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SU 22 Completed Tasks
50.56 B12 Author born in the 10sJack Kirby's OMAC: One Man Army Corps By Jack Kirby
Born 1917
What in the WHUT?! Seriously, that was… something. It was dark and it wasn’t supposed to be. Or was it? Hmm.
The stated premise is the benevolent nationless organization Global Peace Acgency creates the One Man Army Corps to keep humanity safe from evil geniuses and mega corporations that use technology in untoward ways. The GPA are the good guys, and OMAC is their Captain America.
Like Cap, OMAC starts out as a pushed around wimp. Unlike Cap, Buddy Blank is exactly that - a blank, a nothing of a person. Also unlike Cap, Buddy had no say in becoming a super soldier. Creepy-ass space bot Brother Eye literally wipes buddy out with hormone laser surgery and turns him into OMAC.
OMAC then goes on to complete his mission - to blow up the factory of Fem-Bot assassins (which has some really disturbing artwork)… and if the dismembered, possibly sentient female androids were not dark enough for you, we get this passage -
“The faint last vestiges of Buddy Blank seem to scream. His memories rise for one tragic moment in OMAC…”
Jesus.
But it’s alll good…. He’s a hero now!
Every issue features a classic dystopian setup, and OMAC beats the villains easily and with TONS of exposition. Seriously. So much clunky dialog. And each issue features something weird, dark, seriously off that is just plopped in and left unexamined.
Like the “test parents”… OMAC is a full grown-ass man but the GPA assigns him a mommy and daddy. The reason given (thanks, exposition) is that in order to save the world, OMAC needs attachments to it. And since the GPA erased Buddy, they just assign randos to be OMAC’s family. And moving right along to the next adventure….
At first these things made me go “what the hell”, but it MUST be purposeful. All of the “good guy” setup is constantly subverted by, well, fucked up shit. Maybe that’s why it only had 8 issues…
This is all well before the angsty age of comics, so everything in these pages looks all “BANG-POW-ZAP”. But there is very deliberate darkness undermining these brightly colored stories. It makes it interesting.
+50 task
+5 review
+5 oldies (verified in General Qs thread)
Task total = 60
Season total = 2215
50.57 I29 200-299 pagesPreludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
233 pages
I first read this in the late 90s, and many times since then, but watching the first few episodes of the Netflix series made me want to read it yet again.
This was never my favorite collection - the beginning is slow and while there are memorable issues in here (and the setup to important arcs) there’s no real connection to any of the characters. Yes, you have to read it for the story… but know that it gets better (it’s sooooo good as a whole).
While I knew this was a DC comic, I had totally forgotten that it is DC Universe, at least in the beginning. There are Justice League cameos! The baddie of this collection breaks out of freaking Arkham Asylum (with more cameos). But this is not a superhero comic at all - I could be wrong but I think all that stuff was never returned to. Not that the cameos stop, they just become more capital-L Literary.
So anyway, the standouts of this first bit are the truly horrifying 24 Hours, which I did not even fully re-read, just skimmed. It’s good, but BAD and I did not want to go through it in detail again. The other is the lovely The Sound of Her Wings when we finally meet another Endless. Yeah, she’s a bit Manic Pixie Goth Girl, but she’s not just that.
Just like the story is not always sure-footed, the art is not always awesome in this first go. But when it hits, it hits hard. The gross visceral horror bits are the most effective…not so much when it’s going for pretty/fantastical.
+50 task
+5 review
+5 oldie (1988)
Task total = 60
Season total = 2275
B12
I29
N
G
O
15.19 O62 On Good Read Member’s BookshelfDesert Heat by J.A. Jance
15 pts 15.19 Lindy lane
5 pts Review
5 pts pre 1997
The first in the Joanna Brady mystery series. Well paced mystery surrounding the death of a Arizona sheriff’s deputy who appears to have been crooked. But his wife can’t accept that and digs for the truth. Well paced with engaging characters. Like many first books in a series, a lot of time is spent setting up the characters and their backstories, but the mystery keeps driving the plot.
Task Total: 25 pts
Season total: 465 pts
Bingo #1. B4 B5 B6 B7 B13
Bingo #2 I16 I17 I27 I29 I30
B9
I22
N32 N38 N41 N43
G54 G56
O62
50.58 O69. Often read authorLocke & Key, Vol. 2: Head Games by Joe Hill
Little Bode found a new key, and eventually he figures out what it can do - and it immediately starts causing problems. “Zack” is recognized by people he doesn’t want to be recognized by, and deals with it unpleasantly.We get a bit of Duncan’s story, and it is aslo unhappy. Can any character catch a break for even a moment? Other than the evil ones? This volume was a little slower - feeding bits of the mystery, teasing backstory, setting up the next volume.
