Katy’s
Comments
(group member since Aug 04, 2010)
Katy’s
comments
from the Reading with Style group.
Showing 1,021-1,040 of 1,214
20.5 Mystery WomenThe Blood Spilt by Åsa Larsson
This is book 2 of the Rebecka Martinsson series, which I came upon by accident – I picked up number 4 in the series at the library, thinking it looked good, then realized it was number 4 and hunted down the others. Book 1, Sun Storm, was good but I wasn’t sold. This book sold me on the series. Rebecka Martinsson, the protagonist, is a lawyer in Stockholm who ends up caught up in crimes in her hometown, Kiruna, in the north of Sweden. The series tackles a few things that I often wonder about but choose to ignore for the sake of plot – first, the author gives us some compelling reasons why she is there and involved in the crime in the first place, and second, in this book, she makes it clear that the impact of being involved in violent crime is more serious than many books end up implying. So many mysteries have regular laypeople solve a gruesome crime and then bounce right back. Larsson doesn’t shy away from the fact that this experience was horrifying and traumatic for the protagonist, with lasting effects, and I found that fascinating.
+20 task (Larsson on list; protagonist female)
+10 review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 95
20.5 Mystery WomenSun Storm by Åsa Larsson
+20 task (Larsson on list, protagonist, Rebecka Martinsson, is female)
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 65
10.9 EconomicalPeople Who Eat Darkness: The Fate of Lucie Blackman by Richard Lloyd Parry
I had this book on the Kindle for a long time, unread, and was pleased to see it on the Economist list, giving me the nudge to read it. I'm a big mystery and crime fan, though usually I read about fictional crimes. This book told the story of a young British woman working in Japan who disappeared after going out with a man, and it read like fiction in a lot of ways - first, because the events were pretty wild, in the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction vein. Second, because the author does a good job keeping the pace and intrigue up. There were places where I felt like the organization and structure of the book were a bit repetitive, but overall I enjoyed it.
+10 task
+10 combo (10.4 - takes place in Japan; 20.8 author is British but lives in Japan)
+10 review
Task total: 30
Grand Total: 45
Some new ones!From The Goldfinch --> We Need New Names (scrolling through)
Also from The Goldfinch (but from clicking to the header) --> Orphan Train and You Are One of Them
Here are some I'm considering: Using The Goldfinch's Header -- Americanah, Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital, Night Film and using the arrows, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and Orfeo
20.2 BirthplacesThe Secret Place by Tana French
I’ve read all the rest of the Dublin Murder Squad series, and liked them, but this was a different thing altogether. Tana French steps outside the usual structure for her, telling the story in chapters that alternate perspectives. This might have been hard to tell at first, though the voices are quite different, but I had read reviews of the book that gave me a heads up. The story was interesting, and the characters were well-drawn, but what made this book so engaging to me was how brilliantly French captures the way being a teenage girl feels. Some of the details she captures are absolutely perfect – “Julia is trying out swearing. It still only sort of works” and “If it were an hour later, when they would be in the cafeteria, sprawled forward over the table, catching last crumbs of dry cake with licked fingertips” – and make this book worth reading even if you aren’t a Tana French or mystery fan.
+20 task (born in Ireland)
+10 review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 715
And that's it for the season...thanks to Elizabeth, Liz, and Kate!
10.7 Honored AuthorsWinesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
I wasn’t wild about this book, honestly. It is a classic book of interconnected stories (really more character studies than stories) set in the small town of Winesburg. I really liked some moments, and some stories – “Hands” and “Adventure” stood out – and I was of course impressed with Sherwood Anderson’s skill at crafting these characters. That seems like the main reason to read this and it’s quite an education in that skill. However, I felt the lack of plot pretty keenly. And something about the book made me feel blah. I didn’t hate reading it, didn’t put it aside, but I also wasn’t compelled to pick it up to read more. From reading other reviews of the book, I wonder if I will feel differently when and if I reread it later.
