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Fall 2012 Rws Completed Tasks - Fall 2012
20.2 In Honor of Wuthering HeightsThe Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy
Lexile 1130
Review:
I hadn't read The Woodlanders before so I started it with some trepidation, knowing it was a latish Hardy (1887) and wondering if it was going to be one of those tragic ones that are almost too terrible to read. It's not. It’s not exactly a happy story but it’s about people coming to terms with each other's faults and shortcomings, so in the end it’s quite positive and peaceful. There are some of the if-onlies and twists of fate that Hardy likes to dwell on, but they weren't so devastating that I wanted to throw the book across the room, so I was able to enjoy his writing to the full.
+20 Task (#133 on the list)
+ 5 Combo (20.8 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_H...)
+10 Review
+10 Oldies (pub.1887)
Task Total: 45 points
Grand Total: 1325
Sam wrote: "10.1 - Square PegThe Casual Vacancy - JK Rowling
This book was kind of frustrating for me. I picked it up the day it came out, but it ended up taking me the better part of a month to finish it. ..."
Sorry, but this book has been accepted as qualified for 20.7A-passes the Bechtel test, and therefore does not qualify for 10.1 (see the Help Thread discussion for 20.7).
If you would like to move it to 20.7, please let me know.
Christine wrote: "I'm extremely frustrated right now, because the first listing for the book is not YA, as is the last listing. I missed that one listing. "I can sympathize with your frustration. I double-checked the Canon and made sure I was spelling it correctly at Lexile because I was more than surprised it was not rated.
I know it doesn't help with the ABC, but the book will count for points on 20.8 because Tarkington published such a wide span of years.
10.5 - nternational Day for the ElderlyCards on the Table by Agatha Christie
Hercule Poirot is more than 60
+10 Task
+10 Combo (20.7: several conversations between the female protagonists about the murder, 20.8: published for 56 years)
+10 Oldies (1936)
Task total = 30
Grand Total = 400
Christine wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Christine wrote: "I'm extremely frustrated right now, because the first listing for the book is not YA, as is the last listing. I missed that one listing. "I can sympat..."
I noticed a change in the BPL catalog that we should talk about. I'm moving to the Fall Questions and Answers thread.
Christine wrote: "OK. Deleted the Tarkington Post.My score if I have it right, is currently 635 (I had 630, but someone pointed out that I missed a combo point. I went back and found that post, and the one after i..."
PLease, do not ever delete a post! We use the post numbers in our scorekeeping, so that a deleted post changes all subsequent posts and makes references change. If you have something to change regarding a post, make a new post and refer to the old one.
Christine wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Christine wrote: "I'm extremely frustrated right now, because the first listing for the book is not YA, as is the last listing. I missed that one listing. "I can sympat..."
I feel your pain. Urgggg
Christine wrote: "It's just demoralizing, ... "I wanted to make some observations about YA designations and Lexile ratings and have put them in the Fall 2012 General Questions & Answers thread.
Christine wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Christine wrote: "OK. Deleted the Tarkington Post.My score if I have it right, is currently 635 (I had 630, but someone pointed out that I missed a combo point. I went ..."
Not to worry, Christine. You alerted us - I was able to fix things and avoid any related problems. I'm truly sorry about the YA thing, I didn't want my posts to sound unsympathetic. I hope it doesn't deter you from staying with the challenge.
20.8 Veteran's DayWolf Willow by Wallace Stegner
Stegner published books from 1937 until 1992 (during his life time)
Review: I have decided to call this a biography of a place. Wallace Stegner spent some very formative years growing up in a small town and homestead just north of the US-Canadian border. The town that Stegner calls Whitemud (actually Eastend, Saskatchewan) is just forming as he arrives with his family in about 1915. The outer shell of the book is his return as an adult. Then a layer of his family's experiences. The next layer is the history of the area--from the geology, to the arrival of the horse and gun, to European contact, missionaries, trappers, RCMP, a fascinating piece on the Boundary Commission survey. The heart of the book is a fictionalization of the experiences of a cattleman. Then Stegner works back out with more recent history, family experiences and his exploration of the town in the late 50's or early 60's, which now is interesting history in itself. I wish he were still around to expound on the changes wrought by the last 50 years on the small, prairie town.
