Reading with Style discussion
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Spring 2012 Reading w/Style Completed Tasks
AtW - CircumnavigatorTask 15.1 (1st Itinerary Stop) India (E 077 12)
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
+15 Task
Task Total = 15
Grand Total = 15
my review
AtW - Frequent FlierTask 15.1 The United Kingdom
Improper Seduction by Mary Wine
+15 Task
Task Total = 15
Grand Total = 90
Megan W wrote: "AtW - Frequent FlierTask 15.1 The United Kingdom
Improper Seduction by Mary Wine
+15 Task
Task Total = 15
Grand Total = 90"
Megan, do you know something more about this author? I cannot seem to find her country of birth or her nationality.
Don wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Megan W wrote: "AtW - Frequent FlierTask 15.1 The United Kingdom
Improper Seduction by Mary Wine
+15 Task
Elizabeth, I found 3 brief re..."
In that case this book doesn't qualify for the UK, if she is a US author. Around the World rules required 2 of 3: Author Country of birth, Author country of nationality, Book setting.
20.7 Kid’s Republic
1984
I went to three different high schools followed by engineering school. Sometimes, I feel like there are works of literature or even literary movements that I have missed. Until now, I have not read anything by George Orwell nor, aside from T.S. Eliot’s Wasteland can I recall having read anything from the movement that came from Europe post WWII.
This was much creepier than I thought it would be. I nearly dropped it several times, but convinced myself I could finish something with relatively few pages. Nevertheless, it was not a quick read and is not something I’m going to forget for some time (especially in an election year). I expected something a little bit more dry and related to political philosophy, but this was really much more psychological and is much more about despair than socialism. This was about power and control, but even so I was surprised at how very dark and hopeless the characters in the book. There was really very little comfort to be had by anyone at almost anytime and even knowing this they accepted their lives.
+20 Task
+20 Combos 10.4, 10.5, 20.1(challenged in Jackson County, FL for being pro-communist http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/fr...), 20.4
+10 Review
+10 Cannon
total=60
grand total=60
1984
I went to three different high schools followed by engineering school. Sometimes, I feel like there are works of literature or even literary movements that I have missed. Until now, I have not read anything by George Orwell nor, aside from T.S. Eliot’s Wasteland can I recall having read anything from the movement that came from Europe post WWII.
This was much creepier than I thought it would be. I nearly dropped it several times, but convinced myself I could finish something with relatively few pages. Nevertheless, it was not a quick read and is not something I’m going to forget for some time (especially in an election year). I expected something a little bit more dry and related to political philosophy, but this was really much more psychological and is much more about despair than socialism. This was about power and control, but even so I was surprised at how very dark and hopeless the characters in the book. There was really very little comfort to be had by anyone at almost anytime and even knowing this they accepted their lives.
+20 Task
+20 Combos 10.4, 10.5, 20.1(challenged in Jackson County, FL for being pro-communist http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/fr...), 20.4
+10 Review
+10 Cannon
total=60
grand total=60
10.3 Girl's NamesSabriel by Garth Nix
Review: I was glad that the story didn't revolve around her being female. She wasn't "chosen" or "destined" because she was a woman. She wasn't the first woman in a long line of men. Many times in fantasy, or really in every type of thing, the sexuality of a lead female character is a major plot line. Here that doesn't happen, well, not really. Is there a love interest? Yes, but it doesn't overwhelm. Luckily, the "love story" is poorly handled at the very end of the book so you don't have to deal with it for very long.
The last third of the novel was less convincingly written. It's fantasy and belief must be suspended, but it seemed rushed. The world building up to that point was pretty good, there was still a lot missing, but its a trilogy so that is to be expected.
Overall I enjoyed reading it and would like to read the rest of the series.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 60
itpdx wrote: "10.1 Square PegBirds of a Lesser Paradise: Stories by Megan Mayhew Bergman
Review: This is a book of polished gem-like short stories. Most of the stories are cente..."
+10 not-a-novel
Karen GHHS wrote: "RwS Tasks10.3 – Girls’ Names: Daisy Miller by Henry James
When I checked the canon list, I found that it's one of the few books by Henry James that didn't make the cut, ..."
