Ashley Reading Stewardess’s Comments (group member since Apr 13, 2012)

Ashley Reading Stewardess’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

I'll give it a try, but I'm not going to start until January so that I have a calendar year to read the twelve I've selected.

TBR Tackler Challenge
Level: Spear Tackle: 12 books
Duration: January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015

1. Nicholas and Alexandra: The Last Tsar and Tsarina
2. The Confidant
3. God Save the Queen
4. Henna House
5. Dark Places
6. Peyton Place
7. The Deepest Secret
8. The Paying Guests
9. Burial Rites
10. Empire Girls
11. fathermothergod: My Journey Out of Christian Science
12. Storm Siren

So I actually finished this book awhile ago, but as usually happens life happened and I didn't keep up with responding to the discussion questions. Despite this fact, I just want to say that I highly enjoyed reading this book. I don't read a lot of slave narratives mostly because as with the Holocaust, it is a difficult subject to discuss and it can wear a person down emotionally. But I'm glad I read this book, for although Josephine's story didn't end the way I would've liked to see it end, it still had a positive outcome for her descendants and I feel that what happened to Josephine is a realistic concept as I'm sure that there are actual stories out there similar to the one told in the book.

I really enjoyed both Josephine and Lina as characters and found them both to be strong and intelligent women who's journey's continued to hold my interest throughout the entire book. This will definitely be a book that I recommend to others.

6) So we finally find the connection between Lina and Josephine. Lina is going to attempt to use Josephine as the main plaintiff for the slavery reparations case. When I was younger they talked about reparations for slaves, but it never came to be. Do you think it would be possible to win such a case so long after the fact?

I'm not going to say that a successful reparations case about slavery will never happen, as anything is possible. But I do believe that it would be a long and winding road with many obstacles from both sides of the political fence and from the country as well. Not to mention, what would happen if after all the research and the case making it to court, it turned out that the lineage of the slave owning family had died out long ago? Who would then be responsible for ponying up the money?

7) We learn that Josephine was taken from her family at age 7 to be trained to be a house girl. There she was abused by Lu Anne's husband. We get snippets here and there that he got her pregnant and the doctor stating she'd been so young. I can't help but wonder how young? She's referred to as being an adolescent on the art literature. Also, I'm not sure I like Lu Anne. She tries to excuse her husband's behavior by stating a man can't be held accountable for his actions when he gets inebriated. What's your opinion of Lu Anne and her relationship with Josephine?

I viewed Lu Anne as a woman who was weak in both body and spirit, but was ultimately a product of her upbringing and the time in which she lived.

8) I can't help but feel that the reason no one can find anything about Josephine Bell is that she probably chose a different last name. If I'd been a slave I'd want absolutely nothing to do with the person who owned me and taking on their last name would be the last thing I'd do. What do you think? Any theories on why the can't find her? I'm hoping she didn't die.

I'm of the mind that she made it to Canada, the only place she truly could be safe, and either changed her name or did keep it and can't be found because Lina isn't looking at Canadian records.

9) I can and can't believe the gall of Melly Clayton. Does anyone have any doubt the woman was trying to see if Lu Anne's husband would be a suitable one for her? Was anyone else appalled? Sadly, people like that do exist.

Melly Clayton was definitely scoping out not only Lu Anne's home, but Lu Anne herself to see what kind of home she would be moving into and how much longer she'd have to wait for Lu Anne to die. If I could've reached into the back and throttled Molly Clayton for being so despicable I would have.

10) We can see from Lu Anne's failure to tell Melly that the painting had been done by Josephine how people would think Lu Anne was the painter of the disputed artwork. Was anyone else touched by Josephine's thoughts that she was nothing and had nothing? Does anyone else think Melly will be a thorn in Josephine's side in the future? I really do hope she escapes.

I think that Josephine's thoughts of being nothing and having nothing was very likely a thought which many real life slaves had, especially if their owners consistently told them this and ingrained it in their minds. As for Melly, she will definitely be a thorn in Josephine's side as I see her as the type who will frame Josephine for things just so that she can get a sick sort of satisfaction in witnessing her being punished.

11) I keep thinking that there is something up with Lina's mother, but I have no clue what. Do you think there could me more of a connection between Lina and Josephine than just the case? Do you think there could be more to her mother's death than Lina knows?

I'm not going to lie, I wonder if maybe Lina's Mother's death wasn't an accident, but maybe suicide?

