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FA 2014 RwS Completed Tasks - Fall 2014
20.6 UnderratedBrothers and Sisters by Ivy Compton-Burnett
Review:
This is my 7th Ivy Compton-Burnett and while it wouldn't be true to say they're all exactly alike, there are definitely common themes that run through them all - dysfunctional families with narcissistic members, cruelly witty dialogue, and deaths of parents. There are often remarriages and step-parents, and sometimes, as in Brothers and Sisters, we also have incest or potential incest when a spouse or fiancé turns out to be a character's illegitimate half-sibling.
I think there are a total of six brother/sister pairs in this book, although I lost track of who was who at times. Anyway, they're all a lot closer than any brother/sister pairs I have known. We rarely saw one member of a pair without the other, and if they were going to marry, they would marry another of the brother/sister pairs (or even their own brother/sister). Revelations of family secrets prevent some of the marriages, and a good thing too, the author seems to suggest. In fact, after reading a few of her novels, one is inclined to agree that the fewer marriages there are in the Compton-Burnett world the better, because a marriage will inevitably create another nightmarish family.
Perhaps I'm Compton-Burnetted-out and if I'd read this one first I would have liked it more, but as it was, it was my least favourite.
+20 task (18 ratings)
+10 review
+ 5 oldies (1950)
Task total: 35
Grand Total: 585 points
15.3 - BtW - Constant TravelerA Passage to India by E.M. Forster
+15 Task
+15 Bonus
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 190
10.6 - Short StuffThe View from the Seventh Layer - Kevin Brockmeier
+10 task
+10 not a novel
+5 combo (20.6 - 604 ratings)
Post total: 25
Grand total: 25
20.2 - BirthplaceThe Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne
(born in Ireland)
This was a good, quick read. The writing was a little bit too juvenile for me, but at the same time I can't complain too much given that it is a YA novel. The naivete of Bruno is just heartbreaking, and I think the author did a really good job of capturing that in how the novel was written. There were a lot of subtleties that, to Bruno's eyes, were barely worth noting but as an outside reader, were a lot more sinister. The last couple of chapters, even though I had an idea where it was heading, were still hard to read, especially with the innocence behind it.
+20 task
+10 review
Post total: 30
Grand total: 55
15.1 - BtW - Constant Traveler - 1919-1920This Side of Paradise - F. Scott Fitzgerald
+15 task
Post total: 15
Grand total: 70
15.2 - BtW - Constant Traveler - 1921-1922The Man Who Knew Too Much - G.K. Chesterton
+15 task
+15 bonus
Post total: 30
Grand total: 100
20.7 - Make it StrangeNights at the Circus by Angela Carter
What attracts me to this book was the ‘circus’ bit. I enjoyed circus setting ~mostly due to a childhood favourite but it’s something that is entrenched deep inside me. This book is, of course, very different especially noting the magical realism / fantasy flavour it contained. I can’t say that loved or hated it because I found it a bit confusing. I found it was a bit disjointed and at parts, just completely strange! A most bizarre world of freaks followed by the cut-throat world of circus in which a reporter was seeking to “investigate” the truth behind a curiously winged human creature. What he found though was more than he sought.
+20 Task
+5 Combo (20.9 - born 1940)
+5 Oldies (first pub. 1984)
+10 Review
Task Total: 40
Grand Total: 230
20.5 - PoliticsPeter the Great: His Life and World by Robert K. Massie 9/21/14
Review:
Peter the Great: His Life and World is the book for which Robert K. Massie won a Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 1981. Massie, in my opinion, has a talent for writing political histories that read like great novels.
Peter the Great was born in 1672, crowned Tsar in 1682 at the age of 10, and died in 1725, his 53rd year of life. Massie starts with his early years when he witnessed barbarous executions, including members of his own family, during the storming of the Kremlin by the Streltsky (Russia’s professional soldiers) in 1682. Shortly thereafter, he and his sickly half-brother were both crowned Tsars to rule together, though the half-brother would die young, leaving Peter the sole Tsar. The slaughter he witnessed stayed with Peter, who would later have his revenge on the Streltsky and treat those who wronged him with equal brutality.
