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Fall 2013 RwS Completed Tasks - Fall 2013
20.9 WWII FictionThe Key to Rebecca by Ken Follett
Review: I’ve read most of Ken Follett’s spy novels, but not this one, which was great, because it was a real treat. It’s a basic straightforward WWII spy novel, with the good guys and bad guys clearly delineated, and the added bonus of a romance (which, by the way, would probably have categorized the entire book as a romance novel in some people’s estimation had it been written by a woman, but I digress…). It was, however, set in Egypt during the North African campaign, which is a part of WWII I’m very unfamiliar with, so that made it new and interesting. So much fun!
+20 Task (#43 on the list)
+10 Review
Task Total: 30
+100 RwS Finish
+200 Mega Finish
Grand Total: 1825
20.8 Stephen KingGirl Genius, Vol. 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones by Phil Foglio
+20 Task (the world has ‘constructs’, many of which are main characters – a talking cat,
‘Jagermeisters’, etc.)
No style points – graphic novel
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 1845
10.6 - In honor of All Saints Day, sometimes called The Day of the Dead, read a book by an author who died before September 1, 2013. Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky 11/23/13
The author died in 1881.
Review:
Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground is an interesting psychological study of a miserable man. This book is widely considered the first existentialist novel, and Nietzsche is said to have cited this novel when claiming that Dostoevsky was the only psychologist from whom he had anything to learn. Here the unnamed “Underground Man” begins with a section describing how despicable he is and expressing his contempt for modern society and current views on psychology. This is followed by examples of specific events in his younger days, including a dinner with former friends from whom he is now alienated and an episode with a prostitute. There is much going on in this dark novella, and it probably deserves a second read.
+10 task
+10 Canon
+10 review
+10 Non-Western (Dostoevsky was born in and lived in Russia)
Task Total: 40 points
RwS Total to date: 1155
Pick 'n' Mix Total to date: 200
Pick 'n' Mix Completion Bonus: 100
RwS Completion Bonus 100
Mega Finish Bonus 200
Grand Total to date: 1755
Books in Canon: 14
20.1 - In honor of the 100th anniversary of the publication of Swann's Way, read a book originally written in French by an author born in France.Thérèse Desqueyroux by François Mauriac 11/23/13
The author was born in France and the book was written in French.
Review:
Thérèse Desqueyroux is the story of a dysfunctional French couple, well-written by the Nobel Prize winning novelist Francois Mauriac. Of greatest interest to the reader is the development of the title character, Thérèse.
(view spoiler)
Combos:
10.6 died in 1970
20.2 lived 1885-1970
+20 task
+10 Canon
+10 review
+10 Combos (10.6, 20.2)
Task Total: 50 points
RwS Total to date: 1205
Pick 'n' Mix Total to date: 200
Pick 'n' Mix Completion Bonus: 100
RwS Completion Bonus 100
Mega Finish Bonus 200
Grand Total to date: 1805
Books in Canon: 15
20.3 - Proust's lifetime is almost exactly that of what has been termed the Belle Époque (beautiful era). Read one of the top 100 Belle Epoque books. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton11/23/13
The book is #98 on the Belle Epoque list.
Review:
Published in 1911, Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome is an American Classic that has earned a place on Bloom’s Canon. It is one of the books frequently required for English classes, and I had thought I might have read it years ago. However, the ending was definitely new to me and one I would have remembered. The story, in a nutshell, centers on Ethan Frome, a disillusioned man whose life has not turned out as he’d hoped, his hypochondriac wife, Zeena, and her sweet cousin, Mattie, who has come to live with them. Add a little misplaced affection and the lovely writing of Edith Wharton, and you have a lovely weekend read.
Combos:
10.2 #112 on the list of Stories for Book Lovers
10.6 died 1937
20.2 lived 1862-1937
+20 task
+10 Canon
+10 review
+15 Combos (10.2, 10.6, 20.2)
Task Total: 55 points
RwS Total to date: 1260
Pick 'n' Mix Total to date: 200
Pick 'n' Mix Completion Bonus: 100
RwS Completion Bonus 100
Mega Finish Bonus 200
Grand Total to date: 1860
Books in Canon: 16
20.2 Author alive 1909-1922The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett
+20 Task (Bennett, 1867-1931)
+ 5 Combo (10.6)
+10 Canon
+ 5 Jumbo (MPE 565 pgs)
Task Total = 40
Grand Total = 525
20.8 Stephen KingGirl Genius, Vol. 9: Agatha Heterodyne and the Heirs of the Storm by Phil Foglio
+20 Task (the world has ‘constructs’, many of which are main characters – a talking cat,
‘Jagermonsters’, etc.)
