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Rebekah wrote: "Wasn't Death of a Red Heroine written in Chinese? Then you could get 10 pts for LiT
."
I thought it might have been, too, but I think he wrote it in English. I don't see a translator listed for it. Its beautifully written and even more impressively so if its written in his second language. (The author immigrated to the US as an adult from China. )
."
I thought it might have been, too, but I think he wrote it in English. I don't see a translator listed for it. Its beautifully written and even more impressively so if its written in his second language. (The author immigrated to the US as an adult from China. )
Leigh wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Wasn't Death of a Red Heroine written in Chinese? Then you could get 10 pts for LiT ."
I thought it might have been, too, but I think he wrote it in English. I don't see a transl..."
According to wiki, it was "Written in English by a Chinese émigré and resident of St. Louis, Missouri..."
20.1 Dickens LifetimeThe Warden by Anthony Trollope
First, let me say this surprised me. I guess I don't know what I was expecting, but a novel where the church/clergy was the defendant in a lawsuit wouldn't have appeared on a list. "The Queen on behalf of the Wool-carders of Barchester v. Trustees under the will of the late John Hiram" was instituted, The Warden being the primary Trustee so named.
Now, would you also expect humor? At least that was on the list. In a discussion where the bishop learns of the possible suit is: The bishop did not whistle: we believe that they lose the power of doing so on being consecrated; ... Trollope was a contemporary of Dickens, and lampooning the establishment was much in vogue.
Trollope is not quite as good as Dickens, however. (Was anyone?) His novels are not quite as multi-layered and, while his characterizations are quite good, just not quite as good. In Trollope, we also spend less time with the poor and working class, and more time with the affluent and educated.
The Warden is the first in of Trollope's 6-volume Barsetshire Chronicles. It is my understanding that each of these can be read as a stand alone.
+20 Task (pub 1855)
+10 Combo (10.9 first in series, 20.6, lawsuit)
+10 Review
+15 Oldie
Task Total = 55
Grand Total = 1000
I doubt I'll ever post a total that high again! This is my final post of the challenge.
Liz M wrote: "Marie wrote: "20.5 - Autobiography or autobiographical novelTender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
+ 20 task
+ 10 Oldies (1934)
+ 30 Combo (10.3, 10.4, 10.6, 10.7,..."
Sorry, I'm making way too many mistakes...
The book is partly set in France, partly in Switzerland.
My letters are ESFJ.
So this mistake + the 20.10 - Sam’s Task - Play the numbers mistake should make my total 295
nsfancy & Rachelccameron add +5 combo points for 20.8 to your scores. for:I Am Half Sick Of Shadows: A Flavia De Luce Novel by Alan Bradley
+20 pts - Task
+15 pts - Combo (20.8 The Cry of the Raven, 20.10, pub 2011, 20.7 Canadian author)
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Anika wrote: "Mega Finish (completed both RwS and CiV) = 200"Congratulations! Good job!
I think you might be cheating yourself of some points, but our scorekeeper extraordinaire will make sure ..."
Nyah. Anika didn't really want the +100 points for the CiV finish.
Marie wrote: "So this mistake + the 20.10 - Sam’s Task - Play the numbers mistake should make my total 295...."Thank you for the clarifications!
At the moment, I have your total as 265. In post 834, there was a math error -- the task total for Started Early, Took My Dog was 20 points, not 25. Also, i have been unable to verify the page-length category for Wonderboys. The edition linked in your post does not have page numbers & the rest of the editions are in the 350-425 range, not the 551 pgs. posted. (See posts 881, 962).
Liz M wrote: "Leigh wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Wasn't Death of a Red Heroine written in Chinese? Then you could get 10 pts for LiT ."
I thought it might have been, too, but I think he wrote it in English. I don'..."
Then does it get credit for 11 in '11? Or does it actually have to be set in St Louis?
Sorry, Liz I just love searching out extra points! It is like a treasure hunt!
Sorry, Liz I just love searching out extra points! It is like a treasure hunt!
10.3 Home for the HolidaysEden Within Eden: Oregon's Utopian Heritage by James J. Kopp
I was born in Oregon and have lived here all except 5 years of my life.
Review: This is an overview of what is known about Oregon's Utopian intentional communities. The subjects that are chosen for emphasis are eclectic. The writing is academic with a lot about what we don't know, trying to establish definitions, characterizing various movements and themes and quoting and paraphrasing sources. So it comes out a little dry. It is basically a stepping-off point for further study. And it includes an appendix full of information and is well-annotated for those looking to do so.
I don't think that the last chapter on Portland as Utopia based on its city and regional planning really adds to the book and has been covered more thoroughly in other sources.
Kopp cites some fiction based on these historic communes. I am ready for them.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+5 Combo 10.5 (5 ratings)
Task total: 25
Previous total: 975
Grand total: 1000
20.5 - David Copperfield House to House: An Epic Memoir of War by David Bellavia
It is difficult not to get pulled immediately into Bellavia's story from the beginning. The book is extremely candid in tone and is written in the first person, present tense which is a bit unusual but very effective in this case. Without being flowery or verbose, the author/main character brings the reader to the streets of Iraq. His descriptions allow you to smell the acrid air, show you the intense gore of combat, and feel your heart flutter in your throat at every sound.
There is a lot of action but also a great deal of heart to this book. Bellavia's loyalty to his men, his family and his country weigh heavily on every decision. The reader can almost feel how difficult his decision to leave the Army was at the end of the book. I hope he realizes that by publishing his own story and that of the men with whom he fought, he is still doing an important service. I think a lot of people are blind to the realities of war; we see wars of previous eras under the patina of time, and today's conflicts seem to be at the very back of people's minds. This book is a wake-up call as far as what our soldiers are really fighting against and fighting for, and I wish more people would read it.
+20 Task (memoir of a specific time period in the author's life)
+10 Review
Task Total = 30
Grand Total = 305
20.8 Deep Into The Heart of a Rose by G.T. DennyI received this book free through GoodReads First Reads.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. Sadly, it was not to my taste. It was clearly written with love, and that makes it charming in a way, but I did not enjoy it.
The characters don't have life. They are puppets to hang a plot on, and I feel that the author clearly knows them well, but he was not very good at communicating it. Miss Ashley in particular was incredibly grating. She's a girl with amazing eyes. She cries a lot. That is stated over and over again. The physicality of each character is provided in perhaps too much detail, but motivation, drive and personality is lacking. I found it very frustrating.
There is never any conflict or tension. There are many scenes of danger, but they are all quickly resolved. In this way, it's very much like a children's book. A threat is presented, but dispatched before a sensitive reader can be truly concerned.
And finally, the book is too long. If this was broken down into a series, it would be a better read. I was engaged by some parts, but too much is thrown in. It's like every single idea the author had made it into the book, and the result is choppy and episodic. It doesn't flow. And I still cannot get over the chapter devoted to Miss Ashley trying to get a carriage. Only six pages, but the most unnecessary pages I've ever read.
It's a good-natured book, it tries very hard, and I'm sure plenty of people will like it. I did not, but I am glad that I gave it a shot.
+20 Task (The Book of Broken Bindings)
+10 Review
+5 10.5 Underrated (11)
+5 20.10 (2011)
Task Total = 40
Grand Total = 255
10.1 Square PegMythen des Alltags by Roland Barthes
Review: Barthes analyses the world around us through the concept of myths. It was an revolutionary idea in the 50ies, that there could be an analysis of anything that's not high culture, that in fact the world around us is made out of signs, that in fact, every piece of advertisement, every picture, every building, and every movie is a sign you can analyse and interpret.
I had read "Mythologies" before, but it has been a while - and on rereading it, I was most interested whether this theory still holds up, 60 years later. The book is divided into two parts, the first one is a collection of short essays on the meaning of just about everything (face lotion, Racine, detergent, criticism, Greta Garbo, the new Citroen DS19, Steaks,...), which are easy to read and get you in the mind set of the second part, a theoretical essay on the construction and significance of myths in everyday life. This part, being theoretical, is harder to read, and may still take me a while to fully understand.
Task: 10
Review: 10
Oldies: 5 (pub 1957)
LiT (French to German): 10
Task total: 35
________________________________________________
10.4 Love is in the air
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Great Lovestories #73
Review: Siri Hustvedt on The Great Gatsby
"Finally, I have read The Great Gatsby four times, and every time I read it, it gets better. To my mind, it is one of the best books about American banality, a banality made grand by the sympathetic voice of its narrator who penetrates the beauty of all human longing."
I haven't read The Great Gatsby four times, just once, just now, but I would agree with her. In a way, the story is banal - a young man becomes rich to pursue his first love who's marry to someone else. He throws grand, meaningless parties to entice her to come by, which she only does once. He is essentially, trying to buy love, and he almost succeeds, but has to realize that, well, that only goes so far. If money can buy love, more money must in turn be able to buy more love.
What I liked most about it was the streamlined prose - there is no sentence that you can take away or shorten, everything is in its place and has a meaning that goes beyond the word.
Task: 10
Review: 10
Oldies (pub 1925): 10
Combo (20.10 (1925); 10.6 (z); 20.3 (root canal #8)): 15
Task total: 45
Grand total: 810
10.9 11 in '11Highland Fling by Nancy Mitford
Review:
Published in 1931, this was Nancy Mitford's first novel and I wonder how she felt about it later. There are a few funny moments at the beginning but it soon drifts into dreariness. I expected to like it a lot more than I did.
The younger generation of characters, supposedly the Bright Young Things, are childish and unsympathetic. The older generation are caricatures.
The theme is a lack of understanding between the generations that I'm sure did exist, even if it's exaggerated here. If the Bright Young Things were really as superficial as this, the people of their parents' generation must have been devastated to think of all the lives that had been lost in their defence.
+10 Task (first book by author who wrote more than 11 books)
+10 Review
+ 5 Combo (10.5 Under-rated)
+10 Oldies 1832-1936 (pub.1931)
Task total = 35
20.2 In Honor Of A Tale Of Two Cities
Dimanche and Other Stories by Irène Némirovsky
Review:
Irène Némirovsky was a French writer of Ukrainian Jewish origin, born 1903 and died 1942 in Auschwitz. She was well known in France during her lifetime, publishing several novels and many short stories. She is best known now for the unfinished multi-part novel Suite Francaise which was discovered and published in 2004.
The stories in this collection are mostly gentle studies of characters and relationships. Often there is not much in the way of plot and drama, even though death may be involved.
I enjoyed the stories very much but there was a dream-like quality which I thought made them lack emotional charge. Perhaps I was missing something. I would be interested to read Suite Francaise but I'm not going to be rushing out looking for more of her work right away.
+20 Task (the stories are set in France and Ukraine)
+10 Review
+ 5 Combo (10.5 Under-rated)
+10 LiT (translated from French)
+ 5 Oldie 1937-87 (the last story was written in 1942, the year of Irène Némirovsky's death)
Task total = 50
Grand total = 2590
Spring is almost here! Yay!!
20.10 Playing with the numbersExplosive EighteenJanet Evanovich (published in 2011)
My review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
+20 task
+10 review
=30 task
GRAND TOTAL 900
20.8 Fictional FictionThe World According to Garp by John Irving
The main character in the story is a novelist, as well has his mother. There are a couple fictional titles in the book, including Sexual Suspect and The World According to Bensenhaver
+20 Task
+5 Oldies [p.1978]
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 500
20.9 Take the high road - Angel's Tip by Alafair Burke (Goodreads Author)Angel's Tip
+20
20.10 Play the numbers - Snow Angels by James Thompson - 2010 (Goodreads Author)
Snow Angels
+20
+10 (Combo - 20.7 Finland and 20.9)
Points This Post: 50
Tasks Completed: 25
Total Points: 820
Books Read: 25
Norma wrote: "20.9 Take the high road - Angel's Tip by Alafair Burke (Goodreads Author)Angel's Tip
+20
20.10 Play the numbers - Snow Angels by James Thompson - 2010 (Goodreads Author)
[book:S..."
James Thompson is a US author.
20.1 - Charles Dickens: read a book published during Dickens' lifetimeI read Confessions of an English Opium Eater by Thomas de Quincey
+20 Task (pub 1821)
+15 Combo (10.6-The Uncommon Letter- Q, 10.9 - Kate's Task - 11 in '11, it was his 1st novel and he wrote, 20.5-read an autobiography OR read an autobiographical novel- this is a memoir)
+15 Oldie (pub 1821)
Task Total = 50
Grand Total = 505
Thanks so much to everyone keep score and track of everything! Greatly appreciate it!
Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "20.10 "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Lainia TaylorPublished 2011
Lexile score: 850
Task +20
Style:+10 Review"
Please provide a link to the book and the text of your review.
RwS10.6 The Uncommon Letter - 77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz
I was about 14 when I read The Omen at a friend’s cabin on an island way in the middle of nowhere. I must’ve run out of other books to read. It was my first “horror” novel and I didn’t pick up another one until many, many years later as it spooked me that much. When I did though, it was Dean Koontz that I was drawn too. It was one of paranormal type horror books and I loved it and proceeded to read pretty much everything he’s written since, except for the last few years when I haven’t always immediately read his newest novels.
77 Shadow Street had an interesting fascinating concept and a large cast of characters. It entertained me, it made me think but I didn’t fall in love with it like some of his others and I can’t really say why. For any Koontz fans out there there, you will enjoy it and might I add that the next Odd book is due out this summer…..yeehaw!!
+10 Task
+10 Review
+5 Combo (20.6 - at least half of this book takes place in 2049)
Task Total=25
Grand Total=365pts
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Norma wrote: "20.9 Take the high road - Angel's Tip by Alafair Burke (Goodreads Author)Angel's Tip
+20
20.10 Play the numbers - Snow Angels by James Thompson - 2010 (Goodreads Au..."
Oops - I was thinking setting of novel not author, thanks for catching
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Norma wrote: "10.5 Underrated - book that has fewer than 1,000 ratings - Christmas Wedding by James Patterson - 892 ratingThe Christmas Wedding
+10
"
Norma, did you mean to link..."
I will repost to 20.10, thanks for catching this
Correction for post 89920.1 Play the numbers - Christmas Wedding by James Patterson - 2011
+20 points this post
Less incorrect points taken on post 899 and 1091
-15
Post total +5
Grand total 825
10.5 – UnderratedEcstasia by Francesca Lia Block Low Lexile
+10 Task Total
20.2 – In honor of A Tale of Two Cities:
England and India (the end portion of the book is about a treasure stolen in India, so I think this works here)
The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
+20 Task Total
Points this Post: 30
Grand Total: 2730
I'm working on one more - we'll see;)
20.10 "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Lainia TaylorPublished 2011
Lexile score: 850
Task +20
Style+ 15 Review, 2o.2
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Grand Total: 615
Rebekah wrote: "Then does it get credit for 11 in '11? Or does it actually have to be set in St Louis?...From the task overview page:
10.9 - Kate's Task - 11 in '11
A) - D)....
E) - Read a book set in St. Louis, MO. The author does NOT need to have published 11 books:
Tell No Lies by Julie Compton
Last Book for this challenge20.3 - Great Expectations
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
+20 pts - Task
+15 pts - Combo (10.4,20.1, 20.4)
+15 pts - Oldies (1861)
+5 pts - Jumbo (505 pgs)
+10 pts - Review
Review
This is tough to review because really, what can I add that hasn’t been said by the thousands or even millions of reviews in the past 150 years? Again a classic, that I never really read in its unabridged form and even that was twenty years ago, although I’ve been wanting to read it ever since I readMister Pip by Lloyd Jones. This book only reminds me again that although Dickens’ books would now be old-fashioned, they are still timeless due to the humanness of his characters. In this instance from the earnest, naïve Pip to the straight and steady Joe and the trickery of Miss Haversham. This book did meet and exceed my great expectations but I rightly believed my benefactor was Charles Dickens and not any grand, sad crazy lady. Just read it before the movie.
Task Total - 65 pts
Grand total - 2080 pts
Farewell, Winter! It's time for Spring!
Carolyn wrote: "20.5 - David Copperfield House to House: An Epic Memoir of War by David Bellavia
+20 Task (memoir of a specific time period in the author's life)
+10 Review
Task Total = 30...."
+5 combo for 10.5 - Underrated
20.10 Bossypants by Tina FeyTask: +20
Combo (20.5): +5
Task total: 25
RwS Finish: +100 (yay!)
Grand Total: 935
Connie wrote: "RwS Finish: +100 (yay!)"Yay! is right! Good job!
Tobey wrote: "RwS10.6 The Uncommon Letter - 77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz
+10 Task
+10 Review
+5 Combo (20.4 - at least half of this book takes place in 2049) ..."
+5 combo for 20.10 - Play the numbers (pub. 2011)
And I have your Grand total as 390 points, due to a math error (previous post=350+30=380) and maybe(?) for extra combo points (post 686 - +5 for 20.7, and post 498 +5 for 10.4?).
Connie wrote: "20.10 Bossypants by Tina FeyTask: +20
Combo (20.5): +5
Task total: 25
RwS Finish: +100 (yay!)
Grand Total: 935"
Excellent work! I hope you didn't have to take a sick day to finish all this reading.
Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "20.10 "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Lainia TaylorPublished 2011
Lexile score: 850
Task +20
Style+ 10 Review
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Grand Total: 610..."
Thank you for the re-post! You can add +5 combo for 20.2 to your score, for a Grand Total of 615.
Task 20.10 - Sam’s Task - Play the numbers “1” and ”2”: 2011Beauty and the Werewolf (Five Hundred Kingdoms #6) (2011) by Mercedes Lackey (Hardcover, 329 pages)
Review: This book is part of Mercedes Lackey’s Five Hundred Kingdoms series. In the series, “Tradition” influences the residents to fulfill roles from traditional fairy tales. Several characters in this book are aware of the “Tradition” and seek to obtain a better outcome for themselves than “Tradition” would dictate. The bulk of the book has the Tradition seeking to push the characters into Beauty and the Beast. The protagonist is a spunky young woman. She subverted the Cinderella myth (step mom is nice, and stepsisters are silly but compassionate, and they get along fine), only to find herself in another myth! It was a stretch to accept that she couldn’t spot the villain; however, that can be explained by the Tradition pushing her to NOT spot the villain. I enjoyed this novel. Recommended for those looking for young adult fantasy, and those who wish to read variations on fairy tales.
+ 20 Task
+ 05 Style: 1. Combo (5 points) (also fits: 10.5)
+ 10 Style: 2. Review (10 points):
Task Total: 20 + 05 + 10 = 35
Grand Total: 1720 + 35 = 1755
And this will be it for me. No CiV completion – I wound up with pagecount issues for my last slot of
1965-1976 G-H 101-140/501-540
I had planned Grendel (pages: 123) but my copy is Grendel (pages: 151). *sigh*.
Thanks to the moderators and now onto Spring!
10.1 Square PegThe Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
(Lexile doesn't list this exact book but the other books in the series range from 790 - 970L)
+10 Task
+5 Oldie
Task Total: 15
Grand Total: 780
10.9 11 in '11 (11th book in the Newford Series)The Onion Girl by Charles de Lint
I had no idea when I first chose this book that the subject matter was going to center around the victims of sexual abuse. The Newford series is famous for being more fantastical urban-fantasy. However, the topic was dealt with beautifully - centering on the two narrators different attempts to heal about thirty years later. The two main characters, and points of view, are those of estranged sisters Jillian and Raylene. Both sisters have incredibly strong, sympathetic voices but are completely different with one struggling to help others, and herself, while the other falls into a life of further violence and anger.
The touches of fantasy were used to emphasize their differences and their similarities. The dreamland specifically was used to really endear the reader to their individual perspectives and personalities. An extremely powerful book that was beautifully written.
This was an audiobook and the narrator did an absolutely splendid job of bringing the various characters to life, giving them different pitch, accent, etc. You could distinctly tell who the narrator was for each chapter just based on the voice. Definitely an audiobook I would recommend.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+10 Combo (20.4, 20.10)
+5 Jumbo (the printed copy is over 500 pages)
Task Total: 35
+100 RWS Finish
Grand Total: 915
Task 10.5 Underrated (21 ratings as of today)Confessions of a Tarot Reader: Practical Advice From This Realm and Beyond by Jane Stern
With 20 years of tarot reading experience under my belt, I was intrigued by the title of this book and bought it on an impulse. I'm not sure exactly who would benefit from this book but I can tell you it was not me. I'm not a better tarot reader now. I'm not more enlightened about tarot cards or the life of a tarot reader. And I did not manage to glean any "practical advice from this realm and beyond." I did pull my deck out and contemplated the propositions set forth in each chapter but, in the end, I'll stick with the interpretations of each card that I've developed over time and that works for me when I do read (which is much less frequently these days).
+10 Task
+10 Review
+5 Combo (20.10 (Published in 2011))
Task Total = 25
Grand Total = 355
Task 20.4 A Christmas Carol (Novel published in 1936 but set in 1860s)Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Once I got over the shock of the racist language and settled down into the time period in which this book is set (1860s), I was absolutely carried away by Margaret Mitchell's story. Multiple times throughout the book I thought to myself: "There is no wonder this book won the Pulitzer Prize. It deserved it!" The character development was absolutely fantastic. This is so very evident when you read the reviews. How else could readers form such strong opinions? I was also thrilled with the history lessons on the Civil War and Reconstruction in the South that were woven throughout the story. As a resident of the South, I immensely enjoy southern fiction and this novel shoots to the top of my list of favorites.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+15 Combo (10.3 (Georgia); 10.4 (Great Love Stories); 20.3 (Exceeded Expectations)
+10 Oldies
+25 Jumbo
Task Total = 80
Grand Total = 435
20.6 Bleak HousePoison Fruit by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
+20 Task
+10 Combo (10.5, 10.6)
+5 Oldie
Task Total: 35
Grand Total: 950
Congratulations to all participants!
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Reading with Style
Books mentioned in this topic
Things I Can't Forget (other topics)Significance (other topics)
This Lullaby (other topics)
Misguided Heart (other topics)
Shattered (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jessica Sorensen (other topics)Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (other topics)
Margaret Mitchell (other topics)
Jane Stern (other topics)
Charles de Lint (other topics)
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The Age of Innocence (Illicit Love list #16)
+10 task
+10 oldie (pub. 1920),
+10 combo 20.10, 20.4 (set in 1870)
10.8 Chinese New Year
Death of a..."</i>
Wasn't [book:Death of a Red Heroine written in Chinese? Then you could get 10 pts for LiT