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message 701: by Coralie (new)

Coralie | 2757 comments 10.10 Page Count 500 and over

Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O'Keefe
533 pages

+10 Task

Post Total: 10
Season Total: 1785


message 702: by Coralie (new)

Coralie | 2757 comments 20.5 Riding the Metro

Fatherland by Robert Harris

set in Berlin
Country Germany
Continent: Europe

+20 Task
+5 Before 1996 (published 1992)

Post Total: 25
Season Total: 1810


message 703: by Nick (new)

Nick (doily) | 491 comments 15.8 Ten Degrees of Separation

Consider the Lobster and Other Essays by David Foster Wallace, rated 5*s by Kazen and Dave.

Task Points: 45

Previous Points: 555
Total Points So Far: 600

Consider the Lobster and Other Essays by David Foster Wallace


message 704: by Bryony (new)

Bryony (bryony46) | 247 comments 20.3 - Riding the Metro

The Baby is Mine by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Set in Lagos, Nigeria

This was a frustrating read for me. I enjoyed My Sister, the Serial Killer by the same author and she’s clearly a talented writer but this book didn’t really reflect that. I felt the story had potential, but it seemed to lose its way and was ultimately quite unsatisfying. The characterisation was very weak, even for a book of just over 100 pages, and none of the characters were ever really developed. A dispute about a baby’s parentage is a major part of the story, and some of the descriptions of adults caring for an infant were so unrealistic it seemed as though the author had never encountered a baby in real life! Overall quite a disappointing book, but I will probably still give the author another try.

+20 task
+5 review

Post total: 25
Season total: 110


message 705: by Bryony (new)

Bryony (bryony46) | 247 comments 10.7 - Page Count

Murder in the Mews by Agatha Christie

I enjoyed this collection of four Poirot stories. There’s an interesting mix of different settings and mysteries, including one without a murder! I know, a Poirot investigation with no murder, whatever next! The final story, “The Triangle at Rhodes” was my favourite. Poirot suspects all along that a murder is going to take place, but the identity of the victim and the murderer made for an interesting twist.

+10 task
+5 review
+5 oldies (published 1937)

Post total: 20

Season total: 130


message 706: by Bryony (last edited Aug 17, 2021 02:13PM) (new)

Bryony (bryony46) | 247 comments 10.3 - Page Count

The Late Monsieur Gallet by Georges Simenon

Three books into the series and Maigret is quickly becoming one of my favourite fictional detectives. In this book he investigates the death of a travelling salesman who seems to become ever more mysterious as Maigret investigates the crime and learns about the victim. Maigret is such an interesting character, we really see his personality as he works and weighs up different explanations for the crime. I’m pleased there are over seventy books about Maigret as I’m sure this series will be one I return to often.

+10 task
+5 review
+5 oldies (published 1931)

Post total: 20
Season total: 150


message 707: by Connie (last edited Aug 17, 2021 10:48PM) (new)

Connie  G (connie_g) | 1898 comments Round 2
10.6 Page Count 300-349 pages

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

"They could call what they were seeking justice, but that didn't make it true. It was unquenchable, implacable vengeance. And life, inside the graybar and out, had taught him that vengeance came with consequences."

Two grieving ex-con fathers, one black and one white, join together to determine who killed their sons. It looked like their married gay sons had been gunned down by professional killers in rural Virginia. The fathers had not been very accepting of their sons' sexuality. Feeling guilt and regret, they want to make up for it by avenging their deaths.

The book is suspenseful with a large body count. But it also tackles important social issues like homophobia, racism, classism, and poverty. The dialogue is snappy and sometimes humorous. The characters of the two fathers are very well developed. "Razorblade Tears" is a gritty page-turner with stellar writing and fantastic characterization. 5 stars!