Bloom's canon includes Henry James' "Short Novels and Tales", and because Bloom wrote/edited this: Henry James's Daisy Miller, The Turn of the Screw & Other Tales, I am going to say Daisy Miller is on his canon list as one of James' "short novels"
+10 Canon
And there's a movie
+5 combo 20.4
And A Raisin in the Sun was also a movie
+5 combo 20.4
Karen GHHS wrote: "10.10 Group reads: Angels in America, Part 1: Millennium Approaches by Tony Kushner
I am really glad to have discovered this play....
+10 Task
+20 Combo: 10.7 Reading is Awarding (Pulitzer/Drama 1993) / 20.1 Tattered Cover http://broadwayworld.com/board/readmessa... / 20.4 El Ateneo(HBO 2003)/ 20.9 It's Epidemic
+10 Canon
+10 Not a Novel
Task Total: 50"
+10 review
Karen GHHS wrote: "20.7 In honor of Kid’s Republic: King Lear by William Shakespeare..."
And, we have another movie: +5 combo 20.4
As of post 50, I have your Grand Total as 260 points.
Liz M wrote: "Karen GHHS wrote: "10.10 Group reads: Angels in America, Part 1: Millennium Approaches by Tony Kushner
I am really glad to have discovered this play....
+10 Task
+20 Combo: 10.7 Reading is Award..."
Thanks so much for all of the finds! I promise to be more careful and to post just 1 or 2 at a time from now on as requested!
10.1 Square PegGrave Peril by Jim Butcher
I read this book on a whim, 'cause I was feeling like taking a break from some of the heavy, deep books I've been reading lately. I was pleasantly surprised that it fit the square peg task, which I usually find is a hard task to take care of!
+10 Task
Task Total: 10
Grand Total: 35
15.1 AtW - Circumnavigator (1st Itinerary Stop) Australia (E 149 07 )
Murder on the Ballarat Train by Kerry Greenwood
+15 Task
Task Total = 15
grand total=75
Murder on the Ballarat Train by Kerry Greenwood
+15 Task
Task Total = 15
grand total=75
Liz M wrote: "itpdx wrote: "10.1 Square PegBirds of a Lesser Paradise: Stories by Megan Mayhew Bergman
Review: This is a book of polished gem-like short stories. Most of the sto...
+10 not-a-novel"
Thanks, Liz. I wasn't sure if short stories qualified for these style points.
Repost from 32,I forgot to add another style point.
10.1 Square Peg
Everyday life in medieval times by Marjorie Rowling
Task +10
Style +20 (review)
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66...
Not a Novel (Nonfiction)
Book Total: 30
Grand Total: 45
Norma wrote: "AtW - CircumnavigatorTask 15.1 (1st Itinerary Stop) Antarctica E000 000 - Ice Station by Matthew Reilly
Ice Station"
Arow wrote: "AtW - Circumnavigator
Task 15.1 (1st Itinerary Stop) Antarctica (E 000 00)
Ice Station by Matthew Reilly..."
If you are 'Circumnavigating', I believe the book will have to qualify 2 out of the 3 criterias being: Birthplace & nationality of author and setting of book. Matthew Reilly was born in Sydney, AU & is an Australian. So the book only fulfills 1 criteria out of the 3 for "Antartica". You can, however, claim it for "Australia".
I hope the above makes sense.
Kazza wrote: "Norma wrote: "AtW - CircumnavigatorTask 15.1 (1st Itinerary Stop) Antarctica E000 000 - Ice Station by Matthew Reilly
Ice Station"
Arow wrote: "AtW - Circumnavigator
Task 15.1 (1..."
Kazza,
A book from Antarctica only needs to fulfill one of the three criteria. It is an exception to the rule.
Kate S wrote: "Kazza wrote: "Norma wrote: "AtW - CircumnavigatorTask 15.1 (1st Itinerary Stop) Antarctica E000 000 - Ice Station by Matthew Reilly
Ice Station"
Arow wrote: "AtW - Circumnavi..."
Oops, good one! I shouldn't have been online before 9am & before I finish my coffee for the morning.
No worries, Kazza. Thanks for helping out your fellow participants!
