Reading with Style discussion
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FA 18 Completed Tasks
20.2 To Conquer HellThe Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore
I was intrigued by this book, even though I remembered quite a bit about Radium Girls: A Play in Two Acts by D.W. Gregory that I read about 4 years ago. The girls were exposed to radium as they painted clock dials with paintbrushes placed in their mouths to make a sharper point. The story begins in 1917 and continues through the court cases of the 1930s. I noticed that Moore's powerful writing not only covered the facts and was well researched, but did an excellent job bringing in the human and emotional side of the story. She followed one of the girls and her family building concern for her plight and that of the other girls. The belittling of women in the time period is clear as well. I have a lot of empathy for what these women went through and am saddened that their experience hasn't totally eradicated the problem of workplace contamination or poisoned water in Flint, Michigan. I do not read much nonfiction, but this is the type of factual narrative writing that I find just as gripping as great fiction.
+20 Task
+ 5 Combo: 20.1 War's End
+10 Review
Task Total: 35
Season Total: 140
20.10 Fall Equinox (Elizabeth (Alaska)'s Task)When Rain Clouds Gather by Bessie Head
My main exposure to Botswana has come from Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. I knew Bessie Head would give me an accurate and perhaps a different view of the country and so I was quite happy to still read of the cattle, the tea, and the challenges of life in Botswana I enjoy in those lighter books. I was drawn into the book throughout its pages, but struggled at times to stay focused on the story. The book was well written and the characters were memorable. The premise was interesting as was the focus on politics and refugees with its interplay between the chiefs, the locals and the refugees. Everything unfolds slowly and carries an emotional impact that kept me engaged. I would like to try more of her work.
+20 Task
+ 5 Combo: 20.7 A Month in the Country
+10 Review
+ 5 Oldies
Task Total: 40
Season Total: 165
Post 103 Karen Michele wrote: "20.10 Fall Equinox (Elizabeth (Alaska)'s Task)My main exposure to Botswana has come from Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. I knew Bessi..."
Need a title/author for this one, Karen.
10.8 Cli Fi (Karen Michele's Task)Huntress by Malinda Lo
YA - 860L
approval
Review
In Huntress, I found wonderful world building. The world is harsh and worse is yet to come but it is unnatural. Kaede and Taisin must journey to the fabled city of the fay to uncover what they could and restore balance to the world. I mostly enjoyed the read though I found there was a bit too much of the romance and the emphasis of differences of station etc. And whilst Kaede was nicely developed, I’m still confused about Taisin and her choices. No other characters stood out either. In fact, I wish the villain has a bit more presence than she did. I was, however, pleasantly surprised by the ending.
+10 Task
+5 Combo (10.7 - author born in China)
+10 Review
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 140
10.5 Pet DayThe Juliet Code by Christine Wells
above edition published by Penguin Random House
Review
I read Code Name Verity a few weeks ago so found the premise of this book even more compelling. Unlike Code Name Verity, however, The Juliet Code follows the aftermath of captivity. There is a dual timeline, albeit only a few years apart, of course, to provide the background of her capture and ultimately, on her survival.
Juliet Barnard is not one of those 'kick-ass-heroine' or at least, she's not described as such to begin with. In the opening chapter, she's a broken woman, fearful of what's happened during her incarceration in France. In the earlier timeline, she's compared unfavourably against other women who are better physically & mentally. She is intelligent and determined but not particularly capable as an agent in training but the country is desperate and cannot spare anyone. I love this characterisation of Juliet because it made her completely relate-able.
I loved the glamorously romantic cover and my chronically romantic self fell head over heels over this love story. If you are not a fan of insta-love, however, this book is not for you. Whilst I'm fascinated by war stories, for me, The Juliet Code is a beautiful romance story than anything else. In fact, this romantic story haunts me over the past week since I've finished reading and I'll probably continue to daydream about Juliet & Felix for the next few months at least.
Thanks to Penguin Random House for copy of book in exchange of honest review
+10 Task
+10 Review
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 160
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Post 103 Karen Michele wrote: "20.10 Fall Equinox (Elizabeth (Alaska)'s Task)My main exposure to Botswana has come from Alexander McCall Smith's [book:The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Ag..."
