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SP 2017 Completed Tasks
20.5 FoundationThe Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
A long and rather depressing novel about a family whose members all seem to be falling apart in their different ways. Alfred has Parkinson’s disease; his wife Enid refuses to face facts; their older son Gary is constantly making concessions to his passive-aggressive wife and their three sons; the next son, Chip, is an underachiever whose girlfriend has just walked out on him; and to say much about their daughter Denise would be a spoiler.
There’s so much detail about every little thing that happens, that I found this really dragged in places. But I did engage with all of the characters in the end.
+20 task
+10 review
+ 5 jumbo
Task Total: 35
ETA: How could I forget!
RwS finish: 100
Season Total: 1080
20.6 My Name Is RedCaraval by Stephanie Garber
I read this because the cover was sparkly. I know that's not a good way to choose a book--I didn't even know what it was about--but the cover grabbed me so I checked it out from the library and brought it home. Who knew the world that was going to be contained inside would be so colorful! (Sometimes to the point of distraction....most of the adjectives in this book are color names...like she dumped a jumbo pack of Crayola crayons on her desk and randomly used their names to describe things--people, emotion, smells--all described by color. In the beginning it was a nice device. At page 100, it was pretty irritating and by page 300, i wanted to scream.)
Scarlett and Donatella are sisters who have always wanted to see the Caraval traveling show but it has never visited their small island. Scarlett has written Master Legend every year since she was 9 to try to convince him to visit but had never received a reply. Finally, in her sixteenth year, the year her tyrannical father has arranged for her to be married, she receives three invitations to enter the game at Caraval.
This book was all plot, prettily told. The plot had its weak points and the romance aspect was a bit much and the world-building a little confusing and the end kinda rushed but it was a fun ride in the end. I guess it has already been optioned by Fox...I'll be curious to see the movie--I think once all of the internal dialogue and rainbow descriptions are removed i might like it a bit better than the 3-stars I gave it.
+20 Task (25,087 ratings, 4.0 avg)
+5 Combo (10.5, tagged as "circus" 25 times)
+10 Review
Task total: 35
Season total: 1600
10.2 3,4,5The History of Japan by Louis Pérez
"The History of Japan" is aimed at students and the general public interested in a concise history of Japan. The beginning of the book discusses the geography of the island nation which has to import over 85% of its total energy from abroad, as well as large quantities of iron ore, many minerals, and many agricultural goods. (In modern times, Japan has become known for exporting its excellent industrial and technical products, and automobiles.) The land is beautiful--but mountainous, volcanic, and unstable with frequent earthquakes. Much of it is too steep for farming or housing so Japan has a very high density population on its usable land. Its treacherous oceans kept the Japanese isolated from other Asians for much of its history. It was a great way to start the book since there were multiple times that Japan's geography had a large impact on its history.
The book covers Japanese history from prehistoric times up until 1997 with more detail in the Meiji Era and later. There is also a newer edition available, but I was reading a library book. The book includes a timeline of historical events and an excellent glossary of Japanese terms that I used frequently. The only illustrations were three maps. I especially appreciated that the author included quite a bit of information about women's issues, religion, and culture in addition to politics and trade. It's an interesting basic book for the general reader. There are plenty of longer books available if someone wants to do more in-depth reading about Japan.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 825
Task 15.10Spur Award for Best Novel (1981)
(note: I'm going to be doing all Spur Award, sequentially, 1972-1981)
Eyes of the Hawk (1981) by Elmer Kelton
+15 Task
+05 Oldies (published before 1992)
+100 Time Traveler will read in chronological order (starting at either end)
Task Total: 15 + 05 +100 = 120
Grand Total: 885 + 120 = 1,005
20.5 FoundationDear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher
I found this a truly hilarious book - literally laugh out loud funny. It's told as a series of recommendation letters written by a bitter English and creative writing professor at a middling Midwest college. The letters range from heartfelt to ridiculous, as he writes letters in support of everything from jobs at paintball facilities to admission to seminary programs. Along the way, we learn about his ex-wife and ex-girlfriends, scandals in his past, his friendships, his desperation to assist one of his students in getting financial support to complete his lengthy novel, and the progress of the renovations in the English department building. (The commentary about the renovations alone makes the book worth reading). Along with the hilarity, there are moments of true emotion that make the book even more surprising and interesting.
