Reading with Style discussion
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Fall 2012 Rws Completed Tasks - Fall 2012
Post 715Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "10.8 Lucky Sevens "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn
option B Read a book with seven letters in the author's first name.
Task + 10
Review +10
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Book Total: ..."
+5 Combo 20.7A-pass Bechdel test (see post 212)
Post 716Don (The Book Guy) wrote: "TASK 10.2 Oktoberfest
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman published 2012.
The debut novel by this London attorney, turned writer lives up to the hype. Basic plot childless couple on lonely ..."
+5 Combo 20.7A-passes Bechdel test (see Post 78)
Post 741Katy wrote: "20.3 -- Poe's Tales
Fire Watch by Connie Willis
I had high hopes for this book, because I typically love Connie Willis. And it didn't disappoint, exactly. I was intrigued by a lot of the stories..."
+5 Combo 20.8
Know Your ABCs:15.4 - 4th book - letter N
Abhorsen by Garth Nix
2003, lexile 890
+20 Task
Grand Total: 990
Post 289Christin wrote: "10.7 Monsterfest IV
Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire
This book was funny, charming, and action-packed urban fantasy all tied into one. The main character not only kicks :ahem: butt, at times..."
+5 Combo 20.4-bisexual author (see post 740)
Silver wrote: "Kate S wrote: "Yes, you can move what you want around. In post 341, you claimed Lonesome Dove for 10.2-USA with combos for 20.8 and 10.3. Let me know how you want to proceed."Thanks for finding..."
I don't show you having used 10.2-USA for a combo, yet, so I included those 5 points for post 341 as well.
Kate S wrote: "Silver wrote: "Kate S wrote: "Yes, you can move what you want around. In post 341, you claimed Lonesome Dove for 10.2-USA with combos for 20.8 and 10.3. Let me know how you want to proceed."Tha..."
Oh ok, thanks. Yeah I could not recall if I used it as a combo or not already.
RwS Task10.9 - Anika's Task - To Be Continued...
The Woman Who Died a Lot by Jasper Fforde
Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series is so much fun! I've enjoyed each installment (this was book 7) and this one was dedicated to librarians, so I couldn't go wrong. I do miss the BookWorld, I must admit, but Thursday's new position as director of the Swindon All-You-Can-Eat-at-Fatso's Drink Not Included Library Service was certainly entertaining for a librarian. Thursday's children, Tuesday and Friday, are a big part of this story as well. It was a bit different from the earlier books wherein the BookWorld plays such a big part, but still had the trademark sense of humor that I've come to love. If character names like Braxton Hicks, Jack Schitt and Millon de Floss bring a smile to your lips, then the sense of humor may be for you, too!
+10 Task: Book 7 in the Thursday Next Series
+ 5 Combo: 20.7 Bechdel Test: Thursday Talks to Phoebe Snow and her daughter Tuesday about the problems they are trying to solve.
+10 Review
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 1060
10.5 International Day for the ElderlyKilling Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly
+10 Task (Author is over 60)
+5 Combo(10.5-Lincoln was an elected figure)
+5 Multiple
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 1465
20.7A-Bechdel TestAnd Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer
+20 Task(multiple conversations between women throughout their lifetimes about politics, illnesses, literature, economics, etc)
+10 Combo (20.4-author, 20.8-first published 1925)
+5 Multiple
+25 Jumbo (my copy had over 1400 pages, the most popular edition is still over 1000)
+5 Oldies (pub 1982)
Post Total: 65
Season Total: 1530
Kate S wrote: "Post 289Christin wrote: "10.7 Monsterfest IV
Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire
This book was funny, charming, and action-packed urban fantasy all tied into one. The main character not only ..."
ooh, thanks!
Task 15.7 - 7th book - letter U(1999)Losing Nelson (1999) by Barry Unsworth
+30 Task
Task Total: 30
My total is different from the Readerboard Total. My records show: 890, readerboard 880. So:
(my records)
Grand Total: 890 + 30= 920
(Readerboard)
Grand Total: 880 + 30= 910
Review: This book is told in first person by a man who is obsessed with Horatio Nelson. Our narrator obsesses over the smaller details of Nelson’s life; he also spends a lot of time imaging how it must have felt for Nelson to live through some of the more prominent events of his life. In between long rants about Nelson, the reader learns about our narrator’s life (not surprisingly, he’s seeing a psychiatrist, and has issues that he’s using the Nelson obsession to hide). The novel is not told in a linear fashion; however, unlike a lot of non-linear novels, this one is easy to follow. Barry Unsworth has won the Booker Prize for one of his other books. Recommended for readers who like literary fiction.