Oops! I've been struggling to catch up after my trip and that's my only excuse;) Done!
I edited post 97 to add a +5 combo for 20.4. Task total 65, Season total 330.I reviewed the thread for 20.4 and in post 3, it is clarified a gap of 10 or more years will server to separate two periods. The main plot of Maisie Dobbs is 1929, with the coming-of-age story taking place 1910-1917.
15.4 - AbBYDate Range 1941 - 1945
Lost Lake by Phillip Margolin
+20 task (author born 1944)
-15 error post 52
Task total: 5
Grand total: 135
15.3 Author by Birth Year - Chronological 1944-1949
Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith
(b. 1948)
20 task
_____
20
Running total: 115
10.2 Next?Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
A young man named Carrot, raised by dwarfs, arrives in the city of Ankh-Morporkh full of idealism and joins the Guards. But the Guards are less than idealistic, and the city is soon under attack from a dragon who wants to become king. Which would be fine, except it keeps setting fire to things and wanting to eat virgins.
This was a fun story in the Discworld series. I loved Lady Ramkin, who raises swamp dragons like certain country ladies in England raise golden retrievers. Vimes, the Captain of the Guard, is a great match for her. I wonder about Carrot's destiny ... maybe he will appear in future books?
+10 Task
+ 5 Combo (10.5 Corgi Guards! Guards! )
+10 Review
+ 5 Oldies (1989)
Task Total: 30
Season Total: 255
10.2 Next?Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett
I read this as a followup to Mort although it's further down the line in the Discworld series. But Death is definitely my favourite character in Discworld, whatever that may mean for my sanity, so this is Book 2 as far as I am concerned.
Here, Death finds his own sands of time running out--yes, he becomes mortal. So he goes off to find something else to harvest with his scythe. And meanwhile, the dead people are mounting up with no one to see them safely to the afterworld. It's becoming very crowded in purgatory. Is the new appointee up to the job?
+10 Task
+ 5 Combo (10.5 Corgi Reaper Man )
+10 Review
+ 5 Oldies (1991)
Task Total: 30
Season Total: 285
10.5 Pet DayThe New Science of Strong Materials: Or Why You Don't Fall Through the Floor by J.E. Gordon
Penguin edition - The New Science of Strong Materials: Or Why You Don't Fall Through the Floor
It was an interesting experience reading a popular science book about one of my favorite topics written many years ago. Certain topics were considered much more important - such as using wood in building airplanes - and others were much less developed - primarily plastics and the use of carbon fibers - and some I didn't realize were such a big deal at one point - like fiberglass boat hulls. Gordon writes in an engaging way and slips in work he and his students had personally done, referring casually to projects from World War II as well. For someone who is familiar with the current perspective I think this is a wonderfully broadening addition to a bookshelf.
+10 task
+5 combo (10.9 Materials)
+5 oldies (pub 1975)
+10 review
Task total: 30
Grand total: 65
From Post 55Heather wrote: "10.5
Iron Gold by Pierce Brown
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...
+10 task
+5 combo (10.2 - #4 in Red Rising..."
I am sorry. This does not qualify for 10.5 as the edition was published by the imprint Del Rey. There are no editions with an animal name in the publisher's field listed on GoodReads. We will score this as 10.2
From Post 56Karen Michele wrote: "15.1 AbBY Chronological
Date Range 1921-1925
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
+15 Task (author born 1924)
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 15"
Sorry Karen, this is listed as YA Assignment at BPL and has no lexile. It will not work for AbBY.
From Post 61Lalitha wrote: "20.9 Arkansas (Kate's Task)
Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith
Review:
A fairly interesting book that promises more than what it delivers. The book's format was the..."
+5 Oldies
+5 Prizeworthy
From Post 84Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "10.2 Next
Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
number 3 in the Mercy Thompson series.
