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SU 2016 Completed Tasks
20.1 South AmericaBrief Space Between Color and Shade by Cristovão Tezza
author born in Lages, Brazil
Review
I like the title and as the blurb sounds like it could be a mystery sort of novel, I’d thought it might just be to my liking. I really do love the description of the book but the book did not deliver. Tato was not particularly likeable nor did he feel real –I wonder whether he feels he’s real either as he appears to only be flitting here and around about. The alternate perspective told in the snippets of letters was actually more interesting but we were left to assume what’s happened to the letter writer.
This was a frustrating read; a very slow story and a somewhat dissatisfying and mystifying ending. Plus, there was no chapter-structure! I hate having to stop reading in the middle of a chapter so this drove me mad (being a mother of 2 young boys & working part time, I do not have the time for a single-sitting-read). There were some gaps (in the forms of spaces and ***) but that did not provide the correct ‘stop� sign for me. I’m just so glad it’s over!
+20 Task
+5 Combo (20.7 - CT)
+10 LiT
+10 Review
Post Total: 45
Season Total: 235
20.9 Political (Kate S's TaskThe Politics Book by Paul Kelly
This is one of those overview books that about all you can do in a review is describe how they handled it. There were 1-4 pages each about a variety of political theories and the people who put them forward, from the Greeks to the 21st century. There was a nifty little flow chart for most of them that highlighted the key idea in a logical thought process. The language was straightforward and clear with a little sprinkling of the terms the original authors used. The ideas were placed well in historical context without going into too much detail.
It was an interesting mix of people I'd heard of and people that I was completely ignorant of. The development of political thought has been a great deal deeper and more intertwined than I knew about. It gave me a better appreciation also for the changes in the last couple centuries.
But I still don't like politics and am very glad this is done. I would have preferred finding a thriller but decided to do some of that "broadening my education" stuff. Ugh.
+20 task
Task total: 20
Grand total: 340
fixed - review didn't count because this is YA non-fiction
From Post 196Beth wrote: "10.3 Holiday
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
#11 on the first friendship list
This book was excellent and awesome.
It was painful in so many ways, starting with a pot..."
I'm glad to see you enjoyed this book. Unfortunately, it is shelved as 'assignment' at the BPL and has a lexile score under 800. It works for the task points, but no styles.
Bummer. Okay. Thanks. I updated that post and my most recent scoring post to reflect this.
Task 10.8 Come to the Fair (Karen Michele's Task) ths one!!15 short stories all set at the travelling carnival
Carniepunk (2013) edited by Rachel Caine (Paperback, 440 pages)
Review: This book is a collection of 14 short stories / novelettes, all by different authors, all published here for the first time. All 14 stories are set in traveling carnivals, with Ferris wheels and/or cotton candy and/or portals to hell, etc., etc. Seven of the stories are set in paranormal/urban fantasy series; seven of the stories are standalones. Most of the stories have protagonists with tattoos and/or hair dyed colors not occurring in nature (such as pink or lavender). All of the stories have elements of fantasy or magic. As is typical in a collection of stories by different authors, some stories are really, really good, and other stories �.. not so much. “A Duet With Darkness� would probably have been more enjoyable if I had been reading the paranormal urban fantasy series that it is a part of. As most of the stories are really good, I’d recommend this one, especially for fans of paranormal urban fantasy.
+10 Task
+05 Combo (#10.7 “C�)
+10 Review
Task Total: 10 + 05 + 15 = 25
Grand Total: 145 + 25 = 170
10.9 - ok-ed in threadNeuromancer by William Gibson
Neuromancer is one of my favorite books of all time. I know I’ve read it at least half a dozen times and will probably read it at LEAST as many times more in the future. This is the seminal cyberpunk novel � all others are imitations that will never hit this point. The plot itself explores what it means to be sentient and to what extent technology can advance, given free rein. There’s a lot of ‘I know I *can*, but *should* I?� to it, which is absolutely fascinating to contemplate. It’s an amazing book and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to ANYONE who likes science fiction or near future speculative fiction.
