Reading with Style discussion
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SP 22 Completed Tasks
Kate S wrote: "From Post 331Norma wrote: "20.3 - Our Town
Open Carry by Marc Cameron
+20 task
+5 Combo - 10.4
Task total: 25
Grand total: 240"
+5 Combo 20.8"
Thanks for catching that Kate. I will claim the missed combo points for post 331, 368 and 369 on my next post,
10.3 Shakespeare The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
( currently #48 on list)
+10 pts - Task
+20 pts - Combo(10.2, 20.3- village of King’s Abbott, 20.9- chapter 16 characters have a social evening where cake is served, 20.10)
+10 pts - Oldies (1926)
Task Total - 40 pts
10.3 ShakespeareDeath on the Nile by Agatha Christie
I made the mistake of watching the movie before reading the book--I was on hold for it at the library and it hadn't come in yet but my husband wanted to go to a movie (how nice to be able to again!) and that was his pick. It was a great film! Fantastic acting, gorgeous scenery, stunning costumes, edge-of-your-seat storytelling...but NOT true to the book, as I came to realize when it finally came through at the library.
I think I would have enjoyed the book more (more red-herrings, more things to distract and confuse, more smoke and mirrors than were in the film) had I not constantly been trying to figure out who was supposed to be whom in the film...let's just say that the character list in the book does not at all match up with the cast list in the film--(view spoiler)
I quite enjoyed this installment of Poirot's adventures, told with a wink and a chuckle in what I'm coming to realize is typical Christie style.
+10 Task, #151 on the list
+10 Review
+10 Oldies, pub 1937
+5 Combo, 20.10
Task total: 35
Season total: 450
10.10 Group ReadsWhen All Is Said by [author:Anne Griffin|18098856
What a glorious novel...
Maurice Hannigan, 84, has rented the finest room in the local hotel (the honeymoon suite) and has parked himself at the hotel bar to drink five drinks. Five drinks to toast the five people who have made him the man he is. With each person he toasts, he takes us on a trip down memory lane to show why that person means so much to him...we also get a snapshot of Maurice in each stage of his life, as well as a glimpse of the town and its inhabitants and how they mold and shape him as well. It reveals how not just love, but pain and hate and revenge have
+10 Task
+10 Review
+15 Combo: 10.4, 20.3, 20.9 "We finished our meal with a choice of apple tart or Madeira cake. Sadie tried both."
Task total: 35
Season total: 485
10.4 NameGod Is Disappointed in You by Mark Russell
+10 pts - Task
+5 pts - Combo (10.9)
Task Total - 15 pts
15.1 Northern Africa, LibyaChewing Gum by Mansour Bushnaf
This is such a short book yet took me so long to get through :-/
I know I missed A LOT of the symbolism and the meaning that would have been gleaned by someone from Libya, but I still appreciated it (though DEFINITELY did not love it).
The writing was lovely and lyrical at times, journalistic at others.
Something about this book reminded me of If on a Winter's Night a Traveler--it has an otherworldly feel and right when I think the author and I are on the same page, I get thrown for a massive loop and realize I'm stumbling in the dark again.
The story starts in a refuse-littered park, with Mukhtar down on his knees as he watches Fatma, the love of his life, walk away in her black coat and red scarf and her hair flowing. Mukhtar doesn't move from this spot, frozen in time, for over ten years. This chapter creates a snapshot in time and much like a snapshot, there are strangers strolling through the background.
Each subsequent chapter examines an aspect of this snapshot, from the refuse to the strolling strangers and extends out to Mukhtar and Fatma's parents (for without them, there would be no Mukhtar or Fatma).
It was an interesting read, but I feel like I would have gotten more out of it had I read it in a book club or uni class so that I had other people with whom to discuss and unpack it.
+15 Task
+20 Bonus country
+10 Non-Western
+10 Review
Task total: 55
Season total: 540
15.9 Southeast AsiaLaos
Curse of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill
+15 pts - Task
+20 pts - Bonus
Task Total - 35 pts
10.6 Space OutThe Salvage Crew by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne
+10 pts - Task
+5 pts - Combo (10.5- main character used to be a human that uploads his brain into a computer and his body becomes the actual spaceship that is transformer style and his computer brain is in charge of the crew. Very wild I know. I had to keep re-reading parts to clarify what was going on)
+10 pts - NonWestern (Sri Lanka)
Task Total - 25 pts
20.8 TexasThese Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 by Nancy E. Turner
Pg 52 "He is a big boy and didn't want me to hug him, but he didn't mind at all if I made him a little sweet cake at dinner tonight."