Sarah, really I'm a mutt. From what my family knows of our background, we are: African-American, Cherokee Seminole Native American, French-Creole, English, Scot-Irish, and Jordanian; although in the US we are African-American or Black due to a rule that dates back to the time of slavery known as the "one drop" rule, where if you have one drop of Black blood then you are considered Black. The different labeling of Blacks in this country over the years are quite interesting and if ever you want to know more feel free to message me

1. Initial impressions of the writing style and the two main characters - Josephine & Lina?
Upon initial introduction to the two characters, I found myself captivated by each of the women and their stories.
2.Just like Orphan Train we have a historical fiction book that flips between two different time periods. Do you prefer one story-line over the other?
Initially I would've said that I preferred Josephine's story-line as I am eager to see if she is able to escape. But as I continued, I found myself becoming intrigued by Lina and wanting to know more about her mother and why her father has always refused to speak about Lina's mom until now; plus, I'm excited to discover what Lina learns about what happened to Josephine following Mrs. Bell's death.

3. I found the whole scene with Oscar revealing an entire show of portraits of Lina's mother really odd. Why would he have refused to speak of Grace for so many years and then reveal he was "ready" in such a public way? I was a bit angry at him on Lina's behalf! How did it make you feel?
I was very curious and suspicious as to why Oscar had decided that now after all of these years he would create an entire art show based around paintings of Lina's mom after refusing to discuss her at all in the past. I want to know what the motivation was that caused this change in him.

4. Dresser is very passionate about this case. Not being American, I was surprised when his character talks about how there is no national slavery museum or monument in the US. So I went searching and there is a slavery museum not-for-profit organisation that has been trying to build a National Slavery Museum in the US since 2001 (so far, unsuccessfully). A memorial has also not been created, instead the National Museum of African American History and Culture is being constructed. Did this surprise you too?
This does not at all surprise me, I think in large part because I am an African-American who knows for a fact that my great-great-grandmother was born into slavery; her mother was a slave and her father was the master. My great-great-grandmother and her sister (both born to the master of the plantation) were light enough that they were able to pass. Although some cities in the US have created African-American museums that examine African-Americans within that particular city or state, no national museum as of yet has been created. There are many in this country who would rather not acknowledge or discuss the fact that slavery happened. There's even a faction of one of the major political parties in the country who have said that they think that the history of slavery should no longer be taught in our school systems despite the fact that it is a major part of this country's history and that slaves played a major role in helping to build the country. So no, despite being saddened by their not being a national museum or memorial, I am not all surprised by this fact.


5. Josephine is determined to run. Will she somehow be reunited with Louis?

I hope that Josephine is able to find Louis and make it to freedom, but I feel that finding him will be not only hard but possibly even close to impossible if she is to have any hope of making it to the north before being caught and dragged back to the plantation.

I've been wanting to read this one for a while and have it already on my nook, no excuse now I guess.

I love Halloween! By far one of my favorite holidays, the costumes, the decorations, the parties and the horror movies. Definitely joining this challenge!

Going for Monster Collector (21+ books)

Theme #1: Classic Horror

-Alice in Zombieland by Nickolas Cook

Theme #2: Masters of Horror and Fantastic

-The Shining by Stephen King
-Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
-11/22/63 by Stephen King

Theme #3: Samhain

Theme #4: Trick or Treat

C
A
N
D
Y
A
P
P
L
E - Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard

Theme #5: Face Your Fears

Theme #6: Hallow Places

Theme#7: Halloween Party

M
O
N
S
T
E
R
M
A
S
H

Theme #8: Supernatural Creatures

Theme #9: Halloween Cover Hunt

Theme #10: Special Abilities

- A Beautiful Fate by Cat Mann

What a fun challenge!

Start: June 6, 2013
End:

Associates Degree
Science: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman finished 6.14.2013
Literature: Under the Dome by Stephen King finished 9.18.2013
History: Eiffel's Tower: And the World's Fair Where Buffalo Bill Beguiled Paris, the Artists Quarreled, and Thomas Edison Became a Count by Jill Jonnes finished 6.30.2013
Social Sciences: A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess finished 9.27.2013
Art: In Mozart's Shadow: His Sister's Story by Carolyn Meyer finished 9.23.2013
Language: The Map of Lost Memories by Kim Fay 8.17.2013
Athletics: The Wars of the Roses by Alison Weir 8.11.2013

FINISHED ASSOCIATES!

Bachelors Degree:
Major: Literature
1. The Color of Earth by Kim Dong Hwan finished 9.27.2013
2. Home Improvement: Undead Edition by Charlaine Harris finished 10.1.2013
3. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker finished 10.4.2013
4. Four to Score by Janet Evanovich finished 10.8.2013
5. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver finished 10.12.2013
6. Self-Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation by Aisha Tyler finished 10.21.2013
7. Soul by Tobsha Learner finished 10.22.2013
8. A Beautiful Fate by Cat Mann finished 10.28.2013
9.The Color of Water by Kim Dong Hwa finished 11.10.2013
10.The Color of Heaven by Kim Dong Hwa finished 11.11.2013

BACHELOR'S DEGREE COMPLETED!!