+10 task
+10 review
task total: 20
grand total: 65
20.2 The Gods!The Just City by Jo Walton
Review: In The Just City, Jo Walton tells a story in which the gods of the Greek pantheon, who exist out of time and space, create the Just City as Plato envisioned it. Located on an island that would eventually succumb to a volcanic eruption, becoming the legendary city of Atlantis, Apollo and Athena pull famous, semi-famous, and should-be-famous adults from across time to be “masters� and buy ten-year-old slaves to form the basis for their society. Both become members of the group of children, but Athena chooses to simply take human form while Apollo choses to become incarnate, losing his powers and feeling truly human (although keeping his memories). Told in alternating viewpoints among Apollo, a child named Simmea, and a Master named Maia, it’s identifiably written by Jo Walton. She has a style that I can’t quite describe, writing somehow in an almost clinical, methodical, bordering on boring way that nevertheless manages to be completely engrossing. My biggest disappointment was that the end was very abrupt and the sequel is set twenty years later, but I’ll be picking it up at some point anyway. I kind of fell a little in love with her version of Apollo.
+20 Task (it revolves around the Greek gods, and two of them are main characters)
+10 Review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 550
20.7 U.S.Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain
+20 Task (MT)
+10 Canon
+5 10.7 First Letter
Post Total: 35
Season Total: 55
Traveling the DDC WayThe Year 1000: What Life Was Like at the Turn of the First Millennium by Robert Lacey
Call # 942.01 L at BPL
This was an incredibly easy read, and quite informative given the lack of real data available relating to the time period. Few documents exist, and what can be pieced together comes from wills and religious documents or poems that were fortunate enough to have been written down. Hypothesis can be made about what is known from before the time, and what is known after, and what can be gathered from excavations, but beyond this it really is a matter of putting the puzzle together and making an educated guess.
Whilst there was a structure, each chapter taking its idea from the notes and drawings on the Julius Work Calendar, it did sometimes feel disjointed, and that the idea would sometimes jump somewhere else.
You won't feel like a scholar after reading this, but there are probably a few bits and pieces of interest hidden on these pages for those interested in the world, or more particularly Engla-lond and the Anglo Saxons, of the time.
+10 task
+10 review
Task Total = 20
Grand Total = 300
Amanda wrote: "Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "10.7 The Mermaid's Mirrorby L.K. MadiganM in Mermaid's and M from Olympics
Lexile score is 680, no style points
Task +10
Book Tota..."
ok, I will hopefully find a different book.
20.4 Go for the Gold! The Four Chinese Classics: Tao Te Ching, Analects, Chuang Tzu, Mencius by David Hinton or, more accurately, translated and introduced by David Hinton
Approved for this task in the help thread.
This is also my one book that was started pre-June and read less than 50% before the start of the challenge.
All four of these classics were available in inexpensive editions but I paid for this combined modern version because it was billed as having the various terms harmonized between the different books. Having not read these books in other translations, I'm not sure how much difference it made, but the various maxims and parables and thoughts were clear, or as clear as they were going to be when looking to understand a different culture's philosophy.
The Tao Te Ching was pretty much as I expected it and Chuang Tzu was it's complement. The Analects and Mencius were more surprising to me. I knew Confucius emphasized tradition and honoring parent, but that wasn't it. But I wasn't expecting how these topics could have so many shades of what was the right thing to do or how much of the works were about being a morally right person and ruler.
The collection is part of my investigation into Chinese culture this year. I'm glad I read these, although I kind of absorbed them instead of studied them. I can see how they could be studied deeply and reflected in literature and culture differently than Western philosophical texts.
+20 task
+5 length (544)
+10 translated
Task total: 35
Grand total: 375
20.7 U.S. (Rebekah's Task)Bone Wires by Michael Shean
MS - mississippi
This was a police procedural set in a future with believable increases in technology and privatized law enforcement. It was good enough for me to be curious what else the author wrote, and it kept my interest. I'm just hesitant to say I liked it for some reason, maybe because this is a grittier genre than I usually read.
The story was solid but I did get antsy enough that I "flipped" ahead again and stumbled on a key point, so when the clues were left for it I knew why they were there. I didn't get the full emotional effect, but I was intrigued. I thought the mystery unfolded well and wrapped up successfully. The main character wasn't particularly appealing but the changes in him were worth following.
+20 task
+10 review
Task total: 30
Grand total: 405
10.7 First LetterCasanova's Chinese Restaurant by Anthony Powell
Writer Nick Jenkins and his artist friend Barnby spend an evening at the Mortimer pub and Casanova's Chinese Restaurant. Nick is introduced to a group of musicians, and becomes close friends with composer Hugh Moreland (based on Powell's friend Constant Lambert). This book revolves around the musicians and their marriages. Nick also marries, but still plays the role of the observer and does not reveal details of his own marriage. His leftist brother-in-law goes to Spain during the Spanish Civil War. The Abdication Crisis also is in everyone's thoughts, and fits in with the book's emphasis on marriage.
