Anika’s Comments (group member since Dec 25, 2011)

Anika’s comments from the Reading with Style group.

15.11 B11, Rooting for the Bad Guy

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

I was so looking forward to finally going to the Utah Shakespearean Festival this year--they do a great job in a gorgeous location and I've loved every production I've seen there. Sadly, I am not enticed by any of their offerings this year so I'll indulge in a "festival" of my own and read plays I'd actually want to see performed.
I started my "festival" with Macbeth. It's been quite a while since I've revisited this story and was impressed with the picture of human psychology we get here--the way that power (or the promise of power) can warp and twist an otherwise noble mind. I listened to the Arkangel production and it was exceptional. (As always, the witches were my favorite.)

+15 Task
+5 Review
+5 Oldies, 1606

Task total: 25
Season total: 275

B 9, 11, 12
I 16, 17
N 35, 38
G 52, 56
O 61, 74

10.10 O74, Title has On, Off, Out, Over, Only

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Another novel in verse, this is told from the point of view of Ivan, a Silverback gorilla. Ivan is the main attraction at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, with shows at two, four, and seven, 365 days a year. Stella the elephant and Bob the dog are his best friends. Julia, the janitor's daughter, is an artist and so is Ivan. She sneaks crayons and paper to him so he can draw bananas. One day, Ruby, a baby elephant, joins the show and everything changes.
I loved this. It was a great story, made me tear up, highly recommended.

+10 Task
+5 Review
+50 Second Bingo: B12, I17, N38, G56, O74

Task total: 65
Season total: 250

B 9, 12
I 16, 17
N 35,38
G 52, 56
O 61, 74

10.9 G56, Get the giggles: humor

Dumpty: The Age of Trump in Verse by John Lithgow

I've had this on my TBR for a while because I love John Lithgow and now that the antics of the previous administration are no longer grabbing daily headlines I felt emotionally distanced enough from that dumpster fire to read this. It was smart. It was funny. Each poem focused on a different member of the administration and exposed their ugly underbelly. It retraumatized me a little and at times got bogged down by the subject matter, but overall I thought it was a success. Bonus: each poem has an illustration by the author and, who knew!?, Lithgow is a great cartoonist!

+10 Task
+5 Review

Task total: 15
Season total: 185

B 9, 12
I 16, 17
N 35, 38
G 52, 56
O 61

10. 8 N38, "NICKEL"

Norse Mythology, Vol. 1 by Neil Gaiman

I read this book when it first came out and thought it would have been so great as a graphic novel, then lo and behold! Here it is!
While some of the art succeeded better than others (there were several different artists for this series), it was great fun seeing the visual interpretation of the antics of the Norse gods told in the witty voice of Neil Gaiman.

+10 Task
+5 Review

Task total: 15
Season total: 170

B 9, 12
I 16, 17
N 35, 38
G 52
O 61

10.7 I17, Title word ends in -ing

Sleeping Beauties, Vol. 1 by Rio Youers

This is the graphic novel version of the Stephen King novel.
I've read another Stephen King graphic novel which was *fantastic* so I thought I'd give this one a go. Nope. Didn't work for me. The art was fine, but the story was so confusing! And yet--the misogyny that I've seen in pretty much every King book was still present. While I'm curious to see how this ends in volume two, I don't think I'm there for it--I just need to read the book because the premise is interesting enough but it did not work in this form for me.

+10 Task
+5 Review

Task total: 15
Season total: 155

B 9, 12
I 16, 17
N 35
G 52
O 61

10.6 B12, Banned Books

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki

At first I was having a hard time choosing a book for this task--I've read most of the books on the first page of the "Banned Books" list and didn't really want to reread a book so was excited to run across this one. I was curious what in the world could be objectionable about a coming-of-age Caldecott winner. I guess teenagers having sex and getting pregnant (though it's all told in rumors and we never SEE anything) and the mention that lesbians exist is just too much for some very delicate sensibilities/overzealous censors. Maybe it was the kids watching R-rated horror movies *shrug*--there's no accounting for what's going to push the buttons of those crazy censors.