10.4 Read a classic on the Children's Literature List-
by Jules Verne This was on the 7th and 8th grade list.Review
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Task +10
Style +15(Combo 20.4 Books Made Into a Movie http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Around-t..., Review)
Book Total: 25
Grand Total: 70
20.6 SelexyzThe Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
A first-contact science fiction novel that is quite light on the science but with very well developed characters exploring important questions of religious faith and relationships. I enjoyed this book enough to be immediately staying the sequel, but found the very sketchy space travel science and goofy inability of smart characters to think of simple issues distracting enough not to make this a five star book. Also, the main character, Emilio, seemed just a bit overly emotional or overwrought. Yes, some bad things happened to him and caused him to question his faith in God. Maybe I'm just heartless, but I felt like he should have anticipated the possibility that aliens wouldn't be all unicorns and rainbows. Critiques aside, I'd definitely recommend this book.
+20 Task
+5 combo (10.2)
+10 review
Task total: 35
Grand total: 90
10.9 Please, Sir, May I have More?Glory in Death by J.D. Robb
Second in the “In Death” series, like the first book, it hits the ground running. Immediately occurs the death of a high powered and respected Prosecuting Attorney. Later an actress is attacked using the same M.O. A psychiatric profiler suggests this is a man who wants power and resent women who do have it. The third murder is a case of mistaken identity and brings homicide closer to Eve Dallas’ circle.
Meanwhile on the romantic scene, Beautiful, sexy, rich and romantic Roark has declared his love for Eve and wants her to move into his house. Eve has a hard time with personal relationships and commitments. Of course this makes for some interesting sparks.
Now with a romantic cliff-hanger, I’m looking forward to reading the book number three in the series
+10 pts - Task
+10 pts - Review
Task Total - 20 pts
Grand Total - 95 pts
AtW - Circumnavigator 2nd Itineray StopEurope-Denmark E012 34 - The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Alder-Olsen
The Keeper of Lost Causes
+15 task
+10 bonus
Task Total 25
Total Points: 40
Joanna wrote: "20.6 SelexyzThe Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
A first-contact science fiction novel that is quite light on the science but with very well developed characters explori..."
I just got this book. It sounds interesting.
10.2 Space OutGlow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
The Empyrean is on a mission to New Earth along with sister ship, the New Horizon. Waverly and Kieran were conceived on the Empyrean and have never known any other life. This young couple represents the future of the human race. What they don't know is the adults in charge of each ship have made disastrous choices which results in an overthrow which tears the couple apart.
I was surprised that I really got into the story so much. I liked the way that the author spent time with each lead character so the reader could get a more objective view of their lives. It kept the book more interesting and helped you feel empathetic for the characters. The story shows the corruption that power brings. I look forward to the next in the series.
+10 pts - Task
+10 pts - Review
Task Total - 20 pts
Grand Total - 20 pts
10.2 Space OutSally Ride: First American Woman in Space by Carol Ann Camp
Review
http://www.goodreads.com/review
Task +10
Style: +20 (Review, Not A Novel (Nonfiction)
Book Total: 30
Grand Total: 100
AtW - Circumnavigator
Task 15.2 (2nd Itinerary Stop) New Zealand (E 174 46 )
A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Task Total = 25
grand total=100
Task 15.2 (2nd Itinerary Stop) New Zealand (E 174 46 )
A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Task Total = 25
grand total=100
10.9 Please Sir, I want some moreSilently and Very Fast by Catherynne M. Valente
Silently and Very Fast has been nominated for a Nebula award, and it deserves it and more.
I finished this late last night, and spent the last pages and the following 30 minutes in tears. The story is moving, it is terrible, it’s beautiful and sad. It is so many things. It is so big.
Elefsis is aware, it is a being. It lives in a virtual dreamworld with successive generations of a remarkable family, and with each generation Elefsis is the same but is not. It is a child that never grows up and has children of its own, but rather evolves into new iterations. It is a caretaker and teacher and student. Elesfis itself says of its first dreamer, “I am her, I am her child, I am her sibling and her ghost.”
This novella asks what is life? What is real? And ultimately, what price is one willing to pay to be, or to allow another to be?
While this novella is science fiction, you do not have to enjoy that genre to enjoy this book. The language is lush, the imagery stunning. And those who love fairy tales and mythology will recognize a number of retellings from a machine’s point of view.
Highly recommended.
+10 Task
+5 Combo (10.2 Space Out)
+10 Review
Task Total = 25
Grand Total = 100
Ann wrote: "10.9 Please Sir, I want some moreSilently and Very Fast by Catherynne M. Valente
Silently and Very Fast has been nominated for a Nebula award, and it deserves it ..."