+10 task
+ 5 review

Task total: 15
Season total: 665


message 708: by Anika (last edited Aug 17, 2021 08:26PM) (new)

Anika | 2796 comments 20.10 RtM

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin

Set in Glasgow
Country: Scotland
Continent: Europe

Lenni is seventeen. She was born in Sweden, her mother left when she was little, she's got a wicked sense of humor, and she's in the terminal ward.
Margot is eighty-three. She's been in love once, married a couple of times, has lost a child, and now she's in hospital awaiting surgery.
Lenni meets Margot in the most unlikely of circumstances and they become the most unlikely of friends. The hospital has recently implemented art classes (art therapy to soothe the patients) and Lenni has somehow finagled her way into the senior's class. She realizes that together, she and Margot are one hundred years old. They embark on a project of painting one picture for every year of their lives. Lenni has decided to write up an explanation for each picture so Margot has to tell the story of each of her pictures for Lenni to transcribe.
I am sad to be done with the book because it meant saying goodbye to some of the best characters I've met in a while. Not just Lenni and Margot, but New Nurse and The Temp and Father Arthur to name a few.
I listened to this one and so glad I did. I love the Scottish accent and the readers' timing and pauses added so much to the tale. Five giant, gold-glittery stars.

+35 Task
+5 Review
+100 Finisher Bonus
+50 10 different countries (Japan, Poland, India, England, Cuba, Egypt, Australia, South Korea, USA, Scotland)
+100 6 continents (Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America)

Task total: 290
Season total: 2415


message 709: by Anika (new)

Anika | 2796 comments 10.2 PC

Paper Girls, Vol. 2 by Brian K. Vaughan

This installment was a bit of a let-down...it has middle-book syndrome: just a continuation of what began in the first volume without anything momentous happening...just trying to keep the story going. Not to say I want to quit anytime soon, though. I still love the style, the story, the badass papergirls and they weirdness they find themselves in...was just hoping for more from this volume.

+10 Task
+5 Review

Task total: 15
Season total: 2430


message 710: by Mary (last edited Aug 17, 2021 10:04PM) (new)

Mary | 1401 comments 15.8 TDoS

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

I was somewhat disappointed with this classic. The plot — that most people are familiar with — is fantastic, but the book seemed to drag in many places. Wilde appeared to be philosophizing for extended periods and it seemed unnecessary and distracting. It is a great gothic/romantic premise that does not quite meet expectations


45 pts 15.8 Lisa and Maggie
5 pts review
5 pts pre 1996
Total Task 55 points

Total Season: 600 pts.

10.1 10.2 10.3 ... 10.5 10.6 ... ... ... 10.10
15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 15.7 15.8. ... ...
20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6. 20.7 20.8 ... ...

Countries: England, United States, Australia, Japan, Germany, Ghana, Ireland, Cuba,
Continents Europe, North America, Oceania, Asia, Africa, South America
delete


message 711: by Kazen (last edited Aug 18, 2021 12:36AM) (new)

Kazen | 623 comments 10.6 - Page Count (300-349 pages)

Why We Fight: Essays on Fascism, Resistance, and Surviving the Apocalypse by Shane Burley

I've been doing a lot of reading about fascism in the here and now since January, and this is the first book I've read that's not at an introductory level. The essays feel a bit disjointed but the gems shine, and I'm sure I'll be returning to it as I continue reading about the subject.

+10 task (340 pages)
+5 review

Task total: 15 points
Grand total: 70 points


message 712: by Kazen (last edited Aug 18, 2021 12:36AM) (new)

Kazen | 623 comments 10.7 - Page Count (350-399 pages)

Burnt Offerings by Laurell K. Hamilton

By virtue of being the seventh installment the Anita Blake series it's hard to stay out of spoilers, but this book was a let down after the awesomeness of book six. The weaknesses of of the world are starting to show, and while we meet some important characters for the first time the plot itself was sadly cookie cutter. Sigh.

+10 task (392 pages)
+5 review

Task total: 15 points
Grand total: 85 points


message 713: by Kazen (new)

Kazen | 623 comments 10.10 - Page Count (500+ pages)

A Promised Land by Barack Obama

This is my first time reading Obama and I'm pleasantly surprised at how good his prose is. I learned a bunch about his early life, reveled in stories from the campaign trail, and let my eyes gloss over every time he thanked someone. Being a great writer doesn't exempt him from being a politician, after all. And on top of that it made me want to read Michelle Obama's Becoming - it's obvious that she has a lot of tales to tell. Solid and informative, but not going on the favorite shelf.