+10 Task
+5 Review

Task total: 15
Season total: 140

B 9, 12
I 16
N 35
G 52
O 61

10.5 O61, Opposite words in title

The Wicked & the Divine, Vol. 4 by Kieron Gillen

I loved the idea of this series: we meet the pantheon in volume one; volume two gets a little murdery; volume three...jumped the shark. It was confusing and boring and the art was awful and I was ready to quit right there.
When researching which graphic novels I've missed out on this past year, I happened upon a review of volume four which made me think I'd give it a chance. So glad I did--this volume, while still a bit confusing (as the whole series has been), was far more enjoyable and moved the story along at a decent pace. Might actually stick around to see how this story wraps up.

+10 Task
+5 Review
+50 Bingo: B9, I16, N35, G52, O61

Task total: 65
Season total: 125

B 9
I 16
N 35
G 52
O 61

10.4 G52, Goodreads Choice Award winners and nominees

Look Mom I’m a Poet by Andrew Shaffer

This is "for fans of SNL’S DEEP THOUGHTS BY JACK HANDEY" which I adore--that kind of humor is right up my alley! This was a quick read that had me cracking up left and right. Sometimes humor books start to becoming a little grating after a while but this one never does...it could have gone longer and I wouldn't have been sad about it.

+10 Task, 2021 Poetry Nominee
+5 Review

Task total: 15
Season total: 60

B 9
I 16
N 35
G 52
O

10.3 N35, Noir

The Good Asian, Vol. 1 by Pornsak Pichetshote

Set in San Francisco 1936, Edison Hark is the only Chinese member of the police department. Strange and gruesome murders are happening in Chinatown and Edison finds himself in the middle of a mystery that's a little too close to home.
The noir mood and gorgeous animation made this one of the best graphic novels I've read in a while...I'm dying to get my hands on Volume Two to see what happens next!

+10 Task
+5 Review

Task total: 15
Season total: 45

B 9
I 16
N 35
G
O

10.2 I16, Author name does not contain an "I"

Chlorine Sky by Mahogany L. Browne

I love novels in verse and was excited to find this one nominated for a Goodreads Award. I put it off because it's shelved YA at BPL with no Lexile listing, so thanks again to the mods for ditching the Lexile requirement this season!
This coming of age story was so relatable--fickle friendships, the constant insecurity that comes with being a teenager, first kisses and first heartbreaks. From the point of view of an African-American girl who loves basketball, it's written with some slang and an occasional internal hip hop beat...I loved how the final line of each poem bled into the title of the next poem. While I've had a stronger affinity for other novels in verse (One, Death Coming Up the Hill, Clap When You Land most notably), this was by no means a disappointment.

+10 Task
+5 Review

Task total: 15
Season total: 30

B 9
I 16
N
G
O

10.1 B9, MPE page count 100-199

ExtraOrdinary by V.E. Schwab

Charlotte died in a wreck but the doctors were able to bring her back. When she came back, she began having disturbing visions. These visions take her life in a direction she never could have imagined. I don't want to give too much away so I'll stop there.
I didn't realize this was a story based in a world established in the Villains book series--it made sense as a standalone story and piqued my interest in starting the series.

+10 Task
+5 Review

Task total: 15
Season total: 15

B 9
I
N
G
O

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Anika wrote: "Could "wicked" and "divine" be considered opposites?"

:-)

Yes"
Yay! Thank you :-)

Could "wicked" and "divine" be considered opposites?

15.10 Western Asia, Kuwait

The Hidden Light of Objects by Mai Al-Nakib

I bought this book when we first started the Countries of the World group challenge how many years ago? I've started it a couple of times and just couldn't get into it. Well, I was motivated to get it done and I *finally* finished it and I am so glad I finally did. I really liked these stories. There are ten stories and each is prefaced by two to three page pre-story that seems to connect sort of--nothing is straightforward, but you know there's a connection of some sort through everything. People appear in different relationships and combinations, objects gain meaning and slip in and out of the different stories. Even though I know I didn't fully grasp the underlying relationship between the stories, I loved the writing.

+15 Task
+10 Review
+20 Bonus Country

Task total: 45
Season total: 1345

15.3 Central Africa, Cameroon

Your Madness, Not Mine: Stories of Cameroon by Makuchi

I knew nothing about Cameroon before reading this collection of short stories. In these stories it is painted as a once lush, rich land that is raped by foreign lumber, that is ravaged by AIDS, that is rife with political corruption, that is ruled by superstition. It is also filled with stories of love and humor, sacrifice and community.
Some of the stories made me want to scream because they were going in one direction and in the last paragraph they completely went in a different, nonsensical direction. In several stories, so much was written in pidgin that it made it really hard to understand what was going on, but what I did understand I enjoyed.

