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Task 20.3 - Thieves & MysteriesRead one of the top 150 books from this list of Thieves.
On November 15, 2014
#02 on list
The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard #1) (2006) by Scott Lynch
Review:This is the debut fantasy novel by Scott Lynch. It is the first of a series. Goodreads lists 7 books in the series , with the first three novels having been published and the fourth novel expected in 2015. Our hero, Locke Lamora, is a thief. The novel begins when Locke, an orphan, is added to a street gang in the city of Camorra. It is obvious that the gang –and- children setup is inspired by Dicken’s Oliver Twist. The novel proceeds by chunks of time until Locke, now a young man, is running his own gang. He specializes in robbing the wealthy via elaborate sting operations that play on the greed of those he is robbing. And then …. Sorcery enters Locke’s life, and the second half of the novel is controlled by sorcery rather than by thieving. Additionally, the second half of the novel has the influences of George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series and also influences of The Godfather. I’ll probably pick up Book #2 of the novel sooner rather than later. That said …. It is very striking how few females are in this novel, and how briefly they are “onstage”. Recommended for fans of adventure fantasy novels.
+20 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 + 10 = 30
Grand Total: 1205 + 30 = 1235
Task 10.8 - Comfort Reads –In 2011 I gave 5 * to:
A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution: 1891-1924 by Orlando Figes
Orlando Figes is the Oxford University expert on Russian History 1850-1950. He writes clearly and accurately about Russia, and I’d recommend all of his histories to anyone interested in Russian post-1700.
Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia (2002) by Orlando Figes (Hardcover, 728 pages)
Review: The Cultural History begins with the establishment of St. Petersburg in 1702 and ends with Russian culture during the Soviet Union era of the 20th century. There were more details about theatre and painting than I was interested in (but expected in a book about “cultural history”). Included were topics related to what I was interested in – how did the people actually live in Russia during those years. Occasionally the author digresses to what was happening historically (like the invasion by Napoleon in 1812, or “the Decembrist Rising” in December 1825). Then he ties in the historical with the cultural. Works for me! Figes quotes liberally from the great Russian 19th century writers, likeLeo Tolstoy and Nikolai Gogol. The title “Natasha’s Dance” refers to an event in War and Peace wherein the character Natasha spontaneously begins dancing a traditional Russian dance. Recommended for those interested in Russian history and for those interested in Russian Culture (art, music, dancing, poetry, etc.).
+10 Task
+10 Not-a-Novel: non-fiction
+10 Review
+10 Jumbo 700-799 Pages:
Task Total: 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 40
Grand Total: 1165 + 40 = 1205
I looked at the link for poll 3 -- it counts Australia and the United Kingdom as "island country listed under Sovereign states".
Task 20.6 - UnderratedThe Murder of Jim Fisk for the Love of Josie Mansfield: A Tragedy of the Gilded Age (2011) by H.W. Brands (Paperback, 206 pages)
Review:This book is part of Brand’s American Portraits series. The series is designed to be the “smaller stories” of “vividly rendered accounts of lost or forgotten lives and crucial historical moments.” Jim Fisk was a financial speculator who was murdered on January 8, 1872. Josie Mansfield was a young woman, living alone in New York City, and working (occasionally) as a showgirl. Both Jim Fisk and his murderer appear to be in love with her, even though both are married to respectable women and so should not be pursuing attractive young showgirls. Despite the title of the book, Josie is not a prime focus of this book.
The first half of this book recounts details from Jim Fisk’s life and details from the lives of people important in Fisk’s life (including his murderer). The second half of the book is the murder trial. In New York City in 1872, this trial got the “OJ Simpson” trial treatment. Tabloid style newpaper articles breathlessly reported every detail, the trial was closely followed, and, afterwards, those involved worked hard to regain their anonymity.
Brands has a just-the-fact, straightforward style of explaining events. I’d recommend this book for fans of “true crime” books and for those interested in history books about “the Gilded Age”.
