Reading with Style discussion
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SU 22 Completed Tasks

Vernon God Little by D.B.C. Pierre
+15 Task
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 370

Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid
Review
I absolutely loved this coming of age story. I've never read anything by Kincaid, and I picked this book up because I spotted it on a list of "best novellas." I didn't know anything about it and had no expectations. This is a beautiful, tender, oh-so-real feeling coming-of-age story. Annie is about 10 years old when we meet her. She loves her mother, is popular in school with both teachers and the other children, and is known to be intelligent. By the time we leave Annie she's all grown up and headed far away from home to become a nurse. Anyone who has ever been an adolescent girl will likely relate strongly to Annie as she works to separate herself from the control of her mother, loving though it might be. She has a lot of strong feelings, a lot of pride, and she's not at all certain about where she belongs in this world, but she knows she needs to find a place that is not the one she grew up in.
This one touched me deeply.
+10 task
+5 review
Task total = 15
Grand total = 170
First BINGO - B9, I16, N37, G58, O71
Progress on next BINGO - B_, I_, N36, G47, O68
Numbers Used so far 9, 16,36, 37, 47, 58, 68, 71

Review
I absolutely loved this coming of age story. I've never read anything by Kincaid, and I picked this book up because I spotted it on a list..."
You can edit your post to give us the title. ;-) (But is it Annie John?)

Authority x Jeff VanderMeer
Task: 10
Post: 10
Season total: 120
B4,7
I24, 21
N34, 44
G 56
O65

Bluebird, Bluebird x Attica Locke
Task: 10
Post: 10
Season total: 130
B4,7
I24, 21
N34,44
G56
O65,66

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
An academic has a theory that pre-modern man experienced the world differently and more fully than we do in the present. He sets out to prove that that world still exists. It takes the reader awhile to devine this world through the writings of its living occupant, Piranesi. To become immersed in this book, one has to slowly let go of their reasoning, logical brain and converse with Piranesi and the House. It is quite the experience.
+15 task (2020 nominee for fantasy)
+5 review
Task total 15
Season total: 150

The Rise of Life on Earth by Joyce Carol Oates
It is difficult to summarize the plot of this book without giving away the thrust of the story. So, all I will say is that the main character is a young girl who survives a horrific beating by her drunkard and crazed father after having been abandoned by her mother. Her baby sister dies in the turmoil. She is sent to live with foster parents... and that is as far as I'll go. This is a tragedy... but not the one that the premise necessarily leads you to expect. The story is so real that it is hard to believe that the author just imagined this on her own. It feels as if she had learned of a real story and delved into the weeds to get more information. I highly recommend this.
Task=15
Review=5
oldie=5 (1992)
Task Total= 25
Grand Total=450
B___; ___; ___; ___;B5*;___; B7*; B8*;B9*; ___; ___: ___; ___;B14*; ___;
I___; ___;I18;I19; ___; I21; I22; ___;___; ___;___; ___; ___; ___; ___;
N__;___;N33*;___; ___;N36*;__; N38*;___;___; ___;N42*; N43*; __; __;
G _ ;G47; ___; ___; ___; ___;___;___;G54; ___; ___; ___; __; __; ___;
O__; ___; ___; ___; ___; ___;___;___; ___; ___; ___; ___; __;O69;O70

Black Projects, White Knights: The Company Dossiers (The Company #4.5) (2002) by Kage Baker (Paperback, 288 pages)
+10 Task
Task Total: 10
Grand Total: 65 + 10 = 75
B: B3
I: 16, I22
N:
G: G51, G59
O: O61

Review
I absolutely loved this coming of age story. I've never read anything by Kincaid, and I picked this book up bec..."
Lol yes! Sorry about that. All fixed.

Murder at Lake Ontario by Kathy Garthwaite
+10 task
+50 BINGO
First BINGO - O63, O68, O69, O71, O72
Task total: 60
Grand total: 100

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay
+10 task
Task total: 10
Grand total: 110

Murder on Vancouver Island by Kathy Garthwaite
+10 task
Task total: 10
Grand total: 120

