Alaina’s Comments (group member since Oct 20, 2024)

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

ADVENTURE LOG - August 2025

Thank you all so much for being a great team, this has been really fun!

Congratulations Melissa!! Glad to hear you and baby are doing well now

Vicky wrote: "Alaina wrote: "I finished The Phantom Tollbooth for a book published before 1970. It's a children's book, but it has 42,156 words according to ARBookFind"

Awesome! Can you add it to you..."

Done! Sorry, I always forget that part 😭

I finished The Phantom Tollbooth for a book published before 1970. It's a children's book, but it has 42,156 words according to ARBookFind

ADVENTURE LOG - July 2025

7/2/25
•Use 1 Mercenary Coupon to hire Kíli of the House of Durin for 7 days
-(services end on 7/9/25)

•Attack Sewer Rat
(view spoiler)[-Hero attacks Sewer Rat with Sword (AP: 3)
--Sewer Rat: 5HP - 3HP = 2HP
-Kíli attacks Sewer Rat (AP: 2)
--Sewer Rat: 2HP - 2HP = 0HP (hide spoiler)]
•Sewer Rat defeated - Gain 1XP

Hero: LVL 2| HP: 5/12|| Sword: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | Magic Staff: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | XP: 14

•Attack Goblin
(view spoiler)[-Hero attacks Goblin with Sword (AP: 3)
--Goblin: 10HP - 3HP = 7HP
-Kíli attacks Goblin (AP: 2)
--Goblin: 7HP - 2HP = 5HP
-Goblin attacks Hero (AP: 6HP)
--Hero: 5HP - 6HP = 0HP
*Hero uses 1 Minor Heal Potion
--Hero: 0HP + 5HP = 5HP
-Hero attacks Goblin with Sword
--Goblin: 5HP - 3HP = 2HP
-Kíli attacks Goblin
--Goblin: 2HP - 2HP = 0HP (hide spoiler)]
•Goblin defeated - Gain 1 XP and 1 Goblin Bone

Hero: LVL 2| HP: 5/12|| Sword: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | Magic Staff: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | XP: 15

•Hero levels up (LVL: 3)

Hero: LVL 3| HP: 14/14|| Sword: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | Magic Staff: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | XP: 15

7/4/25
•Upgrade Sword to Level 2
(view spoiler)[100+ pages - Come Closer (7/3/25) [196 pages]
200+ pages - The Phantom Tollbooth (7/4/25) [248 pages] (hide spoiler)]

Hero: LVL 3| HP: 14/14|| Sword: LVL 2 (AP: 4) | Magic Staff: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | XP: 15

7/6/25
•Attack Brown Bat
(view spoiler)[-Hero attacks Brown Bat with Sword (AP: 3)
--Brown Bat: 15HP - 3HP = 12HP
-Kíli attacks Brown Bat (AP:2)
--Brown Bat: 12HP - 2HP = 10HP
-Brown Bat attacks Hero (AP: 3)
--Hero: 14HP - 3HP = 11HP
-Hero attacks Brown Bat with Sword
--Brown Bat: 10HP - 3HP = 7HP
-Kíli attacks Brown Bat
--Brown Bat: 7HP - 2HP = 5HP
-Brown Bat attacks Hero
--Hero: 11HP - 3HP = 8HP
-Hero attacks Brown Bat with Sword
--Brown Bat: 7HP - 3HP = 4HP
-Kíli attacks Brown Bat
--Brown Bat: 4HP - 2HP = 2HP
-Brown Bat attacks Hero
--Hero: 8HP - 3HP = 5HP
-Hero attacks Brown Bat with Sword
--Brown Bat: 2HP - 3HP = 0HP (hide spoiler)]
•Brown Bat defeated - Gain 1XP and 1 Bat Wing

Hero: LVL 3| HP: 5/14|| Sword: LVL 2 (AP: 4) | Magic Staff: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | XP: 16

7/7/25
•Attack Rock
(view spoiler)[-Hero attacks Rock with Sword (AP: 3)
--Rock: 5HP - 3HP = 2HP
-Kíli attacks Rock
--Rock: 2HP - 2HP = 0HP (hide spoiler)]
•Rock defeated - Gain 10XP, 3 gold, and 1 pebble

Hero: LVL 3| HP: 5/14|| Sword: LVL 2 (AP: 4) | Magic Staff: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | XP: 26

