Krista’s Comments (group member since Jul 24, 2010)

Krista’s comments from the Reading with Style group.

Kate S wrote: "Krista wrote: "Do we need to provide the season and post # when claiming task or combo points?

How would you like us to provide the qualifier(s) to claim the points? :-)"


There are no special ..."

Okay thanks! I'll jot that info down and include it since I'm going to have to find it anyway.

If other folks go do that also, that would be great.

The scorekeeping task is time-consuming enough already without having to dig for this information too. (IMHO)

Do we need to provide the season and post # when claiming task or combo points?

How would you like us to provide the qualifier(s) to claim the points? :-)

Hmmm -- okay that raises an interesting point. I'm assuming that an MD qualifies then too?

Thanks for clarifying.

So does the book have to be on the list linked, or just be written by an author on the linked list?

I'm thinking of Bill Bryson specifically.

In a Sunburned Country is on the list. I just downloaded his book At Home: A Short History of Private Life and would like to see if this would qualify for the task.

Thanks!

Cory Day wrote: "Krista wrote: "Hi Cory:

I was just using the link that Theresa posted above to get the hang of this task.

http://bookriot.com/2014/04/28/book-r......"

Thanks! -- In doing more research on the book I found that it's not a novel, it's a short story collection. Wa-hoo! This qualifies it for Style points.

Hi Cory:

I was just using the link that Theresa posted above to get the hang of this task.

http://bookriot.com/2014/04/28/book-r...

I found a book I've had on hold for awhile on that list, but they've misspelled the title.

They have it listed as 'Deployment' by Phil Klay

I think it should be Redeployment by Phil Klay

This book won the 2104 National Book Award for Fiction.

Can I get Redeployment approved for this task?

Hi Liz:

Could you review this series for inclusion for this task? All three books have different main characters. I got book #2 free in eBook format on Amazon today. (Thank-you for the notice, BookBub -- I love this site with their daily book deals!)

Bringer and the Bane

Liz M wrote: "Krista wrote: "Just because a book is on one if the linked lists doesn't mean that it automatically qualifies for this task..."

Correct."

Thanks!

Liz M wrote: "Novels set in Paris

Books Set in Paris"

Hi Liz (or other Moderators):

Just because a book is on one if the linked lists doesn't mean that it automatically qualifies for this task, does it?

I'm thinking specifically of And the Mountains Echoed. It lists 4 locations in the setting. So I'm thinking that probably not 50% of the book took place in Paris.

I've read The Memory Keeper's Daughter which is also on one of the lists, and I don't remember that very much was set in Paris. (But my memory could be faulty on that point.)

Susan wrote: "I have a question about 20.7 penguin but I don't see where to post the question: does the book actually read have to be the penguin version to count?"

Hi Susan:

I think that each section only shows the top 5 most active topics under the heading.

If you look on the right side of the header row 'RwS Spring 2015' (the section where the task questions are posted), you'll see a link titled something like 'Showing 5 of 9 topics'. Click on that link, and all the topics will be shown.

There is a topic for the Penguin task.

Don (The Book Guy) wrote: "Finished for this set of tasks. Lowest number since I started, but had a lot going on this winter and for the first time in a long time abandoned two books. with a potential house sale and final ..."

Good luck with the house sale, and move Don. I'm contemplating selling my house and buying something closer in to where I work. But each time I do, I just get overwhelmed by all the tasks involved!

20.5 Mystery Women
A Grave Denied by Dana Stabenow

Main Protagonist = Kate Shugak

Review:
I am so enjoying this series. Kate Shugak is a three dimensional character who fights her own inner demons, and helps fight the external demons too. This is the 13th book in Dana Stabenow’s evolving series that is set in Alaska. I like this series because the characters do change and grow as they face the ups-and-downs that all of us face in life. Kate Shugak isn’t spared any of those life experiences. In fact compared to her, my life has been pretty tame.

In this outing, Kate is trying to help find the killer of the Park’s handyman, Len Dreyer. He was found in a glacial cave in a glacier that had been moving forward, and then started to retreat. I’m not going to go into much of the plot because it might give away spoilers from earlier books in the series. Suffice it to say that this was another great Kate Shugak adventure with plenty of twists, turns, unexpected surprises, and an ultimately satisfying outcome. These characters in the Park have become my friends.

+20 Task
+10 Review
Task Total = 30

Grand Total = 1420

And that does it for my RwS Winter Challenge. What a great way to rejoin the challenge. It was my first Mega Finish. Wa-hoo!! (Okay, I know that may be annoying -- but I'm proud of that accomplishment.) :-)

I'm sending out my "Thanks" to all you Moderators. You work so hard to make these challenges a success. Your time and effort is appreciated!

