Reading with Style discussion
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WI 15-16 RwS Completed Tasks - Winter 15/16
10.7 - Cozy HolidayThe Chardonnay Charade by Ellen Crosby
+10 task
+10 series #2
+5 Combo (10.9)
Task total: 25
Grand total: 435
20.10 - EXTRAThe Bordeaux Betrayal by The Bordeaux Betrayal
+20 task
+15 series #3
+5 Combo (10.9)
Task total: 40
Grand total: 475
10.9 Realistic Ratings (Cory Day's Task)Dancing with Mr. Darcy: Stories Inspired by Jane Austen and Chawton House
I enjoyed this short story collection. It was an interesting mix of riffs on Austen's books, modern characters who'd read Austen, and stories built with themes common to Austen's books. All of them were essentially light reading and quick to digest.
One of my personal favorites, although not the winner of the contest that drew these stories together, elaborated on how Jane Austen might have felt when she accepted and then rejected a man that had proposed to her. One of the top stories was very intriguing in that while a woman modeled she thought about the literature degree, the Austen she was reading, and the reality of her own economic options.
+10 task
+10 review
+5 combo (10.2 No L)
Task total: 25
Grand total: 2215
15.8 - DominoesThe Ponder Heart by Eudora Welty
(born same decade as 15.7 -1900 & 1905)
task = 25
grand total = 915
Tien wrote: "10.4 Valentine's DayBleak House by Charles Dickens
Review
That took me a monstrously long time to finish! It was slow to start (as with all Dickens’ novels!) and unti..."
+5 Combo 20.1
Norma wrote: "20.10 - EXTRAThe Bordeaux Betrayal by The Bordeaux Betrayal
+20 task
+15 series #3
+5 Combo (10.9)
Task total: 40
Grand total: 475"
+5 Combo 10.7
20.9 Winnie-the-PoohThe Chrysalids by John Wyndham
Review: This is a strain of sci fi that I really appreciate. Wyndham gives us a human society that has arisen in a different environment than our current world. This is a post-apocalypse story. Many centuries have passed and a boy growing up in a rigid agricultural world finds he is different in a society that does not tolerate difference. He and a few other young people in the area are telepaths. They live in constant fear of being discovered. The story is suspenseful and not gentle. It gives the reader a lot to think over.
+20 Task originally published 1955
+10 combo 10.3, 10.9
+10 review
+5 oldie (1955)
Task total: 45
Grand total: 515
10.2 No L, No LRapture in Death by J.D. Robb
Review:
Another book in the "In Death" series. I enjoy this series as ear candy. I'd never read these books in print, but they are great for listening while doing something else like cleaning the house or exercising. Eve and Roarke are a good pair and Peabody really makes this book. It's nice to read a romance that continues even after marriage and doesn't rely on infidelity to bring the pair together. I didn't like this one as much as the first three, mostly because there was less cool gadgetry and a much more predictable mystery. Still, I'll read more of this series the next time I'm in need of a little entertaining fluff.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+5 Series
Task total: 25
Grand total: 830
20.9 Winnie-the-PoohKatherine by Anya Seton
Book pub. 1954
Review:
I've always been a bit wary of historical fiction (despite not having read much in this genre, typical right?), because I have a prejudice that most historical romances are under-researched, slushy excuses for soft-porn (I know that this is not a particularly charming depiction of myself, but the first step towards healing is to admit that something is wrong). Luckily, I have now read Katherine and I know that this is not the case.Katherine tells the story of Katherine Swyndon and her relationship with the very powerful John of Gaunt, with whom she started the influential Beaufort line.
But this novel seems very true to the age it takes place in, as it does not depict Katherine as a scheming vixen who has her eyes on the power, but rather a woman who tries to live the best life she can and take as good care of her children as possible in a world run by the caprices of men. This does not mean that she is not strong or clever, but it does mean that the past is truly a different country.
Anya Seton conveys the 14th century beautifully, while giving the reader a three dimensional protagonist who experiences proper growth throughout the story.
If this is par for the course in historical romances, I definately need to explore this genre further.