•Attack Rock (#2)
(view spoiler)[-Hero attacks Rock with Sword (AP: 3)
--Rock: 10HP - 3HP = 7HP
-Kíli attacks Rock
--Rock: 7HP - 2HP = 5HP
-Rock attacks Hero (AP: 3)
--Hero: 5HP - 3HP = 2HP
*Hero uses 1 Minor Heal Potion
--Hero: 2HP + 5HP = 7HP
-Hero attacks Rock with Sword
--Rock: 5HP - 3HP = 2HP
-Kíli attacks Rock
--Rock: 2HP - 2HP = 0HP (hide spoiler)]
•Rock defeated - Gain 10XP, 3 gold, and 1 pebble

Hero: LVL 3| HP: 5/14|| Sword: LVL 2 (AP: 4) | Magic Staff: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | XP: 36

•Hero levels up (LVL: 4)

Hero: LVL 4| HP: 16/16|| Sword: LVL 2 (AP: 4) | Magic Staff: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | XP: 36

•Attack Rock (#3)
(view spoiler)[-Hero attacks Rock with Sword (AP: 4)
--Rock: 15HP - 4HP = 11HP
-Kíli attacks Rock
--Rock: 11HP - 2HP = 9HP
-Rock attacks Hero (AP: 5)
--Hero: 16HP - 5HP = 11HP
-Hero attacks Rock with Sword
--Rock: 9HP - 4HP = 5HP
-Kíli attacks Rock
--Rock: 5HP - 2HP = 3HP
-Rock attacks Hero
--Hero: 11HP - 5HP = 6HP
-Hero attacks Rock with Sword
--Rock: 3HP - 4HP = 0HP (hide spoiler)]
•Rock defeated - Gain 10XP, 3 gold, and 1 pebble

Hero: LVL 4| HP: 16/16|| Sword: LVL 2 (AP: 4) | Magic Staff: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | XP: 46

•Hero levels up (LVL: 5)

Hero: LVL 5| HP: 18/18|| Sword: LVL 2 (AP: 4) | Magic Staff: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | XP: 46

7/9/25
•Mercenary services end

7/22/25
•COMPLETED Cheep-skate: a Budget-Friendly Bounty quest - Gain 10XP and Sir Bargainbeak’s Lucky Feather
(view spoiler)[• Secondhand Treasure: Read a book you acquired secondhand, like from a thrift store, garage sale, or flea market.
Lolita-Vladimir Nabokov (7/22/25) - Bought at a yard sale

• Borrowed Brilliance: Read a book borrowed from a library, friend, or that one cousin who still hasn’t returned your copy of The Dragon’s Cookbook.
Everything I Never Told You-Celeste Ng (4/6/25) - Lent to me by a friend

• Gifted Glory: Read a book that was gifted to you.
Welcome to Night Vale-Joseph Fink (6/7/25) - Gifted to me by my husband several years ago

• Bargain Bliss: Read a book you snagged for a bargain. Dollar shelves, promo codes, and “Buy 2, Get 5” deals count! Share the bargain with the Local Tavern patrons.
The Tenant-Freida McFadden (5/25/25) - Bought on sale for $4.99

• Free as the Wind: Read a book that cost you absolutely nothing. Project Gutenberg, free Kindle downloads, and LibriVox are fair game. Once again, share your find in the Local Tavern thread. **DUPLICATED**The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina-Zoraida Córdova (4/18/25) - Obtained at a Little Free Library for free

• Skates and Silliness: Read a book with a skate on the cover—roller, ice, or otherwise. Sir Bargainbeak insists this is purely for his aesthetic satisfaction.
The Favorites-Layne Fargo (5/21/25) (hide spoiler)]

Hero: LVL 5| HP: 18/18|| Sword: LVL 2 (AP: 4) | Magic Staff: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | XP: 56

7/31/25
•COMPLETED Tavern Games - Gain 7 XP
(view spoiler)[6 - The Priory of the Orange Tree-Samantha Shannon (7/31/25)
1 - Dune-Frank Herbert (1/11/25)
2 - My Husband-Maud Ventura (5/18/25)
2 - The Ruins-Scott Smith (6/21/25)
1 - Flawless-Elsie Silver (2/8/25) (hide spoiler)]

Hero: LVL 5| HP: 18/18|| Sword: LVL 2 (AP: 4) | Magic Staff: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | XP: 63

Would this count for a cover with red, white, and green?



I feel like I'm stretching it a bit...

Shelby wrote: "Team Update

Couple of quick housekeeping things...

Alaina - Can you please make sure Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba and The Bromance Bookclub are on your shelf? :)

Natasha - Can you please ..."

Sorry! Just added them

ChrisP wrote: "I just finished Death's End and my hair hurts.

I feel comfortable saying it was in China enough as time went on. Mostly Chinese characters. [spoilers removed]

I really like serie..."

I've had The Three-Body Problem staring at me from my shelves for a long time, and I really want to get to it this year. I've heard such good things about it, but I'm a little intimidated.