+20 task (born in Delaware, 1958 - search )
+10 review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 670
Post 866 Valerie wrote: "10.7 Dead Poets SocietyBurmese Days by George Orwell
In the first half (or more) of this book I was interested, but not compelled. Then came the chapter where Flory tak..."
Orwell was born in India, so doesn't qualify for 10.3.
15 .7 Awards of the decade Time traveler Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice Award for Best Nonfiction (2012)
15 task
5 non-fiction
___
20
(Corrected) Running total 790
10.1 Square pegFever Dream by Samanta Schweblin
Thanks to a mistaken book choice for this task, I went to the library in a desperate attempt to find a Square Peg. All I can say is ‘thank you RwS� for leading me to this book. Wow, this book is good. But eerie�., and very difficult to review. If you look at the GR reviews you will see what I mean.
I can’t really think of anything bad to say about this book, and am debating 4.5* or if I should just bump it up to 5. It is taut, compelling, and strange. There are no extraneous words in this short novel. I feel like the author has such a tight handle on how to say exactly what is necessary and edit out the rest, that for that achievement alone it is worth reading. You will have that ‘pit of the stomach� feeling when you read it, but I would not go as far as to say it is horror, maybe just horrific. It is definitely on point for the world we live in right now.
I think it is important to read this book in one sitting � it is short, so that is doable. Also, another GR reviewer suggested that perhaps parents of young children should NOT read this book � I think that may be a good idea.
10 task
10 non-western (Argentinian)
10 review
____
30
RwS finish = 100
Running total: 920
20.6 My Name is RedGulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach
+20 task
+5 combo (20.5) had to search "mary roach birthday" to find
Task total: 25
Grand total: 980
10.2 3, 4, or 5The Three Kingdoms: Welcome The Tiger by Luo Guanzhong
+10 task
+5 length
+10 non-western
Task total: 25
Grand total: 1015
20.10 HesperusJohn Marchmont's Legacy by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
This is delicious. Delicious in that I just ate it up, not delicious in that it is sticky sweet or full of reading nutrition. In the GR description is Braddon once declared that Wilkie Collins, the master of the 'sensation novel', was 'assuredly my literary father' and in another place I read that if Collins is the King of Sensation, Braddon is its Queen. I won't be making a steady diet of her, but I have acquired Delphi Collected Works of M. E. Braddon, because I fully intend to slip her into the rotation again and again.
At first I thought this was a bit of a Cinderella retelling. There is a poor girl with an ugly stepmother and there is a handsome prince. Well sort of. The stepmother is quite handsome but with an ugly heart, and the prince is not a prince, though he is quite handsome. And then there is a wonderful ball and the poor, poor girl is lost and must be found. That is what I thought at first, and, as usual with my speculations about what might happen next, I was pretty much wrong. Also at first I thought the characterizations left something wanting, but I should have been more patient for that, too. They aren't as fully fleshed as would be in a character-driven novel, but they are better than in many plot-driven novels.
She sets a scene for us. I think the interior scenes were better done, perhaps because, while they were brief, they were more persistent. In any case:
The rain beats down upon the battlemented roof of Marchmont Towers this July day, as if it had a mind to flood the old mansion. The flat waste of grass, and the lonely clumps of trees, are almost blotted out by the falling rain. The low grey sky shuts out the distance. This part of Lincolnshire––fenny, misty, and flat always––seems flatter and mistier than usual to–day. The rain beats hopelessly upon the leaves in the wood behind Marchmont Towers, and splashes into great pools beneath the trees, until the ground is almost hidden by the fallen water, and the trees seem to be growing out of a black lake.As the novel progresses, our "prince" believes one thing, but we as readers can be quite certain he is wrong. Still, we don't know if he'll ever learn the truth as we believe it, or learn the truth in time. And then, too, the villain appears as a very kind, and mild-mannered person to the other characters, while we readers know him to be a vile, dark-hearted, manipulator of others. Fun stuff and too fun to downgrade it to the 4-stars it probably deserves. But, as I said, this is delicious.
