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FA11 Reading w/Style Completed Tasks - Fall 2011
Task 10.8- Seasons Change:Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse (Buildungsroman #15)
While I was reading this book, I wondered why a German guy wrote such an Indian book. I got his biography from his Wikipedia page.
Hermann Hesse was born into a Protestant Christian family in Calw, Germany. His mother was born at a missionary in India. After attending various seminaries and religious schools, he ended up working in a bookstore. The article says that Hesse later became interested in India because he was interested in Schopenhauer's writings and theosophy. They both have roots in Buddhism. In 1911 he went on a trip to Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and other places but was unimpressed. He joined army in 1914 during WW1, but wasn't sent to the front and had to drop out because of mental issues. In 1919 he divorced his wife, who suffered from schizophrenia.
After the publication of Siddhartha in 1922, it looks like his life turns around. He remarries and gets Swiss citizenship (he'd had problems with the German government because he denounced patriotism). In 1946, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
+10 Task
+5 Combo (10.2- Highly-rated [Potjy])
+10 Review
+10 Translation(German)
+10 Oldies (Pub. 1922)
Task Total = 45
Grand Total = 45
What did you think of the book itself, Rhea?
Denae wrote: "What did you think of the book itself, Rhea?"I'm not sure, that's why I tried writing a summary of the author's life. I thought could get away with it but I'll try again.
The book was a short easy read. In one sense it was really a summary of Hesse's philosophical views instead of a novel. That's difficult for authors to do well, because people who don't agree with them get alienated. Since I don't agree, it required a lot of suspension of belief on my part. I thought the main character Siddhartha was the Buddha right up until the end. Even though the Gotama character was referred to in text as the Buddha. Whoever wrote the author summary in the back of my book wanted the readers to view the text as autobiographical, and I thought that was an interesting opinion.
Oh, I was just curious, not policing or something. :)
Denae wrote: "Oh, I was just curious, not policing or something. :)"My mistake. Sorry.
No worries, I come off that way sometimes :)
Task 20.5 - They ReadThe Gap Year by Sarah Bird
When picking my most recent book, I picked this one up and read the inside jacket cover and bam, knew that it was my next book and all because it fit into a task category in this current Fall Challenge. It’s the story of a Mother and a Daughter told from two different points of view at different times of the storyline.
I have a lot to say about this book and most of it is emotional. I think all Mother’s feel at one time that they will lose their little girl’s “ear”. This plotline really affected me. It's one of those things that frightens me the most as a Mother whose Daughter currently shares a lot with her. I love how the author takes us on the journey of these two women through each of their eyes and experience their feelings about the same events that take place. An emotional roller coaster for me by an author I will read again!
+20 Task
+10 Review
Task Total=30
Grand Total=30
10.6 Fall FreebiesI read "Four To Score" by Janet Evanovich.
Task Points: 10
Grand Total: 10
20.1 I ReadOut Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
REVIEW
A rather slow-paced book set in Norway near the Swedish border. The time frame is modern times with the memories of the protagonist returning to his childhood during and just after WWII primarily concerned with his relationship with his father. After being buffeted by life, he returns to an isolated farm in his home country where he lives primitively as though trying to return to those long ago days to sort out his feelings and come to grips with what has made him the man he has become. Ironically a mate from his childhood happens to also have moved nearby and you find his stories butting up with those of his neighbor’s family during his boyhood. This book in style, isolation, and pace much reminded me of The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
+20 - Task
+5 - Combo (20.9)
+10 - LiT (Norwegian)
+10 - Review
Task total - 45
Grand total - 45
Tobey wrote: "Task 20.5 - They ReadThe Gap Year by Sarah Bird
When picking my most recent book, I picked this one up and read the inside jacket cover and bam, knew that it was m..."
Your review caused me to add this to my Wishlist!