I’m really enjoying this series. It’s imaginative and creepy.
+50 task
+5 review
Task total = 55
Season total = 2330
B12
I29
N
G
O69
60.66 N35 NoirRazzmatazz. Christopher Moore
The most interesting part of this book for me was the author's afterword, where he explained the historical background of the novel. The hardest part was the constant f bombs, and misogynistic aspects, which he warns reader of beforehand in a Trigger Warning. Most people thought this was great (it had a 4.0+ rating), but I just didn't enjoy it that much.
+60 - task
+5 - review
Post total: 65
Season total: 2845
B:
I:
N:
G:
O:
(view spoiler)
15.20 G50 Author born in 50sRovering to Success a Guide to Young Manhood by Robert Baden-Powell
15 pts 15.20 1857
5 pts Review
5 pts pre 1997
Written by the founder of the Boy Scouts for late teenage boys. This book is an amalgamation of very good advice, colonial jingoism including racial stereotypes, a condescending attitude towards women and promoting participation in the Scouting movement. All of these components are mixed together and the reader finds themselves coming across a racist example in the process of reading about the value of service.
The book does provide insights into social and cultural perspectives in 1920s Britain; however many are completely unacceptable and should have long been abandoned.
Task Total: 25 pts
Season total: 490 pts
Bingo #1. B4 B5 B6 B7 B13
Bingo #2 I16 I17 I27 I29 I30
B9
I22
N32 N38 N41 N43
G50 G54 G56
O62
50.59 G60 Published in the 60sCaptain Action: The Classic Collection by Gil Kane
1968, Verified in the General Questions thread
This is utter nonsense, not even interesting as an artifact of the time. Captain Action was a toy that could wear different superhero clothes. The base CA figure could transform into Batman, Spider-Man, etc… And since it sold well, DC decided it wanted to get some more cash by selling a comic. To do this, Captain Action actually had to be a superhero rather than a blank template, so we get an archeologist that discovers magical coins that bestow the powers of all the gods. But only when he’s holding the coins. And for some reason the utility belt he designs has a max capacity of four.
His first enemy is his unworthy assistant who gets the one evil Loki coin, but after two issues that was dumped and a new writer decided on Dr. Evil. He’s CA’s father-in-law, and alas he didnot go to evil medical school. He’s just some PhD that had a reaaallllly bad acid trip.
Taken seriously, this is just a pile. However, a few panels were unintentionally hilarious. This cash-grabby, dull, stock BS is why superhero stories fade out of fashion. Eventually it’s just candy colored trash without any imagination.
+50 task
+5 review
+5 oldie
Task total = 60
Season total = 2390
B12
I29
N
G60
O69
50.60 N35 NoirSpider-Man Noir, Vol. 1 by David Hine
I enjoyed this much more than I expected. From the synopsis it seems like this is Spider-Man doing Batman cosplay, and kinda. And Spider-Man is the very last Marvel hero that should get the grimdark treatment. It’s not what that character is about.
Peter is supposed to still be a teen in this version, and the characters seem to see him as such, but he’s drawn like a man. The only thing signaling his youth is a lack of stubble and naïveté. Other than that bit, I liked the art.
The story is nothing new - journalist Ben Urich saves Peter from an ass-beating and gets him a job at the Daily Bugle… while Ben is hardened to the misery and corruption, Peter wants to do something. Soon enough, that leads him to getting bitten by a cursed spider (too soon for the whole radioactive angle), and he decides to take the Goblin down.
While the story is classic Spider-Man and the tone/style is new-classic Batman, it worked. I kept turning those pages.
+50 task
+5 review
+50 BINGO
Task total = 105
Season total = 2495
B12
I29
N35
G60
O69
60.67 O74 Title has On, Off, Out, Over, OnlyThe Light Over London. Julia Kelly
Finally, after a run of just so-so books, I've found one that I really enjoyed. The Light Over London is a dual timeline book, both the story of Louise Keene during the second world war, and the contemporary story of Cara Hargraves. Cara, who works for an antique dealer finds an old diary in a piece of furniture from an estate. She is given permission to keep it, and still reeling from the recent loss of her parents, becomes obsessed with the idea of finding the owner or her family.
Cara's story parallels Louise, in that they are both finding their way in the world, learning to stand independently and make a difference.
My parents were married during the war, and that is part of what interests me so much with this era of historical fiction. I look forward to reading more by this author.