+20 Task
+10 Combo (10.2, 10.3)
+10 Review
+ 5 Jumbo (506 pgs)
Task Total = 45
Grand Total = 1005
From Post 872Katy wrote: "20.5 Foundation
Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher
I found this a truly hilarious book - literally laugh out loud funny. It's told as a series of recommenda..."
+5 Combo 10.2
10.9 A Wrinkle in Time (Coralie's Task)Blackout (All Clear #1) by Connie Willis
#21 on list
review
I picked up this book with confidence that it’s the first book of a trilogy, All Clear, however I did not read the book’s meta data on GR in detail as it actually stated that it’s the third book of another trilogy, �, of which I’ve only read the first book. What prompted me to look more in details was because I was a little confused as the book assumed certain knowledge and at the same time, felt familiar in its time-travel technique. And then, there were 3 perspectives (2 females, 1 male) who also time travelled to similar timelines (weeks differences but different locations). Again, I found it hard to grasp who’s who (except for the male pov) and I don’t know whether I’m just being slow but it took about half the book before I was comfortable with who’s who & what’s going on. It is a very interesting sort of perspective about how we from the 21st century would cope with the war, the blitz, and all that comes with it. We hear the horror, as well as the glory/bravery, but as with all things, what we think is horrible will not truly horrified us until we come face to face with it. Despite the slowness & confusion, I did actually enjoy this book for I loved both the setting & time travel. Book 2 is added onto tbr.
+10 task
+5 Combo (10.6 - 6 letters)
+10 Review
+5 Jumbo (610 pages)
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 1,070
10.1 - Square PegAnnihilation - Jeff VanderMeer
I don't even know what to say about this book. I have a lot of conflicting feelings. On the one hand, I'm ridiculously intrigued and want to finish the series to know what happens next. On the other hand, this was boring as all hell.
The book starts off with an expedition of 4 scientists in various fields entering "Area X," which has been sealed off by the government for...reasons, I guess? The book is written as the diary of the biologist, but it doesn't REALLY read like a diary would. The team quickly discovers a tower/tunnel that isn't on any of their maps, and it unfolds from there.
The first quarter of this book builds up a ridiculous amount of suspense and dread with the tower. But then, it plateaus completely. It doesn't build anywhere from there, most of the action takes place off the page with our narrator telling us about it after the fact, and the one really action-packed scene near the end is jumpy and distorted, possibly the way the author meant it to be so that the reader would feel like they were experiencing it, but for me it just made it feel unreal and took me out of the scene. It also resolved really quickly and with no real impact on the plot.
I will continue with the series, if only because the books are short and I won't have to sink a lot of time into (hopefully) getting some closure to all the questions this book left me with. VanderMeer can write, but I'm hoping that his ability to direct the plot and more things forward will improve in the second novel.
+10 task
+10 review
Post total: 20
Grand total: 105
10.2 - 3, 4 or 5The Chilbury Ladies' Choir - Jennifer Ryan
I'm a sucker for a good epistolary novel, and I love different takes on life during WWII. This book was right up my alley and does a fantastic job of showing the lives of these small town British women at the start of WWII.
The novel is entirely made up of diary entries and letters. This gives a deep and personal look at each woman's life, her feelings, her fears. They all felt like such unique and well-rounded characters, because the format allows the reader to get to know them so well.
This story was actually a lot darker and more twisted than I was anticipating when I started reading! I thought it was going to be a fairly cutest read. Not at all, it gets very grim in places, but it also shows how these women have persevered even in the face of death and tragedy. Mrs. Tilling especially was such an interesting character, and I loved reading her diary and watching how much she grew as a person, and reading how her growth affected the other women in the town through their letters and diaries.
