Joanna’s
Comments
(group member since Nov 17, 2010)
Joanna’s
comments
from the Reading with Style group.
Showing 1-20 of 2,293
10.8 Bookshop or LibraryThe Book Censor's Library by Bothayna Al-Essa
This book finds itself in clever conversation with dystopian literature, particularly with the likes of Farenheit 451, 1984, but also, rather unexpectedly, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
I adored the conversation here about book censorship and the role of imagination. The author has some things to say about the way that stories and books shape people and society. At the same time, she's doing something clever in the structure of the book and the conversation with existing stories. I'm also intrigued by the author's personal story of running a bookstore in Kuwait, where she has personally experienced book inspectors and book banning.
I don't know that this book is marketed for a teen audience, but I think it would work really well for high school readers. I'm planning to recommend it to my eighth grade daughter. If I'd realized how much I'd like this one, I would have listened to it with her, but right now she and I are busy with When the Moon Hits Your Eye.
In any event, I highly recommend this, particularly as a companion to anyone reading 1984. The audiobook was well narrated and the book works well in that format for those that like listening to books.
+10 Task
+10 Female
+10 Review
+5 Combo (20.8)
Task total: 35
Grand total: 125
20.8 Touch of MagicSing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
I've been meaning to read something by this author for a while. And this was on the NYT top 100 books of the 21st century so far. But I didn't expect to love this. I think I expected it to be good for me. Good literary read. Instead, this book grabbed me by the throat and held me through the whole audiobook. The book translates really well to audio format and I highly recommend listening to this one. There's a sort of oral history feel here that just works well.
I love uncomfortable characters. Characters who know in the moment that they are making a bad choice, yet can't find a way not to do it. When an author captures such a moment, I find it absolutely fascinating as a reader. Leonie embodies this throughout the book. She's lacking "the mothering instinct" as one character says. She's also addicted to meth. She wants to make better choices, but somehow just can't really manage. And it's gripping and heart-wrenching to read.
I'm very impressed by this book and this author. Highly recommended.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 Female
+15 Prize-worthy (National Book Award for Fiction (2017), Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Fiction (2018), Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award (2019))
+5 Combo (10.2)
Task total: 60
Grand total: 90
Post 110:Claire wrote: "Sweet sixteen : Bingo
N4 A book with both a 1 and 6 in the number of pages in the MPE
Voordat hij doodt
Blake Pierce
15 points
Total: 325 points
📚📚📚📚📚
✔️✔️✔️..."
Unfortunately, this doesn't work for this task. The MPE is the most popular print edition in English of a book. Here, the paperback is the most popular and has 171 pages. See: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
15.1 SSBSquare B4 - title starts and ends with the same letter
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Lexile: 790
Task total: 15
Grand total: 15
Top Scoring Books:65 Points in PostNbr 12 - Finding Napoleon by Margaret Rodenberg - 30.01 (Combo 15, Female, Review)
60 Points in PostNbr 142 - Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward - 20.08 (Combo 05, Female, Prize Worthy 15, Review)
50 Points in PostNbr 22 - The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi - 20.08 (Combo 10, Female, Review)
50 Points in PostNbr 83 - Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson - 20.06 (Combo 10, Female, Review)
45 Points in PostNbr 14 - Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - 10.02 (Female, Prize Worthy 15, Review)
45 Points in PostNbr 69 - Punks: New & Selected Poems by John Keene - 20.01 (Prize Worthy 15, Review)
45 Points in PostNbr 79 - The Rock by Robert Daws - 30.01 (Combo 05, Review)
45 Points in PostNbr 134 - The Ballad of Peckham Rye by Muriel Spark - 20.02 (Combo 05, Female, Review)
40 Points in PostNbr 30 - Now in November by Josephine Winslow Johnson - 20.03 (Combo 05, Female, Prize Worthy 05)
40 Points in PostNbr 32 - The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey - 20.06 (Combo 05, Female, Prize Worthy 05)
40 Points in PostNbr 44 - Desperate Characters by Paula Fox - 20.04 (Combo 10, Female)
40 Points in PostNbr 50 - Bad Dirt by Annie Proulx - 20.04 (Female, Review)
40 Points in PostNbr 67 - Biggles' Second Case by W.E. Johns - 30.01 (Review)
40 Points in PostNbr 76 - The Housemaid by Freida McFadden - 20.06 (Combo 05, Female, Prize Worthy 05)
40 Points in PostNbr 119 - Een kalkoen, een kat en een kaassouffle by Denise Meijer - 20.01 (Combo 10, Female)
40 Points in PostNbr 126 - Dinner at the Night Library by Hika Harada - 10.08 (Combo 10, Female, Review)
40 Points in PostNbr 143 - Mischief among the Penguins by H.W. Tilman - 20.06 (Combo 10, Review)
Group Reads Leaders:Valerie 1/5 (20.0%)
Karen Michele 1/6 (16.7%)
Tien 1/6 (16.7%)
*Members with highest percentage of books earning prize-worthy points. Must have posted at least 5 RWS tasks to qualify.
