Reading with Style discussion
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SU 22 Completed Tasks
20.21 - G50 - Author born in the 50sThe Long Call by Ann Cleeves
+20 task - 1954
Task total: 20
Grand total: 470
20.22 - G54 - Title has 4 wordsTurn a Blind Eye by Jeffrey Archer
+20 task
Task total: 20
Grand total: 490
20.23 - G59 - First letter in title found in GYPSUMSnow Creek by Gregg Olsen
+20 task
Task total: 20
Grand total: 510
Task 15.17 I21 INFLOW: First letter of title is found in "inflow"inFlow
Frames (Valentino #1) (2008) by Loren D. Estleman (Hardcover, 272 pages)
Review: Frames is a murder mystery set in Hollywood, California. Our protagonist is a mild-mannered 30ish male UCLA film archivist named Valentino. He buys a fixer-upper 1920s film theatre to live in and renovate. Our hero teams up with two people: his 60ish mentor-a male professor at UCLA; and with an attractive female law student (who is planning to go into copyright law). Together they work to untangle mysteries associated with the film theatre. The mysteries include: why is there a 20th century skeleton in the basement of the theatre?
The author Loren Estleman clearly has had experience in Hollywood (probably obtained when his ‘western’ novels were adapted to film). The mysteries are resolved by the end, and the solutions are reasonable. Four stars.
+15 Task
+05 Review
Task Total: 15 + 05 = 20
Grand Total: 350 + 20 = 370
B:
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[Bingo #1: B3, I6, N32, G51, O61]
[Bingo #2: B6, I22, N38, G53, O63]
50.53 B14 Set in: BC (Can), Brazil, Belgium, Botswana, BahamasBad Monkey. Carl Hiaasen
As a rule, humor is not a genre I seek out, but this book, though convoluted in parts wasn't bad. Andrew Yancy is a disgraced Miami police detective trying to salvage his career, which lately has taken a turn for the worse. He gets involved in an investigation when a disembodied arm shows up, and the explanation doesn't ring true to him. He follows the case to the Bahamas, where the story unfolds in ways you probably wouldn't predict.
+50 - task
+5 - review
Post total: 55
Season total: 1965
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(view spoiler)
30.49 N36 - Not a NovelMemory's Legion by James S.A. Corey
+30 Task short stories
Task total = 30
Post Total: 30
Season Total: 1540
50.54 B13 Bridesmaid: Book nominated for 2+ awards, never a winnerWalter Scott Prize Nominee for Historical Fiction Shortlist (2021), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Historical Fiction (2021)
The Dictionary of Lost Words. Pip Williams
There were many things that spoke to me in this book. First, it was so interesting to watch the creation of the great Oxford English Dictionary (10 volumes, 44 years in preparation) come to life in the context of woman suffrage and World War I.
Beyond that, there were certain passages that I marked:
"Not even the Queen is permitted to borrow from the Bodleian." In my former life, I worked for several years in Interlibrary Loan for a university college, and it was a great thrill to me to borrow books from the Bodleian Library.
"We can't always make the choices we'd like, but we can try to make the best of what we must settle for." I think that's a truth of life, take what life gives you, and do your best with it.
"No graduation, of course. No degree. But it's satisfying to know I would have achieved both if I wore trousers.(May 1909 - Oxford)" I found this passage interesting, because I recently read Bloomsbury Girls, which takes place in 1950, and the main character is a member of the first female graduating class in Cambridge.
The pace of the book seemed a little off to me, the beginning too long, the ending a little hurried, but overall well worth my time.
+50 - task
+5 - review
Post total: 55
Season total: 2020
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(view spoiler)
50.53 - N40 Book pub'd in the 40s, any centuryFrenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier
+50 Task
+5 pub. 1941
Post Total: 55
Season Total: 1,820
15.18 O69 (this is the 3rd book I've read by this author)The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths
Review
I had some strong negative feelings about the first book in this series, but I persisted in reading further and now I'm kinda hooked. The mysteries themselves are compelling, and I've grown quite attached to the recurring cast of characters. 3 books in, though, and I must say the climactic scene near the end now makes me laugh. It's supposed to be super suspenseful, but when basically the same thing happens every book it certainly becomes less so.