+60 - task
+5 - review
Post total: 65
Season total: 2910
B:
I:
N:
G:
O:
(view spoiler)
60.61 B14 Set in BrazilDaytripper by Fábio Moon
The art, especially the coloring, is gorgeous in this graphic novel. And after a lot of superhero content, this was a nice break. Sadly, I did not swoon over this as much as I hoped.
Brás is the rather mediocre child of a famous writer - as the story opens he is an obituary writer who feels stagnant… and then he dies. Each issue is a scence from Brás’s life, and each issue ends with his death. It’s sort of a Life After Life scenario. Sometimes you make it through a day, sometimes you don’t.
This is supposed to be a touching mediation on the miracle of life and love, but I never connected with Brás enough to really care about his choices or his deaths. It’s a pretty book but it was a little hollow for me. Not bad by any means, just not the emotional experience I expected.
+60 task
+5 review
Task total = 65
Season total = 2560
B14
I
N
G
O
15.20 N41 Title includes a number13 rue Thérèse by Elena Mauli Shapiro
At page 50 I thought about setting this aside, and then again another 25-30 pages later. For some reason I kept after it. I should have listened to that inner voice and saved myself from wasting 2 more days.
The construction is quirky and for me that was the least of its problems. There are several timelines where the "present" time is unclear. But then the 1928 timeline is written in the present tense. I don't like that in any book. Yeah, I know I have tolerated it in other books, but it simply didn't work here. Why not the present time as in the present tense and the years ago in the past tense?
The stated premise of the book that a man finds a box of mementos is intriguing. The book even has images of those mementos. The story attached to them isn't bad, except for all the imagined explicit sex and the actual explicit sex. Then there are "footnotes" to the images of the mementos translating the notes or explaining the inserted French conversations and also "NB" explaining made up things like the record doesn't disclose whatever. I did finish it and for that reason only I'll give it 2 stars, mostly reserving my 1 star reviews for those I could finish.
+15 Task
+ 5 Review
+50 4th Bingo - O68, B1, I22, G55, N41
Post total = 70
Season total = 630
40.43 B5 BiographyHere We Go Again: My Life in Television by Betty White
+30 task
Post total: 30
Season total: 1360
50.59 G49 - MPE page count 400-499Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
+50 Task 476 pages
Task total = 50
Post Total: 50
Season Total: 2130
20.26 - I23 : Set in Italy A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome by Emma Southon
Task: 20
Post total: 20
Season total: 575
B4,7,6,2
I24,21,29,22, 17,16, 23
N 34,44,39, 42,43,31
G56,52,49,59,58
O 65,66,71, 69, 72
20.27 - O62 - on RWS member bookshelf On ErinY and DeeDee TBR
The Night Tiger/Yangsze Choo
Task: 20
Post: 20
Season total: 595
B4,7,6,2
I24,21,29,22, 17,16, 23
N 34,44,39, 42,43,31
G56,52,49,59,58
O 65,66,71, 69, 72, 62
20.24 O68 No O's in The Author's NameThe Dark Vineyard by Martin Walker
read the first book of this series early this year. Walker captured me with his great writing, and his knowledge of rural France. His descriptions of the small town of St. Denis, along with the food and wine enjoyed by the locals, makes me dream of a long vacation.
The mystery involves a suspicious fire and the death of 2 characters that I was sad to see leave the pages. Although I am a newbie to this series, the characters from Book # 1 were already "friends" to me.
Not a series I will rush to finish, but the books are a good palate cleanser for me. If you have not met Bruno, Chief of the St. Denis Police and you like a cozy mystery, I suggest you give Martin Walker a try.
Task Points 25
Seaopn Total 585
15.1 - O63 - OrphanPerfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter
The third and (currently) final installment in the Heist Society trilogy, this book requires knowledge of these characters and their lives from the previous books. I don't think this would be enjoyable as a stand-alone novel. Here, we get a little more character development than we'd seen in the prior two books--some back story on some of the characters and slightly more believable motivations. But we still have a good sized dose of implausibility here--the whole series is premised on teenage art thieves flying around the world stealing priceless art.
I loved the ending here. It was truly clever and wrapped up the book and the series nicely and in a satisfying way.
My ten-year-old adored this series. She'd read more of it if they were available. As the adult reader, I found it rather outlandish, but still fun and with enough action to keep it interesting and entertaining as long as one can set aside disbelief about all the convenient coincidences and implausible ability of teenagers to pull off complicated heists.
+15 Task
+5 Review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 230
60.63 I21, INFLOWFamily of Liars by E. Lockhart
Oooh, so good! I remember when I read We Were Liars, loving it so much and telling everyone I knew (well, everyone who is open to reading YA, at least) that they had to read it. Eight years later, we get the prequel. I was worried I wouldn't get it since I don't remember anything about We Were Liars other than the fact that I loved it: didn't matter.
