Book Club Axie Oh Interview on YouTube

[Peyton Stafford]

 

[LJ Beck]

Thanks for posting Peyton. Very interesting, albeit a little valley girl. haha.

@Jason L. - do you have the questions for Sunday's chat yet? Would be great to have a chance to think about them before the chat. Thanks!

 

[Jason L.]

I don't. I am a little over halfway done myself and will likely finish in the next day or two. But if any of you who are already finished have got some great questions, please do let me know--btw, this seems to be Cupid and Psyche, except Korean and Cupid not a gutless weasel afraid of his mummy.

 

[James Charles]

I want to discuss what we discuss in the Huddle.

1. Do you see in the first 700 words (because that is what Pete continually stresses):

a) Emotion?
b) Action?
c) Do I care about this MC?
d) Is there an inciting event within the first 700 words that "hooked" you?
e) What's the voice?

 

[Peyton Stafford]

I want to discuss what we discuss in the Huddle.

1. Do you see in the first 700 words (because that is what Pete continually stresses):

a) Emotion?
b) Action?
c) Do I care about this MC?
d) Is there an inciting event within the first 700 words that "hooked" you?
e) What's the voice?

I read it through. The book sold and sells. It did not touch me. I want to know how it and the author became commercially successful. The first lines, brilliant. The rest, the world building, etc., boring, a folk tale spun into a novel. But that may be what her fans like.

Yet, she got great reviews, even on Goodreads. People, readers, connected with her and her stories. Whether I do or not is irrelevant to her commercial success. Same for her interviews on YouTube.

I am here to learn. I am not here to criticize her or her writing.

Looking forward to the meeting.

 

[LJ Beck]

Great questions @James Charles ! Yus.

I want to discuss what we discuss in the Huddle.

1. Do you see in the first 700 words (because that is what Pete continually stresses):

 

[LJ Beck]

I read it through. The book sold and sells. It did not touch me.

Ah, our roles are going to be reveresed this time @Peyton Stafford ! I really enjoyed the book (did take me a while to get into it), and the world building, etc. I'm very interested to hear you elaborate.

 

[LJ Beck]

A few questions that spring to mind for me:

1) What did you think of the MC's age? Did you feel she was old enough to experience all she did the way she did?
2) At what point did you connect to the MC, if at all? If not, why?
3) Did the storyline make sense to you? If not, how much did that affect your enjoyment?
4) Did you find the ending, bringing together all the elements, satisfying?
5) How did you find the pacing?

Looking forward to chatting!

 

[Peyton Stafford]

The MC's age was irrelevant. She was a fully drawn human being, so I loved her.
I connected immediately.
The story made complete sense.
Ending was fine.
Pacing OK.

 

[Peyton Stafford]

I don't. I am a little over halfway done myself and will likely finish in the next day or two. But if any of you who are already finished have got some great questions, please do let me know--btw, this seems to be Cupid and Psyche, except Korean and Cupid not a gutless weasel afraid of his mummy.

Looking forward to hearing your Cupid and Psyche take. Thank you.

 

[Jason L.]

What were the main themes of the book? How were those themes brought to life?

Are there any books that you would compare this book to?

Did your opinion of this book change as you read it? How?

Which character or moment prompted the strongest emotional reaction for you? Why?

What were the power dynamics between the characters and how did that affect their interactions?

This was set in a mythical Asian world. Do you think that we lose something in not being already so steeped in this mythology that we would recognize some of the themes?

If you had to give an elevator pitch for this book, what would it be?

 

[Jason L.]

Love these questions, by the way!!!!!

 

[Hannah F]

Loving the questions on this thread. They're great questions for each book we read/write.

I'll skip this meet (didn't finish the book), but I'll defo be at the next two.

 

[Jason L.]

Hannah we'll miss you. And gossip about you relentlessly in your absence.

 

[Jason L.]

Has anybody got a good timeline in their heads of when the next two would be? I normally would have preferred mid-month, but I am open to whatever.

 

[Bloo]

I only just now realized the next book is Song of Achilles. This after bitching about Greek Mythology yesterday. That's my karma, I guess.

In any case...I've not yet bought the (audio)book, so two weeks is gonna be tight for me.

 

[Jason L.]

We can do four weeks?

 

[Bloo]

Well...I downloaded the audiobook. It's over 11 hours at normal speed. However, it's only 9.5 hours at 1.2X (where I normally play it). With my long commute, I ought to finish in time.

This week's book review was a lot of fun. Neither Fantasy nor YA are my typical reads, but I wound up kinda liking TGWFBtS. I fully expected to hate it, so to discover otherwise is a win.

Anyhoo...I look forward to bitching about a novel based on Greek mythology in a few weeks. Yet I hope the author brings something new and interesting to the legend of Achilles. I really don't want a rehash of material that put me to sleep in high school

 

[Hannah F]

Three or four weeks suits me.

 

[Bloo]

Started listening to the audiobook on the way home from work. I'm only a few chapters in, yet already know this won't be like anything I read in highschool.

I wanted something different and got it. Karma strikes again.

 

[James Charles]

Started listening to the audiobook on the way home from work. I'm only a few chapters in, yet already know this won't be like anything I read in highschool.

I wanted something different and got it. Karma strikes again.

I finished and loved this (The Song of Achilles). It's fiction, based on the myth, but who knows? Yes, you would not have read in high school how much in love they were!!!

 

[Bloo]

Um...SPOILER !!!