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Winter 13/14 RwS Completed Tasks - Winter 13/14
10.8 - BINGO!Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall
+ 10 Task (Born to Run: A HIddeN Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the WOrld Has Never Seen)
+ 10 Style (not a novel)
Task total: 20
Grand Total: 255
Task 10.5 Goodreads AuthorizedThe Cost of Love and Sanity by Jaye Cherié
Jaye Cherie is a Goodreads Author
Review
I usually stay away from contemporary romances but something about this one caught my eye so I found myself agreeing to part of the blog tour. I’m glad I did. This was a cute story about a woman becoming comfortable with who she is and realizing that she does not need to accept less then she deserves, especially when it comes to men! The story flowed well and was a quick read. I liked the main character, Alex, although I did find myself wanting to yell at her a couple of times when it came to her dealings with Nathan. My one complaint with the story is that the ending was tied together a little too neatly and happened a little too quickly. I think the end of the story would have been better if it had been just a bit longer.
I would recommend The Cost of Love & Sanity to fans of contemporary romance or anyone in the mood for a light read.
+10 task
+10 review
Task Total = 20
Grand Total = 300 pts
20.9 - Daytona 500The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
Catton crafts a tale that is a delight to read. She beautifully captures the voices of the Victorian era to create an intricate plot that keeps you turning pages (all 834 of them!). My instinct is to say that those who like Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone are likely to enjoy this book, but that seems unlikely to apply to many given Collins's lack of popular appeal. Perhaps I should instead say, if you enjoyed The Luminaries try The Moonstone (it really is a wonderful book)! The Luminaries was a perfect winter read; an adventure tale set in a warm (albeit rainy) clime with a mystery all put together with skillful writing.
+ 5 Combo (10.6 - most recent)
+ 15 (Jumbo - 834 pages)
+ 10 (Review)
Task total: 50
Grand total: 305
Task 10.5 Goodreads AuthorizedThe Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
Susanna Kearsley is a Goodreads Author
+10 task
+5 jumbo (544 pages)
Task Total = 15
Grand Total = 315 pts
Task 10.5 Goodreads AuthorizedThe Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig
Lauren Willig is a Goodreads Author
+10 task
+5 combo w/ 10.2 (shelved as fantasy 110 times)
Task Total = 15
Grand Total = 330 pts
20.8 DisasterThe Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why by Amanda Ripley
+20 task
+10 Combo (10.5, 10.6 – first book)
+10 Not a Novel (non-fiction)
Task total: 40 points
Grand Total: 1020
10.10 Group ReadsScenes from Village Life by Amos Oz
+10 task
+10 Not a Novel (short stories)
Task total: 20 points
RwS Finish: 100 points
Mega Finish: 200 points
Grand Total: 1340 (unless I've made yet another mistake)
20.3 Post ColonialA Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
+20 task
+10 Combo (20.6, 20.9)
+25 Jumbo (1488 pages)
Task total: 55 points
Grand Total: 1395
TtPRStop # 8. Guatemala.
I read Weekend In Guatemala by Miguel Ángel Asturias
10 point bonus for every stop beyond # 5.
Points this post: 15 + 10(bonus) = 25
Grand Total: 150
Task 10.6 - Beginnings/Endings: Debut novel and, as of December 1, 2013, the only novel this author has in print.
The Beautiful Land (2013) by Alan Averill (Goodreads Author) (Paperback, 362 pages)
Review:This is the debut science fiction novel of Alan Averill. The backcover says: “The switch is thrown, and reality begins to warp—horribly. And Tak realizes that to save Sam, he must save the entire world…” (Takahiro is the hero, and Samira is the heroine.) The “feel” of the novel is similar to the “feel” of the movies “The Matrix” and “Inception”. There is a lot of action, and enough info-dumps are included to understand the story. The story involves parallel universes, which, confusingly and inaccurately, the novel refers to as “time travel”. The shifting frames of reality are easy to follow – which is not always true in this kind of novel. The reader gets to know the two main protagonists through their memories and dreams – so they seem “real” and not just pawns. Overall, I liked this novel.
Recommended for science fiction fans, especially for those who enjoyed the movies “The Matrix” and “Inception”. Readers who don’t care for science fiction should probably skip this one.
