Reading with Style discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Archives
>
FA 2015 RwS Completed Tasks - Fall 2015
Greetings from Bratislava!20.10 Interconnected Kate's Task
Bracebridge Hall by Washington Irving
This "novel" is set as a series of sketches about the people who inhabit or visit the British manor of Bracebridge Hall. The unnamed narrator visits the squire of the manor for an unspecified...but not short period of time....and gets to know the squire's sons, servants, skilled workers, and surrounding townspeople. The work is presented as something of a travelogue. We learn a little about falconry. Not much action occurs...just the intrigues of some romances and then the arrest of one of the local "Gypsies" and his escape...to the relief of the squire who did not want to sentence the "Gypsy". A pleasant read.
task +20
review +10
combo +10 (10.3, 10.9- approved at post 277)
oldie +15 (1822)
total = 55
grand total = 110
20.4 BalanceBehind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo
Behind the Beautiful Forevers reads like a novel, depicting real people, most of them women and children, living in Annawadi, one slum out of many in Mumbai. In the afterward, Boo discusses the immense amount of research and interviews which lead to the book, but reading the book itself her presence and intrusion upon their lives is invisible. Boo also writes in the afterward why she wrote this book. That she was looking to answer questions about how ordinary low income people in India negotiate the global markets. She asks "Whose capabilities are give wing by the market and a government's economic and social policy? Whose capabilities are squandered?"
Behind the Beautiful Forevers begins to answer these questions, but by focusing on the individual people in Annawadi it does much more than that. Her artful prose, informed by countless interviews searching to articulate the personal thoughts, fears and aspirations of her interviewees, brings them and their lived experience alive to readers who have never experienced anything close to their reality. She stands on its heads the "poignant snapshots of Indian squalor: the ribby children with flies in their eyes" and leads the reader to know individuals, whose daily battles and ambitions for the future are both understandable and familiar. I finished the book caring so much about the individuals in the book that I was sad to finish it.
This is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.
20 pt. task
+10 non-fiction
+10 revie
+10 combo (10.9 -post 326; 20.7)
Task total: 50
Grand total 155
20.2 InnocenceGreat Expectations by Charles Dickens
Review:
This is my first Dickens read, and it took me two tries to get through it. I’m not sure why, because the story of Pip’s coming into great expectations, his assumption that he sees the hidden heart of man and woman and his realization that he really knows nothing at all, is actually fairly action packed, well written and not too long. I think what happened on my first read was that I was so annoyed with Pip’s stuck up attitude that I ended up not caring. And he is a stuck up brat, but Pip’s confrontation with his secret benefactor and his subsequent development largely redeems him to me.
+20 Task (book published in 1861, author died in 1870)
+20 Combo (10.7 (shelved 7 times), 10.9 (post 34), 20.3 (# 28), 20.6 (403.927))
+10 Review
+15 Oldie (Pub. 1861)
+5 Jumbo (505 pages)
Task total: 70 pts
Grand total: 85 pts
20.6 RatingsEmma by Jane Austen
Review:
Emma tells the story of Emma Woodhouse, a young, beautiful lady who lives alone with her hypochondriac father in their country manor. While she does not ever want to marry herself, she is eager to play match maker towards friends and family. She is patronizing towards her friends, prefers to befriend women who adore her and are less intelligent than herself, and deeply dislikes the one young lady in the neighborhood who is a match for her. In short, she is not overly likeable, but the novel is light and frothy, and Jane Austen skewers her characters as well as ever. I liked Emma, but as I am not very fond of the main character, I still prefer Persuasion.
+20 Task (407.844 ratings)
+10 Combo (10.7 (shelved 11 times), 20.2 (Novel pub. 1815, author died 1817))
+10 Review
+15 Oldie (Pub. 1815)
Task total: 55 pts
Grand total: 140 pts
10.10 Group ReadsOur Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
+10 task
+5 combo (10.9 post 39)
Task total: 25
Grand Total: 145
20.10 InterconnectedSearoad by Ursula K. Le Guin
These short stories are all set in the same town.
+20 task
+5 Combo (10.9 - post 119)
+10 Not a Novel
Task total: 35
Grand Total: 385
20.10 InterconnectedCloud Atlas by David Mitchell
The inner structure of this is its most interesting attribute. While reading I was trying to figure the best way to explain it, until David Mitchell himself said it best - late in the novel and not about the novel.
