Reading with Style discussion
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SU 22 Completed Tasks
10.4 G57 - Guardian 1000 (any on list)The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford
+10 Task
+5 Oldies (pub 1945)
Task total = 15
Post Total = 15
Season Total = 50
B: 5
I: 23
N: 40
G: 57
O:
10.5 O75 - 75 Years: Author is AgedMaigret's Revolver by Georges Simenon
+10 Task (b1903, d1989)
+5 Oldies (pub 1952)
Task total = 15
+50 Bingo: First Bingo (B5, I23, N40, G57, O75)
Post Total = 65
Season Total = 115
B: 5*
I: 23*
N: 40*
G: 57*
O: 75*
Re: post 527, task 30.49I'd like to move Later from G58, Ghosts, to N32, Neighbors (on the Stephen King Fans bookshelf).
It hasn't yet been used in a Bingo.
Thank you!
30.36 I19 Author names IsabelThe Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
What it says on the tin - Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca meets Crimson Peak. But I hated Mexican Gothic, so this book was what I hoped MG was going to be. I cared what happened in this book, because I cared about the characters. And the deeper themes of this book felt natural, not added to make a less-than-mediocre story more “literary”. (Sorry, but I really disliked MG).
As a Gothic novel this hit every beat. Young bride gets married in the hopes of more and better options…only to find out that her husband has some secrets. The big house that was supposed to be a fresh start turns out to be unwelcoming. The housekeeper is shady, the sister-in-law is hostile… everything is WRONG.
And then we get a for-real haunting! There’s only a little bit of “is she mad or is this real”, when the character would actually be doubting herself, but that does not persist beyond belief. This gothic heroine is take-charge. She finds herself in some shit but does not damsel out… she fights back.
And we get a hero that is flawed but also doesn’t waffle idiotically to build tension.
Every character behaves like a human, not a plot device.
Really enjoyed this one!
+30 task
+5 review
Task total = 35
Season total = 1175
B
I19
N
G
O
Task 15.14 N38 NICKEL: first letter of title is found of "nickel"nickeL
Little Souls (2022) by Sandra Dallas (Hardcover, 294 pages)
Review:Sandra Dallas usually writes gritty novels about women in the American West during the 1870-1900 timeframe. This time, she decided to tell a story about two sisters living in Denver, Colorado during the Influenza epidemic of 1918. I really liked the period detail she includes in the novel. She includes the attitudes of people at the time towards women and war and wealth and medical care – attitudes that will change in America in subsequent decades. That said, the story itself veers towards melodrama, with the admirable characters having to deal with truly awful situations. (mild spoiler) (view spoiler) 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars because Sandra Dallas included 1918 attitudes.
+15 Task
+05 Review
Task Total: 15 + 05 = 20
[Bingo #2: B6, I22, N38, G53, O63]
Grand Total: 240 + 20 + 50 = 310
B:
I:
N:
G:
O:
[Bingo #1: B3, I6, N32, G51, O61]
15.12 O62 On another RwS Member's shelfThe Moving Target by Ross Macdonald
The Goodreads description says that Ross MacDonald is the primary heir to Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler as the master of American hardboiled mysteries. I highlighted one sentence early in this because it made me think of Raymond Chandler. That influence was real.
In this first in the series, Lew Archer is called in to find millionaire Ralph Sampson. Lots of plot here, starting from no clues to maybe having too many clues. The Moving Target is an apt title - who has a motive for Sampson's disappearance? Is it the usual one "who benefits"? Is Sampson even dead or has he been kidnapped?
Lew Archer could be Philip Marlowe's cousin. I have always believed that Chandler's writing style is the epitome of the hard-boiled genre and I haven't found anything to change my mind. But hard-boiled is also just plain gritty and a tough detective. Lew Archer is certainly that. MacDonald's prose isn't literary except compared to that of Chandler. I liked it better but that it is also good in some ways takes away some of the edginess.
It doesn't look like this is a series that need be read in order. I'm glad I read this first one to check, but there isn't much back story. I do have another on hand and will be looking for others. They look to be quick reads and just the thing to slip in between more serious titles. Good in this genre doesn't mean 5-stars, and this title is just a very very good 3-stars.
+15 Task (Bea - and thank you!)