+15 task
+5 review
task total = 20
grand total = 465
BINGO 1 = B9, I16, N37, G58, O71
BINGO 2 = B15, I17, N36, G47, O68
BINGO 3 = B13, I28, N31, G59, O62
BINGO 4 (in progress) = B7, I__, N42, G__, O69
Numbers Used = 7,9,13,15,16,17,28,31,36,37,42,47,58,59,52,68,69,71
50.55 B8 Author first name is Bob, Brian, Barry, Beverly, BarbaraA Week at the Shore. Barbara Delinsky
+50 - task
Post total: 50
Season total: 2070
B:
I:
N:
G:
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(view spoiler)
15.15 N44 two double letters in author’s nameThe Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
I certainly don’t understand the main character, Rose. She is very attached to her mother but abandons her as much as she abandons her husband. But we see a number of characters adjust to Rose and create their own ideas of her reasons.
It is interesting to reflect on the changes to the home for unwed mothers mostly over the 70’s.
+15 task
+5 review
+5 originally published 1992
Task total 25
Season total: 370
30.50 N42 - New releaseAmongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch
+30 Task pub 2022
Task total = 30
Post Total: 30
Season Total: 1570
30.33 - O62 - On another RwS Member's shelfRecord of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
This is the third of Becky Chambers' books set in the Wayfarers universe, and it focuses almost entirely on humans who are still living in the fleet of huge ships in which they fled earth, many generations after their ancestors left. Having made contact with other species, they are facing challenges as some people leave to live on planets and others have to deal with the economic and other changes brought about by new technology and money in what had been a barter economy with equal distribution of resources.
I enjoyed this more and more from about the halfway point, but at first I got very confused by the many short chapters focusing on different characters who didn't seem that different to me, so I was mixing them up. I would have preferred to spend longer with each character at that stage. But when it came together, it all made sense and raised some interesting points about the effect that a more technically advanced society can have on a relatively primitive one, however well-meaning.
+30 Task (on Joanna's shelf and others: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list... )
+ 5 Review
+50 Bingo: Sixth Bingo; B12, I20, N44, G55, O62
Task Total = 85
Season Total = 1075
30.34 - N43 - Title has 3 wordsEat Sleep Sit: My Year at Japan's Most Rigorous Zen Temple by Kaoru Nonomura
This is an account of a 30-year-old Japanese man's first and only year at Eiheiji. Unlike most entrants he didn't want to qualify as a priest to run a temple, but went simply for questioning/spiritual reasons, which he downplays hugely in the book because he's not writing about Zen theory if there is such a thing, but about practice, so it's almost all focused on the physical and practical details.
I think you would need some experience of Zen practice to appreciate this book because otherwise, as some reviewers have said, it reads a lot like a description of a very harsh military boot camp, with a excess of detail that wouldn't mean much to the non-practitioner and might get boring. But for anyone with some familiarity and interest in Zen, I highly recommend it.
+30 Task
+ 5 Review
+ 5 Oldies (1996)
Task Total = 40
Season Total = 1115
50.56 N44 Author has 2 sets of double letters in name (Ellen Herrick)The Sparrow Sisters. Ellen Herrick
Very enjoyable book featuring three sisters who own a nursery. Patience, the youngest, is a healer by nature and most of the town benefits from this in some way. Matty, a little boy on the autism spectrum, loves Patience and her nursery. His mother has died, his father is emotionally absent. But when Matty dies mysteriously, all bets are off...
+50 - task
+5 - review
Post total: 55
Season total: 2125
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(view spoiler)
10.10 O69 – Often: Author I have read beforeOrlando by Virginia Woolf (This is the fifth book I’ve read by this author)
Review: I knew going in that this was a little bit different from usual Woolf, but it was more different than I dared to imagine. Orlando is unexpectedly funny, even bordering on zany at times.
I really enjoyed Orlando as a character, in all his, then her, permutations. Orlando has a zest for life and love and being who s/he truly is that keeps her young and independent for centuries. Orlando has struggles but they don't eat away at life or happiness for long. Early on, he struggles with wanting desperately to write something worthwhile and with lost love. Later, she deals with a man who won't take no for an answer. Somewhere along the way, she falls in love, marries, has a child. These life experiences would normally take center stage -- not here.
The focus is instead on the parody of British life over centuries, on breaking the rules of time and space without pseudo-logical explanation, on gleefully defying truth because truth means predictability and, of course, eventual death.
Overall, this still has the deeper themes to chew on that I expect from Woolf, but is also a very fun romp of a read.
