Book Lair discussion

So far, only Melas and I have shown interest in joining this Buddy Read and we believe February 26th would be a good date for both.

If you would like to join us, please post here letting us know which date would be best for you.

This title is still available at http://www.netgalley.com for free, so request it while you can!

This looks really good, I might have to join you girls!

Woohoo, great to know, do you think this date will work for you? Let us know if you prefer another.

Did you say it was free somewhere? It's only $3 on kindle, so no biggie. Let me give it some thought before I commit, but don't change the date!

Don't you have a netgalley account?
Try this link, see if it works: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/sho...

I just clicked the netgalley link. All I have to do is make an account? If the book is still free I'll join you on 2/26.

There are some books that are immediately available, there are others (most of them) which the publisher needs to confirm that they will give them to you, so the sooner you create an account and your profile and request the book the better.

Thanks for the netgalley tips, I had no idea this existed! I'm still not sure if I'll be joining for this read or not.

Yes, I love it because of the anonymity, so there's not as much pressure about not hurting authors' feelings :)
The downside is you usually have to wait till they accept it and risk being rejected. I have been rejected quite a few times :( Shame, the books seemed so interesting. But sometimes it's because of the country I am from, something to do with the book's rights, other times is because I have requested too many books and not sent enough feedback, which is why I really want to catch up on my Netgalley books, see if I can get that percentage up.

Make sure you check the other books I mentioned in the topic Set your buddy reads here! I mentioned which ones were from Netgalley. A lot of them are no longer available for request but several still are.

Does this date still work for everyone? Or do you want to start earlier/later?

I might have to skip this one, we'll see as the date gets closer if I can work it in or not!

I'd like to start it later if possible.

That's fine by me. What date(s) would work for you gals?

I edited the date to March 1st, just a thought. Let me know if it works for you both.

My planning is a bit hectic lately, so it's hard for me to give and exact date. But let's keep it at this for now.

Alright, I can start anytime you two (and anyone else who wants to join in) want, just need about 3 days of heads up.

Has anyone started reading this?
Pretty sure we could all use some more time, just wanted to ask again which date would be convenient for everyone. How about March 7th?

I'm not sure I'm going to make this one. Sorry to bail on you, but I'd hate for you to push the date out for me and then I don't have time to read it later anyway! :(

I'm fine with 7th.

Hi Ana, I just finished to read my book. Are we still on track for starting this buddy read on the 7th (tomorrow)? If not, when would you want to start?

I wish...
Unfortunately this is still taking me forever. I have been trying all day to catch up but am still only at 73%.
You can go ahead and start though, I will catch up whenever I can. Please post your comments as you go along and hide whatever spoilers behind the tags, and I will read them whenever I get to that part of the book :)

OK, I can start first. But if you think you will need several days more, I can read another book first. It depends on how much time you think you'll need.

Although if you are fine with me starting first, I'm really tempted with starting this evening.

No no, I am doing my very best to finish as soon as possible. Who knows, I may be on time, if I skip all the chores I should be doing anyway xD

Yes, please do start, and please post as you go along, mentioning which chapters you are referring to, I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

OK, that's what I'll do!

Awesome, looking forward to it!

OK, so I started early.

I finished the prologue and the first chapter.

After a few pages of "what? how? why?", because the world was being set up a bit quickly and nothing was really explained, which was bothering my analytical mind, I realized that that was not the point of this book.

You don't have to think too much, just enjoy the ride. Once you get over the short-cuts and irrealistics stuffs (everything is just so exagerated) and just let the burlesque of the story take over, it's really fun.

It's a bit like these american comedies. The story is actually not great, but that's not the point. The point is just having a good time laughing at the jokes, etc.

(view spoiler)[Also, I could totally imagine Beijing getting like that. And I used to love a North Korean restaurant in Shanghai (until it closed). I could totally imagine the waitresses as spy. Alas, they never tried to abduct me, despite my politically cliving political conversations. (hide spoiler)]

I just finished the Prologue. I found the opening line quite powerful.

(view spoiler)[We are told the house where the main character lived at 11 years old had roaches and that they used buckets to save on the water bill. I wonder if that means he lived in a bad neighbourhood or if that was the state of living quarters everywhere.

It's so sad that after such a traumatic event his entire family bailed on him... (hide spoiler)]

I did find the world building a bit rushed as well. We get a good idea of how things progress but not really how they got there. I could have used some more background info. I wonder if that will come later or, as Melas said, it's just not the point of the book.

I do think the prologue should have stopped when Nick was still a kid, or at least before things got too personal and well before present day.

