Reading with Style discussion
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SU 2016 Completed Tasks
15.4 FYTSTime Traveller (2016-1971)
Book Business: Publishing Past, Present, and Future by Jason Epstein
Published in 2001
+15 Task
+5 Non-Fiction
Task Total: 20 pts
Grand total: 735 pts
Task 10.1 Square PegRead a book that does not fit any of the other Reading with Style 10 or 20-point tasks.
The Heart Specialist (2009) by Claire Holden Rothman
Scotiabank Giller Prize Nominee (2009)
+10 Task
Task Total: 10
Grand Total: 400 + 10 = 410
15.9 - FYTS - Time Traveler1968 - 2013
The Bodies Left Behind by Jeffery Deaver
+25 task
Task total: 25
Grand total: 190
10.10 Group ReadsA Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
+10 Task
+5 Combo (20.3 Winner - Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 1992)
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 475
10.6 - Traveling the DDC WayLondon War Notes, 1939-1945 by Mollie Panter-Downes
I struggled with this at first, and took some 6 weeks to read it, which must be a record for me with a Persephone book. Although partly caused by books for challenges taking preference (e.g. Bingo!), it was a lot to do with the impersonal tone of the book, which is a collection of fortnightly articles written for the New York Times by Englishwoman Mollie Panter-Downes. Her short stories such as Good Evening, Mrs Craven are wonderful, but these articles are so obviously propagandist in the first couple of years (trying to get Americans to support the British in the war, either directly or indirectly) that it is tiresome to read. Still, it's always interesting to read actual day-by-day accounts, and to realise how seriously the British were expecting an invasion after northern France was occupied in 1940.
From the beginning of 1942, it gets much chattier and easier to read, as she drops the propaganda which is no longer necessary. Then the surprises are more about how people foresaw things long before they happened - D-Day was expected from about a year before it happened, and was called D-Day a couple of months before. Even then, it was another year until VE day. Knowing the outcome as we do, it's easy to forget how unpredictable it was in real time.
+10 Task (940.534)
+ 5 Combo (10.7)
+10 Review
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 700
20.10 MetafictionThe Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende
I pre-ordered this title because I knew my daughter liked the author and, while I wasn't as excited about it as she, I did plan to read it also. So, a year plus later, here I am. While it wasn't a complete waste of time, I could have skipped it and not felt as if I missed anything. The story/plot is the strongest part of it, but I say that with a few misgivings. The prose is adequate though certainly nothing to brag about. The characterizations are weak, but I've read worse.
Much of this takes place in a facility for the aging in San Francisco, where some of the residents are quite independent and others are in declining ability to care for themselves. Two of the main characters are a woman of both independent means and ability, and a young attendant who works three jobs and still lives below the poverty line. I don't know what research Allende did for this part of her story. I can't help but note that she is only slightly older than I am. Perhaps she, too, has acquaintances who need an increasing amount of help in such a facility. In any case, the way she portrays the problems of aging makes this a worthwhile read despite its other problems. Three stars, and only just.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 Combo (20.1, 20.7)
+10 LiT
Task Total = 50
Grand Total = 380
20.10 MetafictionCollected Stories by E.L. Doctorow
As the description indicates, this is a collection of 15 stories selected by Doctorow. I think the stories are presented in the order in which they were written, but I'm not sure. As is usual for me, I interspersed my reading of them with my other reading, often only one story at a time, sometimes two. They are varied as to time and place.
My favorite is the first story, Willi about a young boy on a farm who sees something he is not intended to see. Even though he is a farm boy, it seems by doing so he lost his innocence but not his virginity. Not often are we given a con woman, but there she is in A House on the Plains. Edgemont Drive had me googling the address of the house in California where I grew up - just because I spent my childhood there. I loved that house. I didn't remember that Heist was the nucleus of his novel City of God until coming back and rereading this description but I have it on my wish list and I'll be glad to get the "longer" version.
As with any collection there are favorites and those less appealing. With all, however, is Doctorow's strong prose, his willingness to give us interesting characters in settings other than New York where I have previously encountered him. Oh yes, New York is there, just not constantly there. In each of the stories, the setting is integral to the story.
I was excited to see this forthcoming collection at NetGalley and thank them and Random House for the privilege of reading it prior to publication.