The characters are clearly and believably drawn, the writing is spot on, the story unfolds at a perfect pace giving us *WHAT?!* moments at perfect intervals. Even if you haven't read the first book, this one stands alone just fine and is a diverting read (to put it in perspective: I'm in the middle of a book I LOVE, took a break from it to read a chapter of this to see if it was a keeper, and didn't put this down again until it was done).
+60 Task
+5 Review
Task total: 65
Season total: 2720
B 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15
I 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 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, 58, 60
O 61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75
60.64 G51, Glass slipper: any retellingAriadne by Jennifer Saint
After finishing A Thousand Ships, I knew I wanted more mythology retelling in my life so when I saw this on the "Retelling" page I ran to get it.
Sadly, it wasn't nearly as good as I'd hoped. Maybe it paled in comparison to the glory that was Thousand Ships. Maybe my brain wasn't in the right place. Or maybe it really just wasn't as good.
It was a good refresher of the Ariadne story...I knew the whole Minotaur/Theseus/thread situation but it was good to remember how the Minotaur came into being (view spoiler).
I think the most annoying part for me was they way the author inserted other mythological stories by having the characters tell them to each other. It felt like Jennifer Saint cut a story off of Wikipedia, pasted it into her manuscript, and threw quotation marks around it. It wasn't egregiously bad, but it was definitely my least favorite mythological retelling treatment.
+60 Task
+5 Review
Task total: 65
Season total: 2785
B 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15
I 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
N 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45
G 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 60
O 61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75
60.65 O62, On another RwS member's shelfThe Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
Thank you to all the members who have this on your shelves! As soon as I finished the first in this series I knew I wanted to grab the second one immediately but had no idea where I could get it to fit...you guys came through for me!
If possible, I liked this one even better than the first.
The Thursday Murder Club is down one member and they all rally around him to show their support and exact their revenge on the hoodlums who hurt him--don't mess with the 70+ crowd!
The tandem story line brings us someone from Elizabeth's past who shows up with a story of stolen diamonds and a target on his back.
Can't wait for the third installment to come out already :-D
+60 Task
+5 Review
+50 Thirteenth bingo: B2, I21, N45, G51, O62
Task total: 115
Season total: 2900
B 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15
I 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
N 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45
G 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 60
O 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75
20.21 N39 Page count 300-399Through the Wall by Cleveland Moffett
20 pts N39
5 pts Review
5 pts pre 1997
Excellent mystery with a locked room death, mysterious men threatening our detective, and a convoluted plot that only Paul Cocino can untangle. Very good twists and turns that are unexpected. Not a detective Or writer I was familiar with but I would read more.
Task Total: 30 pts
Bingo #3: 50 pts
Season total: 570 pts
Bingo #1. B4 B5 B6 B7 B13
Bingo #2 I16 I17 I27 I29 I30
Bingo #3 N32 N38 N39 N41 N43
B9
I22
G50 G54 G56
N
O62
40.44 I23 set in IndiaThe God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
+30 task
+5 pub date 1997
Post total: 35
Season total: 1395
60.64 - G53 Group Reads! (On RwS bookshelf)The Chrysalids by John Wyndham
+60 Task
+5 (pub. 1955)
Post Total: 65
Season Total: 2,535
30.31 g58 Ghosts! (or other paranormal)Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch
This was another great audiobook version of this novel. I really enjoy this series, as I’ve mentioned before. There wasn’t very much magic this time out, but there were many magical beings (humans?). PC Peter Grant is part of the team investigating the murder of an American art student who has an influential father. Because of the father the FBI decides it should have a (observational) role in the investigation. This added an interesting female FBI agent to the team, and some amusing (to me at least) accents by the narrator. One of the best parts of this instalment is that Leslie has joined the team at the Folly, and so we get to see her and Peter’s working and personal relationships grow. Once again, this is a series that it is important to read in order. Also, there was some fun, nerdy, Lord of the Rings references that add to the ‘inside humor’ if you are familiar with those books. 4*
30 task
5 review
_____
35
Running total: 1015
30.32 b10 Author born in the 10s (xx10-xx19) any centuryDead Man's Ransom by Ellis Peters
