First Grave on the Right: Chp 16-21

Today is the final discussion week of the Don't Fear the Reaper read-along! We'll be discussing the last chapters  of First Grave on the Right, the first book in the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones. If you would like to join, please see this introduction post on how to get started! Many thanks to Heidi @ Rainy Day Ramblings for this week's questions.

1. What is the funniest t-shirt or bumper sticker you have encountered? If you had a t-shirt that best described you what would it say?

 Thanks to this question, I spent hours looking at funny t-shirts and bumper stickers. I thought this was pretty funny, but I really liked this one:

Found on Cafepress.com

2. Charley is constantly helping ghosts throughout the book.  Would you like to be able to talk to ghosts and bring closure to their loved ones?  How would you feel about all the ghosts popping up at all times day or night?  Would you like to have a ghost like Mr. Wong in your house?

I wouldn't mind helping the ghosts to other side. The random popping up at all times would be annoying, irritating, and not to mention distracting. For some reason, Mr. Wong creeps me out. Why is he still there and won't talk? Maybe if he talked it would be less creepy.  


3.  Kim reveals some rather shocking and sad details about Reyes' past.  Do you agree with her decision to adhere to her promise and not intervene?  Would you be willing to keep your word and let a loved one die if it was their wish?

 That's a hard question to answer. I think it depends on the situation. If the person is causing harm to themselves and/or to others then I feel obligated to intervene. It's hard to say for Reyes because we don't really know the full story until much later.


4. Do you like the fact that Charley consistently ends up getting her butt handed to her?  What are your overall thoughts on Charley?

I adore Charley. I love her wacky sense of humor and her genuine good heart to help those less fortunate. I also like the fact that while she may have some cool abilities, she is still left in the dark about her full potential. It's annoying to read about characters who know exactly what to do and have everything turn out fine. It's fun learning more about Charley as she discovers her full potential at the same time.


5.  Chapter 20 is a big, hot, smoking chapter.  We finally get some answers on Reyes.  Does the revelation change your opinion of him?  Do you think he can overcome his "nature" and be a good person or is Charley in big trouble?  

I think we all can agree that Reyes is physically hot, but I'm still unsure about him. How long did it take him to flip the switch? He is definitely going to be an interesting character to watch and grow. It's a bit too early to say whether or not Reyes is good for Charley. Personally, I love Garrett and Charley together though Charley treats Garret like crap.

6.  Did you enjoy this book?  Will you be continuing the series?   

First Grave on the Right was exactly a book that I needed during my most stressful time at work. It was an easy and enjoyable read that kept me laughing and guessing throughout the book. I do plan on continuing the series.  

First Grave on the Right Read-along: Chp 11-16

Today is the third week of the Don't Fear the Reaper read-along! We'll be discussing the chapters eleven to sixteen of First Grave on the Right, the first book in the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones. If you would like to join, please see this introduction post on how to get started! Many thanks to Jen @ In the Closet with a Bibliophile for this week's questions.

Questions Week 3

Chapters 11-16

1. I do have a soft spot for Charley's Aunt Lilian. She is sweet and soft while somehow also being a little dirty and I find that hilarious in an aunt. Do you have any relatives dead or alive that remind you of Aunt Lillian? If not, tell me about your favorite deceased relative. 

  Hrm..not really. Aunt Lillian is much more out there than my relatives. My relatives do have a great sense of humor and are incredibly caring. 

2.  In these chapters, we get a little closer to Reyes and his secrets. Neil, the warden at the prison where Reyes is currently incarcerated - and a high school mate of Charley's - tells a story about how Reyes ended up in the Coma and something he witnessed. What do you think of the story? What does this lead you to think about Reyes?

The guy's got issues. I thought it was interesting that Reyes is always mentioned in the same breath as violence. This was the point in the book where I had to finish it to find what Reye's true identity and how well Charley's theory of him played out. Now that I know what he is, it makes perfect sense to find himself in troubling situations. 

3.  One of the things I love most about Ubie and Charley's relationship is that Ubie aka Uncle Bob has absolute faith in our Charley. Maybe it's because Charley's been solving murder cases for ages and Ubie knows that Charley knows things. If you could pick a super power, which one would you choose? Seeing the dead? Invisibility?

Telepathy would work really well if I was a grim reaper like Charley. I could mess with peoples minds if they irritated me. LOL!

4.  Okay, in my opinion, there is nothing better than walking into your living room and seeing the god-like creature  of your dreams standing there waiting for you. If you were in Charley's shoes, who would be standing in your living room??

Oh, now that's just a cruel question! I don't have much space to list everyone, but I would limit it to my top ten literary crushes. As for celebs, Johnny Depp would be awesome. I could only imagine the story's he has to share.

5.  We get a surprise visit from Rosie's husband and we find out some information about Reyes...that he and The Big Bad are the same guy. What are your thoughts? Were you surprised about Rosie's husband or did you feel that one coming? What about Bad Reyes, had you already made the connection?

 I had my suspicions before that Reyes and the Big Bad were the same guy. I also anticipated to see Rosie's husband again. What I didn't know is how he could be in two places at once? Of course we figure out why at the end. :)

First Grave on the Right Readalong: Chp 6-10

Today is the second week of the Don't Fear the Reaper read-along! We'll be discussing the first five chapters of First Grave on the Right, the first book in the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones. If you would like to join, please see this introduction post on how to get started! Many thanks to Lia @ Babbling About Books and Stuff for this week's questions.