+10 task (751 pages)
+5 review

Task total: 15 points
Grand total: 100 points


message 714: by Rebekah (last edited Aug 18, 2021 09:35AM) (new)

Rebekah (bekalynn) 10.9 page count
The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell
(450 pages)

+10 pts Task
+100 pts - Completion Bonus
Task Total - 110 points


message 715: by Rebekah (last edited Aug 18, 2021 09:47AM) (new)

Rebekah (bekalynn) 20.5 RtM
American Visa by Juan De Recacoechea

City: La Paz
Country: Bolivia
Continent: South America

Task Total 20 pts


message 716: by Nick (new)

Nick (doily) | 491 comments 15.9 Ten Degrees of Separation

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, rated 5*s by Dave and Steven

Task Points: 45
Before 1996: 5 (1st pub’d 1992)

Previous Points: 600
Total Points So Far: 650


message 717: by Nick (new)

Nick (doily) | 491 comments 15.10 Ten Degrees of Separation

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, rated 5*s by Steven and Joanna

Task Points: 45
Before 1996: 5 (1st pub’d 1989)

Completion BONUS for Ten Degrees of Separation: 100

Previous Points: 650
Total Points So Far: 800


message 718: by Bucket (new)

Bucket | 304 comments 15.7 TDoS

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

Rated 5* by Valerie Brown and Deedee.

This is a problematic book, of course -- and moreso than many classics. There is zero cultural or racial competency, many problematic scenes, and the only female character in the book is virtually silent the entire time and there only to fall in love with the hero.

But the trip around the world is fun and creative, and the writing moves along at an exciting clip, with details about transportation technology and routes that were brand new when this was written in the 1870s. Worth a read.

+30 Task
+5 Review
+5 Before 1996 (pub’d 1872)

Post total: 40
Season total: 495

Claimed to date:
10.1 10.2 - - 10.5 10.6 - - 10.9 10.10
15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 15.7 - - -
20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 - - - -



message 719: by Bucket (new)

Bucket | 304 comments 15.8 TDoS

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

Rated 5* by Deedee and Lisa.

A gorgeous novel, all about belonging and identity. It's about the changes that happen to you and the changes you impose on yourself that form who you are. Gogol is a great character, whose adolescent blunders and adult reminiscences in his 30s feel very true to life.

This does have that common hallmark of a first novel. The themes and the deeper meaning/lesson of moments is a bit overt. There's that authorial fear that we won't understand her and she needs to tell us exactly what she means in addition to showing us. It's minor though and having read more Lahiri I know she quickly got over that as she grew as a writer.

+45 Task
+5 Review

Post total: 50
Season total: 545

Claimed to date:
10.1 10.2 - - 10.5 10.6 - - 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 20.4 20.5 20.6 - - - -



message 720: by Valerie (last edited Aug 24, 2021 05:51AM) (new)

Valerie Brown | 3270 comments 20.7 Riding the Metro

Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys

City: Paris
Country: France
Continent: Europe

This is a book to mull over. I needed to ‘step away’ after I finished it to truly recognize how good it is. It is depressing and painful, but there is no judgement (of the main character and her choices) or self pity on her part. Despite this, it is a very readable novel. ‘Under the Volcano’ was an intense and in your face depiction of alcoholism. This novel is languid in it’s approach to alcoholism and the seedy underbelly of 1930s Paris. 4*

25 task
5 review
5 >1996
_____
35

Running total: 1375


message 721: by Anika (last edited Aug 18, 2021 04:11PM) (new)

Anika | 2796 comments 20.1 RtM

Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim

Set 95% in Paris
Country: France
Continent: Europe

I was looking for something light and easy to listen to while I was packing and readying the house to leave for the week. This seemed like it would have fit the bill: Paris--LOVE; tea shop--LOVE; magic--mostly LOVE. But OMG was it annoying.
Vanessa can read tea leaves. Like, for real. It's a gift that has popped up on the family tree every other generation for...well...generations. She hates her gift, finding it more of a curse (like when she told her cousin on her wedding day that she'd be divorced within a year because her husband wasn't just getting sashimi at his favorite sushi bar, if you get my drift). Her aunt Evelyn has the same gift, but instead of fighting it she has embraced it and has always wanted to teach Vanessa to do the same. She invites her to Paris to help her in her tea shop and to learn to control the family "gift".
I liked the magical aspect, it was fun, very Sarah Addison Allen.
I hated the relationship between Vanessa and Evelyn: never for one second felt believable.
I hated the way the romantic relationships went in this story: too absurd.
I LOVED the descriptions of Paris: the art, the food, the feel; and the writing wasn't *terrible* so it's a 2.5 for me which I'll probably round up.

