Reading with Style discussion
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FA 21 Completed Tasks
20.1 SeriallyMurder is Easy by Agatha Christie
+20 Task
+10 Combo (10.2, 10.5)
Task Total: 30
Season Total: 195
20.2 Anti-HeroI used the list The Best Anti-heroes (p. 1).
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
+20 Task
+10 Combo (20.3 - 4.09, 20.6)
Task Total: 30
Season Total: 225
20.3 RatingsIn the Spirit of Murder by Laura Belgrave
+20 Task
+5 Combo (10.2)
Task Total: 25
Season Total: 250
20.5 BoomerThe Forgotten Affairs of Youth by Alexander McCall Smith
+20 Task
+5 Combo (10.3)
Task Total: 25
Season Total: 275
20.6 AwardedThe Guardian by Dee Henderson
+20 Task
+5 Combo (20.3 - 4.34)
Task Total: 25
Season Total: 300
20.4 Non-linearThe Rose Code by Kate Quinn
+20 Task
+5 Combo (20.3 - 4.48)
+5 Jumbo (624p)
Task Total: 30
Season Total: 330
20.9 AnniversaryChampagne for One by Rex Stout
+20 Task ("I was introduced around and served a champagne cocktail", p.16)
+5 Combo (20.3 - 4.08)
Task Total: 25
Season Total: 355
20.10 Musical MysteriesThe Cat Who Played Brahms by Lilian Jackson Braun
+20 Task
Task Total: 20
Season Total: 375
20.10Live, Local, and Dead by Nikki Knight
NetGalley ARC in exchange for my honest review
This is a book for a very particular audience. It’s West Wing plus This is Us with a touch of Scooby Doo. It’s fantasy set in the real world, where the heroes are the best possible versions of their imperfect selves, and the villains are cartoonish.
It’s not really a mystery, though the setup is there (the blurb whodunnit plus additional plots) but there is not much sleuthing.
It’s also not really a romance, though that takes up a good chunk of the book. It’s mostly about small town life and radio.
The author clearly loves her characters… unfortunately they never came alive for me.
There was one big twist for me though (not much of a spoiler but it eliminates a suspect) (view spoiler). I thought that phrase was a big clue and that this was going to take a turn into domestic thriller territory, but it stays light and cozy the whole time.
+20 task
+5 combo (10.2)
+10 review
Task total = 35
Season total = 830
20.3 RatingsLiving Beyond Borders: Stories About Growing Up Mexican in America by Margarita Longoria
+20 Task
+. 5 Combo: 10.3 Back to School (school librarian)
+10 Not a Novel
Task Total: 35
Season Total: 1425
20.4 Non-linearAnxious People by Fredrik Backman
+20 Task
+. 5. Combo: 20.3 Ratings
Task Total: 25
Season Total: 1450
20.6 AwardedDeacon King Kong by James McBride
+20 Task: Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Fiction (2021) / Andrew Carnegie Medal for Fiction (2021)
+10 Combo: 20.3 Ratings / 20.5 Boomer
Task Total: 30
Season Total: 1480
Post 831 Rebekah wrote: "Sub Completion - 100 pts
All Female Bonus -50 pts
All pub bef. 1996 Bonus - 50 pts
Mega Finish -200 pts"
Congratulations! Well done!
Post 842 Bea wrote: "15.9 Counting on AuthorsSpeak by Laurie Halse Anderson
+15 Task (19 letters)
Task Total: 15
Season Total: 150"
I'm sorry, Bea. This is YA Fiction at BPL, and has a Lexile of 690. It doesn't work for Counting on Authors. I hope you have time to find another book for this task.
http://catalog.brooklynpubliclibrary....
Post 848 Nick wrote: "20.10 Musical MysteryA Dying Note by Ann Parker
+20 Task
+10 Combo (10.2; 20.6 three awards listed for this edition: A Dying Note)
Post Total: 30
S..."
And you'll be pleased that she is also a Boomer (1952).