20.4 1001
Summer by Edith Wharton
Publ 1917

It's baffling to me -- but due to BPL classification (or lack thereof) this book does not qualify for Style points. This was pointed in in an earlier post when someone claimed points for this book. This is not a YA book, but following the letter of law for the rules, no Style Points can be claimed. It was going to earn an TON of points. Hrmmph! :-P

+20 Task
Task Total = 20
Grand Total = 1390

Cory Day wrote: "10.2 Russian

Tsarina by J. Nelle Patrick

+10 Task (set entirely in Russia)
YA, no Lexile – no style points

Task Total: 10
RwS Completion Bonus: 100
Mega Bonus: 2..."

Congratulations on your Mega Finish!

Kath wrote: "20.9 Respect elders

Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh

+20 task
+5 combo (20.1 p.1939)
+10 oldies

task total 35

Grand total 840

+100 RwS finish
+200 Mega finish

Fi..."

Hi Kath: Congrats on your RwS, AND Mega Finish! Good going!

20.5 Mystery Women
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
(Lexile Score 1020)

Review:
I listened to this in audiobook format. The story was narrated by the author's daughter, Lizza Aiken who also provided an introduction as to how her mother came to write the book which I found very interesting. This is a typical fairy-tale quest story. The two main characters, Bonnie and her cousin Sylvia are sent to what is workhouse masquerading as a school by their new governess, Miss Slighcarp who plays the role of Evil Stepmother.

The rest of the story is how the girls overcome great odds to restore themselves to their former life and send the evildoers to their just rewards. I enjoyed settling back and listening to the fairy tale. I rooted for the girls and their allies and hissed at Miss Slighcarp and her henchmen.

Rating: 3 stars

+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 Combo (10.4 England, 20.9 1924-2004)
+ 5 Oldies (Publ 1962)
Task Total = 45
Grand Total = 1370

20.5 Mystery Women
Refining Felicity by Marion Chesney

Review:
This book was such a nice change of pace. It was a lighthearted Regency romance that had a many comic scenes provided by the Tribble sisters., Amy and Effy. This is the first book in Marion Chesney's six book series; “The School for Manner’s”. I’ve read all of Chesney’s “Agatha Raisin” series, and enjoyed her humorous turn with Agatha’s character. (Chesney wrote the Raisin series under the pseudonym of M.C. Beaton.) In this opening book in the series, the genteel but poverty stricken Tribble sisters open a boot camp of sorts for young women who lack the traditional feminine training to successfully complete their first London Season.

Their first reluctant pupil is Lady Felicity, and boy does she give them a run for their money. This book had me laughing out loud quite a few times due to Amy Tribble’s antics for the most part. It’s a fun little book that that is an entertaining way to while away a few hours when you just want a break from it all.

Rating: 4 stars

+20 Task
+10 Review
+ 5 Combo (10.4, set in England)
+ 5 Oldies (Pulb 1988)
Task Total = 40
Grand Total = 1325

10.3 1980's
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

Review:
Having read, and really enjoyed Marilynne Robinson’s second book, Gilead– I was surprised by how nonplussed I was by this, her much lauded debut book. Some of the passages in the book were very poetic, but the story just didn’t seem to have a lot of heart to me. Water (in many forms) played a big role in the book, and at times I felt that I was slogging through water when trying to connect with the main characters, Sylvie and her niece Ruthie.

For me the beautiful scenes and exquisitely descriptive writing wasn’t enough to make me care about the quirky characters or their story. I would recommend this to friends, but I would suggest that they approach it in a contemplative state.

Rating: 3 stars

+10 Task
+10 Review
+ 5 Oldies (Publ 1980)
Task Total = 25

This marks the completion all 20 RwS tasks for me. For the first time ever, I get to claim the Mega Finish Bonus since I completed the A to Z tasks a week or so ago! Wa-hoo

Mega Finish = 200
Grand Total = 1285

PS: Kate -- you and I are off by 10 points somehow in our point total. I'm basing my current 1,285 points on from the last total of 1,060 points from my tally....

I'm hoping this Sharon Kay Penman series might work.

Welsh Princes

How about - The Wolves Chronicles? I read the first book in the Winter challenge. I think this fits since book 2 is about a minor character in the first volume of the series.

While I'm at it, I think that this series will work too: Dragon Kin