Reading with Style discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Archives
>
Spring 2012 Reading w/Style Completed Tasks
Around the world (Frequent Flyer)15.1 - United Kingdom
Before I Go To Sleep: A Novel by S.J. Watson
Qualifies A, B and C
Task total : 15
Grand total : 95
10.7 Reading is Awarding The Counterlife by Philip Roth
+10 task (NBCC 1987 Fiction Winner)
+10 canon
Task total=20
Grand total=245
10.7 Reading is AwardingPatrimony: A True Story by Philip Roth
+10 Task (1991 NBCC Biography/Autobiography Winner)
+10 Not-a-Novel
+10 Canon
Task total=30
Grand total=275
AtW - Circumnavigator15.9 (9th stop) Iran (E 051 25)
The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani
+15 Task
+10 Bonus Points
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 1245
Task 20.5 Read a Book that was originally published in the 1950sVault of the Ages (1952) by Poul Anderson Review: This is a post-apocylptic novel written in the 1950s, Science Fiction’s Golden Age. It is set about 500 years after a nuclear holocaust, called “The Doom”, located in what once was the Atlantic seaboard of the United States. People are living primitively. The ruins of the great cities are being mined of concrete and stone to serve present-day needs. The tribe that lives in the cities have more scientific knowledge than do the agricultural and nomadic tribes. A “time vault” has been found in one of the cities; the time vault contains scientific and cultural knowledge from before “The Doom”. Our heroes seek to obtain and use the knowledge from the “time vault” --- both to improve their life and to defend their tribe from other tribes. Obstacles to obtaining and using the knowledge are met and overcome. Overall, this is an excellent “Golden Age”, optimistic Science Fiction novel by one of my favorite science fiction authors. Recommended for those who like optimistic science fiction.
+20 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 + 10 = 30
Grand Total: 490 + 30 = 520
RwS Task10.8 Rosemary’s task – It’s a Family Affair
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
I really loved these brothers even though I hated their job. They fit the anti hero definition perfectly (although not on our official list yet for the challenge). The brothers are bloodthirsty and definitely do their share of rotten things, but deWitt writes The Sisters Brothers with such wit and excellent prose that you can't help but root for them. I listened to the audio version and I think the humor in the book came through even stronger through the voice of Eli Sisters. The gold rush, old west setting just made it even better as I'm a fan of cowboy and gunslinger stories. Even though they are on a chase to commit a murder, I recommend taking the journey with The Sisters Brothers!
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 1435
Around the world (Frequent Flyer)15.2 - USA
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
Qualifies A, B and C
Task total : 15
Grand total : 110
Task 20.2 - True ColorsThe Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
This is probably one of those books that I should have read a long time ago, but needed a challenge to do it. This semi-autobiographical story of an intelligent woman's downward spiral into a breakdown was interesting to read. I think I liked the beginning better. Be prepared for multiple shifts in the story timeline. Esther's story in New York intrigued me. As the meltdown started, I was less interested, but stuck with it. I guess it is meant to happen out of nowhere, but it just seemed strange. After I read the small portion in the back about Plath's life, that is just how it happened. The language of the novel is beautiful.
+20 Task
+5 Combo (20.3 Harvard Top Seller)
+10 Review
+35 Task total
Grand Total: 150
Tanya wrote: "Task 20.2 - True ColorsThe Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
This is probably one of those books that I should have read a long time ago, but needed a challenge to do it. This semi-autobiographical sto..."