I had a hankering for an audiobook, so I chose to continue along with Brother Cadfael. Goodness, I enjoy spending time with him. He is a great character, and I hope Peters was pleased with her creation. The civil war is still going on, and it is complicated in this novel with the border war between Wales and everyone English. In this instalment, Cadfael is the same age as I am so it was amusing to hear him reflecting on that. I suppose you could drop in to this story no problem, but I think ‘knowing’ the characters and their relationships adds a lot. The solution to the mystery caught me by surprise, but it made for a very satisfying conclusion. 4*
30 task
5 oldie
5 review
_____
40
Running total: 1055
30.33 i19 Author first name is Ian/Iain, Isaac, Ivan/a, Isabel, IrisThe King of Shanghai by Ian Hamilton
This is the seventh instalment of the Ava Lee series. This is another series that I just love. Hamilton has created such a kick ass protagonist in Ava Lee that I can hardly resist these stories. This is the novel where Ava is transitioning from working with Uncle to being part of the ‘Three Sisters’ company with May Ling and Amanda. This time most of the action is in Hong Kong, and Ava shows why she is worthy of being any feminist’s girl crush. 4*
30 task
5 review
_____
35
Running total: 1090
30.34 o71 One: First book in a seriesSparks! by Ian Boothby
Well, that was fun! I brought this home from work because it looked amusing – two cats in a dog suit has to be fun, right? The cats escape from a lab and release their fellow inmates, including the robotic litter box. The two cats, August and Charlie, begin their career of good deeds around town in the dog suit. Both Boothby and Matsumoto have worked extensively with Matt Groening’s Bongo comics, and this graphic novel has that style of artwork. The humor was good, as was the story. I didn’t feel like it was a simplified story, which I sometimes do with JFic. 4*
30 task
5 review
_____
35
Running total: 1125
30.35 n35 NoirRed Harvest by Dashiell Hammett
I’ve owned this book for some time, but always hesitated to read it because of the cover which claims this is Hammett’s “violent masterpiece’. Well, yes it is violent but the violence mostly occurs off page. So, that wasn’t an issue. This is the kind of novel I particularly enjoy – you are in the action right from the first page, here we are going along with the unnamed protagonist to his late evening meeting. The story flows very well and couldn’t be darker or more noir. It really is a great novel (of it’s type) and a compulsive read. I can see this as both a great Tarantino movie and a big influence on him. 5*
30 task
5 review
5 oldie
_____
40
50 bingo #7 b10, i19, n35, g58, 071
_____
90
Running total: 1215
owned books used: 24/35 (3 ebooks)
60.62 I26 InternationalThe Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike
This was S…L…O…W
Nothing really starts happening until the halfway point, and then the characters pretend nothing is weird for another quarter of the book. But the time the situation worsens, I was too bored to care.
And even when we reach the peak of the sinister action, it is somehow still very sedate and wordy.
There is some imagery that is very creepy and effective, but it’s too little and comes far too late in the book. And there is so much setup for a mystery that never comes to anything.
This is one of those that will be better in adaptation. I see that there was supposed to be a film, but it looks like it might have been scuttled by COVID. If/When this becomes a movie, I hope they either lean into the early setup of vengeance, go with the later setup of disturbed resting places, or just stick with “ghosts are going to haunt”. The book has too many elements that went NOWHERE and I’m annoyed.
+60 task
+5 review
Task total = 65
Season total = 2625
B14
I26
N
G
O
60.63 G56 HumorChew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice by John Layman
Don’t read this around dinner time!
I loved this. It’s very funny and very gross.
The premise is that Tony Chu is a cop with a special power - he’s a food psychic. He can access the experiences of whatever he eats. Except beets. Those give him nothing, so that’s his main food.
In this version of Earth, avian flu killed a bunch of people and now poultry is banned. Tony is on the vice squad, busting black market chicken rings.
During one raid, he gets a taste of something extra nasty, which leads to an impressive (and gnarly) collar, and a shiny new job with the FBI. And soon there’s a whole conspiracy thing and lots of gnawing on horrible things.
Super weird, super fun. Very very black humor.
+60 task
+5 review
Task total = 65
Season total = 2690
B14
I26
N
G56
O
Task 20.22 B1 Title has 1 wordAlone (Valentino #2) (2009) by Loren D. Estleman
+20 Task
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 475 + 20 = 495
B:
I:
N:
G:
O:
[Bingo #1: B3, I6, N32, G51, O61]
[Bingo #2: B6, I22, N38, G53, O63]
[Bingo #3: B4, I21, N35, G49, O75]
20.24 O70 Book Published in the '70sThe Time It Never Rained by Elmer Kelton
It was the 1950s in West Texas, and Charlie Flagg's ranch had gone without rain for seven years. Charlie was a down-to-earth, overweight, stubborn man who was holding on to his ranch by a thread. It was a losing proposition when the animals could not graze on the dry, brown fields and the ranchers had to buy the feed. Would the rain come in time for Charlie and the other ranchers to save their beloved ranches?
