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SP 2017 Completed Tasks
10.2 3, 4, or 5State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
This is the third Patchett book that I've read and it didn't disappoint.
Dr. Anders Eckman from a Minnesota pharmaceutical company is sent to Brazil's rainforest to seek out a researcher, Dr. Annick Swenson, who has been there working to develop a drug which would allow fertility in women to extend well into their 70s (which this researcher has witnessed in a tribe in the forest over the 20+ years she's been observing them). Weeks later, the company is informed that the doctor has died of a fever and been buried according to local custom.
His wife can't accept it, believing him to still be alive but lost, and begs the doctor's office-mate, Dr. Marina Singh, to go find him. That would seem a very unlikely ask, but since the company has assigned her to go to Brazil to find the researcher to gauge how close the medication is to being delivered, that's exactly what she does.
The language in this book is stunning and the way she creates her lush settings and imagines up two distinct indigenous tribes was jaw-dropping. There was as scene at the end that seemed not just superfluous but in fact detrimental to my overall reaction to the novel , but overall I quite enjoyed it.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Post total: 20
Season total: 320
20.2 RebeccaFer-de-Lance by Rex Stout
Thanks to Don for finding this on the task list! I happened to have it on my kindle (TBR!), and it fulfills part of another challenge. On top of all that…. I really enjoyed this book.
Somehow (I can’t figure out how) I was familiar with the characters in this series, so even though this is the first book in the series – it felt like coming home. I enjoyed how Stout gives us fully drawn characters, Wolfe + Archie, in this first novel. They’ve even had adventures previously that are alluded to, but not explained. A great deal of the interest in this book is the interplay between Archie + Wolfe – rather than the mystery.
This book is very much a product of it’s time (1934), although some of the language and turns of phrase seemed very modern. It will be interesting to see how the books and characters change as the series goes on (almost one novel a year until 1975!)
20 task
10 review
_____
30
Running total: 230
20.8 Yours, Mine, and OursThe Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige
While this book is set in Oz, it is not the Oz of celluloid fame, with a glittering Emerald City and shiny yellow brick road, filled with good-natured Munchkins and a set of four travelers off to see the Wizard. In this Oz, Amy Gumm (a girl from Kansas, transported by a tornado--sound familiar?) is trying to free Oz from the despot Dorothy (yep...she went back and turned bad...along with all of her traveling companions and Glinda the Good, to name just a few). To do so, she has to take the Tin Man's heart, remove the Scarecrow's brain, and steal the Lion's courage...and then Dorothy Must Die.
This is the second in the series and it does suffer a bit from second-book syndrome, but I read book one so long ago it didn't bother me so much as I was trying to remember all of the pertinent plot points in the beginning and by the end I was just enjoying the ride.
I loved the world of Oz growing up and it's been fun to revisit it in an entirely new and different way.
+20 Task (820 Lexile)
+10 Review
+5 Combo (10.2)
Post total: 35
Season total: 355
Task 10.3 English LanguageRead a book by an author born in one of these English Language Countries: UK, South Africa or New Zealand.
Tanith Lee was born in London, England
Companions on the Road (1975) by Tanith Lee (Hardcover, 122 pages)
Review: Companions on the Road is a high fantasy tale set in the standard pseudo-medieval fantasy world, Our young male hero is a soldier, a captain in charge of 30 men, part of the King’s forces besieging a castle of a rebellious Lord. The novella starts off gritty and real, and then segues into something dreamy and fantastical. Like all of Tanith Lee’s books that I’ve read, this one is original, fantastical, and includes all the details the reader needs for the story without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary details. This is one of her earlier works. I’d say her early works are fantasy with an edge, while her later ones are dark fantasy and/or horror. Recommended for those who enjoy “high” fantasy stories that are told without the “padding”.
