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Spring 2013 Rws Completed Tasks - Spring 2013

I read Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck
REVIEW:
I saw the movie Cannery Row as a young p..."
Just the task points when a YA has less than 800 lexile. When a YA isn't scored, it is given a lexile of 0.

I read Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck
REVIEW:
I saw the movie Cannery R..."
So, I'm out of the GRL on Readerboard, too? I'm bummed now!
I will edit my post and totals, thanks!

I read Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck
REVIEW:
I saw the movie Cannery R..."
I just requested a Lexile score for the 2008 pub by Penguin, so if it comes through in time and high enough, you'll be able to claim your style points, Camille, (and so will I when I read it;), so fingers crossed.

I read Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck
REVIEW:..."
You are great! THANKS!

15.6 Sweeter the Juice: A Family Memoir in Black and White by Shirlee Taylor Haizlip published 1994
My Review
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Task total: 25
Grand total: 250


Just wondering, if Camille "unclaims" this book and chooses one for the task that is eligible for Review Style points, would that put her back in the running for GRL? Maybe that would work if the Lexile doesn't get done in time. Not sure if this is acceptable, and just thought I'd mention it. (I requested a Lexile for The Magnificent Ambersons many months ago and it still isn't there.)

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
I'm always a little worried when I start a book that has a lot of hype going on around it, so I tried to find out as little as possible about Gone Girl before finally getting a chance to actually read the book. At first, I thought it might not live up to my expectations. I even felt like I had some things figured out, but then I actually got to Part Two and realized that what I had figured out was supposed to be obvious at just about the time I got it, which I felt was masterful plotting on Flynn's part. I loved that whole section of the book and would have given the book 5 stars, but I wasn't totally sold on the ending. Overall, though it was well written with great characterizations and a page turner of a story line! Highly recommended.
+10 Task: Shelved "murder" by more than 5, Fic at BPL
+10 Review
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 675

Just wondering, if Camille "unclaims" this book and chooses one for the task that is eligible for Review Style points, ..."
Yes. Only books claimed for the challenge would count toward the Group Reads Award. If you choose to do this, Camille, please don't delete your post. You can simply edit out the title and post a note that you are doing so.

I read Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck
REVIEW:
I saw the movie Cannery Row as a young person and fell in love with..."
Please don't take this the wrong way, but how is this YA? and where do I find out if something is YA? I don't want to make this mistake again. I'm sorry for all this confusion.

I read Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck
REVIEW:
I saw the movie Cannery Row as a young p..."
We use the Brooklyn Public Library to determine YA. In our FAQ
Are YA novels allowed?
Yes, with a couple of caveats. YA cannot be used for the sub-challenges (15-point tasks), unless otherwise specified. YA books can be read for the RwS tasks (10-point and 20-point tasks), but they will only earn style points if the book has a Lexile score of 800 or above. If a YA book does not have a Lexile score, it is not eligible for style points.
How do I know if a book is YA?
We are using the Brooklyn Public Library's classification. If a book is located in "YA Assignment, ""Assignment", "YA," or "Juvenile" it will be considered young-adult & will have to meet the minimum Lexile score to qualify for style points.

I read Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck
REVIEW:
I saw the movie Cannery R..."
Thank you for this info. I thought the BPL ( which I'd never heard of until this challenge) was only for the tasks where it was specifically listed, 10.2 & 10.6. I didn't understand that I had to check that for each task. I will now have to recheck all my plans against that database. I was using my own library and GR as my resources.

Summer Crossing by Truman Capote
The only Truman Capote I have read before is In Cold Blood, so I was excited to be able to use his first name to fit some o..."
This is shelved as YA and YA Assignment with no lexile.

Summer Crossing by Truman Capote
The only Truman Capote I have read before is In Cold Blood, so I was excited to be able to u..."
Ah, phooey - I found that one recently, looked it up on my phone and just saw the Fic, - didn't even look farther. I'll subtract the extras.

