Reading with Style discussion
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FA 20 Completed Tasks
10.2 Scrabble!Empire of Ivory (Temeraire #4) by Naomi Novik
first letters: E P I N N
word: NINE
Review
I'm not sure exactly what my expectations of this series but I can't say that I'm addicted to it at all. I felt that this book sort of went off the rail a bit. Firstly, they went away to look for a cure for a dragon cold that's killing all the dragons. I found the setting rather interesting in this part of Africa with their own dragon culture but then I felt the end of that adventure to be rather un-satisfying. Then followed what could be an exciting twist! I'm not sure I like how that's handled either though... still, it hasn't quite ended as it is to be continued in the next book.
I think I probably don't find this book enthralling because it feels disjointed as there seems to be stories and each could've stood alone as short stories. The beginning of the novel was to finish off the story that was in the last book then the middle was a story for this book and followed by a start of the next story to be finished in the next book. Still... dragons! I'll try one more book...
+10 Task
+10 Review
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 635
20.5 WineDaughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb
"Nick--Detective Stone to you--strongly suspects that's the case," Kate said, taking a sip of wine. -@31%
Review
The bodies of a woman with a baby cradled in her arms were washed out of the Great Lake. The police has not been able to determine their identities but their suspicion falls on Kate who appears as if she is hiding something. Kate is definitely hiding something; she has been dreaming of this woman. Because of her dreams, Kate felt that this mystery is personal and she's determined to find out who this woman is and why Kate is dreaming of her.
Daughters of the Lake feels like a family saga read with a hint of the superatural / magical realism. If you know me, you know that I'm not keen on family sagas as they usually have extramarrital affairs or betrayals; UGH! From the cover of this book, I expected something along the line of the thriller and once again, I didn't actually look up the book info so it's my fault that my expectations are totally wrong.
The story is told in a timeslip fashion though some views of the past are from Kate's dreams. I struggled with the beginning a bit but after you got used to the structure and characters, the read goes pretty smoothly. Unfortunately, at around midway, I figured out what the mystery was. Mostly I did enjoy the story and the epilogue threw me off a bit -just that last twist to the story.
+20 Task
+5 (10.2 - DOLT)
+10 Review
Post Total: 35
Season Total: 670
10.8 Jetsetters (Anika's Task)Infinity + One by Amy Harmon
They went on a road trip so crossed a number of state lines incl. Massachusetts, Ohio, Texas
Review
Another book I picked up to read for a challenge and another book where my expectations were derailed. I thought this was going to be off-the-rail sort of story, I mean that's my impression of Bonnie & Clyde but this novel, while based loosely on their love story, did not emulate history. I believe the author would like to highlight the beautiful love story of Bonnie & Clyde and the ending was definitely a lot more palatable and hopeful than history.
Bonnie is a country music superstar but her grief over her twin sister's death is pushing her over the edge. Clyde is an ex-con even if it's all circumstansial, he still spent 5 years in prison but he wants to get his life back on track and was on the way to do that when he met Bonnie. And as they say, the rest is history.
While I was reading, I really wasn't sure how the author was going to end this so I read with trepidation. However, Bonnie is beautiful and I love how Clyde is bad ass but is all about maths!! Overall, an enjoyable romance read and I even like the few cheesy corny lines.
+10 Task
+5 (10.4 - I for Infinity)
+10 Review
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 695
20.3 ProlificFacing the Music (Rosewood #1) by Andrea Laurence
+10 Task
+10 (10.2 - MALT; 20.5 - "He shrugged and sipped his wine." -@63%)
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 715
10.2 Scrabble!Tied Up In Heartstrings (Heartstrings #1) by Felicia Lynn
first letters: T U I H F L
word: HILT
Review
I'm not quite sure what fits as 'cheesy romance' so I'm not sure if I could call this novel as such. Even as I felt that everything was just over the top with this novel, I wouldn't necessarily call this cheesy. It didn't feel cheesy to me because it wasn't just the romantic feelings but all the other feelings here that I felt was exaggerated. It started with grief which is overwhelming so I could understand that but Alexis' insecurity and fear were also repetitively overwhelming. Garrett's determination of hanging on to this second chance was also declared over and over... I guess what I'm trying to say is that this novel could probably have been edited to be a lot shorter by cutting out all the over the top repetitive feelings & thoughts.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 735
20.5 WinePlain Obsession (Hunters Ridge #1) by Alison Stone
"She took another sip of the wine, trying to let the tension from the day to slip away." -@63%
Review
A mystery romance read combined with cheese platter, glass of red, and some choc is the perfect night in for me. And so it has turned out to be tonight. Plain Obsession is a delightful comfort read for me; a sweet romance, interesting mystery, and suspenful ending. The mystery wasn't that difficult to see through, tbh, but I still really enjoyed this read because it fits well within my comfort read and surprises aren't necessary. The characters are easily likeable and it was just so easy to cheer for them and feel that they're my lovely friends. I'm definitely reading the rest of the trilogy to find out how this ends.
