Tamara’s
Comments
(group member since Mar 26, 2019)
Tamara’s
comments
from the 2025 Reading Challenge group.
Showing 221-240 of 542
Goal: 52 Books53/52. Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan.
A wonderful collection of short stories. This is the third book I've read by Claire Keegan. She has become one of my favorite authors. I can't say enough good things about the way she writes.
Goal: 10 Books by Women Authors
31/10. Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 52 Books51/52. Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy.
This is the 3rd or 4th time I've read this classic. It gets better with each reading.
Goal: 10 Classics
12/10. Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 52 Books
52/52. Summer with the Enemy by Shahla Ujayli; translated from the Arabic by Michelle Hartman.
Goal: 10 Books by Women Authors
30/10. Summer with the Enemy by Shahla Ujayli; translated from the Arabic by Michelle Hartman.
Goal: 10 Books in Translation
17/10. Summer with the Enemy by Shahla Ujayli; translated from the Arabic by Michelle Hartman.
Goal: 10 Books by Authors from the Middle East and Africa
7/10. Summer with the Enemy by Shahla Ujayli; translated from the Arabic by Michelle Hartman.
I didn't write a review for this book because it just wasn't for me.
Goal: 52 Books50/52. Butcher's Crossing by John Williams.
This is the second book I've read by John Williams. I loved it as much as I loved Stoner. Williams was such a gifted writer with a knack for getting to the heart of things in direct, clear-eyed prose.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 52 Books49/52. My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout.
I enjoyed it. But I'd heard so much about it that I think I was expecting it to be a little stronger. It ended with a lot of unanswered questions probably because it's the first in a series.
Goal: 10 Books by Women Authors
29/10. My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 52 Books48/52. Foster by Claire Keegan.
Another quiet, beautiful novel by Claire Keegan. Her novels move slowly where very little happens on the surface. I've become a big fan of her writing.
Goal: 10 Books by Women Authors
28/10. Foster by Claire Keegan.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 52 Books47/52. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol.
A funny, delightful satire about Russian society. I thought it was hilarious and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Goal: 10 Books in Translation
16/10. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol, translated from the Russian by Andrew MacAndrew.
Goal: 10 Classics
11/10. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 52 Books46/52. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes.
A meditation on memory and how we manipulate it to bolster our self-image. It started off well with an engaging first-person narrator, but then I felt it dragged. The ending wasn't very satisfactory.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 52 Books45/52. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan.
Set in Ireland in 1985, this quiet, unassuming novel packs a powerful punch.
Goal: 10 Books by Women Authors
27/10. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 52 Books44/52. The Lost Art of Scripture: Rescuing the Sacred Texts by Karen Armstrong.
Armstrong's knowledge of the subject matter is impressive. I enjoyed major parts of the book and appreciated her basic premise. But I think it got bogged down in a little too much detail.
Goal: 10 Books by Women Authors
26/10. The Lost Art of Scripture: Rescuing the Sacred Texts by Karen Armstrong.
Goal: 10 Books of Non-Fiction
14/10. The Lost Art of Scripture: Rescuing the Sacred Texts by Karen Armstrong.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 52 Books43/52. Les Trois Mousquetaires The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas; translated from the French by William Barrow.
It's a classic, and I'm glad I finally read it. But I found it a bit long-winded and convoluted.
Goal: 10 books in Translation
15/10. Les Trois Mousquetaires The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas; translated from the French by William Barrow.
Goal: 10 Classics
10/10. Les Trois Mousquetaires The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas; translated from the French by William Barrow.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 52 Books42/52. The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy by Moiya McTier.
An original idea and inspiring book. The Milky Way, writing its autobiography, reveals what we have learned so far about the Milky Way. Dr. McTier, an astrophysicist, presents very complex ideas in a conversational tone. Her sardonic humor got a bit much for me at times, and a lot of the information went way over my head. But I still learned a lot and appreciate the effort to demystify the science.
Goal: 10 Books by Women Authors
25/10. The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy by Moiya McTier.
Goal: 10 Books of Non-Fiction
13/10. The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy by Moiya McTier.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 52 Books41/52. The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali.
A decades-long thwarted romance that begins in Iran in 1953. I enjoyed parts of the novel, but I felt the romance aspect dragged and was unrealistic--as if it were deliberately intended to be a tear-jerker.
Goal: 10 Books by Women Authors
24/10. The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali.
Goal: 10 Books by Authors from the Middle East and Africa
6/10. The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
╟ ♫ Tima ♪ ╣ ♥ wrote: "Hi Tamara! I hope your year is going well so far, I love the goals you set for yourself, they're great. Do you have a frontrunner favorite book so far?"Hi Tima, thanks for your comment and question. Actually I have more than one frontrunner favorite book so far, which makes it hard to choose, especially because they are so different.