Stegner is a consummate story teller. He succinctly paints a picture of the place and draws us in to its story and the story of the people who passed through or came to stay.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+5 Multiple
+5 Oldie (published 1962)
Task total: 40
Grand Total: 640
10.10 Group ReadAnimal's People by Indra Sinha
Review
Oh. Animal! What a wonderful character you are! So full of live in the worse of circumstances. I think I met a few like you while in India. This is a story obviously based on the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal, India. The holocaust that occurred there was absolutely shocking but even more so that the ones who survived were given a lick and a promise when it came to help and restitution. What was given to them was put in the pockets of politicians and sadly to say, that sort of thing is the rule rather than the exception over there. I read a NF book about this terrible event some time back called Five Past Midnight in Bhopal: The Epic Story of the World's Deadliest Industrial Disaster by Dominique Lapierre I was glad I read it before I read Animals’ People because knowing the history of the disaster and what happened immediately after gave me better understanding of what themes the story was stressing. I also liked the “Hinglish” that is so authentic! I didn’t realize there was a glossary at the end until I was completely finished but many of the Hindi words I understood although the French were beyond my knowledge were usually translated just after the phrase. The Hinglish is what I liked best. A couple of examples are Internest (Internet), Jamesipond (James Bond) a made up word that they use as a verb for spying on people. One thing that pleasantly surprised me is the ending. I’ve read a lot of modern literature and my complaint was they all have a morose ending. For once, not here! It ended like a fairy tale and I was glad I would not have to spend the night with a headache from crying about how everything turned out.
+10 Task
+10 Combo (10.2 India, 10.8 pub in 2007)
+10 Review
Task Total - 30 pts
Grand Total - 1255 pts
Task 15.9 - 9th book - letter W(2003)Death Gets a Time-Out (A Mommy-Track Mystery #4) (2003) by Ayelet Waldman
+30 Task
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 1055 + 30 = 1085
Review: This is the 4th entry in the cozy mystery series A Mommy-Track Mystery. Our heroine is the married mother of 2 preschoolers. In this installment, she finally gets a valid reason for all her investigations. The reason: she is now working part-time in a private detective firm. It’s still a silly series (bringing along a 3 year old on a stakeout? Mild spoiler: (view spoiler)) but fun. Recommended for fans of fun, unrealistic cozy mysteries.
20.8 Veteran AuthorThe Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf
I had a bit of a time getting into this. Woolf is all over the place and the story is very loosely constructed. Finally, I decided to just let her give me a glimpse of the lives of people before The Great War and enjoy myself. And, sure enough, it was at that point I became absorbed. There is more story than that, and there is no question she was determined to become an important feminist author - even if the term had not yet been coined.
I expected this to be mostly a sea voyage, yet another point on which I was wrong. However, on the sea voyage, we are introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Dalloway. Sort of interesting knowing I'll hear of them again, even if in this it was a mere cameo role.
This was my first Woolf and her debut novel. I've been told it is her only "normal" novel. She has one of her characters utter this just past halfway in: "I want to write a novel about silence", he said, "the things people don't say. But the difficulty is immense." I'll find out, but I'm guessing she takes this to her stream of conscious style and her characters' inner thoughts.
+20 Task
+15 Combo (20.4, 20.7, 20.10)
+10 Review
+ 5 Multiple
+10 Oldie (pub 1915)
Task Total = 60
Grand total = 735
10.6 Election DayThe Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin
Review: I've watched the movie 1776 so many times that sometimes I feel like I know the characters (silly, of course, since it's fictional, but...). Reading Bem Franklin's autobiography made me realize how little I actually knew about him. The book only spans his life until 1757, a mere fraction, but was written by an elder Mr. Franklin looking back on his life. The humor, wit, and quotability I've always associated with him were evident, but I found him to portray himself as far more serious and disciplined than I expected. I've always heard he was a lady's man, out to have a good time, but little of that was evident in the book. It was an interesting side of the man - but I do wish it had covered more of his life, to see if that lecherous side came out in his later decades.