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland
The inspiring story of a small town (pop. 10,000) which was the site of a little used international airport, who hosted over 6,000 passengers and crew when the terrorist attacks on 9/11 caused the United States to shut down their airspace for several days. The airport used to be an important refueling point for overseas flights before newer, more efficient jets all but eliminated the need for it. But it maintained the capacity, both in infrastructure and aviation personnel to allow 38 jets coming from Europe, in the air at the time of the attacks, to safely land until cleared to move on.
The people of Gander immediately opened their doors to those stranded, providing them with meals, bedding, compassion, and even the shirts off their backs, as the passengers were forbidden to access their checked luggage during their almost week long stay. Pharmacists worked tirelessly to obtain and fill new prescriptions for those who needed medication, churches and schools and civic organizations opened their doors to provide places for them to sleep, ways for them to contact loved ones, and to give them a sense of safety in a world gone crazy. The book shared so many examples and stories, it was an inspirational read.
+20 - task
+5 - review
Post total: 25
Season total: 545
B:
I:
N:
G:
O:
(view spoiler)

Man o' War by Cory McCarthy
I’m glad I chose to read Man o’ War. I’m a firm believer we widen our awareness of our world, full of wonderful people, by reading. This story reaffirms, for me, the need of surrounding yourself with people who accept you as you are and encourage you to be your best self.
+15 task
+5 review
+50 4th Bingo B9, I24, N37, G59, O72
Post total: 70
Season total: 520

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
This book is on the 1001 Children's' Books You Should Read Before You Grow Up list...and deservedly so. Perhaps a little too sweet...but still a charming Fountain-of-Youth story. A little girl, Winnie Foster, accidentally learns the secret of the spring that keeps people from aging- or dying. But will she keep the secret? Would anyone keep this secret...nevermind a young child? And Beware!...somewhere in the world is a toad that will never die. An enjoyable read.
Task=15
Review=5
oldie=5 (1975)
Task Total= 25
Grand Total=475
B___; ___; ___; ___;B5*;___; B7*; B8*;B9*; ___; ___: ___; ___;B14*; ___;
I___; ___;I18;I19; ___; I21; I22; ___;___; ___;___; ___; ___; ___; ___;
N__;___;N33*;___; ___;N36*;__; N38*;___;__; __;N42*; N43*;N44; __;
G _ ;G47; ___; ___; ___; ___;___;___;G54; ___; ___; ___; __; __; ___;
O__; ___; ___; ___; ___; ___;___;___; ___; ___; ___; ___; __;O69;O70

To See Every Bird on Earth: A Father, a Son, and a Lifelong Obsession by Dan Koeppel
10 pts 10.6
5 pts Review
Koeppel intertwines a portrait of his challenging relationship with his father and the story of how his father (Richard) became one of the top ten big bird listers in the world, having seen over 7000 bird species. The relationship between father and son is fraught with birding serving as a distraction that both protects Richatrd emotionally and serves as one of his few enjoyable outlets in a difficult life. The descriptions of birding and bird listing are fascinating but the book seems to become a bit repetitive Interesting view of a unique subculture.
Task Total: 15 pts
Season total: 100 pts
B4 B6 B7
I16 I 27 I 29
N
G
O

The Tale Teller by Anne Hillerman
+15 Task
Task total = 15
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 215

The Murder of Halland by Pia Juul
+15 Task
Task total = 15
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 230

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
+15 Task: Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis Nominee for Bestes ausländisches Werk (2017), Sunburst Award Nominee for Adult (2017), Compton Crook Award Nominee (2017),
Task total = 15
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 245

The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien
+15 Task:
Task total = 15
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 260

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
+15 Task:
Task total = 15
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 275

The Best of Me by David Sedaris
So, I got COVID last week from work (I'm ok! Already close to 100% again!) and while isolating to try to keep my family from catching it, I had this book with me. Perfect choice for a COVID isolation! I have read most of Sedaris's work before, so a lot of this was a reread, but just like when artists make greatest hits albums, there was something different in seeing different pieces juxtaposed and seeing what he selected as the pieces that belonged together in this one collection. Laughing out loud was a great asset to my recovery.
+10 Task (Sedaris was born in 1956)
+ 5 Review
Task total: 15
+50 Bingo: First Bingo -- B1, I22, N33, G50, O66
Post Total: 65
Season Total: 125

Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes
Rachel is an Irish woman in her 20s living, working, and partying much too hard in New York. After she wakes up in hospital having her stomach pumped, her family and friends step in and send her to rehab back in Ireland, despite her objections that no way is she a drug addict. From there we follow her through the six week programme in dark but often funny detail.
I had no idea what this was about when I downloaded the audio. It's on a list I'm following of books for teens (suprisingly) and I assumed from the title and cover (flipflops on a pink background) that it would be a beach holiday romance.
Couldn't be happier to be wrong! It's an insightful look at addiction of all kinds, and although there is romance in there as well, it doesn't follow the usual path. Rachel is really horrible when she's deep in her addiction, and I certainly felt the frustration and anger of those around her.
+15 Task
+ 5 Review
+ 5 Oldies (1997)
+ 5 Jumbo (578 pages)
Task Total = 30
Season Total = 255

The Soul Mate by Madeline Sheehan
A book that combines gypsies, magic, the zombie apocalypse, reincarnation, women being created for men, and a lot of macho posturing and stomping.
This was a freebie that I downloaded when I first got my Kindle, before I understood that books have a cost in time even if not in money. It was so not-my-taste/bad that I didn’t want to waste more time writing a review, but I can’t resist going for the extra points. 1 star.
This book has Paranormal as a main page genre.
+15 Task
+ 5 Review
Task Total = 20
Season Total = 275

Murder in an Irish Village by Carlene O'Connor
As much as it pains me to say this, I didn’t really like this book. On the upside: I was interested in the mystery, and I did like the last third of the book. On the downside: the first (nearly) 100 pages were tedious (yes, I get that she was setting up the series but my goodness it was a slog), it was twee (or maybe I should say fecking TWEE), and the main character mostly annoyed me. This series has carried on beyond this not very good first instalment, but I don’t feel compelled to carry on with it. 2*
10 task
5 review
____
15
Running total: 145

Decision at Doona by Anne McCaffrey
This is an interesting entry in McCaffrey’s oeuvre. It was published at the same time as her second Pern novel yet reading it now it seems like it was written to appeal to the male science fiction audience (which most of that genre were written for, prior to the late 1960s). Some of the contemporary readers (on GR) get really hung up on the role (using that word generously, since there isn’t really a role) of women in this story. For me the lack of substantive roles for women here were eye-rolling rather than off-putting. Overall, the story is interesting and the overarching theme worthy and aspirational (completely different beings getting along in true harmony and friendship). In parts, the novel read like a western (old-school - with settlers trying to make a go of it) set in an alien world. Those were some of the most fun parts. Overall, there is lots to like here and I am glad I am finally getting it off my ‘TBR’ pile. 3*
10 task
5 oldie
5 review
_____
20
Running total: 165

The Horsemaster's Daughter by Susan Wiggs
Yes, it’s a historical romance so you know how it’s going to end (although the ending was not completely predictable) – but goodness this was fun. There was a feisty heroine, a tortured man (the love interest), and two cute kids – what more could you want!? Well, in my case a horse that needs someone who has the patience and understanding to work with him. Wiggs can write as well, which is something to take note of in this genre. 4*
10 task
5 review
_____
15
Running total: 180

Horsewatching by Desmond Morris
I quite enjoyed this. This book is an overview of horse behaviour, lore and miscellany by the well known English zoologist and animal behaviourist. Horses have played a role in my life for many years, but there was still interesting information to be had here. It is a very readable book with short and to the point chapters about many topics that people interested in horses would like. This is obviously a niche book, but if you are a horse person it will be of interest to you. 4*
10 task
5 review
5 oldie
_____
20
Running total: 200

At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien
Goodness, this was fun. I loved ‘The Third Policeman’ so I was really looking forward to reading this. This is such a stellar example of metafiction. It makes some of the other practitioners seem like amateurs. The structure is unique in that there is a story within a story within a story (etc). This is signalled right from the beginning of the novel. I will admit that it took me a little bit to get into the novel, but then something ‘clicked’ for me and I just loved it. 4*
10 task
5 review
5 oldie
____
20
50 bingo #2 b15, i17, n39, g60, 068
_____
70
Running total: 270
owned books used: 7/10 (1 ebook)

Just Eat It: How intuitive eating can help you get your shit together around food by Laura Thomas
+15 Task
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 385

Baby Blue by Pol Koutsakis
+15 Task set in Greece
Task total = 15
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 375

Tüdrukune by Eia Uus
Review: I’d heard a lot about this book, as it was widely praised in my country as an evocative, emotional novel when it was published. Sadly, reading it was a bit of a let down for me. The novel mainly focused on a relationship of two women who also had a large age gap, which is an interesting premise, but it just didn’t really grab me. It also dealt with feminism, harrassment, the role of women and the controversy of motherhood vs career, but it didn’t deal with any of these important topics in a nuanced, interesting way. At least it was a quick read!
+10 task
+5 review
Task total: 15
Grand total: 15
B1
I
N
G
O

Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire #1) by Jay Kristoff
+15 Task
+5 (752p)
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 405

The Light of Day by Graham Swift
This book is hard to categorize. It is a Booker nominee which I think may be justified (like I can pass judgement on the Booker judges!). Goodreads members have shelved it as mystery-thriller and I looked forward to it as such. I have to admit I think that shelving is less justified. There were sections that I thought Swift had been heavily influenced by Raymond Chandler's hard-boiled style. Neither does hard-boiled fit for the majority of the novel.
For those who want a very linear timeline, don't look here. This first person narrative is mostly an interior dialog of a few major events in George Webb's life. He is a former police officer who was discharged under a cloud of the charge of corruption. We know that from the beginning, but it is many pages and chapters later before he ruminates on what really happened. In the present he leaves his office to go across the street to buy flowers. it is many pages and chapters later before we learn for whom and why. He is divorced. Why did his wife leave him? There are at least two other life events that seemingly randomly intrude on his thoughts.
It occurred to me a few times that I might complain about the prose. There are frequent sentence fragments and I have commented before about how this annoys me. Why can't a writer of the caliber of Graham Swift write in complete sentences?!! Well, I felt it worked because of the first person narrative. But it also occurred to me this type of writing is not unlike the impressionistic style of art by Monet and others of that movement. I'm unlikely to ever embrace it, but I *do* find myself becoming more able to tolerate it.
This will never be my favorite by Graham Swift. I suspect that spot will always be taken by his Waterland. I have others on hand and will look forward to readng them. This, however, isn't any better than a middlin' 4-stars and it might even rest toward the bottom of that group.
+10 Task (Longlist, 2003)
+ 5 Review
Task total = 15
Season total = 180
EDIT: Don't you just love it when a mod doesn't get the title entered? LOL

The Juniper Tree by Barbara Comyns
+15 Task:
Task total = 15
+50 Bingo: Third Bingo: B7, B8, B9, B13, B15
Post Total: 65
Season Total: 340

Old Man's War. John Scalzi
My husband bought this through Audible, and I heard snippets when he would listen in the car. It peaked my interest, so we listened to the whole book together on a recent trip to NY. I enjoyed the characters and the plot, and the book moved along. I may be inspired to listen to the rest of the series.
+20 - task
+5 - review
Post total: 25
Season total: 570
B:
I:
N:
G:
O:
(view spoiler)

This Is Happiness by Niall Williams
+15 Task
Task total = 15
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 390

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
2021 GR Choice Award for Fiction Nominee
Task: 10
Bingo #2 - 50 (B7, I21, N44, G52, O66)
Post : 60
Season total : 190

The Passion According to G.H. by Clarice Lispector
+15 Task set in Brazil
+5 Oldies pub 1988
Task total = 20
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 410

A
Acorna's Worldby Anne McCaffrey
Task +15
Grand Total: 15
Grand total: 50
B6, I22, N43, 067

The Mudfog Papers by Charles Dickens
"The Mudfog Papers" are a collection of early works by Charles Dickens published in the literary journal "Bentley's Miscellary" in 1937-1838. "Public Life of Mr Tulrumble" is a delightful, humorous work about a man who feels overly important when he becomes the mayor of a small town.
Two sketches about the meetings of the Mudfog Association for the Advancement of Everything poke fun at the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Dickens combines satire with silliness in the notes from the meetings.
Four short works complete the collection. The final work, "Familiar Epistle From a Parent to a Child Aged Two Years and Two Months," is Dickens' "goodbye message" to the readers of "Bentley's Miscellany" as he resigned his position as its editor.
"The Mudfog Papers" give us a look at the work of Dickens as a young writer. Some of his early themes are expanded more in his novels. The collection is a mixed bag with the "Public Life of Mr Tulrumble" as my favorite.
+10 task (born 1812)
+ 5 oldie (1837)
+ 5 review
Task total: 20
Season total: 130

Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth
5 stars
PSA to want-to-readers. Read this first page or two before you commit to this one. You will either not want to put it down, you will HATE it with a passion. That’s the tone of the whole book. Don’t be mad if you press on and get something you did not want.
If you enjoy the hot tub conversation, get this book! If you are repulsed, this is not for you.
I loved this book. Little Miss Stingy with the 5 stars, the one who gets irked when non-scary books get labeled horror…. I LOVED this one!
First off, the genre. It’s not scare-horror, and it’s not domestic-thriller-horror… but I don’t think its been mis-genre-d. It’s literary horror? Toxic relationship horror? Very much comedy-horror….
I think the target audience for this is the lightly-traumatized. Those in recovery. Readers with too much intimate knowledge of the subject matter might find it painful, those who had no dysfunction to heal from might not get it.
I have just enough that this line made my stomach drop and hackles rise.
And I’ve gotta be on tonight, I’ve got to be as much like myself as I can be. Pretend everything is fine and save your family.
That’s the horror right there. Not hauntings, not a mother-in-law-from-hell… it’s codependency in the EXTREME, and the scary part is relating so hard.
Spoilering my favorite passages in case you want to discover them fresh:
(view spoiler)
Review of free advanced copy from Netgalley
+15 task
+5 review
Task total = 20
Season total = 470
B3
I17
N
G50
O

Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather
+15 Task nominated for Locus award and Theodore Sturgeon Memorial award
Task total = 15
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 425

Of Literature and Lattes. Katherine Reay
A follow up to The Printed Letter Bookshop, this focuses Alyssa and Janet's daughter-mother story. While I really liked the first book, this one didn't grab my attention the same way. The main characters were whiny and hard to like. The town people were still nice, but the plot had too many threads for my taste.
Bingo #4: B7, I18, N40, G56, O63
+20 - task
+5 - review
+50 Bingo #4
Post total: 75
Season total: 645
B:
I:
N:
G:
O:
(view spoiler)

The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
+20 Task published 1978
+5 Oldies
Task total = 25
+50 Fourth Bingo B14, I27, N44, G46, O70
Post Total: 75
Season Total: 500

The Afghan by Frederick Forsyth
Adventure 11x
+15 Task
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 420

Hidden History of Ashland, Oregon by Joe Peterson
Interesting tidbits from the history of Ashland, Oregon. Peterson writes in a boosterism style. He has gathered the pieces loosely by topic, for instance politics, murders, or sports. This means that the reader hops from 1870 to 1920, then back to 1880. In other words this is not a chronological presentation. Some of the essays do tell of the development and changing fortunes of the small southern Oregon town and some are tales of glancing celebrity, for instance JFK gave a campaign speech there during the 1960 Oregon presidential primary.
+10 task
+5 review
Task total 15
Season total: 165

Men Without Women by Ernest Hemingway
Although there have been a few exceptions,I am not a fan of Hemingway...and this set of short stories is NOT an exception. My biggest problem with Hemingway is his dialogue. His characters have the strangest speech patterns. It never seems real to me. Secondly, the author always seems to be trying to prove how macho he is. This set of stories deal with boxers, bull fighters, bicycle racers, gangsters, wounded soldiers. There are a few women in the stories despite the title...but they seem even more contrived than the men. Ugh.
Task=15
Review=5
oldie=5 (1927)
Task Total= 25
Grand Total=500
B___; ___; ___; ___;B5*;___; B7*; B8*;B9*; ___; ___: ___; ___;B14*; ___;
I___; ___;I18;I19; ___; I21; I22; ___;___; ___;___; ___; ___; ___; ___;
N__;___;N33*;___; ___;N36*;__; N38*;___;__; __;N42*; N43*;N44; __;
G _ ;G47; ___; ___; ___; ___;___;___;G54; ___; ___; ___; __; __; ___;
O61; ___; ___; ___; ___; ___;___;___; ___; ___; ___; ___; __;O69;O70

Never GO Back (Jack Reacher #18) by Lee Child
+15 Task
+50 BINGO (B3 - post #252; I24 - post #297; N43 - post #281; G48 - this post; O67 - post #284)
Post Total: 65
Season Total: 485
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Books mentioned in this topic
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Fascination In France (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Barbara Cartland (other topics)
C.J. Sansom (other topics)
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Feeling Sorry for Celia (Ashbury/Brookfield #1) by Jaclyn Moriarty
+15 Task
+50 BINGO (B6 - post #214; I22 - post #212; N39 - post #245; G56 - post #190; O71 - this post)
Post Total: 65
Season Total: 355