+10 Task
+05 Comb (#10.2)
+10 Review
Task Total: 10 + 05 + 10 = 25
Grand Total: 100 + 25 = 125
10.4 International Question DayThe Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly by Luis Sepúlveda
This is a short symbolic story masquerading as a children’s tale. A gull gets caught in an oil slick and is able to clean itself enough to take its last flight onto a building in Hamburg where a cat greets it. The seagull is about to lay an egg and knowing she will die, asks the cat to promise to take care of the chick and teach it to fly. The cat agrees. The cat uses all his resources to honor his pledge… getting the help of his band of harbor cats…and breaking a taboo…speaking to and getting the help of the only human in the book…a poet. One of the passages from the book sums up the lesson for us:
“It’s very easy to accept and love those who are like us, but to love someone different is very hard… You are a seagull and must follow your destiny as a seagull. You must fly.” Great illustrations too. 880 Lexile. 4 stars. Also on the 1001 Children’s Book You Should Read Before You Grow Up List.
task = 10
review =10
Non-Western= 10
task total = 30
grand total= 315
20.5 FoundationLincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Review: George Saunders has written in an unique and effective style. Some of the chapters are excerpts from historical observations about the days around the death of Lincoln's son, Willie. This is at a time when the war was going very poorly for the Union. Other chapters are based on a cast of characters of spirits stuck in the cemetery where Wiilie's body is interred. This is the bardo. They have died but have not accepted that and have not gone on to what comes next.
The writing portrays Lincoln's stunned grief over Willie's death entwined with his feelings of responsibility for battlefield deaths. There are touches of light-heartedness from the spirits.
The ending felt a little forced.
+20 task
+5 combo 10.2
+10 review
Task total: 35
Season total: 130
20.7 #AWW2017The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty
This is the first Liane Moriarty book I've read. Wow. That was fun. The plot was interesting and just twisty enough to keep you enthralled, the characters were fully drawn and reminded me of people I have known/been/wish I knew, and Scribbly Gum Island is exactly the kind of place I would love to live.
Sophie is on the verge of turning 40 when her ex-boyfriend contacts her to let her know that his aunt has died and left her house to SOPHIE. That seems odd, yes--until you hear Aunt Connie's letter explaining why. After Sophie moves in, she's thrown right into the action of Scribbly Gum Island--home of the unresolved Munro Baby mystery.
While the plot is focused on and around the mystery, there are issues of postpartum depression, coming out stories, longing for a relationship, dying marriages, and everything in between to flesh out the characters so they don't remain merely actors in the "mystery" drama.
If you're looking for an easy, entertaining read, I'd highly recommend this one!
+20 Task
+10 Review
+5 Combo (10.2)
Post total: 35
Season total: 390
20.4 My Family and Other AnimalsDeadline in Athens: An Inspector Costas Haritos Mystery by Petros Markaris
I have a very low-key goal of reading mystery novels set in as many countries as I can, and so this book had been sitting on my TBR for a while -- meaning that this task was a great opportunity to bump it up the list! In this novel, Inspector Haritos takes on the murder of an Albanian couple, and a reporter starts dropping some hints that he is missing something. Before he can investigate further, she is murdered -- after hinting that she has a bombshell to drop on the nightly news. From there, you'll find the usual array of twists and turns, fascinating tidbits of Athens life, and family drama for the inspector. Definitely recommended if you enjoy a good crime novel with just a touch of the heroically-stressed-out detective!
+20 task (set entirely in Athens)
+5 combo (10.2)
+10 review
Task Total: 35
Grand Total: 130
Task 15.2 Spur Award for Best Novel (1973)
(note: I'm going to be doing all Spur Award, sequentially, 1972-1981)
The Time It Never Rained (1973) by Elmer Kelton
+15 Task
+5 Oldies (published before 1992)
Task Total: 15 + 05 = 20
Grand Total: 125 + 20 = 145
10.2 3, 4, or 5The Long Walk Home by Will North
Alec came to a bed-and-breakfast in North Wales to fulfill his ex-wife's final wish. She wanted her ashes scattered at the top of Cadair Idris, a mountain near Dolgellau. Fionna managed the B&B while her ailing husband ran their family farm with lambs in the pasture. Alec and Fionna were both surprised at their instant connection, but obligations stood in their way. Both Alec and Fionna had been through recent painful experiences, and have nurturing, caring personalities. Love and passion war with duty and fidelity.