I loved reading the fictional diary of pioneer Sarah Prine, partly based on the life of author Nancy E Turner's great-grandmother. Sarah is only 18 years old when her family travels by wagon to Arizona. It's a dangerous trip through Indian territory, guarded by Captain Jack Elliot and his soldiers. After her family settles in Arizona, Sarah marries a friend in what would prove to be a short, unhappy marriage before his death. Sparks would fly when she sees Captain Jack again. The story of their warm, loving relationship and the challenges of living in Arizona Territory fill the rest of Sarah's diary. The early diary entries show misspelled words and poor grammar. But Sarah finds some boxes of books in an abandoned wagon, and her writing improves quickly as she develops a lifelong love of reading and learning.
Sarah is a spitfire--courageous, hardworking, devoted to her family, a smart businesswoman who also knows how to handle a gun. Sarah worries about Jack as he goes off on his assignments with the Army, but they share a genuine love when he returns. The hardships of frontier life are tempered by Jack's teasing and other humorous moments. This was a wonderfully written book about the West in the late 19th Century. I was on an emotional roller coaster as Sarah experienced the joys and sorrows of being a high-spirited pioneer woman.
+ 20 task (author born in Texas)
+10 combo 10.4 Name; 20.9 Birthday
+10 review
Task total: 40
Seasonal total: 295
10.1 PopularFrom 1982
A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami
+10 Task
+10 Non-Western
+5 Oldies (published 1982)
Task total = 25
Season Total: 610
10.4 EasterThe Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
+10 pts - Task
+15 pts - Combo(10.9-follows the timeline of each of the two main characters, 20.9- in chapter 9, Tuppence eats cream cake with her tea, 20.10)
+10 - Oldies ( 1922)
Task Total - 35 pts
Task 10.4 NameRead any book by an author whose given name is 3, 4, or 5 letters long.
The Book of Lost Things (2006) by John Connolly (Goodreads Author) (Hardcover, 339 pages)
+10 Task
Task Total: 10
Grand Total: 195 + 10 = 205
Karen Michele wrote: "Jayme wrote: "20.9 birthdayGold Digger: The Remarkable Baby Doe Taborby Rebecca Rosenberg
"A big Catholic wedding, white dreds, eat cake." p 197
Review
This is ab..."
Thanks for the info. I wasn't sure if she was a real person.
15.2 Western Africa—Sierra LeonA Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
So difficult to read. This is Ishmael Beah’s memoir from about age 11 to 15. He is separated from his family by an attack on a village by rebels. He sees and experiences things that no person, let alone a child, should. He survives alone and with a groups of boys about his age. He ends up being dragooned into the army and as part of the army does things that haunt him.
He is selected for rehabilitation. The accumulated horrors of his and his fellow child soldiers is very apparent in how difficult this is.
Beah writes well and effectively, very much in the voice of a young man.
+15 task
+10 review
+10 non western
Task total: 35
Season total: 210
15.1 North Africa ( Egypt)Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
+15 task ( what a pleasure to find a new series!! )
Post total: 15
Season total: 280
20.9 Birthdays Beyondby Mercedes Lackey
"She brought out some cake in a napkin." p 20
Task +20
Grand total: 190
10.7 Three Favorite WomenThe Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
+10 pts - Task
+10 pts - Combo(10.9, 20.2)
Task Total - 20 pts
20.8 Texas IndependenceNetwork Effect by Martha Wells
Martha Wells has lived up to my (high) expectations with this full length instalment of ‘Murderbot’. Since this is novel length the plot is much more complex, yet it is still propulsive. Yes, on the surface this is an adventure with a Cyborg, in deep space, and in this instance involving sophisticated computer science. But really, this and all, of the Murderbot stories are explorations of the meaning of personhood, interpersonal relations, and (interestingly to me) an indictment of corporate greed. For me this is what the best of science fiction does – explores the human condition without hitting you over the head with polemics.