20.8 - Veteran AuthorsA Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
(published Mappings in 1980 and Two Lives in 2005)
For such an extremely large book, it was one of the lightest most enjoyable books I have read this year. Its 1400+ pages detail the events, both catastrophic and mundane, in the lives of four families over the course of 18 months in post-Independence, post-partition India. While the story supposedly focuses on Lata, a young college student whose mother is searching for the titled suitable son-in-law, an almost equal weight was given to the spoiled politician's son, Maan. Additionally, a dozen sub-plots encompass politics, land reform, Hindu-Muslim tensions, the shoe industry, religion, and so much more. There were moments that were so gripping that I was unaware that I had lost feeling in my hands as I tried to hold the enormous tome. There were also one or two tedious moments, that perhaps would have been greatly helped by a better understanding of Indian history. And the ending, at least for some of the story lines, was surprising in an unconventionally conventional way.
+20 task
+5 combo (10.2 - India)
+5 multiple
+10 review
+25 jumbo (1488 pages)
Task Total: 65 points
20.8 - Veteran AuthorsRobinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
(published The Storm in 1704 and The Political History Of The Devil in 1726)
Perversely, I decided on Robinson Crusoe as my hurricane Sandy read, for the survival tips. It is a book whose story is so familiar that reading it elicits both a sense of deja-vu and alienation. Whole chapters, I swear I had read before, and yet I was surprised that Friday did not make an appearance until well over half-way through the book. It was also much more philosophical than I expected. Weirdly, it reminded me of Moby-Dick, perhaps due to the nautical theme and the descriptions of the sea. All in all, I think I would have preferred an abridged children's version that focused on the adventures.
+20 task
+5 multiple
+10 review
+20 oldies (1719)
Task Total: 55 points
20.6 - In honor of Dracula - Gothic Horror novelThe House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson
This is a seriously odd and disjointed book. The first segment and final segment are wonderfully creepy and reminiscent of The Turn of the Screw with the ambiguity created by an unreliable narrator. The second segment has this vague paranormal romance theme? And the third segment contains a long pseudo-astronomical description. It was so engaging at the beginning, there was some lovely imagery and I found myself thinking, 'hey what about x...?' only to find a few chapters later that x was deliberately left unexplained at that moment in order to have a stronger impact later. Although this is a short novel, I recommend making it even shorter by skipping the bizarre middle sections.
+20 task
+5 combo (10.8 - Author first name)
+10 review
+10 oldies (1907)
Task total: 45 points
Grand Total: 480 points
20.10 Suicide AwarenessThe Yellow Wallpaper, and, What Diantha Did by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
I can see why The Yellow Wallpaper is so famous, despite being only a short story. It was a really engaging story that somehow realistically explored one woman's descent into madness due to the mistreatment of post-partum depression that was common practice at the time. Gilman herself suffered from post-partum depression and wrote The Yellow Wallpaper as a reaction to the treatment for it at the time which was to isolate the sufferer and not let them do any activities. Gilman felt that this made her in fact worse and wrote this story...and even sent it to her doctor! Supposedly it convinced the doctor that isolation was not the correct treatment but he never admitted that to Gilman directly. What Diantha Did is one of Gilman's feminist writings, exploring one woman creating a thriving business despite all dissenters. The story is pretty dated as no one would be quite so shocked at Diantha Bell's actions today but there is still the question that woman are sometimes made to choose between a career and being a wife/mother. What Diantha Did is a direct answer to that for it shows a woman who is very successful in creating a business, it even goes so far as to list out the accounting numbers, but can also be married. I wanted to kick Diantha's fiance quite a few times as he was one of the most discouraging people and tried to make her choose between him and having a career. Finally he agreed to marry her while she kept the business but wordlessly disapproved for the entire first few years of the marriage. Only on the last couple of pages does he realize what a blockhead he'd been and apologize to Diantha. What Diantha Did is not quite so readable as The Yellow Wallpaper but it is definitely interesting to read as an early feminist argument.