I loved the sense of place in this novel, especially as Alec helps a farmhand with the lambing, and gets caught in dangerous weather climbing Cadair Idris. The author is also a ghostwriter of non-fiction books under the name William Nothdurft, and I found that some of the most engaging parts of the book were about lambing, the mountains, medical emergencies, and cooking. The romantic elements were not quite as successful, and had a Nicholas Sparks feel to them. So this was a book that I liked, but did not love.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 195
15.6 AotDDifferent Prizes
The Mighty Walzer by Howard Jacobson
+15 Task -- The Bollinger Wodehouse Comedy Award 2000
Post total: 15
Season total: 95
completed:
2008 The White Tiger Man Booker Prize
2007
2006
2005 Camouflage Nebula Award
2004 Out There National Outdoor Book Award
2003 Perma Red Spur Award Best Novel of the West
2002
2001
2000 The Mighty Walzer Bollinger Wodehouse Comedy Award
1999 A Small Death in Lisbon CWA Golden Dagger Award
10.3 English LanguageHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
+10 Task Rowling born in UK
+10 Review
Points this post: 20
Season total: 50
(updated)
---
This was, so far, my favorite of the series. I appreciate that as Harry and his friends age, their lives (and themselves) get more complicated. Rowling has certainly woven a more complex mystery in this book, and does so very well. As with any good movie or book, anything in the book has a reason ffor being there. She doesn't skimp on the fun either...
My biggest complaint is that the Snape character is a little inconsistent with himself from earlier books. I always maintained respect for the curmudgeon as he as just grumpy, but he excelled at being a wizard and could see through the noise of a situation to its proper end. In this book he wasn't able to see through his own ego. He got caught in the noise (and created plenty of it) that would have lead to the incorrect results had the protagonists not prevailed. It wasn't horrible, it just was a little bit on a punt on Rowling's part.
Gabriel wrote: "10.3 English LanguageHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
+10 Task Rowling born in UK
+5 (Combo to 20.6 My Name is Red 4.52 starts 1M+ ratings)
+10..."
Too many ratings for 20.6, Gabe - can't have more than 49.999 ratings.
15.3 AotD Time TravelerSudden Death by Álvaro Enrigue
+15 Task (Premio Herralde de Novela 2013)
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 235
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Gabriel wrote: "10.3 English LanguageHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
+10 Task Rowling born in UK
+5 (Combo to 20.6 My Name is Red 4.52 starts ..."
whoops--
I updated the post deducitng the points. I'd be willing to hazard a guess there is a monument to her somewhere...but I couldnt search that site for anything.
Gabriel wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Gabriel wrote: "10.3 English LanguageHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
+10 Task Rowling born in UK
+5 (Combo to 20.6 ..."
I just checked Gabriel.... no monuments for Rowling.
15.2 AotD Time TravelerAgatha Award Best First Novel (1988-1997)
Grime and Punishment by Jill Churchill
Won the award in 1989.
+15 Task
+ 5 Oldie (1989)
Task Total: 20
Season Total: 105
From Post 172Bea wrote: "10.2 - 3, 4, or 5
Letters to the Lost by Iona Grey
Review:
I wasn't exactly sure how this story would go...was it the story of the lives in the letters or was it ..."
+5 Combo 10.3
From Post 175Tien wrote: "20.2 Rebecca
The Mystery of the Yellow Room (Joseph Rouletabille #1) by Gaston Leroux
#253 of list
Review
I struggled with the audiobook on this one. It just couldn't k..."
+5 Combo 10.6
From Post 176Beth wrote: "20.9 National Doctor's Day (Kate's Task)
The Lady With the Little Dog and Other Stories, 1896-1904 by Anton Chekhov
+20 task
+10 canon
+10 non-Western
Task total: ..."