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
Review:
The Moonstone is said to be the first published detective novel. It certainly belongs to the best in the genre and deserves its place on the 1001-books list and on Bloom’s Western Canon.
As the title suggests, the story is centered around the Moonstone, a valuable yellow diamond. The Moonstone has been taken from its Indian home and brought to England, where it is given to Miss Verinder as a birthday present. Unfortunately the Moonstone is viewed as a holy object in India and thus three Indians attempt to attain the Moonstone - by any means, even murder if necessary. In the night after her birthday party the Moonstone is stolen from Miss Verinder’s rooms.
The story is told through different narrators who relate their experiences. This gives the story depth and evolves it in a logical way that keeps the reader riveted. The mystery of who took the stone and where it is now and whether it can be recovered is not easily solved. The story lead me on different wrong paths until the solution was presented. Mystery at its best.
I listened to the unabridged audiobook narrated by Robert Langton, which I can also recommend. I’d always listen to another book read by him. He is generally quite a good narrator; although he is not the best at female voices (but there was only one of his voices that I actually disliked).
+ 10 Task
+ 10 Review
+ 10 Oldies (pub. 1868)
+ 5 Jumbo (528 pages)
Task Total: 35
Grand Total: 105

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
Classified as YA, but lexile score of 1150.
Review:
In this book Helen Keller tells her experiences growing up as a child who was both blind and death. This made is very hard for her to communicate with her environment and for her environment with her. How do you teach a person who can’t see or hear anything a language? How do you teach her to read or write? How this can be done is told in Helen Keller’s story. She doesn’t only learn to communicate, read and write but also learns very hard and even manages to attend college. This is a very moving story that I can wholeheartedly recommend to everybody.
I listened to the Librivox audiobook and found it an average piece in their repertoire. The narrator wasn’t exceptional, but she wasn’t too bad either.
+ 10 Task
+ 10 Review
+ 10 Oldies (1902)
+ 5 Combo (20.5: written by Keller and herself as the main character)
Task Total: 35
Grand Total: 140

Feed by M.T. Anderson
Lexile 770, no style points
Review:
I loved this, I found it gripping and realistic (for a dystopian novel). It asks where we are going with technology and comes up with some very disturbing answers.
+20 Task
Task total: 20 points
Grand Total: 240

A Wodehouse Bestiary by P.G. Wodehouse
Review:
A great collection of P.G. Wodehouse stories! The idea is that each story involves an animal in the plot in some way. Wodehouse loved animals and had a lot of pets, and that comes across here, although they're not always pets (the Blandings Castle pigs make a showing). In fact one of them isn't even a real animal, but an actor in a costume. Still it's a good idea for picking out stories for a collection, mixing well known characters like Jeeves & Wooster with others that most casual Wodehouse readers won't have come across before. It would make a good introduction to P.G. Wodehouse too.
+20 Task
+ 5 Combo (20.6 on the satirists list)
+10 Review
+10 Oldies (first publication dates for the individual stories are shown in the book and range from 1917 to 1931)
Task total: 45 points
Grand Total: 285

Nick wrote: "20th Century Chronologician
15.6 -- The Lake by Yasunari Kawabata, 1st published in 1954.
+15 task points
+10 bonus
Task Points: 25 points
Grand Total: 140 points"
You have already claimed this book for this task in post 339, no change to your score, just FYI.

Arow wrote: "20.10 Initially
Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James
+20 Task
+5 Combo (20.5 written by a woman/single female narrator)
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 245"
+5 Jumbo-532 pages in most popular edition

Joanna wrote: "20.3 Pride & Prejudice
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
Review:
I continued to enjoy Simon Vance as a narrator for this one, which I started almost immediately after finishing the ..."
+5 Jumbo-503 pages in the most popular edition

Rebekah wrote: "20.10 Initially
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Review
It was pure pleasure to listen to this classic on audiobook narrated by Rob Inglis! This is a favorite of mine along with Lord of the Rings tha..."
Rebekah-I can only get the first link to imdb to work (the other sends me to an error message), and that link shows an ABC production, not a BBC production. I have looked around a bit and can't find a BBC production of The Hobbit. If you find a different link, please let me know. Thanks.

The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
+ 20 Task –
Lexile too low for style points
Task Total = 20
Grand Total = 320"
Somewhere around here we have an addition error:
Post 296 total: 270
Post 359: 55
Post 363: 20
Grand Total as of post 363: 345 points

The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
Somewhere around here we have an addition err..."
All fixed.

Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen
I had a friend recommend this book to me about three years ago and I kept putting it off since it didn't at all sound like something I'd be interested in. Touche. I loved it. Yes, there were parts that I found grating and irksome...but they were surprisingly few and far between.
This is the story of Joey, who on her 2nd anniversary is thrown over the railing of a cruise ship by her husband. I feel like that's all I can say without giving anything away.
It was a quick, easy, enjoyable beach read. I loved the way Hiaasen played with stereotypes--the paid muscle who ends up becoming friends with a septuagenarian cancer patient; the ecological biologist who hates animals and water and the environment and who drives a Hummer; the rich, gorgeous blonde who actually has a soul. It was highly entertaining and gave me a glimpse of the world that I by and large try to avoid in real life and have not at all encountered in fiction (namely: Florida).
+20 Task (on wikilist of satirists)
+10 Review
+10 Combo
-10.6 (shelved as "murder" 5 times; shelved as FIC at BPL)
-10.8 (Carl Hiaasen)
Task Total = 40
Grand Total = 440

A Town Like Alice by Neville Shute
+10 Task
+5 Oldies (pub. 1950)
Task Total = 15 points
Grand Total = 130 points

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woof
#33 in Food Related Fiction list
+10 Task
+10 Oldies (Pub. 1925)
Task Total = 20 points
Grand Total = 150 points

Pooka In My Pantry by R.L. Naquin
+20 Task
+5 Combo (20.5 – female author with single female narrator)
Task Total = 25 points
Grand Total = 175 points

1975 Enchanted Pilgrimage by Clifford D. Simak
Task=15
Bonus=10
Task total=25
Grand Total: 280 + 25 = 305

Arow wrote: "20.10 Initially
Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James
+20 Task
+5 Combo (20.5 written by a woman/single female narrator)
Thanks! I will look at the most popular going forward!
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 245"
+5 Jumbo-532 pages in..."

Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen
I had a friend recommend this book to me about three years ago and I kept putting it off since it didn't at all sound like something I'd be intere..."
This is the exact book I have chosen for this task--I'm really looking forward to it now! Thanks for the great review!

Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James
+20 Task
+5 Combo (20.5 written by a woman/single female narrator)
+5 Jumbo (551 pages in most popular edition)
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 280

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
The way that Capote structured this book is wonderful - even though we know what is going to happen he manages to build suspense. From how the criminals carried out the murder and how the police tracked them down, to how the trial went and how the sentences were carried out, I felt pulled through most of the book.
Most, but not all. In the middle a chunk of background material written directly by Hickock and Smith bogged me down. The accounts end up being important later in the story when the killers' mental state comes under scrutiny but at the time I was bored.
I've always been against capital punishment and the facts of this case reinforced my convictions. It surprised me that at the time Kansas did not have a "life without the possibility of parole" option and life sentences ended up equaling only 15 years of jail time. With those options death looks more appealing but... no. And not by hanging - the fact that hearts can beat for 20 minutes afterwards shocked me. Not good.
+20 task (Truman)
+10 review
+5 oldie (1965)
+5 combo (10.6 - listed 57 times as murder, not a mystery)
Task total: 40
Grand total: 365

I read Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip by Matthew Algeo
REVIEW:
I must admit that I am not a fan of history--reading about it, discussing it, or watching it on tv. However, this task forced me to step outside my box and I can say I am glad. I liked this book overall. Admittedly, I knew very little of Truman before this book, but it has sparked my interest in reading more about him and Bess in the future. I especially want to read their letters to each other and his memoirs. The main thing I did not like about this book was how the author told, in great detail at times, about topics other than the Trumans. Example, he explained the history of the phonograph--it didn't seem to add that much to the story. Other than that, it was a quick and easy read and it sparked an interest--I'd say that's a win.
+20: task
+10: review
+5: combo (10.8--author initials M A)
+35: TASK TOTAL
+510: RwS TOTAL*
*This is the corrected total after all the confusion with post #387

Rebekah wrote: "20.10 Initially
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Review
It was pure pleasure to listen to this classic on audiobook narrated by Rob Inglis! This is a favorite of mine along ..."
Oh phooey! I just thought that anything on the IMbd list was BBC and as I was getting eye strain scrolling down the list and getting confused because many titles were repeated, I just put The Hobbit in the search box and a bunch of editions came up. I picked two and that was that. (I must have copied that one link wrong) So I went back and scrolled that list and didn't find it either so I corrected my post. I'm glad you pointed it out though or I might have given any book that showed in the search those combo points!
I guess I finally crossed that magic line that demands I get "reading glasses" : (