Most Strategic Reader:Valerie - 31.5, for 10 Books
Connie - 30.0, for 6 Books
Norma - 27.7, for 11 Books
Marie - 26.0, for 5 Books
Coralie - 25.8, for 6 Books
Tien - 24.1, for 11 Books
Rosemary - 23.6, for 7 Books
Bucket - 23.3, for 6 Books
Apple - 22.5, for 6 Books
Claire - 22.0, for 20 Books
Karen Michele - 20.7, for 7 Books
Owlette - 20.0, for 5 Books
Denise - 18.6, for 7 Books
Readerboard to post 145:Claire - 440*
Valerie - 315*
Norma - 305
Tien - 265
Connie - 180
Rosemary - 165
Coralie - 155
Karen Michele - 145
Bucket - 140
Apple - 135
Denise - 130
Marie - 130
Elizabeth (Alaska) - 120
Owlette - 100
Joanna - 90
Katy - 80
Mary - 80
Anika - 50
Deedee - 35
Nick - 30
Joanne - 20
Jayme - 15
* At least one Bingo line finish
~ Bingo full card finish
^ Halfway finish
& Mega finish
Post 38:Norma wrote: "20.4 - Uncommon Letter
Quiet by Clarissa Bright
+20 task
+5 Combo 20.1 - 3.94/213
+5 Female
Task total: 30
Grand total: 120"
+5 extra female points
Post 26:Norma wrote: "20.1 - Happy Birthday Elizabeth
Faith by S.E. Green
+20 task - 3.81/53
+5 Female
Task total: 25
Grand total: 90"
+5 extra female points
Post 23:Norma wrote: "10.4 - Elmore Leonard
Someone Else's Daughter by Linsey Lanier
+10 task - LL
+5 Female
Task total: 15
Grand total: 65"
+5 extra female points
Post 17:Norma wrote: "20.1 - Happy Birthday Elizabeth
She Knew Too Much by Jemma Stark
+20 task - 4.31/42
+5 Female
Task total: 25
Grand total: 50"
+5 extra female points
Post 11:Norma wrote: "20.4 - Uncommon Letter
Such Quiet Girls by Noelle W. Ihli
+20 task
+5 Female
Task total: 25
Grand total: 25"
+5 -- Female style is worth 10 points, not 5
Post 5:Claire wrote: "20.4 Uncommon Letter (Fall 2017)
The Briar Club
Kate Quinn
15 points
+ 10 points female author
+5 points combo task 10.9 ( pecorino in Bea’s ragu)/
= 30 points
..."
+5 -- this is a 20 pt task, not 15
The final Summer Readerboard is now posted. Sorry for the slight delay in closing out the season!
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "B1: Neustadt International Prize winners and nomineesDo pseudonyms work for this? John Banville was a nominee in 2012, but he also writes under the name of Benjamin Black
Yes, but please give the matching name in your post.
For example:
A Death In Summer by Benjamin Black
Note: Benjamin Black is a pen name for John Banville
Here's my tentative plan, pending decisions about other tasks.B1 - equal letters first and last name
Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
B2 - 51% not in US/Canada/UK/Ireland/Australia/NZ
The Morgue Keeper by Ruyan Meng
B3 - Author's latest book
North Woods by Daniel Mason
B4 - Title starts/ends same letter
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
B5 - 1 and 6 in publication year
Rocked by Livia Grant
B1 - equal letters first and last name
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
I2 - set 200+ years before publication date
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
N3 - free
(TBD)
G4 - four word title
Because They Wanted To: Stories by Mary Gaitskill
O5 - alliterative title
Feel Free: Essays by Zadie Smith
15.24 SU 18 Listopia TagsThe Blank:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/5...
Tag - title
Book - #126
The Husbands by Chandler Baker
+15 Task
Task total: 15
Grand total: 375
15.23 SU 18 Listopia TagsCan't Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
Tag - science-fiction
Book - #8
Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher
+15 Task
Task total: 15
Grand total: 360
