Reading with Style discussion
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FA11 Reading w/Style Completed Tasks - Fall 2011
10.4 Native ReadingThe Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich
+10 Task
+10 Combo (10.2-Miss GP; 20.5)
10.7 Muslim Mind Set
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman
+10 Task
+5 Oldies (pub 1966)
+5 Combo (20.1)
10.10 Group Read
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
+10 Task
+5 Combo (10.2 Krista)
20.5 They Read
The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard
+20 Task
Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard
+20 Task
20.6 Unreliable Narration
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
+20 Task
+20 Combo (10.2; 10.5; 20.8; 20.10)
+10 Oldies (pub 1898)
20.10 Monsterfest III
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
+20 Task
+10 Combo (10.2-Bobby; 20.5)
+5 Oldies (pub 1966)
Post Total: 180
Season Total: 1300 (I am pretty sure. . .) :P
Kate S wrote: "10.7 Muslim Mind SetThe Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by
+10 Task
+5 Oldies (pub 1966)
+5 Combo (20.1)
..."
This doesn't appear to be written in stream of consciousness style, did you mean to have it as a combo with another task?
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Kate S wrote: "10.7 Muslim Mind SetThe Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by
+10 Task
+5 Oldies (pub 1966)
+5 Combo (20.1)
..."
This doesn't appear to be written in stream of consciousness ..."
Yeah, how about 20.5. . .
15.2 ScienceSilent Spring by Rachel Carson
+15 task
+5 non-fiction
+5 published pre-1980 (1962)
Task total = 25
Grand total = 410
15.4 World LiteratureThe Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
+15 task
+150 for completing the BtS challenge
Grand total = 575
Kate S wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Kate S wrote: "10.7 Muslim Mind SetThe Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by
+10 Task
+5 Oldies (pub 1966)
+5 Combo (20.1)
..."
This doesn't appear to be written ..."
I haven't read the book, but looking at book's Goodreads link, it says the setting is Mexico. Was there another reason you put it under 10.7 Muslim Mindset?
Paula wrote: "15.4 World LiteratureThe Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
+15 task
+150 for completing the BtS challenge
Grand total = 575"
Way to go!
10.3 Meta-readingThe New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
As the title implies, this is a collection of three stories, all based in New York, and all involving some character who is a writer of sorts. The books, standing alone, are very gripping, but it is the way the end of the third book concludes that brings them all together in an odd, yet clear way. I read this book over many lunch hours, and found myself in a bit of a haze each time I stopped reading. I haven't decided what I think of Auster - at times he comes across as a rather pretentious writer, who seems to be telling his readers, "I'm a genius, you know it." Other times, he seems to be quite brilliant and humble.
I would definitely recommend the book, but don't read it if you are looking for something light and fluffy. Read it when you are fully awake - and as a word of caution, for any former smokers like me, this book really made me want a cigarette, it was that... gritty.
+10 task
+10 review
Grand total = 575 + 20 = 595
BtS 15.9 HealthPatient Heal Thyself: A Remarkable Health Program Combining Ancient Wisdom With Groundbreaking Clinical Research by Jordan Rubin
+15 pts - Task
+5 pts - NonFiction
20 pts - Task Total
970 pts - Grand Total
Rebekah wrote: "BtS 15.9 HealthPatient Heal Thyself: A Remarkable Health Program Combining Ancient Wisdom With Groundbreaking Clinical Research by Jordan Rubin
+15 pts - Task
+5 pt..."
Your ticker/pencil says you're almost there, Rebekah!
20.2 You readAbsalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
I had to "double read" this one in order for the writing to stick; in other words, I read a portion, then listened to that section via an audio book. Still, I realized I am not one for truly appreciating Faulkner.
This was written as an address by an elderly woman to her younger nephew (he is perhaps in his middle years but she is definitely older). It is the telling of their bizarre family history, including the intro of the mysterious and challenging character of Sutpen, a poor stranger who grows wealthy in his new town.
The story gets confusing because parts of it are also told by the nephew to a friend, and his stories are juxtaposed with the aunt's stories, but not always in chronological order.I think if the confusion between the two narrators were smoothed out, it would be much more interesting. As it was, it just seemed like a messed up family story and left me feeling somehow unsatisfied.