There seems to be a film adaptation of the Bell Jar too: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078843/
+5 Combo (20.4)
15.9 AtW--Circumnavigator 9th Stop China (E 116 23)
A Loyal Character Dancer by Qiu Xiaolong
+15 task
+10 bonus
grand total=390
A Loyal Character Dancer by Qiu Xiaolong
+15 task
+10 bonus
grand total=390
AtW - CircumnavigatorTask 15.7 (7th Itinerary Stop) Peru, South America (W 077 01)
Death in the Andes by Mario Vargas Llosa
+15 Task
+10 Bonus Points
Task Total = 25
Grand Total = 165
10.5 Rooting for the bad guyThe Donnie Darko Book by Richard Kelly
review:
The book contains an introduction by Jake Gyllenhaal (nicely and honestly written), an interview with Richard Kelly (awesomely long and very informative and interesting!), the script (of course, as good as I remembered it from the movie - though it gave me some more input and understanding than I previously had), pages from "The Philosophy of Time Travel", and images and sketches from the film.
It is a real treat for fans of the movie itself, Richard Kelly and movie-making in general.
+ 10 task (anti-hero: Donnie Darko)
[I hope this counts. Donnie Darko is listed as an anti-hero, in the film category though. But the book is about him, therefore I think it should count.]
+ 10 review
+ 10 not-a-novel (interview=non-fiction, screenplay, image-collection)
Task Total=30
Grand Total=160
20.5 Shakespeare and Co.A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
This was a wonderful story full of historical adventure set during and after World War II that stretched over England, Malaya (now Malaysia) and Australia. I loved the tone of the book, the pace, and the strong female protagonist as well as her love interest. I especially liked how the story was crafted from the point of view of an English solicitor administering an estate who interjects his opinions along the way and grows just as fond of his client as the reader does. The history lessons regarding the Japanese occupation of Malaya and its impact on the British living there and life in the Australian outback only enhanced my enjoyment of this novel
+20 Task (first published in 1950)
+10 Review
+5 Combo (made into a 1956 movie)
Task Total = 35
Grand Total = 400
15.9 AtW--Circumnavigator9th Itinerary Stop: Sierra Leone (W013 14)
A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Task Total = 25
Grand Total = 705
AtW-Circumnavigator15.3 South Africa (E 028 11)
Boyhood by J.M. Coetzee
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
15.4 India (E 077 12)
The Romantics by Pankaj Mishra
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Post Total: 50
Season Total: 1245
Marie wrote: "Around the world (Frequent Flyer)15.2 - USA
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
Qualifies A, B and C
Task total : 15
Grand total : 110"
Didn't you love this book?! My current motivation to finish all 30 categories is so that I can choose it for my group read pick in hopes that more people will be exposed to it...it's definitely on my list of top 10 all-time faves. (And after all that raving, I really do hope you enjoyed it, too :-) )
20.2 - In honor of True ColorsWide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
+20 task
+ 5 combo (20.4 made into a movie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108565/)
Task total=25
Grand total=300
AtW - Circumnavigator15.8 (Eighth stop) India (E 077 12)
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Task total: 25
Grand Total: 530
20.3 Harvard Top SellerThe Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Live by Douglas Adams
This book is even cuter and funnier than I thought it would be. I've been meaning to read this book for a very long time but I kept putting it off for some odd reason. I finally borrowed the audiobook with Stephen Fry as the narrator and it was just so much fun to listen to. Very British style humor but that was right up my alley as I like Terry Pratchett, etc. Much much better than the movie as well so I might even pick up the sequel. I was almost sad to see it end as it is definitely a light book that you just have fun with as you read along.