+ 5 Review
+ 5 Before 1997 (1949)
Task total = 25
Season total = 290
Post 557 Jayme wrote: "15.6 B1 Historical FictionRavens of Avalon
Task +15
Grand Total:
Numbers used 1,6,22,43,49,67"
Jayme historical fiction is B4. It doesn't look like you've used that square, so this is fine. I just wouldn't want you to leave it open and double up.
10.6 B13 Bridesmaid - nominated for 2+ awards, never a winner The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
When I checked this book out from the local library, the desk person told me it was such a fun read and full of laughs. In the beginning, I did laugh, then came a confusing ending and for me, the outcomes were dark. I liked the portrayal of the retirees as intelligent and useful, and Joyce (diary writer) was my favorite character.
Task +10 (three nominations and no wins)
Review +5
Season Total: 135 + 15 = 150
10.7 I24 AdventureFrom the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
A brother and sister decide to run away from their happy home in Connecticut to New York City and hide out in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. While creative, the concept was unnerving from a safety perspective, and the fountain scene was bizarre. Mrs. Frankweiler was not my idea of a warm and cozy character. 3 stars.
+10 Task
+5 Review
Season Total: 150+15 = 165
10.8 G52 GoodReads choice award nomineeMy Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor
This book has been on my TBR for a while and with the Supreme Court in the news in recent weeks, it seemed like a good time to read about the life of Justice Sonia Sotomayor. I knew that she had grown up in the Bronx, so I was curious about that and I wanted to know why she chose law (Answer: She watched Perry Mason on TV.) The first chapters were so intense -- the descriptions of her extended Puerto Rican family and life in the Bronxdale housing projects, her father's heavy drinking and death when she was nine years old, her diagnosis of juvenile diabetes at age 7, the relationship with her beloved abuelita (paternal grandmother) who liked playing the numbers and summoning spirits through seances --- then, Sonia goes to college and the book slowed down, a lot. However, it was worth the read. The memoir concludes with her becoming a federal court judge, but it does have photos of her taking the oath for Supreme Court justice and an epilogue with a little about that honor. Four stars.
+10 Task (nominee for best memoir/autobiography, 2013)
+5 Review
Season Total: 165 +15 = 180
10.9 O72 Set in ...Ontario (Canada)Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
Thanks to Katy for writing a review of this book in a previous season. I thought I would like it, I added it to my TBR, I read it, and I loved it. The story really didn't need to be marketed as a retelling of Pride and Prejudice; it has enough meat to stand on its own. I will add the author's other book to my TBR. Side advantage to reading this book was eating paratha bread after seeing it mentioned often. Great descriptions of characters and the culture - an enjoyable read!
+10 Task
+5 Review
Season Total: 180+15 = 195
Second Bingo so far is: B13, I 24, G52, O72
15.11 B6 BEARDSDeath in a Strange Country by Donna Leon
he second book of the Commissario Brunetti series. A young American’s body is found in a canal in Venice. Commissario Brunetti comes to believe that it is not the outcome of a mugging gone wrong. Leon does an amazing job of bringing the character of Venice to the reader—an almost small town, insulated vibe, where the natives know each other and view non-Venetians with suspicion.
The reader of this edition does a wonderful job. I particularly liked his rendition of the flat American accents.
+15 task
+5 review
+5 first published 1993
Task total: 25
Bingo #2 B6, I28, N31, G52, O68
BINGO 50
Season total: 280
30.40 O62 - On another RwS Member’s shelfThe Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix
+30 Task on a number of members’ shelves including Tien’s
Task total = 30
Post Total: 30
Season Total: 1155
30.42 G58 Ghosts! (or other paranormal)The Girl On Legare Street. Karen White
I have read various books in this series, some better than others. I won't lie, I find Melanie whiny and not very likeable as a character, but I do enjoy the historical parts about the city of Charleston, the mystery involving ghosts (can they really cause physical harm?) and the reunion with her mother. While I might finish the middle books of the series eventually, it's not something I'm going to rush out to do.