+10 Task
+5 Review
+5 Oldies (first pub’d 1928)
Task total = 20
+50 Bingo: Second Bingo: B2, I16, N38, G56, O69
Post total = 70
Season total = 265
(view spoiler)
50.57 N40, Book pub'd in the '40sThe Moving Finger by Agatha Christie
I hate that I'm reading the Miss Marple mysteries out of order because I know little nuggets from earlier books are dropped and I'm missing them, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm enjoying every single one a great deal.
Someone is sending nasty letters to everyone in town (the original "trolls" the internet has seen blossom in abundance) making spurious accusations. One person took it so much to heart that they killed themselves rather than live with the shame--or did they? Miss Marple's masterful skills in untangling a murder shine as the mystery unfolds. Loved it, can't wait for #1 in the series to SOMEDAY be available at my library *sigh*.
+50 Task, pub. 1942
+5 Review
+5 Oldies
Task total: 60
Season total: 2305
B 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15
I 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29
N 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43
G 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 60
O 61, 63, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75
50.58 O64, Orange Prize and Women's PrizeA Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
The only umbrage I take with Madeline Miller (The Song of Achilles, Circe) is that she doesn't write books fast enough to fill my need for well-written retellings of mythic stories.
Enter Natalie Haynes and her Thousand Ships: what an absolutely stunning book! I love that it has fleshed out the end and aftermath of the Trojan War, told from the perspective of the many women whose stories are often glossed over. The writing is stellar (a little Miller, but I definitely got a bit of an Atwood vibe, especially Penelope's chapters) and well-grounded in the classic epic poems and plays it references. LOVED! If you're at all a fan of mythology, a well-written story that is hard to put down, or a fan of lovely language don't miss this one!
+50 Task
+5 Review
Task total: 55, Women's Prize Nominee 2020
Season total: 2360
B 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15
I 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29
N 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43
G 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 60
O 61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75
30.36- O64-Orange PrizeA Mercy by Toni Morrison
Although this short novel provides an excellent depiction of slavery and involuntary servitude and other forms of oppression during the American colonial period, I didn't connect with the author. I found the storytelling to be disjointed...and confusing at times. One of the slave girls has learned to read and narrates part of the story... and her use of language seems intelligent at times and innocent in others. The characters are all trapped in an awful system and Morrison DOES evoke the appropriate emotions but at times I just felt exasperated...andI'm sure that is more on me than the author... but that's how I felt.
Task=30
Review=5
6th BINGO= 50 (O61;O64;O69;O70;O75)
Task Total= 85
Grand Total=1190
B1*; __;B3*;B4*;B5*;___; B7*; B8*;B9*;B10*;B11:B12*; __;B14*; ___;
I___;I17;I18*;I19*; ___; I21*; I22*; ___;___; ___;___;I27*; ___; ___; ___;
N31;___;N33*;___; ___;N36*;__; N38*;___;__; __;N42*; N43*;N44; __;
G _ ;G47*; __; __; __;G51*;G52*;___;G54*; __;G56;G57*;G58; __; ___;
O61*; ___; ___; ___;O64*; ___;___;___;O69*;O70*; ___; __; __;__;O75*
50.59 N45, Set in Nicaragua, Norway, Netherlands, New ZealandThe Jaguar Smile: A Nicaraguan Journey by Salman Rushdie
While I love a good travel book as much as the next person, there is something about one by a Writer (Steinbeck's Travels with Charley: In Search of America and Didion's Salvador come to mind) that really scratches me where I itch. This one is no different.
Written at the height of the Sandinista revolution and amidst the Iran-Contra affair, Rushdie decides to see with his own eyes what is going on on the ground. While this does talk about the beauty of the country and its people, it takes us on an in-depth look at the political situation of the time and the seedy role the US played in its continued upheaval. I love that it was written by a complete outsider who had no interest other than to tell the story so it was entirely unbiased. And the writing...
This is my first Rushdie but it won't be my last.
+50 Task, Nicaragua
+5 Review
+5 Oldies, pub. 1987
Task total: 60
Season total: 2420
B 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15
I 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29
N 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45
G 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 60
O 61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75
20.21 N42 New Release-Published in 2022The Maid by Nita Prose
"The truth is, I often have trouble with social situations; it's as though everyone is playing an elaborate game with complex rules they all know, but I'm always playing for the first time."