I finished chapter 1 and started 2. Regarding chapter 1, I am not sure I buy a guy (view spoiler)[being just fine with knowingly following a spy around because getting laid is more importand and it's just so damn exciting. But I guess Larry is just that sort of rich guy, looking for a thrill anywhere. (hide spoiler)]

Now I am not very familiar with the reality of Beijing, but the America described in the early chapter 2 now that I can totally buy! (view spoiler)[Insane pollution rates (been a while since I read a book with loads of pollution; usually the post apocalyptic worlds have completely regressed to more natural states), plastic surgery being more generalized than getting an orange juice, people having to wear vests and other anti bullet equipment because everyone carries a weapon... Security checks longer than the flights themselves because tecnology has advanced but so has violence... A society revolving around sex, totally warped religion, media and advertising. Wow a car ride which would become substantially more expensive if the person would opt out of being showered with ads! I can totally see that.
I particularly enjoyed the bit about being able to disable copy/paste as a punishment. I am not very up to date with tecnology, but that isn't possible yet, is it? It totally should! In a world where people don't seem to handwrite anymore, it makes perfect sense. (hide spoiler)]

All that impressed me very much. Very good world creating here, in my opinion.

Finished chapter 2 - I like George! - And started #3.
I am wondering why (view spoiler)[the most relevant characters served in the war (Nick, Larry, the Colonel..) and if we will find more. I am also wondering what the heck they are doing walking around the facilities and then a shopping mall carrying what is obviously a very important item. Shouldn't Larry be storing it someplace safe? I am dying to know what it is, though. (hide spoiler)]

I am not used to reading eastern literature... Do the guys there really sound so thoroughly in love and respectful of women, Melas? I mean, Larry kinda still treats them like an object, but he does seem respectful of them at the same time, and marriage seems to matter a lot.

Leeeeigh, Kandice, and everyone else you should definitely be reading this :P

You know, I was just thinking that your book sounds more fun than the book I'm currently in! I always get sucked in by a great blurb and lovely cover.

Well, it's not bad, don't get me wrong, just not what I was hoping.

Keep the spoilers coming!

Ahah cheater xD
You can't do both at the same time then? :)

I've already got two going right now! AHHHH! Why isn't there more time for reading????

Drop the second one? xD Ahah. I think BNW will be a fairly quick read :) It's only 214 pages long!

I just finished chapter 3. I am glad we finally got to know a bit of Nick's world.

I am also amazed at how the model world adapted to baldification
That ending...
Wow. Just wow.

Done with 4. The suspense builds.
(view spoiler)[I am not sure I buy Nick getting uber religious all of a
a sudden.
Also, I don't get the deal with the two thugs. Are they with Shinji or not? Sounds like it but in that case who took Nick? Them or someone else? How the heck did Shinji managed to help him? I hope we will get some answers soon.

I smell a forced relationship with Rebecca, hope I am wrong. What happened with Linda btw? Is there really no chance of them getting back together? Seems to me like she's the love of Nick's life, but he doesn't seem inclined to want to win her back at all. (hide spoiler)]

Just finished chapter 4.

Here's what I thought of previous chapters (I wasn't at home but reading when outside, with no access to the net).

Chapter 1 (or is that chapter 2):
There were indeed bits of genius in his describing America. I can totally imagine it become like this.

Chapter 2/3:
(view spoiler)[Regarding the military thing, I think it's mostly here to justify everyone being so good at weapons and getting out of scraps or being uber violent. Might come in handy seeing the world they are living in.

Regarding the item, I think it's just Larry's character. Apparently, he really doesn't want to think about it, he seems totally the type of guy that would ignore something until he really has no choice anymore. (hide spoiler)]

As for women in eastern litterature, well, to be franck, even if the story here is mostly set in China, it still mostly has the feel of western litterature. But clearly, the author knows China well (and seeing his name, he surely has some Chinese origin).
I didn't really noticed the respect of women. But as a personal experience, I'd say that even thought the condition of women here is not ideal, I feel man much more respectuous (or is that scared?) than in latin countries. I have no issues with going out at night alone, coming back from clubbing alone, etc. The only ones who sometimes annoy me are expats.
Although I won't say that they are more respecful, more that they treat women differently. Some attitudes here horrifies me, as other attitudes in Europe horrifies me too. But not the same (and yes, it's women rights day today, and I have a lot to say on this subject. But here is not the place for this, so I'll stop here). The point of all this is that I think it's mostly Larry here, even though culture might help.

As for the rest, suspens builds indeed.

Leigh, I really recommend this books too you, for now, it's a great ride.

I guess I got the respect from the fact that he seems to genuinely believe he is thoroughly in love with them, not to mention his utter respect for marriage.

I just finished chapter 5 and am a bit confused, not sure if I am enjoying the book as much anymore. There seems to be quite a lot of rambling.

(view spoiler)[I mean, obviously the guy has been through some pretty nasty ordeals but I feel like the progression in character was too abrupt; the way he talks about death and that he did not strike me nearly as affected by his best friend's death as he should be. The phrase I should have never let him go alone or some variant is too repetitive as well.

I think the bits where we don't know if it's actually happening or if he is hallucinating are well achieved and I liked the bits about Linda, made the story more personal. We now know she has remarried so that explains at least in part why he isn't doing an effort to get back with her.

The part that came after 'I just wanted to punch the sun in the face' was an unnecessary rambling in my opinion, went on for way too long in a way too poetic manner.

