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WI 20-21 Completed Tasks
10.4 ValentineCode Noir (Parrish Plessis #2) by Marianne de Pierres
Review
Some time has passed since the end of book 1, Nylon Angel, and Parrish Plessis has spent time recovering from her injuries. But her respite is over as there's a price on her. Plus, the Cabal also wanted her to find their missing shamans. There are so many things Parrish does not know but she thinks it's better to be in middle of it all than hiding away and then taken unawares.
I liked this world despite its harshness and even as I struggled with the technical jargons, it wasn't that difficult as you can really get by with a little extra assumptions of your own. But what I really found appealing is Parrish Plessis' character; her touch chick exterior with her big tender heart inside. I really can't wait to find out what the author has in store for Parrish in the next & final book of the trilogy.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 305
10.5 AuthorThe Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick
Four Stars:
This is a lovely mystery novel with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure. Our heroine is a plucky secretary turned reporter who has travelled to California to escape the ghosts of her past, in this case a dangerous killer who murdered her previous boss. When her mentor at the newspaper where she is working is killed she starts to follow a trail that seems to lead straight to an up and coming Hollywood star. Set in the 1930s, this mystery has great atmosphere, Hollywood stars, mobsters, and a magician transport you back to the era of the Silver Screen. The story was complex enough to keep me guessing and had a very satisfying conclusion. I look forward to reading the sequels.
+10 Task (the main character is a reporter)
+5 Combo (20.2 set in the 30s)
+10 Review
Task Total: 25
Season Total: 25
10.4 ValentinesChristmas on Ganymede and Other Stories ed by Martin H. Greenberg
It is always difficult for me to review a short story collection. This one was less uneven than some because they pulled a "best of" that fit the theme of sci-fi related the Christmas and were originally published between 1951 and 1989, weighted to the eighties, with the book published in 1990. The stories fit the SF of their time, with some adventure, some alien interaction, a mix of cynicism and hope, and so forth. My favorite was Asimov's "Christmas without Rodney" from his Laws of Robotics verse, that only happened to be set at Christmas. One of the most disturbing was "O Little Town of Bethlehem II" by Young because of its cynical view of human nature. A contrast was the role the existence of faith, any type of faith, had in "The Season of Forgiveness" by Anderson.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 275
20.2 JazzThe Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien by Georges Simenon
+20 Task
+10 combo (10.4, 20.10)
+10 Lost in Translation
Task total = 40
Season Total: 190
10.2 ChristmasA Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
"A Christmas Carol" is one of Charles Dickens' most beloved works. It has a timeless message for us to keep the spirit of Christmas in our lives through kindness and generosity. The story shows that anyone, including the miser Ebenezer Scrooge, has the ability to change their behavior and empathize with others. "A Christmas Carol" is an atmospheric morality tale with four phantoms helping Scrooge realize what is important in life. Dickens' story can be enjoyed as a book, a stage production, or a film. It's a story that should not be missed!
+10 task
+10 combo 10.4 Valentine's; 20.7 Lifetime (1843)
+10 review
+ 5 prizeworthy Audie Award for Classic 2005
Task total: 35
Season total: 140
Task 10.4 Valentine'sIn honor of Valentine's Day, read any book whose title begins with the letters in CHERUBS. Leading articles may be ignored.
Earthlings (2018) by Sayaka Murata; translated from Japanese by Ginny Tapley Takemori
Review: Forget the cute photo of a toy hedgehog on the cover. This is a horror novel, the kind of horror novel that centers on the worst of human behavior (as opposed to the horror novels that have fantastical elements, like vampires). I finished the novel because it was relatively short; I was getting ready to toss the novel but saw that I only had 40 pages left to the end.
What I liked: the writing style; the unpredictability of the plot; the social commentary about living an unconventional lifestyle in a society that pressures you to be conventional.
What I didn’t like: the heroine; the focus on unconventional sex and random acts of violence.
This is the second novel by Sayaka Murata that I’ve read. The first one, Convenience Store Woman, was a 5 * read for me. Convenience Store Woman also dealt with living an unconventional life in a conventional society, but did it without the gore.
Overall, due to the detailed descriptions of violence, and the lack of sympathetic characters, not recommended.