Molly loves her job at the Regency Grand Hotel, and is a perfect maid with her love of cleaning and her old-fashioned, polite manner. Although it's not mentioned in the book, Molly acts like she might be somewhere on the autism spectrum. When her grandmother was alive, she helped Molly interpret social clues, but Molly feels adrift since her death.
Molly has been assigned to clean the suite of the wealthy Mr Black. When she walks in with her cleaning trolley, she finds it much more messy than usual and Mr Black is lying dead in the bed.
Molly gives such unusual answers to the detective's questions that she finds she is the chief suspect! Molly has been unaware of some suspicious activity in the hotel, and others are out to frame her for the murder. Thankfully, she has friends who want to help her find the real murderer.
Molly was a caring, likable character, and it was very effective to have the book narrated in her voice. Although Molly was different, she was talented and strong in her own way. Molly's testimony in court was unexpected, and the real killer was a surprise to me. Nita Prose was a wonderful writer in this debut novel so I hope she has another one in the works.
+20 task
+ 5 review
Task total: 25
Season total: 520
50.51 B6 - BEARDSSomeone to Trust by Mary Balogh
+50 Task begins with S
Task total = 50
Post Total: 50
Season Total: 1620
30.40 B12 Banned BooksMe and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
+30 task
Post total: 30
Season total: 1220
15.16 G59 GYPSUMYou Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times by Howard Zinn
To remind us what change takes—time, patience, sacrifice, dedication. But it can be done! This is Howard Zinn’s “personal history”. His emphasis is on what the young can and will do. He explains what experiences in his youth formed his own understanding of the world and the US. As a history professor he gave his students the opportunity to question history as it had been fed to them and led by example how to affect change.
I liked his sly humor. For example, how he relied on his FBI file (obtained later under FOIA) to remind him what he had said at various speeches.
His experiences in academia were very interesting.
+15 task
+5 pub 1994
+5 review
Task total: 25
Bingo #3 B3, I26, N36, G59, O72
Season total: 445
Task 15.18 B4 Before: Historical Fiction The Witches of New York (Witches of New York #1) (2016) by Ami McKay (Paperback, 545 pages)
+15 Task
+05 – 500 pages or more
Task Total: 15 + 05 = 20
Grand Total: 370 + 20 = 390
B:
I:
N:
G:
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[Bingo #1: B3, I6, N32, G51, O61]
[Bingo #2: B6, I22, N38, G53, O63]
15.20 G48 - Go, Going, Grow, Growing in Title Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
The premise of this book is that a woman, Christine, has a brain injury such that every day when she wakes up, she doesn't remember anything - she feels years younger, doesn't know her husband, doesn't recognize her house. But, because it's a thriller, of course there's an interesting twist. Without spoiling it, I will say that when the twist FINALLY emerged, it was pretty good. But I felt like it took too long to get there. My other quibble was that a LOT of the book was Christine talking about feeling panicked or anxious or stressed about her situation. I feel very sympathetic - I'm sure in this situation, I would feel similarly! But it wasn't the most fun to read. So, the book was not terrible but also not amazing.
+15 Task
+ 5 Review
Task total: 20
+50 Bingo: Fourth Bingo - B2, I25, N32, G48, O75
Post Total: 70
Season Total: 555
15.17 N41 Title includes a numberThe First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
15 pts 15.17
5 pts Review
5 pts pre 1997
This was my least favorite of the Little House books as a child and rereading it, it became clear why. The hardships and misfortunes of farming on the frontier are clearly described. Laura and Manly struggle with weather, failed crops and debt as they try to make a go of farming. Everything seems to act to make their life more difficult. While the language may be accessible for older grade school readers, in many ways the content isn’t. For example, being forced to go back time after time to borrow money gives and adulta sense of dread but may not resonate with a child.
The books was left unfinished and it shows in the somewhat episodic natureof the writing.
Task Total: 25 pts
Season total: 420 pts
Bingo #1. B4 B5 B6 B7 B13
Bingo #2 I16 I17 I27 I29 I30
B9
I
N32 N38 N41 N43
G54 G56
O
15.16 N43 Title as 3 wordsFour Strange Women by E.R. Punshon
I think this is my favorite of the series so far. I certainly had no idea who might have committed the murder that occurred while Bobby Owen was in the vicinity. And then it was decided there was probably a series of murders, all of which were initially believed to have been suicides. The circumstances were all different - what do they have in common?
