Waterfall Wednesdays read-along Discussion #5 and wrap up

Waterfall Wednesdays Read-Along Event


Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

Discussion 5- Chapters 24-28

This weeks questions hosted by Nic at Irresistible Reads

1. After Gabi is injured, the doctor gives her a tonic. Gabi questions the doctor several times what is in it but he refuses to tell. Would you have taken the tonic in Gabi's situation?

No way! Didn't doctors used to put all kinds of weird things in their potions? That song about the witches- eye of newt etc. is for a reason! Doctors didn't know anything about the human body and what made it tick.
I know even as late as the 1920s doctors were giving out all kinds of strange things in their medicine. I just saw an article about wealthy socialite Eben Byers, who was given bottles of mercury to drink to improve his health- and then he died of radiation poisoning- with the newspaper headline "The Radium Water Worked Fine until His Jaw Came Off". And that was less than a hundred years ago!

2. Before the games Gabi asks Lia to let Lord Foraboschi win in the archery event as people especially Lord Foraboschi are becoming suspicious of them. But during the games Lord Foraboschi upsets Lia trying to throw her off her game. So Lia decides to win. Do you think she did the right thing by not letting Lord Foraboschi bully her or do you think she took an unnecessary risk?

That's a toughie. On the one hand they are in such a precarious situation already, and really don't need any more enemies. But I also respect Lia for showing off what she can really do and putting those arrogant men in their place! She had to do it!

3. When Gabi is dying and she and Lia decide to return to the tombs so they can get the cure at home but they have to tell Marcello the truth. Even though Marcello thinks that it is madness that they are from the future he believes in Gabi because he loves her. Do you think this is believable? What would you have done if you were Marcello?

I think it would be hard to believe it without seeing it. What makes it slightly easier to believe though is that it explains a lot of their weird behaviour- like their odd clothes, the holes in their story, their unconventional attitudes and educations. She also has no reason to lie about it, and in risking her life to help Marcello and becoming wounded in the process she has proven to him that he can trust her.

4. In the end Gabi and Lia return home. Do you think Gabi will return to Marcello? Would you go back?

I think that she will return to Marcello. The pull is too strong to ignore.
As for me- I want the best of both worlds. I'd want to stay in medieval Italy (with Marcello) for most of the year but be able to take regular trips back to the modern day to stock up on supplies, take a hot shower or bubble bath, eat some chocolate, spend time with my family, catch up on my television shows- and then go back again. And I want modern doctors and medicines if I'm ill!

5. Looking back at Waterfall what was your favourite moment?

Can I pick 2? I love the bit where Luca is teaching Gabi to dance, then asks her to close her eyes, and Marcello takes over. I think it is the first time where he has really shown that he cares more for her than for his fiancee (and he doesn't guiltily pull away.) Everything from the way he holds her to the way he looks at her reveals his true feelings. And it is so unexpected and romantic.
I also love any scenes with Luca and Lia together. Luca is such a joker and so funny and sweet, and a perfect partner to Marcello's seriousness. Luca is so completely smitten with Lia but she is so determined not to fall for him back, because she wants to go home. I love this couple and any pages where the two of them are together sparkle for me.


This is the last Waterfall Wednesday, but it has been so much fun joining in and reading everyone else's answers each week. This feature has encouraged me to read a book that I probably would have put off reading for a while (due to time constraints) by cutting it into a few chapters a week, making it feel much more managable, and I've really enjoyed discussing a different part of the book each week. I've also found a few more blogs and bloggers to talk books with! Thanks!
Luckily (and perfect timing), I won a contest over at The Story Siren and won a set of the complete series, so I'm really happy that I can now keep going with this fantastic series (and I've started book 2 already!) 

Mini review

Waterfall by Lisa Tawn Bergren


My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This has been such a fantastic new novel for me, and a brilliant start to the series. We have a spunky kick-ass modern heroine who is smart and feisty, travelling back in time into medieval Italy, and some very nice knights looking after her. Gabi finds herself in the middle of sword fights and political intrigues. This book is so romantic, and a fun read, but also action-packed, and dangerous.
History+ adventure+ spunky girl lead+ heartbreakingly good love story= win!

Waterfall Wednesdays read-along Discussion #4

Waterfall Wednesdays Read-Along Event


Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

Discussion 4- Chapters 18- 23

This weeks questions hosted by Jenny at Supernatural Snark
 
 

[Ok- the plan when I started this read-along was that I was going to only read along with the chapters needed for each week, so I could just take the book a bit at a time and wasn't too far ahead, but last week it got too good- I couldn't put it down and I actually finished the book!]