In the first set, each solo is interrupted by it successor: in the second, each interruption is recontinued, in order. Revolutionary or gimmicky? Shan't know until it's finished, and by then it'll be too late ...The first two stories are its best, in my opinion. Mitchell tells his 1850 South Pacific story in the voice of Melville, and is written as a diary. The second story is epistolary. The third is a thriller and I think only good. The fourth is, I believe, meant to be comedy, but to this reader fell a bit short of funny. Mitchell then goes into the future with a piece that was at best mildly irritating broaching annoying. Somehow he thought it clever to write the word "exactly" as "xactly" and "exit" as "xit" and so on. I can find no excuse for inventing such spelling. The last and sixth story - further yet into some future - is 75 pages of some sort of hybrid dialect, often descending into gibberish. I did get the hang of it, but it was tiresome and the section should have been perhaps 35 pages rather than 75. So, each story was its own solo as he described.
The stories are connected to each other, but seeing that connection is just about the only fun to be had. Mitchell chose to make this a political statement, and I completely disagree with that statement. I had to force myself to finish this after the sixth part of gibberish, but I had spent too many days with it to throw away time spent, so finish it I did. I will not be reading another by this author.
+20 Task
+15 Combo (10.5, 10.9 [post 84], 20.3)
+10 Review
+ 5 Jumbo (509 pages)
Task Total = 50
Grand Total = 95
15.2 TtUS Flight-SeerOrphan #8 by Kim van Alkemade
+15 task (set in New York)
Task total: 15
Grand total: 190
Task 20.5-History Read a book written by an author who has won the Pulitzer for History.
Margaret Leech
Born: November 07, 1893
Died: February 24, 1974
Reveille in Washington, 1860-65 (1941) by Margaret Leech (Paperback, 624 pages)
Review:This Pulitzer Prize winning book focuses on life in my hometown of Washington, D. C. from 1860-1865. It begins with Lincoln’s arrival into D.C. and ends with the trial for his assassination in 1865. Secretary of State Seward is referenced more often than Mary Lincoln; and, Mary is referenced more often than her husband, President Abraham Lincoln. The author is interested in what prominent political figures were doing in D.C. during those years. She is also interested in the activities of Union soldiers while they were in D.C. The average resident of D.C. gets barely a glance, even though the majority of residents were neither politicians nor soldiers.
This is the kind of book to read after you’ve read a dozen or so books on the American Civil War. Generals, Battles, and terminology are referenced without background – Leech assumes the reader knows items such as: who General Tecumseh Sherman is; the importance of the Union victory at the Battle of Vicksburg; and that “contraband” was a term referring to escaped slaves. Overall impression: Interesting book for the the American Civil War buff.
+20 Task
+05 Combo (#10.2 (lifespan within 1890-1976))
+05 Oldies -25 to 75 years old: (1940-1990)
+05 Jumbo 500-699 Pages: 5 Points
+10 Not-a-Novel: non-fiction
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 + 05 + 05 + 05 + 10 + 10 = 55
Grand Total: 80 + 55 = 135
10.10 - Group ReadsOur Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
+10 task
+10 review
+5 combo (10.9 - post 39)
I am so grateful to the person who selected this as one of the Group Reads for the fall reading challenge. I've been quietly urged to read Kent Haruf for a number of years - I believe I even own a copy of one of his novels - but for some reason I haven't made the commitment to follow through on exploring this novelist. This book is more of a novella than a full length novel; I picked it up from the library a few days ago and devoured it in 24 hours. It's a quiet read, without much plot - it's the story of Addie and Louis, two widows living in small-town Colorado who find solace, love, and comfort in one another in their early 70s. Their love is demonstrative of what happens when we are fully present, when we know our time on earth is limited and we are challenged to embrace each moment as a gift. This book is also devastating; it illustrates just how narrow-minded and cruel we can be to one another when we think we are protecting those we love.
I finished this in the wee hours of the morning and can't remember the last time a book has impacted me emotionally like this one did. Highly, highly recommended.
task total: 25
grand total: 110
Post 196 Bea wrote: "20.10 InterconnectedThe Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
Review:
I loved this book, even though I am not a reader who often picks short stories as a genre. Each s..."
Bea, this is one of those books of linked stories that falls into the novel category. The author indicates as such on his website: http://theimperfectionists.com/about_...
Sorry, no not a novel points.
I'm glad you enjoyed this and I have it shelved on my ever groaning wish list - your review may get it bumped up to sooner rather than later.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Bea, this is one of those books is one of linked stories that falls into the novel category. The author indicates as such on his website: http://theimperfectionists.com/about_...Sorry, no not a novel points."
OK. Thanks, Elizabeth. I did look at the genres and Novel was not listed. However, it did have the feel of a novel. I will adjust my total.
20.6-Ratings The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
One reviewer mentions putting off this book because it was a “have to read” book and I also avoided this book for a long, long time. I’m not sure why because I do not mind books about depression in general. What I did not expect was the more upbeat section where we were introduced to Esther. The writing was excellent and I got to like her, making the second section sadder to me. My husband just shared this article with me and I think readers may be interested in it, especially those who found her descent abrupt. It is about genius and brain function and makes sense in relation to writers like Plath and Woolf: http://www.slate.com/features/madgenius/
My rating is 5 stars and I’m glad I have finally read this sad but ultimately rewarding book.
+20 Task: 356,388 ratings
+20 Combo: 10.2 - Plath lived 1932-1963 / 10.9 - post #244 / 20.2-Innocence- published 1963, died 1963 / 20.3-Difficult
+10 Review
+ 5 Oldies: 1968
Task Total: 55
Grand Total: 390
10.1 AuthorLes Enfants terribles by Jean Cocteau
+10 task
+10 Oldies (published 1929)
Task total: 20
Grand Total: 415
In post 178 I claimed a task and later was able to get a Six Degrees connection for Mark Binelli - can I add the 5 combo points?
Louise Bro wrote: "20.6 RatingsEmma by Jane Austen
Review:
Emma tells the story of Emma Woodhouse, a young, beautiful lady who lives alone with her hypochondriac father in the..."
+5 Combo 10.9-post 165
Claire wrote: "10.10 - Group ReadsOur Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
+10 task
+10 review
+5 combo (20.2 - Innocence)
I am so grateful to the person who selected this as one of th..."
This does not qualify for 20.2 (posthumous works do not count), but it does qualify for 10.9-post 39. No change in score, just FYI.
From Post 187Claire wrote: "10.1 - Authors
Expecting Better: How to Fight the Pregnancy Establishment with Facts by Emily Oster
+10 task
task total: 10
grand total: 75"
+10 Not a Novel
Ed wrote: "Greetings from Bratislava!20.10 Interconnected Kate's Task
Bracebridge Hall by Washington Irving
This "novel" is set as a series of sketches about the people who i..."
+10 Not-a-Novel-this one is classified as short stories
From Post 184Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "10.9 Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstoreby Robin Sloan
See post 118 in the help thread.
Review
First, I want to say I would love a 24 hour bookstore.I love books. I ..."
Sorry, Jayme, this connection was not accepted in the 10.9 thread.
From Post 119Karen Michele wrote: "10.9 Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon-Ed's Task-
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
When I was a junior in high school, I had a teacher who taught American H..."
+5 Combo 20.9-Hyphenated names will be counted as two
15.4 TtUSLand Cruiser
Massachusetts
Body Double by Tess Gerritsen
+15 Task (over 50% in Massachusetts)
+10 Bonus
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 100
15.5 TtUSLand Cruiser
Rhode Island
Winner of the National Book Award by Jincy Willett
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 125
15.6 TtUSLand Cruiser
Connecticut
The Three Weissmans Of Westport by Cathleen Schine
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 150
15.7 TtUSLand Cruiser
New York
Ironweed by William Kennedy
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 175
10.1 New AuthorsGrowing Up Psychic: My Story of Not Just Surviving but Thriving--and How Others Like Me Can, Too by Chip Coffey
Review
From the title, I thought it was going to be about Chip Coffey’s life and childhood. Although it did give a brief synopsis of his growing up and when he realized his “gifts”, it was actually more a written account of his show Psychic Kids that has appeared on A&E channel. It is also a guide to parents of psychic kids. I watched the episodes and this book gives a little of the backstory of the children of the show. It is also filled with letters and testimonials of children who have appeared on the show as well as adults and their experiences as psychic children. The emotions these children all share seem to be fear, (and who wouldn’t if you saw ghosts!), and a feeling of being a freak or outcast resulting in loneliness. Some think they are going crazy, some have had school officials force them to be hospitalized in a psychiatric facility, most have to deal with doubt and skepticism of family members and peers and some deal with bullying. There has been quite a bit of criticism of Chip Coffey for his exploitation of children for the show. Maybe so but it seems on the show the children are quite relieved to meet other children with the same abilities and to have someone to talk to which seems a good thing as well as given tools to deal with the fear. This seems like a good thing, even if it is on television for our entertainment. There have also been some claims of fraud committed by Chip Coffey, that he is not really psychic and that another paranormal show he often appeared in was outed for being staged. I don’t know but I am curious about this phenomenon and it seemed like a book that would give a particular point of view. However I found watching the series more informative about what I wanted to know, as I don’t have a child showing these signs and symptoms myself.