20.5: They ReadChild 44 by Tom Rob Smith
*****
I knew nothing about Tom Rob Smith or Child 44 when I saw it in my library, but from the description on the back it sounded interesting so I picked it up. As it turns out, that description was not terribly accurate, but I liked the book even more than I expected. The era of Soviet history in which it is set is one that I want to learn more about and the story of Andrei Chikatilo, on which the novel is loosely based, is one that has long horrified and fascinated me. Overall, this is an excellent, chilling story. I not only intend to read the next books in the trilogy, I added eight books to my to read list based on his descriptions of what they were and how they figured into his research.
+20 Task
+5 Combo (10.2 Highly-rated)
+10 Review
Task Total: 35
Grand Total: 35
I've been having so much fun planning and now I need to get started reading more and posting. No review this time, but I promise to start reviewing my books.20.8 – Liz’s Task – It ain’t over…
The Aeneid by Virgil
+20 Task
+ 5 Combo (10.2 Highly Rated)
+10 Lost in Translation
+25 Oldies (-19)(1610 and older)
Task Total: 60
Grand Total: 60
20.6 Unreliable Narration The Turn of the Screw
by Henry James
+20 task
+20 combo (20.8 - Opera, 20.10 - Monsterfest, 10.2 - Highly rated, 10.5 - In bed)
+10 Oldies (pub. 1890)
Task total: 50 points
Grand Total: 50 points
Rebekah wrote: "Tobey wrote: "Task 20.5 - They ReadYour review caused me to add this to my Wishlist!
I hope you enjoy it! Let us know how you like it. Or it may be the last review of mine you ever listen too! :-)
Task 20.4 - We ReadThe Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
+20 task
+10 combo (10.2-Highly rated, 10.8 Seasons Change)
Task total: 30 points
Grand total: 30 points
Task 15.8- Art, Music, DanceThe Marvelous Misadventures Of Sebastian by Lloyd Alexander (The main character is a musician.)
Lexile 880
+15 Task
+5 Bonus (Pub. 1970)
Task Total = 20
Task 20.5- They read
Sunrise by Erin Hunter (The chapters alternate perspective between several characters, just like in A Song of Ice and Fire.)
This is the 18th book in the Warrior Cat series, so I've read a lot of these. I really like them. They're about anthropomorphized cats who group together and live in a forest. I love cats, so I think these books are adorable. You could compare them to Watership Down, except Watership Down is darker and Warrior Cats isn't trying to be literary. The authors write the cats as cats, but they come off as more human than the rabbits in Watership down. Usually there will be a couple of mysteries in each book. They'll be at least one that'll be very obvious or is known by at least one of the viewpoints. Then there will be another one that'll be hard to guess. Even though this one works for 20.5, the first couple of books don't.
Lexile 750
+20 Task
Task Total = 20
Grand Total = 85
10.6 Fall FreebiesStorm Front by Jim Butcher - 9/2/11 to 9/4/11
****
Storm Front and the other books in The Dresden Files series have been highly recommended by numerous friends, but somehow I just never got around to them. Once I was outright challenged to read them and told the audio books are excellent, therefore meaning I could knit while listening, I took the plunge. I was not disappointed. James Marsters does a fantastic job as the voice of Harry Copperfield Blackstone Dresden, the book's narrator. The book has many of the typical urban fantasy themes, but the voice in which it is written provides an excellent extra twist. Harry Dresden reminds me of Rincewind from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, but with some traces of optimism and the helpful addition of competence. Toss in Chicago, some overly polite mob bosses and you have an endearing and playful story. I'll definitely be reading on in the series.