Massie takes the reader through Peter’s life in detail. We learn that he preferred to work with his hands, studying shipbuilding in Amsterdam. He liked to travel incognito, though his height of 6’7” in a time when the average man was 5’9” did not allow him to remain unknown for long. For most of his adult life he suffered from facial ticks and mild epilepsy. Russia was frequently at war, particularly with Sweden. Peter studied Western ways and introduced them to Russia. His dealings with the Western world led to a change in the perception of Russia from a land of barbarians to a nation deserving attention from world leaders. This is just a hint of what is learned from this epic work, well worth taking time to read.
+20 task
+10 review
+10 Not a Novel (Biography)
+5 Oldies (1980)
+20 jumbo (909 pages)
Task total: 65
BtW total: 15
RwS total: 250
Grand Total: 265
15.4 BtW - Constant Traveler 1925-1926The White Guard by Mikhail Bulgakov, 1926
+15 Task
+15 Bonus
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 435
20.6 UnderratedNo Ordinary Groom by Gayle Callen
Review: I found this on a list of romance novels that have something in common with The Scarlet Pimpernel – in this case a “dandy” hero who doesn’t seem smart at all but really has hidden depths. Unfortunately, that particular plot/character point doesn’t hold up in this story, but it was still a serviceable romance novel. I do enjoy a spy hero too, after all…
It follows one of a handful of typical romance plots – a young woman in 1840s London is betrothed to a man she doesn’t know and refuses to like – of course until she falls madly in love with him. The characters were ok but a little uneven and the spy plot was not really wrapped up – but it didn’t make me want to run straight to read the sequel. There were also a few nitpicky typos/grammatical errors/anachronisms that pulled me out of the story.
Side note: I don’t suggest reading a non-fiction book about a cholera epidemic in 1840s London concurrently with a romance set in the same time and place. Thinking about the nastiness of London sanitation makes it a little hard to suspend disbelief…
+20 Task (166 ratings, published 2003)
+10 Review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 160
20.6 UnderratedReflecting the Sky by S.J. Rozan
Review: The seventh in Rozan’s Lydia Chin series takes PI Lydia and her partner Bill Smith away from New York and into even more hectic Hong Kong. The mission seems simple – bring a couple of objects to a family friend – but there wouldn’t be a book if complications didn’t ensue. A kidnapping, smuggling, murder – what else could she have expected?
The descriptions of Hong Kong simultaneously made me want to go there and made me afraid of going there – not because of the murders and kidnappings, but because had Lydia not spoken Cantonese it seemed like she and Bill would have been blind there. The descriptions of food made my mouth water, and the subtle romantic tension is always one of my favorite parts in this series.
The book can be read as a stand-alone novel, but some character development would be lost.
+20 Task (379 ratings, published 2001)
+5 Combo (10.2)
+10 Review
Task Total: 35
Grand Total: 195
20.6 UnderratedThe Devil in Disguise by Stefanie Sloane
Review: The Devil in Disguise is the first in another series of historical romances revolving around a group of spies. It seems to be the author’s first book, so I’m inclined to go a little easy on it, but I was still far less than impressed. Unfortunately, the plot was not all that exciting, the “spy” parts weren’t all that… spy-like… and the romance was undeveloped. It’s pretty usual for people to fall in love quickly in historical romances, but this one came together far too easily. There were also a number of glaring typos and poor editing choices that distracted me from a less than gripping overall story. There were some interesting side characters, however, and I own a later installment, so I may pick that up at some point and see if the author has improved her craft.
