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FA 2015 RwS Completed Tasks - Fall 2015
From Post 240Coralie wrote: "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"
+5 Combo 10.9-post 336
From Post 241Karen Michele wrote: "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 ot..."
+5 Combo 10.9-post 334
From Post 245Coralie wrote: "10.3 Dictionary
Amos Barton by George Eliot
+10 task (A - B)
+15 Oldies (published 1858)
Task total: 25
Grand Total: 475"
+5 Combo 10.9-post 337
Will wrote: "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 som..."
+5 Oldies
Will wrote: "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. Ha..."
+5 Oldies
20.9 Authors with Three NamesKings, Queens and Pawns: An American Woman at the Front by Mary Roberts Rinehart
+20 task
+ 5 combo (10.9 - post 76)
+10 Not-a-Novel
+10 Oldies (1915)
Task total=45
Grand total=460
20.9 Three NamesStation Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Review:
Station Eleven seems frightfully real as the survivors of the Georgia Flu Pandemic are seen before the disease strikes, and up to twenty years after the apocalypse. The book revolves around the family and friends of actor Arthur Leander who collapses onstage during a production of "King Lear", Shakespeare's play about great loss.
The novel gets its name from some science fiction comic books, illustrated by Arthur's first wife, about a group of people living on a damaged space station after aliens invade the Earth. Two of the younger survivors of the pandemic have copies of the comic books, given to them by Arthur, and are considered their treasured possessions. Earth after the pandemic has totally changed, similar to the plight of the people in Station Eleven trying to survive in outer space.
Much of the book is seen through the eyes of the members of the Traveling Symphony, a group bringing culture to the area south of Lake Michigan. They alternate between presenting symphonic concerts and Shakespearean plays. Just as Shakespeare continued writing at the time of the plague, this group does not forget that people still need the arts in their lives after the pandemic. The actress Kirsten has a quote from Star Trek tattooed on her arm: "Because survival is insufficient."
The British man Clark preserves artifacts from the time before the pandemic--books, credit cards, cell phones, and anything that runs on electricity. There are no modern means of transportation, medical care, and communication. A young man called the Prophet twists Biblical passages and sets up a dangerous cult. People must carry weapons since many strangers are violent.
Although this is a post-apocalyptic novel, there are many complex characters that work together to support each other. The theme that "Survival is insufficient" runs through the book. In the midst of desolation, there is love and a glimmer of hope. Highly recommended.
+20 task
+ 5 combo (10.4 Math-eleven)
+10 review
Task total: 35
Grand total: 225
15.3 TtUS Flight-seerDakota: A Spiritual Geography by Kathleen Norris
+15 task (Set in South Dakota)
Task total: 15
Grand total: 240
20.9 Authors with Three NamesThe Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart
+20 task
+10 combo (10.4 - ten; 10.9 - post 76)
+10 Oldies
Task total=40
Grand total=500
Task 10.3 - DictionaryHard Landing by Lynne Heitman
----
I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this book - I grabbed it in at an exchange-a-book event. It was a good deal, I'd say, although it is not outstanding, the story is interesting enough, fast-paced, and lots of action. The secrets and hidden plots miss just the last bit of being convincing, and basically everyone is involved in a strange dark plot, which is the reason I only gave it four stars. At some time, I thought it would be a murder mystery, but it turned out that is not the focus. The whole background of the flight industry is interesting and new, so I might just read the further books too.
----
+10 10.3 Dictionary
+10 Review
Task Total: 20
Previous Points:
20 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/...
25 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Grand Total: 210 + 20 = 230
Task 20.4 BalanceAnne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
----
I am very split about this book, so I gave it three stars.
One the one hand, I found it flat, the characters are black-and-white carton-cutouts, and the story is predictable, simple, and without enduring suspense. It's basically like Harry Potter, just without the magic - and I don't mean that literally. So a quarter in, I was ready to give it one star.
However, towards the end I found myself - despite its shortcomings - gripped and interested, and emotionally affected. I seriously consider reading the further books of the sequel. So how could I claim it is bad??
Still, the limitations apply. So I settled for the middle, three stars.
----
+20 20.4 Balance (Best Canadian, #3)
+5 10.7 Librivox (shelved 12 times)
+5 10.9 6 Degrees (post# 215)
+5 20.6 Ratings (464098)
+10 Review
+10 Oldies (1908)
Task Total: 55
Previous Points:
20 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/...