I have to second Ann's recommendation as this really is an extremely gorgeous book by a superb writer. ^_^
10.2 Space outThe Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
Review:
I was disappointed with this book after loving The Knife of Never Letting Go, the first one in this trilogy. In this volume, Todd and Viola are separated and they are enlisted to fight for opposing factions.
The book was too long and violent for me. It became boring and I lost sympathy with the main characters, especially Todd, because of the vicious things he did. I found myself hoping that all of the humans will be wiped out and the Spackle will get their planet back at the end of the trilogy. Unfortunately I can’t imagine the author writing that ending.
I wonder if this is an allegory for the historical European settlers arriving in America, the wars that broke out between the different factions of Europeans and what they did to the native population. But if this is the point, I am surprised the author seems so firmly on Todd's side. I might have to read the last one just to find out.
+10 Task (settlers arriving on planet by space travel)
+10 Review
+ 5 Jumbo 500+
Task total = 25
Grand total = 80
Rosemary wrote: "10.2 Space outThe Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
Review:
I was disappointed with this book after loving The Knife of Never Letting Go, the first one in this tr..."
I definitely recommend reading the third book. This is one of my favorite YA trilogies with sophisticated writing and depth of subject matter.
AtW-Circumnavigator15.2 (2nd itinerary stop) Germany (E 013 23)
The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
+25 Task
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 40
20.7 In Honor of Kid's RepublicMrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Review: I have never read anything by Virginia Woolf. Of course I had heard of her; one of the greatest writers ever, she had committed suicide, there is reportedly a really good movie (based on a book about her) called The Hours, and there is play called "Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf" which doesn't really have anything to do with her.
I went into this novel having no clue. I may still not have a clue. It was written as a stream of consciousness bouncing from one character to the next over the course of a day, where the end goal is a party. I took me a little bit to settle into it. I was all, "whats the point?" and then I was like, "oh." Then it began to unravel or come together (by that I mean the storylines). I think there are still things that I missed or didn't get, but coming out of it I think its about reflection and acceptance.
These characters are just moving through their day thinking about stuff, what was, what if? It's not epic. It's just life, the mundane and the everyday. Many of the passages made me a bit sad. I felt really bad for the guy who is never able to get over the woman he loved in his youth. I felt really bad for the wife of the suicidal soldier suffering from post traumatic stress. I don't really know if I was happy for anyone, except for perhaps one character that no one really expected anything out of and her life turned out alright, unexpected, but alright.
+20 Task
+25 Combo (10.4, 20.2, 20.3, 20.4-1997, 20.5-1925)
+10 Canon
+10 Review
Task Total: 65
Grand Total: 125
Rosemary wrote: "10.2 Space outThe Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
Review:
I was disappointed with this book after loving The Knife of Never Letting Go, the first one in this tr..."
I agree, this was the weakest of the three books, but the final book was excellent. There's also a free e-story (at least free at Barnes & Noble) that's Viola's arrival from her POV - a nice little extra.
15.1 AtW Circumnavigator (1st itinerary stop) US (W 077 02)
The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR'S Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience by Kirstin Downey
+15 Task
Previous Total: 30
Grand Total: 45
10.2 Space OutThe Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia by Ursula K. Le Guin
+10 Task
10.3 Girls' Names
Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser
+10 Task
+10 Not-A-Novel (non-fiction)
(while this book is over 500 pages, the last 30 or so are notes and index and I am therefore not claiming Jumbo points)
20.2 True Colors
My Ántonia by Willa Cather
Off the 100 Greatest List
+20 Task
+15 Combo (10.3; 10.4 9-12 grade list; 20.4-TV Movie 1995)
+10 Canon
Post Total: 75
Season Total: 115
Ann wrote: "10.9 Please Sir, I want some moreSilently and Very Fast by Catherynne M. Valente
Silently and Very Fast has been nominated for a Nebula award, and it deserves it ..."
This looks interesting! But I don't see where space travel is part of the story....?
In post 34: Rosemary wrote: "AtW - CircumnavigatorTask 15.1 (1st Itinerary Stop) Ireland (W 006 15)
At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien
+15 Task
Task Total = 15
Grand Total: 70 ..."