+10 Task
+5 Combo (10.2 Highly-rated)
+10 Review
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 60
10.6 Fall FreebiesHannibal Rising by Thomas Harris
Review:I noticed that many people have rated this book quite poorly on Goodreads. Although it is not quite as well written as the other 3 in the series, I did quite enjoy the book. I always like novels that tell “before the main story” or give the characters background (one of my favorite movie techniques is flashbacks). I also enjoy it when movies have opening montages that explain the story up to where the film truly begins. The book shows that Hannibal was not necessarily born a monster, but is a product of experiences. I found also that though this book is not a historical fiction, I did gain insight into the state of Europe after the Second World War, as well as how people used their loyalties to survive. Through the series, I have never felt that Hannibal was a true monster, it seemed to me that he targeted people who deserved it. The respect with which he treated Clarice, and left innocent passers-by unharmed also makes me feel that he is not a complete socio/psychopath. The true cruelties and monstrosities that people are capable of can be found in Grutas’ gang; to me they are the true monsters.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 20
Back to School Task 15.10 Study HallThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
+15 Task
+ 5 Non-fiction
Task total = 20
Grand total = 20
Task 20.10A- Sam's Task- Monsterfest IIIThe Devil's Pool & Other Stories by George Sand (Devil)
I read the introduction, and I thought it was really interesting how they praised Sand's work for sounding "easy," by which they mean fluid. They say the writing of other French authors of that time sounds "carefully crafted," like they put forth a lot of effort to write. They add that this writing style reflects Sand's refusal to follow convention. I don't think that's a compliment at all, or that their conclusion follows. You could give the same compliment to any reasonably competent modern fluff writer as compared to a literary writer, it doesn't necessarily mean they're flouting convention. Furthermore, they follow up their argument with some quotes from Sand where she discusses how carefully she molds her writing to her characters.
All of the stories in this book were different. My favorite was Lavinia because it was funny, and my least favorite was The Unknown God because it was sermonising. The Devil's Pool was just okay.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 Translation (French)
+15 Oldies (1833-1851)
Task Total = 55
Grand Total = 140
20.3: S/he reads (based on new criteria)Hit Man by Lawrence Block is written in third person limited
+20 Task
20.5: They read
Unnatural by Michael Griffo
third person omniscient; switches between multiple characters when the main character is not present
+20 Task
Points this Post 40
Total Points 40
Books Read 2
Total Pages Read 864
15.5 – History, Government, Philosophy, ReligionMayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick
+15 Task
+5 Non-fiction
Task Total: 20
Grand Total = 20
Task 20.5 - They ReadLet the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
+20 Task
+10 Combo (10.2 highly rated, 20.9 - Reading for IMPAC)
Task total: 30
Grand total: 60
This is my first time. I’m really looking forward to this.Task 20.7 Elizabeth (Alaska’s) Task
One of Ours by Willa Cather
I chose this partially because Willa Cather is an author that I feel I should have read at some point, but had not. The title was unfamiliar to me, and so I was surprised to find out that this won the Pulitzer Prize rather than one of the others I associate with her name. The imagery that she used in this could be quite poetic and beautiful particularly when she describes the farmland and forest of Nebraska and France. The parallels between pre-war Nebraska and current U.S. politics are also really interesting. However, I found the protagonist, Claude, to be a frustrating character. Additionally, someone prior had read this copy of the book marking off passages with question marks and silly questions. I spent most of this book wanting to lecture Claude and/or the previous reader.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 Oldies (pub. 1922)
Task total=40
Grand total=40
Welcome, Leigh! Thanks for the review on this one - the Pulitzer is a list I hope to make my way through, and I look forward to this one.
10.6 Fall FreebiesSleepwalk with Me by Mike Birbiglia
****
Unfortunately, Sleepwalk with Me is not quite as funny as Mike Birbiglia's show of the same name. Fortunately, it is still hilarious. He uses the same wry sense of humor and strikes a perfect note of self-deprecation in this witty account of his childhood and early adulthood. Of particular note to me are his depictions of his father and the central theme of the book, his sleepwalking. While the bulk of the book is funny, it has touching moments as well, which because of their rarity and unexpected nature are rendered more powerful than they would be otherwise. I definitely recommend this to anyone who has seen or heard Birbiglia's comedy, to anyone who loves David Sedaris, and to anyone else who is looking for a laugh.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 80
10.2 5-star readsBreathing Lessons by Anne Tyler
An interesting look at American life in the early 1980s when the generation whose youth was of the 1940s and 1950s was dismayed by the changes taking place in the society of its children. Divorce was more prevalent, dress more casual, respect for their elders lacking.