I really loved this novel, I only wish I could have followed the characters for longer than the five months covered in this book!
+10 task
+10 review
+5 combo (10.3 - UK)
Post total: 25
Grand total: 130
10.2 - 3, 4 or 5Every Heart a Doorway - Seanan McGuire
This is a great little novel. The author does an absolutely fantastic job of taking the idea of being a "weird," outcast teen and adding some magic to it. I loved the sort of matter-of-fact way the characters were treated - they weren't defined by being asexual, or trans, it just happens to be a part of who they are but not their number one characteristic. Instead, their defining characteristic becomes the world they were chosen to visit: Nonsense, Logic, Wicked...
Even the magical worlds themselves take a bit of a backseat to the idea of belonging and friendship. There's a murder mystery thrown in for good measure, but at its heart, the novel is about being true to who you are and finding that sense of belonging within yourself.
Really enjoyed everything about this book, and I look forward to reading the companion novel!
+10 task
+10 review
Post total: 20
Grand total: 150
10.4 - International Question Day What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson
6 Show more
Review What a garbage book...I wanted to stop reading after about 80 pages, but I have a policy of not rating/reviewing books unless I've finished them, so I forced myself through it just so I could have the satisfaction of giving it one of my rare one-star ratings.
Let's start with the writing - it's bland, it's repetative, it's just not good. Chris spends 90% of the novel groaning, because that's the only way people show emotion in Matheson's world, I guess? So yeah, he groans a lot.
Next, the relationship which is supposed to be central to the plot - Chris and Ann. I couldn't have possibly cared less about this relationship, mostly because Matheson never gave me a reason to care. He says that Chris and Ann are madly in love and soulmates, and the reader is just supposed to take that at face value. Sure, there are a few scenes that show their history, but even then, it's always from Chris' perspective and almost always about how he needed to be there to protect his poor, mentally unstable wife. Even near the end, where there's a chapter devoted to him thanking her for everything she added to his life, it's essentially "thanks for being all weak and feminine and doing all the stereotypical woman things so I could feel like a manly man because my masculinity is extremely fragile." No thanks. There's also the fact that they've got four kids which neither of them seem to care a whole lot about, which also made me feel all warm and fuzzy towards their characters and relationship.
This whole book is just a hot mess. Matheson tries to combine science fiction, romance, and theology, and manages to fail miserably at all three. The theology aspect especially had me rolling my eyes. It was just so bland and overexplained and boring. I'm not religious at all (and I'm willing to admit that may have played a part in why I disliked this book as much as I did) but Matheson's version of heaven and hell (and all the other weird junk he threw in...reincarnation, anyone?) had me cringing the whole way through.
Between this and Somewhere in Time, I don't think I'll be in a big rush to read any of Matheson's other works.
+10 task
+10 review
+5 combo (10.2)
Post total: 25
Grand total: 175
10.8 - AnthologyStories: All-New Tales - Neil Gaiman (editor)
Anthologies are always a bit of a mixed bag, but this one was just rough. By the time I'd finished the book, I'd forgotten 90% of the stories I'd read. Only a couple were really at all memorable, and even those weren't great, just a little better than the rest. I liked Jodi Picoult's story, and Elizabeth Hand's was probably my favorite of the bunch, but the rest were okay at best.
I guess the silver lining is that some of the stories were interesting enough for me to look the author up and add their other works to my to-read list, but for the most part this was a completely mediocre collection by authors that I KNOW can do better than what was presented here.
+10 task
+10 review
+20 combo (10.2 - approved in help thread; 10.3 - UK; 10.7; 20.10)
Post total: 40
Grand total: 215
10.10 - Group ReadsBig Little Lies - Liane Moriarty
I LOVED this book. It's smart, witty, and a total page-turner. I had to force myself to put the book down late at night so I could get some sleep, because all I wanted to do was keep going.