+5 Combo 20.10
Amanda wrote: " Post 77 :Amanda wrote: "10.3 English LanguageOwls Do Cry by Janet Frame
(born in NZ)
+10 task
+10 combo (10.2, 10.6)
Task Total = 20
Grand Total = 45"
Sorry Kate..."
Done.
Anika wrote: "10.6 Spring EquinoxYear of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes
I love that Shonda Rhimes (best known as creator/wr...
+10 Task
+10 Review
+ 5 Combo"
I show combos with 10.2 and 10.4.
Deedee wrote: "Task 10.3 English LanguageRead a book by an author born in one of these English Language Countries: UK, South Africa or New Zealand.
Tanith Lee was born in London, England
[book:Companions on th..."
+5 Combo 10.8
itpdx wrote: "20.6 FoundationLincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Review: George Saunders has written in an unique and effective style. Some of the chapters are excerpts from hi..."
This book does not have enough ratings fro 20.6, did you mean 20.5?
10.9 A Wrinkle in TimeDragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
It was fun to see this book on the task list. I was able to pull my copy off my (real life!) bookshelf and give it a re-read. I’ve owned this book for 39 years, along with the others in the series. That tells me I really liked it a lot.
I still enjoyed the story quite a bit. I liked that it has a strong female lead (Lessa); and of course, how could you not like dragons (if you are inclined to the fantasy genre). I think McCaffrey has done a good job of creating an interesting world (as with Rocket to Limbo, one that has been colonized by humans) with a history. I also like that the dragons have personalities.
Some aspects of the novel didn’t date as well for me. I was disappointed that McCaffrey had Lessa behave ‘like a girl’ on the odd occasion (despite being the rider of the Queen dragon). As well, there is a minor but noticeable undercurrent of misogyny. However, these are annoyances not deal breakers and I think they are a result of the time the book was written (mid 1960s). I’m not such a fantasy fan-girl that I know all the plots of novels written at this time, but I suspect that McCaffrey went out on quite a limb making a young woman the lead. I’m sure that had an influence on how she told the story.
10 task
10 review
___
20
Running total: 250
15.4 AotDSong of Kali by Dan Simmons
+15 Task (World Fantasy Award 1986)
+5 Oldies
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 210
20.9 National Doctor's Day (Kate's Task)When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
+20 Task
+10 Combo (10.2 4 word title, 10.4 "When")
Points this post: 30
RwS total: 130
AotD total: -
Season Total: 130
20.6 My Name is ReadTipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
First, I'll just say that those half dozen readers who have this shelved as "circus" are going to be disappointed. They must have been misled by the cover. Second, I'll say that had this been my first Sarah Waters, I might have missed some good novels. I have liked her because her historical fiction feels real and also because her story has a bit of the con about it, a sting of sorts.
Unfortunately this debut novel was missing the con. Although her central characters are lesbian, her other novels that I've read don't have any sex - not that you don't know it happens, it just isn't graphic. I don't necessarily mind novels with explicit sex, but I want it to be love making. Much of this was just lewd - sex for sex itself. Waters was not simply trying to be titillating. The sex acts were integral to the story. I didn't care for that long portion of this novel.
For me, this meandered throughout my 3-star range. It ended at its strongest and where she was surely heading throughout. So, at the top of the 3-star range, but still only 3 stars.
+20 Task (43k + and 4.0)
+15 Combo (10.2, 10.3, 10.5)
+10 Review
Task Total = 45
Grand total = 265
Kate S wrote: "Anika wrote: "10.6 Spring EquinoxYear of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes
I love that Shonda Rhimes (best known..."
Aww, thanks Kate! I wasn't sure if I could claim 10.4, since I chose not to use the subtitle for 10.2...
Kate S wrote: "itpdx wrote: "20.6 FoundationLincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Review: George Saunders has written in an unique and effective style. Some of the chapters are ex..."
Oh dear! Yes!