What he did to get through the challenge made my skin crawl, eurgh >.<

I definitely hope we will find out what had Larry so upset about the factory, why the Baldification occurred (he was telling Nick his family knew) and who the spy is. Oh and what's up with Shinji and the thugs. (hide spoiler)]

That chapter 6! Wow! Cricket fights! Awesomeness :D

Kandice, did you ever manage to get the book from Netgalley?

Started chapter 7 now. (view spoiler)[ His obsession with feeding his teeth food as a reward for what they endured is weird. If anything I thought teeth would want calcium or whatever made them stronger; generally speaking, food makes them weaker, right?

Anyway, I am really enjoying where this is going. Do you think they cloned Larry? I am 99% the real Larry is dead. (hide spoiler)]

Still on chapter 7, just finished part III. I have to admit I laughed out loud at that ending. I am liking Rebecca more now :)

Well, looks like I was duped.

Hmm I think it's the second time I read about a mother's birth dream. Is this an eastern culture thing? A dream the mother has when the baby is born perhaps? O.o

Just finished chapter 8.

(view spoiler)[I don't get why Nick wants to go see Rebecca. He listened to her phone call, he knows she can't be trusted. Well, should at least, he didn't seem to realize it even after such obvious words.

I think he should be trying to find George. He seems to be the only one he can trust in this whole mess. (hide spoiler)]

I am done with the book.

(view spoiler)[The last few chapters disappointed me. Everything felt rushed, the ending in particular. In the last chapter, it made no sense to me that the siblings were released to the public after they were no longer needed, where they could expose what had been done to them or at the very least other people could realize they had real hair. I don't get why the Colonel would not believe Nick when he said he had nothing to do with it, especially considering she seems to have spies everywhere, including the factory. Maybe I missed something, but I could not tell if Russ was one of the good or the bad guys. And finally, I did not appreciate that we were not told what caused the Great Baldification.

This is definitely going to affect my rating... Just not sure how much just yet. (hide spoiler)]

I was torn between rating it 3 or 4 stars but I have made my decision and posted my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Looking forward to reading yours, Melas.

Umm.. Aaron.. Why did you copy paste my spoiler?

So, I finished the book 2 days ago, but was too busy/tired to comment on it.

Ana, to comment on your questions:

Chapter 5
(view spoiler)[I think it's on purpose that this chapter is long winded and repetitive. After all, he staid around 3 weeeks in detention, being starved and all. So it's totally normal Nick is confused. So yes, I also think it's a bit long, but I also think it carries the point fairly well.
Since this book is written in a kind of stream of consciousness POV (is that how you say it?), it would have been stranged if he stayed completely lucid, no?
I'm not really sure of how else the author could have made his point here. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 6:
Cricket figths are indeed awesome. I would have love to read more on this subject (alhtough completely useless to story. Maybe as an extra? I'll have to check if there is anything more on the subject).

Chapter 7:
(view spoiler)[For me, it was quite obvious it was a fake Larry, with plastic surgery. They did insist at the beginning of the book that it was really really easy to get whatever face you wanted. And all the "not being able to call him", etc. was just pointing this way. (hide spoiler)]

Regarding birth dream, I have never heard about those before.

Chapter 8
(view spoiler)[Well, as I see it, George clearly stated that he didn't want anything to do with Nick.
For Rebecca, indeed, because of the phone call, she is clearly not to be trusted. But at least, she is taking care of him and not trying to kill him. So maybe it's just that it's the less worse situation? And despite the phone call, she do have a good vibe. (hide spoiler)]

Regarding the ending, I was actually fine with it.
(view spoiler)[Seeing how the news is treated in this world, I don't think anyone would have cared about the siblings. As for the hair, as mentionned, Larry's father thought they would fall. Maybe he didn't wanted to bother with keeping them, and yet didn't wanted to kill them either in case there was a problem with his factories? It seems actually quite a good compromise to me.

As for the Colonel, I do understand totally her point of view. Larry spent his time making people think he had no control over things, yet he did have some. And with her spies, she would know that Larry is dead and that he gave everything to Nick. Nick was following Larry everywhere, so it's probable she thought it was for Larry to teach Nick about the job and everything. She probably also knew that Nick had the hair sample.
In her place, I would also have thought that Nick knew much more than what he is saying.

It's a pity that we didn't have a cause for the Baldification, but I think I accepted this fact pretty quickly at the beginning of the novel, so I was not really disappointed by it. As I said, the point of this book is not really how and why it happens, but more "if it happens, what would the world become?". It's more about the society than the science. So I am not too disappointed at not having too much scientific details. It's more like a fantasy/alternative world than a future world in a certain way. (hide spoiler)]

I finally got to writing my review, here it is:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Ana, I was wondering about something: there are quite a few Chinese words that have been used in the book. Did it disturb you or not at all?

Hmm not really... I only remember food names, which I usually skim through.

Yes, it was not very important words. Food names, a goodbye here and there, very understandable with context. But still, I was wondering. Good to know that it wasn't an issue!