Exchanging 5 potion tokens for 2 Major Heal Potions and 3 Duplication Potions

ChrisP wrote: "I was going to read Death's End the 3rd book of the The Three-Body Problem, but I'm not sure if that takes place in China enough to count. Does anyone of you know?"

I don't know about the setting but I know that the author was born in China, which I'm pretty sure will count!

I'm glad I'm not the only one that found parts of Great Big Beautiful Life uninteresting. I wasn't into Margaret's life story at all. I also just felt like Alice and Hayden didn't have any real chemistry. Oh well, can't win them all. I'll definitely still be picking up other books by Emily Henry though

I've finally finished Great Big Beautiful Life and got my discussion questions in. I'm really disappointed I didn't enjoy it, I was really hoping I would. Wondering if anyone who has read it or is reading it has similar feelings

DQs Day 6
Chapter 32–End

24. Lots of big reveals here in the last few chapters! We learn the truth about Jodi's relationship to Margaret, as well as some vital information about Hayden's family history. What did you think of those reveals? Did you have any theories that ended up being right, or did they surprise you?
I had a feeling that Jodi was part of Margaret's family in some way, so that didn't surprise me, but I was surprised by her connection with Hayden.


25. Alice finally has the hard conversation with her mother about how out of place she feels in the family and how she feels like her mother doesn't like her as a person. How did you feel about the conversation? Did it feel realistic to you? Was there anything left unsaid you wish would've been addressed?
Eh, I feel like this would be an ongoing conversation between Alice and her mother. If this issue has created so much tension in their relationship, I feel like a longer, deeper, and/or extended conversation would be needed.

26. Emily Henry, the author, said that the song that best encapsulates this book is "the last great american dynasty" by Taylor Swift. I personally think there was a part that specifically felt like "marjorie" by Taylor Swift (when Alice talks about all the things she should have done when her dad was alive). If you had to pick one song that fits this book — either the book as a whole or a specific part — what song would you choose? Do you like when authors provide songs/playlists that go with their books?
I love music, but I have never cared when an author adds a song playlist to go along with their book. Seems gimmicky to me. I also wasn't a huge fan of this book, so I can't think of a song to fit. Something boring I guess.

27. "I welcome her to this great big beautiful life" — the epilogue finally reveals the significance of the title. What did you think of the ending and how the author wrapped up the story? Is there anything you wish had been done differently?
A typical, predictable ending for a contemporary romance. No suggestions, just ready to move on.

DQ's Day 4
Chapter 21 - Story 26

16. So the title, Great, Big, Beautiful Life... your thoughts on who this actually refers to? Do you think it has any significance to the plot at all or is it just a catchphrase along with the bright cover art to lure in the reader?
I think it mostly has to do with Margaret's life story, but is also referring lives of Alice and Hayden, and embracing the ups and downs of life in general.

17. Half way through the book and I realized that the only interviews the reader is privy to with Margaret is through Alice's eyes. Why has Emily Henry written it this way? What is the deal with Hayden? Is there actually a contest at all? And is there more to him not wanting to take his relationship with Alice to 100% physical? Is there going to be a twist, anyone think they've worked it out?
I have a feeling that Margaret is telling some parts to Alice and other parts to Hayden and the end result will be an amalgamation of both of their stories. Maybe. I also think Hayden is hesitant because of how his last relationship went down.

18. Wow, nearly makeup, storm sex occurs, another near miss! What do you think about all the extended foreplay without getting to the main event? Do you like how Emily Henry writes an intimate scene? Are they important or interrupting the flow of the storyline?
I'm alright with the slow buildup, but I'll be honest I really don't feel the chemistry between Alice and Hayden. And I'll be honest the flow of the whole book is bugging me.

19. One of the themes of the book is family relationships, the good, the bad and the ugly. How does the parts about Alice and Hayden's family and especially the relationship with Alice and her mother contribute to the overall story?
It makes sense why Alice is optimistic to a fault as she uses positivity as kind of a coping mechanism for hard feelings regarding her mother's attitude towards her.

20. What are your favourite parts of the book? The Alice and Hayden relationship or the slow reveal of the Ives' story?
I much prefer reading about Alice and Hayden's relationship, I find Margaret's story mostly uninteresting to be honest. But I'm not all that enthusiastic about any part of this book...

DQs Day 1
Chapters 1 to 7

1.) Emily Henry is a popular contemporary romance author and a fair few of her books have been previous NBRC BOM selections. Any expectations for this book going in?
I've only read one other Emily Henry book (Book Lovers), but I enjoyed it and have all of her romances on my TBR. I'm very picky when it comes to romance and I really enjoy Emily Henry's writing, so I'm hoping to like this one equally as much or better.