+20 task
+10 review
+5 age (published 1936)
Grand total = 595 + 35 = 630
20.3 S/he readsThe Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
Another story of a family TGE follows the life of Wang Lung, a poor farmer in a somewhat remote Chinese village. The story begins on Wang's wedding day, when he takes a break from his field work to clean himself up and marry a slave from the local lord's household. Despite a very humble upbringing, Wang works hard (always) and continues to rise in the village, with his very quiet and yet extremely hard-working and resourceful wife O-lan.
The story is interesting to follow, and with this form of narration, reads like the strict telling of a family, without much emotion involved. There are parts that are hard to take, such as Wang's treatment of his wife, but it also offers a unique look at how rural China is portrayed just prior to WWII (the book was published in 1931).
+20 task
+10 review
+10 oldies (1931)
Grand total = 630 + 40 = 670
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "BtS 15.9 HealthPatient Heal Thyself: A Remarkable Health Program Combining Ancient Wisdom With Groundbreaking Clinical Research by Jordan Rubin
+15 pts ..."
Yep but this last book has taken the longest because I'm reading to my children a chapter a night as a bedtime read. We've had to skip a couple of nights so hopefully we can finish it before the month is out or they will have to hear it at the dinner table too!
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "10.10 Group ReadBossypants by Tina Fey
Review
After reading about the sorrow of Palestine and the destruction of the American Indian and their way ..."
well, she goes on about how to keep your duaghter a virgin and her ideas about politics, motherhood, children in general, sexism in the field of entertainment. etc...
Rebekah wrote: "Kate S wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Kate S wrote: "10.7 Muslim Mind SetThe Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by
+10 Task
+5 Oldies (pub 1966)
+5 Combo (20.1)
..."
This doesn'..."
The Goodreads description doesn't say it because it could on a very high level be considered a spoiler. The bulk of the book is set in (view spoiler)
Denae wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Kate S wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Kate S wrote: "10.7 Muslim Mind SetThe Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by
+10 Task
+5 Oldies (pub 1966)
+5 Combo (20.1)
..."
Thi..."
Thank you Denae, perfectly put!!
Kate S wrote: "Denae wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Kate S wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Kate S wrote: "10.7 Muslim Mind SetThe Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by
+10 Task
+5 Oldies (pub 1966)
+5 Combo (2..."
I adore that book. Second one would count too, I believe.
Denae wrote: "Kate S wrote: "Denae wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Kate S wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Kate S wrote: "10.7 Muslim Mind SetThe Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by
+10 Task
+5 Oldies (pub 19..."
I am looking forward to reading more in this series, and I just started my mother on it too.
BtS 15.3 Canada No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod
Wonderful book!
Task points 15
Total points 765
And school is out! Bonus points 150
Total points 915
Wonderful book!
Task points 15
Total points 765
And school is out! Bonus points 150
Total points 915
20.4 We readFlowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Written as a series of progress reports and journal entries, this book follows a man named Charlie and a mouse named Algernon. They are both subjected to an experimental surgery, intended to increase their mental abilities.
As the story unfolds, and the previously mentally handicapped Charlie becomes a genius, the change in his social and emotional abilities start to take center stage. This is a painful look at how we are each trapped within the confines of our own abilities. No matter what science can do for IQ, there are relationships with people that cannot be made simple or even understandable. When the effects of the surgery start to wear off, it is hard to "watch" as Charlie changes again. There is a positive moral at the end, but all in all, this is an emotionally difficult book to read.
+20 task
+10 review
+5 published 1966
+10 combo (10.2 and 20.6)
Grand total = 670 + 45 = 715
20.5 They readAffinity by Sarah Waters
I have read other books by Waters, but this book wasn't as enjoyable as the others. The book felt very forced, as though the author had an idea for a 100-page story, and was told to stretch it out to 350 pages.
Told as diary entries written by two different women, the story is about a Victorian-era society woman and a medium who was imprisoned for some illicit activities. The society woman visits the medium as part of her rounds at a local prison, where she has volunteered her time to simply talk to the female prisoners. The two begin a relationship of sorts, with the feelings clearly stronger on one side than the other. Margaret (the society woman) is deeply troubled by a number of things, not least of which is an extremely overbearing mother and a recently failed love affair with her now sister-in-law.
The end was predictable and hard to accept; it seemed clear how this would end before page 50. In some parts creepy, the novel overall was quite depressing.
