Connie ’s
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(group member since Nov 11, 2013)
Connie ’s
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from the Reading with Style group.
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20.8 TravelPictures from Italy by Charles Dickens
The family of Charles Dickens traveled from England, through France, to Italy in 1844. They made beautiful Genoa their home base while they made side trips to areas of interest in Italy. Then they visited Switzerland on their return trip to England. Dickens sent letters home with his personal impressions of each site visited. He used that information to publish a series of eight "Traveling Letters" in the Daily News. These articles were gathered together in "Pictures from Italy" in 1846. Dickens also used his experiences from this trip to set some of the scenes in "The Chimes" and "Little Dorrit."
The book tells about Dickens' personal reactions to the Italian people, the culture, and the beauty of the places he visited. He was enchanted by Venice, and described it as a dream. He enjoyed the history surrounding the Colosseum and ruins, but was not impressed by the religious rituals during Holy Week in Rome. An especially exciting part of the book told of his visit to Mount Vesuvius where he climbed to the rim of the active volcano before sliding down the slippery lava with his clothes singed. Traveling through the snowy Alps with a coach and horses over the winding mountain roads also had elements of danger.
Italy had not yet experienced the Industrial Revolution in 1844, so the Dickens passed through towns where farming, making wine, fishing, mining, hospitality, and selling merchandise were the principle occupations. Churches had a prominent place in every town. He mentioned the poverty and the presence of beggars in some areas.
My father had been in Europe with the US Army doing radio work during World War II. Fifty years ago, he wanted to revisit some of the charming places he had enjoyed. He took our family on a trip to Paris, Munich, and Vienna. We also enjoyed some side trips, including some in northern Italy. My father drove a VW bus through the mountainous Alps, and we hoped he had good health and the vehicle had good brakes as we circled the down the mountains! I found extra pleasure reading Dickens' account of his trip since we had several stops in common. "Pictures from Italy" brought back many pleasant memories. Now is the perfect time to do some traveling through our reading!
+20 task
+5 combo 20.7 Lifetime (pub 1846)
+10 review
Task total: 35
Season total: 255
10.3 WinterThree to Kill by Jean-Patrick Manchette
Good Samaritan Georges Gerfaut received no thanks for bringing an accident victim to the hospital. It was found that the victim had been shot before he crashed the car, and Georges was a possible witness. The killers now had Georges in their sights. After several attempts on his life, Georges goes on the run. He wants to find out who and why these hit-men are trying to kill him, and eliminate them first. Georges is also a man stuck in a rut in a bland life. He recharges himself while he is in hiding, rises to the challenge when he is in danger, and does not hesitate to use vigilante justice.
Although Jean-Patrick Manchette uses a spare writing style, he gives a vivid picture of Georges. He is a middle manager salesman who likes to knock back Cutty Sark, smoke Gitanes, drive expensive fast cars, listen to jazz, and has left political leanings. Georges resembles his creator quite a bit. This is a fast-paced, noir mystery with lots of suspense and black humor packed into 134 pages. The translator, Donald Nicholson-Smith, did a great job too.
+10 task
+10 LiT (translated from French)
+10 review
Task total: 30
Season total: 220
20.2 JazzMiss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
"Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" is a humorous 1938 novel about second chances. Guinevere Pettigrew is a destitute governess in her 40s who was sent by her employment agency to interview for a job. The agency had mixed up their clients, and they sent her to Delysia LaFosse who was in need of a maid. When Miss Pettigrew arrives, Delysia is frantic because she has to get rid of one lover before another arrives. Miss Pettigrew, who usually is very straitlaced, tells one little lie after another, getting Delysia out of tough situations. By the end of the day, Miss Pettigrew learns how to have fun, and she acts as a good influence on Delysia.
Many British men were killed during World War I so there were extra women in that generation. The women ended up working as servants and governesses when they often would have loved to be married with a family. Miss Pettigrew was in that situation and did not enjoy her work.
The story is fun and frothy with the dialogue reminding me of a 1930s black and white romantic comedy film. Unfortunately, there were several anti-Semitic remarks in the dialogue. Overall, the book is pure escapism for when you want a dose of humor. Persephone re-released the book, and a film was made in 2008.
+20 task (set in 1930s)
+10 review
Task total: 30
Season total: 190
Happy New Year!
10.4 ValentineCareful What You Wish For by Hallie Ephron
Emily recently became a professional organizer, inspired by Marie Kondo's "does an item spark joy" way of uncluttering. But her own home is filled with her husband's "finds." Going to yard sales is his favorite form of recreation.
