Reading with Style discussion
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Completed Tasks FA 23
20.5 Scandinavian Noir The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg
+20 task
+10 Prize-Worthy [Grand Prix de Littérature Policière for Romans étrangers (2008) and Prix Polar International (2008)]
Task total = 30
Season Total = 200
10.2 Moon and SunA Seed in the Sun by Aida Salazar
I'm a sucker for a good novel-in-verse. This is one of the better ones I've read recently. Even though it's shelved as "Middle Grade", the subject matter and writing style is relevant for adult readers.
It's the mid-'60s and Lula's parents are migrant farmworkers in California. When her mother falls ill and they can't afford healthcare, Lula and her sister have to leave the school they love and help in the fields. The Filipino farmworkers strike and soon, with the encouragement of Che Guevara and Dolores Huerta, the Mexican workers join the picket line.
I knew nothing about this historical moment--and it was inspiring in this year where Union action in so many sectors are fighting for workers' rights like they haven't had to in years.
It also spotlights the difficulty of being an immigrant in this country. It was visceral and eye-opening and I love that this is recommended for Middle Grade readers that they might encounter these facts and ideas while they're still forming their perception of the world around them.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task total: 20
Season total: 160
10.6 SeptemberHallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie
+10 Task, born 15 September 1890
+5 Oldies, pub 1969
Task total: 15
Season total: 185
10.7 ScrabbleHow Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz
Fact 1) I hate posting from my phone because my fat fingers constantly flub and I'm forever editing and amending and it makes me crazy.
Fact 2) I haven't had a working computer/computer access for weeks so I've been MIA.
Fact 3) I read this book almost a month ago (and finished several books subsequently) and wish I would have written a review about it AT THE TIME!
What I do remember: I loved the strong characters and the clear voice of our MC, Cara. The whole story is told via her weekly interviews with a career counselor and what a story it is! Escandalo! This fiery Dominican woman is not about to take life lying down! With the help of her friends and a little less help from her family (and the questionable "help" of an online psychic), Cara is navigating the ups and downs of being middle aged and unemployed in a volatile economy. It's funny and infuriating and heart-string-tugging and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
+10 Task, 45 scrabble points
+10 Review
Task total: 20
Season total: 205
15.8 Celebration of StylesThe Reluctant Twitcher: A Quite Truthful Account of My Big Birding Year by Richard Pope
Not a Novel
15 task
_____
15
Running total: 585
15.6 Celebration of StylesEmpire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe
+ 15 -- Young: author b. 1976
Season Total = 90
15.7 Celebration of StylesUncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov. Michael Frayn translator.
+ 15 -- Lost in Translation
Season Total = 105
20.10 LettersWatchmen by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, John Higgins
The absolute best of the comics medium. Watchmen is a deconstruction of the superhero trope, and in reading this I realized that every tv/movie that tries to show "what real life would actually be like if superheros existed" are all derivative of Watchmen. The characters are complex and interesting, differing in not just their moral viewpoints but also how they see the world and what they want to do in response to the problems of the world. Both the writing and artwork of Watchmen was revolutionary, and even reading it for the first time now almost 40 years after it was published, I was blown away with every issue.
+20 Task (Moloch writes a letter to Rorschach to setup a late night meeting)
+10 Review
+15 Prize-worthy
Task total: 45
Season total: 195 + 45 = 240
10.5 October (Karen's Task)Authority by Jeff VanderMeer
+10 Task
Points this post: 10
RwS total: 10
CoS total: 60
Season Total: 70
.... .... .... .... 10.5 .... .... .... .... ....
15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 .... .... .... .... .... ....
.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ....
Post 350 Joanne wrote: "15.5 Celebration of Styles-Not A NovelCall the Midwife: A True Story of the East End in the 1950s
+15 Task
Season Total 320"
This is the same book you posted above in Post 348. Did you mean something different?
Post 344 Marie wrote: "10.7 ScrabbleLa couleur des choses by Martin Panchaud
Not sure whch title i needed to use for this, but for the french one above it is 26 poins, and the origina..."
Marie wrote: "10.7 Scrabble
La couleur des choses by Martin Panchaud
Not sure whch title i needed to use for this, but for the french one above it is 26 poins, and the origina..."
I'm sorry, Marie. We use the awards posted on the GR book page. So this has only 5 Prize Worthy points.
10.7 - ScrabbleLines of Inquiry by Rhys Dylan
+10 task - 29
+5 multiple
Task total: 15
Grand total: 150
20.10 Letters The Princess of Cleves by Madame de La Fayette
An early French historical novel, published in 1678 and set over 100 years before, during the reign of Henri II of France, which ended in 1559 (the first year of the reign of Elizabeth I in England). Among the nobles at court is the young Mme (or princess - the title seems to be used rather haphazardly) of Cleves. She is married to a good man who loves her, but unfortunately she does not love him in return. She quickly falls in love with someone else, but she is determined to maintain her virtue despite ther mutual passion.
This is probably one of the books that gave rise to the English belief that French novels were terribly shocking and racy and that in France, at least among the aristocracy, almost everybody had affairs after they were married (but for women, not before). It's interesting both for its depiction of manners at court and its sometimes biting comments on love and passion. For example, a young widow says that if she married her lover, returning his love, he would soon stop loving her: contentment in marriage soon ceases to offer any challenges, and he would look elsewhere.
Letters: The Vidame de Chartres receives a letter from a former mistress that falls into the wrong hands and causes all kinds of trouble.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+ 5 Multiple
+20 Oldies (1678)
Post Total = 55
Season Total = 640
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Post 350 Joanne wrote: "15.5 Celebration of Styles-Not A NovelCall the Midwife: A True Story of the East End in the 1950s
This is the same book you pos..."
I did Elizabeth, so sorry was not paying attention I guess-ignore 350 and I will repost the right book
15.5 Celebration of Styles-Not A NovelWalk through Fire: The Train Disaster that Changed America
+15 Task
Season Total 320
10.10 Group ReadsDestiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard
I pride myself on knowing a fair amount of U.S. Presidential history (thanks to my unhealthy love of Jeopardy! and other trivia games), but I knew next to nothing about James A. Garfield (other than his assassination). Being a huge micro-history buff, I knew this one would be right up my alley.
It was SOOO good! This man was what I wish all politicians were--learned, principled, actively engaged in the betterment of circumstances for the less-fortunate, not interested in self-promotion. He was, in fact, nominated after giving a speech on behalf of another candidate!
Woven into the story of this remarkable man is the story of another bright star of the age: Alexander Graham Bell. You may wonder how in the world their stories might intersect...I suggest you read this fascinating book to find out!
Of course, there is also a villain. I read someone else's description of him as "America's first incel" and that seems pretty spot on. I don't even want to put the despicable man's name here, so I won't, but every time I heard it my face involuntarily turned quite sour.
If you enjoyed The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America, I think you'd enjoy this one...the book structure is similar as is the time period it covers.
Thanks for the rec, Tawallah!
+10 Task
+10 Review
+5 Prizeworthy (Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime)
Task total: 25
Season total: 230
20.6 WilderMoo by Sharon Creech
Last season, I read two other novels in verse by this author, Love That Dog and Hate That Cat. I loved that they used the novel-in-verse format to introduce different types of poetry--haiku, sonnets, etc.-- to younger readers while still telling a compelling story. I had high hopes for this one to be the same. It was not.
While I did enjoy the story just fine,
the "poetry" was more
just broken up lines
for no reason
just to call it a novel-in-verse?
Disappointing.
Though this one had a more elaborate story than the previous two, it still wasn't enough to fill the pages of a proper novel and felt like cheating to tell the story in such a way to draw it out to 288 pages.
My review? Boo to Moo.
+20 Task, Reena is 12 and her brother, Luke, is 8(-ish? I read it a while ago)
+10 Review
Task total: 30
Season total: 260
15.4 Celebration of StylesThe Little French Bistro by Nina George
+15 Task - Young (born 1973, just under the wire!)
Season total = 525
10.3 VowelsThe Tuesday Night Clubby Agatha Christie
Agatha starts with a vowel.
Task +10
Grand Total: 45
10.5 October (Karen's Task) Lone Women by Victor LaValle
+10 Task
+ 50 Half-Way Finish
Post Total: 60
Season Total: 660
20.9 Popular Science An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong
+20 Task: Rating: 4.47 (I read about 1/3 of this book last spring, set it aside all summer and finished it for the perfect fall task!)
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 680
15.7 Celebration of StylesMaqroll: Three Novellas by Álvaro Mutis
+15 Task (LiT, from Spanish)
Season total = 655
20.9 Popular ScienceThe God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
MPG of science, rating of 3.9
Post Total = 20
Season Total = 665
...; ...; 10.3 (x3); ...; ...; 10.6; 10.7 (x4); ...; ...; ...
15.1; 15.2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6; 15.7; 15.8; 15.9;
20.1 (x3); ... ; ...; 20.4; 20.5; ....; ....; 20.8 (x2); 20.9; 20.10 (x2)
20.1 Author! Author!Less Is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer
When I was ordering the first book in this series from the library, I accidentally ordered this instead, so ended up reading both.
I actually preferred this book to the first one, and I have seen mixed responses from other readers in regards to this so I have wondered why. I am thinking perhaps, especially having read them relatively close together, the style of writing was more familiar and therefore more accessible (I think I found it more annoying the first time around), the characters were all familiar (I think I almost liked Arthur Less this time around), and I just, in general, felt more comfortable with the book and reading experience as a whole.
I think this is also a factor in the story itself. Although still out of place, a gay author travelling through parts of America where he is less comfortable and more out of place than his home of San Francicso or New York, Arthur is more comfortable and more accepting of the joy of his experiences, which may or may not belong to him, than he was in the first novel.
Still not sure if I would read a third instalment, but pleasant enough.
+20 task
+5 multiple
+10 review
Post Total = 35
Season Total = 700
...; ...; 10.3 (x3); ...; ...; 10.6; 10.7 (x4); ...; ...; ...
15.1; 15.2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6; 15.7; 15.8; 15.9;
20.1 (x4); ... ; ...; 20.4; 20.5; ....; ....; 20.8 (x2); 20.9; 20.10 (x2)
20.4 Golden AgeFoundation by Isaac Asimov
I am glad I had read Prelude to Foundation first, and I wonder how people who read this when it first come out, with the whole of "psychohistory" not having that long explanation of Prelude behind them to acknowledge. I guess it must have been explained sufficiently, but since my reading experience was different, I have to wonder.
This novel moves fairly quickly through 4 different time periods, two years before the death of the father of psychohistory, Hari Seldon, 50 years later, 30 years later, and another 70 or so years later. What occurs at each of these time stop is referred to as a "Seldon event" , an event that will shape the future of the Foundation. I was left wondering how much the words of Hari Seldon shaped the outcomes of these events, and therefore the future, so that the strife of the Empire could be managed in one thousand years instead of thirty thousand. In this, Hari has become more of the manipulator of events than the bumbling, manipulated scholar of my previous read.
I have been waiting to receive the 6 books of Foundation, but, long story, I am pretty sure I was scammed, so I will have to find another way to complete this series, and figure out in what order I want to do that, publication or story chronology. Any recommendations?
+20 task
+5 mutilple
+5 oldies
+10 review
Post Total = 40
Season Total = 740
...; ...; 10.3 (x3); ...; ...; 10.6; 10.7 (x4); ...; ...; ...
15.1; 15.2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6; 15.7; 15.8; 15.9;
20.1 (x4); ... ; ...; 20.4 (x2); 20.5; ....; ....; 20.8 (x2); 20.9; 20.10 (x2)
10.7 Scrabble (Anika's Task)The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket
Scrabble Score= 29
Task=10
Multiple=5
Task Total=15
Grand Total=130
Tasks Completed:
10.7 (3x)
20.1; 20.6
20.7 ChristieVioleta by Isabel Allende
I guess there is nothing like having the perfect framing device handed to an author. In this novel we follow Violeta from her birth during the Spanish flu epidemic to her end during Covid. She is telling her personal history to her grandson before she dies. Although Allende doesn’t name the country, it seems safe to assume Violeta was born, raised and lived in Chile. Violeta witnesses a lot of tumultuous history, both on a global scale and on a national scale. She also has a tumultuous life, but is able to move through it well enough partially due to her class (in Chilean society) and partially due to her strong and resilient personality. This is a very readable novel, and if you enjoy Allende’s work you will like this one too. 4*
20 task
10 review
_____
30
Running total: 615
10.4 DebutDaughter of Sparta by Claire M. Andrews
I LOVE a good mythological retelling--The Song of Achilles, Circe, A Thousand Ships, Ithaca, and Stone Blind would most certainly be the top-shelf, bar-setting, best of the genre in my opinion.
This one I'd probably put on the second shelf down: not *as* good as those previously mentioned.
This is told in the voice of Daphne--a girl raised in Sparta, though not a Spartan. In order to save her family she must go on a quest to help the gods regain their strength and immortality.
I loved the appearance of so many mythological figures--I'm torn whether or not the total rewrite of their stories worked for me. I feel like the reason I love Madeline Miller, Claire North, and Natalie Haynes's books are because they get inside the story as we know it and get us to see it from a completely different angle. This one took the names we know and gave them completely different stories. Hmm. Still trying to decide how I feel about it...but will probably finish the trilogy.
+10 Task, her debut pub. 2021
+10 Review
Task total: 20
Season total: 280
10.5 OctoberLater by Stephen King
Oops! I read this one a long time ago (j/k--just looked at my activity on the book and realized I read it last July...but I've read a couple of hundred books since then so it's fair that I don't remember every single bit of the book, right?!) and remember loving it and thinking it was atmospheric without being terrifying and a pretty tame King book. So I chose it for my IRL book club--my Aunties and Nieces book club...where some of said nieces are 13 :-/
So, yeah, it was a bit more than I think would be appropriate for a 13-year-old. I'm mortified--but everyone said they wanted to try a Stephen King book and this was the most tame one that came to mind. Gulp. Lots of "f" bombs, a reeeeallly bad scene with a dead naked drug lord, and a big icky reveal later and I feel like the worst Auntie on the planet.
For grown-ups though? I feel okay about the rec—though I did reduce my rating of it on reread. Wish I would have gone with Joyland instead.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+5 Prizeworthy
Task total: 25
Season total: 305
15.5 Celebration of StylesYoung - born in 1980
Songbirds by Christy Lefteri
Task total: 15
Season total: 360
10.7 Scrabble (Anika's Task)Of Mortgages and Things and Dermot O'Hanlon
Scrabble score= 32
Task=10
Multiple=5
Task Total=15
Grand Total=145
Tasks Completed:
10.7 (4x)
20.1; 20.6
15.4 Celebration of StylesHeat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Aged : born May 7, 1927 died April 3, 2013 =age 85 years
Task: 15
Season total: 230
Anika wrote: "10.10 Group ReadsDestiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard
I pride myself on knowing a fair amount of U..."
As someone outside the US and who loves history, I had to share this little known gem.
10.7 ScrabbleExperimental Film by Gemma Files
E-1
X-8
P-3
E-1
R-1
I-1
M-3
E-1
N-1
T-1
A-1
L-1
—————
Total - 23
F-4
I-1
L-1
M-3
————-
Total - 9
Title Total - 32
+ 10 task
+ 10 prizeworthy (Sunburst Award for Adult, Shirley Jackson Award for Novel
Task Total - 20 pts
10.3 VowelsThe Man Who Knew by Edgar Wallace
I was not well-motivated, I think. I struggled with the first half, but pushed myself through for the sake of the 1918 entry for my mysteries challenge. And then? All of sudden it became *very* interesting. That might be because finally there was a murder. I thought the solution was obvious, but I wanted to see how they solved it. Boy, was I wrong! (Does that sound famliar?)
The Man Who Knew of the title was Saul Arthur Mann. He was small in stature, but had a big thirst to collect facts. In his case, it was facts about people. The person about whom he had a huge amount of facts was the millionaire John Minute. John Minute had made his fortune in Africa, mostly in gold mining. Or so it was said. There were several other characters for the reader to keep track of.
I'm glad to have been able to sample Edgar Wallace. I have read and still have to read so many mysteries I'm not going to promise I'll read another of his. On the other hand ... well, there is always another hand. Because I thought the first half of this one so slow, I'll find only 3 stars here.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+ 5 Multiple (first post for this task @ Post 67)
+10 Oldies (1918)
Task total = 35
Season total = 560
10.9 GeorgiaParis Trout by Pete Dexter
+10 Pts - Task
+ 5 pts - Oldies
+ 5 pts - Prizeworthy (National Book Award in 1988)
Task Total - 20 pts
Post 361 Nick wrote: "15.8 Celebration of StylesShe Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith
+ 15 -- Canon
Season Total = 120"
I'm sorry, Nick. The MPE for this book is She Stoops to Conquer, which has only 84 pages.
Post 373 Jayme wrote: "10.3 VowelsThe Tuesday Night Clubby Agatha Christie
Agatha starts with a vowel.
Task +10
Grand Total: 45"
Jayme, the book you have posted is a short story with only 28 pages. Did you read a different book?
15.10 Celebration of StylesTheir Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Canon
+15 task
+100 finisher bonus
+50 All 7 Styles
Post Total = 165
Season Total = 905
...; ...; 10.3 (x3); ...; ...; 10.6; 10.7 (x4); ...; ...; ...
15.1; 15.2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6; 15.7; 15.8; 15.9;15.10
20.1 (x4); ... ; ...; 20.4 (x2); 20.5; ....; ....; 20.8 (x2); 20.9; 20.10 (x2)
Post 377 Apple wrote: "20.9 Popular ScienceThe God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
MPG of science, rating of 3.9
Post Total = 20
Season Total = 665
...; ...; 10.3 (x3); ...; ...; 10.6; 10.7 (x..."
+5 Prizeworthy
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Post 377 Apple wrote: "20.9 Popular ScienceThe God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
MPG of science, rating of 3.9
Post Total = 20
Season Total = 665
...; ...; 10.3 (x3); ..."
+5 Prizeworthy
I wasn't sure this would count as it is not specific to the book being Author of the Year?
Task 10.4 Debut (Tien's Task) Read a debut novel by a female author published in the last 10 years (2013-2023 inclusive)
The following site states that Murder’s No Votive Confidence is female author Christin Brecher’s debut novel.
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/ch...
Murder's No Votive Confidence (Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery #1) (2019) by Christin Brecher (female) (Goodreads Author) (Paperback 285 pages)
+10 Task
Task Total: 10
Grand Total: 165 + 10 = 175
Apple wrote: "I wasn't sure this would count as it is not specific to the book being Author of the Year?"Honestly, I wasn't sure either. But I *think* that award is similar to "Book of the Year" and I left it on the book page and added it our record.
Rosemary wrote: "Post 373 Jayme wrote: "10.3 VowelsThe Tuesday Night Clubby Agatha Christie
Agatha starts with a vowel.
Task +10
Grand Total: 45"
Jayme, the book you have posted i..."
My copy was 256 pp
Rosemary wrote: "Post 373 Jayme wrote: "10.3 VowelsThe Tuesday Night Clubby Agatha Christie
Agatha starts with a vowel.
Task +10
Grand Total: 45"
Jayme, the book you have posted i..."
It was this one
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Reading with Style
Books mentioned in this topic
The Hank Show: How a House-Painting, Drug-Running DEA Informant Built the Machine That Rules Our Lives (other topics)Dialogues and Essays (other topics)
Behold the Dreamers (other topics)
End of Watch (other topics)
Quite Frankly: Dilf Mania (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
McKenzie Funk (other topics)Seneca (other topics)
Imbolo Mbue (other topics)
Stephen King (other topics)
Mayra Statham (other topics)
More...
There's a Reason for Everything by E.R. Punshon
+15 Task (Aged; 1872-1956)
Season total = 510