25 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
20 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Grand Total: 230 + 55 = 285
15.2 TtUS Land CruiserKatie Gale: A Coast Salish Woman's Life on Oyster Bay by LLyn De Danaan
Set in Washington
+15 task
Grand Total: 185
15.2 TtUSLand Cruiser
Through a Glass, Deadly by Sarah Atwell
Arizona
+15 Task
Points: 15
Grand Total Points: 190
20.3 - DifficultUlysses
I reviewed it here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
+20 task
+10 combos - definite (10.7 Librivox; 10.9 Six Degrees)
+10 combos (need librarian verification/review) (20.2 Age of Innocence [Ulysses first published in its entirety 1922 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses..., had previously been published in serial format, Joyce died 1941]?; 20.10 Interconnectedness - the books episodes neither stand alone nor follow together, yet below together to form the novel. the shifting points of view point to either Stephen Dedalus of L. Bloom as protagonists, but not always the main focus. Arguably this fits, need a ruling here)
+10 Review
+10 oldies (1922)
+15 jumbo (819 pages, i think)
Task total: 65 (or 75?)
Grand Total: 65 (or 75)
10.6 ReuinificationMademoiselle de Scuderi by E.T.A. Hoffmann
+10 task
+5 Combo (20.2 p1822, d1822)
+15 Oldies (published 1822)
Task total: 30
Grand Total: 515
20.2 InnocenceThoughts by Giacomo Leopardi
+20 task (published 1830, died 1837)
+10 Not a Novel (non-fiction)
+15 Oldies (published 1830)
Task total: 45
Grand Total: 560
Added +10 for 'Review' to my first post (# 18), The Cairo Affair by Olen Steinhauer (https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...).----
This was my third book from Olen, and it was the one I liked the least so far. The background and location are represented immaculate and convincing, as always, and the characters are very real and human. What I found less strong is the story and reasoning behind it, it seems hard to believe and a bit far fetched. Not that I wouldn't believe (view spoiler) - I mean the appropriateness of the reaction of the affected people seems doubtful. That galled my reading pleasure towards the end. I also found the story a bit convoluted and difficult to follow. So, still good stuff, but only four stars.
----
According to Elizabeth, this is admissible (and I wanted to get 100% reviews...)?
This brings my new Grand Total: 285, according to my counting, including all corrections that Kate S listed for me.
Gabriel wrote: "20.3 - DifficultUlysses
I reviewed it here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
+20 task
+10 combos - definite (10.7 Librivox; 10.9 Six Degrees)
+10 combos (need lib..."
Congratulations on completing this work! To help me out, would you please include the text of your review in your post (or at least a portion of it, 100+ words); it helps streamline the scorekeeping process.
In response to your questions, yes for 20.2, no for 20.10.
10.7 Librivox Eleanor's TaskThe Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
shelved 9x as Librivox
3 stars
I like the beginning for the mysteriousness which was to be revealed. I like the ending for the thrilling chase. I’m not too fussed about the middle bit as I’m not too fond of Griffin. I guess it was enlightening on how he became invisible but he’s almost like a mad scientist with scarce any sympathy for his fellows so I supposed he met his just end, pitiful as it was. I thought it was laughable as well his ambition to be the “terror” –reminds me a bit of Dr. Evil. Overall, a fairly interesting tale & theory.
+10 Task
+5 Combo (10.8 -#47)
+10 Review
+10 Oldies (pub. 1897)
Total this post: 35
Total points: 55
Task 20.2- InnocenceRead a book originally published no more than 20 years prior to the author's death. Include both year of publication and year of death in your post.
1888 Year of publication
1903 Year of death
A Life's Morning (1888) by George Gissing(Paperback, 348 pages)
Review: This is the third book by George Gissing that I have read. Gissing’s book The Nether World was about a couple of families living just at the poverty line in 1880s England. It was a gritty and engrossing novel. The other novel of his I read was The Odd Women. That one concerned how adult women living without husbands, fathers or brothers can survive in the world and still adhere to conventional moral codes. After I read those two novels, I put Gissing on my one-day-I’ll-read-them-all list.