The format is perfect. The brief snippets at the beginning and end of each chapter let you know early on that there's a murder being investigated, but always very vaguely, so that you have no idea who is involved. The build-up from kindergarten mom drama to full on murder is slow but oh so satisfying and dramatic. I loved Madeleine, Jane and Celeste, they all have such different personalities and voices, they're all dealing with their own major issues completely independent of each other, but their friendship is fantastic.
There are so many unexpected little twists and turns; more than once I found myself actually reacting out loud to the events in the book, and I never saw the twists coming at all. The end was a total shock!
Absolutely love love love this book, and can't wait to pick up another of her novels!
+10 task
+10 review
+10 combo (10.2; 20.7)
Post total: 30
Grand total: 245
Bea wrote: "Kate S wrote: "Bea wrote: "10.2 - 3, 4, or 5The Traitor's Emblem by Juan Gomez-Jurado
+ 10 Task
Task Total: 10"
+5 Combo 10.3"
Huh? 10.3 is for authors born in..."
You're right. My mistake, please ignore my previous message about this post.
20.1 - Lord of the RingsThe Painted Veil - W. Somerset Maugham
I'm a little torn on my rating. I did enjoy this book a lot more than I'd anticipated. The writing is gorgeous, the plot kept me reading, the characters were interesting (if not very likable) but I feel like I'll probably have forgotten all about this in a couple of weeks.
I enjoyed Kitty as a character, and watching her grow and regress and grow again was, for me, the best part of this book. I appreciated how honest she was about her feelings and her own character, even if she didn't always completely voice those feelings to the other characters in the novel. The plot is fairly predictable, but there's enough originality to it (especially in terms of the setting and the cholera epidemic) to keep it interesting.
I'll definitely be reading more Maugham in the future, because his writing is beautiful, but this novel in particular isn't one that I see staying with me for years to come.
+20 task
+10 review
+25 combo (10.2; 10.3; 10.7; 20.6; 20.9)
Post total: 55
Grand total: 300
20.2 - RebeccaAnd Then There Were None - Agatha Christie
There's a reason that Agatha Christie is regarded as the Queen of Crime, and this is a prime example! The suspense starts at page one, and it never lets up. Throughout the novel, I found myself adjusting my theories and guesses of who the murderer was, and I wasn't even close to close!
I loved the integration of the poem into the murders, it was just enough to give a clue as to how the next murder would happen, but nothing more. The novel never gets predictable, it kept me on my toes all the way through.
It sometimes bothers me when a mystery is wrapped up all nice and neatly in the last chapter, but in this case it fit perfectly and was extremely satisfying, especially since I had not a clue as to who the murderer was in the end.
Fantastic crime novel, and definitely the best of the (admittedly few) Christie novels I've read so far.
+20 task
+10 review
+15 combo (10.2; 10.3; 10.7)
Post total: 45
Grand total: 345
20.3 - EvictedSo You've Been Publicly Shamed - Jon Ronson
This book wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I think the reality of it was better than what I had in mind. I was anticipating nothing but vague case studies of people who have been internet shamed, but Ronson actually dives into the subject in much more depth than I anticipated! I found it to be an extremely compelling read. The case studies are there, and they're very interesting. But knowing that Ronson put some time into researching the history of public shaming, and ways it's been used recently offline in the justice system, really made the book for me.
I also really appreciated that he seemed to actually care about the people featured in this book. Yes, he's curious about their situations, but in more than one case he becomes basically an advocate for why that person doesn't deserve the treatment they've received, and tries to improve their situations. I likves having all of those different aspects to the book: the case studies, the history, and the more human aspect of the experience of public shaming.
this is my first experience with Ronson's writing, but I'm eager to look into his other works. It's clear that he spends a lot of time acquainting himself with the subject he's writing about, and his passion really comes through in his writing.
+20 task
+10 review
+15 combo (10.2; 10.3; 20.6)
Post total: 45
Grand total: 390
20.4 - My Family and Other AnimalsCartes Postales from Greece - Victoria Hislop
So glad I decided to pick up this book by an author I'd never heard of, based entirely on its cover and title! I absolutely loved this book. The blend of short stories within an overarching story which is itself part of another story is fantastic. Hislop manages to capture all of these different voices beautifully; each town or city and its people are shown to be unique, their history is incorporated, and there's just enough mythology mixed in to keep things interesting.