+10 Task
+10 Translated
+10 Review
Task Total: 10 + 10 + 10 = 30
Grand Total: 90 + 30 = 120
10.10 Group ReadThe Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Four Stars:
I was not expecting to like this book. I had put a request in for it at my library ages ago when I heard the author interviewed on a podcast but I was lukewarm about it. When I got a notification that I could get a “skip the line” edition through my library ereader service (limited to 7 day loan, no renewals), I decided to go for it just to cross off the group read for this season. Wow, was I wrong! I devoured this book. I basically ignored my husband and toddler for 24 hours to read it. There was just something so compelling about the main character Danny and his relationships. The story is told from Danny’s perspective and it covers pretty much his whole life story, jumping forward and backward in time (which was the one part I didn’t really like about it). While the story centers around the Dutch House and all the good and ill it has caused the family, the story is ultimately about how flawed our memories are and that when we focus on the past instead of the future we get stuck. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes character driven stories.
+10 Task
+5 Combo (10.6)
+10 Review
Task Total: 25
Season Total: 50
20.10 Grand MasterAn Easy Death by Charlaine Harris
I especially enjoyed the world of this book, and how it allowed tech and magic to exist together in a setting I hadn't seen before but was still recognizable. In some ways, this felt like Harris' vampire series, which I have read the books of, in the hidden heritage with slight magical underpinnings, but Lizbeth is an experienced, determined, world-wise woman in ways that make her personality and motivations very different then Sookie's. One reviewer I read was turned off by some of the repetitive elements of the journey, and they were present, but each stage they shpwed up in advanced the story in other ways, so I did not find it wearing. I enjoyed the book, although noe enough to hunt down the rest of the series.
+20 task
+10 review
+5 combo (10.4 since "an" is a leading article)
Task total: 35
Grand total: 310
15.6 Name of the GameNew York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson
Square 4C - letter D - MPG: Dystopia
Square 6D - letter N - number in title
Square 8D - letter (wildcard: A)
Word: AND
+20 Task
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 325
From Post 102Ann wrote: "10.7 La Niña
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
!!!!!!
Another incredible book. I neglected everything in order to devour this, one again in audio format. I cannot ..."
+5 Combo 10.8
From Post 106Rebekah wrote: "10.4 Valentines
The Camel Club by David Baldacci
Review
I’m not a connoisseur of thriller spy novels. I do read them but usually not my number one choice out of the myst..."
+5 Jumbo
From Post 110Norma wrote: "10.1 -Square Peg
What She Knew| by Gilly Macmillan
+10 task (unlesss I over looked another task it fits)
Task total: 10
Grand total: 125"
+5 Jumbo
From Post 121Coralie wrote: "10.10.7 La Nina
The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley
+10 Task (The constant electrical storms play a major role in the story, also the fog and the sn..."
+5 Jumbo
From Post 132Nick wrote: "15.4 Name of the Game
for At the Bottom of the River by Jamaica Kincaid
Square 12B -- letter S – 80 pages
Square 16C-- letter E – 1st pub’d in the 80s (1983)
Square 9B..."
+5 Before 1996
20.10 Grand MasterCrooked House by Agatha Christie
I think this is shelved under adult at bpl so can still get styles!
Review:
It's been a while since I'd visited a Christie novel. She never fails to deliver. Crooked House is neither a Poirot or a Marple novel but a stand alone with a full unique set of characters.
A family whodunit murder mystery where our protagonist intends to be engaged to the granddaughter of the murdered man.
Family dynamics ensue with all the complexity one might expect.
Even nearly 70 years later, the book still stands... I had no idea what the outcome was going to be! Although they could be sorted into archetypes, each family member is developed with fullness and complexity; every time you encounter someone you get a deeper glimmer into who they are. A complicated picture of both innocence and suspicion.
Definitely recommend this as a cozy mystery to curl up with over the holidays!
+20 Task
+5 Combo 10.4 Valentine's CHERUBS
+5 Combo 10.8 Lunar - pub. 1949
+10 Review
Task Total: 40pts
Grand Total: 95 pts
20.8 Travel (Ed's Task)Bleaker House: Chasing My Novel to the End of the World by Nell Stevens
Review
Nell Stevens spent 3 months on her own in a house on Bleaker Island, the Falklands, in order to write a novel. There is only 1 neighbour who, of course, is not anywhere that near that she could just pop in anytime she'd like. This is her memoir of her time spent there interspersed with stories she wrote (was purported to her her novel) and past stories as she retraced her steps to her dreams of becoming a writer and how she ended up on her lonesome on this bleak island.
