Reading with Style discussion
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WI 20-21 Completed Tasks
10.3 WinterAlex Cross's Trialby James Patterson
author's first name starts with J.
Review
This installment is a story about Alex's ancestor, Abraham Cross during the 1900s in Mississippi. A lawyer Ben Corbert traveled to Mississippi for a trial to defend a black woman. He faces many challenges including the Klu Klux Klan which they call by another name. In doing his job, he has a run in with the Klan where he is at the other end of a trial.
Task +10
Review +10
Grand Total: 155
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Kim wrote: "20.5 Africa Review:
4.0/5.0 - This books started out as a 5.0 for the first half, the middle really dragged, the ending was good, so a 4 star all in all. This was a book that I had to..."
Well, I'm glad my terrible reviews are at least good enough for you to tell what the book is when I forget the title. Thanks, I fixed it.
15.2 Name of the Game - Round 2Fright by George Hopley
Square 6E - letter N - new to you author
Square 14C - letter Y - one of author's names ends in Y
Square 16D - letter E - title has no E
Word = YEN
+15 Task
+ 5 pre-1996 (1950)
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 1370
20.1 Black History MonthThe Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead
This is an alternate history book set perhaps 1950s/1960s, presumably in New York but I don’t think it’s named, where the job of Elevator Inspector is a major thing, servicing elevators having been taken out of the hands of the manufacturers to become a public service. There’s even a college dedicated only to training them, and a quasi-philosophical series of texts written by the late Professor Fulton, which established an Intuitionist method of elevator inspection to challenge the regular Empiricist method.
Lila Mae Watson is only the second coloured (the term used in the book) Elevator Inspector in the city and the only woman, and she’s an Intuitionist. When a new elevator that she inspected and passed the previous day crashes in freefall down its shaft, the spotlight is on her. Did she miss a major fault, or was it sabotaged? And if sabotage, was it aimed to discredit her personally, was it racially motivated, or was it anti-Intuitionist?
I found this a struggle at first, but when I let go of trying to understand every little thing and just read it, I enjoyed it a lot more. Things became clearer later. And I’ve been thinking about it since, which is always a good sign.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+ 5 Combo (20.3)
Task total: 35
Season Total: 1405
10.2 ChristmasFrom Russia With Love by Ian Fleming
This is the first James Bond book that I’ve read, though of course I’m familiar with the character from the movies. First, Bond doesn’t show up in the book until nearly halfway through. The first half is all Russian plotting. Second, I hadn’t expected this book to be quite as ridiculous as it was. The plot here is that the Russians send a beautiful girl to convince Bond that she’s fallen in love with his picture and that she’s so in love with him that she’ll steal an important machine and give it to him if he takes her away with him. Bond totally buys this—obviously he’s so awesome that anyone would love him just from his picture. And he can totally judge her sincerity by looking into her eyes and sleeping with her and boom—he’s sure she can’t be a spy.
Still, despite the ridiculousness, and the moments of laughable sexism (e.g., where the girl says maybe she’ll eat so much and get so fat Bond won’t like her any more, and asks if he’ll beat her and he says of course he will), I still enjoyed the story. There was tension in the chase and great scenery.
The narrator for the audiobook was great and I enjoyed his voice. This is a fine choice for a long drive or travel where you might be distracted occasionally. You don’t have to hear every word to follow this thickly plotted book.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 895
10.7 La NinaHard Rain by Irma Venter
I can't think of any other book I've read that was originally written in Afrikaans, and I can't help but wonder if something was lost in translation with this one. The plot was suspenseful and the unreliable narrator setup was interesting, but somehow the book never quite came together. Things would be moving in one direction, then would abruptly switch narrators or locations or the character would make a decision that just seemed random.
I enjoyed the setting in Tanzania and the background of the flooding rains. And I liked the mystery being more complicated than just a dead guy and a suspect.
The book ends in an inconclusive way, leaving room for the next in the series. I’m intrigued enough with these characters that I’d read another book by this author.
The narrators for the audiobook did a great job and it was a good choice to have different narrators for the different characters.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+10 Lost in Translation
+5 Combo (10.4)
Task total: 35
Grand total: 930
Post 785 Rebekah wrote: "20.8 TravelThe Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom by Slavomir Rawicz
Review
An officer in the Polish Army, Slavomir Rawicz, served his country during the Sov..."