Set mostly in 1936, "Casanova's Chinese Restaurant" is the fifth book in a twelve book series, and cannot be read as a stand alone novel. I enjoyed the social satire, the new characters, and getting reacquainted with some favorites that pop up in every book.
+10 task
+10 review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 265
20.1 South America Of Love and Shadows by Isabel Allende
Born in Peru
+20 Task
+20 Combo (; 10.7; 20.7; 20.10)
+10 Lost in Translation (published in Spanish, read in french)
Task total = 50
Points total = 60
10.9 It's PersonalBeauty by Robin McKinley
YA Lexile 970
Review: It IS a fairy tale, but well-told. McKinley richly fills in the alternative world of the classic fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast. It is told in first person by Beauty. Her delightful character is well developed and I came to know and understand her. The descriptions of Beauty's family and their change in circumstances in the non-magical world are handled well as are the descriptions of the magical castle. And it definitely has a well written fairy tale ending.
I recommend this for fairy tale lovers and romantics. If I hadn't checked it out of the library, I would not have realized it is considered YA. I can definitely recommend it for all ages.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 50
20.10 Meta FictionThe Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
+20 - Task
+15 Combo (10.2-Virago list, 20.2-Odysseus, 20.7 - MA-Massachusetts)
Task Total - 35 pts
Grand Total - 100 pts
15.4 FYTS: Time Traveller1963-2008
The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch
+15 Task (1978)
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 165
20.2 - The GodsThe Iliad by Homer
I first read this as a student but enjoyed it much more this time around. There's much more pace and tension than I remembered.
It covers only a few weeks towards the end of the Trojan war. Troy has been beseiged by the Greeks for 9 years, since Menelaos and his brother Agamemnon enlisted all their allies to retrieve Menelaos's wife Helen, snatched by the Trojan prince Paris (aka Alexandros). Paris's brother Hector is in charge of the Trojan army, and Paris himself seems to do very little fighting. On the Greek side we have among others Achilles, son of a goddess and the Greeks' foremost warrior. The Iliad begins with a quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon that results in Achilles withdrawing from the war until a tragedy draws him back in.
That makes it sound like a human war story but the gods are present in every scene, arguing between themselves, supporting different sides, and encouraging, coaxing or outright interfering in the actions of the mortals. Having multiple gods not only does away with the thorny issue of why God allows bad things to happen, but also gives the bard a whole other layer of characters and motivations to explore.
I was disappointed there was no Trojan horse and no end to the war. If he were writing today, Homer would be swamped by annoyed fans yelling "cliffhanger!" and demanding the sequel, like, NOW. I wonder if there was something else in the epic cycle, now lost, between the end of the Iliad and the beginning of the Odyssey? It seems likely.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 Canon
+10 LiT
+ 5 Jumbo (683 pages)
Post Total: 55
Season Total: 220
10.7 First Letter (Tien's Task)Lucia in Wartime by Tom Holt
Having completed the Mapp & Lucia series by E.F. Benson, I learned that there are several more volumes of adventures written by other authors. This is the first by a different author and the 7th in the series... and it is just as good as the others. Mapp & Lucia are again rivals...with Lucia winning almost all the time...but not always.I really liked this blurb on the book cover from Phoebe-Lou Adams- "Nothing that Lucia and her enemy, Miss Mapp, did was ever of the slightest importance, but they did it with Napoleonic strategy, Attilan ferocity and Satanic motive." This time...watch the British pair duel for primacy after Mapp wriggles her way into a meeting at Windsor Castle that Lucia was supposed to go to. And see Mapp get blamed repeatedly for the black marketing antics of Lucia. Such delicious stuff. Hope I can fit volume 8 into the Fall categories.
Task +10
Review +10
total = 20
grand total= 310
20.2 The Gods!Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
Quite entertaining. The Greek Gods are still living in London in a decrepit, deteriorating townhome and they are extremely dysfunctional. Aphrodite goes to play a trick on Apollo and that sets off a chain of events that actually bring change.
It's not your usual tone for magical realism, although you could use those words to describe it. It's not an urban fantasy either. It's kind of snarky instead of being flat out funny. And it kept me engaged enough that when Apollo turned off the sun my head didn't object about the whole - but it takes 8 min for the light to travel - thing until hours later.