I listened to the audiobook and I found her reading of it just too sad... there were parts that could've been humorous but ended up flat because it just sounded sad. Times like where she realised that she could not stream Netflix or any entertainment because internet was not only expensive but unstable and unreliable or the condition of her eyebrows and overall bodily hairiness. She wanted this time to write her novel and to truly find herself but she was not at all ready for the loneliness as she was practically cut off from the world (no internet!). And in the end, as all is stripped away from her, she found being alone was not such a good condition to write a novel at all.
+20 Task
+5 Combo (10.4 - B for Bleaker)
+10 Review
Post Total: 35
Season Total: 360
Note on setting: because I listened to the audiobook and due to book's structure, I'm not at all certain if it meets the 51% for the Falklands. It's possible but may scraped just under...? sorry :)
15.4 Name of the GameInto the Water by Paula Hawkins
Square 8E - Letter W - GR choice
Square 5C - Letter I - Into
Square 10C - Letter T - Thriller
Square 11C - Letter H - Auth. H
Word=WITH
Task total: 15
Grand total: 185
Tien wrote: "Note on setting: because I listened to the audiobook and due to book's structure, I'm not at all certain if it meets the 51% for the Falklands. It's possible but may scraped just under...? sorry :)."I'm happy to add it to our sheet - the sorry part is that there is no Go For the Green task this season, so no 30 points.
On the good side, this sounds as if it fits 10.5 Author, that her being an author is at least part of the point of this book. So 5 combo points.
15.5 The Name of the GameAnathem by Neal Stephenson
Square 10E -- letter T – Title has no “The”
Square 9C-- letter I – a major character is an instructor. Banished from the covent, the character of the teacher Orolo eventually reunites with the protagonist (once he, the student, is also banished) and further adventures begin.
Square 15B -- letter L – author Neal Stephenson is on the Literature Map for David Mitchell.
Square 15C – letter L -- page count is over 400. Anathem is 981 pp.
Word: TILL
Task Points = 20
Total Points So Far: 95
15.4Unbound by Jim C. Hines
Square 3D - letter A - mpg adventure
Square 7B - letter G - authors name has no G
Square 16D - letter E - title has no letter E
Word - AGE
Task total: 15
Grand total: 325
15.6 The Name of the GameAll the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
Square 12E -- letter S – MPG: Science Fiction
Square 9D-- letter I – “Sky” in title
Square 1C -- letter R – MPG: Romance
Word: SIR
Task Points = 20
Total Points So Far: 115
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Tien wrote: "Note on setting: because I listened to the audiobook and due to book's structure, I'm not at all certain if it meets the 51% for the Falklands. It's possible but may scraped just under..."On the good side, this sounds as if it fits 10.5 Author, that her being an author is at least part of the point of this book. So 5 combo points.
It's not a novel, Elizabeth... it's a memoir though it contained some of author's stories she wrote while she was on the island.
Tien wrote: "It's not a novel, Elizabeth... it's a memoir though it contained some of author's stories she wrote while she was on the island."LOL. Thank you Tien. Shades of Wine last season for me?
Ha ha, I thought that was a tad funny ;)It is probably Wine o'clock for you though kinda early for me, so go have one after that lol
I'm already wanting to move a book.In post 139, I claimed Followers for 15.3 NotG.
Instead, I'd like to move it to 10.5 (see below).
This also means that Post 170 should be 15.3 instead of 15.4.
Sorry for the additional scorekeeping work!
---
10.5 Author
Followers by Megan Angelo
This book was engaging and is a promising debut novel. It suffers from some problems frequently seen in debuts of this type--a desire to tell the reader everything and to wrap up all the characters in the end. There's an epilogue feature to the end here where the author quickly runs through what becomes of everyone after the heart of the story has finished. The book would be better without this section and/or with it done differently. The book is structured with two timelines--2015 and 2051. Mostly, this works, but it sometimes creates confusion for the reader jerking back and forth.
The book takes on social media and envisions a near-future where certain things have gone horribly wrong with social media (coining a term emotional terrorism). The critique at the heart of this book--that social media is creating a downward spiral of living to attract viewers and "likes" and to hold the interest of followers--is interesting and worth considering.
