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

Krista’s comments from the Reading with Style group.

In Msg 57 -- Rebekah wrote: "15.3 CiV
The Trail of the Lonesome Pine by John Fox, Jr. 258 pgs Pub. 1906
E-F,221-260/621-660 1905-1916

+25 pts - Task
95 pts - Grand Total

A beautiful ol..."

Hi Rebekah: I see that there isn't much information about this book in the Goodreads database. Did you link to the specific ISBN number for the copy you read? Did it have 258 pages?

Perhaps we can get Elizabeth to use her Librarian powers to at least add the page count information in Goodreads. (?)

In Msg 56 -- nsfancy wrote: "10.5 What's your type? INTJ
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (I-T in title)

+10 task ..."

The task number for 'What's your Type?' is 10.7. It doesn't affect the points, but if you're keeping track of the task numbers completed on a spreadsheet, it might make a difference towards the end of the challenge. (If you're shooting for a completion bonus.)

I suspect this is simply a typo, but wanted to point it out just in case it wasn't.

Cheers! -Krista

Lucky me. The page counts listed for my library books in the online library catalog all matched the physical books when I picked them up! Whew. The only remaining possible gotcha is that I'm 2nd on a waiting list for an audiobook. Let's hope neither of the borrowers in front of me keep the book past their due dates.

What a relief to have the planning portion done!!

Phoebe wrote: "Ah! Okay, thanks! I got it. :)

And, just to be sure...the publication date is the date of the first publication?"

Yes. Use the original publication date.
And --- Welcome to the group!!

Sanskriti wrote: "Task 20.10 - Sam’s Task - Play the numbers

Death in the City of Light by David King

Review...

This is a true account of Marcel Petiot, a serial killer in Nazi-Occupied Paris. The book kicks off..."

Hi Sanskriti: -- Welcome to the Reading with Style Winter Challenge! If you could add your book title and author using the 'add book/author' link found at the top of the Comment box when you're posting your message that would be helpful. That way your book title and author are added as links. It's easier to access the book and/or author that way if we as scorekeepers need more information about it, and it's easier for other challenge participants to delve into the book information if it looks interesting to them.

Here's an example of the book posted using the links feature:
Death in the City of Light: The Serial Killer of Nazi-Occupied Paris by David King

Thanks so much!! Let us know if you have any questions about how to use the 'add book/author' feature.

In Msg 31 -- Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "10.5 Underrated
"The Storyteller of Marrakesh" by Joydeep Bhattacharya 107 ratings

Review: I read this book for my book club and I don't know who picks these books but they are less than to be des...

Task +10
Style Points Review +10
Book Total: 30
Grand Total 30
..."

Hi Jayme: Unless you're including undefined combo points, I believe your points for this book = 20.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total = 20

Maybe you can correct this in the post now before Liz gets to the scorekeeping process. If not, she'll catch it then. Thanks! -Krista

I think I FINALLY got my CiV books figured out. I'm just hopimg that the copy of Robert Nye's Falstaff: A Novel actually has the page count that the library database says it does.

1892-1904: The Jungle Book (Kipling) I-J-K 277 pgs (Audiobook)
1905-1916: The Thirty-Nine Steps (Buchan) A-B 120 pgs (Library)
1917-1928: Whose Body? (Sayers) S-T-U 212 pgs (Audiobook)
1929-1940: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (McCullers) L-M 359 pgs (Own It)
1941-1952: A Curtain of Green and Other Stories (Welty) V-W-X-Y-Z 324 pgs (Library)
1953-1964: After the Funeral (Christie) C-D 256 pgs (Audiobook)
1965-1976: Falstaff: A Novel (Nye) N-O 450 pages (Library)
1977-1988: A Great Deliverance (George) G-H 413 pgs (Own It)
1989-2000: Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader (Fadiman) E-F 162 pgs (Own It)
2001-2012: Either a book by Jodi Picoult or Nathaniel Philbrick they both have books that fit in the 461-500 page range. (This last category I needed author last name in the P-Q-R range and 461-500 pages) It's nice to have some choices on this one. We'll see what I feel like reading when I get there.

RwS Tasks:
Work them in as I can. There are a lot of books to choose from this time around!! But I'd really like to complete CiV this challenge.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Done, Krista! I've heard her mysteries are good!"

Thanks! -- Yes they are. I've read 5 or 6 of them, but I don't think I've read this one which is the 1st in the series.

I don't want to read more of the later books in the series until I read this one.

Glad I could work it in for a CiV task!!

Found some more for this task:

Gabrielle Zevin
Anna Quindlen

Hi Elizabeth: Could you correct the number of pages shown for ISBN: 0553278029

A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George

GR shows the page count as 432. I have a copy of this in front of me and there are only 413 numbered pages.