+30 - task
+5 - review
+50 - Bingo #7: B10, I19, N36, G58, O72
Post total: 85
Season total: 1415
B:
I:
N:
G:
O:
(view spoiler)
30.34 B13 Bridesmaid book nominated for 2 awards, never a winner.Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow
+30 task Bridesmaid – in 2019 Nominated for Los Angeles Book Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award did not win any awards
Post total: 30
Season total: 980
20.28-I27-Private EyeLeave a Message for Willie by Marcia Muller
This is the fifth volume in the Sharon McCone series and it remains enjoyable. McCone is a private investigator for a San Francisco law firm. Muller does an excellent job of making everything realistic, Not much over-the-top writing here. McCone is complicated. Here she is assigned to investigate why a certain dealer in stolen goods (a client of her law firm) is being followed by a certain unsavory character. A few murders quickly up the ante. This series has 34 books now...with the latest being published last year. I intend to read at least a few more.
Task=20
Review=5
oldie= 5 (1984)
Task Total= 30
3rd BINGO-50 (I18, I19, !21, I22, I27)
Grand Total=770
B___; ___; ___;B4;B5*;___; B7*; B8*;B9*;B10;B11: ___; ___;B14*; ___;
I___; ___;I18*;I19*; ___; I21*; I22*; ___;___; ___;___;I27*; ___; ___; ___;
N31;___;N33*;___; ___;N36*;__; N38*;___;__; __;N42*; N43*;N44; __;
G _ ;G47; ___; ___; ___; G51;G52;___;G54; ___; ___; ___; __; __; ___;
O61; ___; ___; ___; ___; ___;___;___;O69;O70; ___; ___; __;___;O75
50.52 B10, Author born in the '10sInner Landscape and Coming into Eighty: Poems by May Sarton
I wanted to read a collection from the beginning of her writing career and something from the end.
Inner Landscape, pub. 1939
It was hard for me to read many of the poems in this collection because the rhyme scheme is so in-your-face I found myself only focusing on the final word of each line, not the message of the lines themselves. My favorite in the collection, "Greeting," was written on New Year's Eve 1937: "It is raining everywhere/ As if the rain were mercy,/ As if the rain were peace,/ Peace falling on our hair." It is a snapshot of hope after years of war, utterly naive as to what was ahead.
Coming into Eighty: Poems, pub. 1994
In the forward, Sarton tells us that she does not sleep well as she's getting older...the early hours have been kind to her, though, putting poems fully formed into her head and hands. These are the thoughts of a woman who is nearing the end of her life and her thoughts on aging and death are absolutely transcendent. I'd borrowed this from the library and upon finishing immediately purchased a copy for my personal library.
+50 Task, born 1912
+5 Oldies
+5 Review
+50 Tenth Bingo: B10, I26, N32, G48, O71
Task total: 110
Season total: 1970
B 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
I 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29
N 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43
G 46, 47, 48, 49, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 60
O 61, 63, 65, 66, 68, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75
50.53 N37, Non-human main characterThe House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
While I love a good fairy tale, especially one with plenty of metaphor going on, it took me a while to ease into this story. I think it's because I'm used to these stories being YA, but this one is clearly for an adult audience...but since it's not YA, it made it a little difficult to get around some of the writing devices which aren't normally found in adult lit.
After I got over myself, however, I was delighted by this motley cast of characters. Linus is a case worker for DiCoMY, the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He is surprised to receive an assignment which will take him to live on an island to review the orphanage on Marsyas Island, home to some of the most "dangerous" charges in the system: "a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist." The head of this group is Arthur, once a resident of Marsyas Orphanage himself, he's fiercely protective of his kids and does his best to help Linus see the importance of keeping their island home intact.
I dare say that by the end, my grinch heart might have grown three sizes.