+20 Task
+20 Combo (10.4, 20.3, 20.7, 20.8)
+10 Review
+10 Oldie
Task Total: 60
Grand Total: 525
10.9 - Anika's Task - To Be Continued...Tiger's Destiny by Colleen Houck
(no lexile so no combo points)
+10 Task
Task Total = 10 pts
Grand Total = 185 pts
20.7 Women of Achievement MonthMortal Ties by Eileen Wilks
Review: This is the most recent book in Eileen Wilks' Lupi series of urban fantasy novels, and is a solid installment, although it is most definitely serving as a bridge between the previous one and those to come. Lily, Rule, and their friends are engaged in a war that most of earth doesn't know about, even if the presence of magic, werewolves (lupi), and elves are known. The novel continues the plot lines begun in previous stories, but really never ties up any of the overarching issues, and adds new ones to the mix. That's fine by me - I always like to have a fun few hours with familiar characters - and the best thing about these books is that the reader actually gets to follow the main characters through the development of their relationship, even as other characters and romances are introduced.
+20 Task (passes Bechtel Test - among other things, Lily talks to her friend Cynna about work and their safety)
+5 Combo (10.7 Monsterfest - werewolves, evil elves...)
+5 Multiple
+10 Review
Task Total: 40
+5 combo adjustment per post 761
Grand Total: 1050
ABCs15.4 E: Eugenides, Jeffrey 1993
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
+20 Task
Grand Total: 1080
RwS Task20.7 – Connie’s Task – Women of Achievement Month, September:
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Low Lexile
+20 Task: Bechdel Test: Blue has lots of conversations with her mother and aunts about psychic issues throughout the book.
Grand Total: 1100
Know Your ABCs15.6
Letter R, published 1950
The Lonely Crowd: A Study of the Changing American Character by David Riesman
+20 Task
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 1550
10.10 Group ReadsHiroshima by John Hersey
Review: This is a short but powerful account of the experiences of six people who lived through the drop of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. In general, the original book actually seems to have stayed away from directly commenting on the ethics of America's actions, although the last chapter, added forty years later, is not easy on the USA. I'm glad the book's focus was not on whether or not the bomb should have been dropped, but rather on the experiences of some survivors. This didn't preclude me from asking the question (it's impossible not to), but the thing I found most interesting was how different the Japanese people's reactions were to how I'd expect Americans to react if a similar situation occurred here. Hersey writes, "a surprising number of people of Hiroshima remained more or less indifferent about the ethics of using the bomb," and "the Japanese tended to shy away from the term 'survivors,' because in its focus on being alive it might suggest some slight to the sacred dead." Neither sentiment is imaginable to me from an American perspective.
+10 Task
+10 Combo (10.3 Garfunkel and 20.8 Veteran - John Hersey published from the 1940s to the early 1990s)
+5 Oldies (published 1946)
+10 Review
Task Total: 35
Grand Total: 1085
10.7 - Monsterfest IVHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Dark wizards, werewolves, giants, giant spiders...
+10 Task
+10 Jumbo (759 pages)
Task total = 20
Grand Total = 295
In post 327 I stated that I was doing ABC list, starting with K. Well, my library has not yet gotten in my L book, and it will be too late to finish this challenge. As a result, I have decided to abandon the ABC challenge and to move my reported book The Poisonwood Bible to another task.Please delete that entry for me. I will post the new task later.
Don (The Book Guy) wrote: "Kate S wrote: "Post 716Don (The Book Guy) wrote: "TASK 10.2 Oktoberfest
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman published 2012.
The debut novel by this London attorney, turned writer lives up ..."
Thanks Don, I will change it from here. No need to change the original post.
