Cory Day’s Comments (group member since Aug 18, 2012)

Cory Day’s comments from the Reading with Style group.

I've finished two books (don't remember how many styles, but at least 20/book), and I think now I'm going to go with a few quick easy reads that won't have TONS of style points, but will hopefully be much faster to read...

Valerie wrote: "Ok! Finally I've finished my jumbo and we are on the board!

It is post 151 = 45 styles."

Yay!

I finished Measure for Measure, and I'll post as soon as I can. I'm also reading two books with okay combos, so hopefully by this weekend we'll have some more!!!

Bryony wrote: "I have another new person question... I don’t know if this is the best place to ask, but I was just wondering how you all record what books you plan to read each season? In some other reading chall..."

I have a spreadsheet, but I tend to want to add so many options for some tasks that I always end up 1) adding a bunch of books to my "to read next" shelf then 2) jotting down which tasks they work for in the personal notes you can add to books. Then I just add my top choices for each task and books I actually read to the spreadsheet.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Cory Day wrote: "this task has been challenging me for some reason. "

I hope it does fit. I'm sort of lazy and will probably read the Dumas that inspired this, but I also have [book:The Stranger's..."

Me too! I've got a couple I could read from the original lists, but at least one is non-fiction and I know my limits there. I've already got a couple non-fiction books in my plan, so adding more might be pushing it.

20.7 The Red Queen

Felix and the Prince by Lucy Lennox

Review: It didn’t take long for me to pick up the second volume in Lucy Lennox’s Forever Wilde series, and this one delighted me even more than Forever West. Like the first book, this one has a little bit of an instalove thing going on – Felix and Lio don’t know each other for more than a few weeks before they’re telling each other “I love you” and committing to each other – but the story was well done enough that I really believed it. I really just want to hang out with the whole Wilde clan, and I want more of her books about them. Next I might try out one of her other series, but I’m a little worried I won’t enjoy them as much!

+20 Task
+10 Review*

*I read this before the team style challenge started

Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 175

10.10 Group Reads

In the Distance by Hernan Diaz

Review: In the Distance is not really my kind of book. It’s not happy, it’s not fun (although at times it is amusing), and it’s viscerally brutal. The writing verges on pretentious, and it’s so bleak that even when things started looking up, I knew I’d just be punched in the face again. However, I was sucked in from the very beginning and for the most part I didn’t really want to put it down. I’m a happy ending person – in spite of my own life’s not going the direction I’d hoped, I still don’t believe most people have so little hope and happiness in their lives, no matter what horrible events are happening. Still, Diaz managed to pull me in, so I might even recommend this book to the right person in the future.

+10 Task
+5 Combo (10.5)*
+10 Review*

*I read this before the team style challenge started

Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 145

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Cory Day wrote: "How about Music of the Mill: A Novel? It seems to me from the description that the mill is central to the book and it spans 60 years..."

If the mill is somewhat cen..."

Okay, that's basically how I was looking at it. I'll see how it goes and hope it fits - this task has been challenging me for some reason.

How about Music of the Mill: A Novel? It seems to me from the description that the mill is central to the book and it spans 60 years...

10.7 Neutral Name

Eve of Passion by A.C. Arthur

Review: It’s only days since I read Eve of Passion, but I’m having a hard time remembering much of anything about it. That’s not great – I read a lot of romance, but it shouldn’t feel completely neutral only days after reading. The basic premise was that a woman is asked to go out with a guy and ask him to support her dad’s political campaign. In the midst of an event she’s the planner for, they meet without knowing anything about each other. After tentatively beginning a relationship, they end up getting married within weeks. It was deeply unsatisfying for a book written so recently, but I’m hoping I can try the author again with better results.

+10 Task
+5 Combo (10.6)*
+10 Review*

*I read this before the team style challenge started

Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 120

May as well grab this one - I doubt 9 people will read before I do, but Blaze has 991 ratings right now, so I'd like to lock it in.

Is it okay if the name isn't one traditionally thought of as a woman's name? I'm trying to read from my shelves and this one is the first I found: Blaze. The main character's name is Blaze Braddock.