Task +10
Grand Total: 10"
+5 Prizeworthy
10.9 9,10,11Tents, Tortoises, and Tailgates:: My Life as a Wildlife Biologist by Scott Lillie
This book was interesting for its subject matter - a window on a profession and a natural world that few are involved in. The writing itself was only okay. The author is telling you anecdotes and stories more like he might at a casual campfire and the use of language is not particularly polished (although typo and profanity free). It was fun to read the condensed highs and lows of studying animals in unforgiving natural conditions and the biologist's own changing state of mind as his ten years or so of working actively in the field progressed. The living conditions were typically awful but the deep-seated pleasure in being there shines through.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 85
Task 20.10 Fall Equinox (Elizabeth (Alaska)'s Task)Fall Equinox contains all 5 vowels. Read any book whose title contains all of the letters A-E-I-O-U. The book may have a subtitle, but all of the letters should be in the title.
A Most E xtr ao rdinary Purs ui t
A Most Extraordinary Pursuit (Emmeline Truelove #1) (2016) by Juliana Gray (Goodreads Author) (Paperback, 430 pages)
Review: Our heroine, Miss Truelove, is the personal secretary to the Duke of Olympia. The year is 1908. When the Duke dies unexpectedly, the Duke’s wife sends Miss Truelove to locate his heir, one Max Haywood. She also sends Lord Silverton as chaperone/protector. Lord Silverton is a standard regency romance hero – charming repartee, reputation as a “rake”, a bit of a bad boy who knows how to party hard, but is a decent caring man underneath the ‘bad boy’ mask. I believe that Juliana Gray has written several regency romances. This book is not a romance novel, even though its setup is similar to one. Gray portrays the relationship between Miss Truelove and Lord Silverton more realistically – a proper Edwardian lady would be annoyed not entranced by such rakish behavior. The mystery of: Where in the World is Max Haywood?: takes center stage as our heroine leaves England. (Where did the romance go??) The ending made sense but felt unsatisfying. Still, the ending to this novel sets up an interesting situation for the sequel, and I put the sequel on the TBR. Recommended for light reading.
Oh, and another goodreads reader posted:
Basically, this is a really weird book in reality. It's a big mishmash of historical romance, mystery/adventure story, with a soupcon of the supernatural (and an extraordinarily random one at that). I am not opposed to any or all of those elements on their own, or in combination with each other, but somehow they don't come together quite right in the end.
I agree with that assessment.
+20 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 + 10 = 30
Grand Total: 00 + 30 = 30
20.8 Autumn (Karin's Task)Night and Day by Virginia Woolf
book published in 1919 & author is British
Review
Unfortunately for me, the book was ruined for I read somewhere a one sentence description of the book which is basically the whole plot! My whole audiobook experience is fraught with frustrations; what I thought was the beginning of the book (that one sentence) and we would be hearing about the consequences but in fact, it is the whole plot! I think I may have enjoyed the story better if I didn’t know what’s going to happen… I may have enjoyed the writing even if the characters still frustrate me (I really do just want to shake them all!). An interesting spin on confused feelings for how do one know when one’s in love? Warning for the readers, you will have to put up with a LOT of confusion for pretty much the whole of the novel.
+20 Task
+5 Combo (10.5 - above edition published by Penguin Classics)
+10 Review
+10 Oldies (pub. 1919)
Post Total: 45
Season Total: 185
Kate S wrote: "From Post 56Karen Michele wrote: "15.1 AbBY Chronological
Date Range 1921-1925
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
+15 Task (author born 1924)
Post Total: 15
Season ..."
Oh, darn -- I didn't think to check that one. Can I just edit my 15.2 task to make it 15.1 and start from there? That way I can still go chronologically.
20.1 War's EndDecline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh
I've now read several Evelyn Waugh novels...and I've found him to be hit and miss. This is a hit.... a very funny account of the troubles that befall a humble student at Oxford in the 1920s. So much negativity (usually funny) happens to Paul Pennyfeather, that it is hard to believe when near the end of the book, we learn that only a year has passed.
As Rosemary has stated in her review..."Very funny, but also very savage with a lot of racist comments - mostly made by characters who are more or less ridiculed, but still makes uncomfortable reading these days."