20.3 Edgar Allen PoeThe Pink Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
Review
The Pink Fairy Book follows the Blue, Red , Yellow and Green Fairy Books that Andrew Lang so lovingly put together. In the preface he tells the reader “…the monsters and mermaids, the princes and giants and the beautiful princesses, [sic] Here , then, are fancies brought from all quarters: we see that black, white, and yellow peoples are fond of just the same kind of adventures”. All the stories are from outside his native British Isles and some even from outside the European continent. Coincidently, many of the stories are even double in nationality such as Japanese stories translated to German or French and then retold in English. This was also true with Italian stories. There are many Danish tales as well, including some re-tellings of the most famous Danish storytellers, Hans Christian Anderson. Certainly Lang had children in mind as he wrote these books, he even cautions against reading one of them to a “nervous child” because of its similarity to a ghost story. Surprisingly the stories are not always sugar coated so that the most good and honorable character wins. Sometimes a very wicked protagonist such as that of a hare, gets off rather lightly after tricking many animals to their death, even his friend, the rabbit! In the story The Jackal, the Dove and the Panther, the panther is very ill used for no other reason than the jackal wants to eat her children. Many of the Danish stories have a moral however and usually the beautiful princess and the charming prince live happily ever after. A few stories made the protagonist neither exceptionally wicked nor otherworldly good, but simply human with their failings, faults, feelings but basic good intentions. I enjoyed the stories much. Of course they were very predictable as traditional fairy tales are for it is why we feel so comfortable in reading them. It even inspired me to make up my own “Once Upon A Time” stories to tell my children.
+20 pts - Task
+15 combo (10.4 pink, 10.8 1897, 20.8 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Lang )
+10 pts - Review
+10 pts - Oldies (1897)
Task Total - 55 pts
Grand Total -
20.7 - Connie's TaskAurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
+20 task (Feminist author)
+5 combo (20.8, Veteran Author, Battle of Marathon-1820, Last Poems-1862)
+15 oldies (pub. 1856)
Task Total: 40 points
Grand total: 205
15.9 Know Your ABCs--Book Nine Letter SThe Commoner by John Burnham Schwartz (2008)
My Review
+30 Task
Grand Total: 480
10.6 ParliamentThe Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
Since I decided to read Northanger Abbey for the Gothic choice I thought The Castle of Otranto would be a good way to immerse myself in the Gothic genre beforehand. It seems really trite and not quite as scandalous as it initially seemed but Otranto was entertaining nonetheless. Supposedly the first Gothic novel, the story is full of stereotypical villains, heroes, and lovely heroines in a world of shadowy dealings and premonitions. Love is at first sight, the hero triumphs due to almost an Horatio Alger-like means relating to his high moral character, and the villain is defeated/learns his lesson. Entertaining to say the least and is making it more fun to re-read Northanger Abbey this time around as the inside jokes about the Gothic themes are more prevalent.
+10 Task
+10 Combo (20.6, 20.8)
+10 Review
+15 Oldie
Task Total: 45
Grand Total: 580
Task 10.6 a nonfiction book about an elected officialHarry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip (2009) by Matthew Algeo
+10 Task
+10 Style:3. Review (10 points):
Task Total: 10 + 10 = 20
(my records)
Grand Total: 920 + 20 = 940
(Readerboard)
Grand Total: 930 + 20 = 950
Review: This non-fiction book covers a few months in the life of Harry Truman and his wife, beginning on the day Dwight Eisenhower was inaugurated as President of the United States (January 20, 1953). January through May 1953 is covered in 2 chapters. The rest of the book covered June 19, 1953 through July 8, 1953, during which time Harry and Beth went on a road trip from their home in Missouri, through locations in the Midwest and the Northeast, and ending up back home in Missouri at the end. The author retraces their trip, and, where possible, talked to people that the Trumans talked to in 1953. The author also interweaves anecdotes from Harry Truman’s life, including tales from his childhood and pre-White House days. The maps included in the book were helpful. Recommended for those interested in American presidents and for those interested in books about road trips.
10.8B Lucky SevensThe Angry Angel by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
This, intended, trilogy by Yarbro is set around creating a backstory for each of the three brides in Dracula. The premise alone of making the brides into full-fledged characters with individual backgrounds made me want to read these books. The first book is about the oldest of the three brides, though not in looks, who's name is Kelene. An interesting story as you know going into it she is doomed to a specific end and yet the characterizations are completely fresh. Have to say though that the descriptions are not for the faint of heart as there are some gory descriptions, with battle-scenes being almost the least of them. I'll definitely read the next book which is about the second bride. Sadly the company that Yarbro sold the rights of the trilogy to folded before the third book could be released so there will only be the first two books until legal matters tying up the third book can allow it to be published.
+10 Task
+10 Combo (10.7, 20.8)
+5 Multiple
+10 Review
Task Total: 35
Grand Total: 615
20.9 - National Author's DayThe Facts by Philip Roth
+20 Task (Roth's autobiography)
+ 5 Combo (20.8 Roth has published from 1959 to 2010, so far)
+ 5 Multiple
Task total=30
Grand total=645
20.5 - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HydeThe Swarm by Frank Schätzing
Review:
The Swarm is one of the few books by German authors that reached real popularity, so naturally I was curious about it. So I grabbed a copy of the audiobook from my local library.
