Reading with Style discussion
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Completed Tasks FA 23
20.3 DickensBarry Lyndon by William Makepeace Thackeray (1811 - 1863)
Task - 20 pts
Oldies - 15 pts (1844)
Task Total - 35 pts
20.10 Letters (Owlette's Task)The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
This book contained light and heavy content. Examples of light parts are the descriptions of instructional voicemail messages from widower Mukesh's three adult daughters about nutrition, babysitting, housekeeping, socializing, and the nicknames for the local library patrons and staff (Crime Thriller Guy, Thermos Flask Dev); heavy parts deal with caregiving, terminal illness, death, grief, depression.
Mukesh is about 80 years of age and his wife Naina passed away from cancer in 2017; the book is set in 2019 Wembley. Naina was an avid reader and library patron; Mukesh was not and had never visited the local library. Long story short, his solitary life opens up thanks to books. The other MC is Aleisha, a teenaged summer hire at the library, who initially is there only because she didn't get the retail job she really wanted and her brother encouraged her to take the library job. Long story short, Aleisha learns to love books and her job. Many characters are part of the story which is tied together by a mysterious list of books. Mental illness is a major part of Aleisha's home life with her mother and brother. I thought that some depictions of senior citizens played into stereotypes, but those were less as Mukesh progressed. Enjoyed the part where he deals with his two daughters' complaining about his friendship with his late wife's best friend.
+20 Task (handwritten letter from Naina to husband)
+10 Review
Task Total: 30
Season Total: 90
15.1 Celebration of StylesThe Suitcase Baby by Tanya Bretherton
+15 Task (Not a Novel)
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 60
20.1 Author! Author! Rosie: Scenes from a Vanished Life by Rose Tremain
This memoir by successful writer Rose Tremain looks at her childhood with parents she considers cold, thoughtless and sometimes hostile to their children, but saved by good relationships with her older sister Jo and their nanny. From a comfortable life in London she was suddenly sent off to boarding school at the age of ten and then taken away from school at sixteen, so she had no chance of realising her dream of going on to university. Still she wrote and eventually was published.
Her attitude is never self-pitying, and overall what comes across is the saving grace of love from outside the family, and lasting friendships or "found family".
+20 Task
+10 Review
Post Total = 30
Season Total = 70
20.10 Letters The Book of Daniel by E.L. Doctorow
With more than a nod to the story of the trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, this novel focuses on the children left behind. Daniel and Susan Isaacson's parents, members of the communist party in 1950s America, are arrested for suspected espionage. With both parents gone and their community in fear, Daniel and Susan are taken first to an aunt, then to a children's home, then to foster parents, and all the time they are sidelined, lied to, and used as pawns in the struggle. The focus of the book is not the trial or the parents but the damage this does to each of the children. It's a very powerful and disturbing story.
Task: Both of Daniel's parents handwrite letters from prison. Daniel wonders if it is the FBI imitating their handwriting.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+ 5 Oldies (1971)
Post Total = 35
Season Total = 105
20.10 Letters Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig
Sharing a prison cell in Argentina are homosexual or transsexual Molina (in for corrupting a minor) and political prisoner and revolutionary Valentin. To pass the time at night, Molina tells Valentin the plots of some of his/her favourite films, with lavish descriptions, and gradually they grow closer.
It took me a while to get into this because of the films. Later it was easier, both because the films seemed more relevant and because their relationship developed so they were also talking about other things. Also, there are long footnotes that go on for pages, about psychological theories on homosexuality, which I stopped reading after a while. But altogether it is a powerful story.
Task: Valentin shows Molina a letter from his girlfriend and Molina says "The writing looks like chicken scratching to me."
+20 Task
+10 Review
+ 5 Multiple
+ 5 Oldies (1976)
Post Total = 40
Season Total = 145
20.10 LettersGalveston by Suzanne Morris
I grew up in Galveston, so when I came across this scruffy hardcover book in a used bookstore, I couldn't resist buying it. I've never heard of the book or the author other than stumbling across this book, promoted on the cover as "spanning three generations with the historic and romantic city as backdrop" or something like that.
I actually wanted more description of Galveston places, more streets, more high society. But that's really just for my own chance to see which places from the 1880s-1899 I could place in my memory of living there 100 years later. I'm also quite surprised that a book set in this time period in Galveston chooses to entirely skip over the 1900 storm. The first section of the book spans the end of the 19th century, then jumps forward 20 years, leaving the storm to be only mentioned in passing as something that happened a while ago.
Overall, the book felt a little too long, with the final section being the most uneven. There's a character who engages in long-standing southern cruelty, but in the last section, she goes off her rocker enough that the book lost believability for me. More subtle action would have been more believable and also more interesting.
Not a bad read, but not one that likely has much interest today unless one has a particular interest in Galveston or Houston.