+20 Task
+ 5 Combo (10.7)
+10 Review
Task total = 30
Grand total = 415
15.3 FYTS - Time Leaper1951-1996
The Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan - 1981
+15 task
Task Total = 15
Grand Total = 545
20.3 Winners!The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Cena Akademie SFFH Winners (Book of the Year) 2008
+20 Task
+5 Combo (10.4 Opposite Lists #2)
+5 Combo (10.5 Mod Task #24)
Post Total: 30
Season Total: 505
15.9 FYTS: Time Traveller1963-2008
Pirates! by Celia Rees
Lexile 800
+40 Task (2003)
Post Total: 40
Season Total: 740
10.7 OlympicsMachine of Death: A Collection of Stories About People Who Know How They Will Die ed by Ryan North
Review: This book of short stories sounded so intriguing and original, I was really looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately many of them fell flat and it became a bit of a slog to finish, I'm not sure how many of the plots were dictated to the authors before hand but the stories spanned different time periods and seemed to be in semi chronological order. A few of the stories were great, but some were just a little too out there. I think that some of the authors were green and could be guilty of the sin of "trying too hard". I purchased the sequel a while back (This is How You Die) but I'm hesitant to read it and will definitely wait a while before pulling it off the shelf. 3 Stars.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 pts
Grand Total: 310 pts
Task 10.7 First Letter (Tien's Task)Read a book with a title that starts with a letter found in OLYMPICS.
More Than Human (1953) by Theodore Sturgeon (Paperback, 197 pages)
Hugo Award Nominee for Best Novel (1954)
International Fantasy Award for Fiction (1954)
Review: I’ve wanted to read more of Sturgeon’s stories ever since I read this in his goodreads biography: Sturgeon also wrote for television and holds among his credits two episodes of the original 1960s Star Trek series, for which he created the Vulcan mating ritual and the expression “Live long and prosper.” Additionally, and interestingly, Theodore Sturgeon was the inspiration for Kurt Vonnegut’s recurring fictional character Kilgore Trout.
This particular novel won awards for Sturgeon back in the 1950s. The story focuses on a small group of people who represent the next stage of evolution. (In 1950s lingo: on MUTANTS!)
The novel is in three parts. The middle part, Baby is Three, was published first in a science fiction magazine. The other two parts were never published separately but are written to give a prequel and a sequel to the main Baby is Three part of the story. Sturgeon tells part of the story as the stream-of-consciousness of various characters. This was very unusual in 1950s science fiction and contributes to the awards the novel received. The easily offended will be offended by the casual sexism and racism in the 1953 novel. (To be fair, the attitudes are those of the characters and not necessarily those of the author.) I’d recommend this one only for fans of science fiction.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 10 + 10 = 20
Grand Total: 410 + 20 = 430
10.7 First Letter Priest by Sierra Simone
Review: Oof, this book… it’s definitely not for everyone… and not my thing. I read it, and was kind of fascinated by it, and rated it a full three stars, but it was more out of curiosity than enjoyment. Its description is accurate, but it doesn’t really indicate how dirty the language is at times. The priest in question, Tyler, likes dirty talk in the bedroom, and since it’s written from his perspective you get it almost non-stop. The thing is, I think this ended up as some sort of hybrid of erotica and romance, and I found it disconcerting. I don’t think that means it’s a bad book exactly, but not something that I’m into.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 990
10.7 First Letter Perfect Imperfections by Cardeno C.
Review: Apparently Cardeno C. is known for writing sappy romances, and Perfect Imperfections definitely lived up to that. I’m not sure it’s a super realistic book, at least in how quickly things happen, but I actually found the characters to be potentially realistic. Jeremy is super needy, and Reg is super caring, but I actually believed those people might exist in the world. I found their romance to be touching and sweet, if a bit overdone, and parts of it were laugh out loud funny. This was my first by this author, but it won’t be my last – I have a feeling the occasional sweet story will sometimes be exactly what I need.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 1010
10.8 Come to the FairCarniepunk by Rachel Caine
Review: Some of my favorite authors wrote for this anthology, so I’m glad I finally got around to reading it. They’re pretty much all urban fantasy writers, but for these stories most of them came closer to writing horror. I guess the theme of carnivals brought out their dark sides, and some of the stories were very very dark. I was glad to visit old friends in some cases, as in Kelly Gay’s story, and was interested to see some brand new stuff from familiar authors, as in Seanan McGuire’s story. I’m also ready to start reading a couple of authors – especially Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid series.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+5 Combo (10.7)
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 1035
10.7 First LetterLuncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland
Pierre August Renoir was struggling financially in 1880, reduced to painting portraits of upper class women but wanting to work on a more satisfying project. He decided to paint "Luncheon of the Boating Party", a large painting worthy of being hung in the prestigious Salon. Renoir gathered up his friends and acquaintances to pose on a series of Sunday afternoons on the terrace of a restaurant along the Seine. Renoir wanted to depict people enjoying life in a beautiful location. He felt committed to Impressionism, but did not want to follow some of the newer Impressionists who were depicting the miserable, seedier side of life.