A Life's Morning is different from the other two novels. Maybe Gissing had to write it for survival money? Maybe I’m missing the social commentary? Anyways, this novel is a conventional Victorian England melodrama. There is a poor heroine with a pure soul (Gissing’s description of the heroine). There is a villain Snidely Whiplash and a hero Dudley Do-Right (with different names, of course, because this novel was written long before cartoons were invented). The ending has a conventional Victorian ending. Overall, not a bad novel, but also a novel without the insight and pointed zingers of the other two novels of Gissing’s that I’ve read. And lastly …. I’m still going to continue to check out his other writings : ).
+ 20 Task (#20.2)
+05 Combo (#10.3: A L M)
+10 Oldies -76 to 150 years old: (1865-1939)
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 + 05 + 10 + 10 = 45
Grand Total: 135 + 45 = 180
10.1 - AuthorsFire Season: Field Notes from a Wilderness Lookout by Philip Connors
Fire Season covers one year of lookout duty by Connors starting with a five mile hike up the mountain with his dog, Alice. His food and other supplies will be brought in by mule. The wet spring quickly turns dry and he spends his time reading, writing, entertaining thru hikers, and looking for smoke (natch). This account is interspersed with asides about the history of the area, the Forest Service, other writers who were lookouts, and the author's personal life. Forest management has changed a lot over the past 100 years and it got me thinking about public lands are being taken care of all over the country
Sometimes I liked these diversions better than the main narrative. Connors talks about his mountain, his tower, his experience. I would have liked him to take a step back and muse about, say, the human need for solitude instead of just his need for solitude. Other lookouts are name checked but I'd like to know more about them and how their experience differs. Is the female lookout as eager to invite hikers up to her tiny tower? Connors makes it sound like you need to be like him in order to do this job when obviously that is not the case.
I may sound negative but all in all I enjoyed the read. Now I want to go on and read more about the history of the area as I'm woefully ignorant about the Southwest.
+10 task (new to me author)
+10 review
+10 Not-a-novel
Task total: 30 points
Grand total: 30 points
10.4 MathThe First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
Wow. This book was...crazy. It follows Harry August, a "kalachakra," someone who is born, lives, dies, and then is reborn in the exact same circumstances (same time, geographic location, to the same parents) to live a new life, retaining the memories accumulated in their previous lives. These rare individuals have created a club of sorts to support each other through their lives and to pass messages through the ages. In Harry's eleventh life, he receives a message to pass on after he dies: the world is ending, and it's getting faster.
It's part mystery (how is the world ending? how can they stop it?), part sci-fi masterpiece (the whole creation and mechanics of the kalachakra is mind-bending), and part character study.
At parts, it made my head hurt trying to keep the large bevy of characters straight and the timeline in my head intact...for the most part, though, it was a fun roller-coaster and I just sat back and enjoyed the ride.
For fans of Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, Groundhog Day, and Doctor Who.
Side note: The fact that the author isn't even 30 yet and wrote her first book at age 14 made this book that much more incredible to me. Wowzah.
+10 Task ("Fifteen")
+10 Review
Task Total = 20
Grand Total = 490
20.7 - MicrohistoryThe Cloudspotter's Guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinney
I come at this book from a different perspective than most, as I was lucky enough to take a meteorology class in high school and have had a long fascination with the weather. As a result the book felt uneven - boring in some parts, scarily filled with Latin in others (I kept thinking I would be tested on every sub-type of cloud, darn class), and delightful in yet others. My favorite parts were the cloud-adjacent stories like attempts to control the weather and how contrails contribute to global warming. While some books fall into the "wrong place/wrong time" category this one fell into "wrong person"... read other reviews before deciding on this book. A lot of other people truly enjoy it.
+20 task
+10 review
+5 combo (20.9 - three names)
+10 not-a-novel
Task total: 45
Grand total: 90 points
20.9 Three Names The Grilling Seasonby Diane Mott Davidson
Review
I have been reading this series for awhile and really enjoy the series. In this installment, Goldy, our caterer sleuth has to figure out whether or not her abusive ex husband killed his current girlfriend or not. If it were up to Goldy, I don't think she would much care if her ex was guilty or not. The Jerk deserves to go to jail. That is what she calls her ex husband, the Jerk. However, her fourteen year old son cares about his father and asks Goldy to help him clear his father. So what is she supposed to do? Also, she found the body of her ex's current girlfriend in a ditch on her way to running errands. As it turns out, the girlfriend was no saint either. Personally, if it were up to me, I say throw the Jerk in jail and throw away the key. Goldy and Arch don't need him. I guess Goldy is a better person than I am.