+10 Task
+05 Combo (10.5 Goodreads Author)
+10 Review
Task Total: 10 + 05 + 10 = 25
Grand Total: 635 + 25 = 660
10.5 – Goodreads authorized:The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson 1170 Lexile
Since Seattle has hosted a World’s Fair, I was interested to read the story of another city I’m pretty familiar with (my sister lives in Evanston outside of Chicago) and their experience building and hosting a fair. I loved reading about the construction of the first Ferris Wheel because I spent many summers working at an amusement park. Add to that a murderer on the loose and you get a gripping tale! This book has been recommended to me many times and the book was deserving of the rave reviews. There is still something about nonfiction writing that keeps me feeling less engaged with the characters, but in this one, the true crime aspect of the story was riveting and well told. The Devil in the White City truly lived up to his reputation!
+10 Points
+10 Review
+10 Not a Novel (Nonfiction)
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 1265
10.6 – Beginnings/Endings:The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater, 690 Lexile
Maggie Stiefvater is one of my all-time favorite writers. She always does her research and weaves mythology and reality together to create a fantasy that feels like it could be truly happening. Her writing is so sophisticated and intense that I have a visceral reaction to passages and find myself literally holding my breath. The car race in The Dream Thieves and its aftermath with the terrifying night horrors with their “tck-tck-tck-tck” is my favorite example of this feeling. On top of that, I have listened to the two books and love the voice of Will Patton as reader. The characters come to life in his renditions. Since Stiefvater is also a musician, listening gives the added bonus of hearing the music she creates and plays for her books. Ley lines, dreams becoming reality, ghosts, magic, secrets and a hit man all play a part in this riveting story. The book is slow moving at times, but I was too wrapped up in the intricacy of the writing and the sound of Patton’s voice to mind.
+10 Task (most recent book)
+ 0 Review
Task Total: 10
Grand Total: 1275
10.1 New Years Resolutions more of the Les Rougon-Macquart series; 3rd entryA Love Episode by Émile Zola
+10 Task
+10 Oldies (pub 1877)
Task Total = 20
Grand Total = 425
10.8 – BINGO!: Cory (Bigler)’s task The Boy on the Bridge by Natalie Standiford, 660 Lexile
+10 Task: BOy oN brIdGe
Task Total: 10
Grand Total: 1285
Jenifer wrote: "Task 10.5 Goodreads AuthorizedThe Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
Susanna Kearsley is a Goodreads Author
+10 task
+5 jumbo (544 pages)
Task Total = 15
Grand Total..."
Jenifer, are you moving this book from 15.2? I have not moved it as of yet. Please let me know.
Ella wrote: "20.3. Post-Colonial author Love in the Time of Cholera Gabriel García MárquezThis is my second G.G.Marquez book. The first one was "The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor"..."
Sorry, Ella, but Gabriel García Márquez is not on the linked list of authors for 20.3. I have currently recorded it as 20.6 with a combo for 10.9 (thus reducing your score by 5 points).
Jenifer wrote: "Task 10.5 Goodreads AuthorizedThe Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig
Lauren Willig is a Goodreads Author
+10 task
+5 combo w/ 10.2 (shelved as fantasy 110 ti..."
Sorry, Jenifer, for 10.2 the requirement is shelved as fantasy 1000 times.
From Post 480Kazen wrote: "20.8 - Disastrous reading
The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why by Amanda Ripley
This book is not about clapping heroes on the back, but ab..."
+5 Combo 10.6-debut book
20.2 PicaresqueTortilla Flat by John Steinbeck
YA assignment, no Lexile.
Task total: 20
Grand total: 655
10.4 Chinese New YearThe Book of Dragons by E. Nesbit
Lexile 1170
+10 task (dragon/s in title)
+10 Oldies (published 1900)
+10 Not a Novel (short stories)
Task total: 30 points
Grand Total: 1425
Congratulations on your mega finish Coralie!20.10 Between the Wars
A Family and a Fortune by Ivy Compton-Burnett
Review:
This is my favourite so far of the novels of Ivy Compton-Burnett. Now almost forgotten, her dialogue-driven caustic social commentaries were very popular in the middle of the 20th century. This one is a little bit less like a play than some, with more narrative that's not dialogue, but almost all of the action takes place in one house and the characters' clever, cutting remarks still dominate the plot.
It's the story of the Gaveston family through first the arrival of a malicious, embittered aunt, then the unexpected inheritance of a fortune by one member of the family, then a death, then a marriage.
+20 task
+10 review
+ 5 oldies (pub. 1939)
Task total: 35 points
Grand total: 1070
20.3Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
+20 task
+5 combo (10.5)
task total: 25
RwS finish: 100
grand total: 1120
Liz M wrote: "Phoebe wrote: "20.5 DisturbingPhoebe, please include the test of your review in the post rather than linking it. It makes it much easier on the scorekeepers. Thanks!
