Joanna’s Comments (group member since Nov 17, 2010)

Joanna’s comments from the Reading with Style group.

Okay, I've updated the spreadsheet with my two recent books and adding the one Deedee is currently reading as a planned book.

For the 5 line, all we need is a 10.2 book. Looks like Sam is working on something for that.

For the O line, I'm working on Cloudstreet, which gives us an award. Does anyone else have an award book planned? I've got Swamplandia! for 10.8, but I may not get to it in time since it'll be after Cloudstreet.

20.8 Kotick

The Home and the World by Rabindranath Tagore

Review:
This book resonated deeply. Though published 100 years ago, and as commentary on revolution in Bengal, the book speaks to freedom and government in a way that felt extremely relevant today. Here, characters debate whether the ends justify the means. Is it okay to lie or cheat if it's for the good of the country? For the country's people? Just who are the people who should benefit from the country anyway?

The writing style is highly philosophical. The characters engage in long descriptions of their reasoning and how they feel about this or that argument. They sometimes argue with each other in dialogue, but often just in monologue. The story is told from three first-person perspectives -- two parties to an arranged marriage and a hanger-on of the husband turned revolutionary.

I was so engaged with this book that I read it in two days. I think it merits rereading in a slower, more considered way, but I couldn't tear myself away from learning what would happen to these characters, particularly the young wife, Bimala.

I'm so glad this popped up on a list of books for a task in a reading challenge. I'd never have found it otherwise.

+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 LiT

Task total: 30
Grand total: 600

20.10 Metafiction

Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez

Review:
While I think the message of this book is meant to be hopeful -- even a 90 year old man can find love -- I found it depressing. The narrator here has lived an entirely unfulfilled life up until the eve of his 90th birthday. His once grand family is now down to him living out his life in crumbled glory and poverty. He had steady but ultimately average work as a columnist and journalist. He never married, always believed he was ugly, only had relations with whores--in short, he lived a daily existence that amounted to so little. I know Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez is considered one of the world's great authors, but I've never loved any of the books of his that I've read.

+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 LiT
+10 Combo (10.7 - M, 20.1)

Task total: 50
Grand total: 570

I'd like to move two books.

In post 89, I posted Dispatches for 10.10 (and in post 134 it was pointed out that there is a combo with 10.6). I'd like to switch this one to 10.6. No change in points.

In post 381, I posted A God in Ruins for 20.10. I'd like to switch this one to 10.10. -10 points.

Switch total: -10
Grand total: 520

10.4 Mod Task

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Review:
I really enjoyed this book. I got completely caught up in the story and did not predict the ending at all. The tone is breezy and light, but the subject matter here ranges across parenting, bullying, domestic violence, and friendship. The book deftly handles the subject in a way that didn't feel heavy handed but was also not completely flippant. I'm really glad that my book club picked this one because I think it'll make a great discussion point and I probably wouldn't have read it on my own. The same book club previously read The Husband's Secret by the same author and I liked that one much less than this one.

The reader for the audiobook did a fantastic job bringing the story to life. Her accent was lovely and she was able to really capture some of the voices, particularly when reading the Greek-chorus like asides that appeared between chapters.

+10 Task
+10 Review
+5 Combo (20.4 - Australia)

Task total: 25
Grand total: 530

15.4 Time Traveler
Pub. 2001

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

+15 task
+ 5 jumbo

Task total: 20
Grand total: 505

10.3 Holiday

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Lexile: 850

Review:
I did not really know what this book was about, just that the was a lot of hype and a recent movie. I found the book relatively predictable, bit still rather enjoyable. The parents of the narrator came through as fully credible characters, something not always well done in young adult books.

The book toys with emotions in a pretty serious way, but since it only took me two days to read, I'm willing to forgive this. I think this would be a really helpful book for a teen who had a friend diagnosed with cancer.

The narrator for the audiobook did a nice job bringing the story alive.

+10 task
+10 review

Task total: 20
Grand total: 485

20.10 Metafiction

A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson

Review:
Read this in print; do not listen to the audiobook. The constantly changing time and place is impossible to follow as an audio. I am not sure how much better it would be in print, but it has to be better than the mess that was the audio version.