Once again, I listened to the audiobook read by Kevin R. Free. He inhabits ‘Murderbot’ so fully to me that if I met him on the street I think I would be kind of afraid! 5*
20 task
10 review
10 combo 10.5, 10.6
______
40
Running total: 580
20.7 The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao In the Field of Grace by Tessa Afshar
This book would work as a light read when recovering from illness, staying at home, etc. In a nutshell, the story of Ruth, a Moabite, and Boaz and Naomi, Israelites, is recorded in the book of Ruth. Naomi is Ruth's widowed mother-in-law and their relationship is mutually loving and protective. Ruth is also widowed and Naomi wants to return to her home of Bethlehem permanently. Ruth insists on going with her. The writing voice was a bit like a romance novel to me and the author admits in the Notes section that "choosing the right language for biblical fiction" means trying to balance emotional connection and literal interpretation. The explanation of gleaning was interesting new information for me.
+20 Task (approved in task thread)
+15 Combo: 10.4 (Tessa), 20.3 (Bethlehem hundreds of years B.C.). 20.8*
+10 Review
Task total: 45
Season total: 305
*Ch. 11: "...and even offered her a piece of fig cake, which Naomi had prepared from the dried figs given to her by a neighbor."
10.8 Ukraine Has Not Yet PerishedThe Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy
Yes, it has taken me almost a month to complete this book--thanks, Hoopla, for crashing and it took me an age to figure out how to fix it so I could finally listen again! This book covers the history of Ukraine from the discovery of the land by the Vikings (~960 CE) to 2015.
My takeaway? The people have Ukraine have been in constant battle to maintain their homeland from invaders, whether from the Mongol horde, the Ottoman Empire, the Poles, the Russians...this people with a vibrant and rich culture are in constant battle for their existence.
Ukraine has 1/3 of the world's black soil (it's called "the breadbasket of Europe for a reason), it's population in 98% literate, has one of the highest percentage of college graduates in technology and engineering in the world. It's a gem. A gem that Putin is set on possessing. I want Putin to die. A bloody death. The people of Ukraine deserve peace already. I don't remember a ton from the first half of the book, since I listened to it weeks ago, but my takeaway from the last half is that the people of Ukraine are strong and involved and not afraid of the bullies who want to take their land for nefarious purposes. This was a fascinating and comprehensive history of a rich land and a proud people and I'm very interested to see how their history progresses.
+10 Task, set 100% in Ukraine
+10 Review
Task total: 20
Season total: 560
15.5 Southern Africa, SwazilandWhen the Ground Is Hard by Malla Nunn, Lexile 830
This was another one that def felt super YA to me...but I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Adele was one of the popular (mean?) girls at Keziah Christian Academy...until a richer girl usurped her spot. Adele is demoted, given a roommate that is poorer and nowhere near as prestigious as her former cohort: Lottie, the school pariah. Go figure, Lottie is smarter and sassier and far more interesting than Adele could ever have imagined.
I love that they bonded over Jane Eyre. I loved that so much of the book reflected Jane Eyre--you have a mentally imbalanced person, a fire happens, and so much of Jane's young life is represented in their school days. It was an interesting peek into the world of Swaziland in the mid-60s. The writing wasn't terribly challenging, but the story was compelling enough to make this a worthwhile read.
+15 Task
+20 Bonus country
+10 Review
Task total: 45
Season total: 605
Task 20.3 Our TownFor 20.3:
Novel is set in the small town of Zinnia, Mississippi
For 20.9 (Cake):
p. 11 the first person narrator, Sarah Booth Delaney, brings coffee and cake to her visitor; whereupon “He took a bite of cake.”