I will say that Ellie's ending seemed a little unrealistic, but then, the whole book had a bit of the extraordinary to it, so I guess it isn't too out of place.
An absolutely beautiful portrait of Greece, relationships, grief, and life as a whole.
+20 task
+10 review
+10 combo (10.2; 10.3)
Post total: 40
Grand total: 430
20.5 - FoundationThe Surgeon - Tess Gerritsen
I liked this book for the most part, but it definitely isn't without its flaws.
For starters, Rizzoli is absolutely insufferable as a character. She goes on and on (mentally, because despite her constant sour face she almost never calls people out) about how horrible it is to be a female cop, how differently she gets treated and gets no respect, blah blah blah, which, to be fair, is totally true in the context of the novel. But a) she doesn't nothing to make her situation better, just blames others when things get worse even when they're COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY HER FAULT, and b) she treats Dr. Cordell with the same disdain and lack of respect that she complains of being treated with by her coworkers, just because Dr. Cordell happens to be female and attractive.
I also wasn't a fan of how they talked about the murders, how the murderer takes "the only thing that makes them women" by cutting out their wombs. and how damaged and wounded rape victims are. Give me a break. Especially coming from a woman writer, it's vaguely insulting.
All that said, the plot itself was intriguing, the writing was decent, and I liked Moore and Dr. Cordell as characters. I'll probably read the second book eventually.
+20 task
+10 review
+10 combo (20.2; 20.9)
Post total: 40
Grand total: 470
20.10 - HesperusThe Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
It took me a while to get through this one, but I'm glad I finished it; what a fantastic novel!
I went into this novel honestly not knowing much about it except what little I remembered from having seen one of the film adaptations a decade ago, and that it's THE revenge story. I think the fact that I went in nearly blind (about as blind as you can be to a nearly 200 year old classic) helped a lot with my enjoyment, since I was genuinely caught off-guard by the many twists and turns of the plot.
This novel has to have the most intricate, detailed plot I've ever read. Not a word is wasted; everything that Dumas tells the reader will play into the plot somewhere, even if it's only 500 pages later. I loved seeing the pieces fall into place as I read, it was incredibly satisfying. Dantes is a fantastic main character. Sure, he's hellbent on revenge, but really who wouldn't be feeling a little vengeful after 14 years of false imprisonment?
A great read, and definitely worth the effort despite its size!
+20 task
+10 review
+25 jumbo (1276 pages)
+10 combo (10.2; 20.2)
Post total: 65
Grand total: 535
10.2 3,4, or 5My Life with Bob: Flawed Heroine Keeps Book of Books, Plot Ensues
"My Life With Bob" is a delightful memoir by Pamela Paul, the editor of the New York Times Book Review. BOB is not a person, but is her "Book of Books", a journal listing every book she has read since age 17. When she looks back on her list of books, the entries transport her to another time when she was reading a particular book.
Her memoir is sometimes humorous, often nostalgic, and occasionally tells of times that were frightening or hurtful. Each chapter is titled with an important book that she read at that time in her life. For example, "Swimming to Cambodia" is the book chosen when she lived and traveled in Asia for two years after college. "The Wisdom of the Body" was for the chapter about her first publishing job when she was surprised by an assignment to work on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. "A Wrinkle in Time" titles the chapter about reading with her three children and working as an editor for the review of children's books.
The author is kept very busy now caring for her family, working as a book review editor, and writing her own books. It's hard for her to carve out a bit of treasured time for reading. Reading a page-turner now is "a masochistic thrumming of simultaneous desire and deprivation involving late nights and little sleep, ignored and resentful children, furtive retreats into the bathroom to secretly flip the pages." Any book lover will understand when she writes, "Even if we don't keep a physical Book of Books, we all hold our books somewhere inside us and live by them. They become our stories."