+20 task
+10 review
+5 combo (20.10)
Grand total = 715 + 35 = 750
Back to School15.2 Science
Next by Michael Crichton
Focuses on genetics
+15 Task
15.7 Foreign Languages
The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte-originally published in Spanish
+15 Task
And that should finish my Back to School Challenge
+150 BtS Completion
Post Total: 180
20.6 Unreliable narrationA Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Holy messed up book! Seriously, it is disturbing. This is the story of a little droog named Alex, who lives in the not-too-distant future in England, and is clearly a sociopath. Burgess takes a lot of normally innocuous items and makes them rather nasty. Alex and his young teenage friends hang out art night and commit extremely violent crimes. They hang out and drink milk, but it is laced with drugs. Alex listens to classical music (enter 'lovely Ludwig van') and it makes him think of more crimes he wants to commit.
An attempt is made to rehabilitate Alex, and the description of the rehab process, the result, and Alex's reaction, are all disturbing. Throughout, Burgess sporadically uses a made-up language that sounds a bit like Russian. Don't let the language turn you away, it is oddly clear what the new words mean. If you tackle this book, make sure you get the copy with all 21 chapters, and don't read it while you are home alone at night.
+20 task
+10 review
+5 - published 1962
+5 combo (10.2)
Grand total = 750 + 40 = 790
Kate S wrote: "And that should finish my Back to School Challenge+150 BtS Completion."
Whoo Hoo! Congratulations!
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Kate S wrote: "And that should finish my Back to School Challenge+150 BtS Completion."
Whoo Hoo! Congratulations!"
Thank you!!
20.7 War to end all warsAll Quiet on the Western Front
I think this should be required reading for anyone who either loves literature, or for all those kids who play war-based video games and think real life is like the game.
The novel traces the life of Paul, a German teenager who enlists in the army and enter WWI with a group of his school friends. Paul describes the terrible conditions of surviving during trench warfare and the battles of being in the war. This is a poignant tale that, while describing the bad, also sables the good; friendships made, comradery, the joys of a great dinner, and the happiness of a good bed and dry socks.
It is the realism that gets you, especially if you know anyone in active military duty or a vet. It makes you appreciate what others are willing to do, even if we don't all understand the rationale behind the war itself.
+20 task
+10 review
+10 translation (originally German, trans to English)
+10 combo (10.2 and 10.8)
+10 oldies (published 1929)
Grand total = 790 + 60 = 850
Paula wrote: "+150 for completing the BtS challenge"WoooHoooo! Congratulations!
Paula wrote: "20.2 You readAbsalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
...parts of it are also told by the nephew to a friend, and his stories are juxtaposed with the aunt's stories..."
Sounds like this qualifies for +5 combo points (20.5 They read)
Paula wrote: "20.3 S/he readsThe Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck..."
Paula wrote: "20.2 You read
Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner..."
Don't forget to check for combo points for 10.2! Both of these qualify, so +10 more points.
nsfancy wrote: "And school is out! Bonus points 150"Yaaaaaay! Nicely done!!!
Kate S wrote: "And that should finish my Back to School Challenge..."Wow! Excellent!!!!!
It must be near holiday-time and the end of the challenge with all these BtS finishers!
Paula wrote: "20.6 Unreliable narrationA Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Holy messed up book! Seriously, it is disturbing...."
Hahahahaha! I love the first line of your review.
10.6 Fall FreebiesMy Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
***
When I was a child, every once in a while on a Sunday evening my parents would rush us off to bed so they could sit down and watch Jeeves & Wooster on PBS. Why it took me so long to seek out the series after those years of listening to my mother laugh loudly and helplessly, I cannot say. Finally, I decided to take the plunge. My Man Jeeves is a collection of short stories by P.G. Wodehouse, the first in a long series. Unfortunately, half or more of the stories do not contain Jeeves. They were not nearly as exciting. Due to this lack of Jeeves, the book gets 3 stars instead of 4. The world needs more Jeeves.
+10 Task
+5 Combo (10.5 Bedtime Stories: Sophie Kinsella)
+10 Review
+10 Oldies (1919)
Task Total: 35
15.4 World Literature
Snowdrops by A.D. Miller
****
Snowdrops is a beautifully executed book. The point of view is a man telling his soon-to-be wife about his time in Moscow. From the beginning, we know a dead body shows up by the end of the book. The title itself is slang for those bodies that lie frozen all winter, until the snow and ice thaws. A.D. Miller does not rest on that fact, however. Throughout the book there is a steadily built sense of doom, despair, and denial that I am happy to say, paid off in the end. Not in a dramatic way. Rather in a way that made the pit of my stomach ache. A melancholy way. Having not read the other nominees on the Man Booker shortlist, I cannot say for certain if this should win, but I can definitely see why it is on the list.