+20 Task
+15 Combo (10.2, 10.5, 20.4)
+10 Review
Task Total: 45
Grand Total: 1290
15.4 Circumnavigator, 4th stop South Africa E028.11
Fits B & C options
Stolen Lives byJassy Mackenzie
+15 pts - Task
+10 pts - Bonus
Task Total - 25 pts
Grand Total - 1140 pts
Task 10.2 Space Out Hyperion by Dan Simmons
+10 task
Total points 520
Task 10.6 The Music of the Soul Keats: poems published in 1820 by John Keats
+10 task
+5 combo (10.4 Its Your Birthday)
+10 Canon
+10 Not a novel
Task total 35
Total points 555
+10 task
Total points 520
Task 10.6 The Music of the Soul Keats: poems published in 1820 by John Keats
+10 task
+5 combo (10.4 Its Your Birthday)
+10 Canon
+10 Not a novel
Task total 35
Total points 555
ATW Circumnavigator
15.6 Antarctica (W 00000) No Horizon Is So Far: Two Women and Their Extraordinary Journey Across Antarctica by Liv Arnesen
+15 task
+10 Bonus
Task total 25
Total points 580
15.6 Antarctica (W 00000) No Horizon Is So Far: Two Women and Their Extraordinary Journey Across Antarctica by Liv Arnesen
+15 task
+10 Bonus
Task total 25
Total points 580
ATW Circumnavigator
15.7 South Africa (E 02811) Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
+15 task
+10 bonus
Task total 25
Total points 605
15.7 South Africa (E 02811) Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
+15 task
+10 bonus
Task total 25
Total points 605
Rebekah wrote: "Kate S wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "20.6 Selexyz bookstoreToward A True Kinship Of Faiths: How The World's Religions Can Come Together by Dalai Lama XIV
I just love His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama! He..."
Looks good, Rebekah! No worries.
Task 10.4 - Read a work on the classic children's literature list (grade 9-12).[also: Task 20.4 Read a Book that has been made into a movie.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088626/ ]
Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Review: Traditional advice to aspiring authors is to “write what you know”. Fitzgerald wrote what he knew in Tender is the Night. The first part was written while he and his ex-pat American friends were having fun, going to the beach, drinking alcohol, attending parties that ended at dawn; so he wrote about characters doing exactly that. The second part was written several years later, after his wife, Zelda, had had a mental breakdown, and some of the consequences of a partying lifestyle were taking hold of him and his friends. Fitzgerald reflected that new reality in the second half of his novel. I almost gave it 5 * except that I thought the ending was weak (everyone just dribbles away, including the main characters), and that none of the main characters were sympathetic; so I gave it a 4* rating. Recommended for those interested in that period of history; and for when you want to read a tragedy.
+10 Task
+ 05 Style: 1. Combo (5 points) (also fits: 20.4 made into a movie)
+10 Style: 4. Canon (10 points):
+10 Review
Task Total: 10 + 05 + 10 + 10 = 35
Grand Total: 520 + 35 = 555
In post 222, Anika wrote: "20.8 It's AlphabeticWhy Is God Laughing?: The Path to Joy and Spiritual Optimism by Deepak Chopra
+20 Task (Why Is God LauGHIng?)
+10 Review
+5 Combo
-20.6 Selexyz Bookstore (Dewey decimal 204.4 C5495w 2008)
Task Total = 35
Grand Total = 205 ..."
I don't know how we missed this, but +10 for not-a-novel
20.4 In Honor of El AteneoMaster And Commander by Patrick O'Brian
Review:
The first in a long series set at sea around 1800. The characters are very well drawn and developed, and the writing is excellent. I enjoyed it but I wasn't gripped - there was just too much information about ships and naval skirmishes which I didn't find interesting or exciting. If I hadn’t been reading it for challenges I could have put it down and never picked it up again, especially after my favourite character perished :( Still, it is certainly a good book if you like this kind of thing.
On the back of the book it described Stephen Maturin as a 'secret agent'. I have no idea why. If he was doing any spying, I missed it completely.
+20 Task http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0311113/
+10 Review
Task total = 30
Grand total = 1330
In post 297, Kazza wrote: "20.6 In honor of Selexyz BookstoreThe New Testament (CEV Standard New Testament) (4 stars)
+20 Task
+5 Combo (10.4 - grades 9-12)
+10 Review
+10 Not a Novel
+5 Jumbo (619 pages)
Task Total = 50 points
Grand Total = 315 points ..."
I am going to give you +10 Canon points, even though this is not the King James version listed by Bloom.
