Reading with Style discussion
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WI 20-21 Completed Tasks
10.8 Lunar Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
+10 Task published 2009
+5 Combo 10.4
+5 Prizeworthy
Task total = 20
Season Total: 785
10.9 The Fifth Season The Bees by Laline Paull
+10 Task
+5 Combo 10.4
+5 Prizeworthy
Task total = 20
Season Total: 805
10.10 Group ReadsThe Newcomers: Finding Refuge, Friendship, and Hope in an American Classroom by Helen Thorpe
Review
Thank you for sharing this book. Immigrants are a group I advocate for. Did you know my first husband was an illegal alien from Syria? So I’ve had a lot of dealings with the agency as well as living overseas where I was the immigrant and working at a hospital on the Mexican border. What has made America great is the immigrants that come here and work hard and no, they don’t get a bunch of free handouts. My ex-husband worked 16 hours a day 6 days a week at two jobs and helped me get through college and then saved up enough to buy his own business. He now owns several stores and has over 100 American employees. That was how America was built. I’m so glad this book points out the truth of the work they have to do for little pay, often coming down drastically in status and salary. It’s a very hard road to go down and leaving their home and family, culture and friends is not an easy decision to make. I’m proud of them.
And then there was Mr. Williams, the teacher of the newcomers in high school. What a great man and the other teachers in the school that worked hard and tried their best to help the students adjust, coming up with innovative ways to help them learn this difficult language we use. Their dedication needs to be recognized and applauded. So this book written by a journalist as she embedded in Mr. Williams’ classroom, visited the students’ homes and became friends with some of the parents had her eyes opened and gratefully opened ours as well. This true story about a classroom of individual students gives a face and personality to what we often see as just a sound byte on the news and a political football. Today I’m hoping they are celebrating that our new President immediately canceled the xenophobic policies of the prior administration. This book ended with Trump becoming President and the students’ being fearful of the future as abuse against people who were immigrants or even looked like they might be immigrants like Native Americans. Now I hope they can see a new day dawning as we go back to the America that believed in the melting pot.
+10 pts - Task
+10 pts - Review
+ 5 pts - Prizeworthy
Task Total - 25 pts
Season Total - 680 pts
20.10 Grand MasterGiant's Bread by Mary Westmacott
20 pts Grandmaster (pseudonym for Agatha Christie see post 9 in the question thread)
10 pts Review
5 pts Jumbo
I never realized that Agatha Christie wrote 6 non mystery books under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott! This book was written in 1930 and is the first written as Westmacott. While the MPG lists it as a mystery, it really isn’t. The story is largely set in pre WWI Britain and follows four friends from their childhood through the war.
The fist portion of the book is one of the best descriptions of the world through the eyes of a young child that I have ever read. It takes a while to figure out who Mr Green or The Beast are, but once you do it is charming. As the main character grows up, the narrative becomes more conventional story telling, but still has a depth of character development. There are some antisemitic character descriptions and dialogue that are not atypical of the period the book was written.
Definitely worth reading and a surprise for someone who is not particularly interested in rereading the classic Christie mysteries.
Task total: 35pts
Season total: 370 pts
10.1 ... 10.3 10.4 ... ... ... 10.8 ... ...
... 20.2 20.3 20.4 ... ... ... ... ... 20.10
15.1. 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 - Four Letter Word (NoG)
Giants Breath M
10.8 LunarAcross the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire
Pub 2021
Shelved as normal sff, not YA, at brooklyn library
I really love the ideas behind McGuire's series about children who go through magical doors, and how it is never so simple as Narnia, but somehow I find them hard to get through. They are easy enough to read on a chapter and paragraph level, and I usually rush the ending, excited to see how things turn out. But I have to push myself in the beginning and middle. It's weird.
Regan is a satisfying character, particularly in her emotional growth. She is intersex, and the reaction to finding out is what prompts the being willing to go through a magical door. That is the only part of the story where it matters. The ignition point could have been many things, but it was interesting to see this one, which I don't recall ever seeing in a novel before, as an example of accepting biology and going beyond biology. Which is a theme that echoes a bit later.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand Total: 705
Post 546 Kim wrote: "10.4 Valentine's3.0/5.0 - The second book in the Kinsey Millhone series was written more than 35 years ago. Does it stand the test of time? Part of what kept me reading this was compiling a list ..."
KIm, please edit your post to include the title/author. (Is it B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton?