+20 Task (514 ratings, published 2011)
+10 Review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 225
10.2 9, 10, 11 Letter WordThe Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
Review: The Invisible Bridge should have been right up my alley. When I was a kid I got my hands on as many Holocaust novels as I could, and my interest in the subject has not abated as I’ve grown older. Also, the main character is an architecture student and I’m an architect, so I expected to feel a certain kinship with him. In the end, I didn’t love the book and didn’t hate it – it was a solid 3-3.5 star read.
There is a sense of foreboding that pervades any book about the Holocaust, but I felt it in this one more than most. The characters, almost all Jewish, are aware of the impending war and the place Jews are likely to play in it, and the book spans the period just before the war until shortly after the war’s end. I was thoroughly aware bad things were going to happen to most, if not all, of the characters. The problem was that I’m not sure I ever truly cared. Of course I didn’t want them to go through bad things – especially since so many real people did – but I felt an odd sense of disconnection with them throughout most of the book. The time I felt most strongly was probably when Andras was going through architecture school. It was reminiscent of my own time in studio, complete with harsh critiques and sleepless nights, so that was probably the reason.
At the end of the book, the author discussed her inspiration, which turned out to be her grandparents and other extended family. I found myself wishing I had read a different book – one that wasn’t fictionalized. I want to know more about the tremendous people who really lived – not the fictional versions.
+10 Task
+10 Jumbo (758 pages)
+10 Review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 255
15.8 - BtW - Constant TravelerMy Life and Hard Times by James Thurber
+15 task (1933)
+15 bonus (eighth book)
Task total: 30
Grand Total: 730
Liz M wrote: "Louise Bro wrote: "+15 combo (10.4, 10.7 JASNA award, 20.4)..."Unfortunately, a student essay contest does not qualify as a literary award."
Fair enough, what about this one instead: Jane Austen Short Story Award? It seems more serious, but on the other hand it is mainly for unpublished authors.
I'm sorry for hijacking this thread, but I didn't know how to move this quote to another thread. I promise that this is my last shot at the 10.7 combo points!
From Post 193Kath wrote: "20.8 Middle East
Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt by Barbara Mertz
+20 task
+10 combo (10.4 'hieroglyphs', 20.6-676 ratings)
+10 not ..."
+5 Oldies
Task 10.10 -Group readsD: Stoner by John Edward Williams
Stoner (1965) by John Edward Williams (Paperback, 278 pages)
Review:This novel is a mild-mannered story about an assistant professor of English at the University of Missouri. It begins with Mr. Stoner’s birth in 1891; continues with his college education, and later, his employment at the University as a professor of English. Mr. Stoner dies on the last page. His overriding passions were for research (medieval English) and for teaching those students who were serious about learning. He had some drama concerning females but it didn’t make much impact on his *real* life of the mind. Overall, this was an interesting book, centered on the College Professor as Hero. The clear and straightforward prose focused on the everyday moments of a quiet life. Recommended for when you are in the mood for a low conflict character development type of story.
+10 Task
+05 Oldies -25 to 75 years old: (1939-1989)
+10 Review
Task Total: 10 + 05 + 10 = 25
Grand Total: 190 + 25 = 215
10.4 9,10,11Reading the Forested Landscape: A Natural History of New England by Tom Wessels
Review:
Ecologist Tom Wessels is a master sleuth who investigates the changes in the forests of New England. Fires, logging, pasturing, beavers, insects, fungus, weather, topography and substrate all leave a stamp on the forest picture. Etchings by Brian D. Cohen illustrate the forest scenes discussed. Most chapters also have "a look back" section where interesting facts about glaciers, Native Americans, colonial history, historic hurricanes, and more are featured. The last chapter tells of Wessels' concerns about the effects of global warming, and atmospheric deposition of acids, heavy metals, ozones, and pesticides. This fascinating book will help me look at the forest with new eyes. Highly recommended!
+10 task
+ 5 combo (20.6 234 ratings)
+10 not a novel (non-fiction)
+10 review
Task total: 35
Grand total:265
20.6 - UnderratedThe Saint Intervenes by Leslie Charteris (1932)
Review: ★★★
A companion piece to The Brighter Buccaneer, containing the remainder of the twenty-five short stories Charteris wrote for Empire News in the early 1930s, plus a few extras.