Minor: History
1. Empire of the Sun by J. G. Ballard finished 11.9.2013
2. 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup finished 11.20.2013
3. Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948 by Madeleine Albright finished 11.29.2013

Master's Degree - History
Alternative History:
1. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson finished 12.11.2013
2. The Boleyn King by Laura Anderson finished 1.14.2014
3. Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger finished 7.22.2014

American History:
1.The Kennedy Years: From the Pages of The New York Times by Richard Reeves
2. Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West by Dorothy Wickenden finished 3.9.2014
3. Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival by Laurence Gonzales finished 9.10.2014

European History:
1. Out of the Depths: The Story of a Child of Buchenwald Who Returned Home at Last by Israel Meir Lau finished 3.24.2014
2. Elizabeth I by Margaret George finished 6.8.2014
3. Captive Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir finished 8.8.2014

World History:
1. The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan
2. China Dolls by Lisa See
3. The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan

Random:
1. The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism by Doris Kearns Goodwin
2. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi finished 10.3.2015
3. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent finished 2.17.2015

PHD - European History
1. In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson finished 9.6.2015
2. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
3. The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory
4. The Lady of the Rivers by Philippe Gregory
5. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
6. Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
7. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
8. We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals by Gillian Gill
9. The Normans: From Raiders to Kings by Lars Brownworth
10. A Child al Confino: The True Story of a Jewish Boy and His Mother in Mussolini's Italy by Eric Lamet

Duration: March 15, 2013 – December 31, 2013
Level: Easy
Completed: 5/15

1. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling - finished February 17, 2013
2. Bloodline: A Sigma Force Novel by James Rollins
3. The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye
4. Breed by Chase Novak
5. January First: A Child's Descent into Madness and Her Father's Struggle to Save Her by Michael Schofield
6. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham
7. Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson
8. Cinder by Marissa Meyer - finished May 1, 2013
9. Legend by Marie Lu - finished February 26, 2013
10. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
11. Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948 by Madeleine Albright
12. I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
13. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
14. Insurgent by Veronica Roth - May 20, 2013
15. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple - July 5, 2013

Beautiful Creatures and Warm Bodies (I loved the books, although I have a feeling that I will have to wait till video with my current work schedule).

The Mortal Instruments
Catching Fire

I'm sure there are others that I either can't think of or did not realize were being made into movies.

This book has been on my tbr shelf for over a year, I really hope to be able to get it read this month.

I don't know what it is about this book, but I am having a really hard time getting through it, which I find really sad because the description is so great and I was really excited to read this one. But I'll continue to plod through to the end.

I'm in for easy.

Moderators of Nothing but Reading Challenges wrote: "Ashley & Ashley, how would you like me to differentiate you two?"

I can go by Ashley N.

Count me in. I read 103 books in 2012.

Lisarenee wrote: "Ashley wrote: "I plan on reading this one, because I'm on the second one now and am really enjoying it. This is a fun series and I'm intrigued to see how it all ends."

I see you finished it. What ..."

Lisa,

I really enjoyed the book. I was pleased with how Dashner ended things and with the hope that he instilled not only in Tommy and his friends, but also in the reader. I also liked that he left it so that he could revisit some of the characters later on if he wanted to, but if he chooses to never write a sequel to Death Cure I'm fine with that as well.

My Top 5 favorite horror books
1. The Shining by Stephen King
2. Phantoms by Dean Koontz
3. Dracula the Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker
4. Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

And my number 5 is a YA

5.Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

I plan on reading this one, because I'm on the second one now and am really enjoying it. This is a fun series and I'm intrigued to see how it all ends.

Started reading this one before it was announced this would be our series read. Am really enjoying it though.

Level: Overload

5/12

I've Had the Time of My Life: Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Be My Baby: The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan - finished July 8, 2014
She's Like the Wind: Witchful Thinking by H.P. Mallory - finished August 23, 2012
Hungry Eyes: The Devil's Alphabet
Stay: Something Witchy This Way Comes by H.P. Mallory - finished October 22, 2012
Yes: A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
You Don't Own Me: Triangles by Ellen Hopkins - finished March 8, 2013
Hey! Baby: Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell
Overload: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin - finished February 6, 2013
Love is Strange: The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
Where Are You Tonight?: Secret Letters by Leah Scheier
In the Still of the Night: I am Forbidden by Anouk Markovits