The story follows several characters that start out in different places but will eventually all arrive at the same place and focus their efforts. The reason for this is the necessity to research a threat that comes from the sea. Formerly peaceful whales are beginning to attack humans, worms are destroying the ice in the north and seafood poisons everyone coming into contact with it. At first all these occurrences seem to be random, but then the researchers discover that all seems to be directed by an intelligent being, which seems to be living in the sea.
I liked the book well enough. The characters were round and easily distinctable from each other (the audiobook was dramatized, so that might have helped as well) and the plot fast-moving.
However, this sort of book is generally not my thing and as such this will probably never get onto my favorite-ever shelf and I’ll probably not re-read it. Descriptions of whales attacking people and icky stuff coming out of seafood freak me out, so one time is really enough.
Still, the book included some thought-provoking aspects (are humans really the only “intelligent” species on the planet?; how far can we go in maltreating nature, especially the oceans?) and I really liked this about the book.
So for a book not in my comfort zone of reading it was surprisingly enjoyable.
+ 20 Task
+ 10 Review
+ 15 Jumbo (881 pages)
Task Total: 45
Grand Total: 940
20.8 - Veteran AuthorReckless by Cornelia Funke
Review:
Having just read the newly released second part of the series, I now re-listened to the first part along with my mum.
Jacob Reckless has lived in two worlds since his childhood. With time he spent more and more time in the mirror world where fairy tales become real. There he has made himself a reputation as a treasure hunter. His life takes a disastrous turn when his younger brother Will follows him into the mirror world and is attacked by Goyle. This leads to Will being “infected” and changing into a Goyle himself. His flesh is turning into stone. Jacob now tries to save his brother.
Compared to Cornelia Funke’s inkworld books I always found Reckless lacking some of the charme of those books. Reckless somehow seemed flatter than the inkworld.
But after having read the second part of the series and now going back to the first part, Reckless is slowly growing on me. It is certainly different but I’m beginning to like the world as well.
As always with those books, Rainer Strecker does a great job at narrating the (German) audiobook.
+ 20 Task (the German wikipedia lists several books by Funke that were published 1993 or sooner: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelia...)
840 lexile
+ 10 Review
+ 5 Multiple
+ 5 Combo (10.7: includes Goyle)
Task Total: 40
Grand Total: 980
RwS Task10.6 - Commemorate Parliamentary or Presidential Elections
The Eleventh Commandment by Jeffrey Archer
I used to gobble up political thrillers like they were candy and this book made me remember why. It's so much fun to read a page turner! The book took place over 10 years ago, so some details about world politics were different, so I did have to adjust my thinking and remember the time period I was in. What amazes me, though, is how sympathetic I become to assassins who are "nice guys" in every other way. Archer has credibility going for him as well because of his involvement in politics, so that made the book ring true. I'll probably stick to reading more literary fiction than political thrillers, but I did enjoy this one, so I may seek out some more Jeffrey Archer books in future challenges if they fit!
+10 Task: Jeffrey Archer was a member of Parliament
+10 Review
+ 5 Combo: 20.8 Veterans Day (1976 – 2012)
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 1125
20.1 FrankensteinFall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
The back cover of my edition says this is "menacingly dark." Parts of it are so dark I had to close it up and go do something else. I simply could not read another sentence. I couldn't get to the end of the chapter - once, not to the end of the paragraph. I needed to not know anymore at that moment.
There are also a few funny parts that made me laugh out loud. And I'm not one to laugh out loud while reading. Was it just relief?
They say that truth is stranger than fiction. But perhaps fiction compresses truth. Could all that happens here actually happen in a single family in a single generation? I hope not, yet I have no doubt that the secrets in this family are secrets in other families.
Both characterization and plot decent. And, in spite of how dark it is, it's a compelling read. Once in, it's difficult to set aside for long.