Valerie wrote: "Cory Day wrote: "Valerie wrote: "Cory Day wrote: "I don't have a lot of combos either, but since I've slated in at least one Shakespeare play, I'll definitely get started on that to get oldies, not..."

Sometimes it's worth it to tackle the jumbos - just not for the jumbo style points alone ;)

I started my Shakespeare book, but I'm not sure my brain is in it today, so I'm looking through the rest of my plans to see if I can find something a little less complex...

Valerie wrote: "Cory Day wrote: "I don't have a lot of combos either, but since I've slated in at least one Shakespeare play, I'll definitely get started on that to get oldies, not a novel, and review points! Usua..."

I feel like jumbo books are just not worth it just for the style points. Two 300 page books are worth a lot more points than the extra 5 points I'd get for a 600 page book. I do get annoyed when a book is something like 489 pages though, and I miss out on those points!

I don't have a lot of combos either, but since I've slated in at least one Shakespeare play, I'll definitely get started on that to get oldies, not a novel, and review points! Usually I'm a quantity reader, but this year I'm so busy that it's gone down a little, so I'm going to prioritize what I can to pick up those points :)

10.1 Square Peg

Facing West by Lucy Lennox

Review: This is the first book I’ve ready by Lucy Lennox, and so far I’m a fan. Nico has been away from his hometown for a decade when he has to come back for his sister’s funeral. As he settles her affairs and figures out what to do with his baby niece, he falls into a relationship of sorts with the town doctor, West. West has an awesome family, some of whom will feature in future books. Given how serious some of the subject matter is, the book stays light – perhaps verging on shallow – but I was so cozily ensconced in the world that I didn’t care.

+10 Task
+10 Review

Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 95

Karen Michele wrote: "This will be fun! I've committed to writing reviews during this challenge. I don't write them too much anymore because it seems too much like my job, but I will for this."

That'll be my main source of points - works on every book with a high enough Lexile!

20.4 Night Watch

Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan

Review: I heard Reza Aslan interviewed on one of the many podcasts I listen to, and was intrigued with the premise of a biography of Jesus. I’ve always found thinking of Jesus as a person and not just a religious figure to be interesting – maybe it’s the influence of Jesus Christ, Superstar – but the book didn’t quite live up to its promise. Unfortunately, Aslan doesn’t have much to work with. There are basically no primary sources to do with his subject, so he relies on the Bible and supplements with historical information about everything BUT Jesus. I guess that’s not his fault, and I learned a lot about the TIMES of Jesus… just not that much about his life.

+20 Task
+10 Not-a-Novel
+10 Review

Task Total: 40
Grand Total: 75

20.7 The Red Queen

Ever After: A Gay Fairy Tale by Riley Hart

Review: Riley Hart and Christina Lee wrote a series of romances I really enjoyed, so when I saw they were heading into fairy tale territory with this new series, I was pretty excited. Ever After is cute, but it almost reads as a young adult novel, which wasn’t as satisfying as I expected. I did enjoy the way they played around with the worldbuilding, clearly not taking anything too seriously. There are cars… but no telephones. Homosexuality is not accepted, but it’s not a crime. It’s an interesting set of criteria. I kind of landed on picturing it as a slightly off-kilter royal Downton Abbey.

+20 Task (Prince Merrick is one of two main characters)
+5 Combo (10.5)
+10 Review

Task Total: 35
Grand Total: 35

Good call! I just started this one, which probably won't break 1,000 before I post, but since it was just published may as well lock it in: Ever After.

Thanks!

Deedee wrote: "Karen Michele wrote: "I am happy with either Italy or Mexico, so I'm not going to lobby for either one of those. I do prefer the NYT Notable books list, simply because I love to read newer books an..."

I chose Mexico simply because I've got a 50% goal for non-white authors to read, and most Mexican authors count for that. I actually think the NYT Notable list is pretty diverse, so I'd be good with that if Book Riot were to fall. We're almost to the end though - I haven't noticed much movement.