No style points – graphic novel
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 1865
15.2 (second round) - B4 - 1900-1950The Story Girl by L.M. Montgomery
+15 Task (pub. 1911)
Task Total: 15
Grand Total: 1880
20.10 Group ReadsCrime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Review:
I wasn’t very eager to read this because I had a feeling that I had already read enough classics this season and was in the mood for something more modern. But I was very surprised by Crime and Punishment, because I really liked it and was eager to read on even though my mood was against it. The book explores the psyche of a murderer. It shows how a “normal” man can kill another person and how he copes with it afterwards. Furthermore it is a vivid picture of the poverty in St. Petersburg in Dostoyevsky’s time.
A short note on the Librivox edition: I usually like those, but this time I preferred to read the book myself. The Librivox edition is a group recording and the first narrator wasn’t to my taste (too much accent) and I didn’t even try one of the later narrators.
+ 10 Task
+ 10 Canon
+ 10 Non-Western
+ 10 Review
+ 5 Jumbo (564 pages)
+ 15 Combo (10.2, 10.3, 10.6)
Task Total: 60
Grand Total: 960
20.10 Least Developed CountriesAuthor born in Afghanistan
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
Review:
Considering that everyone seems to love Khaled Hosseini’s work, I decided to give him a try. While I can’t honestly say that I absolutely have to read his other books, I liked this one and will probably read the others as well. And the Mountains Echoed begins with the fate of an Afghan family. They have to give their daughter Pari away. Her brother Abdul, who doted on her, finds this very difficult to accept. The story weaves an intricate pattern from different narrations, coming full circle in the end. It gives insights into the life in Afghanistan as well as into the life of emigrated Afghans.
+ 20 Task
+ 10 Review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 990
20.8 Stephen KingGirl Genius, Vol. 10: Agatha Heterodyne and the Guardian Muse by Phil Foglio
+20 Task (the world has ‘constructs’, many of which are main characters – a talking cat,
‘Jagermonsters’, etc.)
No style points – graphic novel
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 1900
I want to give a hearty congratulations to all of our readers this challenge! We have had some great new members join and finish and those of us who have been here a while are still going strong. I just love this challenge and our great moderators who have stepped in and do such a consistently awesome job. Thank you to everyone for making this online group such a rich reading and friendly experience!
Pick N Mix - Round 215.5 - A 4 - takes place in Asia
Raiders from the North by Alex Rutherford
+20 pts - Task
Grand Total - 1430 pts
20.4 - Proust's writing is largely based on his life with an overlay of fiction. Read one of these prose roman à clef titles or one of these notable autobiographical novels. The Lover by Marguerite Duras 11/24/13
This book is on the linked list of autobiographical novels.
Review:
This book just didn't connect with me. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this story.
(view spoiler)
Combos:
10.4 Prix Goncourt 1984
10.6 died 1996
10.7 The main character is a French teenager living in Indochina (now Vietnam) who later moves to Paris.
20.2 1914-1996
+20 task
+10 Canon
+10 review
+20 Combos (10.4, 10.6, 10.7, 20.2)
Task Total: 60 points
RwS Total to date: 1320
Pick 'n' Mix Total to date: 200
Pick 'n' Mix Completion Bonus: 100
RwS Completion Bonus 100
Mega Finish Bonus 200
Grand Total to date: 1920
Books in Canon: 17
Isabell wrote: "20.10 Least Developed CountriesAuthor born in Afghanistan
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
Review:
Considering that everyone seems to love Khaled Hosseini..."
+5 combo 10.3: and
Rebekah wrote: "Kate S wrote: "20.5 Artist in LiteratureThe Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone
+20 Task
+10 Combo (10.6, 20.2)
+10 Jumbo (776 pages)
Task Total: 40
RwS Finish:..."
This one took me a long time to get into. The characters developed very slowly and for about 300 pages, I wasn't sure I cared what happened. But then, as so often happens, I found I was hooked and immersed in the Italian Renaissance. The politics and players of the time were brought to life and I am really glad I read it.
Pick 'n'Mix15.10 F5-Translated from French
Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra
+30 Task
+100 Completion Bonus!
Grand Total = 605 points
Theresa~OctoberLace wrote: "20.4 - Proust's writing is largely based on his life with an overlay of fiction. Read one of these prose roman à clef titles or one of these notable autobiographical novels. The Lover..."
Theresa, Your review is only 95 words long. Can you give us one more sentence about the book?
Liz, I'm sorry! We're visiting family for Thanksgiving, so I did this on my iPad with no word count. I'll pull it up and add more.
Theresa~OctoberLace wrote: "Liz, I'm sorry! We're visiting family for Thanksgiving, so I did this on my iPad with no word count. I'll pull it up and add more."No worries. My rule of thumb is if the review has less than 6 full lines in the post, it's probably a little too short. Then I employ word count to check.
ETA: For clarity's sake, please re-post the book/review in a new post, in case Kate has already done the data entry for your post 894.
REPOST with updated review...original was #89420.4 - Proust's writing is largely based on his life with an overlay of fiction. Read one of these prose roman à clef titles or one of these notable autobiographical novels.
The Lover by Marguerite Duras 11/24/13
This book is on the linked list of autobiographical novels.
Review:
This book just didn't connect with me. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this story.
(view spoiler)
Combos:
10.4 Prix Goncourt 1984
10.6 died 1996
10.7 The main character is a French teenager living in Indochina (now Vietnam) who later moves to Paris.
20.2 1914-1996
+20 task
+10 Canon
+10 review
+20 Combos (10.4, 10.6, 10.7, 20.2)
Task Total: 60 points
RwS Total to date: 1320
Pick 'n' Mix Total to date: 200
Pick 'n' Mix Completion Bonus: 100
RwS Completion Bonus 100
Mega Finish Bonus 200
Grand Total to date: 1920
Books in Canon: 17
Theresa~OctoberLace wrote: "REPOST with updated review..."~grin~ Nicely done! Thanks.
20.10 Least Developed CountriesIn the Kitchen by Monica Ali
Review: It is tough to ride along first-person with a self-centered, selfish, self-obsessed narrator. It is doubly difficult to ride into a mental breakdown with him. That is the journey that Monica Ali takes us on in this book. Gabriel Lightfoot, Executive Chef at an aspiring hotel in London is facing the terminal illness of his father, the start up of his long sought restaurant with two very disparate partners, and the on-premises death of a member of his staff. It is challenging to watch Gabe dismiss people who offer support and/or affection.
The book gives the reader some idea of what it takes to manage a large hotel kitchen. It also takes on the seamy side of illegal immigration in the UK.
+20 Task (Monica Ali was born in Bangladesh)
+10 Review
+5 Jumbo (552 pages)
Task total: 35
Grand total: 440
Pick N Mix - Round 215.6 F 6 translated from Swedish
The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg
+20 pts - Task
Grand Total - 1450 pts
20.2 Author alive 1909-1922The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene
+20 Task (1904-1992)
+ 5 Combo (10.6)
+10 Canon
Task Total = 35
Grand total = 560
20.10 - Liz M’s Task -Set in Afghanistan (primarily):
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
And the Mountains Echoed is a picture of lives in Afghanistan spanning from the 1950s to the present. Hosseini tells us of these lives in linked stories focusing on one or two main characters yet weaving in more details of the other characters lives we have met in previous stories as he moves us back and forth in time. I had the wonderful experience of hearing Hosseini talk about this book at the American Library Association Conference last summer. He said that he worked harder on And the Mountains Echoed than he had worked on his other books. It is more textured and has complex, interconnected characters. In addition, other formats are used throughout the book: fable, epistolary, and interview are alternate ways in which Hosseini tells his tale. He tells of what it's like to be an Afghan in exile and said that class is "at the heart" of all three of his books and is unavoidable because 8 million Afghans lived in exile but when the Taliban fell, they returned to their country by the millions becoming an enormous burden to an already poor country. All of these themes came through clearly throughout the book and added to my enjoyment of the reading. Because the wars were not the major focus of this book, the horrific things the reader knows happened were left in the background and not described in detail. I think that Hosseini's writing matured in this book and highly recommend it.
+20 Task
+ 5 Combo: 10.3 - Conjunction Junction: and
+10 Review
Task Total: 35
Grand Total: 1845
10.8 Something Wicked This Way Comes...Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov
Review:
The audiobook was a really interesting way to re-experience this fabulous book. I read this book years ago when I was good friends with someone who was a huge Nabokov fan, but at this point, I only dimly remembered enjoying it. When reading the hardcopy, I couldn't resist the constant flipping back to the poem and following of cross references in the footnotes. In audio format, that's essentially impossible. Thus, I was forced to listen to the notes as a whole, in order, and essentially uninterrupted. I wouldn't recommend this as a first introduction to this lovely book, but it was a really pleasing way to come back to it all these years later. I loved the readers (one for the poem and one for the notes) on the unabridged audiobook. The reading of the index was a bit tedious, but otherwise, an overall enjoyable experience.
+10 Task (Timon of Athens IV,iii)
+10 Review
+10 Canon
+25 Combo (10.2 [#180], 10.6/20.2 [1899-1977], 20.6, 10.9 [Innovative Design #4])
Task Total: 55
Grand Total: 1060
My score on the Readerboard seems to be 10 points different from my own calculation up to post 890. Can you help me figure out where I've gone wrong?ETA: Maybe my move of a book in Post 852 wasn't included?
Joanna wrote: "My score on the Readerboard seems to be 10 points different from my own calculation up to post 890. Can you help me figure out where I've gone wrong?ETA: Maybe my move of a book in Post 852 wasn'..."
Sorry, Joanna. I meant to comment on that move when I did it, but must have gotten distracted. I moved the book to 15.8, but 15.8 is only worth 20 points, not 30. This should clear up the 10 point difference.
15.3 (second round) - D2 – F <40The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
+15 Task (b. 1976, pub. 2013)
Task Total: 15
Grand Total: 1915
15.4 (second round) - F4 - Greek/Turkish/Albanian/ArmenianHotel Bosphorus by Esmahan Aykol
+15 Task (translated from Turkish – it’s not super clear on Goodreads since the author is Turkish/German, but the translator is only listed as doing Turkish to English translations: http://www.londonbookfair.co.uk/en/Co...)
Task Total: 15
Grand Total: 1930
20.1 French bookTwenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Review:
Jules Verne is quickly becoming one of my favourite classic authors. His stories mix the right amount of realistic elements with fantastical occurrences to make you almost believe that these stories could have happened in realty. In Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea we accompany Professor Aronnax, his servant Conseil and Ned Land. They encounter Captain Nemo, who takes them on an extraordinary voyage on his submarine Nautilus. On this voyage they see the wonders under the sea. The only downside is that Captain Nemo refuses to allow his three passengers to leave the Nautilus because he intends to keep his existence a secret. Could they manage to escape from a submarine?
I was particularly surprised by how well I could follow the story although I read it in the original French (it might be because of the clear language, or my French is improving, not sure which).
+ 20 Task
+ 5 Combo (10.6)
+ 10 Review
Task Total: 35
RwS Finsh: 100
Mega Finish: 200
Grand Total: 1330
Kate S wrote: "Sorry, Joanna. I meant to comment on that move when I did it, but must have gotten distracted. I moved the book to 15.8, but 15.8 is only worth 20 points, not 30. This should clear up the 10 point difference. "
Duh! I marked it wrong in my spreadsheet. Sorry for the confusion.
15.10 Pick n Mix, D4, female author 40-60Published 1991, author born 1935 = 56
Postcards by Annie Proulx
Task Total: 30
Pick n Mix Completion Bonus: 100
Grand Total: 1180
10.1 Square PegUnderstanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud
Task Total = 10
Grand Total = 615 points
10.5 - In honor of Labor DayOut of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter, low lexile
+10 Task: on the list of professions
Grand Total: 1855
20.8 - Kate’s Task: Stephen KingThe Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black, 890 Lexile
There are no sparkly vampires here! This one is not for the faint of heart. In this world, Coldtowns have been established enclosed by walls where vampires and those in the intermediary stage before turning; those who have turned “cold” must stay forever. Holly Black chilled me to the bone with this one. Tana has gone to Coldtown to try to save her ex-boyfriend who has been bitten, but has not yet turned. There she meets some terrifying vampires as she struggles to survive. Holly Black’s writing is sophisticated and chilling. It takes a lot to turn my stomach, but this one did it. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a different twist on the vampire tale!
+20 Task: vampire main characters
+10 Review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 1885
Task 10.1 - Square peg:Bird of Another Heaven (2007) by James D. Houston (Hardcover, 337 pages)
+10 Task
Grand Total: 955 + 10 = 965
Task 20.2 - Read a book written by an author alive between 1909 and 1922.Clifford D. Simak
Born: in Millville, Wisconsin, The United States On: August 03, 1904
Died: April 25, 1988
Project Pope (1981) by Clifford D. Simak (Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages)
Hugo Award Nominee for Best Novel (1982)
+20 Task
+10 Combo (#10.6 Died in 1988; #20.8 a non-human MAJOR character)
Task Total: 20 + 10 = 30
Grand Total: 965 + 30 = 995
15.5 (second round) - B5 – 1800-1899Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
+20 Task (pub. 1847)
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 1950
15.6 (second round) - E1 – SF/Fantasy/Graphic NovelsLocke and Key, Vol. 2: Head Games by Joe Hill
+20 Task (Graphic Novel)
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 1970
15.4 C6 400-500 pagesThe Crystal Cave (Merlin, #1) (Arthurian Saga #1) (1970) by Mary Stewart (most popular edition: Paperback, 494 pages)
(winner Mythopoeic Fantasy Award (1971))
Grand Total: 995 + 15 = 1010
20.4 Roman a clef:David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
It is written as a memoir -- the narrator having established himself as a novelist and looking back on his life. As with most Dickens novels there is a fair bit of meandering, an astounding number of coincidental meetings between characters, and quite a few eye-rolling moments at their naïveté. But what I remember most from the novel is the characters. I loved his aunt Betsey Trotwood and his nurse and friend Peggotty. David Copperfield is thoroughly enjoyable, if not quite as brilliant and well-plotted as Bleak House.
On a side note, this was an odd reading experience. I alternated between audio while running errands and doing chores and ebook during the commute. Eventually the audio narrator's voice blending into the ebook reading. And there were certainly scenes that do better with audio and those that do much better with reading. Of course I did not always land on the right format for the right chapter!
+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 Canon
+10 Jumbo
+10 Combo (10.2, 10.6)
Task Total: 70
Grand Total: 870
15.7 (second round) - C2 – 100-200 pgThe Spectrum, a Novel by Gary Link
+20 Task (186 pg)
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 1990
15.7 Pick n Mix (second round) D 1The Millionaires by Brad Meltzer
author born 1970, book pub. 2001
+20 - Task
Grand total - 1470
20.7 Jewish Authors:The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
I found this story to be both familiar and foreign. The basic plot should be well-known -- the narrator wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a bug, but the story-telling was different than I expected. I thought it would be horrifying, as in the movie "The Fly", instead it focused more on the interactions of the characters and feelings of isolation and alienation of the narrator. I was most surprised by the relationship with his sister and the evolution of her character. It is a strange, strange story, but remarkably easy to read. It is clear to see why Kafka became such a huge influence on 20th Century literature.
+20 Task
+20 combo (10.6, 20.2, 20.3, 20.8)
+10 canon
+10 review
Task Total: 60 points
Grand Total: 930 points
The Tale of Applebeck Orchard by Susan Wittig Albert
author b. 1940 book pub 2009
+20 pts - Task
Grand Total - 1490 pts
15.6 - C6 - Pgs 400-500To the Power of Three by Laura Lippman - 448 pgs
+20 task
Task total: 20
Grand total: 465
15.10 Pick n Mix/E6 E6: nonfiction (500-999)
The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt
shelved as non-fiction 940.21
+30 task
+100 Pick n Mix Finisher Bonus
Previous Total=215
Grand Total = 345 points
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Reading with Style
Books mentioned in this topic
Gunnerkrigg Court, Volume 4: Materia (other topics)The Piper's Son (other topics)
The Name of the Rose (other topics)
The Name of the Rose (other topics)
The Blue Mountain (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Thomas Siddell (other topics)Melina Marchetta (other topics)
Umberto Eco (other topics)
Umberto Eco (other topics)
Meir Shalev (other topics)
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Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
+20 Task (born in Haiti)
750 Lexile, no style points
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 1495