Buried Bones (Sarah Booth Delaney #2) (2000) by Carolyn Haines (Goodreads Author) (Paperback, 368 pages)
Review: The Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series is about to publish book #24 in 2022. Buried Bones is #2 of the series. Our heroine is Sarah Booth Delaney, a 33 year old woman who was raised as a debutante but now needs to make her own money. She’s doing that as a self-employed private detective (one with very few ethics, IMHO). She lives in the family home, an aging mansion, with a 1800s female ghost and an oversized dog. In this installment, an elderly friend of her mother is writing a memoir. He’s going to reveal a lot of secrets – and the people involved want those secrets to remain secrets. He has a dinner party to gloat; the next morning he’s found dead. The novel follows Sarah as she investigates his death, while having a dating life. It’s very unclear whether or not Sarah ever gets paid for her investigation in this book – but I suppose it’s OK, as she received a huge payoff from her investigation in Book #1 of the Series, Them Bones. This is a standalone book – there’s some backstory from book #1 that would give context to some of the situations in this book #2, but it’s not necessary to understanding the plot and characters of this book. I’m not sure if I’m going to continue the series, as Sarah isn’t a particularly likeable character, and the books are told in first person by Sarah.
+20 Task
+05 Combo (#20.9 “Cake”)
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 + 05 + 10 = 35
Grand Total: 205 + 35 = 240
10.5 Database Anniversary Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker by Kevin D. Mitnick
+10 - Task
+5 - combo (10.4)
Task Total - 15 pts
15.10 Western AsiaMadame Hayat by Ahmet Altan
The whole book is set in Turkey
+15 Task
+5 Combo (10.4)
+10 Non-Western (author is born and lives in Turkey)
Task total = 30
Season total = 310
.... ; 10.2 ; .... ; 10.4 (x2) ; .... ; 10.6 ; … ; .... ; .... ; 10.9 (x2)
.... ; .... ; .... ; .... ; .... ; .... ; .... ; .... ; .... ; 15.10
.... ; 20.2 ; 20.3 ; .... ; 20.5 ; .... ; 20.7 ; .... ; 20.9 (x4) ; 20.10
From Post 368Norma wrote: "20.3 - Our Town
Stone Cross by Marc Cameron
+20 task
+5 Combo 10.4
Task total: 25
Grand total: 290"
+5 Combo 20.8
From Post 369Norma wrote: "10.4 - Name
Bone Rattle by Marc Cameron
+10 task
Task total: 10
Grand total: 300"
+10 Combo 20.3, 20.8
From Post 374Tien wrote: "15.5 Southern Africa
Lesotho
She Plays with the Darkness by Zakes Mda
+15 Task
+20 Project Bonus
Post Total: 35
Season Total: 415"
+10 Non Western
From Post 380Sue wrote: "15.10 West Asia (Turkey)
Last Train to Istanbul by Ayşe Kulin
+15 task
Post total: 15
Season total: 265"
+10 Non Western
20.5 The Killer Angels (Civil Wars)When Christ and His Saints Slept. Sharon Kay Penman
4.5/5.0 - I have read several books about the later Plantagenets, this is the first time that I have read about the origins of that line. This is a well researched book, in which the author shares in great detail the 19 years in English history, known as the Anarchy. It was a time of civil war in England, where two monarchs, Stephen and Maude, fought for the right to be recognized as king (or queen). Stephen, grandson of William the Conqueror, and nephew to the king, took the throne when the king died unexpectedly. He had named his daughter, Maude, as his heir.
Although a very long book, the author did a good job of keeping my interest. Perhaps in the future I will tackle further volumes in this saga.
+20 Task
+10 review
+10 combo (10.2, 20.9) In her honor, they were baking a cake shaped like Oxford Castle…52%
Edit:
+10 Jumbo
+5 Oldies
Task total: 55
Running total: 315
10.1;10.7
15.3; 15.8
20.2;20.5;20.7;20.8;20.9
10.9 DualThe Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali
This is a story of young love that is cut off (due to politics or something else??), and then the lovers spend their lives, while happy in general, wondering ‘what if’. The story begins in 1953 Iran just before the coup overthrows Prime Minister Mosaddegh; and tells the story from Roya’s perspective now (2016) and then. Roya has the opportunity (along with her sister) to move to the US to attend University. They both end up building lives in the US. I found it very interesting to read about the politics playing out (in various demonstrations) in Tehran prior to the coup. I think it would be very interesting to read a history of the country (maybe just in the Twentieth Century) to gain an understanding of how we/they got to this point. I liked how Roya kept her essential “Persian-ness’; and reading about all sorts of delicious sounding Persian food. 4*
10 task
10 review
10 combo 10.2, 20.7
_____
30
Running total: 610
20.2 PrizeThe Fixer by Bernard Malamud
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1967)
+20 Task
+5 Combo (10.8)
+5 Oldies (pub 1966)
Post Total: 30
Season Total: 455
20.8 Texas IndependenceQueen of Dreams by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
I've read several books by this author and loved them all. This was my least favorite to date.