+50 Task, the main characters are all different sorts of creatures, with Linus being the sole "human"
+5 Review
Task total: 55
Season total: 2025
B 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
I 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29
N 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43
G 46, 47, 48, 49, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 60
O 61, 63, 65, 66, 68, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75
30.35 G52 GR Choice Award (2018 for Graphic Novels & Comics)Herding Cats by Sarah Andersen
+30 task
Post Total: 30
Season Total: 1010
15.16 g49 MPE Page count 400-499The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton
Even though I hadn’t read a Kate Morton novel since 2017, I picked this one up because I remembered liking her writing. Well, this one definitely lived up to my expectations. This novel is all about the characters. The plot is small, but the characters are lovingly drawn. There are multiple timelines in this novel, and a lot of characters but it was never confusing. I’ve enjoyed all of the Morton novels I’ve read (5 now) and look forward to more of her work. 5*
15 task
5 review
_____
20
Running total: 455
15.17 n 42 New release: pub'd in 2021 or 2022Silverview by John le Carré
John Le Carre’s swan song, and boy is it good. He could write; and he wrote in a way that I particularly enjoy. One of the things I like about his books is that he doesn’t pander to the reader, he lays the story out well, but he expects you to keep up. So, when I get a little confused with the aliases (there is only one in this novel, but this happens to me with all of his novels) – Le Carre has laid it out plainly enough that you can figure it out (if you’ve been paying attention!). A final excellent spy novel with an interesting endnote by his son. 4.5*
15 task
5 review
______
20
Running total: 475
15.16 B15 Boxall's 1001 BooksThe Light of Day by Graham Swift
It's the second anniversary of a horrific event, and George Webb has plans to put flowers on a grave. During the course of a November day we learn about the situation through George's interior monologue which goes back and forth through time. We know a basic account of events early in the novel, then become aware of the details and motivation as the story of a crime unfolds.
Sarah Nash hires private investigator George Webb to follow her husband and his mistress to the airport. Kristina is a Croatian refugee, helped by the Nash family, who is flying back to her homeland. Mrs Nash wants to be certain that Kristina boards the plane and the affair has ended.
The book delves into the emotional details of the past in short chapters. Some parts of the story are partly told with sentence fragments as George's mind flits from one thing to another. George becomes obsessed with Sarah who loves her husband who cannot imagine his life without Kristina.
"The Light of Day" is not a book for readers who love fast-paced, plot-driven mysteries. It is written for readers who enjoy characters with deep psychological pasts, and their interactions. It's fascinating to see how author Graham Swift takes many small moments in the characters' lives and slowly lets the reader visualize the big picture.
+15 task
+ 5 review
Task total: 20
Season total: 415
15.18 o75 75 Years: Author is AgedLast Friends by Jane Gardam
I’m a little sad now that I’ve finished the ‘Old Filth’ trilogy. I really enjoy Gardam’s writing. She has a lot of imagination and empathy for her characters, which add up to a good story. There were many moments that were genuinely ‘laugh out loud’. There is a much gentler and meandering narrative in this novel than the other two, which takes a little getting used to but works as the wrap up. 4*
15 task
5 review
_____
20
Running total: 495
15.19 i22 Title has 2 wordsThe Enchanter by Vladimir Nabokov
This novella was written many years before Nabokov wrote Lolita, but this is where he is testing the idea. This was his last work in Russian. Of course, the story is as disturbing as you would expect, but you read Nabokov for his beautiful writing – and this is full of beautiful writing. 3*
15 task
5 review
5 oldie
_____
25
Running total: 520
15.20 b7 Best Books: rating is 4.0 or better American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Goodness, this book pulls you in from the first page. The story, of course, is timely and speaks to the now and the narrative is propulsive and suspenseful. What I particularly enjoyed about the novel was Cummins writing. I actually thought this was her first novel, and was surprised how well written it was (turns out I was incorrect). It’s easy to be either alarmed about the situation and statistics of the situation in Mexico (and further south) or become inured to the news stories, but this novel puts the human face on the suffering and I think that makes it all the more worthwhile. 4*
15 task
5 review
______
20
50 bingo #4 b7, i22, n42, g49, o75
____
70
Running total: 590
owned books used: 16/20 (1 ebook)
15,11 I28 (alternate history)Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
Review:
I have long had a little thing for steampunk. I have long held a great distaste for zombies. This novel is kind of a big deal in the steampunk genre, but I've hesitated to pick it up for the last dozen or so years as it also has zombies (called rotters) in it. I finally decided to tackle it and - thankfully - the zombies play a pretty small part in it.
I actually really enjoyed it. As the mother of a young adult son I strongly related to the main character's desire to not only look after and protect her son, but also to try and correct some mistakes she realizes she's made in raising him. It might be the start of a series, but the book feels self-contained and satisfying read on it's own.
I would have rated it 5 stars if it weren't for the freaking zombies.
+15 task
+5 review
Task total = 20
grand total = 275
BINGO 1= B9, I16, N37, G58, O71
BINGO 2= B15, I17, N36, G47, O68
BINGO 3 = B__, I28, N__, G__, O__
Numbers Used = 9,15,16,17,28,36,37,47,58,68,71
30.37 B4 Historical fictionLittle Eve by Catriona Ward
Set around WWI
I was so excited to get this on Netgalley - I thought it was a brand new book… so I was surprised to see it was published in 2018 and won the Shirley Jackson award. Alas, it was not published in the U.S., hence my ARC. Most Americans will have to wait until October for this. It will make for excellent spooky season reading, at least!