Thanks! -K

I just came across another one for EF -- for you fellow ENFJ's out there...
Earlene Fowler

Markus Zusak --- The Book Thief also qualifies for combo points with Liz's task 20.8
Elizabeth George (Inspector Lynley series) -- Oops, now I see that Paula posted this author too!
Bruce Alexander
Katarina Mazetti (And she's Swedish)
Tony Horwitz (Geraldine Brook's husband -- Just a trivial fact rhrown in for fun.)
Alexandra Fuller
Jacqueline Kelly
Jacqueline Winspear (Maise Dobbs series)
Elizabeth McCracken

Oh goodie! I was trying to find a spot to read the new Spencer Quinn 'Chet and Bernie' mystery... The Dog Who Knew Too Much

Here are my last two books for this challenge...

BtS Task 15.7 - Foreign Language: Harbor by John Ajvide Lindqvist Translated from Swedish

Quick Review - (Yes, I know that there aren't any Revuew points for this sub-challenge.) :-) Just wanted to warn you that I though this book was a snoozefest. Not at all as interesting or compelling as Handling the Undead.
+15 Task
+ 5 Jumbo (512 meandering pages)
Task Total = 20

Task 20.3 She/He Reads:
A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie (Publ 1953)
+20 Task
+ 5 Combo (10.2 5 stars from Bridgette)
+ 5 Oldies
Task Total = 30

Final Grand Total = 530

And another great challenge comes to an end. Now it's on to trying to figure out my CiV books. Thanks for all the great reviews everyone. I've sure enjoyed reading all your opinions!

Okay -- now that I'm finally getting down to planning my CiV books, I just want to double check how to determine the page numbers for unabridged audiobooks.

By "the most popular (print) version" do you mean the version with the most ratings?

I love my audiobooks. I'd hate to get too far down the planning path only to find out I was using the wrong page count for them. Thanks! -K

Task 10.2 - Highly Rated (5 Stars from Donna Jo): The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck Publ 1942

Review:
I came across this title in my little local Thrift Shop. It was title by Steinbeck that I've never heard of. The introduction to the book which gives the background and commentary/criticism is almost longer than the little novella. This book was written by Steinbeck as propaganda during WWII. It was rejected several times because it just didn't paint the occupation forces with a black enough brush. He showed that there were human beings involved on both sides, and thus he highlighted the futility of war.
The story is about a fictional Northern European country that is overrun by an opposing army one day. The opposing army thinks that by winning the invasion, they’ve won the war. But they soon learn to their detriment, that the invasion is only the beginning of the conflict.
It’s written in a style that is easily adaptable to the stage. It almost reads like a stage play and was put on as an underground play in Denmark during WWII. I gave it 5 stars because I thought that the story is universal and still holds true today.

+10 Task
+10 Review
+ 5 Oldies
Task Total = 25

Task 10.5 Bedtime Stories (Beth Harbison's list): Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie

Review:
I gave this book 4 stars. But now maybe thinking about it again, that's probably one too many stars for this romance book. It was pretty funny in spots, especially about the exorcism plotline. The book centers around a creepy house that was moved to the outback of Ohio stone by stone from England.

Apparently the resident ghosts made the journey with the house and are continuing to bedevil the orphan children and their atrocious housekeeper to this day. The story is about how the ex-wife of the children's uncle is sent down to castle to help get the kids ready to move. Of course the romance between Andi (the ex-wife) and North (the kid's uncle) is rekindled in the midst of all the ghost stories.

Eventually all's well that ends well, but the ride was certainly a bumpy one.

+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total = 20

Task 20.4 - We Read: Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith

Review:
This book is told as a series of letters that Ivy Rowe writes to various people throughout her lifetime. It’s set in the very rural mountains of Virginia. It spans from early 1900’s through to the late 1970’s. I so enjoyed Ivy’s voice and her honest depiction of the things that went on around her, including her own decisions with their accompanying consequences. Ivy is a country girl that doesn’t flinch at the truth. That often gets her in trouble, but she plows ahead in her own inimitable style.

This book reminded me how much has changed technologically from the early 1900’s to today. I gave it 5 stars because the story was so charming, and I’m a sucker for a strong pluck heroine. (Although Ivy would NEVER have described herself as a heroine.)

+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 Combo (10.2, Donna Jo; 10.5, Sarah Dessen)
Task Total = 40

Task 20.10 Sam's Monsterfest III: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury Publ 1962

Review:
What a fantastic book! I was stunned by all the extraordinary descriptions and creative phrasing used throughout the book. The story is so imaginative. One of my favorite descriptions that still sticks with me was, "She was as cold as an albino frog." She wasn’t just cold as a frog, but cold as an albino frog – which must be so much colder than a regular frog. There are so many examples of these stunning turns of phrase. I was pulled along by the narrative and captivated by the descriptions.