Normally, her characters are so vibrant and true and utterly believable...in this one I felt that several of her characters made decisions that just didn't ring true and their wishy-washy nature weakened the entire story.
In other books of hers (The Palace of Illusions and One Amazing Thing in particular), there were clear themes the author was conveying and she did it on multiple levels, reinforcing and invigorating it with the characters and plot progression and little details that made the books shine. This one felt all over the place, with no clear direction or overarching idea, even throwing in a big plot bomb right at the end with no real resolution.
While I can wholeheartedly recommend this author, I don't think I'd ever recommend picking up this title.
+20 Task, Banerjee lives in Houston
+10 Review
+5 Combo, 20.7, born in Kolkata
Task total: 35
Season total: 640
20.2 PrizeVersed by Rae Armantrout
I try to read as diversely as possible for these tasks, attempting to read at least one volume of poetry, a play, some short stories, and a balanced mix of fiction and non-fiction. Normally, I look forward to the poetry and devour it in one sitting. It's an emotional explosion, with ground zero being the idea behind the collection while the painstakingly chosen words and images in each poem are the shrapnel. It engages me in a way that a novel can't: it requires my attention and involvement to unravel its meaning.
Versed was not my usual experience. It took me two weeks to finish. Maybe I was in the wrong headspace? It just wasn't making ANY sense to me. I wasn't interested or engaged. Her words were going right over my head and as hard as I tried, I felt nothing. Until the halfway point...then I couldn't put it down. Then the words were punching me in the gut and I had my "a ha" and I entirely understood why this was a Pulitzer winner.
+20 Task, 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
+10 Review
+5 Combo 10.4
Task total: 35
Season total: 675
15.10 W. AsiaThe Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
So, first a few complaints. One, the four narrators were barely distinct even though their stories were quite different and should have resulted in quite individualized narrative voices. The audio production didn't help by using a single narrator for the whole book, but I think this is a fault with the author's text more than with the audio narrator. Two, the historical context that makes this setting interesting is almost completely undeveloped. We are told that they are living in this awesome palace built by King Herrod and that that the relevant time period is the first century C.E. But for the way the women talk and most of their interactions, you wouldn't really know that it was all that long ago. Third, the magic that's woven into the story is sort of random and generally just explained as, "then the water ran black which I knew to be an omen of _____." Fourth, the religious beliefs/practices were frequently described in an almost academic way--something like, "our people believe that women should not touch a weapon and to do so makes one unclean. It is forbidden."
But, complaints aside, I was taken in by this book and these women. The story of this community crossing the desert to end up in this stronghold in the mountains was compelling and I enjoyed the building tension as the Romans are closing in. Though I knew the story would have and ending like it did, I thoroughly enjoyed the ending and thought the author handled it quite deftly.
With a heavier editorial hand, this book could have been great.
+15 Task (Israel)
+10 Review
+5 Jumbo (504pp)
Task total: 30
Grand total: 455
10.2 EasterFaces on the Tip of My Tongue by Emmanuelle Pagano
+10 Task (TTT)
+5 Combo (20.3 set in an unnamed rural French town)
Points this post: 15
Season Total: 210
.... 10.2 .... .... .... .... .... .... 10.9 ....
.... .... 15.3 .... .... .... .... .... .... ....
20.1 .... 20.3 .... 20.5 .... .... 20.8 .... .....
20.9 BirthdaysThe Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
Pg 324 "It will be 'Come for the cakes, stay for the books--and the new friends!'"
"The Reading List" is a heartwarming book about people connecting with others as they share their ideas about books. Mukesh, a lonely widower, was given book suggestions by Aleisha, a 17-year-old girl working a summer job at a small library in London. Aleisha had found a small list of books composed of classics and popular books. Copies of the same list were found by other people who use the library, but no one knew who wrote it.