+10 Task (among other things he was elected President of Pennsylvania)
+15 Combo (10.5 - he was well over 60 when he wrote this; 20.8 - he published Poor Richard's Almanack for 25 years, among other things; 20.9)
+15 Oldies (published 1790)
+10 Review
Task Total: 50
Grand Total: 1270 (includes -5 points from change to post 911)
Cory (Bigler) '00-'05 wrote: "20.4 Carmilla Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Review: David Mitchell's novel made of nested stories is all over the place right now with the movie in theaters, so I felt compelled to pick it up an..."
Sorry, Cory, task 20.4 is looking for a single narrator in a book; one narrator out of a variety of narrators does not fit the spirit of this task. You can move it to 20.7 with a combo for 10.5 which then makes the book total 45 (which is how I went ahead and scored it for the most recent readerboard update). Let me know if you would like to use it differently.
20.3 - TalesAunt Jo's Scrap-Bag by Louisa May Alcott
Review:
This is a collection of short stories by Louisa May Alcott. I enjoyed it just as much as her other books about the March family. In all the stories the same sense of humour and the same amount of feeling can be found as in the novels. I especially enjoyed the stories about the two children changing places with their parents for one day. It might be a popular theme, but Louisa May Alcott manages to give it its very own flair. It is also quite a short book, so it’s a nice reading for in-between larger volumes (I usually need something light that I can read quickly when I just finished some very long book).
Again a few words regarding the LibriVox audiobook edition I listened to: This book is only available as a group reading on LibriVox, so there is a new narrator for each story. With this book I didn’t mind it as much as with some others; probably because my mind accustoms easier to short stories (which can stand on their own) being read by different narrators than chapters of a novel. There was one story where I had problems following the narration, but it’s still a recommended audiobook (the great thing about public domain audiobooks is that one can always switch to the free online available ebook edition to read a story/chapter yourself when one has problems with the narration).
+ 20 Task
+ 10 Review
+ 10 Oldies (pub. 1872)
+ 5 Multiple
+ 10 Combo (20.7 - feminist author; 20.8 - 1849: Flower Fables until 1888: A Garland for Girls)
Task Total: 55
Grand Total: 1145
Kate S wrote: "Cory (Bigler) '00-'05 wrote: "20.4 Carmilla Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Review: David Mitchell's novel made of nested stories is all over the place right now with the movie in theaters, so I f..."
No problem. I looked at the question thread and couldn't really tell, so I figured I'd try. I've gone back and edited post 911 and the subsequent post so the 5 points are removed and I'm on the same page as you.
10.10 Group ReadsAnimal's People by Indra Sinha
Review: I really enjoyed Animal as a narrator. The book is told in first-person narration by Animal, a boy whose spine was bent following a factory disaster (transparently based on Bhopol). He is a tough street kid, smart, interested in the world, but touchingly naive about the details of some of what he sees. The writing was a bit uneven - sometimes the voice rang true and authentic and the mixed Hindu words seemed to fit perfectly. But at other times, the frequent inversion of subject and verb just seemed contrived: "Quite uncomfortable I'm feeling." Still, the overall effect was to create a character with a voice all his own.
I have a few small quibbles, but not enough not to give this a five-star rating. First, the middle dragged a bit. There are long passages about Animal's arousal watching the women of the novel and an "Amerikan doctress's" too-tight blue jeans that leave Animal with the image that her legs are dyed blue. Second, a book like this is almost impossible to end in a satisfying manner. I have some quibbles with the way this one ended, but not ones that overshadow the book or the characters.
Overall, a great read.