1.  Shiny objects and old family stories are told in this chapter, including an old nickname for our dear Charley. What was the nickname her uncle Bob gave her when she was little? Do you have an old nickname from when you were a kid? You can share it, and if it's really embarrassing we won't mind. *wink*

I love the relationship between Uncle Bob and Charley. The nickname he gave her was Calamity because she was always either causing trouble or in the middle of it. :) As I mentioned last week, I've got several nicknames and they're all different variations of my name.

2.  In this chapter we met someone. A really special guy named Rocket. Now, my memory is not what it used to be, and I just can't remember what makes him so special. Can you tell me what makes this particular ghost unique among all the others? And how about you? What can you do that makes you special? Anything? Jump on one foot for a really long time counts. *giggle*

Rocket was such an interesting character. I hope we get to see more of him! He's got a remarkable memory of the dead, particularly who had died and when. As for me, I don't have really anything that makes me special. I do have a ridiculous memory of trivial things.

3.  Charley is really *cough* not your ordinary girl. She does something that, well, there's no way around it. She named parts of her body and the names are... oh crap, I forgot. Just my luck. *sigh* But I'm sure you guys can say what part of her body she named and what the names were. And, since we are on the matter, have you ever named a part of your body? If so, what was it and what was the name? Come on, don't be shy. *wink+crooked smile*

Charley has a wicked sense of humor. I've yet to meet a character that named his/her body parts. I don't have any of my body parts named nor really have any desires to do so. I find it a bit weird.

4. We all have our little secrets. Things we don't tell anyone, not even our bff. Char (we became close :P ) is no different, but in this chapter she shared her little (big) secret (S) with her bff. What did you think about her reaction? What would be yours?

Cookie is adorable and a bit crazy but I do adore her unflinching loyalty to Charley. I was amazed how quickly she absorbed everything that Charley told her. I would have needed more time not to just believe but to process the information.

5.  In this chapter, Char continues her heart-to-heart with her BFF and comes up with some theories about our fave badboy/possibly ghost. What do you think of it? Can it be? What do you think about him? Hot? Double chocolate hot? Super duper caramel chocolate cake with a cherry on top hot?

I don't know how to answer this one as I finished the entire book during this past weekend. *Blushes* I got on a roll after the Cookie and Charley discussion and wanted to know more about the theory. As for Reyes, he's undeniably attractive and complex, but I'm not sure how I feel about his character. I need more of him to fully form an opinion.

First Grave on the Right Read-along: Chp 1-5

Today is the first week of the Don't Fear the Reaper read-along! We'll be discussing the first five chapters of First Grave on the Right, the first book in the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones. If you would like to join, please see this introduction post on how to get started! Many thanks to Christy at Love Books for this week's questions.

1. We meet some of Charley's ghostly "buddies," do you believe you have ever had a ghostly encounter?

  I can't say that I ever had one, but I do believe in spirits. Just because we don't seem them doesn't mean that they don't exisit. I'll be honest and that I would get a bit freaked out if I met one. Hopefully, the ghost will be more like Casper than the ones that Charley handles. LOL!

2. Charley named her jeep Misery. Have you ever named your vehicles? What did you name them?

 I haven't named any cars, mainly because since I have a large family the cars are passed around. I have named other objects in the house like my space heater which I dubbed Jacob after the Twilight series. ;)

3. Charley says her name "...brooks no opposition. It takes s*** from no one." What do you think your name says about you to strangers? Is there a different name that you think would suit you better?

Many people can't pronounce my name even though it's spelled out phonetically. So, I'm sure the first thing that they think of right away is that it's foreign. I find it funny watching people trying to find a polite way to pronounce it. I've resorted to having friends just call me "Rum" as a nickname because a) everyone has heard of rum before and b) it's easy to pronounce. I've also got an assorted nicknames around the house. I like my name and I think it suits me.

4. Charley says her best friend Cookie is "like Kramer from Seinfeld, only not so nervous, like Kramer might have been on Prozac." Give us your best description of your best friend. How would they would describe you?

 My best friend is practical, for the most part easily detect my moods, and can call me out stuff. I think she would describe me as passionate and deceptively demure.

5. Garrett is reluctant to believe in Charley's abilities, how would you react if a friend divulged to you that they can see and speak with the dead?

 I've heard of people who believe they are ghost talkers or have communicate with the dead. Even though they are a friend, I would still need proof before I could believe them right away.

Don't Fear the Reaper Read-Along!

 

 With less than three weeks before the new school year begins, I wanted to do something fun before things get out of control. I decided to join some awesome bloggers and read a fun book while participating in Don't Fear the Reaper Read-along, which is celebrating the upcoming release of Fourth Grave beneath My Feet, the fourth book in the Charley Davidson series. I've heard great things about this series and I can't wait to read it. Many thanks go out to Christy of Love of Books, Lila of Babbling About Books and Stuff, Jen of In the Closet With a Bibliophile and Heidi of Rainy Day Ramblings for setting up this read-along!

Below is the discussion schedule:

Discussion Schedule

 

August 2nd: Chapters 1-5 hosted by Love of Books

August 9th: Chapters 6-10 hosted by Babbling About Books and Stuff

August 16th: Chapters 11-15 hosted by In the Closet With a Bibliophile

August 23rd: Chapters 16-20 hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings

August 30th: Special Guest post with Darynda Jones and Prize Winners 

 

Questions for Chapters 1-5 can be found on Christy's blog or on any of the hostess's blogs. I hope you can join us in all the fun!