Why did I wait so long to read this book? Thanks again to the Reading w/Style challenge to pull me out of my comfort zone. I’m not a big sci-fi or horror fan, but Sam’s recent challenges have stretched my reading genres and allowed me to find this gem. While the storyline was rather creepy and often fantastical, the language and phrasing were astounding. It was an incredible coming-of-age story.

+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 Combo (10.2, Rebekah; 20.5)
+ 5 Oldies (Publ 1962)
Task Total = 45

Grand Total = 480

Deedee wrote: "I'm reading I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley right now (too soon for me to use it for the winter challenge). For the benefit of y'all, I can report that o..."

Thanks for the info DeeDee. I was hoping to find a spot for this book in the upcoming challenge. I'm almost to the top of the library queue.

I thought that I'd better get these posted before time totally ran out. I always pleaded with folks not to wait until the last minute to post the books read during the challenge when I was keeping score.

Liz --- please accept my apologies! I'm guilty of doing just that this quarter. I have 4 or 5 more books to post, but I think I'm done for today.

Task 10.6 Fall Freebies (2nd Freebie read): The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

Review:
This book review was originally written for and published on the LuxuryReading.com book review website.
--------------------------

The college years are usually full of angst, longing, uncertainty and growth. The main characters in Chad Harbach’s debut novel, “The Art of Fielding” experience all sorts of conflicting emotions and life experiences as they each struggle to define who they are within the small rural Wisconsin campus of Westish College; and who they will become when they leave college. This book has been billed as a baseball story. There are plenty of pages devoted to the discussion of baseball philosophy (the Zen of Baseball if you will) and lots of descriptions of baseball games. For those of you who aren’t baseball fans or who normally shy away from sports centered books I’d suggest that step up and (ahem) take a swing at this book anyway. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

To me this story was reminiscent of John Irving’s, “A Prayer for Owen Meany” or David James Duncan’s “The Brothers K”. Like “The Art of Fielding”, both of these books had strong baseball themes; and like “The Art of Fielding”, they were both about so much more than baseball. At more than 500 pages, Harbach has given himself a broad enough canvas to also be able to throw in some Herman Melville history and other 19th century poets and philosophers. Guert Affenlight, the current Westish College President became a Melville scholar and changed his intended career because of a discovery about Melville that he made as a Westish undergrad. The Westish teams are called the “Harpooners” and Melville is a symbolic mascot for the campus.

The story centers around five main characters. Henry Skrimshander is the phenom short-stop recruited by Mike Schwartz who is himself still just a sophomore at Westish when the story opens. Schwartz is a motivator and mentor to his teammates, but he has higher aspirations for his life than just coaching. Owen Dunne is Henry’s erudite gay roommate who also happens to be an exceptional batter on the Westish baseball team. Pella, Guert’s daughter, arrives back in Wisconsin the day that Henry makes his first ever throwing error. Owen is seriously injured and hospitalized by the throw. Guert is so preoccupied by his unexpected obsession with Owen that he barely has time to acknowledge that his daughter has fled back to him, leaving her depressing marriage behind in San Francisco.

How all the characters react to the consequences of that one errant throw propel the story arc for the remaining bulk of the book. If the story seems overly tinged with soap opera angst the fault lies with my abridged retelling of the bare plotlines. The book feels lively and character driven as Harbach takes his time to tease out the nuances of the story. Overall, I thought Harbach only copped out with the resolution of the relationship between Guert and Owen. Otherwise this memorable story about friendship and coming of age reminded me how tough it was to work through all the issues the college years presented.

+10 Task
+10 Review
+ 5 Jumbo (512 pages)

Task Total = 25
Grand Total = 350

Task 20.10 ASam's Mosnterfest III (#5 on the Gothic Novels and Ghost Stories Goodreads' list): The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Tales of Terror by Robert Louis Stevenson

Review:
It's hard to be thrilled by a thriller when you already know the premise, and the eventual outcome. But in spite of that, this book was worth the time invested to read it. It wasn't bit investment since the book is so short. But now I know what REALLY happened (as much as the author let's us know what happened) to Dr Jekyll.

The real question probably is how much of our "Mr Hyde" will any of us allow to have free rein at any time one time? It really is an interesting question. If you let your evil side rule just a little, just once in awhile -- will it eventually take over all aspects of your life?

+20 Task
+10 Review
+ 5 Combo (10.2, Drew)
+10 Oldies (Publ 1886)
Task Total = 45
Grand Total = 325