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Post 831 Rebekah wrote: "Sub Completion - 100 pts
All Female Bonus -50 pts
All pub bef. 1996 Bonus - 50 pts
Mega Finish -200 pts"
Congratulations! Well done!"
Awwwwww. Thank you
Anika wrote: "15.5 CoA, 13 lettersMaid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land
+15 Task
+5 Not-a-Novel
Task total: 20
Season total: 555"
Posting for you in book discussion thread
15.3Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
+15 task
Task total: 15
Season total: 585
10.1;10.2;10.3;10.4(x2);10.5;..;10.7;..;..;10.10
..;15.2;15.3;..;15.5;15.6;15.7;15.8;15.9;15.10
..;..;20.3;20.4;20.5;20.6;20.7;20.8;20.9;20.10
10.6 - 9/21/47Billy Summers by Stephen King
+10 task
+15 combo (10.7 - Iraq war vet, 20.3 - 4.30 stars, 20.5 - 1947)
+5 Jumbo
Task total: 30
Season total: 615
10.1;10.2;10.3;10.4(x2);10.5;10.6;10.7;..;..;10.10
..;15.2;15.3;..;15.5;15.6;15.7;15.8;15.9;15.10
..;..;20.3;20.4;20.5;20.6;20.7;20.8;20.9;20.10
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Post 848 Nick wrote: "20.10 Musical MysteryA Dying Note by Ann Parker
+20 Task
+10 Combo (10.2; 20.6 three awards listed for this edition: [book:A Dying Note|378324..."
And you'll be pleased that she is also a Boomer (1952).
Bringing my Season Total to 685. (Thanks!!!)
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I'm sorry, Bea. This is YA Fiction at BPL, and has a Lexile of 690. It doesn't work for Counting on Authors. I hope you have time to find another book for this task."Oh, drat! I forgot to check for that.
Well, I think I found another quick read if my library can get it fast.
Post 862 Karen Michele wrote: "20.3 RatingsLiving Beyond Borders: Stories About Growing Up Mexican in America by Margarita Longoria
+20 Task - no lexile yet
Task Total: 20
Season Total: 1410"
This is not shelved at BPL, and the Lexile rule does not apply. I see Not-a-Novel for you. Let us know if there is something else.
Bea wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I'm sorry, Bea. This is YA Fiction at BPL, and has a Lexile of 690. It doesn't work for Counting on Authors. I hope you have time to find another book for this task."Oh, drat! I forgot to check for that.
Well, I think I found another quick read if my library can get it fast."
And if not, Lilian Jackson Braun has the right number of letters. You could move your Post 859. While you'd lose points for the task, you would still get your 100 Completion Bonus (which I think you forgot to claim).
Let us know.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Post 862 Karen Michele wrote: "20.3 RatingsLiving Beyond Borders: Stories About Growing Up Mexican in America by Margarita Longoria
+20 Task - no lexile yet
Ta..."
I’d love to have the points, but I did find it shelved YA at BPL this morning. I’ll post the link in a minute.
Well, I’m on my husband’s laptop because my computer went on the blitz and I’m having trouble getting the link to copy, but it is there.
Karen Michele wrote: "’I'd love to have the points, but I did find it shelved YA at BPL this morning. I’ll post the link in a minute."It's OK, I was just coming back to edit my post. Yes, it is there, but this kind of book gets under the Lexile rule because it is as much an anthology as anything, with multiple types of entries. Feel free to take what points that would qualify. You can edit your post, Kate won't be looking at it for at least a day or two.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Karen Michele wrote: "’I'd love to have the points, but I did find it shelved YA at BPL this morning. I’ll post the link in a minute."It's OK, I was just coming back to edit my post. Yes, it is t..."
Great, thanks!