I was glad to find that my library has a copy of the BBC dramatic series based on this work...can't wait to watch it. I took a course at Oxford one Summer (1980)...and got a taste for the classism of British society. I'm sure it was much more pronounced in the 1920s and desperately needed this send up. Four stars.
task = 20
review=10
combo= 10 (20.8; 10.5- Penguin- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... )
oldie=10 (1928)
task total=50
Grand total= 215
15.3 AbBY, Chronological 1945-1949Gwendy's Button Box by Stephen King (1947)
+20 Task
Task total: 20
Season total: 290
20.1 War's EndVile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh
This is the first book I've read by Waugh, and while it was enjoyable I don't think I loved it enough to seek out any of his other books. This one revolves around the various Bright Young Things (I couldn't help but imagining them as a more flippant version of today's hipster crowd) of London's 1920s--wealthy, unencumbered by any sense of responsibility (or civility), they flitted from one party to another, money flowing through their hands like so much gin and tonic...It started out a laughable farce, turned into an on-again-off-again "love" story, and ended in such serious circumstances (while still maintaining the romp) that it exposes how truly absurd, laughable, and despicable these Bright Young Things were. It was an artful turnabout there at the end, but I was utterly relieved it was finally over! You know how sometimes you really wish that the characters in a book were alive so you could be friends? Not a single person in this book would fit that bill.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 Combo (10.5--https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1..., 20.8)
+10 Oldies (pub. 1930)
Task total: 50
Season total: 340
Anika wrote: "20.1 War's EndVile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh
This is the first book I've read by Waugh, and while it was enjoyable I don't think I loved it enough to seek out any of hi..."
Anika...see my review in post 123..I didn't like Vile Bodies all that much either...but Decline and Fall was much much better.
Ed wrote: "Anika wrote: "20.1 War's EndVile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh
This is the first book I've read by Waugh, and while it was enjoyable I don't think I loved it enough to seek..."
I'll have to put that one on my TBR list...your review makes it sound much more palatable than this one ;-)
20.7 A Month in the CountryQueenpin by Megan Abbott
OMG! I really loved this one. You wouldn't think it--it took me nearly two weeks to finish, but that's only because I've been busy so have been listening to books while doing other work or reading on my kindle before bed (this is an actual honest-to-god paperback book--can't read that with a nightlight or I keep my husband up too late!).
ANYWAY--*this*! THIS is what "noir" is and I loved it! Fast-paced, racy, slang-slinging mobsters, dolled-up molls, crosses and double-crosses and surprising violence...I love the atmosphere and Abbott's writing and I love that she does noir with a female protagonist and that the women in the book are equally (if not more so) badass, cold as marble, hard as steel. If you're looking for a romp on a seedy darkside, this is the ticket, sweetheart!
+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 Prizeworthy
+10 Combo (10.6; 20.5--both main characters are single women, heads of their own households)
Task total: 50
Season total: 390
15.5 - AbBYDate Range 1946-1950
10th Anniversary by James Patterson
+30 task (author born 1947)
Task total: 30
Grand total: 165
10.4 Bookshelves Borne by Jeff VanderMeer
+10 Task (Next Best Book Club)
Task Total: 10
Season Total: 175
20.7 A Month in the Country Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
+20 Task
+5 Combo 10.4 (21st Century Literature)
Task Total: 25
Season Total: 200
15.3 AbBy in orderSkipped 1911-1915
This is 1916-1920
Tales from the White Hart by Arthur C. Clarke born 1917
Task total: 20
Grand total: 105
10.2 Next?Wolves by C. Gockel
I have to admit one of the distracting things about this book was seeing Loki as not-TomHiddleston, which I think may have been part of the point, since the Thor movies were referenced and Loki started accidentally tinting blue via illusion after Amy put the idea in his head. But it did keep me focused on the plot, which was a reasonably interesting culture clash with the "supernatural" having depth and the "normal girl" having a good personality without being too "special savior". I am somewhat interested in continuing but am unsure after reading the reviews of the other books in the series.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 130
20.5 Singled OutDeath's Hand by S.M. Reine
And this book is a prime example of why I no longer spend money on books with a single kick-butt female in certain poses on the cover. They tend to make me feel like someone read the Anita Blake series and thought they could do it too. Even if the book is actually pretty good, which this one was. I liked the weariness of the retired-demon-hunter-turned-accountant main character and her platonic relationship with her fighting partner was a refreshing twist. I liked the world building and how it dropped you in at a good point but then told the key 5 years past storyline embedded in the novel later. The ending made sense in the genre and was satisfying. But after having once owned all the Anita Blake books and burning out on them, this kind of book just doesn't work for me anymore and I will not be reading the sequel.