A Beggar at Damascus Gate by Yasmine Zahran
Review
A small treasure full of poetry and colorful prose, this story slowly unfolds as a stranger is visiting Petra in the unseasonable winter. He is a professor who grew up in Beirut and knows Arabic well. He is the only tourist there. While waiting out a blizzard, he comes across a hidden closet in his room that he breaks open, naturally for he is bored out of his mind, and finds that under the piles of rubbish and mildew is a canvas bag stuffed full of notebooks and journals. Almost exactly on the same day three years earlier another couple had stayed in the same room, experiencing a secluded winter in Petra to themselves. The writings include the Englishman, Alex’s journal and several notebooks by a Palestinians refugee woman, Rayya. Our narrator steals the bag when he leaves; he is so immersed in the parallel but very different stories of this couple in love, diverse in point of views as well as languages. On the way out of Petra, he overhears two Bedouins speak of the disruption the UK is giving the locale because of an Englishman’s death three years before. Returning home and later fleeing to London because of the Lebanese Civil war, he completes the readings and decides to write a manuscript based on the two journals. It is full of the diaspora of the Palestinians, those who have never seen their homeland, having been born in a refugee camp, or those who were allowed to stay but made to give up their homes and farms, living in apartheid in their own land. It is the other side of the story that Americans rarely hear of of know about.
The story unfolds and Rayya suspects her lover of deceit. Not with another woman but working on the opposing side when a few of her politically active comrades die.
They are both undercover, he for his country and she for the liberation of hers. It is such a beautiful, tragic conflict. Mr. Narrator spends nine years trying to track Rayya down and give her back her notebooks, so bewitched he is by the Romeo- Juliet themed story and the outcome of the murder of her lover. When he finally goes to Jerusalem looking for her his questions threaten the Palestinians, Christian and Moslem so that in the end, Rayya finds him. It is very touching. There is so much mystery including the mystery of who our narrator really is. In the end, we learn his name is a very common English name and his nationality seems to grant him access to the American Consulate. The narrative is very “flow of consciousness” writing and ephemeral story that evokes the mysticism of the Middle East.
+ 10 pts - Task
+10 pts - Review
+ 10 pts - Non Western (Palestine)
Task Total - 30 pts
Grand Total - 665 pts


Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
+ 10 Task – winner of Jerusalem Prize 2009
+ 10 Non-Western
+ 5 Oldies – published 1987
Task Total = 25
Grand Total = 395

15.9 In Big Trouble by Laura Lippman published in 1999
+15 task
+10 bonus
Tast total: 25
Grnd total: 335

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
I don't do contemporary literary fiction. There always seems to be tragedy on top of heartache, betrayals, pregnancies, and tears. I read to escape the awfulness of daily life so I'd rather not go there.
The Language of Flowers, shelved as romance 154 times, confused my radar. On one hand, the idea of using the Victorian meanings of flowers (and the detailed dictionary in the back of the book) was appealing. On the other hand, once I got into the story complete with foster homes, abuse, and teenage pregnancies, I was out.
What caught my attention more than anything was the location. I lived in San Francisco for a couple of years so I knew every place Diffenbaugh mentioned. While most writers get overly specific she stuck to generalities in such a way that it was impossible to pin down the street corner, or even the decade the book is set. The action could have taken place any time from the 60s or 70s to the present day creating an ethereal, timeless quality.
While I did not care for the book it's due more to my own prejudices than to the quality of the work. If heartache is your sort of thing dig in!
+20 task (female author, female main character - Victoria)
+10 review
Task total: 30
Grand total: 395

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
Task total = 10
Points total = 140

15.7 From 1996 / Lexile 970
Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 685

15.7 From 1996 / Lexile 970
Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 685"
This book sounds like a good plot. Did you enjoy it?