Task +20
Style +10 Review
Book Total: 30
Grand Total : 80
10.1 AuthorsBrowsings: A Year of Reading, Collecting, and Living with Books by Michael Dirda
Review:
Michael Dirda wrote about his lifelong love of books in a weekly series of essays for "The American Scholar" website in 2012-2013. The essays about the joy of reading, literary conventions, favorite book titles, publishers, bookstores, his work in literary journalism, and the fun in collecting were gathered into this book. Dirda writes in a conversational style with a self-deprecating sense of humor. He's intelligent and enthusiastic, but occasionally redundant, especially when he writes about the thrill of finding bargains or rare books at thrift stores and used book sales.
Dirda favors older science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, and adventure stories. Although they are not my favorite genres, I noted some titles that looked interesting. The books he mentions have a very high percentage of male authors, maybe a reflection of his favorite genres. He's a big fan of Sherlock Holmes and has written the book "On Conan Doyle". His next big project is a book about popular fiction from around 1860 to 1930.
Dirda is an avid collector of older books, as excited as a kid in a toy store whenever he hits a used book sale. He's had to rent a storage unit since his home is overflowing with books. But his collection of books gives him so much happiness! He writes about leaving a book store with a big box of books: "My wallet was certainly lighter than when I arrived, but then so was my heart." It's an attitude that any bibliophile will understand.
+10 task
+10 not a novel (non-fiction)
+10 review
Task total: 30
Grand total: 270
10.8 The HorrorsUnder the Dome by Stephen King
Review:
This book had its moments, but it was infuriatingly less good than I kept wanting it to be. King is a wonderful writer, most of the time. He can really get inside of the heads of his characters and delineate the contours of disturbing and evil behaviors. But the villains here were so decidedly bad and the good guys so ultimately good that there wasn't real tension. The idea of the dome was intriguing, but the concept felt sort of haphazard when actually explained. The use of convenient aliens too easy. Something like that.
In any event, I was glad to be reading this on my kindle app on my phone and not lugging around the 1000+ page hardcover. The book was good for reading late at night when I didn't have high levels of concentration. While there were dozens of characters, I didn't have trouble keeping them straight.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+5 Combo (10.9)
+25 Jumbo (1000+ pages)
Task total: 50
Grand total: 175
10.10 Group ReadsThe Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
What ho! This delightful collection of stories follows man-about-town Bertie Wooster as he finds himself "in the soup" again and again and his matchless valet Jeeves who ultimately saves the day. Right-o and whatnot! I listened to this one and it was fantastic--I could totally imagine waiting all day to hear "The Evening Radio Hour with Jeeves" on the wireless during the war years, the only silly spot in the day (though there actually was a Jeeves radio show from 1972-1981, ruining my war-time fantasy altogether). With a rotating roster of raucous characters (like school-buddy Bingo who falls in love with all the wrong ladies, domineering Aunt Agatha, and the hapless/clueless/heinous twin cousins Claude and Eustace), Jeeves has plenty of opportunities to showcase his brilliant solutions to all of life's trifling problems.
While these were entertaining and evocative of the era, I don't think I could have listened to many more of these stories. It's a little like a sit-com--diverting and highly enjoyable in small doses, obviously formulaic and predictable when binge-watched (or binge-read, as the case may be). I'm glad I listened to it, but don't imagine I'll seek out another Jeeves book for a while.
+10 Task
+10 Combo (10.9 post 47; 20.10)
+10 Not-a-Novel
+10 Review
+10 Oldies (pub 1923)
Task Total = 50
Grand Total = 540
20.7 MicrohistoryThe Cheese and the Worms: The Cosmos of a Sixteenth-century Miller by Carlo Ginzburg
+20 task
+ 5 combo (10.9 - post 350)
+10 Not-a-Novel
+ 5 Oldies
Task total=40
Grand total=540
20.1 CelebrationPassenger To Frankfurt by Agatha Christie
published 1970
This was awful. Awful, awful, awful.
Christie wrote an introduction to this about writing and discusses setting. Keeping up with the times and changing world. And, it doesn't work for her.
