Kim’s
Comments
(group member since Nov 20, 2020)
Kim’s
comments
from the Reading with Style group.
Showing 241-260 of 438
Riding the Metro - 20.3Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir. Ruth Reichl
NYC, NY
United States of America
North America
4.0/5.0 - This is the fourth book that I have read by this author; Delicious!, Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table, and Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, being the first three. This book continues her food life after the NY Times, as the editor of Gourmet magazine. Perhaps my favorite part is the poem "This Is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams with which the book opens. And of course, the recipes sprinkled throughout.
Task: 20
Review: 5
Task Total: 25
Season Total: 180
10.3;10.4;10.5;10.6;10.7;10.8;10.9
20.1;20.2;20.3
Riding the Metro - 20.2Love at First. Kate Clayborn
Chicago, IL
United States of America
North America
3.5 rounded to 4.0 stars - This book was a little slow in the beginning, but about 1/3 of the way in I didn't want to put it down. Will, a young doctor, is left an apartment/condo by his uncle that he only met once, sixteen years before. On that day, he also saw Nora for the first time, and fell for her. When they meet again, they are attracted to each other, but their new relationship is fraught with landmines. Slowly, they work their way through things.
I liked the way the author built the relationship, not rushing things. I enjoyed the setting - Chicago, and the development of the cast of characters. One thing I felt was missing was more about the Donny/Will/Will's mother relationship. Why did Donny dislike her so intensely? What was in the book? This part felt a little unfinished to me. Overall, though, I enjoyed this book.
Task: 20
Review: 5
Task Total: 25
Season Total: 155
10.3;10.4;10.5;10.6;10.7;10.8;10.9
20.1;20.2
10.9 450-499pThe Four Winds. Kristin Hannah
484 pages
5.0 wonderful stars! Lots of strong women characters in this book about the Dust Bowl/Depression and the hardships faced by the people of the Great Plains, and those who traveled to California, in hopes of finding a better life. I am always left wondering when I read books where the characters face tremendous hardship with courage and dignity, how I would stand up to similar circumstances. I fear, not well.
Task: 10
Review: 5
Task Total: 15
Season Total: 130
10.3;10.4;10.5;10.6;10.7;10.8;10.9
20.1
10.3 150-199pThe Christmas Angel Project. Melody Carlson
176 pages
4.0/5.0 - A lovely little book about 5 friends, Abby, Belinda, Grace, Cassidy and Louisa. They are shattered when Abby unexpectedly dies in her early forties. She is the glue that holds them together. She leaves them handcrafted angels that she made for them, with a special message hidden inside each one. As they struggle to come to terms with her death, they decide to use the angels to inspire them to carry on, and do Christmas angel projects. While the idea is to help others, they find that in doing this, they are helping themselves - to heal, and find new meaning in their lives. There are even some budding romances! A nice faith based book that isn't preachy.
Task: 10
Review: 5
Task Total: 15
Season Total: 115
10.3;10.4;10.5;10.6;10.7;10.8
20.1
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I have a 5-star shelf. But you can sort your shelves by an..."I guess what I was really asking was the process you used to find common 5 star books among the other members.
Do any of you have a shelf called 5 star? If not, how are you going about making those connections? This is my 5 star shelf.
Of my almost 2000 books, 10% are 5 star, 35% are 4 star. I haven't tried the TDoS, I couldn't face the planning needed to do it, lol.
10.8 Page Count (400-449p)The Whole Town's Talking. Fannie Flagg
432 pages
3.0/5.0 - Interesting concept for a book, reminiscent of Thorton Wilder's Our Town or Edgar Lee Master's Spoon River Anthology. It follows the history of Elmwood Springs, Missouri from its pioneer days through the present day. I didn't realize when I picked it that it was the last book in a series about this town, which may have spoiled the previous books, but it worked fine as a stand alone novel.
If you like the folksy tone of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and a looking for a laidback book, this one is for you.
Task: 10
Review: 5
Task Total: 15
Season Total: 100
10.4;10.5;10.6;10.7;10.8
20.1
10.7 Page Count (350-399p)The Children's Blizzard. Melanie Benjamin
368 pages
3.5 stars - On January 12, 1888, a sudden, unexpected blizzard appeared on the Great Plains, catching everyone off guard. The day had started off balmy, after an extended period of frigid weather. Children went back to school after being trapped inside for a few weeks, adults were out doing chores and errands, all dressed lightly. It hit around noon, and schoolteachers, many just teens themselves, were forced with the decision of trying to ride it out in the schoolhouse, or sending the children home. Two schoolteachers, sisters themselves, made very different decisions, which would shape both their lives and the lives of all the pupils families, for many years to come. In fact, the book is split into two parts, the first part describes the blizzard itself, and the second part of aftermath.
Perhaps the most interesting part of this book was the six pages of author's notes at the end, where the author describes her motivation and research in writing this book. As a historical novelist, she wanted to write a book focused on children, which inspired the idea of writing about the children's blizzard. Instead of placing real characters into a created setting, in this book the setting or event was the focus, and the characters - while based on some real people, were created. She explains the Signal Corps, who reported the weather, the importance of railroads in developing this part of the country, the maltreatment of the first peoples, and the role of newspapers in attracting immigrants to populate the area. This last part was particularly interesting to me, as the families involved were Swedish immigrants, and my own grandparents immigrated from Sweden and Norway in the early 1900s.
Task: 10
Review: 5
Task Total: 15
Season Total: 85
10.4;10.5;10.6;10.7
20.1
10.6 Page Count (300-349p)How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America. Mystery Writers of America
336 pages
4.0/5.0 - A veritable goldmine of information and advice for any would be mystery author! Each essay was written by a different author, from Jeffrey Deaver to William Kent Krueger, offering advice on topics such as rules and genres, plot, setting, and even post-writing such as publishing and promotion. For me, the most interesting section was the one on rules and genres. I learned so much about what defined each type of mystery, what worked and what doesn't, and how breaking the rules can be a big no-no or lead to a great success. Although I don't plan to ever write a book, mystery or otherwise, getting inside the head of these authors, many familiar to me, was fascinating!
Task: 10
Review: 5
Task Total: 15
Season Total: 70
10.4;10.5;10.6
20.1
10.5 Page Count (250-299p)Red Sky at Morning. Richard Bradford
256 pages
4.5 rounded to 5.0
A coming of age story set during World War II. Josh's father, the owner of a shipyard, goes into the Navy. To protect Josh and his mother, he sends them to live in New Mexico, to their summer place. Josh makes friends with the locals, while his mother falls apart. The book was much more interesting than this review. Apparently there is also a movie, which I may check out.
Task: 10
Review: 5
Task Total: 15
Season Total: 55
10.4;10.5
20.1
10.4 Page Count (200-249p)Tiny Tales: Stories of Romance, Ambition, Kindness, and Happiness. Alexander McCall Smith
240 pages
2.5/5.0 - Alexander McCall Smith is one of my favorite author, unfortunately short stories are not my genre. It was okay, and if you enjoy the genre, you would probably like it. The format was interesting, in that it alternated several short stories with a few panel stories. The stories covered a wide range of topics from romance to revenge, and were set throughout the world. It's a very quick read, so go ahead and give it a try.
Task: 10
Review: 5
Task Total: 15
Season Total: 40
10.4;
20.1
20.1 Riding the MetroThe Ritual Bath. Faye Kellerman
Introduces characters Peter Decker, an LAPD detective and Rina Lazarus, a devout widowed Jewish woman who teaches math at a yeshiva in the hills. She meets Peter when he comes to investigate a rape in the Mikvah (ritual bath), where she is the attendant. He is drawn to her courage, personality, and beauty. She is also drawn to Peter, but knows that due to her religious beliefs, nothing can come of the attraction. Written in the 1980s, there’s a fair amount of political incorrectness, and old school (pay phones, paper trails) ways of doing things.
set in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, US, NA
Task 20
Review 5
Task total: 25
Season total: 25
20.1;
My favorite book from the spring was a debut novel titled: Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera. (5 stars)
15.7 Fabulous Firsts - Round 2The Prophet. Kahlil Gibran. 5.24.21
K - P
Task: 15
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 2035
10.1; 10.2(x2); 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; 10.6(x2); 10.7; 10.8; 10.9(x5); 10.10;
15.1; 15.2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6
20.1; 20.2; 20.3(x5); 20.4(x5); 20.5;20.6; 20.7(x2); 20.8(x2); 20.9(x5); 20.10(x5)
N
15.6 Fabulous Firsts - Round 2Your Perfect Year. Charlotte Lucas
C-Y
Task: 15
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 2020
10.1; 10.2(x2); 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; 10.6(x2); 10.7; 10.8; 10.9(x5); 10.10;
15.1; 15.2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6
20.1; 20.2; 20.3(x5); 20.4(x5); 20.5;20.6; 20.7(x2); 20.8(x2); 20.9(x5); 20.10(x5)
N
15.5 Fabulous Firsts - Round 2The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. Jonas Jonasson
T-J
Task: 15
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 2005
10.1; 10.2(x2); 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; 10.6(x2); 10.7; 10.8; 10.9(x5); 10.10;
15.1; 15.2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5
20.1; 20.2; 20.3(x5); 20.4(x5); 20.5;20.6; 20.7(x2); 20.8(x2); 20.9(x5); 20.10(x5)
N
Do the books have to come from the RwS bookshelf, or can I go to an individual member's bookshelf to find a 5 star book?
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Kim wrote: "You know, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I have 9+ hours invested in this slightly horrible book, and nowhere to use it, unless... [book:A Journal of the Plague Year|4..."
Thanks, that's even better!
You know, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I have 9+ hours invested in this slightly horrible book, and nowhere to use it, unless... A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe has an original title of "A Journal of the Plague Year, Being the Observations or Memorials of the Most Remarkable Occurences, as Well Publick as Private, Which Happened in London During the Last Great Visitation in 1665" which would at least work for 10.9, as well as 20 oldie points. Referring back to message 55, can I use the originally published title?
