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

Deedee’s comments from the Reading with Style group.

Task 20.1 - Shakespeare's Birthday:
Read a book by an author who was born in one century and died in the next.

William Shakespeare
Born: in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, The United Kingdom On: January 24, 1564
Died: April 23, 1616

King Lear (1605) by William Shakespeare (Paperback, 285 pages)

#10.4: Books Everyone Should Read at Least Once.
On March 20, 2014: #424

+20 Task
+10 Combo (#10.2 play, #10.4)
+10 Not-a-Novel (play)
+25 Oldies -400+ years old: 25 points (1613 and older).

Task Total: 20 + 10 + 10 + 25 = 65

Grand Total: 135 + 65 = 200

Task 20.1 - Shakespeare's Birthday:
Read a book by an author who was born in one century (1501-1600, 1701-1800, 1901-2000, etc.) and died in the next.

Mikhail Bulgakov
Born: in Kiev, Ukraine : On: May 15, 1891
Died: March 10, 1940

The White Guard (1926) by Mikhail Bulgakov; translated by Michael Gleeny

+20 Task
+10 Non-Western (born in Ukraine)
+10 Oldies -76 to 150 years old: 10 points (1864-1938)

Task Total: 20 + 10 + 10 = 40

Grand Total: 95 + 40 = 135

Task 20.8 - Spring Fling
Read a book with a title which contains a 5 (or more) letter word with only one vowel.

STILL

Deader Still (Simon Canderous #2) (2009) by Anton Strout

+20 Task

Task Total: 20

Grand Total: 75 + 20 = 95

Task 20.1 - Shakespeare's Birthday:
In honor of William Shakespeare's 450th birthday (April 2014), read a book by an author who was born in one century (1501-1600, 1701-1800, 1901-2000, etc.) and died in the next.

Knut Hamsun
Born: in Lom, Gudbrandsdal, Norway : On: August 04, 1859
Died: February 19, 1952

Hunger (1890) by Knut Hamsun; translated by Robert Bly

+20 Task
+10 Oldies -76 to 150 years old: 10 points (1864-1938)

Task Total: 20 + 10 = 30

Grand Total: 45 + 30 = 75

Task 20.8 - Spring Fling
Read a book with a title which contains a 5 (or more) letter word with only one vowel.

SMITH

Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl (Gideon Smith #1) (2013) by David Barnett

+20 Task

Task Total: 20

Grand Total: 25 + 20 = 45

Task 10.8 - War of the Roses –

B) Read a book published : 1955-1987.

The Jaguar Smile: A Nicaraguan Journey (1987) by Salman Rushdie

I don’t think he qualifies as non-western. He was born in India but is a British citizen and currently resides in America.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salman_R...

+10 Task
+10 Not-a-Novel : Non-fiction
+05 Oldies: 25 to 75 years old: 5 points (1939-1989)

Task Total: 10 + 10 + 05 = 25

Grand Total: 00 + 25 = 25

Task 20.4 - Travel

On February 26, 2014this book was #63 on the list: Favourite Travel Books.

Tracks (1980) by Robyn Davidson (Paperback, 256 pages)
Winner: 1980 Thomas Cook Travel Book Award for best literary travel writing book of the year
Review:The cover of my book states: “In April 1977, a twenty-seven-year-old woman set off to cross the rugged bush of her native Australia, accompanied only by four camels and a dog.” She published an account of her trip across the Outback in National Geographic; later, she wrote this book. She is not introspective, except to say, repeatedly, how this journey was liberating and how this journey gave her a sense of freedom. The first half of the book is about the author’s time in Alice Springs, Australia, wherein she learns about camels. The second half is about her trip. She will walk for a few days, then stop at missionary locations for a few days, and spend time with the white missionaries and the aborigines. The photographer from National Geographic flies in, takes a car and joins her for a few days, takes photos, then leaves. There are better photos on the internet than in the copy of the book I read. (Australia’s Ayers Rock looks amazing!) Overall: book was interesting and different, and I learned a lot about camels!

+20 Task
+05 Combo (10.6 - debut book)
+10 Review
+05 Oldies -25 to 75 years old: 5 points (1939-1989)

Task Total: 20 +05 + 10 + 05 = 40

Grand Total: 1000 + 40 = 1040

Task 20.2 - Picaresque Read a picaresque novel from the linked list.

The Stainless Steel Rat (Stainless Steel Rat #4) (1961) by Harry Harrison
Review: The title of this novel discouraged me from reading this book for many years. It sounds like an uninspired 50s science fiction novel, maybe one where the characters are fighting the Cold War. I found it on the list of picaresque novels so I decided to give it a try. The premise: The main character is a criminal in a future society which has almost entirely wiped out crime. He steals for the satisfaction of getting away with his crime rather than for the actual riches he gains. This novel sets up the rest of the series, establishing his modus operandi, and introducing major recurring characters in his life. (Even though it is chronologically #4 of the series, it was #1 in publishing order of the series.) Overall, this novel was tall tales with science fiction trappings. Recommended for when you are in the mood for that sort of thing.