The actual novel wrapped around the critique is a bit too flimsy to hold everything together. The disaster at the heart of the new world (called "the Spill") is interesting, but the author never fully fleshed out in her own mind how this worked and what the implications were to create a believable response.
The narrator for the audiobook is animated, giving excitement to the book and making it an entertaining listen. The narrator makes some effort to differentiate the characters, but this book might have been better read by different narrators for the different timelines.
+10 Task (main character is aspiring writer and blogger)
+10 Review
Task total: 20
-15 from NotG
Grand total: 190
20.9 NiecesThe Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
If I could write a book, this is what I would like to write. Fairy tale, fantasy, boy’s own adventure (although they are all adults), romance….. what more could you want! I felt it flagged a bit in the middle(ish), although I can’t say why and not terribly. I still wanted to get back to it when I was forced to leave.
Goodness, I liked this book. I saved it for the weekend, when I could read more of it in one sitting. It deserves it, but equally it is a book you can read bit by bit…… story by story. Everything about this novel is about or demonstrates the magic of storytelling. 4.5*
20 task
10 review
5 combo 10.4
5 prize
_____
40
Running total: 225
15.4 Name of the GameTokyo Sketches: Short Stories by Pete Hamill
Square 4E - letter D - double consecutive letters
Square 9B - letter I - set on an island
Square 11C - letter H - last name begins with H
Square 12B - letter S - page count 75-199
Word = DISH
+15 task
+ 5 not-a-novel
+ 5 pub'd 1993
Task total=25
Season total=100
15.7 Name of the GameA Christmas Carol: What if Scrooge were a woman? by Charles Dickens & Alison Larkin
Square 12B - letter S - 120 pages
Square 9B - letter I - set in UK
Square 1D - letter R - MPG: Retelling
Square 2D - letter E - 9-word title
Word: SIRE
+20 Task
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 380
Task 20.02 JazzSet 1931-1938
A Hundred Summers (2013) by Beatriz Williams (Goodreads Author) (Paperback, 384 pages)
Review: This is a ‘beach read’ romance novel set in the 1930s. Our heroine, Lily, and all the characters of the novel, are upper middle class people. Their lifestyle includes living in New York City most of the time. The women and children move to coast side Rhode Island during the summer, with the men visiting on weekends. The story focusses on Lily's relationships, both the ones in New York City and the ones in the Rhode Island beach house. Early in the novel, Lily falls in love at first sight. There are obstacles to overcome. Not to worry though – in standard romance novel fashion, the ‘good’ characters all get their happy endings. The ending takes place September 21, 1938, in Rhode Island. That was the day a Level 3 Hurricane hit the Rhode Island beach. (This is historical – see Sudden Sea: The Great Hurricane of 1938 for a non-fiction account of the hurricane).
My overall review is that this novel was OK. I was hoping for a novel that was more historical novel and less romance novel. This novel is more romance novel and less historical novel. Recommended for romance readers.
+20 Task
+10 Combo (#10.4 (CHERUBS), #10.7(Hurricane Hits))
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 + 10 = 30
Grand Total: 120 + 30 = 150
15.7 Name of the GameDead Astronauts by Jeff VanderMeer
Square 4D - letter D – Dead in title
Square 5D - letter I – Author’s name has no I
Square 7C - letter G– Goodreads author
Word = DIG
+20 Task
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 215
I have just realized that in post #141, I added incorrectly. My post total should have been 25 and my season total should have been 85, I think.