+20 Task
+10 (10.2 - SAP; 10.4 - P for Plain)
+10 Review
Post Total: 40
Season Total: 775
20.5 WinePlain Missing (Hunters Ridge #2) by Alison Stone
"… [spoiler]," Violet said, taking a long sip of her wine as the four of them sat out on the patio. -@93%
Review
There is still an outstanding mystery from the end of book 1 and I did wonder how it was going to be resolved when the main protagonist changed. In book 2, we have Deputy Olivia Cooper taking main romantic role along with her brother's best friend, Drew. The slide from Violet to Olivia did go quite smoothly and I do love how Olivia is a very capable young woman on her own right. And that despite Drew's alpha protective mode, he's able to recognise that, to step back and admire how she can take care of herself. Plain Missing is a sweet romantic suspense though a little bit light on the romance. However, an easy comfort read, perfect for my beach holiday.
+20 Task
+10 (10.2 - MAP; 10.4 - P for Plain)
+10 Review
Post Total: 40
Season Total: 815
10.2 Scrabble!Plain Escape (Hunters Ridge #3) by Alison Stone
first letters: P E A S
word: PEAS
+10 Task
+5 (10.4 - P for Plain)
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 830
Task 20.6 Civil WarRead any work set at least 51% during the American Civil War (1861-1865).
This book is divided into 5 sections: 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864 and 1865.
Lincoln's Spies: Their Secret War to Save a Nation (2019) by Douglas C. Waller (Hardcover, 624 pages) [973.785]
Review: The author, Douglas C. Waller, is former correspondent for Newsweek and Time. He is apparently spending his retirement years writing non-fiction books about American intelligence operations in the past. This one is about the Union’s intelligence operations during the American Civil War. He assumes the reader knows a good deal about the American Civil War – the major battles that occurred in Virginia and Maryland, who the major generals of those battles were, overall strategies for winning the war. (One of many examples: a passing reference to the “Anaconda Plan” that the Union was pursuing to quickly win the war.)
The author’s focus is on the Union’s intelligence operations. He begins with 3-5 page biographies of the four most effective Union spymasters: Allan Pinkerton, Elizabeth Van Lew, George Sharpe, and Lafayette Baker. He continues with their various activities throughout the 1861-1865 timeframe – how they collected intelligence, how they caught Rebel spies, how the various generals reacted to their intelligence. Slaves, especially slaves who were able to run away or escape from slavery, were particularly helpful to the Union cause, as they had superior access to information. The author spends a few pages minimizing the intelligence gathered by two famous female Rebel spies, Rose O’Neal Greenhow and Belle Beau, stating that at best their information confirmed reports the Rebels had received elsewhere.
I was particularly interested in the hot air balloons used by the Union in 1861 and 1862 -- New Technology! Waller ends the book with a few sentences about what happened after the war to those individuals in the book who managed to survive the war.
Recommended for readers who already have a substantial amount of knowledge about the American Civil War and now are interested in the Union’s intelligence operations.
+20 Task
+20 Combo (#10.4 piLgrim, #10.7 non-fiction that’s not biography, #20.2 Author has earned a living as a journalist, #20.10 author born in 1949)
+10 Review
+10 Not-a-Novel: non-fiction
+05 Jumbo 500-699 Pages:
Task Total: 20 + 20 + 10 + 10 + 05 = 65
Grand Total: 215 + 65 = 280
Task 20.5 WineRead a novel where a character(s) drink wine.
There are many instances of the characters drinking wine. Here’s one of the instances:
p. 73: “’It is a bit of a coincidence.’ I nod, taking a large gulp of wine .”