This is an absolutely ghastly book - in the very best way. It’s dark, creepy, and sometimes tender. And as with the other book I’ve read by Ward, it handles a horrible subject with unexpected care. The horror does not come from the sensationalizing of a terrible act, but from how that act is allowed to happen and the repercussions.
So many mysteries and thrillers are built around a big twist, and you can see it from a mile away. Because that’s all that there is to the story - the one idea, the big reveal. But no so in this book. The characters are deeply strange but deeply realized. The story unfolds with perfect timing, with plenty of plot developments to make this a true page turner.
Ward is a masterful writer, and I hope to read more!
+30 task
+5 review
Task total= 35
Season total = 1210
B4
I19
N
G
O
30.43 G51 Glass Slipper: Any retellingBeauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast. Robin McKinley
I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of the folktale Beauty and the Beast. In this book, Beauty's real name is Honour, and she is an honorable person, caring and empathetic. She voluntarily goes to live with the Beast when her father must pay a forfeit for picking one of his roses. Over time, she grows to understand and comes to love the Beast, not realizing it herself, until she almost loses him. And who doesn't love a happy ending?
+30 - task
+5 - review
+5 - published in 1978
+50 - Bingo #8: B11, I22, N39, G51, O75
Post total: 90
Season total: 1505
B:
I:
N:
G:
O:
(view spoiler)
30.38 N44 2 sets of double letters in author nameSnotgirl, Vol. 1: Green Hair Don't Care by Bryan Lee O'Malley
UGH. How did I not realize this was by the author of Scott Pilgrim, which I disliked? This was supposed to be a fun silly palette cleanser, but this was awful. It should have been a DNF but I kept waiting for it to shift.
Reader, it does not.
Just like SP, this was a world of cringe and nostalgia in all the wrong ways. O’Malley and I are in the same age cohort, and this whole stinking mess reminds me of insecure high school sneering at poseurs. This is a GenX guy mocking Zoomer women and thinking that makes him cool.
HATED IT!!
+30 task
+5 review
Task total = 35
Season total = 1245
B4
I29
N44
G
O
15,12 N31 New to me authorThe Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu
Review:
First, I would definitely not classify this book as young adult, even though the main character is supposed to be 14 years old. There are super graphic and crude sexual references sprinkled liberally throughout the book (one of the favorite phrases of the main character is "eat my vag" which honestly I have a hard time with coming out of the mouth of a 14-year-old).
That said, if you forget that this character is supposed to be YOUNG teenager, not even an older teenager, this is a good fun read, and a promising start to a series. I found Ropa, her small family, and her motley group of friends to be really engaging and likable. I routed for her the whole way through.
I will definitely be picking up the second in the series.
+15 task
+5 review
Task total = 20
Grand Total = 295
BINGO 1 = B9, I16, N37, G58, O71
BINGO 2 = B15, I17, N36, G47, O68
BINGO 3 progress = B__, I28, N31, G__, O__
Numbers used = 9, 15, 16, 17, 28, 31, 36, 37, 47, 58, 68, 71
15.13 I17. Title word ends with ingLiving with the Monks: What Turning Off My Phone Taught Me about Happiness, Gratitude, and Focus by Jesse Itzler
15 pts 15.13
5 pts Review
I didn’t know what to expect from this book. The title caught my eye at the library and when I read the reviews they seemed rather mixed. Turns out this is less a self-help book and more one man’s reflection on his life. Oddly, Iztler only lives with the monks for two weeks and seems to gain many insights in a short period of time. It leaves the feeling that the monks serve as a framing device for conclusions that were largely preformed. Best insight, do everything with focus and deliberation to the best of your ability .