15.7 The Name of the GameClandestine in Chile: The Adventures of Miguel Littín by Gabriel García Márquez
Square 12D -- letter S – S. Amer. Author (Columbia)
Square 5C-- letter I – “In” in title
Square 6B -- letter N – Not a novel
Word: SIN
Task Points = 20
Bonus – nonfiction = 5
Bonus – pub’d before 1997 (1986) = 5
Previous Points corrected to 120 (extra 5 points pointed out by Kate S for At the Bottom of the River 1st pub’d before 1996.) = 120
Total Points So Far: 150
15.5 Name of the GameClever Girl: Elizabeth Bentley, the Spy Who Ushered in the McCarthy Era by Lauren Kessler
Square 13E-Letter T- name of character in title
Square 8C - Letter W - “who” in title
Square 9C- Letter I - Instructor-Bentley taught at high schools and colleges
Square 7C - Letter G- GR author
Word: TWIG
+20 task
+5 NAN
Task total: 25
Season total: 110
20.1 Black HistoryThe Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
#69 on list
+20 task
+10 combo (10.3, 20.3)
Task total: 30
Grand total: 355
20.8 Travel (Ed's Task)The Call of the Weird: Travels in American Subcultures by Louis Theroux
The author here revisits some odd folk he previously featured in a documentary. There are several visits with white supremacists....including a family in which the young daughters compose their own lyrics and music praising Hitler. There are several chapters focussed on people who are deep in the UFO culture and various offshoots of strange beliefs. A visit with Ike Turner....the former husband of Tina Turner who still seems to be clueless as to why he has been branded as a bad guy. Closer to home (I live in San Diego) is a visit to the survivors of the Heaven's Gate cult...almost all of whom committed mass suicide in order to have their souls picked up by a visiting asteroid. There is also a visit with a former male porn actor....and another to a Las Vegas hypnotist who rakes in the bucks with his Get Rich schemes. The overall patterns recurring in all these visits is the fact that although the circumstances of some of these folks have changed.... their underlying beliefs...or scams have not. Weird indeed. 3 stars.
Task=20
Review=10
Combo= 5 (10.4)
Task Total=35
Grand Total= 70
10.4 Valentine's Handle with Careby Jodi Picoult
I love Jodi Piccoult. I have read several of her books and they are never what you think they will be about. In this book, the little girl Willow has osteogenesis imperfecta. It is a genetic condition where the bones become brittle so someone with this condition has a short stature and has many broken bones. The main character has 60 broken bones and surgeries by the time she was six years old. The mother sues her doctor for not informing her before the baby was born. The good news is that some children recover from the condition which I found interesting. I looked it up because I never heard of OI.
Task +10
Review + 10
Book Total: 20
Grand Total: 30
20.2 JazzLove and Murder in Savannah by Harper Lin
This was a primarily light hearted little paranormal mystery, but the climactic scene at the end was darker and darkening to the main character. Becky is at the same time a privileged party girl and the strange one among her social set because she barely tries to act like a lady, and on a deeper level because she can see and speak with the dead.
It is stated it is the 20s but the setting is lightly applied. There are flapper dancers and Prohibition and hooch. The Southern part is applied coarsely with references to not dating a Yankee, the Civil War, lemonade, and the dark skin of the maids. The story felt embedded in neither the time or place.
The interaction between the characters is what holds the story together. The mystery itself only took up a relatively small bit of real estate. The flow was a little off because it was so clearly a set up for a new series. There was minimal closure.
+20 task
+10 review
Task total: 30
Grand total: 385
10.4 ValentineRhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive #4) by Brandon Sanderson
Review
That was totally worth the 3 years' wait! It's an average of 400+ pages per year but you're getting them all in one hit with an whooping 1,219 pages. Mind you, it's one of those big paperback with tiny tiny prints so it is a very very BIG book.
I found the first third of the book to be rather slow. This could be because I had to reacquaint myself with this world and characters with similar names (Gavilar, Dalinar, Elhokar, etc... who are they and how are they related?!). So, okay, I could have prepared myself for this tome much better and it's pretty obvious from this that I'm not an obsessive fan but I must say that this book was amazing. The world so complex, intricate, and detailed. I really don't know how the author keeps track because I'm pretty much lost in awe.
The later 2/3 of the book, I really could not put it down except that I had to fit in some work hours and looking after the kids in between. I've stayed up late to fit in as much reads as I could though so I'm totally exhausted right now but it was completely worth the effort. My recommendation is that you'd either reread the series from book 1 or at least, read summaries on earlier books on tor.com or there's probably a wiki somewhere, before you read this. It'll make it easier to start but be warned, it is a completely deeply-immersive reading experience you do not want to miss.