I'm sorry, Rebekah. This was originaly published in English and dies not qualify for LiT points.
Post 787 Rebekah wrote: "20.4 ScienceNeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity by Steve Silberman
Review
Silberman gives a microhistory of this condition that see..."
This qualifies for 10 Prize Worthy Points. The California Prize is a Silver award only, so not the first place winner.
10.1 Square PegThe Potter's Field by Andrea Camilleri
Review
Andrea Camilleri was a very popular author with an impressive curriculum vitae in his native Italy and a prolific writer of the Commissario Montalbano Detective series, known as the Inspector Montalbano in English. Having passed away in 2019 at the age of 93, he wrote the 30th book in the series just before he died that was published in 2020 but has yet to be translated into English. His prime character, the Inspector Salvo Montalbano is the quirky leader of a team of quirky police officers in the fictional city of Vigata in Sicily. Part of his quirkiness is the dialogue he has with himself as in the opening chapter of the book events are unfolding that would make for a classic American thriller full of twists and intrigue only to learn it is a dream. Another voice of the therapist begins talking him through the dream, looking for the hidden meanings and messages of his subconscious and not until the end of the sequence do you realize he is not actually talking to a therapist but to himself. Of course, given the setting there is plenty to keep this team of eccentrics busy with mafia, drugs, murders, infidelity and the like but their methods are quite unorthodox, possible even illegal, yet performed in such a way that even the most complex cases are solved brilliantly. There is a strong sense of place and a lot of the beliefs and culture of Sicily is embellished throughout in such a way as to be easily grasped by this American reader unfamiliar with the Italian language. The team has a family-like relationship with honest tenderness for their teammates and with the Inspector in the role of elder brother or father of the group. One of his men has even named his firstborn for the Inspector. This aspect keeps the tone warm and sympathetic even when the officers misbehave or when the nature of their work becomes a bit gruesome. Best of all, there is lots of humor and kept me smiling. I plan to read more and only wish I had been aware of this author before his recent passing.
+10 pts - Task
+10 pts - Review
+10 pts - Translated (Italian)
+ 5 pts - Prizeworthy (CWA International Dagger)
Task Total - 35 pts
10.2 ChristmasThe Neverending Story by Michael Ende
Review
Definitely often seen as a movie rather than being read, which was true for me. Originally published in 1979, this book has become a classic in the fantasy and Fairy Tale genre and a favorite among the young set. It’s full of the creatures we associate with fairy tales, dragons, talking animals, centaurs, gnomes, giants, knights, magical water, Terrifying, deadly creatures mutated with parts of different animals, a magic sword, magic talisman, a mysterious empress, her court and a magical land very aptly named Fantasica. Along with all that, the thing every fantasy needs is a young hero and it’s especially dear if the hero is a child. This hero is given a task to go on a quest in search of something that requires him to explore strange and terrifying lands and encounter creatures that are helpful and creatures that want to kill him. This formula is used in many favorites such as The Wizard of Oz and The Hobbit. Yet it never gets old and reading such stories take us back to the time when such things could happen and staggering obstacles can be conquered by a young or awkward person who finds the concrete world a confusing and overwhelming.
+10 pts - Task
+10 pts - Review
+10 pts - Translation (German)
+15 pts - Prizeworthy (Buxtehuder Bulle, Zilveren Griffel, Preis der Leseratten des ZDF)
+10 pts - Combo (10.5 - the main character writes stories, 20.9 - 162 times)
Task total - 55 pts
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Post 787 Rebekah wrote: "20.4 ScienceNeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity by Steve Silberman
Review
Silberman gives a microhistory o..."
ok thanks
10.6 NotableReputations by Juan Gabriel Vásquez (#44 in 2016)
Review
A well-known political cartoonist for a major newspaper is about to be awarded publicly with grand fanfare for a lifetime of achievement. Naturally over the years he has made enemies, lost friendships and even had family ostracize him because he showed no mercy to anyone, friends, foes or family. His cartoons have made careers and broke them through, re-instated them and brought them back down with the all the cold objectiveness that many in the field of journalism are known for. One outstanding incident that was close to him personally many years before that occurred in his home. It led to his publishing a cartoon that has catastrophic outcomes. Now he accepts the award and in the flurry of interviews, he comes to face to face with the central figure that inspired the cartoon. He then has to wonder if he was right to make the controversial cartoon and if he caused destruction for the sake of glory and greed.