+20 Task
+15 Combo (10.2, 10.4 (#145 on list), 20.2 (takes places in the 14th century))
+10 Review
+5 Oldie (Pub. 1954)
+5 Jumbo (500 pages)
Task total: 55 pts
Grand total 340 pts
10.1 My task: Read one of the book club picks from my neighborhood book clubHotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Review:
This is the March selection for my neighborhood bookclub. It should make for an interesting discussion because there are a lot of important themes here. In particular, I am interested in the examination of the meaning of loyalty - to family, to country, to individuals. There is a lot of sacrifice of personal happiness in this book in the name of loyalty and obedience. While the plot and characters were sometimes a little thin, the questions raised about duty and promises kept me going and have stayed with me as I reflect on the book.
I also enjoyed the historical portions of the book that looked at Seattle in the 1940s, the jazz scene, and the internment of Japanese Americans. I've read the legal battles about internment, but I haven't read much literature that tells these stories. Having the perspective of a Chinese family added and interesting angle.
+10 Task
+10 Combo (10.9 - 3.96; 20.1 - approved in help)
+10 Review
Task total: 30
Grand total: 860
20.4 - Elfriede JelinekHeidi by Johanna Spyri (Lexile=1200L)
+20 task (originally written in German, by Swiss authoress)
+10 combo (10.2 Noel, 10.9 ave rating 3.96)
+10 oldies (1880)
+5 Series (#1 in series)
Post total: 45
RwS Total: 515
Dominoes Total: 180
Grand Total: 695
10.8 Winter SolsticeThe Village of Stepanchikovo by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
+10 Task: Author born in Russia
+ 5 Combo: 10.9 Realistic Ratings (3.88)
+15 Oldies (1859)
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 1390
10.9 Realistic Ratings Poor Folk by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
+10 Task: 3.71
+ 5 Combo: 10.8 Winter Solstice (Russia)
+15 Oldies (1846)
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 1420
10.10 Group ReadsBefore You Know Kindness by Chris Bohjalian
+10 Task
+ 5 Combo: 10.9 Realistic Ratings (3.45)
Task Total: 15
Grand Total: 1445
20.1 – Grazia Deledda A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
In Bloom’s canon
+20 task – in the pdf article
+20 combo (10.2; 10.9 – 3.37 ratings; 20.2 – mostly takes place around and after 528; 20.9 - 1889)
+10 oldies (1889)
Task total: 50
Grand total: 670
20.2 – Sigrid UndsetJonkvrouw by Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem
+20 task – set around 1360-1405
Task total: 20
Grand total: 690
20. 3 - Toni MorrisonCane River by Lalita Tademy
+20 task
+5 jumbo (522 pages)
Task total: 25
Grand total: 715
20.5 – Elfriede Jelinek Indiana by George Sand
1210L
+20 task – originally written in French by a female
+20 combo (10.2, 10.9, 20.1, 20.7)
+15 oldies (1832)
Task total: 55
Grand total: 770
20.9 – Winnie-the-Pooh The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
+20 task – published 1890
+10 oldies (1890)
Task total: 30
Grand total: 800
20.9 – Winnie-the-Pooh The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin by Maurice Leblanc (the most popular edition doesn't have extra in the title :( )
+20 task – 1907
+10 combo (10.9 – 3.9 rating)
+5 series (Arsene Lupin #1)
+10 oldies (1907)
Task total: 40
Grand total: 840
10.9 Realistic RatingsThe Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondō
Review
I find my home incredibly cluttered. Not nearly at "Hoarders"-level, but still we possess much more than the house can comfortably home, causing it to be more or less constantly messy. To tackle this I chose to do what most book-lovers would do: I read a book on how to tidy up my house.
The underlying point in the book is petty solid: You can organize all you want, but if you have too much stuff, eventually your home will be messy again. Marie Kondo provides some pretty good advice of how to break down the tidying, and which question to ask to determine if an object should be saved or not ("Does this spark joy?"). So overall, it was actually quite a helpful read.
But, and there most certainly is a but, some of the language is slightly too New Age for my taste, especially the part where you have to thank your belongings for jobs well done felt giggle-worthy. Also, the chapter on books should be avoided by any book lover, as it would only make you shudder.
+10 Task (rating: 3,79)
+10 Review
Task total: 20 pts
Grand total: 360 pts
20.1 Grazia DeleddaThe Summer Book by Tove Jansson
Approved in post 212.
Review:
Tove Jansson has a melancholy and poetry about her writing that seeps through in her Moomin-books, but overflows in this collection of vignettes that is a novel about the relationship between a six-year old girl and her grandmother.
The novel outlines a summer that the two spends (along with the girl's slightly shadowy father) on a small island on the outskirts of a Swedish archipelago. The girl's mother has just died, and although it is barely mentioned, it lends great poignancy to their discussions on everything from bugs and cats to mortality and God.