+10 task (Sherwood Anderson Foundation Fiction Award)
+ 5 combo (10.4)
+10 oldies (1919)
+10 not a novel (stories)
+10 review
Task Total: 45
Grand Total: 685
20.3 Thieves & MysteriesThe Yard by Alex Grecian
This, for me, is one of the books that makes this challenge so rewarding – I would never have known about this book if it weren’t for this task, and I’m so glad that I found this author. Alex Grecian does what all great historical fiction writers do – makes you care about the characters and relate to them, without losing the unique aspects of the time period and setting. As a mystery fan, I appreciated the mystery – it was skillfully told and exciting, with a good pace. And as a historical fiction fan, I enjoyed Grecian’s work as well. I will definitely be checking out the rest of this series.
+20 task (#29 on Victorian Mysteries list)
+10 review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 640
10.6 Short StuffInterpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
This was my first Jhumpa Lahiri and was a great way to dive into her work. I liked her characterization a lot in all the stories and I enjoyed the way the stories’ plots were realistic but with a little twist – there was always something that was a little unique or a little surprising, but not so wild that it was unbelievable. I really liked the title story and “A Real Durwan” – both featured characters that were slightly unlikeable but very interesting. I loved “A Temporary Matter” – I thought it was brilliantly drawn and then the twist at the end truly surprised me.
+10 task (she won the O'Connor award in 2008)
+10 combo (10.4 - interpreter; 10.5 - #62 on list)
+10 review
+10 not-a-novel (short stories)
Task Total: 40
Grand Total: 610
I seem to have a lot of Japanese books I want to read this winter, so the island country task would be perfect...and the UK inclusion that Deedee saw also swayed me!
20.4 RealismA Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
It was an interesting experience reading this play as an adult. I read it repeatedly in high school and college drama classes, performed scenes from it, etc. At the time, I knew the play quite well. When I started, the characters felt familiar, but as I went on, I couldn't quite recall the way the story wrapped up, and found myself just as eager to follow the story as I was the first time I read it. I also found myself viewing Nora differently than I did as a teenager. I have a good bit more sympathy for Nora's dilemma than I did - I can better understand the fear and anxiety that can come from having a secret and from feeling stuck in a situation. Though she still reads as somewhat silly and abrupt to me, I'm more sympathetic (and of course, more aware of the historical context that makes Nora feel trapped, and then feel like bursting free).
+20 task (on list)
+15 combo (10.3, 10.7 - here, 20.1)
+10 review
+10 not-a-novel (play)
+10 oldies (1879)
Task Total: 65
Grand Total: 565
20.8 Middle EastThe Ministry of Guidance Invites You to Not Stay: An American Family in Iran by Hooman Majd
I have mixed feelings about this book. Initially, I thought it might be a sort of humorous look at life in modern-day Iran, as incongruous as that may sound. The title made the book seem like it would take an ironic tone, and I was looking forward to that. Alternately, I thought it could take a more political approach, which would also have been interesting. Neither of these were quite what I got – but I did, in the end, appreciate the earnestness with which the author approached his year in his home country with his American family, and I felt like I learned quite a lot about 2011 Iran and the challenges of living an ordinary, day to day life in a location so caught up in political turmoil.
+20 task (set in Iran)
+10 not a novel (nonfiction)
+10 review
Task Total: 40
Grand Total: 500
10.7 Honored AuthorsHickory Dickory Death by Agatha Christie
I was reading a book aimed at writers (or would-be writers) of crime fiction, and some discussion came up about Agatha Christie – was she too “puzzle-y”? Were her mysteries outdated compared to modern work? Facing a long flight, and the fear of my Kindle somehow breaking over the Pacific Ocean, I grabbed a few paperbacks for the trip, and this made the list, largely due to last minute panicked searching of my shelves rather than a really thoughtful consideration. Glad I did, though. And Then There Were None is one of my all-time favorite mysteries, and this reminds of that in some ways. The pace is brisk, there’s some very British-feeling humor, and it was a lively read that kept me engaged throughout my trip. The ending was great -- not a total surprise by the time I got there, but it was an honorable twist (I could have seen it all coming if I had read the clues properly!).