Task Total: 20 pts
Season total: 275 pts
Bingo #1. B4 B5 B6 B7 B13
B9
I16 I17 I27 I29
N32 N38
G56
O
20.27 G59 GYPSUM: First letter of title is found in "gypsum" Maru by Bessie Head
+20 Task
+. 5 Pre- 1997
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 685
20.28 N37 Non human main characterGlory by NoViolet Bulawayo
+20 Task: all the characters are animals - main character a horse
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 705
20.29 I17 Title word ends in -ingThe Hanging Girl by Jussi Adler-Olsen
+20 Task
+. 5 Jumbo
+50: Sixth bingo B3, I17, N37, G59, O71
Post Total: 75
Season Total: 780
50.54 B4, Historical FictionThe Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner
An unlikely band of Austen fans find each other in Chawton, Austen's final resting place. To honor her memory, they decide to preserve a place where Jane wrote and read and walked...but crises ensues. Are their plans just misbegotten dreams?
All of the best of an Austen novel shows up here, set in post WWII England. Loved so much! We get a couple living the Persuasion storyline, a definite Elizabeth/Darcy coupling, a Marianne/Willoughby situation, and a lot more in the mix as well.
Definitely recommended for any Jane Austen fans.
+50 Task
+5 Review
Task total: 55
Season total: 2080
B 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
I 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29
N 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43
G 46, 47, 48, 49, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 60
O 61, 63, 65, 66, 68, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75
30.44 N34 Nebula Award, winners and nomineesThe Ten Thousand Doors of January. Alix E. Harrow
I have to admit, this took me a bit to get into, and I ended up alternately listening to it from Audible, and reading a print edition from my library. January LaVoy does an excellent job as narrator (and how interesting is her name?) and added much to my enjoyment. It was interesting to watch January (the protagonist) grow up, (view spoiler), but sad to see her realize that someone she trusted all along was not who she thought he was.
I will continue to look for new books by this author.
+30 - task
+5 - review
Post total: 35
Season total: 1540
B:
I:
N:
G:
O:
(view spoiler)
30.36 N43 Title has 3 wordsThe Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
+30 task
Post total: 30
Season total: 1040
30.45 G47 GothicThe Shadow of the Wind. Carlos Ruiz Zafón
There was so much to love about this book. The language is beautiful, there are many memorable passages that especially speak to people who love books. The way that Daniel's life parallels Julian's, the gothic elements, the mystery, and the setting all add to the way it just draws the reader completely into the book.
I alternately read and listened to the book, and both experiences were great. Highly recommend.
+30 - task
+5 - review
Post total: 35
Season total: 1575
B:
I:
N:
G:
O:
(view spoiler)
30.39 O68 no O in author nameAcross the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire
Oh this one broke my heart a little. I really felt for little Regan… I know what it’s like to tread carefully around a queen bee and still end up betrayed. Is it the best installment in the series? No, but it’s not the worst either. There’s not a lot of action here, nor tension, but it was sweet. One small warning though - an oopsie at the end drove me insane… a few babies are born, two colts and a filly. And they are repeatedly referred to as “the colts” rather than “the foals”. I never had the opportunity to be a real horse girl, but the pedantic little horse encyclopedia reading girl in me was displeased!
Still a great series though, and this one would particularly appeal to certain kids because of all the various types of creatures included.
+30 task
+5 review
Task total= 35
Season total = 1280
B4
I29
N44
G
O68
20.29- B3-Booker PrizeThe Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara
Let me say that this book is worth the read. Having said that, at times, I alternated between moments of enjoyment and disappointment. The narrator is the title character, China (pronounced CHEE-na) Iron. Her last name is the English version of the Spanish "Fierro" which was her husband's name.) Somewhere in the back of my mind, the husband's name Martin Fierro, nagged at me. It wasn't until the author's note at the end that I learned that Martin Fierro was the character in a famous. poem. I don't read much poetry...but somewhere I had obviously been exposed to this poem. Anyway, the story here is a fantastical historical romp through the pampas of 1890s Argentina. China has left her family and hooked up with an Englishwoman, Liz, who is traveling alone to the land she has come to claim. China is constantly learning about everything from Liz. But then from others, a gaucho, Ros, joins the duo. They encounter military folks and Indians. There is a tangle of romantic awakenings for China too. The story is all over the place...and I'm still not sure if that was or wasn't a good thing.