+10 Task
+10 Combo (10.2(India), 20.8 (first book 1980; this one 2007))
+10 Review
Task total: 30
Grand total: 645
Task 20.1 Read an award winning debut book.Winner Locus Award for Best First Novel: 2005
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (2004) by Susanna Clarke (Paperback, 1006 pages)
Hugo Award for Best Novel (2005)
Man Booker Prize Nominee for Longlist (2004)
Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novel (2006)
Locus Award for Best First Novel (2005)
World Fantasy Award for Best Novel (2005)
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature (2005)
Fits Task 10.7 published (2000-2012) with a spooky and imaginary character in it.
evil faeries
Fits Task 20.7 Bechdel Test: the work must (i) have at least 2 female characters who (ii) talk to each other about (iii) something other than a man/men
Emma and Arabella talk about Emma's state of mind
Most popular version:
The red cover paperback, pagecount = 1,006
+20 Task [20.1 Read an award winning debut book.]
+15 Style:1. Combo (5 points): (10.7 evil faeries , 10.8 (B) with 7 letters in the author’s first name: SUSANNA, 20.7 Bechdel Test: )
+10 Style:3. Review (10 points):
+25 Style: 5. Jumbo (5 to 25 points): -1000+ Pages: 25 Points
Task Total: 20 + 15 + 10 + 25 = 70
Grand Total: 1085 + 70 = 1155
Review: This original, award-winning fantasy novel is set in an alternate universe of Britain during and shortly after the Napoleonic Wars, wherein magic is real but not widely understood or used. The writing style is inspired by the writing styles common in 19th Century Britain. There is a plot, which progresses throughout the novel, and which has a distinctive beginning, middle and end (no sequels necessary to resolve major plot points!) There are also numerous entertaining and humorous digressions into related but non-essential matters. The tone is that of a drawing room comedy of manners like Jane Austen’s books, even when the situation isn’t gentile, like (moderate (view spoiler)). I liked it. Recommended for fans of fantasy.
10.10 Group ReadAnimal's People by Indra Sinha
Review:
I found this a very painful and moving story, not easy to read, but buoyed up with hope. It's the story of a young man who has grown up (or anyway, grown) in the shadow of a chemical factory disaster that has left him having to walk on all fours, so he's called 'Animal'. He's living in terrible poverty with people suffering from the poisonous fallout all around him, but he's surrounded by tough love and friendship. There is a lot of sex-related language and swearing - that seemed very realistic to me but some readers might not like it.
I loved the ending. I wasn't sure I would, but it didn't go the way I expected and I thought it worked really well.
Thank you to Rebekah for mentioning the glossary in her review! I was well into the book before I saw that, but it helped!
+10 Task
+ 5 Combo (20.8) (I've already claimed 10.2 India combo)
+10 Review
Task Total: 25 points
Grand Total: 1350
20.1 In Honor of FrankensteinA Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
Review:
I liked this much more than I expected. I think the title put me off. I knew it wasn't really about tractors (or not much) but the mere thought of them made me hesitate to start it - along with the picture on the front which reminds me of those depressing wonderful-women-comrade books that were published in the former USSR under the communists. In fact it's set in England, and it's a very funny story about an old man originally from Ukraine who is tempted into marrying a truly terrible immigrant woman younger than his daughters, who wants his money and British residency. It gripped me from the moment I picked it up. I did skip most of the tractor bits, but they're very short so you easily can.
+20 Task (Waverton Good Read Award, 2005/6)
+ 5 Combo (10.2 author born Germany)
+10 Review
Task Total: 35 points
Grand Total: 1385
20.10 World Suicide Prevention Day
Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree, Jr
+20 task
+10 Combo 20.3, 20.4
+5 Jumbo 508 pages
total=35
grand total=380
Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree, Jr
+20 task
+10 Combo 20.3, 20.4
+5 Jumbo 508 pages
total=35
grand total=380
10.2 OktoberfestJames Patterson - US - Worst Case
+10 task
+5 20.8 Veteran Author
Total task - 15
Grand Total - 610
Post 164Isabell wrote: "10.6 Elections
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
Review:
Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography is sometimes referred to as the first How-to-Book (at least I read that somewh..."