You're (Not) the One (2010) by Alexandra Potter
+20 Task
+05 Combo (#10.2 Tiles: YNTOAP Word: PONY)
Task Total: 20 + 05 = 25
Grand Total: 280 + 25 = 305
10.9 Autumn LeavesThe Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley
+10 Task (golden)
+10 Combo (10.2 TGTOTDAB->GOAT, 10.4)
Task total = 20
Season Total: 505
20.4 Similar The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
I absolutely loved this book and tore through it in a short time, despite (still) looming work deadlines. Bennett's writing style is just effortless to read, but when I looked closer it stood up to the scrutiny. Her use of time shifts isn't jarring and feels powerful. Her characterization is masterful. The book is the story of two twins who grew up in a town made up of all light-skinned Black people. The twins leave home at 16 and one ends up passing as white for her whole life, leaving her family behind in the process. The story follows the two sisters and their children through their lives, as they separate and then intersect again. The book made me think, made me feel, and transported me into a truly unique story.
+20 task (from The Nickel Boys)
+10 combo (10.8 - Mass., Calif., Louisiana; 20.5 - “Loretta eyed her for a second, then took a sip of wine" at 49%)
+10 review
Task Total: 40
Season Total: 310
10.7 Non-FictionCultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy by Gholdy Muhammad
If you are an educator (I know there are a lot of us on here!) I highly recommend this book. If you aren't, it may not be of much interest! I would say that it's one of the best professional books for teaching I've read in a while, and I read a lot! Muhammad's central point is in her work unearthing the history of Black literary societies in the 1800s and what we as educators (particularly literacy educators) can learn from them - she names this work the "historically responsive teaching" model. I was astonished to learn the history behind this, for one thing - I had no idea about the significance of these literary societies! And the conclusions she draws around how we can make our instruction foster more knowledge development, critical thinking, and identity development alongside skill development are exciting and fresh. As a side note, the author is also a terrific speaker - she's been doing a ton of Zoom events this summer around this book and she's very dynamic, interesting, engaging, even in the online format.
+10 task (education related nonfiction)
+5 combo (10.2 - CGAEFFCAHRLGM = GEM)
+10 not-a-novel
+10 review
Task Total: 35
Season Total: 345
10.4 PILGRIM The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh
Review: Wow, what a play. A total contrast from The Cripple of Inishmaan and most of McDonagh's other work. The setting is a jail or police station in a totalitarian state. Although there are the typical references to the martial and dystopian government set-up, the setting is far less important than the themes explored.
The playwright delves deeply into why we do the things we do, how monsters are created, innocence, children and family. Other big questions posed here included "what is truth" and "what is the power of stories".
This sounds like a lot. It is BUT the play's language and dialogue are both very accessible. The content is violent and pretty extreme. I would recommend this drama for fans of true crime and modern mysteries. There are similarities to be found here between this play and the libretto of The Kiss of the Spider Woman musical. That show is also a movie and a play but I can only speak to having worked on the stage show.
+10 Task
+5 Combo 10.7 Non-Fiction
+10 Review
+10 Not a Novel
Task Total: 35 pts
Grand Total: 190 pts
20.5 WineThe Switch by Beth O'Leary
"‘Can’t find a man in this godforsaken city,’ Bee says, refilling our wine glasses." (Page 85)
My review
I enjoyed Beth O'Leary’s debut novel, The Flatshare last year so I was looking forward to reading this book. I can sum up my review in one sentence: it’s an enjoyable enough book but nowhere near as good as The Flatshare.
The main characters are Leena, a 20-something something Londoner and her grandmother Eileen who’s in her late 70s and lives in a small village. When Leena is forced to take two months off work she agrees to switch places with Eileen whose life has been turned upside down by her husband’s recent decision to leave her for someone else.
The book is fun and easy to read, though it’s not particularly original and isn’t a book I imagine I’ll find myself thinking about again in the future. A few of the characters are well developed and interesting but most are really just there to further the plot. The ending was quite predictable but I liked it nonetheless. And, I may be mistaken, but I got the impression that the book may have been written in a rush following the success of the author’s previous book.
This review sounds a little more negative than I really intended. It is an okay book, but I would definitely recommend reading The Flatshare instead of this.
+20 task
+10 review
+5 combo (10.2 - bot)
Post total: 35
Season total: 155
20.7 - P.I.Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith
My review
The Cormoran Strike series is one of my favourite contemporary mystery series and this latest instalment didn’t disappoint.
At over 900 pages it’s at least twice the length of the average detective novel, but it’s absolutely worth the time it takes to read. The plot is intricate, original and clever. I’m hesitant to say too much as it would be easy to inadvertently say something that’s a spoiler, but it really is an amazingly detailed and well plotted story.