+20 Task (1997 Commonwealth Writers Prize)
+15 Combo (10.2 Germany; 10.8C pub 1997, 20.4 author)
+10 Review
+ 5 Jumbo (508 pages)
Task Total = 50
Grand Total = 550
RwS20.1 Frankenstein - His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
His Majesty’s Dragon has a different take on the Napoleonic Wars and puts the dragon spin on them. I was highly entertained by Novik’s debut novel. Her portrayal of the dragon’s really took on a human feel. We’re quickly introduced to Laurence and to Temeraire and the very odd and intense connection that they have which is formed so suddenly and unexpectedly in Laurence’s mind. A navy man having to switch his profession to aviator at this later time in his life and the compromises he must make to make himself and Temeraire happy makes for a very interesting and delightful opening to this series. I’ve read many dragon books in the past and enjoyed most of them, that I recall but I found this one to be somewhat different, not at all in a negative fashion.
+20 Task (won the 2007 Compton Crook Award)
+10 Review
Task Total=30
Grand Total=245
Deedee wrote: "Task 15.7 - 7th book - letter U(1999)Losing Nelson (1999) by Barry Unsworth
+30 Task
Task Total: 30
My total is different from the Readerboard Total. My records show: 890, readerboard 880. ..."
OK, Deedee, I think I have this sorted out, but please go back and double check, make sure I have logically come to my conclusions. It appears we have a mystical 10 points appearing between your posts 484 and 502. Your grand totals at the end of post 484 were 530 or 540 (this by the way is the correct score as of 484). When we jump to post 502 your previous grand totals become 540 (the correct one) and 550 (instead of 530). I currently show your total at 910 as of post 774. Let me know if you see things differently and we can work at it together. :)
Kate S wrote: "Silver wrote: "Kate S wrote: "Yes, you can move what you want around. In post 341, you claimed Lonesome Dove for 10.2-USA with combos for 20.8 and 10.3. Let me know how you want to proceed."Tha..."
And +5 Multiple bonus.
Don (The Book Guy) wrote: "Kate S wrote: "Post 716Don (The Book Guy) wrote: "TASK 10.2 Oktoberfest
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman published 2012.
The debut novel by this London attorney, turned writer lives up ..."
When I switched this task, this is how the points broke down:
+20 Task
+5 Combo 10.2-Australia
+5 Multiple
+10 Review
For a current grand total of 490
10.6 ElectionsNot a Penny More, Not a Penny Less by Jeffrey Archer
Review:
This was Jeffrey Archer's first book and the first one of his that I've read. The style is a little clumsy in places but it's an easy and enjoyable read. After being cheated out of a total of $1 million, four men get together and decide to turn the tables and perform a series of con tricks to get the money back - and not a penny more or less. There's a twist near the end that did make me laugh, although it means the original plot ends very anticlimactically. It seemed that Archer ran out of ideas just as one of the characters did. I won't be rushing to read more of his work but this one was fine.
+10 Task
+ 5 Combo (20.8 http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/j...)
+10 Review
+ 5 Oldies (pub.1976)
Task Total: 30 points
Grand Total: 1020
10.9 To Be ContinuedBlood Rites by Jim Butcher
Number 6 in the Dresden Files series
Review: I've enjoyed all of the books in the Dresden Files series so far. I find Harry Dresden a quite likeable, aw-shucks sort of character. This book could be read as a stand-alone book since it really is just an episode in Dresden's work as a wizard-for-hire rather than a plot-advancing book for the series' larger story arc. Jim Butcher is quite clever in his world building - the magic has an internal logic that is basically consistent across books and gives Harry interesting but not unlimited powers. This book was slightly more pulpy than some of the others since Harry was hired to investigate happenings at the film set of a porn movie. Still, the book is basically PG-rated and would be fine for any high schooler as long as there’s no objection to the fighting of demons, vampires, and the like.
+10 Task
+5 Combo (10.7 - lots of scary bad guys including vampires)
+10 Review
Task total: 25
Grand total: 540
10.7 MonsterfestDead Beat by Jim Butcher
Review: I read this immediately after finishing Blood Rites since I had the two books together in an omnibus edition. I think I would have liked this book more if I'd spaced it out more from the previous book just because the books are sort of similar and 700 pages of Harry Dresden might be a tad much for me at one time. That said, this book included one of the coolest undead ever ([spoiler]a Tyrannosaurus called up from the dead using magic[/spoiler]). I also liked the notion that zombies required a steady beat to remain under the control of the entity that called them up - it added a nice bit of extra focus to the battle scenes. In general, I continue to find Butcher extremely good at the world-building that he's done with this series and find myself amazed to have read seven books so far. I'd recommend this to readers of the series, but I don't think it's quite as good as a stand-alone book as #6 was.