French society was in transition ten years after the Franco-Prussian War with more time for leisure, and more modern ways of expression. Some war veterans and a war widow were among the models for Renoir's masterpiece. The descriptions of painting were very sensual with Renoir declaring, "I only want to paint women I love, or imagine I could love." Several of the models had a romantic interest in the artist, including the woman who would eventually become his wife.
A cross-section of society is shown in the book--from the wealthy women entertaining at their afternoon salons to the performers of the Folies-Bergere to the poor prostitutes of Montmartre. People are seen working and boating along the Seine. The only sections of the book that seemed overly long were the descriptions of two afternoons of boat races. Overall, this was an excellent work of historical fiction that transported the reader to the arts community in 1880s Paris.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 695
20.3 Winners!Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie
+20 Task (2016 Locus Award)
+5 Combo (20.7)
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 1020
Post 627 Coralie wrote: "20.9 PoliticalThe Ghost by Robert Harris
+20 Task
+100 RwS Finish
Post Total: 120
Season Total: 995"
ITW Thriller Award for Best Novel (2008), so combo for 20.4 Winners!
Post 629 Coralie wrote: "20.3 Winners!Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie
+20 Task (2016 Locus Award)
+5 Combo (20.7)
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 1020"
The GR page shows this as a nominee, not a winner.
10.3 - HolidayThe Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
It's 1946 and London writer Juliet Ashton is at a loose end. The humorous articles she was writing during the war have been collected into a successful book, and when the exhausting promotional tour is over, she's ready to move on to something new. Then a letter arrives from Guernsey, where one of the books lost from her bombed-out flat has ended up. Slowly she's drawn into the story of a small group of Guernsey residents who formed a literary society as an excuse to meet during the German occupation of the Channel Islands.
I thought I would love this and I did. I wasn't totally convinced by the romance, perhaps, and I thought the man involved could have been better drawn. But I still loved it. A wonderful cosy read.
+10 Task (Adult Female Friendship list)
+10 Combo (10.4 Light list, 20.6 World War II)
+10 Review
Post Total: 30
Season Total: 770
20.7 - U.S.A Boy Made of Blocks by Keith Stuart
A sweet story of a father who learns to connect with his autistic son through the Minecraft video game. Alex and his wife are struggling to maintain any kind of relationship when Jody's life is dominated by dealing with young Sam and Alex is working at a mind-numbing job. They separate, and Alex tries to rebuild bridges with both Jody and Sam. But it is not until Sam discovers Minecraft that they learn to communicate on a new level.
There's a lot here about the struggles of both parents and autistic children, heartfelt since the author has an autistic son himself. He does make the point that not all are alike. Sam is able to attend a mainstream school with support. Everything is tied up very neatly at the end, but this is heartwarming. It's a bit of a tear-jerker in places, everybody has some growing to do and I think the ending works.
+20 Task
+10 Review
Post Total: 30
Season Total: 800
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Post 629 Coralie wrote: "20.3 Winners!Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie
+20 Task (2016 Locus Award)
+5 Combo (20.7)
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 1020"
The GR page ..."
It did win http://www.tor.com/2016/06/27/announc... . Is this something a librarian can fix?
Coralie wrote: "It did win http://www.tor.com/2016/06/27/announc... . Is this something a librarian can fix? "Yes, though that's not an award I work on. However, the task specifically states: "Any award will work for this task, but the award must be listed on the GoodReads book page at time of posting."
I found an award for you in your previous post, so it's a trade-off for points.