+10 task (Agatha Award)
+5 oldies (originally published in 1955)
+10 review
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 460
10.8 Comfort ReadA Conspiracy of Faith by Jussi Adler-Olsen
Jussi Adler-Olsen develops a fascinating character in this installment of the Department Q series – a kidnapper who chooses a very particular kind of victim. Initially, you’re led to be quite impressed by the kidnapper’s attention to detail and planning (despite, of course, disapproving of the ends to which this planning is put!) but then you start to realize that his choices are not only motivated by the desire to get away with the crime but also by longstanding family issues. There’s a lot to the story, and although you know who the criminal is early on, you don’t know how Carl and his team will possibly resolve the situation.
+10 task (previously rated The Keeper of Lost Causes 5 stars)
+5 combo (10.4 - conspiracy)
+5 jumbo (504 pages in MPE in English)
+10 review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 435
10.8 Comfort ReadThe Purity of Vengeance by Jussi Adler-Olsen
As I’ve binged on Jussi Adler-Olsen novels recently (great audiobooks, several long drives to Connecticut!) I’ve begun to think about some of the patterns in his writing that make me like this series. First, the dry sense of humor. One line that struck me from this book: “A couple of investigators now shifted uneasily on their chairs. Maybe it was a sign that something was beginning to dawn. On the other hand, it could just be hemorrhoids. Bloody public servants, you could never tell.” Second, I’m continually impressed at how Adler-Olsen is able to develop his story across multiple times and perspectives without losing any of the pacing or structure. His plotting in general is extraordinary. Without spoiling anything, in this book in particular there was a twist at the end that left me audibly gasping.
+10 task (previously rated The Keeper of Lost Causes 5 stars)
+5 combo (10.4 - vengeance)
+5 jumbo (500 pages in MPE in English)
+10 review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 405
10.8 Comfort ReadThe Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen
The Absent One is the second in Jussi Adler-Olsen’s Department Q series. I enjoyed the first one quite a bit, but was even more intrigued to see how he developed the central characters further, and built a complex and utterly unique plot. In this installment of the series, we meet a truly evil clique of students who attended the same prep school. Three are now wildly financially successful, and still deeply evil. One is dead. One is in jail. The last one, the absent one, is a mystery that unravels throughout the novel. Adler-Olsen shows off his skill set in crafting complex plots with multiple time frames, to great effect.
+10 task (previously rated The Keeper of Lost Causes 5 stars)
+10 review
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 375
10.8 Comfort ReadOn Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
I work with teachers on writing instruction, and whenever I seek out great quotes on writing, I’m inundated by Stephen King quotes. I’m always tempted to just fill Power Points with quotes from this book, and so I finally decided to give in and read the entire book. Amazing – so glad I did! I was initially intrigued but not completely drawn in by the first chunk of the book, about Stephen King’s life, but then once he moved into tips and strategies for writers, I couldn’t put it down. For anyone who wants to write, and for anyone who simply wants to read with a greater sense of author’s craft and purpose, I would highly recommend this book.
+10 task (previously rated Joyland 5 stars)
+10 not-a-novel (memoir)
+10 review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 355
20.9 War BabiesRipper by Isabel Allende
I’m not sure what to think about Isabel Allende’s foray into crime writing. I have enjoyed a lot of Allende’s writing over the years and I also typically enjoy crime writing, so I was eager to give book a try. I enjoyed it but also found some areas lacking, as other reviewers have noted. The characterization is excellent, and Allende captures the feel of the setting beautifully. The plot kept me interested but when I got to the end I was left with a sense of something missing in the explanation behind a lot of the actions and decisions characters made.
+20 task (Isabel Allende was born in 1942 according to this link)
+10 review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 325
10.1 Square PegA Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League by Ron Suskind
This is a book that has been on my “to read” list for years but never actually made it to the pile. I’m happy I did end up reading it. The book recounts the last year of high school and first year of college of a talented student from a very troubled Washington D.C. neighborhood who is admitted to Brown University. I initially grew interested in this book because as an educator, specifically an educator in high-needs schools, I always wondered about the challenges my students faced when they left the (hopefully) safe cocoon of my classroom. Having read the book, I’m impressed that Ron Suskind manages to tell Cedric’s story in a compelling and thoughtful way, raising a number of thorny issues about education and society, without leading readers to a pre-digested conclusion.
+10 task
+10 not-a-novel (nonfiction)
+10 review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 295