20.7 LifetimeUncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
+20 Task (pub 1851)
+10 Combo (10.4 U, 20.1 no 11)
Points this post: 30
RwS total: 240
NoTG total: -
Season Total: 240
10.1 .... 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 .... .... 10.10
.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ....
.... 20.2 .... .... .... .... 20.7 .... 20.9 20.10
Post 525 Karen Michele wrote: "10.5 AuthorWriters & Lovers by Lily King
+10 Task
+ 5 Combo: 10. 6 Notable
Task Total: 15
Season Total: 385"
Sorry, Karen. The 10.6 Notable is for years 2010-2019. This title is on the 2020 list.
20.1 Black History MonthCitizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine
This is the first I've read anything by this author, but it won't be the last. This collection was *incredible*...it made me angry and frustrated and infuriated and powerless and, somehow, hopeful...all of the feelings...it left me with this smoldering emotion sizzling in my throat and I don't know how to process it...I read it a week ago and am still at a loss for words.
I don't know how else to give you a glimpse of what's contained within other than to say that she takes her shoes off and puts them on your feet so you can walk a mile (or 169 pages) in them and allow you to feel what you're going to feel placed in different scenarios.
America has a troubled relationship with race and it's difficult to read about (because I hate how things are, yet have no idea how I can personally make things better which makes me feel useless/helpless), but I would--and probably will--read this again in a heartbeat.
+20 Task (#109 on list)
+10 Review
+10 Combo (10.4, 10.6: 2015)
+15 Prizeworthy (L.A. Times Book Prize for Poetry, 2014; PEN Open Book Award, 2015; Forward Prize for Best Collection, 2015, and so many more)
Task total: 55
Season total: 1240
15.9 Name of the GameThe Man Who Spoke Snakish by Andrus Kivirähk
Square 15C - letter L– page count over 400
Square 3C - letter A– author born in August
Square 8C - letter W– title has Who
Word = LAW
+30 Task
Post Total: 30
Season Total: 835
20.1 Black History MonthThe Amen Corner by James Baldwin
This is a short play set in a Harlem building which serves as both a church (upstairs) and the pastor's residence (downstairs). All the characters are African-Americans. The congregation is a poor one. The pastor, Margaret, is a cock-sure domineering personality. Her 18 year-old son plays piano for the Church. She has always told people that her husband left her many years ago.... but that was a lie, exposed when Luke returns.
The play has the reader question authority and its source. The congregation no longer viewed Margaret as infallible....while she chastises them that the Bible warns them not to question the Lord's anointed. I'm not really sure I understand Baldwin's message. Maybe that's because I'm not a religious person...but I think the play is probably intended to be more about how everyone has their burdens and failures. Three stars.
Task=20
Review=10
combo= 10 (10.3; 20.3)
Task Total=40
Grand Total= 595
10.1; ....; 10.3; ....; 10.5; ....; 10.7; ....; 10.9;10.10
15.1; 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, 15.5; 15.6; 15.7
20.1; 20.2; .....; .....; .....; .....; 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; .....;
15.10 Name of the GameRound 2
Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse #1) by James S.A. Corey
Square 10B - letter T - pub. 2011
Square 5E - letter I - 2 initials
Square 6E - letter N - new-to-me author
Word: TIN
+45 Task
+100 Completion
+100 5x 4+ letter words (SHELL, GENE, SALT, TILE, THEY)
Post Total: 245
Season Total: 1,345
20.3 PostmodernThe Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe
This book was profoundly odd. The culture is aged and decadent, authoritarian and in decline, and seen from one tiny sliver of a point of view of a boy barely a man. Characters pass in and out with little returning, but perhaps that is because this is the first book of four. Some of the odd things are definitely set ups and others could be. Or they could just be flavors of weirdness. I would not be surprised.
The character speaking in first person is likeable enough, I suppose, although he feels somewhat detached, even at his most emotional. Since this seems to be a writing done later, that does fit.
I really liked the magical botanical gardens, with the different habitats and playacting and strangeness and how they truly sucked some people in.
I am not really sure why this book was a big deal, and am unsure whether I will continue the series.
+20 task
+10 review
+5 combo (10.4)
+15 awards (World Fantasy, British SF Assoc, TahtivaelTaja
Task total: 50
Grand total: 755
15.1 Name of the GameRound 3
Ripple Effect (Bear Logan #1) by L.T. Ryan
Square 10E - letter T - pub. 2011
Square 5E - letter I - Title has no 'The'
Square 6E - letter N - new-to-me author
Square 14D - letter Y - MPG: Mystery
Word: TINY
+15 Task
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 1,360
Task 10.03 WinterIn honor of December, January, and February, read any book by an author whose first name begins with a D, J or F.
Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose (2017) by Joe Biden (Hardcover, 260 pages) [973.932]
Review: This book is a memoir of Joe Biden’s life during the year 2015. Joe Biden was in the seventh year of being Vice President. He traveled to Ukraine and Guatemala to advance America’s interests, and had his weekly lunches with President Obama. Most of the book was about his son Beau Biden. His son was battling a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer. Beau died on May 31, 2015, at the age of 46. According to this book, the Biden family had expected Beau to run for president in a decade or so, while Joe expected to be the proud father in the background. After Beau died, Joe had to decide whether or not to run for President himself in 2016. He decided not to run, and explains why in the second half of this book. Overall, the book was informative about Joe Biden’s character, and about how he makes decisions, both on-the-job decisions and personal decisions. Recommended.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 10 + 10 = 20
Grand Total: 230 + 20 = 250
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Post 525 Karen Michele wrote: "10.5 AuthorWriters & Lovers by Lily King
+10 Task
+ 5 Combo: 10. 6 Notable
Task Total: 15
Season Total: 385"
Sorry, Karen. The 10..."
Oops! I wondered why I missed it in my initial planning when I actually looked at the right lists;)
15.10 Name of the GameThe Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth
Square 7B - letter N– Not a Novel
Square 9D - letter E – Wild Card! (Can be used for any letter of the alphabet)
Square 9B - letter W– Author first or last name begins with W
Square 14B - letter T - Author born in the thirties - any century (September 25, 1935)
Word = NEWT
+45 Task
+5 - Not a Novel
+100 - Completion
+100 - Using 3 or more 4 letter words (Gent, Here, Herd, Newt)
Post Total: 250
Season Total: 1185
...; 10.2; 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; ....; ....; ....; .....; .....
15.1; 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, 15.5; 15.6; 15.7; 15.8; 15.9; 15.10
20.1; 20.2; .....; 20.4; .....; 20.6; 20.7;.....; .....; .20.10
15.7 Name of the GameArtificial Condition by Martha Wells
Square 7C - letter G - GR auth
Square 16D - letter E - title has no E
Square 10B - letter T - published teens (2018)
Word = GET
Task total: 20
Grand total: 460
15.3 Name of the GameDouble Crossby James Patterson
7C-Goodreads author-G
9D-wild card-U
14D-mystery-Y
Word-guy
Task +15
Grand Total: 105
15.8 The Name of the GameThe Scarred Woman by Jussi Adler-Olsen
Square 4E - letter D = author name 2 consec. letters
Square 2B - letter E = author name has 2 or more 'e's
Square 6C - letter N = nordic noir
Word = DEN
30 task
_____
30
Running total: 665
10.9 The Fifth SeasonTrail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
#15
I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. It started off really well, set in post-apocalyptic America, where Native lands were spared from the Big Water, but not from the magic (good and bad) that is now once again in the world. There’s a mysterious plague of monsters that don’t seem quite right... they are not normal monsters, and the plot is supposed to be about figuring out what they are and how to stop them.
Except the book is mostly one of those “can I trust him? Can I trust myself??” romances. Sigh. This is one of those books where tons of things are alluded to, you know “dark past” and “secrets”, and the withholding of information and characters avoiding each other is used as a device to create drama and tension rather than actual drama and tension.
When things happened, I really liked the book. There were a few set pieces and everything works then. But the in-betweens, ugh.
I’m torn, because the romance part works too, when the characters start talking to each other. I want to see what happens in the next book, but l don’t really want to read all of the parts.
I probably would have liked this a lot more if I hadn’t recently finished The Broken Earth trilogy, which was a masterpiece of plotting and pacing. I was really annoyed that Maggie was not as smart as Essun, which is not really fair to this book. Oh well.
+10 task
+5 Combo (10.9). Correction, 10.7
+5 award
+10 review
Task total = 30
Season total = 285
10.3 WinterHurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor
10 pts 10.3 Winter
5 pts 10.4 Cherubs
5 pts Prize Winner
10 pts Translation
10 pts Review
This book was very hard to read. Set in rural Mexico it is a harsh view of life with page after page of despair, physical and sexual brutality. The language is crude and the actions of the characters arise from a lack of options and fatalism. There is no character who has any redeeming qualities or hope for the future.