+5 Combo 20.8
Post 583Cory (Bigler) '00-'05 wrote: "20.1 Frankenstein
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susannah Clarke (2005 Locus First Novel)
Review: This book has been on my 'to read' list for a number of years now, so I included it when challe..."
+5 Combo for 10.8 B-author's first name (I don't have a record of you having used this as a combo yet!)
20.8 - Veteran authorDrowned Wednesday by Garth Nix
Review:
This is the third volume in Garth Nix’ series about Arthur and his adventures. Arthur has already defeated Monday and Tuesday, which brought him two of the seven keys. Now he has to face Wednesday. Wednesday governs the large sea of the House that can even be expanded to reach into the human worlds. Arthur learns this the hard way when his hospital room is suddenly flooded. He and his friend Leaf are drawn into the world of the House, in the middle of the ocean, where they have only Arthur’s hospital bed to prevent them from drowning. But the bed won’t stay above water for long.
In comparison to Nix’ other series I’ve read, the Abhorsen books, this series is aimed at a younger audience. Having read it so far, however, I think that those books belong to those that can be read and enjoyed by all ages. Nix creates a vivid world with wonderful characters. They can be funny, scary, sympathetic or just plain disagreeable.
In this respect Drowned Wednesday didn’t disappoint. After having already read two books in the series that had the same basis: Arthur has to go into the House to find the ruler of the part of the House that is the current topic of the book. In this book Nix introduces a slightly varied background in this respect and I really enjoyed that. I also liked to see old characters return (especially Susi).
I listened to the German audiobook read by Oliver Rohrbeck. Rohrbeck is a great narrator and gives life to those books. As such those audiobooks are highly recommendable for Germans. The only downside of the audiobook is the fact that it is an abridged production. I got the audiobook from the library, which is the only reason I listened to this abridged production (I refuse to buy any abridged audiobooks). Considering that the books aren’t that long in the first place the abridgment is probably not as severe as in other books. Not having read the books before listening to the audiobook I can’t say whether the abridgment affects important parts of the books. At least there weren’t any abrupt changes or scenes where I thought there was something missing.
The books only exist as an English audiobook production, which as far as I can tell is unabridged, but not having listened to that, I can’t say anything on its quality.
Lexile score: 900
+ 20 Task
+ 10 Review
+ 5 Multiple
+ 5 Combo (10.7: the book includes a gigantic creature resembling a whale that swallows everything that comes in front of its mouth, including Arthur)
Task Total: 40
Grand Total: 1185
Kate S wrote: "Post 164Isabell wrote: "10.6 Elections
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
Review:
Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography is sometimes referred to as the first How-to-Book (a..."
Thanks, Kate. I'll added those 5 points to my score, which brings the total to 1190.
Kate S wrote: "Post 583Cory (Bigler) '00-'05 wrote: "20.1 Frankenstein
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susannah Clarke (2005 Locus First Novel)
+5 Combo for 10.8 B-author's first name (I don't have a record of you having used this as a combo yet!) "
Kate, isn't 10.8B 7 letters?...I count 8 in SUSANNAH.
Bea wrote: "Kate S wrote: "Post 583Cory (Bigler) '00-'05 wrote: "20.1 Frankenstein
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susannah Clarke (2005 Locus First Novel)
+5 Combo for 10.8 B-author's first name (I don't..."
Susanna Clarke-the author doesn't use an h at the end of her name
20.5 In Honor of Dr Jekyll and Mr HydeSalmon Fishing In The Yemen by Paul Torday
Review:
I did like this, but reading it after watching the movie was not a good idea because the movie is light and satirical almost right through, while the book becomes very heavy towards the end. It's hard to say more than that without spoilers but one example is the Prime Minister's press secretary: in the movie she's a upbeat and convincing 'superwoman' juggling career and kids with devastating efficiency in a very funny way; but in the book the press secretary is a rather sad and desperate man who soon stops being even mildly amusing. Apart from that, if you've seen the movie, be warned that worse things happen at the end of the book.