The book is short, but it has stayed with me for a long time. The vignettes are beautifully written and in a way timeless in the same way the long days of summer can be, when you are a kid.
I'm finding it hard to describe the book, but I recommend it heartily.
+20 Task
+15 Combo (10.2, 10.8 (author born in Sweden, 20.4 (originally published in Swedish))
+10 Review
+5 Oldies (Pub. 1972)
Task total: 50 pts
Grand total: 410 pts
20.8 Best of 2015The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth
+20 (20.8 Best of 2015)
+5 combo (10.2 Noel)
+5 combo (20.1 Grazia Deledda)
+5 combo (20.2 Sigrid Undset -- book takes place 1066-68)
+10 Review
Task total: 45 (woulda been 50, but the average rating dipped about 4.0 before I finished!!! darned kids!)
Grand Total for Winter: 245
review:
This book is really an incredible accomplishment. It is rewarding on many levels for the reader. It is however an emotional rollercoaster that leaves you a little exhausted by the end (not quite to the level of The Instructions...but more on that later). So, what to say...where to start...
First, the elephant in the room is the language. As some may know, the entire book is written in a made-up artist's impression of olde/middle English. As the author explains, this was intentional and not intended to be an exact replication of the old language, as that would likely be unintelligible to the modern reader (me!). The intended consequence is truly met. After a small handful of pages, the language is no longer a mystery and even visits to the handy glossary became rather less frequent. The language, except for one anachronism that bothered me, added such a distinct layer of meaning and texture to the book, it was well worth it. The language became a part of the setting, part of the undeniable worldview of the characters, and eventually part of me. My only complaint, was that the use of two particular colorful expletives seemed as modern usage and out of place (I did do a little searching to see if I was just plain wrong about the two words...while the reports I saw would indicate it is possible they were used in that time -- although earlier than written examples-- the particular/vulgar usage was definitely modern). So...other than that, the made-up language was really amazing and to complete an entire novel in it is a testament to the author (and the reader!).
The story itself is more of a snapshot in a little-known historical event, specifically the Norman invasion of England in 1066. We follow the protagonist as he figures out what to do with himself. We are presented with a man who is conflicted in many ways, clearly pained in many ways, and not always the hero we want him to be. All of this clearly intentional by the author. There is no doubt that we are not supposed to be enamored with Buccmaster, nor his world...but rather, understand it. We see a clearly delineated society filled with social strata more akin to caste than not, as well as deeply ingrained sexism and tolerance of domestic violence. Oh, and those were the good guys. The bad guys did exactly what you would have expect, pillage, burn, rape, tax, enslave (not necessarily in that order, but rinse and repeat). I certainly had little study of this time period, and find myself with a much better sense of the impact of the events on which the book was based.
This is the exhausting part. As far as a dystopian novel, it isnt as bleak and dark as some. Perhaps it is the hope kept alive by the characters? Perhaps much of the setting is yet green, despite some of the grim surroundings? Perhaps the violence and death is mostly implied rather than overt? Nonetheless, the setting, the movement, the waiting for something truly awful to happen leaves the reader a bit weary...but unlike some other exhausting novels, I felt like less a participant (to my relief).
The subtexts were also very interesting. The authors notes his "agenda" with the book to point out some of the longer standing deleterious effects of the Norman invasion on England. That is all fine and good, and interesting....what I found myself caught up in thinking about were longings (by some) of bygone days...that everything was better in the old day/ways. The book seems to be conflicted about that notion...on one hand the old days are, indeed, painted as rosy (and why shouldnt they be?) but the fact of the matter remains that the world changed around them. Even in the context of 1000 years ago, it is clear that we must evolve our ways with the world around us, even if only to fight for the society we want to live in.
Do I recommend this book? Yes yes and yes again. It expanded my understanding of the specific, the conceptual, and even the contribution of language to a novel (a concept I well appreciated before reading this).
10.1 Your Own TaskExtremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Review: Having lost his father in the tragic event of 9/11, young Oskar Schell finds his own way of dealing and remembering. While we follow him around New York in search of a lock or door for the key his father had left behind, Oskar's grandmother and grandfather (his dad's parents) tell their life and love stories. And in the end, one understands - somehow. For me it reads as two books packed into one, but it makes sense in the end.