On a conceptual level I was most entertained by the Underworld - that everything in it had to be specifically imagined and Persephone put a high value on architects and structural engineers. Another key idea in the book I'd seen elsewhere, but that was just fine because it was more of a turning point and not the theme.
I do recommend this book as a fun option for this task.
+20 task
+10 review
Task total: 30
Grand total: 435
20.4 Go for the Gold! Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian
What an extremely odd book. It's classified as fiction but it's supposed to be a sort of literary event that came from the author's temporary (mistaken) diagnosis of cancer and reads as semi-autobiographical and semi-fantastical.
There's actually a chapter/section near the end that addresses this, which is quirky, where there is an anonymous debate between two unnamed voices about defining what a novel is and whether or not it needs to have a narrative arc. It's almost an apology / justification / too bad for the way the book is written.
Overall it feels like a travelogue that becomes somewhat more unhinged from reality as it goes on. I kept reading without feeling bored of it, enjoying the prose and the various pieces and the meandering walk of it going through the Chinese countryside, but once was enough.
+20 task
+5 combo (10.7)
+10 review
+10 translated
+5 length
Task total: 50
Grand total: 485
20.5 London CallingPygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
+20 Task
+10 Canon
+5 First Letter
Post Total: 35
Season Total: 90
15.5 5 yrs through summer -time traveler1995
When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals By Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson
25 task
5 non fiction bonus
____
30
Running total: 225
10.7 OLYMPICSIs Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
Review:
This book is inevitably compared to Bossypants by Tina Fey. Even the author makes the comparison early in the book. And frankly, I enjoyed Fey's book a bit more than this one. But still, this is an enjoyable collection of the author's stories and thoughts. I enjoyed hearing her read it aloud in the audiobook. I preferred the memoir and personal stories to the more direct humor pieces (e.g., the story about being insulted by a soccer player in high school was much better than the list of alternate titles for the book).
There is one moment that really made the book for me. The author discusses her feelings toward skinniness in a way that perfectly resonated for me. She describes how she'd like to be skinnier, but not more than she'd like to do a lot of other things and that it's just not a high enough priority and that, yeah, it bothers her sometimes, but not too much. Of course, she was able to say this more concisely and more humorously than I can write it here.
Definitely a good way to make a long car ride more enjoyable.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 320
10.9 It's PersonalWinger by Andrew Smith
Review:
I didn't love this book nearly as much as I adored Grasshopper Jungle by this author, but I still really liked it. This guy can write. The characters are authentic and flawed and confused and awesome really. Ryan Dean West (i.e., the title character) is exactly how this middle-aged-lady reader remembers teenaged boys, only probably with more moral compass than most that I remember. I became emotionally invested in these characters. I was compelled by the undercurrent of violence running through the story -- I know that many boys and men that I've known feel this push to fight in a way that I've never really experienced, but I feel a little more empathetic about it after living with the characters in this book.
I'll definitely be looking for the sequel to this one.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task total: 20
Grand total: 340
10.5 Mod TaskThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
+10 Task
+10 Canon
+5 10.4 Light
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 115
20 .7 USThe Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore by Deepak Chopra
D.C. - District of Columbia
+20 - Task
Grand Total - 120 pts
10.3 HolidaySnow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
#14 on Best Adult Female Friendship list
It took me some time to get into this, i have to admit. I think because i had been so keen to read it, which for me never leads to enjoying something as much as I should.
This is a story of female friendship and love in a world and time where women are of little value except for as the bearers of sons. Their lives are lived separate to men, except for their acts of servitude. They are the lowest ranked in their household when they marry in, and before this they are worthless to their biological families until they can receive their bride price and hopefully bring some greater wealth to the family.
Snow Flower and Lily seem unmatched in many ways, but their circumstances are not what they seem, and their paths perhaps take on the opposite of what they appear to have promised. This is perhaps a story of acceptance and the meaning of true love. It is not a happy tale, but worth following through to the end.
+10 task
+10 review
+10 combos ( 10.7, 20.4)
Task Total = 30
Grand Total = 330
20.7 USBuried in a Book by Lucy Arlington
When I started this book I was a little concerned that it would be ‘ruined� because I had actually started this series (during last season’s challenge) on book 5. Anyhow, this is the first book in the series, which (obviously) sets up the rest of the series. I was concerned that it would be slightly boring since I had jumped into the middle of the ‘lives� of the characters already. However, I found this to be a fun and interesting read that could stand on it’s own, if necessary. I enjoyed finding out about the backstory, and as a result am even more interested in reading the rest of the series.
I particularly enjoy ‘cozy mysteries�, although I usually enjoy ones that are set in recent history better (1930/40s) this one stands up well. This book is set in current day and I enjoyed it quite a bit � there are quirky characters and modern characters (eg. the main character is a single middle age Mom). On top of it, it is a mystery that involves books (the main character is a literary agent � what more could you want!).
I would recommend this book (and the series) if you enjoy cozy mysteries and would like a ‘lite� break from reading your RwS non-fiction or canon books.
20 task
10 review
____
30
Running total: 255
20.4 Go for the Gold! Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin
I had read some Pushkin before and enjoyed it... but did not realize (although I should have) that Eugene Onegin was a novel in verse...and I felt disappointed on both the poetry and the story. As for the poetry... I wouldn't expect that Russian verse translated to English would wow me. Wikipedia informs us that it is written in iambic tetrameter...which for me has a sing-songy childish flavor---so much so, that when I was reading the footnotes... I was reading them in sing-song. As for the story, uninterested boy meets girl, girl's sister falls in love with boy, sister's fiancee challenges boy to duel and loses his life, boy becomes a fugitive and comes back to find that he is now in love with the original girl who is now married. It just seemed all too simplistic.... perhaps would make a good Disney movie (without the deadly duel.) One thing I learned is that French was the official language of the Russian court...and the story takes a few swipes at Russian writers who actually write in the vernacular Russian. Pushkin was in the French school if I understood the footnotes correctly...yet this novel in verse seems to have been written in Russian.
Task +20
Review +10
combo +5 (10.9)
Canon +10
LiT +10
total= 55
grand total = 365
10.7 First LetterCop Out by K.C. Burn
Review: Cop Out was a weird book for me to read at this point in my life. It opens with Kurt’s getting hurt in an explosion, and his work partner (he’s a homicide detective) is killed. When Kurt realizes that he never knew Ben, down to the fact that he had a husband, he is devastated but makes it his mission to get to know the widower, Davy. In the process, he falls in love, realizing for the first time that he’s gay, and they end up with a happy ending. As a recent widow myself, I really really would have liked it if some of the chapters were either written from Davy’s perspective or at least some of the issues Kurt brings up were explored. For example, it’s pretty clear that Ben’s closeted nature had the effect of emotional abuse on Davy, but he works through those issues completely off-screen and it almost seems like they were brought up simply to make it okay for Davy to get involved with someone new so soon after loosing his husband. Regardless, it was a decent book and I’m mildly interested in reading the sequel someday.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 570
15.1 FYTS: Time Traveler1966-2016
The Man Who Went Up in Smoke by Maj Sjöwall (published 1966)
+15 Task
Task Total: 15
Grand Total: 585
20.4 Go for the Gold! White Balance by Ainslie Paton
Review: I seem to be on a roll in accidentally picking up books with widowers in them. I don’t know if it’s some subconscious thing or what, but it’s a thing. In this one, Aiden has lost his wife two years before and he’s still a big mess � maybe he could use some counseling. Regardless, it’s a relatively interesting story that combines his finally coming out of his depression, his friendship and working relationship with his best friend, and his romance with Bailey. It also bounces around in perspective to Bailey herself, Blake (the best friend), and Cody, a teenaged boy Aiden is volunteering as big brother to. To me, the weakest link was Bailey. Sometimes she was very strong, capable, and self-assured, but then she’d have MASSIVE issues with trusting the wrong person blindly or not standing up for herself. I know people have their ups and downs and their blind spots, but her personality did not seem consistent at all.
+20 Task (set entirely in Australia)
+10 Review
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 615
Post 210 Beth wrote: "20.9 Political (Kate S's TaskThe Politics Book by Paul Kelly
This is one of those overview books that about all you can do in a review is describe how they handl..."
I'm sorry, this is listed as YA Nonfiction at, and there is no lexile. Task, but no styles.
Post 246 Cory Day wrote: "15.1 FYTS: Time Traveler1971-2016
The Man Who Went Up in Smoke by Maj Sjöwall (published 1971)
+15 Task
Task Total: 15
Grand Total: 585"
Just a heads up, Cory - this was originally published in 1966. It looks like it will still fit your timeline, but it might affect what year you skip, if any.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Post 246 Cory Day wrote: "15.1 FYTS: Time Traveler1971-2016
The Man Who Went Up in Smoke by Maj Sjöwall (published 1971)
+15 Task
Task Total: 15
Grand Total: 585"
J..."