+20 Task (on the Lab Lit list)
+ 5 Combo (20.1 Waverton Good Read Award 2007/8)
+10 Review
Task Total: 35 points
Plus RwS finish: 100 points :)
Grand Total: 1520
20.3 Connie's Task - Feminist AuthorThe Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares by Joyce Carol Oates
Review
A collection of short stories of a weird and sickening nature are contained in this award winning book. Of course being the genre that it is, there is a lot of irony. Although the title story has a somewhat happy ending. (the villain dies and the Corn Maiden is rescued),others don't.and a couple end so abruptly as in A Hole in the Head, that I felt as if I were braked to a full stop mid-sentence. I don't really care for this type of ending. I always feel cheated, as through the author has rough the story up to a climax and now can think of no ending worthy of the suspense.
Twins feature in a couple of the stories but not the soulmate, brotherly love kind. It's a resentful, seething with hatred rivalry. One twin is bigger, prettier, stronger and popular while the other os weaker, smaller, colorless and introverted. All the stories have the theme of envy, resentment and greed, four of which occurs in families.
Embarrassingly I confess this is my first by Joyce Carol Oates, although I have a couple sitting on my book shelves to be read. I'm pretty sure this one won't be my favorite of her works.
+20 pts - Task
+10 pts - Review
+15 pts - Combo (20.6 won the Bram Stoker in 2012, 20.7, 20.8)
+ 5 pts - Multiple
Task Total - 50 pts
Grand Total - 1305 pts
20.8 - Kate S' Task - Veteran's Day, November 11thBetween the Lines by Jodi Picoult
(1st book published 1992)
Task Total = 20 pts
Grand Total = 240
Kate S wrote: "Bea wrote: "Kate S wrote: "Post 583Cory (Bigler) '00-'05 wrote: "20.1 Frankenstein
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susannah Clarke (2005 Locus First Novel)
+5 Combo for 10.8 B-author's first n..."
Good catch, thanks!
15.9 - Know Your ABCs - 9th Book - Letter I
The Remains of the Day (1210 Lexile) by Kazuo Ishiguro (published 1989)
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 1305 (Includes +5 from change to post 583 - Combo -10.8 - 7 letters in author's first name)
Christine wrote: "If I wanted to move my 6 - or some of them anyway, not sure if they all work - completed ABC books to other tasks, could I do that?I think most of them will be worth more points if I do. At least..."
Yes you can move your books around, substitute whatever. Make a new post for each book and tell us the original post number and book you are changing.
20.9 - National Author's DayElsewhere: A memoir by Richard Russo
+20 Task (Russo's memoir)
+10 Combo (10.5 - Russo is age 63 and a memoir is non-fiction; 20.8 - Russo has published from 1986 to present)
+ 5 Multiple
Task total=35
Grand total=795
Rosemary wrote: "Plus RwS finish: 100 points :)"
Congratulations Rosemary!
20.8 - Veteran's DayEnigma by Robert Harris
Enigma is set during WWII in Bletchley Park, England, where cryptanalysts worked to crack the Nazi codes. The book made me really interested to read more nonfiction about Bletchley Park -- assuming that this book contains mostly accurate information, I learned a lot of "teaser" info. For instance, I didn't know how big the infrastructure was on this project -- there were sites all over England dedicated to intercepting signals and trying to crack the code. I didn't know about the tenuous American/British cooperation on the project and the tensions when the Americans could produce more machines than the British could.
Overall, the writing was decent but not amazing, but the story was fast and engaging. To me, it was worth it regardless because of the fascinating topic.