+10 pts - Task
+10 pts - Review
+10 pts - Translation (Spanish)
+ 5 pts - Prizeworthy (Premio Real Academia Española)
+10 pts - Combo (10.3,10.4)
Task Total - 45 pts
10.6 NotableRedeployment by Phil Klay
2014
Review
Redeployment is a collection of short stories, all told from perspectives of soldiers. Some stories are during deployment. Some are immediately after. Some are as they are trying to settle in, fit in, as civilians. While these stories are fiction, they feel very realistic to me. I’m not American and I don’t personally know any soldiers so I can’t swear how close to reality these stories are but they just feel a lot closer to life than the thrillers I read. These aren’t triumphantly glorified tales and not completely cry-a-bucket sad but heartbreaking enough and I am thankful to all soldiers for their services.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+15 Prize-worthy (National Book Award for Fiction (2014), Warwick Prize for Writing (2015), National Book Critics Circle Award for John Leonard Prize (2014))
Post Total: 35
Season Total: 1,990
10.1 Square PegTrans Wizard Harriet Porber and the Bad Boy Parasaurolophus: An Adult Romance Novel by Chuck Tingle
I first heard about Chuck Tingle years ago when some of his eye-pooping titles were going around as jokes online. Recently, I’ve been following him on Twitter, where he is a blessing to the timeline (seriously, follow him) On Valentine’s Day he posted that all proceeds from V-Day sales would go to The Trevor Project and the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. Time to buy my first Tingler! And boy, does this book deliver. It’s ludicrous and funny and actually very sweet.
The title is not a joke - this is a book about trans wizard Harriet Porber falling for a bad-boy dinosaur - whose name made me fall out laughing. He’s a meta-bard that breaks the 4th wall and I enjoy that sort of thing... I also love Harriet not being meta and being a bit WTF. Hot dino, no prob, but meta??!!1? LOL
There’s also living, sentient motorcycles (that drive sport cars...just go with it) and delightful wooly mammoth that is very up-front about being gay (he doesn’t want it to be subtext). If you just accept it, it’s a really fun ride. And that’s basically the whole point of Chuck Tingle.
It’s also a joyful middle finger to a certain TERF author...
Prior to following Tingle’s twitter I would have been too much a book snob to actually read a book like this. Giggle at the title, yes, but not read the whole thing. But I’m glad I did. I am 100% going to read one (or hell, all) of his Choose Your Own Timeline adventures.
Heartily recommend delving into the Tingleverse!
+10 Task
+10 review
Task total = 20
Season total = 365
15.6The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
LIED
15B - L, 5E - I, 16E - E, 4B - D
+20 task
Season total = 385
10.5 AuthorAll This I Will Give to You by Dolores Redondo
Review
After posting my last book, I saw that Elizabeth had read an reviewed this book in post #801. Being sure I can’t just post “What Elizabeth said” as a review or even post it 34 times to meet the word count requirement, I’ll trudge on. But if you read Elizabeth’s review, you can skip mine because I’m not as eloquent and concise as she.
Yes, Manuel’s pain was made to feel so real, that you felt you too knew his husband, Alvaro and would miss him sorely. Your heart goes out to Manuel. I didn’t realize this was a mystery genre. I was looking for a book about an author that was translated and/or I could use in the sub-challenge for LBQT that I would find palatable and would use my Audible credit. As a novel it works very well, and the mystery is an added bonus which becomes more of the book’s center once Manuel goes to the home of his husband for the funeral and learns everything has been willed to him. Then come the twists, a brother’s grief misinterpreted, back history, family secrets and a dead patriarch that still runs the family through his widow.
Aside from that I also enjoyed the descriptions of the area, the boat excursions, the people from the country that Manuel meets as he learns more about Alvaro’s childhood, background and the events and environment that made him who he was.
+10 pts - Task
+10 pts - Review
+10 pts - Translation (Spanish)
+ 5 pts - Combo (10.3)
+15 pts - Prizeworthy (Premio Planeta, Premio Bancarella, Lewis Galantiere Award for translation)
Task Total -50 pts
Rws Finish Bonus - 100 pts
Mega Finish Bonus - 200 pts
This Post Total - 350 pts
Congratulations Rebekah! Me too...10.7 La Nina
Crossed Skis: An Alpine Mystery by Carol Carnac
It's a few years after the end of the Second World War. A party of sixteen young people, mostly friends of friends who don't know each other, is preparing to set out for a skiing trip from London to Austria, leaving on New Year's Day. Meanwhile, a dead body is found in a burning house, and the imprint of a ski pole is found outside...