+15 Task
Task Total: 15
15.7 Foreign Languages
The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist
****
The Unit is the saddest piece of dystopian fiction I have ever read. Normally the genre leaves me angry or frightened or feeling the need for a good shower, but this made me feel heartbroken. The Unit is a place where women who have reached the age of 50 and men who have reached the age of 60 without having children are sent to live in order to participate in "humane" experiments and act as organ donors for the so-called needed. These people are known as dispensable.
The story portrayed is one where these people are provided a life of complete luxury with no cost to themselves, but also have no freedom to leave, no rights to privacy, and are compelled to participate in whatever experiments and physical sacrifices required of them. Psychology is used to great effect to keep them happy. Eventually they all go for their "final donation," the surgery in which all of their vital organs are harvested for the benefit of needed people. Ninni Holmqvist paints a painful picture of people who feel they have failed and never found love, of people who have always been lonely, being thrust into proximity, finding love or friendship, then constantly losing those people to the demands of the Unit. This book disturbed me greatly and will stay with me for some time.
Corrections:
Please move A Visit from the Goon Squad from 10.10 Group Reads to 15.3 Literature
-10 Task(10.10 Group Reads)
-5 Combo (10.2 Highly-rated)
-5 Combo (20.5 They Read)
-10 Review
+15 Task (15.3 Literature)
Net Task Change: -15
Grand Total: 1245
Denae wrote: "Grand Total: 1245..."Uh-oh, as of post 496, I had your total as 1245. I was going to spend a few minutes trouble-shooting before I run out the door when you posted again. So, you check your spreadsheet and when I have a minute, I'll add in your post 536 and check my spreadsheet & hopefully we'll agree?
Liz M wrote: "Denae wrote: "Grand Total: 1245..."Uh-oh, as of post 496, I had your total as 1245. I was going to spend a few minutes trouble-shooting before I run out the door when you posted again. So, you ..."
Hmm, I'll take a look.
Congratulations to all of you finishing up with the challenges! It's been lots of fun and the Winter Challenge is going to be wonderful!I have two more books finished:
10.7 – Rebekah’s Task – Muslim Mind Set
Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qamar 770 Lexile Don’t be fooled by the young looking girl on this cover. Nazia is a “beti”, a good teenaged daughter, who follows the rules laid down in her Pakistani society. When she is forced to drop out of school and help her mother clean houses to make ends meet, she takes it as her obligation, but she doesn’t stop dreaming. The characters in this book had a lot of range. Although there were some who clearly fit a typical profile, there were others who really surprised me by the end of the book. The writing is simple and clear but engaging and you will find yourself gripped by the question of what Nadia will decide for her life and by the story of her young friend, Sherzad, the other boy that works for the household in which she lives. It’s an interesting look at the lives of young people in Pakistan.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 20
20.5 – They read
Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos
I had no idea what this book was about when I started it, but I have owned it for quite awhile. It's set here in Seattle and I was scheduled to go hear the author speak, so I wanted to read it before that event. Unfortunately, I didn't get to attend the event, but fortunately, I still got to read this wonderful book that I really enjoyed. It's funny how much I enjoy books about older people now that I am one! In this story, our heroine decides to take in a border in what may be the last few months of her life due to a cancer diagnosis. Wanda, her new border, has secrets of her own. As events occur and all of the secrets of both women are revealed, a bonded relationship develops that is more an alternative family than just a friendship. The book is written in third person limited narration, too, which was a pleasant "challenge surprise". I was planning on 5 stars for this one until everything wrapped up a little too neatly and quickly in one of the story lines, but overall, it's a good read.
+20 Task
+ 5 20.3 He/She Reads
+10 Review
Task Total: 35
Points this Post: 55
Grand Total: 1740
Liz M wrote: "Paula wrote: "20.3 S/he readsThe Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck..."
Paula wrote: "20.2 You read
Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner..."
Don't forget to check for combo..."
Doh! I think my personal 'task' for the Winter Challenge' is to score one of my tasks correctly!