Throughout this book, I laughed while author Anne Tyler shared the foibles of her characters, especially Maggie Moran, and it struck me that she and author Richard Russo have a similar sense of humor. Maggie was a meddler and often found herself in trouble trying to "fix" the lives of her son and former daughter-in-law. There was pain and sorrow, too, felt through the wry humor.
Although a Pulitzer, this isn't my favorite Anne Tyler. I much preferred The Accidental Tourist and Digging to America.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Grand Total = 20
Back to School15.5 – History, Government, Philosophy, Religion
The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan
Historical Fiction: The Great Depression
+15 Task
Task Total: 15
RwS Tasks:
20.6 – Unreliable Narration
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
I remember going to the Northwest Bookfest in Seattle when Chuck Palahniuk was a brand new author and deciding not to go to his reading and signing. Now Fight Club, which I had not previously read, has a cult following and I have read most of his other books. It's difficult to write a review of a book with an unreliable narrator because the very nature of the voice implies possible spoilers and that would definitely be the case here for those who have not read the book. I found it to be an unsettling book to put it mildly. Our high school has some issues with fight clubs, so the appeal still grabs young men(primarily)trying to find their places in our culture. I was riveted by the unfolding of the events and personalities in the book and I enjoy Palahniuk's intensity.
+20 Task
+15 Combo (10.2 Highly Rated/10.3 Meta Fiction/20.3 I Read)
+10 Review
Task Total: 45
20.8 – Liz’s Task – It ain’t over…
Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin
Epic poetry has been a form I have shied away from over the years, but recently I’ve done some things that have helped me enjoy the form. First, I have listened to the audio versions of plays and epic tales and just finished listening to The Aeneid by Virgil. This has helped me get a feel for my own reading when approaching a text in verse. I have also delved into more modern books in free verse, especially books by Ellen Hopkins, that grip you emotionally as and pull you right into the plot of the story. I approached Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin with those experiences in mind and found the book delightful. I particularly enjoyed a scene in which a “bear” carries the heroine to safety. I do prefer free verse to rhyming when reading these longer forms, and I wonder about what may be “lost in translation” from the original work. Still, overall, I recommend Eugene Onegin as an accessible classic of epic poetry and I hope to listen to the opera by the same name sometime soon.
+20 Task
+10 Lost in Translation
+15 Oldies:--151 to 250 years old:(1761-1860)1833
+10 Review
Task Total: 55
Points this Post: 115
Grand Total: 175
Task 10.7 - Rebekah’s Task – Muslim Mind SetIn the Sea There Are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda Howard Curtis (translator) (Hardcover, 215 pages)
Review: The bookjacket says that the author, Fabio Geda, is "an Italian novelist who works with children under duress". There is a picture of him and also of Enaiatollah Akbari, a teenaged boy who has emigrated from Afghanistan to Italy. The sub-title is "Based on the true story of Enaiatollah Akbari." The novel is told in first person, purportedly Enaiatollah Akbari. It begins in Afghanistan. Enaiatollah Akbari is a Shia Muslim; the ruling Taliban are Sunni Muslim. Additionally, Enaiatollah Akbari is of a different tribe than the Taliban. Due to an action taken by Enaiatollah Akbari's father, the Taliban has decreed the death penalty should accrue to Enaiatollah Akbari. Enaiatollah Akbari's mother sneaks him to Pakistan, prays to Allah, and leaves him. The rest of the novel describes how he survived; and, how he emigrated, illegally, by stages from Pakistan to Iran to Turkey to Greece and, finally, to Italy, the only stop on his journey wherein he was treated humanely. The novel ends with Enaiatollah Akbari in Italy, with a foster father and foster mother, and going to high school. Enaiatollah Akbari says at the end "I dream of having the chance to return one day to a democratic and peaceful Afghanistan." The author clearly wishes to show how Afghanistan (and, by extension, Pakistan) is failing its young men.
+ 10 Task
+ 05 Style: 1. Combo (5 points) (also fits 20.1 - I read)
+ 10 Style: 3. Lost in Translation (10 points): written originally in Italian
+ 10 Style: 2. Review (10 points):
Task Total: 10 + 5 + 10 + 10 = 35
Task 10.2– Highly-rated - 5* by members
Member: Jayme(the ghost reader)
White Cat (Curse Workers #1) by Holly Black
This is a YA book but the Lexile Scale has not assigned a number to it. However, having read both White Cat and Holly Black's novel Tithe, and they seem like they should have about the same Lexile score; and, Tithe has Lexile score of 750.
+ 10 Task
+ 05 Style: 1. Combo (5 points) (also fits 20.1 - I read)
Task Total: 10 + 5 = 15
Task 20.1 - I read
The Attack: Novel by Khadra, Yasmina (translated by John Cullen )
Review: The author seeks to answer the question: why would a Palestinian woman, apparently secularized and assimilated Israel Arab, become a suicide bomber. He never really comes up with a good explanation. The novel is told in first person by the woman's husband. It is good and engaging while describing the husband's shock and sorrow at the death of his wife, and his confusion as to why she would throw away their life together, and his determination to find out why. The novel is weakest when it follows the husband amongst his extended family in Jenin and Bethlehem --- all the "freedom fighters" are handsome, strong, religious, and unselfishly committed to the cause. Yeah, right, corruption does not exist amongst Palestinians. The treatment of Israeli Jews at first blush is even-handed; but when you think about it, the focus is divided between a Jewish woman who commiserates with the widower, and an elderly Israeli Jewish Holocaust survivor who has never gotten over the events of his youth. (The author clearly thinks he should have gotten over it already.) And the death of 11 (or is it 13? The number drifts) Jewish children is dismissed: yeah, it's a horrible thing, but let us focus on the totally awesome freedom fighters. I felt the novel was fundamentally dishonest because it starts off as a domestic tragedy but ends up with admiration of terrorists.
+ 20 Task
+ 10 Style: 1. Combo (5x2=10 points) also fits (10.2– Highly-rated - 5* by members: Joanna) and (10.7 - Rebekah’s Task – Muslim Mind Set)
+ 10 Style: 3. Lost in Translation (10 points): written originally in French
+ 10 Style: 2. Review (10 points):
Task Total: 20 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 50
Grand Total: 35 + 15 + 50 = 100
Task 20.1 - I readThe Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
I very much enjoyed the book, even though I found it at times unsettling. It deals with the unreliability of memories and how those memories shape our identity and choices that we make. Just as memory can be unclear and questionable so were elements of this book. After a few days pondering this theme and how it was rendered in the book it is one of the elements that I think makes the work incredible.
+ 20 Task
+10 Review
Task total : 30
Grand Total: 90
Task 20.2 You readThe Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
+20 task
+15 combo (10.5 Bedtime stories - Sebastian Junger’s list; 10.3 Meta-reading -review below explains why this qualifies; 10.2 Highly Rated)
+ 10 review
Review: This book of interrelated short stories about the Vietnam war blurs the line between fiction and non-fiction. A Vietnam veteran himself, the author Tim O’Brien sometimes interjects himself into the stories to talk about how writing about Vietnam helped him process the experience, how he changed his actual experiences into fictional stories, and how you can tell when a war story is “true.” One of my favorite stories was “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” about a medic who arranges to bring his high school sweetheart Mary Anne to the remote and isolated camp where he and few other soldiers are stationed. Mary Anne adapts quickly to life in a war zone, eventually going out on patrol with the Green Berets. Unbelievable? Yes. True? Who knows. This was an incredibly moving book about the experience of war, and I would highly recommend it.
task total = 45
grand total = 45
Jenna wrote: "Task 20.1 - I readThe Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes"
This has been short-listed for the Man Booker Prize. Did you like it/recommend it?