I have very eclectic taste, so there's a wide variety I've really enjoyed. But if I absolutely, positively had to pick one favorite, it would have to be Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic. I love reading and writing about mythology. I've read several translations of Gilgamesh because it is one of my favorite myths. Helle's translation and commentary on the epic poem just blew me away.
As for fiction, I really loved Deacon King Kong, Out Stealing Horses, and a re-read of Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse.
Again, thanks for your comment. I wish you happy reading for the rest of the year. Take care and all best.
Goal: 52 Books40/52. Bitter Orange Tree by Jokha Alharthi, translated from the Arabic by Marilyn Booth.
I enjoyed it but didn't think it was as good as Celestial Bodies. Although she does a good job of capturing the plight of women, it felt as if there was very little movement or character development in the narrative.
Goal: 10 Books by Women Authors
23/10. Bitter Orange Tree by Jokha Alharthi, translated from the Arabic by Marilyn Booth.
Goal: 10 Books in Translation
14/10. Bitter Orange Tree by Jokha Alharthi, translated from the Arabic by Marilyn Booth.
Goal: 10 Books by Authors from the Middle East and Africa
5/10. Bitter Orange Tree by Jokha Alharthi, translated from the Arabic by Marilyn Booth.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 52 Books39/52. Keats: A Brief Life in Nine Poems and One Epitaph by Lucasta Miller.
I thought she a great job of portraying Keats as a fully embodied human being by delving deeply into his life and his letters. I wish she had restricted herself to that because I had a lot of reservations with how she read his poems.
Goal: 10 Books by Women Authors
22/10. Keats: A Brief Life in Nine Poems and One Epitaph by Lucasta Miller.
Goal: 10 Books of Non Fiction
12/10. Keats: A Brief Life in Nine Poems and One Epitaph by Lucasta Miller.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 52 Books38/52. The Tablet of Destinies by Roberto Calasso, translated from the Italian by Tim Parks.
I've enjoyed everything I've read by Roberto Calasso, and this is no exception. This book has an interesting premise. It is a retelling of several myths from ancient Mesopotamia as told by Utnapishtim to Sindbad the Sailor. Utnapishtim weaves together excerpts from the myths. Some knowledge of the myths would probably make this a more enjoyable read.
Goal: Ten Books in Translation
13/10. The Tablet of Destinies by Roberto Calasso, translated from the Italian by Tim Parks.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 52 Books37/52. Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic by Sophus Helle.
I love the poem and have read several translation. This translation and commentary was the best I've ever read. Helle includes five essays in which he comments, interprets, and explores the main themes. Through close textual and structural analysis, he garners dazzling new insights, breathing life into the text. It's the best, most exciting book I've ever read on Gilgamesh.
Goal: Ten Books in Translation
12/10. Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic by Sophus Helle.
Goal: Ten Classics
9/10. Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic by Sophus Helle.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 52 Books36/52. The Fish Can Sing by Halldór Laxness, translated from the Icelandic by Magnus Magnusson.
A gentle, almost whimsical novel about a young man growing up in a small Icelandic fishing village. A charming read.
Goal: Ten Books in Translation
11/10. The Fish Can Sing by Halldór Laxness, translated from the Icelandic by Magnus Magnusson.
Goal: Ten Classics
8/10. The Fish Can Sing by Halldór Laxness, translated from the Icelandic by Magnus Magnusson.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 52 Books35/52. Ovid's Heroides: A New Translation and Critical Essays by Paul Murgatroyd, Bridget Reeves, and Sarah Parker.
A translation and critique of 21 fictional letters written by Ovid in the voices of women in Greek and Roman mythology. There is a letter from Penelope berating Odysseus for delaying his homecoming, Medea spewing her venom at Jason, etc. The letters are witty, angry, desperate, and touching depending on the situation. But all are entertaining and imaginative.
Goal: Ten Books in Translation
10/10. Ovid's Heroides: A New Translation and Critical Essays by Paul Murgatroyd, Bridget Reeves, and Sarah Parker.
Goal: Ten Classics
7/10. Ovid's Heroides: A New Translation and Critical Essays by Paul Murgatroyd, Bridget Reeves, and Sarah Parker.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 52 Books34/52. A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam.
Disappointing. The focus is primarily on the main character instead of on those who suffered during the civil war in Sri Lanka. His extensive navel-gazing was irritating.
The novel just wasn't for me.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