Thanks for catching everything, Liz
M!,
20.8 It ain't over...Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmon Rostand
If you've seen the movie, "Roxanne," starring Steve Martin and Darryl Hannah, you know this story. I once stayed up until 3am to watch a 1950s film version of this movie, followed by "Roxanne," since they are, in essence, the same story.
Cyrano is a French nobleman who is serving time in his country's army, in the mid-1600s. He is smart, witty, daring, and the owner of an extremely large proboscis (think Pinocchio). Cyrano is hopelessly in love with Roxanne, who, in turn, believes herself to be in love with Christian, a handsome young cadet in Cyrano's regiment.
The story is very funny, very endearing, and a very enjoyable, light read. Highly recommended, in any form.
+20 task
+10 review
+10 trans (originally in French)
+10 oldies (published in 1897)
Grand total = 870 + 50 = 920
Liz M wrote: "Denae wrote: "Grand Total: 1245..."Uh-oh, as of post 496, I had your total as 1245. I was going to spend a few minutes trouble-shooting before I run out the door when you posted again. So, you ..."
I only found one error on here, but I did find a couple on my spreadsheet. On here, in post 496 I claimed a task total for Musicophilia of 15 but it should be 20. I now have a total on my spreadsheet of 1295. Does that match what you have? I'll hold off on posting anything additional until you let me know.
Thank you!
10.8 Seasons ChangeI read "Emma" by Jane Austen from the Coming of Age list.
Task +10
Style: +5 Combo (10.2 Highly rated, on Meg and Morgan Barry's list)
Oldies: +15 (originally published in 1816)
Review +10
I have now read three Jane Austen books and I have to say I am not a fan. I find her writing style difficult to understand. I feel that you could take out every fifth word and still understand it. I find her female characters to be boring and dull. All of them seemed cut from the same cookie cutter cloth. I found it was easier to understand Shakespeare than Austen. I find the character of Emma to be a great character who seems to care about others and a true hopeless romantic. I, myself am a hopeless romantic. I applaud her efforts but I just feel it fell short. I will be taking a break from them before finishing her other two books.
Task Points: 40
Grand Total: 385
Deedee wrote: "War and Peace (1869) by Leo Tolstoy (translated by Rosemary Edmonds ) (Paperback, Penguin Classic, 1472 pages)..."+5 combo points for 20.5 - They read.
Paula, But wait, there's more! Other readers have posted for some of the books you have read & found more combo points than you had:
Paula wrote: "20.6 Unreliable narration
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
+20 task
+10 review
+5 - published 1962
+5 combo (10.2)..."
+5 combo (20.1 - I read)
Paula wrote: "20.5 They read
Affinity by Sarah Waters
+20 task
+10 review
+5 combo (20.10)..."
+10 combo (10.2 & 20.4)
Denae wrote: "I now have a total on my spreadsheet of 1295. Does that match what you have? I'll hold off on posting anything additional until you let me know...."We now, as of post 536, agree on your Grand Total. Yay!
And now I'm going to make another post. Don't worry though, it's a simple one!
15.1 MathAnd Be a Villian: A Nero Wolfe Novel
**
First, let me just say that when I was 16 and read this I never even registered that Archie Goodwin is ageist. At 29, his comments about no women over 30 being worth a look gave me a strong desire to give him a good "talking to." Anyway, on to the book. Honestly, And Be a Villian: A Nero Wolfe Novel disappointed me. I will re-read at least one more of Rex Stout's books, but I have a terrible suspicion that the Nero Wolfe series will go on the list of things that didn't hold up for me over time. Sad, really.
+15 Task (mathematician and discussions of probability figure prominently)
+5 Oldies (1948)
Task Total: 20
+150 Back to School Completion Bonus
Post Total: 170
Grand Total: 1465
Denae wrote: "And now I'm going to make another post. Don't worry though, it's a simple one!"No worries, I'd given up on keeping current for this past week, y'all were posting faster than I could make entries on the scoresheet :P
Liz M wrote: "Denae wrote: "And now I'm going to make another post. Don't worry though, it's a simple one!"No worries, I'd given up on keeping current for this past week, y'all were posting faster than I could..."
Lol! I had this one ready before I went through my sheet, but I figured it made sense to wait until what you had agreed with mine before posting anything else.
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Reading with Style
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Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name by Vendela Vida
Written in a disjointed, yet excellent stream of consciousness style.
+20 Task
T..."
That looks fascinating. Just added it to my tbr.