+10 Task
+25 Jumbo (1,230 pages)
+10 Review
Post Total: 45
Season Total: 425
15.5 Name of the GameDeath of a Novice by Cora Harrison
Square 4D - letter D - Death in title
Square 9E - letter I - set in and author born in Ireland
Square 12C - letter S - series #4 - 7
Square 11C - letter H - author last name begins with H
Word = DISH
Task total: 20
Season total: 95
15.6 Name of the GamePride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Square 1C - letter R - MPG Romance
Square 5D - letter I - no "I" in author name
Square 7D - letter G - Guardian 1000 (#3)
Word = RIG
Task: +20
+5 published 1996 or before
Task total: 25
Season total: 120
15.7 Name of the Game4:50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie
Square 11E - letter H - highly rated (5* from Tien)
Square 15B - letter L - literature map of Agatha Christie
Square 16B - letter E - born in Europe
Square 16D - letter E - title has no "e"
Word = HEEL
+20 Task
+5 published 1996 or before
Task total: 25
Season total: 145
10.10 Group ReadsBallad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts by Julian Rubinstein
+10 Task
+10 Combo (10.3 Julian, 10.4 cheruBs)
+5 Prize-worthy ( Borders Original Voices Award for Nonfiction 2004)
Points this post: 25
RwS total: 80
NoTG total: -
Season Total: 80
.... .... .... .... 10.5 10.6 10.7 .... .... 10.10
.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ....
.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ....
20.4 ScienceThe Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman
A few years ago we began putting food out for birds. We were late-comers in doing so. But having birds just outside my window has been a pleasure. In spring I am delighted to see migrants stop for a few days. With this interest, I found this book fascinating.
Part of my fascination was the extent to which people have studied birds' brains. Small brains, small intelligence, right? Wrong. Many species have brains that are very large for their size - not unlike humans have large brains for our size. The architecture of bird brains is very different than ours so it is surprising to learn that many of its functions are the same. One that functions pretty much the same is memory. Some birds cache food while it is plentiful so that they'll have food when it is harder to come by. Have you ever put something away so you would know where it was when you needed it and then, when needed, forgotten where you put it? Birds remember where they cache their food. Some birds even remember which kinds of food are put where. This is important because some foods they cache spoil sooner while other food has a longer "shelf life".
There are birds who make tools. These birds don't just go find a stick and use it, they actually fashion a tool. Apparently there are birds who like a tool so much they were willing to save it for re-use. Then there are birds who are highly skilled at nest making. It isn't just parrots who are good at language - some birds are vocal virtuosos learning hundreds of tunes to sing. And the better they are at this, the more likely they are to mate. I found it interesting that birds learn their songs in much the same way that humans learn language. Again, the architecture of our brains is different, but in some aspects we use them to some of the same ends.
There was so much more about birds of the world in this. It is another book that I thought I couldn't live without a few years ago and then let sit. Challenges offer motivation in ways unanticipated. I enjoyed my time with this and have been dithering about whether it's 4- or 5-stars. I realize as I've written this review that it crosses that line, though perhaps just barely.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+ 5 Combo (10.3 Jennifer)
Task total = 35
Season total = 205
15.5 - Name of the GameThe Dry by Jane Harper
Square 11C - letter H - author name begins with H
Square 5D - letter I - no "I" name
Square 13C - letter T - title "The Plus"
Word - HIT
+20 task
+5 style points missed on post 110 (jumbo)
Task total: 25
Grand total: 220
10.4 - Valentine'sStarry Skies Over The Chocolate Pot Cafe by Jessica Redland
+10 task
+5 Combo - 10.3
Task total: 15
Grand total: 245
20.2 JazzThe Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain
This is a fast and snappy read. It is considered a hard-boiled noir classic, and I think at the time (1934) it would have been all that and more. Reading it in 2020, it is still very good, but not as shocking or hard as it would have seemed at the time. The pacing and the dialogue read like a screen play to me (which makes sense given that he was writing screen plays at the same time). The female lead, Cora, is a very interesting character that develops over the course of the (short) novel. I felt sorry for Frank, the narrator, he doesn’t seem to be in much control of his life. 3* If you are interested in Cain, I think Mildred Pierce is vastly superior.
20 task
10 review
10 combo 10.3, 20.10
____
40
Running total: 265
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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)
More...
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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Pretentiousness: Why It Matters by Dan Fox
+10 Task (2016)
+5 Combo (10.3 Dan)
Points this post: 15
RwS total: 55
NoTG total: -
Season Total: 55
.... .... .... .... 10.5 10.6 10.7 .... .... ....
.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ....
.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ....