Reading with Style discussion
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SP 24 Completed Tasks
15.8 HDYGG?Carpentaria by Alexis Wright
Flowers
Vegetables:
desperance = DAIKON
queensland = QUINOA
oceania = ONION
Herbs: page count = 520
3 Plants this post
34 Total plants in the garden
+15 Task
+ 0 Flower Bonus
Task total = 15
Season Total = 870
10.6 ModernismPietr the Latvian by Georges Simenon
+10 Task: 1930
+10 Combo: 10.9 Anniversaries (162) / 20.10 World of Crime (French)
Task total = 20
10 Point Task Finish = 50
Season Total = 940
20.6 Fruit Dish, Bottle and ViolinThe Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
+20 Task: told through the view of Zachary, Mirabel, Simon and more
+. 5 Combo: 20.3 The Madonna of the Cat (The Keeper has a number of cats)
Task total = 25
Season Total = 965
+15 missed points - thanks!
980
15.10 HDYGG?No Place for Ladies: The Untold Story of Women in the Crimean War by Helen Rappaport
Flowers:
NoPLacEforlaDIestHeUntoldstoryofwoMenInthecrimeanwar - DELPHINIUM+
nOplaCeFOrLadiEsthEuNtoldstoRyofWomeninthecrimeanwar - CONEFLOWER+
noplAceforlAdiestheuntoLDstoryofwomenintHecrImeanwar - DAHLIA
noplaceforladiestheuntoldstorYofwOmeninthecRimeanWAR - YARROW
Herbs - 288 pages
8 = ROSEMARY
Plants this post = 5
Total plants = 35
+15 Task
+10 Flowers bonus
+100 Finisher bonus
Post Total = 125
Season Total = 1225
Task 10.9 Anniversaries (Apple's task). Read a book whose page number (most popular edition) ends in 2, 5, 1, or 0.
Pagecount: 250
The Milkman's Son: A Memoir of Family History, a DNA Mystery, and a Story of Paternal Love (2020) by Randy Lindsay (Hardcover 250 pages) [306.874]
Review: Our author, Randy Lindsay, is requested by his elderly father to construct a detailed family tree. Once complete, the visual of the family tree will be framed and put in his home. A decade goes by, and most of the tree is complete. There’s just one man he’s having a hard time tracking down. The new field of genetic genealogy provides a new tool for him to use to try and locate the missing member of the family tree. Surprise! The DNA results prove that his father is NOT his DNA father. It takes him awhile to accept this. He asks his mother, who flatly refuses to discuss the matter. (Mom and Dad are divorced and remarried.) The rest of the memoir is a detailed account of how his family in Arizona accept that he’s the half-brother, step-son instead of brother, son; and, the same process occurring with his DNA father’s family, all of whom live in New Jersey. The memoir reads like a magazine article that got S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D. The author includes a totally unrelated visit to his step-daughter in Florida, comments about how different the food is in New Jersey than it is in Arizona, and how amazing his wife is. (Author and wife both have a failed first marriage with children, so they have the blended family of his, hers, and theirs.) Readers who enjoy the author’s digressions would enjoy this memoir. Though be warned – the details of his DNA parents union are never revealed.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 10 + 10 = 20
Grand Total: 420 + 20 = 440
20.8 Fancy Meeting You Here (Anika's task)Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth
+20 Task
+15 Combo (10.3 - pub 2023; 10.9 - 112 pages; 20.5)
Post Total: 35
Season Total: 685
15.10 HDYGGA Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn
Flower-Crocus a treaCheROUS Curse
Herb-308
0-Peppermint
Plants-2
Total Garden 36 (+100 for 36 plants finisher)
Points this task 15
Finisher Bonus +100
Task Total 115
Season Total 740
After our discussion in the thread for 10.5, can I move this one to 10.5? I know it will drop my score by 5 points because I can't use the 10.1 for a combo but I *can* use the book I intended for 10.5 for this since it's also a series I'd been reading previously. Heather wrote: "10.1 Rewind to Winter (ok per thread)
Dark Moon by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Dark Moon is the third and final book in the E-Day trilogy and it was quite the ending...."
20.6 Fruit Dish, Bottle, and ViolinDeath in a Darkening Mist by Iona Whishaw
Lane Winslow is on the scene, once again, when a murder is discovered in her neighborhood. The victim lives among the Doukhobor, a Russian speaking community nearby. And so not only does she discover the body, she is called on to translate interviews and a diary. And her past as a clandestine operative during WWII comes into play.
She works with Officer Ames and Inspector Darling. And we find out why Darling is so uncomfortable around a beautiful and intelligent woman.
The book is fun to read with some lovely descriptions of the winter scenery, neighbors and neighborhood events in King’s Cove. I will happily dive into Book 3.
+20 besides Lane Winslow the MC, part of the story are told by Ames, Darling, Charles Andrews, Apetekar among others
+10 review
Task total: 30
Season total: 185
20.9 Beware the Ides of MarchThe Paris Assignment by Rhys Bowen
+20 Task (resistance movement during WWII; main character is in a spy ring)
+10 Combo 10.3 (2023); 20.7 (MC Madeleine is a student in France. Chapter 3: She travels to England to visit her parents at Christmas time.)
Task Total: 30
Season Total: 30
20.6 Fruit dish, bottle, and violinDoctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope
+20 Task (letters written by Augusta, Amelia, Mary Thorne, and others)
+10 Combo: 10.3 (3rd volume in series), 10.5 (Doctor Jazz)
+5 Jumbo
Task Total: 35
Season Total: 65
Post 254 Karen Michele wrote: "20.9 Beware the Ides of March (Joanna's task)The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte
+20 Task: conspiracy surrounding a copy of a Dumas Three Musketeers book
+15 Combo:..."
+15 Combo 10.4, 20.6, 20.7 see post 504
15.9 HDYGG?The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Flowers:
Vegetables:
ireland = ICEBURG LETTUCE
Herbs: page count = 319
9 = CHAMOMILE
2 Plants this post
36 Total plants in the garden
+15 Task
+ 0 Flower Bonus
Task total = 15
Season Total = 995
20.8 Fancy Meeting You HereJames by Percival Everett
+20 Task: a retelling of Huckleberry Finn through Jim's (James' - name Jim is noted in the book as well) eyes
+ 5 Combo: 10.4 Baby Boom (1956)
Task total = 25
Season Total = 1040 with +15 adjustment
20.5 - SurprisedHearts on Fire: A Lesbian/Sapphic Surgeon Romance
+20 task
+10 combo - 10.8 - Fire, 10.9 - 155 pgs
Task total: 30
Grand total: 440
20.5 -SurprisedEscort: A Lesbian Erotic Romance by Emily Hayes
+20 task
+5 Combo - 10.9 - 272 pgs
Task total: 25
Grand total: 465
20.5 - SurprisedA Matter Of Evidence: A Black Beacons Murder Mystery by Rhys Dylan
+20 task
+5 Combo - 10.9 - 322 pgs
Task total: 25
Grand total: 510
10.3 St. Patrick's DayThe Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler
Given the title, one can expect a dead body - that of a lady - in the lake. Sure enough, we don't have to wait too long for her to be found. Ugh! She's been there a month. In contemporary hands, that body might have been graphically described, but Chandler leaves us to our own imagination and thank you. The wife of the caretaker left him about a month ago and he is arrested for her murder. Marlowe is on the scene when the body is discovered, having been hired to find a wife that has been missing for a month. It looks as if the woman Marlowe has been hired to find is the perpetrator, for we can assume, since it is the beginning of the novel, that the caretaker is not.
It doesn't seem right to call Raymond Chandler a comfort zone. For me, that's exactly what he is. I can relax and know he's going to bring me the best noir on the planet. I have to admit this may not be his best work, though of course it's pretty good. I remember his writing style as being a bit more hard hitting, for example. There were still some of his dry observations. ... a pale-haired man was fighting to get the war news on a small radio that was as full of static as the mashed potatoes were full of water.
There is nothing extra in this, but it's a good 4-stars worth. I'll be sorry when I've read all of Philip Marlowe. Then again, who says you can read them only one time?
+10 Task (pub'd 1943)
+10 Review
Task total = 20
Season total = 1095
10.1 Rewind to WinterMurder in an Irish Cottage (Irish Village Mystery #5) by Carlene O'Connor
🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧
I find this series quite fascinating especially when I listened to the audiobook with a narrator with her Irish accents. Though then I find myself, sometimes, putting on the accent without meaning to. Not the full accent but just that increase pitch at the end of the sentence... 😅
The mystery in this instalment is set away from our protagonist's, Siobhán O'Sullivan, hometown. Her fiancé's cousin called him in distress and off they go to help. Family first is Siobhán's motto in life. And while we do not see her quirky villagers; we get to meet other very fascinating villagers who came complete with their own superstitious Little People (fairies).
Overall, an enjoyable read filled with some real quirky characters (to me, anyway, though it could be an exaggeration of the Irish) though I just love the O'Sullivan family. Siobhán does get annoying
at times but this set of siblings are just one of the warmest ones in fiction.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+50 Halfway (10-Task)
Post Total: 70
Season Total: 755
20.10 World of CrimeA Killing for Christ by Pete Hamill
I'm sorry to say that this never spoke to me. It's read in a noir detective style that didn't seem to be a good fit with the text, which struck me as more meditative than your typical noir story.
I never connected with any of the characters in this book. The author's forward said that this is a book about faith and the loss of faith, but I didn't ever feel that I understood the characters or their motivations well enough to understand their faith or their struggles. I did like the descriptions of the dark side of Rome that came through.
Overall, the narrator seemed to struggle with this novel. Maybe it's just not a great book.
+20 Task (set in Rome)
+10 Review
+5 Combo (20.9)
Task total: 35
Grand total: 520
In Post 531 - Katy wrote: "10.7 Strange New Worlds System Collapse by Martha Wells
I am always a fan of Murderbot -- so I was excited to get into the next installment! This was a bit tricky ..."
+10 Combo - 10.9, 20.9
In Post 23 - Valerie wrote: "10.3 St Patrick's Day **edited Mar 9***System Collapse by Martha Wells
It would have been very helpful to read Network Effect (again) before I jumped into this new..."
+5 Combo 20.9
Rosemary wrote: "Post 135 Apple wrote: "10.10 Group readsThe Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
I listened to the audiobook of this text, which made it ..."
From Post 135 - Apple originally claimed combo points for 10.2, 10.3, 20.5, 20.6, and 20.9.
Then, Rosemary corrected it with -5 for 20.6.
Now, I'm giving you +5 for 10.9.
In Post 313 - Mary wrote: "REPOSTING SEE Rosemary’s post 30920.5 Surprised
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
This is a great read! A story of mutiny, shipwreak and survival that has been pi..."
+5 Combo - 10.9
In Post 553 - Karen Michele wrote: "10.6 ModernismPietr the Latvian by Georges Simenon
+10 Task: 1930
+10 Combo: 10.9 Anniversaries (162) / 20.10 World of Crime (French)
Task total = 20
10 Point Task..."
+10 Lost in Translation
20.3 The Madonna of the CatMr. Flood's Last Resort by Jess Kidd
The GR description doesn’t begin to describe this book – which, of course, is good. You might notice that the genres readers have tagged it as are all over the place – there is a mystery and definitely magic realism, but it is much more than that.
It is a book about really bad people, good people, human relations sometimes within the framework of family. It is about being a true friend. As well, about an elderly man trying to hang on in his home and live the remainder of his life with dignity. There is also a great deal of charm infused in the book.
Mr. Flood, as we get to know him, is a very elderly man who still works in his workshop and paints portraits. He also has a great many cats living with him and he has befriended a fox. One of the funnier (for me) parts of the novel is that Maud (the caregiver) names the cats after authors. There was a Dame Cartland and a Beckett amongst others! Both Mr. Flood and Maud have complicated family stories that unfold as the story goes along.
I listened to this book narrated by Aoife McMahon, who did an excellent job. 4*
20 task
10 review
5 combo 20.1 (both Mr. Flood and his wife are artists)
______
35
Running total: 1170
10.9 AnniversariesThe Three of Us by Ore Agbaje-Williams
I picked this up on the recommendation of my local independent bookstore. It's definitely a literary writing experiment and it's a short novel, so it doesn't have as much depth as it might have if it were a longer novel taking place over a longer time period. The premise here is that it's three perspectives (wife, husband, friend) over the course of a single day. I liked the structure and the slice of life provided here.
But be warned. These individuals aren't making great choices--they're selfish, dishonest, manipulative, and not always making great decisions. But I found them very relatable even though they are very different from me.
+10 Task (192pp)
+10 Review
+10 Combo (10.3 - Three; 20.6 - husband, wife, friend)
Task total: 30
Grand total: 550
20.2 Virgin on the RocksThe Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery
This book is a delightful story of the author's exploration and encounters with octopuses (including telling me that octopi is scientifically incorrect). She describes learning about these amazing animals, getting to know a few specific octopus at an aquarium (and the way that the octopus could remember specific humans). I found the book a tiny bit repetitive, but overall so fascinating that I couldn't wait to get back to the audiobook.
Did you know that an octopus can open a child-proof pill bottle? Fit its whole body through tiny holes? Intentionally squirt handlers with a gush of water? Recognize familiar humans? I didn't know most of these things.
The reader for the audiobook does a great job carrying the enthusiasm that the author clearly feels into the reading. Highly recommended in audio format.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 Combo (10.9 - 261pp; 20.5)
Task total: 40
Grand total: 590
10.4 Baby BoomThe Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
I'm surprised to report that the author is an excellent narrator for this 31-hour audiobook. Usually, authors are not great fiction narrators, especially for very long novels. But Verghese manages admirably. I was helped along to finish that amount of listening by two very long drives, but I wouldn't have continued if I didn't like the narration.
This book was selected by my bookclub. I was dubious, mostly because of the length of the book. I'll be interested to see whether most of the people managed to read the whole book. But the person who recommended it called it a fast read, and it was engrossing. The characters were individual and believable in their own ways. There were magical realism threads running through the novel, which I often don't love, but they were deftly handled here to make the book seem more like a fairy tale (sans fairies) than a realistic novel.
The story is expansive--running through three generations from 1900 to the 1970s. The characters are largely good. Even their seemingly bad decisions turn out to have been made for good-hearted reasons. I found this sometimes unbelievable, and maybe a little too neat, but also sort of heartwarming. It's nice to sometimes read about good people who make moral and kind decisions.
I'll be very interested in my bookclub's discussion of this one.
+10 Task (author b. 1955)
+10 Review
+15 Combo (10.3 - pub. 2023; 10.8 - water; 20.6 - lots of different POV across time)
+10 Jumbo (724pp)
Task total: 45
Grand total: 635
Jayme(theghostreader) wrote: "10.9 Anniversary Embracing the Beatby Breanna Lynn
311 pp my copy
Task +10
Grand total: 200"
Sorry, Jayme. The MPE for this book is the paperback (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...) with 334 pages.
This task hasn't been scored because I didn't see an obvious place to put it, but let us know if you'd like to move it elsewhere.
Task 20.3 The Madonna of the CatRead a book where a character has a pet cat. Tell us the name of the character (and if you like, the name of the cat).
The butler of one of the murder suspects, Mr. Perkins, has a cat named Scorpion. The cat is rather active in one of the chapters of the novel.
The Murder of Mr. Ma (Dee & Lao #1) (2024) by John Shen Yen Nee and S.J. Rozan (Hardcover 300 pages)
Review: The Murder of Mr. Ma is the first book in a proposed series of historical mysteries set in London, England between World War I and World War II. The twist in the series: characters and situations are heavily inspired by Sherlock Holmes. The role of Sherlock Holmes played by Chinese immigrant Judge Ren Jie, and the role of Watson played by Chinese immigrant Lao She (who is the ‘author’ of this book.) Judge Ren Jie is so clever at unraveling mysteries! He is also a martial arts champion, and his martial arts skills are needed several times during the novel. Lao She (Watson) has a crush on an ‘English Rose’ woman named Mary. Lao She’s dilemma is that he’s of Chinese ethnicity, and Mary doesn’t want to be part of a mixed-race couple. Recommended for those who like Sherlock-Holmes inspired novels, and for those who enjoy a lot of action in their mysteries.
+20 Task
+05 Combo (#10.9 page count ends with 0)
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 + 05 + 10 = 35
Grand Total: 440 + 35 = 475
10.10 Group readsThe Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton
+10 Task
+20 Combo (10.5 - moon, 10.6 - 1922, 10.9 - 272, 20.3 – the Fulmer children have a kitten)
+10 1001 list
+10 Lost in Translation (written in english, first language is french)
Task total = 50
Points total = 620
10.1 (x3) ; 10.2; 10.3 ; 10.4 ; 10.5 ; 10.6 ; … ; 10.8 ; 10.9 ; 10.10
15.1 ; 15.2 ; 15.3 ; 15.4 ; 15.5 ; … ; … ; … ; … ; … (15 plants)
20.1 ; 20.2 ; 20.3 ; 20.4 ; 20.5 ; 20.6 ; 20.7 ; 20.8 ; 20.9 ; 20.10
15.9 HDYGGMy Journey to Lhasa: The Classic Story of the Only Western Woman Who Succeeded in Entering the Forbidden City by Alexandra David-Néel
Tomato Tibet
coneflower+ my jOuRNEy to Lhasa: thE Classic stOry of the only Western woman who succeeded in entering the Forbidden city
Hellebore+ my journey tO lHasa: the cLassic stoRy of thE onLy wEstErn woman who succeeded in entering the forBidden city
Catmint My journey To lhAsa: the classic sTory of the only westerN woman who suCceeded In entering the forbidden city
Daisy my journeY to lhasa: the clASsIc story of the only western woman who succeeDed in entering the forbidden city
Yarrow my journey to lhasA: the classic stORY of the only westeRn Woman who succeeded in entering the forbidden city
6. chives
15 pts 15.9
10 pts Flower Bonus
Plants
This Post: 7
Total Plants: 45
Task Total: 25 pts
Correction post 577: 5 pts
Season total =1010 pts
Post 586
10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 … 10.8 … 10.10
20.1 20.2 20.3 … 20.5 20.6 20.7 20.8 20.9 20.10
15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 15.7 15.8 15.9 (45 plants)
20.3 The Madonna of the CatThe Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski
Codringher has a large black and white tomcat, share the same eye-colour
Task: 20
Lost in translation : 10
Combo: 10 - 20.6, 10.9 (MPE -331 pages)
Post total: 40
Season total 215
10.4 Baby Boom Born 8 November 1954 (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazuo_I...)
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Task: 10
1001 : 10
Post total: 20
Season total : 235
15.5 HDYGG Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Flower : catmint
Task: 15
Plant : 1
Total plant: 12
Season total : 250
15.1 HDYGG? Round 2You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World by Ada Limon
MPE 176 pages
1 = HORSERADISH
6 = CHIVES
YouareherePOEtryintheNaturalworld = PEONY
youAReherepoetRYinthenaturalWOrld = YARROW
youareherepoetryIntHenAturAlworLD = DAHLIA
+15 Task, 5 Plants
Task total: 15, 5 Plants
Season total: 1335
10.9 AnniversariesMPE page 372
Sharpe's Fortress by Bernard Cornwell
I just finished a non-fiction that ties to the setting of this book, and so I thought it a good time to visit with Sharpe again while the landscape of India was still fresh in my mind.
The story covers the Siege of Gawilghur, a massive hilltop fort that has been unreachable for any invading Army. The British are determined to put an end to the defiance of the Maharatta and are determined to take them as Captain Dodd and his forces barricade themselves in this impregnable fort.
Sharp now wears the uniform of an Ensign, and acceptance of the other officers does not come easy. Friendless and miserable Sharpe finds himself lonely and questioning whether he really wants this position. His nemesis still plans his demise and his new position puts him out of the action.
Bernard Cornwell takes history and makes it readable and enjoyable. I recommend any of his books to those who love adventure and history.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total 20
Season Total 760
15.2 HDYGG? Round 2Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American by Wajahat Ali
MPE 272 pages
2 = LEMON VERBENA
7 = PARSLEY
Fremont = FENNEL
California = CUCUMBER
GObacktowheReyoucAMefromanDotherhelpfuLrecommendatIonsonhowtobecomeamerican = MARIGOLD
gobacktOWhErEyoucameFRomaNdotherheLpfulreCOmmendationsonhowtobecomeamerican = CONEFLOWER
gobacktowhereyoUcamefromandoTheRhelpfUlrecoMmendaTionSonhowtobecomeamerIcAN = NASTURTIUM
gobacktowhereyoucamefromandotherhelpfulrecommendatioNsoNhowtobEcOMEAmerican = ANEMONE
+15 Task, 8 Plants
+15 Flower Bonus
Task total: 30, 13 Plants
Season total: 1365
15.3 HDYGG? Round 2Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty
MPE 254 pages
5 = THYME
4 = DILL
Oakland = ONION
North America = NAPA CABBAGE
smokEGetsINyoUReyesotherlessonsfromthecreMAtory = GERANIUM
SMOkegetSinyoureyesotherlessonsfromtheCrematOry = COSMOS
+15 Task, 6 Plants
+5 Flower Bonus
Task total: 20, 19 Plants
Season total: 1385
10.3 St. Patrick's DayThe Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell
This is light reading. Not quite cotton candy, but not much more substantive than skittles. It's listed as a "mystery-thriller" but I'd call it more of a cutesy story that happens to include a murder. It's not really a detective story or based around a mystery. It's really just the carefully structured telling of a story from several different perspectives.
The author did a nice job making these characters individual and giving them independent thoughts and motivations. And I kind of liked them even when they were being ridiculous.
Overall, the story suffers from some pretty big plot holes, but somehow I wanted to forgive them because the book was so much fun. I'll be interested in discussing this one with my bookclub.
The narrators were great. This translates well to audio format with full cast narration because having a different narrator for each character helped emphasize the different perspectives. It felt almost like being in a room with these people telling their stories.
+10 Task (pub. 2023)
+10 Review
+5 Combo (20.6 - told from the perspective of at least six different people)
Task total: 25
Grand total: 660
10.1 Rewind to WinterMurder at an Irish Christmas (Irish Village Mystery #6) by Carlene O'Connor
🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧
The O'Sullivan family is going to spend Christmas in West Cork. Much as they love a holiday and this holiday in particular, as soon as they arrived, they stumbled upon a dead man and of course, Garda Siobhan O'Sullivan's antennae picked up something is not quite right in West Cork.
I do enjoy this series - it's quite relaxing and doesn't quite need my full attention to actually follow the story. I enjoyed Siobhan's banter with her fiancé and I especially love that he defers to her a lot of the time! She's definitely a bossy boots and a nosy parker but her little grey cells are admirably active.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 775
10.3 St. Patrick's Day Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest
770 Lexile
+10 task - pub May 2023
+10 combo (10.5 - "you" - 10.9 - 320 pg)
Task Total: 20
Season Total: 580
20.5 Surprised!School Moms: Parent Activism, Partisan Politics, and the Battle for Public Education by Laura Pappano
This was an interesting read for me. I picked it up off the New Book shelf at the library, because as an educator and a parent it seemed to fit a lot of what I'm interested in. I have also been fascinated (and very troubled) by the trend in intense book challenges in schools and libraries in the past few years. I hoped this book would offer me some new insights. It definitely gave me some new data - examples, people explaining their perspective, some very surprising facts and laws - but not necessarily the insight I was hoping for. If this whole issue feels very new and something someone had been "meaning to catch up on" I would say this book could be useful. If you've been following things already, it ends up being more of a niche read for super education/library nerds.
+20 task (colon)
+10 combo (10.5 - "for", 10.9 - 232 pages)
+10 review
Task Total: 40
Season Total: 620
20.9 Beware the Ides of March The Mantis by Kōtarō Isaka
I am wild about this book. I've read Bullet Train and Three Assassins, the other two in the Isaka hitmen universe, and I think I like this one best. Judging from the reviews, that may not be the most popular impression. I am not quite sure why I liked it so much. Unlike the other two, The Mantis follows one hitman in particular, rather than a revolving cast that gets larger as the adventure unfolds. Kabuto is a sort of troubled assassin - he's got a wife he's afraid of upsetting and a kid in school, worries about domestic life, and he's hoping to get out of the hitman game as he is also plagued with guilt. I think perhaps the character drew me in - he was interesting and well drawn. There's also a twist halfway through the book that truly surprised me and made me even more interested to pull the threads and find out what was really going on. Highly recommended!
+20 task (chock full of conspiracies to murder various players in the Japanese underworld)
+20 combo (10.2; 10.3 - #3 in series; 20.6 - POVs of Kabuto, Katsumi, and Nanomura; 20.10 - mystery in Japan)
+10 lost in translation (translated from Japanese)
+10 review
Task Total: 60
Season Total: 680
20.10 World of CrimeBangkok 8 by John Burdett
+20 task (set in Thailand)
+15 combo (10.3 - pub 2003; 10.4 - born 1951; 20.9 - premise is a conspiracy among various people - corrupt cops and expats trying to make money - leads to central crime)
Task Total: 35
Season Total: 715
Post 253 Karen Michele wrote: "20.2 The Virgin of the RocksThe Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
+20 Task
+ 5 Combo: 10.9 Anniversaries (261)
Task total = 25
Season total = 455"
+5 Combo 20.5 (the MPE has a colon and subtitle)
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Reading with Style
Books mentioned in this topic
An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us (other topics)Code Name Hélène (other topics)
The Teacher (other topics)
A Man's Head (other topics)
Redoubt (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Ed Yong (other topics)Ariel Lawhon (other topics)
Freida McFadden (other topics)
Georges Simenon (other topics)
Mercedes Lackey (other topics)
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Cup of Gold by John Steinbeck
🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧
Well! I like pirate stories but this was... frustrating? Strange? Probably a combination of frustrating and strange. The beginning, I felt, was rather pitiful (of the boy character not the writing) but I get it; we need to get a naive boy on the move! Of course, we know what happens to naive boys unprepared with the wild world. That's expected. It was all going fine and on track until...
> a scene of protagonist's father having a conversation with... "Merlin" (did we just go from historical fiction to magical realism?)
> a scene of the protagonist with a woman prisoner, La Santa Roja (that was weird as heck)
> a scene of the protagonist with her cousin (oh my word, I wanted to strangle her)
> the twist with the king (*sighs* that's to be expected but seriously I could scream!)
> the last scene with his wife (My hands are definitely around her neck and tightening as I typed)
+20 Task
+5 Combo (10.6 - pub 1929)
+10 Review
Post Total: 35
Season Total: 650