Task=20
Review=5
Task Total= 25
3rd BINGO-50 (I18, I19, !21, I22, I27)
Grand Total=795
B___; ___;B3;B4;B5*;___; B7*; B8*;B9*;B10;B11: ___; ___;B14*; ___;
I___; ___;I18*;I19*; ___; I21*; I22*; ___;___; ___;___;I27*; ___; ___; ___;
N31;___;N33*;___; ___;N36*;__; N38*;___;__; __;N42*; N43*;N44; __;
G _ ;G47; ___; ___; ___; G51;G52;___;G54; ___; ___; ___; __; __; ___;
O61; ___; ___; ___; ___; ___;___;___;O69;O70; ___; ___; __;___;O75
30.40 G55. Double g in titleThe Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton, Vol. 1 by Kyle Starks
Tons of fun!
Trigger Keaton is a legendary TV action hero. He is also the absolute worst, and pretty much everyone is happy when the old shit kicks the bucket. His newest co-star is exceedingly earnest, and paid attention when he was sent to Police Procedural boot camp, and he thinks something is fishy.
Thus begins a whodunnit where the six sidekicks team up to investigate the murder of a real douchebag.
The script is snappy and the art is kinetic. Recommended!
+30 task
+5 review
+50 BINGO
Task total = 85
Season total = 1365
B4
I29
N44
G55
O68
15.12 B3 Booker Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
I struggled to get through this book. I read a review that said to hang in there to about page 150. I did that and about that point, a plot began to emerge. And then by page 500 I was about to give up again. I was tired of crude, obnoxious adolescent boys, shallow adolescent girls, clueless self absorbed parents, drugs, cutting, anorexia, pedophiles, and a school administrator whose last concern was the students (at least he was so ridiculous that he brought a touch of humor). But there was some sweet reward in reading through to the end. 3-1/2 stars.
+15 task nominee long list 2010
+5 review
+5 > 500 pages
Task total. 25
Season total: 305
30.47 - N32 Neighbors - on another GR group's bookshelfCockroaches (Harry Hole #2) by Jo Nesbø
bookshelf
Review
I enjoyed this one a lot more than the first book. Maybe it has to do with the location... the first book was set in Sydney while the author isn't Australian and I guess I'm spoiled by some awesome Aussie crime authors that the first book in this series just didn't do it for me. This second book though is set in Thailand and since it's not home for me, if there's anything about location that would've bothered me if I live there, I didn't notice. I do wonder though about the title; so there are a lot of cockroaches in Thailand but what's it gotta do with the mystery/crime?!?!?! Nothing!
Harry Hole is in his elements - a drunk and thought to be incompetent policeman but once he's got his teeth into something he thinks is interesting and someone else trying to cover up, he just wouldn't let go. So many twists and turns that kept me guessing all the way to the end.
+30 Task
+5 Review
Post Total: 35
Season Total: 1,505
15.13 - O71 - One: First book in a seriesThe Flood by Michael McDowell
+15 Task
+5 1997 or earlier (1983)
Task total = 20
Season total = 250
B:
I:
N:
G:
O:
15.14 - B11, Rooting for the badd guyThe Levee by Michael McDowell
One of the main characters, Elinor, can be considered as a bad guy - from the resume's description about the main character:
Elinor Dammert abandoned her first-born child in a bargain with Mary-Love Caskey of Perdido, Alabama, and set in motion a series of strange familial entanglements. Her goals: power, money, her way.
In her way, she would begin to suck power from the weaknesses of the family she had entered through marriage. Her power would be felt again and again even if it meant murder - or a horifying ancient ritual death. Elinor Dammert must win.
+15 Task
+5 1997 or earlier (1983)
Task total = 20
Season total = 270
B:
I:
N:
G:
O:
15.15 - G58, Ghosts! (or other paranormal)The House by Michael McDowell
Main genre is paranormal, strange things & ghosts can be seen in the titled house.
+15 Task
+5 1997 or earlier (1983)
Task total = 20
Season total = 290
B:
I:
N:
G:
O:
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Reading with Style
Books mentioned in this topic
When Bad Things Happen to Good People (other topics)The Lord Is My Shepherd: Healing Wisdom of the Twenty-third Psalm (other topics)
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Before the Coffee Gets Cold (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Toshikazu Kawaguchi (other topics)
Barbara Cartland (other topics)
C.J. Sansom (other topics)
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Towards Zero by Agatha Christie
+10 Task (pub 1944)
+5 Oldies (1944)
Task total = 15
Post Total = 15
Season Total = 35
B: 5
I: 23
N: 40
G:
O: