Deedee’s Comments (group member since Aug 04, 2010)

Deedee’s comments from the Reading with Style group.

Task 15.6 14 letters

Of Women and Salt (2021) by Gabriela Garcia (Goodreads Author) (Hardcover, 207 pages)

+15 Task

Task Total: 15

Grand Total: 305 + 15 = 320

Task 15.8 16-17 letters

Dark Embers at Dawn (1998) by Stephen Overholser (Mass Market Paperback, 208 pages)

+15 Task

Task Total: 15

Grand Total: 290 + 15 = 305

Task 20.6 Awarded

2 or more awards

Hugo Award for Best Novella (2019)
Locus Award for Novella (2019)

For Combo #20.5 Boomer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_...
(born September 1, 1964)


Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries #2) (2018) by Martha Wells

+20 Task
+10 Combo (#20.3 Ratings > 4.0, #20.5 Boomer)

Task Total: 20 + 10 = 30

Grand Total: 260 + 30 = 290

Task 10.4 Truth and Reconciliation
Read a book by an Indigenous (to their own country/continent) author.

According to goodreads biography:
Waubgeshig Rice is an author and journalist originally from Wasauksing First Nation.

Moon of the Crusted Snow (2018) by Waubgeshig Rice (male)
Review: Moon of the Crusted Snow is a post-apocalyptic novel. The reader never finds out why the modern world collapsed. Instead, our heroes, members of the Anishinaabe tribe who live on a reservation in the far north of Canada, experience the aftereffects of the collapse of civilization in “the South”. No phones, and then no TV and no radio, and finally no power. The trucks delivering groceries don’t come. The members of the reservation have to adjust to life without the items that make modern life so comfortable. The tribal members who have maintained tribal traditions are better equipped to deal with the changes than those who rely on grocery stores and electrically-powered devices.

The writing is clear and straightforward. Each character can be described by one or two words – no nuances here! Conflicts between characters are quickly resolved as all energy needs to be directed at survival. Additionally, the story is told in a strictly linear style -- everything is focused on: what happens next.

I would shelve this novel as “New Adult”.

+10 Task
+10 Review

Task Total: 10 + 10 = 20

Grand Total: 240 + 20 = 260

Task 10.2 Halloween
In honor of Halloween, read a book with a "death" word in the title.

“death word”: MURDER

For 10.3 Back to School Combo:
Goodreads biography says: has taught numerous courses at university and adult continuing education facilities including: general fiction, historical research, and mystery writing.

For 20.5 Boomer Combo:
G. A McKevett is pseudonym for Sonja Massie
===OK so goodreads won't allow me to put a link to an outside website that shows her birthday. If you were to do a google search on:
born sonja massie
The result would be:
Born: April 15, 1952
Hope that's enough to prove "boomer" birthday

Murder à la Mode (A Savannah Reid Mystery #10) (2005) by G.A. McKevett (female) (Goodreads Author) (Hardcover, 266 pages)
Review:This is #10 of the Savannah Reid Mystery Series. This year (2021) saw the publication of #26 of the series. I’ve been reading them out of order and have no difficulty with following the ongoing relationships between the recurring characters – Savannah’s romantic life, Savannah’s relationship with her grandma and Savannah’s relationship with her siblings. This installment has Savannah, a private detective in Southern California, take a vacation. Her friends have arranged for her to be on a reality TV show very similar to “The Bachelor”, wherein she will be one of several women competing to win a vacation with a handsome, eligible bachelor. Murder occurs, and Savannah is on the scene to figure out whodunit. I enjoy Savannah as a character – she’s unapologetically Southern, and unapologetically a plus-sized middle-aged woman. She has a strong moral compass, an appealing sense of humor, and a ton of common sense, all of which aids her in solving mysteries. Recommended for readers of light-hearted mysteries.

+10 Task
+10 Combo (#10.3 Back to School, #20.5 Boomer)
+10 Review

Task Total: 10 + 10 + 10 = 30

Grand Total: 210 + 30 = 240

Task 20.3 Ratings

Elsewhere (2020) by Dean Koontz
Review:The premise: a single father, Jeffy, and his 11-year-old daughter, Amity, live near the beach in Southern California. Jeffy acquires a device that allows him and his daughter to jump between parallel planes. Travelling between parallel realities is a sub-category of science fiction. I’ve recently read The Space Between Worlds, Dark Matter, Recursion, If, Then and All Our Wrong Todays, all of which involve travel to parallel realities. (There is also a 1990s TV show https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112167/... “Sliders” with the same premise.) What makes this novel different? Elsewhere focusses on action scenes and chase scenes, rather than how each world is different. I prefer novels that speculate how the world could be different if only some historical fact changed, or on novels that examine the nuance of character. Elsewhere is not that; instead, it is action – chase – action – chase, interspersed with the author’s soapbox announcements about modern day life. Jarringly, the text with some regularity examines what characters do in heroic fantasy novels, and uses that as justification/inspiration for Jeffy and/or Amity to be pro-active and courageous in their actions in this novel. Novel also fails the Bechdel Test. Overall, recommended as an action novel rather than as a science fiction novel.

+20 Task
+10 Review

Task Total: 20 + 10 = 30

Grand Total: 170 + 30 = 200

Task 10.3 Back to School
Read a book written by an author who has a current or previous profession of educator.

Goodreads biography notes that Willa Cather worked as a school teacher for approximately 13 years.

For combo #20.9:
p. 126: “When the roseate tinge of his champagne was added – that cold, precious, bubbling stuff that creamed and foamed in his glass – Paul wondered that there were honest men in the world at all.”

For combo #20.3:
I noted in the help thread that the day I started reading this collection its rating was 4.00. Not sure if it's still 4.00 especially as I rated it 3 stars.

Youth and the Bright Medusa (1920) by Willa Cather
Review: This is a collection of eight stories (two novelettes and six short stories) all written by Willa Cather. The two novelettes and two of the short stories were new to this volume; the other four short stories were published elsewhere first, and were “modified” for this collection. I think of Willa Cather as a writer focused on the American Midwest; however, this collection is focused on New York City. The two short stories not set there are centered on New Yorkers temporarily in the Midwest. Both the novelettes and several of the short stories star a woman (different woman in each story) who is beautiful and also a very talented Opera singer. The second novelette, “The Diamond Mine”, refers to the Opera singer’s moneymaking capability as a “diamond mine” for everyone associated for her; this sentiment is present in most of the stories. Overall, the collection is a collection of clearly written and interesting stories reflecting life in New York City during the early 1900s.

+10 Task
+10 Combo (#20.3 Ratings – when I started reading this, rating was 4.00; #20.9 Champagne)
+10 Review

Task Total: 10 + 10 + 10 = 30

Grand Total: 140 + 30 = 170

Task 20.9 Anniversary (Kate S's Task)
Read a book in which the characters drink a glass of champagne. Please post a quote in the completed task thread when claiming this task.

p. 113: “She found the directors chinking champagne glasses as though the report’s revenues were already banked and bonuses already disbursed.”

For 20.5 Boomer combo:
https://g.co/kgs/pDkQqP
Anne Charnock was born on June 8, 1954

A Calculated Life (2013) by Anne Charnock
Philip K. Dick Award Nominee (2014)
The Kitschies Nominee for Golden Tentacle (Debut) (2013)
Review: This award-winning debut science fiction novel is set in England, several decades in the future. Society is more controlled than is the case today, with a resultant loss of individual freedom. Our heroine, Jayna, is described as a “brilliant analyst”; however, her social skills are minimal. She decides to “study” social skills, with the goal of becoming brilliant at social situations the way she is brilliant at analytics. This is a great set-up for a science fiction novel. However, as is often the case in science fiction, after establishing the set-up, the novelist has difficulty in producing an engaging plot. The characters are interesting, the worldbuilding is interesting, if only the characters did something more interesting than they wound up doing! Overall, recommended for fans of science fiction.

+20 Task
+05 Combo (#20.5 Boomer)
+10 Review

Task Total: 20 + 05 + 10 = 35

Grand Total: 105 + 35 = 140

I'm getting ready to read Youth and the Bright Medusa (1920) by Willa Cather, a collection of 8 stories. If there is a service member in one of the stories, but not the others, would that "count" for this task? Thanks

Hi -- I'd like to lock in ratings for Youth and the Bright Medusa (1920) by Willa Cather --
Currently the rating is: 4.00

Task 20.5 Boomer
Read a book written by an author born 1946-1964.

I checked viaf.org to get the birth year of David Michie (author of The Dalai Lama's Cat) - birth year is not listed here on goodreads - here's the viaf.org link:
https://viaf.org/viaf/60881755/#Michi...
He was born in 1962.

The Dalai Lama's Cat (The Dalai Lama's Cat #1) (2012) by David Michie
Review: This novel is told from the point-of-view of the Dalai Lama’s cat. Our narrator is saved from certain death by the Dalai Lama when she was a few days old. The novel is set in north India, at the temple where the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan monks fled to after China forced them out of Tibet. (Historically true, and the sympathies in the novel are completely with the Buddhists.) Author David Michie weaves standard Buddhist beliefs into the narrative. The first half of the novel was mainly story, introducing characters and settings. The second half was mainly Buddhist teachings, revealed through vignettes involving our feline narrator, aimed at people (like me) who have minimal knowledge of Buddhism.

+20 Task
+05 Combo (#20.3 rating > 4.0)
+10 Review

Task Total: 20 + 05 +10 = 35

Grand Total: 70 + 35 = 105

Task 10.7 Service (Anika's Task)
Read a book in which one of the main characters is a soldier, active duty or veteran of a war or conflict, any branch of the military (medics/nurses count!).

Two brothers, included amongst the main suspects in this mystery, were British soldiers during World War I. One brother suffers from “shell-shock”; the other was called “a good soldier” who was known for shooting the rats that fed on the corpses after a battle.

Additionally, Lord Peter Wimsey is a World War I veteran. In this novel, Lord Wimsey’s principle man-servants were his comrades in arms during the “Great War”. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Pe... for more detail about Lord Wimsey as a ‘Great War’ veteran.

For #20.9 “champagne”:
p. 119: Wimsey speaks:
“’Bunter, as you know, I seldom drink champagne. But I am inclined to do so now. Bring a glass for yourself as well.’ The cork popped merrily, and Lord Peter rose to his feet. ‘Bunter,’ said he, ‘I give you a toast. The triumph of Instinct over Reason!’”

The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (Lord Peter Wimsey #4) (1928) by Dorothy L. Sayers (Paperback, 243 pages)
Review: This is one of the Inter-war (1918-1940) very British detective mystery novels. The “detective” is Lord Peter Wimsey. He’s a wealthy, well-connected aristocrat, who solves mysteries for amusement. The latest mystery: an elderly man dies from an apparent heart attack while sitting in his usual chair at the male-only upper crust Bellona Club. The man’s sister died the same day. The terms of her will: her brother inherits if she pre-deceases him; her longtime companion, a 20ish woman, inherits if he pre-deceases her. Lord Wimsey is asked to determine who died first. Lord Wimsey takes full advantage of his position as an aristocrat to gain information and, later in the novel, to make events happen. The solution was … well …. Not really believable, but then, you don’t read Interwar mysteries for believability. There is plenty of contemporary upper-crust slang, (I say! Good fellow, come here! … What? … just not done … etc.), and plenty of deference is given to those upwards the social scale from where you are. This novel had many references to men coping with their experiences in ‘The Great War’ – most are doing OK, a couple still suffer from ‘shell shock’. I was surprised by the quantity of War references but I guess I shouldn’t have been, given this was written in the 1920s. Recommended for period atmosphere, with a caveat that the mystery solution(s) are, well, preposterous don’t-cha-know.

+10 Task
+10 Combo (#20.3 rating > 4.0; #20.9 Champagne)
+10 Review

Task Total: 10 + 10 + 10 = 30

Grand Total: 40 + 30 = 70

Task 20.4 Non-linear
Read a novel told in a non-linear style.

For 10.9 Oxford University colleges and halls
St Stephen's House

For #20.9 “champagne”:
p. 125: “Gracie had been drinking champagne since six, and Miriam had made sure to refill her glass every time it was even halfway empty.”

The Hundred-Year House (2014) by Rebecca Makkai (Goodreads Author) (Hardcover, 338 pages)
Review: The novel is broken up into parts that take place in 1999, 1955, 1929, and 1900, in that order. It never revisits any of the later time frames - it just keeps taking you back in time. The first section, set in 1999, was the entire first half of the book. I found that section to be quite interesting, focusing on residents of a manor house in small town Illinois. The characters divide into (1) artists; (2) English literature professors; and (3) bored super-wealthy. The author throws in enough topical passages to set this section firmly in 1999 (a fund-raiser for Al Gore! Y2K means the end of the world is at hand!) Next comes the twist, and then the narrative moves to Part Two, set in 1955, to explain how the twist came to be. I was more interested in what happened to the characters AFTER the twist than I was in how the twist came to be, so Part Two was merely mildly interesting. Parts Three and Four were, so? I already know that happened, from the events of Part One, these sections had a “re-inventing the wheel” feel to them. I can see what the author’s intent was – telling the story in reverse – but it took away most narrative tension from Parts Two through Four in the second half of the novel. Overall, the first half of the novel was pretty good, the rest of the novel was merely adequate.

+20 Task
+10 Combo (#10.9 Oxford University colleges and halls, #20.9 Champagne)
+10 Review

Task Total: 20 + 10 + 10 = 40

Grand Total: 00 + 40 = 40

I checked viaf.org to get the birth year of David Michie (author of The Dalai Lama's Cat) - birth year is not listed here on goodreads - here's the viaf.org link:
https://viaf.org/viaf/60881755/#Michi...
He was born in 1962.

Task 10.7 Page Count 350 – 399

The Rosie Effect (Don Tillman #2) (2014) by Graeme Simsion

MPE: The Rosie Effect is 368 pages

+10 Task

Task Total: 10

Grand Total: 635 + 10 = 645

Task 20.10 Riding the Metro

Setting – Sydney
Country – Australia
Continent – Australia (Oceania)

The Women in Black (1993) by Madeleine St. John (Paperback, 209 pages)


+35 Task
+100 points finisher bonus
+50 points for reading cities in 10 different countries
+100 points for reading cities on at least 5 continents

Task Total: 35 + 100 + 50 + 100 = 285

Grand Total: 345 + 285 = 630

Hi everyone! Just want to note that High-Rise is #150 on the list The Best Anti-heroes. I know these lists can fluctuate.

Task 20.9 Riding the Metro

Setting – Rome
Country – Italy
Continent – Europe

Venus in Copper (Marcus Didius Falco #3) (1991) by Lindsey Davis (Mass Market Paperback, 275 pages)

+25 Task

Task Total: 25

Grand Total: 320 + 25 = 345

Task 10.1 two or three short works adding up to 75-150 pages*

62 + 64 = 126
75 < 126 < 150

Lot No. 249 (1892) by Arthur Conan Doyle (Paperback, Penguin Little Black Classics #121, 51 pages)
Most popular version: 62 pages

AND

Bartleby the Scrivener (1853) by Herman Melville (Paperback, 64 pages)
(Published May 1st 2004 by Melville House)
Most popular version: 64 pages


+10 Task

Task Total: 10

Grand Total: 310 + 10 = 320

Task 15.02 TDoS

Kendyl (p. 5) ==> Lindsay (p. 2)

Little Fires Everywhere (2017) by Celeste Ng (Goodreads Author) (Paperback, 338 pages)

+20 Task

Grand Total: 290 + 20 = 310