Oskar is a nice and (maybe too) smart child. I enjoyed the inventions he came up with and learned some random facts as well while reading. It took a while (hence it took me a long while to finish the novel), but he really grew on me.
I don't recommed it to to people who don't like adolescents or children as first person narrators.
+10 Task: Finish a book started in 2015 (or earlier). (started on March 29 in 2015)
+10 review
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 60
10.9 Realistic RatingsIndigo by Clemens J. Setz
Review:
The novel is written from different viewpoints and generally follows two characters (Mr. Setz and Robert) in two different time lines (which meet at a couple of points), but fragments and pieces of additional stuff are interwoven (like a magazine article the fictitious Mr. Setz wrote for the National Geographic about Indigo children).
It's kind of considered sci-fi, but I'm not so sure...the author bases the book on the idea of the Indigo children, who have the uncontrollable special ability of making people around them sick (headaches, vomiting, fainting). Fortunately, it wears off in adulthood.
It starts off being irritating and promises to be an interesting book, but somewhere along the book I got the feeling the author was trying for something and just didn't get there. Hence, I was disappointed by the feeling of incompleteness in the end.
+10 task (average rating 3.29)
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand Total: 80
20.1 Grazia DeleddaClose Range by Annie Proulx
The first Annie Proulx book I read was “Plan and make your own fences, & gates, walkways, walls and drives”. We wanted to learn how to make a dry stack stone wall. That was 15 years ago, and I still remember how well written that book was. Now, many literary prizes later, Proulx is still writing in the most amazing way. This collection of short stories is really more about Wyoming, than any of the characters. Certainly Wyoming has made many of the characters who they are. In these stories Wyoming is tough, gritty and unforgiving; and often the people are too. As with any short story collection, I liked some of the stories better than others. The stories often have an undercurrent of sadness or bitterness – don’t be looking for the “Hollywood” ending.
20 task
10 review
5 real rating (3.99)
__
35
Running total 835
10.9 Realistic RatingsThe Christmas Joy Rideby Melody Carlson
Rating 3.95
Review
This was such a cute book. It is about an elderly lady named Joy who is moving to Phoenix to be closer to her sons. Instead of flying, she is going to drive to Phoenix in an RV that is decked out for Christmas spreading her own Christmas joy on the way. She asks her neighbor to come with her. Miranda is down on her luck. She is divorced, unemployed and about to lose her home so she reluctantly agrees to come along. They go on a ride down route 66 that neither of them will forget. It is even complete with a little romance. The characters made six lucky people happy by throwing them a Christmas they will never forget. I recommend this book for the holidays. It is a feel good book to read by the fire.
Task +10
Style: + 10 Review
Book Total: 20
Grand Total: 210
10.2 Noel, NoelThrone of Jade by Naomi Novik
+10 Task
+ 5 Combo: 10.9 Realistic Ratings (3.90)
+ 5 Series 1
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 1465
Task 10.3 – Science Fiction DayJanuary 2 is National Science Fiction Day. Read one of the top Science Fiction authors listed on Ranker.com
February 16, 2016: #131
The Doctor and the Dinosaurs (Weird West Tales #4) (2013) by Mike Resnick (Paperback, 300 pages)
+10 Task
+10 Combo (#10.2 “No L”, #10.9 Realistic Ratings)
+05 Series (#4 of “A Weird West Tale” Series)
Task Total: 10 + 10 + 05 = 25
Grand Total: 480 + 25 = 505
10.9 Realistic Ratings The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
+10 Task: 3.61
+15 Oldies: 1774
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 1490
15.9 - DominoesThe Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers-
(same word in title as 15.8 - "Heart")
task = 30
grand total = 945
10.7 Cozy HolidayThe Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie - 83 ratings
Obviously life is too busy at the moment, because this took me a lot longer than it should have!
I had a vague sense of having seen this one on the telly in the last few months, or at least part of it, as some of the events were very familiar and visual in my head.
What surprises me is how the series character, in this case miss Marple, features so little in Christie's books. They are secondary characters, underlining and piecing the story together, but not the narrator or character featuring through every piece of the story.
If you are familiar with Christie then there are no big surprises here, same style, same story arch, same character types, and if you read Miss Marple, same setting of St Mary Mead. Enjoyable, comfortable, cozy.