+20 task (published Selling Hitler in 1986, most recent in 2011)
+5 combo (20.5 - Lab Lit list)
+5 multiple (4th book for this task)
+10 review
Task Total: 40 points
Grand total: 540
10.10 Square PegThe Master Of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson
Review
Another swashbuckling, adventure upon adventure by the man who has given us many of the genre. This is the story of two brothers, sons of a titled lord in Scotland. When Bonnie Prince Charlie needs men, it was assumed the younger son, Henry would do because James as the oldest was heir to the title. However James can't pass up such an adventure and on the toss of the coin he gets his chance. The family soon gets news that no one survived the Battle of Culloden so Henry now is the heir. He marries James' intended, a cousin who is still deeply in love with James. A new secretary for Henry arrives and it is in
his voice the tale is told. JAmes death makes him the martyred hero, and his father and brother's wife spend all their time together canonizing James. Turns out James is alive due to some treachery, has been a pirate, gone to America and lots of other nefarious adventures until he runs out of money. He returns home much to the delight of his father and sister-in-law but soon proves to be a sneaky underhanded villain who without his father's knowledge taunts and provokes his brother, Henry, even to winning Henry's child over and wooing Henry's wife. Under horrific circumstances, he again is thought dead but turns out alive yet again, going to France, becoming a chevalier, sending notes home for money as needed which brings the estate to near bankruptcy. The blame for strict economy is thrown on Henry for being a miser as he won't burden his family with the truth. The years pass, until James drives the family to flee Scotland and go to New York. Of course he follows, again to torture his brother. The book ends there with a great twist that I won't give away. Much like Kidnapped, a classic adventure tale. Loved it!
+10 pts - Task
+10 pts - Review
+10 pts - Oldie (1889)
Task Total - 30 pts
Challenge completion bonus - 100 Pts
Mega Finish - 200 pts
Grand Total - 1635 pts
RwS Task10.3 - Celebrate Garfunkle’s Birthday
Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem
If you love words and their possibilities this book is for you! Lionel is a detective who has Tourette's Syndrome and he often tics on a word and it's many variations and extensions. Although the disability itself is not comical, the wordplay sometimes does bring out a laugh and the total picture of Lionel's personality is so engaging, you can't help but get caught up in his story and root for him throughout. Lionel has a serious mystery to solve. He has witnessed the murder of his boss and been given a few clues about "who done it". I like getting inside the head of a fictional character and learning more about a syndrome like Tourette's along the way. I thought the solution of the mystery itself was a bit of a stretch, but it was an enjoyable read overall. This was my second book by Jonathan Lethem this season and I plan to read more soon!
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 20
+100 RwS Finish
Grand Total: 1475
10.9 To Be Continued The Templar Salvation by Raymond Khoury
Review:
This is an action suspense thriller which could make a decent movie. The premise is interesting but stretched a little thin. The little pieces of Templar history are tantalizing but the modern bad guy's plot isn't very believable. The setting in Turkey is fun but the writing is hackneyed(i.e. he put on his "inner cowboy"). The dialog is mostly lecture or lame jokes. The action is almost unrelenting, which for fans of this genre is probably good, but for the rest of us, it is wearying. The only characters that have any depth are the three main characters, Sean, an FBI agent, Tess, a writer and Zahad Mansoor, the bad guy. And it seems like that depth comes from being center stage and having a little bit (very little) of their background filled in. And, of course, there are a few loose ends to move on to the next book in the series.
+10 Task (this is book 2 of 3 so far)
+10 Review
+5 Jumbo (592 pages)
Task total: 25
Grand Total: 665
20.10 - World Suicide Prevention Day repeatA Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
Lexile 1220
+20 Task (committed suicide in 1941)
+25 Combo (10.3 #209 on Garfunkel's list; 20.3 Dewey Decimal 824W at BPL; 20.4 Carmilla http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_... 20.7 (B) feminist author; 20.8 veteran author published from 1915-1941)
+ 5 Multiple
+10 Oldies (1929)
Task total=60
Grand total=855
Task 15.10 - 10th book - letter X(2007)Miss Chopsticks (2007) by Xinran
+45 Task
+200 points if the chain qualifies for both (A) and (B)
(A) Bonus: all 10 books published within any 25-year period (1984-2007)
(B) Bonus: books are read in chronological order (by original publication date) as well as alphabetic order (without repeating a year)
Task Total: 45 + 200 = 245
Grand Total: 1155 + 245 = 1400
Review: This is a gentle story about 3 teenaged girls born and raised in the Chinese countryside who move to the Big City of Nanjing to work for wages. In the introduction, the author says that she is a journalist born and raised in China. The three sisters in the story are based on three young women (who are NOT sisters) whom she met while doing her job as a journalist. The details are fictionalized to protect their privacy. The “local color” details were interesting. It was very soothing to read a story about sisters who actually liked each other. Recommended.