The story is about grief, loneliness, mental health issues, family dynamics, and friendship. Knowledge can be gained from reading fiction to give us greater understanding in dealing with problems in our lives and others. Books can also be a wonderful escape, and a way to experience something new and different. Mukesh found it to be a way to bond with his granddaughter as they read the same book:
"He knew the world Priya was in right now. There was something magical in that--in sharing a world you have loved; allowing someone to see it through the same pair of spectacles you saw it through yourself."
While books were not going to solve the complex problems of some of the characters, they did help people bond with friendship, and emotional support. "The Reading List" will be appreciated by bibliophiles and those who love visiting libraries.
+20 task
+ 5 combo 10.4 Name
+10 review
Task total: 35
Season total: 330
20.1 PulitzerCarmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
My friend Alex wrote the best review of this and you should really just go read his review instead of mine.
I adored this pre-Dracula lesbian vampire story. The book is (intentionally?) over the top, but also gothic and enigmatic and wonderful. (Also, I want to use the spelling vampyre from now on. Is that too pretentious?) Not only is this one of the earliest (the earliest?) vampyre stories, it's also one of the first stories of detective/researcher of magic. The book is framed as part of the case files of a doctor.
The book tells the story of a secluded young woman who lives with her father in an old castle. Then, a visitor implores them to take in her young daughter for a few months. Just go with it because the plot isn't the important part here. Don't get caught up in wondering why anyone would agree to this ridiculous request. Then weird things start happening--townspeople are mysteriously sickening and dying; the visitor seems strange; the secluded young daughter starts having crazy (and erotic) dreams and begins to seem sick.
Reading this sent me down a rabbit hole of reading about early vampyre tales. My favorite from that excursion is this: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31713... --a scholarly article about what disease forms the basis of vampyre stories.
Highly recommend reading this book. It's very short, so if you don't like it, you won't have spent too much time on it.
+20 Task (pub. 1896)
+10 Oldies
+10 Review
+5 Combo (20.3)
Task total: 45
Grand total: 500
15.5 Southern Africa- SwazilandWhen the Ground Is Hard by Malla Nunn
Set in Swaziland when it was still a British protectorate, this novel focuses on two girls sent to a boarding school for mixed-race children. One girl, Adele, is reserved and avoids risks while Lottie is brave, impulsive and much poorer. Circumstances cause the girls to become friends and they do indeed face challenges. Partly because of skin color...but also because of the status of their parents... married/unmarried, rich/poor, etc. The two love to read...and their story coincides with their joint reading of Jane Eyre..herself a boarding school "survivor." Adele's mother is another interesting character...who endures. I'd like to a see a sequel with the mother being amore prominent character. 4 stars.
task =15
Review=10
Bonus country=20
NW=10
task total= 55
Grand Total=705
10.1; 10.2; 10.3; 10.4 (2x); 10.5; -----; 10.7; -----; -----; -----;
-----; 15.2; 15.3; -----; 15.5; 15.6; 15.7; -----; 15.9; 15.10;
-----; -----; 20.3; 20.4; ----; 20.6; 20.7; -----; -----; -----;
10.2 EasterThe Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan
William Sweeney, the renowned author (who I kept envisioning as a cross between Hemingway and John Irving) has died. He has left his three daughters with a ramshackle house, a pile of debt, and a hidden memoir.
Liza, the oldest, has never left Southport. She married a safe-bet kinda guy, had a couple kids, and opened an art gallery all to be able to stay near her father and take care of him as he gets older.
Maggie, "Mad Maggie," is a bohemian artist with a depressive bent. She has never stayed in one place long and the only thing that you can be certain of with her is her unreliability.
Tricia, the youngest, is a New York lawyer. She is responsible, intelligent, bad-ass, but somewhat robotic and emotionally stunted.
They come together to take care of the mountain of things that appear when someone passes away--most pressingly, to find The Memoir: if it is not produced, his publishing house is threatening litigation.
While this is definitely a fluffy, beach read, I liked that there were twists and some attempt to make it something more than a mindless romance--though it did tie everything up with pretty bows at the end. It was fun to read at the time, but I've already forgotten it so: meh?