+20 Task
+05 Combo (#10.6 “Rat)
+05 Oldies -25 to 75 years old: 5 points (1939-1989)
+10 Review

Task Total: 20 + 05 + 05 + 10 = 40

Grand Total: 960 + 40 = 1000

Task 20.9 - Daytona 500:

Watermelon (1995) by Marian Keyes (Paperback, 520 pages)
Review:This chicklit book was published in 1995, a year before the iconic chicklit book Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding was published. Still, all the elements of the chicklit genre are present – the focus is on the romantic life of our heroine, first-person narrator Claire. You don’t read a chicklit book looking for something completely different. You do read a chicklit book for a familiar story well-done. By that standard, Watermelon is a 5 star book. The author really gets into the thoughts and feelings of our heroine as she travels the story arc of rejection, restarting, rejoicing. Wry humor is liberally sprinkled throughout the story.

Our heroine is the eldest of 5 daughters; I see on goodreads that the author has written novels about each of the 5 sisters. (Watermelon is the first of the series.)

Recommended for readers looking for a well-done chicklit novel.

+20 Task
+05 Combo (#10.6 Debut Novel)
+05 Jumbo 500-699 Pages: 5 Points
+10 Review

Task Total: 20 + 05 + 05 + 10 = 40

Grand Total: 920 + 40 = 960

Kate S wrote: "Deedee wrote: "What about authors born 1901-2000 who are still alive? Since, presumably, when the unfortunate date of their death arrives, they will have been born in one century and died in the n..."

thanks for the clarification

What about authors born 1901-2000 who are still alive? Since, presumably, when the unfortunate date of their death arrives, they will have been born in one century and died in the next. Follow on: what about authors who are alive today but pass away during the spring discussion? :0)

Task 10.8 - BINGO!
Read a book written by an author whose name contains the letters "b i n g o".

B er g str o m, Ela in e *

The Door through Washington Square (1998) by Elaine Bergstrom (Goodreads Author)
Review:This novel kept switching genres -- the reader can either appreciate the unusual combination, or get annoyed. The genres: straightforward science fiction oriented time travel, historical fiction, time travel romance with a touch of the occult.

I appreciated the novel more when I realized that a major character in the novel, Aleister Crowley, really existed, and that some of his actions in the novel were actions that he really did, thus proving once again that truth is stranger than fiction.

from Wikipedia:
[ Aleister Crowley (born Edward Alexander Crowley (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He was responsible for founding the religion and philosophy of Thelema, in which role he identified himself as the prophet entrusted with guiding humanity into the Aeon of Horus in the early 20th century. ]

Of course, the real-life Aleister Crowley did not have the success with his occult practices that the novel’s Aleister Crowley did.

Overall, I liked the novel. Recommended for when you are in the mood for a fantastical – historical - occult novel with a touch of romance.

+10 Task
+05 Combo (#10.5 Goodreads Author)
+ 10 Review

Task Total: 10 + 05 + 10 = 25

Grand Total: 895 + 25 = 920

Task 10.6 - Beginnings/Endings:

This was the author’s debut novel. See:
http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?3633

Lady in Gil (Gil Trilogy #1) (1996) by Rebecca Bradley
Review:This novel was the first one of a fantasy trilogy. It’s a very familiar story, with the hero being simultaneously a member of royalty and also in possession of real but difficult to access extranormal powers. He is a member of a community that fled the homeland 70 years ago when the conquerors came. He is trained by his community-in-exile to return to their homeland and to overthrow the sadistic, militaristic group that rules the homeland now. He does what is expected of him; doubts come much later. The novel is a pleasant ride through a pseudo-medieval fantasyland. I thought the ending was just plain silly (won’t spoil it by telling you how). It did have the advantage of having a well-defined ending, with all major plotlines resolved. Number two of the trilogy occurs several years after the end of Novel one, starring some of the same characters, now older & (hopefully) wiser.

George R R Martin ‘s novel A Game of Thrones was published the same year as this one and really transformed the genre. Martin is brutal towards his characters (see: The Red Wedding in A Storm of Swords). While reading Lady in Gil novel, I’d think: Tig & Calla & Angel (characters in Lady in Gil) would not have survived their mistakes if they were in Martin's Westeros! While Tig & Calla & Angel’s continued survival was comforting, it also gave the novel a dated feel.

Recommended as a comfort read for fans of fantasy.

+10 Task
+10 Review

Task Total: 10 + 10 = 20

Grand Total: 875 + 20 = 895

Task 20.1 - 1964: Read a book by an author born in 1964.
Banana Yoshimoto

Asleep (1989) by Banana Yoshimoto; translated by Michael Emmerich (Hardcover, 177 pages)
Review:This book consists of three novellas, all written by Banana Yoshimoto. She has a sparse style, focusing on the essentials (like emotions) and ignoring the non-essentials (like descriptions of the physical – character appearances and surroundings). The novellas are thematically linked. Every novella concerns a 20ish Japanese woman who is grieving the death of someone she cared about; every novella features a doomed romance. The third story, Asleep, describes how someone who is very depressed might see the world.