In post 91: Rosemary wrote: "10.2 Space out
The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
Task total = 25
Grand total = 80..."
Oops, it looks like your Grand Total should be 95 points.
Liz M wrote: "This looks interesting! But I don't see where space travel is part of the story....? "Re: my post 89 for Silently and Very Fast
A teeny bit spoilery:
(view spoiler)
15.1 AtW - Circumnavigator - 1st stopEurope: Belgium (E 004 21): De Helaasheid der Dingen by Dimitri Verhulst
Review: Life's truly crappy for Dimitri. His mother hates him, so he lives with his dad and uncles at the grandmother's house. Except for his dad, not one of them has a job, and except for his grandmother, all are proud alcoholics. If you're one of the Verhulsts, all innkeepers know you by name, and unfortunately, so do all the police officers and bailiffs. If you're born into this family, your career path becomes fairly obvious when you're about an hour old and your father rides with you to every filthy rundown joint in Buttcrack, Flanders, your home. It's disheartening.
There's not much in the way of education, and your family has only one thing to teach you - how to successfully ruin yourself.
Yeah, it's pretty bad, but then, not all bad. Being one of the Verhulsts also means that your (paternal) family will stick up for each other, come what may, and it's never boring. Whether it's competitive drinking, naked bike riding, or watching Roy Orbison's concert with your new best Iranian friends, after the bailiff took your TV, there's always something going on. It's entertaining.
Verhulst tells his (autobiographical) anecdotes with a measured laconism and such dry wit, it makes you look for something to drink. There is a sense of a strange nostalgia for a life that is so far removed from the grown-up Dimitri, and an appreciation for the exuberant flowers that can grow on a dung heap. It's bittersweet.
Task: 15
__________________________________________
15.2 AtW - Circumnavigator - 2nd stop
Africa: Nigeria (E 007 29):
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Review: I had no idea what I was getting into. It's embarrassing, really, how little I know about African history (if such a thing exists), so I am all the more glad I read this book.
I enjoyed the flawless storytelling, the subtle use of symbolism, the well thought out characters, that feel foreign and familiar at the same time. And I enjoyed getting a history lesson on something I knew nothing about.
The story of Biafra, the shortlived state of the Igbo, is told through 3 different characters: Ugwu, a village boy that becomes the houseboy of a university teacher with revolutionary ideals, Odenigbo; Olanna, daughter of a wealthy high-society couple and educated in England, who is Odenigbo's lover/wife; and Richard, an Englishman who falls in love with Igbo art and Olanna's sister, Kainene. The three viewpoints overlap and sometimes disagree, and end up giving a lot of insight into the minds of educated and rural Igbos alike, as well as a Western, involved, perspective.
Nothing will make you understand the horrors of that war, and Adichie does nothing to cut them down into sizeable bits, which is all the better, because it, like the whole book, is brave and truthful.
Task: 15
Bonus: 10
Task total: 25
Grand total: 40
RwS10.10 Group Reads - Divergent by Veronica Roth
Divergent is my first ever group reads book and I’m so glad that I finally picked it up to read it. Dystopian fiction is a fascinating genre but I don’t always fall in love with it. While I absolutely loved The Hunger Games, I was very meh about The Maze Runner and so I went into this novel not sure what to expect. I did enjoy the story very much. I’m always fascinated with the kinds of world’s people can imagine and put into a believable story. In fact, some aspects of the novel are a bit too believable for my tastes but any novel that leaves me thinking about it afterwords and patiently waiting for the next book must have something going for it!