Hi, sorry! Updated the post and here the text of the review as well:
"World War Z is not about zombies...not really. It is more about humankind, about its societies, about its military, about its struggle - about its people. The book consists of stories told in retrospect by individuals who survived. They tell their stories and with it the story of the "Zombie War". The story unfolds more or less chronological, starting with the first sightings in China. Since it's told in retrospect the reader gets bits of information about the postwar world as well and early on a sense of the magnitude of the "war".
There is no character development on the long run, but you get an insight into the individual storytellers - and the zombie's characteristics: What they can do, and what they can't do.
The book is brilliantly written and draws the reader in right from the beginning. Because of the book's set-up as an eye-witness report, it makes the events sound more "real" more "possible to happen", which makes it even more scary! Nicely done!"
Greetings, Phoebe
20.7 group reads reduxNothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
This book follows the lives of North Koreans Demick interviewed after they defected to South Korea. Demick tells her informants' lives well, weaving them together into a chronological account of life in Chongjin, a northern town in North Korea. I suppose there might be something suspect about a journalistic account that reads like a novel, since reality is never as neat as fiction, but I didn't mind at all. North Korea is a tough topic, since we know so little about what life is like there, and after reading this book I feel I have learned quite a bit.
+20 - task
+ 10 - combo (20.4 travel, 10.6 most recent book)
+ 10 not a novel
+10 review
Task total 50
Grand total 335
20.5 disturbingGeek Love by Katherine Dunn
I don't know what to say about this book. The plot: a couple running a carnival use toxins, drugs, and poisons to "engineer" a family of circus freaks. The book follows the highly unusual childhood of these siblings, specifically focusing on their dysfunctional relationships with each other. It is hard to give more particulars without spoilers. The story was immensely readable and hard to put down, but I do not feel it lived up to its promise. I cannot say what it is missing, but it could have been a better book. It almost felt like the ( almost entirely unlikeable) characters pulled the book in a different direction than the author intended. I wanted it to read like a Tom Waits ballad, but it ended up feeling more like an episode from the HBO show Carnivale, of which I was not a big fan. However, the book is so unusual I may be evaluating it unfairly. It certainly has left an indelible impression on me, and I expect to continue thinking about it for some time.
+20 task
+5 combo (20.6)
+10 review
Task total 35
Grand Total 370
Re: post 699Geek Love was published in 1989, so it should also be +5 for oldies.
That puts my grand total at 375
Task 20.4 - TravelOn January 27, 2014 this book was #77 on the list: Favourite Travel Books.
Assassination Vacation (2005) by Sarah Vowell
Review: This meandering non-fiction book follows Sarah Vowell as she visits places related to the assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley, including places related to the presidents and places related to their assassins. Vowell’s trademark style is to explain things as if she were an entertaining and knowledgeable tour guide. I learned some facts about, both relevant and random, about the presidents and their assassins. Vowell includes commentary about her dislike and disapproval of President George W. Bush and his Iraqi war policies – remember, this was published in 2005. This book is easy to dip in and out of. Recommended for light reading.
+20 Task
+10 Not-a-Novel
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 + 10 + 10 = 40
Grand Total: 660 + 40 = 700
10.10. Group Reads: Fear and Loathing in Las VegasHunter S. Thompson
Although I don't consider myself a conservative reader but this was certainly not my cup of tea. I decided to change my reading habits and this time I chose to listen to an audio-book. I choose a Russian edition. The narrator was convincing and record was filled with corresponding music and sound effects that added a lot of realism to the story. Unfortunately I didn't find anything worth spending time in this story - it was full with swear, illogical, delusional, junkie addicted nightmares and a total lack of useful information. The only somehow positive thing was that amount on information given about life of heavy drug addicts - so maybe someone would read it and choose not to start take drugs because of the pathetic and totally unsympathetic condition of morals and domestic lives of people who lost control over their addiction.
+10 - Task
+10 - Review
+10 - Not A Novel
+5 - Oldies
+20 - Combo 20.6., 20.5., 20.4., 20.2.
Total Points - 55 Points
Grand Total - 175 Points
Task 10.6 - Beginnings/Endings: Debut novel and winner of the Locus Award for Best First Novel (1990).
