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

Joanna’s comments from the Reading with Style group.

10.9 Mythological

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Review:
I should have read the hard copy rather than listen to the author narrate this book. She was a terrible choice for narrator - her slightly southern, female voice was completely wrong for the first-person narration of this book.

Aside from the narration quality, I really enjoyed the book. The pacing was excellent and the characters were sufficiently interesting to hold my attention throughout a long book. I liked this so much better than The Goldfinch. The characters are pretentious, hateful, snobby, immoral, and annoying. And yet, I found myself liking them anyway. Sympathizing even. The plot is sort of silly and there's no whodunnit to the mystery. Yet it's surprisingly suspenseful.

I'm glad that I finally was talked into reading this by the folks at my bookclub who all said it was better than The Goldfinch.

+10 Task (approved in help thread)
+10 Review
+5 Jumbo

Task total: 25
Grand total: 465

20.3 Thieves and Mysteries

The Cat Who Tailed a Thief by Lilian Jackson Braun

Review:
I remember reading one of these "cat who" books a long time ago. But in my memory, the book included at least some amount of story that was actually told from the cat's perspective. And it was set in a big city (Chicago?). So maybe it wasn't even one of these books but some other cat-mystery-solving book. Maybe it was even a parody of these books. In any event, I was expecting something totally different from this book. This book is mostly a small town story - gossip about the local folks as they get together for bridge or coffee or lunch; descriptions of the Christmas presents they are exchanging. In the background, there's also a moderately interesting mystery that the cat seems to have an uncanny interest in. I liked the book fine, but can't imagine wanting to read enough about these characters to read the whole series. Maybe if I'd started at the beginning and grown with these characters as they developed, I'd be more invested in them. The narrator did a fine job; I always enjoy Guidall's narration.

+20 Task
+10 Review

Task total: 30
Grand total: 440

20.8 Middle East

Hatchepsut: The Female Pharaoh by Joyce A. Tyldesley

Review:
A fascinating, academic biography of Hatchepsut. The book starts with enough general information about the time period and the other Egyptian rulers that I was able to understand the context. This book does an excellent job telling both the story of the archaeological evidence (such as it is) as well as the story of the history of scholars and their own biases that affected their interpretations of the evidence. Hatchepsut is a tantalizing figure. How did this woman become not just a queen, but a king? What was her relationship to her step-son who became the next Pharaoh? Did she have a romance with her architect. Because her history was attacked and largely obscured in antiquity for unknown reasons, likely, though not necessarily, because she was a woman who took the (male) role of King, we don't have clear answers.

+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 Not-a-novel (nonfiction)
+15 Combo (10.4, 20.5, 20.6)

Task total: 55
Grand total: 410

I'm on track to finish RwS tasks this season, but that's partly because I decided not to do the subchallenge at all this season. I started a new job in July and it's taking extra time and head space this season.

10.8 Comfort Reads

Lock In by John Scalzi

Review:

I really enjoyed the world building in this book. The premise is a good one: a disease that causes a certain percentage of its victims to experience "lock in" where they have full consciousness but no ability to control their bodies. Because of the high profile nature of the disease, lots of money is dumped into R&D and technology is created to allow the sufferers to participate in a virtual reality and to interact with the physical world through "threeps" or robotic bodies. Scalzi does a great job exploring the social, political, and emotional ramifications of this premise. The actual plot of the book is a little thin, involving an FBI investigation and political intrigue. But the writing is so enjoyable and the world so interesting that I fully enjoyed the story.

I listened to the Wil Wheaton narration, but I also got a copy of the book narrated by Amber Benson and I think I'll listen to that one for the contrast of hearing the narrator as a female instead of as a male.