As always with this series, the evolving relationship between Robin and Strike is woven into the plot from start to finish. I loved the development of their personal lives and relationships in this book. Robin is such an interesting character and in this book she’s often drawn back to a remark made to her that she seems to be travelling in a different direction to other women of her age. We see how she is trying to reconcile the enjoyment and fulfilment she gets from her job with the knowledge that her work probably isn’t compatible with the type of life she’d once expected to have.
+20 task
+20 jumbo
+5 combo (20.5 - "Strike set Robin’s wine in front of her, took a satisfying mouthful of Sussex Best, sat down and then reached inside his overcoat and pulled out a roll of papers." [page 139])
Post total: 45
Season total: 200
20.8 BedtimeVinegar Girl by Anne Tyler
Because this was pleasant enough, it gets 2 stars. However, it lacks the wit of the original and passes up the many chances it has on saying something of any substance. How utterly disappointing that this is an air-headed romance that does not even to try and upend any tropes.
Also, if Kate is a vinegar girl, I must be sulfuric acid... she never told anyone to STFU or GTFO, when she really should have. She was unprofessional and that was all. No tart tongue, no cleverness.... she was as biddable as could be with no sense of boundaries. Or apparently, of self.
Ooooh... I feel myself about to knock a star off, because the epilogue was inane.
If you come to this expecting a modern take on The Taming of the Shrew you will be disappointed. It’s patriarchal, heteronormative, and uninventive. But it was readable.
+20 task
+10 review
+20 combo (10.2 VGAT - vat, 20.3, 20.5 “he took another slug of wine”, 20.10 1941)
Task total = 50
Season total = 875
10.9 Autumn Leaves (Mary's Task)Big Cherry Holler (Big Stone Gap #2) by Adriana Trigiani
Review
The first book in this series was really so sweet but I should've known that, of course, things won't be smooth sailing for these two. Fast forward 8 years, Ave Maria has a 7 yo daughter with Jack and has lost a son to leukemia a few years ago. Even as Ave & Jack still love each other, their marriage or partnership isn't doing too well. And this second instalment is of them finding their way back to each other.
Argh, yes, it has that detestable whiff that I'd like to avoid in fiction so I struggled with the novel. However, I also struggled with a lot of the thought about love and marriage and everything in between. At first, I really wasn't sure what they're on about. But nearing the end, I found myself resonating a lot with Ave and her thoughts of herself and her role in marriage/partnership so far. So I guess I ended enjoying the novel even if I had to struggle to persevere through the parts I really do not like which was most of it...
+10 Task
+5 (10.2 - BATCH)
+10 Review
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 855
10.5 Monster ReduxWorld War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
Review
This book is not on my TBR because I didn't think I'd like it much. However, it is on my radar because I vaguely remember enjoying the movie. Can't say I remember much of the movie but this book was NOT what I expected! It is a dossier of World War Z. It is a collection of eyewitness statements of pre-, mid-, and post-World War Z. I was amazed by the scope of diversity in characters (I'm not just referring to their skin colours but also occupations, socioeconomic statuses, etc), settings, and 'experiences'. However, because there are just sooo many of them I got totally lost. I think I can with fingers on the one hand the stories that I really truly liked. The rest were like water over a duck's back. I feel that I may have liked it better if I were to read this in black and white rather than listening to the audiobook.
+10 Task
+5 (10.8 - USA, China, Egypt, Israel, etc)
+10 Review
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 880
20.7 P.I.Battle Ground by Jim Butcher
This is more volume 2 of the previous book Peace Talks than a next book. It starts right where book #16 leaves off. And if you don't know the characters, this book will not catch you up. OK, it is titled "Battle Ground" but three quarters of the book is blow by blow description of fights within the battle to save Chicago. Each fight does move the story forward and add to some character but I got tired of it. There are three plot points that move Dresden's story forward but they would be spoilers. I will read the next Dresden Files book because this puts Dresden in an interesting place and the bad, bad-guys have not been vanquished.
+20 task (approved in thread)
+5 combo (20.3)
Task total: 25
Season total: 280
20.1 AwardThe Color of Air by Gail Tsukiyama
Scrabble: TCOAGT Word: COAT
"Like this island, I'm already remaking myself. Look and you will find me everywhere, in the rocks, in the water, in the color of the air."
-Mariko's Ghost Voice
The 1935 eruption of the Mauna Loa volcano on Hawaii's Big Island is the backdrop for the return of Daniel Abe to the village of Hilo. Daniel had become a physician in Chicago, but he now has doubts about his career. Japanese immigrants came to the island to work on the sugar plantations and fish, and formed a close community where they helped each other like a family.