1. Gabi and Lia both face several life and death situations in these chapters, having to pick up weapons in defense of those they love and experiencing first hand the brutality of close combat. If you had the choice between picking up a weapon and standing on the front lines or staying behind to tend to the wounded as necessary, which would you choose?

I would be useless at tending to the wounded- I can't stand injuries and blood and would be thrown into a panic not knowing what to do. I think I'd rather be out there, knowing what was happening and doing what I could.

2. Both girls get to wear extraordinary gowns to their victory celebration; what would your dream medieval gown look like?

I would love to wear a dream medieval ballgown! I never get to wear pretty clothes and want a good excuse to wear something like this:

(I know it's not very medieval looking but humour me!)

3. Gabi has crude stitches put in and must endure both their removal as well as the cauterization of the wound. How is your threshold for pain? Do you think you would have simply gritted your teeth as Gabi does?

OW! She is brave. I was gritting my teeth just reading about it! I have no threshold for pain so wouldn't last 30 seconds under any kind of torture. I was cringing the whole way through reading this scene, scrunched up face and everything- it's a good thing the wind didn't change!

4. Marcello wants to properly court Gabi after they express mutual feelings of affection, wanting to speak with her mother about his intentions. What do you think is the most romantic aspect of medieval courtship?

I think it's that sense of involving the whole family, and the courtship feeling like a union of the two families and not just the two people. I personally now would hate it if a bloke asked for my parent's permission to marry me- after I've been living on my own, earning my own money and supporting myself for years- I'm my own person and make my own choices- but I like the gesture in Gabi's case and it is appropriate for the time. It shows that Marcello has good intentions and that he's serious in his declaration.

5. Gabi and Lia find themselves with conflicting desires toward the end with Lia wanting to return home and Gabi hoping to stay. Do you think that Gabi is being unfair to Lia for wanting to stay, or is Lia being unfair to Gabi for demanding they go? A little of both?

A little of both maybe. Lia doesn't really know everything that Gabi has been through with Marcello, but at the same time I agree with Lia that she can't stay- they have to try to find their way back. They have been gone long enough and it would be horrible if they had disappeared and their mother had never known what had happened to them. Lia is thinking logically, with her head, and Gabi is thinking emotionally, with her heart. I do sympathise with Gabi, and her feeling that she has found this perfect love, and may never find anyone like him again.


Last Waterfall Wednesday next week hosted at Irresistible Reads

Waterfall Wednesdays read-along Discussion #3

Waterfall Wednesdays Read-Along Event


Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

Discussion 3- Chapters 12- 17
This weeks questions hosted by Joy and Serena at Edgy Inspirational Romance

Oh my gosh- I'm so hooked on this book now I love it! Gabi has attended a fancy ball, been attacked by a loathsome lord and found out that her sister is there and is the prisoner of the Paratores! I'm so glad that Lia has also fallen through time, and that Gabi has found her, it definitely adds something to the story having two of them there.
The drama has really got going now and there are plots and scheming and double-crossings.
Most touching is Fortino suffering through a severe asthma attack and Marcello's concern for him, and Gabi's wonderful pratical advice. She is ordering the servants about and preparing herbs to help him breathe and all sorts! She really cares about helping him. I've just had a wisdom tooth pulled today, so all I can say is I'm so grateful for modern medicine and painkillers! I'm still dopey and pretty out of it- so this post will be brief.

In Siena, on her way to the ball at Palazzo Pubblico, Gabi likened her experience to being on the red carpet at the Academy Awards, the goal being "to see and be seen." If you were a peasant, watching from the crowd, what would you be thinking as this procession passed by?


It must be like seeing rock stars or actors- people that you know about and whose lives you talk about, and be really exciting to see them so close and talk about what they're wearing etc. But it also must make you really angry, to be so poor and have nothing, and yet to see so much wealth, jewellery annd extravagance pass by.

The kiss. Oh, the kiss. When Marcello finally kisses Gabi, he believes the experience to be proof that they are meant to be together. What did you think about his assumption? Were you surprised at Gabi's reaction to it?

The kiss was so dreamy. They both can see a future with the other and this throws Gabi into complete turmoil because she is also worried about leaving her mother alone and never knowing what happened to her. She wants to stay but can't stay, but will be heart broken if she does leave. She is so torn! Gabi is also very aware that Marcello is still engaged, and that his family, and all the people under his family's protection need that marriage as a political alliance.
I love that Marcello is so proud of her fighting by his side, calling her "she-wolf" and "warrior woman". He is in total awe of her, but he is also terrified for her safety- very sweet.
Luca's reaction to Lia was also perfect. He sees her fire her arrows and is in love!