In post 140, Megan W wrote: "10.4 It's Your Birthday: A Christmas Carol and other Christmas Stories--The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens+10 Task
+5 Combo (20.4 - A Christmas Carol has been adapted into a movie many, many times)
+10 Review
+10 Canon (listed as Christmas Stories)
Post Total: 55
Grand Total: 145 ..."
+10 not-a-novel
In post 326, Silver wrote: "10.4 - It's Your Birthday, The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
+10 Task
+5 Combo (20.4 - In honor of El Ateneo bookstore)
Total Task Points: 15..."
+10 canon ("The science fiction novels" are listed)
In post 348, Silver wrote: "20.7 - In honor of Kid’s Republic book store Tales from the Thousand and One Nights
+20 Task
+10 Not a Novel
Total Task Points: 35..."
+10 canon (Listed as "The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night")
Erin wrote: "20.5 Shakespeare and Co.Justine by Lawrence Durrell
+20 Task
+5 Combo (10.3 Girl's Names)
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 25"
Erin, did we ever point out that this book is on Bloom's Canon (listed as "Alexandria Quartet")?
Our total for you, as of message 354, is 120 points (not the 110 points you have posted).
20.7 Kid's RepublicPère Goriot by Honoré de Balzac
"To my shame be it said, I think of my lover before my father. Do you ask why? I cannot tell you, but all my life is in you. My father gave me a heart, but you have taught it to beat."
... you have taught it to beat .... big sigh here from one of the most decidedly non-romantic people you'll ever meet.
And yet, this is certainly not strictly a romance, though obviously it has romantic elements. It is a fine character study and a reflection of the extravagance in Paris during the Restoration. There is enough plot to keep the pages turning. It is well-written prose. What's not to like about Balzac?
Strangely, Pere Goriot is not the main character. He is the father of two beautiful daughters who married men because the men were both titled and rich. Their father gave them very large dowries to go with their beauty. But they do not love their husbands and their husbands do not love them. Everyone takes a lover. Everyone. It's the accepted way of doing things. Enter a young, handsome, but poverty-stricken, student from the wine country in the south of France.
The version I read was titled Old Goriot. For some reason some translations give it this title rather than Pere Goriot. Goriot is called both in the novel.
+20 Task
+10 Combo (10.4 Children's Lit, 20.4 Made into a movie)
+10 Review
+10 Canon
Task Total = 45
Grand Total = 490
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "20.7 Kid's RepublicPère Goriot by Honoré de Balzac
Two questions:
1. Combo points for 20.4 - made into a movie
2. Also, would this qualify for combo points for 10.8 It's a Family Affair, Père being French for "father"?
D wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "20.7 Kid's RepublicPère Goriot by Honoré de Balzac
Two questions:
1. Combo points for 20.4 - made into a movie
2. Also, would this qualify for combo points for 10.8 ..."
D - thank you for the movie, I'll edit my post. Good question about the family task. I didn't think of it - and it's always great to have another pair of eyes looking at the postings. We'll need a ruling from another moderator or from Rosemary who designed the task.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "D wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "20.7 Kid's RepublicPère Goriot by Honoré de Balzac
Two questions:
1. Combo points for 20.4 - made into a movie
2. Also, would this qualify for combo points..."
Great! I hope you get the points for the family task. French is not a foreign language to many people, but of course it is not my decision to make.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Good question about the family task. I didn't think of it - and it's always great to have another pair of eyes looking at the postings. We'll need a ruling from another moderator or from Rosemary who designed the task. "I am not sure! If the book you read had been titled Pere Goriot I would say definitely yes. But since it was titled Old Goriot...I think perhaps not but I would be glad if another mod would rule on that for you.
Thanks, Rosemary, it's your task, and your reasoning makes a lot of sense. We'll let it stand the way it is. D found me an extra 5 points for the movie!
15.10 AtW--Circumnavigator10th Itinerary Stop Brazil (W047 54)
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
+100 AtW completion
+10 found points re: comment 658 (thank you, Liz!)