10.6 Traveling the DDC wayA Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler by Jason Roberts
BPL
Review
I bought this book many years ago as I found James Holman’s appellation a curiosity, ‘The Blind Traveler’. This biography traced his beginning and what led to his travels but not specifically his travels; only parts of it which are pertinent to a picture of his personage. It also painted the world as it was then and how it affected his circumstances. It has some curious points; blindness could be caused by syphilis (which is something I’m not aware of, previously) and therefore, the blind were usually thought as immoral etc. It was stressed in the book that this was not Holman’s case, however, although the author wished to solved his mysterious cause for blindness, he wasn’t really successful. Whilst he seems to have accomplish many things, they weren’t recognised as such at the time due to his condition. It makes one wonder what he could accomplished were he born in a different time or were he not rendered blind.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 890
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Coralie wrote: "It did win http://www.tor.com/2016/06/27/announc... . Is this something a librarian can fix? "Yes, though that's not an award I work on. However, the task specifically states: "An..."
Yes, fair enough. Thank you for the other. I should have checked both of them at the time of posting.
20.3 Winners! :The History of Love by Nicole Krauss (won the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing for Fiction in 2008)
Review:
It's a difficult book to review, as writing more about the individual stories and how they come together in the end would be giving away some spoilers. The story is written from the viewpoint of several different characters, each of which has a very distinct and unique voice. Until around half way through the book, the reader does not know how their stories are related to each other.
It was a bit confusing in places at first, but as the stories began to converge and make more sense, the narrative began to be more enjoyable. The ending was beautiful: some surprise revelations, deep feelings and nostalgia, an open ended resolution that lets you interpret the events in several different ways. I liked the writing a lot.
+20 task
+10 review
Task total: 30
Grand total: 130
10.9 It's Personal (Rosemary's Task)Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
+10 Task
Points this post: 10
RwS total: 125
FYTS total: 30
Season Total: 155
10.1 Square Peg:Have Space Suit-Will Travel by Robert A. Heinlein
Review:
I hadn't read any classic Science Fiction for a while, and reading this novel made me remember how much I tend to enjoy the genre. Originally published in 1958, this is a book in the so-called "Heinlein Juveniles" series: basically, young adult books of the era. Kip, the narrator, is a young man who dreams of being able to go the Moon. He wins an old space suit from a prize draw and fixes it up. One day, when out in the field testing the radio, he receives a signal and realizes it's someone needing his help to land. An alien space ship lands next to him. Out come a girl and a weird alien creature that the girl calls "The Mother Thing." The girl, Peewee, tells him that she's escaped evil aliens that were holding her ransom. But next aliens manage to capture both of them, take them to the Moon and beyond. In the end, the fate of the entire human race is in the hands on Peewee, Kip and The Mother Thing. It's a fantastic and entertaining piece of cool space adventure, if you manage to not take it too seriously.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 150
20.6 WarThe Night Watch by Sarah Waters
For whatever reason, this book was so hard to track down at any of the libraries I've had access to over the past few years, and it was the one Sarah Waters I was most excited about reading, because I am really interested in the time period of the London Blitz. The book tells the stories of a group of interconnected friends and lovers backwards from post-war London through the war. I was happy that I read it, but sadly, it didn't grab me quite as much as I hoped. I really respect Waters' writing chops -- she manages a backwards-through-time structure beautifully and I am always drawn into her language, but I didn't connect with the characters in the way I had hoped. I found myself continuing to read mostly because I wanted to tie up loose ends and because I was intrigued by some of the details of the era -- which is a fine reason to read, but not quite the majestic experience I was hoping for. This is definitely worth reading but maybe not worth the full hype I had for it.
+20 Task (#55 on WWII list)
+10 Combo (20.5 - #44 on list, 10.2 - Virago)
+5 Jumbo (528 pages)
+10 Review
Post Total: 45
Grand Total: 355
20.10 Meta fictionOryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
I waited so long to read this book and now I regret the wait! I picked it up at least twice and couldn't get into it, but if you are like me and had this experience, it will be worth giving it a second chance. The world of this dystopia is so well-imagined and so detailed that it becomes incredibly easy to envision how this situation came to be. One of the challenges is that the book tells the story of just one man who is left in this dystopian world (Snowman) and to me, this feels like a writing challenge -- I'm just not that interested in 200+ pages of internal thinking! But Atwood handles it wonderfully, bringing in just the right amount of backstory at the precise moments where the backstory will help and intrigue in equal measures. I can't wait to read the sequel.