Emily lands two new clients and soon finds herself entangled in their messes--and their illegal activities. She has no idea who she can trust when people make "things" more important than relationships. This story has lots of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. "Careful What You Wish For" had a likable heroine, an original situation, and good storytelling.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Season total: 160
10.2 ChristmasA Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
"A Christmas Carol" is one of Charles Dickens' most beloved works. It has a timeless message for us to keep the spirit of Christmas in our lives through kindness and generosity. The story shows that anyone, including the miser Ebenezer Scrooge, has the ability to change their behavior and empathize with others. "A Christmas Carol" is an atmospheric morality tale with four phantoms helping Scrooge realize what is important in life. Dickens' story can be enjoyed as a book, a stage production, or a film. It's a story that should not be missed!
+10 task
+10 combo 10.4 Valentine's; 20.7 Lifetime (1843)
+10 review
+ 5 prizeworthy Audie Award for Classic 2005
Task total: 35
Season total: 140
15.3 Name of the GameMystery in White by J. Jefferson Farjeon
Square 4E-Letter D-Double trouble
Square 5C-Letter I-Title Word "in"
Square 6E-Letter N-New to you author
Word: DIN
+15 task
+ 5 pub before 1996 (1937)
Task total: 20
Season total: 105
15.2 The Name of the GameRaven Black by Ann Cleeves
Square 7B-Letter G-Author's name has no letter G
Square 2B-Letter E-Author's name with 2 or more E's
Square 10C-Letter T-MPG: Thriller
Word: GET
Task total: 15
Season total: 85
20.7 LifetimeThe Chimes by Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens' holiday story of 1844 featured a New Years setting. The chimes of a church in Genoa inspired him to write a story about a poor working class man, Trotty Veck. Politicians have Trotty convinced that the poor cannot do right, and they are born bad. He climbs the bell tower where the spirits of the bells and the goblins show him visions of a possible future for his family and new friends. The visions have messages about people's lack of empathy and understanding of the challenges faced by the poor. Unfortunately, the sadness is not balanced by the occasional humor that characterizes most of Dickens' other work. "The Chimes" is a bleak story about important 19th Century social problems and unsympathetic politicians.
+20 task 1844
+ 5 combo 10.4 Valentines
+10 review
Task total: 35
Season total: 70
15.1 The Name of the GameThe Memory of Old Jack by Wendell Berry
Square 8B - Letter W - Author's name begins with W
Square 11B - Letter H - Historical fiction
Square 14C - Letter Y - Author's name ends in Y
Word: WHY
Task total: 15
Season total: 35
10.4 ValentineThe Recipe Box by Viola Shipman
"The smells of cinnamon, nutmeg, and apples baking in the oven, the taste of a homemade crust or streusel topping . . . those trigger memories of your mom and grandma baking in the kitchen, of the holidays, of summers at a beloved cabin. They remind us of a time when we were safe, warm, and loved."
Sam Mullins spent her childhood living in northern Michigan where her family owned an orchard and pie shop. The business had been in the family for generations, and recipes were passed down to the daughters on their thirteenth birthdays. After training as a pastry chef and working in New York City, Sam was at a crossroads. Should she return to her roots and the family business?
The recipes for apple and berry desserts that were sprinkled throughout the story sounded delicious. Vivid descriptions of Michigan brought back childhood memories of visiting with relatives who had a cottage close to beautiful Lake Michigan. While the ideas of family love and traditions are heartwarming, the story itself was overly sweet and sugary. Readers who love baking or watching Hallmark movies would especially enjoy this book.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Season total: 20
Congratulations, Mary! Enjoy the gift card!
Possible Choices:10.1 Square Peg
10.2 Christmas (I Only Watched the Movie List)
✓ A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
10.3 Winter (First Name D, J, F)
✓ Three to Kill by Jean-Patrick Manchette
✓ Afterlife by Julia Alvarez
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson
The Trick is to Keep Breathing by Janice Galloway
10.4 Valentine (Title CHERUBS)
✓ The Recipe Box by Viola Shipman
✓ Careful What You Wish For by Hallie Ephron
✓ The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate
✓ Bride of the Sea by Eman Quotah
✓ The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld
The Exile of Sara Stevenson by Darci Hannah
10.5 Author (A main character is an author/writer)
The Master by Colm Tóibín
Vanessa and Her Sister by Priya Parmar
A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
10.6 Notable (NYT Notable Book Lists)
Old Filth by Jane Gardam
So many more!