The author writes beautifully about Hawaii's natural world--the fragrance of ripe mangoes, the lush vegetation, the gorgeous beaches, the sulfurous smell and rumblings of the volcano, and the hot molten lava. But the island also has workers doing backbreaking work cutting cane in the hot sun for little pay, bothered by insects, snakes, and tough bosses.
The story revolves around David, his deceased mother Mariko, his father who left them, and his Uncle Koji. Mariko was the only woman that Koji ever loved, and the kind man acted as a second father to Daniel. When Daniel returns home, secrets are revealed about his family and close friends.
The people of Hilo are hard working and compassionate with every generation helping others in their large community. Flashbacks and the ghost voices of the deceased show us the bonds that were first established in the early 20th Century. "The Color of Air" is a lovely story with characters to care about. Readers will be hoping that the fire goddess Pele spares Hilo from the rivers of lava.
+20 task
+10 combo 10.2 Scrabble; 10.8 Jetsetter (Japan, Hawaii, Illinois)
+10 review
Task total: 40
Season total: 360
20.2 JournalistMoving Pictures by Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett had several jobs in journalism as stated in his wikipedia page
+20 Task
+10 Combo (10.4 ; 20.3 - Discworld bibliography)
+5 Oldies (1990)
Task total = 35
Points total = 245
10.7 NonfictionEntitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women by Kate Manne
I read this as my study during Yom Kippur this year. Righteous fury! This book lays out clearly the ways in which women are treated unfairly and unequally with clear examples and precise prose. It isn't easy reading--some of the information is quite graphic and all of it makes my blood boil. But it helped me solidify my thinking about these issues--why we should compare men to their female partners when looking at domestic labor, not compare them to their own father; how biases against women leaders affect evaluations and political aspirations; how women are punished for stepping out of line; how all of the problems of being female intersect with race and gender identity to make these issues even worse for women of color and transgender women; just how pernicious mansplaining can be.
She also references another excellent book addressing these issues: Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men. I recommend that one as well.
Highly recommended.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+10 Not a novel
+5 Combo (10.2 - KMEHMPHW - Pew)
Task total: 35
Grand total: 455
20.4 SimilarWine Girl: The Obstacles, Humiliations, and Triumphs of America's Youngest Sommelier by Victoria James
I read parts of this as a hardback from the library and listened to portions of it as read by the author--I feel like it fares better on the page. Regardless of how I received the story, I was more than impressed.
I always assume that people who are extremely knowledgeable in the wine world (especially those who reach the level of "sommelier") must have been raised in well-to-do households where wine was revered, have scads of discretionary income to buy cases of wine to teach their palate, and basically just be exceptional all-around people (I came to wine late in life and am always a little star-struck by people who can discuss it in a manner more intelligent than "dry," "sweet," or "oaky"). I realize that's an irrational assumption, but aren't most assumptions just that?
Victoria James was definitely not raised in a well-to-do household (she and her siblings would go days where all there was in the house to "eat" was pickle juice because her absent, tee-totaling mother and crazy, alcoholic father couldn't be bothered to take care of their kids). She definitely did not come from money (she started working at the age of thirteen. Once in high school, she started working at a diner where her shifts would sometimes last until 4 a.m. then she'd have to shower, nap, then head to school to do it all again). But she most certainly is exceptional. She has lived through some insanely difficult experiences yet always had the ability to learn and improve and raise up those around her on the way.
I love hearing stories of the restaurant industry in NYC, about wine tastings abroad, and about people's life experiences in general. This one was 4 stars for me.
+20 Task (similar to The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death)
+10 Review
+10 Not-a-Novel
+10 Combo (10.2 WGTOHATOAYSVJ: AGHAST; 10.8: USA, France, Chile, Italy)
Task total: 50
Season total: 795
Anika wrote: "20.5 WineWine Girl: The Obstacles, Humiliations, and Triumphs of America's Youngest Sommelier by Victoria James
I read parts of this as a hardback from the librar..."
Anika - 20.5 Wine is for a Novel. Let us know which of your combos you'd prefer us to score this one for.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Anika wrote: "20.5 WineWine Girl: The Obstacles, Humiliations, and Triumphs of America's Youngest Sommelier by Victoria James
I read parts of this as a hardback f..."
Shoot! I wasn’t even thinking :-/ sorry about that! Let’s move it to 20.4 so -5 Combo, new total 795?
Also, could I please move my book posted in message 64, The Glass Hotel, from 20.4 to 20.5, no change in points...Thank you!
20.1 AwardAn American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo
"To tell the truth is to become beautiful, to begin to love yourself, value yourself. And that's political, in its most profound way." --June Jordan, Caribbean-American poet
This is one of four epigraphs to this slim volume and it perfectly tells you what you're going to find inside: the truth of the earth, the truth of history, the truth of hate and love and everything in between. And it is political in a way that is vital for this moment in our history.
The impression I had when reading this was that I was making my way through a family photo album, peppered with newspaper articles: a deeply personal account hand in hand with the accepted historical/public narrative. It is a testament of the people lost on the Trail of Tears. It is a prayer to the Earth ("The final verse is always the trees./They will remain"). It is the voice of the dead breathing through a modern landscape. It is an overlapping map of what is and what was and what existed before maps were.
It's so hard for me to review poetry...it's so much impression and interpretation and feeling and the poet speaking directly to your brain in a way that is difficult to explain. Let's just say that the current U.S. Poet Laureate does not leave you wanting...
+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 Not-a-Novel
+15 Combo (10.2 AASPJH: ASH; 10.7; 10.8: Alabama, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and more)
Task total: 55
Season total: 850
From Post 278Anika wrote: "10.5 Monster Redux
All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny
Aficionados of Inspector Gamache rejoice! This newest installment is a triumph! I was a bit leery, seein..."
+5 Combo 20.2
20.3 ProlificThe Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
Review
A collection of short stories, which at times intersect each other, of Mars, human's invasion of the planet and Martians. The first story was hilarious & a tad creepy and then each story was progressively creepier. I kept having to remind myself that the book was published in 1949 because the language does sound rather dated and yet, the humanity factor is still the same... Apparently, people do not change and history just repeats after itself. There was a nod to author's earlier 'firey' work and to Poe (that was the creepiest of the stories but actually most enjoyable!).
+20 Task
+5 (10.4 - M for Martian)
+10 Review
Post Total: 35
Season Total: 915
15.9 Power of NineThe Infernal Battalion by Django Wexler
+15 Task (born 1981)
Task Total: 15
Season Total: 520
20.3 ProlificCome Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seanan_...
Review: The fifth instalment of what is one of my new favourite series! Think modernized fairy tales for grown ups. The world building is fantastic and definitely one of my favourite parts of the series. They are easy and quick reads. Unlike lots of epic fantasies they are very short, almost novella length snippets into these worlds. McGuire draws on lots of folklore and fairy tale history and tropes and employs them in intelligent and creative ways.
In this book, we revisit the Moors again, a dark dark world full of monsters, half Lovecraftian, half Shelley/Stoker exploring a very twisted end to the Jack and Jill storyline. If you are prioritizing LGBTQ lit, it is represented here, personally I feel the treatment of the Alexis storyline is a little heavy handed but nice to see some representation.
I love that all the children are so distinct due to their experience and worlds and love being able to explore those places with them.
+20 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 30 pts
Grand Total: 220 pts
20.5 - WineShe's Not There byMarla Madison
+20 task - Would you like a glass of wine? They finished their wine in comfotrable silence.
+5 Combo (10.8 - Texas, Wisconsin, California)
Task total: 25
Grand total: 385
20.7 - PITrespass by Marla Madison
+20 task - TJ Peacock - Private investigator with one year old child.
+15 Combo - 10.3, 10.8 - Wisconsin, Texas, Florida, 20.5 - I quickly poured myself a glass of wine.
Task total: 35
Grand total: 450
30.1 Go for the GreenSao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome And Principe: From Plantation Colony To Microstate by Tony Hodges
This book was a bit dry.... a mostly academic study of Sao Tome and Principe's history. These two islands off the west coast of Africa were Portuguese colonies. The Portuguese initially used slaves from Africa to forcibly work on plantations. After slavery was outlawed....things did not change much as the plantation owners used onerous indentured contracts to trap workers. When that wasn't sufficient, workers were brought in from Cape Verde....and even as far as Angola and Mozambique (other Portuguese colonies.) One interesting tidbit is that the culture that developed valued men AND women who had children from as many different partners as possible. Portuguese men who had children with African women would ensure those children an education.... a "benefit" not afforded to most others. In the 1970's the people finally gained independence through a myriad of forces.... organization amongst themselves and with other Africans...especially in Guinea...and the turmoil in Portuguese politics....and all this happened as many other colonies were gaining independence from the British, French and other countries as well.
Not an exciting read.... but enlightening about a country I knew next to nothing about.
Task=30
Project Bonus=30
Review=10
NaN=10
Oldie=5 (1988)
10.2=5 (tiles= STAPFPCTMTH) Word= PATH
10.7=5
Task Total= 95
Grand Total=185
10.2 ScrabbleLittle Girls in Pretty Boxes: The Making and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skatersby Joan Ryan
LGIPBTMABOEGAFSJR
word-bite
Review
This book is an account of elite figure skaters and gymnasts from the 1992 Olympics and earlier. Some of the athletes named are Michelle Kwan, Nadia Commancci, and others that were trained by the famous Bela Karoyli. His wife Marta Karoyli trained the fab five 1996 gymnasts. This book tells of the intense training the girls went through and some challenges they went through like eating disorders and stress fractures. It was a real eye opener for me to read.
Task +10
Combo +15(20.2, 10.7 Nonfiction, 10.4 L in Pilgrim)
Review +10
Task Total: 35
Grand Total: 105
20.10 Another Birthday? (Elizabeth (Alaska)'s Task)The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials #1) by Philip Pullman
930L
Review
One of my quirks is running far away from a very hyped books... Then I was interested when a movie was made but then I heard it wasn't very good so I didn't bother adding this to my TBR at all. It has been on my radar for many many years but I kept thinking, 'nah', about adding to TBR. The verdict... it was easy listening but I wasn't totally impressed. In terms of the story, it was okay though I was quite taken aback by the ending and performed some eye acrobatics at the terrible parents. Of Lyra's characters, I'm somewhat torn because IRL, I would be half pushing this precocious child away from me to admire her from afar. However, I do love her spunk and love for friends. Great worldbuilding but not sure if I'd like to continue...
+20 Task
+10 (10.4 - G for Golden; 20.9 - #349)
+10 Review
Post Total: 35
Season Total: 915
10.7 Non-Fiction (Ed's Task)Le pont des arts by Catherine Meurisse
This graphic novel relates several short stories of friendships and links between several artists and writers.
+10 Task
(no combo, graphic novel)
Task total = 10
Points total = 255
20.4 SimilarRiot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi
Similar to Zone One.
Wow. This is such a lot of book packed into just a few pages. It is intense. And pretty harrowing... the alternate 2020 of the book is scarily close to our reality. It’s not really an alternate at all... it’s where the white supremacist U.S is heading. A police state that can kill POC with even more impunity, because it’s run by algorithms, and “you can’t indict an algorithm.” And sure, crime is down, but that’s because every neighborhood is a prison.
Through it all, I was wondering why Ella did not burn it all down. Powerful as a goddess, she could end it. She has (among other powers) has the ability I violently dream about - she can make a rat’s head explode. Why not pop bigger vermin?
We eventually get the answer to that, and when Ella realized what was holding her back, I got goosebumps. But before she gets there, she goes deep into all the violent history, harvesting pain and injustice to fuel her righteous fury. And yet, there is beauty... she travels back to her birth and her siblings’, and the tenderness of the familial love is a counterpoint to all the systematic oppression.
+20 task
+10 review
+15 combo (10.2 RBTO - rot, 10.4, 10.8 (New York, California, Louisiana)
+100 RWS Finish
Task total = 145
Season total = 1050
20.8 BedtimeWe Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
With the onset of autumn, I am ready for atmospheric books! Bring on the spine-tinglers! The creepy crawlers and hair raisers! The bumps in the night!
This was definitely a great way to kick off the Halloween season...Shirley Jackson is the grand dame of the chiller (not so much a thriller but definitely knows how to make your blood run cold, thus: "chiller"). The Haunting of Hill House is the only other thing I'd read by Jackson, but I'd been ruined for it thanks to Hollywood (specifically the horrible 1999 film, "The Haunting"). This one came with a clean slate, a spooky book cover, and scads of five-star reviews so had a feeling I'd be in good hands. I was not disappointed. It starts out with Constance, the imaginative youngest child of a dwindling dynasty. That imagination draws you in, blindfolds you, turns you around, then gives you a firm push in the back.(view spoiler)This is masterfully constructed and I enjoyed every single twisty turn.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+5 Oldies (pub. 1962)
+5 Combo (10.2 WHALITCSJ: WILTS)
Task total: 40
Season total: 890
Post 344 Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "10.2 ScrabbleLittle Girls in Pretty Boxes: The Making and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skatersby Joan Ryan
LGIPBTMABOEGAFSJR
word-bite
Review
This book is a..."
Jayme, you'll be happy to know that while I was adding Joan Ryan to our scorekeeping database, I found out she is a journalist. So she qualifies for 20.2. This is also non-fiction so another combo for 10.7 and also it starts with an L, so works for 10.4 Pilgrim.
15.3 Power of Ninepublication years, numerical order
The Crow's Inn Tragedy by Annie Haynes
+15 Task (pub 1927)
Task Total: 15
Season Total: 440
20.6 Civil War Hiwassee: A Novel of the Civil War by Charles F. Price
+20 pts -Task
Season Total - 160 pts
10.1 Short WorksLittle Birds by Anaïs Nin
Literary erotica, or getting to read the sexy stuff while feeling virtuous about reading a classic and well-regarded author. This collection of short stories is excellent. Nin understands sex, explores power dynamics and strange fascinations, and even delves into sexual failures where desire flees. Each of these thirteen stories is short--not longer than 15 pages or so. And they aren't all appealing--the title story tells of a man who moves into an apartment specifically to expose himself to young girls. When he comes on too strong, they run away--like little birds.
Many of the stories are ultimately like the little birds of the title. When the reader tries to grab on and understand the story, it flees in a different direction. Many of the women in the story find themselves with older men or in strange power dynamics, but not all. Several stories feature artists.
I definitely should read Delta of Venus.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+10 Not-a-novel
+5 Oldies (1979, though the author died in 1977)
Task total: 35
Grand total: 490
20.2 JournalistPale Horse, Pale Rider by Katherine Anne Porter
Scrabble: PHPRKAP Word: RAP
Wine: pg 7 "[She] called out 'Good-by, good-by,' and refused her cloak, and said, 'Give me a glass of wine.' And none of us saw her alive again."
The three short novels in the book "Pale Horse, Pale Rider" have common themes of mortality and death. The title comes from the Book of Revelation 6:8 where Death was the rider on a pale horse (one of the Four Horsemen of the Apoocalypse.)
The semi-autobiographical title story features a journalist, Miranda, and a soldier, Adam, in the days leading up to his deployment during World War I. The influenza epidemic of 1918 is hitting Denver, and Miranda contracts the disease. She experiences nightmares, fevers, and periods of delirium as she fights the illness. Death, the pale rider, had numerous victims from both the war and influenza at that time.
"Old Mortality" is about the discrepancies between the family legends that are told about a romantic couple, and the reality of the situation. Miranda also appears in this story as an impressionable young girl, and later as a wiser, married, eighteen-year-old woman.
"Noon Wine" is set on a dairy farm in Texas in the 1890s. Royal Earle Thompson's farm is unproductive until he hires a Swede, Olaf Helton. Helton is a responsible man with a strong work ethic who turns the farm around. But he is very odd and silent, and spends his free time playing the same songs repeatedly on his harmonica. Then a stranger comes to the farm looking for Helton, and sets a tragic sequence of events in motion.
All three short novels are very well-written. As I was reading, I was thinking what a great stage play "Noon Wine" could be, and later learned that it was made into a TV film. It was very poignant reading about the influenza epidemic in "Pale Horse, Pale Rider" while we are in the midst of the Covid pandemic.
+20 task (approved)
+20 combo 10.2 Scrabble; 10.4 Pilgrim; 10.8 Jet Setter (LA, TX, ND, CO); 20.5 Wine
+10 review
+10 oldie (pub 1939)
Task total: 60
Season total: 420
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Reading with Style
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Building Big by David Macaulay
This book was just what I was looking for --- something about how buildings are designed and built, but not an architecture textbook.
This book is big--literally. It would be in the oversized book section if not classified as a children's book. It is a teaching book and comes in at Lexile 1260 (!), so not a book for beginning readers. It was produced as a "companion to the PBS series."
The author also illustrated the book, I think. It is full of drawings that accompany the descriptions of five structure categories: bridges (7), tunnels (6), dams (4), domes (8), and skyscrapers (10). Within each category are examples of "architectural wonders" such as the Golden Gate bridge, the Channel tunnel, the Hoover Dam, St. Peter's Basilica, and the Empire State building and many lesser-known ones.
Planning, design, building, problems, and outcomes are described in an educational manner without being highly technical. A glossary is included. The book is not all cold details and the author mentions that human lives were lost during the construction of several structures. It is an information-packed book for people with an interest and little knowledge about building.
Task +10
Combos +10 (20.10 and 10.8 for descriptions of projects in Italy, England, Scotland, France, Germany, US, Brazil, Egypt, and more)
Review +10
Not a novel +10
Task Total: 40
Season Total: 75