You're right - thanks for looking out for me! I changed my plan at some point and just didn't update the records, so I'm still good :)
10.7 First LetterSyrah by Nessa L. Warin
Review: I read this book because one of the challenges I’m participating in required a book with alcohol on the cover. It didn’t have super great reviews, but it seemed like it would be okay, and that was basically my opinion after reading it. The story is pretty simple - Shawn comes into Royce’s wine shop on Christmas Eve and they’re attracted to each other, but after they start dating Shawn’s boss tries to get him to stop being gay, basically, by threatening him. That ends up being the main conflict, since Shawn originally decides he’d rather keep his career afloat than continue dating Royce, but it gets pretty quickly resolved. There’s a little insta-love going on, and in general the conflict didn’t seem all that high stakes, but it was a sweet little story and if a second in the series were published I’d probably check it out. Oh, and I loved the cats � one of them reminded me a LOT of my cat, so that was fun.
+10 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 635
10.1 Square PegVoyage in the Dark by Jean Rhys
I have enjoyed my previous reads written by Jean Rhys, so when I saw this on the shelf at a recent trip to a secondhand bookstore I thought I would pick this up.
What misery! Sure, Rhys is not the cheeriest of authors, but I think she has really reached the depths of despair with this one. At no point does our lead character, Anna, seem happy. Even when she says she is happy it seems buried in mounds of sadness. Nor does she seem completely balanced or stable. Her mind constantly wanders back to her life in the West Indies, so that you are never really sure how much of reality she is fully aware of.
None of the characters are particularly likeable, and none of them seem to particularly like or care for each other very much ( apart, perhaps, for Anna and Walter, but this relationship is confusing. How much of it is a relationship, and how much a business transaction?).
Not one of my better reads.
+10 task
+10 review
Task Total = 20
Grand Total = 350
Task 10.6 Traveling the DDC wayRead a book shelved in the 900s (900-999)
940.1
The Dark Ages (Historia Universal Asimov #8) (1968) by Isaac Asimov (Hardcover, 256 pages)
+10 Task
+05 Combo (#20.7 “IA�=Iowa)
Task Total: 10 + 05 = 15
Grand Total: 170 + 15 = 185
10.6 Traveling the DDC wayLafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell
Call # 973.3092 V
+ 10 - Task
+ 5 - Combo (10.7)
Task Total - 15 pts
Grand Total - 135 pts
20.3 - Winners!Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera
This book is a gem - it's easy to see why it won the Best Translated Book Award. Short but deep, in turns slangy and lyrical, I'm already looking forward to rereading it.
The good:
- The writing is beautiful and light, perfectly fitting for whatever situation the main character finds herself in. And deep! So many layers.
The stadium loomed before them. So, what do they use that for?
They play, said the old man. Every week the anglos play a game to celebrate who they are. He stopped, raised his cane and fanned the air. One of them whacks it, then sets off like it was a trip around the world, to every one of the bases out there, you know the anglos have bases all over the world, right? Well the one who whacked it runs from one to the next while the others keep taking swings to distract their enemies, and if he doesn't get caught he makes it home and his people welcome him with open arms and cheering.
Do you like it?
Tsk, me, I'm just passing through.
- Makina is awesome. Understated, street-wise awesome.
- The translation by Lisa Dillman is wonderful and her note at the end is enlightening. Translators are the closest to any text, maybe even closer than the authors themselves, because they process it in two different languages. Her insights are wonderful and had me hankering to reread the book immediately to appreciate aspects I didn't pick up the first time through.
The not-so-good:
- This is the only the first book of Herrera's to be translated into English. I'm eagerly awaiting the second, soon to be published by the same press.
All in all I utterly love this book. It didn't rattle around in my head for as long as some others but it will reward rereadings for years to come.
+20 task (Best Translated Book Award, 2016)
+5 combo (10.7 - starts with S)
+10 translation
+10 review
Task total: 45 points
Grand total: 80 points
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Reading with Style
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Laura Brown (other topics)
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M in Mermaid's and M from Olympics
Lexile score is 680, no style points
Task +10
Book Total: 10
Grand Total:"
We are not ignoring the leading articles "The" for 10.7. Do you want to move it to your Square Peg?