+20 Task (#20.6 Underrated)
+10 Not-a-Novel: Non-fiction
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 + 10 + 10 = 40
Grand Total: 1125 + 40 = 1165
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Deedee wrote: "o .... are the books with suffix 'a' or 'b' included for this task? or not? "Yes, all of the titles listed under the heading "1900s" qualify for this task, including those with the..."
Thanks for clarifying!
Too bad all those 1800s books aren't included
From the site:We hope to have covered all versions (2006, 2008 and 2010) of the list now. If you spot any errors, please just drop us an email and we will double check and make any corrections needed.
Please note: Because there is substantial differences between the 2006 and 2008 lists, there may be a bit of awkwardness around the numbering and the century in which it was published. So please bear with us on that score as we try out how best to list those books.
Books with a suffix ‘a’ are from the 2008 list and ‘b’ from the 2010 list.
So .... are the books with suffix 'a' or 'b' included for this task? or not?
Task 20.8 - Middle EastWith tensions growing once again, read a book set (>90%) in one of these Middle Eastern countries: Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Northern Cyprus, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
For Combo:
10.7 - Honored Authors - Coralie's Task:
Read a book by an author who has a literary award named after them. Please provide a link to the award.
http://www.aucpress.com/t-nmmdescript...
Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth (1985) by Naguib Mahfouz (Paperback, 168 pages)
Review:Mahfouz won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988. This novel, Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth, is about an ancient Egyptian Pharoah, Akhenaten. He is married to the famous Nefertiti. His claim to fame is that, as pharaoh, he sought to convert his country from the worship of many gods to the worship of the one, true sun god, Aten. The story is told by a young scribe. The young scribe is seeking the truth about Akhenaten. Akhenaten had died a few years previously, so many of the people who knew Akhenaten are still alive. Each segment records the scribe’s interview with a different person – the priest of a competing god, Amun; the sculptor who sculpted Akhenaten and Nefertiti; Akhenaten’s childhood tutor; one of Akhenaten’s father’s wives; Nefertiti ‘s half-sister; and so on. While the novel was short – only 168 pages! –everything essential about the subject that the author wants to say gets said. Recommended for those who like literary fiction.
+20 Task (#20.8 Egypt)
+15 Combo (#10.4: Akhenaten has 9 letters; #10.7 literary award; #20.4: on list of Realism authors)
+05 Oldies -25 to 75 years old: (1939-1989)
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 + 15 + 05 + 10 = 50
Grand Total: 1075 + 50 = 1125
Karen Michele wrote: "Yay, Tony!"Congratulations!
Task 10.8 - Comfort Reads –In 2010 I gave 5 * to:
The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Twelfth Night (1601) by William Shakespeare
Review: I read this the afternoon before my family and I went to
Shakespeare Tavern to see it performed. The actors speak the original Elizabethan English so reading the play in 21st Century American English beforehand helps me to understand what is happening onstage. Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare’s comedies. That means: nobody dies, and the plot is full of mistaken identities. I was surprised at the rough treatment the prissy “Puritan” character Malvolio received in the play. Drunkenness is played for laughs. There are several songs, sang by the wise and funny Fool employed by the aristocratic woman. And, as usual, the physical comedy has to be seen to be appreciated. Recommended for fans of Shakespeare.
+10 Task
+25 Oldies -400+ years old: (1613 and older).
+10 Not-a-Novel: short story collections, non-fiction, plays, and poetry collections.
+10 Review
Task Total: 10 + 25 + 10 + 10 = 55
Grand Total: 1015 + 55 = 1070
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: I had thought of that too, but his name is Ruiz Zafon, Luis so would sort with the Rs, not the Zs.
I'm glad to know that before I get too far in my planning!
Karen Michele wrote: "This looks like great fun! Now to take a look at my TBR and find out how tough it is;)"Same here. I'm considering starting with The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Task 20.6 - UnderratedI’m not positive that the combos would apply. Here’s how they might.
Combo:
10.4 - 9, 10, 11: Read a book with a 9-, 10-, or 11-letter word in the title.
10=Revolution
20.5 - Politics: Read a non-fiction book about politics or a politician.