The book is arguably a mystery but it is probably a little closer to a series of interconnected vignettes that move towards the solution of a murder.
While it may be a considered to be a well written book, I cannot recommend it. I only finished because I thought there might be some, even small, insight that make it worthwhile. There isn’t.
Task total: 40 pts
Season total: 410 pts
10.1 ... 10.3 10.4 ... ... ... 10.8 ... ...
... 20.2 20.3 20.4 ... ... ... ... ... 20.10
15.1. 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 - Four Letter Word (NoG)
10.7 La Nina (Valerie's Task)The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
4.5 rounded to 5 stars - For most of us, weather is a blessing or an inconvenience, but when you live in Alaska, it is life or death. The Great Alone is a phrase used to describe Alaska, the vast wild area where a man can get lost and can die for his second mistake. In 1972, Leni, then 13, comes to Alaska with her parents, Ernt and Coraline, when her father inherits some property from an Army buddy who died in Vietnam. Ernt is damaged beyond repair from his years in the war and as a POW, but Cora has never quit loving him, even when his demons result in him damaging her. They see this as an opportunity to have a new beginning, unaware of the toll that the long months of darkness and cold will take on them. Cramped together in a small cabin, Leni sees for the first time the beatings her mother has tried to hide from her. She lives her life in fear and anger and in the hope that one day they will escape.
This book is many things, it is a love story for a state that challenges many, it is a tribute to the strong people who manage to survive and help others, it is about how love can go wrong but be hard to walk away from, and it is about second chances. Another great book by Kristin Hannah!
Task +10
Review +10
Prize +5 (Goodreads Choice Award for Historical Fiction 2018)
Task total: 25
Season Total: 1210
...; 10.2; 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; ....; 10.7; ....; .....; .....
15.1; 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, 15.5; 15.6; 15.7; 15.8; 15.9; 15.10
20.1; 20.2; .....; 20.4; .....; 20.6; 20.7;.....; .....; .20.10
From Post 509Rebekah wrote: "10.9 The Fifth Season
The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead
Review
I finished this book on 9 January and I’m still trying to figure it all out. The beginning seemed stra..."
+5 Combo 20.1
From Post 522Nick wrote: "10.6 Notable
Read a book from the NYT Notable Books from 2010-2019.
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer from the 2014 list (last entry).
Former points (with added poin..."
+5 Combo 20.3
From Post 527Karen Michele wrote: "20.4 Science
The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think by Jennifer Ackerman
+20 Task
+ 5 Combo: 10.4 Valentine's
Task Total: 25
Se..."
+5 Combo 103
From Post 528Karen Michele wrote: "20.9 Nieces (Kate S's Task)
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
+20 Task
+10 Combo: 10.4 Valentine's / 10.5 Author
Task Total: 30
Rws Finish: 100
Season Total: 550"
+15 Prize worthy
+5 Combo 20.3
15.2 Name of the GameRound 3
The Last Circus on Earth by B.P. Marshall
Square 4B - letter D - debut novel
Square 5D - letter I - no "I" in author's name
Square 7B - letter G - no "G" in author's name
Word: DIG
+15 Task
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 1,375
20.4 Science Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
Three Stars
I listened to this on audio and I think that is the only way that I could ever enjoy a book like this. The story follows a team of scientists as they try to assemble a giant alien robot that was hidden on earth thousands of years ago. The format of the book is similar to World War Z in that it is all interviews with different people and that’s why I think it worked so well as an audiobook. The audiobook was an ensemble cast and it felt more like listening to a radio play than a book. There were some twists and turns throughout the story that kept me guessing but it had a very disappointing ending and overall the plot was somewhat boring. Also despite the great voice acting, the characters fell flat for me, probably because the format didn’t allow for us to explore things like backgrounds and motivations. The interviewer in particular (who is never named) I found seriously lacking in character development, especially considering that he is essentially the main character. I gave this three stars mostly because the audio version was so good. It would probably have only been a two star read and I might not have even bothered finishing it if I had been reading instead of listening.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+5 Combo 10.4
Post Total: 35
Season Total: 445
Denise wrote: "Hi Kate,I have my total at 520 but the latest Readerboard says 515. No big deaI, but I can't find where I messed up. Thanks."
Found and fixed.
Kate S wrote: "Denise wrote: "Hi Kate,I have my total at 520 but the latest Readerboard says 515. No big deaI, but I can't find where I messed up. Thanks."
Found and fixed."
Thank you!
10.4 Valentine'sThe Carlyles at Home by Thea Holme
I wasn’t sure about this Persephone book because I knew nothing about Thomas Carlyle (beyond the impression that everybody in Britain used to read him until about 1914, and then nobody did) and I wasn’t interested in finding out. But this is not really about him or his work. It focuses more on his wife Jane, who ran the house, quoting her letters which are intelligent, entertaining, and illuminating.
The couple lived in Cheyne Row, Chelsea, from 1834, when they moved from Scotland to London, until the end of their lives in 1866 and 1881. They had no children but lived with one servant (two in later years when Thomas Carlyle’s writing was bringing in more money). The servants came and went at an amazing rate and caused Jane no end of trouble – we have three chapters on them in this book. One gave birth to an illegitimate child secretly in a closet off the drawing room. There are also chapters on the couple’s clothes, pets, illnesses, the neigbours, money matters, and the alterations that they made to the house. I found it fascinating.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task total: 20
Season Total: 690
20.3 Post ModernUnderworld by Don DeLillo
I appreciate that this is an excellent book, bringing the days of the Cold War to life through some peripherally nuclear-involved characters and tracing the history of a baseball: a slice of American life from the early 1950s to the 1990s.
But Don DeLillo expects a lot from his readers in terms of remembering names, places and dates - too much for me. I couldn’t keep track of all the jumping around in time, and there were a few short sections consisting of untagged dialogue where I had no idea who was speaking, where or when. The main characters were memorable, and fortunately there’s only one baseball game (taking up the first 50 pages). Overall I admired the writing, but I wasn’t drawn in.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+15 Combo (10.3, 10.4, 10.8 1997)
+15 Prizeworthy x 3
+15 Jumbo (827 pages)
Task total: 75
Season Total: 765
15.5 Name of the GameGlengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet
Square 1B - Letter R - +14000 ratings
Square 16C - Letter E - published in the 80's
Square 6E - Letter N - New to you author
Word - REN
I find conflicting answers if Ren is an English word. One source says yes as in "rape and ren" -archaic, other accept it as an underused term for the word kidney - as in renal.
If you accept it, yay! If not, can I'll use the free square and make Wren like the bird.
+20 Task
+ 5 Not a Novel
+5 Pub. 1983
Task Total: 30 pts
Grand Total: 240 pts
Rachel wrote: "1I find conflicting answers if Ren is an English word. One source says yes as in "rape and ren" -archaic, other accept it as an underused term for the word kidney - as in renal.If you accept it, yay! If not, can I'll use the free square and make Wren like the bird."
For my online word games, we accept words valid for Scrabble. You're in luck! REN is a valid scrabble word.
15.1 Name of the Game (round 3)Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
Square 2B - letter R - Ratings: 10K plus
Square 6E - letter I - Initially: Author publishes with 2 or more initials.
Square 7B - letter N - Not a Novel
Square 8B - letter G - Author name has no letter G
Word: RING
Task: 15
NaN: 5
Task total: 20
Season Total: 1230
...; 10.2; 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; ....; 10.7; ....; .....; .....
15.1; ....; ....; ....; ....; ....; ....; ....; ....; .... (3x)
20.1; 20.2; .....; 20.4; .....; 20.6; 20.7;.....; .....; .20.10
20.4 ScienceHidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
So many people told me to read this book; that I’d love this book... probably because I work in technology and thus a lot of people think I’m super mathy. But I have a bit of dyscalculia - mental math is very difficult for me, and a reading a book about mathematicians sound like a CHORE.
But I was looking for more audiobooks read by Robin Miles, and this was available, so why not.
And people were right. This was a really loving book about a few key women - and it’s not just about what they accomplished but how much they gave of themselves in general.
It’s a glowing, happy book - all the rough parts are glossed over. Apollo 1 barely rated a mention, and the assasintations of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King Jr were not mentioned at all (there is an aside that JFK did not live to see the moon landing, and that was it).
After some difficult books lately, the relentless positivity was a nice change.
+20 task
+10 review
+5 Combo (10.4)
+5 award
Task total = 40
Season total = 325
15.10 Name of the GameThe Book of Koli by M.R. Carey
Square 11D - letter H– published 2020
Square 5E - letter I– author publishes with initials
Square 13E - letter T– title has name of character - Koli
Word = HIT
+45 Task
Post Total: 45
Completion: 100
Season Total: 1000
20.6 CaribbeanThe Price of Paradise by Susana López Rubio
approx 85% of book set in Cuba
Review
It was a huge struggle but I finished this book, mostly to meet some challenges' tasks. In retrospective, I should have known that this is probably not going to be something I'd enjoy but thought I'd give it a go anyway. By the time that I felt I really should DNF, I was 3/4 through and thought it'd be such a waste if I didn't finish.
The first half was pretty much of a nothing. I felt that nothing really happened because it took that long to set up both protagonists' backgrounds and then they met before the whole love affair began. From this alone, you'd know (if you know me well) that I'd hate this type of romance! I kept waiting for the bad things to happen but it wasn't that kind of book despite featuring a mobster's boss. There were some violence but it's nothing in comparison to The Godfather so in this regards, I'm a little bit relieved.
This book mostly reminds me of those Spanish soapies I used to watch in my childhood. Of course, she's married. Of course, there's another one woman who loved him so much who will end up hurt. Of course, someone got really sick and needed a close male relative as donor. Yep, what you expect in a soapie, you'll get it in this novel. So, I guess if you're a fan of soapies, this novel is for you.
+20 Task
+10 LiT
+10 Review
Post Total: 40
Season Total: 1,415
10.3 WinterAfterlife by Julia Alvarez
When Antonia's husband dies unexpectedly on the day of her retirement as an English professor, her whole world is turned upside down. She faces difficult decisions about who she is going to be going forward. She needs to devote time to self-help and dealing with her grief. But other people need her help too. Her oldest sister is becoming mentally unstable, and the "sisterhood" of four immigrant sisters from the Dominican Republic always look out for each other. Undocumented Mexicans in her Vermont town need her to translate, navigate health care, and help a teenage new mother. Now that Antonia is no longer teaching her students since her retirement, it fills a need in her when she nurtures the young Mexican couple. She wonders what her compassionate doctor husband would do if he were still alive.
"Afterlife" is a beautifully written book about loss, family relationships, and giving to people in need. The book is sprinkled with quotations from Antonia's favorite writers. The story explores the theme of putting the pieces back together when a life has been shattered. A life may be different, but it still can be meaningful.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Season total: 360
10.8 Lunar (Tien's Task)Larry's Party by Carol Shields
+10 Task (pub 1997)
+5 Prize-worthy (Orange Prize for Fiction 1998)
Points this post: 15
RwS total: 255
NoTG total: -
Season Total: 255
10.1 .... 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 .... 10.10
.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ....
.... 20.2 .... .... .... .... 20.7 .... 20.9 20.10
10.1 Square PegAngels & Loners by Ramón Díaz Eterovic
I quite enjoyed the other novel in the series that has been translated. I did not enjoy this one quite as much. Heredia still has his cat, Simenon, and he still reads detective novels. At one point he went into a book store to find a Patricia Highsmith novel. So you could say Detective Heredia is definitely my kind of person, yes? Well, only sometimes. Did he always drink this much or did I just not remember? With enough imagination, one could get drunk on the fumes just from reading this!
The early part of the novel was the hard-boiled detective novel I anticipated. The cadence isn't quite the same I know.
After a bit, I entered the City Bar to drink a beer. I took the envelope from my jacket and reread the address of my apartment on Calle Aillavilú, close to Estación Mapocho, in a neighborhood that embraced me every day with the smells of fried food and drunks. The apartment had three rooms, in which I had spilled out my books, a metal desk, and a poster of Romy Schneider, who still had the kindness to smile down at me. The other things there were my cat, Simenon, and my unalterable destiny to stick my nose into other people’s lives.By the midpoint, however, it had become a thriller. It is a story of international arms dealing. Journalists should keep there noses out of such clandestine business! I did have a hard time keeping up with some of the names and how the skulduggery was being accomplished, but Heredia managed to follow the thread. He had the help of a couple of friends to give him those threads. For anyone doing round the world challenges or some such, it's worth noting this is set entirely in Santiago, Chile. Just 3-stars for me, but I'm not sorry to have spent the time with it.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+10 Lost in Translation
+10 Prize Worthy
Task total = 40
Season total = 570
Season
20.3 Post ModernThe Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
One wouldn't think a manuscript about a 50-ish English butler remembering his work life would have much chance of publication. But something keeps the reader going.