This story moves from the "small" murders that we are more familiar with when reading her works to the world stage and international espionage. But the character types are the same character types that appear in those other works, and they don't fit here.
The ending is messy and unresolved, and left a feeling of dissatisfaction.
There is a very good reason why this is one of her few books to not have been adapted in any way.
+20 task
+10 review
+5 oldies
+ 15 combos ( 10.2, 10.9 - post 123, 20.2 - pub. 1970, died 1976)
Task Total = 50
Grand Total = 430
Task 10.9 Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon The Sands of Mars (1951) by Arthur C. Clarke (Paperback, 206 pages)
(Post #274)
+10 Task
+05 Oldies -25 to 75 years old: (1940-1990)
Task Total: 10 + 05 = 15
Grand Total: 180 + 15 = 195
20.6-Ratings Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
What I love most about Romeo and Juliet is the beauty of the language and the fact that I have read this classic in many forms and enough times that I understand it and can pick up on the jokes and nuances when I re-read, watch (the Zeffirelli movie production is my favorite) or listen to the audio of the play. I loved the movie as a teen when I was only dreaming about what true love would be like and wondering whether “love at first sight” was real or imaginary, so I was drawn into that aspect of the story. My main enjoyment, though, both then and now is the tension of the story brought out by the “if onlys”, “what ifs?” and causes and effects of the actions of the characters. “If only” Mercutio had not been killed, “if only” Romeo had not killed Tybalt, “if only” the families had not been feuding in the first place, “if only” the timing the friar planned for Romeo and Juliet had not been thwarted and on and on it goes. That’s where the story takes me: make conscious and well thought out choices about your love and life and don’t be afraid to stand up for them rather than be ruled by the “if onlys” and “what ifs?”, but understand that life will probably still throw some curves to handle as best you can.
+20 Task: 1,381,736 Ratings
+10 Combo: 10.9 Kevin Bacon Approved Author Post #264 / 20.2-Innocence: 1597 - 1616: 19 years
+10 Review
+10 Not a Novel: Play
+25 Oldies: 1597
Task Total: 75
Grand Total: 515
10.9 Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon-Ed's TaskFar from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
My favorite aspect of Thomas Hardy’s work is his description of the English countryside and the way of life he describes. I wanted to read Far From the Madding Crowd before seeing the new film and finally accomplished this last week. I enjoyed both the movie and the book and I particularly liked the character of Gabriel Oak in both formats. I found Bathsheba to be quite frustrating and immature at times. Of course, the tradition of men just asking a woman to become a wife without any falling in love first was also pretty incomprehensible to me! I enjoyed watching Bathsheba grow up and was drawn into the drama (or perhaps a better word would be melodrama) of the story, especially in the ending sections. I think she became a strong woman, but I don’t think she started out as one.
+10 Task: Approved Author Post #56
+10 Review
+10 Oldies: 1874
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 545
20.7 Microhistory Joanna's Task-Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
I am primarily a fiction reader, but I enjoyed this foray into nonfiction and was impressed by Sarah Vowell’s ability to portray the facts surrounding presidential assassinations with detail and and humorous writing combined. I went to an author presentation including Vowell, Dave Eggers and Lemony Snicket a number of years ago and was taken in by her dry and sarcastic wit, but never had taken the next step and read one of her books. I did find the section on John Wilkes Booth and Abraham Lincoln the most interesting and engaging, perhaps because I had more background knowledge of the event and could read for the new details surrounding the assassination. I do recommend the book as a whole, especially for history buffs.
+20 Task
+10 Combo: 10.3 Dictionary / 10.9 Kevin Bacon Approved Author Post#234
+10 Review
+10 Not a Novel: Nonfiction
Task Total: 50
Grand Total: 595
20.2 InnocenceDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
+20 task (pub 1968, died 1982)
+5 Combo (10.9 – post 64)
+5 Oldies
Task total: 30
Grand Total: 620
10.5 October AwardsBrother, I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat - Winner Dayton literary Peace Prize for Non-Fiction 2008
Part family memoir, part Haitian political history this book is engaging and a beautiful read. Heartbreaking ( and not wise of me to have completed on the anniversary of my mother's birthday ) in the narrative of losing a father, tragic in the lose of an uncle under deplorable circumstances, there is anger, but not rage, at the treatment of Haitians by the US Immigration, and frustration at the circumstances within Haiti where those that are there to help appear to be unwilling to do so.