Grand Total = 840
10.10 Group ReadsThe Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
What a precious story! Get it on audio if you can as the book is written with Enzo, the dog, as the narrator. Part humor, part tragedy, this story shows how much a pet can meant to someone in their times of crisis as well as good times. The court testimony was a little further out there than could be believed, but maybe not. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to truly communicate with our beloved pets and they can tell us their viewpoint? Maybe the future will have that in store. If you believe “all dogs go to Heaven” or at least get reincarnated to a better life, this is the book for you especially. Our members pick the best group reads! I give it 5 stars.
+10 pts - Task
+10 pts - Review
Task Total - 20 pts
Grand Total - 1160 pts
Anika wrote: "15.10 AtW--Circumnavigator10th Itinerary Stop Brazil (W047 54)
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
+100 AtW completion
+10 found points re: comment 658 (thank you, Liz!)
Grand ..."
Congrats on getting all the way around the world!
That's great, Anika! I'm a little worried about finishing my trip on time. Congratulations!
Liz M wrote: "In post 297, Kazza wrote: "20.6 In honor of Selexyz BookstoreThe New Testament (CEV Standard New Testament) (4 stars)
I am going to give you +10 Canon points, even though this is not the King James version listed by Bloom.
Thanks, Liz :)
20.6 In honor of Selexyz BookstoreErasing Hell by Francis Chan1362751
DDC:236
+20 Task
+10 Not a Novel
Task Total = 30 points
20.9 Elizabeth (Alaska)'s Task - It's epidemic
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
+20 Task
+5 Jumbo (500+ pages)
Task Total = 25 points
Grand Total = 1,090 points
20.5 - Shakespeare and Company (book from the '20s or '50s)East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Published 1952
I was surprised by how much I loved reading this book. When I initially started browsing through my "to-read" list to decide on my next book, I kept stumbling upon this one but wondering what had made me add it in the first place. The synopses and reviews made it out to sound like a retelling of the Old Testament, which was definitely not my style. But something kept telling me, you added this book for a reason, even if you don't remember what it was! So I decided to tackle it and was very pleasantly surprised.
From the beginning, I had a hard time putting this book down. I was listening to the audio version, and I think I did a six-hour stint on one of my days off! Steinbeck's characters are so flawed and real, their lives so twisted, that it makes it difficult to walk away from them.
In the first part of the book we are introduced to the Hamilton family, Irish immigrants barely scraping by on their farm in California. We also meet the first generation of Trasks, brothers Adam and Charles. Their tumultuous childhood foreshadows equally turbulent adult years. Cathy, the beautiful and ambitious sociopath who will become the mother to the next generation of Trasks, is also introduced. While being completely unlikeable, she is also one of the best-written characters I have ever seen. Some of her words and actions literally sent shivers up my spine.
The latter part of the book tells the story of the younger Trasks, Aaron and Charles, and how they relate to their aging father and absent mother.
There are certainly Biblical allegories throughout the book. The names in particular ring a familiar note, as do some of the characters' roles in certain situations. But to look at "East of Eden" as a recap of the Book of Genesis, as many people seem to, is to miss the point. This book is a story of human struggles and suffering, of endurance vs. failure, of loyalty vs. betrayal and of all the spectrum of human experience and emotion, not some fantastical morality play. My strong feeling is that Steinbeck used the Bibilical allusions as a small springboard, but the rest was his own. As a matter of fact, there are frequent points throughout the book where his message seems anti-religious, quite the opposite of regurgitating Bible stories. Examples include Aaron's failure in the priesthood, and Lee's constant struggle for knowledge, which is eventually rewarded rather than punished.