+20 task
+20 combo (10.2 - Virago; 10.4 - #60 on dark list; 10.7; 20.7 - MA)
+10 review
Post Total: 50
Grand Total: 405
10.7 First LetterIcarus by Deon Meyer
I've always been interested in South African history and have read a lot of history and politics books from the country. However, whenever I'm interested in or visiting a place, I also like to read fiction from that place, especially mystery. I came across Deon Meyer a while ago and have been trying to read through his works. The stories are straightforward crime thrillers -- alcoholic detective, various internal politics, and police work -- but I enjoy them and they're well-done. Plus, I end up learning a bit more about different South African industries or locations in each one. In this installment, a tech mogul and a wine farmer are involved -- the founder of an online "alibi" service for cheaters is killed, and we are simultaneously hearing the story of a major suspect, who owns a wine farm. Good, straightforward criminal fun!
+10 task
+10 LiT (translated from Afrikaans -- for whatever reason that doesn't seem to be listed on this edition but the translation is described here and in the book itself)
+10 Review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 435
10.9 It's PersonalCress by Marissa Meyer
(840 Lexile)
In this installment of The Lunar Chronicles, cyborg Cinderella from book 1 and wolf-loving Scarlet from book 2 finally meet up with Cress, a Lunar girl who has been secretly helping the team of outcasts elude the evil Queen Levana. There are wolf-soldier battles, high-speed outer space chases, crash landings, wandering through the Sahara, and plenty of treachery and intrigue. It's a good read! What I am really enjoying is trying to catch all the fairy tale references that the author left in the stories. Cinder and Scarlet were fairly obvious retellings, but "Cress" had me stumped until I did a little Googling and made the Rapunzel connection. I won't give it away but a lot of the names throughout the series are sly references to the Rapunzel story, and it was fun to figure them out as I read.
+10 task (Cress is the name of the MC)
+5 combo (10.7)
+5 jumbo (560 pages)
+10 review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 465
10.1 Square PegThe Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson
Joshilyn Jackson has become an author whose books I read as soon as I can get my hands on them. I think this is about the sixth book of hers that I've read and enjoyed. They are all well-plotted, the characters are interesting, and they read quickly while nailing some deeper emotions and subjects than the lightness of the tone suggests. While there are similarities, this isn't formulaic stuff. Each story is unique and stands alone. Here, a loner divorce lawyer is forced to reconsider her lone wolf status as family and love come poking into her carefully organized life. A friend of mine described the writing here as "effortless" and that about captures it. She is able to write scenes ranging from a foster home to a client meeting in ways that get right to the heart of the interaction. Very enjoyable book and I also enjoyed hearing the author narrate it herself for the audio version.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task total: 20
Bingo total: 30
Grand total: 810
10.7 First LetterPlayback by Raymond Chandler
A later and lesser work by Chandler, but still enjoyable.
Marlowe is once again given a case where he is not fully informed, and spends most of his time trying to find out just what he has gotten himself mixed up in. A dame is at the centre of things, as usual, will she fall for his nitty, gritty charm and wisecracks? Don't they all?
Porter is a great narrator, capturing the nuances of the Chandler's well written dialogue which captures the time and place. His descriptions of people and place are always enjoyable, and perhaps offer something more to the reader than the story which is of little substance and development. I think he could simply write about the people and places of LA and surrounds and skip the story and no one would feel cheated.
+10 task
+10 review
Task Total = 20
Grand Total = 565
10.7 First LetterIn the Heat of the Night by John Dudley Ball
Penguin released a 50th Anniversary Edition of the police procedural "In the Heat of the Night" last year. It's a good mystery, but it's even better known for its social criticism in a time of racial unrest following the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
A police officer, Sam Woods, finds a body in the road when he's on night patrol in Wells, South Carolina. The new police chief, Bill Gillespie, sends Sam out to find the perpetrator of the crime. He arrests Virgil Tibbs at the train station because he's a black man with a wallet full of cash. Virgil tells the police that he's a police officer, a homicide investigator from Pacadena, just waiting for a train. His credentials are checked out, and the Pasadena chief offers Virgil's services to help solve the crime. The mayor and police chief accept the offer, figuring that Virgil can be the scapegoat if the crime is not solved.
Virgil is smart and educated, in contrast to the poorly trained officers in the small South Carolina town. Wells is segregated with special benches at the train station for blacks. The black restroom at the police station has no soap or towels. The police officers are racist, but they respect Virgil's intelligence. "Smartest black I ever saw," Pete concluded; then he added a remarkable tribute. "He oughta been a white man."
