Karr. One of your lists reminded me of that book and I saw it was cheaper than the last time I checked.
The problem with Xiaolu Guo is that her books don't appeal to me and then her books are more than I want to pay. I am not saying expensive, but I don't have that much money to spend on books and if I buy a book, I do like it to be a book I want to read, even if it is just for completing a challenge.
I checked out listopia for lists about Asian authors and I have found several authors, but all of them had written books I just didn't want to read.
This is just one of those cases where online searching is a pain and it is easier to go to a store and see if they have any books by authors on their x shelfs.