The title indicates there are four women who are the potential criminals, but I didn't even see how that could be. And which four because there were more than four from which to choose! A couple of the women were openly hostile/rude to Bobby for no apparent reason. Did that indicate something? It didn't seem so, but if we (and he) knew the reason, perhaps the mystery would have been clearer. That, and other things, made for some darker moments which is somewhat unusual for this series, but I wasn't unhappy about that.
Again, this is my favorite of the series so far, only 2 of which I have rated 4 stars. I'm tempted to find a 5th star for this one, but that might be misleading. So, I'll settle for only 4-stars, but add that is a very strong 4-stars.
+15 Task
+ 5 Review
+ 5 Before 1997 (1940)
Task total = 25
+50 3rd Bingo - B7, I27, N43, G60, O62
Post Total = 75
Season total = 440
15.11 B15 – Boxall’s 1001 BooksThe Making of Americans by Gertrude Stein
Review: Well, I finished it. It took forever and it wasn't particularly fun. I can't think of anyone I'd recommend this book to. But as tedious and repetitive as it is, there is something truly unique here, and now that it's over I'm glad I read it.
A few phrases other reviewers have used that resonate with how I feel about this book:
From Publisher's Weekly - "exquisite narrative tedium"
From the New Yorker - "The first stunningly original disaster of modernism."
The Making of Americans is not unlike a very complex, multi-variable science experiment. In her scientific way, Stein is studying two things at once:
1. Understanding the depth and breadth of different people's psychological cores
2. Finding words to name and describe this understanding that are both accurate and can only be interpreted in one way.
The resulting writing is incredibly intentional and exhaustive. "Every word I am ever using in writing has for me very existing being," Stein's narrator writes. In practice, this makes for very tedious repetition. As I read, I could see Stein starting with a concept (family living, for example). She defines it in a small number of words. Then twists, turns and repeats those words in a variety of ways that subtly alter and add layers to her definition. Occasionally a new word is added and it's like a tiny earthquake. It's one word, but it offers a dozen new ways to repeat and refine. This continues for 925 pages.
And this is what I mean when I say that The Making of Americans is like a science experiment. The repetition allows for precision. Stein is listing and testing the range of each possible variable in human nature. Each variable must be understood across its spectrum (ex. from no loving feeling to nearly none to a little to a little more to a medium amount to a lot to a whole lot to always loving). Then it must be understood in situ - in relation to the other variables an individual has and to what level. And then it must be understood in motion - over time and through interaction with others. By over time, I mean that as an individual ages they may change, or they pretend to change, or they think they change but don't.
It's an ever-growing flowering of variation and each permutation and combination must be tested.
+15 Task
+5 Review
+5 Oldies (first pub’d 1925)
+5 500+ (926 pages)
Task total = 30
Season total = 295
(view spoiler)
15.19 G54 (4 words in Title)A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie by Kathryn Harkup
Review
I really enjoyed this book. It's heavier on the science end of things than the literary, and some of the heavier science parts were a bit beyond my interest. However, it was so engagingly written that it still held my attention. Each chapter is broken down into a predictable format. The author first details the poison itself (source, history, legitimate medical uses etc), then talks about antidotes/treatments, real-life cases (with an emphasis on any that might have influenced or been influenced by Christie's work), and finally details how Christie used them in her work. Kindly, the author gives spoiler alerts and says basically if you haven't read this book and are worried about spoilers, skip ahead to page x. I appreciated this, though I didn't skip ahead myself.
+15 task
+5 review
Task total = 20
grand total = 485
BINGO 1 = B9,I16,N37,G58,O71
BINGO 2 = B15,I17,N36,G47,O68
BINGO 3 = B13,I28,N31,G59,O62
BINGO 4 = B7,I__N42,G54,O69
Numbers used = 7, 9, 13, 15, 16, 17, 28, 31, 36, 37, 42, 47, 54, 58, 59, 62, 68, 69,71
Bingo 15.15 N 38 first letter of title found in NICKEL
Can You Keep a Secret?
Can starts with C
Task +15
Grand Total: 225
N 38
15.20 G50 (author born in 1958)A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
Review
I really thought the first book in this series was mediocre. It just didn't hold my attention. Several other people had told me not to give up on these books, though, as they get much better. They were right. I actually gave this book 5 stars because it not only exceeded my rather low expectations, but I thought it was pretty fantastic. Not only was I hooked on the mystery, but all of the characters were really well fleshed-out and I really cared about them. I can't wait to get hold of book number 3.