15.4 Counting on AuthorsRound 3
Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding
+15 Task (12 letters)
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 2,000
15.1 Counting on AuthorsImpostor Syndrome by Kathy Wang
+15 Task (9 letters)
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 330
15.7 Counting on AuthorsLearning in Public: Lessons for a Racially Divided America from My Daughter's School by Courtney E. Martin
+15 Task (15 letters)
+5 not-a-novel (nonfiction)
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 350
15.9 Counting on AuthorsBirds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
+15 Task (18 letters)
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 365
20.9 AnniversaryThey'll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman
no Lexile score yet
+20 task ("Mom had allowed herself a glass of champagne, which turned into a few too many" - chapter 7)
Task Total: 20
Season Total: 385
15.2 CoA 10 lettersThe Southern Gates of Arabia: A Journey in the Hadhramaut by Freya Stark
15 pts CoA 10 letters
5 pts NAN
Female
Pre 1996
Task total: 20 pts
Total Season: 1225 pts
10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 ... 10.7 ... 10.9 ...
20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.7 20.8 20.9 20.10
15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 ... ... 15.7 15.8 ... 15.10
20.10 Musical MysteriesPork Pie Hat by Peter Straub
+20 task
+10 combo (10.3-in task help thread, 20.4-told in flashbacks)
Task total=30
Season total=510
20.3 RatingsThe Fall of Koli by M.R. Carey
+20 task rating 4.47
+5 Combo 20.5 born 1959
+5 Jumbo 528 pages
Task Total: 30
Season Total: 1645
20.3 RatingsA Comedy of Terrors by Lindsey Davis
+20 task rating 4.30
+5 Combo 20.5 born 1949
Task Total: 25
Season Total: 1670
20.9 AnniversaryThe Hothouse by the East River by Muriel Spark
+20 task p157 A waiter approaches with a tray of drinks. Elsa chooses champagne; Paul takes whisky.
+5 Combo 4
Task Total: 25
Season Total: 1695
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "And if not, Lilian Jackson Braun has the right number of letters. You could move your Post 859. While you'd lose points for the task, you would still get your 100 Completion Bonus (which I think you forgot to claim).."LOL! Elizabeth, I thought of that but I will try to get another of her books done first. I have already requested it from the library. Usually, they are quick with the interlibrary loans within their own system...but it is holiday time.
And, yes, I did forget the completion points. It's been such a long time since I completed anything!
20.3 RatingsFall of Giants by Ken Follett
When the description says epic, it means EPIC. When I opened this, there were pages for the list of characters. How would I remember them all? Well, it turns out it wasn't hard at all. The opening is of Billy on his 13th birthday and will go down in the mine for the first time. Follett leads us from there to Earl Fitzherbert and his staff. One by one, characters are added in context, the relationships established. I was very much surprised that I didn't once refer to that list of characters - it was that easy. The characterizations of the major characters was quite good.
In most cases, at least one character from the family groups intersect with at least one character from another family group. In this way, the multiple story lines are woven together. For me, the big attraction for this novel is that it is primarily a novel of the First World War. I have read a fair amount about this time in history but even so, there were new perspectives here. Much of my reading has been either fiction from the civilian standpoint or nonfiction having to do with battles. In Fall of Giants, Follett's fiction portrays much of the politics that led to the war itself and also the prosecution of the war. Also fascinating to me was the story line taking place in Russia and Bolshevism, followed by the Bolshevik Revolution. Further on that, how both Germany and the Allies responded.
Follett's writing style is adequate. Those who read my reviews will know that isn't much of a compliment, but neither is it completely negative. I admit to being dismayed at first because this is a very long novel. Let's just say I settled in and found the writing improved somewhat and that the good characterizations and plot had me overlooking those spots where I thought the writing more simple than to my taste.
This is long. There were two story lines I thought didn't quite mesh with the others. Perhaps Follett plans to feature those more prominently in the next installment of the trilogy. I will likely find out, though maybe not immediately. I have so much to read! I wanted this to be 5-stars and I can't say exactly why it does reach that bar and yet doesn't climb over it.