+20 Task (There were a ton of letter and handwritten notes here, including the one written to her parents when a character runs off on the day of her wedding.)
+10 Review
+5 Oldies (1976)
Post total: 35
Grand total: 125
10.2 Moon and SunI'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Lexile: 740
This is why I still read YA literature. I loved these characters. I loved the description of neuro-atypical thought in ways that really put me in the character's head instead of as an outside observer. I loved the idea of artistic images that sprang up in a character's mind so vividly they felt real--emotions expressed as hair turning to snakes, coiling around; girls as hornets buzzing. I can see why some people hated this book. But I loved it.
I loved that this book had difficult issues, but wasn't moralizing about them. The characters were imperfect.
The ending was a little to cute, but it's a YA book, so I'm more forgiving of that sort of perfect closure than I might be for a novel targeted at adults.
The narrators for the audiobook were great. The book translated well to audio other than the need to pay attention to the timeline because each chapter gave a date and if I missed it, it could take me a while to figure out whether I was hearing something from the book's past or the book's present.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+15 Prize-worthy
Task total: 35
Grand total: 160
Post 37 Anika wrote: "20.10 LettersTomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
I knew nothing about this book other than I liked the look of the cover and knew that several ..."
+10 Prize worthy
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Post 37 Anika wrote: "20.10 LettersTomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
I knew nothing about this book other than I liked the look of the cover ..."
+10 Prize worthy
I didn't think Prizeworthy would work for this book since the two awards it won were both "popular" prizes: Goodreads Choice and Book of the Month Book of the Year (which was voted on by the readers)...
Anika wrote: "I didn't think Prizeworthy would work for this book since the two awards it won were both "popular" prizes: Goodreads Choice and Book of the Month Book of the Year (which was voted on by the readers)..."All awards work except awards which are for the author and not the book. The award should be on the GR book page and should be winners not nominees. If an error was made adding to the book page when you post (like Mom's Choice Award), we will accept the award. But, as a librarian, I'll go fix it for future.
10.3 VowelsThe Hermit of Eyton Forest by Ellis Peters
This was a particularly enjoyable instalment in the Brother Cadfael series. Peters has crafted such an interesting character in Brother Cadfael. Because he was a man of the world (particularly as a participant in the Crusades) and lived a secular life before finding his vocation he can look deep into the hearts of men and make subtle decisions about right and wrong.
There were actually 2.5 mysteries here, all intertwined. Once again the Abbey is touched by the machinations of the secular world, both local concerns and larger political ones. I liked the insight into Medieval life. Peters showed us more of Abbot Radulfus’ personality as well. I’ve read this series in order, and it has paid off in seeing the characters develop over time. 4*
10 task
10 review
5 oldie
______
25
Running total: 105
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Anika wrote: "I didn't think Prizeworthy would work for this book since the two awards it won were both "popular" prizes: Goodreads Choice and Book of the Month Book of the Year (which was voted on..."Thank you for the clarification! I think what was confusing me in the Prizeworthy style description is the statement "people's choice awards are not eligible" and I thought those would be considered people's choice. Appreciate the extra points :-)
10.3 VowelsThe Clue of the Twisted Candle by Edgar Wallace
This was my first Edgar Wallace and I think it was a good introduction. It was short enough that I could see my way to the end if I wasn't enamored. I *did* like it though and am glad I have another on my list for my mysteries challenge.
The story opens with John Lexman more than a bit worried about paying back some money he had borrowed. His friend, Remington Kara comes to visit. Lexman has received a demand letter and is to meet the lender that night. Kara encourages Lexman to take a small revolver with him. The lender is shot and killed at the meeting.
This doesn't sound like much of a mystery and honestly for nearly the first half I thought this leaned more toward Melodrama than mystery. (I don't think any reader is going to buy that John Lexman did the murder and probably most of us would know pretty certainly who did.) Not everything is what it seems and it definitely became a mystery and definitely worth persevering.
I'm tempted to give this 4-stars. Honestly, it's too short for that, but if you can see that those 3-stars are sort of flashing, that is about as accurate as I can get.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+10 Oldies (1916)
Task total = 30
Season total = 80
15.4 - Celebration of StylesAshes of Honor by Seanan McGuire
🎓 Seanan McGuire is a pseudonym for Mira Grant. She was born in 1978 (Mira Grant is on Google spreadsheet) 🎓
+15 task (Young)
Task total = 15
Season Total = 60
20.3 - Dickens The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
🎓 Arthur Conan Doyle was born in 1859 and died in 1930 🎓
+20 task
+10 Oldies (1905)
Task total = 30
Season Total = 90
20.6 WilderEscape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
All protagonists are 12 years old
Task total: 20
Grand total: 85
15.2 Celebration of StylesEarthlings by Sayaka Murata
Young, Sayaka Murata was born in 1979
+15 task
Post Total = 15
Season Total = 85
10.6
15.1; 15.2;
20.10
20.1 Author! Author!:The Medusa Frequency by Russell Hoban
I will preface this by saying that I first read Russell Hoban in a class called Myth and Fantasy at university. The book was The Mouse and His Child, and whilst I didn't think too much of it at the time, the book stuck with me and I thought about it often after.
This was my third novel by Hoban, and I have to say, that as with Riddley Walker, I still have no idea what it was I just read.
Various characters are connected by their interest in the Orpheus myth, all creative types. The head of Orpheus appears as various inanimate objects. There are lost loves, and new loves, and shared loves, and very bad art in all its forms. I am however, still completely clueless as to what I was supposed to take away from this.
The use of nonsensical "words" further distracted from any of sense of meaning I was supposed to derive.
Maybe someone else out there "gets" Russell Hoban, but that person is not me.
+20 task
+10 review
+5 oldies
Post Total = 35
Season Total = 120
10.6
15.1; 15.2;
20.1; ... ; ...; ...; ....; ....; ....; ....; ....; 20.10
20.5 Scandinavian Noir The Katharina Code by Jørn Lier Horst
I read my first book in the Wisting series last season, When It Grows Dark, and enjoyed it. It was short, and enjoyable, so I was glad to see this task pop up and give me an excuse to read more.
This is the 12th book in the Norwegian Wisting series, but the first in the Cold Case series, and the next book after When It Grows Dark, but both of these reads happen at opposite ends of Wisting's career. In "Dark" he is what is essentially a beat cop, doing patrols and investigating the calls that come in, but hoping to move into the detective arena, even though it will mean a pay cut. He is a young father with twin babies, and is juggling his career and family commitment.
In The Katharina Code, he is head of the department, and has been for some time. The case of the disappearance of Katherina happened 24 years before, but now with new evidence he has been asked to investigate this, and the case of another missing teenager from 25 years before. A case that his now adult daughter, with her own baby, is investigating in her role as journalist.
I probably don't read many police type mysteries, but Wisting is a very human character. He doesn't want to deceive anyone, but he wants to get the cases solved. He is considerate and considered in what he does, and he has a fairly good read on people, most of the time.
It is probably the characters in this that have drawn me back to this series, and I already had a couple of other books in this series on order, if my delivery ever turns up (THAT is a whole other story!).
+20 task
+10 review
Post Total = 30
Season Total = 150
10.6
15.1; 15.2;
20.1; ... ; ...; ...; 20.5; ....; ....; ....; ....; 20.10
20.10 Letters (Owlette's Task)84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
Technically, this never says that the letters from the first section of this book are written, but I am going to fairly certainly presume that Nora, wife of Frank Doel (the recipient of majority of Hanff's correspondence) would not likely have access to a typewriter, if not all of the letters are handrwritten.
Also, this volume is two texts in one, as it includes The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, the sequel, which is Hanff's diary entries from her eventually visit to the UK to promote the book.
Hanff makes me laugh, and I could not ever imagine sending off the kind of letters she does to Frank, demanding books that he has not yet sourced for her. They are, however in jest, as she is regularly revealed to be very generous to the people associated with the bookshop at 84 Charing Cross Rd, and makes such a difference in their lives and brings them as much joy as she receives from the books they are able to find her (in the most part!).
For the joy of reading someone who loves reading, for the relationships this connection builds, mostly based upon letters and without ever meeting, this was a pleasure to read.
+20 task
+10 review
+5 oldies
+5 multiple
Post Total = 40
Season Total = 190
10.6
15.1; 15.2;
20.1; ... ; ...; ...; 20.5; ....; ....; ....; ....; 20.10 (x2)
15.3 Celebration of StylesDown Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
Young
15 task
_______
15
Running total: 120
10.3 Vowels A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines
Task - 10
Oldies - 5 published in 1983
Award -5 California book award for fiction
Total post: 20
Season total: 45
20.9 Popular ScienceThe Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum
I had this one slated for last season's "Favorites" section (I might have hit that "micro-history" task a lot, or books that would have fit there that I wedged in elsewhere) and was excited to find a spot for it here.
I am a huge fan of true crime; specifically, of the way that detectives and scientists figure out whodunit and how. I also love to read detailed accounts of lesser known history. This book was the perfect marriage of those two!
Each chapter is about a different poison and opens with the story of someone using that poison to kill. What follows is the bourgeoning science of forensic toxicology, the scientists who developed it, the politicians who tried to quash it, the media who mocked then revered it.
It is not, however, for the squeamish... (view spoiler)
I loved the snapshot of Prohibition-era New York and pretty much everything else about the cases and science (my grandpa was a chemist, so every time a read a book containing chemical experiments, I feel him smiling down on me).
Loved it. Think I need to pick up another of this author's work.
+20 Task, MPG "Science" 4.01 average ratings
+10 Review
+5 Praiseworthy, Society of Midland Authors Award for Adult Nonfiction (2011)
Task total: 35
Season total: 75
15.2 Celebration of StylesIf I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating by Alan Alda
+ 15 Task -- Aged, Alan Alda b. 1936.
Season total = 30
15.3 Celebration of StylesBabylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization by Paul Kriwaczek.
+ 15 Task -- Not a novel (Nonfiction)
Season Total: 45
15.4 Celebration of StylesThe White People and Other Weird Stories by Arthur Machen.
+ 15 Task -- Not a novel (short story collection)
Season Total: 60
20.1 AuthorInto the Wardrobe: C. S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles by David C. Downing
Task total: 20
Grand total: 105
15.1 Celebration of StylesGalveston by Nic Pizzolatto
+15 Task - Young - author born 1975 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nic_Piz...)
Task total: 15
Grand total: 175
15.4 Celebration of StylesThe Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa
Lost in Translation
15
______
15
Running total: 135
20.10 LettersThe Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
This was an enjoyable collection of adventures (mysteries) with Holmes and Watson. Interestingly, it is framed as Watson looking back on their time together so there is a mix of pre-marriage and post-marriage Watson. As a collection, it is solid. All of the stories are good, and many are very well done. It takes a real talent to write short stories, and I think in particular mysteries, and Doyle has it.
I was going to use this book for the Dickens task, but there are a couple of letters in various stories. One clever mystery for Holmes to solve started with a letter to Watson from his school friend, Percy Phelps (in ‘The Naval Treaty”). I suspected the wrong person in this one! 4*
20 task
10 review
10 oldie
______
40
Running total: 175
15.2 Celebration of StylesFight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor Kim Kelly
+15 task not-a-novel
Season total: 65
10.5 October (Karen's Task)Magpie Murders (Susan Ryeland #1) by Anthony Horowitz
+10 Task
+5 Prize-Worthy
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 75
10.2 Moon and SunShadows on the Moon (The Moonlit Lands #1) by Zoë Marriott
+10 Task
+5 Prize-Worthy
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 90
20.9 ScienceWhen Brains Dream: Exploring the Science and Mystery of Sleep by Antonio Zadra
+20 pts - Task
20.8 MorrisonBlanche Among the Talented Tenth by Barbara Neely
+20 pts - task
+ 5 pts - oldies (1994)
Total - 25 pts
20.1 Author! Author!Par la force des arbres by Édouard Cortès
This is an authobiographic book, and the author is a journalist and writer who wrote several books (in french, but his bio here : https://www.babelio.com/auteur/Edouar...)
Task total = 20
Points total = 80
... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ...
15.1 ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ...
20.1 ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; 20.7 ; ... ; ... ; 20.10
10.3 Vowels Tati et le film sans fin by Arnaud Le Gouëfflec
+10 Task
Task total = 10
Points total = 90
... ; ... ; 10.3 ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ...
15.1 ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ...
20.1 ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; 20.7 ; ... ; ... ; 20.10
20.8 Morrison Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
+20 Task
+15 Prize-Worthy (Booker Prize 2019, Reading Women Award for Fiction 2020, Blogistanian Globalia 2022)
Task total = 35
Points total = 125
... ; ... ; 10.3 ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ...
15.1 ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ...
20.1 ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; ... ; 20.7 ; 20.8 ; ... ; 20.10
20.10 (Owlette's Task)The Singing Sands (Inspector Alan Grant #6) by Josephine Tey
Letter written by Heron Lloyd & addressed to Inspector Alan Grant
+20 Task
+5 Oldies (pub 1952)
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 115
10.6 SeptemberPoirot Loses a Client by Agatha Christie
Christie is a comfort read for me. I enjoyed spending time with Poirot and Hastings, puzzled over the mystery and didn’t remember who did it (although I’ve read this more than once). Poirot receives a long delayed letter which sets the ball rolling (and is one of a few letters in this novel). This time around I particularly enjoyed Bob. Bob was the client’s dog – who plays an important role and sounds like a very cute terrier. It was particularly interesting reading this after reading Holmes and Watson. Watson is credulous, but Hastings is even more so. This was a more straightforward mystery for Christie….. not too many red-herrings!! 4*
10 task
10 review
10 oldie
_____
30
Running total: 205
15.1 Celebration of StylesYoung - author born in 1986, age 37
Salt Houses by Hala Alyan
Task total: 15
Season total: 110
20.1 Author, AuthorNaked Once More by Elizabeth Peters
+20 pts - task
+ 5 pts - oldies -1989
+5 pts - prizeworthy -Agatha Award for best novel 1989
Task Total ~ 30 pts
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Reading with Style
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An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten
+20 pts - task
Task Total - 20 pts