+10 Task (zombies, vampires, ghouls, etc.)
+10 Review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 560
10.9 To be continued...
The Terrorists by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahloo
(Martin Beck #10)
+10 Task
+5 Combo 20.8 (Maj Sjowall was first published in 1965 and has current works in 2012)
+5 Oldies (pub. 1975)
total:20
grand total: 285
The Terrorists by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahloo
(Martin Beck #10)
+10 Task
+5 Combo 20.8 (Maj Sjowall was first published in 1965 and has current works in 2012)
+5 Oldies (pub. 1975)
total:20
grand total: 285
10.5 Elderly Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Review: At first I expected to place this in a pile of books I'd heard a lot about but really should've been a magazine article rather than a book. I thought if a book made the rounds that would mean it was too basic, a pop psychology-type deal with minimal substance. I was wrong.
Daniel Kahneman won the 2002 Nobel Prize in Economics for his work with Amos Tversky on decision making, and this basically synthesizes his life's work in a dense yet understandable book. The basic premise begins with a distinction between brain processes, which he calls System 1 and System 2. System 1 is the quick, more intuitive process that drives things like habit and 'gut' decisions. System 2 requires more time and thought, bringing in outside experience and knowledge, questioning quick decisions.
He goes on to explore the way these two processes function together (and get in the way of each other), and how they influence the way we make decisions. I found it difficult in reading the book to 'turn off' my System 2 - in many of his examples, I did not follow the mean - but I expect that is because it was already engaged in reading.
+10 Task (published 2011; Kahneman was born in 1934)
+5 Combo (20.8 Veteran - Attention And Effort was published in 1973, and this one in 2011)
+10 Review
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 1110
20.1 FrankensteinWhite Ghost Girls by Alice Greenway
This was recommended to me awhile ago and I am glad I finally read it. The story is told from the point of view of a young American teen who is living in Hong Kong with her older sister and mother while their father photographs the Vietnam War. There are so many themes and various historical references throughout-Mao's Cultural Revolution, Colonialism, the Vietnam War, and familial relations. The author forewarns that something ominous is going to happen to the older sister, Frankie, but it still comes as a surprise. I liked the way the characters are shown through the eyes of one who is growing up and losing her innocence.
+20 Task (2006 Los Angeles Times First Fiction Award)
+5 Combo (10.4)
+10 Review
Task Total = 35
Grand Total = 220
10.8 - Lucky SevensBleak House by Charles Dickens
Review:
I really feel that this review won’t (and can’t) do the book justice, because I really struggled with this audiobook. I listened to the free LibriVox edition read by Mil Nicholson. She gives every character it’s separate voice, which is a good thing. But somehow her voice didn’t hold my attention. I couldn’t concentrate on listening to the audiobook; or at least I couldn’t remember long after listening what I had actually listened to. I think the main problem in this case was that Mil sometimes overdid it with the character voices, making it too slow or too strident.
In-between classes I sometimes read some passages as ebook, so I got into the book around halfway through (then my listening experience also improved a bit) and by the end I had gotten enough content to know that I actually like it. I certainly loved the ending. I’ll probably reread it one day (really reading this time; or an audiobook with another narrator).
This is certainly one of the few audiobook-editions that I can’t recommend.
+ 10 Task (7 letters in author's first name: Charles)
+ 15 Oldies (pub. 1852)
+ 25 Jumbo (1017 pages)
+ 10 Combo (10.3; 20.8)
+ 10 Review
Task Total: 70
Grand Total: 1050
20.4 – CarmillaGirlfriend in a Coma by Douglas Coupland
+20 Task
+20 Combo (10.2 - Canada, 10.8 - B, 20.7 - Several conversations between Wendy, Pam, Karen and Megan, 20.8 - started publishing in 91)
Task total = 40
Grand Total = 335
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Cory (Bigler) '00-'05 wrote: "10.2 Oktoberfest
Capital by John Lanchester
Review: "Capital" follows the lives of a group of people who live and work on Pepys Road in London. To a lesser extent, it follows the street itself - ..."
+5 Combo 20.7A-Bechdel test (see post 742)