+20 Task
+5 Review

Task total: 2460


message 722: by Rebekah (new)

Rebekah (bekalynn) 20.6 RtM second round
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

City: London
Country: England
Continent: Europe

Task total - 25 pts


message 723: by Nick (new)

Nick (doily) | 491 comments 20.7 Riding the Metro

The Beekeeper of Aleppo Aleppo, Syria – Asia.

Task Points: 25

Previous Points: 800
Total Points So Far: 825


message 724: by Nick (last edited Aug 19, 2021 07:03AM) (new)

Nick (doily) | 491 comments Aaaargh! I am going to have to cancel my last post, as it is not set 75% in Aleppo.

CANCEL -- 20.7 Riding the Metro

Task Points: - 25
Previous Points: 825
Total Points So Far: 800


message 725: by Nick (new)

Nick (doily) | 491 comments 20.7 Riding the Metro

The Redundancy of Courage by Timothy MoSet entirely in Dili, Timor-Leste – Asia.

Task Points: 25
Previous Points: 800
Total Points So Far: 825


message 726: by Rosemary (new)

Rosemary | 4278 comments 20.2 Riding the Metro
Round 2

The Evenings: A Winter's Tale by Gerard Reve

The main character in this late 1940s novel set in Amsterdam is a bored, sarcastic young man who lives with parents he despises - in fact, he lives a life he despises. Nothing much happens, but as I've had the misfortune to know young men exactly like him in the past, I found all the depressing detail fascinating in a car-crash kind of way.

set in Amsterdam
Country: Netherlands
Continent: Europe

+20 Task
+ 5 Review
+ 5 pre-1996

Post Total: 30
Season Total: 1385


message 727: by Kristina Simon (new)

Kristina Simon (kristinasimon) | 151 comments 15.9 - TDoS

Connections in Death by J.D. Robb

Rated 5* by:
Melissa and Deanna

+45 Task
+100 Finish

Task total: 145
Season total: 420


message 728: by Coralie (new)

Coralie | 2757 comments 15.10 TDoS

Educated by Tara Westover

Rated 5* by Erin (NY) and about 50 other members

+45 Task

Post Total: 45
Completion bonus: 100
Season Total: 1955


message 729: by Ann (new)

Ann (lit_chick_77) | 551 comments 10.6
The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi

336 pages

I was really not looking forward to this one. I love sci-fi but not politics and economics in spaaaaaace. The only reason I gave this a shot was because it was part of the Hugo packet. Why not.
And WOW. This was so good! It starts with a bang, and it really does not let up. The characters are vibrant and interesting, there’s humor and intrigue and Kiva, the best character since Murderbot.
If you like space operas, give this a shot. If you don’t like space operas but you do like great characters, give this a shot. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

+10 task
+5 review
Task total = 15
Season total = 1095


Elizabeth (Alaska) | 14231 comments 15.10 TDoS

The Keys to the Street by Ruth Rendell
5 stars from Rosemary (thank you!)

For me, there is only one negative here. I like my psychological fiction relatively short. She did that superbly in A Demon in My View, so in my opinion, at 375 pages this novel is about 150 pages too long. That said, I haven't a clue what might have been cut or how she could have written it differently.

The novel has multiple points of view. In the opening, there is Hob (his initials). He has gotten an advance for roughing up someone and before he does the job he buys some crack. Then, and only then, does he do the job. Next is Mary Jago who is leaving her partner of 3 years to house sit for some friends of her grandmother. They have a lovely shi-tzu who is walked twice daily by Bean. Bean has other dogs he walks, but there is nothing really to like about Bean. Finally, there is a homeless man, Roman Ashton. Roman has been on the streets just a little over a year. Mary first sees him reading Gogol's Dead Souls and thinks of him as Nikolai. There are other characters with whom these four interact - dog owners, homeless, police, and Leo, the man to whom Mary has donated bone marrow.