15.1 Your Republic Is Calling You by Young-ha Kim(published 2010)
Task +15
Grand Total: 90

15.7 From 1996 / Lexile 970
Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 685"
This book sounds like a good plot. D..."
I liked it a lot. There was some teen angst, but also a lot of substance and a great voice.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Where'd You Go, Bernadette? What fun it was to read this book and experience the highs and lows of having a mom like Bernadette through the eyes of her wonderful daughter, Bee. The satire of Seattle was also laugh-out-loud funny, especially since I really love Seattle, but can appreciate the humor in its downside. With a great plot, awesome characters, interesting settings and situations, and a unique writing voice combined, the book stood out for me as one of my favorite reads of 2013 so far. I also loved the technique of incorporating letters, emails and articles into the narrative and the differing points of view this enabled the reader to experience. There was only one plot point that I can't reveal that almost made this a 4 star book for me instead of a 5 star rated read, but I decided it had enough going for it to keep the 5!
+20 Task: by Maria Semple, narrated by Bee, Bernadette's daughter
+10 Review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 715

The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry
About 30 pages in, I didn't think I was going to make it. The set up was frustrating (awkward narrator, bitchy sister, starts at their parents' funeral) and I didn't love the voice. I closed it up and looked to see who wrote the promo blurbs on the cover (one of these days, I'll do that first...you can learn so much about a book by who promotes it. Though: I have been trying not to judge a book by its blurbs...which is how I ended up in my current predicament). Of the five promo paragraphs, I'd read four of the authors and only enjoyed one. Not a good sign.) It was the only book I had with me while on a three-day trip so I was forced to soldier on.
So glad I didn't let the blurbs dissuade me. So glad it was the only book I had. I ended up enjoying it a great deal.
This is the story of Ginny. She has been sheltered and protected by her parents because she's...well, she's just not what most people would consider "normal." She can't make eye contact with people, she doesn't like to be touched, she doesn't understand basic emotional or social cues when interacting with other people, and when things get overwhelming she hides in a closet or has tantrums. And she's 26. Her sister, Amanda, is married with two kids and epitomizes "normal."
This story follows Ginny as she learns more about her "personality" (ostensibly Asperger's), how to function as an independent adult--despite the doubts and objections of her sister--and how to better interact in this thing called life. And she cooks her way through the whole book. Every chapter starts with a recipe (and made me ravenous along the way) and every recipe has a story and a secret.
I love that this book was from the point of view from someone who has a "disorder" and not from the point of view of those around her and the difficulties and disruptions that she causes them. I love that it attempts to expand how we define "normal" (I hate that word. It gets overused and abused and is so often wrong). Though the writing at times was not the greatest (it is her debut novel), I'm excited to see what Ms. McHenry puts out next.
+20 Task (written by a woman; first-person narration/main character is Ginny)
+10 Review
+5 Combo (10.9--#26 on Nouvelle Cuisine list)
Task Total = 35
Grand Total = 475

15.3 A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey
published 1936
+15 task
+10 bonus
Task Total: 25 points
Grand Total: 310

15.6 The Case of The Damascus Dagger (Ben Bartholomew 3) by Kel Richards (pub. 1994)
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Task Total = 25 points
Grand Total = 200 points

Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan
Pollan's philosophy boils down to seven words: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. The 64 rules presented in this book provide guidelines to follow that credo in a common sense way.
I love that Pollan gives us wiggle room - there's no need to follow every rule but several will surely stay with you as they're written simply and memorably. Some of my favorites:
- Eat only foods that will eventually rot.
- Eat your colors.
- "The whiter the bread, the sooner you'll be dead."
This book reads very quickly but the advice will be sticking with me for a long time.
+10 task (#40 - Food-related non fiction)
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 415

The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan.
Review: Pollan presents us with a paradigm shift. He gives us the story of four plants that have become evolutionarily very successful by hitching their wagon to humans. The four plants that he explores are the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato. He gives us the plant/human history and then uses this to explore some interesting topics including seed vs. grafting, speculation and value, psychoactive plant substances, genetic modification, and monoculture agriculture. His discussion is interesting and entertaining. His fascinating story of John Chapman aka Johnny Appleseed alone is worth the price of the book.
I listened to the audio version of the book and found I am not particularly enamored with listening to nonfiction. When you are reading and loose concentration or are distracted you can go right back to where you left off. I find it more difficult to do with an audio version.
+10 Task #13 on the Food-Related Nonfiction List
+10 Review
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 270

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I read Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck
REVIEW:
I saw the movie Cannery Row as a young person and fell in love with..."
Ok, so I don't get review or oldies?
And if that's the case, then I'm no longer eligible to be listed in Group Reads Leaders on the Readerboard??