Lenin’s older brother Alexander was a revolutionary who was executed in 1887. Alexander’s beliefs and execution inspired Lenin to his activities. This book is as much about Lenin as it is about Alexander – when it discusses “Alexander’s father” it is also talking about Lenin’s father; when it discusses the family’s financial woes, Lenin as well as Alexander experience them.
Lenin's Brother: The Origins of the October Revolution (2010) by Philip Pomper (Hardcover, 304 pages)
Review: Lenin’s older brother Alexander was a revolutionary who was part of a group that tried and failed to assassinate Tsar Alexander III on March 1, 1887; he was executed by hanging two months later. Lenin was born 4 years after Alexander, and, by all reports, looked up to his older brother. I can understand why he is an interesting historical figure. When the author describes Alexander’s childhood (parents, schooling, religion) he is also describing Lenin’s childhood. The author attempts to describe why and how Alexander became an anti-monarchist radical. It’s a good attempt, given how little the author had to work from (school essays by 14-year-old Alexander; anecdotes written and published by his siblings post-Russian Revolution). The author does devote a chapter to Alexander’s trial and execution before concluding with a chapter on the “Brothers and History’s Revenge.”
Recommended for those interested in Lenin and his affect on Russian history.
+20 Task
+10 Combo (#10.4 “revolution”; #20.4 politics)
+10 Not-a-Novel: non-fiction
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 50
Grand Total: 950 + 50 = 1000
Task 10.3 - Iceland or NorwayOn November 06, 2014: shelved 43 times as Iceland
Hypothermia (Inspector Erlendur #8) (2007) by Arnaldur Indriðason; translated from Icelandic by Victoria Cribb
Review:Inspector Erlendur is a homicide detective in the Reykjavik police department. This book is #8 in the series. (#3 - #11 of series have been translated into English.) The sub-genre would be “police procedural” – the police find a body; then determine cause of death; then, if murder is suspected, talk to everyone who could know something; and run the labs on any physical evidence available. Inspector Erlendur has a special interest in “cold cases”, particularly missing persons cases wherein it is unlikely that the missing person is still alive. In this installment of the series, the novel begins with the suicide of a middle-aged woman. Inspector Erlendur’s spidey sense says that something is awry in the situation, so he starts investigating. He also continues with his obsession on missing persons cases (missing for decades). (The reader is asked to assume that it is a slow period in the homicide department so that he has the time to look after cold cases. The other installments in the series involved the recently deceased.) The ‘cases’ part of the novel are resolved by the conclusion. There is a sub-plot concerning Inspector Erlendur’s fractured homelife (his hostile ex-wife, his 2 semi-estranged children). I enjoyed this novel, and will pick up #9 in the series. I also enjoy sentences like this: p.79 “Yes, my parents are from Kirkjubaejarklaustur.” LOL! Recommended for mystery fans.
+10 Task (#10.3 Iceland)
+05 Combo (#10.4: 11 letters Hypothermia)
+10 Review
Task Total: 10 + 05 + 10 = 25
Grand Total: 925 + 25 = 950
Task 20.7 - SlipstreamSister Noon (2001) by Karen Joy Fowler
Review:Slipstream novels are designed to be very strange, almost but not quite real. This novel is clearly slipstream. It is set in San Francisco, California,during the late 1800’s “Gilded Age”. The main characters are women and the novel definitely passes the Bechtel Test. There is an uplifting theme to the story. Repeated several times throughout the novel is the phrase: "You can do anything you want. You don't have to be the same person your whole life." Good to know. Of course, sometimes the characters decide to do things that seem, well, strange, and probably impossible, and this being a slipstream novel it all works out well for them. The ending sputtered a bit and then just stopped -- maybe she didn't know how to end the novel? Still a good read. Recommended for when you are interested in an offbeat, unusual, strange, and ultimately uplifting novel.
Added: I just found out that one of the major characters in this novel, a mulatto woman named Mrs. Mary-Ellen Pleasant, was a real-life woman who (according to Wikipedia) actually did in real-life the actions she did in the novel. Truth is stranger than fiction!