+15 Task
+10 Review
+5 Oldies
+20 Bonus Country

Task total: 50
Season total: 1300

Oh. My. Goodness! Today is the first day I’ve had time to take a close look at the rules for Bingo and I am so excited!!! Also loving that Graphic Novels are a go and no Lexile requirement (I can finally read some Christie I’ve been shelving since they were low Lex!).

For the aged task, are we going by authors born in 1947 and prior or do i need to find the exact birthdate to make sure they’re officially 75 (I’m considering Larry Watson)?

10.2 Easter

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer

I wanted to reread this before watching the new Hulu series, but it ended up being a concurrent situation...
This is part true crime, part history, and entirely engaging.
Brenda Wright Lafferty and her 18-month-old daughter were violently murdered in their home. This happened 8 miles from where I was living at the time, but I didn't know about it at all (considering I was only 10, that makes sense...I had no idea about anything except for which Garbage Pail Kids stickers I was missing and how much I hated sharing a room with my sister).
I do, however, remember the big hullabaloo surrounding the release of this book. I remember the Church strongly discouraging its members from reading it--both from the pulpit and the nightly news.
The first time I read this I thought, "Why was the Church freaking out? This is all about the FLDS, a break off sect that has nothing to do with mainstream Mormonism!" This time around, it's easier to see why they were concerned.
Krakauer did an amazing job, combining the true crime story and giving us well-researched background into how and why it happened. I think the only thing I was still hankering for by the end was a view from the law enforcement's end on how they cracked the case (I read and listen to so much true crime that I've come to expect that viewpoint)--but that's what the Hulu series is attempting to do so my true crime itch is getting scratched there.

+10 Task
+10 Review
+5 Combo, 10.4

Task total: 25
Season total: 1250

10.7 Three Favorite Women

Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler

This entire books takes place in one strange day.
It starts with a fender bender on the way to a funeral and ends with an unexpected visit with a whole lot of weirdness in between.
At first I wasn't sure if I was actually enjoying this book...it was so bizarre yet at the same time nothing was actually happening.
As the book progresses, we realize that we're seeing the inside of a marriage that on its surface seems solid and boring but you come to realize that both Ira and Maggie have a completely different idea of that marriage.
It was a fascinating character study and while I still think it was a strange ride, I ended up enjoying it a great deal.

+10 Task, on the Margaret Atwood Lit Map
+10 Review
+5 Oldies
+15 Combo: 10.4; 20.2, Pulitzer for Fiction 1989; 20.9, "Serena brought a cake and after practice she passed out slices, along with paper cups of ginger ale, and everyone sang 'Happy Birthday.'"
+50 Halfway Bonus

Task total: 90
Season total: 1215

Rebekah wrote: "I added Cutting for Stone to my audio library but before I listen, can anyone tell me is it going to make me cry? Does it have a happy or at least not a devastating ending?"

I bawled like a baby, but not a sad cry…the kind of cry that’s like a cleansing rain after a dusty day.
I read that one rather than listened to it, though, and I find that can have a different effect on my emotions…

20.3 Our Town

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

This Hugo Award-winner was a little hard for me to get into at first--the first chapter was so confusing! It begins with Almost Brilliant (a bird) speaking to Cleric Chih of the Singing Hills Abbey (they/them/their pronouns, which made it difficult to read sometimes). They are camping at the side of a remote lake, resting from their long journey, when they see a troupe of ghosts carrying a palanquin and on the palanquin the long-dead empress in exile, In-yo, the Empress of Salt and Fortune.
It takes Chih two more days of walking to find the isolated house where the exiled empress spent most of her days. It looks abandoned, but there is one person there: Rabbit, who in her youth served the empress and is the last person alive to know all of the stories and secrets of that time and place.
While confusing at first, this novella grew on me and I loved the fairy tale feel of it. Cleric Chih is there to document and archive the stories and remnants of the empress's life and the way the story unfolds is epic. Quite enjoyed it.

+20 Task
+10 Review
+15 Combo: 10.2, 10.4, 10.9--told in two overlapping timelines

Task total: 45
Season total: 1130