Orbital Decay (Near Space #1) (1989) by Allen Steele (Paperback, 324 pages)
Review:This book was published in 1989. It is set in 2014 – a “near future” science fiction novel. The style of this novel is in the tradition of the best science fiction from the 1940s and 50s. Steele is optimistic about the future of the Space Program. The shuttles have expanded operation:
p. 105: "....but once the number of flight-worthy shuttles topped a dozen and the launches became scheduled on a weekly basis ..."
Governments and private corporations are finding new uses for the various Space Stations, both economic and strategic. A sub-plot is ripped from the 2013/2014 headlines, as it involves an initative by the NSA to capture and monitor all telephone communications on Earth. The justification: to avert acts of terror against governments and corporations. The heroes of this novel are the men (no women) who build and operate the space stations.
Overall, I really liked this one, and I’m going to track down the author’s other novels.
Recommended for fans of science fiction.
+10 Task
+05 Oldies -25 to 75 years old: 5 points (1939-1989)
+10 Review
Task Total: 10 + 05 + 10 = 25
Grand Total: 700 + 25 = 725
Task 20.6 Twentieth CenturyThe Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
#254 on the list
+20 task
+5 combo w/ 10.3 detective fiction
+10 oldie
+10 review
Task Total = 45 points
Grand Total = 375
My Review:
I'm not sure what took me so long to read this book. I've always loved Sherlock Holmes since I first saw Basil Rathbone's version on t.v. as a child. This was a lovely mystery. Although, I knew the basis of the story (from what I could remember seeing as a child and also from the Moffit/Gatiss modern version of the tale), I still found myself surprised in a few areas. I even found myself jumping at one point when my telephone rang while I was reading a particularly dark description of the moors at night.
I do love Sherlock Holmes and think everyone should read at least some of Doyle's masterpiece series at least once in their lifetime. As I've told my son (who is currently reading A Study in Scarlet), you might just be surprised with how readable and enjoyable, Doyle's work is.
20.8The Buffalo Creek Disaster: How the Survivors of One of the Worst Disasters in Coal-Mining History Brought Suit Against the Coal Company- And Won by Gerald M. Stern
+20 task
+10 not a novel
+5 combo (10.8)
task total: 35
grand total: 1155
20.3 - Post-ColonialOryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood
This has to be one of the best dystopian novels I've read. I loved it from beginning to end! The narrative follows Snowman, who might be the last human alive. It switches between his present-day fight to stay alive, and the past events which led up to the end of the human race as we know it. I loved the way it was told. It kept me wanting to know more, with hints being dropped by present-day Snowman about things the author hasn't yet told us about the past events. Absolutely a great read, and I'll definitely be reading the second book soon!
+20 task
+10 review
+5 combo (10.5 - Goodreads author)
Post total: 35
Grand total: 225
20.1 1964Dan Brown was born in 1964
Inferno by Dan Brown
+20 task
+5 combo (w/ 10.6 This is Dan Brown's most recent release)
+10 review
Review:
I don't know why I continue to read these books. I don't really like them. Maybe it's my compulsivity to finish a series once I've started it? Inferno wasn't horrible but it wasn't as exciting a read as The Da Vinci Code either. As with his other books, Dan Brown seems to have jumped up on his own personal soapbox, although this time, instead of attacking the church, he is preaching about population growth.
Brown (or his assistants) have obviously done quite a bit of research for this book. I enjoy reading his descriptions of the various locations in the book and I did enjoy learning a little more about Dante's Inferno. I just might even start reading some Dante in the future.
I think my problem with Inferno and The Lost Symbol is that I just find Robert Langdon to be an unbelievable character. You would think that after a few books of being chased at gun point, kidnapped, etc. he would become suspicious of people and not be so surprised when someone shoots at him! Oh well, as much as I complain, there is a good chance that I will end up reading Dan Brown's next book..
Task Total: 35
Grand Total = 410 pts
20.8 Disastrous ReadingThe Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic by Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury (# 33 on list of disaster books)
A diphtheria epidemic was starting in Nome, Alaska in 1925 and antitoxin was desperately needed. Nome, located close to the Arctic Circle, was no longer accessible by boat since the Bering Sea was already frozen. Some serum was transported from Anchorage to Nenana by train. Then a relay of twenty dog sled teams ran day and night for 674 miles to bring the lifesaving serum to Nome. The heroic men and their dogs traveled through blizzards and exceptionally frigid conditions--down to minus 60 degrees.
The authors provided lots of interesting background material about diphtheria, Nome, the Gold Rush, and the Native Alaskans. They also discussed the dog sled teams, especially the lead dogs, and the responsibilities of the drivers. The second half of the book was especially exciting as the teams made the harrowing journey. Exceptionally intelligent lead dogs, such as Togo from Leonhard Seppala's team, pulled them out of potentially deadly situations. The two authors, cousins Gal Salisbury and Laney Salisbury, wrote a book that is both informative and full of human (and canine) drama.
+20 task
+10 combo (10.4 Chinese New Year-dogs, 10.6 Beginnings/Endings--first book)
+10 not a novel (non-fiction)
+10 review
Task total: 50
Grand total: 705
10.5 Goodreads AuthorizedThe Time Keeper by Mitch Albom
+10 task
Task total: 10 points
Grand Total: 1435
20.10 Between the WarsThe Unvanquished by William Faulkner
Review
Like Hemmingway, another renowned writer that has won both the Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prizes, he is a writer I can love and hate at the same time. As I Lay Dying and Light of August I love, The Pulitzer winner, The Fable drove me nuts trying to figure out all the symbolism. One day I might give Absalom, Absalom another shot. But this book, The Unvanquished is most assuredly on my “Love it!” list. The heroism of the home front, particularly in the South of mothers, wives, children and in this case, Granny of the period between and just post the American Civil War has always fascinated me. What they went through, the moral courage and physical hardships they endured will always be a lasting tribute in my mind to women and the “weaker” members of society in general. Remembering that writers of this age were only one or two generations from the actual events makes the story so realistic. The flow of the story flowed from crisis to crisis that entertains as well as have its own message.
Thank you, Elizabeth, for bringing this book to our attention!
+20 pts - Task (b. 1897)
+10 pts - Review
+10 pts - Combo (10.9 -won 1949, 10.10)
+10 pts - Oldies (pub 1938)
Task Total - 50 pts
Grand Total -
20.9 Daytona 500The Source by James A. Michener
Review
I thought I’d never finish this book of over 900 pages! I do like this genre that Michener does, like E. Rutherford which is take a place and beginning from the most distant period in the past and the place’s history though the ages until modern times. This book does that with a bit of a twist. Instead of a straightforward marching through time the device used to tell the story is concerning an archeological dig in present day Israel. A large rock bedded hill that had at its base a natural spring (The Source) and the top being perfect for a fortress along with some caves. I was much reminded of the historical site of Masada. The main characters are the archeologists, Ilan, a German Jew who escaped and fought with the British against Nazi’s, went to Palestine, engaged in a terrorist act against the British at the time of the Mandate and is now a scholar and a prime candidate for a cabinet position. Vered, a woman “Sabra” who ran from her family as a teenager to help fight for the cause of a free Israel against the overwhelming odds of Arabs and engaged to Ilan but has three men in love with her. Tabiri, the Arab Israeli scholar, friends with Ilan and Vered and certain that a shared State can happen and Michael, and Irish Catholic America whose curiosity about the region its past and it’s current politics is the framework the book uses to explain the complexities of the situation. As they dig through each layer, the story reverts to the beginning of its history with the Man from UR (Abraham’s antecedents) until we end up in 1948 three of the four were in the thick of the difficult birth of Israel.
As the history continues with Canaanites, Hebrews, Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, Turks, Arabs, Christians, Moslems, and slaves we see how the religions and races have more in common than you would think and the divergent paths these groups take. Through it all the blood of the man from Ur is passed down through many groups and generations until the two Jews and the Arab of the modern dig actually are sharing the same ancestor. This book does not lean towards any one side of the Israeli problem. It is a history of Judaism as well as of the area. Mistakes made by all parties through history are explored. I kept getting distracted with going to Rome and all so that it started dragging for me but it actually enhanced my view of ancient civilizations and how one decision can affect events for generations to come.
+ 20 pts - Task
+10 pts - Review
+10 pts - Combo (20.6 - #449, 20.10 - b 3 Feb 1907 Happy B-day!)
+ 5 pts - Oldies (pub 1965)
+20 pts - Jumbo (928 pgs)
Task Total - 65 pts
Grand Total -
20.1 - 1964:A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
Oh Hemingway. Even in a memoir, Hemingway is still writing in his distinctive description-free style. It does take some getting used to and this book didn't really click with me as well as his short stories or novels. Also, I wish I had read this book right after The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, as they are both memoirs of the same time period and each book includes stories of the other author.