+10 Task (previously rated Old Man's War 5 stars)
+10 Review

Task total: 20
Grand total: 355

10.10 Group Reads

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Review:
I listened to the audiobook version of this in the car with my five-year-old. We'd already read the book at bedtime, so he was familiar with the story and enjoyed hearing it read again. I have fond memories of watching the movie and am looking forward to watching it with my son now that we've finished another reading of the book. I had forgotten the ways that the book differed from the movie, so it was fun for me to revisit this story in this format. Compelling, engrossing, a bit violent but in ways that didn't overly scare my kid, and fun. Recommended reading for those who forgot the book or never read this as a child.

+10 Task
+10 Review
+5 Combo (10.4)
+10 Oldies

Task total: 35
Grand total: 335

20.1 19th Century

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson

Review:
Scott Brick is one of my favorite narrators. He does a great job with everything he reads and this book is no exception. This book tells two basically unrelated stories: a serial killer who was in Chicago at the time and the story of the building and running of the World's Fair of 1893. I loved the way these two stories were told in parallel and found much of the story fascinating. I knew little about the Fair, little about the time period, and nothing about the murders. The writing is a little dramatic for nonfiction, but I didn't find it overly distracting. Highly recommended, especially in audio format.

+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 Not-a-novel (nonfiction)

Task total: 40
Grand total: 300

20.2 Birthplace

Ends and Odds by Samuel Beckett

Review:
Samuel Beckett's work is always postmodern and strange. This book contains nine short pieces, two of which were radio programs rather than stage shows. I did find a video of "Not I" on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4LDw...). I can only imagine what the audience felt seeing this performance when they didn't know what to expect. I also watched a production of "Rough for Theatre I" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjPqu.... It's great to see performances of these pieces after having read them. Especially the performance of "Not I" really brings the words on the page to life and shows just how powerful this play is. I don't read many plays, but I'm really glad I found this collection of less-known short works. Very interesting stuff.

+20 Task (b. Ireland)
+10 Review
+10 Not-a-novel (plays)
+5 Combo (20.6 Underrated)
+5 Oldies (1976)

Task total: 50
Grand total: 260

10.6 Short Stuff

Drown by Junot Díaz

Review:

I can see why Diaz has become such a darling of literary circles. His stories are rippling with complex characters, describing clearly and authentically the lives of people who are rarely the focus of literary work. His characters are immigrants facing culture shift, anonymity, and overwork. But these are ultimately hopeful stories. Unlike in some collections about the downtrodden, these characters have not given up. They continue to believe there's something worth living for; something worth striving for. They go after success, however shimmery and elusive, with their whole being. The recurrent themes of fatherlessness, absent relatives, family, and culture run through all of these stories. A wonderful collection.

+10 Task
+10 Review
+10 Not-a-novel (short stories)

Task total: 30
Grand total: 210

Katy wrote: "10.8 Comfort Read

Lock In by John Scalzi

Full disclosure: I just went to see John Scalzi on his book tour for this book and loved hearing him, so my good opinion of ..."

This is also my planned Comfort Read. I preordered it from audible, so actually have two different narrators to choose from - one a woman and one a man. Reviewers report that having the different narrators changed their perception of the main character. Thanks for the good review.

10.7 Honored Authors

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Review:
Wonderfully creepy, but not a compelling audiobook. The recording had gonging creepy music separating the sections which just seemed silly rather than adding to the atmosphere. The reader also had a tendency to use a whisper to read certain sections which had the effect of making it hard to hear rather than increasingly creepy.

Overall, I enjoyed the atmosphere of the book and the untold but lurking darkness. The ability to create the house as a character without need for comprehensive explanation was excellent and well-done. The addition of comic characters like Mrs. Montague and the cook seemed unnecessary and unhelpful.

+10 Task
+10 Review
+15 Combo (10.2, 20.7, 20.9 - b. 1916)
+5 Oldies (pub. 1959)

Task total: 40
Grand total: 180

It seems I'm reading a lot of Square Pegs this season.