+20 task
+10 review
+5 combo (10.2)
Task total: 35
Grand total: 160
15.4 AbBYDate Range 1925-1929, read chronologically
Planet of Exile by Ursula K. Le Guin
+20 Task (author born 1929)
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 220
10.10 Group ReadSilently and Very Fast by Catherynne M. Valente
This book is beautiful in both language and imagery but very weird. I love works that incorporate and twist fairy tales and this one did an excellent job of it, pulling in the sense of fairy tales being a way to comprehend and to teach and the sense of a world beyond what we see. I am not a big fan of artificial intelligence stories, but this was well done in that aspect and slightly creepy, as I often find such things. I read it all in one sitting and I am now feeling a bit starstuck and a lot melancholy, both glad I read it and a little wishing I had not.
+10 task
+10 review
+5 award (Locus)
+5 combo (20.7)
Task total: 30
Grand total: 190
20.9 Best Southern LiteratureThe Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
#94 on list
A delightful bit of magical realism. There is romance in it, but it is not really the point. The point is defining yourself, as yourself, apart from other people, and how it can be easy and difficult to get there at the same time, and how other people can help without becoming a new way to define yourself. I really enjoyed the read, it was sweet and heartwarming with enough pain to relate to but not too much too distract. The romantic elements were realistic and not rushed. The women, and the book is mostly women, felt like real people. It was not heart stopping I must recommend this, but still a solid 4 stars that left me feeling happy.
+20 task
+10 review
+5 Combo (10.5 Bantam)
Task total: 35
Grand total: 225
20.7 A Month in the CountryHow To Marry A Werewolf by Gail Carriger
A nicely-bred American avoids scandal at home by catching a dirigible to London in search of a werewolf husband. Your reaction to the series' branding "werewolves in cravats and the women who love them (both the werewolves and their cravats)" is probably a solid indicator of whether or not you fall in this book's potential audience.
Cute and short, with an interesting dynamic between the protagonists (though with some darkness in both their backstories). It's Carriger, so it's witty at the expense of sense and characters aren't that believable and even humans don't act like real people and everyone madly *adores* our oh-so-unique heroine, but short stand-alone romances in her fun paranormal world sound like quick fun, and this one was. Thankfully, no Maccon (still the worst) and no overt colonialism (still set in Victorian England, but no cutesy colonial adventures abroad thank you).
+20 Task -- 198 pages
+10 Review
Task Total: 30
Season Total: 180
10.2 Next?2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
The main thing I remember from my long-ago viewing of the film—which was produced concurrently with the book being written—is Hal the computer, so I was surprised to discover how short is his part in the story. It starts millions of years ago with Australopithecus or some similar human ancestor being taught to use tools by a visiting species, who also leave a kind of burglar alarm on the Moon so they will know if and when earthly life reaches it. Then a spaceship sets off to follow the beacon, and only then do we have Hal playing his small part.
So it’s a truly epic scifi story, spanning all of human life. And being a book, it has a lot more explanation than the movie, which I appreciated.
+10 Task
+ 5 Combo (10.5 the linked edition is Roc)
+10 Review
+ 5 Oldies (1968)
Task Total: 30
Season Total: 315
10.2 Next?
What Could Possibly Go Wrong? by Jodi Taylor
This is the sixth book in Jodi Taylor's Chronicles of St. Mary's series about time travelling historians, and I think may be my favourite so far. I liked that this book didn't focus so much on one big plotline as some of the others do, instead focusing on several smaller assignments, but there was still a lot going on, including jumps to a number of points in History. I also appreciated the lack of romantic drama, which there was a little too much of in some of the earlier books.
I think it does benefit from its position in the series - by now many of the characters feel like old friends - but I also think the quality of the books has improved as the series has progressed. I definitely won't be waiting very long before picking up the next one!
+ 10 Task
+ 10 Review
Task Total: 20
Season Total: 20
What Could Possibly Go Wrong? by Jodi Taylor
This is the sixth book in Jodi Taylor's Chronicles of St. Mary's series about time travelling historians, and I think may be my favourite so far. I liked that this book didn't focus so much on one big plotline as some of the others do, instead focusing on several smaller assignments, but there was still a lot going on, including jumps to a number of points in History. I also appreciated the lack of romantic drama, which there was a little too much of in some of the earlier books.
I think it does benefit from its position in the series - by now many of the characters feel like old friends - but I also think the quality of the books has improved as the series has progressed. I definitely won't be waiting very long before picking up the next one!
+ 10 Task
+ 10 Review
Task Total: 20
Season Total: 20
20.7 A Month in the country A Christmas Message by Anne Perry
+20 Task
+10 Combo 10.2, 10.9
Task Total: 30
Season Total: 250
20.5 Singled OutSula by Toni Morrison
(Warning - I swear in my review so skip if you object)
I finished this early today, and I’ve been thinking about it all day, and...I have so many thoughts, but they are like the plague of robins - too many, too crowded, leaving shit everywhere.
This is a must read. Actually it is a must-listen. This won an award for Toni Morrison’s narration and hearing her read her words is fantastic. It’s not nice, it’s not easy, but oh man it’s so substantial. It’s horrible and beautiful and challenging, and it does not give a shit what you, as the reader, think of it.
To call this “good” is ridiculous, because I call things I enjoy good. And I did enjoy this, but not in a fluffy way. A lot of what I read now is for fun, for escape. This? This is why I was a lit major. I’m going to be thinking about this for a loooooong time.
When I picked this up, I had no idea the first (slightly less than) half of the book is immediately post WWI. Reading this after a few upper-class white perspectives was just BAM.
+20 task
+15 combo 10.5 Sula Bantam, 20.4 (Part 1 ends 1927, Part 2 starts 1937) 20.7
+5 oldie (1973)
+5 award
+10 review
Task total = 55
Season total = 385
10.9 9, 10, 11My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman
"Every seven-year-old deserves a superhero. That's just how it is. Anyone who doesn't agree needs their head examined." (1)
Precocious Elsa's superhero and best friend is her grandmother. Granny is an outspoken, humorous retired doctor who breaks the rules but has a heart of gold. To help Elsa deal with her fears and insecurities, eccentric Granny shares fairy tales that transport them to the Land-of-Almost-Awake with its many kingdoms and a secret portal. When Granny succumbs to cancer she leaves letters of apology for Elsa to deliver to the residents of their apartment building. As Elsa gets to know the backstories of the apartment dwellers she realizes that the fairy tales were based on real people's lives. An affectionate creature who loves cookies, a wurse (which resembles a Newfoundland), adds to the magic. But there is also a large man (the dragon) that might endanger the lives of her neighbors in the apartment (the castle).
I loved the humor and the warm grandchild-grandmother relationship in this book. I found my attention wandering occasionally when the story went off for pages into the Land-of-Almost-Awake. The reader does have to suspend disbelief, even in the world of reality, but everyone can identify with the emotions that Elsa feels. It's best just to go with the flow, and enjoy the wisdom and the craziness in this heartwarming story.
+10 task (grandmother)
+10 review
Task total: 20
Season total: 85
15.1 AbBYReverse Chronological Order
Date Range 1980-1984
Faces in the Crowd by Valeria Luiselli
task = 15 (Author born in 1983)
task total=15
Grand total= 230
(Just a note.... this was a book I just picked up at the library without any prior recommendation or knowledge.... and it is an intriguing read.... I highly recommend it.)
20.9 ArkansasPaper Towns by John Green (850 Lexile)
Margo Roth Spiegelman is the queen of her high school: she's popular, has a hot boyfriend, has an air of mystery that attracts everyone and the stories about her daring are legend.
Q is her neighbor--and has been in love with Margo since they were eleven. He has two best friends, Ben and Radar. He is a good student, is well adjusted, but mostly flies under the radar.
Until, a month before graduation, Margo shows up outside his window at midnight and demands he accompany her on an evening of mischief-making. (view spoiler)Part detective story, part coming-of-age drama with plenty of laughs thrown in, once again John Green does not disappoint.