+10 pts - Task
+ 5 pts - Combo (10.9)
+10 pts - Not a novel
+10 pts - Review
Task total - 35 pts
Grand Total - 265 pts
20.6 High RatingsLooking for Alaska by John Green lex-930
Review
This book made me think of Skippy Dies and One Mississippi in its theme. It takes place in a private boarding school in the Deep South. Although most students are wealthy weekday boarders, the four central to this story are the poor scholarship kids. The books follows the point of view of a new student who wanted to go to begin a new life away from his friendless, lonely public school where he is nerdy and the butt of practical jokes. His biggest talent is his wit and his uncanny memory for famous last words. He falls in with a cool if somewhat edgy crowd, one of whom is a very unique, unfathomable and beautiful girl, Alaska herself. There is a lot of rule breaking, booze, pot, cigarettes, sex talk and pranking but a very respected code of “no ratting” even on your enemies. Payback however is acceptable and expected. The characters are people you can develop an attachment to and there is a lot of the teenage angst as well as laughter and quite a bit of sadness. The only hint I will give you, is have tissue on hand. I loved it! I think my 8th graders would enjoy it, as long as they don’t have to read it for a grade.
+20 pts - Task
+ 5 pts - Combo (10.9)
+10 pts - Review
Task Total - 35 pts
Grand Total - 300 pts
Kate S wrote: "Louise Bro wrote: "20.6 RatingsEmma by Jane Austen
Review:
Emma tells the story of Emma Woodhouse, a young, beautiful lady who lives alone with her hypochon..."
Thanks, Kate! I can't believe I missed that one...
20.2 InnocenceGigi & The Cat by Colette
+20 task (published 1944, died 1954)
+5 Oldies
Task total: 25
Grand Total: 435
10.8 The Horrors!Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
+10 task (number 29 on list)
+5 Combo (20.1 – published 2007)
Task total: 15
Grand Total: 450
20.1-Celebration! Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
This is exactly the kind of book I like to read when I need a break from deep and challenging writing. As others have mentioned in their reviews, it reminded me of Alice Hoffman’s earlier work. Keeping in mind that it was Sarah Addison Allen’s debut, I thought the writing was solid and the magical realism well balanced with the other parts of the story. It was an enjoyable romance, and there were enough other elements to the book to keep my interest. It is definitely a lighter read and the ending was too abrupt for my taste, but overall I would recommend the book if you enjoy women’s fiction in the romance genre. I wouldn’t pick it up just for magical realism, but it’s use is a nice element of the story, too.
+20 Task: 2007
+10 Combo: 10.3 Dictionary / 20.9 Three Names
+10 Review
Task Total: 40
Grand Total: 435
Kate S wrote: "From Post 119Karen Michele wrote: "10.9 Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon-Ed's Task-
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
When I was a junior in high school, ..."
Thanks for the points, Kate! I wasn't thinking about first names counting.
10.3 DictionaryCrooked House by Agatha Christie
There is a little note from Christie inside the cover of this book that tells you that this is one of her favourite books, one that she always wanted to write.
Neither a Poirot or Marple appear, and it is a little different from the other books of her I have read, and completely enjoyable. Once again, she sets you on the wrong path and the actual murderer is a bit of a surprise ( although, as always, not a complete surprise ).
Apart from the fiance of Charles Hayward, none of the Leonides family are particularly likable, and all of them are a likely suspect. Added to this, when the dead patriach had given everyone the exact method of his murder himself, it allows the story to take a number of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and interested.
+10 task
+10 review
+5 oldies (1949)
+10 combo (10.2, 10.9 - post 123)
Task Total = 35
Grand Total = 380
10.3 DictionaryDead Scared by Sharon Bolton
This is number 2 in the Lacey Flint series -- and if you like mysteries that are engrossing and a bit scary, you should absolutely pick up this series. I raced through the first in the series, Now You See Me, and started this one immediately. This was can't-put-it-down, wish-my-commute-was-longer kind of reading. I read a lot of mysteries, and this is one of the best I've read. In this installment, Detective Lacey Flint is sent undercover to Cambridge to see if she can find out what's happening with a string of suicides among the student body. Sharon Bolton does a great job making you invest in her characters and believe in her plot. She's also great at surprise - in both books in the series so far, I've been shocked by at least one element of the solution. Without being a horror writer, she also does a great job creating a terrifying mood -- it's the kind of scenario where you catch yourself looking around as you board a train, wondering who's on the platform with you, and then realize that the creeped-out feeling you're tingling with was entirely in the book.
+10 task
+10 review
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 140
10.3 DictionaryAmos Barton by George Eliot
+10 task (A - B)
+15 Oldies (published 1858)
Task total: 25
Grand Total: 475
20.1 CelebrationSir Harry Hotspur Of Humblethwaite by Anthony Trollope
Trollope had to search for something to say in this. Unfortunately his search kept landing him in the same spot and he became repetitive. Emily Hotspur was an heiress and George Hotspur was a bad man. There aren't a lot of ways to say that the girl is worth £20,000 per year, but there are lots of ways a man can be bad. It was still £20,000 and still bad even when approached from different angles.
So why is the person in the title Sir Harry Hotspur? He is Emily's father and George's cousin. Emily can fall in love with anyone she wants, but may marry only who her father says she may marry. It is in this way that Trollope gives us something worthwhile. In many of my travels through 19th Century literature the subject of whether a person can inherit - is even required by law to inherit - may be the axle on which a novel turns. This novel speaks to the issue directly. There is the issue of both the title and the income.
I felt all along that the ending was inevitable. Trollope still had a surprise or two up his sleeve.
+20 Task (pub 1870)
+10 Combo (10.9 [post 85], 20.2 [died 1882])
+10 Review
+10 Oldies
Task Total = 50
Grand total = 145
15.1 TtUSLAND CRUISER
If Only It Were True by Marc Levy
California
+15 Task
Task total = 15
Do I count TtUS as a separate total from my Grand Total?
Bea wrote: "Do I count TtUS as a separate total from my Grand Total? "No, all your points are added together into your grand total.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Bea wrote: "Do I count TtUS as a separate total from my Grand Total? "No, all your points are added together into your grand total."
OK, thanks, Elizabeth. My total is now Grand Total: 175
Bea wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Bea wrote: "Do I count TtUS as a separate total from my Grand Total? "No, all your points are added together into your grand total."
OK, thanks, Elizabeth. My total is..."
Thanks. That actually helps Kate see if/when scores differ and our database has a check on it as she enters posts.
10.8 The Horrors!Little Tales of Misogyny by Patricia Highsmith
+10 task (#58 on list)
+ 5 combo (10.9 - post 259)
+10 Not-a-Novel
+ 5 Oldies (1974)
Task total=30
Grand total=415
10.1 AuthorsElla Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
I needed to engage my sense of humor on this, and I admit at first it didn't come into play. The first letter gone missing was the Z. Was there no one on the island named Elizabeth? Eventually, however, I got into the mood of the thing. The Islanders became quite creative in both their choice of words and their spelling. Toward the end, the spelling was almost beyond creative. I thought of the "gibberish" I complained of in Cloud Atlas. Fortunately, this gibberish was very, very short!
I had expected to be reading this to fulfill the South Carolina slot in this season's challenge. Alas, the Island of Nollop is its own country. While I did enjoy this, my 4- and 5-stars are reserved for more heady fare.
+10 Task
+ 5 Combo (10.3)
+10 Review
Task total = 25
Grand Total = 170
Task 10.3 - DictionaryNight Soldiers by Alan Furst
----
Night Soldiers is certainly one of the more impressive books I read this year. It surely is a spy story in some way (my current favorite genre), but it is not in the style of David Baldacci or Matthew Dunn's Sentinel - there is no overall grand action story where the protagonist is accomplishing something specific; it is more a historic telling - although there is lots of action, it is not the center of the story.
What I found impressive is the way Furst describes the situations, the war, the people, the country, the life. I have learned more about WW II in this book than in several years of school and the rest of my life; he manages to describe the war from the viewpoint of the people living in it, and it becomes very gripping and intense.
(view spoiler)
A great experience and never boring, I recommend everyone to read this book!