+10 Task
+10 Review
+15 Combo: 10.4; 20.3; 20.9, "Immediately, Tricia was struck by the familiarity of the scene: two sisters, sitting across the kitchen table drinking coffee and eating Entenmann's while the sun streamed through the big picture window...Liza, uncomfortable with the content of the conversation, organized a plate of lemon cookies to go with the marble loaf cake [the marble loaf cake being the Entenmann's being eaten with the coffee]."
Task total: 35
Season total: 710
Post 441 Ed wrote: "15.5 Southern Africa- SwazilandSet in Swaziland when it was still a British protectorate, this novel focuses on two girls sent to a boarding school for mixed-race children. One girl, Adele, is re..."
We need a title, Ed. ;-)
20.3 Our TownCrimes of the Heart by Beth Henley
This play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1981 and my only reaction to that is: wait, what?!
For me, it boiled down to three infinitely unlikable sisters: Lenny, the martyr, the one who kept complaining about her "shriveled ovary"; Meg, the one who ran off to Hollywood to try to become a singer and ended up a receptionist yet lies to everyone about her artistic accomplishments; and Babe, who has been having an affair with a fifteen-year-old, shoots her husband and then offers him lemonade while he's on the ground bleeding out.
Nope. I don't feel anything for these characters or their situations.
It wasn't until the end, when Babe has her head stuck in the oven in a ridiculous attempt to kill herself, that I remembered seeing the movie version of this waaaay back in the day--and I didn't like it then, either. Thank heaven it was short...
+20 Task, set in a small Mississippi town
+10 Review
+5 Oldies
+15 Combo: 10.4; 20.2; 20.9 "LENNY (Laughing joyously as she licks icing from her fingers and cuts huge pieces of cake that her sisters bite into ravenously.) I do love having birthday cake for breakfast! How I do!"
Task total: 50
Season total: 760
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Post 441 Ed wrote: "15.5 Southern Africa- SwazilandSet in Swaziland when it was still a British protectorate, this novel focuses on two girls sent to a boarding school for mixed-race children. On..."
oy vey....I added it to the original post.
Post 423 Anika wrote: "10.8 Ukraine Has Not Yet PerishedThe Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy
Yes, it has taken me almost a month to complete this book--thanks, Ho..."
In the task thread, it was asked whether 10.2 would include subtitles. We had allowed it previously and we will continue to allow it.
Post 427 Marie wrote: "15.10 Western AsiaMadame Hayat by Ahmet Altan
The whole book is set in Turkey
+15 Task
+5 Combo (10.4)
+10 Non-Western (author is born and lives in Turkey)
Task..."
I'm sorry, Marie. Combo is not one of the styles for the 15-point tasks.
20.5 Killer AngelsThe Seventh Star of the Confederacy: Texas during the Civil War by Kenneth W. Howell
+20 Pts - Task
+15 pts - Combo ( 10.2, 10.9 - timeline of different events occurring in different parts of State simultaneously, 20.8-lives in Bryan, TX)
Task Total - 35 pts
10.10 Group ReadsThe Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
+10 pts - Task
+15 pts - Combo ( 10.9, 20.3 - Marble Head MA and Salem Village, MA, 20.8 - born in Houston)
Total - 35 pts
20.4 ReiversBeyond Shame by Kit Rocha
For a book that bills itself as dystopian romance or something like that, this book was surprisingly boring. The main characters in this book are essentially the mafia of a sector of town that has been banished from "Eden," the main town, after some unexplained dystopian event. The characters bootleg, steal, and generally use violence to control a semi-lawless area. The details turned out to be a bit ill-defined (e.g., I can't really tell you what happened to create this universe).
The author makes a concerted effort to make sure that the reader knows that all the sex in the book is consensual. But overall, the sex scenes were boring.
I'll pass on continuing this series.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+5 Combo (10.4)
Task total: 35
Grand total: 535
20.8 Texas IndependenceA Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris
+20 task (author from Texas)
Post total: 20
Season total: 300
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Reading with Style
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March by Geraldine Brooks
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Geraldine Brooks was born in Australia and lives in the US. She qualifies for 20.7 Oscar Wao.