+10 task
+10 oldies
+10 review
+5 series
+10 combos (10.2, 20.9)
Task Total = 45
Grand Total = 785
10.1 - Design Your Own TaskThe Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Soji Shimada
I'm not a huge mystery person, but when I read one I want to be given all the clues up front. In that sense The Tokyo Zodiac Murders is perfect - everything you need is laid out in the first half of the book. The murders took place 40+ years prior to the narrative, so the set up is related secondhand. It got tediousness in places but the crime is so intriguing I was compelled to keep reading.
After this set up our duo heads off to Kyoto to hunt down some leads/red herrings. If you have never been to Japan or Kyoto a lot of the info here will feel like overkill - which train to take to which station, the weirdness that is Kyoto addresses, etc. I think that in the original, to a Japanese audience, it adds a layer of nostalgia. It's fair to say that most people have been to Kyoto at some point in their lives, either on a school trip or to sightsee on their own. The name dropping of shrines, neighborhoods, and street corners brings back memories of being there yourself. To a foreign audience, however, it probably comes off as overly detailed and annoying.
I live in Kyoto now so I can forgive Shimada. A key turning point happens right in my neighborhood, though - that was kinda creepy to read before bed!
+10 task (earns Oldies points)
+10 combo - 10.2 (no l), 10.9 (3.94 rating)
+10 review
+5 oldies
Task total: 35 points
Grand total: 740 points
20.8 - Best of 2015Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
+20 task
Task total: 20 points
Grand total: 760 points
20.9 Winnie-the-Pooh The Book of Wonder by Lord Dunsany
published 1912
These stories are glimpses that seem fashioned more after folk tales or the snippets of stories that are in the Arabian Nights and less are what we would consider fully formed stories today. The language is rich and elaborate, evoking another frame of mind and reality by itself. Many of the stories end in odd places or go sideways. Most are somehow related to an instant where a more normal life intersected with the odd and strange. I think the one that struck me most was the window that showed another world and what happened after. I enjoyed them and would like to read more of his work from time to time, as a special occasion.
+20 task
+10 review
+10 oldies
Task total: 40
Grand total: 2255
10.9 Realistic Ratings (Cory Day's Task)-Young Babylon by Lu Nei
The main character and narrator, which may or may not be semi-autobiographical, is an unusual character for me, a blue-collar young (18-20) slacker who doesn't really care, is often crude and occasionally obscene, and yet reads literature and writes poetry to impress girls, at least at first. This is a really slow coming of age story. During most of it the only sign you have that anything is going to happen at all is occasional references to how the narrator is now thirty and works at an office job in the city. But what is happening - the twists of daily life - suck you in enough that I just had to read another bit here and another bit there and eventually the book was done. While parts of it might have happened in factory towns elsewhere, the book was very clearly grounded in the culture and location of modern China, with both reminders of the Cultural Revolution and incoming Western items being part of his world.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 2275
10.1 Design Your Own Task - Main Page Genre ScienceThe Gecko's Foot: Bio-inspiration: Engineering New Materials from Nature by Peter Forbes
I really enjoyed this survey of how groups of materials scientists were looking to nature for ideas on how to improve our current materials and abilities to build new things. Since the book was published in 2006 I'm now also considering doing some internet searches to follow up on these groups and see if the research progressed further and made it into new practical applications. Forbes did a good job of explaining the biological science to those of us who don't have much of a background there (me) and going into enough detail in the material science part to intrigue (me). I hope it worked as well for readers with the opposite background or more general backgrounds.
+10 task
+10 review
+5 combo (10.9 3.88)
Task total: 25
Grand total: 2300
10.5 Favorite Authors (a.k.a. Moderator Gift)my third and last time for this one
Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Black Book of Connections: 6.5 Assets for Networking Your Way to Rich Relationships by Jeffrey Gitomer
Like all of Gitomer's little color books this one contains an overarching strategy towards achieving business success expressed in many small bits with very good organization and great graphic design so that it is both appealing and easy to digest. Some of the tips really tie in with the personal branding and more extensive efforts of an entrepreneur, like sending out a newsletter-like email to all you contacts every week, and others are more readily available to the more average professional, like how the best value you can provide is often introducing people to each other. His language is clear, motivating, and enthusiastic.
+10 task
+10 review
+5 combo (10.9 3.94)
Task total: 25
Grand total: 2325
10.9 Realistic Ratings (Cory Day's Task)-The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
Woohoo! It went down to 3.99 today. I can claim it!
When I began reading I was a bit confused, as grounded as the story was in history. The science fiction nature of the plot was more of a slow lifting of fog, although it definitely got there, full force and with good effect. The book is an imaginative first contact scenario grounded in reality and in current science just a bit beyond our own.