+20 Task (4.15)
+10 Review
+10 Combo (10.7, 20.5 - 1949)
+20 Jumbo (985 pgs)
Task total = 60
Season total = 725
15.7 Counting on Authors 15 letters – Tales of Ordinary Madness by Charles Bukowski 1983 CHARLES BUKOWSKI
Task Points = 15 points
Style: Not a Novel (stories) = 5 points
Finish points for Counting on Authors = 100 points
All Books pub’d before 1996:
15.1 Counting on Authors. 9 or fewer letters Kanthapura 1938 RAJA RAO
15.2 10 letters The Turn of the Screw 1898 HENRY JAMES
15.3 11 letters Under the Sign of Saturn: Essays 1980 SUSAN SONTAG
15.4 12 letters Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency 1987 DOUGLAS ADAMS
15.5 13 letters The Winter of Our Discontent 1961 JOHN STEINBECK
15.6 14 letters – The Conformist 1951 ALBERTO MORAVIA
15.7 15 letters – Tales of Ordinary Madness 1983 CHARLES BUKOWSKI
15.8 16-17 letters The Double 1846 FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY
15.9 18-19 letters Zastrozzi 1810 PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY
15.10 20 or more letters A Single Man 1964 CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD
= 50 points
Post Points: 170
Season Total: 855
20.9 - AnniversaryEvery Reasonable Doubt by Pamela Samuels Young
+20 task - Max poured himself a glass of champagne and took a slow satisifying sip.
+5 Combo - 20.3 - 4.10
Task total: 25
Grand total: 1145
15.6 Counting on AuthorsRound 3
Devil's Corner by Lisa Scottoline
+15 Task (14 letters)
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 2,015
15.4 Counting on AuthorsThe Redemption of Alexander Seaton by Shona MacLean
12 Letters
Task total: 15
Season total: 890
15.9 CoA 18-19lettersNorth to the Orient by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
15 pts CoA 18-19 letters
5 pts NAN
Female
Pre 1996
Task total: 20 pts
Total Season: 1245 pts
10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 ... 10.7 ... 10.9 ...
20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.7 20.8 20.9 20.10
15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 ... ... 15.7 15.8 15.9 15.10
20.2 Anti-heroDune by Frank Herbert
#76 as of now from the list 2870.Best_Anti_heroes_in_Books
+20 Task
+35 Combo (10.5 - tagged classics by 4492 users ; 10.6 - Born Sept 1, 1969 ; 10.7 - the hero and most of the characters around him are warriors ; 20.1 ; 20.3 - 4.24 ; 20.4 - chapter heads are written later, some events take place in a slightly different chronological order ; 20.6 - Hugo Award for Best Novel 1966, Nebula Award for Best Novel 1965)
(i'm pretty glad about the combo score here ;))
+5 Jumbo (688 pages)
Task total = 60
Season total = 470
10.1 ; 10.2 ; 10.3 ; … ; … ; 10.6 (x2) ; 10.7 ; 10.8 ; 10.9 ; …
… ; … ; … ; 15.4 ; … ; 15.6 ; 15.7 ; … ; 15.9 ; …
20.1 ; 202. ; 20.3 (x4) ; 20.4 ; 20.5 ; 20.6 ; … ; … ; 20.9 ; 20.10
15.6 Counting on AuthorsNancy by Rhoda Broughton
+15 Task (14 letters)
Task Total: 15
Season Total: 1495
10.1 TBRDeath on the High C's by Robert Barnard on my TBR since 2013: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
Task Points + 10
Robert Barnard, a former lecturer, had a birthday of Nov. 23.
(Combo: 10.2, 10.3, 10.5, 20.10)= + 20
Post Points: 30
Completion Points -- Mega-Finish: 200
Season Total: 1085
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Reading with Style
Books mentioned in this topic
Beyond This Point Are Monsters (other topics)Justified Secrets (other topics)
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Veiled Secrets (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Margaret Millar (other topics)Shawn McGuire (other topics)
Shawn McGuire (other topics)
Shawn McGuire (other topics)
Shawn McGuire (other topics)
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The Conformist by Alberto Moravia
Post Points: 15
Season Total: 680