20.7 - Connie's Task - Women of Achievement Month, September:Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
A. Read a novel that meets all three criteria of the Bechdel Test: the work must (i) have at least 2 female characters who (ii) talk to each other about (iii) something other than a man/men.
Seraphina and Princess Glisselda discuss music and the treatment of dragons within society, as well as dragon perceptions of humans.
+20 Task
(Low Lexile: 760).
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 310
RwS10.4 Celebrate Colors - The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
The Black Prism was…colorful, confusing, conniving and many other things. I liked it…I think. I thought the characters were good. They were well developed and you have your protagonist (sort of, I’ll leave that to you to figure out) defined. The plot was interesting but what I found confusing was the magic portion of the whole story. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around how they “drafted” and all that it encompassed and being that the book is 700+ pages, you’re investing a lot of time into understanding everything. In the end, I think I will read the next installment though I won’t rush out to do so.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+10 Jumbo (over 700 pages)
+5 Multiple
Task Total=35
Grand Total=305 pts
Please delete points for #327 The Poisonwood Bible. That was my first ABC post, and I am abandoning it and moving all books that I have read for it to other RsW tasks.
Bea wrote: "Please delete points for #327 The Poisonwood Bible. That was my first ABC post, and I am abandoning it and moving all books that I have read for it to other RsW tasks."Will do - you can claim it for 20.8 at the very least.
RsW task 10.2 OktoberfestLike Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel - author born in Mexico
I didn't know too much about magical realism as a genre, but, after reading this book, I have a better idea of what it is. I am not sure that it will ever be a genre that I will naturally like, but, in certain stories, I can see how it is a technique that can emphasize a feeling as in this book where it is used to increase the feeling of sadness and disappointment by the unbelievable amount of tears or powers of the tears.
The author uses another technique to give form to this book in that she has divided it into monthly chapters to show the passing of time. Finally the story is interspersed with recipes as Tita's life seems to revolve around cooking and interactions with others over food.
This is a story of love in all its varied forms - possessive, demanding, controlling, free, hidden, passionate, and quiet. The characters are all slightly bent and not fully developed. The reader only gets a view of each from a particular lens, that of Tita. I found that I wanted Tita to find love, not escape...but real love.
Overall, I liked the book, but it left me not really caring beyond the book about the characters.
+10 Task
+5 Combo (10.6)
+10 Review
Total Points: 25
20.8 Veteran AuthorBrighton Rock by Graham Greene
This is an early psychological thriller. As it is my first Graham Greene, I don't know whether I can continue to expect this sort, although I believe at least some of his novels point this direction. However, I've read enough about Greene to know that I should rely on his having a Catholic bent. This was OK, but seemed to me extraneous. I felt he could have accomplished his purpose without the religiosity.
Without giving any spoilers, at some the point the ending is not unexpected. Exactly how the author takes us there doesn't seem particularly straight forward. Both plot and characterization were better than some, not as good as others.
+20 Task
+ 5 Multiple
+10 Review
+ 5 Oldie (pub 1938)
Task Total = 40
Grand Total = 775
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Reading with Style
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The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam by Barbara Tuchman
+20 Task
Grand Total: 20
(Not sure if I am doing this right, but thought I would give it a shot. Exc..."
Thanks for the help Elizabeth - I updated my posts. This is a blast. I can't wait for the winter season to begin!