Generally, it was a fun read. I loved hearing about the other authors of the time period. Fitzgerald (of course) steals the show, but there are mentions of Ezra Pound, James Joyce, and Ford Maddox Ford among others. And this is half the fun -- hearing the opinions of one famous author on other famous authors. I was mildly surprised at how much admiration Hemingway expressed for The Great Gatsby and James Joyce. It is also fascinating to hear Hemingway discuss his writing and see the interpretation he puts on the events in his life. I am slightly tempted to read a biography for a more objective view of Hemingway.
+20 task
+20 combo (10.9, 20.4, 20.6, 20.10)
+10 review
+10 not-a-novel
+5 oldies (pub. 1964)
Task Total: 65 points
Grand Total: 455 points
10.1 - Reading ResolutionsRead more translated works
The Dark Child by Camara Laye
This was a delightful read. Often considered one of the earliest examples of francophone literature, it is a memoir of the author's childhood in Guinea, written while he was attending school in France. As such, it is an idealistic memoir and casts a golden glow over his childhood. His parents are wonderful; his childhood was easy and mostly untroubled. Even when describing the vicious bullying he experienced at one of his childhood schools, the events seem glossed over. It was fascinating to read about a foreign life and culture as imagined by ne who both experienced it and was distanced from it.
+10 task
+5 combo (10.5 - first book)
+10 not-a-novel
+10 review
+5 oldies (pub. 1953)
Task total: 40 points
Grand Total: 495 points
In post 634, Liz M wrote: "10.1 - Reading Resolutions Read more translated works
Reveries of the Solitary Walker by Jean-Jacques Rousseau..."
I am moving this book to task 10.5, for a net loss of 5 points.
Grand Total: 490 points
10.1 - Reading ResolutionsRead more translated works
Memoirs of a Peasant Boy by Xosé Neira Vilas
This charming novella purports to be the journal of a poor boy from a rural community in Galicia, Spain. The perspective is that of the young man looking back on his lonely childhood in a small village from his current position as a servant in a larger town. Because no one understands him, he empties his thoughts and feelings into a notebook. The narration is that of a simple, straightforward portrayal of his life, but in the telling of a fight with the landowner’s son, the enforced mourning for an uncle, and discussions with “the Jew”, the narrator questions and criticizes the social norms. The book is structured so that each chapter/memory is almost a self-contained story but together they encompass the hardships and comforts of life in 1930s Spain.
+10 task
+10 review
+5 oldies
Task total: 25 points
Grand Total: 515 points
Task total:
15.2 TtPR - Australia - SeafarerAn Open Swimmer by Tim Winton
+15 pts - Task (fits A, B, & C)
+10 pts - Bonus
Task Total - 25 pts
Grand Total -
20.8 - Disastrous ReadingA Night to Remember by Walter Lord
Lexile 950
+20 Task
+10 Combo (10.6 - Debut book; 10.8 - BINGO)
+10 Not-A-Novel (non-fiction account)
+ 5 Oldies (1955)
Task total=45
Grand total=830
TtPR-Seafarer15.7 Seventh stop--Canada A,B
The Russländer by Sandra Birdsell
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Task total: 25
Grand Total: 410
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Reading with Style
Books mentioned in this topic
A Dance with Dragons (other topics)Tracks (other topics)
Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops (other topics)
The Frenzy (other topics)
The Counterfeiters (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
George R.R. Martin (other topics)Robyn Davidson (other topics)
Jen Campbell (other topics)
Francesca Lia Block (other topics)
André Gide (other topics)
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Riding the Iron Rooster by Paul Theroux
Review: This book is so dated that it is now history and fascinating as that. Theroux traveled around China for a year in 1986/7 (as best I can figure). He traveled mostly by rail and he managed to eventually frustrate his minders enough that he was left to his own devices often. He has some command of Mandarin and seems to be able to read some also. He arrives about ten years after the death of Mao (and the end of the Cultural Revolution) and is in China during the beginnings of the unrest that eventually led to the Tienanmen Square Massacre. He asks a lot of questions, particularly about the Cultural Revolution.
I have not yet experienced China and, based on current photos of some of the places he visited, I would say that a lot of things have changed since then.
He is outspoken with his opinions and makes a spirited case for Tibetan independence.
+20 Task #48 on the the Favourite Travel Books list
+5 Combo (10.4)
+10 Review
+10 Not-a-novel (nonfiction)
+5 Oldies (1988)
Task total: 50
Grand Total: 385