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 845
10.8 AnthologyPaycheck and Other Classic Stories by Philip K. Dick
Validated in the thread
+ 10 Task
+5 Combo (10.2)
Task total = 15
Points total = 90
HesperusThe Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
Review This sets forth the adventures of Pickwick and some of his comrades from the Pickwick Club during a time of travel. Interspersed with humour Dickens exposes the horrors of debtor's prison, some of the inane sorts of lawsuits from greedy lawyers (not that he makes all lawyers crooked, just some) and some of the less than stellar moments among political writers and politicians. While I only just liked this particular Dickens (I have others I like better), this is probably due to the fact that this is one of his earliest works. Don't let this put you off; this humour might be your cup of tea. Also, there are some delightful and other sorts of memorable characters in this book. Who could fail to like Samuel Weller, for example?
All in all, I'm glad I've read this and at some point will read more, but I have read three of his longer books in the past year so plan to take a break for a while.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 Bloom's Canon
+15 Jumbo (801 pages in main entry and in fact in both copies I borrowed from the library from different publishers who reproduce the orginal)
+20 Combo - spring equinox (Charles Dickens), 10.2 three word title and was confirmed, 10.3 author born in England, Dead Poets
Task Total= 75 points
Season Total 425 plus the 10 for Team Charles Dickens completing task; worked out well that I was also reading Dickens ;)
10.10 Group ReadsClouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers
+ 10 Task
+ 15 Combo (10.2, 10.3, 10.7 - )
Task Total: 25
20.4 My Family and Other AnimalsCorelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernières
+ 20 Task
+ 5 Combo (10.3)
Total Points: 25
20.8 Amanda's Task: Yours, Mine, and OursWide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
+ 20 Task
+ 10 Combo (10.2, 10.7 - )
Total Points: 30
Season Total Points: 1105
10.3 English LanguageThe Double-Cross System: The Incredible True Story of How Nazi Spies Were Turned into Double Agents by J.C. Masterman
+10 task
+10 combo (10.2, 10.4)
Task Total: 20
Season Total: 1100
10.3 English LanguageDeceiving Hitler: Double-Cross and Deception in World War II by Terry Crowdy
+10 task
Task Total: 10
Season Total: 1110
That's all from me for this season. Thanks for another fun reading challenge!
20.1 Lord of the RingsThe Rainbow by D.H. Lawrence
review
I am, by nature, quite reserved so this novel painted a picture of the overly dramatics and rather exasperated me. I understand that each of the main characters (one each from the 3 generations portrayed) are reaching for something that no one around them seemed to understand... what that something is, they did not quite know either, and they did, of course, worked it out throughout the narrative. However, I found the struggles, the way it's described by Lawrence, to be melodramatic and I struggled with that immensely. I was utterly relieved when I reached the ending and it's bearable. I'm not sure, however, if I'd tackle another Lawrence or not.
+20 task
+10 review
+15 combo (10.3 - UK born, 10.7 - , 20.10)Â
+10 canon
+5 Jumbo (544 pages)
Task Total: 60
Grand Total: 1,130
20.3 EvictedModern Romance by Aziz Ansari (reread for book club)
+20 Task (shelved as current events 9 times)
Task total: 20
Season final total: 1620
20.3 EvictedBlink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell engagingly writes about how decisions made in a blink--snap judgments--can be very good. A series of entertaining anecdotes and psychological studies show that first impressions can be good in some cases, especially in areas where people have experience. He also writes about experts who analyze facial expressions, and how autistic people have trouble making certain types of judgment calls.
But then he goes on to show how our unconscious mind can also be very prejudiced. Tall men are more likely to become CEOs than short men. Using Warren Harding as an example, he shows that people may vote for a political candidate because they look presidential. Women are less likely to be offered positions in some orchestras unless the auditions are held with the competitors behind a screen, so they are just evaluated on their playing ability. He also includes stories about police officers making snap judgments, and the judicial system handing out longer sentences to minorities.