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total=20
Grand Total=40
AtW - Circumnavigator - 3rd stopEurope-Sweden E018 04 - Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell
Faceless Killers
+15 task
+10 bonus
Task total 25
Total points 65
RwS Tasks10.5 – Rooting for the Bad Guy
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
(on the linked list)
I've recently become a bigger fan of the "old time" books and movies, some in the genre of The Big Sleep by attending big screen movies with my 88 year old dad at the local theater. I decided to try the first book in the Philip Marlowe series to see how I liked it. I really like following the single lead character detective and figuring out how he or she solves mysteries. I'm not great at figuring them out on my own or even attempting to solve the crime, but I enjoy getting to know the personality of the detective along with the plot, and that was the highlight of The Big Sleep for me. I didn't exactly like Marlowe (hence his place on the anti-hero list, I guess), but I did find him an engaging noir detective and I plan to read more of Chandler.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+ 5 Combo: 20.4 El Ateneo (Movie, 1946: Bogey and Bacall)
Task Total: 25
10.8 Rosemary’s task – It’s a Family Affair
Tales from the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird by Vivian Vande Velde
920 Lexile
When I was in college, I used to watch The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show on TV which was a variety/comedy cartoon show with some repeated segments. My favorite part was the "Fractured Fairy Tales" and Tales from the Brothers Grimm and The Sisters Weird reminded me of those great tales. Everyone seems to reverse their roles as traditional good guy and bad guy to the opposite side and Vivian Vande Velde does a masterful job with these creative retellings of old favorites. Some of them are only a few sentences long and others are short stories, but all brought a smile to my face. It's a quick read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys retellings.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+10 Not a Novel (Short Stories)
Task Total: 30
Points this Post: 55
Grand Total: 315
Karen GHHS wrote: "Tales from the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird by Vivian Vande Velde920 Lexile
When I was in college, I used to watch The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show on TV which was a variety/comedy cartoon show with some repeated segments. My favorite ... "
Karen, the GR database shows 0 pages for this book, with the library binding. Do you have a page length so I can correct it?
10.5 Rooting for the Bad GuyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Review: This book is funny. In a very particular sort of way. It's so British. It felt very Monty Python, for lack of a better association, that's the closest I could get to the type of humor it could be. Maybe in a sort of way a classic Mel Brooks type of humor. I find it interesting that I associate this story with TV and film. As I read I could imagine watching this and now I want to see the movie and I hope that its good. This was a really fun book. I was cracking up out loud. Does this make me a dork? This, among other things, yes. Its ok. I'm comfortable with it.
The story is full of humor but also these really creative ideas. I was most fond of the idea of a group of people that make planets. Luxury planets. One, because things just get bigger and grander and quite ridiculous. We are thinking too small with custom cars, custom homes, and man made islands. Two, there are specializations; there's a guy that is the best at making fjords! It's an art. He won an award.
It's mostly harmless.
+10 Task
+15 Combo (10.2, 20.3, 20.4)
+10 Review
Task Total: 35
Grand Total: 160
AtW - CircumnavigatorTask 15.1 (1st Itinerary Stop) Australia (E 149 07)
The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay
+15 Task
Task Total = 15
Grand Total: 15
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Karen GHHS wrote: "Tales from the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird by Vivian Vande Velde920 Lexile
When I was in college, I used to watch The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show on TV which was a varie..."
Oh phooey! Well my library copy is actually a paperback, so how should I go about fixing that?
Not a problem, Karen; if you want to go back and edit and choose the correct edition, fine; I see there is a paperback with 144 pages; I'll bet Liz and Kate know you didn't read zero pages.
20.6 Selexyz Bookstore - Religious FigureIn the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming
I started reading this book for three reasons: 1) the Kindle edition was reduced in price for the month of February; 2) one of the main characters was a religious figure; and 3) the rating on Good Reads was good. I also thought a little break from often-heavy literary fiction would be a welcome change. Well - I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I moved through this book and how captivated I was by the main characters: the female Episcopalian priest and the police chief in upstate New York who team up to solve a case smack dab in the middle of a very cold winter. I've already purchased the next two books in this series and I'm looking forward to more mysteries.
+20 Task (main character is an Episcopalian priest)
+10 Review
Task Total = 30
Grand Total = 45
10.9 Please Sir, I Want Some More..The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
I read the first book of the Percy Jackson series in January and I definitely enjoyed it enough I wanted to continue with the rest of the series. This book definitely lived up to the expectations laid down by the first one as the world was further defined and more adventures were had. A lot of fun with a lot of great mythological references - the Sea of Monsters referring to all the monsters Odysseus encountered like the Sirens and Circe, etc. I really liked how the tension keeps building along with the world building in these books and I can see why they've been so popular. Not even the monsters are all evil as Riordan does a good job of humanizing even enemies and antagonists at various points. Plus the ending of this one will really spark some interesting dynamics to come so I will definitely have to pick up the third book to read now too.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 160
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Reading with Style
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I wo..."
Ok, thanks -- and thanks for picking such a great book with lots of combo points!