Charlie was an independent thinker with strong principles handed down to him from his father and grandfather. He was self-reliant and refused to take any handouts from the government. The government programs may have been well-meaning, but some of them were so tied up in regulations that they often did as much harm as help.
This Western novel showed the different ways Charlie's neighbors dealt with the drought. Most of them were mortgaged up to their eyeballs, and had the threat of foreclosure hanging over them. The story also told about a changing attitude by some Anglos toward those of Mexican descent. Charlie appreciated Lupe, his loyal hired hand, and liked his warm Mexican-American family.
Author Elmer Kelton worked as an agricultural journalist during the 1950s drought and draws on this experience. He wrote good dialogue, sometimes laced with dry humor. The story of the drought is especially moving considering the volatile weather that has impacted Texas and many other areas.
+20 task
+ 5 oldie (pub 1973)
+ 5 review
Task total: 30
Season total: 660
50.60 O65 - Title has 5 wordsThe Legacy of the Bones by Dolores Redondo
+50 Task
+5 jumbo 528 pages
Task total = 55
+50 Bingo: Twelfth Bingo B12, I24, N31, G49, O65
Post Total: 105
Season Total: 2235
60.65 - O74 Title has On, Off, Out, Over, OnlyBooked ON a Feeling (A Sweet Mess #3) by Jayci Lee
Review
Absolutely Adorable!
I was hesitant jumping into a third book in a series without having read earlier books however... the past few years have really made me see that life's short so I've been DNF-ing books I'm not enjoying AND jumping in mid series (although of course, I still try to make sure that they're ones that can stand alone like this one). This particular book in the series appeal to me because it's one of my favourite tropes AND set in around books!! You guessed it, I read it in a single sitting.
The shaky beginning was followed by so much sweet cuteness and sparks overload reaching to a crisis that ended so very precious, I really felt like I was so warmly hugged by this whole book. To have characters who actually talked to each other! Ohmygosh, they communicate (!!) mostly and even if they were still hiding or uncertain of some things which I found a tiny bit frustrating at times but overall, I found these two to be quite mature and refreshingly somewhat functional adults. Now, I've really gotta dive into author's backlists!
+60 Task
+5 (review)
+50 BINGO (B12 - post #851; I25 - post #826; N34 - post #845; G53 - post #; O74 - this post)
Post Total: 115
Season Total: 2,650
60.66 I24, In search of--Adventure!Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo
I am *dying* for more Grishaverse! This most recent installment has me slavering for more...
I felt like we got satisfactory stopping points (not endings, by any means) for all of our characters though certainly not in the way we ever could have expected and we DEFINITELY have crumbs that are leading to another book (hopefully another trilogy, duology at the very least!)...
If you've never read any of these books and you're a fan of the worlds built by George R.R. Martin or J.R.R. Tolkien I really think this would appeal to you--the world building, the languages created for the different peoples, the politics and the mythologies...it's a pretty stunning creation--I feel like the YA designation is kinda bullsh*t for this writing. IMHO.
+60 Task
+5 Review
+5 Jumbo, 592 pages
Task total: 70
Season total: 2970
B 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15
I 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
N 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45
G 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 60
O 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75
60.66 - N37 Non human main characterTales from Watership Down by Richard Adams
+60 Task
Post Total: 60
Season Total: 2,710
30.40 - N36 - Not a NovelWhy Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment by Robert Wright
I admire Wright or whichever editor thought up the title of this book, because it's a great piece of PR. In terms of describing the book, it's misleading, and even the subtitle 'The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment' suggests the book will go a lot further than it does.
Wright says near the end that although he has done some Buddhist-led meditation retreats, he is not a Buddhist, which was a relief to me, because up to that point I had been wondering how somebody could consider themselves a Buddhist while jettisoning any piece of Buddhist teaching that didn't suit their purposes. But he doesn't, so that's okay.
I found the evolutionary psychology fascinating, having never read anything about this before (view spoiler)
I probably haven't put that very well, but that's basically what I distilled from this book. I think anyone who practises a religion will have issues with it (either because there is no place for God in the way he puts this, or if they are Buddhist, because of his picking and choosing the teachings), but I still found it an eye-opening read without agreeing with everything. It's perhaps a little repetitive and egotistical, but Wright doesn't claim to be a perfect human being (yet).