I didn't want to put this book down, Danticat engages you in the story of her family and Haiti at all times, and I don't think anyone could finish this without a tear in their eye for both.
+ 10 task
+ 10 review
+ 10 not a novel
+ 10 combos ( 10.9 - post 97, 20.1, pub 2007 )
Task Total = 40
Grand Total = 470
15.2 – TtUS Land CruiserHalf-Resurrection Blues by Daniel José Older
+15 Task
Set entirely in New York
Task Total: 15
Grand Total: 325
10.9 Six Degrees of Kevin BaconA Red-Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire
Review: The October Daye series by Seanan McGuire is one of my favorites, and I always look forward to a new installment. This one is a quieter book than the last couple, full of more court intrigue and politics than fighting, but I still enjoyed it. This is not a series that would easily be begun in the ninth book – better to start at the beginning. It’s urban fantasy – Toby lives her life partially in modern-day San Francisco and part of it in the places where the fairy Summerlands intersect it. It’s fun, relatively diverse, and better written than many similar series. I’ll read just about anything McGuire writes, but Toby will always have a special place in my heart.
+10 Task (post 333)
+10 Review
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 345
10.3 DictionaryPlayer's Ultimatum by Koko Brown
Review: I was looking forward to reading this book, since I love sports star heroes in romance novels and I love soccer, so a book set in the Italian football scene seemed perfect for me. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me. Part of that is my problem – this is definitely farther toward the erotica side of the spectrum than I usually enjoy – but the rest really had to do with inconsistency in the writing and in the plot. I did love how diverse the cast of characters was, but that was the main thing that appealed. The rest fell way flat. I may try another by the author in the hopes that some of the issues are resolved, but it won’t be right away.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 365
10.9 Six Degrees of Kevin BaconA Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Review: I initially didn’t intend to read A Little Life, having heard it was incredibly depressing and that the main character just kept having endless strings of bad things happen to him. But when so many of my Goodreads friends read and recommended it to me, I felt like I needed to be part of the conversation. The first two hundred pages were amazing – I was reminded of how much I love stories of intimate male relationships. In this case, it’s a group of four close college friends, who have more than a surface level affection for each other and aren’t afraid to show it.
As I continued through the book, the camaraderie among the four friends faded in and out, but the story continued to move me, and for whatever reason the unceasingly bad things that happened to Jude bothered me less than I anticipated. It’s not that I didn’t care – the whole 720 pages is basically the story of a victim of horrific abuse and that person’s response to it as he ages – but it definitely seemed hyperbolic in a way that was maybe almost comforting. The villains are nothing but bad, and most of the good characters are nothing but good, and that worked better than I expected. However, it was like watching a train wreck – I knew even worse things were coming, but had no way of averting my eyes.
In the last eighty pages or so, I ended up crying, which led me to my five star review, since books that move me to tears, in however manipulative a manner, generally get five stars from me. I think if I analyze the “moral” (or length!) of the story or some of Yanigahara’s decisions, it would lose a couple stars, so no rereading it for me, but I’m glad I did get through it this one time.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+10 Jumbo (720 pages)
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 395
15.3 – TtUS Land CruiserSteel Ashes by Karen Rose Cercone
+15 Task
Set entirely in Pennsylvania
Task Total: 15
Grand Total: 410
15.4 – TtUS Land CruiserBet Me by Jennifer Crusie
Set entirely in Ohio
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 435
10.7 - LibrivoxThe Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
+10 task (shelved as Librivox by 6 people)
+5 combo (10.9 post 340)
+10 oldies (1868)
+5 jumbo (528 pages)
Task total: 30
Grand Total: 190
From Post 272Gabriel wrote: "20.3 - Difficult
Ulysses
I reviewed it here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
+20 task
+10 combos - definite (10.7 Librivox; 10.9 Six Degrees)
+10 combos (need lib..."
Sorry, I do not see this on the Librivox list, nor do I see Librivox with 5 shelvings on the book genres page, did I miss it?
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Reading with Style
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David McCullough (other topics)
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The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman by Denis Thériault
+10 task
+5 combo (10.9 post 322 )
Task total: 15
Grand Total: 160