Unfortunately Buccaneer seems to have gotten the best of that bunch, with this collection being more on the 'miss' side. The stories here aren't particularly bad: they're just neither as well plotted, nor as well written as normal. Presumably this was simply a result of him having to churn out so many stories in so short a time period, as by far the best stories here are two standalone shorts that were written specially for the book version (“The Mixture as Before”, and “The Art Photographer”) and a pre-Saint story rewritten to replace the original characters with Templar and Teal (“The Man Who Liked Toys”).
+20 task [53 ratings]
+10 review
+10 not-a-novel (short-stories)
+10 oldies (1934)
+5 combo (10.4 9,10,11 ('Intervenes'))
Task total: 55
Grand Total: 785
10.1 - Square Peg:Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
I was unable to put Sarah's Key down - the alternating story lines of Sarah, a holocaust survivor and Julia, a journalist was at once compelling and suspenseful as I waited for the point of intersection which was clearly coming. Sadly, once that intersection took place, the remainder of the book was disappointingly predictable. From an historical standpoint, I learned a great deal about the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup – an event that, according to the storyline is gladly forgotten by the French and an event which, I confess to never having heard of myself. If you are looking for a good vacation read, I highly recommend this book – somewhere I saw it reviewed as very Oprah-pickish (sorry to be unable to find that reference now). If you are looking for something a bit more literary, take a pass on this one.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand Total: 50
20.6 UnderratedCultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge by Etienne Wenger
+20 task
+10 not-a-novel
Task total: 30
Grand Total: 80
10.7 Honored AuthorsThe Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Review:
Wonderfully creepy, but not a compelling audiobook. The recording had gonging creepy music separating the sections which just seemed silly rather than adding to the atmosphere. The reader also had a tendency to use a whisper to read certain sections which had the effect of making it hard to hear rather than increasingly creepy.
Overall, I enjoyed the atmosphere of the book and the untold but lurking darkness. The ability to create the house as a character without need for comprehensive explanation was excellent and well-done. The addition of comic characters like Mrs. Montague and the cook seemed unnecessary and unhelpful.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+15 Combo (10.2, 20.7, 20.9 - b. 1916)
+5 Oldies (pub. 1959)
Task total: 40
Grand total: 180
10.8 Comfort ReadDestroyer Angel by Nevada Barr
I am a big fan of Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon series. The books are set mostly in national parks, and I enjoy the setting descriptions and details about adventures undertaken as much as the plots. That said, I’m definitely also reading these for a good mystery. Most of the books, like this one, have the challenge of a relatively remote location and limited cast of characters, meaning that Barr has to take full advantage of characters’ inner thinking. This book is particularly like that, as it features one of the most remote settings in the series. Destroyer Angel is also intriguing because Anna is separated from her friends at the very beginning of the story and spends the rest of the book tracking them. We get the story from Anna’s perspective as well as the perspectives of her captured friends, and so we get to know these other characters a bit, which is nice. The mystery stayed quite mysterious until the very end of the book – I had no clues about why the women were kidnapped or what was going to happen. Because of that, this read to me as more of an adventure book – a fascinating one – rather than a mystery novel.
+10 Task (I previously rated Blind Descent among others as 5 stars)
+5 combo (10.4 - destroyer)
+10 review
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 80
10.8 Comfort ReadLock In by John Scalzi
Full disclosure: I just went to see John Scalzi on his book tour for this book and loved hearing him, so my good opinion of him was definitely on the upswing! However, before I saw him I had already read a good 3/4 of the book and was enjoying it, so I think it was destined for a good review in any case. This is pretty different from other Scalzi work I've read (in genre more than style) and different from a lot of science fiction I've read, since it's pretty evenly split between being a mystery and being science fiction. Rather than being a weak version of both genres, though, Lock In manages to do both well. I found the story compelling, the dialogue clever, and the world building really fascinating. Definitely recommended. Though if you plan to read it, I'd check out the free novella prequel on Tor.com before you do. Not necessarily but definitely helps.