2.) What are your first impressions of Alice? And sending that drink to Hayden?
Alice seems sweet, but at the same time I can see her being a bit too much for my taste as the book goes on, but we'll see. I thought her sending Hayden a big blue drink was funny. I think she was trying to be cheeky, but of course all in good fun.

3.) Would you agree to the month long trial or tell Margaret she's a nutter and move on to something else? Why do you think Margaret is doing things this way?
I would absolutely agree to a month long trial! Especially if I was getting paid and staying in a nice place. And it would be such an awesome opportunity, I don't see a reason not to. I don't have any theories as to why Margaret is setting it up this way though...

4.) After learning a few tidbits about Hayden's family and how he grew up, did you opinion change a bit on his character?
Still don't know too much about him, but it makes more sense why he's been so standoffish. I don't think he's all that bad, and I'm sure Alice will break down his walls more and more as the book continues.

ADVENTURE LOG - June 2025

6/11/25
•Attack Sewer Rat
(view spoiler)[-Hero attacks Sewer Rat with Sword (AP: 3)
--Sewer Rat: 5HP - 3HP = 2HP
-Sewer Rat attacks Hero (AP: 3)
--Hero: 5HP - 3HP = 2HP
-Hero attacks Sewer Rat with Sword (AP: 3)
--Sewer Rat: 2HP - 2HP = 0HP (hide spoiler)]
•Sewer Rat defeated - Gain 1XP

Hero: LVL 2| HP: 2/12|| Sword: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | Magic Staff: LVL 0 (AP: 2) | XP: 12

•Hero eats portion of Easter Bunny Egg to restore 10HP

Hero: LVL 2| HP: 12/12|| Sword: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | Magic Staff: LVL 0 (AP: 2) | XP: 12

6/14/25
•Exchange 5 potion tokens at Jack's Store
-Gain 3 Duplication Potions
-Gain 2 Major Heal Potions

•Use 1 Duplication Potion
(view spoiler)[Used on The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina for What's in a Name quest and Cheep-skate quest (hide spoiler)]

6/17/25
•Use 1 Duplication Potion
(view spoiler)[Used on Cut & Run for Practice Makes Perfect and towards Magic Staff upgrade (hide spoiler)]

•Upgrade Magic Staff to LVL 1
(view spoiler)[LVL 1: Read 1 book that's #1 in the series. - Cut & Run (hide spoiler)]

Hero: LVL 2| HP: 12/12|| Sword: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | Magic Staff: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | XP: 12

6/21/25
•June 2025 Classified answered - Gain 3 gold
(view spoiler)[Book where the story involves a cursed object or location. - The Ruins-Scott Smith (6/21/25) (hide spoiler)]

•Use 1 Duplication Potion
(view spoiler)[Used on The Ruins for June 2025 Classifieds and Tavern Games quest (hide spoiler)]

6/27/25
•Attack Brown Bat
(view spoiler)[-Hero attacks Brown Bat with Sword (AP: 3)
--Brown Bat: 15HP - 3HP = 12HP
-Brown Bat attacks Hero (AP: 3)
--Hero: 12HP - 3HP = 9HP
-Hero attacks Brown Bat with Sword
--Brown Bat: 12HP - 3HP = 9HP
-Brown Bat attacks Hero
--Hero: 9HP - 3HP = 6HP
-Hero attacks Brown Bat with Sword
--Brown Bat: 9HP - 3HP = 6HP
-Brown Bat attacks Hero
--Hero: 6HP - 3HP = 3HP
*Hero eats remaining Easter Bunny Egg
--Hero: 3HP + 5HP = 8HP
-Hero attacks Brown Bat with Sword
--Brown Bat: 6HP - 3HP = 3HP
-Brown Bat attacks Hero
--Hero: 8HP - 3HP = 5HP
-Hero attacks Brown Bat with Sword
--Brown Bat: 3HP - 3HP = 0HP (hide spoiler)]
•Brown Bat defeated - Gain 1XP and 1 Bat Wing

Hero: LVL 2| HP: 5/12|| Sword: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | Magic Staff: LVL 1 (AP: 3) | XP: 13

Happy June everyone! The last three books I read for May were real stinkers, so I really hope this month goes better. Still working on Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba: The Biography of a Cause, I have about 80 pages left. I also started Great Big Beautiful Life to start prepping for some discussion questions.

I have a book that can work for U! It seems like a quick read, so I'll try to get it done before the end of the day tomorrow if that works

No real plans this weekend, gonna go on a few hikes but mostly try to relax and read as much as I can. I want to try to get my book for India done before Tuesday rolls around.