Task 10.2 - Highly RatedThe Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Help is all over the place - tv, movies, blogs and now I understand why! Wow, what a riveting, amazing book. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started out and being Canadian, sometimes these kinds of subjects just floor me and I can’t really believe that this goes on in the world and yet I know that it does. The characters were so real, they were brought to life amazingly well and the story flowed like a well established river, although the very end sort of dropped off like the author didn’t quite know how to end it. I can see why many have given this 5 stars. It is well deserved and I highly recommend it.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+5 (Combo 20.5)
Task Total=25
Grand Total=55
Task 20.5 - They readThe Postmistress by Sarah Blake
It's a lovely story on life at times of war for 3 different women whose lives intersected in a small town. Iris James came to Franklin as the new Postmaster. Emma Fitch came as a new bride of the town doctor. Frankie Bard met Dr Fitch in London, witnessed directly the horrible impact of war, and came to Franklin with what she thought was her duty. We see how war, directly and indirectly, impacted on each of these women's lives. Mostly, this book is beautiful in its descriptive language, not only of what is seen but what is in the mind of the characters.
+20 Task
+10 Review
Total this post: 30 points
Total to date: 30 points
I'm very confused with these narrative modes so please do let me know if I'm mistaken
Tobey wrote: "Task 10.2 - Highly RatedThe Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Help is all over the place - tv, movies, blogs and now I understand why! Wow, what a riveting, amazi..."
Great book!
Task 20.9 - Reading with IMPACExtremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
+20 Task
+5 Combo (10.2 - Highly rated
Task total: 25
Grand Total: 115
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Jenna wrote: "Task 20.1 - I readThe Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes"
This has been short-listed for the Man Booker Prize. Did you like it/recommend it?"
Yes, this is why I chose the book. I am attempting to read all of the books that have been longlisted but may only get through the shortlist at this time.
I very much enjoyed the book, even though I found it at times unsettling. It deals with the unreliability of memories and how those memories shape our identity and choices that we make. Just as memory can be unclear and questionable so were elements of this book. After a few days pondering this theme and how it was rendered in the book it is one of the elements that I think makes the work incredible.
Sorry for the poor quality of this review. I don't tend to write reviews of books. But I would recommend this selection.
Does this mean I get to add points for a review? :)
Thank you, Jenna! And yes, this qualifies as a review! Go ahead and edit your post. Good job!
Task 10.6 Fall FreebiesDead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
This is the eleventh in the series. I’ve read all the prior novels, but put off reading this one due to some scathing reviews and because I’ve been enjoying the series less and less as it continues. Sookie’s not the sharpest tack in the tray, but in the early books she knew this and had a sassy sense of humor to make up for it. More and more she just seems to be weighed down by everything that has happened to her. Its not as fun anymore.
Also, it seems like this book has product placement? There are a lot of brand names mentioned which could be just for realism, I guess. At one point though, there is a detailed description of her eating a Dairy Queen blizzard. Was is an actual commercial? Are they doing that with books? Its creepier than the vampires.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total= 20
Grand total=60
10.9 Kate's task - 1492The Lusiads
by Luís Vaz de Camões
The Lusiads was a book I dreaded reading. It's old. And an epic poem. And written by some unheard-of (by me) Portuguese poet. With the right translation, it is a surprisingly quick, delightful read. This translation, by Landeg White, kept the structure of the original poem intact by sacrificing the rhyme scheme. The translator also chose to structure the English translation using the sentence structures of the English Language, rather than the Portuguese. The result is a fluid poem that doesn't feel "old" or "difficult". Camões' tale of Vasco da Gama's 1498 voyage around Africa to India in is a fascinating combination of mythology, history, and literature. The detailed history of Portugal was not boring (and I always find straight-up history books boring). The passages about the Greek gods, including their oblique and overt references to The Aeneid and Metamorphoses are beautiful. I was intrigued by the coincidence of the world of the Greek gods and the Catholicism of the sailors; the gods are portrayed as personally involved in the fate of this voyage while the Portuguese are completely unaware of their involvement. And it ends with a huge love-fest, what can be better?