+15 task
+5 review
Task total = 20
grand total = 505
BINGO 1 = B9, I16, N37, G58, O71
BINGO 2 = B15, I17, N36, G47, O68
BINGO 3 = B13, I28, N31, G59, O62
BINGO 4 = B7, I__, N42, G54, O69
BINGO 5 = B__, I__, N__ G50, O__
Numbers used = 7, 9. 13, 15, 16, 17, 28, 31, 36, 37, 42, 47, 50, 54, 58, 59, 62, 68, 69, 71
20.21 N40 Book published in the 40sOne, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie
I enjoyed this but not as much as another Poirot, ABC Murders, that I also read recently. In this one, a regular sort of dentist seems to commit suicide - but why? And did he really? This one initially was hard to get into because of the sheer number of somewhat unlikable characters (to me) - but eventually, as always, Agatha Christie drew me in with the plot. (I am doing a real Christie binge this summer while I don't have to worry about Lexiles!)
+20 Task (pub'd 1940)
+ 5 Oldies
+ 5 Review
Task total: 30
Season Total: 585
20.21 g56 Get the Giggles: HumorFeet of Clay by Terry Pratchett
This is the third instalment in the ‘City Watch’ sub-series (of the overall ‘Discworld” series, of which it is #19). I’ve only read this sub-series, and I would say it is important that you read it in order. There are many recurring characters, and it really helps to know their backstory. As with the other two I’ve read, Pratchett writes humorously effortlessly and well. Along with the humor he explores more serious issues such as leadership, what it means to be alive, religious dogma, being true to yourself, and friendship. Many ‘lols’ were to be had here! 4*
20 task
5 oldie
5 review
____
30
Running total: 620*
I am using my spreadsheet total, even though the Readerboard shows 5 pts less. I can't see where there is a -5.
20.22 i21 INFLOW: First letter of title is found in "inflow"Nerilka's Story by Anne McCaffrey
When I was (much) younger I really enjoyed McCaffrey’s Pern series, so this was a fun visit with that world. This is a side story to the series, so the world building is done. McCaffrey did anticipate that all reader might not have read the whole series (or as in my case, remember the details) so there is a handy character list, an epilogue describing Pern and maps! I love it when fantasies have maps. This is a very straightforward story about Lady Nerilka who takes her destiny into her own hands. A nice read. 3.5*
20 task
5 oldie
5 review
____
30
Running total: 650
20.23 b9 MPE Page count 100-199Mr Hire's Engagement by Georges Simenon
My goodness this book was hard to read. Not because it was poorly written or not a good story. Just the opposite. Simenon creates tension right from the first page and never lets up – in fact, he cranks up the heat. This is a psychological thriller wherein the odd man out becomes persecuted. It is a short novel, but I could only read a couple of chapters at a time. Mr Hire isn’t the most sympathetic character, but you sure feel bad for him. 4*
20 task
5 oldie
5 review
_____
30
Running total: 680
20.24 n43 Title has 3 wordsHer Privates We by Frederic Manning
It seems odd to say that I liked a book from the perspective of a man in the trenches in WW1. At first, I wasn’t sure if it would be the book for me – the kindle version I had bought has very strange formatting (more like a prose poem) and this is one of those books where you are thrown right into it. However, I got used to the formatting (and it actually seemed to work, oddly enough) and I was interested in the characters even though we only get to know/see a very tiny part of who they are. In some ways this novel reminded me of ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’, in that it shows the extended periods of extreme boredom in war. I was a bit surprised by the ending, but it made complete sense in the context. 4*
20 task
5 oldie
5 review
______
30
Running total: 710
20.25 o69 Often: Author you have read beforeSome Buried Caesar by Rex Stout
This is an early instalment in the Nero Wolfe series (#6). I was a little taken aback with Archie’s ‘manly man’ attitude towards women, but I can only suppose this is a refection of the fact that it was written in the 1930s. I don’t remember him being like this in other instalments. All that aside – Wolfe has left the house (gasp) and has to suffer small chairs, average food, and at least one night in a middling hotel! All in the service of his art – no, not sleuthing…., his orchids. Some of his special orchids are in competition at a large Exposition. Along the way, he and Archie get mixed up with a mystery containing: a bull (Caesar), arrogant millionaires, and an unimaginative DA. I did enjoy this story quite a bit. Relatively early on I had a suspicion of what the solution would be, but I really enjoyed how Wolfe thought it through (despite his discomfort!) and the end result. 4*
20 task
5 review
5 oldie
_____
30
50 bingo #5 b9, i21, n43, g56, o69
____
80
Running total: 790
owned books used: 20/25 (2 ebooks)
30.35 - G52 - Goodreads Choice Awards, winners and nomineesThe Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
I loved the descriptions of the diving women on the island of Jeju, their perilous but highly-valued work, and their female-led society where most of the men stayed at home looking after the children. So much research had clearly gone into this aspect of the women's lives, and yet it was presented in a character-focused and engaging way that never felt heavily informational.