+30 Task
+ 5 Review
Task Total = 35
+50 Bingo: Seventh Bingo; N36, N37, N41, N43, N45
Season Total = 1385
30.39-I26-InternationalKitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
This was a quirky little read. Mikage, the main character, has lost her only remaining family member, her grandmother with whom she lived. As she now needs to move, she accepts an invitation to stay temporarily at the home of one of her grandmother's acquaintances... a young man about her own age. That man lives with his mother who..it turns out is really his father who has transitioned. Some more tragedy ensues. It may be cultural, but I just never felt very connected to any of the characters. I see many others have given the novel high grades...but for me, a three star effort.
Task=30
Review=5
Oldie= 5 (1988)
Task Total= 40
Grand Total=1355
B1*; _;B3*;B4*;B5*;___; B7*; B8*;B9*;B10*;B11*:B12*; __;B14*; ___;
I___;I17*;I18*;I19*; ___; I21*; I22*; ___;___; ___;I26;I27*; ___; ___; ___;
N31*;___;N33*;__; ___;N36*;__; N38*;___;__; __;N42*; N43*;N44; __;
G _ ;G47*; __; __; __;G51*;G52*;__;G54*; __;G56*;G57*;G58; __; ___;
O61*; ___; __; __;O64*;O65*;___;O68;O69*;O70*; ___; __; _; __;O75*
60.64 O64 Orange prizeWe Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
To sum this book up: Don’t have a kid because you’re bored.
This reminded me a lot of Cujo. Really. That book felt like an exercise in pissing off and alienating an audience, as does this one.
Every character (that is not merely a victim) is hateful and I don’t mean unlikable. Painstakingly crafted to be the absolute epitome of awful.
But why?
UGH, and that is why I bumped it up to 3 stars (from a visceral 1). This book does what it sets out to do, and that is make the reader hate this book yet keep reading, and ultimately think about it.
Is it good? Well. It’s massively pretentious. It alternates between being a slog and a salacious page-turner. It’s manipulative and provocative. So no, it’s not really what I would call good.
But I have to admit that it’s not trash.
+60 task
+5 review
Task total = 65
Season total = 2755
B14
I26
N
G56
O64
20.26 G57 On the Guardian 1000 ListMurder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
Quick and enjoyable Christie - possibly my last for the summer, though I have been enjoying my mini-binge! I enjoyed the humor in this one, including the Vicar's self-deprecating humor. He says things like describing his "usual faded, indeterminate self" and that feels both entertaining and probably very true to the character - so lovely characterization and laughter all in one.
+20 Task (on the "crime" list)
+ 5 Oldies (pub 1930)
+ 5 Review
Task total: 30
Season Total: 770
20.27 O61 Opposite Words in Title Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado
Enjoyable adventure/semi dystopian YA read, with a side of Bronx history! The premise for the book is that young adults are getting drawn into a sort of internet challenge that is all too real - they're being sort of summoned into the worst (or at least a very bad!) historical time in the place they're in - and in the Bronx, that's drawing people into a sort of dystopian version of the 1970s with slumlords and fires. The "echo" will keep players trapped there if they don't find a way out - and Raquel and her friends are trying to do so. Along the way, there's love & lots of local history to learn :). I enjoyed it - fast paced, engaging, and a quick read.
+20 task
+5 Review
Task Total: 25
Season Total: 795
20.28 I19 Author Name Isabel, Ivan, etc These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling
Lesbian teen witches in modern day Salem! Need I say more? (Well, to get to 50 words I do). I picked this up because the premise was interesting but I found I enjoyed it even more than I expected. Granted, I am a sucker for teen witch type stories, but I found it fresh & unique, and I did really enjoy the characters. I could imagine a teenage me really liking this, and so there is a part of adult me that was enjoying it now as well as on behalf of my teenage self! In the story, Hannah is part of a coven living in Salem - it's a lovely witchy community that by necessity keeps their powers absolutely secret. She goes to high school, has non-witch friends, etc. The challenge comes when dark magic starts appearing around town, and possibly Witch Hunters, equally ancient groups dedicated to hunting down and killing witches.
+20 Task
+5 Review
Task Total: 25
Season Total: 820
60.65 N37 non-human main charactersSaga, Volume 7 by Brian K. Vaughan
We’re all gonna die, and I don’t mean, like, eventually
Auuugh nooooooo!
Book 3 wasn’t available so I went with the smaller Vol 7, and it was too short! Ended on kind of a cliffhanger, thought it seems like we already know what happened and it just SUCKED. Literally, there is the Timesuck situation.
This series is really good at making you attached to small characters (sometimes via the storyline, sometimes just via the art) and then ripping your heart out. It makes you really hate a bad guy, and then that guy maybe isn’t all bad, and you feel sorry for the bad guy and then the bad guys is BAD, but then the cycle repeats…
So good.