+10 Task
+10 Review
+10 Translation
+25 Oldies (pub.
Task total: 55 points
Grand Total: 105 points
Liz M wrote: "10.9 Kate's task - 1492The Lusiads
+10 Task
+10 Review
+10 Translation
+25 Oldies (pub. 1890).."
pub. 1890 won't get you 25 oldies points, Liz, but the original publication date of 1572 will, which is what you meant, I'm sure.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Liz M wrote: "10.9 Kate's task - 1492The Lusiads
+10 Task
+10 Review
+10 Translation
+25 Oldies (pub. 1890).."
pub. 1890 won't get you 25 oldies points, Liz, but the original publi..."
Oh, now I'm confused- I thought it had to be a book written or set in the 1400s for this task.
Karen, Liz's review shows that it's about a voyage in 1498.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Karen, Liz's review shows that it's about a voyage in 1498."Oh, I'm so sorry, now I see it. So many books are being added to my TBR!
third-person limited: the narrator cannot tell the reader things that the focal character does not know—but the text is written in the third personBy that definition, I can claim
20.3 - S/he reads
A Marked Man (Abigail Adams Mystery) by Barbara Hamilton
The book features Abigail Adams as the focal character who is solving the murder mystery in Colonial Boston. The novel is told in third person, limited to what Abigail witnesses and experiences, with occasional descriptions of what Abigail is thinking:
example of the majority of the text
p. 3 "She rose from the table, folded her napkin and ringed it, and went to help Charley dispose of the last of his bread-and-butter."
example of Abigail thinking
p. 14 "Last night, thought Abigail. Last night Harry was supposed to be printing pamphlets in the basement of his chop on Cornhill ...."
+ 20 Task
Task Total: + 20
Grand Total: 100 + 20 = 120
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "pub. 1890 won't get you 25 oldies points, Liz, but the original publication date of 1572 will, which is what you meant, I'm sure...."Yes, thank you
Karen GHHS wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Karen, Liz's review shows that it's about a voyage in 1498."Oh, I'm so sorry, now I see it. So many books are being added to my TBR!"
Just what I was thinking!
I also asked about the 1492 task because I'm almost done with one that I searched hard to find, but is really good:A Stolen Tongue by Sheri Holman
So, if anyone's still looking for one for the task written more recently or for anyone else who can't resist adding books to their TBR, it's another idea for the task!
Karen GHHS wrote: "I also asked about the 1492 task because I'm almost done with one that I searched hard to find, but is really good:A Stolen Tongue by Sheri Holman
So, if anyone's still looking for one for the task written more recently or for anyone else who can't resist adding books to their TBR, it's another idea for the task!..."
Oh great --- just what I need, another book on my totally overloaded TBR shelf. Thanks so much! :-) (I just can't resist adding it though.)
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Reading with Style
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Post your completed tasks here. Use the following format when posting tasks. This is the order of the Style points on the scoring spreadsheet, so it will save time if you could list the points in this order.
Be sure to include how the book qualifies for the Style points. For instance if you need to read a book from a specific era for the task, please provide the ORIGINAL publication year when claiming points.
Reading w/Style (RwS) Sample Completed Tasks Post:
(Note: not an actual group reads book)
Task 10.10 - Group Reads:
The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu
>insert 100+ word review here<
+10 Task
+ 5 Combo (20.3 - S/he reads)
+10 Review
+10 Translation
+25 Oldies (Pub. 1182)
+25 Jumbo (1120 pages)
Task Total = 85
Grand Total = 410
(This total assumes that we're mid-season and you had already posted 325 points.)