There were some examples that supported decisions made quickly by the subconscious level, and other examples that showed certain decisions were better when we slowed down and consciously gave things a little more thought. Experience played a big part in having good judgment making quick decisions. Gladwell does not get into how the brain works in making decisions. The book is interesting and entertaining, but it raises as many questions as it answers.
+20 task (12 X on list)
+ 5 combo 10.3
+10 review
Task total: 35
Grand total: 880
20.10 HesperusTales of Belkin by Alexander Pushkin
The first "story" is called From the Publisher which begins Having taken it upon ourselves to publish the Tales of I.P. Belkin, which we offer now to the public, we wanted to append an admittedly brief biographical sketch of the late author ... and follows with a completely fictitious biographical sketch. I did see this on the preview at Amazon, but I did not really expect the other stories to be almost equally amusing.
These are stories published more than 180 years ago, before TV and movies - before even radio plays - and when people told stories for amusement. To me, these feel like yarns men sitting around the public house might tell each other, seeing who they could fool the most. And they were fun! I have been accused of not having much of a sense of humor, and my husband was quite surprised to hear me laugh out loud while reading. I'm not sure whether to use the word 'wry' or 'irony' in describing the endings because neither word is the perfect description, but they have some of each.
I have not read any other Pushkin, avoiding him because I don't do well with poetry. But this prose work is right up my alley. I'll be happy to try to find more of it. Another 5-stars for a very few hours' enjoyment.
+20 Task
+ 5 Combo (10.7)
+10 NonWestern
+10 Canon
+10 Review
Task total = 55
Grand Total = 1060
And that will do it for me this season! (and my most productive ever)
20.7 #AWW2017 (Tien's Task)The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
+20 Task
+ 5 Combo: 10.2 3, 4, or 5
+ 5 Jumbo
Task Total: 30
Season Total: 1780
10.10 Group ReadsNow Is the Time to Open Your Heart by Alice Walker
review
Suffice to say that I do not understand this novel. I don't understand the dreams and philosophy, if you can call it that; I'm not sure exactly what it is. What I understood is the characters felt that they have stalled in their life progress and searching for the path to the future. I also understood that it's not only about an individual life but also of the community especially the coloured community (not just the African American but the author also included American Indians, Hawaiians, and even Aboriginals). I could have liked this a lot more without the dreams.
+10 task
+10 review
+100 RsW Finish
+200 Mega Finish
Task Total: 320
Grand Total: 1,450
Yipee! That's it from me! Thanks for another great season, mods & all. Can't wait to get started on ACG ;)
10.6 Spring EquinoxBeauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly
+10 Task (low lexile)
Season Total: 1790
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Reading with Style
Books mentioned in this topic
Letters to the End of Love (other topics)Made in the U.S.A. (other topics)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (other topics)
The Goldfinch (other topics)
The Boy on the Bridge (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Yvette Walker (other topics)Billie Letts (other topics)
Arthur Conan Doyle (other topics)
Donna Tartt (other topics)
M.R. Carey (other topics)
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Burmese Days by George Orwell
In the first half (or more) of this book I was interested, but not compelled. Then came the chapter where Flory takes Elizabeth hunting (or shooting as they call it). Up until then the characters were relatively interesting but not REALLY interesting (which in hindsight was probably Orwell’s point � life in the colonies is a long slog of ‘bearing� it). Anyhow, Elizabeth is a thoroughly unlikeable character from my point of view (and in fact, an embarrassment to the gender as far as I’m concerned). I had to have a break and read the mysteries I reviewed previously � I was really upset with the hunting chapter. I went back with a fresh mind (attitude!) and quite enjoyed the last third of the book. Elizabeth is still awful (a really shallow b***h), and I still feel bad for Flory (who was in love with her) and the Doctor.
This is a sad indictment on colonialism. I do think this book is worth reading, because I am a fan of Orwell’s and believe he had something important to say here. Of course, it is well written but not an uplifting story.
10 task
10 review
10 combo 10.3, 10.6
____
30
Running total: 775