The book then deals with some terrible events in the history of the island, which lies almost equidistant from mainland Korea and Japan and so will always be a military target. I knew about the various Japanese colonisations but not about the decimation of the population by violence in the late 1940s and 50s. This was a hard read, but harder for me was the bitterness and anger of the main character against someone who wasn't even responsible for any of the deaths.
I ended up with the impression that the main character had become tough and unsympathetic because of her work, so the book came across as borderline antifeminist despite its very interesting description of a matrifocal society. But it was fascinating as a piece of fictional history.
+30 Task (2019 nominee)
+ 5 Review
Task Total = 35
Season Total = 1150
50.57 O66 Title has a repeated word (any except A or The)As Bright as Heaven. Susan Meissner
Evie, Maggie and Willa are three sisters whose parents have an opportunity to leave their subsistence living as tobacco farmers to move to Philadelphia to become partners in their great-uncle's mortuary. The family is grieving the loss of their son/little brother, but find peace in helping others. When the 1918 Influenza epidemic hits, their family suffers more loss, but also takes in a toddler who appears to have lost all his family. The rich historical details capture life in a big American city during a time of terrible loss (war and disease) and shows the spirit of people who won't give up.
+50 - task
+5 - review
+50 - Bingo #10: B8, I21, N44, G53, O66
Post total: 105
Season total: 2230
B:
I:
N:
G:
O:
(view spoiler)
50.52 G47 - GothicThe Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
+50 Task
Task total = 50
Post Total: 50
Season Total: 1670
10.10 N33 - Title has 3+ Ns Gangsta Granny by David WalliamsReview - it was a short read, but nonetheless, good.
the nostalgia it brings!! i've said it before, and i'm saying it again, take me back to silent-reading mornings.
david walliams does have the talent of balancing high comedy with an emotional message in his books. i can't get enough of it! i finished reading this in one sitting, in an hour and 30 minutes!
+10 Task
+ 5 Review
Task total = 15
Post total: 15
Season Total: 20 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 65 + 15 + 15 = 205
1st BINGO: B1; I22; N31; G54; O71
2nd BINGO:
B — 1; 6;
I — 22; 24; 23;
N — 31; 33;
G — 54;
O — 71; 69;
15.11 G59 - GYPSUM: First letter of title is found in "gypsum" Gangsta Granny Strikes Again! by David WalliamsReview - not me thinking of the possibility that gangsta granny could be alive:(((
but i didn't also expect her majesty, the queen of Britain to be one!! sure she's a cool granny and all, but i didn't think she was a gangsta granny, too!! thought the knicker-showing on her last year's Christmas broadcast was the last time we've seen her, but i was wrong. turns out she'd like to be an international jewel thief, too!!
also, this, i think, if my memory serves me right, this has been the first book where Raj, the newspaper agent guy, is closely engaged in the story. and not just some side character.
nonetheless, it was a good read. i miss granny, though.
+50 Bingo
+15 Task
+ 5 Review
Task total = 20
Post total: 15
Season Total: 20 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 65 + 15 + 15 + 70 = 275
1st BINGO: B1; I22; N31; G54; O71
2nd BINGO: B6; I24; N33; G59; O69
3rd BINGO:
B — 1; 6;
I — 22; 24; 23;
N — 31; 33;
G — 54; 59
O — 71; 69;
15.12 B9 - MPE Page count 100-199 The Risk by S.T. AbbyReview - i'm hooked.
tbh, i mostly steer away from detective/cop tropes, but i decided to give this one a try.
30% in, i put it down. 5 months later, 3 days ago, i picked it up again. and, i'm in love with LanaLogan.
i also love that the books are short and all. makes me want to keep on going. and that ending though, kinda thought Lana was gonna get caught.
+15 Task
+ 5 Review
Task total = 20
Post total: 15
Season Total: 20 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 65 + 15 + 15 + 70 + 20 = 295
1st BINGO: B1; I22; N31; G54; O71
2nd BINGO: B6; I24; N33; G59; O69
3rd BINGO:
B — 1; 6; 9;
I — 22; 24; 23;
N — 31; 33;
G — 54; 59
O — 71; 69;
15.13 O68 - Author name does not contain the letter O Sidetracked by S.T. AbbyReview - shitttt that ending though. if i was hooked then, i'm definitely, super duper, a hundred percent hooked now. i also never thought that i could enjoy books, that are less than 200 pages, this much. sometimes, the plot gets rushed, but this one wasn't. starting the next one right now!!
+15 Task
+ 5 Review
Task total = 20
Post total: 15
Season Total: 20 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 65 + 15 + 15 + 70 + 20 + 20 = 315
1st BINGO: B1; I22; N31; G54; O71
2nd BINGO: B6; I24; N33; G59; O69
3rd BINGO:
B — 1; 6; 9;
I — 22; 24; 23;
N — 31; 33;
G — 54; 59;
O — 71; 69; 68;
20.22 O 72 Set in OhioThe Fields by Conrad Richter
Conrad Richter's "The Awakening Land" trilogy began with "The Trees" when the Luckett family hiked into Ohio's untouched thick forests to build a new home. Hunting was an important source of food, and the logs from the towering trees were used to build their cabin. After her mother died, and her father headed into the Western wilderness, the oldest daughter Sayward raised her younger siblings. Sayward Luckett married the lawyer Portius Wheeler as the first book ended at the dawn of the 19th Century.
Sayward and Portius have a large family in the second book, "The Fields." Land was cleared and farming became a way of life. Sayward was physically and emotionally strong as she provided for her family. While Portius can teach the children how to read, Sayward taught them how to survive and farm the land. More families moved to the area so a church and a schoolhouse were constructed. A general store, a grist mill, and a boat landing were also built near Sayward's cabin. Their home was now in a prime location near the center of a growing community.
One of the biggest challenges was the failure of crops when a cold summer was followed by a dry summer. Dangers were always present - a terrible burn, a life-threatening snake bite, and other injuries. Relationship problems were just as hurtful as the challenges presented by Mother Nature.
I admire Sayward, and have enjoyed seeing her mature during the first two books of the trilogy. I'm looking forward to final book of the trilogy which will take us to Sayward's later years, and further along the progression from forest to farms to towns.
+20 task
+ 5 oldie (pub 1946)
+ 5 review
+50 BINGO
Bingo:
B15 15.16
I16 15.19
N43 15.17
G49 15.18
O72 20.22
Task total: 80
Season total: 600
40.41 062 On another RwS member's shelf.Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout
+30 task on Elizabeth's shelf
+50 Eighth bingo: B12, I25, N43, G52, O62
Post total: 80
Season total: 1300
20.22 Group Reads!Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
I deeply deeply enjoyed this one! The plot follows Daunis, an 18 year old girl with deep ties to her Indigenous heritage through her father and to her white mother. Her community is facing a string of strange drug-related deaths and she winds up trying to help by working undercover. I loved the plot and action, I was carried along by the smooth writing, and I adored the character of Daunis - she felt realistic enough as an 18 year old, while still being someone strong enough to be a heroine. Highly recommended!
+20 task (on RWS bookshelf)
+5 review
Task Total: 25
Season Total: 610
20.23 063 -Title starts with a letter of Orphan Hostage by Clare Mackintosh
This was a fun read, purely for action (and probably a bad choice for someone who flies for work!). In the story, Mina is working as a flight attendant on the heralded first nonstop flight from London to Sydney. She gets a note from a passenger threatening her family on the ground in order to get her to help them take the plane down. Of course, many big reveals and twists ensue, some truly surprising and some predictable. Despite the subject matter, it makes a good plane read, for better AND for worse. I wouldn't say this is an amazing piece of literature but it was fun.
+20 task
+5 review
Task Total: 25
Season Total: 635
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Reading with Style
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The Heron's Cry by Ann Cleeves
+15 task
+50 BINGO Bonus
N31, 41, 42, 43, 44
Task total: 65
Grand total: 450