Mr. Stevens devoted his life to supporting his employer's life (Lord Darlington). After the Lord's death, a wealthy American buys the estate (Darlington Hall) in the 1950s, post-war. The new boss offers Mr. Stevens a car, gas money, and a few weeks of leave from his house duties to explore England. After some thought, Mr. Stevens accepts. During the next six days, his mind goes back to the pre-WW II glory days of Darlington Hall and Lord Darlington and working with the head housekeeper, Miss Kenton. Memories arise, pleasant and unpleasant; Stevens questions some long-held beliefs. Many concepts are covered: loyalty, service, trust, dignity (this word is used and explored repeatedly!), regret, retirement, professionalism, class, and so on.
A sample description that I loved and apparently the author did, too, because he used the "orange shafts" part twice: "...and seeing before me a series of orange shafts from the sunset breaking the gloom of the corridor where each bedroom door stood ajar."
+20 Task
+5 10.4 Valentine's
+5 Prizeworthy 1989 Booker Prize
+10 Review
Task Total: 40
Season Total: 545
20.5 AfricaThe River Between by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
This book is set in pre-colonial Kenya. The English (under Livingstone) have established some churches and a hospital. The church....and especially its prohibition against circumcision creates a divide amongst the local peoples. To accept the Christian ways is a violation against the tribe. One man, Waiyaki, is dedicated to the tribe...in fact his father indicated that he was predestined to be their savior... and yet he falls in love with the daughter of the Christian pastor. How can any of these factions be reconciled?
I enjoyed and appreciated the story and its importance...however the style of the writer I found a bit stilted. Three stars.
Task=20
Review=10
combo= 5 (10.4)
Task Total=35
Grand Total= 630
10.1; ....; 10.3; ....; 10.5; ....; 10.7; ....; 10.9;10.10
15.1; 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, 15.5; 15.6; 15.7
20.1; 20.2; .....; .....; 20.5; .....; 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; .....;
15.9 The Name of the GameThe Essence of Malice by Ashley Weaver
Square 8B - letter W = author name starts with 'W'
Square 11B - letter H = historical fiction
Square 14C - letter Y = author name ends with 'Y'
Word = WHY
30 task
____
30
Running total: 695
Task 10.5 AuthorRead a novel where a main character is an author/writer. The author/writer can be either a real or a fictitious person.
Both the POV character and the character she is employed by are authors.
A Dark and Stormy Murder (A Writer's Apprentice Mystery #1) (2016) by Julia Buckley
Review:This is a mashup of a cozy mystery and an old-timey gothic-romance-thriller. Our heroine Lena, aged mid-20s, an unpublished author, becomes the assistant to Camilla, aged mid-60s, a published author. Lena arrives at Camilla’s manor house on a hill next to a lake in Indiana. Camilla convinces Lena to stay at the big, rambling house rather than take an apartment in town. Gothic-thriller events happen, a murder needs to be solved, and handsome middle aged men act in mysterious ways. The writing style was over-the-top. The author makes sure to include as many adverbs and adjectives as possible. Lena “peruses” her books, as well as (p.104) peruses “the outfits in her closet". Lena runs along the “tree-lined, pebbly road”. And there was this: instead of Lena saying, “Let’s turn on the light”, she says: (p.125) “Let’s illuminate the situation.” LOL. I’m undecided whether this is just the way the author writes all her books, or if she adopted this style specifically to project a “gothic thriller” vibe on the story. Recommended for gothic-thriller fans.
+10 Task
+05 Combo (#10.3 Julia)
+10 Review
Task Total: 10 + 05 + 10 = 25
Grand Total: 250 + 25 = 275
15.3 Name of the GameRound 3
The Great Divide by L.J.M. Owen
Square 3B - letter A - set in Australia (100%)
Square 9B - letter I - set in Tasmania (Australia)
Square 15D - letter L - author's most recent novel
Word: AIL
+15 Task
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 1,430
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Reading with Style
Books mentioned in this topic
Gods of Jade and Shadow (other topics)The Inn (other topics)
Rogue Protocol (other topics)
The Inn (other topics)
The Escape (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Silvia Moreno-Garcia (other topics)James Patterson (other topics)
Martha Wells (other topics)
James Patterson (other topics)
David Baldacci (other topics)
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The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola Shoneyin
+20 Task
+5 Combo 10.4
+5 Prizeworthy
Task total = 30
Season Total: 765