Many go through their teen years with a subdued sense of immortality. Do you think Gabi has a sense of this teen feeling? And did you think Gabi's converse observation, "Sometimes death came hunting and there was no way to cut it off at the pass." was informed more by the experience of losing her father, her self-admitted closet hypochondria, or the forced maturation of being transported to a different time? How does this observation show Gabi's growth as a character?

I think Gabi is actually very aware that she could be killed by a sword point at any time in this new world that she's landed in. When dealing with the rough men of the Paratore clan she is very brave on the surface, but also constantly aware of her actual vulnerability.
Since landing in the past she has definitely grown and matured as a character- she will always stand up for herself and her friends, and has had to find a way through the maze of problems and threats. She stands out as very capable.


[sorry if nothing I've said makes any sense- I've had a tooth pulled and can't get my brain to function properly since!]

Waterfall Wednesdays read-along Discussion #2

Waterfall Wednesdays Read-Along Event

Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

Discussion 2- Chapters 7-11

This weeks questions hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader

Gabi's search for her sister is made increasingly difficult by the fight for territory between Castello Forelli and Castello Paratore. At this point, do you think the rivalry is warranted? Why or why not?



A lot of the politics and rivalries is going over my head at the moment I'll be honest. I get that they are against each other and there is a fight for land and power. It kind of reminds me of the battles between the houses of Capulet and Montague in Romeo and Juliet. There is no higher law to come and arrest them, no-one to say where legally the property boundaries are. If they see each other they will fight to the death- with no consequences.


Gabi aids Fortino by having his sickroom cleaned out and using steam to loosen the phlegm inside his lungs so he could breathe better. Have you ever found yourself in a situation that required you to rely on home remedies to aid yourself or another? What are some of your favorite home remedies?


Sometimes the old remedies are the best! Like using steam when you're blocked up with a cold. My favourite home remedy is to use lavender or lavender oil when I've got a headache.
I felt really sorry for Fortino. It was almost as if in the minds of everyone in the castle he had been written off and just left in his room in the castle. Gabi's ideas to help him were really simple yet practical, and showed that just by moving some of the things in his room, or bringing him food that was easier for him to eat, she could actually start to make a huge difference- without modern medicines.

Marcello and his men don't hide their surprise when they learn that Gabi is skilled with a sword. What did you think of this development? Has your initial impression of Gabi changed? Do you have any secret skills?


I love that Gabi can use a sword! This just makes her even more of a kick-ass character! I think her ability to constantly shock the men with her modern ways makes this story so great.
I have no secret skills. At all. If I landed in fourteenth century Italy I'd be dead by now!


"Our lips were so close, I could feel the heat of his breath on my skin." Gabi and Marcello's feelings for one another are beginning to stir. What do you think of Marcello as a romantic interest thus far? What do you think of his intended?


I like Marcello- a lot! He seems like a good guy and very protective of Gabi, and very determined to do right and help her. He is shocked by some of the things she comes up with (like riding a horse like a man, and the sword fighting) but I also think is secretly impressed by this and a little in awe of her.
At first I couldn't stand Lady Rossi. She was the epitome of high-school cheerleader bitchiness in the packaging of a wealthy fourteenth century lady. She made constant snide remarks or sarcastic comments about Gabi, about the way she dressed, how she behaved, and was always trying to pick apart her story and expose Gabi as a liar. After the incidents with the bandits in the woods though I warmed up to her a little. She was very grateful to Gabi, and really starts to be nicer to her.
Marcello and Luca take turns teaching Gabi the dances of Toscana. Would you have liked to attend a ball like the one Gabi was practicing for? Do you like to dance? Do you know any cool dance moves? Extra (not really) points if you YouTube yourself dancing and share the video. Come on, it will be fun! :)

I would love to attend a ball- just for the clothes and the chance to dress up! There is a shop near my house that sells ball gowns, evening dresses, prom dresses etc. and I always gaze in the windows wishing I went to more places where I need to wear a pretty evening dress! I cannot dance at all though- I'm too self-conscious and have no co-ordination whatsoever! Maybe dances like Gabi's ball where I know the steps wouldn't be too bad, I think it's when you have to make it up yourself that I struggle. Missie, I am NOT posting a video of me dancing, trust me, I look too silly- this is just a representation of how ridiculous I'd look!



I am loving this book so far! I can't wait to find out if Gabi finds her sister and if something is going to happen between her and Marcello.

Waterfall Wednesdays read-along Discussion#1

Waterfall Wednesdays-A Read-a-Along Event



Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

Discussion 1- Chapters 1-6

Today's questions hosted by Tinasbookreviews

Waterfall opens with the introduction of Gabi, shes depressed, a little angry and is dealing with feelings of loneliness. Are you connecting with her this soon in the novel? Do you see things you like or dislike?

I really like Gabi- I like how fearless and independent she is. When she is transported back in time she doesn't start to panic, she just invents a cover story and gets on with getting by. I also really like her voice in narrating the story- like how she will say things like "mayhaps" in a sentence to the knights, speaking in flowery sentences that match how they speak, but then her thoughts will be modern American, like "awesome" and "totally", and "I was getting seriously good at talking their lingo!"

I think that I would be too afraid to do anything if I were in her situation! If it was me in her place, I think that once I was in Marcello's castle in a safe room with food, I would want to cower away, and wait for everything to change back! I love that Gabi is really spunky and will stand up for herself to the men, even demanding to go with them on a ride.


Gabi gets to time travel back to 14th Century Italy- The Dark Ages in its prime. Is there anytime in history that fascinates you and would you travel back if you could?

I've always thought I was born in the wrong century- I hate modern gadgets and things! The time period that I'm most interested in is the 19th century. I love how it's a period of transition between old customs and new technology and machinery. I think I am most fascinated by Thomas Hardy's rural England. It's a really simple time and people are still clinging to old beliefs, traditions and superstitions.

Most of the men, including Marcello have a very set opinion about a woman's place. Gabi gets manhandled a bit in these first few chapters, and even gets asked if shes a witch. The men are shocked when Gabi rides a horse like a man and shimmies down the castle walls. What do you think of men's mentality back then? Gentlemanly, chauvinistic, simple-minded?



It was just the way it was done back then. I think if the men in the story could have seen in to the future and seen women in the 21st century they would be stunned. We have women in the army, and women doctors and lawyers- it was just inconceivable back then. Marcello so far seems quite accepting of Gabi, and even admiring of her feistiness.


When Gabi becomes a part of this era, the people are immediately intrigued but suspicious of her. Many judge her by her difference. Do you think this is fair? Have you ever been in a situation where you felt like an outsider or that others were misjudging you?

She is so completely different to them. She appears wearing jeans and a cami top. Everything about her from her appearance to her manners is so alien. I think there is nothing more intimidating than standing out so completely. I've been to other countries where I felt like I stuck out so badly. It's a scary feeling!

What do think the coolest thing would be about living in the Dark Ages? What would be the worst?

I can't think of anything cool about living in the Dark Ages! If you're rich though you're lucky to have plenty to eat, lots of luxury and fine clothes, but also no chance to do anything that you want to do. You are tied to the responsibilites of whatever station you're born into, with no chance to improve yourself, or change your station. There is also disease, poverty, and no hot showers or flushing toilets!
I would also miss books. Books in the fourteenth century had be copied out by hand by a scribe, and were therefore very rare and very expensive. I read every day, and can't imagine a life without books- without being able to escape into another world and live other lives.

Waterfall Read-along event- count me in!

I have only just heard about the awesome event hosted by Tina at Tina's Book Reviews, Missie at The Unread Reader, Joy &Serena at Edgy Inspirational Romance, Nic at Irresistible Reads and Jenny from Supernatural Snark.
It's a read-along of Lisa T. Bergren's YA novel Waterfall. From the 31st August and every wednesday for the month of September we can read a few chapters of the book and then talk about the book and the characters. Also, every week somebody taking part will win a box set of the 3 books in the series. That's five winners.

The discussion schedule-
August 31- Chapters 1-6 Hosted by Tina at Tinasbookreviews


Sept 7- Chapters 7-11 Hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader

Sept 14- Chapters 12-17 Hosted by Joy&Serena at Edgy Inspirational Romance

Sept 21- Chapters 18-23 Hosted by Jenny at Supernatural Snark

Sept 28- Chapters 24-28 and Wrap Up Hosted by Nic at Irresistible Reads

I got a copy of Waterfall a couple of weeks ago and am really looking to reading it. This is just the push that I need to get started on what looks like a fantastic time-travelling series.

If you want to join in it's not too late- follow the link to Tina's blog, sign up with the linky, find yourself a copy of the book and read chapters 1-6 by the 31st of August.