+ 60 task
+5 review
+50 BINGO
Task total = 115
Season total - 2870
B14
I26
N37
G56
O64
60.67 I30, Book published in the '30sMurder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
Finally! I've been waiting on this from the library since the beginning of June! It was entirely worth the wait :-)
When I first started listening to it, I was confused at it being a male reader: Miss Marple is, well, a "Miss"! That's when I realized that it was mostly being told from the PoV of the vicar, Leonard Clement. It was entertaining to hear his take on things: the busybodies of St Mary Mead, the way he perceives his marital relationship, and wishes of death for a certain Colonel Protheroe.
That wish comes to pass all too soon and, in the words of another famous detective, "the games is afoot." Many people in the sleepy town had reasons to wish Protheroe dead, so whodunit?
I had a few laugh-out-loud moments and definitely got tied up in some red-herrings but thoroughly enjoyed being along for the ride.
+60 Task, pub 1930
+5 Review
+5 Oldies
Task total: 70
Season total: 3040
B 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15
I 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
N 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45
G 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 60
O 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75
60.68 O65 Title has 5 wordsThe House on Olive Street. Robyn Carr
This may be my favorite Robyn Carr book (out of 27 so far). This is one of her few stand alone books, the story of four women friends who are writers and who undertake going through another friends papers and unpublished manuscripts after she unexpectedly dies on the eve of her birthday. The women share their stories, pain and challenges, and the summer together results in a lot of personal growth.
+60 - task
+5 - review
Post total: 65
Season total: 2975
B:
I:
N:
G:
O:
(view spoiler)
30.40-N37-non-human main characterThe Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
This is the tale of a mouse, the title character, Desperaux Tilling. I was not enthralled however. Almost all the intrigue revolves around Desperaux who is love with the young princess in the castle they both live in. Maggery Sow, a peasant girl who is quite innocent, also wants to be a princess and eventually gets menial work in the castle.. Her father, who sold her into servitude, is secretly hidden in the castle's dungeons. The evil rats battle Desperaux with predictable results. Not awful...but it didn't do much for me.
Task=30
Review=5
Task Total= 35
Grand Total=1390
B1*; _;B3*;B4*;B5*;___; B7*; B8*;B9*;B10*;B11*:B12*; __;B14*; ___;
I___;I17*;I18*;I19*; ___; I21*; I22*; ___;___; ___;I26;I27*; ___; ___; ___;
N31*;__;N33*;__; __;N36*;N37;N38*;___;__; __;N42*; N43*;N44; __;
G _ ;G47*; __; __; __;G51*;G52*;__;G54*; __;G56*;G57*;G58; __; ___;
O61*; ___; __; __;O64*;O65*;___;O68;O69*;O70*; ___; __; _; __;O75*
30.41-I16- No "I" in Author's nameHow to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery
I don't remember how this book landed on my TBR list but I'm glad it did. The author describes how from a very early age....she identified with other animals more than people. Her family always treated her as if she was a little off. Well, Montgomery's oddity provides us with a unique look on animal life. Dogs, pigs, tarantulas, octopuses and many others. Some of these animals are her own companions at home...and others she encounters as a scientist and wildlife author. I'll gladly read her other books...and wish she was my neighbor.
Task=30
Review=5
Task Total= 35
Grand Total=1425
B1*; _;B3*;B4*;B5*;___; B7*; B8*;B9*;B10*;B11*:B12*; __;B14*; ___;
I16;I17*;I18*;I19*; ___; I21*; I22*; ___;___; ___;I26;I27*; ___; ___; ___;
N31*;__;N33*;__; __;N36*;N37;N38*;___;__; __;N42*; N43*;N44; __;
G _ ;G47*; __; __; __;G51*;G52*;__;G54*; __;G56*;G57*;G58; __; ___;
O61*; ___; __; __;O64*;O65*;___;O68;O69*;O70*; ___; __; _; __;O75*
60.68 B14, Set in BC, Brazil, Belgium, Botswana, BahamasThe Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao by Martha Batalha
This had the feel of One Hundred Years of Solitude or The House of the Spirits without the magical realism...a family epic, giving the stories up and down the family trees of multiple families, with a decidedly Latin flavor.
Euridice and Guida are sisters, talented and ambitious each in their own way. This is the story of how life tumbled them about, tried to take them down, and yet they remained strong and standing.
It was relatable and funny and better than I thought it was going to be when I first picked it up.
+60 Task, Brazil
+5 Review
Task total: 65
Season total: 3105
B 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
I 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
N 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45
G 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 60
O 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75
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Reading with Style
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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games #0) by Suzanne Collins
banned-books (2x)
+60 Task
+5 (528 pages)
Post Total: 65
Season Total: 2,470