Obviously, they're not all on the page at the same time. Is it one of these who is murdering homeless men and who will be the next victim? As above, I think Rendell took too long to set the stage, but the last 150 pages were well worth the wait. This is definitely a high 4-star read.

+45 Task
+ 5 Review
+ 5 before 1996 (1996, right on the nose!)

Task total = 55

+100 Finisher bonus

Season total = 1145


message 731: by Tawallah (new)

Tawallah | 440 comments 10.1 - Page Count
Xingu by Edith Wharton
Paperback count - 48 pages
Agatha's First Case by M.C. Beaton
Using Kindle version of 36 pages as the version with 85 pages has a sample of another book.

Post : 10
Season total: 205


message 732: by Tawallah (new)

Tawallah | 440 comments 10.4 Page Count
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Page 240

Post : 10
Completion Bonus: 100
Season total: 315


message 733: by Rosemary (last edited Aug 20, 2021 03:20PM) (new)

Rosemary | 4278 comments I'm glad you enjoyed The Keys to the Street, Elizabeth!

10.5 Page Count 250-299 pp
Round 2

The Prime of Ms Dolly Greene by E.V. Harte

This is a cosy mystery about a Tarot reader who becomes aware of impending deaths among her clients and neighbours. The author is Daisy Waugh, granddaughter of Evelyn Waugh and daughter of Auberon, writing under a pen name.

This was sent to me in a group reading circle. It started slowly and I might not have persisted if I hadn't needed to give feedback on it, but it did pick up. There were some racial stereotypes which bothered me in such a recent book (2017) but were nothing compared to what her father or grandfather might have written. Apart from that I enjoyed it on its own terms as an easy read, and I gave it 3 stars.

+10 Task (288 pp)
+ 5 Review

Post Total: 15
Season Total: 1400


message 734: by Deedee (new)

Deedee | 2279 comments Task 15.02 TDoS

Kendyl (p. 5) ==> Lindsay (p. 2)

Little Fires Everywhere (2017) by Celeste Ng (Goodreads Author) (Paperback, 338 pages)

+20 Task

Grand Total: 290 + 20 = 310


message 735: by Coralie (new)

Coralie | 2757 comments 20.6 Riding the Metro

Homeland by Cory Doctorow

set in San Francisco
Country USA
Continent: North America

+25 Task

Post Total: 25
Season Total: 1980


message 736: by Rebekah (last edited Aug 25, 2021 03:17PM) (new)

Rebekah (bekalynn) 20.7 RtM second round
The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan

City - Lahore
Country: Pakistan ( in current times, capital of the Indian Mughal Empire serving as its capital in the time period of the story)
Continent: Asia

Task - 25 pts


message 737: by Coralie (new)

Coralie | 2757 comments 20.7 Riding the Metro

Dragon Day by Lisa Brackmann

set in Beijing
Country China
Continent: Asia

+25 Task

Post Total: 25
Season Total: 2005


message 738: by Ann (new)

Ann (lit_chick_77) | 551 comments 10.10

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

531 pages

Not my favorite. As the pages dwindled, I felt such relief that it was ending. When I read something horrible, I want it to be cathartic horror, something that makes me feel a little safer in the real world. When I read fantasy, I want to be transported to an interesting world. I do not want this..

This is not a bad book at all, in fact it’s very vivid… but it’s a book about war. Real war, not fantasy war. And when it starts to get dark it keeps going and gets darker.

The structure is very standard chosen one. And there was nothing to make this chosen one interesting to me. The supporting characters were equally meh. So I did not care about the players and I got a heaping dose of brutal reality instead of escaping. Nope.

+10 task
+5 review
Task total = 15
Season total = 1110


message 739: by Connie (new)

Connie  G (connie_g) | 1898 comments Round 2
10.5 Page Count (250-299 pages)

The Paris Hours by Alex George

Author Alex George transports us to Paris for 24 hours to explore how losses and secrets can have a profound effect on the lives of four ordinary Parisians. Souren, an Armenian refugee, is lonely and suffering from survivor's guilt after losing his family to Turkish soldiers. Guillaume, an impoverished painter, has to leave Paris to avoid being killed by loan sharks. Journalist Jean-Paul has written a book to keep the memory of his infant daughter alive. Camille, a housekeeper for Marcel Proust, is holding on to a terrible secret and is afraid that it may be revealed someday.

