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Winter 13/14 RwS Completed Tasks - Winter 13/14
10.6 - Beginnings/EndingsSomeday, Someday, Maybe - Lauren Graham
(debut novel)
+10 task
Post total: 10
Grand total: 105
10.6 Beginnings and EndingsWhite Teeth by Zadie Smith
Lexile 960
Review:
Overall, I really enjoyed this. I loved the evocation of 1970s to 1990s London and the mix of characters. The dialogue is just wonderful. Most of it was very funny too.
For most of the book I thought this would be a 5 star read for me but towards the end each of the characters seemed to calcify into one stereotype or another in a way that was not very satisfying. Perhaps it was supposed to be a reflection of what happens when we get older, but I found it much harder to believe in the plot or characters from that point, the humour became repetitive and the author/narrator seemed to have a lot less sympathy with the characters. It stayed clever but not so enjoyable in the last quarter, at least for me. So 4 stars.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20 points
Grand total: 780
In Post 407 Cory (Bigler) '00-'05 wrote: "20.9 BIG BooksWool Omnibus by Hugh Howey
Review: I’d heard all over the internet how wonderful Wool is. Then a coworker said she loved it and wanted to reread i..."
The cover of the print edition says "A Novel", rather than "Stories" so won't count for the Not-a-Novel Style.
Task 20.3 - Post-ColonialR.K. Narayan
Born: in Chennai, India : On: October 10, 1906
Died: May 13, 2001
Author and book is on the linked list for post-colonial writers.
Waiting for the Mahatma (1955) by R.K. Narayan
Review:The novel is tightly focused on the experiences of a young man who chooses to follow Mahatma Ghandi. Our young man has had a very indulged, comfortable upbringing. His motives are rarely idealistic, though his actions often are. The author spends a lot of time describing our young man’s thoughts and feelings as he follows Mahatma Ghandi. The novel feels very real – I can easily imagine young men like the one in this story getting swept up in the “romance” of “revolution” to expel “the British” from India. Recommended for anyone interested in India; also recommended for anyone interested in reading excellent “literary fiction”.
+20 Task
+05 Combination (#20.10 author born 1906)
+10 Review
+05 Oldies -25 to 75 years old: 5 points (1939-1989)
Task Total: 20 + 05 + 10 + 05 = 40
Grand Total: 285 + 40 = 325
10.5 - Goodreads authorizedTell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
+10 Task
+5 Combo (10.6 - Beginnings/Endings: author debut)
Task Total: 15
Grand Total: 155
10.8 - BINGO!Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh
+10 Task (HyperBole and a Half: Unfortunate SituatIoNs, Flawed CopinG Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened)
+5 Combo (10.6 - Beginnings/Endings: author debut)
+10 Not-a-Novel (nonfiction)
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 180
10.4 Chinese New YearFive Little Pigs by Agatha Christie
+10 task (Pig)
+15 Combo (10.3, 20.10 – born 1890)
+5 Oldies (published 1942)
Task total: 30 points
Grand Total: 650
10.3 Edgar Allan PoeThe Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell
The Reading with Style Challenge is responsible for getting me hooked on Scandinavian mysteries and it's definitely a welcome addition to my favorite genres. I'm not sure exactly why I like them so much, but some reasons are likeable, but flawed main detective characters, a slower moving setting, and the focus on evidence and procedures for solving the crime like a puzzle. Often, the reader is a tiny step ahead of the police as well. The Fifth Woman was like this because although the reader doesn't know the identity of the murderer, the reader is privy to the actions of the killer, a technique I really enjoy and one that keeps me turning the pages as fast as possible. I find I do have to put up with a few attitudes that feel behind the times to me, yet then I remember that this series actually was written almost 20 years ago and is written from a male point of view, so I allow for that and enjoy the book more. I'll be continuing on to Wallander Book 7!
+10 Task: on given list
+10 Review
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 925
Coralie wrote: "20.2 Picaresque The Golden Ass by Apuleius
+20 task
+25 Oldies
Task total: 45 points
Grand Total: 610"
+10 Not-a-Novel, typically shelved as non-fiction (873 in Dewey Decimal System)
From Post 399Ashley wrote: "20.5 - Disturbing
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
+20 Task
+10 Combo (20.6, #188; 20.9, Daytona 500, 559 pp.)
+5 Jumbo (559 pp.)
Task Total: 35
Grand Total: 55"
+5 Combo (10.6-This was Tartt's first novel)
Cory (Bigler) '00-'05 wrote: "10.5 Goodreads AuthorThe Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
Review: This was a fun book to read in the stressful time before Christmas, when my reading slowed way down and ..."
+5 Combo (10.3-on linked list)
itpdx wrote: "10.8 BINGOBringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman
Review: This is a memoir of an American woman (marri..."
+5 Combo (10.6-this appears to be her most recent book)
TtPR - Seafarer15.5 (5th stop) Australia
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent 1/5/14
+15 Task
+10 Seafarer Bonus
Task total: 25 points
TtPR Total: 115
RwS Total: = 445
Grand Total: 560
10.4 Chinese New YearThe Patron Saint of Lost Dogs by Nick Trout
After his estranged father dies, Dr Cyrus Mills inherits a run-down veterinary office in Vermont. He had always been a loner, working in the laboratory as a veterinary pathologist. It was a new experience getting involved with the animals and their owners. As he interacts with the people, he feels like he's a part of the community, understands his deceased father better, and wants to save the clinic. Although the book was a bit predictable, the author told the story with humor, warmth, and a great love for animals.
+10 task
+10 combo (10.5 GR author, 10.6 most recent book)
+10 review
Task total: 30
Grand total: 380
20.8 - Disastrous ReadingFlesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy by Albert Marrin
YA, 1000 Lexile
+20 Task
+ 5 Combo (10.8 - BINGO)
+10 Not-A-Novel (non-fiction)
Task total=35
Grand total=460
20.7Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Memoirs of a Geisha was somewhat of a surprise to me. I’d been wanting to read it for some time, but always put it off. I was afraid that it would turn out to be some horrid romance novel and I’d want to throw it in the garbage. I was mistaken. I bought my mother a copy for Christmas last year since she’d enjoyed Shanghai Girls and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I borrowed it back from her to read and I’m glad I did. I’d read the two previously mentioned books at her suggestion and enjoyed them, much to my surprise. That was the case with this one as well. It’s a very well told story and involves much more intrigue and thought than I’d expected. Despite my love for modern Japanese culture, I’ve never much cared for period Japanese pieces, but this was definitely worth reading.
+20 task
+10 review
+10 combo (20.9 - 512 pages, 20.6 - #28)
+5 jumbo (512 pages)
task total: 45
grand total: 650
20.6 20th CenturyThe Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
Review: I do not have the skill to describe this highly unusual novel. There is a plot but because there is a first person narrator, Oedipa Mass, it is difficult to figure out what is happening and what is in her imagination because she is having the same problem. There is a light humorous tone to much of the story but there is also some very deep self-examination going on. And a number of difficult issues are at least introduced.
For instance Oedipa’s shrink, Dr. Hilarius, has a break down and it turns out he did psychological experiments at Buchenwald.
I found it difficult to read at times until I figured out that this edition has many typos. (or are they?)
+20 Task (#251 on the list)
+5 Oldie (original published 1966)
+10 Review
Task total: 35
(+5 message 428)
Grand total: 285
TtPR - Seafarer15.7 (7th stop): Peru
The Cubs and Other Stories by Mario Vargas Llosa
Born in Peru and the stories are all set in Peru. I think he has also lived in Peru most of his life although he has Spanish citizenship as well as Peruvian nationality.
+15 task
+10 Seafarer bonus
Task total: 25 points
Grand Total: 805
10.8 – BINGO!: Cory (Bigler)’s task Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan, 780 Lexile
If you are LGBT, read this book. If you are an ally, read this book. If you care about the AIDS crisis, read this book. If you want to understand human emotions, read this book. If you are a compassionate human being, read this book.
David Levithan has written an amazing story here. Narrated by a Greek chorus of former AIDS victims it is an emotional, moving and important book!
+10 Task: BOys kissING
Grand Total: 935
Task 20.2 PicaresqueCandide by Voltaire
+20 task
+10 review
+20 oldies (originally published in 1759)
Task Total = 50 points
Grand Total = 225 points
My review:
I know that I'm supposed to love Candide. I know that it is a classic and brilliant and satirical and everything else that has ever been said about it. Really, I do know that but I just didn't like it.
I get that Voltaire was trying to prove a point with the adventures and beliefs of Candide but the story was just so negative. I felt so bad for poor Candide. It was hard for me to continue reading knowing that Candide was just going to have more outrageously horrible things happen to him.
Before you yell at me, remember that I know the purpose of Candide's story. Voltaire was living during a time of great philosophical thought and he was using this story to satirize the politics and religious fervor of the mid eighteenth century. I just felt that as a novel (novella?) it was not very enjoyable. Voltaire comes across as so negative. I may read Candide a second time (especially when I am not dealing with the flu) and give Voltaire a second chance to charm me.
20.6 20th CGood Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
+20 task (#150 on list)
+5 Combo (10.2)
Task total: 25 points
Grand Total: 675
10.2--ReindeerThe Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
+10 Task (Shelved as Fantasy 5256 times)
+5 Combo (10.6-Debut Novel)
Task Total: 15
Grand Total: 75
TtPR - Seafarer15.5 (5th stop): New Zealand
The Bone People by Keri Hulme
(A, B, and C)
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Task total: 25
Grand total: 450
20.3 - Post-ColonialWilderness Tips by Margaret Atwood
+20 Task
+ 5 Combo (10.5 - Goodreads author)
+10 Not-A-Novel (short stories)
Task total=35
Grand total=495
10.5 - Goodreads AuthorMystic River by Dennis Lehane
I was all prepared to be entertained by Mystic River; I thought it was going to be another mystery, a typical 'who done it' story. Man, I was completely blown away and enthralled the entire time. The characters and the story line entered by dreams almost every day that I read it.
Dennis Lehane wrote a truly beautiful story about a subject matter that typically does not have beautiful associated with it. He brought each and every character to life and his words were poetic but exactly what was needed to portray who each and every character was and what their overall drive and purpose to the story was.
Side note; I have never wanted to highlight and make note of so many different segments of a story to share with my husband afterwards.
Really happy that Amazon sent me an email saying this was on sale and that I bought it spur of the moment. One of my favourite buys in years.
+10 Task
+5 Combo (10.3 Detective fiction author)
+10 Review
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 25
10.6 - Debut BookBehind the Candelabra by Scott Thorson
+10 Task
+10 Not-A-Novel (non-fiction, memoir)
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 45
20.2 - Picaresque NovelThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
+20 Task
+10 Oldies (1884)
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 75
20.2 - Picaresque NovelDirty Weekend by Helen Zahavi
+20 Task
+5 Combo (10.6-debut book)
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 100
20.7 - Past Group readRoom by Emma Donoghue
+20 Task
+10 Combo (10.5 -Goodsread Author + 20.5 - Shelved 42x Disturbing)
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 130
TtPR Seafarer15.3 (3rd Stop): Columbia
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Task Total = 25 points
Grand Total = 325 points
10.5 Goodreads AuthorizedSkipping Christmas: Christmas with The Kranks by John Grisham. John Grisham is a goodreads author.
Review
I gave this book three stars because it didn't have a very good start. The Kranks decide to skip Christmas because their daughter is off in Peru for a Peace Corp assignment so they decide to take a cruise. Well things don't go according to plan. All their neighbors are disappointed because there is no Christmas party. Well Blair calls and says she is coming home and they rush to throw together a party.
The cons of this book: none of the characters were that memorable. I didn't find the book that humorous. The pros: I liked when the carolers showed up at the Kranks' yard. I liked how the whole neighborhood pitched in to help. I liked it was short. I preferred the movie over the book.
Task: +10
Review +10
Book Total: 20
Grand Total: 165
20.2 - Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser seriesSwords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber
Swords and Deviltry is the first of the Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series by Fritz Lieber. This book is, from all accounts, the basis and origin of the term and genre of ‘Sword and Sorcery’ style fantasy. The author’s primary influences were HP Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe, which upon reading, is VERY apparent. His style of writing is very wordy and detailed with not a small amount of morbidity and dark humor. I’m a huge fan of Victorian horror and fantasy and, even though this is later period, it’s very much in that style and a very good read. It’s short, I’ll give you, but once read, it’s one of the ones that as soon as you turn the last page, you’re trying to figure out where to get the next book, if you haven’t already bought it.
+20 task
+10 review
+5 combo (20.10 - born in 1910)
+5 age (published 1955)
task total: 40
grand total: 690
Task 20.8 - Disastrous Reading: I read a non-fiction book about the volcanic eruption in 1902 of Montagne Pelée on the island of Martinique.
The Last Days of St. Pierre: The Volcanic Disaster That Claimed 30,000 Lives (2002) by Ernest Zebrowski Jr.
Review:This book is aimed at the educated lay reader. It concerns the volcanic eruption in 1902 of Montagne Pelée on the island of Martinique. The author includes enough scientific detail so that the reader can understand what is going on with the volcano. The emphasis, however, is on the actions of various humans before, during, and after the eruption occurs. The authorities on Martinique lacked the knowledge regarding volcanic eruptions; alas, this resulted in a high death toll. The book includes contemporary newspaper articles, excerpts from contemporary correspondence, and contemporary photographs (before and after, and, amazingly, one photograph taken during the eruption – it is on the cover). Recommended for anyone interested in natural disasters and how people act during a natural disaster. (I gave it 5*.)
+20 Task
+10 Not-a-Novel
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 + 10 + 10 = 40
Grand Total: 325 + 40 = 365
From Post 433Heather wrote: "20.7
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Memoirs of a Geisha was somewhat of a surprise to me. I’d been wanting to read it for some time, but always put it off. I was afr..."
Sorry, Heather, but the most popular edition of this book only has 434 pages and does not qualify for jumbo points.
From Post 444Arow wrote: "10.6 - Debut Book
Behind the Candelabra by Scott Thorson
+10 Task
+10 Not-A-Novel (non-fiction, memoir)
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 45"
+5 Oldies (first published 1988)
From Post 423Coralie wrote: "10.4 Chinese New Year
Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie
+10 task (Pig)
+15 Combo (10.3, 20.10 – born 1890)
+5 Oldies (published 1942)
Task total: 30 points
Grand..."
I only show +10 Combo for this book, did I overlook a combo?
From Post 433:Heather wrote: "20.7
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Memoirs of a Geisha was somewhat of a surprise to me. I’d been wanting to read it for some time, but always put it off. I was afr..."
While this does not qualify for 20.9, it is on the list for 20.4 (so there is no change in points for combos)
From Post 438Coralie wrote: "20.6 20th C
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
+20 task (#150 on list)
+5 Combo (10...."
I only show 391 members having shelved this as fantasy, it therefore does not qualify for 10.2.
From Post 443:Arow wrote: "10.5 - Goodreads Author
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
I was all prepared to be entertained by Mystic River; I thought it was going to be another mystery, a typical 'wh..."
+5 Combo 20.5-shelved as 'disturbing' 7 times
20.1 - 1964Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer by C.S. Lewis
+20 Task (published 1964)
+ 5 Combo (20.10 - born 1898)
+10 Not-A-Novel (letters)
+ 5 Oldies (1964)
Task total=40
Grand total=535
20.5 DisturbingSlaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
shelved as disturbing 15 times
I like the attitude of "so it goes". Some of the concepts and ideas about time were very interesting. I felt like Billy's story was left incomplete, but maybe that was the point. I would have liked to see what his daughter did to get him out of bed as well as more of his life on the alien planet. The jumping around with the time travel helped to keep my interest in the plot but it was also very confusing. I think that the book would warrant a re read to help me understand it better.
The other thing that I would like to have seen more of is the original narrator. Apart from the beginning there are only a few quick glimpses to remind you that this is a book within a book. It almost seems redundant to have introduced it and attempted to conclude it with the outside voice. A confusing read... not bad for a classic and I am glad I read it. 3.5 stars
+20 task
+ 5 combo 20.6 number 22
+10 review
+5 oldies published 1969
Task Total: 40 points
Grand Total: 335 points
10.8 BINGOPeople of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
BINGO in author's name: GeraldINe BrOoks
The Sarajevo Haggadah, an illuminated Hebrew manuscript, was saved during the Bosnian conflict by a Muslim librarian at the National Museum and placed in a bank vault. Hanna Heath, an Australian rare book specialist, is given the opportunity to inspect and conserve this beautiful book which dates back to 15th Century Spain. As she inspects it, she finds evidence that suggests the history of the Haggadah as it changes hands traveling from Spain to Sarajevo.
"People of the Book" moves forward in time with Hanna's life--her career, a love interest, her mother. In alternating chapters written almost like short stories, it moves back in time to Bosnia in World War II, to 19th Century Vienna, to Venice during the Inquisiton, and to Spain in the 15th Century. Sometimes, I wished I knew more about what eventually happened to the characters in the historical stories. The manuscript changed hands at times of intolerance among the Christians, Jews, and Muslims.
The Sarajevo Haggadah is a main character in the story. It is an actual book that the author learned about while working as a journalist in Sarajevo. She was inspired by real historical events, but created the engaging characters and situations. The author must have done an impressive amount of research to write about so many periods of history. Although I liked the format of the story, the swings from the present to the past might bother some readers who prefer more straight-forward storytelling. The book was a reminder of how many people in history have used religion as a source of conflict and prejudice, instead of using it for good purposes. I found "People of the Book" fascinating, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 400
10.3 In Honor of Edgar Allen PoeBad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen
Review
Carl Hiassen is the father the angry, sarcastic, tongue- in –cheek, save the environment mystery. Another cast of crazy characters including, well yes, a bad monkey who was a former movie star, a rogue police detective who is now demoted to detecting roaches and rats in eating establishments after committing an unspeakable act of revenge on a doctor who is the husband of his soon-to be- ex-girlfriend. There is a voodoo witch who sexually preys on young men, a native Bahamian man who has had his family heritage sold out from under him and there is a fishing boat captain with a client that hooks a human’s left arm. There is even sex in the morgue and notwith the witch! Need I say more? Incredibly there is much more though not only in the author’s usual Florida locals but also in a hurricane ravaged Bahamas as well. Entertaining!
+10 pts - Task
+10 pts - Combo (10.4,10.6)
+10 pts - Review
Task Total - 30 pts
Grand Total - 395 pts
10.4 Chinese New YearRabbits in the Garden by Jessica McHugh
Review
There is so much wrong about this book that my first unfinished review ran into the thousands of words. I don’t even know where to begin! At first I thought it was written by a middle-schooler. I had to force myself to finish it, as every single event in the story was so ludicrous. A twelve year old is accused of being a serial killer for having killed people, including her father, for the past eight years and hanging them on meat hooks? That is just ONE of the implausibilities among many. I know it is fiction but it has to make some sense. Nothing in this book could make my imagination blur the boundaries enough to get into the story. Thank goodness it was a freebie! Skip it.
+10 pts - task
+ 5 pts - Combo (10.5 goodreads author)
+10 pts - review
Task Total - 25 pts
Grand Total - 420 pts
20.9 Daytona 500The Prime Minister by Anthony Trollope
+20 Task
+10 Oldies (pub 1876)
+15 Jumbo (MPE 864 pgs)
Task Total = 45
Grand Total = 285
15.1 TtPR AviatorI'd like to participate as an Aviator.
1st stop - United States
Mrs. Paine's Garage and the Murder of John F. Kennedy by Thomas Mallon
Task total=15
Grand total=550
10.9 Nobel PrizeMadmen and Specialists: A Play
Review: I did not get this play at all. I understood all the words that were being said and the majority of the plot, but I did not understand the relationships the characters had to each, the back stories or what precipitated the action. It would be interesting to see this play performed and what choices the director would have made to make the play palatable and visual coherent to viewers. I would also be interested to read about the historical context of the play and if it supposed to be some kind of allegory for events or the political situation that the author experienced in Africa. From the Goodreads description I expected something a lot more action packed and disturbing rather than inane.
+10 Task
+ 5 Combo 20.3 post colonial
+ 10 review
+ 10 not a novel
+5 oldies 1971
Task Total: 40 points
Grand Total: 375 points
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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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15.4 (4th stop) Peru
Red April by Santiago Roncagliolo 1/5/14
+15 Task
+10 Seafarer Bonus
Task total: 25 points
TtPR Total: 90
RwS Total: = 445
Grand Total: 535