They say that a story requires conflict to keep the plot moving. This book certainly has it: brother against brother, husband against wife, parent against child, man against nature, society, and evil. I will certainly read it again, as I am sure another go-round would reveal even more layers of the book. On an interesting note, the structure of the plot and the types of characters reminded me greatly of more contemporary authors that I really enjoy, like Donald Ray Pollock and Stephen King. Having read this book I can see where they might have gotten some of their influence in earlier years. This is a classic that deserves to be called one.
+20 Task
+10 combo (20.4 - movie made in 1955, 20.1 banned in AL in 1982 and challenged in SC in 1991 http://www.caribousmom.com/2007/02/21...)
+10 review
+ 5 jumbo (601 pages)
Task total = 45
Grand total = 295
RwS Tasks10.6 – The Music of the Soul
A Book in Verse:
A Girl Named Mister by Nikki Grimes no lexile available
+10 Task
Task Total: 10
20.7 In honor of Kid’s Republic
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren 870 Lexile
What a delight it was to finally read Pippi Longstocking! I went back and forth over whether I was going to read it for this challenge, and I'm glad yes won out. It is definitely one of those "ageless" books that children through adults can enjoy. Astrid Lindgren tells the story in easily accessible prose, but in a way that never "talks down" to the reader. It's also laugh-out-loud funny! The humor speaks through even the tense moments of action in the book when Pippi is a true heroine. She is a memorable character and I will be adding the series to my TBR. No wonder it was voted one of the best of the best by authors that truly know great literature!
+20 Task
+10 Combo: 10.3 Girl’s Names / 20. El Ateneo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pippi_Lo...)
+10 Review
Task Total: 40
20.8 – Kate S’s task – It’s alphabetic
otheR STories: rst
Delicate Edible Birds and Other Storiesby Lauren Groff
I'm a short story fan! Even though this is true, I find myself drawn toward novels instead and I forget how much I will enjoy reading the short story collections on my TBR. I read Lauren Groff's Monsters of Templeton and I really enjoyed it, so I was sure I would enjoy her stories. Sure enough, the very first story took me right back to the town of Templeton. I also was drawn to the cover as I love the birds in spring and although the stories were more about the lives of a variety of women, there were birds and imagery surrounding birds sprinkled throughout the stories. I loved some and could take or leave others, but overall it is a strong collection of beautiful stories.
+20 Task
+ 5 Combo: 20.10 It’s Academic (http://www.queens.edu/Academics-and-S...)
+10 Review
+10 Not a Novel
Task Total: 45
Points this Post: 95
Grand Total: 1530
AtW - CircumnavigatorTask 15.8 (8th Itinerary Stop) USA (W 077 02)
Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen
US author, US setting (NYC and Florida)
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Task total = 25
Grand Total: 1355
15.10 AtW--Circumnavigator 10th Stop Japan (E 139 41)
The Sleeping Dragon by Miyuki Miyabe
+15 task
+10 bonus
+100 AtW finish!
grand total=515
The Sleeping Dragon by Miyuki Miyabe
+15 task
+10 bonus
+100 AtW finish!
grand total=515
15.4 - AtW CircumnavigatorNervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga, E 031 13 Zimbabwe
+15 task
+10 bonus
Grand Total: 435 points
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Reading with Style
Books mentioned in this topic
Hard Times: For These Times (other topics)The Age of Grief (other topics)
The Barn at the End of the World: The Apprenticeship of a Quaker, Buddhist Shepherd (other topics)
BoneMan's Daughters (other topics)
Marie-Blanche (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Charles Dickens (other topics)Jane Smiley (other topics)
Mary Rose O'Reilley (other topics)
Ted Dekker (other topics)
Jim Fergus (other topics)
More...
White Teeth by Zadie Smith (she teaches at NYU)
+20 Task
+5 Combo (20.2)
+5 Jumbo (541 pages)
Task total : 30
20.4 - El Ateneo bookstore
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
+20 Task
Task total : 20
20.2 - True Colors
Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley
Orange Prize 2001 nominee
+20 Task
+10 Jumbo (736 pages)
Task total : 30
Grand total : 80