I loved the description of the skiing trip and also the London parts - the honest but troubled landlady and her ne'er-do-well son. If the plot had matched this, it would have been a five-star read for me. (view spoiler). It would have been tighter with fewer characters in the skiing group - most of them were not suspects and had no other part to play. But it was still a very enjoyable read from the writer also known as E.C.R. Lorac.
Weather: thick fog in London and a snowstorm in Austria are important to the plot.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+ 5 Combo (10.4)
Task total: 25
RwS Finish: 100
Mega Finish: 200
Season Total: 1730
20.10 - Grand MasterThe Right Jack by Margaret Maron
+20 task - 2013
+5 Combo - 10.4
Task total: 25
Grand total: 755
10.3 WinterHarriet Wolf's Seventh Book of Wonders by Julianna Baggott
I feel so lucky: I have been on a roll of 5-star books and they're all books that I never would have picked up had it not been for one RwS task or another.
This was a fantastic read--one that took me five weeks to complete (because of a library return and having to wait to re-check it out, but that's a story for another time)...but that five weeks is nothing compared to the EIGHTEEN YEARS it took the author to finish writing it. Eighteen years to live with those fantastic characters in her head. Eighteen years to polish and research and confirm that every adjective was the exact right one, every article absolutely necessary, every plot point properly planned. And she managed perfection.
Harriet Wolf, the brilliant author of the "Book of Wonders" series, has died without ever releasing the seventh and final installment. Literary scholars debate its existence, fans from around the world have descended upon her home in attempts to search out the phantom tome. Her daughter, Eleanor, swears that her mother burnt it before her death. Ruthie, Eleanor's oldest who ran away from home at sixteen, wants it to exist so that she can read it (but doesn't particularly care about sharing it with the world--or her husband, a Harriet Wolf expert and university professor). Tilton, Eleanor's youngest daughter who has never left her mother's side and seems equal parts simpleton and savant, was the only one Harriet told about the manuscript's whereabouts.
The chapters bounce between the points of view of these four women and their stories span nearly 100 years. I'm so glad I got to share headspace with them for five weeks. I don't think I'll soon forget these ladies.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+15 Combo: 10.4, 10.5, 10.6 (2015)
Task total: 35
Season total: 1785
10.4 ValentinesRed, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Contrary to the 94% of people who liked or loved this book, it did not work for me. Well, a few things did. The title is cute, and I like the cover. There were about 50 pages in the middle that really felt good (where the families were supporting Alex and Henry). I thought the quotes from literature and such that they put in each email were cool.
What I didn't like about it: I found it not believable that a 21 year old man doesn't understand his sexuality. I could buy that he knew, but didn't want to come out, but to wake up one morning and say "omg, I'm bisexual" doesn't ring true for me (but what do I know?). Also, after all the political turmoil of the last few years, the last thing I am interested in is political party bashing. Done, period. I was fine with the "we are progressive, electing a woman, who's divorced and remarried, and has biracial children," but in the last chapters where they turn the other party into a monster, just no. I don't care if it was the DNP or the RNP, we need to stop this hate, it just continues to tear people apart.
Task: 10
Review: 10
Prizeworthy - 15 ALA Alex Award (2020), Goodreads Choice Award for Romance and for Debut Novel (2019), Bisexual Book Awards for Romance (joint winner) (2019)
Task total: 35
Season Total: 1685
10.1; 10.2; 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; 10.6; 10.7; ....; 10.9; 10.10
15.1; 15.2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6; 15.7; 15.8; ....; .... (3x)
20.1; 20.2; .....; 20.4; 20.5; 20.6; 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10
10.3 - WinterCall the Midwife by Jennifer Worth
+10 task
+5 combo (10.4)
Post total: 15
Season total: 15
20.10 Grand Master (Elizabeth (Alaska)'s Task)The Carter of 'La Providence' by Georges Simenon
+20 task
+10 combo (10.4, 20.2)
+10 LiT (written in French)
Post total: 40
Season total: 55
10.1 Square PegA Winter Book by Tove Jansson
+10 task
+10 LiT (written in Swedish)
Post total: 20
Season total: 75
15.1 - Name of the GameIntimations by Zadie Smith
Square 12B (page count 75-199) - letter S
Square 11D (pub'd 2020 or 2021) - letter H
Square 16D (title has no letter E) - letter E
Word: SHE
+15 task
+5 not a novel (nonfiction essay collection)
Post total: 20
Season total: 105
15.2 - Name of the GameKlopp: My Liverpool Romance by Anthony Quinn
Square 7B (Author name has no letter G) - letter G
Square 16B (Author born in Europe) - letter E
Square 15D (An author's last or most recent book) - letter L
Word: GEL
+15 task
+5 not a novel (nonfiction)
Post total: 20
Season total: 125
20.2 JazzRules of Civility by Amor Towles
1938 New York City, the orphaned daughter of Russian immigrants rooms with an Indiana raised bombshell. They are both in their 20’s They set their courses by the decisions they make over the year-who they befriend, where they work, where and how they party. And when and how they take chances and steer their own fate. We see the American class system—new money, old money, lost money, married money and what money buys. Prohibition is over. Disturbing things are happening in Europe.
I very much enjoyed this book. There are a few rough spots but Kate Kontent and her friends are fun to read about as they shape their lives and are shaped by New York.
+20 task
+10 review
+5 combo 10.4
+5 award
Task total: 40
Season total: 590
20.4 ScienceLab Girl by Hope Jahren
+20 Task
+5 Combo (10.6 2016)
+5 Prizeworthy (AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books for Young Adult Science Book (2017))
Points this post: 30
RwS total: 330
NoTG total: -
Season Total: 330
10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 .... 10.10
.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ....
20.1 20.2 .... 20.4 .... .... 20.7 .... 20.9 20.10
15.8- Name of the GameWhat Kind of Woman by Kate Baer
S- 12B- 94p.
L- 15D- author's 1st book
E- 16D- No "E" in title
W-8C- "What" in title
Task=30
NaN=5
Task Total=35
Grand Total= 850
10.1; 10.2; 10.3 (2x); 10.4; 10.5; 10.6; .....; 10.8; 10.9;10.10
15.1; 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, 15.5; 15.6; 15.7; 15.8
20.1; 20.2; 20.3; .....; 20.5; 20.6; 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10
From Post 765Deedee wrote: "Task 10.6 Notable
Read a book from the NYT Notable Books from 2010-2019.
Year: 2016
The Fortunes (2016) by Peter Ho Davies (Hardcover, 268 pages)
+10 Task
Task To..."
+5 Prizeworthy
From Post 784Rosemary wrote: "10.8 Lunar
Temporary Kings by Anthony Powell
The action in this penultimate volume of A Dance to the Music of Time takes place mainly at two events – a literary confe..."
+5 Prizeworthy
15.9 Name of the GameOne for the Blackbird, One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker
T- 11B- Pub'd in the Teens - any century (2019)
H- 12C- Author's first or last name begins with H
E- 3D- A book with an 8 (or better) word title.
N- 7D- Title has a number (all forms)
Word: Then
Task total: 30
Season Total: 1715
10.1; 10.2; 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; 10.6; 10.7; ....; 10.9; 10.10
15.1; 15.2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6; 15.7; 15.8; 15.9; .... (3x)
20.1; 20.2; .....; 20.4; 20.5; 20.6; 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10
15.10 Name of the GameD: A Tale of Two Worlds by Michel Faber
H - 12D - Hot off the press (pub'd Dec. 2020)
I - 10C - Character is an instructor (teacher, university faculty)
T - 14D - Title words of To, Too, or Two
Word: Hit
Task: 45
Completion: 100 points
Using 3 or more 4 letter words: 100 points (Ring, Ethyl, Then)
Task total: 245
Season Total: 1960
10.1; 10.2; 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; 10.6; 10.7; ....; 10.9; 10.10
15.1; 15.2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6; 15.7; 15.8; 15.9; 15.10 (3x)
20.1; 20.2; .....; 20.4; 20.5; 20.6; 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10
15.10 Name of the Game, Round 3Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
4E--Letter D--Double Trouble (mariLLier)
9E--Letter I--SET IN or author born in Ireland
12C--Letter S--Series #4-7 (#4 in Sevenwaters series)
13D--Letter T--Title words of "TO," "too," or "two"
Word: DITS (plural of Morse code dot)
+45 Task
Task total: 45
+100 Completion bonus
+100 Word bonus (wits, wing, tear, hired, hell, rant, tenet, dits)
Season total: 2030
10.6 NotableBecoming by Michelle Obama
10 pts 10.6 Notable
5 pt Cherubs
10 pts Review
5 pts Prizeworthy
Michelle Obama s book describes her life from the Southside of Chicago to the White House. It is an interesting description of one woman’s journey and her successes and challenges as she tries to reconcile what she has always seem as the path to success with her need to take a different path to be professionally fulfilled. In addition the insights into the Presidency and the toll it could take on personal relationships is fascinating
Task total: 30 pts
Season total: 575 pts
10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 ... 10.6 10.7 10.8 ... ...
20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 ... ... 20.7 ... ... 20.10
15.1. 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 - Four Letter Word (NoG)
20.9 Nieces The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman
+20 Task shelved 72 times
+5 Combo 10.4
Task total = 25
Season Total: 1195
20. 9 Books About BooksEight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson
Review:
The premise of this book was really intriguing; a murderer who is following a list our protagonist bookseller created detailing his top "Eight Perfect Murders".
The execution was satisfactory. I was interested enough to keep reading, the pacing was good but I wasn't into it the way I am with a really good book.
Mal self describes himself as distant and unable to become close with people after he gets to know them. This came through too well, all the relationships felt underdeveloped. I didn't enjoy the construction nor the resolution of the relationship between and Agent Mulvey. Is there sexual tension or isn't there? Will someone make a move or won't they? Who is hiding what? There's only so much of that one can take before it starts to feel a bit stupid....
My biggest critique is that this book is not suited for the "aspirational reader". As in, the eclectic reader who adds all sorts of book to her list with hopes and intentions of reading them all between now and a far away someday.
The plots, twists and endings of the eight books were spoiled throughout the book. I guess they had to be, but going in I was excited to add them to my read list for the future before they were described in detail. I found that disappointing.
I did read through Deathtrap and Double Indemnity while I was reading this book and would consider reading a couple of the others on the list.
+20 Task - Shelved 96 times
+5 Combo 10.4 CHERBUS
+5 Combo 10.5 Author/Writer - the co-owner is a renowned author
+5 Combo 10.7 Weather - Winter storms a focus here
+10 Review
Task Total: 45 Pts
Grand Total: 410pts
Task 10.01 Square PegDr. Potter's Medicine Show [ANGRY ROBOT] (2017) by Eric Scott Fischl (Goodreads Author) (Mass Market Paperback, 348 pages)
+10 Task
Task Total: 10
Grand Total: 380 + 10 = 390
10.4 Valentine's DayThe Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Lexile 590
I wrote a review before I remembered it wouldn't qualify for styles, so here it is:
Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in the “hood” of Garden Heights but goes to a private school in the suburbs, where her uncle and most of her friends live. But she still has a few childhood friends in Garden Heights, and one of them, Khalil, is driving her home one night when the police stop them and Khalil is shot dead. Starr’s life is then a mess of grief, fear, and lies, and she has to face questions of who she really is and what it might cost to speak her truth.
This is a much more complex story than I was expecting. Nobody is 100% good or bad. Of course this is a very topical subject, but it’s the emotional depth and the lack of easy judgements that make it a great YA novel in my view.
+10 Task
Task total: 10
Season Total: 1745
10.1 Square Peg All Systems Red by Martha Wells
This was a totally delightful book - I am now frantically putting holds on the rest of the series! Over the summer some friends and I had a brief pandemic book club to read the Expanse series - we only made it through the first 2 or 3 books (though we liked them!) - and in some ways this book reminded me of those, though I think I preferred this series. It's much shorter - this first book is solidly in the novella range at around 150 pages and the other installments are similarly 150-250. But the author manages to pack a lot of intrigue, character development, and humor into small packages. The book centers on Murderbot, a genderless artificial security construct rented to spacefaring teams of scientists or entrepreneurs, who has managed to disable its control features and have independent thought. Despite the name Murderbot, I found myself completely sympathetic to and on the side of this character and was rooting for it all the way. I can't wait for the rest of the series - highly recommended if you enjoy science fiction.
+10 task
+10 review
+15 prizeworthy (Hugo 2018, Nebula 2017, Locus 2018, Alex 2018)
Task Total: 35
Season Total: 480
Post 823 Kim wrote: "10.1 Square PegRed, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Contrary to the 94% of people who liked or loved this book, it did not work for me. Well, a few things ..."