After note: The whole time, I was "casting" the movie of this in my head (oddly, featuring half of the cast of Netflix's "13 Reasons Why")...just saw that there actually is a movie of this one...I think I need to see it now!
+20 Task (#235 on the list)
+10 Review
+15 Prizeworthy (Edgar Award for Best Y.A.; Bronzener Lufti winner; Literaturpreis der Jury der jungen Leser winner; Corine Internationaler Buchpreis winner)
+5 Combo (10.5 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...)
Task total: 50
Season total: 440
Karen Michele wrote: "Can I just edit my 15.2 task to make it 15.1 and start from there? That way I can still go chronologically."Yes. I have post 99 recorded as your 15.1.
Kate S wrote: "Karen Michele wrote: "Can I just edit my 15.2 task to make it 15.1 and start from there? That way I can still go chronologically."Yes. I have post 99 recorded as your 15.1."
Thanks, Kate! I was just about to edit it:)
20.5 Singled OutThe Curve of Time: The Classic Memoir of a Woman and Her Children Who Explored the Coastal Waters of the Pacific Northwest by M. Wylie Blanchet
Many years ago, my sister gave me a copy of this book, which I read and thoroughly enjoyed. Since I will soon be traversing some of the same waters by boat that the author writes about, it was time to reread this treasure.
The author, who went by Capi, lived on Vancouver Island and was widowed in 1926. She had five children and a 25 foot boat. So each summer, she packed the kids up and sometimes the dog, tied a dingy to the stern of the boat and explored the islands and inlets along the British Columbia passage between Vancouver Island and the mainland. Her opening lines say it all. “This is neither a story nor a log; it is just an account of many years, when the children were young enough and old enough to take on camping holidays up the coast of British Columbia. Time did not exist; or if it did it did not matter, and perhaps it was not always sunny.”
This is like sitting in front of a fire (campfire or fireplace) and having a friend, a good story teller, tell you of her adventures. We hear of a variety of wild animals, isolated homesteads, fishermen and First Peoples’ temporarily deserted winter long houses. Sometimes the logistics of how they all slept on the boat, how they washed their clothes-they each had three changes of clothes, pajamas, a swimsuit and shorts and shirt-where they got food are in the forefront. Sometimes, it is the people they interact with along the way or how emergencies are met but each tale is lively.
+20 task
+5 oldies
+10 review
+15 combo (10.9, 20.1, 10.5 the edition linked above was published by Seal Press)
Task total: 50
Season total: 85
From Post 102Karen Michele wrote: "20.2 To Conquer Hell
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore
I was intrigued by this book, even though I remembered quite a bit..."
+5 Prizeworthy
From Post 137Beth wrote: "20.9 Best Southern Literature
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
#94 on list
A delightful bit of magical realism. There is romance in it, but it is not really ..."
+5 Prizeworthy
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Reading with Style
Books mentioned in this topic
All the Single Ladies (other topics)Infidel (other topics)
Dragonfly in Amber (other topics)
The Big Sleep (other topics)
The Big Sleep (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Rebecca Traister (other topics)Ayaan Hirsi Ali (other topics)
Diana Gabaldon (other topics)
Raymond Chandler (other topics)
Samuel Richardson (other topics)
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Queenpin by Megan Abbott
I am not always a fan of noir, but I think the twist of Abbott’s writing female leads was more to my liking than the male counterparts. All the “lingo” was still of the “hard-boiled detective” style, but the story followed a mob-connected madam and her apprentice through the eyes of the younger of the two, the main character and protege. There were some awkward moments, but overall Abbott used the style smoothly to tell her story. It turned out to be quite a romp and it didn’t avoid violent scenes that were quite shocking in their brutality. I’m quite glad to have discovered this different but genre conforming noir book. I have seen rave reviews of Megan Abbott’s work on many groups on Goodreads and now I understand why. I look forward to reading some of her books in other genres as well.
+10 Task
+10 Combo: 20.5 Singled Out / 20.7 A Month in the Country (180p)
+10 Review
+10 Prizeworthy (2)
Task Total: 40
Season Total: 105