+10 task (I previously rated Old Man's War as 5 stars)
+10 review
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 100
15.5 BtW - Constant Traveler 1927-1928The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly 1928, 1200 L
+15 Task
+15 Bonus
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 465
20.6 - UnderratedThe Library Book by Alan Bennett et al.
Review: ★★★★
This is not so much a defence of public libraries, as an attack on recent UK government policy of closing, underfunding, or otherwise sidelining them. Over twenty notable writers, most from the UK, tell their own library-related tales. A handful of these are full-blown short-stories, or stand-alone excerpts from novels (Kate Mosse, China Miéville, Julian Barnes), and, particularly in Mosse's case the library connection is sometimes a little tenuous. But most are reminiscences of how important libraries were in their childhoods.
Val McDermid's story scarily parallels of my own: we read almost identical books (even to devouring all Enid Blyton except The Secret Seven), and I too had to work around the lending limits by relieving a couple of other family members of their tickets, so I could borrow enough books at a time, and not need to cycle back multiple times per day. I suspect that how much anyone will like the book will largely relate to the extent where they too can find a story that mirrors their own. But there's enough variety that anyone who can't imagine life without libraries (other than as a full-blown dystopia) should find something touching here.
+20 task [366 ratings]
+10 review
+10 not-a-novel
Task total: 40
Grand Total: 825
That sounds like a lovely book, Tony! Added to my wish list!20.2 Birthplace
Wylder's Hand by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Review:
I loved this Victorian novel of mystery and suspense. The plot is like something Wilkie Collins might have written (though Le Fanu came first) but the language and style are much more accessible, which is perhaps why Le Fanu is not better known – he was written off as a popular ‘sensation’ novelist. These days perhaps we’re less judgmental about a writer’s ability to tell a good story.
The novel has its faults, e.g. the first person narrator tells us things he couldn’t have known and describes scenes where he wasn’t present. I thought we’d find out at the end that these things had been related to him by a certain other character, but the ending wasn’t what I expected from that point of view, while the solution to the mystery was fairly obvious, I thought, and the last section was more about how the truth would be revealed and how the villains would be dealt with. But Le Fanu is such a master of building suspense that I still couldn’t put it down towards the end.
This was my first Le Fanu and I’m now eager to read more, especially Uncle Silas and Carmilla.
+20 task (Ireland)
+ 5 combo (20.6 84 ratings)
+10 review
+10 oldies (1864)
Task total: 45
Grand Total: 630 points
Katy wrote: "10.8 Comfort ReadLock In by John Scalzi
Full disclosure: I just went to see John Scalzi on his book tour for this book and loved hearing him, so my good opinion of ..."
This is also my planned Comfort Read. I preordered it from audible, so actually have two different narrators to choose from - one a woman and one a man. Reviewers report that having the different narrators changed their perception of the main character. Thanks for the good review.
10.8The Sandman, Vol. 7: Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman
rated American Gods 5 stars, graphic novel - no styles
+10 task
task total: 10
grand total: 220
My first book for the Fall challenge :)20.9 - War Babies
The Listener by Tove Jansson (born August 9th, 1914)
+20 task
+5 combo (20.6. – Underrated, 73 ratings)
+10 not-a-novel (collection of short stories)
+5 oldies (published in 1971)
I read the 1971 Finnish edition of the book. I started it before the challenge started, but I believe I’m allowed one book like that.
Task total: 40
Grand Total: 40
15.9 - BtW - Constant TravelerLand of Always-Night by Kenneth Robeson
+15 task (1935)
+15 bonus (ninth book)
Task total: 30
Grand Total: 855
20.1 19th CenturyThe Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
Review: Daniel Burnham struggles against fire, weather, labor unrest, bank failures, and bureaucracy to bring the Chicago Columbus World Exposition to fruition. Designed by the country's leading architects and landscape architect, this is the fair that brought us the Ferris wheel, and shredded wheat on the shore of Lake Michigan amid the recession of 1893. Meanwhile down the street a psychopath was at work.
Larson brings this to us in a gripping story. With the details of gas lighting as the first large scale electric lighting scheme is built, Larson shows us the wealth and poverty that was Chicago of this era. I thoroughly enjoy history brought to life this way.
+20 Task (shelved 46 times as 19th century)
+10 not-a-novel (nonfiction)
+10 Review
Task total: 40
Grand Total: 260
10.2 - HalloweenThe Shining by Stephen King 9/24/14
The Shining is on two lists: Top 100 Horror Books and 25 Books That Inspired Scary Movies.
Review:
Well, I finally read The Shining, and I loved it! Stephen King is a very prolific writer, so I’m not surprised that I really like some of his books, but others not so much. This one really kept my interest, though. I remembered from the movie that the father (played by Jack Nicholson) had gone berserk, and that the boy, Danny, had kept repeating, “Redrum.” In the book, though, there is so much more going on in the child’s head! It was the psychological drama that intrigued me, though I must say I accepted it as a fantasy and could never imagine someone thinking it could really take place as written.
So…now that I’ve read the book, I find I really want to watch the movie and pay attention this time! I’ve read that Stephen King was not pleased with Kubrick’s interpretation of his book, and I’m curious to see what was different. Fortunately for me, I checked some listings and found it’s on one of my cable channels now. I’ll probably watch this weekend and find out for myself how the book and movie differ.
+10 task
+10 review
+5 Oldies (1977)
+5 jumbo (512 pages)
Task total: 30
BtW total: 15
RwS total: 280
Grand Total: 295
20.2 - BirthplaceLa Vérité sur l'Affaire Harry Quebert by Joël Dicker
Joël Dicker was born in Switzerland
+20 task
+5 jumbo (670 pages)
Task total = 25
Points total = 35
20.3 - Thieves and Mysteries:*American Gods by Neil Gaiman
I have been a Neil Gaiman fan longer than I have been a Goodreads member, and one of my favorites of his is Anansi Boys, which I read at its time of publication in 2005. I loved the connection to the Anansi mythology in the book and have always wanted to go back and read American Gods. I enjoyed the mythology and the gods and the many “coming to America” sections of the book. I wish I had read and kept on hand more background information to help keep all the gods in the book straight. American Gods has a broader base than Anansi Boys. The plot itself is not as engaging as the themes of worship of the gods and moving from belief in the mythological gods to a “worship” of new technologies (and how that change has affected American life and religion) is to think about. I wish I had read this one in 2001 when we were at the beginning of the 21st Century. Gaiman’s excellent writing carried me through the less exciting plot and I appreciate many of the ideas he brings forward in the book, but it ended up as 4 stars, not the 5 that I consider Anansi Boys to have earned.
+20 Task: #42
+ 5 Combo: 10.9 - Mythological: Goodreads description
+10 Review
+ 5 Jumbo per Elizabeth
Task Total: 40
Grand Total: 505
*In this case, it looks like the most popular edition truly has more pages due to actual added content as the "preferred author's version" than the original hardcover, which is a bit short of 500 pages, so I am not claiming the jumbo points:
American Gods
Take your jumbo points - we will be scoring using the most popular edition.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Take your jumbo points - we will be scoring using the most popular edition."Thanks, Elizabeth - that's nice of you!
Karen Michele wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Take your jumbo points - we will be scoring using the most popular edition."Thanks, Elizabeth - that's nice of you!"
It makes up for the times when the most popular edition (of, say, Jude the Obscure) is a dover thrift edition that is 200 pages shorter than a penguin edition.
20.7 - Make it StrangeGut Symmetries by Jeanette Winterson
Review: ★★★
Schrödinger's cat discovers Kabbalah in a non-Euclidian love triangle of alchemy and cannibalism. But then, you don't really read Jeanette Winterson for the plot, do you? Not so much written on the body this time, but written in the gut (or, indeed the GUT), but still exploring why the measure of love is loss, whilst seeking the aesthetic solution (which must exist, as it always does) to the toughest problems of all. Describing it as “experimental” is somewhat tautological with Winterson, but this one didn't quite work for me. Perhaps, like The Powerbook, I'll return a decade later and belatedly discover the hidden greatness, but until then I'll chalk it up as not as painful as some of her worst, but nowhere near the same league as her best.
+20 task (p9)
+10 review
+5 combo (10.4: 9, 10, 11 (“Symmetries”))
Task total: 35
Grand Total: 890
15.10 - BtW - Constant TravelerMeet the Baron by John Creasey (as Anthony Morton)
+15 task (1937)
+15 bonus (tenth book)
+150 bonus (well-traveled)
Task total: 180
Grand Total: 1070
Congratulations on your BtW finish, Tony!
10.7 - Honored Authors - Coralie's Task:Selected Poems by T.S. Eliot
It has been a long road back to an enjoyment of poetry from the confusion of attempting to analyze poetry in high school to just being absorbed in the beauty of the words and reading great poetry simply for enjoyment as an adult. Before reading Eliot’s collection, I was only familiar with Cats, the musical, and his Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats which is quite a different style from the poems in this collection. I did find one poem, though, that had familiar but not verbatim lines from the musical and the song “Memory”, “Rhapsody on a Windy Night”. I loved reading these poems, and the ability of the poet to put the language together with such grace overwhelmed me. I can’t say that I understood everything in poems like “The Waste Land” in retrospect, but while reading, I felt like I was and I was entranced by the images. I have read it twice and will revisit it again I am sure. I wasn’t as enamored with the Ariel poems as a reader, but the writing was still top notch. I am glad that I have finally righted the wrong of knowing only Eliot’s whimsical cats!
+10 Task: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._S._El...
+10 Review
+10 Not a Novel
+10 Oldies (1934)
Task Total: 40
Grand Total: 545
10.4 - 9, 10, 11Detective Inspector Huss by Helene Tursten
+10 task (Detective)
Task total: 10
Grand total: 20
20.9 - War BabiesRemains of Innocence by J.A. Jance
+20 task
+5 Combo (10.4 9, 10, 11)
+5 Combo (10.8 Comfort Read)
Task total: 30
Grand total: 50
20.9 - War BabiesNotorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich
+20 task
+5 Combo (10.4 - 9, 10, 11)
+5 Combo (10.8 - Comfort Read)
Task total: 30
Grand total: 90
20.6 - UnderratedUnraveled Sleeve by Monica Ferris
+20 task
+5 Combo (10.4 - 9, 10, 11)
Task total: 25
Grand total: 115
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Reading with Style
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Not the End of the World by Geraldine McCaughrean
Lexile 820
Review:
Timna is the teenage daughter of Noah, and she's afloat in the Ark with her parents, brothers, sisters-in-law and a large number of smelly, dirty, noisy and often predatory animals. Noah has heard the voice of God telling him to build the Ark for his own family only, so the sinning neighbours must be driven away from the sides and left to drown.
But Timna finds she can't live with that, and when she has the chance to save a little boy and his baby sister she takes the risk, even though she half-believes her father's declaration that anyone or anything trying to climb on board must be a demon. She's not the only person on board who dares to disobey Noah, either. What will happen if and when the Ark eventually reaches land?
There was a lot about this story that I liked, such as the stomach-churning descriptions of being stuck on a boat with hundreds of animals for 6 weeks, but it still somehow didn't grab me. Japheth was the character who interested me the most, and I'd probably have liked it better told from his point of view.
+10 task (approved in the help thread)
+ 5 combo (20.6 286 ratings)
+10 review
Task total: 25
Grand Total: 550 points