Kim, this scores for 10.4 Valentines with the first letter R. Your score for the read is the same, but if you were counting on this for the Square Peg for a Mega, you'll need to find a different book.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Post 823 Kim wrote: "10.1 Square PegRed, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Contrary to the 94% of people who liked or loved this book, it did not work for me..."
Ah, I was looking at it as a free square, but it sounds like the strategy is to find a book that couldn't fit anywhere else. I've already used 10.4, so I'll find another book to put here.
So my score would be 1925 (1960-35) at this point?
Kim wrote: "I've already used 10.4, so I'll find another book to put here."It's OK. You can repeat tasks at will. There is no loss of points.
EDIT: The 10- and 20-point tasks. The sub-challenges always have special rules.
Yes, the Square Peg is a book that won't fit anywhere else.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Kim wrote: "I've already used 10.4, so I'll find another book to put here."It's OK. You can repeat tasks at will. There is no loss of points.
Yes, the Square Peg is a book that won't fit anywher..."
Oh, wow - I didn't realize you could repeat tasks, other than NotG. Cool!
10.1 Square PegMy Brilliant Life by Kim Ae-ran
Areum is an only child born to his parents while they were in their teens. He suffers from a rare disease called progeria, which causes him to age prematurely and greatly limits his life expectancy. But he is a curious boy, and although he cannot attend school, he reads everything he can, to learn as much about the world as possible. He decides to write a book about his life to give to his parents to remember him. I found the book just okay, try as I might, I don't enjoy literary fiction. If you do, this translated from Korean, 208 page book about the meaning of life might be just right for you.
Task: 10
Review: 10
Lost in Translation: 10
Total: 30
Season Total: 1990
10.4 ValentinesThe Best of Us by Robyn Carr
3.0 stars - I might have series fatigue because I enjoyed this book the least of the five. None of the Jones siblings played a significant part in this one, but Maggie's father, Sully had a large story line, where he falls in love, at the age of 72, with a mystery writer named Helen. Helen is the aunt of the town doctor, Leigh, and meets Sully while visiting her. I think what bothered me was the use of the "oops, I'm pregnant" plot device so soon after it was used in the previous book. And these are not teenagers, but professionals (the town doctor - seriously?) who it accidentally happens to. But never fear, they all live happily ever after. Also showing up in this book was visiting villain, Johnny, and local troublemaker, Alyssa, but they didn't really add anything to the story, for me. It was interesting to have a trio of love interests, young love - Maia and Finn, main love story, Leigh and Rob, and the mature love story of Sully and Helen. (view spoiler)
Task: 10
Review: 10
Total: 20
Season Total: 2010
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Reading with Style
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All This I Will Give to You by Dolores Redondo
For at least close to half the book I thought this feels more like a straight novel than a mystery. Sure, there was that death in the first pages. Manuel Ortigosa was informed that his husband, Álvaro, has been killed in a one car accident. It appears as if Álvaro fell asleep at the wheel about 1am on a Saturday night. Manuel was confused. Álvaro had said he was going to be in Barcelona, but instead was near Lugo - the exact opposite direction from their home in Madrid. What was he doing there and why did he lie about where he was going?
The characterizations are excellent. Who sheds tears reading a mystery novel? Manuel felt so real that his grief and loss were palpable. The policeman Nogueira was also well-drawn. Others were well-written, but perhaps not quite as clear. I thought the setting was also well-written. The writing style is definitely better than one should expect but there was a place or two when I thought the novel over-written and trite or where Redondo used cliches. It was as if she was in somewhat of a hurry to set a scene, that she just wanted to get on with her plot. These certainly weren't enough to detract overall, but I did notice them.
I want to remark on the dedication. What Redondo says there about her parents goes much to the heart of this novel. Perhaps it is appropriate that I post it on Valentines Day.Redondo has published a trilogy. I am very much interested and have marked the first as wishlist. I want to give some time following this before reading it, but I hope not too much time. Because this felt so much more novel than mystery, I'll let it slip into the lower regions of my 5-star group. I'm willing to admit that might be somewhat generous.
+10 Task (Manuel is a well-known author)
+10 Review
+ 5 Combo (10.3)
+10 LiT (Spanish)
+15 Prize-worthy
Task total = 50
Season total = 965