10.7 La Nina (Weather)
In Cold Pursuit: A Mystery from the Last Continent by Sarah Andrews
Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson
A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson
10.8 Lunar (Pub 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021)
✓ A Gracious Plenty by Sheri Reynolds 1997
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham 1925
✓ Nick by Michael Farris Smith 2021
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk 2009 translated
✓ A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders 2021
10.9 The Fifth Season (Speculative Fiction by Authors of Color)
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
10.10 Group Read
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
20.1 Black History Month (List)
The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride
20.2 Jazz (Set 1920s, 1930s)
✓ Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson 1938
20.3 Post Modern (List of Writers)
✓ Tracks by Louise Erdrich
Margaret Atwood
The Sea by John Banville
Louis de Bernières
I Am the Clay by Chaim Potok
Graham Swift
20.4 Science
✓ Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake 579.5
20.5 Africa (List)
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey
20.6 Caribbean
The White Woman on the Green Bicycle by Monique Roffey (Trinidad)
20.7 Lifetime (Pub 1825-1900)
The Circular Study by Anna Katharine Green 1900
✓ The Chimes by Charles Dickens 1844
20.8 Travel (MPG of Travel)
✓ The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd
The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert Macfarlane
✓ Pictures from Italy by Charles Dickens
20.9 Nieces (Books about Books >60x)
The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
Books for Living by Will Schwalbe
20.10 Grand Master (Mystery Writers of America Award)
Beast In View by Margaret Millar
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Oh, very good. And I'll spend some time in that thread.When we brainstorm for a season, there are multiple times possible tasks. One of the ideas this time that didn't make the cut was for [autho..."
I enjoyed [book:The Translator|107824] which was set half in Aberdeen, and half in Sudan.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Connie - I see that you have a Scotland goal. If this has been ongoing, I wasn't aware of it. How have you gone about this? Do you just need to touch a county, or do you require a majority in the s..."Elizabeth, I've been doing a challenge for a few years reading through the historic counties of the UK. I've finished England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. I'm still working on Scotland, and have some of the more rural historic counties left. It's one of the challenges in the "Around the World in 80 Books" group. Usually I try to find a book where the majority of the book is set in a county, but there are a few places where that's not possible. Scotland is known for its mystery books so I'll be using some Scottish books for our mystery challenge here. But I'm also adding in some classics such as reading "Macbeth" yesterday (and viewing one of his castles online.)
This is the link if you want to check out some books set in Scotland or the rest of the UK. Diane set up county book lists too. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
20.3 ProlificMacbeth by William Shakespeare
+20 task
+10 combo 10.3 Single; 10.4 Pilgrim
+10 not a novel (play)
+25 oldie (1606)
Task total: 65
Season total: 1500
20.3 ProlificFools' Gold by Dolores Hitchens
Wine: "By now his dad should be asleep, fogged out on wine, but his mother might be up."
Two guys recently out of juvenile detention are looking at nothing but dead ends since they have prison records. Karen, an innocent orphan girl, hears about a stash of money being kept at her guardian's home by a big man from Vegas. The two inexperienced guys plan a heist, but things get complicated when some older thieves also get involved. Everything that could possibly go wrong happens in a series of twists and turns.
Even though the teenagers are planning a crime, the book is written in a way so the reader also has some empathy for them. You start thinking of them as clueless teenagers with the cards of life stacked against them. Eddie, a half-Mexican boy with an alcoholic father and an unhealthy mother, has a softer side even as he follows the lead of his friend Skip. Karen is confused and looking for love. Except for an ex-con uncle, Skip's family is no longer in his life.
This book is the inspiration for the 1964 French film by Jean-Luc Godard, "Band of Outsiders." I haven't seen the film, but the book, "Fools' Gold," is well written with interesting characters.
+20 task
+10 combo 10.9 Autumn Leaves (gold); 20.5 Wine
+ 5 oldie 1958
+10 review
Task total: 45
Season total: 1435
10.2 ScrabbleEllie and the Harpmaker by Hazel Prior
Scrabble: EATHHP Word: EAT
"Ellie and the Harpmaker" is the charming debut novel of Hazel Prior, a professional harpist. Ellie, the wife of a controlling man, comes upon an isolated workshop when she's out walking. She meets Dan who makes beautiful Celtic harps. Ellie has a list of things she wants to do before she turns 40, and learning to play the harp is among her wishes. Although it is not spelled out, Dan seems to have autistic tendencies, feels uncomfortable in social situations, and loves the world of nature.
As their friendship grows, Ellie appreciates having music and simple pleasures in her life. Both Ellie and Dan are lonely people who need someone with sensitivity in their lives. Ellie is always on edge since her husband is emotionally abusive. Someone is hiding an important secret from Dan.
This was a heartwarming story with lyrical descriptions of harps and nature in the Exmoor countryside. It's a lovely book to pick up when you want to relax with a "feel good" read.
+10 task
+ 5 combo 10.8 Jetsetters (England, Italy, Thailand)
+10 review
Task total: 25
Season total: 1390
Sharon, I haven't read The Canterville Ghost yet. I should pick it up since I loved Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. Thanks for the recommendation.