10.8 AnthologySharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie
+10 Task
+ 5 Combo 10.3 (UK)
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 225
10.2 3, 4, or 5Almost Transparent Blue by Ryū Murakami
+10 Task
+ 10 Non-Western
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 245
Awards of the Decade: National Book Award, 1992 - 2001, Time TravelerAll the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
+15 Task (15.1)
Post Total: 15
AotD Total: 15
RwS Total: 65
Season Total: 80
National Book Award
15.1 1992: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
Awards of the Decade: National Book Award, 1992 - 2001, Time TravelerThe Shipping News by Annie Proulx
+15 Task (15.2)
Post Total: 15
AotD Total: 30
RwS Total: 65
Season Total: 95
National Book Award
15.1 1992: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
15.2 1993: The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx
20.9 National Doctor's Day (Kate's Task)The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
I enjoyed most of this Sherlock Holmes tale…but the ending was a disappointment.
The story begins with an attractive woman seeking Holmes’ advice. She has been notified that she has been wronged and is entitled to some treasure. Holmes and Watson accompany her to a rendezvous in which she learns that her father and another had recovered a huge treasure while serving in the military in India. The other man had passed years ago but his sons have just found the hidden treasure in the house. But the son with custody is murdered and the treasure stolen on the night of the rendezvous. Now…for the disappointment….. after Holmes deduces who the culprits are….and after one of them is caught, he (the culprit) takes about 40 pages to confess the whole history and story. He does so a bit tediously….and it also isn’t as much fun as when Holmes is usually the one to inform the reader as to how he unraveled everything. 3 stars.
Task= 20
Review =10
Combo + 25 (10.2, 10.3, 10.7, 20.2-#143;20.10)
task total= 55
grand total= 370
20.5 - FoundationIn Their Footsteps by Tess Gerritsen
+20 task
+10 Combo (10.2, 20.9)
Task total: 30
Grand total: 95
20.9 - National Doctors DayStolen by Tess Gerritsen
+20 task
+5 Combo (20.5)
Task total: 25
Grand total: 120
20.1 Lord of the RingsThe Man Who Knew Too Much by G.K. Chesterton
This is a collection of short stories with ‘the man who knew too much’ (Horne Fisher) at the heart of them. This book is classed as a mystery, but it isn’t a mystery in the ‘cozy mystery’ sense.
Fisher is a well-connected upper class Englishman, who has had unique access to the ‘behind the scenes’ of politics. Because of this he knows that even if you solve a mystery, the perpetrator doesn’t necessarily come to justice due to larger (political) problems that would arise. There isn’t a great deal of action in these stories, instead Fisher uses his knowledge of the specific main players, and human nature in general, to solve them.
As I find with most short story collections, there are some stories I liked better than others. These were the ones that were a little closer to the type of mystery story I prefer. It seemed to me that other stories required a bit more knowledge of British politics (of the time) than I have. I did enjoy Chesterton’s writing, which includes some biting wit.
20 task
10 review
15 combo (10.3, 10.7, 20.10)
___
45
Running total: 295
Task 10.2 3, 4, or 5The Tin Lizzie Troop (1972) by Glendon Swarthout (Hardcover, First Edition, 223 pages)
Review: According to Wikipedia, Swarthout was twice nominated by his publishers for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (for They Came To Cordura by Random House and Bless The Beasts & Children by Doubleday). Several of his novels have been turned into movies (pre-1980), including one starring John Wayne. Supposedly The Tin Lizzie Troop was optioned for a film to star Paul Newman, but it was never made.
The Tin Lizzie Troop is a slapstick comedy about a 32-year-old Lt. Stanley Dinkle of the U. S. Cavalry in 1916. He’s stationed on the Texas-Mexican border. U.S. Army General John J. Pershing is chasing Pancho Villa along the borderline. And so, Lt. Dinkle and his 6 troops get involved. The 6 troops are from wealthy Philadelphia families – their origin is the subject of much humor. Despite being a cavalry unit, the troops wind up using ….. Model T’s! (also known as “tin lizzies”). The humor is slapstick, which works better on screen than on paper. Alas, the ending took a sudden turn for the serious, which didn’t fit the rest of the novel. (I’m sure they would have changed the ending if it had been made into a movie.) Still and all, a good book to read in a waiting room.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 10 + 10 = 20
Grand Total: 150 + 20 = 170
20.5 - FoundationEcstasy by Nicole Jordan
A fast read but an unsatisfying read. In the Pro column there's solid writing and characterization, suspense elements that don't overrun the overall plot, and heaps of steam (this is a romance, after all).