The lives of these four characters also intersect with some famous celebrities--Maurice Ravel, Sylvia Beach, Ernest Hemingway, Josephine Baker, Sidney Bechet, Gertrude Stein, and more. The novel sometimes brought Woody Allen's movie, "Midnight in Paris," to mind, especially when the various character threads merge at the jazz club, Le Chat Blanc.

There are numerous coincidences that bring the characters together, but I was intrigued by each of their stories. The novel showed how the Great War brought lifelong difficulties into some characters' lives. Post-war Paris was being reborn as an exciting city full of people on the artistic, musical, and literary cutting edge. I've always been fascinated by both Paris and the Twenties so I found this to be an enjoyable book.

+10 task (272 pages)
+ 5 review

Task total: 15
Completion bonus: 100
Season total: 780


message 740: by Connie (new)

Connie  G (connie_g) | 1898 comments Round 3
10.7 Page Count (350-399 pages)

Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads by David Morrell

Thrillers create suspense and get the adrenaline flowing. The genre has changed over the years, and the essays in "Thrillers: 100 Must Reads" present some of the most notable works in chronological order. The book begins with classic adventure tales such as "The Odyssey" and "Beowulf," and soon moves on to 20th Century works.

The essays present short biographies of the thriller authors and the essayists. The discussion of each thriller puts the story in its historical context. The essayists often mentioned what the book meant to them, and how it influenced their own work and the output of others that wrote similar books. Many of the works were chosen because they took thrillers into new directions. The authors' original professions often influenced the type of works they wrote--such as espionage thrillers, medical thrillers, legal thrillers, naval thrillers, etc. World Wars, the Nazis hiding in South America, the Cold War, the Kennedy assassination, Vietnam vets with post-traumatic stress, racial conflicts, and other world problems influenced the authors' choice of characters and themes during certain eras. Other works were psychological thrillers or set on the horror/thriller fence.

The essays were enthusiastic and well-written. Most of the thrillers chosen were written by male authors so some of the choices were too high testosterone for my taste. Some of the essays went into spoiler territory as the essayist explained why the thriller was such an exceptional or groundbreaking story. Of course, I'll be adding more suspenseful books to my overflowing TBR list.

+10 task (378 pages)
+ 5 review

Task total: 15
Season total: 795


message 741: by Connie (last edited Aug 21, 2021 09:55PM) (new)

Connie  G (connie_g) | 1898 comments Round 3
10.1 Page Count (2 or 3 short works adding up to 75-150 pages)

Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti (70 pages, published 1862)

and A Message from the Sea by Charles Dickens (52 pages, published 1860)

"Goblin Market" is a sensual narrative poem about two innocent sisters who are tempted with luscious fruit by the goblin men. There are many interpretations of this poem ranging from sexual temptation to the temptation of drugs.

There is also a religious interpretation with the goblin men representing the devil in the Garden of Eden, and the sister Laura representing Eve eating the forbidden fruit. Lizzie, a Christ-like figure, makes a sacrifice that leads to the redemption of Laura.

Christina Rossetti was a religious woman who worked with "fallen women" at the St Mary Magdalene Home. Her brother, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti, was the original illustrator for the book of poetry published in 1862.


"A Message from the Sea" was published in the December 13, 1860 Christmas edition of the literary journal "All the Year Round." It was a collaborative effort mainly written by Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins with help from Robert Buchanan, Charles Allston Collins, Amelia Edwards, and Harriet Parr.

American Captain Jorgan visits a family in a charming fishing village in Cornwall. He found a letter in a bottle during his last voyage, and wanted to deliver it to the family. The letter was written by a family member who was lost at sea, and had some troubling news. The collaborative effort also contains some ghost stories, and a harrowing shipwreck so it should have kept the interest of people of many ages. Stories were often read aloud back in the 19th Century since some people were illiterate. I found "A Message from the Sea" to be very entertaining, and also enjoyed the themes of honesty and family love.