+20 Task (#20.7 Slipstream - #86 on page 3)
+05 Combo (#20.7 Underrated)
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 + 05 + 10 = 35
Grand Total: 890 + 35 = 925
Task 10.9 - Mythological – Dreams Underfoot (Newford #1) (1993) by Charles de Lint
Review: This collection of 19 interconnected short stories serves as an introduction to deLint’s city of Newford. The stories were originally published in the late 1980s-early 1990s in various publications. Most of the stories involves some form of "faerie" interacting with individuals located in the slightly decaying, urban setting of present day late 1980s-early 1990s. Art, music and poetry are important, and the characters are mostly artists of some sort (even while earning money waiting tables or whatever). Magic is real, gentle, and usually a force for good. There are some gentle swipes against “yuppies” and the “regentrification” of rundown urban areas. I enjoyed reading these stories. (Warning: Two stories had heroines recovering from sexual assault. (view spoiler)) Recommended for readers of Fantasy.
+10 Task (#10.9 mythological (specifically approved post #48 of help topic)
+05 Combo (#10.4 “underfoot”=9)
+10 Not-a-Novel: short story collections.
+10 Review
Task Total: 10 + 05 + 10 + 10 = 35
Grand Total: 855 + 35 = 890
Task 20.5 - Politics Read a non-fiction book about politics or a politician.
Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times (2005) by H.W. Brands (Hardcover, 640 pages)
Review:The author is a history professor at the University of Texas. He writes in a clear and straightforward manner, easy for the educated layman to understand the topic he is writing about. The focus of this book is the seventh President of the United States, Andrew Jackson. He begins with the emigration of Jackson’s Scots-Irish parents to the Carolina area of America and ends with his death in 1847. Most of the book focuses on Jackson’s life from his teen years (where he fought the British during the Revolutionary War), the other frontier wars he fought as a general (against the British, against the Seminoles, and against the Spanish), and his election as President in 1828. The presidential years are covered in broad strokes. Other histories are available if the reader is interested in the detailed ins and outs of Jackson’s presidency. The book ends with Jackson's death and with a summary of the divisions in America that will lead to the Civil War a few years after Jackson's death. Recommended for anyone interested in American history post-Revolution pre-Civil War.
+20 Task (#20.5 Politics)
+05 Jumbo 500-699 Pages:
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 + 05 + 10 = 35
Grand Total: 820 + 35 = 855
Task 20.6 - UnderratedRead a book published prior to 2013 that has fewer than 1000 ratings.
The Enchantment (1992) by Kristin Hannah (Goodreads Author) (Mass Market Paperback, 404 pages)
Review:This is a historical romance novel. The hero and heroine both have flaws (which is unusual in romance novels) and both are, deep inside, good, loving people (which is usual in romance novels). The reader needs to suspend disbelief some at the start of the novel, wherein the hero and the heroine begin an adventure by riding a train to Albuqueque, New Mexico, on a quest to find the ancient Native American of Cibola. The romance between the two develops nicely and the ending fits the story told. There is a hint of something that might be magic at the end (or, maybe not; reader decides!) I liked that the setting was the New Mexico desert rather than the stereotypical London ballrooms. Recommended for those who wish to read a pleasant historical romance novel.
+20 Task
+05 Combo (#10.4:11= Enchantment)
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 + 05 + 10 = 35
Grand Total: 785 + 35 = 820
Task 10.4 - 9, 10, 11: 11= Miniaturist
The Miniaturist (2014) by Jessie Burton
Review:This is a historical novel set in 1687 Amsterdam. Some goodreads shelve it as fantasy; I don’t. There’s a hint of something that maybe possibly could be a touch of magic – or not. Therefore, I consider this to be a straightforward historical novel.
The events of the novel all occur during the last few months of 1687. The writing is clear and straightforward. The characters and events are plausible for the time period. And, the conceit of a “cabinet” or dollhouse as a framing device for the story is original in a historical novel. Those are the positive aspects of the novel. Still, I wouldn’t recommend this novel to readers. Unpleasant things happen, the innocent suffer, the guilty don’t suffer. After I was done reading, I had a sour reaction to the novel, and I wished that I had spent my reading time with a different book on my TBR.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 10 + 10 = 20
Grand Total: 765 + 20 = 785