There was definitely a somewhat quirky feel to the writing style. It's hard to say if it was the Chinese perspective, or the translating into a second language, or just the author's personal style. It was clearly readable, just a step sideways into a detached perspective in some way.
I enjoyed the book and I'm interested in what does happen when the inevitable next step occurs.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 2345
Post 1099 Valerie wrote: "20.1 Grazia DeleddaClose Range by Annie Proulx
The first Annie Proulx book I read was “Plan and make your own fences, & gates, walkways, walls and drives”. We wante..."
Did I miss something? I don't find this book or author with a link to a review for "sense of place".
10.9 - Realistic RatingsLondon Fields by Martin Amis
The story of Nicola Six, a murderee in search of a murderer, and the men she picks out and manipulates to bring about her end. Keith Talent is a small-time crook and womaniser who dreams of fame though his darts playing, taking the stereotypical pub-going dart-player type to such an extreme that he becomes original. Guy Clinch is from another class entirely, living in posh Lansdowne Crescent with his bossy wife and murderously aggressive toddler son, but he drinks in the same pub. The whole is narrated by Samson Young, an American writer visiting London, desperate to get the story published and consumed with jealousy of the British writer he’s temporarily swapped apartments with.
I find it hard to review Martin Amis’s books because there’s an edge to them that I don’t like. It probably didn’t help that the first one I read was The Rachel Papers, which is so blatant in its hatred of women. I still see that in his other books, although it’s better hidden, and it stops me enjoying them, even if I appreciate them. However, this one is exceptionally well written, and Keith in particular is an amazing character.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand Total: 1645
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Post 1099 Valerie wrote: "20.1 Grazia DeleddaClose Range by Annie Proulx
The first Annie Proulx book I read was “Plan and make your own fences, & gates, walkways, w..."
I may have misread the instructions. I found her in the US embassy pdf you referred us to. I will try to find a review.
This one seems to fit the bill to me.
https://www.nytimes.com/books/99/05/2...
Valerie wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Post 1099 Valerie wrote: "20.1 Grazia DeleddaClose Range by Annie Proulx
The first Annie Proulx book I read was “Plan and make your own f..."
Thanks, Valerie. I don't think you misread, I probably overlooked her when making our list.
10.3 Science Fiction DaySeveneves by Neal Stephenson
I ended up loving this book, somewhat unexpectedly. In the first part of the book we find out that all life on earth is going to be extinguished in 2 years and we watch the preparations for keeping humanity going in space, which are fascinating. Then we see the event itself, and then finally, in last chunk of the book, we see the results - thousands of years later, humanity is back! I would say better than ever, but not really, in a lot of ways. A lot of reviewers disliked this last part - and I will say I didn't find it quite as engaging as the technological parts earlier -- but it was interesting to imagine how society might look and turn out in this particular situation.
Stephenson is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine - he's just so sprawling and BIG. There's always new stuff to think about in his books.
+10 task
+5 combo (10.9 - 3.98, 20.8)
+10 review
+15 jumbo (881 pages)
Task Total: 40
Grand Total: 515
10.2 Noel, NoelThinner by Richard Bachman
+10 task
+ 5 combo (10.9 - 3.62 rating)
+ 5 oldies
Task total=20
Grand total=790
Task 10.8 Winter Solstice Read a book written by an author born in one of the countries within the artic circle: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, and Alaska, U.S.
Born in: Toronto, Canada
As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (Flavia de Luce #7) (2015) by Alan Bradley (Goodreads Author) (Hardcover, 392 pages)
+10 Task
+05 Combo (#10.9 Realistic Ratings)
Task Total: 10 + 05 = 15
Grand Total: 505 + 15 = 520
10.9-Realistic RatingsTwo Histories of England by Charles Dickens
+10 task (ave rating 3.60)
Post total: 10
RwS Total: 525
Dominoes Total: 180
Grand Total: 705
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Reading with Style
Books mentioned in this topic
The Night Ranger (other topics)The Drop (other topics)
Shoot the Dog (other topics)
The Whites (other topics)
Between the World and Me (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Alex Berenson (other topics)Brad Smith (other topics)
Harry Brandt (other topics)
Ta-Nehisi Coates (other topics)
Alex Berenson (other topics)
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The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby
+10 task
+10 Combo (10.7 and 10.9)
+5 series #1
Task total: 25
Grand total: 410