I adored the ending to this book and I like some of the characters and found the ones interesting to read, so I was willing to finish this, but only barely. I loved Life After Life, so had been really looking forward to this. The author's note at the end was also quite interesting and helped explain the vision of the book even though I found that the book did not fulfill the author's vision.

+ 20 task
+ 10 review
+ 5 combo (10.10)

Task total: 35
Grand total: 465

20.7 U.S.

A Far Cry from Kensington by Muriel Spark

Review:
This is the second Muriel Spark book I've read (the other is The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie). I loved Miss Jean Brodie, so came to this with high expectations. While I did not love this nearly much, the book really demonstrates the range of this author. The books are basically completely different from one another, yet the acerbic wit some through as a common thread.

Here we find a fabulous narrator, Mrs. Hawkins. She tells us of the strange crowd around her in a rooming house and in her jobs in publishing. Mix in some mystery and intrigue, a touch of romance, and end up with a thoroughly enjoyable read.

+ 20 task (MS)
+ 10 review
+ 10 combo (10.10, 20.5)

Task total: 40
Grand total: 430

For the B line, we need something from Deedee because any bingo had to have something from everyone. Any chance you could post a review for one of your books?

I've now also finished A God in Ruins. I've tried to update the spreadsheet, but I'm on my phone, so if I screwed it up, could someone please fix it for me?

I just finished A Far Cry from Kensington for the group read square.

Thanks, that's exactly what I was asking.

Can a book be moved from one bingo square to another?

15.3 5YTS
Time Traveler

Girlbomb: A Halfway Homeless Memoir by Janice Erlbaum
Published 2006

+15 Task
+5 Nonfiction

Task total: 20
Grand total: 390

10.2 Picador/Virago

The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood

Review:
I had a lot of fun listening to this book. It's best read as a satirical dystopia, not to be taken fully seriously, but the dark side hits right in the gut. I loved the images of life-sized sex dolls/robots, the communities of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe impersonators (playing all roles from stage performer to nursing home entertainer to escort service). The Positron premise made little sense: a town is created with the idea that for one month half the town will be incarcerated in an upscale prison, then the next month, they'll switch with their "alternates." The idea is that this would guarantee full employment and reduce the amount of housing stock needed. So, a little bit of commentary on the prison industrial complex, but not enough to really grab me. None of the follow up questions were really explored -- instead, it's just a cover story for a dark corporate enterprise. But the prison side seemed like a strange appendage rather than a meaningful part of the enterprise.

Quibbles aside, I really enjoyed the book. And the narrators were excellent on the audiobook.

+10 Task (Virago)
+10 Review
+10 Combo (20.7 - MA, 20.10)

Task total: 30
Grand total: 370

I finished The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood, which works either for 10.2 (Virago) or 20.10 (female).

I also finished a 15 point book (Girlbomb: A Halfway Homeless Memoir). I'll post both of these shortly.

Looking at Deedee's response, what about the 5 line:

B5 (Group Reads) - Joanna (1), Rosemary (1), Sam (1)
I5 (20.10 male/female) - Deedee (male), Joanna (female)
N5 (3 15 pt.) - Joanna, Sam, Rosemary
G5 (25 Jumbo) - Joanna (10), Deedee (5), Rosemary (5)+5 more
O5 (10.2/10.3/10.4) - Rosemary or Sam (10.2), Joanna (10.3 or 10.4), Anyone have 10.3 or 10.4?

10.9 It's Personal

Winger by Andrew Smith

Review:
I didn't love this book nearly as much as I adored Grasshopper Jungle by this author, but I still really liked it. This guy can write. The characters are authentic and flawed and confused and awesome really. Ryan Dean West (i.e., the title character) is exactly how this middle-aged-lady reader remembers teenaged boys, only probably with more moral compass than most that I remember. I became emotionally invested in these characters. I was compelled by the undercurrent of violence running through the story -- I know that many boys and men that I've known feel this push to fight in a way that I've never really experienced, but I feel a little more empathetic about it after living with the characters in this book.

I'll definitely be looking for the sequel to this one.

+10 Task
+10 Review

Task total: 20
Grand total: 340

Deedee wrote: "I finished last month a book by Margaret Atwood for 10.2 -- too soon to count for this challenge -- she's an amazing author! "

I'm reading the same one as you -- The Heart Goes Last. I just started it this morning...I'm actually listening to it as an audiobook during my commute and chores and such.