It would be interesting to read a Banana Yoshimoto story that reflected one of the various physical disasters Japan has undergone since this book was published (earthquake, terrorist attack, nuclear power station meltdown).

My overall reaction to the novellas: well-written but depressing. Recommended for readers of literary fiction.

+20 Task Total
+05 Oldies -25 to 75 years old: 5 points (1939-1989)
+10 Not-a-Novel (10 points):
+10 Review

Task Total: 20 + 05 + 10 + 10 = 45

Grand Total: 830 + 45 = 875

Task 15.5 - Travel the Pacific Rim - "Seafarer"
Fifth Stop

Japan
A/ Author born in Japan
B/ Author's nationality is Japanese
C/ Stories are set in Japan

after the quake: Stories (2000) by Haruki Murakami

+15 Task
+10 Bonus

Task Total: 15 + 10 = 25

Grand Total: 805 + 25 = 830

Task 15.4 - Travel the Pacific Rim - "Seafarer"
Fourth Stop

China
A/ Author born in Liaoning, China
C/ Novel set in China

Waiting (1999) by Ha Jin

+15 Task
+10 Bonus

Task Total: 15 + 10 = 25

Grand Total: 780 + 25 = 805

Task 10.6 - Beginnings/Endings: Read an author's most recently published book as of December 1, 2013.

Published on November 5, 2013.

Burning Paradise (2013) by Robert Charles Wilson (Hardcover, 320 pages)
Review: This is an alternative history / science fiction novel. It reads like a mainstream novel, with our 18 year old heroine, recently graduated from high school, planning her future education. The reader quickly realizes that this is NOT today’s world, but instead, an alternate world. The wars –World War II, Korea, and Vietnam – didn't happen. Additionally, people talk about “the massacres of 2007” in the same way we speak about “the events of September 11”. When a character bleeds green blood, the reader says: yep, this is science fiction. I liked this novel because the characters seem real, their reactions to the science fiction events around them seem real, and because the novel is self-consistent (that is, it sets up the rules for this world, and then adheres to those rules).

Recommended for science fiction fans.

+10 Task
+ 10 Review

Task Total: 10 + 10 = 20

Grand Total: 760 + 20 = 780

Task 10.8 - BINGO!
Read a book that has the letters "b i n g o" in the title and the original subtitle.

Lea g ue of De ni al: The NFL, C o ncussions and the B attle for Truth

League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth (2013) by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru
Review:Two ESPN journalists researched and wrote this book about professional football player’s brain damage. The book is half telling the lifestory of a few players, and the rest describing what various neurologists have said and what the NFL has done. The authors have included extensive and helpful source notes for all major statements in the book. The short version: repeated small (and not so small) concussions professional football players experience over the course of their career resulted in permanent, irreversible brain damage. Nobody financially dependent on the pro-football wanted this to be true; so, when the data showing the brain damage was uncovered by neurologists, the industry in general (and the NFL specifically) went into “denial”, and disputed and minimized the results. Over time, the football industry has come to acknowledge the damage to the players’ brains. As of the book’s publication in 2013, the league is changing its policies as regards to player concussions and as regards to retired players’ pensions and healthcare.

Recommended to those interested in American football; American labor relations; and (layman level) neurology.

+10 Task
+05 Combo (#10.6 author's most recently published book)
+10 Not-a-Novel
+10 Review

Task Total: 10 + 05 + 10 + 10 = 35

Grand Total: 725 + 35 = 760

Liz M wrote: "Karen GHHS wrote: "This looks like a good historical fiction award:"

It does look good. In my searching I was surprised at how few awards there are for Historical Fiction, when there are dozens a..."

http://www.sfadb.com/ is the best database for Science Fiction/Fantasy awards that I've found! I like that they organize by awards, by authors, and include shortlists whenever possible.

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/ does the same thing for mysteries that http://www.sfadb.com/ does for Science Fiction/Fantasy.

I like making lists so I make one whenever I find new prize.

Task 10.6 - Beginnings/Endings:

Debut novel and winner of the Locus Award for Best First Novel (1990).

Orbital Decay (Near Space #1) (1989) by Allen Steele (Paperback, 324 pages)
Review:This book was published in 1989. It is set in 2014 – a “near future” science fiction novel. The style of this novel is in the tradition of the best science fiction from the 1940s and 50s. Steele is optimistic about the future of the Space Program. The shuttles have expanded operation:
p. 105: "....but once the number of flight-worthy shuttles topped a dozen and the launches became scheduled on a weekly basis ..."
Governments and private corporations are finding new uses for the various Space Stations, both economic and strategic. A sub-plot is ripped from the 2013/2014 headlines, as it involves an initative by the NSA to capture and monitor all telephone communications on Earth. The justification: to avert acts of terror against governments and corporations. The heroes of this novel are the men (no women) who build and operate the space stations.

Overall, I really liked this one, and I’m going to track down the author’s other novels.

Recommended for fans of science fiction.

+10 Task
+05 Oldies -25 to 75 years old: 5 points (1939-1989)
+10 Review

Task Total: 10 + 05 + 10 = 25

Grand Total: 700 + 25 = 725