+10 task
+ 5 review
+5 before 1996

Task total: 20
Season total: 815


message 742: by Deedee (new)

Deedee | 2279 comments Task 10.1 two or three short works adding up to 75-150 pages*

62 + 64 = 126
75 < 126 < 150

Lot No. 249 (1892) by Arthur Conan Doyle (Paperback, Penguin Little Black Classics #121, 51 pages)
Most popular version: 62 pages

AND

Bartleby the Scrivener (1853) by Herman Melville (Paperback, 64 pages)
(Published May 1st 2004 by Melville House)
Most popular version: 64 pages


+10 Task

Task Total: 10

Grand Total: 310 + 10 = 320


message 743: by Karen Michele (new)

Karen Michele Burns (klibrary) | 5277 comments 15.5 TDoS

What Is the What by Dave Eggers

Rated 5* by Joy and Jayme VA

+30 Task

Post Total: 30
Season Total: 825


message 745: by Coralie (new)

Coralie | 2757 comments 20.8 Riding the Metro

The Day the Leader Was Killed by Naguib Mahfouz

set in Cairo
Country Egypt
Continent: Asia

+25 Task
+5 before 1996 (published 1983)

Post Total: 30
Season Total: 2035


message 746: by Ed (last edited Aug 22, 2021 08:59PM) (new)

Ed Lehman | 2651 comments 20.2 Riding the Metro (Round 3)
set in Montevideo, Uruguay, South America

Crocodile Tears by Mercedes Rosende

An excellent black comical mystery/police procedural romp . A blurb on the book cover compares this novel to the movie Fargo...and I agree. Set in Uruguay's capitol of Montevideo....a kidnapping goes awry....and there are two characters named Ursula Lopez.... causing confusion to the characters...not necessarily to the reader. Plausible ridiculous situations with unique characters. A fun read! I'll read more from this author. 4 stars.

Task=20
review=5

Task total= 25

Season Total=1455

✔Page Count: 10.1; 10.2; 10.3;10.4 10.5; 10.6; 10.7; 10.8; 10.9; 10.10
Page Count 2nd round: ....; .....; 10.3
✔20.1; 20.2; 20.3; 20.4; 20.5; 20.6; 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10
✔2nd round: 20.1; 20.2; 20.3; 20.4; 20.5; 20.6; 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10
3rd round: 20.1; 20.2


message 747: by Marie (new)

Marie (mariealex) | 1098 comments 20.9 Riding the Metro

Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan

London, UK, Europe

+25 Task
Task total = 25

Season total = 275
10.1 ; 10.2 ; 10.3 ; … ; … ; 10.6 ; … ; … ; 10.9 ; …
… ; … ; … ; … ; … ; … ; … ; … ; … ; …
20.1 ; 20.2 ; 20.3 ; 20.4 ; 20.5 ; 20.6 ; 20.7 ; 20.8 ; 20.9 ; …


message 748: by Coralie (last edited Aug 23, 2021 10:20PM) (new)

Coralie | 2757 comments 20.9 Riding the Metro

The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez

set in Kabul
Country Afghanistan
Continent: Asia

+25 Task

Post Total: 25
Season Total: 2060


message 749: by Marie (new)

Marie (mariealex) | 1098 comments 10.10 Page Count

La chute du soleil de fer by Michel Bussi

512 pages

+10 Task

Task total = 10

Season total = 285
10.1 ; 10.2 ; 10.3 ; … ; … ; 10.6 ; … ; … ; 10.9 ; 10.10
… ; … ; … ; … ; … ; … ; … ; … ; … ; …
20.1 ; 20.2 ; 20.3 ; 20.4 ; 20.5 ; 20.6 ; 20.7 ; 20.8 ; 20.9 ; …


message 750: by Marie (new)

Marie (mariealex) | 1098 comments 10.4 Page Count

Le Choeur des femmes by Mermilliod Aude

240 pages

+10 Task

Task total = 10

Season total = 295
10.1 ; 10.2 ; 10.3 ; 10.4 ; … ; 10.6 ; … ; … ; 10.9 ; 10.10
… ; … ; … ; … ; … ; … ; … ; … ; … ; …
20.1 ; 20.2 ; 20.3 ; 20.4 ; 20.5 ; 20.6 ; 20.7 ; 20.8 ; 20.9 ; …


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