----
+10 Task 10.3 (Dictionary)
+10 Review
+5 10.9 Bacon (post# 338)
+5 Oldies
Task Total: 30
Previous Points:
10 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
25 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
30 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
25 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
55 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Grand Total: 145 + 30 = 175
Task 10.9 - 6 DegreesThe Unexpected Guest by Charles Osborne
----
Dame Christie's style is certainly not the latest anymore, but her stories are still up to par. Having read most of her books, it did not come to me as a surprise that there are several surprises coming... Whenever you think you finally get the knack, some detail pops up and throws the whole logic of the story around in another direction - everything is suddenly different than you thought.
A stranger has a car mishap, and stumbles into a murder scene; it seems rather obvious who did it. (view spoiler). A quick and fun read that is worth the time.
----
+10 Task 10.9 (6 Degrees, post# 307)
+10 Review
+5 Oldies
Task Total: 25
Previous Points:
10 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
25 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
30 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
25 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
55 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
30 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Grand Total: 175 + 25 = 200
(I had seen your post, Elizabeth, but I was too busy the whole last week and did not get back here to do any posting. I'll take this book for another 10.9, saving my 10.1 slots for something I read that doesn't fit anywhere else)
10.8 The Horrors!Joyland by Stephen King
I'm the first to admit it: I've become a wuss in my old age. I can't watch--and most certainly can't read--scary movies/stories anymore. Not horror, anyway. I do, however, love a good ghost story and that's what this was as only Stephen King could tell it. I think the thing I love most about King's writing is that while it has a strong plot, it's not "plot-driven." His characters are well-rounded and realistic and you actually care about them. The story isn't over when the plot has resolved itself because the book isn't just the plot. The book is the story of his characters' lives. I haven't read a ton of King, but what I have read leads me to believe he is one of the great (and, sadly, most stereotyped) writers of our time.
This one is the story of Devin, who is nursing a broken heart while working at the Joyland Amusement Park for the summer. It is filled with carny-talk, psychic predictions, and a ghost at the center of a murder-mystery.
It was a quick and fun read and I loved the cover art--in the style of classic pulp novels--which set the mood exquisitely for me.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+5 Combo (10.9, Post 20)
Task Total = 25
Grand Total = 455
15.1 TtUS--Land CruiserWashington (Seattle specifically; ~68% of the book is set there)
Killing Hemingway: by Arthur Byrne
+15 Task
Task Total = 15
Grand Total = 470
20.2 Innocence Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
Review:
A sweet, warm story. This book is set in a small Georgia town in the early 20th century. The narrator is 14 year old Will Tweedy. The main character is his Grandpa Blakesly, the cantankerous, stingy owner of the town general store. Will tells the story of his family and the town in the year after the death of his grandmother.
Burns does a wonderful job of portraying the era when some homes had indoor plumbing and electric lights and others did not and of the appearance of the first automobiles in the area. She lets us see the class divisions of the relatively well-off established whites, the blacks and the poor mill worker families. With humor and through Will Tweedy's eyes, we see the rigid social structure reinforced by the various town churches. Through his eyes we also see the internal conflict that young people faced in small towns--the comfort and shelter of family and neighbors with the claustrophobia of having your every move watched and judged.
+20 task published 1984 died 1990
+15 combo 20.9, 10.3, 10.9 (pending approval of post 320)
+10 review
+5 oldies (1984)
Post total: 50
Grand Total: 170
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Reading with Style
Books mentioned in this topic
Mothers, Tell Your Daughters (other topics)Making Their Own Way: Southern Blacks' Migration to Pittsburgh, 1916-30 (other topics)
John Adams (other topics)
Moving Target (other topics)
John Adams (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Bonnie Jo Campbell (other topics)Peter Gottlieb (other topics)
David McCullough (other topics)
J.A. Jance (other topics)
David McCullough (other topics)
More...
Returning My Sister's Face and Other Far Eastern Tales of Whimsy and Malice by Eugie Foster
Review: This is one of those rare short story collections that really works for me, maybe because it was more like a collection of fairy tales than the open-ended snippets of life that I feel a lot of short stories are. They’re all based, more or less, on Asian folklore, and Foster strikes a good balance between resolving them and being realistic. In a lot of cases, she twisted the tales to either show them in a different light or show what happened after the original story ended. I loved them. It’s very sad that Eugie Foster died so young – I feel like she would’ve done so many more amazing things.
+20 Task (published 2009, died 2014)
+10 Review
+10 Not-a-Novel (short stories)
+5 Combo (10.9 – post 238)
Task Total: 45
Grand Total: 300