Virgil has amazing self-control in the racist atmosphere, and gives the white officers more credit than they deserve as he solves the crime. Virgil wins the respect of the police chief, but Bill does not offer him a handshake as he drops him off at the train station. Although Virgil is depicted as almost too flawless--intelligent, educated, organized, polite, and handsome--the chief does not want physical contact with a man with dark skin. A movie, starring Sidney Poitier, was based on this book and won an Academy Award.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 715
15.10 FYTS Time Traveler1965-2015
Stoner by John Edward Williams
+ 40 Task
+100 Finisher Bonus
Grand Total = 555
10.8 Come to the Fair (Karen Michele's Task)Fair Weather by Richard Peck
low lexile...no styles
task +10
grand total= 765
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "15.10 FYTS Time Traveler+100 Finisher Bonus
Grand Total = 555"
yay! Congrats on finishing :)
15.4 FYTS: Time TravelerPlanned for: 2014 -1964 (1969 skipped) -note: I've changed my plan & skipping a different year now
Leviathan: The Unauthorised Biography of Sydney by John Birmingham
Published 1999
+15 Task
+5 Bonus (Non-Fiction)
+5 Bonus (563 pages)
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 915
15.5 FYTS: Time TravelerPlanned for: 2014 -1964 (1969 skipped)
The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness by Lori Schiller & Amanda Bennett
Published 1994
+25 Task
+5 Bonus (Non-Fiction)
Post Total: 30
Season Total: 945
20.8 - KotickA Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul
Salim is a young man of Indian ethnicity whose family have lived on the coast of Africa for many generations and risen under European colonial rule. Understanding that this regime is coming to an end, he leaves the coast and accepts an offer to take over an abandoned general store in a town in the interior – at a bend in the river. Neither town, river nor country are named, although it sounds like Congo. An African servant follows him from the coast, and Salim becomes a kind of surrogate uncle to the son of one of his African customers, but despite these African connections, his friends are other Indians (his term – none were born in India or have even visited). The town grows, becomes prosperous, becomes home to a kind of university, and Salim is both part of the town and not, because he is not African and always conscious of that.
This is a story of Africa in the time of independence, yet it’s a strangely disconnected story, as if Salim is cut off from his own life. There are parallels with Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. I found it interesting, but rather dry.
+20 Task (author approved in help thread)
+10 Review
Post Total: 30
Season Total: 830
15.9 FYTS: Time Traveler1965-2015
The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett
+40 Task
+5 Bonus (over 500 pages)
Post Total: 45
Season Total: 1065
20.4 Go for the Gold!Flying Too High by Kerry Greenwood
+20 Task
+5 combo (10.5 no 96 on Australia list)
Points this post: 25
RwS total: 150
FYTS total: 30
Season Total: 180
20.8 KotickThe Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Lexile 970
+20 Task (no 3 on list)
+5 combo (10.3 no 6 on Best Friendship list)
Points this post: 25
RwS total: 175
FYTS total: 30
Season Total: 205
20.10 Meta fiction Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Lexile 770, so no combos
+20 Task
Points this post: 20
RwS total: 195
FYTS total: 30
Season Total: 225
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Inés of My Soul by Isabel Allende
Review: Inés of My Soul recounts the story of Inés Suarez who in the beginning of the 1500's followed her unfaithful Cassanova of a husband to the New World, only to find love and passion and co-found Chile. This novel drags the reader through the bloody business of setting up colonies in lands that are already populated with peoples who are not planning on going anywhere, while also giving an account of the lives of women in Spain and the New World at this point in history.
Inés Suarez, as interpreted by Isabel Allende, was a very bad ass and no nonsense type of lady, which makes her very likable. a very practical and down-to-earth person, she let's the men do (most of) the conquering and sets about creating the things needed for a society, such as hospital and, well, houses.On the other hand she is not afraid to influence the politics whenever needed, and her guiding light seems to be a disregard for societal norms that make her seem quite modern.
However, and this is an important one, the book was a slog to get through. If I didn't have this challenge to spur me on, the book would have been been consumed very slowly. It's not that it's in anyway difficult or especially slow, but the book is framed as Inés recounting her recollections in her old age, which did make it somewhat repetitive (as it would be), and it just seemed like a long excercise in telling, not showing.
+10 Task
+15 Combo (20.1, 20.7, 20.10)
+10 Review
+10 LiT (Read in Danish)
Task total: 45 pts
Grand total: 715 pts