Sadly there were a more items in the Con column - the heroine gets kidnapped several times and the people who see it act irrationally (why call the police when you can just tell people she suddenly took ill?), the romantic leads barely talk to each other, we don't see the love grow over the course of the book, and there's a bit of a disconnect with the time period.
So while not a bad read... it wasn't a good one, either.
+20 task (link in task thread)
+5 combo (10.6)
+10 review
Task total: 35 points
Grand total: 145 points
Nothing to see here... certainly didn't double post one of my books. Nope. Definitely not.~whistles a jaunty tune and walks off~
15.2 Traveler 10 different awardsMonstress by Lysley Tenorio
Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction (2013)
+15 Task
Grand Total = 249 LOL - not 249, 280 I think
Kazen wrote: "10.2 - 3, 4, or 5The Mother of All Questions by Rebecca Solnit
The standout essay of this collection is A Short History of Silence, about how women are forbidden o..."
Kazen, you already claimed this book in post 200.
From post 217Gabriel wrote: "10.3 English Language
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
+10 Task Rowling born in UK
+10 Review
Points this post: 20
Season total: 50
(updated)
..."
+5 Combo (10.9-#151 on the list)
Anika wrote: "Aww, thanks Kate! I wasn't sure if I could claim 10.4, since I chose not to use the subtitle for 10.2..."We're being pretty lenient about the sub-title rules. If the book works, we are going to try to count it.
10.8 AnthologyUnnatural Creatures by Neil Gaiman
This is a short story collection chosen and edited by Neil Gaiman. Anthologies aren’t usually my first choice, since it seems there is more often than not, more than one story really is not my cup of tea. However, since I’m a fan of Gaiman’s I had faith in his taste……
I liked all of the stories, although I would say some were better than others. In this case, though the majority were strong. I liked the variety of authors Gaiman chose, from more classic (E. Nesbit) to contemporary (Gaiman).
All of the stories are fantastical (of course), but they range from true world/political concerns to complete science fiction fantasies. Some of the stories are humorous, which I enjoyed quite a bit. One of them dealt with a young woman taking control of her body image and sexuality, which I liked and was glad to see included.
Overall, this is a strong collection and I’m glad this task ‘made’ me read this book. It is one I would enjoy dipping into again in the future.
10 task
10 review
15 combo (10.3, 10.7, 20.10)
______
35
Running total: 330
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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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Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes
I love that Shonda Rhimes (best known as creator/writer of the TV shows "Grey's Anatomy", "Scandal", and "How to Get Away with Murder") shows us that even though her life might seem perfect to someone looking in from the outside (Ivy League grad, single mom of three adopted girls, currently working on three award-winning prime time TV shows, ridiculously wealthy), she's a real person under there, and not always a happy one.
The year of her saying YES started with her sister mumbling under her breath, "You say no to everything." She later realized the truth of this and consciously decided to say yes to everything for a year. This lead to her overcoming her debilitating social anxiety, losing over 100 pounds, and truly flourishing rather than just living.
Included in the book are two different speeches she gave--commencement at Dartmouth and an award-acceptance speech--and it was beautiful to see (well, hear rather, as it was the audio from the speeches themselves) how much she had grown in that time span. The part that resonated with me most, was "Saying Yes to No." I'm not good at telling people no. Even when it's something that I don't want to do (and which may, in fact, end up being quite detrimental for me), I hate saying NO and have a very hard time doing so. Her words and experiences on this subject were just what I needed. They gave me permission and a sort of loophole for "no." YES. That's just what I needed to hear :-)
+10 Task
+10 Review
+ 5 Combo
Post total: 25
Season total: 300