In Post 101, I posted a Square Peg. I'd like to replace that post with this one:

Learning to Lead: What Really Works for Women in Law by Gindi Eckel Vincent

Review:
A very interesting and not too long book that attempts to collect leadership advice for women and make it specifically applicable to women lawyers. The book contains an overview of some leadership goals, as well as advice on individual goal setting and career planning, then covers interviews with successful women lawyers and some helpful practical advice portions for individual cases. Overall, I didn't find anything particularly new here, but it's still nice to read a short and targeted book like this one. I especially appreciated the reminder that identifying the needed networks and skills for future desired jobs is something that can and should be actively pursued rather than expecting that the skills will just naturally accumulate. This book obviously has a limited audience, but I recommend it to women lawyers.

+10 Task
+10 Review
+10 Not-a-novel

Task total: 30
Grand total: 110 - 20 + 30 = 120

20.6 Underrated

Toddler: Real-Life Stories of Those Fickle, Irrational, Urgent, Tiny People We Love by Jennifer Margulis

Review:
An enjoyable collection of short pieces by parents of toddlers. The themes and backgrounds varied, which made the book fun to read and less repetitive than it might otherwise have been. I think the book's appeal will be limited to parents who either have toddlers now or are well past the toddler stage and ready to look back fondly on those years. A few of the essays were quite moving; most were more mundane, but resonated enough to make me smile or laugh or groan. I've been meaning to read this one for quite some time. I'm glad I managed to get to it while my little one is still in this fickle, irrational, urgent age.

+20 Task (54 ratings)
+10 Review
+5 Combo (10.4 - irrational)

Task total: 35
Grand total: 110

10.3 Lief Erikson

Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson

Review:
This is a manly book. Or a book about men. Or about a man. The book is a fast read and the reader is immediately drawn into the story of a 67 year old man who has sought out solitude and is reflecting back on his life and particularly on his coming of age summer with his father out at a summer house in a rural area. The women who appear in the book (infrequently) do not ever assume fully realized personalities; they are only there for their effect on the main character. But this is lovely rather than grating as the whole book is there to tell the story of the one man and the way that certain past experiences shaped his life. This book is deserving of the high praise it has received. Highly recommended.

+10 Task
+10 Review

Task total: 20
Grand total: 75

20.10 Higher Education

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

Review:
I'm so glad to have read this book. This is probably the most convincing book of Christian faith that I've ever read. The author describes in plain and straightforward language her faith and the way that her faith colors her view of the world and her interpretation of nearly every circumstance. She doesn't shy away from noting her own doubts about the faith and accompanying worldview, then describes how, for her, faith was reinforced. While I don't share her beliefs, I found them genuinely moving and the telling of her story both harrowing and strangely optimistic. Absolutely compelling and highly recommended for anyone interested in either a spiritual book or an interesting perspective on WWII.

+20 Task
+10 Review
+5 Oldies (1971)

Task total: 35
Grand total: 55

10.1 Square Peg

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

This was the choice of my book club for September. While I enjoyed the story from a purely plotting perspective, overall the book didn't capture me. I felt that the characters were largely annoying, the coincidences too often a driver of the plot, and the symbolism too heavy. Many in my club adored the book though, so perhaps I'm just too serious or expect to much from what was, at heart, a light book.

The book traces three families, tied together by myriad coincidences and relationships. The book tries to ask hard moral questions: if you found a letter addressed to you from your husband marked to be opened only after his death, would you open it? What responsibility do you owe to your family? To society? Can sins ever be forgiven? What would you do for freedom?

It's hard to discuss the details of my objections without spoiling the plot, which doesn't seem nice since this book is all plot. So I'll just leave it by saying that I'm not sorry I read this book, but I'm not sure I'll be rushing to find more by this author.

+10 Task
+10 Review

Task total: 20
Grand total: 20

Will The Secret History work here?

See: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013... (#2)

Does this include all the different lists (ie all 264)?

15.10 AtA
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

Task total: 30
Completion bonus: 100
Grand total: 725

10.5 Sounds of Summer

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

+10 Task
+10 Combo (10.2 - 5-stars by Cindi Harp; 10.9)

Task total: 20
Grand total: 595